TENNIS US OPEN – It was a scorching day at the US Open with temperatures soaring well into the 90oF/30oC range. This only served to heat things up on court. The day saw several upsets, near upsets and some red hot tennis in the women’s draw. From New York, Cordell Hackshaw
US Open: All the interviews, results, draws and OoP
Agnieszka Radwanska (4) was first up on Louis Armstrong stadium against Shuai Peng. Radwanska as is her norm, took the early lead with 2-0 in the 1st set. However, from then on, she looked like a mere shadow of herself in the blazing sun as Peng came roaring back to take 6 of the next 7 games. Peng had 14 winners in the 1st set only compared to Radwanska’s 4. In the 2nd set, Peng got the early break for 4-2 and never looked back. She fought off several break points in the 10th game whilst serving for the match to close it out 6-3 6-4. Peng would later said that on those big moments, she played “no risk because I really really want[ed] to win.” Meanwhile, for Radwanska, her US Open woos continue. This is the only major she has yet to progress past the Round of 16.
Radwanska noted after the match “I didn’t play bad today. I think it was just her day. Of course I could do something different maybe or try something else, as well, but I really try my best and I was fighting till the end. I just couldn’t do it.” Interestingly enough, this was the first straight sets victory for either player against each other in all their five meetings.
Sloane Stephens (21) was another victim of an upset on Day 3. She faced 96th ranked Johanna Larsson. Stephens coming into this US Open had never lost before the 3rd round in all of her three previous appearances. It looked like it was going to be 4/4 as she was up a set and a break 7-5 3-0. However, she allowed Larsson to get back into the set to take 6 of the next 7 games. Larsson took the 2nd set 6-4. In the 3rd set, Stephens again took an early lead at 2-0 but then seemingly capitulated as she lost six straight games. Larsson took the match 5-7 6-4 6-2. Stephens was floundering at the baseline looking completely bothered by the weather but she quickly refuted the idea that the heat was not a factor in the match. She only offered the simply statement of “Things got a little shaky” to sum up her performance.
Maria Sharapova (5) avoided a near upset when she faced Alexandra Dulgheru. Sharapova led 2-0 to start off the match but Dulgheru broke her to level it at 2-2. In the 7th game, the Romanian broke Sharapova a second time to lead 4-3. She was able to maintain this break advantage to close out the set 6-4. However, no stranger as of late to making comebacks in matches, The Russian took control of the 2nd set to lead 4-2 and never relinquished it. She won the 2nd set 6-3 and then raced out to a 4-0 lead in the 3rd set. Dulgheru was unable to offer any positive response to this Sharapova charge. The Russian closed out the match 4-6 6-3 6-2 in just over two and a half hours. “It was difficult … It was a very long match. Overall I felt like in the end I was in much better shape that she was and I could have played another few sets.”
Other winners include Simona Halep (2) who seemed to have settled down after her rough 1st round match to win 6-2 6-1 over Jana Cepelova. Angelique Kerber (6) and Jelena Jankovic (9) also won in straight sets. Kerber took out Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2 6-4 and Jankovic won 7-5 6-4 over Tsvetana Pironkova. Caroline Wozniacki (10), 2009 finalist here, also won in straight sets as did Sara Errani (13), Alize Cornet (22) and Sabine Lisicki (26).
Several players needed three sets to get to the 3rd round. Andrea Petkovic (18) she overcame being down a double break in the 3rd set v Monica Puig to take the match in the breaker 3-6 6-3 7-65. Lucie Safarova (14) also had a 3-set battle as did Roberta Vinci (28). Belinda Bencic upset Kurumi Nara in three sets 6-4 4-6 6-1. Bencic will next play Kerber for a place in the Round of 16.
