U.S. Open 2011: Day 3 Results
Provided by Tennis Panorama News
FLUSHING MEADOWS, New York – On day three of the US Open Venus Williams withdraws, as Marion Bartoli, Agnieszka Radwanska, Dominika Cibulkova, Nicolas Almagro and the Bryan Brothers were knocked out early on Wednesday.
Venus Williams is out of the US Open with Sjögren’s Syndrome
Venus Williams was scheduled to play Germany’s Sabine Lisicki third on Arthur Ashe Stadium court but pulled out of the tournament. In a statement Williams said, “I’m really disappointed to have to withdraw from this year’s U.S. Open. I have been recently diagnosed with Sjögren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is an ongoing medical condition that affects my energy level and causes fatigue and joint pain.
“I enjoyed playing my first match here and wish I could continue but right now I am unable to. I am thankful I finally have a diagnosis and am now focused on getting better and returning to the court soon.”
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“I was really looking forward to the match”, said Lisicki. “I love those big matches and playing against Venus. We had two amazing matches the last two meetings. I was really looking forward to it.
“But that’s tennis. Sometimes you get injured or sick. I don’t know what her problem was, so, yeah, unfortunate.”
“I think she’s a tough girl and I think she’ll come back.
“You know, it would be unfortunate if she couldn’t. Serena and Venus both are amazing players and it’s nice to have them in the women’s sport. I hope she comes back. It makes it more challenging.”
Liscki receives a walkover and will advance to the third round of the tournament.
On the men’s side, Sweden’s Robin Soderling also withdrew.
American teen Christina McHale tops eighth seed
New Jersey teen Christina McHale has defeated two top ten players in two weeks. Two weeks ago McHale defeated No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in Cincinnati, on Wednesday she stopped the eighth seed France’s Marion Bartoli 7-6(2), 6-2.
“I’m so excited to have beaten a player like Marion, especially have it happen here at the US Open,” said McHale.
McHale compared her win over Woznacki to the Bartoli victory, “ I think they’re different wins. I had never really, at the Grand Slams, made it past the second round. Yeah, that was a good win for me, too, but I think to have it happen here at the Grand Slam is exciting for me.”
McHale, from nearby Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey since February has been training at the USTA Training Center East, located at the home of the US Open – the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“It’s so nice to be able to be home,” said McHale. With all the traveling that I do, it always feels amazing to come home and be able to train at home. I get to spend more time here. It’s huge for me.
“It’s so different seeing it when no one is here, nothing is set up. Now it feels completely different.
“I’m getting to stay at my house while I’m here. I’m sleeping in my own bed and all that.”
“I think there’s a lot of American players…young American players…right now that are all kind of pushing each other. So I think it’s exciting.”
McHale wasn’t the only young American to cause an upset on Wednesday. Twenty-one-year-old Irina Falconi ousted 14th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of the Slovakia 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the third round of the US Open. Falconi’s two wins in this year’s US Open represent her only wins at Grand Slam tournaments.
On why she carries and American flag in her bag – “I’ve heard so much about media talking about American tennis, and I really wanted to portray that there’s a huge wave of American players. I strongly believe in all that is USA, and I wanted to represent it and show the world that it’s coming. It’s coming. No need to wait any longer.”
Sharapova cruises through evening session
Maria Sharapova had a much easier second round match on Wednesday as she rolled past Anastasiya Yakimova 6-1, 6-1.
“I think I improved my intensity a lot,” said Sharapova. “I was moving a lot better, just hitting a lot freer.
“Overall I did many things much better than the previous round. I really had to.
Roddick tested by fellow American Russell
Andy Roddick advanced to the second round of the US open with a tough 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win over fellow American Micheal Russell.
“I’m pleased I won said Roddick. ” The first two sets were all right. I kind of got myself into a hole. Was lucky I got out of the fourth set. I started serving better in the fourth set. But beyond that, you know, it wasn’t pretty.
“I thought Mike was playing pretty well. You know, definitely had a strategy. Was trying to take the ball early, work lines, not let me get set. It’s a good play if you can execute it, and he did it for a while.
“I got through it.
“Well, every wins helps. You know, I’m certainly not fooling myself by thinking that was worthy of a championship performance by any means. But, you know, I don’t know if I would expect that.
“I started hitting two days before Cincinnati and I’m trying. I’m trying to get my form there, I promise you. You know, a lot of people when they’re coming back do it on the side courts. I just have an audience. I’m working.
“If I get my feet into this thing, it’s only going to get better the more I play.”
Russell spoke about playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium: “It’s awesome. I played in all four stadiums, but I never played a night match here. Obviously with the crowd it’s electrifying, it’s loud, and they get into it.
“Obviously Andy is kind of the poster boy for American tennis the last 10 years. I mean, Mardy is playing great, but he doesn’t have the popularity figure as Andy. You know, we’ve practiced together a thousand times in the last 10 years. Obviously we’re good friends.
“So it means a lot. I’m happy with the way I competed, the way that I played from the ground. I thought I gave myself a real chance to obviously at least go five. I felt he would kind of maybe panic a little bit if we went to a fifth.”
Del Potro returns to Flushing Meadows
For the first time since he won the US Open title in 2009, Juan Martin Del Potro set foot on courts of Flushing Meadows. He was unable to defend his title last year due to a wrist injury for most of the year. He has risen from 485 to within the top 20.
Del Potro had little trouble with Italy’s Filippo Volandri disposing him 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.
“I feel really glad. Was a short match, you know, against Volandri, but I served well. I was improving my game during the match.
“And so be playing here after win here, it’s special. It’s my favorite tournament, so I’m really happy to take the opportunity to play here again.
“Has been a really sad year, 2010, for me, and I always say.
“This year to be playing the US Open, it’s amazing, it’s great, and I’m feeling really glad to see the crowd again, to see the Argentinian fans come to see me specially play here in the US Open.
“I’m really exciting to keep improving my game, to keep winning here. Hopefully be ready for my next match and win again.”
The Bryan Brothers are out
Defending men’s doubles champions Mike and Bob Bryan were upset in the first round by Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Frank Moser of Germany, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
The last time the Bryan brothers lost in the first round of a major was a decade ago at the Australian Open.
Advancing Seeds
Women
(2) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 75 36 63
(3) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Anastasiya Yakimova(BLR) 61 61
(9) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 63 64
(13) Peng Shuai (CHN) d. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 62 64
(19) Julia Goerges (GER) d. Laura Pous-Tio (ESP) 63 61
(22) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Venus Williams (USA) w/o (Sjogren’s syndrome)
(24) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) 62 64
(25) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Vera Dushevina (RUS) 61 62
(26) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (Q) Romina Oprandi (ITA) 60 63
(27) Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (WC) Madison Keys (USA) 36 75 64
(30) Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) d. (Q) Laura Robson (GBR) 62 63
Men’s
[4] A Murray (GBR) d S Devvarman (IND) 76(5) 62 63
[12] G Simon (FRA) d R Mello (BRA) 36 63 64 36 64
[18] J Del Potro (ARG) d F Volandri (ITA) 63 61 61
[21] A Roddick (USA) d M Russell (USA) 62 64 46 75
[25] F Lopez (ESP) d T Ito (JPN) 62 64 64
[28] J Isner (USA) d M Baghdatis (CYP) 76(2) 76(1) 26 64
Doubles – First Round
[2] M Mirnyi (BLR)/ D Nestor (CAN) d S Giraldo (COL) / P Riba (ESP) 63 62
[8] E Butorac (USA) / J Rojer (AHO) d G Dimitrov (BUL) / D Tursunov (RUS) 67(3) 62 60
[9] J Melzer (AUT) / P Petzschner (GER) d S Gonzalez (MEX) / J Murray (GBR) 63 60
[13] M Granollers (ESP) / M Lopez (ESP) d G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) / A Montanes (ESP) 30 ret.
M Kohlmann (GER) / A Waske (GER) d [16] S Lipsky (USA) / R Ram (USA) 57 76(6) 76(5)
Seeds Upset
Christina McHale (USA) d. (8) Marion Bartoli (FRA) 76(2) 62
Irina Falconi (USA) d. (14) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 26 63 75
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) d. (20) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 61 30 ret.
J Benneteau (FRA) d [10] N Almagro (ESP) 62 64 63
I Karlovic (CRO) / F Moser (GER) d [1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) 64 26 62
D Bracciali (ITA) / P Starace (ITA) d [11] F Cermak (CZE) / F Polasek (SVK) 64 64
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