Ivanovic Gets Flipped by Coin at US Open
I really am starting to love women’s tennis, it’s such a mess! Minutes ago some gal named Julie Coin just beat the current WTA world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round at the US Open. ADHEREL
From what I heard, the 188th-ranked Coin is the lowest ranked player to beat a No. 1 in a Slam. Coin, who qualified, was playing in her first career Grand Slam. She was a Clemson graduate.
Amazing. Actually I was rooting hard for Coin – always go for the underdog especially when the favorite keeps doing that annoying fist pump!
That leaves the WTA No. 1 ranking and title up for grabs among just about everyone in the Top 10 (okay, not everyone but it just seems that way, Coin probably has a chance!).
The win by Coin was the first real upset of the US Open, which has gone pretty much to form thus far with not that much else to talk about. And tonight’s matches with Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal figure to be one-sided affairs, at least Nadal’s should be, Serena who knows but I think she’ll win.
Through the 1.5 rounds the top men’s players have all played relatively well. Roger Federer had an easy time, Rafael didn’t look his best but got through and Novak Djokovic played well despite an ankle tweak which thankfully doesn’t seem to be an issue. Nothing of concern for any of the big three at least in the second round.
There’s been much talk about Andy Roddick. The 2003 US Open champion played his best match of the summer against Fabrice Santoro, thumping the Frenchman 2,2,2 last night. Roddick’s brutal draw gets decidedly tougher now with Ernests Gulbis Friday night.
I picked Gulbis to win that match and I admit after what I saw last night it’s hard to stay with Ernests, but I won’t do a 180. Santoro is a completely different player than Gulbis and I think the Latvian gets through. Big serve, big forehand, big backhand can easily spell trouble for Roddick.
And regarding the incident at the end of the match with Roddick nearly taking Santoro’s head off on the second-to-last point, who cares? Fabrice should use his racquet next time and get that serve back if he doesn’t want to get hit. He’s holding the racquet for a reason, use it. He knows that.
Moving on…
David Nalbandian has been a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think much of this week but he’s won back-to-back straight setters. Meanwhile, James Blake, who could meet Nalbandian in the fourth round, has not looked very good in a five set win over Donald Young and even today when he got a retirement from Steve Darcis.
I also like how the younger guys are playing, like my man Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray. This may not their time in Flushing (both Monfils and Del Potro are in dogfights as I write), but it will come soon enough.
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