Fish Hooked, Wozniacki Grinds Out Win Monday at US Open
- 28 Comments
Andy Roddick, John Isner and Donald Young remain on the American menu for Tuesday, but the U.S. effort took a hit on Monday when Mardy Fish was upset by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Monday.
ADHEREL
In the late-afternoon match that went quite late, Tsonga came from 1-2 sets down to defeat Fish 6-4, 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
“Today it was very difficult because of Mardy, of course, because of the wind and the conditions,” Tsonga said. “I did a great job today. I was mentally strong and I’m just happy to win because a few years ago it was tough for me to play in these conditions. I feel good physically, and that makes you feel good in your head because you know if you are two-sets-to-one down that you can win in five sets. To beat Mardy here is special because it’s the first time I’ve reached the quarterfinals. It’s as good as beating [Roger] Federer or [Rafael] Nadal because he’s at home and he wants to do great and play his best tennis here.”
Fish said he will sleep with…well, the Fish family, knowing he put in a career-best effort after a career-best U.S. summer season.
“I can sleep pretty well nowadays knowing that I’m doing everything I can,” Fish said. “A lot of matches have gone my way this summer and a few haven’t, and this is one of them. It’s disappointing, no doubt about it. He’s a great player; it’s not a bad loss, but I was in a good position to win that match too. It just came down to the conditions, the wind, and who could deal with that early on.”
The first-ever all-Serbian quarterfinal was set up when world No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated the Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6(14), 6-4, 6-2, and No. 20 seed Janko Tipsarevic stopped the run of former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-2.
“It’s strange feeling,” Djokovic said on facing his countryman. “You know, we are professionals. Certainly we both want to win the match when we play against each other. So you kind of forget about, you know, friendship. You put that aside. We never played Grand Slam, though. We never played best of five against each other, so it’s going to be a first-time experience for both of us. I think it’s his first quarterfinals ever in Grand Slam. He’s playing the best tennis of his life. He’s very confident. But there is certainly this mentally strange feeling when you’re playing somebody that is one of your best friends in the private life, as well. So you got to handle that, as well.”
In the late night match that didn’t begin until around midnight, No. 3 seed Roger Federer took on Argentine Juan Monaco.
“It’s part of tennis, I’m ready to go,” said Federer prior to taking the court.
Fourth-round play on the men’s side Tuesday includes breakout American Donald Young vs. (4) Andy Murray, (2) Rafael Nadal vs. Gilles Muller, (2) Andy Roddick vs. (5) David Ferrer, and (28) John Isner vs. (12) Gilles Simon.
Tournament favorite and No. 28 seed Serena Williams faced another former No. 1 at the US Open on Labor Day Monday, but labored little in dispatching of No. 16 seed Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4.
“It was crazy,” Williams said of the windy conditions. “I didn’t even go for winners at any point. I just tried to get it over because it was so windy. It was like, ‘Wow.’ It was definitely tough…I thought she played really well. I think we could have both played a little bit better ’cause of the conditions. But I think we were just both trying to do our best.”
Serena will next face No. 17-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who upset No. 7 seed Francesca Schiavone 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
“I tried to be excessive aggressive,” said Pavlyuchenkova. “I tried not to let her play her game, because she’s very smart and she makes me run a lot. She puts a lot of spin, so as soon as I slowed down my rhythm, my power, she’s just there and she controlled the point.”
In the night women’s match, world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki weathered a three-set challenge from former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, prevailing 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1.
“I thought I can do this, I can still fight back,” Wozniacki said after the match. “I went for my shots more and made fewer unforced errors…I am in good shape and can play five hours if I have to.”
In the quarters she will face German No. 10 seed Andrea Petkovic, who despite entering the US Open with an injured and taped thigh, just keeps on winning, on Monday beating unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-4.
Quarterfinal play on the women’s side Tuesday comprises unseeded German Angelique Kerber vs. (26) Flavia Pennetta, and (9) Samantha Stosur vs. (2) Vera Zvonareva.
You Might Like:
Gavrilova Out-Grinds Cibulkova for 1st Career Title at WTA New Haven
Caroline Wozniacki: My Dad Is Still My Main Coach
Mardy Fish On His Heart Condition: “I Was Panicking, I Thought I Was Going To Die”
Mardy Fish Will Finish His Tennis Career At The US Open
Iron Man Kyrgios Grinds Down Goffin for ATP Tokyo Title