Roddick Says U.S. Charged, Zvonareva Wins Sunday at US Open

by Staff | September 5th, 2011, 12:07 am
  • 297 Comments

American men had another banner day in third-round play at the US Open on Sunday, posting a 3-1 win-loss record, with the one loss coming at the hands of another American.
ADHEREL
No. 21 seed Andy Roddick led the charge with a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(5) win over unseeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

“I think there’s a healthy jealousy going on right now, which is good,” Roddick said of the American success. “It’s only good to help. If Donald Young sees Ryan Harrison play well in the summer, he’s going to not want to fall behind. I think that’s what you saw with that golden generation is that they were able to push each other.”

Other U.S. winners were unseeded Donald Young, upsetting No. 24 Juan Ignacio Chela in straights, and No. 28 John Isner serving fellow American Alex Bogomolov Jr. out in straights.


“When I step on the court, I actually feel like I can win, not just put up a good front, have a good match,” Young said. “Before it was more so, ‘Don’t go out there and get beat,’ which I had done previously. But now I feel like I can actually win. That’s a great feeling to go on the court, and especially in three-out-of-five set matches I can actually go the distance.”

In terms of title contenders in action on Sunday, No. 2 Rafael Nadal put down a challenge from former Top 10er David Nalbandian in straights, and No. 4 Andy Murray likewise subdued No. 25-seeded Spaniard Feliciano “F-Lo” Lopez in three sets, dropping only seven total games.

“I am happy about two weeks here,” said Nadal, who will next face Gilles Muller, another winner Sunday. “The next opponent will be tough one. I already lost with him in Wimbledon 2005…He’s a very aggressive player. Fantastic serve. I have to move him. Probably his movements are the worst thing, but the rest of the game can be really dangerous.”

Other seeded winners on the day were No. 12 Gilles Simon toppling No. 18 seed and former champ Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-6(3), and No. 5 David Ferrer beating No. 26 Florian Mayer in straights.

“It’s very hard make a winner playing against Simon,” said del Potro, who is still not up to 100 percent after a comeback from injury. “But I try until the end, and I play in lower level the tiebreaks. He take the chance and he close the match on fourth set. Anyways, I’m glad to be here, play this tournament. And I have what I feel little sad now because I just lose. But I think my comeback is a good shape.”

Monday’s fourth-round matches are (11) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (8) Mardy Fish, (3) Roger Federer vs. Juan Monaco, (20) Janko Tipsarevic vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero, and (1) Novak Djokovic vs. (22) Alexandr Dolgopolov.
  
No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva led the women’s charge on Sunday, easing past one of the hottest players of the summer, No. 22 Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 6-3.

“I think I played pretty consistent this match,” Zvonareva said. “I think I did everything right today.”

The Russian will next face No. 9 seed Sam Stosur, who had a decidedly less easy time, overcoming No. 25 seed Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-7(15), 6-3.

Other winners were No. 26 Flavia Pennetta defeating No. 13 Shuai Peng in straights, and unseeded Angelique Kerber upending No. 17 Monica Niculescu in straights.

“I was feeling really bad,” said Pennetta, who added it was the worst she ever felt on court. “I think was because it’s really humid today. It’s hot. And also, when you are there you have a lot of emotion in the court. My body just need to breathe, and I starting maybe to have the sensation to throwing up. But doesn’t — without nothing inside so it didn’t come out.”

Up Monday are (17) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. (7) Francesca Schiavone, (28) Serena Williams vs. (16) Ana Ivanovic, (1) Caroline Wozniacki vs. (15) Svetlana Kuznetsova, and (10) Andrea Petkovic vs. Carla Suarez Navarro.


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297 Comments for Roddick Says U.S. Charged, Zvonareva Wins Sunday at US Open

Humble Rafa Says:

“It’s only good to help. If Donald Young sees Ryan Harrison play well in the summer, he’s going to not want to fall behind. I think that’s what you saw with that golden generation is that they were able to push each other.”

Ryan Harrison will take the racket out Donald Young, who would go to twitter and bash the USTA. Welcome to the Dry Generation.


scoreboard66 Says:

“It’s very hard make a winner playing against Simon,” said del Potro, who is still not up to 100 percent after a comeback from injury. “But I try until the end, and I play in lower level the tiebreaks. He take the chance and he close the match on fourth set. Anyways, I’m glad to be here, play this tournament. And I have what I feel little sad now because I just lose. But I think my comeback is a good shape.”

Makes me feel sad for JMDP. He’s such a very sensitive guy, who, at times, can melt even a guy’s heart. I hope his injury will get better daily, so that he will be able to return to the kind of form which won him the USO. Good luck Juan.


Skeezerweezer Says:

To Bud Collins,

Sorry for your injury. Get well soon!


Kimmi Says:

Labour day, bring on some tennis!!


Kimmi Says:

Ferrero vs tipsareviv

Both have done well this hard court season. Is it first time for tipsa to reach second week of a grandslam? anyones game this one..what an opportunity for both to reach the qtrs?


Kimmi Says:

Pavlyuchenkova vs schiavone

repeat of french open this year? hope it is a good match, schiavone playing better as she gets older..amazing! She is 31 now.


Dory Says:

Slow start for both Ferrero and Tipsy. Both making errors.


Kimmi Says:

tipsa takes the first set.

breaks are back and forth between Pavlyuchenkova and schiavone..


jane Says:

Kimmi, I am pretty sure Tipsy has reached the R16 before, maybe at Wimbledon? However, he has never been in the QFs.


Kimmi Says:

I cant remember seeing him in the second week, you could be right jane. he is looking the stable one so far. holding serve with easy.

Ferrero in the other hand has played 1st and 2nd round five setters, he was lucky to get a retirement in the 3rd round…I wonder how much gas he is got left? Tipsa had it a little bit easier coming to today match.


Kimmi Says:

Pavlyuchenkova/schiavone is good to watch. they are both fighting har BUT…BIG BUT…one can never tell..no one can keep the lead for long. Now Pavlyuchenkova with a break again..can she hold???


Kimmi Says:

waiting for Fish/tsonga…Go Fish. I am scared of Tsonga :(


jane Says:

Kimmi, decided to check, and yep, Tipsy reached the R16 at Wimbledon in 2007. Guess to whom he lost?! You guess it, Juan Carlos Ferrero. :)


jane Says:

^ Actually he reache dthe R16 at Wimbledon again in 2008 and lost to Scheuttler.


Kimmi Says:

Thanks jane, so he likes grass it seem. I dont know who to cheer in this match. ferrero i feel especially where he came from with injuries and all…

Go old man!


jane Says:

Kimmi, yeah, not sure if Ferrero has enough left in the tank either; in his interview, he kept saying how “tired” he was all over his body. He has had some tough matches.


andres Says:

Did Tipsarevic ask fot medical time out twice already? I’m not watching the match whats going on?


Kimmi Says:

Pavlyuchenkova in control in the second. every girl knows to hit hard nowadays. she can whack the ball if given opportunity. schiavone is struggling with the power at the moment.


Kimmi Says:

first time it was the knee andres. I havent seen this other time out.


Kimmi Says:

djokovic draw is very good now that berdych is out. he will have an easier qtr final if he can get thru dolgo today, which he should.


Dory Says:

Who is more dangerous for Roger? Tsonga or Fish? Tsonga having already defeated Roger twice, Fed will be extremely wary of him and will definitely not lose again. And Fish I think is too up and down to defeat Roger.


Kimmi Says:

I think fish is better for fed dory. But I have a feeling tsonga will beat fish..he is very good nowadays.


Kimmi Says:

Injury time out for ferrero now..looks like blisters, he played too much tennis.


Brando Says:

Hoping for a fish win today. Tsonga would be too dangerous for roger I feel. Whilst fish maybe the better player this hardcourt season, he won’t ever power roger off the court as tsonga, berdych have done in roger’s 3 last defeats. Fish would suit roger and be a good opponent with whom roger could up his game against in preparation for a showdown- possibly atm- with djokovic


jane Says:

Kimmi, yeah, that is due to Monfils, Gasquet, and Berdych all going out. Actually all the top guys have had some luck with upsets in the draw: Muzza has Young and no Delpo (!), Fed has Monaco, Rafa, Muller. Nole’s match today has me a bit concerned though. I keep recalling how Dolgo plowed through the draw at the AO! Yikes! I read that Dolgo has Gilbert’s syndrome, poor guy. :( But I guess it is manageable.

Dory, not sure who would be tougher. I guess Tsonga has beaten Fed more times right? Three times? And Fish only once, of the top of my head. But both are playing really well. Fish won’t fade. Tsonga sometimes will. Though not lately. Hmmm.

Ferrero and Tipsy = tiebreak.


andres Says:

Thanks Kimmi, if Ferrero doesn’t win the second set i think it will be over unless Tipsarevic pull out


jane Says:

Exciting point! 3-2 Ferrer.


jane Says:

Oops Ferrer-o!


Kimmi Says:

go ferrero!!


Kimmi Says:

ferrero finding big serves at the right time.


Kimmi Says:

go ferrero, one more here


jane Says:

That point really turned around the tiebreak: it has been all Ferrero since then. Looks like these guys are even-steven now.


Kimmi Says:

YES! great serving from ferrero. way to go!


andres Says:

Yes!!! one set all. It’s nerve wrecking to follow the match through point stream


jane Says:

Kimmi who are you cheering in the ladies: Frannie or Pavly?


Kimmi Says:

I am torn between the two jane. but very impressed with schiavone’s game, she is getting overpowered but mixes up so well..


jane Says:

Same here. I love Fran’s style and she competes so hard, but it feels like Pavly is due for a breakthrough as well. I think she could be a little fitter, but wow can she it the ball. Let the best one win, I guess. This one is going down to the wire.


Stella Says:

Schiavone’s grunts are even more annoying than Sharapova or Azarenka’s. She is playing well but the sound is wretched (sorry but every grunt sounds like “f__ck”.


jane Says:

What a down-the-line winner by Pavly for the match! Phew! She hits well. Her very first slam quarter final! Congrats. Better luck to Fran next time.


Kimmi Says:

pavly wins. congrats! first time qtrs they say..good to see!

as for frannie, hard court will always be tough for her.


Kimmi Says:

ferrero/ tipsa still slugging it off..long points. no breaks of serve. tough one!


Tennis Vagabond Says:

That stink job by Lopez last night has taken him off my list of players I could ever root for. I don’t remember seeing such a tank job since the early Agassi days. After that second set break went against him, he just gave up completely, as if he wished he didn’t have to go through that last set at all. Very cowardly.

Too bad for DelPo, nice to see the camaraderie between he and Simon at the net. I like Simon, hope he’ll keep up the great play. I didn’t see the match, but 70-odd UEs for DelPotro makes a match unwinnable.

Looking forward to two exciting men’s matches coming this afternoon! Hope Dolgopolov brought his pogo stick!


Dory Says:

Both of them working so hard and Djoko will finish either of them in less than 2 hours in the QFs. :P


Dory Says:

Why oh why is this match going for so long? Once again, Fish vs Tsonga and Djoko vs Dolgo matches will take place simultaneously. :(


jane Says:

Dory, Djoko has to get there first! Dolgo is no easy out!

T.V. Very surprised to read your post about F-Lo! I didn’t see the match, but from what I read, Murray just outclassed him.


jane Says:

Tipsa broke, serving for the third set.


Dory Says:

Djokovic has got the semi finals already for me. I can’t of course look past his potential semi against Federer.


jane Says:

Ivanovic vs Serena feels like lightweight vs heavyweight. :)


jane Says:

Well, Ivanovic breaks! Both ladies struggling with the swirling winds though. But at least Ana is not totally routed.

Tipsy also breaks: he is playng well by the looks of that last shot.


Kimmi Says:

ana is going for that FH. she is giving serena problems at the moment


jane Says:

Ivanovic is surprising me! Nice to see her playing well after so many struggles. J-Mac says Serena’s “come on!” scared him, lol.

Looks like Ferrero is fading now


Kimmi Says:

serve and DF..these women. No wonder serena is beating them. Its important to have a good serve to win GS.


jane Says:

Minus the double faults and Ana would be “right there.” She has the movement and big grounstrokes. But her toss… : /


jane Says:

Congrats to Tipsy for his first Grand Slam QF.


Kimmi Says:

Yes, congrats to tipsa. too bad for ferrero but it was a great run, especially beating monfils in the second round.


tennisfansince76 Says:

congrats to tipsy on making the qtrs and a nice run for JCF as well. Fed may be rained out tonight. that is not good.


jane Says:

True, kudos to JCF, nice run – especially exciting was the win over la Monf.


Jean Says:

I still feel Serena should be banned cum promoted to the ATP Tour. She has all the male attributes, whatever the american opinion.


jane Says:

The USO should have at least one roof.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Jane, if you think my comments were harsh, you should have heard the Eurosport commentators, they thought he should be fined for “not giving his best effort” as the rules demand. I missed the first set, apparently Murray was brilliant.
Second set Murray was a little weaker, Lopez fought even until 4-4. Then Murray broke and Lopez absolutely gave up. His effort down 5-4 was just awful, then he took it down a notch for the third set.


tennisfansince76 Says:

@Jane yes good idea. can it be done by tonight?


jane Says:

T.V. as I didn’t see that match, i would not and can not say you are wrong or harsh at all, just going by the couple post-match reviews I read, i was surprised to hear that. Too bad. I noticed Davydenko faded in the third set versus Nole, but I wouldn’t say he didn’t try; it is more like he just kept hitting more errors.


Kimmi Says:

dolgo/djoko, wow..the court is full.


jane Says:

Number one on Armstrong = standing room only!! :)


Duro Says:

And now No1-vak…


Kimmi Says:

wooo dolgo!


Duro Says:

Kimmimmissimo!

You always root against Nole and you’re still my friend… :-)


jane Says:

Dolgo’s pogo serve is a puzzle for the players.


jane Says:

This is going to be a tough match for Nole.


Kimmi Says:

duro – i am not rooting against nole right now. Actually i want him to win coz he is the only one that can beat rafa :)

i was just impressed by dolgo play..he is mixing it up. no rhythm to djoko.


Dory Says:

Dolgopolov’s technique to drive through the ball forward quickly is brilliant. And the variation of course.


Dory Says:

But not yet stable enough to beat the top guys. He will improve over time surely.


Kimmi Says:

nole is about to break back..the thing with dolgo, i dont know if he can continue this level throughout the match.

serena wins…well, that is not a surprise.


jane Says:

But I thought Ivanovic put in a VERY respectable effort, breaking back in set one. It was just one break each set really. If Ana can sort out her toss, cut down on doubles, and work on placing her serves again, she has everything going for her to be top ten again.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Dolgopolov is so much fun to watch, too bad his droppers aren’t dropping.


jane Says:

Dolgo is so bouncy; conty hit the nail on the head with her “Tigger” nickname. Seems more like that than the “Dog” to me.

Dory, you were right. Fish and Tsonga will be simultaneous with Dolgo and Nole. Who are people picking to win in Fish versus Tsonga??


jane Says:

That last dropper dropped, and at an extreme angle too!


Dory Says:

Did I praise the fast wheels Dolgo has?


Kimmi Says:

Djoko getting fired up. you can tell this is tough one for him.


jane Says:

He is so fast! Brimming with variety too. I can see how he would frustrate players, with the erraticness ( is that a word?) of his game. No rhythm.


Dory Says:

jane, I just can’t decide who to root for. Tsonga’s game is more complete but Fish has been playing spectacular so far. Tsonga defeated Fed twice this year so I “hate” him (not really LOL). If Nadal loses before reaching the final, I would want Fed to win. Fed as we know can’t defeat Nadal in Slam finals, so in that case for Djoko vs Fed match, I want Djoko to win so he can defeat Nadal. But Fed is too dangerous for Djoko so Fed must be defeated before that by Fish or Tsonga. This is all of course because I know Nadal’s not going to lose early. If Nadal loses early, then I want Fed to win. So I am all worked up and haven’t figured out yet who to root for in the Fish vs Tsonga match. Tsonga I guess.


jane Says:

Lol, great post Dory. It is all so complicated. ;)

That slice sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t for Dolgo. But it doesn’t look like he will abandon it any time soon.

Kimmi, you know how you were nervous for Fed vs. Cilic? This is my turn.


Dory Says:

Fish is just so so so difficult to break when he’s serving well and volleying.


jane Says:

Dolgo playing so freely; Nole is tight.


jane Says:

3 errors from Nole now.


Kimmi Says:

wooow!!!


Kimmi Says:

jane – this is a nervy match for djoko fans. dolgo is making djokovic play bad..no rhythm at all


Kimmi Says:

Gooo Fish!


Kimmi Says:

WILD! wow, he had plenty of time.

Now we are back on serve..


Kimmi Says:

djokovic suddenly is back in this tie break.


jane Says:

Finally, an ace.


Kimmi Says:

dolgo first serve is very low %.

how did djoko miss that..that was easy one.


Kimmi Says:

hmm tsonga saved a break point..OK, fish, go go go you are doing well.


Kimmi Says:

set point dolgo.

he can never go ahead, you cant miss that one..


Kimmi Says:

djoko is choking oh what??? i mean there was no pressure there..


Kimmi Says:

i mean dolgo!!


jane Says:

Nole just playing tight, nervously. All those slices don’t give him any pace.


Kimmi Says:

dolgo serving at 38% apparently


jane Says:

Sick miss Nole.


Kimmi Says:

oh lordy, the best returner cant return that serve..they are both choking


Dory Says:

Okay everyone gets tight that’s understandable but the No.1 player should NOT get so tight and should not play THIS crap in a tie-break.


jane Says:

Maybe the wind is a factor.it affected both Serena and Ivano in their match??


Kimmi Says:

dolgo is very tight too…


Kimmi Says:

dplgo never win this one for sure. nole needs a big one here

what!!!!!!! he he he!!


Dory Says:

Choko-vich. After all that experience.


jane Says:

Insane. 13 all.


jane Says:

Dolgo is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Nole: moonballs, slices, drives, etc.


jane Says:

Awwww, Dory. :(


Kimmi Says:

seriously, djoko will win now


jane Says:

YA! One set. :)


Kimmi Says:

there!!! error!!!


Kimmi Says:

tsonga breaks! i knew it will happen!


jane Says:

Gosh, a player has to be so very very patient against a guy like Dolgo. I remember Roddick saying that he drives his opponents “crazy”, or something to that effect. Nole managed to hang in there, even after going down 0-4 in the tiebreak. That is partly due to consistency (he has more of it than Dolgo); plus both players were tight at times in the breaker. Dolgo played freely throughout set one, but Nole didn’t. They have never played before, which was maybe a factor.


Kimmi Says:

i think tsonga will win in straight set in this match..


jane Says:

Are you watching streaming of it Kimmi?


Dory Says:

Looks like the erratic Fish turned up today.


Kimmi Says:

yes i am and not very happy :(


jane Says:

Well, it’s only one set right Kimmi. Still on serve in the second. You never know. Tsonga can go off the boil.

Dolgo’s first serve reminds me a little of Murray’s first serve: both are very flat, often sharply angled, low percentage shot, but hard to deal with when it is firing.


jane Says:

Tsonga’s serve is so difficult to break. That makes it tough for Fish as he basically has to win tiebreaks. Unless he can find a way.


Dory Says:

Tsonga – Fish match is more exciting! Tsonga’s serving is AMAZING!


Dory Says:

They’re hitting the ball pretty hard! Fish has “woken up” in set 2.


Dory Says:

Is Tsonga the best and most consistent server in today’s men’s game? I think so. Wonder what the ATP stats say.


Dory Says:

It’s a serve and volley exhibition by both. Well worth downloading this match (Fish vs Tsonga) to keep.


jane Says:

Fish gets the second.

YAHOO Nole!! A half hour tiebreak. :)


Humble Rafa Says:

Lucky Roger. He can’t break Tsonga’s serve. He will have Fish for lunch and dinner.


jane Says:

Is Fed right after this or is there a ladies’ match? Getting late, and this could go long.


mat4 Says:

Wozniacki – Kuznecova first.


mat4 Says:

Sorry, Kuznetsova.

Anyway, Fed should win easily.


jane Says:

Hi mat4. Wild first set for Nole, hey? Fish with the break, looks like Tsonga is fading perhaps?


jane Says:

Wow! Fish is moving VERY well; he is getting to everything.


mat4 Says:

The Nole-Dolgo match was just what I expected. In the first set, Djoko wasn’t reading the serve well, so Dolgo could take care of his service games easily. Then, there is that slice. Roger used it against Djoko for years, Rafa used it last year too. Djoko still doesn’t follow his deep groundstrokes to the net.

The first set was difficult, yes, but in a way, it unsettled Dolgo, who, confronted with the possibility that he could win, stopped swinging as free as he did in the beginning. In the second and third set, we could see why he is only 23rd in the world, and Nole figured it too.

The Tsonga-Fish winner will make the semi. And it is still open, I think, although Mardy made a break.


Dory Says:

Typical Tsonga mental collapse in set 3.


Dory Says:

This is the best I have ever seen Fish play in any tournament. He will be dangerous for Roger too. All depends on how well or up and down Fish plays.


jane Says:

mat4, even Nole said he was a little confounded by Dolgo set one. But that tiebreak was killer to watch. Thanks goodness Nole won it and got off the court sooner than later.

Who do you see winning in Kuzy and Woz?


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

I think that Woz will finally make his GS breakthrough. She is happy, and you see what the right woman has done for Roger, or recently for Tipsy. Let’s see what the right man can do.


mat4 Says:

I also think that Woz has the kind of game to beat Serena. That match could be a tough one.


Kimmi Says:

WOW! i deceided to go for a run when the tie breaker just started and look what happened.

Way to go Fish….

Be careful what you ask for Kimmi…Fish beat rafa in cincy convincingly!


Kimmi Says:

Tsonga will not give up, we all know that.


Kimmi Says:

petkovic!! how good is petkovic? she never really impresses me but she is winning easily. maybe i should watch her…she must be good.


jane Says:

She is a fighter Kimmi, Petkovic. Yeah, Fish’s movement has been outstanding.

Mat4, bold prediciton! You think the golfer might help Woz win it all, eh? That would be kind of cool. :)


Nina Says:

Oh man that tiebreak was hell, lol!
Just glad Nole got through.
Dolgo’s game is the one that troubles Nole the most, like Tomic’s. Too much slice and lack of pace and it was windy on top of that. Nole was to defensive but maybe that was smart play. He’s cementing his number 1 status. There was a hell of a line today for Armstrong to watch Nole. Hope they had their money worth.


Kimmi Says:

the golfer help woz to win gs..i was thinking tha too.

will be cheering for woz to get to the semi. i want to see woz and serena


Kimmi Says:

What? ESPN no HD…tsonga with a break point, oh boy!


Kimmi Says:

woooo, tsonga breaks! hmmm, this one is going to the decider.


jane Says:

Nina, I think they had to turn away some of the lineup to get into Armstrong. It was standing room only inside there. Maybe Nole is more popular than they thought, tee hee. ;)

Looks like Fish and Tsonga going to a fifth.


jane Says:

And people know Dolgo is a young whipper snapper, fun to watch when he is playing freely.


Kimmi Says:

djoko is starting to get popular but not to rafa and roger standard yet..

if he continues like this next year, wins the uso this year then watch out!!!


jane Says:

Oh oh Mardy on the ground getting worked on by the trainer.


mat4 Says:

I remember that Jankovic had a good H2H against both Serena and Venus, and Woz looks like an improved JJ. Then, I don’t think Serena is playing to good. She is frightening, but somebody with a good defense and good nerves could handle her, make her overhit, especially since she hasn’t played a whole year, and could be a bit rusty.

Tsonga is not done. This guy has more ego than Roger, Rafa and Djoko together. He sincerely believes that he is the best, and his ambition here is the title. He will fight to the bitter end. I sincerely believe that he will beat Roger, and that he could even make the final, the way Djoko is playing. There, only Murray could stop him.


jane Says:

Great point. Lots of empty seats in Ashe, people missing a great match. And night session cannot get in so 20000 people milling about on the grounds.


jane Says:

mat4 love your predictions. Very true about JJ and Woz. And Vika made Serena overhit. Even Ivanovic, with pratically no serve, did a good job today.

Tsonga break!


Kimmi Says:

break, early break for tsonga!


Kimmi Says:

fish body language is resigning, tsonga cruising now..the only hope is that maybe 5 setter will make tsonga tired.


alison hodge Says:

things are looking good up to now,for all the fab four,rafa,andy,roger and now nole, all been tested and all managing to come through with flying colours,nole and rafa still yet to drop a set,still everything to play for,next few days will be really interesting,watch this space,bring it on.


Humble Rafa Says:

If you are a Roger fan, fear not. You have hope. Tsonga will be injured, if history is any guide :)


Kimmi Says:

Humble rafa – i fear :(


Kimmi Says:

fish shaking head! he let it slip away. Too bad Fish..but tsonga has been very good this year.


jane Says:

Bad blood between Fish and Tsonga over entourages?


mat4 Says:

@Jane: what do you mean concretely?


jane Says:

I don’t know but the commentators said there was an exchange at the umpire chair, Tsonga saying that Fish’s box was too loud and Fish telling Tsonga to relax, and that everyone is fired up, something like that.


Dory Says:

Wow Tsonga comes through!!!!!!


Dory Says:

Thankfully the handshake and net exchange was warm.


jane Says:

Congrats to Jo! Sorry for Fish, who played great from what I have seen.


Dory Says:

I don’t think Tsonga has ego. He’s just glamour-crazy and “show-offy”.


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

I was reading the posts, so I missed it. The British commentators didn’t mention anything.

Tsonga’s serve is so powerful, but so readable. I just tested myself: rarely miss where it’s gonna land. Roger use to retrieve it easily, two or three years ago. But we’ll see.

Congrats to Jo’s fans (that means to me too, I like him well). But I rooted for Mardy, this time. So…


Kimmi Says:

Congrats to tsonga. Too bad for fish. Tsonga is doing very well in these matches where he is down 2 sets…incredible! All the best to him.


Brando Says:

The result that I feared! Need to look at positive, if roger can win against tsonga then that would be a massive psychological boost for him. Tsonga has been top 5 material post FO. Runner up at queens, semi finals at wimby, semi finals at montreal. Just a dip a cincy but quarter finals here now. So I think he is starting to realise his potential.


mat4 Says:

@Dory:

I am certain he has. A lot. Trust me (“I know what I am doing”).


Eric Says:

Roger’s return game in general has been in the dumps for two years, that’s the main reason he loses unpredictably. But we can hope he has learned from his recent defeats at Tsonga’s hands; for sure he won’t be overconfident and unready for a sustained challenge, as he probably was at Wimbledon and perhaps even in Canada. And aside from a fairly lackluster opening 2 sets against Cilic, he’s looked pretty good. Tsonga just played a really fantastic, wash-out, fifth set, but in the big picture he only barely edged Fish. So in conclusion… Roger in 4.


Nina Says:

Wow, Tsonga is on fire lately. A true contender for the title. I don’t know what’s more scary for Nole, facing Fed or Tsonga in the semis… miau.

@Jane… yeah, they said there has never been such a long line at USO for a match. Outstanding. People want to see the new number 1. If Nole wins USO this might get out of hand, lol.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Great match, lived up to my full expectations. The D/D first set was exceptional as well. Too bad Dog gets down on himself.
Fish looked like he was about to win it in the 4th, but his body seemed cooked by the fifth. Tsonga will be a hell of a match for Fed! He looked fresh as can be after three hours.


Kimberly Says:

Eeesh that match was a knife on the heart. One of the most unpleasant I can remember. Very sad for fish although I believed it was going happen but then at 2 1 I thought maybe but somewhere in the fourth I got a gut feeling tsonga was going to pull the comeback. Uggggggh


scoreboard66 Says:

Unless Monaco plays the match of his life and beats Fed tonight, I’m 99.9999% sure, it won’t happen though, we will see Tsonga and Fed square off again. This time, I hope Fed will be the winner and makes it to the SFs, win that match, and book a spot in the finals. Let’s go Ro, you can do it!


Eric Says:

Tsonga’s take on his recent success over Roger… “Maybe I was lucky.”


jane Says:

Hey, anyone think that Dolgo and Muzza have low first serve percentages because their first serves are kind of similar? Flat, low over net, sharply angled?


jane Says:

If Llodra and Zimonjic lose their match, I think the men’s doubles is pretty open. Bryan bros are out, Nestor and Mirnyi are out. Although the so-called “Indo Express” team are still in it.


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

Dolgo’s serve % dropped in the tie break, then at the beginning of the following sets. I think it has rather something to do with his nerves.

AM serve is something different. Andy likes to serve big, even if he has a low percentage. It brings him a lot of free points. He also has a high percentage first serve, a good one, but not that dangerous. Andy’s first serve is almost always over 126 mph, about 129, 130. It is rather a choice.


scoreboard66 Says:

Mardy should be proud of himself. He had a very successful US Open series, but he wore himself out in the process by over-playing. His body was quite tired by the first round of the USO. Had he not played so many small tourneys before Montreal and Cincy, I’m sure he would have had more left in the tank for the USO.

I hope that he adheres to a more efficient schedule next year, and not play so many tournaments. To win the series is great, but why bother with thattrophy. His eyes should be on the bigger prize, winning the USO GS title. He’ll also have quite a lot of points to defend next year, which could make that period a stressful one.


Eric Says:

Scoreboard, do you really think Fish is good enough to win the USO? I don’t.


jane Says:

I am surprised Fish played so many small events coming in, especially since last year he said he ran out of gas by the time he reached the R16 at the US Open. Now, in a way, the same thing happened this year, and it’s too bad as he was probably playing even better tennis coming into the USO this year.


jane Says:

From Nole’s presser:
Q.  Were you made aware that the crowd for Louis Armstrong today almost snaked out of the grounds right across the other side of the courtyard?  It was almost half a mile long to get into your court.
    
NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  Really?

Q.  Did anyone tell you that?
    
NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  I think it was probably because of the tiebreak in the first set.

Q.  Before the match had even started.
    
NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  I didn’t know.  I didn’t know.  I didn’t know about that.

Q.  Apart from the Wimbledon queue, I don’t think anyone has seen anything like it.
    
NOVAK DJOKOVIC:  That’s fantastic.  I was happy to be there.  I was happy to experience the Armstrong court again, as I said, after a while.  Sometimes it’s really nice, you know, to be on the smaller court where the crowd is closer to the court where you can feel them.  When you’re taking a towel, you can feel them so close to you.  I think those kind of matches off the center court are very exciting.


Kimberly Says:

It’s easy to feel tired when your opponent is purposely you though.


mat4 Says:

I don’t think that overplaying has made a difference in the match against Tsonga. The leg injury could be caused by anything.

I watched only the fifth set: Mardy poor choices serving and attacking. Instead of targeting Jo’s backhand (his backhand return is almost a liability) he chose a few times to attack the forehand and payed it costly. Then, there is a difference of power. Maybe Mardy should have thrown more slice toward Jo’s backhand.

I started by writing that overplaying hadn’t been important, and almost ended with the observation that Fish was to tired. Think… Mat4… think…


Eric Says:

Woz drops the first game to Kuznetsova with a double fault. Curious…


scoreboard66 Says:

Eric, I’ll give you a two-fold answer.

(1) Yes, I think that Mardy can do it, but the cards have to be shuffled in the right order and he will need a lot of luck, but it can be done. He’ll have to get some help from the other players who meet the top 4 by eliminating them.Thjen ti will be smooth sailing.

(2) No, the draws are too difficult for him to navigate through to make it work for him. He’ll also have to refrain from playing the US 250/500 tourneys and just concentrate on Canada, Cincy and the USO. By so doing, he’ll ge tin important match fitness, but still conserve his energy.


scoreboard66 Says:

Thjen ti will be smooth sailing, should read, then it will be smooth sailing. I dropped some juice on my keyboard and it’s behaving crazy.


Kimmi Says:

kutzy too many errors already!


Eric Says:

Scoreboard, I guess I agree in that Mardy definitely has the tennis to give anyone a good fight. But he would need a really, truly astronomical alignment of fate and luck to even get within sniffing distance of a chance to play in a slam final, even the USO. This is a guy with a 6-14 record in finals, who has never won a title above the 250 level. I don’t mean any disrespect – world no. 7 or 8 is a huge achievement, and hardly anyone else can say that they’ve measurably improved from year to year in the second half of their career – but it’s really pretty unrealistic to name Fish as even a serious SF pick without someone else doing a big chunk of the dirty work for him.


scoreboard66 Says:

@Kimmi, maybe Kuzy got juice dropped on her just like my keyboard.


Dory Says:

In the 2nd or 3rd set, Tsonga complained to the umpire that someone from Fish’s box was yelling at him and calling him names, then Fish intervened and told his box not to do so. Dunno if they stopped or not, apparently not as Tsonga kept complaining until in the fifth set, Fish who was annoyed with having broken told Tsonga he won’t tell his box again as “Everyone is fired up”. No bad blood thankfully as the handshake at the end was warm and cozy. :D


Dory Says:

Look at that they scheduled Donald Young vs Murray and Isner vs Simon again at the same time. Which one would be more exciting?


scoreboard66 Says:

Eric, I was discussing Mardy last night with my GF, and I think she will agree with your take on Mardy. We also felt that Mardy has a tendency to run hot and cold, plus he’s injury prone. I like him a lot, but I don’t think he can sustain his position in the top 10, and most probably will fall out sometime next year.

I happen to feel the same about Monfils, Berdych and Ferrer. Inconsistency, I think, is the word that describes them best. I felt the same about Melzer and Almagro, and like you, no disrespect is intended, but just a bit of reality.


Kimmi Says:

Scoreboard66 – juice!! watch that keyboard.

kutzy is playing well, but makes errors on some important points. danger game coming up!


Kimmi Says:

absolutely horrible from kutzy


Kimmi Says:

at least she breaks back..


Kimmi Says:

If this match continues like this..federer will be on at midnight


Eric Says:

FEROCIOUS return!!


Kimmi Says:

kutzy went for the FH on BP and it paid off. now serve it out.


Kimmi Says:

hmmmm! kutzy..


Kimmi Says:

I have a feeling kutzy loses this tie break..too many errors


Kimmi Says:

ha ha ha that was BIG


Kimmi Says:

cant believe it..it was wozniacki who cracked!!


Kimmi Says:

kutzy going for it..go kutzy!!


Kimmi Says:

danger time now..kutzy needs to concentrate..c’mon!


mat4 Says:

Remind me never to write anything about the WTA anymore.

Just one word: it seems he is not the right man.


Kimmi Says:

aaaaaaagh! pushing kutzy. relax!!


Eric Says:

wooooah! HUGE break back for Woz after trying and failing to get it for the set, when it really looked like Kuznetsova was going to march imperiously on for 6-3!


Kimmi Says:

wozniacki is making a comeback..hmmm! kutzy needs to break again here.


Eric Says:

I mean for the whole set so far…

But can she back it up? :/


Oui Says:

Kimmi
Scoreboard is Von in case you didn’t know.:-)))


Kimmi Says:

this match is changing, woz in control now.


Dan Martin Says:

Kuzy is falling to pieces.


Eric Says:

Kimmi, for now, but it sure looked like Woz was in control during the tiebreak too only to fall apart. But for now at least, yes, definitely Kuznetsova has melted in the face of Woz’s more or less impentrable counterpunching… And Woz has stopped giving her so many chances to hit winners.


Kimmi Says:

If only she can hold here!!


jane Says:

Fed coming on at 11:00 or midnight at this rate!


Kimmi Says:

bad bad approach shot!


Eric Says:

Pop quiz: how many times has Woz failed to serve out a set? (The answer, I imagine, is at least a billion.)


Eric Says:

Kimmi yeah, I knew she was going to lose that point the instant she started moving towards the net. A rare moment of stupidity from Kuznetsova.


Kimmi Says:

eric – she needs to finish in two. if she loses this set then its over


Kimberly Says:

WHat an unexpected great match


Eric Says:

Finally…. my god Kuzy was able to drag that out for ages!


jane Says:

Woz is still alive!


Kimmi Says:

Poor roger, i think this will be the first late late start this USO


Kimmi Says:

The third set should end quickly, i will be VERY surprised if kutzy makes a match out of it. she looks dead.


Eric Says:

Both girls really dug their heels in there from 4-2 onwards… fighting tooth and nail. A great object lesson in what happens when a mercurial spirit dukes it out with a backboard. Monfils should take note too…


jane Says:

60 UEs over two sets for Kuz. That is toooo many.


Kimberly Says:

Do we want another great first set or blowout one way or the other so we cam watch roger


Kimberly Says:

Final set I meant


Eric Says:

Kimmi looks like you were right. Broken to love right off the bat. I wonder what’s up with Kuzy – she’s had an easy run so far. I guess she had to push everything to the limit in her quest for that second set…


Kimberly Says:

She’s exhausted totally


Kimmi Says:

good hold at least!


Eric Says:

Not that time, though. This match is way over.


jane Says:

Woz is stronger the longer she goes: were she playing best of five she would have a slam or two for sure!

Match Point.


Eric Says:

that match point came and went, but Woz is really showing why she deserves – at least for now – to be no. 1. Talk about a beatdown, tired Kuz or not; she was lucky to get that one hold from bp down this set.


Kimmi Says:

could they finish pls!!


Kimberly Says:

Match point number four went


jane Says:

On and on it goes! Fed must be insane by now.


Kimberly Says:

Here goes five


jane Says:

Finally, Woz decides to come in. And what a come back by her. Down 1-4 in the second set.


Kimberly Says:

And she gets it hmmmmmm who do we think woz or petko


jane Says:

Congrats to Caroline. Nice effort from Kuz, even at the end there.


Kimmi Says:

wow! woz is tough for sure.

Poor federer-monaco, almost midnight. bring on serena – wozniacki


Kimmi Says:

string gauge lol


scoreboard66 Says:

That was the female version of a Murray and Nadal match. It was very enjoyable.


jane Says:

Get the heck out! Rain?!


Kimmi Says:

rain!! oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!


scoreboard66 Says:

The rain is here. It was supposed to come down at 4:00pm today, then at 6:00 pm, we got lucky.


jane Says:

The Who! Fun music choice. :)


Eric Says:

Gotta take issue with that analogy. Murray is not nearly as mercurial as Kuznetsova, and Wozniacki has no real dangerous offensive weapons like Rafa. Their only real similarity is being good retrievers, but Rafa is far more mobile. It was more like, I dunno, Monfils vs Ferrer.


scoreboard66 Says:

I meant the lon, grinding rallies, not personalties. Monfils and Ferrer is a good one.


Kimberly Says:

Wouldn’t it be funny of woz and Murray each won their first slam here after being ragged on so hard. Although I’d give Andy a better chance than Caroline. still feeling depressed about fish. Oh well


scoreboard66 Says:

They both deserve to win a GS, coz they work very hard and have been disappointed too many times.


Kimmi Says:

go roger!


scoreboard66 Says:

This late start is not good for Roger, since he likes to go to sleep early. Hopefully, he’ll be scheduled late afternoon on Wednesday, to get some decent amount of rest before he plays.


jane Says:

Fed always is such a fast started, but there is probably extra wood on the fire tonight. Cahill says Monaco has a weak serve.


jane Says:

Oops “fast starter”


jane Says:

Sheesh, blitzkrieg from Roger: hey ho let’s go!


Kimmi Says:

good so far! lets go roger!


Eric Says:

Oh come on, are you guys serious? Worried about Fed vs. Monaco? I’m not even watching because I know this match is going to be a complete snoozefest. This guy can’t hold a candle to Roger.


Eric Says:

Interesting piece: http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2011-09-05/201109051315265130280.html?promo=home

I usually agree with almost all of his picks, but this time I have to dissent. Simon is the _clear_ favorite over Isner – sorry, but it’s true. And Ferrer-Roddick, well…that could be a pretty long match. Andy could definitely knock him out if he gets grooving, but Ferrer is still the pick here, I’d say. And I will be shocked if Young wins a set off Murray. And Muller will be a lot more trouble for Rafa than Cronin thinks, unless he wildly disappoints which is also always a strong possibility. (And Stosur ain’t getting past Vera.)


jane Says:

I guess if it had gone with seeds, Fed would have Troicki right now, or possibly Steps or Khols. So this was always going to be a bit of an easier round for Fed (compared with Cilic last round and Tsonga next).


Kimmi Says:

this is a master class fed, gooo!


jane Says:

Yeah some surprising picks there. If Simon plays Isner like he played Delpo, then yes, Simon should win. If. With Roddick vs, Ferrer, it could be a matter of being match-ready since the highest ranked opponent Roddick has played thus far is #81, Benneteau, and Ferrer hasn’t had a super tough road either: Andreev, Blake and then Mayer. Also Ferrer is just coming back from a wrist injury. The Roddick/Ferrer match is a pick em and you can add in for Roddick home court advantage. Agree that Murray should beat Young in straights, and if Vera plays like she did versus Lisicki, then I like her chances versus Sam (60-40), but both can can collapse mentally.


jane Says:

Monaco is outmatched.


Kimmi Says:

this is becoming like a first round match…has roger being tested enough to be ready for tsonga?


Kimmi Says:

ok, just about to go to sleep now. hurry up rog!!


Kimmi Says:

rain is coming again, hope roger can beat it!


jane Says:

He was well tested last round Kimmi, this is good practice. Fed is returning well, but Cahill said it is something to do with Monaco’s serves being flat, having no “work” on them, and that Fed is troubled more by serves with work/spin, etc. Looks like some light rain now: they may have to finish tomorrow, the last couple of games? But probably not.


Kimmi Says:

tomorrow?$#@@? NOOOOOOOOO! tonite rog! go go go


jane Says:

Great rally there.


Kimmi Says:

ah, if only roger could play like this all the time?? yap, jane! cahill could be right. waht roger needs to is practice to return tsonga serves


Kimmi Says:

they keep showing that ball man..lol


jane Says:

Fed is speed-dialing it in.


Kimmi Says:

was that the first shank?


Dory Says:

Why can’t Federer play in Divine Mode (TM) against Nadal?


Eric Says:

Dory — because Nadal doesn’t let him.


jane Says:

Looking like a bagel bedtime snack. Poor Juan. Had no chance. Congrats to Fed.

Sweet dreams Kimmi: you can dream of Fed winners all over the court, ;)


Kimmi Says:

ha ha ha jane :) i think he my dreams will be nightmares of tsonga :)

Goodnight!


Skeezerweezer Says:

@kimmi yeah that was the first shank i saw

This has to be the cleanest match this poster has seen of Fed in years. Awesome display of tennis.

Juan did not play that badly. Fed 23 winners before the 2nd set was over, and Juan, dueling out at one point a 30 ball rally at one point still came up short in winning the point.

Sure Juan got deflated by Feds play, but never quit, never resigned, and played hard knowing his chances as the match went on were grim.

Fed was simply brilliant tonight.


Eric Says:

Fun fact: Roger is the first player to serve up a bagel in the 4th round at the USO since 2006, when Davydenko beat down 17th-seeded Andy Murray and Youzhny destroyed Robredo (who, like Monaco, won just 3 games in 3 sets).


jane Says:

Night. :)


Dory Says:

@Eric, that was a rhetorical question. :)


Skeezerweezer Says:

Night jane!


Nims Says:

This is the worst match to have happened to Roger. Based on his previous history, he typically plays a terrible match after a masterclass like this. So it’s better to bet on Tsonga in the QF based on Roger’s form in this match.


NachoF Says:

Nims, can you please back that claim with some data? … I dont recall anything like that


Huh Says:

I feel sory for Cahlil. if only he had takn out his pro-rafa-pro-muzza fan glasses, then he coulda seem that today was A DARTH FEDERER PERFORMANCE!!!
Whethr fed wins his
next rd match is irrelevant in this regard. All that matters is federer played one of his career best matches today; whatevr he was trying, was clickin durin d
match!!! Today was one of those federerersque displays, fed was unbelievably good today, thats all. This match is his best performance
since 2007, much bettr than even 2010 AO or 2011 FO! If Fed plays close to how he played today, then I’d say: the
USO is his to lose! No rafa(excludin RG), no nole, nobody can beat a federer when he has a day like he was havin today. I lovd wat i saw today!
ALLEZ FEDERER!!!


Nims Says:

NachoF ..these are the matches comes to my mind

1st round AO 2011 — Matt Wilander said even if Roger played 75% of this level he would easily beat Novak or Rafa, but in his next match against Simon he was taken to a 5-set thriller.

AO 2011 Quarters — After his match against Stan, everyone said he is going to rip Novak out in the semis. But we know the result now.

Wim 2010 4th round : I believe against Melzer he played some of his best tennis, but in the next round against Berdych we knew what happened.

USO 2010 Quarters: He played one of his best ever serve match against Sod in the windy condition, but in the Semis against Novak we knew what happened.

Typically it shows that Roger sometimes hits his peak at one match in every GS. But unfortunately in the last few years, these matches are happening in earlier rounds, whereas before it used to be either Semis or Finals.


Dan Martin Says:

Eric I see Simon rolling unless Isner just serves lights out and hits huge forehands with few errors. Even then, it will require a lot of tie break sets for Isner to win. Simon should roll.


NachoF Says:

Nims,
you picked two matches from AO 2011.

Also, I dont think anyone else remembers those matches as the best they have ever seen Fed play


Eric Says:

Dan, exactly. I haven’t seen Isner playing recently so I probably shouldn’t comment, but I guess I don’t see even the slightest hint that he would be the favorite against Simon. Simon is like kryptonite for these guys who rely too much on their serve, so even if he’s really cracking what’s the big deal? Isner edged out Baghdatis, which is a great result, but it took him two tiebreaks, one of which was very long and close, which tells me basically that he was serving well which isn’t going to be enough to beat Simon. And, sorry, I’m not that impressed with Isner advancing through the second and third rounds over a couple of has-been and never-were old fogy Americans. His ground game just isn’t good enough to compete with a guy like Simon, although obviously on any given day one guy can just show up with more energy or whatever and ‘click’ more than the other guy – it’s not like an impossible match for Isner to win, is what I’m saying, but Simon is the clear favorite on any intelligent basis. So yes, I completely agree with you!

(Fun fact: Isner weighs almost 100 pounds more than Simon, even though he’s only 9 inches taller…)


jane Says:

Eric,keep the “fun facts” coming.


mat4 Says:

For me, Fed’s best matches this year were both against Djokovic, both in semis of GS. He lost one, won the other. I think that – just like Rafa allows Novak to play his best – Novak’s game is suited to emphasize Roger’s qualities and virtuosity.

Federer has played well against Monaco, but the real tests lay ahead: first Tsonga, who beat him twice in a row, although Federer played some sublime tennis in those encounters.

You can argue that he didn’t play well because he lost, but I won’t agree. Tsonga just played better. Maybe Fed would have won three years ago, but it is not three years ago, he has not 25 anymore.

He has a hard match ahead, it is a close call, and I just think that Roger’s fans are anxious and resort for delusive hopes.


mat4 Says:

Let’s just add that Roger is already fourth at the Race, behind Murray. He could finish the year at that place, and when we look at the results so far, that is the one he deserves: Djokovic and Nadal won GS, Murray won an ATP1000.

Of course, it could change if he wins the USO. He has to play Tsonga (0-2 this year), probably Djokovic (1-3), maybe Nadal (0-2), or Murray (they didn’t play, but Murray leads the H2H, so a match against the Scot wouldn’t be a walk in the park). Winning would be a worthy feat.

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