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