|
 After the sun set on Flushing Meadows, fourth seed Caroline
Wozniacki played in cooler conditions but was unable to repel a
red-hot Petra Cetkovska, the 149th ranked Czech repeating her 2013
Wimbledon upset of the Dane with a 6-4 5-7 7-6(1) win.
Cetkovska had looked to be cruising to victory when she led 4-1 in
the second set but the injury-prone 30-year-old lost her way and
then saved four match points in the decider before she was
ultimately rewarded for being aggressive on vital points.
Leading off the night session, second seed Roger Federer was neither
troubled by the weather nor his opponent as the Swiss maestro easily
dispatched Steve Darcis of Belgium 6-1 6-2 6-1 in just 80 minutes to
stay on course for a sixth U.S. Open crown.
While Federer barely broke a sweat, players spent most a sizzling
day session with ice packs draped over their shoulders, chugging on
water bottles and searching for shade.
British hopes Andy Murray and Johanna Konta, however, enjoyed a
productive day in the sun as both went the distance to score second
round victories.
Third seed Murray appeared frozen to the spot on a broiling
afternoon but caught fire when he needed to and rallied for a 5-7
4-6 6-1 6-3 6-1 win over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Konta, meanwhile, provided the early upset, toiling for three hours
and 27 minutes to see off ninth-seeded Spaniard and Wimbledon
finalist Garbine Muguruza 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-2 in what was the longest
women's match ever at the U.S. Open.
"I noticed after the first set -- it was incredibly long, but then
after I had a couple glances on the clock, I'm like, 'Oh, okay. We
have been here for a while.' But we deal with it as best we can,"
said Konta. "It was the same for her and the same for a lot of
players playing out there at this time."
As courtside temperatures pushed past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38
degrees Celsius) at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Romanian second seed Halep
wasted little time finishing off Ukraine qualifier Kateryna
Bondarenko 6-3 6-4 in 76 minutes before escaping to the
air-conditioned comfort of the players' lounge.
SOCK DOWN
Fifth-seeded Swiss Wawrinka outslugged promising South Korean
teenager Chung Hyeon, but still needed three tiebreaks to sweat out
a 7-6(2) 7-6(4) 7-6(6) second round decision.
[to top of second column] |
"Today was a really tough day with the conditions," Wawrinka said.
"I know that I'm ready physically to battle for long hours in that
condition. Today was hot, was humid, but still we play three hours
and I'm feeling OK."
Next up for the French Open champion is Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium,
who advanced when Sock retired due to cramping while leading 6-4 6-4
3-6 1-2.
Sock had looked in control of the match but began to show signs of
distress in the third set, then sent shockwaves through the crowd
when he began to cramp and dropped to the court as medical staff
rushed to his aid.
A wheelchair was brought out but after several minutes, Sock was
helped to his feet and, assisted by a trainer under each arm, limped
off the court.
Australian Sam Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open champion and last player
to beat world number one Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows four
years ago, looked ready to make another run at the title as she
crushed Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina 6-1 6-1.
But it was the end of the road for 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, the
tenacious Australian dragged kicking and screaming to the Flushing
Meadows exit by countryman Bernard Tomic in what was his final U.S.
Open.
A player who constructed a career around a relentless fighting
spirit that became his calling card, Hewitt was never going to leave
the U.S. Open without a struggle and went down swinging until the
very end, falling 6-3 6-2 3-6 5-7 7-5.
(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes/John O'Brien)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
