Press Trust of India
New York, Sept 1: Rafa Nadal boasted after his first round US Open match that he had a video recording of being the first player to hit a ball in practice under the new roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Flushing Meadows here.
Wednesday, the fourth-seeded Spaniard achieved the double as he hit the first ball in competition under the $150 million roof after rain briefly interrupted his second round match against Italian Andreas Seppi.
Play resumed seven minutes, 22 seconds after the interruption with Nadal serving at 3-3 in the second set before he completed a 6-0, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Seppi that lifted him to a third round match against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.
“I was very happy to be the first player to play in the competition with this fantastic roof closing,” he said. “Amazing, unbelievable.”
But on a day when Nadal also played some amazing tennis, the US Open claimed its first major victim in the form of Milos Raonic. American qualifier Ryan Harrison shocked the Canadian fifth seed 6-7 (4-7) 7-5, 7-5, 6-1.
Harrison, who advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, will next meet Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, a 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 winner over Frenchman Benoit Paire.
“This is a tournament that you just dream of growing up,” said Harrison. “The coolest thing for me this year is that me and my brother are both playing in the main draw.”
There were no such problems for 2014 champion Marin Cilic though. He surged into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 rout of Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine to reach a showdown match against American Jack Sock who also had an easy time while defeating Mischa Zverev of Germany 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.
“I played really well today from the start till the end,” the 27-year-old Croat told reporters. “I didn’t have too many ups and downs in the game. I felt that I was controlling the match always.”
He will next face Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, a 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 winner over Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Good beginning for Indian players
press trust of india
New York, Sept 1: Indian players, Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna made a rampaging start to their campaign at US Open as they advanced to the second round of the US Open along with their respective partners after notching up wins at the Flushing Meadows here Wednesday.
Defending champions in mixed doubles, Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis prevailed over USA’s Sachia Vickery and Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2 in just 51 minutes.
In women’s doubles, seventh seeded Sania and her Czech partner Barbora Strycova defeated American pair of Jada Myii Hart and Ena Shibahara 6-3, 6-2 in 69 minutes in their first round encounter.
The men’s doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Frederik Nielsen of Denmark also reached the second round with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 win over 16th seeds Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic and Serbian Nenad Zimonjic.
The Indo-Dane pair will square off against USA’s Brian Baker and New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell next.
“It was a good win considering the fact that both Radek and Nenad have won Grand Slam doubles titles,” said Bopanna after the match. “We were good on the crucial points and that helped us advance,” he added.
