Reuters
New York, Sept 4: Roger Federer kept up his sprint through the early rounds of the US Open Thursday, steamrolling Steve Darcis of Belgium 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round of the year’s final grand slam.
Federer took just 80 minutes to dispatch the 66th-ranked Darcis under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium and has lost just nine games in his first two matches.
In an ominous warning to his rivals, Federer said his early form points to a successful fortnight at Flushing Meadows, one of his favourite haunts.
“Very often I start this tournament quite strong,” said the 34-year-old. “It’s always gone quite well for me. I’ve always enjoyed conditions here – the balls, the speed of the court, the atmosphere in the arena. I think this is another good year.”
Federer’s next opponent is Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, a straight-sets winner over Czech Lukas Rosol 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-2.
Australian legend Lleyton Hewitt waved goodbye to the US Open Thursday. A player who constructed a career around a relentless fighting spirit that became his calling card, Hewitt was never going to leave the Big Apple without a struggle and went down swinging until the very end, falling 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 to Bernard Tomic.
“I left it all out there again,” said Hewitt, a two-time grand slam winner. “A great atmosphere, it was nice to be able to turn it into a decent match.”
Set to retire after next year’s Australian Open, Hewitt may have lost a step and his groundstrokes are not as ferocious as they once were but the 34-year-old showed he has lost none of his combativeness during an enthralling three hour, 27 minute second round slugfest.
Andy Murray made another of his trademark stirring fightbacks as the third-seeded Scot powered past Frenchman Adrian Mannarino after dropping the first two sets of their second round encounter.
Murray, who looked befuddled early on, recovered to beat the left-hander 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 as he overcame a two-set deficit to record victory for the eighth time in his career.
Next up for Murray will be Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 winner over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Stan Wawrinka outslugged promising South Korean teenager Chung Hyeon 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6) to reach the third round Thursday.
The French Open champion belted 26 aces and hammered 62 winners on another sweltering hot day at Flushing Meadows but the 19-year-old Chung held his own against the Swiss fifth seed, ripping 28 winners.
Wawrinka next faces Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium, who advanced when American Jack Sock retired due to cramping while leading 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 1-2.
Drone trouble
New York: A drone buzzed over the court during a US Open match Thursday in Louis Armstrong Stadium and crashed into an empty section of seats. US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said no one was injured and that the New York Police Department was ‘conducting an ongoing investigation.’ The black device flew diagonally through the arena during the game between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu.
