After a Friday night that included Rafael Nadal bowing out in the third round, an exit which threatens to put his entire career in limbo, Saturday’s result proved to be rather entertaining yet expected. The favourites in the Men’s draw, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, advanced to the R16 with the minimum fuss, with the Swiss maestro racking up his 10th consecutive victory against Philip Kohlschreiber with a clinical 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory. He has now lost only 20 games at Flushing Meadows this year, with 9 sets being taken on the trot and looks as good as ever. Brit hope Murray finally had an easy outing, putting it past Thomas Belluci in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, making good use of his net approach. Federer will now play local favourite John Isner, while Murray will face big serving Kevin Anderon from South Africa.
Also, defending French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka advanced to the 4th round, and is another of the haven’t-lost-a-set yet brigade. He cruised past Ruben Bemelmans 6-3, 7-5(7-5), 6-4 and is now to face another home hope Donald Young, who energized the crowd with an enthralling 5 set victory, where he came back from 2 sets down against No. 22 Victor Troicki 4–6, 0–6, 7–6, 6–2, 6–4, riffing on the crowd’s infectious enthusiasm. This follows his 5 set victory over Gilles Simon in the 2nd round where too he came back from 2 sets down. John Isner and him in the 4th round is the only instance since 2011 where 2 home players have been able to make it to the 2nd week at Flushing Meadows. Apart from this, Richard Gasquet eased past Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. Gasquet’s presence ensures that France will have 4 players in the R16, the highest for a nation.
In the Women’s side of things, Eugenie Bouchard slipped in the locker room and will not continue in this year’s US Open any further. This has caused a million hearts to break, simultaneously, worldwide. 5th seed Petra Kvitova continued to power through, with a stunning 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Anna Schmiedlova. Shenow faces Brit qualifier Johanna Konta, who made the world sit up and take notice when she recorded a 3 hours, 23 minutes victory in the 2nd round, the longest match in US Open history, against No. 9 seed Garbine Muguraza. Another 3 hour slugfest ensued between Victoria Azarenka and Angelica Kerber with Azarenka outlasting the No. 11 seed 7-6, 2-6, 6-4. In the night session, No. 2 seed Simona Halep played a near flawless match, making just 9 unforced errors, in her 6-2, 6-3 clinical takedown of Shelba Rogers. Halep also recorded a remarkable 91% first serve in. She’ll now play No. 24 Sabine Lisicki next, who was made to sweat her way through to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Barbora Strycova.
