Top Seeds Survive on Day of Mixed Fortunes
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SPORTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2013 Li, Radwanska roll into last 16 NEW YORK: Chinese fifth seed Li Na and third-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska made the US Open last 16 yesterday as heavyweights Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams waited in the wings. Li hit 11 aces in a 6-2, 7-5 victory against teenager Laura Robson, avenging her loss to the Briton at the same stage last year. The 31-year-old Li, who saw her opponent hit 30 unforced errors and a paltry seven winners, goes on to face either Japanese qualifier Kurumi Nara or Serbian ninth seed Jelena Jankovic, the 2008 runner- up, for a quarter-final spot. “I was really happy how I was hitting on the court,” Li said. “And I thought I served really well.” Robson, 19, had been bothered by a wrist injury in the run-up to the tournament and now has a problem with her teeth. “I will see my doctor when I get back (about the wrist). I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out, as well,” she said. Li’s best US Open performance was a run to the quarter-finals in 2009. But that is one round better than Radwanska, who has stum- bled at the fourth round stage on three occasions. The 2012 Wimbledon runner-up made the last 16 once again with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) win over Russian 32nd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a quar- ter-finalist in 2011. Pavlyuchenkova, seeded at a major for the first time, was undone by 41 unforced errors, which rendered her 32 win- ners irrelevant against the steady Radwanska. Murray, who had to wait until Wednesday night to get his title defense underway, tackles Leonardo Mayer, the Argentine world number 81, for a place in the last 32 after brushing aside French vet- NEW YORK: Flavia Pennetta of Italy plays a forehand during her women’s singles second round match against Sara eran Michael Llodra in his opener. Errani of Italy on Day Four of the 2013 US Open. — AFP The third-seeded Scot has played in the finals of the last four Grand Slam tournaments in which he has competed, a run which included a first Wimbledon title last month. But the British star is tak- ing nothing for granted against Mayer, who made the third round in Top seeds survive on New York last year. “He’s a very talented player. He’s got big sort of long, looping strokes. I think he plays his best tennis on the hard courts. He’s very tough,” said Murray. Four-time champion Williams, the top seed, has dropped just four games in her opening two day of mixed fortunes matches and takes on big-hitting Russian-born Kazkhastan player Yaroslava Shvedova, the world number 78, for a last-16 spot. Williams, chasing a 17th Grand Slam title, has won both their pre- NEW YORK: The contrasting fortunes of grand slam tennis doctors, to move back to the United States. vious meetings in Toronto in 2009 and Wimbledon last year. were on full display at the US Open on Thursday. Some In 2010, her father was buried alive in the Haiti earthquake. Shvedova has twice been a women’s doubles champion at the US dreams were made while others were shattered. He survived by digging himself out but suffered serious Open, partnering Vania King to victory in 2010 and 2011. Victoria Duval, the teenaged American who had captured injuries, including broken legs, broken ribs and a punctured Djokovic, the 2011 champion and trying to reach the final for a the hearts of New York with her feats both on and off the lung. fourth successive season, tackles Benjamin Becker for a place in the court, was knocked out in straight sets in a brutal reminder of But her run ended almost as soon as it began when she was third round. how far she still has to go to reach the top. beaten 6-2 6-3 by Daniela Hantuchova on an outside court. It The 87th-ranked German is already part of US Open folklore, hav- For Sara Errani, the world’s fifth ranked woman, the pres- was a quick lesson in the reality of professional tennis. ing inflicted the last professional defeat of Andre Agassi at the tour- sure of playing in the Big Apple became too much and she “It was overwhelming. But I think this is what it’s all about,” nament in 2006. —AFP crumbled under pressure, tearfully admitting she had choked. Duval said. Errani, a semi-finalist in the Big Apple last year, The tournament’s biggest stars all survived unscathed, crashed to a 6-3 6-1 loss to her Italian compatriot Flavia ruthlessly dispatching their opponents with a minimum of Pennetta then did something no-one expected. In a sport fuss in a sport where there is little room for sentiment if your where players try to hide their smallest weaknesses, she ultimate aim is to collect grand slam titles. revealed her darkest secret. Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams have 45 “I’m feeling too much pressure,” the 26-year-old confessed. major singles titles between them and the trio won their sec- “I don’t know why, but I’m not enjoying going on the courts, ond round matches in straight sets, as they normally do. For and that is the worst thing a player can have.” them, the championship never really starts until the second Her mood was in stark contrast to Victoria Azarenka, last week. year’s runner-up, who joked that she was enjoying a love affair For the vast majority, the last grand slam of the year is a with New York’s unforgiving hardcourts. stringent test of character from start to finish, where every win “I would say it’s my husband, hardcourts,” she said after her is cherished. There was no better example on Thursday than 6-3 6-1 win over Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak. “Because we the Englishman Dan Evans, who is playing at the US Open for have been together for a long time (we) got really comfortable the first time. with each other.” Williams was also dancing to a different beat Ranked 179th in the world, he needed to come through the even though the wind was blowing hard when she strolled qualifying tournament just to get into the main draw and was onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium center court. not expected to go much further. Her match against Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan had The formality of a first round exit was lost on the 23-year- originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was held over old, however, as he tore up the script and carried his qualify- because of rain. ing form onto the big stage. Unfazed by the delay, she cruised to a 6-3 6-0 victory In his opening match, the Briton pulled off the biggest win before teaming up with big sister Venus to win their first of his career when he upset Japan’s Kei Nishikori, ranked 12th round doubles match. “I’m just trying to do the best I can,” in the world, with many observers expecting that performance Williams said. “Just always trying to get a little better.” to be the highlight of his campaign. Federer, unflappable even as he struggles to add to his On Thursday, however, he won again, this time beating record collection of 17 grand slam singles titles, hardly broke Bernard Tomic 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3, a win made all the more into a sweat on a baking hot day as he brushed aside sweeter because the Australian’s father had snubbed him a Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-2 6-1. “For me, it was pretty year ago in Miami. “It was quite funny, actually,” Evans straightforward, to be honest,” Federer said. “It’s one of those recalled. matches I expect myself to win if possible in straight sets and “I was there playing quallies. His dad sort of fobbed me off gain confidence in the process. and said I wasn’t good enough to practise with him. I remem- “All those things happened, so, yeah, I’m pleased about it.” bered that.” Nadal, who missed last year’s U.S. Open because of injury, Duval was thrust into the spotlight after she beat the 2011 brushed aside Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil 6-2 6-1 6-0. U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur in the first round. She played It was as swift and easy as any match he has had at the US well enough but it was her family’s tale of survival that cap- Open but the Spaniard offered an insight into what it took to NEW YORK: Na Li of China celebrates a point during her tured the media’s attention. When she was seven years old, get back to the top. “You need to be ready to suffer, to enjoy women’s singles third round match against Laura Robson Duval was taken hostage by robbers at her aunt’s house in the suffering, and to be able to change the situation,” the sec- of Great Britain on Day Five of the 2013 US Open. — AFP Haiti, a terrifying incident that convinced her parents, both ond seed said. —Reuters.