Men Tennis Update – US Open (08-31-12)

Written by: Staff on 31st August 2012

Men Tennis Update - US Open (08-31-12) |

U. S. Open

THURSDAY

Singles – Second Round: (2) N Djokovic def. R Dutra Silva 6-2 6-1 6-2

There really isn’t anything to say about this. Novak Djokovic hasn’t quite clinched the #2 ranking, but he looks likely to do so in the next few days.

Singles – Second Round: (4) D Ferrer def. I Sijsling 6-2 6-3 7-6(14-12)

For two sets, it looked as if David Ferrer would be the first player, male or female, to finish. Then the third set got complicated. Still, the match was mostly routine, and it makes it a little more likely that he will stay #5 — which was already the way to bet.

Singles – Second Round: (7) J del Potro def. R Harrison 6-2 6-3 2-6 6-2

It looks as if Ryan Harrison will end up within one spot of #60.

Singles – Second Round: (8) J Tipsarevic def. B Baker 6-4 6-3 6-4

Brian Baker will be a couple of spots behind Harrison. Janko Tipsarevic is still at #9, but he looks a lot better than he did in his first round!

Singles – Second Round: (9) J Isner def. J Nieminen 6-3 6-7(5-7) 6-4 6-3

John Isner hasn’t clinched the #10 spot, but it’s a good bet. Jarkko Nieminen is likely but not yet certain to hit the Top Forty.

Singles – Second Round: (13) R Gasquet def. B Klahn 6-3 6-3 6-1

Bradley Klahn may still have been recovering from his marathon win over Jurgen Melzer. Or, of course, it may just have been the fact that he’s #489….

Singles – Second Round: (14) A Dolgopolov def. M Baghdatis 6-4 3-6 6-0 7-6(7-5)

Alexandr Dolgopolov still needs at least one more win to stay Top Fifteen. He leaves Marcos Baghdatis a little below #35.

Singles – Second Round: (18) S Wawrinka def. S Darcis 6-7(6-8) 6-3 4-6 6-1 7-5

We’ll have to see what Stanislas Wawrinka has left after this. Happily for him, he lost second round last year, so he has likely added enough points to assure his Top Twenty ranking.

Singles – Second Round: (19) P Kohlschreiber def. B Paire 6-7(4-6) 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-6(7-4)

This was the last men’s match of the night — little wonder, with that score. Philipp Kohlschreiber was up a break in the fifth, but fell apart to let Benoit Paire back into it. Paire in fact served for the match — and blew it in turn. Paire will be just above #50; Philipp Kohlschreiber is still struggling (literally struggling, as regards this match) to assure his Top Twenty spot.

Singles – Second Round: (20) A Roddick def. B Tomic 6-3 6-4 6-0

Andy Roddick obviously isn’t hurrying into retirement. Of course, if he could still play like this every day, he probably wouldn’t be thinking about retirement! One more win would let him go out while still in the Top Twenty.

Singles – Second Round: (31) J Benneteau def. D Novikov 3-6 6-4 7-6(7-1) 7-5

An impressive debut for Dennis Novikov, loss or no loss — and he still has the doubles.

Singles – Second Round: F Fognini def. G Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-4 6-2

Fognini made the third round last year. Garcia-Lopez made the second. In other words, no real rankings movement for either.

Singles – Second Round: G Zemlja def. C Stebe 6-4 2-6 6-4 6-4

This is typical of why Cedric-Marcel Stebe is stalled: He managed the big win (over Viktor Troicki), then he lost this.

Singles – Second Round: L Hewitt def. G Muller 3-6 7-6(7-5) 6-7(5-7) 7-5 6-4

Lleyton Hewitt really is proving all of us wrong who thought he was washed up. In the process, he costs Gilles Muller about a dozen ranking spots.

Singles – Second Round: L Mayer def. T Robredo 6-1 6-4 4-6 7-5

Leonardo Mayer will rise above #60. Tommy Robredo at least managed to win a match at a Slam, which will gain him a few spots.

Singles – Second Round: S Johnson def. E Gulbis 7-6(7-3) 6-7(5-7) 6-3 6-4

Suddenly Steve Johnson is looking like a genuine threat — this is the best result of his entire career. Indeed, he has more points here than at all his previous ATP events combined! Ernests Gulbis remains stuck below the Top Hundred.

Doubles – Second Round: (2) Bryan/Bryan def. Butorac/Hanley 6-3 6-2

A solid win over a solid team moves the Bryans a tiny bit closer to the #1 ranking. Four wins to go….

Doubles – Second Round: (5) Paes/Stepanek def. Bellucci/Souza 7-5 7-6(7-3)

Still no Top Ten spot for Radek Stepanek, but he’s getting closer.

Doubles – Second Round: (6) Granollers/M Lopez def. Kubot/Youzhny 7-5 6-7(7-9) 7-6(7-4)

If we did everything right, Marc Lopez is now guaranteed to stay Top Ten. We currently show the Top Ten as follows:

1..(1) Mirnyi………….9260

1..(1) Nestor………….9260

3..(3) Bryan…………..8200

5..(5) Lindstedt……….6240

5..(5) Tecau…………..6240

7..(9) Paes……………5515

8.(10) LopezM………….5040

9..(7) Fyrstenberg……..4815

10..(8) Matkowski……….4680

Doubles – Second Round: Levine/Matosevic def. (11) Marray/Nielsen 6-1 6-7(6-8) 6-4

More evidence that Wimbledon was a fluke. Or, at least, a grass artifact.

Doubles – Second Round: Knowle/Polasek def. Stakhovsky/Troicki 6-4 6-0

Mixed Doubles – First Round: (1) Huber/Mirnyi def. Min/Klahn 6-3 6-2

Mixed Doubles – First Round: (2) Raymond/M Bryan def. Makarova/soares 6-1 7-5

Mixed Doubles – First Round: B Bryan/Clijsters def. Falconi/Johnson 6-2 6-2

This gives us a truly interesting situation: The Bryans will be facing each other — and the match could be the very last in the career of Kim Clijsters!

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Llagostera Vives/Marrero def. Melichar/Battistone 7-6(7-3) 6-3

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Spears/Lipsky def. Benesova/Melzer 6-4 6-3

A big, big upset based on mixed rankings — but Jurgen Melzer is in a terrible slump, and Iveta Benesova is slumping a little bit also.

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Voskoboeva/Bracciali def. Zahlavova Strycova/Polasek 6-2 5-7 10-6 (Match TB)

Topics: Andy Roddick, David Ferrer, Janko Tipsarevic, John Isner, Mardy Fish, Novak Djokovic, Sports, Tennis News, US Open 2012