Men Tennis News – US Open Men’s Singles. Doubles, and Mix

Written by: Staff on 1st September 2012

Men Tennis News - US Open Men's Singles. Doubles, and Mix

epa03379342 Fernando Verdasco of Spain hits a return to Roger Federer of Switzerland during their match on the sixth day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 01 September 2012. The US Open runs through Sunday 09 September 2012. EPA/JASON SZENES |

U. S. Open

Singles – Third Round: (1) R Federer def. (25) Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-4 6-4

Fernando Verdasco lost in the same round last year, but it appears he will rise into the Top 25 even with the loss. Roger Federer, of course, just builds on his lead over Novak Djokovic.

Singles – Third Round: (3) A Murray def. (30) F Lopez 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-5) 4-6 7-6(7-4)

This doesn’t look particularly promising for Andy Murray’s hopes of rising to #3 this week…. Feliciano Lopez is going to remain just below the Top Thirty.

Singles – Third Round: (11) N Almagro def. J Sock 7-6(7-3) 6-7(4-7) 7-6(7-2) 6-2

Nicolas Almagro is really in a tough spot in the rankings. He wasn’t defending anything, and this year he is in the fourth round, and yet he still needs another hundred points to climb in the rankings! He needs at least two more wins to make the Top Ten.

Singles – Third Round: (12) M Cilic def. (17) K Nishikori 6-3 6-4 6-7(3-7) 6-3

There goes Kei Nishikori’s chance to hit the Top Fifteen. Marin Cilic needs at least 200 more points to climb above his current #13 — but he’s the highest seed left in the part of the draw vacated by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, so maybe he has a chance.

Singles – Third Round: (15) M Raonic def. J Blake 6-3 6-0 7-6(7-3)

This makes it very likely, although not yet certain, that Milos Raonic will hit the Top Fifteen.

Singles – Third Round: M Klizan def. (32) J Chardy 6-4 6-4 6-4

Jeremy Chardy loses his chance to clinch a Top Thirty spot. But Martin Klizan — who already beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — just keeps on climbing; this will probably take him to #39.

Doubles – Second Round: (3) Lindstedt/Tecau def. Paire/Roger-Vasselin 6-7(3-7) 6-4 6-3

The Bryans have seen to it that Lindstedt/Tecau can no longer reach the #3/#4 rankings; the best they can hope for is to stay #5/#6. But that’s looking increasingly likely; we currently estimate the Top Ten as follows:

1..(1) Mirnyi………….9260

1..(1) Nestor………….9260

3..(3) Bryan…………..8200

5..(5) Lindstedt……….6330

5..(5) Tecau…………..6330

7..(9) Paes……………5515

8.(10) LopezM………….5040

9..(7) Fyrstenberg……..4815

10..(8) Matkowski……….4680

Doubles – Second Round: (9) Qureshi/Rojer def. Berlocq/L Mayer 2-1, retired

The name “Mayer” has been a real jinx at this event; Florian retired from the singles, now Leonardo is out of the doubles. It looks as if this will be enough to keep Qureshi in the Top Fifteen.

Doubles – Second Round: Delgado/Skupsky def. (10) Melzer/Petzschner 7-6(7-3) 7-6(9-7)

We were pretty sure defending champions Melzer/Petzschner would be in trouble here, simply because they have been struggling so much. We didn’t expect them to lose to a team this weak, though! For Petzschner, this is half his points lost, and it’s only a little better for Melzer. We don’t know just how low they will fall, but it will be far, far below the Top Twenty rankings they came in with.

Doubles – Second Round: (12) Dodig/Melo def. Novikov/Redlicki 6-1 7-5

Doubles – Second Round: (14) Fleming/Hutchins def. B Baker/R Ram 7-5 6-3

Doubles – Second Round: (15) Peya/Soares def. Huey/Inglot 4-6 6-2 6-4

Doubles – Second Round: (16) S Gonzalez/Lipsky def. Andujar/Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-1

Six straight wins for Gonzalez/Lipsky.

Doubles – Second Round: Benneteau/Mahut def. Monroe/Young 6-4 6-4

Doubles – Second Round: Bogomolov/Klaasen def. Ebden/Tomic 3-6 6-3 6-3

Doubles – Second Round: Cermak/Mertinak def. Johnson/Sock 6-4 7-5

Doubles – Second Round: Harrison/Harrison def. Erlich/A Ram 6-4 6-4

Brother acts in doubles always worry us, but the Harrisons certainly look promising so far!

Mixed Doubles – First Round: (3) Vesnina/Paes def. Kops-Jones/Huey 6-4 7-5

Mixed rankings say that Vesnina/Paes are the top team in the world. They may (they probably will) have trouble in late rounds. Not likely in a first round, though!

Mixed Doubles – First Round: (8) Jans-Ignacik/Fyrstenberg def. Hantuchova/Lindstedt 6-7(6-8) 6-3 10-8 (Match TB)

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Rodionova/Rojer def. Zheng/Bopanna 6-2 7-5

Mixed Doubles – Second Round: (4) Peschke/Matkowski def. Voskoboeva/Bracciali 6-1 7-6(7-2)

These two teams were very close in the Mixed rankings, but Peschke/Matkowski were just slightly higher. Maybe the second set was indicative of their relative strengths.

Mixed Doubles – Second Round: Makarova/Soares def. Clijsters/B Bryan 6-2 3-6 12-10

We really messed up, somewhere, and said that Raymond/Mike Bryan won their match against Makarova/Soares. Obviously they didn’t (a result which goes with the Mixed rankings, which would have demoted Raymond/Bryan). That at least spared Mike the job of facing Bob.

Of course, this still had the significance of being potentially the last match for Kim Clijsters.

It was a rather depressing ending. Clijsters and Bryan went down early in the match tiebreak, clawed their way back to 10-10 — and then suffered a minibreak on the next point. (The real problem with match tiebreaks going to 10 points in mixed doubles — it leaves the woman serving on the first match points. It really ought to be first to twelve.)

Amazing to realize that both Bryans were in the mixed, and neither made the quarterfinal.

And, with this, a storied career really is over. We aren’t even going to try to describe how everyone feels. Few players were as well-liked as Kim Clijsters; few will be so deeply missed.

Topics: Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco, Marin Cilic, Raonic, Roger Federer, Tennis News, US Open 2012