U.S. OPEN TENNIS 2016 THE CLOSED ROOF – ALLOWS ANDY MURRAY TO AVOID THE RAIN AND REACH THIRD ROUND IN FLUSHING MEADOWS

Written by: Staff on 1st September 2016

U.S. OPEN TENNIS 2016 THE CLOSED ROOF - ALLOWS ANDY MURRAY TO AVOID THE RAIN AND REACH THIRD ROUND IN FLUSHING MEADOWS

epa05518881 Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a return to Marcel Granollers of Spain on the fourth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 01 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

By Ricky Dimon

The Arthur Ashe Stadium roof was closed for a second consecutive men’s singles match, as Andy Murray took care of Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in round two of the U.S. Open on Thursday afternoon. After Rafael Nadal beat Andreas Seppi in the first-ever showdown under the closed roof on Wednesday night, Murray needed two hours and 22 minutes to join the fifth-ranked Spaniard in the last 32.

Ultimately seeking his second title in Flushing Meadows, world No. 2 had no trouble improving to 7-1 lifetime against Granollers (with the Spaniard’s lone victory having come via retirement). As such, the big news–once again–was the roof.

“You can’t here anything, really,” Murray explained. “I mean, you could hear the line calls, but not so much when [Granollers] was hitting the ball or even when you’re hitting the ball, which is tough purely because we’re not used to it. That’s what makes it challenging. We use our ears when we play; it’s not just the eyes. It helps us pick up the speed of the ball, the spin that’s on the ball, how hard someone’s hitting it.

“You know, if we played with our ears covered or with headphones on, it would be a big advantage if your opponent wasn’t wearing them. It’s tricky; you can still do it, but it’s harder for sure.”

The rest of the courts, meanwhile, were delayed by several hours of rain. What developed into yet another five-setter was halted with Janko Tipsarevic leading Pablo Carreno Busta by two sets while trailing 5-1 in the third. Upon resumption, Carreno Busta maintained control through the third, fourth, and into the fifth with a break in hand. Tipsarevic broke back and soon had a look at 15-40 with his opponent serving at 3-4.

But it was all downhill for the Serb the rest of the way. After missing that chance for a crucial break, Tipsarevic dropped serve easily at 4-4 and Carreno Busta promptly held serve at 15 in the 10th game to wrap up a 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 comeback victory.

Dominic Thiem of Austria hits a return tio Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania on the fourth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 01 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

Next up for the Spaniard is Dominic Thiem, who finally channeled the version of himself that had been on display throughout the first half of 2016. Erasing the demons of his recent fatigue-induced slump, the eighth-seeded Austrian crushed Ricardas Berankis 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 55 minutes.

Thiem finished with 34 winners to 20 errors and broke Berankis six times while donating his own serve just once.

Other winners on Thursday afternoon were Kei Nishikori and Nicolas Mahut, who will face each other in the third round on Saturday. Nishikori fought past Karen Khachanov in four sets, while Mahut made quick straight-set work of fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.