Nadal cruises into US Open third round

Spaniard wins in straight sets as Arthur Ashe stadium’s roof closes for first time

NEW YORK: Rafael Nadal glided into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as smoothly as the new roof over Arthur Ashe stadium slid shut for the first time during a match.

Two-time champion Nadal, seeded fourth, defeated Italy’s Andreas Seppi 6-0, 7-5, 6-1 to book a meeting with Russian Andrey Kuznetsov for a place in the round of 16.

“It’s great to be the first player to play with the roof closed, on the competition, because I was the first player to hit in the centre court with the roof closed,” said Nadal, who found “no big difference” on the court with the roof closed. “With the roof open there is no wind at all, so it’s not a big change. And the roof is so high you don’t feel that you are closed. I didn’t feel the change.”

As for his own game, Nadal was encouraged by his performance, although he said the 6-0 first-set score flattered him.

“The last forehand of the match was great,” said Nadal, who was sidelined after pulling out of the third round of the French Open with a left wrist injury until the Rio Olympics. “I hit some good forehands down the line again. That’s an important shot for me.”



Muguruza, Raonic crash

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza and Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic crashed out of the US Open.

Third seeded Spaniard Muguruza, who has struggled in the aftermath of her Roland Garros breakthrough in June, slumped to a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, the world number 48.

A horribly out of sorts Muguruza rallied from 1-5 down in the second set, saving three match points, but Sevastova, who briefly quit the sport in 2013, held her nerve for the victory.

Having not won a match at the US Open in five years before this week, 26-year-old Sevastova now goes on to face Kateryna Bondarenko, a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 winner in three hours over China’s Zheng Saisai.

“This is why I came back to the sport for the big stages like this and night sessions at the Slams. But I was shaking a little at the end,” she said.

Muguruza admitted she had been outplayed. “It was a very tough match. I think I didn’t play well. Everything she was doing was working,” said the 22-year-old who has never made the third round in New York.



Meanwhile, 120th-ranked Ryan Harrison of the United States stunned fifth seeded Raonic 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 in another second round upset.

“It was extremely physical out there. I was playing on adrenaline,” said 24-year-old qualifier Harrison, who was as high as 43 in the world in 2012.

He goes on to face experienced Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis for a place in the last 16.

Raonic, considered as a potential title dangerman in New York, hit 69 winners but committed 62 unforced errors.

“I started cramping midway through the second set. There was a lot of nerves and stress. It was a result of over-exuberance,” said 25-year-old Raonic.



Djokovic gets walkover at US Open

Novak Djokovic made the last 32 of a major for the 33rd successive time without hitting a ball at the US Open.

Djokovic was handed a walkover when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their second round encounter suffering an inflammation of the left forearm.

Vesely’s misfortune was a welcome boost for world number one Djokovic who had required treatment on his upper right arm in his laboured first round win over Jerzy Janowicz on Monday.

Left-hander Vesely had defeated the Serb at the Monte Carlo Masters in April.

Djokovic will face 34-year-old Russian Mikhail Youzhny, twice a semi-finalist, today for a place in the last-16.

“I’m very, very disappointed right now,” said 23-year-old Vesely. “I was looking forward to playing Novak, I would have nothing to lose.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.