US Open: Murray escapes as heat victims hit new record

2012 champion overturns two-set deficit to progress, men’s retirements reach 12

NEW YORK: Andy Murray escaped his earliest US Open exit in 10 years as the searing heat at Flushing Meadows took the number of men’s singles retirements to a Grand Slam record 12.

Third seed and 2012 champion Murray came back from two sets down to defeat tiring Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Murray goes on to face Brazilian 30th seed Thomaz Bellucci for a place in the last 16.

“It was extremely tough,” said 28-year-old Murray after his eighth career comeback from two sets to love down. “He hits the ball really flat, has fantastic timing on both sides and it was hard to read the ball in the first two sets.”

Murray, who had needed four sets to beat Nick Kyrgios in the opening round, fired 21 aces — the last of which was on match point — while Mannarino was undone by 61 unforced errors.

Meanwhile, America’s Jack Sock and Denis Istomin retired from their matches as they wilted in the 33-degree Celsius heat.

Federer cruises, Hewitt says farewell

Five-time champion Roger Federer strolled into the US Open third round as fellow old-timer Lleyton Hewitt bid farewell in trademark fighting style.

World number two Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam champion, needed just 80 minutes to rout Belgium’s Steve Darcis 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.

The 34-year-old Swiss star, who was champion from 2004-2008 and runner-up in 2009, goes on to face German 29th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.

“I’ve always enjoyed conditions here, the balls, the speed of the court, the atmosphere in the arena,” said Federer. “It’s always worked very well for me.”

Darcis later tweeted that playing Federer was like facing “a Martian”.

Former world number one Hewitt, the champion in 2001, made a dramatic farewell battling from two sets down and having two match points before losing to fellow Australian Bernard Tomic on a rocking Grandstand court.

In his final match in New York, the 34-year-old fell 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 after three hours and 27 minutes after his 57th career five-set match.

Hewitt will retire after January’s Australian Open.

Crashed drone sparks security scare

There was also a late security scare when a drone crashed into the corner of Louis Armstrong Stadium.

New York police were investigating a drone which crashed on Armstrong, causing Flavia Pennetta’s victory over Monica Niculescu to be held-up.

“I feared the drone was a bomb,” Pennetta told www.tennisworlditalia.com.

Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki, the 2009 and 2014 runner-up, was knocked out by Czech world number 149 Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/1). 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2015.

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