No. 3 Rafael Nadal pulled out a 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 U.S. Open second-round win over Nicolas Kiefer that was far more hard work than work of art. Seeded outside the top two in major for the first time since 2005, he looked uncomfortable at times and indecisive at others, but he did get stronger as the match went on in the third and fourth sets.
After withdrawing from Wimbledon with a knee injury, he returned to the tour three weeks ago and is finding his form. The unknown 32-year-old German — ranked 129th and without a full-time coach — pushed Nadal, serving to tie up the third set at 4-all. But Nadal broke him, pumping his fist and showing some fire. He picked up his game from there with 42 winners.
“I feel good. I started to play well, but he stared slow. [Then] he played better. When you win the first set easy and your opponent starts to play better, it’s not easy because you’re not in rhythm,” said Nadal, who faces Nicholas Almagro after his fellow Spaniard beat Robby Ginepri 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win. Nadal beat him in the French Open two years ago.
“He’s a very aggressive player, with a big serve. He won a very good match [yesterday]. I just want to play my best tennis. I want to work hard and try to play my best.”
This is the first time all of the Top 16 seeds have reached the third round in any major in the Open era.
*
Taylor Dent — who hadn’t played in the U.S. Open since 2006 because of severe back injuries — overcame Ivan Navarro 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (1), 7-5, 7-6 (9), grabbing the chair umpire’s microphone to thank the grandstand crowd, then taking a full victory lap to high five them personally.
But overcoming the Spaniard in a four-hour marathon must have been a breeze compared with overcoming a fractured vertebrae that nearly put him in a wheelchair. After two surgeries, he started his comeback at the beginning of the year. Last night was the latest and biggest step, with the crowd chanting USA! USA! after his win.
“It’s be far my favorite tournament of the year. You can’t believe this,” Dent said. “It’s just all gravy right now. I can’t ask for anything more than to come out [and] play [the] sport I love and to have the support like this.”
*
Call it Super Saturday a week early. With CBS joining the fray today, the day card at the U.S. Open is strong.
It starts with an intriguing showdown between Roger Federer and former U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt, who is seeded 31st. Maria Sharapova then faces the young American surprise, Melanie Oudin, who shocked No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva Thursday.
Oudin, the 17-year-old Marietta, Ga., native who sustained a quadriceps injury in her upset win, is the next-highest ranked American after the Williams sisters at No. 70 and has become a Flushing favorite.
“I would love to play Maria,” Oudin said.
They’ve never faced each other.
“I’ve got a tough round ahead of me, somebody I’ve never played before,” Sharapova said. “I’m sure she’s gonna swing and have nothing to lose.”
The session concludes with an All-American third-round match between Andy Roddick and 6-foot-9 John Isner in a battle of massive servers. ESPN is not doing the night card, leaving it to the Tennis Channel, which lobbied to get Federer. But Federer — and CBS wanted the match in the day.
Federer is 15-7 vs. the veteran Hewitt, who has lost 13 straight and hasn’t beaten him since 2003.
Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina rolled into the third round with a 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jurgen Melzer on Armstrong Stadium.
Though Del Potro has had a big summer, he can’t find his way on the main Ashe Court. Both of his matches have been on Armstrong. The 6-foot-6 Del Potro has a wonderful deep, hard serve and might be a Flushing force after making the Open quarterfinals last year. Del Porto had 13 aces and won 88 percent of his first-serve points.
“This is my favorite Grand Slam,” Del Potro said. “I love to play here. I have a good respect for this tournament. I want to be quiet with my matches, with my game and then we will see. I start to play better on hardcourt this season. I like the city, the crowd, the stadium not to big.”
*
No. 2 seed Andy Murray became the men’s first top 10 to drop a set in beating Paul Capdeville 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
*
Not all Americans are winning. Robby Ginepri fell to Nicholas Almagro in the second round, with the 32nd-seeded Spaniard pulling out a 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win.
The 26-year-old Ginepri was a sentimental story after having undergone appendix surgery in February.
He had been hospitalized for nine days, and was 30 pounds lighter by the time he returned to the court. He won just two matches in a half-dozen tourneys until a title victory in Indianapolis.
*
Top seeds continue to fall like autumn leaves. Francesca Schiavone knocked off eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on the grandstand, leaving the Belarus standout so frustrated she smashed her racket.