Querrey Is First U.S. Male In U.S. Open Quarters Since 2011
NEW YORK (AP) - Sam Querrey was about as perfect as can be en route to becoming the first American man in the U.S. Open quarterfinals since 2011.
Not that Querrey feels any sort of burden when it comes to the carrying-the-flag aspect of his career-best run at Flushing Meadows.
"I never once thought about that this whole tournament or that match out there tonight," he said. "I don't feel any extra pressure."
Querrey never faced a break point and wound up with 55 winners and only eight unforced errors while easily beating 23rd-seeded Mischa Zverev of Germany 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday night.
"I thought I played really well. I kind of couldn't have done anything better out there," the 17th-seeded Querrey told the crowd in his on-court interview. "I kind of was in the zone."
Sure was.
He delivered 18 aces and needed only 77 minutes to finish off Zverev, a left-hander who had that shoulder treated by a trainer during the match.
"Felt good out there from the beginning," said Querrey, who had never played a night match in Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I felt like even when I was warming up, the ball was coming off clean. I felt like I was going to play well before the first point started."
Querrey, a 29-year-old from California, reached the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career at Wimbledon in July, knocking off 2016 champion Andy Murray in the process.
Querrey has now won 16 of his past 19 matches overall.
If he can beat 28th-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa next, Querrey would give the host country its first male semifinalist at Flushing Meadows since Andy Roddick was the runner-up in 2006.
As it is, Querrey is the first U.S. man to get to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open since Roddick and John Isner did it in 2011.
Roddick was the last American man to win any Grand Slam singles title, winning the championship in New York in 2003.
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