Fifth-Seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Upset; American Mardy Fish Rallies To Win In Five
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — This US Open finally got its first shocker.
After three days of the top players winning decisively, fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was upset by Martin Klizan of Slovakia in the second round. The 52nd-ranked Klizan won 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 on Thursday.
Before Tsonga's loss, top-five seeds on the men's and women's sides had played 14 matches —- and won all 14 in straight sets.
Tsonga was the runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon this year. He had reached at least the third round in 18 straight Grand Slam trips.
"Today I was not in good shape," he said. "I didn't play good tennis. It seemed like I couldn't hit the ball hard enough to put my opponent out of position. I don't really know why it was like this today, but sometimes it happens with me."
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The 23-year-old Klizan, meanwhile, had failed to make it past the second round in three previous Grand Slam appearances. He had never defeated an opponent ranked better than No. 49.
"I had no pressure," Klizan said. "If I lose, then I lose. I lose with (a) good player. But I won and I'm very happy. It means more for me that I beat finally a guy from the top 10."
This year's Open has generated plenty of drama in one area: comebacks from two sets down. American Mardy Fish rallied to beat Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, the 10th time in this tournament that a man has won after losing the first two sets -- already an Open record.
The 30-year-old Fish, seeded 23rd, missed two months this season because of an accelerated heartbeat, but showed few signs of fatigue in playing nearly 3 1/2 hours.
And after Tsonga lost, another top-five seed was at least pushed beyond a straight-sets finish. Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was down a set and a break to 39th-ranked Carla Suarez Navarro. Then she won 11 straight games for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory.
Jack Sock also reached the third round at a major tournament for the first time. The 19-year-old from Nebraska beat Flavio Cipolla 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
Sock, ranked 248th, got in with a wild card. He saved 12 of the 13 break points he faced, while converting all six he earned on the 88th-ranked Cipolla's serve.
Next up is a meeting with No. 11 Nicolas Almagro of Spain, a 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 winner over Philipp Petzschner.
A week before the start of the Open, Ana Ivanovic couldn't walk without pain in her right foot.
"That's when I started to panic a little bit," she said.
Two matches into the tournament, the 2008 French Open champion is feeling healthy and relaxed. The 12th-seeded Ivanovic and another former top-ranked player, Jelena Jankovic, have quietly reached the third round at Flushing Meadows. Each has dropped just nine games through a pair of straight-set wins.
Ivanovic beat 51st-ranked Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday. Jankovic, seeded 30th, defeated 115th-ranked Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino of Spain 6-4, 6-2.
Asked if the torn tendon is fully healed, Ivanovic laughed and said, "I still have a handful of pills every morning."
But the foot hasn't been hurting since the tournament started, and Ivanovic's draw is looking fairly painless with Caroline Wozniacki and Francesca Schiavone eliminated in her quarter.
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Ivanovic has been trying to regain her health and her confidence for the last four years. She has yet to make it back to even a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam event.
"I'm really motivated," Ivanovic said. "I want to get back to the top and back in contention to win Grand Slams again. It's been a long process of getting my mind there, and my body and game and everything together. Still, it's going to be a lot of hard work and a long process, but I'm starting to enjoy it as well. I know if it doesn't happen this week, it's coming."
In other women's second-round action on Thursday, 13th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova and No. 14 Maria Kirilenko advanced in straight sets.
Kei Nishikori, seeded 17th on the men's side, eliminated American Tim Smyczek.
Finally a full day of shocking, unexpected finishes. Sound off with your thoughts and comments on all the action at Flushing Meadows below...
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