SBNation.com - 2010 U.S. Open Day 2: Favorites Roll Despite Tough Early Testshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2010-09-01T01:18:54-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14243912010-09-01T01:18:54-04:002010-09-01T01:18:54-04:002010 U.S. Open Day 2 Recap: Rafael Nadal Survives, Novak Djokovic Roars, Caroline Wozniacki Rocks
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<p><i>Highlights from a long, <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://twitter.com/cbfowler/statuses/22648177329">hot</a>, at times interminable second day of first-round <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open</a> tennis:</i></p>
<p><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/9/1/1662299/2010-us-open-caroline-wozniacki-first-round-result-score">(1) Caroline Wozniacki def. Chelsey Gullickson, 6-1, 6-1.</a></b><br>Really, this isn't bad at all for a first-time qualifier facing a No. 1 seed. Gullickson's got a great backhand that will only grow fiercer with added control. As for Wozniacki? She played with a lethal efficiency that may have been born of wanting to get to bed already (this match didn't even begin until almost midnight), but her hiccup-free performance belied the late hour.</p>
<p><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/9/1/1662217/2010-us-open-rafael-nadal-first-round-result">(1) Rafael Nadal def. Teymuraz Gabashvili, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.</a></b><br>He's not about to drop a set, nooooo, but Nadal knows we do not like him and kept America up late out of spite. And he was dressed horribly, but you probably could have guessed that.</p>
<p><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661565/2010-us-open-novak-djokovic-first-round-results-score">(3) Novak Djokovic def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.</a></b><br>Precious Serbian blossom Djokovic drooped in the sun for a time, but recovered nicely to brush off a mere qualifier.<br><br><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661269/2010-us-open-first-round-result-Mardy-Fish-beats-Jan-Hajek">(19) Mardy Fish def. Jan Hajek, 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.</a></b><br>The newly be-svelted Fish drifted into choppy waters there for a bit, but put away Hajek with 24 aces and a definitive final two sets.<br><br><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661668/2010-us-open-james-blake-first-round-results-score">James Blake def. Kristof Vliegen, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.</a></b><br>To the astonishment of almost everyone watching, Blake had the handiest win of the day. All credit to his trusty headband!<br><br><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661785/2010-us-open-maria-sharapova-first-round-results-score"> (14) Maria Sharapova def. Jarmila Groth, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.</a></b><br>In another surprisingly easy match, first-set stumbles aside, Sharapova beat some scrub qualifier who didn't deserve to win because her very name makes it clear she is not as pretty as Maria.<b><br><br>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661994/2010-us-open-david-nalbandian-first-round-result-score">(31) David Nalbandian def. Rik De Voest, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.</a></b><br>Today's was the kind of weather no one wants to be out in for very long; unfortunately, the heat is acting as a weird sort of equalizer in the daytime matches. This one danced dangerously close to the four-hour mark.<br><br><b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660917/2010-us-open-second-round-result-Jelena-Jankovic-beats-Simona-Halep">(4) Jelena Jankovic def. Simona Halep, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.</a></b><br> Late in this extended, sloppy match, ESPN's Cliff Drysdale said these two combatants looked like "punch-drunk boxers," and it's hard to argue. <br> <br> <b>• <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661922/2010-us-open-fernando-verdasc--fabio-fognini-first-round-result-wimbledon">(8) Fernando Verdasco def. Fabio Fognini, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.</a></b><br>Verdasco got one back from the fellow who knocked him out of Wimbledon in June, but not without a bizarro first-set faceplant.<br><br><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's Daily Forehand</a>. </i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/9/1/1662292/2010-us-open-recap-rafael-nadal-caroline-wozniacki-day-2-secondHolly Anderson2010-09-01T01:03:16-04:002010-09-01T01:03:16-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: Caroline Wozniacki Makes Short Work Of Midnight Match
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<p>With the start of their match pushed back near midnight in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">Flushing Meadows</a>, one might have expected top seed Caroline Wozniacki and Chelsey Gullickson to drag their feet. Not to worry; Wozniacki dispatched the American qualifier and reigning NCAA champ lickety-split, 6-1, 6-1. Both ladies also scored high marks for evening wear (haha, get it?!), with Gullickson in ruffled blue and white and Wozniacki in shirred gray and yellow.</p>
<p>After a day of waiting and a mere hour of play, Wozniacki advances to meet Taiwan's Kai-Chen Chang in the second round.</p>
<p><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's Daily Forehand</a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/9/1/1662299/2010-us-open-caroline-wozniacki-first-round-result-scoreHolly Anderson2010-09-01T00:06:36-04:002010-09-01T00:06:36-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: Rafael Nadal Wins, Excruciatingly
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<p>In a match destined to annoy from the outset thanks to a late start time, top-seeded Rafael Nadal let Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili hang around entirely too long, entirely to spite patient <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open</a> viewing audiences eager to move on to Wozniacki-Gullickson. The two first sets went to tiebreaks before Nadal deigned to win the third outright, for a final score of 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. The next scrub to cross his path will be Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.</p>
<p><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's Daily Forehand</a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/9/1/1662217/2010-us-open-rafael-nadal-first-round-resultHolly Anderson2010-08-31T22:04:45-04:002010-08-31T22:04:45-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: David Nalbandian Wins Marathon Match
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<p>There was some real drama brewing near the bottom of the Nadal draw in tonight's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open play</a>, where Argentina's David Nalbandian took his sweet time knocking off South African qualifier Rik De Voest, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4. Nalbandian's precise net play finally put the match to rest just short of the four-hour mark. The 31-seed will play France's Florent Serra in the second round.</p>
<p><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's Daily Forehand</a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661994/2010-us-open-david-nalbandian-first-round-result-scoreHolly Anderson2010-08-31T21:26:21-04:002010-08-31T21:26:21-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: Fernando Verdasco Exacts Some Wimbledon Revenge
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<p>Nobody with a lick of sense wants to play five sets of tennis today, not with on-court temperatures at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open</a> cracking 100 degrees. No. 8 Fernando Verdasco was bent on vengeance, however, and survived a miserable start to defeat Fabio Fognini, who knocked him out of Wimbledon in the first round earlier this summer, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.</p>
<p>Next up in the Most Dramatic Names Draw, Verdasco faces Adrian Mannarino of France.</p>
<p><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's Daily Forehand</a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661922/2010-us-open-fernando-verdasc--fabio-fognini-first-round-result-wimbledonHolly Anderson2010-08-31T20:11:38-04:002010-08-31T20:11:38-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: Maria Sharapova Rebounds For Victory
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<p>No. 14 Maria Sharapova overcame a troublesome first-set loss to beat Jarmila Groth, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in first-round <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open</a> play. Sharapova rebounded from her early struggles to play largely error-free tennis in the third set, and advances to take on the Czech Republic's Iveta Benesova.</p>
<p>She also takes home the day's best-dressed award for a fetching dark mint number with matching cardigan.</p>
<p><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's The Daily Forehand</a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661785/2010-us-open-maria-sharapova-first-round-results-scoreHolly Anderson2010-08-31T19:07:49-04:002010-08-31T19:07:49-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: James Blake Hustles Past Kristof Vliegen
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<p>It's been a rough year for James Blake, with frequent early-round losses and a knee injury that kept him out of the French Open and hampered him at Wimbledon. He's experiencing a very late bounce back, however, first advancing to the quarterfinals in the Farmers Classic, and today blowing through his first-round <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open</a> opponent, Belgium's Kristof Vliegen, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Blake and his headband advance to face Peter Polansky of Canada. <br><i><br>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's The Daily Forehand</a>.</i><br></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661668/2010-us-open-james-blake-first-round-results-scoreHolly Anderson2010-08-31T18:23:47-04:002010-08-31T18:23:47-04:002010 U.S. Open First Round Result: Novak Djokovic Conquers Heat And Viktor Troicki
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<p>Fellow Serb Viktor Troicki took third-seeded Novak Djokovic to a full five sets in second-day action at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1660350/2010-us-open-schedule-day-2-where-to-watch">U.S. Open</a>, winning the second two rather handily before succumbing. <br><br>Temperatures in New York continued to adversely affect match conditions. Wilting rapidly under hellishly hot court conditions, Djokovic fell behind two sets to one (the second two weren't even all that close), before seeming to realize that the mercury wasn't going to drop in time to do him any good, and visibly bucking up to triumph, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.</p>
<p><i>For more U.S. Open coverage, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyforehand.com/">SB Nation's The Daily Forehand</a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661565/2010-us-open-novak-djokovic-first-round-results-scoreHolly Anderson