US Open: Nadal, Wozniacki Progress in Night Sessions
Number one ATP Rafael Nadal has made his first step through the US Open title by beating Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili in the American debut 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 to go further and meet Uzbeki Denis Istomin who also progressed defeating Argentine Maximo Gonzalez in three straight sets 7-5, 7-5, 6-1. Initially, Gabashvili seemed to be a very tough opponent in front of the world champion, the Russian stunning Andy Roddick this year at the Roland Garros. He also disturbed a bit the Spaniard, too last night the Russian pushing Nadal two times into the tie break, saving plenty of break points but always failing them in the end.
“Very tough match tonight,” Nadal admitted after the game. “My serve worked well and I hope to continue like this. It’s not my best shot, but I always work hard at improving it. If I am to have chances to win here one day, I need to serve well,” the Spanish player, who if wins this Grand Slam will become the youngest in history to complete all four of them, added. Nadal started his Grand Slam trophy gallery in 2005 when he first won the French Open, then Wimbledon in 2008 and the Australian Open last year. With the US Open remained Nadal is about to become part of the history, too. It was also Dane Caroline Wozniacki who easily passed American Chelsey Gullickson in the first day or night (session) 6-1, 6-1 to make the progress through her fifth title of this season. Wozniacki has collected this year the WTA tour in Ponte Vedra Beach, home in Copenhagen, in Montreal and New Haven, the last two of them taken in a row. She will meet now Kai Chen Chang from Taipei in the second round. Widely sustained and applauded by the American crowd, the Dane thanked firstly the spectators who followed the game that late in the night.
“Thank you for sticking around even though I know it’s been a long night,” Wozniacki said. Pitcher’s Bill Gullickson daughter took only two games from the Dane who didn’t miss the opportunity to praise American’s play. “She’s hitting the ball really hard. She has a really great game. I know it’s tough to be here for the first time … but I’m sure with experience, she’ll be back and play even stronger.” However the victory came because of the many unforced errors hit by Gullickson. Wozniacki hit only six winners, while the American eleven, but it was the same Gullickson who produced 30 unforced errors, unlike the Dane who failed just seven times in sending the ball in. “The matches before me were so long. Nobody expected that. But a win is a win. It doesn’t matter what time I get on. As long as I win, I’m happy,” Wozniacki ended.
The night session brought also the 2006 US Open winner Maria Sharapova, who despite a very poor start to lose the first set against 60th seeded Australian Jarmila Groth, this struggled to make the outcome and smash the opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. The Russian said she knew she could win the game once the second set began. “At the end of the day, even though I know I wasn’t playing my best tennis, I know I came out with a win. And sometimes it’s more important than anything, because you’re giving yourself a chance to go out on the practice court tomorrow,” number 14 said. “You’re giving yourself a chance to play another match and to get better, you know, maybe work on the things that today weren’t working that well for you. She came out firing; didn’t give me many opportunities. You just want to hang in there, get through it.” Sharapova will meet Czech Iveta Beneova in the second round.
Just like Sharapova, Jankovic, who was the runner up here at Flushing Meadows two years ago, needed three sets in order to make the progress into the next round. She hardly defeated youngster Simona Halep from Romania 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. “The conditions were tough. But I didn’t want to think about that. I just wanted to focus as much as I could on the match and play each point one point at a time,” Jankovic said.
