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Hewitt, Tomic set up all-Australian US Open clash, but Special Ks crash out
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Roar Guru
2nd September, 2015
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Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic are in a race to see who can claim Australia's next Grand Slam title. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Roar Guru
2nd September, 2015
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For the first, and possibly only time in their careers, Australian warhorse Lleyton Hewitt and his supposed successor as the nation’s next best hope, Bernard Tomic, will face off at the US Open after both players recorded contrasting victories at Flushing Meadows on Day 2.

Hewitt advanced when his Kazakh opponent Aleksandr Nedovyesov retired just a game into the third set, having already fallen behind two sets to love, while Tomic came from a set down to defeat Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur in four sets.

It means an Australian is guaranteed to reach the third round where Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet is likely to await.

Gasquet advanced after Thanasi Kokkinakis was forced to retire two games in the final set after succumbing to cramping, having led by two sets to love before losing the fourth set 6-3.

Kokkinakis’ retirement was one of a record nine in the first round, as several male players succumbed to not only the scorching heat of New York, but also injuries. Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis and two-time US Open quarter-finalist Gael Monfils were also among those who failed to complete their matches.

Controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios was sent packing after only one appearance, going down to British third seed Andy Murray in four sets in the feature night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Again his behaviour, which is being closely monitored by the ATP following his crude sledging remark towards Stan Wawrinka last month, was the main focus, but so too was his spectacular shot-making which entertained the crowd.

In the end, the Scot made it eleven from eleven in first round matches at Flushing Meadows, and four from four against Kyrgios, including three from three at the Grand Slams this year after earlier victories at the Australian and French Opens. He now goes on to face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino for a berth in the last 32.

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Five-time champion and second seed Roger Federer, recent French Open champion Stan Wawrinka and 2012 semi-finalist Tomas Berdych also progressed with little trouble between them.

However, 11th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon became the biggest casualty of the day, giving up a two-sets-to-love lead to go down to local player Donald Young in five sets.

The women’s draw lost yet another top ten seed when French Open finalist Lucie Safarova went down to Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, who she beat en route to the Connecticut Open final just last week, in straight sets.

Safarova joined seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, eighth seed Karolina Pliskova and tenth seed Carla Suarez Navarro in failing to advance past the first round. That all comes on top of third seed and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova withdrawing on the eve of the tournament due to an ongoing leg injury.

There were no such problems for second seed Simona Halep, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or two-time US Open runner-up Victoria Azarenka, though, neither was there for fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki, 2011 champion Samantha Stosur or recent Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza.

Halep advanced when her Kiwi opponent Marina Erakovic retired midway through the second set, having already lost the first set 6-2, while Kvitova was barely troubled in a 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of German qualifier Laura Siegemund.

Kvitova remains on track for a quarter-final showdown against Wozniacki, who thrashed American wildcard Jamie Loeb 6-2, 6-0, while 20th-seeded Azarenka defeated Lucie Hradecka at a Grand Slam for the second time this year with a straightforward 6-1, 6-2 victory.

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Stosur, who arrived in New York on the back of a three straight losses, avenged her recent Cincinnati defeat to Hungarian Timea Babos with a 6-3, 6-4 victory, while Muguruza defeated young German Carina Witthoft also in straight sets.

The Australian, who inflicted the most recent defeat on Serena Williams in New York in the decider four years ago, is the sole Aussie representative in the second round of the women’s draw, with Jarmila Gajdosova and Ajla Tomljanovic dropping their first round matches to a pair of Italians, Flavia Pennetta and Karin Knapp, respectively.

With the first round officially done and dusted, focus now turns to the second round of matches. World number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, and men’s defending champion Marin Cilic, are all in action on Day 3.

All three doubles categories (men’s, women’s and mixed) will also get underway on Thursday morning (AEST), with Casey Dellacqua, who was knocked out in the first round of singles, once again pairing with Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova.

The pair will face the Australian/Belgian pairing of Daria Gavrilova and Alison van Uytvanck, who both lost their first round matches in singles, in their first match.

Matches to watch on Day 3
Marin Cilic (9) versus Evgeny Donskoy
Serena Williams (1) versus Kiki Bertens
Irina Falconi versus Venus Williams (23)
Novak Djokovic versus Andreas Haider-Maurer
Diego Schwartzman versus Rafael Nadal (8)
Milos Raonic (10) versus Fernando Verdasco
Eugenie Bouchard (25) versus Polona Hercog
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (19) versus Marcel Granollers
Belinda Bencic (12) versus Misaki Doi
Sam Groth versus Tommy Robredo (26)
Daria Gavrilova/Alison van Uytvanck versus Casey Dellacqua/Yaroslava Shvedova (4)

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