The Women’s tournament at the US Open literally came alive on Friday, with a range of stunning upsets which sent shockwaves through the draw. Firstly former two-time champion Venus Williams lost an absolute bizarre topsy-turvy match with Sara Errani in 3 sets. Venus lost the opening set 6-0, then bagelled her opponent 6-0 in the 2nd, before losing an agonising final set in a tight tie-breaker. Teen sensation Belinda Bencic continued her rise in the women’s game, with a brilliant straight sets win over plucky German Angelique Kerber. Finally to complete the huge upsets, the biggest one of them all saw World No.2 Simona Halep bow out in spectacular style to former Wimbledon SF Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Baroni who has been in the wilderness in the past 15 years, outplayed the consistent Grand Slam player in Halep, with her huge serve and flat groundies doing the damage. All was well though for Mr Federer who continued his smooth progress through the draw with another clean win.
US Open 2014: WS Day 5, 3rd rd
Errani bt Venus: 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7-5)
It was yet another heatrbreaking 3 set loss for Venus Williams this season. The American has lost countless matches this year that have gone the distance and where she has had a lead, to either win the match in 2 or 3.
But yet again her numerous unforced errors, especially at key times let her down.
There’s only one word to really describe the 3rd rd encounter between Venus and Errani: CRAZY
It was a match of 3 halves literally.
The first half saw Errani blitz Venus 6-0 in the opening set. Williams making careless error after another.
Then in the 2nd half, it was a flip reverse with Venus giving Sara a taste of her own medicine: a bagel set 6-0.
Then in the 3rd half, it just went all over the place.
Firstly the Italian got an early break to go up 2-1. But back and forth they both went, trading break after another until Venus broke the deadlock to go up 5-3.
Surely now the victory was in Venus’ hands as she served for the match.
You’d think wouldn’t you, but your wrong because the feisty Errani just would not go away. The 2012 French Open runner-up then broke Venus and held serve to level it at 5-5.
Venus got things back on track by holding, but Errani yet again extended the match by taking it into a sudden-death breaker.
There the diminutive Errani raced into a 5-2 lead, before Venus put in one last ditch effort with some scintillating winners.
Back at 5-5, Errani then held her nerve just about to win the next 2 points with a unbelievable rally which ended with a volley and then a forehand winner to seal the dramatic win.
It was a first ever win for Errani over the mighty Venus, in 3 previous meetings. To put things into context, Errani hadn’t even won more than 3 games in any set before today.
Bencic bt Kerber: 6-1, 7-5
17 years ago, Switzerland’s greatest ever female player Martina Hingis won her sole US Open title. Back then Belinda Bencic was just born.
Fast forward 17 years later, and Belinda Bencic looks to follow in Hingis footsteps and become the latest poster girl for Swiss Tennis.
What’s more is that, Hingis mother is actually coaching 17 year old Bencic.
The youthful and energetic Bencic got tings off brightly, racing to a 3-0 lead before easing to the first set 6-1.
But then experience of Angie Kerber looked like coming back, as the German found herself 5-2 up in the 2nd.
Even more so, Kerber had 3 set points to level the match at a set all, but she wasted all 3.
In the end, Bencic on a wave of confidence won 5 straight games to stun the 2011 SF and leave Berber wondering what if.
Bencic’s reward for her brilliant 3rd rd win, is a last 16 meeting with 2008 runner-up Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic annihilated Swede Johanna Larsson 6-0, 6-1.
Lucic-Baroni bt Halep: 7-6 (8-6), 6-2
They say you should never give up in life and it ain’t over till the fat lady sings and your six feet under ground.
Well that tenacity and determination certainly applies to 1999 Wimbledon SF, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
The former teen idol in the 90s, ahs largely been in the wilderness during the past 15 years, with injuries and personal problems off the court derailing much of her promising career.
Well she’s definitely back now and back with a bang.
Simona Halep however was not expecting a tough ride on Friday. Along with Eugenie Bouchard, Halep has been the most consistent player at the Majors this season. Her best result has seen her lose to Sharapova at the French open in June. Her amazing 12 months have seen her climb up to a career high ranking of World No.2
But she didn’t bank on a juggernaut from Croatia spoiling her quest for maiden GS Crown.
Nevertheless it was Halep who had a storming start, racing to a 5-2 first set. Halep couldn’t have got more chances to seal the opener, when she had 3 set points in the 8th game.
But Lucic-Baroni took big risks and they certainly paid off , with the Croat raced back into contention by eventually edging Halep 8-6 in the tie-break.
After the elation of that comeback first set win, it was literally all over for Simona Halep.
Lucic Baroni- riding on a wave of momentum, never let up and soon cruised to a 6-2 2nd set and with it recorded the biggest win of her life.
Her win over the No.2 Halep, was her first top 5 win since beating the then World No.5 Monica Seles at Wimbledon 1999. What’s more amazing is the fact that her run to SFs at SW19 15 years ago, was the only time before now that she’d reached the 2nd week of a Grand Slam.
3rd rd results:
5-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 26-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-2 6-4
10-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 6-3 6-2
14-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat 22-Alize Cornet (France) 6-3 6-7(3) 6-4
Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) beat 6-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-1 7-5
13-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 19-Venus Williams (US) 6-0 0-6 7-6(5)
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Croatia) beat 2-Simona Halep (Romania) 7-6(6) 6-2
Peng Shuai (China) beat 28-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-4 6-3
9-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-1 6-0
US Open 2014: MS Day 5, 3rd rd
Federer bt Groth: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Sublime, easy, cool, clean. The superlatives just seem to run out for the great Federer.
The favourite for the title, Federer was simply efficient as always as he cut down big-serving Sam Groth’s game, like a sharp butchers knife.
To put it mildly, Roger was in a class of his own.
A single break was all that he needed to take the opening set 6-4. the 2nd and 3rd sets were more or less the same as the first set, with Federer never really troubled in the slightest.
A single wave of his magic w and followed and Federer was soon celebrating after winning sets 2 and 3, 6-4.
Tomas Berdych
Czech Tomas Berdych avoided an early shock upset, after the 2012 SF overcame a dogged Martin Klizan in 5 sets.
Berdych took the opener 6-3, before the Slovakian levelled with a 6-4 2nd set.
The next two sets went the same way, with Berdych taking the 3rd 6-2 and Klizan the 4th 6-3.
But it was Tomas who had the last laugh, by taking the fifth and deciding set 6-3 and booking his place into the 3rd rd.
3rd rd results:
2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Sam Groth (Australia) 6-4 6-4 6-4
6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 6-3 4-6 6-2 3-6 6-3
17-Roberto Bautista (Spain) beat Tim Smyczek (US) 6-3 6-2 6-1
26-Gilles Simon (France) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-4 3-6 7-5(0) 6-1
12-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) 7-6(4) 6-3 6-3
David Goffin (Belgium) beat 32-Joao Sousa (Portugal) 6-4 6-2 6-0
4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) walkover
7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1 6-2 6-2
19-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Tatsuma Ito (Japan) 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-6(4)
14-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Illya Marchenko (Ukraine) 7-6(2) 6-2 6-4
18-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 6-7(6) 6-2 6-1 6-3
20-Gael Monfils (France) beat Alejandro Gonzalez (Colombia) 7-5 6-3 6-2
All Things Tennis- from Hamza Shakeel 