Serena Williams had to go up several gears, in order to get past Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens in straight sets. The 33 year old seeking an unprecedented 22nd Major Singles title and a landmark Calendar Grand Slam, was clearly out of sorts during the first set. However after coming through a tight tie-breaker, it was a lot easier for the legendary American Diva in the 2nd set. Big sister Venus though had things a lot tougher, coming through back to back 3 setters to reach the 3rd round. The former two-time champ let 2 match-points go by in the 2nd set against compatriot Irina Falconi, before easing to victory in the decider. Meanwhile in the men’s draw, another former 2-time winner Rafael Nadal, advanced in straight sets after overcoming Diego Schwartzman. Finally Mardy Fish brought the curtain down on his long career, after losing an emotional 5 setter to Feliciano Lopez.
US Open 2015: WS Day 3, 2nd rd
Serena bt Bertens: 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Venus bt Falconi: 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2
Serena Williams officially started her quest for the Calendar Grand Slam, after receiving a thorough workout from Kiki Bertens.
The World No1 only played for 30 mins in her 1st rd match on Monday, with opponent Vitalia Diatchenko retiring, having not won a single game.
But Dutchwoman Bertens gave Serena a good test, in preparation of heavy, tougher tasks to come.
Amazingly at the Grand Slam’s this year, Serena has started off many matches as slow and found herself down a set and a break. But time after time, the Queen of tennis found a way to come back.
Serena certainly had to do that, after Bertens surprisingly broke her first to lead 3-1. That lead stretched to 4-2, then 5-3. Soon however, Serena clawed her way back to 5-5 and then forced a breaker.
Again Bertens was quick out of the blocks, racing into a 4-0 lead. But as they say in tennis, never, ever count out Serena Williams and Bertens found this out to her detriment.
Serena in the end reeled of 7 of the next 8 points to just edge Kiki by 7-5. Eventually a relived Serena rolled that momentum into the 2nd set, where she eased to victory by 6-3.
It may have been a relatively easy, but arduous straight setter for lil sis, it was anything but for big sis and fellow US Open champ: Venus Williams.
After needing 3 sets to see of future star Monica Puig in the opening round, Venus came up against compatriot and local New Yorker: Irina Falconi.
Unlike the first set against Puig, Venus this time stormed out to a 4-1 lead and had points for 5-1 too.
Falconi though hung in there to peg back Venus lead to 4-3, but the 35 year old veteran rounded off the next two games and seal it 6-3.
The 2nd set was more or less the same as the one against Puig. Juts like Puig’s, Venus served for the match, but Falconi broke back and forced Venus into a tie-break.
Again like Puig, Falconi stole the breaker by 7 pints to 2, bringing up an unlikely Final set.
However Venus got her mojo back just in time, to cruise past Falconi 6-2 and set up an intriguing 3rd rd clash with Serena’s Toronto conqueror, Belinda Bencic.
2nd rd results:
Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat Jessica Pegula (U.S.) 5-7 7-5 6-3
Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 7-5 6-1
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) beat CoCo Vandeweghe (U.S.) 6-2 6-1
15-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Magda Linette (Poland) 6-3 6-2
Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Denisa Allertova (Czech Republic) 2-6 6-3 6-1
Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) beat 31-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 7-5 6-4
Darya Kasatkina (Russia) beat Ana Konjuh (Croatia) 6-4 6-4
19-Madison Keys (U.S.) beat Tereza Smitkova (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-2
Madison Brengle (U.S.) beat Anna Tatishvili (U.S.) 6-3 6-2
13-Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-1 6-2
12-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) beat Misaki Doi (Japan) 5-7 7-6(3) 6-3
17-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) beat Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 6-3 6-4
Mariana Duque (Colombia) beat Oceane Dodin (France) 6-1 5-7 6-2
25-Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3
MS Day 3, 2nd rd
Nadal bt Schwartzman (ARG): 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 7-5
8th seed Rafael Nadal gave a solid, business-like performance in beating Diego Schwartzman in straight sets.
The Mighty Matador had to unfortunately miss last years tournament (where he was defending champion), with a wrist injury.
A year later and Nadal returns to add a 3rd crown in New York, but his season has been blighted by inconsistencies, shock defeats and becoming nervous and anxious during matches.
Come the 2nd rd though, the Spaniard gave a much improved showing than his 1st rd, 4 set victory over Borna Coric.
Nadal started off the match in rapid style, storming out to a 5-2 lead. However his inability to close out sets and matches when cruising came back to haunt him.
Schwartzman began playing really well and soon clawed his back into the match, to eventually take Nadal into a tie-break.
There Rafa eased through it 7-1, before grabbing the 2nd set 6-3 for a 2 sets go love lead.
Diego then broke early in the 4th set to jump out to a 4-2 lead, but Nadal stopped him in his tracks soon enough, to come back and wrap it up 7-5.
2nd rd results:
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Andreas Haider-Maurer (Austria) 6-4 6-1 6-2
Benoit Paire (France) beat Marsel Ilhan (Turkey) 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3
10-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-2 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(1)
9-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 6-2 6-3 7-5
32-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 6-3 6-4 6-4
14-David Goffin (Belgium) beat Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 5-7 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-1
23-Roberto Bautista (Spain) beat Pablo Carreno (Spain) 4-6 6-4 6-0 2-6 6-4
18-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Mardy Fish (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 1-6 7-5 6-3
7-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Filip Krajinovic (Serbia) 7-5 7-5 7-6(4)
27-Jeremy Chardy (France) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 7-5 6-4 7-6(1)
25-Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 3-6 6-3 7-6(3) 6-1
19-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-3 6-4 6-3
Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) beat Illya Marchenko (Ukraine) 6-4 7-6(2) 4-6 6-4
26-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Samuel Groth (Australia) 6-4 7-6(3) 6-4
Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) beat 17-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-3 7-6(2) 2-6 4-6 6-4
All Things Tennis- from Hamza Shakeel 