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2009-07-24 17:50:21
I'm not yet on "The Greatest Road Trip in Sports" (I will be starting in two weeks in Washington, D.C.), but that doesn't mean I don't have any opinions on what has taken place so far during the 2009 U.S. Open Series.
With or without tennis' big-name players, the action has been fast and furious in Indianapolis. Let's take a look at what has transpired, because--well--a lot of people are probably tuning out since the Federer Twins are stealing all of the tennis headlines!
Round 1
(3) Sam Querrey d. Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-4
Routine. Definitely did not want my pick to win the tournament to go out in the first round, and he never came close to doing that. This one probably could have been even worse, but Querrey knew one break would be enough to win each set. No reason why Sam should not win this title. Apparently the Samurais are out in force this week, too! Twitter recommendation: @SamQuerrey.
(7) Marc Gicquel d. Ernests Gulbis 6-2, 6-3
Gulbis somehow managed to outdo my lofty expectations. I thought an epic performance (epic in a bad way, of course) would earn him at least six or seven games. But FIVE!?!? Against Gicquel!?!?!? Wow. That takes some talent. In all seriousness, I have no idea why Gulbis is still playing ATP level events. He needs to go back to the Challenger tour and stop taking up spots that could be used by players who can actually win matches at this level.
John Isner d. Josselin Ouanna 6-1, 7-6(6)
With all do respect to Isner, you have to be pretty terrible to lose a set to him 6-1. Two breaks of serve???? Good result overall from Isner, though, and at least Ouanna made it competitive in the second. Real good draw for Isner the rest of the way as well. Solid chance to make a huge start in his comeback from mono.
Wayne Odesnik d. Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-4
Probably the best match of the first round; especially judging from the Tweeters who were at the match. All in all a nice day for the Americans, with Odesnik, Querrey, and Isner advancing. Plus they are the ones who have a chance to make a deep run at this tournament; Reynolds and Kim were never going to do too much.
Eduardo Schwank d. (6) Yen-Hsun Lu 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
I have absolutely no idea how Schwank just won a hard-court ATP level match. The guy has not been able to win any matches at all this season, not even on clay. In fact Schwank is considered by many to be the second worst play on tour this year behind Gulbis. And to think this Lu character was the one who beat Andy Murray in the first round of the Olympics!
(Q) Alex Bogomolov d. Flavio Cipolla 6-2, 6-3
Cipolla should be banned from all tennis tournaments that are not on clay courts. How he reached the third round of the U.S. Open is one of the great mysteries of tennis. And when you win five games against Bogomolov in two full sets, you know it's time to start reevaluating your career choice.
(2) Dudi Sela d. Vince Spadea 7-5, 6-1
Speaking of reevaluating your career choice.... Well, Spadea made the right one in becoming a pro tennis player, but his time is up. Vinny Ice is 35, and Vinny Ice is no Agassi. It's time. Not to take anything away from Sela, though, as the little guy has been in OUTSTANDING form this season.
(Q) Jesse Levine d. Danai Udomchoke 6-1, 7-6(10)
Another nice win for a streaking Levine. Given the way he has been playing, he was expected to win this one, and he did. Business as usual. Nothing more needs to be said except you should follow Levine on Twitter: @JesseLevine7.
Marcos Daniel d. (WC) Taylor Dent 6-2, 6-4
Does Dent get a free pass for this since it is his first year coming back from injury-induced retirement? Normally I would say yes, but 1) Dent has already had some outstanding results, and 2) this was on a hard court against a 31-year-old Brazilian clay-courter. Dent just cannot be excused for this one. Awful loss. Awful.
Round 2
Dmitry Tursunov d. Marcos Daniel 6-3, 6-3
Tursunov did what Dent couldn't and dispatched Daniel in the Brazilian's second match of the day. Daniel's first-round match against Dent had been pushed back due to rain so he had to do double duty on Thursday and it didn't work out for the veteran. Good stuff from Tursunov, the No. 1 seed this week in Indianapolis. His draw (Michael Berrer and Daniel) has been shockingly easy, but he is Tursunov, so you can never take two wins for granted with him!
Frank Dancevic d. (5) Benjamin Becker 6-2, 7-6(5)
Becker is known as the man who beat Andre Agassi in Agassi's last match ever, Dancevic is known as...the only decent Canadian player ever. Not sure who the Indianapolis fans would have wanted in this one; or if they cared at all. Well, the result sets up probably a better matchup (against Tursunov). Dancevic vs. Tursunov will be a rematch of this season's Eastbourne title match and their fourth career meeting overall, so they have a history.
(7) Marc Gicquel d. (Q) Jesse Levine 6-2, 6-2
Not sure how Levine didn't make this one more competitive, as he has been in fine form this season and Gicquel has been just barely better than atrocious. Well, Gicquel has been far from atrocious this week in Indianapolis. He has not come close to losing a set through two matches, blowing out Ernests Gulbis before this routine win over Levine. Sam Querrey won't be so easy....
(3) Sam Querrey d. (WC) Rajeev Ram 7-5, 6-3
Querrey did not have too much trouble, although this rematch of the Newport final (from earlier this month) was extremely competitive until Ram served at 5-6 in the first set. Ram got broken to lose the set and never really got over a minor calf injury that had been bothering him since late in the first. Either way a good win for Querrey and it has to be sweet revenge for his Newport loss. Querrey, in my opinion, is the favorite to win the Indianapolis title.
(Q) Alex Bogomolov, Jr. d. (2) Dudi Sela 6-4, 7-6(5)
This one came out of nowhere. Sela has been in awesome form this season and Bogomolov has been...well, I have no idea where Bogomolov has been. This is definitely one of the American's best wins over his career. From qualifying to main draw quarterfinals? Not a bad little week Bogo is putting together.
Wayne Odesnik d. (4) Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Not sure how Kunitsyn went from hero to zero so fast; especially since he is normally rock-solid. He must have really been abysmal in sets two and three because while Odesnik is a nice player, all he really does is keep balls in play. And that's what I THOUGHT Kunitsyn did. Apparently not!
Robby Ginepri d. Eduardo Schwank 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-0
Ginepri somehow managed to lose the first set but then fortunately remembered he was playing against Eduardo Schwank. The same Eduardo Schwank that brought a 3-13 match record at the ATP level in 2009 into this match. Once Ginepri remembered that, this one was all over. Ginepri won more GAMES in the final two sets than Schwank won POINTS in the third set. Overall a solid win for Ginepri, although I am still trying to reconcile the fact that Ginepri lost a whole SET of tennis to Schwank...on a HARD COURT.
John Isner d. (8) Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-4
Thanks a lot, ATP website, for collapsing during this match. The live score thing froze at 2-2 in the second set and now it indicates that this match never happened. Apparently it did happen, but I have no idea WHAT happened (other than the outcome and score). Considering it was an Isner match, I can probably make some extremely accurate predictions on the stats: Isner - 40 aces, 100% first-serve points won, 0% second-serve points won, 10 of 10 service games held, 0 break points faced.
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