Ex-champs win easy at U.S. Open
Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick hoped to keep up that run by former champions in the featured night matches.
A day after Roger Federer, Justine Henin and the Williams sisters breezed, the favorites followed with straight-set victories.
Hewitt won all 16 points on serve in the final set and beat Amer Delic 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. The 16th-ranked Australian hit winners from all over and, changing the speed of his serves, never faced a break point.
‘I tried to mix myself up to use it smartly, work the angles, not let him get into a rhythm out there where he feels like he can just go for it, lash out on a few,’ Hewitt said. ‘I felt like I was playing on my terms.’
Kuznetsova also coasted, defeating Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3. The fourth-ranked Russian covered the court exceptionally well, especially in the final game when she did a full split going to her right and again to her left.
Despite losing both points, she quickly closed out the match. She showed a slight hobble walking off the court, but seemed fine a few minutes later.
Kuznetsova said she tried ‘to get to every ball back because she was missing a lot.’
‘So I had to slide for the balls. I have to really be careful about my feet,’ she said.
Hingis, back at Flushing Meadows a full 10 years after she won this tournament, beat Mathilde Johansson 6-0, 6-3. The 16th-ranked Swiss player had just eight unforced errors to 23 by her opponent.
Now 26, Hingis has enjoyed New York ever since her breakthrough victory as a teenager.
‘Sometimes it feels like yesterday, sometimes like a lifetime,’ she said. ‘It’s kind of funny. They put up this poster, me holding a trophy. I’m like, OK, I look really young. Short haircut, all that.’
Only two seeded players lost in early session. In a match that lasted more than four hours, No. 32 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia lost to Arnaud Clement of France 7-6 (5), 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (6), 6-4.
On the women’s side, No. 23 Tathiana Garbin of Italy fell to Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-3.