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Saturday September 5, 2009

Painful exit Moving on up No doubles trouble

SABINE Lisicki of Germany sprained her ankle and crumpled to the court in pain on the last point of her second-round loss on Thursday.

Qualifier Anastasia Rodionova of Australia, ranked 139th, upset the 23rd-seeded Lisicki 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

Lisicki rolled her left ankle as she slid after the ball and stayed down for several minutes while the ankle was heavily wrapped. The 19-year-old was rolled off the court in a wheelchair, wiping tears from her eyes, then was taken to the hospital.

The 27-year-old Rodionova matched her best showing at a Grand Slam — she also reached the third round at the US Open in 2006.

JESSE Witten is enjoying the luxuries of playing at the US Open, where the 276th-ranked qualifier has advanced to the third round with the first two ATP Tour-level victories of his career.

Having ball kids, for instance.

The 26-year-old American was playing on the Futures circuit this year, where the same balls are used all match and have swelled up by the end.

The winner may earn only about US$1,200 and competitors sometimes stay with host families – which beats the alternative of a dingy motel.

“The families really help you out,” Witten said on Thursday after beating Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-2. “They give you some food and make you feel like you’re at home every once in a while.”

Now he’s staying at the Waldorf-Astoria.

VENUS Williams’ sore left knee was still heavily taped during her first round doubles with sister Serena on Thursday. Just as during her singles victory a day earlier, Williams showed no ill effects in their 6-2, 6-2 win over Julia Goerges of Germany and Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain.

The knee began bothering her when she struggled through a first round win Monday. But that didn’t stop the sisters from taking the court for their doubles. Unlike other elite singles players, they are willing to risk the extra wear and tear of competing in doubles at a Grand Slam.

“I actually felt pretty good today,” Venus said. “I’m going to definitely be in both events.” — AP

Results

MEN

Second round: Tommy Haas (Ger) bt Robert Kendrick (US) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); Jesse Witten (US) bt Maximo Gonzalez (Arg) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-2; Fernando Verdasco (Spa) bt Florent Serra (Fra) 6-3, 6-0, 6-3; Sam Querrey (US) bt Kevin Kim (US) 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4; Robin Soderling (Swe) bt Marcel Granollers (Spa) rtd: Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Jan Hernych (Cze) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2; Tommy Robredo (Spa) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spa) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Marco Chiudinelli (Swi) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3;

Radek Stepanek (Cze) bt Leonardo Mayer (Arg) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4; James Blake (US) bt Olivier Rochus (Bel) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3; John Isner (US) bt Marsel Ilhan (Tur) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1); Novak Djokovic (Srb) bt Carsten Ball (Aus) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) bt Somdev Devvarman (Ind) 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2; Andy Roddick (US) bt Marc Giquel (Fra) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Third round: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

WOMEN

Second round: Sorana Cirstea (Rom) bt Stephanie Dubois (Can) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4; Melanie Oudin (US) bt Elena Dementieva (Rus) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukr) bt Shenay Perry (US) 6-1, 6-1; Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt Petra Martic (Cro) 6-1, 6-0; Zheng Jie (Chn) bt Alize Cornet (Fra) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Petra Kvitova (Cze) bt Tathiana Garbin (Ita) 6-1, 6-3; Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) bt Peng Shuai (Chn) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4; Sara Errani (Ita) bt Patty Schnyder (Swi) 7-5, 6-2; Anastasia Rodionova (Rus) bt Sabine Lisicki (Ger) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz) bt Jelena Jankovic (Srb) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6); Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Anastasija Sevastova (Lat) 6-4, 6-2; Shahar Peer (Isr) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (Spa) 6-2, 6-0; Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt Christina McHale (US) 6-2, 6-1.

Third round: Flavia Pennetta (Ita) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (Can) 6-1, 6-1; Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) bt Vania King (US) 6-2, 6-2;


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