2012 U.S. Open Preview (Day Five)
The 2012 U.S. Open heads into its fifth day as the field narrows even further as we head into the Labor Day Weekend, highlighted by a number of Americans taking to the main courts to continue their quest of hoisting titles, as the defending champs from 2011 look to do the same. Getting underway at Arthur Ashe Stadium at 11:00 a.m. EST, Allentown, Pa. native Varvara Lepchenko, the 31 seeded, faces a tough task as she faces the number seven seed and defending U.S. Open champ, Australia’s Samantha Stosur. Immediately following, defending champ and second-seeded Novak Djokovic looks to knock off Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva. Closing out the Day Session on Ashe, NCAA Women’s finalist from Stanford and wild card entry Mallory Burdette looks to continue her run when she faces the number three seed, Olympic Silver Medalist Maria Sharapova of Russia.
Under the lights as Ashe, 20th-seeded American Andy Roddick, who just yesterday announced this would be his last U.S. Open, will look to continue his career when he faces Australian Bernard Tomic. Wrapping up the day’s action on Ashe, top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus faces the 28th-seeded Jie Zheng of China.
Roddick burst onto the scene at the U.S. Open more than a decade ago, firing serves and forehands at speeds and with accuracy never previously witnessed. He charged to the quarterfinals as a teenager and claimed the trophy as a 21-year-old. Today, he could be playing in his last match on his favorite stage.
At Louis Armstrong, kicking things off at 11:00 a.m. EST, Great Britain’s Laura Robson who ended the career of Kim Clijsters on Wednesday faces the ninth-seeded Na Li of China. American Ryan Harrison continues a run for his nation as he faces the seventh seed, Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro. Immediately following, top-ranked American John Isner continues the American theme of the day as he faces FInland’s Jarkko Nieminen to close out singles action at Louis Armstrong. The day closes at Louis Armstrong as Serena & Venus Williams face the 15th-seeded women’s doubles team of Klaudia Jans-Ignacik (Poland) & Kristina Mladenovic (France). Note that this match may be moved to Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Third round action continues on the Grandstand Friday, as kicking things off at 11:00 a.m. EST, the number four seed David Ferrer of Spain faces Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands. Pauline Parmentier of France looks to knock off the number five seed and winner of the New Haven Open just one week ago, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Nadia Petrova of Russia, the number 19 seed, faces 15th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, and American Brian Baker looks to continue his run as he faces eighth-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.
Men’s doubles action kicks things off on Court 17 as the second-seeded pairing of Americans Bob & Mike Bryan face fellow American Eric Butorac of Rochester, Minn. & his partner, Paul Hanley of Australia. American Bradley Klahn of Poway, Calif. looks to continue his run in Flushing Meadows as he faces a tough test in 13th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Klahn was a 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 winner over Austrian Jurgen Melzer on Wednesday. Rounding out the day on Court 17 Friday is the mixed-doubles match featuring the American duo of Irina Falconi & Steve Johnson facing American Bob Bryan and his partner, Belgium’s Kim Clijsters.
Other Friday highlights at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center include:
â–ºThe top-seeded mixed-doubles pairing of Liezel Huber (USA) & Max Mirnyi (Belarus) facing Americans
Grace Min & Bradley Klahn on Court 4
â–ºThe top-seeded American women’s doubles pairing of Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond facing Jarmila Gajdosova (Austria) & Alicja Rosolska (Poland) on Court 6
â–ºThe second-seeded mixed-doubles team of Americans Lisa Raymond & Mike Bryan facing Russian Ekaterina Makarova & Brazil’s Bruno Soares on Court 6
â–ºMerrick, N.Y. native Scott Lipsky & American Abigail Spears facing Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) & Jurgen Melzer (Austria) on Court 6
Also on Friday around the grounds, round one action opens up in the Junior Boys and Girls Qualifying Singles.
Click here for the complete schedule for Day Five of the 2012 U.S. Open.
