2012 U.S. Open Preview (Day Two)
It’s a mix of the experienced and the new as eight U.S. women take to the courts in today’s action, including a pair of all-American matchups, with three-time champion and reigning Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams taking on 2008 girls’ champion CoCo Vandeweghe, and Venus Williams opening her 2012 U.S. Open against fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Also back on the court are a quartet of young Americans who created a stir at last year’s U.S. Open, when Irina Falconi, Vania King, Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens all upset seeds en route to the third round.
On the men’s side of the draw, defending champion Novak Djokovic kicks off his title defense in the opener of the Night Session against Paolo Lorenzi, and Andy Roddick faces an up-and-coming American in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the second straight year when he takes on 21-year-old qualifying wild card Rhyne Williams. Also today, Dennis Novikov will try to make it two years in a row with a win for the USTA Boys’ 18s champion, following Jack Sock’s success a year ago (Sock lost to Roddick in the second round at the 2011 US Open).
Americans in action on Day Two of the 2012 U.S. Open …
â–ºBrian Baker, Nashville, Tenn.
â–ºEric Butorac, Rochester, Minn.
â–ºIrina Falconi, Atlanta
â–ºChristian Harrison, Bradenton, Fla.
â–ºRyan Harrison, Austin, Texas
â–ºSteve Johnson, Orange, Calif.
â–ºVania King, Boynton Beach, Fla.
â–ºJesse Levine, Boca Raton, Fla.
â–ºScott Lipsky, Merrick, N.Y.
â–ºBethanie Mattek-Sands, Phoenix
â–ºChristina McHale, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
â–ºNicholas Monroe, Chapel Hill, N.C.
â–ºDennis Novikov, San Jose, Calif.
â–ºSam Querrey, Las Vegas
â–ºRajeev Ram, Carmel, Ind.
â–ºAndy Roddick, Austin, Texas
â–ºJack Sock, Lincoln, Neb.
â–ºSloane Stephens, Coral Springs, Fla.
â–ºCoCo Vandeweghe, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
â–ºRhyne Williams, Knoxville, Tenn.
â–ºSerena Williams, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
â–ºVenus Williams, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
â–ºDonald Young, Atlanta
The young American women created a stir at last year’s US Open, with six U.S. women age 22 or younger advancing to the second round and four upsetting seeds en route to the third round. All four are in action today (as is 20-year-old CoCo Vandeweghe, who lost in the second round a year ago).
Vania King, 23, faces Yaroslava Shvedova today. Last year in the first round, King defeated Greta Arn, 6-1, 6-4; in the second round, defeated number 29 Jarmila Gajdosova, 6-2, 6-0; and in the third round, lost to top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, 6-2, 6-4. Sloane Stephens, 19, faces number 22 Francesca Schiavone today. Last year in the first round – Stephens defeated Reka-Luca Jani, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6; in the second round, defeated number 23 Shahar Peer, 6-1, 7-6; and in the third round, lost to number 16 Ana Ivanovic, 6-3, 6-4. Christina McHale, 20, seeded 21st, faces Kiki Bertens today. At the 2011 U.S. Open, McHale defeated Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 in the first round; in the second round, defeated number eight Marion Bartoli, 7-6, 6-2; and in the third round, lost to number 25 Maria Kirilenko, 6-2, 6-3. Irina Falconi, 22, faces Olga Puchkova today at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Last year in round one, Falconi defeated Klara Zakopalova, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; in the second round, defeated number 14 Dominika Cibulkova, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; and in the third round, lost to number 22 Sabine Lisicki, 6-0, 6-1.
The doubles draw kicks off today with a number of men’s doubles teams in action. Those playing today include the all-Americans teams of 2011 U.S. Open mixed-doubles champion Jack Sock and 2011 and 2012 NCAA champion Steve Johnson, comeback kid Brian Baker and Rajeev Ram, Nicholas Monroe and Donald Young, and the brother tandem of Ryan Harrison and Christian Harrison.
