Querrey Upsets Murray and Azarenka Defeats Sharapova in U.S. Open Series Action

Reigning Olympus U.S. Open Series champion Sam Querrey began a successful defense of his Series title, defeating world number four-ranked Andy Murray in the final of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-3, while Victoria Azarenka upset former Series champion Maria Sharapova, 6-4, 6-1, to win the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday. Both Querrey and Azarenka earned 70 points in the Olympus U.S. Open Series Bonus Challenge Standings to take a share of first place in the current points race.

Querrey is tied for first atop the men’s standings with Mardy Fish, who won the season opener in Atlanta last week. Querrey, who grew up in nearby Thousand Oaks, Calif., won all four of his matches this week in three sets and was down match point in both the semifinals and final en route to capturing the title in Los Angeles for the second straight year. It was the first time in his career that Querrey entered an event as the reigning champion and thus his first successful defense of a tournament title.

Seeded number eight this week, Azarenka upset fourth-seeded Marion Bartoli, the reigning Bank of the West champion, in the quarterfinals, top-ranked Samantha Stosur in the semifinals and number five-ranked Sharapova in the final to win her first Series tournament title and take sole possession of first place in the Series standings.

The men’s and women’s winners of the Olympus U.S. Open Series will compete for $1 million in bonus prize money at the 2010 U.S. Open.

Next on the Olympus U.S. Open Series: The men will compete at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C.–where two-time Olympus U.S. Open Series champion Andy Roddick headlines a strong field–while the women, led by world number two-ranked Jelena Jankovic, return to San Diego for the first time since 2007 for the Mercury Insurance Open. ESPN2 will provide 16 hours of coverage, including back-to-back finals on Sunday, Aug. 8 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Tennis Channel will provide coverage beginning Thursday, Aug. 5. 

For more information, visit www.usopenseries.com.