Top Seeds Anderson, Querrey Seeking Semifinal Spots on Friday

February 16, 2018 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Kevin Anderson (9)_crop

 

Four semifinal sports in singles are on the line at the New York Open on Friday led by the tournament’s top seed in South Africa’s Kevin Anderson.

Anderson will look to build off momentum from his first-round victory on Thursday, where he came back from a set down to beat American qualifier Ernesto Escobedo 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).

Last year’s U.S. Open finalist showed some signs of rust in his Long Island opener but was able to bring Escobedo’s run to an end in one hour and 51 minutes. He will face another young American in Frances Tiafoe for a spot in the final four.

Tiafoe played a dominant third set in his second round match on Thursday to move past Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 and reach the first ATP World Tour quarterfinal of his career.

Anderson and Tiafoe will be the second part of Friday’s Night Session.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori will take on giant slayer Radu Albot of Moldova in the first half of Friday night’s doubleheader. Albot is coming off his upset victory over third-seed John Isner, while Nishikori is coming off an impressive performance in a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy.

“I served really well, especially in the second set,” Nishikori said. “I started getting my rhythm back and my first serve was working really well but also everything else was pretty solid today. I was playing aggressive and coming in.

Every match is improving. So far so good. I think today was one of the best again.”

Fourth-seed Adrian Mannarino of France versus Spanish qualifier Adrian Menendez-Maceiras will be the first match to be played on Friday, followed by Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic and taking on second-seeded American Sam Querrey.   

Karlovic knocked out sixth-seeded American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-4, breaking the former Memphis Open champion once in each set and saved the only break point he faced throughout the match.

Querrey moved past Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday night.

Finishing out the day session at NYCB LIVE will be the winner of Bob and Mike Bryan, the top-seeded American tandem, and France’s Fabrice Martin and Jeremy Chardy taking on New Zealand’s Artem Sitak and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands in a quarterfinal showdown in doubles.

 

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Bethpage
Century

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