New York, Sept. 3: There was an old-fashioned fight at the US Open on Thursday but not the one tournament officials wanted to see. Instead of happening on the court, the scuffle broke out in the upper deck, high above Arthur Ashe Stadium where Novak Djokovic and Philipp Petzschner were locked in their own battle.
Play stopped briefly as police handcuffed three rowdy fans and evicted them from Flushing Meadows.
The fracas in the stands came at the end of a day when some of the sport’s heavyweights delighted in humbling lesser-known opponents in second round matches.
Each of the five featured matches on centre court were decided in straight-sets. At times the quality of tennis was breathtaking and the crowds roared their approval, but it was rarely a fair contest.
Roger Federer’s victim was Germany’s Andreas Beck. He won the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour 41 minutes and even the Swiss master himself was impressed.
Maria Sharapova was also in a hurry, belting Czech Iveta Benesova 6-1, 6-2, but neither of the former champions could match the ruthless display from Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane needed just 47 minutes to inflict the dreaded 6-0, 6-0 “double bagel” on Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen to be on course for a fourth round clash with Sharapova.
Petzschner landed a few blows on Djokovic but the world number three was way too crafty for the German, winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 to meet James Blake in the next round.
Russian Nikolay Davydenko, however, was left punch-drunk after being hammered 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 by Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Davydenko was the highest men’s seed to fall and was joined at the exit by Thomaz Bellucci and Croatia’s 11th seed Marin Cilic, upset 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 1-6 by Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
Sania’s campaign ends
Meanwhile, Sania Mirza’s campaign ended after she lost her women’s doubles first round along with Russian partner Vera Dushevina 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-7 (3) to Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova.