Isner Falls to the Curse of the Cup, Other Seeds Cruise @TennisHalloFame
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
Jack Sock is here to play ball at the Tennis Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island. Sock advanced over Old Man Steps in 58 minutes today 6-2. 6-0, and in so doing, put Newport on notice that he wants to be holding the Van Alen Cup come Sunday.
American Sam Querrey followed suit, doing the ‘Tall Guy Thing’ to Matt Ebden: beating the qualifier in two consecutive tight tiebreaks, but John Isner followed that up with a Case of the Curse. Top seeds don’t fare well here, and Big John took it on the chin again and failed as a top seed. Rajeev Ram was patient, and after losing the first set tiebreak, held on for a victory over Isner, 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(8).
Lukas Lacko
Lukas Lacko also held on for a win over Neils Desein 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Sock. Yuichi Sugita embarrassed Ryan Harrison 6-1, 7-5, 6-3. For his efforts, he has a wide-open draw and will meet Ram tomorrow.
Frenchman ERV won on Bastille Day versus Blav Kavcic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and qualifier Jan Hernych breezed past Tim Smyczek 6-3, 6-4 for his fourth straight victory in Newport this week. Malek Jaziri defeated Ante Pavic 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, sending home the Croatian after a nice run in qualifying. Jaziri sets up a match with Ivo Karlovic in Round 2.
But really, all eyes were on Court 1. The Phenomena that is Dustin Brown is bringing out everyone to have a look: children, elderly couples, and even security staff. Yes, he DOES look different than many of those who have been enshrined here at the Hall of Fame, but he played a patient game like the best of them today. Brown needed an hour to take the first set from qualifier Adrian Bossel, and then dismantled him in the second in a matter of twenty minutes. Brown will face a not-really-that-great-right-now Querrey and Brown better get him while he can, since Querrey usually improves throughout the summer as the game transitions to hard courts.
In press, Brown said he’s still listening to the same Dreddy’s Beats soundtrack from Wimbledon. Question is, will this be the Nadal-beating Brown or the one who fell to Vik Troicki in Round 3?
We’ll find out tomorrow. A brief rain interrupted the beginning of the Haas-Mannarino match which I imagine will be resumed tonight as there are still two hours of sunlight left in Newport and the rain has stopped.
The weather forecast for tomorrow doesn’t look great, with a chance of thunderstorms all day before good conditions return for the rest of the tournament. I may skip and return Thursday. Nothing drives a type A tennis fan like me crazier than a rain delay. You don’t want to be around me in a rain delay. No worries. I’ll be back.
Tennis Atlantic 