US Open – Day 11 (4R)

In a match of two US Open champions, Gilles Muller (junior champion 2001) had a great opportunity to clinch the 1st set against Rafael Nadal (the defending champion). Muller thanks to a lucky beginning yesterday, needed to hold just three service games to take the set. He was broken though in the 7th game with a sloppy play. In a potential tie-break against Nadal, Muller is rather useless because on the 2nd serve his chance to win a point drops drastically (today won only 33% points on 2nd serve). During the last Wimbledon, Muller was eager after losing the 1st set tie-break (6-7, 6-7, 0-6), this time after losing the tie-break, he surrendered quickly (6-7, 1-6, 2-6). Nadal takes on Andy Roddick [21] next. The best American player of the previous decade, eliminated David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Court No. 13 (only 584 seats). The match started yesterday at Louis Armstrong Stadium (it had been designated at Arthur Ashe Stadium two days ago), but today after playing two games, both players agreed that the surface around one of baselines had been damaged by two-day heavy rain, and the match was shifted onto other court! For Roddick it’s arguably the best result of the season.
Andy Murray avenged a sensational loss to Donald Young at Indian Wells earlier this year, beating him in two hours, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on Grandstand. “It’s not just losing the way I lost. I felt I didn’t put my best foot forward and play the way I’ve been playing the whole time. But it’s been a good tournament.” analyzed Young his best performance in a major. John Isner once again showed great confidence in tie-breaks, won all three he played against Gilles Simon on Court No. 17 to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The Frenchman was close to win 2 out of 3 losing sets, served at 6:5 in the 1st set, squandered two set points at 5:4* in the 4th set. The match lasted 3 hours 39 minutes, Isner hit 26 aces. It’s the seventh 4-setter in the US Open history with three tie-breaks won by one player:

1985, 1R: Todd Nelson d. Mark Dickson                7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(3)
1991, 3R: Derrick Rostagno d. Jakob Hlasek       6-7(2), 7-6(3), 7-6(2), 7-6(4)
1999, QF: Cedric Pioline d. Gustavo Kuerten     4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(14), 7-6(8)
2001, 2R: Marat Safin d. Ivan Ljubicic               7-6(5), 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(5)
2001, QF: Pete Sampras d. Andre Agassi            6-7(7), 7-6(2), 7-6(2), 7-6(5)
2003, 2R: Ivo Karlovic d. Hicham Arazi            3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 7-6(6)
2011, 4R: John Isner d. Gilles Simon                    7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4)