Andy Murray moved on to the second round at the U.S. Open. (Kathy Willens/Associated Press)While the collapse of women's tennis player Victoria Azarenka was the biggest news of Wednesday morning at the U.S. Open, there were surprises on the scoreboard throughout Day 3, including more than 12 hours later, when 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick bowed out in the second round with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (4) loss to 44th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic.
Roddick had difficulty dealing with Tipsarevic's serve and go-for-broke groundstrokes, but also got into a lengthy argument with a lineswoman over a foot-fault call in the third set. Roddick asked the official which foot crossed the baseline, and she told him it was his right foot.
"That's impossible," Roddick snapped.
He continued berating the official between points, making a joke about "1-800-Rent-a-Ref."
A TV replay showed Roddick did commit a foot fault, but with his left foot.
No. 9 Roddick was joined on the sideline by two other seeded men, thanks to 18-year-old American qualifier Ryan Harrison's 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 15 Ivan Ljubicic, and Michael Llodra's 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-4 upset of Wimbledon runner-up and No. 7-seeded Tomas Berdych.
Harrison, who is based in Bradenton, Fla., is the first U.S. male teen to beat a top-20 opponent at any Grand Slam tournament since a 19-year-old Roddick knocked off No. 11 Alex Corretja at the 2001 U.S. Open.
You don't have to go nearly as far back to find a female teen from the United States who pulled off that sort of upset, of course: Melanie Oudin of Marietta, Ga., was 17 a year ago when she reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals by beating two top-20 players.
Oudin's 2010 stay in New York was shorter: She lost in the second round Wednesday to No. 29 Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 7-5.
"Definitely disappointing," Oudin said. "I still have, hopefully, like, 10 more years in my career, hopefully 10 more U.S. Opens ahead of me. So I'll definitely be looking forward again to next year."
Zheng Jie bows out
Among the seeded women bowing out was No. 21 Zheng Jie, overwhelmed 6-3, 6-0 by 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, who used to be ranked No. 1 but has tumbled to No. 40.
No. 13 Marion Bartoli, No. 28 Alisa Kleybanova and No. 32 Tsvetana Pironkova also lost. Pironkova was ranked only 82nd in June, when she shocked Venus Williams in the quarter-finals, and they could have met in the third round in New York. But Pironkova bowed out in straight sets against qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg, who gets to face Williams instead.
Williams, who counts the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Opens among her seven Grand Slam titles, struggled for a bit against Canadian Rebecca Marino before pulling out a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win.
Williams struggled early on a steamy, windy day before reeling off the last six points of a tiebreak against the 179th-ranked qualifier from Vancouver.
"Seemed like every time I had an opening she would hit a big serve," Williams said of the first set. "So I guess I know what it's like now playing myself. I was very impressed. She's got a good future ahead of her."
Marino hit eight aces to Williams's four and notched 27 winners, three more than her big-name opponent. But she also made 23 unforced errors, almost double Williams' 12.
"It's a little disappointing but also exciting," said the 19-year-old Marino, who hails from Vancouver. "I was super excited with the way I was able to go toe-to-toe with her.
"I'm just really happy with how I've done here. It's exceeded my expectations. I guess I can say I'm proud of myself."
The six-foot Marino earned her first Grand Slam main draw victory Tuesday by defeating Russian Ksenia Pervak 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Student vs. teacher
The Canadian teen's career money earnings coming into the Open were $78,309 US, compared to $27.3 million for Williams.
Williams trailed 3-1 in the tiebreak but responded with a cross-court backhand winner, followed by a forehand winner to get going and reach the third round at Flushing Meadows.
"To lose that was disappointing," said Marino. "She's a very experienced player.
"She definitely upped the level there."
Williams won the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001 and has never lost earlier than the fourth round.
Wednesday's match was the American's second since late June, when she was upset in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. Williams pulled out of two hard-court tuneup tournaments in August after injuring her left kneecap.
Marino called her U.S. Open a positive experience.
"I got to go on the biggest stage in the tennis world and play one of the best players there is," she said.
"It can't get any better than that. And I also didn't get killed. That was pretty nice as well."
Winners included No. 4-seeded Andy Murray, the 2008 runner-up, who said he wore a hat during a match for the first time in four or five years because of the heat; No. 12 Mikhail Youzhny; No. 14 Nicolas Almagro; No. 18 John Isner, best known for his all-sorts-of-records-smashing Wimbledon marathon victory that ended 70-68 in the fifth set; and No. 20 Sam Querrey, who beat NCAA singles champion Bradley Klahn of Stanford 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in an all-American matchup.
In the evening, defending champion Kim Clijsters reached the third round by beating 201st-ranked qualifier Sally Peers of Australia 6-2, 6-1, before Roddick and Tipsarevic followed them into Arthur Ashe Stadium for a match that finished right around midnight.
With files from CBCSports.ca
