Wake Forest Athletics
W-S Open Day Three: All-American Monday
8/20/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Aug 20, 2013
By Ben Helms, Wake Forest Athletic Communications
Winston-Salem Open Official Site
All-American Monday
Fans at the Wake Forest Tennis Center had plenty to cheer for today, with nine United States players seeing action. A total of four Americans advanced in the singles draw on Monday.
Jack Sock, a 20-year-old American from Lincoln, Nebraska, split sets with No. 66 David Goffin before retiring due to an apparent injury to his right leg. Steve Johnson, who entered the main draw out of qualifying, quickly defeated Bobby Reynolds 6-1, 6-2.
In a marathon match on Court Two, No. 109 Tim Smyczek took down American No. 92 Michael Russell by a score of 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
James Blake and Sam Querrey headlined the American performances on Monday, and recaps of their matches are below.
Querrey defeats Garcia-Lopez in three sets
Sixth-seeded Sam Querrey continued the American offensive in the night session, earning a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in front of a supportive crowd at Center Court.
Garcia-Lopez struck first with a late break in the first set to take the lead. But the 25 year old American kept fighting, taking one break to go up 4-1. Querrey won four points in a row on serve to force a deciding third set.
Early in the second set, Querrey broke Garcia-Lopez again, only to lose his next service game. The Spaniard played Querrey even until 4-4, when the American picked up another break to serve for the match. With the fans behind him under the lights, Querrey converted on his second match point after holding off two Garcia-Lopez advantages to advance to the next round.
"I was lacking a little confidence on the forehand, getting it through the court. So I had to go to the finesse game. But it seemed to work...He was dropping far back and I was leaving it out there," said Querrey.
Blake dominates first set, downs young American Williams
Perhaps one of the most entertaining matches of the day was an All-American showdown on Center Court between No. 100 James Blake and No. 114 Rhyne Williams. Blake, a 14-year tour veteran, defeated 22-year-old Rhyne Williams 6-1, 7-5 to advance to the second round of the Winston-Salem Open.
Using a strong service performance to build an early lead, Blake broke Williams to go up 3-1 and never looked back. The Yonkers, New York native finished the first set with a strong backhand and two blistering serves.
Williams found new life in the second set, earning an early break to take a 2-0 lead. After Blake responded with another break, the two played to a 5-5 tie. Blake then swept William's service game, giving him an opportunity to serve for the match.
The last game of the match proved to be a roller coaster, featuring three deuces and three match points. Blake then came through in the clutch, hitting a huge forehand winner down the line to defeat Williams. The pro-Blake crowd responded with a standing ovation for the former No. 4-ranked player in the world.
"That last [point] was fun. As soon as I hit it I knew...It's fun that I can still be out there entertaining crowds. As long as that keeps happening I'm going to keep loving it," said Blake.
Blake, who said he was happy to be back in Winston-Salem, praised the fans at the Wake Forest Tennis Center who cheered him on.
"I figured today I would be playing in front of an empty stadium because of the weather, but the fact that there were some fans that kept trickling in; It's a testament to the Winston-Salem fan base."
Berdych, Isner withdraw
After both sustained injuries in tournaments last week, top-seeded Tomas Berdych and third-seeded John Isner withdrew from the Winston-Salem Open on Monday afternoon.
Isner, a two-time defending champion ranked No. 14 in the world, reached the finals of last week's Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, and sustained an injury to his hip flexor area in the semifinals.
"It's something I felt before in the past, but there was no warning. I don't even remember a particular instance that it jarred. It's bugging me a bit and now I'm trying to alleviate the pain as much as I can," said Isner.
Isner hails from Greensboro and is a strong crowd favorite, but said the decision ultimately depended on his health for the rest of the season.
"My plan was always to compete here. That's why I came back home...It was a tough decision, the last thing I wanted to do. But for my health going forward in 2013, I just felt like it was necessary," said Isner.
World No. 5 Tomas Berdych withdrew due to a shoulder injury. The Winston-Salem Open's top seed said that this year's field is still very promising.
"You look at the guys who are ranked the highest and expecting that they will go the furthest, but there are other guys like Sam Querrey. He's playing really well. I think as always we're going to see interesting tennis."
