U.S. Open Capsules: Isner, Querrey reach 3rd round, Harrison doesn't

NEW YORK — On his way to victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Friday, the highest-seeded American man left in the U.S. Open, No. 18 John Isner, could hear the wild cheering and chanting going on at the adjacent Grandstand.

It was all in support of another American man, Ryan Harrison, a qualifier who was the lowest-ranked (220) and youngest (18) player still in the tournament.

Isner, striving to be known for more than winning the longest tennis match in history, reached the third round by beating Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4.

Harrison, striving to show he belongs at this level, came as close as possible to winning without doing so, wasting three match points in the fifth-set tiebreaker and losing 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.

"I'm trying to hopefully get to the top 10, so I feel like one match doesn't make or break that," Harrison said, doing his best to look on the bright side. "It's the experience of playing these type of matches that is really going to help me to get there."

This was the second Grand Slam tournament of Harrison's nascent career, and the first at which he won a match — and what a victory it was, an upset over 15th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic.

For Isner, this is the first major tournament he's played since Wimbledon in June, when he hit a record 113 aces during an 11-hour-plus, 183-game, first-round marathon spread over three days. He beat Nicolas Mahut in a 70-68 fifth set, and while appreciative of the significance of that match, Isner is quite ready to move on.

"I don't want that to be, like, the lasting image of my career," the 6-foot-9 Isner said after finishing with 24 aces against the 63rd-ranked Chiudinelli. "So that's up to me to make it not that way. It's up to me to do well in big tournaments, tournaments such as this."

He can match his best Grand Slam showing if he beats No. 12 Mikhail Youzhny to make it to the fourth round.

Isner, who won an NCAA championship at the University of Georgia, was joined in the third round by No. 20 Sam Querrey, a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 winner Friday against Marcel Granollers of Spain. Of 15 U.S. men originally in the draw, four are left: Isner, Querrey, No. 19 Mardy Fish and wild card James Blake. Fish and Blake play third-round matches Saturday.

"Hopefully it'll continue on, and hopefully, James and Mardy and other Americans will keep moving forward, too," said Querrey, who now faces No. 4 Andy Murray, the 2008 runner-up in New York.

For comparison's sake, there are nine Spanish men in the third round, seven of whom won Friday, led by No. 1-seeded Rafael Nadal.

Murray beat Jamaica's Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-3, 6-0, and other seeded winners included No. 8 Fernando Verdasco, No. 10 David Ferrer, No. 23 Feliciano Lopez and No. 31 David Nalbandian. The only seeded man to exit Friday was No. 29 Philipp Kohlschreiber, who lost 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 to former top-10 player Gilles Simon. Now Simon will try to end Nadal's 17-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments.

Nadal saved all seven break points he faced in his 6-2, 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory over 39th-ranked Denis Istomin in Arthur Ashe Stadium at night, after 2000-01 champion Venus Williams easily got past 185th-ranked qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-1.

"I had no idea what my opponent played like," Williams said afterward, but apparently it didn't matter, and she accumulated a 29-5 advantage in winners while her injured sister Serena watched from the stands.

Next for the older Williams is No. 16 Shahar Peer, who beat No. 19 Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-4.

There were no upsets in women's third-round play, other than, perhaps, the fact that Kim Clijsters lost the first three games of her match before coming back to defeat No. 27 Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-0.

French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, French Open runner-up Sam Stosur, two-time major finalist Elena Dementieva, and former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic all won, all in straight sets. The highlight, without a doubt, was Schiavone's back-to-the-net, between-the-legs shot in her 6-1, 7-5 victory over No. 29 Alona Bondarenko — nearly identical to what Roger Federer has done each of the past two years at the U.S. Open.

Schiavone said she was looking forward to seeing a replay, which will be easy, because, like Federer's efforts, her shot was quickly posted on YouTube.

"I'd like to see it again," Schiavone said. "I'm curious."

Querrey watched "pretty much the entire fourth and fifth set" of Harrison's loss, which he called a "tough one."

"I was in the lunchroom," Querrey said. "Everyone had their eyes glued to the TV."

Harrison went ahead 6-3 in the deciding tiebreaker against the 36th-ranked Stakhovsky, who won a hard-court title at New Haven, Conn., last week. Had he won any of the next three points, Harrison would have gone on to try to become the youngest American man to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open since 17-year-old Michael Chang in 1989. Pete Sampras also made the fourth round in New York that year, at 18, and won the title in 1990 at 19.

"Didn't really seem that he's going to choke," Stakhovsky would say later.

But Stakhovsky took the next five points to end it. He hit an overhead winner, then a service winner, and Harrison closed a nine-stroke exchange by dumping a backhand into the net to make it 6-all.

"Just kind of, you know, fell apart from there," Harrison acknowledged.

On the next point, Harrison double-faulted for the eighth time, giving Stakhovsky a 7-6 lead and a match point, which he converted with a forehand volley.

"Just got a little bit tight whenever I needed to come through," Harrison said.

He certainly couldn't complain about which way the crowd was rooting at the 6,106-capacity Grandstand. Stakhovsky estimated he heard no more than 50 people shouting for him in Russian and summed up the scene this way: "It was nice, I mean, except that 99.9 percent of the people were against me."

Isner's match was going on simultaneously next door and he couldn't exactly tell what was happening, of course.

"When the crowd cheered, you know, that was when Ryan won a point," Isner explained.

Both of those matches were halted for less than a half-hour by a rain delay when the outer edges of Hurricane Earl made a passing appearance. But otherwise, play carried on under gray clouds and in temperatures in the 80s instead of the 90s during the first four days of the U.S. Open.

U.S. teen Harrison loses to Stakhovsky in 5 sets

NEW YORK — Teenagers aren’t exactly known for their sense of big-picture perspective.

Eighteen-year-old Ryan Harrison managed to offer some up — minutes after wasting three match points in the fifth-set tiebreaker at a Grand Slam event.

“My ranking is still not even top 100 even if I win the match,” Harrison said Friday after losing in the second round of the U.S. Open.

“Ultimately, that’s the goal. You don’t want one good week out of a year. You want a year.”

Harrison, who had to go through qualifying to even reach the Open, led 6-3 in the tiebreaker. Then he dropped the next five points to 36th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.

Stakhovsky won 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in 4 hours, 13 minutes.

“Obviously I’m not the happiest person in the world right now,” Harrison said. “But looking back on it, it was a great experience. My ranking is 220 in the world right now, and I’m trying to hopefully get to the top 10. So I feel like one match doesn’t make or break that. It’s the experience of playing these type of matches that is really going to help me to get there.”

Harrison had upset 15th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic in the first round, his first Grand Slam victory at his second major tournament. He was the youngest player left in the men’s draw and the lowest ranked.

It’s a feat to be proud of — but not to be satisfied with if he ever is to turn this promise into becoming the next great American men’s player.

“My general personality has always been, if I’m 10 in the world, there’s still nine guys ahead of me,” Harrison said. “So I’ve always had the mentality where I’ve wanted to be the best and I’ve always wanted to be the top, to win Grand Slams.

“But with that being said, it’s a ways away. You know, this was the breakout run of my career, and it’s in the round of 64.”

The 24-year-old Stakhovsky has seen plenty of Next Big Things fail to live up to the hype. Asked about Harrison’s potential, he replied, “To do good to him, I’m not going to say any good of him.”

“Because usually, when the young guy’s coming up, and they have all this publicity and everybody saying they’re gonna be, they’re gonna be, they’re gonna be — in the end they’re just losing it,” Stakhovsky said.

“So I would say he got a huge amount of work to do,” he said with a laugh. “Huuuge amount. Like hours and hours of practice.”

Down a break in the fifth set, Harrison rallied to force the tiebreaker and earned triple match point. After Stakhovsky won the next two points on his serve, Harrison just wanted to get his first serve in at 6-5.

It barely missed, and Harrison wound up hitting a backhand into the net.

“Just kind of fell apart from there,” he said.

A double-fault gave Stakhovsky match point. Unlike Harrison, the older player took advantage.

“I’m just lucky to pull out winner in the end,” Stakhovsky said.

In a Freudian slip, Harrison at one point mentioned breaking Stakhovsky’s serve in the third set. He quickly caught himself: “Or in the fifth set. Sorry.”

Can’t blame the kid for the slip-up. He’s only played a few five-set matches in his life.

His leg started to cramp up during his post-match news conference, but otherwise Harrison showed little sign of fatigue. He was carried by the roars of the fans who packed the Grandstand and peered in from neighboring Louis Armstrong Stadium.

“That was incredible,” he said. “There were some balls that I ran down and was able to scoop up and get back in the point, win some points, just because of the energy and the electricity that I’m feeling because of everything. I can’t remember the last time I was, late in a match like that, jogging off every changeover.”

Stakhovsky has won seven straight matches after capturing his second title of the year last week at New Haven. He reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, where he will face 23rd-seeded Feliciano Lopez.

Harrison can return to training in Bradenton, Fla., knowing he now has the blueprint to win this match next time.

“I can honestly say that this is the first time in my career that I’ve had a clear-cut picture of how I want to play, how I want to compete, and how I want to base my game around,” he said. “This is how I’m going to come up and play at the highest level.”

-- Rachel Cohen

Nadal overcomes 1 great shot to reach 3rd round

NEW YORK (AP) — Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner and was left doing the splits at the net.

NEW YORK (AP) — Because of a sprained left kneecap, Venus Williams took a lot more time off before the U.S. Open than originally planned.

Those two months away from competition sure haven't presented any problems so far.

Her play sparkling as much as her sequined dress, Williams easily eliminated 185th-ranked qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-1 on Friday night to reach the U.S. Open's fourth round for the 12th time in 12 trips to the tournament.

She said she's had "really no thought at all" about shaking off rust.

"My whole thing was to try to bank on my experience, which so far is working," the No. 3-seeded Williams said. "My concern is always to be able to make the play and to play the level that I'm used to."

That resume of hers includes seven Grand Slam singles titles, including at the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001. She also was the runner-up in New York in 1997 and 2002.

After losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals June 29, the American was supposed to return to the tour on the hard-court circuit in early August at Cincinnati, then play at Montreal. But she hurt her knee shortly before Cincinnati, and came to New York without any match preparation.

How's that working out?

Williams has dropped a combined 17 games through three rounds.

Against Minella, she won the point on 18 of 21 trips to the net, helping her build a 29-5 edge in total winners.

"Really just concentrating on the footwork and moving forward," Williams said. "I think without the moving forward, I could have been involved in a lot of long points."

She wore her third outfit of this year's tournament, all self-designed — although nothing as attention-grabbing as her black, lace dress at the French Open.

"This outfit was really about New York. ... It's like bursts of fireworks," Williams explained. "It's about a celebration of me playing my best obviously at home and kind of doing what I love and being able to wear something fun while I do it. So just always trying to do something fun on the court."

Her younger sister Serena, who withdrew from the tournament because of a foot injury, watched the match in the stands.

"It was good to see her tonight," Venus Williams said. "Usually we're at the tournament together. This year is an exception, but always good to have her back."

Minella entered this U.S. Open with an 0-5 career record against opponents ranked in the top 50, but knocked off No. 34 Tsvetana Pironkova and No. 47 Polona Hercog to set up a matchup against the older Williams.

After the match, Williams was honest, saying: "I had no idea what my opponent played like."

Minella's serve was broken in the match's opening game — and each of the next five times she served, too. When Minella finally held serve to trail 4-1 in the second set after a 20-point game that included four break points, she waved her arms overhead to the crowd in mock celebration.

Williams is the only woman this season to reach at least the fourth round at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki can match that when she plays her third-round U.S. Open match Saturday.

In the fourth round, Williams will meet 16th-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel, who beat No. 19 Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-4, 6-4.

"I know she has the talent to do something big. She already has in her career," Williams said about Peer. "I want to just get out there and execute my game to the point where I get to that next round."

-- Howard Fenderich

Querrey's query: Where's the love for Americans?

NEW YORK — Roger Federer isn’t the only one who can hit a back-to-the-net, between-the-legs shot.

Francesca Schiavone turned the trick at the U.S. Open, too.

During a 6-1, 7-5 victory over 29th-seeded Alona Bondarenko in the third round at Flushing Meadows on Friday, French Open champion Schiavone produced a near-replica of the shot Federer hit against Novak Djokovic in the 2009 semifinals and again against Brian Dabul in this year’s first round Monday.

Schiavone called it “instinct” and “art.”

Bondarenko hit a lob, and Schiavone turned her back to the court, sprinted to the baseline, and smacked the ball through her legs. Unlike Federer’s, it wasn’t a clean winner, though: Bondarenko reached the ball and volleyed it back. But Schiavone ran forward for a forehand winner, then skipped across the court, pumping a fist.

“I’d like to see it again,” Schiavone said later. “I’m curious.”

Well, she’s in luck: Like Federer’s shot, Schiavone’s quickly found its way onto YouTube.

Asked to compare the two, Schiavone said: “I hit it hard and well. Not like Roger, but well.”

The point helped the sixth-seeded Schiavone reach the round of 16 at the U.S. Open for the fifth time.

Notebook: Serena Williams doesn’t think Roddick crossed the line

NEW YORK — Serena Williams heard about Andy Roddick’s foot fault from the other night.

Guess whose side she’s on.

“I think a foot fault counts only after you hit the ball, so I don’t know. It’s always kind of shaky to call it,” Williams told ESPN while on hand to watch her sister, Venus, play at the U.S. Open on Friday night.

Serena is not playing, saying she’s still recovering from July 15 surgery on her right foot.

In last year’s semifinal against Kim Clijsters, Williams went on a tirade against a line judge who called a questionable foot fault against her, resulting in a double-fault that left her facing match point. The tirade earned her a point penalty that ended the match.

On Wednesday night, Roddick carried on a long argument after being called for a foot fault. He didn’t disagree with the call, only the explanation. The line judge said it was Roddick’s right foot that touched the line when replays clearly showed it was his left. He said the judge’s refusal to correct herself was “infuriating,” but that in the end, it didn’t affect the match.

Asked about Roddick’s reaction, Williams said: “Andy will get over it. I got over it. I call it my claim to fame now.”

She called her foot injury “a one-in-a-trillion chance” and “a disaster.”

“I’ve always said if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck,” Williams said.

Williams, who plans to be back in time for America’s Fed Cup final against Italy in November, said she doesn’t know exactly how her foot got cut while she was walking out of a restaurant in Munich less than a week after winning Wimbledon in July.

“My nephew said, ‘Be careful,”’ Williams said. “Next thing I knew, I was in the emergency room getting stitches.”

ANA’S BIG CLIMB: Next up, Ana Ivanovic faces a big hurdle, and a big opportunity, as she pushes forward in her attempt to climb back up the rankings.

It’s a round-of-16 meeting against defending champion Kim Clijsters.

Ivanovic, the world No. 1 after her French Open title in 2008, has fallen as low as 65 since because of injuries and inconsistent play. She is back to No. 40, with a chance to go much higher.

She defeated wild card Virginie Razzano of France 7-5, 6-0 in the third round at Flushing Meadows on Friday.

“It’s hard to believe it when you don’t have results to prove it, but I really feel I’m playing a lot better,” Ivanovic said. “Things are starting to come back, come together out on the court, as well.”

Ivanovic is one of a number of former No. 1s who have taken sudden tumbles in recent years. Maria Sharapova dropped out of the top 100, but has climbed back to No. 17. Dinara Safina, the much-maligned, top-ranked player at last year’s U.S. Open, is currently at No. 50, and lost in the first round this year.

Ivanovic is another who disappeared for a while, due to a series of injuries to her thumb, knee and thigh.

“There were doubts of one sort or the other,” she said. “But definitely it’s hard when you do lose a lot of matches. It’s sort of, you work hard, but there are no results to back that.”

Her opponent is Clijsters, who knows all about going away. When she came to the U.S. Open last year, shortly after returning from retirement, she hadn’t played enough matches to even have a ranking. She won the championship and a year later, is ranked third.

“She and I are good friends, and I’m happy to see her doing well again,” Clijsters said. “I followed her very closely, obviously, when I wasn’t playing, and saw her win the French Open. And from there she just kind of lost it a little bit.”

This will be a “rematch” of sorts of their semifinal in Cincinnati last month, when Ivanovic hurt her left foot early in the first set against Clijsters and had to retire. Ivanovic said she’s looking forward to playing a big-time player who also happens to be a nice person.

“When I was struggling, she was messaging me. She was very supportive,” she said. “That’s really rare and really nice to see. In those times, you know who your friends are.”

IT’S GOTTA BE THE ... LACES: Whatever you do, mon, don’t call his shoelaces pink.

“It’s orange, OK, it’s not pink,” said Dustin Brown, the colorful Jamaican who brought his dreadlocks and his cheering section to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday.

The show didn’t last long. Brown lost 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 to No. 4 Andy Murray, but Brown is hoping his week at Flushing Meadows might spark a little tennis renaissance back home on the island. Earlier this week, he became the first Jamaican man to win a Grand Slam match since 1974. Last month, his country elected a new leader of its tennis federation and the hope is interest in the sport will pick up in a country that loves its athletes. Think, Usain Bolt with a tennis racket.

“I mean, there’s more tennis tournaments than he runs in a year, so hopefully I’ll get to that status sooner or later,” Brown said.

Among Brown’s peculiarities are that he doesn’t like to sit down during changeovers. No coach would ever support that, but Brown doesn’t care.

“I play my best tennis when I’m a little bit more emotional and awake and everything,” he said. “I always have the feeling when I sit down that my pulse and everything just goes down, so I just don’t do it anymore.”

As for the shoelaces, well, he started wearing bright orange and other neon colors when he found a pair like that while sorting through boxes at his doubles partner’s house. Since he put them in his shoes, his ranking has climbed from around 450 to as high as 98 in July.

“So now, every time I buy a new pair of shoes, I order those shoelaces,” he said. “I don’t go on the court unless they’re in the shoes.”

U..S Open Glance

NEW YORK (AP) — A look at Friday's play at the $22.7 million U.S. Open tennis championships: