Nikolay Davydenko and Marin Cilic advance to the second round
Despite slow starts on Monday in their first round matches at the US open, both Nikolay Davydenko and Marin Cilic advanced to the second round.
Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, Davydenko overcame intense heat on the court at Flushing Meadows and a tough opening set before cruising to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 victory over American Michael Russell
After missing 11 weeks earlier in the year with a fractured left wrist, Davydenko has struggled at times, to find his top form. After going down a break, Davydenko trailed early in the opening set, but rallied from a 2-4 deficit and eventually took the first set 6-4. From that point in the match, Davydenko certainly showed flashes of brilliance and top form losing only four games over the next two sets and converting on six of 16 break points. It was only Davydenko’s ninth win on tour since coming back from injury at a tournament in Halle in June.
Davydenko will now face a much stiffer test in the second round when he faces Richard Gasquet of France. Gasquet is unseeded at the tournament, but has had success at the US Open in the past. Gasquet defeated German Simon Greul in his first round match on Monday 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in a match that lasted just under two hours.
Currently ranked No 13 in the world, Marin Cilic also survived a tough opening set and scorching temperatures before defeating Ukrainian Illya Marchenko 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Like Davydenko, Cilic also had to rally from a break down in the first set and then only losing four games over the final two sets. The Croatian was able to couple a strong service game with a solid return game converting seven of 14 break points and forcing the No. 73 ranked Marchenko to take 14 double faults in a match that lasted just over two hours.
The 21-year-old Cilic will be looking to improve on his performance from last years US Open where he made his Grand Slam breakthrough. After defeating Andy Murray in the round of 16, Cilic was one win away from the semi-finals, but lost to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals. Cilic will now take on Kei Nishikori of Japan who advanced to the second round after his opponent, Evgeni Korolev, was forced to retire due to an injury to his right elbow. Nishikori was leading 7-6 (0), 5-2 at the time, before Korolev was not able to go on.
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