Ryan Sweeting aims to crack ATP Top 100
American Ryan Sweeting has yet to crack the Top 100 on the ATP tour, yet the 23-year-old has high hopes following Monday’s win over James Blake at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC.
Lucky break against Blake
Playing against fellow American Blake, Sweeting came away with the best performance of his career, defeating the hard-hitting Blake with a final tally of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
"I think it's my best win for sure," said the 119th-ranked Sweeting, who is through to the second round at a tour-level event for the third time this season. "I just tried to keep the ball away from his forehand as much as possible. I tried to hit to his backhand and attack to his forehand so he couldn't use it as a weapon."
Sweeting is a right-handed player with a strong two-handed backhand. He looks to advance further at the Legg Mason, and is now set to face Frenchman Michael Llodra in the second round. Judging by his previous record, it’s unlikely that he will cause any serious damage here at the Legg Mason Classic, with even less likelihood of him making an impression at the US Open at the end of August.
Tuning up for the US Open
Since becoming professional on the ATP circuit, Sweeting has not made much of a stamp on the tour, quietly entering and exiting tournaments without much of an ado. His win against Blake could have been a lucky strike, since the 30-year-old American was in a bit of a shoddy condition, having been plagued by injuries for much of this season. Nevertheless, Sweeting had a tough time at the outset of the match, letting Blake take hold of the first set.
"When he's moving side-to-side he's dangerous so I was just trying to dictate the points towards his backhand,” said Sweeting. Things got brighter in the second and in the final set, as the 23-year-old American was able to save four break point opportunities, dishing out a 125mph serve in the process.
"That game in particular he seemed to be really jumping into my kick serve," Sweeting said. "I was facing two breaking points. I just said, 'Go for it.' That big serve was right on the line. So I got lucky there."
If Sweeting aims for success on at the Grand Slams, he could work on stepping up his overall fitness level, and working on the power and speed of his serves. He is a relatively young player on the circuit, and it’s possible that with continued experience his winning record will improve significantly.
Background
Sweeting was born in Nassau, Bahamas on July 14, 1987. He began training in Ft. Lauderdale at the age of 12, and currently trains and resides there in the off-season. He has previously won the US Open Juniors title in 2005, and has made it to first or second round action on the hard-court Grand Slam each year from 2006 till present.
Sweeting began his professional career in 2007, and currently holds a less than impressive career winning record of 11-24. He has participated in the French Open and Wimbledon this year, being able to hold only for first round action. At his previous US Open appearance, Sweeting made it to the second round, defeating Guillermo Coria in the opening round, only to be ousted by Olivier Rochus of Belgium in round two.
He hopes to move to the higher rounds at the Legg Mason to gain more on-court playtime as he gears up for entry to the US Open, yet will have to face the likes of tournament number nine seeded Ernests Gulbis if he is intent on setting his sights on a tournament victory here in Washington.
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