American Donaldson Shocks Goffin To Advance at U.S. Open
American teenager Jared Donaldson provided the biggest upset of the first two days at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, coming back from a set down to beat 12th seeded Belgian David Goffin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 to notch the biggest win of his young career.
“It was a really exciting atmosphere out there. I felt that I played really well. It was tough conditions, it was hot,” said Donaldson. “I think we were both trying to move each other as much as possible and take time away from each other. I think I was just able to win a few more of the key points.
Goffin got off to a quick start, breaking the young American for a 2-1 lead in the opening set, and then went on to serve out the set to take the early advantage.
The Belgian then broke early in the second set and seemed to be poised to pull away in this one, but Donaldson responded with a break of his own, and from there on out the momentum stayed in his corner. He would break one more time to take the second set 7-5.
His excellent play continued into the third set as he fired 15 winners, five aces and converted on two break point chances, taking advantage of six Goffin double-faults to win the third 6-4. The match began to slip away from Goffin early in the fourth and Donaldson’s level stayed up. He hit 11 more winners and broke Goffin three times, winning all six games to pull off the upset.
“It was big because I was trending in the wrong direction,” Donaldson said of getting the second set back on serve. “Being down two sets to love is not where you want to be. I just kept fighting, and tried to the same things I do every match: Control what I can control and eventually, when the big points came, things just seemed to fall in my direction. The big points are going to come, and you just have to be ready when they do.”
Donaldson moves on to play the winner of Viktor Troicki and Radu Albot.
Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka made sure there would be no upset against tricky first-round opponent Fernando Verdasco of Spain, taking the first set tiebreaker before going on to win 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-4 on Ashe.
Wawrinka saved the only break point he faced in the final two sets and was able to notch a break of his own in both the second and third sets to push through with the straight-sets victory.
“I knew it would be a difficult match. [The] first one, it’s never easy,” said Wawrinka. “I’m really happy to have won. It’s a really good result for me.”
Up next for Wawrinka is Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi, who ousted American Denis Kudla 0-6, 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.
The disappointing 2016 continued for Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, who fell to Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic. Siniakova played a dominant third set, setting up 10 break points, converting on three of them and hitting 13 winners to notch the 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory.
“I feel like I didn’t really play well and I think my opponent played really well,” said Bouchard, who also added she was dealing with blisters on both of her feet. “I tried my best. It was a tough match so I have no regrets there.”
Siniakova will face 25th seed Caroline Garcia in the second round. Garcia fought back to defeat her French compatriot Pauline Parmentier 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Wimbledon quarterfinalist Sam Querrey was unable to duplicate his run in London, falling to Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic in four sets. Tipsarevic fired 17 aces and broke six times to push past Querrey 7-6(4), 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-3.
New York’s Louisa Chirico was defeated by 17th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, as the Russian hit 21 winners to roll 6-1, 6-4 and advance. She will meet the winner of Kristina Mladenovic and Nao Hibino in the second round.
