Days 5 and 6 : Rains kept their nerves unlike a few at the Meadows; Women line-up for their entrancce into the Quarters; Stephens and Serena head on!

11:45 PM that was the official end time of day 6, when the superfluous lights brightening the Arthur Ashe were dimmed but, outshone the hopes of a happy man called Roger Federer who had just dispatched Adrian Mannarino back to france with not an unsmooth win with 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, setting up a clash with Tommy Robredo who in the Round of 16, who overcame the plucky Brit, Daniel Evans to do the same. He hadn’t got much to worry about still given, that after 10 years he is rampaging a tournament outside the top 5 seeds, and he trains hard on off days on court to stay agile and fit, can produce much disbelief given any player and given any round.

We have much to talk about today, as we are at the helm of the beginning of the second week of the final Grand Slam 2013, things are eventually cooking up to show a vicarious scenery that needs explicit pronunciation. As del Potro fell at the hands of the mighty Australian past-veteran Lleyton Hewitt in a bloody on court duel for 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1, ‘old is gold’ was realized as a proverb very true. The registered ‘biggest upset’ of the tournament, the 2009 defending champion and recent wins at the 500 ATP Masters hard court had made the Tandilian a formidable opponent for the title. Well, tags cannot be killed, as easily as they are created; it now rests with the strong, persistent 2001 Champion Hewitt, who would now deal with Evgeny Denskoy of Russia who melted the 29th seed Melzer in the opening leg. While the Round 3 of the first group of men remains to happen today at night, we have the 16 names of from the women who’ll set up the show to forge their path into the quarter finals at the Flushing meadows. Serena, ever shedding of glory and power off her helm, showed not even the slightest setback against the Kazak Yaroslava Shvedova and would now play another American, 15th seeded ever determined Sloane Stephens, creating déjà-vu to the Australian Open this year. The 20 year old upset the 31 year American veteran, coming off with flying colours but now however, that image seems to be distorted with the French open under the title tag of the defending Champion. Though the youngest of all the Quarter finalists poses a serious challenge with her built demeanour, reaching the top 16 in every grand Slam this year, would that be an answer enough to the rampant and devouring form of Serena. The evening at the Arthur Ashe, Day 7 would give a legitimate result on that. Overcoming her psychological battles at raining pedestals of the US Open, Na Li smeared Laura Robson for a straight setter avenging her third round loss, last year. She would now face the 9th seeded, Jelena Jankovic to reach the Semi-Finals 2013. Caroline Wozniacki bowed down to 22 year old Italian Camila Giorgi in a 3 setter, upsetting the Saturdays of many, as she was a potent Semi-Finalist and a threat as well. Another interesting Quarter Finalist to mention of would be the seeded-players Assassin, Flavia Pennetta. The Italian who had hugely upset Errani at the doors to Round 4, now swished past 2004 Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in 7-5, 6-1 to now take aim on Simona Halep seeded 21 (I shouldn’t mention how careful she needs to be!). Another in that creed would be the American Alison Riske, who eliminated 28th seeded Barthel and 4th seeded Kvitova enroute to the Quarter-Finals with the Glushko diffuser Daniela Hantuchova. Glushko who had impressed and upset the stands taking out Nadia Petrova and Vickery in the 1st and 2nd rounds, respectively gave in to the Russian in a close and brilliant 3-setter.
Azarenka fumbled, she fumbled bad, struggled throughout her match against the French woman Alize Cornet. She could convert only 4 out of the 18 break points that emerged in the game, evident in itself of the not so good form the 2nd seed was perpetuating. Losing out on a mini break in the tie breaker the first set, she, however, resolved her issues and found her sync back with 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. She would face the brilliant Anna Ivanovic who came out of another nail biter against Christina McHale of the USA. She looked all battered and torn, out-of form after the first set where she tripped 4-6. However in the middle and last stanzas she found the tune right, winning 7-5, 6-4. The two other battles being fought on the same turf and front would be between No. 3 Agnieska Radwanska vs. Ekaterina Makarova and No. 8 Angelique Kerber vs. No. 18 Carla Suarez Navarro.

The contest in the men’s group is as hefty as it can get, while 8 matches of Round 3 will be live today. Defending Champion, Andy Murray will be taking on Florian Mayer after defeating Leonardo Mayer in a surprise hitch of 4 sets. He was juxtaposed in the 3rd set due to a penetrating series of unforced errors but sealed the game 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 towards the end. Tim Smyzek and Andreas Seppi would be the others to find themselves play for entering into Round 4. And Marcus Baghdatis who showed top game against the 18th seed Kevin Anderson and surfed over in straight sets would now face the peril of 9th seed Wawrinka to go to the fourth round. Ferrer and Tipsarevic survived good games with Kukushkin and Jack Sock of USA, respectively to enter the round of 16, and face each other tomorrow for qualifying into the Quarters. Richard Gasquet set up a clash with the impressive 10th seed Raonic, after Tursunov retired in the 4th set. Rafael Nadal continues to stomp the hard courts, taking off Dodig in a mild 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, the Spaniard clashes with Philipp Kohlschreiber who tearfully ended the saga for the American John Isner in gruelling 4 sets. An assured encounter of Rafa and Federer is possible in the quarters on the 4th Monday 2013, if both happen to win their matches.