Tsonga vence Nedovyesov e avança à 3ª rodada

Campeão do Masters 1000 de Toronto, no Canadá, derrotando nomes como Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray e Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga se classificou, na tarde desta quinta-feira, para a terceira rodada do US Open, o Aberto dos estados Unidos, sem se assustar.

O número 10 do ranking não teve muito trabalho para eliminar o cazaque Aleksandr Nedovyesov, 107º colocado, por 6/3 6/4 6/4 após 1h47min. Tsonga foi quebrado uma vez no encontro, no primeiro set, e salvou outras três chances do rival no segundo. 

O francês, que tem as quartas como melhor resultado em Nova York, em 2011, encara o espanhol Pablo Carreno-Busta, 74º, que fez 6/1 6/4 3/6 6/3 diante do francês Benoit Paire. Será o primeiro embate entre os dois. 

O americano de 2,08m, John Isner, 15º colocado, aplicou 30 aces na vitória diante do alemão Jan-Lenard struff por 7/6 (7/5) 6/4 6/2 e encara o alemão Philipp Kohlschreiber, 25º, que venceu o primeiro set por 6/2 e viu o francês Michael LLodra abandonar com problemas físicos. The 29-year-old, who climbed back into the Top 10 earlier this month, was simply too much for Nedovyesov, a 6-foot-4 baseliner who played collegiate ball at Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time All-American and ITA Player of the Year. But Flushing Meadows is a long way from Stillwater, Okla., both literally and figuratively, and Tsonga plays at a different level than the competition he faced in the Big 12 Conference. “I’m playing well. I’m in good shape,” said Tsonga. “I made the commitment to be here at this level. I hope I can still keep playing like this. It’s a long way to the trophy, so I’ll just take one match at a time.” Tsonga, the No. 9 seed, consolidated a break to go up 5-2 in the first set and stepped up to serve it out two games later. Nedovyesov won just 13 of 26 points on his serve in the opening set, to go along with 12 unforced errors. Tsonga would see eight break-point opportunities on the day, converting four of them, including a break at 1-1 in the second set. He would capitalize on another at 2-2 in the third — all he would need against Nedovyesov, who reached a career-high No. 72 in April, but he has since fallen outside the Top 100. Tsonga served out the match at love in one hour, 47 minutes. Tsonga hits what is perhaps the heaviest ball on the tour, but he flashed some net game on Thursday, too, winning 24 of 29 net approaches. He also out-aced his Ukrainian-born opponent, 13-2. Injuries have certainly been a factor over the years, but even when healthy, Tsonga hasn’t always played his best tennis in Flushing Meadows, where he’s only once reached the quarterfinals (2011). Who knows? This just may be the year he turns things around.