Easy does it for Juan Martin del Potro as Dominic Thiem manages to stay alive
Juan Martin del Potro brushed aside Denis Kudla to reach the third round of the US Open, but Dominic Thiem had to go the distance to stay in the tournament.
The third-seeded Del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner, broke in the opening game of the match as he dominated the opening two sets.
American Kudla did put up a fight in the third set as he took it to the tie-breaker, but the Argentine had his nose in front from the start with a mini break and then closed it out to claim a 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win.
🇦🇷💪🎾@delpotrojuan defeats Kudla 6-3 6-1, 7-6 to advance to R3!
Next up: the winner of Murray/Verdasco.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/4CRaKXHXjd
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2018
Del Potro will face Fernando Verdasco, who beat Andy Murray, in the third round.
Dominic Thiem came through a three-hour, five-set battle against Steve Johnson, winning 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
.@ThiemDomi 🇦🇹 wins an epic five setter 6-7(5), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 to move onto R3 of the #USOpen.https://t.co/avq8PYh2z2 pic.twitter.com/F8X8qJ29Kn
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2018
The ninth-seeded Thiem will take on Taylor Fritz next after the American advanced when Jason Kubler retired while 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 down.
Meanwhile, 2017 finalist Kevin Anderson required only three sets to see off Jeremy Jardy with the fifth-seeded South African winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
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Comment: Brilliantly unpredictable WTA proving that tennis needs neither rankings nor seeds
