01/09/2010 09:26 CEST - US Open
Groth and Molik suffer early exits
Australian Jarmila Groth fell to former champion Maria Sharapova in three sets in the opening round of the US Open on Tuesday while compatriot Alicia Molik bowed out to former teenage prodigy Mirjana Lucic. Vanessa Skendaris
The 60th-ranked Groth took the former world No.1 to three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in an hour and 57 minutes in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.
After making a strong start against the 14th seed, Groth began to struggle with her serve in the second set. Sharapova was gifted the set when Groth served her ninth double fault for the match.
In the deciding set, Sharapova took control and capitalised on Groth’s mounting double fault and error count. The 23-year-old Australian hit 16 unforced errors in the third set to Sharapova’s three.
Groth handed the Russian a crucial break with another double fault for a 3-1 lead.
Sharapova gained a second break in the sixth game en route to booking a place in the second round where she will meet Czech Iveta Benesova.
“She came out firing; didn’t give me many opportunities,” said Sharapova post-match. “You just want to hang in there, get through it.”
Fellow Australian Alicia Molik was knocked out in straight sets by the 153rd-ranked Croatian qualifier 7-6(5), 6-1 earlier in the day.
Molik, currently No.90, held a 5-2 lead in the opening set before the 28-year-old Lucic bounced back to clinch the set in a tiebreaker.
The Croatian proved too strong for Molik in the second set needing just 27 minutes to secure her first US Open main-draw win in 11 years..
"I've worked so hard to get here. It's my first US Open in, I don't know, seven years or something... it feels incredible," said Lucic.
Lucic now faces a tough assignment against No.4 seed Jelena Jankovic. The Serbian was forced to work hard by 18-year-old Simona Halep of Romania edging past the teenager in a tight 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win.
Down 4-5 in the third set, the 2008 US Open finalist saved two match points and broke her unseeded opponent’s serve to avoid a huge upset on day two.
Other seeds to progress to the second round were Vera Zvonareva (7), Agnieska Radwanska (9), Svetlana Kuznetsova (11), Yanina Wickmayer (15) and Aravene Rezai (18). No.8 seed Li Na was also upset by Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Vanessa Skendaris
"It was nice, I mean, except that 99.9 percent of the people were against me."
Sergiy Stakhovsky, on the atmosphere for his match on the Grandstand against Ryan Harrison.
September the 4th, 1959
Sixteen-year-old Arthur Ashe makes his debut at the U.S. Championships and loses to 21-year-old Rod Laver, 6-2 7-5 6-2, in the first round.
From "On this day in Tennis History" by Randy Walker
