This year’s final Grand Slam tournament, the 2013 US Open, finally kicked off on Monday, August 26th. VCORE Tour players Sabine Lisicki (VCORE Tour 97, PTGSPN) and Bernard Tomic (VCORE Tour 97) got off to good starts with victories in their opening matches.
No. 16 seed Sabine, who was a finalist at Wimbledon last month, faced Vera Dushevina of Russia. In the first set, she overpowered her opponent 6-2 with aggressive tennis, winning 86% of her first-serve points and setting up nine break points, firing off two service aces and ten winners. The second set was much closer, lasting into a tiebreak. Sabine played persistently to keep her service games against her opponent’s five break chances, and eventually overcame the Russian player with twenty winners to win her opener in straight sets [6-2, 7-6(3)].
Bernard, a 20-year-old Australian, took on Spain’s Albert Ramos in the first round. The match seesawed between the two players. After taking the first set, Bernard lost the next two sets in a row, but he showed his fighting spirit in the fourth to even up the score. The young Australian retained his concentration in the final set, to prevail in a tough battle with a 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 score line.
Along with Sabine and Bernard, a local player – Coco Vandeweghe (EZONE Xi 98), who advanced through the qualifying round last week – faced Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and notched up her second victory at the US Open since 2011.
Tournament Results [Day 1]
Men’s Singles [1st Round]
Bernard Tomic (VCORE Tour 97)(AUS) def. Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-3 3-6 4-6 7-6(1) 6-3
[4]David Ferrer (ESP) def. Nick Kyrgios (EZONE Xi 98)(AUS) 7-5 6-3 6-2
Women’s Singles [1st Round]
[8]Angelique Kerber (VCORE Xi 100)(GER) def. Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-1 6-1
[16]Sabine Lisicki (VCORE Tour 97, PTGSPN)(GER) def. Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-2 7-6(3)
Zheng Jie (EZONE Xi 98, PTGSPN)(CHN) def. Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-1 6-3
Coco Vandeweghe (EZONE Xi 98)(USA) def. Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-4 7-6(5)
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) def. Kimiko Date-Krumm (S-FIT, PTGSPN)(JPN) 6-3 7-6(7) *Sabine’s picture was taken at the US Open 2012. Bernard’s picture was taken at the Wimbledon 2013.