 |
|
 |
|
|
||||||
|
|
Ginepri: It's in the cards Querrey bounced by Gaudio in second round
FROM THE US OPEN – When Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri sit down at the poker table it can be a dog-eat-dog affair. The competition is fierce. Roddick and Fish are bluffers. Ivy Leaguer Blake plays the percentages. And Ginepri? Well, he's all over the place. "You never know what's going to come with me," said Ginepri. The same might be said for his six-year career on the ATP Tour. Ever since the Georgia Peach first entered the scene in 2001, he's been a bit hit and miss. But Flushing Meadows appears to be one spot where Ginepri holds all the cards. In 2005, the 23-year-old registered three consecutive five-set victories en route to the US Open semis. Only Andre Agassi kept him from reaching his first-ever Slam final. And with wins over Frenchman Jilien Benneteau (3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and fellow American Paul Goldstein (6-2, 6-4, 6-4) thus far in 2006, Ginepri suddenly finds himself in familiar territory in Flushing Meadows. Could we be in for another run toward the final? "That would be nice to see," said Ginepri, who totaled six aces and 51 winners in his decision over Goldstein. "I would definitely take that again." His '05 Flushing run behind him, Ginepri got off to a sluggish start this year. He came into the summer hard-court campaign mired in a 6-18 slump, his best Slam result a second-round showing at the Australian Open. While fellow countryman James Blake was cracking the Top 10, and youngbloods like Sam Querrey were stepping into the spotlight, Ginepri seemed an afterthought. By July, he'd become so desperate he tried hypnosis. It wasn't until he hit Indianapolis, where he was the defending champion, that he found the patience to let his hard-court game fly. He reached the semis there (falling to pal A-Rod) and the quarters the following week in LA. And it's a wonder what a few wins will do for your confidence. "At the beginning of the year, I think I took weeks for granted," said Ginepri, who, after a year-plus association with Francisco Montana is now working with Diego Ayala. "I don't have any points, so if I don't win, it's not a big deal - I'm not going to drop or move up. Now I kind of have my back against the wall and I'm really going after it again." "I wasn't sure how to play tennis at the beginning of the year," he added. "When I stepped out on court, I didn't know how I was going to win my points, how I was going to structure each point. Now I go out there and have a purpose with every point and every match. It's taken a while to get back to where I am right now, but I'm comfortable where I am." Ginepri will next face Germany's Tommy Haas, who advanced to the third round with a straight-set, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Raemon Sluiter. Querrey bounced by Gaudio
in second round "I think I could have won," said the nonplussed Querrey, who, after claiming two Challenger titles in June, has failed to advance beyond the second round of an ATP event. "Mentally, I kind of lost it a little bit. Gaston's not known for a big serve. But on his first two service games in the second set, he held at love. That really bugged me. I wasn't making him work on his service games at all. I started to get frustrated." Despite the loss, there were no deer-in-the-headlights moments for Querrey, who, as America's top up-and-comer (he's now No. 174), seems to have settled in comfortably in his new life on the pro circuit. "I'm kind of used to it now because I played the whole summer," he said. "I've gotten wildcards, I've been on center court, so I'm kind of used to the big stage now."
|
|
Home | Commentary | The
Scoop | Newsletters | Q&A | Forum | Archives | Links | About
TR | Contact TR TennisReporters.net
encourages e-mail comments on our stories.
Any e-mail sent to feedback@tennisreporters.net
|
