US Open Day 6 round-up: Federer, Murray coast through in straight sets, Bouchard withdraws

The action continued at Flushing Meadows on day 6 of the US Open with several of the day's victories coming in straight sets, and illness plaguing a number of players.

Gentlemen’s action

Federer beat Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets

2nd seed Roger Federer was up against 29th – ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber and as expected, beat the German in straight sets. He took the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Each of Federer’s previous victories – his first round defeat of Argentinian Leonardo Mayer and second round romp over Steve Darcis of Belgium took 3 sets, meaning the Swiss Maestro has won each one of the 9 sets he has played at the US Open so far as he took his 3rd straight sets victory in a row.

The pair had met 9 times prior to this, with Federer taking victory in each of those meetings.

Inside of the first 10 minutes of the match, Federer was up 3-0 in the first set, winning the last of those games with a break. Through the first set, Kohlschreiber was unable to break Federer even once, which changed 3 games into the second set, when the German broke to equalise for 2-2. That was the first time the Swiss’ serve has been broken since Wimbledon earlier this year, where he reached the finals, losing out to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Federer was up 2 sets to none quickly into the match, with the balance shifting slightly in the third set as Kohlschreiber came back to rally against Federer, breaking him again. The German was two games up in the third set, but the Swiss leveled up and cleaned out the set 6-4.

He will next face American John Isner, who was pitted against Czech Jiri Vesely in his own round 3 match. Big-serving Isner was two sets up (6-4, 6-3) on Vesely when the Czech retired from the match, giving Isner the victory.

Isner and Federer have met 5 times already, with Federer’s win-loss at 4-1. The Swiss has won every match the two have played on hard surfaces, however, and this combined with his blistering form make it likely that he will take victory again.

Third seeded Andy Murray also took victory in straight sets, beating Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. He did not start as smoothly as he would have liked to, however, dropping his opening service game of the match.

The Scot, who won the Open in 2012, will next play South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who is currently World No. 14 and fresh off a victory over Dominic Thiem of Austria. The two have met 6 times before, with Murray taking 5 of those matches. The World No. 3 is far stronger on hard court than Anderson, so the odds appear to be in his favour.

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland beat Belgian Ruben Bemelmans in straight sets – 6–3, 7–6(5), 6–4, to book a spot with America’s Donald Young in the next round of the US Open. The pair have met at Flushing Meadows before, in 2011, when Young caused a major upset by beating the Swiss 6(7), 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(1).

Czech Tomas Berdych beat Guillermo García-Lopez in a match that saw a first and second set tie-break, taking victory in just under three and a half hours. Berdych won 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, 6-3. Berdych will next take on Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Richard Gasquet of France played Bernard Tomic of Australia, beating the 22-year-old in straight sets. He won 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. The Frenchman’s strong one-handed backhand is appreciated by players and tennis enthusiasts alike, and it was instrumental in his demolition of the youngster. Gasquet did not face a single break point in the entire match, hitting 43 winners to Tomic’s 23.

In a heartwarming display of sportsmanship, the young Australian, awed by Gasquet’s class on court, led a standing ovation for his competitor and applauded him. He then ran to the net, fist-bumping the Frenchman in celebration.

The match lasted just under half an hour, and Gasquet now joins compatriots Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Jeremy Chardy and Benoit Paire in the round of 16.

Top women cruise through

Simona Halep of Romania beat American Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-3

2nd seed Simona Halep made short work of American rival Shelby Rogers, committing only 9 unforced errors and finishing the match 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour. She is now up to play 24th ranked Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the round of 16.

Sabine Lisicki beat her competitor Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 6–4, 4–6, 7–5, but it was not an easy win, with the German pulling things from the brink as Strycova had two opportunities to serve for the match.

Petra Kvitova, seeded fifth at the Open, dispatched Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-1, coming back from a long-term recovery from mononucleosis, or the ‘kissing disease’.

US Open revelation Johanna Konta of Britain, who upset 9th seed Garbine Muguruza in her round 2 match at the US Open, continues a fine run of form, beating 18th seeded Andrea Petkovic 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. She has now become the first ever British qualifier to progress to the round of 16 at the tournament.

In sickness and in health

‘Genie’ Bouchard has withdrawn from the mixed and women's doubles following a locker room injury

Several players have seemed ill this tournament, with Germany’s Andrea Petkovic saying that a ‘cold had grabbed’ many of the players.

Canadian sensation Eugenie Bouchard, who was due to play Italy’s Roberta Vinci at the women’s singles and partner Nick Kyrgios at the doubles to play the mixed doubles pair of Leander Paes and Martina Hingis, has withdrawn from the tournament with a head injury. The 21-year-old apparently fell in the locker rooms at the US Open, and the injury has left her unable to continue.

Genie, as she is popularly known, partnered Elena Vesnina of Russia at the women’s doubles, with the pair taking their first round match against the American-German pair of Madison Brengle and Tatjana Maria 7-5, 6-2. They were due to play the All-American pair of Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones in round 2.