Fish Races Into Second Round; Falla Ousts Troicki

© Getty ImagesMardy Fish steadied after dropping serve in the opening game.

After dropping serve in the opening game, Mardy Fish produced a strong performance in his first US Open appearance as American No. 1, defeating German Tobias Kamke 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Fish, who won the Olympus US Open Series in the lead up to the Open and is in line for a $2.8 million payday should he win the title, converted seven of eight break points on Kamke’s serve and dropped just six points on his first serve. In the second round Fish will play qualifier Malek Jaziri, who became the first Tunisian man to win a Grand Slam main draw match as he defeated Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Fish said that he was delighted to play the first match of the tournament on Arthur Ashe stadium. “It's an honour to be able to start the tournament off on that court. It's just an amazing court. I was surprised when they canceled that first match, so my match was right on at 1:00. Tennis players love knowing exactly when they play.”

The No. 8 seed said that he was relaxed coming into the match following an easy day Sunday, when the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre was in lockdown as Huricane Irene buffeted New York City. “No one did anything yesterday, really. To be honest, it was pretty nice.  I mean, you've never had an easier Sunday before a Slam. We just stayed in the room and did a little treatment. I went to the gym and rode the bike. Nothing strenuous at all. It was great.”

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Ivo Karlovic fired 23 aces and dropped just eight points on his first serve in a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez. The Croatian will next play French No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet, who broke serve six times as he cruised past Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and 53 minutes. The 25-year-old Gasquet has reached the fourth round in New York three times.

World No. 119 Alejandro Falla won a main draw match at the US Open for just the second time as he saved three match points to oust Serbian No. 15 seed Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. Troicki had led 4-2 in the fourth set and held three match points in the 10th game before Falla fought back to clinch victory in three hours and 40 minutes.

The 27-year-old Falla has won only nine tour-level matches this season, but nearly half of those victories have come at Grand Slam events, with the Colombian qualifying into Roland Garros and going on to reach the fourth round (l. to Chela). He goes on to face former World No. 2 Tommy Haas, who claimed his third win of an injury-restricted season by defeating French qualifier Jonathan Dasnieres De Veigy 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1. The German veteran has reached the US Open quarter-finals three times.