U.S. Open - Men: Nadal grinds down plucky Phau

Eurosport.yahoo.com - Tue, 26 Aug 06:39:00 2008
Top seed Rafael Nadal overcame a defiant display by German qualifier Bjorn Phau to launch his bid for a first US Open crown with a 7-6 6-3 7-6 win in the first round. Just eight days after clinching the Olympic men's singles title in Beijing, the 22-year-old Spaniard sealed a hard-fought victory after just under three hours on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
World number 136 Phau held his own in the opening set against the game's leading player before losing the tiebreak 7-4 but was swept aside in the second in 46 minutes. Nadal, this year's French Open and Wimbledon champion, surprisingly double-faulted when serving for the match at 5-4 in the third before winning the tie-break 7-4. The Spaniard has extended his win-loss record to a remarkable 71-8 this year, including eight titles and far more matches than any of his competitors have played. Although not playing at his best, Nadal paid tribute to the quality of Phau's game. "I think I helped him a little bit to play to this level but he's a good player and he played well today," he said.
Ninth-seeded American James Blake was pushed to five sets by compatriot Donald Young before completing a 6-1 3-6 6-1 4-6 6-4 victory. Blake looked poised to make quick work of Young, a first-round loser at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, leading two sets to one and up 2-0 in the fourth before the slender left-hander caught fire. Young battled Blake fiercely to level the set 2-2 in a marathon fourth game, breaking the 28-year-old's serve on his seventh break point and breaking again in the 10th game to force a fifth set.
Blake, twice an Open quarter-finalist, claimed the only service break of the final set in the ninth game, taking a 5-4 lead when the 102-ranked Young sailed a forehand long. He ended the two-hour, 48-minute slugfest on his second match point, when Young, playing his first career five-setter, netted a backhand.
Tenth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who helped Roger Federer fulfil his Olympic dream by winning the doubles crown in Beijing, beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 7-6 6-3 6-3. British sixth seed Andy Murray lived up to his billing as a title contender when he gave unlucky Argentine Sergio Roitman the run-around in a 6-3 6-4 6-0 mauling. Roitman's compatriot David Nalbandian enjoyed better fortune and overcame Brazilian Marcos Daniel 6-1 6-2 6-4.