US Open Day 2 - a slight Querrey

If Day 1 could be described as being entertaining and profitable, Day 2 started out in the exact opposite fashion.

After much deliberation over the many interesting looking match-ups on offer, I for some bizarre reason, decided upon Ivo Karlovic v Arnaud Clement as my first match of choice, out on ‘lucky’ court 11.

Four tedious hours later, I was put out of my misery and into profit, having layed Karlovic in a single and multiple, but I was left musing about what better I could have put those fours hours to? Creosoting the shed was one offer from the forums, which was apposite.

The sole point of entertainment in the match was when Clement returned one of Ivo’s bombs by bending down into a squat and wafting the ball from off his nose and back at the feet of a stunned Karlovic, who fluffed the volley. That was in the first set – enough said.

Karlo is one of those players about whom everything is dull. The all white clothing, the lack of emotion, the deliberate, slouched gait and the one-dimensional game – awful viewing, other than some great returns and passes from Clement.

I was spent and the day got worse when I switched to Grandstand and watched in horror as the second part of my double went down without a whimper. Sam Querrey, hang your head in shame for a disgraceful effort in a straight sets stuffing by of all people, Stefan Koubek!

This is Querrey’s home slam and he was in great form coming into this event, so to go down 7-6, 6-1, 6-1 was pathetic; even the crowd on Grandstand were stunned into silence by his gutless display against a journeyman whose best effort in eight starts is a 3rd round appearance. Not that I lost much money on it of course.

It comes to something when you have to rely on Marcos Baghdatis’ cafeteria buddy, David Nalbandian for entertainment, but this is what I was reduced to and the slimline Argentine didn’t disappoint.

He was facing Ivan Navarro Pastor – the hairiest man to take to the courts since Pete Sampras retired and the crowd were behind the Spaniard from the start, for reasons best known to themselves.

Nalbandian annoyed the spectators by walloping a ball at a ball boy after twice double faulting and then attempting to use hawkeye on a court that doesn’t have it on a ball that was clearly inches out. They don’t approve of that sort of thing in NY – unless you’re a New Yorker of course.

The Spaniard’s number was pretty much up from the first set when he twice had the trainer performing a painful looking piece of physio on him and perhaps it was his bravery that endeared him to the crowd. Whatever, they were all-in for Navarro Pastor and he started to milk it in the third set breaker, but the theatrics merely produced a double fault from him and the end of a competitive encounter was nigh.

Meanwhile on Arthur Ashe, Maria Sharapova turned up in her red sequined evening dress for her match with Roberta Vinci. She obviously didn’t intend hanging around long en route to her night’s social activities and so it proved – Sharapova almost winning by way of the dreaded double bagel, 6-0, 6-1.

This was a mismatch of epic proportions and Vinci must have wished she was out on court 15, away from the spotlight, as Sharapova ruthlessly took the diminutive Italian apart.

Vinci came out with the Mick Channon reverse windmill arm celebration after avoiding the double bagel, but the joy was short lived.

Finally, the day ended as it had begun – with a bit of big-serving tedium and A-Rod didn’t disappoint with his usual one-dimensional display. The clueless Roddick almost lost the first set to Justin Gimelstob and after a set of that and the sight of Jimmy Connors’ awful white suit, I called it a night.

So, after a great Day 1, a terrible Day 2 followed and it's all thanks to you Sam Querrey - I'll remember you for this one, son!