This is what happens in Flushing Meadows when day meets night — chaos. Figures James Blake was a party to the marathon day card that did not conclude until 8:10 p.m. with his lengthy four-set win over Olivier Rochus.
The Blake match forced most of the 20,000 night patrons to loiter patiently outside the Ashe Stadium for nearly two hours. Night-card ticketholders started filing into the stadium at 8:30 p.m. and the opening night match between Maria Sharapova and Kristina McHale of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., — scheduled for 7 p.m. — did not begin till 8:50.
Nevertheless, thousands of fans still were squeezing into the stadium during the first three games because of the backlog.
The day card’s first two matches — two women’s upsets specials, both went three sets and nearly three hours as Melanie Oudin stunned No. 4 Elena Dementieva and No. 5 Jelena Jankovic got bounced by Yaroslava Shvedova.
Blake, the dean of five-set matches, didn’t take the court until nearly 5 p.m. — usually the day card is finished at that time.
Blake wouldn’t take the blame for the delay.
“Hey, that three-set women’s match [Oudin’s] was probably longer than my four-set match,” said Blake. Indeed, the Oudin victory lasted one minute longer — 2:45 to 2:44. (Jankovic’s loss was 2:40).
After Blake lost the second set, it appeared he was careening to another Open five-setter. But he prevailed 8-6 in the third-set tiebreaker, saving three set points after being down 6-3. Then the Yonkers product broke Olivier Rochus and hung on for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 victory.
The final two sets played to a rowdy crowd that had seen the sun blaze in the mid-afternoon, set at dusk and then disappear into darkness.
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It was a terrible 24 hours for Jankovic that got worse at the U.S. Open. Her grandmother died late Wednesday night, and then she lost 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) to Shvedova in the second round.
“My grandmother died, and I was very close to her,” Jankovic said. “I was very sad and emotionally I was really not on the court.”
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It was good day overall for the unsung American men.
Blake, on the downside of his career, John Isner, Sam Querrey and Jesse Witten won their second-round matches.
“Those young guys are hungry,” Blake said.
Isner, the 6-foot-9 serving monster who wears a Packers hat and T-shirt to press conferences, beat Marsel Ilhan 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. Witten took out Maximo Gonzalez 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 and 22nd seed Querrey, the best of the up-and-coming trio, beat fellow American Kevin Kim 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.
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The Williams sisters doubles team will be odds on favorites, if they stay healthy.
Venus and Serena won their opening doubles match 6-2, 6-2 over Julia Goerges and Arantxa Parra Santonja, despite Venus playing with a sore knee.
“I actually felt pretty good today, Venus said. “I’m going to definitely be in both events.”
