Ivo Karlović beat Donald Young 6-4, 7-6, 6-4, and Ana Konjuh defeated Kurumi Nara 6-3, 6-3
It was a perfect day for the Croatian tennis at US Open on September 1. 2016, as both Croatian players in action won their second round matches. Ana Konjuh was first to hit the court and beat Japanese player Kurumi Nara in straight sets after one hour and twenty minutes of play.
She dominated the play throughout the match, breaking the opponent’s serve in four games, losing her serve only once. Ana will play American Varvara Lepchenko to reach her first 1/8 finals of the US Open ever.
Ivo Karlović had no time to blast more than 24 aces in his match versus Donald Young, as he managed to beat him in straight sets.
A pair of backhand errors gave Karlović an early break to lead 2-1 in the opening set, and the slight advantage was all he needed. He staved off both break points against him at 4-3 and put together a routine hold in his next service game to take the opening set.
Although Young was able to block more of Karlović’s returns in the second set, the pressure to convert on those chances resulted in several routine misses. The pair traded service holds to force a tiebreak, but Young gave a mini-break advantage to the Croat when he sent a backhand long. Karlović won the final two points of the tiebreak to take a commanding two-set lead.
The third set was also decided by a single break, with Karlović breaking the American up 5-4 to wrap up the win just before midnight. He finished the night with 52 winners and 45 unforced errors.
This is Doctor Ivo’s sixteenth appearance at the US Open, but he is yet to reach the second week of the American Grand Slam tournament. In the third round, he will play yet another American player, qualifier Jared Donaldson, and Karlović is surely to be considered the favorite for the win.
