NEW YORK, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Gasps briefly reverberated around Flushing Meadows on Saturday as Roger Federer lost his first set at this year’s U.S. Open while Novak Djokovic rubbed his eyes in disbelief as he was almost pulled apart by an American nomad.
Five-times champion Federer came into the match riding on a 13-match winning streak against Lleyton Hewitt but had to snap himself out of a lull to carve out a 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-4 third-round win over the former Australian world number one.
Djokovic came face-to-face with a player who had never won a tour match before this week but American Jessie Witten battled for almost 3-1/2 hours before succumbing 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-4.
“I have never seen him play, and then suddenly he comes up with those shots from the baseline and then returns. It was unbelievable,” said the Serbian fourth seed.
While Witten had no choice but to accept his near-miss, American teenager Melanie Oudin’s giant-killing run showed no sign of slowing down as she followed up her win over fourth seed Elena Dementieva by shunting aside 2006 champion Maria Sharapova 3-6 6-4 7-5.
Sealing the three-hour triumph by blasting a forehand winner, a wide-eyed Oudin dropped her racket and held her head as 23,000 hollering fans leapt to their feet to give her a standing ovation.
“I just kept fighting as hard as I could. I tried as hard as I could. I can’t believe it,” the 70th-ranked Oudin gasped in a courtside interview as she tried to blink back tears.
A misfiring Sharapova, seeded 29th, turned into her own worst enemy as she slammed down a jaw-dropping 21 double faults, handing her opponent more than five games in free points.
As the women’s draw continued to be decimated, Federer and Djokovic’s victories kept up the impressive run by the top men this week when for the first time at a grand slam all 16 top seeds reached at least the third round.
Federer and Hewitt are two of just three fathers ranked in world’s top 50 and it was the Swiss who was caught napping in the opening set, leading John McEnroe to quip: “Looks like he slept in the same room as the (six-week-old) twins last night.”
INSPIRED DISPLAY
But the scorching conditions on Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Hewitt’s inspired display, soon woke up top seed Federer.
After spraying 23 unforced errors to lose the first set, a free-flowing Federer found his footing – except for a freakish fall midway through the third set.
Charging towards the net, Federer’s right ankle buckled under him and he tumbled over on to his hands and knees. After crawling forward a couple of steps, a grinning Federer got back up on his feet and held up his hand as if to say: “I may be down but I’m certainly not out.”
It was not long before Hewitt’s role turned into that of an admiring spectator as the world number one flashed and flicked away an array of spell-binding winners to seal victory.
“You can’t really play the style of tennis that you want to play out there. That’s the hard thing,” 2001 champion Hewitt, who converted only three of 14 break points, told reporters.
“When he is able to play the way he wants to play and dictate terms, he’s going to be very tough to beat.”
Federer, holder of a record 15 grand slam titles, added: “With a great streak I have against him, I knew that if I get back into the match then I could get back on a roll because I’ve had it so many times against him.”
