Second-seeded Roger Federer breezed through his match at steamy Flushing Meadows on Thursday, defeating Germany's Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in Arthur Ashe Stadium - a match that ended simultaneously with Kei Nishikori's upset win over No. 11 Marin Cilic over on Court 13.
But they didn't start at the same time.
Federer needed 1 hour, 41 minutes, while Nishikori's win in the 95-degree weather was a strength-sapping, cramp-inducing, injury break-filled marathon that took one minute short of five hours. Nishikori won the second-round match 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1. He was cramping through most of the match, especially when he was falling behind two sets to one.
Federer wasn't the only one to breeze. Before his match, Caroline Wozniacki, the top seed on the women's side, put a 6-0, 6-0 thumping on Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan.
No. 4 seed Jelena Jankovic defeated Mirjana Lucic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 for her second straight three-set victory. No. 7 Vera Zvonareva, No. 11 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 15 Yanina Wickmayer also advanced.
On the men's side, No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia lost 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to Richard Gasquet of France.
Canes' TV schedule set
Fox Sports Carolinas will carry 65 Carolina Hurricanes games this season, all in high definition, the team announced Thursday. The TV package will include 35 of the 41 road games.
John Forslund will continue to handle the play-by-play duties, and Tripp Tracy will provide game analysis. The network's coverage will begin for the Canes' Oct. 14 game at Ottawa and will continue with each of the team's seven remaining October games.
Following eight televised games in November, FSC will cover 10 of the Hurricanes' 12 games in December. A total of 41 of Carolina's final 46 regular-season games will be shown, including 19 of 20 road games and 30 of 32 games following NHL All-Star Weekend in Raleigh.
Fox Sports Carolinas carried 65 regular-season games last season. This will be the first year that all games are shown in high definition.
Sharks sign Niemi: The San Jose Sharks have signed the goalie who helped knock them out of the playoffs, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million deal with Antti Niemi.
Niemi stopped 129 of 136 shots in the Western Conference final to help the Chicago Blackhawks sweep the Sharks. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup behind Niemi but cut ties with the goalie because of salary cap concerns.
Niemi, 27, played all but one period of the Blackhawks' playoff run, going 16-6 with a 2.63 goals-against average, .910 saves percentage and two shutouts.
Team USA tops Tunisia
With nothing to play for, the United States looked as if it didn't want to play.
Outworked and outhustled, the Americans led winless Tunisia by only four points early in the third quarter before turning the basketball world championships game into a rout over the final 15 minutes of a 92-57 victory Thursday in Istanbul.
Eric Gordon scored 21 points for the U.S., which had already clinched first place in its group and was more interested in getting through this one healthy - which it didn't do - than earning any style points.
"It happens," center Lamar Odom said. "These teams are pumped up to play against us. You're not going to always blow a team out in the first three or four minutes of a game."
The U.S. (5-0), seeded first in Group B, next plays on Monday against Angola, the No. 4 seed from Group A.
Jackson named WNBA's top player: Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was selected the WNBA's most valuable player for the third time in her career on Thursday night.
Jackson was honored before Game 1 of Seattle's best-of-3 Western Conference final against defending champion Phoenix. Also, the Storm's Brian Agler was named the league's coach of the year.
Jackson, a 6-foot-5 forward from Australia, averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while helping the Storm to a 28-6 record - tying the record for the most wins in a season.
The Associated Press
Big weekend for RailHawks
The Carolina RailHawks begin a two-game weekend tonight at 7 as they host Crystal Palace Baltimore at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
This is the third meeting between Crystal Palace and the RailHawks this season. Baltimore won the most recent game, 2-1, in Maryland.
On Sunday at 6 p.m., the RailHawks host Pumas Morelos of Mexico. Mexican legend Claudio Suarez is set to play for the RailHawks.
From RailHawks News Release
