DAY 8/ ROUND 4
AMERICANS STILL IN THE DRAW
[1] Serena Williams (USA) defeated [16] Barbora Strycova (CZE) 7-5, 6-4. This was not a good performance from Serena; she seemed out of sorts perhaps because of the early start. Whatever her reasons, it made me think of the match she lost to Roberta Vinci. Her habit of failing to serve out the set or match is a bad one she seems to be developing, which is probably the result of her internal stress level. Her path is still littered with obstacles and after all the recent upsets, she needs to be more alert. Serena’s victory made it three American women into the quarterfinals.
[3] B & M Bryan (USA) def. Brian Baker (USA)/N. Mektic (CRO) 6-3, 7-6(11). The brothers have not dropped a set yet and this match was the most resistance they’ve faced all tournament. They will play [9] Dodig/Granollers in the quarterfinals.
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) defeated Jennifer Brady (USA) 6-4, 6-2 and ended her Cinderella story in the round of sixteen.
[2] Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)/L. Safarova (CZE) def. T. Babos /A. Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-3, 6-4
INTERESTING SEEDED MATCHES
[3] Milos Raonic (CAN) def. [13] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
[5] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) def. [22] Daria Gavrilova (AUS) 6-3, 6-3
[9] Rafael Nadal (ESP) defeated [6] Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. He stumbled in the third. After failing to convert on a number of break points to take control, he was immediately broken by Monfils. That was a sign that Nadal is still not at his dominant best. The fourth set was a tussle and this is where Nadal’s determination gained him the victory. Milos Raonic is his next opponent. Raonic just beat him recently on hard court, so that may motivate Nadal a bit. Can Nadal get to the semifinals?
[9] Johanna Konta (GBR) defeated [30] Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-1, 6-4. She crushed her in the first set but had to work harder in set two to close it out. Makarova had the break and a 4-1 lead; however, a lack of belief and she lost the match in straight sets. Konta will play S. Williams next and that will be another tough test for the 2016 finalist. She is serving better than Williams and that may give her an advantage. Can she upset Serena?
[15] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) denied Denis Istomin (UZB) another upset when he defeated him 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-1.
SOURCE OF IMAGE: Zimbio
