NEW YORK -- He watched on television for a couple of hours, then like much of America went to bed. Sam Querrey stayed with Andy Roddick as long as he could, two sets, but it was past midnight, and Querrey had to think of his own match, just hours away.
|
|
| Sam Querrey is currently ranked 55th in the world. (Getty Images) |
Probably not for long. Then again ...
This U.S. Open has been a virtual unveiling for the 20-year-old Querrey, who Saturday, in the third round, upset No. 14 seed Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Querrey also upset No. 22-seed Tomas Berdych in the first round.
The kid with the expectations suddenly is the kid meeting them.
The problem is, having made it to the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, Querrey will meet the world's best player and the Open's No. 1 seed, Rafael Nadal.
They played once before, two years ago, August 2006 at Cincinnati, in one of Querrey's first matches after he gave up a chance for a tennis scholarship at Southern California and at the last moment turned professional.
"Won the first set," said Querrey who grew up in the Los Angeles of Thousand Oaks. "That was so cool."
Nadal, of course, won the match, 6-7, 2-6, 3-6, as Saturday at the Open he won another match, defeating Viktor Troicki, 6-4, 6-3, 6-0.
Although at age 18, Querrey, a realist, had priorities other than a victory.
"Like the main thing I remember," Querrey said with a chuckle, "I was playing at 2 o'clock, and I knew ESPN went on the air at 3. I wanted to make it to 3 to get some ESPN time, which I did."
What he got Saturday was plenty of CBS time. His match started around 11 a.m. on the Louis Armstrong Stadium Court, the same hour Venus Williams was to play Alona Bondarenko on the Ashe Stadium court.
