Querrey advances to 4th round

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Sam Querrey wants to put the “U.S.” back in the U.S. Open.

It’s been seven years since a man from the United States won the country’s most important tennis tournament. Indeed, it’s been that long since an American man won any Grand Slam singles title.

Querrey is all-too-aware of such statistics — and the chatter about such droughts. Cheered on by a boisterous, partisan crowd, the 20th-seeded Querrey beat 14th-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 Sunday to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the second time in three years.

“The average sports fan watches the Grand Slams, and they watch on Saturday and Sunday and the semis and the finals,” said the 22-year-old Querrey, the youngest man left in the field. “That’s what we need to do: We need to get some guys there.”

Of 15 Americans that entered the tournament, there are two who are still around for the fourth round — Querrey and No. 19 Mardy Fish — after No. 18 John Isner lost to No. 12 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (5), 6-4 despite hitting 33 aces Sunday night.

There is only one American woman left, and it’s seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, who struggled with her serve and kept yanking at the hemline of her red, sequin-dotted dress but eventually solved 16th-seeded Shahar Peer 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals in New York for the 10th time.

Williams was the last woman to win the U.S. Open two years in a row, in 2000 and 2001, and defending champion Kim Clijsters is trying to match that feat.