Sport

Stars combust in US

From Eleanor Crooks in New York

THE US Open lost two of tennis' rising stars in the first round as Grigor Dimitrov and Jerzy Janowicz were sent packing yesterday. Dimitrov, the 25th seed, is yet to

live up to his talent, with some standout victories accompanied by baffling losses.

This fell into the latter category, with the 22-year-old Bulgarian going down 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to world number 95 Joao Sousa.

Dimitrov, whose best performance in a grand slam is a third round appearance at the French Open this year, twice fought back from a break down in the fourth set, but was outplayed in the decider.

Janowicz's 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Argentinian Maximo Gonzalez was even worse on paper, but he was hampered by a back injury that took away the power of his fearsome serve.

Janowicz called the trainer onto Court 13 during the second set and, although he recovered from 4-1 to 4-4, there was no way back.

The 14th seed would have hoped to do damage here after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and his exit along with that of Ernests Gulbis yesterday makes a wide open third section of the draw even more so.

Milos Raonic is also in that section and he must fancy his chances of going a long way.

The Canadian 10th seed, who reached the Masters series final in Montreal earlier this month, beat Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.

Asked if he feels he is ready to challenge at a grand slam, he said: "I think I can put myself in that position.

"I just have to make the opportunities and convert them. I think if I play well, I can get very close if not do it.

"It's still a long way to go, a very long way."

Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova went the distance again as she moved into the second round of the Open with victory over Japan's Misaki Doi on Arthur Ashe.

The seventh seed plays a remarkable number of three-setters and a second-set lapse cost her again here, although she recovered well in the decider to defeat Doi 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, has been consistent only in her inconsistency this season and yesterday's win was a fifth three-setter out of her last six victories.

The Czech next meets Serbian Bojana Jovanovski, who put out Germany's Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-4.

Ana Ivanovic was the first winner of the day, the 13th seed thrashing Anna Tatishvili 6-2, 6-0 in just 58 minutes.

Ivanovic split from British coach Nigel Sears after Wimbledon and is now working with Serbian pair Nemanja Kontic and Zlatko Novkovic and Sven Groeneveld through her sponsors, adidas.

The former world number one had enjoyed good preparation for the US Open until a first round defeat by Alize Cornet in Cincinnati.

Ivanovic said: "I've been playing really well and I had a few tough losses.

"It's obviously hard, more so emotionally than anything else. I'm very confident with my game.

"I know I did a very good preparation. I have a new team with me.

"Obviously, it takes time to get comfortable, to get things to work smoothly. I'm very happy at the way everything is."

There were also comfortable wins for Maria Kirilenko and Roberta Vinci.

Andy Murray will begin his campaign today when he takes on Frenchman Michael Llodra.

Murray has achieved a lot of firsts over the past 13 months - an Olympic gold medal, a first grand slam title here last year and a first Wimbledon crown last month.

But another first arrives in New York with the challenge of trying to hang on to a slam title.

Murray said: "Everyone is motivated by different things.

"My whole career for four, five, six years, it was about winning grand slams. That was what gave me the motivation to train.

"When I did lose in a grand slam, that was what was most disappointing for me.

"I could win a Masters series event and the first question I would get asked when I came in [to the press conference] was, 'When are you going to win a grand slam?'

"It wasn't, 'When are you going to get to number one?'