Did Navarro win his US Open Tennis match?”
American Taylor Dent beat Spain’s Ivan Navarro 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (1), 7-5, 7-6 (9) to continue his inspiring comeback at the US Open. After 4 hours, five sets and a match he won’t soon forget, Dent grabbed the umpire’s microphone and thanked the raucous crowd. Dent won on his fourth match point, with a backhand return winner past Navarro that ended a tussle between a pair of serve-and-volleyers who played a lot of short points and high-risk, high-reward tennis. Ranked 195th and playing in his first US Open since 2005 after a long stint on the sidelines with a back problem, Dent next faces No. 2-ranked Andy Murray in the third round.
Ivan Navarro of Spain, lost his US Open second round match to Taylor Dent of Newport Beach, CA. What makes this early play story so interesting is Navarro’s opponent. Clearly the underdog entering the match, with a current single’s rank of 195, Dent seems to be on the same path as the fictional Peter Colt in the 2004 movie, Wimbledon . Just two years ago Dent underwent back surgery which was supposed to remove him from the roles of professional play, permanently. It didn’t. During play, Dent hit one serve with such decisiveness there was a seven minute delay. The ball slammed into the net at 138 mph, causing the strapping to break. But that was only one of the highlights served up. Both Dent and Navarro brought the crowd to its feet through most of the match by playing intense serve and volley tennis. Dent’s win came at the the end of a five set match with a backhand return on his fourth match point. His next opponent is number two in the world, Andy Murray.
