U.S. Open: Sam Querrey wins as expected; Ryan Harrison gets the upset

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Sam Querrey of Thousands Oaks, who won the Farmers Classic Los Angeles tournament to kick off his summer (and upset Andy Murray in the finals), beat NCAA champion Bradley Klahn, a Stanford junior from Poway, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

Klahn, who was able to smile afterward even though Querrey inadvertently knocked a volley into a very painful place on a man’s body, said he was only a tiny bit tempted to forego the rest of his college experience (he’s an economics major and can do the financial math) based on the way he kept the 20th-seeded Querrey off balance.

Until Wednesday Klahn, a left-hander, said being asked to warm up Roger Federer before the Wimbledon final against lefty Rafael Nadal three years ago was the highlight of his tennis career. Klahn had played in the junior event that year. ‘I think I was the only lefty still around,’ Klahn said. ‘I was so nervous I don’t think I hit a ball in the court.’

Ryan Harrison, an 18-year-old qualifier from Bradenton, Fla., did get his upset over 31-year-old Ivan Ljubicic, the popular Croatian who had won the tournament at Indian Wells last March and who was seeded 15th here.

Ljubicic said he struggled mightily in the hot conditions. Sweat was pouring off his bald head five minutes into the match that Harrison won 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 and said: ‘The weather was my biggest enemy. Throughout my career I struggled with the heat. I’m not coping really well with that.’

Harrison, who suffered from cramps in his second-round qualifying win and said he served underhand for most of the second set in that match, said that while it was hot it wasn’t as bad as it has been for him practicing in Boca Raton all summer.

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York