NEW YORK _ Might 27-year-old American tennis journeyman Denis Kudla metamorphose from frog to prince Friday night? Might he be able to dethrone reigning U.S. Open king Novak Djokovic?
Kudla, never ranked higher than 53rd and currently No. 111, is in the Open's third round for the first time. In 21 previous major-tournament appearances, he has been as far as the fourth round only once. Earlier this summer, he was run out of Wimbledon in the second round by 16-time major champ Djokovic. In straight sets.
Furthermore, in the to-form world of men's tennis, Djokovic is one of only seven different champions in the last 59 majors. A tough man to stop. (Two of those seven moved on yesterday: Stan Wawrinka with a four-set decision over France's 74th-ranked Jeremy Chardy and Rafael Nadal by virtue of Australian wild card Thanasi Kokkinakis' forfeit because of a shoulder injury. Also among Thursday's winners was American John Isner, the No. 14 seed, over 37th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany.)
