US Open: Ram and Erlich end Israeli play at Open OpenOpen

Israeli participation at Flushing Meadows ended abruptly on Saturday.

By JEREMY LAST
ram , erlich 88 (photo credit: )
ram , erlich 88
(photo credit: )
It was a poor showing at the US Open for Israel's top tennis players. Israeli participation at Flushing Meadows ended abruptly on Saturday when Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich were defeated in the second round of the men's doubles by Tommy Robredo and Sergio Roytman, 6-2, 7-5. Showing signs of a kickback from their failure to get past the first round of the Olympic tournament in Beijing earlier this month, Ram and Erlich found little firepower against their Spanish/Argentinian opponents. The Israeli pairing won the Australian Open title back in January but has been unable to build on that success in the other three majors of the year, falling in the third round at the French Open and losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Ram was also knocked out of the mixed doubles in New York where he played with partner Nathalie Dechy, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Australian/Swedish partnership of Rennae Stubbs and Robert Lindstedt in the first round on Friday. Late Thursday Shahar Pe'er and Victoria Azarenka lost 5-7, 6-3, 2-6 to Nadia Petrova and Francesca Schiavone in the first round of the women's doubles. A few hours later Pe'er and Australian partner Paul Hanley crashed out of the mixed doubles in the first round, losing 6-0, 6-4 to Caroline Wozniacki and Marcin Matkowski. Following her loss to China's Na Li in the singles Pe'er sacked her coach Martin Romak, the second coach she has parted ways with in just a few months after splitting with Conchita Martinez in June.