Gambill's payoff

American knocks off No. 9 Moya in straight sets

Jan-Michael Gambill had 12 aces; Carlos Moya had just two. AP

NEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) -- The man nicknamed "Hollywood" tore up the script on Thursday.

Jan-Michael Gambill buried No. 9 Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 to storm into the third round of the U.S. Open in front of a thrilled New York night crowd.

The American, who has struggled with injury for the better part of a year, had never beaten Moya in three previous occasions and had failed to pass the second round of a Grand Slam since the start of 2001.

In his past seven majors, Gambill has lost in the first round on five occasions. But against the Spaniard, he moved and fought like the top 20 player he was last year.

"If I can keep playing like this, I am going to do well here," he said after wrapping up a 94-minute victory. "The crowd was great, the atmosphere was electric."

Former world No. 1 Jim Courier, now a television commentator and pundit, coined Gambill's nickname because of the young man's good looks and sideline in modeling.

But on Thursday, the 25-year-old showed there is also plenty beneath the surface.

Moya came to the U.S. Open on a roll. The former world No. 1 lifted the title in his last tournament in Cincinnati, where he beat defending U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt in the final.

But Gambill ripped into him from the start, firing his idiosyncratic two-fisted forehand into the corners and serving with power and accuracy.

He raced through the first set in 26 minutes and never looked back on a floodlit Arthur Ashe stadium court.

The win puts no pressure on Gambill, though. Far from it.

"I tell you what. I don't feel any pressure at all," he grinned. "You come out here and play a match like this and the confidence goes through the roof.

"It has been frustrating being injured and watching your ranking go down and not being able to do anything," the 57th-ranked player said.

"But I stayed fiery out there today and I played my best tennis. I am a pretty fiery guy. Maybe it is because I am a Gemini...a June birthday and all that."

 

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