American revivals: Young, Roddick advance

Sunday felt like some sort of American men's tennis metamorphosis in Flushing Meadows. Donald Young waking up to discover himself transformed into a participant in the U.S. Open's second week. Andy Roddick suddenly finding himself further along in the tournament than he has been since 2008.

It was a bit Kafkaesque. Surreal. Having come to the Open with their lowest expectations -- and rankings -- in years, the Yanks' unanticipated progress has provided extra juice to this annual two-week fete.

Young's 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 upset of 32-year-old Argentine veteran Juan Ignacio Chela was a significant leap forward for the 22-year-old, who had been the world's No. 1 in his age group at 15 but a decided underachiever ever since. The victory made Young the only wild card still alive in the men's bracket going into the fourth round, and fed a growing belief that he has turned a corner in maturity.

"At times," Young said, "I wasn't winning matches at challengers and I was losing to guys [ranked] 300 in the world. Actually, this year, I lost to some players 300. To go from losing a first-round challenger in Aptos [Calif.] to the round of 16 of the U.S. Open is great."

And Roddick's 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (5) dismissal of Frenchman Julien Benneteau, though hardly a shock, had a sense of resurrection for the 29-year-old former U.S. champ. Eight years past that zenith in his career, Roddick had been laid low by recent shoulder and abdomen injuries that botched his schedule and fueled the perception that his best days are behind him.

In the roiling, festive atmosphere at the Grandstand Court, overflowing beyond its 6,106 capacity, Young lit immediately into Chela, built a 5-2 lead, weathered some tentative moments late in the set and rode the chanting, roaring fans' urges to the victory.

"Without them," Young said, "I wouldn't have won today. I don't think I would have had a chance because I was kind of getting a little fatigued at the end of the first set. My energy was kind of going away. They definitely pushed me through."

Roddick, long a marquee name at the Open and playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the 47th time in his career -- only Roger Federer and Andre Agassi have played the No. 1 show court more often -- finished his 21-ace, only-16-error tap-dance on the overmatched Benneteau with a huge smile and some applause directed back at the fans.

"I think that this year, more than any, I've looked around a couple of times in the stadium," Roddick said, "and just realized how cool it really is, how special it is. I'm happy. I mean, I went from four weeks ago not even playing tennis to now being in the second week of a major again."

The whole Yanks-are-coming mood could come crashing down. In tennis, Roddick reminded, "there's a process. It doesn't always look pretty."

Just sometimes a tad unreal.