Sam Querrey made a triumphant start to his first event since stunning top-ranked Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, rallying Tuesday to reach the third round of the ATP and WTA Washington Open.
The 28-year-old American outlasted compatriot Bjorn Fratangelo 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, avenging a first-round French Open loss in May and spoiling his rival’s 23rd birthday in the first hardcourt event on the road to the US Open.
“Even without the Novak win, it would have been tough,” Querrey said. “It was one of those matches you have to fight through and I’m happy I fought through the way I did.”
Eighth seed Querrey downed Djokovic in the third round on Wimbledon grass, ending the Serb’s 30-match major win streak on his way to his first career Grand Slam quarter-final after 10 years of trying, where he lost to Canada’s Milos Raonic.
