US OPEN 2010: Male Players In the Second Round Who are Ranked Outside The Top 100

During the Grand Slams, I always look out for up-and-coming players in the draw and one of the best ways to spot them is to pick out those who gained entry into the second round, but who are ranked outside the Top 100.  As of today, these are they guys who made it and they come from the lower part of the bottom draw:

1. Ivan Dodig of Croatia - currently ranked at #146. He upset the #27 seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who retired in the third set; 7-6, 6-1, 1-0.  I think this is as far as Ivan can go since his next opponent, Thiemo De Bakker, has been playing very well in the hard court season.

IVAN DODIG (CROATIA)

2.  Carsten Ball of Australia, currently ranked # 145, won thebattle of qualifiers, as he edged over Raonic of Canada - 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.  He plays a seeded player next in Spain's Albert Montanes, the #21 seed.  He has a chance of making it since Montanes has his erratic moments, and this is a hard court.

3.    Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania, currently ranked #124 edged American, Ryan Sweeting, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2.  I don't think Sweeting is in the Top 100 himself so Berankis was just playing someone on his same level.  His next opponent has Grand Slam pedigree though, Jurgen Melzer was a semi-finalist in this year's French Open.  But this is not clay, so let's see if Berankis can take advantage of the court.  Melzer is a very experienced player though, and has played it big before so he may win over the qualifier easily.

4.  Paul-Henri Mathieu of France, currently ranked #109, upset veteran Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1.  Mathieu is a former top-50 player and is a dangerous floater in his side of the draw.  He could reach the third round since another qualifier, Guillaume Rufin of France, is his opponent in the second round.  The probable third round opponent?  Federer.  So it's safe to say that the 3rd round should be the farthest he can get.

5.  Guillaume Rufin of France, currently ranked #206 is the lowest ranked player to get into the second round (for now).  He edged Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-1.  He meets fellow veteran Frenchman, Mathieu in the second round. He may cause an upset too. 

6.  Andreas Beck of Germany is currently ranked #104 and edged fellow countryman, Berrer, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1.  He has the honor of meeting Roger Federer in the second round.  A former Top 100 player, he should be able to rise higher after this showing.