S. Korean Kwon Soon-woo eliminated in 2nd round of U.S. Open

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Once again, South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo couldn't get past the second round of a Grand Slam tournament.

Kwon lost to Andrey Rublev of Russia in straight sets in the second round at the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Thursday (local time).

Rublev previously knocked Kwon out of the first round at the French Open in June in four sets. This time, Rublev, world No. 11, sent the 81st-ranked Korean packing in just one hour and 43 minutes by beating him 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.

Earlier in the year, Kwon had lost in the second round at the Australian Open and the first round at Wimbledon.

Kwon has now dropped all four meetings against Rublev this year alone.

Starting in the final game of the first set and through the entire second set, Kwon lost seven consecutive games.

He put up a bit of a fight in the third set, as the two players were tied at 2-2. They broke each other once to push the score up to 3-3 and then held their serves to remain tied at 4-4.

Kwon blinked first, getting broken after going to deuce three times. Rublev then held his serve to close out the match.

Kwon is the highest-ranked South Korean on the ATP Tour. He earned his first and so far only career ATP title in September last year.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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