mpy, so running sharp singles was out of my reach, or for that matter, his reach! In the end, when Chandra [BS Chandrasekhar] got out, we had a nearly

Editors note: Howard Bryant made his way around the US Open on Tuesday. Below are his rapid reactions to the days events.NEW YORK -- If there was a common theme that permeated the grounds on Day 2 of the US Open, it was trust. Do the players who are elite but not in the class of Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray trust that they have the ability to win this championship? And what is it about this handful of players that gives pause to my trust in them?Match 1GRANDSTAND: Kei Nishikori def. Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3There is unquestionable brilliance in Nishikori. The backhand is clean, deadly, confident. The footwork is textbook. The forehand whips and slashes. He is one of the games great returners. Hes the world No. 7 who two years ago on these grounds beat Novak Djokovic and reached his only Grand Slam final. Nishikori has been around forever and is only 26 years old. He just beat Rafael Nadal in Rio to win a bronze medal.Yet, and I feel almost guilty to say it about a player so talented, I dont trust Nishikori because of that serve, that pancake serve of his. The numbers say Im wrong. Even when he was rolling 6-1, 6-1 against Becker, he was converting only 50 percent of his first serves. On the year, hes at 61.2, 33rd on tour, which is not good but is higher than Andy Murray. Murray wins more of his first-serve points, however. Nishikori is 40th. He was tossing in 96 mph first serves, 82 mph seconds.On Nishikoris second serve, Becker got great, aggressive swings, but Nishikori still won 68 percent of his second serves. For the match, he held 14 of 16 service games. Still, I remain unsure. If a 35-year old journeyman such as Becker could take home run cuts on Nishikoris serve, just imagine what a Djokovic or Murray would do.Maybe theres no way out for Nishikori. Hes 5-foot-10 in a game of giants. Hes never going to serve like Ivo Karlovic, and to believe in Nishikori is to believe his legs and game can overcome his underpowered service game. No player under 6-foot has won a Slam since Lleyton Hewitt won Wimbledon in 2002. But maybe thats also why trust is sometimes irrational, because in the end, despite the third-set dip Tuesday, Nishikori pretty much destroyed Becker and did exactly what he was supposed to do in a first-round match: win, and win convincingly.Match 2ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM: Stan Wawrinka def. Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4Whats not to trust about the Wawrinka? He denied Nadal a 15th major by winning his first Slam at the 2014 Australian Open. Wawrinka denied Novak Djokovic his first French Open and a career Grand Slam by winning at Roland Garros for the first time in 2015. Wawrinka has beaten Andy Murray three of their last four meetings, including a straight-sets beatdown here in 2013, when Murray was defending champion. Wawrinka, who has been as high as third in the world, beat Roger Federer at the Australian Open and teamed with Federer to win the Davis Cup for Switzerland. Wawrinka belongs.Nothing he did against Verdasco hurt that resume. Wawrinka was better when he had to be and backed off and watched Verdasco implode as he does with that special Fernando mix of spectacular forehands followed by crushing double faults and butchered volleys. And who knew the first set tiebreak was going to mean so much? Verdasco won the first point on Wawrinkas serve, and then lost the next three and didnt win a really important exchange for the rest of the match. Wawrinka played like the guy who is supposed to handle business and get off a hot court in the early rounds of a tournament: nothing to see here.The problem is that after winning two majors and being a top-five player, theres something about Wawrinkas game that still plays like a puncher. He is the streakiest, most dangerous player in tennis -- far more dangerous than shot-makers such as Fabio Fognini or machine-gun servers such as Karlovic and John Isner, who can have a day and beat anyone. Unlike those guys, Wawrinka has proved that he can be hot enough and good enough to win the whole thing.Its the Other Side of Stan -- losing to No. 114 Juan Monaco in Rome, a Masters 1000, crashing out to Andrey Kuznetsov in Miami, another Masters event - that causes the trust issues to arise. Wawrinka has too many dips for a great player, giving pause to the great lie that after winning a major, players will automatically be elevated to the upper class. Not true (see Stosur, Samantha).Still, Wawrinka is through to the second round -- but, because the Other Side of Stan is always lurking, the trust issues remain. Basket Air Max 270 Pas Cher . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. 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Air Max 270 France . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. When Vishy and Chandra ran West Indies ragged, 1975During that innings the wicket was a bit fiery and Andy [Roberts] was in his element. I had already played Andy and that attack [during the series], but most of them looked a yard or two quicker on that pitch. I can easily say it was one of the quickest tracks India has ever produced. Before I realised, we were six wickets down, and there was probably Karsan Ghavri at the other end. I had scored about 30, and then I thought about playing my shots to get as many runs as possible because I knew the wicket was going to help the spinners a bit later.I was watching Andy bowl from the non-strikers end. Even after bowling for a while he was able to bowl with the same venom because he always had some sort of [expression] when he was charging in; [looking at his eyes] you could make out he was really there. When he was coming in to bowl to me, the same face [expression] I saw from the other side two-three balls earlier wasnt there; instead of really going through, he was just [releasing] the ball when he was bowling at me.I watched him for another over or so, and realised he wasnt going to go full throttle at me. He wanted to finish it off, and knew there was no point going all out against a settled batsman. So, I thought, Let me take a chance with Andy, and then I played some unbelievable shots against him; It was just one of those days that just happens in ones career.Everything came off the middle of the blade. I was even keeping the bouncers down; mostly I would never hook, and [instead would] tap which meant I was coming inside the line and watching the ball throughout. On one occasion, when the bounce from Roberts was more than I expected, I just stood up and flicked it.The timing was so perfect it went like a rocket towards square leg. Immediately after playing, I just looked at Roberts and he went like this (shrug of appreciation). I will never forget that shot and also his reaction. Against Keith Boyce, I went back and hit a straight drive past him; I could see [Clive]Lloyd-y shaking his head [in disbelief].For the last three wickets, we somehow managed partnerships. Bishan [Bedi] was a little plumpy, so running sharp singles was out of my reach, or for that matter, his reach! In the end, when Chandra [BS Chandrasekhar] got out, we had a nearly 30 runs partnership. We could have been run out umpteen times, but Chandra told me, even if you get run out I am not bothered, but I dont want to face [the West Indies quicks]. Aarane ball ondhu run thogonbidappa, saaku (just take a single off the last ball, thats enough).So we would take singles tapping the ball to Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd, and they never hit the stumps. [Alvin] Kallicharan - he and I are good mates even now - said, it cant happen like this in Test cricket.dddddddddddd If I had had three-four chances Id have hit at least one, but I dont know how these people are missing. I said our running between the wickets was too confusing for them.Then, off the third ball in one of Andys overs, I didnt want to take a run after I played my best shot- the square cut. Boyce was at third man, and he was a terrific fielder with a beautiful throw. When I played that shot, I thought it was four, but I could see Boyce had started running. Chandra came halfway [for the second] and didnt know what to do after Boyce fielded, so he shouted, come back, come back [for the second], but I thought it was a boundary and didnt run fast. By that time, Boyce had already picked the ball up, and I thought there was no chance for a second run; I shouted, Chandra, go back.That meant he had to face three balls, so I went up to him and said the first one would be a mild bouncer - those days they didnt bounce tailenders - and the second one would be a yorker; I told him [what] the three balls would be. The first ball was not a bouncer, the second one was overpitched and he tried to defend, and the third was a beautiful delivery - he had to play it and Lloyd took the edge.Chandra really felt bad that I missed out on a hundred. He almost started crying when he came back into the dressing room, and said, I am very, very sorry, Vishy. I couldnt play three balls. I said, Forget it. We enjoyed that partnership. Can anyone run like that with Richards and all these people? Later on, though, he said, it was because of you I got out. Because you told me he would bowl like this [and he didnt bowl that way]. It was [all in] good fun. That [he would make it up with his bowling] was expected from him. He was a champion bowler and I think the greatest match-winner I have come across.I heard from Raj Singh [Dungarpur] that [MAK] Pataudi was asking people to watch my innings. He is not [much of]a watcher, but when I was on 20 or something, I believe he said, This lad is going to do something brilliant. I dont want to miss this innings. The Madras crowd is the best even now, because they are very knowledgeable and they appreciate good cricket even from the opponents. I cant forget this innings because even now the people - especially when I go to Chennai - talk about the 97. I wont say this is the greatest innings - but I will probably rate it as one of the best among other big knocks I played, but we won the game so it always stays with you throughout.As told to Arun Venugopal ' ' '