the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. Th

NEW YORK -- When the U.S. Open decided to give 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro a wild-card invitation this year, it rankled American player Steve Johnson.What if, Johnson wondered aloud, del Potro was to wind up beating someone from the United States in the first round of the countrys Grand Slam tournament?That didnt come to pass: del Potro faced a fellow Argentine in his opening match at Flushing Meadows. As it happens, though, del Potros opponent in the second round in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night will be -- yes, you guessed it -- Johnson himself.As it is, Johnson barely made it to this intriguing matchup.In the first round on Tuesday, the 19th-seeded Johnson, who won two NCAA singles titles at Southern California, dropped the opening two sets and needed to save six match points before coming all the way back to beat Evgeny Donskoy 4-6, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-3. Johnson saved four match points while trailing 5-2 in the third set, then two more while down 6-5 in that set.Afterward, Johnson acknowledged that he came out tight in that match because he felt the pressure of being an American playing in the U.S. Open.I shouldnt let the moment get the best of me, he said, and it did for a bit.Del Potro had a much easier time in his opening match, beating countryman Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3).A little more than two weeks ago, fresh off earning a silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, del Potro was awarded his wild card, allowing him into the main draw of the U.S. Open for the first time since 2013. He missed 2 1/2 years worth of major tournaments because of three operations on his left wrist, only returning to Grand Slam action at Wimbledon in June.Once ranked as high as No. 4, he is currently at No. 142 because of so much time away from the tour, and he wasnt high enough to gain direct entry into the field at Flushing Meadows.The worst part of my life is totally in the past, del Potro said, and Im living a good present and looking forward for a good future.Here is what else to watch on Day 4 of the U.S. Open:WILLIAMS SISTERS: Both Williams sisters will be in action, in consecutive matches on Ashe. First, No. 6-seeded Venus Williams will take on Julia Goerges of Germany in the last day session match in the main stadium. Then No. 1 Serena Williams will face Vania King in an all-American matchup to start the night session. The siblings are coming off quite contrasting first-round outings on Tuesday. Venus labored during a three-set victory. Serena, who came to the U.S. Open with questions about a sore right shoulder, looked perfectly fine during her straight-set win, pounding serves at up to 121 mph, including 12 aces. Serena is bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam singles title -- that would break a tie with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era, which dates to 1968.MURRAY: Three-time major champion and two-time Olympic singles gold medalist Andy Murray faces Marcel Granollers in the afternoon. Theyve played seven previous times, with Murray winning six. Murray, who won his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2012, can become only the fourth man in the Open era to reach the final of each major tournament in a season, joining Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rod Laver. Murray lost to Djokovic at the Australian Open in January, and the French Open in June, then won Wimbledon in July.FORECAST: There is rain predicted for Thursday, which used to create major scheduling headaches at the U.S. Open, but shouldnt be as much of a problem now. Thats because the tournament finally has a retractable roof atop Ashe -- and the $150 million structure passed its first test, used during a match for the first time Wednesday night as Rafael Nadal beat Andreas Seppi.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich Mookie Wilson Mets Jersey . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Keith Hernandez Jersey . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. http://www.metsbaseballauthentic.com/yoenis-cespedes-mets-jersey/ . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Todd Frazier Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Steven Matz Jersey . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Jaron Martin had 17 points and Eyassu Worku added a career-high 15 points as UC Irvine beat South Dakota State 63-52 in the Pentagon Showcase on Friday night.Martin was 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. Jonathan Galloway added nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds for UC Irvine (3-2), which also beat South Dakota State 73-58 in the second game of the season.The Anteaters had a 25-6 run late in the first half to go ahead 30-18 and took a 33-20 lead into the break. They pushed that to 53-37 with 3:41 remaining and coasted to the victory.ddddddddddddUCI limited the Jackrabbits to 14-of-55 (25.5 percent) shooting. The Anteaters converted 15 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points.Mike Daum, who made 11 of 12 free throws, led South Dakota State (1-5) with 23 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Reed Tellinghuisen added 11 points and A.J. Hess scored 10. ' ' '