US Open 2013: Five players who flattered to deceive in the first week

Ernests Gulbis

Mercurial and unpredictable – these are probably the first two words that come to one’s mind while describing the Latvian Ernests Gulbis. And in his first round match at the US Open, the 25-year-old lived true to his form.

The 30th-seeded player had been in the news for most of the year with his resurgent performances and his headline grabbing comments. Gulbis was said to have put all his focus and energy back into tennis and the results were coming thick and fast. After grabbing the Delray Beach crown and playing Rafa Nadal tough, Gulbis arrived on the American hardcourts to do some serious damage. And he proved his worth by ousting a listless Andy Murray at Montreal.

With David Ferrer fumbling and stumbling a bit on the hardcourts, Ernests Gulbis had been many peoples’ pick for their dark horse of the tournament.

Never one to rely on, Gulbis just washed away all those hopes by crashing out in the very first round to Andreas Haider-Maurier, who had won only two Tour-level matches before the US Open.