Keeping Score: How American Men Fared in Melbourne

With all of the American men gone by the third round of the Australian Open, we look back on how each of them fared.  Interestingly, the greatest accomplishments came from some of the least expected names, while the more familiar figures often fizzled.
Ryan Harrison:  Avenging his Olympics loss to Giraldo with a four-set victory, he relied on defensive tennis to a startling degree and could not trouble Djokovic at all in the second round.  Harrison’s serve looked sharp, but he appears to have improved his game little over the last year or so.
Sam Querrey:  The last man to fall fulfilled the expectations for the 20^th seed, falling only to the higher-ranked Wawrinka.  That straight-sets loss ended a reasonably good week for Querrey, although he benefited from Baker’s retirement and did not defeat anyone of note.
Brian Baker:  Perhaps the saddest story of the tournament, he injured his knee in the second round against Querrey and may miss the next four months.  That said, Baker impressed by battling through a tight five-setter against former American Bogomolov, and he had won the first set from Querrey in a match that looked like an upset before his injury.
Michael Russell:  He drew Berdych in the first round and unsurprisingly had no answer for the Czech’s offensive arsenal, unable to match him hold for hold in a straight-sets defeat.
Tim Smyczek:  The most pleasant surprise of the tournament among American men, he entered the draw as a lucky loser when Isner withdrew and made the most of his opportunity.  Smyczek somehow tamed the towering serve of Ivo Karlovic in the first round, not even losing a set, and he snatched a set from world #5 David Ferrer in the second round before succumbing gallantly.  Especially impressive was his comeback from losing the first nine games of that match to make Ferrer earn his victory.
Steve Johnson:  Making his main-draw debut at the Australian Open, this former UCLA star qualified for the main draw and then received the unpleasant tidings of an opener against Almagro.  But Johnson rose to the occasion with panache, firing first strikes with abandon through five entertaining sets as he stood toe to toe with a top-15 opponent despite his inexperience.  His passion captivated and suggested that he can score an occasional surprise if he can refine his game.
Rajeev Ram:  More noted for his doubles expertise, this serve-volley specialist surprised by winning his first match over baseliner Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.  Falling meekly to Cilic in the next round, Ram still probably overachieved by reaching that stage.
Rhyne Williams:  The winner of the Australian Open wildcard playoff, he deployed his booming serve and forehand to brilliant effect in claiming a two-set lead over top-30 opponent Florian Mayer.  Williams later would hold match points in the fourth-set tiebreak before the German wriggled out of the trap to complete a comeback in five.  But the experience should help this promising young star evolve into a fitter, more tenacious competitor, which could prove a dangerous combination with his obvious talents.
All things considered, the American men produced respectable results in view of prominent absences like Fish, Isner, and the retired Roddick.  With expectations especially low, they competed with credit and, in some cases, produced results on which they can build.