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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. Scarpe Air Max 97 Scontate . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Airmax Italia Internet . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. http://www.airmaxshoponlineitalia.it/scontate-max-97-outlet.html . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Nike Vapormax Scontate . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. Air Max Plus Ingrosso . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans have had nearly two weeks since releasing veteran Perrish Cox to figure out who will start opposite cornerback Jason McCourty.Titans coach Mike Mularkey is taking his time to make that decision.Mularkey said Friday will wait until Sunday when the Titans (6-6) host Denver (8-4) before revealing his new starting left cornerback. Those under consideration include Brice McCain, whos been working in the slot as an extra defensive back and veteran Valentino Blake. Rookies LeShaun Sims and Kalan Reed, who could make his NFL debut Sunday, could be part of a rotation.Were still going to talk about that, Mularkey said. Weve got 48 hours to make that decision.Cox led the Titans with three interceptions before being released Nov. 28 , a day after the Titans beat Chicago 27-21 holding off a would-be comeback led by Matt Barkley. The Titans had their bye last week and have practiced four times since returning to work Monday.McCain is an eight-year veteran who has started 36 of his 112 career games in stops with Houston, Pittsburgh and Miami. He has started six games this season for Tennessee and also has two of his 11 career interceptions this season. Blake is in his fifth NFL season and also has been with Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. He has three career interceptions.TThe Titans have divided the practice work among the cornerbacks and also at the fifth defensive back spot.dddddddddddd Mularkey said Blake and McCains experience factors into the decision of who starts. One option could be starting McCain outside and then sliding him over to cover wide receiver in the slot in passing situations.Another game-time decision will be defensive lineman Jurrell Casey who missed his fourth practice Friday with a sprained left foot and is questionable. Casey has missed only one game in his six-year career, the 2013 season finale with a foot injury. He sprained his foot in the second half against Chicago, though the bye has given him nearly two weeks to heal.The Titans are holding out hope Casey can play, even if limited by the injury.Were fortunate to have the depth that we do, but if he can play, hes going to play. We may keep another defensive lineman up, if thats the case. Those are all things that are in the discussion all the way up to till 10:30 Sunday, Mularkey said.Game notes DL Angelo Blackson (illness) did not practice Friday but is expected to play.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL. ' ' '