By Sandra Harwitt
What’s with Roger Federer and some of his baffling decision-making when it comes to Davis Cup?
Yes, I know that this year he had initially intended on representing Switzerland in the Davis Cup first round before a back injury cancelled the outing. But it would be foolhardy not to believe that at the time his demoralizing five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final, which left him in tears, didn’t weigh in on the decision.
History has shown that for the most part Roger hasn’t been there at the beginning of the year to help his county try to win the Davis Cup crown. This would not be an outrageous possibility as Roger has great back-up in Stanislas Wawrinka, who not only has ranked top 10 in singles, but has a distinguished record with Roger in doubles, as in picking up the 2008 Olympic gold medal together.
Instead, Roger shows up every year like clockwork after the U.S. Open to help Switzerland keep their spot in the World Group.
Sure, it’s not surprising to understand Roger’s rationale for typically not coming around for the first round as he’s gotten where he is by being a bit selfish. One would have to be to self-oriented to achieve the greatness he’s realized. At the beginning of the year, Roger’s got winning big titles – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, even the U.S. Open, on his mind. It’s hard to interrupt that single-minded thinking to fit in Davis Cup.
That point taken, it’s hard not to think that Roger’s making a big mistake on this front.
Switzerland reached the final in 1992 where they fell to the United States 3-1 in Fort Worth, Texas. At the time, they had an eager team of Jakob Hlasek and Marc Rosset. But eager wasn’t enough to get past the dream team of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, with John McEnroe and Pete Sampras taking on the doubles duty.
The great players win Grand Slams and they also have their names etched on the Davis Cup trophies. Roger should have his name on the Davis Cup champion’s roster. Now that Roger has his French Open and has his record 15th Grand Slam titles I am predicting that we will be seeing him play the Davis Cup first-round next year.
Roger’s always been a tennis historian and not putting his best foot forward to represent Switzerland and bring the Cup home would leave something very special off of his resume.
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Word is that we will be hearing from Justine Henin tomorrow that she’s following in Kim Clijsters footsteps and planning to rejoin the tour.
It’s not surprising that Henin might be moved by what Clijsters achieved – two months back on the tour and she beats Venus and Serena Williams to capture her second Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.
Sometimes a vacation away from the game helps someone realize how much they miss the competition and performing in front of audiences. Although I wouldn’t know myself, I suspect it’s a rush that is hard to duplicate in “real” life.
As the tennis world did with Kim, they will welcome Justine back with warm open arms if she chooses to return to the game.
But I do wonder what Venus and Serena Williams, in particular La Serena with her 10 Grand Slam trophies, are thinking about this turn of events. Let’s face it, in the last year or so, if one or the other of the sisters showed up with winning on their mind, they were not deterred from their goal. The competition just wasn’t strong enough to waylay a determined Serena or Venus.
Will they like that two fabulous athletes who have no fear of them are back on the scene? That’s an interesting question to ponder.
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Note to tennis players” It doesn’t seem prudent to put on your dancing shoes to try and tap your way through reality dance shows.
We now have two former players – Monica Seles went on Dancing With The Stars and was the first voted off, and Martina Hingis just got dumped off of the British version of the show. They tried to tango, but turned out to be flat-footed.
Are tennis players inherently not graceful or is there a tennis star out there that can foxtrot and waltz as well as they dash around tennis courts? I’m thinking that Seles and Hingis are not the end of tennis players taking a turn at a dancing show. Maybe a male tennis player should be a dancing reality shows next option!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Where's Melanie Oudin? Should We Fine Just To Fine?
By Sandra Harwitt
Looking for where you can find Melanie Oudin next?
I can help you out with that information.
Melanie’s swapping her tennis racket and tennis balls on Saturday night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Braves game at Turner Field. For those interested in the game, the Braves will be taking on Phillies. For those interested in Melanie, the Braves press release refers to her as “the pride of Atlanta” and that’s certainly an apt description. Forget the Real Housewives of Atlanta to publicize the Georgia city, rely on the Braves and Oudin to keep the town on the map.
Oudin is set to do some media during batting practice on the field. And the teen tennis star will meet-and-greet fans and sign autographs at Fan Plaza.
What I’m hoping for Oudin is that everybody doesn’t climb on the bandwagon and put too much pressure on her to do too much, too soon. We’ve seen how that enthusiasm has proven to be a curse to some players, certainly at a young age, in the past. To the powers that be, Melanie’s got a lot of game and has shown the potential to become a star. Let her do it at her own pace – encouragement is good, but make sure not to cross the line where she starts to feel suffocated and anxious as if people are demanding great things ASAP.
Oudin started to show promise at Wimbledon this year and pushed the envelope with a remarkable run to the U.S. Open quarterfinal the past couple of weeks. Undoubtedly, there’s the feeling out there that the player waiting-in-the-wings to take over from Venus and Serena Williams has arrived. Maybe she is the heiress apparent, but that’s not set in stone, so let’s not have the coronation party yet.
FEDERER FINE
Yes, many of us heard the Fed use bad language when he had a chat with the umpire during the U.S. Open final. You know the word – Forrest Gump used it when he said, “S—t Happens! We heard it over the CBS microphone, and consequently, a fine was assessed for the NO DIRTY WORDS ALLOWED rule.
I don’t have a problem with the rule, although I do think it needs to be used judiciously as some incidents are more serious than other incidents. Do we have to look further than this past U.S. Open and compare La Serena to Le Roger?
But if you’re going to have a fine why not administer a fine where the pain can be felt?
Is Federer really going to notice in the midst of his millions that his U.S. Open check was $1,500 shorter than what he really earned? I doubt it. As those of us on Facebook have been joking about with the most common thread being the twins might not get their first pair of shoes. I suggested that Mirka might have to give up a new Louis Vuitton purse.
I understand that for a lesser player, a $1,500 fine might have an impact. But with Roger, I doubt it. Maybe the fine scale should be amended to a different fine being assessed to different players according to where you rank with all the money collected going into a pot to help grass roots tennis around the world, or for a charity of choice of the player or either of the tours. As it stands, fining a Roger Federer pocket change is pointless, unless the idea is just to go through the official process. I’m betting Roger would find having his mouth washed out with soap less palatable than the $1,500 fine.
FYI: For those who are shocked that Roger went colorful in language selection, my photographer friends tell me they often here him mumbling a cuss word or two. But, overall, Roger is a classy guy and a great representative of the sport, so let’s not be too harsh.
NEWS FOR THE FUTURE
As an early warning to anyone out there who has become a loyal reader to this blog since its inception only a couple of weeks ago, the word on the street is that China has not opened up Facebook and Twitter. I will be going to the Shanghai Masters 1000 tournaments in mid-October and will be doing some blogging from there. I will remind you again, but it’s unlikely I’ll be able to link though those to Facebook and Twitter, so you’ll have to make the effort and go to http://slh28@blogspot.com all on your own
Looking for where you can find Melanie Oudin next?
I can help you out with that information.
Melanie’s swapping her tennis racket and tennis balls on Saturday night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Braves game at Turner Field. For those interested in the game, the Braves will be taking on Phillies. For those interested in Melanie, the Braves press release refers to her as “the pride of Atlanta” and that’s certainly an apt description. Forget the Real Housewives of Atlanta to publicize the Georgia city, rely on the Braves and Oudin to keep the town on the map.
Oudin is set to do some media during batting practice on the field. And the teen tennis star will meet-and-greet fans and sign autographs at Fan Plaza.
What I’m hoping for Oudin is that everybody doesn’t climb on the bandwagon and put too much pressure on her to do too much, too soon. We’ve seen how that enthusiasm has proven to be a curse to some players, certainly at a young age, in the past. To the powers that be, Melanie’s got a lot of game and has shown the potential to become a star. Let her do it at her own pace – encouragement is good, but make sure not to cross the line where she starts to feel suffocated and anxious as if people are demanding great things ASAP.
Oudin started to show promise at Wimbledon this year and pushed the envelope with a remarkable run to the U.S. Open quarterfinal the past couple of weeks. Undoubtedly, there’s the feeling out there that the player waiting-in-the-wings to take over from Venus and Serena Williams has arrived. Maybe she is the heiress apparent, but that’s not set in stone, so let’s not have the coronation party yet.
FEDERER FINE
Yes, many of us heard the Fed use bad language when he had a chat with the umpire during the U.S. Open final. You know the word – Forrest Gump used it when he said, “S—t Happens! We heard it over the CBS microphone, and consequently, a fine was assessed for the NO DIRTY WORDS ALLOWED rule.
I don’t have a problem with the rule, although I do think it needs to be used judiciously as some incidents are more serious than other incidents. Do we have to look further than this past U.S. Open and compare La Serena to Le Roger?
But if you’re going to have a fine why not administer a fine where the pain can be felt?
Is Federer really going to notice in the midst of his millions that his U.S. Open check was $1,500 shorter than what he really earned? I doubt it. As those of us on Facebook have been joking about with the most common thread being the twins might not get their first pair of shoes. I suggested that Mirka might have to give up a new Louis Vuitton purse.
I understand that for a lesser player, a $1,500 fine might have an impact. But with Roger, I doubt it. Maybe the fine scale should be amended to a different fine being assessed to different players according to where you rank with all the money collected going into a pot to help grass roots tennis around the world, or for a charity of choice of the player or either of the tours. As it stands, fining a Roger Federer pocket change is pointless, unless the idea is just to go through the official process. I’m betting Roger would find having his mouth washed out with soap less palatable than the $1,500 fine.
FYI: For those who are shocked that Roger went colorful in language selection, my photographer friends tell me they often here him mumbling a cuss word or two. But, overall, Roger is a classy guy and a great representative of the sport, so let’s not be too harsh.
NEWS FOR THE FUTURE
As an early warning to anyone out there who has become a loyal reader to this blog since its inception only a couple of weeks ago, the word on the street is that China has not opened up Facebook and Twitter. I will be going to the Shanghai Masters 1000 tournaments in mid-October and will be doing some blogging from there. I will remind you again, but it’s unlikely I’ll be able to link though those to Facebook and Twitter, so you’ll have to make the effort and go to http://slh28@blogspot.com all on your own
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Juan Martin del Potro -- A Deserving Champion!
By Sandra Harwitt
I didn’t want you all to think I’ve just sailed off into the sunset not to be heard from again. This would not be true, although I doubt I will write on this blog every day. But the aim is to keep it alive and fresh as best as a (serious, not street-walking) working girl can do. And as a fair warning, it will not always be about tennis. It’s just that tennis has been the big focus of late.
Anyway, I hated giving short shrift to Juan Martin del Potro in his first Grand Slam victory as he deserves more than a few kudos for the kick-ass job.
Here are the stats on Senor del Potro: He’s the 51st man in the Open Era of tennis to win a Grand Slam title and the 11th to be inaugurated into the Grand Slam Champions Club with a win at the U.S. Open. He became the 22nd different U.S. Open champion since the Open Era commenced in 1968. (Arthur Ashe was the first to win the Open Era title, which was his first Slam title as well).
Del Potro went home with $1.6 million as prize money and $250,000 for the U.S. Open Series bonus pool for a grand total of $1.85 million to bank back in Buenos Aires. (And no, my paycheck for the U.S. Open will not rival Juan Martin’s, which leaves me very disturbed as you can imagine.)
The Argentine was the third consecutive player to reach their first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open – Novak Djokovic (2007) and Andy Murray (2008) failed to pick up their first Grand Slam trophies on the occasion. Djoker won his months later at the 2008 Australian Open and Murray, who has been talked up way more than del Potro is still waiting.
Del Potro, who moved from No. 6 to No. 5 in the world, picked up his seventh career title with the victory and expect him to see that tally increase dramatically.
The big question is will that tally increase in Grand Slam prizes or will he be a one-slam wonder?
I think at only 20 this guy exudes a lot of talent and is destined to win more majors in his career. What makes the 6-foot-6 Argentine intriguing is he’s not your typical clay court comfortable South American player. The Grand Slam he’s least likely to win is the French – it’s hard for a giant to get that slide on slippery dirt down. But I can see him winning in Australia, and I can see him working his way to a Wimbledon title.
His tactic at Wimbledon would likely have to be different than at the U.S. Open where after two double faults to hand Federer the third set, he became gun shy and pulled back on his serve. He was able to rely on his lethal forehand to fulfill his dream of winning the U.S. Open. At Wimbledon, I think he will need to keep that serve going on the grass. And there is the issue that the ball bounces lower as it skids off the turf, so he might have to be practicing his bending down to the ball ability.
In the Open Era, the only definite One-Slam-Wonder winner from the U.S. Open was Manuel Orantes in 1975, which bodes well for del Potro coming up with at least another major title in his career.
For those of you who are just about now screeching the name of 2003 U.S. Open ANDY RODDICK – hang on a minute. He’s still playing, so while I think his chances to win another Slam are diminishing – he did have the Wimbledon trophy on his strings this year – I’m not ready to count him out yet. Remember: If you’re in it, you can still win it!
As mentioned above, the big watch was on Andy Murray – Mr. Number Three in the World. He was going to be the next outsider breaking into the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal hold over the Grand Slams. Sometimes the expected doesn’t pan out as in this case.
Murray needs to find a way to last through the maze of a Grand Slam – seven matches in 14 days. This is proving to be a struggle. As talented as he is, he just doesn’t seem to yet have the mental and physical strength to put it together over such a long period of time.
Maybe now the country around him can't cutback on the pressure they put on him. My advice to all the well-meaning Brtions is to lay off a bit and let him work it out without the constant fanfare that doesn’t appear to ever die down. It’s not always good to come from an eager, desperate-for-a-champion country.
But for now, it's all about Juan Martin del Potro!
I didn’t want you all to think I’ve just sailed off into the sunset not to be heard from again. This would not be true, although I doubt I will write on this blog every day. But the aim is to keep it alive and fresh as best as a (serious, not street-walking) working girl can do. And as a fair warning, it will not always be about tennis. It’s just that tennis has been the big focus of late.
Anyway, I hated giving short shrift to Juan Martin del Potro in his first Grand Slam victory as he deserves more than a few kudos for the kick-ass job.
Here are the stats on Senor del Potro: He’s the 51st man in the Open Era of tennis to win a Grand Slam title and the 11th to be inaugurated into the Grand Slam Champions Club with a win at the U.S. Open. He became the 22nd different U.S. Open champion since the Open Era commenced in 1968. (Arthur Ashe was the first to win the Open Era title, which was his first Slam title as well).
Del Potro went home with $1.6 million as prize money and $250,000 for the U.S. Open Series bonus pool for a grand total of $1.85 million to bank back in Buenos Aires. (And no, my paycheck for the U.S. Open will not rival Juan Martin’s, which leaves me very disturbed as you can imagine.)
The Argentine was the third consecutive player to reach their first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open – Novak Djokovic (2007) and Andy Murray (2008) failed to pick up their first Grand Slam trophies on the occasion. Djoker won his months later at the 2008 Australian Open and Murray, who has been talked up way more than del Potro is still waiting.
Del Potro, who moved from No. 6 to No. 5 in the world, picked up his seventh career title with the victory and expect him to see that tally increase dramatically.
The big question is will that tally increase in Grand Slam prizes or will he be a one-slam wonder?
I think at only 20 this guy exudes a lot of talent and is destined to win more majors in his career. What makes the 6-foot-6 Argentine intriguing is he’s not your typical clay court comfortable South American player. The Grand Slam he’s least likely to win is the French – it’s hard for a giant to get that slide on slippery dirt down. But I can see him winning in Australia, and I can see him working his way to a Wimbledon title.
His tactic at Wimbledon would likely have to be different than at the U.S. Open where after two double faults to hand Federer the third set, he became gun shy and pulled back on his serve. He was able to rely on his lethal forehand to fulfill his dream of winning the U.S. Open. At Wimbledon, I think he will need to keep that serve going on the grass. And there is the issue that the ball bounces lower as it skids off the turf, so he might have to be practicing his bending down to the ball ability.
In the Open Era, the only definite One-Slam-Wonder winner from the U.S. Open was Manuel Orantes in 1975, which bodes well for del Potro coming up with at least another major title in his career.
For those of you who are just about now screeching the name of 2003 U.S. Open ANDY RODDICK – hang on a minute. He’s still playing, so while I think his chances to win another Slam are diminishing – he did have the Wimbledon trophy on his strings this year – I’m not ready to count him out yet. Remember: If you’re in it, you can still win it!
As mentioned above, the big watch was on Andy Murray – Mr. Number Three in the World. He was going to be the next outsider breaking into the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal hold over the Grand Slams. Sometimes the expected doesn’t pan out as in this case.
Murray needs to find a way to last through the maze of a Grand Slam – seven matches in 14 days. This is proving to be a struggle. As talented as he is, he just doesn’t seem to yet have the mental and physical strength to put it together over such a long period of time.
Maybe now the country around him can't cutback on the pressure they put on him. My advice to all the well-meaning Brtions is to lay off a bit and let him work it out without the constant fanfare that doesn’t appear to ever die down. It’s not always good to come from an eager, desperate-for-a-champion country.
But for now, it's all about Juan Martin del Potro!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Last Ramblings From The U.S. Open
By Sandra Harwitt
This is going to be one of those brief posts because I need to get up and go really early and it’s already after midnight and have to file to Australian Tennis Mag with my men’s piece.
My impressions of this U.S. Open – one of the most interesting Grand Slams with intriguing stories all the way through – that I can remember.
Juan Martin del Potro was a Grand Slam champion-in-waiting and the way he won his first Grand Slam title will be one remembered for the ages. He upset the great Roger Federer to become one of only two guys, Rafael Nadal being the other, to beat the Swiss genius in a Grand Slam final.
Federer was composed in defeat unlike how he lost it and cried after his loss to Rafa at the Australian Open. But that was before he won his first French Open and grabbed the Grand Slam record from Pete Sampras with 15 major trophies to his credit.
Biggest shame of the day was that Dick Enberg seemed hell-bent on not giving Juan Martin del Potro the microphone to say something in Spanish. Hey, the guy just won the U.S. Open and he deserved the right to make his speech. An embarrassing moment that put a little damper on the victory for del Potrom who eventually prevailed and had his say in his native language. But in the big picture, he won’t remember that as much as that he beat No. 1 Roger Federer in the final and No. 2 Rafa Nadal in the semifinals to take home the U.S. Open title.
And let’s not forget that Caroline Wozniacki, who lost the final to Kim Clijsters, got in her speech in English, Danish and Polish!
I guess we can’t ignore Serena Williams, who sent out an amended statement today saying she apologizes to the lineswoman and did not behave “appropriately” as a role model for youngster the other night in her semifinal match against Clijsters.
I guess that’s better late than never.
Serena actually handled herself well in the post-match press conference after picking up the doubles trophy on Monday with sis, Venus. The PR person tried to shut down questions regarding the incident – we don’t know if the Williams camp initially requested he do so or if he took that decision himself. To her credit, Serena spoke up and said that she would answer all questions. She also said that she’d like to give the linesperson “A big old hug.” No word from the lineswoman that remains nameless as to whether she’s amenable to a bear hug from La Serena.
As an aside, Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez tells me that Venus and Serena have committed to travel to Italy in November to play in the Fed Cup final. The sisters have not played the first two rounds, which gave young Melanie Oudin and Alexa Glatch a chance to lead the U.S. into the final. If Serena and Venus show, the Fed Cup team will round out with Melanie and doubles star Liezel Huber. Fernandez hopes to bring Alexa along on the trip as she was instrumental in the team making the final. It’s a pretty impressive effort for Mary Joe to lead the U.S. to the final in her first year as captain.
The U.S. has won the Fed Cup title 17 times, but has not captured the title since 2000 when Billie Jean King was the captain. The last time the U.S. was in the final was in 2003 when they played France – the semifinals and finals were held at the same time and the venue was Moscow and that was my first trip to Russia.
Clearly the U.S. Open is all over American Idol contestants to sing before the final. Yesterday, David Archuletta sang God Bless America before the women’s final and Constatine Maroulis, who is now on Broadway, is singing the same before the men’s final.
U.S. OPEN HISTORY FOR September 14
In 1929, Bill Tilden won his seventh U.S. title in a five-set final against Francis Hunter. I must admit I don’t know who Francis Hunter was so I can’t offer any details.
In 1987, Ivan Lendl takes a four-set final match on Monday over Mats Wilander after rain delayed the match on Sunday.
So we bid adieu to the U.S. Open for another year and we're thankful that the event gave us some great memories to look back on.
I'll continue this blog but will probably not post everyday. At least I won't this week as a well-deserved break is needed.
This is going to be one of those brief posts because I need to get up and go really early and it’s already after midnight and have to file to Australian Tennis Mag with my men’s piece.
My impressions of this U.S. Open – one of the most interesting Grand Slams with intriguing stories all the way through – that I can remember.
Juan Martin del Potro was a Grand Slam champion-in-waiting and the way he won his first Grand Slam title will be one remembered for the ages. He upset the great Roger Federer to become one of only two guys, Rafael Nadal being the other, to beat the Swiss genius in a Grand Slam final.
Federer was composed in defeat unlike how he lost it and cried after his loss to Rafa at the Australian Open. But that was before he won his first French Open and grabbed the Grand Slam record from Pete Sampras with 15 major trophies to his credit.
Biggest shame of the day was that Dick Enberg seemed hell-bent on not giving Juan Martin del Potro the microphone to say something in Spanish. Hey, the guy just won the U.S. Open and he deserved the right to make his speech. An embarrassing moment that put a little damper on the victory for del Potrom who eventually prevailed and had his say in his native language. But in the big picture, he won’t remember that as much as that he beat No. 1 Roger Federer in the final and No. 2 Rafa Nadal in the semifinals to take home the U.S. Open title.
And let’s not forget that Caroline Wozniacki, who lost the final to Kim Clijsters, got in her speech in English, Danish and Polish!
I guess we can’t ignore Serena Williams, who sent out an amended statement today saying she apologizes to the lineswoman and did not behave “appropriately” as a role model for youngster the other night in her semifinal match against Clijsters.
I guess that’s better late than never.
Serena actually handled herself well in the post-match press conference after picking up the doubles trophy on Monday with sis, Venus. The PR person tried to shut down questions regarding the incident – we don’t know if the Williams camp initially requested he do so or if he took that decision himself. To her credit, Serena spoke up and said that she would answer all questions. She also said that she’d like to give the linesperson “A big old hug.” No word from the lineswoman that remains nameless as to whether she’s amenable to a bear hug from La Serena.
As an aside, Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez tells me that Venus and Serena have committed to travel to Italy in November to play in the Fed Cup final. The sisters have not played the first two rounds, which gave young Melanie Oudin and Alexa Glatch a chance to lead the U.S. into the final. If Serena and Venus show, the Fed Cup team will round out with Melanie and doubles star Liezel Huber. Fernandez hopes to bring Alexa along on the trip as she was instrumental in the team making the final. It’s a pretty impressive effort for Mary Joe to lead the U.S. to the final in her first year as captain.
The U.S. has won the Fed Cup title 17 times, but has not captured the title since 2000 when Billie Jean King was the captain. The last time the U.S. was in the final was in 2003 when they played France – the semifinals and finals were held at the same time and the venue was Moscow and that was my first trip to Russia.
Clearly the U.S. Open is all over American Idol contestants to sing before the final. Yesterday, David Archuletta sang God Bless America before the women’s final and Constatine Maroulis, who is now on Broadway, is singing the same before the men’s final.
U.S. OPEN HISTORY FOR September 14
In 1929, Bill Tilden won his seventh U.S. title in a five-set final against Francis Hunter. I must admit I don’t know who Francis Hunter was so I can’t offer any details.
In 1987, Ivan Lendl takes a four-set final match on Monday over Mats Wilander after rain delayed the match on Sunday.
So we bid adieu to the U.S. Open for another year and we're thankful that the event gave us some great memories to look back on.
I'll continue this blog but will probably not post everyday. At least I won't this week as a well-deserved break is needed.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Kim, Not Serena, Is The Real Story
By Sandra Harwitt
I’m guessing there’s no choice but to discuss the Serena Williams tirade from last night because it is all the news today. In fact, the men’s semifinals have taken place and all anyone is talking about, writing about, is the Serena incident.
In case someone has been out-of-touch the last 24 hours, a brief synopsis.
Serena is serving at 5-6 in the second set when at 15-30 she was called for a second serve double fault, which put the score at 15-40. Ouch! Serena, who had already been called out for racket abuse in the first set, went off on the linesperson, yet to be identified by anyone. She got into it, cursing at the lineswoman, telling her she’d like to put the ball down her throat with the use of a few f-bombs along the way. Tournament referee Brian Earley came on the court, Serena was assessed a penalty point – the next step after her warning for the racket abuse – and since the score was 15-40 the loss of the point put the match in Kim Clijsters hands.
There are those who say she did foot fault, others who say she didn’t. I was sitting in the front row right behind umpire Louise Engzell with a few colleagues and we could not see it clearly. The footage was somewhat inconclusive. Some would say that the lineswoman shouldn’t call a foot fault at such a stage in the match, especially if it’s a second serve. Others would say, the rules are the rules and if she foot faulted she should be called on it.
All of that are somewhat irrelevant points when it comes down to whether Serena handled herself appropriately during the incident. The answer is clear, she did not. She used abusive language towards an official. She was in the lineswoman’s face with the ball. She was waving her racket at the woman. This is unacceptable and unprofessional behavior and should not be allowed. Period!
As I said earlier today when the BBC World Service Radio, who’ve I’ve worked with in the past, contacted me for an interview, Serena went on damage control immediately in the post-match press conference, saying she accepts playing by the rules, Kim was playing better, and that’s the way it went. She wouldn’t say that she believes an apology was in order to the lineswoman.
Here’s the lowdown result of the incident. Serena’s been fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $500 for racket abuse – that’s a grand total of $10,500. That’s just about petty cash for Serena, who earned $350.000 here at the U.S. Open, and will also post still to be determined earnings in the doubles – she’ll pair with sister, Venus, for the doubles crown on Monday.
“That’s a joke, it’s an embarrassment,” said Mary Carillo, on air as a comment to the levied fine.
Here is the statement that Serena released this afternoon about the incident.
“Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience.”
How about a more pointed mention of the lineswoman that she was freaking out on – that would have gone down a little better was the general sentiment here in the press room.
The one I felt for at the time was Kim Clijsters, who was confused by the whole scene and just wanted to win the match by playing all the points necessary.
In the end, though, it is the remarkable Kim Clijsters who was the real story and that's the way it should be.
Nothing should and will change that from being the truth, but it would’ve been so much nicer for her if Serena held her cool and she could’ve won the semifinal the old-fashioned way. She did win the title the old-fashioned way when she outplayed first-time Grand Slam finalist Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-3 on Sunday night.
The victory brought tears to her Clijsters eyes along with a smile of disbelief.
While it wasn’t a great final in terms of quality of tennis, the fact that Clijsters, who is only playing in her third tournament back since she retired in 2007 to get married and have a family, and needed a wildcard to get into the main draw, is incredible. The last time Clijsters played at the U.S. Open was in 2005 when she won a Grand Slam title for the only time in the first stage of her career. And to think she doesn't even have a ranking yet because she hasn't played enough tournaments, but should be ranked around the top 20 when the new rankings emerged.
Interestingly, it took Clijsters four tries in Grand Slam finals before she won her first U.S. Open crown. Now it’s taken her only three tournaments back after two years away to win her second major. I say, incredible again!
That’s the only way to describe what the Belgian’s achieved.
Clijsters always loved competing, but she almost approached her first career as if it was a hobby. Now she has it all – the husband, the baby, and can play tennis with passion and abandon.
Kim’s the first mother since Evonne Goolagong Cawley to win a Grand Slam title – the Aussie did the deed a long time ago at Wimbledon in 1980. It’s like Clijsters is telling women around the world who want everything, that it is possible.
Clijsters made the award ceremony a family affair when hubby, Brian Lynch, who played basketball at Villanova, and 18-month-old daughter, Jada, held court on the court. The photographers loved it -- a family portrait and a adorable toddler toddling about,grabbing at the trophy, and putting on a show.
A story like this only comes around so often. I absolutely couldn’t imagine it happening to a more warm and wonderful person. The tennis world will benefit by having such a sensational athlete back in their midst.
FORMER CHAMPION JACK KRAMER PASSES AWAY
The tennis world bids good-bye to 1968 Hall of Famer Jack Kramer, 88, who passed away last night at his home in Los Angeles. Kramer, a Wimbledon and U.S. National champion in his day, was the top-ranked player in the world in the late 1940s. Kramer was a founder of the Association of Tennis Professionals, which is the forerunner of today’s ATP Tour. Kramer’s son, Bob, runs the men’s summer tournament in Los Angeles.
U.S. OPEN HISTORY FOR SEPTEMBER 13
In 1981, Bjorg Borg plays his last ever U.S. Open match, in which he lost a four-set final to John McEnroe. He never wins the U.S. Open and that match result basically drove the Swede from the game.
In 1998, Patrick Rafter wins his second consecutive U.S. Open title over fellow Aussie Mark Philippousis. Rafter would never win another Grand Slam title, although he was a finalist at Wimbledon.
I’m guessing there’s no choice but to discuss the Serena Williams tirade from last night because it is all the news today. In fact, the men’s semifinals have taken place and all anyone is talking about, writing about, is the Serena incident.
In case someone has been out-of-touch the last 24 hours, a brief synopsis.
Serena is serving at 5-6 in the second set when at 15-30 she was called for a second serve double fault, which put the score at 15-40. Ouch! Serena, who had already been called out for racket abuse in the first set, went off on the linesperson, yet to be identified by anyone. She got into it, cursing at the lineswoman, telling her she’d like to put the ball down her throat with the use of a few f-bombs along the way. Tournament referee Brian Earley came on the court, Serena was assessed a penalty point – the next step after her warning for the racket abuse – and since the score was 15-40 the loss of the point put the match in Kim Clijsters hands.
There are those who say she did foot fault, others who say she didn’t. I was sitting in the front row right behind umpire Louise Engzell with a few colleagues and we could not see it clearly. The footage was somewhat inconclusive. Some would say that the lineswoman shouldn’t call a foot fault at such a stage in the match, especially if it’s a second serve. Others would say, the rules are the rules and if she foot faulted she should be called on it.
All of that are somewhat irrelevant points when it comes down to whether Serena handled herself appropriately during the incident. The answer is clear, she did not. She used abusive language towards an official. She was in the lineswoman’s face with the ball. She was waving her racket at the woman. This is unacceptable and unprofessional behavior and should not be allowed. Period!
As I said earlier today when the BBC World Service Radio, who’ve I’ve worked with in the past, contacted me for an interview, Serena went on damage control immediately in the post-match press conference, saying she accepts playing by the rules, Kim was playing better, and that’s the way it went. She wouldn’t say that she believes an apology was in order to the lineswoman.
Here’s the lowdown result of the incident. Serena’s been fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $500 for racket abuse – that’s a grand total of $10,500. That’s just about petty cash for Serena, who earned $350.000 here at the U.S. Open, and will also post still to be determined earnings in the doubles – she’ll pair with sister, Venus, for the doubles crown on Monday.
“That’s a joke, it’s an embarrassment,” said Mary Carillo, on air as a comment to the levied fine.
Here is the statement that Serena released this afternoon about the incident.
“Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience.”
How about a more pointed mention of the lineswoman that she was freaking out on – that would have gone down a little better was the general sentiment here in the press room.
The one I felt for at the time was Kim Clijsters, who was confused by the whole scene and just wanted to win the match by playing all the points necessary.
In the end, though, it is the remarkable Kim Clijsters who was the real story and that's the way it should be.
Nothing should and will change that from being the truth, but it would’ve been so much nicer for her if Serena held her cool and she could’ve won the semifinal the old-fashioned way. She did win the title the old-fashioned way when she outplayed first-time Grand Slam finalist Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-3 on Sunday night.
The victory brought tears to her Clijsters eyes along with a smile of disbelief.
While it wasn’t a great final in terms of quality of tennis, the fact that Clijsters, who is only playing in her third tournament back since she retired in 2007 to get married and have a family, and needed a wildcard to get into the main draw, is incredible. The last time Clijsters played at the U.S. Open was in 2005 when she won a Grand Slam title for the only time in the first stage of her career. And to think she doesn't even have a ranking yet because she hasn't played enough tournaments, but should be ranked around the top 20 when the new rankings emerged.
Interestingly, it took Clijsters four tries in Grand Slam finals before she won her first U.S. Open crown. Now it’s taken her only three tournaments back after two years away to win her second major. I say, incredible again!
That’s the only way to describe what the Belgian’s achieved.
Clijsters always loved competing, but she almost approached her first career as if it was a hobby. Now she has it all – the husband, the baby, and can play tennis with passion and abandon.
Kim’s the first mother since Evonne Goolagong Cawley to win a Grand Slam title – the Aussie did the deed a long time ago at Wimbledon in 1980. It’s like Clijsters is telling women around the world who want everything, that it is possible.
Clijsters made the award ceremony a family affair when hubby, Brian Lynch, who played basketball at Villanova, and 18-month-old daughter, Jada, held court on the court. The photographers loved it -- a family portrait and a adorable toddler toddling about,grabbing at the trophy, and putting on a show.
A story like this only comes around so often. I absolutely couldn’t imagine it happening to a more warm and wonderful person. The tennis world will benefit by having such a sensational athlete back in their midst.
FORMER CHAMPION JACK KRAMER PASSES AWAY
The tennis world bids good-bye to 1968 Hall of Famer Jack Kramer, 88, who passed away last night at his home in Los Angeles. Kramer, a Wimbledon and U.S. National champion in his day, was the top-ranked player in the world in the late 1940s. Kramer was a founder of the Association of Tennis Professionals, which is the forerunner of today’s ATP Tour. Kramer’s son, Bob, runs the men’s summer tournament in Los Angeles.
U.S. OPEN HISTORY FOR SEPTEMBER 13
In 1981, Bjorg Borg plays his last ever U.S. Open match, in which he lost a four-set final to John McEnroe. He never wins the U.S. Open and that match result basically drove the Swede from the game.
In 1998, Patrick Rafter wins his second consecutive U.S. Open title over fellow Aussie Mark Philippousis. Rafter would never win another Grand Slam title, although he was a finalist at Wimbledon.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
What To Make Of the U.S. Open Scheduling
By Sandra Harwitt
Another dreary day of rain at Flushing Meadows, much to the frustration of all – players, media, fans, etc.
The only silver lining is that they were able to complete the remaining men’s quarterfinal between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez. We can thank Gonzo for forgetting he was supposed to put up a fight. Instead, he allowed Nadal to close out the win in 33 ½ minutes – the conclusion of the second set tiebreaker took only 90 seconds as Rafa won all four points.
The bad news is I just went outside – it’s nearly 3:30 in the afternoon -- and my weather instincts tell me they could be hard-pressed to get in anymore tennis today. (Okay, more than a few hours have been clocked off since then, it’s now 8:30 p.m. and we’re still waiting, and it’s still raining!)
They walked out on the court at 9:11 p.m. -- tennis will be played and the women are warming up -- it's been a long, boring wait!
At the very least with the women and the men into the semifinals the predicted good weather for the next two days means the Open should close its door on the singles competition on Monday, although the women’s doubles final could be held over until Tuesday – UGH! But with Nadal’s quarterfinal win tucked into his gear bag today, and if the weather the next two days is better, the singles championships should end on Monday.
The juniors are on schedule as they took them north to Port Chester to play indoors at the Sound Shore Indoor Tennis Club. The big news on the junior front is that Ohio State’s Chase Buchanan, 18, not only unseeded, but playing on a wildcard, is into the boys’ final. Buchanan, who won the U.S. National 18s at Kalamazoo this summer, will play 16-year-old Bernard Tomic of Australia, who already owns a Grand Slam trophy from the 2008 Australian Open.
Two really nice girls’ – 11th-seeded Heather Watson of Great Britain and unseeded Yana Buchina of Russia – will tangle for the girl’s title.
This entire week I’ve been charmed by Watson, who is the only person I’ve ever met that I know of that comes from Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel that is closer to France than its own country’s mainland. I recently read the Guernsey Literary Club and Potato Peel Pie Society and now have a keen interest in visiting the place. I had no idea that the Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans during World War II, which was when the novel took place. Watson paints a beautiful view of her hometown, although she’s been training at the Nick Bollettieri Academy since she was 11 and loves the beach and American shopping malls.
But back to the controversial subject of the day, which actually is not particularly applicable to this U.S. Open, but is interesting to ponder.
The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam that does not keep to the every-other-day-off pattern for the players when it gets down to the wire. At the other three Slams, they play the men’s semifinal on Friday and the men’s final on Sunday, the women’s semifinals on Thursday and the women’s final on Saturday.
At the U.S. Open it’s different – weather permitting. They play the women’s semis on Friday and final on Saturday night, the men’s semifinals on Saturday and the final on Sunday late afternoon.
The problem with this scenario is that it works against the players in terms of producing the best tennis possible. The day of rest in-between the semifinals and finals enables the players to recharge, most especially the men, who can be playing five-set matches.
In case you’re not aware, it’s all about TV and what host network CBS wants to air and when it wants to air it.
The players are not approving of the way the U.S. Open does it and they have always campaigned for a change to how it’s done at the other Slams.
But it does seem that this is one argument where the players don’t rule as host TV sponsors come with big fat check books, which help fund the big fat checks the players receive.
This is a good debate to contemplate and everyone should feel free to weigh in on their thoughts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for the last blog's issue to ponder, here's a statement released from Lucy Garvin, Chairman of the Board and Pesident, USTA, regarding the exploration of a roof for Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"The USTA actively investigating retractable roof concepts for Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of a broader exploration of long-range planning needs for the U.S. Open. However, any decisio regarding a potential roof must be balanced with the USTA's overall mission of growing the sport of tennis at every level in the U.S. For this reason, we will take the time to make the right decision, and will not hold ourselves to a specific timetable."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Open History For September 12, 2009
In 1936, Fred Perry becomes the first non-American to win three U.S. Open titles. Interestingly, Perry would soon move from Great Britain to the United States, change his citizenship and fight with the Yanks during World War II.
In 1981, Tracy Austin wins her second and last U.S. Open title over first time U.S. Open finalist Martina Navratilova.
In 1998, Californian Lindsay Davenport wins her first Grand Slam trophy by beating Martina Hingis in the final. Davenport is the first American-born women to seize the title since Chris Evert won her last of six U.S. Open titles in 1982.
In 2004, Roger Federer, who is hoping to win his sixth consecutive U.S. Open title this year, won his first of that run with a straight-set victory over Lleyton Hewitt.
Another dreary day of rain at Flushing Meadows, much to the frustration of all – players, media, fans, etc.
The only silver lining is that they were able to complete the remaining men’s quarterfinal between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez. We can thank Gonzo for forgetting he was supposed to put up a fight. Instead, he allowed Nadal to close out the win in 33 ½ minutes – the conclusion of the second set tiebreaker took only 90 seconds as Rafa won all four points.
The bad news is I just went outside – it’s nearly 3:30 in the afternoon -- and my weather instincts tell me they could be hard-pressed to get in anymore tennis today. (Okay, more than a few hours have been clocked off since then, it’s now 8:30 p.m. and we’re still waiting, and it’s still raining!)
They walked out on the court at 9:11 p.m. -- tennis will be played and the women are warming up -- it's been a long, boring wait!
At the very least with the women and the men into the semifinals the predicted good weather for the next two days means the Open should close its door on the singles competition on Monday, although the women’s doubles final could be held over until Tuesday – UGH! But with Nadal’s quarterfinal win tucked into his gear bag today, and if the weather the next two days is better, the singles championships should end on Monday.
The juniors are on schedule as they took them north to Port Chester to play indoors at the Sound Shore Indoor Tennis Club. The big news on the junior front is that Ohio State’s Chase Buchanan, 18, not only unseeded, but playing on a wildcard, is into the boys’ final. Buchanan, who won the U.S. National 18s at Kalamazoo this summer, will play 16-year-old Bernard Tomic of Australia, who already owns a Grand Slam trophy from the 2008 Australian Open.
Two really nice girls’ – 11th-seeded Heather Watson of Great Britain and unseeded Yana Buchina of Russia – will tangle for the girl’s title.
This entire week I’ve been charmed by Watson, who is the only person I’ve ever met that I know of that comes from Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel that is closer to France than its own country’s mainland. I recently read the Guernsey Literary Club and Potato Peel Pie Society and now have a keen interest in visiting the place. I had no idea that the Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans during World War II, which was when the novel took place. Watson paints a beautiful view of her hometown, although she’s been training at the Nick Bollettieri Academy since she was 11 and loves the beach and American shopping malls.
But back to the controversial subject of the day, which actually is not particularly applicable to this U.S. Open, but is interesting to ponder.
The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam that does not keep to the every-other-day-off pattern for the players when it gets down to the wire. At the other three Slams, they play the men’s semifinal on Friday and the men’s final on Sunday, the women’s semifinals on Thursday and the women’s final on Saturday.
At the U.S. Open it’s different – weather permitting. They play the women’s semis on Friday and final on Saturday night, the men’s semifinals on Saturday and the final on Sunday late afternoon.
The problem with this scenario is that it works against the players in terms of producing the best tennis possible. The day of rest in-between the semifinals and finals enables the players to recharge, most especially the men, who can be playing five-set matches.
In case you’re not aware, it’s all about TV and what host network CBS wants to air and when it wants to air it.
The players are not approving of the way the U.S. Open does it and they have always campaigned for a change to how it’s done at the other Slams.
But it does seem that this is one argument where the players don’t rule as host TV sponsors come with big fat check books, which help fund the big fat checks the players receive.
This is a good debate to contemplate and everyone should feel free to weigh in on their thoughts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for the last blog's issue to ponder, here's a statement released from Lucy Garvin, Chairman of the Board and Pesident, USTA, regarding the exploration of a roof for Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"The USTA actively investigating retractable roof concepts for Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of a broader exploration of long-range planning needs for the U.S. Open. However, any decisio regarding a potential roof must be balanced with the USTA's overall mission of growing the sport of tennis at every level in the U.S. For this reason, we will take the time to make the right decision, and will not hold ourselves to a specific timetable."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Open History For September 12, 2009
In 1936, Fred Perry becomes the first non-American to win three U.S. Open titles. Interestingly, Perry would soon move from Great Britain to the United States, change his citizenship and fight with the Yanks during World War II.
In 1981, Tracy Austin wins her second and last U.S. Open title over first time U.S. Open finalist Martina Navratilova.
In 1998, Californian Lindsay Davenport wins her first Grand Slam trophy by beating Martina Hingis in the final. Davenport is the first American-born women to seize the title since Chris Evert won her last of six U.S. Open titles in 1982.
In 2004, Roger Federer, who is hoping to win his sixth consecutive U.S. Open title this year, won his first of that run with a straight-set victory over Lleyton Hewitt.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Should The U.S. Open Build A Roof?
By Sandra Harwitt
For many people, the fact that the skies cried rain today in New York was appropriate as we marked the eighth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. It was dreary and somber, a perfect setting as people called out the names of all those who died on 9/11 in memorial services.
At the U.S. Open, the inclement weather shut down the tennis, leaving many players hanging about until they were told they had to wait no more.
Rafael Nadal, who spent much of the afternoon playing Fosbal with friends, was the last to get dismissed as tournament officials hoped they might get a window of opportunity to complete his match.
Alas, that didn’t happen and everything was put off until tomorrow.
So now the line-up is all messed up and it is written in stone that we will be watching the men’s final on Monday for a second consecutive year.
First on tap for Saturday is the conclusion of the last men’s quarterfinal match between Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez, which Nadal leads by one set and is serving at 3-2 in the second set tiebreaker. That will be followed by a men’s doubles final, and then the Caroline Wozniacki and Yanina Wickmayer semifinal. The big show – the semifinal between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters -- will slide right in to what was supposed to be the women’s final.
On Sunday, the men will play the semifinals during the day and the women’s final will play in the evening at a time to be determined.
And the men will get their chance to crown a champion on Monday – the time to still be determined. And the women’s doubles final will also take place on Monday.
And, of course, all of that is dependent upon Saturday featuring clear skies.
So what’s going to be the big topic of conversation? Obviously, when will the U.S. Open step up and construct a convertible-topped roof on the stadium to keep play going?
The Australian has had it for years – they have it on their two main courts. Wimbledon unveiled their roof this year, so the place most revered for being steeped in history is now cutting edge.
The French Open apparently has plans for a new stadium avec roof (avec -- that’s with, in French), which would be off-campus and connected from the park across the street.
But the U.S. Open – no plans seem in the works yet.
And I’m not really that disturbed about it, to be honest, because part of me just can’t wrap my head around a Grand Slam being played indoors.
I perfectly understand the advantage of a stadium with a roof – the tennis goes on, matches get concluded, fans are happy, and part of the players are smiling.
But there’s an unfair element to the roof and it can’t be denied.
A Grand Slam is supposed to be an outdoor tournament. Once you close the roof it becomes something very different – perfect conditions.
Once you close the roof, the top players get to keep to the intended schedule of one day off as they are normally scheduled for the show court at an event. The other folks? Well, they sit around and wait for the rain to stop and play hectic schedules and make-up matches.
That makes a Grand Slam two distinctly different events.
An interesting aside, from an atmosphere perspective, the Australian roof never evoked a strong opinion from me. Presumably, as Australia always had the indoor component from my first visit Down Under in 1990, it didn’t bother me from how it felt to watch a match indoors. I still have reservations about the fairness of closing the roof at an outdoor event, but being under the roof still creates a buzz in Oz.
At Wimbledon, however, when they closed the roof, it somehow lost that special Wimbledon feeling – the atmosphere just deflated and it just felt like anyplace. Some, I’m sure, will disagree with me. But some will have the same observations. It just felt like any stadium anywhere you go.
All that said, it’s the 21st Century and it’s hard not to imagine that sooner than later there will be a roof on Arthur Ashe stadium, even if the USTA hasn’t revealed any concrete plans. Time will tell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just an observation – Somehow, Roger Federer always lands on the right side of the draw, the side that is always on schedule and not hindered by the rain. As one of my fav colleagues, George Vescey of the New York Times, said when I mentioned this ideal phenomenon – “It’s good to be Roger!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Open History On September 11, 2009
In 1977, Guillermo Vilas, the Bull of the Pampas, wins his U.S. Open crown in a four-set match over Jimmy Connors. The Open was on clay back then and the Argentine owned the surface, so much so that he won the final set at love. It was the last ever U.S. Open match played at the grand West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.
In 1988, Mats Wilander wins the longest men’s final in U.S. Open history, a five-setter in four hours, 55 minutes. The match comes with a bonus beyond the trophy and the check – Wilander also strips his final opponent, Ivan Lendl, of the No. 1 ranking, which he claims for his very own.
In 1994, an unseeded man claims the title – the first unseeded man since Fred Stolle of Australia did so in 1966. The champion – Andre Agassi, whose ranking had dipped, but thirst for Grand Slam trophies was still very much alive.
For many people, the fact that the skies cried rain today in New York was appropriate as we marked the eighth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. It was dreary and somber, a perfect setting as people called out the names of all those who died on 9/11 in memorial services.
At the U.S. Open, the inclement weather shut down the tennis, leaving many players hanging about until they were told they had to wait no more.
Rafael Nadal, who spent much of the afternoon playing Fosbal with friends, was the last to get dismissed as tournament officials hoped they might get a window of opportunity to complete his match.
Alas, that didn’t happen and everything was put off until tomorrow.
So now the line-up is all messed up and it is written in stone that we will be watching the men’s final on Monday for a second consecutive year.
First on tap for Saturday is the conclusion of the last men’s quarterfinal match between Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez, which Nadal leads by one set and is serving at 3-2 in the second set tiebreaker. That will be followed by a men’s doubles final, and then the Caroline Wozniacki and Yanina Wickmayer semifinal. The big show – the semifinal between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters -- will slide right in to what was supposed to be the women’s final.
On Sunday, the men will play the semifinals during the day and the women’s final will play in the evening at a time to be determined.
And the men will get their chance to crown a champion on Monday – the time to still be determined. And the women’s doubles final will also take place on Monday.
And, of course, all of that is dependent upon Saturday featuring clear skies.
So what’s going to be the big topic of conversation? Obviously, when will the U.S. Open step up and construct a convertible-topped roof on the stadium to keep play going?
The Australian has had it for years – they have it on their two main courts. Wimbledon unveiled their roof this year, so the place most revered for being steeped in history is now cutting edge.
The French Open apparently has plans for a new stadium avec roof (avec -- that’s with, in French), which would be off-campus and connected from the park across the street.
But the U.S. Open – no plans seem in the works yet.
And I’m not really that disturbed about it, to be honest, because part of me just can’t wrap my head around a Grand Slam being played indoors.
I perfectly understand the advantage of a stadium with a roof – the tennis goes on, matches get concluded, fans are happy, and part of the players are smiling.
But there’s an unfair element to the roof and it can’t be denied.
A Grand Slam is supposed to be an outdoor tournament. Once you close the roof it becomes something very different – perfect conditions.
Once you close the roof, the top players get to keep to the intended schedule of one day off as they are normally scheduled for the show court at an event. The other folks? Well, they sit around and wait for the rain to stop and play hectic schedules and make-up matches.
That makes a Grand Slam two distinctly different events.
An interesting aside, from an atmosphere perspective, the Australian roof never evoked a strong opinion from me. Presumably, as Australia always had the indoor component from my first visit Down Under in 1990, it didn’t bother me from how it felt to watch a match indoors. I still have reservations about the fairness of closing the roof at an outdoor event, but being under the roof still creates a buzz in Oz.
At Wimbledon, however, when they closed the roof, it somehow lost that special Wimbledon feeling – the atmosphere just deflated and it just felt like anyplace. Some, I’m sure, will disagree with me. But some will have the same observations. It just felt like any stadium anywhere you go.
All that said, it’s the 21st Century and it’s hard not to imagine that sooner than later there will be a roof on Arthur Ashe stadium, even if the USTA hasn’t revealed any concrete plans. Time will tell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just an observation – Somehow, Roger Federer always lands on the right side of the draw, the side that is always on schedule and not hindered by the rain. As one of my fav colleagues, George Vescey of the New York Times, said when I mentioned this ideal phenomenon – “It’s good to be Roger!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Open History On September 11, 2009
In 1977, Guillermo Vilas, the Bull of the Pampas, wins his U.S. Open crown in a four-set match over Jimmy Connors. The Open was on clay back then and the Argentine owned the surface, so much so that he won the final set at love. It was the last ever U.S. Open match played at the grand West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.
In 1988, Mats Wilander wins the longest men’s final in U.S. Open history, a five-setter in four hours, 55 minutes. The match comes with a bonus beyond the trophy and the check – Wilander also strips his final opponent, Ivan Lendl, of the No. 1 ranking, which he claims for his very own.
In 1994, an unseeded man claims the title – the first unseeded man since Fred Stolle of Australia did so in 1966. The champion – Andre Agassi, whose ranking had dipped, but thirst for Grand Slam trophies was still very much alive.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Are Records Made To Be Broken?
Derek Jeter ties Lou Gehrig’s Yankee record of 2,721 hits!
As my Aussie friends would say, Good on ya, Derek!
One wonders what the great Gehrig might think about this all. It’s a record that has had his name etched on it for eons, but eventually someone was going to come along and better it. And it doesn’t hurt that besides for athletes being in better shape, equipment has vastly improved.
Derek sounded in awe of sharing the record after the achievement last night. And from what I know of the Gehrig legend he should be in awe of the Hall of Famer.
It brings up the point – are records made to be broken? This is a good question to wonder about in terms of tennis. No one thought that anyone would come along, at least not in the near future to break Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slams. But then Roger Federer showed up only a few years later and now he has the Grand Slam singles title record at 15.
Can anyone touch Roger and will it happen sooner than later?
Rafael Nadal has six majors and is a pretty young guy at 23, so I guess it could be possible. But his body is already showing signs of breaking down, so it’s a very iffy proposition.
In today’s game of tennis it’s hard to be as prolific as Federer’s been and in my opinion his record is likely to stand for quite a while. If Nadal can’t challenge it, I don’t see anyone else now or coming up that looks like they can. But the thing that makes this game interesting is you just never know what is going to happen.
Just a brief note on the Melanie Oudin situation that came to light after her loss last night – that her father filed for divorce last year citing her mother had an affair with Melanie’s coach, Brian de Villiers.
Why did someone have to spoil the best week of Melanie Oudin’s life by putting out that info. Is a 17-year-old responsible for the actions of their parents? Surely not? It wasn’t necessary and there’s no doubt in many of our minds that she’s likely to go from being delightful with the media to being suspicious and unhelpful.
And I’m not saying anything more on this situation.
The rain is heading our way and already disrupting tonight’s Nadal-Gonzalez match. UGH!
Tomorrow is looking to be a washout and that’s not a good thing. But for now this is going to be one of the shortest b log posts you’ll ever see from the usually long winded me. I need to drive back to NJ for my beauty sleep!
As my Aussie friends would say, Good on ya, Derek!
One wonders what the great Gehrig might think about this all. It’s a record that has had his name etched on it for eons, but eventually someone was going to come along and better it. And it doesn’t hurt that besides for athletes being in better shape, equipment has vastly improved.
Derek sounded in awe of sharing the record after the achievement last night. And from what I know of the Gehrig legend he should be in awe of the Hall of Famer.
It brings up the point – are records made to be broken? This is a good question to wonder about in terms of tennis. No one thought that anyone would come along, at least not in the near future to break Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slams. But then Roger Federer showed up only a few years later and now he has the Grand Slam singles title record at 15.
Can anyone touch Roger and will it happen sooner than later?
Rafael Nadal has six majors and is a pretty young guy at 23, so I guess it could be possible. But his body is already showing signs of breaking down, so it’s a very iffy proposition.
In today’s game of tennis it’s hard to be as prolific as Federer’s been and in my opinion his record is likely to stand for quite a while. If Nadal can’t challenge it, I don’t see anyone else now or coming up that looks like they can. But the thing that makes this game interesting is you just never know what is going to happen.
Just a brief note on the Melanie Oudin situation that came to light after her loss last night – that her father filed for divorce last year citing her mother had an affair with Melanie’s coach, Brian de Villiers.
Why did someone have to spoil the best week of Melanie Oudin’s life by putting out that info. Is a 17-year-old responsible for the actions of their parents? Surely not? It wasn’t necessary and there’s no doubt in many of our minds that she’s likely to go from being delightful with the media to being suspicious and unhelpful.
And I’m not saying anything more on this situation.
The rain is heading our way and already disrupting tonight’s Nadal-Gonzalez match. UGH!
Tomorrow is looking to be a washout and that’s not a good thing. But for now this is going to be one of the shortest b log posts you’ll ever see from the usually long winded me. I need to drive back to NJ for my beauty sleep!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sloane Stephens: Grace In Adversity
By Sandra Harwitt
Sports journalists are supposed to be diplomatically unbiased about the people they cover.
It’s just a part of what is considered ethical and the right thing to do.
But every so often journalists have to let down their shield and feel like they’re rooting for someone they can’t help wanting to support.
That’s certainly the way a small group of reporters felt today when they went to hear American junior Sloane Stephens after her tough three-set, second-round win on Wednesday afternoon.
Sloane is going through a difficult time right now and it is impossible not to be impressed with how she’s handling the situation.
Here’s the back story: Sloane’s biological father, John, a former NFL running back, was killed in a car crash last week. Sloane was raised by her mother, Sybil, and her second husband, who unfortunately passed away of cancer in the last couple of years.
Sloane did have contact with her biological father, although much of that was by phone instead of in person.
Her mom left it to Sloane to decide whether she wanted to go Louisiana to attend the funeral. Sloane decided she wanted to be there and USTA officials made it happen, leaving her schedule clear from when she played her doubles early on Monday until today.
Sloane spoke today of how it’s been tough, but she’s dealing and how she was glad she went to say good-bye. She also met nine other brothers-and-sisters from her father’s side while at the funeral.
The composure in which she spoke of such a personal subject was moving. The questioners were careful with how they asked the questions and seemed to assess whether she was prepared to discuss what she’s been going through. After the press conference I chatted with her mom, Sybil Smith, who I’ve chatted with in the past. She thanked me for asking about the situation so “gently” as I was the first to ask the question. Sloane is 16-years-old – it’s responsible journalism to ask difficult questions as softly as you can.
If you don’t think that’s the normal journalist way you should have seen the annoyance that reporters felt a number of years ago when one of our notable insensitive reporters, fortunately no longer on the tennis beat, demanded information from Alexandra Stevenson when he uncovered that former basketball great, Julius Irving was her father. She was a teenager, a nice but not particularly mature teenager and it was a painful experience to be in that interview room.
Back to Sloane: She has a winning personality and is a delight to be around.
Let’s hope her tennis game can deliver her to the career she desires.
P.S. If you want to follow more about the juniors check out my articles on the ITF website – www.itftennis.com.
HEADS OF STATE:
During the last few days the new heads of both tours – Stacey Allaster for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and Adam Helfant for the ATP Tour – have come around to have a chat with the media.
Allaster was second in command at the WTA so she’s just been bumped up a notch. She’s personable and is very experienced having been the tournament director of the Rogers Cup in Canada before joining the tour.
She spoke about being hopeful about Sony Ericsson staying on as the overall title sponsor of the tour. She sees the women’s game as healthy and a special product from a marketing level.
She reports that there’s not likely to be a change in the ranking system and this is one area that the media has concerns. It’s hard not to think that tennis fans don’t believe there’s a discrepancy in terms of who is ranked No. 1 and who they believe is the top player in the world. This makes sense as how do you justify that Dinara Safina has been and will be the No. 1 player after the U.S. Open even though Serena Williams has won two Grand Slam titles this year – the Australian Open and Wimbledon. And when all is said and done here this week, Serena could win her third Grand Slam title of the season. Safina, so far, has no Grand Slam titles to her credit, although she’s had the chance in a few finals. There’s a reason to reward Safina for playing often on the tour and going deep into events as there’s a reason to dock Serena for not being all that supportive at many of the other tournaments. But reality is reality – it’s the majors that really count, so most believe Serena who should be No. 1.
Helfant has sports a background from having been on board as an executive with Nike for many years. He’s still feeling his way in the ATP job since he joined the team at the beginning of the year. Yesterday was his first formal open-to-all press conference.
The biggest news he revealed is that the men’s game does not yet have a signed title sponsor to replace Mercedes, which left at the beginning of this year. However, Helfant said that he is now in negotiations with a number of possible sponsors, which is more encouraging than at the beginning of the year when people weren’t even answering his call.
Helfant is not looking to be the star as his predecessor, Etienne de Villiers, seemed to be. He wants to do a good job, do the nuts and bolts, but he seems to have the type personality that he’s fine doing the job in the background.
Obviously, time will tell, but I have chatted with Helfant a number of times, as well as with Allaster, and I have a good feeling about both of them. Hopefully, they’ll prove me right.
U.S.Open History For September 9:
In 1968, Arthur Ashe wins the first Open Era title at the first U.S. Open. He beats Dutchman Tom Okker in the final and remains the only African American man to win the U.S. Open.
In 1974, Jimmy Connors, 22, beats Ken Rosewall, 39, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 in the final. It’s the most lopsided men’s final ever recorded at this tournament and only took 78-minutes for Connors to bank.
In 1979, Chris Evert’s 31-match streak at the U.S. Open ends when Tracy Austin, at 16 years, 8 months and 28 days becomes the youngest U.S. Open champion in history.
In 1990, Pete Sampras, at 19 years, 28 days, becomes the youngest U.S. Open men’s champion after beating Andre Agassi in a straight-set final.
Sports journalists are supposed to be diplomatically unbiased about the people they cover.
It’s just a part of what is considered ethical and the right thing to do.
But every so often journalists have to let down their shield and feel like they’re rooting for someone they can’t help wanting to support.
That’s certainly the way a small group of reporters felt today when they went to hear American junior Sloane Stephens after her tough three-set, second-round win on Wednesday afternoon.
Sloane is going through a difficult time right now and it is impossible not to be impressed with how she’s handling the situation.
Here’s the back story: Sloane’s biological father, John, a former NFL running back, was killed in a car crash last week. Sloane was raised by her mother, Sybil, and her second husband, who unfortunately passed away of cancer in the last couple of years.
Sloane did have contact with her biological father, although much of that was by phone instead of in person.
Her mom left it to Sloane to decide whether she wanted to go Louisiana to attend the funeral. Sloane decided she wanted to be there and USTA officials made it happen, leaving her schedule clear from when she played her doubles early on Monday until today.
Sloane spoke today of how it’s been tough, but she’s dealing and how she was glad she went to say good-bye. She also met nine other brothers-and-sisters from her father’s side while at the funeral.
The composure in which she spoke of such a personal subject was moving. The questioners were careful with how they asked the questions and seemed to assess whether she was prepared to discuss what she’s been going through. After the press conference I chatted with her mom, Sybil Smith, who I’ve chatted with in the past. She thanked me for asking about the situation so “gently” as I was the first to ask the question. Sloane is 16-years-old – it’s responsible journalism to ask difficult questions as softly as you can.
If you don’t think that’s the normal journalist way you should have seen the annoyance that reporters felt a number of years ago when one of our notable insensitive reporters, fortunately no longer on the tennis beat, demanded information from Alexandra Stevenson when he uncovered that former basketball great, Julius Irving was her father. She was a teenager, a nice but not particularly mature teenager and it was a painful experience to be in that interview room.
Back to Sloane: She has a winning personality and is a delight to be around.
Let’s hope her tennis game can deliver her to the career she desires.
P.S. If you want to follow more about the juniors check out my articles on the ITF website – www.itftennis.com.
HEADS OF STATE:
During the last few days the new heads of both tours – Stacey Allaster for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and Adam Helfant for the ATP Tour – have come around to have a chat with the media.
Allaster was second in command at the WTA so she’s just been bumped up a notch. She’s personable and is very experienced having been the tournament director of the Rogers Cup in Canada before joining the tour.
She spoke about being hopeful about Sony Ericsson staying on as the overall title sponsor of the tour. She sees the women’s game as healthy and a special product from a marketing level.
She reports that there’s not likely to be a change in the ranking system and this is one area that the media has concerns. It’s hard not to think that tennis fans don’t believe there’s a discrepancy in terms of who is ranked No. 1 and who they believe is the top player in the world. This makes sense as how do you justify that Dinara Safina has been and will be the No. 1 player after the U.S. Open even though Serena Williams has won two Grand Slam titles this year – the Australian Open and Wimbledon. And when all is said and done here this week, Serena could win her third Grand Slam title of the season. Safina, so far, has no Grand Slam titles to her credit, although she’s had the chance in a few finals. There’s a reason to reward Safina for playing often on the tour and going deep into events as there’s a reason to dock Serena for not being all that supportive at many of the other tournaments. But reality is reality – it’s the majors that really count, so most believe Serena who should be No. 1.
Helfant has sports a background from having been on board as an executive with Nike for many years. He’s still feeling his way in the ATP job since he joined the team at the beginning of the year. Yesterday was his first formal open-to-all press conference.
The biggest news he revealed is that the men’s game does not yet have a signed title sponsor to replace Mercedes, which left at the beginning of this year. However, Helfant said that he is now in negotiations with a number of possible sponsors, which is more encouraging than at the beginning of the year when people weren’t even answering his call.
Helfant is not looking to be the star as his predecessor, Etienne de Villiers, seemed to be. He wants to do a good job, do the nuts and bolts, but he seems to have the type personality that he’s fine doing the job in the background.
Obviously, time will tell, but I have chatted with Helfant a number of times, as well as with Allaster, and I have a good feeling about both of them. Hopefully, they’ll prove me right.
U.S.Open History For September 9:
In 1968, Arthur Ashe wins the first Open Era title at the first U.S. Open. He beats Dutchman Tom Okker in the final and remains the only African American man to win the U.S. Open.
In 1974, Jimmy Connors, 22, beats Ken Rosewall, 39, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 in the final. It’s the most lopsided men’s final ever recorded at this tournament and only took 78-minutes for Connors to bank.
In 1979, Chris Evert’s 31-match streak at the U.S. Open ends when Tracy Austin, at 16 years, 8 months and 28 days becomes the youngest U.S. Open champion in history.
In 1990, Pete Sampras, at 19 years, 28 days, becomes the youngest U.S. Open men’s champion after beating Andre Agassi in a straight-set final.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Two Scintillating Scenarios
By Sandra Harwitt
Hello, tennis fans!
This blog could be brief as it’s been a busy day. On the other hand, as many of my editors can tell you, I’ve never been accused of being at a loss for an extra word or two.
So here it goes.
We have a couple of interesting scenarios that have arisen as an outgrowth from this U.S. Open.
Scenario One:
There are NO Russian women into the U.S. Open quarterfinal.
Svetlana Kuznetsova was the last possibility to keep the Russian trend of hanging around until deep into a Grand Slam alive.
Teen sensation Caroline Wozniacki, seeded No. 9 here, took care of that when she took out the sixth-seeded Kuznetsova 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) in the fourth round on Monday night.
This is big news as it’s been quite a while since a Russian hasn’t adorned at least a Grand Slam quarterfinal – 29 consecutive Slams, in fact, dating back to the 2002 French Open.
Does this mean the Russian Revolution is over in women’s tennis?
I wouldn’t think so. I’d bet with the breadth of their talent someone from their ranks will fly the flag deep into the Slams next year. Will they win Grand Slam titles – maybe, maybe not? But they have the talent to always be factors in the outcome at a major for the near future.
However, I do have some concerns.
Elena Dementieva just doesn’t seem capable of winning a Grand Slam even when she’s set up well to do well. But she does have Olympic gold from Beijing, so she will have something special to look at and show the grandchildren.
Maria Sharapova just doesn’t seem able to find a serve that works as I discussed in an earlier blog during the Open. She will need to work around her shoulder issue and find an effective serve or her Grand Slam titles count will end with the three she’s already won.
Svetlana Kuznetsova had a hiccup here, but she’s feisty and she did take home the French Open trophy this year, so she should be feeling good going into the closing weeks of the season.
And what more can I say about Dinara Safina but she should be using this break for a much needed break from the game and try to calm down and just play her game.
Scenario Two:
There are NO American men into the quarterfinals. NONE!
If you don’t think this is significant try relying on history to put it in perspective. The last time there wasn’t at least one Yank into the men’s quarterfinals at the U.S Open or its predecessor, the U.S. National, was NEVER! And NEVER goes back a long time – to the first U.S. National in 1881.
I guess the positive way to view this occurrence is to assume it’s an aberration that won’t happen again for another 128 years.
The not so positive way to look at this scenario is that our better players are getting older, our younger players are showing some promise, but are unlikely to be solid top 10 stars. So the question begs asking – Where do we find our next generation of contenders?
Don’t get me wrong in that I’m not writing off Andy Roddick. It was surprising he fell so early this year, especially after his dramatic final showing at Wimbledon. He is still a solid top 10 player and should be for another few years. But his closest colleagues don’t have that advantage – James Blake had his stint in the top 10 and he isn’t showing the kind of stuff that would make you think he’s headed back in that direction. Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri have had nice careers but they aren’t about to burst out as late blooming superstars.
As for a thought or two on a few of the new guys in town:
Sam Querrey: I like Sam and I especially like the way he thinks outside the box (Check out my article on the investment club Sam made himself into under my espn.com/tennis archives – the piece ran in March). But even with Sam’s impressive results this summer I just don’t see him as a solid and consistent top 10 kind of guy. There’s just not enough backing up the serve and his height restricts his court movement, although he’s pretty speedy for a tall dude.
John Isner: Kudos to John for taking out Roddick, but he also is hindered by his height and he has not proven himself to be consistent in his results. He’ll have a good win, but then too many iffy results.
Jesse Levine: I like Jesse’s scrappiness and being shorter enables him to scamper around the court at ease. But he has a hard time dealing with the power of his taller colleagues. In the men’s game it’s going to be tough to reach Grand Slam finals the way that Michael Chang did with the brawn of the guys, and the technologically off-the-chart rackets and strings.
U.S. Open History For September 8, 2009
In 1968, Virginia Wade pulls off the big upset over Billie Jean King to become the first women’s champion in the Open Era.
In 1973, Margaret Court wins the last of her record 24 Grand Slam titles with a win over Evonne Goolagong.
In 1984 the phrase Super Saturday is coined for the long day of thrilling tennis that started at 11:07 a.m. and goes to 11:16 p.m. Stan Smith beats John Newcombe in a men’s 35s semifinal, Ivan Lendl beats Pat Cash in a five set semifinal, Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert in three sets for the title, and John McEnroe defeats Jimmy Connors in a five set semifinal.
Hello, tennis fans!
This blog could be brief as it’s been a busy day. On the other hand, as many of my editors can tell you, I’ve never been accused of being at a loss for an extra word or two.
So here it goes.
We have a couple of interesting scenarios that have arisen as an outgrowth from this U.S. Open.
Scenario One:
There are NO Russian women into the U.S. Open quarterfinal.
Svetlana Kuznetsova was the last possibility to keep the Russian trend of hanging around until deep into a Grand Slam alive.
Teen sensation Caroline Wozniacki, seeded No. 9 here, took care of that when she took out the sixth-seeded Kuznetsova 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) in the fourth round on Monday night.
This is big news as it’s been quite a while since a Russian hasn’t adorned at least a Grand Slam quarterfinal – 29 consecutive Slams, in fact, dating back to the 2002 French Open.
Does this mean the Russian Revolution is over in women’s tennis?
I wouldn’t think so. I’d bet with the breadth of their talent someone from their ranks will fly the flag deep into the Slams next year. Will they win Grand Slam titles – maybe, maybe not? But they have the talent to always be factors in the outcome at a major for the near future.
However, I do have some concerns.
Elena Dementieva just doesn’t seem capable of winning a Grand Slam even when she’s set up well to do well. But she does have Olympic gold from Beijing, so she will have something special to look at and show the grandchildren.
Maria Sharapova just doesn’t seem able to find a serve that works as I discussed in an earlier blog during the Open. She will need to work around her shoulder issue and find an effective serve or her Grand Slam titles count will end with the three she’s already won.
Svetlana Kuznetsova had a hiccup here, but she’s feisty and she did take home the French Open trophy this year, so she should be feeling good going into the closing weeks of the season.
And what more can I say about Dinara Safina but she should be using this break for a much needed break from the game and try to calm down and just play her game.
Scenario Two:
There are NO American men into the quarterfinals. NONE!
If you don’t think this is significant try relying on history to put it in perspective. The last time there wasn’t at least one Yank into the men’s quarterfinals at the U.S Open or its predecessor, the U.S. National, was NEVER! And NEVER goes back a long time – to the first U.S. National in 1881.
I guess the positive way to view this occurrence is to assume it’s an aberration that won’t happen again for another 128 years.
The not so positive way to look at this scenario is that our better players are getting older, our younger players are showing some promise, but are unlikely to be solid top 10 stars. So the question begs asking – Where do we find our next generation of contenders?
Don’t get me wrong in that I’m not writing off Andy Roddick. It was surprising he fell so early this year, especially after his dramatic final showing at Wimbledon. He is still a solid top 10 player and should be for another few years. But his closest colleagues don’t have that advantage – James Blake had his stint in the top 10 and he isn’t showing the kind of stuff that would make you think he’s headed back in that direction. Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri have had nice careers but they aren’t about to burst out as late blooming superstars.
As for a thought or two on a few of the new guys in town:
Sam Querrey: I like Sam and I especially like the way he thinks outside the box (Check out my article on the investment club Sam made himself into under my espn.com/tennis archives – the piece ran in March). But even with Sam’s impressive results this summer I just don’t see him as a solid and consistent top 10 kind of guy. There’s just not enough backing up the serve and his height restricts his court movement, although he’s pretty speedy for a tall dude.
John Isner: Kudos to John for taking out Roddick, but he also is hindered by his height and he has not proven himself to be consistent in his results. He’ll have a good win, but then too many iffy results.
Jesse Levine: I like Jesse’s scrappiness and being shorter enables him to scamper around the court at ease. But he has a hard time dealing with the power of his taller colleagues. In the men’s game it’s going to be tough to reach Grand Slam finals the way that Michael Chang did with the brawn of the guys, and the technologically off-the-chart rackets and strings.
U.S. Open History For September 8, 2009
In 1968, Virginia Wade pulls off the big upset over Billie Jean King to become the first women’s champion in the Open Era.
In 1973, Margaret Court wins the last of her record 24 Grand Slam titles with a win over Evonne Goolagong.
In 1984 the phrase Super Saturday is coined for the long day of thrilling tennis that started at 11:07 a.m. and goes to 11:16 p.m. Stan Smith beats John Newcombe in a men’s 35s semifinal, Ivan Lendl beats Pat Cash in a five set semifinal, Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert in three sets for the title, and John McEnroe defeats Jimmy Connors in a five set semifinal.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Oodles More On Oudin
From White House To Arthur's House: Bubba's Coming To The Tennis
By Sandra Harwitt
If tennis is your thing then these days you just can’t get enough of Melanie Oudin. There’s no need to apologize about the obsession, even the most casual of sports fans are taking notice of the Marietta, GA., teen.
The CBS announcers put it most succinctly after Oudin hit payday in securing a U.S. Open quarterfinal berth on Monday – A Star Is Born!
Oudin is living this U.S. Open on the Russian express – she’s played four comrades in a row – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, No. 4 Elena Dementieva, former U.S. Open champ Maria Sharapova, and No. 13 Nadia Petrova. In her last three matches she battled back from a one-set deficit to advance. Against Petrova, the American seemed destined for defeat before coming up with the 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 upset.
Here’s what I like best about Oudin – there’s no bratty comments, no I’m special and you’re not attitude, no anything that would make you flinch in horror.
The Oudin family either are the best acting family in the world or they are what they seem to be: down-to-earth, infectiously enthusiastic, and impressively practical even as they find themselves in this incredible whirlwind of Melanie’s success.
What’s most refreshing as I pointed out the other day is that it’s actually Melanie who wants this, who wants to be No. 1, wants to be a champion. Her parents have supported her quest, but they have not demanded it and that makes a huge difference.
If you want proof of that you’ll find it in Andre Agassi’s upcoming biography. He pointedly admits he did not choose tennis, his father chose it for all of his offspring with Andre being the sibling who got the job done.
An outgrowth of that is that it took Andre a long time to relish in his talent and find pleasure in the game – he did, but it was a long road to that outcome.
I spoke with Melanie’s mom, Leslie, today and she talked about the difference between encouraging and demanding that your child become a tennis player.
“You just offer the support, it’s all she’s ever wanted to do, she’s talked about it, follows tennis, has a passion and shows it on the court,” Leslie Oudin told me after my colleagues stepped away to talk to her husband, John. “It’s been nice to know your child just enjoys playing and you don’t have to do it. I have seen quite a bit of parents pushing and I sit and think, ‘Do you know how many more matches you’re going to be watching, do you know how much more they’re going to have to go through.’ Back in the juniors they had a long way to go and they’re not going to enjoy the game in the long run if you continue to push.”
Mom admits she’s a bit shell-shocked by the quickness that Melanie is advancing. When I talked to Leslie about her daughter at Wimbledon just a couple of months ago, I was the only journalist in pursuit. Today, mom, dad, and twin sister, Katherine, who cried with joy for her sister after she claimed a quarterfinal slot, were taking turns chatting with the media.
“Yes it is, it is a shock,” Leslie Oudin told me. “I’m sure she has the confidence, but you see her and she still looks small on the court compared to some of these girls. I’m sure she hasn’t reached her peak in her strength yet so you just don’t know. I know she can match a lot of the players, but her serve still needs a lot of work. She’s just 17 and she doesn’t have that much experience in the Grand Slams. It’s been amazing.”
Proof that the Oudin’s have taken an individual approach to their children is when you see things through the eyes of Katherine. She was so happy for her sister, who until four years ago she shared a bedroom with at home.
But she’s not feeling any jealousy – she didn’t want tennis as a career, she wants to play in college and most probably go onto medical school so “I’m looking for a school with good academics” said the high school senior.
She did admit it was quite traumatic in seventh grade when Melanie made the decision that home schooling would work better for her than to attend school.
“We’re still very, very close,” Katherine Oudin said. “I tell her about school and she tells me about her tournaments. It was really difficult when she started home schooling in seventh grade because then I felt I was on my own. I had to be a regular kid and make friends on my own. I didn’t have that security friend always there. She knew what she wanted.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
This honor goes to Nadia Petrova, who is asked about Melanie Oudin beating four tall Russian women in a row to reach the quarterfinals.
Of the possibility that Oudin could face a fifth Russian, 2004 U.S. Open champion and reigning French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the quarterfinals, Petrova said: “Well, now she gets, hopefully, a short and a little chubby Russian. See how she’s going to handle that.”
BUBBA’S GOING TO BE IN THE HOUSE
President Bill Clinton will be the featured speaker at the U.S. Open on Thursday night, September 10, when the late Arthur Ashe is inducted into the U.S. Open Court of Champions. Ashe, the only African American man to win the U.S. Open title (1968) to date, was instrumental in founding the USTA National Junior Tennis League, now known as the National Junior Tennis League, which teaches tennis to over 220,000 youngsters in the United States.
U.S. OPEN HISTORY ON SEPTEMBER 7
In 1953, Maureen Connolly makes history by becoming the first woman to win a calendar Grand Slam when she wins the U.S. National title.
In 1969, Vice President Spiro Agnew presents the new women’s champion, Margaret Court, with the trophy on the stadium court at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.
In 2002, Venus and Serena Williams compete for the second consecutive year in the women’s final with Serena taking out older sister and defending champion, Venus Williams.
By Sandra Harwitt
If tennis is your thing then these days you just can’t get enough of Melanie Oudin. There’s no need to apologize about the obsession, even the most casual of sports fans are taking notice of the Marietta, GA., teen.
The CBS announcers put it most succinctly after Oudin hit payday in securing a U.S. Open quarterfinal berth on Monday – A Star Is Born!
Oudin is living this U.S. Open on the Russian express – she’s played four comrades in a row – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, No. 4 Elena Dementieva, former U.S. Open champ Maria Sharapova, and No. 13 Nadia Petrova. In her last three matches she battled back from a one-set deficit to advance. Against Petrova, the American seemed destined for defeat before coming up with the 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 upset.
Here’s what I like best about Oudin – there’s no bratty comments, no I’m special and you’re not attitude, no anything that would make you flinch in horror.
The Oudin family either are the best acting family in the world or they are what they seem to be: down-to-earth, infectiously enthusiastic, and impressively practical even as they find themselves in this incredible whirlwind of Melanie’s success.
What’s most refreshing as I pointed out the other day is that it’s actually Melanie who wants this, who wants to be No. 1, wants to be a champion. Her parents have supported her quest, but they have not demanded it and that makes a huge difference.
If you want proof of that you’ll find it in Andre Agassi’s upcoming biography. He pointedly admits he did not choose tennis, his father chose it for all of his offspring with Andre being the sibling who got the job done.
An outgrowth of that is that it took Andre a long time to relish in his talent and find pleasure in the game – he did, but it was a long road to that outcome.
I spoke with Melanie’s mom, Leslie, today and she talked about the difference between encouraging and demanding that your child become a tennis player.
“You just offer the support, it’s all she’s ever wanted to do, she’s talked about it, follows tennis, has a passion and shows it on the court,” Leslie Oudin told me after my colleagues stepped away to talk to her husband, John. “It’s been nice to know your child just enjoys playing and you don’t have to do it. I have seen quite a bit of parents pushing and I sit and think, ‘Do you know how many more matches you’re going to be watching, do you know how much more they’re going to have to go through.’ Back in the juniors they had a long way to go and they’re not going to enjoy the game in the long run if you continue to push.”
Mom admits she’s a bit shell-shocked by the quickness that Melanie is advancing. When I talked to Leslie about her daughter at Wimbledon just a couple of months ago, I was the only journalist in pursuit. Today, mom, dad, and twin sister, Katherine, who cried with joy for her sister after she claimed a quarterfinal slot, were taking turns chatting with the media.
“Yes it is, it is a shock,” Leslie Oudin told me. “I’m sure she has the confidence, but you see her and she still looks small on the court compared to some of these girls. I’m sure she hasn’t reached her peak in her strength yet so you just don’t know. I know she can match a lot of the players, but her serve still needs a lot of work. She’s just 17 and she doesn’t have that much experience in the Grand Slams. It’s been amazing.”
Proof that the Oudin’s have taken an individual approach to their children is when you see things through the eyes of Katherine. She was so happy for her sister, who until four years ago she shared a bedroom with at home.
But she’s not feeling any jealousy – she didn’t want tennis as a career, she wants to play in college and most probably go onto medical school so “I’m looking for a school with good academics” said the high school senior.
She did admit it was quite traumatic in seventh grade when Melanie made the decision that home schooling would work better for her than to attend school.
“We’re still very, very close,” Katherine Oudin said. “I tell her about school and she tells me about her tournaments. It was really difficult when she started home schooling in seventh grade because then I felt I was on my own. I had to be a regular kid and make friends on my own. I didn’t have that security friend always there. She knew what she wanted.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
This honor goes to Nadia Petrova, who is asked about Melanie Oudin beating four tall Russian women in a row to reach the quarterfinals.
Of the possibility that Oudin could face a fifth Russian, 2004 U.S. Open champion and reigning French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the quarterfinals, Petrova said: “Well, now she gets, hopefully, a short and a little chubby Russian. See how she’s going to handle that.”
BUBBA’S GOING TO BE IN THE HOUSE
President Bill Clinton will be the featured speaker at the U.S. Open on Thursday night, September 10, when the late Arthur Ashe is inducted into the U.S. Open Court of Champions. Ashe, the only African American man to win the U.S. Open title (1968) to date, was instrumental in founding the USTA National Junior Tennis League, now known as the National Junior Tennis League, which teaches tennis to over 220,000 youngsters in the United States.
U.S. OPEN HISTORY ON SEPTEMBER 7
In 1953, Maureen Connolly makes history by becoming the first woman to win a calendar Grand Slam when she wins the U.S. National title.
In 1969, Vice President Spiro Agnew presents the new women’s champion, Margaret Court, with the trophy on the stadium court at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.
In 2002, Venus and Serena Williams compete for the second consecutive year in the women’s final with Serena taking out older sister and defending champion, Venus Williams.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
When The Big Names Lose Early
By Sandra Harwitt
What can you say after a day like yesterday except that anything can happen so think twice before you bet the house!
Gone is Andy Roddick, who many thought had a great chance to win his second Grand Slam trophy – second U.S. Open title. John Isner, the former Georgia Bulldog towers over most of the other players, but Roddick’s achievements should’ve towered over Isner. But in the end, Isner had one too many serves in their exciting 7-6 (3), 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5) third round encounter.
Most around these parts thought that Roddick should be and was encouraged by his fantastic showing in the Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. But I think it’s naïve to not assume there had to be a tremendous element of disappointment. Through most of that match, Andy was in charge even with Roger serving so big. And to lose by losing your serve for the first time at the end of five intriguing sets -- -- Andy had to wondering what else can he could possibly do to get his hands on a Wimbledon trophy after three attempts against Roger in the finals.
Also bowing out was Dinara Safina in a tough 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5) upset delivered by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and as discussed in yesterday’s blog, Maria Sharapova.
Now some might think me crazy, but Safina’s early round loss could be a blessing in disguise. I actually picked Dinara as my early exit in the espn.com expert picks. Here was my reasoning, which some of you might find a bit crazy. I felt that she just could not handle another Grand Slam final loss. Seriously! She’s got that Safin-Safina blood coursing through her veins and they see things differently and are very emotional people.
The 2008 French Open final: Safina suffers a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Anna Ivanovic.
The 2009 Australian Open final: Safina suffers a tougher 6-0, 6-3 loss to Serena Williams
The 2009 French Open final: Safina suffers another straight set defeat at 6-4, 6-2 to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
How much Grand Slam final failure can a girl take?
I know there are those who point out that Kim Clijsters failed to hoist the trophy in her first four Grand Slam final appearances before she won her lone major at the 2005 U.S. Open. But Kim and Dinara are as different as they come, so that theory doesn’t seem applicable to me.
If Safina is smart she’ll take this early exit and make it work for the future. She needs to go out there and find a confidence boost as her self-esteem has to be low. Personally, I think the computer rankings have a glitch when someone who doesn’t win a major can be top dog. But the computer rewards players for playing frequently and going deep into a tournament on a regular basis. So as the rankings work now, Safina was legitimately No. 1 and she should have held her head high and acted like she deserved to be there.
It’s hard not to like Safina – she’s charming, funny, entertaining just like her older brother, Marat. FYI: Marat says he’s done with tennis, but I wonder if we might not see him back.
Talk about having your head on straight look no further than Kim Clijsters. She knew she wanted to retire, get married and have children. She did that successfully, decided she missed the game and wanted back in. She’s dedicated to being a contender again and her stunning 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 win over Venus Williams in the fourth round today sits her comfortably in the quarterfinals.
Expect Clijsters, one of the nicest ladies on tour who all welcomed back with enthusiasm, to do well in her second career. Fulfillment Clijsters style is husband, daughter and tennis all wrapped up into one beautiful package.
U.S. Open History For September 6
In 1920, Big Bill Tilden one the first of his seven U.S. singles titles at the famed West Side Tennis Club.
In 1991, Monica Seles beat fellow teen Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals to reach her first U.S. Open final. She goes on to win the title with a final victory over Martina Navratilova.
In 1998, Steffi Graf plays what turns out to be her last ever match at the U.S. Open, losing to Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round. Graf retires 11 months later after winning the 1999 French Open and reaching the Wimbledon final.
Until tomorrow, tennis fans!
What can you say after a day like yesterday except that anything can happen so think twice before you bet the house!
Gone is Andy Roddick, who many thought had a great chance to win his second Grand Slam trophy – second U.S. Open title. John Isner, the former Georgia Bulldog towers over most of the other players, but Roddick’s achievements should’ve towered over Isner. But in the end, Isner had one too many serves in their exciting 7-6 (3), 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5) third round encounter.
Most around these parts thought that Roddick should be and was encouraged by his fantastic showing in the Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. But I think it’s naïve to not assume there had to be a tremendous element of disappointment. Through most of that match, Andy was in charge even with Roger serving so big. And to lose by losing your serve for the first time at the end of five intriguing sets -- -- Andy had to wondering what else can he could possibly do to get his hands on a Wimbledon trophy after three attempts against Roger in the finals.
Also bowing out was Dinara Safina in a tough 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5) upset delivered by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and as discussed in yesterday’s blog, Maria Sharapova.
Now some might think me crazy, but Safina’s early round loss could be a blessing in disguise. I actually picked Dinara as my early exit in the espn.com expert picks. Here was my reasoning, which some of you might find a bit crazy. I felt that she just could not handle another Grand Slam final loss. Seriously! She’s got that Safin-Safina blood coursing through her veins and they see things differently and are very emotional people.
The 2008 French Open final: Safina suffers a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Anna Ivanovic.
The 2009 Australian Open final: Safina suffers a tougher 6-0, 6-3 loss to Serena Williams
The 2009 French Open final: Safina suffers another straight set defeat at 6-4, 6-2 to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
How much Grand Slam final failure can a girl take?
I know there are those who point out that Kim Clijsters failed to hoist the trophy in her first four Grand Slam final appearances before she won her lone major at the 2005 U.S. Open. But Kim and Dinara are as different as they come, so that theory doesn’t seem applicable to me.
If Safina is smart she’ll take this early exit and make it work for the future. She needs to go out there and find a confidence boost as her self-esteem has to be low. Personally, I think the computer rankings have a glitch when someone who doesn’t win a major can be top dog. But the computer rewards players for playing frequently and going deep into a tournament on a regular basis. So as the rankings work now, Safina was legitimately No. 1 and she should have held her head high and acted like she deserved to be there.
It’s hard not to like Safina – she’s charming, funny, entertaining just like her older brother, Marat. FYI: Marat says he’s done with tennis, but I wonder if we might not see him back.
Talk about having your head on straight look no further than Kim Clijsters. She knew she wanted to retire, get married and have children. She did that successfully, decided she missed the game and wanted back in. She’s dedicated to being a contender again and her stunning 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 win over Venus Williams in the fourth round today sits her comfortably in the quarterfinals.
Expect Clijsters, one of the nicest ladies on tour who all welcomed back with enthusiasm, to do well in her second career. Fulfillment Clijsters style is husband, daughter and tennis all wrapped up into one beautiful package.
U.S. Open History For September 6
In 1920, Big Bill Tilden one the first of his seven U.S. singles titles at the famed West Side Tennis Club.
In 1991, Monica Seles beat fellow teen Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals to reach her first U.S. Open final. She goes on to win the title with a final victory over Martina Navratilova.
In 1998, Steffi Graf plays what turns out to be her last ever match at the U.S. Open, losing to Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round. Graf retires 11 months later after winning the 1999 French Open and reaching the Wimbledon final.
Until tomorrow, tennis fans!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Traveling The Tennis Highway
This & That on Melanie and Maria
By Sandra Harwitt
When you follow the fuzzy yellow tennis ball you log a lot of miles commuting to your job whether you’re a player, coach, umpire or member of the media.
Most people whine and moan about having a daily trek to work whether it’s a trip by car, train or bus. In the tennis world the commute goes beyond the normal. In tennis we often take the plane to the office. There are not many options on mode of transportation when you’re trying to get from the U.S. to Australia, Australia to Europe, Europe to Asia. Swimming wouldn’t exactly work even if your name was Michael Phelps and a boat would take too long.
This year I’ve logged quite a few miles and not nearly as many as most in the business. By the time the 2009 season comes to a close I’ll have been to four continents – North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. My next stop after the U.S. Open will be to cover the new ATP Masters Series 1000 event in Shanghai, China for Associated Press.
I am not a newcomer to China. In fact, you could almost call me a native as my upcoming trip will be my sixth visit to the country since November 2006. I worked the year-end Tennis Masters Championships in Shanghai for the past three years, did an advance Olympic journey to Beijing and then spent a fabulous 5 ½ weeks as the Olympic News Service Manager at the Tennis Venue at the 2008 Olympic Games. It was my first Olympics and a fabulous opportunity to immerse myself in Beijing culture.
An international traveler, it’s not a surprise that last year I had to send my passport off to Uncle Sam’s passport service for an addition of pages. I did so a bit after I needed to and I can tell you that the day I went from Hong Kong to Macau and back last November, the customs man liked me as much as the Beatles song suggests. They refused to stamp the last free page and had trouble finding room to stamp on any of the other already filled pages.
But commutes abroad are not my only traveling sagas. I’m having quite the unique trip going to the U.S. Open each day this year. Hey, financial times are tough this year for everybody, including those of us plying our trade as freelance writers. Therefore, I’m trying to be fiscally conservative and am taking advantage of an offer to stay with my friend, Robin, who years ago worked in the tennis business. She has a fabulous new apartment in North Bergen, New Jersey, in a building that borders the Hudson River and displays a brilliant view of the New York skyline.
I’m a native New Yorker, who is about to return to the city after a number of years down in Boca Raton, Florida. But the move back hasn’t happened yet so I have no place of my own to hang my hat. For the first few days I stayed in the city, but last night I moved to New Jersey. I’m certainly very comfortable at Robin’s. She has a beautiful two-bedroom place and I quickly made myself at home.
So dedicated to getting to the tennis on time, I have an interesting route to the Open. I start by walking a couple of blocks to a local shuttle that takes me to the ferry. I board the ferry at Port Imperial that leaves me off at the pier on 39th Street off the West Side Drive. From the gangway I find my way to the free New York Waterway bus that goes down 42nd Street and puts me out in front of the famed 42nd Street Library and walk two blocks to the Grand Hyatt, one of the official hotels of the U.S. Open. That’s where I board the tournament bus to Flushing Meadows. Round trip without traffic: 90 minutes. Round trip with traffic: Let’s just say time will tell.
Melanie Oudin certainly made the trip worthwhile today.
The other day I wasn’t sure that Melanie would be able to beat Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova back-to-back. To borrow a thought from Melanie’s shoes – I should’ve believed. While Maria certainly helped Melanie find a path to the fourth round, the 17-year-old Georgian seems to potentially have the total package. Most of all, she has heart and desire. She has a solid game and while her serve could use beefing up, it’s not at all bad, especially for her size. She seems to have a sense of the court and tactical smarts. And she possesses a winning personality.
Oudin appears to be on the Russian express train, which is a good thing as her next opponent also hails from the country of vodka and caviar. She’ll face No. 13 Nadia Petrova and I now believe. I believe Melanie has the fight to see herself into her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Let’s see if she proves me smart or proves me wrong.
As for Shaza – that’s what we call Maria around these parts – it’s troubling to see that since shoulder surgery she’s been unable to find a comfortable serve she can win points with at ease. If she just wants to powder puff the ball in, she’s okay. But if she’s trying to be effective on serve, she falters.
Hence, the astonishing 21 double faults she posted against Oudin. And there’s the worry that if Sharapova keeps trying to compensate on the serve it will start to take its toll on her elbow. I’m sure everyone noticed the trainer was out there massaging her elbow towards the end of the match.
U.S. Open History for September 5
In 1949, Pancho Gonzalez defends his U.S. title by playing 67 games in his 16-19, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Ted Schroeder, the most games ever played in a U.S. title match.
In 1951, Little Mo (Maureen Connolly) wins the first of her three successive U.S. titles. Her career is cut short after a fall off a horse and she sadly dies of cancer at age 34 in June 1969. Her widower, Norman Brinker, an icon of the mid-priced and cheap chain restaurants and the inventor of the salad bar, died this spring.
In 1996, Pete Sampras survives fatigue, getting ill on court and a tenacious Spaniard Alex Corretja to win a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7) quarterfinal.
And now I head off to see how the reverse commute to New Jersey works. Until tomorrow, tennis fans!
By Sandra Harwitt
When you follow the fuzzy yellow tennis ball you log a lot of miles commuting to your job whether you’re a player, coach, umpire or member of the media.
Most people whine and moan about having a daily trek to work whether it’s a trip by car, train or bus. In the tennis world the commute goes beyond the normal. In tennis we often take the plane to the office. There are not many options on mode of transportation when you’re trying to get from the U.S. to Australia, Australia to Europe, Europe to Asia. Swimming wouldn’t exactly work even if your name was Michael Phelps and a boat would take too long.
This year I’ve logged quite a few miles and not nearly as many as most in the business. By the time the 2009 season comes to a close I’ll have been to four continents – North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. My next stop after the U.S. Open will be to cover the new ATP Masters Series 1000 event in Shanghai, China for Associated Press.
I am not a newcomer to China. In fact, you could almost call me a native as my upcoming trip will be my sixth visit to the country since November 2006. I worked the year-end Tennis Masters Championships in Shanghai for the past three years, did an advance Olympic journey to Beijing and then spent a fabulous 5 ½ weeks as the Olympic News Service Manager at the Tennis Venue at the 2008 Olympic Games. It was my first Olympics and a fabulous opportunity to immerse myself in Beijing culture.
An international traveler, it’s not a surprise that last year I had to send my passport off to Uncle Sam’s passport service for an addition of pages. I did so a bit after I needed to and I can tell you that the day I went from Hong Kong to Macau and back last November, the customs man liked me as much as the Beatles song suggests. They refused to stamp the last free page and had trouble finding room to stamp on any of the other already filled pages.
But commutes abroad are not my only traveling sagas. I’m having quite the unique trip going to the U.S. Open each day this year. Hey, financial times are tough this year for everybody, including those of us plying our trade as freelance writers. Therefore, I’m trying to be fiscally conservative and am taking advantage of an offer to stay with my friend, Robin, who years ago worked in the tennis business. She has a fabulous new apartment in North Bergen, New Jersey, in a building that borders the Hudson River and displays a brilliant view of the New York skyline.
I’m a native New Yorker, who is about to return to the city after a number of years down in Boca Raton, Florida. But the move back hasn’t happened yet so I have no place of my own to hang my hat. For the first few days I stayed in the city, but last night I moved to New Jersey. I’m certainly very comfortable at Robin’s. She has a beautiful two-bedroom place and I quickly made myself at home.
So dedicated to getting to the tennis on time, I have an interesting route to the Open. I start by walking a couple of blocks to a local shuttle that takes me to the ferry. I board the ferry at Port Imperial that leaves me off at the pier on 39th Street off the West Side Drive. From the gangway I find my way to the free New York Waterway bus that goes down 42nd Street and puts me out in front of the famed 42nd Street Library and walk two blocks to the Grand Hyatt, one of the official hotels of the U.S. Open. That’s where I board the tournament bus to Flushing Meadows. Round trip without traffic: 90 minutes. Round trip with traffic: Let’s just say time will tell.
Melanie Oudin certainly made the trip worthwhile today.
The other day I wasn’t sure that Melanie would be able to beat Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova back-to-back. To borrow a thought from Melanie’s shoes – I should’ve believed. While Maria certainly helped Melanie find a path to the fourth round, the 17-year-old Georgian seems to potentially have the total package. Most of all, she has heart and desire. She has a solid game and while her serve could use beefing up, it’s not at all bad, especially for her size. She seems to have a sense of the court and tactical smarts. And she possesses a winning personality.
Oudin appears to be on the Russian express train, which is a good thing as her next opponent also hails from the country of vodka and caviar. She’ll face No. 13 Nadia Petrova and I now believe. I believe Melanie has the fight to see herself into her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Let’s see if she proves me smart or proves me wrong.
As for Shaza – that’s what we call Maria around these parts – it’s troubling to see that since shoulder surgery she’s been unable to find a comfortable serve she can win points with at ease. If she just wants to powder puff the ball in, she’s okay. But if she’s trying to be effective on serve, she falters.
Hence, the astonishing 21 double faults she posted against Oudin. And there’s the worry that if Sharapova keeps trying to compensate on the serve it will start to take its toll on her elbow. I’m sure everyone noticed the trainer was out there massaging her elbow towards the end of the match.
U.S. Open History for September 5
In 1949, Pancho Gonzalez defends his U.S. title by playing 67 games in his 16-19, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Ted Schroeder, the most games ever played in a U.S. title match.
In 1951, Little Mo (Maureen Connolly) wins the first of her three successive U.S. titles. Her career is cut short after a fall off a horse and she sadly dies of cancer at age 34 in June 1969. Her widower, Norman Brinker, an icon of the mid-priced and cheap chain restaurants and the inventor of the salad bar, died this spring.
In 1996, Pete Sampras survives fatigue, getting ill on court and a tenacious Spaniard Alex Corretja to win a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7) quarterfinal.
And now I head off to see how the reverse commute to New Jersey works. Until tomorrow, tennis fans!
Friday, September 4, 2009
To College Or Not To College, That Is The Question?
By Sandra Harwitt
Back in the day, the subject of whether a talented tennis player should go to college or not was not even an issue. The American guys, they all went to college, played some tennis, took a few classes (some more than others), and then they set off to make their name on the tour.
I'm not talking about nobody's here. I'm talking about real players, even Grand Slam champions, who either graduated or spent some time in college.
The great Arthur Ashe whose name adorns the U.S. Open main stadium went to college. Stan Smith went to college. Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Brian Gottfried, Harold Solomon, they all went collegiate.
Nowadays, the trend tends to be not to go to college, especially for the best and brightest of the junior talent. No college for Pete Sampras, not even a high school diploma. An online high school diploma sufficed for Andre Agassi. Andy Roddick scored a high school diploma from Boca Prep, but skipped going to college to be cool on the tour.
But that doesn't mean that every American player on tour hasn't seen the benefits of the college experience.
There are nine American guys ranked in the top 100, which many find a rather unacceptable situation considering the size of the United States. But that's a subject for a different article on a different day.
Four of the nine guys hit the books for some amount of time -- No. 23 James Blake went to Harvard, No. 55 John Isner went to Georgia, No. 77 Robert Kendrick went to University of Washington and Pepperdine, and No. 100 Kevin Kim went to UCLA.
The five who went straight to the tour: No. 5 Andy Roddick, No. 22 Sam Querrey, No. 26 Mardy Fish, No. 75 Robby Ginepri, and No. 86 Wayne Odesnik.
I'll be upfront about the fact that I'm a proponent for heading to college.
Don't misunderstand my position. I clearly comprehend that there are many players that are ready to try their luck on the tour from the perspective of their tennis. While they definitely have room for improvement, they have the talent -- the forehands, the backhands, maybe even the serves and volleys -- to compete.
But they certainly wouldn't hurt from gaining some of the socialization skills and maturity that a college stint can deliver. And the grind and guts required to play at the collegiate level can be a huge plus.
One player who doesn't regret his college days -- a year as a Gator at the University of Florida -- is Jesse Levine. Currently ranked No. 135, Levine received a wildcard into the U.S. Open main draw where he led 16th seed Marin Cilic by two-sets-to-love before surrendering 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 in the second round on Friday.
"Going to college, I wouldn't take that back for anything," Levine says. "That one year in college was amazing for me as a tennis player and a person. I don't feel like I'm a year behind.
"Look at the draw....you have Jesse Witten into the third round who went to Kentucky. You have John Isner into the third round who went to Georgia. There are so many guys out there with college experience and it's nothing but a benefit."
Former Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson, who went to college before he played the tour, and is now in his second stint as an official USTA coach, considers college a choice that young players need to ponder.
"I think it's an individual decision and I don't think there's any one right call," Gullikson says. "Everybody has a different pathway to the pro tour and if you want to use college as a pathway to the pro tour I think you can still do that. I really do, especially on the men's side. It's probably a little bit more difficult to do on the women's side as there isn't a good history of women going to college and having success on the tour."
Historical Note From September 4
In 1959 on this day, a 16-year-old Arthur Ashe makes his U.S. National Championships debut. He loses to a more accomplished 21-year-old Rod Laver in straight sets. But the stage is set for Ashe, who would eventually win the title in 1968, one of three Grand Slam trophies the elegant serve-and-volleyer would earn. A bright light in tennis, Ashe passed away in February 1993 from AIDS, which he acquired from a bad blood transfusion during open heart surgery.
Back in the day, the subject of whether a talented tennis player should go to college or not was not even an issue. The American guys, they all went to college, played some tennis, took a few classes (some more than others), and then they set off to make their name on the tour.
I'm not talking about nobody's here. I'm talking about real players, even Grand Slam champions, who either graduated or spent some time in college.
The great Arthur Ashe whose name adorns the U.S. Open main stadium went to college. Stan Smith went to college. Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Brian Gottfried, Harold Solomon, they all went collegiate.
Nowadays, the trend tends to be not to go to college, especially for the best and brightest of the junior talent. No college for Pete Sampras, not even a high school diploma. An online high school diploma sufficed for Andre Agassi. Andy Roddick scored a high school diploma from Boca Prep, but skipped going to college to be cool on the tour.
But that doesn't mean that every American player on tour hasn't seen the benefits of the college experience.
There are nine American guys ranked in the top 100, which many find a rather unacceptable situation considering the size of the United States. But that's a subject for a different article on a different day.
Four of the nine guys hit the books for some amount of time -- No. 23 James Blake went to Harvard, No. 55 John Isner went to Georgia, No. 77 Robert Kendrick went to University of Washington and Pepperdine, and No. 100 Kevin Kim went to UCLA.
The five who went straight to the tour: No. 5 Andy Roddick, No. 22 Sam Querrey, No. 26 Mardy Fish, No. 75 Robby Ginepri, and No. 86 Wayne Odesnik.
I'll be upfront about the fact that I'm a proponent for heading to college.
Don't misunderstand my position. I clearly comprehend that there are many players that are ready to try their luck on the tour from the perspective of their tennis. While they definitely have room for improvement, they have the talent -- the forehands, the backhands, maybe even the serves and volleys -- to compete.
But they certainly wouldn't hurt from gaining some of the socialization skills and maturity that a college stint can deliver. And the grind and guts required to play at the collegiate level can be a huge plus.
One player who doesn't regret his college days -- a year as a Gator at the University of Florida -- is Jesse Levine. Currently ranked No. 135, Levine received a wildcard into the U.S. Open main draw where he led 16th seed Marin Cilic by two-sets-to-love before surrendering 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 in the second round on Friday.
"Going to college, I wouldn't take that back for anything," Levine says. "That one year in college was amazing for me as a tennis player and a person. I don't feel like I'm a year behind.
"Look at the draw....you have Jesse Witten into the third round who went to Kentucky. You have John Isner into the third round who went to Georgia. There are so many guys out there with college experience and it's nothing but a benefit."
Former Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson, who went to college before he played the tour, and is now in his second stint as an official USTA coach, considers college a choice that young players need to ponder.
"I think it's an individual decision and I don't think there's any one right call," Gullikson says. "Everybody has a different pathway to the pro tour and if you want to use college as a pathway to the pro tour I think you can still do that. I really do, especially on the men's side. It's probably a little bit more difficult to do on the women's side as there isn't a good history of women going to college and having success on the tour."
Historical Note From September 4
In 1959 on this day, a 16-year-old Arthur Ashe makes his U.S. National Championships debut. He loses to a more accomplished 21-year-old Rod Laver in straight sets. But the stage is set for Ashe, who would eventually win the title in 1968, one of three Grand Slam trophies the elegant serve-and-volleyer would earn. A bright light in tennis, Ashe passed away in February 1993 from AIDS, which he acquired from a bad blood transfusion during open heart surgery.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Melanie Oudin Rises To The Occasion
September 3, 2009
(Make sure to check out fun inside Oudin info down below!)
Wondering where you would've heard the biggest sigh of relief today, September 3, 2009?
It would've been right here at the Flushing Meadows home of the U.S. Open where American women's tennis discovered there might be a happy future after the Era of the Williams sisters.
You can refer to that happiness as Melanie Oudin!
Oudin is a diminutive 17-year-old spitfire who lives, breathes, and exists for the right to play tennis.
The No. 70 ranked teen is identifying herself as the worthy successor to "the sisters" by virtue of two incredible matches she's played at the two most recent Grand Slam events.
At Wimbledon, she upset No. 6 Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round -- the victory was her first over a top 10 player.
Today at the Open, Oudin performed to even better standards by taking out No. 4 Elena Dementieva 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. For those who might not follow the game that closely, there are those of us who actually touted Dementieva to win the title here.
Yes, I must admit that I selected Dementieva in the ESPN.com expert picks. My theory on this selection was a bit iffy in hindsight. Dementieva had a great summer and a fabulous Wimbledon, she has made marked improvements in her serve although it still needs help, and her groundstrokes have been tough to tangle with for other players. But my biggest factor in making an obviously careless pick was I didn't want to be like everyone else and pick the most likely champion, Serena Williams.
Bad me, I say now.
But back to a look at Oudin, the highest ranked American right behind No. 2 Serena and No. 3 Venus Willliams.
There's no denying that at only 5-foot-6, Oudin has to be crafty to handle many of the other players who tower over her at over 6-feet tall. But it's not impossible as the now retired Belgian Justine Henin proved when she owned the women's game despite being what many would refer to as height deficient.
Like Henin, Oudin brings desire to the table and it's a self-made desire. She hasn't been pushed to play to earn the family income and glory. Validation of this point is her twin sister, Katherine, doesn't have a similar drive to be a top tennis player. Katherine will play college tennis at a good school, but she hopes to become an obstetrician while Melanie hopes to become No. 1. The Oudin parents, who I spent time talking with at Wimbledon when their daughter did well, support and motivate Melanie in her goals, but they haven't forced her to play.
Look out for bigger and better from Oudin, although that might not happen at this U.S. Open. She's likely to face Maria Sharapova in the next round and might not yet have the maturity to beat back-to-back top players. And there has to be concern about her strained thigh muscle, which found her in tears at one point during her Dementieva win.
Now for a little light news on Oudin.
At 17, she's the older women to her younger boyfriend. Seems like a hard scenario to have going when you're just 17, but her boyfriend, who trains at the same tennis academy -- The Racquet Club of the South -- is still tipping the scales at 15.
She loves her Toyota 4Runner. Austin Smith, the boyfriend, he's too young to have his license yet.
She's been hangin' with Austin since January and he suggested she have the word "Believe" inscribed into her sneaker.
Smith talked about watching his girlfriend serve for the match after her press conference and how she lost the first two match points before closing the deal.
"It was actualy nerve wracking," Smith said. "At 40-0 when she missed those two points, I was just hoping Dementieva would miss the return and that's what happened. I think she was nervous coming out there, but she handled it very well."
Wondering who wins when the two play? Smith said, "I usually, actually, beat her, but it's usually always three sets everytime. I just don't want to lose to her, ever!"
ASSORTED U.S. OPEN FACTS FROM SEPTEMBER 3
In 1945, Sergeant Frank Parker flew 9,000 miles from Guam to defend his U.S. National title in the final of the first post-World War II U.S. Championships. Does anyone know how many days that trip took back in 1945?
In 1989, Chris Evert (Lloyd Mills Norman, to be precise)wins her her last U.S. Open match -- her 101st match win at the U.S. Open taking out a young Monica Seles. Does anyone want to guess how old Monica was at the time? (Hint -- she was younger than Melanie Oudin is today).
In 2006, Andre Agassi plays the final match of his career, losing a four-setter to German Benjamin Becker. Agassi's tearful post-match thank you speech to the crowd leaves him and the fans crying. How Andre matured from an punky kind of teen to an intelligent and caring adult. Those of us who have covered the sport for longer than we want to admit watched him grow into a great champion and elder statesman in the game and enjoyed the ride.
AROUND THE GROUNDS:
I made my first visit to the player lounge today and had a few brief encounters. Received a warm hello from Rafa (Yes, Nadal). I welcomed Kim Clijsters back to the tour, one of the truly nicest people you could meet. She was cheery and friendly before going off to see her daughter. And I asked Jesse Levine about his new German Shepherd puppy, which led him to ask how I knew about that. Turns out we both go to Boca Greens Animal Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida. My Wheaten Terrier, Yogi, just had stitches taken out after surgery to remove a small benign tumor from his leg, and Dr. Waugh mentioned that Jesse's puppy was a patient. Jesse quickly whipped out his phone and proudly showed off a photo of his dog.
Condolences go out to Jelena Jankovic, who played and lost her match to Yaroslava Shvedova after learning that her beloved grandmother had passed away. Her mother flew home on Wednesday, and now, Jankovic will go home to Serbia to mourn with the family.
Until tomorrow, tennis fans!
(Make sure to check out fun inside Oudin info down below!)
Wondering where you would've heard the biggest sigh of relief today, September 3, 2009?
It would've been right here at the Flushing Meadows home of the U.S. Open where American women's tennis discovered there might be a happy future after the Era of the Williams sisters.
You can refer to that happiness as Melanie Oudin!
Oudin is a diminutive 17-year-old spitfire who lives, breathes, and exists for the right to play tennis.
The No. 70 ranked teen is identifying herself as the worthy successor to "the sisters" by virtue of two incredible matches she's played at the two most recent Grand Slam events.
At Wimbledon, she upset No. 6 Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round -- the victory was her first over a top 10 player.
Today at the Open, Oudin performed to even better standards by taking out No. 4 Elena Dementieva 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. For those who might not follow the game that closely, there are those of us who actually touted Dementieva to win the title here.
Yes, I must admit that I selected Dementieva in the ESPN.com expert picks. My theory on this selection was a bit iffy in hindsight. Dementieva had a great summer and a fabulous Wimbledon, she has made marked improvements in her serve although it still needs help, and her groundstrokes have been tough to tangle with for other players. But my biggest factor in making an obviously careless pick was I didn't want to be like everyone else and pick the most likely champion, Serena Williams.
Bad me, I say now.
But back to a look at Oudin, the highest ranked American right behind No. 2 Serena and No. 3 Venus Willliams.
There's no denying that at only 5-foot-6, Oudin has to be crafty to handle many of the other players who tower over her at over 6-feet tall. But it's not impossible as the now retired Belgian Justine Henin proved when she owned the women's game despite being what many would refer to as height deficient.
Like Henin, Oudin brings desire to the table and it's a self-made desire. She hasn't been pushed to play to earn the family income and glory. Validation of this point is her twin sister, Katherine, doesn't have a similar drive to be a top tennis player. Katherine will play college tennis at a good school, but she hopes to become an obstetrician while Melanie hopes to become No. 1. The Oudin parents, who I spent time talking with at Wimbledon when their daughter did well, support and motivate Melanie in her goals, but they haven't forced her to play.
Look out for bigger and better from Oudin, although that might not happen at this U.S. Open. She's likely to face Maria Sharapova in the next round and might not yet have the maturity to beat back-to-back top players. And there has to be concern about her strained thigh muscle, which found her in tears at one point during her Dementieva win.
Now for a little light news on Oudin.
At 17, she's the older women to her younger boyfriend. Seems like a hard scenario to have going when you're just 17, but her boyfriend, who trains at the same tennis academy -- The Racquet Club of the South -- is still tipping the scales at 15.
She loves her Toyota 4Runner. Austin Smith, the boyfriend, he's too young to have his license yet.
She's been hangin' with Austin since January and he suggested she have the word "Believe" inscribed into her sneaker.
Smith talked about watching his girlfriend serve for the match after her press conference and how she lost the first two match points before closing the deal.
"It was actualy nerve wracking," Smith said. "At 40-0 when she missed those two points, I was just hoping Dementieva would miss the return and that's what happened. I think she was nervous coming out there, but she handled it very well."
Wondering who wins when the two play? Smith said, "I usually, actually, beat her, but it's usually always three sets everytime. I just don't want to lose to her, ever!"
ASSORTED U.S. OPEN FACTS FROM SEPTEMBER 3
In 1945, Sergeant Frank Parker flew 9,000 miles from Guam to defend his U.S. National title in the final of the first post-World War II U.S. Championships. Does anyone know how many days that trip took back in 1945?
In 1989, Chris Evert (Lloyd Mills Norman, to be precise)wins her her last U.S. Open match -- her 101st match win at the U.S. Open taking out a young Monica Seles. Does anyone want to guess how old Monica was at the time? (Hint -- she was younger than Melanie Oudin is today).
In 2006, Andre Agassi plays the final match of his career, losing a four-setter to German Benjamin Becker. Agassi's tearful post-match thank you speech to the crowd leaves him and the fans crying. How Andre matured from an punky kind of teen to an intelligent and caring adult. Those of us who have covered the sport for longer than we want to admit watched him grow into a great champion and elder statesman in the game and enjoyed the ride.
AROUND THE GROUNDS:
I made my first visit to the player lounge today and had a few brief encounters. Received a warm hello from Rafa (Yes, Nadal). I welcomed Kim Clijsters back to the tour, one of the truly nicest people you could meet. She was cheery and friendly before going off to see her daughter. And I asked Jesse Levine about his new German Shepherd puppy, which led him to ask how I knew about that. Turns out we both go to Boca Greens Animal Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida. My Wheaten Terrier, Yogi, just had stitches taken out after surgery to remove a small benign tumor from his leg, and Dr. Waugh mentioned that Jesse's puppy was a patient. Jesse quickly whipped out his phone and proudly showed off a photo of his dog.
Condolences go out to Jelena Jankovic, who played and lost her match to Yaroslava Shvedova after learning that her beloved grandmother had passed away. Her mother flew home on Wednesday, and now, Jankovic will go home to Serbia to mourn with the family.
Until tomorrow, tennis fans!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
First Day At Flushing Meadow
The alarm went off at 4:30 A.M., which does not make one a happy camper. But it was off to the 2009 U.S. Open -- another year at the always chaotic last Grand Slam of the year.
Needless to say, the first day at the Open is getting settled and saying hello to everyone. At this task I am running two days behind my colleagues as the Open started on Monday even if Sandra was starting on Wednesday!
While it's a new year much about the media center is the same as it's been since Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997. This year there seems to be a few less colleagues as the media world suffers from the financial crunch.
As I greeted colleagues -- the European two-kiss hello is tres chic around these parts -- I didn't mind throwing out that I am two days fresher than they are having already handled two nights hunkered in for matches.
In case you're wondering, for spectators, the invention of flood lights was a marvel -- there's an electricity to the night air, especially since it seems that the best matches tend to drink in the moonlight while dazzling fans.
However, as far as the media is concerned, for the guy, or the gal, who invented floodlights we say -- in jest, of course, -- let a plague curse your house! If you're thinking that's harsh, try watching and writing on a match that is ending way after midnight. I promise you that you'd change your mind.
Well, this is my first post and I'm going to leave the tennis etc. until tomorrow when I'm bound to be more awake and focused. But this is just to introduce the blog - Thoughts On This & That! And will see how it goes!
U.S. Open Historical Tidbits from Wednesday, September 2
1924 -- Bill Tilden wins his fifth straight U.S. men's singles title -- Will Roger win his record sixth straight in the Open Era this year?
1971 -- Former lovebirds Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors win their first ever U.S. Open singles matches of their career. Many might have heard of Connors' opponent, Alex Olmedo, who surrendered a two-set lead to Connors. But does anyone remember Edda Buding, who Evert beat 6-1, 6-0 in 42 minutes?
1991 -- That historic match where Jimmy Connors, senior citizen at age 39, comes back from two-sets-to-one down to upset a chipper at 24 Aaron Krickstein in the Labor Day fourth-rounder that has aired on many TV screens as fill during many U.S. Open rain delays. Krickstein says the match has made him a remembered man, so the loss became a win for him.
A NOTE FROM WEDNESDAY
The ever charming Rafa Nadal on why he cut his hair shorter: "That makes me feel younger, no?" The guy gets laughs!
Needless to say, the first day at the Open is getting settled and saying hello to everyone. At this task I am running two days behind my colleagues as the Open started on Monday even if Sandra was starting on Wednesday!
While it's a new year much about the media center is the same as it's been since Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997. This year there seems to be a few less colleagues as the media world suffers from the financial crunch.
As I greeted colleagues -- the European two-kiss hello is tres chic around these parts -- I didn't mind throwing out that I am two days fresher than they are having already handled two nights hunkered in for matches.
In case you're wondering, for spectators, the invention of flood lights was a marvel -- there's an electricity to the night air, especially since it seems that the best matches tend to drink in the moonlight while dazzling fans.
However, as far as the media is concerned, for the guy, or the gal, who invented floodlights we say -- in jest, of course, -- let a plague curse your house! If you're thinking that's harsh, try watching and writing on a match that is ending way after midnight. I promise you that you'd change your mind.
Well, this is my first post and I'm going to leave the tennis etc. until tomorrow when I'm bound to be more awake and focused. But this is just to introduce the blog - Thoughts On This & That! And will see how it goes!
U.S. Open Historical Tidbits from Wednesday, September 2
1924 -- Bill Tilden wins his fifth straight U.S. men's singles title -- Will Roger win his record sixth straight in the Open Era this year?
1971 -- Former lovebirds Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors win their first ever U.S. Open singles matches of their career. Many might have heard of Connors' opponent, Alex Olmedo, who surrendered a two-set lead to Connors. But does anyone remember Edda Buding, who Evert beat 6-1, 6-0 in 42 minutes?
1991 -- That historic match where Jimmy Connors, senior citizen at age 39, comes back from two-sets-to-one down to upset a chipper at 24 Aaron Krickstein in the Labor Day fourth-rounder that has aired on many TV screens as fill during many U.S. Open rain delays. Krickstein says the match has made him a remembered man, so the loss became a win for him.
A NOTE FROM WEDNESDAY
The ever charming Rafa Nadal on why he cut his hair shorter: "That makes me feel younger, no?" The guy gets laughs!
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