NY Observer > U.S. Open http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/50587/feed Articles from Observer.com en Serena Struggling http://www.observer.com/2007/serena-struggling

As we warned you earlier today, Serena Williams played in a nail-biter this evening and eventually beat Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 7-6 .

When she left the court this evening, she complained to a friend that she was completely frustrated. She said the same later.  

“I was upset after the match,” she said. “I didn’t feel that I played the greatest at all. I actually felt I didn’t play well at all.”  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/serena-struggling#comments Style Serena Williams U.S. Open Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:54:26 -0400 John Koblin 57394 at http://www.observer.com Djokovic Grinds It Out http://www.observer.com/2007/djokovic-grinds-it-out

More than two hours after his 4 hour, 44 minute marathon match had ended, Novak Djokovic sat on a bench inside Arthur Ashe waiting to go back to his hotel on Lexington Avenue. He had just finished several rounds of interviews and I asked him how his cramped-up legs felt.

“Exhausted,” he said.

The match he just completed was nothing short of fantastic -- high quality tennis with long rallies, impossibly good shots and an electric crowd.

“It was a lot of fun,” Djokovic said. “We had great entertainment and the crowd loved it.”  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/djokovic-grinds-it-out#comments Style Novak Djokovic U.S. Open Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:50:29 -0400 John Koblin 57393 at http://www.observer.com Crampy Djokovic Survives http://www.observer.com/2007/cramping-djokovic-survives

Novak Djokovic just survived a heart-racing four-hour, 44-minute, five-set test, winning 7-6 (7-2) in a tie-break in the final set. Djokovic survived a two-set-to-one deficit and cramps in both legs.

"The match is unforgettable, I hope you enjoyed it, thanks for coming," Djokovic said at the end.

We'll have so much more shortly.

 

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/cramping-djokovic-survives#comments Style Novak Djokovic Radek Stepanek U.S. Open Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:58:28 -0400 John Koblin 57388 at http://www.observer.com Djokovic Pushes it to the Fifth http://www.observer.com/2007/djokovic-pushes-it-fifth

A barn-burner at Louis Armstrong: Novak Djokovic has won the fourth set 7-5 in a remarkably challenging second round match against the gangly veteran Radek Stepanek. They’ve been on the court for 3 hours and 45 minutes and both players are feeling it. Djokovic had a trainer come out twice in the third and Stepanek called for the medical assistance at 4-5 in the fourth set.

By the way, Djokovic never makes it easy. At Wimbledon alone, he played in 10 tie-breaks during his trip to the Semis. I'll keep you updated.

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/djokovic-pushes-it-fifth#comments Style Novak Djokovic Radek Stepanek U.S. Open Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:58:14 -0400 John Koblin 57385 at http://www.observer.com Lots to Watch, Especially Mardy Fish! http://www.observer.com/2007/courts-watch

After last night's exhilarating action, we've got some great tennis to follow up.

At 11am, Justine Henin plays at Ashe while Novak Djokovic plays at Louis Armstrong. In the afternoon, Ana Ivanovic, Tim Henman, Marion Bartoli and Serena Williams all play.

Lleyton Hewitt will play on Louis Armstrong at night, while Venus Williams and the injured Rafael Nadal play at Ashe.

Match to watch for: Mardy Fish v. Tommy Robredo at 1pm on Ashe. Fish is hot and he gets the big stage to take on the nunmber 8 player in the world. A solid chance for a major upset.

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/courts-watch#comments Style Ana Ivanovic Justine Henin Lleyton Hewitt Mardy Fish Marion Bartoli Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Serena Williams Tim Henman Tommy Robredo U.S. Open Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:16:43 -0400 John Koblin 57359 at http://www.observer.com Blake Reaction http://www.observer.com/2007/blake-reaction

James Blake just met with the press. I'll have a full wrap in the morning, but here are a few quotes on winning his first-ever five set match and what this could mean for the rest of the tournament.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/blake-reaction#comments Style Fabrice Santoro James Blake U.S. Open Fri, 31 Aug 2007 02:47:36 -0400 John Koblin 57358 at http://www.observer.com Birthday Boy Roddick Rolls http://www.observer.com/2007/birthday-boy-roddick-rolls

Happy Birthday, Andy Roddick! The 2003 U.S. Open Champ turned 25 today and won after Jose Acasuso retired after the third set. Other ranked straight sets winners today: Tomas Berdych, Anna Chakvetadze and Nadia Petrova. Svetlana Kuznetsova and Andy Murray both needed to go the distance to win their matches.

Men's no. 14 Guillermo Canas was upset today and Tommy Haas is down a set, which you can track here.

Maria Sharapova and James Blake play tonight.

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/birthday-boy-roddick-rolls#comments Style Andy Murray Andy Roddick Anna Chakvetadze Nadia Petrova Svetlana Kuznetsova Tomas Berdych U.S. Open Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:44:55 -0400 John Koblin 57356 at http://www.observer.com Courts to Watch Today http://www.observer.com/2007/courts-watch-today

Each morning here at the Observer's U.S. Open blog we're going to tell you what to look out for in the day's action. Today's tip: arrive early!

The heavy-hitters -- Jelena Jankovic, Justine Henin, Roger Federer -- will steal the spotlight at Arthur Ashe today. But you know how these first-round matches go: some of them are over in 40 minutes. If you have a pass that lets you into Arthur Ashe, don't be late.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/courts-watch-today#comments Style Donald Young Elena Dementieva Jelena Jankovic Justine Henin Roger Federer U.S. Open Vania King Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:00:03 -0400 John Koblin 57243 at http://www.observer.com The New York Observer Blogs the U.S. Open! http://www.observer.com/2007/n-y-observer-blogs-u-s-open

Welcome to the New York Observer's U.S. Open blog.

For the next 14 days, Spencer Morgan and I will be in and around the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing gathering stories, game analysis and observations from the tournament.

Stay with us, and please keep in touch (as often as you like) about what we’re doing and what else you’d like to see. We’ll do our best to oblige.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/n-y-observer-blogs-u-s-open#comments Style Ana Ivanovic Andy Roddick Maria Sharapova Novak Djokovic Roger Federer Serena Williams U.S. Open Venus Williams Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:30:56 -0400 John Koblin 57241 at http://www.observer.com That Buzz? Roddick Says It's N.Y.C., Not Federer's Serve http://www.observer.com/2007/buzz-roddick-says-its-nyc-not-federers-serve

Roddick loves the nightlife! The prospect of beating his long-time nemesis, Roger Federer, is not the only thing Andy Roddick is looking forward to at this U.S. Open. It's playing ... under the stars! From Reuters:

"It's probably my favorite tournament as far as the electricity in the air," he said. "I've had a lot of night matches there and it's just something you look forward to."  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/buzz-roddick-says-its-nyc-not-federers-serve#comments Style Andy Roddick James Blake Roger Federer U.S. Open Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:48:23 -0400 Observer Staff 57221 at http://www.observer.com