Us Open Blog | The New York Observer

The Things We Learned at the 2008 U.S. Open

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:56:59 -0400

We learned a lot this year!

We learned that men's tennis has entered a new golden age, and that women's tennis is in disrepair. (Though that didn't stop the women's final from being surprisingly riveting, and the men's final from being something of a bore.)

We noticed that American men like Andy Roddick and James Blake are in the twilight of their careers, but that strong new Americans are emerging -- with more compelling fan...

Federer Dominates, Wins Fifth Straight U.S. Open

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:53:07 -0400

Well, that was fast.

The Roger Federer of old returned this evening and dispatched Andy Murray in a quick and breezy 1 hour, 51 minutes, in three sets, at 6-2, 7-5, 6-2

It was evident early on that Federer wasn't going to let Murray touch him tonight. He blitzed when he needed to, and showed that elegant game that he displayed to devastating effect against Novak Djokovic in the semis.

With Federer's triumphant return, men's tennis leaves...

Andy Murray, Bigtime

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:27:24 -0400

Andy Murray just came off the practice courts and is about two hours from the biggest match of his life.

If he plays anything like the way he played yesterday, Roger Federer might have a real test.

But then again, these matches often come down to big-situation experience (please see: Serena v. Jankovic last night, or Djokovic v. Federer, 2007 U.S. Open final). Prior to this tournament, the 21-year-old Murray had never done better than...

Nadal Loses, Doesn't Whine

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:49:46 -0400

In the tennis world, we have grown used to assuming that when good players lose, especially in "upsets," the loser must be suffering from injuries. And the truth of injury declarations has been a factor towards the end of this tournament, as when Novak Djokovic publicly defended himself against Andy Roddick's maybe-joking doubt about Djokovic's medical issues.

In a graceful press conference after his semifinal loss against Andy Murray, though, Rafael Nadal told the truth:...

Six Hours

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:38:00 -0400

The grounds, at about 11:30 this morning. Not a soul in sight here, other than a few scattered security people.

In six hours, there will be more than 23,000 fans here. ...

Serena Williams Wins Third Open, Ninth Grand Slam Title

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:57:16 -0400

Experience prevailed tonight.

Serena Williams defeated Jelena Jankovic in an often nervous but ultimately riveting match 6-4, 7-5.

It lasted over 2 hours, including a 1 hour, 17 minute second set that brought everything to the table: dramatic rallies, set points saved, a match point saved, key errors and stirring winners.

For Serena, it was a coronation of a long road traveled back to the top spot (literally--she's now the no. 1 player in the world)....

The Expiration of the Djokovic-New York Love Affair

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:36:17 -0400

New York can make you, and it can ruin you. Fast.

Case in point: Novak Djokovic.

Last year, in his two weeks at the Open, Djokovic transformed himself, on our stage, before our very eyes, from a gifted-but-little-known Serbian up-and-comer into a full-fledged star. Yes, it had much to do with his daring, nerveless play, but it was more than that.

Robert De Niro and wife Grace Hightower sat in the Djokovic player's...

Serena and Jelena, in Primetime

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:37:53 -0400

In less than an hour, Anita Baker will be on that red carpet singing "America the Beautiful," and shortly thereafter, it'll be time for Serena and Jelena.

It is, also, bigger than a Saturday night match or a Sunday evening match--the traditional time for the women's and men's finals, respectively--and the biggest primetime slot ever dedicated for tennis: 9 p.m., CBS, Sunday night (the only other primetime Sunday night match was that ridiculous "Battle...

Billie Jean King Says Sarah Palin is 'Honest' and 'Real' [UPDATE]

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:15:18 -0400

Barbara Walters arrived at Cipriani on 42nd St. just before 8 on Friday, Sept. 5, dressed in slimming black pants, a black sequined top, and a droll pair of hot-pink satin heels. Ms. Walters was there to present Billie Jean King—the guest of honor for the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Legends Ball—with the 2008 Eugene L. Scott Award (Mr. Scott was the founder of Tennis Week magazine). Upon spotting her, the Daily Transom...

Federer-Nadal Final Denied by New Star Andy Murray

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:14:57 -0400

The top tier of men's tennis has gotten so deep and so good in the last year and now it'll have to welcome a new member: Andy Murray.

Murray just defeated the 5-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal in four sets, winning the fourth set on the biggest stage in tennis with a 6-4 victory. He broke Nadal twice, and owned the entire game on his racquet. In the match, he had 65 winners,...

Play Resumes! Nadal Grabs Third Set

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:03:18 -0400

About 26 hours after the match was delayed yesterday, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have resumed play at a packed-house at Arthur Ashe Stadium, a far cry from their match at a half-filled Louis Armstrong yesterday.

And Nadal, who was up a break in third set yesterday, has taken the set, 6-4.

Reflection on early play: Nadal held all three of his service games, but Murray, particularly in the last game, played really nice defense. The...

Nadal-Murray Supsended Mid-Match, Women's Final Canceled, Play Resumes Tomorrow

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:36:22 -0400

Play for the rest of the day has been canceled.

This means the Rafael Nadal-Andy Murray semifinal--which Murray currently leads 6-2, 7-6, 2-3--will resume tomorrow at 4pm, with coverage on CBS. Women's tennis will have its biggest stage ever, with a primetime 9pm final tomorrow night on CBS. The winner of the Nadal-Murray match will play Roger Federer in the men's final on Monday at 5pm....

Federer to the Finals, Wants Nadal to Join Him

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:13:03 -0400

Roger Federer has found his game. He's playing confidently, elegantly and has reestablished himself as the player to beat in this tournament. With the rain holding off for just long enough, Federer outlasted Novak Djokovic in four sets, taking the last set 6-2.

Djokovic, who started to find his own game in the second set, uncharacteristically unraveled toward the end of the match; he started rushing his points, stopped chasing balls and had the look...

Super Saturday: Can They Hold Off Hanna? Nadal to Armstrong?

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:39:44 -0400

Well, this is going to be an interesting day!

Today, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic square off at 11am (promptly!) at Ashe. Nadal and Murray follow, though the USTA allows the possibiltiy that they may play on Armstrong.

We thought we retired that court four days ago, but with the possibility of squeezing the men's finals and the women's finals on the same day is too tempting for the USTA. And they may play both...

USTA Releases Rain Contingency Plan

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:02:17 -0400

The USTA just released two contingency plans if it rains tomorrow.

Scenario I: If both the men's semifinals and the women's final are rained out:

Men's Semifinals, 1pm and 4pm on Sunday, ESPN2 and CBS

Women's Final, 9pm on Sunday, CBS

Men's Final, 5pm on Monday,...

Serena Williams in the Finals, USTA is Giddy

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:47:16 -0400

Serena Williams only need an hour-and-a-half to defeat Dinara Safina in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Williams really just let Safina implode: the Russian had 41 unforced errors, and won only 29 percent of points off her second serve.

After the match, Venus Williams was waiting for her kid sister outside the women's locker room with Hank Kuehne. An absolutely elated Arlen Kantarian, the CEO of the USTA, strolled by and tapped Venus Williams arm and...

Is Serena Really a Lock?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:07:24 -0400

Everyone is saying that this is Serena's tournament to lose, but is that fair?

Serena has lost to both Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic this year. She lost to Safina at the Qatar Telecom German Open, a match which ended in a third-set tiebreaker. And she lost to Jankovic at the Australian Open in straight sets (though Serena has also recently beaten her, at the Sony Ericsson Open).

Safina and Serena are underway now at Ashe,...

Jankovic Moves to Her First Grand Slam Final, Wants a Protein Drink

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:53:06 -0400

The occasionally gloomy Jelena Jankovic is headed to her first Grand Slam final after defeating Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4, in a sloppy, nervous match. In total, there were 8 breaks of serve and 66 unforced errors.

Jelena Jankovic calmly strolled to the locker room after the match--generally a moment heavy in emotions--like it was an easy third-round win. Dinara Safina, who is about to play Serena Williams for the other spot in the finals, was...

The Numbers Don't Lie: Women's Semis Look Good

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:05:11 -0400

For all the dismal boredom of this year's women's draw, the talk of crazy upsets among the females, and the theory that Serena has this one locked up, the women's semifinals look...surprisingly legit.

3 of the top 5 seeds will play in semifinal matches on the women's side, the same as the men's side. And these are four players at the top of their game: they've only dropped 3 sets between...

Will Hanna Ruin Saturday Play?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:37:29 -0400

For the last few days everyone in Flushing has been whispering about Tropical Storm Hanna. Right now, weather.com is calling for an 80 percent chance of rain tomorrow, and that there could be up to 1 inch of rain--more than enough to ensure no tennis.

Super Saturday is a huge day at the Open: both men's semifinal matches and the women's final are played. That's about eight hours worth of coverage alone. If it...

Roddick Claims He Was Joking, Novak Apologizes

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:15:58 -0400

Andy Roddick said that his comments about Novak Djokovic's various injuries were all a big joke.

"Listen, I joke all the time. I don't think anybody in their right mind takes me serious. I think it's very clear when I give a serious answer and when I don't give a serious answer."

Well, maybe not.

"I don't know if, you know -- he took it as seriously," he said. "I figure...

Djokovic's Agent: Novak Knows He Has to 'Pay the Consequences For His Behavior'

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:51:37 -0400

I caught up with Novak Djokovic's agent Benito Pérez-Barbadillo after last night's PR disaster, and he said a center court interview was definitely the wrong place for Novak to vent his anger.

"He’s young, and he’s learning," said Mr. Pérez-Barbadillo "He learns from defeats, and he learns from wins and he learns from life. He’s 21 years old and he had a shit day yesterday. You have a bad day yesterday and when a friend...

Djokovic Wins, But Loses Crowd; Richard Johnson: 'He Deserved to Get Booed'

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:30:58 -0400

The Serbian sweetheart of 2007 has lost his New York support.

That bad blood between Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick that we discussed? It bubbled all over center court last night. After Djokovic's hard-earned four set victory over Andy Roddick last night, he shot back in a post-match on-court interview at Roddick for implying that he was faking his injuries.

"Well obviously, you know, Andy was saying I have...

18 Consecutive Grand Slam Semifinals for Federer

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:47:09 -0400

Roger Federer just finished wiping out Gilles Muller in straight sets. The victory means that Federer has now reached an ungodly 18 consecutive semifinals in Grand Slams.

"Yup, I'm playing great," he said on the court after his win.

And boy, is he ever: 42 winners, 19 unforced errors today. That's a little something extra for Novak and Andy to think about when they play in two-in-a-half hours; the winner of that match gets...

Venus Williams, Open Edition

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:59:39 -0400

A lot is being made today of Venus' "uncharacteristic" play last night: she made 45 unforced errors, and blew 10 set point opportunites. But really, this is the Venus Williams we've seen over the last couple years at the Open.

Last year, when she played Jelena Jankovic in the quarters, she commited 56 unforced errors, and then hit another 35 in her semifinal loss to Justine Henin. Afterward, everyone was wondering if something was seriously...

Anna Wintour Leaves Work Early

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:29:46 -0400

We know Vogue editor Anna Wintour is a very big fan of Roger Federer, and we know she always shows up to his night matches, and his weekend matches. But apparently she doesn't want to miss his quarterfinals match, either--even if it is at 3 p.m. on the Thursday after Labor Day....

WTA Wants to Root Out Injuries, Indifference

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:36:46 -0400

The Women's Tennis Association is clearly troubled by the injuries and disaffection that have plagued the tour in the last few years, and yesterday they announced a plan to do something about it.

In a "roadmap," the WTA announced that the amount of required tournaments will be scaled back from 12 to 10 (in addition to the four Grand Slams), and if players decide to skip out any of them, they risk suspension. The season will be shorter, the court surface...

Roger Federer, New York's New Sentimental Hero

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:01:11 -0400

When Roger Federer finally dispatched Igor Andreev on Tuesday, the crowd went absolutely bananas. New Yorkers have always had a real fondness for the guy, but this time there was sort of a Shea Stadium-like shriek when he finally won in five sets. Jon Wertheim today makes the excellent point that the more vulnerable that Federer looks, like Pete Sampras at the end of his career, the more the New York crowd is going...

Serena's Vindication

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:45:17 -0400

Serena's been talking all year now about how much she wants to up her ranking, and how much she wants to be feared (and respected) again.

She's moving closer toward that goal. Even though her sister blew 10 set points last night, Serena showed a focused intesnity that we haven't seen since the days she dominated the tour. Before the tournament began, we wondered if she even had any good tennis left in her. Her...

After Bumpy Start, Nadal Cruises Past Fish

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:31:42 -0400

In the first set, it looked like it might happen. Everything that Mardy Fish said before the match--his "absolute" confidence--suddenly made sense.

Until it didn't. Nadal made extremely quick work of Fish after dropping the first set. It was just an overwhelming blitz of slicker, faster stronger tennis from the No. 1 player in the world.

By time the match ended, at a little after 2 a.m., the crowd was mostly gone from Arthur Ashe...

Quote of the Tournament

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:31:43 -0400

It's hard enough when English isn't your first language, but it's even worse at 3 in the morning. With that, here is, unquestionably, the best exchange in Interview Room 1 during the 2008 U.S. Open conducted after Rafael Nadal's victory tonight:

Q. It must be a good story to tell your children that you played a match over two days. It started on Wednesday and ended Thursday.

Andy and Novak

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:36:12 -0400

We made the argument this week that men's tennis today is looking exactly like the golden age of women's tennis from about eight years ago--its full of high quality tennis, rivalries and interesting characters. The only thing men's tennis appeared to be missing was the Henin-Williams-sisters-type feud. And now it looks like men's tennis has it.

Welcome, to Andy Roddick versus Novak Djokovic. Later tonight, at a little after 8:30 p.m., they'll face off...

In Upset, Serena Triumphs

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:29:09 -0400

Venus Williams was the popular pick for tonight's match, but 45 unforced errors later, Serena Williams is heading to her first semifinal at the Open since 2002 with a dramatic, hard-knocked 7-6, 7-6 win.

Moments after Serena won, she was greeted at the entryway of the women's locker room by Venus' companion Hank Kuehne who told her congratulations. She barely seemed to notice, and offered a half-hearted, "Yeah, oh, thank you." She was too busy...

Williams v. Williams Live Blog

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:48:31 -0400

We tried it three times last year and it went well, so here goes for the first time in 2008: a live blog! Follow along by clicking "READ MORE" and please hit me up on aim at johnkoblin if you'd like to chat.

8:31: There are about 20,000 people filing in all at once, so we're not entirely filled up yet.

8:33: Early question: awkward tennis from the Williams sisters (as we usually see) or...

A Smoker's Paradise?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:12:04 -0400

For the last few days, I've noticed smokers everywhere: outside the media center, inside Arthur Ashe, outside the food courts, even courtside. If there is a policy about smoking, it's not being applied. Which is just fine by the smokers.

"I was smoking up against the railing [in Ashe] earlier, and some guy, the beer vendor, said to me, 'You're not supposed to do that,' but he said that everyone does anyway,'" said Kurt Anderson,...

Todd Martin on How Mardy Fish Can Beat Nadal

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:46:39 -0400

I just caught up with the retired American Todd Martin to talk about the Mardy Fish-Rafael Nadal match later tonight.

Martin has been in Fish's shoes a million times: playing someone who is clearly very much better than him, needing to figure out a way to grind his way to a victory.

When I asked him about it, Martin said the match-up favors Fish more than one might think.

Observer: What are your thoughts on...

The Argument for Venus

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:26:49 -0400

I wanted to pick Serena Williams tonight, if for no other good reason than to buck conventional wisdom by going against the Wimbledon champ, Venus Williams. But a friend of mine who served as our unofficial resident Serena/Venus expert last year has convinced me otherwise.

Goldburn: this is the best i've seen venus play at the beginning of a grand slam in a long time. even the last three wimbledons she won, she started...

Bud Likes Venus

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:45:29 -0400

I just caught up with Bud Collins and asked for his pick tonight in the Williams sisters quarterfinal.

"I picked Venus to win the [Open], so I guess I have to stick with her," he said. "It's very interesting. When [Venus] came along, Richard Williams said Serena was going to be better. And she did get better results, but I always felt Venus would be the better player because of the reach and her...

Williams Sisters Showdown Tonight

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:47:36 -0400

Tonight, we'll have a rematch of the Wimbledon final, but in the quarterfinals. Serena versus Venus. Serena desperately wants to get back to the semis here--she hasn't done it since 2002. Venus is red-hot after the Wimbledon final, but wants to win her first non-grass Grand Slam since 2001.

I'll be running around the tennis center today looking for expert opinions on the match, which may serve as the women's de facto...

Jankovic Defeats Bammer, Angels Cry

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:54:46 -0400

Sometimes God tests us, forcing us to confront unthinkable pain in order to know better the scope and power of His will.

This is one of those times. Sybille Bammer has lost in the quarterfinals of this year's Open to Jelena Jankovic, 6-1, 6-4. It's O.K., breathe. It's hard for me, too. The "statistics" indicate that Bammer's near-ridiculous number of unforced errors (40, to Jankovic's 14) sealed her fate, but it doesn't...

Andy Reaches Quarters, Can Look Forward to Novak, Roger, and Rafa

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:45:12 -0400

Andy Roddick, the 2003 Open champion and perpetual Great White Hope of U.S. men's tennis, dominated his fourth-round match against Fernando Gonzalez, taking just about an hour and a half to win, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. Roddick played excellently and consistently, committing only 7 unforced errors and and winning 93 percent of first-serve points, but Gonzalez didn't help himself with 33 errors. Lest we think that this commanding performance means that Roddick is surely headed for a...

Fish 'Absolutely, Absolutely' Confident He Can Beat Nadal

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:41:38 -0400

Mardy Fish has the biggest match of his career later tonight against Rafael Nadal. When asked about it on Monday in a press conference, he said Rafa might be afraid of him.

"Absolutely, absolutely," he said in a briefer when asked if he was confident. "I feel like a guy with my style of play is someone that [Nadal] doesn't want to see."

The way Fish plays--lightning quick, serve-and-volley tennis--is what he feels is his...

Welcome to the David Dinkins Circle

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:37:32 -0400

Yesterday, the city named the entryway outside the tennis campus in Flushing, "The David Dinkins Circle." The entryway is that unremarkable circular promenade that's beyond the 7 train stop in Flushing, a bit beyond the boardwalk, that leads you either to the Open, or the Flushing Meadows Park.

Yesterday, Michael Bloomberg, David Paterson, Betsy Gotbaum and Ed Koch were on hand to honor David Dinkins.

"There was a time, not too long ago, when...

In Today's Observer: The Dying Women's Game and the Surging Men's Game

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:16:36 -0400

Remember when Serena, Venus, Hingis, Capriati, Seles, etc ushered out the boring era of women's tennis led by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario? Well, that revolution is long over, and this U.S. Open has been the final stake to the heart to the women's game.

Today, in the Observer we aruge that the thing that made women's tennis so great--the personalities, the rivalries--is precisely the formula that has brought men's tennis at this Open...

Nadal Wants Credit for Hard Court Accomplishments

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:52:14 -0400

The one thing that has surprised me over the last few days here is the utter lack of buzz over another potential Federer-Nadal final. No one is talking about it. I guess it's for two reasons: (1) Federer has been struggling, as he did yesterday and (2) Nadal has never gotten past the quarters here, and he is still stuck with that old reputation that he's not much of a hard court player.

But he...

Federer Prevails

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:28:05 -0400

It took him 3 hours, 33 minutes, but Roger Federer found a way to finally finish off the men's 23rd seed Igor Andreev at 6-3 in the fifth set. Roger received a prolonged standing ovation from the New York crowd that couldn't stand to see him leave.

For a guy who looks like agonized on the court when he's struggling, he sure doesn't let on afterwards.

"You always wish three sets, but honestly those...

Federer in Trouble! Pushed to Fifth Set by No. 23 Igor Andreev [Update]

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:39:56 -0400

Unbelievable. Like Novak Djokovic earlier today, Roger Federer has been pushed to a fifth set, but this match is even tighter.

We're in the stands, and we'll be reporting live with updates.

Federer has won 30 consecutive matches at the U.S. Open. The last time he lost was in 2003.

UPDATE: Federer is up 3-0 in the fifth set now. When he broke Andreev's serve in the second game, it's probably the loudest I've...

Gilles Muller, Giant-Slayer

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:03:36 -0400

Our first major upset on the men's side: Gilles Muller, a wild card-entry who had never done better than the third round of a Grand Slam, defeated No. 5 seed Nikolay Davydenko in four sets this evening. Muller will play the winner of the Federer-Andreev...

The Late Show

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:54:15 -0400

Novak Djokovic got his first test of the tournament this afternoon, and now it's Roger Federer's turn. Federer and Igor Andreev have nabbed a set each (at 7-6) and Federer is up a break in the third. At this point, we'll start the women's match at about 8:30, Roddick's match at 10:30, and we'll all be going home well after 1...

Tennis Legend Ilie Nastase Says Nadal Will Save His Best for the Best

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:43:19 -0400

Here's two-time Grand Slam winner and former U.S. Open champion Ilie Nastase talking about Rafa's game in light of Nadal's rather unextraordinary display of tennis against Sam Querrey yesterday.

"Nadal reminds me a little bit of Jimmy Connors," said Nastase. "He wants to win every point. I guess he likes to play the top guys; he plays his best against top guys. I think if he played Federer or Djokovic he would have...