Autumnal Champions

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French Gilles Simon holds his trophy after defeating German Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-2 in the Metz Open final match on September 26, 2010, northeastern France.


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Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina holds the trophy after defeating Spain's Pablo Andujar in the final of the BCR Open Romania tennis tournament in Bucharest, Romania, Sept. 26, 2010.


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Alisa Kleybanova of Russia holds up her trophy after defeating Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic in their final match of the Hansol Korea Open tennis tournament at Olympic Park in Seoul on september 26, 2010. Kleybanova won the match 6-1, 6-3.


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Wearing traditional Uzbek costume Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva holds up the plate after winning the Tashkent Open Final tennis match against Russia's Elena Vesnina in Tashkent, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.

Face Of The Day

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Kurumi Nara of Japan attends a press conference for the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis 2010 at Hotel Grand Pacific Le Daiba on September 24, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan. The main draw of the tournament is to be held at Ariake Colosseum from September 26 to October 2.

Comment Of The Week

Reuters

Spain's Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium before the start of a Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and Ajax, in Madrid, September 15, 2010.

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from peytonallen:

A couple thoughts before I talk about Rafa.

1) Novak just won over a lot of hearts this weekend, maybe even Craig's (as cold as it is). The old Joker would have folded up shop against Fed and then on numerous occasions against Rafa tonight. He fought. He made Nadal earn his dinner and has nothing to feel bad about. He will win another major and if this was the beginning of Djoke/Nadal bring it on.

2) Despite the media song of the big boy tennis taking over the game all 4 majors were STILL won by two men. Some will still consider it a weak era here and there but this is an arms race we've not seen the likes of since US/Russia. Even though they may never play another major final against the other, this is Martina/Chrissy for the ATP. You will read books written about the rivalry, you will see movies. Amazing.

Reuters

I don't see Nadal getting to 16. Fed had a couple years with no serious competition from his age-peers while Rafa was building his all-surface game. 7 more slams is a Hall of Fame career in itself. But he will get to 11-14 major titles.

How does he become the greatest of his era? He's already got the h2h advantage. He has a Gold Medal (which should count as a major.) He's done something only Laver has done before him with three in a row, Rafa's being on three different surfaces.

To make his case bullet proof he needs 2 of everything. Which means one more on each hard court. But, the big one comes in January when he'll go for the Rafa Slam.

If Rafael Nadal can win the Australian Open and hold all four major titles, its case closed. No, it wouldn't be a Grand Slam, but it'd be damn close.

Where does Nadal's season rank? There was a column on ESPN debating this. Obviously Laver's GS is #1, but from there it's debatable. Fed in '04 barely lost. He was locked in EVERY MATCH. 4 major finals only loss to Rafa.

Jimmy Connors in '74. Won all three slams he played lost 4 matches and wasn't allowed to play the French due to signing a contract to play World Team Tennis.

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And Rafa in '10. I think Nadal winning on three different surfaces in a row in majors is a slight edge over Fed's year especially when considering the year he came back from. The injury/mental lay off. Who saw this coming? Oh, we all saw the French Title but really who saw this?

Novak said it was disheartening that Nadal keeps getting better, seemingly every time they play. The fact that he could walk away from a summer and fall of ass kickings and say "yeah I need to improve to win, no?" and then do so after already being so accomplished is amazing.

Nadal's 4th set tonight may be the best set of the year by once performer. 50+ straight points with no UFE. Get out. And the kid was hitting the crap out of the ball.


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How does the sport's greatest defensive player become one of the best offensive players?

Fed said it best after the '07 Wimbledon final, "I have to win now before he wins them all."

Great match tonight. By both men. Maybe for drama's sake and being a 5th set the Fed/Joker match was better, but much cleaner ball striking by both men tonight. Both men moved with grace and power. Very good final.

How fitting that Rafa tries for the 'Slam' in Australia? In Rod Laver Arena.

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AP

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal arrives a press conference at Barajas Airport, Madrid, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. Nadal won the U.S. Open trophy and completed the career Grand Slam on Monday, 13, in a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal Makes History

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Rafael Nadal from Spain holds his trophy after winning against Novak Djokovic from Serbia during the Men's Singles Final at US Open 2010 match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York September 13, 2010.

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I need sleep. Will organize my thoughts later this week.

Where Tennis & Politics Meet

A screenshot form Kirkus. Click to enlarge.

US OPEN 2010: Men's Final Preview

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). 

By MadProfessah

This unexpected final between the 24-year-old World #1 and the 23-year-old World #3 (the once and future World #2) is a harbinger of the future of tennis. It was set up by Djokovic's ability to defeat 290year-old Roger Federer for the first time at the US Open, 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5, in one of the most tension-filled matches of the year. Much will be said about the passing of the guard at the top of the tennis heap with Federer's absence in a US Open final for the first time since 2003(!), when Andy Roddick won his sole major title. The same thing could have been (and was, by some) said last year when 21-year-old, 6'5" Juan Martin del Potro outlasted Federer last year.

But what about this year? Rafael Nadal is playing the best tennis anyone has ever seen him play on a hard court. He has held serve 79 of 81 times. He is serving regularly in the 130 mph zone, volleying impressively and possesses blistering shots on both the forehand and backhand wings. Oh, and he plays every single point like it is match point but if he loses it, he has a preternatural ability to ignore what just happened and play the next point in exactly the same way, like it's his last point on earth. And he can maintain that intensity for hours.

Who can beat him? Novak Djokovic can, and has. Although Nadal has a 14-7 edge over the Serbian in career matchups (and exactly the same 14-7 career edge over Federer), Djokovic has a 7-3 edge on hard courts. Nadal has 4-0 edge in finals (on hard, clay and grass surfaces) and 3-0 edge in grand slam matches (all played in Paris). However, although the Serbian has already lost and won a major final, he can not match Nadal's experience of having won 8 and lost 2. Although this will be Rafa's first New York final (a place I honestly never thought he would ever get to), it is Novak's second. However, it is exceedingly unlikely Novak can beat Roger Federer one day and Rafael Nadal the next day. (Who does he think he is, Juan Martin del Potro?)

If Nadal wins, (at the record tender age of 24, 3 years younger than Federer was when he accomplished it last year) he will join an elite group of "greatest ever" male tennis players to win the career grand slam, and will be the first player since the great Rod Laver to win 3 majors [in a row] in a calendar year. Can a "Rafa slam" in Melbourne in 2011 be far behind?

MadProfessah's prediction: Nadal (in 3 or 4 sets).

Déjà Vu

Reuters

At least we had two Slam finals on the women's side worth watching this year.

I'd be curious to see the ratings for this prime time final.

Vera Zvonareva never showed up. Kim Clijsters was in cruise control the whole time.

Meh.

US OPEN 2010: Women's Final Preview

By MadProfessah

Kim Clijsters BEL (2) vs Vera Zvonareva RUS (7). For the second consecutive major championship this summer Vera Zvonareva will be playing in a Grand Slam final which she has almost no chance of winning. At Wimbledon in London it was a final against the defending champion Serena Williams, at the US Open in New York she will be playing against the defending champion Kim Clijsters.Vera has defied expectations before, particularly taking out last year's finalist and this year's top-seeded player, Caroline Wozniacki. The Great Dane's dismissal was a surprise to some, but not to yours truly, who watched some of Vera's early matches and realized that she had the weapons to dismiss the young counter-puncher.

Clijsters leads Zvonareva head-to-head 5-2, but surprisingly the two victories by the Russian have occurred in the last two matches the two have contested, including a 3-set win at Montreal en route to the final where she had lost to Wozniacki. Clijsters played an excellent, tough-minded match (one of the best of the tournament) to defeat 2-time U.S. Open champion Venus Williams in 3-sets. Clijsters lost the first set, and was up a break in the second set, lost that lead but still managed to win the set when Venus played an awful tiebreak (4 double faults!). However, at 4-all in the third set, Clijsters played an amazing topspin lob winner on breakpoint and coolly held serve to collect the W. There's not much to stop her from doing so again, and becoming the first person since Venus to defend her US Open title.

MadProfessah's prediction: Clijsters in 2 sets.

Best. Match. Ever.

That was unreal.

Best match I've ever seen and I don't care for either player.

Insane tennis under pressure from both players. Never seen either one of them play so well in the face of an opponent who wouldn't wilt.

Novak Djokovic may have just ushered Roger Federer out of championship tennis.



Two match points.

Two.

Blood all over the place.

US OPEN 2010: Men's Semifinals Preview

By MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's semifinals at the US Open for 2010. I previously correctly predicted 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals.

Roger Federer SUI (2) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). For the fourth year in a row, Roger Federer must defeat Novak Djokovic to reach the final of the US Open. Three of their four meetings have been in the semifinals in New York, and it should not be forgotten that the Serb is the last person to beat the Swiss player at this stage in a grand slam, at the 2008 Australian Open. Federer leads their career head-to-head 10-5 (8-4 on hard courts) and should be expected to win again. However, it's unlikely to be easy. Although Djokovic has only ever won set against Federer in New York and lost 12, but almost every set has been very close including 3 tiebreak sets. Djokovic will probably not be affected by a partisan New York crowd rooting for his defeat and a mouth-watering Nadal-Federer final; he beat Roger in the final of his own tournament in his hometown of Basel last year. That win was indoors, and it is very likely that the conditions will become a factor on Saturday. So far, Federr has been the player to take the most advantage of the difficult conditions of anyone in the draw. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets or Djokovic in 5 sets.

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (25) Mikhail Youzhny RUS (12). Nadal has been playing some of his best tennis, ever, in New York, especially his serve which has now improved to the point where the Spaniard is regularly reaching 130 mph. He has now become the player least likely to have their service broken. Nadal did well to dismiss Fernando Verdasco in straight sets in the quarterfinals and has yet to lose a set in the tournament. Youzhny has a lost at least one set ni every round he has played here, except for a straight set first round victory. Surprisingly, Youzhny has quite a good record against Nadal, with 4 wins to 7 losses (4 to 3 on hard courts) and has a notable victory over Nadal at the U.S. Open, having beaten the then-20-year-old Spaniard in 4-sets in the 2006 Quarterfinals. However, neither player is the same player they were four years ago, with both having improved tremendously. Nadal is now the #1 player in the world and riding a 19 grand-slam match winning streak, while Youzhny is just out of the Top 10 at #14 in the world. The Russian played a grueling 5-set match to dispose of Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarters and has demonstrated that he is not intimidated by any opponent. The question does he have the game to prevent the most anticipated match in tennis history? Doubtful.  PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets. 

US OPEN 2010: Women's Semifinals Preview

by MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the women's semifinals at the 2010 US Open. I previously predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfnals correctly.

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Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) vs. Vera Zvonareva RUS (7). Interestingly, these two have a tied career head-to-head (2 and 2, 1 on 1 on hard courts), with Wozniacki winning the last time these two played in the final of the Rogers Cup 6-3 6-2 in Montreal during the Dane's great run through the US Open Series this summer. They have both been in one major final (Wozniacki US Open 2009, Zvonareva Wimbledon 2010) with Zvonareva being in 3 major semifinals to Wozniacki's 2. Can Zvonareva play real big babe tennis more consistently than Maria Sharapova was able to? I say yes. There's a reason why Zvonareva is ranked #8 in the world.. Then again Wozniacki is ranked #2 in the world and is the top seed here, thanks to the absence of World #1 Serena Williams. Even though I was convinced by her performance against Sharapova that Wozniacki is "for real" I still have a feeling that Vera will not go away quietly. Regardless, I think the eventual titleholder of this year's event will not come from this semifinal. PREDICTION: Zvonareva in 3 sets.

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Venus Williams USA (3) vs. Kim Clijsters BEL (2). Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters have played each other twelve times and their career head-to-head is tied at 6-all. However, on hard courts Clijsters leads 4-3 with Clijsters winning every hard court match the two have contested since 2005. Additionally, Clijsters has won 19 matches in a row at the US Open dating back to 2005 (she did not play the event in the years 2006 through 2008). Venus has not really been tested (despite 2010 French Open champ Francesca Schiavone's best efforts), and has somehow managed to make it to the semifinals of the US Open (for the first time since 2007, when Justine Henin took out both Serena and Venus to win the title over Svetlana Kuznetsova) without losing a set. That will almost certainly change on Friday, especially since Venus' mobility is clearly sub-optimal. These two played one of the most bizarrely lopsided matches of all time (6-0, 0-6, 6-4) won by Clijsters on the way to the title. It is very likely Clijsters will become the first player in 9 years (since her opponent did it in 2001) to defend her US Open title. PREDICTION: Clijsters in 3 sets.

US OPEN 2010: Men's Quarterfinals Preview

By MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at the US Open for 2010.

Roger Federer SUI (2) vs. Robin Soderling SWE (5). The showdown everyone has been waiting for since the draw was released is this repeat from the 2010 French Open quarterfinal where the Big Swede ended Federer's streak of 23 consecutive major semifinals on a cold, wet day in Paris. Soderling has become a legitimate Top 5 player, playing in the last two Roland Garros finals (losing both). Federer's recent disappointments at majors have all come at the hands of tall, muscular, mobile players like Soderling (French Open 2010) Berdych (Wimbledon 2010) and Juan Martin del Potro (US Open 2009). It is supremely possible that this could be another addition to that string. But, I doubt it. Federer has something to prove, and like most great players hates to lose to any player twice in a row. For Federer to win he will need to play better than he did against Jurgen Melzer in the 4th Round, and he has to hope that his felicitous luck continues. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Gael Monfils FRA (17) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). The extremely gifted French player has never beaten the Serbian champion, but a lot of their matches have actually been pretty close. The annoying aspect of Monfils' game is that despite being (in Jim Courier's words) "the most gifted athlete tennis has ever produced," the 6'4" 176-pound speedster plays a defensive, counter-punching style of tennis. Monfils did well to dismiss his even more gifted French compatriot Richard Gasquet in straight sets in the fourth round (winning the last 5 games) to reach his first ever US Open quarterfinal. Djokovic has also played well, easily dismissing American Mardy Fish in straight sets.Unless New York City gets very hot and/or Monfils (does and) starts playing the way all his coaches have been begging him to play (lights out, aggressive tennis) Djokovic will be in his fourth consecutive US Open semifinal, where he would most likely face Roger Federer for the third consecutive year.  PREDICTION: Djokovic in 4 sets. 

Andy Murray GBR (4) Sam Querrey USA (20) Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (25) vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS (12). This is the dark horse spoiler quarter where Andy Murray went out early and loudly to the suddenly sharp other player from Switzerland. Wawrinka did very well to follow-up that big win with a strong-hearted outlasting of American Sam Querrey in 5-sets on a tough, windy day to win in just under 5 hours. Youzhny also dashed American hopes by taking out Marathon Man John Isner in the 3rd round. This will be the quiet quarter because no one expects the winner of this match to be able to win their next match and reach the 2010 US Open final. I agree, but Youzhny would be the player who could pose more questions for his future Spanish opponent. PREDICTION: Wawrinka in 3 sets or Youzhny in 4 or 5 sets.

Francisco Verdasco ESP (8) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (1). This is a repeat of the now-legendary 2009 Australian Open Men's Semifinal where Nadal beat Verdasco in a 5-hour, 14-minute 5-sets instant classic. It's doubtful that this repeat will be as amazing as that match (very few matches in any year are). I'm sure many people would be satisfied if this match is as exciting as Verdasco's last match, where he came back from 2-sets to love down against David Ferrer and won the 5th set despite being down a service break and then 1-4 in the tie-break--winning the last 6 points of the match! Nadal is playing the best tennis I have ever seen him play, and is clearly the best player in the tournament so far (he still has not dropped serve!) but he hasn't really been tested. He has clearly had the better half of the draw and potentially will be able to reach the final of a major by only facing one Top 10 player. Verdasco has never beaten Nadal in ten attempts, but if he plays like his life depends on it, just maybe he can turn that stat around. After all, before Soderling beat Federer in France, he had lost to the Swiss player 11-times in a row. Is Verdasco how one pronounces Soderling in Spanish? PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets.

Day Late: US Open 2010 Week One Review.

Ricky is doing a great job writing about the Open, we just can't seem to get his work up in time. Better late than never, no? Here's what he had to say yesterday:

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With all the extreme heat and wind that has occurred this week at the US Open, we are finally into the second week. There are still some interesting fourth round/quarterfinal matches to be played, and some surprising upsets. Here are some of my storylines so far:

Performance of American Men

Andy Roddick was bounced in the second round of the US Open by Janko Tipsarevic in four sets. After the foot fault incident, Roddick’s Grand Slam performance ultimately stands as another disappointing performance at a major. He had a good opportunity to take advantage of a favorable draw in New York as well as during Wimbledon and failed both times. The tenth ranked American’s recent performance has made American tennis fans wonder now if he will ever win a major again. Eighteenth seed John Isner also lost his third round match to twelfth seeded Mikhail Youzhny in four sets. His serve was dominant as usual, with 33 aces, but the problem was his footwork and forehand were not on Sunday night. Can Isner build around that powerful serve? He had a great chance to make the quarterfinals with Andy Murray’s loss and failed to take advantage. I expect a big 2011 from Isner if he can recover from the 70-68 fifth set with Mahut at Wimbledon and once the torn ligaments in his knee are healed.

As for some positives, twentieth seed Sam Querrey has matched his best performance at the US Open with a dominating straight sets’ victory over fourteenth ranked Nicolas Almagro. Also, twenty first ranked Mardy Fish has continued his great summer with a berth in the fourth round against Novak Djokovic. However, American men have struggled on Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 0-3 record in this tournament. Querrey and Fish did their winning on Louis Armstrong Stadium and the grandstand, but with the central spotlight on them, can they come through?

Top Seeds Show Form

On both sides of the draw, the one seeds have held their own. Without Serena Williams in the draw, top seed Caroline Wozniacki has had the luxury of not being on the court that often. Through her three matches, she has been on court for an average time of one hour and one minute. However, she has yet to face the tougher competitors in a Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, or a Kim Clijsters.

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal has looked strong on the hard courts, particularly with his serve. He has raised his velocity on his serve into the 130 miles per hour range. He has also not had his serve broken in this tournament despite some close sets in each of his first two matches. He had his best match of the tournament against former top ten player Giles Simon in the third round. With Murray out of the draw, Rafa has a great shot to make his first U.S Open final at the age of 24. He might have to play Federer and his tweener shot in that final. As for me, I hope Rafa-Fed happens this year.

Can the Brit Win a Slam?

Andy Murray suffered a third round loss at the hands of the number 25 seed Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets on Sunday. A lot of experts picked Murray to advance to at least the semifinals in this tournament, but the Scot disappointed once again. Last year, he was the two seed until losing in the fourth round to Marin Cilic. Murray had a chance to put the Swiss away when he was up a break in the second after winning the first set in a tiebreak, but failed to do so. A lot of pressure is on him to be the first person from the United Kingdom to win a slam since Fred Perry, but will they have to wait for the next British phenom? Only time will tell.

Extreme Weather Conditions

I live in New York City and have experienced these conditions first hand of extreme heat and wind over the last week. With winds up to thirty miles per hour on Saturday and heat going up to 100+ degrees on the court in the first week, it has been tough for some players to deal with the conditions such as fourth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia on the women’s side. She lost to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the third round on Saturday in straight sets. On the men’s side, six time finalist Roger Federer used the wind to his advantage in his win over Paul Henri-Mathieu and looks like he has a great chance to win his sixth US Open title.

2010 US OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

by Mad Professah

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at the 2010 US Open.

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) Maria Sharapova RUS (14) vs Dominika Cibulkova SVK Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (11). The top seed and last year's US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki had never won a big match against a "Big Babe" like Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams or Kim Clijsters and I doubted that she would even win 5 games against the 2006 US Open champion. But Wozniacki showed that she is not just an incredible retriever but has the consistency of a backboard. Sharapova didn't help her cause by throwing in 10 double faults. That being said, Wozniacki has made a believer out of me by dismissing Sharapova 6-3 6-4. The tall Russian was pounding away, shrieking as she pounded the ball nto the corners but almost every rally over 10 strokes was won by Wozniacki as eventually, Sharapova went for too much and committed an error to concede the point. I still believe that a "Big Babe" who is actually comfortable at the net would still be able to overpower Wozniacki, but it is doubtful that she will face someone who matches that description before the top seed reaches the final for the second consecutive year. However, I still don't see how the Danish youngster wins that final against someone with more power from the bottom half of the draw. PREDICTION: Wozniacki in 2 sets.

Vera Zvonareva (7) RUS  vs. Kaia Kanepi EST (31) Yanina Wickmayer BEL (15). It's odd how the 2010 Wimbledon finalist is silently making her way through the draw, even though she has reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set. The hard-hitting Kanepi is in her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal and will presumably manage the occasion better than her meltdown in London. Especially since she managed to win a match where she was down a bagel set and a break against last year's semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer. Zvonareva's birthday is Tuesday and she has been playing a more mature brand of tennis which will take her deep into the draw. PREDICTION: Zvonareva in 3 sets.  

Venus Williams USA (3) vs.  Francesca Schiavone ITA (6). Venus Williams has only lost 3 sets in the 7 matches she has played against the 2010 French Open champion, and never lost to her. However, after Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a major title ever, she has made the phrase "Impossible is Nothing" seem like reality. Venus has not dropped a set in the tournament yet, but she should have lost one to a determined Shahar Peer in the fourth round, and if anyone can exploit what is her obviously sub-optimal mobility, it is Schiavone with her clay-court toughness and European flair. Happily, Venus' unreported injury is making her more aggressive and more likely to approach the net in order to shorten the points. That, and a decidedly gentle draw should give her a fighting chance to reach a non-Wimbledon final, her first since the 2003 Australian Open. I do think that the thought that she will not have to face her sister in order to win the tournament should give Venus some extra motivation and confidence to try to do so. PREDICTION: Williams in 3 sets.

Kim Clijsters BEL (2) vs. Samantha Stosur AUS (5). Clijsters is on an 18-match winning streak at the US Open, having last lost a match in New York in the 2003 final(!) to Justine Henin. She is absolutely devouring the draw and she has to be considered the favorite to repeat as Champion here. However, the very talented Sam Stosur, who played one of the best women's matches of the year to eliminate Elena Dementieva in the 4th round stands in the Belgian's way. Stosur has finally broken through into the top of women's tennis and is a legitimate Top 5 player. I sort of think of her as the female Robin Soderling, since none of the players ranked above her will be very pleased that they picked the short straw and have to face her in order to reach the final. That being said, Stosur till has not quite made the leap to actually winning a major title, and I suspect it will be that lack (and Clijsters' preternatural defensive skills plus her offensive artillery) that will result in Clijsters' victory. It could be a scorcher of a match though, in the words of Jim Courier "a real popcorn match." PREDICTION: Clijsters in 2 tight sets. 

Pat McEnroe Resigns as Davis Cup Captain

by Savannah

PATRICK McENROE RESIGNS AS UNITED STATES DAVIS CUP CAPTAIN

Longest-Tenured Captain in U.S. Davis Cup History Will Lead

Country for the Last Time at World Group Play-off in Bogota, Sept. 17-19

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., September 6, 2010 -- The USTA and Patrick McEnroe announced today that McEnroe will resign as U.S. Davis Cup captain immediately following the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-off against Colombia in Bogota, September 17-19. Now in his 10th year as captain, McEnroe is the longest-tenured captain in U.S. Davis Cup history. He led the U.S. to its record 32nd Davis Cup title in 2007, its first title since 1995 -- ending the longest drought in U.S. Davis Cup history. He has compiled a 16-9 record thus far; his 16 victories are second all-time in U.S. Davis Cup history behind Tom Gorman’s 18 wins.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am resigning as Davis Cup captain, but it is a decision I felt was best for the team and myself right now,” McEnroe said. “Davis Cup is a significant time commitment and this decision will allow me to focus more energy on my family and to the USTA Player Development program”

“Patrick is the one the finest and most decorated captains in U.S. Davis Cup history,“ said Lucy S. Garvin, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “He leaves an indelible mark on the Davis Cup, and has always handled his captaincy with class and distinction. Patrick is and will remain a tremendous asset to U.S. tennis as he continues to lead our player development efforts.”

The U.S. will face Colombia in the World Group Play-off next week. It is the first time since 2005, and just the fifth time since the World Group was instituted in 1981, that the U.S. has had to compete in the play-off round. The U.S. is 3-1 in World Group Play-offs, having defeated Belgium on red clay in its last appearance in the World Group Play-off.

“Patrick changed the culture of Davis Cup in the United States, creating a true team environment and a sense of camaraderie that the U.S. has never before seen,” said Jim Curley, Chief Professional Tournaments Officer, USTA. “He has been a champion of the competition in every sense of the word, and elevated the stature of the event in this country.”

The World Group Play-off against Belgium in 2005 was the first of 10 consecutive U.S. Davis Cup ties that featured the lineup of Andy Roddick, James Blake and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan, shattering the previous U.S. record for most consecutive ties with the same lineup. The previous record was three consecutive ties by eight different combinations.

According to the report on CBS Jim Courier is very interested in the job. No one can deny that Patrick made the US Davis Cup team into a force to be reckoned with. If it is Courier he's got big shoes to fill.

Will He Ever Win A Slam?

by Craig Hickman


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Most of y'all already know what I think.

US Open 2010 Day 6 Open Thread

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Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan (not pictured) during day five of the 2010 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 3, 2010 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

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Schedule for Day 6: Saturday, September 4 2010

Arthur Ashe Stadium 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Kaia Kanepi (EST)[31]
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Beatrice Capra (USA) v. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[14]
3. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) v. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]
Arthur Ashe Stadium 7:00 PM Start Time
1. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
James Blake (USA) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Kuznetsova (RUS)[11] v.Maria Kirilenko (RUS)[23]

Louis Armstrong Stadium 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Robin Soderling (SWE)[5] v. Thiemo de Bakker (NED)
Not Before:12:30 PM
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[1] v. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)
3. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Arnaud Clement (FRA) v. Mardy Fish (USA)[19]
4. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU)[25] v. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[7]

Grandstand 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Gael Monfils (FRA)[17] v. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Patty Schnyder (SUI) v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)[15]
3. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[13] v. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)[22]

Court 11 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Albert Montanes (ESP)[21] v. Kei Nishikori (JPN)
2. Men's Singles - 3rd Round
Richard Gasquet (FRA) v. Kevin Anderson (RSA)
3. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Shuai Peng (CHN) v. Andrea Petkovic (GER)
4. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) v. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)

US Open 2010 Day 5 Open Thread

AP

Beatrice Capra of the United States signs autographs for fans after upsetting Aravane Rezai of France at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010. Capra beat Rezai 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in what some are calling the most surprising upset of the tournament.

::

Schedule for Day 5: Friday, September 3 2010

Arthur Ashe Stadium 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[24] v. Elena Dementieva (RUS)[12]
Not Before:1:00 PM
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Petra Kvitova (CZE)[27] v. Kim Clijsters (BEL)[2]
3. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Dustin Brown (JAM)
Arthur Ashe Stadium 7:00 PM Start Time
1. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Mandy Minella (LUX) v. Venus Williams (USA)[3]
2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Rafael Nadal (ESP)[1] v. Denis Istomin (UZB)

Louis Armstrong Stadium 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[5] v. Sara Errani (ITA)
2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) v. John Isner (USA)[18]
3. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Virginie Razzano (FRA) v. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
4. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Sam Querrey (USA)[20] v. Marcel Granollers (ESP)

Grandstand 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) v. Ryan Harrison (USA)
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[6] v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[29]
3. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
David Nalbandian (ARG)[31] v. Florent Serra (FRA)
4. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Shahar Peer (ISR)[16] v. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[19]

Court 4 11:00 AM Start Time

2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)[12] v. Dudi Sela (ISR)

Court 6 11:00 AM Start Time

3. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) v. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)[25]

Court 7 11:00 AM Start Time

2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) v. Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
4. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[14]

Court 8 12:00 PM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Feliciano Lopez (ESP)[23] v. Benoit Paire (FRA)

Court 11 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA) v. Tommy Robredo (ESP)
2. Women's Singles - 3rd Round
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[20] v. Gisela Dulko (ARG)
3. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) v. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[8]

Court 13 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Victor Hanescu (ROU) v. Michael Llodra (FRA)
2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
David Ferrer (ESP)[10] v. Benjamin Becker (GER)
Not Before:6:00 PM
4. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Gilles Simon (FRA) v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[29]

Days Late, Dollars Short: US Open Preview

by Ricky Keeler, Guest Contributor

On Monday, the US Open will begin in Flushing Meadows, Queens. This is the final major of the 2010 tennis season and there are numerous storylines that a tennis fan and a casual sports fan should keep an eye on.

The Men

For the men, the number one seed is Rafael Nadal. Nadal did not win a title in the US Open Series, but comes into Queens as the No. 1 player in the world, If he wins this major title, he will become just the seventh male tennis player to capture the career slam. Nadal’s last time on court came in a loss to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus back in Cincinnati, but its much tougher to beat the Spaniard in five sets than in three sets.

Roger Federer has been to the finals for the past six years and the win in Cincy might catapult what has been a subpar year for the former world’s number one. Fed won the Australian Open back in January, but has failed to capture another major including not making the semifinals at the French Open or Wimbledon. He was able to hold his serve in a three set win over Mardy Fish in that final, but also lost to Andy Murray in Canada a couple of weeks ago in the final of the ATP Rogers Cup. However, it is tough to top Federer in Flushing. If you don’t believe me, ask Novak Djokovic who has had his US Open ended by Federer each of the last three years.

There are a couple of Americans as well to keep an eye on. Andy Roddick is coming off a case of mononucleosis that he had earlier this summer, but he had a good tournament in Cincy making the semifinals with wins over fifth ranked Robin Soderling and the fourth ranked Djokovic. This year, Roddick’s year has been filled with disappointment in majors, including a 4th round loss to Yen Hsun-Lu and then last year losing in the third round in Flushing to John Isner.

With the draw that Roddick has (Monfils in Round 3, Djokovic in quarters), this could make the possibility of a Roddick-Federer semifinal a reality this year. Mardy Fish had a great summer winning three titles and has stepped up in terms of his fitness level en route to a top twenty ranking. He has a potential tough battle with the Cypriot Baghdatis in round three, but Fish can definitely make the second week up in Flushing.

My sleepers include a former top ten player in David Nalbandian. The Argentine won the Legg Mason Classic in Washington D.C and made the quarterfinals in Toronto. I like him to beat Fernando Verdasco in round three and make the quarterfinals before losing to Rafael Nadal.

For the other American hopefuls, John Isner, who won that 70-68 fifth set against Nicolas Mahut in Wimbledon is coming into Queens with a torn ligament in his shoulder and no one expects him to go deep in this Grand Slam. As for Sam Querrey, he could use a deep run in a Slam to salvage his 2010 season. He won the Farmer’s Classic in Los Angeles over Andy Murray and he could potentially face Murray if the two collide in the round of 16. As always, James Blake is the toast of New York, but don’t expect any better than the third round for the declining American.

Quarterfinals: Nadal over Nalbandian, Berdych over Murray (The Czech beat Murray at the French Open and has finally seemed to find the mental toughness in a major), Roddick over Djokovic, Federer over Soderling

Semfinals: Nadal over Berdych, Federer over Roddick

Final: Nadal over Federer in 4 sets.


The Women

The major storyline is not who is here, but who is not here. Serena Williams withdrew from the US Open with a foot injury and will now not be able to win her third major of 2010. Also, she will not be able to make amends to her 2009 tournament where she got in a verbal altercation with one of the line judges in her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters. With Serena out, this championship is as wide open as any ladies’ slam I can remember in terms of how many women can win this Slam.

The number one seed is Caroline Wozniacki. I have been on the Dane’s bandwagon all year, but she lost in the 4th Round back in Australia, quarterfinals in France, and 4th Round at Wimbledon all to opponents who were lower ranked than her. Maybe, she will have more success at a tournament that she made the finals in last year. She has brought more power to her game, but she also has a difficult part of the draw that includes past major champions in Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova just to name a few. Wozniacki had a great summer, but I like the surging Sharapova to upset her in the fourth round because Maria brings way more power to the table.

Kim Clijsters is the defending champion of this tournament. Even though she has a minor hip injury, she still had a solid summer, which included a win in Cincy over Sharapova in the final. The Belgian is nearly unbeatable in Queens and she has a couple of tough women in her draw. Venus Williams has also had great success in Flushing with multiple titles, but an injured kneecap prevented her from getting any warmup tournaments in. Elena Dementieva could be her quarterfinals’ opponent, but the Russian is getting back from injury and she does not have any mental toughness when it comes to major tournaments.

With no big American names other than the Williams sisters in the women’s game, Melanie Oudin will be in the spotlight in terms of trying to repeat the cinderella run she had last year. The believe slogan on her shoes was a trademark of last year’s Slam, but she has not followed that up with results in 2010. She will face a qualifier in her first round match, with French Open champ Francesca Schiavone a potential third opponent. However, I don’t think this run will last. I have Oudin losing in Round two to Vera Dushevina of Russia.

Look for the Russian women to take over this Slam, particularly Vera Zvonareva, who made the finals at Wimbledon last month and even Dinara Safina is finally winning some matches. Will Safina make a big run? I don’t think she will, but if she can find it mentally, she can make it to the second week. She has an entertaining first round match with Daniela Hantuchova which will be a show.

Some other non-Russians to watch are Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic is the four seed in this Grand Slam, but has struggled to achieve any major results in these tournaments with either injuries or inconsistent play. She has made the finals here a couple of years ago before losing to Serena, so with a favorable section, she could emerge as a championship contender. As for Azarenka, she is looking to make her big break in a major for the first time since beating Martina Hingis in the 2007 US Open. She beat Sharapova in the Bank of the West Classic during the summer and has been a popular pick from some experts to take the trophy.

Quarterfinals: Sharapova vs. Kuznetsova, Wickmayer vs. Zvonareva, Azarenka vs. Venus, Dementieva vs. Clijsters

Semifinals: Sharapova over Zvonareva, Clijsters over Venus

Finals: Clijsters over Sharapova in 3 sets.

US Open 2010 Day 3 Open Thread

Getty

Chelsey Gullickson of the United States returns a shot against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark during her first round women's singles match on day two of the 2010 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2010 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

::

Lots of upsets avoided yesterday. Too bad.

Schedule for Day 3: Wednesday, September 1 2010 SINGLES

Arthur Ashe Stadium 11:00 Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) v. Jie Zheng (CHN)[21]
Not Before:1:00
2. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Lukas Lacko (SVK)
3. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Rebecca Marino (CAN) v. Venus Williams (USA)[3]
Arthur Ashe Stadium 7:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Sally Peers (AUS) v. Kim Clijsters (BEL)[2]
2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) v. Andy Roddick (USA)[9]

Louis Armstrong Stadium 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Sam Querrey (USA)[20] v. Bradley Klahn (USA)
2. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[24] v. Vania King (USA)
3. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[29]
4. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Frederico Gil (POR) v. John Isner (USA)[18]
5. Men's Doubles - 1st Round
Bob Bryan (USA)[1] v. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
Mike Bryan (USA)[1] Bjorn Phau (GER)

Grandstand 11:00 Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Gisela Dulko (ARG) v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[10]
2. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Michael Llodra (FRA) v. Tomas Berdych (CZE)[7]
3. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[6] v. Maria Elena Camerin (ITA)
4. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Gael Monfils (FRA)[17] v. Igor Andreev (RUS)


Court 4 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Potito Starace (ITA) v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[14]
2. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) v. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)[25]
[B]3. Women's Singles - 2nd Round [/B]
Sara Errani (ITA) v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)[28]
4. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Agnes Szavay (HUN) v. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[19]

Court 6 11:00 Start Time

2. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) v. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
4. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Petra Kvitova (CZE)[27] v. Elena Baltacha (GBR)


Court 7 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) v. Peter Luczak (AUS)
3. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Dudi Sela (ISR) v. Xavier Malisse (BEL)

Court 8 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) v. Dustin Brown (JAM)
2. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL)[32] v. Mandy Minella (LUX)
3. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Tobias Kamke (GER) v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[29]

Court 10 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Marcel Granollers (ESP) v. Andreas Seppi (ITA)

Court 11 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Ryan Harrison (USA) v. Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)[15]
2. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Sybille Bammer (AUT) v. Elena Dementieva (RUS)[12]
3. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)[12] v. Andrey Golubev (KAZ)
4. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[5] v. Anastasia Rodionova (AUS)

Court 12 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) v. Lukasz Kubot (POL)

Court 13 11:00 Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)[20] v. Sania Mirza (IND)
2. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Marion Bartoli (FRA)[13] v. Virginie Razzano (FRA)
3. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Gilles Simon (FRA) v. Donald Young (USA)
4. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jack Sock (USA) v. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)
5. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Shahar Peer (ISR)[16] v. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)

Court 14 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 1st Round
Victor Hanescu (ROU) v. Carlos Berlocq (ARG)