US Open Tennis

[Guest Nanks]

The 2nd week of the US Open is shaping up to have some sensational tennis, particularly on the mens' side of the draw. The round of 16 is stacked with good matches.

 

There are two matches that look like deciding the championship for this year. The first of which we'll see in the quarter-finals in Federer v Agassi. Federer is unquestionably the best in the world right now but you can't ignore over a decade of experience and the power of the New York crowd. Federer will get past him, for mine, but it will be the fashion in which he advances that will be telling. If he breezes past Andre then Roddick and Hewitt will just shit themselves.

 

Which brings me to the other pivotal match of the tournament which will be saved until the semi-final meeting of Roddick v Hewitt. Neither player has been challenged to this point in the tournament and each have dished out spankings to some talented opposition in the form of Wayne Ferreira, Hicham Arazi (both Hewitt) and Guillermo Canas (Roddick). On the way to their proposed meeting Hewitt has only to deal with the unseeded Karol Beck and Tommy Haas while Roddick has the marginally tougher assignments of clay-courter Tommy Robredo and powerhouse Swede Joachim Johansson in what will be a serving duel. I think Hewitt is the better chance at toppling Federer on the last day, but I'm not sure he can get past Roddick to do it.

 

The womens' singles is going to be another interesting power v skill showdown. Henin-Hardenne won't really be challenged until the semis where she'll more than likely meet the winner of the Venus Williams v Davenport match from Round 4. Both Williams girls are underdone and you can raffle the second spot in the final between Serena, who's under an injury cloud, Capriati & Mauresmo. None of them have really given me any reason to believe that Henin-Hardenne won't take her 2nd US Open title in as many years. Until Kim Clijsters comes back from injury and the Williams sisters decide to be tennis players instead of fashion designers or god knows what else they reckon they can do the women's game is going to stay boring.

[Alro 0]

I just got back from Flushing Meadows where I watched Saturday's night session and Sunday's day session. I thought Rubin could upset Venus, but I was disappointed. Sunday was the second time I've seen Roddick play and I'm just amazed at how hard he hits the ball. It's unreal.

 

On the men's side, I'm going with my gut of Federer/Roddick in the final. Federer/Agassi will be a tremendous match, but I really believe Federer will win it. Hewitt will give Roddick his first challenge, but I think Roddick will have that in straight sets.

 

On the women's side, well I don't really care about women's tennis, but I'd like to see Lindsey Davenport win it all before she retires. I don't think that will happen, but I can hope.

[Alro 0]

Last night's Serena/Capriati match was great, but it was seriously marred by too many bad calls. The biggest one came when Serena obviously won the point but the chair umpire overruled and gave the advantage to Capriati. It was amazing. I can think of four bad calls off the top of my head. Terrible, terrible line calling.

 

Tonight will be huge with top seed Roger Federer facing two-time US Open champ Andre Agassi. I can't wait for that match.

[starvenger 0]

Last night's Serena/Capriati match was great, but it was seriously marred by too many bad calls. The biggest one came when Serena obviously won the point but the chair umpire overruled and gave the advantage to Capriati. It was amazing. I can think of four bad calls off the top of my head. Terrible, terrible line calling.

A shame, really. With those two, one point can be the difference maker in the match, which generally is a good slugfest.

[Dr. Tom 0]

Last night's Serena/Capriati match was great, but it was seriously marred by too  many bad calls.  The biggest one came when Serena obviously won the point but the chair umpire overruled and gave the advantage to Capriati.  It was amazing.  I can think of four bad calls off the top of my head.  Terrible, terrible line calling.

Yeah, it was horrible. A couple of the calls were close, but the other two were obvious and the chair umpire just fucked them up. Serena handled it with more professionalism and class than I would have, though. I think I would've flipped off the umpire at the end of the match and then ripped her up and down in the news conference afterwards. Props to Serena for taking the high road.

[Alro 0]

I know I've made bigger stinks over bad calls in my time.

 

Davenport has already cruised to a victory. Her match lasted somewhere around 45 minutes.

 

Editied to say that Federer leads Agassi 2 sets to one. It is raining at Flushing Meadows and play has been suspended with the score at deuce in the first game of the fourth set.

[Guest Nanks]

If Serena gave a shit about tennis anymore than I'm sure she would've kicked up a bigger fuss. Her and Venus are too preoccupied with their bullshit outside projects to focus properly on the game anymore. I'm over them.

 

2 sets to 1 in Federer v Agassi is it?? Nice. Wish I had Pay TV so I could watch that.

 

The next three matches in the bottom half of the draw should be really interesting. Tommy Haas is back in good form and Hewitt is in 2001 form. That should be a fucking blinder of a match with heaps of long rallies. The other quarter, Roddick v Johansson will be all about who can find their range on serve and/or who brings the best returning game. Joachim has a tendency to bang them in on the backhand side so Roddick could be tested.

 

Disappointed not to see Hrbaty pushing Henman a bit more. Whoever wins Federer v Agassi shouldn't have too much trouble with Timmy in the semis, poor boy just can't finish off at majors.

[The Czech Republic 0]

The evil part of me wants Tim Henman to win the U.S. Open, or the French Open, but never Wimbledon.

 

 

Aw crap, I missed the rain delay of the year? I love when the U.S. Open gets rained out, because that's when they show Connors-Krickstein '91.

[Alro 0]

The thrid set of Agassi/Federer was amazing. They stayed on serve until Agassi's last service game where Federer broke him.

 

Haas is looking very good, but I don't think he'll be able to get past Hewitt. I would be surprised to see Haas take a set.

 

I believe I heard the announcers say that Henman will get two days off because of the play schedule. He can use the rest because he's already had 3 five set matches.

[Alro 0]

Federer beats Agassi in five; (6-3), (2-6), (7-5), (3-6), (6-3). Weather kept this match from being as good as it could have been. The wind wrecked havoc on their tosses and shots.

 

Still though, it took Federer five sets to put Agassi away. He is not going to have his way with whomever is in the finals, be that Roddick or Hewitt.

[Guest Nanks]

Lleyton's really dealing with the wind a hell of a lot better than Haas right now. He put away the first set 6-2 and he's just broken him again to go 2-0 in the 2nd set. Haas isn't playing the best tennis but Hewitt is looking sensational, I think Tommy's getting a bit hot too, if Lleyts can hold this break and push him a bit more Haas could spit it soon.

 

Shit, well so much for that, Lleyton's gone all conservative and Haas got a bit of adrenaline and broke him back.

 

Excellent game to keep it on serve from Lleyton. 3-2 in the second.

 

C'MON!!!! *pumps fist*

 

Continued...

 

And there it is. Lleyton up 6-2 6-2 6-2. That is a brutal pumping. 10 Unforced Errors and 29 Winners is spectacular. Hewitt is in seriously good form. Roddick and Federer are going to have to really bring it to get by him. Making the semis of a major without dropping a set is massive. Mind you, tonight Roddick could achieve the very same feat.

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

I'd like to give some props to Henman for getting to the semi. Federer should have no problem with him at all, but Tim's beaten him a few times before, so I'll keep an optimistic finger crossed for him.

[Guest Nanks]

He's done it the hard way, 3 five setters and a 4 setter are not the ideal way to progress to the semis of a major.

 

Henman doesn't make finals in majors, Federer will manhandle him.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Is it just me or does Lleyton Hewitt kinda look like a bird,especially when he's fiddling with his racquet?

[Guest Nanks]

Did you have any particular kind of bird in mind?? It might just be you...

 

Well the battle of the power hitters is underway and Johansson has managed to take the first set 6-4 and be up a break 3-1 in the 2nd. Doesn't seem to be because either is playing particularly well or poorly, I think Joachim is just winning the important points. He's capitalised on both of his 2 break point opportunities whereas Roddick's wasted 4. Could very well see an upset here, Johansson is a very difficult man to break, particularly twice in one set.

 

Continued...

 

Well that makes Roddick 0 for 7 on break points and Johansson 2 sets to love up. This game has been totally even but Roddick just keeps failing to win the important points. Joachim's had 2 opportunities only in this match and he took them both, Roddick just hasn't stepped up. Ace tally sits at 15 a piece after 2 sets by the way. Incredible.

 

Continued...

 

Finally Roddick made a break at the start of that third set and managed to hang on to take it 6-3. Andy is playing some seriously good, controlled tennis, he's only racked up 13 unforced errors through 3 sets, which is incredible. Johansson's doubled that. If he keeps the consistancy up and can win another couple of break points he'll take this in 5.

 

Continued...

 

Well Roddick's starting to run away with it now. Took the 4th to make it 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2. I'm really impressed by the composure he's shown to turn this game around, I really thought he was going to throw it away after he went 2 sets down. He's still at just 14 unforced errors through 4 sets, which is just spectacular tennis. Johansson has crumbled to 35, he's just going for everything to break back into the game. I expect Andy to finish this in a fairly prompt manner from here.

[Guest Nanks]

Well, there you go, he sure showed me.

 

Roddick went down in a bit of a heap in that last set and Johansson just capitalised on one more break point. Well there you have it. Johansson over Roddick 6-4 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-4. Final ace tally: Johansson 30 Roddick 34

 

Your US Open Semi Finals

 

Roger Federer v Tim Henman

Lleyton Hewitt v Joachim Johansson

 

I've been off the mark with a lot of my other calls so far this tournament, but it would still be hard to see anything but Federer v Hewitt in the final, should be a sensational match.

[Alro 0]

Final ace tally: Johansson 30 Roddick 34

That is ridiculous. Sixty-four aces between them.

 

Roddick was really hit or miss last night. You can't expect to win when you only covert 3 of 15 break opportunities.

 

Henman shouldn't be a problem for Federer. I think that will be straight sets for Federer. After watching Johansson last night, Hewitt may be in for a surprise. He may finally drop a set this tournament. But I'll agree with your pick for the finals. It would be hard to pick anything but Federer/Hewitt at this point.

[Guest Nanks]

Hewitt/Johannson has an interesting little kicker to it. Turns out Joachim's been seeing Lleyton's little sister Jaslyn for about 4 and half years. As a result, Johansson has been living with the Hewitt's in Adelaide over the Christmas holidays over the past couple of years and hitting with Lleyton and his coach Roger Rasheed. As a result the two of them are close friends and know each others game's inside out and back to front.

 

I'm tempted to believe this knowledge of each other will work slightly to Hewitt's advantage, purely by virtue of the fact he's the more experienced player, especially at the business end of a Grand Slam, but the only thing there's really to know about Johansson is that his right arm is a fucking cannon. I'm just not sure Joachim's got the staying power to go with Hewitt.

[Alro 0]

Davenport just got bounced in three sets. That leaves Jennifer Capriati as the last American in the US Open on either side.

[Guest Anglesault]

It was kind of funny in the beginning, then it was getting a little odd, but now it's downright scary. Serena Williams, since she burst on the scene, has progressively looked more and more like Willie Randolph each year.

[Guest Nanks]

This Capriati v Dementieva match is a fucking pearler, I hope people are watching this, this is the kind of tennis the women's game has been sorely lacking in recent times.

 

It would seem the Russians are back on their path to world domination again, this time through the use of cloned blonde, female tennis players. The first model, Kournikova was a failure, but the new crop are dominating the game. Sharapova at Wimbledon, Dementieva & Myskina at Roland Garros and now Dementieva & Kuznetsova at Flushing Meadows,

They're popping up everywhere, there were 15 Russians in the Women's Singles Draw this year.

[Alro 0]

Federer and Hewitt will meet in the final tomorrow. Hewitt still has not dropped a set in the Open. Federer made pretty easy work of Henman. Should be a great match tomorrow.

[Alro 0]

Hewitt just dropped the first set to Federer 6-0, making it the first set he's lost all tournament.

 

Hewitt just looks lost out there. Both of their previous Grand Slam meetings this year have gone 4 sets and have had a 6-0 set (both won by Federer). However Hewitt just has this vibe right now that he has no idea about what is going on.

[Guest Nanks]

Federer takes the second in a tie break to make it 6-0 7-6. We're seeing just why Federer's the best player in the world right now. Lleyton's just nowhere near him, sadly. Now he's dropped his opening serve for the set for the 3rd time, unfortunately off a bad call, ball caught the back of the line.

[Guest Nanks]

Well there it is. Federer is a freak. So far and away the best player in the world it's not funny.

 

Poor Lleyton, he's had a rough trot in the Slams this year. In all 4 of them he has lost to the eventual winner of the tournament.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

I think it's legitimate to start asking at this point if Federer could go down as the best of all time when he's finished.

[Guest Nanks]

It is far too early to be saying something like that, he's only won 4 Grand Slams. However, what can be said at this point is he's got all the tools. Excellent serve, he's mind-blowingly good from the back of the court, all throughout that match he was just producing flat winners from nowhere in the middle of rallies, it was quite freakish, and he's capable of a serve-volley game. He also seems to have the relaxed attitude necessary to be a real champion. The argument that will one day go in his favour when weighed against the other champions of the past is the incredible depth of today's tennis. Without question the best right now, but give him a couple of years before we start on the "Best Ever" discussions.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Why do i get the feeling Federer will have about 7 or 8 majors before he gets any real publicity? In the US it seems Roddick, Agassi, and Hewitt are the most talked about players.

[Guest Nanks]

Because they're the flashy ones with the personalities. The fact that Roddick & Agassi are American adds heavily to that. Lleyton produces headlines by being fairly blunt with journalists in press conferences. He's very Aussie, if some journalist asks him a dumb question, he tends to rip on them rather than humour them.

 

Federer's a really quiet, unassuming player who has been very unobtrusive in his rise to the top. However, today he has done what it took Agassi most of his career to achieve and what Sampras could never manage in that he has now won all 4 Majors. Being as young as he is he is now a serious possibility to take out The Grand Slam at some point in his career.

[Alro 0]

It is far too early to be saying something like that, he's only won 4 Grand Slams.

He won three of his four Gand Slams this year. I think we'll be having "Best Ever" discussions much sooner than later.

 

That match yesterday was one of the most dominating performances I've ever seen. Hewitt, who is the 4th ranked player in the world, had no answers for anything Federer threw at him. He made everything look so easy. Federer's ground stokes were impressive and I believe I heard Enberg say he won all but three points where he went to the net. Federer made it obvious this season that he is the man to beat.

 

Why do i get the feeling Federer will have about 7 or 8 majors before he gets any real publicity? In the US it seems Roddick, Agassi, and Hewitt are the most talked about players.

 

It is all about the flash. Go back to Sampras/Agassi. Sampras won Grand Slam after Grand Slam (except the French). Agassi got all the attention because he wore black on the court or shaved his head or whatever. Hell, I'm the first to admit that I like Agassi better than Sampras because of the flash factor. Yeah, Sampras was amazingly good, but Agassi had that extra element that made you want to watch and see what would happen next.