Like her sis, it was rather easy. Venus blew by Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3.
Federer will be out shortly. And then Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez will be out, shortly.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Fish wins
Mardy Fish made it past Aussie qualifier Robert Smeets in four sets and into the second round, one of the few American men moving on so far.
Another unseeded American, Bobby Reynolds, is into a fifth set with Tomas Zib right now.
Basically, there are not many American men who have a decent chance to win here, even if there are a few into the second round.
Another unseeded American, Bobby Reynolds, is into a fifth set with Tomas Zib right now.
Basically, there are not many American men who have a decent chance to win here, even if there are a few into the second round.
Serena moves on, Venus up in a few
Easy win for Serena, 6-1, 6-4. Venus takes the court shortly, followed by Roger Federer. Doubt this night session goes past midnight the way Monday's did.
Marat Safin gives good quotes
As evidenced by his post-match comments a little while ago. He had a few choice words for the chair umpire in his five-set win over Vince Spadea and the moment when Safin was called for a foot fault to lose him the fourth set. "I think it was complete bull----," he said. So there's that.
As to the subject of his sister, which Baumbach wrote about earlier, Safin said this: "I think if she will do everything opposite of what I've been doing throughout the years, she will be No. 1 in the world for a long time. That's as simple as it is."
That's advice, people. All my brother ever told me was how to calculate 8% of a check.
As to the subject of his sister, which Baumbach wrote about earlier, Safin said this: "I think if she will do everything opposite of what I've been doing throughout the years, she will be No. 1 in the world for a long time. That's as simple as it is."
That's advice, people. All my brother ever told me was how to calculate 8% of a check.
Serena's cruising
On serve, 3-2, in the second set after a 6-1 first set over Kateryna Bondarenko, whose sister, Alona, is the No. 27 seed and just started her first-round match against Jamea Jackson on court 11.
Serena's sister, a nice young woman called Venus, plays tonight against Samantha Stosur. I do not know if Samantha has a sister, or whether she plays tennis.
Serena's sister, a nice young woman called Venus, plays tonight against Samantha Stosur. I do not know if Samantha has a sister, or whether she plays tennis.
Here's my web column on Dinara Safina
As promised, here it is.
I wrote about Dinara Safina being the lesser known sister of Marat Safin, but clearly the better player.
That's all from me today. Arthur is here for the evening activities.
I wrote about Dinara Safina being the lesser known sister of Marat Safin, but clearly the better player.
That's all from me today. Arthur is here for the evening activities.
We have an upset
Unseeded Tommy Haas defeated No. 12 Richard Gasquet of France, 6-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
I'd tell you more about this match, but I was too busy following Safin's match.
So more later when Haas speaks.
I'd tell you more about this match, but I was too busy following Safin's match.
So more later when Haas speaks.
Safin survives grueling two-hour, 40-minute match
Two wins for the Safin/Safina siblings today.
Hours after sixth-seeded Dinara Safina advanced to the second, her brother did the same. Although Marat Safin's match was much, much, much more grueling.
Safin beat Vincent Spadea of Boca Raton, Fla., 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Hours after sixth-seeded Dinara Safina advanced to the second, her brother did the same. Although Marat Safin's match was much, much, much more grueling.
Safin beat Vincent Spadea of Boca Raton, Fla., 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Safin match is very entertaining, but not over
While we await the winner of the Marat Safin match - which included another of his notoriously typical outbursts at the official - we'll bring you Ana Ivanovic's comments from much earlier today.
Here's the most amusing comment she made. Asked to gauge her level of frustrating during a near-colossal first-round loss, the top-seeded women's player didn't blink an eye. "I'm very, very happy just to be here and to have the opportunity to play, because after the Olympics it was obviously very disappointing," she said.
Uh, how about the frustration, Ana? You are the top-seeded player, and thus expected to breeze through this match. And you did come dangerously close to losing...
The last game I had a couple of miss-hits, and I just tried to stay strong and to play actually for each point and to forget what happened," she said. "I'm so happy I managed to do that."
Probably relieved, too, even if she wouldn't admit it.
Here's the most amusing comment she made. Asked to gauge her level of frustrating during a near-colossal first-round loss, the top-seeded women's player didn't blink an eye. "I'm very, very happy just to be here and to have the opportunity to play, because after the Olympics it was obviously very disappointing," she said.
Uh, how about the frustration, Ana? You are the top-seeded player, and thus expected to breeze through this match. And you did come dangerously close to losing...
The last game I had a couple of miss-hits, and I just tried to stay strong and to play actually for each point and to forget what happened," she said. "I'm so happy I managed to do that."
Probably relieved, too, even if she wouldn't admit it.
While we're talking about Safin...
I probably should mention that his younger sister, sixth-seeded Dinara Safina, easily dispatched Kristie Ahn of Upper Saddle River, N.J., 6-3, 6-4.
As she met with reporters, her older brother was on the court. She joked about their childhood fights, saying she used to behave "like a baby" on the court during their matches. "He hated it," she said. "He always was like, come on. You have to grow up. You cannot behave like this."
Funny that Marat would give such advice, considering his behavior hasn't always been, let's say, classy. Regardless, Safina said she's thankful for receiving those words from her brother, and now she's the one to watch in this year's event.
I was going to write my Web column on Ana Ivanovic, who predictably took an upbeat approach to her first-round scare, saying she was never too worried. But the Safin stuff is too good to pass up. Web column coming soon...
As she met with reporters, her older brother was on the court. She joked about their childhood fights, saying she used to behave "like a baby" on the court during their matches. "He hated it," she said. "He always was like, come on. You have to grow up. You cannot behave like this."
Funny that Marat would give such advice, considering his behavior hasn't always been, let's say, classy. Regardless, Safina said she's thankful for receiving those words from her brother, and now she's the one to watch in this year's event.
I was going to write my Web column on Ana Ivanovic, who predictably took an upbeat approach to her first-round scare, saying she was never too worried. But the Safin stuff is too good to pass up. Web column coming soon...
George Costanza, ice cream and the U.S. Open
I just took a stroll through the food court here, saw an ice cream stand and immediately thought of George Costanza's trip the U.S. Open. You know what happened: he made a mess of himself and it was caught on television...
Unfortunately I can't the clip on YouTube or a screengrab on Google Images.
So maybe I'll have to just go out there and recreate the moment live.
Meanwhile, Safin lost the first set, 6-3.
Unfortunately I can't the clip on YouTube or a screengrab on Google Images.
So maybe I'll have to just go out there and recreate the moment live.
Meanwhile, Safin lost the first set, 6-3.
Remember Lleyton Hewitt?
On each work station here in the U.S. Open media center there is a television, offering reporters the convenience to switch from match to match on different channels.
I've been interested to see Marat Safin play today, if only because I remember the days when he was considered a top player. So you can imagine my surprise when I switched to one channel and saw Safin playing Lleyton Hewitt.
For a second I thought, what a cool first round match.
Then I realized it was a flashback to matches from yesteryear. And, after some asking around, the venerable Lloyd Carroll of Queens Chronicle informed me that Hewitt is out recovering from hip surgery. So that's that.
I'm still interested in seeing Safin play in a bit.
I've been interested to see Marat Safin play today, if only because I remember the days when he was considered a top player. So you can imagine my surprise when I switched to one channel and saw Safin playing Lleyton Hewitt.
For a second I thought, what a cool first round match.
Then I realized it was a flashback to matches from yesteryear. And, after some asking around, the venerable Lloyd Carroll of Queens Chronicle informed me that Hewitt is out recovering from hip surgery. So that's that.
I'm still interested in seeing Safin play in a bit.
Ana Ivanovic survives first-round scare
Phew.
You could almost hear that phrase come out of Ana Ivanovic's mouth after she barely defeated Vera Dushevina just a few minutes ago.
Ivanovic outlasted her Russian opponent, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
And it really was that close. They were tied at 3 in the final set, and several times it looked as if Ivanovic might just beat herself. Yes, this was your classic first-round upset type of match - Dushevina played over her head, but Ivanovic contributed bigtime with frustrating mistakes.
Over and over. And over.
We'll bring Ivanovic's quotes when she arrives in the interview room.
You could almost hear that phrase come out of Ana Ivanovic's mouth after she barely defeated Vera Dushevina just a few minutes ago.
Ivanovic outlasted her Russian opponent, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
And it really was that close. They were tied at 3 in the final set, and several times it looked as if Ivanovic might just beat herself. Yes, this was your classic first-round upset type of match - Dushevina played over her head, but Ivanovic contributed bigtime with frustrating mistakes.
Over and over. And over.
We'll bring Ivanovic's quotes when she arrives in the interview room.
Did I speak too soon about Ivanovic?
She's down 5-4 in the second set.
That would be a bad job if this goes to three sets.
I'm going out there to watch.
And, BTW, I'm really interested to see Marat Safin play. Back when I was watching tennis more regularly, he was a major player. Now, obviously that's not the case.
I smell a Web column there.
That would be a bad job if this goes to three sets.
I'm going out there to watch.
And, BTW, I'm really interested to see Marat Safin play. Back when I was watching tennis more regularly, he was a major player. Now, obviously that's not the case.
I smell a Web column there.
Ana Ivanovic is cruising
This is what we expect from a top seed.
She won her first set against Vera Dushevina, 6-1.
This one will be over soon.
She won her first set against Vera Dushevina, 6-1.
This one will be over soon.
Day 2: Top of the morning to you
Hello from the National Tennis Center for the morning session of the U.S. Open's second day.
I enjoyed my first day here; think I picked up everything I forgot about the game fairly quickly. But, that said, when the U.S. Open's web site just approached me to ask for my thoughts on camera about the matches so far, I was flattered but politely declined. Maybe later in the tournament, perhaps.
This morning/afternoon the biggest names playing first-round matches include: top-seeded Ana Ivanovic, Marat Safin and Serena Williams. We'll do our best to keep up to date with the happenings on, and off, the court.
I enjoyed my first day here; think I picked up everything I forgot about the game fairly quickly. But, that said, when the U.S. Open's web site just approached me to ask for my thoughts on camera about the matches so far, I was flattered but politely declined. Maybe later in the tournament, perhaps.
This morning/afternoon the biggest names playing first-round matches include: top-seeded Ana Ivanovic, Marat Safin and Serena Williams. We'll do our best to keep up to date with the happenings on, and off, the court.
Did I speak too soon about Ivanovic?
She's down 5-4 in the second set.
That would be a bad job if this goes to three sets.
I'm going out there to watch.
And, BTW, I'm really interested to see Marat Safin play. Back when I was watching tennis more regularly, he was a major player. Now, obviously that's not the case.
I smell a Web column there.
That would be a bad job if this goes to three sets.
I'm going out there to watch.
And, BTW, I'm really interested to see Marat Safin play. Back when I was watching tennis more regularly, he was a major player. Now, obviously that's not the case.
I smell a Web column there.
Blake survives
Really only because Donald Young is 19, and melted down in the final two games. Blake moves on, 6-4 in the fifth. So now he's 3-11 in 5-setters at Slams. We're not impressed here at Net Points. Baumbach and I will be back for more tomorrow.
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