Roddick wrapped up his opening-round match with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Fabrice Santoro to finish off the night session on Day 3 in Flushing.
The match ended awkwardly as Santoro basically gave Roddick his final ace as he walked toward the net to shake hands. With Santoro, you would expect it to be a kind, joking gesture given his usual light-hearted demeanor on the court. But, he didn't seem too happy leaving the court. On the penultimate point, Roddick blasted an ace from which Santoro has to duck and stumble out of the way. Perhaps he was a bit salty from that, or perhaps he was just disappointed with his performance during such a high-profile match and wanted to get out of there ASAP.
Roddick's serve was the answer tonight. He said in his post-match interview that it was the best he's felt in months. If his first serve continues to dominate, it could take him deep into this tournament.
I won't return to blogosphere until Friday, but we'll be back tomorrow with more updates from the Open. Enjoy.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Roddick on his game
Andy's not messing around with The Magician.
He breezed to a 6-2 win in the first set and SHOULD keep it rolling into the second round. Santoro hasn't really had a chance to show off his tricks, especially against Roddick's serve.
He breezed to a 6-2 win in the first set and SHOULD keep it rolling into the second round. Santoro hasn't really had a chance to show off his tricks, especially against Roddick's serve.
Mom moves on
Lindsay Davenport just took care of Alisa Kleybanova in two sets, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the third round. She'll face No. 12 seed Marion Bartoli.
Not a ton of upsets in Davenport's quarter of the draw, save for No. 8 Vera Zvonareva going down in the second round. Bartoli would be the highest seed for Davenport to face until the quarterfinals, where No. 2 Jelena Jankovic could await.
Up next on Arthur Ashe is Roddick-Santoro. Roddick clearly has the advantage here, hoping to prove that his decision to stay at home rather than go to Beijing could prove beneficial for the Open, the site of his lone Grand Slam win. Roddick desperately needs another Slam win to bolster his career standing.
Santoro, though, is no pushover, as James Blake learned last year in the second round. Blake won his first career five-setter when he defeated Santoro in an epic night match a year ago at Ashe. Santoro, 35, though sometimes the oldest player in the draw, is creative and can tire players with his crafty slices and two-handed finesse shots. We'll see if Roddick can crack a few 150mph-ers to keep him at bay.
Not a ton of upsets in Davenport's quarter of the draw, save for No. 8 Vera Zvonareva going down in the second round. Bartoli would be the highest seed for Davenport to face until the quarterfinals, where No. 2 Jelena Jankovic could await.
Up next on Arthur Ashe is Roddick-Santoro. Roddick clearly has the advantage here, hoping to prove that his decision to stay at home rather than go to Beijing could prove beneficial for the Open, the site of his lone Grand Slam win. Roddick desperately needs another Slam win to bolster his career standing.
Santoro, though, is no pushover, as James Blake learned last year in the second round. Blake won his first career five-setter when he defeated Santoro in an epic night match a year ago at Ashe. Santoro, 35, though sometimes the oldest player in the draw, is creative and can tire players with his crafty slices and two-handed finesse shots. We'll see if Roddick can crack a few 150mph-ers to keep him at bay.
FREAKS!
No, they're not freaks. Freakishly tall, for tennis, maybe. But not freaks.
Sam Querry (6-6) and John Isner (6-9) just lost the first set of their doubles match against Chile's Fernando Gonzalez and Argentina's Agustin Calleri. Hoards of people came out to Court 7 for the match and were oooh-ing and ahhh-ing as the 13-plus feet tandem strolled in for warm-ups.
The place was standing room only. I don't know if that was a combination of the fact that it was a pair of Americans, it was a pair of very tall Americans, or people are still caught up in the backlash from James Blake's comments from Beijing, when he criticized Gonzalez of not fessing up to a ball that allegedly nicked his racket and sailed out of bounds during a crucial point in their semifinal match. I heard at least one fan remind her friends of the incident as Gonzalez entered the court.
I really don't buy it. I don't know him, but Gonzalez genuinely comes off as a friendly guy. In the first set, he was smiling for most of it. Our guy Arthur Staple pointed out in his Web column last night that Gonzalez is no villain.
Ok, I'm going to check out that match a little more and then it's on to the big show for Roddick-Santoro later on at Arthur Ashe.
Sam Querry (6-6) and John Isner (6-9) just lost the first set of their doubles match against Chile's Fernando Gonzalez and Argentina's Agustin Calleri. Hoards of people came out to Court 7 for the match and were oooh-ing and ahhh-ing as the 13-plus feet tandem strolled in for warm-ups.
The place was standing room only. I don't know if that was a combination of the fact that it was a pair of Americans, it was a pair of very tall Americans, or people are still caught up in the backlash from James Blake's comments from Beijing, when he criticized Gonzalez of not fessing up to a ball that allegedly nicked his racket and sailed out of bounds during a crucial point in their semifinal match. I heard at least one fan remind her friends of the incident as Gonzalez entered the court.
I really don't buy it. I don't know him, but Gonzalez genuinely comes off as a friendly guy. In the first set, he was smiling for most of it. Our guy Arthur Staple pointed out in his Web column last night that Gonzalez is no villain.
Ok, I'm going to check out that match a little more and then it's on to the big show for Roddick-Santoro later on at Arthur Ashe.
Ginepri wins easily, Jankovic does not
Unseeded American Robby Ginepri, who has had some success here -- he made the semis in 2005 - breezed past another American, Amer Delic, in Louis Armstrong. Ginepri had a couple down years but has risen up to No. 61 currently. He also no longer dates Minnie Driver. We're not sure if that's a plus or not.
Jelena Jankovic, who looked strong in her opening-round win, looked the opposite today. The No. 2 seed squeaked by Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. That means the top two seeds have had scares in the opening days.
The Chinese women's contingent is shining again. Jie Zheng, who was a surprise semifinalist at Wimbledon, is into the third round and plays Jankovic next. I smell an upset.
And Na Li, who teamed with Zheng to win bronze in Olympic doubles in their home country, also moved into the third round today.
I'm turning the reins over to Baumbach for the evening. Enjoy.
Jelena Jankovic, who looked strong in her opening-round win, looked the opposite today. The No. 2 seed squeaked by Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. That means the top two seeds have had scares in the opening days.
The Chinese women's contingent is shining again. Jie Zheng, who was a surprise semifinalist at Wimbledon, is into the third round and plays Jankovic next. I smell an upset.
And Na Li, who teamed with Zheng to win bronze in Olympic doubles in their home country, also moved into the third round today.
I'm turning the reins over to Baumbach for the evening. Enjoy.
Remember the Mac cam?
I just got through watching the first set on Court 6, which featured some good doubles action from Reynolds/Ram and Lipsky/Martin. Reynolds' team took the first set in a tiebreak. Although he was the only player I had heard of, none of the four distinguished themselves as the best player on the court in the first set. Doubles action on an outside court is always a good watch.
On my way back to the press center, a crowd of people swarmed the outside of the practice courts, where Johnny Mac himself was practicing with a junior player. It reminded me of the Mac Cam, which was the first version of replay technology that swept across the tennis circuit a few years back. It has since been replaced with better technology, also know as Shot Spot.
My former roommate and I would argue over the merits and criticisms of the Mac Cam, which, unlike today's Shot Spot replay, showed the ACTUAL ball. I was a big fan of the Mac Cam because, I don't know, I think a replay that shows the ACTUAL ball seems to give more concrete evidence. That's just me. Of course, most of the time that aforementioned ball in slow motion still came across as a blurry yellow mess. It never actually gave us a definitive answer, but at least it was an actual ball, and not a compilation of science and lasers that nobody can ever question. Who dares question science? Not I.
Back out to the Court 7, which is moving along at a snail's pace. Giants Isner and Querry should be on tap in a little bit.
One more thing. I had my first sighting of 'older fella who regularly attends the U.S. Open wearing his tennis whites.' This guy even punctuated his whiteness with white socks and Tevas. Such a fantastic sight and I'm sure it won't be the last. Be back later with updates.
On my way back to the press center, a crowd of people swarmed the outside of the practice courts, where Johnny Mac himself was practicing with a junior player. It reminded me of the Mac Cam, which was the first version of replay technology that swept across the tennis circuit a few years back. It has since been replaced with better technology, also know as Shot Spot.
My former roommate and I would argue over the merits and criticisms of the Mac Cam, which, unlike today's Shot Spot replay, showed the ACTUAL ball. I was a big fan of the Mac Cam because, I don't know, I think a replay that shows the ACTUAL ball seems to give more concrete evidence. That's just me. Of course, most of the time that aforementioned ball in slow motion still came across as a blurry yellow mess. It never actually gave us a definitive answer, but at least it was an actual ball, and not a compilation of science and lasers that nobody can ever question. Who dares question science? Not I.
Back out to the Court 7, which is moving along at a snail's pace. Giants Isner and Querry should be on tap in a little bit.
One more thing. I had my first sighting of 'older fella who regularly attends the U.S. Open wearing his tennis whites.' This guy even punctuated his whiteness with white socks and Tevas. Such a fantastic sight and I'm sure it won't be the last. Be back later with updates.
Slow news day at the Open
Women's No. 8 seed Vera Zvonareva is out, a 6-3, 6-3 loser to Tatiana Perebiynis.
Otherwise, few surprises. The youngest player in the men's draw, 18-year-old Austin Krajicek out of Texas A&M, got routed by Agustin Calleri, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. It was fun to stand in the players' lounge, where you hear a few different languages, and listen to a little Texas twang from Krajicek's coach.
Otherwise, few surprises. The youngest player in the men's draw, 18-year-old Austin Krajicek out of Texas A&M, got routed by Agustin Calleri, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. It was fun to stand in the players' lounge, where you hear a few different languages, and listen to a little Texas twang from Krajicek's coach.
Up close and personal
Just got back from watching a few games of a men's doubles match between Rik De Voest-Ashley Fisher and Chris Haggard-Stephen Huss, none of whom I've ever heard in my life.
What's so interesting about the match, aside from the fact that both teams featured a South Aftican and an Australian?
The fact that it was on Court 5, one of the outer courts here that is so accessible you can literally lean over the four-foot high chain link fence and touch the hard, green court yourself.
Try doing that at Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Garden -- but don't blame me when a jacked-up security guard named Rocco cracks you in the jaw with a 25-pound walkie-talkie.
No such hostility here. And that's one of the things that make thing U.S. Open so great. Who cares if you don't know the players? It's still world-class tennis, better than anything you'll ever see at your local country club or public courts, and the players are standing no more than 20 feet away from you. I've covered a lot of different events, including U.S. Open golf, and nothing comes close to it for accessibility.
On a completely different point, what's up with singles opponents warming each other up before a match??? I know I've raised this question before, but every year I come out here and it amazes me.
Just think of the mental aspect that goes into it -- you crank a couple of extra-hard serves or groundstrokes, or drop down some sick volleys, and suddenly you've got your opponent thinking you're on top of your game.
To me it's almost like taking batting practice against the opposing pitcher or taking warmup shots on the other team's goalie in hockey. Maybe I'm just too much of a ruthless competitor for tennis. Or maybe I don't know what's I'm talking about.
You think about that one. Mark Dwyer is here to take you home. He'll be following some of the interesting night matches, including Lindsay Davenport's second-round match and Andy Roddick's first match of the tourney.
I'll see you tomorrow.
What's so interesting about the match, aside from the fact that both teams featured a South Aftican and an Australian?
The fact that it was on Court 5, one of the outer courts here that is so accessible you can literally lean over the four-foot high chain link fence and touch the hard, green court yourself.
Try doing that at Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Garden -- but don't blame me when a jacked-up security guard named Rocco cracks you in the jaw with a 25-pound walkie-talkie.
No such hostility here. And that's one of the things that make thing U.S. Open so great. Who cares if you don't know the players? It's still world-class tennis, better than anything you'll ever see at your local country club or public courts, and the players are standing no more than 20 feet away from you. I've covered a lot of different events, including U.S. Open golf, and nothing comes close to it for accessibility.
On a completely different point, what's up with singles opponents warming each other up before a match??? I know I've raised this question before, but every year I come out here and it amazes me.
Just think of the mental aspect that goes into it -- you crank a couple of extra-hard serves or groundstrokes, or drop down some sick volleys, and suddenly you've got your opponent thinking you're on top of your game.
To me it's almost like taking batting practice against the opposing pitcher or taking warmup shots on the other team's goalie in hockey. Maybe I'm just too much of a ruthless competitor for tennis. Or maybe I don't know what's I'm talking about.
You think about that one. Mark Dwyer is here to take you home. He'll be following some of the interesting night matches, including Lindsay Davenport's second-round match and Andy Roddick's first match of the tourney.
I'll see you tomorrow.
We got a first timer over here ...
Mark Dwyer checking in for the first time at this year's Open.
I arrived at about 3:30 p.m. and soon developed a game-plan for the afternoon/evening. All Americans, all the time. A lot has been said about the lack of a dominant American male in the current tennis landscape when compared to the glory days of the 90s with Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Chang and ... David Wheaton (the most American of them all, for those who remember his headband).
I figured out a way to hopefully take a look at eight Americans in a six-hour span.
I just finished watching the third set of of Robby Ginepri's three-set win over another American, Amer Delic -- a Bosnian-born player who now resides in Florida, like the rest of America's tennis contingent. He's 6-5 and from about 100 feet way, he looks a bit like Federer. He even wore his Swiss colors for his match.
The guy's got power too. He pumped out a 137mph serve during a crucial point in the third-set tiebreak, but Ginepri prevailed, 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). Delic showed some promised with a few wicked backhands he smoked down the line that got the crowd's approval in a tight third set, but a loose forehand and a bevy of unforced errors (44 to Ginepri's 19) did him in. The 26-year-old could be dangerous in future tournaments...we'll see.
With two Americans down, i'm hoping to catch up with four more on Court 6 with up-and-comers Rajeev Ram and Bobby Reynolds facing Scott Lipsky and David Martin in a first-round doubles match.
Then, I hope to see what 13 feet, 3 inches of a men's doubles team looks like when I see former NCAA champ John Isner (6-9) team up with Sam Querry (6-6).
I'll cap the night off with Andy Roddick's first-round match against crowd favorite Fabrice Santoro ... also known as THE MAGICIAN. Should be interesting.
Ok, i'm heading back out there. Be back later after I trade outfits with Bud Collins, who's standing right behind me.
I arrived at about 3:30 p.m. and soon developed a game-plan for the afternoon/evening. All Americans, all the time. A lot has been said about the lack of a dominant American male in the current tennis landscape when compared to the glory days of the 90s with Sampras, Agassi, Courier, Chang and ... David Wheaton (the most American of them all, for those who remember his headband).
I figured out a way to hopefully take a look at eight Americans in a six-hour span.
I just finished watching the third set of of Robby Ginepri's three-set win over another American, Amer Delic -- a Bosnian-born player who now resides in Florida, like the rest of America's tennis contingent. He's 6-5 and from about 100 feet way, he looks a bit like Federer. He even wore his Swiss colors for his match.
The guy's got power too. He pumped out a 137mph serve during a crucial point in the third-set tiebreak, but Ginepri prevailed, 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). Delic showed some promised with a few wicked backhands he smoked down the line that got the crowd's approval in a tight third set, but a loose forehand and a bevy of unforced errors (44 to Ginepri's 19) did him in. The 26-year-old could be dangerous in future tournaments...we'll see.
With two Americans down, i'm hoping to catch up with four more on Court 6 with up-and-comers Rajeev Ram and Bobby Reynolds facing Scott Lipsky and David Martin in a first-round doubles match.
Then, I hope to see what 13 feet, 3 inches of a men's doubles team looks like when I see former NCAA champ John Isner (6-9) team up with Sam Querry (6-6).
I'll cap the night off with Andy Roddick's first-round match against crowd favorite Fabrice Santoro ... also known as THE MAGICIAN. Should be interesting.
Ok, i'm heading back out there. Be back later after I trade outfits with Bud Collins, who's standing right behind me.
Grandstanding
First, let me get this out of the way: My favorite court here is the Grandstand. It's small, intimate, yet once upon a time it was the No. 2 court here. Which means that it was also once the best court fans could get into for free. Its reputation for wild matches between fan favorites with roaring, boisterous fans packed into its 2,000 seats has earned it the right to host some fun matches, despite its diminished ranking since the addition of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
So, when I changed my plans to catch the end of Svetlana Kuznetsova match on Arthur Ashe court (she went up a set and a break as I left the media center), I decided to head over to the far side of the Tennis Center for some grandstanding.
I watched 19th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlast Santiago Ventura in four sets. Tsonga started off badly, falling behind two breaks at 4-1 in the first set before recovering to force a tiebreaker, which he ultimately lost. But his 137-mph serves were too much for Ventura, who struggled with his own serve, throwing in three consecutive double faults at one point.
Baking in sun and basking in the soundtrack of the U.S. Open -- the roar of the crowd from Armstrong Stadium, the subway trains in the distance, and the jets overhead -- it occurred to me that I should probably let you, the fans, know that to enjoy a day at the U.S. Open, you don't need to buy the pricier tickets to allow you access to Arthur Ashe.
Sure, you won't get to see all the marquee names like Federer, Nadal, Roddick, Serena or Venus. But this early on in the tournament, all those big stars are facing qualifiers and low-ranked players who they're likely to blow out anyway. And unless you're willing to shell out the big bucks for good seats, you're probably going to be sitting closer to the sky than you will the players.
Why not take in a more competitive match in a friendlier setting on the outer courts? If you're not a die-hard tennis fan (and my guess is that applies to the majority of New Yorkers), you'll have a more enjoyable experience that way. Plus, you'll save a little money, which you will definitely need if you plan to buy any of the Open's infamously overpriced concessions.
I'll be back later with some more thoughts, but for now I'm going to take my own advice and go for a stroll to the outer courts. Catch up with you later.
So, when I changed my plans to catch the end of Svetlana Kuznetsova match on Arthur Ashe court (she went up a set and a break as I left the media center), I decided to head over to the far side of the Tennis Center for some grandstanding.
I watched 19th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlast Santiago Ventura in four sets. Tsonga started off badly, falling behind two breaks at 4-1 in the first set before recovering to force a tiebreaker, which he ultimately lost. But his 137-mph serves were too much for Ventura, who struggled with his own serve, throwing in three consecutive double faults at one point.
Baking in sun and basking in the soundtrack of the U.S. Open -- the roar of the crowd from Armstrong Stadium, the subway trains in the distance, and the jets overhead -- it occurred to me that I should probably let you, the fans, know that to enjoy a day at the U.S. Open, you don't need to buy the pricier tickets to allow you access to Arthur Ashe.
Sure, you won't get to see all the marquee names like Federer, Nadal, Roddick, Serena or Venus. But this early on in the tournament, all those big stars are facing qualifiers and low-ranked players who they're likely to blow out anyway. And unless you're willing to shell out the big bucks for good seats, you're probably going to be sitting closer to the sky than you will the players.
Why not take in a more competitive match in a friendlier setting on the outer courts? If you're not a die-hard tennis fan (and my guess is that applies to the majority of New Yorkers), you'll have a more enjoyable experience that way. Plus, you'll save a little money, which you will definitely need if you plan to buy any of the Open's infamously overpriced concessions.
I'll be back later with some more thoughts, but for now I'm going to take my own advice and go for a stroll to the outer courts. Catch up with you later.
Another American through
Wild-card entry Sam Warburg, a four-time All-American at Stanford, moved on when Janko Tipsarevic, a guy who's had some success at Slams before -- he knocked Andy Roddick out of Wimbledon in the second round and took Roger Federer to a fifth set in the Australian Open before falling, 10-8 -- retired with an injury. Warburg won the first set, 6-2, and was up 1-0 in the second.
Warburg is 25 and just turned pro last year, which sounds odd in a sport where 25 is considered over-the-hill sometimes. But he's now made the second round of two Slams this year (also at the Australian), and you know what that means? Even if he goes out next round, he'll be up to $94,000 in prize money for a year in which his record is 3-5.
I thought only Carl Pavano made that much per win.
Warburg is 25 and just turned pro last year, which sounds odd in a sport where 25 is considered over-the-hill sometimes. But he's now made the second round of two Slams this year (also at the Australian), and you know what that means? Even if he goes out next round, he'll be up to $94,000 in prize money for a year in which his record is 3-5.
I thought only Carl Pavano made that much per win.
A place to find love
We've had lots of introductions on this blog, so I'll keep mine very short.
I'm Mike Casey from Newsday.com. This is my fifth year covering the U.S. Open, and every year I look forward to coming out here more and more. Today I'll be taking in some matches, spewing some random food for thought and generally trying not to get in the way of Arthur Staple's match updates.
Mark Dwyer, another dot-commer, will be along later to spell me.
I'm off to check out the atmosphere.
Ciao for now.
I'm Mike Casey from Newsday.com. This is my fifth year covering the U.S. Open, and every year I look forward to coming out here more and more. Today I'll be taking in some matches, spewing some random food for thought and generally trying not to get in the way of Arthur Staple's match updates.
Mark Dwyer, another dot-commer, will be along later to spell me.
I'm off to check out the atmosphere.
Ciao for now.
Federer wraps it up, so do we for the night
It was 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 for the four-time defending champ, and day 2 of the Open is a wrap. Back at you tomorrow, with me taking you through the day and Baumbach on in relief. Night, all.
Venus likes the Open, but her true love lies in the London suburbs
Venus has two U.S. Open titles, but nothing since 2002. She won her fifth Wimbledon crown a couple months ago.
"I can't even figure it out," she said after her breeze through the first round tonight. "Why is it that my first serve percentage is at least in the 60s at Wimbledon, and all this great stuff. But I don't know. Just maybe it's the love of my life. That's probably what it is."
Maximo Gonzalez just won a game in the third set off Federer. That's something. We'll be done here tonight in a short while.
"I can't even figure it out," she said after her breeze through the first round tonight. "Why is it that my first serve percentage is at least in the 60s at Wimbledon, and all this great stuff. But I don't know. Just maybe it's the love of my life. That's probably what it is."
Maximo Gonzalez just won a game in the third set off Federer. That's something. We'll be done here tonight in a short while.
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