Five Matches to Watch on Day 5 of the US Open
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 3, 2010 1:32 AM EDT
in Analysis
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1. Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Dustin Brown (JAM) -- Though he speaks German and spends much of his time in Germany and the rest of Europe, Dustin Brown has gained a lot of attention for flying the Jamaican flag, putting a country previously only known for sprinters and bobsledders (I can hardly describe how much I love Cool Runnings) on the tennis map. Those who have watched him play (of which I am not one, yet) say that he's an extremely entertaining guy to watch, what with the flashy shotmaking and the dreadlocks. Andy Murray rolled in his first round match against Lukas Lacko, but it would be nice to see him get more of a challenge against someone who should be a fun opponent.
2. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) v. John Isner (USA)[18] -- John Isner's gimpy left ankle held up extremely well against the un-threatening Frederico Gil in the first round, but Marco Chiudinelli is a far more imposing opponent. Chiudinelli made a surprising run to the third round of this tournament last year, and is an aggressive player who will be much tougher for Isner to break than Gil was. Isner does have the added benefit of more time to recover from the ankle injury he suffered in Cincinnati, an injury that should become less and less of an issue as this tournament progresses. But if he's not 100%, he could easily go out today.
3. Virginie Razzano (FRA) v. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) -- Two of the bigger names of the unseeded ranks meet on Louis Armstrong Stadium for a spot in the fourth round against the winner of Petra Kvitova vs. Kim Clijsters. On recent form, Ivanovic should definitely be the favorite in this match, with her dominant win over Zheng Jie on Day 3 and run to the semifinals of Cincinnati. But Razzano is a tricky opponent who puts an incredible amount of spin on her groundstrokes, and could give the flat-hitting, margin-less Ivanovic trouble, especially if the approaching winds of Hurricane Earl play a role.
4. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[6] v. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[29] -- After shutting down the Melanie Oudin hype machine, Alona Bondarenko faces another diminutive but emotive player in the third round, French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. Schiavone had struggled mightily between her French Open win and Montreal, but she seemed to get back on track at that tournament and has looked sharp early this week. Both of these two can always be counted on for long rallies and multiple emotional outbursts each match, so bring popcorn.
5. Gilles Simon (FRA) v. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)[29] -- This might be the best match-up on Court 13 this entire tournament. Both Simon and Kohlschreiber are slight guys with big games, flashy shotmaking, and impressive speed. There will definitely be some highlight reel stuff coming off this one. I just hope enough people watch to let everyone else know how awesome it was.
US Open Day 4 Schedule & Open Thread
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 2, 2010 10:01 AM EDT
in Match Threads
9 comments
Hello and welcome to the Day 4 Open Thread for this 2010 US Open. Please, chat away beyond your heart's content.
As per usual, yours truly will be tweeting throughout the day (@DailyForehand), so do follow along there if the Twitterverse is where you feel most at home.
Here is the schedule for the show courts, with the remaining singles matches and your comments to be found after the jump.
Grandstand is definitely the place to be Thursday, way ahead of the snoozefest lined up for Ashe.
Arthur Ashe Stadium 11:00 AM Start Time
1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Sabine Lisicki (GER) v. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[7]
Not Before:1:00 PM
2. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[1] v. Kai-Chen Chang (TPE)
3. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Andreas Beck (GER) v. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]
7:00 PM Start Time
1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Iveta Benesova (CZE) v. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[14]
2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Philipp Petzschner (GER) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
Louis Armstrong Stadium 11:00 AM Start Time
1. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Pablo Cuevas (URU) v. Mardy Fish (USA)[19]
2. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[11] v. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)
3. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Mirjana Lucic (CRO)
4. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Peter Polansky (CAN) v. James Blake (USA)
Grandstand 11:00 AM Start Time
1. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Aravane Rezai (FRA)[18] v. Beatrice Capra (USA)
2. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] v. Richard Gasquet (FRA)
3. Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Robin Soderling (SWE)[5] v. Taylor Dent (USA)
4. Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v. Andrea Petkovic (GER)
Five Matches to Watch on Day 4 of the US Open
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 2, 2010 6:26 AM EDT
in Analysis
1 comment
1. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Mirjana Lucic (CRO) [Q] -- Jelena Jankovic has struggled mightily since injuring her ankle in Slovenia this July, losing consecutive matches to players outside the top 50 (Akgul Amanmuradova and Iveta Benesova) in Cincinnati and Montreal. She stumbled through her first round match as well, barely surviving #96 Simona Halep 7-5 in the third set. It would make for quite the story if Mirjana Lucic could become the one to capitalize on Jankovic's poor form at this US Open. Lucic fell off the map after an out-of-nowhere run eleven years ago to the semifinals of Wimbledon 1999, with abuse from her father cited as the reason for her departure from the sport. But she has been working the comeback trail slowly and steadily, playing the challenger circuit and qualifying for this US Open, at which she has already won one main draw match. If she can beat Jankovic, it will almost undoubtedly be the feel-good story of the first week. Not for Jankovic, though...
2. Aravane Rezai (FRA)[18] v. Beatrice Capra (USA) [WC] -- Melanie Oudin fell in the second round yesterday, making it clear that she won't repeat and be this year's Melanie Oudin. My original pick to be this year's Melanie Oudin was Coco Vandeweghe, but she only managed one game during her first round loss to Sabine Lisicki. Now, the only remaining candidate to fill Oudin's motto-adorned shoes is Beatrice Capra, a Maryland 18 year-old who won the USTA Wild Card Playoff. Rezai is an incredibly flashy, hot-and-cold player who has been decidedly cold since winning the biggest title of her career this May in Madrid. Capra definitely has a chance to make some big noise on the Grandstand, which is decidedly the place to be Thursday.
3. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] v. Richard Gasquet (FRA) -- Two big names with stylish games (but without major results to speak of this year) meet on the Grandstand in what should be an incredibly entertaining contest. Richard Gasquet has always been unpredictable, but he did recently beat Mikhail Youzhny in Cincinnati, so he should be given a fairly solid chance against Davydenko. The two are in a section of the draw that could have met Andy Roddick in the fourth round, so his exit should brighten the spirits of both. Definitely a match to tune in for.
4. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v. Andrea Petkovic (GER) -- Two of the biggest personalities in tennis meet late Thursday on the grandstand to battle for a spot in the third round. Mattek-Sands, who makes her noise with ridiculous fashions, is back to playing the sort of tennis she was before she got married, strong form that was especially evident during a narrow loss to Kim Clijsters two weeks ago in Montreal. Noted tweeter Andrea Petkovic, who despite a career high ranking of #33 has never made it to the third round of a grand slam, upset Nadia Petrova Tuesday in a third set tiebreak win that was celebrated (how else) with dancing.
5. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [Q] v. Marin Cilic (CRO)[11] -- Nishikori and Cilic have both made it to the second week of this tournament already in their young careers, and this battle out on Court 13 will be a fun battle between the flashy shotmaking of Nishikori and the steady power of Cilic. Whoever wins this match is almost guaranteed to beat the winner of Albert Montanes-Carsten Ball in the third round, so the stakes are pretty high today.
Photo of the Day. Victoria Azarenka lies on the court after collapsing to the ground due to concussion symptoms down 1-5 to Gisela Dulko in a second round match on Day 3. Azarenka suffered the concussion when she fell off a treadmill before the match. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Andy Roddick Loses His Cool, Loses Early in Second Round Upset
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 2, 2010 1:33 AM EDT
in Results
2 comments
Andy Roddick had a disappointing US Open in 2009. He lost in the third round to John Isner, falling in a fifth-set tiebreaker after dropping the first two sets.
Roddick came into the 2010 US Open with few points to defend, and relatively little hype, given the media swarm that always buzzes around Roddick in New York. But Roddick failed to meet even the measured expectations that were set for him by the so-called experts of tennis.
Under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Roddick fell 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5) to Janko Tipsarevic (the most recent recipient of The Daily Forehand bump), meaning that Roddick failed to defend even the modest third round points he had earned last year.
Though it might seem like an exit in the second round would mean going out with something of a whimper, Roddick was extremely colorful in what turned out to be his final grand slam match of the year.
For starters, Roddick was wearing a bright blue shirt, a departure from the cycle of white, grey, and black that he has worn ever since switching to Lacoste some five or so years ago (maybe the occasional navy blue snuck in there, but that would have been it). The bolder color certainly didn't embolden Roddick's game, as he played some of the most passive, restrained tennis possible for someone who purports to have a power game.
Roddick did go full-blast at one point in the match, however. After being called for a foot-fault late in the third set, Roddick tore into the lineswoman who made the call, haranguing her for mistakenly saying that it was his right foot that hit the line instead of the left.
Roddick ranted on and on about the call for the rest of the third set, yapping at the lineswoman and nearby Tournament Referee Brian Earley for several minutes afterward. The emotional outburst awoke the crowd for the first time in the night, a crowd that Roddick had completely failed to utilize to his advantage to that point.
Though it might have helped his energy level for the remainder of the loss, the entire lineswoman incident reflected really poorly on Roddick. Though he did not cross the line from "obnoxious" to "threatening" the way Serena Williams did last year, Roddick still acted like a bullying ass. If he knew that he only ever foot faults with his left foot, why did he ask for clarification as to which one it was?
Replays showed that the call was the correct one, and two additional foot fault calls made later in the match showed that it was not an isolated problem for Roddick.
But as problematic as Roddick's feet were for him, it was his head that did the most damage tonight. Roddick played incredibly cautious, tentative tennis off the ground, not delivering his forehand with the cracking power he did back when he won this tournament some seven years ago. His serve also wasn't nearly as lethal or aggressive as it has been. Tipsarevic hit more aces than Roddick, and generally held with greater ease.
I don't understand why someone who possesses the power Roddick does would try to turn a match into a track meet, but that's what he did today. Against the speedier Tipsarevic, Roddick prolonged rallies, instead of forcing the issue and imposing his game.
It's a broken record-like refrain at this point, but this loss has to go down as one of the most disappointing in Roddick's career. After how well he played on American hard courts in the spring, making the finals of Indian Wells and winning Miami, his summer was horrendous. Falling short of the quarterfinals at the last three majors (and losing to unseeded opponents at each) is not inspiring stuff.
Andy Roddick can still win another major.
But not if he plays anything resembling the tennis he showed tonight.
* * *
On a personal note, I'm fairly glad I hadn't published my full bracket predictions yet, because I had Roddick winning the whole thing this year. I knew he had tough draws in his early rounds against Tipsarevic (and Monfils), but I thought the early tests would serve him well as his path crescendoed into Davydenko, Djokovic, Federer, and Murray or Nadal. While losing my champion in the second round of the tournament will wreak major havoc, my predictions are actually holding up fairly well everywhere else. I'll put up the graded drawsheets tomorrow.
The Outer Courts - U.S. Open Day 4
by Rick Limpert on Sep 1, 2010 9:57 PM EDT
in Opinions
0 comments
While most of the top Americans were in action on the show courts Wednesday, the action on the outside courts did not disappoint.
Here's what to look for on Thursday - Courts 4-17
Court 6: Dominika Cibulkova vs. Kateryna Bondarenko - A second round women's singles match featuring the other Bondarenko Sister and Cibulkova, who chases everything down.
Court 7: Jurgen Melzer vs. Ricardas Berankis - Should be a competitive long match.
Court 13: Kei Nishikori vs. Marin Cilic - Cilic tries to advance to the second round. Nishikori is a decent shotmaker, could take a set from Cilic.
Court 13: Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Shuai Peng - If Radwanska plays her normal self, she should win.
See you at the courts.
The Daily Forehand Talks to Leander Paes, Mixed Doubles Specialist
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 1, 2010 6:11 PM EDT
in Interviews
0 comments
Mixed doubles action gets underway today on Day 3 of the 2010 US Open. The unique discipline is only present nowadays at the grand slams (and will be at the 2012 Olympics), but is incredibly popular among fans and always draws good crowds.
One of the most accomplished players in this format in recent years is India's Leander Paes. Paes, with partner Cara Black, has won three of the last seven slam mixed doubles titles, giving him a career total of five mixed doubles titles at grand slams. The pair made the finals of the US Open last year, and are entered into this year's draw as the second-seeded team.
This summer, during his season with World Team Tennis' Washington Kastles, I talked with Leander about his success in mixed doubles, and what makes for success in one of the only co-ed competitions in professional sports.
TDF: You have had a lot of success in your career in mixed doubles. What do you think makes a good mixed doubles player as a man?
Leander Paes: Communication. Communication, in any team effort, I think is very important. More than giving out orders, it's almost reading between the lines as to what the other person is saying. I think that's important. Because, don't forget, you're on a pressure situation on the Centre Court of Wimbledon, or on Arthur Ashe Stadium, with another human being who's trying their best. To handle winning, to handle a loss, to handle serving 4-5 down on Centre Court at Wimbledon in the third set of the finals, those are pressure situations! So you need a lot of understanding, and you've got to read between the lines of what someone is saying, and then come together as a team. So to me, I think communication and understanding are the most important things in a team effort.
TDF: You've played mixed doubles for a long time with Cara Black. You two have stayed together for a long time, whereas a lot of mixed doubles partners change every slam. What has made you two stay together for so long?
Leander Paes: Friendship. Cara's two elder brothers and myself grew up together. Byron [Black] , the eldest brother, is a year or two older than me, and we grew up playing the juniors together, traveling on the International Tennis Federation team together. Byron retired, and then [his younger brother] Wayne came up, and Wayne and myself played doubles together, too. Wayne was playing mixed doubles with Cara, and he was like "man, I'm gonna retire, you'd better look after my sister." (laughs). So we ended up playing, and we've had a phenomenal record. We've played seven tournaments together, and won three of them, if I'm not mistaken.
TDF: There seem to be unwritten rules of etiquette for mixed doubles, about not targeting the woman on the other side of the net too directly. I've seen players booed for spiking it at the woman. How do you juggle that, and do you think about that when you're playing mixed?
Leander Paes: You know, there's a really fine line there. I don't think you should ever try to spike a ball at a woman, I would never ever do that. But there's a fine line between hitting the ball with spin--a lot of women, the harder you hit it directly at them, they'll be able to hit it back just as hard. But if you hit it with spin, or slice, or curve, or a kick serve up above their backhand, then high so they don't have much reach there, especially with the two-handed backhands, those are the things you look out for. I think each player has her own strengths and weaknesses. But you try to look out for a high backhand, generally, for a woman, is a tough shot to return, so you try to get it up there every now and then. Giving away all my secrets, now, man! (laughs)
US Open Day 3 Schedule & Open Thread
by Ben Rothenberg on Sep 1, 2010 4:48 AM EDT
in Match Threads
14 comments
Hello and welcome to Day 3 of the 2010 US Open. Round 1 action wraps up on the men's side, and winners begin to collide on the women's side of things.
Here are the singles matches scheduled for Wednesday's Day 3 action. Non-show court matches can be found after the jump.
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]
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)
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