AT LONG LAST: The U.S. Open finally had a marathon final — the first five-setter since Andre Agassi came back to beat Todd Martin.
HOW MUCH ABUSE CAN A DECENT LAD TAKE: Aaron Krickstien seeing himself going down to a raging Jimmy Connors for the 223rd time.
THERE’S A LAW AGAINST THAT: Maria Sharapova suffered a record 21 double faults en route to losing to Oudin, prompting Mary Carillo to insist, “You can’t double fault more than the age of your opponent — that’s just a rule.”
VOLLEYBALL ANYONE?: After noting that Kim Clijsters was faster now that she has a kid, Serena Williams said, “Maybe I should have a baby and then I’ll come back faster.” IT then asked Williams what she would name her baby. She replied, “Wilson.” (All this stirred memories of Tom Hanks in Cast Away, in which he names his only pal — a volleyball — Wilson.)
THE MACINTOSH BROS. DO THE BIG APPLE: As an interview was ending, comic Will Ferrell said, “Now let’s send it back to the MacIntosh brothers.”
QUICK, GET MY STAIN REMOVER: Carillo claimed that Serena not being suspended and being allowed to play the doubles left “a terrible smudge on the sport.”… Asked how owning an apartment in Manhattan affects the approach to his U.S. Open preparation, Andy Roddick quipped, “I’m not as worried about my dog pooping on the carpet.”
SEEN BY FEW: The still mysterious linesperson who called the foot fault on Serena…The semifinal between Caroline Wozniaki and Yanina Wickmayer, which was played in front of a few hundred fans…The Roddick vs. Isner third-rounder, which disappeared when CBS’s tennis coverage went off the air…The still unseen mystery woman at the middle of the Richard Gasquet drug case.
SAY IT ISN’T SO: An American male failed to reach the Open quarters for the first time in the U.S. Open’s 128-year history…Federer, while complaining to chair ump Jake Garner about Hawk-Eye during a changeover, said, “Don’t tell me to be quiet, okay? When I want to talk, I talk. I don’t give a s—- what he said.”… Sharapova said, “At 22, you feel you should be retired. That’s the sad truth.”…A spat between The Tennis Channel and cable provider Cablevision meant TTC’s broadcast was largely unseen in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut market.
WHERE’S E-HARMONY WHEN YOU NEED ‘EM?: Startlingly single Caroline Wozniacki said, “I’m sure they can find a boyfriend for me”…When Doug Robson asked Serena, “How come you don’t play more mixed doubles? There are a lot of guys who would like to partner with you,” Serena didn’t miss a beat and said, “Really?”…When a reporter noted how well the newly betrothed Fed was playing, he told Novak Djokovic, “You should get married.” The Serb blushed and pointed to his girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, who was sitting nearby.
TALES OF THE ANDES: Wimbledon’s memorable Andy Roddick vs. Andy Murray semis was dubbed “the Battle of the Andys.” Now Marat Safin has his own personal Battle of the Andes. He’s planning to climb a yet-to-be-determined South American mountain. Speaking of tall entities from South America — when Rafael Nadal was discussing Del Potro’s game, he referred to the Argentine’s “altitude.”
WHEN THE RUBBER (EYEBROW) HITS THE ROAD: Greg Garber said Nadal’s “got that whole cartoon independent eyebrow thing going.”
TODAY’S BLISS CAN BE TOMORROW’S ‘MISS’: After noting that Clijsters and her husband have tattoos honoring each other, Pam Shriver (who has been going through a heck of an unfortunate divorce) noted, “I think permanent initials are very dangerous. But that’s just my opinion.”
BEST “OVERALL” FASHION COMMENTARY: Mary Carillo claimed that “Sharapova would look good in a gunny sack and Roger would make GQ in bib overalls.”
PITT, BABS, TIGER AND FED: Paul Daugherty contended, “When Federer plays like this, the rest of tennis wonders what’s the use. It’s like competing with Brad Pitt for the same woman or Streisand for the same note. No wonder Federer is tight with Tiger. They’re two destroyers in the same navy. When skill and will collide, the alchemy is greatness.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW: Carillo compared Federer to Lance Armstrong saying, “You feel like you’re staying with him until you hit the mountains. Then these guys have views nobody else has.”
SOUND CHECKS: Noting Melanie Oudin’s battle cry, Dick Enberg joked that Melanie’s “trailing Sharapova by two ‘C’mons’…After her second-round match, Sharapova told Mary Joe Fernandez that she watches matches in her hotel, but “I mute it. I can’t take the sound.” To which Fernandez replied, “Hopefully, not when I’m commentating.” (BTW: Sharapova, with her loud shrieks, is the last person who should be complaining about sound.)…After Placido Domingo gave us some luscious sounds on ESPN’s air, Pam Shriver began to sing…Federer denies that Del Potro has the best forehand in tennis. But (THOWCK!) at least with its rich tone, it’s the best sounding groundie in the game.
THE GREATEST FOE IN FED’S CAREER: Here’s a tip. Don’t invite Fed and the genius who invented Hawk-Eye to the same party. Fed is obviously flustered by a system he strongly feels shouldn’t even exist.”This thing is so ridiculous,” said Roger.”I see the ball landing, I see the ball hanging, and then it’s called in.”
WHERE’S THE FEDERERIAN FIRE: Somehow we sense that Federer, after putting out so much on court and off court, was just a tad spent, and lacked a bit of his inner fire in the Open final. “I’m…whatever.”
THE BOTTOM LINE ON ROGER: Shriver said that new dad Federer went from “changing ends earlier, now he’s changing different kinds of ends.” Roger himself said, “Thank God nobody is judging me on it, but I’m trying hard…I guess women are always going to be better at that stuff.”
IN A NEW YORK MINUTE: Del Potro described hardscrabble New York as “so lovely” … Enberg said “New Yorkers have been called many things, but patient folks is not one of them.” … Li Na said, “I love New York City. People in China say, ‘If you love your children, send them to New York. If you hate your children, also send them to New York.”
THE VARIETY OF TENNIS BEDROOMS: While Jesse Witten piled his college buddies into his hotel room, Federer was staying in his two-bedroom $3,075 a night suite at the snazzy Carlyle Hotel. Nonetheless, while the Swiss struggled against Lleyton Hewitt, John McEnroe said, “It looks like Federer slept in the twins’ bedroom last night.” BTW: When Stanford separated the Bryan Bros. as freshman and put them in separate dorm rooms, Mike dragged his mattress to Bob’s room and hung out there for the remainder of the year.
POIGNANT MOMENTS: It’s been a great year for tears, especially the shaken Federer after the Aussie finals, Wozniacki after the Open semis, and Open winners Kim Clijsters and Del Potro. Other poignant moments include, DelPo high-fiving fans after a winner in the final, Oudin’s sister Katherine crying with pride after Melanie’s win over Nadia Petrova…Super survivor Taylor Dent doing a victory lap after a five-set win on the Grandstand…Appealing couple Carly Gullickson and Travis Parrott winning the mixed doubles…Novak Djokovic hosting families directly affected by 9/11 in his Friends Box.
MAY GOD BLESS THE ART AND CRAFT OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT: Enberg noted that when it comes to the best player ever, Federer “is in the conversation”…Art Spander noted that “Oudin doesn’t deserve this, having her parents’ woes detract from an enchanting few days of success”…After John McEnroe suggested that the next time he goes on court he’ll go out there without a shirt, ESPN’s Hannah Storm observed that she wasn’t “sure that would be a ratings grabber.”
TRYING TO READ THE HENIN TEA LEAVES? Insiders say that Justine Henin is considering a comeback, but during the Open the former No. 1 contended, “I feel so far away from tennis.”
AGASSIAN COMPASSION: No active player shows as much Andre Agassi-like compassion than Nadal. He started the Grand Slam season comforting rival Federer in the Aussie winner’s circle, and at the Open was quick to make sure that a zealous fan who came on court to kiss his idol was not harshed by authorities.
MOST UNDERATED RECORD IN TENNIS?: Fed has reached an astounding 22 straight Slam semis, far ahead of other notables (Lendl 10, Sampras 3, Laver 3, Borg 3, McEnroe 3.) Among current players, only Fernando Verdasco has had a win in 21 of the last 22, let alone reaching the semis.
OF MANICURES AND PEDICURES: During a recent Sharapova-Dementieva match, Shriver implored both of their coaches to “Stop biting your nails and spitting it out on the person in front of you “…As a split screen showed Rafa on the ground getting work done on his abdomen and Nicolas Almagro getting work done on his shoulder, a ESPN wag quipped, “What’s next — pedicures?”
EVERYONE MUST GET ‘HEINEKENIZED’: James Blake said his most vocal supporters (the J-Block included) really hit their stride once they get “Heinekenized.” BTW: A Heineken ad offered the best New York dig at Wimbledon. It read, “We’ve Got Grass — It’s Called Central Park.”
THE TALL AND THE SHORT OF IT: The Open began with Melanie Oudin, just 5-foot-6 as the wonder story, and ended with the feel good emergence of a guy who was a foot taller — Juan Martin Del Potro.
BIG QUESTION: Is Del Potro the best tall player in history? Sorry, Ivo Karlovic, Marc Rosset, Sam Querrey, John Isner and, of course, Todd Martin (who has more titles and reached two Slam finals), but we we think he’s on hiis way.
CURIOUS QUESTIONS: John McEnroe asked Billie Jean King, “What’s a bigger honor — to have the USTA National Tennis Center named after you or being the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom? … Addressing a USTA official, a reporter noted, “There’s still a sense of bemusement that you can’t actually find a cover that can cover a hard court.”… A reporter, referring to the fact that both Venus and Cleopatra were named to Oprah’s list of most powerful women, asked Williams, “Do you know what you have in common with Cleopatra?”… Carillo suggested that if Roddick was watching Federer’s problematic serving during the final, he would be asking, “Why couldn’t you have played one stinking game like this against me?”… Referring to a funky, famous roadside chicken joint in her hometown of Marietta, Ga., a reporter asked Melanie Oudin, “Would you classify yourself now as bigger than the big chicken?”…After noting that Fed had “only” made $50 million compared to Tiger’s $100 million, Brad Gilbert asked, “Do you feel shortchanged?”
“IVO-GEOMETRY” — AN HOMMAGE TO IVO KARLOVIC: When talking about the new big servers in tennis, Greg Garber claimed that they have an “Ivo geometry” thing going (as in Ivo Karlovic).
JUST WHAT EXACTLY IS A SMOKEY?: Lleyton Hewitt said that Del Potro is a “smokey.”
THE (SMALL) PIZZA’S ON SAM: When Sam Querrey was asked what he would do with the $2.6 million he could have won at the Open, the U.S. Open Series winner said, “I’ll take everyone out for a small pizza.” Upon which a reporter asked, “Are we that bad?”
MULTIPLE PERSONALITY: Roddick claimed, “I’ve been portrayed as every single type of person — good, bad, ugly, rude, nice.”
HERE COMES THE SUN: Brad Gilbert ended his on-court interview with Wozniacki, 19, by saying, “Good luck, sunshine.”
UNINTENDED CIRCUMSTANCES: No new roof at Wimbledon and no sense of showmanship at Wimbledon, equals no opening ceremony which include Clijsters, equals no preparations by Kim, equals no comeback, equals no Open title.
OBAMA CRITICS AND OUDIN OBSERVERS UNITE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR CITIZENSHIP?: When Melanie Oudin hit a distinctly non-American shot — a sweet topspin lob — CBS suggested that we “check her birth certificate.”
RUSSIAN ARMY STALLS: Russia came in with their usual arastrikeforce — 23 players. But after Labor Day none were left.
THE DEATH OF WHIMSY?: Many missed the inventive, more than whimsical segments of Michael Barkin, the former USA Network broadcaster.
PAYBACK: After Roddick blasted a monster serve at a hapless Will Ferrell during Arthur Ashe Day, he quipped, “That was for Elf. I wasted two hours of my life.”
KISS AND TELL: During the USO’s opening night festivities, Agassi began his return to Ashe Stadium with his patented move, blowing kisses to the four corners of the arena.
MIRROR IMAGES: Last month Serena said that Michelle Obama reminds her of herself. Somewhat similarly, former U.S. Open champ Tracy Austin said, “I don’t want to sound cocky, but Melanie reminds me of me.”
BRIEFLY AVIS: Andy Murray was No. 2 for just four weeks. Roger and Rafa (who’s now back in second place) have been either No. 1 or 2 for 211 weeks.
AND NOW FOR A FEW TRICK QUESTIONS: QUESTION 1: Who was the last American man to play singles on a U.S. Open show court this year?…Answer: John McEnroe, who came down from the broadcast booth to play Novak (“It’s high time I redeem my tattered image”) Djokovic …QUESTION 2: What do the Royal Air Force and Federer have in common? Answer: Both won “the Battle of Britton” (the Swiss defeated NCAA champ Devin Britton in the first round). QUESTION 3: Can you name the two best players ever to come out of Oxford? Answer: Tim Henman of Oxford, England, and Britton, who played for the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
SCHIZOPHRENIA CITY: Tennis Canada is considering splitting/combining the Rogers Cup ATP and WTA events in Montreal and Toronto in ‘11 by dividing both draws in half and putting one half of each draw in each city.
PROPHETIC ARTHUR: The role of 52-year-old Jimmy Connors as The Tennis Channel’s new marquee commentator during the U.S. Open brings to mind Arthur Ashe’s long ago comment that “Jimmy will be showing up and doing something when he is in his 50s.”
SERENA’S SELF-ABUSE: After losing to Elena Dementieva in Toronto, Serena let go with this Tweet: “I’m a deadbeat. And a loser…I’m thinking about asking someone to punch me in the face for losing.” BTW: After losing a dismal Open match, Bob Bryan joked: “Luckily I don’t own a gun or I would have been dead 2 hours ago. Might go check out the Empire State Building later…maybe I can jump off?”
THE VARIETIES OF PANCHO’S RAGE: Greg Bishop recalled Pancho Gonzlez, saying, “When competitors described him, they inevitably turned to the same word – rage — to explain the way he played. Rage covered everything. Like the way Gonzalez swatted at the microphones of chair umpires. Or the balls he struck toward reporters to quiet the click-clacking of their typewriters. Or the time he turned to a struggling doubles partner and said, ‘Why don’t you volley like a man?’”
THE NEW HANDSHAKE?: The Bryan Bros. chest-bumped opponents Olivier Rochus and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
THE NEW DEMENTIEVA: Maria Sharapova leads the tour in double faults with 8.1 per match. (Dementieva averages 5.4.)
THE NEW UP: In a cautionary economic world where the new “up” is flat, tennis is doing okay according to industry sources. Although ball sales are down 1 percent, tennis has not been hit with the intense lows of the economy. Many things are fine on the local level with players and pros. Casual play, league activity, court time, new players, summer camps, shoes and strings are holding their own, in part because they are affordable, accessible or have a local infrastructure. And tennis, of course, is a fun way to keep fit. But when there is significant money involved there are problems, for instance, with rackets, resorts and tournaments. Still, manufacturers hope that pent up demand will lead to better days next year and many applaud the impact of QuickStart, the formalized more widely distributed, mini-court system to introduce kids to tennis.
NOW THERE’S AN IDEA: An industry vet suggested that tennis have a “cash for clunkers” program in which fans could get credits for their old rackets.
A DEATH IN THE FAMILY: Three prominent Belgian players — Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters and Yannia Wickmayer — all lost parents to cancer.
TEDDY AND TENNIS: Aside from sailing, touch football and an array of other sports, the late Senator, Ted Kennedy, was a tennis nut, and often invited Hall of Famer Donald Dell over for a pre-breakfast hit at his McLean, Va. home. “We’d play two sets from 7 until about 8:30,” Dell told the USA Today. “He loved playing early in the morning, when the birds were out and it was still crisp in April or early May. Teddy was very competitive and he wanted to win.” Added Dell, “He had a good forehand, but I used to tease him that he was a little slow afoot, so when he got the ball on his forehand, he tried to hit it hard to end the point.” Kennedy relished protracted political battles. But when it came to tennis, Dell said, “He did not want a long rally.” Pam Shriver, a distant relative, told IT, “Growing up in Maryland, I’ve been touched by all the generations who were dedicated to public service, making a difference. If I could take a little lesson, it would be teach that to kids early and often.”
BEST NEW NAME: American junior Tennys Sandgren.
WHAT THE SPITBALL, THE SKYHOOK AND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY PLAY HAVE IN COMMON?: Burkhard Bilger offered the harshest critique of the lack of finesse in tennis these days, claiming, “Somewhere in the museum of obsolete athletic skills — home to the spitball, the skyhook and the Statue of Liberty play — a special wing will have to be set aside for tennis. The chip shot and the lob may be there one day, alongside other sadly devalued inventions. There will be glass cases displaying wooden rackets with cow-gut strings, sepia-toned photographs of dapper men in long cotton pants, and, at the center of the exhibit, an interactive screen explaining why, exactly, anyone ever bothered coming to the net.”
WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT?: Okay, there’s just one American man in the top 20, and Justin Gimelstob noted that he was the last guy to win the 18s Nationals and go on to win a match at the Open (and that was 14 years ago). Still, people, including Pat McEnroe, are talking (perhaps a tad prematurely) of the Great American Tennis Bounce Back.
OUR FAVE COUCH POTATO: Andre Agassi said, “I sit on my couch and think of a thousand reasons why I’m not glad not to be out there on the court.”
SHOT OF THE TOURNAMENT: Federer’s brilliant between-the-legs winner that zipped by an astonished Novak Djokovic in the semis. He called it the best shot he ever hit.
HOW IRONIC: The title of Serena’s new book, which is now hitting the stores after her meltdown after being called for a foot fault, is called Serena Williams: On the Line…Just as the most tumultuous tournament in history, this year’s US Open, was winding down, Jack Kramer, the person who more than anyone created the modern game, died in L.A.
SIXTH SENSE: Kim Clijsters’ daughter Jada is about 2’6”, Melanie Oudin is 5’6”, del Potro is 6’6”, but Federer did not break Bill Tilden’s record of six straight US Open titles.
AIN’T THAT THE TRUTH: Brad Gilbert noted, “You know it’s your day when your wicked mis-hits are finding angles.”…During his speech on opening night, Andre Agassi said, “Life’s blessings are handed out unevenly.”
ARCHITECTURE TODAY: Maria Sharapova’s outfit was based on the work of architect Frank Gehry…ESPN’s Greg Garber called 6-foot-6 Juan Martin Del Potro “a Giacometti gone bad”…A Kansas City architectural firm is creating plans for a possible Ashe Stadium roof. (But is a $150 million ceiling worth it when it rains for an average of only a day or two? Then again, for the first time in 40 years, the Open was forced to play on Monday for the second year in a row.)
JUST WONDERING: What does it say that in just her third tournament back after a layoff of more than two years, Clijsters won the Open?…Can James Blake and former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic break out of their respective slumps?… What kind of fine or suspension, if any, will Serena Williams get after the ITF investigates her case?…Is Federer’s loss just a bump along his glorious road?… Will Roddick win another Slam?… Now that Ashe Stadium is selling out so regularly, will the USTA start thinking about building a whole new roofed arena with a capacity approaching 30,000?… What is the USTA going to do about the ongoing problem of late-starting night sessions, which force huge crowds to kick their heels for up to three hours?…The once-vast U.S. Open plaza is getting less and less spacious, as more and more shops, fountains and broadcast booths are installed. So, will there soon be no more space to roam there?…Is Del Potro’s hometown of Tandil, Argentina the greatest south-of-the-Equator hotbed in tennis history? (It’s also home to Mariano Zabaleta, Juan Monaco and Diego Junqueira.)
HEADLINES:
- Kickin’ Ashe
- Oh, Baby, Clijsters Can Win This Thing
- Whoa, Momma!
- A Mother of a Win
- Dawg Day Afternoon
- Tsonga Sizzles with French Toast but No Sign of Any Wil-Fried Food
- Into the Sweet 16 & She’s Only 17!
- Bury My Forehand on Venus’ Knee
- Spent Dent Holds On
- Night Falls, and So Do Roddick and Safina
- Andy’s Open Shut
- Enthusiasm and American Men Gone
- Brit-ter Ending
- Mr. Cool and Collected Was Once a Brat
- Greatness, Thy Name is Roger Federer
- Club Fed
- Fed ‘X’d
- This Great Dane is Quite a Knockout (in reference to part-time boxer
- Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark)
- Far From Fed Up
- Nadal’s Hair to Win the Mane Event
- Gasquet Nearly Kissed It Away
- Juan for the Ages
GO FIGURE: For years Marat Safin was too laid back. Now his sister Dinara is too uptight…There were two Belgian women in the semis, and neither Clijsters nor Yanina Wickmayer were seeded…Vera Zvonereva, who is avidly studying diplomacy, gave the least (pre-Serena) diplomatic display of the Open when she ripped the bandages from her legs, had a snit and was reduced to tears…Racket prices are the same as in ‘02…The Open crowd was for the Belgian mom Clijsters, not the American icon Venus Williams… There was only one American woman in the Pilot Pen draw…Players were forbidden from using Twitter during matches…The Bryan Bros. say they have only been apart from each other for extended periods of time on only three occasions…Serena has won five of eight tournaments she entered in ‘09.
QUOTEBOOK:
“New York is a magnet for caffeinated overachievers.”
— Dick Enberg
“Sorry about that “Kricker.”
— Dick Enberg warning Aaron Krickstein that CBS was again going to re-run the tape of his ‘91 loss to Jimmy Connors
“Definitely not here.” — Marat Safin, when asked where the best food on the tour was.
“My goal is not to get crushed.”
— Devin Britton on facing Federer in the first round
“He’s having a snappy little summer.” — Mary Carillo on Federer, who in a few months won two majors and had two kids
“I don’t know what I’m doing here.” — Juan Martin Del Potro after telling the media that, as a kid, he was better at soccer than tennis
“There is nothing serene about Serena right now.” — Mary Carillo
“I didn’t say I want to kill you.” — Serena Williams to the linesperson who called a foot fault on her
“Venus took the court yesterday bearing more adhesive tape than a shelf at CVS.” — Marc Berman
“He didn’t even have the good graces to be insincere.” — Mary Carillo on Leander Paes’ refusal to apologize for drilling Robert Kendrick with a shot in a World TeamTennis match
“If an American tested positive for coke, he’d surely blame a contaminated dollar bill, not a femme fatale.” — Filip Bondy
“I can’t imagine a more relaxing way to start the day than having someone watching you go to the toilet.” — Andy Murray on the ITF’s doping tests
“He can be a buzzkill in most arenas, except for Wimbledon.”
— Chris Fowler on Murray
“The mindset in this country is way too soft.” — Melanie Oudin’s coach, Brian de Villiers
“He’s married to Brooklyn but he’s loved by Queens.” — Chris Fowler on Andy Roddick
“Big John Isner, who blocks out the sun, created maybe the darkest night in Andy Roddick’s career.” — Jay Greenberg
“You can’t really teach 6-foot-9.” — Roddick on Isner
“They play doubles as if they were a single organism.” — Burkhard Bilger on the Bryan Bros.
Asked is he’s feeling his age at 29, James Blake said, “I’m probably going to groan when I get up out of this seat.”
“[It’s] a contagion of pain”
— Carillo on the problematic state of women’s tennis.
“Remember when he was a punk?” — Carillo on Agassi
“It was kind of a life-altering experience for me.” — Taylor Dent on returning from spinal surgery
“He just gave everything up for me.” — Semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer on her father
