MADISON’S PROBLEM: Mary Joe Fernandez told Madison Keys that “the problem you have is that your backhand is too good, but you have to remember that your forehand is even better.”
CELEBRITY WATCH: The Open has already drawn some great celebrities, from Kevin Spacey and Phil Collins to Alec Baldwin and Jay-Z. But certainly the top celeb so far has been Beyonce, who watched her friend Serena play Thursday night.
QUOTEBOOK:
“I guess 36 is the new 26.” – Venus Williams
“Believe what you CiCi.” – The New York Post on CiCi Bellis
NO SELFIE CONTROL: Asked whether she signs autographs or takes selfies more often for fans, Venus Williams had a strong opinion. “Selfies have become an epidemic,” she declared, adding, “You are getting off a plane at 1 a.m., ‘Can I take a selfie?’ Please, I’m so tired, I don’t want to take a picture right now.”
HEADLINES:
JUST WHAT AN EMOTIONAL MURRAY MAY NEED: A COACH WHO ISN’T
THE SOUND AND FURY
THE ART OF NOISE
PLAYERS STAY DRY, BUT NOISE RAINS DOWN AT US OPEN
JUST WATCHING WILLIAMS SISTERS PLAY CHANGED MY LIFE: SEEING BLACK ATHLETES PLAY A SPORT OTHER THAN FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL IS GAME-CHANGER
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT: Rafa Nadal told the New York Times, “When you take decisions, you have mistakes or you don’t.”
GO FIGURE: Rafa went for two-and-a-half months without being on the tennis court earlier this year…Bernie Tomic, who unleashed a vulgar comment related to his private parts, was fined $10,000 for his choice of words…When he was 14, Jared Donaldson went to Argentina to train and learn on clay courts…Twenty-five years ago, Jimmy Connors made his incredible run to the semis, an operatic, joyous triumph that drew national attention, inspired old folks everywhere and made the US Open a must-see event.
HAIR TODAY, COMPETE TOMORROW: Discussing what happened during a few past practice sessions with Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys remarked, “We didn’t sit down and like braid each other’s hair or anything, but there was definitely some conversation.”
KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE: Darren Cahill said the key to playing a really big server like Ivo Karlovic is not returning serve but holding your own.
BEST PLAYER TO NEVER BE NO. 1: Andy Murray or Guillermo Vilas?
MATCH A LEGEND, LOVE A LEGEND: Thursday night, Serena Williams tied Martina Navratilova‘s record of 306 Grand Slam singles wins, and when asked about Navratilova, said, “Wow. [Navratilova] was just an incredible legend. For me, one of the best players to ever play tennis. Someone who I never thought I could be as good as, numbers-wise.”
A LONG TIME COMING: Seventeenth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Kristina Mladenovic of France in the third round in three hours and two minutes, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5). It was the fifth longest women’s match in Open history. Together, they have 41 letters in their names, which Inside Tennis estimates is the seventh longest in US Open history.
RUSSIAN ROYALTY WOULD BE PROUD: Old Russian Tsar Nicholas loved tennis, and of course, his daughter Anastasia is a mysterious icon who drew attention for decades. Certainly he would be pleased that there are two Anastasias – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Anastasija Sevastova – left in the draw.
RAFA AND THE ROOF, AH: At this year’s US Open, Rafa Nadal was the first player to practice under Arthur Ashe’s roof, and he also (along with Andreas Seppi) was the first player to compete under the roof. All of which is fitting, since (as the New York Times pointed out) Nadal’s rain-detoured 2008 semifinal against Andy Murray kicked off five consecutive years of weather-impacted US Opens.
WORLD’S YOUNGEST OLDIES: When Madison Keys took on an opponent younger than herself, SoCal’s Kayla Day, in the second round, it turned out that the pair had some history. “She used to make fun of my music. She’s like, ‘It’s so old,” said Keys, adding, “It’s not [old], though. You’re [Day is] just a baby.” What kind of music did Day find so ancient? “’90s music, early 2000s music,” said Keys.
EVERYBODY INTO THE POOL: Serena is known as a wretched swimmer. She and pools haven’t always been friends. And at the Open, when she met Simone Manuel, she told the trailblazing gold medalist, “I’m not a good swimmer…I’m really good backwards…though no one believes me. I’m a good backstroker. I’m fast, I just get tired very quickly.”
Ibtihaj Muhammad, bronze medalist in the team saber event, was the first American athlete to wear a hajib while competing at the Olympics. She told Serena, “You led the way for us, you know that. For me and for all of us, what you do speaks volumes for generations and generations and generations to come. We appreciate you. It’s an honor to come see you play.”
