FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — The unlikely pairing of India’s Rohan Bopanna and Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi advanced on Wednesday and will now meet the Bryan Bros. in the U.S. Open men’s doubles final. After the match, Qureshi reflected on what he says is a misconception surrounding his culture.
“I feel like the western world and America, they have a very wrong perception about Muslim and Pakistan,” he said. “We do have terrorist groups, we do have extremists, but I feel like every religion there are extremists there. It doesn’t mean that the whole nation is terrorist or extremist. Pakistan is a very peace-loving country. Everybody loves sports. I think everybody wants peace, as well. The only reason we’re actually getting so many terrorist attacks is because we are allies with America and the western world in fighting this cause.”
AN UNCOMMON PARTNERSHIP: Asked what he had in common with doubles partner Rohan Bopanna, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi said, “We don’t have many things in common, to be honest. He likes the spicy food; I don’t. He likes to dance to slow songs; I don’t. He’s got a big game; I don’t. There are not many similarities, to be honest.”
MORE BULL: There’s probably never been a more dramatic Davis Cup locale than Madrid’s historic 20,000-seat bullring Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, site of the ’08 Spain vs. U.S. semifinal. Next week, the U.S. will head to another bullring, Bogota, Colombia’s Plaza de Toros La Santamaria.
THE WINTER OF OUR CONTENT: Karen Crouse said Robin Soderling‘s on-court demeanor “suggests a man digging himself out of a Scandinavian winter.”
AN AP-PEEL-ING EXCHANGE:
REPORTER: “Your first match was a potential banana skin, which you avoided. Since then you’ve gone straight sets. Do you feel…”
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: “Excuse me? What was the expression?”
REPORTER: “Potentially you could’ve slipped.”
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: “Banana, nice. I didn’t know about an English expression.”
REPORTER: “You avoided the banana skin.”
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: “Good. I’ll get that, banana skin. Okay. Sorry, I’m trying to get it.”
REPORTER: “That’s all right — I’ve forgotten my question now.”
FERNANDO’S SIXTH SENSE ANALYSIS: Fernando Verdasco‘s five-set 5-7, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4) comeback countryman David Ferrer is the standout match for the 2010 U.S. Open. The Spaniard reeled off six straight points to close out the match, clinching the win by running down a dropshot to curl a forehand just inside the sideline — a for-the-ages shot that’s sure to be replayed for years. Verdasco broke down the final exchange: “Is tough to explain. You are with your sixth sense in the ball, in the point, knowing how important is, and just trying to run, fight, all the balls. So when I did the backhand along the line passing shot, I was like even surprised that he took the volley. Of course, my reaction was just keeping the point and start running forward. Because normally with these volleys it’s a dropshot, you going to make another long volley. So I start running, and I just saw that space. Is tough. Is tough to explain, because is like really short period of time and you are just running and trying to get the ball. When you see there a little bit of space, you just try to put the ball in. It was, like, unbelievable. I was just first trying to get the ball. After that it was only space. He was in the middle of the court, so I didn’t see a space to play crosscourt. I saw a little bit of space just on the top of the net, just in between the chair and the net, and I just tried to put the ball inside, inside out – no, outside in, and it’s good.”
TALK ABOUT TONGUE TWISTERS: The junior girls doubles tandem of Ukraine’s Ganna Poznikhirenko and Madagascar’s Zarah Razafimahatratra.
A BREEZY CONVERSATION: ESPN’s Pam Shriver said the Caroline Wozniacki vs. Dominika Cibulkova quarterfinal was “the ugliest start of a tennis match I have ever seen.” In the howling wind, Shriver said, “You have to have a hair management strategy.” Chris Fowler noted that “ponytail whiplash” was another detail the players had to worry about.
GO FIGURE: Up until the quarters, Caroline Wozniacki had five double faults through four matches. In the wind, she had three double faults in the first game against Dominika Cibulkova.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN NEW YORK WHEN…: The trivia question in Birch’s Café – a hip coffee shop on 27th and Madison, asks who won more U.S. Opens — Arthur Ashe or Bill Tilden? (Which actually is a trick question since, technically, there was no U.S. Open when Tilden ruled decades ago.) But it didn’t bother Yarizon the barista with the vast headband and abundant tattoos, who said, “I don’t keep up on tennis.”
SELECT CLUB: Swede Robin Soderling and Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro are the only two players to beat Rafel Nadal and Roger Federer at Grand Slams.
HEADLINES
FISH FLOUNDERS
FISH REELED IN
THEN THERE WAS NONE
AMERICAN ZERO
DO AMERICAN MEN STILL PLAY TENNIS?
THE NUMBERS
6: Spaniards who reached the USO’s Round of 16.
62: Age of the oldest ballboy….eerrrr…ballman at the U.S. Open — Jerry Loughran of Garden City, N.Y.
7: Different outfits Venus Williams brought with her to NYC, anticipating seven matches.
2: Days before U.S. Open that Rafa Nadal altered the grip on his serve.
QUOTEBOOK
“I think the world of Sam’s game. I really think he’s got a lot of upside. If he were a stock, I’d buy big time.” — Mardy Fish on Davis Cup teammate Sam Querrey
“It’s like the Wizard of Oz [out there]. But where’s our Dorothy and Aunt Em? This I like the plains of Kansas out here.” — Chris Fowler
