Brilliant Federer Close to Salvaging Season
after Jolting Djokovic
FROM THE US OPEN –
Roger Federer hasn't looked this good in a year and if he continues to
display the form that he did in dunking Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5,
6-2 in the semifinals on Saturday, he'll have a very good chance to grab
his fifth straight crown. He'll face either Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray,
whose match was suspended until Sunday due to Hurricane Hannah with the
Briton somewhat shockingly holding a 6-2, 7-6, 2-3 lead. (The Spaniard
was up a break in the third.) MORE Anne-Marie Stark
Serena to Meet Jankovic in Final
Williams Bests Safina; JJ Takes Out Dementieva
Jelena Jankovic shed the negative aura that has been surrounding her this
summer and busted down Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4
in the US Open semis on Friday. She’ll meet Serena Williams, who
destroyed Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 on a very windy day on Ashe Stadium. While she spent much of the summer complaining that she was tired and
out of shape post her Wimbledon knee injury (as well as other numerous
2008 injuries and illnesses), Jankovic finally found her spirit at this
tournament and put up a quick-footed defense wall against Dementieva,
out-stroking her from the backhand side, mixing up her forehand and rarely
getting discouraged by massive wind gusts.MORE
Clash
of Titans
Federer v. Djokovic, Nadal v. Murray
NEW
YORK - If the US Open wanted cue quality with its men’s semifinals,
it couldn't have asked for a much better final four.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who is in the midst of the one of the most impressive
summers ever, having won the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympic gold
medal, will confront Britain’s most promising player in 50 years,
the scrappy Andy Murray, while four-time defending champion Roger Federer
will go up against the prideful Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion
who confronted 23,000 fans after his 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) dismissal
of top American Andy Roddick on Thursday night. MORE Cynthia
Lum/WireImage.com
A Traumatic Ten
Venus Can’t Convert 10 Sets Points in Dramatic
Loss to Serena It had never happened to seven-time Grand
Slam champion Venus Williams before and will likely never happen again.
In the worst closing performance of her career and in a completely gutsy
show by her younger sister, Serena, Venus failed to convert two sets points
in the first set and then eight in the second set and confusingly fell
7-6 (6), 7-6 (8) in the quarterfinals of the US Open late on Wednesday
night.MORE
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Straight: Del Potro to face MurrayMORE
No Longer UnderstatedMORE High Five: Murray Wins Another 5-Setter
MORE Roddick (and Others) Not Intimidated by the Big Stage MORE Friend or Foe? MORE
Great for a Day Under P-MacMORE Sour and Sweet MORE
Winning Her WayMORE
Will the
Real US Open Contenders
Please Stand Up?MORE US
Open Men's Draw Analysis MORE US Open Women's Draw AnalysisMORE ET Sends Himself Home
MORE Nadal Continues Golden Streak, Promises to Get Better
MORE THE
TR NEWSLETTER: Team Man Federer Enjoys Phelps Relay Moment
MORE Gonzo’s
Olympic Ethics Under Spotlight After Blake Implodes MORE Thunderous Thursday Wreaks Havoc MORE Olympic Fields
Firming Up MORE THE
TR NEWSLETTER: Del
Potro Takes Third Straight ATP Title MORE
Murray Madness Continues
As He Knocks Off Nadal
The cagey, bicep-flexing
Andy Murray did what no one else could do during the summer season's
premier events, upsetting No. 1 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 in
the U.S. Open semis, and earning himself a marquee match up against
four-time champion Roger Federer.
Murray put on an outstanding display in the three
hour and 30 minute match, which spanned two days due to Tropical Storm
Hanna, hammering Nadal with leaping groundstrokes, being a much more
sure-handed player at the net and engaging in some extremely impressive
defensive points against the fleet Spaniard. Nadal attempted to exhaust
Murray is long baseline rallies, but Murray was able to hit through
the Spaniard when he caught short balls, and his two handed backhand
stood up tall against Nadal's lefty forehand. Perhaps most importantly,
he knocked his returns deep enough so that the Spaniard was unable
to force the action early in points. MORE
FROM THE US OPEN, SEPT. 4- Novak Djokovic was
the briefly the toast of New York last years with his hilarious impersonations
of other players including Maria Sharapova, but his life came full circle
after his 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) victory over top American Andy Roddick
on Thursday night. MORE
MURRAY REACHES SEMIS
FROM THE US OPEN, SEPT. 3 - Andy Murray has come for the title and now
he looks like a serious contender. The Scot outlasted Argentine teenager
Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1), 4-6, 7-5 in an up and down contest
that contrasted Murray’s guile against Del Potro’s power.
The 21-year-old Murray was by no means perfect in the match, but looked
far more experienced and finally exhausted the big and promising teen.
"I'm very relieved," Murray said. "I had my chances in
the third set and let it slip a little bit. He had been on such a great
run this summer. He fought so hard, and it was a great atmosphere in the
end." Murray will face the winner of the match between top seed Rafael
Nadal and Mardy Fish, which started just before midnight.
RODDICK LOOKS TO JOLT DJOKOVIC
No. 1 Rafael Nadal, No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Novak Djokovic, the
2007 US Open finalist who Andy Roddick will face in the quarterfinals
on Thursday night, all had huge struggles in their fourth round matches.
But not Roddick, who blew out Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets and now
appears to have rediscovered the form that led him to the title in Dubai
in March, where he knocked out Nadal and Djokovic, and earned him his
first win over Federer in nearly five years in Miami. MORE
Sisterly Parity
FROM THE US OPEN, SEPT. 1 - Forget for a moment Venus and Serena Williams'
undying sisterly love. Focus instead on their rivalry, which has become
intense. “Classic" and "unique” is how Serena describes
it. MORE
Nadal Looks to Hook Fish FROM THE US OPEN, SEPT. 1 - It became
quite clear after his scratchy and sweaty 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-3 fourth-round
win over the pumped-up young American Sam Querrey that Rafael Nadal knows
that he's in a heck of a fight to win his first US Open title.MORE
Safina Survives, Blake Shocked by Fish
FROM THE US OPEN, AUG. 30 - In was the worst set and three quarters she
has played this summer, but somehow, with a large dose of deep-throated
Cmon’s!, a devastating backhand and improved serve, Dinara
Safina survived Swiss teenager Timea Bacsinszky 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
in the third round. MORE
Ashley Harkleroad Pregnant FRIDAY, AUG
29. - American player and playmate Ashley Harkleroad didn’t pull
out of the US Open with a back injury, but because she is pregnant, the
Fed Cup heroine confirmed. MORE
Serbia Sweats With Ivanovic Loss By Matthew Cronin, TR
FROM THE US OPEN - The Serbian fairytale has now been all but concluded,
with all the talk about hitting thousands of balls in a dried-up swimming
pool, or practicing while bombing raids were about to begin now washed
away in the brutal week-to-week grind of the tennis tours.
On Thursday at the US Open, the sweetest Serbian, top-ranked Ana Ivanovic
was sent reeling out of the tournament in the second round 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
by an obscure Frenchwoman, Julie Coin, ranked No. 188 and never looked
the part of the queen of her sport.
Ivanovic gained No. 1 ranking almost by default, when Justine Henin retired
last May and then she won a short race to the top spot by winning her
first Grand Slam at the French Open. Then she looked oh- so-grand, oh-so-powerful,
oh-so-ready at the age of 21 to take over the tour.
But Ivanovic's balloon has been popped in a very big way. MORE