Heck of a First Few Days In Flushing Meadows

Written by: Staff on 5th September 2009

Heck of a First Few Days In Flushing Meadows

Rafael Nadal in action during his first round 2009 US Open match against Richard Gasquet in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Tennis Center in Flushing, New York on September 2, 2009. Nadal defeats Gasquet in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. |

FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – If you wait long enough, it’s bound to happen and in Men’s Singles, it finally did.

With Rafael Nadal finishing off German Nicolas Kiefer in four sets, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 it means for the first time in any Grand Slam during the Open Era, all 16 seeds made it past the second round. Hard to believe it’s true, but as Casey Stengel once said, “You can look it up.”

“Yeah, happened something similar in Montréal,” said Nadal after he won his match “Top eight in quarterfinals; top seeds are doing well.

“There very good players right now in the top. The best players are winning and they are regular and normal, they don’t have strange loses. I think that’s good for tennis.”

It also means next week will be a whale of an Open finish. Match after match will have tough draws and no one will be immune, including Roger Federer, who faces Lleyton Hewitt in this morning’s first matchup.

So with the best tennis in front of us, this Open is shaping up to be one of the best. Can Federer win his sixth straight. Will Nadal finally win in Flushing Meadows? Or will Andy Roddick win his second? What about Andy Murray? Can he take the silver back to Scotland?

All will be answered soon.

More importantly though, the US Open continues to prove that it’s the location of the best matches in the world. Federer said earlier in the week, the hardcourts level the playing field. If that’s the case, then look out.

Also, this Open seems to be restarting American tennis. Six American singles players will go with five matches later today (John Isner plays Andy Roddick). With that type of American spirit in New York, maybe there will be more interest American tennis, a good thing no matter how you slice it.

Serena Williams knows this and took a special interest in Melanie Oudin, who is an up and coming star on the circuit.

“I did watch her match [against Elena Dementieva] a little bit,” Williams said. “She played great. She did wonderful, and, you know, she’s a real fighter. It’s great for the United States and great for women’s tennis.”

As this Open is shaping up to be. While the men have held server, upsets have abounded on the women’s side. Will this continue? And does this mean there will be a new name or two there at the end.

We should soon find out, but as we saw already this week, anything is possible.

Topics: American Singles, American Spirit, American Tennis, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Casey Stengel, Elena Dementieva, First Few Days, Grand Slam, John Isner, Lleyton Hewitt, Melanie Oudin, Nicolas Kiefer, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Seeds, Serena Williams, Singles Players, Special Interest, Whale