US Open History For September 3

Written by: Staff on 3rd September 2011

US Open History For September 3

Melanie Oudin of the USA returns to Ana Ivanovic of Serbia during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 21 June 2011. EPA/FELIPE TRUEBA |

(Courtesy of USTA)

(Above: Melanie Oudin)

ON THIS DAY IN US OPEN HISTORY – September 3

1945 – Sgt. Frank Parker, after enduring a 9,000-mile flight from Guam to defend his U.S. title, defeats Bill Talbert, 14-12, 6-1, 6-2, in the final of the first post-war U.S. Championships.

1975 – Eighteen-year-old Martina Navratilova, competing in her third US Open, defeats 33-year-old Margaret Court, competing in her 11th and final US Open, 6-2, 6-4, in the women’s quarterfinals.

1977 – Ken Rosewall, two months shy of his 43rd birthday, is defeated by 24-year-old Jose Higueras, 6-4, 6-4, in a best-of-three-set third round match that marks Rosewall’s final US Open singles match.

1980 – Bjorn Borg and Johan Kriek perform dramatic quarterfinal escapes to advance to the men’s singles semifinals. Borg avenges his loss to Roscoe Tanner in the 1979 quarterfinals by coming back from two-sets-to-one down to defeat the hard-serving left-hander, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Kriek wins the last five points of the fifth-set tie-break to defeat Wojtek Fibak, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5).

1989 – Chris Evert defeats 15-year-old Monica Seles, 6-0, 6-2, for her 101st and final US Open singles win.

1990 – Twenty-one-year-old Steffi Graf needs only 53 minutes to end 14-year-old Jennifer Capriati’s first US Open with a 6-1, 6-2 fourth round dismissal.

2000 – In one of the most unusual matches in US Open history, eventual champion Marat Safin overcomes two rain delays to defeat Sebastien Grosjean, 6-4, 7-6(3), 1-6, 3-6, 7-6(5), in the third round of the men’s singles. Safin endures an 85-minute rain delay at 4-4 (30-15) in the fifth set and is forced to borrow a pair of socks from fellow pro Jeff Tarango. Safin then leads Grosjean, 5-4, in the fifth-set tiebreak before an hour and 45-minute rain delay interrupts play, during which Safin seeks a new shirt, socks and shorts from Nicolas Kiefer. After the second rain delay, Safin requires a little more than a minute to win three points to take the tie-break, 7-5.

2001 – No. 1 seed Gustavo Kuerten finishes off a two-sets-to-love comeback at 12:17 a.m., defeating Max Mirnyi, 6-7, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2, to become only the third No. 1-seeded man to come back from two sets down in the Open Era at the US Open. Kuerten serves 33 aces and hits 104 winners in the match.

2002 – Due to rains during the previous day, a US Open-record 103 matches are played, highlighted by Chanda Rubin’s near upset of two-time defending champion Venus Williams. Much earlier in the day—2:14 a.m.—Younes El Aynauoui becomes the first Moroccan to reach a US Open quarterfinal, defeating Wayne Ferreira, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 7-6. The 2:14 a.m. finish is the second-latest finish in US Open history—just shy of the 2:26 a.m. finish of Mikael Pernfors and Mats Wilander in 1993.

2006 – Andre Agassi plays the final match of his career, losing to German qualifier Benjamin Becker, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Agassi is given a thunderous ovation before and after the match by the standing-room only crowd, which is silenced only when Agassi gives a post-match speech thanking the fans for their support and inspiration. Agassi receives a second standing ovation—this time from the players—when he enters the locker room after the match.

2009 – It’s a difficult day for the women’s seeds on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as 17-year-old American Melanie Oudin stuns Olympus US Open Series champion and No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, and Yaroslava Shvedova upends 2008 US Open runner-up and No. 5 seed Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6. Those matches—plus James Blake’s four-set win over Olivier Rochus—run so long that the Night Session doesn’t begin until 8:50 p.m.

Let Us Know IfYou Have Any US Open Memories …..