Inside the Open
We bring you scores and highlights from start of week 2 from the famous New York City fortnight:
NOW THAT EXPLAINS IT: It’s as simple as this quote from Serena Williams, we gather. “I’m a person that really hates to lose,” she said after dispatching Ana Ivanovic, 6-3, 6-4, in a battle of former world No. 1s.
Nothing more or nothing less. But she didn’t provide much else during her press conference afterward, which word has it have all been real snooze-fests.
But it’s looking more and more like a 14th major title is well within Williams’ reach after her dominating performance once again Monday.
She believes she’s the best. “I don’t know if I’m the best or not,” she said. “I believe I am. And I think a lot of other girls, women in the locker room, believe they are, too — as they should. I don’t think anyone should go out and say that they’re not. If you’re talking about self-belief, yeah.”
We’re hoping @NeilHarmanTimes (on Twitter) was satisfied with her responses, but probably not after tweeting this gem: “Oh, yeah, and I’m beginning to form the impression that press interviews with Serena Williams are a waste of everyone’s time.”
A SERB WILL MOVE INTO THE SEMIS, BETCHA: Next up for Novak Djokovic following the world No. 1s win over Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets will be his Davis Cup teammate Janko Tipsarevic, who beat former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2.
“It means there’s going to be at least one Serbian in the semi-finals, which is great for our country,” Djokovic said.
THE END HAD TO COME SOONER OR LATER: Mardy Fish had the mother of all draws during this Open. Consider: He lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Round of 16 on Monday. Had he won that match he had a potential quarterfinal against Roger Federer followed by a possible semi against Novak Djokovic followed by a final against maybe Rafael Nadal.
Had Fish beaten the best four players in the world, he probably could have called it a career right then and there.
ADD HARMAN AND JO-WILLY: Funny tweet by The Times of London’s tennis expert Neil Harman (@NeilHarmanTimes) “Will these guys on ESPN stop calling him Jo Willy Tsonga. No one else does.”
Followed by this gem: “They have stopped calling him Jo Willy and now it’s Jo Willyfred. I’m going for a Tylenol.”
LIKE NIGHT AND DAY, REALLY: Donald Young knows deep down he’s getting a fitter, stronger and more focused Andy Murray than the one he beat in straight sets back in March at Indian Wells for his fourth-round match on Tuesday.
More importantly, Andy knows it and believes it. “Things can change so much in a couple of days so you just need to make sure you stay focused on the next match,” Murray said. “It’s a big match for me because obviously what happened earlier in the year, but I think energy wise I’ll be feeling good going into that one hopefully for a long second week.”
Young, being called the “Prodigal Son of American tennis” by one European paper, is one of only four men’s wild cards to reach the fourth round at the Open since 1990.
The others: Jimmy Connors in 1991, David Wheaton in 1996, James Blake in 2005 and Young this year.
TWO WOMEN’S QUARTERFINALS ON TAP TUESDAY: Louis Armstrong is the site of two quarterfinal women’s clashes on Tuesday as unseeded Germany’s Angelique Kerber takes on Italian Flavia Pennetta.
Last year’s runner-up from Russia Vera Zvonareva, who has spent various times training in Southern California most notably at Mark Weil’s Academy in Ojai, meets Australia’s Sam Stosur, who has been stretched to the limit in her last two matches but as one of the fittest players on tour should be able to bounce back just fine.
One of thing going for the Aussie? She’s owned VZ, winning their past seven meetings. You’d have to go all the way back to Wimbledon 2004 for the one and only time Zvonareva beat Stosur.
TENNIS NEEDS A FEW MORE BRAWLS: Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay wonders if tennis wouldn’t be more exciting if players were allowed to fight it out using more than their rackets. We assume he’s only kidding here.
“Has the courteous, wholesome Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry for the ages run its course?” he writes. “Are nice guys finishing first too much? Is civility a non-seller? Maybe everything I love about tennis—including the fact that isn’t like other sports, that decency and manners are an expected part of the game—is, in fact, killing it.
“Perhaps tennis should jump right in the cultural muck, right down there in the slop with the reality-show train wrecks and carnage ghouls. But why stop at racket-tossing and sulking at the umpires? Full-on fighting between players should be legal and encouraged. Doubles matches can operate as high-flying tag teams. Imagine the Bryan brothers versus Roger and Rafa—Federer leaping off Nadal’s shoulders, smashing a folding chair over Bob and Mike. Tennis brawls could be used to settle line disputes, tiebreaks, seedings. Had fighting been legal, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut could have solved their 11-hour Wimbledon epic so much earlier.”
TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE:
Arthur Ashe Stadium, Starting at 11 a.m.
1. Men’s Singles – 4th Round
Donald Young (USA) v. Andy Murray (GBR)[4]
2. Men’s Singles – 4th Round
Gilles Muller (LUX) v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]
Arthur Ashe Stadium 7 p.m. Start Time
1. Men’s Singles – 4th Round
David Ferrer (ESP)[5] v. Andy Roddick (USA)[21]
2. Mixed Doubles – Semifinals
Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Elena Vesnina (RUS)[7]
Jack Sock (USA) Leander Paes (IND)[7]
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Men’s Singles – 4th Round
John Isner (USA)[28] v. Gilles Simon (FRA)[12]
2. Women’s Singles – Quarterfinals
Angelique Kerber (GER) v. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[26]
3. Women’s Singles – Quarterfinals
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[9] v. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[2]