Day 3 – Review
Day 3 at US Open has been a really moving day of sorts. The tournament which was gently gathering steam on Day 1 and Day 2, finally picked up serious momentum and if you want to get on this American [Open] Express train, this is the moment. Ladies and Gentlemen, the American [Open] Express train is now fast approaching it’s peak speed.
The Big casualties of this moving day were Venus Williams and James Blake. Two wonderful American players who have had more than their fair share of glory both in Flushing Meadows and the tennis cosmos in general. Let us take this moment to give a standing ovation to both these wonderful tennis players – particularly James Blake. James Blake has been a wonderful ambassador for American Tennis as well as the ATP. His achievements are well documented, but my first memories of him were the composure with which he handled one of the darker moments in tennis history, THAT INCIDENT involving that fiery tennis player called Hewitt. Once you started following James Blake seriously, you would realise that monstrous forehands – one of the most underrated shots in the last decade. It is right up there with the best forehands on this side of the new millennium! Thank you Mr.Blake for all the forehands and for being such a wonderful ambassador for our great sport!
Venus Williams, like James Blake, has been a wonderful ambassador for our sport and American Sports. While she has not yet decided to hang her boots, one cannot help but think that the writing is on the wall. I really want her to make a serious run at Wimbledon – she is the resident Queen of SW19 and surely deserves a most memorable swansong on those lawns that she graced with such athleticism and wizardry – a lot like the King of SW19, Roger Federer. In many ways, her loss today reminds me of the 2nd round loss Roger had in Wimbledon this year. I hope Venus will go back to drawing board, like Roger did, and when she is convinced she has more to offer to Tennis and to fans like us, she should dive into it like Roger has been doing since that debacle.
Big 4 watch: Murray looked impressive. He has a friendly draw till quarters and if Lendl can keep him focussed, he can have a great shot at defending the crown and making himself a contender for year-end!
Last but not the least: A shout-out for Mr. Devvarman. Like Isner, he is an NCAA product and he also happens to be from the wonderful country I hail from, India! I hope Somdev keeps up the good work and makes further inroads in US Open 2013 and also in the future tournaments.
Day 4 Preview
The biggest match of today, is without an iota of doubt – Fedal. Of course these two legends are not playing each other, but here is my question – “Are we really sure they are not?” These two have been wonderfully twined together, like all sports rivalries, from the day they played each other for the 1st time. The rivalry has now reached a stage that they are playing against each other [albeit, in the fantasy world that only passionate sports fans inhabit] even when they are playing other opponents in this real world.
Sports Cosmos prediction: Fedal to get through to 3rd round with a combined loss of 1 set at the most! [80% chance that Federer will drop that set]
In the real world, the biggest match of the day has to be Isner-Monfils. Isner is playing “Big 4” level tennis post-Wimbledon and today his US Open campaign runs into a player who has immense energy and potential. This truly is the battle of one of tennis’ most aggressive player and one of its most defensive players. A poor man’s FEDAL, if you will. In the 90s, monfils would have not had much of a shot at Big John, but it is the two-thousand-teens and Big John has got to keep bringing it like he has been doing on the asphalt this summer and in particular, play at the level he has displayed in his past 5 matches. Monfils, well, no point even thinking what this guy should do. He should actually stop grinding out points, but we all know he ain’t changing it. So my suggestion would be for him to bring his best serve game and make Isner feel like he has to serve even better and in doing so make errors on his biggest weapon. To an extent, this is what Nadal did in the Cincinnati final.
My prediction: Big John in 4 tough sets!
On a very important note, we must officially acknowledge the resurgence of American Tennis, particularly on women’s side. As of the beginning of day 3, there are 8 players each in both the singles draws. That is wonderful news for American Tennis. The women are now on the verge of creating a dynasty – much like the Russian “Ova” dynasty that started with Anna Kournikova’s stardom. As for the men, they have definitely stepped it up at the most premier tennis event in this Tennis-superpower country and they are holding the fort beautifully, led by that wonderful player – Big John!
As for other important matches, Kuznetsova-Peng is in 3rd set, as is Kerber-Bouchard. A couple of Italians have made it through – Pennetta and Vinci. Ivanovic will try to make it a couple of Serbians. – Jankovic is already through. Lisicki is continuing her good work from Wimbledon and I think Kvitova should join the winners circle too.
Gasquet is down a break in 1st set and I am thinking Sela-Tipsarevic will be a real thriller.
[Please Check the comments for further updates and feel free to post your own commentary on the matches today]
SportzCosmos 
delighted that both stephens and Jamie Hampton through
@Kimberly:
Stephens even put a “beat down” [Thank you BG!] on the younger Radwanska!
Gasquet won the 1st set! Super!
and the 2nd set…..
Tipsarevic serving for 2nd set, Ferrer up a set and a break. Serena took out all the anger/frustration of Venus losing yesterday on some poor hapless Ova or Eva!
Glamour Queen Alert: Miss Ana, my sweetheart, is on the court 🙂
stephens Hampton will play the schevdova Williams winner too bad so many good americans in the same 1/16th
roger taking the court soon
@Kimberly:
That always hurts, having all americans in same quarter or even 1/16th that too in NYC!
Roger is in da house!!!
Ana is hammering Dulgheru. Berlocq has started ok. Roger cannot afford to blink. He has to get this done in straights….
Tipsarevic beat Sela badly…… Gasquet is approaching business end of the 3rd set….
Jack Sock in a tie-break, Gasquet serving for match and Tomic is hammering the Nishikori-conqueror!
Federer in full flight on Arthur Ashe!!!! It has to be one of the spectacular sights in all sports. Bolt in 100m, Phelps in IM, Federer @ SW19 or AA, Nadal at RG and so on……
In non- Big4 updates :
Evans has taken 2nd set off tomic. Bautista has won 2nd set against Ferrer but down in 3rd.
Petra Kvitova is getting business taken care of in 2nd round. Always great to see her do well.
Sock got hammered in the 2nd set, but he is at 1-1 in sets and on serve!
Toys r us time on Arthur Ashe! Great to see Fed in full flow.
Sock is serving for a 2-1 set lead. Evans and Tomic in a 3rd set breaker after splitting 1st 2….
whats up with tomic
ferrer takes care of business furiously after dumping a set
Tomic – another youngster failing to deliver. [reminds me of FO 2003, when R-Fed and A-Rod went out in the 1st round. They then ushered in a new era at the next 2 slams and for many years to come!
Let us hope these youngsters do learn from these debacles!
Ferrer can get totally furstrated at times. He has a great draw and all the big guys are falling out….
Vika is in da house! Absolutely scorching it! Yet to drop a game is Ms. Azarenka. 16-0 at NYC this year! Her game is terrific….. clean striking, if she can take of that god-awful screaming……. it would help me hear that musical sound when she strikes the ball so beautifully!
Davydenko will have to go 5 more sets to win this match, and if he does, his reward will be a match with, most likely, Rafa. Am I the only one who thinks he is going to say ‘ #$%! this!, I will come back next year!” LOL!
May the force be with you Mr. Davydenko, you will really need it if you somehow get out of this match and get to the next round!
Another Hammering on Ashe! The entire day, the underdog has won 0 sets on Arthur Ashe!
As I have always believed, 1st week, of the slam, the lesser show courts give the REAL MATCHES. The Center Court/ best show Court generally is for star shows alone.
The best match of the day is yet to start! Isner-Monfils – I hope they both bring their very best! Raonic is keeping the flag flying for the Next Gen players! I hope he delivers a big result here like Janowicz did at Wimbledon.
Ivan Dodig put an end to Davydenko and will face the winner of, who am I kidding, he will face Rafa! [sorry Silva! I dont see you getting a set from Rafa unless there is a 2nd coming of that guy they all keep hoping will come and redeem Earth!
Duval and Hantuchova on court! Can Duval continue her impressive work in the last match? She can, but Hantuchova should take care of business in 2 tight sets!
Rafa time on AA! Is he going to re-open the Toys ‘R’ Us store that Roger displayed to the whole world, a few hours ago? Let’s see……
LOL! 3 break points to Rafa to begin the match!
Oh wow! Rafa had 3 bps and Silva saved all and holds! Interesting….
Isner wins the 1st set! Terrific stuff from Isner. This will prepare him well for the Rafa match should he make it that 4 [I think he will!]
Hantuchova finished the match in 2 sets. She is a treat to watch, Dani! Doesn’t hurt that she is a glam queen 🙂
I hope Duval builds on the success she achieved this week! We will be hearing more about this wonderful young athlete!
Rafa is hammering Silva. Silva is playing a good game, but his game is a clay-courter’s game, just like Berlocq in the morning. The Big 4 will eat you up on a hardcourt if you don’t play in sync with the surface 🙂
B.Becker is serving for the 1st set against Nole! I cannot believe it – No it is not Boris Becker. It is THAT Becker who ended Agassi’s career!
I expect Nole to right the ship and win in less than 4 sets…..
Just like that Becker has gone from serving for the set to serving to stay in the set! That is how the Big 4 do it, folks!
Sloane is smoking it in the battle of future American WTA stars! Won the 1st set 6-1.
Kudla is giving Berdych everything he can handle!
Nieminen and Bogomolov are down a break in the 5th!
Somdev Devvarman is in a tough battle with Andreas Seppi.
Jankovic is up a set but down a break in the 2nd!
Dennis Istomin – very impressed with this guy. He has some real weapons!
Big 4 news : Murray just got broken in the 3rd set by the “other Mayer” leonardo!
There is always the classic question of whether it is better to cruise through the earlier rounds or be tested a bit. What is your take on this? Rafa and Fed were cruising, but Djoker had to fight a bit. Surely, that can only help him?
Djokerfan:
Thanks for posting. I for one, think it is a combination of both. I sure dont want Fed to go into a Fedal quarterfinal with an undercooked game.
Murray serving to stay in the set!
Navarro: how terrific is her backhand! Single-handed backhand, you beauty!
Ivo Karlovic is up 4-2 but Wawrinka got 2 break points….. 1 gone….
Murray officially in a battle! Mayer wins 3rd set!
So Murray put up a clinic in 4th set.
Hewitt up a set on Juan Martin. Wawrinka is up 2 sets to 0!
Glam Queen Alert:
Maria “I am not Sharapova” Kirilenko is getting a thrashing from Halep!
Ana “My Girl” Ivanovic is down a break!
Kvitova is down a set to another of the many American WTA stars, Riske!
Svetlana Kuznetsova [I was there when she won US Open in 2004] is calmly doing her business, meanwhile, in the middle of all this insanity! [Atleast at this point in time]
On the ATP front, Ferrer is being the tennis machine he is! #Respect to the Mr. Tennis Worker!
just a suggestion:
Why dont you post a stats / results / fixtures tables to go with your review and analysis?
Always helps to keep things in perspective!!!
Cheers
D
Thanks D! Definitely something we are aiming at including as we move ahead with this Blog!
Please do stick around and feel free to comment and disuss tennis and suggest things you would like to see on this blog as we move ahead!