The US Open is holding it second annual Family Day on Tuesday, August 31. Parents accompanied by children 14-and-under can sit together in reserved seating in Louis Armstrong Stadium. The day's activities will feature a family scavenger hunt, giveaways, family-friendly entertainment attractions and a special QuickStart demonstration with Tracy Austin. An exclusive family breakfast, located in the Corporate Hospitality Pavilion in the Indoor Training Center, is also available as a ticket package that includes early access to Smashzone and a VIP gift bag.
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USOpen.org has enhanced all of the US Open mobile applications and will introduce free wifi on-site at the 2010 US Open. Any fan with an iPhone can also experience the new "augmented reality" function on the US Open app. In 2010, USOpen.org will go even further, airing all matches within all broadcast television windows on CBS Sports, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel. Fans will be able to stream up to five matches simultaneously, and live streaming will also continue to integrate live match stat updates, fan comments and picture-in-picture capabilities.
A ceremony celebrating those who "Dream, Succeed and Inspire" will feature four-time US Open champion Martina Navratilova, a fan-favorite James Blake and reigning US Open Wheelchair singles and doubles champion Esther Vergeer and USTA Member Dori Samadzai-Bonner. The special ceremony in Arthur Ashe Stadium will be hosted by ABC News' Christiane Amanpour and will feature a special musical performance by Grammy winner Gloria Estefan. The ceremony will be televised live on ESPN2.
USTA Announces Full List of US Open Wild Cards
The USTA has issued the final list of wild cards into the US Open main draw. The men's wild cards are: James Blake, Bradley Kahn, Jack Sock, Ryan Sweeting, Donald Young, Tim Smyczek, Carsten Ball (Australian reciprocal wild card), and Guillaume Rufin (French reciprocal wild card). The women's wild cards are: Chelsey Gullickson, Coco Vandeweghe, Jamie Hampton, Christina McHale, Shelby Rogers, Beatrice Capra, Sophie Ferguson (Australian reciprocal wild card) and Virginie Razzano (French reciprocal wild card). Who has hit the fastest serve on the WTA Tour this year? No prizes for guessing it is a Williams. In fact, both of them hold the record so far. Venus tops sister Serena, just, and the pair also hold the record for the all-time fastest serves. The IDS Serve Speed rankings for 2010 are:
1 - Venus Williams (USA) 128.6mph/207.0kph - French Open 2 - Serena Williams (USA) 128.0/206.0 - French Open 3 - Li Na (CHN) 123.7/199.0 - French Open 4T - Samantha Stosur (AUS) 123.0/198.0 - French Open 4T - Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 123.0/197.9 - Indian Wells 6T - Karolina Sprem (CRO) 122.4/197.0 - French Open 6T - Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 122.4/197.0 - French Open 8 - Nadia Petrova (RUS) 121.8/196.0 - French Open 9T - Jarmila Groth (AUS) 120.5/194.0 - French Open 9T - Yaroslava Shvedova 120.5/194.0 - French Open The all-time figures also rank Venus and Serena at No.1 and 2 respectively, with Brenda Schultz-McCarthy following up at No.3. 1 - Venus Williams (USA) 129.0/207.6 - 2007 US Open 2 - Serena Williams (USA) 128.0/206.0 - 2010 French Open 3 - Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (NED) 126.0/202.7 - 2007 Indian Wells The figures are subjective, however, as might be guessed from the fact that nine of the top 10 speeds were clocked on clay at Roland Garros, rather than on a faster surface. That is because IDS only collects serve speed data on show courts at certain events - 12 this year - and only started doing so in 1989. Also, players who have had multiple Top 10 fastest serves only have their top one listed, and if they hit that top speed multiple times, just the first time they did it is listed. Things have never exactly been convivial between Andy Murray and Roger Federer and now the relationship appears to have become a even more strained after the Scot’s claims the long term world no.1 he beat emphatically in the final of Sunday’s Rogers Cup final in Toronto has lost his air of invincibility.
With Federer now past his 29th birthday, Murray maintains some kind of decline was inevitable and Federer’s Wimbledon loss to Tomas Berdych even saw the Swiss fall, albeit temporarily, to third place in the world rankings for the first time since 2002. "He's always very tough to beat," said Murray as he prepared in Cincinnati to continue his campaign to move into an even stronger position at the head of the US Open series standings. "It's just that, because of how good he was in every tournament three or four years ago - and it's very difficult to be that consistent throughout your whole career - it's normal that he's lost a little bit the last few years. “But he's still been playing very, very well in grand slams. I'm sure that's what his goals are for the year, to make sure he plays his best there." Federer remains an intensely proud man and promptly pointed out that the Toronto event was not a major and Murray had yet to get his hands on any trophy at the calendar’s four Grand Slam tournaments which are the true gauges of a playing career. He also insisted that a widespread assumption said he was on decline early in 2009 after losing the Australian Open final to Rafael Nadal and then failing to reach the final of the year’s first four Masters 1000 series tournaments. “"Nobody ever believed I would come back," he said. "I won two slams and played the finals of the US Open and won the Australian Open. So then everything changes and you don't win the French or Wimbledon, and things are all bad again. It moves very quickly. I know the rules and how it all works." John Isner was the people’s hero of Wimbledon this year following his three-day marathon win over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in tennis’ longest ever match. But the 6ft 9ins giant currently ranked 19th in the world is in serious danger of missing the upcoming U.S. Open.
U.S. Davis Cup Captain and ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe delivered the news American tennis fans were dreading following Isner’s decision to limp out of his second round match against Argentina’s David Nalbandian at this week’s Western and Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati. "It sounds like it may be more severe than initially we thought," said McEnroe during ESPN's broadcast of the tournament on Thursday evening, adding that Isner may turn out to have ligament damage. “John is questionable for the U.S. Open.” Isner underwent scans in a Cincinnati clinic to determine the extent of the injury. He initially attempted to play on after taking an injury time out but foot-faulted on his first serve back, lost two points, and then retired from the match. "Upon landing, my right foot just twisted really quick on the outside," he said. "That was it. I couldn't play after that.'' Initially Isner was more upbeat about his chances of competing at Flushing Meadows and recalled a similar injury sustained last summer in Los Angeles. "It's tough to say,” he said. “I feel like I did last year in L.A., and I came back pretty quick. I don't think the U.S. Open is in doubt. I didn't sprain it. I rolled it pretty good. But in 10 days' time, I'll be fine.'' To worsen McEnroe’s concerns, the U.S.’s other leading singles player for the World Group play-off against Columbia to be played in Bogota straight after the Open is also an injury doubt. Sam Querrey has pulled out of next week’s Pilot Pen Tennis event in New Haven but it is thought to be only a precautionary measure to allow the 22 year-old time to rest and recuperate before the U.S. Open. With Isner and Querrey initially filling the singles spots, McEnroe’s United States team suffered its first World Group first round defeat in five years when falling 3-2 to Serbia in Belgrade in March. No U.S. team has been relegated from the World Group since 1988 and America is the most successful nation in Davis Cup history, having been crowned champion 32 times. With Andy Murray establishing a 10-2 record playing without a coach since the parting of the ways with Miles Maclagan, the immediate build up to the US Open sees opinion split in Britain whether the 23 year-old world no.4, who is a distinct contender for success in New York, actually needs to fill the current vacancy.
Mark Petchey, who filled the coaching role for ten months during the Scot’s rise to prominence four years ago, believes the time could be right for his former charge to consider going solo on a permanent basis. “To be honest, I don’t think Andy needs a coach anymore because in reality he is his own best coach,” said Petchey who can line up alongside Maclagan, Brad Gilbert, Pato Alvarez and Britain’s current Davis Cup captain Leon Smith as Murray’s ex-coaches. “He’s always been very keen on learning about the game and picking up on opponent’s strategy. He’s long had a deep understanding of his own game and how it matches up against others. And he’s learned from a variety of people he has worked with. “Putting things in the most simplistic way, there are some players on the tour that need a coach to tell them everything; from how to play, what time to get up in the morning to what color shirt to wear and what time to go to bed at night. Others don’t because they are more than confident and equipped to make their own decisions on everything. Andy certainly falls into the second category.” Plus, of course, there is Murray’s much debated nature. Disagreements on tactics and strategy seem to figure prominently in each of Murray’s coaching splits and he has also had strained relationships with Britain’s two most recent former Davis Cup captains, Jeremy Bates and John Lloyd. “Let’s just say that Andy playing without a permanent coach removes a potential area of friction,” added Petchey, with a distinct tone of diplomacy. However to many seasoned viewpoints Murray at 23 is still a long way short of full mental maturity. In the four most important matches of his life, the 2008 US Open final, this year’s Australian Open final and the two Wimbledon semi-finals, he has not only been outplayed but also found tactically wanting in terms of a winning game plan. Tony Pickard is Britain’s most successful coach when it comes to guiding players to majors titles. Not only did his long term charge Stefan Edberg win six majors but, by telephone, Nottingham-based Pickard was also a daily source of advice and motivation for Petr Korda when the Czech surprisingly won the 1998 Australian Open. Pickard readily admits he has no insight into Murray’s thinking but said: “I believe the young man can still take his game up another two levels which will put him right there at the very top. However to do that he needs help from somebody who is there with him most of the time. “The tricky thing for him is finding the right person. Knowing what I do about him it’s no good having somebody there who keeps telling him what to do because that’s the way I used to do it with so and so. It’s better to find common ground and ask what Andy sees himself doing and then come up with positive suggestions. Look at the example of Rafael Nadal, in the last 18 months he has added so much to his game like a serve and the ability to come to the net and volley. But I look at Murray’s last regime and although there were titles and finals I haven’t seen him add anything very much to his armory. “Too many coaches nowadays are either too keen on seeing themselves on television or are too worried about losing their jobs and therefore say just what the player wants to hear. That is no good but neither is laying the law down because the young man will not listen.” Only Roger Federer, the man with the water bottle placed upon his head and those present in the television studio truly know whether the much debated the Gillette commercial that is becoming the most contentious issue in world tennis this week is real or fake. In a skit based on the William Tell story that saw the legendary 15th century Swiss hero fire a bolt from his crossbow that knocked an apple off a man’s head, Federer, dressed in a tuxedo but minus the bow tie, rises to a challenge and twice in succession hits serves which score a direct hits on the similarly placed water bottle.
The 1 minute, 47 second long video has this week become a YouTube phenomenon with the number of hits spiralling up through the millions and tennis experts around the world are debating its’ authenticity. In Britain on the networked breakfast show GMTV, former British Davis Cup player Andrew Castle, now one of the nation’s leading television celebrities, attempted to emulate Federer's two shots without any success. “To me the guy is a legend, probably the greatest player of all time but I have to say I now think the video is a fake,” said Castle. On the other side of the world Australian doubles legend Todd Woodbridge admitted the clip was ‘fantastic’ but questioned whether it was real or not. "I think it was very Roger," Woodbridge said. "I like seeing him and how he reacts away from a real tennis court like that. But what I would say is that I know he’s good, but is he that good? "The reason I say that is that I remember many years ago Mark Woodforde and I doing a piece for 60 minutes and we had to set up a shot where we needed to be at this corner of a clay court to hit the mark exactly perfect. "And I promise you we didn’t do it in the first take nor the second take. But he pulled it off twice in a row? So my question is: I’m one of Roger’s biggest fans and in my view I think he is the greatest tennis player of all time - no matter what - but that YouTube clip exceeds even my expectations." At this week’s Western and Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Federer was quizzed at the after his second round win over Uzbek opponent Denis Istomin, who retired with an ankle injury, over whether the trick was genuine. The winner of a record 16 major titles was coy but said: "Well, there's a lot of debate at the moment. You know how it is with magicians. They don't tell how their tricks work, you know. "I don't do it that much, but, yeah, it was shot in one piece. The guy took a chance. It worked out. I'm happy.” Later, when questioning returned to the video, Federer said he had "done it before" but was again asked if the clip showed a real action and he said: "Not saying that. A magician doesn't tell how his tricks work.” The comeback of Justine Henin after an 18 month retirement was one of the most eagerly awaited events of women’s tennis in many years but since losing January’s Australian Open the Belgian has suffered far more disappointments than highs and now comes the biggest of all with the news she will not play again for the entirety of 2010.
Henin, world no.1 for 75 weeks in four separate spells, the first beginning in October 2003 and the most recent ending with the announcement of her ‘temporary’ retirement from the sport in May 2008, has not played since suffering a partial ruptured ligament of her right elbow at Wimbledon in late June. The 28 year-old who is currently ranked 14th in the world after establishing a 32-8 winning record on her return, has been told by her doctors she can expect to resume light training in October but competitive action is out of the question until the New Year. Henin said: "I'm doing everything required by my medical team to get a good recovery of the injury I had at Wimbledon. I took several medical examinations in recent days and things are going in the right direction. So that is encouraging news. "It is still a slow recovery so I need to be patient again until the end of 2010. For my preparation for competition in 2011 I cannot take any risks, so I hope to go back to practice in October and I will work hard to get ready for the new season." Henin stressed the priority in her comeback was to complete her set of Grand Slam titles by winning a Wimbledon title to add to the Australian Open she won in 2004, two US Opens in 2003 and 2007 and of course four French Open in the space of five years between 2003 and 2007. She took her career title haul to 43 this year with wins in Stuttgart and s’-Hertogenbosch but fell heavily during her fourth-round Wimbledon encounter with compatriot and long time rival Kim Clijsters. The player, seeded 17 for the Championships, managed to complete the match, eventually losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 but has not played since. Henin's first scheduled event of 2011 is at the Hopman Cup in Perth, which begins on New Year's Day. |
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