Federer is now 32–4 in 2012. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/GettyImages)

Third-seeded Roger Federer won his opening round match Monday at Roland Garros with a 6–2, 7–5, 6–3 win over German player Tobias Kamke.

Federer, now 32–4 on the season, was in top form in the win hitting 38 winners to Kamke’s 16 and converting 8 of his 16 break-point opportunities. The 16-time Grand Slam champion dominated the first set winning 30 of 46 points.

With the win Federer tied American great Jimmy Connors’s record for most Grand Slam wins at 233. Connors finished 233–49 at the majors while Federer is 233–35.

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Roddick's loss is his 10th in 17 matches in 2012. (Patrick Kovarik/AFP/GettyImages)

American Andy Roddick was ousted in the first round of the French Open Sunday 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 by 89th-ranked Nicolas Mahut.

The 29-year-old Roddick, ranked 33rd in the world, is now 7-10 this season and has lost two of his three Grand Slam matches in 2012.

The French-born Mahut converted all seven of his break-point opportunities while Roddick was able to convert just three of his ten break-point chances. In the first set alone, Roddick was unable to convert any of his five opportunities while Mahut capitalized on his lone chance to win the set.

The 30-year-old Mahut hit 42 winners on the day to Roddick’s 26 and served up 13 aces to Roddick’s 8.

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Rafael Nadal has taken home the top prize at Roland Garros six times. (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

The second Grand Slam tournament of the year has belonged to the “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal the past six out of seven years. The Spaniard is bidding to eclipse the record he holds with Sweden’s Bjorn Borg to become the first player in history to win seven French Open titles.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams is in solid position to win her second French Open championship. Only five months into the season, Williams already has more wins this year than her entire 2011 season. Williams enters the tournament with an impressive win on the controversial blue clay of Madrid and a semifinals appearance in Rome.

Here’s a look at the two leading contenders:

Rafael Nadal (Ranking: 2, 2012 W-L Record: 33-4, Champion – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011)

After a disappointing third-round exit in Madrid earlier this month, Nadal lost the world No. 2 ranking to Swiss Roger Federer. Nadal, however, wasted no time earning it back with a win in Rome over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. For the seventh time in the last eight years Nadal, 25, enters Roland Garros having won the most clay court titles, with three this season – at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.

Serena Williams (Ranking: 5, 2012 W-L Record: 27-2, Champion – 2002)

This year’s French Open could be Williams’ best chance to add to her 2002 championship trophy. Leading up to Roland Garros, Williams scored commanding victories over world No. 2 Maria Sharapova and current world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in Madrid. As a precaution Williams, 30, withdrew prior to the semifinals of the following tournament in Rome due to a back injury and has said she will be 100 percent for the French Open.

Other notable contenders to watch out for:

Men’s:

Novak Djokovic (Ranking: 1, 2012 W-L Record: 30-5, Semifinalist – 2007, 2008, 2011)

Djokovic, winner of last year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open and this year’s Australian Open, is attempting to collect his fourth straight Grand Slam and the only major title that has eluded him. The top-ranked Serb enters the tournament in good form on clay, losing in the finals to Nadal in Rome and Monte Carlo, and reaching the quarterfinals in Madrid. If Djokovic, 25, wins, he will complete the non-calendar year Grand Slam, and he will be the first player to hold all four titles at the same time since Australian great Rod Laver did so in 1969.

Roger Federer (Ranking: 3, 2012 W-L Record: 31-4, Champion – 2009)

Even at an age where most players’ careers decelerate, the 30-year-old owner of 16-Grand Slam titles shows no signs of slowing down. For a brief week earlier this month, Federer rose back to the No. 2 ranking before relinquishing it to rival Nadal. He enters Roland Garros with a win in Madrid and semifinals appearance in Rome, where he lost to eventual champion Djokovic.

David Ferrer…

Rafael Nadal wins his eighth straight title at Monte-Carlo. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Second-ranked Rafael Nadal won his eighth straight Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title with a decisive 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic Sunday.

The clay-court win for Nadal snapped a personal seven-match losing streak against Djokovic—including the last three at finals of the 2012 Australian Open, 2011 U.S. Open, and 2011 Wimbledon.

“It’s very important to break that situation,” said Nadal, according to monte-carlorolexmasters.com. “It’s important to win a tournament another time. Especially [this] tournament. [Breaking] that situation [and] winning a Masters 1000, one of my favorites, [makes] everything perfect today.”

The title for Nadal gives him a record 20 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns—one more than Roger Federer. It’s also his first title since winning last year’s French Open.

John Isner congratulates Mardy Fish (C) after the U.S.'s first round victory over Switzerland in the 2012 Davis Cup. (Sebastien Feval/AFP/Getty Images)

The rosters for the 2012 Davis Cup quarterfinal between the United States and France were announced Tuesday. Mardy Fish, John Isner, and the Bryan brothers (Mike and Bob) will represent the United States while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra will suit up for France.

Noticeably absent from the U.S. roster is Andy Roddick. “Andy said pretty clearly after we had our victory in Switzerland (first round) as a team that Mardy and John Isner deserved the right to continue on with what they started. I agree with Andy’s assessment,” said Davis Cup captain Jim Courier.

The match will be played on clay next weekend at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune, France.

Roger Federer (L) and Andy Roddick (R), who've faced each other four times in Grand Slam finals, will meet again on 'Tennis Night in America'. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

The USTA has announced that on March 5th it will Launch “March Into Tennis,” a month-long drive aimed at getting more kids to play the sport. During the month of March, a record 1,200 USTA youth tennis events will take place around the country.

The launch will also coincide with “Tennis Night in America” featuring matches between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick as well as Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki at Madison Square Garden in a battle of former world number-one ranked players.

Actress and tennis enthusiast Christine Taylor publicly endorses USTA’s 10 and Under Tennis as its official spokesperson.

France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won both his singles matches against Canada. (Don MacKinnon/AFP/Getty Images)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the hero, winning his two singles matches as France beat Canada in Davis Cup action 4–1 this past weekend. Tsonga won the crucial fourth match over Canada’s Frank Dancevic, a late substitution for the injured Milos Raonic, 6–4, 6–4, 6–1. The win gave France an insurmountable 3–1 lead.

In the dead fifth rubber, the acrobatic Gael Monfils beat Vasek Pospisil 6–4, 6–4.

“It was not easy for me because I was ready to play Milos [Raonic],” said Tsonga in an on-court interview with Sportsnet after beating Dancevic.

“I’m just happy to win today for France,” said Tsonga. “He [Dancevic] took his chances. It was not easy with the atmosphere today.”

The Davis Cup atmosphere is the most raucous in tennis as fans cheer as they would at a soccer match for their country.

“I was happy with my play today,” said Dancevic. “I had nothing to lose. I was the underdog going in. The crowd got me really into it.”

“He [Tsonga] played the big points well today. It was an unbelievable atmosphere out there.”

Big Step for Canada

Canada joined the big boys of Davis Cup tennis—the World Group (for the top 16 nations)—when they took on France in Vancouver at Thunderbird Sports Centre.

The powerhouse French team, ranked fourth in the world, lost in the 2010 final and won it all in 2001. The average rank of the three players who took on Canada in meaningful matches—Tsonga, Julien Benneteau, and Michael Llodra—was 29, matching the rank of Canada’s top player Raonic.

France also had very strong crowd support, decked out in blue shirts, and at times they needed it to pick themselves up. Despite being heavily favored to beat Canada, the hosts were no push-overs.

France won the critical doubles match on Saturday over Canada. (Don MacKinnon/AFP/Getty Images)

Sixth-ranked Tsonga gave the visitors a quick 1–0 lead with a 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 victory over 115th-ranked Pospisil in last Friday’s first match. In the second rubber, Raonic played excellently and recorded a 6–2, 6–4, 7–5 win over Benneteau.

That set up a crucial doubles match, which Canada would need to win to avoid having to win both singles matches last Sunday. The 39-year-old veteran Daniel Nestor was then called into action given his phenomenal career as a doubles player, but France took the doubles match 7–6, 7–6, 6–3.

France proved too strong as Raonic’s knee injury started acting up.

Canada’s hopes were supposed to be pinned on Raonic taking on Tsonga in the fourth rubber but early Sunday afternoon, it was announced that Canada’s top player would be unable to compete and 178th-ranked Dancevic would have to step in.

Dancevic put forth a strong effort telling Sportsnet, “I’m ready to go, if anything happens. You gotta be ready to play at any time [in Davis Cup].”

In an interview during the Dancevic–Tsonga match, Raonic explained that he had a “minor pain that elevated across the last two days of play” and that he’d have it looked at in San Jose on Monday.

“I don’t think I would’ve been much use,” said Raonic.

France will take on the United States in the quarterfinals in April.

As for Canada, they will need to win a playoff in September to retain their spot in the World Group. It will be critical to have a healthy Raonic for that matchup. Nevertheless, signs of encouragement are there as Pospisil got some much needed experience and Dancevic came back from out of the wilderness to put up a good fight against the formidable Tsonga.

Follow Rahul on Twitter @RV_ETSports

Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after his victory over Rafael Nadal of Spain following the men's final match on day 14 of the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament early on Jan. 30. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

World number-one Novak Djokovic outlasted second-ranked Rafael Nadal 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7 (5-7), 7–5 in a five-hour, fifty-three minute marathon match Sunday in Melbourne. The match was not only the longest in the history of the Australian Open, it also represented the longest Grand Slam finals match in the open era.

“Physically was the toughest match I ever played, if not the tougher. I am tired,” said Nadal, according to the Australian Open’s website. Nadal won a comparable five-set match against Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon finals.

These two have started to form a new rivalry, meeting the finals now of the last three Grand Slams, with Djokovic winning all three, and the two have combined to win each the last eight majors beginning with the 2010 French Open.

This match was highlighted by several turns in momentum.

Djokovic, after playing a five-set match himself against fourth-ranked Andy Murray in the semis, came out a little flat and dropped the first set 7–5. “It’s an individual sport, so we all try to rely on the people who are traveling with us,” said Djokovic regarding his preparations in light of his long matches.

Djokovic finished the second set much stronger winning the last eight points as Nadal double-faulted to end the set. Djokovic then broke Nadal twice in the third and appeared well on his way to taking the match in four sets midway through the fourth, when Nadal suddenly seemed to reach back for something extra.

Down two sets to one and trailing 4–3 in the set, facing triple-break point, Nadal rebounded to win the game and eventually the set in a tie-breaker to force a final set.

With momentum on his side, Nadal broke Djokovic’s serve early to go up 4–2 and was leading his service game 30–15 when he hit wide a near-certain winner. Djokovic went on to break his serve and then broke again at 5–5 before serving out the match that ended at 1:30 a.m. local time.

Victoria Azarenka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after winning her women's final match against Maria Sharapova and being named world number one, during day thirteen of the 2012 Australian Open. (Lucas Dawson/Getty Images

For Victoria Azarenka ther Australian Open was her first Grand Slam final. It was also her first Grand Slam title, as the 22-year-old Belorussian defeated Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 6–3, 6–0.

Azarenka outplayed her 24-year-old Russian opponent, hitting harder and moving better, winning 13 of 16 games and shutting out Sharapova in the second set.

With the win, Azarenka raised her ranking from number three to number one in the world.

The young champion looked dazed after winning the final point. She knelt on the court and looked around with a blank expression, not yet realizing what was happening.

“Right after the win I couldn’t understand what’s happening, you know, and I could not believe the tournament is over because it’s been so long, this road since Sydney,” she said on ESPN.

“I didn’t have one day off, so it kind of kept going kept going and right now it still hasn’t hit me that it’s over and I won this. I keep enjoying it.

“First two games were a little bit of a disaster, but then I kind of got the momentum going. I relaxed and I started focusing on the moment on each point, you know, trying to do whatever it takes to win that point.”

Azarenka said her very tough match against Kim Clijsters helped prepare her mentally for the final against Sharapova.

“It was a huge win over Kim—not only because it was a semifinal. It was just beating that great champion, the, defending champion here. It really helped me a lot with my self-belief. You have to go through the tough matches to win the titles. It’s always gonna happen. You cannot play perfect all the time.

“For me, it was a huge moment, you know—a great learning experience. Today was another learning experience for me because I have never been in that position, never been in that situation. It was exciting to see how, for myself, how I could adjust. And I did pretty well.”

The match was important for both players. Azarenka was in her first major final, seeking her first major title, while Sharapova was looking for her fourth major title, but her first in the four years since her shoulder surgery.

Victoria Azarenka hit harder and moved better than Maria Sharapova, winning 13 of 16 games and the Australian open championship. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

It seemed the pressure was getting to Azarenka at the star, as hit two double faults and was broken in the first game of the match. Sharapova double-faulted in her first service game but shrugged it off to hold. Azarenka, unfazed by the deficit, took the next three games. Sharapova held her serve in game five, and never won another.

As Azarenka’s confidence grew, Sharapova tightened up, starting to miss first serves and forehands. The Russian won 64 percent of her first-serve points, but only eleven percent of her second serves in this set, so this really hampered her.  

After winning the first set, Azarenka came out even stronger in the second, while Sharapova played worse, hitting 15 unforced errors in six games (30 for the match.) When she earned a break point, she hit the ball into the net—and lost the match the same way, hitting the championship point into the tape.

Azarenka played excellent tennis; probably she could have beaten Sharapova even if the Russian had kept her concentration. Victoria Azarenka rose to the moment and won her first title. Maria Sharapova will have to wait until next time to win her next.

Sharapova told ESPN that it wasn’t the pressure that was getting to her; she was just having a bad day against a good opponent.

Maria Sharapova started strong but couldn’t match Victoria Azarenka’s intensity as the match went on. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

“She did everything better than I did today. I had a good first couple of games, and that was about it. Then she was the one that was taking the first ball and hitting it deep and aggressive. I was always the one running around like a rabbit, you know, trying to play catchup all the time.

“It was just one of those days where maybe because I felt like I wasn’t being aggressive enough and I knew that I have to be and I knew that I had to change that.

“There was no way I was gonna win the match if I was gonna let her dictate and be the one that’s aggressive and go for the lines and change down the lines like she likes to do.

“But, yeah, I think maybe I just kind of overdid it.”

Though disappointed not to have been the one winning the title both players craved, Sharapova was still positive.

“It’s a good start to the year, I guess, for me. I have a lot to look forward to this year.”

Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory over Andy Murray in their men's singles semi-final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)

After four hours, fifty minutes of the best tennis human beings can play, Novak Djokovic overcame Andy Murray to go on to the finals of the Australian Open tennis tournament. The final tally was 6–3, 3–6, 6(4)–7(7), 6–1, 7–5.

Djokovic and Murray fought an amazing physical, mental, and emotional battle; each was tested, and in his way, each triumphed.

Djokovic swept Murray in straight sets at last year’s Australian Open final; in fact, the Scottish player has yet to win a set in a Grand Slam final. For Murray to stay with Djokovic though five sets was a noteworthy achievement.

Djokovic’s achievement is obvious: he won the match and will go on to face Rafael Nadal in the final.

Number-one ranked Novak Djokovic proved that he is still on the form which won him three majors and 70 matches in 2011. Despite some apparent breathing problems early in the match, the 24-year-old Serb never faltered physically. He ran more than Murray, but never showed signs of tiring and recharging, as Murray had to halfway through the fifth set.

The #1-ranked Serbs’s return game made a lot of the difference. Both players won about 65 percent of their first-serve points, but Djokovic won 45 percent of his second serves; Murray, only 30. The lanky Serb often sent back returns harder to handle than the serves he faced.

Andy Murray reacts in his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Accuracy mattered also. Winners were about the same for both players (49 for Djokovic, 47 for Murray) but Djokovic only hit 69 unforced errors to Murray’s 86. The Serb won 183 points to his opponent’s 161—the difference was the accuracy.

Andy Murray might have lost the match, but he showed strength and depth that he has never had in the past. Whether it is experience or the effects of his new coach Ivan Lendl, the 24-year-old Scot stayed calm and focused throughout the match. There was no shouting at his box, no grabbing on (possibly psychosomatic) injuries—Murray kept his head in the game no matter how tense.

After losing the first set, Murray fought back to win the second. He stuck with it through the third-set tie-break, and even after losing the fourth set 6–1 in only 25 minutes, Murray kept his composure.

Fitness has always been one of Murray’s principle weapons, and he showed great fitness in the nearly five-hour contest. After seeming drained early in the final set, he found something more, and very nearly took the match to another tie-break.

Rafael Nadal celebrates after victory in his semi-final men's singles match against Roger Federer on the eleventh day of the Australian Open tennis tournament. (Joe Castro/AFP/Getty Images)

As it has 20 of the 27 times they have met, victory favored Spain’s Rafael Nadal over Switzerland’s Roger Federer when tennis giants met Thursday night on Melbourne’s Rod Laver arena to determine who would advance to the finals of the Australian Open tennis tournament.

After the match, Nadal said that Roger Federer had motivated Nadal throughout his career. “It is fantastic to have one player in front of you, seeing him without mistakes, having a totally complete game—All my career I tried to keep learning because I always saw in front of me one player better than me,” Nadal said on ESPN after the match.

Rafael Nadal played his game, making 77 percent of his first serves, hitting few errors, and taking advantage of Federer’s faults. Federer made poor shot choices on occasion, feeding Nadal’s forehand when he might have gone elsewhere, hitting 63 errors for 46 winners and served at 64 percent on the match. After the first set, which Federer won after nearly an hour’s struggle, the Swiss player was on the defensive for the rest of the match.

Roger Federer fought every point but couldn’t find a way to defeat his longtime rival. (Paul Crock/AFP/Getty Images)

Federer took a quick two-break lead in the first set and won it in a tie-break, serving at 71 percent, but his first-serve percentage dropped to fifty for the second set, which Nadal won in only 44 minutes.

The third set started with Federer breaking Nadal, but the Spaniard broke right back and took control of the set until the seventh game, a long struggle which ended with Federer getting the service break. Again Nadal broke right back, unwilling to let his opponent gain any momentum.

Federer forced another tie-break to end the 67-minute marathon set. Nadal took the score to 6–1; Federer fought back to 6–5 before succumbing.

Federer was on the defensive throughout the final set, fighting off multiple break points until finally losing serve in the ninth game and losing the match in the tenth.

Nadal said he expected Federer to come out aggressively; the key was to wait out the first rush.

“When Roger plays like this all you can do is watch him and wait for your moment to try to start to get the rhythm. That happened this time after he got to 4–1 [first set.]

Nadal will face the winner of Thursday night’s Murray/Djokovic match.

Andy Murray (L) and Novak Djokovic (R) met in last year's Australian Open Final with Djokovic winning. (Elsa/Getty Images)

The Big Four have done it again.

The top four ranked players in men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray are all playing in the semifinals at the 2012 Australian Open. This is the third Grand Slam in less than a year that all four have reached the semis; it also happened at the 2011 French Open and 2011 U.S. Open.

And while another installment of the Federer and Nadal rivalry has tennis fans eager in anticipation, it would be a shame to overlook the matchup between the two 24-year-olds Djokovic and Murray. In fact, while Nadal has a commanding lead in his head-to-head against Federer (17 to 9), Djokovic and Murray have been more evenly matched (Djokovic leads 6 to 4.)

Born just a week apart, Murray is exactly seven days older than Djokovic; the two have shared the stage late into tournaments in the past few years. Djokovic scored a convincing straight sets win over Murray at last year’s Australian Open final, which played no small part in leading the Serb to a historic men’s tennis season. Djokovic finished the year with three major titles and a 70-6 win-loss record. Murray also had a career year when he reached at least the semifinals in all four Grand Slams.

The top seeded Djokovic has been just as dominant in 2012, losing only one set—to tour veteran Lleyton Hewitt—en route to the semifinals. Similarly, Murray has only lost a single set, in the first round to rising American Ryan Harrison. This year’s semifinal match between the two should prove more competitive as the number four seed Murray has gained more experience playing on the big stage and against Djokovic. In the off-season, Murray hired the help of eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl in hopes of finally landing his maiden major title.

Kelyn Soong is a freelance writer from Washington, D.C., and has covered tennis and other sports as an intern for Voice of America. Kelyn is also a regular contributor to USTA/Mid-Atlantic, USTA/Maryland, Tennis Grandstand, and On The Baseline Tennis News. You can follow him on Twitter @KelynSoong.

Novak Djokovic celebrates a hard-earned victory over David Ferrer in their men's singles quarter-final match at the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images)

Number-one-ranked Novak Djokovic continued his advance towards the finals of the Australian Open, beating fifth-ranked David Ferrer in straight sets, 6–4, 7(7)–6(4), 6–1. The final set saw the 24-year-old Serb looking his best, but the first two sets were struggles.

David Ferrer is known as an accurate but not hard hitter with great legs, and the 29-year-old Spaniard used both skills fully, running his opponent all over the court through the first two sets.

The first set was close all the way to the end; every point was long, and both players wore themselves out. Djokovic was hitting fifty percent of his first serves, giving Ferrer a huge edge, but the lanky Serb still managed a break and the set win, thought it took 58 minutes.

Djokovic got an early break in the second set, but in the fifth he stretched wide for a return and came up grimacing and grabbing the back of his right thigh.

David Ferrer ran down shots that would have been by most players, making his opponent work hard for every point. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

The injury seemed to hurt Djokovic mentally more than physically. His movement seemed unaffected, but he started breathing heavily, bringing up thoughts of his asthma. Meanwhile Ferrer kept running down shots he shouldn’t have been able to reach; the energetic Spaniard took the set to a tiebreak with hard work on the long rallies.

The big Serb turned it around in the tiebreak. Facing a service break on the sixth point, he won a long rally, running just as far and as fast as his opponent, and held, after that, he seemed to steady himself and find the winning attitude which brought him three Grand Slam wins in 2011.

Novak Djokovic needed every one of his 74-inches to stretch for some of Ferrer’s shots. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

Djokovic started landing his first serve, his breathing improved; he looked very calm and very serious, where before he had looked discouraged.

While Djokovic found himself, Ferrer seemed to fold. Djokovic won the first three games of the set and closed it out in seven games.

After the match, Djokovic said his leg was fine and his breathing issues were merely a slightly stuffed nose, and the effort of the hour-long first set.

“I don’t have any physical issues. I feel very fit and I feel mentally, as well, very fresh,” he told Australia’s TV-7. “It’s just today I found it very difficult after a long time to breathe because I felt the whole day my nose was closed a little bit. I just wasn’t able to get enough oxygen.”

Djokovic will face Andy Murray in the semifinals, a prospect which pleases the world’s number one.

“He looks fit. He’s been playing well. He’s definitely very motivated to win his first Grand Slam,” Djokovic said of his next opponent.

Roger Federer (L) and Rafael Nadal will meet for the 27th time in the semi-final round of the Australian Open. (Federer: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images/ Nadal: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

It will be the best semi-final tennis fans could hope for: the two greatest tennis players of the century, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, will face off Wednesday night (3 a.m. Thursday Eastern, 8 a.m. GMT) to see who will advance into the Finals of the Australian Open tennis tournament. Who will win is less important than that fans will get to see them play.

Roger Federer has had an easy tournament so far; he reached the semi-finals by beating Juan Martin Del Potro as he had all his other opponents, in straight sets (except for a by in the second round.) Federer looked masterful in his easy win over Del Potro; the 30-year-old Federer is on his best form. His first set win against Del Potro was the Swiss player’s 2000th winning set as a professional, in 1000 matches.  

Nadal had to fight past a tough Tomas Berdych in a four hour, sixteen minute match which saw Nadal start slow and get stronger while Berdych weakened in the final set. The first two sets went to tie-breaks, and even in the final set, Berdych was always close to taking control and taking it to five. Berdych won 147 points to Nadal’s 157.

Nadal showed no signs of the knee problem which almost sidelined him before the tournament even started; he moved well and hit well, 57 winners and only 30 errors. Berdych hit 66 winners to 56 errors; in the first two sets the towering Czech had Nadal chasing. Nadal’s confidence grew as the match progressed, but at no time was it easy for the 25-year-old Spaniard.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have faced off 26 times, with the Spanish player triumphing 17 times. If Nadal can start the match showing the form in which he finished against Berdych, this might be 18. If Nadal starts slowly, the match could go to Federer. At least both players get a day to rest; Nadal’s battle against Berdych won’t tip the scales.

Roger Federer is looking forward to match. Prior to the Nadal/Berdych contest, he told Australia’s TV7, “Obviously I’d like to play Rafa because of our great epic match earlier in the finals here a few years ago. I’d like to get a chance to play him again here. I’d love to play Rafa in the semis if it happens.”

Nadal and Federer are ranked two and three in the world, but rankings don’t matter. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been the best players in tennis for so long that even after the amazing 2011 season of Novak Djokovich (ten tournaments including three Grand Slams for a 70–6 record) that the strapping top-ranked Serb still seems an upstart.

Ekaterina Makarova celebrates winning her fourth round match against Serena Williams during day eight of the 2012 Australian Open. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

23-year-old Russian Ekaterina Makarova, ranked 56th in the world, eliminated five-time Australian Open champ Serena Williams in straight sets Monday afternoon. The final score was 6–2, 6–3.

The young Russian moved well and hit well; her play was unspectacular but solid, with only a single ace but no double faults, 16 winners and 17 errors.

Makarova’s most potent weapon was her confidence; she seemed to be completely unintimidated to be facing Serena Williams and kept her composure even when a missed shot cost her a break- or set-point.

Serena Williams looked tired and dismayed during her match with Makarova. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Williams, the last American in the Australian Open, looked out of sorts throughout the match, and played poorly; with 37 unforced errors in two sets versus only 24 winners. Her serve was fast, but inaccurate; she served up seven double faults (three in one game) and got only 52 percent of her serves in.

Worse still she couldn’t take advantage of Makarova’s second serve, converting only 30 percent of the Russian’s second offerings, while Makarova scored on 70 percent of Serena’s second serves.

The 30-year-old American never surrendered: she fought off three match points before finally hitting long to lose the match.

Makarova will go on to face the winner of the Maria Sharapova/ Sabine Lisicki match Monday evening (early Monday morning Eastern time.)

Andy Roddick (L) shakes hands with Lleyton Hewitt after their Australian open tennis match Roddick retired with an injury after the third set. (William west/AFP/Getty Images)

Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt took the court at the Australian Open Thursday evening (Wednesday morning in the U.S.) knowing they might be facing one another for the last time.

The two stars, former world number-ones now in the late stages of their careers, met in Rod Laver Arena to represent their nations and to finish off a decade-long rivalry.

Both have battled injury and age; neither is quite ready to retire. While the 29-year-old American Roddick has been trying to fight his way back into the top ten, Australia’s Hewitt, 30, has seen his ranking plummet, and many speculate he will be leaving the sport at the end of this season.

Roddick won their last six matches; Hewitt, on home turf, had one more chance to show his fans that he had the talent and the toughness to beat the big-serving American.

Lleyton Hewitt hits a backhand in his second round match against Andy Roddick during Day Four of the 2012 Australian Open. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Hewitt took the win, but not in the way he wanted.

Both players started the match playing like it might be the last chance to beat the other. Roddick took the first set 6–3, but in the fourth game of the second he fell awkwardly, re-aggravating an old injury to his hamstring. The American player left the court for treatment but returned to finish out the set, though obviously in discomfort.

“I could see Andy stretch something; I couldn’t see if it was his ankle or what,” Hewitt said on ESPN after the match. “I saw on the replay it was higher up his leg.”

Roddick had obvious problems moving to his left, and was slow going forward, but he didn’t complain—he tried to adjust, cheating to his backhand when receiving serve, and using his own powerful serve to keep him in the match.

Hewitt tried to exploit the American’s weakness: “You obviously try to run him around—I don’t want to sound mean but you try to run him around a bit more,” Hewitt said. “We’re out there competing and it’s hard work.”

Andy Roddick picks himself up off the court after falling during his Australian Open men’s singles match with Lleyton Hewitt. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)

Hewitt won the second set 6–3, but his opponent fought back. The Australian has a chance to serve out the set at 5–4, but Roddick took the first three points. Hewitt wasn’t about to let up; with the crowd solidly behind him, he came back from triple break point to close out the set 6–4.

That was all the American could tolerate. Facing a five-set match and a slim chance of winning, Andy Roddick decided that the chance of doing serious damage was too great, and withdrew from the match and the tournament.

Roddick told Australianopen.com that having to stop was frustrating and discouraging; “The competitor in you feels terrible and wants to break stuff.

“I was hitting the ball as well as I could from a compromised position and still felt like I was just hanging on.  I don’t know that it would have been smart to do that for two more sets. And if somehow you pull a rabbit out of the hat, I don’t think you play in two days. If I’m looking at timelines, I think there’s three weeks or so before I have to play again.”

While the Australian would have preferred to win by skill rather than injury, he was glad the match didn’t go five sets; he is scheduled to play doubles the next day, and then will be back on the court facing Canadian Milos Raonic.

As for his chances later in the tournament, Hewitt said, “I’m just happy to be out here.

“In the last three years I have had five pretty serious surgeries. I’ve been off the court for a long time. Last year I only played two Grand Slams and two Davis Cup ties. I came to here with nothing to lose.”

Rafael Nadal takes a swing during his round one match of The Australian Open. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP)

Rafael Nadal, arguably the best tennis player in the game, has had some winning efforts cut short by knee injuries. Thus fans were concerned when he showed up at his first match of the 2012 Australian Open with his right knee heavily wrapped (which it hadn’t been in practice the day before).

Despite the bandages, Nadal played powerfully, defeating Alex Kuznetsov 6–4, 6–1, 6–1, while putting on a fine display of the skills and talent that have earned him his reputation as one of the game’s best.

After the match, Nadal discussed his knee situation in some detail.

Nadal told ESPN that after a fantastic week of practice with absolutely no pain, his knee suddenly locked up on him the afternoon before the first match. Nadal said he felt a slight cracking in the knee, so he stood up to flex it. When he did, “the knee stays with an unbelievable pain completely straight. I really couldn’t move the knee—I have no movement on the knee.”

Worried that he might have to withdraw, Nadal spent the time when he should have been preparing mentally, going to various medical facilities, while the Australian Open organizers hustled to line up doctors’ visits for him.

“I have a hard afternoon,” Nadal said. “I did all the tests. Came here for ultrasound. Went to hospital for MRI. I just can say thank you very much to the tournament for all the facilities give to me on a Sunday. Not easy to find places, and they make fantastic work for me.

“Yesterday during the evening I wasn’t hundred percent sure I would have chance to play, because with the movement of that knee I felt that I will not be able to play.”

The MRI showed no new damage; Nadal said that the best diagnosis was that a tendon got pinched between two bones.

The 25-year-old Spaniard spent the night in great pain and all the next day in treatment, loading up on anti-inflamatories in hopes he would be able to limp through his opening-round match. When it came time to take the court, the pain had mysteriously disappeared.

“I started the match with a little bit of scare at the beginning, and nervous because I was really disappointed yesterday. But, you know, after the first 10 games that was scare, I started to play with normal conditions,” Nadal told ESPN.

“The best thing is I felt the knee very well. So is something that I really don’t understand why everything happened, but I am really happy that today I was ready to play and I played a fantastic match.”
Nadal was mystified as to why his knee stopped working while he was sitting in a chair, but he’s obviously glad he recovered, and seemed optimistic about his chances of surviving two weeks of tough hard-court tennis.

“I have good hopes. You can have an injury playing an aggressive movement—but sitting on a chair, you cannot have injury. So that’s why I really keep not understand what’s going on. But I understand when the knee comes back to the right place, so I was much more scared about the first match than the rest, because today now I have 48 hours to the next match.

Nadal said earlier in the week that players might consider “strong action”—perhaps a strike?—over the extremely busy season schedule—for a player who goes as hard as Nadal, the packed schedule could contribute to shortening his career. This knee injury scare points up the problem—better to have Nadal playing fewer tournaments less frequently for more years than to lose the game’s greatest player far too soon.

Federer is looking for his fifth Australian Open title after winning his opening match. (Miguel Medina/AFP)

The first Grand Slam of the year, The Australian Open, got underway in Melbourne Australia on Monday.

Roger Federer started off slow against qualifier Alexander Kudryavtsev, nearly dropping the first set before returning to his championship form. The four-time Australian Open winner cruised the final two sets winning the match 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.

Rafael Nadal disposed of American Alex Kuznetsov 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, despite his heavily wrapped knee. After the match, the Spaniard told reporters he felt the worst of the pain was behind him and he should be able to play with no problems.

On the women’s side, Kim Clijsters, the defending Australian Open Champion won her first round match against Maria Joao Koehler 7-5, 6-1. The unseeded 19-year-old, gave Clijsters fits early, but Clijsters was able to pull off the straight-sets victory.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open last year and in 2008. (Paul Crock/AFP/Getty)

New year. Same names.

The top names in tennis remain the favorites as the first Grand Slam tournament gets underway in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday.

Men’s:

Novak Djokovic (Ranking: 1, 2011 W-L Record: 70-6, Best Australian Open Finish: Champion—2008, 2011)

Coming off an historic season, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the man to beat in 2012. The 24-year-old Serb finished with three Grand Slam titles (Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open) last year to bring his career total to four major titles. Melbourne was also the home of his inaugural Grand Slam triumph back in 2008.

Andy Murray (Ranking: 4, 2011 W-L Record: 56-13, Best Australian Open Finish: Runner-Up—2010, 2011)

World No. 4 Andy Murray, the runner-up of the past two Australian Opens, reached all four Grand Slam semifinals last season and is a strong contender in Melbourne. The 24-year-old Scot recently hired the assistance of eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl to coach him to his first Grand Slam title.

Roger Federer (Ranking: 3, 2011 W-L Record: 64-12, Best Australian Open Finish: Champion—2004, 2006, 2007, 2010)

Sixteen-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer won his last 17 matches in 2011, capturing his sixth Tour Finals title. The 30-year-old Swiss also ended Djokovic’s 43-match win streak at the French Open and held double match points against the Serb at their U.S. Open semifinal encounter. The Swiss maestro should never be counted out at the Grand Slams.

Rafael Nadal (Ranking: 2, 2011 W-L Record: 69-15, Best Australian Open Finish: Champion—2009)

The 2011 season left 10-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal mentally and physically exhausted. The 25-year-old Spaniard struggled at the Tour Finals and lost in the Qatar Open semifinals. However, the grinder from Mallorca has the talent, experience, and game to take home the title.

Women’s:

Serena Williams (Ranking: 13, 2011 W-L Record: 22-3, Best Australian Open Finish: Champion—2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010)

Despite suffering an ankle injury at the Brisbane International, Serena Williams looks to be the woman to beat at the Australian Open. The 30-year-old American only played in six tournaments last year due to injuries but won two and reached the finals of the U.S. Open. Williams owns 13 Grand Slam titles, winning five in Melbourne.

Petra Kvitova (Ranking: 2, 2011 W-L Record: 60-13, Best Australian Open Finish: Quarterfinalist —2011)

Petra Kvitova, last year’s Wimbledon champion, has all the tools to become the next dominant women’s player. The 21-year-old finished the 2011 season by winning the WTA Tour Championships and leading the Czech team to a Fed Cup title. An Australian Open title would cement her status as the player to beat going forward.

Maria Sharapova (Ranking: 4, 2011 W-L Record: 43-14, Best Australian Open Finish: Champion—2008)

At only 24-years-old, Maria Sharapova is a veteran on the WTA Tour and one of the biggest names in sports. The Russian owns three major titles, winning her most recent at the 2008 Australian Open. Sharapova has the mental toughness to beat the best and can add to her Grand Slam collection at this year’s tournament.

Caroline Wozniacki (Ranking: 1, 2011 W-L Record: 63-17, Best Australian Open Finish: Semifinalist—2011)

World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki finished the 2011 season as the top ranked woman for the second year in a row. The 21-year-old Dane suffered a minor setback in her preparations for the Australian Open when she injured her wrist during her semifinal match at the Sydney International. Wozniacki is still seeking her first Grand Slam title.

The draw for the 2012 Australian Open will be available Friday, Jan. 13. The tournament runs from January 16–29.

Kelyn Soong is a freelance writer from Washington, D.C., and has covered tennis and other sports as an intern for Voice of America. Kelyn is also a regular contributor to USTA/Mid-Atlantic, USTA/Maryland, Tennis Grandstand, and On The Baseline Tennis News. You can follow him on Twitter @KelynSoong.

A child tries out the new smaller, lighter racquets during a 10 and Under Tennis demonstration in Atlanta, GA over the summer. (Courtesy of the USTA)

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) continued its push to make the game of tennis more accessible and fun to youth on Monday, announcing that starting January 1, all 10 and Under Tennis tournaments must follow the guidelines set during the summer of 2010.

Those guidelines make the sport “sized right” for kids, meaning the racquets are lighter and smaller, the balls are lower-bouncing and the courts are smaller. Ten and Under Tennis is currently offered around the country, but not required in a tournament setting.

“Tennis has been somewhat intimidating. People think you need to take lessons, you need to find a pro,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. With 10 and Under Tennis, “kids can get started in the game right away instead of spending months or years trying to learn skills on a big court with the same equipment that [Roger] Federer and Serena Williams use.”

The kid friendly racquets come in 21, 23, and 25 inch models. The lighter racquets let kids focus more on their swing instead of struggling to hold the racquet. Combined with lower bouncing tennis balls on smaller courts, kids are playing, and more important, rallying right away.

“Scaling the sport down to the size of kids allows them to be successful right away and allows them to have more fun and start playing much sooner as opposed to taking lessons forever,” Kamperman said. Younger kids have a desire to be competitive right away. Sports like baseball, football, basketball, and soccer have made their games kid friendly with smaller equipment and courts for years, allowing them to join teams in leagues at very early ages. Consequently, youth have been more drawn to those sports.

Tennis is the fastest growing traditional sport since 2000 according to Kamperman, making proper development a high priority for the USTA. It is no secret the USTA would love to see some of these kids develop into the next great tennis star, but gaining new fans—a far more likely scenario—is just as desired. “People that play the game tend to follow the game as well,” Kamperman said. “We think it will really help to create lifetime tennis players and also fans.”

Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2theBullpen

Rafael Nadal clinches the Davis Cup. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

Second-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain downed Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina 1–6, 6–4, 6–1, 7–6 (0) Sunday in round four of the finals of the Davis Cup to clinch the title for his country.

The 6’6” Del Potro was actually broken on the very first game of the match before reeling off six straight of his own to take the first set. But after losing a grueling 6–2, 6–7(2), 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 match to David Ferrer in the second round Friday, Del Potro was unable to sustain the momentum.

The 2011 U.S. Davis Cup team from left to right: Captain Jim Courier, Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan, Andy Roddick, and Mardy Fish. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

U.S. Davis Cup Captain Jim Courier has some innovative ideas of how to enhance interest in the tennis Davis and Fed Cup.

“I think it’s pretty clear that the Davis Cup format, which was built quite a while ago, is no longer as popular or as powerful as it could be. It certainly should be condensed into, in my opinion, a two-week format for at least the big boys,” Courier said during a conference call regarding the competition, held along with U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Jo Fernandez.

“It should be combined with the Fed Cup, for that matter, so it becomes in effect the fifth Grand Slam, not only from an attention standpoint, but a player-attendance standpoint,” Courier said.

“The system is broken, clearly, from my standpoint. It’s not broken from the ITF’s standpoint, because they still make money,” Courier said. “What I would contend is they could make a lot more money than they currently do and that would allow them to help spread the growth of the game with the extra funds they would receive.”

The finals of the 2011 Davis Cup are from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4, but first-round play was between March 4 and March 6. Between the nine-month gap were the quarterfinals (July 8 to July 10) and semis (Sept. 16 to Sept. 18).

The 2012 Fed Cup starts in February (4th and 5th) while the Davis Cup starts the week after.

Roger Federer won his third straight tournament. (Glyn Kirk/Getty Images)

Roger Federer downed sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6–3, 6-7, (6-8), 6–3 Sunday in the finals to capture his record-breaking sixth Barclays ATP World Tour Title.

The fourth-seeded and third-ranked Federer also won the event last year as well as in 2003–2004 and 2006–2007. The sixth title breaks a tie with former tennis greats Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl.

For the match Federer served up 11 aces and won 80 percent of his first serve points, while saving two of three break points. Tsonga matched Federer’s aces with 11 of his own but had 5 double-faults.

Roger Federer wins the Paris Masters title. (Miguel Medina/Getty Images)

Fourth-ranked Roger Federer downed eighth-ranked Jo Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the finals of the Paris Masters Sunday. The tournament title was the 69th of his illustrious career and 3rd this season.

The 30-year-old Federer won all 10 sets in the 5 matches en route to his first ever Masters title in Paris, including a semi-final win over seventh-ranked Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-3.

The five wins put him at 802 for his career – just the seventh to reach the 800 milestone. Jimmy Connors is the all-time leader at 1,242 while Stefan Edberg is the next for Federer to pass at 806.

Andy Murray hoists his trophy after defeating David Ferrer 7-5, 6-4 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Andy Murray defeated David Ferrer 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday, claiming the Shanghai Rolex Masters crown, and his third ATP World Tour title in as many weeks.

More important than the trophy, Murray’s victory will move him into the No. 3 spot in the ATP rankings. He will leapfrog Roger Federer, who will now be outside of the top three for the first time since July 7, 2003.

The 24-year old Murray has had the hot hand since his semi-final exit at the US Open. He has won 25 of 26 matches.

Murray has brought home five tournaments titles this year, but is still searching for the illusive first Grand Slam.

On or off the court Roddick (pictured with fellow tennis star Serena Williams) has a knack for making people laugh. (Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

American Andy Roddick has long been considered one of the more colorful interviewees on the tennis circuit.

Even for those of us who are usually spending our time pondering whether or not Green Bay will meet New England in next year's Super Bowl, Roddick's blunt, obvious answers to whatever questions come his way are entertainment for all.

His witty, yet sometimes combative responses cause reporters to simultaneously wonder why they even asked such a question, yet wanting to hear more in the faint hope he'll see things their way and give the answer they want.

This year's U.S. Open was no exception as the 29-year-old kept the press room entertained with his usual unintentionally comedic exchanges. Here are some of the better ones:

After Nadal downed him in straight sets:

Q: Were you able to have fun at all today?

Andy Roddick: I didn't have a lot of fun today, no. But it's early (Laughter.)

After he beat fifth-seeded Ferrer on the very small Court 13:

Q: There were photographs, you know, close to the court. There was a guy on the fence, a baby crying. It was bizarre conditions.

Andy Roddick: At least there wasn't a baby crying on the fence. [Laughter.]

Q: Isn't that the mark of a champion athlete, accepting what's there and not worrying about the little things and just playing the game?

Andy Roddick: That's what I hear. [Laughter.]

Q: The NFL is back after its work stoppage, even though it didn't miss regular season games. What's your pick for the Super Bowl and why?

Andy Roddick: Jeez, I love preseason Super Bowl picks. [Laughter.] Pack/Patriots.

After his third round, straight sets win over Julien Benneteau:

Q: You've always been an exceptional baseline player. What has changed now that makes you become more aggressive and really attack the net?

Andy Roddick: Woke up on the right side of the bed this morning, I guess. I don't know. The way my game is evaluated changes daily, so I guess I'm master net player today.

Q: As many matches as you've played in Ashe, have you figured out certain conditions there that could be to your advantage?

Andy Roddick: Yes, yes, there's definitely things that are always the same out there and things that appear to be one way and they are definitely the other way. I would sit here and go through them all, but that would pretty much waste all of the experience that you are asking me about right now.

Q: Can I ask you this?

Andy Roddick: You can ask me anything you want.

Q: Seemed to be a southwest wind. Is it the same breeze on the court? Are you waiting for the next player to come in who doesn't know something?

Andy Roddick: I wouldn't pay too much attention to the flag [smiling.]

After opening round victory over fellow American Michael Russell:

Q: So you think to loosen up players should be able to show their feelings, the fans would connect, and it would be more popular?

Andy Roddick: Let's put it this way: McEnroe is still getting endorsements and he's 87 years old, so—I mean, what does that tell you? Love it or hate it, but watch it.

Q: Jack Sock, a teenager from Nebraska, have we heard this storyline before?

Andy Roddick: Yeah, it's certainly not a challenging story for you guys to write.

Q: You had two young American girls winning today, and Jack Sock. Is this the next generation? Is the dearth of American tennis on a resurgence?

Andy Roddick: I hope so. Save me a lot of time.

———————————-

Novack Djokovic hoists the US Open trophy after defeating Rafael Nadal in four sets in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. The game was called 'the greatest match in grand slam history' by Gordon Smith, Executive Director of the USTA. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

Novak Djokovic outlasted Rafael Nadal in a herculean battle for the US Open men’s singles title on Monday night, 6–2, 6–4, 6–7, 6–1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, claiming his first US Open title.

The match lived up to the billing and was a four hour, 10 minute marathon; giving each fan in attendance more than their money’s worth.

“I stepped on the court believing I can win,” Djokovic said after the game.

Nadal started the match strong, taking his first service game and then breaking Djokovic. The Serbian dug in, however, taking the next six games and the set 6–2.

The second set was deja vu of the first, with Nadal taking the first two games fairly easily, and a 2–0 lead in the set. The third game was a reminder why these two warriors were in the finals and set the tone for the remainder of the match.

Nadal was on serve, but Djokovic brought him to break point. They extended the game to eight deuces, trading between advantage and deuce with the crowd roaring in between. After almost 20 minutes of incredible net play and long rallies, the battle finally ended, with Djokovic claiming the crucial game.

Novak Djokovic returns a shot during the US Open men's final against Rafael Nadal in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. Djokovic defeated Nadal in a four-hour, ten-minute match 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

Both players took to their seats for the changeover, physical exhaustion showing on their faces. Djokovic took the next three games, and it looked like it would be a repeat of the first set.

After the match, Nadal said, “It was a tough match. Physical, mental, everything. I think it was a quality match.”

Nadal brought life back to the crowd by taking another extended seventh and eighth game, but Djokovic closed out the set without much fight from the Spaniard 6–4.

It looked as though it would be a straight-set Grand Slam victory for Djokovic, but Nadal had other plans. The two duked it out for a tremendous third set, with each player breaking the other with regularity. They traded long rallies, with Djkovic placing drop shots at just the right time. The set went to a tie break, with Nadal dominating, 7–3.

At the beginning of the fourth set, Djokovic hurt a muscle in his back and had to take a medical time out. He struggled to serve, often serving at only 90MPH, instead of the 115–120 he had been all match. He winced in pain, but refused to give up. Djokovic played with the heart of a champion and only gave up the fourth game to Nadal, taking the set 6–1, adding U.S. Open Champion to his resumé.

At the end of the match, the exhausted Djokovic laid out on the court, soaking in the cheers of the crowd. “This is really incredible!” he said as he received his trophy.

Gordon Smith, executive director of the USTA said during the Djokovic press conference, “To one of the greatest performances in grand slam history. A toast!”

“If I make half as much as I did this year, next year, I will be happy,” Djokovic said.

DETERMINATION: Nick Taylor returns a shot during the Men's Quad Singles Final on Thursday, September 8, 2011, at the US Open in Flushing, New York. Taylor did not win the singles title, but did manage to claim the doubles title with David Wagner on Saturday. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

Nick Taylor is a US Open champion, World Team Cup champion, and gold medalist. He also has the sweetest serve of anyone on the wheelchair tennis tour.

Taylor, who is one of the few players that uses a powered wheelchair, kicks the ball with his foot to deliver his powerful serve. This method has turned more than a few heads throughout his career.

This method came about, not as a way to differentiate himself from his competitors, but out of necessity. He started playing at 14 with the desire to make his high school’s tennis team. He would hit tennis balls against his grandmother’s garage to practice. Family members would toss the ball to him, but he knew that in order to be competitive, he would need hours of practice.

“I was obviously not going to find any family member, no matter how much they loved me to stand there, and throw a ball to me for four or five hours. So I had to find a way to pick it up myself,” he said in an interview at the US Open.

He used a combination of hacky-sack and soccer skills to put the ball on top of his foot and then kick it to himself. ”At that point in time, I wasn’t thinking about how I was going to serve. I wasn’t even thinking about a serve. I was thinking about how I am going to get the ball off the ground and get it back up in the air so I can hit it again.”

Figuring out how to hit the ball proved only half the battle for Taylor. Controlling his chair, which many wheelchair players agree is the most challenging aspect of the game, proved another obstacle. The manual chairs are much easier to control, as they weigh only 12 pounds and can turn on a dime.

Taylor’s chair is powered, allowing him to move slightly quicker, but as he puts it, “I am driving a 300 pound semi-truck.” His turning radius is much larger, making playing side line to side much more difficult. He often goes backward to keep up, something the manual chairs cannot do.

His chair may limit him, but he continues to find the positive in the situation. “No matter how severely disabled my opponent is, or is not, everybody is less disabled than I am. As a result, I have to try and outthink people.”

When he is not serving up winners at Grand Slams, Taylor helps coach the men’s able-bodied tennis team at Wichita State, as well as motivational speaking. He likes to remind those who are going through a hardship to have determination. “You can’t be afraid to fail, because you are going to fail in the beginning. If I can go from hitting a ball 5 feet, to hitting a forehand 70MPH, you can do whatever you want.”

It has taken Taylor many years, but he has become one of the top American wheelchair tennis players in the world, claiming gold medal in the Paralympic Games in 2004 in Sydney and 2008 in Beijing. He and his doubles partner David Wagner defended their US Open title on Saturday.

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Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands defeated fellow countrywoman Aniek Van Koot 6–2, 6–1 to claim the US Open title in the women’s singles wheelchair tennis tournament on Sunday. The win was her sixth consecutive US Open title, and her 19th consecutive Grand Slam title.

“I am happy with the results. Today I was confident, even though I didn’t feel as strong as the past two years. Aniek definitely came out tough,” she said after her match.

Vergeer, who has not lost a singles match since January of 2003, extended her amazing win streak to 429 matches. During that streak, she has won 110 straight tournaments, 11 ITF World Championship titles, and five Paralympic Gold medals.

Vergeer has expressed her love for the US Open over other Grand Slams, saying, “I enjoy the environment here. The fans are incomparable to any other Grand Slam. There were so many people watching this week and it was great.”

American David Wagner clinched the quad division singles title when his opponent Peter Norfolk retired during the second set. Wagner was up 7–5, 3–1 at the time. The title was the second in as many days, as Wagner took the doubles title on Saturday with fellow American Nick Taylor.

Taylor expressed his American pride after his match, saying that he was proud to have won on the 10-year anniversary of September 11th.

Serena Williams stopped by Wagner’s match before her semifinal match Saturday night.

US OPEN CHAMPION: Samantha Stosur (R) poses with Serena Willims (L) at the trophy ceremony at the conclusion of the 2011 US Open Women's Final on Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York on Sunday night. Stosur claimed her first Grand Slam victory, saying after the match, 'It didn't matter to me if I hadn't ever won a title before today. I've got this one now, so that makes me proud.' (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

FLUSHING, New York—Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Australian Samantha Stosur beat fan favorite Serena Williams in straight sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday 6–2, 6–3, claiming the 2011 women’s US Open title.

“I'm still kind of speechless. I can't actually believe I won this tournament,” she said after the match.

The win was historic for not only Stosur, who won her first Grand Slam of her career, but also for her home country of Australia, which claimed its first US Open women’s title since Margaret Court won in 1973.

Williams started the match struggling to get her first serve in, a trend that continued the entire match. Not having to fight off the Williams serve, often one of Serena's biggest weapons, Stosur was able to control the first set. She did not look rattled at all to be playing on Ashe or against the crowd favorite Serena Williams. Stosur took the final 12 points of the first set, cruising to a 6–2 victory in 31 minutes.

The first game of the second set caused quite a stir at Ashe. After hitting an ace and extending the game to 30–40, Williams yelled “Come on!” after hitting what she thought was a winner. The umpire penalized her a point for interference, because she yelled prior to the play being over. Williams argued the call but the ruling stood, costing her the game. After the match she dodged all questions about the call other than to say, “I thought it was a clear winner.”

TRUE CHAMPION: Samantha Stosur returns a shot during the 2011 US Open women's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York on Sunday night. Stosur cruised to a straight set victory 6-2, 6-3 over three-time champion Serena Williams. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

The crowd booed in protest, and then vocalized their support for Williams as she took three out of the next four games, perhaps fueled on anger and adrenalin. Stosur seemed a little shaken by the rowdy crowd; “It was probably the loudest I ever felt a crowd in my whole entire life. You're right in the middle of it. It was definitely a quite overwhelming feeling.”

Stosur was able to compose herself, claiming the last four games in a row, and her first Grand Slam title.

Despite her unsportsmanlike conduct during the match, Williams sat down next to the Stosur after the match and congratulated her. “I was really surprised to see her sitting next to me at that moment in time. I guess it shows what a nice person she is and what a true champion she is of the sport.”

Stosur will continue to celebrate as she heads back to Australia. Williams, however, is facing a possible fine and suspension for her outburst against the umpire after the lost point in the second set.

A statement released by the USTA said that she was issued a code violation for her comments directed at the chair umpire and a review would be made by Tournament Referee Brian Earley to decide if a fine would be issued and how much. A decision will be made tomorrow.

Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2thebullpen

Serena Williams celebrates after beating Caroline Wozniacki in a Women's semifinal match at the US Open tennis tournament. (Henny Ray Abrams/AFP/Getty Images)

Serena Williams is almost back. After a long layoff and a slow start to her season, the 29-year-old, 13-time Major champion showed she is in possession of all her weapons and has even developed a few new tricks, defeating #1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets in match which only lasted 86 minutes.

It means a lot to me to come out here to play as an American,” Williams told CBS after the match. “It’s been a long and arduous journey—the support from the fans really helped. You guys need to come back tomorrow to keep supporting me.”

Truth be told, not all of Williams’ weapons were working at 100%: she only landed 50 percent of her first serves inbounds in the first set, 62 percent on the match. Of course, when that serves hits 118 mph, the ones that do land in don’t often come back—Williams had 11 aces in two sets.

Serena also hit as many errors as winners, at 34 each, and four double faults.

What she did to compensate was come to the net, very successfully; 17 out of 21 approaches netter her points for an 81 percent average. “Normally I only come to the net to shake hands, but today I figured I would try something different,” she told CBS Sports after the match.

While Wozniacki was completely overwhelmed in the first set, wining just two games, she managed to put up a struggle in the second. In the first set the top-ranked Dane played purely defensively, waiting for Williams to make errors.

In the second set she turned up the aggression a notch, scoring an ace and hitting five winners, compared to none of either in the first set. Still it was more Williams’ mishits than Wozniacki’s attacks which earned the top-ranked Wozniacki two service breaks in the second set.

Williams stopped play halfway through the first set to get medical treatment for a toe on her right foot—possibly the toe which was lacerated last season and which started her long layoff. Serena showed no signs of injury afterwards

Williams faces 10th-ranked Australian Samantha Stosur in the Final on Saturday. Stosur has never gotten past the Quarterfinals at the US Open before, though she has made it to the semis and finished as runner up at the French Open in 2009 and 2010.

Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning against Andy Murray during their Men's US Open 2011 semifinals match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal defeated Andy Murray in four sets Saturday night to advance to the Final of the US Open tennis tournament. This sets up a rematch of the 2010 US Open Final between Nadal and Novak Djokovic, which Nadal won in four sets.

Nadal took the first two sets; Murray fought back to take the third started strong in the fourth, banging out serves up to 134 mph and hitting winners to both courts. For every winner, however Murray hit an error, while Nadal played near-perfect defense.

Fitness and focus were the Spanish champion’s edge.

“The beginning of the fourth was very important because Andy had a tougher match, yesterday, than me,” Nadal told CBS Sports. “He had break point at the beginning of the fourth so I saved that. And after that I think I started to play more aggressive.

“I think I played my best match of this year, here. I am very happy to be in the final.”

The defending champion broke Murray’s serve in the fourth game of the set, forced him to fight off three break points in the sixth; Nadal’s defense stayed nearly flawless while Murray couldn’t find the court with a first serve.

Murray began clutching his lower back between points; injured or just sore, he looked a little ragged, while his opponent looked fresh.

Murray went down at love in his final service game, unable to score on his own serve. Nadal looked like classic Nadal, running around forehands and blasting them back to the baseline covering the court side-to-side, while making few mistakes.

“I think I played my best match of this year, here."—Rafa Nadal

#2 will face #1 in the finals, a prospect Nadal might find daunting.

“This year I am not having good luck against [Djokovic,]” he told CBS. “I‘ve played already five finals and I’ve lost all of them. Hopefully, New York will help me this time.”

When asked how he might adjust his game to handle the lanky Serb, Nadal replied, “I didn’t find the solution yet, but I will try my best.

I played last year in the finals against him—I think I played a fantastic match. So, I will try the same—I will try to play crazy with my forehand and I have to be very solid with my serve because he was [taking advantage of] this—he is unbelievable.”

The Spanish champion closed with a word about Sunday’s 9/11 anniversary.

VICTORY: Novak Djokovic celebrates his five set comeback victory over Roger Federer in the semifinal match at the US Open on Super Saturday on Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York. Djokovic will face defending Champion Rafael Nadal in the final on Monday. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

FLUSHING, New York—The legend of Novak Djokovic continued on Super Saturday, as the Serbian came back to beat tennis legend Roger Federer in a fantastic five-set match at Arthur Ashe Stadium 6–7, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 in the semifinals of the US Open.

“It's probably, under the circumstances, the greatest victory I had in 2011,” Djokovic said after the match. That was a bold statement considering he has only lost two matches all year.

Both players came out a little tight, but neither gave an inch, each holding serve until the third game of the second set. As he has done this entire tournament, Djokovic came out a little slow the first two sets, allowing Federer to attack his backhand.  
The third and fourth set were owned by Djokovic, as the five-time Champion Federer cooled off and could not find his rhythm. “You have to figure that Novak was going get his teeth into the match at one stage, right? It's a pity that it happened then, because I think I had a couple of game points, too. It hurts getting broken that way,” Federer said after the match.

The beginning of the fifth set was as evenly matched as the billing, with both men holding serve. It was Djokovic who blinked first. In the eighth game, with Federer up 4–3, Djokovic double faulted, and then gave up the game on an unforced error. Federer was able to serve for the match at 5–3, but Djokovic broke his serve.

Federer was unable to keep the lead, allowing Djokovic to claim the next three games, putting him in the US Open finals for the first time and extending his dream season.

“It's obvious that this is the best year of my career, by far. The confidence level is very high at this moment.”

Roger Federer celebrates after winning against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga during their Men's US Open quarterfinals match. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

A revenge-minded Roger Federer blew past 11th-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 and into the semifinals for an eighth straight time at the annual Flushing event Thursday night and in the process, atoned for one of his most shocking grand slam exits ever—a five-set loss at the All-England Club last June to the French-born Wilfried in which the six-time Wimbledon Champion blew a two sets to none lead.

At the time, the head-turning event was the first time anyone had dared to come back from such a deficit against tennis' all-time leader in Grand Slam titles in a major event in 179 career matches.

This time, though, he made sure he wasn't going to have a repeat of that fateful summer day. The five-time U.S. Open Champion was aggressive from the start, repeatedly going to the net for points (32 times, converting 19) while the somewhat out-of-sorts Tsonga (19 total net approaches, 11 converted) seemed confused by the aggressive play of the world's number three player.

The 30 year-old Federer also had his first serve working to the tune of 72% (62 of 86) while again the younger Tsonga lagged behind, getting in just over half of his initial attempts (45 of 85) in helping to allow the Swiss star 13 break point opportunities of which he converted six, compared to the meager three and two that the 26 year-old Tsonga had.

Number four seed Andy Murray returns a shot to Donald Young during their Men's singles Quarterfinal match at the US Open tennis tournament. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

FLUSHING, New York—Andy Murray was just too much for American Donald Young on Thursday, finishing the rain-delayed match in three sets on Grandstand 6–2, 6–3, 6–2. The win put Murray into the quarterfinals of The US Open for the first time since 2008.

Young had a 2–1 lead when the match started, but Murray quickly took command by taking the first five games and the first set. “I thought I was hitting the ball well from the back of the court. I would've liked to have served better,” he said after his match. “I thought I had good intensity from the start of the match and made it difficult for him to get any free points.”

Murray took the first two games of the second set, extending his match streak to seven games, before Young finally put together a good game for his first point of the day. Young started to get his swagger back and tied the set at two-all, but he fell apart again. After dropping the fifth game, he yelled to his coach, “I can’t hold it!” referring to his grip.

Donald Young returns a shot to Andy Murray during their US open Quarterfinals match. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

Murray dominated the remainder of the set, with the exception of a double fault on set point in the sixth game, which gave Young the game.

The third set had some great tennis, with long volleys and great net play. Young had a chance to get the set as it was tied 3-all, but he let his frustration get the better of him, and dropped the final three games including an ace on match point. Young said after the match, “I felt I didn't put my best foot forward and play the way I've been playing the whole time.”

Murray will face John Isner in a quarterfinal match tomorrow. Isner is in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal of his career. They have only played once, with Murray getting the victory.

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11

Andy Roddick (R) shakes hands with David Ferrer after their Quarterfinal match at the 2011 US Open tennis tournament. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

FLUSHING, New York—Andy Roddick took care of business on Thursday, beating David Ferrer 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open for the first time since 2008.

The match, which had been delayed due to rain since Tuesday, had more water drama, despite the bright sunshine at the start of the match.

“I looked down at one point and I saw like a little crack, and it had probably seven or eight nickel-sized water drops on it, but it looked too perfectly placed. It almost looked like someone almost poured a little bit of water out,” he said after the match.

Andy Roddick hits a return during his men's match against David Ferrer at the 2011 US Open tennis tournament. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

“I dried it off, played the next game, went back to play the point, and saw it was there again. That's when I realized that we had a problem.”

The players were taken off the court for an hour and brought back out. Much to Roddick’s dismay, the water was still there. “Then they called us back out, and we walked right over it and it was wet. I could not believe what I was looking at.”

Tournament official Brian Earley decided to move the players to Court 13, which only holds 584 people.

Andy Roddick high-fives his fans after winning his way back into the US open semifinals for the first time since 2008. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

Roddick smiled when speaking about playing on Court 13, a court he had not played on since 1999 in Juniors; “I enjoyed it. I like playing kind of the smaller more intimate stuff when I can.” He took a victory lap after his match, high-fiving the lucky fans that got a seat in the small venue.

The USTA released a statement regarding the conditions of Louis Armstrong: "We have faced an inordinate amount of rain in August and through the early part of September which has saturated the court surfaces at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. All courts were completely dried prior to play on Thursday, September 8.

“However, as the sun began to warm, or “bake” the courts, evaporation of these saturated conditions began to surface on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Until this situation is rectified, no further play will occur on Louis Armstrong Stadium."

This was the first time Roddick has played on an outside court at a Men’s singles match at the US Open in his pro career.

Roddick will face Rafael Nadal in his quarterfinal match on Friday.

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11

Serena Williams returns a shot against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova during their Women's Quarterfinal US Open match. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

After a rocky start, Serena Williams recovered to defeat 16^th-ranked Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets on Arthur Ashe court at in US Open Quarterfinal play Thursday afternoon.

Both players had problems in the first set; neither could hold serve through the first six games. Williams was the first to find her game, holding for 4–3. This ended the stream of service breaks but not the errors; Williams hit 16 in the set, Pavlyuchenkova 17.

After the first six games Williams improved steadily; she hit only six unforced errors on the final set, while adding three aces and nine winners to her tally. Pavlyuchenkova's play went the other way, she served up six more double faults and 14 more errors on the way to a 7–5, 6–1 defeat

Williams will face the winner of the match between top seed Caroline Wozniacki and tenth-seeded Andrea Petkovic.

Rafael Nadal hits a backhand against Gilles Muller during their Men's singles US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

Though the first set took two days to complete, once defending US Open champion Rafael Nadal hit his stride, he dispatched Gilles Muller in just over an hour Thursday afternoon.

The Round of 16 match between No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal and his unseeded 28-year-old opponent Gilles Muller of Luxembourg was scheduled for Wednesday. First it was delayed by rain for three hours; then it was postponed after three games.

Those three games were all Muller, as the big Luxembourger used his booming serve and forehand to break his Spanish opponent and win two service games.

After play was suspended, Nadal, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick complained to the organizers that they were forced to play in unsafe conditions. With that off his chest, Nadal was able to come back Thursday and focus on tennis.

Muller came out strong when the match resumed, serving up eight aces, running Rafa all over the court with big, left-handed forehands, and charging the net successfully.

Nadal got the break back at 4–2 but couldn’t get another; the match went to a tie-breaker.

Muller would have seemed to have the advantage in a tie-breaker with his 127-mph serve and aggressive volleying, but Nadal had the edge in competitive drive.

The defending champion took the first four points of the tie-break, lost one point on Muller’s serve, then closed out the set.

Nadal had three aces and three double faults, only five other unforced errors and 20—yes, 20—winners in the first set. Once he found his rhythm Nadal, who started the day down three games and a break, began to look like a defending champion playing a 68^th-ranked player.

The first set took 65 minutes; the next two together took 63. Muller’s big serve seemed to evaporate—he hit only three aces in the last two sets. Errors beat the big lefty—43 in the match, and most of them coming at key junctures.

Muller stayed aggressive, matching Nadal’s power from the baseline and charging the net whenever possible, but Nadal had found his form. With 33 winners and only 11 unforced errors in the set and winning 81 percent of his first serve points, Nadal simply steamrolled his opponent in the final two sets, giving up only three games.

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11 

RAIN DELAY: Andy Roddick and David Ferrer wait out a rain delay on Wednesday, September 7 in Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing, NY. The players felt that conditions were unsafe at the time and that they should have never been brought on court. They are pondering forming a union to help have their voices heard from now on. (Don Emmert/Getty Images)

The storms that rolled through the US Open on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing play to be canceled both days, left the USTA with more than just scheduling headaches. The ATP’s top players voiced their concerns over playing in conditions that they felt were unsafe. They are also broaching the topic of player’s unions.

Andy Roddick chimed in his opinion about a player’s union after his match on Thursday: “It's something that interests me just because it's a glaring hole. I think we are the only sport without a players' union of major sports.”

The discontent among the players began on Wednesday when the players were called to the court despite the court not being fully dry, with mist falling. Rafael Nadal voiced his concern to ESPN’s Pam Shriver, which was aired during the rain delay: “The health of the players is important, and we don't feel protected.” He went on to say, “If I have to play [when it's] raining, I cannot accept that. We have to fight to change that, to have the power to change it.”

Andy Murray, who was vocal on Wednesday about the conditions being unsafe that day, discussed in his post-match interview on Thursday how different Grand Slams are because the ATP does not run them.

“Here we have an ATP Tour manager who was in the locker room with us beforehand yesterday, and he was saying, ‘It's still raining out there, guys. You shouldn't go out there and play.’ Then the referees here, it's different. You know, it's the ITF. They want us to go out on the court. If it was at an ATP tournament we wouldn't have been on the court, but because it's not, the ATP doesn’t run the Grand Slams, then it's not always up to us.”

Many of the players, including Murray, feel that the business side of things may have trumped player safety. The USTA was trying to keep fans, who had paid big money to see their favorite tennis stars play, and TV sponsors happy. They were pressing to get at least the men’s round of 16 in to keep the tournament on schedule for a Sunday finish. It was announced on Thursday afternoon that they were not successful and for the fourth year in a row will have a Monday men’s final.

With the rain at each year’s Open, comes a discussion of putting a roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium. The USTA released this statement on Wednesday: "Constructing a roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium remains technically complex and financially challenging. Though the USTA will continue to explore potential roof options, no plans exist for the construction of a roof at this time." Estimates have the roof costing between $150–200 million.

One thing the rain delay did bring was a more unified voice from the players. They want to feel represented and are prepared to have serious discussion about how to make their voice heard so that players safety is not put at risk to get matches in based on TV schedules.

Roddick said that while he supports the idea, it is tough to get a unified voice. “It's just tough to come together. I think you have to have the right person involved who might understand the business side of it, might actually understand numbers, the way something works. You're going have to have a player of some sort who's willing to make some sort of sacrifice a little bit.”

Murray hoped that everyone could sit down after the tournament and discuss how they should be represented and even invited the women’s tour to get in on the discussion.

Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2thebullpen

STILL SPRY: Jerry Loughran may be more than twice as old as most of the players, but he can still get around the court and take care of his responsibilities. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

FLUSHING, New York—Fabrice Santoro was ready for his 2009 US Open match. “The Magician” was warmed up, mentally prepared and looking to dominate. He faced the ballboy to get his tennis balls prior to his first serve, something he had done hundreds of times, but this time he stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of looking at a fresh-faced kid, a gray-haired man smiled back at him.

Santoro pointed to the man’s gray hair peeking out from his hat, gave him a look, and shook his head, puzzled by the anomaly. “The Magician” spent the rest of the match going out of his way to make sure the grey-haired ballboy didn’t work too hard, often running after loose balls himself.

No, this is not the plot of a movie. It is the story of 63-year-old Jerry Loughran, the oldest ballperson at this year’s US Open. When Loughran tells his story, his face lights up, acting more like the kids usually filling the ballperson position than the mature retired lawyer he actually is.

NIMBLE FINGERS: Loughran crouches to snare an errant ball during a US Open match. He credits yoga for keeping him flexible. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

Loughran grew up near Forest Hills watching tennis, but like many, never dreamed of becoming a ballboy. He pursued a career in law, but continued to watch tennis, often attending the US Open as a spectator. It wasn’t until he got close to retirement that he began to ponder what his next great adventure would be.

His wife saw a story about the ballperson tryouts on the local news, but it wasn’t until 2006 that Loughran was finally able to try out. He made it to the second round, but did not make the final cut. Tina Taps, director of ballpersons, told him he should try out for a smaller tournament in his area to gain experience. He did and was awarded the job. During orientation he asked the director, “Where is the ballboy parking?” The director chuckled, not knowing the answer. “Ballboys don’t normally drive.”

The following year Loughran turned 60 and his wife gave him a trip to Ireland as a gift. The trip happened to fall during the tryouts. Being a ballboy at the US Open that year was not meant to be.

PLAYER PROTECTION: Loughran holds an umbrella over a player to shield him from the sun. His thought? 'You are on the court with these professional players. This is the US Open. How much better can it get?' (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

In 2008, Loughran’s patience finally paid off and he was awarded a ballperson position in the qualifying round of the US Open. He did well there and made it to the draw, where he has been a staple the past three years. “The first year was physically demanding.” He credits yoga with helping ease the wear on his aging body.

This year’s US Open was especially rewarding. “This year, for the first time during the qualifiers, my wife, my two daughters and my four grandkids came to see me.” For them, the tennis match was less important than the man with the grey hair chasing down the tennis balls.

Loughran will be 64 in November. He would love to come back and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Open; “It is just exciting to be on a court, with professional players and to see a match from that perspective.”

He is unsure if his aging body will be able to keep up. His knees both have torn meniscus, his Achilles gives him problems, and he has a slap tear in his right bicep. Throwing across the court is becoming more difficult, something that is imperative in a back court ballperson.

Regardless of next year, he will finish out this tournament, teaching the younger kids what this really means. “You are on the court with these professional players. This is the US Open. How much better can it get?”

The grey hair has brought wisdom, something the quicker, younger, ballpersons will have to earn. That, and a parking spot.

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11

HITTING HIS STRIDE: Donald Young celebrates his third round victory on Grandstand on Sunday at the 2011 US Open. After much fanfare early, he is finally starting to see the success that he was told he should have. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

Newsweek Magazine hit newsstands in December of 2004. It was their annual “Who’s Next” edition for 2005. On the left side of the cover was a kid holding a tennis racquet, his hat cocked to the side. His name was Donald Young, a tennis phenom born in Chicago, who, at 10 years old traded volleys with John McEnroe and was told he would be the next big American name in tennis.

In the middle of that same cover was Barack Obama, a then-promising state senator. Obama lived up to the billing. Young has not … yet.

At only 22, Young has already had a long and arduous career. He turned pro at 15 and was dubbed “the next best thing” in American tennis. He enjoyed early success, claiming the No. 1 ranking on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2005 at only 16 years, and 5 months. He was the youngest player to do so.

In 2007 he became the youngest player to finish in the top 100 at only 18 years, 5 months. He cracked the top 100, an astonishing 386-position improvement from the previous year.

In 2008, he moved up to the ATP World Tour circuit for the first five months of the season but could not build on the success he had seen the season before. He could not overcome himself and put together all facets of his game.

This week he pondered his tough road; “It was tough because I wanted to win. I was used to winning. When you're used to winning and you start losing, it doesn't feel good.”

Prior to this season, he decided to completely rededicate himself to the game. Instead of staying at home, trying to prepare himself for the long season, he took off to California to train at the USTA Training Center in Carson. He did two-a-days for both tennis and strength, and kept a better daily regimen.

“I would say I worked harder and did a lot of different things in the off season. You can't get different results doing the same old thing.”

Changes Pay Off

WINNING STROKE: Donald Young drives a backhand return towards Juan Ignacio Chela during their men's singles match on Grandstand Court at the US Open Sunday. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

The combination of experience, maturity, and preparation began to pay off this season. In March Young beat Andy Murray, who was ranked No. 5 in the world at the time. It was the first time Young had beaten a top-10 opponent in his career.

Before playing in the US Open he reached his first tour-level semifinal in Washington and came in ranked 84, his highest ranking since May of 2008.

At this year’s US Open Young earned his first five-set victory in the second round by beating Stanislas Wawrinka. His upset of Juan Ignacio Chela in front of the packed house at Grandstand has been one of the more memorable moments of the tournament.

As he prepares to face four-seed Andy Murray, he has the backing of the media as well as the nation once again. “When I step on the court I actually feel like I can win, not just put up a good front and have a good match. That's a great feeling to have on the court.”

“I think everyone's light turns on at their own time. I'm starting to feel like mine is turning on. Not everybody does it when everybody expects it to be done. I wish it could have been earlier. It's starting to come now and I'm excited about it.”

The rest of the country is too Donald. Good luck.

Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2theBullpen

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11

NADAL CHALLENEGED: Rafael Nadal beat David Nalbandian in a tough three-set match. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Nadal Wins in Straight Sets

FLUSHING, New York—Rafael Nadal downed David Nalbandian 7–6, 6–1, 7–5 in a tough match that was a lot closer than the final score.

Nadal had to come back from down 4–2 in the first set before putting it away in the tiebreaker. Nalbandian limped through the second set, seeming to almost give the Spaniard the set 6–1. Nalbandian drew the third set to another tie break, but the defending Champion would not give up a set, taking the match in straight sets.

Nadal said after the match, “I happy about almost everything today. I think my movements worked pretty well, and the forehand worked really well, and the backhand, too.”

Nadal kept his unforced errors to 18, compared with 60 by Naldbandian. The errors proved too costly for the Argentinean.

There was a scary moment during Nadal’s press conference after his match. As he was speaking, he stopped, slumping down in his chair in obvious pain. The press was rushed out as medical attention was brought to him. He was brought back in the room later, saying he was fine, but had experienced a painful cramp in his legs. He made no further comments in English.

Andy Roddick came on after his match, explaining that it is normal for players to experience cramping after matches.

“People cramp after matches when you’re cold. It’s unfortunate it happened in front of all of you (media). Every single player in there has had that happen before. As long as it doesn’t happen in a match, you are fine.”

Nadal will face Gilles Muller for his next match.

Roddick Advances

NET PLAY: Andy Roddick returns a shot to Julien Benneteau of France during their third-round match at the US Open. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

American Andy Roddick took care of business against Juilen Bennateau, beating the Frenchman in straight sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Roddick cruised early, winning the first set 6–1, but as the match wore on, the French wildcard gave him some troubles. Roddick secured the second set 6–4, but Bennateau took the third set to a tiebreak.

Roddick will face his toughest challenge in David Ferrer. “Obviously he is tough. A lot of what I do feeds into what he does well also. I don’t think there are a lot of secrets between us. Most of the time we played, whoever executed better has won.”

Donald Young Makes His First Round of 16

REALIZING PROMISE: Donald Young drives a backhand return towards Juan Ignacio Chela during their men's singles match on Grandstand Court at the US Open Sunday. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

Donald Young upset 24-seed Juan Ignacio Chela in front of a packed house on Grandstand court Sunday afternoon.

The 22-year-old American, who was once thought to be “the next best thing” for American tennis, enjoyed the victory, pumping his fist and soaking in the roaring crowd.

After his match he said, “Without them (crowd), I wouldn't have won at all today. I don't think I would have had a chance because I was kind of getting a little fatigued. The energy was kind of going away. They definitely pushed me through.”

Young reached the 4th round of a Grand Slam for the first time, finally experiencing the success he had been promised at an earlier age. He credits his new-found success to changing his off-season routine, including working out at the USTA center out in Carson, California.

Young will face the winner of the Andy Murray-Feliciano Lopez match. Young faced Murray earlier in the season and beat him, earning him the biggest win of his career so far.

Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2thebullpen

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11

Flavia Pennetta (L) shakes hands after defeating Shuai Peng of China during their women's match at the US open. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

FLUSHING, New York—Italian Flavia Pennetta followed up her upset of Maria Sharapova by defeating Shuai Peng in an amazing two-and-half-hour battle on Louis Armstrong Stadium on Sunday in the third round of the US Open 6–4, 7–6.

The match was the longest two-set match of the women’s tournament thus far.

Pennetta was up 5–2 in the first set and appeared to have all aspects of her game under control, but Peng fought back to 5–4. The feisty Italian veteran dug in, and dropped two aces in a row before firing a solid forehand winner to clinch the set 6–4.

The second set opened with neither player able to hold serve for the first four games. Peng said that her serve was not on today, and she had been struggling with a strain in the muscles in her back. She had been taking injections trying to alleviate the pain, but still felt she could not fully stretch due to the injury.

Pennetta began to feel fatigue and towards the end of the second set actually became sick on the court. “This one is one of the worst I never feel in the court. I think was because it's really humid today.”

In the end, Peng folded under pressure, with Pennetta taking the tie break down from 5–0. Peng has never beat Pennetta in five tries.
Like a fine Italian wine, Pennetta has also gotten better with age. “There is some player can growing up early and some player they need time, and I'm one of them,” she said after her match. “I know I'm a little bit old, like for tennis. For life I'm young.”

Pennetta is one of the oldest women’s players remaining, competing in her 35th main draw of a Grand Slam.

She has never reached a semifinal, but will first have to beat Angelique Kerber, the German who has quietly made her way into the quarterfinals.

More on the US Open: http://ept.ms/usopen11

Angelique Kerber returns a shot to Monica Niculescu during Day Seven of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the FlushingNew York. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

FLUSHING, New York—While everyone has been paying attention to the young Americans upset victories, German Angelique Kerber has quietly made her way into the round of 16. The 23-year-old is currently ranked 92.

Lady luck has smiled on the young German this tournament. After breezing past American Lauren Davis in her opening round matchup, she faced the tough 12-seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Kerber took her to three sets and completed the upset 6–3, 4–6, 6–3.

She should have faced 20-seed Yanina Wickmayer for her third round match, but Wickmayer retired, leaving her to play Alla Kudryautseva. She had no trouble against the unranked Kudryautseva, beating her 6–3, 6–1.

Kerber should have faced 27-seed Lucie Safarova, but Safarova was upset by Monica Niclescu, again leaving an easy match for the German. Kerber easily disposed of Niclescu 6–4, 6–3 on Sunday, putting her in the round of 16 at the US Open for the first time in her career.

She will face the tough Flavia Pennetta in her next match.

Pennetta will likely spend her day off recovering from her hard-fought battle against Shuai Peng that lasted two and half hours.

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HURRICANE IRINA: Irina Falconi celebrates her victory against Dominika Cibulkova on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York. She lost her third round match on Friday, but kept in good spirits, saying, 'There is nothing but positives to take out of this week.' She should be a staple in American tennis for years to come. (Michael Heiman/Getty Image)

Irina Falconi’s US Open dream ended on Friday … but you couldn’t tell during her post-match press conference. She was calm, cool, and collected, just as she was during her match, despite the fact that she lost 6–0, 6–1 in under an hour.

“It was just a matter of execution. I didn’t execute today and she was just the better player today. At the end of the day, tennis consists of two things, matchups and execution. Today, the matchup wasn’t perfect, and she executed and I didn’t. That will result in a 50-minute match.”

On Wednesday, after a thrilling upset victory at Arther Ashe Stadium against Dominika Cibulkova, she was holding court in Interview Room one, all the world hanging on her every word. As the reporters left to file their stories, she could have run off to celebrate with her coaches, but instead, she was focusing on her next match.

“Right after that match, I was already thinking, ‘I’ve got Lisicki next.’ I wasn’t thinking, ‘Oh my gosh! This is so cool!’”

It is that type of focus and discipline that she learned from Georgia Tech tennis coach, Bryan Shelton. Falconi had not planned to go to college right away. After losing a match 6–0, 0–6, 6–0 to a college player, she called her mother and told her she wanted to go to college. She emailed Shelton, was assured a spot on the team and enrolled that fall.

She thrived in college tennis, earning All-American honors as a freshman and was ranked the number one player during the 2009-2010 season. She won an ACC title with her team, dubbing the feat her best moment in college.

It was at the end of that season she realized it was finally time to turn pro, a decision she did not take lightly. “Turning pro was one of the most excruciating and stressful decisions I have ever made in my life.”

She said she lost sleep over it, not because she didn’t believe in herself, but because of the phone call she would have to make to her coach. “To tell him, ‘I am not coming back next year. I believe in my tennis so much that I am going to go ahead and stop my education and turn pro—it’s easier said than done.”

After her showing here at the US Open, she has no regrets, as she shouldn’t. Her two years in college gave her the experience she needed to have not only a well-rounded game on the court, but a level head off the court and in the interview room.

A reporter asked her what the headline for her magical ride this week should be. She paused, as she did before every answer, calculating what she would say. “Hurricane Irina has left the building.” The press room roared with laughter, as she smiled, having forgotten about her loss just like the rest of us.

“Hurricane Irina” will be back next year, but we should anticipate a direct hit this time. Someone tell Bloomberg to keep the 7 train running this time

Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2thebullpen

Christina McHale couldn't gain the upper hand in her straight-set defeat by Maria Kirilenko during Day Five of the 2011 US Open. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

FLUSHING, New York—Christina McHale lost in straight sets, 6–2, 6–3 on Friday night under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, against Maria Kirilenko, ending her memorable US Open run.

Kirilenko was in control the entire match, saying post-match, “I think I did everything right today. Even when we had very long points today and I knew what I had to do to win those points.”

McHale never seemed to settle into the match, the setting of such a big match getting to her. “I think it didn't really help me, my nerves, tonight. I never really felt as comfortable as I wanted to feel on the court.”

McHale dropped five of the first six games in the first set, playing back instead of being aggressive. She showed moments of brilliance, specifically in the seventh game when she came back from 0–40 to win after a long rally. But those moments were few and far between.

Kirilenko went to the net 16 times during the first set, winning 14.

Maria Kirilenko celebrates her win over Christina McHale during Day Five of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

McHale got into a better rhythm in the second set, matching Kirilenko point for point for the first six games. She continued to play back and less aggressively and it once again, proved to be her demise.

Kirilenko began having cramps in her right leg halfway through the second set, opening the door for McHale, but the youngster did not realize her opponent might have be on the ropes and didn’t take advantage. “I wasn't sure what it was, but I still feel like she was hitting the ball fine.”

Kirilenko would not elaborate in her press conference other than to say it was a cramp, but she was noticeably trying to stretch it out during the match, even taking a drink during the game.

In the end, McHale’s passive manner proved to be her demise, “I was too passive today. I think the other day I took my chances when I had them. But she was playing well, too, so it made it difficult today.”

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ANOTHER YOUNG AMERICAN: Sloane Stephens prepares to return a shot to Shahar Peer. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

FLUSHING, New York—Chalk another one up for the American women. Sloane Stephens became the latest young American woman to win in upset fashion by beating 24-seed Shahar Peer in straight sets 6–1, 7(7)–6 on Grandstand court in Flushing, New York.

“I definitely felt I was ready for this. I knew what I could do. I knew if I stayed positive and focused, I would be able to come out with some good stuff in the end, which I did, so I was proud of that,” Stephens said in her post-match interview.

Just like her American compatriots, she came out in the first set calm, cool, and collected and marched to an easy 6–1 victory. The set took only 25 minutes with Sloan barely breaking a sweat.

The second set was a battle for both players, as they traded points over long volleys. Stephens fought back from two games back, and brought the set to a tie breaker, winning 7–4.

Her grandmother stood up and cheered, beaming with pride: “We are just so proud of her.”  

Sloane had the opportunity to play on Ashe, but turned it down. “I didn't want Ashe. I haven't played on Grandstand. I haven't played on Armstrong. Why would I get Ashe?” She can now check off a win on Grandstand.

Sloane is among the growing number of young American talent that are making their marks at this year’s US Open. Her “homies,” as she called them, Christina McHale and Irina Falconi, took care of business on Wednesday. The three of them will take on the world at the Pan Am games next month.

When asked if she is intimidated by all the new-found attention for her and the other young Americans she replied, “No. This is life. If you want to get anywhere, you better be ready for everything.”    

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IN TOP FORM: Serena Williams returns a shot to Michaella Krajicek during their second-round Women's singles match at the US Open tennis tournament. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

Serena Williams, having played only five matches since taking almost a year of with injuries, looked as good as ever in her short match against Dutch Michaella Krajicek.

Williams showed no signs of rust, hit with tremendous power, and move as well as she did several years ago. Her stamina might be tested in future matches, but not Wednesday; Williams bested Krajicek 6–0, 6–1 in only 49 minutes.

Williams opened the match with an ace, perfectly setting the tone. She followed that with her only double fault of the match, then fired up another ace—of ten in the match— to get herself back on track.

Krajicek tried hard, serving with power and charging the net, but she was never in the match. Williams covered the whole court and returned almost everything, winning 25 of the first 35 points to take the first set without losing a game.

Williams hit 25 winners and only ten unforced errors and won 91 percent of her first-serve points. No player could stand against numbers like that.

Despite how well she played, Williams said after the match that she had room for improvement. “I feel like once I get to a point where I can't do any better, then that's when it becomes a problem. I never want to be satisfied and think I can't improve. Hopefully I can get a lot better.”

OVERWHELMED: Michaella Krajicek scrambled and hustled and stretched but couldn't withstand the powerful assault of Serna Williams in top form. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

Williams might be facing No. 4-ranked Victoria Azarenka in the third round—by far the toughest challenge she will have faced at the Open.

Williams, now ranked 27th, was not concerned about the match, or any other upcoming. “Honestly I just hope to keep my errors down and keep making my shots, and hopefully I will be able to win five more matches. If not, I'm still happy to be here.”

Williams had nothing but praise for her prospective opponent.

“She's doing everything good. She moves her feet I think better than anyone on tour. She's always moving, and that's really enabled her to get ranked high where she is and have such a great year.

Roger Federer serves against Dudi Sela during Day Four of the 2011 US Open. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

Five-time US Open champion Roger Federer continued his steady advance through the draw, eliminating Israel’s Dudi Sela in straight sets, 6–3, 6–2, 6–2.

Federer was never challenged; his opponent seemed almost to have surrendered as soon as the match started.

After the match, Federer acknowledged that the match was not particularly challenging.

“Yeah, not much trouble on my serve, and from the baseline I also thought I had the upper hand. When it's like that, obviously it's tough for the opponent, but I just think I was superior today.

“It was a good match for me in breezy conditions. It was a bit tricky early on to find the rhythm.  That's why I was happy to get the first break in the first set.”

Sela, ranked 94th in the world, ht twice as many errors as winners (22 to 10,) compared to 26 errors to 31 winners for Federer.

Most of Federer’s errors came when he was firing slams into an almost open court, having pulled Sela wide with tough angles.

The Swiss champion’s serve was accurate, if not overwhelmingly fast, Federer made 72 percent of his first serves at an average speed of 109 mph. Placement was Roger’s weapon, as he picked the lines and corners of the service box with precision.

When Federer lost a point or missed a shot, it seemed to be laziness or lapses of concentration, as if he wasn’t taking the match entirely seriously.

The players Federer will face later in the tournament will take full advantage of every Federer error; he will not be able to get away missing scoring chances.

It seems likely that Federer’s focus will improve when it is needed. He did not win five US open titles by being distracted.

Federer also admitted that despite his long career, he still gets nervous before a match.

“I mean, it is a big stadium, after all. You're supposed to have a few nerves. If you don't, you don't care.  So I do care a lot.”

The court is slower this year, than last year, Federer pointed out. “Obviously the points were kept short today, but it's really the rough surface that if you have a lot of rallies kind of fluffs it up and slows it down. That never really happened today, so when it's like this it's fine.

“Once you get the rallies going, you know, time and time again, balls considerably slow down.” The slow surface could aid players who don’t move particularly well, but Federer’s accuracy and angles negated the effect.

19-year-old American Christina McHale beat 8-seed Marion Bartoli to advance to the third round at the US Open. (Gary Du/The Epoch Times)

FLUSHING, NEW YORK—The American women showed the world that they are a force to be reckoned with in this tournament with two key upsets on Wednesday. American tennis, which had been missing a heavy presence at the Grand Slams as of late, seems to not only be back, but seems to be set for the future on the women’s side.

McHale Upsets Bartoli

Christina McHale proved once again that facing a high-ranked opponent doesn’t faze her as she beat eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli in straight sets on Wednesday afternoon at Grandstand Stadium in at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.

The 19-year-old American, who beat World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki earlier this month, came out strong again, anticipating shots from Bartoli and staying in charge of the match throughout.

“I’m so excited to have beaten a player like Marion, especially to have it happen here at the US Open,” McHale said during her post-match press conference.

Bartoli battled back in the first set, taking it to a tie break. McHale took charge of the tie break winning 7–2. McHale did not let up in the second set, winning the first three games. She dropped the fourth and fifth games before closing out the set by winning the last two games.

“All credit to her, she totally deserves to win. She played better than me and was more consistent,” Bartoli said after the match.

McHale, who is from Englewood Cliffs, N.J., soaked in the home crowd, as they roared with every point she won. “It’s so nice to be able to be home. With all the traveling that I do, it always feels amazing to come home and be able to train at home. I get to spend more time here. It’s huge for me,” she said.

With this victory she advances to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

McHale had home court advantage because she plays at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center under the Player Development Program at the USTA Tennis Center-East. Her work there since February has improved her game noticeably, as she has claimed notable victories against top-ranked opponents all summer long. She was flying slightly under the radar coming into the Open; however, Wednesday’s victory showed the world what she can do.

She will face No. 25 Maria Kirilenko for her third-round match.

Falconi Drops Cibulkova

JOYOUS: Irina Falconi bounds into the air after winning match point against Dominika Cibulkova with an diving shot form well outside the court, parallel with the net, which just landed in. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

Irina Falconi upset Dominika Cibulkova in three hard-fought sets to advance to her first third-round match at the US Open on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her match was moved from Court 11 to center court after Venus Williams withdrew from her match. A beaming Falconi said during her post-match press conference, “When one of the WTA supervisors pulled me aside and told me I was going to play on Ashe, I needed to go outside and get some fresh air, for sure.”

Falconi dropped her first set 6–2 but roared back with a decisive 6–3 victory in the second set and a thrilling 7–5 winner in the decisive third set.

The native New Yorker’s match point shot was a “Top Ten” play, as she ran to the net and made a diving shot that stayed in to seal the victory. “In the third set, I thought to myself, ‘This is now or never.’ I just started really zoning in on what I had to do to win every single point and it paid off.”

She will play Sabine Lisicki in her third-round match.

Falconi, an active blogger, has not blogged for this tournament and will not, out of superstition. When asked what her first line might be if she were writing, she replied, “Living the dream.” She, as well as the American women, sure are.

Keys Loses Heartbreaker

Madison Keys returns a shot to Lucie Safarova during their second-round match at the US Open Wednesday. Keys, the youngest player in the tournament, was eliminated in three hard-fought sets. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

American Madison Keys lost a heartbreaking match to 27th-seed Lucie Safarova in three sets in Louis Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday. The 16-year-old American, ranked 455, surprised the tournament by beating Jill Craybas on Monday to advance to the second round.

STRETCHED OUT: The news and anticipated treatment of Venus Williams finding out she had Sjogren's Syndrome was too much too endure while playing at the US Open. The two-time champ withdrew after winning her first round match. (Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images)

Keys showed no nerves and dominated the first five games in with a powerful serve and laser-like shot placement. Fatigue in the later sets caused unforced errors that proved to be Keys’ demise, but she will be a staple in women’s American tennis for a long time to come.

Venus Williams Withdraws

Venus Williams withdrew from her second round match on Wednesday due to illness. She released this statement, “I have been recently diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is an ongoing medical condition that affects my energy level and causes fatigue and joint pain.”

She was not available for interview and there was no word if she would be cheering for her sister for the remainder of the tournament.

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