Every time a Slam rolls around, it's the equivalent of an exam for professional tennis players. The players prep for this exam by playing tournaments leading up to the Slam, and they hope to do their best. Unlike exams given in a classroom setting, players are prone to injuries. Tennis is a very physical game,
It was the third final played on a Monday in a row. In 2008, rain on a Saturday pushed the Nadal-Murray semis to a Sunday which pushed the finals to a Monday. In 2009, Nadal-Gonzalez was rained out on a Thursday, but Friday was washed out so despite a 34 minute conclusion, Nadal was not
It took Novak Djokovic five sets and two saved match points to beat Roger Federer. By that point, Rafael Nadal had a nice break having won his match over Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets. The US Open is the only Slam that plays semifinals and finals on back-to-back days, ostensibly for TV, realizing far fewer
When you're called the best player ever, and your resume includes 16 Slams, a career Grand Slam, and three times you've won 3 Slams in a calendar year, you may forgiven delusions of grandeur. Roger Federer still believes. Still believes his game is good enough to win Slams. Still believes it's his match to win
On a day that marked the 9th anniversary of the attack on the US at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon (which happened 2 days after Lleyton Hewitt won the 2001 US Open) and a day where an obscure Florida preacher promised to burn the Koran (but was talked out of it), there was tennis
They weren't favored to win. Denis Kudla, tenth seed, played Agustin Velotti, the eighth seed. Velotti had won the French junior boys championship. Kudla trains in College Park, Maryland with Frank Salazar. Will Hamilton of Fuzzy Yellow Balls used to work at that facility. Kudla has been invited to be with the Davis Cup team.
For Novak Djokovic, it was Groundhog Day, a day that kept repeating itself year after year with the same result. In 2007, Novak Djokovic had had a breakout year. He reached the semis of the French Open and Wimbledon. He rushed up the ranks and entrenched himself at number 3. Then, at the US Open,
When Nadal raised the Wimbledon trophy for a second time, he knew that there was only one achievement he needed: win the US Open. He won the Australian Open once. He won Wimbledon twice. He's won the French 5 times. Twice, he's reached the US Open semifinals. Historically, Nadal's clay court victories has meant that
The US Open seems to be Novak Djokovic's best tournament. He's reached the semis for the third time in a row, and for the fourth time, he'll face Roger Federer. Novak struggled a bit with Gael Monfils in one set, but then he buckled down in the second set while Monfils gave in. The third
These are the kinds of matches that separate the men from the boys, or at least the champions from the ones that aren't. Stan Wawrinka hadn't had such a great year, but after his four set win over Andy Murray, he had to feel good about his chances against Sam Querrey. Meanwhile, Querrey had beaten
