Five For Five!

That's right. Straight sets even. Superb, Roger Federer.

And so it ends...

The US Open 2007 cranked down to a nice, smooth close early this morning. [Morning for us here in India anyway. What a very crappy time to have to stay up to watch. I mean, 2:30am for yawning out loud.]

As expected, Mr Ice Cool Fedex took his amazing fourth-in-a-row US Open Trophy [Vaav!] after downing a very deserving runner up, Serbian Novak Djokovic [Very cute by the way, with 'outstanding' hair], in straight sets: 7-6, 7-6, 6-4.
It wasn't one of Federer's best performances by a long shot [oh, look, a pun]. Too many unforced errors on the part of both players, but a little disconcerting to see it from the racquet of Fedex the Faultless. But, ho-hum, he took home the goodies anyways.
I particularly loved a certain feline allusion about the tightness of the match and Federer's response to it: "But leave it to Federer, the cool-handed Swiss, who might constantly look self-assured but, when pushed to the wall, responds like an alley cat."
Hah.
Fuller report here.

In the women's draw, Justine Henin won an easy final against Kuznetsova and I didn't watch the match except in highlights [what a very superlative one-handed backhand she has] so I shall say nothing about it. All I know is, Justine must be in very excellent form because she overcame both the Williams sisters, back-to-back. I did watch Venus' game this Open and I thought she was dandy. Which means Justine is obviously dandier, so well done!

This concludes my annual broadcast on the US Open. Till 2008, then, no more of this.

Tommy Haas

Let's talk about Tommy Haas. How hot is he? The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind, which is to say that when the wind is blowing against him, what abs! What abs! Visually appealing and how. So, in conclusion, Tommy Haas is VERY hot. Rrrrrr!
He also happens to be a darling mix of the two thespians upstairs: Matt Dillon and Ethan Hawke. Plus a dash of something uniquely him. Very nice end result.


I am watching his quarterfinals versus Nikolai Davydenko, who is a brilliant player and I really like him, as I am posting this. Davydenko is already up 2 sets. But Haas is [I am hoping] clawing his way back in. We are at 2-2 in Set 3, and at Deuce because Tommy just can't seem to take his game. Oh, great, Tommy's just made another error on his drop shot and is facing break.... Wait, wait, okay. Deuce again.
It's a bloody good match as predicted earlier.
I think, however, that Nikolai just might take it.

...Sigh. It's no use. Davydenko's just broken. Straight sets win, maybe?
Like I metioned elsewhere, Davydenko is kicking some Haas.

And other news from Flushing Meadows

On Tuesday, in Umreeka:
1. Henin defeats Serena
2. Rafa ousted by Ferrer
3. Moya swings past Gublis

Today is a HUGE day at the US Open. Here's what's in store:
1. Ladies' singles Q/F draw:
-Sania's buddies Shahar Peer v. Anna Chakvetadze [v.g. watch].
-Venus v. Jankovic [ another very good match]
-Kuznetsova v. Szavay [ditto]

2. Men's singles Q/F:
-Davydenko v. Haas [Edge-of-seat-madness type match]
-DRUMROLLLLLLL....... FEDEX v. Roddick!!!!! [Good Lord]

Must sleep during day to prepare for all-nighter madness. And yes, there's also the one-hour break between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30a.m.

(All the news from very excellent US Open site.)

Sania-watch: End of US Open 2007

Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek lost to Chan Yung-jan and Chuang Chia-jung 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the doubles quarterfinals, Tuesday.

Thus ends Sania's US Open 2007.

Sania-: Through to the quarters

Ms Mirza and Bethanie Mattek pulled off a wonderful victory, upsetting favourites and second seeded Raymond-Stosur combo at the Ladies' Doubles last night. Very good.

And, following on from the previous post about quiet-as-a-mouse campaigns at the US Open, just look at what Justine Henin is up to!

Sania-watch

She's out. Round 3 and exit stage left.
As predicted after the last match, Sania failed to make it past Chakvetadze who was playing on a much higher level really. Well, she is World No. 6.
Chin up, girl. And let's see you work some magic here on.

Round 3 saw some HUGE shockers.
Sharapova knocked out by a lovely little firecracker whose name I heard for the first time just that day. It's a tongue twister and I have only just managed to say it at one go: Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Here's the match summary, with bits of melodrama thrown in.
(It's the NYT, come on!)
Also, Nadia Petrova ousted by another teeny-bopper, Agnes Svazay.
Hoo, boy.

Watched Venus Williams last night, against no less than 5th seed Ana Ivanovic [who I really like because she looks like someone in my family and has the sweetest smile ever. Oh, and she also plays very well, yes.] It was TOTAL ANNIHILATION. Poor Ana couldn't find her smile at all after yesterday's steamroll.
Venus was on fire. She sizzled. She scorched the court during last night's match. I was picturing little nasty robots circulating in the background droning, "Exterminate. Exterminate."
Other words used to describe Venus' play by various papers: "Venus crushes...; Venus belts out warning; Venus rolls past..., Ruthless Venus..."

It's true. She was in fine form. Went through Ana like a hot knife through petrified butter. I'm putting my money on her [metaphorically speaking, okay?] to take the Title. Here's the match report.

A few big names that have stayed low and will probably jump out at us suddenly is Venus' li'l sister, Serena, who has quietly also made it to Round 4, defeating another player I like, Marion Bartoli. We're possibly looking at a Williams v. Williams Ladies' S/F, though there are big names like Jankovic and Henin to get past.

Something cute Venus had to say in this regard: ---Williams said she hoped to play against her sister. In an on-court interview after the match she said, “If we get to the semifinals there will be a Williams in the final and an American in the final.”----

Oh, but it's going to be good viewing: Venus v. Jankovic, Serena v. Henin. I'm certain Venus will get by, don't know about the other Q/F because I haven't seen either of them play this time.

The men's draw is probably not as exciting, since Fedex is around, doing his ice cool thing. :)
Rafa is creeping up [straight sets victory last match] slowly, calmly tugging at his pants as he makes his way through to the Round of 16.Where's all the fanfare, I say?

Sania-watch: Round 3!

Through to Round 3!

I watched the 2nd round match from the middle of the second set last night, and it has to be said, I am very uncertain about our girl's chances against her nemesis-of-the-year, Anna Chakvetadze. Anna's beaten Sania thrice already this year, even when she's been playing really well. The semi-finals at Hobart, the semi-finals at Cincinatti and the finals at Stanford. Ouch .

Sania lost her way a bit at 4-1 up in the second set. Up went the unforced errors. One match point after the other ate dust. *Cringe*Cringe*
I hope Sania is tighter in her next match. She has to be. We love you, girl, but keep it within the lines, please.

Watching intently.....

Sania-watch

Our girl is through to the 2nd round.
US Open-wise.

Sania-watch

Ms Mirza is up to Number 27 in the WTA single's rankings.
Her doubles rankings are also at an all-time high of 20!

Today is Sania's first match at the US Open. 11am at the Grandstand.

Sania -watch

Sania through to Round 2 at New Haven. Here.
Also, seedings released for the US Open where Sania is seeded 26th and plays Estonian Kaia Kanepi in Round 1.
Federer is seeded 1 of course.
The Men's Singles Round 1 draw looks pretty tame with the only interesting match being Novak Djokovic v. Mario Ancic. Same on the Women's Singles front: one possible interesting match between Tamarine Tanasugarn and Sybille Bammer. Okay, maybe it won't be that interesting.