US Open hits and misses
September 16th 2009 13:57
The US Open is finally complete after running into a third week for the second year running due to inclement weather. So who were the success stories and who wants to forget it ever happened? Read on to find out:
HITS
Kim Clijsters: Could the Belgian have scripted a better comeback? She defeated French top-20 player Marion Bartoli in her first match back last month and gradually improved to the point she won her second US Open title this week. It couldn’t have happened to a better person.
Juan Martin del Potro: A grand slam victory came slightly earlier than expected for the 20-year-old, but he was a worthy winner after defeating Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in consecutive matches. Stood up to the pressure in his maiden grand slam final and there could be many more grand slam wins to come.
Marat Safin and Fabrice Santoro: The veteran pair hardly set the world on fire at the US Open – both lost in the first round – but deserve applause for fabulous careers that will end this year. Safin won two grand slam titles, is a former world No.1 and is/was one of the great characters of the ATP Tour. Santoro played his first grand slam match way back in 1989, has won two grand slam doubles championships and has finished inside the top 100 in the singles rankings in 17 of the last 19 years. The 36-year-old’s unique playing style has earned him a legion of fans and he will be greatly missed. Spanish former world No.1 and 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero is weighing up his future and may join them in retirement.
The wave of new female talent: Teenagers Caroline Wozniacki, Yanina Wickmayer and Melanie Oudin all made the final eight at Flushing Meadows. Wozniacki rose two places to a career-high No.6 after reaching her first grand slam final. The women’s game desperately needs fresh blood at the top and they all look set for long – and successful – careers.
Bernard Tomic: This kid is seriously good. He is now a two-time junior grand slam winner at age 16 and boasts a world ranking of 308 on the men’s tour. Tomic bid farewell to juniors forever after winning the US Open boys’ crown and could well be inside the top 100 by next year. Watch out.
MISSES
Serena Williams: Do I really need to remind you why she is one of the villains of the US Open? That outburst at the lineswoman in her semi-final clash with Kim Clijsters cost her more than the match. Serena has always been regarded as aggressive, but people are now likely to always link her to those 20 seconds of madness. Sure, she’s a winner, but she is quickly becoming one of the most disliked athletes on the planet. That does count, Serena.
Lack of a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium: It might be the biggest tennis stadium in the world – it seats more than 23,000 – but it wasn’t so impressive when the rain was dumping down. Play was dramatically affected for three straight days at the pointy end of the tournament. Early estimates suggest the cost of a retractable roof over the stadium would be around $100 million. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Andy Murray: This is probably a bit harsh on the Scot, who returned to No.3 in the world this week after a short time at the No.2 ranking. But a single grand slam final and one other semi-final appearance is a poor return for a player of his talent. The 22-year-old needs to develop a more offensive game because he has proven he can be vulnerable to big hitters. It’s all well and good to dominate outside of the majors, but is it too much to ask for a grand slam breakthrough?
Mardy Fish: The popular American withdrew from the US Open at the last minute due to a rib injury after reaching the quarter-final stage at last year’s event. His absence was certainly costly – he slipped 27 spots to No.53 in the world. That was the biggest fall inside the top 100 for the week.
Patty Schnyder: The temperamental Swiss slumped to her lowest ranking in years following a second-round loss in New York. She fell 25 places to No.45 and, at 30 years of age, may be finished as a force on the women’s tour. She reached her career-high ranking of No.7 in 2005, but has lost in the second round or worse at all four grand slams in 2009.
HITS
Kim Clijsters: Could the Belgian have scripted a better comeback? She defeated French top-20 player Marion Bartoli in her first match back last month and gradually improved to the point she won her second US Open title this week. It couldn’t have happened to a better person.
Juan Martin del Potro: A grand slam victory came slightly earlier than expected for the 20-year-old, but he was a worthy winner after defeating Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in consecutive matches. Stood up to the pressure in his maiden grand slam final and there could be many more grand slam wins to come.
Russian Marat Safin bid farewell to fans at the US Open, the site of his first grand slam win in 2000.
Marat Safin and Fabrice Santoro: The veteran pair hardly set the world on fire at the US Open – both lost in the first round – but deserve applause for fabulous careers that will end this year. Safin won two grand slam titles, is a former world No.1 and is/was one of the great characters of the ATP Tour. Santoro played his first grand slam match way back in 1989, has won two grand slam doubles championships and has finished inside the top 100 in the singles rankings in 17 of the last 19 years. The 36-year-old’s unique playing style has earned him a legion of fans and he will be greatly missed. Spanish former world No.1 and 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero is weighing up his future and may join them in retirement.
The wave of new female talent: Teenagers Caroline Wozniacki, Yanina Wickmayer and Melanie Oudin all made the final eight at Flushing Meadows. Wozniacki rose two places to a career-high No.6 after reaching her first grand slam final. The women’s game desperately needs fresh blood at the top and they all look set for long – and successful – careers.
Australian Bernard Tomic ended his junior career on a high with victory in the US Open boys' singles final.
Bernard Tomic: This kid is seriously good. He is now a two-time junior grand slam winner at age 16 and boasts a world ranking of 308 on the men’s tour. Tomic bid farewell to juniors forever after winning the US Open boys’ crown and could well be inside the top 100 by next year. Watch out.
MISSES
Serena Williams: Do I really need to remind you why she is one of the villains of the US Open? That outburst at the lineswoman in her semi-final clash with Kim Clijsters cost her more than the match. Serena has always been regarded as aggressive, but people are now likely to always link her to those 20 seconds of madness. Sure, she’s a winner, but she is quickly becoming one of the most disliked athletes on the planet. That does count, Serena.
Will USTA officials splash out for a retractable roof on the world's biggest tennis stadium?
Lack of a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium: It might be the biggest tennis stadium in the world – it seats more than 23,000 – but it wasn’t so impressive when the rain was dumping down. Play was dramatically affected for three straight days at the pointy end of the tournament. Early estimates suggest the cost of a retractable roof over the stadium would be around $100 million. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Andy Murray: This is probably a bit harsh on the Scot, who returned to No.3 in the world this week after a short time at the No.2 ranking. But a single grand slam final and one other semi-final appearance is a poor return for a player of his talent. The 22-year-old needs to develop a more offensive game because he has proven he can be vulnerable to big hitters. It’s all well and good to dominate outside of the majors, but is it too much to ask for a grand slam breakthrough?
Mardy Fish: The popular American withdrew from the US Open at the last minute due to a rib injury after reaching the quarter-final stage at last year’s event. His absence was certainly costly – he slipped 27 spots to No.53 in the world. That was the biggest fall inside the top 100 for the week.
Is the end near for Swiss Patty Schnyder?
Patty Schnyder: The temperamental Swiss slumped to her lowest ranking in years following a second-round loss in New York. She fell 25 places to No.45 and, at 30 years of age, may be finished as a force on the women’s tour. She reached her career-high ranking of No.7 in 2005, but has lost in the second round or worse at all four grand slams in 2009.
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