Why, after having whipped through enjoyable blog series' during Wimbledon and the French Open , am I so unexcited about the advent of America's own Grand Slam?
The
US Open started Sunday night to the soundtrack of Aretha Franklin, as Venus and Serena took center stage at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, and I chose to watch a rerun of a Schalke-Nuremburg match on GolTV. The trouble is I don't really like hard court tennis unless Andre Agassi is playing Pete Sampras. I don't mean I wouldn't watch another Nadal-Federer final, but you kind of get the feeling that those two are happy to split the kingdom, what with them
co-chartering planes around the world and being so luvvy-duvvy between the net posts. Even if they aren't settled on power-sharing, the US Open is a neutral site for the rivalry, incapable of deciding the tie. I would much rather see Don Rafa and R Fed battle on a more natural surface. Something in a light green or a terra cotta.
On the women's side of the draw I expect to see Serena and Venus on top again if they are focused and fit, which they somehow manage to keep a secret going into every tournament. Sharapova, Jankovic, Ivanovic, and Henin are the other contenders, as has been the case all year since Justine lost the razor's edge.
On the men's side of the draw, there won't be many surprises either, unless you count little ones like Baghdatis' first-round exit. The first tier is Feder and Nadal. The second tier is Djokovic. And the third tier is Roddick, Davydenko, Berdych, Gasquet. There are a handful of other guys, like James Blake, who would pretend to be offended by not being included in that list of contenders.
Ever since I can remember, the media has always pre-crafted an American story for the Open that they can sell during their Labor Day telecasts. This year that story is actually more interesting than it has been since Pete and Dre. There are two Young Americans who opened their Grand Slam accounts with first-round victories, and the paths they used to arrive at tennis' top level could not be more opposite.
John Isner , 22 years-old and 6'9" tall, led the University of Georgia Bulldogs to the NCAA team title in the spring, before turning pro and starting to play challengers this summer season. He got a wild-card into the draw at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington, D.C., when Chilean Fernando Gonzalez withdrew on late notice, and proceeded to win five consecutive third-set breakers before losing to Andy Roddick in the final. He's jumped 646 spots in the world rankings since summer began.
Meanwhile, Donald Young, only 18 years old, has been a pro for almost three years already. Born in Chicago, Young has one of those legendary sporting pedigrees that includes the claim that John McEnroe compared his game to his own after hitting with him as a 10 year-old ball boy. He was the youngest ever Australian Open Junior Champion and also won the Wimbledon Juniors, but up until the 18th of August he had never won an ATP Tour match. Young is a slight left-hander who sprays the ball around the court and chases well. He hit nearly 60 passing shots for winners in his first-round victory over Aussie net rusher Chris Guccione.
The harsh reality says that neither fella will last too long. Isner would have to play Federer if he wins his second round match, and while he has the best chance of any American player to beat Federer, that chance is miniscule and rests only on the mathematical possibility that he win three straight tie-break sets by hitting 15 aces or more in each of them. If you add the service winners to that, say 15 more per set, he'd only have to win 3 points on Federer's serve, or one in each set, to secure the 93 points he would need for a 7-6.7-6.7-6 victory.
For his part, Young, with only two ATP victories under his belt, has to play Richard Gasquet in the second, and while Richard can gift anyone a match, the truth is that he is playing pretty well these days and has way too many weapons for Young.
Sorry to say it folks but the biggest surprise of the tournament will come when Djokovic beats Nadal in the semi-final because Don Rafa's patella tendon won't hold up to the test on the hard courts.
God Bless You and America if you are still holding on to the chance that A Rod wins this one. In spite of my dour opinions I will continue to update you all as the tournament unfolds in the hopes that something interesting happens.
