We've reached the third round of the 2007 US Open and amazingly enough, so have John Isner and Donald Young . A-Rod and James Blake have earned their spots too, so the American flag will wave high at the first full weekend of the tournament. None of that changes my opinion about who can win this year's Open, but it is a relief after a year of disastrous results for the Americanish at the Grand Slams, that our big guns have made it to the knockout stages of the tournament. The biggest surprise of the first week, for me, is that Rafael Nadal's patella tendonitis is already hurting him. Another week of tough play on the rubberized concrete, and our youthful hero will be in a lot of pain.

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.

Monday afternoon at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, 22 year-old American-born ATP Tour rookie John Isner defeated 26th-seeded Jarko Neimenen 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4, to advance to the second round of the 2007 US Open, taking one step closer to an improbable third-round clash with Roger Federer and announcing himself as the American tennis player most likely to win a Grand Slam Championship in the next year, Wimbledon 2008.

Arsenal beat Manchester City 1-0 on Saturday in front of the home supporters at the Emirates. Jens Lehmann was replaced by Almunia in goal, ostensibly because he was injured and not because Wenger had lost confidence in a keeper who has gifted two goals in two league games. Anyway it was a relief to see Almunia's dyed platinum topknot back there when the first back pass from Toure came in. I have never liked Lehmann. He is clearly an amazing shot stopper and a superior athlete. The Boss says he works everyday in practice. But if there's one thing I hate, it's an emotionally fragile keeper. The only thing worse than that is a big keeper who is horrible in the air. Lehmann can check both boxes and see the door for all I care.