Tuesday, September 6, 2011

US OPEN 2011: Five-time champ Roger Federer clubs Juan Monaco and Latest Weather and Schedule Information











Upcoming Men's Singles, Round 4, current forecast calls for showers to continue for the next few hours followed by a period of dryness, when we hope to begin match play. Please check back at http://www.usopen.org/
for updates.
Day 9 Schedule, Next Game
Inclement Weather Policy in place
Arthur Ashe Stadium

Rain washes out full day at US Open


September 6, 2011
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Rain washed out all of Tuesday's schedule at the U.S. Open, postponing matches involving defending champion Rafael Nadal and the three American men left in the tournament: Andy Roddick, John Isner and Donald Young.

Second-seeded Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 runner-up, also had been scheduled to play Tuesday, the first time play has been delayed by rain at this year's U.S. Open.

Steady showers than began overnight carried into the morning, first delaying what was supposed to be an 11 a.m. EDT start.

About 2 1/2 hours later, the U.S. Tennis Association announced that the day and night sessions were being called off, issuing a statement that said: "The latest forecast indicates worsening conditions with no projected breaks in the rain through the remainder of the day and into the night."

A total of 54 matches — including four in the fourth round of men's singles and two in the quarter-finals of women's singles, along with doubles and juniors action — were postponed at least until Wednesday, when the forecast predicts more rain.

There also is a chance of rain Thursday and Friday, which could throw the schedule into disarray. The two-week U.S. Open began Aug. 29, and is scheduled to end Sunday. Each of the past three years, though, rain pushed the men's final back a day until Monday.

The men's matches originally set for Tuesday were No. 2 Nadal against unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg; No. 21 Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, against No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain; No. 28 Isner against No. 12 Gilles Simon of France; and the unseeded Young against No. 4 Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam finalist.

In women's singles, Zvonareva was to face No. 9 Sam Stosur, and No. 26 Flavia Pennetta was scheduled to play unseeded Angelique Kerber of Germany.






Monday, September 5, 2011


The clock was nearly midnight when Roger Federer and Juan Monaco took to the court for their fourth-round match on Monday night (which was actually early Tuesday morning), and it appeared Federer was in a hurry to call it a night already.

After having to wait for not only the extended day session matches to finish, but also the marathon women’s match preceding, the No. 3 seed took care of business quickly like a man on a mission, trying also to beat the rain that started to drizzle early in the third set.

When all was said and done, the Swiss champ managed to beat the rain, dropping only three games in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 clinic that sets up a clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

Even with the late start, the match still was not the latest to complete in US Open history. That record belongs to Mikael Pernfors and Mats Wilander, who finished their second round match in 1993 at 2:26 a.m.

Federer said the late match time delays aren't unusual in his line of work, but he's learned how to cope with them from past experiences, and he seemed to handle the waiting game pretty well.

“It's crazy how our schedules change all the time. As tennis players, it makes it extremely difficult to be on your A game every single day,” he said. “Something happens tonight, you see the women's match, you warm up several times, you wait, maybe have to eat something, you relax again. Your body is also jumping out of your skin because you want to go, then you're held back again. It's tough. But I played really well, crisp, nice. I felt fantastic. The crowd helped me a lot in this regard.”

It took just 12 minutes for the world No. 3 to sprint to a 5-0 lead, leaving Monaco stunned and wondering what hit him. The five-time US Open champion played fast and loose, firing aces and winners at will against a scrambling Monaco. Six minutes later, he held at love to take the first set.

After a quick break of the Argentine’s serve to start the second set, Federer served up four aces in a row in 51 seconds to steal a 2-0 lead. Monaco held his own for a few games, but at 4-2, Federer took another break and served out the second for a two-set lead in 37 minutes.

Monaco’s frustrations grew in the third set, committing unforced errors and ending up on the receiving end of Federer’s unforgiving backhand. Monaco did his best to combat the Swiss attack, but with three quick breaks of serve, Federer repeated the first set with a 5-0 lead and served out the match to advance.

Looking ahead to his next contest, Federer said he is looking forward to his match against Tsonga. Fans are sure to see an interesting match, as the Frenchman has beaten Federer twice this year, including at Wimbledon.

“He’s a tough player and I’ve had some really good matches against him," Federer said. "It’s always crazy up and down, just like his match today against Mardy Fish. He’s an exciting player to play against, and I’m looking forward to it. He's definitely on a good streak. I hope I can stop him this time.”

Match Facts

- The match lasted an hour and 20 minutes.

- Federer hit 42 winners to Monaco's 4.

Arthur Ashe Stadium - Men's Singles - 4th Round
Roger Federer SUI (3) 6 6 6
Juan Monaco ARG 1 2 0

No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki takes scenic route to quarters






















Monday, September 5, 2011

Flash back to two years ago at the 2009 US Open, when the round of 16 featured a gritty matchup between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki. On that day, the two women battled out a three-set match that included two tiebreak sets, with the Dane leaving as the victor. That was the year Wozniacki charged all the way to the final.

Now fast forward to 2011 in the same round, with the same match-up.

Other than the fact that Wozniacki is now the world No. 1 and top seed, not much else has changed since then. Again, the Dane took the scenic route to the quarterfinals, including another tiebreaker and a come-from-behind 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1 victory to advance after nearly three hours.

Wozniacki admitted that she was thinking back to that 2009 matchup, mainly as an inspiration to help her believe that she could still come back from a set down to win.

“It was definitely on my mind because last time we played here, it was the same round, and I lost the first set but I still fought back and won,” Wozniacki said. “But remembering that match, I knew I had the ability to win it, so I just had to keep fighting. I felt like she had control of the match at some points, but in tennis I knew that one ball can change everything, and I was able to push her back and turn things around in my favor.”

Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion and 2007 runner-up here, produced a performance riddled with unforced errors, 78 of them in fact, which proved to be the deciding factor in her loss. Though Kuznetsova also fired off a relentless amount of winners (40), Wozniacki’s defensive game simply outlasted the Russian’s tiring, aggressive attack.

“I made lots of unforced errors, but because I was trying to come very aggressive and to dictate, and I was doing this,” said Kuznetsova, who also admitted that with her lack of match play lately, she didn’t feel conditioned enough to hold a consistent level of play through the third set. “And she was a wall, you know. To break a wall, you cannot hit hard. You have to mix it up. I think I did the right things. I just couldn't close it up in the right moments.”

If the match could be compared to anything, it would be a pendulum, as there were frequent shifts and swings in momentum between the players.

After six service breaks were split between them to start the match, the last of which Kuznetsova lost at love, the first set would be decided in a tiebreak. The Russian chipped away at Wozniacki’s 5-2 lead, eventually getting to 6-6 before taking the first set on two consecutive unforced errors from Wozniacki.

Kuznetsova’s momentum from her comeback in the breaker carried into the second set. She put the pressure on the Dane early, using a penetrating forehand to control the points and fire off a few inside-out winners for a 3-0 lead. The Russian’s forehand continued to be the proven weapon of choice, as she used it to set herself up for countless winners, approach shots and volleys. It was a weapon the world No. 1 just could not find a way to neutralize.

But the more Kuznetsova went for aggressive shots, the more it wore her down, and unforced errors again resurfaced. A momentum shift in the seventh game gave Wozniacki a break to put her back in it 4-3, then evened the score with a hold. Three more traded breaks gave Wozniacki a 6-5 lead and a chance to force a third set on her serve, which she did.

As expected, Wozniacki rode her momentum into the third set, breaking the Russian twice for a 4-1 lead. And the pendulum swing stopped there.

Though both women traded long and exhausting rallies the entire set, fatigue got the better of Kuznetsova, and her once free-swinging shots turned into tired and unwieldy swats at the ball, allowing Wozniacki to break in the final game and claim the win.

Now the question remains to be answered whether Wozniacki can repeat her 2009 performance and again reach the final. The next obstacle in her way will be a quarterfinal contest against Andrea Petkovic. But Wozniacki believes her strong mentality in a match is her biggest advantage against any opponent, and it will serve her well on the road to the final.

“I’m here where I am because I know how to fight and never give up,” she said.

Match Facts

- Wozniacki hit 20 winners and 26 unforced errors.

- The first set lasted 75 minutes, the second lasted 66 minutes, and the third set was 41 minutes.

Arthur Ashe Stadium - Women's Singles - 4th Round
Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) 66 7 6
Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (15) 78 5 1














Latest Weather and Schedule Information


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

(As of Tuesday, September 6, at 11 a.m. ET)

2011 US Open Weather Update

The current forecast calls for showers to continue for the next few hours followed by a period of dryness, when we hope to begin match play.

Thank you for your patience, and please check back for updates or sign up for US Open weather text alerts for further updates.



For any ticket-related questions, please see the Inclement Weather Policy.










 



Monday, September 5, 2011

The clock was nearly midnight when Roger Federer and Juan Monaco took to the court for their fourth-round match on Monday night (which was actually early Tuesday morning), and it appeared Federer was in a hurry to call it a night already.

After having to wait for not only the extended day session matches to finish, but also the marathon women’s match preceding, the No. 3 seed took care of business quickly like a man on a mission, trying also to beat the rain that started to drizzle early in the third set.

When all was said and done, the Swiss champ managed to beat the rain, dropping only three games in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 clinic that sets up a clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

Even with the late start, the match still was not the latest to complete in US Open history. That record belongs to Mikael Pernfors and Mats Wilander, who finished their second round match in 1993 at 2:26 a.m.

Federer said the late match time delays aren't unusual in his line of work, but he's learned how to cope with them from past experiences, and he seemed to handle the waiting game pretty well.

“It's crazy how our schedules change all the time. As tennis players, it makes it extremely difficult to be on your A game every single day,” he said. “Something happens tonight, you see the women's match, you warm up several times, you wait, maybe have to eat something, you relax again. Your body is also jumping out of your skin because you want to go, then you're held back again. It's tough. But I played really well, crisp, nice. I felt fantastic. The crowd helped me a lot in this regard.”

It took just 12 minutes for the world No. 3 to sprint to a 5-0 lead, leaving Monaco stunned and wondering what hit him. The five-time US Open champion played fast and loose, firing aces and winners at will against a scrambling Monaco. Six minutes later, he held at love to take the first set.

After a quick break of the Argentine’s serve to start the second set, Federer served up four aces in a row in 51 seconds to steal a 2-0 lead. Monaco held his own for a few games, but at 4-2, Federer took another break and served out the second for a two-set lead in 37 minutes.

Monaco’s frustrations grew in the third set, committing unforced errors and ending up on the receiving end of Federer’s unforgiving backhand. Monaco did his best to combat the Swiss attack, but with three quick breaks of serve, Federer repeated the first set with a 5-0 lead and served out the match to advance.

Looking ahead to his next contest, Federer said he is looking forward to his match against Tsonga. Fans are sure to see an interesting match, as the Frenchman has beaten Federer twice this year, including at Wimbledon.

“He’s a tough player and I’ve had some really good matches against him," Federer said. "It’s always crazy up and down, just like his match today against Mardy Fish. He’s an exciting player to play against, and I’m looking forward to it. He's definitely on a good streak. I hope I can stop him this time.”

Match Facts

- The match lasted an hour and 20 minutes.

- Federer hit 42 winners to Monaco's 4.

Arthur Ashe Stadium - Men's Singles - 4th Round
Roger Federer SUI (3) 6 6 6
Juan Monaco ARG 1 2 0








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