A slew of the world's best players are scheduled to compete today, but you can watch some of the former greats of the game compete on the outer courts this week as well. Former US Open Champions Martina Hingis, Tracy Austin and Mats Wilander headline a list of hall of fame players and former top 10 stars that will be competing in the US Open Champions Invitational this week. The team-oriented format will take the 16 players and put them into four teams of four players each, with one player on each team serving as captain. The semifinals will take place during the week and the championship match is scheduled for Saturday. With the exception of service lets being played, the World Team Tennis scoring format will be used for all matches. One set each of women’s doubles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles will be contested, with no-ad scoring and the first team to reach five games winning. If the set is tied at 4-4, a nine-point “super-tiebreaker” is used to decide the set. If necessary, overtime scoring and a super-tiebreaker will be used to decide the overall outcome of the match. Teams are encouraged to substitute players in and a mandatory substitute will be implemented after the fourth game of the mixed doubles set (assuming a substitute hasn’t already been used). Hingis and 1993 French Open doubles champion Luke Jensen will serve as the “super-subs” for all matches. They are required to be on site for all matches and ready to play in the event a player is injured or otherwise unable to compete. The full list of teams and players are below. In the first round, Team Connelly squares off against Team Kramer, and Team Tilden takes on Team Gibson. The winners and losers of each match will face each other on Saturday.
US OPEN 2011: Andrea Petkovic advances to first US Open quarterfinal
Monday, September 5, 2011
A late push from Carla Suarez Navarro was not enough to stop No. 10 seed Andrea Petkovic from moving into her first US Open quarterfinal with a routine 6-1, 6-4 victory.
"I think it's just having experience at this point," said Petkovic. "I was a good player last year, but I would crumble in the big moments or wasn't sure what shot to hit in important points. I'm much more confident with those things now."
Suarez-Navarro was playing in the second week of the US Open for the first time in her career and showed no signs of intimidation in the early stages of the match, holding a break point in Petkovic's opening service game and then three more in her next one. The German managed to erase all of them and then earned a break of serve at 2-1 with a strong backhand drive. Petkovic's strong baseline shots routinely came within inches of the baseline and didn't allow Suarez Navarro enough time to hit her loopy groundstrokes, resulting in numerous unforced errors. A double fault sent the Spaniard down 5-1 and then a backhand hit well wide wrapped up the set.
Suarez Navarro fought off two break points in her opening service game and then held a break point to go up 2-0, but sent a backhand well beyond the baseline. A missed forehand approach shot in her next service game Petkovic a 2-1 lead, and then another forehand into the net from Suarez Navarro gave the No. 10 seed a two break advantage.
Serving for the match at 5-2, Petkovic played her first loose game of the match, dumping a forehand into the net to give away one of the breaks. Energized at reducing her deficit, Suarez Navarro began to find the range on her groundstrokes, creating some of the best rallies of the match in the final stages of the contest. With Petkovic serving for the match at 5-4, she won a 20 ball rally to earn match point, and a backhand sent long from Suarez Navarro moved Petkovic into the quarterfinals.
"I lost my focus a little bit at 5-2 and she really raised her level," said Petkovic. "My legs were shaking after some of the rallies in that last game, but if I figured that I was feeling it, she probably was too."
Petkovic will now try to advance into the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career when she plays the winner between No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki and No. 15 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
"I'm going to send my coach to do some scouting for that match because he has to have a job to do," Petkovic said with a smile.
Match Facts
- Petkovic is the only woman to have reached the quarterfinals of three Grand Slams this year (Australian Open, French Open, US Open)
- Suarez Navarro hit 10 winners to 29 unforced errors
- If Samantha Stosur loses her quarterfinal match against Vera Zvonareva, Petkovic is guranteed to re-enter the top 10
In front of a boisterous and supportive crowd, American Donald Young defeated the No. 24 seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. Young played smart, gritty tennis, matching Chela’s consistent baseline game when he needed to and employing more offensive firepower than his higher-ranked opponent. Young hit 46 winners to Chela’s 19, and converted on five of 10 break point opportunities to take a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 win. This latest upset for the No. 84-ranked Young continues a roll like no other he's had in the pros. His three wins here equal the number of Grand Slam victories he’s had in his entire career, having won two matches at the 2007 US Open and one match at the 2010 Australian Open. It follows on the heels of his second round win over the No. 14 seed Stanislas Wawrinka, a match that saw Young score the first five-set victory of his career. His ranking had fallen to No. 146 as recently as this past February, but Young came into the Open with the highest ranking he's had since May of 2008, and after this tournament it will climb much higher. "This is what you work for, this is what you dream of," Young said after his win. "I'm just excited to be able to do this in New York, in my home country's major." Chela may be most known for his clay-court prowess, but this still represents for Young another huge upset over a respected Tour veteran. Chela is a three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, including at this year’s French Open and the 2007 US Open. He’s been ranked in the top 50 most of the past 11 years, and reached a high of No. 15 back in 2004. While Young is just 22-year-old, this is his seventh US Open main draw appearance, and it appears that he’s formed a strong bond with the New York crowd. The fans that packed Louis Armstrong Stadium were solidly and loudly in Young’s corner from the start, cheering every point that went his way, winners and Chela’s unforced errors alike. Frequent chants ranged from “Let’s go Donald” and “USA, USA, USA”, to just simply “Donald, Donald, Donald.” The one cheer of “C’mon Chela,” called out in the middle of the third set was met by the crowd with a collective laugh. Young gave the crowd a lot to cheer about early on. He won the first six points of the match and broke Chela in the second game, racing out to a 5-2 lead. But Chela upped his level, showing the kind of powerful forehands and backhands that have led him to six career titles, all on clay. He broke Young in the ninth game, and held to even things up at 5-5, the momentum seeming to swing to the Argentine. "I was a little disappointed I didn't serve out the first set," Young said afterwards. "I thought I was giving a chance away and maybe he would take advantage." With Young serving at 5-5, Chela had two break points. But Young saved them both, held, and then jumped on top of Chela in the next game, nailing two forehand winners up the line to start the 12th game. With Chela serving and down 30-40, Young secured the break and the first set with a volley winner, and then matched the crowd’s cheering with his own scream of, “C’mon, let’s go!” In the second set, perhaps coming down from the high of the first set, Young dropped his serve in the third game after two quick errors and a double fault. But Young, showing tremendous poise and fight, broke back in the eighth game to even things up at 4-4. He followed with an ace and a forehand winner to hold to 5-4, and with Chelsa serving at 5-6, 30-0, Young climbed back, scoring four straight points to take a two-set lead. In the third set Young broke in the eighth game to go up 5-3, and then closed out the match at love, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd in the final game when he got up 40-0. Young said the crowd support was key to his victory, particularly in the their set when he began to feel fatigued. "The energy was kind of going away," he said. "They definitely pushed me through." In this performance here, we are finally seeing the player the tennis cognoscenti had touted for so long after Young’s impressive junior career. In 2005, Young finished the year as the No. 1 ranked junior in the world. He was 16 years and 5 months old at the time, still the youngest male to pull off that feat. Young won the 2005 Australian Open at the ripe age of 15, and the Wimbledon juniors in 2007 at age 17. In the fourth round Young will take on the winner of tonight’s Andy Murray vs. Feliciano Lopez match.
Match Facts
- Young is coached by his parents Donald Sr. and Illona. His parents are teaching professionals and run a tennis center outside Atlanta, Ga. - At age 32, Chela was the third oldest man to reach the third round. - Chela has been named to Argentina’s Davis Cup team to face Serbia in the World Group semifinals that begins on September 16.
Q. Andy was asked or told that we've been complaining about American tennis not being very good. Obviously nobody in the second week of Wimbledon. Now there will be at least four American men in the second week here. Nice competition. Do you see an improvement there?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I mean, I think the players, we've heard it quite a bit. Not necessarily me all the time, but I'm sure Andy, Mardy, John, James, and Sam have heard it quite a bit. Yeah, it's great. I think that's the way it should be here, especially at the US Open. The crowd support really pull you through a lot of matches. Like I say, I think they've been close. For Andy, James, and Mardy, they've been holding it down for quite a while. They've done well, but the competition around the world has gotten better. I just think it's tougher to do it.
Q. You said that everybody's light comes on at a different time. Has your light come on and why?
DONALD YOUNG: I think it's coming on. I mean, hopefully it is. I mean, I don't have a real reason, but I have things I think are part of the reason why. I would say I worked harder and did a lot of different things in the off season, tried to train a little different, just try different things, be a little more open minded. I don't want the same results, so I have to try something different. You can't get different results doing the same old thing.
Q. Is it possible that the Twitter incident was a good thing?
DONALD YOUNG: Definitely not (smiling).
Q. Jose was saying it got everything out in the open.
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, it's not the way it should have been done. But things are smooth now. We're all okay and great. So hopefully we can move forward.
Q. You've said you've done a lot of different things in the off season. Could you be a little more specific.
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, well, first of all, I went down to L.A. for close to a month with the USTA in Carson, trained with Mardy and Sam, hit with Pete. That was only a couple times. Worked out with the trainers they have there. We were doing two a days in the gym, two a days tennis, which is more than I've ever done before. For a time right after I was beat, but I think it's starting to pay off now.
Q. What prompted you going there?
DONALD YOUNG: Like I said, I wanted to do something different. All the off seasons I've spent a week or two training and then at home just kind of having fun. I could have trained harder at home, but I didn't. So, you know, to take me away from home it made me I was actually there by myself, so to do that was really different, to be by myself every day to get up and eat breakfast at the same time and go work out. It was great.
Q. How difficult has it been with all the expectation on your shoulders from such a young age and the results not coming?
DONALD YOUNG: It was tough because I wanted to win. I was used to winning. When you're used to winning and you start losing, it doesn't feel good. Then I was looking at myself at 15 playing grown men 25 to 30. If I look back at myself, even at 22 I would hate to lose to someone 15, so I would try a lot harder anyway. And I really can't see myself losing to someone 15. So it was a learning experience. I think those things I did helped me now. It's better late than never.
Q. How much do you know about your potential next two opponents? You played Murray earlier this year.
DONALD YOUNG: A lot. Obviously, first up, Andy is a great player. He's been 2 in the world. Multiple slam finalist. He's consistent at what he does. He's in really good shape. He's a great player. And López, another good player. He's having a good year. I think he did well at Wimbledon, beating Andy in Davis Cup. He's playing well. So it's not going to be easy for me. I'm happy to move on to the Round of 16, but have to be ready for the next match.
Q. You've had expectations and people have opinions pro and con. Today out on the court you were surrounded by a stadium full of people that were a hundred percent for you. What did that feel like?
DONALD YOUNG: Pretty much every time I play here they're a hundred percent for me. It feels great. At times it can be really good, and at times they can want you to win so bad they say a lot of things that at the time I know they mean well, but you're kind of upset about it. Other than that, the crowd was great. Without them, I wouldn't have won at all today. I don't think I would have had a chance because, like I said, I was kind of getting a little fatigued. The energy was kind of going away. They definitely pushed me through.
Q. Coming out of here, what do you need to do next?
DONALD YOUNG: Just keep working hard. I'm not to where I want to be physically wise. I just want to just keep working on my game and get better. There's a lot of things I can improve. I feel like you can always improve and never feel like you know everything, which was probably a big thing of mine. I felt I didn't need to work as hard as other people. You know, talent beats hard work when talent doesn't work hard.
Q. When you were serving for the first set you got broken. You might have said a few not nice words on the court, slammed down your racquet. You were going through a rough patch. What's going through your mind and how did you get it back together?
DONALD YOUNG: I don't remember saying any bad words (laughter). But, yeah, you know, I feel like if I play too calm and don't show anything, it's not great. If I, you know, show too much, it's not great either. So kind of have to find that good middle ground. You know, I was a little disappointed I didn't serve out the first set. I thought I was giving a chance away and maybe he would take advantage. You know, I had to come back in the last match with Wawrinka, I came back a couple times, so was pretty confident I could do it again. That helped me calm down again and then I started to play better again. I don't think you saw any more negative emotions.
Q. What's the biggest court you played on? You've played on Ashe before.
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I played on Ashe before, so that's definitely the biggest court I ever played on. It was a great atmosphere. It was a night match against James. I lost in five, which was my first five set match. I've been there before, definitely not in the round of 16, but hopefully the crowd will be for me.
Q. What do you expect the next two days to be like?
DONALD YOUNG: I don't know. Hopefully it's the same as it's been. I want to try to keep my routine, rituals, doing the same things I've been doing during the tournament. Not change too much. I know some things might change or might not. I'm going to try to keep, as much as possible, to keep it the same.
Q. How big a result was beating Andy Murray in the spring?
DONALD YOUNG: At that point it was the biggest win in my career. It still is as far level wise of an opponent and ranking wise. It was great to get that win, but I didn't follow it up with a good match the next day against Robredo. It was just a great win for me.
Q. At your lowest point, did you ever feel like you'd never experience a run like you're having?
DONALD YOUNG: For sure. At times I wasn't winning matches at challengers and I was losing to guys 300 in the world. Actually this year I lost to some players 300. To go from losing a first round challenger in Aptos to the Round of 16 of the US Open is great. But you have your highs and lows in tennis. I've definitely had the lows. Hopefully I'll have a lot more highs.
Q. What do you think it was that you decided to stick it out?
DONALD YOUNG: As far as?
Q. When you got to the lowest point. Why a forward jump?
DONALD YOUNG: Because my team was pretty much, you know, saying, You can do it, and, It would be a waste of talent if you didn't continue. You know, it's ultimately what I chose to do for a career, my job, to make a living. You just don't quit work if you're a smart person and sit around if you want to eat and have a lifestyle you enjoy. But, like I say, I love tennis. It wasn't that I didn't love tennis, I just hated losing. That was pretty much the issue for me.
Q. Do you feel now, stepping on court here, differently in terms of your confidence and your own expectations of yourself than you have in the past?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, for sure. Like when I step on the court I actually feel like I can win, not just put up a good front, have a good match. Before it was more so, Don't go out here and get beat, which I had done previously. But now I feel like I can actually win. That's a great feeling to go on the court, and especially in three out of five set matches I can actually go the distance. When the clock hits 2 hours, 30 minutes, 3 hours, you're getting close to tapping out. For sure, that's definitely a big thing to feel like I can win matches now.
Q. You're unique because you can play all court, soft hands. I wonder how much of what's happening now is the product of confidence and how much is growing into your game and learning where to play on the court?
DONALD YOUNG: Definitely I feel like my game I've had that discussion with my team for a while, like how should I play, because I can play so many different ways. I feel not every way can I play great. It's like Jack of all trades, master of none. Yeah, I'm definitely finding a way I can play consistently. You don't have to use absolutely everything for every opponent if it's not needed. But if it's needed, you can do it. When you go out there with a solid game plan, you know what you can do, you can execute it and not just if it doesn't work one time, go to something else too soon.
Q. If you did play Murray, it would be a different venue, much bigger occasion than Indian Wells. Do you feel you'll be able to handle that?
DONALD YOUNG: For sure. I think I'll be up for it. Definitely it will be different. It's three out of five. It's at a slam. I don't think he had too much confidence coming to Indian Wells. He wasn't playing his best. But, you know, as far as that, I'm playing well also. We'll see what happens when the match comes.
Q. If it is Andy Murray, will it be the biggest game of your life?
DONALD YOUNG: As far as slam wise it would be. I felt like I had some big matches in juniors that felt really big to me at the time. Until I get on the court and play, I don't know what the exact emotions will be.
Q. You have a style that's different from most of the players. Kind of have that Agassi thing going where you have the earrings, the sideways hat. How does style play into your life and is it important to you?
DONALD YOUNG: The earrings, I like the way they look. People like the way they look also. As far as the hat, when I first did it, it was an accident. People liked it. It's really not necessarily you know, at one time it was really extreme. But now I feel like I'm putting it on straight, but I guess I move it a little to the left. You guys seem to really get on it. As far as style, yeah, I like to play with style. I don't like to be boring. I like colors. I like to wear flashy things if I'm feeling good. If I'm not feeling good, I want to wear something neutral to not be seen in.
Revived World No. 1 Caroline Woznaicki a threat again
Thursday, September 1, 2011
An in-form Caroline Wozniacki has loosened up to the point where she is now publicly discussing her romantic relationship with pro golfer Rory McIIroy.
It's easier to sit casually back and discuss one’s personal life when you’re playing well, and No. 1 Wozniacki played a clean and forceful match in her 6-2, 6-0 wipeout of fellow 20-year-old Arantxa Rus in the second round.
Wozniacki did not belt numerous winners, but she forced a ton of them and put up a wall behind the baseline. She knew that if she kept her balls deep and could change direction that her foe would err more times than not, and she was spot on in her analysis.
“It was a good match today,” said Wozniacki, who will face American Vania King in the next round. “I'm happy that it turned out the way it did. I felt like I was playing good. I really enjoy playing out there on Arthur Ashe night sessions. It's a great feeling.”
After her quick win over Michaella Krajicek, Serena Williams mentioned that she and Venus had given relationship advice to Wozniacki in the locker room. Over the past two years, Serena has made pals of younger players such as Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka. She herself has dated other celebrities including the American rapper Common. Serena said that she gave Wozniacki bad advice, which was to never look through your boyfriends’ cell phone and that relationships end.
“We were all in the locker room,” Wozniacki said. “I was going to get some treatment. She was sitting there with Venus and talking. And then it just came out that we were talking a bit and we had a laugh…. I think I should not listen to her or Venus. She was not better.”
Wozniacki and McIlroy have talked about the fact that one of the things that makes their relationship work is because they are both athletes around the same age who understand what the other one is going through. She does not think that they will distract each other.
“I think we have our limits and we know where they are,” she said. “So as long as we both keep the feet on the ground and we both have our careers, which are important to us, I think it's working well.”
Wozniacki is hoping that her plans for a resurgence will go well too. Since winning Indian Wells in March, she suffered a series of stinging defeats at big events and lost early both at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. When she returned to play on North American hard courts in early August, she lost both her opening matches. Somehow, she managed to right her ship in New Haven and won her fourth straight title there. She did not defeat a Grand Slam level field there, but did take out former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and the red hot Czech Petra Cetkovska, two critical wins for her confidence.
“I won New Haven. Now I won two matches here,” she said. “I feel like I'm on a roll and I'm playing well…. I believe I can beat anyone on a good day. But I have to play on a high level for seven matches, and that's not easy.”
Serena Williams dominates Krajicek, moves into third round
Thursday, September 1, 2011
In 2010, Venus Williams tried for a US Open title with her sister sidelined. This year, the roles are reversed, as Serena Williams continued her summer comeback Thursday, defeating Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-1.
The win comes one day after Venus removed herself from the main draw, citing a recent diagnosis of Sjogren's Syndrome - an autoimmune disease where white blood cells can damage the vital organs of the body and cause fatigue and joint pain. Serena, who herself has battled medical maladies such as foot lacerations, a hematoma and a pulomary embolism since her last Open appearance in 2009, steamrolled Krajicek - a qualifier - in a tidy 49 minutes to make it two-for-two for her inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in the last 48 hours.
The abrupt announcement shocked many in the tennis world and created a Google search rush on "Sjogren's Syndrome." Yet, despite being concerned as any family member would be, Williams revealed that putting her sister out of her mind "wasn't that difficult."
"I know she's a fighter and she's really strong," Williams said. "She's great. I think she's really happy now that she knows what it is after all this time. I think, if anything, it's gonna help her now to treat it and go forward."
The three-time Open champion channeled the dominant form she displayed in years past, when she was winning titles in 1999, 2002 and 2008. As the crowd in Ashe shouted words of encouragement to the American favorite, Williams fired 10 aces and converted five-of-six break point opportunities.
Krajicek, meanwhile, did not convert her only opportunity to break in the match and committed 18 unforced errors. Very little went right for the 21-year-old journeywoman, making her first main draw appearance since 2007 when she also lost in the second round. The victory was so lopsided that when Krajicek finally won a game, a soaring roar of applause met her modest triumph - it was just one of those days.
"I told her after the match: 'Welcome back,'" said Williams of Krajicek. "I know she's been going through a really tough time, and not to be discouraged - I hope she doesn't because she's played well.
"She qualified here and won a round, and she never gave up today no matter what the score looked like. I thought it was a really tough match. It was good for her and, you know, she's still young. Her whole life is ahead of her."
Williams defeated Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski in the first round, 6-1, 6-1, in her first match since losing in the '09 semifinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Seeded 28th, Williams could be involved in a star-powered clash on Saturday should No. 4 Victoria Azarenka advance over Argentina's Gisela Dulko. The two play later in the day inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
If it is Azarenka, Williams believes that she will "definitely be the underdog."
"(Azarenka) has been doing everything good," Williams said. "She moves her feet I think better than anyone on tour, to be honest. She's always moving, and that's really enabled her to get ranked high where she is and have such a great year ... I feel like I have nothing to lose in this match if I have to play her."
Match Facts
- Krajicek hit only five winners and had four double faults.
- Williams is no 3-0 in her career vs. Krajicek, last beating her in Roland Garros in 2007, also in straight sets.
- Williams took the first set in just 22 minutes, firing six aces to Krajicek's none.
Arthur Ashe Stadium - Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Michaella Krajicek NED 0 1
Serena Williams USA (28) 6 6
What is Sjogren's Syndrome that caused Venus Williams to withdraw from the 2011 US Open?
By Erin Bruehl
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Venus Williams unexpectedly withdrew from the 2011 US Open before her second round match Wednesday, saying she had been diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, raising questions as to Williams’ future on the WTA Tour at age 31 and as to just how the disease affects a person.
In an interview on ‘Good Morning, America’ Thursday, Williams said she plans to return to tennis and was happy to finally be diagnosed, as she had been suffering from swelling, numbness and debilitating fatigue.
Sjogrens is not one of the more commonly known autoimmune diseases, in which the body’s immune system, rather than attacking an outsider invader like bacteria or a virus, starts attacking itself instead. Other autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, in which the joints are attacked, and multiple sclerosis, which attacks the covering of the nerves known as the myelin sheath.
In Sjogrens, it is the glands that are responsible for secretions that are attacked, including the lacrimal glands of the eyes or the salivary glands, and a result the hallmark symptom is that people complain of dry eyes and dry mouth, of which the severity can vary from person to person.
According to Dr. Brian Hainline, the chief medical officer of the U.S. Tennis Association, there can be other effects from Sjogrens, which include joint pain and fatigue, and like other autoimmune diseases, just why the body begins to attack itself, is not certain. He does not know about just what kinds of symptoms Williams has or their severity, but the disease can make doing everyday things difficult and is vastly underdiagnosed.
“With a lot of autoimmune conditions, there is a spillover effect and it can damage other parts of your body. There are number of people with Sjogrens whose joints ache,” he said. “They have this achy feeling, kind of ache in your joints that people complain when they have the flu. When you have that, it is hard to fight through it. Usually when people have that, they also have this sense of chronic fatigue.
“And when you have fatigue and joint pain, to really excel at a high level , let alone to feel like you want to do things well on a day to day basis, it makes it very difficult,” he added. “I am not privy to what is going on with Venus; I can just speak in general. To play seven high-level matches where you are going at 100 percent, if your body is feeling fatigued and achy, it is essentially impossible to really perform at a high level.”
The disease affects mainly women and can be seen in people from their 20s to their 60s. The spectrum of the kinds and severity of symptoms varies largely from people to people and can vary over a person’s life span, according to Hainline.
“The mildest is people have a nuisance of dryness in eyes and mouth and other end of the spectrum, people can have kidney, liver damage, debilitating joint pain, chronic fatigue and essentially they are just chronically ill,” he said. “It is not unusual to see someone in their late 20s that have manifestations of Sjogrens. It could fluctuate (from minor to debilitating) for reasons that are not really known.”
However, just how and why a person develops Sjogrens is unknown. There could be a genetic component, a virus could jog the immune system to overreact, but nothing is certain.
“Why would the immune system attack itself? That is one of the mysteries of medicine,” Hainline said. “We do know in some families there is a genetic predisposition. But that is not normally how it is. Other times something just happens in the body and the cellular machinery shifts and it sometimes it can be as innocent as a virus that has been in the body and as the immune system is attacking the virus, the virus mimics something that is inherently in the body so the immune system revs up and not only attacks the virus but attacks itself.”
A person is usually treated by a rheumatologist, however, there is no specific treatment for Sjogrens. It is symptomatic treatment based on the person. He or she can take things for the dryness in their eyes or mouths and for people with joint pain, they can take medications for rheumatoid arthritis. However, unlike some other autoimmune conditions, there is no medicine to put the disease into remission, and could have effects on an athlete, depending on the severity of the condition.
“For Sjogrens, you are at the mercy of how active the condition is, how active the immune system is against yourself,” Hainline said. “They do what they can to treat you symptomatically and the patient does what she can to make sure his or her immune system is in the best shape.
“When you are dealing with an elite level athlete, if you have something that can knock someone even 5 percent off, that can be the difference between a gold medal or Grand Slam and being out in the first round,” he added.
Williams had missed much of the 2011 tennis season already with hip and abdominal injuries and then withdrew from a few tournaments this season with a virus. Her sister, Serena, told ESPN during an interview that both her and Venus are happy she was finally diagnosed and that is she is doing ok.
“My sister is my best friend, we are really, really close,” Serena said. “If anything, I can definitely help her and offer advice on staying positive. She is doing great, she is really happy that she knows what it is.”
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic opens up bagel shop against Carlos Berlocq
Thursday, September 1, 2011
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic came within a few games of pulling off a historic triple bagel in his second round match against Carlos Berlocq, reeling off the first 14 games of the match on his way to a dominant 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 win.
Berlocq is a clay court specialist who has largely shunned the hard courts this season, playing just one hard court event leading into the US Open this summer. The Argentine found himself outmatched from the beginning, failing to earn a game point in the first set as Djokovic swept through the opening set in just 20 minutes.
Berlocq earned his first game point while serving down 0-2, but the Serbian saved it with a volley winner. Cruising on his own serve, Djokovic didn't face a single break point on his own serve in sweeping through the second set with another 6-0 scoreline.
The atmosphere in Arthur Ashe Stadium was electric as the crowd sensed the possibility of a triple bagel, which would have been only the seventh in the Open era and just the second at the US Open (the other one coming from Ivan Lendl over Barry Moir in 1987). Berlocq held a game point on his own serve down 0-1, but Djokovic saved it with a forehand up the line. Berlocq earned another game point one game later on Djokovic's serve and rifled a backhand down the line to get on the board, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.
Berlocq lost his own serve the next game, but then broke Djokovic once again with a forehand return of serve winner. It would be the last bit of momentum the world No. 74 would have in the match. Three games later, Djokovic hit a point-winning tweener to set up match point and Berlocq dumped one final backhand in the net to wrap up the match.
Djokovic will now play former world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in the third round.
Match Facts
- The last triple bagel (6-0, 6-0, 6-0) scoreline at the US Open came when Ivan Lendl defeated Barry Moir in 1987
- Berlocq was competing in the second round of the US Open for the first time in his career
- Djokovic hit 31 winners to 15 unforced errors
- Berlocq hit 11 winners to 26 unforced errors
- Berlocq did not hold his serve once in the match
It was youth versus experience in the second-round match between young American Coco Vandeweghe and No. 9 seed Samantha Stosur. And inevitably, it was the experienced Aussie who prevailed, 6-3, 6-4, to secure her spot in the next round and send the American home.
This may have been Vandeweghe's first direct main draw appearance, but the 19-year-old played well beyond her years, firing 10 aces (Stosur had none) and matching Stosur shot for shot in rallies.
But Stosur, eight years Vandeweghe's senior and carrying the experience of playing in a major final (2010 French Open) and eight straight US Opens, proved to be the victor in Wednesday's contest and handed the American an early exit.
Stosur needed only one break of serve to put away the first set, taking a 5-2 lead before closing it out on her serve two games later. But after taking a 3-1 lead in the second, Stosur's grip on the match began to slip, as Vandeweghe broke back with a screaming passing shot to even the score and send the crowd into an uproar.
For a brief moment, the crowd's energy behind the American propelled her through her next service game, giving her a 4-3 edge. But in the critical ninth game, the two women played about a dozen deuce points on Vandeweghe's serve, when Stosur finally managed to convert on a break. It was all she needed to serve out the match.
The 27-year-old Aussie had a breakthrough performance at last year's US Open event, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. She did, however, experience bliss in New York when she won the doubles title with Lisa Raymond in 2005.
The 2010 Roland Garros runner-up is riding a wave of solid tennis this year, after having reached the finals in both Rome and Toronto, two semifinals in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, and two quarterfinals at Dubai and Cincinnati. She breezed past Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in the first round here, dropping only five games.
The young American, ranked No. 112, did well to advance past the first round at a major in seven tries, and her arsenal of shots indicates she is well on her way as one of America's next hopefuls in women's tennis. She defeated No. 56 Alberta Brianti of Italy, 7-5, 6-3, en route to her second round appearance.
Vandeweghe has had success on the Flushing Meadows hard courts in the past, earning the title of 2008 US Open girls champion. In her previous main draw appearances here, as a wild card in 2008 and 2010, she bowed out in the first round. She notched a solid quarterfinal appearance at Memphis this year, as well as the third round at Carlsbad and the second round at both Indian Wells and Birmingham.
Stosur will meet No. 24 seed Nadia Petrova in Round 3.
Match Facts
- Stosur, a doubles champion, went 7-of-9 at the net, while Vandeweghe was 7-of-17.
- Vandeweghe committed 25 unforced errors, just three more than Stosur's 22.
Louis Armstrong Stadium - Women's Singles - 2nd Round
Round one concludes and round two commences Wednesday on Day 3 of the 2011 US Open, as a stellar cast of tennis’ top talents take to the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Former US Open champs Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro headline the day’s play, which also features Andy Murray, Vera Zvonareva, John Isner and Christina McHale in starring roles.
Williams, unseeded here for the first time since her US Open debut in 1997, was efficient, if not electrifying, in her first-round win over Russia’s Vesna Dolonts. That’s hardly surprising, considering this is only her fourth tournament of the year, and that the 31-year-old missed the entire summer hard-court season. But in winning her 60th career US Open match, Williams showed she still can dig deep when need be, converting on three of five break opportunities to pull out the win. Even without a number next to her name, no opponent is anxious to see the two-time US Open champ on the other side of the net. Today, that view belongs to No. 22 seed Sabine Lisicki, who has won two titles this year and reached the semis of Wimbledon—her best-ever Grand Slam showing. This should be a good test for Williams, as the two women have split a pair of career meetings. This goes three; Williams goes on.
Sharapova, champion here in 2006, was less-than-spectacular in her first-round match, dropping the first set to Heather Watson before rallying for a three-set win. The No. 3 seed made 58 unforced errors and was broken five times in that match, so she’s going to have to sharpen up considerably if she’s considering slicing deep in this draw. Tonight, she can start honing her edge against 24-year-old Anastasia Yakimova of Belarus, whose appearance here in round two marks her best-ever US Open showing. Yakimova did take a set off Sharapova in their only career meeting—a first-round Sharapova win at the 2009 French Open—but on this surface and in this place, the former champ should be too tough to trump. It’s Sharapova in two.
Playing here this year as the No. 21 seed—his lowest seeding since his first US Open appearance in 2000—Roddick, who turned 29 yesterday, has had a decidedly indifferent 2011 campaign. The 2003 US Open champ has won just one title while compiling a 24-11 match record, including a fourth-round finish at the Aussie Open and a third-round loss at Wimbledon. He did, however, reach the semis of last week’s Winston-Salem event, which gave him some much-needed match play entering the Flushing fortnight. Roddick opens up against fellow American Michael Russell, a scrappy veteran who has ranked as high as No. 60 in the world, but who has yet to win a match here in six tries. This ought to be a good opportunity for Roddick to cement his hard-court feet and work his way into a Slam state of mind. Expect the first set to be tight, then expect Roddick to let loose. In three, Roddick advances.
No. 4 seed Murray seems forever on the verge of a major breakthrough, but despite remarkable talent, the 2008 US Open runner-up has remarkably never been able to string seven matches together at a Slam. Murray comes here fresh off a win at the Olympus US Open Series event in Cincinnati, where he beat both Mardy Fish and Novak Djokovic, and he’s absolutely at home on the hard floor of Ashe. But “potential greatness” is one of sport’s most obvious oxymorons, and Murray—one of tennis’ most tenacious competitors—has surely had his fill of runner-up trophies. He’ll get a good early test against India’s No. 1 player, 26-year-old Somdev Devvarman, who won back-to-back NCAA singles titles while at the University of Virginia, beating Isner in the collegiate final in 2007. Devvarman is not in Murray’s class, but he’ll hustle, get a lot of balls back and make the No. 4 seed work hard for points. In an entertaining three, Murray moves on.
The 19-year-old New Jersey native McHale is enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 55 on the heels of a career year in which she’s recorded victories over some of the game’s biggest names, including Daniela Hantuchova, Caroline Wozniacki and former US Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova (twice). At just 5-foot-5, McHale plays a big game and has an equally large heart, and she’ll need both today against No. 8 seed Marion Bartoli of France. Bartoli, who this year reached the semis at Roland Garros and the quarters at Wimbledon—knocking out Serena Williams en route—is a major talent, but as McHale has shown, you need to bring more than your name when you’re facing her. I like McHale’s grit and I like her game, so I like her chances here. In three, the American plants a seed.
Vera Zvonareva Bio
Venus Williams Bio
Maria Sharapova Bio
Andy Roddick Bio
Andy Murray Bio
Christina McHale Bio
Sabine Lisicki Bio
John Isner Bio
Juan Martin Del Potro Bio
Del Potro serves his way into second round
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina cruised into the second round of play of the 2011 US Open on Wednesday, handily defeating Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 on Louis Armstrong Stadium in just under an hour and a half. “It was a short match, you know, against Volandri, but I served well,” Del Potro said after the match. “I was improving my game during the match. And to be playing here after win[ning] here, it's special. It's my favorite tournament, so I'm really happy to take the opportunity to play here again.”
The veteran Volandri got a taste of del Potro’s signature serve early, when he watched three del Potro aces blow by him in the fourth game of the match, one of which clocked in at 130 mph. The 18th-seeded del Potro relied on his serve throughout the match, notching 18 aces.
After both players held serve twice in the first set, del Potro earned his first break, taking a 3-2 lead and holding serve throughout the rest of the set. Volandri’s one-handed back hand failed him repeatedly in the first set as he sent many returns into the net or off the court entirely.
Del Potro allowed Volandri to hold serve only once in the second and third sets, as he played lights out tennis, unleashing more aces and powerful overhead slams on his opponent, who didn’t have an answer for the shots he was bombarded with.
Though Del Porto’s serve was in top form, his powerful groundstrokes weren’t always there for him as he watched several powerful backhands and forehands slam into the net. He had 24 unforced errors in the match and despite the score on the board, looked frustrated at times when he missed easy returns.
Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, has had a rocky past two years. In 2010, he was sidelined for eight months due to a right wrist injury, for which he had surgery last May, but he is in the process of staging a long climb back to the top. He has battled back from dipping to 485th in the world in January to his current rank of 18. In each Grand Slam he has competed in this year he has advanced one round further than in the previous tournament. He started the year in Sydney at the Australian Open and exited in the second round in a loss to Marcos Baghdatis. At Roland Garros, he lost to Novak Djokovic in three sets in the third round, and at Wimbledon in July, he eventually fell to then defending champion Rafael Nadal in a five set barn burner in the fourth round.
“I keep improving very slowly, that's important,” Del Potro said of recovering from his injury. “I think I'm serving much better than two years ago or in the beginning of this year. I know that other players are playing much better than me at this moment, especially the top 10 players. But, to be here playing this tournament, for me it's a great signal for my future. I know I'm getting closer to my best level, and that's important.”
Del Potro will face fellow Argentine Diego Junqueira in the second round.
Match Facts
- Voldrani has never made it past the second round of the US Open. His best Grand Slam performance to date was making the fourth round of Roland Garros in 2007.
- Del Potro is on an eight match winning streak at the US Open. His last loss at Flushing Meadows was in 2008 to Andy Murray in the quarterfinals.
- This was del Potro and Volandri's first meeting.
Louis Armstrong Stadium - Men's Singles - 1st Round
