After Novak Djokovic beat Radek Stepanek on Tuesday night, in a post-game interview, Darren Cahill asked him if he’d like to hit a little with his new coach, Todd Martin. Djokovic declined but pointed up to the broadcasters booth and issued a challenge, “How about John!” Speaking of course to John McEnroe, the retired tennis legend.
Surprisingly, the 4 time U.S. Open champion accepted the challenge, and while he changed shoes, Cahill gave the “Djoker” the opportunity to do an impersonation of McEnroe. New Yorkers were exposed to a side of Djokovic’s personality that has disappeared of late. A change that was likely due to the weight of expectations that followed winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2008.
To see the video clip, click here.
Today, Djokovic will play 10th seed Fernando Verdasco for a semi-final date with Roger Federer. Hailing from Spain, and playing left handed as well, Verdasco looks like the second coming of Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic will definitely have to be on top of his game to have a chance in this one. If you're not stuck at work, make a point to tune into this one.
5. Venus Williams: I don’t often discuss women’s tennis, because the seedings seem to mean absolutely nothing, and any attempt at predictions is a crapshoot. Still, at the end of the U.S Open, we expect to see the Williams sisters battling it out, so Venus’s fourth round loss to Kim Clijsters is big news.
4. Kim Clijsters: She had a child in February 2008 and only returned to tennis 2 months ago at Wimbledon. In Sunday’s matchup against Venus Williams, it was clear why she was once the number 1 player in the world, and past U.S. Open champion. She did to Venus what Venus does to so many others, dominating her with power and aggressiveness, and in the end it was Venus who had no response. Comeback stories are always fan favourites, and she will be the Cinderella story of this tournament if she keeps it going.
3. Novak Djokovic: The 4th seed found it much too difficult to eliminate American Jesse Witten, who is ranked 276th in the world. The real negative for Djokovic, though, is that instead of embracing the fans in New York, and celebrating his success with them, he continues to act like he is against all of them. Upon winning a point, instead of smiling and allowing them to rejoice with him, he looks only to his box of supporters, acting like they are the only people encouraging him. Unfortunately, with an attitude like that, no one else wants to cheer for him, and his unpopularity at the U.S. Open continues.
2. Rafael Nadal: He has been hitting and moving very well so far in the tournament, but against Nicolas Almagro, he reaggravated an abdominal strain that first occurred in Cincinnati earlier this summer. If the injury is bad it could hamper him even more than his knee problems, because the core muscles are essential in generating the powerful strokes that Nadal has built his success on.
1. Andy Roddick: In a stunning third round upset, 5th seed Andy Roddick lost to fellow American John Isner on Saturday, ending his 2009 quest to win a second major championship. After nearly winning Wimbledon earlier this summer, much more was expected from Roddick on his favourite surface, but he will have to wait until next season for another shot at a Grand Slam.
After an injury plagued summer, the world’s real number one tennis player is on the comeback trail. Rafael Nadal plans to return for the Rogers Cup in Montreal, beginning on August 8th. With the tournament being the U.S. Open tune-up, it’s no secret that Rafa has his sights set on his first title at Flushing Meadows and achieving the career Grand Slam– winning at all four major tournaments in a lifetime – at age 23, the feat recently accomplished by 27 year old Roger Federer at the French Open.
Federer, who finally regained his ranking as the world’s number one player after winning at Wimbledon in Rafa’s absence, must once again prepare to face one of the few players who dominates him, and Nadal’s timing may be perfect. Last year, by the time Nadal reached the U.S. Open after winning the French Open, Wimbledon, gold at the Summer Olympics, and the Rogers Cup, he was completely burnt out. Perhaps the forced rest due to tendinitis in his knees will provide him with enough energy to play the U.S. Open at peak form. If so, the end of the summer has the potential to be very exciting for Tennis fans around the world.
Because of all the news Canadian Mike Weir made over the weekend at the U.S. Open, a fellow countryman’s story was overshadowed. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, BC, is the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world, and he played in his first Major tournament this week.
At just 21 years old, very young and inexperienced for a golfer, most first timers are happy to just be playing in their first Major championship tournament, let alone attempting to make the cut. Taylor was able to do just that after two rounds based on an incredible second round score of 65. Put in perspective, Mike Weir tied a U.S. Open single round score record with his first round 64, and the best round Tiger Woods turned in was a 68.
In the end, Taylor finished at +8 for the championship, placing him in a tie for 36th – first out of the amateurs. Near him on the leaderboard were pre-tournament favourites, Jim Furyk and Camilo Villegas, at +7 and Vijay Singh at +6. Playing so well under the pressure of golf’s largest stage is an affirmation of Taylor’s number one ranking, and this young man will soon be making Canadians very proud.
If you have work today, skip it! But if that’s impossible, NBC.com has live streaming coverage for you to stay tuned, while your unsuspecting boss is none the wiser.
The U.S. Open is always golf’s toughest test, requiring mental toughness, physical strength, and this year, incredible adaptability. Due to an unbelievable amount of rain in New York, Thursday’s first round was almost completely pushed to Friday, and the players have been attempting to catch up ever since. Three full days of golf later, and the co-leaders, Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes, are on the second hole of their fourth and final round, both at -7. If either of these two, who have absolutely no PGA Tour victories between them, can hold on to their emotions and win, good for them. But there are a few players directly below them on the leaderboard who have been there before and are ready to pounce if they can’t hang on.
Phil Mickleson:
“Lefty” sits in third place at -2, five shots back. He is playing in his first PGA tournament since his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago. The world’s number two ranked golfer, who is always a fan favourite in New York, certainly has received the largest cheers this week, as he is the sentimental favorite as well.
Tiger Woods:
Before the light failed on Sunday night, Tiger popped in a birdie on the 7th hole at Bethpage Black. Even though he’s been off his game for three rounds, he has a chance. If he can get dialed in for the 11 holes he has left to play, the seven shot deficit he faces may very well be overcome.
Mike Weir:
Canada’s best golfer is once again showing that he is one of the best in the world. His first round score of 64 tied an all-time U.S. Open Record and forced the others to catch up. Unfortunately they did, and three holes into the final round, he sits at -1, six shots off the lead. After his second round, Weir wrote on his blog,
“Before I won the Masters if you'd asked me what major I thought my game was best-suited for, I'd have said the U.S. Open. I like the difficulty, like the challenge both mental and physical, that's presented.”
Sitting between Woods and Mickleson on the leaderboard, if Weir plays like he did on Friday morning, his U.S Open dreams may finally come true, and America’s Championship trophy may very well travel north of the Border.
GO CANADA!!
