Gasquet and Racquet

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Tennis Town
2008-05-26 19:40:00
Note: This was originally written for TENNIS.com on 5/24/08.[Also: Remember when I wrote back in January that I was involved in some "other tennis-related activity?" This is what I was referring to.]A few years ago, I realized that I should actually enjoy what I do for eight hours each weekday. So I decided to turn my tennis passion into a profession. Since then, I've been on a steady (but sometimes not-so-healthy) diet of tennis that has led some people to question my sanity. But it has been a very rewarding journey, and I've met a lot of people along the way.One of the first questions I get after introducing myself is, "Where are you from?" I often reply, "New York," because I don't want to bog down the enquirer's mind with the geographical nuances of New York State. Of course, and as any upstate New Yorker will attest, that person will assume I'm from New York City. That wasn't true - I lived almost five hours north of Gotham, near Utica. Until now.Last week, I hopp...
More About: Tennis , Town

For US(A) fans only
2008-05-05 19:05:00
Note: This was originally written for TENNIS.com on 5/5/08.The U.S. Open is my favorite tournament of the year, but in my opinion, it's going to lose a little bit of its luster after this year. According to reports, USA Network, which has broadcast the tournament since 1984, will not be renewing their coverage rights in 2009. ESPN will instead become the primary home of the season's final Grand Slam.Since I can remember following tennis, I have always found the U.S. Open broadcasts on USA network to be the most enjoyable to watch. Once late August rolled around, the network practically renamed itself from "USA Network" to "U.S. Open Network." USA provided comprehensive coverage from day to night, and I always thought that the network and the tournament really worked well with each other. There was something unique about USA?s coverage of the U.S. Open, and I didn?t sense this in other tournaments on more expansive sports channels. The U.S. Open was the USA network's jewel (it's ...
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How Monte Carlo = Roland Garros (Not just Nadal)
2008-05-03 18:15:00
Note: This was originally written for TENNIS.com on 4/28/08.The road to Roland Garros is a long one, paved with a mixture of crushed brick and plenty of sweat. It?s been said that clay is the most forgiving surface to play on from a physical standpoint, but try telling that to the many players who are playing three challenging Masters Series events in a span of four weeks. And if you?re Rafael Nadal , the three-time defending champion of [insert name of clay tournament here] four consecutive weeks of play are required (in order to fit Barcelona into his calendar). Nadal, among others, has aired his thoughts about the compacted nature of this year?s clay season. But as they say, the show must go on. And in Monte Carlo , the usual dynamos of the dirt didn?t skip a beat. The seeds played out perfectly in the last two rounds, with the ?real? number one on the surface, Nadal, capping things off by again stifling his closest rival, Roger Federer. To reach this final match, Nadal brus...

Captivating clay
2008-04-22 02:52:00
Note: This was originally written for TENNIS.com on 4/21/08.When a player is labeled as a ?grinder? on a fast surface, it generally means that he/she employs an unimaginative style of tennis. But on clay, it?s a term of grudging respect, sometimes even endearment.On dirt, the action slows down, sometimes considerably. Fans can witness feats of great athleticism, like a sliding get to retrieve a drop shot, but they can also be lulled to sleep when players casually trade moon balls over the net.And don?t forget that this tricky surface can breed some very unforgiving bounces, as no two spaces on the court are uniform in their composition.Clay court tennis may not be the most attractive mode of the sport ? even the players themselves look quite unkempt by the end of a match ? but for my money, it?s definitely the most dramatic.The unique nature of clay court tennis is the primary reason for its theatrics. On no other surface can you see players glide to return a ball, or resolve a d...

Thirst for dirt
2008-04-07 21:47:00
Note: This was originally written for TENNIS.com on 4/7/08.It's a given that the undisputed king of clay, Rafael Nadal, is looking forward to the next few months on the tennis calendar. But I also think that for the first time in a long time, Roger Federer might be even more anxious to dirty his socks in red.By Federer's lofty standards, the first three months of the year haven't quite gone as planned. Known for coming out of the gates flying, the world No. 1 hasn't won any of the four tournaments he's played in, nor has he reached a final. The last time Federer had a drought like this was -- are you ready for this -- over five years ago when he went seven events in a row without being in a final ('02 Madrid TMS, '02 Basel, '02 Paris TMS, '02 Tennis Masters Cup, '03 Doha, '03 Sydney, '03 Australian Open).Just to be clear, I'm not proclaiming this dry spell to be the end of Roger, as he still reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells, as well as the ...
More About: Dirt , Thirst

Let it go
2008-04-01 06:10:00
Up 7-6, 3-1, and firmly in control of his third round match against world No. 86 Ivo Minar, Andy Roddick started to let loose. Not on a forehand or a second serve, mind you, but on a let call from the chair umpire. What happened was that the spare ball that Minar had in his pocket came out during the point, causing the umpire to interrupt play, and call a let (which forced the point to be replayed).At the time, Roddick arguably had the edge in the rally, dictating the direction of play while Minar was scampering around the baseline. However, replays clearly showed that this was simply an accident, as the loose ball dribbled on the court after Minar followed through on a groundstroke. It's actually a fairly uncommon occurrence for this to happen in tennis - I can recall only one other time I've seen this happen on television - but players clearly know that the rule states that a let must be called. (If the same player has this happen to him/her again, they lose the point.)But ...

Following Richard Gasquet
2008-03-30 05:13:00
Note: This was originally written for TennisWeek.com on 3/28/08.The first time I saw Richard Gasquet in person was at the 2005 U.S. Open. After nearly blowing a two set lead against Alberto Martin in the first round, Gasquet faced another experienced veteran, Georgio Galimberti, in round two. The match was played on the intimate yet ample Grandstand court, which I feel is one of the most underrated venues at the USTA National Tennis Center. The sun, sizzling for the entire day, was setting gently and ushering in a cool and comfortable evening. I was even lucky enough to get a great seat directly behind the baseline, where I had optimal viewing. It was a beautiful night to watch tennis.But the most beautiful thing of all was still to come. As patrons filled the stadium, Gasquet and Galimberti took to the court and started their warm-up. That's when, for the first of many times that night, Richard unleashed his signature one-handed backhand. I was captivated by its elegance, along wi...

Re: Federer/Sampras IV
2008-03-18 01:03:00
After finishing a match at the nearby Har-Tru courts of Midtown Tennis, a friend of mine and I started discussing the Roger Federer /Pete Sampras exhibition match we?d be seeing later that evening at Madison Square Garden. That?s when my companion delivered the line of the trip:?One guy is 36 and the other guy has mono. How good of a match can it be??I was wondering the same thing. Pete and Roger are two of my favorite players, but strangely, I wasn?t in a frenzied state of excitement to see them compete against one another. Rather, I felt that I should be there, but I wasn?t exactly sure why. Was it to pay homage to these greats of the game? To see the sport played professionally in New York City somewhere outside of Queens? Because the match very well might be talked about in the annals of tennis long after both men were dead? I had many questions coming into the match, and I left with even more.Back to his somewhat obvious question ? how good was it? Judging by the 6-3, 6-...

What's going to happen now?
2008-01-29 18:01:00
?For the first time, coming out of the Australian Open, in my mind, number one is up for grabs this year.?Patrick McEnroe of ESPN said these once unfathomable words after being asked ?What?s going to happen now?? by Chris Fowler in this video. The sentence is spoken right at the conclusion of the panel?s look back at Novak Djokovic?s defeat of Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals, which gives the statement a very portentous feel. But even if the segment was edited that way intentionally, I agree that the point needs to be considered. The theory is one of many things we can take away from the Australian Open, and it will linger on throughout 2008.Tennis is structured in such a way that no particular tournament will allow a player to be crowned ?champion.? Rather, the title of ?champion? has to be earned throughout various events that each player competes in throughout the year. Whereas team sports declare a champion after a playoff, the best player in tennis is someti...

Final-ly?
2008-01-24 04:08:00
My last entry mostly talked about the women, so let's switch gears and get back on track with a review of the men -The opening couple of days at the Australian Open were some of the more exciting I've witnessed at a Grand Slam in recent years. Early round matches featured a number of close results, including some memorable five-setters, and pitted together opponents that made me think these contests should be played in the second week.Thankfully, the tournament's momentum didn't end after the majority of its participants packed their bags (96 players, of course, go home after the fourth day). Instead, the tennis just kept getting better. Kamakshi Tandon of TENNIS.com fame summed it up best; this article should be archived just so the astonishment of the weekend isn't forgotten years down the road.The part of the weekend that I can relate to the most (as can most of you, probably) was the epic Hewitt/Baghdatis slugfest. Here's what happened in my situation: I already had plan...
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2008
2008-01-15 23:45:00
Many of you may be wondering where I've been lurking for the past few weeks.And many long time [G/R] readers might be wondering why a picture of Lindsay Davenport is adorning the top of this post.More on the Davenport pic later. First thing's first - where the hell have I been?Partially, I've been busy, but there's a more important reason for why this website has been growing moss for the past few weeks - I've been doing some other tennis-related activity that called for my attention. I can't divulge the details, but this year, I'll be taking on an expanded role with an outfit that I've been working with for some time. It's extremely exciting, flattering, and rewarding. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how much time I will have for [G/R] updates - they will certainly not be of the frequency you've been used to seeing - but I will be popping in, here and there, with my commentary.While this may seem like the end of an era for [G/R], I promise you that it's more of a growth th...
More About: 2008

Short balls
2007-12-12 20:01:00
I don't do shorter update posts that often (I'm thinking way back to a "breaking news" post I did when I found an online feed of AMS Hamburg in 2006), but it's a good time for one today because we're firmly entrenched in the tennis off-season, where there's no obvious discussion points. In my opinion, it's not really an off-season at all, since Davis Cup lasts into early December, and exhibition matches are prevalent all over the world. But whatever you want to call it, I'm enjoying this short break - and I'm sure the ATP pros are as well.Anyways, some short notes:- I'm still writing during this time of year, but rather fittingly, not about tennis. Well, not all of it anyways. I'm in the middle of writing a large piece on my five favorite sports - with the pros and cons of each discussed to great lengths - and it will be called "McGrogan's Hierarchy of Sporting Needs." I'm sure you can guess what No. 1 will be, but there's plenty of room for other sports as well, in my ...
More About: Balls , Short

Tiger Roddick and Phil Blake
2007-12-01 18:36:00
I don?t think that Mikhail Youzhny and Dmitry Tursunov are identical players, but I think they are quite similar. Both Russians, who have hovered around the top 20 the world, have a solid grasp on all aspects of the game, are consistent to the point of boredom, and are without a glaring weakness.Because of this parallel (if you agree with my assessment), I was curious to see how Andy Roddick and James Blake played against these two comparable teammates during Friday?s opening rubbers in the Davis Cup final. After all, if Roddick and Blake are facing ?the same player?, then the strategies and tactics of each American would be much more pronounced when comparing the matches side by side.Now, astute tennis fans don?t need to watch a full match of Roddick?s or Blake?s to discern their differences and highlight their abilities. However, the similarities of their opponents made their matches an enjoyable case study to watch. Both are power players, but while Roddick asserts his streng...
More About: Phil , Tiger

All I want for Christmas
2007-11-26 03:07:00
In the United States, we?ve just finished celebrating two major holidays ? Thanksgiving, and Black Friday. For my international readers who are unfamiliar, Thanksgiving is a time when American families get together for a meal, in order to give thanks for the things that are special to them in their lives. It?s always held on a Thursday in late November, and has a history that dates back to the times of the Pilgrims and Indians.Oh ? what?s Black Friday?Well, ?Black Friday? isn?t an actual holiday in the U.S., but it has grown into a de facto one over the last few decades. The day after Thanksgiving is widely considered to be the busiest shopping day of the year, as stores open their doors earlier than usual (5 a.m. is quite common), offering great sales to shoppers eager to start their Christmas shopping.In the spirit of Black Friday, I was thinking about what I want for Christmas (in part because I was recently asked this question). I have some ideas about presents that I hope t...

You couldn't have seen him coming
2007-11-13 19:39:00
Novak Djokovic and Richard Gasquet have both played in matches this year that showed off their own brands of elegant tennis. Gasquet's trademark one-handed backhand has become the de facto symbol for his finesse play, while Djokovic's textbook shots from both the forehand and backhand side characterize his very successful approach to the game. The two met on Tuesday in the Tennis Masters Cup, in a critical match (both were 0-1 in round robin play heading in) that had the potential to be a memorable contest.Unfortunately, we didn't see any of the elegance that each player used to get them to Shanghai, today in Shanghai.In a match that was more a display of Djokovic's fatigue than it was Gasquet's execution, Richard won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, all but eliminating Djokovic from the year's final tournament. Gasquet had a number of highlight reel shots, but a majority of the points ended as a result of Djokovic being unable to deliver on his side of the court. Djokovic has play...

Is Nalbandian back?
2007-11-02 03:36:00
After watching David Nalbandian defeat Roger Federer for the second consecutive Masters Series tournament, a question immediately popped into my head:What is bigger ? Nalbandian?s improvement in his tennis, or his mental edge over Federer?If you asked 100 tennis fans this question, I think you?d hear arguments for both sides. Concerning Nalbandian?s play on the court, he?s shown a number of signs lately that suggest that he could be back to contending for Grand Slam titles. His unforced error count is way down. His backhand is as precise and potent as ever, packing tremendous pop with incredible deception. Most importantly, David has not wilted under the pressure of his opponents. Victories against Federer (twice), Nadal, and Djokovic are proof enough of this important attribute. Of course, this ?new Nalbandian? has only been on display at the Madrid and Paris Masters tournaments, and not for the duration of 2007. He could very well be on a hot streak, or simply have caught li...
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The missed Swiss
2007-11-01 04:07:00
While one Swiss tennis player is making inroads on the sport?s all-time records, another Swiss is just trying to become a mainstay in the top 30. Surely you know that Roger Federer is the first person I?m talking about. But I?ll forgive you if you don?t know who the second player is. It?s Stanislas Wawrinka, and while he might not pop into your head as quickly as his compatriot does, Stan?s trying to change that with his results on the court.Wawrinka started 2007 ranked No. 30 in the world after having a breakthrough season the year before. For years, Wawrinka was only known by either complete tennis diehards or fans of the Swiss Davis Cup team, but in 2006, he started to gain some attention within the mainstream tennis world. He won his first (and only) career title in Umag, Croatia, beating Novak Djokovic in the final after the Serb had to retire due to injury. It probably wasn?t the way that Wawrinka envisioned winning his first tournament, but nevertheless, a Swiss won a t...

Before Roger came to town
2007-10-25 19:37:00
For many reasons, tennis fans are in the midst of a golden age in the sport. Roger Federer is on the verge of eclipsing some of the sport's most prestigious records, Rafael Nadal - a fantastic player in his own right - has established himself as a formidable rival to the Swiss goliath, and there is a slew of young dynamos prime to make for even more intriguing stories on the ATP Tour (Djokovic, Murray, Gasquet, etc.). It's a good time to be a fan of the game, and as I've said many times before: enjoy this era while it's around, because it won't last forever.But as much as I tout the spectacle that is today's tennis landscape, I'm not intending to tell you that this is the only era of good feelings. A look back in the tennis annals reveals that there have been a number of stages where the sport was being played at its most compelling level. Sure, there have been times in tennis history that you could characterize the game as "in a lull" or "in transition", and you wouldn't he...
More About: Town

Looking Ahead: Andy Murray (and some Madrid)
2007-10-17 19:50:00
The Masters Series broadcasts on The Tennis Channel offer more than just great tennis - they give viewers an entire tournament experience. There's something to be said about watching the opening rounds of an event, slowly building towards the marquee matches with each passing day of action. As a fan of the sport, I get a lot more enjoyment in this fashion than I do when only the semifinals and the finals of a tournament are shown. Don't get me wrong - it's still a treat to have this weekend luxury, since televised tennis of any sort is a rarity - but the whole meal is better, so I've been looking forward to the week-long coverage from AMS Madrid for the past few weeks.During the first two days of play, I've watched a lot of Andy Murray . In his first round match against Radek Stepanek - where both TTC announcers predicted a Stepanek win - the unseeded Scot cruised by his veteran opponent, 6-4, 6-1. Then on Tuesday, he won with similar ease against Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-1, 6-3. I...
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Looking Ahead: Andy Roddick
2007-10-10 04:03:00
The subject of today's "Looking Ahead " most certainly could have been David Ferrer, who prevented Richard Gasquet from winning consecutive titles in Tokyo by rolling over the Frenchman in the final, 6-1, 6-2. But you already know my thoughts about the resurgent Spaniard:- In a 1/12/07 post: "Loyal readers my recall that I touted Ferrer many moons ago, claiming that 'big things were in store.'"- In a 1/16/07 post: "Finally, the "big things" I predicted from Ferrer could be on the horizon, and I don't see it stopping right now."- In a 4/1/07 post: "After Ferrer reached the semifinals in Miami against Roger Federer last year, I predicted that there were ?big things to come? for the Spaniard. Turns out that I needed to wait until 2007 to realize that potential."While the "big things" from Ferrer haven't come in the form of Grand Slam hardware or Masters Series shields, he had one of the most consistent seasons on tour this year, and will likely be rewarded for his results with a sp...
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Looking Ahead: Richard Gasquet
2007-10-02 23:18:00
Tennis is one of the few sports that elects to have its defining events played in the middle of its season, instead of at the end. The Tennis Masters Cup is without question a tournament worth watching, but its significance pales in comparison to a Grand Slam. There's still something missing in spite of all of the pageantry. For this reason, among others, there are many varying opinions on the importance of the last few weeks of the tennis season, which consists of a stretch of indoor tournaments that follow the U.S. Open.I'm still on the fence myself as to what I think about it. It would be better for the sport to have its grandest tournament serve as its conclusion (with the next question being "and that event would be?"), but I do think that the schedule works well for the "Grand Slam template" which tennis has been built upon. One thing that I do enjoy about this time of year is that you can analyze players most objectively. Since they have had the chance to play on all ...
More About: Richard , Ahead , Char

Germany escapes, but thrives
2007-09-22 17:37:00
I've watched a lot of tennis this year, with matches ranging from the sublime to the substandard. The good matches were memorable for many different reasons, and have been analyzed many times over. The bad ones often turned out to be a sharp contrast in playing abilities - sometimes, that's just how it is. But in all the tennis I've witnessed, I rarely see poor decision makng and execution, which is a testament to the high level of tennis on the ATP Tour. That is, until I watched Mikhail Youzhny in today's Davis Cup doubles rubber between Germ any and Russia.After two upsets on the opening day (Tommy Haas lost to Igor Andreev, and Nikolay Davydenko lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber), the teams headed into today's contest tied at one rubber each in this best-of-five format. Obviously, today's doubles match would give one country a huge advantage heading into tomorrow's reverse singles, so it was critically important that each side play well.The Russians trotted out Mikhail Youzhny ...
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Real teams
2007-09-21 01:38:00
I've been watching a lot more Davis Cup this year than I have in the past. I'm not exactly sure why; I still believe that singular (read: no teams) competition is more captivating then battling in groups.However, there is one reason for this change that comes to mind - tennis players are so deprived of team competition that when they do compete together, the teamwork and company is actually genuine. Because of this, it's very refreshing to watch. Steve Tignor references this in his fantastic Davis Cup preview post, but I'm going to elaborate on it further here. (Also, Steve's assessments are spot on - so much so that no picks of my own are necessary.)I'm a rabid tennis fan, but I do watch all sports. Hockey is neck-and-neck with tennis on my hierarchy, for various reasons. One of these reasons is that the "teams" that form in hockey seem so real that the players would simply die for each other on the ice. Not just a Canadian for his fellow Canuck, but I've even seen former So...
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Ed sees
2007-09-16 19:41:00
Happy Sunday everyone. With a tennis hangover and two relatively weak draws in Bucharest and Beijing, I can't say with a straight face that I was too excited about the China Open or the BCR Open Romania. However, I was considering putting up a post yesterday called "Ed says", where I write a few scattered thoughts about each tournament, but I just didn't have it in me. I may do this next week (and every Saturday thereafter), but I'm still undecided about the format as a whole. As always, stay tuned.For today's post, I've decided that Fernando Gonzalez was the most deserving recepient of the cover photo, as he went through a much more difficult field than Bucharest champion Gilles Simon had to. Also, Gonzalez's victory is one of the only worthy accomplishments since his run to the finals at the Australian Open back in January, which seems like eons ago. Plus, the garish yellow Adidas shirt is ghastly, but the contrast with the black background makes for a neat picture.As I wasn...
More About: Sees

Curious
2007-09-12 22:59:00
A few weeks ago, I wrote about "openings" - windows of opportunity that need to be seized by those looking to reach their goals. These portals to achievement don't come around often, so when you see them, you have to be ready to take advantage of their presence.Novak Djokovic clearly didn't do so.The first two sets of the men's final this past Sunday were awash with chances for Djokovic storm to an early one - or even two - set lead against Roger Federer. If that happened, what happens next is up for debate, but it's tough for me to see even Roger coming back down two sets the way he way playing. Federer has looked "mortal" more times this year than I can remember - the Canas matches, the Volandri loss, and the third set of the semifinal vs. Davydenko serving as examples - and he still wasn't out of that funk in the beginning of the U.S. Open final. Djokovic, should he have capitalized on this, would most likely have been raising the trophy at the end. He could have proven that...
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Worth twelve thousand words
2007-09-11 03:23:00
I'll have some thoughts on the men's final in the next few days (the ATP tournaments this week are light in terms of big names and intrigue, so this works out well), however at the moment I'm in dire need of a good night's sleep. But I will pay homage to Roger's twelve Grand Slam tournament titles in this short post with the above picture. Taken in the hallways of Arthur Ashe stadium after his quarterfinal win over Andy Roddick, Federer gave one of his biggest fans the best birthday gift he's ever received.
More About: Words , Worth , Thousand , Twelve , Wort

U.S. Open Diary - Day 13
2007-09-09 07:23:00
(Bet you didn't expect that picture. But I'm putting Justine Henin's flawless backhand up here on display for two reasons. One, to temper down the cat calls from the USOpen .org team, who has skewered me for my exclusive allegiance to men's tennis (as opposed to the women's game) since they discovered that I had a blog. As today was my last day, I bid farewell to my fellow G8 credentialites - they were a great team of people to work with and I wish them all the best. Second, this was the only live match that I saw today, and from any vantage point in Arthur Ashe - not just my courtside seat - you could tell that Justine wasn't just going to just win her final against Svetlana Kuznetsova, but she was going to dominate it. Oh, and I guess this picture also serves as an homage to my many hours of WTA play that I've watched this summer. Between writing for TENNIS.com, covering the Fed Cup in Vermont, and attending the U.S. Open, I've been broadening my tennis horizons. The...
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U.S. Open Diary - Day 12
2007-09-08 07:52:00
After eleven days of 11+ hours of work, day twelve of the U.S. Open featured my first break of the tournament. Not having to come in until 11 A.M. afforded a much needed extra hour of sleep, and leaving at 6 p.m. was...incredibly weird. The 7 train was actually crowded, Ditmars Boulevard was still flooded with residents, and I got home from Manhattan (where I dined on rabbit this evening with my hosts) at 1:15 - which is early for me.Still, today's writing didn't cease in volume; in fact, I may have written more today than many other days:- Junior Boys' and Girls' daily wrap-up.- "They Said It - Memorable Quotes from the 2007 US Open".The quotes are pretty decent - and its been even more of a treat to actually hear them in person.But that's all I've got today. Last day tomorrow; there will be a much larger update 24 hours from now.
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U.S. Open Diary - Day 11
2007-09-07 07:54:00
So...much...David Ferrer and Juan Ignacio Chela...Today (and tonight) was another fine example of the necessity to purchase week one tickets to the U.S. Open . If you strike out with competitive and enticing matches - which is exactly what happened throughout the day - you could be left standing with a ticket in your hand and a question in your mind: Why me?The Moya/Djokovic evening match was heavily hyped but light on substance. It turned out that the best match of the day was David Ferrer vs. Juan Ignacio Chela, which took place at about 1 in the afternoon. I was assigned the match report and the post-match analysis for this quarterfinal (links above), so I needed to watch this contest with great focus. So as to not get lethargic, I changed by viewing point often:1st Set: Player Viewing LoungeIn the bowels of Louis Armstrong Stadium, there is a hallway that has three or four rooms for players whose matches are upcoming on Armstrong or Grandstandc courts. As there were so few m...
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U.S. Open Diary - Day 10
2007-09-06 08:44:00
Today was the first day that I could actually feel this tournament coming to a close. It wasn't simply the fact that quarterfinals were beginning that triggered this feeling, but a few observations at the tennis center signaled that the 2007 U.S. Open was waning.For the first time all tournament, there were no matches scheduled on Louis Armstrong Stadium. I'm not sure why, as there were still some doubles and juniors matches being played, but the USTA opted to keep these contests on the Grandstand and outer courts instead. I also noticed that the grounds were fairly empty, as everyone was packed into Ashe Stadium for the scant few pro matches on schedule. Usually, it's a race through hordes of people to get from my offices inside Louis Armstrong over to the media center in Ashe - today, it was a leisurely walk. Finally, the overcast skies - the first hint of any inclement weather all week - felt very different than the constant heat permeating in this cauldron of tennis. Ove...
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