Bookmaker + US Open Live Stream

Sam Querrey v Ivo Karlovic 2,10-1,66
Stanislas Wawrinka v Flavio Cipolla 1,06-8,00
Rafael Nadal v Viktor Troicki 1,01-13,00
Jurgen Melzer v Andrew Murray 5,50-1,12
Gael Monfils v David Nalbandian 2,50-1,50
Juan Martin Del Potro v Gilles Simon 1,50-2,50
David Ferrer v Kei Nishikori 12,8-3,50
James Blake v Mardy Fish 1,36-3,00

Odds-Bets-Live Betting

Alona Bondarenko v Venus Williams 7,50-1,07
Agnieszka Radwanska v Dominika Cibulkova 1,61-2,20
Julie Coin v Amelie Mauresmo 3,75-1,25
Nadia Petrova v Flavia Pennetta 1,30-3,40
Serena Williams v Ai Sugiyama 1,03-11,00
Anna-Lena Groenefeld v Alize Cornet 2,37-1,53
Severine Bremond v Tathiana Garbin 2,25-1,57
Timea Bacsinszky v Dinara Safina 7,00-1,08

Doing their parts to keep the "Grapple in the Apple" hopes alive, Roger Federer defeated Brazil's Thiago Alves 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 Friday afternoon at the 2008 US Open.

Reversing roles of the first round, Rafael Nadal had an easier time in his second round match Thursday night against American Ryler De Heart 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

It looks like business as usual so far. But two matches don't make a grand slam title.

With relatively a short turnaround time, both world top players are expected to play this weekend in the unforgiving New York hard courts.

to be continued...

cap

ORO:
Samuel Sánchez (ciclismo)
Joan Llaneras (ciclismo)
Rafael Nadal (tenis)
Fernando Echavarri y Antón Paz (vela)
Saúl Craviotto y Carlos Pérez Rial (PiragÜismo)

PLATA:
Anabel Medina y Vivi Ruano (tenis)
Iker Martínez y Xabier Fernández (vela)
Gervasio Deferr (gimnasio)
Joan Llaneras y Antonio Tauler (ciclismo)
Andrea Fuentes y Gemma Mengual (Natacion sincronizada)
2 x David Cal (Pirguïsmo)
Natación sincronizada Equipos
Selección Masculina (hockey hierba)
Selección Masculina (Baloncesto)

BRONCE:
Jose Luis Abajo (esgrima)
Leire Olaberría (Ciclismo)
Selección Masculina (Balonmano)

Poteva starsene alle Baleari a sollazzarsi su qualche yacht come altri professionisti del tennis (o del calcio). O poteva allenarsi per vincere un altro torneo con premi milionari come Wimbledon o il Roland Garros. Tuttavia, il giovane astro del tennis mondiale ha preferito guadagnarsi un oro olimpico nell'afa di Pechino per il gusto di vincere.

Quando Rafael Nadal ha ricevuto la medaglia d'oro ha detto: "Per i tennisti sono piu' importanti i tornei del grande slam; ma per gli sportivi sono piu' importanti le Olimpiadi . Oggi vinco per la mia gente, non solo per me".

As reported before Nike has slowly began to distribute their massive new US Open timed tennis campaign titled: "The Grapple in the Apple" with a little taste to whet our palettes.

[wpvideo NR4XCStY]

So far it seems that Nike is slowly establishing the players of this campaign with infamous iconic promoter Don King first.

[wpvideo odSCgchJ]

More vignettes, global spots, development should continue to roll in the coming days but of course, as Ana Ivanovic's loss reminds us, anything can happen at any time at Flushing Meadows.

More to come.

cap

Moving on. There were two events recently that left me teary-eyed. On the same night and for the same reasons.

First up was Senator Clinton's speech at the DNC Convention. I promised myself I wouldn't watch that filth but Hilldawg is a friend and I had to support her through this difficult time (I will need to YouTube Pres. Clinton's speech later). At first I was riveted by Mrs. Clinton. It was the finest speech I'd ever seen her give. She was exuberant. She wasn't defeated but supportive. She had purpose. And she challenged her supporters to vote for Obama. But I was truly struck by two things. First, the applause. When she walked out on stage with Chelsea, the whole place was about to explode. She couldn't quiet the folks down. They loved her and they wanted as much as they could get. Similarly was the look on her husbands face... He's a real actor and who knows what truly going on but at one point when her address was reaching a crescendo he mouthed "I Love You" over and over again. Was he a proud husband/American/friend/just acting? I don't know.... But it was a moment that will never be repeated.

And once I saw Bill tearing up, the crowd exploding, and Hillary in full command I began to realize something. Not only do I know that the Democrats chose the wrong guy, but in an odd way so did many people in that arena that night. Her reception made it only more clear. This is what we COULD have had. It's a shame she didn't bring out this spirit earlier in the campaign, but nonetheless. It was a bittersweet moment for me and for the crowd. What could have been.

After the convention I was stupid enough to turn on USA and watch the US Open. Number 2 seed Roger Federer was playing some qualifier. It was the second set. Roger looked like a cross between a butcher and a ballet dancer. His movement  was extraordinary and his power was relentless. The young opponent was pounded away. With every shot, every changeover, and every point the crowd went wild. And when it was through, Arthur Ashe stadium was erupting with applause, cheers, and flash-bulbs. A day earlier the tournament had a parade of past champions and of all the greats no one received a welcome like Roger. The longest standing ovation, the loudest cheers, and the most enthusiastic reception.

I cried. What else could I do? Even the boisterous and tennis-illiterate crowd was for their man, Roger. They like world-number 1 Rafael Nadal well enough. But they love the great Federer. His time has passed now. Every day brings us closer to the end. But that night New York appreciated one of the game's very best. Roger had hoped to break every record. And that chance has gone now. But no one can take away what he's done and the way he's done it. A class act.

Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Viktor Troicki (SRB)

After a tough first round match, Nadal looked every bit of the dominant player he has been with a straight set victory over American Ryler De Heart. This will be another test for Nadal, as Troicki is a talented young player.

I watched Troicki play Juan Martin Del Potro in the finals at Washington a couple of week ago and I came away very impressed. He comes into the tournament ranked a career high of #71 in the world, and it is just a matter of time until he works his way into the top 50.

Match-Up:

Nadal is 1-0 against Troicki, with that win coming earlier this year at the Australian Open. It wasn't an easy match though, as Nadal had to go to a first set tiebreaker and then it was 7-5 in the second set. Troicki moves well, is extremely aggressive, and has big groundstrokes from both sides. However, I just feel the constant heavy spin, improved serve, and great return of serve will be too much for the young Serbian to handle.

Nick's Pick - Nadal in 4 sets

Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)

After getting the upset in the first round of Berdych, Querrey followed it up with a four set win over Nicolas Devilder of France. Now he will get to take on someone his own size in Ivo Karlovic!

Karlovic comes into the US Open with a career high ranking of #14 in the world. This is the first time since 2003 that he has been to the third round here, and if he wins this match it will mark the second time that he has reached the fourth round of any Grand Slam.

Match-Up:

Querrey is 2-1 against Karlovic, but the only time they played in 2008 Karlovic won. Both guys have huge serves and are very tall. I believe Querrey has a better backhand than Karlovic, and that will be a major factor in this match. He must attack Karlovic's backhand because he tends to over-slice and chip too much. If Karlovic's serve is on, he is almost impossible to beat. He will come into the net quite often, and once there he knows how to put the ball away. This is going to be an extremely close match, and I don't see very many breaks of serve. If Karlovic has a big serving day then the edge goes to him. If not, Querrey will be right there ready to pull off another upset. I give the slightest of edges to Karlovic, but this is going to be tight.

Nick's Pick - Karlovic in 4 or 5 tight sets

Here are a couple of other interesting third round matches to watch...

Blake/Fish - These two guys are the best of friends, but they will have to put that aside for this match. This will be a test for Blake. He squeaked through the first round and then got lucky in the second round when Darcis retired. That isn't going to happen anymore. I give the edge to Blake, but Fish will be right there if he falters.

Monfils/Nalbandian - Anytime Monfils plays, it is a show. He is all over the court, sliding, running, jumping, you name it he does it. If you can, you will want to get out there and watch this one.

Ferrer/Nishikori - Ferrer was tested right down to the wire by Beck. He didn't look as sharp as he normally does, but his groundstrokes and first serve are still better than most. Nishikori must take advantage of Ferrer's second serve. Nishikori will have to take the ball early, and serve well. He is also going to have to sneak into the net like he has been doing brilliantly in his first two matches.

Del Potro/Simon - This is not going to be an easy match for Del Potro. Simon has no apparent weakness and this match could go four or even five sets.

L'ultima prova dello slam è quella che si svolge negli Stati Uniti. Inizia l'ultima settimana di agosto e finisce la prima di settembre segnando anche la fine della stagione tennistica. E' vero che nei mesi successivi ci saranno alcuni tornei indoor e il Master di fine anno, ma si avverte la malinconia da chiusura dei giochi e dell'estate. Stato d'animo che contrasta con l'ambiente di Flashing Meadows, che si contraddistingue per la rumorosità e il grande via vai degli americani in un complesso di stadi enormi che ricordano quelli di baseball. Musica, hot dog, frenetici spostamenti, chiacchiere, occhiate distratte, e rumori di sottofondo contribuiscono a rendere diverso questo torneo dalle altre prove dello slam. La diversità si percepisce ancora di più se lo si paragona il clima Francese del Rolan Garrsos o con quello Inglese di Wimbledon, le due prove che si svolgono in Europa. Le baguette calde e croccanti di una Francia impettita  hanno poco o niente a che vedere con gli hot dog con senape e ketchup del manzo americano, e con le domeniche trascorse nel lento progredire tra le interruzioni delle partite di baseball o di football. Le analogie spariscono tutte se gli hot dog o gli hamburger vengono affiancati alle fragole con la panna che si mangiano a Wimbledon, tipiche dell'integerrimo e un po' altezzoso stile inglese. Ogni slam ha il suo cibo. Mi informerò in merito alla prova Australiana, perché in questo momento ignoro quale sia e se ci sia una particolarità culinaria tipica del torneo. Azzardando un'ipotesi, come per il Roland Garros, si potrebbe affermare bistecca di canguro o di coccodrillo, quest'ultimo si dice che sia ottimo alla griglia. Questi piatti potrebbero adattarsi alle selvagge battaglie sportive che si svolgono nei campi infuocati dal sole Australiano. Ma in questi giorni si gioca a New York, dove l'atmosfera "caciarona" sembra voler festeggiare il torneo, e far dimenticare che domenica sette settembre si chiude nei fatti la stagione tennistica del 2008. Nadal ha vinto Wimbledon, la medaglia d'oro Olimpica, e ha scavalcato Roger Federer, diventando il numero uno del mondo. Lo svizzero ha avuto la peggior stagione degli ultimi quattro anni e ha abdicato al trono. Ha vinto la medaglia d'oro in doppio con Wawrinka, e in quell'occasione ha mostrato una felicità veramente genuina e spontanea, per quello che si è potuto evincere dalle immagini. In fondo il doppio è sempre più

snobbato dai tennisti. Roger negli ultimi anni non ha mai vinto un torneo di doppio di uno slam, anche perché ha sempre preferito il singolo a questa specialità, che avrebbe potuto sottrargli energie da utilizzare nel singolare. Il primo slam dell'anno, quello della grigliata di coccodrillo lo ha vinto Novak Djocovich che è non più considerato un promessa ma una realtà, anche se ogni tanto intervalla prestazioni che lasciano dubbiosi a partite eccellenti, come quella giocata con Murray a Monte Carlo. Nadal, come tutti sanno, ha mangiato baguette e il mese dopo come dolce ha preteso le fragole con la panna. Vedremo fra dieci giorni chi gusterà  hot dog e hamburger. Nell'arco dell'anno due talenti nuovi hanno iniziato a fare capolino: Andy Murray ha vinto il suo primo Master Series a Cincinnati, sconfiggendo Djocovich in finale; Ernest Gulbis ha fatto vedere buone cose nell'arco della stagione, ma dovremo attendere per sapere se riuscirà a confermarsi. Il loro arrivo era stato previsto in qualche modo dal romanzo che potete richiedere per e-mail. Quello di Murray in modo più diretto, mentre Gulbis rientra in una casistica di categoria. Gli Italiani e le Italiane hanno appassionato, ma hanno sprecato molte occasioni in varie occasioni, purtroppo. Bolelli più volte, ma anche Starace, Seppi e Pennetta hanno perso i loro attimi. Speriamo in meglio per il prossimo anno. Per quello che riguarda lo sport del tennis è sempre più chiaro, ai miei occhi, che possa essere un veicolo di diffusione culturale del concetto di complessità o teoria del caos, soprattutto per le sue caratteristiche di molteplicità delle variabili e di sensibilità a determinate condizioni, anche iniziali. Pertanto continuerò a utilizzare l'allegoria. Da questo punto di vista, per finire, le idee (leggasi noumeno) hanno realizzato un Grand Slam, il quarto. La conoscenza appaga l'animo.

fabrizio b.

]]> http://usopenlive.wordpress.com/?p=33 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:45:55 +0000 usopenlive http://usopenlive.wordpress.com/?p=33 Results Aug 28

Ivanovic and Kohlschreiber out!

Nadal - De Heart 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Del Potro - Belluci 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3
Querrey - Devilder 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Monfils - Korolev 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Troicki - Kohlschreiber 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-0
Nalbandian - Golubev 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Karlovic - Serra 7-6, 6-4, 6-2
Simon - Acasuso 6-4, 6-1, 6-4
Blake - Darcis 4-6, 6-3, 1-0
Fish - Mathieu 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Murray - Llodra 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6
Cipolla - Lu 6-1, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
Ferrer - Beck 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6
Nishikori - Karanusic 6-1, 7-5
Wawrinka - Odesnik 6-4, 7-6, 6-2
Melzer - Vanek 6-0, 6-2, 6-2

Williams - Vesnina 6-1, 6-1
Coin - Ivanovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Groenefeld - Moore 6-1, 6-3
Mauresmo - Kanepi 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
Sugiyama - Govortsova 4-6, 7-6, 6-1
Pennetta - Peng 6-2, 6-7, 6-1
Garbin - Szavay 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
Williams - De Los Rios 6-0, 6-3
Safina - Vinci 6-4, 6-3
Radwanska - Duque Marino 6-0, 7-6
Petrova - Hsieh 6-4, 6-2
Cibulkova - Olaru 6-2, 6-2
Bacsinszky - Chan 6-3, 6-2
Brémond - Vaidisova 7-5, 6-3
Bondarenko - Lisicki 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Cornet - Mattek 7-6, 6-1

The first round of the men's draw at the U.S. Open is complete and the top eight seeds all advanced in straight sets. Only new world No. 1 Rafael Nadal struggled, surviving a spirited challenge from qualifier Bjorn Phau, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6. The No. 136-ranked German kept Nadal on court for two hours and 59 minutes, probably about an hour and a half longer than the Spaniard expected. The match was reminiscent of Nadal's opening round match last year against Alun Jones, another qualifier. Jones, a journeyman Aussie, ranked No. 123 at the time, battled Nadal for two hours and 44 minutes before succumbing in four sets. Rafa lost later to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the fourth round. The U.S. Open has never been good to Nadal, with the quarterfinals the farthest the Spaniard has ever advanced. Could it be deja vu all over again? Nadal is to play No. 7 David Nalbandian, whom he has never beaten, in the quarterfinals and Ferrer, seeded No. 4, in the semifinals if the draw proceeds according to form. Granted, this is a new and improved Nadal, playing with unbelievable confidence and unbridled gusto. Still, I think history and fatigue will prevent Rafa from adding a third major to an already incredible year. Look for Roger Federer to put a stop to his slam drought and win his fifth straight U.S. Open title. The Swiss Maestro owns Flushing Meadows. "I still believe it's an advantage if you know how to win a U.S. Open," Federer said. "It's a tough tournament to win." Federer doesn't seem particularly perturbed about losing the mantle of No. 1 to Nadal the week before the tournament. "Rafa will now feel what I had to feel for a very long time," said Federer, whose reign lasted 237 consecutive weeks. "So it will be interesting to see how he handles it, but so far he's been great and he's played so well on all surfaces now. Maybe it's nice to go into a Grand Slam for a change not having No. 1 next to me, and it should be interesting." Lurking, as always, is No. 3 Novak Djokovic, last year's finalist and winner of the Australian Open in January. Andy Murray, showing improved game and growing maturity, is my dark horse pick to knock off one the big guns. The No. 6-seeded Brit won his first Masters Series title at Cincinnati earlier this month and is on Nadal's side of the draw.

Odds-Bets-Live Betting

Aug 29th
Rafael Nadal v Ryler De Heart 1/500-33/1
Guillermo Garcia Lopez v Andreas Seppi 9/4-1/3
Ivo Minar v Jarkko Nieminen 13/8-4/9
Bobby Reynolds v Fernando Gonzalez 7/2-1/6
Tommy Robredo v Marat Safin 4/5-10/11
Gilles Muller v Tommy Haas 9/2-1/8
Fernando Verdasco v Rui Machado 1/14-13/2
Jeremy Chardy v Igor Andreev 10/3-1/5
Thiago Alves v Roger Federer 20/1-1/200

Bookmaker + US Open Live Stream

Aug 30th
Andy Roddick v Ernests Gulbis 3/10-12/5
Carlos Moya v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6/5-8/13
Marin Cilic v Robby Ginepri 4/7-5/4
Robert Kendrick v Novak Djokovic 12/1-1/66
Nikolay Davydenko v Agustin Calleri 1/6-7/2
Victor Hanescu v Dmitry Tursunov 12/5-3/10
Nicolas Almagro v Sam Warburg 1/6-7/2

The Majorcan has won eight ATP titles this season and has a 70-8 record. His unbeaten run on clay and grass underlines Rafa's talent and the all round player he has become. It is no small feat to have ended Roger's record reign as the world's best player and now fans can look forward to both players continuing the most engrossing rivalry in world sport." The last man who was world number 1 before Roger Federe was Andy Roddick in January 2004.

The top American men enter the US Open as also-rans. Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion here, hasn’t returned to the winner’s circle at a Slam, and the current calendar year has been a severe disappointment. With his ranking having dropped to 8th in the world, Roddick decided against participating in the Olympics to focus on his summer hard court season. He’s got little besides a sore shoulder to show for it. James Blake, the ninth seed, has never advanced past the quarters in a major, and his recent Olympic experience has to be a mixed bag for his confidence. Blake beat Federer for the first time but suffered a heart-breaking loss to the finalist Gonzalez, surrendering three match points and then the chance for a bronze medal against Djokovic.

In previous years, the No. 1 seed has entered the US Open as the clear favorite. Federer has looked liked a shoe-in year-in and year-out, as did Justine Henin the last couple of seasons. That’s not the case this year. The packed schedule, the injuries, the Olympics, the upheaval at the top: the only thing certain is that little is likely to go to form at the 2008 Open.

Marat Safin just made it to the second round in a 5 set. 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Tommy Haas upset Gasquet in a 3 hour battle. 6-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2

As usual very exciting tennis being played each day at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Olympic champion was troubled early on as he was two points from dropping the first set. But the scare was nothing for Nadal as he came back strong and won the game in the end with a 7-6(4) 6-3 7-6(4) win. The match lasted for nearly three hours and this could mean that well, Rafa is in for a wild ride at the US Open. Dementieva on the other hand look steadier with the win against Akul Amanmuradova, well almost. Lena need to win the last four games in order to make it past her opponent.

My fiancée Kennedy and I are moving this week, so I’m only gonna offer a tiny snippet of my wisdom this week. I know you’re disappointed, but we’re very busy. And by “we’re very busy,” I actually mean “the boss-lady is cracking the whip harder than usual this week.”

Call me stubborn, call me a piece of garbage (wait… don’t call me that last one), but I’m still not convinced that Rafael Nadal has what it takes to win on a hard court. Keeping that in mind, I’m gonna go with number two seed Roger Federer (it’s weird to refer to him as “number two seed”) over fourth-seeded David Ferrer in the US Open final. On the women’s side, I’m not yet slurping Williams-juice again, so I foresee another number two seed, Jelena Janković, beating 32^nd-seeded Amélie Mauresmo in the final. Mauresmo hasn’t really done much since she won her second career Grand Slam (way back at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships), but I expect a bounce-back performance after an injury-riddled year and a half. Let’s make one thing clear, though: If Roger Federer loses this tournament, I will no longer be predicting major victories for him, despite what my rooting interest might be. (Disclaimer: I reserve the right to ignore that statement and predict him to win whenever I feel like it.)

I don’t know if you can tell by the tone of my typing, but I can barely contain my glee regarding Osi Umenyiora’s season-ending injury. Don’t get me wrong, I actually think Osi is a fairly respectable fellow, but his injury ends the Giants season before it had even started and that is fantastic news. I said this same thing last season (you know... before they won the Super Bowl), but “the Giants are done. Like really done. 83% of their team is either injured or doing commentary on NBC. And unless Tom Coughlin and company are able to sign the entire Football Night in America team, it’s going to be a long year for Big Blue.” (And yes, that is a direct quote from a post I wrote last year.)

Tonight I will be risking life and limb as I go to Philadelphia to cheer on my Mets against their arch-nemesis Phillies. Instead of a preview of the game, I’ll share with you a story of the last time I traveled to Philadelphia for a Mets game. Our friends Jackson and Megan were walking with Kenny (my pet name for Kennedy) and I back to our seats after we had gotten our food. From behind us, several Philly fans were shouting things about the Mets and none of their words were positive. In fact, one voice kept repeating a certain vulgar phrase meant to undermine David Wright’s sexuality. It goes without saying that the members of my party were all wearing various Mets jerseys and accessories, but only one of us had a David Wright shirt on – and that was Kennedy. So out of the four people supporting the Mets, the ferocious fans in Philadelphia decided to pick on the smallest and most frail of the bunch. I’d like to tell you that I defended her honor, but that would be a lie. What did I do to alleviate the situation, you ask? I suggested to everyone that we walk faster to our seats. (Side Note: Jackson and Megan aren’t our friends’ real names, but I think that they sound cooler than “Eric and Donna,” so I went with it. Call it poetic license.)

Now, the smartest among you might suggest that the solution to this problem is simple: don’t wear anything blue, orange or Mets tonight. And based on that advice, I would unilaterally call you people cowards. Sure we might get ridiculed, our car may be vandalized, and one of us could be kidnapped. But through it all, at least we’ll be able to hold our heads high and know that we stood behind our team even at the risk of bodily harm. Besides, it’ll all be worth it if in some small way we can help the Mets defeat those darn Phils. Unless, of course, a feloniously foul Phillie-fan knocks our $16 cheesesteaks onto the ground. If that happens, then the whole experience will have been a big waste of time.

When next we meet, Dear Readers, I will be writing to you from my balcony as I look out into the dense forests of southwestern New Jersey; fighting mosquitoes the size of lampshades. I look forward to it.

Rafael Nadal estreou-se ontem como nº1 do Mundo, ao efectuar o seu primeiro jogo no open dos EUA. O espanhol, que ultrapassou o suíço Roger Federer no ranking ATP há cerca de 1 mês, venceu neste seu primeiro jogo como nº1 o alemão Björn Phau, com os parciais 7-6, 6-3 e 7-6.

Depois de ter ganho a medalha de Ouro nos Jogos Olímpicos de Pequim, o menorquino aposta tudo em conquistar o open norte-americano, após este ano já ter vencido Roland Garros e Wimbledon, que lhe deram a possibilidade de chegar ao topo do ténis mundial.

QF #1: Rafael Nadal VS James Blake
We all know how tired Rafa is at this time but he should have no problems reaching the QFs. Even if he plays righty he should be able to get through. James, on the other hand, had some serious trouble against Donald Young in his first round match today but I had no doubts he was going to pull through. After that Olympics rollercoaster for James, he'd look to avenge himself here. He has some confidence to ride on beating Roger in Beijing and hunger for some wins to try to shrug off that Gonzo heartbreak. James leads their head-to head 3-2 but his 3 wins over Rafa came in 2005 & 2006. Although, note that both of Rafa's wins over James this year went to 3 sets.
TDB pick: Rafa in 5 sets.

Movers & Shakers
David Nalbandian - Former Wimbledon finalist and always a threat to anyone, David could case some problems to James Blake in their R16 match-up.

QF #2: Andy Murray VS Juan Martin Del Potro
As much as I dislike Andy Murray, he's been having quite a run lately topping it with winning his first AMS shield in Cincinnati just a couple of weeks ago beating Novak Djokovic in the finals. Juan Martin Del Potro has been on a mini tear this past weeks winning back to back titles in Los Angeles and Washington, DC making those titles #3 and #4 for the year for him. I call it a mini tear because he's only beaten one Top 10 player along the way in the form of Andy Roddick who is not looking his best at the moment. Juan Martin and Murray's only meeting came in AMS Rome this year with Murray taking it after Juan Martin retired at 1-set all.
TDB pick: Murray in 4 sets.

Movers and Shakers
Stanislas Wawrinka - Coming off a gold medal doubles win in Beijing, Stan is riding on some confidence and has shown he can handle tight situations. He'll definitely look to upset Murray should they meet in the R16.
Gilles Simon - Another up and comer who's also riding on a wave of confidence coming off a win in Indianapolis in the beginning of the US Open Series. He could cause some serious trouble to Juan Martin's run should they meet in the 3rd round.

QF #3: Novak Djokovic VS Andy Roddick
Both of these guys started off the year extremely well with Novak winning Australia and Indian Wells and Andy winning San Jose and Dubai so it's only poetic justice that they end it in such! Last year's finalist and bronze medalist in Beijing, Novak Djokovic, is on a revival trail after a disappointing mid-season showing from him. Reaching the finals in AMS Cincinnati beating Rafael Nadal along the way and winning bronze at the Olympics in Beijing. 2003 US Open Champion, Andy Roddick, is also on the same trail, though less successful- he only reached the finals in Los Angeles which had a very weak draw. Their head-to-head is tied at 1 with Andy winning their most recent meeting in Dubai this year 7-6 6-3.
TDB pick: Novak in 5 sets. (That was hard to type! My Andy fandom goes waaaaaay back.)

Movers and Shakers
Marin Cilic - Fresh off a title win in New Haven, Marin Cilic, can give Novak a scare should they meet in the 3rd round.
Marat Safin - If comeback kid puts his head together, gets everything in order and plays his game then we could see a Wimbledon deja vu with Marat blasting Novak off the court. Boy, I'd love to see that!
Fernando Gonzales - Silver medalist at the Olympics in Beijing and American heartbreaker, Gonzo, can cause more drama in the US of A should he meet Roddick in the R16.

QF #4: Roger Federer VS Richard Gasquet
Roger has a pretty easy road to the QFs and should be in cruise control all the way through. Richard Gasquet has not had the best of years but, like Roger, he has a pretty easy draw through the QFs. He also had a good showing at Wimbledon and was leading Andy Murray in their R16 match but fell to the Scot 4-6 in the 5th set. If he keeps his head together then he should be able to make a good run here as well. Roger leads their head-to-head 6-1.
TDB pick: Roger in 3 sets.

Movers and Shakers
Tommy Haas - Sexy hot head, Tommy, is the only guy I see giving Richard some sort of trouble in the draw. If he wins their first round match, then pencil him for a QF date with Roger.

 
Lindsay Davenport, Rodger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal make an appearance during Arthur Ashe Kids' Day.
 Photo by: Rob Loud/usopen.org

Apparently Don King has eyes on the Rafa and Roger rivalry.

Calling it the Grapple in the Apple, todays newspapers had the Don King promotion all ready. 

The U.S. Open is a tournament which combines the world of tennis and that of fashion, celebrity and a lot of great parties.   It is well attended and perhaps the most watched of all the tournaments especially by the American viewing audience.

Rafael Nadal won his match today, yet he is tired from the Beijing Gold and his knees are especially tricky on this, the hardest of surfaces.  Roger has much to prove and there must be a tremendous amount of anxiety going into another major, with no grand slams and as the No.2 player for the first week ever.  I need to make my pick for the tournament, but will need a few days to decide.  I know who I am cheering for and that is of course Rafa Nadal, the Spaniard that won gold, 'wimby and the French.  A win here would solidify Rafa as the all around best player and would break astonishing records.

So I wish all the players luck, and may the best athlete win.

Copyright ©2008 Veronica Romm

Technorati : craft, windows