US 7.0- J.J. or A.I.?

The Jankobot-5200 performed another test run today. Apparently, her programming has been tweaked, as she had a relatively glitch-proof day... for her.

I mean, an hour and forty-six minute match in which she had to fight back from a set down to win might be a little troubling for SOME J-bot models... but after this one's travails over the past week, it was actually an "easy" day for J-5200.

Yep, Queen Chaos lives on... and on... and on.

On Day Seven, it was #21-seeded Caroline Wozniacki who was left to wonder what just happened out there, as the #2-seeded Jelena Jankovic finally got the 6-2 and 6-1 sets she was looking for... but, holding to form, they came after she lost the 1st set 6-3.

Oh, well. A Whirling Dervish is very rarely perfect.

Still, after things mostly went her way after the slow start, Jankovic DID have one of those Jankovician moments that you have to be on the look-out for whenever she plays. Serving at 3-4, there was an odd incident with chair umpire Leanne White about whether or not a call was being challenged, and then which shot it was that was being challenged and, ultimately, whether or not a call should be challenged at all. In the end, Jankovic said, "Who cares?" and went on with play... but not until she, White and Wozniacki had all been unable to wipe the smiles from their faces at the multiple misunderstandings. Or whatever they were.

Of course, that moment was immediately followed by White overruling a linesperson's in call on the baseline and calling a C-Woz shot long. The Dane challenged, and it was quite clear that the original call HAD been correct and the shot had landed smack on the line. Good eye, Leanne. In the end, the entire situation didn't matter... but it did provide some evidence in favor of the notion that EVERYONE becomes just a little bit discombobulated simply by being within the gravitational pull of one Miss Jelena Jankovic.

Her consistency of results at slams never seems to be effected, though. By reaching the QF and matching her '07 Open result, Jankovic has now once again polished up her impressive numbers in return trips to slams. In the seventeen times in her career in which she's returned to a slam, she's now either matched or exceeded her previous year's result sixteen times (only her '07 Open QF after a SF in '06 prevents her from having a perfect record).

It's just one of the things to be expected from the Jankobot-5200... coming soon to an electronics store near you.



=DAY 7 NOTES=
Things didn't go well for Radek Stepanek with the Swiss Miss, and he didn't have a good time with the Swiss Mister today, either. Roger Federer downed the Czech 6-3/6-3/6-2 to advance to the Round of 16.

...Gilles Muller became the only qualifier to reach the Men's 4th Round with his five-set win over #18 Nicolas Almagro.

...junior play has begun, and some "upsets" have already occurred. The #7 & #8 seeds from the Boys side -- both from Brazil... get it? "The Boys from Brazil?" Never mind. -- were ousted, while American Asia Muhammad knocked off #14-seed Johanna Konta of Australia. It should be noted that there's something of a "ringer" in the Girls draw, as Madison Brengle is not seeded. Not surprisingly, Brenglefly began what could be a very successful run with a 1st Round victory over Pastry Cindy Chala, the #10-seed.

...for a while today it appeared as if Katarina Srebotnik might buck her usual trend and put together back-to-back upsets. But, no. Sneaky Ms. Patty Schnyder sneaked into the quarters with a 4-6/6-3/6-3 with the relative silence of a barn mouse. How unlike her.

...#10-seeds Lisa Raymond & Sam Stosur knocked out the last all-sister doubles team not named Williams on Day Seven, defeating the #7-seeded Sisters Bondarenko.

...and, finally, the singles draw's last mother, Sybille Bammer, outlasted Marion Bartoli in a three-hour plus QF by a score of 7-6/0-6/6-4. With the wins by Bammer and Jankovic, the course would seem to be very well set for a possible SF meeting between Queen Chaos and the winner of the Elena Dementieva/Li Na 4th Rounder that is taking place as I type this sentence. Of course, Jankovic has gotten this far with no one really expecting her to be able to remain standing with each passing round, so how she'll react as her name begins to be floated more and more often as a potential finalist in this event will be interesting.

The '06 ghost of Justine Henin's semifinal comeback lingers, and it might soon be up to Jankovic to finally find a way to exorcise it.

Whoa, I just realized there IS a possibility of a Jankovic vs. Schnyder SF, as well. Oh, my. That could be the wildest match ever. It's best not to wish for such oddities, though.



*GIRLS TOP 8 SEEDS*
1. Arantxa Rus, NED
2. Melanie Oudin, USA
3. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA
4. -vacant-
5. Elena Bogdan, ROU
6. Ana Bogdan, ROU
7. Kurumi Nara, JPN
8. Ksenia Lykina, RUS

*BOYS TOP 8 SEEDS*
1. Yan Tsung-Hua, TPE
2. Bernard Tomic, AUS
3. Grigor Dimitrov, BUL
4. Henri Kontinen, FIN
5. Cesar Ramirez, MEX
6. Guillaume, Rufin, FRA
7. Jose Pereira, BRA (lost 1st Rd.)
8. Henrique Cunha, BRA (lost 1st Rd.)




TOP QUALIFIERS: Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova/CZE
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Venus Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #15 Olaru/ROU def. #22 Larcher de Brito/POR 6-2/6-3
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #2 Jankovic/SRB def. Arvidsson/SWE 6-3/6-7/7-5
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (1st Rd.-Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: Chinese
REVELATION LADIES: Slovaks
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER (xx)
IT GIRL: xxx
MS. OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER
CRASH & BURN: #1 Ana Ivanovic/SRB (lost 2nd Rd to #188 Coin)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
LAST AMERICAN STANDING: xxx
DOUBLES STAR xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx




All for Day 7.0. More tonight and tomorrow.



TUESDAY: Backspin Time Capsule: 1991 U.S. Open

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US 6- Cutting a Path to Next Saturday

There'll be a Tina Fey look-alike with a chance to be Vice President of the United States in the fall, but there are actually sixteen women legitimately qualified to become U.S. Open champion one week from tonight.

*THE SAFINA SECTION*
...even though Ana Ivanovic was in this part of the draw at the start of the tournament, Dinara Safina has always been the favorite to emerge from it and reach the SF. So far, so good. Tonight against Timea Bacinszky, Safina proved she's either on the verge of something great or has managed to learn to do a pretty good impersonation of a player who is. The way she slowly battled her way back from losing the 1st set, then nearly squandering the 2nd, as well, to scrape and claw her way to a three-set win was exactly how a multiple slam winner would look when she manages to find a way to win even though she's not playing her best tennis. Thing is, Safina has looked that way a few times this tournament (of course, she survived match points in two matches in Paris, too, but still reached the final). She'll probably win this section with relative ease, but she'll have to come up with something more if she faces a Williams in the semis. But Amelie Mauresmo, who next faces Flavia Pennetta, shouldn't be overlooked. She's gotten this far very quietly, but that she's still here says something good about her form that we haven't been able to say for most of the last year or more. Anna-Lena Groenefeld is an intriguing possibility that I wish would be able to make her way even deeper into this event, but it just seems so unlikely. PICK: SAFINA

*THE WILLIAMS SECTION*
...Venus and Serena have been so dominant thus far in this tournament it's like it's 2002 all over again. Today, they wiped out their opponents by identical 6-2/6-1 scores. Pity poor Severine Bremond, Serena's next opponent. As for '07 Sharapova Slayer Agnieszka Radwanska, who'll get Venus, it's probably not a good thing that Venus actually remembers that A-Rad defeated her in Luxembourg in their only career meeting in '06. In the end, this section will come down to which sister wants this title the most when they meet in the QF... and I still can't get past the feeling I had after Wimbledon that Serena had that air of determination that said she was going to get a slam this year even if she had to cut somebody to do it. PICK: S.WILLIAMS

*THE DEMENTIEVA SECTION*
...Li Na might pose a threat to Dementieva emerging from the 4th Round, but it'd be hard to see either Patty Schnyder or Katarina Srebotnik keeping her from the SF if they meet in the QF. Srebotnik hasn't been able to put together multiple upsets in a slam, and Schnyder has done well to make it this far in a slam near the end of a lackluster season. PICK: DEMENTIEVA

*THE JANKOVIC SECTION*
...hmmm, Sybille Bammer? No. Marion Bartoli? Maybe. Caroline Wozniacki? Possibly, but she's close to unchartered territory in her slam career at this Open. Bartoli is the only player in this section to have ever reached a slam final, but Jelena Jankovic is the only one who's been continually finding a way to win matches in ways that want you to see her have as many days of life as possible at this tournament. Yeah, Queen Chaos has allowed her matches to become "novel length" (not "War and Peace," mind you, but the quick-read, "The Da Vinci Code" style) rather than the "short stories" they could have been, but a case could be made that she's playing her way into match shape along the way after not getting as much preparation as she'd have wished since Wimbledon. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking? Who knows, but it'll be fun finding out. PICK: WOZNIACKI... though I'll only believe it when I see it.

You know, three of my four "Bizarro Semifinals" picks -- Mauresmo, A-Rad and Li -- are actually still alive... but probably not for much longer.



=DAY 6 NOTES=
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, the "Last Qualifier Standing" and "Comeback Player" for this Open, nearly threw away a 6-4/5-0 advantage (I don't even want to think about what it would have done to her psyche had she lost) against #17-seed Alize Cornet, but ultimately prevailed 6-4/7-5. It's her best slam result since reaching the QF in Paris in 2006, before all the off-court nonsense began with her ex-coach. She'll next face Dinara Safina. Obviously, the Russian is the heavy favorite... but she hasn't yet faced anyone with the serving potential of Girl Friday in this tournament. Nothing wild will probably happen, but it'll be worth keeping an eye on.

...alas, poor Nadia, a Petrovian run deep into this tournament was not meant to be, thanks to Flavia Pennetta.

...ditto for James Blake. But what else is new?

...as if often the case after a lower-ranked player pulls off a big upset, #188 Julie Coin couldn't follow up her win over AnaIvo with one over fellow Pastry Amelie Mauresmo. But at least she didn't fail to show up, losing "well" 6-4/6-4.

...in the Men's 3rd Round, 18-year old Kei Nishikori upset #4-seed David Ferrer (who knocked off Rafa Nadal and reached the SF a year ago) in five sets, becoming the youngest man to reach the Open 4th Round since Marat Safin in 1998 and the first Japanese man to ever make the Round of 16 in this tournament. He'll next face #17 Juan Martin del Potro, who defeated #16 Gilles Simon to run his winning streak to twenty-two matches.

...and, finally, the Open schedulers have finally thrown Novak Djokovic a bone (it only took a whole week), giving him the clean-up position on Night Seven with his "please make sure the Serbs and Croats in the stands are on opposite sides of the stadium" match against Marin Cilic following Dementieva/Li, the Beijing Gold Medal Match that almost happened, but didn't.



*LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING - 2008*
AO: Marta Domachowska & Hsieh Su-Wei (4th Rd.)
RG: Carla Suarez-Navarro (QF)
WI: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova (3rd Rd.)
US: ANNA-LENA GROENEFELD (TO 4TH RD.)

*SLAM "COMEBACK PLAYERS"*
=2007=
AO: Serena Williams, USA
RG: Patty Schnyder, SUI
WI: Venus Williams, USA
US: Vera Zvonareva, RUS
=2008=
AO: Yan Zi/Zheng Jie, CHN
RG: Elena Dementieva, RUS
WI: Tamarine Tanasugarn, THA
US: ANNA-LENA GROENEFELD, GER

*WOMEN'S FINAL 16*
[By Nation]
3...France (Bartoli-Bremond-Mauresmo)
2...Russia (Dementieva-Safina)
2...USA (Williams-Williams)
1...Austria (Bammer)
1...China (Li)
1...Denmark (Wozniacki)
1...Germany (Groenefeld)
1...Italy (Pennetta)
1...Poland (A.Radwanska)
1...Serbia (Jankovic)
1...Slovenia (Srebotnik)
1...Switzerland (Schnyder)
[By Age]
29...Patty Schnyder
29...Amelie Mauresmo
29...Severine Bremond
28...Sybille Bammer
28...Venus Williams
27...Katarina Srebotink
26...Serena Williams
26...Elena Dementieva
26...Flavia Pennetta
26...Li Na
23...Marion Bartoli
23...Jelena Jankovic
23...Anna-Lena Groenefeld
22...Dinara Safina
19...Agnieszka Radwanska
18...Caroline Wozniacki
[By Rank]
#2 - Jelena Jankovic
#3 - Serena Williams
#6 - Elena Dementieva
#7 - Dinara Safina
#8 - Venus Williams
#11 - Agnieszka Radwanska
#13 - Marion Bartoli
#15 - Patty Schnyder
#18 - Caroline Wozniacki
#19 - Flavia Pennetta
#28 - Katarina Srebotnik
#29 - Amelie Mauresmo
#30 - Sybille Bammer
#36 - Li Na
#121 - Severine Bremond
#141 - Anna-Lena Groenefeld



*WOMEN'S ROUND OF 16*
#32 Mauresmo/FRA v.s #16 Pennetta/ITA
(Q) Groenefeld/GER vs. #6 Safina/RUS
#4 S.Williams/USA vs. (WC) Bremond/FRA
#9 A. Radwanska/POL vs. #7 V.Williams/USA
#5 Dementieva/RUS vs. Li/CHN
#15 Schnyder/SUI vs. #28 Srebotnik/SLO
#29 Bammer/AUT vs. #12 Bartoli/FRA
#21 Wozniacki/DEN vs. #2 Jankovic/SRB

*MEN'S ROUND OF 16*
[Top Half]
#1 Nadal/ESP vs. Querrey/USA
Fish/USA vs. #32 Monfils/FRA
Nishikori/JPN vs. #17 del Potro/ARG
#10 Wawrinka/SUI vs. #6 Murray/GBR




*WOMEN'S 4th ROUND*
Mauresmo def. Pennetta in 3
Safina def. Groenefeld in 3 (she needs to save a MP sometime, too)
S.Williams def. Bremond in 2 (1 and love?)
V.Williams def. A.Radwanska in 2
Dementieva def. Li in 2
Schnyder def. Srebotnik in 2
Bartoli def. Bammer in 2
Wozniacki def. Jankovic in 3... no wait, make that Jankovic def. Wozniacki in 2... no wait, make it... hmmm, how about I pick Wozniacki to be safe, but root for Jankovic?




TOP QUALIFIERS: Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova/CZE
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Venus Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #15 Olaru/ROU def. #22 Larcher de Brito/POR 6-2/6-3
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #2 Jankovic/SRB def. Arvidsson/SWE 6-3/6-7/7-5
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (1st Rd.-Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: Chinese
REVELATION LADIES: Slovaks
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER (xx)
IT GIRL: xxx
MS. OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER
CRASH & BURN: #1 Ana Ivanovic/SRB (lost 2nd Rd to #188 Coin)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
LAST AMERICAN STANDING: xxx
DOUBLES STAR xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx




All for Day 6. More tomorrow.



TUESDAY: Backspin Time Capsule: 1991 U.S. Open

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US 5- Serving it Out?

Let's hope it doesn't end like this.

After the early (or as "early" as it could be with two rain delays) night session match was completed, we had to once again wonder if we were seeing the last of Lindsay Davenport at a slam. At age 32, already once retired and having battled injuries all summer, every grand slam experience has the potential to be a final one in her Hall of Fame career. Tonight's loss was no exception.


Not Her Night / DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

On Night Five, Davenport fell to Marion Bartoli 6-1/7-6 in a match that saw her usually reliable serve let her down time and time again at crucial moments in a contest that the Pastry seemed to have in the bag, but in which she failed to succinctly stamp the American down when she had the chance with three break points for 5-2 in the 2nd, and while holding a match point at 5-3.

At 5-5, Davenport tossed in four double-faults (three to begin the game, and one to end it) to be broken, though she broke right back to force a tie-break. There, Davenport again double-faulted on the opening point, and didn't hold her serve until she found herself down 6-2. Bartoli won the breaker 7-3 to advance to the 4th Round (she'll face a second consecutive mom in Sybille Bammer) and continue her resurgent hard court summer.

As for Davenport, who knows? She's yet to let on whether or not she'll return in 2009. One would wish she would, for her best shot at one more run at a slam would probably come in Melbourne in January, when she'd likely be at her healthiest while many of the other top players would yet to be in peak form ('08 champ Maria Sharapova might not even be there, for all anyone knows, depending on how well her shoulder rehab goes).

But maybe Davenport isn't looking for a final dream slam to go out on, and is more inclined to wish to enjoy the experiences that tennis provides. She stated that one of her goals in her comeback was just to be able to play Wimbledon, the Open and the Olympics again this summer. She did that, if barely, thanks to her injuries and, tonight, lack of stamina after barely playing at all the last three or four months. One got the feeling earlier this year that if she could compete well through the U.S. Open, she might walk away happy. That didn't happen, though.

She surely wasn't happy when she walked off the court tonight, not wishing to grant an on-court interview. If she had anything definitive to say, she probably would have done so then. So, that might portend well for at least one more (if only partial) season on tour next year.

Still, no matter what, the clock isn't TOO far from striking midnight for the final time.



=DAY 5 NOTES=
Well, Jelena Jankovic took to the court once again on Day Five. So, of course, the latest episode in her serialized tale of narrow escapes, winking humor in the face of danger and slow trek toward cult heroine status just HAS to chronicled.


Always the story, not yet the champ / Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Seriously, what would your Friendly Neighborhood Backspinner do without Queen Chaos to talk about every other day?

As always, Jankovic's 3rd Round match with Zheng Jie was an adventure. She actually broke the Chinese doubles Bronze Olympic medalist's serve in the opening game of the match, but it didn't reveal anything about how the afternoon was going to go for Jelena. It was just a tease... though a telling one, since fourteen of the match's twenty-four service games resulted in breaks of serve for the returner.

Serving up 5-4 in the 1st, Jankovic was broken. She won the set 7-5, but the extra long time it took to do it was a sign of things to come. In the twelfth game of the 2nd set, Jankovic ended up serving an eighteen minute, eleven-deuce, seven break point game that she finally put away on her fifth match point to win a 7-5/7-5 match in 2:10 that could have been finished up so much earlier.

As usual, Jankovic's inability to use her serve as a weapon means she has to work harder to win every point than most other players with grand slam dreams -- producing longer points and games, and serving to further wear her body down in a tournament where her draw if favorable, but probably not favorable enough for her to take full advantage of since she can never seem to get off the court without grinding herself down just a little bit more with each passing round.

To her credit, she usually finds ways to win matches like this (and the one against Sofia Arvidsson in the 2nd Round, not to mention the one against Arvidsson in which she trailed the Swede 5-1 in the 3rd in Miami, or the one against Paszek in Melbourne or... well, you get the idea), unlike another Serbian who shall go nameless. But doing it EVERY round is a recipe for another season without that elusive slam title on her resume.

But, as it is, she's still living and breathing and making my life a little easier every other day in this tournament. I'll be sad to see her leave this U.S. Open.

Who knows... maybe she'll defy all expectations and not leave until the final match. Now THAT would be some REAL drama, huh?

...later in the afternoon, it was another rendition of "down goes Svetlana Kuznetsova" that was played at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. And, unlike Jankovic, the Russian didn't get right back up again. After the Contessova talked about how much she enjoyed the Open after her previous match, Katarina Srebotnik made her enjoyment a bit more muted with her 6-3/6-7/6-3 3rd Round win over the #3 seed and 2004 champion.

While Kuznetsova's failings are becoming less and less surprising, not to mention more and more uninteresting, 27-year old Srebotnik has had quite a slam journey for herself this summer. In Paris, she upset Serena Williams in the 3rd Round, as well. Then, at Wimbledon, she lost that marathon match with the 16-14 3rd set against Julia Goerges in the 1st Round. She'll next face Patty Schnyder for a spot in the quarterfinals.

...meanwhile, Jankovic's next opponent will be Caroline Wozniacki, the Suddenly Deadly Dane who won the all-Z Girls matchup with Victoria Azarenka on Day Five, 6-4/6-4. In just her second season of grand slam participation, C-Woz had now advanced to two Round of 16 matches, matching her 4th Round result in Melbourne (she lost to Ivanovic )from earlier this year.

...QUESTION: What exactly does Novak Djokovic have to do to get a night match around here? He was an unquestioned star under the lights a year ago, and has since won his first grand slam and Olympic Bronze. Now, Roddick -- who hasn't won a slam title in five years and has gone backwards in '08 rather than forward -- has notched two matches on the big stage in the more forgiving night temperatures. Yeah, yeah. Roddick's an American, a crowd favorite and is going to be given special treatment... but still, what exactly does Djokovic have to do to get ONE night match before the quarterfinals? I wouldn't be surprised if when the schedule for the next batch of matches in the bottom half of the men's draw is announced, the Roger Federer/Radek Stepanek matchup is chosen over the Serb-vs-Croat match between Djokovic and New Haven champ Marin Cilic. Sure, Federer is the four-time defending champ... but still.

...apparently, the word circulating around the Open is that Ashley Harkleroad might now be pregnant. She won't be awaiting Bartoli in a future round in this tournament, though.

...and, finally, as we begin Labor Day weekend in the U.S. (actually, I guess it'll technically begin during the late Roddick/Gulbis match, during which both will see their birthdays arrive at the stroke of midnight), Saturday's featured night matches will include Dinara Safina (now the last member of her family still in the draw and a potential late-into-the-night battle between James Blake and Mardy Fish.



*MEN'S DRAW - TEENS REMAINING*
18...Kei Nishikori, JPN (to 3rd Rd.)
19...Ernests Gulbis, LAT (2nd Rd. match late)*
19...Marin Cilic, CRO (to 3rd Rd.)
19...Juan Martin del Potro, ARG (to 3rd Rd.)
-
(*)- turns 20 on Aug.30 (Saturday)

*MEN'S FINAL 32 - BY NATION - #*
5...Spain (Almagro-Ferrer-Nadal-Robredo-Verdasco)
3...France (Monfils-Simon-Tsonga)
3...Russia (Andreev-Davydenko-Tursunov)
3...USA (Blake-Fish-Querrey)
2...Argentina (del Potro-Nalbandian)
2...Croatia (Cilic-Karlovic)
2...Italy (Cipolla-Seppi)
2...Serbia (Djokovic-Troicki)
2...Switzerland (Federer-Wawrinka)
1...Austria (Melzer)
1...Chile (Gonzalez)
1...Czech Republic (Stepanek)
1...Finland (Nieminen)
1...Great Britain (Murray)
1...Japan (Nishikori)
1...Luxembourg (Muller)
[QUALIFIER]
Gilles Muller, LUX
[LUCKY LOSER]
Flavio Cipolla, ITA
--
(#)- TO FINISH: Roddick (USA) vs. Gulbis (LAT)




TOP QUALIFIERS: Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova/CZE
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Venus Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #15 Olaru/ROU def. #22 Larcher de Brito/POR 6-2/6-3
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #2 Jankovic/SRB def. Arvidsson/SWE 6-3/6-7/7-5
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (1st Rd.-Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: Chinese
REVELATION LADIES: Slovaks
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MS. OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: #1 Ana Ivanovic/SRB (lost 2nd Rd to #188 Coin)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
LAST AMERICAN STANDING: xxx
DOUBLES STAR xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx




All for Day 5. More tomorrow.



UPCOMING: Backspin Time Capsule: 1991 U.S. Open

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US 4- Ivano-victimized

When Julie Coin received her mathematics degree at Clemson, she surely never dreamed she'd see this day. I'd say that Ana Ivanovic didn't think SHE'D experience what she did on Day Four, either... but I'm not quite sure that's the case.


Adieu, AnaIvo... again / AFP/Don Emmert

With Justine Henin having retired just weeks earlier, Ivanovic WAS a deserving #1 player when she claimed the spot back in June just days before winning her first slam title at Roland Garros. But the top spot can be as much a burden as an honor, especially for a young player who didn't see the Belgian's exit coming and wasn't prepared to take her place. The same sport-topping mantle that La Petit Taureau perched herself atop with such authority has been nothing less than a plague on AnaIvo's life and times this summer, a situation only further exacerbated by a thumb injury that curtailed her ability to prepare for and participate on the hard court circuit the last month and a half.

After briefly looking the part of #1 in Paris, she hasn't come close since.

It all came to a head in her 2nd Round match today against Coin, a 25-year old qualifier from France who'd never played a main draw match on tour until two days ago, when she defeated Casey Dellacqua to get the first Top 100 win of her career. Ivanovic gives her two, after a 6-3/4-6/6-3 win that Coin admittedly didn't believe was possible.

It shouldn't have been, either. Ivanovic should have been able to take control of a match like this, but instead it was Coin who was the steadier of the two. It was she who was more consistently aggressive. And, in the end, it was Coin who seized her opportunities to win.

*IVANOVIC LOSSES AS #1-RANKED PLAYER"*
#133 Zheng Jie (WC) - Wimbledon 3rd Round
#94 Tamira Paszek - Montreal 3rd Round
#188 Julie Coin (Q) - U.S. Open 2nd Round

In the 1st set, Coin led 5-3. While serving to stay in the set, an Ivanovic forehand was called in on the baseline, seemingly giving the Serb a 40/30 advantage. But Coin's replay challenge was upheld and the ball was declared out, giving the Pastry a set point. Moments later, Ivanovic netted a backhand and the storyline for this match was set.

At Wimbledon, Ivanovic barely survived a 2nd Round encounter with Nathalie Dechy, but a seed was planted in her psyche that made her question her ability to stay in the tournament. One round later, she lost to wild card Zheng Jie. After she nearly squandered her 1st Round match against Vera Dushevina at this U.S. Open, it was apparent that the vultures were circling on her chances this time around, too. A confident player would have ignored them... but AnaIvo apparently took them to heart. Again.

In the 2nd set, Coin began to feel the magnitude of what she was close to pulling off. With victory in sight, she blinked for the first and only time in the match. After being broken to give Ivanovic a 5-4 lead, Coin lost twelve of fourteen points to end the set and proceed to a 3rd. There, the roles were reversed.

Up 40/love on Coin's serve at 2-2, Ivanovic failed to grab the lead and put the qualifier in her place. Coin held, finishing off the save with a forehand nicely placed in a narrow opening past an approaching Ivanovic. She then broke AnaIvo at love to go up 4-2, and ran her consecutive points streak to ten.

By then, Ivanovic was past the point of no return. Coin was the believer, while AnaIvo was the pretender.

Leading 5-3, Coin double-faulted on her first match point, but didn't crumble under the pressure again. Ivanovic painted a line to survive a second match point, but then sailed a forehand long on the third to finally end the match. Poof! The #1 seed was gone. Within seemingly mere seconds, Ivanovic had exited the court with a weak wave to the crowd, looking for a place to hide. Again.


A Fountain of Coin / AFP/Getty Images/Matthew Stockman

Even with the historic significance of this upset -- rankings-wise, it's the biggest in U.S. Open history and it marks the first time the women's top seed has exited the event this early in forty years of Open Era tennis -- it's not really a TRUE "shocker." Ivanovic is far from a proven commodity as the #1 player. Rather than be inspired by her accomplishment, she's been diminished by it.

Hmmm, maybe Jankovic ISN'T the most dramatic Serb, after all?

Obviously, Ivanovic just wasn't emotionally ready to assume the top ranking. Not yet, anyway. I guess now we know why her inner circle didn't tell her that that semifinal meeting in Paris against Jankovic was for the #1 ranking until AFTER the match, huh?

As things stand, Ivanovic's '08 slam results read like an economy in downturn -- RU = W = 3rd Round = 2nd Round. She's only 4-3 as the #1-ranked player, and has three losses to players ranked outside the Top 93. While talented enough to attain the top spot, she's just not mentally strong enough at the moment to hold onto it. So, please, someone take it from her before she hurts herself.

Does anyone out there really WANT the #1 ranking?

"I do."

Serena, is that you? Dinara?

We'll soon find out.



=DAY 4 NOTES=
As I suspected might be the case after she pulled out of the U.S. Open, USA TODAY is reporting that Maria Sharapova's agent says that the Supernova won't be returning to the tour this season after rehabilitating her rotator cuff injury. Better safe now than sorry later.

...the "Last Qualifier Standing" race is down to two, as Coin and Anna-Lena Groenefeld remain. Coin next faces countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo (they played at the same club in the past), while ALG goes up against yet another Pastry, Alize Cornet.

...one tiny section of the draw has worked out so that Venus Williams might have a shot to knock off four DIFFERENT tennis siblings -- Alona Bondarenko in the 3rd Round, Agnieszka Radwanska in the 4th Round, Serena Williams in the QF and Dinara Safina in the SF.

...speaking of sisters, the Radwanskas lost in doubles to the Chinese Olympic Bronze-winning pair of Yan Zi & Zheng Jie today.

...SOME MATCHES OF NOTE: #20 Nicole Vaidisova was bounced from the tournament by wild card Severine Bremond, Venus and Serena allowed a total of five TOTAL games in their two singles matches today, and Cornet ended any hopes of seeing whether or not Bethanie Mattek would revert to past fashion form should she be scheduled for a night match

...and, finally, the night session saw Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal totally out-class their opponents in a really fine example of poor scheduling. Things could be interesting tomorrow night, though, as Lindsay Davenport (vs. Marion Bartoli) and Andy Roddick (vs. Ernests Gulbis) return for seconds at Ashe Stadium.




=EARLY ROUND AWARDS - 1st/2nd Rds.=
TOP PLAYER: Venus Williams/USA
...if all three weren't in the same half of the draw, at this point it'd be difficult to see a final that didn't include two of three from the group of Venus, Serena and Safina (well, maybe Dementieva, I guess.) But it's only Day Four. (RU: Serena Williams/USA & Dinara Safina/RUS))
RISERS: Li Na/CHN & Zheng Jie/CHN
...with Beijing behind them, the Cookies can now operate without the Olympic pressure lurking beyond every corner. (ALSO: Elena Dementieva/RUS)
SURPRISES: Julie Coin/FRA & Tatiana Perebiynis/UKR
...they knocked out the two highest seeds to fall so far in either the men's or women's draws. (ALSO: Anne Keothavong/GBR)
VETERANS: Nadia Petrova/RUS & Amelie Mauresmo/FRA
...either Mauresmo or Petrova could be the big beneficiaries of Ivanovic's exit. (ALSO: Severine Bremond/FRA))
FRESH FACES Ekaterina Makarova/RUS & Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK
...the NextGen Hordettes and Slovaks are making their marks. (ALSO: Dominika Cibulkova/SVK & Victoria Azarenka/BLR)
DOWN: Ana Ivanovic/SRB
...she had a ready excuse -- the thumb and lack of match play -- coming in, but the world #1 should be able to out duel #188 if she's truly worthy of being the top-ranked player in the world. (ALSO: Anna Chakvetadze, Vera Zvonareva & Maria Kirilenko/RUS)
COMEBACKS: Lindsay Davenport/USA & Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER
...Davenport is still standing without pain, and ALG is serving some scorchers (Cornet could be in trouble in the 3rd Round).

MOST ODDLY DRAMATIC MATCH INVOLVING A SERB: 2nd Rd. - Jankovic def. Arvidsson 6-3/6-7/7-4
...in 2:44, "Down Goes Jankovic!" turned out to be a rallying cry for the world #2. Sure, she said that if she'd cramped up during the match like she did on the treadmill after the match that she might have had to retire -- but does anyone really believe that? Nope. We'd just been treated to a classic, multiple trainer-calling, wince-inducing production number that would have gone down in the annals of Open history. Darn it... it's a rare occasion when you can accuse Jelena of not being dramatic ENOUGH.
MOST SADLY DRAMATIC/HISTORIC MATCH INVOLVING A SERB: 2nd Rd. - Coin def. Ivanovic 6-3/4-6/6-3
...it's surprising that Coin was the player who got it done, but anyone who was actually paying attention (not Mr. Courier, I guess) before the Open began knew that AnaIvo was going to be susceptible to a potential early-round upset.

FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (lost to Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: The Chinese (Li def. Peer/Errani, Zheng d. Medina-Garrigues, Peng d. Daniilidou)
REVELATION LADIES: Even with Daniela Hantuchova being ousted in the 1st Round, the Slovaks still put two players -- Dominika Cibulkova and Magdalena Rybarikova -- into the 3rd Round. (RU: The Ukrainians, with Alona Bondarenko and Tatiana Perebiynis in the final 32)
ZOMBIE QUEEN (1r-2r): She's not likely to win the tournament after her bone yard escape against Sofia Arvidsson, but Jelena Jankovic wears THIS crown rather well. Of course, if the draw falls the right way, she could take this unsteady walk into the SF and maybe beyond.
CRASH & BURNER (1r-2r): That "whew!" sound you hear is Maria Sharapova's expression of relief that her reign as the victim of "most shocking U.S. Open upset ever" only lasted one year. Ana Ivanovic, expect a thank-you card in the mail... it might be handwritten, too, since Maria has some extra time on her hands.
FASHION NEWSMAKER: Venus Williams' all-black nighttime attire... the star of an otherwise rather boring U.S. Open fashion show in '08.
PER CHANCE TO DREAM?: Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport... healthy, still kicking and seeing some light at the end of the draw tunnel after some very frustrating months.

Oh, and Nadia's lurking, too... but that's all I'll say about that, just in case.




*MOST U.S. OPEN NIGHT WINS - WOMEN*
21...Venus Williams
16...Martina Navratilova
15...SERENA WILLIAMS
14...Chris Evert

*2008 SLAM "UPSET QUEENS"*
AO: Russians
RG: Czechs
WI: Russians
US: Chinese

*2008 SLAM "REVELATION LADIES"*
AO: Poles
RG: Czechs
WI: Russians
US: Slovaks

*SLAM "CRASH & BURNERS"*
2007 US: Maria Sharapova (3rd Rd)
2008 AO: Svetlana Kuznetsova (3rd Rd)
2008 RG: Serena Williams (3rd Rd)
2008 WI: Maria Sharapova (2nd Rd)
2008 US: Ana Ivanovic (2nd Rd)

*WOMEN'S FINAL 32 - BY NATION*
5...France (Bartoli-Bremond-Coin-Cornet-Mauresmo)
5...Russia (Dementieva-Kuznetsova-Makarova-Petrova-Safina)
3...USA (Davenport-Williams-Williams)
2...China (Li-Zheng)
2...Italy (Garbin-Pennetta)
2...Slovakia (Cibulkova-Rybarikova)
2...Switzerland (Bacsinszky-Schnyder)
2...Ukraine (A.Bondarenko-Perebiynis)
1...Austria (Bammer)
1...Belarus (Azarenka)
1...Denmark (Wozniacki)
1...Germany (Groenefeld)
1...Great Britain (Keothavong)
1...Japan (Sugiyama)
1...Poland (A.Radwanska)
1...Serbia (Jankovic)
1...Slovenia (Srebotnik)
[QUALIFIERS]
Julie Coin
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
[WILD CARD]
Severine Bremond




TOP QUALIFIERS: Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova/CZE
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Venus Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #15 Olaru/ROU def. #22 Larcher de Brito/POR 6-2/6-3
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #2 Jankovic/SRB def. Arvidsson/SWE 6-3/6-7/7-5
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (1st Rd.-Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: Chinese
REVELATION LADIES: Slovaks
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MS. OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: #1 Ana Ivanovic/SRB (lost 2nd Rd to #188 Coin)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
LAST AMERICAN STANDING: xxx
DOUBLES STAR xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx




All for Day 4. More tomorrow.



UPCOMING: Backspin Time Capsule: 1991 U.S. Open

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US 3.5- Frustrated Hopes and Lingering Dreams

On the thirty-third anniversary of the first U.S. Open night match, Night Three provided... well, honestly, very few of the things that make the action under the lights the greatest spectacle in the sport.

But it did shine a light on two American players whose careers will likely end up somewhat side-by-side in the eternally crowded "what if" corner of the Great Hall of Tennis that exists in the mind's eye.

Andy Roddick and Lindsay Davenport's careers could have gone so differently, if not for the era in which their birth fated them to compete.

Roddick, who dispatched veteran Fabrice Santoro deuce-deuce-deuce (6-2/6-2/6-2) tonight, would surely have more than a single (five years old grand slam win to his credit if not for a certain fellow named Roger Federer. Now, just as Federer's fortunes have dipped, Roddick still can't take advantage of the situation with the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic either having already done so or prepared to move into whatever room at the top has been opened up due to Federer's '08 lapses.

Even this summer, Roddick's decision to skip the Olympics in favor of preparing for the Open didn't turn out as he expected. His hard court results have been disappointing, and 1st Round win aside, the likelihood of a real run at this title is slim. Then, once the tournament is over, Roddick will be on the lookout for yet another full-time coach who might finally return him to the top tier of the sport, if that's even possible.

Meanwhile, seventeen years after she made her Open debut, Davenport's 7-5/6-3 win over Alisa Kleybanova maintained the dream of a potential "Goodbye Title Run" in New York ten years after her last championship in Flushing Meadows. That '98 U.S. Open title was her first career slam win, and she'd take two more within the next sixteen months. But even though she's finished as the year-end #1 three times since, Davenport has yet to win a fourth slam title.

When she was a young pro, Davenport was considered a potentially dominant player in waiting, if she could only get into better shape and improve her court movement. Thing is, by the time she DID transform herself physically, it was too late, as Venus and Serena Williams had upped the athletic prerequisites needed to compete for slam titles. Then, when the sisters' careers drifted in and out, Davenport's body began to betray her and she was forced to contend with a string of injuries that cost her more potential slam crowns. In stepped Justine Henin, and the rest was history. Davenport's best shot at that elusive fourth slam came at the '05 Wimbledon, when she failed to convert a championship point in the final against Venus Williams. She hasn't come close to another golden opportunity.

Since then, Davenport has become a mother, retired, un-retired, returned to great mid-level tournament success... then faced the realization once more that her body wasn't going to allow her to compete at a high level on a full-time basis on the tour.

But the dream for that perfect ending continues for Davenport, just as the quest to "reacquire the grail" does for Roddick. And today was a good one for both -- they got wins, saw favored competitors in their sections of the draw either lose (Vera Zvonareva) or have an injury scare (Novak Djokovic).

Thus, they both keep plugging away, and the nighttime New York crowd is always going to appreciate them for it. So, maybe this sort of night, even with its drama largely missing in action (Jelena Jankovic used it all up this afternoon, I guess), IS what the night sessions are all about, in a way. While the Democrats talked about "change" in Denver, the two American almost-greats were all about "hopes" and "dreams" in Queens.

And that's not SO bad.






All for Day 3.5. More tomorrow.

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US 3.0- Jankovician to the Core

You just knew she'd find a way.

To wrestle drama from the seemingly routine. To create wincing moments of awkwardness from a crisp sunny New York afternoon. To ultimately survive a stress-inducing few hours, turning what could have been a fitful scowl into a weary smile of relief when all was said and done.

Otherwise, her name wouldn't be Jelena.


AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Yep, Jankovic was at it again on Day Three, weaving what could only be called a "Jelena Special" in a 2nd Round match against Sofia Arvidsson. Oh, Queen Chaos won... it's just the way that she did it that was so... so... so..., well, you know, Jankovician.

The star of today's story, for a while, looked to be cruising to a rather routine win, all the better as she continues to fight through lingering injuries and a lack of proper training time since Wimbledon. After all, considering her current lack of stamina, the last thing that Jankovic wanted on this day was a long, drawn out match. Too much risk, too much time for something else to go wrong.

So, of course, she had to go and make things interesting.

Up 6-3/5-4, Jankovic served for the match twice at 5-4 and 6-5. She held a match point, too. Winning in straight sets would have been too easy for her. She failed to close out the festivities either time, then headed for a tie-break with her Swedish counterpart. She led there 3-0. Then she lost six straight points, dropping the tie-break 7-5. Hello, 3rd set... where things would surely go more smoothly.

You're kidding, right?

Oh, she led the 3rd set 3-0, too. But, well, you know the script she was writing in her head. It certainly didn't include making quick work of Arvidsson now. Up a break once... twice... three times a Serbian lady, the Whirling Dervish couldn't quite bring herself to walk off the court in triumph without tempting fate a few more times.

A double-fault self-broke Jankovic's serve game, cutting her lead to 4-3. In the next game, while attempting to retrieve a short Arvidsson shot, Miss Chaotic slid across the service box, delivered a soft shot right into the Swede's wheelhouse, which was promptly delivered into the open court to claim the point. No doubt thinking, "Here I go again," Jankovic put her head down on the court, resting her face on the surface and against her forearms.

And she just stayed there, for a few uncomfortable seconds... long enough for the chair umpire to ask her if she was okay.

She was. And with the drama now at an appropriate level, she dug in and proceeded to finally take the match as she should have earlier. She held serve at love for 5-4, then held again for 6-5. After seeing Arvidsson's forehand put together nearly three dozen winners on the day, it was an errant backhand that sailed long on Jankovic's second match point that finally salted this one away, 6-3/6-7/7-5 after two hours and forty-four minutes of "pure Jelena."


AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Thus, the Dervish lives to Whirl another day... she just can't help herself.

A few more of these and Jankovic will become the Big Apple cult hero she has all the ingredients to become. In fact, if this had been a night match, she might already be an Open legend... bent halo, eye-rolling drama and all.

Give her time.



=DAY 3 NOTES=
The Olympic Experience is proving to be having quite different effects on those who participated in Beijing:

Gold Medalist Elena Dementieva, who admitted earlier in the week that her head was still in China, nevertheless managed to reach the 3rd Round with an easy win over Pauline Parmentier today. Silver Medalist Dinara Safina seems focused (and hopefully working on her serve in practice), and 4th Place finisher Li Na is taking advantage of a rare healthy period of her season, taking out Sara Errani 4-6/6-2/6-0 to reach the final 32 on Day Three.

But Bronze Medalist Vera Zvonareva isn't quite so happy, having been defeated rather thoroughly in her 2nd Round match by Tatiana Perebiynis, 6-3/6-3. It's good news for someone in her section of the draw, though. Likely, either Marion Bartoli or, yes, even a healthy Lindsay Davenport. Maybe the draw's going to work out for her, after all.

...meanwhile, Tamira Paszek's resurgence lasted exactly one match. She lost today to Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-1/6-2. Brit Anne Keothavong's slam surge continued as she upset #25-seed Francesca Schiavone. And Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie is at it again, knocking off #26 Anabel Medina-Garrigues. Zheng's next opponent? Jankovic, of course.

Buckle your seatbealts, it could be another bumpy ride.

...ousted in doubles today: #2 Kveta Peschke/Rennae Stubbs and #3 Chan Yung-Jan/Chuang Chia-Jung. Top-seeded Cara Black & Liezel Huber advanced, though, so their final shot at an '08 slam title lives on.

...and, finally, the aforementioned Davenport is set to make her night session debut at this tournament exactly seventeen years to the day that she made her Open debut at age 15. As long as her health holds, she should advance past Alisa Kleybanova. If not, who knows.

As for Andy Roddick... how great would it be if Fabrice Santoro could put on yet another show under the lights? I'm not exactly sure why I'm itching to see Roddick bounced early from this tournament, but I seem to be rooting for just that. So be it.




TOP QUALIFIERS: Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova/CZE
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xxx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #15 Olaru/ROU def. #22 Larcher de Brito/POR 6-2/6-3
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xxx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xxx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): xxx
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (1st Rd.-Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: xxx
REVELATION LADIES: xxx
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: xxx
IT GIRL: xxx
MS. OPPORTUNITY: xxx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xxx
CRASH & BURN: xxx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xxx
LAST AMERICAN NON-STAR STANDING: xxx
DOUBLES STAR xxx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xxx




All for Day 3.0. More tonight and tomorrow.



UPCOMING: Backspin Time Capsule: 1991 U.S. Open

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US 2.5- The Lady in Black

Night Two of action on Arthur Ashe was one of those nights where you could sit at home watching tennis... and catch up on some "Big Brother" antics on CBS and prepare for Hillary Clinton's convention speech in Denver, too.

Needless to say, thanks to Venus Williams and Roger Federer, the drama of Night One wasn't in evidence twenty-four hours later.

The Open doesn't hold quite the same claim on Venus' heart as Wimbledon, but twice in her career (2000-01) she's followed up an All-England Club title with one in Queens, New York. Once, she even picked up an Olympic Gold in between, and she came into this tournament looking to do it for a second time after her Doubles Gold run in Beijing with sister Serena. So far, so good, as Sam Stosur was but a minor obstacle in a 6-2/6-3 victory for The Lady in Black.

Venus is now 21-2 in night matches at the Open... which still isn't quite as good as the other victor on the night, Roger Federer, who maybe not coincidentally showed up not long ago similarly dressed in all-black for an Open night match. Federer's 6-3/6-0/6-3 win over Maximo "Don't-Call-Me-Fernando" Gonzalez was the former world #1's eleventh win in eleven career matches under the lights.

Actually, this convergence of Wimbledon legends/recent Olympics Doubles Gold winners/all-black attire-sporters in New York was a fitting combination, whether or not the schedule-makers had everything lined up in their minds when they picked these matches to feature. Too bad it turned out to be little more than a "ceremonial exhibition."

Perhaps the drama will return tomorrow night.

As it turned out, the highlight of the night was probably Venus' very sleek-looking outfit. It's just a black version of the white EleVen number she wore at Wimbledon, but it looks quite different.


Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Thus ends tonight's fashion report.



Three intriguing three-set matches were completed in the late going of Day Two:

#27-seed Alona Bondarenko cut short Jamea Jackson's comeback bid, but the 21-year old Georgia Peach has surely given notice over the last three weeks that she's on her way back from the hip surgery she underwent more than a year and a half ago.

Bethanie Mattek kept alive the hope of seeing her in a night match on Ashe with her come-from-behind three-set win over Marta Domachowska, 6-7/7-5/6-4. Of course, she may have to last until a potential 4th Round meeting with Dinara Safina to get said match, though.

And Amelie Mauresmo won the rematch of the Cincinnati SF she lost to Nathalie Dechy two weeks ago, 4-6/6-3/6-2. Ana Ivanovic is now just one round away.

...with wild card Severine Bremond's late win on Tuesday, two women's wild cards, one lucky loser and seven qualifiers won 1st Round matches. The race for Last Qualifier Standing is on.

...tomorrow night, Lindsay Davenport (vs. Alisa Kleybanova) and Andy Roddick (vs. Fabrice Santoro) make their '08 night session debuts. After seeing Blake wiggle off the upset hook on Night One, it'd be nice to at least see Roddick struggle against the crafty French veteran on Wednesday.




*MOST U.S. OPEN NIGHT WINS - WOMEN*
21...VENUS WILLIAMS
16...Martina Navratilova
14...Serena Williams
14...Chris Evert

*1st ROUND WINNERS BY NATION - WOMEN*
10...Russia #
7...France ##
6...Italy ###
4...USA (Davenport-Mattek-Williams-Williams)
3...Austria (Bammer-Meusburger-Paszek)
3...China (Li-Peng-Zheng)
2...Belarus (Azarenka-Govortsova)
2...Czech Republic (Benesova-Vaidisova)
2...Germany (Groenefeld-Lisicki)
2...Romania (Cirstea-Olaru)
2...Serbia (Ivanovic-Jankovic)
2...Slovakia (Cibulkova-Rybarikova)
2...Spain (Medina Garrigues-Ruano Pascual)
2...Switzerland (Bacsinszky-Schnyder)
2...Taiwan (Chan-Hsieh)
2...Ukraine (A.Bondarenko-Perebiynis)
1...Australia (Moore)
1...Colombia (Duque Marino)
1...Denmark (Wozniacki)
1...Estonia (Kanepi)
1...Great Britain (Keothavong)
1...Hungary (Szavay)
1...Japan (Sugiyama)
1...Paraguay (de los Rios)
1...Poland (A.Radwanska)
1...Slovenia (Srebotnik)
1...Sweden (Arvidsson)
--
#- Bychkova, Dementieva, Kleybanova, Kuznetsova, Makarova, Pavlyuchenkova, Petrova, Safina, Vesnina, Zvonareva

##- Bartoli, Bremond, Coin, Cornet, Mauresmo, Parmentier, Rezai

###- Camerin, Errani, Garbin, Pennetta, Schiavone, Vinci



*NOTABLE UNBEATEN U.S. OPEN NIGHT RECORDS - MEN*
20-0...Pete Sampras
11-0...ROGER FEDERER
8-0...Jim Courier
2-0...Novak Djokovic






All for Day 2.5. More tomorrow.

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