<p>Anyone else cheering on these wonderful young Americans? I have been a John Isner fan for several years and I’m now just wild about Melanie Oudin. Loved seeing Kim Clijsters back so strong and Flavia Panetta gave such a gutsy performance last night. Two of my favorite weeks of the year made better by such exciting matches!</p>
<p>I’ve been glued to the TV. Although I do have to admit that I was hoping this was Roddick’s year.</p>
<p>I thought Oudin’s run was over in the 2nd set when she was down a break, but, once again, she came through. It’s nice to inject some new blood into American tennis…I hope she can keep this up long term.</p>
<p>We don’t get the tennis channel, so I can’t see when the matches when not on CBS or ESPN2. Used to love watching the night matches on USA. Very happy for Oudin.</p>
<p>I heard someone report yesterday that Melanie Oudin has aspirations for college and medical school. How refreshing to see a young athlete at that level looking forward and valuing education!</p>
<p>Nah, it’s her twin sister, also an accomplished tennis player, who wants to go to medical school. She was the one who openly wept after Melanie’s win. Melanie turned pro; the sister plays high school tennis, will probably play college tennis, with current plans to go to med school.</p>
<p>Melanie is fantastic. Hope she can beat the other relatively unknown player who just made it through (Wozniaki)
Rooting for Kim C. too…although I would like Serena to win that match if it happens.<br>
Now, Isner, I respect what he’s done with his game. But I think he was a “spoiler” for Roddick. I was very disappointed cause I just knew that he wouldn’t make it far…and I was right. Now we have NO american men in the quarters…first time in history. Yes, Roddick should have played better…but I think Isner was ON that night and used his knowledge of Roddick’s play to help do him in. No one wants to see that guy in the draw…his game is so different…it can really screw up ANY player on any given day.
Go Melanie!</p>
<p>So sorry she didn’t make it further, but she was wonderful!!! Yay for our hometown girl!!!</p>
<p>I went last night and sat 10 rows (and the photographers row) away from Oudin, Federer, and Co. </p>
<p>Oudin (and Wozniacki) conducted their interviews with great class and a maturity that belies their young age and relative lack of exposure to the media glare.</p>
<p>I didn’t see her previous matches, but my eyes last night and the previous matches’ stats prove that Wozniacki simply beat Oudin at her own game (the idea of a tactical counterpuncher)- this was the first match where Oudin had demonstrably more errors than her opponent. Everything from Wozniacki came back with decent but not winner-level pace. That frustrated Oudin who went for winners a lot more and inevitably sprayed some. </p>
<p>Frankly, national favorite aside, the story here is Wozniacki, junior Wimbledon champion only 3 years ago - many of these fade and and stall in their development but she is top 10 only 3 years later, conducts herself well, is better-looking than anyone else top 20, and has the consistency to last at the top.</p>
<p>Federer as usual gets the hard stuff back too and places it perfectly enough times to frustrate whomever he is playing. </p>
<p>All ended at 12:10a and loved every minute.</p>
<p>The counterpunch game can get you quite far (as in Hingis), and it can be effective against the power players but only up to a point. Federer is able to do both. There are lots of players that hit harder but he blocks and defends effectively and then looks for the chance to go on the offensive which he can do very well. This can be broken down by an extreme player like Nadal who just pounds Federer’s only weakness and otherwise plays a very strong defensive and offensive game.</p>
<p>crescent…great seats!
We went last weekend and watched Oudin on the big screen with thousands of others cheering (while at the bar drinking italian beer and ordering small plates…very cool). She was really quite amazing.
Another US player that got almost no press…Jesse Whitten. He pushed Novak to the brink. And he’s ranked in the 300s and looks like a beer leaguer (per my H). A really fun match! I hope to see him again. </p>
<p>Anyway, I think Federer and Serena will be joining each other in celebrating yet another championship.</p>
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<p>Sad story on Witten in the nytimes about how he’s only made $21,000 this year prior to US Open- tough times for many more professionals (trying to make it) than we place our attention on as fans.</p>
<p>Uh Oh. Problemes a Chez Oudin.</p>
<p>[John</a> Oudin’s<em>divorce filing</em>cites daughter Melanie’s*coach - Tennis - SI.com](<a href=“http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/tennis/09/09/oudin.family/index.html]John”>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/tennis/09/09/oudin.family/index.html)</p>
<p>oh my, that was bad last night.
I was actually enjoying the very high level of tennis played by Serena and Kim. It’s so rare that any player can give her a good match.
Then Serena want wacko. After a suspect foot fault call, she threatened to shove a ball down the linewomen’s throat. On match point. And she lost the match due to the penalty point.
And denied making the threat. Very ugly. Poor Kim couldn’t even celebrate.
Serena should be fined and suspended IMO. It was much worse that what Johnny Mac ever did.</p>
<p>Her post-match interview was very telling. Granted it was held before she had time to reflect but it was obvious from the first moment that she was not going to acknowledge being out of line. I would have respected her if she had made a sincere apology for behaving badly - even though she disagreed with the call. I have a hard time supporting Maria Sharapova because of her track record of blatant gamesmanship when she is losing and I am going to have a hard time supporting Serena Williams after this. Darn…and I have always liked her feistiness too.</p>
<p>MEMORANDUM</p>
<p>From: President of the United States
To: Vice President of the United States</p>
<p>Dear Joe,</p>
<p>Hate to bother you in the middle of a SpongeBob marathon, but tomorrow on your way to the office could you pick up a 12-pack?</p>
<p>Who loves ya, baby? Barack</p>
<p>Better–as a condition to returning to the tour, Serena should be required to stand in front of the linesman and the crowd, in the middle of center court, and issue a complete, unequivocal and unqualified apology.</p>
<p>It would be nice to see the tape again regarding what she said. One person that I spoke with from reading lips indicated that she threated to shove the ball a bit lower.</p>
<p>The lesson here is not to get the first misconduct warning.</p>
<p>I saw the tape and it seemed like she said “throat”… with some major f -bombs thrown in.
Someone on tv said it was more than what she said…it was what she DID. Holding her racket up, pointing…very nasty and physically threatening behavior. Wow. She also told and girl at the French that she better watch out in the locker room.
Sooo… I will not be rooting for Serena the bully anymore. It should be interesting to see how folks react when they come out to play their doubles final tomorrow. I predict boos…big time.</p>
<p>I couldn’t believe it when she smashed her raquet and broke it earlier in the match. Apparently she got an unsportsmanlike call for that and it was considered when they assessed her a point.
Not that it matters but was the line judge correct? I wasn’t sure about that and some thought she might not have been.</p>
<p>It clearly looked as though Serena was not going to have Kim beat her - so she threw it away with her temper tantrum. How sad.</p>