Serena's drives were consistently deep throughout the match. Jelena's drives were not deep enough often enough. When Jelena's drives came up short, Serena immediately took good net position, and Jelena had to try to lob over her. Jelena succeeded only once in lobbing over Serena; Serena scored many points by smashing Jelena's lobs back at her, and scored on a total of 28 out of 34 net approaches in the match (Jelena: 8 of 11).
Much has been made of the difference between the serves of the two ladies. Although Serena's fastest serve was 120 mph and Jelena's 106, Serena's
1st serve speed was 104 mph, and Jelena's 99 mph, a difference of about 5%, which is reduced to even less by atmospheric drag by the time the ball reaches the receiver. Serena averaged 81 mph on 2nd serves, Jelena averaged 83. Serena hit 3 aces with 3 double faults; Jelena: 3 aces, 4 DFs.
Serena struck 44 winners with 39 unforced errors; Jelena hit 17 fewer errors, but she also hit 39 fewer winners.
Serena served first, and the opening game was lengthy, a 3-deuce affair in which the most notable event was a smash winner by Serena. Then Jelena also held serve, in a 6-point game, when Serena sent a volley long. The score was 1-1.
Then Serena seemed to come apart. On her serve, she sent a backhand long, double faulted, sent another backhand wide. Then she fired a really great serve, very fast and deep, right at Jelena, but Jelena managed to block the ball back, and Serena drove the ball into the net.
Jelena took a 40-0 lead on her serve, and now had won seven points in a row. But Serena would win the next seven. A forehand winner by Serena, a couple of balls hit out by Jelena, and then another smash winner by Serena brought about the break point, and Jelena sent the ball long to put the set
at 2-2.
Serena then held serve rather easily; a 5-point game. Jelena lost the first point of her next service game when, fielding a drop shot, she failed to lob the ball over Serena's head. The score reached 30-30, then Jelena double faulted, after which Serena fired a forehand winner down the line to
and a 4-2 lead.
Serena held serve again in a 6-point game. Jelena also held, serving two aces in a 10-point game to stay in the set.
Serena, who had held easily in her last two service games, now had trouble again, double faulting for the second time, and then driving a backhand into the net to make the score 5-4, on serve. Instead of turning the set around, however, on her serve Jelena netted a couple of balls, then sent one long on break point,
When Jelena fell behind 0-30 on her serve, it appeared that the 2nd set might be over quickly. But after three deuces, Jelena held on her third game point with a service winner.
At 6-4, 1-1, 15-15, in the 3rd game of the 2nd set, Jelena failed to lob the ball over Serena at net for the fourth time in the match, resulting in another smash winner for Serena. After Jelena sent a backhand wide, there was a 22 stroke long rally, the longest of the match, which Jelena won with a forehand winner down the line. But the next point Jelena failed to lob over Serena for the 5th time, and Serena held with another smash.
On Jelena's next serve she finally managed to lob high enough to clear Serena, the only time she would in the match. Then, after reaching deuce, Serena sent the ball out twice to put the 2nd set at 2-2.
In the fifth game of the 2nd set Serena fell behind 0-30, but scored the next four points, finishing with her second ace and a service winner. Jelena also held with a good serve to end 2-deuce game, and the 2nd set was at 3-3.
in game 7 of set 2. After taking a 40-15 lead, Serena sent a ball long, and the next one wide. A smash gave Serena the advantage, but she netted the next ball, hit one long, and netted another, and Serena was down a break, 3-4.
Jelena held in a 6-point game, then Serena, serving to stay in the 2nd set, quickly fell behind 0-40. Jelena had three set points, but she lost all three on errant backhands. Serena scored with a good serve, then Jelena sent another ball long and Serena had held to reach 4-5.
Jelena, serving for the set, quickly fell behind 0-40 as Serena hit winners; and recovered to 40-40 as Serena hit errors. Jelena successfully defended two break points, then reached a 4th set point by serving her third ace of the match. But she followed the ace with her third double fault, and, after Serena gained another break point,
when she sent a volley wide.
Serving at 5-5, Serena delivered her third ace of the match, then both players exchanged outs and nets to reach 30-30. Jelena
failed to lob over Serena, then sent a forehand wide, after which Serena held with a backhand volley winner.
Jelena needed to hold to reach a 2nd set tiebreaker. Serena netted the ball, and Jelena sent one long. 15-15. Jelena hit a backhand winner; Serena hit yet another smash winner. 30-30. Jelena then sent the ball long, giving Serena her first match point, but Serena put a backhand wide. 40-40. Serena netted a ball, giving Jelena a point to hold serve, but Jelena double faulted for the fourth time in the match. Jelena then sent a backhand into the net, and Serena,
champion.
"I feel like I have a new career. I feel so young and I feel so energised to play every week. I feel there's just so much that I can do in my career yet and I've never felt like I've played my best tennis...
"I've been working so hard all year. Sometimes I wake up at like six in the morning to go practice and if it was too dark, I would have to wait until it gets light. It's just paying off. No one really, really knows the work that an athlete puts in. You know, it's worth it. Then I felt like, 'Gosh, I've been working the hardest. I should win.'"
"Serena was a little bit better on the important points. I had my chances the first set, and the second set, as well... some unlucky points. I should have won them, but I didn't. I let my opportunities slip away...
"It will give me hopefully a lot more motivation to continue to work hard. Hopefully I can be healthy and work on my game and become even a better player."
The match was held 26 hours later than usual due to rain and high winds on Saturday. Serena now leads Jelena 4-3 in
; all their meetings have been on hard courts. Serena won their last encounter, in this year's Miami final, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, while Jelena won the match before that, in the quarterfinals of this year's
WTA SCOREBOARD: The US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York
The US Open Corona Park, Flushing Meadows, New York
Flushing Meadows: The US Open has 32 seeds, with no 1st-round byes. There are 16 qualifiers and 8 wild cards in the main draw. Qualifying finals: Fri, Aug 22nd.
2008: Lindsay Davenport & Serena Williams were at the US Open kid's day on Saturday, Aug 23... also on Saturday, Venus Williams (and Serena) discussed Oreo cookies and other important tennis issues with reporters... On Thu, Aug 21, Jelena Jankovic practiced at Louis Armstrong Stadium, and posed in her latest Reebok tennis togs at the Empire Hotel in Manhattan... row 2: On Sunday, players attending a WTA 35th anniversary event included former # 6 Chanda Rubin, former # 1 and 1979 & '81 US Open champ Tracy Austin, former # 4 Mary Joe Fernandez, Jelena Jankovic, Nadia Petrova, & Bethanie Mattek... row 3: Many former champions were in attendance on Monday night at Flushing Meadows, including 1990 champ Gabriela Sabatini, '75, '76, '77, '78, '80 & '82 champ Chris Evert, 2006 champ Maria Sharapova (out this year due to a right shoulder tendon tear), '91 & '92 champ Monica Seles, and '78 & '81 champ Tracy Austin...
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US Open, 1st Rd Mon-Tue Aug 25-26 11am
loser's prize: $18,500; points: 2
#1 s1 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #61 Vera Dushevina RUS 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 Tue
Ana and Vera following forehands, and Ana after match point
Ana began to suffer from right thumb inflammation in Montreal in late July, and had to withdraw from the Olympics because the injury was not responding to treatment. From Beijing Ana traveled to Australia for tests and treatment, where they found that cysts were causing the inflammation.
Ana said: "I'm very, very happy, because just to be here and to be able to compete, for me, it's already a great achievement. I'm just so thrilled to be here and to have the opportunity to play, because after the Olympics it was obviously very disappointing. Since Montreal I haven't had chance to practice. I only started practicing this Monday.
"So with so much in practice, I thought I did pretty well. When I went first on the court, I was very excited and I started to play really well. Obviously lack of practice showed off a little bit later, but just so thrilled to have an opportunity to slowly get into tournament and improve." postmatch interview
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#2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #518 wc Coco Vandeweghe USA 6-3, 6-1 Mon
Coco serving, and Jelena's forehand drive
Asked about her state of health, Jelena said: "I've been struggling throughout the whole year. I had so many injuries and when I started with one, and it was like a chain, my whole body was compensating. I got all these injuries that I never had before. So I had a tough time overall throughout the year, but now I finally am healthy and I'm trying really to work hard. Even after the match, I did some fitness, I did some strengthening for my legs and for my arms. I need to get in shape again and get stronger and get fitter so that I can avoid those kind of injuries." postmatch interview
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#3 s3 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #248 q Shuai Zhang CHN 6-4, 6-2 Mon
Shuai's service toss, and 2004 US Open champ Svetlana driving a backhand
#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #46 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR 6-1, 6-4 Tue
Kateryna and Serena driving backhands
Asked about two winners she hit early in the match, a lob and a passing shot, Serena said: "The lob, I was surprised I made it. I typically don't make forehand lobs, and I never practiced them in five years. I don't even know why I hit that shot. I usually hit backhand lobs and I hit one at the Olympics in forehand and it was the worst lob in the world. So that was just the wind I guess.
"And then the other winner; my forehand is really well on the run, so I was just expecting to hit that. I guessed the right place to go and I usually don't guess the right place. I did this time." postmatch interview
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#5 s5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #79 Akgul Amanmuradova UZB 6-1, 7-5 Mon
Elena and Akgul driving forehands, and Elena after match point
Asked about her Olympic gold medal, Elena said: "It's at home in Moscow. But I was holding it for three days, and it was like, make sure it's not a dream. Just - it's real." postmatch interview
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#7 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #758 q Kristie Haerim Ahn USA 6-3, 6-4 Tue
Kristie and Dinara Babolating backhands
The loss reduced Kristie's record to 13-2 for the year; she won the Landisville, PA ITF title in May, and the Houston ITF title in June, a week after she turned 16.
Dinara said: "It was difficult match, because I never - I only saw [Kristie] playing, and actually she was a good player. So I was a little bit unexpected. It was pretty windy today outside, so I'm still happy that I could play two sets and I win my match." postmatch interview
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#8 s7 Venus Williams USA d #71 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-2, 6-3 Tue
Samantha and Venus driving forehand and backhand, and Venus after match point
Venus said: "I thought it was good. I thought it was just really straightforward tonight. Nothing super special. I didn't try anything too crazy. If anything, I tried something a little opposite than I usually try. I think I tried a little less and tried to be a little more consistent, so that was actually something new.
"But I think [Samantha] played well. I think her game plan was just to go for everything, and I think sometimes it worked. Maybe it was just a little too much." postmatch interview
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#9 s8 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #83 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE 6-4, 6-3 Mon
Vera about to connect with a backhand drive
#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #116 q Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 6-4, 6-2 Tue
Agnieszka about to swat a forehand, and Yaroslava following a backhand
*#55 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d #11 s10 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 Mon
Ekaterina and Anna driving backhands, and Ekaterina's forehand
*#142 q Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #12 s11 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-4, 6-2 Tue
Daniela and Anna-Lena driving backhands
#13 s12 Marion Bartoli FRA d #101 Galina Voskoboeva RUS 6-2, 6-3 Mon
Galina and Marion driving backhands
#14 s13 Agnes Szavay HUN d #393 wc Gail Brodsky USA 7-5, 6-3 Tue
Agnes about to fire a forehand, and Gail ready to wallop a backhand
Gail said: "How do I assess my match? Wow. I was pretty nervous in the beginning. I've never been in a situation like this before, so it was an interesting experience. I wish I could have had a better start. That would have probably given me a little bit more confidence in the end of the first set, when I had a set point.
But overall I think I played pretty well. [Agnes] is No. 14 in the world, so she's definitely a great player." postmatch interview
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#15 s14 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #66 Klara Zakopalova CZE 6-2, 6-1 Mon
Klara driving a forehand, and Victoria about to move
#16 s15 Patty Schnyder SUI d #166 q Anastasia Pivovarova RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Mon
Anastasia following a backhand, Patty driving one, and after winning a point
#17 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #161 q Stefanie Vogele SUI 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 Tue
Stephanie about to swat a backhand, and Flavia driving one
#18 s17 Alize Cornet FRA d #78 Camille Pin FRA 7-5, 6-0 Tue
#19 s18 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #75 Jill Craybas USA 6-4, 7-6(4) Tue
Dominika driving a backhand
#20 s19 Nadia Petrova RUS d #104 Olivia Sanchez FRA 6-2, 6-4 Tue
#21 s20 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #67 Petra Cetkovska CZE 6-1, 6-2 Tue
Nicole driving a forehand
#22 s21 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #147 wc Ahsha Rolle USA 6-2, 6-1 Mon
Caroline, last week's champ in New Haven, tossing the ball for her serve
*#69 Tamira Paszek AUT d #23 s22 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 Mon
#24 s23 Lindsay Davenport USA d #40 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN 6-4, 6-2 Mon
Aleksandra serving, Lindsay's backhand drive, and Lindsay after match point
Lindsay said: "I thought I played pretty well, considering I haven't really played since April and had been injured [right knee]. I knew I drew a tough opponent in the first round, so happy to have played the way I did, and get through in the scoreline in the fashion I did." postmatch interview
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*#36 Na Li CHN d #25 s24 Shahar Peer ISR 2-6, 6-0, 6-1 Mon
Shahar about to slice a backhand, and Na driving one
Na said: "First set I think [Shahar] was so tough. She win every point... I was feeling like I play [against] the wall... she never miss. And in the second set, I just tell myself, 'Okay, right now, you just play your game.'
[The crowd was] so loud, because everyone was come for her. Also I tell myself, 'Okay, didn't give up.' I know every first round is tough for the player, so I just try the best." postmatch interview
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#26 s25 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #96 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 7-5, 7-5 Mon
#27 s26 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #42 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-4, 7-5 Mon
#28 s27 Alona Bondarenko UKR d #336 wc Jamea Jackson USA 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 Tue
#29 s28 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #64 Yanina Wickmayer BEL 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 Mon
#30 s29 Sybille Bammer AUT d #119 Aiko Nakamura JPN 6-4, 6-2 Mon
#31 s30 Ai Sugiyama JPN d #121 Andreja Klepac SLO 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 retired Tue
Andreja's service toss, and Ai's backhand drive
*#59 Timea Bacsinszky SUI d #32 s31 Virginie Razzano FRA 6-4, 6-1 Tue
Virginie and Timea driving backhands
#33 s32 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #73 Nathalie Dechy FRA 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 Tue
Nathalie and Amelie driving backhands
#34 Alisa Kleybanova RUS d #52 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP 6-2, 7-5 Mon
*#90 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK d #37 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-4, 6-0 Mon
#38 Jie Zheng CHN d #NR q Shenay Perry USA 6-2, 6-3 Mon
*#124 LL Mariana Duque Marino COL d #39 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 Tue
Mariana fielding a forehand
#41 Kaia Kanepi EST d #76 Monica Niculescu ROU 6-0, 6-3 Tue
#43 Sara Errani ITA d #91 Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO 6-4, 6-2 Mon
Sara following a forehand, and Jelena about to swat a backhand
*#188 q Julie Coin FRA d #44 Casey Dellacqua AUS 7-6(6), 7-6(4) Tue
#45 Bethanie Mattek USA d #54 Marta Domachowska POL 6(7)-7, 5-7, 6-4 Tue
#47 Pauline Parmentier FRA d #49 Marina Erakovic NZL 6-3, 7-6(2) Mon
Pauline and Marina driving forehands
#48 Olga Govortsova BLR d #255 q Sandra Zahlavova CZE 6-3, 6-1 Tue
*#77 Tatiana Perebiynis UKR d #50 Mariya Koryttseva UKR 6-1, 6-4 Mon
#51 Iveta Benesova CZE d #60 Karin Knapp ITA 6-0, 6-3 Mon
#53 Shuai Peng CHN d #58 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6-1, 6-0 Tue
*#92 Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP d #56 Petra Kvitova CZE 6(3)-7, 6-4, 6-2 Mon
#57 Sorana Cirstea ROU d #82 Lucie Safarova CZE 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Mon
Lucie driving a backhand, Sorana following a forehand, and after winning a point
#62 Elena Vesnina RUS d #80 Julia Vakulenko UKR 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Tue
#65 Sofia Arvidsson SWE d #94 Zi Yan CHN 6-2, 6-4 Mon
*#106 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS d #68 Anastasia Rodionova RUS(AUS) 6-1, 6-3 Mon
#70 Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #89 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 Tue
#72 Sabine Lisicki GER d #84 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP 6-3, 6-4 Tue
#74 Aravane Rezai FRA d #420 wc Asia Muhammad USA 6-2, 6-4 Mon
Asia driving a forehand, and Aravane's backhand drive
#81 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #99 Maret Ani EST 6-0, 7-6(5) Tue
#86 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #93 Vania King USA 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 Mon
#87 Anne Keothavong GBR d #266 q Alexa Glatch USA 6-2, 6-2 Mon
*#123 q Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU d #88 Edina Gallovits ROU 6-0, 6-2 Tue
*#109 q Su-Wei Hsieh TPE d #95 Evgeniya Rodina RUS 6-2, 6-4 Tue
Evgeniya about to serve, and Su-Wei driving a forehand
*#111 Yvonne Meusburger AUT d #98 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-1, 6-2 Mon
Lourdes applying a litte topspin to a forehand, and Yvonne's service toss
*#122 wc Severine Bremond FRA d #103 Julia Goerges GER 7-6(0), 6-4 Tue
*#134 q Maria Elena Camerin ITA d #108 Emilie Loit FRA 6-0, 6-2 Mon
#114 q Rossana de Los Rios PAR d #290 q Hana Sromova CZE 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 Tue
*#164 q Roberta Vinci ITA d #115 Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA 6-1, 6-4 Tue
#179 wc Jessica Moore AUS d #221 wc Melanie Oudin USA 7-6(5), 7-6(5) Tue
Melanie driving a backhand, and Jessica after winning a point
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US Open, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu Aug 27-28 11am
loser's prize: $30,000; points: 60
*#188 q Julie Coin FRA d #1 s1 Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Thu
Julie and Ana driving forehands, Julie driving a backhand, after match point, and Ana congratulating Julie
Julie was a three-time All-American at Clemson; she was ranked # 2 in NCAA singles in 2005. But her career-high WTA rank is # 171, and this is the first time she has reached a Grand Slam main draw. She has won 4 ITF singles titles, including one this year. Her best prior victory, by ranking, was her win over # 44 Casey Dellacqua in the 1st round on Tuesday. Julie has now won 5 hardcourt matches in a row, including a win over former # 35 Sesil Karatantcheva in the 2nd round of qualifying.
Ordinarily a strong server, Ana averaged 98 mph on her 1st serve (111 fastest), with no aces and 8 double faults. Julie averaged 107 mph on 1st serve (115 fastest) with 5 aces and 4 DFs. match stats
Julie said "[Ana] made a lot of errors from both sides, but I think more with her forehand. I didn't think she moved too well either... So I got a lot of free points. Even with the serves she double faulted a couple times, so I thought she was maybe nervous more than I was... I think she was injured too so she's coming back and didn't play too much. So for sure that was hard." postmatch interview
Ana suffered from right thumb pain and inflammation in Montreal in late July, and withdrew from the Beijing Olympics because the injury did not respond to treatment. However, Ana said her thumb did not hurt during the match.
Ana said: "I thought I can slowly get into the match, and [Julie] played completely different than I expected. She was serving extremely well and hitting very powerful shots. So I really struggled and made too many unforced errors and my serve was not working really well...
"Today I didn't feel [the thumb injury], and also last match was good. So I'm just happy to be back on track without pain. Now all I have to do is put some hard yards on the court and go back out there and work hard. Because also today I had lots of misshits on my forehand. I think it shows a little bit lack of practice and lack of maybe confidence in that area." postmatch interview
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#2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #65 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 6-3, 6(5)-7, 7-5 Wed
Jelena driving a forehand, Sofia following one, and Jelena firing another on the run
Sophia held game point to force a 3rd set tiebreaker before Jelena broke her to win the match. Jelena, who is not in top condition due to numerous injuries this season limiting her training, suffered from muscle cramps while jogging to loosen up after the 2 hour, 44 minute match.
Jelena said: "After I finished the match I went to jog a little bit on the treadmill. I jogged for three minutes and I cramped. I couldn't go anymore, and the part where I had the tear in my meniscus after Wimbledon, my leg was straight, and I couldn't bend it. The muscle was in spasm, and I had a lot of pain. I couldn't make another step. My fitness trainer was there. He gave me a lot of things to drink and, you know, stretching and ice, massage and all this. I finally recovered and I could go back to the locker room and take a shower. Otherwise it was really uncomfortable." postmatch interview
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#3 s3 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #57 Sorana Cirstea ROU 7-6(3), 6-1 Wed
Sveta's strongest shot, her forehand drive, and Sorana about to launch one
Svetlana said: "I knew [Sorana is a] young girl, she's playing good, but I had no clue how she will play... I knew she had been to my academy where I train [the Sanchez-Casal Academy, near Barcelona, Spain], but I never paid attention how she will play. She plays the ball really flat and fast. But when you move her around, you got to find just your keys to play. So for me, it was about this first set...
"I was 4-2 down 40-Love on her serve, I think it was, and I just realize I had to go more to the forehand, because backhand she was making so good shots. It kind of made me go outside of the court and just defend. This is what I didn't want to play like. So I started to play better through her forehand and moving her around a little bit more.
"And second set, I just start to be so much more confident in my game, just making my moves, depending on myself. First set, some point I just had to wait a little bit of her mistakes. Because she plays very good, but she takes lots of risk on the points. But she's young. I was very surprised, because it was her first US Open she been play in. She's 18. She had nothing to lose. But also it was good experience for her, and for me it was tough match to play." postmatch interview
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#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #62 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-1, 6-1 Thu
Elena serving, Serena driving a backhand, and after winning a point
Serena said: "I like quick matches. They're the best... I feel like I've been practicing a lot and playing so many matches. I feel like [Elena] played pretty well actually... she hit some angles and that was good." postmatch interview
About her 3rd round opponent, Ai Sugiyama, Serena said: "She's pretty much relentless. I better be ready. That girl is a tough cookie."
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#5 s5 Elena Dementieva RUS v #47 Pauline Parmentier FRA 6-2, 6-1 Wed
Pauline and Elena driving backhands
Elena said: "I think maybe [Pauline] was not playing at her best. Maybe she was a little bit nervous. But it was quite difficult because of the wind, and the sun. So I'm satisfied I was able to finish in two sets." postmatch interview
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#7 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #164 q Roberta Vinci ITA 6-4, 6-3 Thu
Roberta about to serve, Dinara driving a backhand, and after winning a point
Dinara said: "I think it still could be better, especially I was 4-1 up in the first set and then I let it go to 4-All. I was lucky that I hold my serve, because it was 15-30 on second serve and I served well there. But still, I think there is much more room that I can play better. So hopefully, next match I can do better." postmatch interview
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#8 s7 Venus Williams USA d #114 q Rossana de Los Rios PAR 6-0, 6-3 Thu
Rossana serving, and Venus driving a forehand
Rossana reached deuce, 2 points from being on serve, while Venus was serving leading 5-3 in the 2nd set.
Venus said: "[Rossana] plays a game where she hits a lot of high balls, which at my height doesn't [work very well]. I think it would be effective against a lot of players, but with my height and my reach, it doesn't phase me as much. I think that helped me.
"She kept raising the level of her game and making it more competitive, even in the end when I had the 40-Love. So of course I didn't want to get back on serve, and it all went well with me." postmatch interview
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*#77 Tatiana Perebiynis UKR d #9 s8 Vera Zvonareva RUS 6-3, 6-3 Wed
Vera following a forehand, and Tatiana's backhand drive
#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #124 LL Mariana Duque Marino COL 6-0, 7-6(3) Thu
Agnieszka's service toss, and Mariana's backhand drive
#13 s12 Marion Bartoli FRA d #92 Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP 6-4, 6-2 Wed
Vivi volleying a backhand, and Marion driving one
*#81 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #14 s13 Agnes Szavay HUN 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 Thu
Agnes and Tathiana driving forehands
#15 s14 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #51 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-2, 6-3 Wed
#16 s15 Patty Schnyder SUI d #86 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 6-3, 6-3 Wed
Patty serving, and after match point
#17 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #53 Shuai Peng CHN 6-2, 6(8)-7, 6-1 Thu
Flavia about to serve, Shuai driving a forehand, and Flavia's backhand
#18 s17 Alize Cornet FRA d #45 Bethanie Mattek USA 7-6(5), 6-1 Thu
Bethanie's service toss, Alize checking to see if the ball says "Extra Duty" or is merely a regular duty Wilson US Open ball (OK, she's going to hit a forehand), and after match point
#19 s18 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #123 q Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU 6-2, 6-2 Thu
#20 s19 Nadia Petrova RUS d #109 q Su-Wei Hsieh TPE 6-4, 6-2 Thu
*#122 wc Severine Bremond FRA d #21 s20 Nicole Vaidisova CZE 7-5, 6-3 Thu
Severine and Nicole driving forehand and backhand
#22 s21 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #134 q Maria Elena Camerin ITA 6-1, 6-2 Wed
#24 s23 Lindsay Davenport USA d #34 Alisa Kleybanova RUS 7-5, 6-3 Wed
Lindsay following a backhand, and after match point
Lindsay said: "I felt it was a little bit tough for me to get much rhythm out there. You know, I pride myself in trying to give my opponent no rhythm, and I felt I was getting the same tonight. I'd get a couple of big serves, couple winners, missed balls. So it was tough to get on a good roll... I'm happy I was able to pull it out in both sets and just get through this match, because I didn't feel like it was very pretty tennis. So some of those days you have to just make it through." postmatch interview
About her 3rd round opponent, Marion Bartoli, Lindsay said: "Obviously she's had a great summer. I've played her a bunch before. I played her this year in Indian Wells. It's a game where I feel like if I can play well, it's winnable... She takes the ball really early, hits hard and flat... If I'm inside the baseline and controlling the points she doesn't run down a ton of balls. So if I try to take advantage of that. Obviously she hits a really penetrating ball, so it's really hard to do that all the time."
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*#87 Anne Keothavong GBR d #26 s25 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 Wed
Francesca and Anne driving backhands
It was the biggest victory (by rank) of British # 1 Anne's career, and the win made Anne the first British woman to reach the 3rd round of the US Open in 17 years. BBC story
Anne trailed Francesca by a break in the 3rd set. Anne said: "I really believed I had a chance... I came away with the win, so I'm pretty pleased about it... Schiavone is ranked a lot higher than me, she's a seeded player, and I wanted to go out there and just give it my best shot... I felt if I just kept fighting and hanging in there my chance would come, and I got there." postmatch interview
On Friday, Anne will play Beijing Olympics gold medalist Elena Dementieva in a 3rd round match.
Anne said: "[Elena is] someone I've never played against before. I've practiced with her in the past, and it will definitely be another tough match for me. But I've got nothing to lose. I feel confident, I feel fit, and who knows?"
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*#38 Jie Zheng CHN d #27 s26 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 6-1, 6-4 Wed
Jie driving a backhand, and after winning a point
#28 s27 Alona Bondarenko UKR d #72 Sabine Lisicki GER 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 Thu
#29 s28 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #111 Yvonne Meusburger AUT 6-1, 6-3 Wed
Katarina's forehand drive
#30 s29 Sybille Bammer AUT d #74 Aravane Rezai FRA 6-1, 7-5 Wed
#31 s30 Ai Sugiyama JPN d #48 Olga Govortsova BLR 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 Thu
Olga driving a forehand, and Ai following a backhand
#33 s32 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #41 Kaia Kanepi EST 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 Thu
#36 Na Li CHN d #43 Sara Errani ITA 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 Wed
Sara following her serve, and Na driving a forehand
#55 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d #106 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 Wed
Ekaterina B & Ekaterina M driving forehands
#59 Timea Bacsinszky SUI d #70 Yung-Jan Chan TPE 6-3, 6-2 Thu
Timea driving a forehand with a way-Western grip
*#90 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK d #69 Tamira Paszek AUT 6-1, 6-2 Wed
Tamira and Magdalena driving forehands
#142 q Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #179 wc Jessica Moore AUS 6-1, 6-3 Thu
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US Open, 3rd Rd Fri-Sat Aug 29-30 11am
loser's prize: $46,000; points: 90
#2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #38 Jie Zheng CHN 7-5, 7-5 Fri
Jelena serving, Jie and Jelena driving forehands, and Jelena after winning a point
The score reached deuce 11 times in the final game of the match: Jelena fended off 6 break points that would have forced a 2nd set tiebreaker, and Jie successfully defended 4 match points before Jelena won on the 5th. match stats
Jelena said "That game I really wanted to win so bad because I didn't want to go into a tiebreaker and I didn't want to give a chance to my opponent to get into the third set. Then anything can happen, because we are both tired and who's going to last longer? So I'm happy that I managed to get the win in two sets...
"[Jie is] a very solid player and moves well on the court. You know, she doesn't give you many free points, so she's really out there until the end. If you want to beat her, you really have to beat her until the end. She's not going to give up any time." postmatch interview
Jie said: "I felt the last game... I try my best. I know it's last chance then, but I have the breakpoint. I want to hit too hard, so I miss like three times. But I feel this game I have some chance. But [Jelena] is hard and the momentum is so strong. Every ball is played so well. I play sometimes so good; sometimes miss. Bad luck this one." postmatch interview
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*#29 s28 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #3 s3 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 6-3, 6(1)-7, 6-3 Fri
Svetlana and Katarina driving forehand and backhand, and Katarina after winning a point
It was the biggest victory of Katarina's career (by rank). Katarina reached the 4th round at Roland Garros this year and in 2002, but she has never before advanced so far at the US Open. match stats
2004 US Open champ Svetlana said "[Katarina] served better than I did. She served so many aces [13]... I had possibility and I had many chances, especially the first set, but somehow I overdo it, and some moments I didn't take advantage of her second serve and I was doing mistakes... I was hitting far away, I was missing, and I think she played her top game for me, like she played unbelievable.
"I still had chances, not playing my game, but I was fighting, and I wanted so much to win that match... She came to the net so many times, she was more aggressive than I was. I overplayed her on the baseline. She started coming in, and I was not able to keep her back or came in myself." postmatch interview - BBC story
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#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #31 s30 Ai Sugiyama JPN 6-2, 6-1 Sat
Serena and Ai driving backhands, Serena following another backhand, and after winning a point
Serena said: "I have played [Ai] before, and I've played her a lot in doubles, so I pretty much know her game. So those players are good to play because you know what to expect and what not to expect." postmatch interview
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#5 s5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #87 Anne Keothavong GBR 6-3, 6-4 Fri
Anne about to swat a backhand, and Elena following a forehand
Elena said: "I think [Anne] played really well, especially in the beginning of the match. She really went there, and she's not afraid in hitting the ball pretty hard. It was our first meeting so it took me couple games, you know, just to know her and to find a way to play... I think she's probably the best British player that I ever played. She has a very good potential, she's very aggressive, and she has a good serve. The whole game is pretty good." postmatch interview
Anne said: "It would have been nice to have caused her a few more problems. I'm obviously disappointed, but I felt that I had opportunities, and I just felt I hit too many errors on routine points, routine shots.
"But I think overall it's been a good week for me. She's the Olympic gold medalist. She's one of the favorites for this tournament. For myself, I just feel like I could have done a better job... I've been feeling confident. I was feeling good before the match... I can compete with these girls. I don't think the gaps are as big as I once thought. I definitely feel I know what I need to work on." postmatch interview
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#7 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #59 Timea Bacsinszky SUI 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 Sat
Dinara volleying a forehand on the run, and Timea and Dinara driving backhands (with some felt flakes flying off Dinara's)
#8 s7 Venus Williams USA d #28 s27 Alona Bondarenko UKR 6-2, 6-1 Sat
Venus twisting a serve Alonaward, Alona driving a backhand, Alona serving, and Venus launching a running forehand
Venus said: "I felt like I took my time between points. Just hitting it right, just finding my timing. I had a brief intermission this summer with some injury, but I had a chance to really play a lot matches, play a lot of big matches, play a lot of the matches in succession instead of on and off the tour, as I have been. I think that's helped me a lot." postmatch interview
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#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #19 s18 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 6-0, 6-3 Sat
Dominika about to fire a forehand, and Agnieszka's backhand drive
Agnieszka said: "I learned how to play against [Dominika]. She's very tough player, like a wall. Everything is going back. I played against her in Doha. We played more than three hours and I won 6-4 in the third.
"I knew that I have to play aggressive, not in the middle. Just take and go for it. So actually today I was playing very good, and that's why it was actually quick." postmatch interview
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#13 s12 Marion Bartoli FRA d #24 s23 Lindsay Davenport USA 6-1, 7-6(3) Fri
Lindsay and Marion driving forehand and backhand, and Marion after match point
Lindsay said: "I just never felt comfortable out there. And then I was trying so hard to get back in the second, was able to do that, and then, you know, gosh, played one of the worst games of my career at 5-All. So it's the way it goes. I gave myself more of a chance, and, you know, clawed my way through not playing great, and making it competitive. But it's just a shame, like I had all the momentum, I felt like saving match point, coming back and breaking her and just giving it right back to her." postmatch interview
Marion said: "I was having a match point at 5-3, and Lindsay aced me on the line so there's nothing I can do about it. I was just trying to play each point after each point and see what the last one is. If I needed three sets to win it, I needed three sets to win. I think I was in better shape than her. Lindsay is not going to give me the match, so I have to take it from her, so if it takes three sets, it takes three sets. I was ready for three, anyway." postmatch interview
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*#22 s21 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #15 s14 Victoria Azarenka BLR 6-4, 6-4 Fri
Vika driving a forehand, Caroline firing a cannonball, and Woz after winning a point
#16 s15 Patty Schnyder SUI d #90 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK 7-6(4), 6-4 Fri
Patty and Magdalena driving backhands, and Patty's forehand drive
#17 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #20 s19 Nadia Petrova RUS 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Sat
No pics were found from this match, so here is Flavia being pretty offcourt, posted online in May, 2008
Italian #1 Flavia reached the 4th round at Wimbledon in 2005 & 2006, and at Roland Garros this year (defeating Venus Williams in the 3rd round, 7-5, 6-3), but has never before been beyond the 2nd round at the US Open.
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*#142 q Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #18 s17 Alize Cornet FRA 6-4, 7-5 Sat
#30 s29 Sybille Bammer AUT d #77 Tatiana Perebiynis UKR 6-3, 6-0 Fri
#33 s32 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #188 q Julie Coin FRA 6-4, 6-4 Sat
Amelie and Julie driving forehand and backhand
Amelie said: "I was struggling a little bit in the beginning of the service game, and then I really focused for Love-40. I really thought, 'Okay, point after point I can really come back in that service game and finally take the set.' So first serve I thought, 'Okay, I'm going put it there and then maybe...' I did two good serves that she didn't return, and then a point that she finally missed the ball. So I was a little bit more tight at this moment, but I really tried to focus point after point." postmatch interview
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#36 Na Li CHN d #55 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 Fri
Ekaterina and Na driving backhand and forehand, Na after match point, and Na posing in front of the 1964 World's Fair Unisphere at Corona Park on Saturday
*#122 wc Severine Bremond FRA d #81 Tathiana Garbin ITA 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 Sat
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US Open, 4th Rd, Sun-Mon Aug 31-Sep 1 11am
loser's prize: $80,000; points: 140
#2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #22 s21 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 Sun
Jelena serving, Caroline firing a flying forehand, Jelena driving a forehand, and after match point
Jelena said: "In the first set [Caroline] played quite solid. She put all these balls back. She didn't make any errors. I was the one who was all over the place. And I couldn't really find my rhythm in these kind of [windy] conditions. She took advantage of that.
"But then I really tried to stay composed, and I was staying really calm. I thought what I need to do. I had to change something to get myself together again and do the right things. I did that.
"In the second set I started playing a little bit more aggressively from one side; I was hitting the ball harder from the other. I was putting a little bit more spin, so I did the smart things and it worked out. I just cruised through the second and third set, and happy to get through in this way...
"Little by little every day I feel that I'm getting better and better. Physically-wise, I feel that I'm moving much better. My condition is getting better and better. I'm feeling the shots a lot better than I did, especially in the beginning of the tournament in the first few rounds." postmatch interview
Caroline said: "I started out well. I played my own game. I played aggressive. The second set I think I just got a bit more defensive. I felt like even though I was hitting the ball it wasn't going. I felt a bit tired.
"Jelena, she's not No. 2 for no reason. She took advantage of that, and she came in and she was the one deciding where to play... I've played a lot of matches, and she was just better than me today." postmatch interview
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#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #122 wc Severine Bremond FRA 6-2, 6-2 Mon
Serena serving, Severine and Serena driving forehands, and Serena after winning a point
Serena said: "I was definitely ready for the variety [in Severine's play]. I knew what to do, and I think I was definitely able to do better than what I might have done in the past with some variety like that." postmatch interview
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#5 s5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #36 Na Li CHN 6-4, 6-1 Sun
Elena following a backhand, Na's forehand drive, Elena volleying a backhand, and after match point
Elena said: "I think I played well, especially in the second set, and it's good that I feel much better now than in the beginning of the tournament. It took me a week before I started to feel the ball and play a little better than in the beginning of the tournament. Hopefully, I'll continue to improve, because every next match you really have to play your best. Since quarterfinal. Really give everything you have to be able to go through." postmatch interview
Elena will play Patty Schnyder in the quarterfinals; Elena leads Patty 9-7 in career matches.
Elena said: "We played lots of times against each other through our career. I think she's a very unique player, lefty, first of all, and great feeling. It's never easy to play against her. But I've got a big experience playing against Patty, so hopefully it's going to help me my next match."
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#7 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #142 q Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER 7-5, 6-0 Mon
Dinara and Anna-Lena driving forehands, Dinara's backhand drive, and Dinara after winning a point
Dinara said: "Honestly, going on the court I didn't expect that I'm going to win because I was just so exhausted. I finish the warm-up and I just said, 'I cannot push anymore myself.' Then suddenly I started to warm up before the match, just to get warm, and I was like, 'Okay, I'm starting to feel better.'
"My coach said, 'Just go out there, and if you want like just hit...' So I just went on court and said, 'Okay, I'm going to try what I can do today.' And slowly I started to feel like, 'Okay, like I still can push myself.'
"Today I really happy that I won. Doesn't matter, like maybe I didn't play my best, but that I went through. This was the most important, because now I have one day off, and hopefully I can be 100% for my next one." postmatch interview
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#8 s7 Venus Williams USA d #10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6-1, 6-3 Mon
Venus driving a forehand, Agnieszka and Venus driving backhands, and Venus after match point
Venus said: "Obviously [Agnieszka is] a very good player. She raised the level of her game, started trying to attack more, move in, playing more aggressive shots; that was smart of her... She had some opportunities, but fortunately I was able to get them right back." postmatch interview
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*#30 s29 Sybille Bammer AUT d #13 s12 Marion Bartoli FRA 7-6(3), 0-6, 6-4 Sun
Marion and Sybille driving forehands, and Sybille after match point
#16 s15 Patty Schnyder SUI d #29 s28 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Sun
Patty driving a backhand, Katarina's forehand drive, Patty serving, and after winning a point
The win put Patty in the 7th Grand Slam singles quarterfinal of her career. The match was very close; Patty struck 40 winners with 21 unforced errors and converted 5 of 11 break point opportunites; Katarina hit 45 winners with 23 errors, but converted only 3 of 8 break points. match stats
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#17 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #33 s32 Amelie Mauresmo FRA 6-3, 6-0 Mon
Flavia volleying a forehand, Amelie about to connect with a forehand drive, Flavia driving one on the run, and after match point
It is the first time Flavia has reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Flavia said: "I'm very happy about this tournament. In the beginning, I never think to get in the quarterfinal and to have this chance. I didn't start a good tournament, because the first match was very tough for me. I didn't play my best tennis. But I just try to fight every point and keep going...
"I was very tired from Beijing. When you're feeling like not good in the court and not good in my legs, I was very tired...
"It's my first big tournament quarterfinal, so I already have few chance in Wimbledon and Roland Garros. I didn't make it. To be here today, it's unbelievable. But I hope it's not finish." postmatch interview
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US Open, QFs, Tues-Wed Sep 2-3 11am
loser's prize: $160,000; points: 250
#2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #30 s29 Sybille Bammer AUT 6-1, 6-4 Tue
Jelena serving, Sybille and Jelena driving backhands, and Jelena after match point
Jelena said: "I'm happy about winning in two sets. I feel that every day I'm better and better. I'm moving a lot better. I'm feeling my shots a lot better. I think that is the most important thing for me right now.
"I'm just here to play one match at a time, and so I'm happy to be in the semifinals again." postmatch interview
Jelena is 0-4 in previous Grand Slam singles semifinals, including the US Open semis in 2006. About her semifinal opponent, Elena Dementieva, Jelena said: "[Elena is] a tough player. She's very solid. She moves great. It will be a tough match, for sure, but I will try my best."
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#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #8 s7 Venus Williams USA 7-6(6), 7-6(7) Wed
Venus tossing the ball for her serve, Serena driving a forehand on the run, Venus and Serena driving backhands, Venus and Serena driving forehands, and Venus congratulating Serena after match point
Serena struck 24 winners with 28 errors, while Venus finished with 12 more winners, but with 17 more errors. match stats
Serena said: "We have been playing really with well in this tournament. I think we played a great match today. I just think it just boiled down to one point here and there. It could have went anywhere. I just think we were definitely playing the best so far... I think [Venus] made a couple errors, and it was really luck for me because she never makes those errors. I can't say that I was disappointed. I obviously want the best for her, but in that situation you want to win, too." postmatch interview
Venus said: "[Serena] played some great volleys and she got a lot of balls back. I think I was just spraying some shots tonight. I actually felt confident, and I'd get up and I felt confident, and for whatever reason just didn't get the point. Sometimes I'd miss and sometimes she would make a great play. postmatch interview
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#5 s5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #16 s15 Patty Schnyder SUI 6-2, 6-3 Tue
Elena's service toss, Patty ready to return, Elena driving a forehand, and after match point
Elena, who has had trouble serving in the past, but not so much recently, put 80% of her 1st serves in the box with only 2 double faults, and won 77% of her 1st serve points (Patty: 75%, 1 DF, 55%).
Elena struck 21 winners with only 14 unforced errors; Patty hit 18 winners with 29 errors. Elena converted 5 of 13 break points against Patty, 38%; Patty converted 50% of her break points against Elena - but she only held 2. match stats
Elena said: "I really expected a tough match against [Patty], and I feel very pleased the way I was playing today. We had a big fight in the second set and I lost my serve, so it was a very, very important moment for me to break her again. I'm very happy that I was able to do this." postmatch interview
Elena now has won 11 consecutive matches, and has not yet lost a set at this year's US Open. She previously reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2000 and in 2005, and at Wimbledon earlier this year, and the final of both the French Open and the US Open in 2004, but has not yet won a Grand Slam singles title.
Elena said: "I'm very excited to be in the semis, but I'm sure I need to improve my game and play a better match if I want to go to the final. If I have to face Jelena Jankovic, who is probably the most consistent player in the tournament, will be a difficult match."
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#7 s6 Dinara Safina RUS d #17 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA 6-2, 6-3 Wed
Dinara serving, Flavia's backhand drive, Dinara driving a forehand, and after winning a point
Flavia played cleanly, striking only 8 unforced errors with 13 winners. But Dinara held Flavia to only one break point opportunity, which she did convert (Dinara: 4 of 9 on break points). match stats
Dinara said: "I think today maybe I can say finally I'm happy with myself, the way I played, because really I did what I had to do. I was aggressive on the court. I was following the balls every time. I think it was today finally I played my game." postmatch interview
Flavia said: "I think [Dinara] played very well today. I think I started good, so I wasn't very nervous or nothing like this. I was just focused on my game and just try to hit the ball, but she was playing unbelievable. She didn't give me a lot of chance." postmatch interview
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US Open, SFs, Fri Sep 5 CBS-TV 1:30 & 3:30pm
loser's prize: $320,000; points: 450
#2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #5 s5 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-4, 6-4 career matches: Jelena leads 5-3
Elena serving, Jelena driving a forehand, Elena following a backhand, Elena and Jelena following forehands, Jelena driving a backhand, and hitting balls to the crowd after match point
Elena broke Jelena's serve at the beginning of the match, but Jelena broke Elena back, and then broke her again. Elena also went ahead by a break early in the 2nd set, during which five breaks of serve were exchanged. Elena faced 4-5, 0-40 on her serve in the final game, and Jelena won on her 2nd match point.
Jelena put 75% of her 1st serves in the box, and won 50% of her 2nd serve points (Elena: 63% and 32%). Jelena hit 13 winners with 22 unforced errors. Elena struck 11 more winners (24) but with 20 more errors (42). match stats
High winds again affected play. Elena said: "I did too many unforced errors today... I couldn't close the point. I was trying to play aggressively, but I couldn't make the last one. [Jelena] was playing everything back to me.
"Especially on her second serve, and I missed a lot on the second serve today. So against her you don't want to play long rallies, because she's too good at that. You really have to finish your point in two, three shots... You have to advance to the ball, you have to go to the net. I was not able to do that today." postmatch interview
About Elena's early lead, Jelena said: "The match is not over until it's over. Until the end you are out there competing. You're playing every point. So until it's finished, you never know what's going to happen...
"[The wind] was hard for both of us, especially from one side the wind was very strong. So you keep hitting as hard as you can and the ball doesn't go anywhere. From the other side, you hit a little bit and the ball flies. It was difficult, but it was the same condition for both players." postmatch interview
Jelena had reached Grand Slam semifinals four times previously, at the US Open (in 2006), at Roland Garros (in 2007 and this year), and at Wimbledon (this year), but had lost on each occasion.
Jelena will play Serena Williams in the US Open final. The winner will be # 1 in the WTA rankings on Monday. Jelena and Serena are tied at 3-3 in career matches; all their meetings have been on hard courts. Serena won their last encounter, in this year's Miami final, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, while Jelena won the match before that, in the quarterfinals of this year's Australian Open, 6-3, 6-4.
Jelena said: "This year we are 1-1. I beat her at the Australian Open; she beat me in Miami in three sets. So it will be a tough match... She loves to play here at the Open, but so do I. I love being here. I love the atmosphere."
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#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #7 s6 Dinara Safina RUS 6-3, 6-2 career matches: Serena leads 4-1
Serena serving, Dinara following a backhand, Serena and Dinara displaying their motor skills, Dinara and Serena driving forehand and backhand, and Dinara congratulating Serena after match point
Statistically, the match was somewhat similar to the first semi: Serena struck 16 winners with 21 errors, and won 48% of her 2nd serve points, while Dinara finished with 5 more winners, but with 20 more errors, and won only 29% of her 2nd serve points. match stats
Serena said: "It was so windy out there... I think [Dinara] played well and did some things that really worked, and it was just me trying to find my rhythm." postmatch interview
Dinara said: "In that center court it's always windy, but today I could not handle the wind. Not too good for from my side, I can say...
"I think today physically I was feeling better than previous days... it's too bad from behaving side from my side... shooting around and complaining about everything instead of [being] totally focused on just point by point. I think I was behaving like a really spoiled girl on the court today. This I cannot permit myself playing in semifinal of Grand Slam. So I have to really learn from these things if I want to get better.
"[Serena] was a little bit not comfortable in the beginning of the match. I was 2-Love up with a break, but she behaved like a champion... I was fighting with everything around except her. So I think this I can learn really good from her, how to handle these situations." postmatch interview
About playing Jelena Jankovic in the final, Serena said: "I don't feel expected to win. I feel expected to show up and do the best that I can do, and I feel like I have nothing to lose. I'm going against someone that's ranked higher than me. [Jelena] has a lot of pressure to win her first Grand Slam, and I'm just enjoying every moment... I don't know too many people on the tour that can hang in there as much as she can. She's playing well."
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US Open, Final, ppd-Sun Sep 7 9pm CBS-TV
loser's prize: $750,000; points: 700
winner's prize: $1,500,000; points: 1000
*#4 s4 Serena Williams USA d #2 s2 Jelena Jankovic SRB 6-4, 7-5 career matches: Serena leads 4-3
Serena serving, Jelena cheerfully running down a backhand, Serena volleying a forehand, Jelena driving a backhand, Serena and Jelena following forehands, Serena's backhand drive, and Serena airborne after match point
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US Open, Doubles Final, Sun Sep 7
loser's prize: $210,000
winner's prize: $420,000
cdr2 s1 Cara Black & Liezel Huber d cdr52 s10 Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur 6-3, 7-6(6)
Cara & Liezel
It is Cara & Liezel's fourth Grand Slam doubles title as a team; they also won at Wimbledon in 2005 & 2007, and at the Australian Open in 2007 (Cara also won the 2004 Wimbledon title partnered with Rennae Stubbs). It is their 8th WTA doubles title this year, the 44th of Cara's career, and the 32nd of Liezel's career.
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US Open, Mixed Doubles Final, Thu Sep 4
loser's prize: $70,000
winner's prize: $150,000
s5 Cara Black & Leander Paes d Liezel Huber & Jamie Murray 7-6(6), 6-4
Leander & Cara
It is Cara's third Grand Slam mixed doubles title; she won at Wimbledon in 2004 and at Roland Garros in 2002, both time partnered with her brother Wayne.
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US Open, Girls Singles Final, Sun Sept 7
wta#518 Coco Vandeweghe USA d wta#430 Gabriela Paz Franco VEN 7-6(3), 6-1
Gabriela and Coco driving forehand and backhand
16-year-old Coco is the daughter of Tauna Vandeweghe, a US Olympic team member (100 meter backstroke) in 1976, and the niece of former NBA basketball player Kiki Vandeweghe.
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US Open, Girls Doubles Final, Sat Sept 6
s3 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn THA & Sandra Roma SWE d Mallory Burdette USA & Sloane Stephens USA 6-0, 6-2
US Open, Qualifying Finals Fri Aug 22 11am
losers' prizes: q1 $3,000 2pts; q2 $5,625 15pts; q3 $8,000 25pts; qualifier 31 points
*#166 Anastasia Pivovarova RUS d #100 Mathilde Johansson FRA 7-5, 6-1
*#758 Kristie Haerim Ahn USA d #105 Anna Lapushchenkova RUS 6-4, 6-4
#109 Su-Wei Hsieh TPE d #137 Kristina Barrois GER 6-4, 6-1
*#142 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #112 Stephanie Foretz FRA 6-2, 6-4
#114 Rossana De Los Rios PAR d #146 Ekaterina Dzehalevich BLR 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
#116 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ d #175 Johanna Larsson SWE 6-1, 6-2
#123 Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU d #131 Michelle Larcher De Brito POR 6-2, 6-3
*#134 Maria Elena Camerin ITA d #124 Mariana Duque Marino COL 4-6, 6-4, 2-6
*#NR Shenay Perry USA d #126 Olga Savchuk UKR 6-4, 7-6(4)
*#290 Hana Sromova CZE d #127 Julia Schruff GER 6-3, 7-5
*#161 Stefanie Vogele SUI d #130 Lucie Hradecka CZE 7-6(4), 6-2
*#188 Julie Coin FRA d #136 Elena Baltacha GBR 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(4)
*#248 Shuai Zhang CHN d #138 Melanie South GBR 7-6(2), 6-2
*#255 Sandra Zahlavova CZE d #160 Rika Fujiwara JPN 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
*#164 Roberta Vinci ITA d #198 Neuza Silva POR 6-4, 6-0
*#266 Alexa Glatch USA d #223 Nina Bratchikova RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
US Open, Withdrawals/Non-entries
#6 Maria Sharapova RUS right shoulder rotator cuff tendon tear
#35 Tatiana Golovin FRA back injury persists despite surgery
#63 Sania Mirza IND another right wrist injury, after surgery
#85 Ashley Harkleroad USA
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US Open champions will win a $1 million bonus if they won the US Open Series, and thus receive a $2.5 million prize.
Link to many postmatch interview & match highlight videos of WTA players at the
: the current top 20 Women's Tennis rankings with player photos, links, and bio info.
