Kim reached break point against Caroline 8 times, and scored on 5 of those occasions; Caroline held 12 break points against Kim, but converted only 3.
"This has been so exciting for me. This was not really our plan. I just wanted to start three tournaments just to get back into the rhythm of playing tennis and get used to the surroundings. So I have to thank the USTA for giving me the wild card to come back here...
"The support I've received has been crazy. Even from the first round, how warmly everyone welcomed and embraced me. It helped me keep fighting and stay focused...
"I think against Venus [Williams, in the 4th round] I had a really good feeling that I was capable of coping with the pace that obviously the Williams sisters have and a lot of the top girls have out there.
"But then again when you play like somebody like Wozniacki today, she's a completely different player. She hits the ball very heavy, but she doesn't miss. Against the Williams sisters, you always have the feeling that if you can just hang in there, they might give you more easy points.
"[Caroline] didn't do that today. I think I really had to be patient, as well, but also try not to play along with her game. So I didn't have that feeling until, you know, when I had match point. I was like, Okay, maybe I can do this."
"Kim just played a great match. She really showed that she's playing great tennis, and I'm happy to have her back. But of course I'd like to have taken the next step and have won this match. She played better to me today, and that's why she won...
"Obviously I don't like losing. I'm a competitor and I love winning. But I think I've had some great weeks here. I mean, I was in the finals of a Grand Slam. I'm only 19 years old... My ranking will go up again, and I'm just happy the way I'm playing and the way I've been progressing so far. I'm playing good tennis."
Kim and Caroline had never before met on the field of combat. They did play together as a doubles team once, at the
, who retired in May, 2007, and returned to play only last month, is now 35-16 in WTA singles finals; she also reached the final at the
in 2003 and at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2001. Kim has a 12-2 match record this season. Unranked at the start of the
(three tourneys in 52 weeks are required for a ranking, this is her third), Kim's September 14 WTA ranking is #19.
is now 6-6 in WTA singles finals; this was her first Grand Slam final. She won the New Haven, Eastbourne and Ponte Vedra Beach titles this year, and reached the finals at Madrid, Charleston, Memphis & Bastad. Caroline has a 62-18 match record this season, the best of her career, and her September 14 WTA ranking is #6, her highest ever.
, who at 5' 4" won 9 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles in the early 1950s, scoring most of her points with her forehand drive.
full match and highlight videos have been added to the video player below (and accessible from any page on this site with a video player). The matches include the
First select the category "Sports: WTA Classics" and choose then the match you wish to see. Enjoy.
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 were on Fri, Aug 28.
2009: On Tuesday, August 25 at Flushing Meadows, 2008 US Open finalist Jelena Jankovic prepared to take the next step... On Wednesday, 1999, 2002 & '08 US Open champ Serena Williams, her sister, 2000 & '01 champ Venus Williams, and this year's champion at Key Biscayne, Victoria Azarenka, were at the DIRECTV ESPN US Open Experience at Bryant Park in Manhattan... row 2: On Sunday, Sept 6, 17-year-old #67 Melanie Oudin posed in NYC's Times Square a day after defeating Maria Sharapova...
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On Wednesday, September 9, long-time Japanese #1 Ai Sugiyama announced that she would retire at the end of this season. This was 34-year-old Ai's 16th US Open. She played in 63 Grand Slam tourney singles main draws in her career, and in every Grand Slam singles main draw since Wimbledon in 1994, 62 consecutive, an all-time record. Ai is shown above while defeating Patty Schnyder in the 2nd round in Los Angeles last year, and welcoming the media to the Tokyo Pan Pacific Open in 2007.
On Friday, Sept 11, Ai said: "I have feelings of sadness and loneliness but I also have a feeling of delight as I look forward to the next stage of my life..." Japan Times story
Ai reached a career-high ranking of #8 in WTA singles in 2004; she won 6 singles titles during her career. She reached the #1 ranking in doubles in 2000, and won 38 WTA doubles titles, including the 2000 US Open (w/ Julie Halard-Decugis), the 2003 French Open, and the 2003 Championships at Wimbledon (both w/ Kim Clijsters). Her career prize money totals over eight million dollars. Ai's last tourney will be the 2009 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, which begins Sept 27. WTA Ai Sugiyama profile
Kim Clijsters said: "Ai told me actually a few weeks ago already that this was going to be her last Grand Slam... She really helped me make my game better, just by at a young age being able to play with someone who had so much experience... She's a girl who will always give 200% even if she's not feeling well or if she has injuries or anything, she'll always give 200%. Some of my best practice sessions have been with her. Over the years, even to my coach now, I still talk about that, how special it was to be able to hit with her when I was 15, 16 and to be able to play doubles with her. And then doing so well in doubles and winning a couple of Grand Slams, you know, was really special... She's going to be missed. I think she always is laughing, as well. That's something that was nice to see on tour with her."
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US Open, 1st Rd Mon-Tue Aug 31-Sep 1 11am
loser's prize: $19,000; points: 5
#1 s1 Dinara Safina RUS d #167 wc Olivia Rogowska AUS 6(5)-7, 6-2, 6-4 Tue
Olivia serving, Dinara running down a forehand, Olivia after winning the 1st set, Dinara driving a forehand, and after winning a point
The match was a mess. Both players struck 19 winners, but Dinara finished with 48 unforced errors, and Olivia with 65. 11 of Dinara's errors were double faults (with just one ace); 13 of Olivia's errors were DFs (with 3 aces). match stats
Asked if there was anything good about the match, Dinara said: "I didn’t break any rackets and didn’t get any warnings. That’s already positive." ESPN story - postmatch interview
Dinara's fastest serve was 104mph, her average 1st serve speed was 93 mph, and her average 2nd serve speed was 78 mph (Olivia: 105, 95, & 85).
Olivia said: "I felt like I kept up with her. Like, I didn't think she blew me off the court. I'm disappointed I lost, and I didn't expect to say that after playing the No. 1 player in the world. It's a bit weird." postmatch interview
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#2 s2 Serena Williams USA d #103 wc Alexa Glatch USA 6-4, 6-1 Mon
Serena driving a forehand, and after match point
#3 s3 Venus Williams USA d #46 Vera Dushevina RUS 6(5)-7, 7-5, 6-3 Mon
Vera serving, Venus following a backhand, Vera after winning the 1st set, Venus delivering a smash, and after match point
Venus said: "[Vera] was playing very well. She put everything in the court, tried to move the ball around, she was serving well. I had a challenge on my hands today. But I wanted to win. Each good shot and each not so good shot I put behind me, and looked forward to the next one. Most of all, I just enjoyed the moment." postmatch interview
Venus called the trainer to tape up her left knee during the match. Venus said: "I don't really talk about my injuries historically, and I'm not going to start now. But I'm just going to do my best to be as close to a hundred percent for my next match."
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#4 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS d #130 q Camille Pin FRA 6-1, 6-2 Tue
Elena and Camille driving forehands, and Elena fielding a backhand
Elena said: "I think it was a good start for the week. I was pretty aggressive today. I think the most important thing was, be focused on the game and not to get [Camille's] rhythm, which was quite slow. I'm glad I was able to stay all the way and not to lose my concentration." postmatch interview
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#5 s5 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #45 Roberta Vinci ITA 6-2, 6-3 Tue
Jelena tossing the ball for her serve, and driving a backhand
Jelena said: "I felt really good out there. I came out really focused and I wanted to do my job in a good way. I wanted to get the first strike, hit first, and try to dominate as much as possible.
"And especially knowing that I had tough matches against [Roberta] in the past, she has that slice and, you know, a little bit different style of game than most girls. So can be difficult and tricky out there.
"So I managed to dominate as much as I could, and I finished I think in two good sets. I played well." postmatch interview
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#6 s6 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #96 Julia Goerges GER 6-3, 6-2 Tue
Svetlana serving, Julia driving a forehand on the run, and Svetlana following one
#7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #100 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-0, 6-4 Mon
#8 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #78 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU 6-1, 6-1 Mon
Victoria driving a forehand, and Alexandra and Vika driving backhands
#9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #90 Galina Voskoboeva KAZ 6-4, 6-0 Tue
New Haven champ Caroline following a backhand, and Galina driving one
#10 s10 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #91 Edina Gallovits ROU 6-0, 6-4 Mon
Edina and Flavia driving backhands
*#51 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR d #11 s11 Ana Ivanovic SRB 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(7) Tue
Kateryna and Ana driving backhand and forehand, Kateryna following another backhand, and after match point
Ana struck 34 winners, but had 50 unforced errors (Kateryna: 24 winners, 42 errors). match stats
Kateryna said: "[In the tiebreaker] I start to focus to hit few more balls in the court, and I succeed [smiling]... It was really dramatic and emotional. But still all match was really difficult, not only the tiebreaker...
"My leg was bothering me. I think I was less tired than Ivanovic—maybe." postmatch interview
Ana said: "Definitely. I created a lot of chances for myself, and I'm really disappointed that I made a few mistakes in the important moments and my forehand let me down on a few occasions and obviously it hurts...
"6-5 in the third and deuce I believe, I played great and set myself up and made the mistake, in the net every time. It's a little frustrating. And then on match point, maybe it was wrong shot. A few times I think I made a wrong shot selection, as well." postmatch interview
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#12 s12 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #82 Patricia Mayr AUT 6-1, 6-2 Mon
Agnieszka and Patricia driving forehand and backhand
#13 s13 Nadia Petrova RUS d #56 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 6-3, 6-3 Tue
#14 s14 Marion Bartoli FRA d #80 Rossana de los Rios PAR 6-1, 6-0 Mon
#15 s15 Samantha Stosur AUS d #68 Ai Sugiyama JPN 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 Mon
Samantha and Ai driving forehand and backhand
*#53 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #17 s16 Virginie Razzano FRA 6-4, 6-3 Tue
#18 s17 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #73 Tatjana Malek GER 6-3, 6-4 Mon
Amelie following a forehand, and Tatjana's backhand drive
#19 s18 Na Li CHN d #54 Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU 7-6(4), 6-3 Mon
#20 s19 Patty Schnyder SUI d #47 Lucie Safarova CZE 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) Tue
Patty serving to Lucie, and Lucie and Patty driving backhand and forehand
#21 s20 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #424 wc Gail Brodksy USA 6-4, 6-4 Mon
#22 s21 Jie Zheng CHN d #49 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER 6-3, 6-2 Tue
#23 s22 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #916 sr Meghann Shaughnessy USA 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 Mon
#24 s23 Sabine Lisicki GER d #37 Aravane Rezai FRA 7-6(4), 6(4)-7, 6-1 Tue
Sabine reaching for a backhand, and Aravane driving one
#25 s24 Sorana Cirstea ROU d #66 Ayumi Morita JPN 6-1, 6-3 Tue
Sorana tossing the ball for her serve, and driving a backhand
*#212 q Kai-Chen Chang TPE d #26 s25 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 Mon
Kai-Chen driving a forehand
#27 s26 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #121 q Yvonne Meusburger AUT 6-1, 6-2 Mon
Francesca and Yvonne driving 1-and-2-handed backhands
*#69 Petra Kvitova CZE d #28 s27 Alisa Kleybanova RUS 6(4)-7, 6-3, 6-2 Tue
*#43 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP d #29 s28 Sybille Bammer AUT 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5) Mon
#30 s29 Maria Sharapova RUS d #98 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-3, 6-0 Tue
Maria serving, Tsvetana and Maria driving forehands, and Maria after match point
Maria said: "I was pretty happy because I kind of came from a slow court in Toronto to a pretty fast court here, which you always know going into the US Open, the Arthur Ashe Stadium is pretty quick. So it was all about adjustment.
"I played a tricky opponent who doesn't give you much rhythm. It was just really important to stay on top of her and do the right things from the beginning. I thought I had a little bit of a slow start, but once I got going, I was able to do a good job of maintaining." postmatch interview
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#31 s30 Alona Bondarenko UKR d #93 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Tue
#32 s31 Elena Vesnina RUS d #60 Lucie Hradecka CZE 6-4, 7-6(5) Mon
*#63 Shahar Peer ISR d #33 s32 Agnes Szavay HUN 6-2, 6-2 Tue
#34 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP d #84 Varvara Lepchenko USA 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 Tue
#35 Alize Cornet FRA d #164 q Monique Adamczak AUS 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 Tue
*#122 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA d #36 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-3, 6-4 Mon
*#67 Melanie Oudin USA d #38 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 6-1, 6-2 Tue
Melanie driving a backhand
#39 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN d #362 sr Laura Granville USA 6-1, 7-6(7) Mon
#40 Gisela Dulko ARG d #41 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 Tue
Gisela serving to Ekaterina, and after match point
#42 Sara Errani ITA d #112 Arantxa Rus NED 6-0, 6-3 Tue
Arantxa following a forehand, and Sara driving a backhand
#44 Shuai Peng CHN d #61 Jarmila Groth SVK 6-2, 6-3 Tue
Shuai ready to swat a 2-handed forehand
#48 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK d #161 q Valerie Tetreault CAN 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 Mon
Magdalena driving a forehand
#50 Melinda Czink HUN d #86 Maria Elena Camerin ITA 6-3, 6-4 Mon
*#106 q Angelique Kerber GER d #52 Andrea Petkovic GER 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 Mon
#55 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ d #99 Masa Zec Peskiric SLO 6-3, 6-3 Tue
#58 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #483 wc Mallory Cecil USA 6-0, 6-1 Tue
#59 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #127 q Mariya Koryttseva UKR 6-2, 6-1 Mon
*#72 Kristina Barrois GER d #62 Urszula Radwanska POL 6-4, 6-4 Tue
*#71 Sania Mirza IND d #64 Olga Govortsova BLR 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Mon
#65 Julie Coin FRA d #203 q Eva Hrdinova CZE 6-3, 6-3 Tue
#70 Timea Bacsinszky SUI d #125 q Vesna Manasieva RUS 6-3, 6-4 Mon
#74 Jill Craybas USA d #132 q Carly Gullickson USA 6-3, 7-6(5) Mon
#75 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #170 q Yurika Sema JPN 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Mon
*#131 q Shenay Perry USA d #76 Monica Niculescu ROU 6-4, 6-2 Tue
#77 Stefanie Voegele SUI d #85 Alberta Brianti ITA 6(10)-7, 6-1, 6-3 Mon
Alberta's forehand, and Stefanie driving a backhand
*#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d#79 Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR 6-1, 6-1 Mon
Viktoriya serving, Kim following a forehand, and after match point
2005 US Open champ and former #1 Kim returned to play this summer after a two-year retirement.
Kim said: "It was nice... Little more nervous than usual. It's a very special court to me, but I really enjoyed it. I felt really good out there...
"[Viktoriya] made a lot of mistakes today, but I really felt like I was able to do what I had to do and work on the things that weren't going as well in Cincinnati and Toronto. I really feel like my serve was one of the things didn't go so well there. It was really good today, so that's just nice to see that improvement. Now it's a matter of trying to go keep this going." postmatch interview
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*#380 wc Christina McHale USA d #81 Polona Hercog SLO 6-3, 6-1 Tue
*#92 Kirsten Flipkens BEL d #83 Jelena Dokic AUS 6-3, 6-4 Mon
*#124 wc Vania King USA d #88 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 2-1 retired Mon
*#95 Anastasija Sevastova LAT d #89 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-3, 7-5 Tue
*#109 Michelle Larcher de Brito POR d #94 Mathilde Johansson FRA 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 Mon
*#137 q Petra Martic CRO d #97 Severine Bremond Beltrame FRA 6-4, 6-2 Tue
*#138 q Anastasia Rodionova AUS d #101 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 Tue
#113 Stephanie Dubois CAN d #302 wc Kristina Mladenovic FRA 6-0, 6-4 Tue
Stephanie driving a backhand
#116 q Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE d #140 q Marta Domachowska POL 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 Mon
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US Open, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu Sep 2-3 11am
loser's prize: $31,000; points: 100
#1 s1 Dinara Safina RUS d #72 Kristina Barrois GER 6(5)-7, 6-2, 6-3 Thu
Dinara following a forehand, Kristina fielding one on the run, Dinara driving a backhand, and after winning a point
Dinara said: "Another tough day in the office. Another day off tomorrow and another match on Saturday...
"Actually today I think I was serving in some stages better than the first round. It's at least already positive. At least I made some aces. Previous round I didn't make any ace and made only double faults. It's better. Still not perfect, but I know what's the problem. There is no problem in the technique or nothing. Just in my head, so I know just to change the chip here...
"[Kristina] serves good, she comes to the net. She's different player, but I think I played better match today than in previous round." postmatch interview
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#2 s2 Serena Williams USA d #50 Melinda Czink HUN 6-1, 6-1 Wed
Serena serving, Melinda driving a forehand, Serena driving a backhand, and after match point
About her 3rd round opponent, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Serena said: "She plays well. She plays a fun game. She's a tough cookie. She's aggressive. Another lefty, so it will be a good match. It's not on clay, so that will be interesting to see. But she does everything good. She moves well. She hits well." postmatch interview
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#3 s3 Venus Williams USA d #122 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA 6-4, 6-2 Wed
Venus serving, and Bethanie and Venus driving forehand and backhand
Although she does not want to discuss the injury, Venus is now playing with her left knee substantially taped. When asked: "Your father made some comments I guess to the newspaper yesterday that both you and your sister were hurt, and he thinks you should consider withdrawing from the tournament. What were your reactions to his comments?." Venus said: "I love playing this event. I'm going to do my best to obviously win every round, so that's how it is for me." postmatch interview
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*#67 Melanie Oudin USA d #4 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 Thu
Melanie serving, Elena and Melanie driving backhand and forehand, and Melanie after match point
Melanie struck 30 winners (no aces) with 44 unforced errors (including 6 double faults); Elena hit 22 winners (including 2 aces) with 37 errors (9 DFs). match stats
Melanie's previous best win was over then #6 Jelena Jankovic in the 4th round this year at Wimbledon, 6(8)-7, 7-5, 6-2.
Melanie said: "I don't even know what to say right now. I'm so excited. You have no idea... Going into that last point I was thinking I might not get another chance so I just had to go for it with a big serve and I was lucky it went in." BBC story
Elena said: "I think [Melanie] played really well. She was very positive and going for the shots, going for the winners. Just was a very solid game from her... I think she's very talented. She was in the court and not afraid to play. She was playing very aggressively, really enjoying this atmosphere, the crowd support and really going for the winners. So it's just the beginning, but it looks like she has a good future... She has a great variety. She can go for the slice, dropshot, and forehand winners, also. Today she was definitely in the court trying to hit down the line... I think she has a very solid game." postmatch interview - ESPN story
About Elena's remarks, Melanie said: "That means a lot to me. I mean, that's really nice. She was very nice. She seems like a really nice player." postmatch interview
Melanie had her left thigh taped due to a muscle strain. Melanie said: "I think it will be fine for my next match."
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*#55 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ d #5 s5 Jelena Jankovic SRB 6-3, 6(4)-7, 7-6(6) Thu
Jelena and Yaroslava driving forehands, and Yaroslava after match point
Yaroslava served for the match at 5-4 in the 3rd set, but Jelena broke her to reach 5-5. Yaroslava promptly broke Jelena's serve, and served for the match again at 6-5—only to be broken by Jelena again. Jelena held held match points at 6-4 in the 3rd set tiebreaker, but Yaroslava scored the next 4 points; finishing with an ace to win the match. match report
Yaroslava hit 45 winners (including 6 aces) with 38 unforced errors (including 6 double faults); Jelena struck only 27 winners (including 4 aces) with 39 errors (5 DFs). match stats
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#6 s6 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #95 Anastasija Sevastova LAT 6-4, 6-2 Thu
Anastasija driving a forehand, and Svetlana fielding one on the fly
#7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #75 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 Wed
#8 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #116 q Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE 6-2, 6-1 Wed
Victoria's backhand drive
#9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #137 q Petra Martic CRO 6-1, 6-0 Thu
Petra and Caroline driving backhands, and Caroline after match point
#10 s10 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #71 Sania Mirza IND 6-0, 6-0 Wed
Flavia serving, Sania driving a forehand, and Flavia running one down
*#59 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #12 s12 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 Wed
Maria serving, Agnieszka and Maria following forehands, and Maria after match point
#13 s13 Nadia Petrova RUS d #65 Julie Coin FRA 6-4, 7-6(3) Thu
Nadia and Julie driving backhands
*#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d #14 s14 Marion Bartoli FRA 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 Wed
Unorthodox forehands: Marion's 2-handed forehand with backhand grip, and Kim's splits forehand
Kim said: "[In the 1st set Marion] was playing really well. I felt she was really dominating all the points just because she was stepping in and taking the risks early on. It was working. She was serving well... My forehand wasn't really going the way I wanted to. I had the net tape a few times.
"But then I think it was a smart move to just really mix it up a little bit in the beginning of that second set, throw some high balls in there. Just to mix it up a little bit for her, because she loves stepping in and dictating the points." postmatch interview
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*#124 wc Vania King USA d #15 s15 Samantha Stosur AUS 7-5, 6-4 Wed
Samantha and Vania driving their conventional forehands, and Vania after match point
*#39 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN d #18 s17 Amelie Mauresmo FRA 6-4, 6-0 Wed
Aleksandra and Amelie driving forehands, Aleksandra driving a backhand, and after match point
Alexandra said: "Definitely was exciting to play on Arthur Ashe Stadium. I think I was really trying to focus, you know, and not get distracted by the crowd or anything. I think I did pretty well staying composed. I think I did a pretty good job with everything and I played well... I was a little bit tight at the beginning of the first set. Then I started feeling better on the court and everything." postmatch interview
Amelie said: "The loss of the first set after being up 4-3, having some opportunities to go up 5-3, even at 4-All to be able to still take the lead, it was not really what I expected. Then [Alexandra] really raised the level up in the second set and me not really being able to find better solutions." postmatch interview
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#19 s18 Na Li CHN d #109 Michelle Larcher de Brito POR 6-1, 6-3 Wed
Michelle and Na driving forehand and backhand
*#42 Sara Errani ITA d #20 s19 Patty Schnyder SUI 7-5, 6-2 Thu
Patty and Sara driving forehand and backhand
*#92 Kirsten Flipkens BEL d #21 s20 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 6-1, 6-3 Wed
#22 s21 Jie Zheng CHN d #35 Alize Cornet FRA 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 Thu
Jie and Alize driving forehand and backhand
#23 s22 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #70 Timea Bacsinszky SUI 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 Wed
Timea driving a backhand, and Daniela following a serve
*#138 q Anastasia Rodionova AUS d #24 s23 Sabine Lisicki GER 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 Thu
Sabine and Anastasia driving forehands
Sabine, who recently recovered from a shoulder injury, unfortunately fell on match point and badly injured her left ankle. She was taken from the court in a wheelchair, with her ankle wrapped in a way suggestive of a bad sprain or torn ligaments. At about 10am on Friday morning, Sabine posted a message at Twitter reading: "It was very unlucky what happened yesterday. I´m very disappointed but I´ll come back stronger! I´m a fighter! Going to the hospital for MRI today. Wish me luck."
On Monday, Sabine reported that MRI scans show the injury is not a tear, but only a bad sprain. Sabine said: "The scan went well and now I´m back home in Florida, doing lots of rehab to get back on the court as soon as possible." Sabine on Twitter - Sabine on Facebook
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#25 s24 Sorana Cirstea ROU d #113 Stephanie Dubois CAN 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 Thu
Stephanie about to swat a backhand, and Sorana driving one
#27 s26 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #77 Stefanie Voegele SUI 6-4, 6-4 Wed
Stefanie driving a backhand, Francesca lining one up, and after match point
#30 s29 Maria Sharapova RUS d #380 wc Christina McHale USA 6-2, 6-1 Thu
Christina and Maria driving forehands
Maria said: "I haven't seen much of [Christina], if at all. So against those types of opponents, it's just really important to try to figure it out as fast as you can. Once I did, I thought I did the right things...
"I was trying to go for bigger serves tonight and to get my percentage up a little bit... The goal is to keep going after the serve. I did a good job of that, especially on the second." match report
About her 3rd round opponent, Melanie Oudin, Maria said: "I've got a tough round ahead of me. [Melanie is] also somebody who I've never played against before, someone who's going to come out, and I'm sure she's gonna swing and have nothing to lose, which she doesn't. But I'm looking forward to that."
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*#40 Gisela Dulko ARG d #31 s30 Alona Bondarenko UKR 6-4, 6-0 Thu
Alona driving a forehand, Gisela following one, and after match point
#32 s31 Elena Vesnina RUS d #74 Jill Craybas USA 7-6(6), 6-1 Wed
*#63 Shahar Peer ISR d #34 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP 6-2, 6-0 Thu
Carla and Shahar driving forehand and backhand
#43 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP d #106 q Angelique Kerber GER 7-5, 6-3 Wed
*#53 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #44 Shuai Peng CHN 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 Thu
Shuai and Yanina driving forehands
#48 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK d #212 q Kai-Chen Chang TPE 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Wed
Kai-Chen and Magdalena driving forehands
#51 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR d #131 q Shenay Perry USA 6-1, 6-1 Thu
*#69 Petra Kvitova CZE d #58 Tathiana Garbin ITA 6-1, 6-3 Thu
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US Open, 3rd Rd Fri-Sat Sep 4-5 11am
loser's prize: $48,000; points: 160
*#69 Petra Kvitova CZE d #1 s1 Dinara Safina RUS 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) Sat
Dinara and Petra driving backhands, and Petra after winning a point
#2 s2 Serena Williams USA d #43 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP 6-3, 7-5 Fri
Maria Jose and Serena driving forehand and backhand
Serena said: "[Maria Jose] was serving really well, and I think especially in the second set, and especially in that [5-all] game she started serving really, really well. I just kept fighting, and every time I had a breakpoint I felt like I had a chance to win one of them. But other than that, I thought she served well... You don't really see [coming into the net] that much. I think doubles can definitely help that, because you get to see the people at the net. It's not often that I play someone that serves and volleys like that." postmatch interview
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#3 s3 Venus Williams USA d #48 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK 6-2, 7-5 Fri
Venus serving, Magdalena driving a forehand on the run, and Venus following a forehand
Venus said: "[Magdalena] played really well. She definitely picked up her game in the second set. Got to expect that from anyone on tour. And it was just nice to have a break at the end." postmatch interview
About her knee injury, Venus said: "I'm okay. Thanks."
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#6 s6 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #63 Shahar Peer ISR 7-5, 6-1 Sat
Svetlana following a backhand, Shahar driving one, and Shahar congratulating Svetlana after match point
#7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #32 s31 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-2, 6-4 Fri
Vera about to slice a backhand, Elena driving a forehand on the run, and Vera following a backhand drive
*#27 s26 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #8 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Fri
Francesca and Victoria driving forehand and backhand, and Francesca after match point
Francesca said: "I think [Victoria is] one of the best players in the world, so for me is great that I beat her and how I beat her. That's the key. It's for this reason that I'm happy. We fight a lot, and I was sometimes more aggressive than her. So very good for me. Very good...
"My tactic was to push and to push her far away, because when she put the foot inside, is not easy to play against. So I was trying to hit long and sometimes to open the angle and to be aggressive, to go to the net, to have a good serve. A lot of things." postmatch interview
About her 4th round opponent, Na Li, Francesca said: "Li Na is Chinese. She play fast, and she win often big match. So I have to stay focused and try to play my tennis. So one up, one down. Pushing, running, and all the mix that can maybe give her some problems."
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#9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #25 s24 Sorana Cirstea ROU 6-3, 6-2 Sat
Sorana and Caroline about to swat forehands
Caroline and Sorana are doubles partners and good friends.
Caroline said: "Every match I played against [Sorana], I’ve always been leading so it was important to keep the focus. I felt like I played a good match, and I’m happy that I won." match report
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#10 s10 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #39 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN 6-1, 6-1 Fri
Flavia serving, Aleksandra driving a backhand, Flavia following one, and after match point
Although Flavia put only 34% of her 1st serves in the box, she won 85% of those points. Aleksandra, serving 55%, won only 25% of her 1st serve points. Flavia struck 13 winners (2 aces) with 18 unforced errors (1 double fault); Aleksandra hit only 3 winners (0 aces) with 27 errors (2 DFs). match stats
Flavia said: "I think I play very good match today, also. I'm really happy. Still my serve doesn't work in the way I would like to, but I'm really happy...
"I think it's the court. Maybe because I like that court [Louis Armstrong Stadium]. I don't know, really. I just was focused on my game. I was talking with my coach before the match, and they told me to be very aggressive, to just focus, run in the way I always run. Everything's going perfect." postmatch interview
Flavia will play 7th-seeded #7 Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the 4th round on Sunday. They have met only twice before, Vera defeating Flavia on red clay in Sopot, Poland, in 2002, 6-3, 6-1, and Flavia defeating Vera on a hardcourt in the Los Angeles quarterfinals a few weeks ago, 6-4, 6-2.
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#13 s13 Nadia Petrova RUS d #22 s21 Jie Zheng CHN 6-4, 6-1 Sat
Nadia serving, Jie reaching for a high forehand, and Nadia's backhand drive
#19 s18 Na Li CHN d #59 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-4, 6-2 Fri
Na about to swat her serve to Maria, and Maria twisting one to Na
#23 s22 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #124 wc Vania King USA 6-2, 6-2 Fri
Vania reaching for a backhand, Daniela serving, and after match point
Daniela played a very clean match, hitting 25 winners (including 1 aces) with only 12 unforced errors (including 1 double faults); Vania struck only 12 winners (0 aces) with 13 errors (1 DF). Daniela converted all four of the break points she held against Vania; Vania never reached a break point against Daniela. match stats
Daniela said: "I thought it was a very good match, was focused from the start to end. Didn't make very many unforced errors and felt good out there... I tried to move [Vania] around, stay aggressive all the time." postmatch interview
As of this tourney, Daniela has switched tailors, moving from Nike to adidas. This means that Daniela can utilize the adidas player development program, which includes free coaching from Sven Groenefeld, Gil Reyes, and others.
Daniela said: "I'm excited. It's a brand that I always admired for many, many years... The shoes obviously are the key, because as an athlete it's important to have the right shoe. They have great stuff. Yeah, like I say, I'm very, very happy."
Daniela will play the 2008 US Open champion, 2nd-seeded #2 Serena Williams from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in the 4th round on Sunday. Serena leads Daniela 7-1 in career matches, and won their last four meetings, the most recent of which being in the 4th round of this year's Championships at Wimbledon, when Serena defeated Daniela 6-3, 6-1.
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*#67 Melanie Oudin USA d #30 s29 Maria Sharapova RUS 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 Sat
Melanie serving, Maria running down a forehand, Melanie driving a backhand, and Maria congratulating Melanie after match point
Maria struggled with both her service toss and her service motion (which has been modified since her shoulder injury last year) throughout the match, launching 7 double faults in each set, 21 total (Melanie: 6 DFs). match stats
Despite averaging 95 mph on 2nd serve, Maria won only 30% of her 2nd serve points. With the DFs, Maria totaled 63 unforced errors (Melanie: 44 errors) with 30 winners (Melanie: 22 winners). Maria converted 8 of 14 break points; Melanie, 8 of 26. match report
Melanie said: "My goal was to make the top 50. But if I keep playing like this, who knows? Hopefully, I can get as high as anything...
"Getting to play Maria today was an unbelievable experience for me. She's such a great competitor, a great player. I just had a blast playing there today... I learned, once again, proved to myself that I can compete with these top girls...
"I knew she was struggling with her serve. She gave me some double faults, crucial, crucial points... It was really tight in the match. I mean, it was like 5-All in the third." AP story - postmatch interview
Maria said: "I thought [Melanie] played really well... She certainly held her ground. I still feel like I had my chances, even though it wasn't my best day. When you let those chances go, it's just frustrating. But got to hand it to her. She really stuck to her game plan. She played solid. She made me hit a lot of balls. She moved really well around the court...
"I just couldn't decelerate today. I was hitting second serves no less than 95 miles per hour. I even tried to hit it less and I just couldn't." postmatch interview
It was Melanie's third big win this year after losing the 1st set. Melanie defeated then #6 Jelena Jankovic in the 4th round this year at Wimbledon, 6(8)-7, 7-5, 6-2, and defeated #4 Elena Dementieva in the 2nd round of the US Open on Thursday, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
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#40 Gisela Dulko ARG d #55 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 6-3, 6-4 Sat
Gisela driving a backhand (no other photos of this match were found)
Gisela delivered 5 aces with only 1 double fault (Yaroslava: 2 aces, 3 DFs). Including the aces, Gisela totaled 16 winners, with 15 unforced errors; aggressive Yaroslava struck 22 winners, but with 31 errors. Gisela converted all three of the four break points she held against Yaroslava; Yaroslava scored on only one of five break points against Gisela. match stats - ESPN Deportes story in Spanish
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*#53 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #42 Sara Errani ITA 6-3, 6-4 Sat
Yanina driving a forehand (no photos of Sara from this match were found)
#51 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR d #138 q Anastasia Rodionova AUS 7-6(4), 6-4 Sat
Kateryna's forehand drive (no other photos of this match were found)
#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d #92 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-0, 6-2 Fri
Kim driving a forehand, Kirsten driving a backhand, and Kim fielding a dropshot
In the 4th round on Sunday, 2005 US Open champ Kim will face 2000 & '01 champ Venus Williams. Venus leads Kim 6-4 in career matches, but Kim won their last two meetings, both in 2005.
Kim said: "It's obviously going to be a good game for me. It's something I already look forward to now. It's these kind of matches that make it very special. It's obviously going to be very tough, as well. I think [Venus is] playing good tennis. I think she's been a little bit up and down in her matches. But I think overall when she has to, you know, when she has to bring it, she's been able to bring it." postmatch interview
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US Open, 4th Rd, Sun-Mon Sep 6-7 11am
loser's prize: $85,000; points: 280
#2 s2 Serena Williams USA d #23 s22 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-2, 6-0 Sun
Three views of Serena serving, Daniela sbout to swat a forehand, and Serena's backhand drive
Serena said: "I think I played pretty well today. I stayed focused good, so I think that was good... I traditionally play really well in my fourth round matches. I just want to keep this level and just stay focused and play well my next match." postmatch interview - match report
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*#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d #3 s3 Venus Williams USA 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 Sun
Kim serving, Venus chasing a backhand, Kim driving one, and after match point
Venus looks the better in the stats, with 20 winners (2 aces) to Kim's 14 (no aces) and 24 unforced errors (2 double faults) to Kim's 27 (3 DFs).
But Venus, at times, faltered on key points, including three disappointing volleys into the net. Each player held 7 break points against the other in the match: Venus converted 3, Kim converted 4, including the only break in the deciding 3rd set. match stats
Kim said: "In that first set, I really felt like I was dominating a lot of the points. I was serving well. I think that's where I kept [Venus] under pressure, kept her from what she's good at: stepping into the court, playing aggressive tennis. She also made a lot of mistakes, missed a lot of first serves. From the beginning of the rallies, I felt like I could step in and really hit some aggressive returns and just keep her under pressure.
"Then I felt like in the second set, she was kind of doing that to me for a little bit... I just said to myself, 'Okay, forget about what happened this last hour. You start from zero, and just make sure that you stay aggressive, keep serving well,' and it worked." postmatch interview - match report
Venus still leads Kim 6-5 in career matches, but Kim has now won their last three meetings.
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*#9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #6 s6 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3) Mon
Svetlana serving, Caroline following a forehand, Svetlana driving a backhand, Caroline after winning the 2nd set, Caroline serving, Svetlana following a forehand, Caroline following a backhand, and after match point
Caroline struck 16 winners (1 ace), with 25 unforced errors (2 double faults); Svetlana launched an amazing 59 winners (9 aces), but with 62 errors (2 DFs). Svetlana broke Caroline's serve 7 times and scored 106 points; Caroline broke Svetlana 5 times and scored 101 points, but scored when necessary to win the match. match stats - match report
Caroline said: "I knew it was going to be tough... maybe I was a little bit lucky, but that's what tennis is all about. Sometimes you're playing amazing and you lose a match, and sometimes you're a little bit lucky. It's one point that can change the whole match.
"[Svetlana] was playing unbelievable. First set I couldn't do anything. She was hitting winners from everywhere on the court. I just thought I need to hang in there. There's nothing else I can do. I have to be a little bit more aggressive. That's what I did." postmatch interview
Svetlana said: "I think in the second set I should have played better. I was playing unbelievable. I just hit too many unforced errors and I could not control my emotions. And I wanted it so much, so it was pretty hard to control.
"I was giving [Caroline] some chances. What was the score in the second set? I don't know. First games I had chances to break her, and I was going for too much because everything was going so well. And I give her chance to come back, to believe that she can do that. Credit to her. She [won] on the court, and she was putting balls back, but I lost to myself because I did so many unforced errors." postmatch interview
Caroline will play Melanie Oudin in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Caroline said: "[Melanie is] a really good player... She's been winning some amazing matches. She's on a good winning streak. It's going to be tough, especially also with the whole crowd supporting her. But I'm just going to go out there and enjoy."
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*#10 s10 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-0 Sun
Flavia serving, Vera driving a backhand, Flavia following a forehand, and after winning a point
Vera held 6 match points in the 2nd set, but Flavia successfully defended all of them.
Flavia said: "When they told me like I had [defended] six match point I was just thinking like three or four. Not too many. I didn't take the count when I was playing.
"But in that point I just was playing very aggressive. Just anyway the match, it's almost over, so it's better to play aggressive and not wait. I just was thinking on that." postmatch interview
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*#67 Melanie Oudin USA d #13 s13 Nadia Petrova RUS 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 Mon
Melanie serving, Nadia about to swat a forehand, Melanie's forehand drive, Nadia serving to Melanie, Melanie's running forehand, after match point, Melanie's mom Leslie and sister Katharine, and Nadia congratulating Melanie
Melanie had defeated two other top Russians, #4 Elena Dementieva and #30 (former #1) Maria Sharapova in the previous two rounds, each time after dropping the 1st set.
Melanie said: "I don't actually mean to lose the first set. I just I sometimes just start off slowly, I guess. Maybe I'm a little nervous and all this stuff. But today my timing just wasn't there in the first. My mindset going into the second was different. I totally forgot about the first. I was like, 'All right. This is a new set. I'm going to start differently and forget about the first one and just start off like it's a new match,' and I started playing better." postmatch interview - match report
With Nadia serving, leading 6-1, 4-3, 40-30 in the 2nd set, Melanie blocked back a 112 mph serve, then drove a forehand winner down the line after a 10-stroke exchange.
Nadia said: "Unbelievable winner. Winning that game kind of gave her a second breath. She realized, 'OK, I'm back in the game.' And probably after winning previous matches pretty much in the same way, she thought, 'You know, I can do it again.'" AP story - postmatch interview
Melanie said: "It was very important. If I would have lost that one... The crowd really, really supported me and helped me through for that game. And once I got to 4-all it was going to be tight and close, and I had been in that situation before in earlier matches, so I thought I had a good chance".
Hammer-thrower's daughter Nadia's fastest serve was 119 mph, and her average 1st was 104 mph (Melanie: 99 mph fastest, 92 mph average). Nadia hit 28 winners (10 aces) but with 59 unforced errors (6 double faults); Melanie struck only 19 winners (no aces) with 32 errors (1 DF). Melanie scored 97 points in the match; Nadia, 96. match stats
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#19 s18 Na Li CHN d #27 s26 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6-2, 6-3 Sun
Na serving, Francesca driving a forehand, Na driving a backhand, and after match point
Na struck 22 winners (including 3 aces), with 19 unforced errors (including 1 double fault); Francesca managed only 5 winners (no aces), with 14 errors (2 DFs). Na converted four out of seven break points she held against Francesca; Francesca scored on 100% of her break points against Na—but she held only one. match stats - match report
Na will play Kim Clijsters in a quarterfinal on Tuesday. Kim leads Na 3-1 in career matches, but Na's win came the last time they played, on a hardcourt in the 3rd round at Key Biscayne in 2007, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
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*#51 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR d #40 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-0, 6-0 Mon
Gisela fielding a backhand, Kateryna driving one, and Gisela congratulating Kateryna after match point
Kateryna said: "I am really happy and excited to be in the quarters. I think I just didn't look to the draw, so I didn't know who I am playing. Only just day before the match I find out who all the time. So I'm just happy to be here." postmatch interview
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#53 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #69 Petra Kvitova CZE 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Mon
Yanina and Petra driving forehands, Yanina driving a backhand and after match point
Yanina said: "[I knew Petra] was going to be tough. I know she [defeated] Safina two days ago, so I knew it was going to be a tough match. I played her before and I beat her on clay, but I know she's a really tough opponent. Even the match was really tight and really close, so I'm just really happy to get through this one." postmatch interview
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US Open, QFs, Tues-Wed Sep 8-9 11am
loser's prize: $175,000; points: 500; Flavia Pennetta: $62,500 bonus for 2nd place in US Open Series
#2 s2 Serena Williams USA d #10 s10 Flavia Pennetta ITA 6-4, 6-3 Tue
K-Blades: Serena serving, Flavia lining up a forehand, Serena driving a backhand, and Flavia congratulating Serena after match point
Flavia, winner of this year's Los Angeles title, finished 2nd in this year's US Open Series point standings, and as a result will receive a $62,500 bonus in addition to her $175,000 quarterfinalist's prize.
Serena struck 22 winners (7 aces), with 19 unforced errors (1 double fault); Flavia had only 9 winners (no aces), with 13 errors (5 DFs). Serena reached break point against Flavia only three times, but scored on two of those occasions; Flavia held only two break points against Serena, but could not convert either one. match stats
Serena said: "[Flavia] never gives up, she’s such a great player and it was a really good match tonight... It gives me a lot of confidence because she hit great returns. I served pretty good, so it felt good." match report
Flavia said: "I'm really happy about this tournament, about the season, everything. It's going to be very good. I think today was very great match. I didn't have a lot of chance. I have just two, and I didn't make it.
"But Serena was playing really great, really aggressive. When you play with this player, you have to play always on the best tennis and you cannot make mistake. Today I make few mistake in important point, and she just take the chance to close the match.
"But I think I give everything on the court tonight. I was like running and fight until the end. It's the only way to win against this kind of player. And I was there, but tonight was not my night...
[To beat Serena] the serve and return are the two points really important. You have to start very aggressive and be on the court. You cannot be like two meters down. You have to stay in the court and just try to move her. But it's not easy." postmatch interview
About her quarterfinal opponent, Kim Clijsters, Serena said "[Kim is] moving really well. [Against Venus] I thought she's moving just as good as she was before she left... I mean, she hasn't definitely lost a step." postmatch interview
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#9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #67 Melanie Oudin USA 6-2, 6-2 Wed
Caroline serving, Melanie & Caroline driving forehands, Melanie congratulating Caroline after match point, & Caro thanking the crowd
119 points were played. Caroline struck only 5 winners (no aces), with 20 unforced errors (4 double faults); Melanie hit 11 winners (no aces), but with 43 errors (2 DFs).
Caroline reached break point against Melanie 12 times, and scored on 5 of those occasions; Melanie held 6 break points against Caroline, and converted only 1. match stats - match report
Caroline said: "It was really tough match for me against Melanie. She's had such a great run, such an amazing tournament. It's always tough to play against a home favorite. And I knew how I was going to feel to be out there [with the crowd cheering for Melanie], but I just used the energy and tried to covert it into some good tennis. I'm just so happy that I fought so well today and that I managed to pull the match out...
"I knew that she had a great forehand and that she's good on the defense [and] that she's running well. So I just wanted to keep her mostly on her backhand side, but also make her run to her forehand." postmatch interview
Melanie said: "Caroline played a really good match. I think I started off slow. I wasn't able to come back. She's such a strong player. She doesn't give you anything for free. She plays incredible defense. Makes me hit a thousand balls and really is a really great player.
"I don't know what else I could have done. I could have been more consistent and been more patient, but she really made me think out there and made me have to hit a winner on her to win the point. I was missing some. I was a little too impatient, I think. But overall, I think she played a great match." postmatch interview
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*#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d #19 s18 Na Li CHN 6-2, 6-4 Tue
Kim serving, Na and Kim Pure Driving forehands on the fly, and Kim after match point
Kim struck 9 winners (including 2 aces) with 25 unforced errors (including 1 double fault); Na also hit 9 winners (1 ace), but had 41 errors (1 DF).
Kim also converted 4 of 10 break points she held against Na; Na scored on only 1 of 3 break point opportunities she had against Kim. match stats - match report
Kim said: "It's a nice feeling to have, knowing I was able to win it in two sets. Even in that second set I got a little bit closer, but I was just able to finish it off in straight sets. I have a really good feeling the way I stayed focused after the Venus match. Like I didn't lose focus just by everything that was going on around me and so much more attention that happened. I think that's something that I learned from the past, that experience that I have when you beat big players not to get carried away and just refocus on a match like today.
"For the quarterfinal it was a pretty good draw, but it was still a tough opponent to beat. So I knew that I had to play well, and I'm glad that I did, that I was able to do that... I'm glad I got through it again, stayed focused on my game. I wanted to be aggressive and I think that's what helped winning those important points today." postmatch interview - AP story
Na said: "I saw [Kim] when she came back in her first tournament [Cincinnati]. I knew she was at a high level... I'm not thinking that I can lose like easy like today, because last time meeting I beat her. Feeling I can do much better today, but, I mean, you never know. Maybe it's day for her, not for me." postmatch interview
Kim will play Serena Williams in the US Open semifinals on Friday. Serena leads Kim 7-1 in career matches, but, surprisingly, they have not played since 2003.
Kim said: "I think [Serena has] always been able to step it up at the Grand Slams. And I've seen her play here, and she has that face where she's like, 'Okay, I'm here to do business.'
"But that doesn't mean that you don't get chances when you get to play her. Something that I'm going to be really focused on is obviously play aggressive tennis and try to dominate a lot of points. I think the one who keeps the unforced errors down I think is going to get through here."
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*#53 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #51 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR 7-5, 6-4 Wed
Yanina serving, Kateryna and Yanina driving backhand and forehand, and Yanina after match point
Yanina struck 31 winners (including 1 ace) with 35 unforced errors (including 3 double faults); Kateryna hit only 15 winners (2 aces), with 31 errors (3 DFs). Yanina also converted 5 of 9 break points she held against Kateryna; Kateryna scored on only 3 of 9 break point opportunities she had against Yanina. match stats
After winning the 1st set, Yanina trailed 1-4 in the 2nd, then took the next five games to win the match. match report
Yanina said: "I missed a few opportunities. I was pretty mad at myself. I kept fighting and kept hanging in there and just came back...
"Before this my best was second round, so it's so exciting, it's all been amazing. When you get to the third or fourth round, you start surprising yourself, but actually, I've been staying pretty calm. I've worked really hard for this. Every match I can win. I'm really excited. I'm really happy." BBC story - postmatch interview
Kateryna said: "Even if I had a break point [Yanina] didn't give me a chance to win it. She just played unbelievable. When she was break point down she kept hitting winners." postmatch interview
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US Open, SFs, Fri Sep 11 CBS-TV 12:30pm-rain-ppd-Sat
loser's prize: $350,000; points: 900
FRIDAY: RAINOUT; SATURDAY: RAIN DELAYED PLAY
*#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d #2 s2 Serena Williams USA 6-4, 7-5 ppd-Sat
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Kim serving, Serena driving a forehand, Kim about to swat one, Serena's racquet, broken after the 1st set, resulting in a warning,
row 2: Kim and Serena driving backhands, Serena, after a foot fault resulting in match points telling a line judge "If I could, I would take this [expletive] ball and shove it down your [expletive] throat!", the line judge telling the chair umpire what Serena had said, and Serena congratulating Kim after Kim was awarded match point because Serena had committed a 2nd code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct
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While serving to stay in the match trailing 5-6, 15-30, Serena was called for a foot-fault.
This gave Kim 2 match points. Serena walked toward the line judge who made the call, holding up the ball, and saying: "If I could, I would take this [expletive] ball and shove it down your [expletive] throat!"
Chair umpire Louise Engzell asked the line judge what Serena had said, then cited Serena for a code violation. Serena had already been warned for racquet abuse when she broke her racquet after losing the 1st set, so the second violation mandated a point penalty, in this case, match point.
Tournament referee Brian Earley and Grand Slam supervisor Donna Kelso were called oncourt, and Earley upheld the decision of the chair umpire. Serena then shook hands with Kim Clijsters, and left the court.
Asked shortly afterward what she had said, Serena said: "I don't remember any more, it was in the moment—it was a really crucial point. I haven't really thought about it to have any regrets... I didn't think I would get a point penalty, I didn't think about it.
"I think Kim played really well, she came out with a really big plan and the next time we play I'll know a little bit more about her game and what to do." postmatch interview - BBC story
Asked whether she thought she had actually foot faulted, Serena said: "I'm pretty sure I did. If [the line judge] called a foot fault, she must have seen a foot fault. I mean, she was doing her job. I'm not going to knock her for not doing her job."
Kim said: "To get a point penalty at the time, it's unfortunate. But there are rules... it's just unfortunate that it has to happen on a match point." postmatch interview - AP story
127 points were played: Kim won 70, Serena, 57. Kim struck 14 winners (4 aces), with 18 unforced errors (2 double faults); Serena hit 26 winners (7 aces), but with 31 errors (4 DFs).
Kim reached break point against Serena 11 times, and scored on 4 of those occasions; Serena held 6 break points against Kim, and converted 3. match stats - match report
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#9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #53 Yanina Wickmayer BEL 6-3, 6-3 ppd-Sat
Caroline serving, Yanina following a forehand, Caroline reaching for a forehand volley, and after match point
Due to the Friday-Saturday rain delays, this match was played in Louis Armstrong Stadium on Saturday evening, simultaneously with the Clijsters-Williams SF.
About playing a Grand Slam semifinal with only a few hundred people watching, Caroline said: "Maybe actually it was easier, because you didn't really feel the thing that you're in the semifinals. You didn't feel the pressure too much that actually you're so close to being in a finals. Only two matches away.
"I understand the people. We were waiting all day to get to play, and the weather really didn't want everything like we wanted it today. But we got to play, and I'm very happy." postmatch interview
123 points were played: Caroline won 67, Yanina 56. Conservative Caroline struck only 8 winners (1 ace), with 14 unforced errors (2 double faults); Yanina hit 23 winners (3 aces), but with 40 errors (2 DFs).
Caroline scored on 6 of 11 break point opportunities against Yanina; Yanina had only 5 break point chances against Caroline, and converted 3. match stats
Caroline will play Kim Clijsters in the US Open final on Sunday night. They have never before met on the field of combat. They did play together as a doubles team once, at the Watson's Water Challenge exhibition in Hong Kong in 2006.
Caroline said: "[Kim is] such a sweet girl. She's such a nice person, and I'm so happy that she's back on tour... I haven't really thought about any strategies yet or anything. I'm just so excited to be in the final... When it gets close, I'm going to talk to my dad who is also my coach about the tactics. Hopefully it can pay off, but there are no guarantees. I just want to go out there and enjoy that I'm in the final."
Kim said: "[At the Hong Kong exhibition,] by the way she was hitting the ball, by the way that she was doing everything... you could just tell that she was going to be a rising star. She's shown that in her results. She's very consistent. She's a super nice girl, as well."
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US Open, Final, Sat-ppd-Sun Sep 13 9pm ESPN2-TV
loser's prize: $800,000; points: 1400
winner's prize: $1,600,000; points: 2000
*#NR wc Kim Clijsters BEL d #9 s9 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 7-5, 6-3
Kim and Caroline before the match, Caroline serving, Kim driving a forehand, Caroline following a backhand, Kim serving, Caroline driving a forehand, Kim delivering a smash with a twist, and after match point
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US Open, Doubles Final, Sun Sep 13 (rain Sat) ppd to Mon Sep 14 1pm ESPN2-TV
loser's prize: $210,000
winner's prize: $420,000
s4 Serena Williams USA & Venus Williams USA d s1 Cara Black ZIM & Liezel Huber USA 6-2, 6-2
Liezel & Cara, and Serena & Venus
US Open, Mixed Doubles Final, Thu Sep 10
loser's prize: $70,000
winner's prize: $150,000
Carly Gullickson USA & Travis Parrott USA d s2 Cara Black ZIM & Leander Paes IND 6-2, 6-4
US Open, Girls Singles Final, Sun Sept 13
wta#755 s11 Heather Watson GBR d wta#837 Yana Buchina RUS 6-4, 6-1
Heather driving a backhand, and Heather & Yana with the goodies after the match
US Open, Girls Doubles Final, Sat Sept 12 ppd-Sun Sept 13
Valeria Solovieva RUS & Maryna Zanevska UKR d s3 Elena Bogdan ROU & Noppawan Lertcheewakarn THA 1-6, 6-3, (10-7)
US Open, Qualifying Finals Fri Aug 28 11am-rain-Sat Aug 29 2pm
losers' prizes: q1 $3,000 2pts; q2 $5,625 40pts; q3 $8,000 50pts; qualifier 60 points
Friday Q Finals: rain delayed start of play, then rain stopped play
*#138 Anastasia Rodionova AUS d #102 Elena Baltacha GBR 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 ppd-Sat
#106 Angelique Kerber GER d #149 Chanelle Scheepers RSA 6-1, 6(5)-7, 7-6(9) Fri-rain-Sat
*#164 Monique Adamczak AUS d #107 Yung-Jan Chan TPE 6-4, 6-4 Fri-rain-Sat
*#131 Shenay Perry USA d #111 Pauline Parmentier FRA 6-4, 6-4 Fri
*#125 Vesna Manasieva RUS d #114 Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP 7-6(4), 6-4 ppd-Sat
#116 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE d #139 Mariana Duque Marino COL 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) Fri-rain-Sat
*#127 Mariya Koryttseva UKR d #117 Klara Zakopalova CZE 6-0, 6-4 ppd-Sat
*#130 Camille Pin FRA d #120 Julia Schruff GER 6-3, 7-6(2) ppd-Sat
#121 Yvonne Meusburger AUT d #146 Anna Lapushchenkova RUS 6-0, 6-1 ppd-Sat
#132 Carly Gullickson USA d #229 Bojana Jovanovski SRB 7-5, 6-2 Fri-rain-Sat
*#161 Valerie Tetreault CAN d #134 Angela Haynes USA 6-4, 6(4)-7, 7-5 ppd-Sat
#137 Petra Martic CRO d #211 Ksenia Lykina RUS 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 ppd-Sat
#140 Marta Domachowska POL d #193 Anastasia Pivovarova RUS 6-2, 6-1 Fri
*#212 Kai-Chen Chang TPE d #148 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 7-5, 6-1 ppd-Sat
*#170 Yurika Sema JPN d #168 Anna Tatishvili GEO 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 Fri-rain-Sat
#203 Eva Hrdinova CZE d #460 Laura Robson GBR 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(4) Fri-rain-Sat
US Open, Withdrawals/Non-entries
#16 Dominika Cibulkova SVK right rib injury
#57 Anne Keothavong GBR tore left knee ligaments at Stanford; out for the year
#87 Tamira Paszek AUT
#NR Nathalie Dechy FRA retired
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US Open champions will win a $1 million bonus if they won the US Open Series, and thus receive a $2.6 million prize.
title with 170 points, and was elegible for up to a $1 million bonus at this year's
.
both scored 140 points, but Flavia was awarded 2nd place by virtue of more match victories during the Series, and was thus elegible for up to $500,000 in bonus money. Jelena, 3rd, was elegible for up to $250,000 in bonus money depending upon her finish at at this year's
.
in addition to her $175,000 quarterfinalist's prize.
. 2005
for this Summer's hardcourt tourneys in Cincinnati and Toronto, and for the 2009
. Kim had previously scheduled exhibition matches against Steffi Graf (May 17 at Wimbledon) and Michaella Krajicek (June 14 during the
), and will also play 2 dates of World Team Tennis. Kim retired two years ago, citing primarily that she was tired of the frequent injuries she incurred on the WTA Tour.
"I have missed playing tournaments most. I am doing it for the challenge. I have been training for 11 or 12 weeks. Training harder than ever before. Then this drive came back...
"When I started preparing for the Wimbledon game with Steffi Graf I felt this drive. I wanted a new challenge. This is just for fun for now to see if I can do it. I don't need to be number one again. I have done that and I don't need to do it again. I am just going to see how things evolve...
"I train six days a week, half of which is building up stamina and physique. I am really looking at (my) weak points to prevent injuries."
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.
