Kim served to open the match. Both players held serve for the first five games, with Kim holding only a slight edge in the quality of play, which was high.
Kim held serve at love in the 5th game, to make the score 3-2. When Vera served, she put the ball into the net with a forehand at 30-40 to bring up the first break point, the sent the ball long with a backhand to give Kim the break.
At this point Vera became increasingly frustrated and error prone. After Kim held serve, she broke Vera again at love to take the 1st set, 6-2.
Kim held serve at the start of the 2nd set, broke Vera's serve for the third consecutive time, and held serve again to reach 3-0 within a few minutes. Vera held serve. While Kim served at 3-1, Vera had a chance to break back in a long game that included a 27-stroke rally, but Kim held again.
Vera had largely regained her composure by this time, but was becoming very tired, and Kim was not about to let her back into the match. Kim broke Vera again to go up 5-1, then served out the match.
Kim finished with 17 winners and 15 errors; Vera with 6 winners and 24 errors. Kim converted 4 of the 5 break points she held against Vera; Vera did not score on either of the 2 break points she reached against Kim.
It was Kim's 21st consecutive match victory at Flushing Meadows. After winning the title in 2005, she missed the 2006
due to injury, then retired from pro tennis in 2007. After returning to the WTA Tour last summer, she won the 2009
"I've always felt more comfortable on this surface. Not just this year, but even when I was 14, 15, 16... Everything comes easier... I was able to play my last two matches at the highest level, so I was very pleased with that...
"[Vera is] the type of player who is consistent and likes the pace and likes to take over the pace from the opponents. I think today I was able to just mix it up well, and stay calm during the rally. Just put enough pressure and variety in there to throw up some higher balls here and there...
"She's been playing some incredible tennis in these last two Grand Slams so far. It must be frustrating for her not to be able to play her best level when it was probably most needed."
"Kim just played tremendously well today. She deserved to win...
"I think Kim just played very good match. She didn't really give me chances to get into the match. But I also think that physically today she was just much better player than me. Physically I was not capable of playing the same level as I was able to play even like yesterday or in my previous matches...
"I think I have to learn how to make sure that I recover well, and I'm physically fit and ready to play when it comes down to the last matches of the tournament, like semifinals or finals. I will still have to learn how to do it and how to pace myself, maybe, with practicing and preparing. Also, maybe, if I really want to go deep in the Grand Slams, I will have to stop playing doubles, because there are some days off on the way during two weeks."
. Vera's two wins came the last two times they played. On a chlorophyll court this year in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, Vera defeated Kim 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. And in August, on a Deco-Turf hardcourt in the quarterfinals in Toronto, Vera defeated Kim again, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
, who retired in May, 2007, and returned to play last August, is now 39-16 in WTA singles finals; she also won at Brisbane & Miami this year. Kim has a 35-6 match record in 2010.
is now 10-15 in WTA singles finals; after she won at Indian Wells last year she tore ankle ligaments at Charleston, and had surgery to remove scar tissue in November. In January at the Australian Open Vera said it would still take a while before her ankle was fully healed; now she is 100%. Vera has a 39-15 match record this year.
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: Friday, August 28th.
2010: On Wednesday, August 25 in New York, Victoria Azarenka and 2006 US Open champion Maria Sharapova participated in a promotional event for Nike... On Thursday, 2005 & 2009 US Open champ Kim Clijsters appreciated a token at the main draw ceremony, while Elena Baltacha posed for a pic in the players lounge at Flushing Meadows... row 2: On Friday, August 27, celebrities attending the US Open "players party" included Lisalla Montenegro, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, 2000 & '01 tourney champ Venus Williams and her sister, 1999, 2002 & '08 champ Serena Williams (unable to play this year due to injury), Lindsay Vonn, & Hillary Scott... row 3: Also on Friday, Michaella Krajicek, 2004 US Open juniors champ, decorated Times Square... on Saturday, Sabine Lisicki obtained a guest pass for her good friend "Happy"...
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US Open, 1st Rd Mon-Tue Aug 30-31 11am
loser's prize: $19,000; points: 5
#2 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #NR wc Chelsey Gullickson USA 6-1, 6-1 Tue
Caroline serving, Chelsey driving a backhand, and Caro following one
The match did not begin until almost midnight. Caroline said: "Definitely it's a long night. The matches before on the center court were so long. I don't think there was even one match two sets. So no one expected that.
"But it was nice. A win is a win, so it doesn't really matter what time I get on. As long as I win, I'm happy." postmatch interview
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#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #104 Greta Arn HUN 6-0, 7-5 Mon
Greta and Kim driving forehands, and Kim after winning a point
After winning the 1st set, Kim trailed 0-4 in the 2nd, and Greta served for the set when leading 5-4. Then Kim won the next 3 games and the match.
2009 US Open champion Kim said: "I'm happy with the way I served. That's obviously been a stroke that I've been paying a bit more attention to during my practicing the past few weeks. Today I felt like I was hitting the ball well. Obviously beginning of the second set [Greta] started going for a little bit more. I kind of lost my positioning and my footing on court a little bit, going with the wind, going against the wind. Kind of wasn't aggressive enough. Didn't step in enough when I had to. I think she started going for a little bit more, playing a little bit more with some risks, and she kind of put me under pressure a little bit where it should have been the other way around." postmatch interview
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#4 s3 Venus Williams USA d #65 Roberta Vinci ITA 6-4, 6-1 Mon
Venus driving a forehand
It was Venus's first match since she sprained her left patella two months ago. Venus said: "It was doing pretty good, till I landed on that leg on the swing volley. ... I was pretty happy to get through after not playing in forever." AP story
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#5 s4 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #95 Simona Halep ROU 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Tue
Jelena serving, Simona and Jelena driving forehand and backhand, and Jelena after match point
Jelena said: "It was VERY hot on the court, but happy to move on to the 2nd round." Jelena Jankovic at Facebook
Though each player struck 22 winners, Jelena hit 48 errors to Simona's 36. Jelena said: "For me, first match is always the toughest. [Simona] played really well. I had to work for every point. I wasn't playing my best tennis. I was able to find a way to get through... I made a lot of errors. I just tried to move on and play the best I could." AFP story - postmatch interview
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#6 s5 Samantha Stosur AUS d #39 Elena Vesnina RUS 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 Mon
Elena and Samantha driving backhands
#7 s6 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #84 Ayumi Morita JPN 6-1, 6-0 Mon
Francesca serving, Ayumi driving a backhand, and Francesca launching one
2010 French Open champion Francesca said: "It was good match... I prepare good. I was ready really. I was really excited to start the new Grand Slam in US Open. It was good match for me." postmatch interview
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#8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #120 q Zuzana Kucova SVK 6-2, 6-1 Tue
*#62 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR d #9 s8 Na Li CHN 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 Tue
Kateryna about to swat a forehand, and Na driving a backhand
#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #55 Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP 6-4, 6-3 Tue
Agnieszka pursuing a forehand
#11 s10 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #93 q Monica Niculescu ROU 6-0, 5-7, 6-1 Mon
#12 s11 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #50 Kimiko Date Krumm JPN 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 Tue
Svetlana serving, Kimiko running down a forehand, and Svetlana after match point
Svetlana said: "It was very hard to play somebody you never played before, especially, that she's good. It's not like junior or somebody. It's a player who played before, and I didn't realize that [Kimiko] plays very different game from everybody who I've played ever. And I know as well that Dinara lost to her twice, and she's uncomfortable to play against...
"It was different because her swing of the racquet is very different. First two games I was just trying to understand how she managed to what she manage and how she manage to do that...
"It was nice to play for me, because I can play any type of game. It was fun to do different things. To go forward doesn't bother me, you know. And to play fast and then slow. It was interesting. It was good experience." postmatch interview
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#13 s12 Elena Dementieva RUS d #51 Olga Govortsova BLR 6-1, 6-2 Mon
#15 s13 Marion Bartoli FRA d #101 Edina Gallovits ROU 6-3, 6-2 Mon
Marion's 2-handed forehand with backhand grip
#16 s14 Maria Sharapova RUS d #56 Jarmila Groth AUS 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 Tue
Maria about to connect with a forehand, and Jarmila and Maria driving backhands
Maria said: "I think [Jarmila] came out today and really swung and didn't give me much time to do anything out there. She served really well in the first set. I wasn't returning that well, giving her a lot of looks on second serves.
"Against a player like that, who kind of plays the 1-2 punch type of tennis, it's quite difficult to get a rhythm in the beginning. I just hung in there. Between the first and second set, I knew that it wasn't over. In tennis you have either two or three sets to play. So I still knew I had my chances." postmatch interview
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#17 s15 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #103 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 6-1, 6-2 Tue
#18 s16 Shahar Peer ISR d #1033 sr Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO 6-4, 7-5 Mon
*#38 Andrea Petkovic GER d #19 s17 Nadia Petrova RUS 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) Tue
#20 s18 Aravane Rezai FRA d #66 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK 7-6(5), 7-6(7) Tue
Magda ready to slice a backhand, and Aravane driving one
#21 s19 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #385 q Irina Falconi USA 6-2, 6-1 Mon
#22 s20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #69 Kristina Barrois GER 6-4, 6-1 Mon
Anastasia driving a backhand
#23 s21 Jie Zheng CHN d #46 Timea Bacsinszky SUI 7-6(0), 7-6(1) Mon
Jie ready to swat a forehand
#24 s22 Maria José Martinez Sanchez ESP d #159 wc Jamie Hampton USA 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 Tue
#25 s23 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #43 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE 7-5, 6-4 Tue
Barbora launching a backhand on the run, and Maria following one
#26 s24 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #59 Dinara Safina RUS 6-3, 6-4 Mon
Dinara driving a forehand, Daniela about to swat one, and after winning a point
#27 s25 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU d #112 Julie Coin FRA 6-3, 6-1 Tue
Alexandra ready to swat a forehand
*#198 q Tamira Paszek AUT d #28 s26 Lucie Safarova CZE 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 Tue
#29 s27 Petra Kvitova CZE d #123 Lucie Hradecka CZE 6-4, 7-5 Mon
#30 s28 Alisa Kleybanova RUS d #70 Johanna Larsson SWE 7-6(4), 6-2 Mon
#31 s29 Alona Bondarenko UKR d #68 Vera Dushevina RUS 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 Mon
*#151 q Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP d #32 s30 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 Tue
#33 s31 Kaia Kanepi EST d #80 Alizé Cornet FRA 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 Tue
#34 s32 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d #97 Renata Voracova CZE 6-3, 6-4 Mon
#35 Agnes Szavay HUN d #91 Sandra Zahlavova CZE 6-0, 6-2 Mon
*#128 wc Virginie Razzano FRA d #36 Klara Zakopalova CZE 6-3, 6-2 Mon
#37 Sara Errani ITA d #73 Tathiana Garbin ITA 7-6(4), 7-5 Mon
#40 Julia Goerges GER d #78 Romina Oprandi ITA 6-3, 6-4 Tue
#41 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #58 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-3, 6-2 Mon
Ana following a forehand, and after match point
#42 Gisela Dulko ARG d #49 Angelique Kerber GER 6-3, 6-1 Mon
#44 Melanie Oudin USA d #144 q Olga Savchuk UKR 6-3, 6-0 Mon
Olga and Melanie driving forehand and backhand, and Melanie after match point
Melanie has a 18-20 singles match record this season; she reached the semifinals at the Paris Indoor (losing to Elena Dementieva), and the quarterfinals at Charleston (losing to Vera Zvonareva).
Melanie said: "Just because I haven't been winning doesn't mean I haven't felt good.I think I have had an okay year. It hasn't been bad. I've been improving my game. I think my serve has gotten better. I'm working on a lot of things.
"Of course this is going to be the toughest year. It's my first full year on the tour. I'm happy with how I did today, and how I've done... I feel like I'm still young, I'm still improving, and I think I have a lot more work to do, though, for sure." postmatch interview
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#45 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #107 Stefanie Voegele SUI 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 Tue
*#186 q Mandy Minella LUX d #47 Polona Hercog SLO 6-4, 7-5 Mon
*#83 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA d #48 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Tue
#52 Patty Schnyder SUI d #71 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-1, 6-3 Tue
Patty spinning a forehand
*#202 q Sally Peers AUS d #53 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN 6-0, 6-1 Mon
Aleksandra and Sally driving forehands
#54 Elena Baltacha GBR d #88 Petra Martic CRO 6-2, 6-2 Mon
#57 Anastasija Sevastova LAT d #75 Regina Kulikova RUS 6-0, 2-0 retired—low back injury Tue
#60 Shuai Peng CHN d #345 wc Shelby Rogers USA 6(5)-7, 7-6(3), 6-3 Tue
Shuai about to swat a 2-handed forehand with backhand grip, Bartoli-style
*#85 Kai-Chen Chang TPE d #61 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP 6-2, 6-4 Tue
#63 Sofia Arvidsson SWE d #81 Sorana Cirstea ROU 6-1, 6-2 Tue
Sorana and Sofia driving forehands
#64 Anastasia Rodionova AUS d #87 Bojana Jovanovski SRB 7-5, 6-4 Mon
#67 Iveta Benesova CZE d #126 q Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-3, 7-6(6) Tue
Nuria and Iveta driving backhand and forehand
*#328 sr Urszula Radwanska POL d #72 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 6-3, 6-3 Tue
#74 Vania King USA d #113 wc Christina McHale USA 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 Mon
Christina showing slice on a backhand, and Vania's forehand drive
#76 Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #145 sr Anne Keothavong GBR 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 Tue
Anne and Yung-Jan driving backhands
#77 q Akgul Amanmuradova UZB d #92 Chanelle Scheepers RSA 6-3, 6-4 Tue
#79 Sybille Bammer AUT d #121 q Zuzana Ondraskova CZE 7-5, 6-0 Mon
*#105 Pauline Parmentier FRA d #89 Alberta Brianti ITA 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 Mon
*#153 q Mirjana Lucic CRO d #90 Alicia Molik AUS 7-6(5), 6-1 Tue
Mirjana following a backhand
1999 Wimbledon semifinalist Mirjana said: "I feel fantastic. I'm so so happy. I worked so hard to get here. This is my first US Open in, I don't know, seven years or something. Feels incredible. Like I said, I've worked so hard. Every round in quallies has been tough, and it just feels so rewarding...
"I have been working hard for a long time. I have been training in Bradenton in United Tennis Academy. You know, when I say I've been working hard, I mean, also playing $25,000 tournaments, quallies of every small tournament there is, and losing a lot of times. It was really hard. It felt like I climbed the mountain just to get through those tournaments, so I feel really good now." postmatch interview
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*#369 wc Beatrice Capra USA d #94 Karolina Sprem CRO 6-1, 6-3 Tue
#96 Sabine Lisicki GER d #168 wc Coco Vandeweghe USA 6-1, 6-0 Tue
#99 Yvonne Meusburger AUT d #109 Jill Craybas USA 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 Tue
*#181 q Rebecca Marino CAN d #100 Ksenia Pervak RUS 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 Mon
*#132 q Maria Elena Camerin ITA d #117 wc Sophie Ferguson AUS 6-4, 6-0 Mon
Maria Elena's forehand drive
#160 q Sania Mirza IND d #176 q Michelle Larcher De Brito POR 6-3, 6-2 Mon
Sania driving a forehand, and Michelle about to swat one
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US Open, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu Sep 1-2 11am
loser's prize: $31,000; points: 100
#2 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #85 Kai-Chen Chang TPE 6-0, 6-0 Thu
Caroline serving, Kai-Chen following a forehand, Caro driving one, and after match point
Caroline said: "I felt great out there today. Everything was fine. I just got something for a headache [during my doubles match] yesterday, and that was it. I was feeling good today. No problems...
"I've played tough matches in my in the previous weeks. I've been playing really great tennis. I'm feeling good, so no worries." postmatch interview
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#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #202 q Sally Peers AUS 6-2, 6-1 Wed
Sally serving, and Kim driving a forehand
#4 s3 Venus Williams USA d #181 q Rebecca Marino CAN 7-6(3), 6-3 Wed
Venus serving, and Rebecca and Venus driving forehand and backhand
Venus said: "It was an interesting day. Not as easy to get a rhythm today because, [Rebecca] served so big and just kind of [went] for the first shot, and it was really windy, too.
"Matches like this, it's just good to try to play as clean as possible. Try to hopefully get a break and kind of close it out and kind of leave the conditions behind." postmatch interview
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#5 s4 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #153 q Mirjana Lucic CRO 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 Thu
Mirjana and Jelena driving forehands
Jelena said: "It was another tough match for me today. I had a really tough opponent. [Mirjana] played really well and she was hitting those balls really hard. Really gave me a hard time. So either way, I'm just happy that I was able to win. That's the most important thing. You know, I give myself another chance...
"I have to pick it up. I would like to, with every match, keep improving and picking up the level of my tennis. And I'm working on it. It's a step forward from the first round. I think I played much better than in the first round, so I'm happy with that." postmatch interview
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#6 s5 Samantha Stosur AUS d #64 Anastasia Rodionova AUS 6-1, 6-4 Wed
Samantha and Anastasia driving forehand and backhand
#7 s6 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #132 q Maria Elena Camerin ITA 6-2, 6-1 Wed
Maria Elena and Francesca after match point
#8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #96 Sabine Lisicki GER 6-1, 7-6(5) Thu
Vera serving, Sabine ready to swat a forehand, Vera driving a backhand, and after match point
*#60 Shuai Peng CHN d #10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 Thu
Shuai after winning a point
*#42 Gisela Dulko ARG d #11 s10 Victoria Azarenka BLR 5-1
retired—headache & collapse due to concussion earlier in the day Wed
Victoria and Gisela driving backhands, and physicians attending to Vika as Gisela looks on
Victoria collapsed during the match while experiencing what the tournament called "headache-like symptoms." She was taken to a hospital, where tests revealed she had a mild concussion from a fall in the gym earlier in the day.
Victoria said: "[Due to the fall in the gym] I was checked by the medical team before I went on court and they were courtside for monitoring. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy."
Gisela said: "I was scared. [Victoria] went to the floor. I was worried for her. I went to see her, brought some ice, did whatever I could do to help..."
"It's tough to play out there. It's really hot, really humid. You sweat so much, sometimes it's impossible to hold the racket." AP story
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#12 s11 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #57 Anastasija Sevastova LAT 6-2, 6-3 Thu
Anastasija and Svetlana driving forehand and backhand
#13 s12 Elena Dementieva RUS d #79 Sybille Bammer AUT 6-3, 6-4 Wed
Sybille and Elena driving forehand and backhand
*#128 wc Virginie Razzano FRA d #15 s13 Marion Bartoli FRA 7-5, 6-4 Wed
Marion and Virginie driving backhands, and Marion congratulating Virginie after match point
#16 s14 Maria Sharapova RUS d #67 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-1, 6-2 Thu
Maria serving, Iveta studying a backhand, Maria driving a forehand, and after match point
Maria said: "I thought I just had to be consistent today, because I'm playing a lefty. It's a little gusty out there. It's just important to hang in there and, not normally go for the lines as much, try to be a little more consistent. My first serve percentage was quite low in the first set, but in the second set that got better. I got a few free points off of that. Overall it was solid. I played the important points well." postmatch interview
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#17 s15 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #40 Julia Goerges GER 6-4, 7-5 Thu
Julia driving a forehand, and Yanina about to connect with a backhand
#18 s16 Shahar Peer ISR d #105 Pauline Parmentier FRA 6-2, 6-3 Wed
Pauline and Shahar driving backhands
*#369 wc Beatrice Capra USA d #20 s18 Aravane Rezai FRA 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 Thu
Beatrice and Aravane driving forehand and backhand, Beatrice following another forehand, and after match point
Beatrice defeated #94 Karolina Sprem in the 1st round. The highest-ranked player Beatrice had defeated prior to this week was #137 Anastasia Yakimova, earlier this year. Beatrice earned her place in the tournament by winning the US Open Wild Card Playoffs last month, defeating #169 Madison Brengle in the final.
Beatrice said: "I knew [Aravane] was a really tough player. I had a good win first round, and that gave me a lot of confidence. Being able to like compete with her in the first couple games gave me the confidence that I knew I could do well in my match. That really helped me a lot." postmatch interview
About the possibility of playing Maria Sharapova in the 3rd round, Beatrice said: "I'm really excited. I think it will be an amazing experience. I know she's just such a tough competitor. When I was younger I used to always look up to her, so I think it will be a really good match for me to see where I am compared to that kind of level."
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#21 s19 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #35 Agnes Szavay HUN 6-1, 6-4 Wed
#22 s20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #160 q Sania Mirza IND 6-2, 6-4 Wed
Anastasia and Sania driving forehand and backhand
*#41 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #23 s21 Jie Zheng CHN 6-3, 6-0 Wed
Ana serving, Jie driving a forehand, Ana following a backhand, and after match point
Ana said: "I was really happy with today's game, because [Jie is a] tough opponent, and I lost to her last couple of times we played. I was expecting really tough match. And actually conditions a little bit tough out there because it was very gusty. It's a lot different than the outside courts. I'm really happy the way I played and just stayed aggressive. Even when errors creeped in, I just kept looking for the ball that I knew I had to hit. It worked out well, so I'm pleased." postmatch interview
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*#52 Patty Schnyder SUI d #24 s22 Maria José Martinez Sanchez ESP 7-6(2), 6-4 Thu
Maria José and Patty driving backhands
#25 s23 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #99 Yvonne Meusburger AUT 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 Thu
Maria's service toss, and Yvonne and Maria driving backhands
#26 s24 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #74 Vania King USA 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 Wed
Daniela and Vania driving forehand and backhand
Daniela said: "It was very hot today but I've been working on my fitness and I knew the longer the match went, the better it was for me. Vania played really well. She's very talented and she seems to bring her best game out against me." Daniela at Twitter
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#27 s25 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU d #63 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 7-6(5), 6-1 Thu
#29 s27 Petra Kvitova CZE d #54 Elena Baltacha GBR 7-6(5), 6-3 Wed
*#37 Sara Errani ITA d #30 s28 Alisa Kleybanova RUS 6-2, 6-3 Wed
#31 s29 Alona Bondarenko UKR d #44 Melanie Oudin USA 6-2, 7-5 Wed
Melanie driving a forehand, Alona reaching for a backhand, and after winning a point
2009 US Open quarterfinalist Melanie said: " I felt good going on. And then it was like the second I got out there, I did feel really tight... I think the nerves got the best of me today a little bit, especially in the first set. Second set I started playing a lot better, making the points a little bit longer...
"I gave everything I had today. I mean, [Alona is] a really good player. Congrats to her. Hopefully she does well in the next round.
"It's tough coming back, especially after like the US Open I had last year, coming back and expecting to do that well again. And the expectations for me, I think, from like the fans were extremely high. You could tell by the crowd. Even the second I walked out there, people like expected me to win again like last year." postmatch interview
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#33 s31 Kaia Kanepi EST d #77 q Akgul Amanmuradova UZB 6-2, 6-4 Thu
#186 q Mandy Minella LUX d #34 s32 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-4, 6-0 Wed
#38 Andrea Petkovic GER d #83 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 Thu
#45 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #62 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(7) Thu
Kateryna and Dominika driving forehands
#76 Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #198 q Tamira Paszek AUT 6-3, 6-3 Thu
Tamira and Yung-Jan driving backhands
#151 q Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP d #328 sr Urszula Radwanska POL 6-2, 7-5 Thu
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US Open, 3rd Rd Fri-Sat Sep 3-4 11am
loser's prize: $50,000; points: 160
Friday: play resumed and completed after rain delay
#2 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #76 Yung-Jan Chan TPE 6-1, 6-0 Sat
Caroline serving, Ynug-Jan flying after a backhand, Caro following one, and after match point
Caroline, who has won 12 straight matches (and 18 of her last 19) on hardcourts, has lost only 3 games in the first 3 rounds of this year's US Open.
Caroline said: "I think it just says something about how I've been playing, and the level I've been playing on. It's nice." postmatch interview
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#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #29 s27 Petra Kvitova CZE 6-3, 6-0 Fri
Kim serving, Petra driving a backhand, Kim following a forehand, and after match point
Kim trailed 0-3 at the start of the match, then won 12 straight games. Kim said: "[Petra is] a good player. Once she's behind the ball, she has one of the toughest groundstrokes out there. I think as long as I was able to kind of counterpunch against her tough shots, and going to the open court and make her take those extra steps, I felt like I was getting her out of her comfort zone a little bit. That's what I was trying to focus on." postmatch interview
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#4 s3 Venus Williams USA d #186 q Mandy Minella LUX 6-2, 6-1 Fri
Venus driving a forehand, Mandy following a backhand and after her only game win in the 2nd set, Venus driving a backhand, and after match point
*#33 s31 Kaia Kanepi EST d #5 s4 Jelena Jankovic SRB 6-2, 7-6(1) Sat
Jelena driving a forehand, Kaia about to swat one, and Jelena kindly congratulating Kaia after match point
Jelena said: "The wind was really tough. The conditions were really, really tough to play. I had a really hard time hitting the balls. Obviously they were going all over the place. The wind was really strong... You're just getting ready to hit the ball and it just moves away from you. So it was really hard out there. But [Kaia] handled the wind a lot better than I did. She was the better player today. Congrats to her." postmatch interview
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#6 s5 Samantha Stosur AUS d #37 Sara Errani ITA 6-2, 6-3 Fri
Samantha and Sara driving forehand and backhand, and Sam following a backhand
Samantha came close to losing her 1st round match against Elena Vesnina, but won easily in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Samantha said: "Really happy with that win. Since my first round I think I've played two really good matches now. Couldn't ask for much more... to come through and have two matches the way I have, I'm really pleased." postmatch interview
About playing Elena Dementieva in the 4th round on Sunday, Samantha said: "I think it's going to be whoever can execute the game plan better on the given day. But I know what I'm going to want to do against [Elena]. If I can do that, I think I have a chance."
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#7 s6 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #31 s29 Alona Bondarenko UKR 6-1, 7-5 Fri
Francesca serving, Alona following a forehand, Francesca driving a backhand, and after match point
Francesca saved a point by hitting a shot between her legs, then won the point. Francesca said: "The process is just to calculate how the ball is coming. If is coming too fast, you can't do it. If is coming a little bit slower, you have the time to play a normal shot. But the instinct decide to play that shot. And after, of course you feel fantastic.." postmatch interview - YouTube video of Francesca's between the legs shot
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#8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #27 s25 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU 6-2, 7-6(2) Sat
Vera serving, Alexandra driving a forehand, and Vera fielding one
#12 s11 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #25 s23 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-3, 6-4 Sat
Svetlana and Maria driving forehands, and Sveta's backhand drive
#13 s12 Elena Dementieva RUS d #26 s24 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 7-5, 6-2 Fri
Elena driving a forehand, and Daniela reaching for a backhand
Elena trailed 2-5 at the start of the match, then won 5 straight games to take the 1st set.
Elena said: "I have feeling that the center [Ashe] court is a bit faster than the outside courts. Even with the warmup today on the center court, it really took me some time to get used to the surface. I was able to come back after 5-2, and that was the key to the match. I started to play a more aggressive match, and started to play much better tennis." postmatch interview
Elena will play Samantha Stosur in the 4th round on Sunday. Elena leads Sam 4-1 in career matches, and 4-0 on hardcourts. They have not played since last year, when, on a Deco-Turf hardcourt in the quarterfinals in Toronto, Elena defeated Samantha 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-3. Samantha's win over Elena was in their previous match, on red clay in the 3rd round of last year's French Open, when Samantha defeated Elena 3-6, 6-4, 1-6.
Elena said: "It's always good to have positive experience against a player, but I think it's going to be a different match. We haven't played for a long time, and Samantha really improved her game a lot. She's playing very well this season, finalist in the French Open. She's a very solid player with a huge serve, and I expect a tough match against her."
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#16 s14 Maria Sharapova RUS d #369 wc Beatrice Capra USA 6-0, 6-0 Sat
Maria serving, Beatrice driving a forehand, Maria's backhand drive, and Tricie and Maria after match point
Maria had lost in the 3rd round at Flushing Meadows last year to another young American, then #67 Melanie Oudin.
Maria said: "Last year, it was a similar situation. Third round, quite windy. I had a young opponent who came out and played great tennis. Today, I wanted to make sure I came out, concentrated and was consistent..."
"Experience definitely helps, but when you play someone coming up, young and eager, it's always challenging. Because they come out with nothing to lose and they can play some great tennis." AP story - postmatch interview
Beatrice reached 5 break points against Maria, but could not convert them; Maria scored on 6 of the 10 break points she held against Beatrice. match stats
Beatrice, who had never met Maria before, encountered Maria's "game face." Beatrice said: "Before the match, [Maria] would just walk past me and kind of, like, give me a glare, which is kind of intimidating. After the match when we shook hands, she was really nice. She said, `Great tournament. Keep up the hard work.' I think she's a really nice person...
"Playing against Maria in Arthur Ashe, yeah, I'd like to do better, but, you know, that was amazing." postmatch interview
About playing top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the 4th round, Maria said: "[Caroline] can run all day and get a lot of balls back and make you hit tons of balls. She changes the pace really well, and gets her opponents off balance. She does many things well. That's why she's at the top of the game."
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#17 s15 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #52 Patty Schnyder SUI 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6) Sat
Patty and Yanina driving forehand and backhand, and Yanina after match point
#18 s16 Shahar Peer ISR d #21 s19 Flavia Pennetta ITA 6-4, 6-4 Fri
Flavia and Shahar driving forehand and backhand, and Shahar after match point
#22 s20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #42 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-1, 6-2 Fri
Gisela and Anastasia driving backhands
#38 Andrea Petkovic GER d #60 Shuai Peng CHN walkover—right elbow injury Sat
#41 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #128 wc Virginie Razzano FRA 7-5, 6-0 Fri
Ana serving, Virginie following a backhand, and Ana after match point
About the windy conditions, Ana said: "On one side you could feel a lot of breeze coming sort of in one direction. So I think we both struggled in the beginning on that side. The balls were coming short and so on. But at the end of the day it's the same for both opponents. You just have to accept in windy conditions you're not going to have a perfect match and you're not going to have many balls hit perfectly. But it's same for both players." postmatch interview
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#45 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #151 q Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-0, 6-1 Sat
Dominika driving a forehand, Lourdes at ready, and Domi after match point
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US Open, 4th Rd, Sun-Mon Sep 5-6 11am
loser's prize: $100,000; points: 280
#2 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #16 s14 Maria Sharapova RUS 6-3, 6-4 Mon
Caroline and Maria following backhands, Caro about to connect with a forehand, and after match point
Caroline, champion of the last two WTA tourneys, in Montreal and New Haven, has now won 12 consecutive matches, and is 18-1 during the summer hardcourt season.
Caroline had a good day, Maria did not. Caroline hit 16 winners with only 10 unforced errors (3 double faults). Maria struck twice as many winners (32) but with over three times as many errors (36), including 9 double faults, one of which gave Caroline the winning break in the 2nd set. Apart from the errors Maria actually played quite well—including scoring on 16 of 18 trips to the net—but there were too many errors. match stats
Maria said: "Even with those unforced errors, I still had my chances and I was 1 for 8 on breakpoints. Against someone that's playing really well, playing with a lot of confidence, it's really important to take those chances that you have, the very few that come your way. I felt like I played a couple of good points, and then made an easy error, hit a return long or miss a first serve, gave [Caroline] many looks at second serve returns. Didn't feel like I put much pressure on her...
"She's retrieving a lot of balls. She served really well today. She used the wind really effectively, especially when she was playing against the wind. You know, she was able to use many things to her advantage. I wasn't able to capitalize. Obviously, she's at the top of her game, playing her best tennis of her career. Never go into a match underestimating her ability." postmatch interview
Caroline said: "I felt like I was playing good tennis. I felt like I was playing well out there... I definitely think I've improved a lot [since last year], not only physically, but also I believe in myself more. I believe I can do it. Also I think I can mix up my game a little bit more than I could last year...
"I was going out there and I knew I could win. But I knew it was going to be tough. I knew that I had to fight for every point. I knew that [Maria] wasn't going to go away. I knew she was going to hang in there and keep fighting till the end." postmatch interview
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#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #41 Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-2, 6-1 Sun
Kim following a forehand, Ana driving one, Kim about to connect with a splits forehand, and after match point
Kim said: "I knew once I got out there that Ana is the type of player... I could stay with her and kind of make her once in a while doubt a little bit. Or even when she's playing her best tennis, trying to retrieve a lot of balls and just try to get her to make the mistake, I really felt that was the case in the first five games we played today... She starts making a few little unforced errors and a couple of double faults. I really tried to use the chances that I had, and that's what I did really well." postmatch interview
Ana said: "Today I was just a little bit slow. I think nerves crept in... But [Kim] played well. I had my opportunities in the beginning that I didn't convert, so that was a little bit disappointing." postmatch interview
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#4 s3 Venus Williams USA d #18 s16 Shahar Peer ISR 7-6(3), 6-3 Sun
Venus serving, Shahar launching a forehand on the run, Venus driving a backhand, and after match point
Venus fired the fastest serve of the tourney so far, 127mph, and averaged 111mph on 1st serve and 87mph on 2nd serve (Shahar: 103mph fastest, 92mph avg 1st, 79mph avg 2nd). Venus won 81% of her 1st serve points; Shahar, 48%. Venus broke Shahar's serve on 5 of 14 opportunities; Shahar converted 3 of the 6 break points she held against Venus. match stats
The win raised Venus's record against Shahar to 6-0. Venus said: "Winning the first set always feels good, instead of having to regroup and figuring out how you're going to win the match." AP story - postmatch interview
Shahar said: "Every time I played Venus I had tough time, and she was always kind of killing me every match [smiling.] So today was much closer match, and I think I'm playing better. I just need to take it to the end of the year also, because I don't think I played very well the last couple of weeks. So I think it's good for me, this performance of this week." postmatch interview
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#6 s5 Samantha Stosur AUS d #13 s12 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(2) Sun
Samantha serving, Elena about to swat a forehand, Samantha driving one, and after match point
The 2-hour, 38-minute match ended at 1:35 am, the latest-ending US Open women's match in history.
Samantha, now in the quarterfinals, had never before progressed beyond the 2nd round at the US Open. Samantha said: "That's definitely one of the most exciting matches I've ever played. The atmosphere out there was awesome. I dug deep and never gave up and made her work for it." AP story
2004 US Open finalist (and 4-time semifinalist) Elena failed to convert 4 match points. Elena said: "I was feeling, like, a little bit sleepy... Well, it was difficult to play. We were waiting for a long time before we went on the court. It's never easy to play that late. So we don't get used to it."
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#7 s6 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #22 s20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 6-3, 6-0 Sun
Francesca driving a forehand, Anastasia and Francesca driving backhands, and Francesca after match point
Despite having a realtively low speed serve (101mph fastest, 92mph average 1st, 74mph avg 2nd), Francesca won 88% of her 1st serve points. Anastasia reached break point against Francesca only once, and could not convert it; Francesca scored on 4 of the 7 break points she held against Anastasia. Francesca struck 13 winners with 14 unforced errors (1 double fault), Anastasia hit only 5 winners, with 29 errors (4 DFs). match stats
Francesca said: "It's very special. I'm very lucky to play so well again in a tournament like this. I feel better with my touch." AFP story - postmatch interview
Anastasia had to call the trainer to treat her right shoulder, which has been troubling her since last month in Cincinnati. The pain has now spread to elbow; she hopes it will heal with rest. AP story
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#8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #38 Andrea Petkovic GER 6-1, 6-2 Mon
Vera driving a forehand, Andrea driving a backhand, Vera following one, and after match point
Vera said: "I know that it's not easy out there, even though it may look that the match today was easy. But it was not easy out there at all. I think I just was a little bit more experienced player tonight. I started off well. I made it very difficult for [Andrea]. But game wise, it is never easy out there." postmatch interview
Andrea said: "I think I rushed at the beginning. Especially I think in between the points, I tried to take my time. But the points I rushed, I tried to go for the winner too fast. Vera, she moves unbelievably. So this was really just the wrong approach. But I was nervous definitely, playing for the first time in Arthur Ashe in a night match. I think I take it as a big experience, so I have this also—check—and moving forward now." postmatch interview - ESPN US Open blog by Andrea Petkovic
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*#45 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #12 s11 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 7-5, 7-6(4) Mon
Dominika serving, Svetlana and Dominika driving forehands, and Domi after match point
Although Svetlana struck 34 winners to Dominika's 21, Sveta also hit 42 errors (including 10 double faults) to Domi's 25 (4 DFs). Dominika averaged 97mph on 1st serve and 76mph on 2nd serve, winning 56% of her 2nd serve points; Svetlana averaged 95mph on 1st serve and 74mph on 2nd serve, winning only 33% of her 2nd serve points. Dominika scored on 4 of the 8 break points she reached against Svetlana; Sveta scored on only 3 of the 11 break points she held against Domi. match stats
Dominika said: "I would say it was a good match from my side. I was trying to be aggressive as I could, and Svetlana, today, she lets me be more aggressive. I think it was the key for sure, because always when I started to be more passive, I let her play, I was losing the points. So I was just trying to step into the court, tried to move her more around the court." postmatch interview
For her 3rd place finish in this Summer's US Open Series, Svetlana will receive a $17,500 bonus added to her $100,000 4th round prize money.
Svetlana said: "I just I didn't feel good today. I was very flat... I think [Dominika] plays good, but my level is higher, and I have to win these matches." AP story - postmatch interview
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*#33 s31 Kaia Kanepi EST d #17 s15 Yanina Wickmayer BEL 0-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 Mon
Kaia serving, Yanina driving a backhand, Kaia launching a forehand on the run, and after winning the 2nd set
Kaia said: "[In the 2nd set] I was 15-40 my serve, and I served two aces. I said to myself, 15-40, I just go for it. I relaxed. Then the match started turning around for my side.
"[In the 1st set] I think [Yanina] played really well. She was hitting very hard and near the lines. So everything just worked for her. I didn't think I hit so bad. Just a little bit tight, a little slow, and she played very well.
"[In the 3rd set] I think I was like in the zone or something. I was just fighting every point. I tried to relax, also not think about the win. Yeah, I played well." postmatch interview
Yanina said: "Even the first set [Kaia] played pretty well. She had a couple of chances of winning a few games but didn't take them. I guess I just played a really good first set. I think I kept the level the same in the second set, but she just stepped it up a little bit. I had my chances in the second set, like I said, but I didn't take them. And that's what happened in the third." postmatch interview
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On Tuesday, September 7, Dominika Cibulkova did the annual quarterfinalist photo-shoot thing at the Corona Park Unisphere, Caroline Wozniacki attended Fashion's Night Out: The Show at Lincoln Center, and Vera Zvonareva was awarded a cake from the WTA to celebrate her 26th birthday... |
US Open, QFs, Tues-Wed Sep 7-8 11am
loser's prize: $200,000; points: 500
#2 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #45 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 6-2, 7-5 Wed career matches: Caroline leads 5-1
Caroline serving, Domi launching a backhand on the run, Caro driving one, and after match point
High winds had a strong effect on play. This led Caroline, who often does not play overly aggessively, to take a conservative approach. Caro hit 12 winners (3 aces) with 18 unforced errors (4 double faults); Dominika struck 20 winners (0 aces), but with 43 errors (3 DFs). Caroline converted 5 of 9 break points against Dominika; Domi scored on only 2 of the 8 break points she reached against Caroline. match stats
Caroline said: "It felt like we were playing in a hurricane or something. But it was the same for both players. I'm happy to get through." AP story
Dominika said: "I would say it was the most difficult conditions I have ever played in. Especially center court, you know, the wind was turning around and it was very tough to play... My plan was to play aggressive and trying to press her from the forehand. I tried to go around a couple of times, but the wind, you know, sometimes I am just too far from the ball. It was really hard to do some pressure in this wind." postmatch interview
About playing Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals, Caroline said: "Definitely a match that's gonna be tough. [Vera is] a really good—she's playing really well at the moment. She's playing aggressively, hitting through the ball. I'm expecting a match where I really need to play on my best level to win." postmatch interview
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#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #6 s5 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 Tue career matches: Kim leads 4-0
Kim serving, Samantha and Kim driving backhands, and Kim after match point
Kim said: "I felt that I was really reading [Samantha's] serve well in the return games. Even those heavy kick serves I felt I was getting into her backhand well, and made her go for some errors. Obviously she wasn't serving great, either. I felt that if I could get that return deep, I was in charge of a lot of rallies." postmatch interview - match stats
Samantha was unable to hold serve in the 3rd set. Samantha said: "Windiest conditions I've played in all week, and probably the worst I've served all week, as well. Put those two things together, and you don't hold serve for the third set, and you lose." AP story - postmatch interview
About playing Venus in the semifinals, Kim said: "[Venus is] capable of doing amazing things, and you just have to hang in there and push her. And at the same time be aggressive, and go for shots and try to make her make the errors by being aggressive. But at the same time, also I'll have to be ready. I'll have to be able to move well. I'll have to retrieve a lot of balls, but at the same time, like I said, be aggressive."
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#4 s3 Venus Williams USA d #7 s6 Francesca Schiavone ITA 7-6(5), 6-4 Tue career matches: Venus leads 8-0
Venus serving, Francesca driving a forehand, Venus following a backhand, and after match point
The match was very, very close. Venus scored 79 points; Francesca, 73. Venus hit 23 winners (including 3 aces), but had 33 unforced errors (including 9 double faults—it is not so many years since a reporter asked Anna Kournikova if she shouldn't see a psychiatrist after she hit 9 DFs in a match, but times have changed since then...). Francesca struck 18 winners (2 aces), with 24 errors (5 DFs). Venus broke Francesca's serve on 5 of 10 opportunities; Francesca converted 4 of the 6 break points she held against Venus. match stats
The win raised Venus's record against Francesca to 8-0, and her match record this year to 38-6.
High winds again affected play. Venus said: "When I walked out there, I couldn't even warm up my serve because the wind was blowing my toss. I thought, 'Oh, my god, what are we in for today?' I'm a strong player and I hit hard, but I felt like I had nothing... So it was challenging. I don't think either of us were able to play our exact normal game because it was just hard to make a choice in the wind. I think you end up playing a little safer, more toward the center of the court.
"But I feel like when the stakes were higher I was able to raise my game. [Francesca] did, too. She played some great points. She's just so feisty that you have to kind of keep her at bay. So I was glad I was able to do that." postmatch interview
With the 1st set tiebreaker tied at 5-5, Francesca hit the ball long on two consecutive points to lose the set. Francesca said: "Instead of attacking and going for the lines, I should have played a little safer and put the ball in." AP story - postmatch interview
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#8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #33 s31 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-3, 7-5 Wed career matches: Vera leads 1-0
Vera serving, Kaia and Vera driving backhand and forehand, and Vera after match point
The high winds led to many errors. Vera hit only 10 winners (including 3 aces), with 28 unforced errors (including 2 double faults. Kaia struck 18 winners (0 aces), but had 60 errors (9 DFs) in the 153 points played. Vera broke Kaia's serve on 7 of 18 opportunities; Kaia converted 4 of the 10 break points she held against Vera. match stats
Vera said: "It was very tough out there for both of us. We tried to show our best and sometimes we had some ridiculous rallies but I was putting all the effort into trying to hang in there no matter what the conditions and I'm really happy the way I pulled it out...
"In these conditions the most important thing is to find the right balance between being aggressive and being patient, between keeping the ball in play and going for your shots. I think I was able to find that balance." BBC story
Kaia said: "It was blowing in every way. When I played against Jelena [Jankovic], it was the same thing, so I was a little used to it. But today was tough. I just didn't find the rhythm and the control of the ball... I think I can't [blame the] wind about everything, so I didn't play as well, too. Vera obviously played very well." postmatch interview
About playing Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals, Vera said: "If it's Caroline, she's playing great tennis at the moment. She's been so consistent this year and won a few tournaments in a row. She's a very tough opponent. We played few times and we always had tough matches. I'm expecting a very tough one in the semifinal." postmatch interview
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US Open, SFs, Fri Sep 10 CBS-TV 1:30pm & 3:30pm
loser's prize: $400,000; points: 900
*#8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #2 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 6-4, 6-3 career matches: Vera leads 3-2
Caroline serving, Vera fully extending for a forehand, Caroline driving a backhand, Vera following a forehand, Vera tossing the ball for her serve, Caroline following a backhand, Vera driving one, and after match point
Vera converted 4 of 10 break points against Caroline; Caroline scored on only 1 of the 3 break points she reached against Vera. match stats - AP story - BBC story
Vera said: "With those windy conditions you have to play sometimes ugly. You don't have to expect to play your best tennis. That's what I did well. I was not expecting to play my best tennis, but I was trying to be patient when I needed, and step up when I got the chance." postmatch interview
Momentary interruptions occurred when Vera experienced string breaks on three racquets during the match, and she had to have racquets restrung while the match was in progress (at last report, Vera's Prince EXO Black racquet was strung with Gamma Live Wire Professional, at relatively low tension of 53 lbs on the mains and 55lbs on the crosses).
Vera said: "I had five newly strung racquets before the match, and I don't know what happened. I mean, in one hour to go through five racquets, it's quite a lot. But, you know, it happens. I will just have to bring some more racquets tomorrow."
Vera has yet to lose a set in this tournament. Caroline said: "[Vera] played a really good game, definitely. She was not missing a lot. She was going for her shots. Most things were going in. I had chances, and I made some mistakes today that I usually don't do. It was a tough day for me in the office... That's the way tennis is sometimes." postmatch interview
For her 1st place finish in this Summer's US Open Series, Caroline will receive a $250,000 bonus added to her $400,000 semifinalist's prize.
About playing Kim Clijsters in the final, Vera said: "[Kim is] a great mover on the court. She has a lot of experience. She won here last year. It's going to be tough. We played a couple of matches in the past couple of months, but those matches are in the past. I will think about what worked the best for me, and I will try to take it with me tomorrow, and do it again. Those things that didn't work well for me, I'll try to avoid them. That's it."
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#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #4 s3 Venus Williams USA 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 career matches: Kim leads 7-6
Venus serving, Kim driving a forehand, Venus and Kim driving backhands, Kim serving, Venus reaching for a forehand, Kim doing likewise, and after match point
Both ladies scored on 4 of 6 break point opportunities against each other. Kim scored 97 points in the match; Venus, 94. Kim struck 26 winners (1 ace) with 43 errors (5 double faults); Venus hit 27 winners (9 aces) with 50 errors (7 DFs). match stats - BBC as it happened
Kim said: "I felt that I was hitting well with the wind. I felt that I was making her move around, and that's what I was really tying to focus on. I was able to kind of rise to the occasion when I had to." AP story
Venus said: "Obviously in the tiebreak I wasn't able to play as well as I wanted. I had too many errors, and [Kim] played some good tennis." postmatch interview
About playing Vera Zvonareva in the final, Kim said: "[Vera is a] very tough opponent. Obviously I've lost my last two matches against her, so it's going to be a tough battle. She's a player who doesn't give you much. She always hangs in there. It's not that she has a game that's very unpredictable, but what she does she does extremely well... She has a really good backhand. She likes to go for it. She's been serving a lot better in the last few months." postmatch interview
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US Open, Final, Sat Sep 11 7pm
loser's prize: $850,000; points: 1400
winner's prize: $1,700,000 + $500,000 bonus for Clijsters 2nd place in US Open Series; points: 2000
#3 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #8 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS 6-2, 6-1 career matches: Kim leads 6-2
Kim serving, Vera driving a forehand, Kim and Vera driving backhands, Kim elevating for a forehand, Vera driving another backhand, Kim another forehand, Kim after match point, and Vera congratulating Kim
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US Open, Doubles Final, Sun Sep 12
loser's prize: $210,000
winner's prize: $420,000
rain stopped play on Sunday; match completed Monday
s6 Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova d s2 Nadia Petrova & Liezel Huber 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) Sun-rain-Mon
US Open, Mixed Doubles Final, Thu Sep 9
loser's prize: $70,000
winner's prize: $150,000
s1 Liezel Huber USA & Bob Bryan USA d Kveta Peschke CZE & Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi PAK 6-4, 6-4
US Open, Girls Singles Final, Sun Sep 12
s1 wta#679 Daria Gavrilova RUS d wta#795 Yulia Putintseva RUS 6-3, 6-2
US Open, Girls Doubles Final, Sat Sep 11
s3 Sloane Stephens USA & Timea Babos HUN d An-Sophie Mestach BEL & Silvia Njiric CRO walkover—Mestach injury
Sloane and Timea also won the juniors doubles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year.
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US Open, Qualifying Finals Fri Aug 27 11am & Sat Aug 28 3pm
losers' prizes: q1 $3,000 2pts; q2 $5,625 40pts; q3 $8,000 50pts; qualifier 60 points
#77 Akgul Amanmuradova UZB d #171 Valerie Tetreault CAN 6-4, 6-3 Sat
#93 Monica Niculescu ROU d #215 Florencia Molinero ARG 6-0, 6-4 Sat
*#198 Tamira Paszek AUT d #111 Evgeniya Rodina RUS 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 Sat
*#132 Maria Elena Camerin ITA d #119 Patricia Mayr AUT 6-3, 6-1 Sat
#120 Zuzana Kucova SVK d #342 Tetiana Luzhanska UKR 6-4, 6-0 Sat
#121 Zuzana Ondraskova CZE d #149 Anna Tatishvili GEO 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5) Fri
#126 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP d #228 Laura Robson GBR 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 Sat
*#144 Olga Savchuk UKR d #129 Katie O'Brien GBR 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 Fri
*#176 Michelle Larcher De Brito POR d #134 A Panova RUS 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 Sat
*#385 Irina Falconi USA d #136 Stephanie Dubois CAN 6-3, 6-1 Sat
*#153 Mirjana Lucic CRO d #140 Sesil Karatantcheva KAZ 6-1, 6-4 Sat
#151 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP d #237 Kristyna Pliskova CZE 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 Fri
*#202 Sally Peers AUS d #154 Junri Namigata JPN 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 Sat
#160 Sania Mirza IND d #188 Catalina Castano COL 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 Fri
*#181 Rebecca Marino CAN d #167 Sharon Fichman CAN 6-2 6-1 Sat
#186 Mandy Minella LUX d #191 Arina Rodionova RUS 7-5, 7-6(6) Fri
US Open, Withdrawals/Non-entries
#1 Serena Williams USA badly cut right foot which required surgery
#14 Justine Henin BEL right elbow ligment tear
#86 Melinda Czink HUN
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US Open champions will win a $1 million bonus if they won the US Open Series, and thus receive a $2.7 million prize.
. Serena has not yet recovered from cutting her right foot on broken glass at a restaurant in Europe in July, and from repair surgery after the injury.
Serena cut her foot after her Wimbledon title victory on July 3, and the injury was at first not thought to be serious. Serena then lost to Kim Clijsters in an exhibition in Belgium on July 8. Asked how she was able to play the exhibition with the injury,
Serena underwent surgery in Los Angeles on July 15. Serena had previously withdrawn from three tourneys leading up to the
matches due to the injury.
. Justine incurred a partial ligament tear in her right elbow while playing her 4th round match against Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon on in June (Kim won the match, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3), which had already caused her to withdraw from the summer season, including this year's
"I took several medical examinations in the last days... Unfortunately the healing process is taking time. This means I must be patient... For my preparation for the competition in 2011, I cannot take any risks, so I hope to be back to practice in October. I'll work hard to get ready for this new season!"
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.
