Andy Murray 2008 US Open

Del Potro Stands Tall in Battle of Teen Stars

Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina rode a 22-match win streak into a much-anticipated bout with a fellow teen, Japan’s Kei Nishikori, and emerged with his string intact. Del Potro, 19, crushed his opponent – younger by 15 months and shorter by eight inches – 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Although both teens have acquired cult followings, Del Potro, the 17th seed, entered the match as the much higher ranked player, riding a wave of confidence earned by winning four straight tournaments coming into the Open. Nishikori, the first man from Japan to reach the Round of 16 here in the Open era, had his own reasons to be confident, having defeated 29th seed Juan Monaco and then pulling the upset of the tournament, sending 4th-seed David Ferrer packing in a thrilling five-setter.

This match, though, was all Del Potro, who after a slow start looked to be the fresher and more powerful player. He erased an 0-3 deficit in the first set and rolled through the next six games. The 6-foot-6 Argentine deployed his towering serve and big windup forehand to push the baby-faced Nishikori around the court and swat winners into the corners.

The more compact Nishikori has an explosive forehand, but he was unable to make a stand after surrendering his initial advantage. Del Potro struck 37 winners and converted seven of 10 break-point chances, and the engaging encounter that fans who packed Armstrong Stadium might have been hoping for never really materialized.

Though the "Argen-teen" had said after his own five-set match on Saturday that he’d “need a month to recover,” he looked more energetic than his opponent.

“Sometimes you don’t have much left in your legs,” Del Potro said in Spanish to his Argentine and Latin American fans after the match. “But thanks to all of you, I’m able to find the energy.”

In the quarters, Del Potro will meet either Andy Murray, the 6th seed, or Stanislas Wawrinka, ranked No. 10. Wawrinka is the last man to beat Del Potro, in the second round at Wimbledon.

Del Potro, who has vaulted from No. 65 in the world to No. 17 this summer, suddenly appears ready to challenge the top men in the game, though to date he has only two wins over Top 10 players.

He’ll be looking to add a third Top 10 scalp on Wednesday and keep his tour-leading hot streak alive.

Nadal - Phau 1st Round 2008 US Open Final Point

Matt Cronin's Day 9 Analysis

2-ROGER FEDERER V. 23-IGOR ANDREEV

Federer should get a well-deserved mental break in this match, for although Andreev has one of the most wicked forehands on tour and is having the hard-court tournament of his life, he's a predictable, straight-ahead player without a huge, flat serve or two-handed backhand that can poke holes in the Swiss' one-hander. The only way that Maria Kirilenko's boyfriend can win this match is to zone all day long with his forehand, occasionally sneak into net and return serve like he never has before.

Federer has played and beaten plenty of men whose main emphasis is crushing inside-out forehands and almost never loses to them. That's why he won't go down here, especially on hardcourts, as Andreev's balls don't hop as much on cement as they do on clay. Federer will triumph in straight sets.

3-NOVAK DJOKOVIC V. 15-TOMMY ROBREDO

Djokovic leapt a huge hurdle on Sunday night in the form of Marin Cilic and will have a small hill to climb here. While Robredo is a sound, workman-like player and did a terrific job tiring out Jo Tsonga, how exactly is he going to exhaust Djokovic, who this early in tournaments appears tireless? The Serb is a deceptively quick mover, is incredibly strong off both wings and rarely gets flummoxed on big points.

Fireballers like Cilic can occasionally hit through him, but Robredo doesn't have as much pop. What that means is that the Spaniard is going to have to try to push this match to the limits and hope that when he has to turn into a creative shotmaker, his game doesn't fail him. But this year, there is no indication that Djokovic can be had on hardcourts in a three-out-of-five-set match by anyone other than a completely in-form, top-10 player. Djokovic will grind through in straight sets.

5-NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO V. GILLES MULLER

This will not be a major show-court match, given both men's relatively low profile, but give credit to Muller for becoming the first player from tiny Luxembourg to reach the fourth round of a Slam, especially because he had to come through qualifying to do it. That's the definition of a hell of an effort.

Just when it seemed to be the proper time to write off Davydenko after a poor Olympic performance, the 2007 US Open semifinalist is here once again in the second week, using his footspeed and soft-handed counter-punching game to his benefit. Give this to Davydenko over the past two years: when he feels like stepping up and making himself heard at the majors, he's been very effective. Muller had to go over the wall to take a five-setter from Nicolas Almagro and is already six matches into his campaign. He won't have the legs to stay with the relentless Davydenko and will fall in three sets.

8-ANDY RODDICK V. 11-FERNANDO GONZALEZ

Don't get too overly excited about the Chilean's chances here, as Roddick owns a 7-3 record against him and has beaten him on every surface. Fernando may be able to wreak havoc against other foes with his titanic forehand, sharp backhand slice and wicked kick serve, but not as much against Roddick. He can't handle the American's serve and simply isn't mentally tough enough to match his loud screams.

Of course, Gonzalez can play with him from the baseline and, like Roddick, is a decent volleyer, but Gonzalez tends to get impatient when he's facing a barrage of aces and service winners, and then his game falls apart.

However, it's clear that the Chilean is on a bit of a roll, having grabbed the Olympic silver and playing cleanly here. He's always played Roddick close but has failed on most occasions to come through on the big points. If he can keep the match tight and play freely, this could be a highly entertaining slugfest. But he has to get off to a good start and not get overwhelmed by what will be a heavily pro-Roddick crowd. America 's top player is in too good of a headspace to go down to a known quantity such as Fernando, but Gonzo will grab a set and make it interesting. Nonetheless, Roddick will advance in four sets.

2-JELENA JANKOVIC V. 29-SYBILLE BAMMER

It's hard to see how Bammer is going to win this match post her record-setting, three-hour and five-minute win over Marion Bartoli. The mom has been no doubt inspiring, but she has to be tapped, and she enters this match with a 1-6 record against JJ. The Serbian has started to peak, has beaten her four straight times on hardcourts and isn't bothered by the Austrian's lefty spins. Bammer is going to have to come out firing early and never back off because she's not going to last three sets with the faster and, frankly, more talented Jankovic. She'll be unable to do it, and JJ will advance in a cakewalk

5-ELENA DEMENTIEVA V. 15-PATTY SCHNYDER

Do you like rivalries? How about this one between the 26-year-old Russian and the 29-year-old Swiss, which stands at 9-7 for Dementieva? It's an intriguing veteran's clash between a tricky lefty (Schnyder) and assiduous righty (Dementieva). They've played twice at the Slams, with Schnyder taking their Australian Open battle and Dementieva winning here in 2005. Dementieva has won their last three matches, including two this year at Dubai and Charleston.

It's really not that tough of a call, even though the Swiss has been clicking in Flushing, stepping in with her heavily-topspinned forehand, keeping her backhand deep and twisting her serve into the corners. Dementieva is playing at an extremely high level, perhaps the best stretch of her career. Schnyder is going to have to try to penetrate her backhand because the Russian is dominating off her forehand side. Plus, the Swiss must take some big cuts at Dementieva's second serves, which haven't been too weak this tournament but are very attackable from the ad court. But Schnyder can be hit through, and Dementieva is so deep in her zone that she will find the corners quickly and often. Dementieva will win in straight sets and then face Jankovic, which might end up being the match of the tournament.

Kateryna Bondarenko Vs Serena Williams 6/6

Asia Muhammad Settling Into Life As a Pro

Asia Muhammad finally sat down, took a deep breath and bit into her grilled-cheese sandwich.

“You must be starving,” someone said.

“Yeah, I am. It feels like I haven’t eaten all day.”

It was 2:30 p.m. on middle Sunday at the US Open and Muhammad, a 17-year-old from Las Vegas, had just posted a nice win over No. 14-seed Johanna Konta of Austria in the first round of the Open junior tournament.

A round of interviews with the media and a video shoot for US Open Live followed the match before Muhammad was finally able to dig into her sandwich, potatoes and peach smoothie in the player’s lounge.

So goes the life of a professional tennis player. Yes, that’s right, a professional tennis player. Just before the Open, Muhammad announced she would forgo her dream to play college tennis at USC and make the move into professional tennis, much like her doubles partner at the Open, Sam Querrey, did just two years ago. She will be managed by Andre Agassi’s agent Perry Rogers’ company Prism and trained by Agassi’s longtime friend Gil Reyes.

It’s a move many in tennis development circles feel is the right one, even if Muhammad’s father, Ron, took a little while longer to come around. “She really wanted to do it,” said Ron, a former basketball player at USC. “I held out as long as possible.”

Said Asia: “I always wanted to go to USC, but my dream was to play professionally. It was kind of a hard decision but at the same time it was kind of easy.”

There are a lot of people to credit for Muhammad’s rapid development and rise to the pro ranks. At the top of the list is Agassi, her coach Tim Blenkiron and the Agassi Boys and Girls Club in Las Vegas, the site where Muhammad first started playing tennis at the age of 9.

Blenkiron, originally from Australia and a former NCAA champion in doubles from UNLV in 1997, left a cushy country club job to take over the coaching duties at the Boys and Girls Club four years ago. The site of the three courts sits near the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Washington Avenue and is in one of the poorest sections of the city.

Muhammad was born in Southern California and moved to the Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nev., as a child. Her mother, the former Faye Paige, was a basketball and track athlete at Long Beach State, and Ron first took Asia to the Boys and Girls Club because her cousin Jasmine played there and he was interested in the basketball program for his sons. Jasmine currently plays tennis for Howard University.

Ever since Blenkiron arrived, he has refined her game and gotten her ready for the pro level. It also hasn’t hurt that she’s sprouted to 5 feet 10 ½ inches tall.

“I believe she has a very bright future,” Blenkiron told The New York Times columnist Harvey Araton in a front-page column after Muhammad’s first-round match.

Ryan Wolfington, the executive director of the USTA Nevada section, said, “Asia told The New York Times that without the Agassi Boys and Girls Club, she’d be nowhere. She is always quick to credit Andre and what he has done for tennis in Las Vegas.”

Muhammad, currently ranked No. 414 in the world, lost in the first round of the main draw to Aravane Rezai of France, 6-2, 6-4. Muhammad said she knows she can play with players like No. 74 ranked Rezai who holds career wins against Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams.

She played her first US Open last year in the juniors so felt more comfortable this time around. “I kind of knew what to expect,” she said. “It’s been great. Signing the autographs are always fun and I got to get some new clothes from Adidas and some stuff from Prince.”

She lost in the first round of the main draw women’s doubles with Melanie Oudin and was forced to withdraw from the mixed doubles with Querrey because he was cramping.

She plays Romana Tabakova of the Slovak Republic Tuesday in the second round of the junior singles in an 11 a.m. ET match on the Grandstand court.

Muhammad, whose hobbies include shopping and going to the movies, is not hard to spot walking around the grounds at the Open in her favorite-color pink Adidas tennis outfits and actually received some nice pre-tournament publicity for the racquet she is using. Famous Las Vegas jeweler Michael Minden custom-fitted her racquet with two diamond A’s above her grip.

“This is the first time I've actually put diamonds on a piece of athletic equipment,” Minden said. “We came up with a special process to affix it to the racquet, with a special technology to transfer the letters to a new racquet, when Asia wears out the first one.”

In the juniors, Muhammad is in Oudin’s bottom half of the singles draw and the doubles partners could meet in the third round. The pair won their first-round doubles match Monday.

Muhammad was enjoying some big-time results this year before a left hamstring injury kept her off the courts for eight weeks during the summer.

She beat two players in the top 100 as a wild card at the ITF $50,000 Hilton Cup in Las Vegas which ran concurrent with the Tennis Channel Open, which Querrey won. She beat Julie Coin, who ousted Ana Ivanovic in the US Open, and then Oudin 6-2, 6-3 at the MovieGallery Pro Classic. She then beat world No. 177 Raquel Kops-Jones 6-2, 6-2, before suffering the injury in the second round of her 6-4, 6-3 loss to eventual winner Bethany Mattek, 6-4, 6-3.

Muhammad is well aware that Agassi put Las Vegas on the map as far as tennis goes. She knows that Agassi’s name will come up a lot when stories are done on her and that’s okay. “People are starting to look at Las Vegas tennis a little closer now,” she said.

Agassi was at her final at the Vegas Challenger but Muhammad didn’t know it until after the match. She gets to hit with Steffi Graf whenever they’re both in town. “She’ll say some things while we’re on the court, but it’s mostly just for fun. She doesn’t let lecture me.”

There may or may not be future work for her in the Agassi house. “They haven’t asked me to baby sit yet,” she said

Rafael Nadal vs Sam Querrey (US OPEN 2008) : interview

Safina Moves Into Quarterfinals

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature was already into the 80s when the match between No. 6 seed Dinara Safina of Russia and qualifier Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany got underway. Safina started out a little slow, but ultimately steadied herself to win 7-5, 6-0.

Though Groenefeld’s shots did not have the precision or speed that Safina’s offered, she matched her opponent game for game until serving to go even at three all, when she committed a double fault and three unforced errors sending Safina up 4-2.

However, in the next game Groenefeld broke back and then the two started see-sawing back and forth, breaking, but not holding until reaching five all. Safina then turned it up a notch as she held serve and then broke to take the first set.

The match overall was fairly mundane, featuring a standard serve and volley game from both players. In fact Safina approached the net only three times.

In the second set, Safina found herself down 30-40 in the first game, at which point she seemed to give herself a talking to in Russian. Whatever she said, it worked. The 22-year-old did not give up another game and took the second set 6-0.

After that the match, Safina expressed mild surprise at her win, explaining that she had not expected it because she had not had any sort of full warm-up prior to taking the court.

“But,” she said. “I was going to do whatever I can. Then [Groenefeld] started to miss."

Now, this year’s French Open runner-up, moves on to the quarterfinals where she will take on either No. 16 seed Flavia Pennetta or No. 32 seed Amelie Mauresmo

The US Tennis Open Commercial, August 2008

Mauresmo Broken Seven Times in Poor Showing Against Pennetta

he serve may be the most important shot in tennis, but when your opponent hits 40 unforced errors in two sets, you can afford to be a little off-target. That’s exactly what No. 16 seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy did in her fourth round match against France’s Amelie Mauresmo. Despite making just 42% of her first serves, Pennetta won in a romp, 6-3, 6-0.

Mauresmo, the No. 32 seed, came into today’s match with three encouraging wins over Nathalie Dechy, Kaia Kanepi, and Julie Coin. She played like a completely different player today, serving 14 double faults and making 26 other unforced errors. Her forehand and backhand had little sting, and Pennetta capitalized on this by striking 24 winners on the day. The Italian’s groundstrokes showed good range, but she won the majority of her points by simply waiting out her error-prone opponent.

After a marathon opening four games (they took 28 minutes to complete), things began to quickly settle down in Pennetta’s favor. She broke Mauresmo in the next game for a 3-2 lead and never looked back, breaking her opponent seven times in total. She advances to her first career U.S. Open quarterfinal with the victory.

After the match, Pennetta beamed about her career-best performance. “I didn’t start a good tournament, but I try and fight every point and keep going,” said Pennetta. “To be here today is unbelievable but I hope it’s not finished.”

Mauresmo struck 26 unforced errors in the first set, but things – somehow – got worse in set two. Pennetta broke Mauresmo in all three of her service games, winning the final set 6-0. It was the second time this happened at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday – Dinara Safina also ended her match with a 6-0 shutout against Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Mauresmo had reached the semifinals of her last two hard court tournaments (Cincinnati and New Haven), so this is surely a painful exit from Flushing Meadows.

Discussing her serve after the match, Mauresmo blamed only herself. “No, basically it was coming from me,” she said. “Definitely something that we will try to analyze and work on it for the next tournaments.”

US Open Report - Day 8

Keep Your Eye On The Line

If you’ve ever attended a tennis match, you’ve seen more than one ball called in that you just knew was out. Or was it? And how would you like to be sitting courtside, making those calls yourself?

Well, if that interests you, you can, in fact, become an umpire or linesmen if you have the ability and skill involved. While it may look subjective, there is both a science and technique involved in making these calls.

“The trick,” explained US Open Chief Umpire Rich Kaufman, “is that you’ve got to get the initial point of impact where the ball hits the court. When you see your line threatened, you’ve got to get to the line before the ball hits. Otherwise everything looks out because everything hits, rolls and skids up. Players track balls and you see they yell and scream, but they find out that they’re wrong 8 out of 10 times. The umpires are way ahead of the players. When you are playing, your eyes are jiggling.”

In addition to knowing all of the rules and protocol, umpires must be able to give the scores in English and whatever the language is of the country the tournament is in.

“We keep score in English and the native tongue,” said Kaufman. “You have to learn the terminology in the language of the country you are in. If a player speaks to the umpire in language that the other player doesn’t speak, the umpire will answer in English, since most of the players speak English.”

Getting to the Grand Slam level involves work and dedication. At the US Open there are more than 300 chair umpires and linesmen who work the tournament. They are, of course, the upper crust of officials. Many work not only in the United States, but travel to the other Grand Slam tournaments as well. In fact, each Grand Slam features officials from all of the other federations around the world.

To become an umpire or a linesmen, the first step is to contact your USTA section, which will then forward information on how to proceed with schooling and clinics.

Martin Brown, a linesman, who has a regular job in accounting and finance, had been playing tennis for almost 15 years when he decided he wanted to try officiating. From the start, he was hooked.

“It’s great to be part of a great environment,” he said. “It’s not easy, but it’s not rocket science, but not everybody can do it. I had never officiated anything in my life. I ended up going to Umpire School and found it very interesting. People there encouraged me to go to other clinics. I had fun with it, they continued to encourage me, I liked being on court, I loved the experience and here I am.”

Brown now travels around the country as a trainer and evaluator of other umpires and linesmen, in addition to his officiating duties.

Chair umpire Dianna Kondratowtich-Pierce started officiating at the age of 15 in her native Venezuela, when her mom noticed an ad in the newspaper looking for umpires and linesmen for the upcoming Davis Cup.

Kondratowtich-Pierce loved tennis, but she had resigned herself to the fact that she wasn’t going to play competitively, and immediately fell in love with the new role. She started as a linesman and became a chair umpire after moving to the United States with her family. Since then she has traveled the world officiating at a variety of international competitions, including multiple times at all four Grand Slam events.

“It’s a great way to be in the game,” she said, "and to see all these great tennis players. And, it’s a great thing to be able to travel all over the world. You get to see other cities and meet other people and it’s really exciting."

At the earlier levels the umpires are also responsible for teaching the rules to players, helping groom them for their competitive careers. That is something Kondratowitch-Pierce also takes great enjoyment and pride in.

“We try to teach them the rules,” she said. “We’re a lot tougher with the juniors than the older players. We are there to train them.”

4 Round US Open

In Four-Hour Thriller, Djokovic Walks Away Victorious

In their four-hour third-round match that started Sunday night and continued into Monday morning, Serbian Novak Djokovic finally overcame Marin Cilic of Croatia in four sets, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (0), in a rollercoaster of a tennis match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

This was Cilic’s first-ever US Open tournament. He defeated Julien Benneteau in the first round and Robby Ginepri in the second round. The lanky teenager has had an impressive year, gaining attention for his powerful serve and his agility on the court after having made it to the fourth rounds of the Australia Open and Wimbledon this year. Cilic certainly gave the No. 3 player in the world a run for his money in this third-round, high-pressure match.

But despite Cilic’s excellent play and focus, he was no match for Djokovic, who is having the best year of his career. After falling to Roger Federer in the finals of the US Open last year, Djokovic avenged the loss in the 2008 Australian Open, in which he defeated Federer in the semifinals and went on to beat Jo Wilifried Tsonga in the final to take his first-ever Grand Slam title.

Djokovic and Cilic played evenly throughout the entire 68-minute first set, each player holding serve, even through most of the tie break. The 19-year-old Cilic, who rose to the occasion in his first-ever match on Arthur Ashe, was able to get one point off of Djokovic’s serve when it counted – deep in the tie-break – to win the first set.

The second set began with Djokovic clearly on a mission to avenge his first-set loss. He promptly stole the first game from Cilic, who had to toil from behind the entire set. With Djokovic serving at 5-4 and poised to take the second set, Cilic broke back and evened the score at 5-5.

Looking to take a 6-5 lead in the set, the 6-foot-6-inch Croatian was streaky in his service game, allowing Djokovic to bring him to deuce several times. Cilic delivered two aces, one at 136 mph, as well as two double faults in his deuce battle with Djokovic, which the Serbian finally won to take the lead. He held serve to win the second set 7-5.

The third set proved to be a rollercoaster for both the players and the fans. After Djokovic took a 2-0 lead, Cilic would not roll over and battled back, first holding serve and then breaking Djokovic back to even the set at 2-2.

Again, Djokovic broke back, taking a 3-2 lead. Cilic would not be able to recover. Both men held serve through the rest of the set, and Djokovic finally won it 6-4 after 47 minutes.

With the score even at 2-2 in the fourth set, Djokovic broke Cilic’s serve to take a 3-2 lead. Then Cilic broke Djokovic to even the score. During Cilic’s service game, the Croatian had one double fault and several errors, which Djokovic capitalized on to break back again.

After both men held serve, Djokovic served with a 5-4 lead, attempting to put the match away. With two match points in his pocket, Djokovic allowed Cilic to get back in the game and break him to even the set at 5 games a piece. The fourth set was pushed to a tie-break, and while Djokovic still had a spring in his step, Cilic looked exhausted and wound up dropping the tie-break 7-love.

In what was surely Djokovic’s toughest match so far in this tournament, he raised both fists in triumph and walked around the court celebrating his hard-fought win. He thanked the fans for staying so late to finish watching the match.

Djokovic will play No. 15 seed Tommy Robredo of Spain in the fourth round.

Nadal in QF US open

Anything But Ordinary: Lindsay Davenport, A Tribute

Lindsay Davenport may have been reared on the sunny hard courts of Southern California, land of many a tennis star, but she became the unlikeliest of champions.

At 6-ft-2 ½ and 175 pounds after she’d worked hard to slim down and get fit, Davenport wasn’t your typical lithe, tanned and supremely athletic goddess. She was one of tennis’s first “big babes,” as Mary Carillo memorably called a new generation of powerful players, and she lumbered rather than skirted about the court. But Davenport’s sharply struck serves and groundstrokes landed with a thud that few of her peers could match.

Though the former World No. 1 captured three Grand Slam titles as well as the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta, Davenport’s star wattage always burned a little less brightly than those that came before and after her: Steffi Graf, the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova.

“I think I stand for the girls that, you know, in certain terms are ordinary,” Davenport reasoned, returning after a year off to play her 17th US Open this year at the age of 32 and as mother of a one-year-old boy, Jagger. “I don't like flash. I don't try to get a lot of attention. And I think that there is, you know, a niche for people out there like that.”

If Davenport is the ordinary girl who became an ordinary, well-grounded woman, growing up on the tennis courts under the glare of an often critical public, the Californian’s career has been anything but commonplace.

Davenport has won more prize money, $22m, than any other woman in professional sports. She has accumulated 55 WTA singles titles (as well as 37 doubles trophies), winning the US Open (1998), Wimbledon (1999) and the Australian Open (2000), and reaching four additional Grand Slam finals.

When she lost to Marion Bartoli – nine years her junior – in the third round on Friday night, the 23rd seed Davenport was hoping to defy her age, injuries and recent time off from the tour to return to the winner’s circle at a Slam as a wife and mother, long past her first appearance at Flushing Meadows in 1991.

She wouldn’t say if she’d be back to contest another one.

“Each time I play a Grand Slam I always think, Oh, this could be my last time playing here,” said Davenport. “I've obviously learned that I have no idea what the future kind of holds and what will happen, and I don't make decisions for the future anymore [beyond the] day that I'm living in.”

Davenport’s singular strength as a player has always been her extraordinary ball-striking ability. She hits the ball as cleanly as anyone ever has in the women’s game.

As an extremely tall teen, her raw hitting ability and power were obvious, but Davenport was severely handicapped by her lack of mobility. If the ball was in her strike zone, she could crush pinpoint winners within centimeters of the lines. Her flat strokes, honed on the California asphalt, were heavy and penetrating. She could hit opponents off the court.

But get her into a running match and she was in trouble.

Later in her career, her movement continued to be a liability, although less so than in her early days on tour. Now, having returned to the game with the competing demands of raising a child, she must try to keep up with a still faster game and much younger opponents.

Off the Court: A Winning Personality

In a sport known for its divas and cutthroat locker-room disses, Davenport throughout her career has remained grounded; she is routinely lauded by tennis insiders as one of the most gracious, genuine and appealing personalities off the court.

Anne Worcester, tournament director of Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, CT, where Davenport has played nine times, and former CEO of the WTA in the mid-90s, when the Californian was coming into her stride, says Davenport “is a great champion, but so down to earth.”

“I made the mistake one time of sending a limousine to pick her up at the airport,” said Worcester. “When Lindsay got to the tournament, she said ‘If you ever send me a limo again, I’ll never speak to you.' ”

Worcester said Davenport, unassuming and unfailingly generous with her time, just wanted a regular car or taxi. “She’s a tournament director’s dream.”

“I try to bring as little drama as possible, unlike some other players we have,” offered Davenport. “And I think that people have watched me growing up. I think they've seen me mature, and I think they've seen that you can be successful and not be psychotic, be realistic, have good people around you, and just…try to enjoy it now more than I used to.”

Yet on-court, the good-natured, easygoing Davenport has often appeared to be a wholly different creature. When things aren’t going well in a match, she, like some of her more petulant and self-involved peers, has been known to be overly self-critical and sour. “Her body language doesn’t always convey that she’s happy out there,” said Worcester.

To many observers, Davenport’s on-court demeanor is incongruous with the level, charming and generous character they’ve witnessed when she’s not in tennis clothes. Perhaps it’s the critical nature of a perfectionist, a player who overcame a lack of physical athletic gifts with a preternatural ability to flawlessly strike a tennis ball.

“I do try to make a concerted effort to enjoy it more,” claimed Davenport. “I was really trying to do it at the Olympics and trying to do things that I maybe normally wouldn't do, knowing I won't be at another Olympics.”

Over the course of nearly two decades, in a career that has seen heights very few, especially Davenport herself, would have predicted, the Californian has become not just a champion, but a sympathetic fan favorite.

“I've never played tennis to be famous or popular or well‑liked,” says Davenport, sounding, as ever, forthright. “It just was kind of thrust upon me.”

She’s the regular girl all grown up, to whom fans can easily relate: she’s battled her demons and her weight, she’s achieved her dreams but never become haughty or demanding, she’s balanced career and family, and she keeps on working and fighting.

Who can’t admire that?

Celebrities at the 2008 US Open

As week two of the 2008 US Open begins, there is no shortage of stars in Flushing Meadows. On Monday, some cast members of the hit HBO show Entourage, including Adrian Grenier, were at the night session as well as Prince. In addition, former American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis, freestyle wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo and bronze medalist Randi Miller were on hand.

During the day, Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, Christiane Amanpour and Dawnn Lewis were in attendance.

A few top actors were in Flushing Meadows for Day Seven. Luke Wilson, Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl, Stephen Root of Office Space and News Radio as well as Wayne Knight of Seinfeld were there as well as singer Neil Sedaka.

Also, at the night session Sunday watching his girlfriend Elena Dementieva defeat Na Li to reach the quarterfinals, was Maxim Afinogenov of the Buffalo Sabres.

For the day session on Saturday, former NBA star Rick Fox was on hand, watching Venus and Serena Williams as well as world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in Arthur Ashe Stadium. For the night session, the great Tony Bennett is expected to be on hand.

One of the world's top swimmers, Aaron Peirsol, five-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 100-meter backstroke, is back from Beijing and was at the US Open for the second straight day on Friday.

Joining him was Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue and good friend of Roger Federer, who was at the Open on Opening Night as well as actors John Turturro and John Lithgow.

Thursday was athlete day amongst the celebrities at the 2008 US Open as some of the best in the world were in Flushing Meadows.

Besides Peirsol, Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was on hand as well as current Yankees catcher Ivan Rodriguez, former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms and professional golfer Paula Creamer.

Joining them was renowned fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and Alec Baldwin again as well as magician David Blaine.

On Wednesday, the third day of the Open, Kelsey Grammer, of the hit show Frasier, was taking in the day session in Arthur Ashe Stadium along with professional golfer Sergio Garcia, who was on hand for the third straight day.

Joining them was U.S. women’s soccer player Heather O’Reilly, fresh off the team’s gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

In Wednesday’s night session, singer Aretha Franklin and Baldwin were in attendance along with Grammer, Garcia and de la Renta. Watching her fiancee, Andy Roddick, play against Fabrice Santoro, was Sports Illustrated model Brooklyn Decker.

For the first day of play on Monday, a few fellow athletes were enjoying the likes of world No. 1 Rafael Nadal and 1998 US Open champion Lindsay Davenport play in Arthur Ashe Stadium as NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and Garcia were on hand as well as tennis legend Rod Laver.

On Opening Night, a few stars from the world of fashion were on hand as all 40 US Open champions were honored prior to matches with Jelena Jankovic and James Blake. Wintour was in attendance as well as de la Renta. Garcia stuck around for the evening festivities and other stars joining him were Martha Stewart, Paula Abdul and Greg Kinnear.

Also on hand as part of the Opening Night talent were bands Earth, Wind and Fire and the Jersey Boys as well as Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker, the host for the celebration. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly were also in attendance.

Garcia, who was in the area recently playing the Barclays in nearby Paramus, New Jersey, was back there on Tuesday as was Whitaker.

Joining them for night matches featuring four-time defending champion Roger Federer and two-time US Open champion Venus Williams on Tuesday were de la Renta as well as Erin Thorn, Leilani Mitchell and Megan Duffy of the New York Liberty and Lithgow.

Check back here each day as USOPEN.org brings you the latest celebrity sightings

Olympus Offers Fans Free Photos of 2008 US Open

As every fan of the US Open knows, the DirecTV blimp hovers high overhead at the US Open for the duration of the tournament, broadcasting a unique, birds-eye view of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center below, with a fully-lit Arthur Ashe Stadium as the centerpiece. Now, Olympus offers fans the opportunity to preserve this memory on their own computers.

Olympus, which is a sponsor of the US Open and the title sponsor of the US Open series, wanted to make their images available on usopen.org for fans to download for free, to keep as permanent mementos. Click here to view and download these images.

“It was incredible,” said Steve Woods, CEO and President of EMG3, Olympus' event marketing group, and the photographer who took those pictures. “It was one of the most unique photojournalistic experiences I ever had in my life.”

Capturing these particular photos presented challenges, which makes them even more special and exciting.

“There are only so many ways to do aerial photography,” explained Woods. “At night there’s not a lot of light and photography is about the manipulation of light. When you’re flying in the dark and you’re shooting into the light there are challenges. You need special equipment. Without the right lenses, it would be difficult to capture this much detail.”

However, after eight hours of flying from this one-of-kind vantage point, Woods came away with these breathtaking shots that will now forever preserve the 2008 US Open.

US Open Tennis Photo Gallery

2008 USopen tennis 2

Nishikori 2008 US Open against Ferrer

Nishikori again! US Open 2008. How to beat the Ferrer in 5!

US Open Tournament Schedule

Session No. Date Day/Evening Time Featured Matches
1	Monday, Aug. 25	Day	11 a.m.	Men's/Women's 1st Round
2		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's/Women's 1st Round
3	Tuesday, Aug. 26	Day	11 a.m.	Men's/Women's 1st Round
4		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's/Women's 1st Round
5	Wednesday, Aug. 27	Day	11 a.m.	Men's 1st/Women's 2nd Round
6		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's 1st/Women's 2nd Round
7	Thursday, Aug. 28	Day	11 a.m.	Men's/Women's 2nd Round
8		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's/Women's 2nd Round
9	Friday, Aug. 29	Day	11 a.m.	Men's 2nd/Women's 3rd Round
10		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's 2nd/Women's 3rd Round
11	Saturday, Aug. 30	Day	11 a.m.	Men's/Women's 3rd Round
12		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's/Women's 3rd Round
13	Sunday, Aug. 31	Day	11 a.m.	Men's 3rd/Women's 4th Round
14		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's 3rd/Women's 4th Round
15	Monday, Sept. 1	Day	11 a.m.	Men's/Women's 4th Round
16		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's/Women's 4th Round
17	Tuesday, Sept. 2	Day	11 a.m.	Men's 4th/Women's Quarterfinal
18		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's 4th/Women's Quarterfinal
19	Wednesday, Sept. 3	Day	11 a.m.	Men's/Women's Quarterfinal
20		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's/Women's Quarterfinal
21	Thursday, Sept. 4	Day	11 a.m.	Men's Quarterfinal/Mixed Doubles Final
22		Evening	7 p.m.	Men's Quarterfinal/Women's Doubles Semifinal
23	Friday, Sept. 5	Day	11 a.m.	Women's Semifinals/Men's Doubles Final
24	Saturday, Sept. 6	Day	11 a.m.	Men's Semifinals
25		Evening	7 p.m.	Women's Singles Final
26	Sunday, Sept. 7	Day	12 p.m.	Women's Doubles Final/Men's Singles Final

Del Potro and Nishikori: Two Teens Electrify on the Big Stage

The tennis world is accustomed to overachieving teens in the women’s game: Chrissie, Tracy, Martina. But their presence is more of a rarity in the big-hitting men’s game, where late-maturing boys usually take a few years before becoming men on tour.

Witness Donald Young.

But two teens from disparate parts of the world – one a surging tennis powerhouse, the other better known for its electronics and sushi – have taken the US Open by storm and, on the strength of respective down-to-the-wire, five-set matches, reached the final 16.

Juan Martín del Potro, 19, from Argentina, and Kei Nishikori, 18, from Japan, both electrified crowds on show courts in day matches that went deep into the night on Friday. Side-by-side and back-to-back, Del Potro and Nishikori toiled for nearly four hours apiece to push into the fourth round.

There the two teens will meet . . . each other.

Monday’s matchup won’t just be a battle to determine the top teen; it may gauge who is ready to issue a manly challenge to the rulers of the men’s game.

Del-Po, the Enano

Rafael Nadal isn’t the hottest player on tour. That distinction goes to Del Potro, who’s strolling through the summer on a 22-match win streak. The Argenteen has won four tournaments since July – becoming the first player to win his first four titles in four straight tournaments.

As a reward, Del Potro has rocketed up the rankings. In July he was No. 65; by the start of the US Open, he had reached a career-high of 17. Along the way he has notched wins over Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet.

Del Potro, from the small city of Tandil, five hours south of Buenos Aires, hardly looks the part of a newcomer. The lanky 6-foot-6 right-hander, nicknamed “Enano” (Dwarf) and “Palito” (Twig), has an imposing game of forceful groundstrokes and a big, 130-mph-plus serve. The Argentine takes a massive windup on his forehand and crushes the ball deep into the corners. Unlike most of his compatriots (of whom there were 10 in the draw at the start of the US Open), who are more at home on clay, Del Potro prefers hard courts (even though two of his titles this summer were on European dirt).

After his 3-hour, 47-minute third-round victory over Gilles Simon, another player who’s had a personal-best summer, Del Potro said: “It was punishing, a battle. At the end, neither of us had anything left.”

“One day of rest won’t be enough; I need a month,” he added. “But I can’t complain.”

A First for Japan

The baby-faced and much slighter Kei Nishikori, ranked No. 126, is the youngest player remaining in the men’s draw and the youngest to reach the last 16 here since Marat Safin did it in 1998.

To get there, Nishikori scored the knockout of the tournament so far, toppling No. 4 seed David Ferrer, a US Open semifinalist last year. Nishikori snatched the first two sets but had to battle cramping in the third and fourth to come back to win the hour-long final set against the indefatigable Spaniard. The improbable win delighted the boisterous Armstrong Stadium crowd – which included Nishikori’s countrywoman, Ai Sugiyama, who made her way over to support him after her loss to Serena Williams.

The victory over Ferrer was Nishikori’s second over a top-20 player. Earlier this year Nishikori raised eyebrows when, as a qualifier ranked No. 244 in the world, he won his first career ATP title, beating James Blake in the final of Del Ray Beach. Nishikori also managed to take a set off Nadal on the grass at Queen’s Club, just two weeks before Nadal captured the Wimbledon crown.

Nishikori, from the coastal city of Shimane, Japan, moved – alone – to the U.S. at the age of 14 to attend the Bolletieri Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

“I couldn't speak English,” he said. “I was so nervous. I was like scary everything, all the American people.”

Nishikori is more than just raw potential. Against Ferrer, he demonstrated surprising polish and poise. When Ferrer stormed back to take sets three and four, few could have imagined that the teen, playing the biggest match of his career, could hang tough – overcoming cramps, no less – against a veteran known as a gritty competitor who never gives up.

When Nishikori struck a forehand winner to close out the match, he fell on his back as though he had just been crowned champion. That, he isn’t – not yet – though he is the first Japanese man to reach the US Open’s final 16 in the Open era.

The youngster looked shaky in an on-court interview, his legs visibly quivering. “I couldn't even move after the match,” he admitted.

For their efforts, Del Potro and Nishikori now take to the court on Labor Day, fittingly enough. The outcome may well depend on which of the exhausted teenagers has recovered from his previous match.

But they’re young, right?

Rus Falls in First-Round Juniors Action

It was a good day to be a wild card from America. It wasn’t such a good day to be the top-seeded girl during the first day of the junior competition on Sunday at the US Open.

The Netherlands Arantxa Rus was upset by Russia’s Victoria Kamenskaya 6-4, 6-1 in the surprise of the day. Rus couldn’t end her Grand Slam year like she began it. In January, she beat Jessica Moore to win the Australian Open juniors to move from No. 35 to No. 2 in the ITF junior rankings. The loss now means that American Melanie Oudin, who plays Monday, is the highest seed left at No. 2.

Seven wild cards from America enjoyed wins Sunday and moved on to the second round.

US Open fans got a glimpse of the future as wild card Christian Harrison, a 14-year-old from New Braunfels, Texas who turned pro last year, drew one of the biggest crowds of the day. He took a set off Easter Bowl boys' 18s finalist Alex Llompart of Puerto Rico but eventually fell in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Three American boys who were issued wild cards won matches Sunday. Rhyne Williams eliminated Borut Puc 6-2, 6-4 while another wild card, Alex Domijan beat Kittipong Wachiramanowong of Thailand 7-6 (3), 6-4. The third American wild card to win was Jordan Cox; he beat Cristobal Saavedra-Corvalan of Chile 6-4, 7-6 (7).

American Chase Buchanan, who beat Llompart in the spring Easter Bowl 18s final, had not problem getting past Mikhail Biryukov of Russia, 6-4, 6-2.

Girls’ wild card Asia Muhammad, pulled out a nice 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 14 seed Johanna Konta of Austria. “It’s always tough getting through the first round,” said Muhammad, a 17-year-old from Las Vegas who also got a wild card into the main draw of the women’s tournament where she lost in the first round. “I think if I keep playing like this I can go pretty far.”

Equally as impressive as Muhammad’s win was that of fellow wild card Sloane Stephens, who recorded a 6-1, 6-1 win over Austria’s Janina Toljan. Fellow American Madison Brengle joined the pair in the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win against No. 10 seeded Cindy Chala of France.

In the final junior match of the day Kristie Ahn became the seventh American wild card to win when she beat Milana Spremo of Serbia and Montenegro, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

With Fan Support Soaring, Querrey Faces Nadal

With the line for a Sam Querry autograph stretching across the courtyard out at the National Tennis Center this afternoon, it was clear that Querrey’s popularity and fan recognition has taken off here at the Open.

It’s not just that he toppled the No. 14 seed Ivo Karlovic on Saturday to reach his first Round of 16 at a Grand Slam, or that he’s a 20-year-old, up-and-coming American star and one of only three Americans left in the men's draw. He also stays around after his matches signing autographs for what feels like forever, and a day before taking on No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal, he took 45 minutes out of his day to sit at a booth on the grounds of the National Tennis Center and sign autographs.

Yet, while the bonhomie is bubbling right now between Querrey and the American tennis public, there’s more caution than confidence, even when you head to the heart of the Querrey fan camp, when looking ahead to his next task at hand.

While Querrey hung out with his fans he appeared loose and at ease. He also appears undaunted about going up against the No. 1 seeded Nadal, who’s won the past two Grand Slams, the Olympics and 41 of his last 42 matches, ripping the No. 1 ranking out of Roger Federer’s grasps in August. If those accomplishments weren’t intimidating enough here at the Open, he also leads the tour in hard-court wins this year with a 36-7 record and has won a total of 8 titles this year.

“I feel I have no pressure, I can go out there and just swing away and see what happens," Querrey said, looking every bit as relaxed as that statement sounds. “Hopefully, I’ll have the crowd behind me and I can feed off that energy."

Querrey, who says his strategy against Nadal will pretty much be to just “grip and rip," will definitely have the crowd behind him, and even Nadal knows that.

“I understand perfectly the crowd is going to support Sam," said Nadal. “He's from United States, and for that reason the crowd’s going to be with him, no? But I think going to be with him, not against me."

In fact, the crowd support won’t be the only advantage Querrey takes into the match. He also has arguably the bigger serve. There’s also the fact that Nadal has struggled here in the past. He lost in the Round of 16 last year to David Ferrer, and he’s never gone past the quarters in New York.

On top of that, while Nadal has proven this year that he’s the dominant player on clay, grass and hard courts, Querrey has proven himself to be more than a serving machine. While much is made of his having procured his first tour victory this year in Las Vegas, arguably his most impressive event this year came on red clay at the Masters event in Monte Carlo, where he reached the quarters with wins over former French Open champion and then No. 14-ranked Carlos Moya, and top-10 player Richard Gasquet.

In fact, it’s that Querrey can back up his huge serve with an impressive ground game that hopeful Querrey fans look to when searching for optimism regarding his chances against the world’s No. 1.

“He has big groundstrokes for a big man, and that’s not common in the game today," said Ben Teicher, 14, of Kendall Park, N.J., who has followed Querrey for a couple of years now and was in line to get a Querrey signature. “I actually think he has a good chance because he’s a big guy and he has the United States behind him. Everyone will be into that match.’’

Jason Hodess, 16, of Westchester, Penn., wasn’t about to make any bold predictions while he waited in line to meet Querrey, although he said he felt Querrey had about a 1-in-5 chance of pulling out a huge upset. “But I think, no matter what, he’s going to put on a good match, and I think he’s going to have a lot of fun out there.”

Ramon Nola, 18, and his mother, Manilay, from Goddard, Kan., were less optimistic. Or, perhaps the phrase should more realistic, considering how well Nadal has been playing coming into New York this year.

“If he plays perfect, you never know," said Manilay. “It’s a tall order."

“But," said Jason, echoing the sentiment of the crowd gathered, “we’re still going to be rooting for him.”

Andreev to Meet Federer in Round of 16

Igor Andreev of Russia is now riding on the best US Open run of his career, thanks to a straight-sets win over No. 13 seed Fernando Verdasco, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to his first round of 16 at Flushing Meadows.

His victory over Verdasco breaks an 0-3 career losing streak against the Spaniard, which stretches back to the first round of the US Open in 2004, when Andreev fell to Verdasco in five sets.

The Russian's next test will be his toughest yet here at the Open, as he will face No. 2 seed Roger Federer, who has so far sailed through his first three rounds without dropping a set.

Andreev had little trouble getting past Verdasco, who showed up with an uncharacteristically inconsistent game and committed a crippling 33 unforced errors. The key to the No. 23-seeded Russian's win was that he produced a much cleaner game with only 10 unforced errors.

The 25-year-old Russian registered at 95 percent on his first-serve win percentage, a stat that was largely due to the fact that Verdasco could not cleanly connect with Andreev's powerful serves and put them in play.

Andreev started the match off strong and took an early break of serve on Verdasco's errors for a 3-1 lead. Another break in the seventh game on a netted Verdasco forehand set Andreev up to serve for the first set, which he did successfully on yet another serve return dumped in the net by Verdasco.

Verdasco held his own through the first half of the second set, until a low, driving passing shot slipped under the approaching Spaniard's racquet for another break of serve and a 3-2 lead for Andreev. Though Verdasco produced a few forehand winners of his own, Andreev's one break of serve was all he needed to take a two-sets-to-love lead.

The third set was almost a mirror image of the first, as Andreev broke Verdasco again in the third game when the Spaniard netted a forehand volley. The left-handed Verdasco never had a break point on Andreev the entire match, but the crowd in Grandstand got behind the Spaniard after a few questionable calls to try and lift his spirits and help him get back in the match mentally.

Andreev had triple match point on Verdasco's serve at 5-3, but Verdasco took advantage of consecutive Andreev errors to hold and force the Russian to serve out the match. Andreev closed it out by holding at love on a netted Verdasco forehand.

Muller Advances After Four Hours and One Service Break

Gilles Muller secured his place in U.S. Open lore three years ago, when the unknown left-hander from Luxembourg shocked third-seeded Andy Roddick in the first round. Topping this accomplishment would be difficult, but Muller is giving it a run this year. After winning three qualifying matches to reach the main draw, Muller has come back to win from two sets down twice – once against Tommy Haas on Friday, and again today against Nicolas Almagro.

This match came to be defined by one shot – the serve – which was evident very early on. Neither player earned a break point in the first set, which Almagro won in a tiebreaker. In the second set, there was just one break of serve, which also went Almagro’s way. The fiery Spaniard took a two set lead, hitting his forehand as effectively as his picturesque backhand, and regularly serving over 130 MPH.

In spite of his strong serving, Muller seemed to be on his way out of the draw because Almagro was doing this just a hair better. Add in the fact that Muller had already played five matches this week, and a comeback seemed highly unlikely. But Muller answered a lot of questions in the third set when he saved two break points at 4-4, and eventually pulled out the set in a tiebreaker. Like the first set, there were no breaks of serve. But that was fine for Muller, whose confidence grew with every service game. “Everything is confidence,” said Muller after the match.

Muller’s resolve was once again tested in the fourth set. Almagro earned two break – and match – points at 5-4, but Muller saved them both with steely play under pressure. He held for 5-5, and in yet another tiebreaker, Muller emerged victorious on his second set point. Remarkably, Muller had clawed back to square the match at two sets apiece.

For the fifth time in the match, there were no breaks of serve after seven games. That’s when things got interesting. Serving at 4-3, Almagro won a four-deuce game despite giving Muller three chances to break. Two games later at 5-4, Muller earned a match point of his own, only to push a slice shot wide. The nerve-wracking service games would continue.

A final set tiebreaker seemed appropriate, considering that there was only one break of serve in nearly four hours of play. But Almagro would have to hold serve one last time to get there. It would turn out to be the only time in the match he couldn’t. On his second match point, Muller struck a volley winner that sent chills through Grandstand court, and sent Muller into the fourth round.

After a stunning 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-5 loss, Almagro walked in stunned silence to his chair. His shock persisted into his post-match press conference. As for Muller, he talked about the most important shot of the day – the serve. “I knew if I didn’t hold it would be very hard to come back, because he was holding serve easily,” said Muller. “But I was also confident because I served well against Tommy before.”

Muller’s serve was broken just once when he beat Roddick in 2005 (7-6, 7-6, 7-6), and just once today. Each performance was unique in its own way, but both were career-defining victories for the 25-year old from Luxembourg.

Bartoli Can't Overcome Illness, Cramps; Loses to Bammer

Playing in the hot, mid-afternoon sun, No. 12 seed Marion Bartoli of France succumbed to illness and cramps, losing the her fourth round match to No. 29 Sybille Bammer of Austria, 7-6 (7-3), 0-6, 6-4.

At the start of the first set, Bartoli went up 2-0. However, within moments, she showed clear signs of distress. Clutching her abdomen between every point, she appeared winded and sluggish as she traversed the court.

Her opponent, Bammer, remained steady, fighting for every point that she could. Up 4-3, Bartoli called for a trainer, who took her blood pressure at courtside. The players then returned to the court where Bartoli’s pace became more and more listless. She managed to stay in the match and the women played to a tiebreak, which Bammer squeaked out to take the set.

Immediately upon conclusion of the first set, Bartoli took a bathroom break. Returning several minutes later, the color had come back into her face and her energy level seemed renewed. The Frenchwoman steamrolled through the second set committing just two unforced errors and not dropping a game as Bammer seemed to lose her way.

As the third set got underway the tension, which filled the court, was broken briefly when a cloud obscured the sun providing momentary relief from the blazing heat. The crowd let out a sigh in unison and then broke into spontaneous applause as smiles flitted across the faces of both players.

At 3-2 in the third, Bartoli took another medical timeout, this time with a cramp in her left thigh, which the trainer iced for several minutes. Before returning to the court, she stretched repeatedly, appearing to once again be in discomfort. Down 3-4, at the next changeover she requested the trainer who returned and iced the thigh again. On court, Bartoli’s energy appeared to wane again and she was limping noticeably. Holding serve to go even at four all, Bartoli clenched her fist in victory.

But, it was Bammer who ultimately fought her way back, serving out the match.

Bammer now moves on to the quarterfinal round for the first time, where she will face No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic who, earlier in the day, defeated No. 21 Caroline Wozniacki.

Federer Serves His Way Into Round of 16

The last time Roger Federer met Radek Stepanek, it was on clay in Rome, a match Stepanek won in two tiebreak sets.

This time, with the stakes higher in the year’s final Grand Slam, it was different result.

Federer, the No. 2 seed, served well, returned well and hit key shots as he downed No. 28 Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium for his 30th straight US Open win and put him into the fourth round.

It started with Federer’s serve, which was great on Sunday, as he converted 72 percent of his first serves for the match, hit 12 aces and was broken only once – in the first set. He won 75 percent of those first serves as well as 67 percent of his second serves.

The Swiss felt good heading in and won the match in under two hours.

“I did feel good today. The conditions were pretty similar (to my) last round match, so maybe that helped, having a little breeze out there and playing exact same conditions,” he said. “I think I returned well, especially in the second serve. I didn't allow him to really have that many different options off his second serve, and he decided to stay back.”

Federer did return Stepanek’s second serve well as the Czech won just 31 percent of his second serves.

Federer will face either Fernando Verdasco or Igor Andreev in the fourth round as he attempts to win his fifth straight US Open title.

“I was good off the baseline. I think I moved well today and really hit some great shots when I needed them,” he added of his performance Sunday. “I think all in all I'm really happy. I'm serving well for the first three rounds, and that's always a good sign for the rest of the tournament.”

Young, Talented Singers Top US Open Entertainment

Throughout the entire two weeks of this year's US Open, the world's top professional tennis players aren't the only talented individuals being showcased on center stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Every day before the day and night sessions begin on the main show court, the national anthem is sung by talented young vocalists from around the country.

A total of 189 children ages 12 and under auditioned for the USTA Casting Call at Radio City Music Hall in June, and 20 were selected to perform patriotic-themed songs in front of sellout crowds in Arthur Ashe during the Open.

Sunday's national anthem was sung by a very talented six-year-old from Kissimmee, Fla., Gina Marie Incandala. Just before Roger Federer and Radek Stepanek took to the court for their Labor Day weekend showdown, Incandala blew the crowd away with her performance of "The Star Spangled Banner."

Incandala, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, earned a standing ovation around the stadium after singing the national anthem with a voice one might expect to hear coming from an experienced adult singer.

Her mother, Michelle, said Gina began singing at 4 years old, when her doctor recommended she use music and singing as a form of therapy for her autism. Singing, Michelle said, has improved Gina's speech skills and is helping her overcome the disability.

Gina's amazing voice and unique story have garnered national attention, and she has done quite a bit of traveling this year to sing at major sporting and charity events.

Her audition tape from an audition in Kissimmee to sing at a Houston Astros spring training game in January helped boost her popularity, and she was soon performing at the New York Mets' Shea Stadium, the Astros' Minute Maid Park and the Florida Marlins' Dolphin Stadium. Her upcoming events, which have her booked through March 2009, include charity events and an Orlando Magic game.

"She has gotten so popular that the bookings just came really quickly," Michelle said, "and now she'll soon have her own CD single coming out, hopefully in September."

While many people might be intimidated at the thought of taking the spotlight in front of an audience of thousands of people, Gina actually prefers the larger audience and feels the most comfortable when she takes the stage.

"She's very comfortable in front of a crowd, and she likes it more than she does performing in small, intimate settings," Michelle said. "But she really enjoys the experience of singing, and you can see it when she performs."

Like many young girls her age, Gina said her favorite songs to sing are those from Disney's popular High School Musical. And when asked what she wanted to be when she grows up, Gina had no hesitation in her reply: "I want to be a rock star."

Seven-year-old Gillian Koch, from Demarest, N.J., is scheduled to sing "America the Beautiful" before Sunday's night session.

Among some of the talent featured throughout the two weeks of the Open are a group of five brothers, Carmine, Francesco, Gaetano, Leonardo and Marconi D'Auria-Gupta, from Rockville Centre, New York, and a sister duo from Brooklyn, Maria and Irena Kogarova.

In addition to Incandela, Koch and the D'Auria-Gupta and Kogarova siblings, other featured performers were Elijah Boothe, Alexis Deblasio, Sasha Delaquis, Brooke Demetri, Owen Doherty, Davia Echols, James E. Keelen, Jr., Elijah Lawrence, Lydia Manuel, Beatrice Miller and Calen Santos.

Davydenko Grinds Down Tursunov to Reach Round of 16

Nikolay Davydenko, the No. 5 seed, does not have the firepower on his serve that most of the other top men on the ATP Tour have. In fact, the 5-foot-10, 154-pound Russian averaged just 104 mph on his first serve in his match today against fellow Russian and No. 26 seed Dmitry Tursunov.

But what Davydenko does have is relentless, precise ground strokes that give him the ability to grind down opponents. Nicknamed “The Machine,’’ Davydenko stretched Tursinov from side to side on the baseline, causing him to, at one point, stretch out for a forehand and fall to the ground. Davydenko broke Tursinov early and never let up, winning 6-2, 7-6, 6-3.

Davydenko knows that he gives something up on his serve in terms of power. But the 27-year-old, who has finished in the Top 5 in the world the last three years and reached the semis here at the Open the past two, also knows that he can overwhelm an opponent like Tursinov if he’s on his game.

“I need to control the baseline, which I did today,’’ Davydenkno said after the match. In five meetings, Davydenko has never lost to Tursunov, his Russian Davis Cup teammate.

Davydenko jumped on Tursinov early in this match, breaking him in the third game with a classic Davydenko-constructed point, running Tursinov wide with a well-angled cross-court forehand, forcing a weak reply, and then firing an inside out forehand to the opposite corner for a winner. Davydenko, who can have a suffocating effect on his opponents, never let up on Tursinov’s serve, breaking him again to go up 4-1 and wracking up seven break point opportunities in the set.

Tursinov picked up his game in the second and was leading 5-2, but in typical Davydenko fashion, the No. 5 seed clawed his way back to send the second set into the breaker. At 2-2 in the breaker Davydenko ran Tursinov from side to side, finally hitting a cross-court forehand at such an angle, Tursinov was so stretched out he fell down while hitting his reply, allowing Davydenko to merely block the ball into the open court for a winner. Davydenko held on in the breaker with a inside-out forehand that stretched Tursinov to his backhand side, then a forehand winner cross-court.

While Davydenko has been one of the Tour’s most consistent players over the past three seasons, and he beat Rafael Nadal earlier this year to win Miami, he’s been struggling of late. He has failed to win back-to-back matches in four straight tournaments going back to Wimbledon in July. While he’s now won three matches here, he’s feeling the pressure to turn up his game, if for no other reason that to defend the ranking points that he won last year by reaching the semis here.

“I need to defend my points here,’’ he said. “If I can’t reach the semis here, I can’t be Top 5.’’

Davydenko has lost to Federer in the semis here at the Open the past two years. He will meet Federer this year in the quarters if both players advance to that round. Davydenko next plays Gilles Muller.