Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
US Open
Women’s singles: Serena Williams beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-3
Men’s doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3 6-4
Women’s doubles: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina beat Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta 2-6 6-3 6-2
Mixed doubles: Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares beat Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez 6-1 2-6 11-9 match tiebreak
Boys’ singles: Omar Jasika beat Quentin Halys 2-6 7-5 6-1
Girls’ singles: Marie Bouzkova beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-4 7-6 (5)
Boys’ doubles: Omar Jasika and Naoki Nakagawa beat Rafael Matos and Joao Menezes 6-3 7-6 (6)
Girls’ doubles: Ipek Soylu and Jil Belen Teichmann beat Vera Lapko and Tereza Mihalikova 5-7 6-2 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Wheelchair men’s singles: Shingo Kunieda beat Gustavo Fernandez 7-6 (0) 6-4
Wheelchair women’s singles: Yui Kamiji beat Aniek Van Koot 6-3 6-3
Wheelchair men’s doubles: Stephane Houdet and Shingo Kunieda beat Gordon Reid and Maikel Scheffers 6-2 2-6 7-6 (4)
Wheelchair women’s doubles: Yui Kamiji and Jordanne Whiley beat Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot 6-4 3-6 6-3
Wheelchair quad singles: Andrew Lapthorne beat David Wagner 7-5 6-2
Wheelchair quad doubles: Nicholas Taylor and David Wagner beat Andrew Lapthorne and Lucas Sithole 6-3 7-5
OTHER
Albert Ramos-Vinola beat Mate Delic 6-1 7-5 to win the AON Open Challenger in Genova, Italy
Anna-Lena Friedsam beat Duan Ying-Ying 6-1 6-3 to win the uangcangyu WTA SS
Huangcangyu WTA Suzhou Ladies Open in Suzhou, China.
SAYING
“It means a lot to me. I just could never have imagined that I would be mentioned with Chris Evert or with Martina Navratilova, because I was just a kid with a dream and a racquet. Living in Compton (California, USA), you know, this never happened before.” – Serena Williams, on winning her 18th Grand Slam tournament singles title, tying her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
“I am thinking about 19, which I’m kind of disappointed. (It) hasn’t even been three hours and I’m already – I have already mentioned 19. Oh, gosh. So, yeah, but not 22. I’m taking it one at a time.” – Serena Williams, knowing that Helen Wills Moody has won 19 major singles titles, behind Steffi Graf with 22 and Margaret Smith Court with 24.
“When you walk into the stadium and people are screaming so loud you can’t hear what you’re thinking yourself, it’s kind of overwhelming/” – Caroline Wozniacki, who lost to Serena Williams in the women’s singles final.
“Today, she was just too good. Unfortunately, I was the one on the other side of the net today.” – Caroline Wozniacki.
“Everybody who gets to this stage of this kind of a competition deserves to be there because they have put in the work and they hoped for the break and this is it for both of them.” – Roger Federer, on Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic meeting in the US Open men’s singles final.
“Other than that second set, my game today was not even close to what I wanted it to be. A lot of unforced errors, a lot of short balls. Just wasn’t myself.” – Novak Djokovic, after being upset in the semifinals by Kei Nishikori.
“It was one of those matches like old school tennis. It was just like full swing from all sides: forehand, backhand, serve, return.” – Roger Federer, after losing his semifinal match to Marin Cilic.
“The margins are so, so slim at that point that it’s not really in your control anymore. He needs one net cord or something so silly. When guys wish you good luck before the match, that’s when you hope it’s gonna kick in.” – Roger Federer, after staving off two match points to beat Gael Monfils.
“I think he took the opportunity. Like, you know … because he had match point (against him), he came forward. He never is tired. I think he took it.” – Gael Monfils, when asked if he felt Roger Federer took the victory away from him.
“I have proven people wrong so many times. I was told when I was younger there is no chance I will make the Top 100, Top 50, Top 30. Every time I have proven them wrong. It’s kind of nice.” – Caroline Wozniacki, on whether she’s answered her critics with her run to the 2014 US Open semifinals
“It was just a bad match for me. I didn’t play as close to the way I wanted to, and I think it was a great stage for me to come out on there on the center court and perform my best. But everything went the opposite way today.” – Grigor Dimitrov, following his fourth-round loss to Gael Monfils.
“I’m serving much better That sort of allows me to have more opportunities in the match on the return service, return of serve, as I can be more aggressive. I can play more risky, as I can, you know, rely on my serve that I’m going to win those service games comfortably. That puts a lot of pressure on the guys so I can, in the return games, play very differently from one to the other and change up my game.” – Marin Cilic, following his fourth-round win over Gilles Simon.
“I’m not going to make excuses for myself. You can ask me 20 times the same question. I’m not going to make any excuses. As I said, I did the best I could. I want to give full credit to my opponent. She deserves to win. She played much better than me today. That’s it.” – Victoria Azarenka, after losing to Ekaterina Makarova.
SERENA AGAIN
Serena Williams proved once again that she’s number one in the world, and in so doing captured her 18th Grand Slam tournament singles title, tying her with two of the greatest players of all-time, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The American right-hander was never in trouble as she bashed Denmark’s Carolina Wozniacki 6-3 6-3 in a match that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate. Williams won her third consecutive US Open women’s singles title, becoming the second woman to win it six times. At the age of 32, Serena became the oldest woman to win the year’s final Grand Slam tournament and has won more titles in her 30s than any other woman. She became the first woman to win the title without dropping a set since she did it herself in 2008. She also did it in 2002. She won her first US Open some 15 years ago, in 1999 when she was 17 years old. “It means a lot to me,” she said. “I just could never have imagined that I would be mentioned with Chris Evert or with Martina Navratilova because I was just a kid with a dream and a racquet. Living in Compton (California, USA), you know, this never happened before.” Her close friend, Wozniacki, was no problem this day. She claimed her second runner-up trophy, the first coming in 2009 when she lost to Kim Clijsters in the final.
SATURDAY SHOCKERS
The final Saturday at the US Open used to be called “Super Saturday,” the day the women’s final was sandwiched between the men’s semifinals. But now America’s premier tennis event has joined the other three Grand Slam tournaments by giving the players a day off between the semifinals and final. This year, it was “Shocker Saturday” as both Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked player, and Roger Federer, going for his record 18th Grand Slam tournament title, were sent home one round early. Japan’s Kei Nishikori denied Djokovic a fifth straight trip to the US Open final, 6-4 1-6 7-6 (4) 6-3 before Croatia’s Marin Cilic stunned Federer 6-3 6-4 6-4. Nishikori became the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam tournament final. And Cilic was his opponent just one year after sitting out the US Open because of a doping ban. The Monday final will be the first major title match since the 2005 Australian Open that didn’t feature either Rafael Nadal, Federer or Djokovic. “I think it’s exciting for the game to have different faces from time to time,” Federer said when asked about the Nishikori-Cilic final. “At the same time, I think people still enjoy seeing the guys they have seen for a while or often in the big matches. But I think it’s definitely refreshing to some extent.”
SMASHING MARKS
The Bryan brothers – Bob and Mike – are the first doubles pair to win 100 titles together as they captured the US Open by besting Spain’s Marcel Granoller and Marc Lopez 6-3 6-4. “We’re obviously ecstatic,” Mike Bryan said. “To win it her5e in front of this crowd makes it all the more special, but we had to play our best match of the tournament to win today.” It was the first Grand Slam tournament title of the year for the 36-year-old twins, who have not won at least one Grand Slam tournament title together for 10 consecutive years. “We’re not going to rest on our laurels,” Mike Bryan said. “We’re having a lot of fun playing together, we’re going to keep pushing and we’re not stopping any time yet.” The victory was their fifth US Open title and their 16th Grand Slam tournament crown.
SEMIFINAL SURPRISE
China’s Peng Shuai had to be carried off the court in a wheelchair after she ignored the advice of tournament doctors and tried to complete her women’s semifinal match against Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane was leading 7-6 (1) 4-3 when Peng clutched at her thighs and stumbled to the back wall of the Arthur Ashe Stadium court with severe cramping. She was helped off the court where she received treatment. Eleven minutes later she returned to the court and played six more points before tumbling to the ground and curling up in pain. In tears, the 28-year-old was lifted into a wheelchair and taken to an onsite medical facility. “The doctor, she said to me, ‘You are not able really go out to fight, compete, because your look is not really well,’” Peng told reporters after recovering from her ordeal. “I said, ‘No, no, no, I don’t want to give up. I want to try one more time.’ Then I come back. I know I’m not going to stay maybe too long but I just want to try. I just wanted to challenge her one more time.” Better known for her doubles play, Peng had a remarkable US Open. In 36 previous Grand Slam tournaments, she had never gone past the fourth round. This time was different. She upset three seeded players – number four Agnieszka Radwanska, number 28 Robert Vinci and number 14 Lucie Safarova – on her way to the penultimate round. “It’s really good two weeks,” she said. “It is a lot of new experience to me. A lot of challenges. This almost two weeks I feel like I play really good and then I just maybe need to believe more in myself and then give me a lot like energy. Keep going, fight, work and then look forward.”
STAKING CLAIM
Two unseeded players captured the US Open junior titles, showing they may be the next champions on the main tours. Seventeen-year-old Omar Jasika of Australia beat fifth-seeded Quentin Halys of France 2-6 7-5 6-2 to win the junior boys crown, while 16-year-old Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic won the girls title by stopping ninth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine 6-4 7-6 (5). It was the first time for both Jasika and Bouzkova to reach the final in a Grand Slam junior event. Jasika also took home the junior doubles trophy, teaming with Japan’s Naoki Nakagawa to stop the Brazilian pair of Rafael Matos and Joao Menezes 6-3 7-6 (6) in the title match. The girls’ doubles crown was won by Ipek Soylu of Turkey and Jil Belen Teichmann of Switzerland, who beat Brazil’s Vera Lapko and Slovakian Tereza Mihalikova 5-7 6-2 10-7 (match tiebreak).
STAYING HOME
Because of illness China’s Peng Shuai and Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard have withdrawn from Hong Kong’s first WTA tennis tournament in more than 20 years. Shuai reached the US Open semifinals before collapsing with heat-related illness and being taken off the court in a wheelchair. Bouchard, who reached the final at Wimbledon earlier in the summer and was to be the top seed at this week’s event in Hong Kong, also sought medical treatment at the US Open because of the heat during her fourth-round loss to Ekaterina Makorova. Tournament officials were upset because she didn’t announce her withdrawal until the last moment. “If Bouchard was injured we could understand and would wish her well. But she is simply tired,” Hong Kong Tennis Association president Herbert Chow Siu-lung said. “To say she is tired and cannot turn up because she is fatigued is poor form.” Although Peng will not be playing, she said she will be at the Hong Kong tournament and participate in all other activities, including promotional appearances.
SECOND SLAM TITLE
Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina rallied from a set down to capture the US Open, their second Grand Slam tournament title, by stopping Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta 2-6 6-3 6-2. Having won nine Grand Slam tournament doubles titles in her career, the 33-year-old Hingis was in her first major final since the Australian Open in 2002. “It was an incredible journey,” Hingis said. But it wasn’t to be a victory. The Russian pair had beaten sisters Serena and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Makarova lost to Serena Williams in the singles semifinals, but said the younger Williams sister was hoping she and her partner would win the doubles. “She looked straight at me in the eyes and said, ‘Go for it because you really deserve it.’” Makarova and Vesnina won Roland Garros in 2013. Hingis returned to competition last year, teaming with Daniela Hantuchova and Vera Zvonareva. She and Pennetta had played in three tournaments together leading up to the US\. Open.
SAYS YES
Martina Navratilova used the big screen on Arthur Ashe Stadium to propose to her girlfriend between the US Open men’s semifinals. “I was very nervous,” the 57-year-old Navratilova said. “It came off. She said yes. It was kind of an out-of-body experience. You’ve seen people propose at sporting events before, in movies, in real life. Here it was happening to me. It was like I was watching myself do it.” When the tennis great popped the question to Julia Lemigova, the crowd roared its approval. The left-hander said somebody suggested she propose during a changeover in the first match between Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic, but she said she didn’t want to disturb the players. Navratilova was later scheduled to play a “Champions” doubles match with Jana Novotna against Tracy Austin and Gigi Fernandez. The Nishikori-Djokovic match ended in four sets and the proposal was shown on the big screens. Navratilova said she and Lemigova would prefer to get married in Florida, where they live, and a federal judge ruled last month that the state’s ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. However, Florida officials are appealing that ruling. Gay couples can legally marry in 19 states.
SELECTED
Two Frenchwomen, Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce, are among four former players who have been nominated for entry into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Also nominated were Sergi Bruguera of Spain and Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia. All four won two Grand Slam singles titles. David Hall of Australia was nominated in the Recent Player Category for Wheelchair Tennis, while longtime tennis industry leader Nancy Jeffett has been nominated in the Contributor Category. The Class of 2015 nominees were announced by Hall of Fame president Stan Smith. Voting for the 2015 ballot will take place over the next several months, culminating with an announcement early next year. Since 1955, 240 people from 21 countries have been enshrined into the Hall in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
SPECIAL AWARD
Hall of Famer and broadcaster Pam Shriver received the Eugene L. Scott Award at The Legends Ball, an annual social event hosted by the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum that celebrates tennis and honors some of the sport’s greatest champions and contributors. The Eugene L. Scott Award is given for extensive contributions to the sport. Shriver played on the WTA Tour for more than 15 years and is considered one of the best doubles players of all time. She won 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slam tournament victories. Since 1990 she has been on television as an analyst, play-by-play commentator and sideline reporter. The evening also paid tribute to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2014 – Lindsay Davenport, Nick Bollettieri, Jane Brown Grimes, John Barrett and Chantal Vandierendonck – as well as the presentation of the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award to Fila.
STANDOUTS
Two former world number ones – Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki – were recipients of the third annual US Open Sportsmanship Awards, presented to the male and female professional tennis players who best demonstrate excellence in sportsmanship throughout the Emirates Airline US Open Series and the US Open. “With Roger and Caroline, it is incredible to see that two of tennis’ greatest competitors also share similar positive sportsmanship qualities even in the heat of battle,” said USTA Chairman, CEO and President Dave Haggerty. “Their sportsmanship and class both on and off the court make Roger and Caroline very deserving of this year’s US Open Sportsmanship Awards.” Each US Open Sportsmanship Award winner receives a trophy and a USD $5,000 donation to the charity of his or her choice. Last year’s winners were Li Na and David Ferrer, while the 2012 winners were Bob and Mike Bryan and Samantha Stosur.
SIGNED
Roger Federer will be heading to the Brisbane International in January. The Swiss master will start his 2015 season at the warm-up event for the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open. Federer reached the final at Brisbane this year, only to lose to local favorite Lleyton Hewitt. “The conditions are very similar to Melbourne, so I think it’s an ideal preparation (for the Australian Open),” Federer said. “It’s an important tournament on my calendar, a tournament I’m very happy to go back to and I was very excited to go there for the first time this year.”
STOPPED AGAIN
Cici Bellis became an overnight sensation when she upset 12th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova in the opening round of the US Open. Her stay in the women’s draw was over quickly, however, as she lost in the second round to Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas. The 15-year-old Bellis returned to the court for the junior girls’ event, only to again lose in the second round, this time to 17-year-old Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva 7-6 (9), 2-6, 6-1. Top-seeded in the junior girls’ tournament, Bellis frequently shrieked at herself after bad shots, at times saying, “Where’s your game?” and “That is so lame.”
SALUTE FOR MARY JOE
Mary Joe Fernandez, captain of the United States Fed Cup squad, was presented the 2014 United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) President’s Award, which is given for extraordinary service to the sport. Since its inception in 1999, award recipients have included Billie Jean King, Lindsay Davenport, Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. Ranked as high as fourth in the world in both singles and doubles, Fernandez won seven WTA singles titles and 19 doubles titles in her career, including two Grand Slam doubles titles – at Roland Garros in 1996 and the Australian Open in 1991. She also won three Olympic medals including two gold medals in women’s doubles (1992 and 1996) and one bronze medal in women’s singles (1992).
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Genova: Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace beat Frank Moser and Alexander Satschko 6-3 6-4
Suzhou: Chan Chin-Wei and Chuang Chia-Jung beat Misa Eguchi and Eriz Hozumi 6-1 3-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)
SURFING
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Hong Kong: hongkongtennisopen.com/
Quebec City: www.coupebanquenationale.ca/en/home/
Tashkent: www.tashkentopen.uz/en/
Guangzhou: www.guangzhouopen.org/
Moselle: www.moselle-open.com/
Metz: www.moselle-open.com/
Tokyo: www.toray-ppo.com/
Seoul: http://html.gethompy.com/servicestop.html?id=izec9050
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
WOMEN
$250,000 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Hong Kong, China, hard
$250,000 Coupe Banque Nationale présentée par Bell, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, hard
$250,000 Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard
DAVIS CUP
World Group Semifinals
France vs. Czech Republic at Paris, France, clay
Switzerland vs. Italy at Geneva, Switzerland, hard
World Group Playoffs
(Winners will be in World Group in 2014)
India vs. Serbia at Bangalore, India, hard
Brazil vs. Spain at Sao Paulo, Brazil, clay
Israel vs. Argentina at Sunrise, Florida, USA, hard
Canada vs. Colombia at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, hard
United States vs. Slovakia at Chicago, Illinois, USA, hard
Australia vs. Uzbekistan at Perth, Australia, grass
Netherlands vs. Croatia at Amsterdam, Netherlands, clay
Ukraine vs. Belgium at Tallinn, Estonia, hard
Group 1 Playoffs
Americas Zone, 2nd Round: Venezuela vs. Uruguay at Caracas, Venezuela, hard; Asia/Oceania Zone, 1st Round: Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea at Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, hard; Europe/Africa Zone, 1st Round: Romania vs. Sweden at Bucharest, Romania, clay; Latvia vs. Austria at Valmiera, Latvia, hard
Group 2 Playoffs
Americas Zone, 3rd Round: Barbados vs. Mexico at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Asia-Oceania Zone, 3rd Round: Pakistan vs. Thailand at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard; Europe/Asia Zone, 3rd Round: Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Lithuania at Sarajevo, Bosnia/Herzegovina, hard; Denmark vs. Moldova at Kolding, Denmark, carpet
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$531,123 Moselle Open, Metz, France, hard
$137,895 Izmir Challenger, Izmir, Turkey, hard
WOMEN
$876,900 Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo, Japan, hard
$426,750 Guangzhou International Women’s Open 2014, Guangzhou, China, hard
$426,750 Kia Korea Open 2014, Seoul, South Korea, hard
