Serena Williams was at her best level for quite some time
Saturday in New York
Order is restored, but more players withdraw…
Float like a butterfly…
There was a moment yesterday when Serena Williams looked like she was on the ropes. Breathing heavily, walking slowly, she had just seen four match points come and go against Victoria Azarenka, and then surrendered her serve for the first time all tournament.
But Serena, who one tennis pundit remarked as back to being just as quick around the court as she was in her Serena Slam pomp 11 years ago, merely soaked it all up. Absorbing Azarenka’s aggression like a sponge, she sent it straight back during an extraordinary knife-edge tie-break.
It wasn’t just that she was hitting it gob-smackingly hard. She was hitting it so deep, and with such angles. And all the while sprinting to the net too. She even did the splits.
There is one word for Serena so far – awesome. Huge credit to Vika too. She tried.
Serena plays Ana Ivanovic next in the fourth round, who clutched her way to a straight-sets win over Sloane Stephens.
Unsung hero
Louise Engzell. The umpire over-ruled a call on one of Serena’s three match points, when the security guards had already begun to make their way onto the court. Keen eyes.
Props also to Jack Sock and Melanie Oudin, who knocked out top seeds Bob Bryan and Liezel Huber.
Cruising
Roger Federer may have dropped a set against Marin Cilic, but it didn’t seem to bother him unduly. The mighty Swiss moved within one win of extending his record streak of Grand Slam quarter-finals to 29, and also, on 226, an inch closer to Jimmy Connors’ record of 233 Grand Slam match wins.
Novak Djokovic had not the merest whiff of trouble against Nikolay Davydenko, romping his way to a 60th win this year. Just two losses, remember.
Mardy Fish also made it through very easily, as did Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Francesca Schiavone (albeit not so easily, but in true Fran style). It’s hotting up.
More wounded
The retired/withdrawn list rose again yesterday, prompting some reaction from the players…
@andy_murray is the 18th pull out in the us open telling the tennis authorities anything?? No?? Thought not….
Of course, pundits were quick to say that players shouldn’t overload their schedules so much. Let the blame-game begin.
New knowledge
John McEnroe provided yesterday’s ‘learn something new every day’ – apparently the nets at the US Open are tighter than they are at Wimbledon. Hence, more net cords?
Chest-bump of the day
Team Auf Geht’s - Andrea Petkovic and Julia Goerges. It’s a miracle they were still standing, they laughed so much.
Hitting partners
While Peter Fleming was spotted on the practice courts yesterday, unorthodox forehand and all, British youngster Liam Broady had the chance to have a hit with Andy Murray. Nadal at Wimbledon, Murray in New York. Not at all bad…
Coming up tonight…
Andy Murray v Feliciano Lopez
A re-match of their Wimbledon quarter-final, and one hopefully free of silly jokes about Judy, Murray should relish the prospect to face his good friend in his first night match of the tournament.
Lopez had no answer to Murray’s versatility and power at Wimbledon. But that will be different on hard courts. As ever though, Murray will need to execute well from the start, and not take himself on as well as the Spaniard.
Sabine Lisicki v Vera Zvonareva
Aside from Serena, Miss Lisicki is probably one of the most eagerly anticipated prospects in the women’s game, so people will be expecting her to cause serious problems for Zvonareva, who withdrew from the doubles yesterday.
That said, the Russian and her phenomenal defence have a 3-0 record over Lisicki, so the German will need to make sure she is not missing.
Juan Martin Del Potro v Gilles Simon
The first big test for DelPo? The BFG hasn’t played on these courts since winning the title here two years ago, remember, and has so far been a rather silent mover through the draw. But Gilou, who takes an Andy Murray approach to hard court tennis, is not a straightforward customer. Del Potro’s power should be too much though.
Rafael Nadal v David Nalbandian
The fifth career meeting between these two, Rafa has two, Nalby has two. Nalbandian’s power will always present problems for Nadal, especially if he hits it flat to Nadal’s toes, but the question remains over whether he is physically fit enough to keep up with Nadal over five sets.
Nalbandian showed glimpses of his old form against Andy Murray in Cincinnati, but in reality, could only sustain it for a set.
The daily click
Jon Wertheim’s mid-term grades. Who’s ranked where so far in New York?
Keep an eye on
The weather. Rain is on the way. The doom-mongering has begun.
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