U.S. Open: Serena Williams, no smiles, 22 winners, easy victory

Serena Williams, a three-time U.S. Open champion playing the tournament for the first time since she had left Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2009 after unleashing an obscenity-filled tirade against a lineswoman who called a foot fault that resulted in Williams losing a semifinal match to Kim Clijsters, took a decisive 6-1, 6-1 win over Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski Tuesday night.

It was the final first-round match of the women's draw and Williams dominated from the start. She won 54 total points to 27 by Jovanovski and was ahead 3-0 within the first 10 minutes.

Williams is only seeded 28th because her ranking had dropped so low during her absence from tennis for nearly 12 months beginning in July of 2010 because of, first, a toe injury and then from a pulmonary embolism. But since her return to the pro circuit in an event just before Wimbledon, Williams has gone 17-2 and she is undefeated on hard courts this summer after losing in the first round on the grass at Wimbledon to Marion Bartoli.

In the second round Williams, 29, will play 183rd-ranked qualifier Michaella Krajicek and seems headed for a third-round meeting with fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who beat Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-3 in Tuesday's very first day match on Ashe Stadium.

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York

U.S. Open: Rafael Nadal struggles but beats Andrey Golubev

Rafael Nadal, the defending U.S. Open champion and this year's second-seeded player, didn't turn in a starring performance Tuesday night, but he did enough.

Nadal struggled some Andrey Golubev, who was ranked 98^thin the world and who had gone through a stretch of losing 17 straight matches this season. Golubev overpowered the Spaniard in parts of this first-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium before losing to Nadal, 6-3, 7-6 (1), 7-5.

Golubev, who is from Kazakhstan, was leading Nadal, 4-2, in the second set after breaking the Spaniard at love and was making Nadal cranky by pounding winners from both sides and bringing Nadal forward with tricky drop shots.

And even when it seemed Nadal was safely ahead, Golubev struck a service return so hard that Nadal didn’t seem to see the ball. That shot gave Golubev an unexpected early service break in the third set that put him ahead, 2-1, and he eventually was up a double break, 5-2, in the third before errors started happening.

Finally, Nadal finished off the tricky first-rounding with an authoritative passing shot.

“I was a little lucky to win in straight sets,” Nadal said. “He was a very difficult player to play. He played very fast.”

RELATED:

U.S. Open: Li Na, French Open winner, first-round loser in New York

U.S. Open: Novak Djokovic wins easy opener; Donald Young too

U.S. Open: Carolina Wozniacki wins one, talks Rory McIlroy too

U.S. Open: Venus Williams wins first match since Wimbledon

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York

Photo: Rafael Nadal returns a shot during his first-round match at the U.S. Open on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke / MCT

Angels face a learning curve in Seattle

The Angels have lost four of their last five games but things won't get easier for them Tuesday in Seattle since they'll be facing a pitcher in Mariners rookie Anthony Vasquez whom they've never seen before.

"We have video on him. We know what he likes to do," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "There's a little bit of a learning curve when you get in the batter's box. But you don't have time to think about too much. You've got to go up there, see a good pitch to hit and square it up.

"This is definitely a guy you don't want to do too much with. We're going to have to really stay centered on this guy."

Vasquez, a left-hander, is a soft tosser who changes speed. He was 9-10 with a 3.57 earned-run average in the minors, splitting his time between double A and triple A. He beat Cleveland in his big league debut last week, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up five earned runs on nine hits. But familiarity doesn't always bring comfort or success for a hitter, Scioscia said. The Mariners are starting Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez on Wednesday and even through the right-hander is 4-9 against the Angels lifetime, Scioscia said it's not a matchup many hitters are looking forward to.

U.S. Open: Novak Djokovic wins easy opener; Donald Young too

Novak Djokovic, owner of a 58-2 record this year, was able to get in and out of the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday with little trouble. His Irish opponent, Conor Niland, was ill with food poisoning and the precision shots of top-seeded Djokovic did not make Niland feel any better.

After losing 11 of 12 games,  Niland bent over and then shook his head and Djokovic's hand and retired, a 6-0, 5-1 loser. Djokovic  spent only 44 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, a circumstance that did not bother the world's No. 1.

"I don't think I'm lacking any time on the court or matches. This year has been a very long year. So I really don't mind that I spend less time on the court," the 24-year-old Djokovic said.

"I think I played well for these [44] minutes that we had.... I felt great on the court and that's something that's really important for the start of the tournament."

Djokovic had withdrawn from the final of the last tournament he played before the Open, complaining of a sore shoulder. "After that," Djokovic said, "I took some time off and I did everything in order to recover. Today I didn't feel any pain. I served well and I played well so I have no concern."

Donald Young, the 22-year-old American who had gotten in some trouble earlier this year when he sent an obscenity-filled Twitter message expressing displeasure when he didn't get the U.S. wild-card berth into the French Open, played his way into the second round of the U.S. Open. Young achieved a tidy and confident 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Lukas Lacko, a 23-year-old from Slovakia who had gotten into the main draw as a lucky loser (the highest-ranked loser in the final round of qualifying who earns a berth when someone withdraws after the main draw is made).

Young had lost in the first round here the past three years, a trend he said was troubling. "This is my favorite event," he said. Young said he arrived here with more confidence after he advanced this summer to his first ATP Tour-level semifinal, in Washington, D.C.

"To win four matches at that level was great," Young said. "It made me really feel like after all this time that I really belonged and could beat the guys on a consistent basis."

Young will likely get a much tougher test in the second round when he meets 14th-seeded Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York

UCLA football: Neuheisel to name starting QB Tuesday afternoon

UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel said he will name a starting quarterback late Tuesday, though the Bruins are likely to play both Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut against Houston on Saturday.

Neuheisel said that he wanted “to talk to those kids this afternoon and tell them what my plan is.”

Asked why he didn’t keep Houston guessing up until game time, Neuheisel said, “I wasn’t doing it to befuddle Houston. I was doing to get the most out of these kids and I don’t want it to be a distraction as we get closer to game time.”

Houston, though, was a bit befuddled.

“They have us practicing a lot of different things with the two quarterbacks,” Houston Coach Kevin Sumlin said. “It keeps us guessing.”

Sumlin will get to stop guessing sometime Tuesday.

“You know, whoever lines up, we’re going to have to go out and defend against them,” Sumlin said.

MORE:

Brandon Willis working on returning to the Bruins

Commentary: College football turns itself in to authorities

USC football: NCAA President Mark Emmert addresses questions about Trojans

-- Chris Foster

Photo: Rick Neuheisel. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times.

U.S. Open: Caroline Wozniacki wins one, talks Rory McIlroy too

Caroline Wozniacki has won six tournaments this year, is ranked No. 1 in the world and is the top-seeded women's player at the U.S. Open.

But after she won her first-round match Tuesday, with no trouble, 6-3, 6-1 in 1 hour, 20 minutes, over Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain, Wozniacki had to deal, as usual, with explaining why it is she is No. 1 yet hasn't won a single major championship, even in the last couple of years when Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters, have been mostly injured.

"I won six tournaments this year already," she said. "I should definitely not be complaining. I'm in a good position, I'm in a good spot. I'm happy, healthy and I can go out there and compete. That's what's most important.

"You know, I know that everyone has to write their stories but I think ... we should move on. Ask me about something else, something more interesting."

Well, then, there is her new boyfriend, the Irish golfer Rory McIlroy. It was pointed out to Wozniacki that McIlroy has won a U.S. Open.

"I'm definitely trying to keep up," the 21-year-old Wozniacki said. "I'll do my best but I have six tough matches to go. You know, he has something I'm looking for. He wants to be No. 1. So it's good to have something on each other."

MORE:

U.S. Open: Sabine Lisicki wins way to play Venus Williams

U.S. Open: Venus Williams wins first match since Wimbledon

U.S. Open: Serena Williams on '09 blowup: 'I don't think about'

-- Diane Pucin in New York

Photo: Caroline Wozniacki. Credit: Mike Groll / Associated Press.

U.S. Open: Sabine Lisicki wins way to play Venus Williams

Sabine Lisicki, the 21-year-old German who made it to the Wimbledon semifinals this year, almost didn't make it to the U.S. Open. Lisicki, seeded 22nd, won her second title of the year in Dallas over the weekend and couldn't get into New York until 4 p.m. Monday afternoon because of lingering flight delays in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

But Lisicki, playing on the new Court 17, an intimate show court with great noise potential and right in the middle of U.S. Open hubbub, adapted to the circumstances of her late arrival and new surroundings and easily beat 125th-ranked Alona Bondarenko, a 27-year-old from Ukraine, 6-3, 6-3.

Next up for Lisicki is Venus Williams, a two-time champion here. Williams had a straight-set victory Monday night in her first match since losing in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Williams, 31, is unseeded.

Lisicki enjoys crushing big serves, same as Williams. And the two have played only twice. Lisicki beat Williams, 6-4, 7-6 (5), on clay in 2009 and Williams beat Lisicki on hard courts in Dubai in 2010, 6-2, 6-3.

"We played twice and twice we had a very, very good match," Lisicki said. "I think it depends who's better that given day and that person will win, I think. That's how it was the last two times. I played better the first time and she played a little bit better the second time."

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York

Kings unveil new uniform and colors

 

The Kings announced Tuesday that they will make the following changes to their team colors and uniforms:

--The Kings’ official team colors change to black, silver and white.

--The Kings’ primary home uniform switches to the black-silver-and-white uniform the club has worn as an alternate jersey the last two seasons.

-- The Kings will wear a newly created white version of this jersey for all road games this season. 

"There was an overwhelming sentiment from our fans and from our players that has led us to this change," said Luc Robitaille, Kings president of business operations.  "Our fans really like the late '80s and early '90s-era Kings uniforms which are very similar to this uniform. As a player, the colors give you an attitude and an edge."

The Kings’ primary home jersey -- which prominently features “LA” on the jersey crest, has not been altered and will now be worn for most Kings home games –- also reflects the club’s primary logo going forward. The black-silver-and-white uniform is also the sweater that Kings players wore during home games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the last two seasons, and a silver stripe has been added to the player’s pants.

As part of the switch, the Kings’ former primary mark, a crown featuring the color purple, now becomes the club’s alternate logo with one change –- the crown is now black and silver and features no purple.  The Kings will wear these jerseys (unaltered from a year ago) for select home games.

 

-- Houston Mitchell

Photos: The new uniform, logo, crown and colors of the Kings. Credit: the Kings

 

Bill Plaschke: Cam Newton and the tattoo controversy

 

I love watching Cam Newton. I love watching his pure ability, his unfiltered excitement, the blank slate of his potential.

And I’ll admit it, I love that we can watch his football artistry without being distracted by any skin artistry. I love it that the Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback and Heisman Trophy-winner does not have any tattoos or body piercings.

Yet this love makes me a hater?

That is how Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is being painted these days after he conducted an interview on the "Charlie Rose" show and noted that he had asked his No. 1  overall draft pick whether his body contained any ink or trinkets.

Newton reportedly told Richardson, "No sir, I don’t have any."

Richardson then reportedly replied, "Good. We want to keep it that way. We want to keep no tattoos, no piercings and I think you’ve got a very nice haircut."

And boom went the racially charged dynamite, critics everywhere ripping Richardson for acting like some sort of overstuffed plantation owner demanding control of the bodies of his largely African American team.

Seriously? This entire debate is as silly as that drawing on the side of Mike Tyson’s face.

Jerry Richardson is a business owner who was simply making a dress code request of his highest-profile, million-dollar employee. It happens every day in the real world; why can’t it happen in sports?

In many places, it is expected that the new vice president of finance won’t suddenly show up with a set of lips tattooed on his neck, or the new marketing manager won't suddenly put a ring through his lip. It's not about culture. It's not about restraint. It's about business.

The owner of any company has a right to monitor the appearance of his employees, and how is Jerry Richardson any different? All he’s doing here is asking Newton to refrain from altering his body in a way that the owner obviously dislikes.

He’s not ordering Newton. He’s not threatening Newton. Heck, Richardson’s team is filled with players bearing tattoos, and he’ll certainly hire players who are famous for tattoos, witness his off-season signing of tight end Jeremy Shockey.

The owner is just hoping that his clean new star will remain that way, and what’s wrong with that? When asked about the Richardson quotes, Newton reportedly shrugged and said the incident was overblown, and he’s right.

Upon being named the Panthers' opening day starting quarterback, Newton has every right to run out and get "I Love Jerry" tattooed across his chest.

And Jerry Richardson has every right to hate it.

MORE:

Toughness runs in the family of Chargers safety Bob Sanders

Michael Vick agrees to six-year, $100-million contract with Eagles

Analyst casts doubt on economic benefit of downtown L.A. stadium

-- Bill Plaschke

Photo: Cam Newton. Credit: Andrew Weber / U.S. Presswire

US Open 2011: Diary – What a way to begin

Opening night at the 2011 US Open in New York

The bright lights and creaking subways of New York have welcomed the tennis-playing family to their annual party in a great big park in the heart of Queens, and, although Hurricane-turned-Tropical-Storm-Irene rattled a few cages, there weren’t too many hiccups on the opening day. Other than slightly fewer crowds.

Here’s a few highlights from what happened yesterday at Flushing Meadows, and what to look out for today:

The upset

Petra Kvitova may have been the first left-hander to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova, but sadly she notched up another ‘first to do’ next to her name yesterday…the first Wimbledon champion to exit the US Open in the first round. The 21 year-old looked like she didn’t know where the court was during her first-round defeat to Alexandra Dulgheru, that powerful forehand that had wreaked such havoc on grass homing in on the backboards and fences rather than the lines.

But she is young, she will learn. Let’s not be too harsh.

Passing through

The first day of a Grand Slam ends with a lot of winners – here are ones to take a note of:

Roger Federer (tying Andre Agassi for the second most singles Grand Slam victories on 224, nine behind Jimmy Connors), Venus Williams (encouraging), Gael Monfils (entertaining), Marin Cilic (is he back?), Tommy Haas, Mardy Fish, Tomas Berdych, Vera Zvonareva, Richard Gasquet (on the new Court 17). And many more.

Long way home for…

Viktor Troicki. The hot-headed Serb, who threw away a dead-cert lead against an ankle-stricken Andy Murray at the French Open in Paris this year, before swearing his way out of Wimbledon, was on the wrong side of a fifth-set scoreline yet again. And it was to none other than Alejandro Falla, the brave Colombian who so nearly sent Roger Federer home in five sets at Wimbledon last year. What goes around and all that.

Close second to the Japanese trio of Kei Nishikori, Ayumi Morita and Misaki Doi, who all retired. Ouch.

Brit-ometer

High. And there are still three British players to compete! Forgive the over-enthusiasm, but yesterday witnessed two very heartening performances from two very different but similar players. Laura Robson, who had overcome her qualifying heebie jeebies in New York at the third time of asking, on the same Court 4 that had been her downfall for two years running, was paired up against Ayumi Morita in her first main draw Grand Slam match outside of Wimbledon.

If you’re getting a sense of pressure that’s because it was a huge event. And, Robson, perhaps owed a little something from the Flushing Meadows gods, was given a free pass. Hanging in there, Morita retired with a sore shoulder. Through to Round 2, Miss Robson.

The other red, white and blue competitor did not end up in Round 2. But she did make what Americans are reporting as a ‘helluva’ debut. Heather Watson, the current British No 3, was competing in the first main draw Grand Slam match she had earned on ranking. Also a pretty big deal. She was playing Maria Sharapova. A bigger deal. And she was playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 22,500 seat goliath that is THE largest venue in tennis. An even bigger deal.

Quaking in her boots? Not so much. Young Hev took it to Sharapova from the very first point, won the opening set, narrowly lost the second, and narrowly lost the third. If this year has been about Heather Watson finding her feet on the WTA, the US Open announced her arrival well and proper.

Andy Murray, Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha are still to come…

Soundbite

Serena Williams has never been one to shy away from a press conference controversy. And, given that her last appearance in New York featured some rather demonstrative actions on her part, to her peril, and that of a diminutive lineswoman, it is no surprise really that it was going to come up when she did her pre-tournament presser yesterday.

And this was her response…

“I don’t know. I don’t think about it. Are you still thinking about it? Oh, my God, that was like two years ago. This is like two years later.”

Trivial? Maybe. But then again, she paid her penance. And remember, we’re happy she’s back. No more thoughts of shove-a-ball-down-your-throat-gate. Please. Unless she does it again.

Ones to watch

Enough, you may rightly think of yesterday. Today brings another host of storylines, even if we do have to wait until tomorrow to watch Andy Murray.

Caroline Wozniacki v Nuria Llagostera Vives (second match, Arthur Ashe)

On the back of the New Haven title last week, Caro should be feeling confident. No Rory in her box (he’s playing golf) but still. The pressure is very much on the world No 1.

Novak Djokoic v Conor Niland (third match, Arthur Ashe)

As it is on the other No 1, but in a very different way. There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that we’re going to continue to see some extraordinary things from Novak Djokovic. His first challenger, one of Ireland’s two finest, Conor Niland, who came through his second consecutive Grand Slam qualifying to earn this opportunity.

Rafael Nadal v Andrey Golubev (first night match, Arthur Ashe)

How really is Rafa feeling? Not too good, seems to be the pervading sense. But we won’t really know until we see the defending champion hit a ball in anger. Golubev can give it some welly, so by no means an easy peasy one.

Serena Williams v Bojana Jovanovski (second night match, Arthur Ashe)

She’s baaaack. Let’s see how that run of 12 match wins continues against the talented young Serb.

Elena Baltacha v Jamie Hampton

I’ve never seen anyone quite so moody as young Hampton was against Baltacha in the first round of the Australian Open. She snarled and generally looked like a thunder cloud, but she did push the British No 1, so not an easy one for Bally. But she is in great shape and good form, so think positive.

Also in action

Anne Keothavong, Victoria Azarenka, Li Na, Ana Ivanovic, Sabine Lisicki, Jelena Jankovic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Ferrer, David Nalbandian.

The daily click

How to keep up with the US Open from your desk (thanks to Courtney Nguyen of Sports Illustrated’s Beyond the Baseline)

Good luck staying up. And Happy Birthday to Andy Roddick. Only 29.