US Open Special: The Final Weekend Previews
TV
Schedule
WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS: KERBER VS. STOSUR WILLIAMS VS. WOZNIACKI MEN’S QUARTERFINALS: MURRAY VS. ISNER RODDICK VS. NADAL
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CAROLINE WOZNIACKI C H A M P I O N . F I G H T E R . T I R E L E S S S P I R I T. THE NE X T G EN ER AT I O N O F L EG EN D A R Y. HER PATH TO E X T R AO R D I N A R Y COV ER S EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE COURT.
OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST
F O R A N O F F I C I A L R O L E X J E W E L E R C A L L 1 - 8 0 0 - 3 6 7- 6 5 3 9 . R O L E X
OY S T E R P E R P E T U A L A N D D AT E J U S T A R E T R A D E M A R K S .
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First
SERVE
5 Experts’ Picks
Tennis.com Senior Writers Peter Bodo and Stephen Tignor, and Online Editor Ed McGrogan make their predictions for the two women’s semifinal matches, as well as the remaining pair of quarterfinal matchups on the men’s side.
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TV Schedule
Center
COURT
Women’s Semifinals 7 Kerber vs. Stosur
Men’s Quarterfinals 9 Murray vs. Isner
The 92nd-ranked German tries to keep her improbable run alive against the hard-hitting Stosur.
The 6-foot-9 Isner’s big serve needs to be at its best if he’s to pull off the upset.
8 Wozniacki vs. Williams
11 When It’s On . . .
CBS delivers the remainder of this year’s US Open action to the comfort of your living room.
10 Roddick vs. Nadal
Wozniacki may be the top-seeded player in the tournament, but it’s Williams who remains the favorite to win another US Open.
For a match between a player with one major title and one with 10, this could be a lot closer than many people expect.
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HARNESS THE POWER OF NATURE
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Kerber vs. Stosur
Wozniacki vs. Williams
Murray vs. Isner
Roddick vs. Nadal
Peter Bodo Senior Writer
Samantha Stosur Stosur survived two three-set matches against quality players to get this far. Her bigmatch experience (she played in the Roland Garros final in 2010) will also prove to be a real asset in this one.
Caroline Wozniacki Wozniacki’s back is up against the wall; she needs that first major title in a big way to back up her No. 1 ranking. After losing in one final and one semifinal here in the two previous years, it’s her time.
Andy Murray Isner has had a good run, but there’s no way he can stay in rallies with Murray. And Murray is such a good returner that it will take a career day at the service line for Isner to reach the haven of the tiebreaker.
Rafael Nadal It’s hard to imagine that Roddick’s breadand-butter baseline game, backed with his excellent hold game, will be enough to pull off the upset. Common sense suggests a Nadal win in four sets.
Stephen Tignor Senior Writer
Samantha Stosur Stosur is the favorite, the question is whether she can win a match at this stage that she’s supposed to win. That’s not her specialty, but her superior serve and forehand should be enough to get her into the final.
Serena Williams This is Williams’ event to lose, but if anyone can make her do that, it’s Wozniacki. These two once played to a third-set tiebreaker, and Wozniacki has been at her best in Flushing. Still, the match will be on Serena’s racquet.
John Isner Murray has looked relaxed since his escape against Haase last week, and he’s the favorite here. But Isner may be playing the best and toughest tennis of his career, and his serve alone can make a set come down to just a few points.
Rafael Nadal Nadal is looking sharper, which means Roddick will need to serve as big as usual, and return bigger—or at least deeper—than usual. The American crowd will help Roddick, but the battle over five sets will still be uphill.
Samantha Stosur Stosur will be playing with all the pressure, something she hasn’t always handled well. Saying that, she’s been mentally strong so far, winning two close three-setters before rolling Vera Zvonareva. It’s tough to pick against that.
Serena Williams You could argue that this is Wozniacki’s final, and she should treat it as such. Her offense needs to be as sharp as her defense, and an off-night from Serena wouldn’t hurt. Even if all that happens, it still might not be enough.
Andy Murray Murray, one of the game’s best returners, will need to be great against Isner. Once the rallies begin, Murray should be fine, and the Scot will need to hold his own serve, but he got through his last match with ease; Isner nearly went five.
Andy Roddick Lost in Thursday’s court switcheroo was the fact that Roddick beat David Ferrer comfortably. Nadal hasn’t dropped a set, but it doesn’t feel that way—he’s won a lot of close ones. I expect a close match, and an upset.
First
SERVE
Experts’ Picks
Ed McGrogan Online Editor
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Women’s Preview
ANGELIQUE KERBER
VS
GERMANY
0-0
HEAD-TO-HEAD
23
SEMIFINAL
ANGELIQUE KERBER vs. No. 9 seed SAMANTHA STOSUR
We thought that a German woman might do something in this tournament. Andrea Petkovic, perhaps; Julia Goerges, maybe. But nobody thought it would be this German, Angelique Kerber, currently ranked 92nd in the world, who we would see on the final weekend. She’s used her heavy ground strokes to carve her way to her first Grand Slam semifinal. She’ll face another relative surprise, Australia’s Sam Stosur, who has never been this far in Flushing Meadows. To get here, Stosur has used her usual forceful serve and forehand, along with an unusual calm. Stosur and Kerber have never played. On form and history, you have to take Stosur, except for one nagging question: Can she win on this stage, when she’s supposed to win. The Aussie has never thrived in that situation— she was upset by Francesca Schiavone in the French Open final last year, and took a disappointing loss before her home fans in Melbourne this year. But whatever nerves she may feel on Friday, Stosur’s reliable serve and forehand should carry her past them. —Stephen Tignor M O R E AT tennis.com
AGE
92
AUSTRALIA
0-0 27
January 18, 1988
BIRTHDATE
March 30, 1984
Bremen, Germany
BIRTHPLACE
Brisbane, Australia
5-foot-8
HEIGHT
5-foot-8
150 pounds
WEIGHT
143 pounds
Left-handed
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
SAMANTHA STOSUR
PLAYS
Right-handed
2003
TURNED PRO
2000
9 years on tour
EXPERIENCE
12 years on tour
16 singles (3 doubles)
YTD WINS
37 singles (15 doubles)
17 singles (5 doubles)
YTD LOSSES
18 singles (7 doubles)
0 singles (0 doubles)
YTD TITLES
0 singles (1 doubles)
$156,887
YTD EARNINGS
10
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
$893,534
No Past Match-Ups
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Women’s Preview
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI
VS
DENMARK
0-2
HEAD-TO-HEAD
21
SEMIFINAL No. 1 seed C. WOZNIACKI vs. No. 28 seed SERENA WILLIAMS
Now that Caroline Wozniacki is playing tennis worthy of her No. 1 ranking again, her semifinal match-up with Serena Williams has become the highlight pre-final match of the women’s draw. Wozniacki has been No. 1 for almost a year now, but she has yet to win her first Grand Slam event (it’s not an enormous failing; she’s only 21). Serena, by contrast, is ranked a lowly No. 27, but she’s acclaimed as one of the greatest women players of all time and has bagged 13 major titles. Wozniacki has a great talent for maneuvering her opponents out of position and wearing them down. And in the past few weeks, her forehand has become more of a weapon. By contrast, Serena likes to end points quickly—her serve can be devastating, and her groundstrokes so penetrating that they pin her opponents back in hopeless positions. This match will be decided by which woman manages to make the other adopt her game. If it becomes a slugfest, Serena wins. If Wozniacki can turn it into baseline duel, she has a great chance. —Peter Bodo M O R E AT tennis.com
1
UNITED STATES
2-0
AGE
29
July 11, 1990
BIRTHDATE
September 26, 1981
Odense, Denmark
BIRTHPLACE
Saginaw, Michigan
5-foot-10
HEIGHT
5-foot-9
128 pounds
WEIGHT
150 pounds
Right-handed
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
SERENA WILLIAMS
PLAYS
Right-handed
2005
TURNED PRO
1995
7 years on tour
EXPERIENCE
17 years on tour
58 singles (1 doubles)
YTD WINS
21 singles (0 doubles)
12 singles (1 doubles)
YTD LOSSES
3 singles (0 doubles)
6 singles (0 doubles)
YTD TITLES
2 singles (0 doubles)
$2,306,029
YTD EARNINGS
27
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
$599,825
Past Match-Ups WTA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL STAGES
Oct. 31, 2009 Semifinals
Serena Williams
1-0
Caroline Wozniacki
6-4
0-1
Serena Williams
2-1
Caroline Wozniacki
6-7
6-3
MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
Jan. 14, 2009 Quartefinals
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7-6
COVER / CONTENTS / EDITOR’S PICKS / WOMEN’S PREVIEW / MEN’S PREVIEW
Men’s Preview
ANDY MURRAY 2-0
No. 4 seed ANDY MURRAY vs. No. 28 seed JOHN ISNER
The battle lines are drawn straight and true here: It’s a clash of Isner’s serve and Murray’s return. The big advantage Isner has over other servers is that because of his height, the ball flies at the receiver at an unfamiliar angle. Murray’s hole card is that he has a terrific return. Isner will be looking to hold serve and force tiebreakers, where the pressure (as well as Isner’s big serve) might get to Murray. Remember, the 24-year old Scot has been in three Grand Slam finals and has yet to win one. He’s likely to be on edge and eager, but he needs to guard against getting overly frustrated if Isner’s serve is insoluble for a set or two. Murray will be trying to exploit any lapse in Isner’s serving proficiency to record that priceless, single break he needs in each set to avoid the crapshoot of the tiebreaker. Isner knows he can’t stay with Murray in rallies, so they will be few and far between. Look for both to go for broke when returning. The terms are simple and stark, which usually results in a match decided by just a few swings of the stick. —Peter Bodo M O R E AT tennis.com
4
0-2
AGE
26
May 15, 1987
BIRTHDATE
April 26, 1985
Dunblane, Scotland
BIRTHPLACE
Greensboro, N.C.
6-foot-3
HEIGHT
6-foot-9
185 pounds
WEIGHT
245 pounds
Right-handed
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
UNITED STATES
HEAD-TO-HEAD
24
QUARTERFINAL
JOHN ISNER
VS
GREAT BRITAIN
PLAYS
Right-handed
2005
TURNED PRO
2007
7 years on tour
EXPERIENCE
5 years on tour
39 singles (6 doubles)
YTD WINS
35 singles (20 doubles)
10 singles (9 doubles)
YTD LOSSES
19 singles (11 doubles)
2 singles (0 doubles)
YTD TITLES
3 singles (2 doubles)
$3,012,141
YTD EARNINGS
22
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
$736,708
Past Match-Ups HOPMAN CUP, GROUP B
Jan. 7, 2011
World Team Cup
Andy Murray
2-0
John Isner
Andy Murray
3-0
John Isner
6-4
6-2
6-3
6-2
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Jan. 24, 2010
1/8
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7-6
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Men’s Preview
ANDY RODDICK 3-6
No. 21 seed ANDY RODDICK vs. No. 2 seed RAFAEL NADAL
You’d expect Nadal to have the edge in the head-to-head between these two, and he does, 6-3. But if you remove the two matches they played on clay— won, as you might imagine, by Nadal— things get a little tighter. And if you look at the scores of their last match, indoors in London last winter, things get more interesting still. Roddick led Nadal by a set before the Spaniard escaped in a second-set tiebreaker, 7-5, and finished it in the third. In other words, for a matchup between one guy with 10 majors and another with one, this one has been surprisingly close. Roddick’s serve has been a factor, of course, but he’s also consistent enough to hang with Nadal from the back of the court. Both guys looked sharp yesterday, though Roddick had to work harder to beat David Ferrer, and he felt sick near the end. For the American to keep this one close, he’ll need his serve to help him fend off break points; he’ll need to keep his returns deep enough that Nadal can’t take over points right away; and he’ll need the crowd to give him all they can. —Stephen Tignor M O R E AT tennis.com
21
6-3
AGE
25
August 30, 1982
BIRTHDATE
June 3, 1986
Omaha, Nebraska
BIRTHPLACE
Manacor, Spain
6-foot-2
HEIGHT
6-foot-1
194 pounds
WEIGHT
187 pounds
PLAYS
Left-handed
Right-handed
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
SPAIN
HEAD-TO-HEAD
29
QUARTERFINAL
RAFAEL NADAL
VS
UNITED STATES
2000
TURNED PRO
2000
12 years on tour
EXPERIENCE
12 years on tour
26 Singles (5 doubles)
YTD WINS
58 singles (9 doubles)
11 Singles (5 doubles)
YTD LOSSES
9 singles (4 doubles)
1 singles (0 doubles)
YTD TITLES
3 singles (1 doubles)
$654,890
YTD EARNINGS
2
CURRENT SINGLES RANKING
$5,351,514
Past Five Match-Ups BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS, GROUP A
Nov. 22, 2010 Quarterfinals
Rafael Nadal
2-1
Andy Roddick
3-6
7-6
6-4
Rafael Nadal
1-2
Andy Roddick
6-4
3-6
3-6
Rafael Nadal
2-0
Andy Roddick
6-4
7-6
Rafael Nadal
3-0
Andy Roddick
6-4
6-0
6-4
Rafael Nadal
2-0
Andy Roddick
7-5
6-4
SONY ERICSSON OPEN
April 2, 2010
Semifinals
BNP PARIBAS OPEN
March 21, 2009 Semifinals
DAVIS CUP SEMIFINAL
Sept. 21, 2008 Semifinals AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 14, 2008 Semifinals
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Editorial
TV Schedule
Editor-in-Chief Creative Director Art Director Online Editor Senior Writers Editor-At-Large Editorial Direction
Scott Gramling Ian Knowles Dennis Huynh Ed McGrogan Peter Bodo Stephen Tignor Andrew Friedman 10Ten Media
Advertising
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DATE
ROUND
TIME (EST)
NETWORK
Friday, Sept. 9
Men’s Quarterfinals
12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
CBS
Saturday, Sept. 10
Men’s Semifinals Women’s Semifinals
noon - 6 p.m. 8:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
CBS CBS
Sunday, Sept. 11
Women’s Final
4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
CBS
Monday, Sept. 12
Men’s Final
4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
CBS
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