U.S. Open Preview: Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes

So, Roger Federer's last chance has arrived. The season that was supposed to see him crowned "The Greatest of All-Time" is two weeks away from going by without the Swiss Mister winning a single grand slam title.

Instead of Federer, the grand slam season has revolved around Novak Djokovic (who won in Melbourne) and Rafael Nadal (who's won pretty much everything since the spring). Meanwhile, Federer's legend has lost a great deal of its luster as he's looked mortal for the first time in five years... even if he DID finally pick up that missing Olympic Gold in Beijing, in doubles, no less. Rather than be emboldened by the Wimbledon final against Nadal, Federer seems to have been mentally scarred by losing on his "home" court, even if it was in a Match for the Ages. Unless the coveted Beijing Gold has sewn up his psychological wounds, it might not be until 2009 that we see a Federer who resembles the player who enters (rather quietly, oddly enough) this tournament as the four-time defending U.S. Open champion.

Djokovic, who became a true star a year ago at the Open, has sort of been lost in the backwash of the ups-and-downs of Rafa & Roger (the correct order of reference now, I guess) throughout 2008's first eight months. But that could change in New York. Nadal is on an almost inhuman Roland Garros-Wimbledon-Olympics title streak, and comes to the Open less worn down and playing better on hard courts than he ever has. Good timing, with his new #1 ranking and ending of Federer's 18-slam string of being the top-seeded player in the men's draw. But Djokovic defeated Nadal in Cincinnati in August, and is likely still thinking about the-flubbed-overhead-heard-round-the-world in their Olympic semifinal matchup.

There's nothing like a little extra motivation... especially for the Serbian Prince who still desperately wishes to be King.

The buzz of New York City fits the Djokovic's mentality and personality better than either Rafa or Roger's, but does that mean The Entertainer is the favorite to grab his second slam of the season? Umm, well no... but it just might happen.

Here's the thinking of things:

*ROUND OF 16*
#1 Nadal def. #22 Berdych
#9 Blake def. #32 Monfils
#17 del Potro def. #4 Ferrer (del Potro's won four straight titles, and was a U.S. Open Series star)
#6 Murray def. #21 Youzhny
Gulbis def. #11 Gonzalez
#3 Djokovic def. #19 Tsonga
Tipsarevic def. #26 Tursunov
#2 Federer def. #13 Verdasco

...what are the odds that Roddick makes it past the potential 1st-2nd Round combo of opponents named Santoro and Gulbis? Rarely has a player placed so much emphasis on a short period (the North American hard court season, which he skipped the Olympics for in order to prepare for this event) with so little actual on-court output. One would think he'd have either Gilbert or Connors on speed dial by now... but one also knows better.

*QF*
#1 Nadal def. #9 Blake (Blake has a shot here, especially if a ball ticks Rafa's racket)
#17 del Potro def. #6 Murray
#3 Djokovic def. Gulbis
#2 Federer def. Tipsarevic (Melbourne Redux)

...if Blake could ever come up big in NY, the place would go crazy.

*SF*
#1 Nadal def. #17 del Potro
#3 Djokovic def. #2 Federer

...wonder if Federer's off-season schedule is going to be as busy this November/December as it was last year?

*FINAL*
#3 Djokovic def. #1 Nadal

...could we finally get the first classic U.S. Open men's final in about twenty years?


All for now.

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Top 10 Modern Olympic Tennis Moments

The Beijing draws are out, the pollution gear is packed, and the 2008 Olympic tennis event begins this weekend. It'll be the sixth straight Olympiad in which tennis will be a full medal sport, after having been reinstated as such in 1988 after being eliminated following a long Olympic run from 1896 to 1924, during which Suzanne Lenglen ('20) and Helen Wills ('24) were the most successful all-time greats who claimed Golds.



But what are some of the greatest moments in the modern Olympic tennis era? Well, here are a few to chew on:

1. 1988 Seoul Singles Gold - Steffi Graf (FRG) def. Gabriela Sabatini (ARG)

...6-3/6-3. The most-difficult-to-get cog in the wheel that was Steffi's Golden Grand Slam season.
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2. 2004 Athens Singles Gold - Justine Henin-H. (BEL) def. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)
...6-3/6-3. Smack dab in the middle of her bout with the cytomegalovirus that kept her out of action for the four months prior to Athens and nearly all of the rest of the season that followed, Henin put together maybe the most remarkable performance of her career. She survived a 5-1 3rd set deficit against Anastasia Myskina in the SF, then took out Mauresmo for the Gold. It was only later, once the full truth about her illness was known, that we found out just how deep La Petit Taureau had to dig to pull this one out.
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3. 2004 Athens Singles Gold - Nicolas Massu (CHI) def. Mardy Fish (USA)

...6-3/3-6/2-6/6-3/6-4. Talk about a stunner! Massu became Chile's first-ever Gold Medalist (and then the first two-timer when he won in doubles), as well as the first man to sweep both singles and doubles since Vincent Richards in 1924.
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4t. 2000 Sydney Bronze - Arnaud di Pasquale (ITA) def. Roger Federer (SUI) 7-6/6-7/6-3
4t. 2004 Athens 2nd Rd - Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Roger Federer (SUI) 4-6/7-5/7-5
...quick! Name the Swiss men's player with the most Olympic tennis medals. Brrrrppppp! Wrong! The King has none, but Marc Rosset won the Gold in 1992.
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5. 2004 Athens Doubles Gold - Ting Li/Tiantian Sun (CHN) def. Conchita Martinez/Virginia Ruano-Pascual (ESP)
...6-3/6-3. Four years before Beijing, was this the prelude to greater things in '08, or just a tease that unearthed false hope that will not be fulfilled by the Chinese tennis federation?
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6. 1992 Barcelona Singles Gold - Jennifer Capriati (USA) def. Steffi Graf (GER)

...3-6/6-3/6-4. At 16, nine years before her career comeback garnered three slam crowns, Capriati was a Gold Medalist after defeating defending '88 champ Graf.
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7. 1996 Atlanta Singles Gold - Andre Agassi (USA) def. Sergi Bruguera (ESP)

...6-2/6-3/6-1. Agassi and wife Steffi Graf are the only players to have ever won all four slams, plus Olympic Gold. After this triumph, Agassi went on to win five of his eight career slam titles.
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8t. 1996 Atlanta Singles Gold - Lindsay Davenport (USA) def. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (ESP) 7-6/6-2.
8t. 2000 Sydney Singles Gold - Venus Williams (USA) def. Elena Dementieva (RUS) 6-2/6-4

... these two extended the USA Gold streak to three Olympiads. Davenport knocked off four Top 10 opponents, and Venus joined Helen Wills (1924) as the only woman to sweep the singles and doubles Gold at the same Olympics.
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9. 1984 Los Angeles Demonstration Tournaments
... four years before tennis became an official medal sport again, it was a demonstration, non-medal, sport in L.A.. The winners? A 15-year old Steffi Graf of West Germany, three years before her first slam victory (she'd go on to win 22), and 18-year old Swede Stefan Edberg, who'd win the first of his six career slams the next season in Australia.
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10. 2000 Sydney SF - Elena Dementieva (RUS) def. Jelena Dokic (AUS)
...6-2/4-6/4-6. During her previous Aussie incarnation, Dokic nearly pulled off a crowd-pleasing Medal run. But she lost in three sets to Dementieva, then dropped the Bronze Match to Monica Seles. One wonders how the last few years might have gone had she performed better here and basked in the Aussie Olympic glow even more than she did at the time. Alas, it was not meant to be (not in '00, at least). On a brighter note, Australia's Alicia Molik pulled off what Dokic couldn't four years later, winning the Bronze in Athens.
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HM- 1988 Seoul Singles Gold - Miloslav Mecir (TCH) def. Tim Mayotte (USA)

...3-6/6-2/6-4/6-2. The Big Cat, a Backspin favorite, flashed his sleepy-but-sleek game as he prowled the Korean court in the two-time slam finalist's career high point.
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**WOMEN'S SINGLES MEDALISTS, since 1988**
[GOLD]
1988 Steffi Graf, West Germany
1992 Jennifer Capriati, USA
1996 Lindsay Davenport, USA
2000 Venus Williams, USA
2004 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium
[SILVER]
1988 Gabriela Sabatini, Argentina
1992 Steffi Graf, Germany
1996 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain
2000 Elena Dementieva, Russia
2004 Amelie Mauresmo, France
[BRONZE]
1988 Manuela Maleeva, Bulgaria & Zina Garrison, USA
1992 Arantxa Sanchze Vicario, Spain & Mary Joe Fernandez, USA
1996 Jana Novotna, Czech Republic
2000 Monica Seles, USA
2004 Alicia Molik, Australia

**MEN'S SINGLES MEDALISTS, since 1988**
[GOLD]
1988 Miloslav Mecir, Czechoslovakia
1992 Marc Rosset, Switzerland
1996 Andre Agassi, USA
2000 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russia
2004 Nicolas Massu, Chile
[SILVER]
1988 Tim Mayotte, USA
1992 Jordi Arrese, Spain
1996 Sergi Bruguera, Spain
2000 Tommy Haas, Germany
2004 Mardy Fish, USA
[BRONZE]
1988 Stefan Edberg, Sweden & Brad Gilbert, USA
1992 Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia & Andrei Cherkasov, Unified Team
1996 Leander Paes, India
2000 Arnaud di Pasquale, France
2004 Fernando Gonzalez, Chile

**WOMEN'S DOUBLES MEDALISTS, since 1988**
[GOLD]
1988 Pam Shriver/Zina Garrison, USA
1992 Mary Joe Fernandez/Gigi Fernandez, USA
1996 Mary Joe Fernandez/Gigi Fernandez, USA
2000 Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA
2004 Ting Li/Tiantian Sun, China

**MEN'S DOUBLES MEDALISTS, since 1988**
[GOLD]
1988 Ken Flach/Robert Seguso, USA
1992 Boris Becker/Michael Stich, Germany
1996 Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde, Australia
2000 Sebastien Lareau/Daniel Nestor, Canada
2004 Fernando Gonzalez/Nicolas Massu, Chile

**MULTIPLE OLYMPIC TENNIS MEDALS, since 1988**
4...Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP (2 S, 2 B)
3...Mary Joe Fernandez, USA
3...Conchita Martinez, ESP
3...Jana Novotna, TCH/CZE
2...Gigi Fernandez, USA
2...Zina Garrison, USA
2...Fernando Gonzalez, CHI
2...Steffi Graf, FRG/GER
2...Goran Ivanisevic, CRO
2...Nicolas Massu, CHI
2...Miloslav Mecir, TCH
2...Helena Sukova, TCH/CZE
2...Venus Williams, USA
2...Todd Woodbridge, AUS
2...Mark Woodforde, AUS


All for now.

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The Backspin Olympics Quiz

Test your Olympic Tennis knowledge by taking the Backspin Olympic Tennis Quiz on the severely-underutilized (of late, at least) "Backspin Quiz Page."

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