Expected | Unexpected |
---|---|
The glorious Manhattan skyline is on view at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center | Stamped across the chest of men’s doubles champion Radek Stepanek |
Victoria Duval takes to Louis Armstrong Stadium in white shades and takes down former champ Sam Stosur | Vicky exhibits an imposing, mature game, but her unbridled excitement afterward reminds us that she's still 17 |
A Swiss man’s game is clicking like a precision Swiss timepiece | That man is Stan the man Wawrinka (Wow-rinka), the No. 2 Swiss man – and not Roger Federer |
A storm moves through Flushing Meadows | Her name is Tornado (Black), and the unseeded American knocked out opponents rather than power lines, muscling her way to the junior girls' final |
Expressive on-court hand gestures are seen across the net | Many from a growing army of Italian women, with three in one quarter in the fourth round |
The one-handed backhand is still a unique shot, capable of extreme angles and spins | Eight of 16 men in the fourth round sport a one-hander |
Frenchman Richard Gasquet says a five-set match is n'est pas possible | Turns out he meant “impossible to lose” |
Hewitt, Haas, Youzhny and Robredo represent the old guard of over-30s | The senior citizens of the game run circles around the ones Robredo calls “youngers” |
Four women bring their experience to the semifinal | Three of four – Serena, Pennetta and Li – are age 31 |
The intimate Grandstand court is on its way out, part of the grounds’ upcoming renovation | It inspires a chorus of wistful tributes from writers and even that notorious sentimentalist, Brad Gilbert |
American Ally Riske brings her girlish enthusiasm and giggles to the court | As well as a beloved, well-worn blankie for comfort |
Andrea Hlavakova wins in both mixed and women’s doubles while looking a bit like a reedier St. Pauli Girl | Her dad is the master brewer at the famed Czech brewery Pilsner Urquell |
The unstoppable Bryan brothers close in on a calendar Grand Slam in doubles | Alas, they prove stoppable, losing in the semis |
Serena roars through the draw, not losing a set in matches that average just about an hour | She plays a marathon in the final Friday, coming right back on court after her semifinal win over Li to play the doubles semi with big sis Venus |
James Blake is one of the veteran hopefuls at age 33 | He announces his retirement and energizes a late-night crowd, but goes down in five to a Croatian giant named Dr. Ivo |
Andy Murray returns to the site of his breakthrough major championship, when he won last year’s US Open crown | The Scot reverts to his tormented, pre-major- and pre-Olympics winning self |
Novak Djokovic meets little resistance in cruising to a 14th straight Grand Slam semifinal | But finds stiff resistance there, against a surging Stan Wawrinka |
Rafael Nadal is known for his brutally efficient ground strokes | But his serve does the real damage as he holds 88 straight games, dating back to Cincinnati |
Maria Sharapova, citing a shoulder injury, withdraws just days prior to the start of the Open | But not before floating the idea of changing her name to Sugarpova |