The highest level of men’s tennis competition will come together as the U.S. Open, the final major of the season, kicks off on Monday at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The men’s field boasts the world’s top 100 players.
There are a number of storylines on the women’s side, but none bigger than whether 17-year-old Wimbledon champ Maria Sharapova is for real.
The top seeds
Defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium heads the women’s field followed in the seeding order by France’s Amelie Mauresmo and two-time Open champ Serena Williams. On the men’s side, Roger Federer of Switzerland is No. 1, followed by Andy Roddick and Carlos Moya of Spain.
2003 in review
The talk was all Roddick. The No. 4 seed cruised to a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 win over Juan Carlos Ferrero for his first Grand Slam title. Two Belgians–Kim Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne–met in the women’s final with Henin-Hardenne overcoming leg cramps to defeat her compatriot 7-5, 6-1.
This year’s finals
The women’s championship will again be played in prime time–Saturday night, Sept. 11. The men’s final will be Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12.
5 women to watch
1. Lindsay Davenport: If she keeps winning (four titles in the summer), the 28-year-old may have to reconsider retirement at the end of 2004. The one question mark, her knee, has held up fine, and the 1998 champion is pounding groundstrokes like she did three and four years ago.
2. Serena Williams: Another start-and-stop year for Serena, who can’t seem to stay on the court consistently enough, because of injuries, to find the groove she needs to win a seventh Grand Slam title.
3. Justine Henin-Hardenne: She lost only one set in six matches at the Olympics, and her hitting was almost as impressive as her court fitness. She has Martina Hingis’ court smarts, but she’s quicker, stronger and more mentally tough.
4. Maria Sharapova: It was a leisurely summer for Sharapova, who wanted to gather her wits after her mercurial triumph at Wimbledon. She played only five matches (three tournaments) before going to New Haven last week. She’ll have a target on her, but she seems emotionally strong enough to cope.
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova: You’re never sure (maybe she isn’t either) how well she’ll play from week to week. She flip-flops from big wins to inscrutable defeats. She has the talent, but there’s serious doubt she can win seven matches in a row without losing focus.
5 men to watch
1. Roger Federer: He’s well-rested, and he’ll need every edge he can get at a Slam in which he has struggled. But he has won three of the last five majors. He has every stroke, including a lethal volley, which he has been using more often. Great server, though he seldom tops 125 m.p.h.
2. Andy Roddick: The chase continues. He’s snapping at Federer’s heels, and he’ll carry a psychological edge to the Open, where the friendly confines and crowds tuned into his pyrotechnics to help stoke him.
3. Lleyton Hewitt: He has lost to the eventual winner at the previous three Slams this year, but it hasn’t gotten the Aussie down. If you look at his performances, he’s very close to the quality of his 2001 Open victory year.
4. David Nalbandian: The 22-year-old from Argentina has one of the more interesting games on the men’s tour: excellent counter-punching, fine running, a top-five backhand down the line, but also a lot of finesse, especially on the service return.
5. Juan Carlos Ferrero: This has been something of a lost year for the Spaniard, with injuries interrupting his progress. But he has regained his fitness, and anyone who reaches the final here the previous year has to be considered a contender.
And don’t forget
Venus Williams: The two-time Open champ hasn’t won a Slam event since 2001, but few players have a better track record in New York than Venus (35-4 record).
Andre Agassi: It doesn’t matter how he’s playing before the Open, he’ll be considered a contender every year he enters this tournament until he can no longer walk.
U.S. Open at a glance
When: Monday through Sept. 12 (a week later than usual because of the Olympics).
Where: USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
Format: Men play best-of-five-set matches, women play best-of-three.
Prize money: $17,758,500, $1 million to each singles champion.
Past champions in field: Andy Roddick (’03), Lleyton Hewitt (’01), Marat Safin (’00), Andre Agassi (’99, ’94); Justine Henin-Hardenne (’03), Serena Williams (’02, ’99), Venus Williams (’01, ’00), Lindsay Davenport (’98).
Noteworthy: No man has won consecutive major titles over the past 18 Grand Slam tournaments.
TV: USA–Monday to Sept. 3, Sept. 7-9: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 6-10 p.m.; Sept. 12: 12-1:30. WBBM-Ch. 2–Sept. 4-6: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 6-10 p.m.; Sept. 11: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7-9 p.m.; Sept. 12: 3-6 p.m.
