[champion88]

US OPEN





Welcome to Flushing Meadows, New York, for the season's final Grand Slam. 10 of the 11 Slams played so far on OWTT have had different winners - will we have another new Grand Slam winner here in New York? With not long to go until the Year End Championships, this tournament will be crucial in players' campaigns for the season-ending Top 8. Let's check out the big guns here in New York....


The Favourites




#6 Alicia Molik - Molik is #1 in the Race at the moment and finished #2 the the USO Series Race, with a title in Stanford and QF finishes in Montreal & New Haven. She definitely has the game to go all the way here in New York.


#8 Sorana Cirstea - she has had a great few weeks on tour and shooting up the rankings. She had an awesome hard court swing, finishing #1 in the USO Series Race thanks to titles in LA & Montreal as well as SF finishes in Stanford & New Haven. She is the one to beat here.


#12 Ashley Harkleroad - finsihed up at #3 in the USO Series Race. Finished RU in New Haven, SF in Montreal and a QF run in LA. She is playing with huge confidence right now.


The Contenders





#2 Anna Kournikova - RU finish in LA, as well as a QF in Montreal. She definitely has the weapons to go all the way, but I question her mental fragility if she were to get to the final.


#5 Nicole Vaidisova - Montreal RU and QF in New Haven. Vaidisova has had some good results recently, and she will be looking to peak here at Flushing Meadows.


#14 Na Li - She has really shot up the rankings due to some great results. Stanford RU, and QF finishes in LA & New Haven. She is definitely a dangerous opponent for anybody.


#19 Dinara Safina - was badly slumping before taking the title in New Haven last week. She will be full of confidence and hoping to repeat her success from new Haven.


The Dark Horses





#1 Serena Williams - odd to only have the #1 players as a "Dark Horse" but she failed to reach the QF in any of the warm-up events. However, Serena likes the big stage and is defending champion here. When she is on she is the toughest player out there, so a repeat win wouldn't surprise.


#10 Tatjana Malek - she won Wimbledon a few weeks back, and also reached the Stanford semis. She woudl love to win a second Slam.


#15 Venus Williams - reached QF in Stanford & New Haven. She has all the shots and could pull it off this week. She would love to follow in her sisters foot steps and win here in New York.





S.1 – Zvonareva def. (Q) Cornet 6-4 5-7 6-0
S.2 – (1) S.Williams def. (4) Cornet 6-0 0-6 6-4


Points to Defend

Benesova – 2
Sharapova – 2
Kirilenko – 2
Larcher de Brito – 2
Zvonareva – 2
Tulyaganova – 25
Golovin – 25
Kuznetsova – 25
Davenport – 25
Kournikova – 25
Salerni – 25
Wozniacki – 25
V.Williams – 25
Harkleroad – 25
Ivanovic – 25
Dulko – 60
Jankovic – 60
Safarova - 60
Hantuchova – 120
Craybas – 140
Vaidisova – 140
Malek – 140
Safina – 250
Schnyder – 375
Cornet – 450
S.Williams – 1225


Qualifying

Zvonareva Vs. Bartoli
Pennetta Vs. Szavay
Salerni Vs. Rubin
Wozniacki Vs. Chakvetadze
Petrova Vs. Cibulkova


Main Draw

(1) S.Williams Vs. Azarenka
Q1 Vs. (14) Na Li
(9) Kuznetsova Vs. Q2
Q3 Vs. (5) Vaidisova

(7) Davenport Vs. Schnyder
Sharapova Vs. (13) Craybas
(16) Kirilenko Vs. Hantuchova
Q4 Vs. (3) Ivanovic

(4) Cornet Vs. Dulko
Tulyaganova Vs. (15) V.Williams
(11) Safarova Vs. Benesova
Safina Vs. (6) Molik

(8) Cirstea Vs. Jankovic
Golovin Vs. (12) Harkleroad
(10) Malek Vs. Q5
Larcher de Brito Vs. (2) Kournikova


POINTS DUE TUESDAY 1PM

[Tomek.]

so funny

second time in a row I play vs a player 2 times in a row

[champion88]

Rankings w/USO off

1. (2) Anna Kournikova – 2695
2. (3) Ana Ivanovic – 2690
3. (5) Alicia Molik – 2175
4. (1) Serena Williams – 2135
5. (5) Nicole Vaidisova – 2110
6. (4) Alize Cornet – 1875
7. (8) Sorana Cirstea – 1871
8. (7) Lindsay Davenport – 1850
9. (9) Svetlana Kuznetsova – 1730
10. (12) Ashley Harkleroad – 1687
11. (14) Na Li – 1675
12. (11) Lucie Safarova – 1665
13. (10) Tatjana Malek – 1609
14. (13) Jill Craybas – 1554
15. (15) Venus Williams – 1487
16. (16) Maria Kirilenko – 1480
17. (18) Maria Sharapova – 1393
18. (17) Daniela Hantuchova – 1315
19. (20) Tatiana Golovin – 1260
20. (19) Dinara Safina – 1140
21. (24) Michelle Larcher-de-Brito – 1108
22. (22) Gisela Dulko – 1065
23. (23) Jelena Jankovic – 1055
24. (25) Victoria Azarenka – 1029
25. (26) Iroda Tulyaganova – 882
26. (27) Iveta Benesova – 822
27. (21) Patty Schnyder – 788
28. (28) Maria-Emilia Salerni – 639
29. (29) Vera Zvonareva – 509
30. (30) Anna Chakvetadze – 429
31. (31) Caroline Wozniacki – 384
32. (32) Nadia Petrova - 360
33. (33) Agnes Szavay – 313
34. (34) Flavia Pennetta – 189
35. (35) Chanda Rubin – 98
36. (36) Dominika Cibulkova - 86
37. (37) Marion Bartoli – 43

[Adal]

Two favourites might play in 2R. Soo not fair.

[Poova]

Oh god, will be so embarrassing if I lose to that hot mess in R1.

[Sean.]

[Slutati]

Oh no

[patch.]

need to do well here

[*Joey*]

I need to reach semis, I do want to be #1!!!


But I hate to play against Michelle, and then Malek who beat me during the US series and then, Sorana...

[zvonarevarulz]

*cough*former champion should get a WC*cough*

[zvonarevarulz]

[Fretchap]

Serena's head already into season 4



Serena Williams had been pretty dissapointed about her season three on OWTT, only godd thing she will remember of it is her French Open title. Serena Williams comes in this US Open and is totally conscient it's her last week as the world number one but still she's positive "I've been ranked number 1 for the last 38 weeks, that record won't be broken that soon. I'm conscient that after the tournament I will slip out of top 5, but I know that's it's only cause of a lack of effort coming from me. The only girl I can see suceeding to me as the best player in the world is Anna Kournikova, the Ana Ivanovic, Sorana Cirstea and Alicia Molik of this world bring nothing interesting to the game and it would be a shame to see them on top. Anna Kournikova has been working a lot since her pretty far back Wimbldon breakthrough."

Serena said she may take a pause after the US Open and come back for the YEC if her ranking in hte race is still high enough. Miss Williams said "Reigning on the Tour that long has been tough mentally. All year long I've been mixed up about what to do with my career and now I'm sure I want to stay on Tour, but taking a pause to be in real good shape for the Australian season and the whole next season might be a possibilty."

The most titled player of the Tour talked about what her goals from now and on would be ans said "Number 1 no more is what I mainly want, if it comes with my other future accomplisments, then I'll be glad, but if it doesn't I don't really care. From now and on, what I want is Grand Slams. I have won the season 2 Us Open, the season 3 French Open, next year I'd love to triumph in Wimbledon or at the Australian open, but I wouldn't care winning the French Open or US Open too. I still feel like I'm the best, it's just a matter of me deciding to focus on tennis 100%."

[champion88]

Serena

[Sean.]

Serena

Alizé has always played so well here, but always JUST missed out. And now she is majorly slumping

[Tomek.]

why Serena didn't retire?