2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Henman: Murray can win but Rafa the favourite

Tim Henman believes Andy Murray is more than capable of retaining his US Open title - but admits he sees in-form Rafael Nadal as the favourite for the season's final Grand Slam.
Nadal usurped Murray as world number two this week following his win at the Cincinnati Masters, meaning the Brit will be seeded third in New York.
While Nadal has won all 15 matches he has played on hard courts this year, Murray suffered a quarter-final exit in Cincinnati and before that lost in round three of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
And Henman, speaking at Wimbledon where Murray memorably won his second Grand Slam earlier this summer, believes the 26-year-old will continue to battle with Nadal and world number one Novak Djokovic for Grand Slam titles in the coming years.
However, he is tipping Nadal to take Murray's US Open title from him when the Slam gets underway at Flushing Meadows next week.
"Andy has had a little bit of a slow start on the hard courts but he is there as defending champion and has got a great chance of adding another Slam to his CV," said Henman, who is the ambassador for HSBC Road to Wimbledon, the UK's largest junior grass tournament.
"Now he has got two Slams I definitely see him going on and adding more because he is that good - I think this is his time. Djokovic, Murray and Nadal I definitely see dominating the majors in years to come.
"But I would probably say Nadal is the favourite for the US Open right now. He is not number one in the world but he is the best player in the world this year - it is phenomenal he has only lost three matches.
"I would probably give him the edge, but Djokovic and Murray will not be far behind."

 

[Smallville22]

Top seed Errani upset in final WTA event before US Open

Sara Errani's US Open preparations were jolted when the top-seeded Italian was upset by Russia's Ekaterina Makarova 7-5 6-1 in the second round of the New Haven Open.
World number five Errani double-faulted five times while her 26th-ranked opponent unleashed eight aces and won seven consecutive games on the way to victory in one hour 22 minutes.
The premature exit of Errani followed the elimination of second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany in the second round on Tuesday, marking the first time the top two seeds had failed to reach the last eight at the tournament.
In other matches on Wednesday, fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark booked her place in the quarter-finals with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Italy's Karin Knapp and Romania's Simona Halep battled past Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 3-6 6-4 6-1.
The New Haven Open is the final tune-up on the WTA Tour before the final grand slam event of the year, the US Open, which starts on August 26 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

 

[Smallville22]

McEnroe cannot see another Grand Slam win for Federer

John McEnroe finds it hard to envisage Roger Federer adding to his record 17 grand slam titles and believes the Swiss maestro is showing signs of slowing down.
The 32-year-old Federer heads into next week's US Open seeded seventh, his first time outside the top three in any slam in the past decade, and his recent form offers no suggestion of a quick improvement at Flushing Meadows in New York.
McEnroe, a four-time US Open champion and three-times Wimbledon winner, is not ruling Federer out of contention for the latter stages of the tournament but he feels it may now be too much to expect the Swiss to go all the way.
"To me, it's obviously going to be a lot more difficult at this stage," McEnroe, now a television commentator with ESPN, said on a conference call.
"I don't see at this stage him being able to go through all seven (rounds) and have to beat at least two of these (top) three guys.
"Maybe he would use that type of thing as incentive. When you've won 17, you clearly think you can win another one. To me, there comes a point, even as great as Roger has been for so many years, that it catches up to you a little bit," McEnroe added.
Beaten by the 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round at Wimbledon, Federer also lost to Federico Delbonis in the Hamburg semi-finals and 55th-ranked Daniel Brands on home soil in Gstaad.
He fared a little better in Cincinnati last week, reaching the quarter-finals where he was beaten by eventual winner, and US Open favourite, Rafa Nadal.
McEnroe believes that while Federer's experience and ability mean he will still be a factor, grand slam win number 18 may be a step too far now.
"There are certainly scenarios where he could easily still get late into an event and even to a final," McEnroe said. "Andre (Agassi) got to the final of the Open at 35, so there's no reason to believe he couldn't do it.
"At Wimbledon I could see him going late into an event, a final. I could see it on a hard court...but I personally think that at this stage it's going to be quite, quite difficult for him to win another one."
With Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all displaying better form and consistency, McEnroe expects tough decisions ahead for Federer, especially if he remains well behind those three in the rankings.
"These guys are hungry," said McEnroe. "There's other guys that want get on the board. He's 32. He's going to have to at some stage decide how bad he wants it if he does dip lower in the world.
"I doubt he'll enjoy being in that spot. All these factors are going to start to come into it. Now, he can shut everyone up if he was able to go all the way at the Open and he could still keep himself in the running."
McEnroe also felt that Federer has lost some of his sharpness and balance.
"I think one of the things you notice a little bit is possibly he's slowed down a little bit," the American said. "The balance and the movement are not quite as (Rudolf) Nureyev-like as they were in the past.
"So he's reaching for more balls and therefore miss-hitting more shots. It doesn't seem like he's been able or willing to make that adjustment where he's got to either play safer or take that extra step to balls."
For McEnroe, Federer no longer seemed to have the same self-belief in his movement about the court.
"That first quick step you got to take to take advantage of a ball, especially how hard as they guys hit it," he said.
"He's so used to being able to go big and hit pretty much everything he wants. And part of why he's so great is because he's stubborn and he believes in himself, so he's ********* to change a whole lot."

 

[Smallville22]

Sharapova out with shoulder injury

Third-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova has pulled out of next week's US Open due to a shoulder injury.
The four-times grand slam winner, who triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2006, fired coach Jimmy Connors last week after just one match together.
The 26-year-old world number three, who is suffering from inflammation in her right shoulder, said withdrawing from the year's final grand slam was "a really tough decision to make".
"I have done everything I could since Wimbledon to get myself ready but it just wasn't enough time," she said in statement on her Facebook page.
"I have done many tests, received several opinions and it all comes down to taking the proper amount of time to heal my shoulder injury properly.
"It's certainly not an easy decision to make ahead of one of my favourite tournaments, but I know it's the right one that will get me back on the courts soon.
"I plan on taking the next few weeks off, receiving proper treatment and rehabilitation."
Sharapova lost to 20-year-old American Sloane Stephens in the second round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati last week in her only match since a second-round exit at Wimbledon.
Her absence from Flushing Meadows at least puts to rest widely reported plans she had to legally change her name for the U.S. Open in a publicity stunt for her candy business.
Defending champion Serena Williams is the top seed for the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows in New York, ahead of Belarusian Victoria Azarenka and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, who now moves up to third.
Tournament director David Brewer had earlier announced Sharapova's withdrawal.
"We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to her return to New York next year," he said in a statement.

 

[Smallville22]

Australia chief Wood steps down after eight years

Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood will step down next month after eight years in the job and be replaced by Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley.
Wood restructured Australia tennis to put it on a firm financial footing and oversaw the development of the Australian Open into one of the strongest tournaments in the world.
While there was success in the women's game in his time in charge when Sam Stosur won the US Open in 2011, Australia's long wait for another men's grand slam champion continues.
Wood said he wanted to take a break.
"It has been an incredible time," he said in a news release. "We have achieved so much. I think the platform has been established and it is now time for an intensified push to reinvigorate every element of Australian tennis."
Tennis Australia president Steve Healy paid tribute to Wood's "creative and progressive" leadership and said Tiley was his natural successor.
"Steve's departure will coincide with a renewed focus on strengthening the foundations of the sport throughout Australia," Healy said.
"Steve's legacy is that tennis is well-positioned commercially and structurally to take on these challenges."

 

[Smallville22]

British duo reach second round of qualifying

British pair Dan Evans and Samantha Murray reached the second round of US Open qualifying, but Tara Moore failed to get through.
Davis Cup star Evans beat Canada's Peter Polansky 6-2 6-3, while Murray beat Australian Arina Rodinova 6-4 6-1 to set up a second-round qualifying clash with American teen Taylor Townsend.
Townsend, 17, reached the junior final of this year's Wimbledon but has never played in a main Grand Slam event. She beat qualifying 11th seed Eva Birnerova of the Czech Republic 6-1 6-2.
Moore, however, could not get past Colombia's Catalina Castano, going down 6-4 1-6 6-4.
Another notable qualifier for the second round was American 21-year-old Coco Vandeweghe, a former US Open junior champion and four-times veteran of the main draw.
James Ward and Elena Baltacha made it through to the penultimate round of qualifying on Wednesday, meaning four Britons are two matches away from joining Andy Murray, Laura Robson and Heather Watson in the main draw.
The US Open takes place at Flushing Meadows between August 26 and September 9.

 

[Smallville22]

Murray to open against Llodra, Federer-Nadal quarters on the cards

US Open champion Andy Murray faces the mouthwatering prospect of meeting top seed Novak Djokovic in this year's semi-finals after the draw for the season's final Grand Slam was announced on Thursday.
Murray, who is also the Wimbledon champion, landed in the top half of the draw for the August 26-September 9 tournament in New York while second seed Rafa Nadal and five-times Open champion Roger Federer were placed in the bottom half.
Scotsman Murray, who beat Serb Djokovic in an epic five-set final to claim last year's title at Flushing Meadows, was elated to be back at a venue where he has enjoyed considerable success.
"This is a huge tournament for me," Murray, 26, said after the official draw ceremony was completed at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.
"I came here for the first time when I was 15. I got to my first Grand Slam final here, my first Grand Slam win here and I won the juniors here when I was 17 so I love coming back."
Murray will take on Frenchman Michael Llodra in the opening round while Djokovic launches his title bid against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis.
Seventh seed Federer has been placed outside the top three for the first time in more than a decade at a Grand Slam and is drawn to meet in-form Nadal in the quarter-finals.
However, the Spaniard could face a tricky opponent in the previous round where he is scheduled to meet big-serving American John Isner, who Nadal beat in the final of the Western and Southern Open last week.
In other likely quarter-finals, fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer is set to meet Frenchman Richard Gasquet, Djokovic could face sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina and Murray is on course to play fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych.
In the women's singles draw, world number one and defending champion Serena Williams is set to come up against Germany's Angelique Kerber in the last eight but she has two other intriguing opponents potentially lying in wait.
Top seed Williams is scheduled to face fellow American Sloane Stephens in the fourth round, the player who stunningly beat her in this year's Australian Open quarter-finals.
Should Serena overcome that potential hurdle, she could then meet her older ****** Venus, who has the chance to advance through Kerber's section of the draw.
However, Serena has no plans to look too far ahead as she sets her sights on winning a 17th Grand Slam singles title.
"I take every match really seriously," Serena said while sitting next to Murray after the draw ceremony. "I don't look too far in the draw. I just look at each match.
"Every match is going to be a very, very tough competition for me and I will just stay focused on one at a time."
Like Murray, Serena is delighted to be back at Flushing Meadows where she won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 Open.
"It's so important for me," the 31-year-old smiled. "I told my ***, 'I want to win the Open when I grow up. I want to be able to win this title.'
"The first time I ever won a Grand Slam was here in Arthur Ashe Stadium so it just has so many great memories. The Open means everything to me."
Second seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarussia, who beat Serena in Sunday's Cincinnati Open final, has been drawn to meet seventh seed Czech Petra Kvitova in the last eight.
The other potential quarter-finals could see third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland against fifth seed Li Na of China while fourth-seeded Italian Sara Errani is scheduled to play sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
In the opening round, Serena faces an experienced opponent in Italian Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, while Azarenka comes up against Germany's Dinah Pfizenmaier.
Britain's Heather Watson opens against Simona Halep while Laura Robson's first round clash is against Lourdes Dominguez Lino.

 

[Smallville22]

McEnroe: I can't see Federer winning another Slam

John McEnroe has predicted Roger Federer will never win another Grand Slam tennis title.
Federer holds the record for Grand Slam titles in the Open era with 17 but he will start the US Open as seventh seed – his lowest seeding in 11 years.
McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slams himself and now commentates on the sport, said he thinks it might just be the beginning of the end for Federer who has won only one Grand Slam (Wimbledon 2012) since 2010 and who is now 32.
"To me, it's obviously going to be a lot more difficult at this stage," he said.
"I don't see at this stage him being able to go through all seven (rounds) and have to beat at least two of these three guys.
"There are certainly scenarios where he could easily still get late into an event and even to a final.
"Andre (Agassi) got to the final of the Open at 35, so there's no reason to believe he couldn't do it.
"At Wimbledon I could see him going late into an event, a final. I could see it on a hard court...but I personally think that at this stage it's going to be quite, quite difficult for him to win another one."
The US Open starts on Monday with Federer potentially facing Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

 

[Smallville22]

Three Brits reach final qualifying round

Three of the four Britons left in US Open qualifying reached the final round, as Elena Baltacha, James Ward and Dan Evans all progressed.
Baltacha destroyed Olga Savchuk of Ukraine 6-3 6-0 in a match that lasted just over an hour but needed five hours to complete as thunderstorms interrupted play.
The 30-year-old Baltacha, a former British number one but now ranked 244th in the world, made light work of Savchuk, who is ranked 71 places higher than the woman born in Ukraine but raised in Britain after her footballer ****** joined Ipswich in 1988.
The other British woman left in qualifying, Sam Murray, was beaten 6-4 7-5 by rising American star Taylor Townsend.
The 17-year-old Townsend is ranked 144 places below Murray but she reached the final of the junior Wimbledon tournament and his highly rated as a star of the future.
Both remaining men did make it through.
World number 175 James Ward dropped the first set to 27th-seeded German Matthias Bachinger, but managed to win through 2-6 6-4 6-4. He will face India’s sixth seed Somdev Devvarman for a place in the main draw.
Davis Cup star Dan Evans, ranked 179th in the world, came through a topsy-turvy clash with Italian world number 159 Flavio Cipolla, winning 7-5 1-6 6-3 to set up a clash with Adrian Menendez-Garcia of Spain, who is ranked five places below Evans.

 

[Smallville22]

Usual suspects lined up for run at US Open crown

There is a familiar but deceiving look about the main contenders set to battle for the US Open men's singles title when the year's final grand slam gets underway on Monday.
If history and current form are any guide, only five men - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro - have any real chance of wearing the hardcourt crown.
Since the 2005 French Open, only five men have won grand slam singles titles but rarely have all five been in contention at the same event.
But this time they are and the US Open is the one grand slam where they all believe they have a chance.
In the past five years, there have been five different winners at Flushing Meadows.
Unsurprisingly, they are the same familiar faces contending this year and the stakes could not be higher with all five desperate to prove a point.
For Federer, who won the title five times in a row from 2004-2008, it is looming as possibly one of his last chances to prove he is not a spent *****.
The Swiss master may be the most prolific grand slam winner of all time but he has struggled in recent years, winning just one of the last 14 majors.
He still strikes the ball as sweetly as anyone but at age 32, he is not as nimble as his younger rivals and has started to slide down the rankings.
Federer is seeded seventh this year and facing a treacherous path to the final, including a possible quarter-final showdown with his old nemesis Nadal.
The Spaniard won the US Open in 2010 to complete his collection of grand slam titles but the effort took a toll on his body.
Apart from the French Open, where he remains virtually unbeatable, Nadal has not won any other grand slam title since the 2010 US Open, stalling his chances of overtaking Federer's record of 17 grand slam title.
Nadal already has 12 grand slam titles but hardcourt looms as the key to his chances of overtaking Federer with two of the four majors played on the pavement.
Unlike clay, where he can slide around and wear down his opponents with his relentless pursuit of everything hit at him, Nadal has to change his game on hardcourt.
The 27-year-old has to play more aggressively and take more risks to shorten the points but it is a strategy he is becoming more comfortable with and finding success.
This year he captured three of the four Masters events played on the North America hardcourts, including this month's tournaments at Montreal and Cincinnati, and heads into the U.S. Open as the slight favourite, just ahead of Djokovic and Murray, last year's finalists.
Djokovic has played in four of the last six US Open finals but the world number one can count only one title.
****** to live in the shadows of Federer and Nadal for many years, the Serb has been making up for lost time, winning six grand slam titles, a feat which already ranks him among the greats.
Like Djokovic, Murray has also had to wait for his turn but the Scotsman is at the peak of his game. Twelve months ago, he beat Djokovic in a five-set thriller to win the US Open, becoming the first British man to capture a grand slam in 76 years.
He reached his crowning glory in July when he won Wimbledon and although he hasn't won a title since, he looms as a real threat to defend his title.
Del Potro won the US Open in 2009 and was instantly hailed as the sport's new star before his career was stalled by injuries.
But the towering Argentine is finally back to full fitness and steadily climbing up the rankings, adding another contender to the mix.

 

[Smallville22]

Azarenka poses danger for Williams at US Open

Serena Williams may be the overwhelming favorite but the world number one is anything but a sure bet to win a US Open overflowing with intriguing possibilities.
As the greatest player of her generation, Williams is the obvious choice to win the women's singles tournament, starting on Monday, but faces challenges on several fronts including the calendar.
If she wins, the 31-year-old American will be the oldest woman champion since tennis turned professional in 1968 but time has not caught up with Williams just yet.
"I'm definitely prepared. I'm definitely ready for New York. I'm looking forward to it," she said.
"I feel like I definitely had more matches than I could want, but I'm definitely prepared for the U.S. Open."
The American is already the second oldest grand slam winner after she won last year's U.S. Open and has captured eight titles this season, including the French Open. But not everything has gone her way.
A quarter-final loss to Sloane Stephens at the Australian Open and a fourth-round defeat to Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon were followed by her gut-wrenching loss to Victoria Azarenka at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati earlier this month.
Williams seemed to have the match under control when she cruised through the opening set only to lose in a third-set tie breaker, boosting Azarenka's confidence heading into the year's final grand slam.
The pair are seeded one and two and are drawn to meet in the final, just as they did last year. Williams beat Azarenka 7-5 in the final set 12 months ago but remains aware of the danger posed by the Belarusian.
"I'm a big Victoria fan," Williams said. "I think she's just the ultimate competitor on the court and just really nice.
"I really get along with her. She's just a great person."
The 24-year-old Azarenka won her second consecutive Australian Open this year and is perfectly suited to the unforgiving hardcourts at Flushing Meadows.
One of the few players who is unafraid of slugging it out with Williams in the cauldron-like atmosphere of Flushing Meadows, Azarenka looms as the obvious danger in what has all the makings of a great rivalry.
"Every time we play, I face a big challenge, my biggest opponent," Azarenka said.
"Playing in the final of any tournament against the best player, that's what you really strive for and to overcome and beat.
"I've had tough losses before against her but I feel like I learned from those losses, and it helps me improve."
The chances of the pair meeting in the final have increased since the withdrawal of Maria Sharapova, because of injury, and the shock retirement of Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli but there are plenty of other dangers lurking in the draw.
Australia's Sam Stosur won the U.S. Open two years ago, upsetting Williams in the final, and won in California earlier this month.
Although she is yet to win a major, Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska has been a model of consistency. A finalist at Wimbledon last year, she made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and the French Open this season and the semi-final at Wimbledon.
China's Li Na has also been in great form this season, reaching the final in Australia and the last eight at Wimbledon.
The Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 but has failed to make a grand slam final since, remains an unknown quantity while the rapidly Stephens lurks as the danger card.

 

[Smallville22]

Monfils and Melzer advance to Winston-Salem Open final

Frenchman Gael Monfils and Juergen Melzer of Austria won their semi-finals on Friday to advance to the final of the Winston-Salem Open, the last men's warm-up event before the US Open, starting on Monday.
Monfils qualified for his 19th ATP career final with a 7-6(9) 6-3 win over Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov while Melzer defeated American Sam Querrey 6-2 4-6 6-3.
Both men struggled before wearing down their opponents. Monfils, who was battling pain in his hip, lost the first four games of his match with Dolgopolov and saved three set points to win the opening set tiebreaker.
"It's very good for my confidence. It was good to be down two breaks and to win the set," said Monfils, who is chasing a fifth career title.
Melzer is also chasing a fifth title, and his first since Memphis last year, after surviving a determined fight back from Querrey.

 

[Smallville22]

Kvitova and Halep advance to New Haven Open final

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova stormed into the final of the New Haven Open, the last women's warm-up event before the US Open, with a ruthless 6-0 6-1 win over Klara Zakopalova.
Kvitova showed no mercy against her Czech Fed Cup team mate, racing to victory in just 50 minutes, to remain on course to defend the title she won in Connecticut last year.
Kvitova's opponent in Saturday's final will be Romania's Simona Halep, who upset four-times New Haven Open winner Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2 7-5.
"I don't think I've played Simona before," said Kvitova. "I know that she's a very good mover."
For Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011, Saturday's final provides her with the chance to claim her 11th career title and her second this year.
The 23-year-old had struggled in her previous matches so was relieved to get through quickly against her compatriot.
"It was nice to finally have a two-setter," she said.
"I was asked in a press conference this week if I prefer shorter matches. And I said, 'Of course, I prefer shorter matches but it's not always up to me!'"

 

[Smallville22]

Melzer claims Winston-Salem title as Monfils retires

Austria's Juergen Melzer won the Winston-Salem Open when Frenchman Gael Monfils retired from their final in North Carolina.
Melzer was leading 6-3 2-1 when Monfils called it quits, saying he was unable to continue because of a painful left hip.
"He's such a great player, so I was trying to focus on my things that I've been doing well this week," said Melzer.
"I was trying to be aggressive and go to the net as much as I could.
"The game before he retired he was serving really slowly and I missed a lot of returns because I knew if I broke him it could be the end and you get a little tight."
Monfils has been plagued by injuries all year and needed medical treatment for a strained left abdomen during his semi-final the previous day.
"After about 50 minutes, I tried to serve at full speed, and that was it," said the former world number seven.
"I felt like something snapped a little bit and it was really painful. It was tough to continue.
"I will try to get an x-ray tonight and see what's going on."
Melzer's victory provided him with his fifth ATP career title and his first since he won at Memphis last year but he sympathised with Monfils.
"Nobody wants to win a final like that," said Melzer. "You want to be out there competing but at the end of the day you take the title."
The win also provided the 32-year-old with a timely confidence boost ahead of the U.S. Open, starting on Monday, and vindicated his decision to hire Galo Blanco as his new coach.
"He started working with me in a tough moment of my career," Melzer said.
"I hadn't played any matches after Wimbledon. I took four weeks off with a shoulder issue and I played terrible in Cincinnati....to come back a week later and win a trophy (is great)."

 

[Smallville22]

Williams feels unbeatable heading into U.S. Open

With a hugely successful season coming to a close, World No. 1 Serena Williams believes she just cannot lose.
Williams was not making any bold statements about her chances of winning the U.S, Open, starting on Monday, but with 16 grand slams titles already under her belt, but says she feels she is playing with the house's money.
"I don't need to do anything," she told a news conference at the annual media day on Saturday.
"That's the beauty of my career. I don't need to do anything at all. Everything I do from this day forward is a bonus."
Despite knowing her place in the pantheon of tennis greats is already assured, Williams is not resting on her laurels just yet.
The world number one already has her sights set on more grand slams, including this year's U.S. Open, where she is the overwhelming favourite to successfully defend the title she won last year.
"My motivation just comes from different place and different areas," she said.
"I love to play tennis and I love winning and I think that keeps me motivated. I want to keep it up and I want to keep improving and try to keep winning."
Williams has always had an unwavering belief in her ability to perform at the biggest events since she won her first U.S. Open in 1999 when she was just 17 years old.
"When the tournament started, I told myself I was going to win and I felt it. I have these weird feelings all the time," she said.
"I wasn't really surprised. I mean, I was happy and elated, but I just had this instinct that I was going to win this title."
That win was the start of her domination of the women's game. Last year, she won her fourth U.S. Open, aged 30 and has shown no signs of slowing down. In June, she won the French Open, which has traditionally been her toughest major, for a second time.
If the American wins again at Flushing Meadows, she will become the oldest female champion in New York since tennis turned professional in 1968.
"That would be great but that's not one thing I focus on and think about," she said.
"I just think about there are so many people in the competition and so many things I would like to do.
"The instincts don't come as often this time, nowadays. I don't have an instinct. But I have also had that feeling going to a lot of slams I have won."

 

[Smallville22]

Azarenka vows to make up for US Open loss

Twelve months after her defeat in the US Open final, Victoria Azarenka is back in New York determined to make amends.
Azarenka was just two points away from beating Williams in last year's championship match when the American drew on her all her experience and raised her game to win a three-set thriller.
It was a painful loss for the fiercely competitive Belarusian's but she showed that she was quick learner, overcoming her disappointment and rebounding to win the next grand slam, in Australia, at the start of this year.
"I never look back, I always look forward," Azarenka told reporters at the U.S. Open annual media day on Saturday. "My head doesn't spin all the way back."
Rather than dwell on her near-miss, Azarenka believes it was ultimately a positive experience because it helped make her a tougher player.
"It will always be a special moment because I felt like that whole tournament, that final match left a big mark on my future career. I still feel that way," she said.
Azarenka showed how far she had come when she followed up her win at the Australian Open by beating Williams for just the second time, in the final of the Qatar Open before injuries stalled her momentum.
Last week, in their final warm-up for the U.S. Open, she beat Williams again, coming from a set down to win the Cincinnati Open in a third set tiebreak.
"It gives you great confidence but I always think that the new week is the new story," Azarenka said. "We all start from zero here."
The 24-year-old Azarenka also won the Australian Open in 2012 so seems perfectly suited to the hard courts at Flushing Meadows, but initially struggled with her emotion in the cooker-pressure atmosphere at the U.S. Open.
In her first six appearances in New York, between 2006 and 2012, her best result was making the fourth round in 2007, before she unlocked the key last year and reached the final.
"I just feel like I switched the light," she said.
"It is hard...I feel like you have to find your own way on how to do it.
"There is kind of like a recipe that you have to make for yourself to go through those emotions, because it can be a roller coaster sometimes."

 

[Smallville22]

Halep beats Kvitova to win New Haven Open

Romania's Simona Halep stunned former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-2 in the final of the New Haven Open on Saturday to capture her fourth title in just over two months.
The unseeded Halep followed up her win over former world number one Caroline Wozniacki the previous night with a ruthless demolition of Kvitova, one of the leading contenders for the U.S. Open, starting in New York on Monday.
Trailing 2-1 and facing double break point on her serve, Halep suddenly raised her standards, reeling off the next nine games in a row to clinch the opening set and jump out to a 4-0 lead in the second.
Kvitova, who won the New Haven Open last year, briefly threatened a comeback by winning two of the next three games before Halep closed out the match with an ace.
The 21-year-old Romanian captured the first WTA title of her career at Nurnberg in mid June but has been on a hot streak ever since.
She also won titles at 's-Hertogenbosch and Budapest and her first Premier-level success catapulted her into the top 20 for the first time when the new world rankings are released on Monday.

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic refocuses attention on US Open

A day after giving a speech at the United Nations, Novak Djokovic was back in more familiar surroundings on Saturday, signing autographs and fine-tuning his preparations for the US Open.
The world number one addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Friday as part of the declaration for an International Day of Sport for Development and Peace next year.
"The speech at U.N. yesterday was also something quite incredible for me," he told reporters at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.
"I was blown away by these wonderful opportunities that I got personally to speak at the U.N. in the name of the global ****** of athletes."
Djokovic's focus immediately returned to tennis on Saturday when he returned to Flushing Meadows for the annual Arthur Ashe ****' day.
After practising on the center court, the Serbian was besieged by autograph hunters then the media as he retreated to the conference room.
Djokovic has played in each of the last three U.S. Open finals, winning the title in 2011, and remains among the favourites this year despite mixed results this season.
He won his third successive Australian Open in January and made the final at Wimbledon, losing to Andy Murray, who also beat him in last year's U.S. Open final.
His build-up to the U.S. Open has been solid without being spectacular as he reached the semi-finals in Montreal then the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.
"I thought I played quite decent in these two weeks," he said.
"Just that both matches that I lost were 7-6 and 7-5 in the third set, and in important moments, I wasn't finding that maybe extra strength to be calm and to play the right shots.
"That's what happens, you know. You go through these periods. But my confidence is still there."
At 26 and with six grand slam titles already under his belt, Djokovic is at the peak of his powers and showing no signs of slowing down or waning interest.
"I feel that I'm in my prime in my tennis career and I really want to keep on playing tennis at this level hopefully for years to come," said Djokovic, who plays Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the first round.
"As long as I have the desire, as long as my body holds on, as long as, you know, there is this love, flame of love for this sport inside of me."

 

[Smallville22]

Murray laughs off talk of defending champion's pressure

Andy Murray strolled into the US National Tennis Center on Saturday without a care in the world, brimming with confidence and self-belief as he prepares to defend his US Open title.
Signing autographs and joking with the media, the Scotsman's relaxed demeanour could not have been any different than when he arrived at Flushing Meadows a year ago.
This time round, however, Murray plans to do something he forgot to last year. He wants to enjoy himself - and he insists that any pressure on him to defend his title is trifling compared to the pressure on him to first win a grand slam and then win Wimbledon.
In 2012, Murray arrived in New York still searching for his first grand slam title. He had won the Olympic gold medal but the grand slams had eluded him and he continued to be pestered about why he had not broken through.
That all changed under the bright lights of New York when he defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in a nerve-tingling five-setter, to end his own drought and become the first British man in 76 years to win the U.S. Open.
Returning this year as the defending champion has rekindled those memories though he confessed his emotions last year were somewhat stifled.
"I was so relieved that night that maybe I didn't have the chance to maybe enjoy it maybe as much as Wimbledon or the Olympics, for example," he said.
"There was so much relief last year that I wasn't necessarily enjoying it as much as I should have.
"So when I came back and practiced on the Arthur Ashe court, you know, the memories came back, and that was nice."
Despite his breakthrough, Murray knew winning the U.S. Open was never going to release the full expectation on him from the British public.
That only came when he won Wimbledon in July, a moment etched in British sporting history but one that was a blur to him.
With the weight of expectation lifted from shoulders, Murray holds no fears about trying to defend his title at Flushing Meadows, the most raucous and intimidating venues of the four grand slams.
"I think there is less pressure. I think before the first match - and probably anything before the first match there will be nerves there - I expect to be pretty nervous because it's a new experience and it's different," he said.
"But I think once the tournament gets going, I don't think it changes. I don't think it changes too much.
"There was a lot of pressure on me for a lot of years to win a grand slam, and then same sort of thing at Wimbledon. I wouldn't imagine it would be the same here."

 

[Smallville22]

Stosur in no rush to appoint new coach

Australia's Sam Stosur said she wanted to take her time before deciding on a new coach after splitting with her long term mentor just before the U.S.
The 2011 U.S. Open champion conceded that the timing of her separation from Dave Taylor was "strange" but said she was in no rush to find a permanent replacement.
Stosur is working with Australia's Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik during the U.S. Open, starting on Monday, but said she had not even thought about her long-terms plans.
"I didn't have anything in place. It just happened last week," Stosur told reporters at Flushing Meadows.
"She will help me here, and after this tournament I will kind of assess what I want to do, who maybe it can be, and go from there.
"But there is no one in particular at the moment."
Stosur and Taylor worked together for nearly six years and formed a successful partnership, with Stosur reaching the French Open final in 2010 before breaking through to win her maiden grand slam in New York the following season.
The Australian went almost two years before winning any other tournaments but ended her drought in California earlier this month, beating Victoria Azarenka in the final at Carlsbad.
But just a week later, the 29-year-old announced she and Taylor were parting ways, even though the U.S. Open was approaching.
"I think we both were kind of feeling that we'd almost come to the end. Unfortunately, it happened to be last week," Stosur explained.
I don't think either of us would have wanted it to happen right then, and obviously with winning that tournament, makes it seem a little bit strange.
"But I think we both felt that it was time, and you know, if something's time is up, then you've kind of got to call it a day."
Despite the unusual timing of the split, the 11th seed said she was confident of a strong showing at the scene of her greatest success.
"It's fantastic coming back here. I guess it's the second year coming back to the site of where I have had my best tennis moment," she said.
"So I think no matter what lead up you've had, however you feel, you can walk in here and think this is pretty cool and relive all those great memories and hopefully make them all happen again."