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Post by sirius on Aug 17, 2004 15:39:18 GMT 3
Federer, Roddick Lead Men's US Open Field
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 21, 2004 - The USTA today announced that the top 100 ranked men in the world have entered the 2004 US Open Tennis Championships. The 2004 US Open will be played August 30 - September 12 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The US Open Men’s Singles Championship is presented by Lincoln Mercury. Both the Men’s and Women’s US Open Singles Champions will earn $1,000,000, with the ability to earn up to $1.5 million based on their performances in the US Open Series.
Leading the list of entries are current world No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland, the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion and Andy Roddick of Austin, Texas, the defending US Open champion who is ranked second on the ATP Entry System.
The pair is followed by No. 3 Guillermo Coria of Argentina, who reached his first Grand Slam singles final this year at the French Open; No. 4 Carlos Moya of Spain, the 1998 French Open champion; No. 5 Tim Henman of Great Britain, a five-time Grand Slam semifinalist; No. 6 David Nalbandian of Argentina, a semifinalist at the US Open last year and 2002 Wimbledon runner-up; No. 7 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, the 2003 French Open champion and last year’s US Open runner-up; No. 9 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon champion, and No. 10 Andre Agassi, the two-time US Open singles champion who owns eight Grand Slam singles titles.
In all, there are 11 entrants who have won Grand Slam singles titles in their careers including: reigning French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina; 2000 US Open champion Marat Safin of Russia; three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil; 2002 French Open champion Albert Costa of Spain; and 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden.
Other American men who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include No. 18 Mardy Fish of Tampa, Fla., No. 22 Vince Spadea of Boca Raton, Fla., No. 28 Taylor Dent of Newport Beach, Calif.; No. 36 Robby Ginepri of Marietta, Ga.; No. 45 James Blake of Tampa, Fla., No. 75 Jan-Michael Gambill of Spokane, Wash., No. 76 Todd Martin of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and No. 91 Jeff Morrison of Tampa, Fla.
The United States has 10 players who received direct entry into the 2004 US Open, trailing only Spain with 14 and France with 13.
No. 102 Wayne Arthurs of Australia was the 104th and last player accepted directly into the men’s field of 128 (Julian Boutter of France and Scott Draper of Australia both used protected rankings). Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open qualifying rounds, August 24-27, while the remaining eight spots are wild card entries awarded by the USTA.
The July 19 edition of the ATP Entry System rankings was used to determine the initial US Open main draw entry list. Seedings will be based on the August 23 rankings. The US Open draw will take place Wednesday, August 25.
The US Open is the highest annually attended sporting event in the world with more than 620,000 fans. More than 75 million viewers watched the 2003 US Open in the United States on CBS Sports and USA Network and international broadcasts reached 165 countries. The 2004 US Open will be held Monday, August 30 through Sunday, September 12. Tickets for the 2004 US Open can be purchased four ways: 1) at usopen.org; 2) by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX; 3) at all Ticketmaster outlets; or 4) at the USTA National Tennis Center box office.
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. It owns and operates the US Open, the largest annually attended sporting event in the world. In addition, it owns the 96 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. A not-for-profit organization with more than 675,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass roots to the professional levels. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
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Post by sirius on Aug 17, 2004 15:43:56 GMT 3
US Open 2004: Previewing the Men
by Greg Laub, usopen.org
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
The highest level of men’s tennis competition on the planet will come together in the largest sporting event in the world, as the 2004 US Open Tennis Championships will kick off on Monday morning, Aug. 30, and conclude with the decisive men’s final on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12.
Last year the talk of the US Open was Andy Roddick. The No. 4 seed cruised to a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 victory over No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero, capturing the first Grand Slam title of his career.
So who will be the talk of the 2004 US Open Tennis Championships? Only one of whom many believe are the finest athletes in the world will emerge from the pack and hold the trophy up in the air, forever etching another Sunday afternoon moment in tennis history.
Millions dream of winning this title, but only 128 men will have a shot to be the lone player standing at the end of the two-week journey. So who are the fittest and finest men on the ATP Tour heading into the US Open?
USOpen.org sizes up the title chances of the familiar names likely to take part in the 2004 US Open Tennis Championships.
The Frontrunners:
Andy Roddick – In the course of a year's time, Roddick has put it all together and become a top-tier tennis star. Following the path of success of Pete Sampras, the hard-serving, talented American is improving every year in every Grand Slam and is a frontrunner at all of them except the French Open, where like Sampras (14 Grand Slam titles and never a French Open final), the clay surface seems to take a little bite out of his game. Sampras retired last year and passed the torch on to Roddick, who followed up his 2002 semifinal appearance with the aforementioned 2003 title.
This year, Roddick fell back a step at the Australian Open, reaching only the quarterfinals, but did advance a step at the French Open, by reaching the second round for the first time in three years; and at Wimbledon, by reaching the final, where he lost to world No. 1 Roger Federer.
Like so many Americans before him, the US Open crowd seems to bring out the best in Roddick, and coming off another red-hot summer hard-court season, it should surprise no one if he defends his title successfully.
Roger Federer – No one will deny that Federer is the most graceful, enjoyable player to watch on the tour today. And when he is on his game, as he has been quite consistently in the past year-and-a-half, his serve-and-volley and all-around ability is pretty much unbeatable.
Ever since the Swiss Sensation won his first Grand Slam title just over a year ago at Wimbledon, his ability has been realized on the court, and his win totals have matched his advertised skills. He grabbed the No. 1 ranking last season and hasn't let go, and this year has added another two Slams (Australian Open and his second straight Wimbledon).
The one thing that could derail Federer from winning another title is his propensity to suddenly lose his game without notice, collapsing and playing scared instead of with the necessary confidence he has every right to possess. But keep in mind that if not for his hiccup in France, the major storyline here would be a potential Grand Slam for Federer, and everyone would be feeling that the only thing that could hold him back is the enormous pressure of winning the fourth and final title of the Slam. Federer won't have to deal with that pressure and instead will be able to focus on the prize without much fanfare, something that will definitely help him.
The Contenders:
Sjeng Schalken – The Dutchman is due to finally get over the hump. After years of obscurity, in which he won a total of just four matches in his first 14 Grand Slams (three at the Open) and never had any success in his seven years on the big stage (15 first-round losses, five second-round losses, and eight third-round losses), Schalken finally made a name for himself in 2002.
That year he shocked the world and reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, ultimately losing to eventual champ Lleyton Hewitt, and then followed that up with a trip to the semifinals of the US Open, where he once again fell to the eventual champ in Pete Sampras. Last year he continued the trend, reaching another quarterfinal at Wimbledon, where he lost to, you guessed it, eventual champ Federer, and the quarterfinals of the US Open where he... well, you're getting the idea – he lost to Roddick.
We said it last year, and we'll say it again: If the draw can set up so that the eventual champion is not on his side of the bracket, Schalken may finally reach a Grand Slam final this year.
Andre Agassi – It doesn’t matter how he’s playing prior to the US Open, Andre will be considered a contender every year he enters this tournament until he can no longer walk. Agassi's career has seen the depths of the highs and lows perhaps more dramatically than any athlete in the history of sports.
However, one thing that has always been evident, even during the low points of Andre’s career, is that the US Open is his most consistent Grand Slam tournament. Sure, in his most recent comeback he owned the Australian Open, and he has been no slouch on the grass and clay over the years, but he always seems to save his best for Flushing.
Now, back in a rut after losing in the first round at Roland Garros and withdrawing from Wimbledon with a hip injury, Agassi will hope he can pull a Sampras and put together a sentimental send-off tournament for the ages. Is it likely? Not the way he has played of late. But really, would you be *that* surprised to see him back in the finals one more time?
Lleyton Hewitt – After winning his first Grand Slam ever here in 2001 against Pete Sampras, Hewitt has returned to his inconsistent ways, and here in Flushing he has finished a round lower each year, including a disappointing quarterfinal loss to finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero last year.
But this year Hewitt has had somewhat of a renaissance season in Grand Slam play, enjoying career-best finishes at the Australian Open and the French Open, and reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for just the second time ever (titled in 2002).
If he continues this trend, watch out. Remember, Hewitt was once a dominant figure in tennis and world No. 1, and the US Open has always been his favorite place to play. Even with his drop from the top, he is still 21-3 in his past four years at the US Open, and he loves to play off the New York crowd.
Juan Carlos Ferrero – “The Mosquito” proved all those silly critics who claimed he was merely a clay court specialist wrong last season. OK, fine, I was one.
After having very little Grand Slam success anywhere but the French Open, Ferrero finally reversed his fortunes on the hard courts and reached the final at last year's US Open. He played the tournament of his life, too, defeating No. 33 Juan Ignacio Chela in the third round, Todd Martin in the fourth round, No. 6 Hewitt in the quarterfinals and top-seeded Agassi in the semifinals.
Unfortunately, this year has been a tough one so far for Ferrero. Most of his problems have come off-the-court, starting at the very beginning of the season when he came down with chicken pox, and then later when various physical injuries hindered him, possibly from trying to come back too soon. Either way, he hasn't been on the court very much, and when he does play he hasn't been on his game. But he claims he is fully recovered now, and last year's run cannot be ignored.
[glow=red,2,300]
The Sleepers:
Marat Safin (Light Sleeper) – After beating Sampras in the final here in 2000, Safin was heralded the next great thing, and here and there has shown signs of what could be.
He reached the semifinals in 2001, then the final at the 2002 Aussie Open and the semifinals at the French. But then he fell apart completely. From the middle of 2002 to the end of 2003, Safin only won four Grand Slam matches in total, and he didn’t win a single 2003 title until December.
This year, Safin deemed himself healthy and focused again, and came out of the gate with a head of steam by reaching the final at the Australian Open. Lately, Safin has played himself out of the spotlight, and possibly into a poor seed, but his serve and power and desire is back, regardless of his recent woes. If he puts it together, he could contend.[/glow]
Rafael Nadal (Deep Sleeper) – Still a relative unknown, Nadal finished in the top 100 last year for the first time in his career. While he is still hovering around in the 70s, he is primed for a real breakout tournament, and he has the stuff to win more than just one or two matches.
Last year at the US Open, he gave Younes El Aynaoui fits in a second-round loss (after defeating him a month earlier), and he has shown flashes of what he can do to big-time opponents this year, as well, with wins over Schalken, Federer and Jiri Novak in his limited hard-court play. He also has two nail-biting losses to Hewitt this season, including a third-rounder at the Australian Open and last month at the Tennis Masters in Toronto.
This kid can flat-out play, and if he strings together a few in a row he will be the Cinderella Story representative for 2004.
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Post by Carolineonline on Aug 17, 2004 15:57:42 GMT 3
hmmz.. interesting.. dont know what to expect from him though...  *sigh* I like the part about Sjeng Schalken bytheway..  and they're being smartassies there.. i mean: " If the draw can set up so that the eventual champion is not on his side of the bracket, Schalken may finally reach a Grand Slam final this year. yeah.. would be nice to know who the future champion is gonna be before the draw is out... would be good too to see who's gonna lose in what round.. saves a lot of heartrates speeding up to dangerous hights and headaches and bad moods after matches... At least you have the chance to anticipate on the results right away.. ;D Boaah.. what am I talking about... never mind.. ;)Caroline |
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Post by sirius on Aug 17, 2004 16:21:46 GMT 3
hmmz.. interesting.. dont know what to expect from him though... *sigh* I like the part about Sjeng Schalken bytheway.. and they're being smartassies there.. i mean: " If the draw can set up so that the eventual champion is not on his side of the bracket, Schalken may finally reach a Grand Slam final this year. yeah.. would be nice to know who the future champion is gonna be before the draw is out... would be good too to see who's gonna lose in what round.. saves a lot of heartrates speeding up to dangerous hights and headaches and bad moods after matches... At least you have the chance to anticipate on the results right away.. ;D Boaah.. what am I talking about... never mind.. ;)Caroline YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE ANSWERING POSTS!!!! shooo!!!! shoooo!!!! go study!!!!!!! ALL THE BEST FOR THE RE MIRIME!!! |
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ivy
Full Member
HOLA! Go Marat! Go Hewitt! Go Guga!
Posts: 317
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Post by ivy on Aug 17, 2004 16:42:27 GMT 3
I think Coria pulled out with a shoulder he recently had surgery on. If not he's going to. It takes about 3 months to heal. Not enough time.
Gaudio I have no idea on his injury, but he sucks on hard, so there's not much opposition there.
Moya, a definite contender.
Timmy - very erractic this year so I have no idea what to expect.
Nalby - Plagued by injury this year, pulled out of the previous three hard court tournaments. Whether he shows up is in doubt, ditto with his quality of play.
Ditto for Juan Carlos
Hewitt - Erractic
Andre Agassi, he's old.
Roger - He's rocking, but may be fatigued from the Olympics, so must be beaten in early rounds.
Roddick - don't like him
Marat - As long as he doesn't get down on himself and he's playing and trying his best, there should be no problem.
Guga - I have no idea, but I know that he'll try, and he'll always be a threat.
Albert Costa - Haven't heard much of him on hard.
T. Johansson - Bursts of great play, but coming back from injury.
Mardy Fish - Don't like him
Vince Spadea - Heard he had an injury in Cincy and may be fatigued by Olympics. Not a major threat.
Taylor Dent - Lost to a three-year old.
Robby Ginepri - Sure.
James Blake - Recovering from his head incident
JMG - Not sure.
Todd Martin - He's old but can push things to 5, be ready to close it out.
Morrison - Haven't heard much about him. Why are they putting all these Americans in this article?
Schalken - They're being smart-asses about that.
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Post by |-Safin_Coria-| on Aug 24, 2004 20:24:35 GMT 3
6 days!!! can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! ;D!
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Post by Carolineonline on Aug 24, 2004 20:38:32 GMT 3
The only grand slam which isnt during one of my exam periods..  Honestly, the other three were.. and I failed two of them...  aiii.. not good.. not good.. Now I think of it.. I just didnt fail for the Wimbledon-test... AO and RG were fails.. *why would that be* But anyway.. school starts only in a month.. so I have lotsa lotsa time to watch this GS I'm just hoping Marat will go far faaaar in the tournament, so that it pays off to be at home during this one... ;D ;D Win it for me, Marat!!   ;)Caroline |
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Post by christina on Aug 24, 2004 21:41:10 GMT 3
The only grand slam which isnt during one of my exam periods.. Honestly, the other three were.. and I failed two of them... aiii.. not good.. not good.. Now I think of it.. I just didnt fail for the Wimbledon-test... AO and RG were fails.. *why would that be* But anyway.. school starts only in a month.. so I have lotsa lotsa time to watch this GS I'm just hoping Marat will go far faaaar in the tournament, so that it pays off to be at home during this one... ;D ;D Win it for me, Marat!! ;)Caroline here's hoping marat does well do u can watch him....first week, im off school then second week im back....but ya know, first week of school, not like it matters if im half asleep  ;D |
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Post by Carolineonline on Aug 24, 2004 21:44:13 GMT 3
here's hoping marat does well do u can watch him....first week, im off school then second week im back....but ya know, first week of school, not like it matters if im half asleep ;D yeah,.. thats the downside.. when we have the possibility to watch.. it's on the other side of the world.. so it's at night.. *sigh* WHO PLANS THIS?!*  ;)Caroline |
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Post by christina on Aug 24, 2004 21:47:34 GMT 3
yeah,.. thats the downside.. when we have the possibility to watch.. it's on the other side of the world.. so it's at night.. *sigh* WHO PLANS THIS?!* ;)Caroline er....sum numpties at the ATP, u know the ones hu do the schedule that marat always rants about ;D |
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Post by Carolineonline on Aug 24, 2004 21:55:04 GMT 3
er....sum numpties at the ATP, u know the ones hu do the schedule that marat always rants about ;D ya.. i'm agreeing more and more with the guy! cmon.. they have to take into account what my schedule is.. ;D when I have an important test.. then plan a grand slam on the other site of the world so that there's no way for me to watch or follow anything about it during the time I have the study... or better: dont plan a grand slam at all when i'm having tests... ;D When I'm free from school.. then plan a grand slam here in Europe... Garros rather than Wimbly.. cuz there's way more chance our man makes something in France than at the English grasscourts..... Easy as that.... When do these atpguys get this?! It cant be that hard to plan it like this.. ;D ;)Caroline |
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Post by christina on Aug 24, 2004 22:02:28 GMT 3
ya.. i'm agreeing more and more with the guy! cmon.. they have to take into account what my schedule is.. ;D when I have an important test.. then plan a grand slam on the other site of the world so that there's no way for me to watch or follow anything about it during the time I have the study... or better: dont plan a grand slam at all when i'm having tests... ;D When I'm free from school.. then plan a grand slam here in Europe... Garros rather than Wimbly.. cuz there's way more chance our man makes something in France than at the English grasscourts..... Easy as that.... When do these atpguys get this?! It cant be that hard to plan it like this.. ;D ;)Caroline do u know they hav claycourts at wimbly? weird no well wen u guys hav dun the whole universe domination thing u can sort it! but lets not send another thread down that route....rite, USO... |
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Post by Carolineonline on Aug 24, 2004 22:27:58 GMT 3
do u know they hav claycourts at wimbly? weird no well wen u guys hav dun the whole universe domination thing u can sort it! but lets not send another thread down that route....rite, USO... yeah.. USO.. erhmm.. oke.. here: The 2004 US Open Draw Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 11:00 AM. That's tomorrow! ;)Caroline |
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Post by Myke on Aug 24, 2004 23:40:09 GMT 3
yeah.. USO.. erhmm.. oke.. here: The 2004 US Open Draw Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 11:00 AM. That's tomorrow! ;)Caroline Oh, exciting! ;D |
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Post by sirius on Aug 25, 2004 3:12:59 GMT 3
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*sigh*
and they're being smartassies there.. i mean: " If the draw can set up so that the eventual champion is not on his side of the bracket, Schalken may finally reach a Grand Slam final this year. yeah.. would be nice to know who the future champion is gonna be before the draw is out... would be good too to see who's gonna lose in what round.. saves a lot of heartrates speeding up to dangerous hights and headaches and bad moods after matches... At least you have the chance to anticipate on the results right away.. ;D Boaah.. what am I talking about... never mind.. 
aiii.. not good.. not good.. Now I think of it.. I just didnt fail for the Wimbledon-test... AO and RG were fails.. 
;D
