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2012 US Open Review

Mar 15, 2016

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Andy Murray finally achieved his goal to win a Grand Slam, Serena Williams put on a great show with Victoria Azarenka, and Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick called it quits. Read all about this legendary US Open.
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Page 1: 2012 US Open Review

1

2011 Year in Review

Page 2: 2012 US Open Review

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Page 4: 2012 US Open Review

WHAT’S INSIDELETTER FROM

THE EDITORp.5

STARS AND STRIPES (AND STARS!) FOREVER

p.8ODE TO

ANDY RODDICKp.10-14

A FINAL SPENTON THE BRINK

p.18-21ANDY MURRAY: THERE

CAN BE ONLY ONEp.24-27

GRADINGTHE FIELD

p.30-34RANKINGS

p.35

WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED ANDY RODDICK ROOKIE CARD OR AN ANDY RODDICK LACOSTE SHIRT.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

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EditorTheodore L. LePak [email protected] OngBlair Hemley

Contact Us To advertise with [email protected]

General comments or [email protected]

Writers

Erik Gudris

Blair Henley

Nick Georgandis

Design Alberto Capetillo Juan Esparza

PhotographyAndy Kentla

Tennis Now200 West 39th Street, Suite No. 11New York, NY 10018914-595-4211

The tennis world approached this year’s US Open with high hopes, and looking back we were entertained from the beginning to the end. This US Open had it all: We saw bloody knees in the men’s final, we sweated out some close matches alongside the players, and we shed some tears as two tennis legends left the game forever.

Andy Murray has finally lived up to his potential; the Scot will no longer have to endure criticism about crumbling under the weight of a country’s hope, and no longer will he be the perpetual bridesmaid or the next in line for the crown. At the US Open final, it was Murray’s time to shine and he made it count: dismantling Novak Djokovic in five grueling sets was the perfect way to shed his black sheep status among the top four – that, following his Olympic Gold medal in London. Perhaps Ivan Lendl’s coaching has really sunk in, or maybe Murray just needed to feel more support from the fans. Either way, Roger Federer was right when he prophesied that Murray was destined for tennis greatness earlier this year after their Wimbledon finals match. Heck, maybe Murray just needed to hear Federer say that!

Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams gave us the most entertaining women’s final we’ve seen in a long time. Azarenka fought a good fight and looked like she was going to take the match with Serena spewing unforced errors left and right. You can never count Serena out, though, and in the end, she turned the match around in a flash. Azarenka couldn’t contain the bomb-blasting Serena who tallied her fifteenth Grand Slam title.

The big retirements were the bittersweet icing on the cake. We will all miss the lovable Kim Clijsters, one of the greatest players from this era. Of course, Andy Roddick wouldn’t allow himself to fade into the shadows and stole the show with his surprise retirement. We will never forget these former World No. 1’s, and we wish them the best as they start the next chapter of their lives off the courts. The tennis year is quickly coming to a close. Now that the last Grand Slam of the year is over, we head to the Asian/Pacific hardcourt season and then the year-end finals.

Thanks to all the writers, editors, and our graphics team for helping compose this magazine. We also want to praise our photographer Andy Kentla for his photos that really bring this magazine to life. We hope you enjoy this edition and the rest of the tennis season!

Letter from the Editor

Theodore LePakEditor, Tennis Now Magazine

[email protected]

Chris Oddo

Erwin [email protected]@tennisnow.com

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The U.S. Open being one of the sport’s most significant events isn’t lost on New Yorkers and Americans, who make the pilgrimage out to New York City’s Flushing Meadows to take in tennis’ best players going after that $1.9 million top prize and bragging rights for a major title win. Some of the fans and spectators are heavy-hitters in their own fields and celebs in their own right, but they sit in the stands with the rest of us, cheering on their favorite athletes.

Kevin Spacey and Sean Connery were in Andy Murray’s box during the five-set men’s final against Novak Djokovic; Pippa Middleton made cameos during the tournament, as did Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Williams, Eva Longoria, new tennis backer Redfoo (of LMFAO fame), and of course staple Anna Wintour, editrix of Vogue and a well-known diehard Roger Federer fan.

Alec Baldwin, a U.S. Open regular, attended a few of the sessions, including the opening night, which included a performance by singer Jordin Sparks. Actress Susan Sarandon, who is part-owner of the SPiN ping pong club in New York City, was also on hand for some matches.

The quarterfinal between Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro had Kristen Wiig (SNL, ‘Bridesmaids’), Ed Westick (‘Gossip Girl’), Katie Couric, and Jill Hennessy (‘Law & Order’) in the stands. The quarterfinal between Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic had a loud Vivica A. Fox cheering from the stands while Aretha Franklin watched on. Brooklyn Decker, the supermodel wife of the now-retired Andy Roddick, cheered on the American through the final event of his ATP career.

Stars and Stripes (and Stars!) Forever

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Ode to Andy Roddick

– Erwin Ong

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As a junior in college, I wrote a 20 page paper on the mental state of Andy Roddick for a sports psychology class. He was 22 at the time, and yes, that was as difficult a task as it sounds. But I chose him as the subject of my final project that year for one reason: He was one of the most entertaining athletes out there.

Though his play has lost some of its luster since I labored over his psychological biography, his personality still shines bright in a sport that desperately needs a little spice. And while Roddick was hard to love at times (2010 U.S. Open foot-fault-gate anyone?), his unpredictability, intensity, and sense of humor added to his unique, irreplaceable aura. Now that he’s left the tennis court for good, the Andy lovers, haters, and love-to-haters can likely all agree that the game has lost someone special.

As Roddick’s final match on Arthur Ashe Stadium slipped away thanks to some brilliant play from Juan Martin del Potro, cameras frequently panned to his box where stylish sunglasses did nothing to hide the emotions of his wife, Brooklyn (or Brooke, as Andy calls her). Roddick admitted he couldn’t look up at his coaches and loved ones once it became apparent the match would not go his way. When asked what went through his head during the final games of his tennis career, he struggled to sum it up.

“You’re thinking about matches you’re playing when you were 12 or you’re thinking about you know, I was thinking about my mom driving me to practices all over the place,” he said. “You just think about a million things.”

And, until the bitter (sweet) end, Roddick was still thinking of winning above all else. He managed to hold his last service game, even saving a match point, through misty eyes and what must have been overwhelming emotion. To viewers, the final points seemed a mere formality. To Roddick, as usual, the match wasn’t over until it was.

Ode to Andy Roddick

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From the beginning of his pro career at the tender age of 18, Roddick seemed to understand the burden he carried as the next in a generation of American tennis gods. He handled the expectations remarkably well, perhaps because he also grasped the privilege of his position. The fans, the press, the money – the perks weren’t lost on him. Still, the “love him if he’s winning, hate him if he’s losing” press cycle Roddick endured on a daily basis understandably grated on him over time. He described the phenomenon this way:

“If I win a match, it’s like career appreciation day. Then if I lose one, it’s like we should take him out in the field and shoot him in the head.”

As the shoot-him-in-the-head days became more frequent and his body began to betray him, Roddick decided he wasn’t interested in playing until his ranking slowly dropped off the charts. While most athletes are petrified of life after sport and hang on to their careers until they are forced to let go, Andy took a different approach. He decided it was time to walk away, talked to his wife and his coaches, adjusted the sleeves of his Lacoste polo (I’m guessing), and announced it to the press a day later. He dropped a bomb on his fans just like he dropped service bombs on his opponents – with an abbreviated and abrupt windup and lightning-fast release.

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WIN ANAUTOGRAPHED ANDY RODDICK

ROOKIE CARD. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

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I know I’m reaching compliment overload territory, but I always appreciated the way Andy kept it real in his press conferences. Though I have immense respect for the way Roger Federer handles himself after a loss, I often find myself wanting to shake him and say, “DUDE! Tell us how your really feel!” Roddick’s honesty was a rarity in the sporting world where non-committal, emotionless responses are the norm.

But for as much as I adored certain aspects of Roddick’s game, there were also times I felt like punching him in the face. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

His attitude easily and often crossed the line from edgy and unpredictable to whiny and bitter. At times he seemed to take his role as outspoken tour veteran a tad too seriously, coming off more egomaniac than fearless leader. Consider his condescending confrontation with tournament referee Brian Earley at last year’s U.S. Open, or his belittling of the lineswoman who called Roddick on that now infamous 2010 foot fault.

As much as I disliked that routine of his, I’ll admit that it often made me giggle and always kept me interested. With Roddick, you never quite knew what lay beyond the next changeover, and that’s what made him so fun to watch.

In the barrage of farewell tweets Roddick received from fellow athletes, it was his former coach, Jimmy Connors, who said it best:

“Andy, my friend-- you are a winner. Life goes on. Live it to the fullest.”

Based on my above-average knowledge of Andy Roddick’s psyche, I have no doubt he will do just that.

– Blair Henley

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The steady showers caused havoc with all the matches on day 9. Thankfully, the majority of the tournament was dry and required very little rescheduling.

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A Final Spenton the BrinkFor 34 minutes of a lopsided first set during Sunday‘s U.S. Open women‘s singles final, Victoria Azarenka was looking down the barrel of a blowout. Serena Williams, the battle-tested tennis icon, was in her element. Playing to pad her already legendary legacy, Williams looked relaxed, as if she had nothing to lose. She moved with an almost rote, emotionless sincerity, as if she was operating unconsciously, ripping balls robotically from corner to corner where not even the fleet-footed Azarenka could track them.

Williams played self-assured, purposeful tennis in the early going of her 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory, crushing winners at will and pushing her seemingly overwhelmed opponent back with booming serves and blistering forehands until—mercilessly—the first set came to an end.

Was Azarenka—the World No. 1, no less-—destined to be another one of Serena’s helpless victims? Would she be trounced mercilessly like Sara Errani in the semifinals, Ana Ivanovic in the quarterfinals, and the rest of the women who tried unsuccessfully to challenge Serena Williams over the course of her six one-sided matches prior to the U.S. Open final?

Hardly.

If anything, Azarenka has proven in 2012 that she’s a far cry from being just another victim on the tennis court. The determined, 23-year-old tennis superpower in the making is too determined, too resourceful and too talented to play the victim.

Fighting with all her will, Azarenka wrestled control of the match from the most dominant player of her generation in the second set, defiantly letting fly her own unique brand of athletic, all-court tennis and planting a seed of doubt in Serena’s head.

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Suddenly, it was Serena who was on the brink of a shocking upset. The grit and determination of the Belarusian had ruffled the feathers of Serena. Azarenka was in full flight. She moved Serena around the court, exposing her movement. She handled Williams’ pace, redirecting it into the open court or close enough to the baseline to keep her out of trouble. She returned brilliantly, and when Williams ripped an ace past her she didn’t get discouraged; she just moved to the other side of the court and prepared to make the next ball.

It was an inspiring turnaround by the World No. 1. She had taken the hardest punches from one of the game’s greatest champions, and never lost her belief.

Up a break in the final set, Azarenka found herself two points from the match with Williams serving to stay alive.

There, suddenly, on the cusp of what would have been the biggest moment of her career, Azarenka balked. And like a true champion, Williams read the tea leaves, sensed the change in momentum, and gathered strength and belief as her opportunity to reverse her fortunes against Azarenka appeared.

“I was on serve; at 30-All,” Serena told reporters afterwards. “I figured I could serve that out and just make her serve for it. It’s the least I could have done. I wanted to at least hold my serve, and I hadn’t been holding my serve very well. After that, I thought if I could just force another game—and obviously I never give up.”

Williams did hold, and the pressure started to cave in all around Azarenka. Having finished off two dramatic three-set battles in the last two rounds against Sam Stosur and Maria Sharapova, you’d think that Azarenka would have been immune.

But this was Serena Williams she was facing.

“She’s definitely the toughest player mentally there is,” a disappointed but still upbeat Azarenka would later say, “and, you know, she’s got the power.”

Call it power, call it mystique. Whatever it is, at 30 years of age, Serena most certainly still has it. As she reeled off four straight games to finish off what many are calling the most entertaining women’s final of the last two decades at the U.S. Open, there was the feeling that the razor-thin margin in this final was all about the mystique.

In crunch time, Serena had it, and Azarenka did not.

“I never, never quit,,” the fifteen-time Grand Slam champion said on Sunday evening, her wild hair draping down over a black leather jacket that she had probably picked for the occasion beforehand. “I have come back so many times in so many matches. I wasn’t too nervous. I just thought if I could get to the next game, if I could get to it was always the next game.”

It is that kind of calm in the face of pressure that has characterized Serena Williams ever since she won her first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in 1999. Now, thirteen years later, Williams still has, as Azarenka stated so matter-of-factly, “the power.”

Someday soon, Azarenka hopes, she’ll have the power too. For now she’ll have to settle for knowing that she was close against one of the greatest to have ever played the game. “I have to be positive,” she said, “because I feel like these kind of matches—every time I play Serena, it really pushes to be better, to improve, to move forward. I have to be thankful to her for that, you know, as well.”

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On Super Saturday, the American flag ripples with the intense wind. Two tornados touched down in New York that day, and the players struggled to play through the extremely wind conditions.

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Andy Murray:There Can Be Only One

– Erik Gudris

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Just after Andy Murray had reached the U.S. Open finals, an unexpected guest showed up in his post-match press conference

– none other than Sir Sean Connery. Seeing photos of the two Scots together, I couldn’t help but think of the classic 80’s film

“Highlander” where Connery played a charismatic Spaniard named Ramirez who helped the hero, played by Christopher Lambert, learn to fulfill his centuries old destiny.

Something similar happened to Murray at the end of last year, though not quite as far-fetched as a fantasy movie, when he aligned forces with a tennis veteran to help him end his nation’s near century-old drought of not having a Grand Slam singles title winner since 1936. But instead of a Ramirez-type figure, Murray hired the exact opposite in eight-time Major champion Ivan Lendl, who is known more for his ability to not smile at any time (even when Murray is winning) along with his vast knowledge of the game.

It seemed to be a perfect match, especially since Lendl could empathize with what it was like to lose in early attempts at Grand Slam finals (the Czech lost in four major finals before winning his eight trophies). Progress was made this season as Murray reached his first ever Wimbledon final and a few weeks later defeated Roger Federer to claim the Olympic gold medal. Still, a major title was the one thing lacking on Murray’s resume.

Though Murray was picked by some as the pre-tourney favorite at this year’s U.S. Open, it didn’t mean he was going to have an easy time. Murray got off to a sluggish start against Alex Bogomolov, Jr. in his first round match and later was forced to win three tiebreaks against Feliciano Lopez in the third round. Though Murray handled the big serve of Milos Raonic, the Scot found himself almost down two-sets-to-love to Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals before a combination of Cilic’s nerves and Murray’s refusal to be beaten saw Murray reach the all important “Super Saturday”.

Murray’s quest only got tougher even though he didn’t have to face Federer in the semifinals. Instead, he not only had to deal with the powerful groundstrokes of Tomas Berdych, a man who owned a winning record against Murray, but also the violent, neverending gusts inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Murray prevailed in a ragged four-set win and later admitted that it was some of the worst wind he had ever played through, even though he was well accustomed to the winds of Scotland.

Murray was now a win away from completing his destiny. But like any good adventure, the toughest test for him was just ahead. Could he defeat Novak Djokovic, not only the defending champion, but the man who had soundly defeated Murray in their last meeting in a major final? Was it really Murray’s time?

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Murray didn’t let the past faze him and perhaps it was the fact that Murray did not have an easy road to the finals that allowed him to handle yet another wind-swept evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium. With Sir Connery cheering him on while Lendl sat with his arms folded and stone faced as if the result mattered nothing to him. Murray, despite letting two-sets-to-love lead slip away, found a burst of energy from somewhere deep within to race ahead in the final set despite weary legs and a torn toenail.

When Djokovic sent a forehand return long giving Murray the match after four hours and 54 minutes of arduous battle, Murray for a moment did nothing as the packed stadium roared to life. After a long journey filled with disappointments, doubt, and burdened by the weight of a nation’s expectations, Murray didn’t feel joy or excitement or even satisfaction that he had done it.

He felt relief.

“I mean, obviously you’re feeling a lot of things,” Murray explained afterwards. “You know, like I was obviously very emotional. You know, I cried, you know, a little bit on the court. You’re not sad; you’re incredibly happy. You’re in a little bit of disbelief because when I have been in that position many times before and not won, you do think, you know, is it ever going to happen? Then when it finally does, you just – yeah, you’re obviously very, very excited. But yeah, mainly relieved to have got over that last hurdle.”

With the U.S. Open title, Murray laid to rest the ghost of Fred Perry, which hovered around British tennis for the last 76 years. Lendl may well deserve much credit for pushing his charge to becoming the best he should be, but it the end it was still up to the man himself to prove to everyone that he could do it after so many years. Right up to the start of the final, Murray himself doubted his ability.

“There are times where you don’t really think – you know, I’m sure there are a lot of people that thought – you know, I have been questioned when I was younger,” Murray said about his road to the title. “I didn’t work hard enough and, you know, that I wasn’t mentally strong enough and I didn’t listen to my coaches and stuff. You know, I always did listen to my coaches I just was very immature sometimes on the court. I have tried to improve that side of things. Yeah, I think I just proving to myself is probably the most pleasing part about tonight, because there are times when I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it.”

Many men arrive in New York hoping to claim the final Major of the year, but there can be only one who emerges as its champion.

This year his name was Andrew Murray.

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In a New York minute, Roger Federer found himself in a unfamiliar place: on the losing end of a night match at the U.S. Open as Tomas Berdych defeated him 6-7(1), 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 to reach the semifinals.

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Now that the final exams have all been taken, let’s see what players are going straight to the head of the class after the 2012 U.S. Open. Of course, we’ll send a few to detention as well.

Serena WilliamsIt was looking like Serena Williams was about to meet her maker in the final, but as Victoria Azarenka took the balls to serve for the match, Serena dialed in her old, unflappable self and reeled off four straight games to close out her fifteenth Grand Slam title in dramatic fashion. It was yet another magical moment from the mistress of magic herself.

Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic may have flown under the radar for much of the 2012 U.S. Open, but once he set foot in Arthur Ashe Stadium for his final match against Andy Murray, he was ready to put on a show. Pulling from an unknown energy source (as he so often does), Djokovic managed to claw his way back after losing the first two grueling sets. Though he ran out of magic in the fifth, his athleticism and mental toughness were never so clearly on display. Not many players can single-handedly increase the drama factor like Nole.

Andy MurrayWith his stunning five-set, five-hour victory over Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray finally has a Grand Slam title to call his own. Instead of crumbling under the pressure of his Slam-hungry homeland like he had in four previous Grand Slam finals, Murray seemed unflappable even when facing a fifth and deciding set. Perhaps riding a residual wave of confidence after collecting Olympic gold, the Scot seemed like a tougher, sharper version of himself. We’re hoping Murray 2.0 is here to stay.

AAA

GR DING THE IEL

ADF

– Chris Oddo

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The Bryan BrothersThe Bryan Brothers were in deep, deep trouble at 5-all in the second set tiebreaker of their third-round match against Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky. Then Bob Bryan hit what may go down as the clutchest tweener in the history of tennis. It was all downhill for the Bryan Brothers from there, as they moved on to win their 12th Grand Slam doubles titles, an Open Era record.

A A

Kim Clijsters Pre-retirement, post-retirement, it doesn’t matter. Kim Clijsters was a class act, a brilliant and gritty fighter, and a true emotional and spiritual leader for the WTA tour. She didn’t much left at this year’s US Open, but sometimes it not about winning, it’s about how Kimmie played the game.

Victoria AzarenkaIf Azarenka hadn’t gotten tight closing out the final against Serena Williams, she’d have locked up player of the year accolades and been labeled the next dominant force in women’s tennis. She didn’t get it done, but there are many who think that she’s still destined to be the next dominant force.

Sara ErraniThe charming, bubbly Errani became the first Italian woman to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals in the Open Era in singles, and in doubles she reached the No. 1 ranking and won her second Grand Slam title of 2012 alongside Roberta Vinci.

A

A A

Andy RoddickWe’ve all taken our shots at Andy Roddick over the years, but once he announced his retirement at the Open, we quickly realized how much he’ll be missed. Not only was Roddick a Hall-of-Fame-worthy player, with a Grand Slam title and nine consecutive top ten finishes, he was also one of the most entertaining players to watch, both on-court and in the press room.

David FerrerEverybody called Ferrer’s quarter of the draw wide open, but the No. 4 seed took care of business like he has done all year. He fell short against Novak Djokovic in the semis but to get that far on the hard courts at his age is a testament to his otherworldly grit.

A

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Maria Sharapova She came up short in the semifinals against Victoria Azarenka, but the former U.S. Open champion gave everything she had in what ended up being one of the most compelling matches of the tournament on the women’s side.

Samantha StosurJust like Sharapova, Stosur came up short against Azarenka in the quarterfinals, losing by the thinnest of margins in a third-set tiebreaker. But the Aussie put forth a valiant effort and played some of her best tennis of 2012 in the spirited battle.

Laura RobsonThis was a coming out party for the 18-year-old Brit. She ended Clijsters’ career in a hard-fought two-setter, then backed it up by taking out Li Na in the third round in another thriller. Eventually she bowed out to Sam Stosur in the fourth-round, but not before saving eight match points in defeat.

Juan Martin del Potro It was nice to see the big man back in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, but the highlight of the tournament might have been the grace and charm with which he handled being the bad guy who defeated Andy Roddick in his last match.

A

B B B

Janko TipsarevicTipsarevic has been a B student for much of his career, but the Serb came up with a gritty, resilient effort in the men’s quarterfinals against David Ferrer. Even though Janko ended up losing, the effort he put forth, and the shotmaking he produced, earned him high marks with us.

Tomas BerdychBerdych absolutely crushed Roger Federer in the quarterfinals and he also battled the worst possible conditions imaginable in the semifinals against Andy Murray, coming within a point of forcing a fifth-set. He didn’t make it but he reminded us all of the fact that with his immense talents he could definitely be the next first-time Grand Slam winner on the ATP tour.

AA

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The Harrison Brothers Might we have found the heir apparent to the Bryan Brothers? Ryan and his younger brother Christian upset the fourth-seeded and fourteenth-seeded teams en route to a buzz-generating quarterfinal run in the doubles draw.

Martin KlizanWe now know who Martin Klizan is after we watched him upset Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 2nd round and reach the fourth round in New York. Hopefully we’ll still know who he is this time next year.

Martin CilicNice job reaching the quarterfinals for the still-very-young Croatian, but a very poor performance after taking an early lead against Andy Murray once he got there.

B B B

Andrea Hlavackova The Brewmaster’s daughter broke through this year after failing to qualify for the US Open in each of the last five years. She reached the fourth round, before getting double-bageled by Serena Williams (no shame in that), and also reached the final in the doubles.

Lleyton HewittThe feisty, irascible Aussie went toe-to-toe with David Ferrer in the third round, and he had a bloody toe all the while. Watching the likes of Clijsters and Roddick retire made us all appreciate the true doggedness of Lleyton Hewitt. The man is 31 but his heart is ageless.

Redfoo During a broadcast, John McEnroe wondered out lout whether or not pop celebrity Redfoo actually played tennis in those glasses. Okay, so the glasses are lame, but Redfoo’s enthusiasm for the game and willingness to help promote it are welcome for sure.

BB B

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John Isner Another U.S. Open without an American man in the quarterfinals. With Roddick retired and Fish suffering health-related issues, the blame rests on the broad shoulders of Mr. John Isner. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.

New York WeatherThere wasn’t much to worry about until Super Saturday came along. But an ill-timed tornado watch threw a wet blanket over Super Saturday and caused the fifth consecutive men’s singles final

Arthur Ashe StadiumThe weather wouldn’t have been a problem if Arthur Ashe Stadium would have been built with a roof on it. Sorry, had to say it.

FD F

Roger Federer This was supposed to be Roger Federer’s best US Open since his last title in 2008. Instead his mind-bogglingly bad performance against Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals has everybody wondering if his 2012 form will be too hard to sustain for the 31-year-old going forward.

Bernard TomicThe young Aussie proved he’s still got a lot of growing to do. He played some of the most uninspiring tennis of the tournament against Andy Roddick in the second round, then proceeded to act like a major brat in the press conference.

Sloane StephensThe young American showed a lot of grit in making the third round for the second consecutive year, but once again Ana Ivanovic ended her hopes.

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1 Federer, Roger SUI 11,8052 Djokovic, Novak SRB 10,4703 Murray, Andy GBR 8,5704 Nadal, Rafael ESP 7,515 5 Ferrer, David ESP 5,915 6 Berdych, Tomas CZE 4,830 7 Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried FRA 4,5208 Del Potro, Juan Martin ARG 3,8909 Tipsarevic, Janko SRB 3,28510 Isner, John USA 2,61011 Monaco, Juan ARG 2,56512 Almagro, Nicolas ESP 2,47513 Cilic, Marin CRO 2,45514 Gasquet, Richard FRA 2,16515 Raonic, Milos CAN 2,08016 Nishikori, Kei JPN 1,87017 Wawrinka, Stanislas SUI 1,86518 Kohlschreiber, Philipp GER 1,85519 Dolgopolov, Alexandr UKR 1,81520 Simon, Gilles FRA 1,80021 Haas, Tommy GER 1,55322 Fish, Mardy USA 1,53523 Verdasco, Fernando ESP 1,52524 Granollers, Marcel ESP 1,51025 Mayer, Florian GER 1,500

1 Azarenka, Victoria BLR 10265 2 Sharapova, Maria RUS 8435 3 Radwanska, Agnieszka POL 8295 4 Williams, Serena USA 7900 5 Kvitova, Petra CZE 6690 6 Kerber, Angelique GER 5085 7 Errani, Sara ITA 4755 8 Li, Na CHN 4526 9 Stosur, Samantha AUS 4200 10 Bartoli, Marion FRA 3800 11 Wozniacki, Caroline DEN 3440 12 Ivanovic, Ana SRB 3200 13 Cibulkova, Dominika SVK 3005 14 Kirilenko, Maria RUS 2935 15 Vinci, Roberta ITA 2425 16 Kanepi, Kaia EST 2344 17 Safarova, Lucie CZE 2210 18 Petrova, Nadia RUS 2005 19 Zvonareva, Vera RUS 1875 20 Clijsters, Kim BEL 1865 21 Goerges, Julia GER 1815 22 Lepchenko, Varvara USA 1755 23 Zheng, Jie CHN 1736 24 Pennetta, Flavia ITA 1690 25 Jankovic, Jelena SRB 1681

R A N K I N G SAs of 09/10/12

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World’s Fair Globe in Flushing Meadow Park outside Arthur Ashe Stadium.