Kvitova wins Wuhan, qualifies for Singapore

Li Na couldn't be on the court to win the Wuhan Open, but she must have been pretty pleased that her friend, Petra Kvitova, could get the job done. Kvitova defeated Genie Bouchard 6-3, 6-4. Kvitova had to serve for the match twice, after Bouchard won a tense game when the Czech star served at 6-3, 5-3. In winning the brand new Wuhan title, Kvitova also became the fourth player to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Speaking of Li, Kvitova said: "... I know everybody wished to have Li Na here standing with us, but we will remember her with this trophy. I'm just glad she's happy now; I hope she's going to be happy for the rest of her life."

Also winning a title in Wuhan were Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta. They defeated Cara Black and Caroline Garcia 6-4, 5-7, 12-10 in the doubles final. They have reached two finals before (Eastbourne and the U.S. Open(, but this was the first time that Hingis and Pennetta have won a title as a team.

In Beijing: Kirsten Flipkens, Bojana Jovanovski and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are already out in the opening round.

A message from Nike

Just do it. #LiNa #LoveLi pic.twitter.com/emYWNRDLGy
— Nike Tennis (@NikeTennis) September 19, 2014

Asian swing already filled with drama

The Asian swing of the WTA tour has begun, and who knew that this post-U.S. Open period was going to be so filled with big news? The biggest news, of course, is the retirement of Li Na, which came right as the tournament in her home city, Wuhan, made its debut.

When something like the retirement of Li Na occurs, it's easy to forget that anything else is going on. I certainly haven't thought about much else, tennis-wise. But there is more news:

Victoria Azarenka withdrew from Wuhan and announced that her season is over. Azarenka missed much of this season because of foot and knee injuries, and says that she has been pushing herself too hard and needs to make a full recovery.

Karolina Pliskova broke her 2014 finals curse. Pliskova lost three finals this year, but this weekend, she defeated Varvara Lepchenko to win the Korea Open in Seoul. And for Lepchenko--it was her first WTA final.

Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki--two women who are pursuing serious comebacks--were the last two players standing in Tokyo. Ivanovic won the title.

Monica Niculescu won the Guangzhou title.

Victoria Duval announced that she is now cancer-free.

Ashleigh Barty announced that she is leaving the tour indefinitely, and did not give a reason for her action.

The bird that sticks out has flown: Li Na retires from tennis

Global #tennis icon Li Na officially announces retirement--> http://t.co/RjUd1IFGMD #WTA pic.twitter.com/vTL6sHkbwc
— WTA (@WTA) September 19, 2014

The Chinese proverb is a warning to all about the consequences of not conforming: The bird that sticks out always gets shot. "Be the bird that sticks out," Li Na countered, and she was--and is--the bird that sticks out, spreads its wings and soars above the dreary expectations and phony restrictions below her. In a world--and not just a sports world--where there are so few role models for girls, Li--throughout her career--has demonstrated courage and authenticity, and has done so with charm, candor and a deliciously mischievous wit.

Li announced her retirement from professional tennis today, citing recurring problems with both knees. The 32-year-old's announcement was not a surprise, but the reality of her retirement affects tennis fans all over the world, and especially in Asia. Largely because of Li, Asian tennis is now a major factor in the women's tour.

The WTA icon's career spanned 15 years, and was frequently punctuated by huge highs and devastating lows. As a little girl, she played badminton, and when it was suggested she use her backhand skills in tennis instead, her family and community didn't know what tennis was. She did make the change, though, and became involved with the Chinese national tennis team. In 2002, she left the team to work on a degree in journalism. At the time, some reports stated that she left because the national tennis team would not let her choose her own coach; others stated that her departure was due to the strictness of the coaching system.

Li returned in 2004, and in 2006, she married Jiang Shan, who was her coach for much of her career. Two years later, Li left the national team for good and she also parted ways with the state-operated sports system in her country. This was a major step, in that it meant that she could choose her own coaches and trainers and would also be responsible for her own expenses. It also meant that 8% of her winnings would go to the state, as opposed to 65%.

Plagued by injury throughout her career, Li suffered from problems with her knees, her back, her rib, and her ankle. All athletes get injured. but Li went through a period in which she could not sustain any momentum because of injuries. To make matters worse, the Chinese star became known for choking away big matches, and for sometimes not even seeming to be fully present during big matches.

Late in her career, Li would hire Carlos Rodriguez, former coach of Justine Henin, and he went about not only improving Li's fitness and her game, but doing what he could to counter her self-defeating beliefs. According to Rodriguez--and Li has affirmed this opinion in several interviews--Li had trouble believing in herself because, in her formative tennis years, she had been given only criticism, and no praise or encouragement.

But even with all the problems Li faced, she used her abundant talent, personal strength, and incomparable personality to emerge as an international symbol of all that is good about sport. She won two majors, the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open (while saving a match point in the third round). She was the Australian Open runner-up twice, in 2011 and 2013. Li won nine singles titles and two doubles titles, she was a member of the Chinese Fed Cup team for many years, and she was a member of the Chinese Olympic Team in 2000, 2008 and 2012. Li's highest singles ranking was number 2 in the world.

Statistics, however, just don't provide an accurate picture of Li Na, and what her career has meant to women's tennis, and to Chinese tennis, in particular. She really did "open the door" for Chinese players to emerge as significant members of the tour, in both singles and doubles. Li Na was the first Chinese player to win a WTA title, the first Chinese player to reach the top 10 and the first Asian player to win a major. Twice, she has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine.

Known by her countrywomen and -men as Big Sister Na, Li has also been called The Great Wall of China by opponents who could not penetrate her defensive strategies. Her precision-point and powerful backhand can easily be viewed as a standard for the women's game.

I remember a time when Li had not yet mastered the English language, and her press conferences were unintentionally funny because she answered every question "yes" or "no." Later, when she became fluent in English, her on-court interviews and press conferences featured either blunt, often brutal self-criticism, or hilarity of the sort that left me wiping tears from my face, I had laughed so hard and for so long. (Li and Jelena Jankovic used to be doubles partners, and one can only imagine what those conversations were like.)

"Anger is stronger than sorrow, and anger can keep you from collapsing," Li wrote in her book, Li Na: My Life. I have thought about that belief a lot, about what it has probably meant to Li and her career, and even about what it has meant to my own life. There is something so fully human and open about Li that fans all over the world were drawn to her; she freely talked about the types of struggles that all of us face in one way or another.

Jiang Shan, Li's husband, and the subject of many of her jokes, became a personality in his own right during the course of Li's career. Li ultimately decided that it was better for their marriage for him to be her hitting partner and not her coach, and she kept up a string of anecdotes that included everything from his annoying snoring to his fear of her well-known credit card shopping rampages.

With all her joking, Li also made it clear that Jiang's support made it possible for her to go through everything she had to go through in order to succeed on the tour. When she won the Australian Open, she thanked him for being such a nice guy. "Fix the drink, fix the rackets...." And, she added--as only Li could--"also, you are so lucky--find me."



It's almost impossible to pick one's favorite Li Na moment. Her acceptance speech at the Australian Open trophy ceremony is considered a comedy classic, but there are other memorable quotes:

"People in China say 'If you love your children, send them to New York. If you hate your children, also send them to New York.'"

On what motivates her: "Prize money."

The first of her Australian Open thank-you mentions: "Max, agent, make me rich. Thanks a lot."

"I know when so many people ask where I'm from, I say Wuhan. They say small town. Not so many people. Just like 10 million."

When asked by Rennae Stubbs if she would name her rackets if she won in Melbourne: "I have eight rackets. If you want, I call them Li Na One, Li Na Two...until Li Na Eight."

No review of Li Na's career would be complete without a mention of the bizarre final she played against Victoria Azarenka at the 2013 Australian Open. In the second set, Li rolled her ankle, and though she had it taped, it would affect her for the rest of the match. But that wasn't all--in the third set, she fell down and cracked her head. And while the occasion itself was far from humorous, Li made it hilarious when she cracked up during the brief neuro exam upon being asked to follow the physio's finger and to answer questions about her orientation. At the 2014 tournament, when asked to comment on her preparation, she quickly replied, "Special. Not falling down."

Nike, one of Li's longtime sponsors, has already announced it's Be the Bird That Sticks Out campaign to honor the retiring Chinese star. This is a fitting tribute to the woman who wore a shirt bearing the Chinese characters for "My heart has no limits" at her post-Australian Open press conference this year. It won't be easy for fans to say goodbye to one of the most beloved champions the WTA has ever produced.

I leave with you with one final piece of Li Na wisdom (video no longer available for embedding).

Respect your elders

What began as a trend on the WTA tour is now a theme: The "veterans" are still around and they're kicking your ass. And in the recent case of Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus Williams, they're kicking each other's asses. Lucic-Baroni is the latest of the "whatever happened to?" players who has played her way into the spotlight, starting with her U.S. Open run to the round of 16.

The 32-year-old Lucic-Baroni won the Australian Open title with Martina Hingis in 1998, when she was just 15 years old. The year before, the Croatian player had won the first WTA tournament she had ever entered, the Croatian Bol Ladies Open. Lucic-Baroni defended that title the following year.

In 1999, Lucic-Baroni reached the semifinals of Wimbledon. And then, she just faded away. Not that she lost interest or became physically hindered: Lucic-Baroni was dealing with a history of child abuse, financial problems, and all the terrible things that accompany those issues.

In 2007, Lucic-Baroni returned to the tour, and in 2012, she made it to the third round of Wimbledon, upsetting 2013 champion Marion Bartoli along the way.

At this year's U.S. Open, Lucic-Baroni began by beating formidable new Spanish star Garbine Muguruza. But that was just the warm-up. The Croatian player went on to upset 2nd seed Simona Halep in the third roundm byt she then lost a three-set match against Sara Errani in the round of 16.

It was a very emotional run for Lucic-Baroni, since it was the best showing she'd had at a major since her 1999 Wimbledon run. But who among us thought that she'd follow her Flushing Meadows moment up with her first singles title in 16 years? I didn't. But that's just what she did. Lucic-Baroni defeated top seed Venus Williams in the final in Quebec City. In doing so, the Croatian player set a new record--formerly held by Kimiko Date-Krumm--for the longest time gap between singles titles.

Williams is 34, Lucic-Baroni is 33. (Serena Williams, who won the U.S. Open, is also 33.) Venus Williams recently remarked, when asked about her age, "According to Kimiko, I have another decade." True. Date-Krumm, who retired from an excellent career somewhat early and then returned to the tour to do some impressive showing off, is 43. "Some of the players," she said last year, "their mothers are older than me."

29-year-old Jelena Jankovic's career has been revived, to some extent; last year, she returned to the top 10. This year, she made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open and the round of 16 at the U.S. Open. 32-year-old Flavia Pennetta reached the semifinals of the 2013 U.S. Open and the quarterfinals of this year's Australian Open, as well as the quarterfinals of the 2014 U.S. Open. 29-year-old Svetlana Kuznetsova--unpredictable at any age--reached the quarterfinals of this year's French Open (she's a former champion).

Doubles is another matter. The great Martina Hingis recently came within a hair of winning the U.S. Open doubles title (with Pennetta).

Older is not necessarily "better," but older is definitely to be feared. It's no longer a surprise when an older player--especially one who has already had a great career--breaks through for a second time. Sam Stosur is 30; Li Na is 32. They could retire from the sport soon, or they could both win more majors.

Given my personal history as a late bloomer in many categories, I am enthralled with the new culture of age on the WTA tour.

Lucic-Baroni wins everything in Quebec City

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who had an emotional showing at the U.S. Open, beat top seed VenusWilliams 6-4, 6-3 today in Quebec City to win the title. This is Lucic-Baroni's first title in 16 years. She and partner Lucie Hradecka also won the doubles title. In the final, they defeated Hradecka's former partner, Andrea Hlavackova, and Julia Goerges.

In Hong Kong, top seed Sabine Lisicki won the title when she defeated 3rd seed Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-3. However, Karolina and her sister, Kristyna, won the doubles title.

And in Tashkent, Karin Knapp won her first WTA singles title. Knapp defeated top seed Bojana Jovanovski 6-2, 7-6. Aleksandra Krunic and Katerina Siniakova won the doubles title.

My U.S. Open top 10

New York Public Library Lion

Here, in ascending order, are my top 10 U.S. Open occurrences:


10. Are we in Melbourne?: It doesn't generally happen at the U.S. Open, but the heat rule had to be applied on several occasions, making play difficult for everyone, and causing semifinalist Peng Shuai to endure what appeared to be a pretty scary heat illness incident.

9. Swiss Miss just misses: Martina Hingis, who--with Jana Novotna--won the U.S. Open doubles title 16 years ago, came very close to winning it again. She and Flavia Pennetta made it all the way to the final, in which they were defeated by the 4th seeds. In the course of their run, Hingis and Pennetta took out seeds number 5 and 3.

8. Mission accomplished: In winning the U.S. Open, wheelchair doubles team Yui Kamiji and Jordanne Whiley won the Grand Slam. In addition, Kamiji won the U.S. Open singles title (and also the 2014 French Open).

7. Giving youth a bad name: Just when you think it's safe to head back to the court, there's Kimiko Date-Krumm, ready to give you a lesson. Younger players haven't broken through in a really big way for a while because they keep getting tripped up by their elders. And then there's the comeback Japanese star, who--with partner Barbora Zahlavova Strycova--made it to the U.S. Open semfinals in doubles. The took out the Chan sisters and they upset 2nd seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai. Date-Krumm will be 44 in three weeks.

6. Just add Sania and stir: Sania Mirza and her Forehand of Fire teamed with Bruno Soares and won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title. This is Mirza's third major mixed doubles title. She no longer plays singles because of the damage done to her wrist by that incredible forehand, but she has continued to excel in doubles.

5. What did I do to upset you?: Down they went, one seed after another. Only three of the top eight seeds played in the round of 16, and only one (Serena Williams) was left to play in the quarterfinals. 2nd seed Simona Halep was taken down in the third round by Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 3rd seed Petra Kvitova lost to Aleksandra Krunic in the third round, and 4th seed Aga Radwanska went out in the second round, a victim of Peng Shuai.

4. The best show in New York: That would be Aleksandra Krunic, a player whom ESPN commentators had never heard of, which means they don't watch Fed Cup matches (kind of interesting, since the USA's Fed Cup captain is also a major commentator, but what do I know?): Krunic's Fed Cup doubles exploits with Jelena Jankovic, who she acknowledges is a mentor, have taken Serbia dramatically into victory.

In Flushing Meadows, the rather slight young Serbian player put on a big show of athleticism, speed, serving, returning, court poise, and even a little Radwanskan trickery. It was an absolute joy to watch her, and she was just as notable in her interviews as she was on the court. Krunic came close to taking out Victoria Azarenka, in what was a memorable match, but Azarenka's toughness and experience ended the Serb's run. Nevertheless, Krunic--at least for me--was a major highlight of the 2014 U.S. Open.

3. Awesome times two: They both met unfortunate fates in their semifinal matches, but Ekaterina Makarova and Peng Shuai had great runs at the Open. Makarova, always a danger at a major, broke through to the semifinals for the first time, taking out both Genie Bouchard and Victoria Azarenka in the process. Peng put on a service clinic, going 40 games without dropping serve. She showed the exit to Aga Radwanska, Roberta Vinci, Lucie Safarova, and Belinda Bencic. Against Caroline Wozniacki, she had some unexpected drama when heat illness overcame her and she staggered off the court and on again in a hopeless attempt to keep competing.

2. New dominance--same country: Who says the Russians are finished? Not only did Makarova make it to the semifinals in singles, she and partner Elena Vesnina won the doubles championship. It was a dramatic match, and the Russian pair dropped the opening set to Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta, the unseeded veterans who fought their way through a tough draw. Makarova and Vesnina have now won two majors together.

1. Hear. Her. Roar.: Nike just about always does well by Serena Williams, but this time, the effect was especially appropriate. Williams was dressed in an oh-so-Serena leopard print, and she took to giving the crowd a little cat roar after her match victories. Katy Perry's "Roar" became the top seed's U.S. Open theme song, and Williams had plenty roar about. She didn't have any particular problems with her draw, and in both the semifinals and the final, she easily dispatched the estimable Ekaterina Makarova and the "new and (quite) improved" Caroline Wozniacki--both in straight sets.

This was Williams' sixth U.S. Open championship; she won her first one in 1999. She has now won 18 singles majors. Unable to get past the round of 16 in Melbourne, Paris and London, the champion really did save the best for last, proving--yet again--that you can never, ever count out Serena Williams.

U.S. Open--what they said

You're an inspiration to me on and off the court.
Caroline Wozniacki, to Serena

I train really hard and I never want to stop. Then sometimes I ask Patrick, Is this normal? He says, No, it's not normal. Because I didn't think so. Tell me I'm not crazy. He's like, You are.
Serena Williams

How will you celebrate tonight? 
I don't know yet. I haven't thought of it yet, but I think we will go to the Fifth Avenue. Maybe go shopping.
Marie Bouzkova

You know, today I went out there and I was a little nervous. I had a game plan in mind, but it was kind of difficult at the start. I tried to push her back, but that really didn't work for me.
Caroline Wozniacki

I put a lot of pressure on myself. I don't have to put pressure on myself, because like I said, I don't have to win another title. I always have my little 18 bracelet now. I'm good to go.
Serena Williams

 ...to be the first ever to win US Open juniors, it's amazing feeling, you know. No one ever in history won that. Yeah, it's great.
Marie Bouzkova

You're an unbelievable friend and you definitely owe drinks later.
Caroline Wozniacki, to Serena

Serena Williams wins U.S. Open in style

Something about Serena Williams' leopard print Nike dress said "I'm not messing around here" from the onset of this year's U.S. Open. There was just a feeling in the air (and--from my standpoint--way too much Katy Perry in the air). Williams hadn't gotten past the round of 16 in the three other majors held this year and it was hard to imagine her doing her version of "crashing out" in the last one.

Serena Williams wins third straight #USOpen, 18th Grand Slam singles title: http://t.co/wsFFA5xUgF pic.twitter.com/p2yDcn6o4R
— TENNIS.com (@Tennis) September 7, 2014

And as great as Williams was in today's final--and she was great--the real story, I think, is a sad one, and one that commentators are stepping around. But I won't step around it: What the hell happened to Caroline Wozniacki? The genuinely "new and improved" Dane--the one who took Maria Sharapova out of the tournament--must have been locked in a closet somewhere while a doppelganger of "the old Caroline" (and a poor version of the old Caroline, at that) took to the court to contest the final.

Ekaterina Makarova should have done much better against Serena in the semifinals, but the Russian is known for her match-to-match inconsistency. But Wozniacki? She's consistent if nothing else. Down a set, she waited until the latter part of the second set to finally hit a non-ace winner. It was the only one she would hit in the entire match (plus three aces). Hello! You have added so much to your game and you are playing Serena Williams. In a major final. What's wrong with this picture?

As for Williams, she hit 29 winners and had first and second serve win percentages of 77 and 52, while her opponent's percentages were 56 and 38.

Williams defeated Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 (Wozniacki did play a lot better in the second set), and won her 18th singles major. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who each won 18 singles majors, presented her with a gold bracelet. I thought that was lovely, though I thoroughly disapprove of the comparisons commentators and writers do regarding the number of majors players have won. It means nothing. In the Navratilova/Evert era, players weren't even counting the number of majors they won. They frequently skipped the Australian Open because it was held during the Christmas holidays. Evert skipped three French Opens (yes, French Opens) because she was playing World Team Tennis. Same on the men's side: The legendary Rod Laver wasn't allowed to play a number of majors because the Open era had not been established.

There were other winners today. Maria Bouzkova won the junior girls' championship when she defeated 9th seed Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 7-5 in the final. Bouzkova is the first Czech girl to win the championship.

Top seed Yui Kamiji won the women's wheelchair singles title, defeating 2nd seed Aniek Van Koot 6-3, 6-3. Yesterday, Kamiji and partner Jordanne Whiley won the doubles Grand Slam. Kamiji also won the French Open.

Makarova and Vesnina win U.S. Open

Ekaterina Makarova made it to the semifinals in both singles and doubles at this year's U.S. Open, and though Serena Williams stopped her run in singles, the Russian--with partner Elena Vesnina--did make it to the final in doubles. Four players who know their way around a doubles court--Makarova, Vesnina, Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta--vied for the title today. Makarova and Vesnina became the first Russian team to win the U.S. Open when they defeated their opponents 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

.@katemakarova1 & @EVesnina001 win 2nd Grand Slam doubles title, d. #Hingis/#Pennetta, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. #usopen pic.twitter.com/w2UnVUNBgy
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2014

This is the second major win for Makarova and Vesnina. They were the French Open champions in 2013.

Ipek Soylu and Jil Belen Teichmann won the junior doubles title. The 6th seeds defeated Vera Lapko and Tereza Mihailkova 5-7, 6-2, 10-7. Also winning a doubles title were top women's wheelchair seeds Yui Kamiji and Jordanne Whiley, who defeated 2nd seeds Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. This means that Kamiji and Whiley have won the Grand Slam (and shame on the U.S. Open for calling it the "Calendar Grand Slam"--it's the only Grand Slam).

Top seed Jamie Loeb won the inaugural Women's Collegiate Invitational, and Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna won the Women's Champions Doubles.

U.S. Open--what they said

Well, excuse me, Flavia Pennetta.
Rennae Stubbs, after Pennetta nails 2-0 lead

I'm not sure what the benefit of the double grunt is.
Rennae Stubbs, referring to Vesnina

I think it was a great final, very entertaining, lots of nerves.
Elena Vesnina

Friends don't let friends beat them in the final

Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki are close friends. Tomorrow, they will face off against each other for the 2014 U.S. Open singles title, and each of them has a compelling backstory.

Williams, of course, is looking for her 18th major title. Most observers thought she would have already grabbed it by now, but until she arrived in New York, Williams was unable to get past the round of 16 in a major this year. She was taken out of the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon by Ana Ivanovic, Garbine Muguruza and Alize Cornet, respectively. But at the U.S. Open, she has looked more like the Serena Williams who is destined to be the last woman standing.

Williams has won the title five times, starting in 1999. Wozniacki, on the other hand, has never won it, though she was a finalist in 2009, when she lost to Kim Clijsters. A fast-moving athlete with impressive endurance, Wozniacki used her crack defensive game to take her all the way to the number 1 ranking several years ago. Her critics continually pointed out her lack of aggression as her only real weakness. Coaches came and went, sometimes quickly, and Wozniacki always returned to her father Victor (formerly known as Piotr) as her coach.

Eventually, the Dane slipped down in the rankings, and faced with a new appreciation of aggression on the tour, found it harder to win matches than it had been before. She also experienced a very public, flashy romantic relationship, and then a very public breakup. She found solace in spending time with her friend, Serena. And then, from the many and varied elements of her history emerged a new tennis player--a fast, enduring, defensively gifted player who hits winners and takes charge of rallies.

It is this newer version of Wozniacki who will compete against Williams for the title on Sunday. Here are their paths to the final:

Serena Williams

round 1--Taylor Townsend
round 2--Vania King
round 3--Varvara Lepchenko
round of 16--Kaia Kanepi
quarterfinals--Flavia Pennetta (11)
semifinas--Ekaterina Makarova (17)

Caroline Wozniacki

round 1--Magdalena Rybarikova
round 2--Aliaksandra Sasnovich
round 3--Andrea Petkovic (18)
round of 16--Maria Sharapova (5)
quarterfinals--Sara Errani (13)
semifinals--Peng Shuai

Williams and Wozniacki to play in U.S. Open final

It took her five years, but Caroline Wozniacki is back in the U.S. Open singles final--just as fit, just as fast, but with a bigger game. Wozniacki won her semifinal today when Peng Shuai had to retire with heat illness. It wasn't a pretty sight, what happened to Peng, and it put a terrible end to what had been a marvelous run for the Chinese player.

Peng's problems began when she served for the first set and was broken. The set went to a tiebreak, which Wozniacki won handily. Down a break at 2-4 in the second set, Peng began to visibly suffer with cramping. She was later diagnosed with heat illness--I'm going to skip the controversy that ensued because I just don't feel like dealing with it--and, despite trying to stay in the match, she had to retire at 6-7, 3-4. Peng has had problems with the heat before. Some players, no matter what they do, are very sensitive to heat and humidity.

I hope that, at some point, viewers will remember that the first set was very close up until the tiebreak.

The second semifinal wasn't any more satisfying in terms of exciting tennis. Serena Williams pretty much ran over a sluggish, error-prone Ekaterina Makarova (ah, yes--that Makarova), though the Russian did "wake up" toward the end. But it was too late. Williams won 6-1, 6-3, and advanced to her fourth U.S. Open final in a row.

Top seed Yui Kamiji and 2nd seed Aniek Van Koot advanced to the final in women's wheelchair singles, defeating Jiske Griffoen and Marjolein Buis, respectively. 3rd seed Iryna Shymanovich and 4th seed Tornado Alicia Black were both upset in the junior quarterfinals.

U.S. Open--what they said

What did Serena say to you at the net? I thought she mentioned the doubles match; is that right?
Yeah, she--I don't know how to say in English, like good luck me in doubles.
Ekaterina Makarova

At this point in your career are you still working on your game, or has it now moved off to being consistent?
No, absolutely still working on it. I think in life you should work on yourself until the day you die. I think why not apply the same thing to your tennis game? Yeah, I'm still working on it.
Serena Williams

Could you guys tell me how long you have been a team and how you originally became a team?
Bruno Soares: We have been playing for two weeks. No, I tried to play with Sania for a long time.
Sania Mirza: What a lie.
Bruno Soares: She finally gave me a chance to play. I mean, my results before wasn't good enough, so after a couple of weeks she accept my offer. I'm just joking. She had another partner, and after Wimbledon she messaged and another conversation started.

...I was pretty ready for it. I felt good. I felt physically good, you know. Technically the ball was sitting good on the racquet.
Ekaterina Makarova

If I can play Venus, I can play anybody.
Serena Williams

I believe the best in people. I believe if you need a bathroom break you go to the bathroom. If you need treatment, you get treatment. I don't think any rules should be changed.
Caroline Wozniacki

Bruno Soares: I guess now Sania, she will accept my offer to play Australia.
Sania Mirza: We have to win. My standards are very high.

Makarova into U.S. Open doubles final--Hingis, too

Ekaterina Makarova is hard to miss at the U.S. Open, no matter how low a profile she tries to maintain. Already into the semifinals in singles; today, the Russian and her partner and countrywoman, Elena Vesnina, advanced to the final in doubles. Makarova and Elena Vesnina, seeded 4th defeated Kimiko Date-Krumm and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-5, 6-3.

In the other doubles semifinal, Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta defeated 3rd seeds Cara Black and Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-4. Hingis, with partner Jana Novotna, won the U.S. Open doubles championship in 1998. That year, Hingis won the doubles Grand Slam.

The first singles semifinal tomorrow will be contested by Peng Shuai and Caroline Wozniacki. That match will be followed by the semifinal featuring top seed and two-time defending champion Serena Williams and Makarova. Williams is seeking her 18th major; none of the other players has ever won a major. Wozniacki was a finalist in the 2009 U.S. Open.

U.S. Open--what they said

...I only won one title here in doubles. That was a while back in '98. I made some good matches, like some great memories, but it's been a while. So it's like I really cherish this moment because I have had some great matches, but also in doubles I didn't feel like I had too many opportunities. I lost to players that actually I beat in this tournament now again, like whether it was Peschke, you know. So it felt like really far away. Also in the beginning of this tournament I think we had a really tough draw. So I think we really deserved our spot. I think this tournament it all came together for me. I played a lot better than in the previous tournaments. With Flavia I feel really comfortable being out there. I think that's the key to success.
Martina Hingis
 
We like to play together, and always we have a different--in the important moments or when we are down, we always come out with some different things. We have always the energy to come back.
Flavia Pennetta

You were flying everywhere, catching everything. It was almost a ballet. 
It's like you want to keep that momentum. It's scary, because we already play like amazing first set. Like the first games was everything was like perfect, right? She hit, I'd go short cross-court volleys. Everything. Yeah, so you just want to keep going and keep the momentum.
Martina Hingis

Makarova and Williams advance to U.S. Open semifinals

The word from Vika Azarenka's staff is that she had some bad sushi, was sick, and couldn't practice yesterday. She seemed especially out of sorts (though sometimes that distinction is hard to make with Azarenka because what looks "out of sorts" can actually be a good thing) today in her quarterfinal against Ekaterina Makarova. Makarova, on the other hand, was about as "in sorts" as you can get. She has yet to drop a set, and has reached the semifinals in both singles and doubles. She defeated Azarenka 6-4, 6-2.

Azarenka's food poisoning episode, unfortunately, falls right into a pattern of unfortunate hindrances she has experienced over the years. It used to be just constant injury of the thigh and that sort of thing, but then it became falling down from heat illness or food poisoning (depending on which story everyone read on a given day--I still think it was mainly food poisoning, though heat illness became the runaway gossip), falling down with a concussion because of a pre-match accident, withdrawing because of a toxic pedicure (the people who made fun of this probably should experience a pedicure infection, just to increase their personal growth), and I can't even remember what else.

Azarenka, even in her best times, is an accident waiting to happen. And just when you think those "oh, no--not again" days are over, you learn that they're not. Hers is a strange track, and while it has put her on a stretcher and taken her out of big tournaments, it has also awarded her two Australian Open titles, two U.S. Open finals and the number 1 ranking. Vika remains cool, no matter how many times she falls down flat or eats bad food. She isn't going away. Out most of the year because of injury, she was able to make it to the quarterfinals of this tournament, which is quite an accomplishment.

But today's star was Makarova, a low-key, very pleasant Russian player with a big lefty serve and an affinity for great big tournaments. When she's playing well, Makarova is hard to beat. She told ESPN today that in other majors, she was so happy to reach the quarterfinals, she wound up being content with a quarterfinal run. But this time, she explained, she knew she wouldn't be content with that--she wanted more, and she believed she could get it.

Her opponent in the semifinals will be Serena Williams, the top seed, who defeated Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-2 tonight. She had to come back from a 0-3 deficit in the first set, but after she did, it wasn't very difficult for her to win. Makarova beat Williams in the 2012 Australian Open round of 16.

Meanwhile, 43-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm and her partner, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, advanced to the semifinals in doubles by defeating 8th seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Zheng Jie 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. This is the first time that either Date-Krumm or Zahlavova Strycova has reached a major doubles semifinal. The pair will play Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the next round. That's right: When you say "semifinals," you're saying "Makarova."

The mixed doubles final is set. Top seeds Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares will compete against Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonazlez.

U.S. Open--what they said

...I was so calm and just did what I needed to do.
Ekaterina Makarova

Having been a part of the last two finals, how disappointing is it not to be back there again? Very disappointing. How many times--like how do you feel? How do you think somebody will answer a question like that? Of course it is disappointing....
Victoria Azarenka

Will you watch the match tonight between Pennetta and Serena?
Yes, of course, why not?
Ekaterina Makarova

She would give you the shots you didn't want to hit, only you didn't know that you didn't want to hit them--she knew.
Martina Navratilova, referring to Billie Jean King

Peng and Wozniacki smack down opponents in U.S. Open quarterfinals

She's been broken only three times in the tournament and she has yet to drop a set. Peng Shuai--who had already beaten Zheng Jie, 4th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, 28th seed Roberta Vinci, and 14th seed Lucie Safarova--knocked off teen sensation Belinda Bencic today in straight sets in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Peng never really gave Bencic a chance to establish any kind of rhythm. She hit 24 winners, while making only seven unforced errors. Her 6-2, 6-1 victory books her a slot in the semifinals.

Peng's opponent will be Caroline Wozniacki, who played in pretty serious wind against Sara Errani in the night match. And if Peng's win over Bencic was brutally efficient, Wozniacki's win over the Italian was a beat-down. Handling the wind expertly, the Dane defeated the Italian 6-0, 6-1. It was an impressive performance, especially at the net, and make no mistake: Woz is back--and smacking 26 winners.

In doubles, the unseeded team of Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta upset 5th seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, and 3rd seeds Cara Black and Sania Mirza defeated Zarina Diyas and Xu Yi-Fan when Diyas and Xu retired early in the second set because Diyas was injured.

4th seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina defeated Venus and Serena Williams 7-6, 6-4. The match had an odd ending, with Serena Williams double-faulting twice in a row at 30-all. (Right before the double double-fault, ESPN commentator Pam Shriver remarked that this was exactly when the team needed the best server in women's tennis to be doing the serving. The commentator curse is a powerful one indeed.)

U.S. Open--what they said

I tell myself, "Never, ever, ever give up."
Peng Shuai

How much of today was about she played so well and how much was the new experience of being in a Grand Slam quarterfinals?
Yeah, I think it's both. I mean, I wasn't nervous or something going to the court. It was just the little things that didn't work out for me. I had the small outs; I make some unforced errors and stuff. She also didn't let me to come into the game again. So it's both.
Belinda Bencic 

When was the lowest moment for you when you thought that you might actually stop playing?
One time was my 12 years old and then one time is in the 2006. Yeah. These two times actually is kind of like I almost stop played. Because my 12 years almost was doesn't have that much choice, because the doctor was telling me maybe I have to stop it. But is really lucky, you know, like I can come back and play. And 2006 was also big another challenger, and then finally I maked it.
Peng Shuai
 
What do you think next year will bring?
Oh, I have no idea. I don't know what next week will bring.
Belinda Bencic

You said many times that you actually enjoyed being in Li Na's shadow. That the attention was on Li Na and you enjoyed that. 
I never said that.
Peng Shuai 

Put on your red dress baby

...'cause we're going out tonight
Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight
Well now wear some boxing gloves in case some fool might start a fight

Aleksandra Krunic, known on WTA Backspin as the Serbian Good Luck Charm because of her stunning Fed Cup doubles performances, put on her red dress tonight and somehow managed not to get punch-drunk, though it was her seventh consecutive match at the U.S. Open. Her opponent, Victoria Azarenka, did look punch-drunk, but it is now programmed into the 16th seed's brain to fight, and when it seems that everyone and everything is against her--to fight harder.

Azarenka defeated Krunic 4-6 6-4, 6-4 in a two-hour and 19-minute thriller that literally had me on the edge of my seat much of the time. If you look at the stats for this match, you can't even begin to get an idea of what the match was really like; it just doesn't translate.

Krunic had to go through qualifying, and during her first week in Flushing Meadows, she managed to knock off both 27th seed Madison Keys and 3rd seed Petra Kvitova. Krunic is a small woman by professional tennis standards: She stands only 5 feet and four inches tall. She isn't bulky or stocky. What she is is incredibly fast, and she can hit the ball way harder than one might expect. She also has a great deal of composure, and a great deal of fight in her.

Azarenka, a two-time finalist at the Open, was out for much of the year with an injury, yet she has been showing flashes of her old self since she arrived in New York. She needed that self--and then some--to ward off the assaults she had to undergo from Krunic. In the end, experience, as it so often does, determined who won the match. Krunic would go off a bit and then use the pressure to play herself back into a winning (or at least neutral) position, but--and here I'm dragging out a well-worn phrase--she really needed to win it in straight sets. Toward the end, the young Serbian player lost her mental edge, and Azarenka imposed herself successfully.

No matter what happens from here on out, Krunic has secured a spot in my U.S. Open top 10. Her performance at this event was stunning, and her combination of athleticism (really, she looks "French" to me, moving like Lenglen, Mauresmo and Cornet), creative shot-making and composure is scary. And did I say she hits the ball really hard? (Krunic cites Jelena Jankovic as her mentor, and it would have been a good idea, several times tonight, if she had used the signature Jankovic backhand down the line to finish points. Maybe next time.)

As for Vika Azarenka--she made a "great escape" tonight, and that can be a very good thing for a top player at a big event. She faces Ekaterina Makarova in the quarterfinals, and--if Makarova stays "on"--Azarenka will have that big, tricky lefty serve to solve.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Serena Williams (1) vs. Flavia Pennetta (11)
Victoria Azarenka (16) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (17)
Belinda Bencic vs. Peng Shuai
Caroline Wozniacki (10) vs. Sara Errani (13)

Hot weather and hotter opponent bring end to Bouchard's U.S. Open run

No one ever says that the old school white-wearing, understated Ekaterina Makarova "likes the big stage," but obviously, she does. The "other" blonde Russian has so much hitting talent that for years, I've asked "Why isn't she ranked higher?" and "Why isn't she winning tournaments?" And then Makarova will play wildly inconsistently, and I'll be reminded, yet again, of the answer to those questions.

Nevertheless, when it comes to the majors, Makarova brings her best tennis. She's reached the quarterfinals of a major five times; today marked the second consecutive year that she has reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. In doing so, Madarova upset 7th seed Genie Bouchard today, and what will the commentators/sponsors/WTA executives//marketing specialists do now?

The Canadian star has had a remarkable season at the majors, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. Today, however, she was done in by the heat in the stadium, and by the fierce serving and hitting of Makarova. It seemed to me to be Makarova's match to lose, even before it started. Bouchard hasn't had much of a summer hard court experience, and also, it seems to me that the Russian stores up her mental energy for these huge occasions, and then just lets loose.

Today, Makarova looked like she was going to take the first set 6-3, but her serve went to pieces (this is Makarova we're talking about) and she was easily broken when she served at 5-3. The set went to a tiebreak, with Makarova playing a few stunning points to get the score even. She won the first point of the tiebreak on Bouchard's serve, and then all but cruised through the rest of it, taking it 7-2.

Makarova led 3-2 in the second set when Bouchard took a medical timeout and was treated for heat illness. By this time, both players were sweating like crazy, and Makarova's face was bright red. Perspiration dripped from the edge of Bouchard's dress onto the court as she took a seat to be given an ice rubdown and a blood pressure check (it could have been worse--she could have been playing that other Russian). Usually, during this type of break, an experienced opponent would be on the court practicing her serve, or at least moving around, but it was too hot and humid for that; Makarova sat in her chair, wrapped an ice towel around her neck, and drank liquids.

When Bouchard returned to the court, she was broken right away, but then she broke her opponent right back. Neither of them looked as though they could endure much more of the weather. But it was the Russian who stayed steady. Serving at 4-5, Bouchard went down 0-40, and Makarova won on her first match point.

Earlier in the day, Flavia Pennetta reached her second straight U.S. Open quarterfinal, defeating Casey Dellacqua 7-5, 6-2, and top seed Serena Williams defeated Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-4, thereby reaching her first major quarterfinal of 2014.

There was a big upset in doubles. Kimiko Date-Krumm and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova beat 2nd seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai 7-6, 6-4. In mixed doubles, life-long friends Taylor Townsend and Donald Young reached the semifinals when they defeated Ashleigh Barty and John Peers.

U.S. Open--what they said

I finally made a quarterfinal this year!
Serena Williams 

Do you like the way you're treated by the media? Would you like to be more sort of in the spotlight like certain stars, or you like to be in the shadow? What is your attitude? Do you think that someone is not considering you enough or not?
I think I prefer to stay in the shade.
Ekaterina Makarova

Is it different? Do you have to do something different to play against her (Serena) than you would...
Something different. You cannot invent something. I mean, you just have to play your tennis and do your best. Of course, she's better than me, but if I still believe I can beat her, maybe if she doesn't have a good day I can do that....
But you still believe?
Of course. Why not?
Flavia Pennetta

What are the positives you take out of this? You made the fourth round of the US Open, lost to the number 1 seed.
Yeah, I had really good matches. I think I gained confidence for next tournaments. I played aggressive. I didn't get like pissed on the court. I was very calm all matches. I like that way to be on the court.
Kaia Kanepi

...her backhand is world class. One of the best backhands in the world. I think her forehand, it's tricky. I don't think she hit it poorly. She varies it up on the forehand side. You get different looks. You get a hard, flat ball. You get the slow, loopy ball. That's why she's tricky to play.
Casey Dellacqua, referring to Flavia Pennetta

...of course I'm nervous a little bit. Sometimes more; sometimes less. But all the time when I'm nervous, maybe more than normal, I'm all the time try to speak with my coach about this. Like just to talk, you know. And then this situation she told me some things and this situation just let it go, you know.
Ekaterina Makarova

I played Jennifer Capriati. At that time, we were the same age.
Chanda Rubin

2009--the year of Little Miss Upset

Five years ago today, 17-year-old Melanie Oudin from Marietta, Georgia began her campaign to bring down Russia at the U.S. Open. Her first victory went unrecognized, but it was significant. In the opening round, Oudin defeated her junior nemesis, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the player who had denied Oudin the top ranking throughout their junior careers. I made a mental note of that.

In the second round, everyone made a mental note, as Oudin upset 4th seed and 2004 finalist Elena Dementieva. That caused quite a stir, but it was nothing compared with round 3, when the teenager brought down 2006 champion and international celebrity Maria Sharapova. Oudin earned the nickname "Little Miss Upset" and became the talk of the tennis world and the U.S. news media. Everyone wanted to know about her shoes, her training, her family, her boyfriend, and what on Earth possessed her to become an army of one against the serious tennis force that was Russia.

Wearing her pink and yellow Nike shoes with the word Believe printed on them, Oudin walked flat-footed around the court like a baby duck on a mission. She was all business, and like almost-famous Tsvetana Pironkova, didn't give a damn what anyone thought about her consistent use of the forehand slice. She yelled "Come on!" she fist-pumped, she yelled some more, and all five feet and six inches of her appeared electrified as she wiped out one tall Russian after another.

Nadia Petrova was Oudin's next victim. The 13th seed became the fourth Russian giant to get run over by those pink and yellow shoes. It was as if Oudin were opening a set of matryoshkas and stomping on them, one by one. "Well, she was just seventeen..." the Beatles tune blasted through the tournament loudspeaker as Oudin stepped off of the court for yet another interview.

Melaniemania was at a peak, and why not? A teenager from the USA, barely out of juniors, was not only upsetting very high seeds, she was knocking off consecutive Russians. To compete consecutively against four players from the same country was a novelty in itself. The fact that that country happened to be women's tennis giant Russia made the entire affair something beyond tantalizing.

There was a down side, though. Against Dementieva, Sharapova and Petrova, Oudin had lost the first set. She was tired. She got eventual finalist Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals, and that was the end of her run. Wozniacki beat her in straight sets.

And this is where--at least for me--it gets fascinating in a fantasy sense: If Wozniacki had lost her round of 16 match, Oudin's quarterfinal opponent would have been 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, another Russian. And to this day, I believe Oudin would have beaten her and gone to the semifinals. But it wasn't to be, and it still seems somehow "wrong" to me that the upstart teenager didn't get to play five Russians in a row.

Oudin appeared on "The Tonight Show" and on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." She was personable and candid and made a good showing. Shortly after the conclusion of the U.S. Open, a member of the tennis press revealed that Oudin was under a considerable amount of especially nasty family-related stress, which made the 17-year-old's run even more remarkable.

Unfortunately, Oudin was not able to break through in a big way on the tour, despite her 2009 U.S. Open success. She had a couple of good runs in Charleston, she and Jack Sock won the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship in 2011, and she surprised everyone by winning Birmingham in 2012. She has not gotten past the second round of the U.S. Open since 2009 (this year, she didn't make it out of qualifying), and she is currently ranked number 135 in the world.

Oudin is not quite 23 years old, and no one can know what lies in her tennis future. But whatever does or doesn't happen, nothing can take away the thrills that she created in 2009 when she mowed down Russia's finest in one glorious rump through the U.S. Open.