Before we get into our preview for day four, how about a little recap of the all the comings and goings of day three?
The top seeds in the women’s draw continue to get slaughtered.
Safina survives again to play another round:
Committing 15 double faults and playing 2 sets of cringe-worthy-headache-inducing tennis, Safina some how battles her way into the 3rd round. Much to the relief of her fans, Safina only got behind 0-2 in the final set before righting the ship and rallying to win. One has to wonder how much more emotion she can expend before she exhausts herself.
Disappointment for Dementieva:
You couldn’t tune into any ESPN broadcast today without hearing recaps about the demise of Dementieva at the hands of the 17 year old American, Oudin. After the amazing match Dementieva played at Wimbledon and the gusty win over Sharapova in Toronto, we all jumped aboard the bandwagon. The wagon crashed today in the 2nd round. Yes, Oudin played a great match, but I’m more disappointed that Dementieva couldn’t dig deep and find a way to win that match.
“Do you want the win? No, I insist you take it.” match of the day:
While everyone was talking about the Oudin match, Shvedova and Jankovic played the more entertaining match on the women’s side. I’ve never seen Shvedova play before today and I liked what I saw. She hits a big ball off both sides, was willing to dictate play and take it to Jankovic right from the get go. This match offered relatively fewer cinge worthy moments.
On a side note, Jankovic has had a tough year away from the court. Her mother is very ill and yesterday, her grandmother passed away. We wish Jankovic all the best.
Most Bizarre Match Moment:
Down match point to Rodinova, after an extended rally, Lisicki rolls her ankle badly and falls to the ground, writhing in pain out on court 11. Lisicki leaves the Us Open in a wheel chair. Talk about a bizarre twist of fate. (pun intended)
Hurrah, for Little Belgians!
Blake bested the little Belgian Rochus in four entertaining sets. We love Rochus! A tiny Belgian who hits a big ball with a beautiful one hander…….. Please let the rumors be true! (sorry, I digress)
Day Four Match ups:
Upset Specials?
King vs. Hantuchova
King played a great match against Stosur last round and she stands more than a puncher’s chance against another permanent resident of “Head-case-ville” in Hantuchova.
Ginepri vs. Almagro
This is a good match up for Ginepri against Almagro, who mostly thrives on the red clay. The courts are playing fast this year, and opportunity is knocking at Ginepri’s door. Will he answer it?
Berdych vs. Zeballos
With Berdych, you never know what you’re going to get, so stay tuned. His tendency is usually to play a good match followed with a horrible match. He plays a dangerous qualifier in Zeballos, who beat Malise (remember him?) in qualifying.