US Open Preview: Day Ten

One of the most anticipated matches of the 2008 US Open will take place on Wednesday.

Serena Williams will face her sister Venus Williams in a quarterfinal showdown under the lights in New York.

Aaress’ Picks for Wednesday

Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[16] v. Dinara Safina (RUS)[6]
Dinara Safina was so exhausted before her fourth round match that she sobbed just prior to taking the court. After speaking with her coach who helped calm her down, Safina stormed into the quarterfinals in straight sets.

Flavia Pennetta is a surprising quarterfinalist, especially on the Open’s fast courts. Pennetta’s game is more suitable for clay, but she has had little trouble making it work in Flushing Meadows over the past ten days. The Italian has a fighting chance in this match, especially given Safina’s emotional and physical state. But to win, she’ll need to come to the net more often and avoid getting pinned behind the baseline by Safina’s blistering groundstrokes.
Dinara Safina in two sets

Serena Williams (USA)[4] v. Venus Williams (USA)[7]
Handicapping an all-Williams match is a difficult task, not just because they are sisters, but because they have similar games. Venus won their last showdown at Wimbledon, however on grass, she is clearly the superior player. But on hard courts, which is arguably a power-player’s best surface, both women are expected to bring their best games to the court.

Let’s look at the facts from the past four rounds:

Serena Williams
Sets Won/Loss – 8/0
Total Games – 62
Aces – 20
Double Faults – 4
Unforced Errors – 58
Winners – 86
First Serve Average – 68.75% of first serves in

Venus Williams
Sets Won/Loss – 8/0
Total Games – 63
Aces – 17
Double Faults – 10
Unforced Errors – 95
Winners – 102
First Serve Average – 54.5% of first serves in

On paper, Venus is making more mistakes on serve than Serena, yet she is also going for the outright winner more often. That could be crucial on Wednesday against her sister because if Venus can avoid a slugfest from the baseline, she might be able to protect her serve better.

Like many of their meetings in the past, this one could be very psychological. Serena Williams felt deeply her loss in the Wimbledon final and although this is only a quarterfinal, she does not want to be beaten again by the one player on Tour that she worries might be better than herself. That alone could be enough motivation for Serena to dig deep and defeat her big sister for the ninth time in her career.
Serena Williams in three sets

Please go here to view the complete schedule of play for Wednesday.

She Said What?

Serena Williams when asked if she was thinking about reclaiming the No. 1 ranking:
“Yeah, but, I mean, I still can get it after this. It’s not about getting there for me, it’s about keeping it.

So, yeah, I mean, I was watching TV when they said few people have a chance of being No. 1. They mentioned me, and I was like, No way. It is what it is. I’ll get there. Right now I’m just focusing on the quarterfinals.”

What Else is Happening in Flushing Meadows?

White-line fever
Leanne White might not be the most recognizable name in tennis, but she is one of the sport’s most experienced umpires.

It’s All Relative
The US Open website takes a look at tennis family trivia.

USA Television Schedule for Wednesday

All times are Eastern.

Tuesday’s Match of the Day – USA – 2:00 am – 4:00 am (taped)
Quarterfinals – USA – 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Quarterfinals – USA – 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Don’t forget to enter On the Baseline’s Pick the Winner’s contest! The entry deadline for Wednesday’s featured match is 10:00 am ET.