The quarterfinals of the 2009 US Open begin Tuesday with only two former Grand Slam champions left in the main draw.
Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters are bidding to reach the final four—and their first meeting in over six years.
1. One Match Away from Williams #2
Not many players relish the sight of having both Venus and Serena Williams in their half of the draw, but so far, Kim Clijsters has risen to the occasion. If Clijsters and Serena Williams both win their matches today, they will meet in Friday’s semifinals.
2. Tough Quarterfinal Challenge for Flavia . . . or Serena
While Serena is undoubtedly the most successful Grand Slam player of the season, Flavia Pennetta is the most successful of the summer. Riding into the US Open with a title win in Los Angeles and semifinal finishes in Cincinnati and New Haven, Pennetta has a game big enough to upset the defending champion.
3. Ranking Report
Regardless of the final outcome, Dinara Safina and Serena Williams will immediately remain ranked at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings. However, if Williams wins the title, she will overtake Safina on September 21.
Kim Clijsters, who arrived in Flushing Meadows unranked, has already guaranteed herself a projected ranking of approximately No. 75, and she might reach the low 50′s with a semifinal finish.
4. Fashion Gallery
Most of the top players debuting stylish new outfits lost before fans got a real good look at their attire, so if you do not remember what Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic wore during their brief stays in Flushing Meadows, check out this image gallery.
5. Winning the Easy Way
Serena Williams has dropped only one fewer game than Flavia Pennetta in her four wins prior to this round, while Kim Clijsters has lost exactly the same amount (24) as her next opponent Na Li. As for time spent on court, Serena Williams is the quickest bottom half quarterfinalist with 4 hours, 26 minutes on court, compared to Na Li’s last place finish time of 5 hours, 35 minutes.
6. A Twin’s Perspective
Katherine Oudin, the twin sister of Melanie Oudin, had the joy of watching her sister reach the quarterfinals of the US Open on Monday from the stands. She has recounted her experience in a guest blog for the New York Times.
7. A Father’s Love
Belgian Yanina Wickmayer is one of the unsung victors in this year’s tournament, but her run at the US Open is only a small part of her remarkable career. Read the transcript from Wickmayer’s Monday press conference for more about her touching story.
8. Partners and Rivals
Co-ranked world number ones Cara Black and Liezel Huber are one match away from facing each other in the mixed doubles final. Huber is seeded first in the competition with Mahesh Bhupathi, while Black follows just behind her at No. 2 with Leander Paes.
9. Roadmap Delivers Results
New Sony Ericsson WTA Tour chairman Stacey Allaster spoke to the media at the US Open about the effects of the Roadmap and the recession on the professional game. Although the recession is impacting the sport, the WTA Tour has lost just one of its fifty-one title sponsors, and better still, player withdrawals are down by thirty-six percent this year.
10. Watch the US Open Live
ESPN360′s coverage of the US Open will continue live on the internet on Tuesday. You can watch live streaming of the tournament by visiting here.
On the Baseline’s live coverage of the 2009 US Open is brought to you by Grand Slam Tennis Tours.
Just reaching the US Open final would be enough for Serena Williams to overtake Safina on 21st September.
Thanks, Andrew, just edited the article.
I think it’s pretty fascinating that it might be deja vu all over again for Serena. She won the US Open last year to reclaim the ranking, but just a week later than expected.
Pennetta’s not going to be an easy foe, let alone Kim Clijsters, so it’ll be interesting to see if Serena can do it again.
Sorry – this is quite embarrassing, but the WTA changed its story on Tuesday: Williams has to win the US Open to be #1 on 21st September.
No worries, Andrew! I saw the projection and just updated the article.