Well two days of rain, player complaints, and water seeping into a broken court has resulted in a Monday finish for the US Open so we've just had the men and women's semi-finals. Predictably on the men's side it was the top 4 players to get to the last four spots, Djokovic took on Federer after another rain delay in the first semi. I only heard the match on the radio- really wish I could have seen it because it sounded like a cracker. Djokovic started off slowly, while Federer was on top form and Fed took the first two sets 7-6 6-4. But suddenly Djokovic was on fire and Federer was in a slump and Djok took the next two sets 6-3, 6-2. And then it was all to play for in the fifth set with Federer having the advantage serving first. And at 4-3 Federer broke to love, and served to 40-15 with two match points on his serve. Dkokovic threw his cap into the crowd, perhaps believing he had lost the match, but managed to break back. Then won the next 4 games winning the fifth set 7-5 and match. Djok into the final and Federer without a GS title for the first time since 2002.
In the second semi- Nadal took on Murray, whilst I was tucked up in bed. But no surprises when I woke up Nadal had beaten Murray in four sets. This is the third time this year Nadal has beaten Murray in a Grand Slam Semi. So the men's final will be played tonight (9pm UK time) between Nadal and Djokovic for the second year in a row.
In the women's game Serena Williams, who I don't like for the record and who lost in the Semis in 2009 after being docked a point for racquet abuse and then foot faulted to give the match to Clijsters and then was fine £53,000 and put on probation for subsequently verbally assaulting the line judge, beat World Number One Caroline Wozniaki. Wozniaki may be irk some people for being a world number one without winning a grand slam, and be rather bland, but has never threatened to kill anyone on court, as far as I know. And Australian Sam Stosur beat German Angelique Kerber, unseeded surprise semi-finalist, to get to her second grand slam final. Stosur was beat by Schiavone in the 2010 French Open Final and struggled to find form after that.
Stosur and Williams battled it out last night, with Stosur outplaying Williams and winning 6-2 6-3, a shock win as most people will have assumed that Serena would over power anyone she came up against this week. Serena showed her aggression and intimidating nature in the controversial element of the match that had not much to do with actual playing- during one point Williams hit an unreturnable forehand winner and screammed 'Come On!' in that way Americans do before the point was over. The Umpire ruled this an intentional verbal hiderance. In all fairness the point should probably just have been replayed, instead Stosur won the point and game. It did not end there, however, as Williams continued to rant at the umpire through the change of ends:
"If you ever see me walking down the hall look the other way. You're out of control, you're a hater and you're unattractive inside."
"Who would do such a thing? And I never complain. Wow. What a loser."
"You get a code violation because I express my end, we're in America the last time I checked."
"Can I have a water? Or am I going to get violated for drinking a water? Really don't even look at me."
Really clever barbs 'Im sure you'll agree. She is still on probation for the 2009 incident, and today officials will decide whether she'll be fined again. So I am rather happy for Stosur, although it's a shame for her that the main story (ok the tiny section of one page that a women's grand slam final gets, about a third of what Andy Murray Sneezes gets) is Serena Williams Tantrums rather that her victory.
In the second semi- Nadal took on Murray, whilst I was tucked up in bed. But no surprises when I woke up Nadal had beaten Murray in four sets. This is the third time this year Nadal has beaten Murray in a Grand Slam Semi. So the men's final will be played tonight (9pm UK time) between Nadal and Djokovic for the second year in a row.
In the women's game Serena Williams, who I don't like for the record and who lost in the Semis in 2009 after being docked a point for racquet abuse and then foot faulted to give the match to Clijsters and then was fine £53,000 and put on probation for subsequently verbally assaulting the line judge, beat World Number One Caroline Wozniaki. Wozniaki may be irk some people for being a world number one without winning a grand slam, and be rather bland, but has never threatened to kill anyone on court, as far as I know. And Australian Sam Stosur beat German Angelique Kerber, unseeded surprise semi-finalist, to get to her second grand slam final. Stosur was beat by Schiavone in the 2010 French Open Final and struggled to find form after that.
Stosur and Williams battled it out last night, with Stosur outplaying Williams and winning 6-2 6-3, a shock win as most people will have assumed that Serena would over power anyone she came up against this week. Serena showed her aggression and intimidating nature in the controversial element of the match that had not much to do with actual playing- during one point Williams hit an unreturnable forehand winner and screammed 'Come On!' in that way Americans do before the point was over. The Umpire ruled this an intentional verbal hiderance. In all fairness the point should probably just have been replayed, instead Stosur won the point and game. It did not end there, however, as Williams continued to rant at the umpire through the change of ends:
"If you ever see me walking down the hall look the other way. You're out of control, you're a hater and you're unattractive inside."
"Who would do such a thing? And I never complain. Wow. What a loser."
"You get a code violation because I express my end, we're in America the last time I checked."
"Can I have a water? Or am I going to get violated for drinking a water? Really don't even look at me."
Really clever barbs 'Im sure you'll agree. She is still on probation for the 2009 incident, and today officials will decide whether she'll be fined again. So I am rather happy for Stosur, although it's a shame for her that the main story (ok the tiny section of one page that a women's grand slam final gets, about a third of what Andy Murray Sneezes gets) is Serena Williams Tantrums rather that her victory.
