U. S. Open Tennis Blog

Expect screaming, happy kids and then a heartstring-tug during the US Open this year at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY.

The US Open events kick off on Saturday, August 29, with the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where delighted kids and their families will enjoy a day filled with music sensations, celebrities and tennis-tour favorites. This year’s lineup includes actor-comedian Will Ferrell, platinum-selling recording artist and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, boy band Honor Society and newcomer Justin Bieber, as well as tennis giants Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

Families are invited to participate in this pre-tournament festival that provides tennis know-how and fun with tennis clinics, games, food and musical entertainment. The Kids’ Day event will be hosted by MTV’s Susie Castillo and by Nickelodeon’s Quddus. Profits from this high-energy event benefit the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, which focuses on strengthening youth character with its 550 national chapters that reach out to 220,000 children annually.

The US Open’s Opening Night Ceremony on August 31 continues the good will and altruistic theme of using tennis to benefit kids with a sentimental tribute to retired eight-time Grand Slam singles champion and tennis legend, Andre Agassi. The tribute honors Agassi’s charitable contributions and humanitarianism through the Andre Agassi Foundation, founded in 1994, to provide opportunities to underprivileged youth.

The Andre Agassi Foundation’s primary success vehicle is its Las Vegas-based public K-12 charter school, named the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, or Agassi Prep. The school was founded in 2001 with only grades 3-5 and has grown to its current K-12 status. Its mission is to provide low-income youth with educational and recreational opportunities through state-charter funding and donor contributions. This award-winning school has become a fundraising powerhouse and just graduated its first senior class of 34 students in June and all are proudly college-bound this fall.

As further special coverage honoring Agassi, ESPN2 will be broadcasting its first live primetime telecast from the US Open during the Opening Ceremony. Agassi retired from the tennis world in 2006 and continues to foster a love of tennis, competition, education and service to others through his Foundation.

To learn more about how the NJTL and the Andre Agassi Foundation reach out to disadvantaged children with structured plans to help them succeed, visit usta.com and agassifoundation.org.

And to get the best tickets to the Open at the best prices, visit us at www.usopentickets.org

Watching the 2009 US Open in person will be like watching a techno-thriller directed by Hollywood’s best, mixing age-old tradition with ultra-modern technology. It also will be like watching a tearjerker drama.

Debuting this year, an exciting feature called Point Tracker promises to take the game of tennis to the next level. Every nuance of the tennis ball’s trajectory will be captured and broadcast online. The entire match can be animated allowing close analysis.

After watching a particularly exciting match, a fan could go to the US Open website and use the Point Tracker feature to visualize the exact path that a ball took. Andy Roddick or Roger Federer, two favorites to win the Open, would use the same tool to identify the Achilles’ heels of their opponents.

Fans are content, however, just to watch the talent and hard work that have culminated in this high-stakes tournament.

As the drama unfolds on the court, each player has his or her own life story. Federer’s life story is particularly compelling.

Federer, the Tiger Woods of tennis, is the favorite to win it all. Federer, hailing from Switzerland, in his youth was known as a hothead. He often hurled his racket at the net, frustrated not with the game, opponent, coach, but rather with himself. The outbursts threatened to stop his advancement to the professionals.

Peter Carter, one of Australia’s finest players, took Federer on as his protégé. Carter and Federer not only explored the art and science of tennis, but also discussed the psychology and sportsmanship of tennis. Carter became Federer’s surrogate parent in many ways, allowing Federer to grow into the player he is today.

Like Tiger Woods, Federer’s career was defined by a tragedy: the death of Carter. At Federer’s suggestion, the coach had gone on a safari to South Africa. In a truck accident, Carter was killed.

It was not particularly the death of Carter but rather a meeting with Carter’s parents. They shared with Federer that rooting for Federer allowed them to root vicariously for Carter. This brought focus on Federer’s game, as he was filled with a desire to honor his mentor.

Thus, Federer became the number one player of tennis according to most analysts. His life story is just one of many.

The 2009 US Open, especially in person, will be an epic tale, with drama such as Roger Federer’s tale and with technological marvels such as the new-fangled Point Tracker features. Buying tickets to the Open isn’t just getting a seat to watch some people lob back and forth a yellow ball. It is buying a seat to one of the premier dramas of the year. And the best seats at the best prices are available at www.usopentickets.org

The 2009 U.S. Open will be the second year tennis fans can look forward to the Hawk-Eye technology. The innovation was first used in 2007 and proved to be highly favored among fans and players, thus an embracing return of the technology in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The Hawk-Eye, a relatively new tool in tennis, provides an illustration of the path of the ball as a graphic image. Initially developed to give fans watching at home an ability to see the instant replay, the concept is now used as part of the judging process in many tennis events, including the U.S. Open.

Having passed the standards of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), players are permitted two challenges per set and along with the fans within the stadium and watching at home, the graphic instant replay is shown on the large screens. According to Gadgetopia.com, the technology is so popular with fans, that the 3D replay is delayed a few seconds in order to generate suspense.

Hawk-Eye’s Web site shows a popularity among tennis players themselves, including favorable quotes from such greats as John McEnroe, Jason Goodall and Andy Roddick. However, the technology is not without its doubters or its controversy.

During the 2007 Dubai Tennis Championships, Rafael Nadal’s ball was declared out by the umpire. His challenger, Mikhail Youzhny, called in the use of Hawk-Eye, which agreed with the umpire. Nadal insisted the replay would have clearly shown the ball to be in if Hawk-Eye had taken into consideration the type of ground on which the match was being played.

In another gaffe, Hawk-Eye did not accommodate a second bounce of the ball during a 2009 Indian Wells Masters quarterfinals match. The replay showed the ball landing on the center of the line, while regular camera replays showed the ball was out.

However, during the 2004 U.S. Open, Hawk-Eye’s use in the tournament led to the discharge of umpire Mariana Alves, who made numerous mistaken calls during the match between Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams.

Regardless of the controversies surrounding Hawk-Eye, it continues to be a staple of tennis matches. During ITF testing in 2006, 100 percent of the tests proved to be accurate. The margin of error (relative to the diameter of the ball, which is 65 to 68 millimeters) for the technology is .5 percent, and experts note the “fluff” on the tennis ball is also .5 percent of its diameter, making Hawk-Eye nearly perfect in its calls. Hawk-Eye is also designed to take into consideration such factors as wind, sunlight, court shadows, darkness and court floodlights.

Seemingly correct more often than not, Hawk-Eye is a majority-ruled favorite of both tennis fans and players alike. The giant screens of Arthur Ashe Stadium are sure to bring some trepidation and enthusiasm to all those watching while Hawk-Eye makes the ultimate call.

To get the best tickets to the Open at the best prices, visit us at www.usopentickets.org

As if the buzz in the U.S. surrounding professional tennis wasn’t loud enough during last months men’s and women’s championship matches at Wimbledon, now the eyes of the tennis world will shift focus to America as the U.S. Open gets underway August 31st. The last American to claim our National Championship, 2003 winner Andy Roddick, is still adjusting to the aftermath of losing Wimbledon to Roger Federer. In what can only be described as an epic display of tennis and emotion by both competitors, the last two men standing battled to a tiebreak eventually won by Federer, 16-14. Reaching the finals was a major accomplishment for Roddick, despite the heartbreaking loss, whose career since his ’03 Open win has been characterized by early grand-slam exits, multiple coaching changes, weight fluctuations and self-doubt. None of those issues were apparent at Wimbledon, though his best effort still fell short.

Now that the final grand slam event of the calendar is rapidly approaching, questions swirl around Roddick and the tournament that so far defines his professional career. Coming off a match in which his loss anointed Roger Federer as the undisputed greatest player in tennis history is a sobering event; especially considering, with Federer’s win, Roddick would need to win as many slams as Pete Sampras to equal Federer (Roddick has one major, Sampras had nine at his age). Compounding that feeling of inadequacy is that, in giving Federer his best effort, Roddick had injured his right hip flexor, severely restricting any opportunity for improvement before Augusts’ Open. While sidelined, however, there are plenty of reasons for Roddick and the American public to believe he is poised to steal a slam from Federer or Rafael Nadal. After all, Roddick not only forced Federer to play five exhausting sets and the tiebreak to win Wimbledon, it was the longest match played in tournament history. Also, before this year Roddick had never made it to the fourth round at the French Open. For a player like Roddick who relies so heavily on his serve, playing in the fourth round at Roland Garros signifies that his serve is as good as it ever has been. Bring that 135 mph serve to the fast hard-courts of Flushing Meadows in the waning New York summer heat and Roddick just may hoist the U.S. Open trophy come the evening of September 13th.

This year’s U.S. Open is obviously about more than just an American winning America’s tournament, as Roddick will likely be forced to face both Federer and Nadal since rarely are the winners of the last ten grand slam event on the same side of the draw. In this case, even if Andy fails to make the final, how he responds and to whom he falls (if at all) after his oh-so-close loss at the All England Club will be most intriguing.

For the best tickets to the US Open at the best prices, visit us at www.usopentickets.org

Green practices are not just a trendy movement of the 21st century; they are vital actions on which our environment depends. With impending climate changes and the lack of natural resources, Planet Earth needs its inhabitants to force change and educate others about saving valuable real estate. The 2009 US Open is doing just that.

Implementing several new green practices, the US Open will not only be a two-week spectacle of amazing professionalism in tennis, it is also an opportunity for fans and players alike to come together and reuse, renew and recycle. With over 700,000 fans visiting the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the US Open’s ability to educate and make a positive impact on the planet is immeasurable.

In order to bring environmental awareness to the fans and tennis public, the USTA has put into place several green initiatives that aim to reduce waste and energy during the course of the events. In an effort to encourage fans and the general public to lower their carbon footprint on the environment, the USTA plans to introduce the following green practices:

Recycling over 500,000 plastic bottles and 20,000 aluminum cans in partnership with Evian© Natural Spring Water
Having over 80 Evian recycling receptacles on-site
In order to reduce energy consumption, the USOpen.org website, powered by IBM, will reduce its severs from nine to six
Tens of thousands of Wilson tennis ball containers used at the US Open will be immediately recycled after the event, and the tennis balls will be reused for NTC programming and donated to community and youth organizations
The “Official Vehicle of the US Open,” Lexus, will supply player hybrid vehicles in up to 20% of its overall fleet
The Billie Jean King National tennis Center’s electricity supplier, Constellation Energy, will match electricity consumption used during the 2008 US Open with Green e-card Certified wind certificates

Previous initiatives put into place in 2008 include distributing thousands of wallet-sized cards with Eco-tips on how to be more environmentally friendly, public service announcements from popular tennis stars, and a newly designed green logo that encourages the three R’s.

In further effort to showcase the importance of giving back to both the environment and the community, the US Open will celebrate athletes who give back at the opening night ceremony, with a special feature on Andre Agassi.

Tune in from August 31-Sept 13 to see the latest green initiatives and the most exciting competition in tennis today. And for tickets, get the best seats at the best prices at http://www.usopentickets.org

The U.S. Open is just over a month away, and the media appears to be gearing up. Stories about drug scandals and injury sagas are cropping up. The New York Times has begun labeling its tennis blog, Straight Sets, the U.S. Open Blog. Updates about the tournament can already be found on Twitter. All this bodes well for a sport that has been a slow track to recovery in America after a period of seriously lagging public interest in the mid-80s and 1990s.

In spite of recent growth in the sport’s popularity—the number of Americans who play tennis has grown 12 percent since 2003—there are still some troubling signs. Posts to Straight Sets are garnering only a handful of reader comments. A recent post about the top mixed doubles team from the World Team Tennis Pro League received no reader feedback. Compare that to a post from the same day on the Times’ parenting blog, Motherlode, which received 85 reader comments, or The Quad, which covers college sports and received 46 responses to posts that day.

The United States Tennis Association is taking action to combat this still-lagging popularity. The organization hopes to ramp up public interest in the sport through a series of television spots featuring American pros addressing audiences from off the courts. The campaign, which features the slogan “It must be love,” aims to generate not only more fans but also more players by targeting audiences’ emotions. “Our strategy is to use our professional assets to leverage more participation,” Harlan Stone, chief marketing officer at the U.S.T.A, told the New York Times. Whether images of Venus Williams cuddling her Havanese puppy will produce more players remains to be seen.

Some on the American tennis scene have advocated a more aggressive approach and loftier goals. Four-time U.S. Open champion John McEnroe has lobbied the U.S.T.A. for a dozen years to open a tennis academy in New York for grooming the next generation of American pros. His dreams of a return to the heyday of New York tennis have not come to fruition, however; the U.S.T.A. has not moved on McEnroe’s proposal. The champion has some harsh words for the organization: “I haven’t figured out a way to walk through that brick wall, which is the U.S.T.A,” he said. “Maybe they feel they couldn’t control me the way they control other people.”

In spite of it all, this year’s U.S. Open promises to be quite a show, with performances by the likes of Jordin Sparks and Will Ferrell at Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day and an Opening Night Ceremony that will honor tennis pros who contribute to their communities. You can find out more about the tournament, including a full schedule of events, at www.USOPEN.org. But for tickets, get the best seats at the best prices at www.usopentickets.org

Let’s face it: When compared to NFL football, NASCAR racing, and the NBA, tennis in the United States doesn’t have quite the luster of other sports. Even though more than 12 million people say they play tennis in the nation, professional tennis lags the other big sports in terms of spectator popularity.

Until late summer. When the U.S. Open comes to the States each year, for a brief time, it draws in the nation’s imagination and gets them interested for a short time in a sport that is popular around the world. Indeed, considering how the sport lags during the rest of the year, the annual success of the U.S. Open in Flushing, NW is somewhat remarkable.

The U.S. Open is run by the U.S. tennis Association. It normally counts more than 20 sponsors. For instance, last year’s big sponsors were well known quantities such as Ralph Lauren, Polo, Grey Goose Vodka, Tiffany, and Heineken, among others. These tend to draw in an upscale clientele. It’s said that the annual event generates over $50 million from these sponsors

Ticket sales and luxury suites, which run between $10,000 and $60,000, will likely exceed $80 million at this year’s tournament. Plus the Tennis Channel and ESPN just signed contracts to broadcast the Open for $140 million.

All of this goes to show that financially speaking, the U.S. Open has been a huge success. In 2007 alone, it generated about $100 million in profit; it also brought in about $200 million in total revenue. Compare this to the 1999 amount of only about half that amount.

So just why does tennis suddenly get so popular during the 14 days of the U.S. Open, when 700,000 fans come to see it? There are several reasons:

1) Tickets are affordable compared to other big sports events. One day session runs as little as $48.

2) The event grounds hold premium restaurants and are quite consumer-friendly. So are stores like LCaoste, also on the grounds.

3) The location for the U.S. Open is the same every year; it’s also one of the few sporting events which always involves a holiday (Labor Day). This makes it easier for fans to plan their vacation around it.

The U.S. Open has had such an emphasis on marketing that it’s somewhat surprising they haven’t yet sold naming rights to the event as other sporting events do. In fact, the complex itself is named for Billie Jean King, while the stadium is named for Arthur Ashe.

The total number of tennis fans who will visit the tennis center throughout the Open is expected to be more than those who watch another tournament on television. And so, eveni though tennis remains unpopular throughout the rest of the year, for one shining month, it has its moment in the sun. Pro tennis night not have the national appeal of a sport that boasts LeBron James or Peyton Manning, but the U.S. Open is itself a celebrity which makes tennis a must-see sport.

It seems that in the tennis world this year, all the talk is about grunting. It seems to be getting out of hand, according to those closely connected with the sport.

We’re talking, of course, about the loud grunt a player makes right as he or she is swinging the racket. And it’s especially become annoying for some with female players.

Want to know how widespread the problem has gotten? It’s even overflowed into kids’ tennis. AP reports that one nine year old girl in Sunbury, Australia, was banned from playing at a local club because of her loud grunts.

The girl is Lauryn Edwards, and the club banned her from playing tennis following an opposing player’s complaint. The Mt. Carmel Tennis club then told Lauryn’s flabbergasted parents. The father, Duncan Edwards, said the ban is “pathetic” and has made his own complaint to Tennis Australia and Tennis Victoria.

It’s no surprise to those familiar with tennis that Lauryn’s favorite player and idol is the notorious grunter, Russian player Maria Sharapova. However, Lauryn’s father says his daughter’s grunt is not at Sharapova’s level and that the situation is way overblown.

On the adult level, in advance of the U.S. Open, tennis legend Chris Evert has come out opposed to today’s loud grunting. She said she noticed that the grunting gets louder when the player hits what they perceive as a winning stroke, and that this smacks of poor sportsmanship. Evert says the loud grunts are distracting, and she feels they’re getting louder and louder with the younger generation of players.

So who are the sports loudest grunters among female tennis players The Tennis Federation rates them as following (Keep in mind that a lion’s roar is 110 decibels):

Maria Sharapova 101 decibels
Monica Seles 93.2 decibels
Serena Williams 88.9 decibels
Lindsay Davenport 88 decibels
Venus Williams 85 decibels
Victoria Azarenka 83.5 decibels
Elena Bovina 81 decibels
Anna Kournikova 78.5 decibels
Kim Clijsters 75 decibels
Elena Dementieva 73 decibels

As the current rules stand within the International Tennis Federation’s conduct code, an umpire can award a point to the opposing player if he feels that the player has hindered her in any intentional way. This would presumably mean by unnecessary grunting as well. In addition, there is a new proposal which, if passed, will ban outright the emitting of an excessive amount of noise during a game, with the grunter facing the possibility of a game or match forfeiture.

On the other side of the issue, in an interview with NPR, women’s tennis coach Luke Jensen of Syracuse University says there’s value to grunting. He says some players get so tied up with their emotions that grunting helps them release those emotions.

So will the grunting at the U.S. Open reflect the same kind of grunting that has been seen at Wimbledon. Perhaps. But then, Americans probably go in for that kind of thing more so than their counterparts over in the UK.

So you’ve bought your tickets to the U.S. Open, you’ve traveled to New York and you’re ready to watch some tennis–but it starts raining. What then?

It’s not uncommon to have a rain delay at Flushing Meadows during the U.S. Open. However, it’s rare that you’d get rained completely out of a session. The staff at the event tries very hard to deal with the rain so that the show goes on. However, if there is an all-day rain event, you might wind up having to watch the event next year.

Even if it looks like rain on the day you’re set to attend the Open, plan on going to Flushing Meadows anyhow. More than likely, the grounds crew will manage to get the event going. In the event of a total downpour, log onto www.USOpen.org for an announcement about the rain. There might also be an announcement on the local TV news.

If your entire session does get completely rained out, you’ll be allowed to either exchange for another session or get the same seats on the same day next year. The bad side of this, however, is that you’ll need to be at the box office in Flushing Meadows in order to get the switched tickets for this year. However, you can get the tickets for next year through the mail. Either way, there are no refunds.

If you have tickets for an early session which gets rained out, then you’ll have the opportunity of getting tickets for a time later in the week. However, you’ll need to be in Flushing Meadows immediately when the rain delay is announced in order to try to exchange at their box office so you can beat others; there will be a limited number of tickets to be exchanges. This will probably mean you have to stand in the rain to get the new tickets.

If one of the matches in your session has already been completed when there is a rain delay, you might get only half value when you exchange your tickets. Check out the event’s inclement weather policy to find out exactly what you’re eligible for.

Here’s the really bad news: Sessions 23 and 26 are not covered under the Inclement Weather Policy. That means if you happen to get rained out of those, you’re just out of luck. However, the management most likely would honor tickets for a final which has been rescheduled. They just like to keep their options open.

The good news is that it’s very uncommon for Mother Nature to conspire against a person so totally that he gets completely shut out of the event that he planned so hard for. So by all means, make your trip to New York for the Open fully expecting that you’ll get to see the tennis that you paid to see; most likely, it’ll happen.

With prize money of more than $ 19 Million to be won over a period of weeks, the US Open is one of the most coveted trophies in Tennis. This year the grand stage again will be at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York City. The hustle at the venue has already begun with the selection of the ballpersons even as the tourney begins not before 25th August. The qualifying draws start early on 25th August but the final draws begin only on 31st August which would then go on till 13th September.
So what else is new with the US Open? The Governing body USTA have announced the launch of the new official website which will present detailed information as well as integration with social media websites. It aims through this website to cover some other local Tennis tournaments too. There is special attention paid to the interactive games and contests for fans also. This is one of the big projects undertaken by USTA and their aims are higher than ever. Fans can now get updates of scores, ticket rates and TV schedules on their social profiles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.
Eager to join the big preparations many superstars have already joined the tournament draws which include Caroline Wozniacki – defending champion, Marion Bartoli, Amelie Mauresmo among the women and Mardy Fish and Tommy Robredo were a few among the men’s category. Wozniacki expressed her thrill on coming back to defend her title at the Pilot Pen. She said that she loved the atmosphere at the tournament last year and the terrific fan support helped her to the title. Marion Bartoli is renowned for her exploits against former World No. 1 Justine Henin during initial draws for the Wimbledon finals in 2007 and for having Pierce Brosnan applaud for her from the Royal Box!
On the screen side of US Open, there seem to be huge partnerships coming together for the benefit of the TV viewers. The USTA, ESPN and Tennis Channel have collaborated together and have agreed to telecast 400 hours this time round for the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series. This will be the first time ESPN, Tennis Channel and CBS will become the US Open broadcasters in collaboration.
Of course all this is planned because they expect a scintillating set of matches. With Nadal falling out of Wimbledon and Fedrer making the most of his absence in 2 consecutive tournaments, it will be interesting to see what the US Open brings. Clearly Fedrer is the favorite for the title with 4 consecutive previous wins, but Nadal, Djokovic, Roddick and others cannot be counted out. Will they give Fed-Ex a run for his money? On the other hand – in Women’s Tennis the Williams sisters seem to be going strong once again after making it to the Wimbledon Finals in grand style. Can they be defeated on their home turf? The anticipation rises.