15 Notable Hits & Misses from the 2015 U.S. Open

The rain has dried from a damp weekend of action at Flushing Meadows, and the most nimble of players, Novak Djokovic, and an elegant upstart, Flavia Pennetta, have claimed singles glory.

They're not alone in winning big in Queens this year. Here's a roundup of 15 items from two zany weeks of action both on and off court, incidents deserving of further inspection or reflection.

15. It's well worth saluting the canine unit that keeps players, fans, media members and tournament staffers safe on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

14. James Blake's ill-conceived arrest occurred as the tournament kicked into high gear, an embarrassment to New York City law enforcement and mayor Bill de Blasio, who said, "This should never have happened."

13. That sound Roger Federer makes at the 0:26 mark here, as he discusses crying at a Broadway show:

12. With her championship run, Pennetta leaps from No. 26 to No. 8in the WTA rankings, her career high. Lest we forget, she knocked off two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova from a set and a break down in the quarterfinals before routing world No. 2 Simona Halep in the semis.

11. Djokovic "helicoptered" a towel and danced alongside, well, That Crazy Dancing Guy after one of his patented night-session victories:

10. Not to be outdone, perennial hucksters Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon delighted the Arthur Ashe Stadium audience when they replicated a couple dance moves from Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video, during a break in Federer's quarterfinal rout of Richard Gasquet:

9. Benoit Paire survived two match points and his own hapless lack of a grip in defeating 2014 U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori in the opening round:

And the same racquet fail plagued Paire in his win over Tommy Robredo in the third round:

8. Not one to shy from the limelight, Fabio Fognini, who took down Rafael Nadal in five sets in one of this Open's most memorable matches, grabbed his lady love Pennetta's trophy and hoisted it up over Manhattan:

7. We all know Djokovic fought off Federer and a well-oiled U.S. Open crowd rooting for his foe. It's worth remembering that the Djoker overcame this unfunny spill as well:

6. Pity Genie Bouchard. Just as her year was gaining traction, she slipped and fell in a dark locker room, hitting her head and prematurely ending her tournament. From there, Roberta Vinci, who notably lost just one game a week earlier to Bouchard at the Connecticut Open, strolled into a fateful semifinal encounter against Serena Williams. Would Roberta not have been invincible had she played Bouchard? Would that most grand of upsets not have happened? The world will never know.

5. Vinci delivered one of the best on-court interviews post-match of all time. It's great to see someone processing what just happened even as she's asked to give delightful quotes in front of tens of thousands of people.

4. Serena and Venus Williams put on a show in their own quarterfinal bout, a three-setter that should have shaken anyone who takes their place in tennis for granted into this stark reality: One day they'll both be gone, and we'll miss them more than we know. They have a fire and a presence that brings tennis to the forefront worldwide whenever they square off. Brace yourselves.

3. Speaking of, Federer's SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger) was all the rage among ESPN commentators. Venus and Serena have sort of made a career of it, though. Here's hoping that, even as Fed pledges to use that tactic again, onlookers can find something more engaging to talk about.

2. Djokovic took to his player's box upon defeating Federer, made eyes with 300 actor Gerard Butler and exclaimed, "This. Is. Spartaaa!"

The self-amused duo reprised their roles backstage to boot:

1. In a word, Pennetta. She has style and grace and unheralded power at times. She has deft touch at the net. She simply goes to work, and she did that over two weeks in seven matches, the sum of which confounded onlookers and even herself. She dropped a news bomb on the tournament when she announced, upon winning the title, that she will retire at the end of this season. Good on ya, Flavia. You certainly are not going gentle into that good night.

What are your own top takeaways from this final major of the season?

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.  News tips gladly accepted. Serving tips kindly refused.