 This Month...
Open Season
The U.S. Open kicks off August 28 in New York, and Roger Federer and Kim
Clisjters will be looking to repeat at the year’s final major. But as the
festivities get under way at the National Tennis Center, all eyes will be on
Andre Agassi and his last stand as a professional. Most of New York will be
Andre-centric, but how the rest of the Americans fare will quickly become an
important question. The U.S. players have had a down year, especially in majors,
and this is their time for redemption.
Log on to TENNIS.com for
extensive live coverage from the Open with daily audio wrap-ups from the
editors, Peter Bodo’s and Steve Tignor’s blogs, Photo Editor David Rosenberg’s
Photo Diary, as well as exclusive features from Editor-in-Chief James Martin and
Senior Editor Jon Levey.
Before the big dance the U.S. Open Series will be criss-crossing its way through
the U.S. and Canada, with stops in L.A., Toronto, Montreal, Cincinnati, and New
Haven.
As Andre Agassi’s storied career comes to an end, where ever he goes cameras and
storylines will follow. Agassi’s supporters are hoping there is a little magic
left in his wand and that he’ll be able to make a run at the U.S. Open as he did
last year. But after a first-round loss in D.C. and a withdrawal from the Rogers
Cup in Toronto, his farewell tour is bottoming out in a hurry.
Other American wild cards this summer are Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams.
Davenport is still, for the time being, ranked in the Top 10, but there are
several factors that make her unpredictable. First, she has played only one match
since March and how she’ll hold up in the heat will be something to watch for.
Second, she has been out with a back problem, and the constant pounding on the
hard courts could prove to be too much on her physically. Lastly, and this is a
positive, she still hits an unbelievably clean ball, and without the added
pressure of being a favorite she could turn some heads this month.
Which Serena will show up is a big question this month. She has the ability to
simply pummel any of her opponents if she brings her A-game. She has been out of
practice, her conditioning is in question, and thus her ability to hold up over
the long haul is suspect. But she is still Serena and no one is going to be
anywhere near her in the draw.
 On
Newsstands
August 15
TENNIS Magazine - U.S. Open Special
- Andre Agassi Says Goodbye
- A Look Back at His 10 Most Memorable Moments
- The Kid—Rafael Nadal
- The Fall—Bjorn Borg
View Table of Contents |
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SMASH Magazine
- King of Cool—Roger Federer
- Talking Pop Culture with James Blake
- The IT Girl: Nicole Vaidisova
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 Last
Month...
King of Queens
In honor of tennis legend and social trailblazer Billie Jean King, the USTA
announced that they are renaming the National Tennis Center the USTA Billie Jean
King National Tennis Center.
Coaches Corner
Usually coaching moves don’t grab the top spot in the headlines, but it is
enough to take serious notice when it involves two high-profile players, a
Hall-of-Famer, and a coach who’s had two No. 1’s in the last seven years. After
weeks of speculation, Andy Roddick brought Jimmy Connors into his corner, and
the British Tennis Association signed Brad Gilbert to work with Andy Murray in
an attempt revitalize their limping program.
After only four days of working with Connors, Roddick had his best performance
of the year in Indianapolis. That was all the convincing the 23-year-old needed
to sign up Connors full-time a day later in L.A. Sadly for Roddick, he hurt his
back four days later and was forced to withdraw. He has since pulled out of D.C.
and Toronto.
Having Brad Gilbert will either be a blessing or a disaster for Murray. If
Murray buys in to his new coach’s methods, the youngster should make giant
strides within the next year.
The Williams Effect
After sitting out most of the year with a knee injury, Serena Williams made her
much-anticipated return to action in Cincinnati. Serena looked great in her
first match when she defeated Anastasia Myskina 6-2, 6-2. Early on Serena seemed
poised to win the title, but she tuckered out in the semifinals to Vera
Zvonareva in straight sets.
Hawk-Eye
After a brief test in Miami, Hawk-Eye is making a name for itself on center
courts across North America. The players seem to be satisfied that they can
challenge calls, and the fans are getting involved in matches like never before.
A Girl Named Maria
Maria Sharapova placed a big feather in her cap with her victory at the Acura
Classic in Carlsbad, Calif. She not only managed to win her first title since
March, but she defeated Kim Clijsters for the first time in the finals.
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