 Open Season
After six weeks, the US Open series heads into its two-week grand finale at the US Open. Defending champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova both clinched the Series standings this year and stand to receive a million-dollar bonus if they can repeat last year’s victories at Flushing Meadows.
It won’t be easy, but both will at least have some time before they come up against their biggest rivals. Federer is in the top half of the draw, well away from the two players who have beaten him in the last three months – Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Lleyton Hewitt, who took Federer to a third-set tiebreak in Cincinnati, is also in the bottom half. Instead, it’ll be two Americans trying to stop the Swiss world no. 1 returning to the final – Andy Roddick is Federer’s projected quarterfinal opponent, possibly followed by a semifinal against James Blake.
Sharapova, meanwhile, stands almost alone in the bottom half of the women’s draw – other top title contenders like Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic all landed in the top half. That could mean some early fireworks – in particular, Henin and Serena are scheduled to face off in the quarterfinals for the third Slam in a row. Serena has lost both the previous two meetings with Henin and comes in not having played since Wimbledon. Will playing in front of an American crowd made a difference if the two meet again?
Stay tuned – all will be revealed over the next two weeks.
 TENNIS.com’s Guide
to the Action
Get set for the start of play with a look at the men's and women's draws, and see who the consensus favorites are with our poll of editors' picks.
For more on the top names, see the players section, which now contains biographical details, photo galleries and story archives.
Under the watchful eye of new coach Jimmy Connors, 2003 champ Andy Roddick made it all the way to the final last year before falling to Roger Federer. This year, he's scheduled to face Federer as early as the quarterfinals. We evaluate how much progress Roddick and Connors have made over the last 12 months.
This season has seen the Serbs emerge as a real force in tennis –Djokovic has won two Masters Series titles, reached two Grand Slam semifinals and pulled off the unprecedented feat of defeating Nadal and Federer at the same event. Ivanovic became the first player from modern Serbia to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the French Open, and followed up by making the Wimbledon semifinals a few weeks later.
 For an actual piece of the story, TENNIS.com readers can enter to win an authographed dress worn by Ivanovic durng her French Open run - click here for contest details.
And don't forget Jankovic, ranked No. 3 in the world and the winner of five titles this year, who wants to remind everyone that she's also carrying the flag.
Viewers in the United States can catch the action from Flushing Meadows on USA during the week and CBS on weekends. Don’t lose track of what’s on when – keep the TV schedule handy as you plan your channel-surfing.
Stay Connected During the Event
Follow the matches as they happen with our live scoreboard and get reports of the all the action on the homepage. For even more details, keep the Ticker on your taskbar and get breaking news and updates at a glance.
While on the go, sign up and receive FREE text alerts with tournament news, scores, highlights, and more delivered directly to your phone or PDA!
Check the U.S. Open homepage daily for the day’s picks and exclusive features from the event. Peter Bodo’s TennisWorld and Steve Tignor’s Concrete Elbow will provide on-site blog reports from the action.
Finally, feast your eyes on the best pictures from the event at TENNIS.com's weekly photo gallery. If you can’t wait, the site's central photo gallery has the latest shots almost as quickly as they're snapped. Have a great Open season!
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