On the eve of the US Open Sam Querrey and Elena Dementieva were crowned winners of the 2009 Olympus US Open Series. Going into the final event in New Haven, 21 year-old Querrey needed to reach at least the quarter finals to surpass British No.1 Andy Murray in the standings and he duly went on to reach the final. On the women’s side, Italian Flavia Pennetta had to win the title in New Haven to usurp Olympic Champion Dementieva but fell in the semi-finals.
- Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro finished second and third in the men’s table with Pennetta and Jelena Jankovic completing the women’s top three.
Now in its sixth year the US Open Series links eight tournaments over six weeks heading into the US Open. The winners Querrey and Dementieva will now both play for a $1 million dollar bonus if they can take home the US Open trophy in New York – giving them the biggest payday in tennis history of $2.6 million.
- Of all the winners of the US Open Series only Kim Clijsters and Roger Federer have gone on to take the US Open crown and $1 million bonus.
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US Open Series winners
2004
- Men: Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
- Women: Lindsay Davenport (USA)
2005
- Men: Andy Roddick (USA)
- Women: Kim Clijsters (BEL)
2006
- Men: Andy Roddick (USA)
- Women: Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2007
- Men: Roger Federer (SUI)
- Women: Maria Sharapova (RUS)
2008
- Men: Rafael Nadal (ESP)
- Women: Dinara Safina (RUS)
2009
- Men: Sam Querrey (USA)
- Women: Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Second seeds reign in New Haven
Both the singles titles at the Pilot Pen Tennis event presented by Schick in New Haven were won by the second seeds. Caroline Wozniacki defended her women’s title and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco took home the men’s title.
18 year-old Wozniacki did not drop a set all week as she successfully defended a title for the first time in her young career. In the final she beat unseeded Russian Elena Vesnina 6-2 6-4. It was a sixth career title for the young Dane from her seventh final in 2009.
- Wozniacki becomes the fourth player to win three WTA titles in 2009 after Victoria Azarenka, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva.
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Wozniacki will now head to New York to try and reach her first Grand Slam quarter final having fallen in the last 16 on three occasions including at the US Open last year. 23 year-old Vesnina had beaten top 20 players Samantha Stosur and former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo en route to her second career final.
- In their previous encounter in April Wozniacki had saved four match points to beat Vesnina in the semi-finals at Pontre Vedra Beach.
Although she fell short of winning the US Open series it was another successful week for Pennetta who comfortably reached the semi-finals before losing 4-6 1-6 to Wozniacki. The 27 year-old has won 22 of 26 matches since Wimbledon and will be confident in New York of matching her quarter final performance from 2008.
The top seed and 2007 Pilot Pen Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova came through close three set matches against Jie Zheng and Yanina Wickmayer before losing to her doubles partner Mauresmo in the quarter finals.
- Mauresmo had lost her last four matches against Kuznetsova in straight sets but now leads their head-to-head 5-4.
In the men’s final Verdasco had overcome the in-form Querrey 6-4 7-6(6) to take the first hard court title of his career. Querrey failed to capitalise on five set points in the second set; two on the Spaniard’s serve in the twelfth game and then three leading 6-3 in the tie-break. For Verdasco it was a third career title and first of 2009.
- Verdasco is the seventh Spaniard to win an ATP title in 2009 following Rafael Nadal, Tommy Robredo , Nicolas Almagro, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Albert Montanes.
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It has been a breakthrough year for the 25 year-old from Madrid. In January he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final in Australia, losing to eventual champion Nadal in a five setter after a titanic five hour and fourteen minute encounter. The left-hander broke into the top 10 for the first time afterwards on 2nd February and in April reached his career high ranking of No.7.
On his way to the final Querrey took out top seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the quarter finals. The 21 year-old has a 20-6 match record since July with four finals in Newport (losing to Ram), Indianapolis (losing to Ginepri), Los Angeles (defeating Ball), and now New Haven.
- Querrey is the fifth player to appear in at least five finals in 2009 after the top four of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
New Haven saw the return of Frenchman Richard Gasquet after being sidelined for over two months following a failed drugs test. Clearly short of match practice, the 23 year-old lost in the second round of qualifying to world No.458 Dusan Vemic.
There was also a comeback for Australian Alicia Molik in the women’s doubles partnering American Meghan Shaughnessy. The 28 year-old had initially retired from the tour in 2008 after struggling with illness and injury but had recently announced her intent to return. In early 2005, the Aussie had broken into the top 10 after reaching the last eight of her home Grand Slam in Australia before being struck down by a debilitating inner ear infection.
- Molik has won two Grand Slam doubles titles – the 2005 Australian Open with Kuzentsova and 2007 French Open with Mara Santangelo.
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The top seeded pairing of Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez – who beat Molik and Shaughnessy in the first round – claimed the women’s doubles title. Victory over Iveta Benesova and Lucie Hradecka in the final gave them a tour leading sixth of the year for the Spaniards. Austrian’s Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle won the men’s doubles title.
Next week on tour
The focus of the tennis world switches to the final Grand Slam of 2009 in New York City. Roger Federer will be aiming for a sixth consecutive US Open title and Serena Williams will be out to defend her title and claim a fourth crown at Flushing Meadows. New world No.2 Andy Murray will be confident of a strong showing in the Big Apple as he owns a 34-3 record on hard courts in 2009.
- Murray is the first British man to be seeded as high as second since Fred Perry in 1935.
In the qualifying event nine British players fought for a place in the US Open main draw. 15 year-old wild card Laura Robson impressed with straight sets wins over much higher ranked opponents before losing a dramatic 3 hour 11 minute epic 6-7(6) 6-4 6-7(4) to Eva Hrdinova. Elena Baltacha fell 6-4 2-6 3-6 in the final round to Anastasia Rodionova but as the second seed still has a chance to get a place in the draw as a Lucky Loser.
- 26 year-old Baltacha has won eight Grand Slam main draw matches – the most of all the current British players after Murray.
Both Katie O’Brien and Mel South lost second round matches and Georgie Stoop lost on a final set tie-break to Pole Marta Domachowska in round one. In the men’s event, the quartet of James Ward, Alex Bogdanovic, Josh Goodall and Dan Evans all fell in the first round.
Movers and Shakers
Federer now moves into his 246th total week holding the world No.1 ranking. The 28 year-old Swiss needs to at least reach the fourth round in New York to keep the top spot. If he falls before the 4th round and Murray takes home his first Grand Slam title the Scot will be No.1 for the first time. US Open Series winner Querrey moves to a career high of No.22 and is now the second ranked American – behind Roddick – for the first time in his career.
Going into the US Open Safina is now in her 20th consecutive week at the top spot. The only change in the WTA top 10 sees New Haven winner Wozniacki move back ahead of Victoria Azarenka. Finalist Vesnina moves up eight places to a career high of No.23.
ATP rankings - 31/08/2009
Top 10
- 1. Roger Federer (SUI)
- 2. Andy Murray (GBR)
- 3. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
- 4. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
- 5. Andy Roddick (USA)
- 6. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)
- 7. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (FRA)
- 8. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
- 9. Gilles Simon (FRA)
- 10. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
Top Brits
- 2. Andy Murray
- 203. James Ward
- 227. Alex Bogdanovic
- 249. Josh Goodall
- 309. Dan Evans
WTA rankings 31/08/2009
Top 10
- 1. Dinara Safina (RUS)
- 2. Serena Williams (USA)
- 3. Venus Williams (USA)
- 4. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
- 5. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
- 6. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
- 7. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
- 8. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
- 9. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
- 10. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
Top Brits
- 57. Anne Keothavong
- 102. Elena Baltacha
- 104. Katie O’Brien
- 147. Mel South
- 189. Georgie Stoop