2024 U.S. Open Tennis

[Walter Hale 4]

Mens semi-finals underway now with Jannik SINNER defeating Jack DRAPER of Great Britain, 7-6,7-5,6-2.

Simner becomes the first italian ever to reach the U S Open final. Must be the huge favorite to win the Open right now

Draper, meanwhile, was visibly ill and as the match wore on , was moving about the court very restricted-like. Tennis was not pretty to watch at that point. Bad luck to him.

It took three hours and three minutes to complete 3 sets of tennis on a supposedly fast hardcourt !!! Go figure.

[Walter Hale 4]

hey my friends,

The Men's final has been determined. It will be Jannick Sinner battling Taylor Fritz of the US for all the glory on Sunday's final.

Fritz has battled through a long 5 setter vs. countryman Frances TIAFOE in the second semifinal.

Fritz is the first american male in eighteen years to reach the final. I think it was Andy Roddick in 2006, he lost to the King in four sets that time.

It's nice to see two americans in the womens and mens finals, that'll give american tennis a shot in the arm.

[Walter Hale 4]

and interestingly almost a quarter of century has passed and the only player , mens champion who's been able to successfully defend the U.S. Open title was, in fact, The King !

Roger Federer was the 2004-2008 five time champion. There's been no other mens champion who has been able to win a US open twice in a row since the start of the century.




He's there in New York looking on !

[Walter Hale 4]

#2 Arnya SABALENKA has won the U S Open women's singles championship defeats Jessica Pegula, 7-5, 7-5 in a thoroughly competitive final.

Jessica had tremendous crowds support that kept her focused and even led by 5 games to 3 in the second set but it wasn't to be as Arnya came back to win the last four games IN STYLE.

Sure, i was hoping for Jessica Pegula to win (for reasons i mention in previous posts) but you have to give Sabalenka all the credit the way she fought back when she was down and kept her composure despite the crowds very vocal support for her opponent.

Congrats, SABALENKA on your victory tonight!

And... Well done to Jessica on her incredible run through the past two weeks

[Walter Hale 4]

The King's been weighing in on the Jannik SINNER steriods controversery...


Roger Federer understands frustration over Jannik Sinner doping case

NEW YORK -- Roger Federer said Jannik Sinner's doping case raises questions about whether the current No. 1-ranked tennis player should have been allowed to continue competing until he was absolved of intentionally using an anabolic steroid he tested positive for twice in March.

"It's not something we want to see in our sport, these types of news, regardless if he did something or not. Or any player did. It's just noise that we don't want. I understand the frustration of: Has he been treated the same as others? And I think this is where it comes down to. We all trust pretty much at the end, he didn't do anything," Federer said Tuesday in an appearance on the "Today" show to promote a book of photos of him. "But the inconsistency, potentially, that he didn't have to sit out while they were not 100 percent sure what was going on -- I think that's the question here that needs to be answered."


Hours later Tuesday night, Federer received a warm ovation from spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium when he was introduced to the crowd during the second set of the US Open quarterfinal between Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen
Zheng. Federer smiled and waved as he was shown on the videoboards in the arena.

It was the 20-time Grand Slam champion's first visit to the venue since he stopped competing. Federer announced his retirement in 2022; he played his last official match at Wimbledon the year before.

He is the last man to win consecutive titles at the US Open, collecting five in a row from 2004 to 2008.

Several top players have been asked about Sinner, who is scheduled to face 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the Grand Slam tournament's quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Rafael Nadal told a Spanish television show Monday he doesn't think Sinner received preferential treatment.


Asked about the matter in New York before the US Open began, Novak Djokovic said he gets why some tennis players question whether there's a double-standard in the sport.

"It's a tricky situation and it's the nightmare of every athlete and team, to have these allegations and these problems," Federer said, adding: "We need to trust the process as well of everyone involved."


The International Tennis Integrity Agency said Aug. 20 that it was determined that the banned performance-enhancer inadvertently entered Sinner's system through a massage from his physiotherapist, and that is why the player was not suspended.



https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/41110211/roger-federer-backs-jannik-sinner-questions-potential-inconsistency-handling-doping-case

[Walter Hale 4]

Mens U S Open 2024 final is underway now, with Italy's number one -seeded Jannik Sinner vs local hero Taylor Fritz.

The italian is off to a flyer having broken serve in the opening game and leads it 2-1. And the New York crowds has just applauded Sinner serving a double-fault, just now. Not nice, but theyre willing for Taylor to victory.

[Walter Hale 4]

JANNIK SINNER is the 2024 U.S. Open Champion where he defeated TAYLOR FRITZ in three sets, 6-3,6-4,7-5.

Sinner and world number 3 Carlos ALCARAZ have split the four Grand Slams - two each this year. Sinner is also the Australian Open winner back in January.

Bad luck to Taylor but he's got a great future ahead. When the young american got his service broken in the very 1st game, you just had the sense that it was going to set the tone for the rest of the final.
I know i did. Because it's very rare to see men's grand slams finals, or on most matches, on the mens game, that a player would have his serve broken on the opening game.

Match then became a psychological baseline-battle between the two. They seemed to play somewhat similar, but the tall italian has more power and was relentless throughout.


FORZA SINNER

[Walter Hale 4]

and a good look here on the stats on the 2024 championships and of the two champions by Chris Oddo:

By the numbers: Facts and figures from the 2024 US Open


0: First-time Grand Slam winners at this year’s US Open.

1: Jannik Sinner becomes the first Italian to win the US Open men’s singles title. It’s been a great Slam for the Italians. In Mixed Doubles, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori became the first all-Italian pair to secure a Mixed Doubles Grand Slam title in tennis history.

2: Number of major titles won by Aryna Sabalenka in 2024. Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner top the Grand Slam singles leaderboard this year with two apiece.

3: By reading her maiden Slam final, Jessica Pegula became the third American woman to reach a US Open final after turning 30, following Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams.

4: Sabalenka has become the fourth player to win the Cincinnati and US Open women’s singles title in the same season in the Open Era, along with Kim Clijsters (2010), Serena Williams (2014) and Coco Gauff (2023).



5: Sabalenka becomes the fifth player during Open Era to win both Women’s Singles hardcourt Grand Slams titles during the same season after Monica Seles (1991, '92), Steffi Graf (1988, '89), Angelique Kerber (2016) and Martina Hingis (1997).

5. Pegula became the fifth player in the past decade to defeat three former Women’s Singles Grand Slam finalists en route to the US Open final. The other four went on to win the title. Flavia Pennetta (2015), Angelique Kerber (2016), Sloane Stephens (2017) and Gauff (2023). Pegula defeated Sofia Kenin (round 2), Iga Swiatek (quarterfinal) and Karolina Muchova (semifinal).

6: Number of second-round losses that Hubert Hurkacz has suffered in his US Open career. The No.7 seed has never been past round two in Flushing Meadows in seven appearances.

7: For the first time in over seven years, Novak Djokovic failed to reach the round of 16 at a major. It had not happened since the 2017 Australian Open, when the 24-time major champion lost in the second round to 117-ranked Denis Istomin.

8: Sabalenka is the eighth fastest woman to reach 50 Grand Slam main draw hard court wins in the Open Era.
During the Open Era (Post 1968) only Chris Evert (55), Martina Hingis (55), Martina Navratilova (56), Monica Seles (53), Serena Williams (58), Steffi Graf (54) and Venus Williams (57) have taken fewer matches to earn 50 hard court wins at the Slams.


https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2024-09-08/by_the_numbers_facts_and_figures_from_the_2024_us_open.html

[Walter Hale 4]

2024 U S Open singles champions, Arnya and Jannik has been doing the rounds on american television, bless 'em

[Walter Hale 4]

just announced , the U S television ratings for the Open were down this year, despite american interest with two finalists (Pegula and Fritz)...

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/09/us-open-ratings-down-singles-finals-americans/

Might have been affected with the early round defeats of ALCARAZ and DJOKOVIC and also NADAL did not play there.

[Renan]

just announced , the U S television ratings for the Open were down this year, despite american interest with two finalists (Pegula and Fritz)...

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/09/us-open-ratings-down-singles-finals-americans/

Might have been affected with the early round defeats of ALCARAZ and DJOKOVIC and also NADAL did not play there.

I personally decided not to watch the final because of Sinner. The way ATP dealt with the doping issue was absurdly disproportionate in relation to other players in recent times. Obviously they chose not to punish the world number 1.
Shame on you ATP.

And congratulations to Sabalenka. It was obvious she would win despite not playing her best tennin in the final against a fighting Pegula.

[Walter Hale 4]

just announced , the U S television ratings for the Open were down this year, despite american interest with two finalists (Pegula and Fritz)...

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/09/us-open-ratings-down-singles-finals-americans/

Might have been affected with the early round defeats of ALCARAZ and DJOKOVIC and also NADAL did not play there.

I personally decided not to watch the final because of Sinner. The way ATP dealt with the doping issue was absurdly disproportionate in relation to other players in recent times. Obviously they chose not to punish the world number 1.
Shame on you ATP.

And congratulations to Sabalenka. It was obvious she would win despite not playing her best tennin in the final against a fighting Pegula.

Good point. Could it be because the ATP Chief is also Italian.

And Jannik Sinner's positive result was twice.. BUT... not publicly revealed until 4-5 months after the fact, which seemed unacceptable.
I would have thought, positive tests should be disclosed quickly as soon as the discovery of a positive result was found.

There was no transparency. No one actually knows who in the ATP are involved in reviewing the cases, or how they're determined on. Ultimately that is not a good look for Sinner.

[TCB-FAN]

Even though this is not from the 2024 Tennis open.....here's a favorite of mine that you posted Walt about 10 years ago from the 1980 Tennis Open......Camera man was only doing his due diligence....lol

[Walter Hale 4]

Even though this is not from the 2024 Tennis open.....here's a favorite of mine that you posted Walt about 10 years ago from the 1980 Tennis Open......Camera man was only doing his due diligence....lol

Yes. That upload goes back some years, thanx for reminding me.

Wonder where she is today

[Walter Hale 4]

Found this most interesting stats over at Tennis365. Jannik Sinner after winning the open, has reached an exclusive hard-courts club, not even Connors, Lendl, Sampras , Agassi or The KING (Borg) are in:

The 8 men to win Cincinnati and US Open in same year: Jannik Sinner emulates Federer, Nadal, Djokovic

Jannik Sinner became the eighth man to win the Cincinnati Open and US Open titles on hard courts in the same season with his maiden triumph at the New York Grand Slam.

The Cincinnati tournament, which is now an ATP Masters 1000 event, changed surface from green clay to hard courts in 1979.

Here, we look at the eight male players to complete the Cincinnati-US Open hard-court double.

John McEnroe – 1981

In 1981, John McEnroe became the first man to win the Cincinnati and US Open titles on hard courts in the same year.

The American defeated Chris Lewis in straight sets in the Cincinnati final, before seeing off Bjorn Borg in a four-set US Open title match.


Mats Wilander – 1988

Mats Wilander overcame fellow Swede Stefan Edberg in a three-set championship match at the 1988 Cincinnati Open.

At the US Open the following month, Wilander battled past No 1 seed Ivan Lendl in five sets in the final to complete the double.

Pat Rafter – 1998

After winning the 1998 Canadian Open, Pat Rafter earned a three-set victory over Pete Sampras in the Cincinnati final to make it back-to-back hard-court Masters titles.

The Australian then secured the title in Long Island, before he beat fellow countryman Mark Philippoussis in a four-set US Open final to complete a remarkable North American sweep.


Andy Roddick – 2003

Having claimed titles in Indianapolis and Montreal in the summer of 2003, Andy Roddick defeated his compatriot Mardy Fish in three sets in the Cincinnati Masters title match.

The American then completed an incredible hard-court summer in North America with a straight-set win over Juan Carlos Ferrero in the US Open final.


Roger Federer – 2005, 2007

Roger Federer downed Roddick in straight sets in the 2005 Cincinnati Open championship match, before earning a four-set victory over Andre Agassi in the US Open final later that summer.

In 2007, the Swiss completed the double for the second time with straight-set triumphs against James Blake and Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati and US Open finals respectively.


Rafael Nadal – 2013

After securing the 2013 Montreal title, Rafael Nadal saw off John Isner in straight sets in the final at the Cincinnati Masters.

The Spaniard then defeated Djokovic in four sets in the US Open championship match to complete the Canada-Cincinnati-US Open treble.

Novak Djokovic – 2018, 2023


In 2018, Novak Djokovic overcame Federer in straight sets in the title match at the Cincinnati Open to complete a career Golden Masters. The Serbian then earned a straight-set victory against Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final to seal the double.


https://www.tennis365.com/facts-stats/men-win-cincinnati-us-open-same-year-jannik-sinner-novak-djokovic

[Walter Hale 4]

2024 mens final is now officially available on the USTA youtube channel...