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Week 34: 2002 US Open Preview
 By
Todd Spiker
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U.S. Open
USTA National Tennis Center
Flushing Meadows, New York
August 26-September 8
Outdoor Hardcourt; Grand Slam
www.usopen.org
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**SEEDED PLAYERS**
1.Serena Williams, USA
2.Venus Williams, USA
3.Jennifer Capriati, USA
4.Lindsay Davenport, USA
5.Jelena Dokic, Yugoslavia
6.Monica Seles, USA
7.Kim Clijsters, Belgium
8.Justine Henin, Belgium
9.Martina Hingis, Switzerland
10.Amelie Mauresmo, France
11.Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia
12.Elena Dementieva, Russia
13.Silvia Farina Elia, Italy
14.Chanda Rubin, USA
15.Anastasia Myskina, Russia
16.Maggie Maleeva, Bulgaria
17.Anna Smashnova, Israel
18.Ai Sugiyama, Japan
19.Anne Kremer, Luxembourg
20.Daja Bedanova, Czech Republic
21.Lisa Raymond, USA
22.Tatiana Panova, Russia
23.Patty Schnyder, Switzerland
24.Iva Majoli, Croatia
25.Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain
26.Nathalie Dechy, France
27.Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand
28.Eleni Daniilidou, Greece
29.Barbara Schett, Austria
30.Meghannn Shaughnessy, USA
31.Alexandra Stevenson, USA
32.Paola Suarez, Argentina
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**U.S. OPEN POINTS TABLE
-ROUND BY ROUND-
W=650
RU=456
SF=292
QF=162
4r=90
3r=56
2r=32
1r=2
-QUALITY POINTS FOR DEFEATING-
#1 Serena Williams...200
#2 Venus Williams...150
#3 Jennifer Capriati...132
#4 Jelena Dokic...110
#5 Monica Seles...100
#6 Kim Clijsters...86
#7 Justine Henin...86
#8 Martina Hingis...86
#9 Amelie Mauresmo...86
#10 Lindsay Davenport...86
#11-16...70
#17-25...46
#26-35...30
#36-50...20
#51-75...16
#76-120...8
#121-250...4
#251-500...2
#501+...0
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**LAST 5 WOMEN'S FINALS**
1997 Martina Hingis d. Venus Williams
1998 Lindsay Davenport d. Martina Hingis
1999 Serena Williams d. Martina Hingis
2000 Venus Williams d. Lindsay Davenport
2001 Venus Williams d. Serena Williams
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by Todd Spiker
Okay. I know everyone's just holding their collective breath for a prediction
on who will win this year's U.S. Open (yeah, right), but just keep your pants
on. Or your underwear, at least, if your pants are well past being a long lost
proposition.
You probably already know the players I suspect will be standing at the end of
this preview, but I'll try to make sure the journey there at least borders on
being somewhat interesting, all right? If nothing else, this little column
might be a slight diversion.
So, away we go...
...Unless Serena Williams gets lost on her
way to the court between Rounds 1 & 2, Marat's little sis will have to wait a
few years to make a name for herself at the site of her crazy/sometimes
brilliant big brother's grandest moment.
...She defeated Anastasia Myskina in
Montreal, so she's capable of pulling an upset away from the dirt. She won't
repeat her "who-the-hell-is-she?" RG SF appearance, but if she survives her 1r
match with Elena Bovina she might bear watching against a possibly ailing Jelena
Dokic in the 2r.
...The Russian teen's gutsy style is very
reminiscent of Kim Clijsters, but she probably won't survive long enough to face
the Wafffle in what would be a memorably gritty 3r.
...As with Fernandez (Bovina's 1r opponent),
hoping that Dokic is injured or off her game is one thing. Taking advantage of
it is another, especially if you're from Russia. Dokic is 18-1 versus Russian
women going back to 2000.
Her hard serve could give her trouble, though.
...With no hardcourt results to hang her hat
on this summer, she'll be lucky to even make it to a possible 3r match against
Seles (and could go out to Paola Suarez in the 1r).
...All her promise never seems to become a
reality in the slams. Plus, she could see Serena in 3r. Get those plane
tickets ready to go.
...With two good hardcourt tournaments under
her belt, she could get the crowd with her in a possible 3r match with
Hantuchova (well, at least a decent-sized portion of the crowd).
...She might upset Dementieva in the 2r, and
could make the Round of 16 if Dokic's leg injury (or Kournikova's
less-than-stellar recent slam history) flairs up again. Speaking of...
...Don't laugh, but she's got a real shot at
a breakthrough here that would silence the critics who love to snicker at her
tennis results. Harold Solomon's work reaped rewards on this summer's
hardcourts. A 3r rematch of her San Diego thriller against Dokic could be the
Open's most glamorous night session match in years (an maybe ever).
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**LOWER SEEDED PLAYERS TO WATCH
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...Come on, now. Don't even think about it.
She's been sleepwalking since February.
...She pushed Clijsters at RG, but she might
beat her in the 3r this time. A dark horse QF pick.
...She upset Seles at the Open in 2001, but
she's been looking for consistency ever since.
...She's already defeated Capriati and
Hantuchova this hardcourt season. She might get another shot at Jen in the
Round of 16, too.
...Russia's best hope. The last time she
entered a grand slam playing great tennis she had a disappointing Wimbledon in
June. For some reason, I don't see a repeat of that in New York. Look for her
to face Serena in the Round of 16.
...Is there an Act II to her career week in
L.A.? Venus will be an unstoppable force by the time they meet in the Round of
16.
...Maybe the Open will bring out the best in
her for the first time in ages. Nah. Just kidding.
...She raises her game for Tier I's and
Slams, but it's been hit-and-miss everywhere else. Here's another big stage
opportunity. A QF vs. Serena looms.
...Great Wimbledon, won Montreal, showed moxy
and ingenuity in New Haven. But that abductor strain puts a bug in the ear that
a slight step back might be coming. If her mind AND body are willing, though,
she could be the biggest non-Williams story over the next two weeks.
...Is she ready to make a little noise? That
0-6 3rd set against Myskina in New Haven certainly raises new doubts.
DREAM: That was really an Henin impostor out
there this hardcourt season.
REALITY: Bad finger, bad results, bad slams. She first made her big time mark
by upsetting Kournikova here a few years ago, but the "new Anna" Hantuchova will
pose a far more difficult task in the Round of 16.
DREAM: A Love Match set of titles for LL+KC
(go ahead, gag yourself now).
REALITY: Bad shoulder, bad results, bad slams. Someone left the Waffles on the
grill for too long, I guess. KC has a better shot at re-climbing the mountain
in NY than Henin does, but it's hard to see her living up to her seed.
DREAM: A final slam title, and a retirement
announcement.
REALITY: The title's not coming, but the annoucement might be just around the
corner. Don't be surprised if Monica doesn't make it to Week 2.
DREAM: Her leg is fine, her great hardcourt
form is intact... uh, and Davenport stumbles (or tires out) before she has to
meet her in the QF.
REALITY: Dokic is still looking for her first win over a Top 10er at a slam
since the '99 Wimbledon. If she ever gets one, she becomes an immediate threat
to reach a final...but it won't happen at this U.S. Open.
DREAM: Her rust is gone and her body's ready
to gut out a full, two-week slam schedule.
REALITY: If it is, she's probably a SF lock. Her draw is insanely easy, and her
toughest potential QF opponent (Dokic) is psyched out by the sight of her on the
other side of the net.
DREAM: The comeback dream isn't about to come
to a schreeching halt.
REALITY: She can still beat anybody not named Williams. Problem is, to win the
title she'll have to beat at least one... and probably both. Not gonna happen.
#1 & #2 Serena & Venus Williams...
DREAM: The Summer of Venus & Serena continues with the 3rd straight slam final
that doubles as a Williams Family Invitational (and the 4th in the last 5).
REALITY: See above. Only this time, big sister gets even for SW19 (Venus
didn't really care about RG).
*PREDICTIONS*
--Round of 16--
Serena def. Myskina
Hantuchova def. Henin
Davenport def. Kuznetsova
Dokic def. Schiavone
Mauresmo def. Daniilidou
Capriati def. Sugiyama
Hingis def. Suarez
Venus def. Rubin
--QF--
Serena def. Hantuchova
Davenport def. Dokic
Capriati def. Mauresmo
Venus def. Hingis
--SF--
Serena def. Davenport
Venus def. Capriati
--F--
Venus def. Serena
That's all folks.
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**CHAMPIONS**
NEW HAVEN (TIER II - HARDCOURT)
S: Venus Williams d. Lindsay Davenport
D: Hantuchova/Sanchez Vicario d. Garbin/Husarova
**PLAYER AWARDS**
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Venus Williams
...Since she lost to Serena at Wimbledon, all she's done is go 13-0 and win
three titles. Now she goes to Flushing Meadows, where she's 30-3 for her career
and has won 14 straight.
RISER: Anastasia Myskina
...Finally, she gets back on the board with the best week of her career with two
Top 10 wins over Henin & Hingis.
SURPRISE: Angelika Roesch
...Think Roesch's upset of Dementieva was a surprise? Dementieva must not have
thought so since it's the second time she's lost the relative unknown in 2002.
VETERAN: Lindsay Davenport
...She knocked off the hot Mauresmo and reached her second final since her
comeback.
NEW FACE: Laura Granville
...She proved herself on grass, and now she's doing it on hardcourts (knocking
off Bedanova in New Haven). She's a dangerous floater at the Open.
DOWNER: Elena Dementieva
...What a disappointment she's been since her 2000 US Open SF. That someone as
hideously inconsistent (and downright bad against lesser-ranked opponents at
times) as Dementieva is #13-going-on-#12 is a real indictment of the WTA ranking
system. She's only advanced to the QF 6 times in 19 tournaments this year, and
heads to New York having lost 4 of her last 5 matches.
**NEW HAVEN MATCHES**
1.Final - Venus d. Davenport
...now the real show begins.
2.QF - Myskina d. Hingis
...Hingis led 7-6,4-1 and had a break point for 5-1. Myskina won the last 11
games. Hang another albatross around the Swiss Miss's neck.
3.1r - Angelika Roesch d. Dementieva
...Who? Well, she's 2-0 vs. Dementieva this season. That's who.
4.2r - Myskina d. Henin
...The Waffle is nowhere near good form heading into Flushing Meadows.
5.QF - Davenport d. Mauresmo
...her biggest win yet in her comeback.
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*2002 SINGLES TITLES*
7...Venus Williams
5...Serena Williams
3...Anna Smashnova
*BEST WINNING PCT. IN FINALS (3+)*
1.000...Anna Smashnova (3-0)
.833...Serena Williams (5-1)
.700...Venus Williams (7-3)
*MOST SINGLES TITLES - 2001/02*
13...Venus Williams (6/7)
8...Serena Williams (3/5)
7...Lindsay Davenport (7/0)
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**TDS RANKINGS - WEEK 34**
1.Venus Williams...230
2.Serena Williams...205
3.Jennifer Capriati...155
4.Monica Seles...125
5.Jelena Dokic...115.5
6.Martina Hingis...108
7.Justin Henin...107.5
8.Amelie Mauresmo...90
9.Daniela Hantuchova...89
10.Anna Smashnova...70
NEXT WEEK: Mid-US Open report
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