Federer remains perfect

NEW YORK - As if trying to remind himself and everyone else where he’s been and where he’s quite certain he’ll return, Roger Federer thrust his right fist overhead and pointed skyward with his index finger.

The universal gesture for No. 1.

As Federer made that signal, the 1970s song “Still the One” by Orleans rang out through Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, marking the end of the four-time defending champion’s 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory over 28th-seeded Radek Stepanek in the U.S. Open’s third round.

Actually, for the first time in a while, Federer is not No. 1 — in the seedings for the hard-court Grand Slam tournament or in the ATP rankings. Those honors belong to Rafael Nadal, who beat Federer in the lopsided French Open and epic Wimbledon finals and last week ended his record 237-week stay at the top.

Federer harbors no doubts that he can re-establish his ranking and his reputation among opponents, both built on the strength of 12 career major singles titles, two shy of Pete Sampras’ career record.

“That’s the advantage I have. If I were to win a big tournament again, one of those Slams, whatever, right away I have the invincibility factor again, which is great for me,” he said. “So that’s what I’m working for. I was that close in Wimbledon, so I hope to go a step further and win it this time.”

It’s been a poor-by-his-standards — and, let’s be clear, only by his lofty standards — season for Federer, whose 12 losses already are more than he absorbed in any entire year from 2004-07. His two titles, at minor events, are his fewest entering the U.S. Open since 2002.

On the other hand, Federer did reach the semifinals at the Australian Open before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic — who was scheduled to play his U.S. Open third-round match late Sunday night — and was the runner-up at the other two major tournaments.

“I would love his bad year. ... The guy has the best four-year run ever, and we’re all sitting here in shock that it’s not the best five-year run ever. We have to use a little bit of perspective here as far as how good he’s been,” said Andy Roddick, the last man other than Federer to win the U.S. Open, back in 2003, and his potential semifinal opponent this year.

“If you have to hear about anything every day, you start thinking about it a little bit, and maybe that’s where he’s at,” added Roddick, who reached the fourth round by beating No. 31 Andreas Seppi 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (4).

The eighth-seeded Roddick usually relies on his power serve. Down in the tiebreaker, he smartly served from the shadows into the bright sun, launching a wide, 126 mph ace that blinded Seppi.

Roddick will play No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez for a spot in the quarterfinals. Gonzalez, at 28 the oldest man left, beat Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1.

“This is probably the most intimidating court in the world if you’ve never been on it before,” Roddick said.

‘I’m the first one’
Federer’s next opponent is No. 23 Igor Andreev of Russia, who beat No. 13 Fernando Verdasco of Spain in straight sets. In other men’s third-round matches, No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko eliminated No. 26 Dmitry Tursunov, qualifier Gilles Muller fashioned a 6-7 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), 7-5 upset of No. 18 Nicolas Almagro, and Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost to No. 15 Tommy Robredo.

Muller looked as though he could have sweated, even though his match against Almagro stretched beyond four hours.

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Jankovic survives split decision at Open

NEW YORK - Second-seeded Jelena Jankovic won her sort of split decision, beating No. 21 Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 Sunday to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

Jankovic went into her trademark splits early in the third set reaching for a shot. She lost the point and stayed splayed on the court, and fans wondered whether she’d hurt herself.

But Jankovic bounced up and easily bounded around the court, quickly finishing off her 18-year-old Danish opponent. Jankovic repeated her victory over Wozniacki from Wimbledon, where the Serbian star also rallied after losing the first set.

“My mom told me that I am losing a little bit of weight,” Jankovic said. “I’m actually not losing weight, I’m just getting firmer, you know?”

Jankovic has never reached the final at a major event. She’s got an outstanding chance to go far this time — the Williams sisters are in the opposite bracket, No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova have lost and 2007 Open champion Justine Henin has retired.

Jankovic next plays the winner of the match between No. 12 Marion Bartoli and No. 29 Sybille Bammer. Along with a trophy, Jankovic is in the chase to wind up as the world No. 1.

“It’s a goal, but I want to win a Grand Slam,” she said.

Wozniacki started strong, hitting the ball harder and playing much more aggressively than Jankovic. The scoreboards at Arthur Ashe Stadium malfunctioned early in the second set — even without them, it was clear Jankovic was in trouble.

By the time the scoreboards came back on, Jankovic was on her way to winning the first game of the final set.getCSS("3053751")Slide show


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Serena, Venus win away for showdown

NEW YORK - Less than two months ago, the Williams sisters played each other in the Wimbledon final.

Because of the quirks of rankings and the vagaries of tournament draws, they are on track to meet in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Is that disappointing?

“Obviously, yeah,” Serena Williams said. “But I’ve had over a week to think about it. So right now I’m just hoping to win my next match.”

Neither Williams had the least bit trouble advancing to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. Both won 6-2, 6-1 Saturday against seeded opponents.

The No. 7-seeded Venus Williams beat No. 27 Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine, and not long after, in the same Arthur Ashe Stadium, No. 4 Serena Williams defeated No. 30 Ai Sugiyama.

“I would have loved it if we could have met in the final,” Venus told the crowd. “My biggest worry is that she’s so good. Sorry, but I’m thinking about how I’m going to get past her.”

One statistic was particularly compelling: Venus compiled a 32-4 edge in winners against Bondarenko.

“She’s playing really well, and I’m glad she feels like she’s playing her best. It’s nice to feel like when you’re playing your best,” Serena said. “Right now I’m not playing my best, but that means I can do so much better.”

First things first, though.

Venus will face No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who eliminated No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-0, 6-3. Serena will meet Severine Bremond of France, a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 winner against Tathiana Garbin of Italy in a match that ended shortly before midnight.

Julie Coin’s magical stay at the Open is over. The world’s 188th-ranked women’s player upset Ivanovic on Thursday, but her run ended in the third round with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to fellow Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 32 seed.

In Radwanska, Venus takes on someone who upset then-defending champion Maria Sharapova at the U.S. Open last year. And someone who beat Venus the only time they played.

Still, Venus said: “I have a very good feeling about the next round. I saw Serena play against her. I don’t know how to say her first name too well.”

For the record: ag-nee-ESH-ka.

There isn’t much in the way of household names left in the women’s field. Not only are the Williams sisters the only past U.S. Open champions around, consider this: Venus and Serena Williams have won a total of 15 major singles titles, while the other 14 women who will be in the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows have a combined total of two major singles titles.

From 1999 to 2002, one Williams or the other won the U.S. Open. But neither has even been to a final at the hard-court major championship since that run — Venus has only reached the semifinals once, and Serena hasn’t been past the quarterfinals.

Yet ever since both bowed out in the third round at the French Open, the sisters have been playing quite well.

They met in the final at the All England Club in July, when Venus won her fifth title there. They also teamed to win a gold medal in doubles at the Beijing Olympics.

With players such as Sharapova (injured), Justine Henin (retired), Ana Ivanovic (lost), Lindsay Davenport (lost) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (lost) out of the way at the U.S. Open, things only get easier for the Williams pair.

Except, of course, in the quarterfinals.

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U.S. Open notebook: Fish knocks off Blake

NEW YORK (AP) -Pleased as Mardy Fish was to reach the U.S. Open's fourth round for the first time, he wasn't thrilled that he had to beat James Blake to do it.

Fish and Blake are pals. Before heading out on court at Arthur Ashe Stadium for their third-round match, they hung out together in the locker room, watching college football highlights on TV. Next month, Blake will be a groomsman in Fish's wedding.

Setting all of that aside for about two hours, Fish constructed a 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory Saturday night over the ninth-seeded Blake, who was born in New York and always draws loud support from spectators at Flushing Meadows.

Blake's best showings at Grand Slam tournaments have come at the U.S. Open, where he was a quarterfinalist in 2005 and 2006.

"I never want to see James lose. He is definitely a close friend of mine,'' Fish told the crowd afterward. "James is obviously an extremely tough out here. It feels like he's got 20,000 friends screaming in my ear.''

Fish served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, but he double-faulted twice and got broken.

"I got a little tight there, to be honest,'' Fish said.

But in the tiebreaker, it was Blake who had problems. He moved out to a 4-2 lead, then missed three consecutive backhands, part of Fish's five-point run to end the match.

---

COIN'S FLIP: It was standing-room-only in a small secondary interview room Saturday. The world's top-ranked men's player, Rafael Nadal, was holding his post-match news conference nearby, but still reporters crowded around a woman ranked No. 188.

Julie Coin's magical run at the U.S. Open had just ended. On Thursday, the Frenchwoman stunned top-seeded Ana Ivanovic. It was the first time since the WTA computer rankings started in 1975 that a woman ranked so low beat a reigning world No. 1.

Coin lost 6-4, 6-4 in the third round to countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 32 seed.

Coin said she was tired, and perhaps all the extra obligations after her huge victory contributed to that. Eventually, she will reflect on the magnitude of what she accomplished.

"Right now I'm just thinking about the loss,'' she said. "I'm not thinking about the rest.''

Mauresmo is 3 1/2 years older than the 25-year-old Coin, and the two don't know each other well. When they chatted in the locker room the other day, it was the first time since they were junior players.

"She said, 'You were 12, so you've changed a lot,''' Coin said.

---

YOUNG BLOOD: The 22-year-old No. 1 seed, Rafael Nadal, is hardly the only young player in his half of the draw. Six other men under the age of 24 reached the fourth round on his side of the bracket.

Nadal's next opponent is 20-year-old American Sam Querrey. Also in the final eight on that half of the draw are Stanislas Wawrinka (23), Gael Monfils (21), Andy Murray (21), Juan Martin del Potro (19) and Kei Nishikori (18). Nishikori, who upset No. 4 David Ferrer in five sets Saturday night, is the youngest man in the U.S. Open's fourth round since Marat Safin in 1998.

The young guys are providing some showmanship. Monfils, who grew up admiring NBA players, hit a shot through his legs at one point, though the ball went into the net. He insisted the circus shot was out of necessity and not planned.

"Not at this time,'' he added with a sly grin.

---

MURRAY COMES BACK: Jurgen Melzer of Austria, ranked No. 48 in the world, had a two-set lead on No. 6 seed Andy Murray and a chance to close out the match in a tiebreaker. But when he couldn't put it away, Murray went on to win 12 of the last 16 games for a five-set victory.

Murray squeaked into the fourth round with a 6-7 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-4 win. He also rallied from down 2-0 in the fourth round at Wimbledon this year to beat Richard Gasquet. Murray lost his next match to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.

"I didn't think I was out of it, but I knew it was going to be tough to come back because he was playing really, really well,'' Murray said. "He was serving close to the lines and hitting the ball so hard and flat and very deep. Taking a lot of risks and it was going in for the most part. Just had to try and hang on.''

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Querrey tops Karlovic, to face Nadal next

NEW YORK - Sam Querrey is so young that there isn’t a trace of irony when he mentions growing up rooting for Andy Roddick and James Blake, two guys still very much on tour and still in their 20s.

Querrey is so new to this whole professional tennis gig that there is nothing but earnestness in his voice when he admits he’s excited his matches are on TV.

And Querrey is so young, so new and so eager that he clearly means it when he plainly explains he’s “looking forward” to facing No. 1 Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open, a matchup the 20-year-old Californian set up Saturday by knocking off a seeded player for the second time in the tournament.

It’s Querrey’s first berth in the fourth round of a major championship.

“And, you know, it’s great that it’s the U.S. Open,” Querrey said, words tumbling forth through a wide grin. “It’s the one that, you know, if I had to pick one to win, it would be this one.”

Heady talk for a kid who is ranked 55th, owns one career title and has lost more matches than he’s won on tour — even after upsetting No. 14 Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the third round Saturday.

Querrey added that to his victory over No. 22 Tomas Berdych in the first round. A far tougher test follows, of course: Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion Nadal, who won for the 41st time in his last 42 matches by brushing aside Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3, 6-0.

In other third-round action Saturday, French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils, seeded 32nd here, beat No. 7 David Nalbandian in straight sets, then showed off some club-worthy dance moves to mark a victory he called “gorgeous.” Monfils now meets the winner of Saturday night’s later match between two Americans, No. 9 Blake and Mardy Fish.

No. 6 Andy Murray of Britain came all the way back from a two-set deficit to defeat a fading Jurgen Melzer of Austria 6-7 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-4. Murray celebrated by pushing up his gray T-shirt’s right sleeve and flexing his biceps — a signal to his fitness trainer and support team.

“When you’re training and wondering why you do all the work and feeling sorry for yourself and what have you — you kind of push through and keep working,” Murray said. “Then when you have moments like that on the court, you know, you feel like it’s all worth it.”

His next opponent is No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who also dropped the first two sets before winning in five against Flavio Cipolla of Italy.

Cipolla refused to shake hands afterward, angry that Wawrinka questioned whether the Italian really was dealing with leg cramps during the match and that Wawrinka let out a yell of “Come on!” after one of Cipolla’s 11 double-faults.

On a day filled with five-setters, No. 17 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina outlasted No. 16 Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to extend his winning streak to 22 matches. The 19-year-old Del Potro moved on to face 18-year-old Kei Nishikori, who upset No. 4 David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5 to become the first Japanese man to reach the U.S. Open’s fourth round in the 40-year Open era.

Nishikori broke Ferrer in the final game, converting his third match point with a forehand winner down the line, then dropped his racket and flopped on his back.

“I still can’t believe it. I was playing great and he was playing great, too,” Nishikori said during an on-court TV interview. “Biggest win for me.”

Querrey will be joined by fellow American Blake or Fish in the fourth round, while 2003 U.S. Open champion Roddick plays his third-round match Sunday against No. 31 Andreas Seppi of Italy.

That major title for Roddick, whose second-round comeback victory over Ernests Gulbis of Latvia ended after 1:30 a.m. Saturday, was the most recent by a U.S. man, a drought of 19 Grand Slam tournaments that’s the longest gap for the country in the 40-year Open era.

Guys like Querrey would wake up on weekend mornings and watch Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi play in big matches at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open with regularity. That doesn’t happen any more. Querrey, though, is among the latest in a long line of players expected to bring back the good times.

“He’s paid his dues. I think he’s really ready to move forward,” Venus Williams said. “He has the experience and he’s had the opportunity to play matches against all kinds of players, so I think it’s now his chance to do it.”

What already has been a breakthrough tournament for Querrey would really become significant with another win. He’s already faced Nadal once, losing in three sets on a hard court in August 2006.

“Won the first set, I remember, so that was cool,” Querrey said. “Like, the main thing from that match I remember — I was playing at 2 (p.m.), and I knew ESPN went on the air at 3. I wanted to make it to 3 to get some ESPN time, which I did. ... Hopefully I’ve gotten a lot better since then. He has, too.”

Nadal’s assessment was similar.

“I managed to catch a bit of his match,” Nadal said. “He has improved a lot, and he has that powerful serve.”

At 6-foot-6, Querrey is one of the few men who comes close to seeing eye-to-eye with the 6-10 Karlovic. That height and accompanying wingspan allow Querrey both to generate torque on his serves — he hit 20 aces, only four fewer than his opponent — and to handle Karlovic’s own high-bouncing offerings effectively.

Karlovic’s serve is “up near my shoulders,” Querrey said, “where (for) other guys, it’s toward their head.”

Asked what about Querrey’s serve is tricky, Karlovic shrugged and replied, “His height.”

But there’s so much more to Querrey, of course.

He has touch, as he showed by flicking a defensive lob over the tallest player in ATP history to go ahead 5-3 in the opening tiebreaker.

He has nerve, as he showed by producing 45 winners and only 13 unforced errors, and by hanging tougher than Karlovic in key moments. It was Querrey who saved break points at 4-all and 5-all in the second set. It was Karlovic who double-faulted to fall behind 6-4 in the second tiebreaker, which Querrey ended with a 127 mph ace that caught a corner.

Could Querrey beat Nadal?

“If he’s going to serve like today,” Karlovic said, “yeah, of course. Why not?”

Querrey couldn’t have said it better himself.

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Roddick overcomes early problems

NEW YORK - Andy Roddick smashed his racket not once but twice, leaving it a mangled mess that matched the state of his game at that point.

Facing a big deficit, staring at what would have been a big upset, Roddick suddenly changed everything against a younger, less-experienced, less-accomplished version of himself at the U.S. Open.

Roddick, the 2003 champion, used a seven-game run after trailing by a set and a break to come back and beat unseeded Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 at the hard-court Grand Slam tournament in a second-round match that began Friday night and finished after 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Like Roddick, Gulbis relies on a powerful serve and stinging forehand, two key strokes that allowed the 40th-ranked kid who never has won a tournament title — much less a major championship — appear on the verge of a breakthrough victory.

Also like Roddick, Gulbis is prone to mental lapses. As much talent as Gulbis has — he did, after all, reach the fourth round at last year’s U.S. Open and the quarterfinals at this year’s French Open — he has yet to show any consistency. That is why he entered this match with a 32-34 career record.

There’s one other, coincidental, thing they have in common: Both players celebrated birthdays Saturday, Roddick turning 26, Gulbis

20. In truth, of course, only Roddick was able to celebrate fully.

“He was definitely outplaying me for the first two sets. I felt like a little kid out here playing against him,” Roddick said. “And then the clock struck 12, and I started playing, well, as a 26-year-old.”

As Roddick struck the ball better and better, the frequency of Gulbis’ winners dipped while the frequency of his errors rose substantially.

Roddick gathered himself after taking out his anger on his racket when two groundstroke errors allowed Gulbis to break for a 4-3 lead in the second set. Soon after it was 5-3 for Gulbis, who then got to serve for a two-set lead at 5-4.

At 30-all, with Gulbis having gone 14-for-15 on points at the net until then, Roddick smacked a forehand passing shot on the run to earn a break point. The American might have had reason to doubt his chances there, given that he was 0-for-4 on break points so far. But Roddick finally came through when Gulbis sailed a forehand long.

“I was disappointed in the second set. I think I should have finished it,” Gulbis said. “I wouldn’t have won the match already. But it would have been a big step.”

Instead, Roddick took seven straight games to take control.

Gulbis dictated play throughout and ended up with far more winners, 79 to 42, and unforced errors, 60 to 21. But the eighth-seeded Roddick never faced a break point in the third or fourth set.

“Tonight was probably one of those ones I won on effort,” Roddick said.

He’s had a tough season, having lost in the third round of the Australian Open, pulled out of the French Open because of a right shoulder injury, then bowed out at Wimbledon in the second round.

Roddick bypassed the Beijing Olympics, hoping to be better prepared for the U.S. Open by staying on this side of the world. His U.S. Open nearly ended quite early, but he credited the partisan crowd with helping.

“You guys kept me in there when I was losing my head,” Roddick told the Arthur Ashe Stadium fans at match’s end. “If this crowd comes with me the whole way, who knows?”

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Another upset: Kuznetsova falls to Srebotnik

NEW YORK - A day after No. 1 Ana Ivanovic lost to 188th-ranked Julie Coin, third-seeded Svetlana Kutznetsova became the latest upset victim when Katarina Srebotnik beat her 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-3.

“It can happen with everyone,” said Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, who moved into the fourth round.

Jelena Jankovic also won during the day. In night matches delayed more than an hour by rain, No. 12 Marion Bartoli defeated No. 23 Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 7-6 (3), and No. 15 Patty Schnyder beat Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6 (4), 6-4. Also, former Open champion Marat Safin lost to No. 15 Tommy Robredo, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-0.

Kuznetsova, who won the Open in 2004 and finished second last year, had trouble fending off Srebotnik’s frequent charges to the net.

Srebotnik fell to her knees a split-second before Kuznetsova’s last shot sailed over the baseline. After beating Serena Williams in the French Open this year, the 28th-ranked Slovenian had another reason to celebrate, having gone farther than ever before at Flushing Meadows.

Second-seeded Jankovic won another sneaker squeaker, playing 28 points in the last game to finish off Zheng Jie 7-5, 7-5.

Jankovic came out full of energy, showing no ill effects of a bad left leg that cramped after she played Wednesday. She bounded back and forth and, in her trademark style, often came to screeching stops while doing the splits to reach shots.

“As long as I’m doing the splits, that means I’m healthy,” she said. “When I’m not doing the splits, you know there’s something wrong.”

“I’m not too sure about my body if I go into a split, who knows if I’ll come back up?” she said.

Still waiting for that elusive big win, Jankovic is trying to reach her first Grand Slam final. She needs three more wins— with Justine Henin retired, Maria Sharapova hurt, Ivanovic out and the Williams sisters in the opposite bracket, this figures to be her best chance.

Jankovic needed more than two hours to beat the 37th-ranked Zheng after playing for nearly three hours in the second round.

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ThreeВ straight double-faults doom Davenport

NEW YORK (AP) -One double-fault? Lindsay Davenport could accept that. Two in a row? Tough to swallow, but it happens, even to the best of players. Three, back-to-back-to-back? Ugh.

Finally having worked her way back into her third-round match at the U.S. Open, finally even in the second set against Marion Bartoli at 5-all, Davenport devolved into an amateur for a few rough minutes Friday night.

To put it in the simplest of terms: Davenport - a three-time Grand Slam title winner, a woman formerly ranked No. 1 - could not get a serve in. She hit seven consecutive faults, then later double-faulted a fourth time in the game en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (3) loss to the 12th-seeded Bartoli at Flushing Meadows.

"I guess they call it 'the yips' on your serve. I don't know where it came from,'' Davenport said. "Probably came from all my years making fun of people that had it. That was my karma coming back.''

For the 32-year-old Davenport, this might have been her final singles match at the U.S. Open, which she won in 1998.

The American turned down a chance to speak to the crowd afterward, and later said she was too angry about what had just transpired to consider whether she would be back.

"All I know is I have doubles at 2:30 tomorrow. That's about as far as I'm thinking,'' said Davenport, who returned to the tour last year after taking an 11-month break when she had a son. "I think it's tough to make any kind of decision in a rash moment, and there was no decision made before the tournament, so, you know, I don't think it's time to make a certain statement now.''

After a no-contest first set, Davenport fell behind 4-2 in the second and faced three break points there. In other words, Bartoli had three chances to take a 6-1, 5-2 lead. But 2007 Wimbledon finalist wasted each of those opportunities.

Then, serving while down 5-3, Davenport faced a match point but saved it with an ace that curled onto a line.

"Nothing I can do about it,'' Bartoli said.

With Bartoli serving for the match at 5-4, Davenport broke her to get to 5-all - and then handed the break right back in the most inexplicable of ways.

Looking much like you or me at a local public park, instead of a seasoned professional on as big a stage as the sport has, Davenport just kept double-faulting. Yes, three in a row, four in a single game! After one of her misses, Davenport dropped her shoulders, slumped over and shook her head.

"Gosh,'' Davenport said. "Played one of the worst games of my career.''

Quite a statement, coming from someone who has played 947 matches.

"At the end, maybe she was a bit tired,'' said Bartoli, who hits two-handed off both wings. "Maybe that's why she didn't serve so well.''

The fourth double-fault, on Bartoli's sixth break point of the game, put the Frenchwoman in position to serve for the match again. Yet again, Bartoli folded, allowing Davenport to convert her second break point with a big forehand to force a tiebreaker.

Davenport wasn't done with those "yips.'' She double-faulted on the tiebreaker's opening point, and this time, there was no recovery. Davenport slapped a forehand into the net on Bartoli's third match point, then chucked her racket to the sideline.

"It was some of my least great tennis out there,'' Davenport said, "and I still was trying to stay positive and try to, you know, turn it around. That was probably the one positive I'll take out of this match.''

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Venus, Serena are on collision courseВ

getCSS("3315906")Tracy AustinNEW YORK - Between them Venus and Serena Williams have won 15 majors. Four of those have been U.S. Opens. Venus was the last lady standing at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001 while Serena had that distinction in 1999 and 2002.

Fans of the sisters are thinking it’s about time for either Venus or Serena to repeat that feat as both have cruised through the first couple of rounds in the Big Apple, each showing readiness for a run on the hard courts that will culminate with a singles crown on Super Saturday night.

It’s surprising that it’s been six years since a Williams sister reigned as queen of Queens and in Venus’ case I’m very surprised that she hasn’t claimed more than a couple of U.S. Open crowns given her game and style of play. Her formidable run at this major came between 1997 and 2002 when in addition to her two titles she made two other appearances in the final and two more in the semifinals.

Besides their talent – which when they are playing at their best – can be heads above all their challengers --  the sisters have other factors working in their favor as they try to end their family’s  stretch of leaving New York without another singles title to add to the collection of Venus or Serena.

Justine Henin, who beat both Venus and Serena at last year’s U.S. Open on her way to taking the title has retired. Maria Sharapova, the 2006 U. S. Open champion, is sidelined and rehabilitating a shoulder injury. And Ana Ivanovic, the top seed is gone, having been stunned in the second round by Julie Coin, a qualifier from France.

In fact, it may very well be that the biggest hurdle for each Williams sister to overcome to win this U.S. Open is each other. In a draw Venus and Serena did not wish for they are potential and likely quarterfinal opponents next Tuesday night.

They would have preferred that any meeting between them on the grandest tennis stage in New York – Arthur Ashe Stadium – would have come in the women’s singles final. They wanted it just like at Wimbledon earlier this summer when neither lost a set on the way to the title match on grass, won by Venus, 7-5, 6-4.

Picking a favorite in an all-Williams quarterfinal clash is tricky.  If the match were on clay, I’d give Serena the edge because she has won on the red dirt at the French Open and Venus has not. On grass, my nod would go to Venus, who has won Wimbledon five times. But on a hard court, I call it equal. And the numbers bear that out as it’s virtually even (6-5 Serena) when the sisters battle it out on hard courts.

While by no means a forgone conclusion, a showdown between the sisters is expected by many unless either or both lay an egg in their performances in the third and fourth rounds.

In the third round on Saturday Venus will face her first seeded opponent -- No. 27 Alona Bondarenko. The Ukrainian is coming off a knee injury and she was beaten with relative ease by Venus (6-1, 6-2) in the third round of last year’s U.S. Open. Venus should not have any trouble sending Bondarenko packing again.

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Federer labors past Alves into third round

NEW YORK - Roger Federer flicked a final winner, trotted to the net and started to shake hands. Then, there was one last challenge.

Playfully, Thiago Alves called for a replay review.

So the man trying for his fifth straight U.S. Open title and an overmatched qualifier shared a laugh, watching together as the giant scoreboards above Arthur Ashe Stadium confirmed the call: The ball landed squarely on the line, Federer had won 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 Friday.

Federer swept a guy ranked 137th, someone who spent this year in the minors and was playing his first tour-level event of the season. Still, it was hardly a breeze.

“The depth in men’s tennis is immense,” Federer said.

Novak Djokovic, and Nikolay Davydenko also advanced. The night session featured Andy Roddick, along with No. 23 Lindsay Davenport taking on No. 12 Marion Bartoli.

Federer is down to his last chance to win a Grand Slam this year, part of a tough season that saw him lose his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal.

Though they well could meet in this final, Federer has not tracked his nemesis through the tournament and didn’t watch Nadal wrap up his match Thursday night in straight sets.

“I schedule my life around my life, not his,” Federer said, smiling. “I was expecting five sets. I was there for four and five, but he wasn’t there anymore.”

To Alves, Federer remains on top.

“He is the biggest player for sure. Nadal is playing good tennis this year, but for me Federer is the best one,” he said.

And did Federer seem vulnerable?

“No. I didn’t feel that,” Alves said.

Never a huge fan of replay, Federer hardly minded when Alves made that last challenge.

“I don’t think it’s affected a whole lot of matches. I don’t know how many times it’s saved a match, because that’s what it’s there for really. But at the big tournaments at the big courts, usually you have the best linespeople as well,” Federer said.

“The worst linespeople are usually on the outside courts where you need it more. That’s the problem with the system,” he said.

Third-seeded Djokovic beat Robert Kendrick 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4 and fifth-seeded Davydenko beat Agustin Calleri 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Fifth-seeded Dementieva beat Anne Keothavong 6-3, 6-4.

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Coin says upsetВ ofВ IvanovicВ 'just like perfect'

NEW YORK (AP) -One August day in New York, Julie Coin lost in straight sets to the world's 423nd-ranked player in the first round of qualifying for an unheralded tournament.

She never would have guessed she was a dozen miles and a few weeks away from one of the most remarkable victories ever in women's tennis. On the main court at a Grand Slam, Coin beat the No. 1 player in the world.

"Before the tournament, I was not imagining it this way like it happened today,'' a giddy Coin said after beating Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Thursday in the second round of the U.S. Open.

No, recently what she was imagining about her tennis future was maybe quitting at the end of the year. The Frenchwoman wasn't making any headway toward breaking into the top 100 in the rankings, the measure of viability. She came into the Open at No. 188.

Coin toiled at a series of minor league tournaments, where players make their own travel arrangements. Earlier this month, she lost her first match in trying to qualify for the GHI Bronx Tennis Classic, a USTA Pro Circuit event.

She had never played in a Grand Slam before Tuesday, when she upset 40th-ranked Casey Dellacqua of Australia. It took winning three qualifying matches to even reach that point.

Coin didn't get as far as figuring out what she'd do for a living if she quit. Maybe she'd coach. It doesn't hurt to have a mathematics degree from Clemson to fall back on.

"So I guess maybe now I'm going to think about, like, keep playing,'' she said.

Coin's match was originally scheduled for Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Open's second-largest venue, which seemed huge as it was. Coin practiced there, then learned they were moving to Arthur Ashe Stadium, capacity 23,733.

But after the initial shock and some early nerves, she looked right at home. More so than Ivanovic, the French Open champ.

"I thought she was maybe nervous more than I was,'' Coin said.

It wasn't until match point that the enormity of the situation weighed down on her.

Back in France, her parents were only able to watch part of the third set on TV; countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo's match had been shown instead. Mauresmo, the No. 32 seed, will be Coin's third-round opponent.

Coin's parents were elite team handball players who wished they could have advanced farther in their sport. They encouraged her to chase the dreams they never achieved.

She turned pro after a college career in which she reached the No. 2 ranking in the country. Coin followed a boyfriend to Clemson, where she learned to appreciate the intricacies of American football.

Even if it took some time to grasp the concept of the Tigers' rivalry with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

"When we get to Clemson, they're like, 'OK, you don't like USC,''' she said. "Why? Because that's like this, you don't like the chicken, whatever. So that's how they teach us. And then you start liking football, too.''

Perhaps Coin is a bit of a late bloomer. Even as a junior player, she said, it always took forever before she achieved breakthrough victories. She joked that she's a "slow learner.''

Thursday's win was worth any length of wait.

"Today,'' she said, "was just like perfect.''

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Nadal overpowers qualifier in second round

NEW YORK - World number one Rafael Nadal overpowered American qualifier Ryler DeHeart 6-1 6-2 6-4 on Thursday to reach the third round of the U.S. Open.

Top-seeded Nadal, who was pushed to two tiebreakers by German qualifier Bjorn Phau in the first round, blasted his way past DeHeart, losing serve just once in the battle of left-handers that closed the fourth day of play.

The 22-year-old Spaniard was in total command, landing 70 percent of his first serves and facing just one break point from the DeHeart, who cashed it in and led 3-0 in the third set.

Nadal brought the 24-year-old American, ranked 261 and playing in his first grand slam, back to earth by winning the next five games and then closing out the match with a sizzling forehand winner to serve out his victory.

"The important thing was I had to come back in the third set and I'm happy with the victory," said Nadal.

The Spaniard had complained of fatigue after his opening match on Monday, a hangover from a busy season that included title runs at the French, Wimbledon and Beijing Olympics.

He was full of energy against DeHeart on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, needing only 19 minutes to claim the first set and less than an hour to take a two-sets lead.

"I forgot a little bit about tennis," the revitalised Spaniard said about his time off. "I played golf on Tuesday.

"Now I'm in the third round. I'm happy. For me it's a very important tournament here," said Nadal, who was eliminated in the fourth round last year.

Nadal, winner of 40 of his last 41 matches, next meets 71st-ranked Viktor Troicki of Serbia.

"I have to improve for the next round," he said. "I have a tough opponent, Troicki. He is a good server."

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U.S. Open makes tennis briefly matter to fans

getCSS("3027626")David Sweet• E-mailAmong pro sports in the United States, tennis is a bit of a weakling.

The National Football League procures television contracts generating billions of dollars; sponsors beg to splash their logos on NASCAR uniforms and cars; even pro golf, since the arrival of Tiger Woods, is more popular among the masses.

Tennis? The Borgs and Connors of yesteryear have yet to be replaced in the public imagination. Though more than 12 million people played tennis in 2007 — a 20 percent rise from the previous year — pro tennis in America has not been an obvious beneficiary of the surge.

But for a fortnight each year, the tour and its handful of stars, from Andy Roddick to Venus Williams, are embraced during the U.S. Open. Given the state of pro tennis in the country, the annual success of the event in Flushing, N.Y. is somewhat astounding.

The U.S. Open, which is run by the United States Tennis Association and started Monday, counts more than 20 sponsors. All are well-known, and most — Polo Ralph Lauren, Grey Goose Vodka, Heineken, Tiffany — lure an upscale clientele. The event is said to generate more than $50 million total from these marquee names.

Sales of tickets and luxury suites — which can run as low as $10,000 for 20 guests on the opening day of the tournament to $60,000 for the men’s finals — are likely to exceed $80 million this year. ESPN and the Tennis Channel just inked a pact to secure six years of cable rights for a reported $140 million. CBS, which has broadcast the tournament since Rod Laver thrashed opponents with left-handed aces, is signed through 2011.

Bottom line: According to a SportsBusiness Journal article, the U.S. Open in 2007 generated about $100 million in profit and brought in $200 million of revenue. In 1999, the trade publication reported, revenue was little more than half that amount.

How can a sport generally shunned become immensely popular for 14 days a year, when about 700,000 fans pour through the gates? There are a number of reasons:

1)  Tickets are reasonably priced: the day session, which includes an assigned seat in Arthur Ashe Stadium and the ability to roam the grounds to check on any other matches, is as low as $48.

2) The grounds of the event, which hold premium restaurants ranging from Cuban to steakhouse, are conducive to spending time and money. So are the stores, such as LaCoste. And where else can you buy a limited edition U.S. Open T-shirt designed by Heidi Klum or a tennis ball the size of a basketball (unless you venture to the just-opened U.S. Open Soho store in Manhattan)?

3) Since the U.S. Open takes place at the same spot every year and is perhaps the only sports event to always involve a holiday (Labor Day), it's easy for fans to plan a vacation around it. The main airport, La Guardia, is minutes away (and flights in the past have been diverted so as not to distract the players). Manhattan and its attractions are a half-hour subway ride.

Another key to the U.S. Open’s prosperity was hiring Arlen Kantarian nine years ago. Possessing a strong marketing background forged with NFL Properties, the USTA chief executive officer of professional tennis introduced holding the women's finals in primetime on a Saturday night and created the U.S. Open Series, a number of tournaments that help promote the Open before the actual event.

Given the emphasis on marketing, it’s a bit surprising the USTA hasn’t sold naming rights. The entire complex is named after Billie Jean King, the main stadium bears Arthur Ashe’s name and its little brother (the previous center court) is dedicated to Louis Armstrong. That doesn’t mean the men’s doubles finals — which has been sponsored by George Foreman’s grilling machines — remains untouched by business interests.

The number of fans who will wander about the tennis center through Sept. 7 is more than the amount who watch a secondary tournament on TV. Pro tennis may not possess the national appeal once sparked by the heyday of John McEnroe, but for a New York minute, the U.S. Open makes tennis must-see again.

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Top-seeded Ivanovic stunned at U.S. Open

NEW YORK - Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic lost in one of the biggest upsets in tennis history Thursday, stunned by 188th-ranked Julie Coin 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Open.

Coin screamed when Ivanovic’s last shot sailed out, then hopped for joy and hit an extra ball high into the stands. Ivanovic quickly gathered her gear and left the court, her hopes of another Grand Slam championship dashed.

“If you would ask if I’m playing like a No. 1, no,” Ivanovic said. “Obviously, it was very hard.”

Even after Ivanovic struggled in the first round while coming back from an injured thumb, there was no way to see this coming.

Coin spent much of the year playing in minor league events and recently thought she might give up the sport. Last week, she nearly got knocked out of the qualifying event to merely make it into the Open.

It just didn’t add up, even to the 25-year-old Frenchwoman with a mathematics degree from Clemson.

Asked whether she’d thought such a win was possible, Coin gave a simple, honest answer.

“No,” she said.

And when did she believe it might happen?

“I guess when it was over,” she told the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, drawing a huge ovation.

If there was any suspicion that Coin was wavering, she steadied herself by winning 10 straight points in the third set. It was Ivanovic who looked jittery, hitting shots directly into the net or way out.

Never before in the Open era that began in 1968 had the No. 1 woman lost this early in the tournament.

During the first four days at the U.S. Open, almost of the favorites had won. Handily, too, with Venus Williams leading the romps earlier in the day.

But when the Ivanovic-Coin match was moved from the smaller Louis Armstrong Stadium to the main Ashe stage, fans hardly knew what was in store.

Tentative at times, Ivanovic seemed to regain her edge midway through third set. The French Open champ led 40-0 in the fifth game and was about to break Coin’s serve when suddenly the momentum shifted.

Coin came back to hold, starting her decisive streak.

Ivanovic tried to stave off Coin in the final game, but it was too late for the 20-year-old Serbian star. Coin won on her third match point — quite a result for someone playing in her first tour-level event.

Coin had tried to qualify for the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon and never made any of them. And she certainly wasn’t anything bankable going into this match — she’d earned less than $100,000 lifetime as a pro, and was facing someone who’d won nearly $6 million.

Next up for Coin in the third round is No. 32 Amelie Mauresmo, who beat Kaia Kanepi 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. Coin and Mauresmo once played at the same club near Paris and shared the same coach, yet though don’t know each other well.

“I know she was No. 1,” Coin said.

Going into this Open, Ivanovic had played only two matches since Wimbledon while her thumb healed. The injury forced her to withdraw from the Olympics before they began, limited her practice time and sent her from Beijing to Australia for treatment.

Pain-free, she made no excuses after escaping against No. 57 Vera Dushevin in the first round.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams were scheduled to play night matches.

James Blake, David Ferrer, Andy Murray and Dinara Safina joined Venus Williams in moving into the third round at Flushing Meadows.

The seventh-seeded Williams overwhelmed Rossana de Los Rios 6-0, 6-3, winning on her fifth match point and needing only 59 minutes to advance.

“I’m very satisfied so far, the way it’s gone,” Williams said.

Williams breezed past an opponent ranked 117th. After teaming with her sister to win Olympic gold in doubles, she stayed on course to play Serena in the quarterfinals here.

“Whichever way the draw goes, whichever way the matches go, as long as hopefully it’s a win for me, I’m pretty happy about it,” she said.

Williams is the last woman to win consecutive championships at the U.S. Open, but hasn’t taken the title since 2001.

“Oh yes, I remember. I won’t forget, but I’d like to have a more recent memory as of, like, ’08,” she said. “Kind of overdue.”

Blake advanced when Steve Darcis pulled out because of a bad lower back. Seeded ninth and coming off a tough, five-set match in the first round, Blake lost the first set 4-6, then won 6-3 and was ahead 1-0 when Darcis retired.

Among the other daytime winners were No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 17 Alize Cornet, No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova and No. 19 Nadia Petrova. But No. 20 Nicole Vaidisova lost to Severine Bremond 7-5, 6-3.

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Venus, favorites keep winning at U.S. Open

NEW YORK - Venus Williams kept favorites on the fast track at the U.S. Open, overwhelming Rossana de Los Rios of Paraguay in less than an hour to reach the third round on Thursday.

The seventh-seeded Williams won on her fifth match point after 59 minutes.

That's mostly been the pattern so far at Flushing Meadows, with the big names facing little trouble.

Through the early action on Day 4, only two top players had been upset in the tournament - No. 8 Vera Zvonareva and No. 10 Anna Chakvetadze.

No. 6-seeded Dinara Safina, No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 17 Alize Cornet, No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova and No. 19 Nadia Petrova also won in straight sets, while No. 20 Nicole Vaidisova lost to Severine Bremond 7-5, 6-3.

Venus Williams breezed past an opponent ranked 117th. After teaming with her sister to win Olympic gold in doubles, the two-time U.S. Open champion stayed on course to play Serena in the quarterfinals here.

Safina, not nearly as volatile as brother Marat Safin, played under control in beating Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-3. The Russian seemed perturbed just once, when she challenged a line call - she was right - and earned a replay of a point late in the second set.

The 22-year-old Safina has won 17 of her last 18 matches, losing only to Elena Dementieva for the Olympic gold medal.

Radwanska beat Mariana Duque Marino of Colombia 6-0, 7-6 (3) and fittingly won the final point at the net. Last year, the Polish teen made a splash at the U.S. Open when she startled Maria Sharapova, often walking halfway to the service box and hopping before backing up to receive.

That breakthrough win over Sharapova came in the third round. This time, Radwanska will play Cibulkova in the third round.

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Collins: Roddick takes fast train to 2nd round

getCSS("3315906")Bud CollinsAndy Roddick played like he couldn’t wait to catch the No. 7 train back to the city, grabbing his ticket and leaving Fabrice Santoro on the platform 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, in his most impressive performance this summer. As one would expect from a guy who plays “banger tennis”, he put on a serving clinic (averaging almost 130 mph on first serves) and a detonating forehand whenever he had the opportunity.

I was thoroughly impressed with Roddick’s complete performance in the last men’s match of the U.S. Open first round. The scattergun shots that often plague his game never appeared. He simply was magic against the player known as the Magician. The 35-year-old Santoro, was appearing in his record setting 65th major. Roddick was just too good.

Concerned
Before the match started, I felt that if he were to lose it would be a disaster. He is the face of American tennis; the 2003 tournament winner. If you ask people to name an American tennis player, they will say Andy Roddick. In truth, he was better. He was composed, very businesslike. He just got the job done. All in all, it was an impressive show on a sold-out night. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him so controlled, so solid. He played like he had a goal and knew how to achieve it.

Tournament preparation
Andy decided to play three U.S. Open Series events instead of going to Beijing in hopes of readying himself to duplicate his 2003 success, and he looked bad. I don’t know if it was the shoulder and neck injuries that had tormented him earlier this year, but it was almost as if they still existed because the best he did was reach the Countrywide Classic final in Los Angeles where Juan Martin Del Potro, the story of the summer hard courts season, ambushed him 6-1, 7-6.

2003 champion
His victory five years ago may have come about because the rest of the men’s field hadn’t really formed. Roger (Federer) was becoming Roger. He wasn’t there yet, and you have to remember the reality of the match, (not to take anything away from Andy), but he was fortunate to get by (David) Nalbandian on a couple of disputed calls in the semifinals.

Surprised
Yes, I’m surprised that he hasn’t done better. He’s an attractive champion. Some may say he’s cocky and recently his results don’t hold up for him to be that way, but everyone does know him. And while he has had injuries this year, he lost early in Australia and didn’t play Paris. At Wimbledon, he lost in the second round to Janko Tipsarevic. All in all, it hasn’t been an impressive year. He is very competitive, and is probably very discouraged, though he wouldn’t admit it. It almost seems time may be running out for him.

Does he need a coach?
Though he has played for some time, I still think he needs direction. I thought (Jimmy) Connors helped him. His backhand got better. He hit through the ball and used his hands rather than muscle the shot. But, because of his grips, he still had trouble volleying. The guy who got him to No. 1 (Brad Gilbert) was dismissed and so was his brother John, who worked with him part of the summer. He’s here with Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, but though he is still young, he has been through so many coaches, I wonder if he knows what he wants to do.

Gulbis next up
This was a very important match for him. Though he is through, Ernests Gulbis, the explosive Latvian is his next opponent, and he is really tough. Though I don’t want to be pessimistic, I don’t know if he will get through. If he doesn’t, the road will be a bit easier.

Can he resurrect his career?
If he’s going to do it, this is the place, and now is the time. He is popular. The crowd loves him. After the tournament, the season’s practically over. He goes to Spain to face Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer in the Davis Cup — on clay. And, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. While he is the leader of the team, sort of the fraternity president, playing against Russia in last year’s final, he wasn’t spectacular. The Russians, in truth, weren’t really competitive.

However ...
Andy has been at the top and knows what it takes. Should he be able to pull it together and recapture that form, the game would benefit because there’s only one A-Rod.

  ALSO ON THIS STORY  Discuss: Sound off on tennis message boards

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Roddick rolls in opening U.S. Open match

NEW YORK - Battling a shoulder injury throughout the summer, eighth-seeded Andy Roddick won his first U.S. Open match in straight sets over Fabrice Santoro on Wednesday.

Roddick, who skipped the Beijing Olympics to recover from his injury, beat Santoro — the oldest man in the draw at 35 — 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

The match ended with Santoro thinking Roddick had tried to hit him with the ball. Roddick said that wasn’t the case and he would try to seek out Santoro to clear the air.

Roddick blasted 41 winners past the overmatched Frenchman, including 15 aces. The American lost just four points on his first serve the entire match.

“I felt good. That’s the best I’ve felt in four, five months,” Roddick, 25, said in a courtside interview.

“Something about this place always gets me energized.”

The third night traditionally showcases the first men’s match of the second round, but this year that was saved until Thursday. All women’s matches Wednesday were second-round pairings.

Also on Wednesday, No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic shook off an injury to his left ankle in the third set and beat Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic rolled the ankle while going for a shot on the right sideline in the fourth game. After receiving on-court treatment, he wrapped up the match with a break of Clement’s serve.

Fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko beat Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 19 seed, moved on with a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Santiago Ventura; and No. 18 Nicolas Almagro beat Frank Dancevic 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.

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No. 2 Jankovic guts out victory in U.S. Open

NEW YORK - Jelena Jankovic’s leg cramped so badly, she couldn’t take another step.

Luckily for the No. 2 seed in the U.S. Open, the agony occurred during her post-match run on the treadmill. Anyone who watched could clearly see she left about everything she had out on the court.

Jankovic outlasted Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 Wednesday on yet another uncharacteristically mild August day in Flushing Meadows. She planned to take a 10-minute run on the treadmill but lasted only three when pain flared in the area of a knee injury sustained at Wimbledon.

“I couldn’t go anymore,” Jankovic said. “My leg was straight and I couldn’t bend it. The muscle was in spasm and I had a lot of pain.”

Treatment with ice and stretching and massaging loosened her leg enough for her to go back to the locker room to take a shower before she spoke to reporters in a much more comfortable setting.

Until then, it was Arvidsson who made her life difficult for the better part of three hours.

Jankovic bent over her racket, leaned against a back wall with a towel pressed to her face, and sprawled on her stomach in the middle of center court. Then she gutted her way into the third round.

The combination of not being in match condition following the injury and an array of hard forehands and well-placed drop shots by Arvidsson left Jankovic fighting to get her wind during the 2-hour, 44-minute match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“That was a really tough one,” said Jankovic, who has reached the fourth round in the first three Grand Slam events this year. “As you can see, I am completely out of breath. She really pushed me to the limit.”

Jankovic twice served for the win in the middle set against Arvidsson, yet couldn’t put her away — even with a match point in reach. Jankovic held off Arvidsson in a back-and-forth third set when both had trouble holding serve.

When Arvidsson fired long on the final point, Jankovic had her third service break of the third set and eighth overall. There was suddenly a spring in her step as she waved and blew kisses to the crowd.

Even with the squandered chances, Jankovic still had an opportunity to advance without going the distance. She jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second set tiebreak before losing six straight points. Jankovic extended the set by winning two points on her serve, but fired wide as she approached the net — drawing an exuberant “Yeah” from Arvidsson.

Several times, Jankovic hunched over and leaned on her racket but didn’t appear to be in distress. The Serb, ranked No. 1 earlier this year, lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon after injuring a knee in the previous match.

If anything ailed her other than fatigue Wednesday, it wasn’t evident in the decisive third set when she raced to a 3-0 edge. Jankovic doubled over again when a fortuitous shot by Arvidsson crept over the net after it smacked the cord in the fourth game, but that appeared more out of exasperation than discomfort.

After a drop shot eluded her dive, Jankovic dropped to the court face down and stayed there for several moments. If anything, it gave her a brief rest.

“I was just tired and I couldn’t get up,” Jankovic said. “I was just trying to come back to normal position where I could just stand up and regroup again and play the next point.”

The only worry she had at that point had to do with her bright yellow outfit that matched nicely with the deep blue court.

“I thought I was going to get my dress really dirty. That was my biggest concern,” she said. “I would have loved to take a nap on the court because I was really exhausted. But you know, the rules are the rules. I had to keep going.”

While Jankovic escaped an early exit, No. 8 seed Vera Zvonareva couldn’t. Zvonareva was upended by Tatiana Perebiynis 6-3, 6-3 in the tournament’s biggest upset yet.

No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova shook off an early break and rallied to a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over Sorana Cirstea. Fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva advanced over Pauline Parmentier 6-2, 6-1. No. 12 Marion Bartoli of France, No. 14 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and No. 15 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland also won.

Former champ Lindsay Davenport, the No. 23 seed, beat Alisa Kleybanova 7-5, 6-3.

No. 25 Francesca Schiavone was knocked out by Anne Keothavong 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, and Zheng Jie of China eliminated No. 26 Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-4.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion and No. 3 seed this year, trailed 4-2 in the opening set before getting back on serve and eventually forcing a tiebreak that she dominated against her inexperienced opponent. She cruised to a 5-0 lead in the second and closed out the match in 1 hour, 13 minutes.

“Here you feel special, like I’ve made it here,” Kuznetsova said. “It’s an amazing feeling. ... I just play much more confident.”

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Hantuchova makes early exit from Carson event
Subs secure victory

Notes: Jankovic bristles at opponent's complaints

NEW YORK (AP) -If opponents aren't ready when Jelena Jankovic is ready to serve, she isn't about to wait.

When complaints from her vanquished opponent Sofia Arvidsson were relayed to her by a reporter in a post-match news conference, Jankovic bristled. Arvidsson felt that Jankovic ignored her raised hand, asking her to wait before unleashing a serve.

"I really didn't see that,'' Jankovic said Wednesday after her 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 win. "Maybe she lifted her arm up, but I didn't see it. I was so tired and it doesn't mean it's bad sportsmanship. It was not my intention.

"Also, the receiver should always follow the server. When I'm ready to serve she should be ready to receive. Those are the rules.''

---

DJOKOVIC FINE: Third-seeded Novak Djokovic laughed when the first question posed to him was about his ankle. He rolled his left ankle during his opening-round straight-sets victory over Arnaud Clement.

"Right away. Let's cut to the chase,'' Djokovic said with a grin.

"It's OK,'' he continued. "It's going to be good in two days, I'm sure.''

Djokovic said he was feeling more concern than pain after he rolled the ankle in the third set. He received on-court treatment then wrapped up the win.

---

HOME IN NEW YORK: Svetlana Kuznetsova hails from Russia, yet feels right at home in New York.

The third-seeded Kuznetsova won the U.S. Open title in 2004 and made it back to the finals last year before falling to Justine Henin. With Wednesday's second-round win over Sorana Cirstea, might she be in line for another deep run?

"It's like this (tournament), it supports me in some kind of way,'' she said. "I don't know how to explain. I just play much more confident. I'm enjoying this city so much, the crowd. When you play here, it's a different atmosphere and you just have so much fun being on the court.''

Kuznetsova, also a runner-up at the 2006 French Open, has been a finalist three times on the tour this year without claiming a title. Her best performance in the three majors was a semifinal appearance in France.

"I don't think you should be coming into a Grand Slam and playing first matches with the best game you've got,'' she said. "I want to grow every match, playing better and better. Today I played much better than my first match, so it's looking good for me.''

---

GOING GREEN: Even though the U.S. Open courts are blue, America's Grand Slam is starting to go green.

At a news conference Wednesday before Day 3 of the two-week tournament, the USTA launched a series of green initiatives at Flushing Meadows.

Through relationships with GreenSlam, Environmental Resources Management and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the USTA has increased its commitment to long-term environmental initiatives including improved waste and energy management programs, the use of recycled paper and a fan awareness campaign.

Billie Jean King, the champion player whose name graces the USTA National Tennis Center in New York, is the co-founder of GreenSlam and a spokeswoman for the fan awareness campaign.

"When they named this 46 1/2-acre Corona Park - which is a public park - after me ... I thought I've got to do something within a year. I want to do some initiative, something that will make a difference,'' she said.

It took two years, but the impact is already being felt.

The approximately 70,000 tennis balls used at the U.S. Open are reused for a year following the tournament after they are donated to tennis programs around the country. The 25,000 tennis ball cans are broken down, with the materials going to create hats and T-shirts in an organic product clothing line.

"Believe it or not, the hats you see are made from plastic bottles,'' said Danny Zausner, the managing director of the tennis center.

To help fans reduce the use of plastic bags in everyday life, a reusable tote bag is being sold at the Open for $5. The USTA is also increasing exposure of wind power by having the New York Power Pool supply wind to the tournament facility.

---

AP Sports Writer Rachel Cohen contributed to this report.

TIGER ‘ON SCHEDULE’ FOR US OPEN
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Kuznetsova eases into 3rd round of US Open

NEW YORK - Svetlana Kuznetsova shook off an early break and rallied to a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday in the second round of the U.S. Open.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion and No. 3 seed this year, trailed 4-2 in the opening set before getting back on serve and eventually forcing a tiebreak that she dominated against her inexperienced opponent. She cruised to a 5-0 lead in the second and closed out the match in 1 hour, 13 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The No. 15 seed Patty Schnyder also moved into the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the U.S. Open girls’ singles champion two years ago.

In just her fourth career Grand Slam event, Cirstea is forging a bit of a bad habit. Cirstea, who made her debut at a major in this year’s Australian Open, led there by a break three times in the opening set against current world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, only to fall 7-5, 6-3 in the first-round match.

She reached the second round at the French Open and Wimbledon.

The afternoon session on Day 3 at the Open also featured second-seeded Jelena Jankovic in a second-round match, while No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic and fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko were slated for first-round matchups on the men’s side.

Andy Roddick, who has battled a shoulder injury this summer that led him to skip the Beijing Olympics, was scheduled to close out the night session Wednesday with a first-round match against Fabrice Santoro. The third night traditionally showcases the first men’s match of the second round, but this year that was saved until Thursday.

All women’s matches Wednesday were second-round pairings — including No. 23 Lindsay Davenport against Alisa Kleybanova in the first match at night.

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Ivanovic regains No. 1 ranking on WTA tour
WIE HAPPY WITH OPENING ROUND

Men: Federer cruises into second round

NEW YORK - Roger Federer, aiming for his fifth straight U.S. Open title, eliminated Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 in the last stadium U.S. Open match of the night on Tuesday.

Gonzalez hung with the former world No. 1 player for a while before Federer won 10 straight games, a run spanning all three sets.

Federer eased into the second round as an unfamiliar second seed. After 237 straight weeks at the top of the rankings, Federer is now behind Rafael Nadal for the first time in 4½ years. Not since the 2004 Australian Open had Federer been seeded anything other than No. 1 at a major.

“I’m motivated to do very well here and for the rest of the season,” Federer said.

No. 13 Fernando Verdasco of Spain, No. 14 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and No. 15 Tommy Robredo of Spain won. Tommy Haas of Germany beat No. 12 Richard Gasquet of France 6-7 (3), 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 and Sam Querrey beat No. 22 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

Marat Safin, the 2000 U.S. Open champ, was as volatile as ever, throwing a tantrum after being called for a foot fault during his 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Vince Spadea.

“I don’t want fight. I don’t want to shout,” the Russian said later. “I wish I could play normal matches and enjoy tennis sometimes.”

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Austin: Serena serves notice at U.S. Open

getCSS("3315906")Tracy AustinWith a sound first-round victory in straight sets Tuesday over Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko, Serena Williams showed that not only is she capable of winning her third U.S. Open singles title, but is also a legitimate threat to become the world’s top ranked women’s player again.

Williams and older sister Venus — who recorded an easy win Tuesday night in her opening-round match vs. Australia’s Samantha Stosur — are among a handful of women’s players capable of winning the wide-open singles draw and becoming No. 1 in the overall rankings. (Maria Sharapova is in New York City but not playing in Flushing Meadows due to a right shoulder injury.)

And frankly, it would be a fitting way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Open Era if a player of Serena’s talent took back the top spot in the rankings with a title run in Flushing Meadows.

Is Serena committed to winning?

Yes. And I have not questioned Serena’s commitment to tennis throughout the 2008 season.

What’s more, Serena — who recently won Olympic gold with Venus in doubles play — has consistently stayed in good physical shape too. Although, it was unfortunate she hurt her knee in the semifinals at Stanford. And I was shocked when Serena lost to Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik in the third round at the French Open in May. With Justine Henin retired, I thought Williams was ready to make a serious push towards the No. 1 ranking.

Serena and Venus were often subjects for criticism because both were spending so much time away from tennis. Venus was designing clothes and Serena was in Hollywood appearing in TV shows.

As for Serena, her off-the-court endeavors (and injuries) affected her play in 2006 as she fell to as low as No. 140 (from No. 11 earlier in the season) in the rankings. But due to Serena’s obvious talent, rankings don’t really mean much, especially when you consider that she started last season at No. 81 and crushed Sharapova in the Australian Open final.

Venus looms in quarters
Now, a possible quarterfinal meeting between Venus and Serena is certainly interesting.

Although each has won eight matches against the other, Venus has the upper hand given that she captured her fifth Wimbledon title with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Serena in July. It was, in my opinion, the most competitive match to date between the two sisters.

But first, Serena must advance past unranked Russian Elena Vesnina in Thursday’s second-round play. And the world’s No. 71-ranked player should not prove a difficult challenge for Serena.

Serena is being aggressive and serving well
Again, I was thoroughly impressed by Serena’s play on Tuesday as she needed less than an hour to finish the victory, and did not give Bondarenko a chance to get into the match.

Bondarenko, on the other hand, felt pressure to do something special because Serena was doing everything so well. The Open champ in 1999 and 2002 was very patient until she got the shot she wanted and then added a little speed. She was not allowing the Ukrainian — ranked No. 46 in the world — to even breathe.

Williams served six aces, and was clocked at 113 mph. Serena’s serve technique has always been good. It’s so smooth and she has great timing. She is also one of the best returners in the game, if not the best.

During rallies with Bondarenko, Serena stayed on her front foot and moved forward, and played aggressively into her shots. When she is not sharp, Serena tends to linger around the baseline, and plays many shots by using her back foot.

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The official fairplay rankings
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No. 1 Ivanovic avoids big upset at U.S. Open

NEW YORK - Ana Ivanovic recovered in a hurry Tuesday to avoid becoming the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round at the U.S. Open, rallying past Vera Dushevina 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Out of whack lately because of an injured right thumb, the world No. 1 was out of sorts for much of the match against a Russian ranked No. 57. Down 3-2 in the third set, the French Open champion suddenly found her confidence — and her winning strokes.

“I could feel some shots, lack of practice,” Ivanovic said.

The 20-year-old Serbian star had played only two matches since Wimbledon in mid-July while her thumb healed. The injury forced Ivanovic to withdraw from the Olympics before they began and kept her from practicing until last week.

“Happy finally to be without the pain,” she said.

The worst start ever for a No. 1 woman at the U.S. Open came in 1967 when Maria Bueno drew a first-round bye and then lost in the second round. The last top-seeded man to lose in the first round at Flushing Meadows was Stefan Edberg in 1990.

Serena Williams was scheduled to play her first-round match later in the afternoon. Roger Federer, aiming for his fifth straight U.S. Open title, and Venus Williams highlighted the night action.

Sixth-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia, No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, No. 13 Agnes Szavay of Hungary and No. 16 Flavia Pennetta of Italy advanced in morning matches.

Ahead 4-2 in the second set, Ivanovic rushed to a 40-15 lead and seemed on her way to a comfortable win. At deuce, she charged forward but put an easy overhand smash into the net — one of her 40 unforced errors.

After that, her problems really flared.

“I dropped my concentration,” she said.

Soon, Ivanovic was tentative on backhands and failed to finish forehands. Gone was her signature fist pump after winning key points. Instead, she spent more and more time looking into her family box during breaks.

By the final set, Ivanovic was moving better, covering the court and pressuring Dushevina into misses. Even so, she made it tough on herself, double-faulting while trying for a match point.

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Tennis stars going glam at Grand Slams

NEW YORK - Models have the runway, actresses the red carpet and — when it comes to showing off their latest styles — tennis players have center court.

One emerging trend is to incorporate a cocktail-attire look into their performance clothes, especially if they’re playing under the lights at night. And, says tennis star Maria Sharapova, there’s no better place to pull out the stops than the U.S. Open.

“It’s the place to do something fun and a little out of the box,” says Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open champ who is nursing a shoulder injury and not competing this year. “It’s the biggest crowd and it’s what people are talking about. I was fortunate to play — and win — in the Audrey Hepburn dress.”

That dress, with its sparkly neckline, satin-bow waistline and keyhole openings down the back, started a wave of red carpet-worthy ensembles. Tiffany & Co. even outfits Sharapova in jewelry for tennis events and a collection of earrings, called Tiffany for Maria Sharapova, is sold in stores around the world.

This year, Serena Williams, who has proven at times to be a fashion rebel, has a U.S. Open dress that also has a sophisticated cocktail-dress vibe. It’s red with a slim bodice, dropped waist and pleated skirt.

On the men’s side, Roger Federer, who last year played night matches in a tuxedo-style outfit with a blue-and-white ensemble for day, this year was switching between a polo shirt with an emblazoned RF logo in red for day and a smoke-gray color at night.

The U.S. Open has a party atmosphere like no other Grand Slam, says Nike senior designer Colleen Sandieson. Whereas Wimbledon is very traditional and Paris is more fashion-forward, fans at the U.S. Tennis Center likes to see the best athletes look like stars.

At the 2007 U.S. Open, Sharapova had two custom-made Nike dresses in the same silhouette but one was white with a black graphic design on the bodice while the other was red and was dotted with Swarovski crystals for nighttime play.

It was an acknowledgment of the changing conditions the day can bring: hot and steamy under the sun and cooler in the evening, Sharapova explains. The crowd’s mood changes as well, with a more casual audience at daytime matches and the just-left-the-office crew at night.

Had she played this year, Sharapova would have worn a stretch velvet dress with silk on the edge of the neckline and straps to the Open.

Designers are working on a similar look for the home athlete.

Golf-clothes designer Linda Hipp, whose label Lija is launching tennis clothes this spring, says an increasing number of athleticwear customers want to be able to wear their outfits even off the court. An evening player might be on a date or enjoying time with her spouse and might want a little more fashion in her outfit.

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“Dress rehearsal” for Löw’s team

Olympic champion Dementieva shaky at Open

NEW YORK - Olympic champion Elena Dementieva showed her mettle at the U.S. Open, rallying in the second set Monday to beat Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4, 7-5 to start what’s expected to be a wide-open tournament.

Back from Beijing with her gold, Dementieva won the final four games. The fifth-seeded Russian was glad to win quickly and give her mind and body a break.

“It’s very hard not to think about the Olympic Games,” Dementieva said. “Very difficult to refocus. I mean, all my thinking is there in Beijing.”

Former champions Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova and fourth-seeded David Ferrer also opened with straight-sets victories. Many of the stars were in a hurry — they wanted to beat the rain in the forecast.

The final Grand Slam event of the season figured to be a scramble, especially on the women’s side. Justine Henin retired and is not back to defend her title and Maria Sharapova is out with an injured shoulder.

Six different women have won the U.S. Open in the last seven years, and Dementieva is seeking her first major championship. But to her, the Olympic singles title counts.

“The biggest goal for the year was Beijing,” she said. “In Russia, if you stop anyone in the street and ask what is a Grand Slam, I don’t think many people can tell you. But everyone knows the Olympic Games. There is nothing bigger.”

During a quick stopover in Moscow to see her mom, she found out how much the gold meant.

“People just come to me and say, ’Oh, I’m happy for you. You’re always losing in the final. It’s so great that you finally win something big,”’ she said.

Dementieva put together a workmanlike win over Amanmuradova. Her opponent from Uzbekistan served for the second ahead 5-3, but Dementieva still had enough energy.

getCSS("3053751")Slide show


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Evert back to celebrate 40 years of U.S. Open

NEW YORK (AP) -As busy as Chris Evert's summer has been, she still found her way back to Flushing Meadows as the Grand Slam celebrated 40 years of the Open era on Monday night.

Evert, a six-time U.S. Open champion, returned for the gala event at Arthur Ashe Stadium just two months after marrying star golfer Greg Norman.

Even though she has three boys starting school this week, Evert wasn't about to miss a regal night like this.

"I have a lot going on, but whenever I'm called on ... whenever the USTA or whether it's Wimbledon or any of the Grand Slams call and they we're having all the past champions get together to celebrate and have a parade or whatever, I just love doing things like this,'' said Evert, who won four straight U.S. Open titles from 1975-78.

The tournament changed forever back in 1968 when it opened up to allow professional players to enter the draw.

"It's part of my past that I want to still have it be part of my future, too,'' Evert said on the red carpet outside the stadium named for the late Ashe, the first men's champion of the Open era. I don't want to just erase the past and say that was then and this is now and now I'm a mom and now I'm doing other things.''

Virginia Wade, the women's champion in 1968, always found New York to be a bit of comfort zone. That ability to relax helped her win the title.

"It was the joy of it,'' she said Monday night. "I didn't have the pressure of playing at Wimbledon as an English player. I could come here and get on with it.''

---

FROM KID TO MOM: Lindsay Davenport began her U.S. Open career way back in 1991 when she was just 15 and feeling very overmatched.

Now at 32 she is back for her 17th appearance in the main draw at Flushing Meadows. Instead of being a kid, she is the mother of one - 1-year-old Jagger Jonathan.

"I started out here,'' she said Monday after a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Aleksandra Wozniak in the first round. "The first year I got a wild card into the main draw and I had played juniors before thinking that I was out of league and that I was just so fortunate to be able to walk on the grounds.''

That soon changed.

Davenport was a U.S. Open semifinalist in 1997 and the tournament winner a year later - eventually reaching No. 1 in the world.

"Becoming a champion of it and then becoming a player with really good results, and now coming back as a mom and as a former No. 1 and the champion, I mean it's just all overwhelming,'' Davenport said.

She missed last year's tournament after her son was born in June, the first American championship she sat out since making her debut. An injury to her right knee that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon this summer also threatened to slow her for the rest of the season.

That pain is gone, and now she could be ready to make another run.

"I thought I played pretty well, considering I haven't really played since April and had been injured,'' she said. "I knew I drew a tough opponent in the first round, so I'm happy to have played the way I did and get through in the scoreline in the fashion I did.''

Other than rest and some therapy, Davenport said she doesn't know what was the secret formula to getting her knee healthy again.

"All of a sudden, just right before the Olympics it seemed to turn a corner,'' she said. "I have no idea what happened, but it feels better now.''

---

MURRAY'S HILL: Andy Murray comes into the Open with his highest ranking ever at No. 6. The 21-year-old Brit said his attitude on the court changed after he committed to getting into better shape.

"Now that I've started to work really hard off the court, you go into the matches with sort of no excuses, no worries,'' he said after beating Sergio Roitman of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in the first round Monday.

Murray spent about a month in Florida training around the beginning of the year. He'd go to the gym twice a day and practice in steamy conditions. He also now travels with a trainer.

"It's a complete waste of time going on the court and finding reasons why you might lose the match and what have you - you just go out there and fight for every single point, because that's a complete waste of time putting the work in if you're not going to use it out on the court,'' Murray said.

---

AP Sports Writer Rachel Cohen contributed to this report.

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Nadal survives shaky first set to advance

NEW YORK - Olympic champion Rafael Nadal showed his mettle at the U.S. Open, overcoming an early challenge to win Monday in the start of what’s expected to be a wide-open tournament.

Playing for the first time as the world No. 1, Nadal swatted his very first shot wide against No. 136 Bjorn Phau. The Wimbledon and French Open champ was two points from dropping the first set when he surged and, despite needing to bandage a nasty blister, won 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Nadal got much more of a test from the German qualifier than many anticipated, and shook his head near the end of a match that lasted nearly 3 hours.

Roger Federer, bidding for his fifth straight U.S. Open title, was scheduled to begin Tuesday.

The final Grand Slam event of the season figured to be a scramble on both sides.

Nadal seems like the natural favorite, yet has never gone beyond the quarterfinals in five previous tries at Flushing Meadows. The 22-year-old Spanish dynamo took a while to find his rhythm against Phau, whose spirited play made him a crowd favorite.

Fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium, often quiet during early daytime sessions, cheered when Phau dived for a shot, rolled over on his back and chased a return.

On the men’s side, fourth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain beat Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-2 and No. 32 Gael Monfils downed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. No. 29-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina lost to Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Also winning were No. 7 David Nalbandian of Argentina, No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka and No. 16 Gilles Simon of France.

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