Bjorn Borg: The Beginning of the End, Pt. 2

by J.A. Allen.. For Bjorn Borg, the summer of 1980 was a time of highs and lows, of thrilling victory followed by stunning defeat.

His holding pattern persisted, as Borg, who won three consecutive doubles at the French Open and Wimbledon, lost his bid again for a chance at a calendar-year Grand Slam at the conclusion of 1980’s season in the sun.

During that sultry summer, two men met on fateful Sundays in July and in September to tighten the screw on Borg’s legacy. After 10 U.S. Opens, Borg sensed that his time to win this elusive Grand Slam was slipping away. He looked across the net at the up-and-coming John McEnroe and felt his tennis future fading.

His first awareness came during the fabulous 1980 Wimbledon final, when Borg  confronted an odd sensation—fear of losing, of surrendering his dominance. For Borg, the certainty that he would win was a constant. Luckily, he was able shake off the feeling and seal the victory in set five, capturing his fifth consecutive Wimbledon championship.

But the sinking sensation returned during the U.S. Open final of 1980, as Borg lost in five sets, 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4. Borg needed to win the Open and shake the monkey off his back. New York, however, remained foreign, bizarre, and unattainable, as Borg packed his gear and headed home after being shut out once again at the Big Apple.

He shook off the loss eventually and, even though uncharacteristically flat-footed, went on to defeat his main adversary, John McEnroe, in the final of the 1980 Stockholm Open, 6–3, 6–4.

Then in round-robin play at the year-end Masters in January of 1981, Borg faced McEnroe again. With over 19,000 fans in attendance, Borg defeated McEnroe in a deciding third-set tie-break for the second year in a row, 6–4, 6–7, 7–6 (3). Borg went on to win his second masters title by defeating Ivan Lendl, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2.

It seemed all his energy and enthusiasm were peaking in time for the 1981 French Open, where Borg would be attempting to win his fourth title in a row and his sixth overall. The clay seemed to imbue Borg with renewed power and supremacy.

“The year begins in Paris,” Borg confidently told The New York Times as the tournament got underway.

Indeed, Borg was true to form and went on to win his last Grand Slam tournament by defeating Ivan Lendl in the final, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in three and a quarter hours. It was a tough match for Borg, who was accustomed to defeating his opponents more readily on the red clay.

Borg played a masterful match against the young Czech by slowing down the pace and pestering Lendl with accurate, deep shots until he wore him down.

After playing few matches in early 1981 and losing in early rounds at most, there was much speculation about the future prospects of the talented Swede.

There was the question of his right shoulder injury. Borg said he was slowing down, playing less to rest his injured wing. But in the meantime, the rumor mill pumped out the usual: Borg was going to quit and settle down with his new wife to raise a family.

Often the buzz painted Borg as growing apathetic and lazy. Some even hinted he was growing senile. The press grew impatient for an answer.

Luckily for Borg, the weather and the draw cooperated—Paris did not sizzle during the 1981 French Open. Rain interrupted play so often that at one point Borg was ahead of most other players by two rounds. It was strange that the tennis gods held back the deluge until Borg’s matches were complete.

This allowed Borg time to recover and recoup while his shoulder mended and the Swede could work his way into the tournament.

Borg’s victory at the 1981 French Open silenced the critics and the skeptics for the time being as he prepared for another double (his fourth) by taking the Wimbledon championship for the sixth year in a row.

The 1981 Wimbledon crown allowed Borg another run at a Grand Slam. Already the crowds were looking forward to a repeat of a Borg-McEnroe battle—reflecting back to the war waged on Centre Court in 1980.

So it was on another fateful Sunday, the tennis gods pitted the two best players on the planet on Centre Court with the winner to take it all—Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe, Act Two.

It looked like business as usual in the first set. Borg planted himself behind the baseline and waited for McEnroe’s serve, as was his custom. In the fifth game, he broke McEnroe to take a 3-2 lead. It was all Borg needed. He took the first set, 6-4.

Borg continued to dominate, making life tough for the antsy American, but McEnroe held on to make it 3-3 in the second set. The two players had been on court for an hour but the match had not yet begun.

McEnroe had numerous chances to put the second set away—nine break points worth—but he failed to convert and the set went to a tie-break. It was in the tie-break that McEnroe found the power of his serve. He won it, 7-1, in the blink of an eye with Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly) watching from the Royal Box.

The match was all tied up, one set each.

The third set was anybody’s to call. For the first part of it, Borg was perfect, error-free, and composed. Inevitably, however, he failed to win the big points when he needed to. Even when McEnroe double-faulted, losing the fourth game, and Borg held serve to go up 4-1, he could not take the set.

McEnroe held his serve then came back to break Borg in the seventh game. It was the first of 11 break opportunities that McEnroe won. The next crucial game required 12 points, with McEnroe squeaking by, even after double-faulting twice.

Borg held to go up 5-4. That is when the insanity began. In the 10th game, a ball that landed on the baseline was called good, then overruled by umpire Bob Jenkins. It allowed Borg to go up 40-15 on McEnroe’s serve—giving him a chance to take the set.

The crowd silenced waiting for the volatile McEnroe to explode. Normally, the sky would be filled with expletives after such a move by the umpire. Instead, McEnroe bent over standing at the baseline, shaking his head, breathing deeply.

Then he fired two aces at Borg, who stood watching them ricochet past. That brought the game back to deuce. McEnroe lived to fight off another set point—then took the game when Borg sent a forehand into the net.

Later, McEnroe admitted “I didn’t erupt because it takes too much out of you to play Borg.” He also admitted that he restrained his reaction because of his respect for the man across the net—the Borg man.

They went to a third-set tie-break, which McEnroe took, 7-4. The left-handed serve was giving Borg nightmares as he often stood near the doubles alley trying to return. Borg was now 0-3 in Wimbledon final tie-breaks, his losses all to McEnroe.

Up two sets to one, McEnroe was determined not to allow Borg back into the match. He wanted no repeat of 1980. Finally, McEnroe had seized control of the match, serving extremely well, and Borg was no longer sure that he would defeat the brash young American.

Borg had two break points in the third game, but could convert neither. In all of his 15 break point chances in the match, Borg only converted twice.

Both contestants managed to hang onto his serve until the 10th game, where Borg, trailing 5-4, finally lost a match at Wimbledon as McEnroe broke his serve by sending a volley down the line and out of Borg’s reach.

The crowd applauded politely. They had, of course, backed Borg to win his sixth championship. Even Borg said “No one can win forever.”

His fear had come home to roost. McEnroe was the new champion and the new No. 1 player. But the rivalry was not over—not quite yet. The two would meet once again in the finals of New York for the last time…

Stay tuned for the conclusion in Pt. 3. (Click here to read Pt. 1.)

Mechanics vs Mechanics: Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, Rafa Transtions Better

by Long John Silver… Congratulations, felis-tes-tio-nes to Rio de Janeiro!

So, now that AM has discussed the similarities between Rafael Nadal’s and Andy Murray’s games, I am going to get to the crux of the very difference in their games.

Both games are constructed based on defense, but it is not this that wins them slams or would potentially win slams.

At the fundamental level, their games are intrinsically different. Rafael is your offensive baseliner and M-Andy is your vintage ‘fourth generation’ (Wilander, Chang, Hewitt, M-Andy) counter-puncher. The evolution of the game is similar to that of an i-pod.

The succeeding generation of products are still true to their fundamental functionality (play music to the satisfaction of a music addict’s expected level of precision) but they always have additional features and are in a way, more adept to the current market’s requirements (i-shuffle and i-nano, I have a Prussian blue i-shuffle and I love it).

The crux of the difference between them lies in what we call as ‘Transition’. Nadal can transition from defense to offense quite seamlessly, and much better than Murray. That’s what has brought him six slams, and will potentially continue to bring him more.

The problem with M-Andy’s game is that very lack of transition. It’s not easy chiseling a defense based game to an offensive one, because innately your mindset is tuned to defend. When you are in trouble, the true colors always come out—and when your survival in a slam semi is at stake when the opponent is painting lines…you go back to what you are most comfortable with.

Nadal, with time, has willed himself to change that very mindset—and its one of the hardest things to do. That is what helped him conquer the coveted lawns of London, and to a lower extent OZ.

For some reason M-Andy still has to tell himself (or scowl at himself in the middle of the match) to attack more, or utter his famous ‘hit…don’t chip’ phrase. He still finds it hard to transition to offense when it’s needed most, very hard. That’s partially understandable, because even though he is No. 3, his game still is developing when compared to Nadal.

Hopefully it will develop faster. His game is very fine tuned, but not fine tuned enough to win day in and day out against first strike players. Look at the track record: F-VED in OZ, Gonzo in Paris, R-Andy in London, Cilic in NY. There is a pattern, and that pattern will stop when he transitions better.

That’s the crux: Rafael and M-Andy have games predicated on rock solid defense, but Nadal transitions to offense better.

Juan Martin del Potro On Top of ‘Tennis Power Rankings’

by J.A. Allen… After the U.S. Open and the Davis Cup in September, tennis has been pretty quiet, which usually happens after the concluding Grand Slam of the season. Therefore, not much substantial change takes place in the Power Rankings this time around, but a couple of new faces emerge while a few old ones faded away.

The Top 10

1. Juan Martin del Potro  (652 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Winner], Canada Masters [Final], Washington [Winner], Wimbledon [R64]

After stunning the world by defeating the seemingly unconquerable Roger Federer in the finals at the U.S. Open, del Potro returns to play this week as the No. 1 seed in the Rakuten Japan Open. He may be a bit rusty after laying off for a month, but he will be helped by a depleted field in Tokyo, as Roger Federer and Andy Murray both withdrew with injuries.

The world of expectation and scrutiny will fall hard upon the young Argentine after his win in New York. He needs to do well in Tokyo to keep the press from questioning his ability—just ask Novak Djokovic.

ATP Ranking: 5. Last Power Ranking: 1

2. Roger Federer (646 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S.Open [Finalist], Cincinnati Masters [Winner], Canada Masters [Quarterfinalist], Wimbledon [Winner]

Like del Potro, his opponent in the U.S. Open, Federer has not picked up a tennis racket except to help Switzerland stay in the World Group during play in September. He has pulled out of the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo as well as the Masters Series event in Shanghai later this month.

He cites a bad back and other ailments, mainly reiterating his need for rest. Federer won two of the four Slam tournaments this year and will be hoping to strengthen his body for another run in 2010. Federer has already qualified for the year-end Masters tournament to be held in London this year.

Maybe fans will see Federer again in November in Basel or Paris. They certainly hope so.

ATP Ranking: 1. Last Power Ranking: 2

3. Novak Djokovic (333 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Semifinalist], Cincinnati Masters [Finalist], Canada Masters [Quarterfinalist], Wimbledon [Quarterfinalist]

Hardcourt play enabled Djokovic to get back on track as he rose through the seedings all the way to the semifinals of the U.S. Open. He seemed to put his game back together again after faltering for most of the year. After a month layoff, the young Serb should extend his superior play on the indoor hardcouts.

He is the No. 2 seed at the China Open, with Rafael Nadal seeded No. 1. The field, however, is loaded with power players. It will be a good test of Djokovic’s resolve and strength.

The Serb still seeks his first Master’s shield of the season and that may occur at the Masters Series in Shanghai. The China Open will serve as a great tuneup for Djokovic.

ATP Ranking: 4. Last Power Ranking: 3

4. Nikolay Davydenko (319 points)

Last four tournaments: Malaysian Open [Winner], U.S. Open [R 16], New Haven [Quarterfinalist], Cincinnati Masters [R 16].

Davydenko earned his victory at the Malaysian Open by defeating some real heavyweights. He faced Taylor Dent, Gael Monfils, Robin Soderling, and Fernando Verdasco, defeating them all on his way to the championship. This win propelled him over the top and into the Power Rankings at the No. 4 spot.

Davydenko has been out of the Power Rankings for some time. This is usually the time of year the Russian excels—as the tour moves indoors. Davydenko will be seeded No. 4 at the China Open.

ATP Ranking: 8. Last Power Ranking: NR

5. Gilles Simon (315 points)

Last four tournaments: Thailand Open [Winner], U.S. Open [R32], Cincinnati Masters [Quarterfinalist], Canada Masters [R 16].

The determined and dapper Frenchman finally won a tournament this year after nabbing the trophy in the Thailand Open, defeating Viktor Troicki in the final. It was a satisfying win after being down so much of the year. Simon retains his top 10 ATP ranking with the win.

The Frenchman, seeded No. 3 in the China Open, is in the same half of the draw as the No. 1 seed Juan Martin del Potro. Simon continues to battle for the opportunity to play in the season ending Masters Tournament in London. He has a long way to go to get there but the victory in Thailand helps.

ATP Ranking: 10. Last Power Ranking: NR

6. Andy Murray (303 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [R16], Cincinnati Masters [Semifinalist], Canada Masters [Winner], Wimbledon [Semifinalist]

Murray’s wrist is still causing him major problems. Like Federer, Murray has pulled out of the Japan Open in hopes that his wrist injury will subside and he can return to play at full strength. The injury began at the U.S. Open and he aggravated it again during the Davis Cup tie with Poland.

The wrist may recover, but it will probably be day-to-day before the physicians clear Murray to play.

ATP Ranking: 3. Last Power Ranking: 5

7. Fernando Verdasco (292 points)

Last four tournaments: Malaysian Open [Finalist], U.S. Open [Quarterfinalist], New Haven [Winner], Cincinnati Masters [R64]

Like many of the other top players, Verdasco is battling injury. His is an abdominal tear—like that suffered by his countryman, Nadal. These constant injuries are a reminder to tennis organizers that the schedule they have created and imposed does vast damage to players, who often play days and weeks at a time without adequate rest and revitalization.

Verdasco’s return was almost triumphant—he made it all the way to the Malaysian Open Finals but came up short against Davydenko in Kuala Lumpur. Nonetheless, the result is promising. Verdasco will be seeded No. 5 at the upcoming China Open.

ATP Ranking: 9. Last Power Ranking: 6

8. Rafael Nadal (276 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Semifinalist], Cincinnati Masters [Semifinalist], Canada Masters [Quarterfinalist], Roland Garros [R16]

Rafael Nadal has been fighting injuries for over a year. His attempts to come back have been impeded by the lingering effects of his abdominal tear. The Spaniard will be returning to action this week at the China Open, where he is seeded No. 1.

His first match back is against wild card entry Marcos Baghdatis—not the best draw for Nadal returning to action.

At this point, we will just wait and see who regains his form first and can claim his rightful place back at the top.

ATP Ranking: 2. Last Power Ranking: 4

9. Gael Monfils (217 points)

Last four tournaments: Malaysian Open [Quarterfinalist], Open De Moselle [Winner] U.S. Open [R16], Cincinnati Masters [R64]

The Frenchman with the most potential and the least discipline has powered his way into the rankings after winning the tournament in Metz, France. Monfils is seeded No. 4 at the Japan Open this week. Should the seedings stand, Monfils would meet fellow countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals.

The question remains—how long can Monfils maintain his high-end style of play?

ATP Ranking: 13. Last Power Ranking: NR

10. Fernando Gonzalez (195 points)

Last four tournaments: Malaysian Open [Semifinalist], U.S. Open [Quarterfinalist], Cincinnati Masters [R64], Canada Masters [R16]

Fernando Gonzalez made it all the way to the semifinals of the Malaysian Open, where he lost to Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 7-5. He was playing well until the Spaniard ended his run. Gonzo is seeded seventh at the China Open this week—on the same side of the draw with top-seeded Nadal.

Hopefully a good run at the China Open will keep him in the Power Rankings next time.

ATP Ranking: 12. Last Power Ranking: 7

Outside Looking In

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (194 points)

Last four tournaments: Thailand Open [Quarterfinalist], U.S. Open [R16], Cincinnati Masters [R32], Canada Masters [Semifinalist]

Like all the great athletes playing the game today, Tsonga has extraordinary potential but lacks the discipline needed to make it to the top of the game. Until he develops some consistency, he will continue to show flashes of brilliance but be unable to capitalize on his amazing abilities.

He has a Masters title at Paris to defend in November.

Robin Soderling (193 points)

Last four tournaments: Malaysian Open [Semifinalist], U.S. Open [Quarterfinalist], Cincinnati Masters [R64], Washington [Quarterfinalist]

Robin Soderling made it to the semifinals of Malaysian Open and faced Davydenko, who defeated him by a 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 score. At the China Open this week, the Swede will be seeded No. 6 and would face Djokovic if he made it to the semifinals.

Soderling’s fortunes have vastly improved, but he still has not made it into the ATP Top 10. Continued success may find the Swede there if his run on hardcourts continues.

Bjorn Borg: The Beginning of the End, Part 1

by J.A. Allen… “My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.”
— Bjorn Borg

Former world No. 1 and Swedish teen sensation Bjorn Borg brought fame, fortune, and much-needed publicity to tennis in the mid-’70s, when he began to play. His long blond hair, smoldering good looks, and rock-star status elevated tennis in the hearts of teenage girls, if not the media corps.

There was a rhythm, a dance in his cat-like movements along the baseline as he swayed back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, tensed, ready to pounce as his opponent hit the ball over the net—like a cat playing with a mouse.

Borg understood the necessity of being in shape, of being as strong at the end of matches as you were at the beginning. This athleticism allowed him to dictate matches and gave him five Wimbledon championships and six French Open titles, often won back-to-back. Borg was the author of the modern game built on talent but bolstered by strength and endurance.

His reign on these natural surfaces highlighted his strengths: his speed, his endurance, and his reaction time. His arsenal included a wicked two-handed backhand with heavy topspin that aided his accuracy, as well as an underrated serve.

Perhaps his greatest attribute was his coolness under pressure. Because of his unflappable concentration, Borg was nicknamed the “Ice Man,” or “Ice Borg.” He never let anything or anyone take him out of his game.

On Wimbledon grass and Roland Garros clay Borg seemed invincible, but Borg had an Achilles’ heel: a game that fell flat-footed in New York at the U.S. Open. Bjorn Borg was a finalist in New York four times, but he never won there.

U.S. Open 1975 - Semifinal
U.S. Open 1976 - Finalist
U.S. Open 1978 - Finalist
U.S. Open 1979 - Quarterfinal
U.S. Open 1980 - Finalist
U.S. Open 1981 - Finalist

Why was this the case? What was it about the U.S. Open that stopped Borg dead in his tracks?

In 1976, a teenage Borg played Jimmy Connors in the finals of the U.S. Open, which was then played on clay. Borg lost in four sets, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4. It was the loss of the third-set tiebreaker that turned the tide against Borg and gave Connors the incentive to slam the door on the youthful Swede.

In 1978, Connors once again found himself across the net from the ice man Borg in the finals of the U.S. Open. But this time Borg was totally outmatched and Connors shut out the lights early, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. By now, the Open was being played on hardcourts.

Between 1978-1980 the Swede reigned supreme and won three back-to-back doubles at the French Open and Wimbledon, paving the way for a sweep—a calendar year Slam.

All Borg needed was to succeed at the U.S. Open and then journey down under to capture the Australian Open, which was then played in December instead of January.

In 1980, the Swede faced another loud-mouthed American, this time it was the up-and-coming John McEnroe—the same McEnroe who had taken him to five sets at Wimbledon earlier that summer.

It was widely known that Borg was not fond of New York and the U.S. Open tournament. New York was as far from the staid grounds of Wimbledon as a tennis traditionalist can get. The fans were noisy and boisterous. Then too, the Open was played on hardcourts…not Borg’s favorite.

The tournament officials scheduled night matches for the fans and for a television audience in prime time. Borg did not like night matches. As a tennis purist, Borg felt tennis should only be played during daylight hours. Actually, he had a hard time seeing the ball as well at night.

In fact, he felt jinxed every time he played in New York—which probably explains why he never won because he had lost in his head before he began, even though he struggled through to make four finals.

For a Borg fan, the U.S. Open of 1980 was a living nightmare. In the quarterfinals Borg met Roscoe Tanner, who defeated him in 1979 during this very round. At Flushing Meadows, Tanner had faith in his ability to defeat Borg.

In ‘79, of course, they played under the lights. This year’s match was in broad daylight and Borg managed to win 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in five tough sets.

Borg’s next opponent in the semis was Johan Kriek—one of the craziest players on the court, according to Lesley Visser of The Boston Globe. Borg should have beaten Kriek without too much difficulty. Instead, he lost the first two sets and was down, 4-6, 4-6, before coming on to win the last three sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

Borg had not lost a five-set match since 1976, winning 14 in a row. In the meantime, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe were slugging out their own five-set match, which McEnroe won by a 6-4, 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 score.

In the finals, Borg was on track to be the first man in 11 years to win a Grand Slam—if he could win his match against McEnroe and then capture the Australian Open in December. If McEnroe won, he would be the first man to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles in 20 years. There was much at stake in the 1980 U.S. Open final.

Borg should have won the first set, serving twice for it at 5-4 and 6-5. He lost both, as well as the set at 6-7.  In fact, the coolest competitor in tennis lost his temper when, at 2-2 in the tiebreaker, McEnroe served an ace that Borg felt was long.

He lost his concentration and awoke to find himself down another set at 1-6. Borg said that he didn’t know what happened—all of a sudden he had no feeling for the ball.

Borg fans faced a grim situation, however, when it appeared that Borg would go down in straight sets to McEnroe. He was not playing with his usual calm and unruffled demeanor. He was disastrously close to losing the third set when he rallied to take it 7-6, and the fourth set 7-5.

There was relief in the fact Borg hung in there, arriving at a fifth set. It was well known that Borg did not lose five-set matches; after all, he had not lost a five-set match since 1976.

But this was neither Wimbledon nor Roland Garros. This was the U.S. Open, where McEnroe reigned and Borg faltered. So it was that here in the fifth set where Borg usually prevailed, he stumbled and lost to McEnroe, 6-4.

When Borg lost, it didn’t sink in right away. That was because it was so hard to accept. There must be more, his fans kept thinking, because otherwise—he had lost and McEnroe had won. They felt numb.

It was a devastating loss because Borg fought all the way back and then succumbed to McEnroe, who seemed to be assured he would win. Borg lacked a similar conviction because this was the U.S. Open.

Borg was finished for 1980, at least as far as the majors were concerned. He would not go on to play in Australia in December because he was only interested in winning the Grand Slam, and losing the U.S. Open in 1980 meant Australia was irrelevant.

For most male tennis professionals in 1980, Australia was generally regarded as unimportant. It was not a highly regarded Slam when compared to Wimbledon, the French Open, or the U.S. Open. Today, of course, that is no longer true.

It is fair to say that players like Connors, Borg, and McEnroe—who generally skipped the Australian—might have a much higher total of Slam victories had they bothered to make the trip down under.

Borg would play more tournaments in the fall of 1980 and even win the Masters in January 1981. There were stirrings of a new threat on the horizon named Ivan Lendl. But for the majority of his fans living in the United States, tennis would not begin again until May of 1981, when it was time to start the French Open Championships.

Little did his fans—or the tennis world—suspect that 1981 would mark the end of the road for Bjorn Borg. 1980 foreshadowed the ultimate demise of the Ice Man.

Stay tuned for Pt. 2 of Bjorn Borg: The Beginning of the End.

Day Five: It’s Not the Same U.S. Open Anymore…

by J.A. Allen… The top-seeded women continue to fall while the top-seeded men rise to the occasion. Will Ferrell is in attendance…

Results: Day Session—Women

(1) Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 6-1

Seeded No. 10, the hot, hot lady from Italy cooled off the Canadian Aleksandra Wozniack, 6-1, 6-1. The Italian Pennetta is making quite a name for herself this summer! Her results have been very impressive.

Pennetta next meets Russian Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round.

(2) Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-2

One of the mighty U.S. faded on day five. Alas, Vania King could not make it two in a row. She had taken out Australian Samantha Stosur, seeded 15th, in the first round, but the American could not withstand the power of Daniela Hantuchova.

The Slovakian, seeded No. 22, is a long, thin and graceful player. Hantuchova will face No. 2 seed Serena Williams in the next round.

(3) Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5

Second seed Serena Williams faced Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez, taking the first set at 6-3. It appeared to be business as usual. In the second set, however, the Spaniard broke the American twice, serving to go up, 3-1.

Serena did not take this lightly and broke back. The American found herself in a position to level the second set at 3-3 if she could hold onto her serve. She did just that. Martinez-Sanchez held on to go up, 4-3.

The serve-and-volleyer proved to be a major hurdle for Williams. They battled, staying on serve with Martinez-Sanchez going up 5-4 in set No. 2. Serena then leveled the set at 5-5.

At deuce No. 8 in game 11, Martinez-Sanchez double-faulted, losing her serve. Serena served for the match at 6-5. She won the set at 7-5 and moved on to the next round, where she faces Hantuchova.

(4) Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

Victoria Azarenka had a break of serve against Francesca Schiavone in the opener. That was enough to allow her to secure that first set, 6-4.

Azarenka continued the pressure by breaking Schiavone in the first game of set two. But the Italian broke right back to level it at 1-1. They seesawed back and forth. Schiavone finally broke and held the break to go up 4-2, eventually taking the second set with another break at 6-2.

Schiavone broke Azarenka’s serve immediately in the third set. The Italian played a very smart match against the No. 8 seed, with the lady from Belarus growing increasingly agitated.

Azarenka lost the third set in a stunning upset with Schiavone taking the match, causing the No. 8 seed to throw her racket down in total disgust. The crowd booed her—but the feisty Azarenka hates to lose! Another upset of the women’s top-seeded players. Schiavone will next face Na Li of China.

(5) Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-4

The two Russians met on unlucky court No. 13. But it did prove to be a lucky day for Vera Zvonareva seeded number seven who faced Elena Vesnina and ripped through the first set 6-2.

The second set was a bit more of a struggle but Zvonereva held on to win the match, 6-2, 6-4. Zvonereva will meet the rejuvenated Italian Flavia Pennetta in the fourth round.

(6) Na Li 6-4, 6-2

The Chinese Li, seeded No. 18, met Russian Maria Kirilenko in the third round. Li took the first set, 6-4, and then took the second set, 6-2. It was all over quickly. Li will next face the Italian Schiavone, who upset Azarenka earlier on the day.

Results: Night Session—Women

(7) Kim Clijsters 6-0, 6-2

Clijsters ran through her opponent fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens. She will next face Venus Williams in the fourth round.

(8) Venus Williams 6-2, 7-5

Williams seeded No. 3 met and defeated Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets. Even with her heavily taped upper thigh, Venus won convincingly and will next face Kim Clijsters in the fourth round.