Blackjack!

In so many instances the number twenty-one holds great importance. Whether it's the passage into adulthood, a guaranteed win at the card table, or the number of firings in a royal salute, reaching twenty-one in any effort has a special meaning.

And last night Kim Clijsters attained that exalted number at the U.S. Open.

Her win over Vera Zvonareva in the women's final was a little shocking in its one-sidedness, but less so when you consider that Flushing Meadows has become Clijsters' home Slam. She came here in 2005 after missing the previous year due to wrist injuries, but stormed to the championship match by taking out two-time titleist Venus Williams in the quarters and top-seeded Maria Sharapova in the semis. For the trophy she took out veteran Mary Pierce in straight sets, dropping only four games to win her first Major title.

The next year, though, continued problems with her wrist and a couple other injuries forced her to pull out of the Open and she soon after announced her retirement from the sport. Though her personal life stayed busy -- she got married, had a daughter -- we didn't see her on the tennis court again until 2009, when she gave a solid showing in Cincinnati and Toronto before really making a statement in New York.

Only three tournaments into her comeback, she wasn't seeded or even ranked, so understandably she faced a draw full of recently emerged champions -- Marion Bartoli took her to three sets in just the second round, Venus gave her an oddly-scored win in the fourth, while her defending champion sister Serena infamously foot-faulted her own way out of the tournament. In the finals against first-time Major finalist Caroline Wozniacki, Kim battled through a tough first set, but ultimately claimed her second U.S. Open trophy in quite emotional fashion.

By the time she returned to Flushing Meadows this year, Clijsters had climbed her way back to #3 in the world and earned herself the second seed. She was playing even better tennis than she had in '09, winning the title in Cincinnati -- the tournament at which she had begun her return the previous year, and sailed through her early round matches without dropping a set. She was tested in the second week by Sam Stosur and, yet again, Venus Williams, but eventually reached the finals with a chance to defend her title for the first time.

Admittedly, I gave her opponent Vera Zvonareva a slight edge in the match. The Wimbledon finalist had defeated Kim on her run at the All England Club and followed that up with another solid victory over the Belgian in Montreal. She hadn't lost a set in her first six rounds in New York and was able to stay steady against top-seeded Wozniacki in the semis to prevent a repeat of last year's championship match.

But Clijsters was nearly unstoppable Saturday night. Though she'd been streaky in some previous matches, falling for example to an 0-4 deficit in the second set after bagelling Greta Arn to open her first match, she was clean throughout this one. She ran off to a quick lead in the first set before breaking Vera again close it out, and kept right on rolling in the second. Keeping her cool amid small meltdowns by the Russian, Kim needed just an hour to dispatch Vera and claimed her third championship on Arthur Ashe's stadium.

That's twenty-one straight match wins in New York. Twenty-one victories over solid opponents, some favored over her either on paper or in reality. Twenty-one contenders whose hopes for a trophy of their own have been dashed at the hands of Kim Clijsters.

The way she plays here, it's really no wonder her challengers have no choice but to fold their hands.

One to Go...

Do you realize how long it's been since Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have played in a Grand Slam final?

After battling each other for seven Major titles between 2006 and 2008, they've now gone nineteen months -- since Australia last year -- without another such meeting*. That's quite a stretch, and tennis fans around the world have been aching for at least one more showdown between the two best men currently playing this sport.

And they're just one match away from getting their wish.

Super Saturday at the U.S. Open found both men, somewhat surprisingly, in the semis, neither having dropped a set. Roger, the five-time champion, sailed through his early rounds and even made quick work of his developing nemesis Robin Soderling in the quarters. Nadal, who’d never made it past the final four in New York, had some scares to start, going to two tiebreaks against Teymuraz Gabashvili to start and battling through a stubborn Denis Istomin in the second round. But he found his footing in the second week, drubbing a tough Fernando Verdasco to make his third straight final Saturday.

For a spot in the finals, though, it was Rafa who had the easier draw. One of my favorites to win the title, Andy Murray, should have been his opponent today, but he was bested two rounds ago by Stanislas Wawrinka who was, in turn, bested by Mikhail Youzhny in a long five sets just on Thursday. Youzhny was the twelfth seed at the Open, but had advanced well under the radar to make his second Major semi. During his fortnight he displayed some hard-hitting strength and solid determination -- he ignored the American fans who rooted for John Isner in the third round, stopped a potential rally by Tommy Robredo in the Sweet Sixteen, and finally triumphed over Wawrinka in their four-hour quarter. But by the time he got to the semis he was out of steam -- though he put up the best fight he could, he couldn't quite get his bearings, and ultimately fell to the eight-time Slam winner in three sets, giving Nadal entry to his first ever U.S. Open final.

Though Mikhail is clearly an intimidating opponent -- he defeated Rafa in quarters here back in 2006 -- he's not quite the presence of world #3 Novak Djokovic, who Federer is playing now to set up that ultimate battle. Nole certainly surprised me the way he's been playing the last two weeks -- after near-elimination in the first round he's been unstoppable, downing a red-hot Mardy Fish in the fourth round and prevailing against showman Gael Monfils in the quarters. Nole has lost to Federer three straight years at the Open, but he did beat him three times last year and in the semis on his way to win the 2008 Australian Open title. He just evened the score against the Swiss giant by taking the second set, so you know that, unlike some of Roger's previous opponents at this tournament, Djokovic won't let himself get too down, and he's going to do his best to prevent that match everyone wants to see.

But if Roger does survive, the implications of the still-potential final are enormous. Never before have two men played the championship match at all four Majors, and whoever wins would have clear bragging rights. Rafa has already beaten Federer at three of the Slams and, should he win this one, he'd earn himself a career Grand Slam just a year after Roger did the same and become the youngest athlete to hold that honor. Of course, for Federer, there's the chance to get that elusive seventeenth Major title, just one fewer than Chris Evert and Martina Navritalova, and to do so against Rafa -- a man who's beaten him six of eight times on the grand stage -- makes the prospect even sweeter.

Meanwhile, we're also one match away from crowning the women's champion. That final pits two somewhat unlikely opponents against each other -- Kim Clijsters, looking to extend her win-streak at Flushing Meadows to twenty-one straight games, faces Vera Zvonareva, who at twenty-six years of age has reached her second consecutive Major title match after only once before making the semis. Clearly the Belgian is the favorite, having been on this stage five times before, but Vera did beat her in their last two meetings. If you want to talk about a stellar opportunity, this could be it.

* Of course, one of the other has played in every big final since then and, all but one time, has won the title.

And Then There Were Four...

Well at least one of my semifinal predictions came true.

At close-of-business Wednesday four ladies -- top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, defending champ Kim Clijsters, two-time winner Venus Williams, and Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva -- remain standing in their hopes to bring home the last Major title of the year. They've each battled heat, wind and some tough opponents to make it this far, and it sure looks like no one will easily give up her spot in the finals.

Last year's runner-up in New York has continued to surprise me all year. Even after taking a dangerous tumble in Charleston back in April, the twenty-year-old Dane has barely taken any time to rest. She played almost every tournament leading up to Paris and fought off even my criticisms to make the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. Then after Wimbledon she literally hit the pavement, winning three hardcourt titles at four events before coming to the U.S. Open atop the draw.

If you thought this was the time she'd let up, youd be mistaken. Wozniacki dropped only three games in her first week and was broken just twice in her first four matches. Her domination of 2006 champion Maria Sharapovaa on Monday proved that she could not only thrive as a counter-puncher, but could be aggressive when she needed to be. Last night against Dominika Cibulkova she battled the elements by keeping play clean and tight, ultimately earning a late break to win in straight sets.

For her efforts, Caroline has a rematch with Vera Zvonareva -- the woman, incidentally, who benefitted from that retirement at the Family Circle Cup. Like her opponent, the Russian has been nearly flawless in her first five matches, never dropping a set and rolling surprisingly easily through her fourth round against feisty Andrea Petkovic. She hasn't faced quite as tough a draw as Wozniacki, though, but is riding a wave of Grand Slam success, having played her first Major championship match in July.

Having just turned twenty-six, Vera is one of the veterans on Tour, but she seems to be finding her stride now. After her win over Kaia Kanepi Wednesday she said, "I'm still improving, you know. I've been playing for a while, but I'm still out there and still working hard." And it looks like her dedication is paying off. Having already played a hardcourt final in Montreal -- she lost the second match in a rain-induced double-header to Wozniacki about two weeks ago -- she could put up quite a fight to make her second in a row.

In the other half of the draw are two women who are far more experienced on the big stage. Kim Clijsters has now won nineteen consecutive matches in Flushing Meadows, albeit interrupted by a three-year absense from these grounds, and has played another four Major finals. The Cincinnati titleist is the only one of the four left who has lost a set during the fortnight, though it was to a tough competitor in Samantha Stosur. She's actually had the toughest draw of the semifinalists, too, barreling past resurging, former #1 Ana Ivanovic and staying tough against twenty-seventh seed Petra Kvitova.

Kim's been spotty at times this tournament, though. She found herself in a two-break deficit after bagelling Greta Arn to open her first round, and she lost serve seven times to Stosur in the quarters. But she does seem to find her best game when she needs too -- she doesn't lead the field in many stats, but has been able to attack her opponents' second serves, netting herself thirty-two break point conversions.

That could be somewhat intimidating to Venus Williams, who she'll face in the semis. The winner of the trophy twice at the turn of the century has dropped serve ten times this tournament. Then again, she has fired off more aces than any other woman -- twenty-six -- and the fastest bomb of the event at 127 miles per hour. With stats like that it's easy to silence those of us who worried a knee injury that kept her off court since Wimbledon would hamper her in New York.

So far Venus faced the toughest battle in the quarters against French Open winner Francesca Schiavone, but an even bigger test is coming up. Kim dismissed her in the fourth round last year, trading bagel sets before ultimately advancing 6-4 in the third. The Belgian followed up that win by drubbing Williams in the Miami finals, 6-2, 6-1 to win her second title of the year. About facing her nemesis -- a woman with whom she has a six-and-six career record -- Venus said, "I'm sure we'll have another really good matchup. I'd like to kind of flip the way it turns out."

All four ladies have been here before, and they've all had different results. Whatever happens on Friday we can be assured that one woman will play in her second Slam final and another will try to win her third U.S. Open crown. Clearly you have to favor the veterans, but with the draws stacked the way they are, you really can't be sure. And as I mentioned in my preview, we really might be due for a first-time winner.

After all, if it's going to happen anywhere, why not New York?

The Match No One Cares About, and Why You Should

On a day where former champions, world #1s, feisty Spaniards and next-generation Americans headlined play at the U.S. Open, you might have missed the fact that one-time top-five player Tommy Robredo and hot-headed Russian Mikhail Youzhny are also playing for a spot in the quarterfinals. Sure they were relegated to the day match on Armstrong, making way for the fifth-seeded doubles team on Ashe, but for the two men involved, it represented a big chance to make a statement in New York.

Robredo had been having a tough couple months -- after a solid 2009, he made the quarters in Indian Wells and looked solid for the clay court season. But for reasons I can't quite figure out, the Spaniard has fallen in the first round of all three previous Slams this year, and has only put together back-to-back wins once since March. Out of seeding range at the Open, I didn't think he'd last the first day, much less the first week, but a solid win over Lukas Kubot followed by the retirement of his next two opponents gifted him a third straight appearance in the round of sixteen.

Youzhny has been just as quiet, if slightly more dangerous, advancing through his draw. The twelfth seed in New York has played in three finals this year, winning a title in Munich and beating Gael Monfils and Novak Djokovic in Rotterdam. At Flushing Meadows, the slightly volatile veteran played a solid four sets against Dudi Sela and ousted crowd-favorite John Isner in the third round. Though he's only made it this far once in his seven previous appearances here, he's playing like a real dark horse and might be ready to at least match his best run ever.

Today is just the pair's fourth meeting in their combined twenty-plus year careers, with Tommy holding the slight 2-1 advantage. They haven't faced each other since the 2006 U.S. Open, though, where Mikhail dropped only three games in the fourth round. He's certainly playing more consistently at the moment, having taken the first two sets in just under ninety minutes, but Robredo is doing what he can to up his game, hanging strong to take the third in a long fifty minutes. A spot in the quarters would be a huge opportunity for either man -- with either Sam Querrey or Stanislas Wawrinka waiting for them there, either could have a clean shot at the semis.

For Robredo, this could be the Major where he tells the world he's still one to contend with. For Youzhny, who's middled around the low teens at three separate times during his career, it's an opening to get back in the top ten.

And for fans, it's a reminder that there are more than just two or three players to keep our eyes on this tournament.

Time-Out: U.S. Open Reassessment

So I stink at this game -- really, really stink.

Sure, some of my picks to make the semis are still alive and more than kicking, but a bunch more have already fallen by the wayside -- and some a lot earlier than I would've thought. And, I gotta say, I'm nothing short of shocked that a couple are still standing.

Let's start with the men, who've only just wrapped up their third rounds today. We shouldn't be too surprised that both top-seeded Rafael Nadal and five-time champion Roger Federer have advanced this far, though I am somewhat saddened that my choice for the top quarter, David Nalbandian, succumbed in four sets earlier on Sunday to Fernando Verdasco. That leaves four Spaniards vying for the first semifinal spot, and all have faced challenges before eventually emerging triumphant. At this point, I have to give Rafa the advantage, but it sure would be nice to see him and Verdasco fight it out again.

Roger's still looking stunning in his bid to make up for that devastating loss in the finals last year, but he also seems primed for another quarterfinal rematch with Robin Soderling. Though the #5 seed was nearly eliminated in the first round, he rebounded to take out his next two opponents without dropping a set. And after his amazing win in Paris, he might have a bit more confidence, should the chance to face Fed in a Slam arise again. And while Jurgen Melzer and Albert Montanes might put up their best efforts to stop that eventual clash, I have to believe we're in for the inevitable.

While the top seeds have advanced without much drama, I have to say the run of Novak Djokovic did leave me a little winded. The runner-up here in 2007 faced his biggest challenge against countryman Viktor Troicki in the first round, battling through extreme heat and five sets. But he rolled over Philipp Petzschner in the second and my dear James Blake in the third. He'll next face red-hot Mardy Fish, a man he's beaten in their last four meetings, though I think this time might be different. Fish has gotten through a couple tough matches, and might have what it takes to pull off the upset. If he does, he'll face one of two Frenchman -- Gael Monfils who took out the dude who took out the dude I'd picked for this quarter, or Richard Gasquet, a solid hitter on his own comeback trail. I'm still putting my money on the American, but I might be reducing the size of the wager.

The biggest shock in the men's draw came earlier this evening when Andy Murray, my reluctant favorite for the title, was eliminated by Stanislas Wawrinka in just four sets. That certainly opens the door for Sam Querrey to make his deepest run here, or dark horse Mikhail Youzhny, who withstood big-serving John Isner to make the fourth round. Somehow, my most decisive quarter became the one that's most up in the air, and I'd love to see Querrey make the run for the Americans.

Turning to the ladies, top seeded Caroline Wozniacki has been emphatic in her goal of proving she deserves her ranking. Through three rounds she's only lost three games, though she hasn't yet faced a player in the top seventy. Her next opponent, Maria Sharapova had an ever-so-slightly tougher draw, and though I am rooting for Caro in the long run, I feel the Russian might just have an edge in the fourth round and she's still my favorite for the quarter. But Svetlana Kuznetsova, who's been equally solid in her first three matches could pose a bigger threat than I originally thought. If two former U.S. Open champs are left battling for the first women's semi spot, it could be quite a battle.

Kim Clijsters has advanced with little drama herself, even if she's given up serve a few times when clearly in charge of her matches. The defending champ still look good to continue her run, but with Roland Garros finalist Sam Stosur or tough-as-nails Elena Dementieva looming as quarterfinal opponents, she will surely be tested in the future. The Australian survived a scare in the first round, but has been solid ever since, and the Russian staged an awesome come-from-behind victory against Daniela Hantuchova on Friday, reminding us all why she's known as the best player without a Major. Though Kim has winning records against both, she sure stands to lose her first set of the tournament in the coming round.

In the quarter which originally seemed so wide open, somewhat surprisingly the two top seeds have advanced to the quarters. While poor Victoria Azarenka retired early with a concussion, two-time champ Venus Williams and French Open winner Francesca Schiavone are the ones vying for the third semi, and at this point I have to go with the more-experienced American. Though a knee injury originally made me doubt her prospects in New York, she's clearly better suited for these faster surfaces than the Italian, and might even be able to make a run for the title.

Rounding it out for the women, four solid ladies are all contending for the last spot in the semis. Wimbledon stand-out Kaia Kanepi continued her summer rebirth when she took out fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic and Yanina Wickmayer survived some tough opponents to make it this far. Then there's new crowd favorite Andrea Petkovic who's danced her way to her best ever Major showing and Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva. Like with the men, this quarter could really go to anyone, but I have to give the slightest of advantages to the Russian who needs to prove her performance at the All England Club wasn't a fluke.

Of course, as we kick off the final week of the U.S. Open, I'm sure there will be plenty more surprises to come. At this point, I'll be happy if even one of my choices makes it through to the final four. But you can't say that we haven't been able to witness some top-notch tennis in the last few days. And the way things are going, we are in for a lot more.

As for predictions for next year, well, I think I'm gong to have to find another theme!

Keeping Focus Amid the Storm

If the theme for the first part of the week at the U.S. Open was the blazing heat, then the theme for the this weekend is the pending arrival of a hurricane named Earl, who promises to wreak havoc on the play today.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but some of the late night matches are clearly at risk -- if not for cancellation, then certainly for suspensions and delays. And that might give players like Rafael Nadal and John Isner, Venus Williams and Flavia Pennetta a few fits as they try to wrap up their day.

Pennetta's will be the last match on the Grandstand this afternoon, and she takes on Shahar Peer in what could be a very close game. The two have only played on hardcourts, with Peer -- ranked slightly higher at #19 to the Italian's #21 -- battling to victory in their last meeting at Indian Wells. A few months ago I might have chosen Flavia to power through this match easily -- if only for revenge -- but a foot injury that forced her out of New Haven puts her prospects in question. We know the girl can handle disruption, though, as she famously survived a meltdown by Vera Zvonareva at last year's Open. If she can find the power that got her past Jie Zheng in Cincinnati and Daniela Hantuchova in Montreal, I like her chances to win here too.

Big-hitting American John Isner should start his second-round match with Marco Chiudinelli before the rain starts, but if their five-setter at Roland Garros is any indication, he might not close it out in one shot. Isner certainly knows how to handle delays in a match -- the winner of the three-day Wimbledon marathon was able to keep himself loose and focused even through multiple over-night breaks. More comfortable in front of the hometown crowd, he might have the advantage over the Swiss, and hopefully this time his efforts will not be stopped short immediately after the initial win.

Venus headlines the night session on Arthur Ashe tonight, taking on her second qualifier in a row in Luxembourg's Mandy Minella -- a twenty-four year old who ousted Venus's foil Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round. You have to hand it to an unknown that can make it through three matches before even seeing a main draw and then continue her streak. And though Venus should be able to handle her easily, the two-time U.S. Open winner will have to remain focused on returning a solid serve and keeping up with an agressive baseliner. Battling injury herself, you can expect Williams to make a statement early -- she doesn't want to face the prospects of interrupting any momentum she gains by aggravating her knee any more.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal hopes to cap off the action Friday night on Ashe, but the coming rains are not his only obstacle. Uzbek Denis Istomin made the finals in New Haven last week with a win over a tough Viktor Troicki in the semis, and he took a set from Rafa back at Queen's Club. He had a solid win over Maximo Gonzalez in the first round of the Open and fired off six aces to his opponent's zero. Nadal, on the other hand, was pushed to two tiebreaks against a feisty Teimuraz Gabashvili Wednesday and might be less comfortable on the quick courts. Admittedly, I'm a little nervous about this match -- two years ago, Rafa was unable to come back during a rain-disrupted semi against Andy Murray and ended up losing the match over two days. Hopefully this year he'll be able to keep his cool and, if needed, return to the court even stronger.

It sure looks like we're in for a lot of stop-and-start play today, and that could surely play with the momentum and focus of even top players. But when the day is done, hopefully no one will be too bruised and battered, and we'll only see better play to come.

Some Like It Hot

In case you haven't heard, it's freakin' hot in New York.

And while ninety-plus degree weather may be great for lounging on the beach this last official week of summer, it's not exactly ideal for running around a tennis court for a couple hours.

But so far, that hasn't seemed to affect the top players at the U.S. Open. Mardy Fish's much talked-about fitness allowed him to withstand a relatively quick five setter while his first round opponent faded in the final sets. Novak Djokovic somewhat surprisingly got himself out of trouble, albeit helped by the encroaching shade late in his match, to pull out his own marathon win. Even players like Marcos Baghdatis who lost their openers did not blame the heat.

These guys are used to it -- as Andy Roddick said last year after his semifinal win in D.C., "You think this is hot, you should try playing in Houston in August." Or Florida. Or Cyprus. Or Argentina. It's a good thing they're all so well-conditioned. Today promises to be even hotter -- both in temperature and in action. A couple guys still have to finish off their first rounds, while other early victors look to continue their runs.

Fourth-seeded Andy Murray begins his campaign in New York this afternoon against Lukas Lacko, a young Serbian who beat Baghdatis at Wimbledon and kept Michael Yani on court for five hours in Paris. It should be an easy day for the Brit, as his improved fitness should help him deal with the elements. But if he's forced to chase down balls over a marathon, the exertion might eventually get to him.

I'm a little more worried about the prospects for John Isner, who faces Estoril finalist Frederico Gil on Louis Armstrong Stadium today. We all know John can last on the court, but he had a bit of trouble in the heat of Atlanta, where he lost sets to world #206 Gilles Muller and college-days rival Kevin Anderson before ultimately succumbing to Mardy Fish in the finals. He's never played Gil, and might get the bonus of a late, cooler match if the matches before him go the distance. But the ankle injury he sustained might give him some troubles -- hopefully, though, the big guy won't tire out in front of the supportive New York crowd.

Roddick has already survived one scorcher at the Open, getting past Stephane Robert in about ninety minutes in the hot August sun-- though it was a solid win, he did start looking a bit tired by the end of the match. Headlining the evening session today, he'll take on Janko Tipsarevic, a feisty player who nearly -- and probably should have -- ousted Sam Querrey in Los Angeles and actually beat Andy at Wimbledon a few years back. The Serb has been nursing an injury over the last few weeks, but Roddick himself is still not a hundred percent recovered from his bout with mono. The man who likes to sweat might do so a bit more than usual tonight as he tries to make another run at this championship.

There is some relief in sight, however. For the guys who survive the next forty-eight hours, it looks like the Labor Day weekend offers a comparatively chilly forecast. And all the winners will have to rely on something more than the weather to heat things up!