Serena’s apology via Twitter

@serenajwilliams: I want to sincerely apologize FIRST to the lines woman, Kim Clijsters, USTA & mostly tennis fans everywhere. Thank you all for your support

Oudini – American teen serves up magic at U.S. Open

Gritting her way through a shaky third set, 17-year-old Melanie Oudin from Marietta, Ga., pulled off her second upset of the Open on Saturday, defeating a more-seasoned and far more-famous opponent — former No. 1 Maria Sharapova. This victory coming just days after stunning No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva.

“I don’t even know what to say right now,” Oudin said, choking back tears in her postmatch interview with Mary Jo Fernandez in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Thank you so much for cheering for me.” she said to the appreciative crowd of over 37,000 that included her boyfriend and her mom.

Sharapova, who has won the U.S. Open once, usually gets those cheers. But on this day in Queens, the fans were rooting for a new potential queen — the one who stamped the word “Believe” on her shoes and did just that.

Big day on the court for teen Melanie Oudin

In the first couple days of the U.S. Open we’ve seen a number of top seeds and former champions struggle.  Ranked No. 1 a year ago, Ana Ivanovic,  currently ranked No. 11, went down in defeat her first round and has since announced she’s going to temporarily take time off from the game.

It’s always fun to watch upsets and underdogs. Especially fun when the underdog doing the upsetting is a girl still in high school. That’s what happened when American teenager Melanie Oudin shocked fourth seed Elena Dementieva at the U.S. Open  in the second round.

The Russian, one of the favorites for the title after an impressive summer, was out-hit and outplayed by the 17-year-old world number 70, who handed Dementieva her joint-earliest ever exit at Flushing Meadows.

Dementieva looked to have weathered an early storm when she took the first set but Oudin, who reached the last 16 at Wimbledon, stormed back to level the match.

Oudin had the trainer on after three games of the final set to treat a thigh strain but she held her nerve to set up a meeting with either 29th seed Maria Sharapova or another American, wildcard entry Christina McHale.

Oudin is one Pretty Tough player. Next up? Sharapova.

Tennis anyone?

If you find yourself all fired up to play tennis watching the U.S. Open, remember that watching elite athletes can be really deceptive.  It may appear as if they hit,  jump and lunge with ease, but tennis is one tough game.

So while Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova are showing us how it’s done during this week’s  tournament,  here’s  a primer for those who want to learn the basics of the game.

Scoring

• Each women’s tennis match is made up of two to three sets (guys play five sets). To win a set, you must win at least six games.
• The games are scored starting at “love” (or zero). From love, the first point is 15, then 30, then 40, which wins the game.

Scoring the Game

• Before serving the score is announced, with server’s score first. So if you’re serving and you have zero and your opponent has 30, say “love-30.”
• The server gets two tries. The serve must go over the net, land in the opposite service box, and bounce once before the opponent returns it.
• If it doesn’t land in the service box,  a second serve is taken. If the second serve also misses, the point is lost.
• If the serve grazes the net but still lands in the service box, the serve doesn’t count, and the server gets a do- over. This is called a “let.”
• If the serve goes in and the opponent returns it, players continue hitting back and forth until someone hits the ball into the net, hits it out of bounds, or misses a shot. The other person gets the point.
• Whoever is serving continues serving until the score reaches 40.
• If the score is tied at 40 (”40-all”), that is “deuce,” which is  another word for tie. To break the tie, someone must win two points in a row.  If  a server at deuce wins the next point, then it’s  ” ad-in” which means “server’s advantage.” If the opponent wins, it goes back to deuce, and someone again must win by two points in a row. Yes, this could go on forever.
• Once the game is over, the serve switches to the opposing player. After even numbered games  players switch sides of the court.

Scoring a Set

• Before the first serve in each new game,  the score in sets is announced with the server’s score first.
• To complete a set, someone must win six games; the first person to win six games wins the set.
• However, as with “deuce,” players must win a set by at least two games. So, if the score is 6-5, the person with 5 must win by two games. If the score ties at 6-6, a tiebreaker is played.

Scoring the Match

• The match is determined by the best two out of three sets. So whoever wins two sets, wins the match. If each player wins a set,  a third set is played to determine the winner.

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Lingo

Want to know the difference between a drop shot and a foot fault?  You can learn all you need to know to speak tennis here.

And if you’re ready to jump onto the court and play, here are a few tips to help your game.

What to wear

The right kind of shoes are important.  Though running shoes offer a cushioned sole, they don’t offer enough support for the side-to-side movement demanded in tennis.

You may not want to immediately  splurge on a new pair of tennies, but check the regulations at the court where you’ll be playing, since many don’t allow dark-soled shoes that could scuff the court.  If you own a pair of cross trainers, wear those instead of running shoes, as they offer better support.

Warming-up

• Warm up before playing.  Jog for five to ten minutes to get your blood flowing. Your body should feel warm.  Do a few grapevines the length of the court to wake up your coordination.
• Walking lunges are a great way to prepare your legs for tennis. This simultaneously lengthens and activates muscles in your legs, priming them for the court.
• Twisting is the major action of the torso when hitting the ball. A standing twist stretch is easy to do against the fence of the court. Follow with some basic twisting from side to side to lubricate the joints in the back. You can try this with your racquet tucked under your arms, behind your back.
• Warming up your shoulders is also essential. Move your arms as if you’re doing the backstroke, circling your arms overhead slowly at first and building up speed for 20 repetitions. Follow this by clapping your hands in front and in back of your body.

How do you get to centre court?

It’s sometimes hard to hear but there is no substitute for practice.  The more you practice, the easier it is to play well when it counts. Remember to get to the court early so you can prepare your body before you start to play and don’t get discouraged.

Etiquette

Remember that tennis has a reputation for being a very polite sport.  While it’s less stuffy than it used to be, there are many niceties you need to know so be sure to learn the proper etiquette before you start batting the balls over the night.  Here are a couple must-know rules:

• If you arrive while other people are playing, wait until the point is over before passing behind to get to your court.
• If your ball rolls into the adjacent court, don’t run after it. Wait for your neighbor to return the ball when it’s convenient. If a ball rolls onto your court, toss it back to the player it belongs to.
• If you have any doubt about whether a ball is out, make the call in favor of your opponent.
• At the end of the game, shake hands with your opponents.

Game on!

U.S. Open players step up the fashion game

The U.S. Open tennis tournament kicks off next week, and the competition is going to be fierce— both on the court and on the fashion front.

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are collaborating with Nike on their respective clothing lines, and this year you’ll see  Fila-sponsored Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki wearing Stella McCartney and Vera Zvonareva wearing K-Swiss .

Here’s a sampling of U.S. Open looks that might catch your eye.

It’s not just the gals sporting new fashions for the Open. Rafa Nadal will wear Nike yellow and black in honor of New York City’s taxi cabs while Andy Murray will be sporting a Fred Perry ensemble in Scottish blue featuring a polo shirt and tailored white shorts.

And what will the always fashionable No. 1 seed Roger Federer be wearing? A red-and-black Nike collection featuring his monogrammed logo underneath the buttons on his polos.

Fila to debut new women’s Tennis Heritage collections at U.S. Open

If you’re a tennis player (or fan), you’ll be happy to know Fila has come out with a new Fall collection — just in time to gear up for the US Open. The collection is called Heritage, with colors that are basic but bold, and a fit that is sporty, yet feminine.

The brand’s design team dipped into the archives for inspiration to create the new line combining signature Italian styling with state of the art performance fabrications.

You may have seen a few pieces from the new collection on Fila athletes competing in U.S. Open Series. Kim Clijsters began her comeback to professional tennis wearing Fila apparel and footwear. Clijsters, 26, returned to professional tennis this week after a two-year retirement wearing a Fila skort (pictured).

The centerpiece of the collection, the Heritage dress includes a feminine mesh ruffle at the cap sleeve and bottom hem. The draw-cord at the bottom hem allows the wearer to “customize” the look by either cinching the skirt or keeping an a-line shape. Fully utilizing the excellent draping qualities of the fabrication, the line melds old with new with a feminine twist. The collection’s cami-tank is a favorite of Anna Chakvetadze.

The full 2009 Tennis Heritage Collection will unveil August 31 at the U.S. Open on Chakvetadze  and Agi Szavay.

In a clear contrast to more flashy contemporary lines, the Heritage Collection uses old school red, white and blue solids accented by bold, contrasting stripes with several pieces featuring flag-like diagonal stripes, a nod to Fila’s design cues and players from the early 70’s.  Of course the color theme is  also very apple pie and U.S.A.

Each Heritage piece is adorned with the embroidered F-box Heritage patch logo to clearly define the special line. The fabrics are all performance — no throw back to the 70s there.

And the new Fila Alpha shoe coordinates beautifully.

Find the latest looks online at Fila

Polo Ralph Lauren debuts U.S. Open Tennis Collection

With the U.S. Open tennis tournament quickly approaching (competition begins at the end of August), a number of questions are being lobbed around: Will defending champion Serena Williams make another run for the Grand Slam title? Will Maria Sharapova be ready to compete after her troublesome shoulder injury? Who will be ranked No. 1 going into the tournament?

One thing about the U.S. Open that remains certain is what the on-court officials will be wearing: Polo Ralph Lauren.

The fashion house, a sponsor of the hard-court tournament for the last five years, has just debuted the ball boys’ and girls’ outfits, which include red, white, and blue shirts and dresses that feature the label’s signature sportswear details, such as a large polo player and pony and a diagonal banner stripe on the front and back of the clothes.

Courtney Conlogue is US Surf Open Champion

The future of women’s surfing came down to a battle of two 15-year-olds Saturday in Huntington Beach.

Local girl Courtney Conlogue, 15, of Santa Ana, California won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open today over defending event champion Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), also 15, who claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, in a high-scoring Final in six-to-eight foot (2 metre) surf today at South Huntington Beach Pier.

Conlogue won the hard-fought battle over the young Hawaiian with huge backside blasts on the steep lefthanders in the Final to log a 9.00 and an 8.17 in her score line, placing the defending champion in a combination situation. Each of the impressive scores earned by the Huntington Beach local were awarded with one single maneuver, allowing her to take out her first major ASP WQS victory.

“I’m pretty much speechless,” Conlogue said. “Malia (Manuel), she’s an amazing surfer and to win that heat was to die for. I want to thank Malia for putting on a good Final with me. I’m so stoked to have had that Final with her. I was just going out there and having fun and that’s what I’ve been doing this whole contest and it ended up working out. I’m going to try and carry that throughout all of my contests this year.”

The young American’s victory today solidifies her as a threat to the rest of the world’s finest competitive surfing talent and continues to establish the explosive regular-footer as a frontrunner in the women’s progressive surfing movement. After completing her educational goals, Conlogue expects to set her sights on the Women’s ASP World tour.

“I’ve got to finish school first, but definitely the ASP World Tour is coming soon enough,” Conlogue said.

Malia Manuel put on a banner performance throughout the entire Hurley U.S. Open, and claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior en route to her runner-up ASP WQS finish. Manuel’s Final berth was no easy feat, as she defeated reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (Tweed Heads, AUS), 21, in the women’s main event.

“I’m so over the moon even to make it to the final day,” Manuel said. “It was great out there. Courtney is an amazing athlete and she was the deserving heat winner.”

Manuel took out her U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior title in dramatic fashion when she nabbed a last-minute wave to overtake the win over Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA), 18, who finished in second, defeating fellow finalists Cannelle Bulard (REU), who finished in third and current ASP World Tour rookie Coco Ho (Sunset Beach, HI), 18, who finished fourth.

“I’m glad I had the Pro Junior to fall back on,” Manuel said. “Surfing against Coco (Ho) was great and Sage (Erickson) almost had it in the bag and some miraculous wave came and I got to pick it up and got a score. I’m just happy to be here today and surf in both finals.”

The young regular-footer is now ready to start gaining more ASP WQS experience to eventually make a push towards qualification for the ASP Women’s World Tour.

“I think it’s time to put my foot through the door and do a couple of WQS events,” Manuel said. “I’m in no rush, I’m only 15, so I’m just going to get some experience going on and hope for the best and hopefully in a couple of years I’ll be doing what Coco (Ho) and Steph (Gilmore) are doing right now.”

Women’s Hurley U.S. Open Final Results:
1 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 17.17
2 – Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.67

Women’s Hurley U.S. Open Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 11,17 def Laura Enever (AUS) 6.27
Heat 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.33 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 7.47

Alexis Thompson: A new golf star is born

The U.S. Open may be over but it will not soon be forgotten. South Korea’s Eun Hee Ji curled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win the event on Sunday, beating Taiwan’s Candie Kung by one stroke for her first major title. The 23-year-old golfer finished even-par 284 at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to take home the trophy and a prize of $585,000.

American Christie Kerr, seeking her second US Women’s Open title in three years, seemed on the verge of winning the competition all weekend. Heading into Sunday’s final round  Kerr was two shots ahead of the field sitting at -2 for the tournament but the 12-time LPGA winner fell out of the lead for the first time since Friday and finished in a tie for third place.

In addition to the drama at the top of the leaderboard, there was a young teen player who also pumped some excitement into the tournament.

Two years after becoming the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, and after two missed cuts, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson pushed her way up the leaderboard Friday and moved into contention at the big time tourney.

Whether or not you seriously follow golf, it’s hard to ignore such a tremendous accomplishment from such a young athlete. The ninth-grader from Coral Springs, Florida, who is an avid fan of Hannah Montana and MTV, is  the youngest person to make the cut at the Open since Marlene Hagge did it in 1947 at age 13.  Thompson entered Saturday tied for ninth place.

Displaying a solid all-around game and course management that defied her age, Thompson eased her way around the Old Course, shooting a second-round 73 for a two-day total of 2-over 144.

On Saturday, Thompson made pars on her first two holes of the day before bogeying the next three holes and beginning her slide down the leaderboard. Although her round ultimately ended in disappointment, Thompson hit shots that wowed the gallery and showcased her potential.

Though the young teen has quite a bit of competition experience, playing the U.S. Open was different on a myriad of levels. At a typical American Junior Golf Association event,  Thompson’s play wouldn’t be beamed worldwide via television.  She wouldn’t have adults twice her age standing outside the gallery ropes in anticipation of an autograph.  And she wouldn’t be ushered to waiting national journalists for post-round interviews.

The dream for Thompson capturing the U.S. Women’s Open title will  have to wait until another time but this experience in the big leagues should bode well for her future.  She is definitely one player to keep an eye on.

Check out her website for more info.

So you wanna be a US Open Ballgirl?

So you want to be a US Open Tennis Championships Ballperson? Now is your chance! Open tryouts will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2009 for the chance to be a ballperson for the 2009 US Open, which runs August 31-September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

On June 25, registration begins at 3 p.m. and tryouts start at 4 p.m. at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. All participants must be at least 14 years old.

You will know if being a ballperson is right for you if you meet these criteria:

Are you?…

* A talented athlete?
* With a great throwing arm?
* With pinpoint throwing accuracy?
* Fast and agile on your feet?
* Have quick catching and nimble hands?
* Have a thorough understanding of the game of tennis?
* At least 14 years old (you will need valid New York State Working Papers if selected and you are under 18 yrs.old – Contact your school’s employment office)
* Available for ballperson interviews/callbacks –week of July 14th
* Available for Clothing Distribution and Rookie training – Sunday, August 23rd
* Available to work Tuesday, August 25 through Sunday, September 13th

No prior application needed.
Get your “GAME” on and show what you’ve got!

So, watch a lot of tennis, take a special look at the Ballpersons, start practicing your catching, throwing and sprinting and, if possible, volunteer in a local tournament (check with your section or go to www.USTA.com and look at the Pro Circuit Tournament Schedule) to get some experience! Good luck!

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