U.S. Open: Fifty parting thoughts

Here are Jon Wertheim's 50 parting thoughts from the U.S. Open.

Author:
Jon Wertheim
Publish date:
Sep 8, 2014

NEW YORK -- Fifty parting thoughts from the U.S. Open ...

• With Monday's 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic became the first Croat to win a Grand Slam title since his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, won Wimbledon in 2001. After outlasting Gilles Simon in five sets in the fourth round, the 25-year-old Cilic reeled off straight-set victories over Tomas Berdych, five-time champion Roger Federer and Nishikori. Cilic -- who missed last year's tournament while serving a four-month suspension after testing positive for a banned stimulant -- is the first 14th-seeded Slam champion in the Open era. He manhandled his nerves in his maiden major final and deserved the title that will lift him to a career-high-tying No. 9 in the ATP Tour rankings.

• Serena Williams ran roughshod over Caroline Wozniacki in the women’s final on Sunday. For all of the superlatives and impressive stats being thrown around about the 32-year-old Williams after her third consecutive U.S. Open title, here are two that stick out:

-- She won the U.S. Open for the first time in 1999. We talk about the unprecedented level of physical tennis, the global travel demands and the competition. Here's a player whose major titles span 15 years?

-- Williams is 18-4 in Slam finals. And two of those losses came to her big sister Venus.

• Nishikori’s reserves were tapped by the time Monday’s final rolled around. The long matches coupled with the stress of a Big Occasion were too much. But this was a breakthrough tournament in a breakthrough year. His takedowns of Milos Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic -- a rising star and two of the three 2014 major winners to that point, respectively -- made for true certification. Look for the 24-year-old from Japan at the season-ending World Tour Finals in November. Look for him at the top of the game for a long time.

• Wozniacki was one match short of authoring a tremendous story. But what a tournament. She won six rounds with her usual defense and court coverage, augmented with some pop on her groundstrokes and serve. It's a shame this power surge wasn't in evidence on Sunday. But since Wimbledon only Serena has been better than Wozniacki, who capped a 19-4 stretch with her first appearance in a Slam final since 2009. One day you envision Wozniacki's kids saying, "Mom, tell us about the summer of 2014 again." She responds, "What part? The broken engagement? The marathon training? The run to the U.S. Open final?" It's been a nutty season for Wozniacki, and she's handled it all with uncommon grace.

Twitter reaction to Serena Williams' record-tying sixth U.S. Open win

• Djokovic, the top seed, reached still another major semifinal. Then he was mystifyingly flat against Nishikori in a four-set loss. Djokovic may well finish the year at No. 1, but what a strange season it's been, filled with soaring play (and personal highs) and some real disappointments. Life, they call it.

• Federer is famously rational about defeats. “Losses hurt for about 10 minutes and then he moves on,” said Paul Annacone, Federer’s former longtime coach. “Time doesn’t tick the same way for him.” Federer, however, will one day view this event as a potential Slam title that, stingingly, got away -- much like the 2009 U.S. Open, where he lost a five-set final to Juan Martin del Potro. Federer thrived in the first week, staved off two match points against Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals and when he took the court for the semifinals against an opponent he beat last month and had never lost to in five meetings, he knew that Djokovic was out. But Federer couldn’t solve the riddle of Cilic’s power and lost routinely.

Rare Photos of Roger Federer

A very young Roger Federer takes to the court.

A 16-year-old Roger Federer holds up his trophy after winning the boys' singles title at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in London on July 5, 1998.

A 17-year-old Roger Federer poses with Obie, the Orange Bowl mascot, after winning the boys' singles title at the Orange Bowl in Miami on Dec. 20, 1998.

2000-Roger-Federer-Key-Bicayne(2).jpg — Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Roger Federer poses on the beach for a feature shoot during the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., on March 27, 2000.

Roger Federer relaxes on the beach for a feature shoot during the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., on March 27, 2000.

Roger Federer makes a public appearance at Federation Square before the Davis Cup games in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 12, 2003.

Jackie Chan and Roger Federer share a laugh on the ''Wetten Dass...?'' television entertainment show at the Messehalle in Nuremburg, Germany, on Dec. 11 2004.

Roger Federer holds a tennis racquet like a guitar during an SI photo shoot in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 21 2004.

Roger Federer poses like a statue during an SI photo shoot in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 21 2004.

Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinec arrive for the 6th Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball to Benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation in London on June 24, 2004.

Roger Federer signs autographs for fans outside the Ed Sullivan Theater after appearing on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' in New York City on Sept. 12, 2005.

Gavin Rossdale and Roger Federer walk through the Chelsea area of New York City on Sept. 1, 2006.

Pierce Brosnan meets Roger Federer during an interview for the BBC on day eleven of Wimbledon in London on July 6, 2007.

Roger Federer talks with WWE pro wrestler John Cena during the U.S. Open in the Queens borough of New York City on Aug. 25, 2007.

Roger Federer walks off the field before Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 3, 2008.

Roger Federer is introduced before his match with the then-most decorated Grand Slam player ever, Pete Sampras, in the NetJets Showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 10, 2008.

Roger Federer Foundation via Getty images

Roger Federer visits children at a school funded by his charity, the Roger Federer Foundation, in Kore Roba, Ethiopia, on Feb. 12, 2010.

Roger Federer plays table tennis with local school children during his visit to a school funded by his charity, the Roger Federer Foundation, in Kore Roba, Ethiopia, on Feb. 12, 2010.

Roger Federer laughs with Pete Sampras as they attend a game between the Charlotte Bobcats and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 4, 2011.

Roger Federer meets with Prince Charles on day three of Wimbledon in London on June 27, 2012.

• PengShuai’s outstanding run was marred by a severe case of cramps and/or heat illness in her semifinal loss to Wozniacki. This situation has long hamstrung administrators. If a player is treated for cramping, does it not punish the other player for superior fitness? If the cramping goes untreated, not only does it make for callous optics but it could also put the player in real danger. And where is the line between heat illness and cramping? It’s easy to second-guess but, as long as player safety comes first, you’re then talking about judgment calls. All around, it was excruciating to watch. The score, 6-7 (1), 3-4, made the scene all the more awkward; if Peng had waited to be examined until the next changeover, the match could have been over.

• Bob and Mike Bryan arrived at the U.S. Open last year on the verge of becoming the first doubles team since 1951 to win all four Slams in a single year. They failed in that quest, though, and it took the brothers months to get over their semifinal loss. This year they came here seeking their first major of the season and they got it: With their victory over Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez (Rafael Nadal’s longtime sparring partner), the brothers won their 100th title as a team. Here's the ATP Tour's tribute to the Bryans:

• EkaterinaMakarova made the semifinals before running into an in-form Serena. Still, it was her best Slam showing and a $730,000 payday. The next day she teamed with Elena Vesnina to defeat FlaviaPennetta and Martina Hingis in the doubles final. (Incidentally, Hingis, 33, was a sight to behold. Her serve still floats like a dandelion head, but her hands and tennis cortex remain unrivaled.)

• SaniaMirza, a former top-30 singles player, has made an awfully nice career out of playing mixed doubles. Mirza, 27, and new partner Bruno Soares split $150,000 for winning in New York, her third major mixed title.

• Omar Jasika, a 17-year-old lefty from Australia, became the first player in 28 years to win the boys’ singles and doubles titles. The Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova, 16, won the girls’ title. Colette Lewis has much more on the junior winners here.

Gael Monfils' latest U.S. Open setback just another reason to watch him

• A great line I heard about Monfils’ operating philosophy: If it ain’t baroque, don’t fix it. But how stirring was it to see La Monf marry his show-stopping instincts with some sound decision-making? You just hope the 28-year-old Frenchman remembers this event for the first 14 sets he played, not the last three.

• Good to see Andy Murray beat a top-10 opponent (No. 10 Jo-WilfriedTsonga) for the first time since Wimbledon last year. He also played well for the first two hours of his three-hour, 32-minute match against Djokovic in the quarterfinals, but he has to be concerned about his fade. And about Djokovic saying, in so many words, I knew that if this turned into a question of fitness, I was going to win.

• Murray is battling for a spot in the World Tour Finals, which, of course, take place in London. (The Scot is 10th in the standings, with the top eight qualifying.) He didn’t play last year and the event did just fine, but suffice it to say his presence is requested. Speaking of which, look for the tour to renew the deal and stay in London through 2018.

• Reaching the quarterfinals was an achievement for 2012 and ’13 finalist Victoria Azarenka, given her dismal, injury-plagued year. But the ex-No. 1 is now down to No. 24.

Ekaterina Makarova made the semifinals in singles and won the doubles title at the U.S. Open.
Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

• It’s simply a losing risk/reward proposition for the best singles players to compete in doubles as well. But the next tier, ranked about 15-50, can benefit immensely. Sara Errani is a top doubles player, and note how the confidence she betrayed at net helped her win a third-set tiebreaker against Venus Williams in the third round. Same for Makarova, who went deep in both draws. Another example: Granollers, who has won 10 doubles titles and been ranked as high as No. 4, used his attacking style to give Federer an early scare in the third round.

• Certain courts have Hawk-Eye and others don’t have the replay system. Here’s a challenge posed to me by a player: Name another sport that treats some players differently from others during the same competition. “Imagine if the top NFL teams could review penalties but the bottom half couldn’t,” the player said. He stumped me. The attitude in tennis is that “something is better than nothing,” and it’s better to have some Hawk-Eye than no Hawk-Eye. But the player’s point is well taken. And because you asked, it costs about $40,000 to install Hawk-Eye for each court per event.

• Eric Butorac has succeeded Federer as president of the ATP Player Council. Butorac, 33, a doubles specialist and one of the good guys, told TheNew York Times that attacking equal prize money was not on the agenda. Which is good politics and good pragmatism. Grow the pot for everyone. But it’s also good planning. Look at the roster of ATP players once Federer and Nadal are gone and compare that to the women’s prospects, and it’s not hard to envision a shift in fan preference coming.

Fashion hits and misses at the U.S. Open

MISS: Camila Giorgi, U.S. Open

The doliy threw us off.

HIT: Gael Monfils

Asics checks the crazy patterns at the door and sticks to simple neons. Win.

HIT: Eugenie Bouchard, U.S. Open

Bouchard's little blue Nike dress was simple yet distinctive.

HIT: Simone Bolleli/Taro Daniel

'MERICA!

MISS: Andrea Petkovic, Maria Kirilenko, Flavia Pennetta

Petkovic:Kirilenko:Pennetta fashion.jpg — Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images; Don Emmerg/AFP/Getty Images; Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Why do you insist on ruffles, Stella McCartney? Why?

HIT: Ana Ivanovic, U.S. Open

Ivanovic's Adidas little black dress was perfect.

MISS: Maria Sharapova

maria fashion.jpg — Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

The hemline is too short and the dress is otherwise...blah.

HIT: Sam Querrey

That classic green is so "tennis". Good to see it back.

MISS: Radek Stepanek

Always pushing the sartorial envelope, the back of Stepanek's shirt is an unforced error.

HIT: Venus Williams, U.S. Open

Bilgin Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

This wispy blue dress was another ace for Venus' EleVen line.

HIT: Stan Wawrinka

This is the shirt you wear when you want to tell a New York crowd to shut up.

MISS: Serena Williams

Nike needs to stop trying to make blazers a thing. As for the rest? No.

HIT: Maria Sharapova, U.S. Open

We weren't fans of her night dress, but Sharapova's Nike day kit had a chic modern cut.

HIT: Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios

Nike's neon splatter print complemented these two wild youngsters.

MISS: Jelena Jankovic

Jankovic's baggy honeycomb dress from Fila at the U.S. Open.

HIT: Roger Federer, U.S. Open

With Michael Jordan there to see them in action, Federer's NikeCourt Zoom Vapor AJ3 at 2014 were the coolest tennis kicks of the year.

HIT: Victoria Azarenka

The top is business casual, but we love the shorts.

MISS: Donna Vekic

That's a cruel thing to do to an 18-year-old, Nike.

MISS: Caroline Wozniacki, U.S. Open

wozniacki fashion.jpg — Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Although she had a good run, Wozniacki wore more unnecessary ruffles.

HIT: Novak Djokovic

He's in white and grey during the day, but the night kit is bold and sharp.

MISS: John Isner

I thought they were birds at first. Turns out they're "Ls" for Lacoste.

HIT: Sloane Stephens

It's a shame she couldn't stick around. The clean-cut dress was great under the sun.

HIT: Simona Halep

Leave it to Halep to make an all-pink outfit look jockish.

MISS: Grigor Dimitrov

It looks like he's wearing tiny polkadots.

HIT: CiCi Bellis

Not too many missteps for this kid this week.

HIT: Roger Federer, U.S. Open

Darth Federer, version 2.0 at the U.S. Open.

MISS: Ivan Dodig

Is that a ... tiger?

HIT: Tomas Berdych

We're grading on a curve here. Given H&M's recent debacles, we give this a pass.

• Floyd Mayweatheris the world’s highest-paid athlete, but his wealth doesn't come from endorsement income. Why? Because of his legal troubles, he’s not exactly the figure you want representing your products. But what happens when a company isn’t worthy of an athlete’s imprimatur? Consider John Isner, who has made a nice side living endorsing products in exchange for equity. He recently sold his Vita Coco shares for a healthy gain. And in exchange for $75,000 worth of shares, he endorses the nutritional supplement Anatabloc. Problem is, the company figured prominently in former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell’s corruption trial. The product was recently taken off the market indefinitely.

This isn’t to condemn Isner. But it’s an interesting set of circumstances and it will be intriguing to see if he decides that the affiliation is damaging his brand -- not vice versa.

• Maybe they were simply putting on a brave face, but ATP officials were expressing confidence that Nadal would be back from a wrist injury for the Asian swing and the World Tour Finals. I’ve also been told by sources not to be surprised if he shuts it down for the rest of the season.

• More of a concern: the physical and mental state of Li Na, who cited a knee injury in withdrawing from the U.S. Open and the summer hard-court tuneups. Mary Carillo reported on CBS that the 32-year-old Australian Open champion will retire during the fall swing. Li’s agent, Max Eisenbud, denied the report. The rumors have been flying for weeks that Li is not in a good head space, in part because of a post-Wimbledon split with coach Carlos Rodriguez.

• There weren’t many retirement announcements at the U.S. Open this year. Not from KimikoDate-Krumm, who turns 44 in three weeks. Not from West Village falafel maven Lisa Raymond, who at 41 will play the fall season and then decide her future. Michael Llodra, however, played his final Grand Slam singles match as he prepares to retire after the season. After winning his opener, the 34-year-old Frenchman retired less than an hour into his second-round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber because of an elbow injury. Which is either a tough way to go out or the ideal way, with the body corroborating the decision.

Offbeat photos from the 2014 U.S. Open

Gael Monfils

Novak Djokovic

Pablo Cuevas

Serena Williams

Luke Wilson and Will Ferrell

Roger Federer

Kei Nishikori

Alize Cornet

Marinko Matosevic and Michael Jordan

Kimiko Date-Krumm

Ekaterina Makarova

Fabio Fognini

Aleksandra Krunic

Taylor Townsend

Gwen Stefani

Caroline Wozniacki

Andy Murray

Venus Williams

Maria Sharapova

Katie Boulter