You best read on before I have to retire due to finger cramps, or I get rained out.
The Good
Beautiful weather the first week! American tennis is not dead, Irina Falconi says so! The Williams Sisters are back! Sam Stosur. The 3rd set of the men's final.
We got to see some young, American women make it out of the first round. Sloan Stephens, Madison Keys, Christina McHale, and Irina Falconi, my personal favorite because of her enthusiasm for America and for her belief in American tennis. Though I enjoyed Keys' game the most. She's only 16, so there's hope for us! As for the US Men, it was nice to see Donald Young live up to his potential!
The Bad
15 retirements and 4 players withdraw, a Grand Slam record!
The worst of which (for me) was the news of Venus' withdraw and subsequent announcement that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease. That was a dagger straight to my heart. Especially after Venus won her Rd 1 match in such glorious fashion! She moved well, returned well, served well...it was Venus on a mission! Not to mention Serena was on the other side of the draw... I know I'm not the only one who let their mind fast-forward to an all Williams final! So it goes, Venus had to pull out of the US Open...but she wasn't alone.
The Ugly
Week 2.
Do I even need to break it down? I had wondered why there were so many Chair Umpires I was unfamiliar with, then I saw this story on Twitter: Many Top Umpires Decide to Skip the Open. Well, that blows! Then the skies opened up...and for two days, havoc ensued. Did the USTA really send players out on wet courts? Top players in closed door meetings, whispers of player's union... Then there was bubble gate on Armstrong and Court 13 got more action than it ever has. They put the Stosur match on WHICH court?! Serena said WHAT?! Monday men's final...AGAIN.
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?
Whatever it was, it has come to an end. This final Grand Slam of the year caused more discussion about NOT tennis than any other slam this year. Though I must say, even though my players didn't win, I'm very happy for Sam Stosur! She got screwed around this tournament, but came out on top. And what can anyone say about Novak Djokovic? See what happens when you're mentally tough?
I had my heart ripped out a few times...OK, a lot. I learned I like Roger Federer more than I thought I did. I learned that no one wins a Grand Slam final without a first serve. I threw my hands up in the air, both in triumphant squeals and WTF moments. I lost some friends and gained some followers. I laughed. I cried. I stressed. I cursed...a lot.
In all honesty, I didn't enjoy the 2011 US Open as much as I hoped I would. In conclusion,
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