Black Tennis Pros

I like it!

For the most part anyway -- not quite understanding what appears to be white french lace on the upper back.

Nonetheless, the fabric, the rich shade of black, even the pink zipper and shorts all work for me. Venus' "Eleven" emblem in pink on the front of the dress, all very well coordinated.

Even though the lace is a distraction for me, I like the extreme white color, given the extreme black dress color - the contrast works.

I even like how her headgear seems to be more of a head piece that goes with the dress as opposed to just a visor.

In her post-match interview last night Venus stated that the dress is in the "Tradition of the little black dress, love lace and zippers, just having fun."

A- for this year's fashion design Venus!

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NEW YORK (AP) - Even Venus Williams was surprised at how well she played after two months away from the game.

"I'm not sure I expected to be so sharp," Williams said.

In powering her way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Vesna Dolonts at the U.S. Open on Monday night, Williams served up to 126 m.p.h. and hit six aces. She won the point on 15 of 20 trips to the net. She compiled a whopping 28-7 edge in winners against the travel-weary Russian.

All in all, Williams looked far more dangerous than the average unseeded player does. And, yes, she is unseeded at Flushing Meadows because she's ranked only 36th after entering the tournament having played only 10 matches over the last 50 weeks.

"I just want to play tennis," said Williams, whose seven Grand Slam singles titles include the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Opens. The 31-year-old American hadn't played a match since June 27, when she lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Then again, Williams is accustomed to missing time but still playing well. In 2010, she was sidelined between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open by a left knee injury, yet made it all the way to the semifinals in New York.
"Last year, I had little to no preparation also, too, so I hope can I play just as well as I did last year."

Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria

NEW YORK (AP) — Seventh-seeded Gael Monfils won his opening-round match at the U.S. Open on Monday, defeating Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4.

Monfils, who made the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows last year, was called for a double fault while facing break point at 5-4 in the third set. He challenged the call and the replay showed the ball squarely in. Given a second chance, Monfils saved break point then served out the match.

Dimitrov, ranked 52nd, was making his U.S. Open debut after making the second round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

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Singer Tony Bennett and wife Susan Crow

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Maria Sharapova, RUS

Heather Watson made Arthur Ashe Stadium her stage as she pushed third seed Maria Sharapova all the way in an enthralling first-round match at the US Open.

The 19-year-old from Guernsey led by a set and a break early in the second set and kept battling with the 2006 champion right up until Sharapova clinched a 3-6 7-5 6-3 victory after two hours and 34 minutes. It was Watson's first appearance in the main draw at the US Open, two years after she won the junior title.

She said: "I had a lot of fun. It's what I want to do. I want to be out there on the big courts playing the top players. It was a really great match, very competitive. We played some really great tennis. I had my chances in the second set. You have to create the opportunity but also execute, and I was probably a bit too defensive on those important points."

Watson added: "But I always believed I could win. There's no point in my going out there if I don't believe that I can win.

"I just wanted to make every ball, make her play every ball, and just fight. Because Maria's a fighter. She's never going to give up. That's what makes her a champion. That's why she's won this tournament before.

"I absolutely loved the atmosphere. I thought everyone was going to be supporting Maria. She's won here before. She's been number one in the world. I had a lot of support. I heard some people calling me Cinderella, all sorts of stuff. And just when they were chanting my name, I kind of got the goosebumps. I thought, 'Stay calm, focus on the match.'"

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Jill Craybas, USA

NEW YORK (AP) — All in all, 16-year-old Madison Keys of Boca Raton, Fla., thought her Grand Slam debut was "awesome."

As well she should. After all, Keys became the youngest player since 2005 to win a match at the U.S. Open by beating 37-year-old Jill Craybas 6-2, 6-4 on Monday.

Keys was playing in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, and appearing in a tour-level event for only the third time. At 455th, she is the lowest-ranked woman in the field.
"Obviously it was a good first day. It's just been awesome," Keys said. "I'm really excited, and hopefully I have another good match Wednesday."

She wasn't intimidated by the setting Monday, even though she never had played in a match this important or at a tournament this big.

"It's pretty crowded. There's lots of energy," Keys said. "So it's definitely an awesome experience."

Her secret to dealing with the hustle and bustle of the U.S. Open?

"I have two younger sisters who are always really loud and everything, so I'm kind of used to noise," Keys explained.


 Keys won her first WTA main-draw match in 2009 at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., when she was 14 — about a decade after she first took up tennis.

Her interest in the sport came about after seeing Venus Williams on TV at home.

"I was 4, and I walked through my parents' bedroom — I think they were watching Wimbledon or something — and I decided I wanted Venus' dress. They told me if I played tennis, they'd buy me a tennis dress," Keys said. "I said, 'All right, I'll try it.' I have been playing ever since."

Craybas, who lives in Huntington Beach, Calif., was playing in her 45th consecutive Grand Slam tournament — tied for the longest active streak — and 49th overall. But she is 111th in the WTA rankings and — like Keys — needed a wild card from the U.S. Tennis Association to get into the main draw.

Craybas made her Grand Slam debut at the 1996 U.S. Open, about 18 months after Keys was born, and was the second-oldest entrant this year.

This was the 15th time Craybas has played at Flushing Meadows.

"I was told there was a pretty big age difference," Keys said, "but I wasn't really thinking about it."

Four 16-year-olds, all days or weeks younger than Keys — Vania King, Nicole Vaidisova, Sessil Karatantcheva and Alexa Glatch — won U.S. Open matches in 2005.

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Serena Williams clinched the 2011 Olympus US Open Series women’s title on Tuesday.  This is the first career Olympus US Open Series title for Williams, who earned 170 points by winning titles at Series events in Stanford and Toronto.

Williams will now compete for the largest payout in tennis history at the 2011 US Open -- $2.8 million ($1.8 million for winning the US Open and a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series).  The women’s second and third place finishers in this year’s bonus challenge have yet to be determined, with Agnieszka Radwanksa, Maria Sharapova and Marion Bartoli still in contention.

Top-ranked American Mardy Fish clinched the 2011 Olympus US Open Series men’s title with a 7-5, 7-5, round of 16 win over Richard Gasquet at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Thursday (now that the field for the Winston-Salem Open, the final event of the Series – has been closed). This is the first Olympus US Open Series title for Fish, who finished third in the standings last year. The men’s second and third place finishers in this year’s bonus challenge have yet to be determined.

Fish will now compete for the largest payout in tennis history at the 2011 US Open -- $2.8 million ($1.8 million for winning the US Open and a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series).

This year marks the first time in Olympus US Open Series history that Americans have won both the men’s and women’s titles, as Mardy Fish clinched the men’s title last week.  Novak Djokovic has clinched second place, and the third place finisher will be determined at the Winston-Salem Open.  

Fish will also compete for $1 million in bonus prize money at the 2011 US Open. The second and third place finishers on both the men’s and women’s sides will compete for $500,000 and $250,000, respectively.

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The USTA announced that 10 and Under Tennis will once again play an important role in the 2011 US Open, including a clinic with reigning US Open champion Rafael Nadal, an on-court demonstration of 10 and Under Tennis in Arthur Ashe Stadium and a full day of other fun-filled activities beginning on August 23.  

Similar to other youth sports where equipment and playing fields are scaled to size for kids, 10 and Under Tennis provides the youngest players with the ability to achieve immediate success by playing tennis on smaller courts, using smaller and lighter racquets and slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls.

The 10 and Under Tennis activities officially kick-off during qualifying week.  From August 23 - 26, instructors and local tennis pros will be manning two 10 and Under Tennis courts in the South Plaza to give kids pointers and educate their parents.

On Thursday, August 25 and in conjunction with the US Open Draw Ceremony, reigning US Open champion Rafael Nadal will appear at a 10 and Under Tennis clinic with kids from The Child Center of NY, a Queens-based organization whose mission is to help 18,000 at-risk children and youth each year succeed in life.

Families will have the opportunity to view and experience 10 and Under Tennis at Arthur Ashe Kids Day presented by Hess on Saturday, August 27.  Two of the outer courts will be entirely dedicated to 10 and Under Tennis, and it will also be on display during one of the celebrity matches during the AAKD Stadium Show with players from Chicago and New York City taking on some of the top pros in the sport on a 60 foot court.   

Kids and parents wanting to experience 10 and Under Tennis first hand can at SmashZone, the premier fan interactive attraction in tennis located in the Indoor Tennis Center.  SmashZone will highlight 10 and Under programming with a number of 36 ft. courts for kids and their parents to use throughout the tournament. Back again will be the “Get Sized Right” racquet displays and other information designed to teach parents more about Kids Tennis.

On Family Day Tuesday August 30, for the first time ever, 10 and Under Tennis balls will be signed and hit into the crowd by the winning player following each match played.  The balls that they will be hitting are lower compression balls that allow children under the age of 10 to hit them with more control, thus allowing tennis to be more fun.

Families will get a chance to pick up a racquet, work with USTA coaches, and experience the benefits of the play format for themselves when 10 and Under Tennis takes over Court 12 on Saturday, September 3 from 1:00-7:00 pm.

10 and Under Tennis will be on display on center court in Arthur Ashe Stadium with a demonstration featuring kids from tennis facilities in the New York City area prior to the night session on Thursday, September 8.

On Friday, September 9 a 10 and Under Clinic given by a special guest will be taking place in SmashZone involving local children from the Harlem Junior Tennis League and the New York Junior Tennis League both local National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters.  

Throughout the run of the tournament the USTA will be offering a free USTA Junior Membership to all children ages ten and under. The membership promotion is open to all first-time junior members until December 31, 2011. This special USTA membership offer will allow more kids to try USTA programming including USTA Junior Tournaments and USTA Jr. Team Tennis.  All parents will need to do is stop by the USTA membership booth located near SmashZone.

“Tennis is the sport of opportunity. And there is no better opportunity to showcase the fun and excitement of 10 and Under Tennis than during the US Open—the world’s highest-attended annual sporting event,” said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President.

“The USTA is committed to growing the game at every level and we are excited that 10 and Under Tennis is a driving force to fostering new tennis players and hopefully new champions,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA.  “It’s never been easier to get young kids started in the sport of a lifetime, from our SmashZone Mobile Tour to the First Year Free Ten and Under Membership, we’re excited about the potential for growth of these young players.”

source: usopen.org

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The USTA announced that reigning US Open Champions Rafael Nadal and Kim Clijsters, world No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic, former US Open Champion Andy Roddick and the 2010 US Open Wheelchair Champion David Wagner will team up with actor Bradley Cooper, New York Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony, Music Sensation Jason Derulo and rising pop stars Cody Simpson, Diggy Simmons, Jessica Jarrell and Mindless Behavior  at the 16th Annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess Saturday, August 27 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Hosted by TV personalities/actors La La Anthony and Quddus, the popular full-day tennis and music festival for children and adults alike – including interactive games, musical entertainment and tennis activities – will also feature performances from up-and-coming stars including Girls Nite Out, Action Item, Jacob Latimore, Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band, Love Jones Girlz and New Hollow .  Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day Presented by Hess will kick off the 2011 US Open, which runs from August 29 - September 11. 

From 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., kids and their families can experience an exciting schedule of free tennis games, live music and attractions taking place throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m., the live tennis and music show will feature fun exhibition matches and skills competitions with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, David Wagner and other top players and celebrities with musical performances by Jason Derulo, Cody Simpson, Diggy Simmons, Jessica Jarrell and Mindless Behavior.

Stadium show tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster (1-866-OPEN-TIX), usopen.org and at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office.  American Express is the official card of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day.  General admission promenade tickets cost $10 and loge tickets are $20.  Arthur Ashe Kids' Day will be broadcast nationally by CBS on Sunday, August 28, from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m (ET).  Kids 12-and-under with stadium show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day hat from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We are excited to kick off the 2011 US Open with the biggest names in sports and entertainment at the 16th annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess,” said Harlan Stone, Chief Business and Marketing Officer, USTA. “We look forward to serving up a day of family fun as we celebrate the life of a tennis legend whose mission was to empower kids through sport and education.”

Over the years, Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day has featured many of music’s biggest acts including Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Sean Kingston, Jordin Sparks, Britney Spears, Ne-Yo, Gavin DeGraw, Jessica Simpson, Backstreet Boys, Bow Wow and Hanson.

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