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The last Grand Slam of the year is here.

US Open

Flushing Meadows, NY, USA
August 27 - September 9, 2007
Grand Slam
Prize Money: $19,6530,000
Draw: 128M/128Q/64D
Surface: Hardcourt/Outdoors
Tournament Director: Jim Curley

Official Web Site: www.usopen.org

2006 Singles Final
(3) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) 64 64

2006 Doubles Final
Dechy/Zvonareva (FRA/RUS) d. (8) Safina/Srebotnik (RUS/SLO) 76(5) 75

2006 Mixed Doubles Final
(5) M.Navratilova/B.Bryan (USA/USA) d. Peschke/Damm (CZE/CZE) 64 61

Let's hope for a great tournament and wins by all our favorites.

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PREVIEW-Tennis-Open-Bragging rights on the line at U.S. Open
Fri Aug 24, 2007
By Larry Fine

NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Justine Henin leads the walking wounded contingent of top women's contenders into the U.S. Open tennis championships starting on Monday, with the season's grand slam bragging rights at stake at Flushing Meadows.

World number one Henin, nursing a sore shoulder, has dominated the women's tour with six titles, capped by her Toronto triumph earlier this month. She also won her fourth French Open crown and third in a row at Roland Garros.

The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, have snagged the other two grand slams in announcing their return to the spotlight after a barren 2006.

But they too have injury issues.

Australian Open champion Serena has struggled with an injured left thumb, while Venus is suffering tendinitis in her right knee.

They are not the only top guns banged up at the end of an arduous season.

Defending U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova pulled out of this month's Los Angeles semi-finals with a lower left leg strain after the Russian was bothered earlier in the year by a bad shoulder that limited her to one 2007 WTA Tour title.

Champions often find a way to battle through injury as 25-year-old Henin proved in snaring the Rogers Cup in Toronto after receiving treatment before winning the final against world number three Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.

The battling Belgian scored her seventh victory over Jankovic without defeat and said she was looking forward to mounting a campaign to repeat her 2003 U.S. triumph. Last year she lost to Sharapova in the finals.

"It's going to be sore for a few days," she told reporters.

"I know it because that's a pain I've known for a couple of years. I'll be fine for the Open."

Serena Williams, 25, ended 2006 ranked 95th but erased any doubts she still belonged among the tennis elite by launching the new tennis season with her third Australian Open title and eighth grand slam singles victory.

Her sister Venus, 27, won her fourth Wimbledon championship this summer and will be gunning for her third U.S. Open victory.

The elder Williams, now ranked 13th, last won it in 2001, while ninth-ranked Serena seeks to reprise her 2002 triumph at the National Tennis Center.

Rounding out the leading contenders for the final grand slam event of the year are 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, ranked fourth, and a pair of young players on the move up the rankings.

Fifth-ranked Ana Ivanovic of Serbia won earlier this month in Los Angeles for her second title of the year, while world number six Anna Chakvetadze of Russia won summer hardcourt titles in Cincinnati and Stanford to run her 2007 haul to four victories.

[Jewels]

Monday, August 27, 2007

Singles - First Round
(1) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (Q) Julia Goerges (GER) 60 63
(3) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (SVK) 62 76(2)
(5) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 61 61
(8) Serena Williams (USA) d. Angelique Kerber (GER) 63 75
(10) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. (WC) Alexa Glatch (USA) 61 61
(12) Venus Williams (USA) d. (Q) Kira Nagy (HUN) 62 61
(14) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 64 63
(15) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. Catalina Castaño (COL) 62 63
(WC) Ahsha Rolle (USA) d. (17) Tatiana Golovin (FRA) 64 16 62
(19) Sybille Bammer (AUT) d. Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 64 64
(20) Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (WC) Jessica Moore (AUS) 63 62
(21) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 64 63
Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. (25) Mara Santangelo (ITA) 62 64
(27) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. (Q) Alina Jidkova (RUS) 60 67(5) 60
(28) Ai Sugiyama (JPN) d. (Q) Andreja Klepac (SLO) 63 61
(Q) Alizé Cornet (FRA) d. (29) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 63 62
Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) d. Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 62 64
Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) d. Vania King (USA) 63 57 64
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) d. Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) 63 76(4)
Karin Knapp (ITA) d. Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) 62 60
Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) d. (WC) Lauren Albanese (USA) 60 62
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. (Q) Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) 63 75
Olga Govortsova (BLR) d. Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 63 26 63
Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) d. Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) 63 76(4)
Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) d. Ashley Harkleroad (USA) 75 16 64
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Tzipora Obziler (ISR) 46 62 75
Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) d. (Q) Yan Zi (CHN) 62 64
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (WC) Audra Cohen (USA) 64 61
Sara Errani (ITA) d. (Q) Renata Voracova (CZE) 75 63
(Q) Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. Olga Poutchkova (RUS) 63 64
(Q) Petra Cetkovska (CZE) d. Jill Craybas (USA) 60 76(4)
(Q) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. Julia Schruff (GER) 61 06 62

[Jewels]

Tour Stars Set To Shine in Flushing Meadows
August 26, 2007

FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY, USA - The field is wide open at the Open this year, as six former champions, a pair of Serbian stars and a plethora of Russian threats populate the women's singles draw at the year's final major. Leading the seedings for the third straight Grand Slam will be Justine Henin, currently the world's No.1 player and reigning Roland Garros champion. Fresh off her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour-leading sixth title of the year in Toronto, the Belgian is chasing her second US Open, having won here in 2003, one of now six career Grand Slam trophies.

Holding the No.2 seed for the third straight Grand Slam will be defending US Open champion Maria Sharapova, who beat Henin in straight sets a year ago for her second career major crown. Sharapova also tasted a Tier I triumph this summer, winning at San Diego. It was her first title in a season that was largely marred by a shoulder injury early on; but the Russian has been picking up steam since hitting the summer hardcourts, and hopes to go on a run similar to the one she went on last year, where she didn't lose a single match between the US Open and the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships (where she lost to Henin in the semifinals).

Serbia has been well-represented in the winner's circle this year, with Jelena Jankovic winning four titles (including two Tier Is) and shooting all the way up to No.3 in the world; Ana Ivanovic is right behind her countrywoman, capturing two titles (including one Tier I) and reaching a career-high of No.4, though she comes into this fortnight ranked No.5. Their presence has been felt strongly at the Slams recently, with Jankovic making semifinals at the US Open last year and Roland Garros this year, and Ivanovic becoming Serbia's first Slam finalist at Roland Garros this year. The teenager followed with a run to the Wimbledon semis.

Four women who have won here before - Svetlana Kuznetsova, Martina Hingis, Venus and Serena Williams - will be hungry to get their names on the trophy once again. The Williamses have already claimed majors this year - in fact, it is looking much like a repeat of two years ago, where Serena made an unlikely run to the Australian Open title, Henin conquered Roland Garros and Venus made her own unlikely run to the Wimbledon title. Except, of course, there is no Kim Clijsters to round off the season at Flushing Meadows. Who will be able to fill her shoes?

The Williams sisters will play their first round matches back-to-back on Monday's Opening Night schedule, following a historic tribute to Althea Gibson that will celebrate the 50th anniversary of her title run here. Click here to read more.

Also among the many threats to the title are a strong group of Russians, headed by Anna Chakvetadze and Nadia Petrova, both of whom earned Top 8 seeds and could provide tough opposition for the tournament's top guns a little bit further down the road. Chakvetadze has been particularly in-form this summer, picking up titles at Cincinnati and Stanford. Her perfect 6-0 record in Sony Ericsson WTA Tour finals shows she could be a big match threat this fortnight. And Petrova has been to the quarterfinals here twice already, including in 2004, when she took out a No.1-ranked Henin along the way before falling to eventual champ Kuznetsova.

Cara Black and Liezel Huber go for their third Grand Slam crown of the year in the doubles competition, with the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles already under their belts. The draw for the team event will be released on Monday.

This fortnight is sure to provide both excitement and unpredictability - the perfect combination as the Slam season comes to a climax.

[Jewels]

Justine, Jelena, Venus, Serena Highlight Day 1 in New York
August 26, 2007

NEW YORK, NY, USA - The year's final Grand Slam, the US Open, will get underway on Monday and several of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's leading lights are in first round action at the USTA Billie Jean King Nation Tennis Center. Among the opening day attractions will be last year's runner-up and current world No.1, Justine Henin and the evening session double header featuring the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus.

To read more on Serena and her sister Venus' opening night double-header click here.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

(3) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Jarmila Gajdosova (SVK) - Jankovic leads, 2-0

Day 1's opening match in the Arthur Ashe Stadium will see one of 2007's outstanding performers, Jankovic, get her campaign underway. The Serbian star was a losing semifinalist at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago and since this memorable run the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength, winning four Tour titles and rising to her current ranking of No.3 in the world. Meeting the No.3 seed in the opening round will be world No.101 Gajdosova, in what will be the pair's second consecutive meeting in Grand Slam competition. Two months ago Jankovic scored a comfortable straight-set win over the 20-year-old Slovak at Wimbledon and after the spectacular season she has enjoyed, it will be a major surprise if the feat is not repeated on Monday.

(1) Justine Henin (BEL) vs. (Q) Julia Goerges (GER) - First Meeting

Top seed and 2003 US Open champion, Henin, has enjoyed a truly magical year on Tour, compiling a magnificent 43-4 win-loss record on her way to six more career titles. Among these triumphs was a championship run at Roland Garros and victory at the Tier I Flushing Meadows tune-up event in Toronto and with form like this the 25-year-old is undoubtedly one of the title favorites in New York. However, the Belgian is not the only player to have enjoyed a good season and after rising nearly 300 world ranking places since the turn of the year, her first round opponent, Goerges, is also entering the tournament in buoyant mood. The 18-year-old German is in great form having reached her maiden Tour semifinal in Stockholm earlier this month - subsequently rising to a career-high No.139 in the world - but nevertheless she will enter this opening round clash as a clear underdog.

(12) Venus Williams (USA) vs. (Q) Kira Nagy (HUN) – First Meeting

Two-time US Open champion, Williams, struggled with injuries and inconsistency for the first half of in 2007, but at Wimbledon she proved she was anything but a spent force with a breathtaking championship run on the lawns of south-west London. Williams' start to the year was marred by a left wrist injury and even after her grass court triumph she has appeared on Tour only sporadically, taking part in just 10 events and advancing beyond the quarterfinals on just four occasions over the course of the season. Hungarian qualifier Nagy will be taking part in just her second major in 13 years as a pro and after successfully negotiating three tough qualifying matches, the world No.137 will be eying an upset when she steps out against the 2000 and 2001 champion in the first night session match of the tournament.

(8) Serena Williams (USA) vs. Angelique Kerber (GER) – First Meeting

Williams has been one of the most successful players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour this year, capturing two titles - one of which was the Australian Open - and rising more than 80 places in the world rankings. The 25-year-old has twice been crowned US Open champion - in 1999 and 2002 - and although she has been out of action since Wimbledon with a left thumb injury, with her aggressive game she is among the favorites to lift the title. However, if the American is to make it into the second round for the ninth time in her career she will have to take out another of the season's big movers in the rankings. Germany's Kerber started the year ranked outside the Top 200, but the following six months has seen the 19-year-old rack up a staggering 46 victories as well as reaching a career-high ranking of No.67 on Monday. The Day 1 evening encounter will be the pair's first on Tour and if the teenager is to upset the No.8 seed she will have to produce one of the performances of her career.

[Click here to read "Getting To Know... Angelique Kerber"]

Louis Armstrong Stadium

(5) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) vs. Aiko Nakamura (JPN) – Ivanovic leads, 2-0

The penultimate match in the Louis Armstrong Stadium will see high-flying Serb Ivanovic take on the Japanese No.2, Nakamura, for a place in the second round. Teenage sensation Ivanovic has enjoyed a wonderful year to date, reaching a maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, as well as capturing titles in Berlin and Los Angeles on her way to firmly establishing herself in the world's Top 10. Nakamura has also enjoyed a promising season, breaking into the Top 50 - reaching a career-high ranking of No.47 earlier this month - as well as equaling a career-best Grand Slam performance with a third round run at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old is making her 12th straight appearance at a major, but if she is to stop the 19-year-old Serb and make it through to the second round for the third consecutive year she will need to produce a truly special display.

More to watch...

The crowds arriving in Queens on Day 1 will be spoilt for choice as they walk around the grounds, with no less than 16 seeds in action. 2004 runner-up, Elena Dementieva, is arguably the pick of these players and she will be looking to get her campaign underway in style when she meets Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro in the day's final match on Court 3. Other seeds in action will be recent Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli, Dinara Safina, Sybille Bammer and Lucie Safarova.

[Jewels]

Out since July 4, Serena says thumb shouldn't be problem for U.S. Open

NEW YORK -- Serena Williams provided a simple answer to a question about her health on the eve of the U.S. Open.

"Thumb's up," she said with a smile and a giggle Saturday, jutting her left thumb in the air.

It was an injury to that part of her hand that forced Williams to pull out of every tournament she had entered since Wimbledon, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Justine Henin after getting hurt in the fourth round.

Despite the lengthy layoff -- her U.S. Open debut Monday night will be her first competition since July 4 -- Williams pronounced herself ready to contend for what would be her ninth Grand Slam title.

"There's a lot of players who can win. Obviously I want it to be me," she said. "I'm thinking it's going to be me."

Williams scoffed at the notion that it's important to have tuneup matches heading into a major tournament.

She figures she has years of preparation.

"It's definitely important to have matches and to play matches. But I also think it's important to have faith in your game," the eighth-seeded American said. "I've been playing for I don't know how long. I should be match-ready. I've played a lot of matches in my career."

[Jewels]

Williams Sisters Shine in Opening Night Matches
August 27, 2007

NEW YORK, NY, USA - The favorites made a solid start at the US Open on Monday, as all eight Top 16 seeds won first round matches in straight sets at the year's final Grand Slam. Among the winners were former US Open champions Venus and Serena Williams, who followed an Opening Night tribute to tennis pioneer Althea Gibson with their wins.

Venus was first up under the night lights and needed only 54 minutes to ease past qualifier Kira Nagy, 62 61. Seeded No.12, Williams extended her Grand Slam streak to eight wins in a row, having gone 7-0 in winning her fourth Wimbledon crown earlier this summer.

Serena, seeded No.8, followed immediately after, and although she did encounter a few hitches against Angelique Kerber - mainly towards the end of the match, squandering a 5-3 second set lead - she also moved on in straight sets, 63 75.

Prior to their matches, both sisters did their part in the tribute to Gibson, who won this title all of 50 years ago.

"It was amazing, just the energy, the smiles and the well wishes," said Williams, who, with Serena, narrated a video to open the ceremony. "The power and the spirit in Althea, the things she went through, and knowing it's people like her that gave us all the opportunity to be here; that all of the women lined up are here because of women like Althea, and we're all really living up to that, it's amazing."

"A lot of people don't know who she is, and always say Arthur Ashe, Arthur Ashe; they forget Althea Gibson was actually years and decades before Arthur Ashe," Serena declared. "I think it's important to have nights like this so you can teach young people that don't know who they are."

The most notable moment in Venus' match came with a 129mph first serve - her personal record and the second-fastest serve of all time on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, a 130mph serve from Brenda Schultz-McCarthy during qualifying in Cincinnati just over a year ago being the fastest serve recorded by a woman.

"I didn't realize it - I was so excited, because I wasn't even trying," Williams said. "It just comes. Even when I'm trying just to say, 'Okay, I'm going to hit a half pace with placement,' it comes 120. That's just how it comes. It's so exciting. I wasn't expecting to do that. I guess I've got to try for one more - 130."

Next up for Venus is young Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru, a 75 16 64 winner over Ashley Harkleroad; feisty Italian player Maria Elena Camerin, a 63 76(4) winner over Tatiana Poutchek, will be Serena's second round opponent.

Henin, Serbians join Williamses in second round; Rolle upsets Golovin

The only other former US Open champion in action on Monday was top-ranked, top-seeded Justine Henin, who cruised past qualifier Julia Goerges, 60 63. She raced through the opening set in 24 minutes; the second was more competitive, as the young German managed three holds of serve in a row. Henin would break away at 3-all, however, winning the last three games of the match for the win.

"She served pretty hard but made a lot of mistakes," said Henin, who is assured of keeping her No.1 rank after the US Open thanks to the win. "I just did a good job. It was positive. I didn't serve that well. I was a bit concerned the last few days with my shoulder. It's getting better. I'm glad to win. Nothing special today."

No.3 seed Jelena Jankovic had difficulty closing out Jarmila Gajdosova, letting go of four match points while leading 5-3 in the second set, eventually closing it out in a tie-break, 62 76(2).

"My opponent was really going for broke and all of the balls were just going in," Jankovic said. "The balls she was hitting were so hard. I was very nervous. I got tight at the end, but I managed to kind of recuperate and do my best as much as I could and finish the match. It's always good to have some competition in the first rounds, so you kind of wake up so you're ready for the next ones."

Jankovic had to call the trainer on court during the match; not for any injuries, but for her shoe.

"My shoe broke at the end of the first set. I lost my concentration," Jankovic said about the predicament. "I thought, 'What am I going to do if the shoe completely wears out? Can I play barefoot? What am I supposed to do?' I didn't even know if the trainer was allowed to come, because the shoe breaking is not a medical timeout. She put some glue, which stuck my sock to the sole, so I had more problems there. But I managed to get through everything and win!"

No.5 seed Ana Ivanovic and No.10 seed Marion Bartoli crushed their respective opening round foes by the same score, 61 61, with Ivanovic bouncing Japan's Aiko Nakamura and Bartoli routing American wild card Alexa Glatch.

"I was really happy with my performance," said Ivanovic, who played Nakamura in the first round last year too, winning that one in much tighter circumstances, 75 63. "It's never easy in the first round. Especially last year we had the tough one. I was really focused from first point on this time. I'm really happy to be through."

"My own expectation is to play the best as possible and to try to win one match after the other one," said Bartoli, who this week became the latest addition to the Top 10. "You can't look far into the draw. Even Roger Federer doesn't know his second round opponent. You have to take it step by step. If you win every match, you will go far. But you cannot look far before you play the first matches."

Other Top 16 seeds advancing were No.14 Elena Dementieva and No.15 Dinara Safina. The lower tier of seeds didn't come out unharmed, however. No.17 seed Tatiana Golovin lost her opener to American wild card Ahsha Rolle in three sets, No.25 Mara Santangelo fell to Vera Dushevina, and No.29 Samantha Stosur lost to young Alizé Cornet of France.

Rolle was playing a Top 20 player for just the third time in her career, but came out on top against the No.19-ranked Golovin with a mix of big serving (acing her six times) and coming into the net successfully (winning 21 of 26 net rushes).

Winners among the lower tier of seeds were No.19 Sybille Bammer, No.20 Lucie Safarova, No.21 Alona Bondarenko, No.27 Vera Zvonareva and No.28 Ai Sugiyama. Zvonareva winning was of particular note - having missed over four months due to a left wrist injury, a healthy Zvonareva regrouped after losing the first set to compatriot Alina Jidkova to prevail in three, 60 67(5) 60.

[Jewels]

Sharapova begins defense against Vinci

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Maria Sharapova will open the defense of her U.S. Open title on Tuesday, bidding to become only the second woman in the past decade to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows.

The Russian second seed, who is drawn in the opposite half to most of the big names, begins her title campaign against Italian Roberta Vinci, the world number 51.

Sharapova, whose other grand slam title came at Wimbledon in 2004, said coming back to Flushing Meadows as defending champion was a particularly special feeling.

"When you come into a tournament that you've never won before, you always wonder what it's going to be like when you win it, how cool it will be to win it, how amazing, what an honor it will be," she said.

"Coming in and seeing my name on the board when I walk into the locker room, knowing I already did it, knowing how sweet it was to win, you want to repeat it because you want to have that feeling again."

Sharapova opens the night session on Tuesday that concludes with former men's champion Andy Roddick taking on fellow American Justin Gimelstob in the first round.

Another former champion, Australian Lleyton Hewitt, faces American Amer Delic in round one, while third seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays Dutchman Robin Haase, who got in as a lucky loser when Croat Mario Ancic pulled out with a shoulder problem.

Former women's champion Martina Hingis, seeded 16, faces Mathilde Johansson of France, while fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia is also in action.

[Jewels]

Williams sisters cruise at U.S. Open
August 28, 2007

FLUSHING, NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Following a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's U.S. Open title - the first by an African-American - sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams took center stage Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Venus Williams, the No. 12 seed, took the court first and cruised to an easy 6-2, 6-1 victory over Hungarian Kira Nagy.

Serena had a tougher time before putting away Germany's Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 7-5.

The 27-year-old Venus Williams took the court after the ceremony, which was attended by New York City mayor Michael Blomberg and Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier 60 years ago with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The ceremony, which honored many other African-American pioneers, was capped by an appearance from singer Aretha Franklin, who sang her biggest hit song, "Respect" and finally the induction of Gibson into the US Open Court of Champions.

"Well it was definitely a tough act to follow," Venus Williams said. "Just watching the whole hour of entertainment, the whole story, I got to be part of the story, too. It was really moving."

"I think it's important to have nights like this so you can teach young people that don't know who they are," Serena Williams said of the ceremony.

Coming off a spectacular and surprising victory at Wimbledon, two-time U.S. Open champion Venus Williams continued to show little effects from her recent knee injury and a wrist injury that forced her to miss the first two months of the season and most of last year.

She began her ninth appearance at the Open by showing she meant business, needing just 51 minutes to advance.

"Definitely her ball was a little bit different," Williams said. "It did give me some challenges. I felt like I was so close to the ball. Maybe I was just running fast. But it was very exciting to obviously start with two service winners."

After breaking serve in the first game, Venus Williams' only obstacles were slipping on the grass and committing a double fault in the second game, but she overcame those and won 10 of the next 12 points before a lengthy fifth game, which reached deuce four times. After losing the first two points of the fifth, she won the game with a forehand winner.

The length of the game appeared to take a toll on Venus Williams and energize Nagy, who easily took the next two games, winning seven of the next eight points. Nagy also evened the final game of the set but Williams clinched it with a powerful ace down the middle and another hard serve that went unreturned.

Venus Williams opened the second set in similar fashion as the first but this time Nagy gained her confidence earlier and held serve on the third game. Williams recovered again and easily won the next four games and clinched her 49th U.S. Open match when Nagy committed a double fault.

Statisically it was an effective showing for Venus, who last year missed this event due to the same wrist injury she had earlier this year. She finished with five aces and countered 19 unforced errors with 24 winners, but the biggest highlight was a serve that reached 129 miles per hour, which surpassed her own record set at this year's French Open.

"I didn't realize it," Williams said. "I was so excited because I wasn't even trying. It just comes. Even when I'm trying to say, 'Ok, I'm going to hit a half pace with placement, it comes 120.' That's just how it comes.

"I'm not really trying (to hit it that fast). It's so exciting. I was very excited. I wasn't expecting to do that at all. I guess I got to try for one more, 130,".

Her next opponent will be Romania's Ioana Raluca Olaru.

The sisters are in the same portion of the Women's draw and could face each other in the semifinals, but first Serena Williams had to get past Kerber.

While her sister was in the middle of conducting her post-match press conference, the 25-year-old Serena split the first six games of the opening set before getting it going against the 19-year-old Kerber.

"If I'd have done things that I did in practice, it would have been a better match," Serena Williams said.

She won the final three games of the set and closed it out with a punishing ace. The second set was also an up-and-down one as Serena displayed her power game at times but also allowed Kerber to hang around.

Serena Williams took a 5-3 lead when she ended the eighth game with a dominanting overhand smash that went unreturned but could not break Kerber, who easily won the game. But serving for the match, Serena Williams could not hold off a determined effort by Kerber, whose game elevated.

Kerber continued to play well in the 11th game as she capped a lengthy rally with a nice drop shot. But Serena was determined to avoid a third set and, after fighting off a challenging foe, she finished the match with an overhand volley that put her on the brink of breaking Kerber, which happened when Kerber's drop shot was easily returned.

Serving for the match for the second time, Serena started it off with another overhand smash and moved to the brink of winning it with an ace. She finally finished the 77-minute match when Kerber could not return her forehand.

Serena has missed most the summer with a left thumb injury suffered during her dramatic run to the Wimbledon semifinals. She thought her thumb had recovered enough to allow her to participate in last week's Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Connecticut but she had to pull out.

But Serena Williams believes her injury is behind her and is poised for lengthy run at her 10th Open, especially after a challenging conclusion to her first match and one that saw her counter 26 unforced errors with 38 winners.

"I didn't play well at all, at all," she said. "It was a crazy match out there."

Her next step in the open will be a second-round encounter with Italy's Maria Elena Camerin. Before the Williams sisters took the court, Justine Henin hardly broke a sweat on the tournament's first day.

The top-seeded Belgian needed just over an hour to rout German qualifier Julia Goerges, 6-0, 6-3.

Despite the scoreline, it was a far from fluent performance from the French Open champion who managed only 44 percent on her first serve and committed seven double faults. But when Henin did make her first serves, she was difficult to contain and Goerges folded with 32 unforced errors.

"I don't have a lot of things to say about that match because there wasn't a lot of rhythm," Henin said. "She was serving pretty hard, pretty good, but she did a lot of mistakes."

Henin has had an inflamed right shoulder which has restricted her to just one tournament start since Wimbledon. Worryingly for her rivals, the only one she played - in Toronto earlier this month - she won.

The problem is still a concern.

"I just did a good job." Henin said. "Generally, it's been positive, but I didn't serve that well. I was a bit concerned the last few days with my shoulder. It's getting better but still a little scary. But I'm glad to win. Nothing special today."

Preceding Henin on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court, third-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia was taken to a tiebreak in a 52-minute second set before overcoming Slovakia's Jamila Gajdosova, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).

After her victory, the 2006 semifinalist admitted to first-day nerves but said she was glad to have been tested early in the tournament.

"Today I was really nervous, for some reason," Jankovic said. "First round of the tournament, it's always difficult, doesn't matter if it's a Grand Slam or just a regular tournament.

"I was just feeling a little bit not that comfortable. I wasn't playing well, was struggling out there. But, you know, it's always good to have some competition in the first rounds, to feel that, so you kind of wake up so you're ready for the next ones."

Fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic had little difficulties in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Japan's Aiko Nakamura. The 19-year old native of Serbia, who was the runner-up at the French Open, next will face France's Aravane Rezai.

On the grandstand court, No. 10 Marion Bartoli of France cruised into the second round with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over American wild card Alexa Glatch.

Also through on the opening morning were 12th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Colombian Catalina Castano, while another Russian, 27th seed Vera Zvonareva, survived a second-set wobble to defeat compatriot Alina Jidkova, 6-0, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0.

No. 28 Ai Sugiyama of Japan was another seed to ease into the second round, beating Slovenian qualifier Andreja Klepac, 6-3, 6-1.

There were two upsets with 25th seed Mara Santangelo of Italy going out to Russia's Vera Dushevina, 6-2, 6-4, and No. 29 Samantha Stosur of Australia, losing 6-3, 6-2 TO French qualifier Alize Cornet.

[Jewels]

Venus, Serena Williams honor pioneer Gibson with 1st-round wins at U.S. Open
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Tennis Writer
August 27, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- Venus and Serena Williams carry Althea Gibson's legacy forward every time they step on a court, every time they hoist a Grand Slam trophy.

So on a night set aside to honor the 50th anniversary of the first U.S National Championship title for a black tennis player, the Williams sisters figured the best way to celebrate Gibson was to win.

Simple as that, they did.

Venus Williams beat Kira Nagy of Hungary 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday -- and hit a Grand Slam-record 129 mph serve in the process. Serena Williams topped out at 126 mph and had only slightly more trouble getting past Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-3, 7-5 before a tournament-record crowd of 23,737.

"I have all the opportunities today because of people like Althea," Venus Williams said. "Just trying to follow in her footsteps."

The siblings narrated a video that opened the tribute to Gibson, who was the first black man or woman to enter (in 1950) and to win (in 1957) Wimbledon and the tournament that's now called the U.S. Open.

In 1999, Serena Williams became the first black woman since Gibson to win the U.S. Open. The next year, Venus Williams became the first black woman since Gibson to win Wimbledon.

"I know every time I step out on the court, I play for me and I play for all the other little African-American kids out there who have a dream and who might not have the means, like myself and my sisters didn't growing up," Serena Williams said.

"It's important to have nights like this," she added, "so you can teach young people."

Aretha Franklin sang, actress Phylicia Rashad emceed, and Rachel Robinson -- baseball barrier-breaker Jackie Robinson's widow -- was in the audience Monday as the late Gibson was inducted into the U.S. Open Court of Champions.

"It was definitely a tough act to follow. ... It was really moving," said Venus Williams, limited by wrist and knee problems to only one tournament since winning Wimbledon in early July.

"It's like, 'OK. Williams can't lose tonight. That's not part of the plan. It's supposed to be an all-American win tonight.' I was definitely thinking that."

She built a 24-6 edge in winners and never was threatened. Serena Williams, playing for the first time since hurting her left thumb at Wimbledon, scattered 26 unforced errors and got broken the first time she served for the match.

"I didn't play well at all," the younger Williams said. "At all."

She also had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction, ripping off a pink bow from the front of her black dress while seated in a sideline chair. Venus Williams, meanwhile, showed off her new low-priced clothing line with a green pleated halter dress.

It actually was a pretty good day for Americans, including Ahsha Rolle, a 22-year-old playing in her third Grand Slam match. She surprised No. 17-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, also under the lights.

"I was watching a little bit of the (Gibson) tribute. I thought that of all the nights, I've got to do it tonight," Rolle said. "I wasn't scared, I wasn't nervous. I was ready to bring it."

So was John Isner. Nothing about him is subtle. Everything about him is super-sized, from his 6-foot-9 frame to his 140 mph serves.

Add in large expectations, too, which will only increase now that Isner played the very first Grand Slam match of his nascent career Monday and won it. Fresh out of college, Isner smacked 34 aces to knock off 26th-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-4.

"It's a huge step for me," said the 22-year-old Isner, who led Georgia to the NCAA tennis title. "To be able to beat a guy like that means a lot, says a lot: No matter who I'm playing, seeded or not ... I feel like I can go out there and compete."

Joining him in the second round was another young American who needed a wild card to get into the year's last major tournament: Donald Young, the Wimbledon junior champion, who recently snapped an 0-for-11 drought in tour-level matches.

Young remembered writing a biography about Gibson when he was in sixth grade, which actually wasn't all that long ago. He turned 18 last month and is signed up for the U.S. Open junior tournament next week.

"When you play out here, there's not that much pressure, because I'm (ranked) like 200 in the world, and everybody's top-100," the No. 223 Young said after eliminating No. 93 Chris Guccione of Australia 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. "I'm not supposed to win."

People such as No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 1 Justine Henin are, and on Monday they did, rather easily. Both advanced in straight sets, as did No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, who then talked about the gambling probe surrounding a match he played early this month.

"It's pretty tough, mentally, to play," said Davydenko, a semifinalist last year, who encountered little trouble in a 6-4, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Jesse Levine, another American wild card.

Nieminen prepared to face Isner by having practice partners move all the way up from the baseline to the service box to hit serves. It didn't help much.

Here's how Isner began: 125 mph ace, 114 mph second-serve service winner, 135 mph ace, 137 mph serve that was returned before Nieminen eventually netted a forehand. Four points, all to Isner, and a trend was set.

At 4-4 in the first set, when Isner faced his first break point at 30-40, this is what he delivered: 135 mph ace, 136 mph ace, 124 mph ace. Bingo! Service game held. By the end, Isner had faced seven break points -- and saved all of them. He only earned three break points, all in the final set, but he converted the one he needed with a backhand return winner in the seventh game.

While Young next faces No. 13 Richard Gasquet -- who compared the kid to former No. 1 Marcelo Rios -- Isner gets 146th-ranked qualifier Rik de Voest of South Africa.

Isner hadn't heard of de Voest. He does know a thing or two about his possible third-round opponent, though: Federer.

"I'm not in any position where I can look ahead," Isner said. "Maybe he can, but not me."

[Jewels]

Pioneering black women join together to honor Althea Gibson
By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer
August 27, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- A stadium full of tennis fans swayed and sang along as Aretha Franklin belted out the familiar refrain of her anthem:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Respect was what black tennis players were denied before the late Althea Gibson broke the color barrier. Respect is what Gibson demanded with her historic championships a half century ago.

Franklin and nearly two dozen other pioneering black women were a formidable presence Monday at opening night of the U.S. Open. They came together to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Gibson's 1957 title at the U.S. National Championships, the forerunner to the Open, when she became the first black player, male or female, to win the tournament.

"It's a wonderful, magnificent group of women," Franklin said later of her fellow honorees, who wore broad grins as they clapped along behind her during the performance.

After the ceremony, two more women embodied the doors Gibson opened. The ensuing matches on the main court featured Venus and Serena Williams. The sisters narrated the video that opened the tribute, describing the glamorous lives they've been able to enjoy and contrasting that with Gibson, who "toiled in isolation."

"It was amazing, just the energy of all the smiles, the well wishes," Venus Williams said of coming onto the court and seeing all the honorees. She beat Kira Nagy in straight sets.

"Just the power of the spirit in Althea, the things she went through," she said, "and knowing it's people like her that gave us an opportunity to be here today."

"The Cosby Show" star Phylicia Rashad hosted the ceremony, which included Gibson's induction into the U.S. Open Court of Champions. Rashad noted how appropriate it was that the event took place on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center -- facilities named after two other tennis pioneers.

King and Ashe's wife and daughter attended the event, as did Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson's widow. New York mayors past and present David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg spoke. Dinkins, a good friend of Gibson's, described the social context of her accomplishments. Bloomberg called the Harlem native "one of the city's legendary athletes."

A video recapping Gibson's life included commentary from Dinkins, King, tennis analyst Bud Collins, Rashad's former co-star Bill Cosby, Serena Williams and fellow player James Blake.

One by one, the trailblazing women were introduced. The list included former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun; ex-WNBA star Cynthia Cooper; singer and songwriter Roberta Flack; Winter Olympians Vonetta Flowers and Debi Thomas; tennis player Zina Garrison; astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison; BET co-founder Sheila Johnson; and Olympic track and field champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

At the end, the crowd gave them a standing ovation.

Each woman received a Tiffany charm bracelet and a commemorative coin.

"It's a room full of greatness," Thomas said before the ceremony. "You walk in, you're just amazed that you're included in such an elite group. These are all people that they put their mind to do something special. They didn't let people discourage them."

The figure skater turned doctor, the first black woman to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, starts a new job Tuesday replacing knees and hips in Champaign, Ill. She always gets excited to see Jemison, the first black woman in space, whom she first met at Thomas' graduation from Stanford. Thomas has always dreamt of being an astronaut.

Franklin, a huge tennis fan who makes herself tea to drink while watching Wimbledon each year, was thrilled to meet Braun and Joyner-Kersee. She never had the chance to meet Gibson, but Flack did.

"She did it with passion, which is what I'd like to think I do with music," said Flack, the first person to win back-to-back Grammys for Record of the Year. "I think that's the reason I'm still performing and writing and recording, because there's a passion. Her game, she played it with all her heart."

Friends and admirers hoped Monday's ceremony would ensure Gibson's triumphs wouldn't be lost to history. Her lack of renown was starkly illustrated when three-time defending men's champ Roger Federer was caught off-guard when asked what he knew about Gibson after his first-round match Monday.

"Nothing, to be honest," he said. "It's before my time. Isn't much I can really say about it. I don't know, I'm sorry."

But others of his time know what she did and what she meant. Serena Williams grew up reading books about Gibson.

"A lot of people don't know who she is," she said after beating Angelique Kerber in straight sets. "They always say, 'Arthur Ashe, Arthur Ashe.' People forget that Althea Gibson was actually years ... before Arthur Ashe. It's important to have nights like this so you can teach young people so they know who they are."

[Jewels]

Big-serving Venus cruises through
By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Venus Williams broke the U.S. Open record for fastest women's serve with a 129 mph bullet as she blasted past Hungarian qualifier Kira Nagy 6-2 6-1 in the first round on Monday.

The Wimbledon champion, looking to win back-to-back grand slam titles, overpowered the 29-year-old Nagy in just 54 minutes to set up a meeting with Iona Raluca Olaru of Romania.

Williams said she was surprised at hitting 129 during her first service game to tie the speed she reached at Wimbledon earlier this season as the fastest ever at a grand slam.

"I didn't realize it," said Williams, a six-times grand slam winner gunning for her third U.S. Open crown.

"I was so excited because I wasn't even trying. It just comes. That's just how it comes."

The previous U.S. Open record was 125 mph set by Williams at the 2004 tournament.

"I'm not really trying. It's so exciting. I was very excited. I wasn't expecting to do that at all. I guess I got to try for one more, 130," she said.

ROUSING TRIBUTE

Brenda Schultz-McCarthy of the Netherlands hit a 130 mph serve in the qualifying event in Cincinnati last year, considered to be the record by the WTA.

Williams took the court about an hour later than scheduled for the opening night session after waiting for a rousing tribute to Althea Gibson, marking the 50th anniversary of her becoming the first African-American to win the U.S. Nationals.

"Well, it was definitely a tough act to follow in a way," said Williams, 27, who was followed onto the court by her sister, eight-times grand slam winner Serena Williams.

"Just watching the whole hour of entertainment, the whole story, I got to be part of the story, too, it was really moving," added Williams, whose taped interview about Gibson was included in the program of music, film and speeches.

"It's like, okay, Williams can't lose tonight. That's not part of the plan. It's supposed to be an all-American win tonight."