In convincing style, Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro wore the game’s greatest star down and powered past 5-time U. S. Open Champion Roger Federer. Del Potro’s 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 four hour victory was a draining physical effort for Federer and a wild emotional roller-coaster ride for the 20 year old victor.

The turning point in the hard-fought match came at the end of the third set when Del Potro double faulted twice to hand the set to Federer. This is a time when other players have crumbled against the 15-time Grand Slam Champion. Instead, Juan Martin decided to win without his booming 137 mph serve and began to rely on his devastating forehand.

“At that moment I start to think I’m in the final, playing with Roger, the best player in history. I have nothing to lose,” the 6’ 6” Argentine told reporters. “Two sets to one down, I think, OK, you never lose until the last point, so keep fighting. The crowd help me, and they saw my fight in every point.”
What the crowd also saw was a player who took something off his power serve, and began to hit 110 mph forehands deep into the court. In a rare occurrence, the lanky Argentine began to move Federer around the court.

With 5 consecutive U.S. Open titles to his credit and with 6 wins over Del Potro, the Swiss star seemed surprised with the sheer force of the winner’s power game. Del Potro had a weapon. The crowd liked it. The champion gained confidence and kept pounding away. Suddenly, the unflappable Federer looked beatable.

The French and Wimbledon winner and Australian runner-up made 62 unforced errors, including an unusually high 11 double faults. Federer never seemed to recover from an uncharacteristic Hawk-Eye dispute with the chair umpire. In the end, it was Del Potro’s forehand that sealed the match.
The winner started slowly and it looked like the defending champ would coast to his 41st consecutive win at the Open. “The beginning of the match I was so nervous, I can’t sleep last night. I don’t take a breakfast today,” he said. “That’s part of the final, you know.”

Juan Martin finally broke in the 10th game of the second set. That first break seemed to give him confidence. He cruised to a lead in the tiebreaker and served out to capture the key set. With the win, the crowd rallied behind the first South American to win the New York title since Guillermo Vilas triumphed in 1977.

The Champion stormed to an early lead in the fourth set tiebreaker and again served out the game to grab momentum heading into the final set. After an easy hold in game one, Del Potro lashed three winners past a surprised and heavy-legged Federer, who seemed physically and emotionally spent. At 3-0, Juan Martin Del Potro appeared to want to focus on his service games. With Roger serving at 2-5, the unexpected happened as Roger missed a forehand, then a second forehand before hitting a winner. However he followed with a missed backhand to find himself at 15-40.
Like the champion that he is, Federer pulled back to even and even got to ad before Del Potro pasted another forehand winner. At deuce, Roger Federer did the unthinkable and double faulted. This just does not happen.

At the third match point, he could not withstand the forehand pressure and hit a backhand long. Del Potro sank to the court in recognition of the grandeur of his first Grand Slam Championship. At age 20, there will be more.

On this day, the better player won. For Federer, the loss ended a magnificent year in which he won two major titles and reached five set finals in the other two.

Del Potro took the hard road home, beating Rafa Nadal in the semis and Federer in the finals. No player has ever done that. It appears the power game is back and in the capable hands of the young Argentine. Congratulations Juan Martin, 2009 U.S. Open Champion. We knew you could do it! The changing of the guard is coming.

Wild card Kim Clijsters completed her compelling comeback in convincing fashion with a purposeful display of power and finesse as she dominated Caroline Wozniacki at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday evening. 23,000 fans paid tribute to the inspirational play of the two upstart finalists who seemed to signal the arrival of a new era in the women’s game.

On a day when Serena Williams was fined $10,000 and severely chastised for her temperamental display in the semi-finals, the two women’s finalists put on a graceful performance. A decided underdog, Wozniacki emerged as a courageous and gracious ambassador of the game. She, Clijsters and other young stars may well lift the torch from the old guard.

Clijsters had too much game for the Danish counter puncher. Although not as sharp as in her semi-final match, Kim seemed the aggressor and had a better sense of how to shape winners. The native of Belgium committed 34 unforced errors but hit 36 outright winners.

Wozniacki had difficulty holding serve throughout the match. With no aces and 3 double faults, she does not have the velocity to keep bigger hitters off the baseline. Wozniacki’s first serve averaged 89 mph vs 100 mph by the winner.

Both women showed poise and exhibited remarkable on-court personality. The crowd was especially delighted not to hear the constant grunting and outbursts that have become part of the new-age women’s game. Rather, both players appeared to be enjoying themselves. Wozniacki looks to have an endorsement future ahead with a glamorous smile yet competitive personality. The Dane has won more tennis matches in 2009 than any other player on the tour.

Clijsters would probably not be playing had she not been invited to play an exhibition match at Wimbledon. Kim embraced the training with newfound enthusiasm and has managed to bring the joy of playing to center court. A former number one player and 2005 U.S. Open Champion, she should be ranked in the top 10. The 19 year old Wozniacki is currently ranked 9th and should be moving up, but is clearly not up to Clijsters level of play.

Clijsters won the tournament by knocking out both Williams sisters, Marion Bartoli and Na Li of China. This was an impressive run throughout the draw and the deserving champion should be in even better shape for 2010.

Federer Does it All

Roger Federer continued his magical march through the field on Sunday with a smooth ride past 4^th seeded Novak Djokovic.  The 7-6 (3), 7-5, 705 triumph featured spectacular shot making and a between the legs winner in the last game.  On more than one occasion, Djokovic was left shaking his head in awe of his opponent’s mastery.

Federer had one more ace than Djokovic and hit an astounding 49 winners.  Many shots left the Serb flat footed.  It seems that Federer forces opponents to play his game, at which he is virtually unbeatable.

Djokovic played as well as he could and well enough to beat most other tour players.  As he always does in the big moments, the Swiss star turned it up one notch and is clearly a level above the 4^th seed.

Del Potro Shocks Nadal

In a overpowering display of missile like serves and rocket like ground strokes, Argentina’s Juan martin Del Potro moved to the head of the class in the lower bracket.  The 6’9” 20-year old looks poised to throw an awesome array of talent and force at the top seeded Federer in the finals.

Del Potro stormed through 3^rd seeded Rafa Nadal in a match that was never in doubt.  His 135 mph serve kept Nadal deep off the court and on the defensive in the 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 drubbing.  It was Nadal’s worst defeat since rising to the top of the tour rankings earlier this season.

Del Potro will need to sustain the momentum and bring his A game on Monday at 4:00 p.m. EST.  The lanky 6^th seed broke Nadal 6 times in the 1 hour 45 minute match.  As predicted before the tournament, Del Potro has been the tour’s hottest player this summer and we expect the upset today.

There has been no doubt who the most fierce competitor in the women’s game has been. After all, Serena Williams has won 11 Grand Slam Singles titles. As television commentators have made clear throughout this event, one does not accomplish that by beating one’s self or playing beyond one’s self.

Serena Williams had not made more than $26 million on the tour by beating herself. Serena Williams did not win those 11 Grand Slam titles by playing beyond herself. On Saturday, she did both.

Veteran Kim Clijsters, thought retired just months ago, came all the way back Saturday evening. She did the unthinkable. She tamed Serena Williams. She made the game’s biggest star appear vulnerable. Kim Clijsters showed all the poise, power and grace that it takes to beat the youngest Williams sister. Kim allowed Serena no quarter in hard fought battle of two superstars.

In a convincing win, Clijsters had more game than Serena expected or likes. The defending U.S. Open champ could not bully or play her way past the Belgium star.

The match ended in remarkable fashion to the stunned disappointment of a less than full Flushing Meadows, Arthur Ashe Stadium. After losing the first set 4-6, Williams was serving at 5-6, 15-30 when the service line judge called a stunning foot fault on the second serve. It was the second foot fault of the match called against the American star, who broke her racquet after the first. The score would have been 15-40 but Williams persisted and appeared to threaten the line judge.

The diminutive line judge appealed to the chair umpire who summoned tournament officials. Clijsters was awarded the next point and the match was over.

When the officials made their decision, Williams dropped her racquet and walked to the victor for a final handshake before leaving the court. The confused crowd never really acknowledged Clijsters dominant performance.

And in this match, on this day, Kim Clijsters was the better player. Serena Williams knew it and did not like it. In fact, Kim put Serena in the uncomfortable position the defending champion has often put lesser players.

Clijsters is a former number one who is only in the event due to a wild card award. Kim won the 2005 U.S. Open for her only Grand Slam title. After having a child nine months ago, Clijsters has re-tuned her game and appears to be playing with newfound balance and focus.

Serena Williams was quoted by the Associated Press as saying to the line judge; “If I could, I would take this (expletive deleted) ball and stick it down your (expletive deleted) throat and kill you.”

In post match interviews, Williams acknowledge the inappropriateness of her conduct. The game has been good to Serena Williams. Her interview was poised and calm. She was complimentary of Clijsters’s play.

The defending champ is not used to players rising to the occasion in big moments and Clijsters was definitely in the moment. She played beautiful tennis, winning 70 points to 57 points for Williams. She seemed likely to win the match before the abrupt ending. Clijsters was winning the battle of the serves, landing 69% of her first serves compared to 55% of Serena’s.

Williams had an unusually high 31 unforced errors compared to 18 for the winner. Clijsters’ win marks the first time a wild card entry has reached the finals where she will play Danish star Caroline Woznicaki. Clijsters will be a heavy favorite to claim her second major title. The finals will take place on Sunday. Weather is expected to be good.

Today, Rafa Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez will pick up where they left off on Thursday night at 2:30 p.m. Nadal won the first set in a tiebreaker and the two are tied at 6-6 in the second. The match was postponed due to rain. Gonzalez is presenting a strong challenge to the third seed, who appears troubled by abdominal pain.

The winner will oppose Argentinean strong man Juan Martin Del Potro who survived a first set challenge from Marin Cilic before subduing the 16th seeded upstart. Displaying more athleticism and a high level of confidence, Del Potro looks like a favorite to reach the finals where he would meet either 4th seed Novak Djokovic or top seed Roger Federer. The Men’s semifinals are scheduled for Saturday with the final slated for Sunday afternoon.

Spectators are looking forward to today’s Women’s semifinals and especially the match between former number one Kim Clijsters and top seed Serena Williams. The winner will be a heavy favorite against the winner of the other semifinal, either relatively unknown Yanina Wickmayer or Dane Caroline Wozniacki.

Clijsters and Williams have been the best two participants in this year’s tournament. Williams has appeared virtually untouchable and with her strong serve and competitive temperament is favored to win another Grand Slam.

Clijsters possesses several surprising wins, including a fairly easy triumph over Venus Williams. The young mother seems surprised by her success but has the skills to battle the power-hitting Williams.

In the other semi-final, Melanie Oudin conqueror and another media sweetheart, Caroline Wozniacki, is heavily favored to oust the upstart Wickmayer. Flashing a brilliant smile, a spiffy wardrobe and consistent ground strokes, Wozniacki appears unflappable. Unfortunately she does not posses the serve or power needed to compete against either Clijsters or Williams in the Saturday finals.