That picture is from Belarusian tennis star and my future wife Victoria Azarenka's match today. The caption was Vika's mentality during the match. The match took barely an hour, with the 4th-seeded Azarenka pushing aside Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-1, 6-3. It was largely cruise control for Vika, with the only lurch coming when she dropped two straight games early in the second set to trail 1-2, but lost only one game the rest of the way.
It's unfortunate, however, that Vika's potential third-round opponent is Serena Williams. Serena plays her first round match later, but it's difficult to see her losing her first two. I don't have stadium tickets for this weekend, only grounds. There is a 100% chance that Azarenka-Williams will be on Ashe Stadium. EFFFFF. Oh well. Nads doesn't give up that easy. Maybe Serena will lose. Or pull a muscle. Or get eaten by a pack of wolves. Anyway, Azarenka faces Gisela Dulko next, who she had to retire against at this very tournament last year. That won't happen again.
As for other victorious Angels, there were two more. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki had little trouble with Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-3, 6-1. Jelena Jankovic, of all people, had the easiest time of them all, demolishing America's Alison Riske (who isn't bad looking herself) 6-2, 6-0 in just 58 minutes. Compare that to last year when Jankovic needed over 3 hours for her first-round win. Perhaps an exrtended stay in New York for the 11th seed? I would love that. I would piss myself if I got to see her on Saturday. I've missed her the past 2 years.
Not all was rosy today, however. While Azarenka's match was going on, two others were getting beaten. Sorana Cirstea was spanked in the first set by Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer, but made the second competitive. The 20th seed was just a little too good, though, and Cirstea fell 1-6, 5-7. Alona Bondarenko also fell tamely, 3-6, 3-6 to 22nd-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany. A little later, Elena Vesnina went down 2-6, 4-6 to Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands. All of those losses, however, were more or less expected. What wasn't expected was 21st-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, who I've seen in some capacity every year since NSEFTPC's inception, bombing her first round match to France's Pauline Parmentier 2-6, 3-6. A US Open without Dani is like an American Pie movie without naked women. It can't happen. She better last long enough in the doubles.
In men's action, Roger Federer romped in a late match last night, while Novak Djokovic was thumping Conor Niland when the Irishman pulled out trailing 6-0, 5-1. James Blake ain't finished either, as he knocked off Dutchman Jesse Huta Galung in four sets, punctuating the match with a blistering forehand winner and a primal scream.
Tomorrow is a pretty light day for me, with Kateryna Bondarenko as the only Angel going. She opens the day on Ashe Stadium against second-seeded Vera Zvonareva. So after tomorrow, I'll likely only have three bullets left in the revolver. But, as Dave Matthews says, "If nothing can be done, we'll make the best of what's around." I'm gonna go up there, see who I see, and love every second of it.
Cabaret Matches:
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. [2]Vera Zvonareva (RUS)-1st match on Ashe Stadium day session
Other Matches I Care About:
Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. Andy Murray (GBR)-2nd match on Ashe Stadium day session
[21]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Michael Russell (USA)-1st match on Ashe Stadium night session
[28]John Isner (USA) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)-4th match on Armstrong Stadium
[6]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Louk Sorenson (IRL)-1st match on Grandstand
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