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At the Open: Federer cruises; Oudin's not done yet

September 02, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Roger Federer’s quest to win a sixth U.S. Open continued Thursday with an easy win at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Federer crushed 104th-ranked German Andreas Beck in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour... Read on

Roger Federer’s quest to win a sixth U.S. Open continued Thursday with an easy win at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
	 
Federer crushed 104th-ranked German Andreas Beck in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes.
	 
Next up for the Swiss star is a matchup with Frenchman Paul-Henri Matthieu, who upset Lleyton Hewitt in the first round and took care of wild card Guillaume Rufin in three sets to get a shot at Federer.
	 
Federer has never lost to Matthieu in four previous matches.
	 
***
	 
No. 4 seed Jelena Jankovic avoided a repeat of last year’s disappointing U.S. Open.
	 
The Serbian, who was shocked in the second round by Yaroslava Shvedova a year ago, avoided another upset when she beat Mirjana Lucic in three sets to advance to third round.
	 
Jankovic dropped the middle set to the Croatian qualifier, but rolled in the third for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory.
	 
***
	 
Taylor Dent’s career continues to be stuck in neutral despite his blistering serve.
	 
Dent was crushed by No. 5 seed Roger Soderling on the Grandstand Court, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
	 
Dent, 29, has yet to make it past the fourth round in any grand slam event. He accomplished that feat once and that came in the 2003 U.S. Open.
	 
Soderling, who needed five sets to beat Andreas Haider-Maurer in the first round, is looking to improve on last year’s U.S. Open result when he lost to Federer in an entertaining four-set quarterfinal match.
	 
***
	 
Just because Melanie Oudin is out of the single’s event doesn’t mean her U.S. Open is done.
	 
Oudin won first-round matches in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles draw on Thursday. Oudin and Jamie Hampton took care of fellow Americans Jill Craybas and Sloane Stephens, 7-5, 6-0 on Court 10.
	 
Then after a men’s doubles match Oudin took to Court 10 again. This time with Ryan Harrison, as the pair combined to beat Andrea Hlavackova and Michal Mertinak, 6-1, 7-5.
	 
Harrison, 18, upset No. 15 seed Ivan Ljubicic in the first round of the men’s draw on Wednesday.

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At the Open: No. 6 Davydenko, No. 11 Cilic knocked off

September 02, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Two of the top-11 seeds in the men’s draw were both sent home Thursday in completely different fashions. Sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko was dominated by unseeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet, 6-3, 6-4,... Read on

Two of the top-11 seeds in the men’s draw were both sent home Thursday in completely different fashions.
	 
Sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko was dominated by unseeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on the Grandstand Court. Gasquet was as high as No. 7 in July 2007, but has struggled since. A year ago at the U.S. Open he had just finished clearing his name after accusations of cocaine use that nearly led to a two-year suspension.
	 
Gasquet’s conquest of Davydenko took one hour and 53 minutes. At the point in their match, Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori were just getting started.
	 
The match on Court 13 last four hours and 49 minutes and saw the qualifier Nishikori stun the 11th-seeded Cilic by taking the fifth set 6-1. Cilic upset Andy Murray at last year’s Open before falling to eventual champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarterfinals.
	 
Gasquet will play the winner of the Kevin Anderson-Thomaz Bellucci match in the third round; up next for Nishikori, who advanced 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, is the No. 21 seed Albert Montanes.

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At the Open: Wozniacki showing why she's No. 1

September 02, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Who says she’s not the best women’s tennis has to offer?Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki dominated Kai-Chen Chang at the U.S. Open Tuesday in a 6-0, 6-0 rout that lasted 47 minutes in Arthur Ashe... Read on

Who says she’s not the best women’s tennis has to offer?
	 
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki dominated Kai-Chen Chang at the U.S. Open Tuesday in a 6-0, 6-0 rout that lasted 47 minutes in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
	 
“It’s a good feeling to be No. 1,“ said Wozniacki, who lost to Kim Clijsters in the final of last year’s Open.
	 
“It’s nice to play in the big stadium. It’s a great atmosphere. I’m just happy to be through to the third round. I feel like I’ve been playing some good tennis."
	 
Wozniacki inherited the top seed when Serena Williams pulled out of the tournament with a cut on her foot. Despite being No. 1, not many have considered her the favorite with Serena’s sister Venus still in the draw.
	 
But Wozniacki has barely broken a sweat in her two wins, despite the temperatures being near 100 degrees. The Denmark native crushed American wild card Chelsey Gullickson in the first round, 6-1, 6-1.
	 
Who knew it would only get easier in Round 2?

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At the Open: Fish looking like America's best hope with dominant win

September 02, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Andy Roddick wasn’t the only American man with a chance to claim this U.S. Open. And Mardy Fish took another step toward making a run with a 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 whitewash of Pablo Cuevas on Louis Armstrong... Read on

Andy Roddick wasn’t the only American man with a chance to claim this U.S. Open.
	 
And Mardy Fish took another step toward making a run with a 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 whitewash of Pablo Cuevas on Louis Armstrong Court Thursday. After a close first set where Fish broke in the 12th game to win, the 19th-ranked Fish dominated the final two sets -- dropping two games to the Uruguayan. And now he’s setting his sights higher.
	 
“I’d like another crack at a top-5, top-10 player in a slam,” Fish said. “I think I’ve beaten a couple of them in slams, but never deep into a tournament. So, winning another a match and playing a (third-ranked Novak) Djokovic or one of those guys that are going deep slam in, slam out -- to put myself in a position to play them. I certainly feel like I can hang with them.”
	 
Fish may not have long to find out. He will play Arnaud Clement in the third round, but a matchup with Djokovic looms in the fourth round.
	 
Roddick, the highest-seeded American at No. 9, was upset by Janko Tipseravic on Tuesday night.
	 
“It’s certainly disappointing to see him lose,” Fish said of Roddick, who is getting over a case of mono. “This is his favorite tournament… He’ll be back. He’ll put in the work, and he’ll enjoy his time off now, I’m sure.”
	 
But for now the spotlight belongs to Fish, who has credited losing 30 pounds as the reason for his summer success. He has won 18 of his past 20 matches, including claiming titles in Newport and Atlanta, and losing to Roger Federer in the finals in Cincinnati.
	 
“This is the spot I want to be in,” Fish said. “You want to be the favorite and winning a lot, so I think my summer has changed a lot of that. I’ve got a really good opportunity.”

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Revis' family calls Jets' treatment 'slap in the face:' report

September 02, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

There might be a media blackout between the Jets and Darrelle Revis, but that hasn't stopped his grandmother from speaking her mind."For this to be happening to him, it's almost like a slap in the... Read on

There might be a media blackout between the Jets and Darrelle Revis, but that hasn't stopped his grandmother from speaking her mind.
	 
"For this to be happening to him, it's almost like a slap in the face, because he's not appreciated," Revis' grandmother, Aileen Gilbert,
	 told ESPN.com about his 33-day holdout.
	 
Gilbert spoke from Aliquippa, Pa., where Revis has spent part of his summer. Though the All-Pro cornerback no longer was there, she said he certainly wasn't on his way back to the Jets.
	 
"I think he's comfortable with his decision [to hold out] because he knows what he was told by the Jets and he knows what he's worth," Gilbert said.
	 
"People are trying to portray him as greedy, but he has outperformed his contract. For them to put him in this position is just unreal."
	 
Revis reportedly wants a 10-year, $160 million contract and the Jets reportedly have offered 10 years, $122 million, along with shorter-term deals.
	 
Sean Gilbert, Revis' uncle, held out for an entire season while with the Redskins, forcing a trade to the Panthers that landed him the big contract he wanted.
	 
"If he does (sit out the season), it won't be because of Sean," Aileen Gilbert said of Darrelle. It'll be because the Jets don't give him a decent contract."

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At the Open: Fan helps American Capra pull upset

September 02, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Talk about a homecourt advantage. American Beatrice Capra earned the biggest win of her career -- knocking off No. 18 seed Aravani Rezai -- with a little help from a friendly fan at the U.S. Open.... Read on

Talk about a homecourt advantage.
	 
American Beatrice Capra earned the biggest win of her career -- knocking off No. 18 seed Aravani Rezai -- with a little help from a friendly fan at the U.S. Open.
	 
Capra, 18 and playing in her first Grand Slam, led 6-5 in the first set, but Rezai was serving up 40-15 when the ball Capra sent long bounced into the stands and a fan’s waiting hands.
	 
Players often prefer to use the same ball after a successful serve, so Rezai tried to retrieve it from the fan, but he refused to hand it over even after Rezai briefly pleaded with the umpire. The distracted Frenchwoman proceeded to double fault and followed that with an unforced error to send the game to deuce. Capra, ranked 371st in the world, hit a winner and Rezai followed that with another unforced error -- a forehand into the net -- that handed the Maryland native the first set.
	 
“She seemed to lose her concentration,” the gentleman fan told The Post after the match.
	 
“But I had been waiting for a ball all week and I wasn’t going to hand it over. She did say 'Sorry' at the end.”
	 
Capra’s win already has many comparing her to Melanie Oudin, who made a run to the quarterfinals at last year’s U.S. Open.
	 
“I really look up to Melanie,” Capra said of Oudin, who lost in the second round this year.
	 
“I watched all of her matches last year, and I was just so happy for her. It was really inspiring to me because I played her a year before, and then she was getting to the quarters of a grand slam. It was just unbelievable, and I was so happy for her. She’s pushed all of the Americans to do better.”
	 
Capra likely will have to do what Oudin did in last year’s Open: beat Maria Sharapova, who will be her next opponent if the Russian defeats Iveta Benesova Thursday night.
	 
Before Capra started thinking about Sharapova, she had to finish off Rezai, who collected herself and broke Capra in the first and third game of the second set to cruise 6-2 and even the match.
	 
But in the end it was more than a fan that carried Capra to the upset. She constantly forced Rezai to hit one extra ball, leading to multiple errors at crucial moments from the heavily favored, ranked opponent.
	 
“My defense was really good today,” Capra said. “I am trying to be more aggressive and working my way up towards the net and closing out points at the net. I think that will help me a lot, developing a better serve and return.”
	 
Not bad for someone who didn’t even think she would be playing at the U.S. Open, let alone making into the third round. Capra was relaxing at home after losing in the 18 Nationals tournament when she got a call from the USTA asking her to play in the wildcard playoff, a minitournament she proceeded to win to earn a spot in the U.S. Open field.
	 
“Winning today was probably one of the best moments of my life,“ Capra said. “This whole experience has been unreal, and I’m so happy and excited.“
	 
Capra and Rezai exchanged breaks and were on serve at 4-3 in the third set when Capra got the final break she needed then served out the match with a now-packed Grandstand crowd supporting the American in her 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 victory.
	 
“They were awesome today,“ Capra said of the crowd that grew steadily throughout the match. “They really got me through. When I was down 4-2 in the first set, I was thinking it was just going to go downhill. But they really helped and supported me.”

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Nuggets tell teams Anthony isn't available: report

September 02, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

The first job of the Nuggets' new GM is to NOT trade Carmelo Anthony.ESPN.com reports the Nuggets have told five teams the possible free-agent-to-be is not on the market."They’re pretty much ending... Read on

The first job of the Nuggets' new GM is to NOT trade Carmelo Anthony.
	 
ESPN.com reportsthe Nuggets have told five teams the possible free-agent-to-be is not on the market.
	 
"They’re pretty much ending these conversations before they even start by saying that they don't want to engage in Melo (trade) talks," the report says.
	 
The Nets, Bulls, Clippers, Kings and Warriors are believed to be the teams with the best chance to trade for Anthony, with the Knicks, Magic, Mavericks and Rockets also mentioned at other times this offseason.
	 
The report does not name the five teams the Nuggets have rebuffed.
	 
Anthony has not signed a three-year, $65 million contract offer the Nuggets made available in June, leading to speculation the team would trade the high-scoring forward rather than let him opt out and leave after this season.
	 
Multiple reports have linked Anthony to New York due to his recent wedding here and his wife La La Vazquez's entertainment career.
	 
However, it looks like new Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri has made keeping Anthony in Denver his end-game scenario.
	 
The report says the Nuggets are "hoping that some sort of positive karma exists in the reunion of Ujiri, a former Nuggets scout, and Anthony, who both arrived in Denver in 2003 and spent several formative seasons together in the organization."

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Back Page: Revis should give some of his Jets money to Clemens

September 02, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Mike Tannenbaum took a not-so-subtle shot at Darrelle Revis in this week's “Hard Knocks." While the Jets GM was negotiating with third-string quarterback Kellen Clemens, trying to convince him to... Read on

Mike Tannenbaum took a not-so-subtle shot at Darrelle Revis in this week's “Hard Knocks."
	 
While the Jets GM was negotiating with third-string quarterback Kellen Clemens, trying to convince him to take a half-million dollar pay cut, he said the team needed to free up money for Revis. Maybe Tannenbaum tells Clemens that even if the NFL Films cameras weren’t rolling, but heading into an uncapped year it’s a theory that makes little sense. Even if it were true, is $530,000 going to be the breaking point.
	 
The Jets don’t have too much credence in this area after Rex Ryan was caught lying about the Clemens situation to reporters and had to do an about-face when he was told that Clemens announced the pay cut to the media.
	 
You had to feel for Clemens last night. He was once thought to be the future at Jets quarterback and now the team no longer trusts him to be their second stringer. They gave him a chance to work out a deal with another team, but it seemed apparent that this close to the regular season there was no interest. And let’s be honest, Clemens didn’t exactly impress last preseason when he was competing with Mark Sanchez for the starting job or when he filled in for the injured rookie in a Week 14 win over the Buccaneers.
	 
Getting back to Revis.
	 
His first act when he signs his new contract with the Jets, which makes him the highest-paid cornerback in football or very close to it, should be to give Clemens a check for every dollar the Jets made him give away. Revis would still have the contract that I guess he needs to prove to himself that he is, in fact, the best cornerback in football. He would throw Tannenbaum’s cheap shot right back in his face, while rewarding Clemens for his forced loyalty.
	 
And Revis would show Jets fans he's not as selfish as this whole process has made him out to me. But either way, he'd better get it done soon, because a little generosity won't make up for anything if he joins an 0-2 Jets team in Week 3.
	 
***
	 
How’s Alan Faneca doing in Arizona?
	 
The guard the Jets let go for $2.25 million may be sorely missed. If “Hard Knocks” is depicting the battle for the guard spot properly, Matt Slauson better be ready to step in and step up because rookie Vladimir Ducasse won’t get anywhere close to the field in important moments.
	 
***
	 
Tonight is the biggest night in Rhett Bomar’s career.
	 
The Giants backup quarterback will see plenty of action in the final preseason game against the Patriots. It’s his last chance to show Tom Coughlin he can be trusted as the team’s backup.
	 
***
	 
Rob Dibble and the Nationals ended their relationship last night. 
	 
The former Reds closer had been the Nationals analyst for the past two years before he made comments disparaging phenom rookie Stephen Strasburg on his Sirius/XM show -- essentially saying the rookie had to toughen up and not call in the cavalry every time he felt a little soreness in his arm.
	 
A few days after he made those comments, Strasburg is headed for Tommy John Surgery. The shame of it is, when I talked to Dibble for NYP TV Sports in early July, he was Strasburg’s biggest fan and seemed legitimately excited about the opportunity of watching the kid develop.
	 
The later comments were off base and seemed worse given what happened, but I didn’t realize criticizing a player was a fireable offense, especially for someone whose job is to analyze the team.
	 
If Keith Hernandez were held to the same standard he wouldn’t have made it past his first week at SNY.

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At the Open: Oudin out early

September 01, 2010 , ι ASSOCIATED PRESS

Melanie Oudin’s U.S. Open run is over after two rounds this year. Oudin lost a sloppy match to 29th-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday. The teenager from Marietta, Ga.,... Read on

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Rangers' Lee takes shot for back pain

September 01, 2010 , ι ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rangers left-hander Cliff Lee returned to Texas on Wednesday to get a shot and have his ailing back checked out. “After the game last night Cliff Lee told us he was experiencing some discomfort in... Read on

Rangers left-hander Cliff Lee returned to Texas on Wednesday to get a shot and have his ailing back checked out.
	 
“After the game last night Cliff Lee told us he was experiencing some discomfort in his back,” Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine said. “We flew him back to Dallas to see (Rangers team physician) Dr. (Keith) Meister. He put him through a battery of tests today and also gave him a trigger point injection in his back.”
	 
Levine said some component of the shot is cortisone, “but I wouldn’t describe it as a cortisone shot.”
	 
“We’ll assess where he’s at then,” Levine said. “We’ll know definitely how it feels on Friday. I think he’d been experiencing it before yesterday but he didn’t tell us about it until after the game (Tuesday). He did intimate to me last night that he’d been feeling this longer, for a longer period than he told us about.”
	 
Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner, has not won since Aug. 6 at Oakland. He is 2-5 with a 4.69 ERA in 11 starts with the Rangers since they acquired him in six-player trade July 9 with the Mariners.
	 
Levine said Lee has an oblique injury in April with the Mariners, “but we don’t think this is related.” His next scheduled start is Monday in Minnesota, but whether he makes that is yet to be determined.
	 
“We’ll see how it goes the rest of the way,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “He didn’t have a good August. If he drops three or four wins for us in September we’ll forget about that.”
	 
Lee was traded to the Rangers by the Mariners in July after a deal with the Yankees fell through.
	 
ESPN Radio speculated Lee was pitching poorly because
	 he already planned to join the Yankees as a free agent after this season. Lee responded angrily by calling host Colin cowherd a liar.
	 
The Rangers lead the AL Central and are a possible playoff opponent for the Yankees.

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About the Author

JUSTIN TERRANOVA Justin Terranova joined the Post's sports department in 2006. He covered NASCAR before taking over as the sports media reporter in 2007. He joined NYPost.com the following year and has worked as a reporter, editor and a blogger for the Web site.