NEW YORK (AP) | When the Grand Slams roll around, the best stories often revolve around the prospect of Williams vs. Williams, Maria Sharapova, maybe even a possible breakthrough by No. 1 Dinara Safina.
All those options have vanished from the U.S. Open, replaced in large part by the potential of Kim Clijsters, the former No. 1 who now brings her baby to work.
Clijsters defeated No. 3 Venus Williams on Sunday, leaving Serena Williams as the only top-five player left in a draw that was turned upside down in Week 1 by upsets, comeback stories and the youth movement.
“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Clijsters said. “But then again, I’m not trying to get carried away with it all.”
But the door is open for the 2005 champion, on the comeback after a two-year hiatus during which she gave up tennis to have a baby.
The baby, 18-month-old Jada, is a regular up in the players’ lounge, and Clijsters is looking like she might be a fixture on the tour again.
Isner, American men out
John Isner is out of the U.S. Open, guaranteeing this will be the first time the tournament will not include an American man in the quarterfinals.
The 55th-ranked American lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to No. 10 Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round Monday.
Isner, who knocked out No. 5 Andy Roddick in the third round with an aggressive serve-and-volley game, hardly used that strategy against Verdasco, an efficient counterpuncher. The 6-foot-9 American came to net on only 27 of 103 points and won barely more than half.
Clinton to honor Ashe
Former President Clinton will participate in a tribute to the late Arthur Ashe at the U.S. Open on Thursday night.
Ashe, who won the 1968 U.S. Open and two other Grand Slam singles titles, is joining the tournament’s Court of Champions.
“Arthur Ashe is one of the greatest champions to ever compete at the U.S. Open, and we are proud to honor his remarkable legacy,” U.S. Tennis Association president Lucy Garvin said. “Arthur was a great humanitarian, and his legacy and his performance helped the tournament become one of the world’s premier sporting events.”
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