Women Have A Better Shot at Open
Posted on August 26, 2008
Filed Under New York, Sports, Women | Comments Off on Women Have A Better Shot at Open
No American man has won the U.S. Open tennis tournament since Andy Roddick in 2003. No American woman has won the title since Serena Williams in 2002. The prospects for an American woman winner this year are better than for an American man, but things aren’t exactly rosy.
The men’s tennis world is ruled by the gritty Spaniard Rafael Nadal, the paramount Swiss Roger FedererJustine Henin and the possible season-ending shoulder injury to 2006 winner Maria Sharapova.
and the emerging Serb Novak Djokovic. The women’s world is a bit uncertain and less predictable, with the retirement of 2007 U.S. Open champ
The absence of Henin and Sharapova creates opportunities for many players, including Serena and Venus Williams, who won Wimbledon in July. Venus last won the Open in 2001.
“Serena to me is more dangerous on hard courts than Venus because she’s a little more well-rounded,” McEnroe said. “I think their motivation at the big events is there. The mistake people make is that if they play well, they are going to win. They aren’t as dominant as they were. The women’s game has gotten more athletic, the players are bigger, stronger, quicker and in many ways Venus and Serena set the tone for that. You look at [Ana] Ivanovic, the young Russians, and the Williamses aren’t so intimidating. They raised the bar for the women’s game.” [via Newsday]
