US Open Day 8 Wrap-up: *Yawn* Djokovic impersonates again, teens rule the court

Coincidentally, after posting about the lack of star power at the US Open, we begin to see more celebrities in the second week.

Here are some of the celebrities who attended Day 8 matches.

Just like last year, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are not here for tennis.

Mirka & Anna Wintour - Roger Federer #1 fans


Robert Federer & Gavin Rossdale - Also Roger Federer's #1 fans

Rob Thomas and wife

And speaking about celebrities, Novak Djokovic is a star of his own.

He has impersonated Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal and others in the past.

Last night, Djokovic added to his repertoire of memorable impersonations by channeling his inner John McEnroe in front of the majority-American crowd.

Check out the video here by tennisnakama.

Earlier Djokovic defeated Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

There was another thing for the American crowd to cheer about last night.

America's newest darling, Melanie Oudin, continued her dream run at the US Open with another upset over Russian Nadia Petrova.

The teenager won 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

The biggest upset of the day has to be Caroline Wozniacki who sent off Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The Danish teen toppled the former US Open champ 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 to reach her first grand slam quarterfinal.

American John Isner’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Fernando Verdasco marked the first time since 1968 that no American men's players advanced to the US Open quarterfinals.

Here's the rest of the results:

US Open men's singles fourth-round results from New York on Tuesday (prefix denotes seeding)

4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-3 6-3
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat John Isner (US) 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 7-5 6-2 6-2
12-Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat 8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 7-5 3-6 6-2 (Davydenko retired)

US Open women's singles fourth-round results from New York on Tuesday (prefix denotes seeding)

9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 2-6 7-6(5) 7-6(3)
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-4 7-5
Melanie Oudin (US) beat 13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 1-6 7-6 (2) 6-3
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-0 6-0

(Via AP, Reuters, TVNZ, US Open website)

US Open Day 2 Wrap-up: Safina survives close shave, Ivanovic not so lucky

Top seed and world no. 1 Dinara Safina barely survived a 2 hours and 35 minutes first round match to beat no. 167 Olivia Rogowska, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4!

Meanwhile, it was not so lucky for Ana Ivanovic who made her second straight early exit from the US Open, this time falling 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7) to Kateryna Bondarenko in the opening round.

Earlier, Svetlana Kuznetsova has advanced to the second round after a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Julia Goerges.

Just like Kuznetsova, Sharapova has no problem in advancing to the next round after an impressive 6-3, 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova.

Fresh from winning a US Open tune-up tournament in New Haven last week, Caroline Wozniacki also passed her first-round test after defeated Galina Voskoboeva with a 6-4, 6-0 win.

Jelena Jankovic who sees herself as a danger woman at the US Open also sailed through to the next round after defeating Roberta Vinci 6-2 6-3.

The night before, I managed to catch up with a couple of matches including the one between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and American wildcard recipient Chase Buchanan.

Tsonga dominated the 18-year old 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 in a one-sided match.

Also advancing to the second round is Novak Djokovic, who lost to Federer in the 2007 final. The Serbian proved to be too powerful for Ivan Ljubicic by defeating him 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

Second seed and world no.2 Andy Murray denied Ernests Gulbis by winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-5 in the featured night match on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Here's the complete results for Day 2:

US Open men's singles first round results from New York on Wednesday (prefix denotes seeding)

2-Andy Murray (GB) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-5 6-3 7-5
Ivan Navarro (Spain) beat 27-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4 7-6(8) 7-6(5)
Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat 19-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 4-6 3-6 7-6(6) 7-6(3) 6-3
Taylor Dent (US) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3 7-5
22-Sam Querrey (US) beat Michael Yani (U.S.) 6-3 7-5 6-4
Carsten Ball (Australia) beat Juan Pablo Brzezicki (Argentina) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4
Kevin Kim (US) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-3 0-6 6-2 6-2
Florent Serra (France) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 7-6(8) 7-6(5) 7-6(5)
Paul Capdeville (Chile) beat Victor Crivoi (Romania) 6-3 6-0 7-6(2)
11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-3 6-3 6-3
Jesse Levine (US) beat Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 7-5 6-1 6-2
Josselin Ouanna (France) beat Rajeev Ram (US) 7-6(4) 6-4 3-6 6-3
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 6-3 6-1 6-3
16-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Ryan Sweeting (US) 7-6(2) 6-4 7-6(4)
30-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Peter Luczak (Australia) 6-3 6-3 1-6 2-6 6-1
Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) beat Michael Berrer (Germany) 6-3 7-6(7) 3-6 6-0
Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Brendan Evans (US) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)
17-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Wayne Odesnik (U.S.) 7-5 6-4 6-4
Julien Benneteau (France) beat Flavio Cipolla (Italy) 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-3
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Benjamin Becker (Germany) 7-5 6-4 7-5
Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) beat Karol Beck (Slovakia) 2-6 1-6 6-1 6-4 6-3
Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Fabio Fognini (Italy) 7-5 7-6(6) 6-4
Jesse Witten (US) beat 29-Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-4 6-0 6-2
7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Chase Buchanan (US) 6-0 6-2 6-1

US Open women's singles first round results from New York on Wednesday (prefix denotes seeding)

Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat 11-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 2-6 6-3 7-6(7)
Alize Cornet (France) beat Monique Adamczak (Australia) 4-6 6-4 7-5
29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-3 6-0
21-Zheng Jie (China) beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 6-3 6-2
Shenay Perry (US) beat Monica Niculescu (Romania) 6-4 6-2
Christina McHale (US) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-3 6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 6-2
4-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Camille Pin (France) 6-1 6-2
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat Masa Zec Peskiric (Slovenia) 6-3 6-3
5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-2 6-3
Kristina Barrois (Germany) beat Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-4 6-4
Shahar Peer (Israel) beat 32-Agnes Szavay (Hungary) 6-2 6-2
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 27-Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2
Julie Coin (France) beat Eva Hrdinova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-3
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-3 6-3
1-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Olivia Rogowska (Australia) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-3 5-7 6-4
23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Aravane Rezai (France) 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-1
Tathiana Garbin (Italy) beat Mallory Cecil (US) 6-0 6-1
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-3 6-3
Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 6-0 4-6 6-1
Melanie Oudin (US) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-1 6-2
19-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-3 7-6(6)
30-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 3-6 6-3 6-2
Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) beat Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-3 7-5
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) 6-4 6-0
Sara Errani (Italy) beat Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) 6-0 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat 16-Virginie Razzano (France) 6-4 6-3
24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Ayumi Morita (Japan) 6-1 6-3
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Julia Goerges (Germany) 6-3 6-2
Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Severine Bremond Beltrame (France) 6-4 6-2
Peng Shuai (China) beat Jarmila Groth (Slovakia) 6-2 6-3
Stephanie Dubois (Canada) beat Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-0 6-4 0

(Via AP, TVNZ, US Open website)

TENNIS WATCH: NIKE or ADIDAS, FILA's headband not allowed

No other player can make bigger statement with her tennis dress than Maria Sharapova.

The Russian beauty is simply stunning in her NIKE black dress with silver straps and a matching silver headband.

Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniacki who debut her Stella McCartney's Adidas dress was far from impressive.

I'm a fan of Wozniacki but to be honest, that dress would have suited Maria Kirilenko better.

*******

Something bizzare happened to James Blake when an umpire wipe an advertising logo off his headband before his first round match at the US Open.

"I didn't know the rule," said Blake, who played without the FILA logo on the headband

"I didn't know you couldn't have any writing on the headband or wristband. With the new logo, new design, there's always the logo. I didn't know we couldn't do that."

"I don't know why the ATP does some of the things it does, or if it is just the (International Tennis Federation)," Blake said.

"A quarter-inch here, a quarter-inch there, they make all these rules. That's for them to deal with, the sponsors and everything. It's not my place to say."

(Via AFP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Fernando Verdasco, Caroline Wozniacki win US Open final tune-up

Fernando Verdasco won his first title of the season and third of his career on Saturday defeating American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-6 (6) at the Pilot Pen tennis championship.

Meanwhile, in the women's singles Caroline Wozniacki won her second consecutive beating Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-4 in the final tune-up for the U.S. Open.

Wozniacki’s championship was her sixth, third this year.

In men's the doubles final, Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle took down Bruno Soared and Kevin Ullyett 6-4, 7-6 (3).

In the women's doubles final, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated defeated Iveta Benesova and Lucie Hradecka, 6-2, 7-5.

(Via AP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

VIDEO: Caroline Wozniacki, Flavia Pennetta play on 'world's largest grass court ' at Yale Bowl

As part of a promotional event for Pilot Pen Tennis tournament, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour transformed the football field at Yale into a ridiculously over-sized tennis court.

After taking the street in Toronto last week, Caroline Wozniacki conquer the massive 'grass court' with Flavia Pennetta.

It was a pity as no fans were invited to the exhibition.

(Images via tennisforum.com)

Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki stop traffic in Toronto

Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki were at the Yonge Street in Toronto yesterday to recreate the 1995 Agassi/Sampras Nike ad.

They actually played real exhibition match on the street.

Ivanovic won 7-3 in the friendly game. Now, it's time to win real matches.


(Images via Great Tennis Photos, Toronto Grand Prix Tourist)

Caroline Wozniacki meets David Beckham in LA

Caroline Wozniacki who's currently in California for the LA Women's Tennis Championships took time off yesterday to watch footballer David Beckham from the LA Galaxy soccer team practice at the same location where the WTA event is being held.

Beckham should buff up a bit... he looked extremely skinny in these pictures.


(Images via sports.sina.com.cm)

Caroline Wozniacki's new Stella-style makeover revealed

On Monday, July 13, Caroline Wozniacki has been announced as the representative for the new fall/winter 2009 adidas by Stella McCartney tennis range starting with the US Open.

The world no. 9 replaces Maria Kirilenko as the new face for Stella McCartney.

Do you realise that Wozniacki not only had her wardrobe changed, it seems like her hair has gone dark blonde and wavy (gone are the curly hair) in these latest ads too?


(Images via tennisforum.com)

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez wins Swedish Open; spoils Caroline Wozniacki's birthday

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez beat top-seeded and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-4 Saturday to win the Swedish Open for her second WTA Tour title.

The unseeded Spaniard won her first title in Bogota in February.

“This was the most enjoyable tournament for me so far this season,” Martinez Sanchez said.

“I felt right at home here and I hope to come back next year. I played very well today and I’m happy I played my own game.”

“I’m sorry I spoiled your (birthday) celebrations, but I promise I will buy you something instead,” Martinez Sanchez told Wozniacki at the post-match news conference.

Wozniacki, who turned 19 Saturday, is ranked ninth in the world and has won five WTA titles.

“Maria played better than me. She played smart and it was difficult to get a rhythm with her stop volleys,” Wozniacki said.

“But I’m still happy to have reached the final.”

In the doubles final, Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta denied Martinez Sanchez a double, who partnered with Nuria Llagostera Vives with a 6-2, 0-6, 10-5 victory.

The men’s Swedish Open starts Monday.

(Via AP; Images via Swedish Open Women's Flickr photostream)

Is this Sport or Maternity Fashion Awards?

Caroline Wozniacki, Sofia Arvidsson and Sorana Cirstea attended the "2009 Sport Fashion Award" held in conjunction with the Collector Swedish Open on Friday.

Luckily, Cirstea's sweet little pink dress and her Jennifer Aniston look saved the day.

(Image via Swedish Open Women's Flickr photostream)

Guess what song is Caroline Wozniacki singing?

Since Caroline Wozniacki and Sorana Cirstea are in Bastad, Sweden right now, what else do you expect them to sing?

Of all ABBA's greatest hits, I bet there's one particular song that makes Wozniacki sing her heart out... yep, this is the one...

Defending champ Caroline Wozniacki returns to Bastad

Caroline Wozniacki is probably my second biggest WTA crush after Maria Sharapova.

She's back in Bastad to defend her title and has been getting tonnes of attention from the media there.

Last Sunday, Wozniacki attended a joint opening ceremony between the Collector Swedish Open Women and Catella Swedish Open.

She played in an exhibition teaming up with Swedish Sofia Arvidsson and Ellen Allgurin as Team Collector.

On the men's team, Team Catella was made up of Thomas Johansson, Magnus Gustafsson and Andreas Vinciguerra.

There was the lacoste team which was filled with Dominika Cibulkova, Daniel Berta and Anna Brazhnikova.

At the end of the event, Wozniacki had the priviledge to officiate the opening of the tournament together with former junior French Open champion Daniel Berta.

Here are more pictures of Wozniacki at Bastad.


(Images via women.swedishopen.org)

Wozniacki-Lisicki bump: Move bitch, get out the way!

Sabine Lisicki was not trying to emulate the Bryan Bros by giving Caroline Wozniacki a chest bump.

Apparently, the girls who dressed like twins, were walking towards their seats during the changover.

The thing was, Lisicki didn't notice Wozniacki, or vice versa. And so they bumped into each other!

Check out Wozniacki's reaction... she looked pretty pissed and had a quick word with the umpire thinking that it was intentional and rude.

(Images by Getty Images)