US Open Day 4 Wrap-up: Elena Dementieva blows $1mil bonus, another smooth day for men's seeded players

It was another disastrous day at the US Open where several women's seeded players were knocked out from the season ending Grand Slam — no. 4 Elena Dementieva, no. 5 Jelena Jankovic, no. 19 Patty Schnyder, no. 23 Sabine Lisicki and no. 30 Alona Bondarenko.

Elena Dementieva blew her $1 million bonus after being stunned by American teenager Melanie Oudin 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

The 17-year-old Oudin will set up a third-round match against Maria Sharapova who eliminated another 17-year-old American, Christina McHale 6-2, 6-1.

Dinara Safina was lucky to stay in the tournament, overcoming her second poor performance of the week before defeating Kristina Barrois 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3.

It was whole different scenario with the guys as no seeded men lost on Day 4 at the US Open.

Surprisingly, the Americans did pretty well as they sailed through to the next round — Andy Roddick, James Blake, Sam Querrey, John Isner and the unknown Jesse Witten.

Swiss Marco Chiudinelli currently ranked 161 in the world, surprised many after defeating Mikhail Youzhny 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3.

Somdev Devvarman managed to bageled Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third set before he was shown the exit door by the German who won 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.

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

5-Andy Roddick (US) beat Marc Gicquel (France) 6-1 6-4 6-4
23-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Somdev Devvarman (India) 6-3 6-4 0-6 6-2
John Isner (US) beat Marsel Ilhan (Turkey) 6-3 6-4 7-6(1)
21-James Blake (US) beat Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-4 3-6 7-6(6) 6-3
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Carsten Ball (Australia) 6-3 6-4 6-4
15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4
Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 6-3
14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-4
12-Robin Soederling (Sweden) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 2-0 (Granollers retired)
8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-1 6-2
22-Sam Querrey (US) beat Kevin Kim (U.S.) 7-5 6-7(6) 6-4 6-4
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3 6-0 6-3
Jesse Witten (US) beat Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) 6-7(3) 6-4 7-5 6-2
20-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Robert Kendrick (US) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)

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

29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Christina McHale (US) 6-2 6-1
Shahar Peer (Israel) beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-2 6-0
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) 6-4 6-2
Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) beat 23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-3 3-6 7-5
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat 5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(6)
Sara Errani (Italy) beat 19-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 7-5 6-2
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Peng Shuai (China) 2-6 6-1 6-4
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-1 6-3
21-Zheng Jie (China) beat Alize Cornet (France) 1-6 6-3 6-3
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Petra Martic (Croatia) 6-1 6-0
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Shenay Perry (US) 6-1 6-1
Melanie Oudin (US) beat 4-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 5-7 6-4 6-3
24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 6-4 5-7 6-4
1-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Kristina Barrois (Germany) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Julie Coin (France) 6-4 7-6(3)
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat 30-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4 6-0

(Via AP, TVNZ, US Open website)

Zahederer has a serious competitor

Zahed and his Mom was in KL back in November, 2008

One of our friend and occasional Tennisweek.com featured writer, Zahed Khan (a.k.a Zahederer) — one of the world's most devoted Roger Federer fans and also a Federer lookalike — has a serious competitor.

Mentioned in the US Open website, this anonymous New York City bartender in the picture above is also often mistaken for Federer.

(Images by HCFoo, US Open website)

Jelena Jankovic devastated by grandmother's passing, ousted from US Open

My heartfelt condolences to Jelena Jankovic for the passing of her beloved grandma.

The night before her second round match, her grandmother had passed away back home in Serbia.

Her heart and mind was simply not at the US Open after the hearbreaking news.

As a result, she lost to Yaroslava Shvedova, 3-6, 7-6, 6-7.

“I was very sad and emotionally I was really not on court,” Jankovic said.

“I really tried my best to be there and to try to play, but it was really hard."

“You could see I was not happy on the court. I was really suffering. I tried to think about my tennis, but I felt like I was so late and so slow.”

Jankovic planned to fly to Serbia today to join her mother, who left New York on Wednesday to return home.

Jankovic said she didn’t know many details after talking on the phone with her mother.

“I couldn’t really speak,” she said.

“I was just crying.”

“When you are sad, when you are down, you’re not the same person,” she said.

“You don’t move as well. You don’t hit the ball as well. My head wasn’t really there. I just was so—it was like a shadow of myself."

“But, you know, what can you do? Life goes on and I have to try to stay hopefully positive as much as I can, get through this.”

Anyway, kudos to Shvedova for advancing to the third round after a gutsy effort against Jankovic.

(Via AP)

Malaysian Open: Starbucks Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Gatorade, Eau Claire the latest Official Suppliers

I just came back from a special Majlis Berbuka Puasa (break fast for Muslims) organised by the nice people at IMG/Malaysian Open.

According to the Tournament Director Nick Freyer, the event is just three weeks away and everything is in perfect order including court installation.

During the "Makan" function, he took the opportunity to welcome Starbucks Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Gatorade and Eau Claire as Official Suppliers to the Malaysian Open.

This is my appetizer...

Personally I'm happy with this announcement because I'm entitled for a 20% discount (I'm working under the Mother company of Starbucks Coffee and Krispy Kreme)! :D

I was told that during the tournament, Starbucks Chill Patrol, a newly launched mobile coffee van will be parked on-site (at the front entrance of the Putra Stadium).

IMG staff, media and sponsors pose for a family photo...

If you still haven't get your tickets to the Malaysian Open, it's available through TicketPro or via their Hotline: +603 7880 7999. You can also purchase tickets through TicketPro outlets.

(Via IMG)