If you’re finding it hard to shake your 24/7 TV sports addiction after watching the Summer Olympics non-stop over the past two weeks, never fear: the next two weeks is all about tennis.
New York’s home tennis tournament, the U.S. Open, gets underway Sunday, Aug. 24, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 7, with the men’s final. Most coverage airs on the USA network; the bigger matches move to CBS, which will broadcast the women’s and men’s semi-finals on Friday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 6, respectively, and the men’s and women’s finals on Sept. 6 and Sunday, September 7.
Players to watch at the open include Switzerland’s Roger Federer, 27, who last year defeated Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to become the four-time U.S. Open victor. Federer is just back from Beijing where he only made it to the quarterfinals in singles play, but captured a gold medal in men’s doubles with his playing partner, compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.
At Flushing Meadows, fans hope to see another round of the storied rivalry between Federer and Spaniard Rafael Nadal, whom Federer has faced in six Grand Slam matches, losing four of them. Nadal just captured the singles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, finally stealing Federer’s number-one ranking. No less a tennis great than John McEnroe called the 7 hour-plus battle of the titans at this year’s Wimbledon tournament the greatest match he had ever seen.
On the women’s side, sisters Venus and Serena Williams return from Beijing bearing gold as well, having taken the women’s doubles’ crown. Venus defended her Wimbledon title in July, beating sister Serena in the final. Venus has an easier path to prevail at Flushing this time around: last year’s champion, Belgian Justine Henin, retired last May while still ranked first in the world. – Paige Albiniak