The U.S. Open comes to a close tonight and Rafael Nadal is hoping to end his losing streak against top-ranked player Novak Djokovic in the men’s finals. He’ll look to capture something of the underdog spirit embodied by Samantha Stosur — the Australian who beat Serena Williams in last night’s women’s final. Williams captured attention both for the amazing comeback she made from a life-threatening illness earlier this year, and also for the anger and frustration she exhibited on court during some fiery exchanges with the umpire.
The United States is faring well in the U.S. Open so far, with Christina McHale hailing a victory against France yesterday. But there was bad news for the U.S. team yesterday, as well. Venus Williams announced that she has pulled out of the tournament, due to health problems related to Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain and fatigue.
Today, tennis fans around the world will be tuning into the world-renowned grass court tennis tournament in London, the Wimbledon Championships. One of the four grand slam tennis championships, it is also the oldest and considerably the most prestigious. Here to talk us through the ins and outs of Wimbledon is a man who won four grand slam singles titles: American tennis champion Jim Courier.
Tennis fans will be glued to their screens this weekend to watch the final rounds of the 2010 U.S. Open. The Women's Singles semi-finals will be held on Friday, with top seed Caroline Wozniacki taking on Vera Zvonareva and Venus Williams looking to get revenge against Kim Clijsters for the Belgian's victory over Serena Williams last year. But the real money is on the men: Will arch-rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer meet at the net for the first time at a U.S. Open Final?
As the players ended the first week of the U.S. Open, many familiar faces moved on: Venus Williams advanced in straight sets, and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both won. Amy Eddings, host of "All Things Considered" on New York Public Radio, was at the U.S. Open on Sunday. She wraps up all the weekend's action.
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi holds the honor of being Pakistan’s number one ranked tennis player; but, as he competes in the U.S. Open, it is clear that he is playing for more than just the gold. Qureshi competes alongside doubles partner Rohann Bopanna; the pair has been dubbed "The Indo-Pak Express" on the international tennis circuit because Qureshi is a Pakistani Muslim, and Bopanna a Hindu from India.
And while the pair has explicitly stated their aim to overcome sixty years of hostility between their countries, the question remains: how can tennis heal the cultural wounds on the subcontinent?
Andre Agassi talked to us this morning, and while I generally have little or no interest in what memoir-hawking celebrities have to say, he talked about something that surprised me. Yes, his life story is all about his tough father and the agony of being a tennis prodigy urged on by an ambitious parent. He told a great story about how his dad put 9-year-old Andre up to a game against sports legend Jim Brown years ago on a ten thousand dollar bet, the family’s life savings.
I asked Agassi whether the frustration over his own life has parallels with grown up golf prodigy Tiger Wood’s current struggles. Agassi guardedly said that he understood how living in a bubble created by stardom can lead to bad choices. Then a few moments later, while talking about the boarding school he created in his hometown of Las Vegas, he said that the most important thing in life is choices. “Education is about choices,” Andre Agassi told us and he openly wished he had made more conscious choices in his own life. It made me think about my goals as a parent.
Day 3 of the U.S. Open saw temperatures reach the mid-90s and a scare on the court as 10th seed Victoria Azarenka collapsed in the midst of her second-round match. Heat wasn't the only culprit, it was later revealed she fell in the gym and bumped her head and arm, before the match.
Tandaleya Wilder, sports commentator and founder of She Got Game Media, has the latest on Azarenka's condition, and how Americans Venus Williams and Andy Roddick did yesterday.
Andre Agassi is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, as well as one of the most charismatic players in the history of the game. But despite his record wins and huge prize earnings, which total over thirty million dollars, Agassi admits in his autobiography, “Open,” that he actually hates tennis with a passion.
Agassi joins us to discuss where his true passions lie, the role his family played in pressuring him to be a champion, and how he managed to write so honestly in his new book, “Open: An Autobiography
The Takeaway's sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, headed to Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, NY for the U.S. Open. He came away with a number of observations, including how players distract themselves, like Frenchman, Gael Monfils who played soccer on the court before his match.
The U.S. Open began yesterday, and a number of storylines are appearing. Who will take advantage on the women's side of the absence of Serena Williams and Justine Henin? And can Rafael Nadal win his first U.S. Open title and complete his Career Grand Slam? Diane Pucin is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and she's in New York following the Open. She helps us take a look at the week's big matches.
On Monday, the U.S. Open in New York City will pit the world's best tennis players against each other. The Takeaway's sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin tells us more about the standings: what matchups to look for, and the expected head-to-head of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams are taking home Wimbledon titles. And in the World Cup, Germany handily beat Argentina 4-0 and moves on to play Spain. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps a big weekend in sports and says that The Netherlands is the team to beat in the World Cup
It doesn't get more dramatic than yesterday's World Cup match between the U.S. and Algeria. The stakes? If Team USA won, they would be off to the Cup's second round—but if they tied or lost, America's best hope for soccer glory in decades would be on a plane back home.
Team USA had repeated chances to score, missed open goals, and sent balls bouncing off of the goal post. Then, just over a minute into injury time, Landon Donovan scored the critical goal that would send Team USA into the next round of the World Cup with a 1-0 win. They now sit atop their Group C division, tied with England. (Watch Landon Donovan's goal after the jump.)
Takeaway sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin tells us why a bad call during the U.S.-Slovenia World Cup game is good for American soccer. He also looks at Italy's World Cup game against New Zealand. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was a very emotional victory for New Zealand. "Italy is an old team," says Ibrahim, "they're playing uninspired soccer."
It was a winning weekend for Europe at the U.S. Open, where Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell became the first European in forty years to win the tournament. He shot 3-over-par 74 on Pebble Beach's treacherous course.
Winning his fifth French Open title, Rafael Nadal proved once again that the courts of Roland Garros belong to him. He defeated Robin Soderling, the same man who knocked him out last year. The Takeaway's sports contributor, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has the details of the match. He also recaps last night's Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, and Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Tennis great, Roger Federer's streak of 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals came to an end yesterday. He lost to Robin Soderling, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, in the men's quarterfinals. Soderling is the same player Federer beat in last year's finals to claim his first French Open title. Soderling is also the one who upset Federer's main rival and four time French Open champion, Raphael Nadal, last year. Tom Perrotta is the senior editor at Tennis Magazine, and he has the details of this major upset and the significance of one of sports' greatest records.
Today's Takeaway: Big Night for Rick Santorum
Today's Takeaway: Multi-Billion Dollar Foreclosure Settlement Imminent
'Tebow Bill' May Allow Home-Schoolers to Play on High School Teams
Newly-Discovered Recordings Shed Light on a Young Malcolm X
Is Our Constitution Out of Date?
Multi-Billion Dollar Foreclosure Settlement Imminent
Today's Takeaway: What's Next for Syria?
Results from GOP Contests in Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri
Contraception Coverage Draws Criticism from Catholic Bishops
A Lesson on Making Better Home Movies
The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with The BBC World Service, New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
Major funding provided by:
