US OPEN 2013

Here we go~ the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship!  Does it not seem Wimbledon just ended?  Tennis season is the gift that keeps giving!  From August 26th through September 9th meet the best in the world at the~

Official logo and site

Already lots of news before the coin is tossed for first server, Round 1. Tennis world number 3, Maria Sharapova will not be playing due to a right shoulder issue with bursitis. And 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has left the sport for a combination of reasons, we will miss you, Marion! 

This summer marks the 40th anniversary of women making equal pay as men in the sport of tennis, and also the founding of the Women's Tennis Association in 1973. Click here for a great link on the US Open website commemorating the "40 Important Women's Moments in Tennis History."

When I think of that era, these women fought for equality and as a result made the sport even better. Competition improved overall, and if you were fortunate to witness a live match, then first hand you could see the positive stride in their gait, their heads held high as the Virginia Slims era become a reality in women's professional tennis. "You've come a long way, baby...!"

So here we are now in 2013, the equipment has evolved, the training better than ever, but certain standards will forever remain the same.  Over and over I hear, "You have got to put in the time."  Excellence does not simply happen, it is earned.

Keep that thought in mind as the tournament progresses, the ups and downs, the hardships and the luck, the steady player.

And how about the rest of us, the spectator? Good for you if you can tolerate the upper levels of this stadium. I have tried twice, and each time had difficulty with vertigo! 

photo courtesy of Suzy Allman/The New York Times

Regardless, this tournament affords two stadiums, the Arthur Ashe and the Louis Armstrong a bit smaller and much more forgiving in its steep slope, plus the overall layout at Flushing Meadow allows you to stroll the grounds and outdoor courts, alive with warm ups and active matches all happening simultaneously. A few years ago I found myself eyeball to eyeball with men's French player Monfils lunging for a ball, you just never know who you will make a connection with, even if for a split second!

I look forward to watching Roger Federer play with his new Wilson tennis racquet, and wonder if Andy Murray can take the trophy for a second year in a row.  And always at championship level there are tennis greats Rafael Nadal and world number 1 Novak Djokovic, and who knows, how about John Isner? What a player, you may ALL have to step aside..., stay tuned!

Newsflash! James Blake retires! We will miss you too, really like in your closing interview on how many hours and days every day you have put into this sport "to make it look easy."  Good for you, keep moving forward and finish your college degree!

For the complete daily television schedule, click here for the listings by Bleacher Report.

**For the FINALS**~ click US OPEN 2013 WOMEN'S FINAL for the play by play between two great women! Click US OPEN 2013 MEN'S FINAL for the play by play between two great young men!