US OPEN 2014

It is time! US Open 2014! So much to look forward to, and already some upsets of who is not playing. We will not see Nadal due to an injured right wrist, also no Del Potro, or Li Na on the women's side.

the official site

The big guns on the men's draw are Roger Federer (yes, I want him to win everything!), and another top favorite of course is the newlywed and top seeded player Novak Djokovic.

New York City looks better than ever, the buzz is fantastic, you can feel the anticipation and excitement for this grand slam.

Observations

Maria Sharapova plays every match like it's match point~ said by tennis great Chris Evert.
Think about that. You must focus and keep focused for an entire match, plan on two hours for the women's, can you do that?  Try that tactic in your next match. Stay focused each point, hang in there even if you want to stop, breath and smell the roses. Not good enough if you want to win!

Another consideration is recovery. What is that, exactly? Simply, after you exert yourself, you must let the body rest. Recovery repairs the muscles, relaxes the tendons, keeps the lungs open. Roger Federer is a champion of recovery. He skips some tournaments on purpose to be sure he is in top shape for the big one. He is playing smart. Some of the seasoned commentators like Lindsay Davenport and Mary Carillo say that recovery is equally important as actual match play. Keep this in mind so you don't feel so guilty as you rest between your own slams.

These early matches have taken on a chi of their own.  No longer are they easy fodder for the highly ranked. Each shot, each point won and set taken, are a total challenge for both players.  I saw University of Virginia 20 year old Danielle Collins almost beat Simona Halep, the number two seeded women's player.

Maria Sharapova beats other Maria Kirlenko in straight sets on Opening Night, the first set was tight, then Kirlenko injures her ankle and essentially the match was over, with final set at 0-6.  What a shame, you never really know what can transpire in a match, best to get out there and play your game, period.  Even if an opponent may seem daunting, there is an Achilles heel for everyone, you just have to be patient and identify your opponent's weakness.

Got to ♡ New York!

What a fabulous venue, I will try to get to this slam  this year, but no guarantees.  Such is the beauty of this slam, so many of us that are nearby can decide in a day's notice if we so choose to participate as spectators, no big deal, hop on the subway and you are there! And in the city itself, there are tennis player sightings, you never know who you may spot rounding a street corner!

So, hop on the wagon, a big east coast heat wave in store for the next few days, and take in the sights! be sure to tune in to Bleacher Report for match stats!

AND, click here for daily US television schedule!