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- U.S.T.A. WELCOMES THE WORLD: The U.S. Open is the premier event of the United States Tennis Association (U.S.T.A.). The group is waiting for approval from the city of New York to launch a six-year, $500 million overhaul of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including a roof over the Arthur Ashe Stadium – welcome news for players stymied by this year’s frequent rain delays (ERIC WONG)
- AZARENKA POWERS THROUGH: No. 1-seed Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, continued her march to the semi-finals with a September 4 win over seventh-seeded defending champion Samantha Stosur. It was Azarenka’s first appearance at a U.S. Open quarter-final match (ERIC WONG)
- LI NA UPSET IN THIRD ROUND: Last year’s French Open winner Li Na fell to Britain’s Laura Robson in the third round. It was the first year Li hasn’t reached the final eight at a major tournament since 2008 (ERIC WONG)
- LU YEN-HSUN FALLS: Lu Yen-Hsun, appearing in his fifth U.S. Open, fell in the first round to American Sam Querrey. Lu in 2010 became the first man from Asia to reach the quarterfinals at a major tournament in 15 years (ERIC WONG)
- NISHIKORI DEFLATES: Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori lost in the third round in sweltering heat on Court 17 during a three-and-a-half-hour match with Croatian Marin Cilic (ERIC WONG)
- MATHIEU STRUGGLES: French player Paul-Henri Mathieu, once ranked 12th worldwide, is struggling this year coming off an injury. Mathieu fell in the second round in straight sets to Canadian Milos Raonic (ERIC WONG)
- COURT 17: Despite frequent rain delays, this year the U.S. Open set new attendance records, attracting over 60,000 spectators a day thanks to increased seating in stands such as newly constructed Court 17, the fourth largest on the grounds (ERIC WONG)
- ZHENG STARTS STRONG: China’s Zheng Jie fell to top-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the third round after a strong start to the tournament. “She’s definitely a really tough opponent. She’s had big matches; she’s had big results,” Azarenka told the Wall Street Journal. Zheng is known for upsetting then reigning world number one Ana Ivanovic in a 2008 Wimbledon match (ERIC WONG)
- FERRER ADVANCES TO QUARTERFINALS: Fourth-seed David Ferrer on September 4 cruised into a spot in the quarterfinals with a win over No. 13 Richard Gasquet. Ferrer has called 2012 season “the best of my career” (ERIC WONG)
- TAKE-AWAY: A spectator holds a tennis ball autographed by players at the U.S. Open at the in Flushing Meadows, New York. This year, for the first time, fans at the Open can buy tennis balls used in matches authenticated by the U.S.T.A. for $29.99 to $59.99 (ERIC WONG)
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