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US Open at Flushing Meadow

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by qtlaw24, Aug 31, 2015.

  1. qtlaw24

    qtlaw24 Active Member

    As a tennis fan, I've always enjoyed watching how the players have either embraced (McEnroe/Connors) or disdained (Borg) the Flushing Meadow experience. From a fan's viewpoint, one of the greatest spectacles are the night matches (esp. for a West Coaster); Nastase/Connors; Connors/Krickstein; McEnroe/Lendl (I recall saying who is that guy with the one-hander?); Blake/Fed?

    Amazing that with as great as the mens draw looks, Djoker/Fed/Murray, its Serena that's the talk of the tourney.
     
  2. Gator

    Gator Well-Known Member

    As it should be. Look, maybe the women's field isn't what it once was, but at her age, to be dominating a sport the way she has is simply amazing. I was never a Serena fan before this year (I actually thought she was obnoxious), but she's handled this with grace and poise. I'm fully rooting for her in these next two weeks.

    Another guy we should all be rooting for is Mardy Fish. I've had a few opportunities to interview him, and he seems to be a down-to-earth guy (although he got a little testy when I asked him what's happening to American men's tennis). He was in the top 10 before suffering through anxiety issues. He's been out of the game for two years, but won his first-round match today. He'll retire at the end of the tournament. For me, anyway, it has a Jimmy Connors-type feel. I just hope he can win at least a few more, maybe reach the third round, or the round of 16.
     
  3. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    Serena's opponent tonight: 0 winners, 14 unforced errors, 6 double faults. Won five points in 8 games.
     
  4. Webster

    Webster Well-Known Member

    When I was in high school in the mid-80s, you could get tickets to a first week day session for $5 with a high school ID. It was amazing to just watch the players on the outer courts up close.
     
  5. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Our yearly tradition -- labor day weekend day sessions. Sadly, tickets aren't $5, but they are still a great deal (even if they get you on the price of each water). We show up before 11, snag a good spot in the grandstand and see a top player early. Then we freelance it, depending on what is going on in Armstrong or on the outer courts. Typically, as the night session is getting close, a lot of people have cleared out and we end up making our way into Armstrong to sit up close, and see something like the Williams sisters playing doubles or a top match that got pushed back because of a long match earlier in the day. You can end up sitting court side with your little grounds pass. We usually don't get out until late and we're waxed from the day. But it's one of my favorite things -- we look forward to this every year. We've done tickets to Ashe -- later in the tournament, for example -- and it gives you the marquis match, but unless you are sitting all the way downstairs, it is very impersonal. Even decent seats are impersonal compared to how close you can get on the grandstand or the outer courts. If you go early in the tournament, you see great players up close. It's amazing how damned good they are. It gives you an appreciation for how skilled they are.
     
  6. Dyno

    Dyno Well-Known Member

    I've gone over Labor Day weekend just about every year for the last 25 years, but I'm missing this year's Open because I have a family event to go to. I'm not a Serena fan - at all - but if she wins, it will be amazing and I'll be sorry I didn't get to see her this time around. Our seats in Ashe have gotten crazy expensive. I miss the days of cheap seats in Armstrong, and bringing in our own food, including bottles of booze.
     
  7. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    Ragu, agree with every word here. For awhile I'd always go the first Tuesday and pretty much just hit the outer courts or Armstrong, but last few times it's been on the weekend. Going this Saturday and going to pretty much do everything you say here. Two years ago I did go to my first night session. It was fun -- Novak wiped a guy in three sets -- and glad I was able to experience night tennis at the Open, but I'd much rather be there for like 8 hours wandering around.
     
  8. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    The night session is like sitting in the Monster Seats at Fenway. Every fan should do it once, and once is enough.
     
  9. Lugnuts

    Lugnuts Well-Known Member

    My day there last year was one of my favorite days ever as a human.

    I got a grounds pass and met some friends. We made our way around the outer courts and found good spots to see great action.

    Then one of my buddies said he knew an usher at Armstrong. And I was like, "Yeah? So?"

    Well the usher let us into the corporate box area and let us "float" around the unused seats. So I saw the entire Murray match, followed by Isner-Kohlschrieber mostly from various seats in the front row. It was fun. It felt illegal.
     
  10. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I was there that day, Lugs. Saw both of those matches. Kolschrieber knocks Isner out of the tournament EVERY year.

    We also so Tsonga win, and the Bryan Brothers win in doubles that day.
     
    Lugnuts likes this.
  11. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    I've been going to the Miami tournament for the past 20 years and rarely venture into the stadium (even though seats aren't bad there, either). But nothing beats front row on an outer court for watching these amazing players.

    Djokovic vs. a qualifier isn't thrilling. But final round of qualifying to see who gets to face Djokovic is intense, pressure-packed tennis. Worth about $40,000 just to make the main draw at the U.S. Open.
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2015
  12. Gator

    Gator Well-Known Member

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