Monday, September 08, 2014

Did They Hold the Men's Final Today? (Oh, yeah. I guess they did.)


Well, finally, after 114 minutes, the men's final of the 2014 U.S. Open was put out of its misery on Monday.

For the record:



You'd have liked to have thought, just being on the positive side, that the Cilic/Nishikori match-up -- already a final that would have been far, far, far "off Broadway" as an even somewhat desirable end to the year's final slam and CBS Sports' goodbye to the Open -- would have at least produced a good match. You know, sort of like the last time we saw such an "easily ignorable" major men's final -- in Paris in 2004, when Gaston Gaudio staged an improbable comeback against a choking Guillermo Coria -- that turned out to be maybe the most dramatic final that very few people actually saw.

But, no. Instead, the finalists produced the first three-set men's final in New York in six years.

Truthfully, it serves the tournament right. I hope the match receives the very worst ratings in many a year since, for one, this scheduling of the final at 5 p.m. on the weekday A WEEK AFTER a holiday Monday is, quite simply, insane. Doing so on the same Monday that comes after the NFL's opening weekend, only the biggest sports weekend in the U.S., and on the night of the biggest primetime games of the season (the Monday Night Football doubleheader), is just asking for your BIG event to be marginalized or completely ignored in sports coverage. And it was today, as very little mention of the final occurred even on ESPN, which will CARRY the final next year.

The series of Monday men's finals in recent years occurred because of rain delays, so starting last year the tournament simply scheduled the final for that day from the start. Naturally, rain delays haven't had an impact on the final weekend of the Open the last two years, leaving the Monday final as an island unto itself that has no air strips or ports with which to welcome visitors. A Federer/Djokovic final would have caused fans to be "helicoptered in," and even a Federer/Nishikori would have had a nice underdog-vs.-legend quality to it. But that didn't happen, so there was really compelling reason for the match to be give much notice anywhere other than Japan and Croatia. As a weekend match, it at least would have had its place.

As ESPN takes over this event in 2015, and will broadcast the finals and the NFL Monday Night showcase, this stupid scheduling really has to be changed. Go back to having the women's final on Saturday night, and the men's on Sunday!

Okay, rant over. Hey, at least Marin and Kei had the decency to finish up just a few minutes before the kickoff of the football game. That was nice of them.



=DAY 15 NOTES=
...umm, I'm not sure the U.S. Open's Twitter account was TRYING to make a joke about how many people in the States were TRULY interested in today's men's final. But, really, such an attached joke to this post was almost TOO easy. :D



LIKE FROM DAY 15: Sania, of course.



LIKE FROM DAY 15: vichka35: "That's how u win an argument :) by being cute ??????"



LIKE FROM DAY 15: Aga sending well wishes.



LIKE FROM DAY 15: Campaigning goes all aTwitter.



...and, finally, what happens AFTER the women's final? I'm assuming Serena DID buy the drinks. I mean, it's the least she could do, right?

carowozniacki: "Out and about NYC with @serenawilliams !! #selfie"



=WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Serena Williams/USA def. #10 Caroline Wozniacki/DEN 6-3/6-3

=MEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#14 Marin Cilin/CRO def. #10 Kei Nishikori/JPN 6-3/6-3/6-3

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#4 Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS) def. Hingis/Pennetta (SUI/ITA) 2-6/6-3/6-2

=MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 B.Bryan/M.Bryan (USA/USA) def. #11 Granollers-Pujols/M.Lopez (ESP/ESP) 6-3/6-4

=MIXED DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Mirza/Soares (IND/BRA) def. Spears/S.Gonzalez (USA/MEX) 6-1/2-6 [11-9]

=GIRLS SINGLES FINAL=
Marie Bouzkova/CZE def. #9 Anhelina Kalinina/UKR 6-4/7-6(5)

=BOYS SINGLES FINAL=
Omar Jasika/AUS def. #5 Quentin Halys/FRA 2-6/7-5/6-1

=GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL=
#6 Soylu/Teichmann (TUR/SUI) def. Lapko/Mihalikova (BLR/SVK) 5-7/6-2 [10-7]

=BOYS DOUBLES FINAL=
#6 Jasika/Nakagawa (AUS/JPN) def. Matos/Menezes (BRA/BRA) 6-3/7-6(6)

=WC WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Aniek Van Koot/NED 6-3/6-3

=WC MEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Shingo Kunieda/JPN def. #2 Stephane Houdet/FRA 7-6(0)/6-4

=WC WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) def. #2 Griffioen/Van Koot (NED/NED) 6-4/3-6/6-3

=WC MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Houdet/Kunieda (FRA/JPN) def. #2 Reid/Scheffers (GBR/NED) 6-2 2-6 7-6(4)

=WOMEN'S BJK AMERICAN COLLEGIATE SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Jamie Loeb (Univ. of North Carolina) def. Julia Elbaba (Univ. of Va.) 7-5/6-1

=MEN'S BJK AMERICAN COLLEGIATE SINGLES SF=
#1 Marcos Giron (UCLA) def. Peter Kobelt (Ohio St.) 6-1/6-3



**RECENT U.S. OPEN MEN'S FINALS**
2004 Roger Federer d. Lleyton Hewitt 6-0,7-6,6-0
2005 Roger Federer d. Andre Agassi 6-3,2-6,7-6,6-1
2006 Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick 6-2,4-6,7-5,6-1
2007 Roger Federer d. Novak Djokovic 7-6,7-6,6-4
2008 Roger Federer d. Andy Murray 6-2,7-5,6-2
2009 Juan Martin del Potro d. R.Federer 3-6,7-6,4-6,7-6,6-2
2010 Rafael Nadal d. Novak Djokovic 6-4,5-7,6-4,6-2
2011 Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal 6-2,6-4,6-7,6-1
2012 Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic 7-6,7-5,2-6,3-6,6-2
2013 Rafael Nadal d. Novak Djokovic 6-2,3-6,6-4,6-1
2014 Marin Cilic d. Kei Nishikori 6-3,6-3,6-3

**U.S. OPEN MEN'S FINALS - active**
6...Roger Federer (5-1)
5...Novak Djokovic (1-4)
3...Rafael Nadal (2-1)
2...Lleyton Hewitt (1-1)
2...Andy Murray (1-1)
1...Juan Martin del Potro (1-0)
1...MARIN CILIC (1-0)
1...KEI NISHIKORI (0-1)

*ACTIVE SINGLES PLAYERS - FIRST SLAM FINAL - MEN*
2001 U.S. Open - Lleyton Hewitt (W)
2003 Wimbledon - Roger Federer (W)
2005 Roland Garros - Rafael Nadal (W)
2006 Australian Open - Marcos Baghdatis
2007 U.S. Open - Novak Djokovic
2008 Australian Open - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
2008 U.S. Open - Andy Murray
2009 Roland Garros - Robin Soderling
2009 U.S. Open - Juan Martin del Potro (W)
2010 Wimbledon - Tomas Berdych
2013 Roland Garros - David Ferrer
2014 Australian Open - Stan Wawrinka (W)
2014 U.S. Open - Kei Nishikori
2014 U.S. Open - Marin Cilic (W)

**SLAM FINALS WITHOUT "BIG FOUR"**
[since Federer's first final at 2003 Wimbledon
2003 US - Andy Roddick def. Juan Carlos Ferrero
2004 RG - Gaston Gaudio def. Guillermo Coria
2005 AO - Marat Safin def. Lleyton Hewitt
2014 US - Marin Cilic def. Kei Nishikori




TOP QUALIFIER: #32q Aleksandra Krunic/SRB
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Serena Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #17 Ekaterina Makarova/RUS
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): #1 Serena Williams/USA
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: Duan Yingying/CHN d. Irena Pavlovic/FRA 6-3/1-6/7-6(5) [Pavlovic up 5-1 3rd, held MP]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - (WC) CiCi Bellis/USA d. #12 Dominika Cibulkova/SVK 6-1/4-6/6-4 (Bellis world #1208)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - #16 Victoria Azarenka/BLR d. (Q) Aleksandra Krunic/SRB 4-6/6-4/6-4
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): Mixed Doubles Final - #1 Mirza/Soares d. Spears/Santiago 6-1/2-6 [11-9]
TOP ASHE NIGHT SESSION MATCH: 4th Rd. - #16 Victoria Azarenka/BLR d. (Q) Aleksandra Krunic/SRB 4-6/6-4/6-4
=============================
FIRST WINNER: #4 Aga Radwanska/POL (def. S.Fichman/CAN)
FIRST SEED OUT: #25 Garbine Muguruza/ESP (lost to M.Lucic-Baroni/CRO)
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: United States (12 Bannerettes 2nd Rd.)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: France (1-5 in 1st Rd.; only win in Pastry-vs.-Pastry match-up)
CRASH & BURN: #12 Dominika Cibulkova/SVK (AO runner-up; lost 1st Rd. to Bellis/USA, 15-year old in slam debut)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Mirjana Lucic-Baroni/CRO (in Round of 16 for first time in 15 years, after family's abusive background)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Aleksandra Krunic/SRB & Mirjana Lucic-Baroni/CRO (both 4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Nicole Gibbs/USA (3rd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Serena Williams/USA (in F)
IT ("Girl"): CiCi Bellis/USA (15-year old Wild Card; youngest MD win since 1996 - Anna Kournikova)
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Peng Shuai/CHN
COMEBACK PLAYER: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
BROADWAY-BOUND: Belinda Bencic/SUI
LADY OF THE EVENING: Victoria Azarenka/BLR
DOUBLES STARS: Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Marie Bouzkova/CZE




All for now. 3Q Awards this week.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 7:17 PM 

3 Comments:

Blogger Diane said...

Poor Kei. He had nothing left, but it's a near-miracle he was able to make it to the final, given his circumstances.

Did you like how--after years of telling us that Cilic could win a major--the CBS team told us that "no one ever" imagined Cilic could win a major? This stuff is pure Lewis Carroll but without the personality.

Scheduling the men's final on the third Monday is stupid beyond my capacity to describe stupid.

Mon Sep 08, 10:15:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Hopefully the change to ESPN will alter that schedule, which was really just a "give up" move anyway since it only happened after the rain created no many "unscheduled" Monday finals. Hilarious that the rain stayed away once they pushed everything back from the start.

Also, by pushing the finals back to Sunday/Monday, it's killed any momentum the tournament has at the end of the second week. Too many days with hardly anything happening... and the last night session was on Night 11 (last Thursday!), and even it only had one singles match. Aren't the U.S. Open night sessions in NYC supposed to be THE showcase for the sport? Why intentionally put a premature end to them right when the matches become truly important?

Of course, oddly enough, the seeming de-emphasis of the night sessions has seemed to come since ESPN took over for USA Network in broadcasting them, though the thought was always that they would become BIGGER, not smaller.

Maybe the tournament has already gone down the rabbit hole and can't climb out. ;)

Tue Sep 09, 01:55:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Eric said...

- yea...bummed that Kei took out some really tough opponents; overcame physical challenges; and then couldn't get the trophy

- big serving tennis (different from precision serving ala Federer) is not fun for me to watch

Tue Sep 09, 02:17:00 PM EDT  

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