My European Curse

Yes my recent tennis trip abroad has just now felt it's impact in the most negative manner at Flushing Meadows - at least for the successful female winners of the tournaments I attended.

Kvitova & Bartoli - finalists at Eastbourne
 but making early exits from US Open

I had the pleasure of witnessing Li Na triumphing at Roland Garros, and at the US Open she fell in the first round, a straight sets victim of Romania's Simona Halep, and a continuation of her poor form since the French Open.

Eastbourne was a grass court delight for France's Marion Bartoli, but the eighth seed was turned into French toast in round two by American Christina McHale, who is making a habit of taking top ranked players to the cleaners. (just ask the world's number one). Again the result achieved in the minimum required number of sets.

After Eastbourne it was more grass court action to provide my tennis fix at the All England Club, and one of the highest of highs came with the Wimbledon victory achieved by Petra Kvitova from the Czech Republic.  New York did her no favours either, with another Romanian, Alexandra Dulgheru dispatching her without any bother in the first round shock of shocks.

However, the biggest surprise of all has been the fact that New York managed to host the US Open at all, and on time, considering Hurricane Irene had just belted the place.

Some things stay the same though, and Serena continues to shine in Arthur Ashe stadium.  As too does Federer, Nadal and the dominant player of the year Novak Djokovic.  Andy Murray is flexing his tennis muscle very early in proceedings, and home town hero, the other Andy, even won a match. Roddick has had a lousy year, and his position as American number one male player, previously without contention, has been lost to a resurgent Mardy Fish.  Fish opened the tournament and did it emphatically with a straight sets mauling of unfortunate German Tobias Kamke, leaking only 5 games in the process.

As much as I'd love to be in New York at the moment, I am enjoying the extensive coverage in the early hours in Australia, damaging though it tends to be to my sleeping pattern.  Speaking of Australians, we currently have one through to the second round of mens singles, Bernard Tomic, the youngest player in the draw.  Three women are still standing - 9th seed Samantha Stosur already into the third round, and Jarmila Gajdosova and Jelena Dokic with second round matches hoping to join her there.

The last Grand Slam tournament is alive and well, tempered by the absence through injury of defending champion and 3 time winner Kim Clijsters, and the withdrawal through illness of Robin Soderling and Venus Williams from the mens and womens draws respectively.