I wonder what it must be like for the players on the last Saturday of the US Open. For the last umpteen years, US Open organizers play both men’s semis and the women’s finals on the same day – hence the moniker, Super Saturday.
Having just played their semifinal matches yesterday, the women are not given the same amount of rest as they do at other slams coming into today. Same for the men tomorrow. I understand that it is for the benefit of the fans, but how many others besides me are willing to set aside an entire day to watch tennis? (pathetic enough?)
At least the women don’t need to play their final sandwiched in-between the men’s semis anymore. You’ve come a long way, baby?
First on, Rafa vs. Youhzny. The lead stories coming into the match were grand. 
By reaching the final, Rafa could set himself up to become just the seventh man ever to win the career grand slam. If Federer also won, it would be the first time in tennis history that the two same men would play each other in the title-round of every grand slam.
Rafa held up his side of the bargain with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win. Youhzny was actually in his second US Open semifinal, but likely his claim to fame will remain his self-masochistic assault from a few years ago. (Click here if you are not afraid of blood.) After 2 hours and 17 minutes, the match really just proved to be an opportunity for Rafa to show off his fitted yellow shirt.
Next up was Federer-Djokovic. For the fourth year in a row, these two would play at the Open and, for the first time, the match went the full five sets. The contest was a see-saw battle. Roger won the first and third sets, 7-5. Nole won the second and third sets by surrendering only three games total. The fifth and final frame was all New York drama.
Roger led 5-4, and had two match points on his opponent’s serve. Djokovic unloads the two best forehands he would hit the entire match and stays in it. The set is leveled at 5 games all.
Djokovic’s forehand continues its relentless incisions all over the court. Roger does not give in and keeps each game close. However, Djokovic would refuse to be eliminated for a fourth consecutive year by the Swiss Mister and prevails 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. 
What makes a match an instant classic? A comeback from match points down? The wave on the upper deck? Three hours plus? Whatever it is, this was it.
The women’s final was on last – the Belgian defending champion, Kim Clijsters, against the Russian hothead, Vera Zvonareva. I didn’t have high hopes for this match. I wasn’t disappointed.
For the fifteenth year in a row, the US Open women’s championship match was a straight set borefest. The last time the women dueled to three was when Steffi defeated Monica in 1995.
You gotta feel for Vera. She exhibited great efforts this year at reaching two back-to-back slam finals. But, at Wimbledon earlier this summer, she is overwhelmed by the occasion and bombs out against Serena. Then, she arrives in Flushing Meadows today and is overcome again by her nerves in a 6-2, 6-1 beatdown.
Kim is a classy champion and revealed in her post-match interview that she gave encouragement to Vera that she will breakthrough one day. Kim, after all, lost her first four grand slam finals before becoming the three-time US Open champion that she is today. Wisdom that only comes with age, but also, titles that only come with steely resolve and persistence.
