Maria's Resolve

Racqonteur always wonders how champions faced with painful losses sort things out. Here, courtesy of 3rd round U.S. Open loser Maria Sharapova's website, is one player's perspective:

"I didn't leave my mom at the age of 7 for nothing. I didn't spend 6 hours a day practicing in the Florida sun at the age of 9 for nothing. I didn't spend those extra hours on the back courts with my dad figuring out if I'm going to play right-handed or left-handed for nothing. I didn't sleep in little cots for 3 years eating oatmeal out of a packet, while playing ITF's in the middle of nowhere for nothing. And I certainly didn't sit at the kitchen table, way past dinner, perfecting Russian essays and math equations until they met my mother's standards, for nothing. All this has helped me build character and there's no greater asset than being able to stand up for yourself. No matter how many losses I will have in my career, I will always know what has brought me to this point.....and that's hard work."

How's that for a tough cookie? Can't wait to see Maria battle back on the lightning fast late season indoor carpet and hardcourts.

Has Young Donald's Moment Arrived?

So what if he's yet to win an ATP Tour-level match in 11 tries? The kid only just turned 18. A lot has been said about Donald Young and his perhaps ill-advised decision to turn pro at 14. This year Young, a crafty left-hander with prodigious touch and extraordinary speed around the court, has pulled back onto the Challenger circuit, where he's found a lot more success and hopefully gathered some confidence. Now that he's been bestowed with a golden ticket, er, wild card to play in the U.S. Open, it seems like the stars may have finally aligned for Young to be able to show the tennis world what he can do.

UPDATE: On Sunday, August 19, Young won his first ATP match in the first round of the Pilot Pen, beating Amer Delic in three tight sets.

Roddick on the Ropes

Woe is Roddickulous. That big clock at Flushing Meadows sure is ticking, and the wheels on A-Rod's train only seem further from the track with each passing week. Okay, succumbing to a barrage of supernatural winners at the hands of Richie Gasquet in a wacky Wimbledon quarterfinal is one thing. But being out-aced by Frank Dancevic of Canada at Indianapolis? Even the gloomiest of crystal balls never would have foretold such a fate for America's lost great hope. A little like the real estate market, one has to wonder: How far does this thing have left to fall? The Racqonteur predicts: A-Rod crashes out in the third round of the U.S. Open to an Icelandic qualifier.