The US Open may be over, but why not return to the third round and remind ourselves of how the Russians were doing. Twin brothers Jerry and Clyde (Stone and Stone) talk about Russian women’s tennis players with a funny play on words like "winner will face Whateva Slevtova". Click the image to watch the video clip or simply click here.

The US Open women’s doubles final between the teams of Vania King/Yaroslava Shvedova and Nadia Petrova/Liezel Huber was suspended on Sunday due to rain and postponed for Monday. At the moment the match had to stop King and Shvedova were three points from defeat, with King serving at 4-5, 0-15 in the third set.

However, the American and the Kazakh, seeded sixth, saved a match point shortly after play resumed and then went on to win the third set tiebreaker against their second-seeded opponents. Final score: 2-6 6-4 7-6(4). (photo via Yahoo)

Kim Clijsters made last year’s US Open one of the most interesting ones as she won the title playing only her third tournament after a three-year-long break from tennis. The 27-year-old Belgian has now put icing on the cake by defending her title in the shortest women's final since officials started keeping track of match times in 1980 and the most one-sided final in 34 years, since Chris Evert demolished Evonne Goolagong in 1976.

The second-seeded Clijsters defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva, No.7 seed, 6-2 6-1 in just 60 minutes, without dropping even one service game. The match started with consistent play from both players as the score went to 2-2, but from then on Clijsters won seven straight games and barely looked back. Clijsters, who won her third US Open title, had words of consolation for Zvonareva who easily lost her second straight Grand Slam final: "Vera just keep it going, it will happen." Read more »

Carl Bialik from the Wall Street Journal made an interesting analysis of the time players take inbetween serves, which is often longer than 20 seconds ("a maximum of twenty (20) seconds shall elapse from the moment the ball goes out of play at the end of the point until the time the ball is struck for the first serve of the next point"). Players do not really pay attention to the rule, probably because it is not enforced much.

Here’s the average among 20 women timed by stopwatch at the US Open: 22.7 seconds and 12.2 pre-serve bounces of the ball. Interestingly, women’s tennis players need shorter breaks before serving after they have won a point – average of 21.6 seconds and 11.2 bounces. However, they need longer preparation after losing a point – average of 22.8 seconds and 12.5 bounces.

And one more thing, even though the second serve should follow an unsuccessful first serve "without delay", female tennis players take 11.5 seconds and 6.2 bounces. (via: Women Who Serve, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Kim Clijsters edged Venus Williams 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4, reached her third straight US Open final (2005, 2009, and now 2010) and will be looking for her third successive US Open title.

The third-seeded Williams won the first set 6-4 by converting on the only break point in that set. Then the second-seeded Clijsters established a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Williams produced a comeback of her own and a tiebreak was played. However, Williams double faulted two of her service points and eventually lost the set. In the decider, after another exchange of breaks, Clijsters cracked through Williams’ service again for a 5-4 lead and then served out for the victory.

The 2010 US Open final will therefore feature defending champion Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva, who stopped top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the earlier semifinal. Clijsters own a positive career record against Zvonareva, 5-2, but all the wins Clijsters recorded came prior to her two-year-long retirement. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Top seed and last year’s runner-up Caroline Wozniacki was confidently progressing at the US Open, losing just 17 games en route to the semifinals, but her first Top 10 opponent at the tournament, seventh seed Vera Zvonareva, defeated her 6-4 6-3 and ended her 13-match winning streak.

The loss may have cost Wozniacki the number one ranking, a million-dollar US Open series bonus and of course a first Grand Slam title.

And that’s not all, Wozniacki will probably have to deal with proving herself again. It’s true that she displayed stunning form in her first five matches, but all the opponents were unseeded except for Maria Sharapova, who is not in her prime time.

"Most things were going in. I had chances, and I don't know, I made some mistakes today that I usually don't do," said the 20-year-old Wozniacki, who significantly increased her number of unforced errors, to 31, compared to previous matches.

"Yeah, it was a tough day for me in the office."

Zvonareva has reached the title match of a second straight Grand Slam, having played the Wimbledon final against Serena Williams. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

You know I enjoy awarding my readers with nice prizes, and this time I have Best of The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour 2010 Zagat® Guide signed by world No.6 and French Open finalist Samantha Stosur. I obtained it thanks to Andi, my new collaborator from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

How to get a chance to win? Simply answer the following question below in the comments section: What was Samantha Stosur's best result at the US Open in singles prior to 2010? The Australian recorded her best US Open result this year, by reaching the quarterfinals where she lost to defending champion Kim Clijsters.

The winner will be chosen randomly, from those providing the right answer. The contest ends on September 14th at 5 pm CET and I will announce the winner shortly after. When leaving the comment, make sure to give your correct email address, as I will use it to contact you if you win the prize.

Best of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour 2010 Zagat® Guide features players’ recommended restaurants and shopping places in the cities where WTA tournaments are played. The guide also includes the list of the players’ most frequented spots as well as an index so fans can easily find their favorite players’ dining and shopping recommendations.

Good luck and thank you for participating! (photo of Stosur by John Bolan)

Yonex has announced a new multi-year partnership with Martina Hingis, their longtime endorser. The news contributes to the recent hints that Hingis could come back from retirement to play doubles, as she will now, according to the announcement, "serve as a featured member of the Yonex advisory staff, play the new EZONE 100 racquet and continue to use the brand's tennis bags, strings and other accessories".

Hingis has been playing exhibitions and today she will play another one, at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The new EZONE series of racquets was launched at the start of the 2010 US Open. (via: Women Who Serve, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Neither Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova nor the windy conditions at Flushing Meadows could stop top seed Caroline Wozniacki, and the Dane is well on her way to her first Grand Slam title.

Last year’s runner-up Wozniacki defeated unseeded first-time US Open quarterfinalist Cibulkova 6-2 7-5 in the match that "felt like playing in a hurricane", as Wozniacki later said, and in which it was an achievement simply to keep the ball in play.

Wozniacki made only 18 unforced errors, compared to Cibulkova’s 43. The quarterfinal between Vera Zvonareva and Kaia Kanepi that took place earlier featured as much as 88 unforced errors.

Wozniacki is now on a 13-match winning streak, having won Monteral and New Haven prior to coming to the US Open. In the Montreal final she defeated Vera Zvonareva, her next opponent at the US Open. (source: BBC, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Jim from KEF Media that arranged me two interviews with Lindsay Davenport and one with Chris Evert, provided me with another high-profile interview, with tennis great Tracy Austin.

The two-time US Open champion (1979, 1981) and former world No.1 answered a couple of my questions that are of course related to the current Grand Slam event and there is also the third question that I have to note was inserted by them, basically so that Tracy would advertise a product she is using for her injuries. Oh well, I’m fine with it.

My questions:

1. Can you name three players, in order, that you think are most likely to win the US Open women’s title?

2. Ivanovic has shown good form so far, what do you think her chances are?

All in all, Tracy was right with her predictions (the interview took place September 3). Actually, this US Open turned out not to be so difficult to predict, no earth-shaking surprises have occurred.

More or less irrelevant note: I want to say one more thing, I didn’t get to talk on the phone with the person I was interviewing yet again, because I was at work at the time the interview was scheduled for. Next time…