Sports

-- Novak Djokovic, the third seed and a favorite to go far in this tournament (at least as far as an eagerly anticipated semifinal rematch of his final last year versus Roger Federer), advanced to the second round in straight sets, beating Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. In that third set, Djokovic needed a trainer to tape up his ankle, which he later said was doing "OK." He predicted that it would be fine in two days, in time to face unseeded American Robert Kendrick in the second round.

-- 5th-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, a semifinalist here in 2006 and 2007, also advanced in straight sets.  read more »

Sybille Bammer continued her quest for truth and justice today with a scintillating 6-1, 7-5 win over Aravane Rezai. Rezai, I regret to inform you, had more winners than The Golden One, but -- BUT! -- far more errors, too, and Bammer's strong second serve carried the day. Our limitless enthusiasm for Bammer -- and it is limitless -- is looking steadily less funny.

Jelena Jankovic has suffered from leg injuries for much of this year, and she had something of a scare in the third set of her second-round match against Sofia Arvidsson, when she was down on the court for about 30 seconds without sound or movement. But it didn't seem leg-related: "I was just tired, and I couldn't get up. I was so exhausted at that moment. I was breathing hard, and I didn't have the energy to get up." Yikes.

Jankovic went on, "I would have loved to, you know, take a nap on court, because I was really exhausted. But, you know, the rules are the rules. I had to keep going."

(Perhaps Brian Earley can be persuaded to institute naptime during changeovers?)

Jankovic went on to win, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5.

Continental Airlines, an integral player in an industry flying high on low fuel prices and offering better service at lower cost every day, has set up two chairs on the South Plaza which simulate its "BusinessFirst Experience." You can sign up for a "Boarding Pass," enabling you to sit in the seats for half an hour, watch any of the matches on little screens, and eat complimentary cheese.

Linda Pistoll, who is 63 (or, as she sportingly put it, "39 plus tax"), and Shirley Malitz, 67, were taking in the scene. Linda said, "The chairs are very comfortable -- I feel I'm in first class with a nice little television."

Asked if they planned to stay all day, Shirley said, "Looks that way," but Linda corrected her: "We're only allowed to stay for a little while."

I left as Linda and Shirley received their cheese plates.

In the Battle of the Ekaterinas, "Maka" -- Ekaterina Makarova -- triumphed, losing the first set to fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova before taking the next two to win, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Makarova's loud cheering section may have helped buoy her, and her resemblance to storied champ Steffi Graf couldn't have hurt. Bychkova ended her Open in the second round for the fourth straight year.

Today, John Koblin and I take a look at the USTA's pre-Open publicity tour, which featured a whole lot of James Blake...and not much else. It got us thinking about the state of American men's tennis, where, to paraphrase an obscure writer, something seems just a little bit rotten.

The "signature cocktail" at this year's U.S. Open is the Grey Goose Honey Deuce, which we earlier celebrated for its catchy name.

Well, it turns out that the Honey Deuce existed long before Grey Goose began selling itself as an essential component. In the drink's formative days, it was made with BELVEDERE VODKA.

Belvedere does not rhyme with Honey Deuce. 2008 is so much better than 2007.

I spoke with the lovely Anita Klaussen, wife (and editor!) of renowned tennis writer and commentator Bud Collins, while Bud signed copies of The Bud Collins History of Tennis at the USTA Bookstore. She bemoaned some of the typos which had crept into the book, saying, "We're going to keep trying until we get it right." And she showed off her earrings, which I thought might be homemade but are "from New Mexico, where I come from -- land of art!"

As the men's first round winds down and the women's second round gets underway, here are some matches we're looking out for today:

Novak Djokovic vs. Arnaud Clement

Djokovic is the last of the top 3 seeds in the men's draw to play his first round match. Clement is a journeyman, but he's a strong player, and there could be some good rallies.

Andy Roddick vs. Fabrice Santoro

This is a featured night match, and it will be a lot of fun. 35-year-old Santoro is known for his trick shots, and he also has a history of giving the big American men's players some trouble: at last year's Open, he took James Blake to five sets in the second round before Blake prevailed.  read more »