Keyboard Quarterbacks

By Mike Casey

Some observations from my day at the U.S. Open:

*What percentage of U.S. Open fans do you think actually know all the rules of tennis? 50 percent? 60? My guess is 60 percent.

*Where else can you pay $18.50 for a corned beef sandwich and $7.50 for a plate of nachos, and still go home feeling satisfied? (Put your hands down, Yankees fans.)

*Where else can you pay $13 to park two miles from the stadium and still go home feeling satisfied? (Put your hands down, Mets fans.)

*Sometimes I wonder whether it was a good idea to take the top bowl off of Louis Armstrong Stadium. One of the best matches of the day (Martina Hingis vs. Shuai Peng) was played on that court, but within minutes of start of the match, the stadium was filled to capacity. A long line of fans gathered outside, but eventually were shooed away by a public address announcement.

*Tennis instant replay is awesome. How awesome? Fans actually root for players to challenge calls. The chair umpire makes an announcement, and everyone looks up to the big screen to watch the digitally reproduced replay. You can actually hear everyone  holding their breath. If the ball is in, the crowd goes nuts. You've gotta love impromptu moments of drama.

*Instant replay moment of the night: On a close 'in' call along the baseline, Andy Roddick asked nearby fans for "a little help." The fans gave him the right advice, because the ball was clearly in, and he didn't challenge.  If players are going to rely on fans for help with decisions on challenges, I hope tennis fans are a little smarter than the football fans who yell "GO FOR IT!" on every 4th and 1.

*The crowd for the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium certainly was a late-arriving bunch. When Maria Sharapova's 7:30 p.m. match against Michaella Krajicek began, only 1/4 of the stadium was filled. Maybe it had something to do with that terrific parking situation.

*Maria Sharapova served her way into the ongoing fashion show that is ladies' tennis, wearing a sparkly black tennis dress and carrying a matching black tennis bag onto the court. 

*Best interview comment of the day? "No comment," from Maria Sharapova, who was asked whether she would stay to watch Andy Roddick's match after she defeated Krajicek, 6-3, 6-0.

*Funniest moment of the day? The winners of the "Continental Seat Upgrade contest," who stood up to reveal they were sitting on Delta seat cushions.

*Second funniest moment of the day? The chair umpire in the Sharapova-Krajicek match nearly getting clocked with an errant shot.

*I still think it's crazy that opponents warm up against each other before the match. Maybe this is bad tennis etiquette, but I would definitely try to psych my opponent out with some wicked shots, or maybe pretend a certain part of my game is weaker than it is. Then again, I don't play tennis, and now you all know why.

*Question: If you were Michaella Krajicek, would you elect to serve first against Sharapova? Answer: No, because you know you're going to get broken and start the match in a big hole. I'd try to break the better player's serve first and put some pressure on. But again, I don't play tennis, and maybe this is why.

*Happy Birthday to Andy Roddick, who will never forget his birthday as long as he plays tennis. He can thank the hundreds of teenage girls in the crowd who kept yelling "Happy Birthday, Andy!" Ahhh, to be a tennis star.