The Best of the Rest

Before Rafa and Nole tussle for the men's title, here's some thoughts on all we've seen thus far at the U.S. Open.

Man, can two weeks ever feel like a lifetime. Remember when it was hot and players were sweating profusely during warmups? Remember when 25 M.P.H winds wreaked havoc on a full week of tennis? Remember when Nole's Parent's t-shirts spiked in value on Saturday afternoon?

I do, but that will not stop me from reliving it right now. Call it a pre-final post-tourney memorial celebration. I promise to be brief.

Enjoy the men's final y'all!!!!

1. Ryan Harrison - Let's not overhype him but let's not forget how refreshing it was to see an American display that kind of variety and court sense. Sure, he coughed up a big opportunity vs. Stakhovsky, but I'm guessing it will only serve to make him a hungrier animal.
2. King and Shvedova - Can they comeback and win a second consecutive title? Either way, starting their Grand Slam career with a Wimbledon title and eleven consecutive wins absolutely rocks!
3. Wawrinka - This was most I've ever enjoyed watching Stan the Man do his thing. His chip and charge to finish Querrey off in the round of 16 was classic.
4. Maria Sharapova - Yeah, another tough draw for Maria, but I absolutely loved the way she played this year. I think when we look back on her career, we'll say that 2010 was the year that made Maria stronger than ever.
5. Kimmie - 21 straight wins at the U.S. Open? That would have been tough to call last summer. U-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e.
6. Youzhny - Every time I see his salute, I love him a little bit more. The Youzhny-Wawrinka QF was classic old school tennis. Juicy rallies, one-handers, guts, and instinct.
7. Gabashvili and Istomin - These guys stepped up on the big stage and kept the night sessions very interesting. Sure, we all want to see Rafa seek and destroy, but it's nice when he has to work a little in the process.
8. The Heat - I love to watch tennis in oppressive heat. We get to see who has put in the hard yards over the course of the year, and we get to see shotmaking that is unaffected by gale force winds.
9. Gasquet - Hey, the guy played his best tennis in a while.
10. Monfils - Nice run for Monfils, and the new K-Swiss commercial is fun. But seriously, Gael, just get serious about winning please. There's a time and a place for all that amazingly cool stuff you do on court - and we love you for it - but just keep your eyes on the prize kid.
11. The wind - Yeah, it sucked, but it gave us a chance to see just how amazing the pros are. It was blowing like a hurricane, but it was actually hard to tell when you saw the amazing tennis that pretty much everybody managed to play.
12. Wozniacki - Disappointment against Vera, but a fantastic win against Maria, that was my match of the tourney for a few days.
13. Federer's dad - The look on his face after Nole took Roger out was moving. If you saw it you know what I am talking about. Pretty heavy stuff.
14. Schiavone - She played some amazing tennis and I thought she was on another magical run until Venus got her in the quarters.
15. Bopanna and Qureshi - These guys need to win a Slam next year - they deserve it, and the world needs it.
16. Verdasco and Ferrer - The type of classic match that you would expect from the Armada.
17. Spain - the type of tennis, with 9 in the 3rd round, and 6 in the 4th round, that you'd expect from the global leader in tennis domination.
18. Directv - Watching the first week of a Slam with a clicker in one hand and a tape recorder in the other, while typing with my toes, has become my new religion. Special thanks to the following: Darren Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Jeff Tarango, Luke Jensen, Al Trautwig, Virginia Wade, Barry MacKay, Justin Gimelstob, Brad Gilbert, P-Mac, Johnny Mac, Tracy Austin, Martina, Bill Macatee, Jimbo Connors, Bud Collins, Doug Adler, and so so so so many more. We tennis fans are truly blessed to have the type of coverage and dedicated commentators that we have.
19. Grandstand - IMHO, the best court in America - BY FAR!
20. Armstrong - Not too bad either.
21. Ashe - mixed feelings on the super-sized colossal wind tunnel - but nothing but admiration for the man that it was named after.
22. Llodra - Poetry in motion. I wanted him to win the whole damn thing after two rounds.
23. ESPN's SpiderCam - I love unique camera angles and slick production for tennis. This camera rocks, and I can't wait to see how many cool shots they bust out for the final.
24. Sam Stosur - Finally past the second round in New York, and won a big match vs. Elena. My heart goes out to her, because I think she played the worst set of her entire life against Clijsters in the 3rd, but she'll be a force next year if she can conquer her stagefright.
25. Ryan Harrison - So what if I already mentioned him? The kid is mature beyond his years, and he's humble in that Nadal-like way.
26. Beatrice Capra - Her big upset of Rezai on Grandstand made me feel all mushy inside. Her post-match comments after getting blitzed by 'Pova show that she's a good kid with a sense of humor to boot.
27. Andy Murray - Well, he didn't make any excuses. He'll get there.
28. Janko Tipsarevic - His stunner over Roddick is still one of the top-5 matches of the tournament, don't you think? He played lights out in that match and it was fantastic.
29. Troicki - It took all Nole had to knock him out of the tournament. Man, when he ratchets up that serve it is pretty impressive. I hope he gets a DC title to ease his pain.
30. Querrey - Kudos to Sam for picking up his play after his childish episode at the French. He had a great summer and turned in his best U.S. Open performance (in spirit, and in result) to date.
31. Jim Courier - This guy is an excellent commentator, and it was a pleasure to watch a few matches called by him and Johnny Mac (my personal fav) together.
32. Roger Federer - Federer is god. And the tweener is his gift to the minions. Enough said.
33. Tweener's in General - Schiavone hit a tweener? What?
34. Sweaty Fans and cold fans - Hey, this show wouldn't go on if we weren't all so obsessed with it. I myself prefer the sweaty fans.
35. The Bryan Brothers - 9 Grand Slams, 65 Dubs titles, and counting.
36. Dudes like Bob Brett and Heinz Gunthardt - they go on and do interviews and totally increase my understanding of tennis.
37. All the interviewers - Interviews are learning experiences. Thanks to dudes like Justin Gimelstob and Brad Gilbert, who work tirelessly to bring the players to us.
38. Esther Vergeer - What she does is pretty inspiring, but it would also be inspiring if she let someone else win, just for once. She's on a 396 match win streak - WOW.
39. Jack Sock and Daria Gavrilova - Your boys and girls junior singles champions!
40. Charlize Theron and all the other celebs who attended - Thanks for coming...call me!
41. Nole's mom and dad - Rock those t's, RF's got nothing on you guys now (except a few majors, but who is counting?)
42. Venus - She came in cold, got hot and stayed hot, but in the end Kimmie was hotter. Her effort is still - by far - the best American singles effort, and she deserves some cred for that for sure.