Maria Sharapova and world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki will make their first appearances in the event in the 7:00 pm opener. That match will be followed by Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick.

Last year Roddick was scheduled to play Andre Agassi,but Pete Sampras ended up playing Agassi after John McEnroe was forced to default to Ivan Lendl due to injury in the first match despite leading 6-3.

Federer has played in the past and won against Sampras.

There will be an opportunity to bid on the event at the International Tennis Hall Of Fame Ball this coming Friday evening at Cipriani in Manhattan.

Tickets will go on sale at The Garden in the Fall.

One is in the squared circle, where she does a boxing workout, something she started a while back.

“Well, boxing is great,” she said after beating American Vania King in straight sets, 6-2 6-4 to get to the fourth round. “I get my aggressions out. It was fun, but it was hard, as well. You get to work your core, your arms, your shoulders. It was a lot of cardio, as well. You learn how to distribute your power as well, because the first time I actually went in the ring and tried just for fun to fight with someone. I just went all in in the beginning, and after two rounds you’re dead.

“I realized you have to wait for your chances. I need to wait for the right moment. The same in tennis. You can’t just go all in all the time. You need to play the ball and then wait for a right chance to go in and then attack.”

Of course, don’t expect her to knock out Manny Pacquiao anytime soon.

“I prefer not to knock out anyone,” Woznacki added. “I’m a nice girl, so… Or I like to think so.”

And then there’s soccer, a game she played as a youth,

“Keep my feet up,” she injected when asked. “No, but I don’t know, I just think tennis is a great sport. It’s fantastic. I’ve had so many good experiences. But, yeah, to have my kids playing, I would just put them and give them to a coach or someone, yeah, who could teach them, because I have spent enough hours on court, I think.”

And then there’s golf. A sport Rafael Nadal plays to teach himself concentration and enjoys in his spare time. If Wozniacki picks it up, she would have a great teacher in her boyfriend Rory McIlvoy.

“Well, even though golf and tennis have some similarities, it’s also much different,” she said, “Golf is such a mental game. You’re playing against the course. You’re playing with yourself and trying to do a good score.

“You know, sometimes we can get into that spiral where you just think, Okay, I just can’t hit it right, you know, or I just need to put it in the hole but it just keeps missing. It’s so mental. If you stay positive and believe in yourself, it makes the game so much easier.

“So, you know, it’s the same, similar in tennis, but you have an opponent, as well.”

And that opponent will be the winner of the match between 15th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and Akgul Amanmuradova.

When it comes to relationship advice…well take it with a grain of salt.

No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki learned that today before her second round win over Danish native Arantxa Rus, 6-2 6-1.

“Well, we were all in the locker room,” she said.  “I was going to get some treatment.  She was sitting there with Venus and talking.  And then, I don’t know, it just came out that we were talking a bit and we had a laugh.  We were just kidding around a little bit.

“I think I should not listen to her or Venus (laughter).  She was not better.”

The Great Dane has very open about her relationship with Irish golfer Rory McIlvoy. It’s been in all the papers and the US Golf Open Champion has been attending Wozniacki’s matches last week in New Haven. With her own US Open at hand can her love life become a distraction?

Not so, said the 21 year-old.

“Well, tennis is my first priority and I’m focused on the tennis when I’m on court, that’s for sure,” she said.   “You know, what I do off the court, I know that I’m a public person, so a lot of things will be seen by the public.

“But, you know, I don’t really think about it.  You know, I think we have our limits and we know where they are.  So as long as we both keep the feet on the ground and, you know, we both have our careers, which are important to us, I think it’s working well.”

With that out of the way, Wozniacki is focused on her third round match against American Vania King.

“She’s definitely getting a lot of balls back,” Wozniacki said if King. “It’s important to stay aggressive, but not too aggressive.  You know, I just need to dictate, but have control over the points.

“She’s definitely a player that is not easy to beat.  So I’m looking forward to the match, and hopefully it can be a good one.”

And you can be sure Rory will be watching.

This year the New York crowd may be ready to board McHale’s Navy.

Nineteen year-old Christina McHale, stormed to the third round with a straight set win over No. 8 seed 7-6 (2) 6-2 to become the darling of this year’s open.

“I knew that like I had to try,” the New Jersey resident said.  “I couldn’t play like any sloppy games.  I had to try and compete really hard in the second set because I knew she was going to try even harder, too, to get the second set because she lost the first.

“When I went from 3‑Love to 3‑2, I was like, C’mon, Christina, don’t let it get back to 3‑All.  That game was a big game to get it to 4‑2.”

McHale isn’t any stranger to upsets. She slayed World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in Cincinnati last month in the first round and then proceeded to beat Aleksandra Wozniak in the first round.

This win may have topped it off for the young American.

“I think they’re different wins.  I had never really, at the Grand Slams, made it past the second round,” she said.  “Yeah, that was a good win for me, too, but I think to have it happen here at the Grand Slam is exciting for me.”

Two years ago, during Oudin-mania McHale quietly win her first round match against Polona Hercog but lost to Maria Sharapova. Now, though, she seems poised to take on the bigger names in the sport on her rise to the top.

Yet, she is trying to not to get too tied up in the hype and become a long term disappointment like Oudin.

“I try not to think about that too much,” she said.  “I mean, when I go out there every time on the court, I’m going to try my best, try to compete really hard.”

Being from New Jersey means this is her hometown match. For years as a teenager she came to Flushing as a fan to watch the greats competed for the title.

Now she is getting the same treatment she gave to her heroes.

“Someone asked me this the other day,” she said.  “I don’t remember a particular match.  I just remember we’d all get here when the gates opened and we’d literally spend the whole day here, all of our friends, running from court to court, trying to get an autograph, a picture.

“It was so much fun for us.”

Almost as fun as winning the second round of the Open and if she beats the 25^th seed Maria Kirilenko in the third round, then McHale’s Navy may be in full force.

All Aboard!

“Definitely trying to keep up,” she said with that sunshine smile. “I’ll definitely do my best, but I still have six tough matches to go, so it will not be easy.

“You know, he has something I’m looking for and I have something he’s looking for.  He wants to be No. 1.  So it’s good to have something on each other.”

With the field wide open this year with Kim Clijsters out of the tournament, this may be the 21 year-old’s year to win the Open. Of course when you have played at a high level over the past few years and not captured a major crown, questions do arise about the ability to take it all even a player has been ranked No. 1 for the past 46 weeks.

But Wozniacki doesn’t seem to be phased by the questions. In fact see seems amused.

“I won six tournaments this year already,” she said. “You know, I should definitely not be complaining.  I’m in a good position.  I’m in a good spot.  I’m happy, healthy, and I can go out there and compete.  That’s what’s most important.

“I’m winning a lot of matches, which is why we practice.  We practice to win.  Yeah, I’ve won a lot of matches, and that’s what satisfies me.”

But a US Open win would be the ultimate for the Danish Princess. And to accomplish that she considered hiring Martina Navratilova as her coach, but took on a male mystery coach for these two weeks.

She’s not revealing who that person could be.

“Yeah, well, I have to respect him as well,” she said.  “So if he wants to be in the background and not have his name out, I have to respect that. He’s been watching me play and telling me a few things.  It’s good.  It’s working well.”

It’s seems to be working for Wozniacki as she comes off her fourth straight title in New Haven. It’s an event she particularly enjoys because of the similar age bracket of the students moving in to Yale.

“It felt very good being there,” she said.  “I think that’s why I play well there.  There are a lot of young people around, a lot going on.  It’s nice to see them move into their dorms with their mattresses.  It’s definitely a cool feeling.  It feels like you’re part of it actually the week that you’re there.  Definitely.”

Today when she disposed unseeded Llagostera Vives in straight sets, 6-3 6-1, she had the same confidence she exuded in Connecticut last week. Something she hopes holds throughout the Open.

“They can say what they want,” she said.  “I’m the type of player I am.  I’ve won a lot of tournaments.  I’m No. 1 in the world, and of course I can still improve.  There are a lot of things to my game I can still improve, but everyone can.

“You know, I’m on the right track.  I just go out there and I play the way I do, and, you know, hopefully that’s good enough.”

Well, she has to keep Rory happy.

Only the 10^th player to end the season as the World No.1 since the WTA ranking system was introduced in 1975, Wozniacki became the first player from Denmark to reach the top ranking.  Wozniacki had a career-best season in 2010, capturing a WTA-leading six titles including the China Open (Beijing), the Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo), and the Rogers Cup (Montreal).  She also won the MPS Group Championships (Ponte Vedra Beach), the e-Boks Sony Ericsson Open, the Pilot Pen Tennis at Yale (New Haven) and reached the final of the year-end WTA Championships, falling to Clijsters in three sets.  Playing her first Grand Slam as a World No.1, Wozniacki reached the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, losing to China’s Li Na.

TOTAL WEEKS AT WTA WORLD NO.1

Chart as of February 21, 2011 / * Total weeks at No.1; can be non-consecutive

First you have La, who is trying to become the first Chinese woman to win a Grand Slam, taking on the three time US Ioen Champion, who set her sights on winning Australia after winning in Flushing Meadows back in September.

La was able beat No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki who is still looking for her first Grand Slam win.

A Recap of the Semi’s is Below

Yet, now the two are playing in the Semifinals at the Australian Open, Aussie Kim isn’t taking any chances.

“Uhm, I think I was playing well at Wimbledon,” Clijsters said after her Quarterfinal win over Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-3 7-6. “I won the first set. I kind of just, you know, dropped my game a little bit. She’s a player who will be very consistent throughout a whole match, will not really mix her game up tremendously. She’ll always give you the same kind of thing. I think she did that really well.

“At the US Open I don’t think she played her best tennis in the final, and I was able to just really take advantage of that. I played really well in the beginning of the points, moved her around. Yeah, so, I mean, there were obviously two different matches, also I think from her side and also from my side.

“It will be tough. There will be a lot of rallies, long rallies I think. But I’ve always enjoyed playing my matches against her. They’ve always been a lot of fun. They’ve been, like I said, like physical and just kind of what you expect coming up for a semifinal.”

Clijsters is playing very well at Melbourne, not dropping a set and trying to get a Major outside of the US Open. Back in Flushing, she pinpointed Melbourne as her best chance, because the surface is similar to the one in Queens and he play this past week and a half has proved it.

But she face opponents below her ranking and if everything goes according to plan, the world’s most famous mother will have to face the No. 2 seed in Zvonareva and the No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the final.

But number’s don’t bother her.

“I don’t feel like I’m No. 3 in the world. I don’t think about a number,” she said. “I mean, it’s a number. I just try to be the best Kim out there whenever I play, and it’s not about numbers. I mean, obviously we want to do well. We all want to win.

“But, you know, I remember when I first became No. 1. It was something when I was young. It was like, Wow, to be No. 1 in the world. When you actually get to it, It’s like, Oh, that’s it?

“So it’s a number, and it’s something that you obviously don’t get given for free. You have to work very hard to get to that. But, uhm, yeah, like I said, it’s just a number.”

And if everything goes by the numbers, Clijsters will be on track for her first non-US Open Grand Slam No. 1 in the next few days.

Results – Monday, October 11, 2010
Singles – Final
(1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (2) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 63 36 63

Doubles – Final (played Saturday)
Chuang/Govortsova (TPE/BLR) d. (1) Dulko/Pennetta (ARG/ITA) 76(2) 16 107 (Match TB)

Final Facts
- Wozniacki wins a Tour-leading sixth singles title of the season, and the 12th of her career, having won the 11th at Tokyo just last week. She is now 12-7 in Tour singles finals.
- Before this Asian swing, the 20-year-old Dane had never won a match at either the China Open or the Toray Pan Pacific Open. Including Montréal (August) she now has three Premier-level titles on her record.
- Wozniacki has won a Tour-leading 59 singles matches this year. Zvonareva has registered 46 match wins (third best).
- By reaching the quarterfinals at Beijing, Wozniacki ensured her rise to No.1 in the rankings the week beginning Monday, October 11. Replacing the injured Serena Williams, Wozniacki is the 20th woman to hold the top spot since the inception of computer rankings in 1975.
- Zvonareva is now 10-16 in Tour singles finals, but rises to a new-career-high ranking of No.3 this week.
- Chuang Chia-Jung and Olga Govortsova win their first Tour doubles title together, having never previously been past the quarterfinals in a partnership that began earlier this year. Their victims en route included three of the four teams that have qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships: No.2 seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik; No.4 seeds Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova; and No.1 seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta.
- Chuang now has 15 doubles titles to her name; Govortsova owns four.

Final Quotes
Caroline Wozniacki, 2010 China Open singles champion:
“I thought I played a really, really good match. Vera was playing really well too. Everything is working for me at the moment. I’ve got to believe I can beat anyone. I feel in great shape and I’m looking forward to Doha.”

Vera Zvonareva, 2010 China Open singles runner-up:
“Rankings don’t matter too much to me, because I knew if I play well I’ll win matches and the ranking will come. If I go on court and think about everything but my game, I won’t be able to win any match and my ranking wouldn’t be there. I just think about what I have to do on the court to win.”

Chuang Chia-Jung, 2010 China Open doubles champion:
“Because it’s in China it’s very special for me. Olga and I have played together about half a year now and this was our best week together. We played aggressively and that was the key today.”

Olga Govortsova, 2010 China Open doubles champion:
“Almost all of our matches this week went to a tie-break, and when we get there we play so focused. CJ was hitting great volleys and I was hitting hard from the baseline. Gisela and Flavia are so good, we’re really happy. I’ve been to Beijing nine or 10 times now. I can’t wait to come back again.”

Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Samantha Stosur and Francesca Schiavone are headed to Doha for the singles competition.  The world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams will compete for the coveted WTA Championships title and a share of the $4.5 million in prize money.

“I congratulate Lisa and Rennae and Vania and Yaroslava on qualifying for the WTA Championships. Lisa and Rennae first teamed up 15 years ago and it’s truly remarkable that they are still one of the best doubles teams in the world.  Vania and Yaroslava have found success immediately after partnering earlier this spring and after two back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles, a trip to the WTA Championships is a perfect way to end the season,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA.

Lisa Raymond/Rennae Stubbs:

After first coming together 15 years ago, Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs have won 33 titles, third in WTA history (Navratilova/Shriver–70, Fernandez/Zvereva–38). Raymond/Stubbs’ most recent title together came at the AEGON International (Eastbourne).  Additionally, the team reached the final at the Mercury Insurance Open (San Diego, l. to Kirilenko/Zheng) and the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open (Cincinnati, l. to Azarenka/Kirilenko).  Raymond/Stubbs also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the US Open. As a team, Raymond/Stubbs have qualified for the year-end WTA Championships six times and won the title together in 2001.  Raymond also captured the Championships title in 2005 and 2006 with Samantha Stosur, and will play at the Championships for the 11^th time.  Stubbs is headed to the Championships for the 15^th time, having first qualified in 1992.  In addition to winning in 2001, she was a finalist in 2004 (w. Black) and in 2008 (w. Peschke).  Both Raymond and Stubbs are former doubles World No.1’s and jointly held the No. 1 ranking for three weeks in 2000.

Vania King/Yaroslava Shvedova:

King/Shvedova have enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning two Grand Slam titles within three months of first partnering at the AEGON Classic (Birmingham). In just their third tournament together they defeated Elena Vesnina/Vera Zvonareva to win the Wimbledon women’s doubles title and followed that up with a US Open title, saving a match point to defeat Liezel Huber/Nadia Petrova and maintain their unbeaten record in majors.  They also reached the final at UNICEF Open (‘s-Hertogenbosch) losing to Alla Kudryavtseva/Anastasia Rodionova.  Both King and Shvedova are headed to the WTA Championships for the first time in their careers.  Shvedova – the first player in history from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam title of any kind – was also a runner up at the 2010 Roland Garros in mixed doubles (with Julian Knowle), while King has won 12 tour-level doubles titles with other partners.

RACE TO THE WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS–DOHA 2010 as of the week of October 4, 2010

*           Denotes player that has qualified yet withdrew due to injury

**         Denotes player/team has already qualified

^          Due to Venus Williams’ injury, team unable to participate in the event of eventual qualification