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!

“I love the Team Tennis format that Billie Jean has created, and getting to play on the court in New York, at the beautiful facility John McEnroe has will be a thrill for sure,” Hingis said this week. “I feel great, I am enjoying life, and I want to have a great month for the fans and our team.”

The Martina Hingis of today is much more like the graceful player that stormed to the top of the women’s tennis game and much less like the rebellious twentysomething whose life turned due to injuries, boredom and other off the court issues in the latter half of the last decade. She has a new husband, showjumper Thibault Hutin, a new doubles partner at Grand Slams seniors events (Lindsay Davenport, who she teamed to win the French Open Masters with in May), and a new outlook on life that is refreshing in a sport that usually casts off its former stars for long periods of time. “I have my horses, my tennis and a very nice balance right now, especially not travelling 30 weeks a year playing,” she added.

Hingis will be a Sportimes mainstay for their matches this coming month. Fans can catch her no less than five times at the beautiful Randall’s Island facility, playing singles (including a match with the Washington Kastles Serena Williams) and mixed doubles with team captain McEnroe.

More importantly for tennis, it appears that one of their former bright stars is back and enjoying the game, and will bring that joy to the fun-filled world of WTT starting on Wednesday. For all the details visit newyorksportimes.com.

The WTA Top 10 Rankings for week of January 31, 2011, released earlier today, are as follows:

1.       Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

2.       Kim Clijsters (BEL)

3.       Vera Zvonareva (RUS)

4.       Francesca Schiavone (ITA)

5.       Samantha Stosur (AUS)

6.       Venus Williams (USA)

7.       Li Na (CHN)

8.       Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

9.       Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

10.     Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

Shahar Peer reaches a career-high ranking of World No.11, a record for a player from Israel.  Francesca Schiavone becomes the first player from Italy to break into the Top 5 while Kim Clijsters of Belgium ascends to World No.2 for the first time since August 2006.  After making history at the Australian Open by reaching the ladies’ singles final, Li Na becomes the first Chinese player to ascend to a career-high ranking of World No.7.  Li Na’s success in Australia promises to have an exponential impact on the growth of women’s tennis in China, the world’s most populous country.

“Our players are inspirational national heroes who transcend sport in their respective countries.  Having ten different players represent the Top 10 rankings shows how truly global tennis has become,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA.

The WTA’s calendar for the 2011 season features 53 tournaments and four Grand Slams in 32 countries including 23 events in Europe, 16 in the Americas and 18 in Asia.  The 2012 calendar will feature 54 events, four Grand Slams and the Olympic Tennis Event, with the geographic spread of events to include 20 in Asia, 23 in Europe and 16 in the Americas.  In 2013, the WTA Calendar will showcase 54 WTA events and the four Grand Slams, with 20 events in Asia, 22 in Europe and 16 in the Americas.

Beltrame demonstrates scenarios of hitting backhands and forehands while moving backward. He then shows viewers how to move forward and take the ball off the bounce and also the more aggressive move of taking the ball out of the air.

Beltrame has been involved in tennis all his life, first as a top junior, then as a professional player and ultimately as a coach. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with dozens of ATP and WTA touring professionals, including Jim Courier and Pete Sampras. He has traveled extensively coaching players in major professional events including the four Grand Slams, Davis Cup, and Hopman Cup. Beltrame has served as director of tennis and director of athletic mental training at the Human Performance Institute Inc., in Orlando, Fla., since 1996. Prior to joining the Human Performance Institute he was responsible for developing programs at the Tennis Club Ambrosiano, one of the largest tennis clubs in Milan, Italy, and at two of the leading tennis academies in the United States.

“On Court” is a half-hour instructional show featuring USPTA-certified professionals as guest instructors. The USPTA became the first tennis-teaching organization ever to produce and air an educational television series on playing and teaching tennis on the Tennis Channel in 2003. Since then, more than 65 shows have been produced that provide instruction about technique, strategy and other facets of the game. All production is done in-house, which includes everything from planning and scripting, to shooting and editing, to graphics and DVD duplication. All episodes of “On Court” are now in high-definition.

Don’t miss out on this episode. Tune in to the Tennis Channel on Tuesday, February 1, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time to see the show. Also, all episodes of “On Court with USPTA” and more than 100 other USPTA-produced DVD titles are also available for purchase online at www.usprotennisshop.com.  For additional show times and other information visit www.oncourtwithuspta.com.

Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport. USPTA offers 70 professional benefits to its more than 15,000 members worldwide, including certification and professional development. With more than 300 days of educational opportunities throughout the year, USPTA offers the most comprehensive continuing education program in the tennis industry. For more information, call 800-877-8248 or visit www.uspta.com.

Nadal, who had an incredible season in 2010 capturing three of the four majors, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, will be in search of his third crown in Indian Wells (2007, 2009), and would join Jimmy Connors, Michael Chang and Federer as three-time winners of the BNP Paribas Open. Wozniacki became the 20th World No. 1 in WTA history last year, and captured six titles. A finalist at the 2010 BNP Paribas Open, she is seeking her first Grand Slam title this week at the Australian Open and is into the semifinals.

Federer, who is the only man to ever win the BNP Paribas Open three years in a row (2004-2006), bookended 2010 by winning the sixteenth major of his career in Australia in January and the ATP World Championships in the final week of the season. A win this week would continue to increase his all-time leading major title record. Zvonareva had a fantastic 2010 reaching the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open, and climbing to an all-time high ranking of No. 2 in the world. The 2009 BNP Paribas Open champion has another shot at a major title this week at the Australian Open.

Djokovic had another strong campaign in 2010, and entrenched himself further into the Serbian history books  by helping his country capture its first ever Davis Cup title with a win over France in December. The 2008 BNP Paribas Open champion is trying to capture the second major of his career this week in Australia, with the first coming in 2008 in the land down under. Clijsters, who has three major titles, including the last two US Open’s, will look to become the only woman to ever win the BNP Paribas Open singles title three times (2005, 2003). She is currently in the hunt this weekend for her fourth Grand Slam title and her first at the Australian Open.

In addition to these six stars, the fields will feature a host of others who have captured titles in Indian Wells including the last six women to win the title – defending champion Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic (2008), Daniela Hantuchova (2007, 2002), Southern California resident Maria Sharapova (2006), Zvonareva and Clijsters. On the men’s side, defending champion Ivan Ljubicic and Lleyton Hewitt (2001-2002) join Nadal, Federer and Djokovic as former champions in the draw.

In addition to these champions, numerous other top ten stars such as Robin Soderling (No. 4), Andy Murray (No. 5), Tomas Berdych (No. 6), David Ferrer (No. 7), American Andy Roddick (No. 8), Fernando Verdasco (No. 9), Mikhail Youhzny (No. 10), Samantha Stosur (No. 6), Francesca Schiavone (No. 7) and World No. 9 Victoria Azarenka will also vie for the title. Other American stars that will compete include Mardy Fish, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Sam Querrey, Melanie Oudin, John Isner and the World No. 1 doubles team, Mike and Bob Bryan, who will be seeking to capture one of the few titles that have eluded them in their record-setting career.

One of the new additions for the players and fans this year will be the addition of Hawkeye replay technology and video displays on all match courts. While most tournaments feature Hawkeye replay technology and video displays on one, two, or three courts, none have made it available on eight match courts.

The women’s qualifying draw will take place March 7-8 and the men’s qualifying rounds will be held March 8-9. There will be 48 players in each draw vying for 12 spots in the main draws. First-round play will begin Wednesday, March 9 for the women and Thursday, March 10 for the men. The men’s and women’s singles championship finals will be held on Sunday, March 20. For information or to buy tickets, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com, call the Indian Wells Tennis Garden at 800-999-1585, or visit the box office, 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, CA 92210.

Over the next few weeks, we will be adding new content and will be launching our second issue in February. We expect to have live coverage from Indian Wells and also Miami with the Grand Slams of the summer to follow.

So come on back and take a look as the all new Tennis Ledger is just getting started.

“I congratulate both Serena and Kim for qualifying for the WTA Championships and am glad that fans all over the world will have the opportunity to watch these two incredible players compete for the coveted title in Doha,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

SERENA WILLIAMS:

World No.1 Serena Williams has qualified for the WTA Championships for the seventh time in her career and is headed to Doha as the defending champion, having defeated sister Venus in the 2009 final.  In her career, Serena has held the World No.1 ranking for 122 weeks (6^th all-time), including all of 2010 season to date.  Serena enjoyed a successful start to the 2010 season, capturing her 12^th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, in addition to taking home the doubles trophy with Venus.  At Roland Garros, she reached the quarterfinals (l. to Stosur) and also won the doubles title with Venus. She then went on to capture her 13^th Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon two weeks later, passing Billie Jean King’s career number of Grand Slams singles title wins.

In addition to her success at the Grand Slams, Serena reached the final of the Medibank International (Sydney, l. to Dementieva) and the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome, l. to Jankovic).

KIM CLIJSTERS:

“A year into my comeback, making the WTA Championships is a great achievement to me. It’s certainly a personal highlight and goal of mine,” said World No.5 Clijsters.  “I’ve never been to Doha so it will be exciting to travel there as it’s a place I’d like to see and learn about.”

Just one year since making a comeback to the sport after a two-year hiatus, Kim Clijsters is the fourth player to qualify for the WTA Championships and will attempt to win her third year-end title, having previously captured the trophy in 2002 and 2003.  This year marks Clijsters’ seventh year-end Championships appearance, the first since 2006.

Clijsters has had a terrific 2010 season, highlighted by winning her third US Open title, and reaching her “second-career” highest ranking of World No.3 on August 23, 2010.  Clijsters has an impressive 36-6 win-loss record this year and has reached the quarterfinals or better seven times in 10 tournaments played.  In 2010, Clijsters has won four tournaments – the Brisbane International (Brisbane), the Sony Ericsson Open (Miami), the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open (Cincinnati), in addition to defending her title at the US Open.

RACE TO THE WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS – DOHA 2010 (as of the week of September 27, 2010)

** Denotes player/team has already qualified

Nadal captured his first career US Open championship to complete the career Grand Slam with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Novak Djokovic in the Flushing Meadows final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s more than I dreamt,” said Nadal, whose fingertips, still tinged with adhesive tape, tickled the shiny silver title trophy that eluded him for so long. “I know, for me, it’s a dream have the career Grand Slam, but this is more (of a) dream (to) have the US Open.  Is some moments unbelievable feeling because I worked a lot all my life, in all difficult moments to be here, but I never imagined have the four Grand Slams.”

On championship point, Nadal coaxed a final forehand error from Djokovic, watched Djokovic’s shot sail wide, dropped his Babolat racquet and fell flat on his back behind the baseline while camera flashes flickered continiously like a force of fireflies descending on Flushing Meadows to light up the night. Then he rolled over on his stomach, his palms pressing down on the court as if embracing the largest Grand Slam stage in the world in a heart-felt hug.

Throughout his career, the US Open was the one major title eluding him, but on this night, in this event, Nadal conquered the hard court once deemed to fast for game and brought more than 22,000 adoring fans along for the ride.

When it was over the appreciative Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd stood and gave both men a rousing ovation.

At the age of 24 years, 101 days, Nadal took another giant stride toward tennis immortality in becoming just the seventh man in history to complete the career Grand Slam. Nadal is the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in succession. He is the third youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam after Don Budge (22 years, 357 days) and Laver (24 years, 32 days).

It is the ninth career major championship for Nadal, who is the first Spanish man since Manuel Orantes in 1975 to win the US Open. He spent some of the early years of his career as the second-seeded shadow to 16-time Grand Slam king Roger Federer. But now Nadal, five years Federer’s junior and owning a 14-7 career edge over the Swiss stylist in their head-to-head series, can stake a claim as one of the greatest players of all time. Should he he continue his winning pace, and there’s no one on the horizon who appears capable of slowing Nadal’s Roland Garros reign, can the muscular Mallorcan surpass Federer as the mythical Greatest Of All Time?

“Definitely,” Djokovic said without hesitation tonight. “He has the capabilities already now to become the best player ever.  I think he’s playing the best tennis that I ever seen him play on hardcourts.  He has improved his serve drastically.  The speed, the accuracy, and of course his baseline is as good as ever. So he’s a very complete player.”

Solidifying his status as the best big-match player in the sport, Nadal is 6-0 in his last six Grand Slam finals.

Racing so far behind the baseline he could have almost tapped the blue back wall with his racquet, Nadal ripped running backhand passes that left Djokovic shaking his head in disbelief at times.

The match featured six rallies of 20 more strokes and those punishing exchanges took a toll on Djokovic, whose depleted legs, drained from the five-set fight with five-time champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, looked like licorice by the early stages of the fourth set.

A rhythm player who actually seems to grow stronger as the match goes longer, Nadal was seemingly swinging with even more force as he saw the finish line in the fourth set.

A titanic topspin forehand down the line gave Nadal a double break point in the third game of the fourth set. Djokovic retaliated with his own ripping forehand down the line to save the first break point, but that shot was effectively the Belgrade baseliner’s last stand. A Djokovic forehand tripped on the tope of the tape and landed long as Nadal broke for 2-1.

Two games later, Nadal was at it again, pummeling punishing shots that hounded Djokovic like a pack of pit bulls unleashed on a trespasser. When Djokovic, who fought so hard for so long, flattened a forehand into the net, he hung his head falling into a 1-4 hole, wearing the weary resignation of a man well aware the dream was evaporating in the night air.

Djokovic was serving at 4-all, 30-all in the second set when the skies opened up and rain began pouring down. Tournament referee Brian Earley, clutching his ever-present walkie talkie came out quickly and acted decisively. “We’re going in. Take them in,” Earley told the security team, which escorted Nadal and Djokovic back into the locker room.

After a one hour, 57-minute rain delay, the players returned to the court at about 7:48 and Djokovic struck the serve that officially resumed play at 7:59.

Serving at 5-6, Nadal bumped a drop volley into net to fall to 30-all. Djokovic drilled a backhand down the line to draw an error and earn break point.

Reading the serve down the T, Djokovic moved right to cut off the angle and drove a forehand return down the middle that flirted with the front of the baseline. Forced to respond off his back foot, Nadal could only lift an off-balance forehand into the net as Djokovic broke to seze the second set.

Winding up for a windmill fist-pump, the veins bulging in Djokovic’s neck were visible from courtside as he trotted to his court-side seat deadlocked at one set apiece.

Sprinting seven feet behind the baseline, back in the territory typically occupied by ball kids, Nadal somehow angled a backhand pass crosscourt to earn triple break point at 0-40 in the third game of the third set. Djokovic erased the first with an ace and saved the second when Nadal netted a backhand. On the third break point, Djokovic slice a serve wide, drew the short ball he desired, but lifted a crosscourt forehand wide as Nadal broke for 2-1. Nadal quickly consolidated for 3-1.

Cranking up the pressure like as if tightening a tennis vise, Nadal earned five break points in the seventh game of the fourth set. Serving under immense pressure, Djokovic played with more aggression on the break points and time after time denied Nadal a second break. Attacking net, Djokovic saved a fifth break point when Nadal mis-fired on a backhand pass. A gam that featured 16 points and spanned more than 11 minutes finally ended when Nadal knocked a backhand into net.

Djokovic dug out a hard-fought hold for 3-4, but his legs and lungs paid a steep price.

Serving for the set at 5-4, Nadal went toe-to-toe with Djokovic in a demanding rally that spanned more than 20 shots. It ended with Djokovic clocking a crosscourt forehand winner. Another fierce forehand down the line drew Djokovic to 15-30.

A determined Djokovic ripped a forehand crosscourt drawing a Nadal backhand beyond the baseline as Djokovic broke at love for a 3-1 second-set lead screaming “Come on!” as his parents jumped out of their seats in support.

Nadal had been broken in just two of 91 games in the tournament, but Djokovic broke him twice in the first seven service games of the final.

Whipping his backhand down the line to set up his inside-out forehand, Djokovic hammered an inside-out forehand to hold at love for 4-1. The Serbian strung together 11 consecutive points and appeared to have the second set under control.

Nadal had other ideas.

The USTA announced total attendance for the US Open was 712,976 total attendance.

Rich Pagliaro is the editor of TennisNow.com.

Maybe that’s why the 24 year-old was so serious this year when by taking Barcelona off and concentrating on winning the all elusive US Open title.

“I didn’t change a lot in my schedule,” said Nadal as he reached the Semifinals for the third year in a row by dispelling countryman Fernando Verdasco in straight sets 7-5 6-3 6-4. “My schedule just changed so I don’t play in Barcelona. So I am fresher because I know how important is the US Open and I’m fresher I think because I had to stop three weeks during the summer without tennis because I had to do a treatment on my knees.”

Whatever it is New York is seeing a determined player out there, who is trying to break the barrier and become a one of the few with four majors under his belt.

And so far, so good, but of course, Nadal has the hardest hill to climb with hard conditions on the court and of course the 400 lb gorilla in the room named Roger Federer.

Now, the wind is something every player had to endure and Nadal has come up aces in that area. He said it was difficult to play tennis tonight and even lost his serve during the third, but that didn’t stop a straight set win.

No it’s the matchup with Federer everyone wants to see, even Verdasco, who thinks the title will go back to Switzerland rather than joining the World Cup in his homeland.

“I think if I need to bet here, I will bet for Roger,” Verdasco thought. “I think that he won five times here and he likes these conditions.”

It’s true Federer has been playing as well as Nadal in this tournament. In fact, everyone – and especially CBS – is looking forward to a Federer-Nadal final, something that has happened in the other three Grand Slams, but never in Flushing Meadows.

Yet looking too far ahead is hard for the Spaniard, and for now, he thinks his longtime rival has the edge.

“Well, for sure Roger is the favorite of the tournament, especially because he won five times ‑‑ five times?” he said.  “And six finals in a row.  No one doubt on that.

“And I am in semifinals, so I don’t think about the final.  Everybody free to think, and what Fernando says is completely fair.  I hope keep playing well and have my chance in that match in semifinal.”

Nadal has a date on Saturday with 12^th seeded Mikhail Youzhny, whom Nadal has a nice 7-4 record against the Russian, but  took his most recent loss back in 2008 in India.

So sure, the Spaniard has a right to smile these days, after two straight years in the Semifinals, Nadal is looking to take the next step. Back in 2008 he said he didn’t have the energy after playing so much that summer and lost to Andy Roddick and last year he ran into a steamroller Juan Martin Del Potro.

Now things have changed.

“This year,” he said.  “I think ‑‑ I know how important is the US Open for me right now, and I know I have to arrive to this tournament fresh if I want to have any chance to have a very good result.

“That’s what I tried.  I think I did.  I am at the right round without problems, so that’s very positive?  Right now remains the most difficult thing.”

And yes, you can see it in his eyes.

“I think all my game was pretty good. One of my best matches, for sure,” Wawrinka said. “I was very aggressive. I was doing everything really good so I’m very happy.”

The fourth-seeded Scot is the highest-seeded man to fall from the draw, exiting a day after the fourth-ranked woman, Jelena Jankovic, lost to Kaia Kanepi on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.

“I’m very disappointed, obviously,” Murray said. “But I think I’ve been more disappointed in other Grand Slams when you get closer to winning the tournament, I think it becomes a lot harder to take. I’m very disappointed, that’s it.”

It marked the second straight early exit from the Open for Murray, who fell to Roger Federer in the 2008 US Open final, but suffered a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 upset loss to Marin Cilic in the round of 16 last year. Murray took treatment for tightness in his quad and elbow pain, but said injuries did not play a part in his demise.

“He played better than me. There’s not a whole lot more to it,” Murray said. “He had a chance to win the first set; didn’t take it. I had a chance to win the second set; didn’t take it. I just struggled from then on.”

It is a deeply disappointing loss for Murray, who swept  Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in succession to capture the Rogers Cup in Toronto and went on to win the US Open Series. Murray split with coach Miles MacLagan in July and has been working with coaching consultant Alex Corretja at the Open. Murray said this loss will not expedite his coaching search.

“No, no. You got to be patient. I was getting asked five, six days ago, ‘You’re playing great tennis will you think about going without a coach?’ ” Murray said. “It’s based on one match. I’m not going to panic and hire someone to try to make things better. So no. I’m going to take my time. I’m going to go home, have a rest, cause I need it, and see what I decide to do after that.”

Murray’s loss may well be Sam Querrey’s gain.

The 20th-seeded Querrey crushed Nicolas Almagro, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and will now play Wawrinka in what will likely be a night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.

“That will be a tough one. Stan is one of the guys that hits the balls so big from both sides,” Querrey said. “If he gets hot, he can beat anyone.  He can hit the ball so well and so clean.  That would be someone you need to get him out of his comfort zone and mix it up and, you know, serve big and maybe attack his second serve and maybe catch him off guard a little bit.”

In their line prior meeting, Wawrinka edged Querrey, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(8), at Indian Wells last year.

“That was a crazy match again, but he’s a very good player,” Wawrinka said of Querrey. “I think he improved a lot over the last two years. He’s a strong player. Big serve. It is never easy to play him. If I can keep the same level the serve for sure will be important for him and to stay aggressive because he doesn’t like to play on the defense and to be under pressure.”

It’s an interesting match-up in that Querrey is at his best running around his backhand and firing his inside-out forehand, but given the fact Wawrinka’s one-handed backhand is his best shot, Querrey will likely drag his forehand down the line at times. Both men can crack their serves so it could well be a match of first-strike tennis.

The last time Wawrinka met Murray at the Open he played meekly and got mauled, managing just seven games in the 2008 round of 16. Working with coach Peter Lundgren, who coached both Roger Federer and Marat Safin to Grand Slam titles, Wawrinka has tried to take the first strike in rallies more often.

“We start a month ago. We enjoy to work together,” Wawrinka said of Lundgren. “He helped me a little bit to be more aggressive and that helped me a lot today.”

Today’s rematch was played primarily on even terms until the third set when Wawrinka began to turn his shoulders into his shots, step into the court more and drive the ball with crushing conviction.

Wawrinka served bigger and bolder over the course of the final two sets. One of Murray’s primary problems is his first serve percentage often lets him down. Murray served 50 percent for the match, but only 36 percent in the third set and 38 percent in the fourth set. Murray, who favors a slice serve that often flirts with the top of the tape, is either unable or unwilling to try to take a bit off the first serve and increase his percentage.

He gave Wawrinka too many looks at his second serve and paid the price, winning just 15 of 42 points played on his second serve over the course of the final two sets. Murray is a usually an adept problem-solver on court, but by the latter stages of today’s match he wore the vacant expression of a man who had run out of ideas.

“I still feel like I’m super fit. I just didn’t feel great,” Murray said. “There were a lot of things that I was feeling on court. I just haven’t felt that way for a few years now. So I’m going to have to go look at why that was the case and try to get better.”

Neutralizing Murray’s speed by cracking balls down the line, Wawrinka began pounding away at the counter-puncher.

That’s when a singles match grew crowded as Murray began fighting both Wawrinka and himself. At one point, a frustrated Murray punched his racquet face as if trying to slug some sense in his stings.

“I was disappointed that I was struggling physically,” Murray said. “I tried to find a way to come back. Didn’t quite do it. I was disappointed that I’ve not really been in that position for a long tome….In the third and fourth sets, I was struggling physically and I got frustrated with that…Maybe I felt my chance of doing well here was slipping away.”

As Murray tried to explain the loss in his post-match press conference, he glanced up at the flat screen television mounted on the wall to his right and noticed the USTA’s video feed of himself in the press conference.

It was as if Murray was looking over his own shoulder and when he was asked if the defeat plants any seeds of doubt in his mind that he will eventually master a major, Murray spoke like a wounded man wary of looking too far ahead.

“I have no idea of whether I’ll win a Grand Slam or not,” Murray said. “I want to, but I mean if I never win one, then what? If I give a hundred percent, try my best, physically work as hard as I can, practice as much as I can, than that’s all I can do, you know. It’s something I would love to do. It’s a very difficult thing, but I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll win a Grand Slam or not. But I’ll give it my best shot.”

Wawrinka may well be best known by many fans as the man who partnered Roger Federer to the Olympic doubles gold medal in Beijing two years ago and celebrated with an embrace on the court. Wawrinka and Federer are good friends and for one day Wawrinka stood alone as a bigger story than even the five-time US Open champion.

“I hope I can still be in the tournament after the next match,” Wawrinka said. “I know it’s gonna be a tough match.

Rich Pagliaro is the editor of TennisNow.com.