That quote from Inside The US Open will be replicated with much more as one of our writers, Richard Kent will be updating his well received book on the ins and outs of the Open after this year’s event.

Kent will again focus on ballboys, referees, juniors, senior players, broadcasters,etc. in providing the reader with a true inside look at the greatest sporting event in the world.

The update is due out in December, 2011.

As the top ranked American you would figure he should get a chance to be on Arthur Ashe Stadium one of these days, but alas the No. 8 seed still is getting showcased on the old center court Luis Armstrong stadium.

The Californian, though, doesn’t seem to mind.

“It’s definitely been like that in the past,” he said. “You know, there’s an American playing, put him on Grandstand or Louis court, and hopefully he’ll win.

“I hope it’s the beginning of that. That’s what you work towards, to have people come and appreciate what you do. You know, maybe I get the feeling, at least in the beginning of that match, that there were quite a few people there that maybe wouldn’t have been there in years past.”

Fish won his match today against South African Kevin Anderson with a straight sets victory, 6-4 7-6 7-6 to advance to the fourth round.

And if he wants to continue on his trek to greatness, he knows he need to continue disposing of opponents like the 12th Precinct captures bad guys. Straight set matches are key for the 39 year-old if he move deep into this tournament and beat one of the Big Four.

“It’s huge,” Fish said. “Mentally, physically, everything. Obviously it’s what we train for. I’ll be physically fine in two days. But, you know, I’m 29. I don’t wake up in the morning feeling like I’m 20. I don’t feel like Donald felt this morning. I’m sure he felt fine, you know. I won’t feel like that tomorrow morning.

“But we’ll do a lot of work on my body tonight, tomorrow. It’s big, you know, to get off. Last year was a prime example. I mean, I played two fivesetters in the first three rounds. I was just mentally and physically kind of drained to play someone like Novak in that next match.

“Maybe I could have come up against him, gamewise, a lot better than the score was. But I was so tired I wasn’t ready for it.”

It has been widely reported Fish has made the remarkable transformation from journeyman to star in a matter of a few years and maybe the reason he’s not getting the respect he deserves is that no one believes he could become a top player at this advanced age.

Yet, here’s Fish and like Phil Fish he is the grizzled veteran who is best at his job.

So what changed?

“Probably a lot,” Fish said. “I mean, probably first and foremost the mental side of it. You know, he seemed pretty jacked up yesterday. Obviously, you feed off the crowd. You’re not going to go away with a crowd like that, that’s for sure.

“But, you know, he lost serve at 54 and came right back, was able to hold to go to a breaker. And I think he said it after his match, that that’s probably a match he would have lost a year ago.

“Mentally he probably would have just been upset and said he had some chances and that’s it. You know, so that’s a huge part of it, as well. Maturing, growing, growing into your game, what makes you feel comfortable out on the court. There are demons out there, for sure. It’s not easy. It’s not going to be a piece of cake three out of five sets, that’s for sure.”

Fish is set to take on the winner of Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round and much like the crew of Precinct 12, he will be ready for the job.

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.

Djokovic won the crown after being both Roger Federer and Andy Murray in straight sets.

The top-seeded Canadian put forth an impressive performance against second-seeded American Alison Riske, ranked no. 157 in the world, in a hotly disputed and highly entertaining singles final between the tournament’s top two seeds at the Saguenay Indoor Tennis Club, coming away with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) victory to capture her first title of the season and second of her career.

Marino, who was playing in her second final of 2010, was almost invincible on serve in the opening set and made the most of a break in the tenth game to take the early lead. The 19-year-old seemed well on her way to a straight sets win in the second set as she held three match points on Riske’s serve at 15-40, but just as the American had done all week, she played her best in the big moments and hit three winners with her back against the wall to ultimately comeback to win the tiebreak.

Riske started the final set just as she had finished the second and secured herself a 3-1 advantage with a break. This time it was Marino’s turn to turn the tables as she quickly broke back and much to the delight of the partisan crowd, the home favourite sent the match into a decisive third set tiebreak. The two players went back and forth in the tiebreak until Marino delivered the final blow and converted on her first match point at 6-5 with Riske serving.

“I’m so happy to have come out the winner today because the match definitely could have gone either way,” Marino said. “We both brought our best game to the court today and I’m glad we were able to give the fans a good show. I love coming here (to Saguenay) it is a great tournament
and I am honoured to be the event’s champion.”

Riske, 20, announced her arrival on the professional tennis scene earlier this year when she reached the semifinals as a qualifier at the WTA Tour grass court Wimbledon tune up event in Birmingham. Sunday’s triumph was Marino’s third over her opponent in as many tries. She is the first Canadian to capture the Saguenay crown in the event’s five year history.

It was also announced during the trophy presentation that the Saguenay National Bank Challenger will be back for a sixth edition in 2011. For all of the latest news and results from the National Bank Circuit, please visit www.circuitbanquenationale.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 really hope that wasn’t my last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium,” Blake said. “I definitely want to be back here next year.  If it was, you know, I competed my heart out.  I did everything I could.  But I think I got more in me and I think I’m going to be back there.  Maybe more night matches, some more excitement for the crowds, some more good times.

“You know, I definitely believe that.  I hope it comes true next year”.

So Blake is not packing it up yet. In fact, he is just taking a few weeks off and then playing in Stockholm. This is a guy who made the third round of the Open and lost to the No. 3 in the world, so life is okay right now for the Yonkers native.

But it’s his health that’s the big question. At 30, you have to wonder how healthy he can stay as he goes though the grind of the season. Sure the money is good, but this is a guy who lost a year and a half with a broken neck and another injury that keeps him on the shelf may be his last.

That’s why he calls it a “sprint and not a marathon” and he attacks each match with all out effort.

“I lost in straight sets, but I put a little scare in the No. 3 player in the world,” he said.  “And I beat two pretty good players.  So even if I’m not at 100% right now, I don’t feel like I’m, you know, hurting the game by being out here.  I’m not on a pity tour just getting beat up first round every week by kind of nobodies.  I lost to a pretty darn good player.  I’m playing okay and I know I can play better because, yeah, the preparation can be better.”

With his ranking below 100, Blake may have to go back to qualifiers if he wants to get invited to international tournaments. So that may be a problem, but with the money he is making from his contract with FILA, along with the money he makes on the tour, the former World No. 4 would be a fool to hang it up if he can compete.

Of course, he doesn’t want to be what he calls a charity case and just be the guy who loses in the first round all the time.

As you know that wasn’t the case this year and if he can keep it going while staying healthy, Blake expects to play until 34 or 35 years old.

And when that time comes, the Harvard graduate will have a number of options on his play, be it in tennis, such as a broadcaster or coach or doing something outside the game.

One thing’s for certain, though, after he is done this US Open favorite will not miss the travel and has one thing in mind for his first six months after hanging it up.

“I know I’ve already told all my friends that some of them are going to come visit me and I’m going to be playing golf for six months once I’m done,” he said.  “I’m going to be home.  I travel 30 weeks out of year.  I’m going to be in my bed for at least six months straight where I’m not getting on a plane, I’m not getting on a train, I’m not getting on a bus, I’m not doing anything.  I’m staying at home, playing some golf and relaxing.  Then I’ll see what motivates me.”

A younger fan, probably in his mid-20s gets into an argument with an older couple. Here apparently said something to the older woman causing her husband to confront the person.

The man was arrested as Djokovic won in straight sets.

In a match of French women, 157th-ranked wild card Virginie Razzano surprised former Wimbledon finalist Bartoli, 7-5, 6-4. It’s a break for Ivanovic, who will face Razzano rather than Bartoli. Two-handed terror Bartoli beat Ivanovic in straight sets in Stanford last month.

The 40th-ranked Ivanovic has surrendered just eight games in reaching the third round and is playing with much more confidence than she was two years ago when as World No. 1 she fell to 188th-ranked qualifier Julie Coin in Flushing Meadows.

“I think rankings obviously tell a lot about the player, but I think just the way you feel about your game at the time,” Ivanovic said. “I remember a couple years ago when I was here and I was saying, ‘Even though I’m No. 1, I don’t feel I’m playing as No. 1.’  Now I’m ranked,  I really don’t know what. But I feel like I’m playing like a top 10 player, you know, and I have confidence that I can beat these players.  That’s huge for me.”

She looked particularly pumped up for today’s rematch with Zheng and with good reason. Two years ago, the then 133rd-ranked Zheng became the third lowes-tranked player to defeat a World No. 1 when she pounded out a 6-1, 6-4 win over Ivanovic at Wimbledon.

This time around, Ivanovic played first-strike tennis in firing her forehand with ambition and accuracy.

The tennis treadmill seemed stuck in reverse for Ivanovic, who had won back-to-back matches at just three of the first 11 tournaments she played this season, reaching the semifinals at Brisbane in her first event of the season and advancing to the Rome semifinals in May.

With her confidence in tatters and game leaking errors, Ivanovic watched her ranking fall to No. 63 and was denied a Rogers Cup wild card as the tournament director publicly suggested she was not worthy of a wild card. That rebuke seemed to fire up Ivanovic and she surged to the Cincinnati semifinals last month.

Ivanovic played with a fearlessness on her ascent to the top of the tennis rankings and admits she played with the apprehension of a woman bearing the burden of trying to defend ranking points.

“I see myself also as two different persons,” Ivanovic said. “Once you’re actually coming up and you have no expectations, you are hungry for success, and you really don’t know what the stakes are.  You just go for it.  You have no fear.  You play freely against anyone you come up against.”

The pressure constricted Ivanovic’s competitive instincts and she broke down in tears after losses earlier this season.

“Once you actually get in a position to defend some points and there is more outside pressure coming in, it is a lot different story,” Ivanovic said. “Because even though you perceive yourself the same or maybe even better, if you’re improving, still there is a lot of outside effect. That creates some doubts and obviously pressure.  Everyone deals with it differently.  That’s what I feel it was the biggest change with me, is that I managed to sort of let go of this.”
Winning six of her last seven matches has been emotionally liberating for Ivanovic, who looks like a player no longer afraid of losing.

“Now I feel, you know, as I am just coming up again, and I have really nothing to lose.  I got that joy of competing again,” Ivanovic said.

Rich Pagliaro is the editor of TennisNow.com.

“A couple people mentioned something like that to me,” he said after downing Kristof Vliegen in straight sets, 6-3 6-2 6-4. “They’re trying to get rid of me already.  I hope that’s not the case.

“But, you know, I was just really honored to be there.  I didn’t think of that until it came up yesterday when someone sort of mentioned that to me, ’cause I really, when I got the call first or email first actually about being a part of it, I didn’t tell any of my friends or even my coach or anyone, because I thought in a couple weeks they were going to call and tell me, We found someone better, forget it, you don’t need to be here for it.”

Blake, though, is not ready to hang it up. He is planning of playing as long as possible and just looks at his friend and confident Andre Agassi, with whom he had that classic encounter, back in 2005, where the future Hall of Fame legend came back from two sets down to win quarterfinals.

“I think we all remember his speech here in his last match,” he said.  “He’s someone that also played with a little bit of emotion and fed off the crowd and enjoyed tennis and appreciated as much, had a second career as well when he dropped all the way down to 141 and came back to No. 1.

“What he did, he belonged there last night as well as someone that’s inspired so many others, including myself.  He finished here, he beat me when he was 35, I think, 34, 35.  You know, there’s a chance I still could be playing in four or five more years.

“His brand of tennis maybe took a little less punishment on his body because he was the one doling out all the punishment.  I’m proud to say I’m a friend of his.  He’s someone that helped me.  You wouldn’t think of a superstar like that calling a young kid to give him a scouting report, helping him out when he really didn’t need to, treating him at his nightclub in Las Vegas.  Everything you could think of for a superstar they normally wouldn’t do, he was there to do.  To be a normal guy, to be one of the guys in the locker room, I respected him so much for that.

Also Blake can look at Mardy Fish, whom many have picked to be a dark horse choice at this Open. Fish lost 30 pounds and is in the best shape of his life. Yet Blake feels it’s different with him as he tends to need to put on weight, rather than lose it.

So there may still be a chance for Blake, but he is clearly on the downside of his career and may pack it in, even as early as this year and if he does he will be able to look back at all the great matches the Yonkers native played.

His best though: At the Davis Cup in 2007 when he beat Mikhail Youzhny, 6–3, 7–6, 6–7, 7–6 in the finals over Poland.

“It’s the most memorable, yeah,” he recalled.  “That’s the one that I think I’ll remember forever ’cause that Davis Cup team was one that had been through a lot together.  We played so many matches together, I think the most of any group, specific group, in U.S. history.

“We just had so much fun together.  We had won a lot, we had lost a lot.  We made it through that whole journey, got to the finals, and we all contributed.  Andy won.  I won a close one.  The Bryans closed it out.  We were all part of that year, part of that victory, shared holding that victory, being part of something special.

“For me, that was pretty darn exciting, especially since I lost to him the year before on the clay in Russia.  To get a win over him, three tiebreaks, it wasn’t on cruise control by any stretch.  Came through in a lot of big points, had a lot of confidence at that time.  Had the fans and the team right behind me.

“That’s always going to be a pretty good memory.  When you have the Bryan twins playing doubles for you, you feel pretty confident going into Saturday up 2‑0.”

Maybe, though he will have one more memorable match in his at the 2010 US Open.