US Open - Monday Diary

© Getty ImagesThe umpire pieces back together his microphone after Santiago Giraldo's wayward forehand found its mark.

ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at the news and talking points at the US Open on the first Monday.

Fish’s Wake-Up Call
Speaking after his impressive first-round win over Tobias Kamke on Monday, American No. 1 Mardy Fish was able to pin point the exact turning point in his career. Two years ago the right-hander was forced to miss the US Open after having knee surgery, and it came as a dawning realisation what he needed to do to maximise his potential.

“The reason that I had the knee surgery was because I was just too heavy, and the pounding on my knee just took over time," explained Fish. "That's when you look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'How badly do you want it? How badly do you want to give it everything you got just to see where you can get to?' That was the moment, no doubt about it.”

Fish also commented that he had asked both his wife, Stacey Gardner, and fitness trainer, Christian LoCascio, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Laughs Fish, “She was in love with me, I guess was her reply. No, their reply always was that they didn't think I was that [bad]...It's drastic, the pictures together are drastic now, but they didn't know any differently. That's what I always looked like.”

Close Call!
Perhaps in frustration at hearing the scoreline continually announced in Roger Federer’s favour, Santiago looked to solve the problem by taking out the umpire’s microphone. The Arthur Ashe crowd had a giggle as the Colombian accidentally sprayed a forehand on the first point of the second set, knocking the top protective piece off the microphone, and giving the umpire a start in the process.

Becker: Has Djokovic Played Too Much?
Writing a column in The Telegraph, 1989 US Open champion Boris Becker feels Novak Djokovic may be a victim of his own success in the next two weeks. “The one thing that could undo him is weariness. I do worry that his incredible record this season has pushed him close to the limits of his own endurance. That is the irony of success. Look at the two back-to-back Masters 1000 titles in Montreal and Cincinnati and most of the top guys have played five or six matches, whereas Djokovic has played 10. Hard-court tennis creates a lot of wear and tear on the body.

"You can see why Djokovic wants to keep going. 'Winning breeds winning' is one of my favourite axioms. Success is the only drug athletes are allowed to enjoy, and while you’re experiencing it, you just want more and more. During a hot streak like this, Djokovic must feel as though he is on a constant high.

“But there is one obvious downside to reaching the final of every tournament: you play so many more matches than everyone else. Eventually he is going to run out of gas, and he has got to be careful not to do that in the second week of the US Open, when he is supposed to be playing the quarter-finals and semi-finals.”

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Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Hurricane Irene’s arrival at the weekend caused endless problems for players who had already arrived in New York, disrupting practice schedules and forcing prolonged stays in hotel rooms. But the situation was even worse for players who had not yet arrived in the Big Apple. Winston-Salem semi-finalist Robin Haase was one such example, unable to travel to New York when the airports closed down on Saturday afternoon.

The Dutchman chartered his journey to New York on his Twitter account (@robin_haase).

Saturday
“How can I go to New York? Any ideas?
“Car/train/subway/plain/boat. Nothing is possible at the moment to get to New York. Trying to teleport. Can't figure it out though.”

Sunday
“Hope I can fly tomorrow morning to New York. Watching the news now. It was a good choice not to drive! “

Monday
“Seems like I can fly in about 1,5 hours. Almost at the airport. Looking forward to NY. #usopen
“Every time we stop because of traffic or a stoplight our cabdriver takes a 20 second nap!”

Celebrity Watch
Monday night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium staged the opening ceremony of the 2011 US Open, before five-time champion Roger Federer opened his campaign against Santiago Giraldo. The stars were out in force to see the 16-time major winner in action, including actors Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon, Donald Trump, NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour, and legendary crooner Tony Bennett.

Bennett, who plays tennis himself three times a week, was asked by ESPN2’s Pam Shriver why he liked Federer. “His deportment, he's ethical, he's fair, he's not angry,” answered Bennett. “He plays the game like you are supposed to play it. He's the best teacher you could ever watch.”

Mayor Lightens The Mood
USOpen.org writes... “After a week of getting his city through an earthquake and overseeing exhaustive preparations for Hurricane Irene, Bloomberg went from serious to light-hearted Monday evening in Arthur Ashe Stadium at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Taking part in opening night ceremonies for the 10th straight year, Bloomberg cracked his best tennis-themed joke in light of the recent events. ‘On Tuesday we had an earthquake. Who knew we lived near a fault? Luckily it wasn’t a double fault.’”

Henman: Murray Needs To Find Extra Gear
Former World No. 4 and 2004 US Open semi-finalist Tim Henman has been speaking about countryman Andy Murray’s prospects of winning a Grand Slam title. Talking to The Independent, Henman said, “Andy's been so efficient in getting through to the semis that I think he'll have many, many more opportunities. He's only 24. Of course he's aware that he's been in three Grand Slam finals and not won one, but you have to take the positives out of that and look at the tennis he's played. He played such good tennis to get to those finals. If you can play like that then of course you can win a Grand Slam.

“If you're in the final you're pretty close anyway. Andy's challenge now is not only to reach the line but find a way to get over it. That I would say is his biggest challenge. He has to find that extra gear."