Bud Collins

They are captivating and scintillating, and by anyone’s guess they will turn one of the quarterfinals into a championship-like contest. Serena Williams, No. 4, and her sister Venus, No. 7, will likely face-off Tuesday night at the U.S. Open. The Arthur Ashe stadium spectacular is guaranteed to be the most difficult ticket to find in New York since the Yankees were last in the World Series.

The Williams sisters are now 8-8 in career meetings. Venus, of course, won the last contest on the lawn at Wimbledon, but Serena is up 6-3 in finals. Given their talent and high rankings, it’s not surprising that they have only played one another in two other quarterfinal contests, and Venus has taken both in straight sets.

To get to the dream match-up, Serena, who won the first Williams major title here in 1999 and did it again in 2002, will have to get past wild card Severine Bremond, who sidestepped Tathiana Garbin 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the round of 16. Venus has a much sterner test, as she will be taking on Agnieszka Radwanska. The No. 9 seed is steady and a stalwart mentally. The fact that she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets in the round of 16 at Wimbledon shows she has the goods. Agnieszka will not be overwhelmed playing the 2000-2001 U.S. Open champion, and she has also won their only match-up at Luxembourg in 2006, dropping only three games. Venus, who I think is the best in the women’s game, will win and in the end, add another title to her illustrious collection.

The majors are really two events. Earning a spot in the initial 128 draw and playing through the first week is almost a tournament in and of itself. Reaching the second week is the ultimate. For many players, it’s a career achievement that leaves people talking of their achievements.

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal has had everyone talking this year. Having supplanted Roger Federer, who held the No. 1 ranking for an astonishing 237 weeks, he is the Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Olympic Gold Medal winner, along with six other events. In the round of 16, “Rafa” will take on Sam Querrey, the 21-year-old American, who has never been this far at a Big Four.

Admitting that he plays the same no matter the surface, Sam will have to continue to serve big, pound his forehand and stay patient. His “grip and rip” approach will be challenged by the top spin master who will try to twist him into oblivion. Nadal will triumph, though it took him three sets to subdue Querrey at Cincinnati in 2006. By the end of the tournament being on a different level than the rest of the competition, Nadal will do as Federer did in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and claim his third Big Four title of the year.

Querrey who has been bestowed with “The Next” title (along with Donald Young) has been impressive at a tournament where he made his international debut in the juniors, reaching the quarterfinals in 2004. He has evidenced new maturity and rich promise.

Mardy Fish is marrying Stacey Gardner, who was a tennis star at Beverly Hill High School before garnering “Deal or No Deal” fame, and James Blake will be his best man. But, Fish raced past the No. 9 seed to reach the round of 16, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6. (His best previous result in New York was reaching the second round five times.)

For some time, I thought Mardy would be the best American, but he just didn’t do it. Against James he dropped serve trying to close out the match, but came back from being down 4-2 in the tie-break to win. He will have to play as well as he did against James, or better to subdue the athletic Roland Garros semifinalist Gael Monfils in order to reach his first Big Four quarterfinal. He will, but, as I said, it’s Rafa’s tournament.

Andy Murray, No. 6, will stop Stanislas Wawrinka, No. 10 seeds, in a round of 16 performance, will cast the “Other Swiss” star aside and in the quarterfinals finally stop Juan Martin Del Potro’s marvelous four tournament and 23 match win streak because the man with four names will succumb to the pressure of having never been in a quarterfinal at a tournament of this magnitude. Nadal will end the British hope’s tournament, (Murray, of course, pointedly reminds those who refer to him as such that he is Scottish.), because he is the best in the game in the semifinals.

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