US Open 2008 Tennis Championship Winners
Men's Singles
The embattled former number one of the tennis courts, the great Roger Federer, gave his legions of armchair critics food for thought when he came out firing at the 2008 US Open at Flushing Meadows.
Federer had a rough start to the season with rampant glandular fever taking its toll on his normally elevated fitness levels and with not a single grand slam title to his name for the season, detractors were already talking early retirement!
Federer claimed his fifth consecutive US Open title in New York with absolute ease, playing some really brutal tennis to knock Brit, Andy Murray's, maiden grand slam hopes squarely on the chin. The score line, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2, reflected the sheer dominance and ongoing brilliance of the champion.
The Swiss precision machine romped to victory in 1 hour and 51 minutes, claiming his 13th grand slam title and is now only a single triumph adrift of the all-time record holder, "Pistol" Pete Sampras.
Federer joins a very elite duo of Sampras and Jimmy Connors as five-time US Open champion but he is the only man since Bill Tilden in 1924 to capture the crown in consecutive years.
Although Federer has not had the best of seasons, he continues to set and break records and this week in New York he added another first to his long list of achievements he became the first man ever to achieve 5 consecutive victories in not one, but two, elite grand slam tournaments.
He hogged the limelight in London, winning all gentlemen's singles titles at the All England Club between 2003 and 2007, losing out to the awesome talent of Rafael Nadal earlier in the year in what has been described as the greatest tennis match of all time!
"I had a great tournament but I came up against, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game today," said Murray, a young man who has been tipped to claim his maiden grand slam title any day now!
Women's Singles
Home favourite, Serena Williams powered her way to victory to claim her ninth grand slam title, beating Serb, Jelena Jankovic in straight sets 6-4, 7-5. Although Williams was a bit slow out of the blocks, she gradually turned on the heat, dealing Jankovic's maiden grand slam title hopes a death blow.
Serena's performance on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows propelled her to the number one berth on the WTA rankings, a position she has not filled since 2002 and it was her third US Open women's singles crown, having claimed the glory in 1999 and 2002.
Williams did not allow Jankovic the slightest bit of leeway and saved four set points in the second, effectively killing off the 23-year-old Serbs hopes of the title.
"Serena was a better player tonight. Congratulations to her for winning the whole tournament. She was just too good", said the gracious young woman who, ironically ended the 2008 season as the world's number one!
Men's Doubles
Number two seeds and hot favourites to win their home event for the second time, twins Bob & Mike Bryan beat Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy 7-6(5), 7-6(10). The thirty year old brothers had their work cut out for them though and had to dig deep to claim their sixth grand slam doubles title
Women's Doubles
Top seeds, Zimbabwean Cara Black and Liezel Huber of the USA beat American, Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur from Australia 6-3, 76(6). It was the duo's fourth women's doubles title at a grand slam but their first success at Flushing Meadows. Black celebrated a double, having already claimed the mixed doubles title with Indian star, Leander Paes, earlier in the week.
Mixed Doubles
Fifth seeds, Cara Black of Zimbabwe and veteran grand slam competitor, Leander Paes beat Liezel Huber of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain 7-6(6), 6-4. The unseeded duo of Huber and Murray missed out in the first set by failing to convert two set points and then the experienced Paes effectively took the game away from them.
