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	<title>With lines of escape in my mouth &#187; monfils</title>
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		<title>US Open 2008 &#8211; Day 1</title>
		<link>http://www.nigeldowler.com/blog/2008/08/25/us-open-2008-day-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.nigeldowler.com/blog/2008/08/25/us-open-2008-day-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:30:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arguello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[azarenka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cirstea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cuevas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferrer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kirilenko]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[korolev]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monfils]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[murray]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paszek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[roitman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rolle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safarova]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soderling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tennis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[us open]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wozniacki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zakopalova]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nigeldowler.com/?p=161</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The US Open is probably my favourite tennis grand slam event so I was pretty excited this morning to be heading to the opening day of the tournament. I had a grounds ticket for the day session which meant I could come and go as I pleased around any of the courts except for the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The US Open is probably my favourite tennis grand slam event so I was pretty excited this morning to be heading to the opening day of the tournament. I had a grounds ticket for the day session which meant I could come and go as I pleased around any of the courts except for the Arthur Ashe Stadium.<span id="more-161"></span> With about 14 courts being used in all, from 11am to whenever the last match finished (usually around 9 or 10pm), the grounds ticket was fantastic value at $46 (€32). I bought up a ticket for the Tuesday and Wednesday day sessions too.</p>
<p>First I went to the Grandstand Court and watched the start of <strong>Gael Monfils vs Pablo Cuevas</strong>. Monfils would go on to win in straight sets.</p>

<a href="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/gallery/us-open-2008-day1/usopen_day1_monfils02.jpg" title="Gael Monfils, US Open 2008" rel="lightbox[singlepic159]">
	<img class="ngg-singlepic" src="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/nggshow.php?pid=159&amp;width=480&amp;height=360&amp;mode=" alt="Gael Monfils, US Open 2008" title="Gael Monfils, US Open 2008" />
</a>

<p>Then I moved along to the Armstrong Stadium to watch a set and a bit of <strong>David Ferrer vs Martin Vassallo Arguello</strong>. Ferrer took the first set on a tiebreak but then won the next two easily.</p>

<a href="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/gallery/us-open-2008-day1/usopen_day1_ferrer01.jpg" title="David Ferrer, US Open 2008" rel="lightbox[singlepic156]">
	<img class="ngg-singlepic" src="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/nggshow.php?pid=156&amp;width=480&amp;height=360&amp;mode=" alt="David Ferrer, US Open 2008" title="David Ferrer, US Open 2008" />
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<p>I was really just biding my time until a particular match that I wanted to see. My favourite female player is 19 year old Belarusian, Victoria Azarenka, and she was playing in the second match on one of the outside courts so I made my way there. However the first match was still in play on that court &#8211; <strong>Robin Soderling vs Evgeny Korolev</strong>. One line judge gave quite a few bad line calls and had Soderling majorly pissed off.</p>

<a href="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/gallery/us-open-2008-day1/usopen_day1_soderling02.jpg" title="Robin Soderling, US Open 2008" rel="lightbox[singlepic161]">
	<img class="ngg-singlepic" src="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/nggshow.php?pid=161&amp;width=480&amp;height=360&amp;mode=" alt="Robin Soderling, US Open 2008" title="Robin Soderling, US Open 2008" />
</a>

<p>After Korolev won that match in straight sets, I waited for <strong>Victoria Azarenka vs Klara Zakopalova</strong>. Vika looked very well in an all blue outfit and had it pretty easy in the match, wrapping up a 6-2 6-1 win in under an hour. Something I hadn&#8217;t noticed before when watching her on television was that when she&#8217;s receiving serve and starts moving her feet, she does this little hop that she probably doesn&#8217;t even realise she&#8217;s doing. It&#8217;s so cute and adorable! <img src='http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>

<a href="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/gallery/us-open-2008-day1/usopen_day1_azarenka01.jpg" title="Victoria Azarenka, US Open 2008" rel="lightbox[singlepic145]">
	<img class="ngg-singlepic" src="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/nggshow.php?pid=145&amp;width=480&amp;height=360&amp;mode=" alt="Victoria Azarenka, US Open 2008" title="Victoria Azarenka, US Open 2008" />
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<a href="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/gallery/us-open-2008-day1/usopen_day1_azarenka03.jpg" title="Victoria Azarenka, US Open 2008" rel="lightbox[singlepic147]">
	<img class="ngg-singlepic" src="http://www.nigeldowler.com/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/nggshow.php?pid=147&amp;width=480&amp;height=360&amp;mode=" alt="Victoria Azarenka, US Open 2008" title="Victoria Azarenka, US Open 2008" />
</a>

<p>Next I went back to the Armstrong Stadium and got there for the start of <strong>Andy Murray vs Sergio Roitman</strong>. Roitman played well and gave him a good game but the Muzza was always too strong and ran away with it in the end. His winning shot on match point was pretty special.</p>
<p>Now I had a choice to make between another two of my favourite women players. Caroline Wozniacki, the young Dane, was starting her match and I knew that Lucie Safarova would be starting soon too. I decided to just catch a couple of games from <strong>Caroline Wozniacki vs Ahsha Rolle</strong> before moving on to see Lucie. I knew Wozniacki would win and that I could get to see her in full in the next round. With Lucie I wasn&#8217;t so sure.</p>
<p>And that&#8217;s the way it turned out. Wozniacki won easily while the <strong>Lucie Safarova vs Sorana Cirstea</strong> match was a very close one which went to three sets but ultimately Sorana was a worthy winner.</p>
<p>As we moved into the evening I was feeling pretty tired and sunburned so decided to grab one more match before leaving, <strong>Tamira Paszek vs Maria Kirilenko</strong>. Neither played too well but it was a tight match that in the end went to Paszek, 6-4 in the third.</p>
<p>And that was that. A very enjoyable day all around and I&#8217;m looking forward to heading back tomorrow. A few not so good things: 1) mediocre overpriced food, 2) sunburn, 3) me forgetting to charge my camera battery the night before so I only had it working for half the day.</p>
<p>More photos in the <a href="http://www.nigeldowler.com/gallery/us-open-2008-day-1/">gallery</a>.</p>
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