• A gritty, 19 year-old American, Christina McHale (daughter of Celts legend, Kevin) outhustle French jumping-bean, Marion Bartoli (ranked #9 in the world);
• Prohibitive underdog,  #455 Madison Keys jump all over 26^th ranked Lucie Safarova in a first set filled with jaw dropping passing shots only to succumb to experience 6-3  5-7 4-6;
• An outstanding 1^st Round match-up between power-serving American, John Isner, and international fan-favorite Marcos Baghdatis of Cypress battle through four sets, two of which resulted in tiebreakers; and
• Super-giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic crush world-ranked #13 & single-handed back-hand expert, Richard Gasquet “like bug.”

I was also treated to the dominant play of Sharapova, Roddick, Federer and Williams, however the most entertaining match of the Open thus far has been  gravity-defying, Frenchman Gael Monfils (#7) versus injury-free, former World #1 (2003) Juan Carlos Ferrero.  Ferrero knocked out Monfils in a five set, five-plus hour epic: 76 57 67 64 64.

The only aspect of the Open that I do find troubling is the United States Tennis Association’s insistence on featuring Americans and only top-ranked players during prime time broadcasts throughout the first week of this two-week tennis bonanza that is the US Open.  A separate admission is required at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to view these matches and the cost of a seat below the nose-bleed tier in the stadium starts at $175.  The USTA must figure that fans will only pay to see the highest ranked players or mid-level Americans; however, there are two rather obvious defects in this rationale:

• All matches during the first week that feature top 3 seeds are typically quick and ruthless – especially in the men’s draw – so spectators are expected to pay up to $690 for a courtside seat to watch an hour and half of a one-sided tennis match.  That does not help the game, nor does it leave fans feeling warm and fuzzy about their experience.  Who wants to pay $175 to see Novak Djokovic mop the court with Carlos Berlorq 60 60 62, or Caroline Wozniacki school Arantxa Rus 62 60 (although a the match did feature two of the more attractive women in the field)?  Tennis fans – the folks who come to Flushing Meadows every year for this feast –  want to see a competitive match, not a one-sided pummeling.
• There are a load of international visitors who come to the Open and the draw at the Ashe court for a solid pairing – like the Monfils/Ferrero match on Thursday – would have equaled the Federer/Sela match which ran contemporaneously.  Moreover, both American fans and the International crowds who take the time to come to Flushing want to see exciting players.  Even before the Monfils/Ferrero battle, the buzz at the Open was all about that interstellar pairing.  The Armstrong Court which hosted the match was filled to capacity, while the Federer/Sela match yielded a stadium that was approximately 1/3 full and morgue-like quiet.  Granted, the Ashe Stadium is a little over twice as large as the Armstrong Stadium, but Monfils/Ferrero deserved to be recognized as the choice match of the day. “People will come [USTA], people will most definitely come.”

[Even tonight, we are being fed Djokovic versus Nicolay Davydenko – that is going to be a bloodbath.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga from the growing French contingent, against Fernando Verdasco, one of Spain’s array of top 30 stars, would have been the right call today for the Ashe match, USTA.]

Which brings me to my next point.  If the USTA had any idea of how to market tennis, they would have showcased Gael Monfils on the Ashe Court and endeavor to make Monfils the sport’s poster child.  I know that Djokovic is the top ranked player and before him there was Nadal and Federer;  Monfils is #7.  If the USTA wants to develop more fans of tennis and establish a broader base, Gael Monfils must be featured in their branding.  He simply has more demographic allure and the potential to extend the market beyond the existing tennis fan-base.  And they need to jump on Gael’s back immediately because the speed, style and acrobatics of Gael Monfils cannot continue indefinitely.  He will never be a World #1 because of all of the energy he expends in getting a racket on every ball leaves him gassed, especially in the Grand Slam five-set marathons.  But Monfils is a human highlight reel.  I propose that the R&D team at the USTA compile a nice montage of clips of some of the remarkable shots that Monfils has executed and test it with new demographics.  Monfils will sell the sport, and the USTA can send the Bench Jockeys a tidy consultant fee for our recommendation.

The hot topic at the Open was not Rory, it was transportation.  Transportation to and from Congressional was a nightmare.  The average Joe who parked in the cross-county fairgrounds and weathered 45 minute bus rides to and from the course only to be greeted with an additional 20 minute hump to the clubhouse from the bus drop-off location expressed nothing but contempt for the grounds access system and the second class citizen feel of the general admission.   Even with the preferred parking,  I felt a better effort could have been made by the tourney organizers to esnure timely transport through Potomac.  Transportation: Grade – F

The golf course looked fantastic.  Let me restate that: the Blue Course on which the US Open was played looked fantastic.  The Gold Course at Congressional, which boasts a second 18, was positively destroyed by Open staging, parking and construction vehicles.  If I were a member at Congressional, I would be apoplectic about the loss of half of the country club’s 36 holes which will be wholly unfit for golf until October, particularly since the members of Congressional saw no reduction in dues and received no financial benefit from hosting the US Open.  Having talked with a quite a few members over my stint at Congressional, the vibe was generally displeased relative to the selection of the course as a US Open site and the corresponding limitations imposed upon the membership.  Course Condition: Grade – A (as a spectator); D (as a member).

I do question the course selection.  Aside from the proximity to the nation’s capital and the site of Venturi’s near-death march in ‘64, Congressional does not stand out as an exciting course.  Making #6 a par 5 was a mistake – it took the water out of play.  #10 was a decent challenge but only with the pin in the front.  #11 was a legitimate par 4 US Open-worthy hole with a stroke average of 4.38  #18 is a beautiful finishing hole, but for my money, Congressional does not have enough panache.  Course Selection: Grade – B-

I noticed an interesting dynamic as the week progressed.  The further into the tourney – from practice days (Monday thru Wednesday) to the full field Rounds 1 & 2 (Thursday, Friday) and then to the post “cut-line” field (Saturday, Sunday) – the less the spectators in attendance actually knew about golf.  During the practice rounds when fans can photograph the players and chat them up a bit, the devotees in attendance knew what was going on, who was on the course and how to behave.  Thursday and Friday arrived and everyone who passed by a leaderboard wanted to know what the asterisk next to a player’s name meant (“started the round on #10, folks” ) or what the difference was between the red and the black numbers.  By the weekend, all the talk was about Rory McIlroy and the rote repetition of the same NBC-generated statistical data points, how Tiger could have beat the 22 year old Northern Irishman, and where to grab a beer while quality pairings like McDowell-Kaymer, Manassaro- Johnson, and Donald-Watson walked the course alone.  Fans: Grade A (Mon-Wed), B (Thurs-Fri), C (Sat), C- (Sun).

Finally, the players.  I don’t know which image consultant that Rory Sabbatini hired before the US Open, but Sabbatini, who has a history of being an absolute prick, was the nicest chap on the course during the practice rounds.  He signed for everyone, he took pictures with fans, and he even offered sunblock advice.  The world’s third best player, Martin Kaymer, was gracious and very accommodating. Graeme McDowell, last year’s champ, was exactly the same.  Rickie Fowler signed everything that was put in front of him, while KJ Choi had his game face from Day 1 and was all business.  Of note, Steve Stricker, Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington will not be vying for the 2011 US Open Ms. Congeniality award, giving the Heisman to many a child seeking autographs.  On the whole, however, considering this was a Major, it appeared that the bulk of the players enjoyed the fans and were approachable for the practice rounds.  Players:  Grade B+

If you enjoy golf in any capacity, volunteering offers an up-close look at a tourney.  The US Open always needs volunteers, and it takes an army to run this event.  San Franciscans take note: sign-ups typically open a year in advance, and volunteering is the best way to take part in the US Open experience.

As is the custom with the Open, “super pairings” are sprinkled about the 156-man playing field to create buzz, keep spectator traffic under control, ease operational needs for televised coverage, and of course, to prove to golf fans just how very clever the USGA pairing committee really is.  Although lacking an American presence, the marquee grouping of  Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer offers Open-watchers the top three golfers in the world in a nice neat package.  The next best pairing -fortunately playing at a time when the Donald group is not – is Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, immediately followed by a pairing of three recent Master’s Champions: Charl Schwartzel, Trevor Immelman, and Zach Johnson.

Other pairings of note combine reigning U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, British Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen, and U.S. Amateur winner Peter Uihlein.  Then the pairing commitee decided to get cutesy.  There is the New Spanish Armada of Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia, and Alvaro Quiros;, followed by the Brothers Molinari and teen phenom, Matteo Manassero to round out  the Italian Stallions.  There is the all-Swede Abba fan club grouping of Henrik Stenson, Johan Edfors, and Fredrik Jacobson (it’s too bad the commitee did not group Karlsson, Noren and Hanson for a little $2 Nassau sidebet) as well as the USGA’s own makeshift version of the Asian Invasion with Ryo Ishikawa, Anthony Kim,  and Y.E. Yang.  In a most unusual pairing, even if Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium can speak English, I am not sure he will understand many of the words coming out of the mouths of fellow pairing mates and good ol’ Georgia boys, Heath Slocum and Russell Henley – hopefully they won’t skin him.

As for early predictions, it’s easy to pick one of the favorites, but we think players from the Retief Goosen, David Toms and Steve Stricker group will be in the hunt on Sunday, along with members of the Matt Kuchar, Paul Casey, and K.J. Choi pairing.  The Bench Jockeys will be on-site for the entirety of the Open and with the volunteer schedule will be following the back-to-back pairings of Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, and Hunter Mahan & Camilo Villegas, Aaron Baddeley,  and Brandt Snedeker on Thursday as well as the Goosen/Mickelson groups on Friday.

To view the entire pairing list for the rounds on Thursday and Friday, click here.  http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/jun/10/2011-us-open-usga-announces-pairings/