US Open - Brace yourself, the final Slam of the year is here

For me, the US Open has always had a special vibe attached to it. The blue hardcourts, the perky audience, that feeling of a cool breeze brushing through the stadiums; it’s the only Grand Slam that makes me sit up through the night, glued to the television set to see new dramas unfold.

And given that it is the final Grand Slam of the year, there is always a possibility that it ends the calendar year with a bang. I miss Andy Roddick though. This is the only Slam that he’s won, in his own country, and the tournament always has his birthday (August 30) as an added flavour with it.

The players are not the only entities that make the experience of sports enriching. The audiences in the stadiums play a significant factor too. And for the ones watching at home, commentators play a vital part too because they are the storytellers who ensure that the pulse of the match is being felt away from the courts.

Why am I listing out this obvious factor? Because when it comes to the U.S. Open, drama has taken centre stage more than the other three Grand Slam tournaments.

This was the last Grand Slam tournament that Andre Agassi ever played and even though he was ousted in the third round, all three matches were nothing short of a spectacle. That man’s got style. His journey felt like a Shakespearean saga; on and on it went.

Andre Agassi after his defeat in the 2006 US Open

With the thrill, ecstasy and crescendo that was his five setter match with the young Marcos Baghdatis and then the pain and pathos that were the anti-inflammatory injections he took after each match, he gave us one last run. It was an added bonus in the tournament that one of the greatest players of the game hailed from USA.

It is the tournament that has seen Sania Mirza give her best singles performance for a Grand Slam. She reached the fourth round in 2005. But she is not the only underdog story.

The tournament has seen many giant killers. It’s just another noted fact that most of these giant killers gain precedence because they’re from the host nation, with John Isner and Melanie Oudin being the prominent cases from the 2009 edition.

While Isner defeated Roddick, Oudin had on an exhilarating spree of victories over Dementieva, Sharapova and Petrova. How exciting was it to see someone other than the Williams sisters getting the love of the home crowd.

Seriously, the Williams winning this slam is way past the dramatic stage. The only time I was left gasping for breath was when Serena scorned at the Lineswoman in 2009 (Guess, this was one of the most happening years in U.S. Open’s history).

And finally, it was here that Sharapova wore that bold black dress and Kim Clijsters claimed the moniker - “Super Mommy”.

This tournament already had some frenzy thanks to ‘Sugerpova’, but has now ended with her withdrawal. It is the first tournament where Andy Murray will be the defending champion.

The women’s side needs to top the competitive match that was Victoria Azarenka versus Serena Williams last year.

Yes, Nadal and Federer are hot topics, once again. But what I’m really looking forward to is an underdog story, a giant killer and hence I’m waiting for a new star to take centre stage.