In a New York State of Mind

NEW YORK â€”  The yearly meeting place that is the U.S. Open, which starts today, is almost like those last couple of weeks before school lets out. Here, of course, the class consists of incredibly wealthy individuals, who certainly don’t need to borrow lunch money, and famous divas recognized by a first name.

Plot lines are strikingly similar from year to year. Who’s hot, who’s not? How many new alliances have formed? Somebody will complain about the noise, eventually. The very sameness of the Open’s quirks is reassuring.

Except nothing is the same anymore.

On the approach into Manhattan, where players and officials stay, are the usual larger-than-life ads promoting the tournament. These might as well be invisible when coming into New York, especially for those who have not been here since last year’s U.S. Open.

The tennis world was moving out of Manhattan and the World Trade Center was in the rearview mirror as many headed to the airports on Sept. 10, 2001, the day after the men’s final between Lleyton Hewitt and Pete Sampras. Not much more than 36 hours after Hewitt defeated Sampras came the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Hewitt and the women’s champion, Venus Williams, both were attempting to return home. Williams’ flight was diverted to Florida, and Hewitt, flying to Sydney, did not learn of the horrific attacks until he landed in Australia.

Almost immediately, the USTA contributed $1 million toward the World Trade Center relief efforts. Now with the one-year anniversary approaching, the organization will honor survivors and heroes with nightly on-court ceremonies, starting with tonight’s “A Salute to Heroes.� John McEnroe and Billie Jean King will lead a procession.

“I think it’s a good idea that the USTA is trying to take a hands-on approach, not pretending like this is something that happened a year ago, but to tackle it head-on because I think it’s really going to be on people’s minds,� McEnroe said.

After the ceremony will be first-round matches between top-seeded Serena Williams, the 1999 champion, and wild-card entrant Corina Morariu, and No. 6-seeded Andre Agassi, champion here in 1994 and 1999, and Robby Ginepri.

Morariu’s return is a celebration in itself. The 24-year-old from Boca Raton, Fla, is a leukemia survivor. At this time last year she was undergoing chemotherapy.

Also in action today is Morariu’s former doubles partner, No. 4-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who will face Eva Dyrberg of Denmark. Davenport has played in four tournaments since returning in July. She had been out since having knee surgery in January.

Twice, she lost to Venus Williams in straight sets, most recently in Saturday’s final at New Haven, Conn. Being on the other side of the draw, away from Venus, is a mixed blessing. If form holds, Davenport would face Serena in the semifinals, and Serena has not lost in her last 14 Grand Slam matches, winning the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July.

Serena’s acquisition of those titles and the No. 1 spot has come at the expense of her older sister. But Serena insisted that not much has changed since her ascension to the top.

“I thought I’d be excited every day, all the time. But I’m still the same person I was three months ago,� Williams said at Manhattan Beach just before her 21-match winning streak ended with a loss to Chanda Rubin in the quarterfinals.

“I still have to buy my own diamonds.�

Since losing to Serena at Wimbledon, Venus has won three tournaments, dropping only one set, to Kim Clijsters of Belgium in the quarterfinals at Carlsbad. Though No. 2-seeded Venus has a considerably tougher draw--a potential fourth-round match against Rubin and possibly No. 3-seeded Jennifer Capriati or No. 10-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France in the semifinals--the odds favor another Williams vs. Williams final.

They have played three of the last four Grand Slam finals, including last year’s U.S. Open in prime time, won by Venus. Venus can become the first player since Chris Evert to win three consecutive Opens (Evert won four, from 1975-1978), but Serena also has history to chase, trying to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1996 to win three consecutive Grand Slam events in the same year.

American women have won 11 of the last 12 Grand Slam events, starting with Davenport at Wimbledon in 1999. There isn’t that kind of dominance by one nation or player on the men’s side. This year, six men have reached the first three Grand Slam tournament finals, and Hewitt is the only one to have been in more than one final in the last seven majors.

Hewitt has not won a tournament since winning Wimbledon; his best showing was a loss to Carlos Moya of Spain in the final at Cincinnati. Still, Hewitt is considered the favorite in New York. Patrick McEnroe, for one, rejects the notion that the 21-year-old Australian is a transitional champion.

“I’ve seen the guy get better,� said McEnroe, the U.S. Davis Cup captain. “He’s clearly mentally tougher than anybody and he learns very quickly. He figures out opponents, what’s working and what’s not working. [Roger] Federer, [Marat] Safin and even [Andy] Roddick, in my mind, tactically they don’t adjust as well in the middle of a match as Hewitt.

“Clearly, there are guys that have more firepower than him, but no one has the mind he has. His hands are very underrated. He hits the ball very early, picks the ball up in awkward positions really well. The guy is going to be around.�

Hewitt caught a break in the draw when seeded players Thomas Johansson of Sweden and Guillermo Canas of Argentina withdrew because of injuries.

This meant Greg Rusedski of Britain became the No. 33-seeded player and was moved to the opposite side of the draw, away from a potential second-round match against Hewitt.

Moya is in Hewitt’s half, but in the lower quarter with No. 4-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, Agassi and No. 13-seeded Federer of Switzerland. Hewitt thrives on playing those who hit with pace.

“The guys that play with a lot of heavy spin, that gives him a lot of trouble,� McEnroe said.

“He has trouble creating his own pace. If you try to open up the court against him he’s dangerous.�

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The Facts

When: Today-Sept. 8.

TV: Daily, 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., USA.

Today’s featured matches: Men, Brian Vahaly vs. James Blake (25); Robby Ginepri vs. Andre Agassi (6). Women, Lindsay Davenport (4) vs. Eva Dyrberg, Denmark; Serena Williams (1) vs. Corina Morariu.

Wild cards: Men, Vahaly, Mardy Fish, Alex Bogomolov, Justin Gimelstob, Alex Kim, Prakash Amritraj, Matias Boeker and Jack Brasington. Women, Morariu, Ally Baker, Ashley Harkleroad, Bea Bielik, Sarah Taylor, Mashona Washington, Alexandra Podkolzina, Martina Hingis.

TOP SEEDED PLAYERS

WOMEN

1. Serena Williams. Age: 20. Country: U.S. 2002 record: 38-4. 2002 singles titles: 5.

2. Venus Williams. Age: 22. Country: U.S. 2002 record: 52-6. 2002 titles: 6.

3. Jennifer Capriati. Age: 26. Country: U.S. 2002 record: 41-11. 2002 titles: 1.

4. Lindsay Davenport. Age: 26. Country: U.S. 2002 record: 11-3. 2002 titles: 0.

5. Jelena Dokic. Age: 19. Country: Yugoslavia. 2002 record: 45-17. 2002 titles: 2.

6. Monica Seles. Age: 28. Country: U.S. 2002 record: 40-11. 2002 titles: 2.

7. Kim Clijsters. Age: 19. Country: Belgium. 2002 record: 28-13. 2002 titles: 1.

8. Justine Henin. Age: 20. Country: Belgium. 2002 record: 40-15. 2002 titles: 1.

MEN

1. Lleyton Hewitt. Age: 21. Country: Australia. 2002 record: 45-10. 2002 titles: 4.

2. Marat Safin. Age: 22. Country: Russia. 2002 record: 37-16. 2002 titles: 0.

3. Tommy Haas. Age: 24. Country: Germany. 2002 record: 35-16. 2002 titles: 0.

4. Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Age: 28. Country: Russia. 2002 record: 26-22. 2002 titles: 1.

5. Tim Henman. Age: 27. Country: Britain. 2002 record: 43-15. 2002 titles: 1.

6. Andre Agassi. Age: 32. Country: U.S. 2002 record: 40-7. 2002 titles: 4.

7. Juan Carlos Ferrero. Age: 22. Country: Spain. 2002 record: 32-17. 2002 titles: 1.

8. Albert Costa. Age: 27. Country: Spain. 2002 record: 33-15. 2002 titles: 1.