I think if anything, the match is going to be more pivotal for Kim's career than Mary. I could see Kim being #1 for most of 2006 if she wins tonight - she has hardly any points to defend the rest of the year. If Kim makes it a running match, she should take this, because Maria and Mary's games are eerily similar - and Maria's the more mentally tougher player of the two.

Isn't that Taye Diggs wife singing? She is really pretty and has a nice voice. I really want Kim to take tonights title, like really bad. Mary P. just rubs me the wrong way. Come on Kim!

ETA: I know Mary has every right to do so, but the fact that she takes damn near 20 seconds between every point of serve drives me insane. I hate watching her play, serve at least, for that very reason. It is just so annoying, I think I'd go crazy if I had to play her.

Can they please stop? This is killing me. God bless the end of that performance.

Can a leopard change her spots? For Kim's sake, I hope so. My heart is with her, but my gut says Mary's going to take it.

You're right ShellsandCheese, Roger can often get away with not playing his best. But I think that kind of playing is going to be far worse for his tennis game than it is beneficial in the long run, because he's going to lose his competitive edge that got him to #1 in the first place. And that would be a crying shame because I really think that he has it in him to be the best ever.

For his own sake I hope he loses a couple of pivotal matches to some unseeded players or to someone like Roddick or Hewitt so that he realizes that he can't get away with this for much longer. I also hope he gets himself a coach, one who'll tell him off for being "off".

I have a question for all you tennis fans in the know. Does anybody know why Clijsters and Hewitt broke up? Was he cheating on her with Bec before the split? I'm curious because every time Lleyton or Kim plays, Mary or Dick mentions that this time last year Kim and Lleyton were engaged!

I think all Kim needs to do is retrieve adequately and she's going to take this in straight sets.

Anyone else sensing an injury timeout?


Felt great to me! :)

It's hard to say, since a lot of it is rumor. I know that she dumped him and I think he found out from a statement she posted on her website. Kim adamantly denied that another person was to blame and was angry at the media for suggesting it. I think what I heard was that their families didn't get along.

I know that Hewitt had met his wife five years ago and after he got dumped, he started his relationship up with her again. Then of course, they got engaged three months later.

Too bad, I always liked Kim and Lleyton together. It seemed like one of the few tennis romances that looked like it was going to last. I don't count Agassi and Graf since she was retired. I remember that Chucky was with Magnus Norman. Or was it Marat Safin? Chucky seemed to get around quite a bit.

I'm disappointed that Hewitt lost today, but at least he put on a good show and seemed like he was playing great. Losing the second set really hurt.

Hoping that Kim finally claims her first Grand Slam.

Chucky dated a lot of tennis players, and their games seem to slide after she hooked up with them. I love Martina Hingis, I still remember her underhanded serve against Graf at the French, her 1st round Wimbledon loss to Jelena Dokic (where is she now?), and how she ran off to some island paradise with her boyfriend at the time Ivo. And she dated the prosecutor down in Florida who prosecuted her stalker. I miss Hingis! She really added a lot of drama and excitement, not to mention gossip to the WTA tour.

ETA: Yay Kim! One set down, one to go!

Oh, Mary. I should've known. More than anyone else, she's either hot or cold. Kim won't even have a chance to choke if she can't keep the ball in play. Any of the other players would go to Plan B, but she doesn't have one.

Who is "Chucky"?

Also, thanks blackwing for the dirt on Lleyton and Kim. I kept hearing the break-up comments, but wondered who broke up with whom and why. Interesting.

Aw, Mary: come on! I hate seeing her play this badly after 2 weeks of such good tennis. Damn.

Martina Hingis.

Congratulations, Kim. It would've been nice if she had made you earn it. Pierce is hereby banned from Grand Slam finals. So says I. Dementieva might've won.

OK, now she's just hugging random people.

I'm happy for Clijsters, but I wish it had been a better match. And I was sorta rooting for Mary because - well, just because. Glad to see she was so graceous, smiling and warm while congratulating Kim.

Or at least put up a fight. Damn! Even with her wonky serve I don't think Demetieva would have went down 3 and 1. She probably would have at least forced a third set, and make Kim earn it. But I am very very happy for Kim!

I don't think her problem was with winning Grand Slams, it was really about beating the top players when the pressure was on. She proved that against Venus and Sharapova; I think Kim will win a number of Grand Slams.

If this pattern holds true to form than Federer (the favorite) should have no problem with Agassi.

Damn, that was fast. When Mary broke, I got too nervous that Kim was going to choke again, so I did other stuff and turned off the TV and when I got back, it was over. Jesus H. Christ.

ETA: Re: Lleyton and Kim-I heard that she told her wedding dress maker first and told her to stop working on the dress and then she called Lleyton while he was on vacation with his best friend and told him it was over.

Thanks. I found this after googling Martina Hingis and "Chucky":

I'm sure that Lleyton must have done something to get Kim to dump him like that. Perhaps too many COME ONS! in the bedroom.


Another reason to love Mary Carillo, she brings the funny.

Kim Clijsters is hot. How did I just now notice that?

Well, gosh: Kim and Mary should just make out. Right now.

I'm not so sure. Not to make excuses or anything, but part of the reason everyone picked her was that she was the healthiest player coming into the Open. It wouldn't bode well for her if players like Serena and JHH return to peak form. It'll be interesting to see if she can build on this win.

Probably because most of the commentators are too busy salivating over you know you; Kim is indeed a very pretty girl. And I would love her 2.2 million check.

Yay for Kim!!! So happy she won. Next year I hope she can finally spank Justine HH.

Re the breakup, I remember hearing that she was healthy enough to play the Australian Open but then decided she wasn't ready and skipped it. I wouldn't be surprised if she skipped it to avoid all the heckling.

I know that the Chucky name supposedly refers to Hingis's smile, but why Chucky? Why not someone else that smiles sadistically a lot? Like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining"? I've always thought the Chucky name was partly derived from her chipmunk cheeks. I'm sure Mary Carillo will forever deny that the nickname has any links to physical appearance, but I think Mary probably looked at the girl smiling and thought "wow she looks just like Chucky". It's most likely a combination of the smile and the cheeks.

Kim's the sweetest girl. I love how she wanted the microphone to say a few things. I thought it was really nice that she gave such a wonderful praise for Mary Pierce. I mean Venus didn't even praise Lindsay that much after their epic final at Wimbledon. I really like Kim and hope she can win some more slams. It was too bad that Mary didn't play that well but I honestly wasn't expecting a good match as Pierce in the final spelled doom.

And she does kind of resemble Chucky! Which is cool, I still think she is pretty.

Wow that was fast!

So happy for Kim and so glad that she asked to give a speech since winners are allowed to do so at all other grand slams. What's up with not asking for speeches, Dick? Too bad Mary was not playing well- but Kim was playing very good.

I think Kim is a pretty girl- she is not touted as so, but she has a cute face and beautiful eyes.

That match was so fast that I will be able to go to the party that I initially cancelled out on.

Here's hoping that tommorow's men's match is high quality and competative.

I don't agree. There were so many times she would be so close, like up 5-1 in the third in the AO semi and collapsing, or two points from the French Open title the first time. She was a choker. And it's safe to say that she isn't anymore. She'll really contend now.

It seems like Hewitt's family follows him around everywhere and manages all his affairs and she was spending all her free time down in Australia with him, so she probably thought if she married him, she would never see her family and friends again and thought twice about the marriage.

Big props to the crew at CBS for that closing credits montage. I love David Bowie (and of course, Queen) but Under Pressure is one of my all-time favorites anyway. Loved the "this is our last chance" as they panned to Agassi celebrating a win.

All of those shots of Blake were amazing too.

Of course it has to be said by me once: Woo hoo! Kim won! You go, girl.

Damn Dick Enberg for reminding her of Lleyton. "Actually, I was here last year ..." But woo hoo Kim won and Lleyton lost ... again! Sweet justice.

Go Agassi. I have to work tomorrow so I will be recording the final. I can't believe I am going to miss seeing it live.

ShellsandCheese: Idina Menzel is, indeed, Taye Diggs' wife. They did Rent together and were making the movie this year. She is in Wicked now (or was.)

I think that's a safe bet.



I'm still not convinced she isn't a choker. It was almost like she wanted to choke but people wouldn't let her. I hope she isn't counting on her opponents collapsing after being in control or failing to compete.

Oh, I'm SO happy for Kim! I always love seeing the nice people finish first, and she was so incredubly gracious to Mary after the win (and vice-versa). Actually, it was refreshing to see a ladies' final where both players were really complimentary of each other. It's obvious Kim's such a sweetheart, and I'm so glad she got the monkey off her back. Even if she never wins another Slam, she's at least got this one. Too bad it wasn't a better match, but I really wanted it to end before Kim got too nervous. She really came out swinging, though, which I don't remember being the case in her other Slam finals. She seemed to have much more confidence, and Mary making so many errors certainly helped matters. Congratulations Kim!!

And go Roger!!

YAY!!! Finally!

I so wanted to watch the final, but couldn't stay up late enough. I was actually hoping that the Ginepri-Agassi match would finish in straight sets, even though it was a class match and Ginepri has nice arms. But I missed Clijsters-Pierce. Damn time zones!

But YAY! Kim has a Slam title!

I agree with the Agassi snot-blowing. That's disgusting. I can't believe they allow it! Did you see that one time when he was sitting down, he blew the snot out and it landed on his shirt?! He simply cleaned it up with his towel. He didn't even look ashamed. That, plus his pigeon-toed waddle, makes me almost not root for him. But I agree, he's a legend definitely. Amazing player.

I wonder if Australians still feel the same way about Kim now that she's no longer a prospective adopted daughter. I liked it that they rooted for her during the Slams.

The Hingis-Chucky comparison makes me laugh. I was actually even meaner to her, calling her Butthead (the exposed gums, small eyes and the high forehead).

With that 100% bonus, how much was the USTA rooting for Pierce!
$2,200,000 biggest check in women's sports.

Pierce came in second in the US OPEN series final standings, so she would have got a pretty big bonus herself. Not as much as Kim, but it still would have been pretty substantial.

Mary simply has no answer if her opponent is totally on, defensive wise. That's why she was able to win against a less-than mobile JHH, a loopy grounstroking Amelie, and then a bewildered Elena Dementieva. I hope Mary can continue building on this for the rest of the season - she doesn't have many points to defend in the indoor season.

Kimmy's closing in on #1 - and will probably stay there for a while. Sorry, Maria.

I think 2nd was worth a 50% bonus. So the USTA saved $550K. That's gonna pay for a lot of junior clinics and such

I'm still unhappy we are missing Todd Martin as commentator. Every time he came up to the booth during his playing years he did such a brilliant job of commentating on the matches. Selfishly, I hope he doesn't like coaching and decides to become a commentator.


Eh, it was all sponsor and licensing fees. No junior clinics are losing out.

I am, no surprise, hoping for an Andre win tomorrow (he has done the nose blowing his entire career so it no longer disgusts me). I will be screaming for every single early AFC football game to end before 4pm EST Sunday so the tennis will start on time. No matter how well I know they are not beginning tennis until the games are over, I always think it has started but it's just not on tv yet. Very nerve-wracking.

Oh yeah, don't forget that the women's doubles final will be on USA at 1pm EST.

Kim's mother is prettier than her own damn daughters. Leo done good :) I'm bummed that Mary didn't take out the title. You didn't give your French braid enough tugs, girl!

Might? jimena, you totally should email him. And you might add to your list a few obscure names from tennis history like Austin, Evert, Connolly and Wills Moody. And I don't know about Lenglen's age when she was competing. If Shriekapova approaches the teen records of any of these dames, it would truly put her among the greats of the game. Connolly won (correct me if I'm wrong) two or three Grand Slams I believe while a teenager.

Evert was one of the first tennis players I followed when I was a kid, and I remember vividly what an absolute killer competitor she was when she burst on the scene at 15 and 16. She came back from several match points down in her first U.S. Open (which was still on grass) at 16 against a much more experienced player, who was the favorite in the match, named Mary Anne Eisle (or something like that). Her complete unflappability, ability to never to make an error and always to hit perfect shots under the utmost pressure freaked out the other players.

Re Roger's relatively weak play this tournament. Whenever he plays poorly (for him), I always wonder whether his feet are bothering him. The great Bill James, the baseball analyst who was one of the first people who analyzed baseball statistics and turned a lot of the old truisisms about baseball on their head, always pointed out that when a tried and true player had an off year, it was almost always due to injuries, even when the player had tried to deny it during the year. Bear in mind that players very often don't want to admit to injuries in team sports where contracts and competition for positions are at stake, or in individual sports where they don't want to give encouragement to their opponents.

Anyway, hard courts are the toughest on the feet of course. That's my biggest fear as a Roger fan, more so than the possibility of his getting bored.

Sad that Mary lost, but also happy that Kim finally wins a Slam. Who is the man that they always show in Mary's box? Boyfriend? Brother? Coach? I never seem to catch when they identify him. I didn't like how Carillo kept mentioning in the beginning every time Mary touched her ponytail - "...and ANOTHER adjustment..." Give it a rest.

I've always thought that the Chucky reference did indeed come from the movies, as shown above. Kind of mean of Carillo to say that, since Chucky is an evil character.

There were two men in Mary's box they talked about throughout the tournament. One was David Pierce, her brother and coach. The other was Nick Bollenterri, of the famous tennis academy that bears his name.

Yay Kim! So happy she finally won a grand slam. She was so funny trying to get up to her family in the box, showing some impressive balance. I loved her speech too. She was so gracious to Mary, and her expression when they told her she won $2 million was so cute.
I bet the USTA didnt think they would actually be paying that much out.

Just wanted to echo everyone's happy sentiments regarding Kim. Even though Mary wasn't playing well, Kim was really on fire. She did a great job of keeping things together. I seriously thought she was going to fall when she was climbing up to her box.

I'm looking forward to Agassi/Federer so much. I don't think Agassi will win, but I think it will be a great match. More exciting that Fed's other matches.

What am I going to do now that the USO's over? I'm going to feel lost for a few days!

Yay for Kim!

Boo for Mary Pierce having another diastrous finals appearance.



Goodness, I don't even want to think about it.



Yes, go Andre and ew to the "snot rockets" I really wish he wouldn't do that. And can you imagine being his opponent and walking to the side where he blew his nose and seeing or stepping in it?



Word. I think Enberg said around 4:30 p.m. EST is when its scheduled to start but with a postgame show and commercials, we may not see tennis until 4:45 or 5 p.m.

I'm so happy Kim won, and her speech was incredibly adorable! But the JP Morgan guy was a real ass-clown...first rambling on for longer than Mary, and then ending by declaring Pearce and Clijsters as two "great firms". And it disturbs me that Mary's brother looked so disconsolate. He could have at least managed a polite clap during his sister's interview; she did one hell of a job getting to the finals.

I sure hope it wasn't the same guy who said "Christine" 2 years ago....

I have to say Clijsters has really good balance. I would have probably fallen on my head trying to walk on those rails.

Yeah, no kidding. I kept thinking that she was Kim's prettier sister and I thought I misheard them calling her Kim's mother.

At one point it looked like she was screaming at one of the people in the stands who was holding on to her as she climbed up. It seemed like she was either saying "let go" or "don't let go" and she looked kind of panicy. At first I thought maybe a fan was trying too hard to shake her hand or something and wouldn't let go. Did anyone hear anything about that? It kind of freaked me out for a second.

I'm very glad that she won. It's about time! She really deserves it. There are more to come before her looming retirement, I hope.

It's too bad that Mary didn't give her more of a fight though. I noticed at the beginning of the match, that she (Mary) was really going for her shots and running Kim corner to corner which made sense given Kim's athleticism. She looked like she was trying to finish the points early, but she actually did better on the long rallies where you would have expected Kim's speed and agility would have been an advantage. I think if she had switched it up and tried to string out the points a little more, she might have been able to turn up the pressure on Kim's nerves. Not that I'm complaining at all about the the outcome. I've been rooting for Kim all year.

I'm pretty sure she screamed "let go" because the guy was gripping on to her, and tipping her into the stands. As well intentioned as the crowd was, they probably knocked her off balance.