All-Russian US Open Final a Tough Sell for U.S. Television

Posted on September 11, 2004

With no opponents with a good return, who needs to be able to serve?

An all-Russian final at the US Open?

So it will be that hottie Maria Sharapova grunting her way to a second...no? Got beat?

Then it's that tempestuous nude-posing Marilyn Manson-look-alike Anastasia Myskina gunning for a second...no?

It's who?

Elena Dementieva? The one who got drilled 1-and-1 in the French final, the one with a first serve slower than someone throwing the ball into the service box? Against Svetlana Kuznetsova, better known as Martina Navratilova's doubles partner last year?

So how many CBS executives are waking up with death-grip hangovers this morning, still mulling the prospect of showing Dementieva-Kuznetsova in prime time on U.S. television? A re-run of The Price is Right would pull in better ratings.

Tough sell is an understatement, could be a ratings all-time low for CBS.

Dementieva gained the final in large part thanks to the yearly Open-choking of Jennifer Capriati, beating the American 6-0 in the first set, with the next two sets a battle of nerves with Jen-Jen winning 6-2, then the Russian eking out the third set tiebreak.

Dementieva took control of the match in much the same way she reached the semis, with timely net rushes, in the third set winning 23 of 33 approaches.

"I love to play tiebreaks, you know," Dementieva said. "I just feel that's the best moment of the game, when everything's close and you feel all this...I know there are a lot of us and we play very good, but to see another Russian final in the Grand Slam, two Grand Slams already, that's amazing. It's unbelievable to me."

Capriati admitted she didn't have the necessary skills to attack the weak Dementieva serve, bashing away without success.

"I mean, it's not my game to chip and charge," Capriati said. "It's kind of difficult on the forehand, kind of the way she was hitting it, to do that."

The all-Russian US Open final comes on the heels of the all-Russian French Open, and Sharapova winning Wimbledon.

Kuznetsova reached the final in large part to Lindsay Davenport having to play with a left hip flexor strain she suffered in practice before the match, beating the favored American 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.

"It felt OK in the beginning but midway through the second set it seemed to pull a bit more," Davenport said. "I knew I had to try and keep the points short and go for bigger shots...I was playing well and feeling good. I had no reason at that point to doubt myself, even when she broke me for 2-1. But around 4-2 my leg got worse and I knew it was going to be an uphill battle. She was making me run and serving well. She's a good player."

Davenport's defeat means that France's Amelie Mauresmo, who was beaten by Dementieva in the quarterfinals and has never won a slam, becomes world No. 1 for the first time, replacing Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Tonight's women's singles final starts at 8 p.m. on CBS with the No. 9 seed Kuznetsova vs. the No. 6 Dementieva. They have met twice, both times this year, with Kuznetsova winning in three sets on clay at Berlin, and Dementieva winning in three sets on hardcourt at L.A.