US Open Series

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The US Open Series is the six-week summer tennis "season" linking 10 ATP Tour and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournaments together. The Series leads to the US Open. It is often referred to as the U.S. or North American hard court season.

It was organized in 2004 as a way to focus more attention on American tennis tournaments by getting more of them on domestic television. Until 2004, most summer North American tournaments were not on television, the exceptions being the highly televised ATP Masters Series events in Canada and Cincinnati.

The eight non-Masters tournaments now enjoy about 50 hours of television combined -- about two hours on each day of their final weekends, chiefly on ESPN2, which is where ESPN shows its tennis programming. NBC (The Indianapolis Tennis Championships), CBS, and The Tennis Channel also cover portions of The Series. Canada and Cincinnati continue to be televised from beginning to end, with approximately 60 hours of television time between them.

Players earn points according to their results in the events; points awarded at ATP Master Series and WTA Tier I events are doubled. The male and female player with the highest point totals each earn double the prize money at the U.S. Open, players with the second highest point totals increase their prize money by 50%, and players with the third highest point totals receive a 25% increase. Lleyton Hewitt and Lindsay Davenport were the top point-getters in 2004, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters won in 2005, and Andy Roddick and Ana Ivanovic won in 2006. Defending US Open champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova won in 2007.

In 2005, although Roddick was upset in the first round against Gilles Müller at the Open, Clijsters became the first person to win $2.2 million (the largest payday ever in women's sports) by beating Frenchwoman Mary Pierce in straight sets: 6-3, 6-1.

In 2007, Federer won the US Open series and went on to win the US Open, winning $1.4 million plus the US Open Series bonus of $1 million, bringing his prize winning total to $2.4 million. This tops Clijsters $2.2 million as the biggest US Open payday ever.

Contents

[edit] 2007 Tournament Schedule

Week Men's Events - Total Purse - Draw Size Women's Events - Total Purse - Draw Size
#1
July 16-22		 Los Angeles - $525,000 - 32 Draw
Countrywide Classic		 -
#2
July 23-29		 Indianapolis - $525,000 - 32 Draw
Indianapolis Tennis Championships		 Stanford - $600,000 - 28 Draw
Bank of the West Classic
#3
July 29-August 5		 Washington, D.C. - $600,000 - 48 Draw
Legg Mason Tennis Classic Presented by Geico		 San Diego - $1,340,000 - 56 Draw
Acura Classic
a WTA Tier I Event
#4
August 6-12		 Montreal - $2,450,000 - 56 Draw
Rogers Masters Presented by National Bank
an ATP Masters Event		 Los Angeles - $600,000 - 56 Draw
East West Bank Classic presented by Herbalife
#5
August 13-19		 Cincinnati - $2,450,000 - 56 Draw
Western & Southern Financial Group Masters
an ATP Masters Event		 Toronto - $1,340,000 - 56 Draw
Rogers Cup Presented by National Bank
a WTA Tier I Event
#6
August 19-25		 New Haven - $675,000 - 48 Draw
Pilot Pen Tennis Presented by Schick		 New Haven - $600,000 - 28 Draw
Pilot Pen Tennis Presented by Schick

[edit] Points Distribution

Round ATP Master Series/WTA Tier I ATP International Series/WTA Tier II
Champion 100 50
Finalist 70 35
Semifinalist 45 22
Quarterfinalist 25 12
Round of 16 15 N/A

[edit] Past results

Note: Only players with points in two US Open Series events are eligible for the final standings.

[edit] Winners

Year Men Women
2004 Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt
(Final)		 Flag of the United States Lindsay Davenport
(Semi-final)
2005 Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
(First round)		 Flag of Belgium Kim Clijsters
(Champion)
2006 Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
(Final)		 Flag of Serbia Ana Ivanovic
(Third round)
2007 Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer
(Champion)		 Flag of Russia Maria Sharapova
(Third round)
2008
  • Result at U.S. Open of same year between brackets.

[edit] Standings (Top 3)

Year Men Points Women Points
2004 1. Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt*
2. Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
3. Flag of the United States Andre Agassi		 155
155
123		 1. Flag of the United States Lindsay Davenport*
2. Flag of France Amelie Mauresmo
3. Flag of Russia Elena Likhovtseva		 100
100
70
2005 1. Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
2. Flag of the United States Andre Agassi
3. Flag of Spain Rafael Nadal**		 120
105
100		 1. Flag of Belgium Kim Clijsters
2. Flag of France Mary Pierce
3. Flag of France Amelie Mauresmo		 225
100
80
2006 1. Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
2. Flag of Chile Fernando González
3. Flag of the United Kingdom Andy Murray		 147
124
105		 1. Flag of Serbia Ana Ivanovic
2. Flag of Russia Maria Sharapova
3. Flag of Belgium Kim Clijsters		 127
122
120
2007 1. Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer
2. Flag of the United States James Blake
3. Flag of the United States Andy Roddick		 170
167
112		 1. Flag of Russia Maria Sharapova
2. Flag of Serbia Jelena Jankovic
3. Flag of Switzerland Patty Schnyder***		 122
107
97
* Hewitt and Davenport finish first in final standings based on more match wins in US Open Series Events.
** Nadal finishes third in final standings (over Federer) based on more match wins in US Open Series Events.
*** Schnyder was placed third because Justine Henin (who had more points - 100) only played one tournament and was therefore not eligible for the top three positions.

[edit] Winners

[edit] Men

Los Angeles Indianapolis Washington Montreal/Toronto Cincinnati New Haven
04 Flag of Germany Haas (1/2) Flag of the United States Roddick (1/4) Flag of Australia Hewitt Flag of Switzerland Federer (1/4) Flag of the United States Agassi (1/2) -
05 Flag of the United States Agassi (2/2) Flag of the United States Ginepri Flag of the United States Roddick (2/4) Flag of Spain Nadal Flag of Switzerland Federer (2/4) Flag of the United States Blake (1/3)
06 Flag of Germany Haas (2/2) Flag of the United States Blake (2/3) Flag of France Clement Flag of Switzerland Federer (3/4) Flag of the United States Roddick (3/4) Flag of Russia Davydenko
07 Flag of the Czech Republic Stepanek Flag of Russia Tursunov Flag of the United States Roddick (4/4) Flag of Serbia Djokovic Flag of Switzerland Federer (4/4) Flag of the United States Blake (3/3)

[edit] Women

Stanford San Diego Los Angeles Montreal/Toronto New Haven
04 Flag of the United States Davenport (1/4) Flag of the United States Davenport (2/4) Flag of the United States Davenport (3/4) Flag of France Mauresmo Flag of Russia Bovina
05 Flag of Belgium Clijsters (1/4) Flag of France Pierce Flag of Belgium Clijsters (2/4) Flag of Belgium Clijsters (3/4) Flag of the United States Davenport (4/4)
06 Flag of Belgium Clijsters (4/4) Flag of Russia Sharapova (1/2) Flag of Russia Dementieva Flag of Serbia and Montenegro Ivanovic (1/2) Flag of Belgium Henin (1/2)
07 Flag of Russia Chakvetadze Flag of Russia Sharapova (2/2) Flag of Serbia Ivanovic (2/2) Flag of Belgium Henin (2/2) Flag of Russia Kuznetsova

[edit] Records

Most points won
Kim Clijsters, 225 points.
Men: Roger Federer, 170 points.
Women: Kim Clijsters, 225 points.
Most US Open Series overall victories
Andy Roddick, 2 (2005 & 2006).
Most US Open Series Top 3 endings
Andy Roddick, 4 (2004-2, 2005-1, 2006-1 & 2007-3).
Most US Open Series tournament victories
Four players share this record:
Men: Roger Federer & Andy Roddick, 4.
Women: Kim Clijsters & Lindsay Davenport, 4.
Most successful nation in the US Open Series
USA, 12 tournament victories (Men: 8 & Women: 4).
Men: USA, 8 tournament victories.
Women: Belgium & Russia, 6 tournament victories.

[edit] External links

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