U.S. Open Rundown, and Prince Fielder's Celebration

The shocking upsets, and the Cinderella stories, continue to dominate the headlines in Week 2 at the U.S. Open. Seventeen-year-old American Melanie Oudin continues to amaze, defeating Nadia Petrova yesterday to clinch a trip to the quarterfinals, and Kim Clijsters, the former world number one who took a two-year hiatus to have a baby, is fresh off a win over Venus Williams. Can either Oudin or Clijsters beat Serena Williams? I say probably not, but I place emphasis on the probably, because both Oudin and Clijsters have showed that they have the ability to beat anybody, even if it means defeating the great Serena Williams.

So much for my Andy Murray prediction. Murray looked completely listless today, losing in straight sets to a rejuvenated Marin Cilic. Cilic played brilliantly, but Murray should be embarrassed with the way he played. Like Andy Roddick, Andy Murray has a long fall and winter ahead of him, time that he'll spend pondering what exactly went wrong. Murray and Roddick may have exited, but heavyweights Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal still remain. Popular wisdom suggests that Federer and Nadal are now the clear-cut favorites, and if Nadal can outlast the extremely talented Gael Monfils tonight at Arthur Ashe stadium, he will further cement his status as an obvious favorite. However, nobody is talking about Novak Djokovic, and that could be a mistake. As Pam Shriver astutely noted on last night's telecast, Djokovic thrives under low expectations, and I wouldn't be surprised if Djokovic spoils the Federer-Nadal party.

Speaking of Djokovic, what an awesome moment it was last night when he shared the court with John McEnroe. It was the most exciting moment of the tournament so far, and that's saying something.

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As a diehard Giants fan, I was a little irked when Prince Fielder and the Brewers staged that tired bowling pin celebration following Fielder's walk-off homer against the Giants on Sunday. And I'm not alone in my annoyance. Many of the Giants players and coaches, including catcher Bengie Molina and bench coach Ron Wotus, have expressed their dismay over Milwaukee's antics. And if you think it's just the Giants who are annoyed, think again. Angels center fielder Torii Hunter told the L.A. Times that he was no fan of the celebration either.

I like Prince Fielder, and I'm all for post-game celebrations, but when celebrations become so obviously rehearsed, then that becomes a problem.