The sport of tennis, a swift game that requires precise agility, strength and stamina like no other and an abundance of respect for your opponent.

The US Open is an annual tournament where the best of the best can show off these skills in a national setting.

The Open has been around since 1895 entertaining fans, coaches, and players alike.

For this year’s tournament I was given the amazing opportunity to watch some of the best in the world, and former Open winners, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, Marcel Granollers, and Roger Federer.

The first match played on Sunday August 31st was between 2006 US Open winner Maria Sharapova and America’s Caroline Wozniacki.

Going into the match, Sharapova was highly favored to win.

Wozniacki showed she had other intentions coming out quickly with aggression and energy that could not be surpassed.

In the heat of the 3rd set the two sent back and forth a combination of 19 rally’s resulting in the games’ most amazing play. Maria had Caroline running from left and right all along her back line like crazy. Thinking that Caroline would not be able to return any, Maria began toying with her, and was shocked, just like everyone one in Auther Ashe stadium when Caroline returned with a back hand while falling to the court. Maria then, in a cocky fashion, went to return once more. But to her own shock the ball fell to the net, awarding Caroline the point and putting her up 30-love on the set.

Caroline Woznecki completed the match with effortless ease and beat Sharapova 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in 2 hours and 37 minutes.

Woznecki attributes her win to her outlandish amount of stamina that she has built up during her training for the New York City Marathon. But after the match when she was asked if she would be doing endurance training she replied “No I won’t be running tonight, I’ll be taking and ice bath and relaxing, and I think I deserve some chocolate.”

Next on the court was US Open heavyweight, Roger Federer.

Federer went up against Marcel Granollers, a fairly new professional athlete on the scene.

The game was short lived due to heavy down poor, but then rescheduled for much later that night.

Federer ended up winning the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 advancing him onto the 4^th round.