Confident Co. Co Vandeweghe From out of the ordinary to extraordinary American tennis fans are starting to expect the extraordinary from Vandeweghe. APFor most tennis players, beating the top seed at a Grand Slam tournament is a pretty big deal. Pulling off a major upset usually brings out a mix of shock, relief, elation, joy, thankfulnessand a little more shock. By the time a player has fallen over, stood up, put her hands over her face, stared bug eyed at her coaches and finally jogged to the net, she has run the emotional gamut. Thats not how it worked for Co. Co Vandeweghe at this years Australian Open. In the fourth round, the 2. Californian blew past top seed Angelique Kerber, 6 2, 6 3, in 6. It was her first win over a world No. TV commentator screamed, Shes done itYet as Vandeweghe watched Kerbers last return of serve float long, she was the picture of nonchalance. She looked over to her players box, shrugged her shoulders, and turned her palms upward, as if to say So, that just happened. When Vandeweghe was asked how she felt, she didnt tear up, feign speechlessness or gush about how she had played the match of her life. Instead, as she put it, Well I guess I faked it a lot because I was feeling like crap out there, but, you know, fake it till you make it. By now, nine years after Vandeweghe tore through the junior U. S. Open without dropping a set as an unseeded 1. Shop for Yonex Tennis Racquets at Tennis Express We offer FREE, FAST Shipping on Orders Over 69. FREE Stringing Check out our Demo ProgramU. S. have come to expect the unexpected from her. After her semifinal run in Melbourne, theyre starting to expect the unexpectedly brilliant. Unlike most of her tight lipped peers, Vandeweghe doesnt fly solo during matches. Whether its with a sarcastic smile or an unbridled roar, she gives us regular status updates on how shes feeling. When she wants more love from the crowd, she cups her hand behind her ear and demands it. Vandeweghe will smash her racquet to smithereens after a bad game, and chuck it high into the crowd to celebrate a victory. Hugs, smiles and kisses after a match generally arent her style a hard handshake is enough. Its just another person in front of me, Vandeweghe says of her opponents. Someone who is standing in the way of me achieving my goals. At the 2. U. S. Open, Vandeweghe became the first player to do an interview in the middle of a match, with ESPNs Pam Shriver. Two months earlier, at Wimbledon, she made headlines by calling NBA star Carmelo Anthony soft. Its an accusation that few have directed at Vandeweghe, who hits as hard, and plays with as much explosive power, as anyone in the WTA. Two years ago, during Wimbledon, the Observer proclaimed Vandeweghe the Ronda Rousey of tennis, after the body slamming mixed martial arts star. Vandeweghe understands that shell never be every tennis fans cup of strawberries and cream. I get so many comments, good and bad, Vandeweghe says. Im not going to be everyones favorite. I have my favorites and least favorites. I know who I am.  I know what makes me enjoy myself on the tennis court. History. The Open Era, in which professional players are allowed to compete alongside amateurs, began in 1968. The first open tournament was the British Hard Court. Daily paper. Local, state, and wire news and commentary. Photo galleries, business and obituaries. For most tennis players, beating the top seed at a Grand Slam tournament is a pretty big deal. Pulling off a major upset usually brings out a mix of shock, relief. A. 1. The court shall be a rectangle 20 feet wide 6. A. 2. A total playing area 30 feet wide 9. The reason I play is for myself and my family, and thats it. Still, Vandeweghe has been around the sports world long enough to know that a good show requires a cast of characters. She also knows that shes at her best when shes feeding off the crowd. What makes me thrive on the court is feeling energy, Vandeweghe says. That comes from everywhere in tennis, or any sport. I think its a bonus to have something different from the mundane. The WTA certainly needs it, no doubt about that. But while Vandeweghe can intimidate with her serve and her strut, those who know her well say she can be as guarded off the court as she is bold on it. Make your picks NOW in Tennis Channels Racquet Bracket Trust has never come easily to Vandeweghe, whose parents divorced when she was young. After Tauna and Co. Cos father, Robert Mullarkey, split up, mother and daughter moved from New York to California. Co. Co later set her allegiances in stone when she changed her last name from Mullarkey to Vandeweghe. Two years ago she told espn. W, I have zero relationship with my father. Her grandfather, ErnieCo. Co calls him Palplayed that role for her until he died in 2. At 61, she possesses one of the WTAs best serves and most naturally lethal forehands, and she moves well for someone so tall. The skyor at least a Grand Slam title or twowould seem to be the limit for her, and her talents may take her the furthest at Wimbledon. Ive learned to play on grass, says Vandeweghe, whose two WTA titles have both come at the grass court event in s Hertogenbosch. Its an unforgiving surface, but that forces me to simplify a lot of things and trust in my game. The longer term question is How do you get Vandeweghe to reach her peak, and then stay there After her semifinal breakthrough in Melbourne, she lost in the opening round at her next three tour events. Vandeweghe admits that she struggles to find the same intensity in practices that she does in matches. On some days, she struggles to find it at tournaments, too. I really need to want to be out there, says Vandeweghe, who will turn 2. December. Sometimes Im in a match and Ill think, Jeez, Id rather be anywhere else right now. I think everyone has that with their job. Vandeweghe isnt alone in her struggles. In many ways, she represents the success of American tennis in recent years, as well the challenges it still faces. On the womens side, the USTA has vastly broadened its base of talent. In terms of numbers, the country has become dominant as of early May, there were 1. U. S. players in the WTA Top 1. Russia was a distant second with nine. Weve come a long way, says Ola Malmqvist, the USTAs head of womens tennis. At one point we had five people in the Top 1. The overarching goal is to turn these talented American players into tougher competitors. Malmqvist cites Shelby Rogers, a 2. South Carolina native who reached the 2. French Open quarterfinals, as an example of someone who is making that transition. Like Vandeweghe, though, Rogers progress has been stop and start. After her run at Roland Garros, she lost eight of her next 1. Shes not the only one. Over the last two seasons, Christina Mc. Hale, Nicole Gibbs, Lauren Davis, Sloane Stephens, Louisa Chirico, Ci. Ci Bellis, Alison Riske and Jennifer Brady have all shown flashes of brilliance and long term potential, but so far Madison Keys is the only U. S. woman to join Venus and Serena Williams in the Top 1. Im not sure people in the States will start to notice our progress until we have players winning Grand Slams, he says. But thats the goal, to create champions. Can Vandeweghe be one of those champions Can she make her skys the limit talent work for her week in and week out One thing is clear Shes happy to wave the flag for American tennis. After slumping through the early spring, Vandeweghe bounced back during the Fed Cup semifinals in Florida in April. There she led the U. S., almost single handedly, to a win over the defending champion Czech Republic. Vandeweghe won both of her singles matches, then teamed with her friend, Bethanie Mattek Sands, for the deciding doubles point. When the tie was over, Vandeweghe didnt give her coaches a So, that happened shrug. Adobe Xi Serial Number more. Instead, she fell to the clay, hugged Mattek Sands, high fived everyone on the team and a few people who werent, and gleefully bashed balls into the cheering, chanting all American crowd. Ill continue to keep playing as long as Im called upon, Vandeweghe said.