Goodbye, Irene. Hello, U.S. Open fans!

Posted by DAVE: Spent most of yesterday moping because Arthur Ashe Kids Day got canceled. But, Irene's gone now, and I'm thrilled that the Open is underway. Let the sleep deprivation begin!

Bess and I traded messages last night while filling out our draws. For the record, she was trying to watch the VMAs at the time. (Am I the only person who missed the Britney tribute?) And I was coming off the high of playing two hours of table tennis (the real deal, not this Wii crap) and consuming far too much Diet Coke. Maybe it was the distractions, but she and I both struggled to complete our brackets. Like Isner-Baghdatis. How do you possibly pick a winner in that one? Or how far should you take Roddick, a sentimental favorite who's headed out to pasture? And, honestly, wouldn't it be nice to see Federer pick up another crown, before his luster begins to fade, too? (Or maybe it's already fading?)

The women's draw was even worse. Why couldn't Wozniacki take it all this time? And someone like Dushevina could easily make a run, too. Of course, there's Venus and Serena. (groan) And wouldn't we all like to see Ivanovic or Jankovic pull it together for once?

In the end, I went with Djokovic and Sharapova. Bum shoulders or not, these two have shown true determination this year. Djok's results have far outpaced Maria's, obviously, but they're both great champions. Wishing the best to both of them, as well as whomever you picked to win it all. On with the Open!