For the USTA, the deal represents an effort to build the global cachet of the U.S. Open and the smaller tournaments that make up the U.S. Open Series, said Lew Sherr, who is the organization's chief revenue officer.
Federer, 28, was seeking his sixth consecutive U.S. Open win, which would have equaled the feat achieved in 1925 by American Bill Tilden, who then went on to claim his seventh U.S. Open title in 1929.
Under that system, Richard Sears won the first seven editions of the U.S. Open (then the U.S. National Tennis Championships) in the 1880s.
However, it was a measure of revenge for the second-ranked Russian, who lost to Azarenka in January's Australian Open final, the U.S. Open semifinals and in two other tournament title matches -- the most recent in Beijing earlier this month.
Last year's U.S. Open final was a wobbly affair with lots of errors and momentum swings.
WSJ: Australian Open: The New Normal: Andy Murray vs. Novak Djokovic
In last year's U.S. Open, Williams beat Azarenka in the third round, 6-1, 7-6 (5).
He was vague about his plans following the Zurich but is expected to try to qualify for June's U.S. Open.
WSJ: Tianlang Guan and the Sport That Eats Its Young | Golf Journal by John Paul Newport
Roddick retired during last year's U.S. Open, on his 30th birthday, and now John Isner is America's No. 1 player.
The 2011 Wimbledon champion saved a match-point at 5-4 down in the second set against that year's U.S. Open victor Stosur.
"I can't do that every single year, " Federer told The Wall Street Journal in an interview before last year's U.S. Open.
Answering questions from the media, he was asked if he would invite his American rival to dinner at next month's U.S. Open.
His margin of victory, eight strokes, was the same as at last year's U.S. Open, his first major triumph, and Tiger-like in its magnitude.
Redfoo, the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, is a keen tennis player himself and has entered in regional qualifying playoffs for this year's U.S. Open.
The Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, site of next year's U.S. Open, didn't begin grassing its greens until the 1930s, a quarter century after golf was first played there.
Meanwhile, Federer's defense of the Dubai Open title ended in semifinal defeat Friday to Czech Tomas Berdych , the man who also upset him at last year's U.S. Open.
Since then he has been coaching the University of Oregon's golf team, but he decided to have a go at last week's U.S. Open regional qualifying event despite limited preparation.
CNN: The pain game: Casey Martin's golf career comes full circle
Last year's U.S. Open finalist Wozniacki defeated China's Zheng Jie, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in January, 6-4 4-6 6-1 in a match lasting more than two hours later on Wednesday.
CNN: Radwanska to face friend Wozniacki in Indian Wells semis
Edward Stimpson, a Massachusetts amateur champion, devised the first Stimpmeter in 1935, after watching Gene Sarazen putt off a green at that year's U.S. Open at Oakmont and deciding it was unfair.
WSJ: Ta-Da! The USGA Gives the Stimpmeter a Makeover | Golf Journal by John Paul Newport
From Andy Murray's U.S. Open triumph to Bradley Wiggins's victory in the Tour de France and the country's historic medal haul at the London Olympics, it has been an unforgettable summer of U.K. sport.
Officials at last summer's U.S. Open at Olympic in San Francisco used the second hole on a prototype version of the new Stimpmeter on two back-nine greens that weren't measurable with the old model.
WSJ: Ta-Da! The USGA Gives the Stimpmeter a Makeover | Golf Journal by John Paul Newport
Born a week apart in May 1987 and friends since their junior playing days, Djokovic and Murray played like they knew each other's game very well in a rematch of last year's U.S. Open final.
Murray was beaten by Federer in the 2010 final, but having clinched his first grand slam title at last year's U.S. Open the Briton will be hoping to win in Melbourne having twice been a runner-up.
The world number two came into the tournament off the back of three straight defeats as she struggled with injury, but is now firmly on course for a hat-trick of grand slams having won last year's U.S. Open and the Australian Open in January.
"I've been very proud of what I've done so far and I feel like I've got a lot of years ahead of me, " said Woods, who raised his hopes of a first major win since 2008 at this month's U.S. Open at San Francisco's Olympic Club.
There's also been in an uptick among the women: the 14 at this year's French Open was the most since the 2006 U.S. Open.
Nadal was forced to miss the Olympics and U.S Open as he continued his battle for full fitness.
He had to settle for a share of third with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Northern Ireland's 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, who both carded 68.
CNN: Rock upstages Woods to capture Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
Earlier, 2010 runner-up Samantha Stosur of Australia became the first player into the last 64 as the reigning U.S Open chamption beat Elena Baltacha of Britain 6-4 6-0.
应用推荐