After two years of having the men's and women's finals on the last Sunday, the US Open has controversially reverted to the All-American razzmatazz of "Super Saturday". This means that both men's semi-finals will be played tomorrow with the women's final squeezed in between; a totally unsatisfactory set-up which benefits nobody but television.
CBS lost its American football franchise for 1996 to Fox and therefore wanted both finals on the Sunday to try to stymie the opposition's ratings. But CBS is showing football again this year with a live match directly before Sunday's men's final, thus bumping off the women.
This has two unsatisfactory consequences. The women cannot be sure when their match will start and the winner of the second men's semi-final is at an obvious disadvantage in the final, particularly if his match starts and finishes late.
Today sees the women's semi-finals: the all-American clash between Lindsay Davenport, the girl-next-door, and Venus Williams, the would-be super superstar; and Jana Novotna, the Wimbledon champion, against the reigning US Open champion and world number one, Martina Hingis.
Williams completed the semi-final line-up when she defeated Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario under the floodlights 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 in an encounter that saw the 18-year-old American play her best tennis of the tournament after an awkward beginning.
Sanchez-Vicario, who has added a hyphen to her name but remains something short of a Rolls-Royce, completely controlled the opening set, which Williams played in what appeared to be a yellow anorak. Such was Williams's confidence (or vainglory) that she had arrived at Flushing Meadow with seven different outfits, one for each round, including the final.
There is negligible restraint about Williams, although neither the television networks nor the New York public appear particularly enamoured by her or her younger sister Serena.
Williams's not-so-impromptu dance immediately after she had beaten France's Mary Pierce in the fourth round did not go down well in the locker room and she was altogether more deferential towards Sanchez-Vicario, a severe critic, after her quarter-final win.
Davenport has never reached a grand slam final and the ball will be given no mercy in her semi-final against Williams. Unlike Williams, the Californian has risen virtually without trace, earning boodles of money without ever being burdened by the acute trappings of fame.
Davenport (22) holds a 4-1 career lead over Williams but whether she has the mental toughness to win on this occasion must be doubtful, although most people would be delighted if she were to reach the final.
Hingis is about to complete a 76th week as number one and will hold that ranking provided she defeats Novotna today. If not, either the Czech or Davenport could be at the top by the beginning of next week but not Williams, even if she wins the title.
Pete Sampras, who surprisingly lost to Slovakia's Karol Kucera at this year's quarter-finals of the Australian Open, made short work of him at the same stage here, winning 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
Kucera, who had previously ruined television's plans by defeating Andre Agassi, briefly raised the danger cones when he established a 3-0 second-set lead, but the world number one, intent on a record-equalling 12th grand slam title, immediately rubbed out any hint of a night-time chiller thriller.
Spain's Carlos Moya also reached the last four with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over the unseeded Magnus Larsson.
