ON THIS DAY IN US OPEN HISTORY – September 8

1957 – Althea Gibson becomes the first African-American to win a U.S. Championships title when she defeats Louise Brough, 6-3, 6-2, in the women’s singles final. Mal Anderson becomes the first unseeded player to win the U.S. Championships, defeating Ashley Cooper in the final.

1968 – Virginia Wade upsets top-seeded Billie Jean King, 6-4, 6-4, to win the first “Open” U.S. women’s singles title.

1969 – Rod Laver completes the fourth Grand Slam in tennis history (his second after his 1962 slam) by defeating Tony Roche in a rain-delayed Monday final, 7-9, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.

1996 – Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf win the men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively, in the last US Open championship matches played in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sampras defeats Michael Chang, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6, and Graf defeats Monica Seles, 7-5, 6-4.

2001 – Venus Williams captures her second US Open singles title, defeating younger sister Serena, 6-2, 6-4, in the first all-sister US Open singles final and the first ever prime-time Grand Slam singles final.

2002 – In a US Open final for the ages, Pete Sampras defeats Andre Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, to capture his fifth US Open singles title and his 14th career Grand Slam tournament singles title in his final professional match.

WOMEN’S SINGLES FINAL

SERENA EYEING A FOURTH WOMEN’S SINGLES TITLE

With a victory today, Serena Williams would capture her fourth US Open women’s singles title, putting her in elite company. She would be tied for sixth in U.S. Championships/US Open history (with seven other players), behind only Molla B. Mallory (8), Helen Wills (7), Chris Evert (6) and Steffi Graf and Margaret Court (5 each). (See page 105 of the 2012 US Open Media Guide for the complete list.) And she would move into a tie for third in the Open Era with Martina Navratilova.

Here’s a look at the women who have won three or more US Open women’s singles titles since 1968:

Player                                No.               Years

Chris Evert                          6                  1975-78, 80, 82

Steffi Graf                           5                  1988-89, 93, 95-96

Martina Navratilova              4                  1983-84, 86-87

Kim Clijsters                        3                  2005, 09-10

Serena Williams                  3                  1999, 2002, 08

Billie Jean King                    3                  1971-72, 74

Margaret Smith Court          3                  1969-70, 73

AZARENKA AND THE FIRST-TIME US OPEN FINALISTS

Victoria Azarenka plays her first US Open women’s singles final today, after not having previously advanced past the fourth round here. In all, since 2005 first-time US Open women’s singles finalists are 2-4.

Here’s a closer look at the first-time finalists in recent years and how they’ve fared in the championship round:

Year         Player                                   Opponent                            Result

2011         Samantha Stosur                   Serena Williams                   Win, 6-2, 6-3

2010         Vera Zvonareva                    Kim Clijsters                        Loss, 6-2, 6-1

2009         Caroline Wozniacki               Kim Clijsters                        Loss, 7-5, 6-3

2008         Jelena Jankovic                    Serena Williams                   Loss, 6-4, 7-5

2006         Maria Sharapova                   Justine Henin-Hardenne     Win, 6-4, 6-4

2005         Mary Pierce                          Kim Clijsters                        Loss, 6-3, 6-1                                           

MEN’S SINGLES SEMIFINALS

MURRAY AND THE UNPRECEDENTED OPEN-OLYMPIC DOUBLE

Andy Murray today will attempt to become the first player to win the Olympic gold medal and reach the US Open men’s singles final in the same year. In fact, the last man to attempt the feat—Rafael Nadal in 2008—lost to Murray in the US Open semifinals.

Here’s a closer look at how recent Olympic gold medalists have fared at that year’s US Open since tennis officially returned to the Olympic Games in 1988.

Year           Gold Medalist                         US Open Result

2008          Rafael Nadal                           Semifinals

2004          Nicolas Massu                        Second Round

2000          Yevgeny Kafelnikov                Third Round

1996          Andre Agassi                          Semifinals

1992          Marc Rosset                           First Round

1988          Miloslav Mecir                        Third Round SEMIFINALS

BERDYCH AND THE LOWER-SEEDED MEN’S FINALISTS

With a victory today over No. 3 seed Andy Murray, No. 7 Tomas Berdych would become the lowest-seeded man to play for the US Open men’s singles title since No. 9 Andy Roddick did so in 2006, and he would be among the lowest-seeded players in the Open Era to compete for the title.

Here’s a look at those outside the Top 4 who reached the men’s singles final since 2000:

Year      Player                                Seed          Final Result

2009      Juan Martin Del Potro        6               Defeated No. 1 Roger Federer, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2

2006      Andy Roddick                    9               Lost to No. 1 Roger Federer, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

2005      Andre Agassi                     7               Lost to No. 1 Roger Federer, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1

2002      Andre Agassi                     6               Lost to No. 17 Pete Sampras, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4

2002      Pete Sampras                    17              Defeated No. 6 Andre Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4

2001      Pete Sampras                    10              Lost to No. 4 Lleyton Hewitt,

2000      Marat Safin                        6               Defeated No. 4 Pete Sampras, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3