Djokovic the Joker

Two days after making Novak Djokovic my choice to root for in the 2007 U.S. Open, I found myself more firmly in support of the 20-year-old Serb. Sure he won his first-round match convincingly against Robin Haase at Louis Armstrong Stadium (6-2, 6-1, 6-3) today but in my research to learn more about the No. 3-ranked player in the world, I discovered he and I have got a certain kinship. I get a kick out of doing impersonations and apparently so does Novak.

Tennis Anyone?

I've decided that I'm going to follow the 2007 U.S. Open. That's right, after years of giving the tournament a cursory glance, I'm going to pay attention like a student in the first row of class.

The thing is, I love New York's Grand Slam spectacle, and I have memory files lodged in my brain of Jimmy Connors' fist-pumping theatrics, John McEnroe's tenacity, not to mention the overwhelming dominance of players like Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf and Ivan Lendl at the Open.

In the past, I remember singling out a player from each of the two fields and following them throughout the tournament. Back in the day, I was all about Boris Becker and Gabriela Sabbatini. So before the 2007 Open gets underway Monday, I'm proclaiming my favorites to get me juiced for the action.

Who to pick? I could lean on my parents for advice (hey, they've come through for me in so many other areas of life). My mother's a fan of Roger Federer's (she says he resembles me - surely not his game) while my dad was recently raving about a certain up-and-coming player from Europe - I believe it's Novak Djokovic. I've got to say, there's something about pulling for a team or athlete that your parents root for. Must be in the blood.

But I also like to follow players that exhibit otherworldly hustle and determination on the court. That's why I liked Becker and Connors so much. Great tactitians are favorites of mine - I enjoyed watching Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario's surprise drop shots. I also like players that wear their emotions on their sponsor-laden sleeves. Connors and McEnroe immediately come to mind.

So, with that said, on the men's side, I'm throwing my mojo to Djokovic, who I learned became the first player since Boris Becker (Bingo! A tie to the past!) in 1994 to defeat the top three ranked players at an ATP event. At the Rogers Cup event in Montreal, Djokovic beat the third, second and first players in the world – Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. In the women's field, I'm picking Jelena Jankovic, a fellow Serbian, for her emotional and aggressive play on the courts. Now then, the table is set. I'm ready for some tennis!