Here's all you need to know about the US Open!

>>u00a0It is played on DecoTurf -- a hard court surface that plays at around half the speed of the grass surface at Wimbledon.


Spain's Rafael Nadal lifts the US Open trophy after beating
Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the final last year. PIC/AFP

>> The main court, renamed Arthur Ashe Stadium, after American who won the first US Open title in 1968, was opened in 1997 and has a seating capacity of 22,547.

>> Ashe beat Tom Okker of the Netherlands 14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the first US Open men's singles final but due to his amateur status, 25-year-old Ashe, was ineligible to receive the prize money of USD 14,000 and instead, got just USD 20 per diem (per day, in Latin).

>> With a total prize money of USD 100,000, the 1968 Championship was the richest tennis tournament in history at the time.

>> Great Britain's Virginia Wade upset top-seed Billie Jean King for the women's title, and took home USD 6,000.

>> Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer jointly hold the record for most US Open Championships in the Open era. They have all won it five times.

>> Ken Rosewall became the oldest player to win a US Open singles title in 1970 at the age of 35 years, 10 months and 11 days.

>> Pete Sampras became the youngest men's winner of the US Open singles title in 1990 at the age of 19 years and 28 days.

>> Tracy Austin became the youngest winner of the US Open women's singles title in 1979
at the age of of 16 years and 271 days.

>> In 1973, the US Open became the first of the Grand Slams to offer equal prize money to men and women. Winners Margaret Smith Court and John Newcombe received USD 25,000 each. The men's and women's singles winner this year will take home USD 1.8 million each while the men's and women's doubles winners will be awarded USD 420,000, and the mixed doubles champions will get USD 150,000.

>> Made in 1968, the sterling silver US Open trophy stands 19.5 inches high, 16 inches handle to handle and 7 inches in diameter, and weighs 7 pounds. There's only one original trophy, with the winners being presented withu00a0 exact replicas to take home.

Man in form
Novak Djokovic
In 2011...
>> Won the Hopman Cup.
>> Won Australian Open beating Briton Andy Murray in the final.
>> Won Dubai Championship title beating Federer.
>> Won BNP Paribas Open beating World No 1 Nadal.
>> Won Indian Wells beating Nadal.
>> Won Sony Ericsson Open beating Nadal.
>> Won Serbia Open beating Feliciano Lopez.
>> Won Madrid Open beating Nadal.
>> Won Rome Masters beating Nadal.
>> Won Wimbledon beating Nadal to become World No 1.
>> Won Rogers Cup beating Mardy Fish in the final.
>> Win-loss record is 57-2.

Defending champ
rafael nadal
In 2011...
>> Won Mubadala Championship in Abu Dhabi, UAE beating Federer in the final.
>> Won Monte-Carlo Masters beating David Ferrer.
>> Won Barcelona Open beating Ferrer.
>> Won French Open beating Federer.

Shot at history...
Roger Federe
>> Swiss Master could create history by becoming the first player to clinch six US Open titles, if he manages to reign at Flushing Meadows.

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