With one week left to go, tennis fans are gearing up for what many - including Andy Roddick’s coach – claim will be one of the best US Open tournaments in history.  Nadal is back after recovering from knee injuries and looking strong.  Andy Murray is now ranked No. 2 in the world and Federer’s newly found fatherhood seems to suit him well.

What has made this grand slam different than past years?  Well the recent US Open series tournaments have produced rare matchups in the series history.  The top 8 ranked men in the world all reached the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal for the first time since 1972.  Then in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Financial in Cincinatti No. 1 Federer faced No. 2 Murray while No. 3 Nadal battled No. 4 Djokovic.  This was also the strongest playing field in Cincinnati’s history.  Accecpting only 44 men and 45 women directly, the lowest ranked man on the premliminary list was No. 44 while the lowest ranked female was No. 49.

Results of those previous tournaments:

Rogers Cup – Montreal, Canada
Men’s Singles: A. Murray (defeating J. Del Potro)
Women’s Singles: E. Dementieva (defeating M. Sharapova)
Men’s Doubles: D. Nestor/N. Zimonjic (defeating B. Bryan/M. Bryan)
Women’s Doubles: N. Llagostera Vives/M. Martinez Sanchez (defeating S. Stosur/R. Stubbs)

Western & Southern Financial Group Masters & Women’s Open – Cincinatti, OH
Men’s Singles: R. Federer (defeating N. Djokovic)
Women’s Singles: J. Jankovic (defeating D. Safina)
Men’s Doubles: M. Bhupathi/M. Knowles (defeating M. Mirnyi/A. Ram)
Women’s Doubles: C. Black/L. Huber (defeating N. Llagostero Vives/M. Martinez Sanchez

This week, the world’s top players are taking a break while others are using the Piolot Pen as the last warm-up tournament before next week’s grand slam.

Don’t miss out on what could potentially be a historic year for the US Open!  Tickets to the US Open are still available for all sessions.  This is also the last week to purchase rain-out insurance.

College World Series, Wimbledon, USA vs Spain in South Africa… and that’s just in one day!  It can be difficult to keep up with it all.  Follow TicketCity on Facebook and we’ll bring it all to you, including discounts and last-minute ticket specials on events!

We also invite you to share your photos and videos with us from your favorite events.  You can also keep track of where you’ll find us at upcoming events including:

Texas Gridiron Kickoff - August 7th at the Austin Convention Center

TicketCity ESPN Austin Season Kickoff – August 28th at TicketCity in Austin

US Open Tennis – starting August 31st at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, NY

Dallas Cowboys Home Opener - September 20th at New Cowboys Stadium in Arlington

George Strait at Cedar Park Center - September 25th at Cedar Park Center

Start following us today for the chance to enter contests and win prizes!

In it’s 132nd year, the Grand Slam tournament of tournaments begins with all the fanfare of previous years despite the economic downturn.  As the oldest and most prestigious tournament in tennis returns to the All England Club, record crowds are expected this year at the grass courts.  The Telegraph reported that thousands of fans are expected to join the already increased applications for the annual ticket ballet.  With applications up 20% compared to last year, tennis fans prove their loyalty to the sport.

From today until July 5th tennis stars from across the world will compete for the coveted title. So who are the top ten seeded singles players?

You’ll notice that the #1 seeded player, Rafael Nadal, is not on the list.  Bad knees were the cause of his early exit from the French Open and now even earlier cancellation for Wimbledon. As Nadal nurses the tendinitis in his knees, Federer is the favorite to win but must get past Murray and Djokovic before doing so…

 Our partner NBCSports.com will be offering free on-demand live streaming of the matches but for a better view, be there!  We’ve got Wimbledon tickets available.  Can’t justify the cost or time flying overseas?  Head New York to the US Open in late August. We’ve got tickets starting as low as $32!

Struggling to find a great Father’s Day gift for dear old dad?  TicketCity can make finding something your Dad will really enjoy easier than ever.  From sports and concerts, to a gift card that he can use for any event, we’ve got you covered.  Take a look at some of our most popular events right now that your dad might enjoy:

10.  US Open Golf  Tickets are still available for this week’s event, and yet another potential Tiger and Phil battle.

9.   Aerosmith/ZZ Top  If your Dad’s a rocker, surprise him the chance to experience the A to Z Tour.

8.  College World Series  Todays games will take us one exciting step closer to the championship in Omaha.

7.  Billy Joel & Elton John  Cleveland, Boston, Seattle and Southern Calfornia still remain on their tour calendar.

6.   US Open Tennis  One of the best times of the year to visit NYC if your Dad’s a tennis fan.

5.  Eric Clapton  Get ‘em before he’s gone; tour dates only continue throughout June!

4.  NFL Football  Tailgates and touchdowns aren’t far away; be sure your dad is there to see his team this season.

3. Bruce Springsteen  Who doesn’t love The Boss?  A gift sure to please any father.

2.  College Football  Game tickets, season tickets end even some bowl tickets are available now.

And finally, our most popular Father’s Day gift…

1.  Ticket City Gift Cards  Good for all of the events above or any other event your Dad chooses, this gift is sure to please!

And remember for whatever event your father might enjoy, he’ll always need someone to go with him.  So this Father’s Day make your gift a present for yourself or the family as well.  Plan an experience for the whole family to enjoy. Need help with some more ideas?  Visit www.ticketcity.com or call 1-800-SOLD-OUT and one of our sales associates will help you find the perfect gift to make this Father’s Day one that Dad will remember!

Attending championship events doesn’t have to break the bank.  TicketCity offers these tips to experience unforgettable sports events this Spring at budget-friendly prices.

Sony Ericsson Open

Tickets from $29 & up

March 25-April 5, 2009

Miami, FL

Calling all tennis fans, here’s your chance to see your favorite players at a fraction of the price of the US Open or Wimbledon.

Men’s NCAA Final Four Championship Game

Tickets from $150 & up       

Sunday, April 6

Detroit, MI

Compared to years past, more seats with better views at Ford Field means being there for the Final Four is within your reach.

Masters ½ Day Tournament Badge

Tickets starting at $450 

Thursday – Sunday, April 9 – 12

Augusta, GA

Golf’s premiere green jacket event becomes affordable when you opt for half-day badges or practice rounds, which start at just $75.

Kentucky Oaks

$85 & up

Friday, May 1^st

Louisville, KY

This locals’ event often proves to be even more fun than the weekend’s Derby headliner – and it will cost you 40% less.

Regular Season Major League Baseball

$10 & up

April – June

Various Dates

At these prices, America’s game is affordable fun for the entire family.  Queens and the Bronx are sights to see this Spring with the unveiling of new stadiums for both the Yankees and the Mets. 

Get your tickets today for these events and more at TicketCity. 

The dates & times for the US Open Finals had to be moved back due to rain, but that didn’t stop the crowds of tennis fans who poured into the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  More than 720,000 tennis fans attended the 2008 US Open during the two weeks of the tournament, a record for the US Open Tennis Tournament.  That is up slightly from the attendance at the 2007 US Open when 715,587 fans saw live.  Those fans filled up Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium to see their favorite tennis stars shine under the bright New York lights.

The US Open Finals provided an exciting end to the ‘08 tourney.  The US Open Men’s Final featured Roger Federer against Brit Andy Murray.  Murray was the underdog that fought through two of the best players in tennis, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick, to face the four-time US Open Champ Federer.  Ultimately Murray didn’t have enough to overcome Federer, who won his 5th consecutive US Open title.

On the women’s side of the draw, the US Open Final featured 8-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams playing against Jelena Jankovic.  In a thrilling match Serena ultimately prevailed; adding her third US Open title and ninth Grand Slam title to her already impressive resume.

The US Open closes tennis’ 2008 Grand Slam season; one which will leave tennis fans with many fantastic memories.  The epic Federer and Nadal match from Wimbledon is one that people will be talking about for years to come.  Visit our site to buy tennis tickets for the 2009 season.  We sell tickets for all Grand Slam matches including the 2009 US Open Tennis Tournament.

I don’t know about you, but I spent my Sunday in Rockport Texas on vacation glued to the 4th and 5th sets of one of the greatest tennis matches that I have ever seen.  Coming from a lifelong tennis player who played for the University of Denver, Federer showed us the most amazing heart that I have ever seen in an athlete.  He has the heart of a champion and seems to dig down to that extra place in his soul when he had to muster up a point.   At the end Federer didn’t have quite enough and there was a changing of the guard.  The young 21 year old champion Nadal who was fresh of a win at the French Open won Wimbledon in overtime in the 5th set, the longest match in Wimbledon history at nearly 5 hours.  Nadal will take over the number one spot in the world from his 27 year old nemesis Federer.

This Wimbledon final is now electrifying the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows New York which is the next grand slam.  The tennis world is extremely excited about this and maybe just maybe we can get another Nadal vs Federer Final in N.Y..  What more could we ask for.  As always you can get your  tickets for the U.S. Open at http://www.ticketcity.com

My very best!!!

Randy Cohen
Chief Energizing Officer Ticketcity

The 2008 United States Open Tennis tournament is fast approaching, so here are the dates you need to know if you plan to keep with the 2008 US Open.

Key Dates at 2008 US Open Tennis Tournament:
August 19-22 – Qualifying tournament for 2008 US Open*
August 23rd – Arthur Ashe Kids Day*
August 24th – Open practice session*
August 25th – Opening Session of 2008 US Open Tournament - Round of 128
August 27th - Start of Round of 64
August 29th - Men’s/Ladies’ Round of 32
August 31st – Start Round of 16
September 2nd – Start of Women’s Quarterfinal matches
September 3rd – Men’s/Women’s Quarterfinal matches
September 5th – Men’s Double Finals & Ladies Semifinal matches
September 6th - Men’s Semifinal matches & Ladies US Open Final. This day is also known as “Super Saturday” at the US Open.  There are two exciting men’s matches in the morning session.  Then the ladies championship is that evening. 
September 7th – Men’s US Open Final & Women’s Doubles Final

* There are not tickets sold for the Qualifying Tournament or Open Practice, the Open Practice is free to attend.  You can buy tickets to the Arthur Ashe Kids Day on Ticketmaster.

Click here for a complete session schedule for the 2008 US Open Tennis Tournament.

There are 26 sessions at the US Open Tennis Tournament, they are divided into 2 sessions per day.  The morning session begins at 11AM Eastern each day (except on Session 26, when the Final starts at Noon), and the evening session begins at 7PM.  There are separate tickets for each session, so if you want to attend the entire day then you need to buy tickets for the morning (11AM) session and the evening (7PM) session.  The gates at the United States Tennis Center opening each day 1 hour prior to the start of the session.

The two main stadiums at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York are Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium.  Arthur Ashe Stadium is the main court and holds approximately 23K fans.  Louis Armstrong holds around 10K fans.

Click here to buy 2008 US Open Tennis Tickets from TicketCity.