Is a Federer upset brewing? And tips for major-goers

Roger Federer is looking to become the fourth man to win four straight U.S. Open titles and the first of the Open era. Adam Stoltman/SI

MAILBAG Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag every Wednesday. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Tune in Friday for our U.S. Open seed reports. Also, I'll try and do daily "baguettes" from the Open starting Monday.

Jon, I am heading to the U.S. Open for the first time this year. Any tips or hints to pass on?
-- Corey Huber, Regina, Saskatchewan

Culled from previous columns with a few new ones thrown in:

• Take either the much-maligned No. 7 train or -- better still -- the Long Island Railroad from Manhattan. If you insist on private transportation, take a cab over a car service, which drops you off somewhere near Canarsie. At the risk of sounding like a tourist bureau p.r. flack, you'll be surprised how civil and efficient the trains are.

• Buy a daily program when you walk in.

• Watch at least one match on the Grandstand court.

• Complain at least once about the absence of intimacy in Arthur Ashe Stadium. And complain at least twice about the landed gentry in the luxury suites who have prime seats yet have their backs turned away from the court as they discuss their portfolios in air-conditioned suites.

• Arrive early and spend, say, half an hour watching players practice. It's weirdly mesmerizing.

• Wear sunscreen.

• Watch the top-seeded player in the boys' and girls' singles draw.

• Watch Fabrice Santoro, even if it means greasing the usher's palm.

• If you walk by a scoring console and see that any match is deep in the fifth set (or third set for women), watch the conclusion. It will give you a good sense of just how brutal tennis can be.

• Yes, you're important. But switch your damn cell phone to vibrate.

• Ignore the imperious attitude of the ushers. They're not representative of New Yorkers. And they're just doing their jobs.

• Bring a book/crossword puzzle/date to pass the time during changeovers.

• After the matches (or between sessions) check out some of the ethnic restaurants in Flushing. You can walk there.

• Avoid dressing like a player -- unless you have a match that day. Otherwise, it's comically tacky.

• I'm serious about the sunscreen.

Is it me or do you feel a big upset of Roger Federer at the U.S. Open coming on? It seems like tennis is due for something like that -- for example, him losing a Thursday afternoon second-round match in straight sets to someone like Philipp Kohlschreiber or Ramesh Krishnan.
-- Robert, Washington, D.C.

When Federer plays Krishnan, look out.

What has become of Paradorn Srichaphan? And the Legg Mason Tourney seems to get worse fields every year, but we keep supporting the event. Timing of the tourney (week before two Master Series events this year, next year summer Olympics) seems to be a large part.
-- Tony, Reston, Va.

P-dorn is out with ... well the ATP is calling it a wrist injury, but I'm thinking this might have something to do with his absence.

As for D.C., it's still a fun event. It's in the middle of summer, so no Europeans are going to play. Go expecting to watch Federer play Rafael Nadal and you'll be disappointed. Go to watch some fine players compete in a pleasant setting, and you'll have a pleasant day.

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