11.   Venus came into the U.S. Open the defending champion and the reigning two-time Wimbledon champion, having won two other tour titles this summer.

12.   Paulson came to the Open on a roll, having won his first PGA Tour event the previous week in the Buick Classic.

13.   Having won his first two round-robin matches, Sampras was already assured of a place in the semifinals before he played Karol Kucera Thursday.

14.   In Sun City, Westwood is trying to finish his season with a third successive victory, having won twice last month in Japan.

15.   Savon is the biggest attraction, having already won two Olympic and five world heavyweight titles.

16.   The Spaniards are ranked as one of the favorites to win the cup, along with Brazil and England, after having won their first four matches.

17.   Van Gundy said he talked to the team about being satisfied having won a series over a heated rival.

18.   Westwood in particular is on a roll, having won seven times on four continents in the last nine months, including three of his last four tournaments.

19.   Without ever having won a medal in the event, Japan came up with a sweep in the smaller hill competition at Sapporo.

20.   Having not won the Order of Merit, finishing fifth and sixth was to be seen almost as a failure.