CBS earned a 4.2 overnight Nielsen rating for Samantha Stosur's straight sets win over Serena Williams in the U.S. Open women's final yesterday from 4:30-6:30pm ET. That figure is up 121% from a 1.9 overnight for last year's women's final, which featured Kim Clijsters defeating Vera Zvonareva on a Saturday night. Sunday afternoon coverage last year was rained out. This year's Saturday night coverage, which featured Williams defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals, earned a 2.3 overnight from 9:51-11:44pm. Earlier in the day, CBS earned a 1.9 overnight for the Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer men's semifinal from 12:00-5:30pm and a 1.8 rating for Rafael Nadal-Andy Murray from 5:30-9:16pm (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
HEATED EXCHANGE: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes Williams "was penalized a point for yelling during a point," and during the changeover, "CBS eavesdropped" on her talking to the chair umpire. Williams said, "You're a hater." She also "called the ump a loser and said, 'Don't look my way.'" But CBS' Mary Carillo said, "You can't keep barking in the middle of a point" (USA TODAY, 9/12). In St. Petersburg, Tom Jones writes CBS "quickly dialed up the replays, with very clear audio, of Williams sniping at the chair umpire." CBS' Mary Joe Fernandez then "passed along the rule that proved the chair umpire was correct in docking Williams a point." Jones: "None of this is a surprise. CBS covers the U.S. Open about as well as any network covers any event" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/12). In N.Y., George Vecsey asks, "At what point does comportment, sportsmanship, become part of the measure of a great champion?" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/12). The Toronto Star's Damien Cox wrote on Twitter, "Serena back to her appalling worst. No respect for anyone else. ... Sadly, none of broadcasters calling the match have the stones to rip Williams." Cox added, "Pretty clear McEnroe didn't know the rule. Now he's really tapdancing." The N.Y. Times' Sam Borden: "Sounds like Serena is doing her best to ruin the greatest day of Stosur's career. So selfish. So typical."
YOU DON'T SAY: ABC’s Sharyn Alfonsi said Williams' "sharp tongue ... left Center Court stunned Sunday,” but following the match, Williams "was gracious in her defeat.” ABC’s Robin Roberts said at the end of the match, Williams “admitted that had no bearing on her losing the match.” ABC’s Josh Elliott: “I tend to forgive, especially in those intense moments, intense competitiveness.” But ABC's George Stephanopoulos said, “I think it’s what happened afterwards that is the problem though” (“GMA,” ABC, 9/12).
FILLING TIME: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jared Diamond wrote based on an analysis of three hours of programming on ESPN2 during rain delays Wednesday "between roughly 1 and 4 p.m., the most common solution" to matches being delayed is "showing replays of old matches." Diamond: "The network turned to that tactic 44.3% of the time. Next at 22.5% were commercials and promos of future, hopefully precipitation-free programming. The network also spent 11% of its time on interviews and reporter stand-ups, plus another 4.7% showing the soggy, empty courts and grounds." The real highlight "was the announcers, who occupied a sixth (16.7%) of the coverage by just sitting there and talking." Miscellaneous accounted for the remaining 0.8% of coverage (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/10).
DROPPING OFF: BROADCASTING & CABLE's John Eggerton reports Comcast has "modified its evidence in the Tennis Channel complaint to reflect that Verizon FiOS and Cablevision are no longer carrying the channel." In a filing with the FCC, Comcast said that "new information, combined with reports that other MVPDs had decided to drop the channel rather than move it off a separate sports tier, as Tennis Channel was requesting, undercut Tennis Channel's discrimination claim" (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 9/9 issue).
