Djokovic Leaves Great Impression

For once, USA Network’s coverage of the U.S. Open Tennis tournament didn’t stretch into the wee hours of the next morning, which produced an opening for some fun stuff for TV viewers.

Left with time to fill after Novak Djokovic (appropriately pronounced "Joke-a-vick") dispensed with Carlos Moya in three sets and before 10:30 p.m., the USA on-court commentator asked the 20-year-old to do a couple of his dead-on impressions of the stars of the tennis circuit.

He graciously complied with send-ups of blonde bombshell and major tournament winner Maria Sharapova and hunk Rafael Nadal, complete with hair brush-backs and clothing adjustments that brought the house down and won the player a bunch of fans who probably didn’t know much more about Djokovic than the oft-cited back-story of growing up in war-torn Serbia.

It was the second time that the tournament, which is going pretty much to form so far, which means Roger Federer is a near-lock on another title, has had a particularly fun moment, the other being when Justin Gimelstob took over the mike for a delightful on-court interview the man who had just cleaned his clock, pal Andy Roddick.

Now, if only more of the great tennis could have been played before midnight. Yawn.