The third round of the 2009 U.S. Open has nearly finished amidst the surprisingly welcoming weather at New York’s National Tennis Center. So far, there haven’t been many surprises. The top 16-ranked men all advanced rather seamlessly. Serena and Venus have had an easy time as well. Unfortunately, they are in the same draw and will likely meet in the semis. The other top female players are, as always, playing below their rank, as upsets and narrow victories are happening left and right.

This has been a topsy-turvy U.S. Open for the women: No. 8 Victoria Azarenka’s 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 loss to No. 26 Francesca Schiavone on Friday came a day after No. 4 Elena Dementieva and No. 5 Jelena Jankovic were upset. All told, 11 of the 20 highest-seeded women are gone, and the third round is only halfway done.

No. 1 Dinara Safina made it to Saturday’s third round, but barely. She needed more than 4 1/2 hours to get through two three-set victories.

The best men have faced no such problems: No. 3 Rafael Nadal’s 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory Friday night in the last match of Day 5 means the men seeded 1-16 all reached the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in the 41-year Open era.

Once again, the lovely Ana Ivanovic failed to perform well in a Grand Slam, losing to Kateryna Bondarenko in the first round. Maria Sharapova, however, has advanced to third round and is currently in the third set against American Melanie Oudin. It would be great to see the former No. 1-ranked star face Serena or Venus in the finals.

As much as it pains tennis enthusiasts to miss out on another Federer/Nadal showdown, this match with Andy Murray will still contain the passion and close competition of that rivalry. Murray has a reputation of being one of the most disliked players on the tour. People say he’s petulant, argumentative, and that he likes to talk a little trash before a match. Nobody expected him to come this far—his lanky physique and penchant to helplessly huff and puff late into matches have caused critics to write him off as one who lacks what it takes to win a Grand Slam. To say that Great Britain has high hopes for Murray is an understatement. Fred Perry was the last Brit to win a Grand Slam, way back in 1936. It’s true that Murray has beaten Federer two out of their three meetings, but it has never been under the pressure of a Grand Slam final, which Federer has won 12 times to Murray’s zero. Despite Nadal’s absence, there’s still plenty at stake here. Andy Murray has a chance to get his first taste of dominance, and this is Federer’s opportunity to reclaim it.

The match will air today at 5 PM ET on CBS.