R is for racket. In the 1870s, tennis rackets were stringed with animal intestines. Nice photo timeline of the evolution of rackets. S is for Serena, and sisters. A Serena vs. Venus Williams matchup in the finals is possible, since they're on opposite sides of the draw .
T is for tennis ball.
More than 70,000 Wilson balls will be used in this year's Open. The cable network, not the nation. It'll be televising many hours of tennis beginning at 11 a.m. today. CBS gets most of the good stuff. V is for Venus.