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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A must read in August Aug 03, 2009
I had the pleasure of meeting the author while in FL this past spring at the Sony Ericson Open. He is a delightful man with unmatched insight into the US Open and the game of tennis in general. With the US Open approaching I finally forced myself to carve out some time to read his book. I wasn't avoiding it, I am just very busy and typically only have time for three or four books per year. I am glad I made the time. I've been watching the US Open along with the other slams for the past 20 years, but this year I will have a whole new appreciation for the greatest tournament of the tour.
I noticed another reviewer comment on some grammer and spelling typos - they are minimal and really not as distracting as he made them out to be. The amount of insight and perspective you gain on the US Open from Mr. Kent will make make the book worth your while to read.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Are you kidding me? Jul 10, 2009
Were these reviews written by friends of the author? Maybe the book I received was the rough draft rather than an edited copy.
I'll read just about anything about tennis, but this book is so full of typos, grammatical errors and bizarre punctuation that it is hard to take seriously. What a disappointment, after reading all these glowing reports about the book.
Even the names of players are mangled by this divorce lawyer-turned sports-writer. Ernests Gulbis of Latvia makes an appearance as "Ernesto Gulvis," which did at least make me laugh. Another good funny: the author describes a chair umpire as "bespeckled" rather than "bespectacled," (unless he had extremely pronounced freckles, I assume.)
There are sentences that are missing entire words and punctuation, which just makes
(Do you get now how frustrating that is?) This author had an interesting point of view, and he sounds like a nice guy, but he could have used a fact-checker, a spell-checker, and an editor before trying to pass this off as a book. I'd be embarrassed to submit this as a rough draft...in middle school. A pity.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Open and shut Apr 28, 2009
It is certainly refreshing, but unfortunately rare, when a book, especially a sport's book, has the ability to transport its reader to a place he or she has experienced, but not to the fullest possible extent. Mr Kent has skillfully managed to return a lapsed tennis fan and habitual U.S. Open attendee -- where have you gone Jimmy Connors? -- to a time when late August and early September meant driving to Flushing Meadows and watching the best tennis players in the world compete for the most lucrative title in the sport. But even in those days of live viewing, was I seeing everything? The answer is, of course, no! I may have observed the ball boys and girls, but had no idea how they are chosen or how arduous the process is, especially when one candidate (the author) is a few decades past boyhood. I may have occasionally noticed an usher beyond the perfunctory thank you or scowl, but failed to consider how important they are to the entire tournament operation. I may have remembered some of the great matches and participants, but not in the context of a rating system. However, thanks to Mr. Kent, I now know the ins and outs of the Tournament well beyond the superficial. Heck, I now even know how a qualifier, well...qualifies! If I can no longer have Connors- McEnroe or Sampras- Agassi, I'll settle for the author's vivid description of the Federrer-Nadal rivalry. I particularly appreciated the chapters on Guillermo Vilas and Mary Carillo, as the obvious close relationship between author and subject gave surprising insite to their unique characters. Mr. Kent writes in a breezy and light, yet thorough, manner and no doubt loves the subject he's writing about. If you have never been to The Open, or like me can't wait to return, "Inside the U.S. Open" is just the ticket.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Insightful and Behind the Scenes Jan 25, 2009
The difference between a just-the-facts broadcast solely by a cut-and-dried play-by-play analyst and one enlivened by a well-versed color commentator is the difference between an otherwise typical book about a major sporting event and Richard Kent's "Inside the US Open." Kent has a conversational, light style that makes reading this interesting behind the scenes account a quick but fascinating adventure. If you are interested in an uncommon perspective from a true insider and tennis afficionodo, then this book is definitely a fun and worthwhile read.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Interesting And Hands On Jan 18, 2009
What is interesting about this book is that the author seems to be writing from right down on the court. You learn first hand what it's like to try out to become a ball boy at the Open- not as easy as the reader might think... Rather than observing and trying to figure out what people are thinking, Kent speaks to them first hand. The title of the book is quite apt: Kent takes you "Inside The Open" and offers insights that are interesting and, in some cases surprising.
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