By Liza Horan

New York—Jim Courier and Katrina Adams replaced Patrick McEnroe and Mary Joe Fernandez this year as analysts at the U.S. Open Draw Ceremony, held for the first time at TheTimesCenter, a lush theater with the newspapers' headquarters on West 41st Street on Aug. 21. Courier told the crowd—which included former Mayor David Dinkins, USTA brass, and the media—"For me, this feels like the Serbians versus the (Williams) sisters…yeesh!" after reflecting on his picks for the women's final.

In the end, his choice was Ana Ivanovic, while Adams backed Serena Williams. On the men's side, Courier said he was holding out for a rematch of the Wimbledon final featuring Rafael Nadal and defending U.S. Open champ Roger Federer, though "(James) Blake should be coming in with the most confidence of his career" after beating the Swiss champ at the Olympics. Adams said a semifinal match-up between John Isner and Ivo Karlovic would prove exciting with "13 feet of testosterone out there!"

The first chip (carrying the name of a seeded player) pulled to determine who would occupy Line 8 of the men's draw, was selected by Gail Brodsky, the only main draw player to assist in the ceremony. Virginia Wade also drew a chip. The 17-year-old—a Brooklynite who was born in Ukraine and turned pro last week—earned a wild card to the U.S. Open by winning the USTA Girls' 18s National Championships earlier this month.

Her gentle way, warm smile and long eyelashes belie her competitive spirit. She's a hard worker who picked up a racquet at age six, hitting against a backboard near Coney Island. Her father, Edward, picked up the mantle of coach since that day, hitting the public courts around Brooklyn to help her win in a sport he says is "great for women" to achieve success. Brodsky has athletic genes: Her father was the No. 2 rower and her mother was a competitive gymnast in their native Ukraine.

Arlen Kantarian, chief executive of USTA Pro Tennis, overviewed key enhancements to the U.S. Open, including previewing a new green initiative, noting the $425 million the tournament brings to New York City, and the fact that pre-event ticket sales are moving faster than ever. And, he added, "Of course, at its heart, the US Open is all about the players and this year, two of those players—Rafa Nadal and Dinara Safina—have a shot at winning a record $2.5 million based upon their first-place finishes in the Olympus US Open Series. That will be their total take if they can follow up their hot summers with a title run here at the Open.