THIS DATE IN SPORTS

September 8

1946 — Jack Kramer wins his first U.S. singles titles with a 9-7, 6-3, 6-0 win over Tom Brown.

Sept. 8, 1957 — Althea Gibson becomes the first black to win the U.S. Open, beating Louise Brough, 6-3, 6-2. Australia’s Malcolm Anderson defeats countryman Ashley Cooper in three sets to become the first unseeded player to win the U.S. Open.

1968 — Virginia Wade wins the U.S. Open, upsetting Billie Jean King, 6-4, 6-4. 1969 — Australia Rod Laver wins the U.S. Open and the grand slam of tennis for the second time in his career with a four-set victory over Tony Roche.

1973 — Australia’s Margaret Court Smith wins the U.S. Open for the fifth time with a 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Evonne Goolagong.

1974 — Billie Jean King wins her fourth U.S. Open with a three-set triumph over Evonne Goolagong.

1984 — The four matches played on stadium court at the U.S. Open are played to the maximum number of sets. Stan Smith defeats John Newcombe in the men’s 35s semifinal, Ivan Lendl edges Pat Cash, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, in the men’s semifinals, Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, for the women’s title and John McEnroe defeats Jimmy Connors, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in the second men’s semifinal.

1985 — Ivan Lendl wins his first U.S. Open title befeating John McEnroe 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. 1990 — Gabriela Sabatini prevents Steffi Graf from winning her third consecutive Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) victory in the U.S. Open.

1996 — Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf win the men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively, in the last U.S. Open championship matches played in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sampras beats Michael Chang, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6, and Graf defeats Monica Seles, 7-5, 6-4. 1998 — Mark McGwire breaks Roger Maris’ 37-year-old home run record, lining historic No. 62 just over the wall in left field with two outs in the fourth inning. McGwire’s shot off the Chicago Cubs’ Steve Trachsel sets off a wild celebration in Busch Stadium.

2001 — Venus Williams wins her second consecutive U.S. Open title by beating her sister, Serena, 6-2, 6-4 in the first prime-time women’s Grand Slam final. The match is the 10th between sisters in a Grand Slam match during the Open era, with the older sister winning every time.

2002 — Pete Sampras beats Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to win his 14th Grand Slam title and the U.S. Open for the fifth time. At 31, Sampras is the Open’s oldest champion since 1970.

2008 — Roger Federer salvages the 2008 season by easily beating Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 13th major title overall.

2013 — Riquna Williams sets a WNBA record with 51 points to help the Tulsa Shock rout the San Antonio Silver Stars 98-65. The second-year guard surpasses the previous record of 47 points set by Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi and matched by Seattle’s Lauren Jackson.

2013 — Top-seeded Serena Williams wins her fifth U.S. Open championship and 17th Grand Slam title overall by beating No. 2 Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1 in a windy final.

2016 — Serena Williams is upset in the U.S. Open semifinals for the second year in a row, beaten 6-2, 7-6 (5) by 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. The loss prevents Williams from earning her seventh championship at Flushing Meadows and 23rd major title overall, which would both have been Open-era records. Also Williams’ 3 1/2-year reign at No. 1 in the WTA rankings will end on Sept. 12 by current No. 2 Angelique Kerber, who beats Caroline Wozniacki in the second semifinal.