A very disjointed day in Cincy thankfully ended with a phenomenal match. Nicolas Kiefer pulled out at the last minute so we didn't get the Toronto rematch with Simon. Then Roger Dodger was pushed to the brink by Robby Ginepri, who actually served for the second set, before Roger broke back, won the second set tie break, and then steamrolled an absolutely exhausted Ginepri to bagel the third. After that I was all amped up for the Roddick/Kohly match, when Roddick hurt his shoulder during warmup and had to pull out, being replaced by a lucky loser. So frustrating.
But thankfully, The Worm and Mr. Kirilenko were able to stage a really fun and high quality match to close out the night. Igor won 76 67 76.
In Montreal we had a couple of upsets and one continued disappointment. First, Nikki V. was summarily dismissed by Iron Woman Ai in straight sets. Surprising? No. Disappointing? As per usual. Then we saw Bepa lose to a surging Virginie Razzano. But the coup de grace was Elena Dementieva's straight set loss to Lady LaMonf. Seeing as how I picked Lena to win the whole tournament, I was quite surprised. But her dismissal means the Ana Killer is out of the tournament, which is nice. Unfortunately it opens up JJ's draw, making it easier for her to make the semis. So six one, half dozen in the other. Kuzzie also made it through after Alla Kudryblahblahblah retired in the second set. Sadly, Bethanie Mattek hasn't recovered from her great semifinal run in LA, losing to Marta Domachowska.
Wednesday is the big day for both tournaments. All the big names are in action (Roger notwithstanding, of course).
In Cincy:
- Blake vs. Simon
- Querrey vs. Murray
- Bolleli vs. Nole
- Gasquet vs. Tursonov
- Serra vs. Rafa
In Montreal:
- Rodionova vs. Safina
- Ivanovic vs. Kvitova
- Domachowska vs. Sharapova
- Wozniak vs. Jelena
The most prominent storyline for me will be how the top seeds in Montreal deal with their current injuries (Ivanovic's thumb, Pova's shoulder, and JJ's knee). If their injuries are seriously affecting their form, then this tournament is Safina's to lose. She's the only one that is healthy right now and has the game to beat the field.
