Forty Deuce

US Open Day 6 Results: Special Kei in da House!

This is the one match I actually called, no?  Special Kei takes out Daveeed Ferrer in five.  What is up with Ferrer this season?  It's unfortunate.  But yay for Kei! 

You do not lose to a guy who wears no-show socks.  You just don't.  Unless your name is James Blake.  In which case you do.  In straight sets.  Horrible.

I'm telling you.  Dinara just doesn't have it this tournament.  Maybe it's the fatigue, maybe it's the emotional strain of her loss in the Olympics.  But she hasn't looked sharp so far.  She survived her match against Timea Bacsinszky in three.  But I don't see her beating one of the Williamses.  Heck, she might have a tough time with Amelie at this point.

Andy and Gael are through, with Gael taking out Headbandian in straight sets.  Andy had a tougher time with Melzer, but he eventually prevailed in 5.  Yes Andy, you are strong.  We get it.  Put your pasty white biceps away.  Gross.

Querrey California continued his awesome run, beating Dr. Ivo in straight sets.  Sammy looked good, but he's going down to Rafa in straight sets.  As for the rest of the boys: Rafa, JMDP, and Stan the Man also came through, the latter two in 5 sets.

As for the Ladies, no real surprises other than Anna Lena Groenefeld taking out The Cone.  Both Williamses contined to look dominant, Agi destroyed Domi in straight sets, Momo ended Julie Coin's historic run, and Flava Flav and Bremond also came through.

"Ski Boots were made for walkin. That's just what she'll do. One of these days Ski Boots is gonna walk all over you."

In what was an expectantly tight match, Ski Boots Wozniaki guaranteed that all of America will be forced to view that ugly-ass petal dress at least one more time.  Hmmm...maybe that petal dress has the mojo and not the two-piece Edge outfit that Ana has been rocking lately?  Baby Elephant's last easy win was in the first round of Wimbly, and what was she wearing?  You guessed it, the petal dress.

Ski Boots faces Drama Queen JJ next, most likely on Sunday.

But in big upset news, Ender of Grand Slam Dreams Katya Srebotnik gutted out a three set win over the struggling Kuznetsova.  Srebotnik also beat Serena in the third round at RG this year.  I really like her a lot and I root for her to do well.  She just seems like a normal, down to earth person and she has a great all around game.

Poor Sveta left the court in tears.  Clearly even she doesn't know what's wrong with her game. 

Upgrade!

So.  Much.  Better. 

Fed won in straight sets but from the set and half I saw, it wasn't a tremendously convincing win.  A lot of missed volleys and forehands from midcourt.  He just doesn't look the same.  But a win is a win and hopefully he can build his confidence and he finds its form.

US Open Day 4 Results: "Rafa in Red, is dancing with me, cheek to cheek."

You'd think that Rafa in Red would have been enough to swoon me.  But no. 

Tonight, my heart belonged to one Ryler Deheart, the American qualifier who got his ass handed to him by Rafa (61 62 63), but nevertheless showed flashes of brilliance, including a three game run in the third set where he dropped only three points to the Rafster.  With his uber-dorky sweatband, his logoless gear, and wry smile, the boy from Hawaii charmed me.  And his fiancee was adorable too.

As for the rest of the men, Sam did play it again, gutting out a four set win over Devilder.  Querrey California was cramping like a mofo at the end (he was pretty much locked at the knees for the last few games) but he sucked it up and got it done and is now into the third round.

The Sockless Wonder broke my heart and beat Paul Henri Mattieu in four sets, setting up a third round match against good friend James Blake who won on a retirement by Darcis.  The Serb not named Nole or Janko also won on a retirement by Kohlschreiber.  Otherwise, all the seeds went through without much incident today (Murray, Monfils, JMDP, Ferrer, and Headbandian).  Kei Nishikori has also quietly made it into Round 3.

As for the Ladies, it was a bad day for slumpers.  Ana, Nicole, and Agnes were all shown the door.  Otherwise, all the seeds went through (Dinara, Serena, Venus, Agi, Flava Flav, Domi, Ai, Nadia, Alona, Alize and Momo).

And check this out:  Anna Lena Groenefeld is into the third round, and in dominant fashion. Her serve is really clicking.  Good for her.  What a horrible couple of years she's had.  Nice to see that she's recovering and her asshat of a coach has stopped harassing her.

Methinks JJ needs to lay off the Honey Deuces. And the drama. But more the Honey Deuces.

Tough couple of days for the Serbian ladies, don't ya think?  JJ added more drama (surprise!) today by failing to close out the second set against Sophia Arvidsson even though she had a chance to serve it out and had match points.  But she was able to gut it out and survive in three sets, winning the final set 75.

Afterwards in the presser, it was vintage JJ:

Q. There came a time in the third set in which you were on the ground. You were down for about 30 seconds and there was no noise at all. Were you injured at all, or were you just trying to just regain yourself?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I was just tired, and I couldn't get up. I was so exhausted at that moment. I was breathing hard, and I didn't have the energy to get up.

That was the reason I was just lying there without, you know, kind of moving. I was just trying to come back to, you know, normal position where I can just stand up and regroup again and play the next point. That was it.

Q. Was the pavement hot?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, but I thought I was going to get my dress really dirty, and then that was my biggest concern.

Q. Did you think about taking a nap?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I would have loved to, you know, take a nap on court, because I was really exhausted. But, you know, the rules are the rules. I had to keep going.

Q. You remember ever doing that before in a match, being down for 30 seconds or so?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, not really. I do the splits and fall down, but for a few seconds. I get up right away. But I never lie there for ‑‑ I don't know how long I was lying there, but that was just ‑‑ I fell down.

I don't know what I did, so I couldn't get up. That's just the way it goes, because I was really tired.

Q. Why do you think you were so tired at that point?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. You know, to be honest, you know, after I finished the match I went to jog a little bit on the treadmill. I jogged for three minutes and I cramped.

I couldn't go anymore and I couldn't ‑‑ the part where I had the tear in my meniscus after Wimbledon, I couldn't ‑‑ my leg was straight, and I couldn't bend it.

It was really ‑‑ the muscle was, like, in spasm, and I had a lot of pain. I couldn't make another step, so, you know, I was ‑‑ my fitness trainer was there. He gave me a lot of things to drink and, you know, stretching and ice, massage and all this.

I finally recovered and I could go, you know, back to the locker room and take a shower. Otherwise I was really ‑‑ it was really uncomfortable.

It's not easy to get through this kind of things, but I'm not in the best shape. For me to play three hours, it's amazing at this moment, because I haven't been training, you know, as hard as I want to. I'm now training to get that, but, you know, it takes time. It's not going to happen overnight.

So I need, still, you know, a lot of days to get better and better. I feel that I'm improving, but, you know, it's going to take, you know, some time.

Also, looks like there might be some bad blood brewing with Arvidsson:

Q. I just spoke to Sofia Arvidsson, and she felt you showed bad sportsmanship, especially you serve. She did with this with her hand and you still served. What is your comment on that?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I didn't really see that. Maybe she lifted her arm up, but I didn't see it. You know, I was so tired, and it doesn't mean it's bad sportsmanship. I didn't see that. If I did that, if that for her is bad sportsmanship, it was not my intention.

If she lifted her arm and I really saw it... No. And also, the receiver should always follow the server. When I'm ready to serve she should be ready to receive, as well. Those are the rules.

I mean, it's the opposite, you know. If she was, for example serving and I'm stopping her, you know, breaking her rhythm, and that's what she's doing to me, you know.

It's not ‑‑ when I'm ready, when I go to the line to serve the ball, she should be ready, and that's what is happening. And she can keep doing that, and the umpire can tell her, You have to be ready when she's there to serve. Those are the rules.

I'm sorry. Maybe she lifted her arm up once and I didn't see it and I served, but I don't think that would make a big difference in the match.

Q. Is it bad blood between you? Because she was a bit annoyed also when you lie down, you know, the ball we were talking about just before.

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know what is ‑‑ I have nothing, no problem with her whatsoever. You know, I go out there to play my match, and I tried my best. I don't really think about all the other, you know, factors.

If she's angry at me for going down, if she's angry because, you know, I didn't see her lifting her arm up, you know, you can keep going with all these things that happen in the match.

But all of the players, you know, do this, and we all try our best to win the match. And a win is the most important thing.

I'm with JJ on this one.  Kind of.  Everyone knows JJ occasionally fast serves opponents.  Generally that's not a cool thing to do, but you're supposed to play at the server's pace anyway.  And I have seen instances where players have held up their hand and JJ does stop her motion.  But still, it's generally a courtesy to wait for the receiver, so long as they're not trying to screw up your timing. 

US Open Day 2 Results: Play it again, Sam.

Another solid day for the top seeds with only a few surprises. 

For the men, holy cow where did that come from?  Querrey California destroyed Tomas Berdych, 63 61 62.  Querrey served huge and crushed some wicked winners.  Can we officially stop hoping that Tomas finds his form?  This is getting ridiculous.

And in one of the most anticipated first round matches, Tommy Haas did what he does and took a seed to five sets in a Grand Slam.  But this time, he won!  To be fair to Reeshard, this was a horribly unfair first round matchup.  Players of this caliber shouldn't meet until late in the first week or early second week.  But seriously, what is up with him?  Nicknamed "Baby Fed" when he first burst onto the scene early last year, he's now just become an absolute headcase.  Too many tough losses this year, Murray at Wimbly, Rafa at Cincy Toronto, you get the sense that it's all in his head now.  It's a shame because he's such a beauty to watch when he plays well.

Other than Berdych and Reeshard, the men's side held true to form.  Fed, Disco Tommy, Dr. Ivo, Andreev, PHM, Gonzo, and Tabasco are all through.  Oddly, Nicholas Kiefer retired in down in the fourth set.

As for the ladies, the biggest shocker of the day probably was the fact that Nikki V. won.  Easily.  She beat Petra Cetkovska 61 62.  But other than Dani H.'s straight set loss to former top 20er Anna Lena Groenefeld, the seeds held to form, with a minor upset of Fosters Dellaqua by Frenchie Julie Coin.  So the notables into round two: Ana, Venus, Serena, Dinara, Agi, Momo, Szavay, Petrova, Cibulkova, and Cornet.

Baby Elephant Watch: So I got good news and I got bad news....

Well she ditched that ugly ass dress, but she kept the insecurity, struggles, and mental lapses that she's been suffering through the last 3 months.  But seriously?  That dress was so ugly I think she came out on top with the trade.

The good news is obviously that she won and her thumb didn't seem to be bothering her.

The bad news is that I wouldn't so much say she "won" as much as she "survived" and she can't blame her thumb for this one.  This wasn't a Rafa/Phau match where Ana played well but Dushevina played out of her mind.  Dushevina was average at best and Ana was ok at best, horrible at worst.  Her footwork was terrible (and by terrible I mean non-existent) and her groundstrokes were erratic.  Ana served really well though and I think that's what got her this match.

My biggest takeaway from the match is that Ana is not quite match fit at the moment, which is both a good and bad thing.  The upside is that she could work her way through this tournament and be ok if her thumb holds up.  The downside is that if she doesn't figure out a way to grind out these wins we could be looking at Wimbly 2.0.  She needs to get some matches under her belt and I think this 3 setter may have been a blessing in disguise. 

US Open Day 1 Results: Let the games begin.

Stories of the Day

• Rafa plays a 3 hour 3 set match to advance to the second round.  Bjorn Phau (best.name.ever) was awesome and played out of his mind.  While he pushed Rafa to two tie-breakers, if you actually watched the match you never felt that Rafa was going to lose.  He just had to weather the storm and keep holding serve.  All in all, a good warm up match for Rafa.  He did have to call a trainer early on to fix the tape job he does for his blisters.  We'll have to keep an eye out on how that plays out.
• Lindsay looked good.  She moved fairly well and most importantly was returning and serving lights out.  It'll be interesting to see her play against a counterpuncher who can actually force her to run around a bit.  Wozniak didn't do that much today.
• It was a good day to be a top seed unless your name rhymed with Schmokvatajde.  All the top seeds got through except for Chakky, who continued the horrible play that surfaced in the New Haven final last weekend and lost to another Russian, Makarova.  Outside of the top seeds, only three other seeds fell: MaKiri (boo!), Feli (boo!), and Peer (whatever).
• In form players stayed in form.  Na Li, Ski Boots, JMDP, Lena D., Bepa, Blake, Muzza, and Vika Azarenka all got through to the second round.
• Donald Young showed flashes of brilliance in his 5 set loss to James Blake.  Seriously, he looked like an American version of Andy Murray.  Great court coverage, lulls you asleep, uses angles, and unleashes crazy kill shots.  Here's hoping he finally gets some elite coaching, ditches his parents, and puts the work into being a pro.  It's times like this that I wish he was an Adidas player, not a NIke player, so that he could take advantage of Adidas' in-house coaching staff.

The kids are just alright

Congrats to Marin Cilic and Caroline "Ski Boots" Wozniaki on their title wins at New Haven on Saturday.  For Cilic, it was his first career ATP final and title, which he earned by beating Scruffy McNoSocks in three sets.  As for Caro, she came back and outlasted A Chak, who, in typical A Chak form, had a total mental meltdown in the third set and basically gifting the title to the Danish teen.  But a title is a title and both earned it. 

Now on to Flushing Meadow, where the organizers were kind enough not to schedule either of these two for Monday matches.  Hope they get their legs back by Tuesday!

Ski Boots skis into the Finals at New Haven.

Caro defeated a hobbling Alize Cornet today 75 64 to reach the finals at New Haven.  She'll play the winner of the Momo/A Chak crazyfest.  This is probably a blessing in disguise as Cornet now has to heal up for her US Open run.  Here's hoping that Ski Boots isn't peaking too early and comes into the Open mentally and physically tired.  Either way though, she'll have confidence! 

In sad news, Tabasco lost to the Sockless Wonder, 60 16 63.  Ugh, whatever Marty.  Go back to your Deal or No Dealfriend.

Ski Boots Watch: Kickin ass and taking names.

I'm telling you, my girl Ski Boots is getting ready for a good run in Flushing Meadows.  She had her biggest win today, destroying Mono Bartoli 64 60 today.  She'll play Feivel in the semifinal tomorrow.  On the other side, don't look now but Momo may be finding some form.  She beat Agnez Szavay in straight sets today, which, given Szavay's form this year isn't that big of deal I suppose.  But nevertheless she's advanced to the semis and will play top seeded A Chak.  That'll be quite the test for her.  But the runs by all four semifinalists has to be taken into account as we look to the US Open.

I'm calling it now.  Caro will beat JJ. 

On the dudes' side, the semis will see Tabasco, Cilic, No Socks, and Croatian qualifier Gregorc.  Go Tabasco!  Keep the hotness alive in New Haven!

Breaking News: Is Dani Hantuchova...SMILING???

Is there a better more heartwarming sight in tennis better than Daniella Hantuchova full of joy and smiling?  I think not.  Dani H. gutted out a three set win, 76(6) in the tiebreaker over Govortsova today in New Haven.  In fact, it was a good day for headcases on the Ladies' side, as Dani, A Chak, and MoMo all made it through.  Cirstea, Cornet and Ski Boots also won.  Congrats to Ski Boots!  You're top 20 now, baby.

For the men, Dr. Ivo and Robby Ginepri crashed out but otherwise the draw held true to form. 

Pilot Pen: Strugglers in, hotties out.

Yale:  It's not for hotties. 

Bartoli and Momo struggled but won in their opening second rounders.  MaKiri and Gisela Dulko however are out, MaKiri getting outwitted by the ridiculously annoying junk baller Monica Niculescu and Dulko losing to Flava Flav Pennetta.  In somewhat encouraging news, Agnez Szavay won her three setter over the solid Sara Errani.

As for the boys, Dr. Ivo won his match against John Isner (that's over 13 feet of tennis player!).  But continuing with our "Yale hates hotties" theme, Simone Bolleli lost to a dude named Fabio.  No, really.

Woz Watch: Show us your O face.

Caro makes the BEST faces when she's playing.

Having won her first title only two weeks ago in Sweden, flying immediately to Beijing to play for Denmark, Ski Boots is back in action at the Pilot Pen tourney in New Haven.  Considering the US Open starts in less than a week, I'm thinking Caro probably should have taken a break.  But hey, what do I know?

At least the tour is doing their best to make it easier on her.  Caro drew a tough first round match against Montreal finalist Dominika Cibulkova (who also played in Beijing last week).  But after Caro took the first set 76, Cibulkova retired early in the second set.  What is up with her?  She retired match point down against Ai Sugiyama in LA, makes a run in Montreal to the final after playing a number of tough 3 setters, and then retires in New Haven.  Then again, Cibulkova shouldn't have been playing either.  She's played a tough hard court season (back to back to back to back tournaments).  She didn't need the hard court warm up before the USO.

In other New Haven news, Feivel beat Nikki V in a rematch of their first round Beijinger, Sorana Cirstea (another young player I like) beat Alla Kudrywhatever, and Fosters Dellaqua beat Virginie Razzano.  Peppermint Patty also made it through.

The guys are also playing in New Haven, and Fernando "Tobasco" Verdasco is the top seed.  Crazy Little Elf wisely withdrew to rest up and prepare for the USO.  The only surprise in today's first round matches was Arnaud Clement's presence.  He played the bronze medal doubles match on Saturday and he's in the States playing today.  Crazy Frenchie.

"Candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."

Juan Martin del Potro, or "Little Crazy Elf" as the kids over at TennisWorld like to call him, is quietly tearing through the depleted hard court fields.  He's on a 19-match winning streak and this is his fourth straight title, backing up the title he won over Andy Roddick last week in LA. 

And as for Andy Roddick's huge "I need to stay home and prepare for the US Open" gamble?  Not looking great.  He lost in the quarters of DC to #3 Serb Viktor Troicki.  Great win for Troicki but seriously, what is up with Andy?  This can't help his confidence.  He's admitting that he's not serving or hitting his forehand well.  Hmmm....might want to fix that before you get to NYC.  Things are definitely not looking good for him, especially considering the form of the top players who did participate in Beijing.

As for the Ladies this week, short Russian on the totem pole Nadia Petrova continued the run of Russian dominance on Sunday at won both the singles title and the doubles title in Cincy.  Nadia beat another Russian, Maria Kirilenko in the semis, and then outclassed the classy Natalie Dechy in the final.  Congrats, Nadia.

Medals for Everyone! The Sisters Williams get doubles gold.

Isn't it a better world when the Sisters Williams are smiling on Championship Sundays?  The duo destroyed their Spanish opponents in the Gold Medal match 62 60, meanwhile, Zhang/Zheng took out the Sisters Bonderenko to take the bronze.

All in all, I'm really happy for Roger, Venus, and Serena walking away from Beijing with gold medals, even if they're doubles.  Interesting how it all worked out.  They all got dusted on the same day and all turned around to win gold in doubles.

The Russians are coming, the Russians are comi.....oh no wait. They're here.

Congratulations to Mother Russia on the sweep of the Ladies' Singles medals.  Lena and Dinara weren't surprises (though most probably thought their medals would be switched), but big ups to Bepa, who was a last minute addition to the Russian team when Masha pulled out with a shoulder injury.  She also benefited from being in Baby Panda's quarter of the draw, which was obviously weakened signficantly when she withdrew.  But all credit to her for keeping her composure (most of the time) and fighting her way to the bronze.  I really thought she was going to collapse against hometown favorite Li Na.  She came close (she won 60 75), but she pulled through. 

She definitely owes Masha a $5 Starbucks card.

Storybook Endings: Rafa and Elena win Gold

And just like that, it's over.  The Olympics, at least as far as tennis is concerned, is over and we can all go back to our regularly scheduled programming, namely, getting stoked for the US Open.

But before we leave the five ring circus, let's take a moment to really congratulate Rafa and Elena, Olympic Champions.  For Rafa, seriously, can his year be any more poetic?  After toiling away and waiting in vain to become #1, Rafa is doing it in style.  First he destroys Fed at the RG final, then he beats Nole on grass in the Queens final, of course we then have the GMOAT at Wimbledon, he turns around to win Toronto, and then he comes here, to Beijing, and on the Sunday before he is about to ascend to the #1 ranking, he wins a gold medal.

Come on, Rafa, you're embarrassing us all.

As for Lena D., she actually SERVED OUT A MATCH FOR THE TITLE.  What better way for her to overcome her serving yips, her mental frailty, her "Chokementieva" status, and come through against not only a fellow Russian, but the hottest player on tour right now.  Don't get me wrong, when all was said and done, Elena wasn't playing the Dinara that has dominated the tour over the past three months.  Dinara hit 17 DFs and once her serving yips got into her head you could see her will to win diminish.  But watching Lena D's game, it always shocks me that she's not a top 3 player.  Those groundstrokes are just lethal.

Davai Russia!

It was a battle of Russians in one semifinal that saw Lena D. dispatch Casper the Crying Ghost.

This semifinal was of very high quality with great hitting from both players.  Good on Lena, though.  She's had a very solid year so far and now she'll get a chance to avenge her RG collapse against ...

What a nervy match.  Neither Dinara or Li Na played particularly well.  Dinara threw in DF after DF and every time you thought Li would would stop up and take advantage she crumbled, throwing in UFE after UFE.  To be honest, it was a hard match to watch, which was unfortunate. 

That being said, it was understandable.  Because the Dinara/JJ match was postponed a day, Li had a full day and a half to think about her incredible win over Venus.  As for Dinara, she may have to take the mantle of "Iron Woman" from Ai Sugiyama.  She was on court yesterday for over 2 hours against JJ, then had to turn around 3 hours later to play her doubles match, which saw her on court until 3am local time.  A little over 12 hours later she had to take the court for this SF.  So kudos to her for getting through.

But a great tournament from Li, who took out Kuzzie and Venus on her way to the SF.  For her to take the gold she would have had to go through the top 3 Russians anyway.  A tall task for a player that's just now finding her form after injury.

Anyway, no shocker here.  I'm rooting for Safina.  But whoever wins it'll be a feel good story.  Lena deserves some redemption and with her play the second half of this season she deserves a title (she's been derailed twice now by Safina, at Berlin and RG).  And Safina deserves the gold for her play over the past three months.  No one can argue about that.

Dinara in 3.  And for the record, I am rooting for a Russian sweep.  So go Casper!

UPDATED: The Bull will not be denied.

First off, it was a fight to the finish and if you can't tip your hats to both players for their displays of athleticism, fight, and skill, then you're simply not a tennis fan. 

But in the end, despite the fact that Nole was stronger in the second and third sets, Rafa would not be denied.  Who can explain that botched overhead on match point to give Rafa the match?  Was an easy overhead?  Absolutely.  But you factor in an off the charts retriever on the other side of the net, match point, the semifinals of the Olympics, and a young 21 year old with a small country literally on his back, and it becomes an extremely nervy one.  I can't fault Novak for missing it.  I also can't blame him for leaving the court in tears. 

That's the Olympics, folks.  That's why tennis should be there.  Have we ever seen Nole cry after losing big matches?  Nope.  This one obviously meant more to him than any other match he played.  He's absolutely gutted.  To lose that big of a match like that?  I don't know how he's going to recover for tomorrow's bronze medal match.

And as a quick sidenote, on a day that saw some questionable sportsmanship in the other semifinal, I was particularly impressed with Nole's hug of Rafa after the match.  He could have just shaken his hand and walked off the court.  But the embrace, in light of how he was feeling, was touching and sporting.

UPDATED: Pics of the hug.  Heartbreaking.

 

Non-Olympic tennis. Yes, it does exist.

In my crazy Olympic fever I've neglected to acknowledge that there are other non-Olympic happenings that are providing some interesting storylines as the US Open nears.  So here's a quick recap.

• Andy "I'm just not that into you, Olympics" Roddick loses to Juan Martin del Potro in the finals at LA.  This was shocking to say the least, especially because Andy cruised into the final.  He was serving well, moving well, and hitting solid strokes.  But by the time the final rolled around Andy was no match for the en fuego JMDP.  This is JMDP's third straight title and he ran Andy ragged.  JMDP has a lot of upside, though I'm not a huge fan of 30 foot service toss or his hitchy forehand.  But the Argentinian teenager has nerve.  He could have buckled when Roddick made a run in the second set but held his ground.  We'll see how this loss affects Andy in this week's DC tournament.  But for a guy who skipped the Olympics to be primed for the US Open, the loss was not encouraging.
• Mono Bartoli retires in the second set of her first round match against Jamea Jackson.  Let's think about this.  Bartoli hurt herself in the Stanford Final.  Two weeks later she plays Montreal and hurts herself again against Cibulkova.  Now she tried to play Cincy but is forced to retire.  Not the best decision making if you ask me.  Take the time off and get yourself fit, Marion, because clearly you are not.
• CrazySexyCool Safin retires in his opening round match in DC.  Don't know what's wrong with Marat (other than the usual mental stuff), but let's hope it doesn't affect his US Open run.

Olympics Tournament Summary: Day 3

 
Well that was boring.  What fun is tennis when everyone you expect to win ACTUALLY wins? 

Roger, Nole, and Rafa all went through with ease.  Rafa disposed of an exhausted Lleyton Hewitt, who had been up past midnight finishing a marathon doubles match that ended 18-16 in the third.  Thankfully, Rafa's form was much better today.  Maybe he got a call from Ana telling him not to worry and that her hand was ok.

As for "upsets", my boy Paul Henri Mattieu (so cute!!!) ousted Kolya and Juergen Melzer knocked out weary Stan The Man Wawrinka.  Too bad for Stan.  The heat and humidity got to him.  In other bad news, Janko had to withdraw with an ankle injury against Olivier Rochus.  Poor Janko.  He needed a wheelchair to get to his presser:

As for the ladies, the Sisters Williams, JJ, Dinara, and Lena D. all went through with ease.  The big news was Agi Radwanska getting ousted by Frannie Schiavone.  Tough loss for A-Rad.  I she going through a bit of slump?  She got dusted by Caro last week in the semis of the Nordic Light Open.  That being said, Schiavone was a tough match-up.  She always has that little extra something when she plays for her country.

As for other "upsets", SKI BOOTS IN DA HOUSE!!!  Caro dismissed Dani H. 1 and 3 and Mama Bammer ditched Peppermint Patty, 4 and 4.  Seriously, who is going to come out of that top quarter?  I have to put my money on Bepa, but since everyone else I've picked has lost so far I fear I may have just jinxed the crying Russian.

Finally, in the only match I actually watched from start to finish, Zheng Jie had to dig down and fight hard to come back and beat Lloggostera Vives, 67 61 64.  That first set was a tough one and Zheng looked absolutely wiped out.  She was leaning against the back wall, doubling over for air, etc.  But she kept fighting and as it turned out, it was Vives who had nothing left in the tank.  Mondo Kudos (yes, that's an official term) to Zheng, who I find myself rooting for more each and every day. 

Olympics Tournament Summary: Of bracket busters, near-misses, and Chinese ladies.

Well that was a full day of tennis.  Fed, Nole, and Rafa are through, as are the Sisters Williams, JJ, Lena D., and Dinara.  Nicole Vaidisova, though she looked fitter, was still dumped out Alize Cornet and Dani H. had a typical Dani H. stumble but was still able to beat good buddy Ai Sugiyama.

But though the day went mostly according to form it wasn't without surprises.

Bracket Busters:

Who didn't have high hopes for Muzza to make a run here?  The story was just too perfect.  A streaking player who would have to get past a player he has recently dominated and a player who he has never beaten.  I really thought it was going to be a storybook ending for Muzza.  Didn't know it was a Stephen King book though.  Different kind of ending.

And what to make of Kuzzie's loss to hometown girl Na Li?  Not much really.  I thought Kuzzie would have a good showing here simply because it seemed that she had finally gotten her form back in Montreal.  But let's face it, her US Open title aside, Kuzzie has consistently shown that she cannot perform in big matches.  Her early loss at the AO, semifinal no show at RG, another early round loss at Wimbly, and now a first round dump at the Olympics.  The girl simply overthinks on the court and crumbles under the weight of the moment.  It's really unfortunate because she has all the talent and game to be a true #1.  If only she could win a damn final!

And what of David Ferrer?  Currently ranked a career high #4, he got dumped out by a solid Janko.  This was a tough first round draw as Janko has been playing relatively well lately.  But I don't know if it's his movement or his head, but Ferrer is just not looking like the same player.  He's going for big shots at the wrong time and he's getting beaten off the ground.

Near Misses:

Rafa, to put it nicely, did not look good.  He was missing (which he never does) and he was missing BADLY.  Distracted by the prospect of Ana leaving Beijing?  Who else will he have long walks with in the Village to talk about...whatever those two would talk about?  Luckily he refocused and closed out the match in three sets.  Let's hope he plays himself into form.

And new medal favorite Agi Radwanska struggled to put away the pesty Yung-Jan Chan, 61 76(6).  That was close.  I was getting worried.

 

Chinese Ladies:

Let's give a hand to Zheng Jie, Na Li, and Shuai Peng, all of whom had to dig deep and fight to get through to the second round.  No doubt the hometown crowd was the difference in each very close match.

• Zie d. Szavay 46 63 75
• Na d. Kuznetsova 76(5) 64
• Shuai d. Navarro 75 76(2)

Beijing Day One -- Rain, rain, go away...

Rain washed out most of Sunday's schedule, with only a handful of matches finishing.  No surprises in the results, though Kolya's easy win over Ernests did surprise me a little.  The only result close to an upset was Tsvetana Pironkova's win over Marta Domachowska.  In "News Only C-Note Cares About", Ski Boots Wozniaki won her first round match.

As for notable matches that were suspended, Serena is a set up and on serve in the second against Govortsova.  Nikki V and Alize Cornet have split sets and are going into the third, and Dani Hantuchova is a up a set and a break on good buddy Ai Sugiyama.  On the men's side, Disco Tommy is down 5-2 to Seppi.

The entire evening session was rained out so Fed,Kuz, and JJ didn't get to their matches. 

Well now you're just showing off.

Dinara wins.  Again. 

This is getting SOOOOOO boring. 

Kidding.  Baby Beluga's win jumps her one spot to the #7 ranking, less than 20 points behind Lena D. 

In other news, my girl Ski Boots won her first WTA title in Stockholm.  And boy did she do it in style.  Because the semis were rained out yesterday, all four semifinalists had to play the semi and then the final.  If that weren't enough, Caro had to play her semi against defending champion Agi Radwanska. 

No problem for C Woz.

Ski Boots ski waxed Agi 64 61, then turned around in the Final and beat Dushevina 60 62.  Good on you, Caro!

Muzza Effa

Congrats to Andy Murray on a solid win over my boy Nole.  His 76 76 win earned him his first Masters Shield and finally put him in the running for the "Top 4" group of elite.  All he has to do is prove that he can beat Rafa.  A tough test, but with the upcoming hard court season he'll have his chances. 

I'm bummed that Nole lost but Andy simply outplayed him.  It shouldn't have been as close as 76 76, it really should have been a 6-3, 6-2 win.  Muzza had so many chances to break but couldn't capitalize.  But a win is a win and there is no doubt that he deserved it.  But I was particularly impressed by Andy's hold at 5-6, after he had just gifted Nole a break back to even when he was serving for the match.  He kept his head.  I really didn't think he would.

I hope that Andy continues his run because it will make the men's draws so much more interesting.  Up until now the question has always been "Which side of the draw is Nole in, Fed's or Rafa's."  The common thought was whoever had Nole had the harder draw while the other guy had, for the most part, a cake walk to the final.  But if Andy can continue his quality play he will be force to be reckoned with and he'll balance out the draw.  We need that balance.  Especially considering that Nole and Fed play the same type of all court, aggressive style, while Rafa and Andy play more of a scrambling counterpunching style.  It would be good for the game to have him in the mix. 

And what of Novak?  He had a great run into the finals, beating Rafa soundly in the semis.  That win should give him confidence.  But what will he take from his second straight loss to Andy on hard courts?  Were his unforced errors the result of Andy being in his head and therefore, he forced himself to go for too much?  If so, that's a problem.  But if his UFEs were just the result of him being off, then yeah, he should take some confidence away from the match.  Murray beat him when he wasn't playing well.  Not even close.  What's disheartening is if he knows Andy beat him because he was better.  Nole's losses to Rafa at Hamburg and Queens were much more heartbreaking because he actually did play really well in those matches.  I'm not quite sure this one will sting as much.

Now onto Beijing.  How crazy would it be if Muzza won the Gold?  I'm fairly certain he would be knighted on the spot. 

Sir Andy.  Has a nice right to it, doesn't it?

There you are, Nole. I've missed you.

Fantastic performance by Novak today.   He served well, and most importantly, he had great decision making on the court.  He knew when to go for his shots and when to pull back, all the while staying aggressive.  And against Rafa that is the key.  Because of his movement and shotmaking, Rafa keeps you constantly under pressure.  If you go for too much at the wrong time you hit the UFE.  If you're too passive, Rafa will just rope-a-dope you until you're gassed.  Nole did a great job of managing his game today to keep Rafa off-balance.

As Killer Cahill mentioned during the broadcast Nole's straight set win draws him back in to the "Top 3" conversation.  He's been understandably omitted from that conversation since his early loss at Wimbledon, and his play has been overshadowed by Fed's slump and Rafa's quest for #1.  Well he's officially back in the mix and if anything, this win made clear that his game is on track and he is still the best hard court player on the tour.

If he can apply the same game plan tomorrow against the surging Andy Murray he should grab his third Masters trophy of the season.  But I wouldn't count Murray out.  He's a great returner, scrambles with the best of them, and beat Nole for the first time in his career last week in Toronto. 

Ajde Nole!

USOS Tournament Update -- 7/30

Another weird day across both tours.  The seeds generally got through, but it wasn't easy (unless your namei is Rafa).  Nole struggled with Bole but eventually figured it out and got back his tiebreak mojo.  Good on him.  Rafa meanwhile dispatched of Florent Serra (and that's putting it kindly) in less than 50 minutes.  Dickie Gasquet didn't put much of a fight against Dmitry "I'm not Marat" Tursonov.  All in all, a fairly even keel day on the men's side.

On the ladies' side, the seeds got through but not without drama.  Ana Ivanovic's thumb is clearly bothering her and it took her three sets to dump Petra Kvitkova.  Similarly, Masha's shoulder clearly bothered her, serving 17 double faults, before dispatching of Marta Domachowska but withdrawing afterwards.  JJ on the other hand had a pretty easy time with Canuck A-Woz.  And the surging Safina also made it through.

So for tomorrow:

• Kuzzie vs. Burrito
• Schnyder vs. Safina
• Ivanovic vs. Pascek
• Chakky vs. Bartoli
• Blake vs. Gulbis
• Fed vs. Karlovic
• Tursonov vs. Murray
• Rafa vs. Haas

USOS Tournament Update -- 7/29

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.

USOS Tournament Update -- 7/28

We all knew the all-Hot-Headed-Russian matchup of Dmitry Tursonov and Dinara's Big Brother was going to be crazy match.  Little did we know it was going to be KUH-RAY-ZAY!

So Liz Lemon (my Tivo) failed to record the match.  I'll give her a Donaghey lashing later.  But from all accounts, Marat went absolutely bonkers.  He disputed a number of line calls and then lost it when the line judges started calling foot faults on him.  Dude could not let it go.  Racquets were thrown, Russian cursing ensued, until on match point, Tursonov served what the line judges called a fault, but Marat called it in and stormed off the court to a sea of boos.

I can't wait to see this on YouTube.

Marat, Marat, Marat.  At least you're still pretty.

Besides Russiapalooza, things in Cincy went fairly true to form. Kohlschreiber won which sets up a Roddick/Kohly rematch from the Australian Open.  Mr. Safarova finally found a way to beat Gonzo, Querrey ousted PHM, and Le Monf taught Donald Young a thing or two by feeding him a double breadstick. 

In action tomorrow: TMF, A Rod, Reeeeeshard, and Janko.

On the Ladies side, again fairly true to form, though you'd think they were playing in Wimbledon with all the rain delays.  Tamira Pazcek scored a nice win over Schiavone, Peppermint Patty and Mono Bartoli survived scares, and Alla Kudrayavtseva (can we please give her a nickname?) won, setting up a tasty match tomorrow against Sveta.  And lastly, Burrito Alert!  Michelle came through today with a nice comeback over Vania King. 

In action tomorrow: Sveta, Elena D., Nikki V., and Bepa.

Oh, and it looks like posing for Playboy takes a lot out of you.  Ashley Harkleroad has withdrawn from Montreal.

Week 30 -- Tourney Results

Ladies and Gentlemen, the two hottest players on the ATP and WTA tours continued their hot streaks this weekend.  Rafa sent a huge statement to the field this week (particularly to Fed and Nole) that the change in surface is not necessarily a change in result.  While he didn't have to go through Fed or Nole for the trophy (not his fault his main rivals crashed out early), his wins over Gasquet and Murray were huge and emphatic, maybe not in scoreline, but in quality and tenacity.

With the win in Toronto, Rafa's shot at #1 comes this week in Cincinnati and it's very likely that he will go into the US Open in a few weeks as the number one seed.  I'll preview the points race in another post.  But lost in all of this is the big story:  with this win, Rafa has put the Xisca curse to bed.  Rafa had previously failed to win any tournament she attended. 

On the left coast, Dinara Safina followed up her big win over Jelena Jankovic on Saturday night with a solid performance against a resurgent Flavia Pennetta to take the LA title.  At this point, it's hard to argue that there has been a more consistent and dominant player on the WTA over the past three months.  She won Berlin having blitzed the field by beating Serena, Justine, and Elena D., made the finals of RG beating Maria, Kuzzie, and Lena D. again, made the finals of S' Hertogenbosch, and probably would have made a run at Wimbledon had she not succumbed to cramps against Peer.

Good on her.  Ana's Avenger looked even fitter than she did at RG and Wimbly, and it's always nice to see a player's visible dedication and hard work pay off.  If she can stay healthy, there's no reason she can't make a run for #1 in the next year.  Her strokes are technically solid, her game is strong, she's proven she can play on all surfaces, she's fit, and most importantly, she's tamed those Safin demons without muting the competitive fire that clearly runs in her blood.

One interesting note: Safina is copying her BFF Ana's 2007 run.  Wins Berlin, RG runner-up, LA champion.  Stay tuned.

Lastly, Sara Errani won Portoroz, giving her a 10 match win streak.  On her way to her second title she beat my girl Caro "Ski Boots" Wozniaki.  Get some rest Caro.   

Dear Dinara: Thanks! Love, Ana.

It's official.  Until results dictate otherwise, I am officially referring to Dinara Safina as "Ana's Avenger".  Her gutsy win over Jelena Jankovic last night ensured that Ana Ivanovic would continue her reign at #1 for at least another week.  This win simply continues a long line of results over the past five months that seem to indicate that Ana Ivanovic's ascent to #1 has as much to do with her Avenger it does her monster forehand.

Let's break it down:

• Miami -- Avenges Ana's loss to Lindsay Davenport by beating Lindsay soundly in the next round.
• Berlin -- The Avenger beats then #1 Justine Henin in what would prove to be Justine's last match.  She promptly retires, opening the door to #1.
• French Open -- The Avenger takes out both Maria Sharapova and Kuznetsova, two players who heading into the tournament had a shot at #1.  She also takes out Elena Dementieva, who is inexplicably undefeated against Ana Ivanovic.  Despite her awesome run, the Avenger bows out to her BFF in the final, thus allowing AI to avoid the ignominy of being a #1 without winning a slam.
• LA -- Jelena Jankovic has a cakewalk draw wherein all the top seeds who could have given her a strong challenge pulled out (Serena, Venus, Lindsay, Kuznetsova).  Safina was the last line of defense for Ana, as surely Jankovic would have beaten Pennetta in the final, even if on one leg.  In her post-match interview, the Avenger seems quite pleased with herself that she stopped JJ from getting the #1 spot.

So there it is, folks.  AI needs to send this girl some flowers and a Starbucks card stat.  Because nothing says thanks like a $5 Starbucks card. 

In other news, Rafa vs. Kiefer in the Roger's Cup final.  Can we just crown Rafa as the new #1 now?

USOS Tournament Update -- 7/25

So who had a Simon v. Kiefer semifinal in their bracket?  Simon beat Roddick-killer Marin Cilic today and the freshly shorn German tore James Blake a new one, blasting him 61 62.  On the other side of the draw, the side we shall now refer to as "the side that has players you actually know", Andy Murray finally beat Nole in straight sets and Rafa and Dickie Gasket played an extremely entertaining first set, which the Frenchman was able to pull out in a 14-12 tiebreak, and then Rafa reminded everyone of why he is almost impossible to beat on any surface.  The tireless and ruthless bull took the next two sets 62 61, setting up a fun Wimbledon rematch with Murray.

As for the Ladies of LA, today pretty much went according to plan.  Jelena Jankovic continued her march to #1 by beating Nadia Petrova, but she didn't look great doing it.  Her movement looks fine but her game was off.  The match was broadcast on ESPN2, and I cringed every time I thought of a new tennis fan tuning into the match and hearing that they were watching the potential new world #1.   

Aside from JJ, Dinara Safina played a near flawless match in her 62 61 drubbing of Azarenka.  Those two will play tomorrow and I put my money on Baby Beluga to stop JJ's run and keep her good friend Ana's ranking at #1.  The other semifinal will see Flavia "Screw you Carlos" Pennetta vs. Bethanie "YouTube" Mattek.  Pennetta gutted out a win over Bammer and Mattek showed Meng the door.  I'm going with Bethanie to make it to her first tour final.

Lastly, top seeded Maria Kirilenko fell to Sara Errani in Potoroz.  But in happy news, Caroline Wozniaki destroyed Vera Dushevina 60 61 in 53 minutes.  Ski Boots has lost only 8 games in the entire tournament.  She'll face Errani in tomorrow's semifinal for a shot at her first final.

Pack your bags, we're going to Cincinatti!

The Screaming Scotsman took out my boy Nole today in Toronto.  Andy's movement was impeccable.  He was like a little jackrabbit out there.  Nole on the other hand looked rusty.  Not as rusty as Roger looked on Wednesday, but his volleying wasn't great, his serve not as powerful, and his forehand seemed weaker than usual.  Ah well, on to Cincy.

But back to Murray, his run at Wimbledon and his performance tonight have really caused me to sit up and take notice of him.  Everyone knows how much talent he has but his head seemed to always get the better of him.  But now it appears as though his game is starting to come together and I must say, he's a fun guy to watch.  Much like Rafa, some of his gets are just astounding, especially for such a big guy.

Here's hoping Rafa wins his quarterfinal and we get a Rafa/Murray semi tomorrow.  That'll be fun.

"Bow, bow, bow, another one bites the dust."

   

What to say, what to say.  A-Rod lost to Marin Cilic 64 46 64.  Thus ends his Toronto run.

Unlike Fed, Andy actually had a crapload of time to return to the states and begin practicing for his hard court campaign.  I watched the first set of the match and Andy just doesn't look impressive.  He looks like he's hitting the ball hard because of all the movement and effort that he expends, but then you realize that his groundstrokes aren't going to hurt anyone.  His only hope in winning matches these days is to serve lights out.  That's how he beat Fed in Miami earlier this year.  When he serves 20+ aces in a match, he's a top 5 player.  When he doesn't, he's top 20 at best. 

Well, he'll have some more time to hit the practice courts before Cincinnati.  But so far, an ominous start to his quest for the U.S. Open.

USOS Tournament Update: 7/23

Alrighty then.  Well obviously the big news is that Fed got dumped out by Gilles Simon.  Who?  Yes, Gilles Simon, the Jelena Jankovic of the ATP.

But besides Fed, there weren't too many huge surprises today, just disappointments.  Gonzo, Verdasco, Youzny, Berdych, Safin, and Robredo are out of Toronto.  I'm very sad about Marat.  He's just a joy to look at.

On the women's side, Vaidisova, Schnyder, Cibulkova, and Mirza are out of LA.  None of that results are all that surprising as Vaidisova lost to the resurgent Bethanie Mattek, Cibulkova lost to the hot Kudrayavtseva, and Schnyder lost to Stanford semifinalist Ai Sugiyama.  Cibulkova's loss to Yeng was slightly surprising, though we have yet to see what Cibulkova can do on the hardcourts.

As for Fed, what can we say.  Simon is hot for sure, having won his first North American title in Indy last week.  But the reality is that I do believe that the "Fed is slumping" talk can officially begin.  His AO loss was really close and he claims to have been recovering from mono.  Ok, I give him that.  His loss at Indian Wells and Miami to Mardy Fish (!) and Roddick could be seen as flukey.  Both were playing out of their minds and at least with respect to Roddick, that match came down to a few points that could have gone either way.  Since then, he was owned by Rafa through the clay court season.  No shame in that.  Wimbledon was ridiculously competitive and that final could have gone either way.  So he hasn't lost by much. 

But this loss to Simon, a clay court specialist, at Toronto in the second round?  This is rather shocking.  I've been willing to give Fed a break through much of the season, but this loss is huge.  Simon has no serve and no kill shot.  Fed simply missed forehand after forehand and he was, as he admits, "cold". 

That's fine, but seriously, if I were TMF, I would have gone into Toronto will the sole intent of quieting the whispers.  There is no way I would have come in "rusty", "cold", or "flat".  Because I would have known that the only way of shutting everyone up would be to win the tournament.  So his excuse is lame and unacceptable.

Moving on, tomorrow's notable matches in Toronto and LA:

• Soderling vs. Djokovic
• Murray vs. Wawrinka
• Cilic vs. Roddick
• Ferrer vs. Gasquet
• Andreev vs. Nadal
• Petrova vs. Zvonereva
• Kudrayavtseva vs. Safina

USOS Tournament Update: 7/22

Other than Nole's creamsicle Adidas costume, nothing too surprising today.  Nole and A-Rod are through in Toronto, and Vaidisova, A-Chak, and Petrova are through in LA.  The only "upset" of the day was Dani "My foot is clearly not 100%" Hantuchova's loss to Olga "I didn't shed a tear when Ana sprained her ankle against me in Dubai" Govortsova. 

Game on tomorrow though.  Matches of note:

• Jankovic v. King
• Safina v. Peng
• Mattek v. Vaidisova
• Safin v. Querrey (to be completed because of today's rain delay)
• Davydenko v. Haas
• Nadal v. Levine
• Federer v. Simon

Week 29: Tourney Results

A fairly random and interesting week of results.  Szavay and Wozniaki crashed out of Bad Gastein, opening the door for Pauline Parmentier to prevail over a qualifier in the final. 

But more importantly, this week marked the first week of the Olympus US Open Series.  A few big names were in action (namely, James Blake, Serena Williams, and A Chak) but at the end of the day it was a couple of relative unknowns that hoisted the trophies.

 
Gilles Simon, who I had never seen play until today and who Jimmy Arias called "the most anonymous #25 in history, beat Dmitry Tursunov at Indianapolis.  Simon is a true counter-puncher who has a weak serve and no kill shot, but against Tursonov he was able to hang with the hard hitting Russian until Dima lost his patience and his nerve and started spraying UFEs everywhere.  Simon's reward?  A potential second round matchup with Roger in Montreal.

On the Ladies' side, I think everyone assumed that Marion Bartoli would walk all over the Aleksandra Wozniak, the Canadian qualifier.  But Wozniak hung in there and battled back to win the first set 75.  After that, the French Donut started to have some hip problems and hobbled all over the court.  On one hand, all credit to her (if the injury was real) to stay on the court and let Woz actually win the match.  On the other hand, it looked a little fake and at times, like gamesmanship.  I'll give Le Donut the benefit of the doubt though.

Despite Bartoli's difficulties, all credit to A Woz.  She came out with a simple gameplan, hit it deep and hit the corners, and she executed beautifully.  She also moved surprisingly well.  She'll move up to #45 now and if she can maintain her fitness and keep this level of play, there's no reason she shouldn't be a top #25 player.  She's solid.

Next Week:

• ATP: Rogers' Cup (Masters) in Toronto
• WTA: East West Bank Classic (Tier II) in LA

In Action

• All the guys will be in Toronto. 
• Jankovic, Kuznetsova, Serena (though doubtful), Vaidasova, Safina, and other top 20ers will be in LA.

Putting the "Bad" in Bad Gastein.

Sigh.  Oh well. 

Top seed Agnez Szavay lost yesterday to Pauline Parmentier in the quarterfinals of Bad Gastein.  Third seed Caroline Wozniaki was also upset by Mariya Koryttseva.  Looks like Caro will have to wait a while to get her first title.

In other news, Marion Bartoli is looking fitter than when I saw at Indian Wells.  That fitness showed in her easy win over A Chak at Stanford last night.  Serena easily dispatched Peppermint Patty Schnyder as well.  I'm looking forward to a Bartoli/ReRe final.

On the men's side, all four top seeds (Blake, Simon, Querrey, Tursonov) have made the semis in Indianapolis.  I'm watching the Querrey/Simon semi right now and I must say that Gilles Simon may be the most unknown top 25 player on the men's side.  I have never seen this dude play and he reminds me of JJ.  He has a crappy serve, runs everything down, and has no kill shot.

Week 29: Tourney results

ATP

• Stuttgart -- Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) d [2] Richard "Dickie" Gasquet (FRA) 64 75
• Gstaad -- Victor Hanescu (ROU) d [7] Igor "Mr. Kirilenko" Andreev (RUS) 63 64
• Bastad -- [3] "Disco" Tommy Robredo (ESP) d [4] Tomas "Mr. Safarova" Berdych (CZE) 64 61

WTA

• Budapest (Tier III) -- (2) Alizé "Not the Drink" Cornet (FRA) d. Andreja Klepac (SLO) 76(5) 63

NEXT WEEK

Top Tournaments:

• ATP -- Indianapolis (US Open Series), Kitzbuhel (Clay)
• WTA -- Stanford (US Open Series, Tier II)

In Action:

• ATP -- James Blake, Tommy Haas, Thomaz Belucci (all at Indy)
• WTA -- Serena, Chakky, Dani H., Lindsay (all at Stanford)