Acapulco, Delray Beach and Dubai Results

No number 1 seed has won in Delray Beach in 17 years and if Mardy Fish defeats Evgeny Korolev in tomorrow's final, Fish will break the curse. After impressive victories from both on Saturday, the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships will again feature an American in it's final. In Dubai, Novak Djokovic won his first title of 2009 by defeating David Ferrer in straights. Gael Monfils wrote his name in as the other finalist alongside Nicholas Almagro on Saturday when he beat Jose Acasuso in the semis in Acapulco.

Acapulco

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Gael Monfils (2) def. Jose Acasuso (5), 6-3, 6-4

Delray Beach

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Mardy Fish (1) def. Jeremy Chardy (7), 6-4, 6-1

Evgeny Korolev def. Christophe Rochus, 6-1, 7-5

Dubai

Men's Singles- Final

Novak Djokovic (1) def. David Ferrer (4), 7-5, 6-3

Acapulco, Delray Beach and Dubai Results

Novak Djokovic came back from a set down to defeat Gilles Simon in the semis in Dubai, but the most impressiva story of Thursday was David Ferrer's domination of Richard Gasquet in the other semifinal. Ferrer got out to a 5-1 lead in about 15 minutes and never looked back. In Florida, Mardy Fish, Jeremy Chardy, Evegeny Korolev and Christophe Rochus all advanced to the semifinals. Gael Monfils is set to play Jose Acasuso in the semis in Acapulco, while Nicholas Almagro has alreeady booked a spot in the semis.

Acapulco

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Nicolas Almagro (4) def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-4, 6-4

Delray Beach

Men's Singles- Quarterfinals

Mardy Fish (1) def. Florent Serra (6), 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4)

Jeremy Chardy (7) def. Marcos Baghdatis, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-3)

Evgeny Korolev def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-2, 6-2

Christophe Rochus def. Stefan Koubek, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)

Dubai

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Gilles Simon (3), 3-6, 7-5, 7-5

David Ferrer (4) def. Richard Gasquet, 6-2, 6-2

Acapulco, Delray Beach and Dubai Results

Novak Djokovic eased into the semifinals of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, but Andy Murray withdrew prior to starting his match against Richard Gasquet. In Delray Beach, Mardy Fish dominated, booking a spot in the quarterfinals. In Acapulco, Jose Acasuso got revenge on Tommy Robredo by defeating him in the quarterfinals, after Robredo defeated Acasuso twice in the last 3 weeks.

Acapulco
Men's Singles- Quarterfinals

Gael Monfils (2) def. Leonardo Mayer, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 4-1, retired
Jose Acasuso (5) def. Tommy Robredo (3), 7-5, 6-2
Nicolas Almagro (4) def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
Martin Vassallo Arguello def. Daniel Koellerer, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)

Delray Beach
Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Mardy Fish (1) def. Vincent Spadea, 6-4, 6-1
Florent Serra (6) def. Mischa Zverev, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Jeremy Chardy (7) def. Andrey Golubev, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
Marcos Baghdatis def. Dudi Sela, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3

Dubai
Men's Singles- Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Marin Cilic (5), 6-3, 6-4
Richard Gasquet def. Andy Murray (2) (walkover)
Gilles Simon (3) def. Fabrice Santoro, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
David Ferrer (4) def. Igor Andreev (6), 7-5, 6-1

Acapulco, Delray Beach and Dubai Results

As he has all season long, Novak Djokovic struggled in his 2nd round match in Dubai, as he was pushed to 3 tough sets against Jan Hernych. He found his groove late in the third and got the break he needed to prevent a major upset. Andy Murray however dominated in his match, surrendering just 5 games to Arnaud Clement. Because iof the time delay, I cannot post all of the completed matches in Mexico. Gael Monfils, Tommy Robredo, Jose Acasuso and Carlos Moya are set to play later on.

Acapulco

Men's Singles-2nd Round

Nicolas Almagro (4) def. Potito Starace, 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3

Martin Vassallo Arguello def. Marcel Granollers (7), 6-4, 6-3

Delray Beach

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Gilles Muller, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3

Evgeny Korolev def. Robert Kendrick, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

Dubai

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Jan Hernych, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Andy Murray (2) def. Arnaud Clement, 6-2, 6-3

Gilles Simon (3) def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-1, 6-2

David Ferrer (4) def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-4, 6-2

Marin Cilic (5) def. Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Igor Andreev (6) def. Dmitry Tursunov, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Richard Gasquet def. Simone Bolelli, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)

Fabrice Santoro def. Marco Chiudinelli, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)

Acapulco, Delray Beach and Dubai Results

Novak Djokovic had little trouble winning his opening match in Dubai, while number 3 seed Gilles Simon was taken to 3 sets Mohammed Ghareeb. Also in Dubai, Marat Safin and Richard Gasquet battled it out before Gasquet triumphed in 3.

Acapulco
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Nicolas Almagro (4) def. Santiago Gonzalez, 6-4, 6-2
Marcel Granollers (7) def. Fabio Fognini, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
Alberto Martin def. Marcos Daniel, 6-4, 7-5

Delray Beach
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Evgeny Korolev def. Igor Kunitsyn (4), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
Jeremy Chardy (7) def. Tommy Haas, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
Yen-Hsun Lu (8) def. Lleyton Hewitt, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
Gilles Muller def. Ryan Sweeting, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
Dudi Sela def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3, 4-1, retired
Andrey Golubev def. Evan King, 6-2, 6-4
Vincent Spadea def. Denis Gremelmayr, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
Mischa Zverev def. Taylor Dent, 6-4, 6-3

Dubai
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Flavio Cipolla, 6-3, 6-2
Gilles Simon (3) def. Mohammed Ghareeb, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Igor Andreev (6) def. Rik De Voest, 6-4, 6-0
Richard Gasquet def. Marat Safin (8), 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
Simone Bolelli def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3, 6-4
Arnaud Clement def. Rainer Schuettler, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Jan Hernych def. Mikhail Youzhny, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Julien Benneteau def. Jurgen Melzer, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Dmitry Tursunov def. Andreas Seppi, 6-1, 6-4
Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Michael Lammer, 6-1, 6-1

Acapulco, Delray Beach and Dubai Results

Happy Monday! I'm sure that no one was to excited to go back to work or school, but Monday starts a new week of tennis too. Tournaments will be taking place in Acapulco, Mexico this week, along with Delray Beach, Florida and Dubai.

Acapulco
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Leonardo Mayer def. Diego Junqueira, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3
Thomaz Bellucci def. Nicolas Devilder, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Delray Beach
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Steve Darcis (5), 6-3, 6-3
Florent Serra (6) def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
Stefan Koubek def. Bobby Reynolds, 6-4, 6-3
Christophe Rochus def. Roko Karanusic, 6-3, 6-4

Dubai
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Andy Murray (2) def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 5-3(retired)
David Ferrer (4) def. Ivan Ljubicic, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
Marin Cilic (5) def. Janko Tipsarevic, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
Marco Chiudinelli def. Ivo Karlovic (7), 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7)
Teimuraz Gabashvili def. Laurent Recouderc, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
Fabrice Santoro def. Victor Hanescu, 6-4, 6-2

Memphis, Buenos Aires and Marseille Results

In an all French final in Marseille, Jo Wilfried Tsonga won his second title of 2009 by defeating Michael Llodra in straight sets in the final. Tommy Robredo also won his second title of 2k9 when he defeated Juan Monaco in Buenos Aires in a tough 3 setter while Andy Roddick avenged his loss last week to Radek Stepnaek by defeating the Czech in straights to win in Memphis.

Memphis

Men's Singles- Finals

Andy Roddick (1) def. Radek Stepanek (5), 7-5, 7-5

Buenos Aires

Men's Singles- Finals

Tommy Robredo (3) def. Juan Monaco, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)

Marseille

Men's Singles- Finals

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4) def. Michael Llodra, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)

Memphis, Buenos Aires, Memphis and Dubai Results

Virginie razzano defeated Vera Zvonareva and Dinara Safina on her way to the finals in Dubai, but that all came to a halt when she saw 7-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams across the net. Venus defeated Razzano 6-4, 6-2, to win her 40th career singles title and return to the top 5 in the WTA rankings. Also on Saturday, Jo Wilfried Tsonga defeated Novak Djokovic for the 4th straight time in the semifinals of Marseille, while Andy Roddick and Radek Stepanek both advanced to the finals in Memphis.

Memphis

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Andy Roddick (1) def. Lleyton Hewitt, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Radek Stepanek (5) def. Dudi Sela, 6-3, 6-1

Buenos Aires

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Juan Monaco def. David Nalbandian (1), 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2)

Tommy Robredo (3) def. Jose Acasuso (5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)

Marseille

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4) def. Novak Djokovic (1), 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)

Michael Llodra def. Gilles Simon (2), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2

Dubai

Women's Singles- Finals

Venus Williams (6) def. Virginie Razzano, 6-4, 6-2

Roddick pulls out of Dubai in protest

Andy Roddick has pulled out of the ATP tournament in Dubai next week because of the tournament organizers decision to not grant Israeli player Shahar Peera visa to compete in the womens tournament this week. Roddick's decision not to compete is a big blow to the tournament, as they have already lost Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Fernando Verdasco due to injuries. Roddick has had success in Dubai, winning the title in 2008, but Roddick thought that the tournament's actions were not acceptable in any way. “I don’t think you make political statements through sports,” Roddick said. “There were a lot of factors why I should probably go, and obviously having played well there doesn’t make it any easier.” Roddick is currently in the semifinals in the R.M. Keegan Championships in Memphis.

Memphis, Buenos Aires, Marseille and Dubai Results

Serena Williams may have 3 more grand slams than her sister, but one thing Venus can brag about that her sister can't, is their head to head record, which the older Williams took a lead in on Friday in Dubai. It was their 19th meeting, and Venus Williams won in a third set tiebreak. The Williams match was the more popular match, but in the other semifinal, Virginie Razzano kept on rolling, and defeated Kaia Kanepi in straight sets to set up a match with Williams in the finals. In Buenos Aires, Tommy Robredo, David Nalbandian, Jose Acasuso and Oscar Hernandez all won to round out the semifinals. Acasuso and Robredo will meet in their 3rd straight ATP semifinal. In Memphis, Dudi Sela and Radek Stepnaek advanced to the semifinals, while Andy Roddick's quarterfinal match and Lleyton Hewitt's quarterfinal match are slated for late tonight.

Memphis

Men's Singles- Quarterfinals

Radek Stepanek (5) def. Juan Martin del Potro (2), 7-6 (9-7), 6-4

Dudi Sela def. Igor Kunitsyn, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Buenos Aires

Men's Singles- Quarterfinals

David Nalbandian (1) def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3, 3-0, retired

Tommy Robredo (3) def. Franco Ferreiro, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)

Jose Acasuso (5) def. Oscar Hernandez, 6-1, 6-2

Juan Monaco def. Maximo Gonzalez, 6-2, 6-3

Marseille

Men's Singles- Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Mischa Zverev, 6-3, 6-3

Gilles Simon (2) def. Julien Benneteau, 6-2, 6-4

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4) def. Feliciano Lopez (8), 6-2, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4

Michael Llodra def. Mikhail Youzhny, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3)

Dubai

Women's Singles- Semifinals

Venus Williams (6) def. Serena Williams (1), 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3)

Virginie Razzano def. Kaia Kanepi (16), 6-1, 6-2

Nadal to miss Dubai to rest knee for DC

Just days after Roger Federer announced his withdrawal from the Dubai Tennis Championships next week, world number 1 Rafael Nadal has made the highly anticipated announcement that he will also be missing the ATP 500 event. Nadal did reassure the tennis world that he will be competing in Spain's Davis Cup tie against Serbia though. "I am very disappointed not to be able to compete in Dubai, but the doctor has advised me to stay home and rest after the pain in my knee in Rotterdam last week," Nadal posted on his selfnamed website Thursday. "Nothing to be worried about but it needs some rest." Nadal might be scheduled to play against world number 3 Novak Djokovic in the March 6th-8th tie. Nadal's compatriot, Fernando Verdasco announced he will be missing the tournament in Dubai as well.

Memphis, Buenos Aires, Marseille and Dubai Results

After Serena Williams dismissed Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams dominated Elena Dementieva, the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships will be the host of what is always a highly anticipated matchup, tennis fan or not. Sister vs. sister, Williams vs. Williams and number 1 vs. number 6. The other semifinals will feature underdog Virginie Razzano who took out Vera Zvonareva and number 16 seed Kaia Kanepi. In men's action, Andy Roddick won in Memphis while Novak Djokovic advanced in Marseille.

Memphis

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Andy Roddick (1) def. Robby Ginepri, 6-2, 6-3

Juan Martin del Potro (2) def. Ernests Gulbis, 6-3, 6-4

Radek Stepanek (5) def. Stefan Koubek, 6-2, 6-4

Christophe Rochus def. Mardy Fish (7), 6-2, 6-4

Lleyton Hewitt def. Chris Guccione, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)

Igor Kunitsyn def. Philipp Petzschner, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Dudi Sela def. Florent Serra, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4)

Buenos Aires

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Jose Acasuso (5) def. Fabio Fognini, 6-4, 6-3

Diego Junqueira vs. Oscar Hernandez, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7)

Maximo Gonzalez def. Brian Dabul, 6-3, 6-1

Juan Monaco def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2

Marseille

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Jan Hernych, 7-5, 6-4

Gilles Simon (2) def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4) def. Simone Bolelli, 6-3, 6-2

Michael Llodra def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)

Julien Benneteau def. George Bastl, 6-1, 2-6, 6-1

Dubai

Women's Singles- Quarterfinals

Serena Williams (1) def. Ana Ivanovic (8), 6-4, 6-4

Venus Williams (6) def. Elena Dementieva (4), 6-3, 6-3

Virginie Razzano def. Vera Zvonareva (5), 7-6 (9-7), 7-5

Kaia Kanepi (16) def. Elena Vesnina, 6-3, 7-5

Memphis, Buenos Aires, Marseille and Dubai Results

More upsets occured on Wednesday when Jelena Jankovic and Gael Monfils lost their matches. Although Jankovic fell to Kaia Kanepi, her fellow Serb, Ana Ivanovic won, along with the Williams sisters and Elena Dementieva.

Memphis

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Radek Stepanek (5) def. Kevin Kim, 6-4, 6-2

Mardy Fish (7) def. Yen-Hsun Lu, 6-1, 7-5

Sam Querrey (8) def. Tommy Haas, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Philipp Petzschner def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3, 6-4

Robby Ginepri def. Simon Greul, 6-4, 6-4

Buenos Aires

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

David Nalbandian (1) def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 7-5, 6-2

Carlos Ferrero def. Marcel Granollers (7), 6-7 (7-9), 6-0, 6-3

Franco Ferreiro def. Pablo Cuevas, 6-2, 6-4

Marseille

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Novak Djokovic (1) def. Jeremy Chardy, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Gael Monfils (3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4) def. Andrey Golubev, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2

Michael Llodra def. Rik De Voest, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1

George Bastl def. Marc Gicquel, 6-4, 6-3

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Feliciano Lopez (8) def. Dmitry Tursunov, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1)

Mikhail Youzhny def. Andreas Seppi, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3

Mischa Zverev def. Arnaud Clement, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2

Dubai

Women's Singles- 3rd Round

Serena Williams (1) def. Zheng Jie (13), 6-4, 6-2

Kaia Kanepi (16) def. Jelena Jankovic (3), 6-2, 7-5

Elena Dementieva (4) def. Anabel Medina Garrigues (14), 6-1, 6-3

Vera Zvonareva (5) def. Marion Bartoli (11), 5-2, retired

Venus Williams (6) def. Alize Cornet (10), 6-3, 6-2

Ana Ivanovic (8) def. Camille Pin, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)

Elena Vesnina def. Dominika Cibulkova (12), 4-6, 6-1, 4-0, retired

Virginie Razzano def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2

Memphis, Buenos Aires, Marseille and Dubai Results

Tuesday was filled with 3 setters and exciting matches as Marat Safin was upset by Arnaud Clement, Gilles Simon barely won against Grigor Dimitrov and Robin Soderling was upset by Florent Serra, all in 3 sets. In Dubai, the older Williams sister, Venus, utterly dominated her opponent, while Serena narrowly defeated hers. Jelena Jankovic and Vera Zvonareva each had easy matches, both dropping just 3 games, but the big story of the day was Virginie Razzano's domination of favorite and world number 2 Dinara Safina.

Memphis

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Florent Serra def. Robin Soderling (4), 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2

Ernests Gulbis def. Taylor Dent, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

Marcos Baghdatis def. Kei Nishikori, 7-5, 6-3

Christophe Rochus def. Donald Young, 6-4, 6-3

Buenos Aires
Men's Singles- 1st Round

Oscar Hernandez def. Nicolas Almagro (2), 6-2, 1-6, 6-3

Tommy Robredo (3) def. Potito Starace, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3

Maximo Gonzalez def. Carlos Moya (4), 6-4, 6-4

Jose Acasuso (5) def. Daniel Munoz-De La Nava, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)

Martin Vassallo Arguello def. Albert Montanes (6), 6-2, 6-3

Marcel Granollers (7) def. Thomaz Bellucci, 7-5, 7-5

Pablo Cuevas def. Eduardo Schwank (8), 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0

Franco Ferreiro def. Ivan Navarro, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2

Juan Monaco def. Sergio Roitman, 6-0, 6-0

Fabio Fognini def. Pablo Andujar, 6-3, 6-3
Diego Junqueira def. Nicolas Massu, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Marseille

Men's Singles-1st Round

Gilles Simon (2) def. Grigor Dimitrov, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

Arnaud Clement def. Marat Safin (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Simone Bolelli def. Richard Bloomfield, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1)

Andreas Seppi def. Jerzy Janowicz, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3)

Julien Benneteau def. Fabrice Santoro, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Rainer Schuettler def. Laurent Recouderc, 6-1, 6-4

Mischa Zverev def. Illya Marchenko, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4

Dubai

Women's Singles- 2nd Round

Serena Williams (1) def. Sara Errani, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0

Virginie Razzano def. Dinara Safina (2), 6-4, 6-2

Jelena Jankovic (3) def. Monica Niculescu, 6-3, 6-2

Elena Dementieva (4) def. Sybille Bammer, 7-5, 6-2

Vera Zvonareva (5) def. Vera Dushevina, 6-0, 6-3

Venus Williams (6) def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-0, 6-1

Alize Cornet (10) def. Julia Schruff, 6-1, 6-2

Marion Bartoli (11) def. Francesca Schiavone, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova (12) def. Tsvetana Pironkova, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4

Zheng Jie (13) def. Samantha Stosur, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5

Anabel Medina Garrigues (14) def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-2, 7-5

Kaia Kanepi (16) def. Sania Mirza, 7-5, 6-2

Camille Pin def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 2-0 (retired)

Daniela Hantuchova def. Ayumi Morita, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2

Federer pulls out of Dubai and Davis Cup Tie

Roger Federer announced on Tuesday that he will not be participating in the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai next week. The tournament was set to feature the world top 8 players, but now is without the 13 time Grand Slam winner. Federer also said that he will not be participating in Switzerland's Davis Cup tie with the United States March 6th through 8th. The withdrawals are due to Federer's lingering back injury which has been knagging the superstar since the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup. Federer wrote on his website "Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both Dubai and the Davis Cup tie in the United States. This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favorite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup." He went on to add, "As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season."

Serving up the topics for you to discuss,

Jake

Memphis, Buenos Aires, Marseille and Dubai Results

In Dubai, a pair of sisters had to meet in the first round, with the younger one coming out on top. Ursula Radwanska defeated big sister Agnieszka in straight sets and Elena Vesnina defeated her compatriot and number 7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in 3 sets. Also in Dubai, Ana Ivanovic avenged her 3rd round loss to Alisa Kleybanova in the Australian open by defeating the Russian in straight sets on Monday. In Memphis and Marseille Igor Kunitsyn and Mikhail Youzhny both upset there seeded opponents and hometown favorite David Nalbandian cruised in Buenos Aires.

Memphis

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Igor Kunitsyn def. Igor Andreev (6), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3

Dudi Sela def. Bobby Reynolds, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2

Chris Guccione def. Vincent Spadea, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-5)

Buenos Aires

Men's Singles- 1st Round

David Nalbandian (1) def. Nicolas Lapentti, 6-3, 6-3

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Agustin Calleri, 6-3, 6-4

Brian Dabul def. Nicolas Devilder, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4

Juan Ignacio Chela def. Alberto Martin, 6-3, 6-2

Marseille

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Mikhail Youzhny def. Tomas Berdych (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1

Feliciano Lopez (8) def. Ivan Ljubicic, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5

Jan Hernych def. Kristof Vliegen, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Dmitry Tursunov def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2

Dubai

Women's Singles- 1st Round

Urszula Radwanska def. Agnieszka Radwanska (9), 6-4, 6-3

Alize Cornet (10) def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-4, 6-1

Marion Bartoli (11) def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6)

Dominika Cibulkova (12) def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-4, 6-2

Anabel Medina Garrigues (14) def. Andreja Klepac, 6-3, 6-1

Ayumi Morita def. Anna Chakvetadze (15), 7-5, 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova def. Stefanie Voegele, 7-5, 6-2

Virginie Razzano def. Kateryna Bondarenko, 7-5, 6-2

Samantha Stosur def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-4, 6-3

Camille Pin def. Agnes Szavay, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

Alona Bondarenko def. Olga Govortsova, 6-4, 6-3

Sania Mirza def. Ekaterina Makarova, 7-5, 6-2

Monica Niculescu def. Peng Shuai, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2

Francesca Schiavone def. Casey Dellacqua, 6-1, 6-1

Women's Singles- 2nd Round

Elena Vesnina def. Svetlana Kuznetsova (7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-0

Ana Ivanovic (8) def. Alisa Kleybanova, 7-5, 6-4

Stepanek battles back to take San Jose crown

Radek Stepanek won his second title of the season in San Jose after beating Andy Roddick in a tough 3 setter in the semis, and then doing the same against Mardy Fish in the final. The 21st ranked Czech came back after losing the first set 6-3. Stepanek won the second 6-4, and ran away with the third, 6-2. In 2008, Stepanek reached the San Jose final, losing to Andy Roddick. Stepanek started off rocky, dropping his first service game, which proved to be the decider of the first set. The match was 110 minutes old when Stepanek converted on triple break point to earn himself 250 ATP points and 93,900 in prize money. Fish finshed 2nd place to Roddick in San Jose in 2003. After holding his serve all but once leading up to the final, the American was broken 3 times in the final, and Stepanek proved to much to handle.

Murray defeats Nadal in Rotterdam; Mauresmo takes down Dementieva

In Rotterdam, the final was highly anticipated as #2 seeded Amdy Murray took on the number 1 player in the world, Rafael Nadal. Murray triumphed in the first set, as he played consistent yetr agrresive tennis to win the 1st 6-3. In the first game of the second set, Nadal injured his knee. Nadal the fighter that he is, was able to come up with a strategy which allowed him to stay in it and keep the points short. Nadal won the second set 6-4, and many were thinking that Nadal was about to beat Murray on one leg. Nadal hit the ball much harder during rallys so he could keep the points short, but his serve suffered the most, as Murray said he took about 30 kph off it in the second. In the third set however, Nadal's injury proved to much to overcome, as Murray bageled the Spaniard. "I could see him shaking his head. But he's not the kind of guy who's going to stop chasing the ball unless there's a good reason. He said that he sometimes has a knee problem when he plays a lot on hard court." Although many players would blame the loss on their knee, Nadal was too much of sportsman to take the victory away from Murray. ”I had a problem with the injury but I don’t want to talk about that. Andy played very well today and he deserved to win the tournament. I am very happy with my performance this week. I came here without the best preparation after Australia, so it was a great result for me to get to the final here and I am very happy with that.”

In the women's finals in Paris and Pattaya City, Amelie Mauresmo and Vera Zvonareva came out victorious, as they each racked up their first title of 2008. Zvonareva, coming off her semifinal appearance in Australia, defeated Sania Mirza 7-5, 6-1 after the Russian dominated most of her opponent en route to the final. Mauresmo however had a tougher fight,w inning the first set 7-6 (7), losing the second 6-2, and returning to form in the third to win it 6-3. Mauresmo has now won the tournament in her hometown 3 times, which is the most ever for the tournament. Mauresmo claimed that she has a new dynamic for 2009, and after looking like the 2006 Mauresmo all tournament, she looks liek she plans to return to the top 10. It was the frechwoman's first title since 2007.

Pattaya City, Paris, Rotterdam and San Jose Results

Rafa Nadal seems to get better and better as the rounds go on, as his opponent on Saturday, Gael Monfils, who was the highest ranked player Nadal had played so far in Rotterdam, gave the Spaniard the least trouble of all his Rotterdam victims. After dominating her first 3 matches, Serena Williams had to withdraw from her Semifinal match against Elena Dementieva due to a knee injury. Amelie Mauresmo defeated Jelena Jankovic to face Dementieva in the finals and Andy Murray crushed Mario Ancic ro face Nadal.

Pattaya City

Women's Singles- Semifinals

Vera Zvonareva (1) def. Shahar Peer (7), 6-1, 6-4

Sania Mirza def. Magdalena Rybarikova (8), 6-4, 5-7, 6-1

Paris

Women's Singles- Semifinals

Elena Dementieva (3) def. Serena Williams (1) (walkover)

Amelie Mauresmo (8) def. Jelena Jankovic (2), 6-2, 0-6, 6-1

Rotterdam

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Rafael Nadal (1) def. Gael Monfils (5), 6-4, 6-4

Andy Murray (2) def. Mario Ancic, 6-1, 6-2

San Jose

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Mardy Fish (5) def. James Blake (3), 6-3, 6-2

Roddick vs. Stepanek is other semifinal

Pattaya City, Paris, Rotterdam, and San Jose Results

Rafael Nadal had to fight through yet another 3 set match today, this time against Jo Wilfried-Tsonga. Nadal lost the second set, as he did in his last match against Grigor Dimitrov. The number 2 seed in Pattay City, Carolina Wiozniacki, was upset in the Quarterfinals by Magdalena Rybarikova who gave up just 5 games and moved on to the semifinals. In Paris, Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva moved on to the semifinals along with Amelie Mauresmo who played another flawless match. Mauresmo has allowed just 7 games the whole tournament. Andy Roddick and Radek Stepanek are set to play their Quarterfinal matches tonight in San Jose.

Pattaya City

Women's Singles- Quarterfinal

Vera Zvonareva (1) def. Peng Shuai (5), 6-2, 6-3

Magdalena Rybarikova (8) def. Caroline Wozniacki (2), 6-4, 6-1

Sania Mirza def. Tamarine Tanasugarn (6), 7-5, 6-4

Shahar Peer (7) def. Vera Dushevina, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Paris

Women's Singles- Quarterfinal

Serena Williams (1) def. Emilie Loit, 6-4, 6-1

Jelena Jankovic (2) def. Alize Cornet (5), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Elena Dementieva (3) def. Nathalie Dechy, 6-3, 6-2

Amelie Mauresmo (8) def. Agnieszka Radwanska (4), 6-2, 6-0

Rotterdam

Men's Singles- Quarterfinal

Rafael Nadal (1) def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7), 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4

Andy Murray (2) def. Marc Gicquel, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 3-0, retired

Gael Monfils (5) def. Julien Benneteau, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1

Mario Ancic def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-4, 6-2

San Jose

Men's Singles- Quarterfinal

Mardy Fish (5) def. Juan Martin del Potro (2), 6-3, 6-4

James Blake (3) def. Sam Querrey (6), 7-6 (11-9), 6-3

Pattaya City, Paris, Rotterdam and San Jose Results

Jelena Jankovic and Rafael Nadal were again able to fight off fierce competitors, as Jankovic narrowly defeated Li Na, and Rafa was taken to 3 sets for a second straight match by 17 year old Grigor Dimitrov. Serena Williams and Amelie Mauresmo put on another impressive show, both allowing just 3 games.

Pattaya City
Women's Singles- 2nd Round

Vera Zvonareva (1) def. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-4, 6-4
Caroline Wozniacki (2) def. Ksenia Pervak, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 3-0, retired
Tamarine Tanasugarn (6) def. Neuza Silva, 6-3, 6-2
Shahar Peer (7) def. Yulia Beygelzimer, 6-4, 6-1
Magdalena Rybarikova (8) def. Ivana Lisjak, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
Sania Mirza def. Vitalia Diatchenko, 6-4, 6-0

Paris
Women's Singles- 2nd Round

Serena Williams (1) def. Karolina Sprem, 6-1, 6-2
Jelena Jankovic (2) def. Li Na, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2
Elena Dementieva (3) def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-4, 6-2
Alize Cornet (5) def. Daniela Hantuchova, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Nathalie Dechy def. Patty Schnyder (6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Amelie Mauresmo (8) def. Monica Niculescu, 6-1, 6-2

Rotterdam
Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Rafael Nadal (1) def. Grigor Dimitrov, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Andy Murray (2) def. Andreas Seppi, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
Mario Ancic def. Gilles Simon (4), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Gael Monfils (5) def. Michael Llodra, 6-4, 6-4
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7) def. Dmitry Tursunov, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2
Marc Gicquel def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-4, 6-3

San Jose
Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Mardy Fish (5) def. John Isner, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5
Todd Widom def. Taylor Dent, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2
Juan Martin del Potro (2) def. Andrea Stoppini, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5)
James Blake (3) def. Vincent Spadea, 6-3, 6-4
Sam Querrey (6) def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5)

Pattaya City, Paris, Rotterdam and San Jose Results

While world number 1 Serena Williams played a flawless match to get through her first round match in Paris, previous number 1 Jelena Jankovic had a much tougher time, battling through her match with Francesca Schiavone. After losing his first set, Rafael Nadal squeaked past Simone Bolleli in his first rounder in Rotterdam. Also in Rotterdam, Nikolay Davydenko was upset by Julien Benneteau, who gave up just 5 games.

Pattaya City

Women's Singles- 1st Round

Tamarine Tanasugarn (6) def. Akgul Amanmuradova, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)

Shahar Peer (7) def. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, 6-1, 6-0

Magdalena Rybarikova (8) def. Kimiko Date Krumm, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Vitalia Diatchenko def. Ryoko Fuda, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3

Women's Singles- 2nd Round

Vera Dushevina def. Sybille Bammer (4), 6-4, 7-5

Peng Shuai (5) def. Galina Voskoboeva, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0

Paris

Women's Singles- 1st Round

Serena Williams (1) def. Iveta Benesova, 6-1, 6-4

Jelena Jankovic (2) def. Francesca Schiavone, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2)

Elena Dementieva (3) def. Aravane Rezai, 6-4, 6-3

Patty Schnyder (6) def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)

Amelie Mauresmo (8) def. Sara Errani, 6-2, 6-0

Women's Singles- 2nd Round

Agnieszka Radwanska (4) def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2

Emilie Loit def. Kaia Kanepi, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

Rotterdam

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Rafael Nadal (1) def. Simone Bolelli, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5

Gilles Simon (4) def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7) def. Jesse Huta Galung, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4)

Michael Llodra def. Ivo Karlovic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Mario Ancic def. Rainer Schuettler, 7-5, 6-2

Marc Gicquel def. Evgeny Korolev, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Men's Singles- 2nd Round

Julien Benneteau def. Nikolay Davydenko (3), 6-3, 6-2

Mikhail Youzhny def. David Ferrer (6), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2

San Jose

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Sam Querrey (6) def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5)

John Isner def. Ramon Delgado, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4

Andy Roddick (1) def. Michael Ryderstedt, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3)

Mardy Fish (5) def. Lleyton Hewitt, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3

Pattaya, Paris, Rotterdam and San Jose Results

Tuesday was a good day for the top seeds in Pattaya City, Paris, Rotterdam and San Jose. All the seeds advanced swiftly, and all showed impressive performances.

Pattay City

Women's Singles- 1st Round

Vera Zvonareva (1) def. Andreja Klepac, 6-4, 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki (2) def. Yung-Jan Chan, 6-3, 6-0

Sybille Bammer (4) def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1

Yulia Beygelzimer def. Anastasia Rodionova, 6-2, 6-2

Neuza Silva def. Jessica Moore, 6-2, 6-1

Sania Mirza def. Nicha Lertpitaksinchai, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5

Ivana Lisjak def. Sesil Karatantcheva, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Yaroslava Shvedova def. Tamira Paszek, 6-3, 6-4

Paris

Women's Singles- 1st Round

Agnieszka Radwanska (4) def. Oxana Lyubtsova, 6-1, 6-1

Alize Cornet (5) def. Anastasija Sevastova, 6-1, 6-3

Daniela Hantuchova def. Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2, 6-2

Karolina Sprem def. Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 6-1

Emilie Loit def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-1, 6-4

Nathalie Dechy def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2

Monica Niculescu def. Timea Bacsinszky, 6-4, 6-3

Alisa Kleybanova def. Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)

Rotterdam

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Andy Murray (2) def. Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3, 6-2

Gael Monfils (5) def. Stephane Bohli, 6-4, 1-0, retired

David Ferrer (6) def. Jurgen Melzer, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Richard Gasquet, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Grigor Dimitrov def. Tomas Berdych, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

San Jose

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Denis Gremelmayr def. Roko Karanusic, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2

Ernests Gulbis def. Ricardo Mello, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Chris Guccione def. Guillermo Canas, 7-6 (9-7), 7-5

Todd Widom def. Robby Ginepri (8), 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4

Pattaya, Paris, Rotterdam and San Jose Results

Both world number ones will be in action this week when Serena Williams comes off her Aussie Open title and plays in Paris. Rafael Nadal will be competing in Rotterdam. Nadal lost his doubles match today.Pattaya City
Women's Singles- 1st Round

Peng Shuai (5) def. Mara Santangelo, 3-6, 5-2, retired

Vera Dushevina def. Elena Bovina, 6-4, 7-5

Ksenia Pervak def. Tomoko Yonemura, 6-1, 6-1

Galina Voskoboeva def. Jarmila Groth, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Paris

Women's Singles- 1st Round

Kaia Kanepi def. Anabel Medina Garrigues (7), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Virginie Razzano, 6-4, 6-1

Li Na def. Agnes Szavay, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2

Rotterdam

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Nikolay Davydenko (3) def. Igor Andreev, 6-3, 6-2

Julien Benneteau def. Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2

Mikhail Youzhny def. Laurent Recouderc, 6-4, 6-4

Andreas Seppi def. Thiemo De Bakker, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-1)

Dmitry Tursunov def. Arnaud Clement, 6-0, 6-3

San Jose

Men's Singles- 1st Round

Radek Stepanek (4) def. Dominik Meffert, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1

Christophe Rochus def. Igor Kunitsyn (7), 6-2, 7-6 (9-7)

Taylor Dent def. Bobby Reynolds, 6-3, 6-4

Florent Serra def. Jarkko Nieminen, 7-5, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4

Johannesburg, Zagreb and Vina del Mar Results

All three higher ranked players won in their finals on Sunday, with Marin Cilicn taking down Mario Ancic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga defeating Jeremy Chardy and Fernando Gonzalez crushing Jose Acasuso.

Johannesburg

Men's Singles- Final

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (1) def. Jeremy Chardy (5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

Zagreb

Men's Singles- Final

Marin Cilic (2) def. Mario Ancic (7), 6-3, 6-4

Vina del Mar

Men's Singles- Final

Fernando Gonzalez (1) def. Jose Acasuso (4), 6-1, 6-3

Serving up the topics for you to discuss,

Jake

Fed Cup Results

The Russians carried there dominating performance from yesterday over to today as they won all 5 matches to knock out the Chinese. The Americans rallied to defeat the Argentines after Melanie Oudin last the first set of her singles match with the U.S. down 2-1. She came back dominating the next two sets over Betina Jozami. The U.S. then won the doubles to clinch. The Czechs defeated the Spaniards and the Italians crushed the French to round out World Group 1 play.

Russia vs. China

Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) def. Zi Yan (CHN), 6-1, 6-2

Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) def. Tiantian Sun (CHN), 6-1, 6-1

E.Dementieva/S.Kuznetsova (RUS) def. T.Sun/Z.Yan (CHN), 1-6, 6-4, 6-4

Russia wins 5-0

Czech Republic vs. Spain

Lucie Safarova (CZE) def. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP), 6-4, 6-3

Petra Kvitova (CZE) def. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP), 6-4, 7-5

I.Benesova/K.Peschke (CZE) def. L.Dominguez Lino/M.Martinez Sanchez (ESP), 6-4, 6-2

Czech Republic wins 4-1

Italy vs. France

Flavia Pennetta (ITA) def. Alize Cornet (FRA), 6-2, 6-2

Sara Errani (ITA) def. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA), 6-3, 6-4

S.Errani/R.Vinci (ITA) def. S.Bremond/N.Dechy (FRA), 6-4, 6-4

Italy wins 5-0

United States vs. Argentina

Gisela Dulko (ARG) def. Jill Craybas (USA), 6-1, 6-3

Melanie Oudin (USA) def. Betina Jozami (ARG), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2

J.Ditty/L.Huber (USA) def. G.Dulko/B.Jozami (ARG), 6-2, 6-3

U.S. wins 3-2

Serving up the topics for you to discuss,

Jake

Zagreb, Johannesburg and Vina del Mar Results

A clash of giants will occur in the finals of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors when 6'5 Marin Cilic plays 6'6 Mario Ancic. Ancic fought off multiple match points to win in a 3rd set tiebreak, 11-9. After the first set of David Ferrer's encounter with Jeremy Chardy, Ferrer's camp was probably delaying the flight home, for the Spaniard was cruising. Little did they know Jeremy Chardy, and his will to fight back. Chardy did indeed surmount a comeback, winning the next to sets in tiebreaks. And in Vina del Mar, Fernando Gonzalez has been putting on a show infront of his homecrowd, cruising to the finals.

Zagreb

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Marin Cilic (2) def. Viktor Troicki, 6-2, 7-5

Mario Ancic (7) def. Jan Hernych, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-6 (11-9)

Johannesburg

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (1) def. Frederico Gil, 6-3, 6-4

Jeremy Chardy (5) def. David Ferrer (2), 1-6, 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-4)

Vina del Mar

Men's Singles- Semifinals

Fernando Gonzalez (1) def. Pablo Cuevas, 6-3, 6-2

Jose Acasuso (4) def. Tommy Robredo (2), 5-7, 6-2, 6-4

Fed Cup Results

While the United States is deadlocked with the Argentines, the Russians, who have 5 of the worlds top 10, are cruising against the Chinese. The Italians are surprisingly beating the French, and then Spaniards and Czechs are one match a piece.

In World Group II, The Serbs are dominating the chinese, the Israelis and Ukraine are tied at 1 as are the Swiss and Germans, and the Slovak Republic is 2 up on Belgium.

China vs. Russia

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) def. Zi Yan (CHN), 6-2, 6-4

Elena Dementieva (RUS) def. Shuai Zhang (CHN), 6-3, 6-0

Italy vs. France

Flavia Pennetta (ITA) def. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA), 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4

Francesca Schiavone (ITA) def. Alize Cornet (FRA), 6-1, 2-6, 8-6

United States vs. Argentina

Jill Craybas (USA) def. Betina Jozami (ARG), 6-2, 6-1

Gisela Dulko (ARG) def. Melanie Oudin (USA), 6-2, 7-5

Spain vs. Czech Republic

Petra Kvitova (CZE) def. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP), 6-4, 6-4

Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) def. Iveta Benesova (ESP), 1-6, 6-1, 6-4

Johannesburg, Zagreb and Movistar Results

After a break from the results page for a few days due to regrouping after that exhilirating Aussie Open, I'm back, and packed with your daily dose of results, coming this week from the SA Open, Movistar Open and Zagreb IndoorsZagreb
Men's Singles- Quarterfinal

Marin Cilic (2) def. Antonio Veic, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)

Mario Ancic (7) def. Ivan Dodig, 6-1, 6-3

Jan Hernych def. Mischa Zverev, 5-4, retired

Viktor Troicki def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-3, 6-2

Movistar

Men's Singles- Quarterfinal

Fernando Gonzalez (1) def. Juan Monaco (5), 6-0, 6-2

Tommy Robredo (2) def. Juan Ignacio Chela, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4

Jose Acasuso (4) def. Sebastian Decoud, 6-4, 6-2

Pablo Cuevas def. Paul Capdeville, 7-5, 7-5

Johannesburg

Men's Singles- Quarterfinal

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (1) def. Kristof Vliegen (7), 6-4, 6-1

David Ferrer (2) def. Marcos Baghdatis (8), 7-5, 6-2

Frederico Gil def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (4), 7-6 (8-6), 6-3

Jeremy Chardy (5) def. Sebastien De Chaunac, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Sharapova pulls out of Paris

After failing to recover from a lingering shoulder injury in time to defend her Australian Open title, Maria Sharapova has been forced to drop out of the WTA tournament in Paris starting Monday. Sharapova lost all of the points from her amazing Aussie Open showing in 2008, dropping to 17th in the Sony Ericsson Tour. The tournament may be missing Maria, but it will still be packed with stars. World numbers 1 and 4 Serena Williams and Elene Dementieva will be competing in the event. Sharapova is looking to be back in full swing on the tour by the end of February.

Serving up the topics for you to discuss,

Jake

Nadal Calls for fewer Hard Court Events

Rafael Nadal, coming off his Australian Open victory, now has the guts to speak out about the amount of hardcourt events, and the scheduling of them. "Hardcourt surface is tougher than grass or clay for the body, and all the time we are playing more on this surface," the 6 time Grand Slam Champion told reporters and the media on Monday. "I can say that (now) because I've won a grand slam on hardcourt," Nadal said, after his Aussie Open win over Roger Federer. "Before, if I said that, a lot of people would think 'he (just) wants to change because he's a clay player. But, believe me, I don't think anything about if I am a claycourt player or not. When I say this, I am thinking about the best for the players and for the future." Nadal also acknowledged that he could barely move in 2008 U.S. Open semifinal aginst Andy Murray, after the grueling summer hardcourt season. He also said that the hardcourt injuuries were part of what prevented him from playing in the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai and the Davis Cup final in Argentina, which the Spaniards managed to win without the world number 1. Nadal hintd at the fact that when he retires, he would like to still be able to play football with his friends and compete in sports. "I would love to play football with my friends later when I finish," Rafa said.
"And I would love to continue playing tennis and to do what I want ... but if we continue to play this (many tournaments), later maybe it's going to be tough to practice sports."

Serving up the topics for you to discuss,

Jake

Australian Open Report Card

With the Australian open wrapped up, and thrilling performances by Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal written in the history books, it's time to give out the grades on the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Straight A's

Rafael Nadal: Nadal played dominant tennis all the way through the tournament. Rafa didn't lose a set until his memorbale and fantastic semifinal with Fernando Verdasco, which was the longest match in Aussie Open history. Nadal came into the final as the underdog, although he is ranked number 1. After playing for 5 hrs. and 15 minutes, nobody expected him to come out firing, and many were in awe that after 44 hours, Nadal could even step on Rod Laver Arena, but, with the heart of a champion, Nadal fought his fatigue and defeated Roger Federer in yet another epic final between the two.

Serena Williams: She started the fortnight off slow, giving herself a D- in her match against Gisela Dulko. Here at Serve and Return though, the younger of the Williams sisters gets an A+.
Serena seems to improve when the matches are bigger and she did just that, playing best matches in her semifinal against Elena Dementieva and her dominating final against Dinara Safina. Serena showed that when she wants it, she really does want it more than anyone else, coming back from down a set and a break in her quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova. After a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Safina, Williams is number 1 again.

Honor Roll

Roger Federer: After a determined comeback in the 4th round against Thomas Berdych, Federer rolled to the final, allowing a combined 15 games in his matches against Juan Martin del Potro and Andy Roddick. Federer was chasing history, aiming to earn his 14th grand slam to tie Pete Sampras for most all time. Federer knew the stakes were tremendously high in his final against rival Rafael Nadal. The best rivalry in sports produced nothing short of what was expected, when Federer and Nadal met for the 19th time. Federer's serve let him down, although it usually is a lethal weapon, getting him out of holes routinely. He got just 51 percent of his first serves in, which proved the difference in the match. After 4 tantalizing sets, Nadal took adavantage of scattered Federer errors and won. Federer showed more emotion than ever in the ceremony, failing in an effort to hold back tears. Number 14 will have to wait for now.

Andy Roddick: Roddick proved that he is still a threat at the slams, when he reached the semifinals in Melbourne. On his way there he defeated world number 3 Novak Djokovic. Roddick and new coach Larry Stefanki showed signs of the Roddick from 2003, when Andy dominated numerous players on his way to the round of 4. His serve was on, his forehand was on, his abckhand was improved and his volleys were better than usual, but Roddick proved no match for Roger Federer.

Dinara Safina: Arguably the fittest player on the women's tour, Safina reached her second Major final. Expierence played a very big factor though, as Serena Williams had been in the position 12 times before. Safina defeated local favorite Jelena Dokic, and saved match points (by an inch) against Alize Cornet and showed that she will win multiple grand slams. Her slams will have to wait for now though, as the grit of Serena Williams could not be matched.

Fernando Verdasco: The unlikely semifinalist defeated 2008 runner-up Jo Wilfried Tsonga and pre-tournament favorite Andy Murray on his way to the semis, where his 5 hour 14 minute match against compatriot Nadal ended up being the best match of the tournament, or the best match in the history of the Australian Open. Verdasco hit 95 winners, forcing Nadal to come up with all the answers in the end. Verdasco and Nadal could barely move at the end, which was a clear problem when Fernando double faulted on match point. Verdasco played the best tournament of his life, and will be a factor later this year.

Honorable Mention

Elena Dementieva: She came in to the tournament without a loss in 2009, and she was the pick to win it by many. She played good, solid tennis until her semifinal, where Serena Williams won it much more than Dementieva lost it. Although her serve has been a downfall her whole career, Dementieva was able to seldom to use it to her adavantage, but didn't make to many bad mistakes. She dominated Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarterfinals and will be a part of the mixed up women's tour for the rest of the year.

Carla Suarez Navarro: She defeated Venus Williams in the 2nd round, and rolled to the quarterfinals where the pressure got to her. She showed the world her picture perfect one-handed backhand and the small spaniard had the tournament of her life.

Vera Zvonareva: The Russian reached her first major semifinal after dominating Marion Bartoli, who defeated Jelena Jankovic, and beating Nadia Petrova. She played a good match against Safina in the semis, but couldn't pull it out. Zvinareva should be happy with her performance, as she backed up her stellar play from the 2008 WTA Championships.

Expelled

Novak Djokovic: He may have reached the quarterfinals, but I am expelling Nole. As the defending champion, Novak retired against Andy Roddicm down a set due to the heat. Many players acknowledged that as the world number 3, Djokovic should have been ready for the heat and should have been prepared for it. He wasn't, and because of it, he's getting kicked out of school.

David Nalbandian: Nalbandian was a projected sleeper pick by a few, but he was ousted by Yen-Hsun Lu in the second round. More was expected of the 10th seeded Argentine, who didn't look at all prepared for the extreme heat or the extreme play.

Venus Williams: Venus was predicted to go far in this tournament, and even win it after a magnificent performance at end 208 at the WTA Championships, but she was defeated by Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round. Watching Venus in that match, you could tell it wasn't the Venus we're used to seeing. She was standing 5-8 behind the baseline, unlike her usual inside the baseline, and she choked, up 5-3 in the final set.

Serving up the topics for you to discuss,

Jake

Congrats to Rafa and Serena!