US Open Day 1: Fed Works His Magic Under the Lights; Venus, Roddick & Clijsters Win

It looks as though Roger Federer is making a habit of hitting outrageous shots in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Swiss hit yet another between-the-legs winner last night, against Brian Dabul, that brought back memories of the same shot against Novak Djokovic in last year's semifinals. Fed crushed his Argentine opponent 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. The world number 2's possible quarterfinal opponent, though, had much more difficulty. Robin Soderling, who hit 74 unforced errors, needed 5 sets to dismiss Andreas Haider-Maurer, a mainstay on the challenger tour. 13th seed Jurgen Melzer also needed to go the distance to earn his victory, while Marin Cilic cruised to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 win.

Venus Williams showed off her shiny black fringe dress under the lights with a 4 and 1 defeat of Roberta Vinci. Francesca Schiavone also impressed, surrendering just 1 game to Ayumi Morita in her opening match. Victoria Azarenka is considered a favorite to take home the title, but after a great start, bageling Monia Niculescu in the first set, the Belarusian suffered a lapse in concentration and had to go to 3 sets to advance. Both Flavia Pennetta and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova cruised into the second round with straight-set victories, and 32nd seeded Tsvetana Pironkova, a Wimbledon semifinalist, notched a 2-set win.

Andy Roddick didn't come into the Open with the preparation he would have liked, but the American made quick work of Stephane Robert, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, to move into the second round. Also in Roddick's quarter is Nikolay Davydenko, who won easy as well, taking out Michael Russell in straights. Gael Monfils and Robert Kendrick had a marathon match, lasting well over 4 hours, that included some controversy too. The Frenchman took out the crowd fave 6-4 in the fifth to advance. Other men's winners included Juan Carlos Ferrero, Albert Montanes and Richard Gasquet, while Lleyton Hewitt was upset by Paul-Henri Mathieu in 5 tough sets.

Defending champion Kim Clijsters was second on Ashe after American Melanie Oudin earned a 56 minute win. Clijsters defeated Greta Arn 6-0, 7-5 while her potential final 8 opponent, Sam Stosur, earned a 3-set comeback win over Elena Vesnina. Elena Dementieva trounced Olga Govortsova, 6-1, 6-2, and fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova earned a 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over Joanna Larsson. Former number 1 Dinara Safina's struggles continued, as she crashed out to 24th seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-4. Ana Ivanovic, Petra Kvitova and Gisela Dulko all triumphed as well.

US Open Women's Predictions

With no Serena Williams, the women's field at this year's US Open is about as wide open as it gets, or is it?

1st Quarter

Caroline Wozniacki comes in as the top seed because of Williams' absence. She has reached just 1 Major final and has been heavily criticized due to her seeding, but the Dane comes in on a roll. Her breakthrough came in the big apple last year, and after dominating the US Open Series, Wozzi looks to be fit for yet another deep run. But she's slipped up many times already in 2010, a year that was supposed to bring her her maiden Grand Slam title. Plus, her section isn't soft.

A possible meating with popular dark-horse Maria Sharapova, nearing pre-shoulder surgery form, looms in the 4th round, and should she battle past the Russian glamazon, seasoned hard-courters Li Na or Svetlana Kuznetsova await in the quarters. Watch out for Kuzzie, who's game looks to be returning to top form.

Early-rounder to watch for: Kuznetsova vs. 40 year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm

Quarterfinals: Kuznetsova def. Sharapova

2nd Quarter

When looking at the draw's 2nd section, no one immediate springs into mind as the clear favorite. Jelena Jankovic is the top seed, but she's no sure bet to make a run. When she's fit and free of excuses, she's one of the game's best, shown at this same tournament two years ago, when she reached the final. Without confidence, though, she's vulnerable to lose to anyone. Vera Zvonareva has kept up her game from Wimbledon, where she reached the finals, and Radwanska, Petrova and Wickmayer all love the hard-courts.

This quarter is deep in talent, but low in confidence, which could be just the recipe for a sleeper like Andrea Petkovic to shine. The German has a tricky start against Petrova, but has the ability to knock off the other women standing in her way, like Zvonareva and Radwanska. Look for the youngster to make a big run, but fall short against a certain Serb.

Early rounder to watch for: Sabine Lisicki vs. Coco Vandeweghe

Quarterfinals: Jankovic def. Petkovic

3rd Quarter

Venus Williams should have an easy time sailing through the 3rd quarter, where she sits, seeded 3rd. Francesca Schiavone is the next highest seed, but she doesn't seem to be too inspired after winning the French Open, and will probably bow out in the early rounds on a surface that hasn't always brought her the best results. Victoria Azarenka, though, could give Venus some trouble. The Belarusian has been a popular pick to go far, and even win this year's Open, but it's been more than 2 years since the elder Williams triumphed at a slam, and with her sister gone, there are no excuses this time. Azarenka has had a great summer, but I'm not convinced she's ready to go a full 2 weeks without a mental breakdown of some sort.

Shahar Peer and Flavia Pennetta are two clean hitters that could provide some bumps for the section's top seeds, but they lack the consistency and mental toughness to capitalize on their talents. Anaztasia Pavlyuchenkopva is also primed for a breakthrough, but an early run-in with Azarenka could put an end to her hopes.

Early-rounder to watch for: Pennetta vs. Agnes Szavay

Quarterfinals: Williams def. Azarenka

4th Quarter

The 4th quarter looks to be the toughest quarter, and 2nd seeded Kim Clijsters will have her hands full trying to defend her US Open title. The Belgian played beautifully in winning the title in Cincinnati before suffering a heel injury that kept her out of the rest of the US Open Series. Sam Stosur, 5th seed, was the tour's top player in the first half of the year, but since her runner-up appearance in Paris, the Aussie has looked all kinds of shaky, and isn't in a position to make noise in NYC, especially on a surface that doesn't benefit her lethal kick-serve. A 3rd round encounter with a powerful Russian seeded 28th, Alisa Kleybanova, could send Stosur packing.

Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Ana Ivanovic have all been around the game a while, and despite having fallen far from the top of the rankings, are all capable of putting together a run. Each has reached multiple Major finals, but are lacking in confidence and have had dismal 2010 seasons. Clijsters is the safe pick, and most likely the right one.

Early-rounder to watch for: Daniela Hantuchova vs. Safina

Quarterfinals: Clijsters def. Dementieva

Semifinals: Jankovic def. Kuznetsova, Clijsters def. V. Williams

Finals: Clijsters def. Jankovic

Champion: Kim Clijsters

Wimbledon Women's Predictions

This year's top two seeds in the Ladie's draw at the Wimbledon Championships are once again Serena and Venus Williams. years ago (8 to be exact) the world saw these two sisters contest in their first SW19 final against each other, and despite the time that has gone by, the WTA Tour has restored order. S and V may be dominate on the slick stuff, but this year the grass-court slam is no gimme for either of them. With Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters back, these next two weeks are sure to be enthralling.

1st Quarter

Once Serena Williams gets past the early rounds at a Grand Slam, where she usually isn't at her best, the world number 1 is nearly unstoppable. If you want to pull off an upset, the time to catch Serena is in the quarters or earlier (when she reaches the semis, she's won 4 of the last 5 Majors) and there are a handful of women who could be able to stun the tennis world with a win over Williams. The top seed starts with a toughie against Michelle Larcher de Brito, a teenager with heavy strokes and a grunt with an octave higher than even Serena's herself. The next potential upset is 16th seeded Maria Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion. She is slowly but surely returning to her pre-shoulder surgery form, and if she gets a hot hand, could hand Serena a defeat in their potential 4th-rounder. Li Na, who won Birmingham last week, Svetlana Kuznetsova, who's rank has fallen to 20th, and Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 7th, all have the talent to knock off ReRe in the quarters, but lack the firepower the American has.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Sharapova vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Quarterfinals: S. Williams def. S. Kuznetsova

2nd Quarter

This section of the draw is the most wide-open one there is. None of these ladies can call themselves experienced on the grass-courts but a few of them are on the upswing. Caroline Woznaicki is not one of them though. The 3rd seed headlines this quarter but hasn't been playing her best tennis recently, and isn't very comfortable on grass. She is prone to an upset early, and I think Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a powerful young Russian, will be the one to knock out the Dane in their potential 3rd round encounter. Victoria Azarenka is another big hitter who has a certain prowess when she steps on the lawns. Despite a disastrous clay-court season, Azarenka's run in Eastbourne this week, which consisted of wins over Kim Clijsters, Radwanska and Marion Bartoli, is just the motivator that will allow Vika to make a lot of noise. Sam Stosur is coming off a brilliant run at the French, but her results at the Wimbledon warm-ups haven't been convincing, and she could suffer a letdown. Jie Zheng has experienced success here and could surprise many with a longer-than-expected stay in London.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Gisela Dulko vs. Flavia Pennetta

Quarterfinals: V. Azarenka def. S. Stosur

3rd Quarter

While the Wimbledon committee altered the men's seedings , they opted to follow the rankings in the seeding process for the women. Their decision to stray from moving women up or down accordingly has resulted in a possible 4th-round meeting between 8th seeded Kim Clijsters, a two-time Wimbledon semifinalist, and 17th seeded Justine Henin, a two-time finalist. The two Belgians will be competing in both of their first Wimbledons since their return to the tour, and both have great opportunities to pick up their first titles at the All England Club. Nadia Petrova, though, has pulled off two shocking upsets at the slams already this year, against Clijsters in Melbourne and Venus in Paris. Her possible early-round meeting with Henin could be trouble for the comeback girl. Jelena Jankovic is the highest seed in the section, and could go under-the-radar and reach the semis like she did in RG, but her game isn't fit for the grass. Vera Zvonareva and Yanina Wickmayer are potential dark-horses who shouldn't be ignored.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Henin vs Petrova

Quarterfinals: Clijsters def. Jankovic

4th Quarter

Venus Williams is hitting 30 in stride. The 2nd seed, who's birthday was yesterday, is without question the WTA's resident grass-court queen, and no one in the soft quarter she was placed in has much of a shot to dethrone her. V did succumb to her sister in last year's final, but she's had much more success at Wimbledon than any other woman in the draw, holding 5 titles. The next highest seed in the section is Francesca Schiavone, who's inspiring run at the French Open sets her up for a major letdown in London. The Italian reached the quarters here last year, but if she reached that result again this year it would be very surprising. 2007 runner-up Marion Bartoli is talented on the lawns but her current form isn't where it needs to be in order to have another magical run. Two former number one's, Dinara Safina and Ana Ivanovic, who have fallen from grace also find themselves located in Williams' section. Safina reached the semis here last year but has lost 5 straight matches since returning from a serious back injury. Ivanovic has mustered back-to-back wins in just one tournament this year, and the best part is, the two could meet in the 3rd round! With each of them playing the way they are, it will be lucky if they reach that stage, but does anyone care to guess how many unforced errors their would be in that potential encounter?

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Ivanovic vs. Shahar Peer

Quarterfinals: V. Williams def. M. Bartoli

Semifinals: S. Williams def. V. Azarenka, V. Williams def. K. Clijsters

Yet another battle of the sisters at Wimbledon. Venus takes back her crown this time.

Finals. V. Williams def. S. Williams

Stosur, Vika and Clijsters Reach Eastbourne Quarters; Simon Back to Winning Ways

Kim Clijster's return to the tour after a 6-week layoff due to an ankle injury has been a triumphant one. The Belgian looks primed for a good run at Wimbledon, as she has lost 2 games in 2 matches to reach the Eastbourne quarterfinals. After crushing Yanina Wickmayer, Clijsters handed a similar beat down to Lucie Safarova, earning a 6-1, 6-0 win in a whopping 38 minutes. Sam Stosur's win took on a different storyline, as the Aussie ousted Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 after having 3 match points.

Aravane Rezai retired down 6-2, 3-0 to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and Victoria Azarenka punished junior Heather Watson 1 and 1. Marion Bartoli worked hard for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win against Agnes Szavay while Nadia Petrova was crushed by Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2, 6-0. Svetlana Kuznetsova is unseeded at the Wimbledon warm-up, as her ranking has tumbled to 20th, but she pulled off an impressive 3-set victory against Sorana Cirstea, 4-6, 7-6 (6, 7-6, (4).

In the men's tournament, Gilles Simon, who had yet to play a match before his first round win over Evgeny Korolev, and the Frenchman continued his triumphant return with a a 3-set victory against Alex Kuznetsov, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2). Top seeded Nicolas Almagro was taken off the court on a stretcher after slipping at the baseline and suffering a hip injury against Denis Istomin. The Spaniard was down 6-4, 1-0. Julien Benneteau won in straights to reach the quarters, along with 8th seeded Michael Llodra, a 3 set winner.

Style Scoop: The Best and Worst Dressed at Roland Garros 2010

Each and every Grand Slam, not only do we get to see thrilling competition at the best venues, but we also see all the top brands showcasing their new designs. Some turn out to be major hits, and some completely miss the mark. Below are the belles of the ball and the faux pas.

Best Dressed: Venus Williams

Not only did Venus Williams miss some of the chicest trends, like lace and corsets, into her 2010 Roland Garros dress, but her EleVen frock also had an edge that isn't normally seen in tennis fashion. And yes, there was some controversy surrounding her skin-colored spandex, but the more drama the better. V got an A this time around.

Most Original:

The WTA's resident fashionista, Maria Sharapova, tends to always perfectly balance tennis and real-life trends into her on-court style, and this year's French is no different. The Russian mixed black with a pretty burgundy-ish color to make an asymmetrical Nike design that, contrasting to some reports that claim the dress looks like the designer ran out of fabric, is trendy and suits Maria just right.

Best Detailing:

Serena Williams' Nike blue and neon green dress is definitely a winner, as the two colors work great together. But that's not the best part. The pleating at the bottom of the world number 1's ensemble is impeccable and takes the dress from boring to beautiful. I do, though, have one minor problem. Don't you guys think it seems much more Aussie Open than French Open?

Best Use of Color:

Jie Zheng makes her debut on Serve and Return;s best dressed list with a top/skirt combo that's fun and pops on the red clay of Paris. Her pleasantly surprising outfit, made by Anta, is a colorful statement-making getup that adds the perfect amount of pizazz to the Chinese's fiery game.

Been There, Done That, Still Cute:

It seems to me that Jelena Jankovic wears the same yellow Anta design each week with the exception of an added ruffle here or an extra pleat there. It's time for the designers over at the Chinese brand to come up with something new and exciting for a personality like JJ. But, despite the DeJa Vu of the Serb's wardrobe, there's no denying it looks pretty good.

Snooze Alarm:

Could Elena Dementieva's teal Yonex garment look any less drab and uninspiring? We've seen it before, and we though it was boring then. Elena, we're still bored.

Worst Dressed:

Hey, I'm all for taking risks, if you can pull it off. And I hate to say it but Aravane Rezai, my dear, you can not pull this look off. There's Metallic and there's lace and there's ruffles and there's puffy sleeves and there's a collar. It's all very overwhelming. If Ms.Rezai wants to get on the list of best dressed, she's gonna have to start appreciating minimalism. Sweety, sometimes less really is more. Much more.

Random Detail Added at the Last Second:

Victoria Azarenka's Nike dress could have been a success if it weren't for the ugly stripes added in, at what looks like last second. The random and grotesque lines give the look an unfinished feel and the Belarusian should have and could have gone without them. Thankfully, Vika and her dress both didn't last very long..

Roland Garros Women's Predictions

Serena and Venus Williams enter Roland Garros ranked 1 and 2, respectively, for the first time in 7 years, but that doesn't mean they are the top two favorites. Serena can never be counted out at a major, because when she wants it she goes and gets it, but it's no mystery that the American struggles mightily on the red dirt. In her illustrious career she has only won the French once, while Venus has never won it. Older sis has the best record of any woman on tour this year, at 26-4, but those four losses have been strange. Blowouts at the hands of Jelena Jankovic and Kim Clijsters, and unforced error-filled disasters against Aravane Rezai and Li Na. Justine Henin is probably the most-picked 22nd seed in Major history, while Svetlana Kuznetsova, the defending champ, could repeat or get double-bageled in round one. once again with the ladies, it's anyone's guess.

1st Quarter

So much for being the top seed, right? Serena's quarter is LOADED. Serena's chances are already greatly diminished on clay, but with a stacked quarter to get through, the tennis gods were not on ReRe's side at the draw ceremony. Here lies Justine Henin, 4-time FO winner, Sam Stosur, 2009 semifinalist, playing incredibly well this year and Maria Sharapova, 2009 quarterfinalist. Henin has obviously proved herself as the best clay-courter in women;s tennis, but she's had to win ugly a lot this year, and with motivation on her side, Sam Stosur could very well defeat the Belgian in their potential 4th round match. Of course, Henin will have to get by Sharapova, who won in Strasbourg this week, but that doesn't seem to be much of an issue. Serena will have her hands full with Shahar Peer, seeded 18th, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a big hitting Russian that could give Williams trouble. Here's your first surprise of the women's draw.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Sharapova vs. Henin

Quarterfinals: Stosur def. Williams

2nd Quarter

Jelena Jankovic headlines a tricky 2nd section that won't be easy to conquer. Agnieszka Radwanksa is a surprise 8th seed followed by Dinara Safina, who's comeback from back surgery hasn't gone as planned, causing the Russian to fall out of the top 8, to number 9. Vera Zvonareva, Alisa Kleybanova and Yanina Wickmayer all pose serious threats to make a deep run. Jankovic enters Roland Garros having had a solid clay-court campaign, reaching the finals in Rome, beating both Williams; along the way. Radwanska has been off the radar and isn't playing well enough to make any noise, and the same goes for two-time runner-up Safina. Zvonareva was impressive in Charleston, while Kleybanova can outhit anyone when she's hot. WIckmayer is tricky to figure out, but was trounced by Jankovic in Rome. Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 Roland Garros champion, also lies in the 2nd section, and impressed in Rome, but she's not ready to be a contender again. It's evident that JJ will have a difficult time reaching the semis, but she won't have to see Radwanska, Safina, Zvonareva or Kleybanova till the quarters, and once she's on a roll she's hard to stop.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Kleybanova vs. Ivanovic

Quarterfinals: Jankovic def. Kleybanova

3rd Quarter

There isn't really a nice way to put this. The 3rd quarter of the women's draw sucks. Sure, the 2009 French Open winner, Svetlana Kuznetsova, is here, but Kuzzie is so sporadic it's anyone's guess what she could do. And Caroline Wozniacki, seeded 3rd, comes in with zero confidence, with just 3 wins in her last 4 tournaments and a serious ankle injury. While Kuznetsova is underplayed, Wozniacki is overplayed, and it's coming back to hurt her. Obviously, one person from this section is going to reach the semis, but none have the current form needed to do it. So it's safe to go out on a limb and pick someone out of a hat. Fine, you wouldn't be too smart to go with Misaki Doi of Japan, but perhaps Elena Vesnina, a powerful Russian with years of experience on her side, wouldn't be too far of a limb? She'll have to get by Wozzi, Kuzzie, Li Na, Francesca Schiavone, Lucie Safarova and Flavia Pennetta, and that's no easy task, but there isn't a safe choice.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Polona Hercog vs. Safarova

Quarterfinals: Vesnina def. Safarova



4th Quarter

Like her sister, Venus got the short end of the stick with the extremely deep draw she'll have to get through. Elena Dementieva isn't playing her best tennis right now, but as a former French Open finalist and the best groundstroker in women's tennis, she'll always have a chance. Victoria Azarenka, Aravane Rezai, winner in Madrid, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, winner in Rome, and Nadia Petrova all have the game to knock off Venus or Elena. Rezai did it just last week with her straight set win over Williams and Martinez Sanchez's crafty serve and volley game sets her apart from hers peers. Azarenka reached the quarters here last year and Petrova is a one-time semifinalist. Venus could meet Petrova in the 3rd round, while Azarenka and Sanchez are slated to face in that same round for a shot at Dementieva. Whoever comes out of this section triumphant, one thing is assured: It'll be quite the thriller.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Martinez Sanchez vs Azarenka

Quarterfinals: Dementieva def. Petrova

Semifinals: Jankovic def. Stosur, Dementieva def. Vesnina

The two best women on tour that have yet to win a major will square off in the final that is guarenteed to be exciting. Both have reached a major final and lost, and a Grand Slam crown is long overdue for both. But more for Dementieva. Time for the WTA's resident screacher to lose that "best to never win a major" title.

Finals: Dementieva def. Jankovic

Rome Womens Results: Ana Upsets Vika, Safina Goes Down and The Williams' Win

At the ladies' tournament in Rome, Serena Williams played her first match since her Aussie Open win, and the American number 1 came out on top, defeating Timea Bacsinszky 7-6 (2), 6-1. In Williams' section of the draw, Maria Kirilenko upset 5th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 in the third and will play Dominika Cibulkova, a straight set winner.

In the loaded 2nd quarter of the draw, Venus Williams advanced to the Round of 16 with a quick 2 and 2 win against Patty Schnyder. Her 4th round opponent will be Shahar Peer a 3-set comeback winner over Polona Hercog. Yanina Wickmayer and Jelena Jankovic will face off in a block-buster match after both women fought hard to earn 3-set wins over Aravane Rezai and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, respectively.

It's quite obvious that Ana Ivanovic's career has suffered a severe downslide, but her win over 9th-seeded Victoria Azarenka, her first win over a top-tenner since Linz in 2008, was an extremely positive note in an extremely depressing year thus far. The 6-4, 6-4 victory gave the Serb her first back-to-back wins since the Australian in January. But things won't get easier for Ana, as her next opponent will be another hard-hitting blonde in Elena Dementieva, also a straight set winner. Dinara Safina's comeback from a devastating back injury hasn't gone as planned, as the Russian fell in 3 sets to Alexandra Dulgheru. Dulgheru will face Nadia Petrova in the 4th round.

In the 4th quarter, Agnieszka Radwanska thwarted Roberta Vinci and Caroline Wozniacki crushed Maria Elena Camerin. Both ladies lost just one game in their matches and will take on Lucie Safarova and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, respectively.

They Don't Have a F***ing Clue!

Funny how Twitter imitates life, right?

Victoria Azarenka clearly does not have a filter, whether her crazy antics come from racquet abuse or speaking her mind on the social-media website. And guess what, we LOVE it!

After retiring from her Family Circle Cup match against Chrisina McHale with an injury, the press stirred up rumors that the Belrusian tanked it, and this did not sit well with Vika.

She tweeted, "Who think I tanked the match or whatever they certainly don't have a fucking clue...and rules of WTA tour."

You tell 'em, Victoria. Let's hope you channel this into something positive and kick some ass next time you hop on court. And not to mention, keeps the LOLs coming.

Miami Results: Rochus Upsets Djokovic, Venus, Rafa, Azarenka and Wozniacki Advance

Olivier Rochus became the first player to bust the brackets in Miami when he took out the tournament's second seed and defending runner-up Novak Djokovic in 3 sets, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-4. Juan Carlos Ferrero defeated Daniel Koellerrer 4-0 after Koellerrer retired with an injury. The Americans didn't have a great days as both James Blake and Sam Querrey lost to Tomaz Bellucci and Jeremy Chardy, respectively.

Venus Williams debuted a new dress in her line EleVen last night in her straight set victory over Sorana Cirstea. 2nd seeded Caroline Wozniacki got off to a rocky start against Tszvetana Pironkova but recovered to win in 3 sets. Vera Zvonareva and Kim Clijsters both dominated in their matches, surrenduring just 3 and 2 games respectively. Shahar Peer advanced with 6-1, 6-0 win. Joining the Israeli in the second round were Russians Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Maria Kirilenko and Elena Vesnina.

The tournament's 4th seed, Rafael Nadal, earned a solid victory over Taylor Dent, 6-4, 6-3, while fellow Spaniards David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo also advanced. Ivo Karlovic and David Nalbandian reached the 2nd round with 3 set victories.

Last year's Sony Ericsson Open champion Victoria Azarenka kept her title defense alive with a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Alexandra Dulgheru. Sam Stosur and Lucie Safarova both earned 3 set wins while Jelena Jankovic and Francesca Schiavone won with ease. Virginie Razzano, Sara Errani and Dominika Cibulkova rounded out the day's winners.

WTA Miami Predictions

Svetlana Kuznetsova is the top seed this year in Miami as Serena is out due to a knee injury.

And Sveta got damn lucky because despite how poorly she has been playing, her quarter of the draw is weak. I mean WEAK.

After Kuzzie comes 8th seeded Li Na and Yanina Wickmayer. Wickmayer was my Indian Wells pick last week but she was ousted relatively early. But because of how soft this top section is, I'm tempted to pick her for the semis again. After those three come Marion Bartoli and Alona Bondarenko, who could meet each other in the 3rd round and then play Kuznetsova. Both present problems for the Russian and are potential bracket busters. Szavay, Aravane Rezai and Alekzansdra Wozniack round out the seeded ladies.

Quarterfinals: Wickmayer def. Bartoli

Venus did her regular parade around Indian Wells with her cardboard boycott sign last week, but prior to that, girl was on a roll. She had 3 titles in 3 weeks, in Dubai, Acapulco and at the BJK Cup. If she can pick up where she left off, she'll get to the semis without much trouble, but Agnieszka Radwanska, who played beautifully in California last week, does present some threat, albeit small. Flavia Pennetta and Nadia Petrova are dangerous on hard courts and are prone to make a run. Ana Ivanovic, lucky to be seeded as the draws came out before the new rankings, which have her out of the top 50, is a possible 3rd round match for Radwanska. Daniela Hantuchova and Petrova could meet early on as well, providing for an entertaining battle.

Quarterfinals: Williams def. Radwanska

Victoria Azarenka comes in as the 3rd seed and defending champ ready to redeem herself after bowing out of Indian Wells pretty early. It won't be easy though. Her quarter is arguably the toughest, featuring Jelena Jankovic, IW champion, Sam Stosur, IW semifinalist, Kim Clijsters, Shahar Peer, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, IW quarterfinalist and Jie Zheng. It's near impossible to pick a darkhorse, as any of these ladies could end up as the semifinalist. Stosur and JJ could meet in the round of 16 in a rematch of their semifinal last week, while Kimmie and Azarenka are headed for a 4th round clash as well. This section is loaded, but current form is always a big factor.

Quarterfinals: Jankovic def. Azarenka

Caroline Wozniacki is the headliner here as the number 2 seed, and like good friend Azarenka, has a daunting task ahead of her. Justine Henin and Elena Dementieva, who will probably meet in a blockbuster 2nd round match, are both capable of derailing Wozzi, and Vera Zvonareva, Francesca Schiavone and Alisa Kleybanova all turn in their best results at the spring hardcourt events. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Schiavone could create an entertaining 3rd round match of contrasting styles, while Russians Zvonareva and Kleybanova are headed for a clash in that same round.

It's anyone's call.

Quarterfinal: Kleybanova def. Wozniacki

Semifinals: Williams def. Wickmayer, Jankovic def. Kleybanova

Finals: Williams def. Jankovic

The Miami Draws are Out!!!!

The Sony Ericsson Open draws have been released and the fields are looking pretty strong, despite the losses of Serena, DelPo and Maria. But last year's champions, Murray and Vika, are competing, along with Rog, Rafa, Venus and many more.

I'm currently at the airport (LEAVING MIAMI), and I wish I could stay a little longer to see the tennis, but tennis channel, and their ALWAYS wonderful commentators *wink*, will have to do for now.

Here are the draws!

p.s. this woman next to me is orange and needs SPF 70 ASAP.

Indian Wells Results: Rafa and Djokovic Move On, Kleybanova Bounces Clijsters

Russian Alisa Kleybanova stunned the Indian Wells crowd on Monday when she took out 14th seeded Kim Clijsters in the 3rd round, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4). The Belgian came unravelled after leading 4-0 in the breaker, addressing her inability to close it out afterwards, saying, "I let it slip away. She played some really good points to get back into it. She kept me under pressure. I took my foot off the accelerator. That’s most definitely the wrong thing to do." In another upset, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez earned a straight set victory over 3rd seed Victoria Azarenka. Shahar Peer and Carla Suarez Navarro upended Flavia Pennetta and Agnes Szavay, respectively, after dropping the middle sets.

Novak Djokovic showed his second-to-none fighting spirit in his 3rd rounder with his 2009 Roland Garros conqueror Phillip Kohlschreiber, saving 3 match points in the 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (3) win. Joining the Serb in the 4th round were Tomas Berdych, John Isner and Ivan Ljubicic, 3 big servers who advanced in 2 sets.

Jelena Jankovic was on the verge of losing before she put the pedal to the medal, recovering from a 1 set deficit to defeat Sara Errani in 3 hours, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4. Sam Stosur dominated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 6-3, while Vera Zvonareva turned her country's frowns upside down, having no trouble in a straight set win over Anastija Sevastova. 13th seeded Yanina Wickmayer, the last Belgian standing after Clijsters' and Henin's losses, dug deep to triumph in a 3 setter over Roberta Vinci, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Juan Monaco showed his endurance in outlasting Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3. Ferrero's fellow Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, gave his best match thus far, winning 2 and 2 against Mario Ancic. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, another Spaniard, came back from a 1 set deficit to oust Tomaz Bellucci.

Indian Wells Results: Kuzzie, Ana and Cilic Upset; Davy, Rafa and Nando Advance

Apologies for the lack of Indian Wells postings...now that we're getting into the good stuff, as in the seeds are playing, the coverage will be nonstop. Don't quote me on that.

Rafael Nadal kicked off his BNP Paribas Open campaign with a solid victory over Rainer Schuttler 6-4, 6-4. 10th seeded Marin Cilic suffered a loss to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (1), 6-0, while Fernando Verdasco stayed alive with a 4 and 1 win. Gilles Simon was upset 7-5, 6-4 by qualifier Brian Dabul, while Novak Djokovic, the 2nd seed, barely escaped one, pulling out his night match against Mardy Fish 6-1, 0-6, 6-2. Tomas Berdych advanced in 3 sets and Ivan Ljubicic beat American Ryan Harrison in straights.

The top seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, proved just how undeserving she is of that notion as her inconsistent results continued with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss to Carla Suarez Navarro. Russians Maria Sharapova and Alisa Kleybanova edged out their opponents in their respective matches with thrilling, and often ugly, 3 set wins. Marion Bartoli won 6-4, 6-2 to join Yanina Wickmayer, a 2 and 4 winner, in the 3rd round.

Nikolay Davydenko, the 5th seed, ousted Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 6-4 and Viktor Troicki advanced after his opponent, Pablo Cuevas, retired after just 1 game. Andreas Seppi took out crowd favorite Robby Ginepri in 3 sets, while Paul-Henri Mathieu, Victor Hanescu and Evgeny Korolev were 2 set victors.


Victoria Azarenka showed she is a bright spot in the future of women's tennis, as she trounced Sybille Bammer 6-1, 7-5, but her counterpart, Ana Ivanovic, looked embarrasing in a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Anastasija Savastova. Aussie Ana was a finalist in IW last year, so due to the early-round loss, she will fall out of the top 50, where she belongs. Can we even refer to this as an upset, because I'm sure as hell not surprised. Coach Gunthardt: get your head out of the gutter and use your coaching skills on someone worthwhile.

Both Flavia Pennetta and Agnes Szavay moved on to the 3rd round in straight setters.

Indian Wells Women's Predictions

It's been a while since we've had all the top ladies together in one tournament, and we're going to have to wait until Miami, because once again, the William sister's are sitting out of Indian Wells. World number 2 Dinara Safina is also out due to a back injury, and that leaves us with the dismal duo of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki as out top 2 seeds.

What the hell has the world come to when 2 extremely inconsistent women are headlining what's often referred to as a '5th Grand Slam'. Thankfully we have the fashionista Russian and those two Belgians to keep up the TV ratings. So, here is a breakdown of the BNP Paribas Open draw (click here to take a look for yourself).

1st Quarter

Kuzzie is the tournament's top seed, and she definitely does not have an easy road to the semis, as there are plenty of solid hard-courter's in this section. To start, US Open champ Kim Clijsters, the 14th seed, is a potential 4th round opponent for the Russian. Alisa Kleybanova could also make some noise, and the same goes for 9th seeded Flavia Pennetta, 17th seeded Shahar Peer and 6th seeded Jelena Jankovic. Kleybanova and Peer have been the most impressive of this group as of late, specifically their strong performances in Fed Cup and in Dubai, respectively, but it's difficult to bet against Clijsters, who has a lot to prove after a crushing defeat in her last competitive match in, in Melbourne.

Quarterfinals: Kim Clijsters def. Shahar Peer

2nd Quarter

The 2nd section of the draw is relatively unpredictable with the often shaky Victoria Azarenka, the 3rd seed, leading the ladies, and Sam Stosur, seeded 8th, right behind her. Yanina Wickmayer has been playing with added motivation after her unfair suspension, and she is quickly showing she belongs in the elites. Her game fits the hardcourts well, and Indian Wells could be the perfect place for her to finally make her mark. Vera Zvonareva consistently plays her best tennis here, as she was the champion last year. Ana Ivanovic also lies in this quarter, but, as we all know, not much'll come out of that.

Quarterfinals: Yanina Wickmayer def. Vera Zvonareva

3rd Quarter

Elena Dementieva got extremely unlucky in Melbourne when the draw put her against an in-form Justine Henin in the 2nd round. Other than that early loss, though, the Russian has been dynamite this season, winning 2 titles by February. The 4th seed will possibly get a chance to avenge that Aussie Open loss in California, as she could meet Henin in the quarters. Dementieva won't have trouble reaching that stage, as Francesca Schiavone and Aravane Rezai, her two possible early-round opponents, are no match. Near Henin are Agnieszka Radwanska, Gisela Dulko, Sabine Lisicki and Marion Bartoli, all talented hard-courters. I'm not expecting any of them, though, to knock out Henin prior to the quarters.

Quarterfinals: Elena Dementieva def. Justine Henin

4th Quarter

The weakest quarter of the entire draw is probably the final one, as Wozniacki leads the pack with 7th seeded Li Na. Following those two are Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova, who are probably better bets than the formers to make a run. Sharapova has returned to form these past few weeks, with a title in Memphis, and Petrova looked revived in her dominating win over Clijsters at the 1st major of the year. Jie Zheng and Maria Kirilenko, both of whom also looked great in Oz, are also located in this section, as they could face Sharapova and Wozniacki in the 3rd round, respectively.

Quarterfinals: Maria Sharapova def. Nadia Petrova

Semifinals: Wickmayer def. Clijsters; Sharapova def. Dementieva

Finals: Wickmayer def. Sharapova

After following Yanina for these past few months, I'm really feeling her now. I know it's risky, but I see big things for the Belgian these next few weeks.

Dubai Results: Venus Defends Title w/ Win Over Azarenka

Venus Williams capped off a dominating run at the Dubai Championships on Sunday with a defense of her title and a 6-3, 7-5 win over Victoria Azarenka. The win was the American's 42nd of her career and 1st of the year, as she breezed through the draw without dropping a set. Venus hit 7 aces while holding serve all but 1 time. It was definitely very competitive,” said Williams, who went in as the tournaments 3rd seed. “I expected her to come out and play very well. I respect her game. Just the effort that she gives it. Even though I was leading in the second set, she just never gave up. She played really well and I am obviously happy to close the tournament out.”

Dubai Results: Peer Continues Magical Run, Venus and Vika In to the Semis

Shahar Peer's run in Dubai this week has been nothing short of inspiring, as the Israeli has knocked out the tournament's top seed, Caroline Wozniacki, and Yanina Wickmayer. Most recently, Peer, who was denied a visa by the tournament organizers last year, an incident which caused many other players to protest, defeated the 8th seeded Li Na as the Chinese retired down 7-5, 3-0. Peer will face Venus Williams in the semis. The American took out Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-4.

On the opposite side of the draw, Victoria Azarenka will meet Agnieszka Radwanska in the final 4. Azarenka looked very impressive in a 6-1, 6-3 out of Vera Zvonareva, while Radwanska squeaked past qualifier Regina Kulikova 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.