Back (I hope) From a MUCH Needed Break

K, so I know it's been quite a while since I last blogged. The day of the men's US Open final, to be exact. School work has been coming left and right and I just haven't been in the mood to blog very much, but I am pretty sure the fire in me is back. That was cheesy.

So, despite the fact that many of you have continued visiting the blog during my absence and been disappointed in the lack of new material, you can now come to Serve and Return and be expecting some news. Most of the time. I'll try to stay on top of my game.

Andy Murray and Fed are set to face off in the Shanghai finals after the Swiss dismantled Soderling and Djokovic back-to-back. Rafa was upset by Melzer. Caro has taken over the top ranking and Serena, Venus and Kim have all called it a year.

Thanks for the continued support. Be back tomorrow!

US Open Day 7 Results: Clijsters Thwarts Ana, Spaniards Dominate, Murray Crashes

The Spanish Armada of tennis stars have been known to dominate the clay courts of Roland Garros, but who knew the red and yellow could make their marks in New York too. Rafa Nadal, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Tommy Robredo all advanced to the Round of 16 on Sunday. In fact, Rafa, F-Lo, Nando and Ferrer occupy every fourth round spot in the 1st quarter of the draw, assuring a Spaniard a spot in the semis.

Rafa earned a 3-set win over Gilles Simon, Lopez was beating Sergiy Stakhovsky before the Ukrainian retired down 6-3, 4-0. Verdasco took out David Nalbandian 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and Ferrer ousted Daniel Gimeno-Traver in straights.

It was unexpected that Francesca Schiavone would emerge victorious at Roland Garros this year, but would it be that far-fetched to give the Italian 6th seed a shot at winning in New York? Not by the way she's plowed through her four matches thus far, most recently crushing Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 6-3, dropping just 13 games overall. Forget about Pavly's right arm, Schiavo has played even better tennis in the Big Apple than she did at the French, and her quarterfinal opponent, Venus Williams, has a lot to be scared of.

V struggled with her game against 16th seeded Shahar Peer on day 7, as the Israeli gave Williams all sorts of trouble, pushing her to a first set tiebreak, which she dropped 7-3, before going away quietly in the second, 6-3. Yes, Williams was wearing her 4th dress of the fortnight. Now, she needs her game to shine like her hot pink number did.

The shock of the day came via Stanislas Wawrinka, as the Swiss, now coached by Roger Federer's old mentor, Peter Lundgren, pulled off a stunner against Andy Murray, defeating the Scot 6-7 (3), 7-6 94), 6-3, 6-3. When Murray got down, he resorted, as usual, to his pushing antics, and Stan the Man completely handcuffed the 4th seed, who was out-aced 13-5. The victory was without a doubt one of the biggest of Wawrinka's career, but things won't get easier, as the 25th seed's 4th round encounter will be against American Sam Querrey.

Querrey had an easy time handling Nicolas Almagro, defeating the Spaniard 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The win put Sam back in the 4th round, the same stage he reached in 2008. Two American men remain in this 2nd quarter of the draw, and the other one is John Isner, down 2 sets to one against Mikhail Youzhny on Ashe right now. The winner will take on Tommy Robredo, the fifth Spaniard to invade the 4th round. Robredo, a longtime ATP journeyman, was in a 4th set with Michael Llodra, having had one 2 of the first 3, before the Frenchman retired.

Kim Clijsters' and Ana Ivanovic's 4th round encounter was expected to be an exciting match, as the Serb is finally starting to find her game, but it was actually much less enthralling than we hoped, as Kimmie slaughtered the former number 1 in less then an hour, 6-2, 6-1. The Belgian's quarterfinal opponent will be either Elena Dementieva of Sam Stosur, up next on Arthur Ashe.

US Open Men's Predictions

In Juasn Martin del Potro's absence from the year's final major, no one comes in as the defending champion, but this year's Open could be the year where the big 4's authority is restored.

1st Quarter

Rafael Nadal comes into the Open as the top seed, but it's no mystery that his best results don't come in New York. He's reached two semifinals here, but his road usually ends there, as he ran out of gas in an embarrassing defeat to JMDP in 2009. The Spaniard, though, is well rested and hopes to complete the career Grand Slam. His quarter, which includes Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez, is relatively soft, with the exception of an Argentine, not Del Potro, who is injury-free and finding his game again just in time to make a big run.

That person is David Nalbandian, who has missed the last 6 Majors with various injuries. His backhand is lethal and he has the experience to return to the late stages in a slam. He won two titles in the US Open Series, which included an 11-match winning streak, and has a manageable road to the quarters, where he would most likely meet Rafa. I imagine Nalbandian to reach the second week, but the world number 1 could be a bit too much for him to handle.

Early-rounder to watch for: Gilles Simon vs. Donald Young

Quarterfinals: Nadal def. Nalbandian

2nd Quarter

Andy Murray enters this year's Open after a very successful summer, where the Scot triumphed in Montreal, beating Nadal and Federer along the way. The 4th seed could face potential sleepers as early as the third round, as Sam Querrey and Nicolas Almagro pose a threat. On the other side of the quarter, Wimbledon finalist and 7th seed Tomas Berdcyh looms, along with John Isner.

Murray won't have an easy time maneuvering through a quarter of this depth, but, this being his favorite tournament, the 2008 runner-up should reach the semis. Unless Berdych gives Andy another royal beatdown like he did at the French, look for yet another Murray/Rafa battle on Super Saturday.

Early-rounder to watch for: Radek Stepanek vs. Tommy Robredo

Quarterfinals: Murray def. Berdych

3rd Quarter

Novak Djokovic is no stranger to success at the last major of the year, as he has reached the last 3 semifinals, including a 2007 runner-up finish. He'll be looking to continue his success in the big apple and win his first major since the 2008 Australian Open, but he has some hard-court specialists standing in his way. Andy Roddick is the 9th seed and has always had success at his country's Grand Slam. He is coming off a brief bout with mono that slowed him down over the summer, but should he be healthy, the American's always a danger. 6th seed Nikolay Davydenko is also a seasoned hard-courter, but a shortage of momentum, confidence and a possible 2nd round encounter with Richard Gasquet will probably send the Russian home early.

Mardy Fish, though, is a legitimate threat. He played the tennis of his life over the summer, winning two titles and giving Roger Federer a run for his money in the Cincinnati final. It's been a long time coming for the American, but could he have peaked a week or two early? That remains to be seen, but it's no doubt the 3rd quarter will pack the drama.

Early-rounder to watch for: Gael Monfils vs. Igor Andreev

Quarterfinals: Djokovic def. Roddick

4th Quarter

Could Roger Federer regain his title at the US Open and silence his many doubters? That's what the pundits are saying, as the Swiss is the most popular pick to win the title. In 6 years worth of matches in NYC, the world number 2 has lost just 1 match, in last year's final, to DelPo. Without the Argentine here, and after a title last week in Cincy, Fed will be entering the Open with tons of confidence. Before a possible meeting with Robin Soderling, a familar foe, in the quarters, Federer will have to get by Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Carlos Ferrero, two former number 1's.

Soderling has consistently given Federer troubles in the past year, most notably ending his semifinal streak in Roland Garros. But, should the meet, the Maestro will be playing with a vengeance, and he's awfully hard to beat if you catch him in the second week.

Early-rounder to watch for: Hewitt vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu

Quarterfinals: Federer def. Soderling

Semifinals: Murray def. Nadal, Federer def. Djokovic

Finals: Murray def. Federer

Champion: Andy Murray

US Open Seedings Announced; Rafa and Caro Earn Top Seeds

The U.S. Open seedings, announced on Monday for the men and Tuesday for the women, strictly followed the rankings, but withdrawals by the likes of Serena Williams and Juan Martin del Potro have thrown a bit of a twist into this year's list. Caroline Wozniacki, ranked 2nd in the world, was awarded the top seed after Williams announced that she would be unable to compete due to a foot injury. Rounding out the top 4 is Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal takes the top seed, followed by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Nando and Murray Go High Fashion in Magazine Spreads

Fernando Verdasco is no stranger to fashion spreads in huge advertisements and the top magazines, but doing it with his clothes on must have been a whole different animal. The Spaniard appeared in this month's GQ Magazine modeling the season's best business wear from fashion houses like Calvin Klein, Gucci and Hugo Boss.

Andy Murray, on the other hand, is quite unfamiliar with this whole modeling thing, so seeing his 4-page spread in this month's Vogue was quite a surprise. Murray sported mostly Burberry in his photographs, which were shot by noted fashion photographer Mario Testino.

Back to Reality...

My 1-month hiatus has come to an end. It was nice to not have to worry about posting daily and what not, but it's great to be back bringing you tennis 24/7. So what happened when I left: Andy Murray was brilliant in Montreal, Federer hired Paul Annacone, David Nalbandian looked like a new man, Sharapova and Clijsters played some inspired tennis, Dinara Safina fell to world number 70, Ivanovic got back on track then fell off again and Murray and his coach parted ways.

This week the men are in Cincy while the ladies are in Toronto, and the year's final Grand Slam is less than two weeks away.

I got my vacay so now I'm back to full-on blogging again. I'd like to think I was terribly missed, but some voice in my head is telling me that that's a fabrication.

Wimbledon Day 9 Results: Berdych Trounces Fed; Rafa, Murray and Djoko Advance

This historic Wimbledon of surprises stuck to the storyline for the men's quarterfinals, as Roger Federer went crashing out to a dynamite Tomas Berdych in 4 sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The 12th seeded Berdych dominated play from the baseline and out-served the top seed, handing the Swiss his 2nd consecutive Major quarterfinal defeat. Berdych hit 51 winners to Fed's 44 and converted 4 of 6 BP chances, while his opponent was 1 of 8, most notably letting a 0-40 game in the 4th on Berdych's serve get away.

It's clear that Federer just doesn't have the ability to flip the switch and turn his game on when he needs to, like he did in his dominant 2004-2007 reign, and I'd be surprised if he ever wins another Major title (I know, bold prediction), but the lack of credit given to his conqueror in his presser afterwards makes me think that perhaps Roger himself is the one person oblivious to this thing called aging.

"You know, I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn't quite allow me to play the way I would like to play," Federer whined, also referring to 'luck' as a key reason for the loss. Berdych had the balls to fire back and say that Fed was "searching for excuses."

Yes, Roger may be my favorite player and a personal hero, but can't he walk in Berdych's shoes and realize how life-changing this win is for the 24 year-old? Guess not.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga entered his match with Andy Murray saying he had "nothing to lose", as the man on the other side of the court had all of England's hopes to bare. Well, turns out that mindset wasn't the right one to have. Despite a valiant effort in the first two sets on the part of the Frenchman, Murray later figured out the 10th seed's game to dominate the final 2 sets and win in 4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2.

Both men finished with 14 aces, but Tsonga threw in 8 double faults to match, while Murray ahd just two. A key factor, though, just as in the Federer/Berdych match, was their break point conversions. The Scot was 31% at 5 of 16, while Tsonga, a first time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, was an unimpressive 1 of 6.

Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling a quite familiar with each other, as their rivalry began 3 years ago on the same court they contested their quarterfinal match on yesterday. Since that 2-day, 5-set epic a few years ago, in which Soderling first started the trend of mocking Nadal's famous yanking-at-the-behind move, both players have improved immensely. Soderling lost to Rafa in the French open final 3 weeks ago but looked headed for revenge after a quick start. The Swede won the first 5 games and took the opening set 6-3. Rafa won by that same score in the next set, and the 3rd was a nail biter. The world number 1 lost serve at 5-4 and the set went to a tiebreak, which the Spaniard won 7-4.

After that it was all Rafa, as Soderling was never able to regain his form from the beginning of the match, dropping the fourth set and the match 6-1. Soderling cracked 35 unforced errors and was erratic throughout the match, while throughout 4 sets Nadal hit just 12 UE's, reaching his 4th straight Wimbledon semifinal.

Rafa will take on Murray in the semis, a match many predicted and will surely have tennis fans glued to their tv screens.


Novak Djokovic's semifinal was less thrilling than the other 3, as the Serb made quick work of Yen-Hsun Lu, who beat Andy Roddick 9-7 in the fifth set in the 4th round. Lu hit just 13 winners to the Djoker's 29, and was completely overpowered throughout the 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 loss. With the win the 3rd seeded Djokovic reaches his 2nd career Wimbledon semi, and will face Tomas Berdych for a spot in the finals.

Wimbledon Day 7: Roddick Stunned by Lu, Federer, Nadal and Serena Win in Straights

If you looked at the schedule for day 7 of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, you probably would have thought, just as I did, that some of the match ups looked more fit for final-round encounters. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova took to Centre Court in a rematch of the final in 2004, as both women have had their fair share of ups and downs since they began their rivalry 6 years ago. Serena, though, avenged her loss to the then 17-year old Sharapova, serving beautifully to reach the quarters with a tight 7-6 (9), 6-4 win. Both women saw very few looks on each others serve, but Serena proved the opportunistic of the two, converting the two break points she had.

9th seeded Li Na will be Williams' opponent in the final 8, as the Chinese dominated a defensive Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 7th, 6-3, 6-2. Li reached the quarterfinals at SW19 in 2006, and she'll be looking to turn the tables on Serena after the American beat her in the Aussie Open semis 6 months ago. Caroline Wozniacki was playing the best grass court tennis of her career ehading into her 4th round match with Petra Kvitova, but she looked helpless against her 62nd ranked opponent. 3rd seeded Wozzi lost 2 and 0 and just 45 minutes in yet another GS dissapointment. Kvitova will take on qualified Kaia Kanepi, who beat Klara Zakopalova, next.

In the bottom half of the men's draw lies British hope Andy Murray, who has quietly (at least here in the States) advanced to the quarters, his latest victory being a comfortable 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 over Sam Querrey on Monday. Murray is the only remaining player in the draw who has yet to have his serve broken, and that streak will be tested against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the next round. The Frenchman earned a 4-set win over countryman Julien Benneteau.

After two nail-biting 5-set victories, Rafael Nadal returned to his usual, dominating self with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win against Paul-Henri Mathieu. Robin Soderling, a very familiar foe to the Spaniard, will be Rafa's opponent in the quarters. The 6th seeded Sod prevailed against David Ferrer in a thrilling 5-setter, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Soderling and Nadal have played numerous times in the last year, most recently 3 weeks ago in the French Open final, where Rafa won easily.

The rivalry between Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, one that dates back to their childhood in Belgium, was reignited on Monday, as the two contested their first matchin Major play since their 2006 Wimbledon semifinal. Henin got off to a quick start, overwhelming Clijsters with her crafty play to take the first 6-2. Kim, though, reversed the storyline in the next two sets to win the match in 3 and advance to the quarters, where she'll take on Vera Zvonareva. Jelena Jankovic retired against the Russian down 6-1, 3-0.

Venus Williams overcame a tough test from Jarmila Groth to win 6-4, 7-6 (5), while Tsvetana Pironkova, who took our Venus in the 2006 Australian open first round, beat Marion Bartoli, a 2007 Wimbledon finalist, 6-4, 6-4.

Roger Federer made quick work of Jurgen Melzer in their first ever head-to-head meeting, crushing the 16th seed 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Federer will face Tomas Berdych who dropped the first set against Daniel Brands but won the final 3. Novak Djokovic was tested by Lleyton hewitt, a popular dark-horse pick, but won in 4 sets to reach his 3rd Wimbledon quarterfinal.

The upset of the day was Yen-Hsun Lu's stunning 5 set victory over Andy Roddick. After the American won the opening set, the 26 year-old Lu won the next two in breakers. Roddick fought back to push the match to a fifth set, where he lost 9-7 to see yet another Wimbledon title get out of hand. Roddick's frustration and devastation was evident in his press conference, as it was clear he regretted his defensive play against an agressive Lu.

I'm Back- Wimbledon Week 1 Round-Up

Wimbledon´s first week was without a doubt a historic one and, of course, I didn´t see one single, solitary point of it. I was on a cruise (as I previously mentioned) and yes, there was TV, but no, absolutely no Wimby coverage. EVEYTHING World Cup- I was literally on the verge of jumping overboard, having no connection to the outside world except from the $1.75/per minute Internet and the Italians that told me to fuck off when I asked if they could put on some tennis at a bar. Other than that, it was a great time.

But let´s not focus on my extravaganza...how about that of John Isner and Nicholas Mahut. You obviously already know about it but let me just say that most of the Internet bill was built up by me trying to track this match point by point. 70-68. I thought there was a glitch on the SW19 website. EPIC.

There was also the drama with Victor Hanescu being an annoying and obnoxious brat. Check out the video below. Serena has been dominant, particularly serving-wise. Fed had his first round scare and has look pretty good since while Rafa look dynamite initially and has been taken to two 5-setters since. The weather has been a blessing and the Queen even made an earlier-than-expected visit to the All England Club. Her fave player, Andy Murray has yet to crash and burn from the expectations of England while Stosur and Schiavo had major letdowns, losing in round 1.

Hope everyone is enjoying the middle-Sunday break. Day 7 will be jam packed. Plane ride home Monday- thank God. Here are some of the exciting matches to watch tomorrow.

Serena vs. Sharapova

Justine vs. Kimmie

Radwanska vs. Li

Zvonareva vs. Jankovic

Fed vs. Melzer

Djokovic vs. Hewitt

Querrey vs. Murray

Soderling vs. Ferrer

Off to Europe

Wimbledon coverage on Serve and Return will be quite sporadic this year. I am 15 minutes away from boarding a plane to Barcelona, where I'll be embarking on a cruise that hits Rome, Florence, Monte Carlo, Mallorca (Rafa's birthplace) and Naples. Of course, it goes to all the European cities BUT London! So no, I won't be seeing any Wimby action. I'll try to update as often as possible based on how much internet is on the ship.

There isn't time to do a men's prediction post so I'll just tell you real quick here.

Semis: Federer def. Roddick, Nadal def. Murray

Finals: Nadal def. Federer

Enjoy your breakfast at Wimbledon!

Kim Sears Shows Up to Support Her Ex, Murray

A few months ago Kim Sears decided to call things off with boyfriend of 4 years Andy Murray because the world number 4 was reportedly spending too much time on his playstation and less time with his woman, but it seems things have heated up between the two again, as Sears was spotted supporting Murray at his opening Queen's Club match against Ivan Navarro.

The Scot struggled to pull off the victory, winning 6 and 3, but more importantly is the fact that the two have clearly patched things up (or maybe Andy's playstation broke and he got bored). Murray's play suffered a significant drop during his few months as a single man so maybe we could see an inspired run at Wimbledon.

Roland Garros Results: Fed, Rafa, Serena and Venus Win in Straights; Henin and Sharapova to Meet

Ticket holders for Friday at Roland Garros got much more than they bargained for. With rain delays pushing matches back to Day 6, almost every top player was on court today, and the countless 3 and 5 set thrillers provided the drama that rounded out a perfect day of tennis.

On the women's side Serena Williams gave her best clay court performance of the year, crushing Julia Georges 6-1, 6-1 for a spot in the 3rd round, where she'll meet Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Aleksandra Wozniak gave a brilliant effort in almost defeating en emotional Elena Dementieva, but the Russian's experience proved pivotal in her advancing to the 4th round, 6-7 (2). 6-3, 6-4. Sam Stosur also made an impressive recovery from a set down to Rossana de los Rios to eventually prevail 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. Nadia Petrova and Aravane Rezai's match was suspended late while the two were deadlocked in a suspenseful 3rd set, 7-7. Rezai won the opener in a tiebreak while Petrova took the second 6-4. Caroliner Wozniacki, Flavia Pennetta and Yanina Wickmayer all advanced as well.

On the men's side Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer continued to cruise, with the Spaniard reaching the 3rd round and the Swiss reaching the 4th. Federer will play close friend and countryman Stanislas Wawrinka, while Nadal and Lleyton Hewitt, a 5 set winner, are set to face off tomorrow. Robin Soderling has been the most impressive player so far at this year's French open but on Friday he showed his first sign of vulnerability, dropping a set to 25th seed Albert Montanes, but holding on to win in 4, 6-4, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Nicolas Almagro all advanced in straights while others like Fernando Verdasco and Marin Cilic had much more difficulty, advancing in 4 over Florent Serra and 5 over Leonardo Mayer, respectively.

Caroline Wozniacki has been able to grin and bear her way to the 4th round despite a painbful ankle injury, defeating Alexanmdra Dulgheru in 2 sets on Friday to advance. In Wozniacki;s quarter lies the dangerous Maria Kirilenko, who ousted last year's champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Kuznetsova is the highest seed in either draw to lose thus far. Francesca Schiavone defeated Li Na and both Yanina Wickmayer and Daniela Hantuchova triumphed, setting up a compelling match between the two of them in the third round.

Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin have not played each other since an Australian Open quarterfinal match that played a large part in Henin's abrupt retirement. In that encounter 2 years ago Sharapova demolished the Belgian, and since then, the two have gone on very different paths in their tennis careers. Both experienced breaks from tennis, one voluntary and one from injury, but the dice landed perfectly, and they are set to meet in the 3rd round of the French open on Saturday. On paper the 12th seeded Russian, who took out Kirsten Flipkens 3 and 3, is supposed to win, but Sharapova will be a heavy underdog against the 4-time RG champ, seeded 22nd.

The best match of the men's tournament thus far featured Ivan Ljubicic and Mardy fish, a pairing unlikely to produce an electrifying encounter. The 14th seeded Ljubicic won the opening set 6-2 but lost his momentum in losing the 2nd and 3rd 7-6 (8) and 6-4. The Indian Wells champion then came back to win the last two sets and the match 6-2 and 10-8. 3rd and 4th seeds Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray both reached the 3rd round with wins on Friday. Djokovic played his best match of the fortnight, beating 18 year old Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 and Murray fought off Marcos Baghdatis to earn a 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 victory. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga got much needed crowd support in his 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4 win against Thiemo de Bakker. as the Frenchman was ostensibly in an incredible amount of pain throughout the 4-setter. Juan Carlos Ferrero also struggled, needing 4 sets to eliminate Pere Riba, while Fernando Gonzalez, 2009 semifinalist, was upset by Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr.

Roland Garros Results: Federer, Kuznetsova and Venus Advance, Rain Halts Play in Monfils/Fognini Thriller

Sorry I didn't do results yesterday...once again, I'm loaded with work. And Rafa won, but I'm sure you knew that.

Rain put a damper on the 4th day of play at Roland Garros but among those who were lucky enough to squeeze their matches in early was Venus Williams, who was first on Chatrier, earning a win over Araxta Parra Santonja, 6-2, 6-4. Venus was joined in the third round by Caroline Wozniacki, seeded 3rd, who beat Tathiana Garbin 3 and 1. Nadia Petrova and Aravane Rezai both won, setting up what is sure to be an exciting third round clash between the two of them. Lucie Safarova was upset by Polona Hercog 6-1, 6-2.

Ale-Alejando Falla *plugging gaga* served for the opening set against Roger Federer but lost it in a tiebreak, and was unable to keep up his strong level of play in the 2nd in 3rd, falling 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4. Robin Soderling has been rather under-the-radar at this year's French open but he's easily playing the best tennis of anyone, surrendering just 2 games in a dominating win over Taylor Dent. Marin Cilic, a possible round of 16 opponent for Soderling, defeated Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 while Stanislas Wawrinka, also in the first quarter of the draw, easily ousted Andreas Beck in straights.

Last year's champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, was down a set to Andrea Petkovic before mounting a comeback to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. A fellow Russian of Kuzzie's, Maria Kirilenko, reached the 3rd round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory and Gisela Dulko, who upset Victoria Azarenka in round 1, was defeated by Channelle Scheepers 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. 14th seed Flavia Pennetta was up 6-1, 5-1 on Roberta Vinci before rain suspended the match until tomorrow, and Dominika Cibulkova, 2009 semifinalist, won 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Gael Monfils looked to be headed for a routine win over Fabio Fognini before the Frenchman squandered a 2-set lead, allowing the match to go to a deciding 5th set. Fognini started complaining about the lack of light early in the 5th, while Monfils was persistent in staying on court. The umpire sided with Monfils, and the match continued until 5-5, when even spectators began to have difficulty seeing. Andy Murray was leading 6-2, 3-3 before his match with Juan Ignacio Chela was also put off until Thursday. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 along with Tomas Berdych, Mikhail Youzhny and Albert Montanes.

Roland Garros Results; Murray Fights off Gasquet, Serena, Federer and Djokovic Advance

Serena Williams kicked off her Roland Garros campaign pretty solidly on Monday, knocking off Stefanie Voegele 7-6 (2), 6-2. The number one seed was joined in the next round by a wobbly Carolina Wozniacki, who despite a serious ankle injury was able to quickly defeat Alla Kurdyatseva. 11th seeded Li Na, 8th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and Lucia Safarova all advanced to round 2 with straight set wins, while Alona Bondarenko and Francesca Schiavone had to fight their way through 3 setters to earn their spot in the next round.

On the men's side the defending champion stepped out onto the same court that solidified him as the G.O.A.T just under a year ago, and he definitely impressed, crushing Peter Luczak 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. In Federer's quarter is Gael Monfils and Stanislas Wawrinka, both of whom advanced, Monfils in 4 sets and Wawrinka in straights. 2009 Roland Garros semifinalist Fernando Gonzalez fought off Thiago Alves in 4 sets while Spaniard Nicolas Almagro won a thriller, 6-4 in the 5th. Big servers Ivan Ljubicic, Tomas Berdych, John Isner and Taylor Dent all defeated their respective opponents in straight sets (Dent hit a 149 mph serve, a French Open record).

Jelena Jankovic continued her impressive Spring, having little trouble in defeating Alicia Molik. Elena Dementieva also looked primed for a serious run, conceding just 3 games against Petra Martic. In Dementieva's quarter is fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova, who also won an easy 2-setter. Agnieszka Radwanksa, seeded 8th, won 6-0, 7-5 over Elena Baltacha and Sam Stosur, 7th, beat Simona Halep 5 and 1.

It was no secret that Andy Murray's struggles have been more than just a mid-season slump, but the Scot's determination (or perhaps it was his opponent's lack of endurance) was on display in his thrilling comeback 5-set win against Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Monday. A popular pick to send Murray home early, Gasquet jumped out to a 2-set lead 6-4, 7-6 (5) before falling apart and allowing the 4th seed to run away with the final 4 sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. Novak Djokovic also struggled in reaching the 2nd round, beating Evgueni Korolev 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Seeded Spaniards Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez were ousted by in straights respectively by Viktor Troicki and Julian Reister. American Mardy Fish joined countrymen Dent and Isner in proving wrong the assumptions about the US men on clay, mounting a comeback from 2 sets to 1 down to triumph.

Roland Garros Men's Predictions

This year we enter Roland Garros with one question. How easily will Rafael Nadal triumph? Sure, it's quite unfair to completely disregard the world number 1 and resident G.O.A.T, Roger Federer, but the Swiss has been very shaky and Rafa, well, he's been anything but. Nadal isn't entering this year's French Open playing as well as he did in 2008, but one must have the experience, confidence and talent to derail the Spaniard this year, as he's been so far ahead of the pack. Many of this year's possible "Soderlings" have 2 of those 3, but without the whole package, no one is coming between Nadal and his 5th French title.

1st Quarter

Of course, Roger Federer sits atop the draw, like he always has. He comes into Roland Garros not having won a tournament since the Aussie Open, and he hasn't gone winless between the year's first two slams in 7 years. That being said, the Swiss was able to eliminate the erratic shanks from his game in Madrid that were ever-so-present in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome. The man he beat in last year's final, Robin Soderling, lies in Fed's quarter, but he hasn't been very impressive either. And Le Sod doesn't have an soft draw either, as he could possibly meet clay-court specialist Albert Montanes in the 3rd round, where I would give the edge to Montanes. Marin Cilic and Ernests Gulbis, who has already contested three 3-setters with Federer this year (winning 1 of them) all are possible quarterfinal opponents for Federer, who needs to get past the quick and crafty Gael Monfils and countryman Stanislas Wawrinka to reach that stage. Despite a rough path, Federer is the clear favorite to reach a 24th consecutive GS semifinal, and expect him to do it without too much difficulty.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Gulbis vs. Cilic

Quarterfinals: Federer def. Cilic

2nd Quarter

I'll be honest- I have no effing clue who is going to win this section. It's by far the weakest of the four, with Andy Murray, playing pretty craptasticly as of late, leading the way. Right behind the Scot, is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who tends to suffer from the infamous "Frenchies at the French" disease, a syndrome Parisians tend to be infected with around May, when playing in front of their home crowd in Roland Garros. In other words, he can't handle the pressure or expectations placed on him by his country. Mikhail Youzhny, Tomas Berdych, John Isner and Tommy Robredo also lie in the 2nd quarter, and I would figure that one of them would be the semifinalist. Youzhny is a headcase, Isner is an American 9that should say it all) and Robredo is a grand-slam punching bag. Berdych, though, has the experience and the game to make a big run. Look for the Czech to cause an upset or two and reach a long overdue Major semifinal.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Murray vs. Richard Gasquet

Quarterfinals: Berdych def. Tsonga

3rd Quarter

Novak Djokovic has been quite the mystery this year. Like Murray, he has all the talent in the world and top-notch results to prove it but a major case of choking (or what Nole would call it: allergies) have put a damper on the Serb's 2010. Poor results all Spring, which tends to be a thriving time of the year for the world number 3, have weakened Djoko's confidence and he isn't playing like a possible contender. Andy Roddick is the 2nd highest seed here, but the American has yet to play a clay-court match in 2010. not ideal circumstances for a solid Roland Garros campaign. The obvious choice would be David Ferrer, and as much as I would love to be a contrarian, everything points in the Spaniard's favor. Ferrer's clay-court run this Spring has been phenomenal, reaching the semis in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid, and the finals in Rome. Juan Carlos Ferrero and Sam Querrey are the next two highest seeds and could possibly meet in the 3rd round, both having had success on the clay.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Ferrero vs. Querrey

Quarterfinals: Ferrer def. Ferrero



Rafael Nadal has to like the looks of his section this year. Beating Fernando Verdasco has been comically easy for Rafa this year, and you'd have to be insane to think that Fernando Gonzalez and Ivan Ljubicic pose any sort of threat to the Spaniard's clay-court dominance. Nicolas Almagro gave Rafa all he had in the Madrid semis, but over 3 out of 5 sets any menace Almagro previously provided is gone. I'd be surprised if Nadal lost much more than 10 games en route to the semis.

Early rounder to keep an eye on: Lleyton Hewitt vs. Jeremy Chardy

Semifinals: Federer def. Berdych, Nadal def. Ferrer

Here we go again. Federer and Nadal. Expect something along the lines of the 2008 final, but just not as harsh. Win number 5 for El Matador.

Finals. Nadal def. Federer

Madrid Results: Fed, Rafa and Venus Reach Semis, Jankovic and Murray Fall

After suffering a devastating defeat to Ernests Gulbis at the Italian Open two weeks ago, Roger Federer turned the tables on the Latvian in Madrid, mounting an impressive comeback to defeat Gulbis, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Rafael Nadal has yet to drop a set this week at the Mutua Madrilena Masters, where he is the defending runner-up, making quick work of Gael Monfils, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals.

Just one week after receiving an absolute beatdown at the hands of Jelena Jankovic, Venus Williams had little difficulty beating one of the other hottest players on tour, Sam Stosur, who could have broken into the top 5 with a win.

“Her game plan seemed to be to just attack everything,” said Williams, following her 3 and 3 win. “She played well. But there were some key points, and at the end, from 4-3, I felt like I went, on autopilot, so it felt good.”

Venus will take on Shahar Peer, who took out Li Na in 3 sets, while Lucia Safarova, who beat Nadia Petrova 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, will face Aravane Rezai, a upset victor against Jankovic.

David Ferrer pulled off an unexpected upset by beating 4th-seeded Andy Murray in straight sets to advance to the final 4, where the Spaniard will take on Federer. Over the course of the 7-5, 6-3 win, which lasted 2 hours and 11 minutes, Ferrer proved why he is constantly a lay-court threat, while Murray showed some of his amateur tendencies that popped up in March. To complete the trifecta of Spaniards in the final, Nicolas Almagro easily defeated Jurgen Melzer, 6-3, 6-1 to earn the right to play Rafa for a finals berth.

Madrid Results: Fed, Murray and Jankovic Cruise, Nadal and Stosur Squeek By

Sorry for skipping the results yesterday. FYI- Petrova upset Serena. Soderling lost. Jankovic beat Ivanovic. Tsonga was upset. Roddick withdrew with a stomach bug. Now, you're all caught up.

Today, Andy Murray showed his most impressive tennis since reaching the Aussie Open final, crushing Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-1. The win marked the first back-to-back W's for the Scot since Indian Wells in March. Murray told the press afterwards, "Hanescu isn’t an out-and-out clay-court player so it was a different match than you normally get, but I felt comfortable.” Jurgen Melzer has also started to get back on track in Madrid, earning a huge win in straight sets over Fernando Verdasco, 7-5, 6-3. Roger Federer has earned himself a rematch with his conqueror in Rome, Ernests Gulbis. The Swiss beat his countryman, Stanislas Wawrinka, rather easily today, surrendering just 4 games. Gulbis defeated Feliciano Lopez, the beneficiary of Andy Roddick's withdrawal, 6-2, 7-6.

Just 24 hours after Serena Williams played the longest match of her career in beating Vera Dushevina, the American was forced to hop back on court against Nadia Petrova, a scheduling that Williams greatly criticized. Petrova forced the world number 1 into an uncharacteristic 41 errors in the 3 set win. Shahar Peer advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Arantxa Parra. Jelena Jankovic crushed Anabel Medina-Garrigues 2 and 0 to book her spot in the final 8.

Rafael Nadal has had a tougher time than usual this week, as he has had to gut out tight sets despite his clay-court dominance. Thursday was no different, as American John Isner put up a valiant effort in a 7-5, 6-4 loss to the Spaniard. Nadal's compatriot David Ferrer cruised by against Marin Cilic, 6-3, 6-2, while both Gael Monfils and Nicolas Almagro advanced in 2 setters.

Sam Stosur had a much more difficult time than expected handling the clever craftiness of Patty Schnyder, but ultimately the Aussie, who has been one of the more impressive women on tour during this clay-court season, won 7-6 (3), 6-2. Li Na took out Alona Bondarenko 6-3, 6-4 and Aravane Rezai outlasted Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 7-6 (8) in an exciting match.