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.

Roland Garros Results: Tsonga Wins a Thriller, Soderling, Venus and Kuzzie Roll, Gulbis Retires

Is there anything better than waking up to a cup of coffee and day 1 of Grand Slam action? I'd say no.

Roland Garros kicked off on Sunday and tennis' top stars wasted no time bringing the drama and the domination. Robin Soderling picked up where he left off at the 'o9 French Open, putting on a perfect display of offense and defense in crushing Laurent Recouderc 6-0, 6-2, 6-3. Other quick and easy winners included 29th seeded Albert Motanes, 11th seed Mikhail Youzhny and Alejandro Falla. Marin Cilic gave a solid performance in defeating Ricardo Mello in 4 sets, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

The men's side lacked any big upsets on day 1 but the dark horses in the ladies' draw got started ousting the top women right away. Gisela Dulko kicked off the party by absolutely thwarting Victoria Azarenka, who looked like a physical and emotional wreck. With the 6-1, 6-2 win Dulko advances to the second round of the French Open for the 6th straight year. Svetlana Kuznetsova has had an unsteady year thus far and was thought of as prone to a 1st-round upset at the hands of Sorana Cirstea, but after a slow start, the 6th seed and defending champ got back on track to earn an easy win, 6-3, 6-1. Madrid champ Aravane Rezai validated the 15 beside her name with a dominating performance against Heidi El Tabakh, surrendering just 2 games. Agnes Szavay, Dominika Cibulkova and Nadia Petrova all moved on without difficulty.

The pressure Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has to deal with at the French Open is nearly insurmountable, as an entire country is banking on the 7th seed to bring home a major to his homeland, but winning before his greatest critics has been anything but easy for Jo-Willy. And the first day at RG was no different, as Tsonga was pushed to 5 sets against Daniel Brands. After dropping the first set, Tsonga looked to be sailing to victory, winning the next 2 and earning a break in the 4th, but Brands mounted a comeback to push the match a 5th where Tsonga's serve pulled him through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (2), 7-5. Ernests Gulbis also had high expectations, but went the opposite rout of Tsonga, abruptly retiring against Julien Benneteau down 6-4, 6-2, 1-0. 32nd seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez defeated Rainer Schuettler 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.

Venus Williams dressed to impress this year at the French, and impress she did, easily beating Patty Schnyder on Sunday to reach round 2. Flavia Pennetta made quick work of Anna Keothavong, while Maria Kirilenko edged out Karolina Sprem in 2 tough sets. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was a popular pick to make a lot of noise at the year's 2nd slam after her win in Rome, but the Spaniard proved her impressive clay-court Spring was an aberration, as she crashed out against Akgul Amanmuradova 6-2, 6-4.

Oh, and I didn't want to mention this, but my semifinal pick in the 3rd quarter, Elena Vesnina, lost. I sincerely hope that none of you took my advice in your brackets.

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

Monte Carlo Results: Rafa, Djokovic Reach Quarters, Tsonga and Cilic Out

Rafael Nadal may have been going through a slight drought in his tennis career lately (for his standards) but the Spaniard is back on the clay, his favorite surface, and is crushing every opponent across the net in his return to the dirt. Thursday in Monte Carlo was no different, as Michael Berrer fell victim to the clay-court mastermind 6-0, 6-1. Nadal's quarterfinal opponent will be 9th seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, an outstanding clay-courter himself, who took out Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 for a shot to play his compatriot. David Nalbandian reached the final eight with a straight-set win against Tommy Robredo, while Phillip Kohlschreiber beat fellow German Phillip Petzschner 6-3, 6-4.

Monte Carlo's number 1 seed, Novak Djokovic was up against a tricky opponent in Stanislas Wawrinka in his 4th round match, but the Serb prevailed 6-4, 6-4 to book a quarterfinal spot. Albert Montanes upset 4th seeded Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, while two other Spaniards David Ferrer, 6-0, 7-6 (4) and Fernando Verdasco, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, also prevailed, giving Spain five of the eight quarterfinal spots.

Monte Carlo Results: Tsonga, Cilic and Nando Earn Round of 16 Bids

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga earned a tough 2-set win over Nicolas Almagro on Tuesday at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, 7-6 (5), 7-5. In another France vs. Spain matchup, Fernando Verdasco dominated Julien Benneteau 2 and 1, avenging Almagro's loss. 12th seeded Tommy Robredo, Michael Llodra and Albert Montanes all won, surrendering just 6 games. Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands advanced over Edwardo Schwank 6-3, 7-5.

4th seeded Marin Cilic got off to a very shaky start, losing the opening set to Igor Andreev 7-6 (4) before recovering to win the last 2 sets 6-1, 6-4. Tomas Berdych made the switch to red clay look easy, crushing Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-0, continuing his stellar play from Miami. Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 13th, and Jurgen Melzer, 15th, each won in 2 sets to reach the 2nd round, while Florent Serra and Victor Troicki had to go the distance to earn their victories.

Miami Results: Fish Upsets Murray, Federer, Venus and Kuznetsova Win

Roger Federer began his Miami campaign successfully, earning a 6-3, 6-3 win over Nicolas Lappentti while holding in every service game. Robin Soderling and Marin Cilic joined the Swiss in the 3rd round. Soderling defeated Peter Luczak 7-6 (5), 6-0 and Cilic clinched 6-3, 6-1. Mikhail Youzhny, who made headlines a few years ago in Miami with his head-banging abuse, surrendered just one game in his win, while 16th seed Tomas Berdych and 22nd seeded Juan Monaco advanced as well. Marcos Baghdatis and Feliciano Lopez each earned comfortable wins.

The women's tournament's top seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, made quick work of 27th seeded Agnes Szavay, and the tour's hottest player, Venus Williams, kept up her 12 match winning streak, defeating Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-4. Prior to Indian Wells, which venus skipped, the 29 year-old had won three consecutive tournaments. "I’ve come from down, up, around and over,” said V, wearing a new red-corseted dress, coincidentally matching her current form. “Being on a winning streak helps my confidence every time." Daniela Hantuchova dominated Nadia Petrova, seeded three spots higher than her opponent at 16, and Timea Baczinsky beat Polona Hercog 6-2, 6-2 to reach the 4th round.

The tournament's 3rd seed, Andy Murray, stormed out of the tournament 6-4, 6-4 after Mardy Fish played the match of his life behind rocket serves and huge forehands. Fernando Gonzalez won by the same score over Randy Lu. Fernando Verdasco earned an easy win over Dudi Sela of Israel 6-1, 6-2 and Jurgen Melzer took out Alejandro Falla, also in straights. Florent Serra and Phillip Petzschner also won.

Ana Ivanovic's losing ways continued when 5th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska defeated the Serb 7-5, 7-5. Yanina Wickmayer and Marion Bartoli also won in straight sets over Petra Martic and Gisela Dulko, respectively, while Yaroslava Shvedova defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-0, 5-7, 7-5 in a dramatic 3-setter.

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 Men's Predictions

With Rafael Nadal having fallen down in the ranks to number 3, we could only pray that the Indian Wells draws would do the tennis world justice and place him on the opposite side as Roger Federer, where the two have been since 2005. Thankfully, Nadal is on the bottom, and number 1 Federer, of course, on the top. Despite all that hype, the ATP has been far from the Roger/Rafa show lately. In fact, the two have not met since Madrid in 2009. The men that have prevented a "Fedal" meeting are, most notably, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the former placed on the Swiss' half, and the latter with the Spaniard.

1st Quarter

Fed's possible quarterfinal opponent in the 1st section of the draw is Andy Roddick. Those two vets are all too familiar with eachother, but although it may seem like a dreadful draw for the American, Andy has had a quietly impressive year thus far. And the oldies of the ATP don't stop there, as David Nalbandian, Marcos Baghdatis, Tommy Robredo and Radek Stepanek are also at the top. 12th seeded Gael Monfils could create problems for Roddick in a possible 4th round encounter, as could Nalbandian and Richard Gasquet, but 7th seed is too good on hard courts to be liable to an upset from 1 of those 3.

Quarterfinals: Federer def. Roddick

2nd Quarter

Powerful ball-bashers and speedy baseliners occupy much of quarter number 2, and the contrasting styles could create for many intriguing matchups. Headlining the section is the incredibly consistent yet often passive Andy Murray, seeded 4th, but following the Scot are heavy-hitters like Robin Soderling, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Ivo Karlovic and Igor Andreev. Murray faces dangers from David Ferrer, Andreev and Karlovic in a potential 4th rounder, while Tsonga, Soderling and Feliciano Lopez will most likely emerge on the other side.

Quarterfinals: Tsonga def. Murray

3rd Quarter

Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko are the big names here, with Fernando Verdasco, John Isner and Sam Querrey playing the supporting roles. Nadal is coming off an injury, but will most definitely be well-rested and primed for a return to prominence. Davydenko has been peaking these past few months, but suffered a hiccup in Melbourne. Verdasco has had a subtle yet successful season so far, and the two big-serving Americans, Querrey and Isner, could meet in what would be a thrilling 3rd round match.

Quarterfinals: Nadal def. Davydenko

4th Quarter

Novak Djokovic comes in as the number 2 seed, while Marin Cilic, who seems to improve day-by-day, is 8th. Juan Carlos Ferrero is a potential danger, but the majority of his good results these past few weeks have been on clay, so he could have difficulty switching surfaces so quickly. Ivan Ljubicic and Gilles Simon will probably meet in an exciting 3rd round match, but neither are good enough to take out Cilic or Djoko. Marin is hungry for success and Indian Wells might be the perfect platform.

Quarterfinals: Cilic def. Djokovic

Semifinals: Federer def. Tsonga, Cilic def. Nadal

Finals: Federer def. Cilic

Davis Cup Results: Spain, Argentina and Serbia Take Early Leads; France, Croatia Clinch

The Davis Cup defending champions Spaniards kicked off their 2010 campaign with in good fashion. Nicolas Almagro fell to Stanislas Wawrinka, but Spain recovered, as David Ferrer and the doubles team won the next 2 matches to come within 1 match of clinching a spot in the quarterfinals.

Russia got off to a solid start in their rubber as well, as Mikhail Youzhny and Igor Kunitsyn took their respective singles matches to give their country a 2-0 lead. India got themselves back into it, though, when their doubles team of Mahesh Bhupathi and leander Paes won in straight sets.

The French became the 1st team of the weekend to clinch their tie, as the Germans didn't stand a chance against the powerful singles duo of Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Phillip Kohlschrieber and Benjamin Becker, respectively. Julien Benneteau and Michael llodra booked France a spot in the quarters with a 4 set doubles victory.

Croatia also clinched on Saturday, as Ivo Karlovic squeezed out a tough 5 setter of Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti. Marin Cilic followed up Dr. Ivo's win with an east 3-setter Giovanna Lapentti. Cilic and Karlovic then paired up in the doubles, where they won in straights.

David Nalbandian made his return to Davis Cup after an injury-plagued 2009, and he was just as heroic as he was in 2008, leading Argentina to a straight-set doubles win over Sweden. In the singles, the two countries split, as Robin Soderling emerged 6-1, 7-6 (0), 7-5 over Eduardo Schwank, while Leandro Mayer beat Joachim Johansson in 4.

The Czechs became the 3rd team to have already moved onto the next round, as the Belgians barely put up a fight against the strong tandem of Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek, who both won in easy 3 setters. The two then paired up in doubles, again winning in straights to clinch the win.

The Americans have shown just how vulnerable they are without Andy Roddick and James Blake, as Serbians Victor Troicki and Novak Djokovic took advantage of the inexperienced singles pairing of John Isner and Sam Querrey to jump out to a commanding 2-0 lead. Int he doubles, Isner filled the void left by Mike Bryan quite nicely, teaming up with Mike's brother Bob to win in 4 sets.

The Israel-Chile match up has gotten underway after the 24-hour delay.

Post-Melbourne Rankings: Rafa Plummets, Djoko World Number 2

For the longest time we all talked about how bad a ranking system the WTA has, but after the Australian Open, the new ATP ranking order looks much more messed up than the ladies.

Men:

1 Federer, Roger (SUI) 11,350
2 Djokovic, Novak (SRB) 8,310
3 Murray, Andy (GBR) 7,800
4 Nadal, Rafael (ESP) 7,670
5 Del Potro, Juan Martin (ARG) 6,400
6 Davydenko, Nikolay (RUS) 5,290
7 Roddick, Andy (USA) 4,150
8 Soderling, Robin (SWE) 3,375
9 Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried (FRA) 3,235
10 Cilic, Marin (CRO) 2,970

We all know what's wrong with this. Due to being forced to retire in the quarters down under, Rafael Nadal lost a big chunk of the ranking points he earned with his Aussie Open title in 2009. Sorry Novak, but there is no way in hell that Nadal is the 4th best player in the world. Stupid rankings.

Anyways, Fernando Verdasco was bumped out of the top 10 to no. 12, but not much other movement besides that. Also, congrats to Marin Cilic on entering the top 10!

Women:

1 Serena Williams (USA) 9,195

2 Dinara Safina (RUS) 6,480

3 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 5,995

4 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 5,861

5 Venus Williams (USA) 5,526

6 Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 4,960

7 Elena Dementieva (RUS) 4,705

8 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 3,845

9 Agnieszka Radwanksa (POL) 3,605

10 Li NA (CHN) 3,500

Slight movement around the top, with Wozzi and Kuzzie swapping spots, Venus re-entering the top 5, Azarenka moving 1 spot up and Elena dropping a few, but nothing major. The big story, though, is Li Na advancing 7 spots to become the 1st Chinese woman to reach the top 10.

Aussie Open Day 11 &12: Serena and Henin, Federer and Murray to Square Off for AO Titles

Throughout Roger Federer's illustrious career, perfection has been expected, and nothing less. Obviously, we know that can't always be accomplished by on Day 12 of the Australian Open, the world number 1 gave the crowd a masterful display. The Swiss thwarted 10th seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in advancing to his 8th consecutive major final, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. In just 88 minutes of play, Federer hit 33 winners to just 13 winners, breaking serve 5 times and not once being broken. Roger will get his chance to win back his Aussie Open title on Saturday, and it won't be easy.

The other world number 1, Serena Williams, had to fight a little more than expected to get her crack at the trophy. In the semifinal, Serena took on her sister's conqueror, Li Na, defeating the Chinese 7-6(4), 7-6(1), hitting 33 winners to 24 errors, while her opponent had a ratio of -18. Williams will go for her 5th Australian Open title and 1st in an odd-numbered year at 7:30 pm Melbourne time, 3:30 am Friday morning ET.

Federer's championship opponent? Andy Murray. The Scot defeated Marin Cilic in 4 sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. After getting off to a slow start, Murray played some of his best tennis of the tournament in derailing the Croatian 14th seed, who hit almost double the amount of errors as Muzz in his 1st ever Grand Slam semifinal. Federer and Murray met in the 2008 US Open final where the Swiss prevailed in straight sets, but Andy leads the head-to-head 6-4.


The story of the tournament, Justine Henin, kept her title hopes alive when she surrendered just 1 game in a dominating performance against Jie Zheng. The Belgian will face frenemy Serena in the final riding a wave of momentum after hitting just 14 unforced errors in 51 minutes on the court. Zheng's run reached a screeching halt, as she hit 3 winners in defeat.


Could we have asked for a better women's final? Grab your red bull, because I'm getting up at 3:30 am to watch this classic. Here is a piece from Henin's presser:

Q. Are you surprised it’s taken you so long to play Serena in a Grand Slam final?
JUSTINE HENIN: We’ve never played in a Grand Slam final in the past. It’s my first Grand Slam since I’m back, and we’re already there. So it’s more than a dream. I mean, I’m so happy to play against her because if I want to win another Grand Slam, I’ll have to beat the best player of the world. And that’s just the biggest challenge I could get.

I have to be honest, I didn’t really expect that. But now that’s a reality that is coming. I will try to be at my best.

Aussie Open Day 9: Murray Romps Rafa, Cilic Fights off A-Rod, Zheng, Henin to Meet in Semis

Let me start by saying HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY to all of those down under.

Anywaysss...

As good as Andy Murray has looked at this year's Australian Open, it was hard to see him playing at an even higher level, but the Scot did just that Monday night, as he used a perfect balance of offense and defense to pulverize Rafael Nadal. The 5th seeded Murray clicked on all cylinders in the 1st set, winning it 6-3 before Rafa turned it up a notch and took the 2nd set to a tiebreak. After that, things were only negative. The Spaniard was pushed around in the breaker, losing it 7-2. In the 3rd set, Murray jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the same injury that forced Nadal out of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships returned. The world number 2's famed knee tendinitis forced him to retire from the match at 3-6, 6-7 (2), 0-3.

Let's all pray that this injury doesn't hinder Rafa for long. He looked like he was ready to return to his summer 2008 form. What a bummer.

Justine Henin reached the semifinals after she successfully kept her title hopes alive with a straight-set win over Nadia Petrova. At times we saw the old Petrova, the head cased one that over-hits her shots at unnecessary times, but overall, both ladies were playing high-level tennis, and it was Justine that had the fire lit within her. The Belgian told the press, "I think it (the Australian Open) was the best place for me to start again. So it’s just great. Here in Australia I had different feelings in the past. But for me, I mean, when I lost to Sharapova, it was a difficult moment in my career. When I had to retire in the final in 2006, it was one of the worst moments of my career. But I just keep positive things."

The other men's semifinal, between Marin Cilic and Andy Roddick, had plenty of momentum changes, but it was the 6'6 Croatian who rode the final wave of confidence, outlasting Roddick in 5 sets to reach his 1st Grand Slam semi and win his 3rd 5 setter of the tournament. Cilic hit 63 winners and 20 aces, outplaying Roddick in both categories by 12 and 5 respectively. The American was complimentary of his younger opponent afterwards, stating that, "He keeps it together real well. Unlike a lot of the young guys who are very emotionally up and down, he doesn’t beat on his chest, he stays the course, he’s very deliberate, he hits the ball very well. Doesn’t give an inch on the baseline. He literally sets up shop right behind the baseline and isn’t going to be moved."

Wonder if Marin will be able to recover in time to play his semifinal match vs. Murray.

The most under-the-radar of the remaining contenders in men's and women's singles is Jie Zheng, but 5'5 Chinese didn't play like it on Monday. Her on-point shot placement and great movement caused problems for her Russian opponent, Maria Kirilenko, as Zheng dominated for a 6-1, 6-3 win. This is her 2nd GS semifinal appearance, and her compatriot, Li Na, will have a chance to join her in the final 4 tomorrow. After the match, Zheng told the press of her admiration for her semifinal opponent, Justine Henin, saying "Yeah, first of all, I favor her for her is have the so strong the mentally. I watch her play always ‑ how you say ‑ enjoy to watch her for play. For second I think is tough match for me, is big challenge. But I like it. I want do something, yeah"

Aussie Open Day 7: Cilic and Roddick Survive 5 Setters, Henin and Petrova Move On While Kuzzie, Safina Bow Out

Many times before, Marin Cilic has been dubbed "The Next Juan Martin del Potro". You can't deny the two have many similarities: their height, birth years, huge forehands and solid backhands. On day 7 of the Australian Open the two met in the round of 16, and the encounter exceeded expectations. Despite the fact that JMDP, who's numerous injuries proved more serious than suspected, had the edge in most of the statistical categories, the 14th seeded Cilic still edged out a victory, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 to upset the world number 4. DelPo's frustration got the best of him in the 4 hour 38 minute epic, as the Argentine knocked over the courtside trash cans and smashed his racquets, consequently blowing his shot at moving on to a 2nd straight Aussie Open quarterfinal.

In the quarters 2nd match, Andy Roddick and Fernando Gonzalez battled into the wee hours of the morning, as the 7th seeded American came back from a 2 set to 1 deficit to win 6-2 in the 5th in 3 hours and 25 minutes.

In a battle of the Belgians, unseeded Justine Henin was thoroughly tested, and even breadsticked, by world number 16 Yanina Wickmayer before pulling the match out 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3. Although she lossed, Wickmayer's run has been quite the success story, as she was unfairly forced to go through the quallies to earn a spot in the main draw, which she did with ease. She has been overlooked by Kim and Justine, but there is no doubt in my mind that her time will come. After all, her game is extremely solid and she's proved she can play with the big girls.

Nadia Petrova kept her cinderella story going when she followed up her dominating win over Clijsters with a 3 set victory over number 3 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova yesterday. The two Russians split the 1st 2 sets 6-3 before Petrova routed Kuzzie 6-1 in the decider. Henin won;t have an easy time with the 19th seeded Petrova in the quarters, as the Russian is as motivated as ever.

Q. Do you feel like you’ve left some things on the table in your career that you want to achieve?

NADIA PETROVA: That’s why, you know, I’m still here. That’s why I’m working hard and digging deep, because I know there’s still a lot to accomplish. There’s still a lot to let out. That’s what I’m really looking for. Like I’m looking for different little kind of like, you know, I know there’s a lot left, and I’m just trying to discover those things, you know.

I really want to finally be a complete player. I want to quit tennis knowing that, you know, I’ve done everything possible, I developed as much as I could, and I gave hundred percent of it.

Rafael Nadal had a tall task to overcome on Saturday, literally, as The Spaniard took on 6'10 Ivo Karlovic. Rafa had little trouble with the Croat, dropping the 2nd set 6-4, but winning the other 3 by the same score behind a stellar serving performance. The 2nd seed didn't have to do much to win besides hold serve, which Dr. Ivo's lack of a backhand made easy, and get a break or two.

Nadal's quaterfinal will be none other than rival Andy Murray. The Scot, who also had to cope with some monstrous serving from his 6'9 opponent, played a spectacular match in easily ousting John Isner 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2, commiting just 8 errors to 32 winners, while never once being broken.

Can't wait for Rafa/Murray! It's good to be a tennis fan these days.

Just when things looked like they were starting to come full circle, Dinara Safina was struck by the injury bug in her round of 16 match with Maria Kirilenko. The same back injury that plagued Safina at the WTA Year-End Championships returned to haunt the Russian, who was forced to retire in tears down 5-4 in the opening set.

“It’s my back again. It suddenly hit me and was getting worse and worse and I have no idea how it could happen. And it’s really, really terrible," the world number 2 told the press.

You can't help but feel for Dinara. She has tried so hard to finally nab her 1st major title, and this injury will be a major setback. What a bummer. Nonetheless, kudos to Kirilenko, who is on a magical run.

Zheng Jie will be Kirilenko's quarterfinal opponent. The Chinese 26 year old earned a straight set victory over Alona Bondarenko to put herself into position to be the first women from China to reach the semifinals down under. If you can remember, she reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2008.

Soderling, Tsonga Turn Race for Final 8 into a Whirlwind in Paris

This time of year in men's tennis tends to be somehwat dull, but the storylines are piling on and the race to compete in the ATP World Tour Finals in London is starting to get very interesting. Heading into Paris, Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco needed to eaither reach the semis or see Robin Soderling, Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Gonzalez, the trio trailing them, falter. Perfect for our entertainment, Davydenko and Soderling squared off today in the round of 16. Soderling won in 3 sets, but due to losses by others, Davydenko qualified, leaving the final spot up for grabs between Verdasco, Tsonga, Soderling and Gonzo. The race became even crazier when Tsonga defeated Gilles Simon, followed by Marin Cilic's upset of Verdasco. Gonzalez, who will be eliminated from contention with a loss, is currently on court against Juan Martin del Potro. Andy Murray, who qualified months ago, was upset by Radek Stepanek in 3 sets, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both advanced.

Cilic Thwarts Rafa, to Meet Djokovic in Final

Marin Cilic proved that his win over Andy Murray at the U.S. Open was no fluke when he absolutely trounced Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the China Open, clinching the Croat a spot in the final, where he will meet Novak Djokovic. Djokovic had a solid day at the office as well, earning a straight sets win over Robin Soderling, 6-3, 6-3. Following Nadal's 6-1, 6-3 beating, the world number 2 praised his young opponent, saying “He was serving unbelievably and his returning was very fast and playing winners all the time.” Cilic will head into his final against Djokovic with a dismal 0-3, but despite what the papers say the 8th seed has plenty of confidence, telling the press, “I’m going to have a shot.”

Svetlana Kuznetsova saved her best for the late rounds, as evident by her 6-1, 6-3 demolition of compatriot Nadia Petrova, who just might have played her best tennis too early, when she beat Serena Williams. Kuznetsova will square-off with Agnieszka Radwanska, the 12th seed, in the final after the Pole's 4 and 3 win over 14th seeded Marion Bartoli. Kuznetsova, the 2006 champion in Beijing, told the press her strategy following her win. “I tried to move her around. I knew it was her weakness.” That definitely won't work against Aggy.