The WTA Unveils it's New Logo in Style

The WTA unveiled a new logo on Monday while announcing the draw for the season ending WTA Championships in Qatar. While Serena and Venus Williams' seasons ended long ago, and surely will be missed during what could be an extremely uninteresting way to end the season, the rest of the tour's top are ready to compete.

Some showed up in style while others need a lot of help, still, with their sartorial choices. Caroline Wozniacki is the top seed and was the best dressed, wearing a Marchesa gown. Vera Zvonareva, who, oddly enough, has an opportunity to overtake Wozniacki at the top of the game this week, wore a little red number with black strappy heels. Sam Stosur wore a similarly colored dress, but this one looked like it was from Forever 21. Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva looked great, per usual, while Fran Schiavone and Kimmie Clijsters are in desperate need of a stylist, ASAP.

Final Thoughts: (2) Kim Clijsters vs. (7) Vera Zvonareva

The US Open women's final will be played in prime time, under the lights on Saturday night, and with Kim Clijsters vying for a 3rd US Open title, and Vera Zvonareva for her first major, period, the match has high expectations.

Let's start with Vera. The Russian is a completely changed player in the span of a few months, losing her title as the WTA Tour's resident head-case and beating the world's top players, including Clijsters at Wimbledon and Caroline Wozniacki on Friday. Now, as Zvonereva is in that same elite group with the same women she was an overwhelming underdog against, she goes into the championship match with more experience and much more mental stability.

In that semifinal match with the top seeded Wozniacki, the number 7 seed was the steadier of the two, waiting for her opponent to commit the errors and succumb to the gusty conditions. In the end it was Bepa earning a 6-4, 6-3 win to reach her 2nd straight Grand Slam final. This time match number 7 will be much more winnable.

Clijsters will be going for her 21st straight win at the Open. She won here in 2005 and in 2009, and is extremely difficult to beat on Arthur Ashe. Her last title run, though, saw the Belgian play much more consistent tennis, and the streakiness of her serve could be a key reason why her win streak in NY might end. Against Venus Williams in the semifinals Kimmie was the better of the two off the ground, but both lacked rhythm on their serves. Ultimately, Clijsters edged out another win, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4. Should the 2nd seed play similarly to the way she did against Venus and Stosur, don't be surprised if Zvonareva triumphs, but it seems like the Big Apple lights bring out something extra in Kim, and that just might be the edge.

Winner: Clijsters in 3

US Open Quarterfinal Wrap: Fed and Nadal Dominate, Venus and Clijsters to Meet

Rafael Nadal continues to play near perfect tennis at this year's US Open, as the Spaniard crushed his countryman fernando verdasco in Thursday night's opening match. Nadal had yet to drop serve coming into the quarterfinal encounter, and he continued his brilliant serving, holding every game but one. Verdasco played a great first set, jumping out to an early 4-2 lead, but Rafa soon after adapted to the wind and blew the 8th seed off the court 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

The top seed's opponent in the semis will be a familiar foe, Mikhail Youzhny. who has given Nadal lots of trouble in the past. The Russian earned a 5-set win in a 4-hour plus match against Stanislas Wawrinka. The 12th seeded Youznhy has beaten Rafa on this same stage, 4 years ago in the quarterfinals. Youzhny also defeated Nadal in the Chennai semis 0 and 1 two years ago. Despite having figured out his semifinal opponent's game, Mikhail stands a slight chance, if any, against an on-point Rafa.

Kim Clijsters looked very streaky in a 3-set win over Sam Stosur on Tuesday night, ousting the Australian in a close match 6-4, 5-7 6-3. The win, Clijsters' 19th straight at the Open, sets up a much-anticipated semifinal match-up with 3rd seed Venus Williams.

Venus also didn't look her best in a straight set win over Francesca Schiavone. Fran's high topspin kept the American off balance, but, a 7-0 record, in Williams' favor, against the 6th seed, proved the difference in the 7-6 (5), 6-4 win.

Roger Federer has looked just as good as Rafa through 5 matches, as the Swiss trounced the dangerous Robin Soderling in 3 straight sets on Wednesday night, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Despite the swirling winds, gusting up to 35 mph, Federer served beautifully, out-acing Le Sod 18-2. The 2 seed also hit 20 more winners than Soderling, who played a surprisingly defensive match.


Novak Djokovic has also been on a role, reaching his 4th straight US Open semifinal with a routine victory over Gael Monfils, 7-6 (2), 6-1, 6-2. The Djoker has yet to lose a set since his 5-set first round match with Viktor Troicki, and he'll be looking to improve on an 0-3 record against Federer in New York.

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki has had yet another beautiful run in the Big Apple, gaining tons of fans along the way. In Wednesday's night match, the Dane comfortably defeated Dominika Cibulkova 2 and 5. Wozzi looked great in the opening set but was challenged in the second, finishing it out to reach the semis.

She'll play Wimbledon finalist Vra Zvonareva, a 2-set winner over 31st-seeded Kaia Kanepi. In the 6-3, 7-5 win, the Russian was the more solid of the two players, hitting 28 errors to Kanepi's 60.

The women's semis will be contested Friday, while the men's is Saturday.

US Open Labor Day Results: Wozzi Downs Shazza, Federer Sets Up Showdown with Soderling

If their were still doubters who believed Caroline Wozniacki didn't deserve the number 1 seed at the 2010 US Open, I'm sure, after the Dane's match on Monday, they were decreased. The 20 year-old played beautiful defense, wearing out Maria Sharapova to earn a 2-set victory, 6-3, 6-4. The win puts Wozniacki, who made just a 1/3 of the amount of errors that her opponent did, in the quarterfinals, where she will face Dominika Cibulkova, an upset winner over Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Sharapova and Wozniacki played almost the entire match at an incredibly high level, with long rallies pitting the Russian's powerful ground strokes against the 2009 finalist's high top-spin shots. As i was clear that Sharapova couldn't hit through her opponent, the 14th seed began to go for more and more, eventually breaking down her own game with several errors at a time.

Roger Federer advanced in routine fashion past Jurgen Melzer in the 2nd night match, reaching his 26th straight Major quarterfinal with a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 victory. The 2nd seeded Swiss has yet to los a set, but that could all change when he runs into the always-dangerous Robin Soderling in the enxt round. The Swede dropped the first set against Albert Montanes before reeling off the next three easily to win.

Soderling ended Federer's miraculous Grand Slam semifinal streak at the French Open, and the two have a long history. Expect a brilliant encounter on Wednesday.

Vera Zvonareva kicked off the night session with a dominating win over Andrea Petkovic, 6-1, 6-2. The Russian imploded against Flavia Pennetta on this same day at last year's Open, but she kept her emotions in check long enough to dispatch of the gritty German, giving the 7th seed a spot in the quarters. She'll meet Kaia Kanepi, who got off to a very slow start against 2009 semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer, dropping the opener 6-0, before recovering to win the next two sets 7-6 (2), 6-1.

Gael Monfils squared off against countryman Richard Gasquet in an exciting 4th-rounder in which the 17th seeded Monfils won 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. Afterwards, Gasquet deservedly referred to Le Monf as the "Usain Bolt of Tennis," and his ability to run down even the best of shots will have his quarterfinal opponent, Novak Djokovic's, hands full.

The Serb crushed Mardy Fish on Arthur Ashe, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, pushing the American around and serving beautifully.

US Open Catch-Up: Sharapova, Djokovic, Federer and Wozzi Cruise into Round 3

Sorry guys, I know, I haven't blogged in like, a year.

I'm sure you've all kept up with the US Open action through your TVs, and if you grinned and beared the hundred-degree weather and attended, more power to you. If you're a little behind, here's a catch-up so you'll be set for an exciting labor day weekend of tennis.

On the women's side, possible 4th-round opponents Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova have cruised into the third round, each notching quick straight-set wins over Kai Chen-Chang and Iveta Benesova, respectively. Sharapova will take on Beatrice Capra, one of the stories of the tournament, for a chance to reach the Round of 16. Capra, who won in 3 sets against Aravane Rezai, has made headlines with her Melanie Oudin-like run, and will get an opportunity to knock off the same 3rd-round opponent Oudin did; Sharapova. As big of a Maria fan as I am, I might have to root for Treecy on Saturday, as she graduated form my high school.

Jelena Jankovic has survived to 3-setters to find herself in a wide-open section that includes 7th-seeded Vera Zvonareva and 15th seed Yanina Wickmnayer. Agnieszka Radwanska was upset by Shuai Peng in 3 sets and Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced.

Novak Djokovic improved his night-match record to 6-0 with a 3-set win over tricky Phillip Petzschner. Roger Federer also turned in a stellar performance, beat Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Federer is just two matches away from a blockbuster quarterfinal match with Robin Soderling, who dominated Taylor Dent. Mardy Fish finds himself in the third round after an easy victory over Pablo Cuevas. Djokovic seems to be Mardy's only remaining obstacle before the semis, as Roddick and Davydenko have fallen.

Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic fought a marathon 5-hour 5-setter which the Croatian 11th seed lost 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Jurgen Melzer and Tomas Bellucci fought in two tough matches that went the distance to advance, while Juan Carlos Ferrero won comfortably in straights.

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

Rankings Reports: Federer Drops to 3, Venus to 4 and Zvonareva Back in Top 10

The rankings were rattled in more ways than one after 2 weeks of craziness at Wimbledon, but none probably more shocking or surprising or noticeable than Roger Federer with a 3 next to his name. Yes, you hard me right. THE Roger Federer is now outside of the top 2 for the first time in 7 years. Novak Djokovic takes his place at number 2, while Rafa remains in the drivers seat. Robin Soderling entered the top 5 for the first tme in his career, Andy Roddick dropped two spots to 9th and Tomas Berdych reached a career-high 8th. Surprise quarterfinalistYen-Hsun Lu jumped an incredible 40 spots to 42nd.

In the WTA rankings, Venus William's shocking quarterfinal loss resulted in a drop to the 4th spot, behind Serena, Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki. Vera Zvonareva's run to the finals got the Russian back in the top 10 for the first time in almost a year, to 9th, while Czech Petra Kvitova's semifinal appearance bumped her from 62nd to 29th. Dinara Safina continued to fall rapidly, as she is now out of the top 30 and the same goes for Ana Ivanovic, ranked 64th. Semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova increased 47 spots to 35th and Sabine Lisicki, out with an injury, fell to 79th.

Serena Powers past Zvonareva for 4th Wimbledon, 13th Slam

Serena Williams successfully defended her Wimbledon crown with a stunning and domianting performance against Vera Zvonareva of Russia. Over the course of the fortnight Serena displayed the brilliance of her serve, cracking 89 aces in 7 matches to set a Wimbledon record. In the 6-3, 6-2 win over her 21st seeded opponent, Serena had complete control over all but a few rallies, never giving Zvonareva an opportunity to get her feet straight. Serena didn't face one break point in the match and lost just 3 points on her serve in the second set.

En route to the final Zvonareva returned to her pre-ankle injury form, dismissing Yanina Wickmayer, Jelena Jankovic and Kim Clijsters in impressive performances. Serena commended her opponent in her post-match interview, telling the crowd, “Everyone should give her a big round of applause. She defines what being a champion and never giving up means."

Serena defined that herself as well, winning her 13th Grand Slam title and 4th Wimbledon to surpass the great Billie Jean King on the All-Time list. The top seed blasted through the draw without dropping a set and improved her Grand Slam finals record to 13-3. “My dream was able to come true," said Serena. “Everyone’s dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard. This one is very special.”

Very special indeed. Congrats S!

Serena and Vera Set to Face Off in Wimbledon Final

"I don't think she does anything terrible."

That was Serena Williams' assessment pof Vera Zvonareva's game yesterday when asked about their match up in Saturday's final. And Vera,w ithout a doubt, has done nothing terribly this fortnight. Prone to historic meltdowns, Zvonareva has kept her focus throughout the tournament, and pair that with her extremely powerful ground strokes and terrific movement, and you have someone who is tough to beat. Tsvetana Pironkova got a handful of all of that in her semi with the 21st seed. The Bulgarian got off to a quick start taking the opener 6-3, but the Russian Zvonareva upped her aggression to win the second by the same score. She dominated the third 6-2, controlling the points against an also-powerful Pironkova, to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Serena Williams, on the other hand, was always expected to make it to this stage. But no one knew she would do it while setting numerous serving records in the process. The American has cracked 80 aces in her 6 matches thus far, a Wimbledon record for most aces served by a women in the tournament. The number is more than that total of Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic through their five 3-out-of-5 set matches. Against surprise semifinalist Petra Kvitova, Serena continued her stellar serving, winning 7-6 (4), 6-2 to reach her third consecutive Wimbledon final, where she'll be going for her 4th career title at the All England Club.

The top seed will be an overwhelming favorite in the final, and with her current form it will be difficult for anyone to beat her. If Serena can get an early break, it will be "blowout city" as Brad Gilbert calls it. Her Major final record is incredible and if she gets a lead she won;t look back. But not all hope is lost for Vera. If she can hold serve consistently in the first set and win it in a tiebreak, she can continue her momentum into the second and stun Williams. Don't expect it though.

Wimbledon Day 8 Results: Venus and Clijsters Crumble; Serena and Kvitova Reaches Semis

Both Petra Kvitova and Kaia Kanepi entered their Wimbledon quarterfinal match as newcomers to the latter stages of Grand Slams. While the young Kvitova's career is on the rise, Kanepi has been around for quite a while, and after reaching a career high of no. 18 a few years ago, the Estonian had a streak of 11 consecutive first-round losses in 2009. It didn't take long for Kvitova's nerves to creep in, as the Czech dropped the first set 6-4. She saved 3 match points in the 2nd set tie-break to force a third set, where, again, she got off to a slow start. Kanepi dominated to take a 4-0 lead before Kvitova showed her mental toughness in coming back to win 8-6, saving a total of 5 match points.

Kvitova was honest and blunt in her press conference afterwards, getting laughs when she was asked if she believes she can be the 2010 Wimbledon champion, and answering, "No, I don't think so. I don't think so, no."

Stranger things have happened.

Unlucky for the 66th ranked Kvitova, her semifinal opponent will be Serena Williams (don't blame her for undermining her chances when she's playing the world number 1). Serena avoided joining the day's group of shock casualties by turning in yet another excellent serving performance in her 7-5, 6-3 win over 9th seed Li Na. The 12-time Major champ served 11 aces and was able to fend off Na, who was on pace to take the opener before dropping a 40-0 service game. The victory puts Serena in her 5th semi in the last 7 majors.

The stunner of the day was Tsvetana Pironkova. The 82nd ranked Bulgarian sent shock waves around the All-England Club and the tennis world, eliminating Venus Williams, a 5-time Wimbledon champion and world number 2, 6-2, 6-3. Venus lost 5 straight games from 2-2 in the first, ending the match with 29 errors, just 3 aces, and 5 double faults. Pironkova hit with power but was much steadier than Williams, who erratically lost her chance at gaining her 6th Venus Rosewater Dish. Pironkova, 22, showed her variety with her slice forehand and called the upset victory "like a dream."

Despite the devastating loss, Venus was very composed in her press conference adamantly reminding tennis fans that she's not going anywhere when asked if losses like this one make her want to pursue other things. "Well, why wouldn’t I want to pursue this? I’m pretty good at it most days. Today I didn’t seem to be the best tennis player, but for the most part, I rock and roll this game. I’ll give it up when I’m just terrible. It would take more than just a few bad days in a year to make me quit tennis. So that’s not even in the equation."

The second surprise upset of the day was at the hands of the usually emotionally-shaky Vera Zvonareva. The 21st seed lost the first set 6-4 of her match with Kim Clijsters but kept her focus, forcing a deciding set after taking the second 6-4. Clijsters than collapsed in the 3rd, hitting wandering forehands and showing vulnerability in her serve. Zvonareva took the final set easily 6-2 to reach her second career GS semifinal, the first being at the 2009 Australian Open. The Russian also converted 4 of her 13 break point opportunities, while Clijsters blew many of hers with unforced errors that totaled 36 by the conclusion of the match.


Zvonareva and Serena will both be heavy favorite to advance to the finals.

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.

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 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.

Aussie Open Day 6: Serena, Federer and Djokovic Dominate, Zvonareva and Azarenka to Square Off

After suffering a few hiccups in the first 2 rounds, Novak Djokovic played his best tennis of the Australian Open in double-breadsticking Denis Istomin in a routine victory. Djoko will play Lukasz Kubot, who won by default when Mikhail Youzhny withdrew, in the round of 16. In the other section of Nole's quarter, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated 18th seeded Tommy Haas 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, hitting 47 winners in the process. The Frenchman's 4th round opponent will be Nicholas Almagro, who comfortably subdued Alenjandro Falla in straight sets.

She hasn't been talked about much, but Caroline Wozniacki has been steamrolling her opponents, and the world number 4 did just so in a 6-4, 6-0 win over Shahar Peer on Friday. Joining Wozzi in the 4th round is Li Na, the Dane's next opponent, who was stretched to 3 sets by Daniela Hantuchova in the 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Francesca Schiavone completely dictated play in her 2 and 2 upset of Agnieszka Radwanska, the 10th seed. The Italian will play Venus Williams, who secured a spot in the next round with a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win over Casey Dellacqua, the American's 3rd consecutive left-handed opponent.

Lleyton Hewitt and Fernando Verdasco, both located in the men's 1st quarter, were the beneficiaries of injuries to their respective opponents, when Marcos Baghdatis and Stefan Koubek both retired while down a set in their matches. In what is sure to be a captivating matchup, Verdasco, the 9th seed, will meet Nikolay Davydenko in the 4th round, who made quick work of the talented Juan Monaco, and is riding a wave of momentum after his 13th consecutive match win. Roger Federer also won with ease, eliminating Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

For about the 100th time this week, Davy's press conference brought the LOLs. Here is an excerpt:

Q. If you had to marry another Russian tennis player, who would it be?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Marry?

Q. Get married, like husband and wife.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: If I married another tennis player? Man or woman? (Laughter.). I have already wife. I have my beautiful wife. I don’t want to have any ‑‑

IRINA DAVYDENKO: I hear you.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: She’s here.

Q. Sorry about that. (Laughter.)

The top section of the women's draw will feature 2 very exciting round of 6 matchups, as Vera Zvonareva and Victoria Azarenka both dominated in their 3rd rounders to ensure that the 9th and the 7th seed will meet. Serena Williams continued her plow through the draw when she gave up just 3 games to Carla Suarez Navarro. The top seed will play the home crowd fave, Sam Stosur, next.

Aussie Open Day 4: Rog Impresses the Prince, Serena, Davydenko, Wozniacki Roll

In the top quarter of the men's draw, Fernando Verdasco surrendered just 5 games in a blowout victory to move onto the 3rd round of the Australian Open. Aussie Lleyton Hewitt beat Donald Young and the 6th seed, Nikolay Davydenko, continued his domniant run, beating Ilia Marchenko 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. Unseeded Marcos Baghdatis mounted an incredible comeback after trailing 2 sets to love to stun 17th seeded David Ferrer 6-1 in the 5th set. The top seed, Roger Federer hit 52 winners to just 17 errors in his route of Victor Hanescu. Prince William, a fan of the Swiss', attended the match and met with both world number 1's, Federer and Serena Williams afterwards. When awkwardly asked to welcome the Prince in his post-match on-court interview, the 15 time GS champ said, “Ummmmm. Your Royal Highness, welcome to the World of Tennis. Thanks for coming.”

*Cringe*

Serena scored another 6-2, 6-1 win, this time over Petra Kvitova, to keep her hopes of a repeat down under intact. Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva both trounced their opponents, Stephanie Voegele and Iveta Benesova, respectively, while Ana Ivanovic's disappointments continued, as the Serb fell in 3 sets to Gisela Dulko and recorded her 7th straight pre-quarterfinal Grand Slam loss, serving up 11 double-faults in the process. Samantha Stosur, the 13th seed, rode the momentum from her home crowd and reached the 3rd round along with Carla Suarez Navarro, who will take on Williams.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the runner-up down under 2 years ago, avoided any hiccups in his solid defeat of Taylor Dent, while the 2nd quarter's highest seed, Novak Djokovic, looked shaky, losing the 1st set to Marco Chiudinelli in a 4 set win. Mikhail Youzhny picked up right where he left off after his comeback opening round win by giving up just 4 games to Jan Hajek. Other winners included Tommy Haas and Nicholas Almagro, both through in 5 setters.

One of the tour's resident mothers, Sybille Bammer, tested Venus Williams in their 2nd round match, but the American prevailed 6-2, 7-5. Caroline Wozniacki easily handled Julia Goerges in straights to advance where she will play Shahar Peer, also an easy winner. Daniela Hantuchova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Francesca Schiavione recorded statement-making wins to join the big names in the round of 32, while Li Na triumphed in contrasting style, pulling out her match with Agnes Szavay 6-2 in the deciding set.

Serena Goes 3-0, Venus Drops Kuzzie

Serena Williams has jumped out of the gate at this years Year-Ending Championships in Doha quite well, as the world number 1 defeated a very tough trio of Svetlana Kuznetsova, her sister Venus and Elena Dementieva to clinch a birth in the semifinals. Venus finished off round-robin play with a 1-2 record, having lost to Serena and Dementieva and defeating Kuznetsova in 3 sets today, 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4. In the white group, Dinara Safina withdrew after losing to Jelena Jankovic, and Vera Zvonareva took Safina's place. Following her loss to Caroline Wozniacki, Zvonareva withdrew, allowing Agnieszka Radwanska, originally the 2nd alternate, to compete. Dementieva and Kuznetsova will play tomorrow in the maroon group, while Caroline Wozniacki will take on Jelena Jankovic. Azarenka is scheduled to play Radwanska.

The current standings are as followed (Sets won/lost are in parentheses):

White Group

Carolina Wozniacki: 2-0 (4-2)

Victoria Azarenka: 1-1 (3-2)

Jelena Jankovic: 1-1 (2-2)

Agniszka Radwanska: 0-0 (0-0)

Maroon Group

Serena Williams: 3-0 (6-1)

Elena Dementieva: 1-1 (2-3)

Venus Williams: 1-2 (4-5)

Svetlana Kuznetsova: 0-2 (1-4)