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Australian Open Day 14
Djokovic Ends Tsonga’s Aussie Open Run
Novak Djokovic captures his first Grand
Slam title on Sunday night at the Australian Open, defeating surprise finalist
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets.
Third-seeded
Novak Djokovic capped off an impressive fortnight in style on Sunday in
Melbourne, Australia. The 20-year-old Serb emerged from a hard-fought battle against
unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(2) victory to win the
first Grand Slam title of his career at the 2008 Australian Open.
It
wasn’t the Federer-Nadal final that many tennis fans were eagerly anticipating,
but this matchup had plenty of sizzle thanks to the brilliant play of both
Djokovic and Tsonga leading up to the championship match. Djokovic had not lost
a single set prior to Sunday despite having faced formidable foes Lleyton
Hewitt, David Ferrer, and one Roger Federer in consecutive matches starting in
the fourth round. The underdog Tsonga, meanwhile, pulled off four huge upsets
during his memorable Cinderella run to the final. He took out ninth-seeded Andy
Murray in the first round, eight-seeded Richard Gasquet in the fourth,
fourteenth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny in the quarters, and second-seeded Rafael
Nadal in the semis.
While
neither Djokovic nor Tsonga could sustain the same level of play in the face of
Grand Slam final pressure, the two contestants still managed to thrill the Rod
Laver Arena faithful. It was a high-quality match to be sure. It simply was not
quite as mind-boggling as their previous performances.
At
the beginning, however, it looked like Tsonga would once again be up to his old
tricks. The crowd favorite dropped serve in the opening game of the match but
promptly got the crowd into the match by breaking Djokovic right back. Almost
the entire arena other than Djokovic’s box was rooting vociferously for Tsonga,
and that resulted in some alleged heckling of the Serb’s camp which seemed to
cause problems throughout the first set. The break of serve and the situation
in the stands left the Serb flustered at the same time energizing Tsonga, who
served at a 68-percent clip in the first set and was never threatened again in
the first set on his service games. But it was with his return that the 22-year-old
Frenchman did the most damage in the opening stages of the match. Just as he
had done throughout the tournament, Tsonga took control of points early and
completely dictated play. Whenever Djokovic failed to put in his first serve,
Tsonga would jump all over the second offering and that aggressive strategy
worked to perfection as he took 10 of his opponent’s 14 second-serve points in
the first set. That led to one more break for Tsonga and one more break was all
he needed. The set culminated with Tsonga hitting a stunning one-the-run
topspin forehand lob that sailed over a hapless Djokovic’s head and bounced
just inside the baseline.
Unlike
Nadal before him, Djokovic was not about to get wiped off the court in three
quick sets. Although his serve almost completely fell apart in the second set
(he put in less than half of his first balls), the rest of Djokovic’s game
picked up considerably. He began to take control of the baseline rallies and
having made more unforced errors than winners in the first set, Djokovic struck
10 winners to just five errors in the second.
Djokovic
really started to deliver what looked like a knockout blow in the third set. He
put in 70 percent of his first serves, won thirteen of his fourteen first serve
points, and only lost a total of four points on serve the entire set. The Serb
also did to Tsonga what Tsonga had done to him in the first set. Djokovic took
an impressive seven of 13 (54 percent) points on the Frenchman’s second serve.
He broke twice in the third set, converting two of ten break point chances,
whereas Tsonga did not see one single break opportunity against Djokovic’s
serve in the third frame of play.
With
Djokovic on a roll and Tsonga looking like his thrilling two-week journey
through the Australian Open had finally taken its toll on him both mentally and
physically, the fourth set seemed like a foregone conclusion. But just as
Tsonga found new life in putting forth one last effort to get back in the
match, Djokovic suffered a minor hamstring strain. Thanks in part to his
opponent’s hindered movement but mainly to his own booming serve, Tsonga was
never threatened on serve in the fourth set. The reeling Djokovic, however,
struggled in his service games and had to come up with several pressure-packed
shots in order to keep up the pace in the fourth set. Never was that the case
more than at 5-5 and Djokovic serving. Down break point, the Serb tried an
ill-advised drop-shit which Tsonga retrieved easily and prepared to launch a
game-winning forehand. Djokovic, however, guessed Tsonga would go down the line
and when Tsonga did just that, Djokovic blocked a backhand volley into the open
court for a winner. He then won the next two points to force the decisive
fourth-set tiebreaker.
Both
players were back on top of their games at this point, so Djokovic’s dominance
in the tiebreaker can only be attributed to his experience of having been deep
in Grand Slams before, including the final of the U.S. Open in 2007. For
Tsonga, who had never been past the fourth round of any Grand Slam event prior
to this Australian Open, it was not overly surprising that his nerves finally
showed. Yes, the newcomer who had stolen the heats of the Melbourne faithful
was human after all.
When
Tsonga sprayed one last forehand wide, Djokovic took the tiebreaker 7-2 to win
his first Grand Slam title.
Thumbs
Up: To both players, for the quality of this match, their shockingly high level
of play throughout the tournament, and for the way they handled themselves in
the trophy ceremony.
Thumbs
Down: The 2008 Australian Open, which has to go down as one of the most thrilling
Grand Slams in recent memory, is finally over.
Australian Open Day 14 Preview
Australian Open Championship Preview: Novak Djokovic vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
It’s not Federer-Nadal. It’s not No. 1
vs. No. 2. It’s not a final matchup that anyone could have ever expected. But
it’s one that should have all tennis fans buzzing with excitement. It’s Novak
Djokovic against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the championship of the 2008 Australian
Open.
Giant-killers
Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will meet on Sunday night in Rod Laver
Arena to battle for the 2008 Australian Open title. While fans were surely
expecting a Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal showdown, instead they will be treated
to two players who are as hot as the Melbourne summer sun.
Hot?
More like positively on fire. The third-seeded Djokovic has not lost a single
set throughout his run to the final. He’s taken out Benjamin Becker, Simone Bolelli,
Sam Querrey, 19th-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, and fifth-seeded David
Ferrer. And all of that was just the appetizer. On Friday night Djokovic served
up the main course with a stunning straight-set knockout of top-ranked Roger
Federer. The Serb outplayed Federer in all facets of the game en route to 7-5,
6-3, 7-6(5) victory.
Tsonga
has been no less impressive. The unseeded Frenchman has already pulled off four
headline-stealing upsets on his way to becoming the most recent addition to a
long line of historical Australian Open surprises. After sending ninth-seeded Andy
Murray on his way home in the first round, Tsonga routed Sam Warburg and
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez before resuming his trek on the upset trail. He then
manhandled fellow Frenchman and eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet in four sets and wiped
out fourteenth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny in three quick ones. Like Djokovic, as
impressive as the first five wins were, Tsonga saved his best for last. In a
dizzying display of power, touch, and downright out-of-his-mind tennis, he
destroyed Rafael Nadal in the Thursday night semifinal 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. The
second seed did not even play poorly, as he hit 13 winners to just a miniscule
12 unforced errors, but he was no match for Tsonga, who blasted 49 winners in
just three short sets.
Djokovic
will be taking part in his second—and second consecutive—Grand Slam final. The
Serb finished runner-up to Federer at last year’s U.S. Open. Tsonga has never
experienced anything close to what the atmosphere will be like on Sunday. Not
only is this his first Grand Slam final (it was also his first Grand Slam
quarterfinal and semifinal), but this is his first final in any ATP Tour level event. While the
pressure will be immense, if Tsonga’s previous six matches are any indication,
the 22-year-old should have little to no problem with nerves.
He’ll
have to do a lot more than overcome nerves in this first-ever head-to-head
meeting between the two finalists. Just as he did against Nadal in the semis,
Tsonga will have to bring a wide variety of play to the table when he faces
Djokovic. His opponent has been completely teeing off on the ball from the
baseline throughout the fortnight and Djokovic has just finished overwhelming
baseline grinder David Ferrer and world No. 1 Roger Federer in groundstroke
battles. Even if Tsonga’s forehand is on like it was against Nadal, the
Frenchman will still have to follow his shots into the net in order to shorten
points, eliminate grueling rallies from the backcourt, and keep Djokovic off
balance. As he showed us in the semifinals, Tsonga’s deft net game is far too
good to waste.
The
odds are with Djokovic simply because he has been on this stage before and he
also has unparalleled confidence from having just dominated the best player in
the world. But with the way things are going for this Tsonga kid right now, the
outcome could not be further from a foregone conclusion.
Only
one thing is certain. If Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga play at level they’ve
somehow managed to sustain this whole tournament, it will be an Australian Open
final to remember forever.
Australian Open Day 12
- Looking good: Djokovic still has not lost a set the entire tournament.
- Thumbs up: Djokovic, especially for the way he responded to intense pressure in the third set while trying to close out the match.
- Thumbs down: Anyone who doesn't like tennis.
- Day 13 Outlook: It's rest day before the men's singles final. The calm before the surprising Tsonga-Djokovic storm. We do, however, have the men's doubles final with Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram taking on Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra.
Australian Open Day 11
- Looking good: Tsonga. You can't predict him playing that way again in the final, but if he does, I feel sorry for Federer or Djokovic.
- Thumbs up: Tsonga. For everything in every way.
- Thumbs down: Nothing you can say but bad luck for Rafael Nadal. Like Andy Roddick against Philipp Kohlschreiber, he simply ran into a player who could not be stopped.
- Day 12 Outlook: Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic. The good news, for Djokovic and for people who are interested in watching a match that lives up to expectations, is that Federer has looked beatable. Mostly his vulnerability showed in the third-round epic against Janko Tipsarevic, but Tomas Berdych and James Blake also had a few chances. Djokovic has not dropped a set this entire tournament, so all signs point to a well-contested match.
Australian Open Day 10
Semifinal Australian Open Preview: Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga vs. Rafael Nadal Often a tournament to produce a surprise Grand
Slam finalist, the Australian Open has yet another chance of doing the same in
2008 with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is looking to pull off another huge upset.
The victim this time would be second-seeded and three-time Grand Slam champion
Rafael Nadal. Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga will take on favored Rafael Nadal in the first semi-final match of the
2008 Australian Open on Thursday night in Rod Laver Arena. Having already
reached both his first Grand Slam quarterfinal and semifinal in Melbourne, the
Frenchman seeks to record his fourth headline-making upset of the tournament in
order to advance to his first slam final. Nadal, meanwhile, will be trying to
make his first-ever final appearance Down Under. Other than
the incredible third round that delivered several epic matches worthy of living
in Australian Open lore, Tsonga has been the story of the tournament. The
22-year-old made a statement from the very beginning of the fortnight, upsetting
ninth-seeded Andy Murray in a fourth-set tiebreaker. Tsonga then rolled through
each of his next two matches in straights sets before sending friend and
compatriot Richard Gasquet home in four sets. The scoreline suggested a close
contest, but in reality Tsonga dictated play throughout the proceedings and
pretty much dominate the eighth seed. As if that wasn’t enough to prove he
belonged with the elite, Tsonga used his overwhelming power to roll over the 14th-seeded
and previously on-fire Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-0, 7-6(6) in the quarterfinals. While
Nadal’s run to the semi-final was expected and therefore not as newsworthy as
Tsonga’s breakout, the Spaniard has been no less impressive. In fact Nadal has
not dropped a single set in five matches. Granted his draw has not been nearly
as tough as Tsonga’s, but he has made quick work of the hands he’s been dealt. After
easing past three relatively unheralded foes in the first three rounds, Nadal blew
Paul-Henri Mathieu off the court in the fourth round (the Frenchman retired in
the second set) and then erased Jarkko Nieminen in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Tsonga and
Nadal have faced each other once in their careers, and that came less than five
months ago at another hard-court Grand Slam, the U.S. Open. Nadal triumphed in
the third-round clash 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-1. The Plexicushion surface in Australia
should give the Spaniard an even greater advantage, but with the way Tsonga is
playing right now, a much tougher match can only be expected. While
Tsonga is more than adequate from the baseline, he cannot afford to spend the
day going toe-to-toe with Nadal in grueling groundstroke slugfests. Although
Tsonga’s huge forehand would win him a number of those points, Nadal’s heavy
topspin forehand, relentless pressure, and his ability to get almost any ball
back would eventually wear down the Frenchman. Instead, Tsonga must follow his
big serve and forehand into the net, where he can force the issue and shorten
the points. That should help keep Nadal out of a baseline rhythm. Expect
Nadal to try throwing Tsonga off by giving the underdog various looks when
returning serve. Most of the time the Spaniard will step back way behind the
baseline in order to give himself more time to read Tsonga’s serve and react.
As long as Nadal merely gets the ball back in play with at least some depth, he
should have the advantage once a rally begins. At other times, however, he’ll
step forward and take his opponent’s serve early and on the rise just to give
Tsonga something to think about. When it’s
all said and done, Tsonga should be able to power his way to at least one set
as long as he is serving like he did against Youzhny. Nadal, however, will come
through in four sets and advance to his first Australian Open final.
- Looking good: Djokovic has been on fire the entire tournament and Federer, as usual, is heating up as the tournament goes on. He hasn't dropped a set since prevailing in the epic five-set clash with Janko Tipsarevic. The semi-final matchup should be awesome.
- Thumbs up: All four guys. Federer and Djokovic are looking strong heading into their semi-final showdown and Blake and Ferrer both enjoyed good showings at the Aussie Open.
- Thumbs down: It would have been nice to see both Blake and Ferrer pull off at least one set each, but alas they did their best.
- Day 11 Outlook: Rafael Nadal vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. See preview above.
Australian Open Day 9
- Looking good: Both Nadal and Tsonga are just completely in command of their games right now. Nadal has not yet dropped a set and Tsonga has pulled off three big upsets now.
- Thumbs up: Tsonga. Plain and simple it has been a coming out party for the 22-year-old.
- Thumbs down: Mikhail Youzhny. What happened? He had a great chance to make his first ever Grand Slam final after destroying Ivo Karlovic and Nikolay Davydenko in consecutive matches. But with his straight-set loss to Tsonga, that hope is lost.
- Day 10 Outlook: We
have the second day of quarterfinal action with the top half of the
draw: Novak Djokovic vs. David Ferrer during the day and Roger Federer vs. James Blake for the night session. Blake will have his hands full, but his confidence could not be any higher than it is right now. Djokovic and Ferrer squared off at the U.S. Open last year and this one should be another entertaining match. I'm looking for Federer and Djokovic to both come through in four sets -- Federer in 3 if he gets his act together.
QUARTERFINALS (BOTTOM HALF OF THE DRAW) ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIONS
- Looking good: All four of those guys, but especially (and in order) Djokovic, Ferrer, and Blake. Federer is doing fine, but he has obviously looked better.
- Thumbs up: Berdych for actually showing a decent effort despite being overmatched.
- Thumbs down: Berdych for basically giving away the set points he had in the second.
- Day 9 Outlook: We have the first day of quarterfinal action with the bottom half of the draw: Rafael Nadal vs. Jarkko Nieminen during the day and Mikhail Youzhny vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga by night. See the video for analysis and predictions.
FOURTH ROUND TOP HALF OF THE DRAW ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIONS- Well, Day 7 certainly allowed tennis fans to come back to earth after the dizzying 30-hour stretch over the previous two days. It was never expected to produce anything like what we say i the night session of Day 5 and the entire Day 6, but Sunday really was a letdown in the truest sense of the word. Mikhail Youzhny utterly destroyed Nikolay Davydenko it what was supposed to be a toss-up all-Russian affair and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga completely controlled his all-French match with Richard Gasquet even though the score made it look closer than it really was. Two days after putting on a legendary display of tennis against Andy Roddick, Philipp Kohlschreiber could barely hit a ball in the court in a four-set loss to Jarkko Nieminen. Then in the night session, Paul-Henri Mathieu retired in the second set to end his misery at the hands of Rafael Nadal. - Looking good: Youzhny and Tsonga are both simply on fire this tournament. Their fourth-round meeting should produce some fun, thrilling tennis. Nadal was playing by far his best tennis of the Aussie Open when Mathieu retired. - Thumbs up: Jarkko Nieminen. I swear I don't know how this guy keeps doing this at Grand Slam events. I know he is rock solid in every aspect of the game, but he doesn't have the weapons of any of the guys still left in the tournament. - Thumbs down: Davydenko - he didn't even pretend to suggest he had a chance against Youzhny after the opening set. Kohlschreiber - complete collapse of his game in a span of just two days. - Day 8 Outlook: Mercifully we are getting back to the top half of the draw. It will be very interesting to see how Federer bounces back from his epic five-set win over Tipsarevic. Chances are he will do so in dominant fashion, and Tomas Berdych really shouldn't be able to do anything to stop it. Will Marin Cilic look like the same kid he was in his Day 5 upset of 2007 finalist Fernando Gonzalez when he takes on comeback kid James Blake? Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer--both of whom have been extremely impressive so far--should engage in a grueling baseline slugfest. If that's not enough, the night session has the colossal Djokovic-Hewitt matchup. Will Hewitt recover to produce the same heroics he did against Baghdatis two nights ago?
Australian Open Day 7
- When Australians woke up on Saturday morning to the ugly site, I bet they had no idea they would be treated to one of the greatest days in tennis history. From James Blake, to Roger Federer and Janko Tipsarevic, to Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis, what the tennis world witnessed today (and if you also count the Roddick-Kohlschreiber match that lasted into the wee hours of Saturday morning) will last forever. More on all of this in article form later, but for now let's move on. - Looking good: Tomas Berdych (a four-set winner over Juan Monaco) and Novak Djokovic (a straight-set winner over Sam Querrey). With the way Djokovic has looked and with Tipsarevic extending Federer to the brink of elimination, could the Serb have a real chance in the potential semi-final showdown? - Thumbs up: To the sport of tennis. I don't think there's any other way to say it. - Thumbs down: Fernando Gonzalez. Defending all of those points from his run to the final last year, the Chilean flamed out to young Croat Marin Cilic in four sets. Gonzalez will fall out of the Top 20 when the rankings come out the day after the Australian Open. - Day 7 Outlook: Oh my, the shoes Day 7 has to fill. It's an impossible task. But that doesn't mean we won't see some more good tennis on Sunday. An all-Russian affair (Davydenko and Youzhny) and an all-French affair (Gasquet and Tsonga) should make tennis fans who are still hungry for more salivating. All four of those guys have been spectacular so far Down Under. Also don't forget that we still have Juan Carlos Ferrero vs. David Nalbandian left over from yesterday due to rain. Finally, will Philipp Kohlschreiber be able to keep up his unparalleled level of play when he takes on Jarkko Nieminen?
Australian Open Day 6
Australian Open Day 5 - Ladies and gentlemen, it's only January 18th and we already have seen what will most likely be the match of the year on the ATP Tour. That's right, Andy Roddick and Philipp Kohlschreiber battled well into the night (and by night I mean after 2:00 in the morning) on Rod Laver Arena. At long last the German prevailed 8-6 in the fifth set. There was not one break of serve over the final three sets until Kohlschreiber broke Roddick at 7-6 in the final frame to take the match. Kohlschreiber fired an unimaginable 104 winners, including 32 aces, to just 33 unforced errors. It was a performances for the ages, but let's not forget about Roddick. The American blasted 42 aces and 79 winners in all as opposed to just 24 unforced errors. Only time will tell if this epic is remembered as fondly as the Roddick-El Aynaoui quarterfinal Aussie Open clash from 2003, but in terms of quality this one is better than anything in recent memory. Any more words wouldn't do it justice, so just check out the laughably outrageous match stats. - Looking good: Mikhail Youzhny (he absolutely destroyed big-serving Ivo Karlovic in straight sets) and Nikolay Davydenko (still hasn't dropped a set this tournament). It's a shame these two have to play in the fourth round because it looks they are two of the most in-form players in the draw at the moment. - Thumbs down: Mardy Fish. The American was looking great through two rounds and a set of his match with Jarkko Nieminen, but it was all downhill after that and Fish went away mentally. Very disappointing end to what once was a promising tournament (especially because of the soft draw) for Fish. - Day 6 Outlook: It will be an unbelievable atmosphere for the match of the day, as Lleyton Hewitt will take on Marcos Baghdatis during the night session. With hometown favorite Hewitt and with all that's gone on surrounding Baghdatis already this week, this one will be wild. Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Nalbandian is another blockbuster matchup. Ferrero has been on fire so far and Nalbandian has looked human at a few points in both of his matches, so this one should be close. Fernando Gonzalez could have a tricky time with up-and-coming Croat Marin Cilic. Comment on the Australian Open Daily Observations
Australian Open Day 4
- Just when you thought the Australian Open would be somewhat up for grabs in 2008, ROger Federer goes out and does THAT in the first two rounds of the tournament. Two days after abusing Diego Hartfield in Rod Laver Arena, Federer came back out and annihilated Fabrice Santoro 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. The world No. 1 struck 53 winners to just 18 unforced errors in another virtually flawless performance. The message has been sent loud and clear: Federer is not about to invite any other player near his party at the top of the ATP rankings.
- The Aussie Open got it's first 5-set night match of the year from fan favorites Marat Safin and Marcos Baghdatis. Safin came back from two sets down to fourth a fifth set, but the Cypriot outlasted him 6-2 in the final frame. It wasn't exactly a top-notch match as both players had far more errors than winners, but it was still wildly entertaining and made for a great atmosphere inside Melbourne Park.
- Looking good: Federer, Baghdatis, James Blake, Tomas Berdych, Novak Djokovic, Juan Carlos Ferrero.
- Thumbs up: Veteran Sebastien Grosjean and youngster Robin Haase for putting on a spectacular five-set show in front of a great atmosphere on the outer courts. It showed there is still life in Grosjean yet, while the 2008 Aussie Open signals the beginning of Haase making a name for himself. And Sam Querrey, who is suddenly playing superb tennis and upset Dmitry Tursunov for arguably the biggest win of his young career.
- Thumbs down: Tursunov. He has all the necessary talent and it often shows in smaller events, but when will the Russian come up big at a Grand Slam?
- Day 5 Outlook: The bottom half of the draw takes back to the court and let's hope it produces some more enthralling tennis than it did on Day 3. Highlighting the proceedings will be Mikhail Youzhny and Ivo Karlovic. It's the most enticing matchup of the day and both men have a chance to go on to achieve their best Grand Slam showing ever. Philipp Kohlschreiber could give Andy Roddick his first test of the tournament. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet appear poised to set up a titanic fourth-round collision. Mardy Fish looks to build upon his blowout win over Tommy Robredo when he faces another seed in Finn Jarkko Nieminen. Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, should continue to cruise at the very bottom of the draw as he takes on unheralded 28-seed Gilles Simon.
Comment on the Australian Open Daily Observations
Australian Open Day 3
- The bottom half of the draw is billed as by far the weaker of the two halves and it sure lived up to its billing on Wednesday. There was not one five-set match in the second round, and only five of the sixteen matches went to four sets. That's crazy! The closest match was probably Youzhny against Seppi, in which the Russian prevailed in a fourth-set tiebreaker. I can't say there was a really a match of the day or even an unusually huge win or upset, but the performances of the day were by Richard Gasquet and Mardy Fish. Gasquet hit 35 winners to just 12 unforced errors in a 6-2 6-1, 6-3 destruction of Feliciano Lopez. Fish destroyed Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 to get revenge on his crushing five-set loss to the Spaniard in the second round of the U.S. Open just four months ago.
- Looking good: Fish, Gasquet, Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nikolay Davydenko.
- Thumbs up: Stefan Koubek, who two days after upsetting Carlos Moya in the first round, took out Agustin Calleri in straight sets. Also to Philipp Kohlschreiber, who has won six straight sets (the last was by default today against Korolev) over two matches.
- Day 4 Outlook: Melbourne Park should have a much better day on its hands as the top half of the draw takes to the court for round 2. The blockbuster matchup is between 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin and 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis. Not surprisingly, it's the night match in Rod Laver Arena. Federer-Santoro should also be wildly entertaining, even though the score will almost certainly be lopsided. Sam Querrey vs. Dmitry Tursunov could also end up being one of the best matches on Day 4. Querrey, who slumped a bit at the end of 2007, looked impressive against Olivier Rochus in the first round. It will also be important to keep an eye on some never-know-what-your-going-to-get-from-them contenders. Fernando Gonzalez, James Blake, and David Nalbandian will all be in action.
Comment on the Australian Open Daily Observations
Australian Open Day 2
- The Marat Safin-Ernests Gulbis showdown turned out to be a buzzkill, but I guess that's really not too surprising. Either both were going to play well and produce some other-worldly tennis, or both were going to play poorly and produce one of the ugliest, error-filled matches in tennis history, or one was going to play well and the other poorly to produce a lopsided affair. The later is what happened. At least I assume Safin played well, but I didn't see the match so who knows. Give Gulbis just a little bit more time, however, and he'll find some consistency. He is like a Baby Safin right now: when he is on he is unbeatable, and when he is off he is one of the worst players on the ATP Tour.
- Looking good: Safin, Roger Federer (straight-set destruction of Diego Hartfield, James Blake (straights over Massu), Novak Dokovic (straights over Becker), Juan Carlos Ferrero (straights over Kiefer).
- Thumbs up: Spadea, Dmitry Tursunov (came back from two sets down against Malisse), Janko Tipsarevic (won fifth set 6-0 over Sirianni after dropping fourth set 6-0).
- Thumbs down: Radek Stepanek (stunned by Spadea), Ivan Ljubcic (upset loss to Robin Haase does nothing to quiet doubters that he is fading into oblivion), Chris Guccione (another huge start to the year squandered at his hometown Grand Slam, this time to Hyung-Taik Lee in straight sets).
- Day 3 Outlook: It's the bad part of the draw on Day 3 (lower half), but there will still be some intriguing stuff going on. Gasquet-Lopez could be the marquee match, and it will be especially interesting to see how Nadal and Tsonga, both of whom looked good in round one but still come with question marks, are doing. Seeds that could be in trouble on Day 3, in addition to Gasquet, are Robredo, Simon, Kohlschreiber, and perhaps even Jarkko Nieminen against American Jesse Levine.
Australian Open Day 1
- The win of the day has to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's upset of 9th-seeded Andy Murray. I had Murray in the semi-finals of my bracket, but I also had Tsonga in my top 20 Aussie Open contenders even though he is not seeded, so I guess I wasn't ENTIRELY wrong! I still thought the Scot had a chance when he was down two sets, and I really thought he had a chance after he bageled Tsonga in the third. The Frenchman even looked hobbled with a minor foot injury in the late stages of the match, but he came through in the clutch (although both players clearly felt the pressure late in the fourth set). Tsonga now has a nice draw until the fourth round, where he could face fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Murray-Gasquet surely would have been great stuff, but Tsonga-Gasquet could be even better!
- Looking good: Nikolay Davydenko, Mikhail Youzhny, Stanislas Wawrinka, Rafael Nadal (all straight-set winners).
- Thumbs up: Tommy Robredo, Jarkko Nieminen (both came back from 2 sets down), Jesse Levine and Sam Warburg (big wins for two young Americans).
- Thumbs down: Carlos Moya (it looked like he was playing well), Donald Young (blew a great chance for a rare Grand Slam match victory), Juan Ignacio Chela (proved his run at U.S. Open was a fluke), and of course Andy Murray (had all kinds of hype surrounding him going into the Australian).
- Day 2 Outlook: Some huge matches on the menu, especially Isner-Santoro and Gulbis-Safin. Others to watch are Baghdatis-Johansson, Hewitt-Darcis, Kiefer-Ferrero, and Haase-Ljubicic.
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Archived thoughts from 2007
Madrid quarterfinal previews and third round match analysis
- Roger Federer vs. Feliciano Lopez: Federer got revenge for two early-season in dominant fashion, destroying Canas 6-0, 6-3. Lopez won the first set over Koubek in a tiebreaker and then rolled in the second set. The Spaniard played some awesome tennis in the second, smashing forehand winners all over the place and even flattening out some nice backhands. Federer beat Lopez at the U.S. Open in September despite dropping the first set. The world No. 1 seems to be really in form this week, so I'm not giving Lopez a set this time around.
- Nicolas Kiefer vs. Fernando Gonzalez: Kiefer upset Karlovic in two tiebreakers in the third round, no small feat considering just how well the 6'10'' giant has been playing recently. Gonzalez cruised over Juan Monaco in straight sets. Obviously Gonzalez controls the destiny of this quarterfinal match, and it seems like he's gotten things together this fall (not quite to his Australian Open level, though!), so you have to like Gonzo in this one. The Chilean choked last year late in the season in his attempt to qualify for the year-end Masters Cup, but if he was going to choke again, he would have done it in the second round against Almagro when he stared eight Almagro set points in the first set and saved them all.
- Mario Ancic vs. Novak Djokovic: Super Mario is back! Consider what he's done so far in Madrid: destroyed Gicquel in the first round, annihilated Blake in the second, and rolled over Paul-Henri Mathieu in the third. Those are some impressive wins, especially the last two. A win over Djokovic would just be icing on the cake. I don't think it will happen, but I -- and I assume Ancic is as well -- am more concerned with him staying healthy for 2008. If he can play a full season injury-free, it should be really interesting to see what he can do. Djokovic has been extended to three sets in Madrid by both Verdasco and Ferrero. Ancic should be able to bomb-serve his way to a set victory, so I'm looking for Djokovic to advance in three sets for the third straight time this tournament.
- Rafael Nadal vs. David Nalbandian: Seems like a lot of people are psyched up for this
Wednesday Madrid thoughts at the PTB Blog
Madrid Masters Series third round thoughts
- There are tons of third-round blockbusters on the menu for Thursday, but the cream of the crop has to be Nadal-Murray. Nadal won with relative ease over Baghdatis yesterday in his first time on the court since the U.S. Open, while Murray has been on fire recently. The Scot took out Stepanek in a marquee first round matchup and then erased Chela in the second. I'm giving a slight edge to Murray simply because of his form the past two weeks, but it's never safe to bet against Nadal. The bottom line is a three-set thriller should be on tap. Then of course we have Federer-Canas III. Willy won both meetings, shockingly, in March, but I'll take Federer in straights this time around. Monaco and Gonzalez should get the day's proceedings going with a baseline slugfest, and while Gonzalez will be favored and really needs it to solidify his Shanghai chances, Monaco has just been playing too well to pick against him. I'm taking the Argentine in three. Battles of upset specialists include Lopez (d. Ferrer) vs. Koubek (d. Nalbandian) and Ancic (d. Blake) vs. Mathieu (d. Gasquet). You have to root for Lopez and Acic in those two; Lopez because he's in front of the Spanish crowd and Koubek is a raging lunatic, and Ancic because he is finally playing great tennis after recovering from a back injury.
Doubles thoughts and more first-round talk at the PTB Blog
Tuesday's second round matches in Madrid
- The eye-opener of the day has to be Andy Murray's dominant win over Juan Igancio Chela. After taking out Radek Stepanek in the first round, Murray completely proved that he really is back (from a wrist injury), beyond the shadow of a doubt. Don't believe me? Watch one of the return games he played against Chela here. Murray is definitely looking like a top ten player right now and very well could be had it not been for the aforementioned wrist injury that forced him to miss most of the summer, including the French Open and Wimbledon. If Nadal can get by Baghdatis tomorrow, we'll have a Murray-Nadal showdown in Madrid in the third round. That could be simply amazing.
- Robby Ginepri is just looking for victories right now and probably isn't about moral victories, but if there is such a thing it happened for him today against Roger Federer. One day after pulling out a nice, nail-biter win over Jurgen Melzer, Ginepri gave Federer a good match, eventually losing 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. The American is on the verge of becoming a one or two month wonder (the U.S. Open Series and especially the U.S. Open), so it would be nice to see him start playing good tennis elsewhere. Perhaps this is just that start. Ginepri is clearly a hard-court player, so it's important for him to take advantage in this last month of the season and build some momentum heading into the January hard-court season and the Australian Open. After all, if any player feeds of momentum--or disappears when the confidence and momentum is gone--it's Ginepri. Hopefully he'll get a few good draws between now and then and not what he's gotten the past two weeks: Djokovic in the first then Federer in the second.
Madrid thoughts, including qualies, first-round matches, and the doubles draw
Conclusions of Stockholm, Vienna, and Moscow tournaments
- The If Stockholm Open held true to form for a while, but that wasn't exactly the case over the weekend. A final of Ivo Karlovic vs. Thomas Johansson?!?! Johansson over Blake wasn't too surprising, as ToJo had just defeated him a few weeks ago in the Davis Cup. But the Swede could not deliver a title to the hometown crowd, as the 6'10'' Karlovic, just as he did throughout the entire tournament, proved to be too much to handle. Ivo is just playing great tennis right now--or at the very least serving invincibly--and it would be nice to see him sustain this level and remain in the top 30 and be seeded at all the Grand Slams. I'm sure all the other seeds would like that; it would guarantee not having to face the giant before the third round!
- Djokovic showed he is still on top of his game despite a brief break following the U.S. Open. He destroyed Wawrinka in the BA-CA final on Sunday, setting up what looks like could be some good battles between Djoker and Federer in Madrid, Paris, and/or the year-end Masters Cup in Tokyo. It was a great week for tennis fans, and with three huge tournaments between now and mid-November and with plenty of the top players in good form, it should be an awesome end to the 2007 season.
- No surprise in Moscow: Davydenko treats the hometown fans to a Kremlin Cup title. The Russian did not lose a set the entire tournament, although three of the ten sets went to tiebreakers and three more went to 7-5. The final against back-on-track Paul-Henri Mathieu was probably the most difficult test. Davydenko prevailed in a two-set thriller 7-5, 7-6 (11-9). In winning, Davy secured his spot in the Masters Cup in Shanghai, where he rightfully belongs. It will be interesting to see just how Davydenko does there, because it's well-documented that he is simply atrocious against the game's best players. Will he be able to get the monkey off his back and post at least one win over one of the top three players? He should have at least one or two chances. He's definitely playing like he has a shot at the best, the question that remains is will he be able to handle the pressure that he hasn't handled so well in the past.
Madrid Qualifying Draw Obervations at the PTB Blog
Friday October 12 (Stockholm, Vienna, and Moscow tournaments)
- The If Stockholm Open is the only tournament that's pretty much been true to form in terms of favored players advancing. I have all four semi-finalists correct, which is a good thing since I'm getting grilled in both of the other events. Ivo Karlovic advanced out of the bottom quarter, we he was the only seed since Ferrer withdrew after his long and successful week in Tokyo. Hometown favorite Thomas Johansson emerged out of a quarter that featured exactly zero seeded players (Robredo and Verdasco also withdrew). ToJo overcame Mario Ancic 7-6 in the third in the quarters. He next has a rematch with James Blake, whom he blistered on his home turf just two weeks ago in the Davis Cup semis. Will the home-court advantage prove too much for Blake to overcome once again? I'm saying no, but that very well could be a heart-over-head pick.
- I'm a Juan Carlos Ferrero fan, but the Mosquito is really killing my buzz this week. He's taken out two of my favorites, Willy Canas in the first round and then Fernando Gonzalez today in the quarters. None of those results are total shockers, but I would have liked to see Willy or Fernando in the final, presumably against Djokovic. Hopefully JCF will take out Wawrinka in the semis, as a JCF-Djoker final would not be a bad alternative by any means. Speaking of South Americans that I like, it's good to see Chela still playing well after his strong showing at the U.S. Open. He reached the quarterfinals and had match points against Djokovic before falling 7-6 in the third. Disappointing loss for him, but still impressive nonetheless.
- I was really hoping that Gulbis would capitalize on the momentum of his win in the Belgium Challenger last week, but I guess the turnaround was just too quick and he had a tough opening draw against #2 seed Youzhny. Oh well. It's interesting that in the one tournament this week that had no withdrawals, the most hell has broken loose in the draw. Michael Berrer of all people came out of the bottom quarter of the draw that featured Youzhny, Gulbis, and Kohlschreiber. Janko Tipsarevic emerged out of a quarter with Andy Murray, Tursunov, and Stepanek. He upset both Murray and Stepanek. Davydenko and Mathieu restored order in their sections and I fully expect to see both of them in the final - definitely Mathieu, but Davydenko probably has a tough one on his hands against Tipsy, who is obviously playing great tennis this week. It's definitely Davydenko's tournament to lose, though.
- I got slammed pretty good on the message boards for picking Robredo to win an indoor event (Metz), but it looks like this guy got the last laugh. Robredo got bageled in the first set by Andy Murray in the final, but came back strong to dominate the last two sets. I'll have to admit I changed my pick prior to the final having seen Murray make his way impressively through the draw, but I still deserve some dap for picking Robredo at the beginning of the week. This puts him into the top 8 in the race for Shanghai and in good position to qualify.
- Speaking of being in good position to qualify for the year-end Masters Cup in Shanghai, David Ferrer remained on fire and completely dominated the Tokyo field en route to the title. Never was he more dominant than in the final, where he destroyed Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2. The Spaniard did not lose a set the whole week and posted wins over Moodie, Spadea, Lopez, Karlovic, and then Gasquet. This moves him up to sixth in the race for Shanghai and he is almost certain to qualify. That's a good thing for tennis, because the way Ferrer has been playing, he absolutely has to be in that tournament. In fact, right now he might have to be considered the third favorite to win the thing (ahead of Nadal, behind Federer and Djokovic) since it's on hard courts.
- Gulbis is back in action! And with a vengeance! In his first ATP appearance (he played in the Davis Cup for Latvia in September) since his awesome run at the U.S. Open, Ernie rolled through a very strong field for a Challenger event to win in Mons, Belgium. He erased Kristof Vliegen in the final 7-5, 6-3. The draw also included Olivier Rochus, Xavier Malisse, and Andrei Pavel, but Gulbis was too strong for all comers. Hardly surprising considerig what I witnessed out of the youngster at the Open. You have to expect some more good things out of him the rest of the year, and some absolutely massive, ground-breaking things in 2008.
Davis Cup thoughts at the Pro Tennis Blog...Blog
Sunday August 16
- Fernando! You gotta love to see him playing good tennis again, as he is one of the most exciting players in the game to watch when he is on. He took out Robredo today in three sets to win the title in China. As he did after the Australian, he obviously could once again disappear at any moment, but here's to hoping and praying he keeps up a hot streak...for a while at least!- And Lindsay Davenport completes her remarkable comeback, defeating Hantuchova in the final. Now the real question is if she can become a Grand Slam tournament contender in 2008? There's a big difference between Slams and the tournament this week, but the win over Jankovic (and Hatuchova, as well) shows it's at least a possibility.
Saturday August 15
- We have three intriguing finals on our hands tomorrow, including in the WTA Tour event in Bali. First, on the men's side (in China), it's Fernando Gonzalez vs. Tommy Robredo. Neither one had been playing good tennis recently, both were coming off disappointing U.S. Opens, and with a very strong field at this event, this has to be considered a surprising final despite their rankings and talent level. It is really good to see Gonzalez back in form, though. His year has just been brutal ever since his run in Australia, but a title in China would really turn things around and give him a chance of qualifying for the year-end Masters Cup.
- In the other men's event this week, the Romanian crowd will have one of their own to cheer on tomorrow. Victor Hanescu has basically come out of nowhere (more accurately the Challenger circuit) to make the final, where he'll take on Gilles Simon. The Frenchman has to be favored, especially since it's on clay, but you have to pull for Hanescu to come through on his home soil, especially since he's been AWOL from the ATP Tour for a while. He'll certainly have a chance, as today he posted a great straight-set win over Gael Monfils.
- Lindsay Davenport's win today wasn't as newsworthy as her upset of Jelena Jankovic yesterday, but it was still very significant, as it propelled her to a final appearance in her first tournament back. Tomorrow she faces Daniela Hantuchova, with whom she played doubles this week before the two pulled out due to their strong showings in singles. I love Hantuchova, but you can't root against the completion of this already-remarkable Davenport comeback story.
Friday August 14
- As expected, it did prove to be a good day of quarterfinal tennis in China, with the two most intriguing matchups going deep into the fourth set. Gonzalez posted a very good win by overcoming Hyung-Taik Lee, who had a solid summer on the hard courts, 6-4 in the third. It would be great for tennis-watching and tennis in general if Gonzalez is really getting his game back together. He next faces Ivan Ljubicic, who took out Marcos Baghdatis in a third-set tiebreaker. Assuming the quality of play was at least decent in that one, it must have been incredibly entertaining to watch. The top half of the draw isn't quite as exciting, but the results today have made for a good semi-final match between Robredo and Kiefer. You have to give Robredo the slight edge after he blew out Kunitsyn 6-1, 6-3 today. He seems to have recovered quite well from the beating Gulbis put down on him in New York!
- The only rral surprise in either tournament today came in Romania, where hometown boy Victor Hanescu upset Potito Starace in straight sets. Hanescu has been bouncing around in Challenger events recently, so he must be really motivated to be in the main draw of an ATP event, especially one in his own country. Starace hasn't been great by any means recently, but I thought he could pull this one out on clay without too much trouble. I guess not. I wish Hanescu was on the opposite side from Monfils, but he's not, so the two play tomorrow in the semi-finals. I hope Monfils ends Hanescu's run, and he's certainly the favorite to do so, but who knows, it looks like anything is possible for the Romanian this week.
- Have to give a shout-out to the WTA today, as mom Lindsay Davenport upset, I should probably even say "stunned," Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in her first tournament back. How is Davenport already playing this good?!??! What can we expect out of her in 2008?? I don't have the answers right now, but this is an incredible start to her road back.
Thursday August 13
- HOW did Davydenko lose to Marin Cilic, much less in straight sets: 6-3, 6-4? One would think it's 'cause Davydenko was presumably tired after two weeks of tennis at the U.S. Open, but then again, Davydenko never takes a week off from tennis, so he shouldn't have been any more tired than usual. Gambling scandal weighing on him? Doubtful. There hasn't been any news on that in a while and it clearly didn't affect him in New York. Maybe the young Cilic, who is 6'5'' and just turned 19, was just bombing serves and completely on fire. Who knows.
- That opens the door bigtime for the four remaining players in the top half of the draw. Robredo has to be the favorite to get past Kunitsyn in the quarters and then move on to the finals, but the Cilic-Kiefer winner obviously would have a good shot with Robredo. The German has to be glad Davydenko is gone, because he lost to the Russian in three blowout sets in the second round of the U.S. Open. Of course if Cilic is still on fire, maybe he'll end up wishing he got another chance at Davydenko.
- I really don't have much to say about the other tournament (Romania) anymore, because it's not even close to as good or entertaining to follow. One notable thing from today's scores, however, is the opposite fortunes of the two Romanian players. Veteran Andrei Pavel, as expected, got blitzed by Potito Starace in straight sets, while Victor Hanescu (where has he been the last two years?) destroyed Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-2. I'm pretty surprised by that result, especially on clay. How much would the fans like a surprising Hanescu run all the way to the title!?!
Wednesday August 12
- It looks like Gonzalez thankfully, mercifully, finally had a good showing on a tennis court. He destroyed fellow Chilean Paul Capdeville 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the third round in China. I'm not about to declare him back in good form or anything like that, but we all should know that Gonzalez can come out of the tank just as fast as he went into the take following his Aussie Open run.
- All the other seeds in China are steadily advancing in China; it's shaping up to be a phenomenal end to the tournament, including the already-set Baghdatis-Ljubicic and Lee-Gonzalez quarterfinal showdowns.
- Exactly how did Andreev lose to Marc Gicquel on clay (in Romania)? Now there are only three seeds remaining in the tournament: #3 Potito Starace, #6 Gilles Simon, and #8 Albert Montanes. It's officially a free-for-all for the title. I'm rooting for Monfils and he's probably the favorite now, although Starace wouldn't be a bad pick.
Tuesday August 11
- Almost everything went as expected in China on Tuesday. Most of the favorites advanced and I correctly picked eight of nine matches, the only blemish being Viktor Troicki's minor upset of Teimuraz Gabashvili. Gabashvili took out Gonzalez in the first round of the U.S. Open and then blown off the court by Ginepri in the second round, so he's looking like one of those guys from whom you just don't know what you're going to get day in and day out.
- An already less-than-enticing BCR Romania Open looks like it got even worse with Tuesday's results. The draw lost its top two seeds in Almgaro and Volandri, and also lost one of the most fun players to watch in #7 seed Fabrice Santoro. The good news is that Volandri lost to Monfils, who is probably the most talented and exciting player in the tournament. Andreev has to be the clear-cut favorite to win it all now, although it's unfortunate that he and Monfils would meet in the quarterfinals. The top half of the draw, meanwhile, is a complete free-for-all among tons of players who have a real opportunity to have their best showing ever in an ATP Tour event.
Monday August 10
- It's hard to get pumped up for extremely minor tournaments just one day after the conclusion of a Grand Slam, but alas that is the reality of the situation right now. Although the U.S. Open was great, it's gone for about 350 days and we have to move on to smaller and worse things, as opposed to bigger and better. This week the tournaments are in China and Romania, and the one in China is actually quite decent. The top eight seeds, in order, are Davydenko, Gonzalez, Robredo, Ljubicic, Baghdatis, Lee, Tsonga, and Kunitsyn. That's a strong top seven, especially when you consider it's the week following the U.S. Open. This is a tournament worth watching, and what I'll be most interested in how much Davydenko has left in the tank (this guy plays EVERY SINGLE FREAKIN' WEEK OF THE YEAR) and just how bad Fernando Gonzalez is at tennis. Also, will Robredo have recovered from his Ernests Gulbis experience? Will Baghdatis and Ljubicic turn their sub-par seasons around?
- The tournament in Romania is much less interesting. Just look at the top two seeds: Almagro and Volandri. Hello, snooze button, mute button, power button, what have you. I might be paying more attention to the Challenger circuit this week than I will be to this laugher of a tournament. Maybe Gael Monfils, who had to come through qualifying just to get in this thing, will breathe some life into this event by making a deep run. Other than that, this tournament has nothing to offer. Plus it's back on clay; the next real clay-court season doesn't start until late April. Let's stick to the hard courts, please.
- One of my questions surrounding the China tournament has already been answered, and it looks like it was just a few points away from being answered even more emphatically. Fernando Gonzalez was extended to 7-5 in the third by Alexander Peya in the first round, but forunately he came away with the victory after dropping the first set. Clearly Fernando is still way off his game, but at least he gave himself the opportunity to improve with another match on the menu.
- We had another fortunate escape in Bucharest. Igor Andreev, arguably the favorite to win the whole thing, somehow went to three sets with Peter Luczak but prevailed 6-4. An Andreev exit would have really watered down an already tasteless tournament. Perhaps he'll wake up after a tough opening round and go on to win the thing.
Thursday August 30 through the end of the U.S. Open
- See "Best of the Day" on the U.S. Open Articles & Blog page
Wednesday August 29
- U.S. Open 1st and 2nd round match at the PTB Blog analysis
- At first I thought Federer had a complete wardrobe malfunction when he entered Arthur Ashe Stadium tonight. But then the all-black kind of grew on me, at least a little bit. The look was actually OK; looked pretty cool, it was just kind of weird to see it on Federer. The bag on the other had, grew on me in now way shape or form. Shiny black with sparkling silver (maybe just due to the reflection, but it was terrible regardless) was just a little bit too Maria Sharapova for me. Still, he's Roger Federer so he can do whatever the hell he wants. I'm just glad that I get to witness live whatever he brings out on the court in his next match against John Isner!
Tuesday August 28
- U.S. Open 1st round match analysis at the PTB Blog
- Other thoughts on the U.S. Open Articles & Blog page
Monday August 27
- U.S. Open 1st round match analysis at the PTB Blog
- It was an action-packed first day at the U.S. Open and perfect weather allowed for a full slate of action from 11 AM to 10:30 PM. Among Day 1's biggest victories were two by up-and-coming American players, John Isner and Donald Young. I'd have to say Isner's was probably the biggest win of the day period, bigger than Young's because I think most people expected Young to beat Chris Guccione. But it was impressive to see Young bounce back to roll through sets two, three, and four after dropping the first in a tiebreaker. Isner also lost the first in a tiebreaker, to 26-seed Jarkko Nieminen. His comeback was a taller order, playing against the ever-solid Finn. But Isner did it, winning the second and third in 'breakers before securing the match's first break to provide for the 6-4 margin in the fourth. Other huge wins came from Max Mirnyi, who upset Marcos Baghdatis in four sets, and Andy Murray, not because he beat a top player (not by any means) but because he's clearly getting over his shoulder injury.
- Baghdatis losing to Mirnyi was a pretty big surprise, but I think the shocker of the day has to go to Fernando Verdasco over Paul-Henri Mathieu. Not so much because Mathieu was some kind of overwhelming favorite (although the odds certainly had to be in his favor at least somewhat) but because Mathieu rolled through the first two sets 6-3, 6-1. Nothing Mathieu did on the hard courts this summer suggested he had any chance of squandering such a lead. But despite coming into the Open playing great tennis, Mathieu somehow folded and lost the next three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Give Verdasco credit though; he's always been solid at the U.S. Open, I just didn't think he had the mental strength to come back from two sets down to a guy playing as well as Mathieu.
- Day 2 matches I'm most looking forward to (in order of what court they're on): Djokovic-Haase, Querrey-Koubek, Johansson-Massu, and Karlovic-Clement.
Sunday August 26
- The U.S. Open Series ended fittingly, and in my opinion, surprisingly; not due to the outcome of the final, but due to the fact that Americans James Blake and Mardy Fish both reached the final. I didn't think either one would make it that far when the tournament started, but I did have each one winning his semi-final match. Fish took out Karlovic as the 6-10 giant lost the first set in a tiebreaker and then melted down under the heat in the second. Blake almost suffered the same fate he inflicted upon Agustin Calleri in the quarterfinals (Calleri squandered a 5-4 in the second set, 40-0, triple-match point lead) against Paul-Henri Mathieu. Blake served for the match at 6-5 the third set, had a 40-15 lead, and the J-Block was already thinking about what time the pre-game party started the next day and what time they'd arrive at the stadium. Not so fast. Blake lost four points in-a-row to lose the game and go into a tiebreaker. At that point he got back on track and cruised to victory. The final wasn't as competitive, although Fish did put up a decent fight in the first set before going away quietly in the second. Still, it was a great tournament for both Blake and Fish. Let's just hope they aren't too exhausted heading into the U.S. Open. Fish will most likely get to play his first match on Wednesday, while Blake will have to kick things off on Tuesday since he's on the side of the draw that will always be one day ahead (if things stay on schedule) as the tournament progresses.
- Just a week after I write an article bashing American tennis, two Americans came up absolutely huge today in New Haven. James Blake and Mardy Fish combined for four match wins today. Yep, because of rain delays earlier in the week, both had to play twice today (as did the six other semi-finalists). Blake started off against Agustin Calleri and for a while it looked like he'd had enough of New Haven and wanted to rest up for the U.S. Open. But finding himself down a set, 5-4, and 40-0 on Calleri's serve, Blake saved three match points, got the break, and ended up winning the second set in a tiebreaker. He then rolled 6-1 in the third to finish off what sounded like a match that featured several contentious moments between the two players. There was no drama whatsoever in Blake's night match, as he dispatched Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-4. Fish, who is basically coming out of nowhere this week, also came from a set down, losing the first set to Jose Acasuso in a tiebreaker before taking the next two sets 3 and 0. His second match of the day was even more impressive; in fact it was extremely impressive. Fish handled Stanislas Wawrinka, who has been playing solid tennis recently, 6-3, 6-3. With both Blake and Fish now playing well, and with both having not particularly taxing draws in New York, maybe the Americans can do some damage in Flushing Meadows after all....
Wednesday August 22
- One of my favorite days of the year: the U.S. Open draw ceremony! I'll write my thoughts in article form soon, but for now a few things stand out. First off is being the #5 seed ended up costing Andy Roddick, who would play Federer in the quarterfinals. Djokovic doesn't have it much easier, as he plays Ancic in the first round, potentially Stepanek in the second, and potentially Hewitt in the fourth. At least he's on the opposite side from Federer. It looks like of the main contenders to make a deep run, Nadal and Blake have the easiest road. Some potential third-round clashes that I'd like to see when I'm in NY include Safin-Gonzalez and Baghdatis-Haas. I'd take Mathieu-Berdych as well, and Canas-Murray if Murray is actually playing decent tennis. John Isner has a decent chance to win two matches, at which point he'd get Federer. Third-round night match on Arthur Ashe!?!? Sign me up for that.
- Donald Young had a very, and I mean very, encouraging performance tonight in a losing effot against Nikolay Davydenko. After losing the first set, Young bounced back to take the second and then stood toe-to-toe with the #4 player in the world before losing 7-5. Young was two points from the match once with Davydenko serving at 4-5, but couldn't pull it off. The difference in this one was only experience, as Davydenko simply knows how to win and Young has only won one match ever on the ATP Tour, so that factor finally showed at 5-5 in the third. Still, Young absolutely must hold his head high after this one, and it should give him plenty of belief going into a winnable first-round U.S. Open matchup with Aussie Chris Guccione.
Tuesday August 21
- I'm an idiot for not thinking Isner would beat Benjamin Becker again (actually I kind of did I just didn't want to get my hopes up), but thank goodness he did. And this time it wasn't close (ie, not 7-6 in the third), 6-3, 6-4. Up next is another rematch (but this time Isner is the one looking for revenge), with David Ferrer. That's a terrible matchup for Isner because of Ferrer's awesome return game and relentless groundstrokes, but Isner will have a chance if he serves incredibly.
- I don't see why Blake is still playing in this tournament after what he did last week, but he is. And so far, it looks like not too bad of an idea. He put the Federer loss behind him today with a 6-4, 6-2 victory of Arnaud Clement. I don't know if it's in Blake's best interest to go all the way to another final right before the U.S. Open, but it looks like he probably will.
Sunday August 19
- Blake-Federer comments at the PTB Blog
- At long last, Donald Young has won a match on the ATP Tour? Today the 18-year-old American defeated compatriot Amer Delic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. I really didn't think Young was ready for the Tour quite yet, despite his winning the Wimbledon Juniors, and this doesn't necessarily mean he is, but it is at least a good sign. Young is clearly playing good tennis at the moment and maybe there's a chance he can win a match at the Open--if the draw is extremely kind. Let's not lose our heads about this, though. Delic is a Top 100 player, but he hasn't been playing great tennis recently and he has a lot to work on his game other than the serve. Still, congrats to Doland Young. Next up: Nikolay Davydenko!
- Two other Americans had decent wins, most encouragingly Robby Ginepri. He beat Nicolas Massu in straight sets. Maybe he is actually playing decent tennis finally - he always seems to this time of year. Mardy Fish, meanwhile, took longer than necessary with Florian Mayer but he pulled it out 6-4 in the third. He wasn't a factor this summer because of a foot injury (sustained while kicking a football), but perhaps he can win a few rounds at the Open, especially if his serve-forehand combination is on.
Saturday August 18
- Hewitt-Federer and Blake-Davydenko analysis at the PTB Blog
- I think Blake has a real chance tomorrow; and it's not like I've said that each time Federer and Blake have played. In fact this is the first time I've thought Blake has a chance heading into the match. Federer has been less that stellar - by his standards - this week in Cincinnati. He often stumbles through the early rounds of tournaments before turning things up in a major way when things get serious, but that just hasn't happened yet this week. Maybe this time he's decided not to turn the green light on until the finals, but I just don't see it. It just seems like mentally and physically he is off his game. Blake, meanwhile, has been positively on fire ever since dropping the first set to Sam Querrey in the quarterfinals. His forehand has been absolutely punishing from the baseline. The one problem I think is that right now Hewitt's style of play would give Federer the most trouble (it did today). Hewitt beats people who aren't playing well, because he gets all kinds of balls and hits everything in, forcing his opponent to hit too many shots. That's what got to Federer today. Blake, on the other hand, has a much bigger, attacking game than Hewitt and he will have to use it wisely against Federer. He will have to feel out Federer at the start, and if Federer continues to be off, Blake just needs to play smart tennis and make Federer work before picking the right times to go for his forehand. If Federer is on, then 1) well Blake will probably lose no matter what, and 2) Blake's forehand will have to remain on fire such that he can get in control of points early and get in to net; because when Federer is on, you can't just stay at the baseline and let him dominate you.
Friday August 17
- Cincinnati quarterfinal Match Analysis at the PTB Blog
- I'll wait to analyze the New Haven draw until the qualifiers are in there, but for now I'll the players who entered. Ironman Nikolay Davydenko, of course, will be there and is the one seed. The guy never takes a week off. On one hand I think finally taking some rest prior to the U.S. Open, on the other hand maybe he shouldn't throw off his rhythm. However, even he might pull out if he wins tomorrow and makes it to the final of Cincinnati. Eh, probably not! Blake is there and he's also been playing a lot of tennis. Prior to Cincinnati I definitely thought he should go to New Haven, as Blake is a player who really needs confidence in his game to have any chance, but now that he's found it this week, I don't see how playing next week does him much good. Ferrer is back in action, and that will be good for him. It's a chance to keep up the momentum and erase the taste of a sour end to his good tournament in Cincinnati. He doesn't want the blowout loss to Davydenko being his last match before the Open. Some other players I'll be keeping my eye on in New Haven: Tsonga (where has he been since Wimbledon?), Ginepri (is he actually playing decent tennis now?), and Isner (is he for real?).
Thursday August 16
- The upsets continued on Thursday, and there could have been even more. Federer saved four set points in the first set and all on Baghdatis' serve, with the Cypriot serving at 6-5. He forced a tiebreaker, won that, and then cruised in the third. I didn't see it, but word from all who watched this match said it was nothing short of hideous. Horrible play by both players. But, with so many big names already out, Federer can probably keep up this sub-par form and still win the tournament. Roddick joined the list of upset victims today, losing to David Ferrer 7-6, 6-4. That's a disheartening loss to say the least. The good news for Americans is that Blake dominated Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets and will play compatriot Sam Querrey - who is playing his best tennis right now - in the quarters tomorrow.
- With all the poor play that's been going on in Cincinnati this week, questions are swirling about what to do with this tournament. Weather is obviously a crucial factor, as it's been unbearable there this week, but there's nothing that can be done about that. The only solvable issue is the placement of two Masters Series events - this one and Canada - back-to-back. I agree with those who say that's too demanding. I like having one two weeks before the Open, so the other one has to be moved closer to the start of the U.S. Open Series. It'd be nice to have one kick off the Series with a bang, but I think having one the second week of the Road Trip is the best idea - to give more time after Wimbledon. Who knows if anything will be done, but everything we've seen in Cincinnati this week suggests something needs to be.
- What do you know, the Bjorkman-Mirnyi team loses prematurely in a tournament once again, this time to Djokovic and Zimonjic. I like the Serbian team, but I'm a much bigger fan of Bjorman and Mirnyi. This stinks. What is the deal with them? I plan to find out myself at the U.S. Open - that is if they win their first round and are still around when I get there.
Wednesday August 15
- Cincinnati second-round Match Analysis at the PTB Blog
- The USTA announced the wild cards for the upcoming U.S. Open today and here they are: John Isner, Donald Young, Wayne Odesnik, Ryan Sweeting, Jesse Levine, Michael McClune, Alex Kuznetsov, and Alun Jones.
* John Isner - Isner made a name for himself at the Legg Mason in D.C. with his remarkable third-set tiebreaker run to the finals. Most fans are probably aware that he anchored the UGA Bulldogs National Championship team this year and lost in the finals over the individual singles NCAA Tournament. Isner has a monster serve but will have to improve other areas (especially getting to the net and finishing with sound volleys, because he will never be a great mover/baseliner) before he can really advance deep into a Grand Slam. That said, his serve could get him a few rounds at the Open if the draw is nice to him.
* Donald Young - Young's junior Wimbledon singles title was encouraging, but I don't think he's ready for the next level yet. He is 0-11 lifetime on the pro tour, including 0-2 at the U.S. Open (somehow he took a set off Djokovic last year before losing sets three and four 0 and 1). Barring an incredible opening-round draw, Young is one-and-done yet again.
* Wayne Odesnik - Odesnik was 0-6 lifetime on the pro tour before this summer, and now he already has three ATP wins. In D.C. he upset Juan Martin del Potro before becoming John Isner victim number three. Then he stunned Ivan Ljubcic in Montreal before extending fast-rising Canadian Frank Dancevic to 7-5 in the third. Odesnik is playing the best tennis of his life right now, so if the draw gives him he break, he could win a match.
* Ryan Sweeting - Sweeting has some pretty good wins on the Challenger circuit this year, and he's also gotten some good ATP experience as well, including wins over Spadea and Michael Russell. Last week he lost in a Challenger event to Thomas Johansson 7-6 in the third; not bad at all. Sweeting's U.S. Open outlook is the same as Odesnik's, although he'll probably need even more help with his opening-round draw.
* Jesse Levine - Levine was #3 in college this year as a freshman at Florida. He also won two matches on the ATP Tour in Delray Beach back in January. But he's lost in the first round of his last five Challenger events so he'll be long gone after one match in New York.
* Michael McClune - I'd never heard of him before today; he's the reigning Kalamazoo boys 18's singles champion. Unfortunately, that's all I need to know. McClune will surely savor the experience of playing in the U.S. Open and then he'll promptly book his ticket out of there after the first round.
* Alex Kuznetsov - Kuznetsov had never won a match on the ATP Tour prior to 2007 but he has four to his credit already this year. But don't think for a second that means he's playing good tennis. Kuznetsov has lost in the first round of his last five Challenger tournaments. Of the American wild cards I would rank him third behind Isner and Odesnik, but most likely he'll be one-and-done.
* Alun Jones - This guy is the only wild card recipient from outside the U.S.; got it via a deal between the U.S. and Australian Opens. He won two ATP matches in Adelaide in January and then took Marc Gicquel to five sets in Australia. Jones has been a staple on the Challenger circuit recently and he's been cleaning up in the farm system the last few months. Will that success translate into a win at the U.S. Open. Obviously it depends on the draw, and I give him the third best chance of winning a match of players on this list. Unlike Isner and Odesnik, however, his potential is capped at one win MAX.
- To say it was a surprising day in Cincinnati would be an understatement, mainly due to the early exits of Djokovic and Nadal. It's a bit of a downer -- especially for tournament-going fans -- to see such star power gone so early, but at the same time it should be a lot of fun to see which lesser-name players step up and seize the opportunity with the openings left by Nadal and Djokovic. Querrey had a huge win over Youzhny today and now just has to beat Monaco to make the quarters and then either Blake or Ferrero to make the semis. In Djokovic's quarter, veterans Hewitt and Moya are staring a semi-final matchup in the face.
Tuesday August 14
- Cincinnati Match Analysis at the PTB Blog
- Stop the presses, folks. Robby Ginepri won a tennis match today. Ginepri beat Jonas Bjorkman in the first round to post his first ATP match win since Queen's Club. He is now 2-10 in his last 12 matches and 7-14 overall in 2007. You can't expect him to beat Davydenko tomorrow, but at this point in time one win is enough. Rejoice!
- It was a pretty good day for Americans as a whole, as well. The only loss was Mardy Fish - to Radek Stepanek - but a score of 7-6, 7-5 isn't too bad at all. Fish has been hurt and Stepanek has enjoyed an awesome summer on the hard courts. More importantly, the only real two U.S. hopes to do real damage on the hard courts - Blake and Roddick - won in straight sets today. The going, however, will get a lot tougher in the next rounds. Unless one of them beats either Federer or Djokovic this week in Cincinnati, I won't have high hopes for any Americans heading into the Open.
Monday August 13
- Cincinnati Match Analysis at the PTB Blog
- It was pretty much a bad day for Americans in Cincinnati, and it would have been disastrous if Sam Querrey hadn't pulled out a victory during the night session. Obviously the bigger U.S. names were off today, but the second-tier guys didn't do much to give us hope for the U.S. Open. Delic, Spadea, and Isner were all underdogs in their matches, but I figured at least one would pull off an upset or at least they would all make their matches close. Delic had a lead against Ljubicic but lost it in three, Spadea got DESTROYED 2 and 0 by Nieminen, and Isner lost in straights and only one set went into a tiebreaker. That's the one I'm most disappointed about, as I'm sure all American tennis fans we're hoping for another Isner miracle run after what he did in D.C. Alas, it was not to be. Hopefully Roddick and Blake will make deep runs starting tomorrow.
- The doubles draw looks rather interesting. Pavel Vizner is back with Lukas Dlouhy after winning last week with Bhupathi, so Bhupathi picked up Jamie Murray. Will Bhupathi ever find a stable partner again, please!?!? I'm keeping my eye on the young U.S. tandem of Isner and Delic, who have their hands full with Pavel and Waske in the first round. Gasquet and Nadal would be a lot of fun to watch; they would have Dlouhy and Vizner in the second round. I'm also surprised Djokovic is playing doubles - with Zimonjic again; you would think he'd at least want some semblance of rest after his huge victory in Montreal. And finally, will Bjorkman and Mirnyi please get their act together this week. They have a potential rematch with Erlich and Ram - the team they lost to last week - in the quarters.
Sunday August 12
- Cincinnati draw analysis on the PTB Blog.
- Well, Djokovic did it. He upset Federer in a thrilling final of the AMS Montreal by a score of 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 7-6 (7-2). Not only does the 20-year-old continue to prove just how sweet his game is, but today more than ever he showed he has nerves of steel. Djokovic won most of the big points this match (just look at the stats: Federer won more points overall -- 100 to 98 -- and still lost) and dominated both tiebreakers. We already knew Djokovic was the real deal, but this could be a career-defining moment. He looks like the clear-cut No. 2 player right now, at least on hard courts, and he's making people believe that he could be the next No. 1 player if Federer ever gives up the throne. The bottom line is that this was a great match and we now officially have a third true star on the ATP Tour.
- I've been clamoring for two things to happen on the doubles circuit: the Bjorkman/Mirnyi team to end their slump, and Mahesh Bhupathi to find a stable doubles-specialist partner and return to the top of the doubles game. Well, Bjorkman and Mirnyi continued their woeful form in a major way with a disappointing third-round loss to Erlich and Ram, but today Bhupathi put my other wish on the path to being realized. Teaming with Pavel Vizner, Bhupathi won the doubles title in Cincinnati, 6-4, 6-4 over Hanley and Ullyett. In the previous two matches they beat Bhupathi's former partner Leander Paes (and Martin Damm) 10-8 in a tiebreaker for the third set and then upset the Bryan Brothers 12-10 in another sudden death 'breaker. The question is will Bhupathi and Vizner stay together....
Thursday August 9
- Federer had a good showing in doubles, while Nadal was a no-show. The team of Federer and Allegro lost to the Bryan Brothers 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (10-8), 10-7 (match tiebreaker). Apparently each part of the All Intense Team, Nadal and Hewitt, told each other he would play if the other one would. But then the trainer intervened and said rest was necessary due to both of them reaching the quarterfinals of singles. So they pulled out a cited a reason of "Nadal - left arm." Not all that surprising, but still disappointing. Hewitt especially should have wanted to give it a go to preserve his stay in Montreal, because now he'll be out of there completely after facing Federer tomorrow in singles.
- Roddick looked great in dismantling Baghdatis in straight sets Thursday night. He was throwing himself all over the court, too, diving after volleys, etc., so that was good to see. In my initial tourney predictions I had Djokovic reaching the final from that half of the draw, but after what I saw today my gut is to go with the American in tomorrow's blockbuster Roddick-Djokovic showdown. Djokovic has also been on a roll, as David Nalbandian found out way too personally today. All I know is Friday's match should be incredible and the winner will most likely be rewarded with another epic clash...Nadal in the semis.
Wednesday August 8
- Montreal Match Analysis at the PTB Blog
- The most disturbing development of the day, at least for U.S. tennis, was James Blake pulling out of the tournament prior to his second-round showdown with Lleyton Hewitt. The cause is apparently an abdominal strain. It will be interesting to see when Blake returns, and you can be sure that won't be until he is 100 percent, because he does not want to do anything stupid with the U.S. Open three weeks away. Pulling out had to be the smart move, but man, the Hewitt-Blake match would have been fun.
- As good as the singles draw is, I've got my eye on doubles this week as well. On tap we have Team Nadal-Hewitt facing Erlich and Ram in the second round. The struggling Bjorkman-Mirnyi duo won a convincing second round match and await the winner of that in the third. On top of the draw, the #1 Bryan Brothers square off with Roger Federer (and his partner Yves Allegro, also from Switzerland). That should be featured on center court. The duo of the day today was the super Serbia team of Djokovic and doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic, who took out Fyrstenberg and Matkowski 6-4, 6-3.
Tuesday August 7
- I'll just list and comment on the results from Montreal that caught my eye:
Andy Murray over Robby Ginepri 6-4, 6-4: This was Murray's first match since the AMS Hamburg when he retired against Volandri leading 5-1 in the first set. Ginepri, meanwhile, has now lost in the first round of his last four tournaments and hasn't won a match since Queen's Club. I imagine this match must have consisted of some pretty bad tennis.
Marcos Baghdatis over Carlos Moya 7-6 (9-7), 6-1: Both of these guys should do quite well at the Open and this score is about what I expected, although a bit more lopsided in the second. Bagman's match with Agassi last year at the Open was unforgettable and he should be a crowd favorite there (outside of U.S. players) this time, so it's nice to see him playing well heading into the tournament.
Mario Ancic over Frederic Niemeyer 6-4, 6-2: This was just Ancic's ninth match of the entire year and his first win since the third round of the Australian Open. Obviously he's at least playing decent, but I doubt he'll be any kind of factor at the Open having missed this much time.
Ivo Karlovic over Max Mirnyi 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3): Is anyone surprised the matchup of these two behemoths went to a third-set tiebreaker?
Monday August 6
- Some notable results in Montreal: Paul-Henri Mathieu over Guillermo Canas 6-0 in the third set, in which the Frenchman was down a set and two breaks in the second. Apparently he just caught fire, continuing the hot streak he's been on all year; Hewitt over Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6, 6-4. That's about what I thought it would be; Hewitt definitely has a chance to make a deep run at the Open and JCF could be able to make it into the second week. Hewitt-Blake is a potential second-round clash in Montreal.- And a few notable upsets: American Wayne Odesnik over Ivan Ljubicic 7-5 in the third-set tiebreaker. Horrible loss for Ljubicic. We haven't heard from him in a while, and he gets the least out of his talent at the Grand Slams of any player on tour. Can't expect much from him at Flushing Meadows in a few weeks; fast-rising Dutchman Robin Haase over Thomas Berdych in straight sets. Berdych had a nice Wimbledon but I'll have to see him turn things around on the hard courts in a hurry before giving him a chance to make the second week of the Open. Haase, meanwhile, is a youngster to keep an eye on.
- Isner is up to 193 in the world, just six weeks after being ranked in the 800s. I wonder just how high he would have been had he pulled off an upset over Roddick. Well, you can't think about that, his sudden rise is still beyond impressive. He also got a wild card into Cincinnati, so it will be fun to see if he can duplicate the success he enjoyed in D.C.