Behold Ernie, ‘Creature of the Night’.

    
It’s the eyes – they’re all “in league with Lucifer”. Well that’s one way to get sh*t done.

Not gonna lie – a little scared right now.



Gulbis d. del Potro 6-2 6-4

When he broke his 5 match losing streak with a win over Malisse,  it was a mere curiosity.

When he followed it up it  with a straight sets win, it was a reminder that, whatever else you might think of him, he’s still relevant.

When he dusted off Delpo 2 and 4 last night, it became a “thing”. Oh yeah, I think we can call it that now.

By all accounts (after hours for me), it was a one-sided demolition with Ernie reminding us of why he is indeed a thing, why he’s always been a thing.

I doubt very much that Delpo would have underestimated the threat, but he cannot have expected this.

Here’s hoping this form carries over. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but this ain’t a Slam (not even a Masters 1000) – Ernie hasn’t been beyond one of those in his last 7 attempts.

*That* particular streak needs to end too. And FAST. Else this ain’t a “thing”. Not even close.




Williams d. Sharapova 6-1 6-3

I know I was meant to have been all “IT’S ON” ever since it was clear these two would meet – I just couldn’t dismiss the possibility of precisely this kind of a letdown.

But I would have preferred it if Pova had simply been tuned – far better to have simply been able to say “too good” rather than imploding the way she has all too often recently.

As it happened, Pova was neither here nor there – she simply looked utterly terrified of Serena (so I’m told).

"I think I’ll need to win a couple of more matches before it becomes a true rivalry," said the fifth-ranked Sharapova, who is now 2-7 against Serena and who hasn’t beaten her since 2004. "It’s not really a rivalry until I win few more matches. She’s experienced enough to know that even if it’s a small or big event you have to go out there and do our job and still go out there and win it."

Not that Serena instilling fear in her opponents should surprise any of us. But it’s a little disappointing when that opponent happens to be one of the best competitors the sport has ever seen – perhaps the only player  left in the WTA with the requisite mental hardware to pose Serena a challenge.

Still, as with Ernie, this ain’t a Slam is it, so what does it matter? Right? Right?

“I decided it’s time to get serious not only at the Slams but every other tournament as well.”

-- Serena Williams

OH.

Sabine next. On paper, this spells all sorts of Boombastic. But then that’s what we said about the Wimbledon semis.

Obligatory Happy Domi pic.

No one else serenading the run she’s been on, so I will.

4th round or better at every Slam. QFs or better at three out of the four.

She plays Marion in the semis in a match custom built to test my loyalties to the nth degree.

Whatever July might have lacked for on court – it gave, and gave, AND GAVE *off* court.

Howdy all.

As you’ve no doubt already gathered from my little sabbatical, I’m not especially fond of the tennis in July. In fact, I abhor it….especially when it’s on clay.

FACT: July is to the Tennis Calendar what “no-man’s land” is to the serve-volleyer –  the type of place you exile a recently demoted German Masters event when you want to add insult to injury.

And you know what? I think the players agree with me. Well most of them.

Since Newport they seem to be doing anything and everything other than actually plying their trade (that would be tennis). Shaving their head, getting married, staging (slightly tasteless) mock-assassinations, dating (non-tennis) sports stars, amongst other middle-earthy type things.

Whatever works for you tennis. Get whatever’s plaguing you right outta your system, right outta yer hair. Just so long as you’re good to go for August.

I had hoped to ease myself back in. Only I don’t think that’s going to be  possible with the Stanford draw being what it is:

1) Five of the eight seeded players are from my tennis pool.

2) Serena’s in the mix

3) Potential/actual matches: Kimiko/Domi R1, Sabine/Sam R2, Serena/Georges R2, Dani/Pova R2, POVA/SERENA R3,  

The mind doth boggleth….not at all conducive to “easing in” of any sort.

Welcome back tennis.

Wimbledon 2011: Women's Final Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer 

This year I correctly predicted 3 of 4 men's quarterfinals, 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals, 1 of 2 men's semifinals and 2 of 2 women's semifinals. 

Here are my predictions for the women's final at the Wimbledon Championships for 2011.

Maria Sharapova RUS (5) vs. Petra Kvitova CZE (8). For the first time since 2006 there will not be a Williams playing the final women's match at Wimbledon. Instead we have the now-veteran Maria Sharapova, at 24, seeking her 2nd Wimbledon crown and 4th major title overall. After she broke through as a teenage phenom to win Wimbledon in 2004 by blasting Serena Williams off the court in straight sets many hailed the blonde, blue-eyed Russian as the new Ice Princess of Tennis and her face quickly became the most photographed countenance in all of women's sports, leading to untold riches off the court in the endorsement jackpot. However, since those heady days, Sharapova has only won 3 major titles, like clock work, every even year: 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 U.S. Open and 2008 Australian Open. This put her in the company of past champions like Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Kim Clijsters and not legends of the game like Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert or Serena Williams. Sharapova's metronomic Grand Slam winning pattern was interrupted by an October 2008 shoulder surgery after which she suffered the indignities of failing to get past the Round of 8 in any major for two full calendar years due to intermittent serving difficulties.

However, now it's 2011 and  for the last month or so Sharapova has gotten back to doing what she does best: hitting the bejeezus out of the little yellow ball into the corners of the court followed by an ear-shattering "grunt." She came very close to completing the career slam in Paris but was outlasted by a steadier player, Li Na who went on to win the title.  

Her opponent is a 21-year-old first-time finalist from the Czech Republic, the same age the great Martina Navratilova was when she won her first of 9 Wimbledon singles titles. Whether Petra Kvitova will go on to as storied  a career as her fellow countrywoman is something we can not know now, but the two have a lot of similarities in their games. They both are big-serving lefties, with hard-hitting ground strokes on both wings and a willingness to approach the net. Martina was the consummate serve and volleyer, the dominant strategy of her era, while Kvitova is the epitome of the modern game, able to blast winners from any position in the court.

Sharapova has not dropped a set on her way to the final and hasn't had to play anyone very troublesome along the way, except for wild card Sabine Lisicki. The German had been playing some of the best grass court tennis of the year, dispatching Marion Bartoli (who had dismissed 2-time defending champion Serena Williams) and Li Na in two very exciting matches. The mouthwatering "Mean Girls" quarterfinal with Sharapova and "World #1" Caroline Wozniacki never materialized because Pocket Rocket Dominika Cibulkova dismissed the new It girl in the 4th round and was rewarded by being demolished by Sharapova in the quarterfinals. Hometown favorite Laura Robson was able to ride the crowd's enthusiasm to a first-set tiebreaker in the second round but Sharapova hasn't even faced a set point for the entire tournament.

Kvitova, on the other hand, has had to play 3 tough sets to go through World #5 Victoria Azarenka and had another tight 3-set match with Tsevetana Pironkova, the woman who dismissed Venus Williams, the best female grass-court player of her generation from Wimbledon, in two consecutive years by the same exact score!

Head-to-head the two have played only once with Sharapova winning easily (on clay before Kvitova made her breakthrough by reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon last year). The intangibles definitely favor Sharapova; she has won before, this is her 5th major final, it is Kvitova's first. However, if you look at their style of play you see that Sharapova has had 11 more double faults than aces (32 to 21) while Kvitova has 22 more aces than double faults (35 to 13). Summary: Kvitova's serve is a weapon, while Sharapova's is a liability.  Generally, on grass, the person with the better serve wins, unless the other person has better movement and better returning. Sharapova does have a better return than Kvitova: she will go for a direct winner on both first and second serves. Is Sharapova a better mover than Kvitova? Doubtful, though quite honestly neither of them are superb in this category. All-in-all, Kvitova has the game to win the title, and I believe she will.

MadProfessah's PREDICTION: Kvitova. 

Wimbledon 2011: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at the Wimbledon Championships for 2011. Last year I correctly predicted 2 of 4 women's quarterfinals.

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) Dominika Cibulkova SVK (24) vs Maria Sharapova RUS (5). For the first time since 2006 Maria Sharapova is in a Wimbledon quarterfinal when there is no possibility of a facing a Williams sister in order to win the title. Her immediate challenge is to defeat a woman who is almost a full foot shorter but who has beaten her the one time they played in a major. Cibulkova embarrassed Sharapova 6-0 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the 2009 French Open. Amazingly, all four of their career meetings have been on clay, and  the two are locked at 2-all, with the shorter player having won the last 2 matches, including one this year. However, Sharapova is much more comfortable on grass than clay. Cibulkova is also coming off one of the best wins of her career by basically blasting the World #1 Caroline Wozniacki off the court with nearly 20 forehand winners in a 1-6 7-6(5) 7-5 victory. The match-up on paper looks like a clear win for Sharapova, but Cibulkova has beaten her before and believes in her game. The question will be if Sharapova believes in her game, especially her (second) serve. PREDICTION: Sharapova in 3 sets.

Sabine Lisicki GER  vs. Serena Williams USA (7) Marion Bartoli FRA (9). Sabine Lisicki had one of the most outstanding performances by a female tennis player this year when she saved 2 match points against #3 seed Li Na (the most successful player at the Grand Slam tournaments this year) to win 3-6 6-4 8-6 in the second round. Lisicki has yet to lose a match on grass this year, having won in Birmingham right before Wimbledon, but she had to write the All-England Lawn Tennis Club in order to get a wildcard to enter the tournament, which was granted. 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli  put on an incredible performance in the 4th round of Wimbledon to dismiss the 2-time defending champion Serena Williams by out-hitting and out-serving the 13-time major champion in two sets 6-3 7-6(6). Bartoli had more aces (10 to 8) than Serena and in most of the rallies was hitting the ball harder and more aggressively. Serena did not play her best, true, but Bartoli won the match more than Serena lost it. Head-to-head Lisicki leads Bartoli 2-1 including a win over the Frenchwoman this year but Bartoli's lone win was on grass at Wimbledon in 2008. Bartoli had 11 aces in the first 3 rounds and 10 in the fourth. I seriously doubt she can play as well two rounds in a row. The German wild-card is a real contender to win the entire tournament. PREDICTION: Lisicki in 2 sets.

Tamira Paszek AUT  vs. Victoria Azarenka BLR (4). The highest remaining seed is the hard-hitting (and ear-splitting) Belarussian who has reached her 5th career grand Slam quarterfinal at this year's Wimbledon but who has never reached a major semifinal. I expect that streak to end on Tuesday. Her opponent, Paszek had an impressive win over 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the 3rd round 3-6 6-4 11-9 after nearly four hours of play. Paszek had been long touted as a player to watch about 3 or 4 years ago but injuries got in the way and the 20-year-old is the furthest she has reached in a major since her breakthrough debut year in 2007. Azarenka has the power and mentality to dismiss most players outside of the Top 10. Paszek is not an exception.PREDICTION: Azarenka in 2 sets. 

Petra Kvitova CZE (8) vs. Venus Williams USA (23) Tsvetana Pironkova BUL (32). Pironkova must be Bulgarian for "kryptonite" because there is no other explanation for why the greatest women's grass court player of her generation would lose in two consecutive years to the same player, by the same exact score (6-2 6-3)! Last year Pironkova's stunning win was one round later and she followed it by losing a hideous match against Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals. The player in the other semifinal last year was Petra Kvitova who lost a high-quality affair to eventual champion Serena Williams. This year, Pironkova has to face the hard-hitting, fearless lefty who has the game to defeat anyone on the tour but didn't quite believe in herself enough. This year she has the belief that she can do it, and she can. PREDICTION: Kvitova in 2 sets.

Wimbledon: Reckless

Cibulkova d. Wozniacki 1-6, 7-6, 7-5

I make no secret of my love for diminutive firecrackers – its one of many weaknesses.

This was supposed to be the worst possible match up for her – Caro’s dogged resilience in eliciting errors from her opponents by getting them to play that dreaded “one more ball”, is supposed to be anthema to someone as reckless as Domi.

But somehow, it didn’t turn out that way. She was still as reckless as hell, but seemed to be less insistent on hitting the lines on every single shot, opting instead for a more measured (but equally aggressive) ball sent some 80% up the court.

I don’t know if that was a conscious decision (maybe something Zeljko introduced), but it worked a treat. It allowed her to construct rallies on her terms instead of simply going for broke on everything – that’s not something you normally see from her.

As for Caro, she was said to have turned up to her presser “beet red”, and went on to castigate herself for “not making more of her break point opportunities”. I hope that means she’s sensed a need to grow beyond being content merely eliciting errors (funny as it may sound, I actually want to see her improve) – it’s pretty frightening if it means anything else.

Besides, Domi won’t be the last player to call that particular bluff – Julia’s already done so twice in the last two months.

On Hyperbole, Hysteria and Fanboy-Freakonomics

I don’t follow Fed Cup. Never have, never will.

Even if it were possible to get past all the scheduling complaints (all of which exist for DC btw), the fact that only the final (if that) ever seems to get broadcast, renders even the most tenuous connection (the type I currently have with DC) almost impossible.

The only reason I bring it up now is because of the fireworks that erupted in the immediate aftermath of Domis “win” over Ana in the Slovak-Serbian Fed-Cup tie this weekend, where Ana was forced to retire (in tears) with what seems to be a torn ab, all after being 6-3, 3-0 up; following which Domi pranced around and celebrated, as most are putting it, “like she’d just won a Slam”.



Domi, thereafter, suffered an undiluted-haterade, twitter backlash, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I’m calling bullsh*t. And not at all because I like Domi (you already know I do, and I’d be well within my rights to do precisely that given how “popularity” seems to allow you to get away with pretty much anything nowadays).

I’m calling bullsh*t because I think the reaction is not simply disproportionate – it’s grotesque.

I’m calling bullsh*t because far too many, otherwise sensible people, are willing to look the other way when other, more popular players engage  in conduct that is far worse .

I’m calling bullsh*t because far too many people are willing to overlook similar utterly distasteful episodes from Serbia, who continue to enjoy an overwhelmingly positive tennis image amongst both fans and media alike – nothing wrong with that, I just don’t believe in giving anyone a free pass (I only quote them at all because they’re directly involved in this incident).

First things first. I didn’t see the incident, and if Domi has behaved even half as badly as is being implied, then it deserves to be called out in the same way as it would if JJ or Ana or Woz or Kim or Novak or Rafa or Fed or anyone else did.

What I will say is, irrespective of how much censure Domi actually deserves, I guarantee that the utterly demented HYPERBOLE (and it is demented – perform a twitter search on @cibulkova to get an idea of the abuse) will go on for far longer than it has any right to. Ana’s worldwide (and ultra-nationalist local) fanbase will settle for nothing less. It’s the law of Fanboy Freakonomics. And of the jungle.

Never mind, for the moment, that I’ve personally seen Ana fist-pumping UFEs off the racquet of an injured opponent.

Never mind that we be wouldn’t be seeing even a fraction of this HYSTERIA if it were, say, Kvitova, rather than Ana, the object of Domi’s miscue.

Why even go to hypotheticals? Where was this HYSTERIA when Petko boogie-woogied right after demolishing a hobbling Jelena Dokic earlier this year in Brisbane for the loss of only one game? Was that not equally tasteless, however innocuous the dance’s motives? Uh-uh – not in the Fanboy (and Fangirl)-Freakonomy.

The truth, is neither Petra nor Dokic (for all the sympathy she’s earnt for her troubles over the years) can hope to compete with the overwhelming enormity of Ana and Petko’s worldwide following.

Now is probably a good time to point out that I don’t begrudge either of them that following. On a good day I might even be persuaded it’s #GoodForTennis.

Now is probably also a good time to point out that I find some of the hormonal, bellicose (and in Ana’s case nationalistic) hyperbole that accompanies it to be utterly repellent. And, needless to say, pretty #ToxicForTennis.

Again, I didn’t see the match, and I very much doubt this will go down as Domi’s finest moment. What is also perfectly plausible is that a young, enthusiastic (and not particularly celebrated or decorated) woman simply got caught up in the utter frenzy of playing (and winning) for her country – but, of course, for reasons which I’d like to pretend I don’t understand, she doesn’t get a free pass.


Uh-uh. Too late for all that deary. Don’t think they’re interested in any case. Right about now, I’d say you’re five places above Marion Bartoli and only a couple of places below Justine Henin who heads up the Freakonomy’s “Most-Wanted” list.

(Pic: Tennis Grandstand)

Indian Wells: “Brazen Hussies”

 

Dominika’s Law of Universal impudence: Capable giant slayers (like Domi) will only slay Goliaths in your tennis pool. Espesh blue-eyed ones with hot coaches.

 

Cibulkova d. Zvonareva 46 76(4) 64

Players like Domi and Rezai employ a brazenly simplistic hit’n miss formula.

Many people have a problem with this (and not just coz it’s one-dimensional). I don’t.

It’s not conventional. It certainly shouldn’t be taught. And you live, just as you must die, by the sword.

But let us please not pretend it has no place in the game. And let us please not pretend it’s not soul-stirringly hypnotic when they do connect. 

Without them, that sort of shameless audacity simply wouldn’t exist. Why would it? It’s idiocy.

Trouble is, if you entirely eliminate that idiocy from the game you remove the only elemental (madcap) force capable of pulling off the most suicidal of wins at the highest of levels – the occasional duffing up of a top five player forces the game to evolve in ways it might not otherwise see. Think of them as the mutants that create sufficient amounts of instability in a population that might otherwise lack for vitality, or worse, go sterile.

At its best you get the kind of apocalyptic run Aravane exhibited at Madrid last year. At its worst she goes down, like she did yesterday, flailing in a fug of her own insolence.

Sharapova d. Rezai 62 62

That’s not at all to say Pova didn’t play a contained, measured and entirely professional match – as good as anything I’ve seen from her in months.

It’s just difficult to know what to make of it and how much stock to place in it (which I totally want to do) without having had the match this was hyped up to be. Dinara next.

I have no idea what chance Domi stands against Wicks (Universal Impudence says she’ll flame out in straights) – players like her aren’t built for longevity, nor do they naturally lend themselves to any extrapolation.  I only know that I find it ironic that two of the fiercest ball strikers we have measure in at (or under) 5’5.

Where does that leave so called “Big Babe Tennis”?

(Pics: Getty)

World No. 1?

by Craig Hickman


AP

Humph.

Moose, over on TAT, asked it best:

So you are #1 in the world. Your prep for the Aussie is an Exo loss to Kim an Exo loss to Vera, a first round loss at Sydney to Domi Cibulkova in straights.

Are you concerned?

2010 US OPEN: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

by Mad Professah

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at the 2010 US Open.

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) Maria Sharapova RUS (14) vs Dominika Cibulkova SVK Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (11). The top seed and last year's US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki had never won a big match against a "Big Babe" like Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams or Kim Clijsters and I doubted that she would even win 5 games against the 2006 US Open champion. But Wozniacki showed that she is not just an incredible retriever but has the consistency of a backboard. Sharapova didn't help her cause by throwing in 10 double faults. That being said, Wozniacki has made a believer out of me by dismissing Sharapova 6-3 6-4. The tall Russian was pounding away, shrieking as she pounded the ball nto the corners but almost every rally over 10 strokes was won by Wozniacki as eventually, Sharapova went for too much and committed an error to concede the point. I still believe that a "Big Babe" who is actually comfortable at the net would still be able to overpower Wozniacki, but it is doubtful that she will face someone who matches that description before the top seed reaches the final for the second consecutive year. However, I still don't see how the Danish youngster wins that final against someone with more power from the bottom half of the draw. PREDICTION: Wozniacki in 2 sets.

Vera Zvonareva (7) RUS  vs. Kaia Kanepi EST (31) Yanina Wickmayer BEL (15). It's odd how the 2010 Wimbledon finalist is silently making her way through the draw, even though she has reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set. The hard-hitting Kanepi is in her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal and will presumably manage the occasion better than her meltdown in London. Especially since she managed to win a match where she was down a bagel set and a break against last year's semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer. Zvonareva's birthday is Tuesday and she has been playing a more mature brand of tennis which will take her deep into the draw. PREDICTION: Zvonareva in 3 sets.  

Venus Williams USA (3) vs.  Francesca Schiavone ITA (6). Venus Williams has only lost 3 sets in the 7 matches she has played against the 2010 French Open champion, and never lost to her. However, after Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a major title ever, she has made the phrase "Impossible is Nothing" seem like reality. Venus has not dropped a set in the tournament yet, but she should have lost one to a determined Shahar Peer in the fourth round, and if anyone can exploit what is her obviously sub-optimal mobility, it is Schiavone with her clay-court toughness and European flair. Happily, Venus' unreported injury is making her more aggressive and more likely to approach the net in order to shorten the points. That, and a decidedly gentle draw should give her a fighting chance to reach a non-Wimbledon final, her first since the 2003 Australian Open. I do think that the thought that she will not have to face her sister in order to win the tournament should give Venus some extra motivation and confidence to try to do so. PREDICTION: Williams in 3 sets.

Kim Clijsters BEL (2) vs. Samantha Stosur AUS (5). Clijsters is on an 18-match winning streak at the US Open, having last lost a match in New York in the 2003 final(!) to Justine Henin. She is absolutely devouring the draw and she has to be considered the favorite to repeat as Champion here. However, the very talented Sam Stosur, who played one of the best women's matches of the year to eliminate Elena Dementieva in the 4th round stands in the Belgian's way. Stosur has finally broken through into the top of women's tennis and is a legitimate Top 5 player. I sort of think of her as the female Robin Soderling, since none of the players ranked above her will be very pleased that they picked the short straw and have to face her in order to reach the final. That being said, Stosur till has not quite made the leap to actually winning a major title, and I suspect it will be that lack (and Clijsters' preternatural defensive skills plus her offensive artillery) that will result in Clijsters' victory. It could be a scorcher of a match though, in the words of Jim Courier "a real popcorn match." PREDICTION: Clijsters in 2 tight sets. 

Roland Garros WTA Epilogue

-- Anyone that reads this blog on a semi-regular basis will know I like my tennis a little different. And how I long for that on the women's side in particular.

With that in mind, it was a relief to see a someone as skilled as Sam Stosur make the semis, the first Aussie to reach that level at a major in 21 years.

She's a doubles specialist which means she has great control over her kicked serve, consistent groundstrokes that actually mean something in terms of constructing a point and exemplary hand skills at the net. All good.

Can we get more top female doubles players to focus on singles please? More than just Sam Stosur and Zheng Jie I mean; the rest of them might actually learn something.

-- Ana Ivanovic has parted ways with Kardon, a coach she appointed not 4 months ago. Kardon boasts Navratilova amongst many other big names on his CV and I had thought I detected at least some positive changes in her recent matches. And what now? Back to the Adidas Player Development Program. That's just plain stoopid. Y'all know how I feel about that.

It usually takes less than 5 seconds for me to reduce any grievance I have, to a discussion on the many problems I feel exist in women's tennis. I intend to hold back on this occasion.

Despite the misgivings I might have, 'Team Adidas' may actually be ok for the younger girls trying to make their way up the rankings. Once you enter tennis elite though, you really need a more personalised one-on-one approach. And for a former world #1 that has already won a Slam, it's just stoopid. No other word for it.

I can only assume (and hope) that this is a temporary measure while she continues to search for a different mentor; one I hope lasts long enough to see some of the work they put in bear fruit this time and return her back to the top of the game.

Which incidentally, I wouldn't mind seeing, because as far as her RG performance is concerned, it was the absolute antithesis of the Rafa upset (except her tearful walk off court which was almost as painful to see). In that nobody seemed to care let alone be surprised by it. Eyelids were not batted. Her loss against Azarenka was not even broadcast. Most people were probably surprised she made the fourth round. And we all know how many prisoners Azarenka takes.

-- I wasn't as disappointed with Jelena as I thought I might be. Sure she went out in the 4th round to a player ranked well below her. But that player was clearly out to announce herself and you don't need to have seen the match to understand that 9-7 in the third is just about the closest ladies match of the entire event. Cirstea also happened take out Wozniacki en route to her first quarter final appearance at the Slam level. From what I saw Jelena wasn't playing that poorly, and you get the feeling that with any other tier-2 player facing her, we might have seen her in the quarters.

But that, I'm afraid is not good enough for someone of her level - someone widely tipped (not just by myself) to pick up her first Slam here. Were it Serena or an in form Maria at 7-7 in the final set and you can bet your bottom dollar they'd have found away through.

I've always held her to be just that little bit ahead of that other bunch of wobblers in the mental stakes. But now, with Azarenka, Safina (not withstanding that final) and even Zvonareva all staking their claims this year, I'm not half as sure.

-- Serena continues to make Alabama Cream Pie of any prediction I put forth for her. I backed Venus for the Aussie Open and Serena stormed through and won the whole thing. I didn't give her a prayer at this event either.

But making the quarters with a leg that's probably far from fully-healed on your least favourite surface is uniquely Serena. As is, threatening your opponent "you'll get her in the locker room".

When will I learn.

-- Ditto Maria Sharapova. I don't care that she almost got bagelled. Getting to the quarters on this surface, after such a long spell out of the game, and again with a shoulder that, let's face it, is still in lesser-rehab, is exactly what I would expect from her. Even though I didn't expect it from her. Or something. You know what I mean. I really can't wait for Wimbledon.

-- I gave more than a prayer to Venus though. She was my #2 pick. And even now, more than a week later I still have no idea how questionable scheduling gave rise to a performance so poor, it saw her lose the first set to love. Szavay is a great talent, maybe even a future top tenner, but I'm not sure I've ever seen Venus play as badly as this, and if it wasn't Wimbledon coming up next, I'd probably...continue to back her or something.

-- Azarenka. Recipient of the Hothead of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. Except this time it didn't rile me as much. Particularly when she gave as good she got in that booing contest that followed her win over Carla Suarez Navarro. And that first set of Tennis she played against Safina was something very special. Maybe even the best set of the entire two weeks. I still want her to rein in her tantrums a little. Except I sort of don't.

-- This event also gave me a new underdog to root for. At least until Navarro gets her act together (as great as Azarenka's play was, Suarez did wilt away towards the end). She's 5'2 and plays with exactly the right blend of control and topspin - elementary, you might have thought, but it's something a worryingly large number of so-called 'top' players don't do enough of.

How many times have you seen Ana or Dinara further increase upon their already maddening levels of pace in one of those wretched attempts at gaining control over their game when the balls begin to sail past the baseline?

Having said that Cibulkova has the hand skills to flatten it out and go for the lines too. Well that's what I saw anyway, as I watched her in her semi final against Safina. Anyone as skilled and pint-sized as that will get nothing but sickeningly overdone praise and richly decorated bags of good will from me. Particularly when they go at it with women twice their size and are able to expose their many limitations as well as that.

Ladies Semi Finals and a Word on Robin...

Ok I realise Rafaelites (and most tennis fans in general it seems) won't like this, but we might soon be seeing the departure of the big swinging Swede, and I think it's time to tip my hat a little at the man responsible for giving us what's likely to remain the biggest story of this event.

Especially considering how disparaging I've been towards his forehand, a stroke which I'm unlikely to revise my opinion of. Ever.

Not that he or anyone else should care of course. It's unsightliness serves almost as a forewarning of the devastation it's capable of inflicting. Whoever said that brutality wouldn't be a necessary ingredient to bringing about the biggest upset in clay court history? And besides, it gives us a different take on 'Winning Ugly'.

"We should shoot pool or something..."

I have no idea how tomorrow's match versus Gonzalez will turn out, but if it is to be Robin's last appearance here, he can go out knowing he's pulled off what in my eyes is a greater achievement than the way Nadal unseated Federer at Wimbledon last year.

(There was always a sense that Nadal was inching ever closer towards doing that having made the final there for the previous two years, but Rafa at RG was about the safest bet in sport).

Nadal's always been vulnerable to flat hitters, but like many others, I thought he had exorcised that particular demon in the way he'd turned around his record against James Blake and MikailYouzhny.

I'm not sure what lies next for Robin. It's probably a safer bet to assume he won't follow up on this form in the immediate future. But I will say this: hitting the ball as flat and as accurately and aggressively as he does off both wings won't just cause Nadal problems.

There's probably less than a handful of players that can do that.

If you can do it for any extended period of time -- à la Safin v Federer Melbourne'05 -- it almost doesn't matter who's on the other side of the net. That just may be the other safest bet in tennis.

***

We did have some ladies semi finals action today.

Dinara came through in straights against Cibulkova in a match that deserved a third set given how intensely fought it was. I'm pretty sure I've never seen Dinara get more Marat on us. I counted two expletives ("Move your f****g feet!") amidst the usual gloriously toned episodes of Russian self berating.

It clearly matters to her.

But it didn't stop there. Dinara was in full flow today.

And Russian Drama preceded Deadpan Humour. And Irony. Look out for her 'That was a good shot', after a serve that went so horribly wrong, it hit her side of the court before ending up in the net.

I love having mics so close to players. Best media innovation ever.

I've always been a sucker for underdogs and Dominika, with the way she contests each and every point and the punch that she packs, makes the job of liking her all the more easier.

And the sight of all 5 foot 2 inches of her doing battle with the big girls, meant I was the closest I've been yet to backing one of Dinara's opponents.

She's surely one of the most consistent players on tour, but that usually indicates a distinct lack of aggression (think Jelena). No so here - if anything it looks like she's taking aim for the lines.

Yes, ultimately her lack of height does prove to be a problem where she's unable to direct anything she's forced to hit above her shoulders; but I actually think shorter players like her have a unique advantage against the taller women.

Cast your mind back to the match Ivanovic played against Jie Zheng at Wimbledon last year. For Ana, it was the onset of that great journey named 'all at sea' tennis players take once in a while. There's been reports of her vessel approaching the misty French harbours this week, but her return date remains uncertain.

Anyway, one of the things she said after the loss was how difficult she found it to reach those low bouncing balls that were practically skidding past her - the bounce no doubt made worse by the grass, but also largely down to the stature and technique of her opponent.

No need for a maths lecture here, but most short players compensate for their lack of height by hitting with bucket loads of topspin. Now consider the trajectory of a flat stroke and compare one struck by a taller player to that struck by a shorter player.

Because the taller player's shot will be begin it's journey from a slightly higher position, the corresponding bounce will also be higher. Yes, it's easier for them to execute a flatter stroke because of the height advantage, but their ball will also sit up a little more.

Conversely, a flat shot will be a lot harder to execute for a shorter player - they run the obvious risk of over shooting. But if they do manage to land the ball in, it will be that much more difficult to return as it will likely remain pretty low. That's what Ivanovic was up against rally after rally. Not surprised she emerged as flustered as she was.

It takes a pretty talented player to pull that off. But I think Jie Zheng and Dominika Cibulkova, ranked 19 and 15 in the world respectively, fit that bill perfectly.

The other semi involved Sveta and Sam Stosur - a woman that has made #1 in the world in the Doubles Rankings. I was looking forward to this one as it involved two very unique talents.

Two of the only female players capable of serving a kicker.

I feel about kicked serves the same way I do about single handed backhands. A uniquely effective but somewhat lost art, particularly on the womens tour.

I also loved the inspirational story of the big return from Lymes Disease, that sat rather well, I thought, alongside the first Aussie showing at a Grand Slam Semi in 21 years.

There was a lot resting on this one for me.

Unfortunately it failed to live up to it's billing.

Stosur was sadly missing in action, until late in the second set when a sudden surge from her secured the tie break. Sveta's form coughed and spluttered the way it usually does, periods of sheer brilliance punctuated with brain dead nonsense (Remind me again why I'm a fan? Something to do with effortless shotmaking).

Things picked up in the last set though, and featured rallies of the highest quality from both women. Rallies that convinced me that Stosur, despite it being an off day for her, is capable of pushing her ranking higher than her current position at #32.

She really does play her tennis a little differently. The serve is not the heaviest I've seen, but quite brilliant in it's placement and variation. And of course there's that kicker - not put to best use today it must be said. But what really stood out for me -- because I wasn't prepared for it like I was with the kicker -- was the forehand.

Eurosport had a great slow-mo camera profiling the best groundstrokes of both players and I couldn't help noticing how Federer-like her action is.

I'd love to see her playing at the peak of her powers - she said in an interview she was cutting back the doubles to focus on singles and 'making her mark' there. Maybe this Slam is the first of many that sees her do just that.

But I can't help feeling that with the way Sveta fudged and slurred her way through this match, and with the way Dinara mocked and caricatured her way through hers, it's Dinara that's demonstrating the greater determination.

Sveta has bags more talent but it seems to be Dinara's time.