Monte-Carlo 2011 Semifinals Open Thread

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Spain's Rafael Nadal hits a return to his opponent Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia during the Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series Tournament tennis match, on April 15, 2011 in Monaco.

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Are we getting ready for an all-Spanish final?

I think not. Some of you know I'm a terrible predictor of such things, but I'm stepping way out of school and telling you that not only won't there be an all-Spanish final at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters this year, but there won't be a Spaniard in the final at all.

Now I'm going to run and duck for cover. I need coffee.

Quote of the Day

 

"I will try my best. The last two matches I have won against him," he said. "In Paris last year I killed him on clay and hopefully that result is still in the back of his mind.

"After beating Roger Federer there is nothing I can't do."

-- Jurgen Melzer on David Ferrer, whom he plays in the semis

Slideshow: GR8 Friends For Japan Fundraiser

by Craig Hickman


All photos by JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

From what I hear, it's not often media is invited to sit down for dinner at an event such as this. As another photographer said while cutting through her tender filet mignon, "I fully expect we're going to get kicked out of here shortly." But Natalie Mikolich, the publicity director for the event, made sure the media she invited got to enjoy a delicious three-course dinner featuring:

House Salad of Mesclun wrapped in Shaved Cucumber with Mandarin Oranges, Candied Walnuts, Cherry and Yellow Pear Yomatoes, and Dried Cranberries Drizzled with lemon oil

Surf and Turf featuring Filet Mignon in Red Wine Reduction, Seared Sea Bass, Mashed Potates, and Petite Vegetable Medley with Micro Greens

Chocolate Ganache Coated Three-Layer Cheesecake with Marzipan and Cocoa adorned with Fresh Raspberries

As for the rest of the event, the photos and videos speak for themselves, no?

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Oh. I forgot to mention the Hors d'œuvres:

Salmon Tartare on Roasted Corn Crackers

Grilled Lamb Skewers

Foie Gras Mousse on Toast Points

Beef Wellington Bites

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Cross-posted to Tennis Panorama News

For photos from the live tweets, click here.

Shanghai: “Remains of the Clay”

 

Just a moment to reflect on those I’ve jinxed, written off or otherwise cut-down in their (sub)prime.

 

And those whom I missed out should not feel themselves hard done by – your time cannot come too soon.

 

Everyone has hidden talents.

 

And last week I really went to town with my own.

 

So we’ve seen the one where you rankle Fed into a McFlurry of Long-Shanks with your mere presence on court. Show us another trick.

 

       

 

For what it’s worth (quite a lot as it happens), you’re now the proud owner of 6 Masters titles – the most any player’s ever won without bagging a Slam itself: if you were a WTA player, now would be the moment we’d take you out to be flayed and dismembered – or, if you’d prefer it, the other way round.

 

The tennis media does both – to the soundtrack of your choice, and at no extra charge.

 

 

Nevertheless, Muzz turned out to be the only top five player to play consistently to his ranking all week. I know that word’s virtually taboo these days. All the same, no one else was up to this most devalued of key performance indicators. And he did it without a coach. Again.

 

I’m not even going to attempt to defend the debauched way in which I went about throwing water on the idea that he could create any sort of a stir last week.

 

Not just in the finals, not even against Jo-Will-He-Wont-He.

 

No, I charted the precise geography and thermodynamics of Muzz’s expected downward spiral with nothing less than Hawkeye exactitude – all before he’d struck a single ball – all before I’d seen him strike a single ball, which, as it turned out, wasn’t before the final.

 

 

If I’m subject to a self-imposed gagging order in that respect, then I figure there’s not all that much left to say.

 

Except, if that’s “all” it takes to get you play to your ranking Muzz, I know what I must do.

 

Say all you want about the pissy, schoolboy-errors with which Fed flounced his way out of the final - the fact remains that it was he (not Djoko or Robin) that made the final and that it’s him (rather than Muzz or Djoko) back at world #2 (again).

 

 

 

A gross-out spectacle it may have been (and it was), but that’s now four out of four Masters finals since Madrid (and a win in Cincinnati) - so much for it “only being about the Slams”.

 

It probably is the twilight of his career, but it’s worth remembering how you still get burnt if you venture too close to a dying star.

 

Up until the semis I had thought Djoko was the best player of the week (mostly through idle hearsay it must be said) .

 

He had, after all, only just gone and won in Beijing (in a delayed Monday final - a win here would have meant, amongst other things, being the only man to ever win two titles in  one week).

 

As it stood then, either one of Fed or Djoko might have lifted the trophy:  it wasn’t just me that thought that 1st set of the Novak/Fed semi was the performance of the week from both men.

 

 

But nooo, I had to go the whole spit-roasted hog and pronounce that match a virtual final – it’s winner being, in my eyes, the most deserving of the title itself, certainly more so than those two miscreants contesting the other semi.

 

Poor sods – they never had a chance.

  

Well now. Here we all delightfully are in the blessed heart of darkness itself.

 

 

This one was such a splenetic mess, I’m almost inclined to exonerate myself of any and all blame. Sauron himself could not have said or done anything to make this any worse.

 

Describing this as a tennis match would be like speaking of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ as a Merchant/Ivory production.

 

 

In my defence, it’s the season ending, indoor swing – which should, by rights, be Big Rob’s best chance at winning just about anything – it also happens to be when my virile rooting interests are at their most prurient.

 

Alack Rafa. When you were overwrought by Gilly-Glopez in Bangkok, we turned a blind eye to your malfeasance, blaming it on the capricious whim of destiny, the spiritually sanctioned “law of averages”.

 

Coming into this, I dared suggest you might actually be beginning to find yourself on a surface, and at a time of the season, we normally reserve for big-swinging reprobates.

  

Yet, for every step Jurgen took in, you haplessly gave way - for every ball he took on the rise, you shunted one back hopelessly short. There’s nothing here we haven’t seen before, and it’s really not all that surprising with the year Jurgen had been having.

 

All the same, it shows you can still be beaten on this surface (by a relative lightweight on aggression alone) – despite being uninjured, despite being relatively fresh and exuding so much confidence there’s a very real danger of it being re-classified as a banned substance.

 

Not content with desecrating the legacy of individual players, I turned my hand, now, to clay court tennis itself.

 

Did I pay attention to the fact that Daveed Ferrer had only just cracked the top ten?

 

I did not (although in my defence, neither, it seems, did anyone else).

 

Only to see a poor-man’s-Daveed snuff out Rafa’s conqueror before coming unstuck against Muzz in the semis. Still, it’s worth nothing that it was Pico, rather than Dasco, Wawa or indeed Rafa, that made it out of that section of the draw alive.

 

 

For what it’s worth, I still think that clay-court tennis best functions as a cultural remnant of it’s heyday back in the late 80s and 90s- just like Merchant/Ivory productions of the same period.

 

But that shouldn’t mean clay-courters don’t hold their own alongside big-budget, all court tennis – however little might “remain of their day”.

 

Shanghai: “Paradise Lost”

 

 

Well if  ever you wanted concrete proof of how exactly “Paradise is Lost” and of the utter fragility and “Unsustainability of Excellence”, then today provided it in spades.

 

Jurgen didn’t play a bad match per say, it just wasn’t a patch on yesterday’s performance and allowed a far more passive (if more resilient) clay court specialist back into too many points.

 

 

 

I have the highest respect for Pico, whom I like to think of as something of a poor man’s Ferru (with better hair).

 

And I fully accept he has just as much of a right to a fanbase as either one of  Rafa or Fed– even if it is mostly down to the hair.

 

But I also think that his style of play is something of a dying breed. For better or worse, what we once thought of as “clay court tennis” is even being phased out on clay courts themselves by the type of pace that Robin should have employed successfully against Federer only hours later.

 

Instead, Sod came out (and went out) fully flatulent. And it wasn’t pretty (flatulence rarely is).

 

Fed said afterwards: “Even top 5 players have bad days [like this]...surprising Robin couldn't even get hardly any aces in".

 

 

Never was a truer word uttered.

 

In fact the only reason this didn’t happen, is that Fed, quite wisely, did just enough to get through (Which, as it turned out, didn’t actually need to be very much – God knows what would have happened if Fed had gone to town).

 

I almost wish he did.

 

***

 

Ashamed to say it, but I haven’t managed to watch a single one of Muzz’s matches.

 

He always seems to breeze through matches I don’t see. But not, sadly, vice versa. I’m guessing there’s some kind of a quantum paradox going on there.

 

 

Like some strange modification of Schrodinger’s Cat, that precludes him from winning matches unless they take place in a confined arena, are completely untelevised and seen by precisely no one - the instant someone observes a ball being struck is when things begin to unravel.

 

Does such a match even take place, philosophically speaking, if no one sees it?

 

In any event, his recent flameouts mean I’m less hopeful of his chances here than I am of Fed’s or indeed Djoko’s, who I’ve heard, is playing better than anyone else at this event.

 

Which probably makes it right that those latter (best) two should both meet in the semis, if not the final – and the winner of that match should, by rights, go on to win the title.

 

Most likely, however, one or both of  Schrodinger’s Cat and the “Theory of Unsustainable Excellence” will intervene.

 

And we’ll see one of Muzz or, dare I say it, Pico walk away with the trophy.

Shanghai: “Vindicated”.

 

 

You might expect me to feel vindicated given how loudly I’d been pontificating about how Rafa’s participation in both Bangkok and Tokyo mightn't be the best thing in the aftermath of Flushing.

 

 

You’d be right. I do.

 

Feel free to compose 15th century couplets praising me in the comments section below. I’ve hired a couple of minstrels to relay them in the great medieval banquet I’m hosting in my honour .

 

   

 

There is, however, another possibility: that the very same thing would have happened, had Rafa done nothing more strenuous than a spot of fishing and the odd pillow fight with Xisca in the month, or so, after winning in Flushing.

 

That according to the law of averages he was actually due a loss, a real high-profile one (piddly events like Bangkok don’t count), given he’d seen the quarters or better of every event he entered this year.

 

Couple that with Jurgen playing what he described as “the match of his career” (“I could hit winners from [sic] any shot”) and it suddenly seems that much more plausible.

 

Playing like that, I can see Jurgen beating any top five player – including Fed. Like the man said though, you don’t often manage that, let alone against the very best.

 

Won’t stop me rooting for him to qualify for the WTF (over say NANDO, or BERDMAN).

 

 

 

According to the sales blurb, Fed’s shirt is supposed to be lavender (some people have even taken to referring to it as “purple”).

 

Maybe it is - under UV-lighting (As an interesting aside, I rather like the idea of having all sorts of weird subliminal sh*t UV-encoded on it – stuff to get in his opponent’s head – stuff to project power – sneering at the haters – whatever he wants. Just consider the possibilities for a moment).

 

His opening matches haven’t been especially polished, though that’s arguably exactly what’s needed at this point. He peaked early against Sod in NY and just look at how that turned out.

 

 

Sod always worries me when he plays Ferru – there’s no reason on paper he should be troubled by him and yet he somehow always is. Not today, thankfully – a straights win there means we get a re-match of Flushing.

 

Can we get a leeedle late-season surge going dya think Sod? Would that be too much to ask?

 

(Images: Getty)

WIMBLEDON 2010: Men's Semifinals Preview

BY MAD PROFESSAH

Here are my predictions for the men's semifinals at the Wimbledon Championships for 2010.
I previously made predictions for the men's quarterfinals (1 of 4 correct) and the women's quarterfinals (2 of 4 correct).

(I have now arrived in London and I have tickets for the men's final on Sunday.)

Roger Federer SUI (1) Tomas Berdych CZE (12) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). For the first time since 2002(!), Roger Federer will not be playing in the Wimbledon Men's Final. (Of course, this is the year I travelled to Wimbledon after getting lucky to get tickets to the men's final. Did I bring him my favorite player bad luck?) Anyway, After winning 23 consecutive major quarterfinals, the 16-time major champion has now lost the last two he has played in a row, to two somewhat similar opponents, the hard-hitting giants Robin Soderling (in Paris) and Tomas Berdych (in London). Unlike at Roland Garros, where Federer clearly did not play his best and was blasted off the court, at Wimbledon Federer was defeated while still playing about as well as he's played most of the year. (Which is to say, not his best ever, but possibly the best he can do right now.) His failure to defend his two major titles from last year (and the fact he has won only won tournament all year, the 2010 Australian Open) means that the former World #1 will fall to World #3 in the rankings on Monday. This means that Federer will remain stuck one heartbreaking week behind matching Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at #1 for the foreseeable future. Will he ever get there? I believe so. And it may just be what keeps the Swiss master in the game until the 2010 London Olympics as he has promised before. Berdych has started a streak of his own; for the second consecutive major the Czech player has made the semifinals. Berdych played an astonishing match against Federer, hitting 51 winners to Federer's 44 and only making 23 unforced errors to Federer's 18 (and 6 of those were double faults by Berdych going for second serves). Although I predicted a different match-up, I am not unduly upset by what transpired today, I do believe the better player on the day won the match. As expected, with the shock defeat of Andy Roddick by Yen-Hsun Lu in the previous round, World #3 Novak Djokovic had an easy time of it to reach his second Wimbledon semifinal. Berdych and Djokovic have only played twice (a curiously low number for active players) with Djokovic having never lost. Can Berdych come back from the greatest victory of his career to date to reach his first major final? The Czech has suffered from mental frailty in the past, but is clearly playing some of his best tennis ever. Djokovic, too, is playing some excellent tennis and definitely has the game to make the most of this rare opportunity to reach his third major final (2007 US Open, 2008 Australian Open) without having to face a higher ranked player. However, he, too, has had some notably poor performances in massively important matches (the 2010 Roland Garros quarterfinal loss to Jurgen Melzer from two sets up comes to mind, as well as injury retirements at Wimbledon.) The real question is whether Berdych is on an unstoppable Juan Martin del Potro run to his first major, or will he come back to earth after beating the Greatest of all time on his best surface? PREDICTION: Djokovic (in 4 sets).

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA (10) Andy Murray GBR (4) vs. Robin Soderling SWE(6) Rafael Nadal ESP (2). The bottom half of the draw is where I bravely (foolishly?) predicted that upsets would happen. The mouth-watering Friday tea-time match-up between World #1 Rafael Nadal and World #1 Andy Murray was predicted at the beginning of the tournament by many. But they both had to go through some excellent players to get there. Murray lost his first set of the tournament in a tiebreak to the excessively talented Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and was two points away at 5-all from losing the second set tie-break when The Frenchman inexplicably let a floating Murray service return sail past him at the net only to watch with horror and disbelief as the ball kissed the back of the line to give Murray set point instead. The rest of the match was not pretty, with Murray dominating to a 6-7(5) 7-6)5) 6-2 6-2 win. I didn't see much of the Soderling-Nadal match (since in London all eyes were geared towards their countryman's match) but from all reports Nadal started very slowly (down 0-5) in the first set but managed to break back early in the second set. Despite serving for the second set (after Soderling was treated for a blister on his left foot) at 5-4 Nadal only barely managed to eke out the third set tiebreak and then rolled past a demoralized Soderling to win 3-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-1. With Federer out, Nadal has an excellent chance to win the tournament, as he has winning records against all the remaining players in the draw (7-3 versus both Murray and Berdych, 14-7 versus Djokovic--which happens to be the identical record he has against Federer). However, Murray is probably the toughest opponent for Nadal at this stage of the tournament. There's no question that Murray was on his way to demolishing Nadal earlier this year in the 2010 Australian Open quarterfinals when the Spaniard retired down 2 sets and 0-3. The two haven't played since, with Nadal having his best clay court season to date, and Murray his worst. Happily Wimbledon is played on grass. Additionally, the fact that Murray beat Nadal the last time they played and that this is a semifinal, not a final should help the Brit play his best tennis this year, something Murray did not do against an inspired Andy Roddick last year. Nadal has already lost the most amount of sets that he ever has on his way to winning (or defending) a major title. The 2008 Wimbledon champion has been uncharacteristically irritable and complained of pain his knees. On the other hand, Murray has lost the fewest amount of sets of any of the Top 4 players at Wimbledon this year and has been advancing later and later into the draw at Wimbledon every time he has played it. I expect that trend to continue all the way to the final, and possibly the title this year. PREDICTION: Murray in 3 or 4 sets (or Nadal in 5 sets).

Roland Garros 2010 Men's Semifinals Preview

BY MADPROFESSAH

I previously made predictions of the four women's quarterfinals and four men's quarterfinals and got 4 of 8 results correct at this year's French Open. The 2010 Roland Garros men's semifinals are now set.

Roger Federer SUI (1) Robin Soderling SWE (5) vs. Tomas Berdych CZE (15). Soderling loves Court Phillippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros. Last year he beat defending champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round before losing to Roger Federer in the final. This year he beat defending champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinal and seems destined to reach his second consecutive Roland Garros final on the biggest clay court in the world. But there's someone who is even taller and serves bigger in the way of Soderling's dream: Tomas Berdych. Berdych has cut through the men's draw like the 6'5", 200 pound Czech scythe that he is, eliminating Andy Murray and John Isner along the way without dropping a set. Berdych recently had a career milestone when he finally beat Roger Federer for the first time in 9 matches(second time overall) in Miami in March. Soderling beat Federer for the first time of his career on Tuesday. The two have played 8 times overall, with Soderling holding a slim 5-3 lead in their career head-to-head match up. They have split the two matches they played this year, and they have split the two matches they have played on clay. In my mind, either Berdych will continue his rout of the field and win easily in straight sets (a low probability event) or he will start off hot and not be able to sustain his high level against someone like the powerful Swede who can match him toe-to-toe. Also, although this is Berdych's very first major semifinal, it is only Soderling's second, but this is also where Soderling outlasted Fernando Gonzalez in a very thrilling semifinal last year. I believe he will make it to the final for the second year in a row.

MadProfessah's pick: Berdych in 3 sets or Soderling in 4 or 5.

Novak Djokovic SRB (3) Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). Although Nadal survived his toughest test of the tournament in countryman Nicolas Almagro by having to play three very tight sets (7-6(2) 7-6(3) 6-4), there is almost no doubt that the Spaniard will reach his 5th Roland Garros final in six years by dismissing the surprising Austrian veteran relatively quickly. Many people (myself included) were salivating at the chance of seeing another showdown between Nadal and Novak Djokovic in an important clay court match which could possibly reprise their now-legendary 2009 Madrid semifinal where Nadal won a 3-set match in 4 hours. However, it is significant that the Serb let slip a double set and a break advantage to lose another Roland Garros semifinal, this time to the relatively unheralded Melzer. Could he possibly have blanched at the thought of having to face Nadal for the third time in four years in the semifinal round? Nadal and Melzer have only met twice before, once on clay, with Nadal winning easily both times and this time will be no different.

MadProfessah's pick: Nadal in 3 sets.

Roland Garros: Giants and Giant-Killers

Don’t tell Tomas. But these images aren’t to scale.

Big Rob and Tomas at 100%. Big Rob wins.

Big Rob and Tomas both at 65%. Big Rob wins.

Tomas at 90% with Big Rob at 60 odd. Tomas Wins. Maybe.

Don’t tell Jurgen or “Yoyo” even (coz that’s the name he goes by on tour apparently). But these images are to scale.

Yoyo doesn’t win.

Roland Garros: Barn Burner

So…a fine purveyor of the backhand dropshot, a lefty, with three WTA ex girlfriends and still sporting a backwards baseball cap at the age of 29.

A man of many talents, but certainly no Jurgen-Schmergen….

I only saw the closing moments. Melzer came back from 2 sets down for the first time in his career. He only converted four of a staggering twenty-four break points yet was still able to serve it out in five.

Not always the highest quality, but exactly the kind of barn burner the event needed.

I set my bar for “breakthrough” performances very high these days. You have Robin to thank for that. What I suspect we’ve seen here is a long time talent getting a grip on all of his working parts (of which there are many), rather than any kind of breakaway bid for top ten entry.

I still find myself wincing every time I see Djoko serve nowadays. I hadn’t seen a single one of his matches here this year. The one I did see turned out to be his last.

Not a poor clay court season by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly no 2009 (or 2008 for that matter).

…and still the run goes on.

That opening set was full of the kind of crisp ball striking and point construction that makes her such a joy to watch – so inspired in fact that I was a little disappointed she wasn’t able to close it out in two.

You’d think that anyone that beats Henin and Serena back to back in a Slam ought to win the title.

And yet, Serena hasn’t been past the quarters of Roland Garros since 2003 and Henin-isn’t-as-Henin-was (nor does she seem to want to be).

There are those that are deterministically inclined to think of every match Serena plays as being “on her racquet”. It’s an appraisal I find it difficult not to agree with most of the time. Folly, surely, to argue with a record as enduring as hers at Melbourne, Wimby or Flushing.

Her results here, however, speak for themselves too. The surface very evidently inhibits her movement – and I’m not convinced she gets quite the pace she seems to generate so freely everywhere else.

The match may be “on her racquet” elsewhere, but at RG you’ll only see it spend part of it’s time there before jilting her in favour of someone else in the ballroom.

It’s why I feel she wasn’t able to convert on that single match point: you can bet your bottom dollar that wouldn’t have happened at Melbourne.

***

That leaves four ladies in contention (Jakovic closed out Shvedova in straights) – neither of whom have won a Slam.

Frankly, I’m having a little trouble deciding.

Dementieva – So near and yet so far once too often. Continues to be held back by that poor excuse for a serve. “Davydenko of the WTA” or just another consummate choker”? You decide. Few would doubt she’s put in the mileage.

Schiavone – Heart. Variety. Thy name is Franny. You’d be hard pressed to find a more likeable player on tour, or one with as diverse a set of talents.

Jankovic – This time last year she was my pick for the title. It seemed a necessary consequence of her impressive record at Rome. Then muscles happened, Ricardo Sanchez happened and she seemed to lose her way. Good news is that both those things have “unhappened” now and she seems to have reacquired something of her standing as the best mover/defender in the game.

Stosur – To be honest, treated as a package of many working parts, Sammy seems to be executing better than anyone else. I still have my concerns for her over JJ though.

(Photos: AFP/Getty)

Roland Garros 2010 Men's Quarterfinals

BY MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2010.

Roger Federer SUI (1) vs. Robin Soderling SWE (5). This quarterfinal is a repeat of last year's final, which Federer won relatively easily in straight sets. Although Soderling has not beaten Federer in an official ATP Tour match in 12 tries, he did beat the World #1 at an exhibition earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and having beaten Rafael Nadal in what some people call the greatest upset ever, the tall, powerful Swede knows he has the game to end Federer's jawdropping streak of 23 consecutive major semifinals. In fact, this match is very important to Federer, not only due to the semifinals streak, but also because he needs to win it in order to be certain that he will break Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at #1 before Wimbledon. Federer has yet to drop a set in Paris this year, but I am sure that he will take the challenge posed by Soderling seriously, even though the 6'4", 195-pound ballcrusher has only ever won two tie-break sets against him. After all, it is very possible to never lose your serve and still lose the match! Some say that Federer is losing his edge now that he is a husband, father and broken the major singles title record. I disagree, even though the fact is that Federer has already lost 6 matches this year (to Nadal, Tomas Berdych, Ernests Gulbis, Marcos Baghdatis, Albert Montanes, and Nikolay Davydenko). Regardless, I think that there is an inexorable march towards another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Tomas Berdych CZE (15) vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS (11). Berdych has been playing really well this year, and made a huge mental breakthrough by finally ending his losing streak against Roger Federer earlier this year in Miami. He has been demolishing his way through the draw, not dropping a set despite playing good clay court players like John Isner and Andy Murray. Youzhny got lucky in the previous round since an injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire after losing the first set. Although head-to-head Youzhny leads Berdych 6-4 in career ATP matches, I believe the in-form Czech will take out the (un)lucky Russian. PREDICTION: Berdych in 4 sets.

Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). Gabashvili blew Andy Roddick off the court in the 3rd round in straight sets, blasting forehands into the corners of the court and defly handing the American's deflated serve easily. However, he was unable to repeat this performance on the clay against the wily lefty veteran Melzer, who like Samantha Stosur on the women's side, had previously experienced success and fame on the doubles court and used that to build confidence on the singles court. Melzer was one of the few Top 30 players never to reach the fourth round of a major, and now he finds himself in a quarter playing Djokovic. The World #3 has had mental lapses in the second set in three of the four matches he has played at Roland Garros this year. If that happens again, perhaps Melzer can find a way to win the resulting best-of-3 match. All the pressure will be on the higher ranked player to reach a 3rd semifinal against Nadal, who took out the Serb in that round in 2007 and 2008. Roland Garros 2010 is looking like a replay of those years, with another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION:Djokovic in 4 sets.

Nicolas Almagro ESP (19) Fernando Verdasco ESP (7) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). The Verdasco and Nadal played one of the best matches of the year (probably of the decade) in the semifinals of the 2009 Australian Open, a five-hour, thrilling slugfest that both competitors were ennobled simply by their participation, although of course there was only one winner (Nadal). Almagro dashed hopes for a reprise of that thrilling Melbourne showdown by taking out Verdasco in four sets. Although Almagro has never beaten Nadal on any surface in 6 attempts, he did start off the match very strong when they played the Madrid Masters semifinal. It i beyond belief that Almagro could maintain that level of play over 5 sets in Paris when he could not do it for 2 sets in Madrid. PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets.

Roland Garros 2010 Day 9 Order Of Play

Reuters

Jurgen Melzer follows up his upset-of-the-tournament victory over David Ferrer and has just become a Grand Slam quarterfinalist for the first time in his career at the ripe old age of 29. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.


AP

The little backhand that couldn't. It was a long time coming, but Justine Henin finally loses her first match at Roland Garros in six years. Samantha Stosur got over herself and sent the diminutive one packing.

Schedule for Day 9: Monday, 31 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Robby Ginepri (USA) v. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3]
2. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Shahar Peer (ISR)[18]
3. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)[24] v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]
4. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[4] v. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)[23]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) v. Jurgen Melzer (AUT)[22]
Not Before 13:00
2. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Justine Henin (BEL)[22] v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[7]
3. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[7] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[19]
4. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Jarmila Groth (AUS) v. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Stephen Huss (AUS)/Andre Sa (BRA)
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)[15] v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
3. Women's Doubles - Fourth Round
Liezel Huber (USA)/A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)[3] v. Gisela Dulko (ARG)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[5]
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Shahar Peer (ISR) v. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Jie Zheng (CHN)[10]
5. Women's Doubles - Fourth Round
Serena Williams (USA)/Venus Williams (USA)[1] v. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) v. Leolia Jeanjean (FRA)
Not Before 13:00
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Thierry Ascione (FRA)/Laurent Recouderc (FRA) v. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8]
3. Mixed Doubles - Third Round
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[3] v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5]
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Alona Bondarenko (UKR)/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[4]/Samantha Stosur (AUS)[4]

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Taro Daniel (JPN) v. Lucas Pouille (FRA)
2. Girls' Singles - Second Round
Ester Goldfeld (USA) v. Amandine Hesse (FRA)
Not Before 13:00
3. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2] To Finish 5-7 2-0
4. Boys' Singles - Second Round
Gianni Mina (FRA)[3] v. Alessandro Colella (ITA)
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Vania King (USA)/Christopher Kas (GER) v. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)

Roland Garros 2010 Day 8 Open Thread

AP

Austria's Jurgen Melzer reacts after defeating Spain's David Ferrer during their third round match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday May 29, 2010. Straight. Sets. With a middle-set bagel. Upset of the event so far.

::

Just returned from my Harvard 20th anniversary reunion. Tennis comes on ESPN at noon in my market today, so I'm sure they're air matches that have already been decided and since I haven't watched a lick of tennis today, I'm posting this thread as though play has only just begun.

Humor me.

Right not, I'm barely watching this pushy pushy dogfight between Caroline Wozniacki and Flavia Pennetta on Tennis Channel. Ugly day in Paris.

I won't be commenting because I don't want to read any spoilers.

Schedule for Day 8: Sunday, 30 May 2010

Court Philippe Chatrier 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5] v. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)
Not Before 12:00
2. Women's Singles - Third Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[12] v. Justine Henin (BEL)[22] To Finish 2-6 6-3
3. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19] v. Venus Williams (USA)[2]
4. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)[20]
5. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)[11] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[8]

Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)[30] v. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17]
2. Women's Singles - Fourth Round
Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[14] v. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[3]
3. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Marin Cilic (CRO)[10] v. Robin Soderling (SWE)[5]
4. Men's Singles - Fourth Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[4] v. Tomas Berdych (CZE)[15]

Court 1 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Olga Govortsova (BLR)/Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)[15] v. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)[2]
2. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)[15] v. Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)
3. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Julian Knowle (AUT)/Andy Ram (ISR)[10] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)/Santiago Ventura (ESP)
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Serena Williams (USA)/Venus Williams (USA)[1] v. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Lucie Hradecka (CZE)[16]

Court 2 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT)[6] v. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)/Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Not Before 13:00
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Guillaume Rufin (FRA)/Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) v. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[2]
3. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)Leander Paes (IND)[3] v. Santiago Gonzalez (MEX)/Travis Rettenmaier (USA)
4. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Vania King (USA)/Michaella Krajicek (NED) v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)/Samantha Stosur (AUS)[4]
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Cara Black (ZIM)/Leander Paes (IND)[2]

Court 3 11:00 Start Time
1. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Liezel Huber (USA)/A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)[3] v. Iveta Benesova (CZE)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)[13]
2. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Alexandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR)/Denis Istomin (UZB) v. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)[8]
3. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[11] v. Lisa Raymond (USA)/Rennae Stubbs (AUS)[7]
4. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)/Eric Butorac (USA) v. Aurelie Vedy (FRA)/Michael Llodra (FRA)

Court 4 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Danka Kovinic (MNE) v. Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)[8]
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Jozef Kovalik (SVK) v. Agustin Velotti (ARG)
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Lucas Szewczyk (FRA) v. Dane Webb (USA)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Micke Kontinen (FIN) v. John Morrissey (IRL)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) v. Katarena Paliivets (CAN)

Court 5 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Morgane Pons (FRA) v. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)[2]
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Sam Barry (IRL) v. Mitchell Frank (USA)[13]
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Sebastian Lavie (NZL) v. Tiago Fernandes (BRA)[5]
4. Girls' Singles - First Round
Elina Svitolina (UKR) v. Jana Cepelova (SVK)
5. Boys' Singles - First Round
Filip Horansky (SVK) v. Darian King (BAR)

Court 6 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Gianni Mina (FRA)[3] v. Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Monica Puig (PUR)[1] v. Clothilde De Bernardi (FRA)
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Daniel Berta (SWE)[1] v. Junior A. Ore (USA)
4. Girls' Singles - First Round
Charlene Seateun (FRA) v. Jovana Jaksic (SRB)

Court 7 11:00 Start Time
1. Men's Doubles - Second Round
Colin Fleming (GBR)/Ken Skupski (GBR) v. Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Dick Norman (BEL)[4]
2. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Marcelo Melo (BRA)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v. Daniele Bracciali (ITA)/Potito Starace (ITA)
3. Men's Doubles - Third Round
Marc Lopez (ESP)/Pere Riba (ESP) v. Frantisek Cermak (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK)[9]
4. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)/Zi Yan (CHN)[9] v. Gisela Dulko (ARG)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA)[5]
5. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Julie Coin (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) v. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Max Mirnyi (BLR)[5]

Court 8 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Grace Sari Ysidora (INA) v. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR)
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Alessandro Colella (ITA) v. Hugo Dellien (BOL)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Nour Abbes (TUN) v. Daria Gavrilova (RUS)[7]
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Mikhail Biryukov (RUS)[14] v. Juan Sebastian Gomez (COL)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Timea Babos (HUN)[5] v. Ilona Kremen (BLR)

Court 9 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Dominic Thiem (AUT)[8] v. Ashley Hewitt (GBR)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Adriana Perez (VEN) v. Garbine Muguruza Blanco (ESP)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Paula Kania (POL) v. Silvia Njiric (CRO)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Andrea Collarini (USA) v. Jiri Vesely (CZE)[4]
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Emi Mutaguchi (JPN) v. Doroteja Eric (SRB)

Court 10 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Ons Jabeur (TUN) v. Sophia Kovalets (UKR)
2. Boys' Singles - First Round
Carlos Boluda-Purkiss (ESP) v. Jannick Lupescu (NED)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Tamara Curovic (SRB)[12] v. Ester Goldfeld (USA)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Andrew Whittington (AUS) v. Tobias Blomgren (SWE)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Zarah Razafimahatratra (MAD) v. Lauren Davis (USA)[10]

Court 11 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Guilherme Clezar (BRA) v. Raymond Sarmiento (USA)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) v. Grace Min (USA)
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Facundo Arguello (ARG) v. Kevin Krawietz (GER)[7]
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Denis Kudla (USA)[6] v. Justin Eleveld (NED)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN)[6] v. Chantal Skamlova (SVK)

Court 14 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Romain Arneodo (FRA) v. Renzo Olivo (ARG)[11]
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Risa Ozaki (JPN) v. Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)[13]
3. Boys' Singles - First Round
Mick Lescure (FRA) v. Oliver Golding (GBR)
4. Girls' Singles - First Round
Akiko Omae (JPN) v. Nanuli Pipiya (RUS)[16]
5. Boys' Singles - First Round
Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN)[16] v. Karue Sell (BRA)

Court 16 11:00 Start Time
1. Boys' Singles - First Round
Tristan Lamasine (FRA) v. Peter Heller (GER)
2. Girls' Singles - First Round
Jade Suvrijn (FRA) v. Richel Hogenkamp (NED)
3. Girls' Singles - First Round
Amandine Hesse (FRA) v. Luksika Kumkhum (THA)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Thomas Szewczyk (FRA) v. Federico Gaio (ITA)
5. Girls' Singles - First Round
Natalija Kostic (SRB) v. Estelle Cascino (FRA)

Court 17 11:00 Start Time
1. Girls' Singles - First Round
Caroline Garcia (FRA)[15] v. Mai Grage (DEN)
Not Before 13:00
2. Women's Doubles - Third Round
Cara Black (ZIM)/Elena Vesnina (RUS)[6] v. Kveta Peschke (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)[12]
3. Women's Doubles - Second Round
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)/Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[8] v. Monica Niculescu (ROU)/Shahar Peer (ISR)
4. Boys' Singles - First Round
Mate Pavic (CRO) v. Mathias Bourgue (FRA)

17:00 Start Time
1. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)/Michal Mertinak (SVK) v. Tathiana Garbin (ITA)/Marcin Matkowski (POL)
2. Mixed Doubles - Second Round
Vania King (USA)/Christopher Kas (GER) v. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK)

Face Of The Day

Getty

Jurgen Melzer of Austria celebrates (apologetically) his straight sets victory against Fernando Verdasco of Spain in their third round match during the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 13, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. He won the match on let cord winner.

Singles - Third Round
[1] R Federer (SUI) d [15] S Wawrinka (SUI) 63 61
[2] R Nadal (ESP) d [13] J Isner (USA) 75 64
[3] A Murray (GBR) d V Hanescu (ROU) 62 61
J Melzer (AUT) d [6] F Verdasco (ESP) 75 63
[9] D Ferrer (ESP) d [8] M Cilic (CRO) 63 62
[12] G Monfils (FRA) d G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 76(5) 64
E Gulbis (LAT) d F Lopez (ESP) 62 76(0)
N Almagro (ESP) d J Monaco (ARG) 64 61

Doubles - Second Round
[1] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) 64 63
[2] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d B Becker (GER) / M Chiudinelli (SUI) 61 76(4)
[3] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) vs J Chela (ARG) / E Schwank (ARG)
M Granollers (ESP) / V Troicki (SRB) d [4] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL) 63 67(4) 14-12
J Knowle (AUT) / A Ram (ISR) d [5] S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) 76(4) 67(5) 10-6
[6] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT) d J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) 60 36 10-4

Women's Singles - Third Round
(7) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 62 60
(8) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Patty Schnyder (SUI) 76(3) 62
(13) Li Na (CHN) d. Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 63 64
Shahar Peer (ISR) d. (WC) Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 75 62
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. Andrea Petkovic (GER) 64 76(8)

Women's Doubles - Quarterfinals
(1) Williams/Williams (USA/USA) d. Kirilenko/Radwanska (RUS/POL) 62 64
(2) Llagostera Vives/Mártinez Sánchez (ESP/ESP) d. Ruano Pascual/Shaughnessy (ESP/USA) 63 67(6) 107
Peer/Schiavone (ISR/ITA) d. Chuang/King (TPE/USA) 76(3) 63

Dubai: Final Line Up and my ‘Notes on a Scandal’

There’ll be no further reposting of what I’ll only gingerly be referring to as “the video”.

We’ve all seen the video – correction, we’ve all experienced, the video.

You don’t need me to do another “me too” post about it.

Though the following must be gotten off my chest.

A collection of my choicest reactions over the last 15 hours.

• “Oh Rafa – What will your mother say!?”
• “What will Xisca say!?”
• “You did ask her?”
• “$$$***$$#####”
• “Your ingénue appeal is forever lost.”
• “No wonder your knee hurts!”

All I need now is for Murray to do a cover of “You can call me Al” (in the role played by Paul Simon of course), and my life will be complete.

***

Speaking of my life being complete – as of yet it’s only half way there.

Headbanger came through in straights against Melzer who’s yet to form any meaningful impression on me.

Djoko’s just put out Baggy – to which I say pesh-tosh.

It also means I’ll be firmly ensconced in Camp Headbang tomorrow.

You might think it strange for me to be rooting against Djoko, but rest assured I have his best interests at heart.

A win for him here will benefit precisely no one.

Not him, and certainly not tennis.

The way I figure it, he might get a little too complacent, maybe a little too content with winning the odd 500 event now and again, when he should be pitching his tent at the Masters and Slams. At least that’s what I thought the agenda was.