Czechmate

Tomas Berdych is a terminal underachiever, in my uneducated opinion. He's a fabulous player and he's really shot up the ATP rankings since the match that really made his career, which was when he defeated Federer in the second round of the Athens Olympics in 2004. He's got a great style and because he's so tall and lanky, he's got this huge wingspan at the net... and yet he hasn't quite realised his potential yet.

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Berdych is one of those players that is solid in the top twenty, but only ever fleetingly appears in the top ten. I think he has the talent to get into the top ten and stays there, but it just never seems to quite happen for him. In 2005, when Federer and Nadal took out eight out the nine Masters Series events, it was Berdych who took out the remaining one (AMS Paris), but he hasn't really lived up to this potential. You see him frequently in the round of sixteen at the Slams, but I don't think I can remember seeing him in the quarters, and that's really a bit sad. He's got all this talent, but something always seems to get in the way.

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Like today. The Czech Republic totally could have taken out the USA today, but Berdych was sick. Not that that's his fault or anything, but it was really sad. I'm disinclined to root for the USA after the whole Serena incident, and so it was really disappointing that Berdych had to pull out. I thought that his girlfriend, Lucie Safarova, played a great match against Serena (disastrous first set aside). Like Berdych, Safarova is rolling in potential. She halved her ranking last year, and I'd love to see her halve in again this year. She's ranked 23 at the moment. I think she can entrench herself pretty firmly in the top twenty by the end of 2008.

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But alas, the Czech Republic is now pretty much out of contention for the Hopman final. I hope the USA doesn't make it... I'm still in a snit about the Serena incident. Meanwhile, did anyone see what she was wearing today? Worst tennis outfit I have ever seen. Ever. And I've been watching for a while. Serena's pulled out some shockers before, but this one really took the cake. I don't know what she was thinking.

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Today's Results

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Hopman Cup (Perth)

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France def. Argentina, 2-1

Golovin/Clement def. Dulko/Chela, 6-3 6-2

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USA def. Czech Republic, 3-0

Serena Williams def. Lucie Safarova, 6-0 2-6 7-5

Mardy Fish def. Tomas Berdych, walkover

Williams/Fish def. Safarova/Berdych, 6-0 ret.

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Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts (Gold Coast)

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Tathiana Garbin def. Nadia Petrova, 5-7 7-5 6-3

Patty Schnyder def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-1 6-3

Yuliana Fedak def. Agnes Szavay, 3-6 7-5 6-2

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ASB Classic (Auckland)

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Katarina Srebotnik def. Anastasia Rodionova, 6-0 3-0 ret.

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Nicole Pratt, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

Tamira Paszek def. Yanina Wickmayer, 7-6 (9-7) 6-1

Ashley Harkleroad def. Emilie Loit, 6-4 6-1

Lindsay Davenport def. Laura Granville, 6-2 6-3

Klara Zakopalova def. Meilen Tu, 6-3 7-5

Yvonne Meusburger def. Akiko Morigami, 7-5 6-0

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Next Generation Adelaide International (Adelaide)

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Michael Llodra def. Gilles Simon, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

Joseph Sirianni def. Radek Stepanek, 7-6 (7-3) 4-3 ret.

Michael Russell def. Juan Martin del Potro, 6-3 6-3

Sam Querrey def. Steve Darcis, 7-5 6-4

Benjamin Becker def. Robert Smeets, 3-6 6-4 6-2

Mischa Zverev def. Florian Mayer, 6-3 6-3

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PS. It's great to see the Adelaide International back as a proper knock out tournament this year. That round robin stuff they had last year was RUBBISH.