Coin Toss

I believe I said yesterday that Ana Ivanovic was shaky-looking or something to that effect, and would not make the final. I was right. But I had no idea she'd go crashing out to a French nobody in the second round.

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Something is clearly up with Ana. She's had two early Slam exits now since winning the French and becoming #1. I don't whether it's the thumb injury or what - but even if the injury is a factor, it isn't just that. Something is up with Ana Ivanovic. She is not playing like someone of her calibre should.

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I suppose this will mean she loses #1 again - I'm not sure what she did here last year, but it certainly was better than the second round, yesno? So how many have we got in contention to take it this time? Actually, who was in the final last year? Henin, yes - she won - but who did she play? Let me have a look... Henin defeated Kuznetsova. Wow, I have no recollection of that at all! But what it does mean is that Sveta has a hell of a lot of points to defend - one would imagine she would pretty much have to win the title to take #1.

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The real danger is Jelena Jankovic, but really, if she is going to be #1, it would nice if she'd do it by winning the tournament. I know she's reasonably consistent, but can you really be #1 without a Slam? Mathematically you can, sure, but really? It just seems sort of suss to me.

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Sharapova obviously can't take it what with being injured and all... I would dearly love to see Dinara take it, but I think she's too far back in the rankings to even have a shot. Likewise Dementieva. Could Serena do it? I don't know how she went last year. How far behind is she...? Let's look. A long way, really. Possible at the outside, perhaps, but not very likely. She'd have to win the tournament, and even then I don't know if she'd make it. Maths is not my strong suit.

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But what we haven't talked about is the underdog that did the upsetting, and that is very remiss of me. How about Julie Coin? What a great victory for her! Everyone was really disappointed here in Australia when she beat Casey Dellacqua in the first round, but now she's beaten Ivanovic, perhaps poor Casey will be forgiven a bit. She (back on Coin now) is ranked something like #188 in the world, and I think this is her first Slam tournament. How's that for your first memories of Slam tennis? A victory over Dellacqua, ranked, what about 150 places higher than her? is good enough, but to beat the #1 player in the world...? That's something special.

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I'm not going to go on to predict that Julie Coin will be the next #1 or anything, or even that she'll be top 10, but I would love to see her go a few rounds here. As long as they're not playing Federer, I love a good underdog. I don't think she could pull an Edmondson or anything, but maybe she could be a second Carla Suarez Navarro. Eventually she would run into Safina and there she would swiftly be terminated, but I'd like to see her make at least another round. Just to prove that yes, she can back it up.

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Look at me, talking about women's tennis when there is all this men's tennis as well! No major upsets there today - although Rafa is still playing! Though I don't think he's going to pull an Ana - he's 5-0 up in the first set right now. Actually, he could be more, but I can't tell - the US Open website is being all crap and non-accessible. Bastards. But still, it looks like Rafa took my advice about getting off the court quickly to heart. This one doesn't look like it'll go three hours. (Hell, it doesn't look like it'll go one hour at this rate.) Maybe he and Federer are having a competition for the number of bagels served up... though look! A game! Ryler de Heart won a whole game! I guess that set will just be a breadstick then. (Just.)

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And I do believe I said yesterday that the match between del Potro and Bellucci would be one to watch, and although del Potro would win, Bellucci would challenge him. I was right. I am just so good. Yay me.

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Today's Results

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US Open (Flushing Meadows)

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Men's Draw

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James Blake def. Steve Darcis, 4-6 6-3 1-0 retired
Rafael Nadal def. Ryler de Heart, 6-1 6-2 6-4

Mardy Fish def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-2 3-6 6-2 6-4
Gael Monfils def. Evgeny Korolev, 6-2 6-3 3-6 6-4
Stanislas Wawrinka def. Wayne Odesnik, 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 6-2
Sam Querrey def. Nicolas Devilder, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 4-6 6-3
Andy Murray def. Michael Llodra, 6-4 1-6 7-5 7-6 (9-7)
Ivo Karlovic def. Florent Serra, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-2
Flavio Cipolla def. Yen-hsun Lu, 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4
Gilles Simon def. Jose Acasuso, 6-4 6-1 6-4
David Ferrer def. Andreas Beck, 4-6 7-5 6-3 7-6 (7-5)
Jurgen Melzer def. Jiri Vanek, 6-0 6-2 6-2
David Nalbandian def. Andrey Golubev, 6-2 6-4 6-2
Juan Martin del Potro def. Thomaz Bellucci, 4-6 6-1 7-5 6-3
Viktor Troicki def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 2-6 6-3 6-4 3-0 retired
Kei Nishikori def. Roko Karanusic, 6-1 7-5 retired
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Women's Draw
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Julie Coin def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-3 4-6 6-3
Dinara Safina def. Roberta Vinci, 6-4 6-3
Serena Williams def. Elenade los Rios, 6-1 6-1
Venus Williams def. Rossana de los Rios, 6-0 6-3
Amelie Mauresmo def. Kaia Kanepi, 2-6 6-4 6-0
Alize Cornet def. Bethanie Mattek, 7-6 (7-5) 6-1
Alona Bondarenko def. Sabine Lisicki, 6-4 1-6 6-4
Timea Bacsinszky def. Yung-Jan Chan, 6-3 6-2
Tathiana Garbin def. Agnes Szavay, 5-7 6-2 6-3
Severine Bremond def. Nicole Vaidisova, 7-5 6-3
Nadia Petrova def. Hsieh Su-wei, 6-4 6-2
Dominika Cibulkova def. Ioana Raluca Olaru, 6-2 6-2
Flavia Pennetta def. Shuai Peng, 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 6-1
Agnieszka Radwanska def. Mariana Duque Marino, 6-0 7-6 (7-3)
Anna-Lena Groenefeld def. Jessica Moore, 6-1 6-3
Ai Sugiyama def. Olga Govortsova, 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1