Bird Flu, Anthrax, SARS...

I have to say that I am a little disappointed in Andy Roddick. I'm not particularly enamoured with him at the moment, what with the Olympics thing, but I was going for him against Djokovic - and damn it, he could have won! He certainly had that fourth set on his racquet, and he threw it away not once, but twice: when he was serving for it, 30-0 up, and served two double faults, and then in the breaker at 5-5 when he tried that STUPID dropshot. What was that? He played so beautifully in the third set and most of the fourth - and if it had gone to a fifth, I would have backed him. Very disappointing, A-Rod. I hope Patrick McEnroe spanks you good.

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One thing I have to say, though, and that is that Djokovic's wingspan and reach is deceptively huge. He's not that big a guy, but when it comes to returning, he is a wall. At the net, as well, he has great reach - though I have many bad things to say about his volleys, especially his forehand volley. I mean, what is that? It certainly was not a match of volleyers - I wince and look away every time I see Roddick coming near the net.

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For two such good players, this was not the highest quality match ever. I only caught the third and fourth sets, but although Roddick lifted and played really well there, it wasn't exactly scintillating. Djokovic lets the crowd into his head too much, as well - and he really, really needs to learn not to antagonise them. I can tell you one thing, and that is that the crowd is going to be 120% behind Roger Federer in the semi after that performance there. He's a crowd favourite anyway, and Djokovic has really not done anything to endear himself. Considering that he lets the crowd get to him, that really isn't a smart career move.

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Let's talk about the Federer match. It was probably a little closer than I would have liked, considering who his opponent was, but he did what he had to do, which was nice. Of the Big Three, he's probably managed to conserve the most energy - he certainly came into the tournament less tired than Rafa and even his five set match was well under the four hour mark. And also he doesn't have Djokovic's injuries - though whether they are injuries or 'injuries' I'm not sure. A-Rod wasn't far off the mark when he said that Djokovic had 'bird flu, anthrax, SARS.' You watch. If Federer gets two sets up - or even a set and a break or two - I BET Djokovic will retire. He's been setting himself up for it all tournament. You just watch.

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Oh, and kudos to Gilles Muller, as well. He was never going to beat Federer, but he did his best, and he did pretty well considering his ranking. I hope Luxembourg is proud of him - and I would like to see him making his mark at tournaments in the future. One thing I will say, though - he needs to wear longer shorts. I'm not a fan of Rafa's 'manpris,' but Gilles was seriously wearing hotpants. Not a good look.

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So we have our semi finalists - Rafa against Murray, Roger against the Djoker. I'm picking a Murray/Fed final, though I would not be surprised to see Rafa come through. Murray is maybe just a little fresher, and is certainly playing well, whereas Rafa hasn't been playing 100%. And I am gagging for the Australian Open rematch. Of course, if Djokovic wins, I will cry many bitter tears, but if (when) Roger wins, I will celebrate like nobody's business. Revenge, dish, cold, best served, etc - and if Djokovic retires and takes that away (what with his bird flu, anthrax and SARS,) I will be FURIOUS.

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Oh, and a special congratulations to Roger Federer for making his eighteenth straight Grand Slam semi final. That is a streak that will not be matched in a LONG time, if ever! Congratulations, Roger!

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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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Roger Federer def. Gilles Muller, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 7-6 (7-5)

Novak Djokovic def. Andy Roddick, 6-2 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5)