Argentinian Grudge Match

Anyone else get the feeling that David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro don't really like each other too much?

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I have pretty much nothing on which to base this hunch, but I can't help but feel it's true. I know if I were David Nalbandian and some little upstart teenager from my country came up and started winning stuff and being the pride of Argentinian tennis I would be a bit pissed off. Sure, it's great for Davis Cup, but... let's just say I don't think you'll ever see Headbandian and Juan Martino playing doubles together. Headbandian doesn't strike me as the nicest guy anyway - he appears to have a very contrary, surly sort of disposition - and we all know Juan is not unaggressive himself, after that whole 'you and your mother' incident with Andy Murray in Rome. Like I said, I have nothing on which to base my theory that Dave and Juan are at each others' throats... but does anyone else think the same thing?

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So this semi-final in Basel is going to be pretty interesting. Headbandian is the higher seed, but I'd be banking on del Potro. The way he's playing at the moment... well, there's a reason he's probably going to qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup and Headbandian probably isn't. Meanwhile, speaking of the Masters Cup, five have qualified and the top of the remaining three is Roddick, del Potro and, randomly, Gilles Simon. I knew Simon has had a good year, but has it really been that good? I guess it must have been.

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The Fed is through in Basel is well, stomping all over Simone Bolelli, which was nice. Fourth seed Blake is out, so he'll face Feliciano Lopez, and I think he should come through that one just fine, especially as he seems to have been lifting his game throughout the week. So he'll play the winner of the Argentinian grudge match... and he will win. Because I said so.

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Oh, and Ana Ivanovic is in the semis of Linz! Can she keep it coming? I sure hope so - I want her back!

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Today's Results

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Davidoff Swiss Indoors (Basel)

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Roger Federer def. Simone Bolelli, 6-2 6-3

David Nalbandian def. Benjamin Becker, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Igor Andreev, 6-4 7-5

Feliciano Lopez def. James Blake, 6-4 7-6 (9-7)

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St Petersburg Open (St Petersburg)

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Andy Murray def. Janko Tipsarevic, 7-6 (7-5) 7-5

Fernando Verdasco def. Rainer Schuettler, 7-5 6-2

Victor Hanescu def. Michail Elgin, 6-1 6-4

Andrey Golubev def. Mischa Zverev, 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-4)

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Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon (Lyon)

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Robin Soderling def. Andy Roddick, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5)

Gilles Simon def. Josselin Ouanna, 6-3 7-5

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-6 (7-5) 6-1

Julien Benneteau def. Steve Darcis, 6-3 6-2

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Generali Ladies Linz (Linz)

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Ana Ivanovic def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-4 6-4

Vera Zvonareva def. Alizé Cornet, 7-5 6-1

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Nadia Petrova, 6-3 6-2

Marion Bartoli def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-3 5-7 6-1

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FORTIS Championships Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
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Elena Dementieva def. Amélie Mauresmo, 6-4 6-0

Sorana Cirstea def. Daniela Hantuchova, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2

Caroline Wozniacki def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-1 7-6 (9-7)

Li Na def. Iveta Benesova, 6-4 4-6 6-2