No real surprises in Rome today - the surprise party is over. We have the three usual suspects through - Nadal, Federer and Djokovic all came through in straights again - and filling the spot left vacant by Murray is Fernando Gonzalez, who is pretty good at dirtballin', so not really surprising either. They're going to be good semis, I think - you'd bet on Rafa to come through for sure, but the other one is up in the air... but yeah. I hope it's Roger. I know it can be Roger. I think it'd be great to have a Roger/Rafa final before Roland Garros.
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That's pretty much all that can be said for Rome today... over to the girls. I said it yesterday and I'll say it again. Being #1 in the world really suits Dinara Safina. She pulverised Agnieszka Radwanska in Stuttgart today, and the war machine just looks like it'll keep on rolling. Please, please let this moment where she snaps out of her funk. That final in Australia really hurt her, I think - she played pretty well to get to that point. But we're around the same time last year that Dinara really burst onto the stage - it was so dramatic that you could probably write a musical about it: 'Dinara! The Musical!' (with supporting role of Marat Safin)... actually, that would be a fun idea. Am tempting myself now.
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Going back to Dinara's opponent, where has Agnieszka Radwanska been this year? Last year she was being touted as a future top-fiver and she made a couple of Slam quarter finals and generally showed promise - she was last year's Azarenka. But this year? She's another member of the Club of Lost Souls, with James Blake, Tomas Berdych, Lucie Safarova and Alize Cornet. I can't remember a single thing she's done this year. I mean, I suppose quarters in Stuttgart aren't bad, but she is capable of doing so much better.
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Speaking of people capable of more than the quarter finals in Stuttgart - Jelena Jankovic belongs to that club. I'm prepared to forgive this one, because she has showed some positive signs lately and Flavia Pennetta, to whom she lost, is wily and wise, especially on clay, but if this trend continues... she really should be looking at claiming her first Slam soon. And though there's been some improvement of late, I don't know if we're quite there yet.
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Today's Results
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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)
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Rafael Nadal def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-3 6-3
Roger Federer def. Mischa Zverev, 7-6 (7-3) 6-2
Novak Djokovic def. Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-3 6-4
Fernando Gonzalez def. Juan Monaco, 2-6 6-3 6-4
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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)
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Dinara Safina def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 6-2
Elena Dementieva def. Marion Bartoli, 6-2 4-6 6-3
Flavia Pennetta def. Jelena Jankovic, 2-6 6-4 6-4
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Gisela Dulko, 6-3 6-2
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Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes)
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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Melinda Czink, 6-0 retired
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1 comment:
Hi Jodi,
Maybe not so impresive like last year, but I would give Aga a little more credit for this year. She lost to Dementieva in Sydney (winner) in QF, had very disappointing AO first round exit to Kateryna Bondarenko, lost to Mauresmo in QF in Paris (winner) being sick she traveled overnight to Dubai and have to play first round with her sister Ula early Monday morning (her father and couch did not get visa on time and could not go with her)-resulted in exit. She lost first round in Monterey to Na Li, finalist. Then she made QF in Indian Wells (lost to Pavlyuchenkova) and IV round in Miami - lost to Venus. She took a brake in April until Fed Cup (won both her single matches with Japanese girls )and made QF in Stuttgart, lost to finalist (if not the winner) Safina. Could be better, but still, give her a brake!
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