Speaking Ernestsly

So who will be this year's Juan Martin del Potro - if, indeed, we get such a figure this year? Are we going to see any young gun blossom out of nowhere and make a tear up the rankings during this US Open series? This was the question I posed yesterday, and if I don't get distracted by something shiny or by the Federer twins, this is the question I'd like to consider this week.

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Today's candidate: Ernests Gulbis.

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Yes, I know he's been playing like crap this year and he hasn't been able to string two wins together. But he says this is because he is still getting used to his increased muscle mass and that he is finding his game again. And he has such beautiful, exquisite talent...

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I know I'm biased towards Gulbis, because he is a special favourite of mine - but I genuinely believe he has the talent to make it big, and why not start now? He's coming off a doubles win with Tursunov last week, and I know doubles wins don't mean much usually, but look what it did for Roger Federer last year, winning that doubles medal? And Gulbis has had a good win in LA today over Yen-hsun Lu, whom we all know is definitely no slouch and has some serious game.

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So why should this not be Gulbis's year to be Juan Martin? He's young and talented, and if he can just get used to his new physique he's got all the tools he needs. Sure, he's unproved - but so was del Potro before his run last year, so unproved the Argentines didn't even take him to the Olympics. There is nothing in Ernests' way but himself... oh yeah, and a few other tennis players, but he has the ability to beat them. I really believe this.

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And then there's the fact that I would love love LOVE Ernests to be this year's Juan and prove me right after I've been bignoting him all this time...

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Today's Results

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Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad (Gstaad)

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Stanislas Wawrinka def. Federico Del Bonis, 6-4 7-5

Victor Hanescu def. Ivo Minar, 6-2 6-2

Jeremy Chardy def. Thierry Ascione, 6-3 6-3

Nicolas Kiefer def. Jose Acasuso, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Marcos Daniel def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (8-6)

Ivan Navarro def. Farrukh Dustov, 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-2

Julien Benneteau def. Stephane Bohli, 7-6 (7-4) 7-5

Florent Serra def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-3 6-2

Thomaz Bellucci def. Michael Lammer, 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

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ATP Studena Croatia Open (Umag)

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Jurgen Melzer def. Brian Dabul, 6-3 7-5

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Christophe Rochus, 6-2 6-3

Andreas Seppi def. Juan Igancio Chela, 6-4 2-6 6-3

Fabio Fognini def. Mischa Zverev, 2-6 6-3 6-4

Pablo Cuevas def. Ivan Dodig, 6-3 6-1

Frederico Gil def. Sergio Roitman, 7-5 6-2

Potito Starace def. Grega Zemlja, 6-1 6-3

Simone Bolelli def. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-0

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LA Tennis Open (Los Angeles)

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John Isner def. Benjamin Becker, 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-3)

Ernests Gulbis def. Yen-hsun Lu, 7-5 6-2

Carsten Ball def. Marc Gicquel, 6-2 7-6 (10-8)

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Bank of the West Classic (Stanford)

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Samantha Stosur def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-4 6-3

Marion Bartoli def. Ayumi Morita, 7-6 (8-6) 6-3

Daniela Hantuchova def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-4 4-6 7-5

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Istanbul Cup (Istanbul)

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Mariya Koryttseva def. Vera Zvonareva, 6-2 1-6 6-4

Rossana de los Rios def. Patty Schnyder, 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-4 6-2

Vera Dushevina def. Yuliana Fedak, 6-1 6-4

Lucie Hradecka def. Cagla Buyukakcay, 4-6 6-3 6-0

Andrea Petkovic def. Sandra Zahlavova, 6-1 6-2

Urszula Radwanska def. Stefanie Voegele, 6-2 7-6 (7-4)

Julia Goerges def. Masa Zec Peskiric, 6-2 6-3

Angelique Kerber def. Alina Jidkova, 6-2 6-3

Ekaterina Dzehalevich def. Darya Kustova, 6-4 7-6 (11-9)