The Casey Case

I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have very little to write about. I mean, I could write about Roger Federer and how wonderful I think he is and how he'll get that fourteenth Slam for days on ends, but I doubt it would make particularly interesting reading. No, no, it is back to the week by week grind of the ATP tour - though I suppose when Fed Cup starts for the women at the end of the week that'll provide some subject matter. But for now...

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Blogging the tennis year kind of makes you realise that the tennis players have a point when they claim about the insanity of their scheduling. We, as serious fans, are obviously a little more educated in this area than your average 'oh, love, the tennis is on but so is the cricket what do we do?' type fan, but even then, we forget that the tennis played in the little tournaments is still tennis, just as gruelling as in the Slams. I mean, sure, it's not five sets, but it ain't no walk in the park.

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Now, I lied. I do have something to talk about. Fed Cup, because I just realised that it has in fact started, contrary to belief - and Australia have totally owned their tie against Korea! Go us! Sam Stosur did pretty well in her match, taking out Lee Ye-Ra 6-2 6-4, but Dokic had to be the real star, totally demolishing Lee Jin-A 6-0 6-3. Don't tell me we're going to see - shock - a resurgence in Australian women's tennis? Mon dieu!

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But tell you what - I feel really sorry for Casey Dellacqua. She would have been growing up when Dokic was in the news all the time with Damir and stuff - a junior, probably. Then, last year, she suddenly became the nation's golden girl with that fourth round run in the Australian Open, which also made her the nation's top singles player. Then what happens over the course of the year? Stosur gets better, overtakes her in the rankings. Dellacqua makes some reasonable showings at Slams but not THAT great. She totally falls to bits at Hopman Cup. Then her Fed Cup singles spot gets given to Dokic, previously one of the nation's most hated sportspeople, who has now usurped that role as tennis's golden girl, because she went one round better at the Open this year than Casey did last year. And Casey? Demoted to doubles duty. Presumably only because Stosur was playing singles.

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So, yeah, you've got to feel for her. Not that Dokic hasn't deserved any of this - or Stosur either - but it must be a bit depressing for our Case.

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Today's Results

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SA Tennis Open

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Sebastien de Chaunac def. Marcel Granollers, 7-5 7-6 (7-3)

Izak Van Der Merwe def. Benjamin Becker, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3)

Marcos Baghdatis def. Raven Klaasen, 6-3 7-5

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Movistar Open (Vina del Mar)

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Pablo Cuevas def. Albert Montanes, 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

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PBZ Zagreb Indoors (Zagreb)

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Marin Cilic def. Florent Serra, 6-2 7-5

Antonio Veic def. Evgeny Korolev, 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Roko Karanusic, 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 7-6 (7-3)

Victor Hanescu def. Lovro Zovko, 6-3 7-5