No Name Alert

Ha ha ha, I bet the organisers of Dubai are absolutely wringing their hands with despair. Not only is Andy Murray, one of their last great drawcards, out of the tournament, he's out with a walkover - so he didn't even play. Another great player promised, another not delivered. That's four huge names now out - Federer, Nadal, Murray and Roddick.

*

So can Djokovic carry the profile of the tournament? He's a pretty big name, but when you consider that we've had a Federer/Nadal final (aka. the ultimate final) in this tournament before and should have been on that track again this year, I'll bet the organisers are weeping silently into their dinner plates.

*

At least the other three guys left - Ferrer, Simon and Gasquet - are not total no names. If you had total randoms there, I'd bet there'd be a lot more weeping.

*

Speaking of no names, who is this Daniel Koellerer? And Leonardo Mayer? I've vaguely heard the names before, but I definitely couldn't put faces to them or tell you anything at all about them, but now they're both in the quarter-finals at Acapulco. I (probably unlike the organisers of Dubai) like a good no name here and there, so I'll keep a bit of an eye on them. I'm always looking for new inductees into my Stars fold - and Lord knows I need one this week. As far as I can tell, the last Star standing is Jeremy Chardy... and I'm going to stop right here, before I repeat every single thing I said about Ernests Gulbis yesterday.

*

Oh, actually, I lied. One more thing. Very nice to see Agnes Szavay doing well in Acapulco. I had her earmarked for success a while back, and then she seemed to disappear - she's in this tournament as a lucky loser, case in point. I'd like to see her realise her potential - and prove me right.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai)

*

Novak Djokovic def. Marin Cilic, 6-3 6-4

Richard Gasquet def. Andy Murray, walkover

Gilles Simon def. Fabrice Santoro, 7-6 (7-3) 6-1

David Ferrer def. Igor Andreev, 7-5 6-1

*

*

Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco)

*

Men's Draw

*

Gael Monfils def. Thomaz Bellucci, 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (5-7) 6-1

Tommy Robredo def. Kevin Kim, 6-2 6-0

Nicolas Almagro def. Potito Starace, 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

Jose Acasuso def. Juan Ignacio Chela, 7-5 6-3

Daniel Gimeno-Traver def. Albert Montanes, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5)

Martin Vassallo Arguello def. Marcel Granollers, 6-4 6-3

Leonardo Mayer def. Carlos Moya, 6-4 7-5

Daniel Koellerer def. Alberto Martin, 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7-4)

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Venus Williams def. Greta Arn, 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-4

Flavia Pennetta def. Pauline Parmentier, 6-1 6-3

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-4 7-5

Iveta Benesova def. Klara Zakopalova, 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3)

Maret Ani def. Gisela Dulko, 7-6 (8-6) 6-3

Petra Cetkovska def. María José Martínez Sánchez, 3-6 6-4 6-1

Agnes Szavay def. Roberta Vinci, 7-6 (7-1) 6-4

*

*

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (Delray Beach)

*

Mardy Fish def. Vince Spadea, 6-4 6-1