Rafandy

What a blockbuster final we have in Rotterdam! The organisers must be beside themselves with excitement/relief (unlike the organisers of Brisbane when their big gun, Novak Djokovic, got culled in the first round and their #2, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, got bundled out not long afterwards). It's going to be a very intriguing match, I think - it's Nadal/Murray, incidentally, which I should probably add before I start ranting on and on about it.

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The big matches recently have gone the way of Murray, I think you'd say - there was the semi at the US Open last year (imagine - if Nadal had won that match and gone on to beat Federer for the title he would have a career Grand Slam right now... a 'Rafa Slam,' actually!) and then more recently there was that big exo in Abu Dhabi where they both went at it guns blazing. But then you consider that Rafa's coming in off one of the biggest victories of his career... and seriously, at this point in time, you'd have to be a silly fool to beat against the Boss.

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Though the Rafandy match up interesting match up because of the psychology of it, particularly on Murray's side - I don't think Rafa is in Andy's head like he's in, say, Roger's. Andy has no doubts that he can take Rafa out, and he's willing to go for it. It's the sort of fearlessness that Novak Djokovic (spit spit) used to have, though I think he's lost it now. So it will be an interesting one (as I have said about forty times now). I'm not betting against Rafa, but I'm not counting Andy out.

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Work that one out.

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Something I am not impressed with is the final in Paris - we were all set to get Serena/Jankovic, which could have been awesome, and instead we're getting Dementieva/Mauresmo. Not that these ladies don't deserve it and not that it won't be a good match, but... please, Serena. Injured already?

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And I would like to give out a shoutout to Thomaz Bellucci, who just made it to his first career final in Costa do Sauipe. Nice to see the Stars shining!

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Today's Results

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ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (Rotterdam)

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Rafael Nadal def. Gael Monfils, 6-4 6-4

Andy Murray def. Mario Ancic, 6-1 6-2

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Brasil Open (Costa do Sauipe)

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Thomaz Bellucci def. Frederico Gil, 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4)

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SAP Open (San Jose)

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Mardy Fish def. James Blake, 6-3 6-2

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Open GDF SUEZ (Paris)

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Elena Dementieva def. Serena Williams, walkover

Amélie Mauresmo def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-2 0-6 6-1

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PTT Pattaya Open (Pattaya City)

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Vera Zvonareva def. Shahar Peer, 6-1 6-4

Sania Mirza def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-4 5-7 6-1