The Stan Show

What’s the first thing I see when I get up this morning on quality Australian breakfast television? Mel Doyle’s irritatingly chirpy face and the news that Roger Federer is out of Dubai and the first round of the Davis Cup with a persistent back injury. I nearly cried.
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I bet half of Switzerland is crying now too, because you’ve got to think that the likelihood of them winning that tie is pretty small now. It’s all on the shoulders of Stan Wawrinka – who is very capable and who can definitely do it, but he ain’t no Roger. He’s a lifelong second banana. So he’s going to have to beat a bit of Roddick, a bit of Blake, whomever else the US throw at him… and probably play doubles, one would assume. It’s going to be the Stan Show, if Switzerland is to pull this one out.
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This back injury forced Roger out of Paris, but I had no idea it was still hanging around. I think there’s a valuable lesson to one Novak Djokovic in there. Federer was injured and NO ONE EVER KNEW ABOUT IT. Not a thing. Not one thing.
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But it’s just so sad… still, it’ll be good to have him fully fit and comfortable.
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In actual tennis overnight, a win for my man Ernests Gulbis! He took out Taylor Dent, which was sweeeeeet.

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Regions Morgan Keenan Championships (Memphis)
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Men’s Draw
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Florent Serra def. Robin Soderling, 6-4 6-7 (1-7) 6-2

Ernests Gulbis def. Taylor Dent, 6-4 3-6 6-2

Marcos Baghdatis def. Kei Nishikori, 7-5 6-3

Christophe Rochus def. Donald Young, 6-4 6-3
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Women’s Draw
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Victoria Azarenka def. Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro, 6-2 6-2

Marina Erakovic def. Melanie Oudin, 4-6 6-2 6-3

Michaella Krajicek def. Kristina Barrois, 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-0)

Severine Brémond def. Kirsten Flipkens, 6-4 6-0

Stéphanie Foretz def. Melinda Czink, 6-2 4-6 6-2

Chanelle Scheepers def. Lucie Hradecka, 6-1 5-7 7-6 (7-5)
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Copa Telmex (Buenos Aires)
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Oscar Hernandez def. Nicolas Almagro, 6-2 1-6 6-3

Tommy Robredo def. Potito Starace, 5-7 6-3 6-3

Carlos Moya def. Maximo Gonzalez, 6-4 6-4

Jose Acasuso def. Daniel Munoz-De La Nava, 6-2 7-6 (7-4)

Martin Vassallo Arguello def. Albert Montanes, 6-2 6-3

Marcel Granollers def. Thomaz Bellucci, 7-5 7-5

Pablo Cuevas def. Eduardo Schwank, 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-0

Juan Monaco def. Sergio Roitman, 6-0 6-0

Fabio Fognini def. Pablo Andujar, 6-3 6-2

Diego Junqueira def. Nicolas Massu, 3-6 6-4 6-4

Franco Ferreiro def. Ivan Navarro, 1-6 6-4 6-2
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Open 13 (Marseille)
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Gilles Simon def. Grigor Dimitrov, 4-6 6-3 7-5

Arnaud Clement def. Marat Safin, 4-6 6-3 6-2

Rainer Schuettler def. Laurent Recouderc, 6-1 6-4

Mischa Zverev def. Illya Marchenko, 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4

Andreas Seppi def. Jerzy Janowicz, 7-6-(7-5) 5-7 7-6 (7-3)

Simone Bolelli def. Richard Bloomfield, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-1)

Julien Benneteau def. Fabrice Santoro, 4-6 6-4 6-2
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Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai)
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Serena Williams def. Sara Errani, 4-6 6-2 6-0

Virginie Razzano def. Dinara Safina, 6-4 6-2

Jelena Jankovic def. Monica Niculescu, 6-3 6-2

Elena Dementieva def. Sybille Bammer, 7-5 6-2

Vera Zvonareva def. Vera Dushevina, 6-0 6-3

Venus Williams def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-0 6-1

Alizé Cornet def. Julia Schruff, 6-1 6-2

Marion Bartoli def. Francesca Schiavone, 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova def. Tsvetana Pironkova, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Zheng Jie def. Samantha Stosur, 3-6 7-5 7-5

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-2 7-5

Kaia Kanepi def. Sania Mirza, 7-5 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova def. Ayumi Morita, 7-6 (7-1) 6-2

Camille Pin def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 2-0 retired
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Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas (Bogota)
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Masa Zec Peskiric def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-4)

Carla Suárez Navarro def. Johanna Larsson, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Gisela Dulko def. Tamaryn Hendler, 6-2 6-4

Nuria Llagostera Vives def. Olga Savchuk, 6-2 6-0

Mathilde Johansson def. Catalina Castaño, 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4

María José Martínez Sánchez def. Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-1 6-3

Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Lourdes Domínguez Lino, 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-3)

Rossana de los Ríos def. Olivia Sanchez, 4-6 6-0 6-1

Patricia Mayr def. Tzipora Obziler, 6-2 6-3

Maret Ani def. María Emilia Salerni, 5-7 6-2 7-5

Betina Jozami def. Mariana Duque Marino, 5-7 6-0 6-1

Katalin Marosi def. Greta Arn, 7-5 3-6 7-5

Arantxa Parra Santonja def. Viky Nuñez Fuentes, 6-2 6-1