Pretty in Pink

I know I said I wouldn't do any more pink puns, but this is a special occasion.

And I don't want to get too crazy and too excited or anything, but OMFG Roger WON!

People can put as many caveats around this win as they want. Sure, he barely played the first two matches with all the retirements. Sure, he's not at his full power yet. Sure, he didn't play or Djokovic or Murray or Nadal or whomever you might want to name. Sure, he didn't hang the moon.

BUT HE WON.

And that is all that matters to me.

Sometimes it means more to me when Federer wins not playing his best tennis than when he does. People underestimate his fighting ability something severe, but he is made of stern stuff in amongst all that talent. And he can wear a pink shirt like nobody's business. He played some super stuff this week - maybe not GodFed stuff, but some really good stuff. But what he really showed was grit, and that is what will get him through the US Open. It has got him through the US Open time and time again, and memories seem curiously selective in this area...

But enough critiquing of the tennis media. Let's bask in the win. Because it is FREAKING AWESOME.

The Greatest Love of All

The tennis world has been bedazzled with the Roger/Rafa gigglefits video this week (RIP) and we were all hoping that we'd get to see that played out on the court as well. Unfortunately, this is not going to be the case - while Federer played sublimely in overcoming Davydenko, Nadal went out in three tight ones to Baghdatis - but I think we can still celebrate what a rad bromance we have at the top.

We hardly ever see Roger and Rafa play after Wimbledon - no matter how often the Grapple in the Apple or whatever gets billed, it never eventuates. That was one of the reasons why the possibility of the semi here was so tantalising - it's strange, pure and simple, and we like that. It would be incredibly interesting to see how they shape up against each other on American hardcourt, because we've just never seen it.

But when it comes down to it, we've seen everything we could ever want to see from Rafa and Roger this week.

The two guys at the top of our sport are friends. They're bros. They're comfortable laughing with each other, chilling out with each other, doing charity matches for each other and just generally being an awesome duo. That video showed just how cool they are not only as individuals, but with each other. As tennis moves on and moves forward and children move into the sport, I can't think of a better example. No one would fault these men for hating each other. Each would be a whole lot more successful without the other. And yet they genuinely like each other.

Sampras and Agassi would never have made this video. Neither would McEnroe and Lendl, or any of the great tennis rivalries you can think of. In Roger and Rafa, we have something very special. And even though they didn't get to play in Cincy this week, they both managed to win.

Please Do Not Feed the FeVer

Pretty standard results today. Roger won (well, in a retirement, but still). Rafa won. Muzz won. Novak won. Sod won. Nalbandian won. Even Roddick won.

But you know who didn't win? Fernando Verdasco. And considering his ranking, I am finding this problematic - because FeVer hasn't won so much in a long time.

The whole David Nalbandian being oh so very close to a US Open seed even though he hasn't even really played for, like, forever is a real sign of the huge jumps one can make in the rankings system by suddenly being awesome. You'd think that sucking hard over a long period of time would send you down the rankings. But look at Juan Martin del Potro - sure, he's still carrying Slam points, but he's been sitting in the top ten for ages. I don't think he's there any more, but he's been a-sitting there.

Weird.

So why hasn't FeVer plummetted? Because I seriously can't remember the last time he did something awesome.

And he lost to Mardy Fish as well. I know Fish is playing well at the moment, but at the end of the day, he's just not that great. FeVer is capable of playing spectacularly. We know this. We were there for AO '09. So what's up with him?

Drowning, Not Waving

Gilles Simon turned up in 2008 and was awesome for a while.

And then he went away for a bit. And despite a few moments when his head has bobbed above water, he's pretty much stayed away. Like today - losing to Mardy Fish. Gilles Simon is, for me, the epitome of meh.

When you consider the immense stable that is French tennis, with all that talent spewing out of them, you've got to wonder what happened with Gilles Simon. He is easily the least talented of the major French players, but he has overactualised on his potential time and again. He beat Federer twice. In a row. For a guy with nothing even beginning to resemble a weapon, that is pretty awesome.

But it was a long time ago. And now Gilles is drowning, not waving. And that's all I have to say about that.

Speaking of talent, David Nalbandian is back and chalking up the wins. He may have fallen apart a bit against a streaking Andy Murray last week, but he hasn't let it stop him in his stride, which I was a little concerned was going to happen. It was a tight first set against Ivan Ljubicic, but then Dave moved into the bakery and it was all over. Who would have ever thought we would ever seriously be talking about Nalbandian as a serious Slam contender once again, eight years after he made his first and only final?

Making Sense of Cincy

Well, here we are in Cincy. Incy wincy Cincy.

When I see we I obviously mean the men's tour - it is no secret that I find it more interesting than the ladies' tour right now - but let's talk Cincy last week, when the ladies played here. There were some totally interesting results that came out of that tournament that I forgot about in the haze of strawberry milkshakes and chocolate icecream.

Our winner was Kimmie, and it seems to me like she hasn't won anything for a while, so this is a good result for her, especially if she's looking to defend her title at the US Open - which I personally think would be awesome and, if she keeps playing like this, she has a great chance of doing. The final against Sharapova was definitely one of the better women's matches we've seen this year, and I would say that both ladies were in great shape heading towards New York...

...if Shaz hadn't gone and half-broken her foot.

Oh Maria. Will your injuries never cease?

Nonetheless, if the injury isn't too bad and if MaSha can recuperate in time, she has as good a chance as anyone to do well at the US Open, especially considering Serena might be entering on exactly zero matches (and may well still be wearing an orthopaedic boot.) And if Kimmie keeps her level up, I'm not going to gainsay her.

But the real mover and shaker for the ladies last week - in my opinion anyway - was Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. I wouldn't rate her as a shot at winning the Open or anything - I think Nastia has a way to go before she gets there - but she could definitely pull a Wickmayer and go very deep and pull some major upsets. She very nearly overcame MaSha and that is no mean feat. So yeah... keep an eye on that one!

Small Signs of Life

Ana Ivanovic won a match today.

I can barely remember a time when saying that was not out of the ordinary - a time when Ana Ivanovic was a regular feature in the second week of Slams, when she was in the final, hell, when she won freaking Slams. We talk a lot about people not actualising their potential and never winning a Slam when they totally have the potential too... perhaps we should be applauding Ana for getting there at all. When I can go on for this long about Ana winning a single match, well...

To be fair to her, she did beat Victoria Azarenka, which makes this victory a whole lot bigger. I thought Vika was playing a lot better of late - she made a final recently, did she not? - but maybe not. Or maybe she was tired, but I don't know if that really washes too well. I think it's very telling that Ivanovic not only beat Azarenka, she beat her after losing the first set. I'm not going to mention words like 'resurgence' - because it's still only one match - but that is nothing but a positive sign for Ivanovic.

Now. Back it up.

And Dinara Safina won a match today as well. In straights. She beat Roberta Vinci, who isn't exactly top ten but who definitely does not suck, so that is a really positive result. I'm just really hoping she didn't come back too soon, what with all her back problems. I'd be really sad if she screwed herself up again.

Oh, and quick follow up from yesterday - Jelena Dokic's epic fifteen match streak has come a little too late to catapult her into the main draw at the US Open, which is a real shame. However, I know Australia has a reciprocal wildcard arrangement with the USTA, and please please PLEASE Jelena deserves that wildcard. I know she's had a bunch of chances but PLEASE she deserves it. And just to prove it's fate, do you know what she's ranked now? #82. Exactly what Yen-hsun Lu and Tsvetana Pironkova were ranked when they made their runs at Wimbledon - and, I believe, what Andrey Golubev was ranked when he won his title and jumped into the top fifty. IT'S A SIGN.

Brave New World

We really had a great week of men's tennis last week - and come to think of it, the week before was pretty great too. We had the top eight in the semis in Montreal and the top four in the semis in Cincinatti, with arguably the two top contenders for the US Open crown, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, each bagging a title. Heading into the US Open next week, I think we can say that there is active excitement.

And then there's the women's game.

Meh.

I feel really bad saying that. I want to like women's tennis. I really do. And I've enjoyed women's tennis a lot in the past. But does anyone else get the feeling that the only reason people win tournaments at the moment is because everyone else loses first?

And then the Williams sisters, Serena especially, come out at Slams and blow everyone away. But then they barely even show up to anything else, which is totally lame. This is why Dinara Safina, Slamless as she is, is still ahead of Serena and Venus in the rankings. Because she is - sorry, Dinara, you know I love you, but at this moment it's true - better at not losing than everyone else on the whole.

I want to see struggles. I want to see blood and sweat and tears. I feel like the guy at the end of Brave New World, when he's all like, 'I want Shakespeare and pain and hope and...' a whole bunch of other stuff. There is nothing there in the women's game at the moment. If it were possible for no one to win a tournament, I reckon that would be going on right now. Because I cannot name a single player who has really stepped up to the plate.

This is why I would not be at all surprised if Kim Clijsters wins the US Open. Because she, at least, has got a little somethin' somethin' going on.

Ladies, I'm throwing down the challenge. I don't expect you to catch up to the menfolk immediately, not considering the golden age of men's tennis we're in at the moment, but at least bring something. Win matches, win tournaments, by winning, not by not losing till the end.

Play tennis.

It occurs to me that that actually sounds incredibly insulting. I don't intend it that way, nor do I wish to disrespect the amazing athleticism of the girls on tour. But something is missing - some drive, some determination, something - that is making the entire WTA tour suffer in this incredible torpor. I want vivacity. I want life. So bring it, ladies - and let's play ball!


Today's Results

Pilot Pen Tennis (New Haven)

Men's Draw

Taylor Dent def. Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3 6-4
Florent Serra def. Steve Darcis, 6-3 6-3
Paul Capdeville def. Jarkko Nieminen, 7-5 6-3
Janko Tipsarevic def. Fabio Fognini, 7-5 2-0 retired
Leonardo Mayer def. Denis Istomin, 6-2 6-4
Marc Gicquel def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-3 6-4
Simone Bolelli def. Christophe Rochus, 6-3 6-4
Potito Starace def. Mischa Zverev, 6-3 2-6 6-3
Pablo Cuevas def. Andrey Golubev, 6-3 6-4
Kevin Kim def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-4 5-7 6-3
Bjorn Phau def. Benjamin Becker, 2-6 6-2 6-3
Robert Kendrick def. Frederik Nielsen, 6-3 7-5
Frederico Gil def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-4 6-3
Yen-hsun Lu def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-2 6-2
Jose Acasuso def. Maximo Gonzalez, 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 6-2


Women's Draw

Anna Chakvetadze def. Nadia Petrova, 0-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4
Sybille Bammer def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 7-5 6-4
Alona Bondarenko def. Meghann Shaughnessy, 4-6 6-3 7-5
Agnieszka Radwanska def. Roberta Vinci, 2-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5)
Virginie Razzano def. Patty Schnyder, 6-3 3-6 6-3
Elena Vesnina def. Gisela Dulko, 7-6 (8-6) 6-2
Iveta Benesova def. Varvara Lepchenko, 4-6 6-2 6-1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Ekaterina Makarova, 6-3 6-3
Magdalena Rybarikova def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-4 6-4

A Truth Universally Acknowledged

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I like nothing better than to wake up to a Federer victory. And I was not proved wrong today. Victory is sweet.

Cincinatti is nothing compared to the titles Roger's scooped in the past couple of months - I imagine the trophy will get shoved to the back of the cabinet behind some Wimbledons or Australian Opens - but I think this was an important win nonetheless, because over the course of it, Roger beat two members of the Fantastic Four: that group he did not have to face a single member of en route to his Roland Garros title and his sixth Wimbledon.

The final against Djokovic today was one thing - I don't think Roger has had anywhere near the number of issues with Novak over the years as he has with the other two - but I think it is the semi against Murray that will be the telling match of this tournament. I would not be at all surprised to see a rematch of last year's US Open final this year, and I think going in with the knowledge that a) he beat Murray last year and b) he has a good, recent win under his belt will do wonders for him.

I think Roger's pretty determined not to let Murray achieve the kind of psychological advantage that Nadal has, and this is a pretty good way to do it. I really liked what I saw of him in that match - and he did the same thing against Djokovic as well. He came roaring out of the blocks and won the first set in a snap of his fingers, and then hung tough in the second set, the spot where he is traditionally most likely to falter. He did go down a break to Djokovic in that set today after a lapse of concentration, but then he picked it right back up quickly. He got into the Djokovic serve pretty heavily, and that was good.

The one nemesis he hasn't faced for a while is Nadal, but even there, he has the most recent win on the board (being Madrid). It would be very interesting to see a semi final match up between these two - that said, I'd rather a Murray/Nadal semi, just for my own peace of mind, and also because I think that would be a really interesting match. But anyone who rules Nadal out as a possibility in New York is fooling themselves. Personally, I think we're going to see Federer/Murray again and that Rafa hasn't quite found that level again - we're seeing Shmafa out on the court at the moment - but I would never rule him out. Not in a hundred years.


Today's Results

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

Roger Federer def. Novak Djokovic, 6-1 7-5


Rogers Cup

Elena Dementieva def. Maria Sharapova, 6-4 6-3

Forgetting to Lose

I think I can safely say that a lot of people the world round are surprised by the two blokes we have in the final of Cincinatti. I would venture to say that Murray/Nadal was the popular choice... but no, we will have Federer/Djokovic.

*

I can see why people pick Murray over Federer. I really can. It pains me to say it, but I can. The head to head record, particularly outside finals, is overwhelmingly in Murray's favour, and he just seems to be able to feed a lot of balls back to Federer which are a little bit... different, and oddly placed. Murray is a great tactician and he has a great mind for the game.

*

Reality is, though, that Federer is totally capable of wiping the floor with him, and when Federer does... you feel a bit sorry for Murray. Today's match wasn't a whitewash, but it certainly didn't go to a final set breaker. It seemed inevitable that Murray would win, what with the factors previously discussed, but Roger sort of forgot to let Andy get in his head today. It was a great match - and I think it's going to be very good for Roger going into the US Open.

*

Then the other match - I know Rafa's knees are not great right now, but I think this was a really big win for Djokovic. He hasn't played well since Rome and Madrid, really, where he played some absolutely marvellous matches... and the dude that stood in his way and prevented him from converting that into actual titles was, in every circumstance, Nadal. We all know I'm not a Djokovic fan, but I couldn't help feeling a little bit glad for the guy when he let out that primal scream... it might be a very telling victory for him, a very telling victory indeed.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Roger Federer def. Andy Murray, 6-2 7-6 (10-8)

Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal, 6-1 6-4

*

*

Rogers Cup (Toronto)

*

Elena Dementieva def. Serena Williams, 7-6 (7-2) 6-1

Maria Sharapova def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-2 4-6 6-4

Four on the Floor

Strange, isn't it, how some days you wake up and you're still, despite all your best efforts, in post-Wimbledon holiday mood and suddenly it's the semis of Cincinatti and the US Open draw is less than a week away. I've covered the vagaries of time and the US summer season before, but it never fails to amaze me.

Three of the top four blokes are set to battle it out in the Cincy semis, with Rafa being a set up over Berdych at the moment and looking as if he is set to join them. We had the top eight in the quarters last week - perhaps we can do the slightly less rare but nonetheless interesting top four in the semis. Because, despite the excellent tennis that's been going on over the last few months, we really haven't seen a top four scrambalicious showdown for many many months.

Rafa's been injured. Novak's been playing crap. Roger and Andy have been there - but even they haven't played for quite a long time now. It's been a long, long while since we've had a quality match up between any of these blokes. Like, look at last week in Montreal - all four of them were in the quarters, but only Murray reached the semis.

But we're definitely going to have at least three, and probably four of them in the Cincinatti semis, and I will be very, very interested to see who comes out on top, let me tell you - I don't think it'd be the definitive indicator of form going into the US Open, but it would certainly be a helpful sign. For myself, given Rafa's bad knees and lack of matchplay and the fact that Djokovic has been pretty much sucking of late, it has to be between Federer and Murray... and that match is, I think, dependent on Federer and how well he plays and how much or little he lets Murray into his head. He's had it over him in best-of-five, but Murray seems to have his number in best-of-three... a victory for either would be interesting psychologically, I feel.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?


Today's Results

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

Roger Federer def. Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3 6-4
Andy Murray def. Julien Benneteau, 4-6 6-3 6-1
Novak Djokovic def. Gilles Simon, 6-4 7-5


Rogers Cup (Toronto)

Elena Dementieva def. Samantha Stosur, 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-3
Serena Williams def. Lucie Safarova, 6-3 6-2

Nice Guy Finishing Last

You know who lost again in Cincinatti? James Blake. And you know who's surprised? Not me. Or anybody, I would venture.

I hate to whale on James Blake, because he really is a likeable guy, and his tennis, when he plays it, can be pretty fearsome. But I just don't know what's happened to him of late. He's been out for a bit, but even before that, he wasn't racking up the wins. So what's the go? Is he injured or what?

Blake isn't a player I expect to win allllll the time - he's solid top twenty, but he ain't no Federer or Nadal or Murray. Still, I expect him to win some of the time, and he can't even manage that at the moment. I can't remember the last time he didn't lose in the first round. It's a while. And it is such a freaking shame.

*

What's wrong with James, world? Is anything wrong with James? Or has he just fallen into one of those ruts that tennis players often do that precludes them from playing well for months at a time?

*

Whatever it is, I hope it's not injury. That dude's had his fair share and more of injuries. The tennis gods have not smiled on him during periods in the past - and they are clearly not smiling on him now. I'm not expecting anything from him for the rest of the season - not with this kind of lead up - but I'm hoping that we see him back next year, bigger and better than before, ready to kick some butt. Because I hate it when nice guys are down in the doldrums, and James is a nice guy.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Roger Federer def. Jose Acasuso, 6-3 7-5

Andy Murray def. Nicolas Almagro, 7-6 (7-3) 6-2

Novak Djokovic def. Ivan Ljubicic, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Chris Guccione def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6 (14-12) 6-2

Nikolay Davydenko def. Igor Kunitsyn, 6-2 1-6 6-3

Radek Stepanek def. Marat Safin, 4-6 6-3 6-1

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Mikhail Youzhny, 7-5 6-3

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (11-9) 6-4

Julien Benneteau def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-2 3-6 6-2

Tomas Berdych def. Philipp Petzschner, 7-6 (10-8) 6-7 (7-9) 6-4

Jeremy Chardy def. John Isner, 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 4-1 retired

*

*

Rogers Cup (Toronto)

*

Aravane Rezai def. Dinara Safina, 3-6 6-2 6-4

Alisa Kleybanova def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-4)

Kim Clijsters def. Victoria Azarenka, 7-5 4-6 6-1

Jelena Jankovic def. Patty Schnyder, 7-5 6-4

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Agnes Szavay, 6-1 6-1

Maria Sharapova def. Sybille Bammer, 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

Vera Zvonareva def. Roberta Vinci, 6-3 6-3

Virginie Razzano def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-3 6-1

Shahar Peer def. Francesca Schiavone, 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Elena Dementieva def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-3 6-2

Jie Zheng def. Caroline Wozniacki, 7-5 6-3

Alona Bondarenko def. Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-3 6-0

Something More

Wow. Marat Safin had a win. Over someone that doesn't completely suck.

*

Forgive me while I stumble and faint.

*

I mean, sure, Robby Ginepri isn't exactly a worldbeater, but still... I think it's so sad that Marat has lost his competitive edge - that he's still on court but he's effectively retired from the game. I was looking for a big run for him this US Open series - to see him go out with a bang. Looks like it might be more of a whimper instead. Maybe he's afraid he'll love the game too much to leave if he plays well - or maybe that's just a major overdramatisation and he just doesn't have it any more.

*

But that is so sad. Is this really going to be the last we see of Marat Safin... fading away in a totally forgettable manner, rather than going out with the fire and panache we're used to? Forgive me if I'm a little disappointed.

*

Look at me, criticising the Safinator when he just had a win. You go, Marat. Have another win. Have many wins. Give us something to remember - well, something more, anyway. I don't think Marat Safin will ever be forgotten.

*

On a completely different subject - I had a look at the rankings chart this morning, mostly to see how weird it looks to see a #3 next to Rafa's name - and I realised that I was totally right about del Potro and Roddick pulling away from the rest of the field. Forgive me while I indulge in some gratuitious self-congratulation. The one thing I can't work out is how Djokovic still has so many points on them - I think he's about two thousand ahead. Do the Masters Cup title and that good claycourt season he had really amount to so much more than what Roddick and, in particular, del Potro have done? Weird.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Gilles Simon def. Wayne Odesnik, 6-3 6-2

Ivo Karlovic def. Gael Monfils, 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2)

Marin Cilic def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3 6-4

Jeremy Chardy def. Tommy Robredo, 6-3 7-5

Radek Stepanek def. Viktor Troicki, 7-6 (7-2) 1-0 retired

Igor Andreev def. Nicolas Kiefer, 6-1 7-5

Benjamin Becker def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-3 6-3

Nicolas Almagro def. Dudi Sela, 6-4 1-0 retired

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Mischa Zverev, 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-3

Ivan Ljubicic def. Florent Serra, 4-6 6-3 6-4

David Ferrer def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 7-5 6-2

Jose Acasuso def. Lukasz Kubot, 6-4 6-3

Marat Safin def. Robby Ginepri, 7-5 7-6 (7-2)

*

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Maria Sharapova def. Nadia Petrova, 6-3 6-4

Alona Bondarenko def. Marion Bartoli, 6-4 6-3

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-3 6-3

Francesca Schiavone def. Amelie Mauresmo, 6-2 3-6 6-1

Samantha Stosur def. Heidi el Tabakh, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4)

Patty Schnyder def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2 6-1

Sybille Bammer def. Anna Chakvetadze, 3-6 6-4 6-2

Agnes Szavay def. Valerie Tetreault, 6-2 6-4

Aravane Rezai def. Alize Cornet, 6-4 7-5

Ai Sugiyama def. Iveta Benesova, 6-3 6-4

Roberta Vinci def. Stephanie Dubois, 6-1 6-2

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Yanina Wickmayer, 7-6 (7-4) 6-2

Those Who Have Made Djokovic Their Bunny

Oh, Mr Federer, I am cross with you, I am cross with you indeed. Letting a 5-1 lead in the third set slip? Not cool, man, not cool.

*

Though there are worse people in the world to lose to that Jo-W Tsonga. I believe he has a win over all the other Fantastic Four (including about 94 over Djokovic, who is totally his bunny) - I guess he needed to round out the set. There are worse losses in the world.

*

Though speaking of people who have made Djokovic their bitch, I am now officially pulling for Andy Roddick to win this tournament. He deserves a big win after Wimbledon - and I think it would be really good for him to do well here, to prove that Wimbledon was not one big fluke. He is playing the best tennis of his career at the moment - in my opinion anyway - and I would like to see him actualise that in the form of a big-arse win. Montreal would do nicely.

*

Though the favourite of the tournament now surely has to be Andy Murray, who has been cruising the whole way through. Rafa is technically the higher seed, but he is slugging it out with delPo as I write this, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if delPo nobbled him. The one real stumbling block for Murray will be, I think, Roddick - Wimbledon semi anyone?

*

Oh, and Kim Possible went out today - but it was to the world number #1, so you can't say she's starting at the bottom!

*

*

Today's Results

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Roger Federer, 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-6 (7-3)

Andy Murray def. Nikolay Davydenko, 6-2 6-4

Andy Roddick def. Novak Djokovic, 6-4 7-6 (7-4)

*

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open (Cincinatti)

*

Dinara Safina def. Kim Clijsters, 6-2 7-5

Flavia Pennetta def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3 6-3

Elena Dementieva def. Caroline Wozniacki, 6-2 6-3

Jelena Jankovic def. Sybille Bammer, 6-0 6-2

Kim Possible

Okay, what has Kim Clijsters been doing while she's been away?

*

This is incredible. This is beyond a comeback now - this is sheer brilliance. First she beat Bartoli. Then Schnyder. And now -Kuznetsova?

*

These are all serious quality players - like serious quality. And Clijsters is eating them for breakfast.

*

Well, 'eating for breakfast' might be a little bit of an exaggeration. It did go to three against Kuznetsova - but then it was 6-2 in the third. Kim is sailing, my friends, sailing!

*

And I don't want to put the hoodoo on it... but what if she won the tournament?

*

There. I said it.

*

Both Williams sisters are out, and so the competition is now, I think, significantly lessened. I think Kim has a good a chance at winning this as anyone. What I really hope is that this is not beginner's luck - some major fluke at the start of her comeback which raises everyone's expectations before it's back down to first and second round losses.

*

But if Kim keeps playing at this level, well...

*

Oh yeah - that other comeback. Rafa's doing well. More on him soon.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Roger Federer def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

Rafael Nadal def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3 6-2

Andy Murray def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-1 6-3

Novak Djokovic def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3 6-4

Andy Roddick def. Fernando Verdasco, 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 7-6 (7-5)

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Victor Hanescu, 3-6 6-3 6-4

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Gilles Simon, 6-3 6-3

Nikolay Davydenko def. Fernando Gonzalez, 7-6 (7-2) 7-5

*

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open (Cincinatti)

*

Sybille Bammer def. Serena Williams, 7-5 6-4

Flavia Pennetta def. Venus Williams, 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Elena Dementieva def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-4 6-4

Kim Clijsters def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4 4-6 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova def. Vera Zvonareva, 7-6 (8-6) 0-6 7-6 (7-5)

Caroline Wozniacki def. Melinda Czink, 3-0 retired

Return of the Kim

She's ba-ack!

*

That's right - blonde and bouncy, with entourage and baby Jada in tow, splitstastic Kim Clijsters is back from retirement and she's back with a win!

*

And it was not a bad win at all, mark my words - I just went on and on yesterday about Marion Bartoli is not at the top of the game whatever anyone might say, but hello? she won a major tennis tournament a week ago! Like, a big one! Where she beat Venus Williams! And now Kimmy's gone and climbed all over her!

*

I like Kim Clijsters. I'm not going to deny it. Sure, she's probably not my favourite player to watch in the world - I wince every time she does the splits - but she's somehow compelling. And I get the sense that she's brought a little somethin' somethin' back with her from the land of retirement and responsible parenthood - joy.

*

We saw Justine Henin collapse when she lost it. Kimmy left the game because, presumably, she didn't like it so much any more. Looks like she didn't realise quite how much she'd miss it, because here she is on the comeback trail, and she's back beating the creme. Tennis was routine, all she had ever known before. Now she's tried something different, but tennis still takes the cake. If you love something, let it go, and if it comes back it's yours - that's how you know - and Kimmy's come back to tennis and tennis has come back to Kimmy.

*

Welcome back, Kimmy. May your smile ever be radiant, your serve ever powerful and your splits as splitstastic as ever!

*

*

Today's Results
*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Andy Murray def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-4 6-2

Nikolay Davydenko def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2)

Fernando Verdasco def. Feliciano Lopez, 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-1

Tommy Robredo def. Alex Bogomolov Jr., 6-4 6-2

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Lleyton Hewitt, 6-1 6-4

Victor Hanescu def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-4 6-3

John Isner def. Jesse Levine, 6-3 6-4

Andrey Golubev def. Radek Stepanek, 6-3 6-4

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (9-11) 6-4

*

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open (Cincinatti)

*

Dinara Safina def. Roberta Vinci, 2-6 7-5 6-4

Alona Bondarenko def. Nadia Petrova, 6-2 6-3

Flavia Pennetta def. Ayumi Morita, 6-2 6-3

Peng Shuai def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2 6-1

Sorana Cirstea def. Meghann Shaughnessy, 7-5 7-5

Daniela Hantuchova def. Sara Errani, 3-6 6-3 6-1

Agnes Szavay def. Urszula Radwanska, 7-5 7-5

Alisa Kleybanova def. Aravane Rezai, 6-3 6-3

Yanina Wickmayer def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-3 6-4

Maria Kirilenko def. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-4 6-1

Truth, Justice & A Really Big Trophy

I never thought I'd be glad to see Andy Murray win anything, but I was very glad to see him win the title at Cincinatti. Pretty much the only person I dislike more than him is Novak Djokovic, and guess who he was playing...? To be fair, though, Andy isn't as rubbish as he used to be - personality wise, I mean. He was never a rubbish tennis player! But he used to be an arrogant little bastard. He still is, but less so. I hope he continues improving.

*

Actually, does this mean he's leading the US Open series now? It'd either be him or Rafa - I think they both made a semi and won a title. Maybe they're even. If it is Murray, who would have picked that? Maybe he's going to be one to watch out for at the US Open - and is he playing at the Olympics? Though I don't know if playing a full week of tennis in Cincinatti is really conducive to excellent Olympic performance - in which case I totally revise my position. This was the ideal final. Clearly.

*

Ahem.

*

Meanwhile, men's tennis may be a little black for me at the moment, but how 'bout that Dinara Safina? This is her second Tier I tournament victory this year, and that is really something else - her second tournament on the trot as well, after she won the Tier II in LA last week. She is really taking care of business like a real pro. She is looking so dangerous - and surely she must be close to qualifying for Doha? Actually, let me check... she's in sixth spot, but I don't know if it's been updated to take into account this victory yet. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would be her first year-ending championships... wouldn't it be great if she won it?

*

Ivanovic and Jankovic are the only players to have qualified at this point - hey, I wonder if that means that Sharapova won't qualify? That injury means that she's out for the Olympics and the US Open. If she doesn't play for that long... she might not make the cut. Depends how well everyone else plays, I guess. There are some girls just outside the top eight who would love a spot... Agnieszka Radwanska, for example. Though I am not impressed with A-Rad at the moment, what with playing that Tier IV instead of the Tier I. And she didn't even win. Why would you do that? What is the rationale there?

*

Oh, I don't know. And can I just say I really like the campaign the WTA has to promote Doha? 'They're fighting for truth, justice and a really big trophy.' I'm not sure why, but it just really appeals to me.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Andy Murray def. Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5)

*

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Dinara Safina def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2 6-1

*

*

Nordea Nordic Light Open (Stockholm)

*

Caroline Wozniacki def. Vera Dushevina, 6-0 6-2

Caroline Wozniacki def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 6-1

Vera Dushevina def. Katarina Srebotnik, 6-1 6-2

Game Over, Game On

Honestly, Rafael Nadal, I don't know what to do with you. You win when I want you to lose, and then you lose when I want you to win. I feel a bit betrayed. Of all the people to lose to, did it have to be Novak Djokovic?

*

What I'm now faced with is a final between two of my most disliked players on the circuit, including the #1 on that list, and with Rafa certain to become #1 in the world. Could things really get much blacker for me?

*

No, not really. And so the only way is up. The victory over Lapentti yesterday meant that Rafa will become #1 sometime in the next few weeks - I think after the Olympics, no matter how he and Roger perform there. That means that the glorious reign of Federer comes to an end after 237 weeks. Not a bad run. No one else has ever done better. And perhaps, in order to appreciate this streak, it had to come to an end.

*

And it might just a herald a renaissance. This is 1996, and Federer, like Sampras, is a champion. The first Golden Age of Roger Federer is coming to an end. The second might just be about to begin.

*

And how is this for a symbolic turning point? On the 8th of August, 2008, his 27th birthday, Roger Federer will carry the Swiss flag in the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic. He might lose the #1 spot, but I think an Olympic gold medal would alleviate the pain of that considerably. And hey, he can always get it back. How about a US Open victory? That'd be nice. And the Masters Cup. For so long, Roger has been maintaining. Now he'll be chasing, hunting - and if that doesn't put some fire in his veins, I don't know what will.

*

Watch out, Rafa. Roger's coming home, and he ain't pleased. This is not game over. This is game on.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal, 6-1 7-5

Andy Murray def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-4 6-4

*

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Dinara Safina def. Victoria Azarenka, 6-0 2-6 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova def. Marion Bartoli, 4-6 6-4 6-3

*

*

PS. Go Dinara!

Not Exactly Well-Wishing

Well, all joy has pretty much gone out of Cincy for me. I haven't checked my bracket, but I must be, oh, I don't know, last. The semi finalists are Djokovic, Murray, Karlovic and probably Rafa - he's just about to begin his match against Nicolas Lapentti, but I don't see Lapentti stopping him, somehow. The commentators at Wimbledon used 'relentless' as a buzzword when talking about Rafa, and they were damn right. If Rafa wins this one, he will not only become #1, but it will be his sixth tournament on the trot. Now that is just crazy talk.

*

Speaking of people trying to become #1, Jelena Jankovic had another chance to take the ranking this week when Ivanovic lost early in Montreal, and has screwed it up again. I don't know if it's choking or if she's injured again, but seriously, Roger Federer ain't the only one who needs to get his head in the game. She lost to Dominika Cibulkova. And that's just not right.

*

Though I suppose I can hope that if one #2 doesn't overtake the #1, the same will be true for the other... but no. Am not wishing ill on Rafa Nadal. Deserving #1. Deserving #1.

*

Now if it were Djokovic that were making a charge, I would totally have my voodoo doll out. But not for Rafa. He's good. And he deserves this... even though I can't help wishing he doesn't get it.

*

At least things are still looking good for me in women's tennis! Dinara Safina is still alive in Montreal, and looking sharp. Her quarter final starts in about twenty minutes, and you can bet I'll be following that instead of the Rafa match. I may not wish ill on Rafa, but it doesn't mean I can bear to watch, either.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Ivo Karlovic def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-3)

Andy Murray def. Carlos Moya, 2-6 6-3 6-1

Novak Djokovic def. Ernests Gulbis, 6-3 6-4

*

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Marion Bartoli def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-2 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova def. Jelena Jankovic, 7-5 6-2

*

*

Nordea Nordic Light Open (Stockholm)

*

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Camille Pin, 6-2 1-0 retired

Katarina Srebotnik def. Virginia Ruano Pascual, 6-2 6-0

Caroline Wozniacki def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-1 6-3

Vera Dushevina def. Iveta Benesova, 6-3 6-3

Snap Out Of It

Oh dear. I am not happy. I am not happy AT ALL.
*
Roger Federer, get your head in the game. I know you lost at Wimbledon and that was bad - but that's in the past now. This is NOW.
*
It's rare that I ever speak harshly of Roger, but this is not normal. This is just not good. He never makes excuses for himself, and I need to stop making them for him. Because this is just not good enough right now.
*
What will it take to get you back on track, Roger? I have no doubt that you will get back on track, because that is the kind of man you are. But I am not ready for you not to be #1 just yet. But that's out of your hands now. It's in Rafa's. And let's face it - the last few months have been in Rafa's hands.
*
This may work out well in the long run, with some added rest in the leadup to the Olympics and the US Open, but that does not make it good.
*
And look, no one can say that Rafa does not deserve to be #1 at this point. He has been the best player of the last few months, undoubtedly. And it would be very sad for him to have such a distinguished career and not have a little run at #1. Even Sampras only managed 286 weeks at the top, and that was not consecutive. No one has even come close to Roger's run of 235 - and no one will come close to it for a long time.
*
But I am just not ready for it to be over just yet. I know Roger can get it back. I know he probably will. But I don't want him to have to.
*
But I refuse to wish ill on Rafa Nadal. Because he has deserved what he has done. And he is, at this point, playing better than anyone else in the world.
*
*
Today's Results
*
Western and Southern Financial Group Masters
*
Ivo Karlovic def. Roger Federer, 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 7-6 (7-5)

Rafael Nadal def. Tommy Haas, 6-4 7-6 (7-0)

Novak Djokovic def. Andreas Seppi, 6-1 6-2

Ernests Gulbis def. James Blake, 6-4 1-6 6-3

Andy Murray def. Dmitry Tursunov, 6-3 6-3

Nicolas Lapentti def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-3 7-5

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Robin Soderling, 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 7-6 (12-10)

Carlos Moya def. Igor Andreev, 6-4 7-6 (7-2)

Carlos Moya def. Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6 (10-8) 4-6 6-2

Rafael Nadal def. Florent Serra, 6-0 6-1

*

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Tamira Paszek def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-2 1-6 6-2

Jelena Jankovic def. Stéphanie Dubois, 6-3 6-2

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Michelle Larcher de Brito, 7-5 2-6 6-4

Marion Bartoli def. Anna Chakvetadze, 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4)

Dinara Safina def. Patty Schnyder, 6-2 6-2

Victoria Azarenka def. Virginie Razzano, 7-6 (7-4) 2-0 retired

Dominika Cibulkova def. Nadia Petrova, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2

*

*

Nordea Nordic Light Open (Stockholm)

*

Caroline Wozniacki def. Emma Laine, 6-1 6-0

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-1 6-0

Iveta Benesova def. Sania Mirza, 4-6 6-3 6-3

Camille Pin def. Johanna Larsson, 6-3 6-2

Virginia Ruano Pascual def. Maria Elena Camerin, 6-3 6-2

Flying the Gulbis Flag

Well, Arnaud Clement, who somehow accidentally became my pick for the final due to Stan withdrawing and me not realising, has lost. Surprise, surprise. So looks like I won't be winning the bracket challenge this time. I'm still doing pretty well, though - 139th out of 11,000 odd. Go me.

*

Of course, the boy Arnaud lost to is one of my favourite Stars of the Future, Ernests Gulbis. I was flying my Cilic flag all last week, but Ernests is getting raised up the Stars flagpole this week, I think. It was a tight match - third set tiebreaker - but Clement is a wily old fox and I'm very proud of Ernests for winning. Even if my bracket is now dead in the water.

*

Ernests will meet the winner of the Blake/Simon match... which has been played, and is Blake. So the Simon Streak (tm) has faded away a bit. That should be an interesting match... actually, didn't Gulbis beat Blake at the French Open? That's over five sets, which makes it a bit different, but if the kid can do it once...

*

Another player who has been impressive lately is Mr Maria Kirilenko, Igor Andreev. He beat John Isner today - and with the Isner serve, that's not exactly a cakewalk. Andreev has made, what, two finals in the recent future? My bracket has him reaching the semis, and though I got the other half of the draw wrong - Wawrinka/Cilic, which somehow became Clement/Cilic without me noticing - I could get this one right, because I picked Federer/Andreev, and that's a real possibility. Igor will play the winner of Davydenko/Moya, which you'd probably guess would be Davydenko... but Kolya hasn't been that great lately. If Carlos can't take him, I bet Igor will.

*

Meanwhile, Dmitry Tursunov just put a major beatdown on Richard Gasquet. The first set was tight - a breaker, in fact - but the second set was a bagel blowout. I guess Richou will have to go back to whimpering under the bed... for the duration of the whole Olympics, because he's too cool to go.

*

And what is with Gael Monfils retiring? Does he ever play even half of the tournaments he enters? Blink and you miss him, but not because he loses - because he freaking retires. I hate that. Do you know how many times Roger Federer has retired in his career on the ATP circuit? Zero. Not once. That is because he is an EXCELLENT SPORT.

*

Speaking of people that retire all the time, Djokovic won his match in two breakers. Ugh.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

*

Igor Andreev def. Radek Stepanek, 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3)

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Woong-Sun Jun, 6-2 6-2

Novak Djokovic def. Simone Bolelli, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-2)

Nicolas Lapentti def. David Ferrer, 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-3

James Blake def. Gilles Simon, 6-4 6-3

Andy Murray def. Sam Querrey, 7-6 (7-3) 6-1

Ernests Gulbis def. Arnaud Clement, 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-5)

Tommy Haas def. Gael Monfils, 5-1 retired

Andreas Seppi def. Tomas Berdych, 5-7 7-5 7-5

Igor Andreev def. John Isner, 3-6 7-6 (10-8) 7-5

Dmitry Tursunov def. Richard Gasquet, 7-6 (10-8) 6-0

Fernando Verdasco def. Chris Guccione, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4)

*

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Ana Ivanovic def. Petra Kvitova, 6-3 4-6 6-3

Anna Chakvetadze def. Jill Craybas, 6-2 7-5

Dinara Safina def. Anastasia Rodionova, 6-2 6-4

Patty Schnyder def. Monica Niculescu, 6-1 7-5

Marion Bartoli def. Alisa Kleybanova, walkover

Victoria Azarenka def. Sybille Bammer, 6-2 6-2

Nadia Petrova def. Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-3 6-2

Stéphanie Dubois def. Maria Kirilenko, 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-4)

Michelle Larcher de Brito def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-3 0-6 6-3

Ai Sugiyama def. Shahar Peer, 6-2 6-2

Tamira Paszek def. Melinda Czink, 6-4 7-5

*

*

Nordea Nordic Light Open (Stockholm)

*

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Mariya Koryttseva, 6-1 6-1

Vera Dushevina def. Agnes Szavay, 6-4 7-6 (8-6)

Katarina Srebotnik def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-3 6-4

Sania Mirza def. Emilie Loit, 6-3 6-2