Double Damage

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand... we're back beyond the baseline! Jodi is back behind her computer, Indian Wells is a-going on and there is lots to see and do. Let us get started. No further ado. Except to say a quick congrats to Amer Delic for winning the Sarajevo Challenger. Even if he did beat my beloved Nicolas Mahut, he is a feelgood winner and no mistake.

Indian Wells has it all going on in singles, but it really has it going on in doubles. If I'm a regular doubles player - a Nestor or a Bryan or a Zimonjic or someone like that - I'm not liking Indian Wells too much at all, because all these singles dudes have turned up (nine of the top ten, in fact) and they're winning. Lots of people talk about how doubles shouldn't be considered singles' wussy little sibling, but when singles players can do this kind of damage...

...okay, not opening that can of worms. We still have Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray active in doubles, not to mention Melzer and Petzschner (awesome singles players and Wimbledon champs), Benneteau and Gasquet (talented Frenchies), Dolgopolov and Malisse (who knows what could happen?) and, oh yeah, the Bryans. This doubles draw is literally anyone's game - unless you happen to be a seeded doubles team, like Nestor and Mirnyi or Fyrstenberg and Matkowski. Then you are pretty much shit out of luck.

If a duo like the Bryans or Paes and Bhupathi (or even the Indo-Pak Express) can come through and win this one, I will be a) very surprised, but mostly b) really, really impressed, because this has got to be one of the best damn doubles draws of all time. It's literally unpickable. The one pick I'm going to make is that no one will do double duty and win both singles and doubles. The draws here are too deep and tough for that. (Watch me be proven wrong. Hopefully by Federer, but probably by Djokovic. Unappetising idea.)

Of course, if Andy Murray doesn't do well in doubles, then we could have a worse collapse than last year on our hands. We might already - losing to Donald Young in singles? Andy, dude. I don't like you, but Donald Young? Doubles could be a great morale booster, and having his doubles-experienced (and Slam-winning) brother by his side should be an asset - but in a doubles draw like this, who knows what could happen?

With the exception of Murray - and Ferrer, if we're going that deep - we're still on track for a highly-seeded set of later rounds in the singles. I have Nadal winning in my bracket, and I'm really interested to see if he can make it happen - of course, I would love to be wrong and see R-Fed pull out the victory, but I have a Rafa-type feeling on this one. If he's fully fit, then I like Rafa to beat just about anyone. This is obviously a very contentious claim, on account of how he is #1 in the world. But we shall see, we shall see.

Let's just put it this way - I would be very, very surprised if we saw someone like Ivan Ljubicic win this year. It just doesn't feel like that kind of year. Indian Wells this year feels oddly... significant. I don't know, maybe I'm just making that up. But it feels weighty, it feels meaningful, and the results from here and Miami could really (unlike last year) set the tone for the next few months.

The Way To My Heart Is Through Stupid Trick Shots

I've been adopting quite a few players from the satellite circuit as Favourites Beyond The Baseline lately. Challenger tennis is fun times. And sometimes these dudes go and play on the big stages. And sometimes, even when they lose, they are a little bit excellent.

I am talking, of course, about Benoit Paire. He ate a bagel in the first set against Ljubicic in Rotterdam today, and then he went down in the second pretty tamely too. It happens. Paire is young and Ljubicic is a class player.

But two points from defeat, he played a shot that made me love him forever.

It wasn't a sensible shot. He didn't even win the point. But come on, how am I not going to love who plays a dropshot from between his legs jumping a metre in the air while in a dead sprint?

It's just silly. And that's why I love it. I like a bit of silly in my tennis sometimes. And while I wouldn't have liked the shot if he didn't make it, he did make it. Sure, he got beaten the very next shot, but maybe if he hadn't fallen over...

Benoit Paire, you are going to have a little bit of love from me forever now. I love a man who can play a tweener.

Benoit Paire first came to my attention when he got the reciprocal wildcard from the French Federation into the Australian Open. I was angry because a) Mahut should have got it and b) I'd never heard of Paire, which meant Mahut should have got it even more. And while I still think Mahut deserved a goddamn wildcard, Paire was not a bad choice. He is young and talented and full of promise and he played a dropshot tweener from a metre in the air on the full stretch.

Benoit, there'll always be a line or two for you here beyond the baseline. You might not get Mahut-level coverage, but there's always going to be a little space for you. Because I think you're awesome.

Oh, and I saw him play in the first round of the Australian Open and I was all, like, impressed and stuff. You can go back and read the blog entry if you like. It is totally true. It isn't just because he played a stupid trick shot and I'm easily impressed by showy low percentage tennis.

...though yeah, that is a big part of it.

Missing Ivan Dodig

Here is a list of facts I know about Ivan Dodig:

1) He is from Croatia.
2) His first name is Ivan.
3) His surname is... wait for it, drumroll please... Dodig.
4) He is humanoid. (Probably. I assume.)
5) He plays tennis.
6) He is pretty good at playing tennis. (I think.)

Seriously, had anyone heard of Ivan Dodig before this year? I have totally never heard of him. The first time he popped into my frame of vision was at the Australian Open this year when he played that epic late night match against Karlovic. I could have stopped by and seen a little bit - I was in Rod Laver Arena that night - the night that Djokovic beat Granollers - and that session finished before this outside court epic.

But I didn't stop by. Me and Ivan Dodig missed each other again.

Dodig lost in the second round of the Australian Open (there is another fact I can add to my list!) which seems pretty unremarkable, until you consider who he lost to. You might have heard of him. His name is Novak Djokovic and he's been doing pretty okay recently.

So okay, in fact, that he only dropped one set in the whole tournament. He played a bunch of awesome guys - Federer, Murray, Berdych. But that one set he lost to was to some guy named Ivan Dodig. Of whom I had never heard.

I didn't see the match. I missed Ivan Dodig. Of course.

But clearly his set-winning was a sign, because Ivan Dodig, of whom I have never heard, just went and won himself a title at Zagreb. He's also got a pretty good 2011 record - he's won seven matches and lost twice, or so the ATP website tells me. And those two losses came to Djokovic at the Australian Open and Berdych in Chennai, so he's not exactly losing to Mickey Mouse opponents here. Ivan Dodig - whoever he is - has very suddenly made the big time.

Zagreb had a couple of local hopes in there who were real chances at the title. Marin Cilic was one. Ivan Ljubicic was another. If either of these dudes had taken out the title, then it wouldn't have been surprising. But this Dodig guy? He's the homegrown hero that no one expected. Because as far as I can tell, he just popped into existence this year.

I wish I could say something more meaningful about him, but you've seen all I know about him in my awesome List of Ivan Dodig Facts. (To which I can add this, courtesy of the ATP website - he is coached by a dude called Martin Stepanek. Any relation, do you think?) What it really proves - once again - is the depth of the field. I think I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to, you know, knowing tennis players exist and stuff. Put me in front of a Challenger draw and I'll recognise a bunch of the names. But before this year, Ivan Dodig wouldn't have been one of them. And now he's gone and won not a Challenger title, but a full tour title.

That is a major-ass achievement. There is a whole ton of tennis players out there - very successful ones - who have never won a title. Never come close. Look at Janko Tipsarevic, for example. We all know who he is, but he's never won a title. Same with Potito Starace. Rendy Lu. But this Dodig dude has. He's smashed through the wall that these dudes never have.

And all I can tell you about him is that he is humanoid (probably). Tennis can always surprise you.

Life On Show Court 2

Today was my last day at the Australian Open - sadface. I finished it off with wonderful drinks with Dootsiez and PJ from All I Need Is A Picket Fence, which was the perfect way to end what has been a wonderful tournament for me. I have had the time of my life, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be back for 2012 - for even longer, if I can possibly afford it!

I spent a great part of my day on Show Court 2 today - first for Almagro vs Ljubicic and then for Azarenka vs Scheepers. Herein is my report.

Almagro was playing as well as I have ever seen him on a hard court. We all know that he is the Prince of Clay, but he was absolutely on fire today against Ljubicic. If you'd asked me to place a bet before the match, I would have said Ljubicic in straights. Instead, it turned out being the other way round.

I never realised Almgaro had such massive shots - he can hit the ball HARD. I think the only person I've seen hit the ball that (noticeably) hard is Soderling. And maybe Nadal. Seriously, his strokes were MASSIVE today. He has a real flair for the passing shot and the angled forehand. And he played a totally fierce second set tiebreak. That tiebreak was the real key point in the match, and it was Almagro who held tough. I was very impressed. I totally understand how he gave Tsonga such a good run for his money last year! Actually, Almagro has a pretty decent record in Australia, and I totally get why.

Ljubicic, on the other hand, was doing something weird with his shots. I don't know if I was influenced by his grunt, which made him sound extremely like he was in pain, but he seemed to be collapsing inwards on a lot of his shots - sort of curling up, which seemed to be really hampering his movement. I don't know if I've missed, like, his entire career, and he's always played like this, but I felt very much like he was playing through big pain. I was kind of glad Almagro put him out of his misery, to tell the truth.

And then it was time for the ladies. This was the first full ladies' match I have watched outside of Rod Laver Arena, and it was suitably compelling, even if the scoreline did not suggest it.

I have not been a big fan of Azarenka in the past. I don't know if I have changed my opinion, but I was pretty impressed with her today. Scheepers possesses some big shots - like, BIG. She can hit winners like nobody's business and she has a lot of power. But Vika didn't panic and deflected all that power straight back at her. It was great tennis from Vika, combined with a bit of inexperience from her opponent, which won her this match. And in a women's draw more wide open than ever, why shouldn't it be time for Vika to make a charge?

And then it was time for Federer. I didn't have Rod Laver Arena tickets, but I watched on the big screen in Grand Slam Oval. And had twenty minor heart attacks, even though Federer was in front virtually the whole time.

Federer played this whole match like he'd left the oven on - distracted and wanting to get off as soon as possible. He managed the latter, but it was a strange, nervy match. He oscillated between extreme brilliance and Federror, his evil shadow-self. And then there was his strange obsession with the drop shot...

But he'll be right. He's Federer. And that is the truth of the matter.

I'm watched the Rod Laver Arena night session as I write this. Stan Wawrinka has just put paid to an awful Gael Monfils. Seriously, could Monfils have played any worse in this match? He possibly has the worst mentality in tennis. I came to this conclusion after watching him tank the third set against Gil the other night, and it was only reinforced tonight.

We've watched Federer and Nadal. We know that tennis champions have minds of steel. Monfils demonstrated tonight that he does not have one. He fell apart, totally and completely. He might have the talent, he might even have the game, but unless he works on what he has upstairs, he's not going anywhere.

In short, it is time for Gael Monfils and Roger Rasheed to BREAK UP. Rasheed is infecting him with douchiness.

Stan, on the other hand, played wonderfully. He may be a little douchey in his personal life - I cast no stones, I said 'may' - but his backhand is a freaking work of art. That thing is gorgeous.

And then the second Rod Laver Arena match... poor Venus. That poor girl. Poor scheduling decision, considering her injured-ness, but oh my goodness. That girl was HURTING. Get well soon, Lady V!

The New Ivan

A 5-0 loss, Switzerland? Really? Really?!

We are SO not speaking.

But Serbia! How about you?! Novak Djokovic, you done good, but how about you, Janko Tipsarevic? You are a freaking HERO.

This is going to be a really interesting final. France have the talent to beat just about any squad in the world - scratch that, France can beat anyone if they play well. They have amazing depth and an ability to substitute quality players that only Spain can really come close to matching. I mean, look at the talent in their stable - Monfils, Gasquet, Tsonga, Llodra, Benneteau, Clement... and that's just off the top of my head. Those Frenchies can play.

But the highest ranked player in that tie is going to be Novak Djokovic, and unless Tsonga is back and playing awesomely, I don't see him getting beaten in either singles rubber. And Janko Tipsarevic, well... if he can beat Tomas Berdych in a clutch singles rubber and then come back a couple of days later and win a live fifth in convincing fashion... such is the stuff that Davis Cup heroes are made of. That is Ivan Ljubicic level stuff right there. And Janko, I think you just might be the new Ivan.

Bloody Coup

So much for bloodless.

We have to start by talking about Andy Roddick, because this is one of the worst losses he's taken in a while - not just in opponent but in demeanour. This is probably the most bad tempered match I have ever seen Andy play. He just had nothing going on, and he was berating himself stupid for it. It was painful to watch and to experience and does not bode well into the future. Anyone can take an early loss - but the manner in which he took this loss does not make me hopeful for his future.

Congrats to Janko Tipsarevic, though - great win! This really opens up the Djokovic quarter, and because I don't see Djokovic coming through, why not Tipsarevic to be surprise semi finalist? This quarter quite literally belongs to anyone.

You know who else is going nowhere fast? Oh HI, Tomas Berdych? Am I gleefully glad that you got booted out of the tournament like a whelp? Why... YES. I am really happy about that because I am never going to forgive you for Wimbledon EVER and I really, really love what Michael Llodra is bringing and maybe you don't deserve this but I am so, SO glad you are out, out, OUT!

Okay. Ahem. Back now.

There were a couple of other scares - Sam Querrey springs to mind - but otherwise the dudes survived okay. Oh, except for Ljubicic! This is a big win for Ryan Harrison. I wouldn't go tipping him for future glory or anything, but it has to be heartening.

Now, over to the ladies. Vika, Vika, Vika. I don't even like you and I am TOTALLY worried about you. I am glad that it wasn't heat-related because that would have been seriously worrying, but could you try not to give yourself a concussion when I've picked you to make the final? That would be greatly appreciated.

But I don't think this says anything about my picking abilities. How was I supposed to anticipate a concussion?

Oh, and we have to talk about Ana Ivanovic. What is this whole winning-two-matches-in-a-row-in-a-convincing-fashion thing? This is not dreamt of in my philosophy!

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?

Don't Expect the Unexpected

Well, I think we can safely say that anyone who bet on Ivan Ljubicic to win this tournament just won a crapton of money, because I - and probably just about everyone else - would never have picked this in a thousand years. In a field rich with players like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and finalist Roddick... Ljubicic? really?

I mean, Ivan's good. He used to be #3 in the world. He's real good. But that was almost five years ago now and he hasn't been playing strictly excellent tennis. Challengers have been involved. And also, he's 31, which is up there for a tennis player. And despite his former ranking, he's never won one of these things before.

I love that, even though he's past the heyday of his career and his highest ever ranking (one would think, anyway) Ljubicic just pulled off his biggest tournament win ever. Seriously, could it happen to a nicer guy? I was serious yesterday when I said this was a happy final. I would have been happy for Roddick to win - I expected Roddick to win - but I am totally gleeful that Ljubicic did.

This isn't because I think he's a total dude, even though I do think he's a total dude. This proves that even now, even in this era of Hispano-Suisse dominance, even though I love that era, sometimes the unexpected just sneaks up and punches you in the nose. You never expect the unexpected in men's tennis any more... and so when the unexpected happens, it really does put a little smile on your face.

Congratulations, Ivan Ljubicic. This is awesome. And so are you.

Happy Final

I wrote yesterday about how awesome Rafa is - because that dude's awesome. He did go out today, which was a bit sad, on account of how he is awesome. But you know who else is awesome?

Ivan Ljubicic. Seriously, I love that guy. He has to be one of the most eloquent men in tennis. And his story is so fascinating as well... and he's just such a good orator and statesman for the sport. This is starting to sound a lot like yesterday's post just with Ljubicic subbed in, so I will stop this ranty mcrant now.

But you know who else is awesome?

Andy Roddick. This dude deserves this final. He hasn't done anything massive since the Wimbledon final last year, but that final alone means that he deserves a big title. And if he can pull this one off, then I will be very happy. And if Ivan can pull it off, I will also be very happy.

I guess what I'm saying is that I dig this final. I really don't think anyone would have predicted it - Ljubicic especially, because he isn't exactly ranked #3 like when he made the final in 2006. But these guys are both so deserving of a big win. I love the randomness of this final - even though I love it when we get the big names in the final, it's always fun when you get a huge surprise.

And this final is a surprise, no questions there. But whoever wins it... it's going to be a great thing, and it's going to put a smile on my face.

Novak on the Edge

I talked yesterday about how Federer's loss to Baghdatis was not indicative of any great slide in form, any more so than his 2007 loss to Canas was the beginning of an end (we all know how that turned out - three Slam year ahoy!) And this is all true.

However, it does not mean that Novak Djokovic's loss to Ivan Ljubicic is NOT indicative of some greater overall thing. (Fear my double negative). Because I would contend that this is the latest in a string of weird things that... well, let's just say I'm not exactly on the 'Djokovic will dominate the tour this year bandwagon'.

Maybe it's the newfound pressure of being #2 or something, but Djokovic looks tired whenever he steps out on court (moreso than usual, anyway). At the Australian Open, we saw a lot of this - he managed to cruise through four relatively weak opponents before physically crumbling when he hit the brick wall that is Jo Tsonga.

But that brick wall seems to be coming earlier and earlier. This time it was Ivan Ljubicic - who is made of awesome, don't get me wrong, but really not the kind of person Djokovic should be rolling over for.

I used to rag on Djokovic all the time for being a rude little douchebag. But maybe he needed that abrasiveness. Maybe it gave him the edge he needed to play tennis at the top. Because he seems to have lost that edge now, lost that fire, that desire... and if this trend continues, he's not going to stay at #2 or even #3 for much longer.

Jodi's Epic Tennis Adventure 2.6 - Return of the Queen

I really do love the Australian Open. And Melbourne. And tennis.

That is all.

It was a traditional Australian Open summer day, warm and sunny. I am unsure whether I will ever scrape the layers of sunscreen off, but the tennis was worth it. And, in addition, one of my favourite Australian singers was performing - the incomparable Kate Miller-Heidke - and I got to sit and watch her with Dootsiez of All I Need Is A Picket Fence fame. Fun times.

I opened the day with a leisurely Nadal practice session and then spent most of the rest of it wandering the grounds, catching bits and pieces of various matches. I saw a bit of Yaroslava Shvedova's victory over Kimiko Date Krumm - boy, I do like both these players! And I spent a significant amount of time on Court 18, watching Nadia Petrova and Kaia Kanepi and then Andrey Golubev and Ivan Ljubicic.

The most notable thing about the Petrova match was the penultimate game, Petrova serving - this was the longest game I can ever remember, in any match, ever. Seriously, it had at least fifteen deuces, and Kanepi had at least ten break points. I am not exaggerating. The game itself went for about twenty five minutes. Petrova finally held and then broke Kanepi for the match. I was on Team Nadia, but I felt a bit sorry for Kanepi after that.

My latest love affair, Andrey Golubev, lost to Ivan Ljubicic, but it was a noble defeat. It was four sets and he showed a lot of the flair that has earned him a special place in my tennis esteem. I am sad I'm denied a third round showdown with Nadal, because I reckon that could have been awesome, but there is no shame in going down to Ljubicic. That Ivan/Rafa match should be a good one, actually - if Ivan can take down wheeler-dealer Golubev, he'll be a good test for the Raging Bull.

But as usual, it is all about the night session... which is still going on. Yes, I left early. It is one thirty in the morning. So sue me. Cilic and Tomic are locked at two sets all in a really fascinating match - even if Tomic doesn't win, he will take a lot of positives away from this match. He plays frankly weird tennis - I rememebr Courier saying of Tomic's first round win over Guillaume Rufin that he 'softshoed him off the court'. He doesn't hit the ball hard from the back of the court at all, though he can certainly accelerate through it when he wants. He gives the opponent a lot of different looks... he's got vague similarities to Andy Murray, though he's obviously not as good yet. When he gets some legs... Tomic is going to be something.

If only he could solve his Bad Dad problems.

But why am I rabbiting on about Tomic?

Today was all about Justine.

I saw that Henin/Clijsters match in Brisbane. This one wasn't as good, but it wasn't far off. Justine... wow. Look out.

She had some service yips, especially at the beginning - a lot of doubles thrown in there. That, combined with the excellence of Demetieva's returning, gave me some pause. But given as Elena's serving wasn't so great either, meant it all worked out okay. And that backhand... OH THE BACKHAND.

Let us spare a thought for Lena D. This was a tough, tough draw for her. And she didn't play badly - not at all. You don't play two sets that go for almost three hours together if you're not fighting, if it's not tight tight tight. But let us face facts. Lena is good. She's very good. Even if she's never won a Slam, she is a good, good player.

But Justine, even after spending two years sitting on a couch eating chocolate, is great.

And so it is onwards and upwards for the pocket rocket Belgian delight, and it is another entry into the Grand Slam annals of woulda shoulda coulda for Elena Dementieva. The tennis gods have not smiled on her, just as they never seem to smile on her at Slams. To see Justine lurking in your draw... wow.

Justine is back. She came OH SO CLOSE with Kim, and now she's pulled it off with Lena. Watch out, ladies. Queen Justine is back.

Sister Knows Best

It really was only fitting that Serena win Doha - that the #1 player this year come away on a high. I don't really have a whole lot more to say than that, really.

I like that the girl that won won every match. I really, really am not a fan of round robin play. I mean, I see why it works out well for all involved in a year-ending championship capacity, but I'm still not a fan. There's just something not right about someone losing a match and winning a tournament. I guess I've been conditioned to the knock out winner takes all format too much... but there's a reason Etienne de Villiers' round robin experiment was an epic fail.

Okay, so I didn't exactly mean to get on a rant about round robin there, but it is interesting to think what other structures the year ending championship might take. I can definitely see why round robin is the format chosen for now - it means that people who pay for tickets definitely get to see the big guys/girls play. And in a tournament where everyone is elite, there's no such thing as an easy opener.

But still. It's good to see that the person winning wins every match, nonetheless. Congratulations, Serena.

And big, big congratulations to Ivan Ljubicic as well, who won his first ATP title in, like, forever, in Lyon. I'm a big Ljubicic fan - you've got to love a man who is that eloquent! - and so I hope to see more of him deep in tournaments in the near future!


Today's Results

Sony Ericsson Championships (Doha)

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


St Petersburg Open (St Petersburg)

Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Horacio Zeballos, 2-6 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (9-7)


Bank Austria Tennis Trophy (Vienna)

Jurgen Melzer def. Marin Cilic, 6-4 6-3


Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon (Lyon)

Ivan Ljubicic def. Michael Llodra, 7-5 6-3

Age Before Beauty

Well, Marat is gone from China, and the march towards Bercy and his last tournament continues. Still, he didn't exactly roll down and die in his match against Berdych - a match of two headcases - and so I suppose I can be happy with that. I just don't want to think about a future with no Marat in it. Sigh.

We saw a couple of upsets today, most notably third seed and Grand Slam man Juan Martin del Potro go down to Jurgen Melzer, retiring down a set because of wrist issues. I will be very disappointed in Juan if he can't back up his US Open triumph - but if he's injured I suppose that's not his fault. Just another casualty of the season and the length and all those wacky things. So hasta la vista, Juan, and hopefully we'll see you back again by Bercy.

But the result I thought was reeeeeeeeally interesting was Ivan Ljubicic taking down Fernando Verdasco. It seems like a thousand years ago that Ljubicic was #3 in the world - it was only 2006, and he spent a while floating round the top ten before sliding down to the bottom half of the top fifty. But nonetheless, he's got a lovely game and ain't no one can take that away...

...however, with Nando's crushing groundies, I thought he'd pummel Ivan into submission. Ivan is definitely one of the grandpas of the tour (read: is in his thirties) and while that serve of his is smoking, I got the impression that he'd lost a leeeeeeetle power over the years. But, of course, what does that mean? If one can counterpunch effectively, one can do anything.

I didn't actually see the match so I'm not exactly qualified to comment, but I thought this was an interesting result. Not good for Nando in his bid to make it to the year-ending championships, but it's always nice to see one of the elder statesmen - particularly a really lovely, eloquent gentleman like Ljubicic - prevail.


Today's Results

Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 (Shanghai)

Rafael Nadal def. James Blake, 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 6-4
Novak Djokovic def. Fabio Fognini, 6-3 6-1
Jurgen Melzer def. Juan Martin del Potro, 7-5 2-1 retired
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Shao-Xuan Zeng, 6-3 6-3
Ivan Ljubicic def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Gilles Simon def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3 6-4
Robin Soderling def. Nicolas Almagro, 6-4 7-5
Gael Monfils def. Lleyton Hewitt, 4-6 6-4 6-2
Tommy Robredo def. Florian Mayer, 4-6 7-6 (12-10) 6-4
Rainer Schuettler def. Tommy Haas, 6-4 retired
Feliciano Lopez def. David Ferrer, 4-6 7-5 6-1
Tomas Berdych def. Marat Safin, 3-6 6-4 6-4


Generali Ladies Linz (Linz)

Yanina Wickmayer def. Timea Bacsinszky, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4
Alexandra Dulgheru def. Sybille Bammer, 6-3 6-1
Alize Cornet def. Kristina Barrois, 4-6 6-3 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska def. Monica Niculescu, 6-4 6-2
Sara Errani def. Tatjana Malek, 6-3 6-0
Petra Kvitova def. Iveta Benesova, 6-4 7-5
Carla Suarez Navarro def. Olga Govortsova, 6-3 6-4


HP Open (Osaka)

Melinda Czink def. Vania King, 6-4 6-2
Francesca Schiavone def. Yung-Jan Chan, 6-3 0-6 6-3
Sania Mirza def. Viktoriya Kutuzova, 6-4 6-3
Marion Bartoli def. Kurumi Nara, 6-1 6-1

Third Day Blues

Roger Federer is pretty much the man, and he totally deserves his time off. That's all I have to say about that.

He revealed in his post-match press conference that he's suffering from fatigue-related injuries in his arm and leg and he 'needs to do some baby-sitting' so he's sitting out until at least October 5 - though truth be told, I'd be very surprised indeed if he showed up in Tokyo. You've just got to applaud the fact that he took to the court in this rubber against Italy when you have to think that if he didn't, Switzerland would face relegation - Wawrinka probably would have scored another rubber, but I don't know where the magical #3 would have come from. You da man, Roger. That's all I've got to say.

Both Israel and Croatia managed to score a consolation rubber, with Harel Levy scoring a win over Feliciano Lopez (a very decent win in and of itself) and Lovro Zovko managed to save some Croat pride by beating Lukas Dlouhy. I expected this whitewashing from Israel - Spain is swimming in excellent players, even with Nadal and Verdasco sidelined - but I really thought the Croats were going to, if not pull this out, make a better showing than this. They won the Davis Cup a few years' back basically on the back on Ivan Ljubicic, with Mario Ancic singing back-up. I thought the Cilic/Karlovic dynamic was even stronger, but apparently not. Not that this tie wasn't full of drama, especially in that first day, but it felt a little anti-climactic in the end.

All credit to the Czechs, though, who seriously stepped it up.

Other winners include Sweden, Serbia, Belgium (who knew they had blokes who played ball?), France and India. Other heroes include Robin Soderling, Steve Darcis, Somdev Devvarman and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I always get into Davis Cup whenever it comes around, but it is so terribly shafted. I wish it was better organised. I wish it was better publicised. I wish... I wish...

Oh well. Pout.


Today's Results

Davis Cup (semi finals)

Czech Republic 4, Croatia 1

Jan Hajek def. Roko Karanusic, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4
Lovro Zovko def. Lukas Dlouhy, 6-3 6-4


Spain 4, Israel 1

David Ferrer def. Andy Ram, 6-3 6-1
Harel Levy def. Feliciano Lopez, 7-5 6-2


China GDD Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

Shahar Peer def. Alberta Brianti, 6-3 6-4


Bell Challenge (Quebec City)

Melinda Czink def. Lucie Safarova, 4-6 6-3 7-5

Nice Guys Finishing First

You know who I've missed - and who I think the tennis world has missed? Marcos Baghdatis.

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I assume he's been having injury troubles, because I haven't seen him around for a while. This is a crying shame, because not only is he a nice player to watch, he just brings so much extra flair to the court. Maybe I'm a little biased, being Australian and thus privy to the massive Greek crowds that support him so vocally at the Aussie Open, but he really brings a lot of personality to the table, with his big cheeky smile and effervescent attitude. The world needs more players like Marcos.

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I say all this on account of Marcos suddenly turning up again in s'Hertogenbosch and winning a match - a good one too, knocking out second seed Tommy Robredo. I mean, sure, Tommy Robredo is Spanish, not Rafa and thus probably allergic to grass (even if David Ferrer won the title here last year) and Marcos is a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, but whatever. Marcos has been away for a while (I think he was in the first round of Roland Garros, but I don't really remember) and it's nice to see him win one.

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The same thing is true, to a lesser degree, of Ivan Ljubicic. He's played some excellent tennis this year after a big slump, and it is totally great to see him playing well. He's an excellent statesman of the game and probably one of the most eloquent tennis players I've ever seen, and I like it when nice people do well. It makes the world seem a little bit fairer.

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Today's Results

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Ordina Open (s'Hertogenbosch)

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Men's Draw

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Marcos Baghdatis def. Tommy Robredo, 7-5 6-2

Benjamin Becker def. Fernando Verdasco, 7-5 7-6 (7-4)

Michael Llodra def. Kristof Vliegen, 6-2 6-3

Dudi Sela def. Igor Kunitsyn, 6-4 6-3

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Women's Draw

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Dinara Safina def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-0 6-3

Alona Bondarenko def. Stefanie Foretz, 6-4 6-7 (1-7) 6-3

Nathalie Dechy def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-3 3-6 6-3

Flavia Pennetta def. Ksenia Pervak, 6-1 6-1

Tamarine Tanasugarn def. Iveta Benesova, 6-3 6-1

Yanina Wickmayer def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-4 6-3

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AEGON International (Eastbourne)

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Men's Draw

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Frank Dancevic def. Igor Andreev, 7-6 (8-6) 6-2

Julien Benneteau def. Mikhail Youzhny, 4-6 6-5 6-4

Fabrice Santoro def. Robby Ginepri, 4-6 6-4 6-1

Ivan Ljubicic def. Joshua Goodall, 6-3 7-5

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Yen-hsun Lu, 6-4 6-7 (0-7) 7-6 (7-3)

Janko Tipsarevic def. Brydan Klein, 7-6 (7-5) 6-1

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Women's Draw

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Li Na def. Elena Baltacha, 6-2 7-5

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-1 6-1

Anna Chakvetadze def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-2

Marion Bartoli def. Gisela Dulko, 6-3 6-1

Sybille Bammer def. Anne Keothavong, 6-3 6-2

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-1

Caroline Wozniacki def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-3 6-2

Ekaterina Makarova def. Jarmila Groth, 7-6 (9-7) 6-1

Amelie Mauresmo def. Vera Zvonareva, 6-3 1-6 6-3

Vera Dushevina def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 6-4

Aleksandra Wozniak def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-0 6-3

One Sixteenth

The first round is complete - well, mostly: there are a few matches that were suspended because of rain, but we're largely there. All of the big guns in both men and women's matches have come through safely to the last 64 - which is a good thing - but we've lost a few of the secondary characters (the medium guns?) which always livens things up a little. We've farewelled Karlovic, Mauresmo and Berdych, among others - today we said goodbye to Schuettler, Blake and Fish from the men, and Peng from the women.

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I'll tell you who nearly screwed around with this, though, and that was Serena Williams. She won her first match of the year on clay, beating Klara Zakopalova (does memory serve - she lost to Zakopalova on clay already this year, yesno? At Marbella, maybe?) but it was a near run thing. Three sets, 6-4 in the third. I am not liking the look of her at all at the moment. She's clearly injured and if she makes it to the second week I will be very surprised.

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But that's not to say it's impossible. She's Serena, after all.

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While we're still on women's tennis I would like to take this moment to point out something I find quite remarkable. Australia had six entrants in the main draw of Roland Garros - two men and four women (I don't think I've left anyone out - apologies if I have!) This is unremarkable in and of itself, but five of them made it through to the second round. Now that is something pretty special for Australian tennis. Bernard Tomic went down to Philipp Kohlschreiber, but Hewitt is through, and all four of our women: Stosur, Dokic, Groth and Rogowska. That would be four Aussies of the final 64 in the women's draw. That means a sixteenth of the draw is Australian. Now that has not happened for a LONG time. Nice work, girls!

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I was particularly impressed with Stosur, who overcame Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone in straights. Schiavone is wily and good on clay - that's a good victory. Dokic took a set to warm up but then she breezed past Karolina Sprem. I was very impressed with both of them.

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Over to the blokes, and the woes of the Americans continue - Blake and Fish, both American seeds, crashed out to random Argentines: Leonardo Mayer and Maximo Gonzalez respectively. But hey, at least Andy Roddick is into the second round. That's a victory in and of itself. And Alexa Glatch is someone to cheer for.

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The match of the day over there was a battle between unseeded old-school veterans, and it was a titanic struggle - the five set epic between Juan Carlos Ferrero and Ivan Ljubicic. Now that was a match. Ferrero came out on top, but that was one to remember for both players, I think. There have been a few five set encounters in this first round, but that is one of the best of them. I was sad they couldn't both win!

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Today's Results

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French Open (Roland Garros)

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Men's Draw

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Jo-Wilfried Rsonga def. Julien Benneteau, 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4

Novak Djokovic def. Nicolas Lapentti, 6-3 3-1 retired

Gael Monfils def. Bobby Reynolds, 6-2 6-3 6-1

Juan Martin del Potro def. Michael Llodra, 6-3 6-3 6-1

Leonardo Mayer def. James Blake, 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 6-2

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Ivan Ljubici, 2-6 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3

Maximo Gonzalez def. Mardy Fish, 6-3 1-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4)

Marc Gicquel def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-0 6-0 6-4

Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Brian Dabul, 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Daniel Gimeno-Traver def. Evgeny Korolev, 6-4 retired

Tommy Robredo def. Adrian Mannarino, 6-2 6-1 6-2

Tommy Haas def. Andrei Pavel, 6-1 6-4 6-4

Juan Monaco def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-3 6-2 6-4

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Bernard Tomic, 6-1 6-2 6-2

Andreas Beck def. Ivan Navarro, 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 6-1

Viktor Troicki def. Lukasz Kubot, 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-3

Victor Crivoi def. Simon Greul, 6-1 7-6 (7-1) 6-2

Andreas Seppi def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-3 6-3 6-1

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Women's Draw

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Jelena Jankovic def. Petra Cetkovska, 6-2 6-3

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Claire Feuerstein, 6-1 6-4

Serena Williams def. Klara Zakopalova, 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4

Virginie Razzano def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3 6-3

Elena Demetieva def. Chanelle Scheepers, 6-4 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki def. Vera Dushevina, 4-6 7-5 6-1

Sybille Bammer def. Nathalie Dechy, 6-3 7-6 (7-1)

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2 5-7 6-0

Melinda Czaink def. Anastasija Sevastova, 3-6 6-4 6-1

Viktoriya Kutuzova def. Zuzanna Ondraskova, 6-2 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. Carly Gullickson, 6-4 6-2

Yanina Wickmayer def. Urszula Radwanska, 4-6 6-3 6-0

Petra Martic def. Mara Santangelo, 6-4 6-2

Jelena Dokic def. Karolina Sprem, 3-6 6-1 6-2

Galina Voskoboeva def. Sania Mirza, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)

Magdalena Rybarikova def. Kristina Mladenovic, 6-1 2-6 8-6

Samantha Stosur def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-4 6-2

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez def. Shuai Peng, 1-6 6-2 6-4

Aleksandra Wozniak def. Monica Niculescu, 6-4 4-6 6-3

Virginia Ruano Pascual def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-4 6-3

Intact/Shattered

So we're down to the final eight in the men's draw at Madrid, and the draw has fallen exactly to plan for the top seven seeds, who are all through. The one guy screwing it all up is the once-again underwhelming Gilles Simon, who lost to Ivan Ljubicic. So there we have it - the top seven... and Ivan.

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I'm pretty pleased with that, I think - it's a good indication of form going into Roland Garros and the big guys seem to be on song. The only one of the top seven that went to three sets was Juan Martin del Potro, who faced a pretty stern test against Stan Wawrinka, so they're all looking quite comfortable. And I'm pretty pleased with Ljubicic being through as well - he has had a real resurgence of form in the last few months and it's really great. He is one of the great statesmen and sportsmen of the game, and it'll be a shame when he finally retires.

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Over in the women's, on the other hand, we have total decimation of seeds, pretty much. Top seed, the recently impressive Dinara Safina, is still standing (and standing in style, even though she was pushed to three sets by Lucie Safarova), and Jelena Jankovic has kept her head in the game with a solid victory over Elena Vesnina, but teen queen Victoria Azarenka has crashed out to Agnes Szavay, and most of the other seeds went out earlier this week. Most disappointing, really.

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For the tournament's sake, you've got to hope that we get a Safina/Jankovic match -I hope they're not in the same half of the draw! I haven't checked. But even if they meet in the semis, that's the match you want to see. They're the two that really need a Slam to validate their positions (it might be too little too late for Jankovic, but she really is overdue) and it'll be interesting to see which one is hungrier. Personally, my money's on Safina, but Jankovic has shown some reasonable form in the past few weeks, so we shall see...

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Today's Results

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Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open (Madrid)

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Men's Draw

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Rafael Nadal def. Philipp Kohschreiber, walkover

Roger Federer def. James Blake, 6-2 6-4

Novak Djokovic def. Andreas Seppi, 6-4 6-4

Andy Murray def. Tommy Robredo, 7-5 6-1

Juan Martin del Potro def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 4-6 6-4 6-4

Andy Roddick def. Nikolay Davydenko, walkover

Ivan Ljubicic def. Gilles Simon, 3-6 6-4 6-3

Fernando Verdasco def. Juan Monaco, 7-5 6-2

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Women's Draw

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Dinara Safina def. Lucie Safarova, 6-0 4-6 6-3

Jelena Jankovic def. Elena Vesnina, 6-2 6-2

Agnes Szavay def. Victoria Azarenka, 4-6 6-2 6-2

Caroline Wozniacki def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-2 6-2

Alona Bondarenko def. Anna Chakvetadze, 6-0 2-6 6-3

In the Spirit of the Day

Some much more normal results in Monte Carlo today, after the absolute seed massacre yesterday. The usual suspects - ie. Rafa and Roger - came through in style in straights, which is very nice to see! It is National Compliments Day in Australia today, so I'd like to pay a compliment to both of these fine gentlemen:

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Rafa: Dude, ain't no one can concentrate harder than you. Watching you is exhausting, but it's fabulous. You're a credit to the sport.

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Roger: You're a trooper and a gentleman, even if you smash racquets. And you can counteract bad publicity like no one else -no one's talking about your temper tantrum any more, because you went and got married. You're also a credit to the sport.

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There are many more nice things I could say about these blokes, but that will do for today, I think.

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The seeds did not come through scot-free, however - there was one major casualty in the form of fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro. He went out to Ivan Ljubicic, who has been playing very well of late and who was #3 in the world a few scant years ago. However, he really shouldn't be a match for Juan M, who's the best of the rest at the moment (the top four being almost otherworldly.) I didn't see the match so I cannot comment - did Juan M lose or did Ivan win?

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Disappointing result for Marat Safin - he really should have won that match over Nicolas Lapentti, especially after having three match points. But in good Russian, bad Russian, we have some good news - Nikolay Davydenko is back, and he's opened up with a win. Good to see you back, Kolya!

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Today's Results

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Monte Carlo Rolex Masters (Monte Carlo)

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Rafael Nadal def. Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-2 6-3

Roger Federer def. Andreas Seppi, 6-4 6-4

Ivan Ljubicic def. Juan Martin Del Potro, 4-6 6-1 6-4

Fernando Verdasco def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-3 6-4

Nikolay Davydenko def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-4 6-3

David Ferrer def. Marc Gicquel, 6-1 6-0

David Nalbandian def. Marcel Granollers, 4-6 6-3 6-1

Stanislas Wawrinka def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 2-6 7-5 6-2

Fabio Fognini def. Marin Cilic, 6-2 6-0

Albert Montanes def. Jean-Rene Lisnard, 6-2 6-4

Simone Bolelli def. Janko Tipsarevic, 7-5 6-3

Nicolas Lapentti def. Marat Safin, 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 7-6 (8-6)

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Family Circle Cup (Charleston)

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Venus Williams def. Sania Mirza, 6-1 3-6 6-2

Elena Vesnina def. Patty Schnyder, 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5

Melanie Oudin def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 7-5 6-0

Peng Shuai def. Akgul Amanmuradova, 7-5 2-6 7-5

Viktoriya Kutuzova def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-4 7-5

Anastasia Rodionova def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 6-2 6-4

Virginie Razzano def. Stéphanie Dubois, 6-3 7-6 (7-3)

Sabine Lisicki def. Lenka Wienerova, 6-4 6-3

Melinda Czink def. Vania King, 6-4 6-2

Varvara Lepchenko def. Shenay Perry, 6-2 6-3

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Barcelona Ladies Open (Barcelona)

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Roberta Vinci def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-1 6-2

Maria Kirilenko def. Severine Brémond, 7-5 6-2

María José Martínez Sánchez def. Masa Zec Peskiric, 7-5 5-7 6-2

Anastasiya Yakimova def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 3-6 6-3 6-0

Elder Statesman

Who know who I'm really liking in this tournament? Well, Federer, obviously, and the scariness of Nadal is also good to watch, but the random that I'm liking so far in Indian Wells is the elder statesman, Ivan Ljubicic.
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It seems strange to refer to Ivan as a random, considering that it wasn't so long ago that he was #3 in the world. But a lot has happened in tennis since then. The Hispano-Suisse domination machine has rolled unstoppably on, but we've seen the rise of Djokovic and Murray and the formation of the Fabulous Four. Ivan fell out of the top ten and then down out of Grand Slam seedings without anyone really noticing.
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But the fact is that he's got some serious game. I don't know if his serve is as powerful as it used to be, but I've always enjoyed watching Ivan play. And he had a really good win over Gilles Simon yesterday - who I am not finding especially impressive at the moment. I'm not sure how he got to #6 or whatever it is in the world, but it seems like it might have been a fluke... he was certainly running hot at the end of last year, but he's cooled right off. So it'll be interesting to watch how he progresses from here - and how Ivan Ljubicic does this tournament.
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Roger Federer rolled on, making relatively easy work of Ivo Karlovic, when you consider the weapons that Karlovic has. And my bracket is shot now, because the random semi-finalist I picked - Marin Cilic - went out to Robredo. Though maybe I should have picked Robredo, given his current form - nice to see that he's been able to do it on just about any court surface he's been handed this year. I'm still picking him to be a semifinalist at Roland Garros - not backing off on that one!

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Today's Results

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BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)

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Men's Draw

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Roger Federer def. Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

Ivan Ljubicic def. Gilles Simon, 6-3 7-6 (7-3)

Fernando Verdasco def. Richard Gasquet, 6-3 6-2

Igor Andreev def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-5 6-4

Fernando Gonzalez def. James Blake, 7-5 6-1

Tommy Robredo def. Marin Cilic, 7-5 7-6 (7-2)

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Women's Draw

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Vera Zvonareva def. Li Na, 6-4 6-4

Caroline Wozniacki def. Urszula Radwanska, 7-5 6-3

Stars in the California Sky

In all the excitement of the recent Federer news, I completely forgot what I was going to write about yesterday, which is my Stars. And I have to say, I'm glad I waited until today, because we had some very very good results yesterday!

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We'll start with the bad - we had one very disappointing Star loss, I thought, which was Kei Nishikori going down to Ivan Ljubicic. I mean, sure, Ivan Ljubicic has certainly been up there as far the game is concerned - he's been as high as #3 - but he's not exactly Wonderboy right now. Kei seems to have gone a little bit off the boil in the last little whiles - he's taken a couple of tame losses. But it happens to everyone - and I think we all know he'll be back up there in time.

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But we have had some pretty nice wins! Marin Cilic won't be action for a day or two yet, but Ernests Gulbis, Jeremy Chardy and Thomaz Bellucci have all been doing quite well. Chardy is in action as I write this, one set to love up against Victor Hanescu. Gulbis had a good win over Kevin Kim - hardly the toughest opponent ever, but it was a good solid job nonetheless. Note how I am not asking whether this is the tournament where Gulbis will finally make a good deep run. I'm convinced it jinxes him. We'll just let things unfold.

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Bellucci probably had the best win of the lot of them - I am really liking what I've seen come off his racquet in the last little while. I don't know if many people would have picked him to beat Janko Tipsarevic, but he did, in a tight three set match. It was very nice. He's going to be one to watch in coming months, particularly on clay...

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So all in all, some nice early round action. But the tournament still hasn't really begun yet, it seems to me. I think we're all waiting to see what will happen when the big boys come out to play!

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Today's Results

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BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells)
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Men's Draw

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Todd Widom def. Ivan Navarro, 6-4 7-6 (7-4)

Michael Berrer def. Kevin Anderson, 6-3 6-3

Daniel Koellerer def. Mischa Zverev, 2-6 7-5 6-2

Ryan Sweeting def. Wayne Odesnik, 1-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5)

Sam Querrey def. Guillermo Canas, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2

Andreas Seppi def. Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-2 4-1 retired

Jeremy Chardy def. Victor Hanescu, 6-4 3-6 6-2

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Women's Draw

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Caroline Wozniacki def. Timea Bacsinszky, 6-1 6-1

Shahar Peer def. Marion Bartoli, 1-6 6-4 7-5

Amélie Mauresmo def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 5-7 6-3 6-4

Kaia Kanepi def. Virginie Razzano, 7-6 (7-2) 1-0 retired

Peng Shuai def. Olga Govortsova, 6-3 3-6 6-4

Alexa Glatch def. Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-3 6-1