There Is No Mention Of The Word Blood In This Title

Okay, so I think I'm about done with the whole blood thing. That is sooooo first round.

First thing is first - Roger Federer is through, and in style. I could ask for nothing more (though if he wants to throw in a few more tweeners, then I'm not going to complain, you know?) I didn't see any of his match against Andreas Beck, but I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy most of it. Viva la Rog!

My fangushing is over now. Let us talk about everyone else.

Match of the day, I thought, had to go to Richard Gasquet and Nikolay Davydenko. Well, maybe not match of the day per se, but superlative performance of the day - Richou absolutely massacred Kolya. If I were more derivative, I would have titled this blog post something about Kolya's blood being spilled.

This is the kind of player Gasquet had the potential to be. If he played this awesome all the time, no one would be able to stop him. He'd be a second Federer - he'd be damn near unbeatable most of the time. But alas, he hasn't realised that potential. I doubt there is a Slam in Gasquet's future. He's going to be one of those woulda shoulda coulda kind of guys. But hot damn, this was some performance today. I'm going to be reeeeeeally interested to see how he fares in the next round, because if he shows up with this kind of form.... yeesh.

Soderling and Djokovic both had much easier times of it, which was nice for both of them. Djokovic seems to be trying to set a tradition of making an inappropriate joke in all of his post match press conferences. Um... whatever, Bert.

There was one major upset on the men's side today, and that was Kei Nishikori triumphing over Marin Cilic in an absolute epic. I love Nishikori's game, so I hope he can go far - this was quite some match for him!

Now. Ladies.

1) Caroline Wozniacki is looking more and more like she might win the title. This scares me.

2) Jelena Jankovic is definitely not going to win it. This is a bit saddening.

3) Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova are both big contenders and whoever wins that top quarter is going to win the tournament.

4) Andrea Petkovic and Bethanie Mattek-Sands played one of the most compelling women's matches I have seen a long, long time.

Any questions?

Richou, Muzz, This is Not Wimbledon 2008

Well, Day 2 put me in a good mood, with a very nice win for my boy Fed and a very entertaining match from Muzz and Richou. Outcome might have not been what I had hoped from that one, but good stuff.

The winners: Fed. I was a bit worried about him coming in and he was ever so slightly scratchy in that first set, but when he put his foot to the accelerator he scorched away. I felt a bit bad for Peter Luczak, but I cannot pretend to be anything less than thoroughly satisified with this match.

Everyone you expected to be a winner was a winner yesterday, pretty much. Not a single seed lost all day, so it seems unfair to single anyone out. I would, however, like to mention Caro Wozniacki. I expected her to be ripe for an upset special, but her performance against Kudryavtseva was nothing short of commanding. Maybe she's not as injured and out of it as I thought she was.

Also Kei Nishikori and Carsten Ball in fierce five set wins. And Sophie Ferguson in a big comeback. Yay.

The losers: I have to go with Richard Gasquet here. Seriously, dude, two sets up against Muzz again? This was that Wimbledon disaster all over again. I know he was tired, but all he had to do was close it out and get off court and it would have been much easier for him. Kudos to Muzz for pulling it out, but Richou, I thought you could have done a little better here.

And I also have to put Michael Yani in this category, not because he's a loser but because his loss was so heartbreaking. He's never won a tour level match and loss to Lukas Lacko 12-10 in the fifth. Nightmare written all over it.

The disappointments: Richou, once again, I am looking at you.

Also, Novak Djokovic. I'm not expecting a lot from him in this tournament, but he really shouldn't have lost that set to Korolev. I know Korolev is fierce when he has his day, but he wasn't really having his day. Should have done better than that, Nole.

The scraped-in-by-the-skin-of-teeth: Why, hello, Andy Murray. I know you roared back after being down again, but you really didn't deserve this much. This level of play is not going to serve you well... though if you want to go back and practice on the grass a little early, keep playing like that. You'll get your wish.

One to watch: Stefanie Voegele. I was really impressed with the way she played in her match against Serena - she seriously tested her. She managed to break the Williams serve - no mean feat - and was tight with her all through the first set. She's only young and she has great potential - they make 'em good in Switzerland.

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

Dear Mr Gulbis

Now, Ernests, I don't want to put any pressure on you. I know you're going to perform when you're ready. I know you're still a dangerous youngster, rather than being a full-fledged threat. I know you're going to grow into your game, and I know you're going to be in the top ten one day, and I know you're going to mature mentally and you're going to be something pretty special.

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But Ernests, please. Kei's done it. Marin's done it a couple of times. Thomaz nearly did it last week. When is that title going to come?

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It's not that Ernests isn't performing. He's the third seed this week in Delray Beach, and you don't just get there by hanging about in the top hundred. But he's also the third seed who just got beaten and dumped out of the tournament in the first round. Sure, it was by Marcos Baghdatis, who is definitely someone who should be seeded and who you wouldn't like to run into in the first round, but still. He hasn't always been running into Marcos Baghdatis in the first round - and it's not that he isn't capable of beating Marcos. Remember his first first round of the year? That's right, he beat some no name player called Novak Djokovic. And I think Gulbis revealed when he had Nadal on the ropes last year that he can challenge just about anyone.

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So, Ernests, I am going to wait for you. I know you're a good player, and you've had some good performances, and it is going to happen one day. But please... can you string those performances together one week? Waiting for you to win a title is a little like waiting for Marat Safin at the moment. And I know you can do it.

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So... win a title for me, Ernests. That's all I ask.

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Today's Results

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Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai)

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Novak Djokovic def. Jan Hernych, 6-3 3-6 6-4

Andy Murray def. Arnaud Clement, 6-2 6-3

Gilles Simon def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-1 6-2

David Ferrer def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-4 6-2

Marin Cilic def. Julien Benneteau, 6-3 4-6 7-5

Igor Andreev def. Dmitry Tursunov, 5-7 6-4 6-3

Fabrice Santoro def. Marco Chiudinelli, 3-6 6-1 7-6 (7-1)

Richard Gasquet def. Simone Bolelli, 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

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Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco)

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Men's Draw

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Daniel Koellerer def. David Nalbandian, 1-6 6-3 6-4

Gael Monfils def. Olivier Patience, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Tommy Robredo def. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, 6-4 3-6 6-3

Nicolas Almagro def. Santiago Gonzalez, 6-4 6-2

Jose Acasuso def. Brian Dabul, 6-3 7-5

Marcel Granollers def. Fabio Fognini, 7-6 (7-3) 7-5

Carlos Moya def. Pablo Andujar, 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-2

Alberto Martin def. Marcos Daniel, 6-4 7-5

Kevin Kim def. Juan Monaco, 1-6 3-0 retired

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Women's Draw

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Mathilde Johansson def. Tathiana Garbin, walkover

Venus Williams def. Nuria Llagostera Vives, 6-4 4-6 6-2

Flavia Pennetta def. Mariya Koryttseva, 6-3 6-1

Carla Suárez Navarro def. Viktoriya Kutuzova, 7-5 6-3

Gisela Dulko def. Ioana Raluca Olaru, 6-3 6-2

María José Martínez Sánchez def. Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-2 6-3

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Andreja Klepac, 2-6 6-1 6-4

Mathilde Johansson def. Rossana de los Ríos, 6-4 6-1

Maret Ani def. Patricia Mayr, 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-4

Greta Arn def. Edina Gallovits, 6-2 6-3

Agnes Szavay def. Anna Orlik, 7-5 7-5

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Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (Delray Beach)

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Mardy Fish def. Frank Dancevic, 7-5 6-3

Marcos Baghdatis def. Ernests Gulbis, 7-5 6-2

Evgeny Korolev def. Igor Kunitsyn, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)

Jeremy Chardy def. Tommy Haas, 7-6 (9-7) 6-3

Yen-Hsun Lu def. Lleyton Hewitt, 7-5 2-6 6-2

Dudi Sela def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3 4-1 retired

Gilles Muller def. Ryan Sweeting, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Vince Spadea def. Denis Gremelmayr, 2-6 7-5 6-1

Mischa Zverev def. Taylor Dent, 6-4 6-3

Andrey Golubev def. Evan King, 6-2 6-4

Waiting for Fedot

Back at that Internet cafe on Flinders St. This is Jodi reporting to you on Day 2 on the Australian Open - another day when it was UNBELIEVABLY hot. Great tennis - not so good for the skin. But the things we must sacrifice.

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I wanted to see more matches, so I trawled around looking for good ones. I started off by watching the first set of Kei Nishikori and Jurgen Melzer on Court 6, which is a pretty decent sized court, but the stands were PACKED with Japanese fans supporting their man. He played pretty well while I was there - kid has got some serious shots! - but then he fell away a bit and Melzer ended up winning the match in straights, which sucked from a Star perspective.

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I went and trawled the practice courts after that, hunting for the elusive Fed, but he wasn't there, so I caught the second set of Anastastia Pavlyuchenkova and Tathiana Garbin on Court 19. I really like Pavlyuchenkova, and she won that set 6-2, but then she lost the match... so maybe I am cursed or something. It certainly wasn't a match of very high quality, from what I could see... both girls were missing a lot. A LOT. But obviously someone has to win.

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There were rumblings of a Fed practice at one, so I waited around... again, no materialisation. The TV crews said that it'd been rescheduled to four, and the crowds vanished like they'd been evaporated (which, in the heat, entirely possible.) I went and caught the last two sets of Richard Gasquet and Diego Junqueira on Show Court 3 - getting a seat in the shade, which is a rare achievement at Melbourne Park! That was a good match to watch - Gasquet is playing better than I've seen for a while. But then I got very lucky - it finished just in time for me to head over to Court 11 (a TINY back court) and grab a good seat for Ernests Gulbis against Albert Montanes. There was this adorable little Latvian family cheering for their boy - it was great! As well as a woman sitting beside me who was salivating over Gulbis, said he was 'the cutest on the ATP tour' and nearly had an aneurysm when I told her he was only twenty... but that is another story.

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Gulbis looked totally excellent, winning in easy straights. I only caught the first set, because I had to run off to this elusive Fed practice, which, once again, did not materialise. I headed offsite for a quick very early dinner, getting back at just on five, when who decided to start practicing when I was gone? Fed. Typical. Still, I only missed a couple of minutes and managed to worm my way to the fence - my shortness paid off! He spent ages and ages signing autographs, and he was wonderful with his fans. He is such a lovely man.

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That left me with an hour and a bit to kill before the night session started, so I went over and watched Dmitry Tursunov and Flavio Cipolla on Court 10. I caught the first set and a bit - Tursunov was clearly on top in the first, but he was down a double break in the second when I left, and I'm not sure what happened after that - I hope I'm not cursed again!
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I was in nearly the same position in Rod Laver Arena, and as that was a good spot, I was happy. The Stosur/Zakopalova match was a good match, but the crowd seemed a bit ho-hum about Sam, which I was surprised at, given the reception Casey Dellacqua got last night. Maybe Casey is a favourite or maybe it was just a quieter crowd. Who can tell? Anyway, I was glad it was straights, because I was anticipating another long men's match, but Rafa ANNIHILATED Christophe Rochus. The whole crowd got behind Rochus and cheered like crazy people when he won a game, but it no avail. That one was a whitewash, and I was back before midnight.

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Funny story to end on: there were these drunk old women behind me, and you know Rafa's wedgie-picking habit? So he was picking his wedgie, and one of them yells out 'PICK ME INSTEAD!' at the top of her lungs, and the whole stadium heard and cacked themselves at her. Ah, public humiliation...

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Today's Results

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Australian Open

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Men's Draw

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Rafael Nadal def. Christophe Rochus, 6-0 6-2 6-2

Fernando Gonzalez def. Lleyton Hewitt, 5-7 6-2 6-2 3-6 6-3

Andy Murray def. Andrei Pavel, 6-2 3-1 retired

Gilles Simon def. Pablo Andujar, 6-4 6-1 6-1

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Juan Monaco, 6-4 6-4 6-0

Chris Guccione def. Nicolas Devidler, 6-4 6-2 6-2

James Blake def. Frank Dancevic, 6-4 6-3 7-5

Tommy Haas def. Eduardo Schwank, 6-3 6-3 6-4

Gael Monfils def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-1 6-3 7-5

Richard Gasdquet def. Diego Junqueira, 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-4

Fernando Verdasco def. Adrian Mannarino, 6-0 6-2 6-2

Densi Istomin def. Vincent Spadea, 6-2 7-5 6-4

Stefan Koubek def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3 6-2 6-2

Jurgen Melzer def. Kei Nishikori, 7-5 6-2 6-1

Michael Berrer def. Carsten Ball, 6-2 6-4 6-3

Andreas Beck def. Colin Ebelthite, 7-5 6-1 6-0

Igor Andreev def. Peter Polansky, 5-7 3-6 6-4 6-3 6-4

Nicolas Almagro def. Nicolas Massy, 6-4 6-4 3-6 506 6-3

Flavio Cipolla def. Dmitry Tursunov, 4-6 6-2 7-6 (9-7) 7-5

Marcel Granollers def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-0

Sebastien de Chaunac def. Steve Darcis, 2-6 6-3 0-6 6-2 6-2

Ernests Gulbis def. Albert Montanes, 6-3 6-2 6-3

Ivo Karlovic def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 6-3 6-4 6-4

Ivan Ljubicic def. Igor Kunitsyn, 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (9-7) 5-7 6-3

Fabio Fognini def. Andrey Golubev, 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-2

Arnaud Clement def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-3 2-6 4-6 6-2 6-1

Radek Stepanek def. Nicolas Lapentti, 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4

Dudi Sela def. Rainer Schuettler, 1-6 6-2 6-4 6-4

Roko Karanusic def. Florent Serra, 6-3 1-6 6-3 3-6 6-3

Mario Ancic def. Wayne Odesnik, 7-5 6-4 4-6 6-2

Guillermo Canas def. Dieter Kindlmann, 3-6 7-5 5-7 6-0 7-5

Victor Hanescu def. Jan Hernych, 3-6 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-4) 8-6

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Women's Draw

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Serena Williams def. Yuan Meng, 6-3 6-2

Elena Dementieva def. Kristina Barrois, 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-1

Venus Williams def. Angelique Kerber, 6-3 6-3

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Anastasia Rodionova, 6-2 3-6 6-3

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 6-1

Flavia Pennetta def. Mara Santangelo, 6-2 5-7 6-2

Victoria Azarenka def. Petra Kvitova, 6-2 6-1

Patty Schnyder def. Kristina Mladenovic, 2-6 6-4 6-2

Dominika Cibulkova def. Chanelle Scheepers, 6-0 6-0

Amélie Mauresmo def. Olga Govortsova, 6-4 6-3

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Isabella Holland, 6-1 7-5

Zheng Jie def. Camille Pin, 6-3 6-3

Peng Shuai def. Francesca Schiavone, 7-6 (7-4) 6-1

Sabine Lisicki def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-4 6-3

Alona Bondarenko def. Olivia Rogowska, 5-7 6-3 6-2

María José Martínez Sánchez def. Tamarine Tanasugarn, 7-5 6-3

Iveta Benesova def. Vera Dushevina, 6-4 0-6 6-2

Gisela Dulko def. Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-3 5-7 6-3

Carla Suárez Navarro def. Roberta Vinci, 7-5 6-4

Samantha Stosur def. Klara Zakopalova, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-0)

Tathiana Garbin def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-4 2-6 7-5

Virginie Razzano def. Jarmila Gajdosova, 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-4

Chan Yung-Jan def. Hsieh Su-Wei, 6-3 6-3

Akgul Amanmuradova def. Melanie Oudin, 6-1 6-4

Melinda Czink def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-2 6-2

Lourdes Domínguez Lino def. Ekaterina Bychkova, 6-3 6-0

Julie Coin def. Elena Vesnina, 6-4 4-6 6-1

Severine Brémond def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-2 6-1

Tatjana Malek def. Ayumi Morita, 7-6 (7-4) 6-2

Elena Baltacha def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-1 6-4

Sesil Karatantcheva def. Nuria Llagostera Vives, 2-6 6-1 6-2

Jessica Moore def. Christina McHale, 1-6 6-3 9-7

Feeling Sorry for Sorana

Dinara Safina doesn't seem to have let that heartbreaker of a loss to Dominika Cibulkova in Perth slow her down - if anything, it seems to have given her motivation to absolutely pound on her opponents, and poor Sorana Cirstea was today's victim. Dude, I would not have liked to be in Sorana's shoes. Dinara absolutely smashed her. If she keeps playing like this (Dinara, that is, not Sorana) she is a real shot for the Aussie Open... and I bet she was chuckling when Cibulkova went down softly to Wozniacki. I was a bit sad about that, actually - much as I'm on Team Dinara, I really like Cibulkova's pocket rocket style of play, and a rematch could have been interesting... especially if Dinara went in with the mindset she seemed to have gone in with against Cirstea!

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There were no upsets of note in either Sydney or Auckland for the blokes - though Igor Andreev was looking like he was in trouble for a while there against Frank Dancevic, who may not be very highly ranked but has proved to be a little dangerous on occasion. (I believe his power lies in his bandanna, if he still wears it - he wore it when I watched him play Nieminen at last year's Aussie Open, and it was up there with Stepanek's shirt for sheer stupidity) The only really iffy one was Juan Carlos Ferrero beating Kei Nishikori, but that was by retirement... I hope Kei is all right! I want him to go far, far, far! He's a Star!

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The women's side, by contrast, was a little more up-and-down. It seems to me like pretty much anyone who's anyone is playing in Sydney for the women this week - with the exception of the two Serbian girls. Who would pick players of the calibre of Nadia Petrova (seeded #7) and Alize Cornet (unseeded) meeting in the first round? Cornet is ranked #15 - you'd normally get a pretty decent seed based on that ranking. Petrova is #11 and Wozniacki is #8 - Cornet'd be next in line, I guess. But still, in how many tournaments are you going to see two top twenty players meeting in the first round? I bet both of them were pretty filthy with that draw... especially Petrova, coming off viral meningitis last week. You want a nice easy qualifier or something to warm up against... instead, you get Alize Cornet.

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This could have been a great match if it'd happened a little later in the week and Petrova had played her way into form a bit. As it was, Cornet pretty much snapped her in half. I am loving the look of Alize at the moment - probably not a finals run yet, but I could see her in the quarters of the Australian. And on that subject, no Sharapova! I am feeling the loss so tragically. Really. Feel my pain. I mean, sure, she's the defending champ and all, and it's sad that she can't defend her title, but we've coped just fine without her for a while now - I'm sure we'll manage somehow. (Meanwhile, does anyone else think that there must be a lot of dislike between Sharapova and Ivanovic - especially from Sharapova to Ivanovic? Ana has pretty much run off with the mantle of the glamour girl of tennis... have we moved beyond Maria?)

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And what is up with Casey Dellacqua? She went down ridiculously softly to Sara Errani, which I would not have expected. She wasn't looking that good in Perth either - is the pressure of backing up what she did last year getting to her?

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Today's Results

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Medibank International (Sydney)

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Men's Draw

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Igor Andreev def. Frank Dancevic, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Tommy Robredo def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-3 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen def. Feliciano Lopez, 6-2 7-6 (11-9)

Mario Ancic def. Xavier Malisse, 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

Michael Llodra def. Denis Gremelmayr, 6-0 6-2

Simone Bolelli def. Potito Starace, 7-6 (7-1) 6-4

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Women's Draw

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Dinara Safina def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-2 6-1

Elena Dementieva def. Ekaterina Makarova, 7-5 6-1

Alizé Cornet def. Nadia Petrova, 6-2 6-4

Caroline Wozniacki def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova def. Klara Zakopalova, 6-3 6-0

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-1 3-6 6-3

Kaia Kanepi def. Angelique Kerber, 6-1 7-5

Ai Sugiyama def. Jill Craybas, 6-2 6-3

Alisa Kleybanova def. Maria Kirilenko, 6-2 6-2

Sara Errani def. Casey Dellacqua, 6-1 6-2

Vera Dushevina def. Emelyn Starr, 6-0 6-1

Melanie South def. Marion Bartoli, 1-1 retired

Jarmila Gajdosova def. Karin Knapp, 6-4 6-2

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Heineken Open (Auckland)

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Sam Querrey def. Daniel King-Turner, 6-4 7-5

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Kei Nishikori, 5-3 retired

Viktor Troicki def. Igor Kunitsyn, 6-1 6-2

Robby Ginepri def. Jose Rubin Statham, 6-2 6-3

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Moorilla Hobart International (Hobart)

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Flavia Pennetta def. Shahar Peer, 6-2 7-6 (7-5)

Carla Suárez Navarro def. Anna Chakvetadze, 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-5

Zheng Jie def. Marina Erakovic, 6-1 4-6 6-1

Anne Keothavong def. Agnes Szavay, 6-3 7-5

Urszula Radwanska def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Olivia Rogowska, 6-3 6-1

Olga Govortsova def. Jessica Moore, 6-0 6-3

Gisela Dulko def. Stefanie Voegele, 6-2 6-3

Virginie Razzano def. Maria Elena Camerin, 6-1 6-2

Mara Santangelo def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-1 6-1

Melinda Czink def. Tathiana Garbin, 6-2 1-6 7-5

Crying For Kiwi

I never used to think much of Nicolas Kiefer, but my heart is absolutely breaking for him right now. Germany stood such a good chance of getting through to the Hopman Cup final, even though Lisicki did lose her match against Cibulkova, and then he had to go and just about snap his ankle in half... seriously, I nearly cried when he got wheeled off court with all that ice strapped to his leg. He just looked so sad - and it is such a crying shame, because that Germany/Slovak Republic tie was shaping up to be a real cracker. And this has to put him in doubt, if not totally out of contention, for the Aussie Open, and even though he hasn't been winning much this week, he has shown some superlative form and had some great battles. Poor Kiwi - and, by extension, poor Sabine Lisicki, robbed of her shot at the final because of some stupid accident.

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That means, of course, that the finalists of the Hopman Cup will be the Slovak team of Cibulkova and Hrbaty, and (hurrah!) Russia, who went 3-0 in the group stages, despite going 2-1 every time. This time the 1 was Safin losing to Simon, but that wasn't wholly unexpected - not only is Marat Marat, but Simon is a top ten player and in pretty good nick right now. So it all hinged on the doubles - a Russian win would see them through, a French straight sets win would see the French through and a three set win would see the Italians through. But even though I stand firmly by my claim that Marat = crap at doubles, he turned it up a notch (thanks Dinara - I think we have you to be grateful for!) and they pulled it out, those plucky siblings. So of course I am madly excited for the final tonight - though it is a shame that we won't see the Germans there. I was looking forward to a Lisicki/Safina rematch, considering what happened at last year's Aussie Open... and also I think Lisicki is a genuine Star of the Future. Actually, she is going to be my first female inductee into the Stars club. You heard it here first!

*

Meanwhile, how about fuzzy Gael Monfils taking out the Rafinator in Doha? I so did not expect that one. I suppose Monfils is a genuinely dangerous player when he's on song, but he's on song so rarely that I thus rarely consider him a major danger - and Rafa isn't someone that has many off-days. I didn't see the match so I can't really comment, but what happened? Did La Monf play insanely well or did Rafa crash and burn?

*

Roger, on the other hand, got through pretty comfortably against Kohlschreiber by the looks of things. He'll meet Murray now, and with Rafa out, this really is the final. You've got to back whomever comes through this one to take out the winner of La Monf and Roddick - and my money is, as always, on the Mighty Mighty Fed. This'd be a great start to the season - and the more points he can put between himself and that damn beatnik Djokovic the better, in my book, especially now Djokovic has that wildcard into Sydney... I hope he loses early there too. Because that would be funny.

*

Marin Cilic is flying the Star flag high and proud in Chennai - here's hoping he can fly it all the way to the title! Kei Nishikori, unfortunately, went down to Paul-Henri Mathieu in Brisbane, but I suppose we can't have everything. Paulo really has been a Star-killer this week, taking out two of my best boys! But he has been playing very well - he was outstanding in his match against Gulbis. He has a great backhand - I'd never really noticed before. He'll play Verdasco next, and I would not be surprised if Nando went the same way as his girl - that is, down. Apparently Ana is seeking treatment for stomach problems... I would be seeking ball toss therapy if I were her. Not to belittle the rest of her game or anything, but if you have such a fundamental part of your serve so manky, then surely it's going to affect everything else...?

*

And kudos to Anne Keothavong for being the first British woman in about nine thousand years to make it to the semis of a tournament - even if it was by retirement! I'll be pulling for her to win the title... yeah, it's the Brit in me. So sue me.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Harry Hopman Cup (Perth)

*

Russia 2, France 1

*

Dinara Safina def. Alize Cornet, 6-3 6-2

Gilles Simon def. Marat Safin, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Safina/Safin def. Cornet/Simon, 6-4 6-3

*

*

Slovak Republic 3, Germany 0

*

Dominika Cibulkova def. Sabine Lisicki, 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Dominik Hrbaty def. Nicolas Kiefer, 1-3 retired

Cibulkova/Hrbaty def. Lisicki/Kiefer, walkover

*

*

USA 2, Australia 1

*

Casey Dellacqua def. Meghann Shaughnessy, 6-3 6-4

James Blake def. Lleyton Hewitt, 6-2 6-2

Shaughnessy/Blake def. Dellacqua/Hewitt, 6-3 5-7 10-6 (match tiebreaker)

*

*

Italy 3, Chinese Taipei 0

*

Flavia Pennetta def. Hsieh Su-Wei, 7-5 6-3

Simone Bolelli def. Lu Yen-Hsun, walkover

Pennetta/Bolelli def. Hsieh/Lu, walkover

*

*

Brisbane International (Brisbane)

*

Men's Draw

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Fernando Verdasco def. Florent Serra, 4-6 6-0 6-3

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Kei Nishikori, 6-3 6-4

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Amélie Mauresmo def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-3 6-2

Victoria Azarenka def. Lucie Safarova, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Marion Bartoli def. Tathiana Garbin, 6-3 6-3

Sara Errani def. Olga Govortsova, 6-3 6-3

*

*

Chennai Open (Chennai)

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Marin Cilic def. Denis Istomin, 6-0 6-4

Ivo Karlovic def. Ivo Minar, 6-1 6-4

Rainer Schuettler def. Simon Greul, 6-4 6-2

Somdev Devvarman def. Carlos Moya, 4-6 7-5 6-4

Janko Tipsarevic def. Dudi Sela, 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Marcel Granollers def. Andreas Beck, 6-4 6-1

Bjorn Phau def. Flavio Cipolla, 6-1 6-2

*

*

Qatar Exxonmobil Open (Doha)

*

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

Roger Federer def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-2 7-6 (8-6)

Andy Murray def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-4 6-2

Andy Roddick def. Victor Hanescu, 6-3 6-2

*

*

ASB Classic (Auckland)

*

Elena Dementieva def. Shahar Peer, 6-3 6-1

Elena Vesnina def. Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3 0-6 6-3

Anne Keothavong def. Ayumi Morita, 6-0 retired

Aravane Rezai def. Edina Gallovits, 6-3 6-2

Close Encounters of the Female Kind

The day of close matches. Seriously, how many nailbiters were there today? Largely, these were on the women's side, and it's a rare day that I prefer women's tennis over men's, but oh! there were some exciting matches today! Dinara Safina and Hsieh Su-Wei was a gun of a match - I'm so glad Dinara pulled that one out, otherwise Russia would have lost the tie! Ana Ivanovic and Roberta Vinci was enthralling - Vinci had match points, but Ivanovic had other ideas... But the real cracker for me was Amelie Mauresmo against Julie Coin. That tiebreaker... I wasn't going for either of them, and I was still biting my nails.

*

So maybe Julie Coin isn't just a onetime Ivanovic-beating fluke after all, eh? She may not have triumphed against Mauresmo, but she damn near did - and she has some awesome skills. I was much more impressed with her than I was with, say, Ivanovic. I wasn't keen on Ana at all last night. Looks? Check. Massive groundstrokes? Check. Netplay? Check. Serve? Check, except... seriously, she has the worst balltoss in the entire world. The commentators were discussing it, but I think I should reiterate - BADNESS. It'd go to the right, to the left, over her head... anywhere except where it was meant to go.

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Back to Hopman Cup, and Marat backed it up! I was impressed. Dinara needs to snap back into it - she could so easily have lost her match - but onya, Marat. Unfortunately, they still bite at doubles, but I guess you can't have everything...

*

And Ernests couldn't back it up. Which is sad. But he still beat Djokovic - who has pinched some other well-deserving player's wildcard into Sydney. But the flag is still flying for the Stars - Kei Nishikori upset Tomas Berdych. I would love Kei to go deep!

*

And Kolya is out of the Australian Open. It's horrible, but I doubt anyone will notice he's gone...

*

*

Today's Results

*

Harry Hopman Cup (Perth)

*

Germany 2, USA 1

*

Sabine Lisicki def. Meghann Shaughnessy, 4-6 6-0 6-4

James Blake def. Nicolas Kiefer, 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (9-7) 4-6

Lisicki/Kiefer def. Shaughnessy/Blake, 6-3 3-6 10-7 (match tiebreaker)

*

*

Russia 2, Chinese Taipei 1

*

Dinara Safina def. Hsieh Su-Wei, 4-6 6-2 7-5

Marat Safin def. Lu Yen-Hsun, 7-6 (8-6) 7-5

Hsieh/Lu def. Safina/Safin, 4-6 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreaker)

*

*

Brisbane International (Brisbane)

*

Men's Draw

*

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Jarkko Nieminen, 0-6 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5)

Fernando Verdasco def. Mario Ancic, 6-2 6-3

Kei Nishikori def. Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (9-7) 6-3

Radek Stepanek def. Michael Llodra, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Ernests Gulbis, 6-3 6-4

Florent Serra def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-4 6-3

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Ana Ivanovic def. Roberta Vinci, 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-1

Amélie Mauresmo def. Julie Coin, 5-7 6-2 7-6 (13-11)

Sara Errani def. Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-3

Olga Govortsova def. Sesil Karatantcheva, 6-0 5-7 7-5

*

*

Chennai Open (Chennai)

*

Lukas Dlouhy def. Nikolay Davydenko, walkover

*

*

Qatar Exxonmobil Open (Doha)

*

Rafael Nadal def. Karol Beck, 6-1 6-2

Roger Federer def. Andreas Seppi, 6-3 6-3

Andy Murray def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-2 6-4

Andy Roddick def. Arnaud Clement, 6-3 7-5

Gael Monfils def. Nicolas Devilder, 7-5 7-6 (7-4)

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Kristof Vliegen, 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4

Victor Hanescu def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2 6-4

Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Alexander Peya, 7-5 6-3

*

*

ASB Classic (Auckland)

*

Elena Dementieva def. Marina Erakovic, 6-2 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki def. Jill Craybas, 6-4 7-5

Edina Gallovits def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-3 6-3

Ayumi Morita def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 7-5 6-2

Shahar Peer def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-3 4-6 6-2

Elena Vesnina def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-4 6-3

Aravane Rezai def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-2 6-3

Anne Keothavong def. Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-2 6-4

Those Halcyon Days

The full lineup for the Brisbane International has been announced - hurrah! The closest thing to news we've had in days! And I still have no desire to attend! Brilliant!

*

Remember when there used to be tournaments and things to write about? Ah, those halcyon days...

*

The men's is headlined by Novak Djokovic (spit spit) but the real highlights for me will be Jo-W Tsonga, Ernests Gulbis (could this be his breakthrough tournament? Please, Ernests! You're a Grand Slam quarter-finalist!), Kei Nishikori (Star power) and Marcos Baghdatis. I'm sorry, but when did Marcos fall to #99? Surely he should have a protected ranking or some such? He was injured, yes - but if his ranking keeps sliding he's going to find himself in qualifying for the Aussie Open, and that's not a place you generally find ex-finalists... though maybe the powers that be at Tennis Australia would have mercy and give him a wildcard. He's been carded into Brisbane, after all...

*

...actually, wouldn't it be lovely to see Marcos win? It's been so long - I'd forgotten how much I really do like him. Ah, smiley happy Marcos.

*

Though there is the Ernests factor, after all. I'd love to see him win. If only there was a nice girl from Latvia he could play Hopman Cup with... instead of this stupid Brisbane tournament. What was wrong with Adelaide and the Gold Coast? I liked those tournaments, damn it! My home town lost its tournament a few years back (Ana Ivanovic's first ever tour victory was in my city!) - why are the number of tournaments just getting smaller and smaller?

*

Speaking of Ana, she's headlining the girls, with Victoria Azarenka, Li Na and Sam Stosur singing back up. I'm being patriotic and backing Sam for this one. It's about time she got a title in the bag after her brush with Lyme disease...

Talking Hopman

Well, Marat Safin's tennis year must be pretty much over now, with that loss in Paris. I'm a bit annoyed about that one - a player of his talent should be able to pound someone like Juan Monaco into the ground. But that's Safin for you, I guess. And if we reflect on his tennis year, it's been better than the past couple. He made a final and a couple of quarters, as well as a Slam semi on his least favourite surface. That's not so bad.

*

Though who ever thought we'd be saying that about Marat Safin?

*

Marin Cilic had a win, though, on a happier note - though, may I ask, where is Ernests Gulbis this tournament? He didn't appear to be on the draw when I did the bracket challenge. That sucks, as he is all awesome and stuff. Maybe next year - which is the same thing I can say for Marat Safin. Maybe next year will be the year. I am hoping that playing Hopman Cup with his sister will be awesome for Marat. Maybe he'll pick up on whatever it is that's making her so fabulous. I am absolutely dying to go - when else will I get the chance to see the Safin(a) siblings playing together? But it is in Perth... and my boss just might kill me...

*

There have been six teams announced so far out of the eight for the Hopman Cup, and it looks like it'll be a great competition. We have Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua for Australia, Marat and Dinara for Russia (made of awesome!), Dominik Hrbaty and Dominika Cibulkova for the Slovak Republic (I had a vague notion he'd retired - guess not), Flavia Pennetta and Simone Bolelli for Italy, Alize Cornet and Gilles Simon for France and Nicolas Kiefer and Sabine Lisicki for Germany. There are two more teams to go, and there are just so many possibilities! One of the teams has to be from Asia, I think - I'm pretty sure one of the spots is reserved for the winner of the Asian Hopman Cup, which was Chinese Taipei last year. I wouldn't mind seeing Japan coming through this year - how about Kei Nishikori and Ai Sugiyama for you? I'd love to see Kei in particular play Hopman.

*

Who else could we have? I'd love to see Federer and Schnyder play for Switzerland because I think they'd be a rad doubles team, but I think the chances of that are less than zero. Federer's played Hopman Cup before - with Hingis and with his girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec - so I guess it's kind of 'been there, done that' for him. I'd love to see Rafa or Ferru play with Anabel Medina Garrigues or Nuria Llagostera Vives, but again, I think the chances are pretty low. There was a great Serbian team last year, Djokovic and Jankovic, but I don't think they'll be coming back... unless we get, say, Tipsarevic and Ivanovic, which could be fun. How about Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong? If only there were a nice Latvian girl or Croatian girl for Gulbis or Cilic to play with. That would be big fun. And are there any Argentinian women that play tennis? There are so many guys, but I seriously can't think of one girl.

*

But there is world enough and time for Hopman Cup. This week is Paris-Bercy, so I should probably talk about that I guess... Federer's definitely playing! He's never won this one before, so I'm cheering for him bigtime!

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*

Today's Results

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BNP Paribas Masters (Paris)

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Marin Cilic def. Andreas Seppi, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Nicolas Kiefer def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-4 7-5

Mario Ancic def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-4 3-6 6-1

Sam Querrey def. Marcos Baghdatis, 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 3-2 retired

Tomas Berdych def. Robby Ginepri, 6-4 7-5

Juan Monaco def. Marat Safin, 6-0 7-6 (7-4)

Simone Bolelli def. Jarkko Nieminen, 7-5 6-4

Igor Andreev def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 7-6 (8-6) 6-3

Feliciano Lopez def. Janko Tipsarevic, 6-3 6-4

*

*

Bell Challenge (Quebec)

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Julie Ditty def. Urszula Radwanska, 7-6 (7-1) 6-2

Valérie Tétreault def. Mathilde Johansson, 6-1 7-5

Praying for the Dinara Magic

Well, it's a rare tournament in which Marat Safin does better than his little sister, but he's done it this time. To be fair, he didn't have to do much - I thought he could beat Mischa Zverev as long as he didn't have a total collapse, but it turns out he didn't need to: he got handed a walkover. So it's Safin in the final - God, this must be his first final in a while - where he'll play Igor Kunitsyn. Now, he is totally capable of beating Kunitsyn. He has beaten Kunitsyn three times - and this is all in 2006 and 2007, which were definitely not Marat's best years. If he plays well, he can beat Kunitsyn with his eyes closed. Whether he does or not is another matter. We can just cross our fingers and hope some of that Dinara magic wears off.

*

Not that the Dinara magic worked too well for Dinara herself this time round - she got beaten in straight sets by Vera Zvonareva. But I suppose the girl can't have all the Tier I love. She's being kind and sharing it around - and being so nervous for Marat she forgets about herself. That's my theory, anyway. I am not unduly bothered. Dinara is still my favourite female player.

*

Though what a weird match the other women's semi was, Jankovic vs. Dementieva? What kind of score is 0-6 6-1 6-0? Did something happen to Dementieva - or did Jankovic just ratchet it up? If that's the case, she's got one hell of a gear shift.

*

Kei Nishikori also went out today - he got pretty convincingly crushed by Robin Soderling. Oh well, can't win 'em all, I guess: and to get to the semis ain't no mean feat. It'd be nice to see Soderling actually do something and win a title, to tell the truth - he's one of those dangerous floaters in a draw, but he never actually wins anything, so he's never seeded, which is a shame, because he certainly has a lot of ability. I would like him to win the final... I certainly don't want David Nalbandian to go on one of those indoor court hot streaks again - though it would make for a very interesting Davis Cup final (now being played at Mar del Plata. Go figure.)

*

And kudos also to Philipp Petzschner, the qualifer than beat top seed Stan Wawrinka in Vienna this week, and who is now in the final. He plays Gael Monfils. Personally, I'm cheering for the underdog. Go Philipp! I have never heard of you and have no idea what kind of tennis you play, but I'm cheering for you, man. Pull a Darcis!

*

And big congratulations also go to the winners of the Optus under-16 Australian Championships, Elizabeth Searl and Jason Kubler. Here's hoping that we have another couple here that will make it big, when the time is right - join the Tomic revolution!

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Today's Results

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Kremlin Cup (Moscow)

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Men's Draw

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Marat Safin def. Mischa Zverev, walkover

Igor Kunitsyn def. Fabrice Santoro, 6-4 6-3

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Jelena Jankovic def. Elena Dementieva, 0-6 6-1 6-0

Vera Zvonareva def. Dinara Safina, 6-2 7-6 (7-5)

*

*

If Stockholm Open (Stockholm)

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David Nalbandian def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-2 6-1

Robin Soderling def. Kei Nishikori, 6-1 6-0

*

*

Bank Austria Tennis Classic (Vienna)

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Gael Monfils def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7-2)

Philipp Petzschner def. Feliciano Lopez, 3-6 6-3 6-3

A Good Day in the Safin(a) Household

Well, I bet it's a happy night tonight in the Safin(a) household. Both Marat and Dinara had great wins today, against excellent fellow Russians - Dinara took out Svetlana Kuznetsova, which is hardly surprising, considering Kuznetsova's recent headcaseness and Dinara's lack of it, but more surprisingly, the big guy took out Nikolay Davydenko, to whom he has lost, like, nine hundred times in a row. This puts Marat in the semis of an event - something we don't see often and haven't seen since (I can't believe I'm saying this) Wimbledon.

*

He's playing Mischa Zverev next, which is a match you think he ought to be able to win, though you never know with Marat. I place no bets and make no claims. I merely hope. I hope sincerely that the wheels don't fall off and that this win over Davydenko wasn't all he had left in the tank. I hope that Dinara has a good talk to him about focus, because she has plenty and to spare.

*

It's a pretty strange set of semi-finalists in Moscow, actually - Safin is the only seed left. In the other semi, there's Santoro (of whom I am very fond, as he plays fun tennis) and Kunitsyn. There's a shot at an all-Russian final, which I'm sure would make the organisers happy. Actually, over in the girls, an Russian final is a possibility as well - Jankovic is the odd duck out among Safina, Zvonareva and Dementieva. You'd like Jankovic to get the final - but then, you never know when she's going to injure herself and the suchlike.

*

Elsewhere, I am glad that my Star Kei Nishikori got through - with the demise of Jeremy Chardy, he's the only one left - but I wish it didn't have to be this way. He got a walkover against Ancic, who's out with bronchitis and a fever. Poor Super Mario - I hope he's okay. He's a bad time of it with the illness and all - I know the glandular fever knocked Federer about, but it has messed with Ancic big time, the poor guy. The team here at Tennis From The Backseat (...ie. me...) wish him a heartfelt get well soon!

*

Speaking of Federer, I'm glad he's playing Madrid next week - I want him to defend his points, and make better on them, if he can. Rafa has a good chance of extending his lead, as he rarely does well in the indoor court season and thus has little to defend and a lot to gain, and I'd rather not see that lead get too much bigger, for much as I like Rafa, Roger is my special favourite and always will be.

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Meanwhile, on the front page of today's Sydney Morning Herald is some nefarious plot from Sydney to steal the Australian Open when Melbourne's contract expires in 2016 - and apparently Shanghai, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have similar plans. I don't like this idea AT ALL. Much as having the Open in Sydney would be lightyears more convenient for me, it BELONGS in Melbourne. And if it were to move overseas... how I would ever see any tennis, ever? Yes, that's selfish, but I don't care. The Australian Open belongs in Melbourne, and that's all there is to it.

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Today's Results

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Kremlin Cup (Moscow)

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Men's Draw

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Marat Safin def. Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-4

Fabrice Santoro def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-3 2-0 retired

Mischa Zverev def. Viktor Troicki, 6-4 3-6 7-5

Igor Kunitsyn def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-4 6-2

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Jelena Jankovic def. Flavia Pennetta, 7-6 (8-6) 6-3

Dinara Safina def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4 7-5

Elena Dementieva def. Nadia Petrova, 6-4 4-6 7-6 (8-6)

Vera Zvonareva def. Dominika Cibulkova, 7-5 6-4

*

*

If Stockholm Open (Stockholm)

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David Nalbandian def. Albert Montanes, 6-4 6-1

Kei Nishikori def. Mario Ancic, walkover

Jarkko Nieminen def. Oscar Hernandez, 6-1 6-4

Robin Soderling def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-2 7-5

*

*

Bank Austria Tennis Classic (Vienna)

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Gael Monfils def. Fernando Gonzalez, 6-3 7-6 (7-2)

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-2 6-3

Feliciano Lopez def. Jurgen Melzer, 4-6 6-3 6-4

Philipp Petzschner def. Carlos Moya, 6-4 6-2

Mirnyi Lays Down The Law

First things first: I know there's lots of proper grown up tennis going on in the world at the moment, but I have to say the result I found most exciting was in the Optus under-12 National Championships, where little Ashleigh Barty and Li Tu took out the titles. Not having seen either of them play, I can make no real comment, but the fact that such an event exists and the standard is reportedly so high is a very good sign for the future of Australian tennis. Here's hoping these kids grow up into something spectacular, so I can look back at this post when I'm thirty, thirty-five, and say, 'I told you so.'

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No major upsets in the grown up tennis world today, unless you count Juan Martin del Potro, who was technically beaten, but it was a walkover, so I don't know if that counts. The only other seeded player to be beaten was Janko Tipsarevic, who got knocked out in Moscow by Viktor Troicki. I saw Troicki play Nadal at the Australian Open this year, and though Nadal beat him in straights, he played very well and held a couple of set points, so it's nice to see that potential come through.

*

Speaking of potential, Star of the Future Kei Nishikori had a good win over Dominik Hrbaty - I know Hrbaty isn't exactly the best, most in-form player on the circuit right now, but a win is a win, and I am very proud of my Kei. For he is one of mine, and that is something. And yay for Marat, who strung a second win onto his first one! He beat Julien Benneteau, despite Benneteau handing him a bagel in the second set.

*

And a big shout out to Max Mirnyi, who got his degree! I find it incredible how some of these players can find time to study when you consider the rigorous life of a tennis player - I mean, I know Ancic earned his degree while he was off with glandular fever, but it takes years to earn a degree - particularly a law degree, which is what both of these guys now have. They both must have been studying like crazy. I have major kudos for both of them. I find it hard enough to study in my own life - I can't imagine what it would be like if you had to deal with being a professional athlete as well. Particularly writing a thesis, which both of them did - Mirnyi's was about the human rights of children, and Ancic's about the legal status of the ATP, or somesuch. I'm putting the finishing touches on my thesis now, and it has consumed my whole life. I can't imagine having to spend hours and hours and hours training and playing and whatnot every single day. And I don't know about Ancic, but Mirnyi has a family, as well. Max, you are a machine. I salute you.

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Today's Results

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Kremlin Cup (Moscow)

*

Men's Draw

*

Nikolay Davydenko, def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-1 6-1

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Dudi Sela, 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-0)

Marat Safin def. Julien Benneteau, 6-4 0-6 6-2

Viktor Troicki def. Janko Tipsarevic, 6-3 6-4

Mischa Zverev def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-2 2-6 6-1

Igor Kunitsyn def. Robby Ginepri, 6-4 6-3

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Jelena Jankovic def. Vera Dushevina, 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-2

Vera Zvonareva def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-1 6-0

Nadia Petrova def. Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4 3-2 retired

Flavia Pennetta def. Ekaterina Makarova, 3-6 6-4 6-4

*

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If Stockholm Open (Stockholm)

*

David Nalbandian def. Joachim Johansson, 6-3 6-2

Mario Ancic def. Steve Darcis, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen def. Arnaud Clement, 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2

Robin Soderling def. Juan Monaco, 6-3 6-3

Albert Montanes def. George Bastl, 1-6 6-3 6-2

Kei Nishikori def. Dominik Hrbaty, 6-1 1-6 7-5

*

*

Bank Austria Tennis Trophy (Vienna)

*

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Juan Martin Del Potro, walkover

Gael Monfils def. Radek Stepanek, 6-4 6-3

Feliciano Lopez def. Santiago Giraldo, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Jurgen Melzer def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

Safin's Senior Moment

Well, it's nice to know Marat Safin pays attention to what's going on in his matches. He had his 400th career win today - nice one, Maratski! - which he won by breaking Noam Okun to take the match 6-4 in the third. However, with all that close attention he was paying to the score, he thought it was 6-5 and headed to his chair for a changeover. I bet, for a few seconds, Okun thought that was one hell of a snub. But the chair umpire eventually told Marat what was going on, he was embarassed, and it was all in good fun.

*

Is this the week Safin comes close to winning the title? Wouldn't it be nice for him to do it in Moscow, his self-professed favourite place?

*

I won't be holding my breath. I'm just hoping Marat can manage another win - you know, to make it two in a row. That's something we haven't seen much of since Wimbledon (who ever thought that'd be a sentence you could say of Marat Safin - that Wimbledon was his best result in a tennis year? I bet Marat himself never dreamed it.)

*

Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka, what happened there? I'm gunning for him to reach Shanghai, but if he loses in the first round of tournaments in which he is the top seed to schlep qualifiers - ie. Vienna, to Philipp 'who?' Petzschner - then he's not going to have a prayer. Sure, it was a third set breaker, but a win is a win, and a loss is a loss, and Stan, I am so not happy with you right now. Get it together and give Roger someone to hang out with at the Masters Cup, would you?

*

Two people that did have wins in Vienna today were Eduardo Schwank, who is beginning to edge his way back from Star hanger-on status, and Ernests Gulbis, my special favourite. Schwank took out Gilles Simon, which is no mean feat - Simon was the seventh seed, and we must remember that he's had a hard-court win over Federer this year (outdoor, but still.) Nice one, Eduardo. Ernests took out Filippo Volandri, who is not seeded but still a good player nonetheless, and did it pretty well. Top work there, Swanboy.

*

Oh, and nice one to Pim-Pim as well, who had a win. Top stuff.

*

Wouldn't it just be the nicest week this week if Safin won in Moscow and Gulbis won in Vienna? I'm ambivalent on Stockholm - I was gunning for Federer, but he's pulled out, and no one has as yet piqued my interest... oh, I know! Nishikori. That's my ideal trifecta this week. Let's see how we go...

*

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Today's Results

*

Kremlin Cup (Moscow)

*

Men's Draw

*

Nikolay Davydenko def. Florent Serra, 6-1 7-5

Denis Istomin def. Michael Llodra, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Janko Tipsarevic def. Alexandre Kudryavtsev, 4-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6)

Dudi Sela def. Victor Hanescu, 6-3 3-6 6-2

Julien Benneteau def. Harel Levy, 6-4 6-3

Viktor Troicki def. Evgeny Donskoy, 6-1 6-3

Robby Ginepri def. Jiri Vanek, 6-3 6-4

Marat Safin def. Noam Okun, 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-4

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Li Na, 6-4 7-5

Flavia Pennetta def. Venus Williams, 6-4 2-6 6-4

Vera Zvonareva def. Maria Kirilenko, 6-4 6-4

Daniela Hantuchova def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-3 6-2

Katarina Srebotnik def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-2 6-1

Sara Errani def. Victoria Azarenka, 1-6 6-4 6-3

Ekaterina Makarova def. Elena Vesnina, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1)

*

*

If Stockholm Open (Stockholm)

*

David Nalbandian def. Bobby Reynolds, 6-1 6-1

Mario Ancic def. Olivier Rochus, 7-6 (8-6) 6-2

Rainer Schuettler def. Chris Guccione, 6-0 6-3

Jose Acasuso def. Matthias Bachinger, 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 7-6 (7-4)

Steve Darcis def. Christophe Rochus, 2-6 6-3 6-3

Juan Monaco def. Jonas Bjorkman, 6-2 6-4

Joachim Johansson def. Nicolas Mahut, 7-5 7-6 (7-5)

Oscar Hernandez def. Ivo Minar, 6-4 6-3

*

*

Bank Austria Tennis Trophy (Vienna)
*

Philipp Petzschner def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 7-6 (7-5)

Fernando Gonzalez def. Simone Bolelli, 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2

Eduardo Schwank def. Gilles Simon, 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-5)

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Marc Gicquel, 6-2 6-2

Radek Stepanek def. Pavel Snobel, 6-4 6-2

Ernests Gulbis def. Filippo Volandri, 6-2 6-3

Santiago Giraldo def. Stefan Koubek, 6-1 6-2

Jurgen Melzer def. Ivan Ljubicic, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

Pim-Pim Returns

So what's this I hear about Joachim Johansson having a wildcard in Stockholm this week? Didn't he retire?

*

...a little research shows that he's making a comeback. I don't really know that much about Pim-Pim, but hasn't he tried this comeback lark before? I seem to recall it didn't work so well. He has a chronic shoulder injury or something. I mean, I'm sure all this rest will have done him a world of good, but will it really work out, if the injury was bad enough to force him into retirement?

*

I guess he and his doctors know better than me. I will watch his comeback with scepticism - though I have no objection to being wrong. It'd be nice to see a comeback go right, since they so rarely do.

*

I had two of my Stars in action today, and both of them won, which was nice. One of them, Jeremy Chardy, is one of my forgotten Stars - he's kind of been relegated to hanger-on status with Eduardo Schwank, so it's nice to see him back in action and doin g well. He took out Potito Starace, who I am under the impression is no slouch, so nice work there, Jeremy: keep it up, and you can be back in with the big boys in the Stars club.

*

One of the Stars who definitely is one of the big boys is wee Kei Nishikori, and he had a great victory today over Marcel Granollers, who was the eighth seed. Isn't this kid just something else? He may have suffered a tough loss in Tokyo, but it was a few rounds in, and he had some good victories first. That's what's so good about him - and also about Marin Cilic in particular. They may not win titles all the time, but you can rely on them to make it in a round or two. They very rarely suffer first round losses, unless they're playing someone really excellent, like Federer or Nadal or someone. This is a very good omen for the future, I think: consistency is one of the most important attributes a player can have, in my humble opinion.

*

And how about Juan Carlos Ferrero upsetting Ivo Karlovic? He's a Star of the Past, for sure - his heyday was about 2003 - but I do like seeing him do well. He keeps hanging in there - he's tenacious, and I dig that. Good on you, JC!

*

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Today's Results

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Kremlin Cup (Moscow)

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Men's Draw

*

Jeremy Chardy def. Potito Starace, 3-6 6-1 6-4

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Nicolas Devilder, 6-2 6-4

Fabrice Santoro def. Yuri Schukin, 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Igor Andreev def. Yen-hsun Lu, 6-2 retired

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Dominika Cibulkova def. Marion Bartoli, 6-1 4-1 retired

Amélie Mauresmo def. Alizé Cornet, 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-4

Vera Dushevina def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-1 3-6 6-3

*

*

If Stockholm Open (Stockholm)

*

Dominik Hrbaty def. Pablo Andujar, 6-2 6-1

Nicolas Lapentti def. Ivan Navarro, 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5

Kei Nishikori def. Marcel Granollers, 2-6 6-4 6-2

*

*

Bank Austria Tennis Trophy (Vienna)

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Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-4 7-6 (7-4)

Fernando Verdasco def. Victor Crivoi, 6-4 6-4

Guillermo Canas def. Andreas Seppi, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Jan Hernych def. Roko Karanusic, 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5)

Feliciano Lopez def. Agustin Calleri, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4)

Carlos Moya def. Michael Berrer, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6)

The New Garden Square

It's great for Perth to get the Fed Cup tie for next year - the only other tennis event in WA is the Hopman Cup, which gets ignored a lot of the time - but I must admit I am a little disappointed... purely for selfish reasons. WA is much too far away to actually attend.

*

I wish Fed Cup had a higher profile. With Stosur back from injury, we might have an okay team now - if she and Dellacqua played singles then Stubbs came in for the doubles, we might stand a good chance of getting back into the World Group. Speaking of Sam, she scored a great win in Tokyo against the second seed, Anabel Medina Garrigues. She made a run to the final last week, but maybe she can go all the way this time...? I'd like to see that.

*

Another player to watch in Tokyo is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She is about six years old - well, maybe sixteen or seventeen, but very young - but she's making her presence felt. She's of the same generation as Alize Cornet, and although she hasn't made it up as high in the rankings yet, she's definitely going to be up there one day. Just another cog in the Russian tennis machine.

*

Unfortunately, Kei Nishikori got unceremoniously booted out of the Tokyo tournament by Richard Gasquet. Maybe he took offence to me calling him a head case? It'd be great if he'd put those ways behind him, but excuse me if I am unconvinced. It takes more than one good win against an in form opponent to silence the doubters... ie. me. But I wouldn't mind it if Richou won a few matches and played himself back into form - although he, like Andy Roddick, should have gone to the Olympics.

*

Nishikori's loss means that my only remaining active Star this week is the hanger-on, Eduardo Schwank, who beat Victor Hanescu in Metz. If he can do well this week, then he will officially be re-adopted back into the fold. I mean, I suppose he's already done well, getting this far, but one more round would not hurt anyone...

*

Going back to Tokyo, it was a bit sad to see Jo-W Tsonga retire, but I suppose he's done his dues, winning that title last week... apparently he's only one of eight players to win his first title against a top ten opponent. Good on you, Jo-W.

*

Actually, speaking of things that are sad, I have a bone to pick with Tennis Australia. They recently ran a competition to rename Garden Square Cafe, which is the player's cafe at Melbourne Park, where they have the Australian Open. Now, I'm sure they had all kinds of entries, and some must have been horrendous, but surely there was something better than the one they chose. The new name of Garden Square Cafe is... drumroll...

*

...wait for it...

*

'Player Cafe.'

*

What genius came up with that one? And, moreover, what genius decided that was the best possible name? 'Player Cafe.' Real expression of creative genius, that one.

*

*

Today's Results

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Open de Moselle (Metz)

*

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Romain Jouan, 6-3 6-3

Radek Stepanek def. Michael Llodra, 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 7-6 (7-0)

Eduardo Schwank def. Victor Hanescu, 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

Adrian Mannarino def. Rik de Voest, 6-4 7-5

Marc Gicquel def. Nicolas Mahut, 6-3 7-6 (7-4)

*

*

AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo)

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Men's Draw

*

David Ferrer def. Takao Suzuki, 4-6 6-3 6-2

Andy Roddick def. Jurgen Melzer, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2

Fernando Gonzalez def. Amer Delic, 6-4 7-6 (7-4)

Richard Gasquet def. Kei Nishikori, 6-1 6-2

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-1 6-3

Viktor Troicki def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 5-7 2-1 retired

Tomas Berdych def. Tommy Robredo, 7-6 (8-6) 6-2

Rainer Schuettler def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3 6-7 (12-14) 6-4

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Caroline Wozniacki def. Ayumi Morita, 6-2 6-1

Samantha Stosur def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-1 7-5

Aleksandra Wozniak def. Ryoko Fuda, 6-1 6-1

Klara Zakopalova def. Marta Domachowska, 6-3 6-0

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Rika Fujiwara, 6-2 6-4

*

*

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

*

Jelena Jankovic def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-2 6-0

Dinara Safina def. Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-1 7-6 (8-6)

Venus Williams def. Kateryna Bondarenko, 6-4 6-2

Vera Zvonareva def. Marion Bartoli, 6-2 6-0

Nadia Petrova def. Patty Schnyder, 6-4 6-1

*

*

Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

*

Peng Shuai def. Arantxa Rus, 6-1 7-5

Sorana Cirstea def. Anna Lapushchenkova, 6-1 6-4

Monica Niculescu def. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-3 3-4 retired

Michelle Larcher de Brito def. Tatiana Poutchek, 6-4 6-1

Head Case Moments

Well, it's all happening in the women's tournaments this week. How about Serena Williams's total collapse against Li Na? She had that match as wrapped up as you could get - 6-0 in the first set - and then she just imploded. It was very un-Serena - she's usually so tough in the head. That's one of the things I really respect about her game - and then it totally went away! I feel harsh for saying this, but if she's going to become a head case, then she doesn't deserve to be #1. That was not a performance worthy of a #1 player. I mean, I suppose all the players have their head case moments and take their early losses - but when was the last time you saw Roger Federer lose early because his head wasn't in it? Or Rafael Nadal? Aspects of their game might break down, but I don't think I've ever seen either player suffer a real mental collapse - not even in the final of the French Open where Rafa absolutely hammered Roger. I thought Serena was one of those players too... but obviously not.

*

Wow. That was harsh. It wasn't intended to come out quite like that, but I think I stand by it. If a part of a player's game breaks down, they can compensate, but if the head isn't it, then you can kiss the match goodbye.

*

Another very interesting match was the Schnyder/Kuznetsova match. Normally you'd pick Sveta every time, but Patty came out and took it to her, and came away with the match. It wasn't because Sveta had a head case moment - Patty just comprehensively outplayed her. Schnyder isn't a player that often 'outplays' anyone - that word kind of has the connotation of 'outhit' and you wouldn't say that Patty does that to anyone, really. She plays with guile and spin. But on this occasion, even though it was tight, I think we can safely say that Patty owned Sveta. And good on her too. I love watching both these girls play, but I have a special respect for someone that relies on strategy - on, as it were, their head.

*

Over to the blokes, where there were far fewer upsets - the top twelve seeds in Tokyo all progressed safely (at the expense, I am sad to say, of Joe Sirianni - but good on him for making it to the second round!) Kei Nishikori is through, and he is, I believe, my final Star remaining this week - Gulbis lost to Tipsarevic in Metz, alas. But still, I have big hopes for Kei. He took out a seed - the sixteenth seed, sure, but a seed nonetheless - and I would love him to go all the way! He plays Gasquet tomorrow - classic head case, as we're discussing it - and I think Kei can take him.

*

The major upset was in Metz, where Carlos Moya took out Ivo Karlovic. More power to him, I say. I have great respect for Carlos, and he's certainly much more interesting to watch than Dr Ivo. I know his game is effective, but it's just so damn boring. Unreturnable. Ace. Unreturnable. Percentage play. Dull, dull, dull.

*

Oh, and Jarmila Gajdosova, the almost-Aussie, pulled an upset in Tokyo! She took out sixth seed Shahar Peer, the villain in the comeback of Kimiko Date Krumm. Good on you, Jarmila!

*

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Today's Results

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Open de Moselle (Metz)

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Carlos Moya def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-3 7-6 (7-4)

Dmitry Tursunov def. Jose Acasuso, 6-2 6-2

Janko Tipsarevic def. Ernests Gulbis, 6-4 6-4

Adrian Mannarino def. Andreas Seppi, 6-4 6-2

Radek Stepanek def. Julien Benneteau, 6-3 6-3

Rik de Voest def. Arnaud Clement, 4-6 6-2 7-5

Michael Llodra def. Feliciano Lopez, 7-6 (13-11) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3

*

*

AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships

*

Men's Draw

*

David Ferrer def. Jesse Levine, 6-4 4-6 6-1

Andy Roddick def. Ivo Minar, 7-6 (13-11) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2)

Fernando Gonzalez def. Yen-hsun Lu, 1-6 7-5 6-3

Richard Gasquet def. Martin Slanar, 6-4 6-2

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Dudi Sela, 7-5 6-0

Tommy Robredo def. Joseph Sirianni, 6-2 6-2

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Bobby Reynolds, 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Mikhail Youzhny def. Flavio Cipolla, 6-2 6-2

Tomas Berdych def. Roko Karanusic, 6-3 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen def. Cecil Mamiit, 7-6 (9-7) 6-4

Rainer Schuettler def. Hyung-taik Lee, 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3

Amer Delic def. Sam Querrey, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Jurgen Melzer def. Simon Stadler, 6-2 6-3

Takao Suzuki def. Simone Bolelli, 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-5)

Kei Nishikori def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-4 6-4

Viktor Troicki def. Wayne Odesnik, 6-2 6-1

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Kaia Kanepi def. Yanina Wickmayer, 3-6 6-1 6-0

Jarmila Gajdosova def. Shahar Peer, 5-7 6-1 7-6 (11-9)

Tamarine Tanasugarn def. Camille Pin, 6-2 6-2

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Chan Yung-Jan, 3-6 6-3 6-3

Samantha Stosur def. Vania King, 6-2 retired

*

*

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

*

Li Na def. Serena Williams, 0-6 6-1 6-4

Elena Dementieva def. Sybille Bammer, 6-1 6-4

Victoria Azarenka def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1 7-5

Patty Schnyder def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4 4-6 7-5

Vera Zvonareva def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3 6-2

*

*

Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

*

Sabine Lisicki def. Alexandra Panova, 7-5 6-1

Magdalena Rybarikova def. Vesna Manasieva, 6-1 7-5

Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Ksenia Palkina, 2-6 6-3 6-2

Urszula Radwanska def. Sofia Shapatava, 7-5 6-2

Arantxa Rus def. Vlada Ekshibarova, 3-6 6-2 6-1

Red Tape

Very little to report today, as nothing of interest is really happening... we had some interesting upsets in Metz, with Simon and Almagro falling to Mahut and Schwank respectively, which is news, I suppose. I'm glad to see Schwank doing well, as I was nearly ready to drop him from my Stars fold - since the claycourt season, he has done very little of note, and that is just not good enough for one of my chosen ones! This hardcourt victory gives him a little more leeway. It'll be interesting to see how far he can go. He's one of the oldest of my Stars - in his early twenties - and so I don't think his future is quite as shiny as, say, Gulbis or Cilic, who had the rest of their careers still before them. Still, he's one to keep an eye on!

*

Another one of my Stars to keep an eye on this week is, obviously, Kei Nishikori. He's playing in front of a home crowd and he's clearly in killer form. Wouldn't it be great to see him go on and win the title? We know he's capable of winning ATP titles - Delray Beach, anyone - but I'd really like him to prove that wasn't a fluke. Loads of people have won one title. A lot fewer have won two. And Nishikori is such a fun player to watch as well. If he were a bigger guy, one thinks he'd play like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but because he's slight, his big weapon is speed... though that's not to say that he doesn't hit the ball hard!

*

I was pleased to see that lucky loser Jarmila Gajdosova was able to win her first round match in Tokyo too. She's still playing for Slovakia, but she's sort of Australian, like Anastasia Rodionova... actually, what is going on with that whole thing? Both have expressed their desire to play for Australia - hell, I think both have played for Australia! - so what is the holdup? I have no idea what is going on with that whole situation there. This has been going on for about a year now. What's the deal? Is it citizenship? Visa? When are these two going to be playing for us? You'd think with everyone whinging about how Australian tennis is in a state you'd want it to be soon. Stupid red tape.

*

Meanwhile, Marcos Baghdatis showed his face again, only to retire (a set up, too!) against Ivo Karlovic with a back injury. Get well soon, Marcos!

*

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Today's Results

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Open de Moselle (Metz)

*

Ivo Karlovic def. Marcos Baghdatis, 4-6 2-1 retired

Nicolas Mahut def. Gilles Simon, 6-4 3-6 6-1

Eduardo Schwank def. Nicolas Almagro, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Nicolas Devilder, 6-0 6-2

Dmitry Tursunov def. Thierry Ascione, 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-4

Victor Hanescu def. Ivan Ljubicic, 6-1 7-6 (7-4)

Marc Gicquel def. Marcel Granollers, 6-3 6-2

Romain Jouan def. Agustin Calleri, 5-7 6-1 6-2

*

*

AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo)

*

Men's Draw

*

Kei Nishikori def. Robert Kendrick, 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (5-7) 6-2

Dudi Sela def. Bjorn Phau, 7-5 6-1

Wayne Odesnik def. Kevin Kim, 6-4 6-3

Simon Stadler def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-2 6-4

Flavio Cipolla def. Ivan Navarro, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4)

Bobby Reynolds def. Tatsuma Ito, 6-3 6-1

Roko Karanusic def. Hiroki Kondo, 6-2 6-2

Yen-hsun Lu def. Luka Gregorc, 6-4 7-6 (7-5)

Joseph Sirianni def. Yuichi Ito, 6-3 6-2

Jesse Levine def. Danai Udomchoke, 4-6 6-1 6-0

Martin Slanar def. Donald Young, 4-6 6-3 6-2

Cecil Mamiit def. Brendan Evans, 3-6 7-5 6-4

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Caroline Wozniacki def. Gisela Dulko, 4-6 6-0 6-3

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Zheng Jie, 6-1 6-2

Klara Zakopalova def. Maria Kirilenko, 4-6 6-2 7-5

Shahar Peer def. Kimiko Date Krumm, 6-3 6-1

Tamarine Tanasugarn def. Stéphanie Dubois, 6-1 6-3

Aleksandra Wozniak def. Jill Craybas, 7-5 6-7 (2-7) 6-3

Yanina Wickmayer def. Iveta Benesova, 6-4 3-6 6-3

Camille Pin def. Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-0 7-5

Rika Fujiwara def. Petra Cetkovska, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4

Ryoko Fuda def. Pauline Parmentier, 7-5 6-2

Jarmila Gajdosova def. Mara Santangelo, 6-4 7-6 (7-0)

*

*

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

*

Venus Williams def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-1 6-2

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Sandra Zahlavova, 6-3 6-2

Marion Bartoli def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-3 6-1

Victoria Azarenka def. Agnes Szavay, 7-5 6-3

Nadia Petrova def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-2 6-2

Tsvetana Pironkova def. Alizé Cornet, 6-2 6-1

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Flavia Pennetta, 4-6 6-2 6-1

*

*

Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

*

Peng Shuai def. Arina Rodionova, 6-4 6-1

Ksenia Palkina def. Olga Govortsova, 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 7-5

Sorana Cirstea def. Ekaterina Dzehalevich, 7-6 (7-4) 7-5

Monica Niculescu def. Olga Savchuk, 7-5 0-1 retired

Urszula Radwanska def. Akgul Amanmuradova, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Yaroslava Shvedova def. Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-1 6-1

Anna Lapushchenkova def. Nina Bratchikova, 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-3)

Michelle Larcher de Brito def. Andreja Klepac, 6-0 6-7 (4-7) 6-2

Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Katie O'Brien, 6-2 6-1

Vesna Manasieva def. Nigina Abduraimova, 6-1 6-1

Tatiana Poutchek def. Sariya Khayrova, 6-1 6-0

Alexandra Panova def. Alisa Ogorodova, 6-4 6-0