Miracle Territory

We have a point! A whole one! I don't know if I've ever been so pleased by an Australian tennis result in my life. Trust me to only get behind my country when we have absolutely no chance of winning. But still! a point! A whole, entire point! Yay! Good work, Guccione and Ball!

*

That said, we are still going to lose - I can envision no universe in which Gonzalez loses to Guccione. But Luczak has the capability of beating Massu if he plays well, and 3-2 ain't nothing to be ashamed of. Hell, we avoided being whitewashed 5-0 - there should be dancing in the streets anyway!

*

Tennis Australia described the win as 'miraculous' and I do not disagree. We will need a miracle to win this tie - and I don't think it'll be delivered. Nonetheless, we took our first baby steps into miracle territory. Even though we're not very good, I find this Davis Cup team so exciting. Give it a few years, and we are going to rock the tennis house.

*

Surprisingly few teams closed out their ties today - Switzerland and Serbia were the only ones. If Federer and Wawrinka commit to playing a full year of Davis Cup next year, I don't know who would gainsay their chances - Spain, maybe, if they played Nadal and Ferrer and it was on clay, would start favourites against them, but I can't think of anyone else.

*

Meanwhile, Britain is in big trouble... it'll be sad if they don't claw back into the World Group, because they probably deserve it more than Austria, in that they have a top singles player and a top doubles player. Nonetheless, if they don't win, then they don't deserve to be there. Snaps to Austria.

*

Meanwhile, what a match that was in the Argentina/Russia tie! I'm glad Russia won it and kept the tie alive, because it is such an intriguing match up! It'll be really interesting to see which way it goes tomorrow, especially in the Davydenko/Nalbandian match. Del Potro will probably close it out for Argentina, I would imagine, but anything can happen with those crazy Russians. And speaking of crazy, I was obviously a little insane to doubt the ability of Mike Bryan to pair with someone else, as he and Mardy Fish managed quite nicely in their win. Somehow I don't see Andy Roddick beating Rafa Nadal tomorrow, but, like the Aussies, at least they managed to get a point.

*

And well done to my girl Dinara Safina, who is in yet another Tier I final! She plays Svetlana Kuznetsova for the Tokyo crown, and somehow I'm feeling Dinara on this one... I wonder why.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Davis Cup Semi Finals

*

Argentina 2, Russia 1

Kunitsyn/Tursunov def. Canas/Nalbandian, 6-2 6-1 6-7 (9-11) 3-6 8-6

*

*

Spain 2, USA 1

Bryan/Fish def. Lopez/Verdasco, 4-6 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4

*

*

Davis Cup Playoffs

*

Chile 2, Australia 1

Ball/Guccione def. Gonzalez/Massu, 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 5-7 7-5

*

*

Austria 2, Great Britain 1

Knowle/Melzer def. Murray/Hutchins, 6-4 6-3 6-1

*

*

Switzerland 3, Belgium 0

Federer/Wawrinka def. Malisse/Rochus, 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-3

*

*

Croatia 2, Brazil 1

Melo/Sa def. Karlovic/Zovko, 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

*

*

Israel 2, Peru 1

Levy/Ram def. Echazu/Silva, 6-1 6-1 6-2

*

*

Netherlands 2, Korean Republic 1

Huta Galung/Wessels def. Jun/Lee, 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-3

*

*

Romania 2, India 1

Bhupathi/Paes def. Cruciat/Tecau, 6-4 7-6 (7-0_ 6-4

*

*

Serbia 3, Slovak Republic 0

Troicki/Zimonjic def. Mertinak/Polasek, 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-5)

*

*

Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo)

*

Dinara Safina def. Nadia Petrova, 6-1 6-0

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Katarina Srebotnik, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

*

*

TOE Life Ceramics Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

*

Vera Zvonareva def. Zheng Jie, 6-3 7-5

Peng Shuai def. Camille Pin, 6-2 6-1

Bryan/...Fish?

The news is all Davis Cup today - probably the biggest news being that America is now well and truly screwed. There was no way either Roddick or Querrey was ever going to beat Rafa Nadal on clay, even if Rafa sleepwalked his way through the match. All their hopes rested on winning the doubles and then snatching a couple of reverse singles rubbers, but I think that's shot now. Bob Bryan is out, Mardy Fish is in and one can imagine both he and Mike Bryan would be a bit at sea.

*

I know BryanBryan are the best doubles team in the world, but I have serious doubts about their abilities playing with other partners - and I guess we'll find out if I'm right. Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish will (probably) contest the doubles against Verdasco and Lopez, one would imagine, and though they still have a shot at winning (you wouldn't count them out) their chances are greatly lessened. I don't Patrick McEnroe would be a very pleasant person to be round right now.

*

Though it may turn out OK for the US, I guess... if Rafa falls over and breaks his leg. To be honest, I think I'd prefer to see Spain in the final anyway - with the depth they have in men's tennis, they sort of deserve a Davis Cup win! I think Spain/Argentina would be veeeeeeery interesting, especially if Rafa played Nalbandian... I am itching for those two to have a rematch, because I want to know what'll happen, what with Rafa having a losing record against Headbandian, but LameDave keeps turning up and losing and it is, like, so annoying. The four teams still left in the running are all very good and all the potential finals match ups are intriguing, but that'd be my preferred one, I think.

*

The two teams I want to see back in the World Group next year are Australia and Switzerland, and Switzerland look pretty sure to make it. The Swiss team is Federer, Wawrinka, Allegro and Bohli, playing the Belgians, Darcis, Vliegen and the Rochus brothers. Forgive me, but I'm feeling the Swiss might just win that one. Not only have you got the Mighty Fed in there, you have the Olympic gold medal winning doubles team... though one would imagine Allegro is in there as a doubles specialist. Nevertheless, hopp Suisse. I'm sure you won't be needing the luck I'm sending you, but I'm sending it anyway.

*

Australia, of course, are Belgium to Chile's Switzerland, but I have to say that I'm very impressed with the attitude the team is taking. The fact that there's seven guys competing for four spots seems to be pushing them all to greater heights - I only hope they don't wear themselves out before competition actually starts! I would really, really like to see Tomic make the cut, even if they only play him in dead rubbers - I think it would be really good experience for him. I also think he is the player most likely to pull an upset, because he has the potential for absolute fabulousness and the Chilean guns are going to have pretty much no clue who he is, one imagines. I can't see him beating Gonzalez, but against Massu... who knows?

*

The Australian team knows that they have very little shot at winning, but it seems like they're prepared to give it their all - Chris Guccione said this morning:

*

“I've had some of my best results in Davis Cup. If I can get a win or two its going to be huge.”

*

Oh, Gooch, I'd love to see you get some wins too. I think Johm Fitzgerald and Darren Cahill have taken just the right line on this. Gooch and Luczak, you'd think, would be certs to be part of the four man squad, and there are older players like Sirianni they could have gone with, but going with the youth is perfect. There is pretty much no way we're going to win, no matter who we play - so why not have a go and blood the young guys? And if anyone has any chance, one would think it's the young guys, who are so explosive and unpredictable... I am very impressed indeed. Aussie Aussie Aussie!

*

*

Today's Results

*

Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo)

*

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Aiko Nakamura, 6-1 6-4

Francesca Schiavone def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-1 7-5

Kaia Kanepi def. Anna Chakvetadze, 6-4 3-6 6-3

Marion Bartoli def. Maria Kirilenko, 6-2 6-2

Flavia Pennetta def. Shahar Peer, 6-4 6-4

Alizé Cornet def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 4-6 6-3 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova def. Amélie Mauresmo, 0-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8)

Ayumi Morita def. Agnes Szavay, 6-7 (7-9) 7-5 6-4

*

*

TOE Life Ceramics Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

*

Zheng Jie def. Sun Tiantian, 6-0 6-1

Gisela Dulko def. Tatiana Poutchek, 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-4

Pauline Parmentier def. Han Xinyun, 6-1 7-5

Jill Craybas def. Anastasia Pivovarova, 6-2 6-4

Arantxa Rus def. Yanina Wickmayer, 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 6-4

Xu Yi-Fan def. Stéphanie Dubois, 6-3 6-1

Doubles Rules!

Singles shmingles. Doubles rules!

*

So Rafa Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez are facing off for an Olympic gold medal. Good for them - but so what? The doubles action is where it's AT!

*

Not that I am in any way prejudiced by who is in the doubles final, or anything.

*

I know I said yesterday that it's more important to be a fan of the game than the player, etc, etc, et al, op cit, but seriously, is there anyone that deserves an Olympic medal more than Roger Federer? He may be the outgoing #1, but he's going to be #1 in the public mind for quite some mind, and though Rafa is a lovely boy and excellent for the sport and stuff, I don't think he's going to be quite the tennis statesman that Federer was and is. One of the real reasons for this - and it is totally not Rafa's fault, it's just a fact of life - is that Federer speaks better English. With the USA at the centre of the world's sporting press, Federer's English has made him more marketable. Simple as that.

*

Though I do love Rafa's English... the gems he comes up with can be awesome. I love reading his press conferences. Not in a mocking way - because though I love Roger more, I really am quite fond of Rafa - but there are some awesome ones. Then there is the 'famous ass' quote... yeah, I don't know if Rafa's ever going to live that one down.

*

I suppose we should talk about Rafa some, because he's going to be on that dais for sure - and to tell the truth, I'd like to see him win the gold medal now that Federer is out of the singles. If Roger had been in the final and Rafa had beaten him, I think that might have been a bit of a disaster, but because Roger didn't lose to Rafa, then I have no problems with Rafa winning. I would love to see him win. Of all the players this year - and I include Roger in this - Rafa really deserves it most. He's been playing like someone worthy of a gold medal. This is his career year -it's going to be really, really hard for him to improve on this! So Rafa for gold. Fernando silver. And though I think Djokovic is probably going to beat it, I'd like to see Blake win bronze. It's going to be interesting to see who is the Di Pasquale-esque spoiler there.

*

But - doubles! How awesome is Team Fedrinka? I would love to see them team up at a few other events, because though singles will always be my true love, doubles is just so much fun! And not only did they take out the newly reconciled Indian pair, Bhupathi and Paes, who have multiple doubles Slam titles between them, they took out the Bryans - the fricking Bryans - in straights! Now that is something else. I've seen the Bryans play live, and they totally have this kind of psychic radar - they just know where the other is going to be. I don't whether this is a twin thing or because they play together all the time and never switch partners, but it's quite incredible. You just don't appreciate it when you see it on TV.

*

That said, in that match, BryanBryan lost to Gasquet and Tsonga in a total thriller, so they are beatable. But who would have thought Team Fedrinka, who had won all of one match coming into the Olympics, could take them out? I know they're both excellent singles players, but that doesn't necessarily translate into good team player - in fact, it rarely does. I had, I admit, resigned myself to a bronze medal match for Roger and Stan - so I am absolutely over the moon! I would love to see them win gold - because after all that Roger has done over the years, as well as all that Martina Hingis did before him, Switzerland deserves a tennis gold medal! - but just knowing they'll be on the dais is awesome. A silver medal is no mean feat. Finally, Roger can add that elusive medal to his trophy cabinet - and I hope it's gold!

*

Oh yeah, and that other doubles match? The Swedes against the French, that went to 19-17 in the third? AWESOME MATCH! DOUBLES RULES!

*

And over to the girls for a second - DAVAI DINARA! I told you she could and would take out Jelena Jankovic! She may be out in the doubles - sorry Sveta - but she totally owns this gold medal now. Safina, Zvonareva, Dementieva and Li. Anyone else smelling a very Russian podium?

*

*

Today's Results

*

Games of the XXIX Olympiad (Beijing)

*

Men's Draw - Singles

*

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

Fernando Gonzalez def. James Blake, 4-6 7-5 11-9

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Dinara Safina def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-2 5-7 6-3

*

*

Men's Draw - Doubles

*

Federer/Wawrinka def. Bryan/Bryan, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4

Aspelin/Johansson def. Clement/Llodra, 7-6 (8-6) 1-6 19-17

Federer/Wawrinka def. Bhupathi/Paes, 6-2 6-4

*

*

Women's Draw - Doubles

*

Yan/Zheng def. Kuznetsova/Safina, 6-3 5-7 10-8

Williams/Williams def. Vesnina/Zvonareva, 6-4 6-0

Medina Garrigues/Ruano Pascual def. Davenport/Huber, 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 8 6

Bondarenko/Bondarenko def. Pennetta/Schiavone, 6-1 3-6 7-5

*

*

Legg Mason Tennis Classic (Washington)

*

Juan Martin del Potro def. John Isner, 6-4 6-4

Tommy Haas def. Alejandro Falla, 7-5 6-1

Somdev Devvarman def. Robert Kendrick, 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5

*

*

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

*

Nadia Petrova def. Lilia Osterloh, 6-2 6-3

Maria Kirilenko def. Sabine Lisicki, 6-2 1-6 6-1

Nathalie Dechy def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 7-6 (7-4) 7-5