Tales From The Outside Courts

The side of the draw playing today is my non-emotional investment side (ie. no Federer, no Mahut), so today was sort of my off day at the Australian Open. This is not to say, however, that I did not have excellent times watching excellent tennis. Because I did.

Walking through the gates at Melbourne Park (and walking out again fifteen-odd hours later, knowing you'll be back there not long after) is magical. I've been to a few of the tournaments around Australia - Sydney, Brisbane, Hopman Cup - and while they are all excellent (especial props to the Hopman Cup) there's a buzz at a Slam. There are good vibrations in the air. Things are going to happen. Magic is going to be made.

And magic is made - not just on Rod Laver Arena, not just on Hisense, not just on the show courts. At every court there is magic. One of the most magical moments I've had this week was on Court 14 (arguably the most remote court in the complex) watching Mahut win his first round match. Watching tennis on TV, it seems like the main arenas are all there is. When you are there, there are so many other stories to be told on the outside courts that you miss otherwise.

Like Alexandr Dolgopolov. The media has been silent on him - he hasn't played anyone big yet - but MAN, has this guy got game. He took four sets to beat the also very talented Benjamin Becker (aka Becker-no-relation) today, but I was super impressed. He has a great serve, a massive forehand, and he can volley like nobody's business. He plays Jo-Wilfried Tsonga next, and I would not be surprised at all if he gives the big guy a run for his money. Watch out for this kid in the future. He has MAJOR talent.

And he is man enough to wear an Alice band. I respect that.

I also saw Youzhny play today. He earned his membership to the Roger Federer Let's Win Two Sets Then Lose Two And Give People A Heart Attack Club by winning the first two sets over Blaz Kavcic, then dropping two before coming back to see the fifth. I only saw the fifth set, so I can't talk about the rest of the match, but Youzhny certainly played very well. And I saw his salute live!

But that wasn't what I meant to talk about. Kavcic is another one of those stories that you only find on the outside courts. I saw some of his first and second round matches, and he is an absolutely outstanding talent. I really think we are going to be seeing a lot more of him in the future. He is a story that is not going to be on the outside courts forever.

Same with Santiago Giraldo. I saw him play - and lose to - Marin Cilic today, but he has some massive potential. He hits the ball hard and hits an excellent slice... and when he hits it, he makes a whoosh sound. How can you not love that?

For the first time this week, I sat and watched an entire match that did not involve Nicolas Mahut on an outside court. I don't normally do this - I'm flitting from court to court to court - but it was so hot today that there was no way I was giving up the patch of shade I found! Luckily for me, the match was a great one - John Isner vs Radek Stepanek. Throughout the match, you could actually see the cogs in Isner's mind turning as he figured Stepanek out. He played crap in the beginning - he lost the first set and smashed a racquet in spectacular fashion - but then... he worked it out.

There is a lot to be said for a thinking tennis player - indeed, any good tennis player needs to be one. I feel like Isner sometimes gets dismissed as being just a serve, but he really does have a multidimensional game. His volleys in particular are outstanding. I think he will make mincemeat of Cilic in the next round - Cilic was better than I expected him to be against Giraldo, but he's nowhere near where he was last year - and might even take a set off Rafa in the next one, if Rafa isn't zoning.

I'm really hoping Rafa is zoning in the third round, though. But even if he isn't, he is going to take Bernard Tomic TO F%^&ING SCHOOL. And that is all I have to say about that.

Tonight was my last night in Rod Laver Arena, and there was no way it could live up to the previous two. But it didn't do so bad. Stosur had a really high quality win over Dushevina - definitely the best I've seen her play this year - and then Baghdatis/Del Potro was entertaining, if a little short. I would have loved to see the fifth in this match, but JMDP couldn't do it for me. I am a little concerned about his ongoing wrist problems, however - he had the trainer out three times for it, and there was one instance where he actually DROPPED HIS RACQUET in the middle of a service action. On a break point. Has anyone ever seen that before? I haven't.

But I missed, it seems, the moment of the day. However, I've heard alllll about it. Good on you for taking Todd Woodbridge to task, Kim Clijsters. You are awesome.

France on Fire, Serbia to the Wire

Well, that didn't go too well for Switzerland. Well done, Kazakhstan, but Switzerland, really?

Enough about that. I suppose the playoffs pale in comparison to the real deal, the semi-finals, and I probably should at least mention that they're happening.

The regular Davis Cup heroism of David Nalbandian could not save Argentina this time - they have been absolutely taken apart by the French team. It would not be unfair to say, I think, that France are on fire. And given that the level of tennis talent in France is nothing short of immense, it is not unfair to say that they should always be on fire. They should be a fixture in the finals, not breaking a major drought.

But now isn't the time to lambast them - now that they have actually made good for once. France are a super deserving finalist for this year's Davis Cup - taking out Argentina and, moreover, Spain, is nothing to sneeze at. Their draw has been many things, but cupcake-y is not one of them. Allez!

And then there is Serbia vs the Czech Republic, and a tighter tie it would be hard to imagine. If Serbia had had Djokovic on the first day, one might imagine that the whole thing might have been a lot less tight. But no, Serbia have to win both matches on the final day to go through.

And they so easily could have been out in straights like Argentina - if Serbia go through to the final this year, they need to give Janko Tipsarevic a ticker-tape parade. His win over Berdych was some of the best clutch play around. And now the Czech Republic may be up a point, but if Djokovic can make good on his ranking and beat Berdych, and if Tipsarevic can keep his level up against Stepanek, well... what a tie this could end up being!

Past Tense and the Spanish Inquisition

In the best news about these two all year, Nicole Vaidisova and Radek Stepanek are married. I may not be the biggest fan of either, but after the 2010 they've both had career-wise, it's really great that they've got something awesome to remember the year by now.

But as tennis gossip isn't my forte, let's use this to springboard into a discussion of their, you know, tennis.

So Stepanek is one of those creepy-dangerous players who lurks around and occasionally springs big upsets, in a manner not unlike someone jumping out of a cupboard and yelling 'no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!' It actually took me a really long time to realise that Stepanek was out injured, because he is permanently so under the radar when he plays anyway. Seriously, he has this way of somehow making it to about the semis of a tournament without drawing any attention. He did it in Brisbane this year, actually - I was there for the men's semis, and I didn't even realise Stepanek was in them, let alone expect him to win.

But when he's gone, you just don't notice it. He's not an epic force in tennis like Federer or Nadal, or even one of the guys who match him ranking-wise, like Hewitt or Isner. What he brings to the tennis table is good tennis, but it isn't memorable, and it hasn't moved the game forward. I guess what Stepanek has done in his career is make this a gift, because he gets forgotten about. A lot.

Vaidisova, on the other hand, was memorable... but not for the right reason. It's really galling to refer to someone in the past tense when they're only 21, but Vaidisova's career is emphatically past tensed. Though Stepanek has definitely got the better results over his career (and definitely the better mileage), even though Vaidisova reached a higher ranking, Nicole is going to be remembered for longer and remembered as one thing and one thing only: the ultimate headcase.

Not exactly the moniker you want. And Vaidisova played some great tennis in her career. Why it stopped, I don't know. But it will take a lot of work from the Ana Ivanovics of this world to ever eclipse Nicole's fall from tennis grace.

But whatever has happened in their careers, good luck to Radek and Nicole. (Awkward segue, much? 'Troubled careers! Fall from grace! Oh well, good luck!') Congratulations and maybe - who knows? - we'll see you back on the court someday. (You're only 21, Nicole!)

Davis Cup Ditties

Okay, so I know there's proper Davis Cup going on at the moment, but let's just talk playoffs at the moment. It's all going swimmingly for Australia - we've won our tie 3-0 going into the final day. Whether or not the final day will be played is moot, given the massive floods in Melbourne at the moment, so it's good we came through in three Bam.

We'll play Japan in the next playoff, and that's another intensely winnable tie. Australia might even end up in the actual Davis Cup next year. Mon dieu. Sacre bleu.

Back to normal Davis Cup, and it all seems very close. There's been a few ties won outright - France, Croatia and the Czech Republic are all through - but the rest are still tight. But I want to talk France now. They're 3-0 up on Germany - and, for once, that is exactly where they should be.

France has got so many excellent players - like, seriously, so many. SO MANY. And yet, in the last few years of Davis Cup, they have been ridiculously disappointing. They should be a guaranteed semi finalist every year with the number of top hundred players they have. I mean, come on, Tsonga, Monfils, Gasquet, Simon, Llodra, Clement, Benneteau... and on and on and on. And yet year after year that enormous streak of mental inconsistency that runs through French tennis gets them.

To be fair, Germany isn't exactly in its bestest tennis place ever at the mo, and they're playing without Tommy Haas. Their lynchpin at the mo is Kohlschreiber, and there's only so much he can do. But they're certainly not a sucky team, so this is a great result for France.

And I also want to shout out to the Czech Republic. They're effectively a two man team, but they brought it solidly at Davis Cup all last year and it looks like they're not going to stop this year. They smashed Belgium like a guitar. Berdych and Stepanek - whatever their flaws in ATP play, they get it done at Davis Cup.

Glimmer?

So, I'm a little late, but whatever. Ernests Gulbis totally won two matches in a row! And he beat a seeded player!

Let's all take a moment to process that.

It was very popular to tout Gulbis as the Next Big Thing a few years ago - 2008 was a good year for him. He reached the quarter finals of Roland Garros and generally was awesome. Then he opened 2009 with a win over Djokovic... and did pretty much nothing from then on out. And then 2010 didn't exactly open with a bang, considering he lost to Juan Monaco in the first round of Australia, spraying some number of errors so huge I can't even remember what it was.

Suffice to say, the once-packed Gulbis bandwagon is now rattling along pretty emptily. But I'm still on it.

I couldn't really tell you why. It's not like the last year or so has given me any glimmers of hope. But there's something about Gulbis's game that I really dig, and even though he's spraying a ton more than he did in '08, I think the bare bones are still there. He probably qualifies as a late bloomer now (provided he, you know, blooms) but I still believe that Gulbis can be awesome. This victory over Stepanek doesn't suddenly herald a huge resurrection or anything, but I'm really hoping that this is the glimmer of hope I've been waiting for.

What does Gulbis need to do? Well, stop making so many errors, for a start. As far as I know, he's still working with Niki Pilic - it might be time to break the bonds and fly free. What I would really like to see is Gulbis working with wondercoach Larry Stefanki, but I don't know if Roddick will give him up so easily. But a change in coach and the ensuant breath of fresh air would be good for Ernie, I think. It's time to change something up, because what he's doing now clearly isn't working so well.

I used to say that Ernie would be top ten for sure. I still think he can get there, but 'sure' is a strong word. However, what I really want to see is a tournament win. Don't care which tournament. Any will do. Just give me something, Ernie. It's lonely up here on your bandwagon all on my lonesome.

ATP Afterthought

It was always going to be a tough act to follow for the men in Brissie. There was no way A-Rod and the Worm were ever going to be able to live up to Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, simply because they are A-Rod and the Worm, and not, say, Sampras and Agassi, back from beyond the tennis grave.

But they did their level best. Some of the drama in the match was so improbable it seemed manufactured, but at least there was drama and it wasn't a one-sided blowout, a la Stepanek's previous victory over Gael Monfils. I watched this one from the comfort of my couch in Canberra rather than from the lofty heights of the upper tier in Pat Rafter Arena, and I'm almost glad I did. Clijsters/Henin was a great way to end Part 1 of the my Australian tennis tour. This match would have been an unnecessary epilogue.

But back to the match. Roddick started serving strongly and Stepanek started reading it well and playing all court tennis, and it was very tight in the first set. The set really could have gone either way, but it had a Roddick-esque flavour to it... even though I felt like Stepanek really hadn't finished opening up his box of tricks yet. However, I was wrong about the box of tricks, because Stepanek absolutely collapsed in the first set breaker and for the first half of the second, during which time Roddick spanked him like a red-headed stepchild.

So Roddick's up 4-1 with a double break. So, coincidentally, was Clijsters yesterday. Maybe that set some kind of precedent, because Stepanek paused, steeled himself, and woke up again. I don't want to make any kind of comparison to Clijsters/Henin here, but it was odd how the second sets of both finals featured this kind of epic comeback. This is what I meant about some of the drama seeming manufactured - it seemed so unlikely that both finals could have risen-from-the-dead second sets.

Except they didn't, really. Stepanek lost the tiebreaker (after being down 6-1, saving five match points, then eventually losing 8-6). So this was a straight sets affair, and it was a fun enough match to watch. But after Clijsters/Henin, it just felt... bah.

Now how often do people compare an ATP and a WTA match and say that? Slightly left of never, I would say.

For some reason, these Australian tournaments attract big name women and not so big name men. I am not sure why this is. Like Sydney - Alisa Kleybanova, at #29ish, was the last direct acceptance to the draw and something like nine of the top ten women are there. The men... not so much. They seemingly only play in the Middle East and if they play anything, they play Kooyong. (Though not Roger this year... he's withdrawn from the big K.) I wonder why the blokes and the ladies feel the need to prepare so differently...

Other weekend winners include Nikolay Davydenko (in imperious fashion), Marin Cilic and Yanina Wickmayer. Good news for Belgium!

Jodi's Epic Tennis Adventure 1.4 - Belgian Delight

And then there was Brisbane.

It would be easy for me to just go on and on and on about Clijsters and Henin, but I'm going to make a real effort to start at the beginning, because that wasn't the only tennis I saw. I arrived at Pat Rafter Arena on Saturday morning just before eleven after having spent the entire night on a plane and then navigating the tortuous route from the middle of Brisbane to the tennis. (It's easy enough to catch the train from Brisbane Central to Yeerongpilly, but did they have to put the Queensland Tennis Centre quite so far away from Yeerongpilly station? Seriously, it could be a marathon). Having spent the night in transit, I was understandably tired, but hoping to exist on caffeine and adrenaline.

The first match of the day made me entirely dependent on the caffeine. To say Stepanek vs Monfils was not competitive would be an understatement, and to say it was an understatement is another understatement. It was a total blowout. Gael couldn't keep a ball in the court and when he did, Radek was merrily hitting winners everywhere. The most interesting part of this match was arguing with the woman next to me about who Stepanek was dating. She insisted it was Martina Hingis and that they were married, because there was a woman with dark hair who vaguely resembled Hingis (as far as one could tell) in the players' box. Some people are so far behind the eight ball.

Anyway, Monfils/Stepanek = v boring. I nearly fell asleep, but kept myself with sheer force of will (and more coffee). Thankfully, the next men's semi was a beauty. There was a group of crazy Czech fans in the crowd supporting Tomas Berdych (quite why they'd kept quiet during Stepanek's match is beyond me, but they did) and there was general crowd sentiment for Andy Roddick, and it was just a good match, all in all.

Berdych came out firing. I've never seen him play live before and it was pretty good. I had him earmarked as a lifetime underachiever... and yeah, I still do, but he's got talent. He ate Roddick up in the first set. He smacked that serve back and everything he did came off and it visibly put Roddick in a bad mood. He smacked a ball into the ceiling at one point - oh my God, the arena! Short digression - Pat Rafter Arena is beautiful. It's somehow magically temperature controlled and exists in a strange hybrid space between indoors and outdoors, and no matter where you're sitting, the rake is such that you can see the court perfectly. Seriously, I love, love, love the arena. Small enough to be reasonably intimate, big enough to be atmospheric - I cannot speak highly enough of it.

Anyway, back to Berdych/Roddick. I got the sense that Roddick and Berdych aren't each others' biggest fans - in particular, that Roddick really wasn't a Berdych fan. This is based on the fact that Roddick was almost aggressively sportsmanlike to Berdych, including ceding a point to him that I really don't think he earned. Berdych was stoically silent - I didn't hear him say a single word the whole time. Roddick chatted to himself a lot in typical Roddick fashion, and seemed bad-tempered the whole time, even when the tables turned.

Despite the bad temper, it was an enjoyable match. It got very tense in the third set especially, and the Czech fans really were very amusing. And then there were some doubles afterwards which were pretty fun - I really dig Jeremy Chardy. Which I have said in the past, but will reaffirm any time I am asked.

But it was all about the women's final.

I distinctly remember it being 4-1 in the second, Clijsters up a double break, where I was disappointed. There had been some fantastic tennis, and I was on Team Kim (though, yes, the occasional 'allez' passed my lips), but I wanted more. And then I thought 'hang on, if anyone's going to go on a tear, it will be JuJu...'

And what did she do? She went on a tear.

I've been to more than few tennis matches in my time, and I've never been to one where the crowd was so evenly divided - and even then, no one was really disappointed. This match was all about the tennis for the crowd and less about the competition. And for Justine to get such a good crowd reception playing Clijsters, whom the nation refers to as Aussie Kim (because she dated Lleyton Hewitt once upon a time) is really something.

On the whole, it was 'Go Belgium'. And 'go comebacks'. (And 'go Kim Clijsters' speech'. Seriously, she is the best speechmaker in the WTA.)

And this match put the rest of the tour to shame. The only match last year I can think of that came close to this in quality was Elena Dementieva vs Serena Williams at Wimbledon, and you know what? I think this one is better. The rallies were crazy long, and split pretty evenly. There were some serving yips, but nothing like the chronic doubles you get with the rest of the WTA. And it was a match played in fierce competition but in good spirit. It was a match for the ages.

And I was there. And I desperately, desperately want a rematch in the final of the Australian Open - and I want JuJu to beat Serena along the way. And I don't care who wins this proposed AO final. It's about the tennis. Because make no mistake - these comeback queens are the best things to happen to the WTA in a very long time.

And I was there when they played each other for the first time in their second careers.

Prince Rafa The Humble

How can you not have a soft spot in your heart for Rafael Nadal? The following is what he posted on his Facebook account after the Davis Cup victory:

"Please allow me to be very happy for this win. I know most of you are not Spanish but this is the win of my team and I am very happy for the win. I know I have also a lot of Czech fans and I respect very much the fact that in any case you support me and obviously your country. Thanks a lot also to all the fans from any part of the World for your support also!"

How can you not love him? Isn't that just one of the most adorable things you've ever heard?

We are very lucky to be watching tennis in an era when we have guys like Nadal on the court. Federer is, of course, the game's ultimate statesman, but I do love Rafa's quirky, broken English, the genuineness of his sentiment. He loves the game. He respects his opponents. And his humility. I don't know if there's anyone in the game today quite as humble as Rafa.

The Spanish team managed a clean sweep, with Rafa beating Hajek (ironically, Hajek is the only guy to have ever beaten Rafa in Davis Cup - I doubt Rafa construed it as revenge, but I would) and Ferrer beating Dlouhy. Stepanek and Berdych sat this one right - rightly too, because I bet they're both buggered. Stepanek especially - he fought like a crazy person this weekend. I don't think it's unfair to say that Berdych never really showed up.

This marks the end of 'real' tennis for the year, though I reckon I can a few more blog posts out of it over the next few days before I have to think of something else to talk about. I'm glad Spain won, however. I'm glad David Ferrer got his moment and I'm glad that Rafa found his mojo again, even at the last minute. And I'm certainly always to see all the huggy man-love that goes on with the Spanish team!


Today's Results

Davis Cup Final

Spain 5, Czech Republic 0

Rafael Nadal def. Jan Hajek, 6-3 6-4
David Ferrer def. Lukas Dlouhy, 6-4 6-2

To The Victor Go The Spoils

When it comes to Davis Cup, the Spaniards have got something that so many other nations lack, and that is depth. Quite what it is in the air in Spain that has led to them producing so many excellent sportsman is not known, but they're doing something right in the talent development stage over there, because they have put together one of the best Davis Cup squads you could ever dream of.

I mean, look at who isn't on the team. Robredo. Ferrero. Almagro. Garcia-Lopez. You could pretty easily field two Spanish teams and they'd both be contenders for the title. The Spanish tennis federation (whatsoe'er they may be called) should be lauded, because they are doing something very, very right... or at least they were when these lads were coming up, anyway.

The Spanish team clinched the doubles and thus the Davis Cup today - which was hardly surprising, considering they were able to field two fresh guys up against Stepanek and Berdych, who were both match weary. Stepanek is usually the lifeforce of that doubles duo - they were undefeated coming into the final - but he was listless and exhausted today (which happens when you lose a match you should have won after five hours). The Czechs, when it comes down to it, never stood a chance. It might have been a tournament of four on four, but they were simply outnumbered.

I don't know whether they'll continue to play the dead rubbers, but it really would be nice if the Czechs could score a point or two. They deserve at least one - and at any rate, they don't deserve to be whitewashed. They played too well and worked too hard en route to the final to get here. Congrats, Tomas and Radek and other Czech dudes. You did good.

But the day belongs to Spain. There's no hero like there was last year - all four guys played, and all four guys won. But, as I said yesterday, the hero for me has to be David Ferrer. By rights, he should have lost that match, but he didn't give in, didn't give up, and to the victor went the spoils. I'd love to see that match do for him what Verdasco's match against Acasuso did for Nando - I'd love to see Ferru deep in a Slam (preferably the Aussie), in a round that has the suffix -final. Quarters, semis, whatever. He's been so solid for ages, but he's fallen off a bit this year - here's hoping he's soon back on top of the world.


Today's Results

Davis Cup Final

Spain 3, Czech Republic 0

Lopez/Verdasco def. Berdych/Stepanek, 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 6-2

David's Day

David Ferrer, I am sorry I ever called your rubber a throwaway. That is totally unfair to how much you wanted it, how hard you fought for it and how sweet it was when you took it out.

Spain have taken a 2-0 lead after the first day of play in the Davis Cup final, and you have to think that this is a pretty unassailable lead now. It started when Rafa crushed Tomas Berdych - I read a great line on the Davis Cup website which said that this match marked the return of Hurricane Rafa, back on his favourite surface, playing for his country. This wasn't Shmafa that turned up - oh no, Shmafa stayed well away. Shmafa is a good player, but there's no way he could take thirteen games in a row off a player like Berdych.

Berdych didn't look especially inspired, I have to say - he didn't really play that much tennis that was worthy of this level. He had his chance late in the first set, missed it, and that was the end of that, really. There was no way he could have stopped Rafa winning that match - probably no way he could have stopped him winning it in straights, either - but he could have played a bit better, I thought.

But nice as it was to see Rafa looking like himself again, the hero of the day has to be David Ferrer. Is there any man as comfortable in a five set situation as Ferru? The dude is a total machine, fitness wise. But you know what? one of the reasons I think we always see him in five set situations isn't to do with his fitness. We always see him in the fifth because he has mental fortitute like whoa.

Think about it. Stepanek was totally owning him in the first two sets. Like, serious ownage. Stepanek is, I would say, the more talented of the two players - he certainly has the most natural flair - and it showed. But then Ferrer just... didn't give up.

There's something about Davis Cup that fosters these epic clashes, and today was no exception. Five hours of tooth and nail fighting. I want to give Stepanek his dues - he played wonderfully in the first two sets, and it wasn't like he died totally in the last three - but the day belongs to David, for having sheer grit and nerve and refusing to give up in the face of what looked like certain defeat. He's almost terrier-like in his refusal to lay down and die - he reminds me a bit of Lleyton Hewitt in that way, actually. Kudos. Epic, epic kudos.

It looks like Berdych and Stepanek will be the ones taking the court tomorrow in the doubles - I suppose the Czechs will have to do everything they can to keep the tie alive. But I don't like their chances. A fresh Lopez and Verdasco up against a listless Berdych and an exhausted Stepanek? It'd be superhuman if they pulled it off.


Today's Results

Davis Cup Final

Spain 2, Czech Republic 0

Rafael Nadal def. Tomas Berdych, 7-5 6-0 6-2
David Ferrer def. Radek Stepanek, 1-6 2-6 6-4 6-4 8-6

Ferru Up To Bat

So the Davis Cup draw has been announced - and trust me, I am all over this tournament, being as it is pretty much the last real tennis we will see until the cashcow exhibitions start in January. First up we will have Nadal and Berdych (a match which you have to like Rafa to win, even if Shmafa is the dude that shows up) followed by Stepanek and Ferrer.

Now this is interesting. I thought for sure that the Spaniards would play Verdasco, at least in the first singles match ups. But no. Apparently not.

Ferrer is definitely not a slouch. This we know. But he hasn't exactly been captain of the in form squad either, and Stepanek has had an excellent, excellent year. If the Spaniards are going to lose one match, it's going to be this one, I think. So why, I asked myself, play Ferrer when Verdasco would stand an excellent chance?

But then I thought about it. Better to cede this one rubber - and it's totally not even ceding, because Ferru isn't exactly going to roll over and die - than risk Verdasco playing three matches and then being totally knackered by the time the reverse singles come around. The lineup says that the Czechs are playing Dlouhy and Hajek in the doubles - but even if they swap them out and put Berdych and Stepanek in, they'll come up against a fighting fit Lopez and Verdasco combination. And if the tie is still live going into the third day - let's say that Ferrer loses to Stepanek - then Rafa and Nando between them are surely going to be able to pick up that third point.

This whole scheme does rely on Rafa - if he has to retire injured or something, then Spain are... well, not dead in the water, but let's say that they got left off the lifeboat and the Titanic is sinking. They've just given themselves the best possible chance to win the doubles by ensuring that Verdasco is fresh, and if Rafa can claim those extra two points... bam, Davis Cup is coming home to Spain. But if Rafa's injured and Berdych gets that point tomorrow... well then, there's one dude who is going to have to step up to the plate in a big way and that is David Ferrer. Verdasco as well, don't get me wrong - if there's a live reverse singles rubber and Rafa's out, you can bet it'll be Nando they chuck in - but if Rafa is removed from the equation, then David's throwaway point suddenly becomes vital.

I'm being a bit of a doomcrow re Rafa here, but it is a realistic possibility. And you know what? even if Rafa stays uninjured, I want Ferru to step up. He was the one guy that lost in the Davis Cup final against Argentina last year, necessitating Verdasco's win over Acasuso. So it'd be nice for him to get a point, get some glory.

Czeching Out Mr Safarova and the Worm

Having mulled a little on this in the ensuing day, I think I might have changed my position slightly on Rafael Nadal. I still think it won't be great for him if he loses, but I think the likelihood of him losing is not as great as I thought it was. I did some reading and apparently he was having a bit of a back problem in London which is not bothering him now. This remarkably quick recovery from an injury nonwithstanding, I think Rafa might be in better shape than I thought he was. It wasn't like it was total schleps he was losing to at the World Tour Finals, after all - and not just any random members of the top ten, either. These were three guys that have given him significant trouble in the past, and to whom he had lost this year.

So not so much of a biggie as I had maybe thought. But still... Rafa is not in form. Ain't no one gonna deny that. Shmafa should be enough to put some pain on Berdych, but the Worm could be a whole other matter...

Let's talk about the Czechs for a minute, because, let's face it, they're the underdogs. Even if one or both of them can pull surprise wins out over Nadal or Verdasco or whomever else the Spaniards decide to throw into the ring, they are missing one very important thing - depth. They have Stepanek and Berdych and... watch that tumbleweed roll by.

So how do they play this? Stepanek and Berdych will obviously play both singles rubbers - unless there's a dead rubber involved. There's pretty much no way around this - they have no chance otherwise. Even if Nadal and Verdasco sit out a rubber or two, the Spaniards have Ferrer and Lopez available to throw into the ring. I'm assuming Ferrer is in there to act as some kind of spare singles player - I'm guessing Verdasco and Lopez will take the court in doubles. I'm kind of surprised Juan Carlos Ferrero didn't get a go instead of Ferrer - I think he's been more impressive lately - but Ferrer is no slouch either. And neither is Lopez, for that matter. The Spaniards have got four perfectly effective singles players here.

The Czechs have got Stepanek, Berdych, Jan Hajek and Lukas Dlouhy. Hajek is the one man ever to have beaten Nadal in a singles rubber in the Davis Cup... yeah, somehow I can't see that happening again. And Dlouhy isn't exactly a worldbeater either. He and Hajek are - I hate to say it - padding.

When the Czechs played Croatia, they won the opening two singles rubbers and then took a gamble and played Berdych and Stepanek in the doubles. It paid off, and they took an unassailable 3-0 lead. Will they do that here? This is the match I'm interested in - the doubles. If they win it, it's a valuable point, yes - but somehow I don't think they're going to win both opening singles rubbers, which would mean the tie was live into the final day, which would mean both Berdych and Stepanek would be absolutely fatigued out of their brains. So do they then cede the doubles by playing Hajek and Dlouhy? And what if they gamble on Berdych and Stepanek in the doubles and then they lose? They're really screwed then.

Exciting as it must be to be in the Davis Cup final, I would not like to be in Stepanek or Berdych's shoes right now. There's so much pressure. But then they're not expected to win, so maybe they can swing freely. I don't know. We're just going to have to wait and see, I suppose.

Czeching Out Rafa and Nando

Well, that's pretty much it for tennis this year, except for the Davis Cup final this weekend - which really is going to be an interesting affair. Normally you'd pick the Spaniards every time over the Czechs, especially given the headcaseness of Tomas Berdych, but I just don't know this time. The Spaniards have definitely got the firepower to take out the Czechs, but I think it's really going to depend on who they play.

Let me elaborate - the two big guns of Spain are Nadal and Verdasco, yeah? No questions asked there. Rafa is THE man to beat in Davis Cup and we all know what the final last year did for Nando's career. They are the guys to beat. However... both of them are not exactly what I would call in form.

This applies less, I think, to Verdasco. He, like Nadal, did not win a single match at the year ending championships, but he pushed people pretty close - he took a set off Federer and took Murray to a third set breaker. He was in a tough tough group - I mean, does it come much tougher than Federer, Murray and del Potro? - and it would have been more surprising if he had won a match than losing all three, I think. He's not quite on that level - which for Davis Cup is fine, because Stepanek and Berdych aren't on that level either. Stepanek is, I would say, a real threat to Verdasco - their levels are not so far apart, and Stepanek can beat just about anyone, on his day - but I think Nando would have a definite edge over Berdych.

But the fact remains that this is a much harder task than the one he had last year. His big win there - the one that spurred him on to those heights of excellence that he reached in Australia - was against Jose Acasuso. Second round at the French Open aside, I don't think too many players are quivering in fear at the thought of playing big Jose. So it'll be interesting to see how Nando fares - I wouldn't say he's out of form, but I wouldn't exactly say he's on fire either. But if anything is going to ignite him, Davis Cup will.

Now. Rafa.

Look, if I were the Spanish team captain, I would be having serious second thoughts about playing Rafa. I think you could give him a run against Berdych, but I would be worried playing him against Stepanek. Rafa is not all there at the moment. He knows that, the world knows that, and I'll bet the Spanish captain knows that too. If he were to take a loss in Davis Cup - in the final, in an arena where he normally would shine - I think that would do him a lot more harm in the long run than a win would do him good.

That said, if Rafa were to be benched, I don't think that would necessarily do him any good either. I don't know if there's really a perfect option in this scenario. I believe Rafa is capable of beating either of the Czech boys - I mean, who wouldn't believe it? But he's not Rafa right now. He's Shmafa. And a loss would, I think, be bad for him mentally. And I don't want a broken Rafa. I like him just the way he is.

...now watch him prove me spectacularly wrong.

Battle of the Basel Boys

Well, we got our battle of the Basel boys - what a lovely match it must have been, seeing these two hometown boys having a good match. It's the furthest Marco Chiudinelli has ever been in a tournament, and it's great that it could happen in Basel - and it's lovely that he got the chance to play his bestie Rog.

I really hope Chiudinelli gets the comeback of the year award, because he has just been made of awesome so far. After finishing last year somewhere around #800, to be in the top hundred now and making tour level semis is pretty rad. I'd love to see him put up a good showing in Australia next year, maybe make it to the fourth round or so - he really deserves a great Slam run, after his awesomeness this year.

And speaking of awesome Swiss people, there is nothing that I can say about the awesomeness of Roger Federer that I have not already said. I really wish I had seen this match - because I love me some of the nice Swiss guys. A win for Basel.

Roger will play Djokovic in the final, who came through a good match against Radek Stepanek. That's a quality marquee final - I bet the organisers of Basel are very happy. I don't know how this tournament could have gone better for them.

In Valencia, we're going to see Muzz vs Youzhny - Youzhny's really on a kick these days. I remember writing a 'where are they now?' piece about him a while back, and now suddenly he's in finals all over the place. I don't know how you can not be a fan of a man who, you know, totally accidentally made himself bleed that one time, so I'm looking forward to a good match there.


Today's Results

Valencia Open 500 (Valencia)

Andy Murray def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-3 2-6 6-3
Mikhail Youzhny def. Nikolay Davydenko, 3-6 6-4 6-3


Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel (Basel)

Roger Federer def. Marco Chiudinelli, 7-6 (9-7) 6-3
Novak Djokovic def. Radek Stepanek, 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-2


Commonwealth Bank Trophy of Champions (Bali)

Marion Bartoli def. Kimiko Date Krumm, 6-1 6-3
Aravane Rezi def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-2 6-3

Signs of Life

We all know it has not been a good year for the much touted Ernests Gulbis. Judging by his age and the progress of his peers - people like Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro - this should have been his career year. Instead, he hasn't been able to string two wins together and people have been jumping off the Ernie bandwagon in droves.

Even me, a faithful Ernie fan, cannot deny that it's been hard to believe in him this year. But you know what? I think, at last, he might be starting to show signs of life again. He started the year with a bang by beating Djokovic, and then has fizzled ever since. However, he played Jo-Willy Tsonga unbelievably tight last week, in a match that had no breaks of serve. And now, after coming through qualifying (thus necessitating the stringing of a few wins together) he's gone and beat himself a seed.

And not just any seed either. #6 seed, the notoriously tricky Radek Stepanek.

Sure, it's not the greatest win the history of the world. Stepanek isn't exactly Federer or Nadal. But he's a tough player and to beat him in reasonably straightforward straights like Ernie did is pretty good. That, coupled with the performance he put in last week against Jo-Dub, is making me think that something might be firing up in the Ernie tank. He said he gained more muscle and it messed with his game, a la Jankovic. I'm not sure what, if anything, he's doing different now, but here's hoping, Ernie, that you're here to stay.

And please - it would make my YEAR if you'd just win your next match, so you can say you've won two tour level matches in a row this year!


Today's Results

China Open (Beijing)

Men's Draw

Novak Djokovic def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3 6-0
Nikolay Davydenko def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-1 6-0
Fernando Verdasco def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-5 6-4
Marin Cilic def. Julien Benneteau, 6-2 2-6 6-0


Women's Draw

Peng Shuai def. Maria Sharapova, 6-2 6-4
Elena Dementieva def. Li Na, 6-2 6-0
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-3 4-6 6-0
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-4 6-4


Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo)

Gael Monfils def. Marco Chiudinelli, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3
Stanislas Wawrinka def. Simon Greul, 6-3 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Mischa Zverev, 6-4 6-3
Ernests Gulbis def. Radek Stepanek, 6-4 6-4
Mikhail Youzhny def. Thomaz Bellucci, 6-2 6-3
Andreas Beck def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-3)
Juan Monaco def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 5-0 retired
Richard Gasquet def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3 6-2

Czeching In

We have ourselves a Davis Cup final - the Czech Republic vs Spain.

Spain I expected - there really was no way Israel were ever going to come through them, though I confess I expected a bit more of Erlich and Ram in the doubles - but I'm surprised the Czechs have come through. I expected a close tie, and it has been close - the 3-0 lead that the Czechs have totally belies the closeness of this tie - but I really thought the Croats would have it.

It would be unfair to dedicate this post to anyone other than that Czech pairing, Berdych and Stepanek. Seriously, they deserve a tickertape parade - and I hope they get one, when they're back in the Czech Republic. Both played five sets yesterday, which I discussed - that match from Stepanek in particular was insanely long. Like, INSANELY. And then to come out and play doubles... it really begs the question whether the Czechs have any players besides these two. It was a bit of a gamble - if Berdych and Stepanek had played today, come out and lost, then odds are they would have been so exhausted that Cilic and Karlovic would roll them over tomorrow. I guess they just wanted to clinch it, and it paid off. So well done, Czech Republic.

I don't know how well this method will work on Spain, however, because Spain have SO MUCH DEPTH it's not funny. They're currently playing their second-string team - can you imagine what a force to be reckoned with they'll be when Nadal and Verdasco slot back into place? That is pretty mighty.

But the final is ages away. For today, there is only congratulations.


Today's Results

Davis Cup (semi finals)

Czech Republic 3, Croatia 0

Berdych/Stepanek def. Cilic/Zovko, 6-1 6-3 6-4


Spain 3, Israel 0

Lopez/Robredo def. Erlich/Ram, 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 6-2


Bell Challenge (Quebec City)

Lucie Safarova def. Julia Goerges, 6-3 6-2


China GDD Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

Shahar Peer def. Peng Shuai, 6-4 1-0 retired
Alberta Brianti def. Ayumi Morita, 6-3 7-5

Stepping Up Everest

Well, I have completely underestimated the Czech Republic. There you go.

I gave Stepanek a good chance against Karlovic, but that somehow pales beside what actually happened. Five epic sets. A world-breaking 78 aces from Karlovic - which, to the best of my knowledge, breaks the previous record by about 20. And Stepanek still won.

Wow.

I'm not a Stepanek fan really, mostly on the grounds that I find him totally creepy. But you cannot deny that the man can play ball. To withstand that kind of intense pressure and come out on top - particularly when you're facing someone who is pretty much unbreakable in a to-the-death five set... that is some serious grit. And guile. And some other stuff starting with g. You've got to applaud the man's mental toughness - facing Karlovic in that kind of fifth set is kind of like a tennis Everest. You can't count on a breaker to get you through. So kudos to you, Radek Stepanek.

And then the other match went five sets as well, though it didn't have anything like the same level of drama. Berdych triumphed over Cilic, which I personally found very surprising. Berdych has been pretty much a non-entity this year, whereas Cilic has been very much an entity. Hell, he made the quarters of the US Open, like, two seconds ago. Where has Berdych been? But Berdych is terribly talented and sometimes that will out. Still, I'm not counting Croatia out of this tie yet. We've got a lot of tennis left yet.

In the other semi, Goliath is currently whaling on David, with Ferrer and Ferrero scoring easy victories over Sela and Levy. I'd look for an inspired Israeli performance in the fourth rubber if they win the doubles... but I still don't really rate them a chance of winning a singles match. At this point, I don't know how high I rate their chances of winning a set.

And just a quick throw to the playoffs - Federer and Wawrinka are a totally mad team. They both demolished their respective Italians. And it's not something you hear often, but when Federer plays on clay, he looks just gorgeous. The way he was sliding into those shots... it was positively balletic. He played a great match and the US Open is clearly behind him. Watch out, indoor season!


Today's Results

Davis Cup (semi finals)

Czech Republic 2, Croatia 0

Tomas Berdych def. Marin Cilic, 6-3 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-3
Radek Stepanek def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (2-7) 16-14


Spain 2, Israel 0

David Ferrer def. Harel Levy, 6-1 6-4 6-3
Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Dudi Sela, 6-4 6-2 6-0


Bell Challenge (Quebec City)

Melinda Czink def. Nadia Petrova, 7-6 (7-4) retired
Aleksandra Wozniak def. Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-1 6-1
Lucie Safarova def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 6-3 6-4
Julia Goerges def. Lilia Osterloh, 6-2 6-4


China GDD Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

Peng Shuai def. Alexandra Panova, 6-2 6-3
Shahar Peer def. Chang Yung-Jan, 6-3 6-1
Ayumi Morita def. Olga Savchuk, 6-3 604
Alberta Brianti def. Anastasija Sevastova, 6-4 6-2

Davis Cup Daze

So, in the complete absence of anything better to talk about today, due to us beign in that lull period after a Slam before tennis gets interesting again, I thought I might do a bit of a Davis Cup preview. That should keep me out of trouble/off the streets, etc etc.

So, semi final #1 - Croatia vs. Czech Republic. This is a team basically consisting of Cilic and Karlovic against Berdych and Stepanek.

This is an interesting matchup. I'm leaning towards the Czechs in the doubles, purely because they have Lukas Dlouhy, but doubles is not my area of expertise so I'm just going to talk about the singles. There are some very interesting match ups, because all four of these players are capable of beating just about anyone if they run hot.

Cilic is the most recent to demonstrate this, beating Andy Murray in straight sets at the US Open and then getting off to a flier against eventual champ JMDP before crumbling in a heap. If he can, you know, not crumble, I think he'll win both his singles matches. I think Stepanek will give him more trouble than Berdych, because Berdych has done pretty much fat nothing this year, whereas Stepanek has done some, like, good stuff and whatnot, but I think Cilic is the most talented of the four players out there and, meltdown aside, I think he'll bring home the bacon for Croatia.

I'm unsure whether Karlovic will be a great second banana or whether he'll be a liability. He's a strange way, Dr Ivo - that huge serve can beat just about anyone, but if they find a way around that, he's pretty much screwed. I can see Stepanek figuring him out pretty early on... Berdych maybe not so much. He might do the figuring, but I can't see him delivering.

So in summation, I think Croatia will come away 3-1 in the singles, their one loss being Karlovic to Stepanek. This will put them back in the final, where they will face...

...the winner of semi final #2, Spain vs Israel. And look, I know Israel are the underdogs and people like supporting the underdogs, but if Spain lose this tie, I will eat my sofa. They are missing their best Davis Cup dudes, Nadal and Verdasco, but the depth that Spain presents is so ridiculous I can't see them losing. Then again, I didn't see Russia losing to Israel either, but I doubt the Spaniards will be quite as fragile.

I give Israel a very decent shot in the doubles. Erlich and Ram are a first rate team. But I really can't see either Dudi Sela or Harel Levy coming through the Mosquito, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been playing pretty damn good of late. The other singles player, David Ferrer, has occasionally proved to be a bit shaky, but I'd be a bit surprised if he took any major losses here. And even if he did, Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo are both excellent players - actually, I wouldn't be surprised to see Robredo playing singles at all. Spain have options. I don't think Israel really have that luxury.

I think Spain's going to go 4-0 on singles here, whoever plays. Israel might win the doubles, but if Spain lose this tie, I will be very surprised.

So let the games begin. And let me be proven wrong.

Oh, and hopp Suisse!


Today's Results

Bell Challenge (Quebec City)

Lilia Osterloh def. Amra Sadikovic, 6-3 2-6 6-2
Bethanie Mattek-Sands def. Vania King, 6-3 6-3


China GDD Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

Anastasija Sevastova def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 3-6 6-3 6-1
Peng Shuai def. Chanelle Scheepers, 6-3 6-2
Chang Yung-Jan def. Maria Elena Camerin, 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-2)
Olga Savchuk def. Hsieh Su-Wei, 6-4 6-4

Out of the Frying Pan...

I'm not sure whose idea it was to put Davis Cup the week after Wimbledon - which is, effectively, the week after the most intense six week period of the year - but it seems to have worked out okay for them. The only person this intense scheduling seems to have really affected is Andy Roddick, who picked up a wee bit of an injury in the Wimbledon final (and who really deserves a rest anyway after that effort). So they got away with it, but it doesn't necessarily mean it was smart...

*

The story so far of the tie has to be Israel. What do they think they're doing, taking a 2-0 lead over Russia? That was certainly not in the script. When your team consists of Harel Levy and Dudi Sela, you pretty much expect to get beaten in the first round... maybe you'll win a round courtesy of Dudi and the doubles dudes if you get a good draw, but a whole tie...? Never.

*

And that's the way it looks like it's going. I mean, sure, Tarpischev definitely doesn't have the bestest Russian team ever out there, but Youzhny and Andreev, who played the singles matches yesterday, should be able to subordinate the Israelies any day of the week. Now a lot rests on the doubles, and the Israelis have a world-class doubles team in Erlich and Ram. So if Safin and Kunitsyn can't subdue them... we are heading for the biggest Davis Cup upset this year.

*

Germany are holding their own against Spain, as well - Andreas Beck very nearly almost took out Nando Verdasco to make it 2-0, but Nando is an iron man in Davis Cup, as we all know. Still, this will be a very interesting tie to follow. There's only so much heroics one man can pull, and I get the feeling that Spain is relying very much on Verdasco right now...

*

And over to Argentina and the Czechs... is something up with Radek Stepanek? Because dude, he should be playing singles. He's still listed as playing doubles... is he injured? Because I can't see any other reason the Czechs would have sent Ivo Minar out in singles. That is not very smart. Not that Stepanek would have stood a huge chance over del Potro either, but he would have had A chance. Minar had none.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Davis Cup

*

Argentina 1, Czech Republic 1

*

Tomas Berdych def. Juan Monaco, 6-4 2-6 2-6 6-3 6-2

Juan Martin del Potro def. Ivo Minar, 6-1 6-3 6-3

*

*

Croatia 1, USA 0

*

Ivo Karlovic def. James Blake, 6-7 (5-7) 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 7-5

*

*

Israel 2, Russia 0

*

Harel Levy def. Igor Andreev, 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-2

Dudi Sela def. Mikhail Youzhny, 3-6 6-1 6-0 7-5

*

*

Spain 1, Germany 1

*

Fernando Verdasco def. Andreas Beck, 6-0 3-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-1

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Tommy Robredo, 6-3 6-4 6-4

*

*

Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships (Newport)

*

Sam Querrey def. Kevin Kim, 6-3 6-4

Sam Querrey def. Prakash Amritraj, 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 6-2

Fabrice Santoro def. Taylor Dent, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Nicolas Mahut def. Fabrice Santoro, 4-6 4-6

Jesse Levine def. Philipp Petzschner, 7-6 (7-3) 6-2

Rajeev Ram def. Jesse Levine, 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-3)

Brendan Evans def. Robby Ginepri, 6-3 6-4

Olivier Rochus def. Brendan Evans, 6-4 6-4

Rajeev Ram def. Sam Groth, 6-4 6-2

Olivier Rochus def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 5-7 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Kevin Kim def. Daniel Brands, 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Nicolas Mahut def. Alex Bogomolov jr., 6-2 6-2

*

*

Bastad Swedish Open Women (Bastad)

*

Caroline Wozniacki def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-3 4-6 6-2

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez def. Gisela Dulko, 7-5 6-4

*

*

GDF Suez Grand Prix (Budapest)

*

Agnes Szavay def. Timea Bacsinszky, 6-2 6-3

Alona Bondarenko def. Shahar Peer, 7-5 6-1

Edina Gallovits def. Petra Martic, 6-3 7-6 (8-6)

Humility and Respect (or lack thereof)

I am totally out of my writing rhythm. I need to start writing in the mornings again instead of the evening. This is totally weird.

*

Another good win for Lleyton Hewitt last night - thought I'd put this out there now before I forget to talk about it, because he's not my main topic of conversation today. He took out Philipp Petzschner in three pretty decent sets - it was an entertaining match. Most entertaining match award of the day has to go to the end of Haas/Cilic, which finished 10-8 in the fifth - you have to feel for Cilic but if this hasn't tired Haas out I can totally see him making the semis. He has such a good shot.

*

Also impressive in five was Radek Stepanek, who beat David Ferrer despite suffering some bizarre injury. If it actually is a badness, then Lleyton Hewitt is NOT the player he wants to be facing in the next round, considering the amount of balls the little guy gets back. This'll be an interesting one to see, that's for sure.

*

But on the subject of injury, this brings to me to my main subject today - Jelena Jankovic, who had approximately fourteen thousand injuries in her match today, and who always seems to carrying a few. I don't have an issue with that - players get injured and some get injured more than others. This happens, I'm all right with that.

*

But what I am NOT cool with is what she said about her opponent.

*

JJ, when you lose, there ain't no one can take the blame but you. YOU lost. There might be extenuating circumstances, but at the end of the day, YOU LOST. Deal with it. You DO NOT come out and say that your opponent 'has no weapons' and 'can't really hurt you'. That is absolutely not cool. That is totally disrespectful of Melanie Oudin, and if she holds a grudge against you for the rest of eternity, I totally do not blame her. She beat you, JJ. You lost. Deal with it.

*

I know that JJ isn't exactly enamoured of my man Roger Federer due to some comments he made about the WTA rankings when she was #1 (I think we all agree that the rankings are totally f*cked), but she needs to take a lesson from him. When was the last time you heard him go 'yeah, my opponent had nothing and I was sick'? The man kept glange secret for months! Sure, that's a bit extreme, but you must ALWAYS give credit to an opponent. To do otherwise demonstrates a total lack of sportsmanship.

*

So JJ is in my bad books. And if she doesn't improve her attitude, she's staying there. I'm glad Oudin beat her. I hope Oudin beats her again. JJ needs to learn that humility and respect is one of the most important parts of sport. And I hope Oudin makes her eat her words.

*

Two lovely girls that played off against each other were Kuznetsova and Lisicki, and much as I like Sveta, I'm glad Lisicki won that one. I'd be happy to see her go deep in this tournament. She is such an ebullient, lovely sportswoman - and Sveta gave her fair credit. That is the way to do things.

*

Shape up or ship out, JJ.

*

*

Today's Results

*

The Championships (Wimbledon)

*

Men's Draw

*

Andy Roddick def. Jurgen Melzer, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-3

Andy Murray def. Viktor Troicki, 6-2 6-3 6-4

Tomas Berdych def. Nikolay Davydenko, 6-2 6-3 6-2

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Fernando Gonzalez, 4-6 7-5 6-4 4-6 6-4

Tommy Haas def. Marin Cilic, 7-5 7-5 1-6 6-7 (3-7) 10-8

Lleyton Hewitt def. Philipp Petzschner, 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

Igor Andreev def. Andreas Seppi, 6-1 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-5)

Gilles Simon def. Victor Hanescu, 6-2 7-5 6-2

Stanislas Wawrinka def. Jesse Levine, 5-7 7-5 6-3 6-3

Radek Stepanek def. David Ferrer, 7-5 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-4

*

*
Women's Draw

*

Venus Williams def. Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-0 6-4

Sabine Lisicki def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2 7-5

Dinara Safina def. Kirsten Flipkens, 7-5 6-1

Ana Ivanovic def. Samantha Stosur, 7-5 6-2

Amelie Mauresmo def. Flavia Pennetta, 7-5 6-3

Melanie Oudin def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 6-2

Caroline Wozniacki def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2 6-2

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Na Li, 6-4 7-5