Stop. Hammertime.

So. Um. Novak Djokovic. Yeah. He's, like, playing well and stuff. I heard. A bit well. He's, like, winning stuff. Lots of stuff. And beating people. A lot. And not losing. At all.

I don't normally pay Novak many compliments, on the grounds that I find him deeply, desperately irritating, but kudos have to be given for this tear that he's on. He is playing absolutely, outstandingly well. MC Hammer 'can't touch this' well. Even if you're Rafa, and it's clay, and it's Spain.

That's what's crossed the line from awesome to scary for me - beating Rafa in Spain on clay. Sure, Rafa played like poo in this match, but that's not taking anything away from how scarily well Djokovic played - and is playing. He's got just about every player I can think of in the world on a string at the moment. He's figured out everyone and everything and his game is - well, there aren't really words for how well he's playing at the moment.

The one thing I'm worried about, if I'm Novak, is not Roland Garros coming up, but Rome. If I'm him, I'm seriously considering skipping. Winning means playing a lot of tennis, and Novak's played a lot of tennis lately. He's won the Djokovic Open and now Madrid, and it's not a stretch to think that he might win Rome as well. So going into Roland Garros, he'd be on a winning streak, but he'd also be on 'I have played unbelievable amounts of tennis' streak. We saw what happened to Rafa in 2009 at Roland Garros (though, to be fair, he did also play Monte Carlo as well). That's not the way Novak wants to go down.

And then if he plays Rome and loses, that's a big downer right there. Losing to Rafa in the final of Madrid would have been one thing - losing in Rome another thing entirely. The last thing you want going into a Slam is a comedown.

So yeah. It's an interesting one. Time will tell, I guess.

I think Rafa's going to take a long hard look at himself after this match. I think we're going to see a new energy with him. I read somewhere this morning that Rafa plays better as the hunter than the hunted, and I think that's totally true. He's going to feel like the underdog after this match, and that's just where he wants to be. If he plays Novak again in Rome, I will be veeeeeeeery interested to see who comes out on top...

(I hope it's Federer!)

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

I decree this week the Week We Do Not Speak of Estoril. This tournament will be like the last rugby world cup - never, ever to be spoken of again. Roger, I am choosing to forget this ever happened. I hope the rest of the world will be as kind. Montanes? Really?

But I'm not talking about that.

Instead, let's talk about Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who came through the whole of the shenanigans in Rome with the Serbians and the Williamses and took the whole thing. As late bloomers go, she is a late bloomer - a late bloomer even among late bloomers. But the flower that blooms last blooms brightest (or something). Anyway, Maria J rocks my socks. Serve and volley? Love it stupid.

I was fortunate enough to see Maria play live this year - sure, I was cheering against her, because it was Hopman Cup and she was playing Stosur - but I think I may just have been lucky enough to witness something very special. Her excellent run of form this year really began at the Hopman Cup, where she teamed up with Tommy Robredo to win the whole thing. The series of wins she had there, over players like Stosur - well, they have really set her up with a whole lot of confidence. (She also lost to Laura Robson, but... well, Estoril.)

She's been on a roll ever since. I said yesterday that Jelena Jankovic could be a genuine Roland Garros contender. If Maria Jose can take her down, well... that's not just special, that elevates her to the role of genuine contender. I can't say I see Maria winning Roland Garros - I think I'm more cautious in my predictions - but she could certainly be a massive mover and shaker if she keeps playing like this.

...she'll be a problem for the other players, that's for sure. And how do you solve a problem like Maria?

(Yes, I went there. Yes, I know I did it poorly and inelegantly. Deal.)

The I-Don't-Want-To-Say-Renaissance of Ana Ivanovic

One tournament does not a comeback make. One string of wins does not equal a Renaissance.

But when you've been winning as few matches as Ana Ivanovic - when those wins have come so few and far between - then a tournament like Rome can herald the beginning of a whole new player. Of course, it can also be an enormous fluke, so here's hoping that's not the case - for Ana's sake.

But I like the way she's playing. I know Vesnina was, well, Vesnina, and Azarenka was injured, and Dementieva didn't turn up, and now Petrova went all shank-happy, but still Ana hasn't cracked. I wouldn't be prepared to say that she's been undoubtedly 'winning' her matches, but she hasn't been handed them on a silver platter, and, most importantly, she hasn't lost them. The WTA can be, and has often been of late, a game not of who wins but of who loses first. And Ana - well, Ana is great at losing first.

But this week? Not so much.

I don't really like her chances of coming through Maria Jose Martinez Sanches, but I wouldn't rule it out, either, and a week ago, I would have ruled it out for sure. So this is a good thing. This is progress. And progress is good. Progress is how you get to a Renaissance.

It's been a merry day for the Serbs, with Djokovic progressing in Belgrade and Jankovic going absolutely mental on Venus, hammering her into the ground. This is the best she's played in a long, long time. But I want to reserve my final praise today for another Serb - young Filip Krajinovic. He's had his first ATP wins this week and he deserves it roundly - he has some excellent, excellent game going on!

The Almost Positively Merry Story of Ana Ivanovic

Well, well, well. I am all astonishment. Not one, not two, but three wins in a row? Two consecutive wins over top ten players?

Admittedly, these top ten players have not been playing so well - this was hardly the Elena Dementieva that got beaten by Justine Henin in the second round in Australia - but still, Ana Ivanovic, I am feeling almost positive about you! And that is something I have not felt in a long time.

When was the last time Ana won a title? Actually, I have a vague recollection of her winning one last year, but it was a lone bastion of hope in a battlefield of despair. Here's hoping Rome - which must be counted as a personal victory, if not a tournament victory - does not turn out the same way. If Ana is rising, I want her to stay risen. Like a souffle.

Fear my simile.

In other news, Juan Martin del Potro is out for three to six months - I can practically hear him sliding down the rankings. I doubt many people will be backing him to repeat in New York. And speaking of people who have had some success in New York, some dude called Roger had his first clay court victory of the season. I am trying very hard not to care.

The Slightly More Cheerful Story of Ana Ivanovic

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I feel like I want to write exactly the same post as I did yesterday, only even more so.

So now not only has Ana Ivanovic had a win, she's had a win over a top ten player...?

Surely not.

I am, of course, hesitant to place any faith in this win because a) only a tennis moron would put any money on Ana to do anything, and I like to think I am not one of those, and b) Vika is obviously injured. But injured or not, it cannot be overstated what a massive win this is for Ana.

The reason why a win, any win, is good for Ana is not because she's been losing a lot - which she has - but because her opponents haven't been beating her. She hasn't given them the chance - she's been too busy beating herself. If she can stand on the other side of a net from Victoria Azarenka and not self-destruct, this is a massive, massive moment.

Like I said, not placing any faith in Ana nor expecting this to be the start of something. But this win will have to do wonders for her self-confidence. Maybe she's going to go on and take a bunch more losses. But if that happens, I hope she actually gets beaten rather than losing. That would be a positive step.

The Sad Story of Ana Ivanovic

Is that a W I see before me, right next to Ana Ivanovic's name?

Surely not.

Remember when Ana Ivanovic was ranked #1 in the world and was beating Dinara Safina in the Roland Garros final and stuff? I mean, sure, Dinara's not exactly the bestest player ever at the moment, but she's still ranked #3. And Ana's, what, #58?

We are at the point with Ana where it is a big freaking deal when she beats anyone. Gone are the days when she was a serious threat - when seeing yourself drawn against Ivanovic would give you pause and make you scared. Now you might as well just count yourself through the next round.

You know how many match wins Ana has had this year? I wouldn't quote me on this figure, but I think it's six. Newsflash: this is not a lot. And now she has one win, and the media is calling it a turning point.

One win is not a turning point. Not for normal people, anyway. However, for Ana, I kind of get where they're coming from. We're at the point where any win is a good sign. Even if it's 'just' Elena Vesnina, a solid but unspectacular player.

Time was I'd bet Ana barely knew who Vesnina was. Now beating her is a bust-out-the-champagne cause for celebration.

I was never a huge Ana fan, but you know what this makes me? Sad. Because the whole situation is just so pathetic - someone who was once great is now celebrating the smallest of wins. Mighty. Fallen.

Welcome to 2007

Welcome to 2007. We have JuJu winning comfortably in Stuttgart, we have Rafa bulldozing everything that even resembles an obstacle in his way and they're both obviously going to win Roland - wait, what? It's not 2007? We're not travelling back in time? Could have fooled me.

The wheel has turned and it has come back to the same place again. We had many, many years where the winners of Roland Garros were this pair, and if I'm not very much mistaken, it would not be a smart person who would bet against it happening again. The Rafa Freight Train is rolling on down the tracks. JuJu is little-sparrow-ing everyone off the court. This is... well, 2007.

Are these two going to win the big one? I have to say yes. The broken finger on JuJu might give some cause for doubt, but when you consider that it was Sam Stosur she beat - and not I-crumble-before-you Sam but Slammin' Sam - then I think she's going to be just fine. And with that injury cloud over Serena, well... if JuJu is not the favourite for this tournament, I will eat my sofa.

(Though, sidebar - Sam Stosur is totally a dark horse. She made the semis last year and I would not be at all surprised to see her go one better. She's at a career high ranking of #8 at the moment and she deserves it. Girl's on fire. Which makes JuJu's result even better).

And Rafa...? Well, what can you say about Rafa? He was a steamroller. Again. He's inexorable, unstoppable at the moment. I really hope he can get back up to #2 before Roland Garros, because I do not like the possibility of him meeting Federer in the semis ONE LITTLE BIT.

Skipping Barcelona was smart. I will be interested to see how he goes in Madrid, because he will have enough gas left in the tank this time. All I can say is this - it will be a very strong man who stops Rafa winning his fifth, and right now, I don't even think it's possible.

Red Carpet

I feel like ever since Ernie won Delray Beach I've been going, 'okay, I don't want to say this is it, but he's close, he's closer, he's getting better, he's almost there.'

Well, guess what, amigos? I'm finally ready to make that sweeping claim.

Roll out the welcome mat. Here comes Ernie.

I said a couple of weeks ago that I didn't think anyone would take a set off Rafa this clay season - at least not until Roland Garros. Well, guess who proved me wrong? That would be one E Gulbis, who played an absolutely spectacular match to take Nadal to three today. The final breakdown was 103 points to Rafa, 101 to Ernie. That is the difference of a hair. Like, literally, a hair. And against just about any other player, what Ernie did today would have catapulted him into that final.

Although he lost today, this has got to go down as the biggest tournament of his career. To beat Federer and go pretty damn close with the Claycourt Freight Train... that is something else. Though I was obviously pulling for Federer, I'm very happy with the way Ernie has progressed in this tournament.

Roland Garros awaits. The future beckons. And Ernie - at last, at long last - is striding down the red carpet to meet it.

Funky Town

So the mantle of #2 claycourter this year is definitely not going to Novak Djokovic. Despite his, you know, not winning the French Open or anything, I think it's fair to argue that that's what he was last year. But this year - no frigging way.

Novak is in a funk. With his ranking, he really should be beating Fernando Verdasco (who is, arguably, currently #2 claycourter). But no. And it's not just the admittedly in-form FeVer he's losing to - he's taken some stupid exits for quite some time now. I wouldn't go so far as to say 'worst #2 ever' or anything like that, but when you look at the dude who is #3, then you can say that something is rotten in the state of ranking system.

(BTW, I kind of love that Rafa is #3 despite the fact he didn't play Wimbledon last year. That is rad... and I really hope he gets back up to #2 before the Roland Garros seedings are done).

But there's someone in a worse funk than Nole, and that's Andy Murray. I didn't even notice when he lost, and that's saying something. I know clay is not his best surface, but he is just not bringing anything to play at the moment. His head is not in it.

So in our top four, we have an unfocused #1 (yes, Roger, I'm looking at you), a #2 having a crisis and a #4 having a breakdown. This all says one thing to me, and it's this: RAFA'S GONNA HURT YOU. HE WILL HURT YOU IN THE FACE.

No Dunces Here

Okay, Ernie, so you beat Roger. I wasn't too happy when you did that.

But you know what? You took that opportunity and you didn't waste it. And that is important. You fought to the death in that match against previous Roger-conqueror Volandri, and you came out on top.

And now... you know what, Ernie? You're in the frigging semi finals of a bigass tournament. Rome is not Delray Beach. This is not some little 250 you can fluke. This is Rome, man. This is a Masters event. This is a big frigging deal.

Now, no one in their right minds expects you to win this title, because, hello, Rafa is a freight train of clay pain and he will destroy anyone who stands in his path. But Ernie, I'm glad you are making the most of this opportunity. You were great in your match against Feliciano Lopez and I'm really keen to see how you're going to fare in the next round.

You're part of the class of '88, Ernie - the class that has given us Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic. And now your name - you're not the top of the class yet, my friend, but you ain't wearing no dunce's cap.

Wrecking Ball

Someone - I think it was Matt Cronin - tweeted today that they didn't think that Rafa would lose a(nother? has he lost one yet?) set this clay court season.

To which I would say... I would not be surprised.

Sure, last year Rafa looked like an absolute wrecking ball right up until that semi final in Madrid where Djokovic pushed him all the way and then Rafa folded in the final, and then lost his way against Soderling in the round of sixteen at the big RG. So this is something we've seen before.

But there's something a little different about this Rafa. He's faced down some serious injury and he knows he's got to take care of himself. He's indulging in some sensible scheduling, something he's never done in the past. And if he takes care of his opponents as quickly as he took care of Philipp Kohlschreiber today - a player who is immensely talented and whom Rafa humbled - I would be very surprised to see anyone whose name isn't Roger Federer take a set off him.

Hell, even if their name is Roger Federer. Oh hi, Mr I-lost-in-the-first-round-of-Rome.

Rafa's back. And he's hungry. Roland Garros is his playground. And it's going to take something superhuman to stand between him and his fifth Coupe de Mousqetaires.

Roger, Really?

Ernie, you know most of the time I cheer (and cheer loudly) when you win. I'm on your bandwagon, dude. I love it when you do well.

But did you have to win this one?

I'm a Federfan first and foremost, and much as this win is massive for Ernie's career and I really like Ernie, I like Roger more. I know it's only Rome and stuff, but it's... irksome. To say I'm not especially impressed is an understatement.

Take this here very short paragraph - more like a sentence, really - of praise for the skill of Ernie and the win and stuff. If/when he wins his next round, you can bet that I'll be very excited.

But Roger, really?

He said just what I wanted him to in his presser, which was that it served as a wakeup call and that he's going to smash it out in Estoril. I think he underestimated Ernie a bit, which was foolish, because Ernie = good. But it doesn't change the fact that this isn't exactly the Bestest Sign Ever for Paris.

Still. It's Roger. I have faith and faith eternal.

But Roger, really?!

Roman Holiday

Wow - Barcelona finished without me even noticing. I got all caught up in Fed Cup and then suddenly Rome's started and that whole week is gone.

A little late, but awesome work, Nando Verdasco. I haven't been reeeeeeeally convinced by Nando for a while now, but to back up a final in Monte Carlo (where, admittedly, he got crushed, but them's the haps when you play Rafa, I guess) with a win in Barcelona is pretty much epic. Didn't see the match and so thus can't comment, but Nando's making a push to be in those claycourt contenders this year. And good on him for it.

Now, we're all caught up. Over to Rome.

I'd have to say the award for biggest win of the day has to go to Ernests Gulbis. Yes, I know I'm biased, considering I've been clinging to the Gulbis train for a while now, but if he wins his next match I'm going to be cursing his name (he's playing Federer) and so I have to laud him now. Marcos Baghdatis is a tough, tough opponent, even if his ranking doesn't necessarily reflect this, and Gulbis smashed him like a guitar. I'm going to be very interested to see how Ernie does on clay - his breakthrough, we must remember, came at Roland Garros 2008...

Biggest loss of the day is a toss up between Sam Querrey and Juan Carlos Ferrero, but I'm going to have to go with the Mosquito on this one. A qualifier? Seriously, JC? I know you can do so much better than this...

...but perhaps, as it often happens on clay, this will be a blessing in disguise. Maybe JC will get some rest and be super fresh when he hits the home courts in Madrid...

Not Even Close

I spoke too soon. I knew using the words 'run of form' when it was only one win was asking for trouble. Guess who was one of only two seeded players to go out in Rome - which is pretty rare, given the current precarious state of the top players in the WTA. That's right, it was Alize Cornet.

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I can't stop myself liking Cornet's game - any fool that saw her play at the Hopman Cup and even at the Australian Open this year knows she's got style - but honestly, honestly. One round? One measly round? Is that all she can do at a tournament where she is seeded? She went out to Kateryna Bondarenko, who isn't exactly a schlep, but you'd doubt that she'll ever break into the top ten. However, if it were just this lone loss to Bondarenko, it would be fine. But she is losing to players ranked squillions of places below her on an almost everyday basis.

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This has got to stop. Alize, something needs to happen. Your coach needs to smack you silly for performances of this calibre. It is just not good enough. Not even close.

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Speaking of people who are good enough, Bernard Tomic and Olivia Rogowska were good enough to be given wildcards into the main draw of the French Open - good on you, kids! It was always going to be Tomic from the men - who else were they going to pick, really? I suppose there's Brydan Klein, maybe, but I think Tomic is a good choice. Then from the girls you've Isabella Holland and Monika Wejnert and a couple of others, but I think Rogowska is a good choice. Do us proud, guys!

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Today's Results

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Estoril Open (Estoril)

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Men's Draw

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Nikolay Davydenko def. Andrey Golubev, 6-1 7-6 (7-4)

David Ferrer def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 6-4 6-1

Albert Montanes def. Ryan Sweeting, 6-1 7-6 (7-4)

Florent Serra def. Diego Junqueira, 6-4 2-6 6-3

Simon Greul def. Ricardo Hocevar, 6-1 6-4

Ivan Navarro def. Alberto Martin, 7-5 6-4

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Mikhail Kukushkin, 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

Juan Monaco def. Pablo Cuevas, 6-2 6-4

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Women's Draw

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Maria Kirilenko def. Sharon Fichman, 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-3

Sorana Cirstea def. Kimiko Date Krumm, 6-2 1-6 6-2

Sabine Lisicki def. Kirsten Flipkens, 6-2 6-2

Yanina Wickmayer def. Petra Kvitova, 6-2 6-4

Ekaterina Makarova def. Petra Cetkovska, 6-4 6-3

Shahar Peer def. Michelle Larcher de Brito, 4-6 6-0 6-0

Melinda Czink def. Eva Fernández-Brugues, 7-5 7-5

Olga Govortsova def. Ekaterina Ivanova, 6-1 6-2

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Sílvia Soler Espinosa, 7-5 6-4

Maret Ani def. Frederica Piedade, 6-0 7-6 (7-4)

María Emilia Salerni def. Julie Coin, 6-4 6-4

Elena Bovina def. Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-1 6-3

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BMW Open (Munich)

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Marin Cilic def. Dieter Kindlmann, 6-3 6-2

Tomas Berdych def. Sascha Kloer, 7-6 (7-0) 6-4

Thiemo de Bakker def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-3 6-3

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Lamine Ouahab, 6-3 6-2

Potito Starace def. Igor Kunitsyn, 7-5 5-7 6-3

Denis Gremelmayr def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 5-1 retired

Daniel Brands def. Stefan Koubek, 6-3 7-6 (7-2)

Julien Benneteau def. Alexander Peya, 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5

Simone Bolelli def. Stephane Bohli, 3-6 6-2 6-3

Lleyton Hewitt def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (10-8)

Andreas Beck def. Mischa Zverev, 6-3 6-4

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Serbia Open (Belgrade)
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Viktor Troicki def. Sam Querrey, 4-6 6-4 6-3

Ivan Ljubicic def. Victor Crivoi, 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4

Arnaud Clement def. Steve Darcis, 6-1 6-4

Christophe Rochus def. Nicolas Devilder, 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 7-5

Marcel Granollers def. Filip Krajinovic, 6-0 2-6 6-2

Marcos Daniel def. Guillermo Canas, 3-6 6-1 6-4

Kristof Vliegen def. Dominik Hrbaty, 2-6 6-2 6-2

Lukasz Kubot def. Arsenije Zlatanovic, 6-3 7-5

Janko Tipsarevic def. Sergio Roitman, 7-5 6-2

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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)

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Dinara Safina def. Virginie Razzano, 7-6 (7-1) 6-1

Jelena Jankovic def. Gisela Dulko, 6-3 7-6 (8-6)

Ana Ivanovic def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-3 6-4

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3 6-3

Nadia Petrova def. Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-2 3-6 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 6-1 7-5

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Aravane Rezai, 4-6 6-2 7-6 (9-7)

María José Martínez Sánchez def. Marion Bartoli, 6-1 7-5

Flavia Pennetta def. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Alizé Cornet, 6-4 6-1

Zheng Jie def. Elena Vesnina, 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-2

Kaia Kanepi def. Sybille Bammer, 7-5 6-3

Anna Chakvetadze def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 5-7 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Too Good For His Own Good?

I am seeing a conundrum looming for Rafael Nadal.

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He is too good for his own good.

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He's just won three tournaments in three weeks. Even in the heyday of the golden years of the Federer empire, this wasn't exactly normal. And though he's got a week off now, he's got another one coming up. Which he'll probably win. And then the French Open, where you would feel safe betting your house on him playing seven matches.

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So, if you were Rafa Nadal, what would you do? In 2007 we saw him win three tournaments (these same three) and then get beaten in the final of Hamburg (by Roger Federer, but still) because he was just so damn exhausted. We know he is capable of fighting through a LOT of exhaustion - hello, backing up the Aussie Open semi against Verdasco with the final against Federer - but how much can any man take?

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Though Rafa is, of course, a machine.

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I think a lot of players in his position would skip Madrid - but it's in Spain, his homeland, and also it's right up close to the French Open, making it a good lead up tournament. Would Rafa come into the French Open cold if he just said, 'okay, I've proved my excellence on clay now, I don't need to play Madrid - let someone else have one of the damn Masters trophies'?

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Probably not. It's Rafa. He's a machine. He has proved, far and away, that when it comes to the red stuff, he is the best of all time. The only question mark over him now is this - is he too good for his own good? Will he wear himself out before the big one with all this winning?

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Today's Results

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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)

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Men's Draw

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Rafael Nadal def. Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2

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Women's Draw

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Marion Bartoli def. Peng Shuai, 6-0 7-6 (7-3)

Kaia Kanepi def. Vania King, 6-4 6-3

Patty Schnyder def. Mariana Duque Marino, 7-6 (7-1) 6-3

Carla Suárez Navarro def. Anne Keothavong, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Sybille Bammer def. Li Na, 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-3

Daniela Hantuchova def. Vera Dushevina, 6-4 6-1

Francesca Schiavone def. Alberta Brianti, 6-3 6-4

María José Martínez Sánchez def. Amélie Mauresmo, 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2

Lucie Safarova def. Mariya Koryttseva, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Yaroslava Shvedova def. Samantha Stosur, 6-4 6-2

Ayumi Morita def. Monica Niculescu, 6-1 6-3

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Estoril Open (Estoril)

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Maximo Gonzalez def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-4 6-3

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BMW Open (Munich)

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Nicolas Almagro def. Jan Hernych, 6-3 6-4

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

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Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Dinara Safina, 6-4 6-3

Hopeless

Roger, Roger, Roger. You had the chance to go up a set and a double break and then... sleepy time. I don't know quite what happened - I only saw a few games of the match, mostly ones where Federer was losing - but it was not so good.

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There was some good. His shots on clay are exquisite. He's got some serious game - and this surface suits him. People are always going on about how he can't play on clay, but he can: when he was making his shots, they were beautiful. But the unforced errors and the shanking... not so good.

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It's better than at Monte Carlo, and I suppose it's all a matter of work and practice and how you feel on the day. But I just want Federer to do well so badly. I'm a hopeless Fedophile. And he can do anything. He's the best player ever. I just want him... to, well, do it.

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All credit to Djokovic, though - he fought back from what looked like an impossible situation to win that match. But it's just so sad...

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...and he's facing the deadly, lethal Rafael Nadal. No words for this man. He is totally lethal.

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And on the subject of #1 ranked players, Dinara Safina is looking good to take the title in Stuttgart. She'll face Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final, and I would put a large sum of money on her winning. The top suits her, and it suits her well.

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Today's Results

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BNL Internazionali d'Italia (Rome)

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Rafael Nadal def. Fernando Gonzalez, 6-3 6-3

Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer, 4-6 6-3 6-3

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

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Dinara Safina def. Flavia Pennetta, 3-6 7-5 6-0

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Elena Dementieva, 6-4 6-2

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Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes)

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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Ekaterina Makarova, 6-0 6-1

Dinara! The Musical

No real surprises in Rome today - the surprise party is over. We have the three usual suspects through - Nadal, Federer and Djokovic all came through in straights again - and filling the spot left vacant by Murray is Fernando Gonzalez, who is pretty good at dirtballin', so not really surprising either. They're going to be good semis, I think - you'd bet on Rafa to come through for sure, but the other one is up in the air... but yeah. I hope it's Roger. I know it can be Roger. I think it'd be great to have a Roger/Rafa final before Roland Garros.

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That's pretty much all that can be said for Rome today... over to the girls. I said it yesterday and I'll say it again. Being #1 in the world really suits Dinara Safina. She pulverised Agnieszka Radwanska in Stuttgart today, and the war machine just looks like it'll keep on rolling. Please, please let this moment where she snaps out of her funk. That final in Australia really hurt her, I think - she played pretty well to get to that point. But we're around the same time last year that Dinara really burst onto the stage - it was so dramatic that you could probably write a musical about it: 'Dinara! The Musical!' (with supporting role of Marat Safin)... actually, that would be a fun idea. Am tempting myself now.

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Going back to Dinara's opponent, where has Agnieszka Radwanska been this year? Last year she was being touted as a future top-fiver and she made a couple of Slam quarter finals and generally showed promise - she was last year's Azarenka. But this year? She's another member of the Club of Lost Souls, with James Blake, Tomas Berdych, Lucie Safarova and Alize Cornet. I can't remember a single thing she's done this year. I mean, I suppose quarters in Stuttgart aren't bad, but she is capable of doing so much better.

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Speaking of people capable of more than the quarter finals in Stuttgart - Jelena Jankovic belongs to that club. I'm prepared to forgive this one, because she has showed some positive signs lately and Flavia Pennetta, to whom she lost, is wily and wise, especially on clay, but if this trend continues... she really should be looking at claiming her first Slam soon. And though there's been some improvement of late, I don't know if we're quite there yet.

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Today's Results

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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)

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Rafael Nadal def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-3 6-3

Roger Federer def. Mischa Zverev, 7-6 (7-3) 6-2

Novak Djokovic def. Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-3 6-4

Fernando Gonzalez def. Juan Monaco, 2-6 6-3 6-4

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

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Dinara Safina def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 6-2

Elena Dementieva def. Marion Bartoli, 6-2 4-6 6-3

Flavia Pennetta def. Jelena Jankovic, 2-6 6-4 6-4

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Gisela Dulko, 6-3 6-2

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Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes)

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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Melinda Czink, 6-0 retired

Ekaterina Makarova def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-2 6-1

Surprise Party

I said yesterday that I wasn't especially surprised at any of the results in Rome. Today... well, today I am, and that's the truth.

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We have the usual suspects through - Nadal, Federer and Djokovic all came through in style, especially Nadal, who totally crushed Robin Soderling. I remember hearing that there is no love lost between this pair... I bet Rafa's feeling pretty sweet about that right now! It was all pretty cruise-y for this trio, all three coming through in straights, Federer and Djokovic eliminating Stepanek and Robredo respectively.

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Fernando Verdasco and Juan Martin del Potro both came through as well, though they had to work a little harder, and Fernando Gonzalez as well, none of which are really surprising, but then we do have a couple of unusual faces. I talked a little about Juan Monaco yesterday, and though I wasn't terribly surprised to see him beat Murray - everyone's got an upset in them somewhere - he then backed it up against Marin Cilic, about which I was surprised. I've never really had much time for Monaco - probably because I can't ever really recall seeing him play, to tell the truth - but he certainly seems to be on a bit of a hot streak. Quarters in a Masters. That's something.

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And then Mischa Zverev - I don't even remember him being in the draw, let alone in the quarter finals! He's certainly come through quietly but lethally. He took Gilles Simon in easy straights - and, sure, Simon is in a bit of a funk at the moment, but still, that's a big victory for a qualifier. I have seen Zverev play before - I saw him play Tommy Robredo at the Australian Open in the first round last year. He won the first two sets before Tommy came roaring back to win in five. I only saw the first two sets, so maybe my perspective of Zverev is skewed, but I've always wondered why we haven't seen more of him. He has some sweet, sweet game.

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Over to the women's, and though she may not have strictly deserved it, I think #1 is suiting Dinara Safina well. She's had some excellent wins in Stuttgart, cruising past Daniela Hantuchova today. I'd love her to start her reign with a title - and then back it up with a Slam. That would be sweet.

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Oh, and I have to throw a word out to Sabine Lisicki. She might have lost to Jelena Jankovic today, but she fought hard all the way - and honestly, isn't she just the best thing about the WTA at the moment? She's so refreshing and happy and full of potential - this is what is needed more than anything!

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Today's Results

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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)

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Rafael Nadal def. Robin Soderling, 6-1 6-0

Roger Federer def. Radek Stepanek, 6-4 6-1

Novak Djokovic def. Tommy Robredo, 6-1 6-1

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

Fernando Verdasco def. Richard Gasquet, 7-5 6-4

Mischa Zverev def. Gilles Simon, 6-4 6-1

Fernando Gonzalez def. Jurgem Melzer, 3-6 6-3 7-5

Juan Monaco def. Marin Cilic, 6-4 6-4

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

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Dinara Safina def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4 6-2

Elena Dementieva def. Agnes Szavay, 7-6 (7-4) 6-1

Jelena Jankovic def. Sabine Lisicki, 7-5 5-7 6-3

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

Flavia Pennetta def. Nadia Petrova, 6-2 6-2

Marion Bartoli def. Caroline Wozniacki, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-3 6-3

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Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes)

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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Lourdes Domínguez Lino, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5)

Alisa Kleybanova def. Polona Hercog, 6-3 6-4

Ekaterina Makarova def. Marta Domachowska, 6-4 6-4

Melinda Czink def. Lucie Hradecka, 6-4 6-2

Clemency

Now, I could do another post about yet another inductee to the 2009 Club of Lost Souls (I was going to beat on Alize Cornet this time) but then that might just get monotonous. So let's talk about something else.

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The big guns are largely through in Rome - Djokovic went through yesterday, and Nadal and Federer both went through pretty comfortably today - with one notable exception: Andy Murray, who went down in a tight three-setter against Juan Monaco. Now, this might just be my imagination, but Juan Monaco seems to be popping up a bit lately. I can't pinpoint where, but I know his name's been around for doing... something. (Maybe I was beating on him for being not good enough - we all know that's my wont!) This is a good win for him - maybe the biggest one of his career.

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Now, if Nadal, Federer or even Djokovic had taken this loss, I can guarantee that it would be cause of huge concern and there would be massive press and coverage and whatever. As it is, I don't think it's going to be too much of a worry for Murray. He's already greatly exceeded expectations on clay, which is NOT his best surface, and so I think one early loss probably isn't going to be too much of a concern. If anything, it might do him good to have a week off and a bit of a rest.

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Nikolay Davydenko also went out, but considering his recent comeback and good showing in Barcelona, I'm also prepared to show clemency. And I'm even going to be nice about Ernests Gulbis, despite my ranting about his not winning enough - he had a fabulous, fabulous win in the first round against Nicolas Almagro (who is definitely AWOL this year - the Prince of Clay is not in the building) before going out in a tight three sets to Richard Gasquet. Not too bad, not too bad.

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In fact, I don't think there's a single result today which is totally, totally disappointing... in Rome, anyway. There are definitely a few choice words I could say about various people in Fes and Stuttgart. But today is a day for clemency - I'll beat on them tomorrow.

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Today's Results

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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)

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Rafael Nadal def. Andreas Seppi, 6-2 6-3

Roger Federer def. Ivo Karlovic, 6-4 6-4

Juan Monaco def. Andy Murray, 1-6 6-3 7-5

Fernando Verdasco def. Mardy Fish, 6-4 5-7 6-3

Jurgen Melzer def. Nikolay Davydenko, 7-5 7-6 (7-5)

Stanislas Wawrinka def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

Fernando Gonzalez def. Janko Tipsarevic, 6-4 6-4

Tommy Robredo def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-2 7-6 (7-5)

Marin Cilic def. Christophe Rochus, 6-0 5-7 6-2

Robin Soderling def. Victor Crivoi, 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-1

Mischa Zverev def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-0

Radek Stepanek def. Feliciano Lopez, 6-2 6-1

Gilles Simon def. Fabio Fognini, 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 6-3

Richard Gasquet def. Ernests Gulbis, 6-2 1-6 6-4

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3 6-1 6-3

Richard Gasquet def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. David Ferrer, 6-3 2-6 6-2

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

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Gisela Dulko def. Victoria Azarenka, 6-4 6-3

Jelena Jankovic def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1 6-1

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Andrea Petkovic, 6-4 5-7 6-1

Nadia Petrova def. Zheng Jie, 6-4 5-7 6-4

Flavia Pennetta def. Anna Chakvetadze, 6-2 6-0

Daniela Hantuchova def. Alizé Cornet, 6-3 6-1

Sabine Lisicki def. Patty Schnyder, 6-4 6-3

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Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes)

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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Klara Zakopalova, 1-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3

Alisa Kleybanova def. Jarmila Groth, 6-4 6-1

Melinda Czink def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 6-3

Ekaterina Makarova def. Akiko Morigami, 6-0 6-1

Polona Hercog def. Roberta Vinci, 6-2 6-4

Lucie Hradecka def. Shahar Peer, 6-4 6-1

Lourdes Domínguez Lino def. Anne Keothavong, 4-6 7-5 6-3

Marta Domachowska def. Eva Fernández-Brugues, 6-4 6-4

Nil, Nothing

We talked about someone disappointing yesterday, and who am I to buck a trend. There's another inductee into the Club of Lost Souls for 2009 - Tomas Berdych.

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Actually, Berdych could probably be a career inductee. He and his girlfriend Lucie Safarova suffer from the same malady - too much potential, not enough delivery. Both have them have insane amounts of talent packed inside their bodies, but what has it brought them? In the long run, nothing.

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Both have had some excellent runs in Australia - I remember Lucie Safarova pulling a big upset over Mauresmo and then going on to about the quarters a few years back. Tomas Berdych came within a fingerslength of taking out eternal finalist Roger Federer this year. Both have collected the odd minor title, and Berdych won a Masters event in 2005, but beyond that... nothing.

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Tennis is the game of a young person, and while there are late bloomers - Fernando Verdasco's recent run comes to mind - time is running out for Berdych and Safarova to capitalise on the potential they both have. I've held out hope for both of them for years, but hope is slipping away as time runs out. Berdych just took a weak loss in the first round of Rome to Feliciano Lopez, and this really isn't good enough for someone with so much potential packed into a 6'5" frame. I've held out hope for the Czech pair for years... methinks it might be time to let go.

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Today's Results

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Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome)

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Tommy Robredo def. Marat Safin, 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Simone Bolelli, 4-6 6-1 6-0

Robin Soderling def. Marcel Granollers, 6-3 6-0

Mischa Zverev def. Tomas Berdych, 4-6 6-2 7-5

Feliciano Lopez def. Thomaz Bellucci, 6-4 6-2

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

Mardy Fish def. Igor Andreev, 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-2)

Andreas Seppi def. Sam Querrey, 3-6 6-4 6-3

Janko Tipsarevic def. Jose Acasuso, 6-3 6-4

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)

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Dinara Safina def. Sara Errani, 6-0 6-1

Elena Dementieva def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-4 3-6 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki def. Iveta Benesova, 6-3 7-5

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 7-6 (7-2) 6-0

Marion Bartoli def. Karolina Sprem, 6-3 2-6 6-1

Li Na def. Peng Shuai, 6-2 6-3

Agnes Szavay def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-4)

Gisela Dulko def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-3 6-3

Tsvetana Pironkova def. Alberta Brianti, 0-6 6-4 6-4

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Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes)

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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Camille Pin, 6-1 6-1

Alisa Kleybanova def. Corinna Dentoni, 6-2 6-4

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Galina Voskoboeva, 6-1 6-2

Lourdes Domínguez Lino def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-3 6-4

Roberta Vinci def. Mariana Duque Marino, 2-6 6-4 6-1

Shahar Peer def. Aravane Rezai, 6-4 2-6 6-4

Anne Keothavong def. Maret Ani, 6-2 7-6 (7-3)

Melinda Czink def. Nathalie Vierin, 3-6 6-2 6-0

Jarmila Groth def. Paula Fondevila Castro, 6-3 7-5

Lucie Hradecka def. Nadia Lalami, 6-4 6-3

Klara Zakopalova def. Urszula Radwanska, 7-5 6-2

Akiko Morigami def. Fatima Zahrae El Allami, 2-6 5-5 retired

Polona Hercog def. Vitalia Diatchenko, 6-1 6-2

Eva Fernández-Brugues def. Petra Cetkovska, 2-6 6-4 6-2