Heartbreak

I have never hated Rafael Nadal more.

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The match has been over for about five minutes. I missed most of the speeches, because I was sobbing too hard to function in any capacity at all. If the match had gone the other way, I would have been lauding it as one of the greatest matches of all time - and doubtless, it is, and I will accept it in time. But it will take me a while to dry my eyes.

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That poor man. That poor, beautiful man.

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The French Open defeat was nothing compared to this one. This one... this one hurts. Roger was never really expected to win the French. This one... I have never been so miserable over a tennis match in all my life. And I've sat through some tough ones. The Masters Cup match with Nalbandian comes to mind. The semi against Djokovic was another. I have never been in agony so extreme.

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I am told very often that I get far too emotionally involved in tennis. Doubtless, this is true. But I have followed this sport so closely for so long that it is a huge part of my life. The world is a brighter place when the tennis is going well. The next few days are going to be a dark time for me and that beautiful man.

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I am so proud of him for holding in his tears when he so dearly wanted to cry. He will cry them later, I know, on Mirka's shoulder, but it was such a great effort for him not to break down right there, and he did it, for Rafa's sake. He is, to the end, the consummate sportsman. I know how hard it is not to cry when you so dearly want to - need to - but you can't, because of the situation. Oh, Roger. Roger, Roger, Roger.

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I can take nothing away from Rafa. This was an epic match and if someone had to end the Federer streak, it is in a way fitting that it was him. He played wonderfully and now he has his own little piece of Borg history - he is the first man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon since Bjorn. Borg also won five Wimbledons, and made it to the final of the sixth. Federer has that distinction now too.

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There was a hint of Borg/McEnroe about this match... that infamous 1981 final. But... oh, God. Oh Roger. I wanted you to win so badly.

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No one can say that these guys didn't fight. When some time has passed... ten years, maybe... I am sure I will install this match up there with that AO '05 Federer/Safin semi as one of the highest quality matches of all time. 9-7 in the third. Who would have thought that with Nadal two sets to love up?

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That is one life lesson I have learned from Roger Federer. A true champion never stops fighting. And Roger never did, not until the bitter end. And no one could ever accuse Rafa of not fighting... he really did deserve his win. He was a frickin' human backboard - a cyborg. (CyBorg?) But Roger deserved it too. Why couldn't it be a tie? Why couldn;t they both win?

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One of the things I love about tennis is that there is only one winner. But I don't love that so much right now.

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I do at least have the consolation of knowing that Roger will remain #1. He will drop 300 points and Rafa gain them, but he is still comfortably in front. And Djokovic will lose many points, which is nice. Consolations, consolations.

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But I am pretty inconsolable right now. The French Open final was horrible. But this is heartbreaking. I have cried a lot of tears over a lot of tennis matches, but this is the most bitter defeat I have ever experienced... because he was so close. So close. And I love him and admire him so much. He is such a hero for me. And I don't want to see him sad. I don't want to see him hurting. And I don't think a loss has been this hard for Roger Federer for a very long time.

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This could go two ways. Either, he could let this play on his mind, and have a rubbish US hardcourt season. Or he could bounce back tougher and stronger than ever, and stamp himself firmly all over the last part of the year.

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And he's Roger Federer. He is the greatest tennis player that ever lived. I know what he will do.

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Wimbledon Results - Day #13

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Men's Draw

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Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer, 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7

Sorority

A Williams victory. I told you so, didn't I?

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Okay, I'm finished attempting to be funny now, due to obvious failure.

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This was always going to be both a very interesting and a very boring match. I'm not a huge fan of the Williams-style power game - I prefer the game that Hingis used to play, where it was all about cunning and placement. Not that Venus and Serena don't have those things, but let's face it: a lot of their prowess comes from the fact that you don't want to get in the way of the ball when they hit it.

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The power game lends itself to boring tennis, which is why Venus and Serena are sometimes a little dull to watch. I'm not saying that they don't have excellent tennis IQs or anything like that (just to clarify) but sometimes it can get a bit boring, watching these mini rallies where they just about break the other girl's arm. But Venus and Serena have such similar games that watching them play each other is a whole different story. It's like watching a mirror sometimes.

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If I had to pick one and say 'this Williams is the superior Williams' I would probably pick Serena. She seems to have the tiniest bit more variety - she changes it up more than Venus. But Venus is on the whole the steadier of the two - she makes less errors and goes for less winners (comparatively.) And that was why she won today.

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She and Serena understand each other so well that there was almost a psychic level to the match - they could pick which way the other one was going to go on volleys and suchlike and they were there and waiting many more times than in an ordinary match. It was a bit disappointing that Serena couldn't pull out that first set, because if the match had gone into a third I think it would have been anyone's game. But you can't take this one away from Venus. She played sensible tennis, steady tennis, smart tennis, and as a reward, she held up the Venus Rosewater trophy for the fifth time.

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And five Wimbledons is quite an achievement. Ask Roger Federer. Of course, six is even better.

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And then the Williams girls went on to win the doubles, giving them pretty much a clean sweep. I mean, there's still mixed doubles for one other girl on the tour to get a trophy, but as far as the women go, this has been a Williams Wimbledon (tm.) It was really interesting seeing all the seeds getting knocked out early and stuff, but if you look at the run Venus and Serena had through the tournament, they didn't actually face any of the top, top girls until they got to the final. Serena took out Agnieszka Radwanska (a player still on the rise) and Amelie Mauresmo (a player falling down.) Venus beat Elena Dementieva (fairy floss serve) but didn't face another seed at all before the final. What would have happened, I wonder, if the Ivanovics and Sharapovas had played tighter and made it into the second week? What result would we have seen then?

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The fact that they didn't only further proves that the Williams girls deserved their victories - but even if they had, I don't know what good it would have done. Can you see Jankovic, with her injuries, getting through Venus? Ivanovic, for all her power, outhitting Serena? Not on grass, my friends, not on grass.

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I've said before that I think claiming the Williams girls would be #1 and #2 if they committed a bit more to tennis is very unfair, and I stand by that. But at Wimbledon, in these two weeks, I think the story is a bit different. Seven out of the last nine years, a Williams has won Wimbledon - and even in 2004, when Sharapova won it, Serena was in the final. Three of those nine years, both Williams girls have come through the draw to the final. And that's not even mentioning the doubles...

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It must have been interesting being a fly on the wall in the Williams house yesterday and today. By all accounts, Venus and Serena do just about everything together. I wonder if that changed at all? Did they sit and watch a movie together, or talk doubles tactics? Or did they deliberately do their own things?

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Serena seemed very annoyed that she didn't win. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Venus had ever beaten her on grass before, and this was the first time. She insisted repeatedly that Venus was just another opponent, and she left it all on the court, ra ra ra. Venus on the other hand, was all concerned about Serena's feelings when she won, because Serena lost, etc etc etc. I wonder... do you think they would be saying the opposite things if Serena had won and Venus had lost? Victory can afford to be magnanimous.

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Note how I haven't talked about men's tennis yet. How good am I? And I'm not going to... too much. Today belongs to the Williams sisters. But I will say this: go Roger! If Venus can make it five, you can make it six, baby... and remember, I predicted THREE DAMN SETS - so make me look good, please!

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I believe in the Mighty Fed. I believe. And I know the Mighty Fed believes in the Mighty Fed too, and that can never be bad.

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Two last things: big congratulations to Daniel Nestor, who now owns a career Grand Slam in doubles after partnering Nenad Zimonjic to the final!

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And secondly: Laura Robson, you may have won junior Wimbledon, but I saw Marat Safin first.

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Wimbledon Results - Day #12

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Women's Draw

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Venus Williams def. Serena Williams, 7-5 6-4

Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly

I'd like to dedicate this post to my friend Erin who, when I was discussing this issue with her the other day, reminded me of the old adage: you give your heart to Fred Astaire but you keep your body for Gene Kelly.

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I never thought I'd liken Marat Safin to Gene Kelly, but there you go. Roger Federer and Fred Astaire is more understandable... the way Roger dances around the baseline is almost Astaire-like at times.

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It's always difficult for me to see these two play against each other, because I love them both so much. Federer will always, always be my favourite... but Safin has got his Safin-ness, and I love him too. I'm married to Roger, but sometimes I have an affair with Marat.

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So like I said, watching them is difficult. Their matches are the only matches in which I don't quite wholeheartedly go for Federer... I mean, I'm going for him, but there's that tiny 1% of my heart which would love to see Marat get through... It was the 99% that got satisfied, and I was glad about it. And Marat has a lot to be proud of in this tournament. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: it is so, SO great to see him achieving new milestones in his career when people have started to count him out.

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Watching Roger and Marat is also easier than other matches, because at least I know one of my boys is sure to get through. I wish, I WISH that it could be both of them. I would kill for a Federer/Safin final. But we don't get everything we want in life, alas.

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Although Federer won and won convincingly - as you would expect of the man who hasn't lost on grass since 2002 and hasn't lost a set on the stuff this year - Safin actually played quite well in parts. The first set was maybe not so good, but the second set was really great. He played deep, and he was devastating at net - Federer couldn't pass him at all. His wingspan is so big and his size is so intimidating that he totally dominated there. He took the net away from Roger completely - Roger lost more points than he won at net, which is very unusual for him. Marat also served pretty decently as well. Although unforced errors crept into his game in spurts - he would hit five gorgeous winners, and then five stupid errors - there were shades of 2005. For a man that has always professed to hate grass, I think he played just swell.

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Now - can he back it up? I'm certain he can, if he thinks he can. Marat is all about his headspace, and hopefully this will give him confidence. It certainly should - he's never been to the semis of Wimbledon before! I think this means that he joins that exclusive club of people who have been to the semis at all four majors... I know Roger's done it (obviously), Djokovic has done it (grrr) and Nalbandian has for sure... there are probably more, but they're the ones that occur to me off the top of my head. Even Rafa hasn't done it - he's never made it past the quarters of the US Open, to my knowledge. But Marat's done it.

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He said he wants to be seeded for the US Open, and I think that's a good goal for him. He is clearly capable of playing and beating seeded players - he took out Seppi, Wawrinka and Lopez as well as the big scalp of Djokovic. He's back in with the big boys: even Roger, God of Grass, didn't look entirely comfortable against him. Marat's ridden back into town... let's hope he doesn't ride straight back out again. He's scheduled to play Bastad next week - good God, that's clay, isn't it? I don't know if that is QUITE the best idea... but considering I don't think he really expected to make it beyond the second round here, he might pull out to rest up for Toronto and Cincinatti, which are, of course, on his favourite surface.

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For someone who professes to love Roger best of all, I sure do talk a lot about Marat, hey.

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But I do love Roger best of all, let's face it. I was cheering for him last night, much as I love Marat, and I would do it again. Him winning his sixth Wimbledon title would make my year, and he can totally do it. He didn't play quite as well as he did against Ancic, but I think Safin is a more unsettling player. You never know what's going to happen with Marat... he could do something stupid or he could hit a brilliant winner. At least with Rafa, Roger's going to know what's coming. Rafa's brilliant, but that brilliance is almost predictable... you can predict that he's going to be brilliant. Marat is either a total genius or a severe disappointment - often both, several times, in the same match.

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So Roger didn't play quite as well, but he was serving very well indeed - winning 92% on second serve, which is just totally crazy - and cleaning the lines with constant regularity. And much as the Channel 9 commentators were all like, 'oh, he's vulnerable, oh, he sucks, etc etc etc,' I would like to point out that at no point did Safin serve for the set in that match. Because Rafa was hardly playing at his Rafa-like best.

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I like Rafa. A lot. I really do. But let's face facts... now he's the villain. This match, this court, this whole damn institution is Federer's, and I for one am not ready for a changing of the guard.

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All credit to Rainer Schuettler. He played a great match, and he really hung in there, despite the fact that he must have been buggered after that marathon with Clement. If he'd won that second set... well, I still think he'd have lost the match, but it would have made it a hell of a lot more interesting. I really liked the way he played Rafa. Tactically, it was smart. He was playing inside the baseline a lot of the top, cutting off the impact of the Crazy Rafa Topspin (tm.) And he wasn't afraid to come in or to draw Rafa in, despite the mad excellence of the Rafa pass and the certainly not half badness of the Rafa volley. I've never seen someone try to play Rafa like this, and it certainly must have been a task and a half, what with the speed and power at which Rafa belts the ball, but Schuettler did it very well. And his angled returns into the backhand court were very nice also. Some interesting things to think about.

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But we're now at that part of the tournament where I start tossing around the word 'destiny' and the other one hundred and twenty six guys fade into the background (even Marat.) It's the rematch. The gladiatorial showdown. Federer. Nadal. #1 and #2. The match that was always going to happen.

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And I'm going to tip Federer. IN THREE DAMN SETS.

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Wimbledon Results - Day #11

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Men's Draw

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Roger Federer def. Marat Safin, 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Rafael Nadal def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-1 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Messrs Sunday

Those crazy boys are at it again. Roger and Rafa, those crazy final kings, are at it again.

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Remember 2005, when there basically wasn't a title that wasn't won by one of those two? Good times, good times. That year was the year of Rafa's ascendancy, his first French Open, when he cemented himself as #2 in the world. And he hasn't looked back.

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Let's start with Rafa, who, even though he is #2 and has won lots of stuff (including the Match We Do Not Speak Of), is still the apprentice Mr Sunday. His match was the harder of the two, obviously, being as he was playing against Novak Djokovic. (A friend and I have started referring to him as Novak, Prince of Lies... just an aside.) This one had the potential to go the distance. Obviously, it didn't, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

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Of course, I haven't actually SEEN this match, so I am going off scores and stats here. This one could have gone either way - actually, no. That's a lie. Rafa was the one who came through when it counted, therefore he deserves it. Tennis really isn't about how many points you win, it's about when you win them. It is totally possible for a player to win more points but then lose the match - think of the Dubai final in 2006! There was only one point separating Rafa and the Djoker at the end of the first set - 50 points to 49 - but it was Rafa who won that point when it counted.

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I am aware that my inner Fedfan should be horrified at the notion of Rafa winning a grass court tournament when he has, for the last two years, been Roger's biggest competition on grass. But I have the faith. There has been a lot of commentary around about how Roger's hold on Wimbledon is slipping and how he won't win it this year. Forgive me if I put my faith in the man who has won 59 straight matches on grass courts, including five Wimbledon titles, and is the greatest tennis player of all time. That doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

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And I like to see Rafa doing well. Quite apart from anything else, I want to see him pulling away from Djokovic in the points race... although not enough to will him to a Wimbledon victory (not over Federer, anyway.) And it's not like Djokovic doesn't have points to defend at Wimbledon. He made the semis last year. And grass court tennis is the most cutthroat of all the surfaces. Lose a few points at the wrong time, and the set is gone. And it only takes three sets to win a match. This is part of what makes Federer's grass court achievement so marvellous.

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Roger was never going to not win that match against Kohlschreiber last night. He was in total control the whole time. He has gone the whole week without dropping a set, and, more impressively, without dropping his serve. This is the best possible week he could have hoped for after the Match We Do Not Speak Of. If a week this brilliant will not shut critics up, then I don't know what will.

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Of course, speaking as a baby amateur critic myself, there is very little that can change you once you form an opinion... it is possible (like my changing attitude to Rafa) but not likely... I can't ever see myself changing my viewpoint on Djokovic. Not unless he like, attains world peace or something. And even then, I'll probably think he stole the idea off Federer.

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So Mr Sunday and his matador apprentice both proved why they are the best players in the world this week. Both backed it up from the Match We Do Not Speak Of, and both thoroughly deserved their wins. I have a feeling that the tennis this coming week will not be half so interesting... neither Rafa nor Roger is playing, but as we know, that has never stopped me talking about them. Bring on Wimbledon! Where, I believe, we will once more see a match between the Messrs Sunday... with the Master coming out on top this time!

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Today's Results

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Artois Championships (Queen's Club, London)

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Rafael Nadal def. Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (8-6) 7-5

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Gerry Weber Open (Halle)

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Roger Federer def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-3 6-4

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Orange Warsaw Open (Warsaw)

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Nikolay Davydenko def. Tommy Robredo, 6-3 6-3

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DFS Classic (Birmingham)

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Kateryna Bondarenko def. Yanina Wickmayer, 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 7-6 (7-4)

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Campeonatos Internacionales de Tenis Femenino de Espana (Barcelona)

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Maria Kirilenko def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-0 6-2

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Ordina Open (s'Hertogenbosch)

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David Ferrer def. Jesse Huta Galung, 6-2 6-3

Steve Darcis def. Florent Serra, 7-5 6-3

Mario Ancic def. Ivo Minar, 6-1 7-6 (7-0)

Rainer Schuettler def. Michael Berrer, 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4

Igor Andreev def. Grigor Dimitrov, 6-1 6-3

Jurgen Melzer def. Victor Hanescu, 6-7 (11-13) 6-2 6-4

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Camille Pin def. Elena Vesnina, 6-2 6-3

What Makes A Champion

It will come as no surprise that I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

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The match has only just finished, and it will equally come as no surprise that I am crying too hard to see my keyboard. So if there are any typos, that's why - I'm relying on my ability to touchtype. I wanted Roger to win so badly. So badly. It would have meant so much for him.

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And for me.

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I know I refused to call the final. But I think in many ways I refused to call the final because I did not want to admit the possibility, the probability that Roger (my Roger) would lose. I wanted him to win so, so badly. But Rafa was so dominant, so good, such a fabulous player.

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I am glad that it is Rafa, and not anyone else, that has beaten my Roger. This loss, although it is hard to swallow, particularly with the breadstick and the bagel in there, is not as hard to swallow as the loss to Djokovic at the Australian. That does not make it easy by any means, but the pain is slightly less. And... to tell the truth, I think I knew Rafa would win.

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And that makes me feel bad. No one believed in Roger - not even me. If I could have believed a little bit more, could have had a little bit more faith in him... would it have made a difference?

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I know that it wouldn't have. My little blog is nothing compared to the vast, vast spectrum of the media. But I wish I could have believed in him that little bit more.

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I realise that this is a sentiment that is usually more associated with religion than with sport. I am not a religious person whatsoever. Federer is my hero, not my god. And I know, that unlike a god, he is fallible. I don't think I would admire him, love him quite so much if he were not fallible. Part of the immense charm of Federer is that he can take a loss like a man. 'You should never take anything away from the other guy,' Roger once said (slightly paraphrased, possibly), 'because you know I was trying my best.'

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The media were down on Roger. I wonder if that affected him? Because this is his worst loss at Roland Garros in a while. I cannot remember the last time Roger took a bagel. He wins the Golden Bagel all the time for bagelling other people, not for taking a bagel. I don't want to make excuses for him, because I know he will not make excuses for himself, but his head was not there today. What happened, Roger? Where did you go?

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That said, Nadal played phenomenally. 46 winners to 7 unforced errors is absolutely insane. I can't remember the last time someone had such amazing stats. He emulated Federer's Australian Open 2007 feat of winning the tournament without losing a set. I am so, so sad. I cannot express how sad I am. But I do not want to take any credit away from Nadal.

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If Rafa had been playing anyone else in the final, I would have wanted him to win. I would have gloried in this victory. But Roger... oh, Roger.

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I know my writing is not the best right now. It never is, when I am crying so much... and the tears have not yet abated. Perhaps tomorrow, when the pain has subsided some, I can write about the match with some clarity. Because, yes, I do intend to continue this blog. I am going to write through Halle and Queen's and all the way through the end of Wimbledon (where I once again expect a Roger/Rafa final, but this time with a different result.) I don't know if I will focus heavily on those tournaments, because I have no way of seeing them live, but I can reflect on the results and perhaps profile some of the players I have talked about this season.

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A word, before I go, on Rafa. I am so, so glad that he was the one that beat Roger, if it had to be anyone. He was such a gentleman in victory, and in some respects, he felt sad for Roger. (Though obviously not as sad as I felt, and nowhere near as sad as Roger felt.) I am glad that there is a man like Rafa about to stand behind the Federer throne, to dominate at Roland Garros. I like Rafa. I know I said I wouldn't be too disappointed if I won, and that is, to some extent, the truth. I wanted Roger to win so very, very badly - more than I have wanted anything for a long time now. History was on the line here. And I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed that he lost. But there is no one that can say Rafa did not deserve and earn this win. He is deservedly the 2008, Borg-emulating Roland Garros champion.

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Congratulations, Rafa. May you vamos for many years to come.

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I might write more about this final tomorrow, when I can actually see the keyboard... and when I am slightly more sober, because I drank a bottle of wine trying to cope with my nerves. But I would like to end with this. Roger Federer is not a champion because he has won Slams. I do not like Roger Federer because he has won Slams. I am a Federer fan because of the person he is, because of the ambassador he is for the sport, and for what he has brought me, the lessons I have learned from him and his attitude on the court. This may have been a tough loss, but Roger took it like a man. That is a lesson in and of itself. He is a great, great champion. There will never be a champion as profoundly excellent, on and off the court, as Roger Federer.

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And so I will always be a Federer fan, come what may. Because no matter whether he wins or loses, Roger Federer is always a champion for me.

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Roland Garros Results - Day #15

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Men's Draw

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Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer, 6-1 6-3 6-0

Welcome to Thunder Dome

Two men enter. One man leaves.

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Okay, the 'men' in question here are Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina, but the Mel Gibson reference still stands. There is no arena in modern sport so fiercely gladiatorial as that of a Grand Slam final. Two players enter, their only weapons their racquets, their skills and their minds. Only one can leave a champion.

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In this case, it was Ana Ivanovic. I was going for Dinara Safina, and I really thought that she had the game to win, but Ivanovic really was due. A third Grand Slam final loss - especially a final she was expected to win - might have been catastrophic for her career, particularly as regards her mental stability. She hasn't been the strongest player mentally in the past, and the last thing she needed was a monkey on her back. And even though she is younger than Dinara, as a top-echelon tennis player I would make her senior, and it really was Ana's turn. This has been coming for a while.

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Even though I was gunning for Dinara, I like Ana and I like the way she plays. It was always going to be interesting to see how she performed on this court after she froze up so totally against Justine last year. (Speaking of Justine, what the hell was she doing there? Wasn't the whole point of her retirement that she was sick of tennis? Or am I missing something? Go figure.) Both players started nervously - understandably. I wasn't surprised when Dinara dropped her first service game, and I wouldn't have been surprised if Ana had dropped hers. But no. She overcame it. She held on.

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I take nothing away from Dinara Safina. She is a fine, fine player - as I have elaborated ad nauseam over the past few days! - and I think there are more Slam finals, and maybe even victories, in her future. I liked her chances today, because she has been so tough mentally over her past matches. And she was tough again today. But she was outplayed, short and simple. This match was always going to hang on Ivanovic's racquet, and on her nerves. She has bigger weapons than Dinara, but the test was her mind. She has been to two Slam finals (Roland Garros last year against Henin, and the Australian this year against Sharapova) and she has never yet won a set.

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Until today.

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It is only fitting, I suppose, that Ivanovic assume the heavy mantle of world number #1 with a Slam title to her name. With Justine gone, there are not many Slam winners in the top five (not compared to the men's game.) Sharapova has three, Kuznetsova has one, Dementieva has been to a final. Jankovic has never made it. It's a few places down to the Williamses, who have about fifteen between them. But now Ivanovic has one, and I would not be surprised to see her add more soon.

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It will be interesting to see how Dinara backs up after this final, as well. She has moved into the top #10 on the rankings, and if she keeps her level of play up, she can move higher. Although she lost today, she has beaten three of those top five in this Slam. Sharapova, Dementieva and Kuznetsova all fell to her, and Dinara has really showed that she has got guts and nerves. She might not have broken through as early as Marat, with his US Open win as a teenager in 2000, but if Dinara can accept her loss and see her run to the final as what it really is - totally magnificent - she is going to be something else. I would not be surprised to see Dinara making an assault on the top five come the hardcourt season. In fact, she only has second round points to defend at Wimbledon - if she can translate her awesome claycourt game to the grass (which is certainly possible - we have seen Rafa Nadal do something like it in the past two years) - she can totally launch herself up there now. Ivanovic may have won today, but she might have to start watching her back - Dinara's a-coming.

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Actually, on a bit of an aside, I would love to see Dinara play mixed doubles with her brother at Wimbledon. I don't know if the chances of that are very high, but I think they'd be a good duo... although they might destroy a record number of racquets between them.

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But today belongs to Ivanovic. She is the one who left Philippe Chatrier (aka Thunder Dome) crowned champion and world number #1. She is, in my mind, the favourite to win Wimbledon - to do a Borg, as it were. Ana Ivanovic deserves this win.

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The person I really feel sorry for is Jelena Jankovic, to tell the truth. She's a wonderful player, one of the finest that Serbia has ever produced... and she had to be around at the same time as Ivanovic, who is younger, and has beat her to the punch when it comes to winning a Slam and becoming world number #1. But we can't say it wasn't like Jelena didn't have her chances. She looked a cert to make it through to the final in the third set of her semi against Ana. But it was Ana who rose to the occasion, and it is Ana Ivanovic who is now, undoubtedly, the world number #1 for women's tennis.

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I don't think there can be any doubt that the two girls who reached the final thoroughly deserved to be there. Dinara, after her run at Berlin and her constant presence in the round of sixteen and the quarters, was due a breakthrough, and she has been one of the form players this season. And Ivanovic demolished her opponents before she was tested by Jankovic - a test she passed by showing the grit and the nerve of a champion and not just the instincts of a frontrunner. So congratulations, Dinara. Congratulations, Ana. I think we'll be seeing these two meet in Thunder Dome again.

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Roland Garros Results - Day #14

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Women's Draw

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Ana Ivanovic def. Dinara Safina, 6-4 6-3

Reflections on the Final That Wasn't

I never realised before today how anticlimactic a Slam final without Federer can feel.

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I know I shouldn't complain about it. I love tennis outside of Federer, even if he really is the reason I got into it in the first place. As Erin frequently tells me, I am spoiled. Before now, Roger had been in the previous ten Slam finals. Which, you know, was nice. And he won eight of them. Which was, you know, nicer.

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Maybe it's good for tennis to have someone different in the final for a change. I'm pretty fixed in my position of not liking Djokovic, but he was always going to break through sometime, and really, when it comes down to it, I am glad it was here and not at Wimbledon. The Australian Open is important but Wimbledon really is the most important tournament of the year, from a sentimental perspective anyway.

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Normally, in a tennis final, I am on the edge of my seat. My heart is in my mouth, and with every ball that flies long or careens into the tape I wince; with every winner I clap. But this match left me cold, really. I like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and I like the way he plays, but I haven't seen enough of him yet to induct him into my hall of favourites. And we all know where I stand on Djokovic. So, yeah, I watched it, and yeah, I enjoyed it, but my heart wasn't in it. I was cheering for Tsonga, but let's just say I shed no tears over this match... which makes it the first Slam final I have not cried over since the US Open '05, which was before I really became a hardcore Federer fan.

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I make no pretences at being unbiased. If Roger Federer won every match he played in straight sets, that would be fine with me, though I'm sure the greater tennis world would find it boring. It was hard to see Novak Djokovic hoisting up the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, when it has such deep emotional connections for me - the Australian Open '06, the famous Open of the crying Roger, was when I fell in love with tennis. I am a tennis fan. But I am a fan because of Federer. I mean, sure, there are other players I like and like a lot - Tursunov, Safin, Moya, Gasquet, etc, etc - but when it comes down to it, it's all about Roger, really. I love what he brings to tennis. I love the way he plays tennis. And I love his attitude to tennis. 'You can never be bigger than the game,' he once said, 'and you have to remember that.'

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That's the mistake I make, I think. In many ways, for me, Federer is bigger than the game. Hell, he is the freaking game. Basically, he is my hero, and it is very difficult for me to see my hero not at the top of his game.

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So, for a blog that's supposed to be about tennis in general, I talk an awful lot about Federer, hey?

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This was meant to be a blog purely for the Australian tennis summer, which would make this the last post. However, thirty-odd posts in, I still have a lot to say (probably because I've spent most of my time writing about what a great guy Roger Federer is instead of, you know, actual tennis.) I'm not going to write it daily any more - mainly because I have no way of watching tennis now that the tour has moved onto the South American swing - but I'll write a weekly roundup of the week's tournaments... and see where that takes us!

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Next week is Vina del Mar, a claycourt IS event in Chile. The top seed is Fernando Gonzalez, but this tournament also marks the comeback of Guillermo Coria, former French Open finalist, so it could be very interesting! Also, Peter Luczak (Milkshake) is playing, so it'll be fun to see how he goes on clay!

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And also Roger isn't playing, so I might make some actual observations about tennis, which could be fun...

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Australian Open Results - Day #14

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Men's Draw

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Novak Djokovic def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-2)

Penultimate

I don't actually have very much to say today, but I've been blogging every day of the Australian tennis summer, so I'm not going to stop two days from the finish line. If I didn't have a job, maybe I could blog about the women's final, but unfortunately, for those of us in retail, Saturday afternoon is money time.

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So surprise, surprise. Sharapova beat Ivanovic. Colour me stunned.

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I know Ivanovic was seeded higher than Sharapova, but there was no way Sharapova wasn't going to win that match. When you compare the form Sharapova is in - ain't just anyone can bagel Justine Henin - to the form Ivanovic was in - bageled by Hantuchova in the semis before coming back.... foregone conclusion, really. I thought Ivanovic won in the dress stakes, but in the tennis stakes, Sharapova, throughout the tournament, was playing lightyears better.

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I suppose I could talk about the men's final coming up tonight, but it's still a bit of a sore point for me. A final without Federer seems strange and unusual. All I can say is this: Jo-Wilfried, please, please, please pound Djokovic into the ground. Go Schwarzenegger on him again. Please. I mean, who does Djokovic think he is, saying that 'this is the Slam final everyone wanted to see?'

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I mean, sure. It's nice to see young players coming up. But this is certainly not the Slam final I wanted to see. I want to see Roger Federer make history.

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Well, I suppose I can't complain. By Roger's own admission, he didn't play his best tennis, even though he tried as hard as he could. But I'm just so sad for him. This year's chance at the Slam gone before it even began...

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But I'm trying to be optimistic about it. Maybe this will be good for Roger. It might lift some pressure off him coming into the French. Last year, he said he felt pressure in Indian Wells and Miami because expectation was so great. Maybe a little less expectation will be a good thing. And because he won't be trying for four Slams in a row at the French, maybe that will make it a bit easier as well.

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And maybe it will help him reevaluate a bit as well. I don't know what was up with him, but he didn't seem quite himself this tournament. He was a bit... well, stroppy, really. Somewhere between the Santoro match and the Tipsarevic match - I don't know if something happened, but it was like the off-switch got flicked and he wasn't quite all there. He has a break coming up now before the US hardcourt tournaments start. Maybe it will be good.

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Because I have no doubt - no doubt WHATSOEVER - that Roger Federer will come back, bigger and better than ever. Because that is who he is.

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Australian Open Results - Day 13

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Women's Draw

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Maria Sharapova def. Ana Ivanovic, 7-5 6-3