Rafa's Renaissance - Revenge, Retribution and Restoration

Yes, I really went to that alliterative place with my title.

I think as a Federer fan I'm supposed to be sad that Rafa won and knocked my boy off the #1 perch just one week short of Sampras's record, but you know what? Rafa thoroughly deserves this one, and if you can play an entire clay court season without losing a match, you deserve to be #1. The way Rafa is playing at the moment is out of this world. The boy is back.

The Rafa that stepped out on court today was not the Rafa that stepped out against Soderling twelve months ago. That Rafa was exhausted and at the end of something that would prove to be a chapter in his life. This Rafa - this is Rafa 2.0, and nothing can stop him now.

Short of beating Federer in the final (which he has done so many times here it has almost lost all meaning) I think Rafa is glad it was Soderling he fronted up against. There was something symbolic about beating the man who ended his reign - and beating him so comprehensively in straight sets. Rafa hasn't lost a set all tournament, and there's a reason for that - he is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack when it comes to clay court tennis. When you read a clay court draw, I think you read it for the runner up these days. Because it's always Rafa and a bunch of guys not named Rafa.

And this couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Congratulations on your win, Rafa. You deserve all the victories and joys that come your way.

Fearless Francesca

I might have been pulling - and pulling heavily - for Sam Stosur, but one cannot fail to be inspired by what Francesca Schiavone did today. I have not seen a performance so inspired, so fearless, for many years.

Did anyone ever think Francesca would a Slam? I don't think so. She's nearing 30, which makes her the second oldest Slam winner of all time. What an inspiration, and what a revelation for women's tennis. Francesca, I salute you.

Let us spare a thought for Sam Stosur, who played a nervy but not necessarily a bad match. This has been the tournament of her career, even though it ends with the tin of biscuits and not the trophy. But there is time still for Stosur, and now she's been here, I think she'll be here again. I think there is a lot of tennis left in Sam Stosur, and her time will again.

But this moment belongs to the fearless Francesca Schiavone, who played the match of her life. She served brilliantly, returned like a demon and made some completely inspired volleys at net. But what won her this match and won her this tournament was her fearlessness. May you never lose it, Frannie.

Like Donkey Kong

There is a certain sense of parallelism in this year's men's final. It was time for Rafa to back in the final - this is, after all, his playground. And much as I was hoping to see my beloved Roger facing up against him... there is another part of me that is very glad Soderling has the chance to have another crack at him.

Beyond a Fedal final, I doubt there is any prospect more tantalising than Nadal/Soderling at the French now, given what happened last year. Nadal will be thirsty for revenge, and Soderling will be thirsty not just to win his first Grand Slam title, but to beat this guy again. And if there is anyone, any single non-Fed player who has the capacity to really trouble Nadal here, it is Soderling.

In fact, for Nadal, Soderling is the worst possible opponent. His battle with Federer has never been especially mental for him, but if any player is in Rafa's head, it is the Yoker. This will be the real test - how has last year's final affected him?

Truth be told, I think last year's result will give Rafa extra fire. Not only will he want revenge on Soderling, he genuinely doesn't like the guy, and he will NOT want to lose to him twice - not here, not at Roland Garros. But exactly the same thing is going to be true of Soderling - just as Rafa dislikes Robin, Robin dislikes Rafa, and I doubt there would be too much sweeter for Soderling than to win this tournament by beating Rafa.

In summary, both dudes have something to prove, and both will want to do it at the expense of the other.

Ever since Robin beat Roger, there has been a sense of fate about this match. In a way, Roland Garros is Robin's playground as well, and now we have a tussle. This was never going to be a final for Berdych or Melzer - this one is all Rafa, all Robin, and it is on like Donkey Kong.

Momentous

I don't know if it can be described how significant this Saturday will be for women's tennis in both Australia and Italy. It may be the randomest Grand Slam final we've had in quite some time, but in many ways it is also the most momentous. No matter who wins, whether it be Stosur or Schiavone, this weekend is absolutely mammoth.

I cannot pretend to be unbiased. I'm pulling for Stosur in an absolutely massive way. I am very interested in the future of tennis in my nation (oddly enough) and Stosur is definitely our way forward. Added to which I absolutely love her game and I think she has everything it'll take to win this title. But even if she doesn't, what she has achieved her is massive. I mean, to beat Henin, Serena and Jankovic in a row? That beatdown she laid on Jankovic was nothing short of epic - whoever would have thought JJ would go out only having won three games? And whoever thought Sammy Stosur would be the one to come through that incredibly tough quarter she was in?

Schiavone's achievements are also incredibly huge - I have to give a lot of credit to Van from Tennis Talk Anyone? for calling this one, because I never would have picked Schiavone for the final. (I think I picked Pennetta to go deep - wrong Italian, I guess!) It was very sad the way that she came through yesterday - I'm sure she would have rather had the full triumph rather than come through on the back of Lena D's retirement. But nonetheless - she has played amazing this tournament.

Has she got what it takes to beat Sammy Stosur? Who knows? But for whoever comes through, this will be an absolute revelation.

I can genuinely say that I am very happy about this result. I have very different reactions to mens' and womens' tennis, I think - I am eternally biased in mens' tennis, being such a rabid Federfan, but with the women I'm not, and sometimes that makes it more exciting. Whatever happens from here on in is a good result. (I mean, Sammy would be a better one, but if she doesn't win, I won't cry myself to sleep or anything...)

I'm just so excited about this final. I don't think it's the final or the tournament was hoping for, but you know what? that kind of just makes it all the more awesome.

Slammin' Sam

Well, well, well. For all my Zen, the tournament seemed a little empty to me with Federer out. But Samantha Stosur, you have given me reason to get right back into this Roland Garros shenanigan.

It's not exactly news that I'm not the most parochial tennis fan ever - I like to see the Aussies do well, don't get me wrong, but I'm a fan of individual rather than nation. So my fandom of Sam Stosur is not just because we share a country of origin, but because hot DAMN I love that girl's game.

I'm not, obviously, a massive fan of her chokiness, and if she had lost this match after serving for it at a set and 5-3, I don't know if she could ever have forgiven herself. But in a strange way, I think it did her more good beating a player like Serena, of notorious mental toughness, in a tight third set. That took more guts and nerves and chutzpah than serving out a routine straight sets victory ever could. Not that I wouldn't have liked to see her serve it out... but knowing that she can hang tight and hang tough with the toughest of players deep in the third, in the disadvantaged position of serving second - that is something something SOMETHING.

It was a brilliant first set and a half from Stosur. Not Serena's greatest match at all, but what is so important is that Sam capitalised. And if she can beat Henin and Serena back to back, there is nothing she can't do.

Whoever wins out of Jankovic and Stosur will win the tournament, I think. And there is absolutely no reason that in a few days, we couldn't say Sam Stosur, Roland Garros champion. That girl has every chance in the world.

A Strange Kind of Zen

The streak had to end one day, I suppose. 23 Slam semis in a row - that streak was just begging for some powerhouse like Robin Soderling to march in and snap it. And in a way, it is good that it broke - we can now appreciate how absolutely phenomenal it was with a little perspective.

And there's always the quarter final streak.

As a Federfan, I'm supposed to be totally heartbroken about this loss. And I am very sad about it. But either I've grown as a person or am in some kind of bizarro world, because I am surprisingly okay with it.

Last year at Roland Garros belonged to Roger. Once Robin Soderling knocked out Rafa Nadal, you knew that this year was the year for Roger to win Roland Garros. He achieved the feat. He conquered that Everest. And now it is someone else's turn.

Realistically, it's going to be Rafa, and I hope it is, even though that puts my boy Roger's streak at #1 to an end. Like Roger regaining Wimbledon last year, Rafa regaining Roland Garros is only right. However, we must remember who it is who put an end to the Federer campaign here.

It was one Robin Soderling - he who did the impossible and beat Rafa. He only has to get through Tomas Berdych to reach a final where, one imagines, Rafa will be waiting.

What will happen then? If there is a non-Fed person in the world who would have a fighting chance in that final, it is Robin Soderling. And I hope he gets there. Roland Garros is a special place for him now. I want him to at least repeat his feat of last year, prove it is not a fluke. (And to tell the truth, I'm glad that Roger lost this match instead of the one he played against Soderling last year!)

So, Mr Federer, get ye to the grass and win yourself another Wimbledon. Mr Soderling, get ye to the final and see what ye can do. And Mr Nadal... watch out for Swedish yokers.

A Year To The Day

A year to the day that Robin Soderling did the seemingly impossible and knocked out Rafa Nadal at Roland Garros, Sam Stosur has done exactly the same on the women's side. And much as I love Justine Henin, I am ecstatic for Sam.

People were calling Sam the dark horse of this incredibly difficult quarter, but I don't think anyone actually expected her to come through Justine realistically. But she has a chance - a damn fighting chance - of actually repeating her semi final performance here last year and maybe going further. If she can beat JuJu on clay, you can bet that she has as good a chance as anyone against Serena...

The winners: Sam Stosur. For all the reasons listed above. And for being freaking AWESOME.

Rafael Nadal also, for being a complete force of nature on a clay court.

And I have to give a shout out to Jurgen Melzer. So much talent, never really did too much with it, being the first Austrian to really do much of anything after Thomas Muster retired. And now - quarters at a major. Not too shabby at all! And considering the way Djokovic is playing, he stands a pretty decent chance of making semis if he keeps his head screwed on.

The losers: I'm sorry, JuJu, but you have to go in this column. Sam Stosur played lights out to beat her, but I seriously thought JuJu was going to win the tournament. She won't be happy with this result - even though it will give her a little longer to plan her assault on Wimbledon. And maybe that will be the difference for JuJu there... only time will tell.

And it might seem a little unfair, but Shahar Peer has to go here too. She started out fantastically against Serena and then completely lost it. What happened there, Shahar - apart from you realising that, oh yeah, Serena was on the other side of the net?

The disappointments: Raise your hand, Nando Verdasco. I know you have your whole toenail deal going on, but I was really feeling you this clay court season. I really feel like you have it in you to go super deep at Roland Garros - obviously your year is not this year.

And I know he won, but Novak Djokovic has been very disappointing this whole tournament, and it didn't stop here. Considering Robby Ginepri has won a grand total of eleven clay court matches in his entire career, you'd think the world #3 would be able to beat him without meekly dropping a set for what seemed like no reason.

The scraped-in-by-skin-of-teeth: No one really - no extremely tight matches today. So let's call this one the sneaking-through-the-draw-without-really-drawing-attention-to-themselves category today, and point our fingers at Nico Almagro and Jelena Jankovic, who have been silent and deadly so far. Nico will obviously stop next round, as he's playing some dude called Rafa whom I hear is a bit good on this surface, but Jelena really has the potential to go all the way here.

One to watch/story of the day: Watch out world. Here comes Sam Stosur!