Nadal and Berdych stroll into the finals

This makes for a very interesting Wimbledon final. Berdych, has continued, to defy the odds, by dethroning yet another top seeded player. This time in straight sets. I thought for sure Djokovic, would have finished him. Albeit probably in a close five setter. But it surprises me, to see Berdych, getting the better of the #2 and #3 ranked players in the world. I think in this case, it was Djokovic's, second serve that was his downfall. He had 8 double faults in the match and won only 42% of the points on his second serve. No where near good enough, for the later stages of a grand slam.

Berdych, did a very good job of consistently applying pressure to Djokovic through out the match. This was a well deserved victory for him.

The other semi-final, turned out to be fairly routine as well. Andy Murray, was attempting to become the first British man, in a billion years to reach the finals of Wimbledon and to his credit he played a solid match. He just got outplayed. Nadal's level was very, very good. Not up to his 2008 level, perhaps but still excellent. Rafa, got lucky in the tie-break, at 6-all. His return clipped the net and just barely tipped over. Making it impossible for Murray, to return it. This set up, a set point for Rafa, which he won and in doing so sealed Murray's fate.

Furious, over losing the second set, Murray, played the third set, with full aggression. Breaking Nadal straight away and giving the crowd, a slight hope of a comeback. Unfortunately, for Andy, he wasn't able to maintain that level long enough to serve out the set. Nadal got the break back, a few games later and then broke again one final time to win the match 6-4, 7-6(8), 6-4.

Now for the finals: I think Berdych's dream run, is going to come to an end. He's played great and deserves to have gotten this far. I don't see what advantage he has on Nadal, except for the serve. Both have great forehands, good backhands. Nadal is much better on the run and mentally stronger than Berdych in pivotal moments. I predict the finals will go to 4 and that Nadal will be the 2010 Wimbledon champion.

Wimbledon: Quarters

Federer is out. Can you believe it. For the first time in 8 years, there will be a Roger-free final at Wimbledon. Love him or hate him, this is going to be weird. It feels like Roger is as much a part of Wimbledon as the all white dress code, the strawberries & cream or the unpredictable weather. While, I'll miss watching Roger play for the title, it's also kind of refreshing to know that someone else is finally going to get a chance to win.

Berdych, has had a phenomenal year. For a guy that looked washed up when he was 23 years old, he's had quite the turn around. I'm very excited to see how he does against Novak, this should be a great match. I predict it'll go the full distance but I'm giving a slight edge to Nole. He's a little more familiar with the later stages of slams and it might give him enough of an edge that he'll pull it out. Again, I expect this will be very close.

Djokovic, beat out, Yen Hsun Lu, in a very easy straight setter to reach the semis. He's gone up several levels, since his first round struggles with Rochus.

Nadal, looked great against Soderling. Even though he lost the opening set, he was able to come back and tear right through Soderling, sending him packing with a breadstick (6-1.) Nice stuff, from Rafa. Going to be tough on Andy Murray, who was able to come through a relatively competitive quarter-final match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Intersting fact, is that despite the head-to-head being 7-3 in Nadal's favor. Murray holds even when playing Nadal in slams. Their record is 2-all.

So with only 4 players left in the draw it's time for me to make my pick for the finals.

I'm going with the top seeded Rafael Nadal to play Novak Djokovic, for the title.

Round of 16 at Wimbledon

I have to admit, I'm surprised that all 4 of the top seeds are through to the second week. These guys, have struggled and struggled, through their fare share of 5 setters, but they're all still alive and ready to go from the looks of things.

Nadal's match against Paul Henri-Mathieu, showed some noticeable improvements in the Spaniard's game. Rafa's forehand was very good this time around and he served into the 120s. He also, won 47% of the returns off Mathieu's serve. If there was one area that he could have improved, it would have been on converting the break points. Nadal, only managed to get 5 for 15, a good number but still a little lacking. He looks set for the quarters against Soderling, who was nearly beaten by Rafa's compatriot David Ferrer.

Ferrer, has never really done well on grass. In fact this was only the second time in his career, that he's reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. As for the match, he did a nice job playing against Soderling. When his first serve percentage was high, he was able to cruise through the match. His second serve was a different story though. He didn't put enough on the ball and allowed Soderling, to attack it with ease, which explains why Soderling broke him 6 times in the match. Robin, did get the win after 5 sets but I would have like to have seen a cleaner performance from him. His unforced were a bit too high today. He'll need to clean that up, if he wants to have a chance to beat Nadal in the quarters.

The biggest surprise of the day, turned out to be Andy Roddick's downfall at the hands of Yen-Hsun Lu. This, was the first time that I had ever seen Lu, play and while I admit his win was impressive and well deserved, it was also highly unexpected. Lu, doesn't have any real weapons, to threaten Roddick. He doesn't hit big, he doesn't serve hard, but he does play a very smart game. And when he see's an opportunity, he goes for it.

Lu, served very well, in both tie-breaks and I was impressed by how easily, he was able to win points against, Roddick by going for placement rather than brute force. Lu, was the better man today. I don't expect he'll make it much further though, as he now must face Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer back to back.

Djokovic's form, has been improving steadily and I can't see him losing to Lu, unless something goes wrong. Perhaps, there's a small glimmer of hope, given Lu's win over Roddick but really this is Novak's match to lose.

Roger, continues his early round struggles, Davydenko out, Mahut and Isner set record for longest match

Another tough match for Roger, this time with Serbian, tennis player Ilija Bozoljac. Bozolijac, actually outplayed Roger in many aspects, coming up with more aces and winners. He was almost able to steal this one from Roger, but like in the Fella match, Rog was just too good and put away his opponent, in a very tight 4 setter.

Roger, has been thoroughly tested, in the early rounds of Wimbledon. It should bode well for his confidence, but it hasn't been easy on him physically. He's still got five more matches, to go. That's a long way to the championship.

As for Davydenko, he met his match against Daniel Brands. Brands, initially got off to a rough start, dropping the first set. But he didn't let the deficit stop him and stole the next two sets in tie-breaks. After taking the lead, Brands was then easily able to put Davydenko away, winning the match 1-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(10), 6-1.

Now on to the one you've been waiting for. The one that has everyone talking. The conclusion of the psycho marathon, match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. Which is now officially, the longest match of all time. Strung out between 3 days but only took 10 hours to complete. Neither player was able to break the other guy's serve. Which is why it lasted forever and ever and ever but don't get me wrong, this was one incredible match to behold.

Now some people have said that the return games of Isner and Mahut, were lacking and that's why it went to 70-68. These people don't know what they're talking about. Mahut alone, had 244 winners to 34 unforced errors, 103 aces and won 502 points (he actually outperformed Isner in the stats department.) Does that sound like a guy who played a bad match?! No way.
I couldn't believe the level, they were able to produce for 10 straight hours it's mind boggling.

This was a very well deserved win for John Isner and a heart breaking loss for Mahut. Hopefully there won't be another one like it for a while though. I'd like see this record stand. It's an epic battle in it's own right. A definite must see, if you haven't already.

Fed and Djokovic forced to five in round 1, Nadal and Murray progress in straights

I never thought, I'd see the day where Roger Federer, would be pushed to five sets in the opening round of Wimbledon, but sure enough, it at hand.

Roger's opponent, Alejandro Falla played incredibly well, winning the first two sets and putting Federer, in a deep hole, with not much chance of a comeback. Amazingly Roger, still pulled it out in just under 3 and a half hours. I can't say he looked great in the match, but he finish off Falla with a bagel. And most likely Fed, will continue to improve in the rounds to come.

Nadal, posted a relatively routine, win over Kei Nishikori, while still managing some thrilling winners. Rafa, played great here. His serve in particular, has come a long ways, he was able to keep it at 70% winning 80% of them, while still maintaining an average speed of 115 mph. Nadal, may have a tough draw but if he continues, playing like this, he'll have a great chance at regaining his 2008 Wimbledon title.

Djokovic, did not get off to a great start against Olivier Rochus. Novak's serve was terrible, he had 17 aces to 12 double Faults and won only 68% of his points on first serve. He also, had an inordinate number of unforced errors, topping out at 60 for the match. This was not a good performance from Djokovic and he's going to face Taylor Dent in the next round. If he found Olivier Rochus, to be tricky, then Taylor Dent, should present some serious problems. The American, has a huge serve that get's up in the 130s and is very adept at the net.

Davydenko, made a successful return to the tour, by narrowly surviving, a viscous 5 setter against Kevin Anderson. Can't say Davydenko, played great but I will give him credit for gritting his way out of a 2 sets to love deficit. Since, he's just getting back to playing on tour (and because he's not good on grass) I don't expect he'll go much further. We're going to have to wait a few more weeks, until the summer hard court season approaches, to see how he's coping with his wrist injury.

Wimbledon predictions

For the first time in many years, Roger Federer has looked vulnerable on his favorite surface. Just 2 weeks ago, his long time rival Lleyton Hewitt, was able to win his first match in 7 years against the world #2, beating him 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Prior to this defeat, Roger, had won 76 of his last 77 matches on grass but now it seems that his aurora of invulnerability has faded. He's no longer a sure win, for the title and with the Fed/Nadal era weakening, there may be a wide enough gap, for someone like Roddick to bag the trophy.

So with that said, here's my prediction for how the top 10 will do at this years Wimbledon:

10. Jo Wilfried Tsonga: He's had some good results at Wimbledon in the past and has a relatively reasonable draw, for the early rounds. I expect he will reach the quarter-finals.

9. Fernando Verdasco: He's got all the right tools to do well on grass. Hard serve, fast paced groundies, which he can hit with a lot of variety. I think he can do better, than the fourth round this year. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself a bit, but I'll pick him to reach the semi-finals this year.

8. Juan Martin Del Potro: Poor Del Potro, has missed yet another slam, because of his wrist fracture. I hope he gets well soon.:(

7. Andy Roddick: Last years, finalist may have the best chance of everyone to win a slam. He's now one of the older players in the top 10 but his serve is still a tremendous weapon and he's played some great tennis earlier this year. The highlight, being his win over Nadal, in Miami. I'm picking him to reach the finals but don't be surprised if he wins it.

6. Robin Soderling: Really has a tough draw. He'll be tested early and to make matters worse, he has to face Nadal in the quarters. Given the head-to-head I'll side with Nadal to beat him, but Soderling, could surprise everyone and upset the world #1. He's got the game to do it, he's got the game to win the championship, but I still believe, he'll only reach the quarter-finals.

5. Nikolay Davydenko: He's had a lot of time off, recovering from the wrist surgery, so he's going to be out of form, heading into Wimbledon. Coupled, with the fact that Davydenko, never does well, on grass, I'd say he'd be lucky to reach the third round.

4. Andy Murray: It's tough to say how he'll do. Murray has been erratic, ever since his run to the finals at the Australian Open. He could lose early or he could reach the semis. But my gut tells me, he won't go all the way. Prediction: Quarter-finals.

3. Novak Djokovic: His game has been a mess, this year. He may be #3 in the world, but he's well out of form. Todd Martin, Djokovic's former coach, has made some adjustments to his serve, which hasn't paid off for him. He really needs to go back to basics, with his game. Prediction: fourth-round.

2. Roger Federer: This is hard to predict, because he's been inconsistent, recently. I could see him winning Wimbledon again, but sadly I could also envision losing in the third round. I'm going with the Semi-finals for Fed, his game, isn't on right now and if he runs into Roddick, it could be serious trouble for Fed. Andy, is going to want to avenge his defeat in last years final and I know, if he gets to play Roger, he'll come out at full force.

1. Rafael Nadal: If you haven't already seen his draw, I'd advice you to go take a look. It's one of the nastiest things, I've ever seen. For round 1 he has Nishikori, round 2 is Blake, round 3 could be Gulbis, fourth round may have Isner, and for the quarters, none other than Soderling. Yeah, that's a nightmare draw, if ever I've seen one. Luckily, Nadal has been playing very good tennis lately. Not his best but still solid. If he's able to fight his way through this mountain of a hurdle. I believe, he'll be the champion. It's not going to be easy but then again, what slam is?

Nadal defeats Soderling to win Roland Garros 2010

What a disappointment. This match had so much potential but sadly it never lived up to expectations. After watching, Soderling dismantle Roger, in the quarters, I was convinced, that if he made the finals, he'd be the favorite to win and that anything less than a great performance from Nadal would equal a straight sets victory for the Sweede. Boy, was I wrong. Nadal, seemed to only play at about 70%, but it was more than enough for him to thrash Soderling 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Robin, was simply, not able to hang with Nadal on the longer points and didn't bring out his aggressive style of hitting either. There were very few occasions where he managed to get himself completely in control of the point and run Rafa ragged, like he did last year. There were a lot of things he needed to do better in this match.

Soderling, has proven, that he has potential. He may even be good enough to win a slam and I think he's got a few good years left. Who knows. We could be looking at next years French Open champion. But if he is going to win the French. He'll need to start playing these finals on his terms and not allow Nadal to keep him pinned behind the baseline with his topspin forehand.

Top seeds advance to Quarters in Roland Garros

So far so good, for Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. All 3 of the top seeds have made it into the quarter-finals with the loss of only 3 sets (all by Djokovic.) At this point, a Nadal/Federer final seems imminent but Soderling and Almagro could put a stop to it. Soderling, last year's French Open finalist, has an explosive game and he's capable of completely hitting people off the court. So far, it's been completely unsuccessful against Roger who owns their head-to-head 12-0 but tomorrow is a new day and you never know what might happen. Roger, has been in great form since losing, Estoril to Montanes, so I'm picking him to win this match in 4.

As for Nadal, he's kind of in the same position with Almagro, a dangerous player, with explosive ground strokes, yet completely unsuccessful against the world #2. Just two weeks ago Almagro, won a set off Nadal in Madrid and it turned out to be the only set that Nadal lost, for the entire tournament. Yes, I think Almagro, has the game to trouble Nadal, but it remains to be seen if he's good enough to beat him. I'll go with Nadal to win this one in 4 as well.

The Berdych/Youzhny match is tough to call. The head-to-head between these two players is very tight but slightly favors Youzhny. Youzhny, is also the higher ranked player although Berdych, is in better form than years gone past. This could be a close competitive match.

Finally there's Djokovic vs Melzer and I have to take Djokovic, for this match. He's the higher ranked player, who's familiar with reaching the later rounds of the majors. The Austrian, Melzer, played a tremendous match in the fourth round to take care of Teimuraz Gabashvili in 4 sets. It was impressive but I don't think it's enough for him to beat the high ranked Serbian. I'm picking the Djoker, to win this in 4 sets.

Round 2: Fognini upsets Monfils, Murray survives again

In a stunning turn of events, Fabio Fognini, upset the 13th seed Gael Monfils, in a five set, come from behind victory, that lasted over 4 hours. Initially, it looked like Fognini, would be no match for the Frenchman. He quickly fell behind, two sets to love but the Italian, refused to give in and mounted a comeback to bring the match to 2 sets all. Late in the fifth set Fognini, had two match points, but he couldn't put Monfils away. Then the match was suspended at 5-all due to rain and the players, had to come back the following day, to finish up. Once play resumed, Fognini, played brilliantly, coming up with some epic drop shot winners. Despite being ranked 92 in the world he completely out-performed Monfils, breaking his serve at 7-8, to seal the victory.

This was a crazy match, I think the tournament organizers made a mistake by allowing it to continue into the night, where neither player could see the ball. They definitely should have stopped it sooner. Aside from that, it was very entertaining.

Andy Murray, was tested in his match against Juan Ignacio Chela. The Argentine, took the second set in a tie-break, before being overwhelmed by the world #4. Murray played a solid match but still hit too many unforced errors. I'm hoping that he extra sets, won't take their toll on him. I'd really like to see a Murray vs Federer semi, but it may not happen if he continues to struggle against the early round opponents.

Speaking of Roger, I know that I promised to review his match against Allejandro Falla, but unfortunately, I didn't get to see it!!!:( So, it turns out that I won't be able to give too much insight as to how Roger is playing. He seems, to be doing good, he hasn't dropped a set in his first two matches. Hopefully, next time I'll be able to watch the match and give an opinion on it.XP

Day 3 at the French

Yet another tough day for the home favorite, French tennis players. Indeed, Gianna Mina and Jeramy Chardy, proved to be no match for the veteran pros Rafael Nadal and Lleyton Hewitt, who stormed into round 2 without dropping a set.

Now, to be fair Gianna Mina, really did play great tennis under the circumstances. He's 18 years old, making his first appearance, in a grand slam tournament and he was up against the 4 time champion, in the first round. Nobody expected him to win, nobody gave him a chance and even though this match wasn't close, Mina, played amazingly well considering how new he is to the pro-tour. It's obvious this guy, has huge potential, think of him as James Blake, Gael Monfils, and Nadal all rolled into one. I'm almost certain, after what I saw today, that he's got a future in the top 10, maybe even the top 5. His ground strokes were explosively powerful and he's extremely fast. I think in a couple of years, he'll have the game needed to beat Nadal at the French Open. That's how much potential, I see in this guy and I'm sticking to that statement.

Now let's talk about Nadal. His performance, was relatively clean but definitely not his best. It looks like he's lost some speed or perhaps his aurora of invincibility. He's still a phenomenal clay courter but he's got a lot of room to improve. Also, his winners to unforced errors ratio, was a little pedestrian. Especially by Nadal standards.

Next up was the Lleyton Hewitt/Jeramy Chardy match, which turned out to be good. Hewitt was in great form and Chardy's forehand was a mess. He hit 20 unforced errors, off that side alone and lost the match 7-5, 6-0, 7-5. Chardy's, one break against Hewitt, came late in the third and by this point it, the tables were turned, so strongly in Hewitt's favor that it didn't matter. Hewitt took this one, without too much grief.

Ordinarily, based on Hewitt's solid performance, I'd favor him to make a deep run in the draw. The only problem is that he's scheduled to meet Nadal, in the third round, so his run in this years French Open, will most likely be short lived.

Well, tomorrow, we'll see Roger back in action against Alejandro Falla. Should be exciting, I'll be back to give my thoughts on it. Till, then. Peace out.

Day 2 at Roland Garros

Today, was a tough day for the French tennis players. Arnuad Clement, fell in 5 sets to rising star, Oleksandr Dolgopolov. Richard Gasquet, lost in five sets to Andy Murray. And Gael Monfils squeezed by Dieter Kindlmann, in 4. However, the quality of tennis, played in all 3 of these matches was outstanding.

Gasquet and Murray, were first up. Gasquet, was a force to be reckoned with, right from the start of the match. He pounded away at Murray, eventually breaking him and going up two sets to love, taking the second set in a tie-break. In set 3 Gasquet, managed to gain another break on Murray, but this time the Scott answered him, by returning the favor. Murray, won the set 6-4. From that point on Murray was able to dominate Gasquet, putting him away in 5.

The Clement/Dolgopolov, match was also closely contested. At first, I thought Clement, was going to run away with it because he won the first set, rather convincingly, 6-3. However, Dolgopolov, remained determined, not to lose in the first round. He held strong and forced a second set tie-break, where he overcame Clement, with some deftly placed drop-shots. The players split the next two sets and in set five, youth prevailed, as Dolgopolov, was clearly fresher than his 33 year old opponent. Clement, didn't go down easily though, he made Dolgopolov, earn it by saving several break points. Still, it wasn't enough to prevent the inevitable. After 3 hours and 45 minutes, Dolgopolov, prevailed, making this his first grand slam match victory.

Finally, there was the match between Gael Monfils and Dieter Kindlmann. This was probably my favorite of the 3 that I saw, because Monfils, is such a talented athlete, you never know what kind of shot he's going to come up with. I was kind of surprised to see Kindlmann, win the third set, especially since he had to come from behind to do it. Monfils, was the over-all better player for most of the match. I think he's got the potential to go a long ways in this tournament, especially given the draw. He will have to face Federer in the fourth round but given Roger's recent inconsistencies he may even have a shot at winning that match.

Anyway, there should be a lot more interesting matches, in the coming rounds. I'll be back tomorrow, with my thoughts on Nadal's form. Until then, adios.

Madrid final: Federer vs Nadal

This was the final, that we've all been waiting for. A classic showdown between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Or was it? The first set, really wasn't up to the usual Federer/Nadal par. Which probably explains why these guys, no longer dominate the tour. Both of them have slipped a few gears, in the last year or so. Don't get me wrong, it was a great match, but nowhere near the best I've seen from Roger or Nadal.

Roger, started off the match as the fresher player, he put pressure on Nadal serve and managed to get an early break point. Nadal, sensing the danger, served his way out of trouble and held for 1-all. Then in the next game it was Nadal who broke serve only to lose it back immediately afterward, evening out the match at 2-all. As the match progressed both players appeared stuck in third gear. Rafa, had another break point against Federer at 4-all and converted on it. Then he managed to fend off a last ditch effort from Roger to win the first set 6-4.

The quality of the match steadily improved in set 2. Nadal, broke Fed's, serve midway through and then Federer returned the favor to level the set again. The set went to a tie-break, with both players, playing exceptionally well. Federer, took a temporary lead in the tie-break but he couldn't fend off the fury of Nadal and he miss-timed a fairly easy forehand on match point to give Nadal, the victory in just over 2 hours.

Over-all this was a very enjoyable match. Roger, has improved tremendously since Estoril and now seems ready for the French Open. It's going to be a tough for him but given his performance in Madrid, I think he'll reach at least the semi-finals in Paris. Nadal, looks ready to win the title, although he seemed vulnerable at times against Federer. He'll need to cut down on the unforced errors if he wants to reclaim his title in Paris.

Roger and Rafa through to the semis, Almagaro and Ferrer join them

Well, Roger did come through against Gulbis. It wasn't easy or pretty for that matter, but in just under 2 hours he had the Latvian, beat 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Roger's performance in the first set wasn't stellar by any means. I thought Gulbis had the match won for sure, when he broke Fed to start the second set but Gulbis choked badly and allowed Roger back into the match. He started hitting the balls shorter and allowed Federer to attack them. Roger, wheeled off six straight games to claim the second set easily. Gulbis, started to come back to life in the third set but by this point it was too late. Federer's level had greatly risen and he was easily holding his own service games, he broke Gulbis one time and served out the match just before the rain hit.

Then came the David Ferrer/Andy Murray match, which was tightly contested. Ferrer, started off strongly, by breaking Murray, in the second game and he eventually lead 4-1, only to see it slip away, as an angry Murray stormed back into the set, hitting winners and raising his game several notches to match Ferrer's. Ferrer, broke Murray's serve at 5-all, then served out the set at the 1 hour mark. Set 2, was pretty much the same as set 1, Ferrer, took an early lead, Murray leveled it out but then Ferrer broke again and finished off the Scott 7-5, 6-3.

Ferrer, was truly superb for most of the match. I believe he stands a great chance against Roger, even though their head-to-head suggests otherwise. I didn't get the chance to watch the other two semis, so unfortunately this is all I've got for now.:(

Top 3 seeds into the quarters of Madrid

Roger, has found his rhythm. At least that's the way it looks for now, after beating his fellow country man Stanislas Wawrinka, in straight sets, Federer, progressed to his first masters series quarter-final, in nearly two months. Could it be here at last? Another rematch in the Federer/Nadal rivalry? Well, I must admit, that it seems likely to happen. There's just one problem. Ernest Gulbis, stands in Roger's way and he clearly has the game to give Roger all sorts of problems. His hard hitting style landed him a spot in the semi-finals of Rome (and a set off Nadal.) The surface in Madrid is noticeably faster than the clay in Rome. I've also heard that the ball bounces a bit higher. Which makes Gulbis' game, all the more dangerous. If Federer, can get past Gulbis, he's scheduled to meet Ferrer or Murray in the semis. Both of which could also be tough for him.

Andy Murray, started his clay campaign on a down streak but he's turned that around in Madrid and he's now back to his usual dangerous level. Ferrer, if anything has been better than ever. After witnessing him demolish Marin Cilic, I'd have to put him as a very strong contender to win Madrid. If he can get over the hurdle of the top two seeds (he's 3-20 against Roger and Nadal) he's got a great chance of winning. I'll give Ferrer, the edge going into the match with Murray, he leads their head-to-head 2-1 and clay is probably his strongest surface. Murray, does have a chance but if he's going to win he'll need to take the ball early and hit Ferrer off the court. Again, this match could go either way but I'm leaning towards Ferrer.

Then there's the match between Nadal and Monfils. To be honest I'd be surprised if Monfils, is able to make this close. He's been off for two months nursing a hand injury from the BNP Paribas Open. Nadal, shouldn't have any problem with Monfils here. He might have a run in with Almagro in the semis and even though Almagro is playing some of his best clay court tennis ever, I still feel confident in saying Nadal, will win in straights.

Roger Federer, no match for Estoril defending champion, Alberto Montanes

I'm starting to get a little bit worried about Roger. His game, was way off in this match against Montanes and the French Open is only a few weeks away. Roger, said in his post match interview, that he wasn't worried about the loss and that the French Open was still far off but as things currently stand, it seems unlikely that he's gotten enough match practice, to be set, for Roland Garros. He also, has to worry about keeping his #1 ranking, which will be up for grabs after Madrid. Federer, is currently 3,950 points ahead of Nadal. which would ordinarily be a huge lead, but he has to defend all of his points from Roland Garros and Wimbledon. That, combined with Madrid, means he'll have 5,000 points to defend. Nadal, only has to defend a relatively modest 580 points. Put simply, if Nadal wins RG and Madrid and Federer fails to reach the finals in one and the semis in the other, he will lose the #1 ranking. So as you can tell, this is a very precarious position for him to be in. On top of all that, he's 5 weeks away from breaking the record for longest reign at #1.

Federer's, first opponent in Madrid will be Benjamin Becker, who just squashed an out-of-form Carlos Moya in straight sets. I'm thinking this could be a tough opponent for Roger, given that Becker played a great match against Moya. He's also a huge server, with an explosive forehand. His game isn't best suited to clay but it could still present some serious obstacles for Federer. This match should be telling, as to how ready Roger is for the French Open.

Wrist surgery could bring an early end to the season for Del Potro

I have some bad news, regarding Del Potro's recent wrist injury. It turns out that it's more serious than was initially thought and it's going to require surgery, which will put him out for at least 4 months. Needless to say this will be detrimental to his ranking, I don't even want to think how far he's going to fall, at least out of the top 20.

On a positive note, he is still young and will probably have some great days ahead of him, but this wrist injury is quite serious. I know that Andre Agassi and Venus Williams, both had wrist operations, and were able to make a full recoveries. I would assume the results will be similar for Del Potro but it's going to take some time to get through the rehabilitation and then getting back to practice and fitness training. I expect this will take him until the end of the year to recover from.

He's definitely got a long path in front of him and I'm sure it won't be an easy one. I wish him the absolute best, for his journey ahead.

Who are Nadal's biggest threats on clay?

This is a question that probably bugs a lot of tennis fans, since practically no one can get in this guy's head and beat him on his best surface. But there are a few players good enough to give him some trouble and I'm thinking Gulbis has now joined this club.

It seems like the tall, hard hitting, aggressive baseliners are the players that Nadal, struggles with most. Over the past year he's faced Soderling, Del Potro, Djokovic, yeah, I'll throw in Davydenko and they've all given him problems, even on clay. If Nadal were, to lose the French Open this year, then my guess, is that it would be to one of these powerful baseliners and not to Roger Federer.

Lately, there's been two different Roger Federers, on tour. The Roger, who plays in the masters series and the Roger, who plays the majors. They're both strikingly different. Masters Series Roger, has an error ridden game and is prone to losing in the early rounds of tournaments. Grand Slam Roger, is a great player who sometimes struggles, in the early rounds but usually finds, his best game and simply confounds his opponents, with incredible shot making.

Grand Slam Roger, is a serious threat to Nadal but he's still at a disadvantage because his game relies on timing, where as Nadal's does not. Even if Roger comes at Nadal with everything he's got, Nadal will probably still win the match. Roger's backhand has been his Achilles heel and Nadal knows that he just has to work it over until the errors start surfacing in Federer's game. Nadal is just a bad match-up for Roger, especially on clay.

Finally, there is one more player that I wanted to talk about, Thomas Berdych. Berdych, is a tall guy with a huge serve, excellent ground strokes, good consistency, and pretty solid movement. On paper he has all of the tools needed to beat Nadal and he's even had some success again him, although it's mostly been on hard courts. I think Berdych can beat Nadal, but I'm not sure if he believes he can do it. Berdych, has a reputation for not staying focused throughout matches and for blowing leads (like in the 2009 Australian Open, when he lost to Federer, after being up 2 sets to love.) In my opinion, Berdych needs to come to the French Open, focused and ready to blow Rafa off the court and if he does everything right, while keeping his focus, he stands a great chance to force the upset.

Verdasco wins Barcelona Open

Another great week for Fernando Verdasco, but certainly not an easy one. After clawing his way back from a 6-7, 2-4, deficit against David Ferrer, in the semis. Verdasco, was poised to take on his biggest challenger yet, Robin Soderling, a player who held a 4-1 record against him (2-0 on clay) and was last years French Open finalist. It took some great playing from Verdasco, but he was able to wrap up the match and win the Barcelona Open, for the first time in 3 sets.

Soderling, played a good match but lacked the aggression needed to win. He'll need to improve a little more, if he wants to make another deep run in Roland Garros, He's also going to have a huge test, later this week in Rome, where he's scheduled to face Nadal, in the quarter-finals. This match will be very important for both players, Rafa needs to beat Soderling, in order to get their head-to-head back in his favor and Soderling, needs to upset Nadal's momentum on clay and hopefully get in his head a bit more.

These guys don't like each other and that could lead to some super high quality tennis and on-court drama. Of all the possible match-ups, this is the one I'm looking forward to the most. I would also love to see a rematch at the French Open but only if they're both players are playing well.

Monte Carlo finals: Nadal vs Verdasco

This was a strange match. From the score line, you'd think it was a blow out but Verdasco, actually pushed Nadal, quite hard, even managing 5 break points against the Spaniard's serve. However he didn't handle the big points, well at all. There's one particular game that stands out to me, where Verdasco, had won 3 of the first 4 points and was serving for a 2-1 lead but then choked it all away by double faulting twice. His game was way too inconsistent to beat Nadal but reaching the finals was a great showing for him and he was able to get enough ranking points, to pull himself back in the top 10.

Nadal, played an unbelievable tournament. He lost just 14 games which is an ATP record and it should send a message to Roger Federer, that if he wants to defend his Roland Garros crown and potentially achieve the calendar year grand slam, that he'll have to do something he's never done before. Beat Nadal where it really counts, in a five set match in the finals of the French Open.

This next Roland Garros, could be very exciting. I'm really looking forward to it. It's still a bit too early to know if Nadal and Roger will both be in the finals. Nadal, looks set to do it but Roger has been bombing out of tournaments for the last two months, he hasn't made a serious run since the Australian Open but given his tendency to peak at the majors, I think it's likely that they might meet again in the French Open finals and then possibly again at Wimbledon.

Murray falls, Nadal and Djokovic both through to the quarters

Looks like this clay court season might be a great one for Nadal. So far, he's lost just 1 games per match and his form has been better than ever. His next opponent is the clay court veteran, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Now, ordinarilly Ferrero, would be a sizeable threat to anyone on clay, but given Rafa's, current playing level, I don't think Ferrero's, chances are all that good. If he plays aggressively and tries to hit Nadal off the court, then he might be able to make it a close match but I'm picking Nadal, to win this one in straights.

On the other half of the draw, Novak Djokovic, managed to overcome a stern test from the 20th ranked, Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic's, game looked pretty good in the match. He'll need to return a little bit better but he'll continue to improve as the tournament goes along. He's definitely a favorite to reach the finals, although his quarter-final opponent, David Nalbandian, might have something to say about that.

And then there's Andy Murray. The poor guy has really struggled over these past few weeks, his game was way off when he played Mardy Fish, in Miami and it was even worse today, against Phillip Kohlschreiber. It sounds like Murray, is having a mental or emotional battle with tennis, he said that he's "Fallen out of love with the game" and that could be the reason for these recent losses.

We'll have to wait and see what happens with him, but my guess is that he'll have his head back on straight by the time the grass season starts. Wimbledon, is an extremely important tournament to him, he's got a lot of points to defend from last year. I doubt he'll let that get by him.

Djokovic and Murray out of Miami

Could this be the break that we needed to witness another Federer/Nadal showdown? After their biggest threats, crashed out in the first round of the Sony Ericsson Open, Nadal and Federer now look poised to meet in the finals of a tournament, for the first time in nearly a year.

There's still quite a few opponents left in the draw who could stop this meeting and Roddick seems to be the best bet for doing it. Since, the start of the tournament Andy, has blown through all of his opponents, without losing serve once. While, that's very impressive, it won't necessarily translate over to a match-up with Nadal in the semi-finals.

But this is still a good sign for Roddick fans, Andy's playing well, serving well, and those are two things that he must do, to have any chance against Nadal, if they do meet later in the tournament.

I was disappointed to see Murray and Djokovic, crash out so early. This is going to cost them both, a serious amount of ranking points ( they made the finals here last year.) Not to mention this really doesn't bode well for Djokovic, heading into the clay court season. He has a lot of points to defend up until the French Open and given his recent form, I would be surprised if his ranking doesn't drop at least 2 spots.

Ironically, Juan Martin Del Potro, the guy who's been side-lined with an injury for two months. May be the player who benefits the most from these upsets. Starting in April, Nadal, Murray, and Djokovic, have a ton of points to defend and given their inconsistencies, don't be surprised if you see Del Potro, within striking distance of the #2 ranking, by the end of May.

Tennis pros & steroids

Have you heard about this? Apparently Wayne Odesnik, was found with several small containers of HGH, which is a performance enhancing drug (or human growth hormone.) This is extremely serious and could lead to him, being banned from the tour for 2 years.

Odesnik, is not the first person on tour to be found with performance enhancing drugs, several other players, especially clay courters, have been linked to this stuff.

This of course, brings up the question, "Are steroids and other performance enhancing drugs being used by other athletes, on the tour?" In my opinion, there's a definite possibility of it.

Just look at these pictures of Sam Stosur, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams

Honestly, I am at a loss to explain, how they could have gotten this kind of muscle mass, naturally. To me, it doesn't look real. Nadal, is the one that disturbs me the most. Back during his early years on tour, he would fist pump, scream, and jump into the air, pretty much every time he won a point. He was also, extremely strong at a very early age, to the point where, yet again, I can't explain it. Could his celebrating after every point, have been some sort of an affect of roid rage? And if so, then does this partially explain why he has slimmed down and is more naturally athletic looking today? He's stopped using roids.

I don't know, but Nadal, Stosur, and Serena's physique's have always been a bit of a question mark to me. Even though, I'm a huge Nadal fan, I still don't understand how he was able to gain all of this muscle mass, when he was only 18 and then suddenly lose quite a bit of it in just a few months time.

Take a look at these pictures and you'll see what I mean

Just doesn't look right, does it?

Federer to win Sony Ericsson Open

That's my prediction. Even though, Roger was a little bit off last week, in Indian Wells, I think he's likely, to make his comeback here and win his second title of the year.

Nadal, who has often been Roger's foil, recently stated that he's been having excruciating pain, from his wisdom teeth. It's caused him to miss a few days of practice but he's back at it now and will be looking to win his first title in Miami. Nadal has been to the finals of this tournament twice, in 2005 and 08 but whether he'll win here or not, is a whole nother matter. The courts here are pretty fast and that usually doesn't bode well for him. Nadal, hasn't won a title in 10 months and I don't see that changing until the start of the clay court season, where he'll probably resume his dominating ways, pick up a bunch of titles, and get himself back in contention for the number one ranking.

Novak Djokovic, and the defending champion Andy Murray, are also serious contenders for the title. Djokovic, has had a tough start to 2010, even though his current ranking is the highest it's ever been, he hasn't had many victories over players ranked in the top 10. I see him getting upset early in this tournament.

Murray, seems to be the more consistent of the two, for the time being, I'll pick him to meet Roger in the finals. With Nadal, reaching the semis and Djokovic, losing in the quarters.

Other dark horses include, Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, and John Isner. Honestly, of all these players, Isner, seems like the most likely player to make a major impact in the tournament. He's got an amazing serve, great ground strokes (that are usually consistent) and he's good on the returns. I still believe, Isner, has a real chance at a slam but if he's going to do it, then it's got to be within the next couple of years.

Otherwise, the competition will pass him by.

Roddick vs Ljubicic BNP Paribas finals

Sometimes, you can pick them and sometimes you can't, I admit it.

While, I did think Roddick, had a good chance, of reaching the finals, I would have never in a million years, picked Ljubicic, to be the one, he'd play for the title. Especially since Ljubo, had to go through Djokovic and Nadal to even make it there.

Can Ljubicic, really do the unthinkable? Can he beat the hard serving American Andy Roddick, in a match, that should be Andy's to lose? My thinking is, yes he can. Just a couple of years ago, Mardy Fish, did the same thing, that Ljubo's doing now. He had an incredible hot streak and blew through opponents at the Pacific Life Open, who would crush him under ordinary circumstances.

Roddick, hasn't played his best this week and Ljubo should have an opening to take it from him.

With Roddick, his game usually revolves around his confidence and playing in front of the home crowd always helps him out. Ljubo, will definitely have his hands full but if he plays as well today, as he did against Nadal, in the semis, then I think he's got a great shot, to win his first masters series tournament.

Ljubicic, at 31 is at the end of his career, he probably won't get another chance at a title this big, so I hope he makes the best of this one.

My Prediction is that Ljubo, beats Roddick in 3 sets.

Bhagdatis upsets Federer, Djokovic ousted by Ljubicic, Nadal survives scare from Isner

Been a tough few days for the top seeds in the BNP Paribas Open. First Baghdatis, felled Federer, in a nail biting 3 set match that went over two hours. Then Rafa, looked like he was going to have the same fate handed to him when Isner, took the second set in their 3 set match, but he managed to fight through it and made his way, into the quarter-finals. Finally Djokovic, who already struggled earlier in the week against Kholscrieber, was downed by Ljubicic, in straights.

At this point Rafa and Murray are the two most likely finalists. A repeat of their match in the finals last year is imminent. But Soderling and Roddick, are the two players most likely to stop that from happening and they're both stationed in Murray's half.

Nadal, has been playing great, as has Murray and I'm really looking forward to a potential showdown between them. Although, Soderling/Roddick vs Nadal would probably be just as exciting.:)

Btw, I hope everyone got the chance to see the Marcos Baghdatis/Roger Federer match. It was a simply incredible, performance from Marcos, even struggled against Roger, he still produced a brilliant level of tennis and played the important points, better than Roger did.

Marcos, really deserved this and I was glad to see him win.

Don't worry too much Federer fans. It wouldn't surprise me at all, to see him come back hard and take Miami, just a couple weeks from now.:)

Ferrer breaks Ferrero's winning streak on clay

This has been, one hell of a great month for Juan Carlos Ferrero, in terms of tennis. The Spanish player who just recently turned 30, claimed the Brasil Open, Copa Telmex, (defeating Ferrer) and then reached the finals in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, losing narrowly to Ferrer, in 3 sets.

In total, Ferrero, was on a 14 match winning streak, before losing to Ferrer in the finals. He attributes his recent success, to having improved his fitness, which is critical for doing well, on clay.

Now, I realize that most of these tournaments are relatively small and the results he managed to achieve in them, might not translate to the bigger, masters series events, but still, he's headed right back to the top 10 if he keeps this up.

His ranking improved to 14 in the world, which is the highest that it's been in nearly 6 years. The only down side, is that he did injure his knee a bit, in the finals against Ferrer. As a result, he's pulled out of the Davis Cup match, scheduled for next week and will be replaced by Nicolas Almagro. I'm not quite sure how serious this injury is but I hope to see him back next month for the BNP Paribas Open.

It's also, possible, that he could make a serious run at the French Open later this year. Assuming, that he's able to keep his injuries down to a minimum.

Del Potro, out for at least a month with wrist injury

Today, I want to talk about injuries. They're very common at any level of competitive sports, although they seem to be getting more prevalent. Especially, amongst the top players in mens tennis. Just in the last 7 months, 6 of the top 10, have been affected by some kind of an injury. Why is that? Is it because of the lack of time off between tournaments? The over-scheduling of their season's? inadequate technique? Luck? Is it all of these things or none of them?

Despite being one of the oldest players in the top 10 Roger Federer, has never seemed to struggle with injuries. He's had the occasional spat with his back and came down with mono a couple of years ago but otherwise, he's been completely healthy. His technique and well managed playing schedule has allowed him to keep his injuries to an absolute minimum and even at 28 years old he's one of the fittest players on tour.

Now compare him to someone like Lleyton Hewitt or Joachim Johansson. Both players, started on tour around the same time as Roger but they've had completely different kinds of career because of their injuries. In Lleyton's, case it's been his hip that's slowed him down and for Johansson, it's been his shoulder. I don't see either one of them lasting on tour, much longer, which is a same because injuries aside, they were great players.

Nadal, is yet another player, who is in serious danger of having a shortened career from his injuries. He's no longer the fastest player on tour and he can't go more than a few months without having to take time off to rest his knees.

Juan Martin Del Potro, should be very careful with this injury. This isn't the first time that he's had problems with his wrist. If he does irreparable damage to it, then it could mean the end of his career. I hope he takes all the time off, that he needs to make a full recovery.

Fernando Verdasco beats Pete Sampras in San Joes exhibition match

For all those guys out there, who still think Pete, can make a comeback at Wimbledon, you need to watch this match. Pete, may have been an incredible champion in the 90s and even the early 2000s but he doesn't have the legs anymore, to win ATP level tournaments. Verdasco, pretty much steam rolled him in the first set and held well in the second. This was only an exhibition match but it does demonstrate the division between Sampras and the current generation of tennis players.

Now with that said, I thought Pete, played a pretty nice match. He was serving very well, in fact he outdid Verdasco, in that department. Both players seemed like they were having a good time and that's really all that's important in an exhibition match. I'm glad to see, Pete still enjoys the sport and is willing to get out there and play against the current group of players. In the future, I'd like to see an exhibition match against Pete and Nadal, or maybe Borg against Federer.

Pete's, undoubtedly got some good years left for future exhibition matches but a return to the ATP tour isn't going to happen for him.

Where are the Chinese tennis Players?

You know I'm really surprised to not see more Chinese tennis players amongst the world's best. The Chinese, are a huge forced to be reckoned with in Badminton and Ping Pong, yet when it comes to tennis, they are no where to be found, (Li Na, of course being the exception.) Maybe it's because of their smaller stature or perhaps the Chinese just aren't all that interested in tennis but I still believe it's just a matter of time until that country starts turning out top level tennis players who will break into the top 20, then 10 and maybe one of them will even be able to claim the number one position in the world.

Check out these videos down here and you'll see the unbelievable athleticism of these players





I don't know about you but I can totally see a future Asian player, who will dominate the sport in the same way that Roger Federer is doing right now. Ping Pong and Baminton are much different than tennis but there are some similarities. Fast hands, great agility, and speed are required for both sports and from what I'm seeing in these videos, the top Chinese players are loaded with it.

So what's been holding them back until now?:/

Do you watch doubles?

What's your preference when it comes to tennis? Do you like singles or doubles? Mens or womens? Boys or girls? Wheelchair or mixed wheelchair?

I've always had a strong preference for mens singles. I think the quality is the best in the ATP single game and it's not very often that I'll tune in to watch a WTA or doubles match. I know I'm probably missing out on some great tennis by not watching more from the other divisions but there's just no way I'd give up watching a Federer vs Cilic semi for a Klijsters vs Henin final.

However, even with my preference being towards singles, I've recently started exploring the doubles field a bit more. Earlier today I saw the Rajeev Ram/Eric Butorac vs Bopanna/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and wow, was it awesome. I know this might sound kind of silly but I didn't know the doubles players, could play this well, or that watching doubles could be this entertaining. Bopanna & Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, played a tremendous match to beat Ram and Butorac in straights. There were great shots coming from every direction, one point was particularly memorable. It had Bopanna and Aisam, at net trying their best to put the ball away but Ram and Butorac were retrieving everything, the commentator said it resembled a ping pong point and I agree with him, it was quite good.

After seeing this match, I think I'd like to give doubles a second chance. This match sparked my curiosity and now I'd like to watch some matches with the Bryans or Nestor/Zimonjic, the top two teams in the ATP doubles. Maybe I'll even start blogging a bit about doubles.

Anyway, I'd like to hear from you guys, what kind of tennis do you like to watch? Who are your favorite players and why do you like them?

Roger Federer wins his 16th slam in Australia

Wow, Murray, just got steam rolled by the Fed Express. With the exception of the third set, he never really saw the upside of the match. Fed's, level of play was just insane, every bit as good as the finals last year against Nadal and when he's playing at this level it's nearly impossible to beat him.

With that said though, I did not like the way Andy Murray played against him. He wasn't aggressive and he didn't try to put the pressure on Roger, instead he tried to out-rally him and this is not the way Murray should play Roger. Unlike Nadal, Murray doesn't give him high kicking balls to his backhand. His ground strokes are relatively flat, they don't always penetrate through the court and this is just what Federer enjoys. It didn't seem like Murray, went out there with a game plan and he paid dearly for it. If Murray, does reach another grand slam final, then he absolutely most play more aggressively. He can't afford to be tenative and use his traditional style of defensive tennis. Murray's, got a huge backhand and a great serve but he didn't use them today. Hopefully next time he'll go out there, play with some confidence and make Roger, eat the ball every point. Because that's the only way he's going to win a slam against him.

As for Roger, I think he will win many more grand slams, possibly even into his 30s. He hasn't lost any of his peak ability and I'm starting to think he's got another chance at the calendar year grand slam. It seems surprising me that his best chance for winning the grand slam might be this year rather than in 2006 or 07 when he was younger, didn't have kids, and played much better tennis during the smaller tournaments. Right now he holds 3 of the 4 major titles. Again, the French, is going to be the hard one for him to win and the only way I see him winning it is if Nadal is injured. Roger's played Nadal 4 times at the French and he's never beaten him. There's just no question Rafa Nadal, is better than him on clay and with all these past defeats still luming in his head he's not going to turn that head to head around any time soon. Should Federer, find a way to win the French then he's got an incredibly good shot at the calendar year grand slam, I don't know if he'll be able to do it but I'd love to see it happen.

Injuries, plauge the top seeds. Nadal and Roddick fall in the quarters.

What a shame, the Nadal/Murray match had to end with a retirement. It was really getting good in that second set, both players were starting to play great tennis, especially Murray, who dominated with his serve and returned great against Nadal. After losing the second set in a tie-break, all hope for a come from behind, win quickly flew out the window for Nadal, his right knee gave out on him and rather than risk injuring it any further, he chose to retire, putting Murray, in the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time in his career.

I like, what I saw from Murray in this match, if he manages to return this well against Cilic, he's got a great chance of reaching the finals and maybe, just maybe, my prediction will come true and he'll win his first major at the Australian Open.:)

The Roddick vs Cilic match, was a strange battle of ups and downs. First Cilic, came out playing amazingly well and crushed Roddick in the first two sets. Roddick, managed to claw his way through set number 3 and then in the fourth, Cilic's game fell through the floor, while Roddick's couldn't have been better, he dominated up until 5-0 when Cilic suddenly found his game again but still managed to serve out the set 6-2. In the deciding set Roddick faltered, his shoulder injury flared up again and Cilic was able to take the fifth set 6 games to 3.

This is Cilic's, first appearance in a grand slam semi final. Because it's only his first time and because Andy Murray returned unbelievably well against Isner and Nadal I'm going to give him the edge to beat Cilic but it wouldn't surprise me if this next match turned out to be very close. Think I'll take Murray over Cilic in 5 sets and then Murray will meet Roger in the finals.:)

Roger Narrowly avoids first round upset

Even the number 1 player in the world isn't invulnerable. In fact he may be more vulnerable than any of the other top 5 players. Federer, came out playing terribly in this match. His forehand was inconsistent and has backhand had nothing on it, he just blocked the ball back to Andreev and allowed him to completely dictate play for almost all of the third set. Finally towards the end of the third Andreev, broke Roger and went to serve for a two sets to one lead. Then everything went awry. Andreev, had 4 set points but he choked them all away, in some really bizarre ways, then in the tie-break, Andreev, mentally collapsed, he lost the tie-break seven points to two and by the beginning of the fourth it was obvious that he was defeated. Roger sent him packing from the tournament with a bagel.

This was a weak showing from Roger, but it's only the first round of the tournament. Most likely he'll continue to improve as the Open progresses and by the end of the first week he'll be playing at a much higher level than he did today. He's got to find a higher level if he wants to reach the finals again because this performance was very, very weak.

Davydenko won't win the Australian Open

No doubt, you've heard that Davydenko, has been playing outstanding tennis as of late. He's beaten Nadal and Roger, twice in the last month, he's won 3 consecutive tournaments and played some of his best tennis while doing it. So then why do I say that he has no chance? Well, here's a few reasons:

1. Never been past the semi-finals of a major before.

2. Never beaten Roger or Nadal at a grand slam tournament and let's face it. Roger, always packs his A game at the majors. Lots of players have beaten him in the smaller tournaments, like Karlovic, Benneteau, and Simon, but beating him at a major is something entirely different. Not to mention Davydenko, is scheduled to meet Federer in the quarters and will have to end his streak of 22 straight major semi-finals.

3. Davydenko, is a cold weather guy. He was born in the Ukraine and currently lives in Russia. He's not going to want any part of the Australian summer, with practice sessions and matches in the 90-100 degree range.

Davydenko, is a great player and he's kept himself solidified in the top 10 for almost every week of the last 4 and a half years. He's capable of winning a major but I don't think it's likely to happen and he's definitely not the favorite. Maybe, I'm wrong and he'll pull off an upset victory over Roger but with a 2-12 head to head and Roger's consistency in reaching the later rounds of a major tournament, the odds are stacked heavily against him.

Andre Agassi Open review

I just finished this book a couple of days ago. It was really good, I'd strongly recommend it to all tennis fans. There's a lot of information about the life on tour, Andre's, relationship with past players, and even a little bit on Roger, Jame Blake, and Nadal. But with that said there's also quiet a bit of negativity from Andre. After reading it you might think of him as a bitter, selfish, prick rather than the mature, insightful, ex-rebel that he was portrayed to be, prior to the release of his book.

Andre's book, is more centered around his personal life, than tennis. Towards the end, he talks more about his family and less about his matches, even if they were important ones. He doesn't hesitate to critisize his peers. He's particularly down on Sampras, Chang, Becker, Muster, and Nick Bolletelli and his basis for disliking them is over small, petty things, like Muster ruffling Andre's hair at the end of a match, or Chang thanking God for his victory.

Even if you read the book, you won't be able to get inside of Andre's head. Some of his decisions just don't make much sense. I really don't know why he chose to marry Brooke Sheilds. Their relationship was going through a hard time when he proposed and he later admitted that he didn't want to go through with marrying her. So then why didn't he just break off their engagement?

Early in the book Andre, talks about meeting his fitness trainer Gil Reyes, during the fall of 1989. At the time, Gil was in charge of training young athletes, at a local college fitness center. Andre, had recently lost a tough five set match to a clay courter named Alberto Mancini and wanted Gil's help to improve his stamina. They hit it off, right away and before long, Andre, wanted Gil to quit his job and work full time for him on the road, as his personal trainer. Gil agrees, quits his job but he leaves his family for 16 years to go work with Andre! At the time Gil, had young children, one of whom is less than 7 years old. Yet, he seems to just disregard it and left his wife to take care of their kids. I thought this was very strange and I wish Andre, had given a better explanation as to why Gil agreed to do this.

Overall this is a good book, it has many surprises and after reading it, you should have a good idea who the real Andre Agassi is.

Nadal stops Soderling in the Abu Dhabi exhibition match

Although this little exhibition, tourney in Abu Dhabi, doesn't mean much of anything, it's still a nice way for Nadal to start the new year. By defeating the man who literally ripped him a new one at the French Open and then again at the World Tour Finals.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see this match since it was only an exhibition tournament and didn't get any broadcasting, (at least none that I'm aware of) so I can't tell you for sure how well Nadal or Soderling were playing, but I'm guessing Nadal must have done pretty well to have beaten Soderling in straight sets on a hard court.

The day before their match, Soderling, stunned Federer in 3 sets, making this the first time that he's beaten the #1 player in the world. I don't think Roger, particularly cares about these exhibition matches. In fact he doesn't seem to care about any of the tournaments except for the majors. That's where he plays his best tennis, so this loss isn't really all that surprising. If Julien Benneteau, can beat Roger Federer on hard courts, then Robin Soderling, sure as hell can do it.