We very nearly had two very big upsets happen today on the women's side. Safina hung on by the skin on her teeth to win her match. I can't recall anyother player who makes me feel so stressed watching her beat herself. Safina maybe her own worst enemy.  Spare a thought for her opponent who was the cusp of wining the biggest match of her life on one of the biggest stages in tennis. 

 Ivanovic wasn't as lucky. The ball toss is off it's rocker. She has lost all rhythm in the toss. Sometimes it's too far in front, or way left or way out to the right. Someone please find her a serve coach!     

Retirement was a big theme in today's press room with Safin and Santoro both playing their final slam matches. In typical Safin fashion, he played one brilliant set then succumbed to Melzer in four sets. If you have time, check out his post match press conference. It’s brilliant reminder on why we’ll miss him. Hats off to Santoro for putting on a great show on court 11 against a resurgent JCF; the Magician’s on court brilliance will never be forgotten and forever missed.  Who else can say that their favorite play is to play a drop-shot on the return of serve?

Speaking of retirement, Amelie Mauresmo may have also played her last slam match of her career. Forever the enigma, she didn’t even show up to play against Wozniak. A dismal performance like that will make retirement all that more appealing. We have to see the 2 time slam champ fizzle out in the 2^nd round but retirement is defiantly on the horizon.

Our match of the day pick between Nadal and Gasquet fizzled. Nadal showed up pumped and ready to win while Gasquet showed up scared and confused. We had all hoped that the time away from the game would light a fire belly but it seemed to have snuffed out the flame.

Few interesting matchups today:

Blake vs. Rochus

Blake has been off the radar for sometime but he usually plays well at the US Open. His big hitting should get him through this match against the speedy Rochus.

Which Safina will show up to play today?

Someone should really talk to her coach about exuding some positive energy while he sits in her box. His negative body language is really bringing her down and getting inside her head. She’s her own worst enemy out on the court. Someone please give her a stress ball during the changeovers.

Dementieva vs. Oudin

On paper this is should be a pretty good match up for Dementieva but Oudin is playing some good tennis and she seems to have no trouble performing on the big stage. Look for at least one tight set.

Before we get into our preview for day four, how about a little recap of the all the comings and goings of day three?

The top seeds in the women’s draw continue to get slaughtered.

Safina survives again to play another round:

 Committing 15 double faults and playing 2 sets of cringe-worthy-headache-inducing tennis, Safina some how battles her way into the 3^rd round. Much to the relief of her fans, Safina only got behind 0-2 in the final set before righting the ship and rallying to win. One has to wonder how much more emotion she can expend before she exhausts herself.

Disappointment for Dementieva:

You couldn’t tune into any ESPN broadcast today without hearing recaps about the demise of Dementieva at the hands of the 17 year old American, Oudin. After the amazing match Dementieva played at Wimbledon and the gusty win over Sharapova in Toronto, we all jumped aboard the bandwagon. The wagon crashed today in the 2^nd round. Yes, Oudin played a great match, but I’m more disappointed that Dementieva couldn’t dig deep and find a way to win that match.   

“Do you want the win? No, I insist you take it.” match of the day:

While everyone was talking about the Oudin match, Shvedova and Jankovic played the more entertaining match on the women’s side. I’ve never seen Shvedova play before today and I liked what I saw. She hits a big ball off both sides, was willing to dictate play and take it to Jankovic right from the get go. This match offered relatively fewer cinge worthy moments.
 
On a side note, Jankovic has had a tough year away from the court. Her mother is very ill and yesterday, her grandmother passed away. We wish Jankovic all the best.  

Most Bizarre Match Moment:

Down match point to Rodinova, after an extended rally, Lisicki rolls her ankle badly and falls to the ground, writhing in pain out on court 11. Lisicki leaves the Us Open in a wheel chair. Talk about a bizarre twist of fate. (pun intended)

Hurrah, for Little Belgians!

Blake bested the little Belgian Rochus in four entertaining sets. We love Rochus! A tiny Belgian who hits a big ball with a beautiful one hander…….. Please let the rumors be true! (sorry, I digress)

Day Four Match ups:

Upset Specials?

King vs. Hantuchova

King played a great match against Stosur last round and she stands more than a puncher’s chance against another permanent resident of “Head-case-ville” in Hantuchova.

Ginepri vs. Almagro

This is a good match up for Ginepri against Almagro, who mostly thrives on the red clay. The courts are playing fast this year, and opportunity is knocking at Ginepri’s door. Will he answer it?

Berdych vs. Zeballos

With Berdych, you never know what you’re going to get, so stay tuned. His tendency is usually to play a good match followed with a horrible match.  He plays a dangerous qualifier in Zeballos, who beat Malise (remember him?) in qualifying.

Day 5 recap:

All was quiet on the Western Front as the string of major upsets seems to have haulted for now.  

2 top seeds dish out a bagel set then donate a set:

Murray went on a walk-about in set 2 of his second round against Cadeville before dishing out a bagel in the 3rd and blitzing him in the 4^th. Nadal dished out a bagel to a sleepy Keifer in the 1^st set. Thankfully, Keifer found his game in the 2^nd and the two put on an entertaining show for the late night NY crowd.  

Our match of the day pick was a throw-back serve and volley 5 set thriller.

For over four hours, Dent and Navarro put on a thrilling display of serve and volley, chip and charge tennis out on the Grandstand. So much fun to watch the two of them play cat and mouse all match long with Dent finally converting on his 3^rd match point. Well done guys!

We have a fabulous line up of matches in store on day 6:

First up on Ashe we have Federer vs. Hewitt. It’s great to see Hewitt playing well again but the draw gods sure know how to jest when he got slotted into Federer’s section of the draw. Federer has owned Hewitt and the domination will continue. 13 in a row…make that 14!     

America’s new star, Oudin, will face off against the crowd favorite Sharapova. While I was impressed with Oudin’s game against Dementieva, taking out Sharapova will be a tall task. Unlike Dementieva,  Sharapova will not be as easy to push off the baseline and it will be difficult to withstand the relentless power coming off the Sharapova racket all match long. Sharapova hits right through Oudin in two sets.

Two close to call match:  Verdasco vs. Haas

Serving 101 featuring Isner and Roddick

Watch this match of you want to see two guys with monstrous serves try to out serve the other. This train is heading to Tie Break City for sure.

Can Querry step up to the plate against the big hitting Soderling? With the NY crowd behind him on the Grandstand this match should be electric. Querry has played well all summer but if Soderling shows up to play, he should hit right through Querry in 4 sets.  

Late post today; so let’s get started:

Day 6 Recap:

Complete massacre of the seeded players in the 1st quarter of the women’s draw:

Hats off to all the unseeded ladies still standing in the 1^st quarter. Safina, the only remaining seed left in that section, finally succumbed to Kvitova in a tense 3^rd set breaker. Kvitova stared down 2 match points serving at 5-6 to force the breaker to complete the coup. Well Done!  

Headache-inducing match of the day:  Oudin vs. Sharapova

Surprisingly, headache wasn’t from the screams Sharapova but from the 21 (21!) doubles coming off of her racket all match long. FYI: 21 doubles = is almost a set she generously donated to her very game opponent. Serve-itis has gotten inside Sharapova’s head and it’s affected the core of her game. When her serve deserted her, she wasn’t hitting her groundstrokes with authority. The screeches were also less intense.  Oudin held up her end of the bargain. She played a smart match and out played Sharapova off the ground.

Match of day: 2 picks today

Isner vs. Roddick

Breaks were at a premium during this match and both guys brought the heat on serve right from ball one. Simply put, Roddick just didn’t return well enough. He had looks at a few very make able passes during the 5^th set that could have turned the match around in his favor. In the end, it came down to one crucial mini-break in the tie break with Roddick scrambling up at net giving Isner a look at the pass. Isner made it and never looked back.

Verdasco vs. Haas

With everyone still reeling from the results of the Sharapova Oudin match, a very entertaining 5 set encounter was going on between two good looking guys on Armstrong. Both guys played aggressively with some nifty net play by Haas and great passes by Verdasco.  Verdasco snuck out the win and will take on Isner in round 4.

Day 7 brings some very intriguing matches on both sides.

Clijsters vs. Venus

Most people have jumped on the Clijsters bandwagon and penciled her into the semis. She’s played great since un-retiring and has cruised in the last few rounds. In contrast, Venus has hobbled her way into this match on a suspect knee. It should be close with Clijsters taking the 1^st then maybe going on a walkabout in the 2^nd. Clijsters for the 3 set win. (I guess, I’m on the wagon too)  

Our “take cover” match of the day: Berdych vs. Gonzalez

Watch this match if you want to see a big hitting, “go-for- broke” encounter between two permanent residents of Head-case-ville. Says here, Gonzo zones for a few sets to take the win.

Serve and volley! Dent vs. Murray

We hope Dent has enough gas in the tank to put on a good show tonight against Murray on Ashe. Murray should take the win but we love to see Dent play.

Most Bizarre Scoreline:  Clijsters def V. Williams 6-0, 0-6, 6-4

This was the marquee matchup of day 7 but it didn’t really live up to the hype. While we predicted a 3 set win for Aussie Kim, who would have thought they would trade bagel sets and then get down to business in the 3^rd? Did they discuss this beforehand with the sponsors and broadcasters or something? Bizzarre Indeed.

Serena was in a hurray:

Serena ran through Hantuchova in the opening match on Ashe. While we expected Serena to win this match comfortably, we’re a little disappointed with Hantuchova’s effort. Hantuchova is a multiple major winner in doubles and was formerly ranked 7th in the world. Don’t tell me the best she can do is muster up 2 games?

2 retirements and an "ab strain"?

Monfils and JCF marched into the round of 16 when both their opponents tapped out from injury. The injury that we’re all concerned about is the ab strain suffered by Nadal during his match with Almagro. We all hope he’s fit because from here on out, he’ll have to navigate the likes of Tsonga, Del Potro and Muarry just to have a shot at the title.

Day 8 Preview:

Match of the day pick: Isner vs. Verdasco

Can Isner esape the perennial “next match – letdown” to take out the tricky lefty Verdasco? We think he can. Verdasco had plety of practice at passing shots in his last match against Haas, but Isner’s serve should blow by him enough times for him to take the match. 

Upset of the day?? Wozniaki vs. Kuznetsova

Can’t explain it. Just have that feeling. Both have been playing well thus far but Kuznetsova hasn’t really been tested and her post Roland Garros results have been sub par.  The draw has opened up for her and she has a paved road into the finals, but history says she won’t take it. Wozniaki in 3.

Does Oudin have a few more matches in her?

Playing another resident of Headcase-ville, the new darling of the NY crowd should give them another performance to cheer about. To win this match, Oudin will have to mix it up like she did with Sharapova and hang with Petrova long enough to let her get in her own way and beat herself.  Oudin for the win.

Wrap up of the round of 16:

Comeback wins of the day:

Oudin def. Petrova 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3

Oudin just keeps finding ways to win tough matches.  This is the 3^rd match in a row where she has lost the 1^st set and fought back to take the win. She’s navigated the toughest section of her draw and from here on out until the finals, it looks like clear sailing. As for Petrova, the match unfolded just like we thought it would. The pattern of events all too familiar to herself and her loyal fans. Petrova came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders. Was up a break in the 2^nd set before she let her alter ego take over and the rest went according to history.

Wozniaki def. Kuznetsova 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-6 (3)

Another heartbreaking and puzzling loss for Kuznetsova. With the match firmly on her racket, she let it all slip away with perplexing shot selection. Case in point, at 5 all in the 3^rd set, she held 2 break points on the Wozniaki serve. She missed a forehand on one and tried a drop shot on the other. She would try 3 other ill advised drop shots during crucial points later in the set to let Wozniaki off the hook. This, like so many Kuznetsova matches in the past, had all of her fans pulling their hair in disbelief.   Wozniaki, to her credit, fought valiantly and gutted out the win for a spot in the quarters against Oudin.

Our match of the day pick: McEnroe vs. Djokovic

Ok so this wasn’t a match, so much as 2 points but it made for great tv! Djokovic called out McEnroe from the ESPN commentary box to have a hit with him after his routine win over Stepanek. McEnroe played good sport and the two had a great rally. FYI, Jonny Mac still has incredible hands and anticipation around the court. Youtube this clip if you have a chance.  

Day 9 Preview:

Our match of the day pick(s)

Tsonga vs. Gonzalez

This match guarantees:  Big Forehand, Big Backhand, Big Serving…Big Everything. Tsonga has made his way through the draw quietly. He’s playing great tennis and has only been broken once. Actually, he’s only faced 7 break points through 3 rounds.  Gonzalez played great against Berdych and he’s going to get the same kind of opponent today against Tsonga. Match could go either way but we’ll go with Tsonga in 4.

Monfils vs. Nadal

The featured evening match on Ashe, the atmosphere should be electric. Expect long rallies and amazing retrieving from both players. There head to head stands at 4-1 in favor of Nadal but Monfils beat him earlier this year in Doha. The way Monfils plays tennis is something to behold. I’ve never seen an athlete so willing to throw his body around the court to chase down a shot. However,  for Monfils to pull the upset, he’s going to have to be the aggressor. Nadal will try to push him beyond the baseline so retrieving simply won’t get the job done. We don’t know the state of Nadal’s abdominal injury but if he’s fit, he should win this match in 4 sets.  

Day 10 Recap:

Upset of the day: Cillic def. Murray 7-5, 6-2, 6-2

The story of day 10 was clearly the upset of the #2 seed Murray. All credit to Cillic for playing the perfect match, but who was that doppelganger he played? Listless and confused, Murray played like a deer caught in the headlights. Where’s the effort? Where’s the intensity? Where’s the desire?  The WTA has its share of “tier 1 queens” so is Murray merely a Master Series ace? His non-performance today certainly confirms this.

Why hasn’t this guy played on Ashe yet?

JM Del Potro keeps scorching his way through the draw but he hasn’t even played a single match on Ashe yet. With Murray gone, DelPo’s path to the final just got less bumpy. He’s one the hottest guys coming into the Open this year, so please, please let Ashe see him play!

Taking a set off Nadal is not impossible. Taking the match from Nadal is.

Monfils found this out the hard way. After squeezing out the 1^st set in a tantalizing tie break, Monfils pounded his chest and jubilated around the court. Meanwhile, Nadal threw him a few glances as if to say “Is that all you’ve got? We’re in this for the long haul.” and calmly walked to his chair. The match starting off with a bang but as soon as Nadal started imposing his game late in the 2^nd set, Monfils started to fade.  In the end, the body blows were too much and Monfils fizzled like so many other competitors.

Most bizarre moment:

After his victory, a spectator intruded onto the court, wrapped his arms around Nadal and planted a kiss before getting dragged away by security. After what happened to Federer at Roland Garros, you would think the USTA would have stepped up the security.  

Day 11 preview:

The Women:

Bonderanko vs. Wickmayer

Both these women have had an amazing Us Open. We haven’t really seen either of them play much so you're guess is as good as ours but we’ll take Bonderanko in 3 sets.

Oudin vs. Wozniacki

How many more matches does Oudin have in her? This is a winnable match for Oudin but for the 1^st time this tournament she will be playing against a player who plays the same style of game she used to get to this stage. Wozniaki is an excellent counter puncher with slightly better groundstrokes. Look for Wozniaki’s picture perfect backhand down the line. Sadly, we think Oudin’s dream run ends here. Wozniaki for the win.

The Men:

Federer vs. Soderling

Like Hewitt, Federer has owned Soderling in their last 10 meetings and today should be no exception. It’s a pitty that Soderling landed in this section of the draw because he’s played excellent tennis thus far. Federer will take this in 3 close sets.

Djokovic vs. Verdasco

Djokvic is rock steady on the baseline and seems to have found his confidence again. Verdasco has looked impressive in his last two matches but Djokovic just has too much game. Look for him to hammer  the Verdasco backhand all match long. Djokovic for the win.

Day 10 Recap:

Good things happen to those who see opportunity and seize it:  

Wickmayer def. Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4

What a phenomenal US Open these two have had. While the rest of their draw mates crumbled, these two stood strong and battled their way into the quarterfinals. In today’s encounter, the 6ft Belgian, Wickmayer simply overpowered Bondarenko off the ground. We’ve never seen her play before today, but she’s got game and she’s playing with confidence. In today’s WTA, that combination will get you deep into tournaments.  All Belgian final? - It could happen!

Scare of the day:

Federer def. Soderling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6

In every major contested by Federer in recent years, he usually has one match where he comes out on fire and completely schools his opponent from start of finish. From the way this match started, it seemed that Soderling would be his unwilling pupil today.

Credit Soderling for weathering the storm, hanging tough and giving the NY crowd something to cheer about. He came up with some monstrous serves and forehands in the 3^rd and 4^th set to make Federer sweat after he let a 4-0 lead in the 3^rd set breaker slip away. Sadly, today will be remembered as loss number 11 against Federer. He’ll be having nightmares about that very make able backhand down the line he missed wide in the tie break at 6all.

 

Counter-puncher vs. Counter-puncher:  

Wozniaki def. Oudin 6-2, 6-2

Wozniaki out punched Oudin for a spot in the semis. Like we predicted, Wozniaki was willing to run and gave Oudin nothing to hit all match long. She was rock solid on the baseline and it was Oudin who ended up pressing and over hitting her shots.

Interview Blunders:

Was it really necessary to interview Oudin on court immediately after her loss then opening with: “Normally, we don’t interview the LOSER…blah blah blah”

Why did Pam Shriver mention Wickmayer’s with such distain during her on court interview with Wozniaki?  As if to say that Wickmayer has zero chance in the semis and should just crawl into her racket bag and cry. Good on the NY crowd for booing that.

Day 11 Preview:

Only two men’s matches scheduled today:

JM Del Potro vs. Marin Cillic

This match will feature two big guys gunning at each other with monstrous forehands all match long. Both guys are good movers given their size and the backhand for both is the weaker wing.  Cillic is more thoughtful on the court while Del Po is more explosive off the ground. Could go either way but we’ll take Del Po for the win.

Fernando Gonzalez vs. Rafa Nadal

Gonzo has played some phenomenal tennis thus far. He’s out hit the likes of Berdych and Tsonga to get to this match. Out hitting Nadal is a tall task but recall two years ago when he blasted Nadal off the court at the Aussie Open so for him, it’s doable. However, the bad news is that Nadal’s court positioning and hard court prowess has improved exponentially since 2007. Gonzo might be able to sustain the kind of hard hitting go for broke tennis for a set or two but over five sets, Nadal will impose his game and get into Gonzo’s kitchen, forcing him to over hit. If Gonzo wants to win this match, he’ll have to do so in 3 quick sets but we don’t see that happening. Nadal for the win.

Day 11 recaplette:

The rain took centre stage but Jm Delpo scorched into the semis with a 4 set win over Cillic before it came.  Today, it was Cillic who came out of the blocks firing but it was DelPo who would find his game in the 2nd to wrap up the match in the last 3 sets. DelPo looks like a real threat to get to the finals this year and fatigue will defiantly play a factor for his semi final foe. Things are looking sunny for Delpo!  

Day 12 Preview:

The match of the day pick most definatly will be the "defacto" final between Cljisters and Serena. On paper their head to head is embarrisingly lop sided with Serena holding a 7-1 edge. Serea just has too much game and does everything slightly better than Cljsters. For Cljsters to win this match she's going to need an assist from the wind and Serena herself. If it's a blustery day tomorrow and Serena is off her game, Cljsters will need to play excellent defense, draw Serena into extended rallies and pick her spots to break open the point with her forehand. I'm not discounting Clijsters' chances to win this match, but the odds are clearly stacked against her. Bottom line: Cljisters has played well to get here but not well enought to beat Serena in a semi final of a major. Serena for the win! 

Has there ever been a major semi final that has generated less fan fare than the Wozniaki / Wickmeyer semi?  The organizers have relegated it to Armstrong stadium in favor of the conclusion of the Nadal / Gonzo match. Moving the match to Armstrong with a less than full stadium may actually help the quality of this match since this is uncharted territory for both. While Wickmeyer certainly has the bigger game, Wozniaki will outsteady her from the baseline, give her nothing to hit and her retrieving ability will force Wickmeyer to over hit. As much as we want to see at least one Belgian in the final, we're going with Wozniaki for the win.

Day 13 recap:

 

Another disappointing non-performance:

Nadal def. Gonzalez 7-6, 7-6, 6-0

After almost 2 days of rain, this match finally got back on court. Nadal came out focused and determined to earn the match win without expending too much energy. Gonzo, to the disappointment of the fans that patiently waited out 2 days of rain, didn’t even show up. Shanking forehands left, right and centre it was a miserable non-performance from Gonzo. The fans should ask for a refund, because this wasn’t even a match.  For Nadal, after a good 30 min workout, waltzes into the semis, fit and rested for his encounter with the hottest hard court player of the season.

Bizzarro on court tirade overshadows a fantastic performance:

Cljisters def. Williams 6-4, 7-5

Before we get into the bizarre incident that occurred at the end of this match, how about giving Cljisters big props for a fantastic performance out on Ashe tonight? Coming into this match, Cljisters was 1-7 head to head against Serena and had been away from the game for almost two years. Tonight, she came in focused and hit the ball with ferocity. She took it to Serena from ball one, punishing her 2^nd serves, hitting deep, penetrating ground strokes to keep Serena on her heels all match long. She took control of the middle of the court and used her forehand to run Serena ragged from corner to corner. Most importantly, Cljisters played with desire and her intensity never let up. Tonight, she outplayed Serena from all parts of the court and would have come out the winner regardless of the incident. Well done Kim! Welcome Back!

The Incident:

Incase you missed it: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4469048&categoryid=2378529

Let’s discuss the incident in two parts:

Foot fault? What foot fault?

After watching countless video replays of the 2^nd serve at 5-6, 15-30, we honestly can’t see the foot fault. They have video replay for the line calls, so why not this? This incident calls for a rule change. On a side note, how ballsy was it for the lineswoman to call a foot fault at such a crucial point in the match, in the “de-facto woman’s final”, on one of the biggest stages in tennis, in front of millions of people? We hope to God that she made the correct call.

Serena’s profanity laced melt down followed with an Oscar worthy performance in the post-match press conference:  

In short, she’s a seasoned pro, multi slam winner who should have known better. We understand her frustration and anguish, but after all the epic matches she’s been through, we would have expected her to keep her cool. How about a big hand to her managing people for keeping the cameras away and calming her down before her post match press conference? Serena went in there no more than 10 minutes after the match all smiles and jokes. She nonchalantly brushed off all questions related to her on court tirade. Ms. Williams, you truly are one of a kind.

Day 14 preview:

Federer vs. Djokovic

This will be 3^rd straight US Open meeting between these two. Djokovic appears to have found his game again in New York. He’s steady from the baseline and will be looking to draw Federer into extended rallies with his deep, penetrating ground game. There head to head stands at 8-4 with the most recent meeting in Cincinnati. If Djokovic want to win he’ll need to be aggressive with the return of serve and look for opportunities to break open the points with his backhand down the line.

With all the attention on Oudin, Federer has quietly gone about his business making his way through the draw. He’s showed flashes of his brilliance during the quarterfinal encounter with Soderling but has also suffered uncharacteristic lapses in concentration. Against Djokovic, Federer will need to serve well. Djokovic’s defence will try to tempt Federer into to rushing the points by going for too much to early. This match will be a close but we’ll take Federer in 4 tight sets.

Nadal vs. Del Potro

DelPo has been scotching through the draw relatively unnoticed. He’s played excellent tennis to get to this stage and looks poised to reach his first career major final. While it’s easy to see DelPo bullying lesser players around the court with his huge ground game and much improved serve, taking out Nadal in a best of five encounter is an entirely different animal. Nadal is a grinder who doesn’t mind putting in the hard yards to win the match. While we can see DelPo imposing his big ground game for a few sets but Nadal will ultimately out steady DelPo from the baseline and force DelPo to go for too much. As much as we love DelPo, we’ll take Nadal for the win!      

Day 14 Recap:

DelPo Blitzes Nadal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2

 As much as we like to play clairvoyance, we didn’t see this one coming. After being relegated to the outside courts in his previous five rounds, he finally grabbed some spotlight. Delpo put on a magnificent performance in dispatching Nadal. Nadal never got a grip on the match and he was pushed at least 10 ft beyond the baseline on almost every point.  Believe it or not, this is the 6^th straight year that someone different has emerged from the bottom half of the draw to meet Federer in the final. Delpo was spotted watching the Federer/Djokovic semi court side doing some scouting. He’ll need to play with the same kind of intensity and intent against Federer today.

The FedExpress keeps rolling: Federer def. Djokovic 7-6,7-5,7-5

To sum up how well Federer played today please watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVQhIEPbM0g

Djokovic was playing well but everything was working for Federer. He started off slowly in the 1^st set but raised his game in the key moments to seal this match in 3 close sets. #16 today? It’s in the cards.

One for all the working moms out there: Clijsters def. Wozniaki 7-5, 6-3

The fairly tale come back is complete. In terms of feel good sports stories in recent history, this one ranks high among them. How well did Clijsters play this entire fortnight? Well, she became the only woman who has ever defeated both Williams sisters in a Slam, twice. A hand goes out to the lovely Wozniaki who showed up to play to keep it close. (Safina, we hope you were watching.)  In the end, her counterpunching game couldn’t withstand the pace. Welcome back Kim! We hope you stick around for a few more years!

Men’s Final Preview:

Things going for Delpo:

-had Federer on the ropes at Roland Garros

-playing with confidence

-the way he scorched through the draw dismantling Federer’s greatest rival, Nadal  

-his ability to push his opponent far beyond the baseline with his relentless baseline game

-someone is bound to defeat Federer sooner or later because the tennis gods simply can’t allow this streak much longer

Things going against Delpo:

-Federer, the history, the accomplishments, the streak, the records, the occasion.

Federer has had the summers of all summers. We can’t pick against that. Federer for the win!

Simply put, DelPo played the match of his life. He let nerves get the better of him in the 1^st set where he put on a listless performance. It wasn’t until he broke Federer for the 1^st time in the 2^nd set that the nerves finally settled and the belief he displayed all tournament long, settled in. Federer, for his part, had a horrible serving day. Averaging only 50% the entire match and registering 11 double faults on the match.

Losing the line call in the 2^nd set completely changed the demeanor of this match. Once DelPo found his feet and the range on his forehand, he never looked back, thumping twice as many forehand winners as Federer. The crisp sound of the ball cracking against the strings was enough to bring the crowd on Ashe to its’ feet applauding for more. To our surprise, Federer completely went away in the 5^th set. Reminiscent of his 5 set loss to Nadal at the OZ in January, Federer wasn’t able to shake off the effects of the 4^th set. While DelPo’s belief grew point after point, Federer, in contrast, looked rushed and unsettled. He was being pushed around by DelPo’s relentless ground game. Even the great Federer couldn't withstand the barrage of forehands coming off the del Potro racket.

All in all, what an amazing performance DelPo delivered. Even more amazing that he followed up what he dubbed “the match of his life” into an unthinkable feat. Today, he became the only man to defeat both Nadal and Federer in a major. Today, he stood on the shoulders of two giants to proclaim his arrival.