Tip Sheet: Moscow, Vienna, Etc.

What you need to know about the semifinal match-ups as you watch this weekend's coverage of the Moscow, Vienna, Luxembourg, and Stockholm.

By Nicholas McCarvel

(June 7, 2012) -The second season of Bravo’s controversial reality show, Shahs of Sunset, is set to debut Dec. 2, just in the midst of the tennis off-season. The premise of the show seems to be this: Look! Iranian Americans can fight and be catty and materialistic just like everyone else in this country! No wonder the ratings have been solid.

But this season on the ATP World Tour, a real-life Arab fairy tale has blossomed in the form of Malek Jaziri, a Tunisian player who had to flee his country during the violence there in 2011 before becoming the first man from that country to ever win a Grand Slam, reaching a career high No. 69 in the world earlier this year.

It’s been a banner week for Jaziri, 28, in Moscow, where he advanced to his first-ever ATP semifinal by winning at the Kremlin Cup Friday, scoring a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Lukas Rosol, the man famous for taking down Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. Will Jaziri cap a Cinderella season with a run made for the storybooks (and reality scripts)? Check out our preview of this weekend’s action to find out.

KREMLIN CUP - MEN'S (MOSCOW, RUSSIA) - DRAW

For Jaziri to get to the final in Moscow he’ll have to go through Andreas Seppi, the Italian who has also used 2012 to surge up the rankings. Seeded No. 2 here, Seppi hasn’t dropped a set in two matches. Currently ranked No. 25, Seppi is an impressive 35-25 this year, including a run to the final in Metz a few weeks ago, proving he can play indoors.

(Browse: Kremlin Cup Men's Draw)

On the top half of the draw, it’s Dr. Ivo -- Ivo Karlovic -- who has emerged from the dropping of Alexandr Dolgopolov, the tourney’s top seed. Ivo has aced his way into a semifinal encounter with Thomaz Bellucci, the Brazilian left hander who is loaded with talent.

Head to Heads: Jaziri vs. Seppi: 0-0. Bellucci vs. Karlovic: 0-2.
Our champ: Jaziri (why not?!)

KREMLIN CUP - WOMEN'S (MOSCOW, RUSSIA) - DRAW

Are we experiencing somewhat of a Caroline Wozniacki renaissance in Russia? A Carossance, if you may? OK, don’t get your Stella McCartney panties in a ruffle, but the Dane has looked good during the Asian swing, perhaps finding some of that swag that earned her the No. 1 ranking during the 2010 season at the same point in the year.

She’s into the semifinals and faces Sofia Arvidsson, this week’s where-did-she-come-from player. Arvidsson smashed Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-0 in round two, then took out hometown gal Maria Kirilenko in straights in the quarters.

Meanwhile, on the top half of the draw, Ana Ivanovic and Sam Stosur try not to choke away another golden opportunity for each. Someone has to win that match, right? We imagine the planets aligning and somehow them both losing it. With Ana and Sammy, anything is possible.

Head to Heads: Stosur vs. Ivanovic: 2-2. Wozniacki vs. Arvidsson: 6-2.
Our champ: It’s a Caro-lution!

BGL BNP PARIBAS LUXEMBOURG OPEN (LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG) - DRAW

How’s this for a Friday night in Luxembourg: watching a resurgent Venus Williams take on top seed and US Open quarterfinalist Roberta Vinci? Grab the popcorn? We think so, too. It’ll be interesting to see if V can win this quarterfinal and advance into the weekend; she last reached a semifinal in Cincinnati this summer.

Awaiting the Venus-Roberta winner is another comeback story: Andrea Petkovic. The German has finally found her form this week at the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open after struggling through a 2-5 return record since August. She’s lodged impressive wins over Jelena Jankovic and Ksenia Pervak this week.

And on the bottom half in Luxembourg: Daniela Hantuchova takes on Monica Niculescu. Game plan for both: Hit. The. Ball. Hard.

Head to Heads: Petkovic vs. Venus: 1-1./ Petkovic vs. Vinci: 1-0. Hantuchova vs. Niculescu: 0-0.
Our champ: How can you not want Venus to win this one?

ERSTE BANK OPEN (VIENNA, AUSTRIA) - DRAW

While the WTA Season Ending Championships line up is all set for next week, the final spots for the ATP World Tour Finals, taking place Nov. 5-12, are still up in the air. The Erste Bank Open’s top seeds and heavy favorites, Juan Martin del Potro and Janko Tipsarevic, are chasing after two of the four spots remaining.

JMDP gets Gilles Muller in the semis, who earlier in the week didn’t ingratiate himself well with the home crowd by beating local favorite and No. 4 seed Jurgen Melzer, who has won this title twice.

Tipsarevic, meanwhile, gets Slovakian Gregor Zemlja in the semis, who took out Tommy Haas in the quarterfinals in three sets. Earlier in the week, Haas became just the fourth active player to win 500 career matches, joining Roger Federer, Nadal and Lleyton Hewitt. The 6-foot Zemlja started the year ranked No. 116 but has surged to a spot off his career high to No. 70 this week. Tipsy took care of him in three competitive sets at the US Open.

Head to Heads: Del Potro vs. Muller: 1-0. Tipsarevic vs. Zemlja: 1-0.
Our champ: Serve goes boom! Hard to beat DelPo indoors.

IF STOCKHOLM OPEN (STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN) - DRAW

North of Vienna at the If Stockholm Open, three other fellas -- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, and Nicolas Almagro -- are all making a push for London, as well. While Tsonga and Berdych are almost shoe-ins, Almagro is trying to keep fellow Spaniard David Ferrer company as it looks more and more like the WTFs will be sans Rafa for the first time in seven years.

Almagro takes on the Czech Berdych in the semis, the fifth meeting between these two guys this year. Their contentious moment at the Australian Open (when Berdych wouldn’t shake Nico’s hand after he believed he fired a ball unfairly at him during the match) hasn’t seemed to carry over: matches in Indian Wells, Rome and the US Open have gone on without incident. But it’s always fireworks between these two, who have played ten times in total. Add London in the mix and you’ve got yourself a doozey.

Speaking of doozeys: Tsonga, he of the chest thumping, air-hopping celebrations, gets the always-electric Marcos Baghdatis in the top half of the draw. The court coverage alone in this one will be entertaining. But as is always the question with the fiery Cypriot: which Marcos will show up Saturday?

Head to Heads: Tsonga vs. Baghdatis: 3-0. Berdych vs. Almagro: 7-3.
Our Champ: Tsonga Tsalute!

(Photo Credit: AFP/Patrick Kovarik)