Four Times In A Row

Reuters

That's how many times each Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick have now defeated their Cincinnati Masters quarterfinals opponents to face-off in the first all-American semifinal at this event since Andre Agassi defeated Andy in a third-set breaker six years ago.

You may recall the year before that Andy and Mardy met up in the finals and played one of the best matches of 2003. Mardy lost in a third-set breaker and fell to the eventual US Open champion without ever even dropping his serve.

Yesterday, he almost did the same. Andy Murray, one of the best returners in the game, so some say, wasn't able to breakthrough in three sets, so when he forced a third-set breaker, I wasn't sure if Mardy would be able to come through. But he fought like a pit bull and pulled out the victory.

Reuters

Novak Djokovic simply can't stand the heat and so, once again, Roddick had his way with him. It really wasn't a match at all.

If you listen to the propagandists and even some of the readers of this blog, you'd think Roddick has never been out of the top 10 for even a week since he first arrived there 8 years ago (he has) and that American men's tennis is totally in the toilet.

Consider this. Two Americans beat two European top-four players for the fourth time in the row to get to this place.

I'm going to say that again: Two Americans beat two European top-four players for the fourth time in the row to get to this place.

Carry on.

Face Of The Day

Reuters

Britain's Andy Murray reacts during his ATP World Tour Finals tennis match against Spain's Fernando Verdasco at the 02 Arena in London November 26, 2009.

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One game. Eliminated from the event by just one game. He must be spitting bullets.

Face Of The Day

Getty

Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain wipes sweat from his face against Marin Cilic of Croatia during day one of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters on August 17, 2009 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Singles - First Round
[9] G Simon (FRA) d [WC] W Odesnik (USA) 63 62
I Karlovic (CRO) d [13] G Monfils (FRA) 64 67(5) 76(2)
[14] M Cilic (CRO) d J Ferrero (ESP) 63 64
J Chardy (FRA) d [15] T Robredo (ESP) 63 75
[16] R Stepanek (CZE) d V Troicki (SRB) 76(2) 10 ret. (foot)
I Andreev (RUS) d N Kiefer (GER) 61 75
B Becker (GER) d M Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 63 63
N Almagro (ESP) d D Sela (ISR) 64 10 ret. (groin)
P Mathieu (FRA) d M Zverev (GER) 67(4) 75 63
[Q] I Ljubicic (CRO) d F Serra (FRA) 46 63 64
D Ferrer (ESP) d S Wawrinka (SUI) 75 62
J Acasuso (ARG) d [Q] L Kubot (POL) 64 63
[WC] M Safin (RUS) d [WC] R Ginepri (USA) 75 76(2)
S Querrey (USA) d [Q] Y Lu (TPE) 63 64

Doubles - First Round
F Lopez (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) d S Huss (AUS) / R Hutchins (GBR) 46 76(2) 10-3
T Berdych (CZE) / P Kohlschreiber (GER) d N Davydenko (RUS) / I Kunitsyn (RUS) 57 76(4) 10-7
R Lindstedt (SWE) / M Melo (BRA) d J Coetzee (RSA) / J Erlich (ISR) 76(3) 36 14-12

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Rogers Cup

Singles - First Round
Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (10) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 63 64
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. (13) Marion Bartoli (FRA) 64 63
(14) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) 63 63
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. (15) Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) 62 36 61
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. (Q) Heidi El Tabakh (CAN) 76(2) 76(4)
Patty Schnyder (SUI) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 62 61
Sybille Bammer (AUT) d. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 36 64 62
Agnes Szavay (HUN) d. (WC) Valérie Tétreault (CAN) 62 64
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. Alizé Cornet (FRA) 64 75
Ai Sugiyama (JPN) d. Iveta Benesova (CZE) 63 64
(Q) Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. (WC) Stéphanie Dubois (CAN) 61 62
(Q) Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) d. (Q) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 76(4) 62

Doubles - First Round
(5) Hsieh/Peng (TPE/CHN) d. Azarenka/Zvonareva (BLR/RUS) 46 60 106
Senoglu/Shvedova (TUR/KAZ) d. Chuang/Pelletier (TPE/CAN) 64 64
Kirilenko/Vesnina (RUS/RUS) d. (WC) Dubois/Marino (CAN/CAN) 62 67(5) 106
Amanmuradova/Kudryavtseva (UZB/RUS) d. Koryttseva/Poutchek (UKR/BLR) 76(10) 62
(WC) Kuznetsova/Mauresmo (RUS/FRA) d. Husarova/Parra Santonja (SVK/ESP) 60 64

Cincinnati Master

Well, the lesser of two evils won the event. His first Masters shield. Good for him. Good for his fans.

(Imagine I just said that with a Bette Davis delivery.)

I don't like Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic. I don't like their tennis. Doesn't matter how old they are or what they may do in the future.

I don't like to watch them playing each other.

It's not personal. It's not like either one of them has ever done anything to me.

Sorry folks.

Maybe I'll just shut the blog down if I've got to put up with years of covering these two at the top of the sport.

Just call me negative. Maybe I'm just tired and ornery and sleep-deprived.

I'll get over it.

Maybe.

Djokovic vs. Nadal - Open Thread

The new unofficial world No. 1 will play the No. 1 wannabe in the marquee match of the day in hot and humid Cincinnati.

Rafa's emotions may be all over the place, Djoke's desire will be deep. Who will come out on top?

Tell us what you think.

Federer Falls, No. 1 Ranking on the Precipice

Ivo Karlovic upset the defending champion 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(5) in Cincinnati today.

Hear from Roger Federer himself.

The official No. 1 ranking is now on Rafael Nadal's racquet.

Photos of the Day

James Blake has batting practice with the Cincinnati Reds this past Saturday. That's Ken Griffey, Jr. (Photos: Karen Thompson)