Best (Men's) Matches of 2009

Earlier this week I posted the list of the Best Women's Matches of 2009, here now are the best men's matches of 2009. Generally, there were far more memorable matches on the ATP tour than the WTA tour this year.

Here are the most memorable tennis matches by men in 2009:

1. R. Federer SUI d. A. Roddick USA, 5-7 7-6(8) 7-6(3) 3-6 16-14,Wimbledon Championships final, London.

Roger Federer must have been pleased to see Andy Roddick was the opponent he had to beat in order to win his 6th career Wimbledon title and record 15th major title--after all he had beaten him three times before at Wimbledon and had only lost to the American twice in twenty-one matches and never in a Grand Slam. However, this was a new and improved Andy Roddick, someone who could play 5 sets of tennis and only get his service broken once. Roddick played like someone who recognized this rare opportunity and played his very best. Unfortunately, it was not enough to win the match, though he did get very, very close. I'm sure that Roddick will have nightmares about the shanked volley in the second set tiebreak which would have given him set point. Instead, at the end of that 2nd set tiebreaker the match was all tied up and with Federer again winning the 3rd set in a tiebreak things looked bleak for the American. But, then, somehow, miraculously Roddick was able to break in the fourth set and serve out the set to even the match again. And the most amazing part of the match was about to begin: a 95-minute, 30 game deciding set. In the end, the entire match came down to a few points played over a few minutes, with Federer winning a mere 10 more points out of more than 400 points over nearly 5 hours. A classic tennis match for the ages, almost as venerable as the 2008 classic between Nadal and Federer from the year before.

2. R. Nadal ESP d. F. Verdasco ESP, 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(2) 6-7(1) 6-4, Australian Open semifinal, Melbourne.

Amazingly, the second most memorable match of 2009 is not one of the four Grand Slam finals. The showdown between two Spaniards in Australia under the stars and full moon was electric. During the match everyone who watched it knew it was an instant classic, one of those matches destined to be replayed and discussed for years. The match featured incredible athleticism and shotmaking from both players. The two talented lefties battled each other for more than five hours and ended up at practically a draw. After five sets, the stats say it all: Nadal 193 points, Verdasco 192. The 193rd point that Nadal won was due to a double fault by Verdasco on match point. Heartbreaking for both players that in these sporting contests of will and spirit there must be a loser and a winner, because sometimes that competition itself elevates all those who participate.

3. J. del Potro ARG d. R. Federer USA, 3-6 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2, U.S. Open final, New York City.

For the fourth time of the year, the seventh consecutive Grand Slam tournament in a row and a record 21st time in his career, Roger Federer was in a major final. However, this time he was facing a genetically gifted nightmare: a 6-foot 5-inch, 21-year-old Argentine who grew up dreaming of glory on hard courts; Juan Martín del Potro. Federer was already the universally regarded Greatest of all Time, a newly married man and father of twin baby girls who had won his record 15th major title a mere 8 weeks before while del Potro was someone Federer had never lost to in 6 matches. In fact, earlier in the year at the Australian Open del Potro won a mere 3 games in a 3-set match in a quarterfinal humiliation featuring two consecutive 6-0 bagel sets versus Federer. An indication of the rapid rate of his improvement through the year was that by May in Paris, del Potro was able to extend Federer to a 5-set thriller in the French Open semifinals. So, it was not surprising that del Potro was in his first major final in New York City. Federer started off well and del Potro did not, and quickly found himself down a set and a break. But then something happened and Federer faltered, allowing del Potro to sneak away with the second set in a tie-break. Federer again won the all-important middle set, but again del Potro was able to take the 4th set to a tiebreak. This was Federer's chance, but he blinked. He played a horrible tie-break and del Potro kept on hitting 135+ mph serves and 100+ mph forehand winners. The final deciding set was a letdown, with del Potro building up a huge lead and holding it to savor his first win over the World #1 and his first major title. The King was dead, long live the King.

4. R. Soderling SWE d. R. Nadal ESP, 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(2), Roland Garros 4th Round, Paris.

The upset of the decade? The biggest upset ever? Prior to this fourth round meeting between the agile, indomitable Spanish World #1 and the tall, powerful Swede, Rafael Nadal had never lost a match at Roland Garros, and was the 4-time defending champion who had won 3 of the last 4 major championships played in the last year. But Robin Soderling didn't care. He simply doesn't care what anyone thinks. He knew he had worked hard to be in the best shape of his life and knew that his game could cause anyone difficulty. It is true that Nadal did not play his best tennis, but it is also true that Soderling did, and it was enough so that the result, no matter how shocking was never in doubt: a Soderling victory over Nadal on clay in Paris.

5. R. Nadal ESP d. R. Federer SUI, 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 3-6 6-2, Australian Open final, Melbourne.

After the incredible semifinal Nadal played to get past Verdasco while Federer had a relatively routine straight-set dismissal of Andy Roddick, most observers felt that Federer would have an edge in this first meeting between the two great rivals on hard courts, since Federer already owned 3 Australian Open titles and 5 U.S. Opens. However, Federer again started off a major final against Nadal playing badly and by failing to win the middle set tie-break he lost the match not with a whimper but in a drizzle of tears. Several people felt that Federer's outburst during the trophy ceremony was disrespectful to Nadal but it is important to note that it was his great rival himself who did the most comforting, allowing the Swiss star to bury his face in the Spaniards shoulder.

6. R. Nadal ESP d. N. Djokovic SRB, 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(9), Madrid Masters semifinal, Madrid.

The most exciting clay court match of the year was this 3-set, 4-hour showdown between the King of Clay Rafael Nadal and the heir-apparent Novak Djokovic. Djokovic was the better player on the day and deserved to win this match, but Nadal just refused to lose. Despite losing the first set relatively easily in a 3-set match and being behind in both of the remaining sets, somehow Nadal was able to claw both sets back to tie-breaks and somehow win both of them. The points were agonizingly long, with ridiculous saves and amazing retrievals from both players, but in the end the Nadal (again!) proved why he is the Greatest Clay Court Player of all Time. After battling Djokovic for nearly four hours it is not surprising that Nadal lost one of his rare clay court finals against Federer the next day, 6-4 6-4.

7. R. Stepanek CZE USA d. I. Karlovic CRO, 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 16-14, Davis Cup semifinal tie, Croatia.

Absolutely insane. Davis Cup matches are usually intense due to the national prestige on the line, but this was insane. Everyone knows that Ivo Karlovic is a freak of nature: a 6-foot, 10-inch behemoth who has a serve like a lightning bolt that leaves his opponents constantly leaning the wrong way and shaking their head in disbelief having completely missed touching the ball. In this match "Dr. Evil" hit 78 aces. That's 23 more than his previous record of 55! There were exactly three breaks of serve in the 5 hour, 59 minute contest. Unfortunately, I was not able to see this match, but after reading about it, it clearly belongs in the most memorable matches of the year.

8. T. Dent USA d. I. Navarro ESP, 6-4 5-7 6-7(1) 7-5 7-6(9), U.S. Open 2nd Round, New York City.

Taylor Dent had been told repeatedly that his tennis career was over after two back surgeries in 2007 and 2008. The American serve-and-volleyer met his match in the form of Spaniard Ivan Nvarro who was also a rare serve-and-volleyer. This match was not expected to be anything special, it was just an early round match at the US Open played on the intimate Grandstand Court. However, it turned into a scorcher: a 5-set, knock-down, drag-out street brawl between two punch-drunk prize fighters. Both players had the same game plan: serve and rush the net. In the end, Dent had more control over the result than his opponent, hitting a garish 121 winners (mostly volleys) compared to 50 errors (+71!) as opposed to Navarro's 70 winners to a mere 22 unforced errors. Tennis like it used to be played and will most likely not be played in the future.

9. F. Gonzalez CHI d. R. Gasquet FRA, 3-6 3-6 7-6(10) 6-2 12-10, Australian Open 3rd Round, Melbourne.

Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet are two of the flashiest players on the ATP Tour and it was expected that this early-round showdown would be a non-stop highlight reel. The two did not disappoint. Both players hit far more winners than errors, with Gasquet at +22 (80 winners, 58 errors) and Gonzalez at +34 (85 winners, 51 errors). Gasquet has one of the most beautiful one-handed backhands on the tour and Gonzalez has a hugely powerful forehand. The battle was intense but even though each competitor won the same number of points, Gonzalez won more games and the match. This showdown would have been more widely celebrated if the Nadal-Verdasco semifinal had not cleared the decks of superlatives used to describe matches at the 2009 Austraian Open.

10. N. Davydenko RUS d. R. Federer SUI 6-2 4-6 7-5, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals semifinal, London.

Nikolay Davydenko was nearly run out of tennis at the end of a stick in 2008 after being caught up in a betting scandal. He professed his innocence but tennis fans have looked at him with a jaundiced eye ever since. Davydenko is often viewed as the invisible man, because although he has been in the Top 5 since 2005 he has racked up a slew of losses to both Federer and Nadal and was widely regarded as being unable to breakthrough in a major tournament. This win over Federer was his very first and followed a week in which he demolished a weakened Nadal, outlasted the powerful Robin Soderling and ended the year by dismissing the new wunderkind Juan Martín del Potro to win the ATP year end championships, the biggest title of his career. However, he ended the year at #6, out of the top 5 for the first time in 5 years. Perhaps 2010 will be the year that Davydenko is able to make through at a major title, now that he has shown that he can beat Mr. Major, Roger Federer.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Here are some honorable mentions for memorable matches of the year by men

N. Djokovic SRB d. R. Federer, 6-4 4-6 6-2, Swiss Open final.
R. Federer SUI d. N. Djokovic SRB, 6-1 7-5, Cincinnati Masters final.
R. Federer SUI d. N. Djokovic SRB, 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5, U.S. Open semifinal.
J-M. del Potro ARG d. R. Nadal ESP, 6-2 6-2 6-2, U.S. Open semifinal.
R. Federer SUI d. R. Soderling SWE, 6-1 7-6(1) 6-4, Roland Garros final.
R. Federer SUI d. T. Haas GER, 6-7(4) 5-7 6-4 6-0 6-2, Roland Garros 4th Round.
R. Federer SUI d. J-M. del Potro ARG, 3-6 7-6(2) 2-6 6-1 6-4, Roland Garros semifinal.
R. Soderling SWE d. F. Gonzalez CHI, 6-3 7-5 5-7 4-6 6-4, Roland Garros semifinal.
N. Djokovic SRB d. G. Monfils FRA, 6-2 5-7 7-6(3), Paris Masters final.
A. Roddick USA d. L. Hewitt AUS, 6-3 6-7(10) 7-6(1) 4-6 6-4, Wimbledon quarterfinal.
A. Roddick USA d. A. Murray GBR, 6-4 4-6 7-6(7) 7-6(5), Wimbledon semifinal.
F. Verdasco ESP d. A. Murray GBR, 2-6 6-1 1-6 6-3 6-4, Australian Open 4th Round.
J-W. Tsonga FRA d. R. Federer SUI, 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(3), Montreal Masters quarterfinal.
J-M. del Potro ARG d. R. Soderling SWE, 6-7(1) 6-3 7-6(3), Barclays ATP World Tour Final semifinal.
J-M. del Potro ARG d. R. Federer SUI, 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals round-robin.

US Open 2009 Men's Quarterfinals Preview

In the order they will be contested:


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Fernando Verdasco could probably beat Novak Djokovic, but he won't because he's too erratic. Djoke seems to be playing within himself and Todd Martin has him attacking the net at almost every opportunity. Then again, Jesse Witten took a set off Djoke, and was up a break in another, so why can't Verdasco win a few sets if not the match? I guess I've talked myself into this being a toss up. But I've got to pick, no? Djoke in 5.


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Roger Federer won't be troubled under the lights much at all by Robin Söderling because Soderling is going to do what he always does when he plays The Name. Maybe he'll take a set, but I've got my doubts. RF in straights.


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Juan Martín del Potro may be breathing a sigh of relief that Marin Cilic brutalized Andy Murray in the upset of the tournament. Haven't heard it called that by the propagandists, though. Maybe I just wasn't listening. What I heard from John McEnroe is that Murray "overtrained". Pitiful. Wasn't it none other than St. Andre himself who picked Murray to win the whole thing this year? I've never trusted Murray in Slams and he's strengthening that mistrust in each Slam he plays. The Croatian can play tennis, but he won't be beating the Argentinean. Del Potro in straights.


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Fernando Gonzalez will pummel Rafael Nadal with his power, but it won't be enough to keep Rafa down. Rafa's nursing an injury, but it won't be enough to keep Rafa down. The Spaniard is hungry. Rafa in 4.

Faces Of The Day

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A spectator wears a hat sporting strawberries and Pimms on Day Four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2009 in London, England.


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Fernando Gonzalez of Chile sits on his racket during his match against Leonardo Mayer of Argentina at the Wimbledon tennis championships, in London June 25, 2009.


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Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the United States look on during the women's doubles first round match against Virginie Razzano and Aravane Rezai of France on Day Four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2009 in London, England.


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Kim Sears, girlfriend of Britain's Andy Murray, is pictured on Centre Court as he plays against Latvia's Ernests Gulbis at the All England Tennis Club on the fourth day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in southwest London, on June 25, 2009.


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A spectator sports outsize sunglasses on the Centre Court, during the men's singles, second round match between Igor Kunitsyn of Russia and Andy Roddick of the United States at Wimbledon, Thursday, June 25, 2009.

Roland Garros 2009 Men's Final Preview

Robin Söderling SWE (23) vs. Roger Federer SUI (2). For the fourth year in a row, Roger Federer is in the Roland Garros final, his 19th career final, matching Ivan Lendl's career record. However, for the first time, Federer will not have his arch-nemesis standing in the way of a major title in Paris. The new opponent is Robin Söderling, who executed one of the great tennis upsets of all time last Sunday when he dismissed world No. 1 Rafael Nadal (who had never lost a match at the French Open!) in four sets 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(2).

When 4-time defending champion Nadal lost in the fourth round, most people thought that Federer became the prohibitive favorite to win the 2009 Roland Garros title. However, since then Federer needed 5 sets to get past a spirited challenge from Tommy Haas in the fourth round and another 5 sets to get past Juan Martín del Potro in the semifinals. Federer was 5-0 and had never lost a set to the Argentine kid but the del Potro who competed on Friday easily won the first set and put up stiff resistance for nearly 3 and a half hours, finally succumbing 3-6 7-6(2) 2-6 6-1 6-4. And this wasn't even the best match of the day, that honor was bestowed upon the barnburner Fernando Gonzalez and Soderling threw down.

Söderling started off very well, winning the first two sets by blasting winners and serving big and got himself to within 6 points of winning during the 3rd set. Then Gonzalez managed to hold, break and hold and suddenly Söderling went through a bad patch and found himself down 0--3 and 1-4 in the fifth and final set. Amazingly, Söderling was able to win 5 consecutive games to clinch his first ever Grand Slam final. He and Gonzo combined for a mind-boggling total of 143 winners, 75 by the eventual winner of the match.

Sunday's final will be huge for both players, but there's no question more of the pressure is on Federer. Everyone expects him to win, since he is no longer facing nadal. If Federer does win, he can silence (most of) the naysayers who would deny him title of the Greatest Of All Time by winning his 14th major title and completing his career Grand Slam. If Söderling wins, he will ensure his name will be enshrined in the history books, as one of the other men who denied (or delayed?) Federer achieving from achieving this status and who beat and replaced Nadal as the King of Clay.

Head-to-head Federer has played Söderling nine times on multiple surfaces and only ever lost one tiebreak set to him but very many of the sets have been close, showing that even before his Paris breakthrough the Swede was a dangerous opponent. The new Söderling is even more lethal, because he surely believes he is on a Mission with Destiny and he now also possesses a powerful, fit body to complement his powerful groundstrokes and nervy serving (120-plus mph second serves).

However, Federer is the most talented player of his generation and at the end of the day he should be able to use his versatility and variety to come up with a solution to win the match. It is also likely that since Söderling is playing in his first Grand Slam final, mentally he will be satisfied with the Finalist label, while Federer will settle for nothing less than his hands on the trophy at the end of the day, for the fourteenth time in a major.

Mad Professah's pick: Federer in 4 sets.

Faces Of The Day

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A dejected Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina reacts during the semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland on day thirteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 5, 2009 in Paris, France.


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Fernando Gonzalez of Chile wipes his face during his semifinal match against Robin Söderling of Sweden.

Day 13: Epics

Instant Classics. Take your pick. I pick both. I can't remember the last time two semifnals at a Slam went five sets. But the instant classic epics today delivered high drama and exquisite tennis.

I'm tired as a mule and have guests so I can't write much. But Juan Martín del Potro was no doormat and Roger Federer was as fast on his feet as he's ever been. He simply refused to lose again. Five Slam finals in a row. What slump?

3-6, 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

The instant classic epic of the day, though, was the first one. Robin Söderling is in the final after recovering from a walkabout that lost him two sets after winning the first two against Fernando Gonzalez. He was down 4-1 in the final set.

6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4

Told y'all not to underestimate him.

I can't wait till the final.

Roland Garros Day 13 Open Thread

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The match between Robin Söderling and Fernando Gonzalez, the match I've been waiting for, won't be aired live on US television. I could spit bullets. NBC can kiss my entire ass.

Watch it LIVE.

Maybe today, the lucky number of the day will grow huge gonads on Juan Martín del Potro, and he will at least fight Roger Federer.

Day 12: Russia

Dinara Safina, battling the flu, will face Svetlana Kuznetsova, battling herself, in the 2009 Roland Garros final.

Meh.

I'm looking forward to the men tomorrow. I hope Fernando Gonzalez has recovered from his flu and is ready for Robin Söderling. I wanna see a barnburner.

Sorry for the brevity. I was in the field most of the day. Six more crops to go....

Roland Garros Day 12 Open Thread

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I like Svetlana Kuztnetsova quite a bit, but I doubt I'll be all that tuned in to either semifinal.

I'm still making hay while the sun shines.

Nice to see all those Americans, especially Vania King, in the mixed doubles final

Discuss.

Court Philippe Chatrier 14:00

1. Women's Singles - Semi
Dinara Safina (RUS)[1] v. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)[20]
2. Women's Singles - Semi
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[30] v. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[7]
3. Mixed Doubles - Finals
Liezel Huber (USA)[1] v. Vania King (USA)/
Bob Bryan (USA)[1] Marcelo Melo (BRA)


Court Suzanne Lenglen 11:00

1. Legends Under 45 Doubles
Paul Haarhuis (NED) v. Sergi Bruguera (ESP)
Cedric Pioline (FRA) Richard Krajicek (NED)
Not Before 13:00
2. Men's Doubles - Semi
Wesley Moodie (RSA) v. Bob Bryan (USA)[2]
Dick Norman (BEL) Mike Bryan (USA)[2]
3. Men's Doubles - Semi
Daniel Nestor (CAN)[1] v. Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)[3]
Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)[1] Leander Paes (IND)[3]
4. Legends Under 45 Doubles
Goran Ivanisevic (CRO) v. Pat Cash (AUS)
Michael Stich (GER) Emilio Sanchez (ESP)
5. Legends Over 45 Doubles
Peter Mcnamara (AUS) v. Andres Gomez (ECU)
Ilie Nastase (ROU) Victor Pecci (PAR)

Roland Garros 2009 Men's Semifinals Preview

By Mad Professah

Here are my predictions for the men's semifinal matches at Roland Garros this year:

Robin Soderling SWE (23) vs. Andy Murray GBR (3) Fernando Gonzalez CHI (12). Soderling followed up his unthinkable 4th Round dismissal of 4-time French Open champ Rafael Nadal by delivering a vicious beat down to former world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals to reach his first careeer semifinal. The powerful Swede will next face the brilliant Chilean Fernando Gonzalez who knocked out The Great White Hope of the British Isles, Andy Murray. Gonzo was scintillating in victory, winning a 6-0 third set, although serving for the match at 5-3 in the 4th set he was promptly broken. Happily, Murray decided to gift him the very next service game by repeatedly dumping balls into the net and losing the match.

Soderling versus Gonzalez is an intriguing match-up. They both have very strong forehands, but Soderling also has a very powerful (two-handed) backhand, while Gonzalez also has an excellent one-handed backhand (both topspin and slice) but is probably overpowered on that wing. At 6'3", the Swede is at least 3 inches taller than the Chilean and has the powerful serve to show for it. Gonzalez definitely has the edge on movement and feel but Soderling is currently in the middle of one of the great historical momentum sweeps through a major tournament. Soderling has lost to Gonzalez the last 4 consecutive times (of 7) they played, including their very last match on clay in 2007. But this Robin Soderling is a completely different player. This should be the better of the two semifinals, almost definitely 4 or 5 sets, with the man with more nerve the final one standing.

PREDICTION: Soderling in 4 sets.

Juan Martin Del Potro ARG (5) vs. Roger Federer SUI (2). What a long, strange trip it has been. Some people thought that Gael Monfils would be able to leverage the French crowd to take out Federer this year even though he couldn't accomplish the feat one round later last year. Federer made quick work of Monfils, dismissing him in a quick three setter after a tense tie-break first set. Others (like Craig Hickman) have expected to see Federer win this title since the tournament began.

Once Federer got past Tommy Haas to make the final 8 there were only two players left in the draw who had ever beaten him and they were facing each other in the same quarterfinal (Andy Murray and Fernando Gonzalez). Happily for the 13-time major champion, Gonzalez won that battle. Federer has played The Kid from Argentina 5 times in the last two years and never lost a set. In fact, just a few months ago in a 2009 Australian Open quarterfinal the Swiss player humiliated del Potro 6-3 6-0 6-0. He also dismissed The Kid in the semifinals of the Madrid clay Master tournament on his way to winning the title.

However, del Potro is the real deal, a 20-year-old who is 6'5" with overwhelming firepower in multiple departments: service, forehand and backhand. He is starting to improve his movement as well as his mental toughness. I have no doubt that he will win a major title eventually, just not this one.

Federer is now in his twentieth consecutive major semifinal. Think about that. For FIVE YEARS Federer has made it to the Final Four of every major tournament. It is a feat that is very unlikely to be beaten anytime soon. His opponent in this semifinal is in his very first major semifinal. Let's hope Del Potro wins more games in Paris than he did in Melbourne.

PREDICTION: Federer in 3 sets.

Day 10: Down The Draw Drain

Reuters

The men's draw has been decimated. With Fernando Gonzalez' thrashing of No. 3 seed Andy Murray, three of the "Big Four" are out.

Are the stars aligning for Roger Federer to complete the career Slam?

::

Dinara Safina wanted her coach to tell her what to do after she ate a first-set breadstick against Victoria Azarenka.

I'm going to say that again.

The No. 1 player in the world wanted her coach to tell her what to do in the quarterfinals of a Slam.

I don't have anything else to say.

::


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Maria Sharapova hit a wall in the mini mack truck that is Dominika Cibulkova. The Siberia Shriek Show almost ate a double O before hitting the crap out of the ball and breaking serve to avoid total humiliation.

But, hey. She got farther than most in her first Slam back after shoulder surgery ennui.

::

Robin Soderling is no fluke. You don't beat David Ferrer, King Rafa, and two-time semifinalst Nikolay Davydenko like he called his mother out of her name. Back to back to back.

He seems ready for war.

Underestimate the chip on his shoulder, his Viking warrior heritage, Mats Wilander in his corner, and Magnus Norman as his coach at your own peril.

Nobody likes him in the locker room, remember? He probably wants nothing more than to make them all eat crow.

He just don't give a shit.

I'd love to see him standing last. Not to see him serve crow, but to see a big-serving, ball-bashing behemoth hoist the Coupe des Mousquetaires of Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros.


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Roland Garros 2009: Men's Quarterfinal Preview

by Mad Professah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year.

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) Robin Soderling SWE (23) vs. Nikolay Davydenko RUS (10). After pulling off one of the most stunning upsets of the year decade (possibly ever?) everyone is watching to see what the tall, newly muscled (and generally disliked) Swede will do in his very next match. He will play against the very steady Russian who has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world but spent most of last year under a cloud due to allegations of match fixing. Davydenko had an ungodly 6 unforced errors in his straight set demolition of the always dangerous Fernando Verdasco in his 4th round match. It is unlikely that either Soderling or Davydenko will be able t repeat the magic of their 4th round victories in this round, but Soderling will not need it to make his first ever major semifinal. PREDICTION: Soderling in 4 sets.

Andy Murray GBR (3) vs. Fernando Gonzalez CHI (12). The Chilean has been silently cutting through the draw like a Ninja but will now run into a much improved and loud Scot, who is now the No. 3 player in the world and has nowhere to go but up. Gonzalez has an insanely huge forehand and is very good on clay but Murray possesses many powerful weapons in a deceptively innocuous-looking package: excellent movement, surprisingly powerful serve and a brilliant court sense. It seems very bizarre to say this, but it is very possible the first Grand Slam singles title by a British (male) subject since 1936(!) may be on French terre battue instead of the hallowed grass of Wimbledon. Murray knows the stakes and is itching to have another shot at facing Federer in a major final, having lost to him in the 2008 US Open Final. The 22-year-old Brit has won all three matches he has played against the Swiss 13-time major champion since. Easily. PREDICTION: Murray in 5 sets.

Juan Martín Del Potro ARG (5) vs. Tommy Robredo ESP (16).The two surprise quarterfinalists. Who would have thought that the lone handsome Spaniard left in the draw during the 5th Round would be the rugged Tommy Robredo? Del Potro is not really a surprise, but I had thought that French favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would use the crowd and his aggressive ground strokes to take out the 6'5" Argentine kid like he defeated Argentine Juan Monaco in the second round. Alas, Le Mome (French slang for "The Kid") lost to the 20-year-old, the youngest of the quarterfinalists. Robredo definitely has some skills on clay but del Potro will blast him off the court. PREDICTION: Del Potro in 3 sets.

Gael Monfils FRA (11) Andy Roddick USA (6) vs. Roger Federer SUI (2). Sadly this was not André Roddique's year as the pulchritudinous Parisian took out The Quiet American in straights sets 6-2 6-2 6-3 in the fourth round before an increasingly boisterous and partisan crowd. Of course this quarterfinal match-up is a rematch of 2008's semifinal in which Federer took out the young Frenchman in his first Grand Slam semifinal and the Swiss G.O.A.T.-wannabe's sixteenth. Even with the entirety of the French nation behind him I doubt that the powerful and crafty Monfils will be able to withstand Federer's inevitable march to his fourth consecutive final at Roland Garros, and mind-blowing twentieth consecutive major semifinal. After surviving a near-death experience at the hands of Tommy Haas, Federer will not let this opportunity slip by. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Rome Semifinals

Ah, sunny day. Tennis better be good.

I'll go with Rafa and Raja.

Talk about it.

Face Of The Day

Reuters

Juan Monaco of Argentina reacts during his quarter final match against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile at the Rome Masters tennis tournament May 1, 2009. At 4-4 in the third, at 40-0, Monaco committed a deadly brain fart by hitting a sitting forehand right back to Gonzo, who ripped a forehand pass right by him. He lost that game and the match. He must be heartbroken.

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Singles - Quarterfinals
[1] R Nadal (ESP) d [6] F Verdasco (ESP) 63 63
[2] R Federer (SUI) d [Q] M Zverev (GER) 76(3) 62
[3] N Djokovic (SRB) [5] d J Del Potro (ARG) 63 64
[12] F Gonzalez (CHI) d [Q] J Monaco (ARG) 26 63 64

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d [7] M Mirnyi (BLR) / A Ram (ISR) 46 64 11-9
[2] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d [8] J Coetzee (RSA) / J Kerr (AUS) 64 64
[4] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Knowles (BAH) d [6] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) 63 64
[5] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) d [3] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) 75 63

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Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (8) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 64 62
(2) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Marion Bartoli (FRA) 62 46 63
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (3) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 26 64 64
(5) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 63 62

Doubles - Quarterfinals
Mattek-Sands/Petrova (USA/RUS) d. (1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) 75 46 107
Dulko/Pennetta (ARG/ITA) d. Spears/Sun (USA/CHN) 61 63

Roma Quarterfinals

Sorry I'm late. This is your open thread for the Roma Masters quarterfinals.

I'll take Rafa, Monaco, Djoke, and Raja.

Barcelona Semifinals

This is your open thread.

Face Of The Day

Getty

Fernando Gonzalez of Chile reacts protesting to a lines man during his match against Fernando Verdasco of Spain on day five of the ATP 500 World Tour Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell 2009 tennis tournament at the Real Club de Tenis on April 24, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain.

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I caught a glimpse of the battle of the Nandos and what little tennis I saw between chores and whatnot was excellent.

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Singles - Quarterfinals
[1] R Nadal (ESP) d [7] D Nalbandian (ARG) w/o (right hip)
[5] [WC] F Gonzalez (CHI) d [2] F Verdasco (ESP) 63 46 64
[3] N Davydenko (RUS) d [9] R Stepanek (CZE) 67(4) 62 62
[4] D Ferrer (ESP) d [6] T Robredo (ESP) 63 64

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[5] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) vs [2] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB)
[4] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Knowles (BAH) vs L Arnold Ker (ARG) / F Gonzalez (CHI)
S Aspelin (SWE) / W Moodie (RSA) d R Stepanek (CZE) / V Troicki (SRB) 64 63

Face Of The Day

Getty

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez holds aloft his trophy following his ATP Open final match against Argentina's Jose Acasuso in Vina del Mar, Chile, on February 8, 2009. Gonzalez won 6-1, 6-3.

Men's Semifinal Preview

By Mad Professah

The 2009 Australian Open Men's semifinals are now set. Mad Professah has been too busy with other things to be posting my regular predictions in the last week or so. This Men's semifinal preview (like the Women's Semifinal Preview posted earlier) are my best predictions with the caveat that I have not watched as much tennis this year as usual. Here goes...

Andy Roddick USA (7) vs. Roger Federer SUI (2). Federer has played the American with gigantic serve 17 times and has only lost twice to the recently married engaged Andy Roddick, although one of those wins was the last match these two relatively friendly competitors played. Roddick has to be on something of a high after outlasting the defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal round, garnering revenge against the person who knocked him out in quarterfinal of the US Open last year. Federer has not been kind to Roddick in the past, calling him "a great server" (in comparison to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, whom he called "a great player"). Roddick has been working with a new coach (Larry Stefanki who previously coached Fernando Gonzalez) and over the last two years or so (*cough* Jimmy Connors *cough*) has markedly improved his backhand and (much more recently) his movement.



Federer is "The Mighty Fed," and although he faced a near-death 5-set experience against the perennially dangerous Tomas Berdych in the 4th round he followed it up by delivering a vicious beatdown to world No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro and there's nothing to indicate his desire to win majors has diminished since his ranking has slipped from the lofty No. 1 spot to the current No. 2. He is in his 19th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal and the only final the Swiss player has missed since the 2005 French Open was last year's 2008 Australian Open final (after losing to eventual champion Djokovic)!

Roddick will not be able to prevent the 13-time Grand Slam champion from competing for his record-tying 14th major title.

PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) vs. Fernando Verdasco ESP (14). Somehow in the middle of the Australian Open 2009 was a Davis Cup match between Spain and France, and as Craig pointed out, Spain was the victor 2-0. Yesterday, I had expected that "Willie Ali" would be able to force a repeat of last year's breakthrough semifinal showdown with Nadal again but "Hot Sauce" was poured all over that prediction. Melbourne is undergoing an excruciating heat wave which has claimed the defending champion as one of its victims. But Fernando Verdasco is even hotter. And I'm not just talking about his blistering 130 mph serves and insane forehand. He's a 6'2", 180 pound, Spanish lefty in top physical shape who wants this so badly he spent Christmas day training for four hours ten thousand miles from home in Nevada. Tsonga is extremely talented, but he seems to share the particularly French affliction of not putting in the tough conditioning work so that he can hang for 5 sets with anyone. Verdasco took out the 2008 Australian Open finalist with relative ease one round after taking out the 2008 U.S. open finalist Andy Murray for his first win ever over the canny Scotsman, to become the No. 2 player in the Spanish Armada.

Unfortunately for Verdasco he is playing the No. 1 player from Spain and the world No. 1. Nadal circa 2009 is not the same player as Nadal 2008. What is scary to recognize is that 5-time Grand Slam champion Nadal is a mere 22 years old at the top of the Men's game and he is still improving. His serve is becoming more efficient and his forehand is becoming more varied. Not only does he have the ability to impart ridonculous spin on the ball (from any part of the court) but he has developed a blistering flat forehand as well, while although not the hardest and fastest in the game, is definitely in the conversation. His backhand is no longer a weakness in his game, it is now an effective weapon and he has the edge in mental toughness over everyone he plays. Everything Verdasco can do, Nadal can do better. However, Nadal has only played the Australian Open four times and knows he can lose down here, since he has done so four times. Verdasco has the belief, forged in the burning plains of the Nevada desert in December, that he can win. But he won't.

PREDICTION: Nadal in 5 sets.

Toe To Toe

Getty

They both received treatment late in the match for toe injuries. They both had to fight their heads and well as their extremities. They both got shafted on line calls at crucial points in the match. They both fought off match points.

But in the end, it was the man with more power and a slightly bigger heart who prevailed. Fernando Gonzalez rallied from the brink of defeat to outlast Richard Gasquet 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(10), 6-2, 12-10 in the most dramatic televised match of the first week.

The Chilean fans set off flares. I've never seen anything like it.