Gulbis Wins First Title

AP

Ivo Karlovic observed his 31st birthday yesterday, but he didn't have much to celebrate. Ernests Gulbis, all potential and inconsistency, brought out his best tennis and slayed the giant 6-2, 6-3 to win his first ATP title on his first try at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.

It wasn't as close as the score.

All week, Gulbis' talent was on full display. In the final, he frustrated the Croat with return winners off first serves, unreturnable bombs of his own, cannonball passing shots, and drop shots out of nowhere. Dr. Ivo faced such of barrage, he was found slicing his backhand into the court right in front of his feet more times than he cared to count.

Ever since he tore Tommy Robredo a new one at the 2007 US Open in a performance that earned him a Gonad and a whole lot of expectant fans, the inconsistent and temperamental Latvian has been on a mission of mediocrity. He had trouble winning two matches in a row for much of last year, but he comes out this week and takes his first title without dropping a set. The first man from Latvia to win an ATP title.

“Everything what I do now is first time for my country,” he said after the match. “Of course it’s great. I hope it’s positive. I hope much more players will start to practise in Latvia. It’s good for tennis in Latvia. They see that a guy from Latvia also can make it and win an ATP World Tour event.”

Maybe it's the new Afro, but Gulbis looks as though he may be ready for his close up.

Let's see what he brings to Indian Wells.

Davis Cup Quarterfinals Open Thread

The United States is in the land of the giants this weekend.











No matter which team you're rooting for, talk about it here all weekend.

I see after Mardy lost his two-set-to-one lead, the comments stopped. I guess there's only so much frustration fans of American tennis can take in one week.

Salmon had this to say: After 10 Sets, Croatia 2-US 0.

The heartbreaking losses for the US both featured decidedly crappy play on both sides of the net, with no player able to sustain any sort of form. While the clay surface was picked by Croatia to disadvantage the Americans, it proved to be a much smaller factor than expected, as neither Croatian looked particularly sharp on the shifty red stuff, either. Cilic and and Karlovic both broke for the wins at the end of long fifth sets, benefitting from mental exhaustion on the parts of the Americans as much as anything.

(...)

For both Blake and Fish, this was their second back to back five set loss, counting the loss the pair suffered in the Wimbledon semifinals of men's doubles. It would be near impossible for these crushing defeats not to take a toll on them that will have an effect into Sunday's matches.

That just about sums it up, though I thought Karlovic's form improved as the match wore on. Salmon has complete Davis Cup coverage at his new site, so check it out.

Blake To Open Davis Cup

Getty

Beneath the shifting surface that has sometimes served as the tennis equivalent of a fault line for team USA, James Blake will try to create a sense of stability tomorrow.

The 17th-ranked Blake will try to stake the United States' to a winning start when he takes on 6-foot-10 ace master Ivo Karlovic in the opening match of the USA's Davis Cup quarterfinal on the red clay of the 4,000-seat Zatika Sports Hall in Porec tomorrow.

The draw for this weekend's tie was conducted today and it pits Blake against Karlovic followed by Mardy Fish facing Marin Cilic in Friday's second singles match.

The 23rd-ranked Fish has replaced former Boca Raton housemate Andy Roddick on the squad. Roddick, who withdrew from the tie citing a strained hip flexor after pouring every piece of himself into a 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14 loss to Roger Federer. Roddick had played in 18 straight Davis Cup ties....

In their lone prior meeting, the 15th-ranked Cilic beat Fish, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, on hard court in the 2008 New Haven final. Fish will start his first Davis Cup singles match since he lost to Carlos Moya and beat Tommy Robredo in the United States' loss to Spain in the 2004 Davis Cup final contested on a clay court before a record crowd in Seville, Spain. Fish is 4-4 in Davis Cup singles matches, including a 2-2 mark on clay.

Saturday's doubles match pairs twins Mike and Bob Bryan against Karlovic and Lovro Zovko.

Read the rest...

The only other time I can even remember Roddick missing Davis Cup was back in early 2003 after he injured his wrist in that epic Australian Open quarterfinal.

Who did we play?

Croatia.

Away.

On clay.

History is redundant.

History or Predetermination?

by Savannah


I watched the Men's Final with the sound down. I never watch tennis with the sound down but somehow I knew today that would be required.

There are two ways to make history - create your own moment or have it handed to you. It's no secret the Monogram is not my favorite male tennis player for reasons too numerous to go into now yet I always try and maintain an air of neutrality on this blog so that one fandom or another doesn't feel slighted. I'm going to try today but if I don't succeed just don't read the post. I'm sure there are other places you can go where the Monogram's win will be celebrated. I hope to put that win in some perspective.

Anyone who was paying attention saw that all the competition -- men who don't quake at the sight or name of the Monogram -- were in the top half of the draw. All of the seeds, everyone of them, in the bottom half of the draw could be counted among the worshipful, those who genuflect before the Presence as he walks on court. With the 2008 Champion injured the task fell to one of the men from the top half to step up and represent. Andy Murray found the hopes and dreams of his country too much to bear and in an amazingly passive match lost to Andy Roddick in their semifinal match. I'm not a big fan of Mopey Murray either but I felt that he had the best chance at making sure a headache inducing celebration didn't take place on Centre Court today.


As our mothers have always told us there is no use crying over spilt milk. Roddick played two of the best matches of his life. He believed he could beat Murray. In the end he still doesn't think he can beat the Monogram. Don't get me wrong. I was pulling for Andy every step of the way but I knew his record of 2-18 was in his head. When he lost that second set tiebreak after having four set points I was worried. When he lost the second set tiebreak I figured four sets for the Monogram. When he won the fourth set I thought maybe, just maybe, he'd hold it together.

I think the Monogram served a record number of aces today. How ironic that he said earlier in the week, in belittling Ivo Karlovic, that serving your way through a match is not tennis. I guess if your name is Ivo Karlovic that's the case. If your name is Roger Federer it's a different story.

I don't know what happened in that fifth set. Nerves? The shadows? Mental fatigue? The sense that no matter what he did his opponent would win? Whatever it was Roddick did not look comfortable or play all out the way he did before he fell hard on his right hip after slipping on the dirt on the baseline. The man who had held his serve throughout a marathon match was broken thanks to a few mishits. It was the first break the Monogram got and it won the match for him.

Whatever. Pete Sampras finally stopped the running conversation he was having with his wife long enough to watch the end of the match.

I'm not going to call the Monogram any names. That is not what I'm about. The fact that some on Twitter are calling him a "Pompous Jacketass" is totally Nike's fault. I turned the television off when I realized they were going to run congratulatory commercials ad nauseam.

I'm also not going to say much about the condescending words he directed at Roddick when the match was over. What he said was kind of like a rich man telling a homeless man he knows how he feels. I know the worshipful will defend his comments as trying to be nice. I ask them to put themselves in Andy's place.

I know I should be saying "Congratulations" because of the "historic" event that just took place. I hope the Monogram gives nice bonuses to the folks who make sure his way to semi's and finals is paved with gold. The powers that be have been working hard for this moment for a couple of years now. I'm glad they're happy.

End Note

Andy is holding his presser now. He is being described as "visibly shaken" and to have said "I was trying to survive."

It's being reported on Twitter that Bud Collins was in the room and asked that the press let Andy leave. The assembled press gave Andy a round of applause when he left the press room after five minutes.
@DrewLilley @newballsplease

Day 9: Surprise, Surprise

While there was only one upset, there were many surprises.

Novak Djokovic had no passion today. None. Even his expressions of frustration were meek.

Getty

Tommy Haas, the old unmarried dude, didn't completely melt down and lose a two set-to-love lead.


Getty

Lleyton Hewitt, clearly in pain, played his best tennis in the fifth set and almost won the match.

Reuters

Andy Roddick lost a 22-point tiebreak after being up 5-2; he won the match serving second in the final set; he out-gutted Hewitt in a five-setter in the quarterfinals of a Slam.


Reuters

Juan Carlos Ferrero, the other old unmarried dude, didn't win a set.

Andy Murray held up in the heat beautifully.

Getty

Ivo Karlovic didn't chip-and-charge much at all on second-serve returns.

Getty

Roger Federer broke Karlovic twice, striking clean winners off first serves both times.

Reuters

Face Of The Day

AP

Actress Kate Winslett watches Roger Federer of Switzerland play Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in their quarterfinal match on centre court at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 1, 2009.

Wimbledon 2009 Day 9 Open Thread

Getty

It's men's quaterfinals day and I didn't get any predictions from MadProfessah, who went 4 for 4 on the women's side.

I'll probably make a fool of myself, but I'll go with Federer over Karlovic in straights, Ferrero over Murray in four, Djokovic over Haas in four, Roddick over Hewitt in four. If Hewitt is ailing, then he won't win a set.

What say you?

Wednesday Order Of Play

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [22] vs Roger Federer (SUI) [2]
2. Andy Murray (GBR) [3] vs Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Tommy Haas (GER) [24] vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) [4]
2. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) vs Andy Roddick (USA) [6]

Doubles

COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Serena Williams (USA) and Venus Williams (USA) [4] vs
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) and Vania King (USA) [12]

2. Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) and Mark Knowles (BAH) [4] vs
Wesley Moodie (RSA) and Dick Norman (BEL) [9]

3. Kristina Barrois (GER) and Tathiana Garbin (ITA) vs
Samantha Stosur (AUS) and Rennae Stubbs (AUS) [3]

4. Daniel Nestor (CAN) and Elena Vesnina (RUS) [5] vs
Mark Knowles (BAH) and Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) [9]

COURT 3 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Simon Aspelin (SWE) and Paul Hanley (AUS) vs James Blake (USA) and Mardy Fish (USA)

2. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) and Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) vs
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) and Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) [2]

COURT 4 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Cara Black (ZIM) and Liezel Huber (USA) [1] vs
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) [11]

2. Kevin Ullyett (ZIM) and Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) [4] vs
Christopher Kas (GER) and Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) [16]

3. Mike Bryan (USA) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) [6] vs
Jamie Murray (GBR) and Liezel Huber (USA)

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.

Wet Kisses

Agnieszka Radwanska won her third title of the year and first WTA title on grass with a three-set defeat over Russia's Nadia Petrova in Eastbourne. The second-set, marathon 23-point tiebreak that the Russian won was a classic in itself.

Nice to see Miss Nadia turn a result.



David Ferrer claimed his first title on grass with by routing Marc Gicquel of France in the finals of the Ordina Open.

If anybody can tell us the last time two Spaniards won titles on grass in consecutive weeks, please tell.



You don't know who Tamarine Tanasugarn is? If you don't care much for grasscourt tennis, you wouldn't. This is about the only surface on which the 31-year-old veteran shines. Winning her first title in years, the Thai qualifier beat red-hot Dinara Safina in two tough sets to kiss the Ordina Open women's trophy.

She also bested last week's Birmingham champion Kateryna Bondaranko and her sister Alona Bondarenko in earlier rounds, and dismissed last year's Wimbledon quarterfinalist Michaella Krajicek along the way.

She has a draw in London she can work with.

Kudos to the Russian for making consecutive finals on two different surfaces.

Green giant Ivo Karlovic defended his Notthingham title after outserving Spain's Fernando Verdasco in two tiebreaks. He's not pictured because he wasn't kissing.

‘Jingle Bells’, ATP Style

Such good sports, no? Bob and Mike Bryan are cool, Marcos Baghdatis is delightful, Jarkko Nieminen can't do "dashing", dare I say Ivo Karlovic is charming, and Tommy Robredo seems to like riding in a whore's open sleigh.

Mardy Fish, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer make cameo appearances.