US OPEN 2011: Women's Final Preview

Serena Williams USA (28) v. Samantha Stosur AUS (9). 

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

The 2011 US Open finalists are the two women in the draw with the two best serves in women's tennis. Serena demonstrated the importance of having an effective serve in her 6-2 6-4 drubbing of the now and future World #1 Caroline Wozniacki in a routine semifinal whose result was never in doubt. Serena served 11 aces and hit another 23 winners from all over the court--and she was probably playing at about 80% of her ability. Her "B" game. Wozniacki simply had (and has) no weapons with which to bother Serena and almost no offensive intent or capacity so Serena simply bided her time, broke the 21-year-old Dane at will and was content to serve out the match. When suddenly she played a loose match game at 6-2, 5-3 she calmly broke back easily to reach the final.

Stosur's route to the final was more complicated. She played the unheralded (some would say unknown) Angelique Kerber from Germany, at 6pm on the Grandstand court (capacity 6,000) when the second men's semifinal was still going on on the main stage at Ashe which holds 23,000+. Instead of winning easily, Stosur won a relatively tight 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory. Stosur has had a pretty dramatic tournament overall, playing the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history in the 4th round (losing it 17-15) against Maria Kirilenko and playing the longest U.S. Open women's match (in terms of games played) against Nadia Petrova in the 2nd round, eventually winning7-6(5) 6-7(5) 7-5 in 3 hours, 16 minutes.

Stosur is the probably the only other player in the draw who is not overwhelmed by Serena's physicality. The Australian 27-year-old has very broad shoulders herself and probably an even better kick-serve than Serena's. However, Stosur has one distinct weakness: her backhand. She can either slice it (not very effectively) or she can hit it with two hands, often not very cleanly or powerfully. Sitting in the stands, literally 15 feet from her in the now-famous tiebreak with Kirilenko I was very surprised how softly the ball came off her racquet on the backhand side. Serena can just pin her into the backhand corner with forehands down the line and it will be a very short day. However, Stosur does possess an excellent topspin inside-out forehand so if her footwork is good she may be able to run around her backhand and hit her powerful forehand but unless she hits a winner against a very fit and fast Serena, Stosur will be off the court and unable to reach the reply. Mentally, since Stosur has been in a major final before (losing badly to Francesa Schiavone in the 2010 French Open final) she should not be overwhelmed today, but she simply does not play finals well, having won only twice in 11 attempts. Serena is playing in her 5th U.S. Open final in 12 appearances, with wins in 1999, 2002 and 2008. We all know what Serena's mental toughness is like.

In the 2011 U.S. Open I have correctly predicted 2 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 2 of 2 women's semifinals. Last year I correctly predicted 2 of 2 women's semifinals and 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals. This year I have also correctly predicted 3 of 4 men's quarterfinals, and 1 of 2 men's semifinals. My prediction for the women's final is that Serena Williams will win her 14th major title, putting her a scan 4 titles away from the all-time greats: Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert (but still behind Steffi Graf's 22).

MadProfessah's pick: Serena Williams.

US OPEN 2011: Women's Semifinals Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

After a rain delay cancelled the scheduled women's quarterfinals matches last night, all four matches were able to be completed today, the women's semifinals are now set.

This year, I correctly predicted 2 of 4 women's quarterfinals. Last year I correctly predicted 2 of 2 women's semifinals and 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals.

These are my predictions for the 2011 women's semifinals, which for the first time will be played Saturday night in prime time, with the women's final on Sunday, and the men's final moved to Monday's day session.

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) v. Serena Williams USA (28). This is the match on the women's side everyone has been waiting for. Can the putative #1 player in the world prove her dominance against the fan's #1? As the #28 seed Serena has munched through "higher seeded players" Victoria Azarenka (#4), Ana Ivanovic (#16), and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (#17) in the last three rounds. As the #1 seed Wozniacki has dispatched Andrea Petkovic (#10), Svetlana Kuznesova (#15) and unseeded Vania King in the same rounds. Serena and Caroline have met on court twice in their careers (both in 2009), with Serena winning both times.
Wozniacki has only been to one major final, while Serena has won 13 finals and appeared in 3 others, losing to her sister Venus Williams twice (2001 US Open and 2008 Wimbledon) and Maria Sharapova once (2004 Wimbledon). The problem that Wozniacki has is that many people feel that she can be hit off the court. Her game is built around counter-punching, and she (often) plays her best tennis when she is behind in the score. But getting behind on the score against someone as mentally tough as Serena Williams is not the same thing as getting behind the score against 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. It does show that Wozniacki likes pace and can feed off her opponent's power and use it against them. There is no more powerful a female player than Serena, and she will demonstrate the danger of Wozniacki's strategy to blast past her and reach her fifth US Open final. PREDICTION: Serena.


Angelique Kerber GER v. Samantha Stosur AUS (9). Although I didn't pick either one of these players to reach this point in the tournament, I am delighted to see that Samantha Stosur is in her second major semifinal, with an excellent opportunity to reach her second major final, where hopefully she can acquit herself better than she did in the 2010 Roland Garros final. 

Kerber is the only unseeded player among the semifinalists and since she's ranked around 92 in the world will make more money from this tournament than she made in the last year (or two) on the tour. In other words, Kerber is just happy to be here and will not put up much resistance if the match gets tough. The rap against Stosur is that she's mentally fragile, and the fact that she has played 11 tournament finals and only won 2 of them is evidence of that. However, she impressed a lot of people with her mental fortitude in her match against Maria Kirilenko when she lost the second set 15-17 in the longest women's tiebreaker in grand slam history (blowing 5 match points in the process). Stosur was able to survive the emotional rollercoaster of playing such an intense tiebreaker (where twice she was denied match point wins due to Kirilenko's successful electronic line challenges) to win the deciding set relatively easily 6-3. This new toughness should serve the hard-hitting Australian well in the final on Sunday night. PREDICTION: Stosur.

US OPEN 2011: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Andrew Ong/usopen.org

By MAD PROFESSAH


Caroline Wozniacki DEN (1) v. Andrea Petkovic GER (10). Wozniacki was hand delivered a get-out-of-jail free card from Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was leading 7-6(6) 4-2 40-15 when suddenly the Russian had (another) one of her epic collapses, losing 11 of the next 13 games in a draining 3-hour-plus match. This was something of a repeat of their 2009 US Open 4th round encounter which Wozniacki had won 2-6 7-6 7-6 on her way to only major final. Her opponent Petkovic played a much less dramatic match against talented Spaniard Carlos Suarez Navarro, winning in straight sets 6-1 6-4. If  2-time major champion Sveta couldn't blast "Sunshine" off the court, what chance does Petkorazzi have of winning? Regardless of who wins this match to reach the semifinal, they have almost no chance getting to the final since they are in Serena Williams half of the draw. PREDICTION: Wozniacki.


Serena Williams USA (28) v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (17). The young, talented Russian was finally able to outlast the Iron Woman herself, Francesca Schiavone of Italy, in a 5-7 6-3 6-4 win to reach her second major quarterfinal of the year, claiming revenge for the come-from-behind win Schiavone had eked out during her historic journey to the 2011 French Open final. Unsurprisingly, Serena is the lowest seeded player to be in the final 8, following her straight sets dismissal of #4 seed Victoria Azarenka and #16 seed Ana Ivanovic. It is extremely doubtful the hard-hitting Pavlyuchenkova playing in her 2nd career quarterfinal will be able to make much impact on the hardest-hitting player of her generation playing in her 32nd quarterfinal.The only thing that could stop Serena winning the tournament on Saturday is being hit by a bus. PREDICTION: Williams.


Flavia Pennetta ITA (26) v. Angelique Kerber GER. The mystery quarterfinalists. It's not surprising that two of the quarterfinalists are from Germany, but that one of those German quarterfinalists is Angelique Kerber is stunning. After going through a notable lull after the great Steffi Graf, Germany has had a recent resurgence with Julia Georges, Sabine Lisicki and Andrea Petkovic all having reached the Top 20 in the rankings. However, it is the #4 German player who is in her first major quarterfinal against Italy's #2, Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta relishes her reputation as a giant killer, and eliminated Maria Sharapova from the draw 2 rounds ago. It is an incredible opportunity for the Italian to reach her first major semifinal and perhaps become the second woman from her country ever to reach a major final, and shockingly, the second Italian player this year. PREDICTION: Pennetta.


Vera Zvonareva RUS (2) v. Samantha Stosur AUS (9). This should be the popcorn match of the round. Zvonareva has been in 2 major finals and is now an established hard-court force to be reckoned with, but no-one who has ever had the mental collapses Vera has exhibited can ever really be counted on to play up to their potential level when it counts. In Samantha Stosur she faces an opponent who has beaten her 6 times in a row, but who is also known to wilt under the pressure of an important moment. Stosur has been improving in this category, and battling back to win the third set convincingly after losing the longest women's tie-break in Grand Slam history (15-17) against Maria Kirilenko shows her strengthening mental fortitude. Zvonareva has tasted success on these courts before and that might be the difference in a 3rd set tiebreak. PREDICTION: Zvonareva.

US Open 2011 Preview

Getty



Heavy rain falls on a tennis ball as Hurricane Irene heads up the east coast during previews at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2011 in New York City.



::



The draws are out, the wind and rain will subside, and tomorrow, in the concrete jungle known as New York, the last Slam of the year will begin.



I tend to find men's tennis more compelling than women's, but for at least the fourth Slam in a row, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are in the same half of the draw, while Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer reside in the other half. And while I haven't checked about, I bet the fanged Scot is most pundits pick to win the title.



Yawn.



Two-time defending champion Kim Clijsters is nursing an injury, so most will probably tell you that Serena Williams is the favorite in New York. No big surprise, but I agree. Unless there's a major upset, she'll face Victoria Azarenka in the third round. I'm sure that match will be hyped to the hilt, but I sincerely doubt it will live up to it. From what little tennis I've seen this summer, Serena is on a mission. I don't see anyone in the draw stopping her from claiming her fourth US Open crown and 14th major title. I'm not suggesting it's going to be a run to winner's circle without the loss of a set, but who would be shocked if it were?



As for a few of the rest: Will Juan Martín del Potro find his best form at his favorite tournament? How recovered is Robin Söderling? Are there any Americans other than Serena ready to thrill the home crowd with an appearance on the final weekend? Will the reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champions on the women's side get their groove on in Flushing Meadows, or will Li Na and Petra Kvitova have to be satisfied with a lone Slam title this season? Who's going to defeat the top-ranked player on the women's side? Which youngster on either tour has the best chance to steal the show?



I'm ready to find out. Are you?

Petra Kvitova, Dangerous

Getty


Getty


Getty

It was her first Grand Slam final. She served out both winning sets to love, serving her first ace of the match on championship point. Her foe was a 3-time Grand Slam champion who won her first championship on the lawns of Wimbledon, blasting an anxious Serena Williams off the court in straight sets.

I fell in love with her the first time I looked into them there eyes. Them Bette Davis eyes. It was Fed Cup. 2007. A tie with the United States in the Czech Republic. It wasn't just that she wiped the floor with Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Alexa Glatch to win both her singles rubbers, it was the look in her eyes while she was doing it. Nevermind her great serve, her hard, flat ground strokes and champion-like reflexes, but there was a calmness and intensity at once that exuded from her eyes that made her dangerous in mine.

I just knew Petra Kvitova would be great. Knew it.

So when Serena drew her in the first round of the 2010 Australian Open, I feared her flawless, undefeated record in Slam first rounds would come to an end. Dangerous. Serena got through that match in a lopsided scoreline that didn't tell the whole truth about the points and games played.

So when Serena had to face her in the semifinal of Wimbledon last year, I figured she might fail to advance to defend her third Wimbledon title. Dangerous. Yesterday, after her 6-3 6-4 victory over Maria Sharapova -- in a match that was all about angles and ground missiles and shrieks and barks and breaks and nerves -- when asked about last year, Petra said she didn't believe she could beat Serena then, but knows she can now.

Dangerous.


AP


Getty

We have crowned a new Grand Slam champion. A young woman who can call both Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka, two players hyped to the hilt as future champions, her contemporaries. But Petra has gone about her business without any hype at all. And wouldn't you know it, she has leapfrogged her tennis generation to the Winner's Circle with something other than Hollywood good looks and an adoring press.

It's probably a blessing hardly anyone was looking. The biggest victory in her career to date is her fourth title in 2011. She has won an international (Brisbane, outdoor hard), a premier (Paris Indoors, hard), a premier mandatory (Madrid, outdoor red clay), and a Grand Slam on the lawns at Wimbledon. A woman for all seasons.



Dangerous was the first film for which Bette Davis, the greatest actress of her generation, won an Academy Award. She won another a few years later for her lead role in a film entitled Jezebel. I'm not so sure anyone would consider Petra Kvitova a fallen woman, though she's got plenty of power behind her throne, but if the Academy Awards are to film actors what Wimbledon is to tennis players, I'd bet the farm Petra's got another acceptance speech in her somewhere down the road.


AP

Face Of The Day

AP

American Serena Williams weeps into her towel after her 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Aravane Rezai of France.

The four-time Wimbledon champion remains undefeated in Slam first rounds. An achievement no other active champion can claim. 44-0. Truly remarkable.

Her tears today elicited my own. People seem to have already forgotten that she almost died. Surely she hasn't. That she's able to play tennis again at all is a miracle.

The crowd cheered for the upset. After the moment captured above, it stood as she, wiping her yes, left the court, applauding almost as though she'd already won the title again.

If you still believe this great champion doesn't care about tennis, then you simply cannot see.

Like her or not, Serena's story is unparalleled.

The sport is all the better for it.

Wimbledon 2011 Day 1 Open Thread

by Craig Hickman



A tennis fans reads a newspaper as they wait outside the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 20, 2011 in London, England.

::

I'm doing my Wimbledon happy dance right now. I've harvested some sweet strawberries and drenched them in fresh goat cream (delish), and I'm simply delighted that the Crown Jewel of tennis is upon us.

Already, Venus Williams' seeding and assignment to Court 2 are being criticized by Chris Evert, Brad Gilbert and Chris Fowler from ESPN's studio. The 5-time champion is about to take the court.

As per tradition, the defending champion Rafael Nadal is up first on Centre Court against American veteran Micheal Russell.

I'm thinking Jelena Dokic upends Francesca Schiavone today.

The Championships 2011

Intended Order of Play for Monday 20 June 2011

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) [1] vs Michael Russell (USA)
2. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) [6] vs Jelena Dokic (AUS)
3. Andy Murray (GBR) [4] vs Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Alison Riske (USA) vs Vera Zvonareva (RUS) [2]
2. Filippo Volandri (ITA) vs Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6] .
3. Andreas Beck (GER) vs Andy Roddick (USA) [8]

COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) vs Venus Williams (USA) [23]
2. Gael Monfils (FRA) [9] vs Matthias Bachinger (GER)
3. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) vs Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [4]
4. Radek Stepanek (CZE) vs Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [21]

COURT 3 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Katie O'Brien (GBR) vs Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)
2. Potito Starace (ITA) vs Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [14]
3. Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) vs Marin Cilic (CRO) [27]
4. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [15] vs Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)

COURT 12 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Mardy Fish (USA) [10] vs Marcel Granollers (ESP)
2. Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [12}
3. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [23]
4. Naomi Broady (GBR) vs Anne Keothavong (GBR)

COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) [19] vs Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
2. Richard Gasquet (FRA) [17] vs Santiago Giraldo (COL)
3. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) [24] vs Flavio Cipolla (ITA)
4. LL Stephanie Foretz Gacon (FRA) vs Andrea Petkovic (GER) [11]

COURT 4 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs Michael Berrer (GER)
2. Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs Gilles Simon (FRA) [15]
3. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) [14] vs Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)

COURT 5 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Pablo Andujar (ESP) vs Ryan Sweeting (USA)
2. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs Alize Cornet (FRA)
3. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) vs Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN)
4. Irina Falconi (USA) vs Stephanie Dubois (CAN)

COURT 6 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Grega Zemlja (SLO) vs Lukas Lacko (SVK)
2. Tobias Kamke (GER) vs Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
3. Rebecca Marino (CAN) vs Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT)

COURT 7 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs Laura Pous-Tio (ESP)
2. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) vs Julien Benneteau (FRA)
3. Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) vs Iveta Benesova (CZE)
4. Kai-Chen Chang (TPE) vs Marina Erakovic (NZL)

COURT 8 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Shahar Peer (ISR) [22]vs Ksenia Pervak (RUS)
2. Frederico Gil (POR) vs Dudi Sela (ISR)
3. Olivier Rochus (BEL) vs Kenny De Schepper (FRA)

COURT 9 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) 1vs Anna Tatishvili (GEO)
2. Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) vs Igor Sijsling (NED)
3. Jaroslav Pospisil (CZE) vs Victor Hanescu (ROU)

COURT 10 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs Pauline Parmentier (FRA)
2. Martin Fischer (AUT) vs Simone Bolelli (ITA)
3. Monica Niculescu (ROU) vs Sybille Bammer (AUT)

COURT 14 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs Milos Raonic (CAN) [31]
2. Christina McHale (USA) vs Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [28]
3. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) vs Daniel Cox (GBR)
4. Vera Dushevina (RUS) vs Roberta Vinci (ITA) [29]

COURT 15 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs Denis Istomin (UZB)
2. Sara Errani (ITA) vs Kaia Kanepi (EST) [17]
3. Arnaud Clement (FRA) vs Lukasz Kubot (POL)

COURT 16 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) [30] vs Rainer Schuettler (GER)
2. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) [25] vs Marinko Matosevic (AUS)
3. Vania King (USA) vs Petra Martic (CRO)

COURT 17 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Donald Young (USA) vs Alex Bogomolov Jr (USA)
2. Ayumi Morita (JPN) vs Tamira Paszek (AUT)
3. Vesna Dolonts (RUS) vs Nadia Petrova (RUS)
4. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) [25] vs Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS)

COURT 19 - 12.00 NOON START

Gilles Muller (LUX) vs Tommy Haas (GER)
Jill Craybas (USA) 1vs Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU)
Robin Haase (NED) vs Pere Riba (ESP)

MATCHES TO BE ARRANGED - NOT BEFORE 5.00 PM
Petra Kvitova (CZE) [8] vs Alexa Glatch (USA)
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) [32]vs Camila Giorgi (ITA)

GENTLEMEN AND LADIES SINGLES LUCKY LOSER SIGN-INS CLOSE AT 11:30 AM

The Committee, while adhering as closely as possible to the order of play given, is unable to guarantee that it will be maintained in its entirety. This may result in matches being moved from one court to another. Andrew Jarrett - Referee

Roland Garros 2011 Parting Glances

by Craig Hickman


Getty

We said the women's field was wide open, and it was.

Or was it?

After all, the defending champion lost to this year's Australian Open runner up, neither of whom earned a spot in my original poll.

Why?


Getty

Because I felt there was no way Francesca Schiavone would come anywhere close to defending her title, what with her inability to make a final anywhere in the world since she won this thing, and because Li Na has been struggling since Melbourne.

Who would have thought Madame Li (Forty Deuce gets that credit) would make back-to-back Slam finals and make history (again) by claiming this one?

I didn't think so.

But at the end of the day, while her victory may have come as a surprise, the draw wasn't, ultimately, that wide open. We simply overlooked these finalists for the winners of the lead-up events and Kim Clijsters. Woe is us.

::

Getty

For all the talk (and talk and talk talk talk) of American ineptitude on clay, John Isner took two sets off the eventual champion. I'm going to say that again: John Isner took two tiebreak sets off the eventual champion. Even the great Roger Federer couldn't do that. And Bjorn Fratangelo (what a name), a young man from Pennsylvania, won the Boys' title.


Getty

Chew on that.

::

The Tennis Channel gave good coverage. ESPN? Not so much. NBC? It's all already been criticized, but if you treat tennis like a bad stepchild then you really ought not be a parent. Enough said.

::

It almost feels like Caroline Wozniacki never even played this Slam. She was drubbed what seems like a tournament ago. Some like to say I hate on her. I simply find her lacking credibility as the tour's top player specifically and as a sports phenomenon generally. After her drubbing, she called herself a "great player." I think she has herself confused with a few of her friends on the WTA.

::


Getty

Victoria Azarenka lost to the eventual champion (as did my pick Petra Kvitiva) so I won't be too hard on her this time. But she has now failed to advance past the quarterfinals of a Slam every time she's gotten there, and she's gotten there lots. Are we to start calling her Victoria Quarterenka?

::

Getty

Truth be told, I want to see a French player win Roland Garros before I die. I don't know when I'm going to die, but given how much the French fans seem to support they're own players, I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to die unfulfilled. At least Marion Bartoli, who made the final four before falling to the defending champion, gave me hope. And what tennis.

::


Getty

I thought the men's final would have been better had Novak Djokovic found a way to deal with the pressure of playing for the No. 1 ranking in the semis. I know, I know. Conventional wisdom says Federer played a brilliant match to end The Streak. I didn't quite see it that way. He served superbly. That I concede. But winning a match behind a great first serve hasn't ever earned Andy Roddick a whole lot of kudos, so I'm not exactly sure why Federer got so many this go around. To my eyes, Djokovic simply couldn't handle it all. And that's okay. You'd think he would've received a little more crowd support (just a little bit) during his match if for nothing else bulletting tennis to the top of the sports headlines for such an incredible run.

Still, no need to wax poetic about Federer's game despite the knee-jerk reaction to do so. During today's final, a tennis player even tweeted that Nadal and Federer are simply head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Really? I shook my head. It's a cliche that doesn't hold water anymore. Not right now anyway. I'm not talking about overall achievements. I'm talking about recent play. Before today, Federer hadn't contested a Slam final in more than a year and only won a single title in 2011. Djokovic was denied a quarterfinal by a drama queen and while we'll never know if those 4 days off mattered much to his rhythm in the end, it probably gave him more time to think. Those are the breaks. But let's not so quickly forget what the world No. 2 achieved going back to Davis Cup last year. Just because the Great One finally defeated the Unbeatable One (after losing three times in a row to him this year) doesn't mean that the world No. 3 is currently anywhere above Djokovic by any 2011 measure, head or shoulder. A Nadal-Djokovic final would have been far more intriguing from first ball to last.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

See you on the lawns.

Roland Garros 2011: Women's Final Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

Here are my predictions for the women's finals at Roland Garros for 2011. This year, I correctly predicted 3 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 1 of 2 women's semifinals. I also correctly predicted 1 of 2 men's semifinals and 2 of 3 men's quarterfinals this year.

Francesca Schiavone ITA (5) vs. Na Li CHN (6). This should be an excellent match. Last year, Schiavone stunned the world by playing the match of her life to win her first major title just weeks before her 30th birthday over heavily favored Samantha Stosur. Schiavone had never been past the quarterfinal of any major despite playing in 35. Since then, after losing in the first round at Wimbledon, she has been in two consecutive major quarterfinals and has not won a tour title since. That being said, she has returned to a second consecutive final appearance here in Paris, outlasting, outwitting and outplaying several hard-hitting players like Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova in the quarters and Marion Bartoli in the semis. Her opponent is Li Na, a hard-hitting player who dispatched 3-time major champion Maria Sharapova in the semifinals and Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals in straight sets by blasting winners into every corner of the court. Li is playing in her second major final of 2011, again becoming the first Chinese player (male or female) to play for a major title in Paris.

Head-to-head Schiavone and Li are tied at 2 wins apiece with the flashy Italian winning their one meeting on clay, at this tournament last year, relatively easily 6-4 6-2. However, 2011 is a completely different scenario for Schiavone than 2010. Last year, almost no one expected her to win so she faced almost no pressure, and was able to marshal all aspects of her all-court game and deploy all her crafty spins and slices to give the hard-hitting but mentally fragile Stosur fits. This year she is the defending champion, and she is expected to repeat her win here by many people. The more compelling storyline is owned by Li, who is aiming to be the first person from the most populous nation on earth to win a major title. As I said earlier, clay rewards excellent movement, and since both Schiavone and Li are excellent movers Schiavone's edge over most hard-hitters is muted. If Li can remain patient and not got frustrated by the variety of ball coming her way, she'll become a Grand Slam champion. PREDICTION: Li.

Roland Garros 2011: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year. Last year, I was correct in 2 of 4 2010 French Open women's quarterfinal predictions.

Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (13) vs. Marion Bartoli FRA (11). The 2007 Wimbledon finalist has reached her first quarterfinal at her country's major tournament for the first time. She will face Kuznetsova, one of only two women left in the tournament who have won the entire event (the other, of course is Francesca Schiavone who won last year). In fact, Kuznetsova lost the final in 2006 and won the final in 2009. While Bartoli won her match when Gisela Dulko retired in the second set, Kuznetsova won a hard-fought 3-set affair with Daniela Hantuchova who had easily dismissed World #1 and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki the round before. This could be a very ugly affair, with both players trying to lose the match, I believe that Kutnetsova's prodigious talent will be the deciding factor. PREDICTION: Kuznetsova in 3 sets.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (14) vs. Francesca Schiavone ITA (5).  The 2010 French Open defending champion made it through to this quarterfinal by winning a marathon 2 hour, 40-minute battle with 3-time French Open semifinalist (and former World #1)  Jelena Jankovic which featured over 30 breakpoints combined. The passionate Italian faces the talented Russian youngster who took out the last remaining top seed in World #3 Vera Zvonareva to reach her first career major quarterfinal. Pavlyuchenkova hits the ball hard and flat on both wings, while Schiavone rarely hits the ball the same way twice, and actually wants to move forward to show off her sterling net play. Plus Schiavone has the benefit of knowing that her style of play can be rewarded on the red clay courts of Paris from last year.   PREDICTION: Schiavone in 2 sets.

Petra Kvitova CZE (9) Na Li CHN (6) vs. Victoria Azarenka BLR (4). The hard-hitting lefty Petra Kvitova was my call to win the entire tournament before it began. But, 2011 Australian Open finalist Li is also one of my favorite players. Kvitova was up 3-0 in the deciding set but then collapsed completely to lose 6 consecutive games and the match. Li continues to make history, becoming the first Chinese player, male or female, to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open. Azarenka is one of the hottest players on the women's tour, and despite never having won a quarterfinal at any major is the betting favorite to win the tournament, primarily due to her position as the top remaining seed in the draw at #4. Head-to-head Li actually leads Azarenka 3-1, including a straight set beating in the Round of 16 in Melbourne this year, but the two have never met on clay. Azarenka should use this opportunity to make her breakthrough at a major, but will the pressure of being the favorite get to her head? Li has the advantage of already making her breakthrough in a grand slam earlier this year. This match should be decided by who wants it more and should be a high quality affair. PREDICTION: Li in 3 sets.

Maria Sharapova RUS (7) vs. Andrea Petkovic GER (15). Could this really be Sharapova's year to win the French Open? If so, she needs to get through matches like this next one. In Petkovic she is playing a player who beat her in the previous major played this year and is unafraid of the 3-time major champion's firepower. Sharapova was able to get revenge a few months later in Miami and leads their career head-to-head 2-1, all played on hard courts. The two have never played on hard courts, but this match will be played on clay which us Sharapova's worst surface. Both players have won clay court titles this year. I have seen all of Sharapova's matches played at Roland Garros this year but none of Petkovic's. I suspect that the fact that Sharapova is in her 14th major quarterfinal (only her 2nd in the last two years) while Petkovic is in her second quarterfinal of her career despite the two being born in the same year will be the ultimate deciding factor. PREDICTION: Sharapova in 3 sets.

Madrid Semifinals Preview

Getty

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus celebrates match point over Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic during day seven of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open Tennis on May 6, 2011 in Madrid, Spain.

::

I offer up this drive by before heading out to the field.

Today, we've got a maturing Vika against a red-hot Julia Goerges, who disposed again of the computer's world No. 1 in three sets en route to this semifinal. I'm calling this a toss up, though a Goerges win would be the most exciting. Then we've got a bouncing-back Li Na facing off against a bouncing-back Petra Kvitova. Both these women have struggled since Melbourne, with the younger getting some of her fire back with Fed Cup victories. Both my head and my heart say Petra. I hope her head and heart say the same.

For the men, Rafael Nadal will do what he almost always does to Roger Federer. If it goes three sets, I'll be shocked. And Novak Djokovic should have his way with surprise semifinalist Thomaz "I Can Beat Anybody" Bellucci.

What say you?

Made My Day

by Craig Hickman

The 2011 Sony Ericsson Open is now history. Before play was officially underway, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki and Ryan Harrison supported the Greater Miami Tennis and Education Foundation as part of Cliff Drysdale's fundraiser at the Ritz-Carlton of Key Biscayne inside the tennis center that bears his name.

Last year, Clijsters and Roddick considered the same event their good luck charms as both went on to win the Sony Ericsson Open. I guess it's true, then, that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place. But the defending champions had a great time. Seeing tennis players doing what they love to do without the stress of a match was a beautiful thing.

The Ritz-Carlton of Key Biscayne is more like a palace than a hotel. I couldn't help but thinking we were approaching royalty as we drove into the gated grounds. Perfectly designed and manicured landscaping all around, we finally found the tennis center valet. Once on the courts, I was able to see what Serena Williams once said about green clay being slower and grittier than the crushed red brick used in Europe and South America. It almost looks like gravel. On one of the outside courts, I recognized former Miami runner-up Guillermo Cañas playing a double's match with other members.



The staff at the Ritz-Carlton gave customer service new meaning. Attentive, genuinely nice, they made us feel at home. Perfect weather, live musicians, an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, and the chance to test-drive Cadillac's new models would have attracted anyone who wanted to support a worthy cause.

Even with the great atmosphere and fun tennis exhibition, the event highlight came at the end when I approached Drysdale, who'd kept the proceedings efficient and light-hearted with his infectious personality and wit. He's practically a stand up comedian.

"Just in case I never have another opportunity to say this to you, I just wanted to let you know that you are the voice of tennis for me. Didn't matter where I was in the house, if I heard your voice on the television, I knew tennis was on. I enjoy your commentary, your humor, and the personality you bring in the booth is always a perfect foil for your colleagues."

His face lit up more than it naturally does. "Wow. Thank you so much for telling me that. You have made my day," he replied with an outstretched hand. Next thing I knew, he touched the side of my face as though I were his son. He made my day, too.

Michelle, the media relations director who invited us to cover the event, insisted that I pose with Drysdale for a photo. As we posed, I told him of my sister's home in South Africa and JD, who's originally from the Netherlands, asked him if he spoke any Afrikaans, the Dutch dialect spoken by the Nederlanders who settled there centuries ago. Personal connections make every experience more memorable.

The entire event benefited the Greater Miami Tennis and Education Foundation and like last year, kids from the foundation attended the event as ball boys and girls. They earned that privilege based on their report cards, attendance, leadership and other factors. The $13,000 raised will benefit these socially and economically challenged Miami children, will help them learn tennis and valuable life skills by participating in free, affordable GMTEF tennis and education programs throughout the school year, as well as during the summer.

Next year's event promises to be even better.

::

Video Highlights

Car Wreck

Getty

::

Thank goodness for Marion Bartoli. She actually gave us a big event final to watch in the Californian desert two weeks ago tomorrow against the reigning World No. 1. I found myself wishing the Indian Wells runner up was on the court across the net from Victoria Azarenka in today's championship match in Miami. Instead, I chose to put up with Maria Sharapova spraying balls like a garden hose in a drought. I didn't have to, mind you. But the match had the lure of a car wreck. I simply couldn't look away.

The WTA has to (well, maybe it doesn't have to, but the hero campaign is banal and outdated) update its marketing campaigns for the remainder of 2011 against the backdrop of this fact: The runner up at the calendar's "fifth Slam" held her serve exactly once in a 6-1, 6-4 drubbing at the hands of a player who's never even contested a Slam semifinal, neither of whom participated in what might have been the most dramatic women's match of the tournament, which wasn't televised anywhere on the planet.

I'm going to say that again: The runner up at the calendar's "fifth Slam" held her serve exactly once in a 6-1, 6-4 drubbing at the hands of a player who's never even contested a Slam semifinal, neither of whom participated in what might have been the most dramatic women's match of the tournament, which wasn't televised anywhere on the planet.

That's all.

Circle Closed

JD Blom

Roger Federer talks to the press at the Sony Ericsson Open on March 23, 2011 in Miami, Florida.

::

He looked a bit like Kim Clijsters during and after her loss to Victoria Azarenka the other night: detached. Like parents who realize their children are more important than the thrasing they just endured between the lines.

Or perhaps, in Federer's case, he simply was demoralized. It was a bit sad to witness. Rafael Nadal made it seem far too easy. Same way he did 7 years ago.

If Rafa is indeed in Raja's head, it had to have happened instantly. I remember there were murmurings that Raja was sick that calm, humid night in Miami 7 years ago. I don't remember where those murmurings came from as I was posting about on tennis forums all over the place, but they seemed there to comfort those who needed to believe the outcome of the match would have been different had Raja been 100% healthy. A year later, the next time they played, Rafa took the first two sets from Raja in the Miami final, though he ultimately lost the match.

And so it was this storied rivalry began with Rafa winning the first four sets. Talk about setting a tone.

Tonight, safe to say, the circle closed.

Will they ever play another important match? Will Federer settle for third or fourth best? Will he win another Slam? Who can see the future?

Savannah said that 2011 would be all about Roger Federer.

I'm beginning to see her point.

Miami Men's 16: Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Day 8 Open Thread

All about the serve.

::

ORDER OF PLAY - TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am
[14] M Fish (USA) vs J Del Potro (ARG)

Not Before 12:00 PM
[21] A Dolgopolov (UKR) vs [15] J Tsonga (FRA) 67(2) 64 32 - to finish 67 64 32

Not Before 1:00 PM
[21] A Petkovic (GER) vs [6] J Jankovic (SRB)
[19] A Ivanovic (SRB) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL) - Round of 16 heldove
[16] V Troicki (SRB) vs [2] N Djokovic (SRB) - Possible Court Change
[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs [21] A Dolgopolov (UKR) or [15] J Tsonga (FRA)

Not Before 7:30 PM
[16] M Sharapova (RUS) vs [26] A Dulgheru (ROU)

Not Before 9:30 PM
[3] R Federer (SUI) vs [Q] O Rochus (BEL)

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
[6] D Ferrer (ESP) vs M Granollers (ESP)
[30] J Isner (USA) vs K Anderson (RSA)
F Mayer (GER) vs [7] T Berdych (CZE)

Not Before 5:00 PM
J Tipsarevic (SRB) vs [25] G Simon (FRA)

COURT 2 start 12:00 noon
[3] M Bhupathi (IND) / L Paes (IND) vs M Lopez (ESP) / D Marrero (ESP)
D Hantuchova (SVK) / A Radwanska (POL) vs N Llagostera Vives (ESP) / A Parra Santonja (ESP)
X Malisse (BEL) / J Murray (GBR) vs [6] M Llodra (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB)
[WC] A Ivanovic (SRB) / A Petkovic (GER) vs S Peer (ISR) / S Peng (CHN)
[1] G Dulko (ARG) / F Pennetta (ITA) vs [8] M Martinez Sanchez (ESP) / A Medina Garrigues (ESP)

Quote For The Day

"We lived through a decade of Carlos Rodriguez coaching Justine Henin after every single point and nobody called it on them."

--Lindsay Davenport, Tennis Channel commentary during the Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur match on Monday, March 28, 2011.

Apparently, Sharapova was called out for on-court coaching from the stands during a previous match in Miami. Davenport seemed to be underscoring a double standard. Or maybe she was simply stating her perception of a widely known "fact."

I put fact in quotations for I remember Carlos and Maria being called out once. But only once. Back in 2004 during Justine's quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova in Indian Wells. I remember being surprised by the call out, but not by the coaching, which only the blind couldn't see. Those in denial wouldn't admit. Carlos was telling his charge to charge the net more in order to turn around the second set. Sveta was leading 5-4 or 5-3, according to my memory. Justine took her coaching advice and won the last 3 or 4 games to take the match in straights.

Miami Marquee Match Monday: Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Day 7 Open Thread

by Craig Hickman


JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

Samantha Stosur at the Sony Ericsson Open WTA Roundtable on March 22, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida.

::

Day 7 at the Sony Ericsson Open features both world No. 1's Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki, major champions and former world No. 1's Maria Sharapova, on court against Stosur (most engaging player I met in Miami, but more on that some other time) right now, Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Kim Clijsters, and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan. Neil Harman tells us storms are in the forecast. Let's hope they blow over.

I, for one, am most interested in Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Happy to see it open the night session on Stadium.

ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am
[4] S Stosur (AUS) vs [16] M Sharapova (RUS) - WTA
[1] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs [21] A Petkovic (GER) - WTA

Not Before 2:00 PM
[3] R Federer (SUI) vs [32] J Monaco (ARG) - ATP
[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs F Lopez (ESP) - ATP

Not Before 7:30 PM
[21] A Dolgopolov (UKR) vs [15] J Tsonga (FRA) - ATP

Not Before 9:00 PM
[19] A Ivanovic (SRB) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL) - WTA

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
C Berlocq (ARG) vs [7] T Berdych (CZE) - ATP
[Q] O Rochus (BEL) vs [13] M Youzhny (RUS) - ATP
A Medina Garrigues (ESP) vs [6] J Jankovic (SRB) - WTA

Not Before 4:30 PM
[5] F Schiavone (ITA) vs [9] A Radwanska (POL) - WTA
[25] G Simon (FRA) vs P Cuevas (URU) - ATP

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
[WC] S Stephens (USA) / Y Wickmayer (BEL) vs [7] B Mattek-Sands (USA) / M Shaughnessy (USA) - WTA
M Mertinak (SVK) / D Norman (BEL) vs [7] R Bopanna (IND) / A Qureshi (PAK) - ATP
[8] R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) vs J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) - ATP
S Stakhovsky (UKR) / M Youzhny (RUS) vs [2] M Mirnyi (BLR) / D Nestor (CAN) - ATP
- WTA

COURT 2 start 11:00 am
S Peng (CHN) vs [26] A Dulgheru (ROU) - WTA
P Petzschner (GER) vs J Tipsarevic (SRB) - ATP
[11] N Almagro (ESP) vs F Mayer (GER) - ATP
[15] M Bartoli (FRA) vs [3] V Zvonareva (RUS) - WTA

Not Before 5:00 PM
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs O Marach (AUT) / J Tipsarevic (SRB) - ATP

COURT 3 start 3:00 pm
A Kleybanova (RUS) / Z Yan (CHN) vs S Peer (ISR) / S Peng (CHN) - WTA
L Dlouhy (CZE) / P Hanley (AUS) vs [4] J Melzer (AUT) / P Petzschner (GER) - ATP

Sony Ericsson Open Week 1 Review

JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

Kourtin' Karen, owner of Tennis Panorama News has posted her highlights of the first week down in hot, hot Miami. She's included some new photo galleries with previously unpublished photos we shot on- and off-site.

I attended one other charity exhibition in the first week that I haven't gotten around to writing about yet.

Stay tuned.

Sony Ericsson Open Day 6 Open Thread

JD Blom

Juan Martín del Potro changes directions to track down a shot by Ricardo Mello on March 23, 2011.

::

I arrived home safely today and happy to be eating farm fresh eggs and in front of tennis on the tube.

ORDER OF PLAY - SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am

[14] M Fish (USA) vs [17] R Gasquet (FRA) - ATP

Not Before 1:00 PM
[5] F Schiavone (ITA) vs L Dominguez Lino (ESP) - WTA

Not Before 3:00 PM
[27] M Martinez Sanchez (ESP) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL) - WTA
J del Potro (ARG) vs [4] R Soderling (SWE) - ATP

Not Before 7:30 PM
[8] V Azarenka (BLR) vs [25] D Cibulkova (SVK) - WTA

Not Before 9:30 PM
[WC] J Blake (USA) vs [2] N Djokovic (SRB) - ATP

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am

K Anderson (RSA) vs P Andujar (ESP) - ATP
[6] D Ferrer (ESP) vs S Devvarman (IND) - ATP
[Q] A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) vs [30] J Isner (USA) - ATP
[28] J Groth (AUS) vs [3] V Zvonareva (RUS) - WTA

Not Before 5:00 PM
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs [WC] R Harrison (USA) / J Sock (USA) - ATP

COURT 1 start 10:00 am

[8] R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) vs S Aspelin (SWE) / J Knowle (AUT) - ATP

Not Before 11:30 AM
V Razzano (FRA) vs [19] A Ivanovic (SRB) - WTA
[3] M Bhupathi (IND) / L Paes (IND) vs E Butorac (USA) / J Rojer (AHO) - ATP
[6] I Benesova (CZE) / B Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) vs [WC] A Ivanovic (SRB) / A Petkovic (GER) - WTA
[17] A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs [12] P Kvitova (CZE) - WTA

COURT 2 start 11:00 am

[15] M Bartoli (FRA) vs E Makarova (RUS) - WTA
[24] M Kirilenko (RUS) vs [9] A Radwanska (POL) - WTA
[23] M Llodra (FRA) vs M Granollers (ESP) - ATP
[16] V Troicki (SRB) vs [19] S Querrey (USA) - ATP

Not Before 6:00 PM
J Chela (ARG) / J Monaco (ARG) vs [6] M Llodra (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) - ATP

Maria Sharapova Enjoys 'That Latin Flavor'

All Photos by JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News. I've included a lot at the special request of a fan on twitter who wanted to see all aspects of her dress. Best viewed on full screen.

::

Last night, I attended my first-ever night session on Stadium Court at the Sony Ericsson Open. Outside of the Slams, this is among my favorite tournaments. I've always considered it the fifth Slam, even though recently, I've heard Indian Wells referred to as such. What I love about this slam is the high-energy crowds that come out at support Central and South American players. When JD asked me what the biggest tournament in South America actually was, I drew a blank. In my mind, this is it.

Which is why I ought to have gotten out to Court 2 a lot earlier and watched the compelling drama unfold between Paul Capdeville of Chile and Frederico Gil of Portugal. By the time I arrived, the match was at a few points shy of the final set tiebreak, which Capdeville let 4-1 and 6-3, only have the match stolen from him by the tenacious "Fred" (his fans where chanting his name after almost every point) who struck two outrageous passing shots to save two of the four match, deflating the Chilean who was gutted after the match. I shot a video of his interviews after the match to post for fans in Argentina and Spanish speakers who follow him, but unfortunately the footage exceeded the 90 seconds I'm allowed to publish and my editing skills are rudimentary at best.

Back on Stadium Court, Maria Sharapova played her first match in Miami match in three years. After she cruised to victory 6-3, 6-2 over Croatia's Petra Martic, I was the only writer, along with five photographers, who showed up for her news conference. Because it was late and she appeared to be a bit insulted by the empty room, joking that more children showed , I kept my one-on-one with the former No. 1 and face of the WTA succinct.

How are you feeling?

Good. Great.

When was the last time you played in Miami?

Three years ago.

That's what I thought. How does it feel to be back?

Way too long.

Feels really good. This is one of my favorite events. It's crazy that I've missed it this many years because of injuries. So I'm just so happy to get back on that court today and just I love playing in front of the crowd. They're so enthusiastic. They love their sports and have that Latin flavor about them. You know, it's fun.

How is your shoulder?

MS: Doing good. Yeah, stable.

Are you healed?

Healed? Tough to say an athlete is healed, but, yeah, I'm doing really well. Thank you.

You are pretty popular in Asia. Can you talk a little bit about how you felt when you heard about the Japan earthquake?

Yeah, it was a tragedy. You know, you still see all the coverage in the papers and on video. It's crazy to think that something like that could just happen so quickly and destroy so many lives, so many emotions.

Japan is one of my favorite places to visit, to go to. I've had incredible memories ever since I think I was maybe 13, 14 years old my first time I went there. I love so many things about it. I love the people. I love the food. I love the culture. I mean, I have been to so many different parts of it, as well, I've got to experience. I mean, you go to a different town, people live differently. It's so unique there. I draw so much inspiration all my life from there and from those people. It's devastating to know what they're going through. Yeah, but I hope that it doesn't continue and become worse.

Where do you see yourself in the game right now?

Um, you know, I see myself building from what I can. You know, my goal this year is to consistently stay healthy and just really build on you know, last week I got to the semifinals. I was really happy, because I hadn't played a tournament in a while. So just, you know, play a lot more tournaments, you know, play a lot more matches, and I feel like my form will get to where I want it to be when I do that.

::

Cross-posted to Tennis Panorama News