WTF Final Thoughts, Almost

What did I learn from the 2010 WTF? You can't manufacture drama. Matches between the two best players in the world always have a certain dramatic flair, particularly when the two best players have one of the most famous tennis rivalries of all time, but the media hype around this match was astounding, not to mention the fog, blaring music, and light effects provided by the O2. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the match, it was great tennis, but there was no possibility of it rivaling the tension of Wimbledon 2008 or Australia 2009. I just don't think a best of 3 sets match could top a best of 5. In my book, more tennis is better, particularly when it comes to these two.

What I hated most about all the media attention was the general consensus that this was do or die for Roger Federer. I read numberous stories telling me a loss would make Roger totally irrelevant in the Fedal rivalry, and most likely in future Grand Slams, like this WTF match was his last chance to beat Nadal. That's absurd. On any given day one tennis player can beat another, and when that player is Roger Federer, the odds are never bad. He may not always be the favorite, but he is always a favorite.

Federer was in control of this match and yet nothing seemed to silence the critics. He went for too much, or he didn't go for enough, or Nadal gave up the match because he was fatigued from his 3 hour semifinal. Do you know how ridiculous that is? Nadal is easily the fittest guy on tour. He's played 5+ hour matches and come back to win a match the next day. Nadal didn't make any excuses for his loss, so I don't see why fans or journalists should. Roger played better and he deserved to win. I'm sure Rafa will repay the favor sometime in the future.

Now let's look ahead a little. Does this give Roger momentum heading into the Australian? Absolutely. Does that mean he will win? Not necessarily. Will Rafa ever win the WTF? Yes. He's only 24 and has plenty more chances. Plus, he made a lot of headway this year just by making it to the final.

I have one more WTF post up my sleeve, which should go up tomorrow. It's a fun one.

Image by AP.

Hilarity Ensues

So, I saw that someone posted this gem on twitter earlier this week and couldn't help but share.

What have we learned? Before we go any further, I should note that the most advanced photo editing software I own is Paint. You've been warned, so proceed with caution.

In a movie about his life, Novak Djokovic would like to be portrayed by Robert De Niro. For this to work, Robert De Niro will have to stay the same age for another like 40 years and the movie will have to be about old man Novak. Funfact: De Niro sat in Nole's box during the 2007 US Open Final, giving us a possible rationale for this joke.

Soderling would prefer Russel Crow. Yeah, I honestly can't figure out where that came from, but here's what it would look like.

ARod would of course be portrayed by Seann William Scott because they are basically identical. Ignoring the crude crop job, tell me this isn't just a regular photo of Andy Roddick.

Later, the interviewer moved on to fears. I really didn't know that many people were afraid of snakes, at least not as the first fear they could think of. Roddick, Ferrer, and Djokovic all mentioned snakes as their fear. Rafa's afraid of the dark and Andy Murray, being the upbeat guy that he is, is afraid of death. Way to be a downer Andy.

First kiss? David sounds a little nostalgic for Catalina. Rafa doesn't even have to answer questions with the goofy smile and nervous laughter. And what does comedic genius Andy Murray have to say? John.

Well, you don't really need my commentary, just watch the video. Plus, the Andy Roddick photo's starting to creep me out. So, this wraps up my coverage of the 2010 World Tour Finals, if only a few days late.

Watch out for Davis Cup this weekend.

WTF Finals

So I've managed to borrow a computer to write this and have planted myself firmly in front of the TV for today. At the moment I'm watching a repeat of yesterday's semifinals, which means some pretty great tennis. As I expected, Nadal and Federer emerged as victors and will play each other in today's final. In my last post, I mistakenly said this would be the first meeting for the two in 2010. Today's match will actually be the second meeting between Roger and Rafa this year as they played in the Madrid final. Before I get too wrapped up in the match we're about to see, I want to talk about the semifinals, or at the very least, the Murray/Nadal match. This was great tennis. For some reason Murray and Nadal always play entertaining matches against each other. I think Rafa sometimes raises Andy's game. I didn't give Murray much of a chance going into this match because of the way he played against Federer in the round robin stage. However, even after losing the first set in a tiebreak, Murray came back and broke Rafa twice to take the second set. After being broken early in the third, Murray managed to break back when Rafa was serving for the match at 5-4 to even things out, eventually forcing a tiebreak. However, we all now how it ended, as it often does, Rafa found a way to win and will face Roger Federer in the today's final. Roger Federer had a much easier road to the final yesterday, beating Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-4.

So, there are already hundreds of previews out there for this match, and every other Fedal match that has occurred. We all know the stats. Nadal leads their head to head 14-7. But, if you exclude clay and grass, they are 3-3 on hard courts. I think this is meaningless. It's not so lopsided that either player can feel completely confident that they will steamroll the other. They've played each other 21 times so I'm sure this match has become routine for them, but for us as fans, this is what we have waited for. This is a completely fitting way to end a year of great tennis.

Rafael Nadal has had a spectacular year, winning three of the four major tournaments, including his first US Open to round out a career Grand Slam. 2010 has been a different story for Roger Federer. He has had a year that any other player would be proud of, winning one Slam, making the semifinals of another, and two quarterfinals. But for Roger Federer, critics consider this the end. He loss in the quartfinals at the French Open meant an end to his amazing streak of semifinal appearances and his loss in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon was nothing less then gut wrenching. This isn't the end though. Federer is not washed up and he looks hungry. Both men would gain from a victory today. This is the lone title that eludes Rafael Nadal now that he has the career Grand Slam as well as the Olypmic gold medal, but he has never advanced past the semifinal stage at the World Tour Finals. On the other side, Federer is quite familiar with the WTF final. He will be competing for his fifth title at the WTF, which would tie the record of five WTF wins.

I'm not going to make a final prediction because I really have no idea what's going to happen. Both guys come into this match with a perfect record at this year's WTF, although Rafa has dropped two sets along the way. What I do know is that whoever wins, both guys will fight and one will win gracefully and the other will lose gracefully, because that's what they do. There is no classier rivalry in tennis. I just wish their fans treated each other with the respect that the players do.

WTF Day 6 & 7

I'm visiting home for Thanksgiving and for some reason, my computer and my parents' wifi don't get along. All week, I've had a couple of brief windows to use the internet, which has hampered both my ability to write about tennis and find spectacular shopping deals. Anyway, I wasn't able to write a preview for Day 6 at the WTF, so I'll have to do a recap instead. I don't think anyone was surprised by Friday's results. Rafael Nadal made a pretty strong case for winning this year's WTF by beating Tomas Berdych 7-6(3) 6-1 and going 3-0 in his round robin matches. However, Roger Federer topped group B, also going 3-0 in the round robin stage. In the second match of the day, Novak Djokovic sailed into the semifinals after beating Andy Roddick 6-2 6-3. Roddick worked so hard at the end of the season just to make it back to the World Tour Finals, so it's kind of a shame to see him go out without winning a single match. The same could be said for David Ferrer.

In case you are unfamiliar with the WTF format, the top two men from each group advance to the semifinals where the winner of Group A will meet the runner up of Group B and visa versa. Both undefeated thus far, Rafael Nadal won Group A and Roger Federer emerged as the winner of Group B. Nadal will face Andy Murray and Federer will play Novak Djokovic in tomorrow's semifinal matches. These are the right matches. While Andy Murray may no longer be number four, these are undeniably the best four tennis players in the world right now. Nadal and Federer are the two best players, and each won their group quite convincingly.

Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray - Not Before 2pm GMT

The top guys play each other a lot, over the last three years, Nadal and Murray have met 12 times. Rafa leads the head to head 8-4, but any time you hear him talk about Murray, you would think Andy had the winning record. Rafa has great respect for the danger in Andy's game, possibly too much. Murray's four wins came at the '08 US Open (we all know Rafa wasn't at his best in Sept. '08,) Rotterdam in '09, the 2010 Australian Open (Nadal retired,) and the 2010 Toronto Masters. Clearly Andy poses a threat, but Nadal's track record makes him a strong favorite going into tomorrow's match, even if he doesn't think so. Andy played great tennis against Ferrer and Soderling in the round robin matches, but had no answers when playing Roger Federer. If he had trouble with Roger, I'm going to venture a guess he'll have trouble with Rafa. Nadal in two.

Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic - Not Before 8pm GMT

Roger Federer has yet to drop a set in this year's World Tour Finals. He is in a quest to tie the record for the most World Tour Finals won (5) and so far his case looks just as convincing if not more than Rafael Nadal. Federer and Djokovic have played each other eighteen times over the last four years, and like Rafa/Murray, Fed has won twice the number of matches Nole has (12-6.) Most recently they played in the Basel final, which is also an indoor hard court event, where Roger Federer came out on top in three sets. Fed also won their semifinal in Shanghai this year, another indoor hard court tournament. However, who could forget their US Open battle in this year's semifinals, where Djokovic dethroned the six time finalist? I honestly think that the crowds are going to get what they want this time. Everyone was hoping for a Federer/Nadal final at the US Open and Djokovic deprived us of that, but I don't think it'll happen this time. We haven't seen a Fedal meeting all year and it's only fitting that we get one in the last tournament of the year. Federer in three.

Pic by Getty.

WTF Day 5

It's nearly 3am and I'm pretty exhausted so I'm planning on keeping tonight's entry short. Today or Yesterday, I'm not really sure anymore, Day 4, one thing I expected happened and one thing I definitely didn't expect happened. First, Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic, winning both of his round robin matches so far. I honestly thought the match would be closer, but after getting off to a rough start in his first match against Andy Roddick, Rafa has clearly found his form and is a definite contender for the London title. Now the thing I didn't expect, Andy Roddick lost...to Tomas Berdych. Don't get me wrong, Tomas Berdych is amazing, but he hasn't really been amazing since the summer, so I wasn't expecting much. This was a great win for Berdych as it keeps him in the mix for a semi final spot, and rather devastating for Roddick who has yet to win a match at this year's WTF. Day 5 brings us two more interesting match ups.

Roger Federer vs. Robin Soderling - Not Before 2pm GMT

So we've seen this match before, 15 times to be exact. Only one of those times has Robin managed to beat Roger Federer. That's a pretty comfortable head to head. Plus, Roger has won both of his round robin matches so far without dropping a set, while Robin has won one match and lost the other. Even though Soderling has recently reached a career high and won his first Masters 1000 event, I have to go with Federer in this one. He seems at home in London, on a quest for a fifth World Tour Finals title. Better yet, I think he'll make it to the semis without dropping a set. Federer in two.

Andy Murray vs. David Ferrer - Not Before 8pm GMT

The hometown boy has been given the night match. He had a tough loss against Roger Federer on Tuesday and just looked all around flat, so hopefully a big crowd will help pump him up a bit tonight. Another point in Andy's favor is that his opponent is not Roger Federer, it's David Ferrer, who hasn't won a match yet at this year's tournament. Interestingly, David leads their head to head 3-1. However, David's three wins all came on clay, while Andy's lone victory was on a hard court. Even given Tuesday's performance, I think Andy has the edge in this match. Murray in two.

In other news, Serena Williams has officially pulled out of the 2011 Australian Open and I watched a very funny WTF video today. I will report back on both of these things tomorrow, once I've gotten some sleep.

WTF Day 4

I can't believe it's already Day 4. Time flies. Anyway, it's Day 2 for Group A and hopefully we have two awesome matches coming our way. But before we check out Wednesdays action, let's do a quick recap of what went down today. Fed beat Andy M, convincingly (6-4 6-2.) What happened to the Andy that played Ferrer on Sunday? That guy was on fire, and this guy, well, wasn't. No worries if you're a Murray fan, he still has a chance to advance to the semifinals with a win over Ferrer on Thursday. In the evening match, Robin Soderling beat David Ferrer 7-5 7-5. I still feel bad for Ferrer. He fights so hard and comes so close to winning, but never really does. However, this was a much needed win for Sod. Although, something stands in his way of making the semifinals, and that something is Roger Federer. Soderling is 1-14 against Roger Federer. I'll be back with an in depth preview of these two matches tomorrow. On to Wednesday's action...

Tomas Berdych vs. Andy Roddick - Not Before 2pm GMT

I'm still a little torn up over Andy's almost win over Nadal on Monday, but Tomas Berdych is no Rafael Nadal. We saw that at this year's Wimbledon. Even better for Andy, he's playing way better than he was this June and Tomas is playing way worse. Honestly, the way Berdych as been playing the last few months, I'd be surprised if he wins any of his three round robin matches, which is sad because he put in a lot of hard work to get here. I'd love to see Roddick advance to the semis and a win here would keep him in contention. Better yet, Andy's 6 and 2 against Berdych. Roddick in two.

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic - Not Before 8pm GMT

As expected, this match will be played in front of a packed house tomorrow night. When players of this caliber meet, the match can go either way. Rafa may lead the head to head 15-7, but that still means that Nole has won 7 of there meetings, why can't this be number 8? Both guys won their opening matches on Monday, which puts them out in front in the race for the semis, but a win tomorrow will make one of them almost a lock. While Rafa struggled in his match against Andy Roddick and Djokovic breezed past Berdych, Rafa had the tougher opponent on Monday. I think his match against Roddick may have been a wake up call. Rafa in three.

WTF Day 3

Unfortunately I spent most of my day at the airport (thank you AirTran,) which meant I did not get the opportunity to watch any of the WTF matches, but I did follow my twitter very closely. I honestly thought I would be reporting some very surprising news tonight, as Andy Roddick was up a set and a break against Rafael Nadal, but like a good #1, Nadal fought his way back into the match and took the third set 6-4. While I would have preferred a win for Andy in his first round robin match, the fact that he almost won at least means he's playing well. He certainly has a chance against Berdych on Wednesday and a win could boost his confidence going into the Djokovic match. I almost forgot to mention the other match today, another blowout. Djokovic made short work of Tomas Berdych, winning 6-3 6-3. Anyway, let's check out the matches that are set for Tuesday.

Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray - Not before 2pm GMT

Both of these guys are playing great tennis. Somehow Murray actually leads their head to head, including their last two encounters. Although, Andy never seems to win the ones that count, i.e. Grand Slams. These two played in the round robin stage of last year's WTF and Fed won in three sets. While Murray's display against Soderling was impressive, I'm going with Federer this time. He creamed David and somehow he's favored to win this whole thing, even though Nadal's won basically everything this year, go figure. But, I've revised my predictions a bit and I believe Andy and Fed will both be moving on to the semis. Fed in three.

Robin Soderling vs. David Ferrer - Not before 8pm GMT

This should be an interesting match up. All in, Robin leads their head to head 8-4, but they've played five times this year alone and the head to head falls to 3-2. If you narrow things down even more and look at their head to head on hard courts in 2010, David actually leads Robin 2-1 and all three of those matches were post-US Open. Both guys came out looking kind of flat in their first matches. I think that expectations may be starting to weigh on Soderling. He's the new world #4 and people expect him to play that way. BTW, this has huge implications for the Australian Open if Murray doesn't win back the #4 spot this week. I digress. David's a fighter and I think he might actually be able to pull this off. Plus, he's all tiny and wears grey suits. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but it's adorable. David in three.

I would add a photo to this, but only my netbook is working and I'm tired, so I'll have to edit tomorrow. Night guys.

WTF Day 1

Tomorrow marks the start of the 2010 World Tour Finals in at the O2. The only time I've missed living in London more than now was during Wimbledon. Somehow I chose the six months that did not include two of the best tennis tournaments in the world. Anyway, Group B is in action, which means Soderling, Murray, Ferrer, and Federer.

Andy Murray vs. Robin Soderling - Starts 12:15pm GMT

This one's a tough call. Murray is well rested, but Soderling has the momentum coming in after winning his first Masters 1000 event in Paris. It's pretty incredible to think that Soderling has now surpassed Murray in the rankings, but he's only won one Masters event. Both guys have appeared in two Grand Slam finals. The guys are 2-2 in the head to head, but the only match after 2006, occurred at this year's Indian Wells Masters event, which Robin Soderling won. Don't hold me to it, but I'm taking Soderling in this one. Plus, if you've seen the pics from WTF photo day, Sod looks like he's got some kind of evil plan stirring around in his head. I mean really, he looks kind of like the joker here.

Roger Federer vs. David Ferrer - Starts 6:15pm GMT

I already explained poor David's situation. He did an awesome job making it to the WTF, but I think Federer is just too tall an order. Federer had his best appearance ever at Bercy, making the semifinals (sidenote, it's very weird to think that there's a tournament Federer hasn't made the finals of, or won for that matter.) Also, apparently Federer's the favorite to win the WTF title. I'm not quite sure when this happened, since the media seems to think he's all washed up, but that's why you've got to keep on top of the tennis news.

Also, can someone please be in charge of telling David Ferrer what everyone else is wearing? First he shows up to the Prime Minister's house in a light grey suit and now all he's got is a sport coat and some grey pants. Maybe Rafa could give him a heads up next time. Come on man, even Andy Roddick put on a suit.

For those of you who are lucky enough to be in London right now, apparently there are plenty of tickets left for this year's World Tour Finals. This is an amazing opportunity and I urge you all to take advantage. These are the top eight players in the world. The level of tennis will be awesome. Seriously, please go, and if you do, take pictures for me.

Images by Getty.

The Calm Before the Final Storm

Hi guys. So, I haven't completely fallen off the face of the earth, but close to it. Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and apparently that means tons of exams for this college senior. Luckily, this ridiculous workload coincides with some downtime in the tennis world. Anyway, things are heating up again next week and I'll be home for break, which means plenty of time to catch up on my tennis. It also seems that the fates are against me here, as I've written this article twice and it's accidentally been deleted.

I'll come up with something a little more in depth, but my initial thoughts on the WTF are as follows...

Group A: Rafa and Nole are clear favorites here. I hate to count him out, but Tomas Berdych has had some pretty lackluster results post-Wimbledon, and that's putting it lightly. I don't see him beating Rafa in the round robin or and Nole's going to be a tall order. I'm on the fence about Andy Roddick. On one hand, he hasn't had the best year and barely made it to London. On the other hand, Roddick fought hard for that last spot in London and has been doing quite well. Plus, the guy's been in eight consecutive world tour finals, although he's never made it past the semifinals. I've got to go with the crowd and pick Rafa and Nole to come out of Group A.

Group B: Poor David Ferrer is super underrated. He manages to push the best players right to the brink, but always seems to falter at the end. No one's really giving him a chance next week. When you're talking about the Top 8 players in the world, everyone has a chance, but it's true, Roger Federer's chances are a little better than David Ferrer's. Robin Soderling had a great run last week, winning his first Masters 1000 title in Paris. Hopefully, a week is enough recovery time and he'll arrive at the O2 refreshed and well rested. With his Paris win, Soderling supplanted Murray as the world number four, so Murray may be hungry to gain some extra points on his homecourt. Last up, Roger Federer. Enough said. Clearly he has a chance at the title. I have no real rationale for this, but I'm going to say that Federer and Soderling come out of Group B. Don't hold me to it.

In other news, I will be covering the semifinals and finals of the Champaign Challenger in Illinois this Friday and Saturday. Check back for updates.

Finally, remember to keep looking for my articles over at TennisGrandstand. It's a great source of tennis news from different view points since there are several writers.

Last Week, In Photos

So, Roger Federer played his first tournament since the US Open in Shanghai, and didn't look a bit rusty. He made the final. Oh yeah, and they gave him a pretty spectacular entrance. Check out this photo, fog and all. The only way this could've been better is if they lowered him onto Center Court amidst fireworks and some cheesy rock anthem like The Boys are Back in Town. Think about that one for next year, Shanghai. You know I'm right.



Roger played Robin in the quarterfinals. I believe this has become a pretty familiar face from Soderling. I like to call it the 'Seriously, Federer again? WTF, am I never going to catch a break?' look. The match ended in a 6-1, 6-1 beatdown. I'm telling you, Sod's luck is almost as bad as Roddick's when it comes to drawing Fed, and his head-to-head is just about as bad.



So, Andy played Roger in the final. I would like you to remember this awesome look a little later. Action shots are always pretty bad, but Andy Murray is just not photogenic. Also, my mom is convinced that he physically cannot close his mouth. Honestly, the photographic evidence kind of backs up that claim.



I mean really, he looks like a crazy homeless man. If I saw him on the street, I would cross it.



Fed stopped mid-match to show us some pilates before hitting the ball back. Nice form, Roger.



So you know how I said to remember that photo of Andy later? Yeah, let's compare to basically the same photo of Roger. Unlike Andy, Roger is extremely photogenic, just one more thing he is awesome at.



As much as the camera loves him, the fates weren't in Roger's favor on Sunday. Andy won in straights. Although, if he weren't holding the trophy, you probably couldn't tell. Gloomy much? It's cool Andy. We love you even if you are a sourpuss.



Oh wait, it's happy Andy, kind of. Can we go back to gloomy Andy?



Jurgen and Leander took home the doubles trophy, plus what looks like some kind of creepy smurf or toothpaste blob or something. What is up with the Asian tournaments and the weird stuffed animals? They are so creepy.



On the WTA tour, we were lucky enough to get this. First, Ana Ivanovic won her first tournament in two years. Awesome. Hopefully she can keep the momentum rolling through to next season. Even better, the trophy presentation included several of the Von Trapp children. How often do we see that?

Andrea’s Top Five…of the 2010 US Open

Best Matches

5. Kim Clijsters d. Venus Williams – These two have some serious history at the US Open, but Kim’s got a pretty tight hold over Venus. In 2005, Kim won a three set quarterfinal against Venus before storming on to win her first major title. Last year, these two played what I consider to be the weirdest match of the 2009 US Open in the round of 16, each winning a 6-0 set before Kim won the decided 6-4. Again, Kim went on to win the title. This year, these two met in the semifinals. Venus had pretty much stormed through the draw up to this point, while Kim showed some vulnerability against Sam Stosur in the quarterfinals so it looked like Venus might have a shot at a third US Open title. It looked even more like that after she won the first set. However, Kim won a tiebreak in the second and it was easy sailing from there all the way to the championship title. If only the championship match was as exciting.

4. Mikhail Youzhny d. Stanislas Wawrinka – I’m guessing the television execs weren’t so pleased with this match up, which was supposed to feature Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych, instead they got Mikhail Youzhny and Stanislas Wawrinka. The casual tennis fan wouldn’t even recognize these names. For those of us who do, these guys competed hard. Wawrinka took out Murray in four, Querrey in five, and went on to play five great sets against Youzhny. He had never previously made it past the fourth round in a major and was battling an injured leg. Youzhny is a previous US Open semifinalist, but has had mixed results in the last year. This was a great match for both guys. Too bad one of them had to go on to play Nadal.

3. Sam Stosur d. Elena Dementieva – This was another match that didn’t get the attention it deserved. Honestly, I only saw highlights because it was never shown in its entirety, but from what I hear, it was the best women’s match of the event. These two played well into the early hours of the morning, the latest end to a women’s match in US Open history. Elena Dementieva is often touted as the best female player never to win a Grand Slam. Sam Stosur had never made it past the second round at Flushing Meadows. After three grueling sets and the late finish, Stosur came back and gave Kim Clijsters a run for her money in the quarterfinals. Awesome performance from Sam.

2. Fernando Verdasco d. David Ferrer – This match was awesome. I can’t remember which match/matches were being played simultaneously, but it didn’t get the TV coverage these guys deserved. The two Spaniards started playing in the afternoon and battled late into the evening, neither giving anything up. Fernando looked like the eventual loser when he went down a break in the fifth, but fought his way back on serve and hit the best match point of the tournament. It’s matches like these that make me sad there’s a loser.

1. Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer – The match of the tournament. Roger Federer has been the King of Tennis for a long time now. It’s tough for the King to give up his throne, but Federer is 29 and there are a lot of talented younger players out there. In the past couple years, Djokovic has been able to give Roger a run for his money, but for three years running, Novak’s US Open goal has been halted by Roger Federer. Not this year. While most of us believed Roger had things firmly under control, Novak came out fighting and played an incredible match to make it to his second US Open final. Photo by Emmanuel Dunand at Getty Images.

Surprising Moments

5. Foot Fault Déjà Vu – At least Andy Roddick didn’t threaten to kill the lineswoman. He just called her stupid. Come on, we all know Andy’s not the biggest fan of umpires. Remember when he told kids to stay in school so they wouldn’t become umpires at the Australian Open? I don’t think Andy’s reaction was all that surprising, even when he was still carrying on about it three or four games later. He likes to gripe and it works for him. The actual surprise here is how popular calling foot faults has become since the Serena incident. Watching the replay, Andy definitely did the first time, but he was called on it a couple of times, a real rarity in a professional match. It wasn’t just Roddick either. Several stars were called out for foot faults during the fortnight. It’s like the new umpire fad.

4. Donald Trump shows up in Wozniacki’s box – This is just weird, but I don’t have a category for that. What the hell does Donald Trump have to do with Caroline Wozniacki? He appeared in her box for the quarterfinals and semifinals. When asked about her strange new friend, Caroline responded that Trump’s agent had called Caro’s to get the seats. Was he just too cheap to buy good seats in Ashe?

3. Women’s Final Doesn’t Even Touch the 1 Hour Mark – This was really hard to watch. I like Vera Zvonareva and she’s come such a long way, but Kim stormed through this match. After the great Federer/Djokovic match from the day session, the women’s final was a real disappointment. Vera had played so well over the last two weeks, we all had high hopes she could take the final to three sets. It’s no surprise Kim won, but the way she won was pretty shocking.

2. Novak Djokovic wins a 5 set semifinal against Roger Federer – If you watch the playback of the end of this match, no one was more surprised about Novak Djokovic’s win than Novak Djokovic. The guy stood there in shock for an unsettling amount of time. Going into this semifinal, everyone was pretty certain Roger would come out on top. Don’t lie, you thought Roger would win. This surprising win also gave Djokovic back the number 2 spot in the rankings.

1. Victoria Azarenka faints during her match – Brad Gilbert was adamant that Victoria Azarenka would storm her way through the draw and win the whole thing. Bad luck, Brad. Vika gave us the most shocking moment of the tournament by fainting in her second round match. The secrecy that followed the event made it even more mysterious and enthralling. Finally, Vika explained she had fallen in the gym the day before and was suffering from a minor concussion. Talk about bad luck. Photo by Al Bello at Getty Images.

Upsets

5. Beatrice Capra d. Aravane Rezai – Beatrice Capra isn’t even a professional tennis player. Let me say that again, Trice is not a professional. I wasn’t aware that non-professionals could even enter the US Open. However, this 18 year old certainly proved she deserved the spot, beating 18th seed Aravane Rezai en route to the third round. If she had beaten Maria Sharapova, she probably could have been the next Melanie Oudin. But, isn’t it better this way? Look where Melanie ended up.

4. Vera Zvonareva d. Caroline Wozniacki – Vera Zvonareva was this year’s Wimbledon finalist and the number 7 seed, so it’s not a stretch that she made it to the final. However, Caroline Wozniacki came into this tournament as the number 1 seed and US Open Series Champion. As Serena was absent from the draw, this seemed like Caroline’s best shot at winning the US Open title, or at least the easiest chance she would get. Plus, Caroline had had little trouble getting to the semifinals, easily beating former champion Maria Sharapova in the 4th round. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the 20 year old Dane. She’s got a lot of career left and her return abilities rival that of a backboard.

3. Janko Tipsarevic d. Andy Roddick – Wishful thinking may have driven me to predict another semifinal appearance from Andy Roddick. He’s had a rough summer. He crashed out of DC and missed Toronto sighting a mild case of mono. I honestly don’t think Andy’s been the same since losing Wimbledon last year. I think that was his last great push at winning a major and like always, Roger Federer was standing in his way. Roddick was the 2003 US Open champion, but hasn’t been able to garner another Grand Slam since. For those of us who love him, it’s rough to see him fall in the second round at anything, no less the US Open. If you’re like me and you’re nostalgic for the days when Roddick was on top, check out this article from the Sports Illustrated vault (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1029811/1/index.htm). Thanks @linzsports for posting this link on twitter. Man, hindsight really is 20/20.

2. Michael Llodra d. Tomas Berdych – Tomas Berdych was always considering a tour underachiever, until he made the semifinals of the French Open and did the near impossible, taking out Roger Federer at Wimbledon, en route to his first major final. He’s had an amazing year. The problem is, once you “breakout,” people expect you to keep up that level of play. Everyone, including me, had already set up the Andy Murray/Tomas Berdych quarterfinal when the draw came out. Turns out neither of them made it there. Michael Llodra may have turned 30 this year, but he’s never played better. I guess he odd serve and volley game confused Tomas because this first round loss confused all of us. Photo by Al Bello at Getty Images.

1. Stanislas Wawrinka d. Andy Murray – I’m kind of glad I didn’t buy Sunday tickets to the US Open because this match would’ve made me miss my flight. I was shocked when I checked twitter and saw Murray was losing to Wawrinka. I was waiting for my plane in JFK and booked it over to the sports bar. Just as things were getting good, some jerky bartender changed over to the Mets game. Really, the Mets game? I just got up and walked out. Don’t worry, I hadn’t even ordered yet. Luckily I found somewhere to watch this match. Murray’s likely in the best form of his life and certainly the most talented player currently on tour who’s never won a Grand Slam. The guy can’t seem to catch a break. He’s made a couple major finals, but Roger Federer has always been there to stop him. Now that Federer isn’t the dominant force he used to be, it looked like Andy might have a chance. He WAS a better hardcourt player than Rafael Nadal. I certainly saw him making it to the semis, but Stan Wawrinka pulled off the shock win.

Fashion Dos

Maria Sharapova – I wasn’t sold on the Donna Reed outfit when Nike released pictures of their players’ kits. However, I did a complete 180 when Masha walked on court. The girl could wear a trash bag and she’d still look like a supermodel, but the retro turquoise number actually looked super cute. I liked her purple night dress even better. It’s just a shame she didn’t stick around to wear it more often. That being said, do not purchase either of these dresses from Nike. She’s an international tennis superstar and 6’2” blond with a modelesque physique. If you are a housewife who plays local league tennis and has some cash to burn, you will look like an idiot. Don’t worry, I would look just as silly. If you want to get some of Masha’s look, try her USO practice skirt. It’s got the same button details as the Donna Reed dress and it’s slate grey with turquoise accents. You’ll get a similar, but more subtle look. Photo by Matthew Stockman of Getty Images.

Ana Ivanovic/Daniela Hantuchova – I feel like these two should’ve been in an issue of People magazine’s “Who Wore it Better?” section. They both wore a pink/purple Adidas dress. It was very simple and fit them both great. These two are arguably some of the most attractive women on tour so I’m sure whatever they chose would’ve been a hit. Anyway, no one wins. I think they both wore it the best. In this case, you might be able to get away with purchasing this one, but it’s still iffy.

Sam Stosur and the Lacoste Ladies – I pretty much always love the way Lacoste dresses their lady tennis players. Sam Stosur’s outfit at the 2010 French Open is one of my favorite tennis dresses. It was simply and timeless. Sam wore both purple and white versions of the US Open dress, as did the rest of the Lacoste women. Again, it was a simple, practical tennis dress with some cute details. Best of all, normal people actually could wear this and I’m sure Lacoste sold a ton of them in their shop on site.

Roger Federer (the nighttime edition) – Roger Federer usually looks pretty good. I mean he is besties with Anna Wintour, that’s got to come with some kind of fashion sense. When he unveiled the all black look at the US Open a few years ago I was thrilled. In terms of men’s tennis fashion, I’ve never loved a match more than the Roger Federer/Andy Roddick match at the 2007 US Open. Both guys looked super classy in all black. Anyway, I can’t say I was thrilled with Fed’s daytime choice this year, but I’m a big fan of the night kit. Instead of an all black kit, like he’s worn for the last couple of years, he went for an all navy look. I recently expanded to wearing navy from all black so I’m a big fan of the look. It’s a twist on a classic. Plus his clothes always fit immaculately.

Rafa Nadal (also the nighttime edition) – I don’t think I’ve ever praised Nadal’s fashion before. Honestly, I took an early dislike to the guy because he wore Capri pants and tank tops. In case you’re wondering, men should never, I repeat never, wear Capri pants. However, he’s gotten way better in the last couple of years. I can’t say I was crazy about the neon green daytime outfit, but the all black looked great for night matches, definitely a fitting look for his first US Open title.

Fashion Don’ts

Nadia Petrova – Wow. Just wow. I don’t even have words to describe what I think about this dress. Was it some weird attempt to distract her opponent? Did a rainbow fall on her? Was she wearing white when someone threw up a jumbo bag of skittles? Someone, somewhere should have stopped this. Photo by John G. Mabanglo at Landov.

Janko Tipsarevic/Marin Cilic – I realize there were significantly worse monstrosities than this all maroon look. However, I really didn’t like it. Either the shirt or shorts could’ve been maroon, no problem there, but for some reason, both made the look overwhelming.

Venus Williams – Again, what can I say? She had a different outfit for every match and every one was just as bad if not worse than the last. I got to see the black fireworks number in person. It’s kind of see through, has almost no back, and you can see the sparkle from hundreds of feet in the air. Lucky for us, it came in lots of colors, not. Photo by Timothy A. Clary at Getty Images.

Novak Djokovic – The actual outfit was fine, but what was going on with the designs. It looked like Ed Hardy started his own tennis line.

Mama and Papa Djokovic – If Novak’s outfit looked Ed Hardy-esque, I don’t even know who designed these t-shirts. I’m sure you’ve heard, because they got an awful lot of press, but Nole’s parents donned t-shirts prominently featuring his face. I’m glad this happened though. It gave me the opportunity to remind my own parents that regardless of my accomplishments, my face should never appear on a t-shirt.

Players Who Reminded Me Why I Love Them

Tommy Robredo – The forgotten member of the Spanish armada, Tommy made it to the 4th round of singles as well as the semifinals in men’s doubles. He’s a cutie pie and seems like an all around nice guy. He may not be number 5 in the world anymore, but he’s too often forgotten amongst other Spanish players like Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco.

Vera Zvonareva – I don’t care that she lost embarrassingly in the final. She showed heart and kept her cool. She made two major finals this year. Even though the commentators couldn’t let her forget last year’s massive breakdown, she proved them all wrong. Would it have been even better if she won? Yes. But, she’s a career high number 4 and donated her winnings to charity. She’s also got one of the hottest coaches around. Who wouldn’t love her? My favorite thing about Bepa is how relatable she is. She shows the emotions everyone else is feeling. If I were in her place, I’m pretty sure I’d be the same way. Photo by EPA.

Novak Djokovic – Dude fought hard. And, for me to like anyone who beat Roger, well that’s big news. He was also basically the classiest loser I’ve seen in a long time. In addition to all this, he gave us some of the best sound bites of the whole tournament. I don’t have a bad thing to say about the guy.

Caroline Wozniacki – She’s adorable. The idea that this girl is six months younger than me still blows my mind. She did an awesome job of dealing with the pressure of being the number 1 seed. I was pretty sure she was going to win the tournament after watching her beat Maria Sharapova, but she played respectably all the way into the semis. Frankly, I’m happy to see someone on top who’s not Serena Williams. Wozniacki isn’t jaded yet and still seems to revel in each win. Plus, her ability to return pretty much anything astounds me.

Sam Querrey – He was the last American standing in the men’s draw. I think he really is the future of American tennis. I got to see Sam practice on one of the outer courts over Labor Day weekend. His behavior is really the reason he ended up on my list. I don’t think I’ve seen a player who was better with fans. He stuck around for a really long time to take pictures with everyone who asked. I’ve seen players spend extra time before, but they usually look like they can’t wait to get out of there. Sam was super relaxed. For some reason, I find the fact that he still says “you’re welcome” to be incredibly endearing. Plus, he played an awesome five setter against Wawrinka. No worries Sam, you’ll make the quarterfinals soon.

Players Who Reminded Me Why I Don’t

Gael Monfils – I don’t think I even have to explain this. What the hell was he thinking? This kind of reminded me of that time that the Olympic snowboarder was going to win the gold medal and then did a trick because she was so far ahead, ended up falling and taking home a silver medal instead. Not quite the same, Monfils had no real shot at the title, but he was actually up a break on Novak Djokovic early in the first set. Gael, you really shouldn’t showboat unless you’re up two sets to love and a couple of breaks. He let the match get away from him fast. What’s really sad about this is that Monfils is actually really talented. I’m not sure he’ll ever really live up to his potential. Photo by Emmanuel Dunand at Getty Images.

Melanie Oudin – The media hyped her up way too much. I have no issue with the fact that she lost in the second round. Making the quarters last year was pretty extraordinary and I thought she was really cute. However, this year, all she’s done is complain about the expectations put on her.

Venus Williams – I find her incredibly pretentious and annoying, things I often think about Serena as well. Did she really need a new outfit for every match?

Teymuraz Gabashvili – Maybe he’s a great guy. I don’t know. I’m too distracted by the fact that his head is shaped like a lightbulb. This wouldn’t normally bother me because I just don’t watch him, but he played Nadal in round one which meant it was televised.

You Decide – Send me a suggestion. Which player bothers you the most and why? I’ll post the best response, which pretty much means one that I find amusing. Email me at achangeofends@gmail.com.

“Newbies” I Adore

Mandy Minella – I saw Venus beat her soundly, but she still stuck around after the match to sign autographs. Even in defeat, she was smiling.

Beatrice Capra – The media loved her. Like I mentioned earlier, she’s not even a professional. She may have gotten bageled by Maria Sharapova, but she definitely made an impression.

Peter Polansky – I love Canadians. He’s young. He’s cute. He almost beat James Blake. All great things in my book.

Ryan Harrison – The media jumped on this. He beat Ivan Ljubicic in the first round, which honestly didn’t surprise me that much. He’s 18, good looking, and well spoken, a real media dream. Too bad he didn’t make it further in the tournament. He did book himself a spot in this week’s Davis Cup tie though.

Andrea Petkovic – She’s not exactly new, but she’s only become recently popular. Petko’s personality is awesome. She’s funny in that great sarcastic, self-deprecating way, which is pretty much my favorite. She dances when she wins! The second I saw the Petko dance I was done for. She also makes YouTube videos, which are kind of weird, but I like the intentions. Plus, she’s got an awesome first name. :) Photo by AP.

Twitter Storylines

John Isner and Caroline Wozniacki’s shameless flirting

Feliciano Lopez complains about the ex

Fernando Verdasco loves taking pictures

Dmitry Tursunov mocks his tweeps, albeit subtly

Brad Gilbert shares outrageous opinions on the GOAT

Alright, Not So Super Saturday

So today started out quite predictably. Mikhail Youzhny was just overmatched in his encounter with Rafael Nadal. I didn’t envy the player who stood between Rafa and his first US Open semifinal. Nadal has played his best tennis this week in New York. Whatever he did to his serve is working wonders and he’s yet to drop a set in the tournament. Nadal was on fire this morning, storming past Misha in three sets. This was still a great run for the Russian, who will jump back into the top 10 on Monday. This was also a great step forward for Nadal, who will compete for his first US Open title tomorrow afternoon, seeking the career Grand Slam.

While the first semifinal of the day took just over two hours, the second was set to be a little more competitive. The number two and three seeds were set to do battle for the last spot in Sunday’s final. Roger Federer has won five US Open titles, appeared in the last six US Open finals, and has sixteen Grand Slam titles to his name. This kind of makes him the perennial favorite. The media had already written off 3rd seed Novak Djokovic, in some cases quite literally. I saw several Fedal previews before the match even ended. In some ways I understood this. Roger Federer is the greatest player of all time so it’s odd for him to lose, but Novak Djokovic is no slouch. Djokovic took out Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2008, ending Federer’s longtime finals streak, and later earning his first Grand Slam title. Honestly, I expected Roger to take this in four. He’s been playing great all week and kind of owns the US Open. However, Djokovic was once again ready to take the wind out of Fed’s sails. Federer won the first set and the match seemed like a forgone conclusion. But then I’m not really sure what happened. Roger gave up two breaks and dropped the second set in a rare fashion, 6-1. The rest of the match was just as crazy as the beginning. Roger broke to win the third set and I was positive he would cruise to the finish line. No go. He lost serve in the first game of the fourth and Djokovic leveled the match at two sets all after winning the fourth 6-2. The fifth set was about as dramatic as we could’ve hoped for. The commentators and fans alike were still sure Roger would pull it out. He even held three match points on Nole’s serve. Djokovic did an amazing job of holding it together and finally got the break so he could serve for the match. Try as he might, Roger Federer could not stave off Novak Djokovic and succumbed 7-5 in the fifth set. As bad as I feel for Federer, Djokovic definitely deserved this. Bad news, we’ll be seeing more of those horrible shirts that Nole’s parents wear.

After this dramatic affair, what would the women give us? Vera Zvonareva looked nothing less than inspired against Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals. ‘Bepa’ was all set to compete in her second consecutive Grand Slam final. Not bad for a girl who cried in the middle of her match last year. She’s come a long way mentally and has proven she has the game to beat top players. Bepa was set to face defending champion Kim Clijsters. Kim came into the final on a 20 match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. All the facts indicated that this should be an interesting match. Kim lead the head to head 5-2, but Vera came out on top in their last two meetings, both this summer.

If any of you actually watched this, you know where this story’s headed. Bepa lost. Alright, she didn’t just lose, she lost spectacularly. The match lasted a whopping 59 minutes, the shortest since 1980. Vera stuck with it, but Kim outplayed her, seemingly unable to miss a ball. Clijsters’ ability to return almost anything is just astounding. Kim finally put Bepa out of her misery and ended things at 6-1, 6-2. Vera did good. She held it together for the whole award ceremony. This was an unfortunate display for women’s tennis, which is generally less popular than men’s tennis. The fans seemed almost confused. Do you cheer against someone simply because they’re winning too quickly? Even Kim seemed embarrassed to celebrate such a crushing victory. All in all, this clearly wasn’t the best match of the tournament by any means, but congratulations to Kim Clijsters all the same.

On a totally unrelated note, I've included a pic of Sergey from Bepa's practice last Saturday, because really, who doesn't want a gratuitous picture of Sergey?

It’s too late for me to do an in depth finals preview for Nole/Rafa, so I’m going to get straight to the point here. Rafa’s playing incredible tennis. Nole played a five set match against the best player of all time less than 24 hours before he has to best the current best player in the world. The odds are kind of stacked in Nadal’s favor here. I think Djokovic will put up at least some resistance. Don’t worry, we’re not going to see another Kim/Vera. However, I think Rafa will keep on rolling and win his first US Open title without dropping a set. I’ll check back in tomorrow for my post match summary. Good night all!

Super Saturday

It’s Super Saturday at the US Open and that means two men’s semifinals and the women’s final. I’ve put together a few quick predictions. I was super tempted to do a write up like Nick Bollettieri, who said both women’s semifinals could go either way, but I mustered up some courage and decided to be decisive. I may be wrong, but I figured that’s half the fun.

First up, Rafael Nadal and Mikhail Youzhny will fight for a spot in their first US Open final. It’s pretty shocking that Rafael Nadal hasn’t been able to make the final at Flushing Meadows before. He has 8 Grand Slam titles, including one on hard courts at the Australian Open. I don’t agree with the chatter that he could be the GOAT. I’m going to need him to win another 8 Slams before I consider that, but he definitely has what it takes to win the US Open. Youzhny has equaled his best Grand Slam performance by making this semifinal, which will put him back in the top 10. Going into the competition, I believed Nadal would be troubled by Andy Murray and lose in the semifinals. Not only did Andy Murray lose in the 3^rd round, but Nadal has showcased a new service motion that makes him appear unbeatable. Youzhny scraped through his quarterfinal against Wawrinka on Thursday in five sets and played a four setter against Tommy Robredo in the 4^th round. Nadal, on the other hand, has only dropped serve once during the whole tournament and has yet to lose a set. I think you can all see where this is going. This has been a great showing for Mikhail Youzhny, but Nadal will book a spot in his first US Open final by defeating Youzhny in straight sets.

Next up, five time champion Roger Federer will take on Novak Djokovic. It’s tough to bet against a guy who’s won five of the last six US Opens and came in runner up last year. In my original preview, I thought Mardy Fish might be able to give Novak a run for his money in the 4^th round, but no such luck for Mardy. After a five set scare by countryman Viktor Troicki in the first round, Djokovic has cruised into the semifinals without losing another set. I attended his 3^rd round match against James Blake and Nole looked to be in great form. It’s windy and by windy I mean Arthur Ashe seems to be acting like the home to a mini tornado. I would argue that no player has dealt better with the wind the past two weeks than Roger Federer. In his quarterfinal against Robin Soderling, Federer seemed to be playing in completely normal conditions while Soderling looked like he was fighting a wind tunnel. I’m a big Federer fan, but frankly there’s something magic about this guy. Plus, he’s given us tennis’ new trend, the tweener, which he first showcased in last year’s semifinal against Novak. Djokovic may be playing very well, but I think Federer will edge his way into a seventh consecutive US Open final. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Novak will take a set off Federer, but even that’s hopeful. I think we’re in store for the very first Fedal final in Flushing Meadows.

I’ll do a more in depth final preview once we’re sure it’s going to be those two.

Finally, Vera Zvonareva and defending champion Kim Clijsters will take the court to compete for the women’s singles title. Initially, I chose Maria Sharapova as 2010 champion, but the wind proved too much for her in her battle against Caroline Wozniacki. I’m not taking anything away from Caroline. I had paid little attention to Wozniacki before, but was truly amazed by her court coverage and her returning ability in the last week and a half. As soon as Masha went down, I changed my mind and was absolutely certain that Caro would be the eventual champion. I’m clearly not very good at this bracket making thing. The number one seed lost yesterday’s semifinal to Vera Zvonareva, Wimbledon finalist. Zvonareva has had an incredible year, making two Grand Slam finals, something she had never done prior to Wimbledon. She’s well known in New York for her 4^th round meltdown in 2009. She held six match points but ended up losing the match after being bageled in the third set against Flavia Pennetta. Vera’s come a long way from USO 2009. She’s calm and collected. Well at least as calm as Bepa can be. I like emotional players. I think it makes them seem more human. She’s endearing and I would love to see her win her first Grand Slam title. Her opponent will be Kim Clijsters, who has now won 20 consecutive matches at the US Open. She was the 2005 champion and returned from retirement in 2009 to win the entire tournament. Kim bypassed Venus Williams yesterday to make it to her third consecutive final at Flushing Meadows. She certainly goes in as the favorite. Both of these players are known for losing it a little on court. Bepa tends to cry while Kim just tends to disappear for a few games at a time. The final outcome will depend on who can hold it together mentally. Both players have showed they have the skills to win, but with the windy conditions and the added pressure of a Grand Slam title at stake, one of them will fold. I think Kim’s experience will help pull her through to her third US Open title in three sets.

I’m sure at least one of these predictions will go awry, so I’ll check back tomorrow with a women’s wrap up and a men’s finals preview. For now, I'm going to call it a night.