I think there are many players who would be delighted to look down their toilet to find a game that has brought a semifinal or better in all three grand slams this year. I guess if you were Roger Federer, you get judged on a different level.

In 1996, Sampras’ grand slam results leading into the US Open was 3rd round in the AO, semifinal in RG, quarters at Wimbledon.

Although there is no doubt Federer’s play is down from previous years, it has still been exceptional. What about his serving when down 3 break points in the 3rd set at Wimbledon? What about the legendary backhand pass when down match point in the 4th set tiebreak? How long ago was that?

Federer needs to improve to be a much better player than Nadal and Djokovic again. Right now, I’d say he is a little bit behind Nadal and a little bit ahead of Djokovic. But he needs to improve, practice and cut out the denials.

For the record, Sampras won the US Open that year.

Funny pipe dream Sean - and it actually makes sense in a weird kind of way.

Cilic is already up a set on “the Fed killer” - as you put it. He’s got a wicked serve and I think harder shots than Simon. But I still think Simon could come storming back, like he did against Roger.

People are kind of writing off Murray a bit to quick, I think. Yes, Novak has a great record against him, but records don’t last. And I think Murray’s really trying to turn a corner. Whether he can or not, I am not sure, but I think he’s totally in with a shot. But he can’t go off to never-neverland mid match like he did with Stan; he’d have to be focused the entire way against Novak. Novak will be sending back most of his first serves, I’d think.

I’d pick Nadal and Blake too but agree they could go either way.

No way in hell Roddick needs anything more than a sharp slap across the face from Carlos Bernardes. I doubt Higueras would agree to work with a spoiled brat.

It’s interesting to note that all of the quarter final match ups involve lopsided H2Hs -

Simon 2 - Cilic 0
Blake 3 - Kiefer 0
Djoko 4 - Murray 0
Rafa 4 - Gasquet 0

So either we have a continuation of the pattern or we have the elimination of a bagel or 2 in these match ups.

This is very creative and entertaining.

With Mirka, A-Rod would have less sex and more tennis (fore)play for sure to be reminded that sex life can wait for a 2 more years while tennis life cannot. With Brook, Fed would have his 1st orgasm, much needed to recharge his racket skills to the level of 2005-2006.
Pardon me for going a little off my public character.

Ref: “Andy who grew up in Nebraska and now resides in Texas deep down is probably a country kinda guy.”

Btw, Sean, Andy did not grow up in Nebraska. He was only born there (1982). His family moved to Austin, Texas when Andy was 4 years old (1986). From 1993-2000, he was in Boca Raton, Florida. After finishing high school, he came back to Austin in 2000 and bought a second home in Austin in 2003. That does not make him a country boy, does it? Well, yours is a fiction in spirit with some moral, so a slight alteration is acceptable.

The professorly plod of your overbaked writing has me wondering when you’ll have your first orgasm.

You “would pick Nadal and Blake” for the final?

As all the remaining 8 are capable of winning the whole thing, any thing can happen.

It could be:
Simon vs. one of Gasquet/Murray/Nadal/Djoko
Cilic vs. one of the four
Kiefer vs. ditto
Blake vs. ditto

I’d pick Simon vs. Djoko. That is just my hope. I am prepared to be disappointed, so I’d appreciate if you don’t remind my pick.

What a nasty piece of trash writing. You make it sound like the only important thing is to have a “swimsuit model” as a gf. Mirka and Roger’s relationship should be a model for people. They have been together for a long time, and that in itself is a feat that should be admired and not trashed. I wonder how your partner feels about you dreaming of a swimsuit model taking her place, or is it you cannot even hold on to a relationship and the green monster is hitting you pretty hard. As for Roger’s coach, give him sometime to work with Roger. You may have a surprise in store. One last thing, it is the nature of the beast that is athletic competition that has winning and losing attached to the games. I admire all the athletes that pick themselves up after falling, and falling again. And yet they keep trying, keep practicing , keep playing matches despite morons like you who are willing to tear down the human spirit by writing nasty stuff to get a rise out of the fans like me. Fed has more class than you in winning and losing.

Shital,

I assume this question is addressed to me: “You “would pick Nadal and Blake” for the final?”

And the answer is no. I would pick them to come through their matches today though; that’s what I was talking about.

I’d love to see a Simon Djoko final of course, but Djoko’s side of the draw is so packed; first he has to get by Murray, and he has the edge there. But then he has to get by the winner of Nadal or Gasquet. That’s tough.

Simon, however, is now cruising in the third set, so he should get to the semis and probably the finals. Quite the run for him!

Ravi, Well said.

There is a saying that goes such … “Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic.”

While Federer and Roddick have the what it takes to turn things around in a hurry, Sean will be writing silly columns for an internet site pontificating about trading partners and coaches for the rest of his life.

I think you’re right. The man is burnt out, and one of the prime symptoms is that you don’t take pleasure in your job like you used to. You become cynical and defensive and you make mountains out of molehills (losing the no. 1 spot isn’t quite a molehill, but it’s not the end of the world, either.)

When you think of how well he played in Wimbledon, this loss seems pretty insubstantial. But for Fed fanatics and Federer himself, it’s snowballed into a disaster beyond belief.

He needs to relax - maybe not with Decker - but somehow, someway.

Sean,

This is just overly dramatic. Federer is no doubt struggling and I think he would even admit that. Still, his results in 2008 look a lot like Djokovic’s in 2007 when everyone was fawning over the fact that a 3rd consistently elite player is emerging. So as bad as it is by Roger’s 2004-07 standards he has still posted a good year by most other players’ standards. Also, a lot of tennis remains to be played in 2008.

This sort of column just really harps on a short term reality that may or may not foretell the future for Federer.

Gilles Simon is now riding an 8 match winning streak on North American hard courts w/ wins over Federer, Haas, Tursunov, Cilic, Querrey, Benjamin Becker, Mahut and Donald Young. Not a bad set of wins. Any credit for the hot unheralded player of the Summer? No just Roger needs a new girlfriend and is unhappy … piercing analysis.

Do people have a little bit of sense of satire around here? Are we not reminded of Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal in which he proposes selling children for food, cannibalism and infanticide? Does not Sean’s writing derive its irony from shock value like that of Swift’s? For the ironic/ satiric reading, Sean also cautions us at the outset not to take the content literally. He opens with, “Obviously I am [only] joking,” and ends that section with “all this is a pipe dream of course,” reminding the reader what he is doing.

Simon is definitely rolling; maybe he’s the French player who will step up and win? We all thought Tsonga at the beginning of the year, then we thought maybe Gasquet at Wimbledon, but along comes Simon to surpise us on hard courts. He had good early hardcourt results at Marseille (Q) and Rotterdam (S) and was ousted only by Rafa at the AO, and he won a clay title this year, but I don’t think any of us would’ve predicted this run. It’s nice to see a break through like this.

He looked exhausted in his post-match interview today though.

Bad match by Blake, but Kiefer is having a stellar day; everything is going in and he’s all business. Blake meanwhile is overhitting and looks like he’s still not awake. Quite a lop-sided and boring quarter that one. I hope the next two live up to their potential.

Another idiotic article

“Ref: “Andy who grew up in Nebraska and now resides in Texas deep down is probably a country kinda guy.” ”

Andy now has a place in NYC.

” Mirka and Roger’s relationship should be a model for people. ”

Following around your boyfriend for years on end and earning a small salary. That’s BS and no model any woman should follow- ’cause a girlfriend will get dumped after the career ends. At least a wife can get some protection.

Back to tennis:
I am watching the East West Bank Classic on tennis channel(actually, I am typing on here while it plays in the background– actually, I have my fan on high, so I cannot actually hear the match).
The stadium is empty, the stadiums always seem empty- how long before sponsors run away from the WTA? Who is making money from this?

It’s obvious that Federer has lost interest in his game, and that is due to the situation as it now stands, e.g., he’s not winning as he previously had been doing from ‘04 through ‘07, due to the new threats he’s now facing in the younger players. Everyone loses interest in their profession, and/or life’s career when success begins to wane, or it becomes more difficult to duplicate whatever it was that catapulted us into the limelight, and earned us the reputation to put us at the top. Fed and his fans should be thankful for the wonderful, stellar years he’s enjoyed. For him, it happened over a span of 4 years in a lump sum, while for other champions it was spread out over an 8-10 year period. Perhaps the joy would have lasted for a much longer period had Fed not placed such insurmountable pressure on himself of wanting everything in the shortest possible amount of time. It was sweet while it lasted, and even though his career is not over yet, he’ll just have to adjust to the fact that one cannot turn back the clock, but one has to accept the truth of the situation and go forward with fewer expectations, while cherishing each trophy/win, and savoring the moment, whether GS or MS, with thankfulness. Fed can obtain renewed zeal and joy by living in the moment instead of looking forward, while holding a trophy in his hand of a present win, and dreaming/thinking about how many more trophies he’d like to win. Greed can diminish our happiness and we begin to lose our perspective as to what it was that placed the fire in our hearts initially, to pursue our chosen profession. On the other hand, a spirit of thankfulness and appreciation for our in-the-moment achievements can place a new spark and zeal in our hearts which enables us to move on with renewed vigor while simultaneously relinquishing our self-imposed pressures.

Federer is struggling with his his own self-imposed pressures. No one, I’m sure, has ever said to him that he has “X” amount of years in which to break records and rewrite history. He has done that all by himself, and by so doing did not take the time to enjoy his accomplishments, but kept looking forward to the next big win. He’s the only one who can remove those lofty goals. He mentioned he created a monster, yes he did, but the reason he created the monster was due to his vanity, vis-a-vis, he wanted to be the star that lit up the boards. Unfortunately, through experiential learning, and the wisdom of years, we come to understand that those accomplishments which give us happiness and places us riding high on a cloud nine, are only fleeting moments, and as soon as the feeling passes, a week, or two later, we want more. It’s an insatiable feeling and we endeavour to fill a bottomless pit which is gargantuan in all proportions.

I’d say Federer will continue to win tournaments and possibly break Sampras’ slam record, but he has to relinquish his present mind-set of wanting it all, and just let things happen, when they happen. By so doing, he’ll enjoy his tennis more and eventually when he breaks the records his joy will be greater because it was done without the self-imposed stress. However, this all depends on whether he wants to do it a little at a time or he wants to continue for it to happen like yesterday.

“Andy now has a place in NYC.

Andy bought a condo for his Brooklyn in Gramercy Park, New York City. My nephew lives two buildings down the road from Andy, and when I worked in New York, my ofice was within 6 block radius from that bulding. Why did I leave New York City?

” Mirka and Roger’s relationship should be a model for people. ”

I won’t call that relationship one that any self-respecting woman should indulge. It’s bad as a role model for young men and/or young women. Eight (8) years is a ridiculously long time for a woman to wait and shack up, but if she’s stupid enough to sell herself short on respect then it’s her fault. I’m sure she’s stashed away a few millions, but it’s not the money, it’s a matter of is she just a convenience or does he love her? He’s friends with Pete and Tiger, who’ve married their girl-friends in a short space of time — I wonder how their wives view the Fed/Mirka lifestyle. I don’t blame him, I pity her for having such little self-respect and being content to settle for morsels.

Von,

I think, also, that Roger may’ve started to believe all the fans and pundits who were calling him the “greatest ever” to wield a racket, and that’d put a lot of pressure on him from outside too, to live up to the expectations and do what everyone wants him to do or even expects him to do - win everything, the French, the Olympics, every GS and MS event, break Pete’s GS record, and Borg’s 5 Wimbledons in a row, etc - and do it soon. Some of that is internally imposed, but some of it is externally imposed.

Perhaps, he should’ve left off those 3 orient exhibition matches last year, too, which were about hype and money, as well as the NYC one, and he should’ve taken the down time for himself.

Also, I just wanted to say that this next bit you wrote is really meaningful for anyone who loses perspective for whatever reason - and I think, though you wrote about “greed” specifically, one could insert any number of feelings and thoughts into your prose, and it would still be meaningful:

“[insecurity, failure or whatever] can diminish our happiness and we begin to lose our perspective as to what it was that placed the fire in our hearts initially, to pursue our chosen profession. On the other hand, a spirit of thankfulness and appreciation for our in-the-moment achievements can place a new spark and zeal in our hearts which enables us to move on with renewed vigor while simultaneously relinquishing our self-imposed pressures.”

I thought it was telling that in the on-court interview after Djokovic’s first (second) round win over Dancevic, he specifically mentioned that he didn’t want to think about points; he wanted to “have fun” on his “favorite surface”.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t want to win or defend his points but it does show that he’s trying to open the pressure valve a bit and enjoy tennis. That’s important. Easy said than done, but it’s a good attitude.

Roger’s got to feel just a little burnt out from how much he’s achieved and how hard he’s worked. If he slips a little in the rankings who cares; maybe some time to regroup would allow him to come back stronger and fresher.

What I find strange about all this Fed losses is this,this man holds 12 GS,unbelievabe Consecutive no 1 weeks record, record streaks of GS won consecoutively and other hosts of records but peolpe are making so much fuss.

To fed himself and Fed fans: why is he crying he has 5 consecutive SW19, he can extend his US open streak and a host of others why cry over loosing no 1 when it is certain he will get it back,why cry over loosing GS when he most likely will eclipse sampras

To antifed fans: He is human and he will definitely loose it doesnt mean his career is over.

I would have lost interest in tennis if people like nadal and djoko where not there to challenge fed unlike imposters of tennis players with no mental toughness but have ability to beat fed like blake,nalbadian,davydenko,gonzo and others.

Fed fans should stop manufacturing excuses(60% fed,mono,slow grass,slow hardcourt) etc Credit should be given to Nadal and Djoko for stepping up and beating fed and their efforts should not be belittled and the antifed people should stop wallowing in constantly shooting at fed fans because their guy is down he will come back for sure.

Lets watch tennis and appreciate the great era of tennis unfoldin b4 us .

Its really hard to see roger playing at the moment. He lost self patience and do not win the big points. last 4 years, he playes this points like a machine. We all forgot about the illness he had and still has. It is a virus who is never disappears the whole life. Lots of sportler had to stop their career after all. Federer is missing the 100% energy and mental strenght because of this f… virus. I am sure that he will come back, even as strong as he was once. Nadal is playing a aggressive power tennis who reminds me of bulldog and he even looks like this. wasn t he on the list of Dr. Fuentes years ago? didn t he look like a muscle man with just 18 years?! he will be number one soon, but he will never keep it as long as federer did. He will have to take care of his knees. He will be an old man by the age of 26, playing power tennis like this… Federer will always be the King! Never forget about he did for the tennis and his sport…

jane:

The situation with Federer, and I’ve mentioned this before on another thread, is similar to many professionals, and I cited doctors as an example. They initially want to help the sick, but eventually they become greedy for wealth, which causes them to become involved in over billing and Medicare fraud, etc. Human beings have an innate desire for greed. It’s something that creeps into our minds without the person realizing it’s happening. If you noticed I stated happiness is only fleeting. As a Christian, I believe joy is supposed to be the feeling we’re supposed to enjoy, which is lasting, not happiness. Joy is associated to an inward peace and contentment, while happiness hinges upon enjoyment of things and the pleasure derived therefrom. We can have momentary happiness, but joy is lasting. It’s a different way of viewing things but if one can embrace this type of mindset wealth, status and possessions take a backseat. Anyway, I shouldn’t be talking about such on this site.

hey jane. guess you are right…

I love the game,

I, too, totally appreciate the arrivals of both Rafa and Novak and am a strong supporter of both of these young champions - I hope they will continue to delight us with their games and intensity.

Rico,

Thanks, but I am just guessing; only Roger knows the truth as to his struggles and what to do about them.

“By the looks of it, Federer simply is not having much fun out there on the tennis court. The guy’s hardly smiling anymore as his game’s been really in the toilet all year.”

“And it’s not a stretch to think that this is what we’ll be seeing more of in the future as Federer, Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and many others are slowly being phased out.”

His season may not be anything near his usual standards, but he is still the #2 player of 2008 in the race. That means he’s been more consistent than Djokovic. Your comments are a bit harsh to him I would say.

He isn’t on his way out just because of one season. It’s only two slams that he’s lost unexpectedly in (the French doesn’t count, because he never had any business winning that from Rafa anyway). He’ll be able to bounce back next year, or even at the US Open this year. He’ll probably never say that grass is his favorite or best surface again (that was what he said not long ago).

What’s going to happen between now and the end of the year for Fed is going to be unpredictable. You just never know. If he slumps to an early defeat in Cincy, we can safely write off 2008. But if he comes back strong and wins Cincy or a gold medal, he’s in the game and could very well salvage his season at the USO.

Tall order but. The biggest test I want to see is him playing Djokovic or Nadal on hard court.

Please spare us your personal judgments on Federer’s relationships. Everyone is free to live their personal lives as they please. There is no higher moral ground when it comes to relationships.

As Von said, ” Anyway, I shouldn’t be talking about such on this site.”. Let’s start talking more about the actual tennis and less about Christian mumbo jumbo.

Oleg:

In case you didn’t notice this thread was about Fed’s lifestyle. And my comment about talking such on this site concerned deriving happiness/joy from our profession. — comprehension 101.

“With Mirka, A-Rod would have less sex and more tennis (fore)play for sure to be reminded that sex life can wait for a 2 more years while tennis life cannot. With Brook, Fed would have his 1st orgasm, much needed to recharge his racket skills to the level of 2005-2006.
Pardon me for going a little off my public character.”

Is Roddick a catholic?

jane

i know that i read this blog alot

“With Mirka, A-Rod would have less sex and more tennis (fore)play for sure to be reminded that sex life can wait for a 2 more years while tennis life cannot. ”

As a New Yorker, I was like “OMG A-Rod dumped Madonna for Mirka!!”

Damn Andy Murray, Go on with your bad Scott Self!

Mary,

I thought Murray might be different today; I think that win over Gasquet at WImbledon gave him confidence. I assume you’re saying that because you want Djoko to win? I do too, especially because he’s defending points, but I have always liked Murray and his variety.

Quick 1st set to Murray - wow. I thought Djoko would put up a tighter fight but he wasn’t able to capitalize on his chances in the last game there.

Jane,
Djoko has to cut on his UEs, play more aggressive, and take early shots if he wants to win. If he continues the way he is playing, he will lose to Murray for the 1st time ever.

The reason why Roger is playing poorly because Federer has gone somewhere and he hasn’t come back. Roger needs to find Federer and when the two become one again, then Roger Federer will play like they used to. I am not sure whether Mirka has actually broken them apart though, and I don’t know which one of the two, who is with Mirka right now.

Novak is not on form tonight Shital, and Murray is way on top of him so far. To tell you the truth, I’d love to see Murray win this thing if Djoko is knocked out by him.

To me Murray has the variety in his game to be number 1 if he can put together fitness and mental stamina with his shot selection and tactics (except for drop-shot-itis).

Djoko’s body language is very negative. He’s missing a lot with his forehand and overhitting. Murray has positive body language and is being very aggressive. If Djoko doesn’t tighten up with the UEs, this match will be over in 2 sets because Murray seems very determined.

I unofficially declare Djoko lost in straight sets.

very funny st4r5

I withhold my unofficial declaration for a moment (after the break back).

See my post from 12:00 pm today; I knew Murray would be determined here; he’s been talking about it all year and things came together for him at Wimbledon to a degree. Plus he may be better on hard courts than grass.

He’s a top ten player - and soon to be top five.

But Novak has the game to beat him; he just may not have it tonight!

Von, Djoko is making a lot of errors and I agree his body language is not as upright as it can be, but Murray is playing sparkling tennis tonight, and he’s dictating.

where can you see the game? on which tv channel?

It’s available at TSN.ca I

jane;

Djoko looks winded now because Murray is moving him from side to side. Another strategy Murray is using, and one which is confusing Djoko, is that of directing his second serve to Djoko’s backhand consistently. This is confusing Djoko and causing him to hit more UEs. Some of Murray’s net volleys are dropping at Djoko’s feet which is causing him to hit into the net. It seems to me that Murray has done a lot of homework for this match, and has some very thought out strategies, which he is employing, to Djoko’’s detriment.

Rico:

ESPN2.

Congratulation Jane. You got your prediction right.
Congratulation to Murray !

Yes, Von; I agree. And I think it’s Murray’s night. He’ll do his homework for either Rafa or Gasquet too, if he hasn’t already. Murray is fired up. And he has a girlfriend he’s happy with (returning to the topic of this thread) and a troop of coaches etc behind him.

Shital - don’t think I am super happy about it; but you know when you have a feeling about something? Well I had that about today’s match. I still think Novak has the game to beat Murray but he’s making too many errors and Murray is doing everything right tonight. Plus I like Murray so am happy for him while sad for Novak.

If he loses (it’s not over yet), this means a couple of unexpected losses for Novak so he’ll have to work on things afterwards - review what’s up.

jane:

Poor Djoko — he was befudled. Two strategies that paid off for murray was his aggressiveness tking the ball early even inside the baseline, and the other was peppering Djoko’s backhand on his second serve. I don’t think Djoko expected Murray to be so effective with his second serve. Djoko’s forehand was his undoing.

Something strange is happening with the court; the ball is bouncing up high which will be to Nadal’s benefit. The court is more suited to those players who take the ball early, like Cilic did yesterday, and moving forward inside of the court.

If Nadal wins tonight, I suppose he’ll win the tournament.

Oh WOW, Djoko broke back and is now ahead at 5-4. It seems we now have a match, and Djoko is playing more aggressively.

Yes Von, tonight Murray has stolen the baseline from Djoko, where he likes to plant himself. But Novak is playing better now; it’s just that it may be too late. We’ll see.

If Nadal wins tonight he’ll probably win the tournament; however, and maybe this is audacious of me, I could see Murray winning the whole thing.He wants a big event under his cap; a Masters or a slam, and he wants it bad. He’s not sullen anymore; he’s committed. I expect him to move up to top five soon.

Good for Murray. Nadal’s match can be seen at the link here:

Justin.tv’s sport section usually has all of the matches throughout the year.

Sorry, never posted a link here just click on Mary to get to the site.

Jane, Sorry Djoko lost. His forehand was his undoing. He made 2 silly drop shots in the tiebreak, which were unnecessary.

I also would love to see Murray win a MS title — he’s overdue and he’s put a lot of time and effort in his quest to be in the top 5. His hard work and commitment will be rewarded soon.

“Following around your boyfriend for years on end and earning a small salary. That’s BS and no model any woman should follow- ’cause a girlfriend will get dumped after the career ends. At least a wife can get some protection.”

That’s rather cynical, Mary. A similarly cynically inclined man would think, if you’re a rich guy, and the money deserts you, so does the girlfriend/wife. Or if you’re a talented athlete, and your results go down the gutter.

It looks likely their relationship is based on more than that. Roger seems to be a gentleman. I know he can do much better than Mirka. She is an overweight has-been. But he hasn’t replaced her, after all these years.

Mary, I would never do that to anyone
(yes I know I’m not in his position, though admittedly I’d have gone for someone different if I was), even if I was a tycoon who could get a different girl each night. Please don’t judge all men to be like that.

Pete Sampras didn’t dump his girl when he retired.

“I won’t call that relationship one that any self-respecting woman should indulge. It’s bad as a role model for young men and/or young women. Eight (8) years is a ridiculously long time for a woman to wait and shack up, but if she’s stupid enough to sell herself short on respect then it’s her fault. I’m sure she’s stashed away a few millions, but it’s not the money, it’s a matter of is she just a convenience or does he love her? He’s friends with Pete and Tiger, who’ve married their girl-friends in a short space of time — I wonder how their wives view the Fed/Mirka lifestyle. I don’t blame him, I pity her for having such little self-respect and being content to settle for morsels.”

Maybe he’s not the marrying type? But I’m sure I saw a big diamond studded engagement ring on her finger earlier in the year right? Or maybe he’s just waiting for her to get in shape so that when they walk down the aisle, it doesn’t look so embarassing in the photos years later.

Murray deserves a big congrats; that was a great match, and the second set was full of some very entertaining tennis. Novak can make up for lost points next week in Cincy, but he’ll need to review that match as he could learn from it.

I want Nadal or Murray to win the tournament.

Von,

Thanks. I think Shital is sadder than me. Probably if he didn’t lose to Murray, I feel worse about it. Novak missed all of his break chances and he’s had a few. Plus Novak started slow and made a lot of errors.

Just not his night; by contrast, it was Murray’s night from the get-go. He played well.

I am the BIGGEST Djoko supporter. You can pour your venom on me. Djoko laid a dozen BIG rotten eggs. He stunk. He played worst tennis ever. His obnoxious, big mouth, family got what they wanted. His career is over. The list will go on from haters. Anything else?

Hey everyone, it’s been a little while and I hope you all have been well in the meantime.

I actually called this one (Murray over Djokovic) for a combination of reasons, but I’d have never imagined Murray would’ve taken a tiebreak off of Novak.

Congratulations and condolences to the respective fans.

Completely off topic random thought: Does Davydenko have any fans (aside from the Russian mafia or whatever - only kidding…)? It just occurred to me that I can’t recall having ever come across anyone vying for him.

Shital Green,

I know you’re being facetious, but just ignore those naysayers. Even cutting them off at the front won’t change their minds! LOL.

Djoko played a great second set but a weak tiebreak. He’ll do well in Cincy next week! Keep the faith.

Meantime, Rafa and Gasquet are about to begin; I hope you’re watching!

I’m listening to Koenig’s commentary on Mary’s link… boy this guy is hard to listen to. I feel like shutting it off already, even though I’ve only been listening to him for 5 mins. Now I see what you’re talking about.

I like Doug and Jason though, who I’ve heard on other networks before.

Jane: I’m proud of Murray for winning. I would not have minded Novak; It’s nice to see Murray shake off the choke reputation.

JFC: I’m not being cynical, I’m being realistic. If it involves large amounts of money, sign a pre-nup, if they are legal, then get married. I have heard she runs the show, but without the ring, she’s screwed. There has to be more to it then “we’re waiting,” especially when you are together 24/7. At this point, forget the big wedding.
This has nothing to do with her looks. I hope they stay together. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll buy the book and watch the tv-movie on Lifetime.

“Pete Sampras didn’t dump his girl when he retired.”

I remember hearing his game went down when he met her. Face it, Pete Sampras, regular dude, would have been way out of her league.

Hey Ra,

Long time no write! Nice to see you back. Gordo made a joking comment about how Davydenko is virtually invisible around here but Gordo’s a Roger fan - a very nice one. So no, I can’t say that I encounter many of them!

Are you calling this next match too?

JCF:

“Maybe he’s not the marrying type? But I’m sure I saw a big diamond studded engagement ring on her finger earlier in the year right?”

I read an article where he stated he’s afraid of marrying and cited the many divorces in tennis as an excuse, as well as his parents marital problems. He says he’s “scarred for life.”. If that’s how he feels, why would any woman want to hang around? Hoping he’ll change his mind or when she’s too old to care?. The ring is an “I love you so much” sweetheart ring.

Ra:

Hello yourself. I wondered what had happened to you. Anyway, glad to see you back!

Von: ” as well as his parents marital problems. He says he’s “scarred for life.”.”

Huh? spill!

Gasquet broke back!

JCF:

“Mary, I would never do that to anyone
(yes I know I’m not in his position, though admittedly I’d have gone for someone different if I was),”

Never say never. And, pray tell me, what kind of girl you would have gone for — that different someone? Let’s find out what the real JCF’s like.

Thanks, jane. It’s nice to see you, too. Yeah, it’s really bizarre when I think about it.

Not calling this next one; There’s just too much potential for tight competition. I’d love to see a Murray v Gasquet rematch while there last encounter is still fresh, though.

Does JFC stand for “Just Cry Foul”? (I won’t substitute the other f word.)

Mary:

“Von: ” as well as his parents marital problems. He says he’s “scarred for life.”.”

Huh? spill!”

I read that on Tennis Planet — Fed stated that because of his parents pending divorce or their marital problems, (If you notice his parents do not sit together in his box), he was afraid of marrying and it has scarred him for life. If I can find the article I’ll post the link.

I am a supporter of all losers of the world. So I am a supporter of whoever you guys have predicted to lose, in your mind or in writing. And I am being serious.
Thanks for the condolence, Ra, now, and can I extend that for the future, too?

“Never say never. And, pray tell me, what kind of girl you would have gone for — that different someone? Let’s find out what the real JCF’s like. :)”

LOL ok. If I was Federer, I probably would have tried for Hingis if he wanted to keep it Swiss (though she’s actually czech). Personally, I’d have an eye on Vaidisova or Ivanovic myself out of the active players. I’m sure he could get anyone he wanted.

Nah, look. I’m not a picky person. But when you say Mirka is getting ripped off, she isn’t even putting in the effort to stay in shape and look good on him. You could make the case that Fed is the one getting ripped off. Someone of his stature could very well have dumped her for someone better by now, but he stuck by her, which suggests to me that there is more to their relationship than “she manages my stuff for me, I’ll keep her around for now while I still need her.” And she seems sincere herself. Doesn’t strike me as a gold digger.

Besides, marriage is just a piece of paper. You can still have everything without it. They live together and share a bed, so it may as well be a marriage.

“their” last encounter, that is… was distracted by match…

Shital, you’re welcome. Wait, you’re only supporting losers? That’s a lot of consolation… I think I’d better dole mine out one match at a time. Good luck with that, though.

Kata Srebotnik isn’t bad look either when she has her makeup on.

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/global/library/80×80/srebotnik_08prozblog_mon_80.jpg
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/global/library/200×250/srebotnik_08prozblog_mon_200.jpg

But then I checked her more natural looking profile pic…

http://cms.zurnal24.si/export/sites/z24/_data/images/tenis/PolonaHercoginKatarinaSrebotnikMain.jpg_138096144.jpg

They changed her profile pic on the WTA site now, but in the old pic, she had crows feet around her eyes. Makeup is pretty amazing.

Shital, I am very sorry for misinterpreting your earlier post; I thought you were being facetious. I stand corrected. Like you I am an underdog rooter and rally behind “losers” (although I don’t think of Novak that way - he’s way TOO GOOD - he just had an off night but he’ll bounce back!) but that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for a winner now and then.

Ra,

I wouldn’t know who to predict in this match. Beautiful competition so far. If it was 5 sets, I’d say no way Gasquet could keep it up, but in 3 it’s not impossible.

Gasquet is playing some sublime tennis thus far.He’s giving Nadal a good workout.

Ra:

I suppose you didn’t see my post saying hello to you? That’s OK, I like being ignored.

Rafa and Gasquet are so tight but great in this tiebreak, both making nervous misses and great shots. An excellent match so far!! Wowsa!

This is tennis. It does not matter who wins. Gasquet and Rafa have already given me the best of tennis.

wow. Didn’t Nadal say he loses when his GF is in the stands? She is in the stands tonight.

Great Drama!!!

That’s my boy, predicted loser takes the 1st set.

Sorry Von, I hadn’t seen it (again distracted by the match). Hello to you, too.

So, this is thus far living up to its potential. It’s such a fine sight to behold…

What a fantastic tiebreak!! Drama supreme — this was tennis of the highest quality. It appears that Gasquet has finally found his form over the past month. His backhand is a thing of beauty and a joy to behold.

what a hell of a tiebreak!