Sean,

***Federer will have another dangerous test in James Blake.**

since when Blake has been a dangerous test for Federer? All I remember from Fed-Blake matcjes, is the submissive attitude of Blake and that “when is this going to end?”look. Blake is a very fast and aggressive player, but not against federer. let’s see how he plays tonight.

I think the most interesting will be Djoko-Monfils and I think Djoko will be victorious. I love Monfils, but he needs to beat two people on the court. The opponent and himself!

Rafa-Melzer should go to Rafa as you mentioned. Still, this can be a dark horse. IF this is their first meet, then it might be a dificult test for RAfa.let’s see.

Hmm, agreed with zola, don’t see Blake being too much of a threat, not versus Federer anyhow.

Blake just won the first set against Fed. This is the 2nd time ever in his career. Anything can happen.
Sean,
Federer is having a “dangerous test,” hoping “the damn breaks.”

Fed is just three games from going out of the singles event.

James now serving up a set and 4-4. If the dam is going to break this is usually when it happens.

And again, given Federer’s hardcourt performance this year, even guys he use to beat easily are no longer easy draws. And James has to know that his, his buddies Mardy and Andy got over on Rog this year, and Robby should have last month.

Fed now serving to stay in the Olympics.

And in the 2nd set, Blake had an early break but squandered it. He had a chance to make 4-2 but got broken. Now, it’s 5-5.

I have been hearing some glottal, unintelligible screams from Fed in this Olympic: Grrhh…Norh…

Sean,
You are right.It is James’s turn now.This will hurt Fed more than the Fish or Rod losses.

He’s going to need to scream to win this. That lucky net cord at 30-30, 5-6 might have saved the day for Fed.

6-6 now.

Damn…… Fed lost.

And there goes Fed’s hopes of ever winning a Gold…

Shocking.

Holy shit.

Blake made history.

Would it have killed Federer to move around a bit? While I am happy Blake won and he kept himself in check, wtf is Fed doing handing all these games over to his opps. He looked like crap from the get-go. Is he just overlooking the opps before Nadal or Nole? It’s BS.

Congratulation to the great American hero of the day, James Blake.
Thank you Fed for showing some emotions !

He’s probably showing a lot more emotions in the locker room. Hope he doesn’t take a long bath with a toaster.

Federer could still win Gold in Doubles, but any doubts anyone had to the crisis he is facing really have to evaporate. He almost needs to shut it down for the year, but doing so would be crazy. The draw was set up nicely for some redemption and reclaiming some momentum and he nearly got blown out today. The comeback to make the 2nd set close was nice, but Federer is more than a nice player. Right now he needs some sort of tennis compass. Doubles quarterfinals still loom, but Roger is going to be hard pressed to rebound emotionally from the singles loss and yet another goal for 2008 flying out of reach.

I noticed Fed got off the court like he was on fire.
Is he just burned out? So many times when Fed’s hit the court this year, he looks physically horrible before the match begins.

I am thrilled that Blake will bring home the gold along with Phelps,BBall teams etc. USA!!!

Sorry, to double post but: I think most other players in his position would have ditched the Games and/or the USO.
Is there a chance Fed will ditch the USO? At least it puts all the pressure on someone else for ‘09.

Mary, no chance Fed ditches the Open. If he loses early there, however, he should ditch the rest of the year, play just the Masters Cup.

He should also ditch those year-end exo’s.

Wow - what a fantastic win for James Blake, and it’s gotta be a huge confidence boost at this stage in the Olympics. I am not utterly shocked, given that Blake was close at the AO, but usually he does cave in at some point. I think he’s such a nice guy so I am truly very happy for him. Could we see another American medaling this Olympics? Last time Fish got silver.

That all said, this has got to be a very sad loss for Roger.

I think it was the exo’s, especially the one in March, and the brand-new Nike contract that kept him from skipping tourneys this year.

Fed is so sad and his face is plastered on, what seems like, every cab, bus, subway, and subway station in NYC.

I wonder if fed can ever get back to the form in which he played last november in the masters cup…….

Federer likely got off the court due to the emotion of an Olympic loss. The odds of an Olympic singles medal ever coming his way seem to be over as by 2012 he would seem unlikely to do it. He cried after losing to Berdych in 2004. It is one thing to be emotional after a win (Federer in Melbourne 2006) but not something Federer likely wanted to share with a television audience after a loss. For his sake I hope he picks up a Bronze or better in doubles. I think he and Stanislas can beat the Indian team and reach the semis if solely due to age, but nothing is a given in Olympic play.

I saw the match from the last game of the second set. Fed was sweaty for the first time and lots o errors. I guess playing both singles and doubles finally got the better of him.

That said, it seemed the first time Blake had not given up the match from the start. There was one point in the tie-break I think that Blake had a great forehand passing shot after a long rally.

Fed’s hopes for a gold medal are still alive in the doubles. I hope he can win it. *hugs to Fed fans here* and congratulations to Blake. He might have a good chance to win the gold medal now.

On a side note, but related to Sean’s title, it looks like Serena may be going out today as well. But Venus is off to a good start.

Does anyone know if there was a rain delay? I thought all these matches would be over by now for some reason.

That’s tough for Roger, another dream gone by.

He should stop for a while (after the USO for example) and recover mentally.

Right now he is not playing with his former lucidity. He still has his outstanding shots but he is not using them properly.

He looks mentally consumed.

Jane,
there WAS a rain delay. I checked the match at about the time it had to be played, and it said the matches were delayed.

Fed-blake were perhaps started a good 3.5-4 hours later.

zola,

“Fed was sweaty for the first time and lots o errors.”

Fed has been sweaty in many previous matches (here and beyond); in fact, he actually did sweat in his matches, before he contracted mono. (Look at the Montreal match against Djoko in 07, for instance). That’s nothing new. Maybe he doesn’t pour sweat like some players, but he sweats. He’s human. And it’s very humid in China.

Nor, really, are the errors anything new.

These are realities for Federer; since spring last year, the errors have been creeping up in his matches, but certainly in 2008 there have been an abundance of them. Nobody can deny that. It’s a fact.

Big time rain delay, matches got started about three-four hours late.

zola, thanks for the update on the rain delay.

Jane,
I have seen Fed swaet, but this was more like a Rafa-type sweat. his hair were wet and his face. I never saw him sweat that much. Humidity is a great factor.

Does anyone know if Rafa-Melzer will be played or postponed?

Roger needs to get with a coach that he likes and trusts, someone to be there for and with him - besides Mirka - in times like this, and in the locker room. A coach could help with the confidence issues and with the troubles he’s having with timing and errors. Mirka can stick to being a significant other and PR manager [though, as Mary implies, I think he could cut down on the PR just now, and focus more inward than outward].

I’ve said this several times before, about the coach, since he lost to Nalby twice last year at least. And I thought when he got Higuerus (sp?) it would help, but it seems this coach is not a regular fixture in Roger’s camp, just like Roach wasn’t.

Dan Martin,
I think he is even more unlikely to do better in the doubles as compared to the singles.I doubt if he can get over the disappointment in time for the qf which is not too far away.Even if the swiss pair wins the qf,they will almost certainly be beaten by the Bryan brothers-I expect them to beat the Aussies in their qf- in the sf.His hopes now rest on 2012.A period of four years is a pretty long one. Fed is 27 already and appears to be well past his prime.Who knows where Fed will be four years from now.He could be retired or not a serious contender for the medals by the time London 2012 arrives.I agree with Sean’s statement that he won’t ever win a gold just like the f.o.

I agree with jane, Federer decline started as early as spring last year. He still won three GS and the Masters-Cup, but he played strangely bad several times all over the year (last year) and this year it is going on more and more clearly.

Vulcan, shouldn’t be postponed, just delayed.

Regarding Fed in doubles. I’d have to agree. I have no idea how Fed will get up emotionally for doubles, and he’ll have to against a good Indian team.

Dementieva just blows another match points against Serena. Looks like a day of upsets perhaps?

Jane,
Yes, Sarena was looking to go out. It was 0-5 in the 3rd set, facing a bagel loss. But now she breaks and holds to make it 3-5. Anything can happen, but I think Dementivia should be able to pull it off somehow.

If you missed Blake-Fed match on live streaming, they are showing on USA tv channel right now. I am watching it 2nd time.

I am sorry to say this but here is the likely scenario: Fed may remain as the new No. 3 through out this year no matter what happens in the remaining season because of his points from last year, but he is very likely to drop below top ten by the mid way through 2009. So Fed fans should be ready to accept this emerging reality.

vulcan,
I think Rafa-Melzer is scheduled after Williams-Li match which is being played now.

I hope they play tonight, now that they had to sit over the rain delay.

Jane,I think coach issues with Fed are a bit complicated. Even Roche was not a full-time coach and that’s one of the reasons that relationship did not work.

Sean,
I think Fed needs to stay positive and keep playing, he lost his first match after Wimbledon in Toronto, played two matches in Cincy and then reached the QF here while playing the doubles. By his standards he should have won everything. But looking at these three events, he is getting better by each tournament. He should just stay positive and keep playing. This is still his surface.

Shital, drop out of the Top 10 sometime next year? That I don’t see. He’ll still be Top 5 come this time next year.

Federer losing to Blake is not that much of a surprise…Blake has been very close on several occassions…and the guy has never lost a Davis Cup match which is indicative of his national pride…so again players can achieve the remarkable at the Olympics. As far as Federer dropping out of the top ten that is a preposterous prediction.

Jane,
Ref: “Does anyone know if there was a rain delay?”

I posted yesterday on the other thread about the weather in Beijing for 3 days right after Monfils-Nalby match got postponed for sometime. I knew the rain would stop sometime after 5:00 pm (Beijing time) and the match would start late.

Zola, Fed’s getting better by event? Maybe in terms of wins/losses, but overall that’s hardly something to hang your hat on. He’s losing to guys he use to dominate.

I do think he needs a couple months off to mentally recharge. Get away from the game. If he doesn’t win the Open what’s there to play for afterward in 2008?

And Serena’s out too.

Zola,
Fed has himself to blame for entering both events.He probably didn’t expect such tough playing conditions and playing one event is tough enough here.That was a bad decision on his part and he has paid for it big time.I didn’t have any high hopes from Fed anyway but it does feel sad when he actually loses this way.I am happy for James however.He really is such a nice guy and I won’t grudge him this well-deserved win esp after so many losses.
I agree with Jane about the ue count.This year has seen him make way too many errors in way too many matches and that is why he is where he is at the moment.In short,his game has been in a mess and it can’t be used as an ‘excuse’ for his losses.This inconsistency is something which was alien to him earlier.He can’t seem to play decently in two straight matches.

I am glad for Dementieva; I like her game except for the abysmal serving. I also prefer Venus of the two sisters so would rather see her through here anyhow.

zola,

Oops, I knew I spelt Roche’s name wrong. Oh well. But that’s just my point about Roger + coaches; they’re never there when he needs them, like during the rain delays at Wimbledon, or here, in the locker room.

You look at players like Rafa and Novak and now Murray too, and it’s the opposite; they have a strong coach & team behind them. During the rain delays, Rafa could talk to Uncle Tony in the locker room. After losing the Cincy final Djoko’s coach could tell him “It’s okay, we’re off to the Olympics”. To me, Roger seems kind of alone in his struggles.

I think Roddick is in a similar boat, actually. A new coach or trainer might help get him on track too.

Vulcan and Sean,
It is not something I can prove it until it happens, so one can call it “preposterous.” This is not my prediction, but a worst case scenario, among many that can speculate on. We will talk about this come 2009 August.

Correction: among many one can speculate on.

While we cannot count Federer out, I would like to see the pressure of winning tourys fall squarely on Nadal’s shoulders. Both Nadal and Nole have had the opportunity to “hide” behind Federer.
I’ve noticed Nadal like to deflect questions by talking about Fed’s greatness. It’s a good move.

Booo Serena!

Shital, are you serious?, Federer out of the top-ten next year?

He’ll stay in the top-3 next year and probably 2010 as well.

Djoko-Monfils match has just started. Time to watch a good match.

Mary,
RAfa is no stranger to pressure. He has won The FO and the major clay events leading to it 4 years in a row! don’t you worry about him!

If it’s not your prediction and only a worst-case scenario why did you say it was emerging reality? You might as well say he’ll drop down to 200 in the world and get fat.

“Both Nadal and Nole have had the opportunity to “hide” behind Federer.”

Interesting claim Mary, although I think these two are pretty hungry to pull out in front of Roger and not “hide” anymore.

Just scroll through the “titles” of the articles at Tennis X and count how many have “Federer” in them. I am not sure Nadal and Djoko have wanted to “hide” but they’ve been relegated to that position - at least in the press. In part this is fair since Fed was number 1 and then he gets a lot of press for losing that spot, but I hope we’ll get to read / hear about different players more often now.

But you’re right that any number 1 has an incredible amount of pressure and Roger has dealt with that for a very long time now; with the good press and consistent wins, he also gained that “aura” advantage that he’s now lost.

I don’t know if we’ll see that aura again in Rafa or Novak; Rafa probably has it on clay, and rightly so. But otherwise, I think he can be beaten here and there. He’s pretty great though.

Anyhow - I wonder who’ll get the gold?

Mary is right. Being nº1 in tennis, week after week, is mentally tiring.

Everybody expect you to win almost every tournament.

Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras….all of them have talked about this many times.

And it is mental tiredness more than physical tiredness.

It comes a time when they feel so drained that they only want to give their all in GS tournaments, and they start to lose matches in other tournaments.

But when they start losing frequently in those other tournaments, they start to lose their confidence as well, so it is a tricky situation.

Djoko gets broken early in the 3rd game with his easy forehand error.

Wow Monfils up a break against the Djoker.

Sean,
One reason that Fed loses matches is the ‘lack of match play”.

training does not make up for the real matches. The more he plays, the more he has chances to lose or to win.

Besides he will lose ranking points and slip lower in rankings. When he comes back, he is not guaranteed to win an event. For a guy like fed, it will be much harder.

I think fed has to accept that his 2008 results are not what he wanted. He still needs to concentrate on each event. He can get his break after the MC. But I agree that he does not need the exos.

Noel,
People get older! even the best o the best. and no one stays in their best form all his life, even Fed, sampras , Borg,…. But I think fed is a very emotional person and these losses afect him a lot.

He needs to regroup, concentrate on a few events and accept that he can sometimes lose to those he won before.

He needs to get his confidence back. I agree with Jane, maybe a full-time coach is what Fed needs right now.

Another upset in the oven today?

I can’t believe Venus lost that first set.

As for Djokovic, there is no doubt Monfils has a shot to win this one. But it’s pretty early on to call an upset, unless he starts pulling away.

Zola I think that losing to Blake is a little bit worse for Federer than losing to any of the young guns like Rafa, Djoker, or Murray. If he starts losing to players from his group of rivals (Roddick, Hewitt, Blake etc) I think it would be far worse than losing to the up and comers.

Jane as far as the gold goes…if Djokovic loses to Monfils Ill go with Nadal. But im not forgetting about Gonzo. He understands the pressure of playing in this arena and has been there and done that…hes another example of a player that conjours greatness as a result of national pride.

Sean,

You are well and away.

Fed and serena cooked.

Venus williams almost done.

Joke-bitch down a break.

Your best hope seems to be Rafa. Unfortunately for him, you went out on a limb.

Dont worry, except for Venus, I did not see trouble for any of these stars, either. I will leave it up to you whether that is good or bad for you!

Vulcan,

Well, Djoko is losing this first set by the looks of things, so yeah, it’ll probably be Rafa for the Gold. I agree though that Gonza has a shot, and even Blake! He’s got a decent record against Rafa, though Rafa beat him twice on hard earlier this year. So although Rafa would be the favorite, the other guys shouldn’t be counted out. Who knows what Monfils is capable of if he beat Djoko - maybe he’ll be the giant-killer here?

Zola, as Vulcan says, losing to Blake is much worse than losing to say Monfils or Murray. Sign o’ the times.

And I don’t buy that Fed’s losing because of “lack of match play”. He’s losing because his confidence and his hardcourt game are in the crapper.

FedEx, interesting times? Look for Melzer to roll!

Wow first set Monfils…can someone watching the match comment on what happened?…Shital?

Sean,
why “lack of match play” is not a factor for Federer? He has said it himself, many times. Confidence comes with playing and winning more matches. Isn’t that the reason he went to Estoril?

Blake was not the same player either. He played with more confidence because he knew he might have a chance against Federer and that helped him too. He wasn’t the same huffing -puffing Blake , looking to the skies in between the games, for a miracle to happen. that’s why he won. Fed did not lose to the same player.

He has to regroup, come back and fight and win back. That will give him the confidence he needs not retreating to a remote resort.

Blake beat Federer! That never happens.

Gosh. Hopefully somewhere in the middle of this mess, Federer creates some confidence for himself. I wonder if he is asking himself if it’s really worth it. He has changed from the best player ever imagined into Mats Wilander.

Zola, Blake had the confidence because he knows Fed’s down and that his buddies Roddick and Fish both got wins over Rog this year and Robby G should have as well.

As you say, he needs to “regroup”. That means taking some time off. Sitting in the sand in Dubai with Mirka and mentally recharging. My guess is he won’t though, and he’ll just keep having these kinds of losses.

Tough hold for Monfils at 1-1 second set.

Djoko’s racquet joins the “Abused Racquets Club” !

Well maybe that abused racquet trick helped him; finally Djoko has a lead in this match. Of course he still has to hold, win this set, and win the next set, but this is a step in the right direction…

Vulcan,
Djoko is making a lot of forehand errors. In that particular game of the 1st set, Djoko made 2 easy forehand errors. He is rushing a little bit too much. He is feeling the pressure.
Monfils, on the other hand, is playing great.
But in the 2nd set, Djoko just broke Monfils, to lead 4-1. So it looks like it will go into the 3rd set.
Djoko seems to be gathering up a bit, but he contines to make errors. He is expressing his frustration: a lot of screams and racket disfiguring and all. The match looks pretty tense. As long as he shows he is is feeling the urgency and willing to put everything, that’s good enough for me, regardless of win or loss. The only thing I cannot accept is the type of subdued, gloomy composure of the Wimby match against Safin.

Djoko takes the 2nd set, 6-1. That is a good sign. He should smash his racket one more time to get pumped up, if that is what it takes to win.

There is hope !

Shital,

“The only thing I cannot accept is the type of subdued, gloomy composure of the Wimby match against Safin.”

Well put Shital; that was a hard loss to watch as it was so passive. I like Safin and was happy for his win but I wanted to see Djoko go out swinging not double faulting! When the players fight until the end (unless injured or ill - I hate seeing them play when physically hobbled) - any of them, Roger, Rafa, Novak, Blake - and don’t passively accept defeat, then it makes the matches more enjoyable regardless of whether a favorite wins or loses. At least that’s my view too.

So Venus is out too.

This third set between Monfils and Djoko will likely be a tight one.

I see Gonzalez edged out Mathieu in the first set; I expect Fernando to come through, and then the Blake vs. Gonza match will be interesting, a couple of big hitters. But Gonzalez has won his last 5 matches with Blake, including 3 on hard, so the edge goes to him, if he comes through.

Shital, thanks for the synopsis…I also dont like Djokovic when he seems to get preemptively negative. He did it in the tiebreaker against Murray. I have to question whether he has the mettle to really be in the top 3 discussion with Rafa and Federer (yes I know what everyones thinking today…is Federer even going to be in the conversation…my opinion is yes and he will prove that at the US Open)

Federer has taken a “beating” this year:
Mono
Djokovic (Hardcourt)
Murray (Hardcourt)
Fish (Hardcourt)
Roddick (Hardcourt)
Nadal (Clay)
Stepanek (Clay)
Nadal (Clay)
Nadal (Clay)
Nadal (Grass)
Simon, Gilles (Harcourt)
Karlovic (Hardcourt)
Blake (Hardcourt)

Now, no offense to his opponents: most are the elite of the game. One was a player with the day of his life (Fish), one is known for serving people off the court (Karlovic), one was due (Roddick) and one gets under Fed skin (Djokovic). Simon and Stepanek - even Blake - make no sense, but they decided hey why not us too, only one life to live, this is something we can tell our buddies about when we get to retirement!

I still dont believe this is the end of Federer’s majesty on court. But this is an awful year for him: the worst, without question, since 2002. And there’s no way, in my opinion, with so many players having their best day against him, that three slams per year is going to happen for Federer either, even over the course of 5 set matches. Let’s face it - Federer wins most of his matches in straight sets. If he is dropping sets consistently, and that has been his M.O. as of late, then those straight set slam wins are also history.

His opponents have more confidence than ever. Federer even knows it. He knows he has to have a hard talk with himself, take stock of his poor year (for him - an inability to close the deal) and retool. He needs someone to scout his opponents - none of this “takes me basically 15 seconds to figure out how I am going to play my opponent”. He needs some recon.

Seriously though, this is an awful year for Federer. Federer isnt Roddick, who would love to make two slam finals and a semifinal, or Djokovic, who would love to have seen himself in the wimbledon final or french open final. Federer is about the taking of the tournaments.

Federer isnt his best version of himself, he’s not even close and he is definitely not better than at any point this year. He used to run Blake ragged, and given how fast Blake is, that’s pretty amazing. Even thundering overheads from Blake came back for winners from Federer.

Maybe Federer will recover this year, but that’s a long shot. Could happen, hopefully Federer proves me wrong and takes the US Open. The conditions will be better in New York for Federer - he wont have to face the nasty beijing weather.

I think a comeback for Federer is worth it for him. This will be sweeter, it will be more rewarding. He has a chance to gain fans he never had, who identify with being knocked off a pedestal - somewhat by chance (mono and sickness), somewhat by choice (stubborn mule attitude), somewhat by reality (competitors such as Nadal, who respect Federer so much that they take not even a point for granted against him, as well as a legion of other players who suddenly feel like their playing for the win, rather than 2nd place at a tournament).

So if he finds his way out of the abyss while on court, it will be sweet for him. That’s pretty much all I will say!

Sean,

Interesting indeed.

A rare wta post:

Li Na is now a genuine contender for the gold medal. You just gotta love the way these Chinese do their job. No hype, just cold results. At Athens it was all about the russian brigade, but the Chinese quitely slipped out with a gold in women’s doubles. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get the singles medal this time.

Djoko’s aggressivity earns him a break in the 3rd, right after almost broken.

if nadal wins the gold medal, roger federer will likely make a voodoo doll out of him.

Good for Djokovic to get the early break in the 3rd; now he just needs to hold and he’s in the semis.

Fedex - I agree about the Chinese work ethic, but don’t count out the Russians; two women Russians are through today and there’s a very good chance Safina will beat Jankovic.

If she does, I say Safina gets gold and is soon to be number 1 on the women’s tour. The Serb girls just haven’t been consistent enough this year. I love Jankovic’s game, but she needs to play less and concentrate on the big events, so she isn’t injured all the time. Something is always “wrapped” on her body.

Djoko is broken right back - what’s with his serve? He’s gotta get that shot more consistent or it’ll be the bane of his existence. Or maybe it’s the forehand today, as you say Shital.

I agree with Andrea. But I think, extending her idea, that maybe he should get more than one doll - just in case.

Fed should probably get voodoo dolls for the current top 100 players and extra pins. They make a lot of stuff in China and I am sure he can make that happen. He should also get a special order doll called “Mono” and get a big pin for that one.

So his new coach should focus on the voodoo dolls and doing some recon on players and what their “weaknesses” are at the moment (suspect movement, or a case of serve-itis). Then he and Federer can stick the dolls before the matches.

Monfils is playing extremly well, both from the baseline and on the net. So he breaks back and levels the match right away.
Nothing can be said.

I guess Rafa is on the court now; he’s got a fairly easy test in Melzer, no?

jane Says:

Something is always “wrapped” on her body.

Hmmm provocative

Jane Melzer should be a walk in the park for Rafa…but then again he does have a two handed backhand and hits fairly flat so that a bonus for him…im not sure what the history is between the two.

Vulcan,

lol - provocative? More like zombified.

I just checked: Rafa and Melzer have never met before, so this is fitting. Why not at the quarters at the Olympics?

—

Andrew Miller,

Serve-itis - I like it. It seems to be what’s going on with Monfils and Djoko at the moment, anyhow, who are trading breaks like they’re on Wall Street.

Nadal get an early break in the start. He wins 2-0 for now.

J - trading breaks like on wall street! That’s awesome! That is a great description. I enjoyed reading that!

Melzer: “Sell Sell!”

Mathieu: “Sell! Sell!”

Djoko: “No wait - Hold! Hold!”

Hmm a walk in the park or a stroll at the Bagel shop?

Djoko - HOLD!

It’s looking like Rafa is having a bagel for dinner, or at least as an appetizer.

It really seems something like an appetizer.

6-0 in the first set.

And Gonzo is through to the Semis. Blake Gonzo should be a barn burner.

Well Rafa will be nice and rested for whichever guy comes through in the Djokovic vs. Monfils match.

Jane:

I agree the Russian brigade has a good chance in singles, but the point I wanted to make was that the Chinese keep quite a low profile for the progress they made in the last 5 yrs. And they are perhaps the best advertisement for tennis as a team sport (davis cup/fed cup format).

Serbian sisters are quite good. I personally would love JJ to win a major tournament - her game is just so smooth. The backhand down the line is so exquisite. (Ana’s forehand is almost in the same league)

One thing I forgot to take into consideration regarding Melzer getting some bonus points for having the two hander was the fact that he is lefty also…so that offsets it. Nadals high kicking forehands will be going to his forehand which if memory serves he hits with something like a semi Eastern grip…not the grip for dealing with Nadals high bouncing balls

Way to fight it out Djokovic; what a good win, coming from behind like that. I am happy for Novak, but Monfils fought well and deserves his credit. Maybe Monfils is coming into his own now; hope so as he’s got a crazy game and he’s a pleasure to watch.

Finally Djoko does it.
Both gave all. Monfils deserves a lot of credit for playing such a great match.
It was one of the best in the recent days.
Congratulations to Djoko and thank you to Monfils for giving us