Andy “The Closer” Roddick clinches for the U.S. in the first match on Sunday, beating Paul Capdeville in four sets. Chile got its only live point on Day One when Capdeville turned his match against John Isner into a fitness contest, beating Big John from two sets down. Roddick opened with a win over Nicolas Massu on Day One, and the Bryan brothers won the Saturday doubles point for the U.S., which will next host Spain.

Notes: Troubled former No. 1 Dinara Safina floats seedlessly in the draw, starting against China’s Xinyun Han, then a possible meeting with (5) Safarova; (8) Jovanovski a tough start against Tanasugarn, and (1) Schiavone vs. Dokic; last year Kleybanova beat the now-retired Elena Dementieva to win her first WTA title in Kuala Lumpur.

After last week winning his first ATP title at San Jose, this afternoon Raonic beat Mardy Fish 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the Memphis final. Only breaking on the scene last month at the Australian Open by reaching the round of 16, Raonic seemingly has no weaknesses. His serve is a monster. He batters forehand and two-handed backhand winners from the back court, and has variety with a slice backhand that is at his height is like playing ping pong. He is aggressive and doesn’t hesitant to push in and end the point at the net. His return of serve is big. His volley is solid. He hammered 23 aces on Fish. This kid is a nightmare for anyone he faces. Ask Top 10er Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco, who lost to Raonic in the San Jose finals, then lost to him again a couple days later in the first round at Memphis.

Notes: (8) Lu opens against Simon, and (6) Lopez vs. (WC) Del Potro; other wildcards to Brit James Ward and Aussie Matthew Ebden; Baghdatis beat Gasquet in last year’s final; Del Potro makes his first tournament appearance since October and only his third in the last 11 months after a right wrist injury that required surgery; American Donald Young lost in the qualifying as did Aussie Carsten Ball; seeds Querrey, Gulbis and Lopez have losing career records in Sydney; the Bryan brothers, winners in 2009, are the top seeds in the doubles; Baghdatis, the only returning champ in the field, is looking to become the first back-to-back winner since James Blake (2007-06); Pete Sampras and Lleyton Hewitt (twice) won back-to-back titles, but no one has one three in a row in Sydney in the Open Era.

At Wimbledon this year the 2010 Sportsman Nadal was warned by the chair umpire not to receive coaching from or talk to his uncle in the crowd. Yet later in the same match Nadal was slapped with a code violation for talking to his uncle, who was in the player’s box.

American un-prodigy “The” Donald Young lost to US Open Playoffs-Qualifying tournament winner Blake Strode this past week at a $50,000 Challenger in Tulsa, OK, USA

Loaded non-seeded field with former No. 1s Ivanovic and Safina, and former No. 2 Kuznetsova unseeded; first-round match-ups of interest are (6) Bartoli vs. Hantuchova, (7) Peer vs. (WC) Ivanovic, (8) Wickmayer vs. Kuznetsova, and potential second-round match-ups after seeded byes (1) Jankovic vs. Rezai and Stosur vs. Azarenka or Oudin

More floater “stars” than seeded; former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport is playing doubles; the oldest women’s-only tournament on the WTA calendar; Bartoli is the defending champ, defeating Venus Williams in last year’s final; openers of interest are (4) Bartoli vs. American Playboy poser Ashley Harkleroad, (WC) Ivanovic vs. the Russian Kleybanova, Oudin vs. Wozniak, (6) Peer vs. Hantuchova, (5) Sharapova vs. Zheng, and second round (2) Dementieva vs. Safina; returning champs in the field are (2009) Bartoli and (2008) Wozniak.

Open De Nice Cote D’Azur Nice, France Surface: clay Seeds: Robin Soderling, Fernando Verdasco, Gael Monfils, Thomaz Bellucci, Marcos Baghdatis, Al Montanes, Michael Berrer, Lucasz Kubot ADHEREL Floaters: (WC) Mario Ancic, Richard Gasquet Notes: (5) Baghdatis opens against (WC) Ancic; possible (6) Montanes vs. Gasquet 2nd rd.; Nice replaces Kitzbuhel this year during this calendar [...]

Rafael Nadal re-coronated himself as the king of clay on Sunday, defeating world No. 1 Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open in Spain.