BLAKE AND BARKER BREAK — James Blake and his coach Brian Barker, who has coached him since his junior days, have mutually parted ways. Blake is finishing out the year with fellow Floridian Kelly Jones as his coach. Jones, a former No. 1-ranked doubles player on the ATP tour, has worked with other Floridians Mardy Fish and John Isner.

Kuznetsova looked to be on the fast track to challenging for No. 1 after winning the US Open in 2004, but she hasn’t won a Slam since, failing to live up to the challenge of Justine Henin who defeated her in the 2006 Roland Garros final and in the 2007 final at the US Open.

Serena, of course, says she lost the match rather than the Russian winning.

It was the first appearance in a Slam quarterfinal for the Slovak. For Sharapova it was an unexpected run after injury on her worst surface, where her movement remains a liability.