The evasive Serena literally never speaks the truth about injuries, but regardless, a well-rested Serena will be the US Open favorite.

The Western & Southern Open features 18 of the Top 20 women’s players, with seeds Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Petra Kvitova, Francesca Schiavone, Marion Bartoli, Andrea Petkovic, Samantha Stosur, Agnieszka Radwanska, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanovic, and Peng Shuai.

Nalbandian beat Baghdatis in last year’s final; Andy Roddick misses the event with injury, yet to debut on the U.S. summer circuit; returning champs in the field are Nalbandian (2010) and Blake (2002).

An exhausted Isner, apparently also suffering abdominal cramps, served in the tiebreak at 6-4 before Fish won four straight points to force the third set. In the third the withering Isner, broken early on serve and out of gas, had no chance.

Rafael Nadal opens play at Wimbledon on Monday.

For just the third time in the Open Era (since 1968) none of the Top 3 seeds will be in the final eight of a Grand Slam.

“I didn’t have much in my mind,” Zvonareva said of facing down a match point. “I was just trying to focus one point at a time and fight like I did since the very first point. I got a little lucky and was able to turn the match around.”

The No. 1 Dane is looking at a juicy third-round meeting with German Julia “Gorgeous” Goerges, who powered her off the court in the Stuttgart final roughly a week ago. Goerges opens against No. 14 seed Kaia Kanepi, and will likely face wildcard and former No. 1 Dinara Safina in the second round.

Novak Djokovic and his rivalry with Rafael Nadal moves to the Spanish clay in Madrid.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and just one win from a Miami semifinal showdown.