After a crazy Friday, things settled down Saturday during the Monte Carlo semifinals. If fact, it was rather anti-climatic. Stan Wawrinka came out of the blocks strong and then held on to beat David Ferrer 6-1, 7-6.

And then his countryman Roger Federer joined him in the Sunday final with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over an ailing Novak Djokovic.

The defending champion Djokovic spoke at the start of the week of having …

After five relatively calm, uneventful days at our first big clay test of the season, the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters was thrust into absolute chaos on Friday. The highlight of course was reigning King of Clay and 8-time champion Rafael Nadal’s shocking loss to 32-year-old David Ferrer in no less than two sets.

Behind a bounty of errors (41 all told) from Rafa, Ferrer knocked down Nadal 7-6, 6-4 to end …

Rafael Nadal is not happy. In an error-strewn loss the “King of Clay” was shocked by countryman David Ferrer 76(1), 64 today in the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals. Nadal, who had been to the final the loss nine years at the event winning eight, suffered his first loss on clay to Ferrer in 10 years.

“Losing hurts everywhere. On clay always a little bit more,” said Nadal. “I am not happy …

David Ferrer stunned compatriot and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal 7-6, 6-4 in the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals on Friday. Ferrer’s win broke a number of streaks that were in Nadal’s favor going into the match:

17
Wins over Ferrer on clay

9
Appearences in the Monte Carlo final

30
Clay court match wins

46
Wins in quarterfinals matches at clay events

15
Appearences red clay Masters finals

11
Clay …

I can’t recall the Top 4 claycourt players having it this easy through two rounds of matches at a Masters Series event. But that’s been the case thus far at Monte Carlo this week.

King of Clay Rafael Nadal lost nine games.

Roger Federer lost just eight.

Stan Wawrinka played just one match losing only two.

And defending champion Novak Djokovic dropped a mere two in two matches.

But easy street should come end this …

Roger Federer and wife Mirka remain mum on the due date of their third child, but Federer hinted today that he would skip tournaments like the French Open to be by his wife’s side.

“So we’re just waiting,” Federer told the AP on Wednesday. “It’s a priority for me trying to be there, trying to support my wife. I’ve played enough tennis matches. Missing a tournament or missing a match wouldn’t …

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer continued the domination by top seeds at Monte Carlo on Thursday. Nadal, an 8-time tournament champion, shrugged off a slow start to win 11 of the last 13 games to beat Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-4, 6-1 in the second round.

“It was very important that point, 3-1, break point for him,” said Nadal. “I saved it with one good shot and one good volley. After that I …

Novak Djokovic opened his Monte Carlo title defense with a blistering 6-1, 6-0 rout over Albert Montanes. The World No. 2 needed just 45 minutes to take down the Spanish veteran.

“For the first match on clay, it was great,” said Djokovic. “I lost only one game, so there were not too many flaws in my game that I could recall. On the other side, I’ve had an opponent who is …

It’s very early, but the shot of this clay season thus far goes to Andreas Seppi who connected on this terrific tweener winner in Monte Carlo earlier today.

The shot helped Seppi to go on to beat 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny 63, 76. He’ll now play Pablo Andujar.

Rafael Nadal hit the waters ahead of the Monte Carlo tournament hopping aboard a yacht Monday. The Spaniard joined the crew on Tuiga, manning the rudder and learning the ropes of sailing the Yacht Club de Monaco’s flagship. Tuiga sailed around Monte-Carlo harbour.

“It was a wonderful way to enjoy an afternoon,” said Nadal who’s an avid fisherman. “It was a special experience for …

Jeremy Chardy said on Sunday at Monte Carlo that in this golden age of tennis, he prefers Roger Federer’s game.

“To say which one is the best is not so easy because they are really close. But I prefer the game of Federer,” Chardy said on Sunday. “I think he can play every shot. I like the way he play because he want to make the game, he play a lot …

Defending champion Novak Djokovic opens his 2014 clay season tomorrow in Monte Carlo. After a sub-par start to the season, the World No. 2 who beat Rafael Nadal in the final last year, enters having just won the Indian Well-Miami double.

“Right now I do have confidence after the wins that I had in Indian Wells and Miami,” Djokovic said. “They arrived at the right moment for me because I …

Eight time champion Rafael Nadal met the press yesterday in Monte Carlo where the World No. 1 revealed that the clay season is his most favorite time of the year.

“It’s my favorite part of the season,” Nadal said Sunday.

Jokes aside, Nadal begins his European clay season Wednesday against either Frenchman Gilles Simon or Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili.

“In the last eight to nine years I had positive results here and …

Novak Djokovic revealed his plan of attack for this clay season. The Serb who’s the defending champion this week in Monte Carlo, said Sunday that this season he’ll concentrate more on the lead-up tournaments to the French Open.

“Last year, Roland Garros was more in my mind,” said Djokovic. “It was in my thoughts constantly. I’m not saying it’s good or bad, and it doesn’t …

Cornet Tops Radwanska, Giorgi for WTA Katowice Championship

It was brushed off as a fluke by many when Alize Cornet defeated world No. 1 Serena Williams earlier in the year at Dubai, but the Frenchwoman is proving herself a force in 2014. On Sunday she captured the title at the BNP Paribas Katowice Open in Poland, in the championship defeating first-time finalist Camila Giorgi 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5.

The fighting Giorgi came from …