The mouthwater match-up fans have been waiting for. The 15-2 career head-to-head bears little relevance for fans who remember the two titanic meetings between the Serb and Swiss in 2013: the Australian Open one year ago when Djokovic prevailed 12-10 in the final set, and the US Open where the Serb needed to come back from 1-2 sets down to win 6-4 in the fifth. Is Version 2014 of Stan strong enough, both physically and mentally, to this time not only challenge the Serb, but now close the door?

“I made a tremendous amount of errors, shots I missed I normally don’t miss,” she said. “I haven’t missed since the ’80s. I’m just not used to missing those shots. She made some good shots, and I just made way, way, a lot of unforced errors…Maybe I wasn’t the best physically, but that had nothing to do with it. I think Ana just played a really good match. She did what it takes to win.”

Eight of the Top 10 take to the court in Beijing, with play starting on Saturday…Six current or former No. 1s in the field…Tough starts go to (3) Radwanska vs. Keys 2nd rd., (14) Ivanovic vs. Pennetta, (2) Azarenka vs. Petkovic (winner to likely face former world No. 2 Kuznetsova), (5) Errani vs. Flipkens, (13) Lisicki vs. V.Williams likely 2nd rd., and (4) Li vs. Hantuchova…Wildcards went to Francesca Schiavone, Venus Williams, and China’s Zhang Shuai and Zheng Jie…Pulling from the event were Martina Hingis (from doubles citing personal reasons) Marion Bartoli (retirement), Jamie Hampton (left ankle), Ekaterina Makarova, Romina Oprandi, Nadia Petrova (left hip), and Maria Sharapova (right shoulder)…The Williams sisters took a doubles wildcard…Former champs in the field are Azarenka (2012), Radwanska (2011), Wozniacki (2010), Kuznetsova (2009,’06), Jankovic (2008), Maria Kirilenko (2005), and Serena Williams (2004)…No player has ever won back-to-back singles titles in Beijing.

Tough openers for (4) Simon after a bye vs. the winner of Karlovic-Tomic, and (7) Nieminen vs. the Dutch riser Sijsling…Wildcards went to three dudes whose names you can’t pronounce…Pulling from the event were Ivan Dodig, Andy Murray (back surgery), and Tommy Robredo…Gasquet beat Simon in last year’s final…Returning champs in the field are Gasquet (2012) and Simon (2009).

Williams extended her game winning streak in the tournament to 24 until finally giving up a game to China’s Li Na, eventually winning handily 6-0, 6-3. In the second set Na broke for a 2-1 lead before Williams applied the hammer, winning five of the next six games.

Serena takes her 20-3 record in Slam semifinals into the match against Li. The last time she lost? In 2009 when she imploded after a foot fault call against Kim Clijsters, threatening to shove a ball down a lineswoman’s throat.

Nadal next will meet surprise semifinalist and No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet, who abandoned his folding-chair routine late in Slams to tough out a 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 win over No. 4-seeded grinder David Ferrer.

We are less than a week from the conclusion of the 2013 Grand Slam season, and things in both draws are going to form thus far. Serena Williams continued her domination rudely double-bageling birthday girl Carla Suarez-Navarro tonight in a quarterfinal content that felt like a first round mismatch. Because, really, it was. But Serena […]

Nadal also responded to his reported rift with his coach/uncle Toni: “I don’t necessarily have to listen or take notice any more of what Toni says to me. I can make my own mind up now. Am I frustrated? That’s not the right word. In a career you come back or you go down. This is not my best moment and I need a lot of things to change. Small things, but these can change a lot of things at the end of the day.”

Things went pretty much according to plan on the women’s side Monday at the Australian Open.

Fernandez took a chance on Vandeweghe after a reportedly bad practice week from Melanie Oudin. Oudin has had a down year since her quarterfinal breakthrough at the US Open last year. Fernandez benched Oudin on Saturday, then on Sunday Oudin showed her veteran composure by not only upsetting Top 10er Francesca Schiavone but blowing out the Italian, allowing her only four games.

U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez will have to choose between the overwhelmed Coco Vanderweghe and Melanie Oudin, who was benched from the first day for a poor practice week, in the first match on Sunday.

Vandeweghe is much like Oudin when she first appeared on tour — not in the best of shape, with a bit of a “gut” visible, and a poor mover. That changed for Oudin when she worked with her trainers to erase the extra body fat and gain speed. Hopefully that is ahead for Vandeweghe, and not just a reliance on a thumping serve and forehand.

Oudin must have put in some horrifying practice sessions this week for U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez to make that decision.

Notes: (1) Dementieva opens against Peng, and (3) Wickmayer against the Osaka finalist Schnyder; wildcards went to Dementieva, Russian Yulia Putintseva, Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella, and France’s Virginie Razzano; in last year’s final Francesca Schiavone defeated Olga Govortsova.