Just for fun, I am trying something different. As the 2009 hard court season heads toward the finish line, I came up with some hypothetical matches between former U.S. Open champions.

The quarter-finals of the Western Southern Financial Group Masters feature the top four players in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings.

In the highlight match of the evening, Andy Roddick became the 36th player in the Open Era to reach 500 career match victories.

As I was watching the mano y mano between Spaniard countrymen Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo in the grandstand yesterday, I overheard someone nearby say, “The stadium’s got the names, but out here, we got the games!”

Sean Randall breaks down the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Sean Randall breaks down Big Monday at Wimbledon.

“I don’t know why they don’t have lights here,” complained Haas. “I have never stopped a match a 6-6 before in the final set. It’s tough to come back but I’m happy to get through. I think they should be like the US Open and have a tiebreak in the final set,” Haas complained some more. “I could hardly get out of bed today, but the adrenaline took over.”

Matches to look for Friday include (2) Roger Federer vs. (27) Philipp Kohlschreiber, (28) Mardy Fish vs. (4) Novak Djokovic, (22) Ivo Karlovic vs. (9) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, (24) Tommy Haas vs. (11) Marin Cilic, (7) Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco vs. (32) Al Montanes, (13) Robin Soderling vs. Nicolas Almagro, and (15) Tommy Robredo vs. Dudi Sela.

Other Top 10-seeded winners were (2) Roger Federer over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, (7) Fernando Verdasco defeating Kristof Vliegen in four, and (9) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga receiving a walkover against Simone Bolelli.

Pete Sampras sent the message that if a player were talented, self-disciplined and professional, he could exceed the seven or eight majors that seemed to be the best one could hope for in a career.

I don’t want my columns to sound as though they are a few connecting sentences holding together sayings from fortune cookies, but there is an old saying in sports about one needing to never get too high after a win or too low after a loss.

“I’m more mature,” Ivanovic told reporters. “Comparing my game to last year, it’s improved. There are some areas that I’ve added to and I feel really confident on the court. I have a very good opportunity to do well again here, and I love playing here on clay.”

“I’d rather get through as quickly as possible,” Hewitt told the media, “but I’ll take the wins any way I can get them. I probably could have closed it out a little more comfortably, but the conditions were blustery.”

“He kind of forces you into that the way he plays defense,” Blake said. “It’s no excuse for some errors, especially the ones I made at key times.”

Sean Randall breaks down the weekend’s Davis Cup excitement from around the world, including Israel’s big upset over Sweden.