The Most Anticipated Returns of 2015

Despite all the drama and excitement we saw on both the men's and women's Tours in 2014, it sure felt like something was missing on the tennis courts this past year. Plenty of high-profile players were MIA for large chunks of the season as injury kept them on the sidelines and, in some cases, caused precipitous drops in their rankings.

But hopefully all that can be reversed in the New Year -- while it may take some time to regain their footing, any one of these guys or gals has the potential to storm back onto the scene now that they're ready for action. And we'll all be better off for having witnessed their comebacks.

7. Janko Tipsarevic

Tipsy is the only player on this list who didn't take the court at all in 2014 -- after losing to world #808 Karen Khachanov in Moscow last fall, and retiring just three games in to Marcel Granollers in Valencia, he went on leave, ultimately needing two surgeries this year to remove a non-cancerous tumor in his left heel. It was unfortunate timing -- the now thirty-year old Serb had started 2013 in the top ten, having beaten higher-profile compatriot Novak Djokovic in Madrid and making his second straight U.S. Open quarterfinal. He even kicked off last season with some promise, claiming his fourth career title in Chennai and reaching a career best fourth round in Melbourne. But he slowed down noticeably in the back half, winning just seven matches between July and October, just one of which came against a player in the top seventy. He's planning a return to action next month, but it's going to be a tough ask for him to run all the way to another crown in India straight out of the gate -- after all, he's never won the same title twice, even when playing his best. But if he gets some much-needed match play early on in the season, there's no reason to believe it will be much longer before he's back in good form.

6. Maria Kirilenko

To be fair, the twenty-seven year old Russian officially launched her return this year, but she hasn't quite yet made the impact you hoped she would, especially unfortunate given how injury struck just as she was hitting her prime. Long relegated to the bottom half of Slam seedings, she's certainly had some success on the singles Tour, but until last year hadn't won a title since 2008. But after a near miss in the 2012 Wimbledon quarters and a trip to the Olympic Bronze medal round, she finally added a trophy in Pattaya City and withstood four three-setters and two top ten victories to make the Indian Wells semis. Just after Roland Garros last year she cracked the top ten for the first time in her career, but a knee injury hampered the rest of her season and took her off the court for the first quarter of 2014. She has played a handful of events this year, winning just two matches through the U.S. Open, but she showed some progress in Seoul, taking out two seeds on her way to the semis. Still she starts the new year at #189 in the world, so she's not going into many matches as the favorite -- but if she's able to reset during the off-season it's more than possible she could change that quickly. She doesn't have a lot to lose, after all, and that could give her the confidence to really shine.

5. Nicolas Almagro

The veteran Spaniard has been a fixture in the top twenty for years and has consistently delivered on clay courts, winning all twelve of his titles on the surface and even notching a win over Rafael Nadal this spring in Barcelona. But despite seeming to have rebounded from an early-2014 shoulder injury which forced him out of the Australian Open -- the first Major he skipped since 2004 -- he had more problems later in the year. He retired with a foot injury during his first round match at Roland Garros and underwent season-ending surgery late in July. Failing to defend points from last fall -- he'd reached the semis in Tokyo and Valencia in 2013 and the quarters at the Shanghai Masters -- he's tumbled to #71 in the world to end the year. That's just high enough to gain him entry to the kick-off tournament in Doha next month, but without the comfort of a seed at this event, pressure will be on to deliver from the start.

4. Alisa Kleybanova

The twenty-five year old Russian has had a rougher time of it than pretty much all her contemporaries. A top-twenty player at her peak, she was diagnose with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011 and left the game when she was at her prime. She returned the next season, scoring one all-important win in Miami, spent a lot of time getting match play on the ITF circuit and came back to Tour late last year, reaching the quarters in Moscow and stunning Petra Kvitova this past April in Stuttgart. But disaster struck again early in the summer -- after losing in the first round at Wimbledon, Kleybanova missed the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. She's still eager to get back out there, though, as she told Ben Rothenberg last month, and with career wins over players like Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, Jelena Jankovic and others early in her career, she's certainly got the talent to come back swinging again. Hopefully this time it's for good.

3. Rafael Nadal

Most of you would probably argue that Rafa should take the top spot in this countdown, but with a standing claim on a handful of titles, a his record ninth crown in Paris, and a year-end ranking of #3, his absence over the past season was more emotionally palpable than it was actual fact. Still, with a boatload of points to defend -- many of which go on the block early in the year -- he's arguably got the most to lose of anyone on this list. And true fans have a right to be worried -- while he did break his streak of first-week exits at Wimbledon, he also notched his first two losses players born in the 1990s and ended perfect records against the likes of Nicolas Almagro, Alexandr Dolgopolov and Stan Wawrinka. And after wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the U.S. Open and an appendectomy kept him out of the year-end championships he didn't have much chance to redeem himself. He'll be back to defend his title in Doha next month, though, and hopefully he'll put up a fight, if not come away with the title again -- after all, nothing scrubs out the bad taste of disappointing results better than a big win when no one expects it.

2. Victoria Azarenka

Like a couple players on this list, Vika has been on and off the court sporadically in 2014, but by marking her first year in six without a title to her name, she'll be more remembered this year for her absences. After failing to three-peat at the Australian Open and suffering a surprising opening round loss in Indian Wells, she skipped a couple months of play with a foot injury, pulled out of the French Open and fell early at both Eastbourne and Wimbledon. She did manage a decent run to the New York quarters, but still fell short of her runner's-up showing the last two years and finally called it quits for the year because of knee issues. She finishes the season ranked outside the top thirty for the first time since 2006, but will get back to work early next month in Brisbane -- and knowing how much fight is in this girl makes me feel like she's gonna make a strong case to cut that number to shreds.

1. Juan Martin Del Potro

Perhaps the most-missed presence on Tour this year, though, was that of the gentle giant Juan Martin Del Potro who suffered his second season-ending injury at the Australian Open. Though he had yet to recapture the glory of his breakthrough Grand Slam win in 2009, he'd spent much of last season gearing up for something big -- he beat Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on his way to the Indian Wells final, narrowly missed making the championship match at Wimbledon and ended the season with titles in Tokyo and Basel. Back in the top five to start this year, he seemed to pick up where he left off, adding title number eighteen to his mantel in Sydney. But after a shocking second round defeat in Melbourne, he sought treatment for a wrist injury -- the left one this time -- and ultimately, officially ended his season in late February, announcing the next month he'd undergo another surgery to fix it. The six-foot-six Argentine was originally scheduled to return to play after the U.S. Open, but he ended up skipping the fall's Asian swing to get back into competitive shape. Instead he'll retake the court in January, kicking off in Brisbane before heading back to Sydney to defend his crown. It's taken a while for him to rebound in the past, so it's quite possible he falls farther from his current #138 ranking first -- but if DelPo's proven anything over the last five years it's that he's more than capable of staging a huge comeback. And my bet's on him to prove himself quick off the bat.

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Of course, as is common with any comeback, it could take a while for any of these guys to perform at their best. But many of them have already relaunched their careers with great success, and there's no reason they all can't do it again in the New Year. After all neither the men's nor the women's Tour has been the same without them.

And as the holidays approach it time for all of us to take a bit of a break -- myself included. But rest assured Tennis Spin will be back in full force in the New Year -- and hopefully all these players will follow quickly after that, swinging just as hard as they always have.

'Til then, have a wonderful holiday season, everyone, and Happy New Year!

Even More Upsetting

There seems to be a strange new trend in tennis these days, where players, even the most favored ones, prove they're fallible time and again. We saw it happen throughout the fortnight at Wimbledon, and the phenomenon resumed posthaste once the trophies were presented.

Here's the thing, though: it's not enough to simply poke a hole or two in the draw -- you've got to follow through after that. That was less the case at the All England Club, with the vanquishers of both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both losing one round later. Things weren't much better on the ladies' side -- while Sabine Lisicki rode her upset of Serena Williams all the way to the final, Michelle Larcher de Brito couldn't do much more after defeating Maria Sharapova in the second round.

That same trend has also manifested itself in the current tournaments. Daniel Brands, having scored a huge upset over Federer in his Gstaad opener, subsequently lost to Victor Hanescu a day later, while Albert Montanes ousted top Umag seed Richard Gasquet and then lost a long battle Friday to Gael Monfils. And Ons Jabeur, who ousted defending Baku champion Bojana Jovanovski on Wednesday, suffered an ankle injury during her match today, allowing qualifier Magda Linette -- ranked #226 in the world -- into her first ever Tour semi. But hope is not lost for everyone, and a couple players still have a shot at proving their early successes this week were no fluke.

Nineteen year old Elina Svitolina won her first Tour title last year in Pune, beating Andrea Petkovic in the process, and in 2013 she's made the semis in both Cali and Bad Gastein. This week she took to the hard courts of Baku as the seventh seed and earlier today took out Birmingham finalist Donna Vekic in a quick two sets. In the semis she'll face Alexandra Cadantu, the only other seed left in the draw -- the Ukraine native lost the pair's only previous meeting, but that was some two years ago when she was ranked outside the top four hundred. A win on Saturday -- and, dare we speculate, maybe on Sunday too -- would not only underscore her performance so far, but might just push her into the higher tiers of the sport.

Meanwhile in Gstaad, Robin Haase is trying to make a similar move up the rankings. The Dutchman, who returns to Kitzbuhel next week to defend the title he's won the past two years, has yet to manage a sustained stay in the top forty. But after dominating third-seeded Janko Tipsarevic in Switzerland, the twenty-six year old survived a two-and-a-half hour battle against Marcel Granollers to make the semis. With world #29 Feliciano Lopez the highest seed remaining, the field is wide open for Haase to add a new trophy to his case and maybe give him the oomph he needs to really establish himself in the sport.

Of course upsets have been known to bring tears to the eye, but while both these players have caused their opponents woe this week, they'll want to make sure their own cheeks stay dry throughout the summer. It'll be a hard task, to be sure, but after the performances they've already put up there's no reason think it's impossible.

And with the way things are going this summer, there may be no better time to get stuff done.

Vets vs. Newbies

It's become a bit of a contest between old and new in Munich -- with top seeds getting upset throughout the week, we're left with a somewhat unusual crop of semifinalists. A couple have been decorated time and again while the others are fairly new to the winner's circle -- if they've been there at all. And as action winds down we might just find out if the seasoned pros are ready to give up the reins to young guns.

Top seeded Janko Tipsarevic ceded his spot in the final four earlier today when world #69 Daniel Brands notched his first top-ten win in nearly three years. The German had already delivered some solid results this year, reaching the quarters in Dubai and the semis in Doha, but this run might be the most impressive. He's made the semis in Munich before -- back in 2009 he beat Potito Starace and Julien Benneteau to get here -- but with wins over the Serbian #2 and Gael Monfils before him, he's faced and bested his biggest competition here. He has played three three-setters in a row, though, and might be a little more spent than his next opponent, Phillipp Kohlschreiber. His compatriot, the defending champion in fact, is going for his fifth career title and his third at the BMW Open. He hasn't dropped a set yet this week and won the pair's only previous meeting, so history is on his side. But twenty-five year old Brands might just be ready to make a move into the sport's top tiers, and a trip to his first ATP final would certainly put him solidly on that road. If he's able to keep the momentum he's seemed to have all week he could just make the statement he's been waiting to make.

Ivan Dodig has made a statement here and there in the past, but after a string of first-round losses last year pushed him out of the top fifty, it's been a while since he said anything above a whisper. He's made some strides to turn things around this season, though, making the third round in Indian Wells and beating Alexandr Dolgopolov in Delray Beach. This week in Germany, the Croat beat 2011 champ Nikolay Davydenko to start, ousted countryman Marin Cilic in his opener and earlier today repeated his victory over fifth-seeded Dolgopolov in straight sets. His task only gets tougher from here, of course -- next up is uber-veteran Tommy Haas, who's somewhat surprisingly never won the title in his homeland. Haas was challenged early by on-the-rebound Ernests Gulbis, but needed less than an hour to dismiss fellow German Florian Mayer earlier today. He also won his only match against Dodig, actually ending the underdog's run in Delray, so if Ivan's going to make another final, he's going to have to come out swinging from the start.

Clearly the burden will be on the non-seeds to deliver on Saturday, but given their performances so far this week there's no reason to believe they're incapable of big things. But the veterans will be out to stop them short, and won't go down easy. Whether it's ultimately time for them to step aside and let the upstarts take over remains to be seen, but this weekend's battles might just be a turning point for one of these guy's careers.

Picking Up Where We Left Off...

It's been more than a couple weeks since we last saw the sport's biggest stars take the court with a trophy on the line. But as the new season kicks off, so many of them were eager to keep the momentum they had late last year, while others were out to recapture the magic they had not so long ago. And with their performances so far, they've each put themselves on track to accomplish even bigger things in 2013.

Janko Tipsarevic had lost a bit of steam at the end of last year -- after claiming two titles
to end 2011, he made few real breakthroughs last season. He did manage one title in Stuttgart, and a couple finals here and there, but after retiring in Paris and losing all three of his London round robins, he looked a little beaten down. He got himself back on track in Chennai this week though, admittedly without ever facing too big a challenge -- top-seeded Tomas Berdych was ousted in his quarterfinal, and the only seed Tipsy faced on the way to his second straight final here was world #60 Go Soeda. But after losing the first set to little-known Roberto Bautista Agut he was able to regroup and win his first championship since July. And with some good results this time of year, he might be able to wash out the stale taste in his mouth from the fall.

Na Li has had some of her best results this time of year, and whatever her results were coming into it the last few seasons she finds a way to shine. She's a shade off her career high ranking these days and only played a handful of events after the U.S. Open, but she has a lot of points to defend the first few months of the year -- a final in Sydney, a fourth round in Melbourne -- so she new she had to perform. This past week in Shenzhen she was dominant in her early rounds, delivering bagels to both Mandy Minella and Shuai Peng to make the final. Meanwhile fellow veteran Klara Zakopalova was making her way through the other end of the draw -- the long-time middle-tier player thumped doubles phenom Andrea Hlavackova and shocked second-seeded Marion Bartoli to make her first championship match in nearly two years. But though she put up a fight, the Czech eventually succumbed to Li's experience, and the hometown favorite set herself up for another strong showing Down Under.

Over in Doha many of the favorites were stunned from the start, but at the end two long-time stars were the ones left standing. One-time world #3 Nikolay Davydenko has struggled for much of the last two years to come back from wrist injury, but this was a first time in a while he looked like the star we once knew. The Russian kicked off his campaign with a solid win over recently resurgent Mikhail Youzhny and then pulled off a huge upset over red-hot David Ferrer to make the last round. In the other half of the draw Richard Gasquet, back in the top ten since 2008, made his own dramatic run to the championship match. Tested early by one of last year's newcomers, he was also pushed to the limit against qualifier Daniel Brands in the semis. He was ultimately too much for Davydenko in the final, though, coming back after losing the first set and taking his eighth career title. The Russian's fight to make another trip into the elite may have been stalled in Saturday's match, but his performance last week sure gives him hope. And Gasquet's continuation of the play that brought him a title in Bangkok at the end of last season promises to serve him well in 2013, if he can keep it up.

Aggie Radwanska's best results came a little earlier last year, and though she seemed to sputter in the fall thanks to a couple injuries, she picked up her game at the season-ender in Istanbul to make her first semi at the WTA finals. She made sure that momentum stuck to start 2013, and made quick work of her draw in Auckland -- though she got some help when Elena Vesnina ousted last year's comeback kid Yaroslava Shvedova and second-seeded Julia Goerges lost in her second round, she didn't face much of a challenge until she was taken to two tiebreaks in the semis against young American Jamie Hampton. But even given her fine start, the result was far from certain when in the final she faced Yanina Wickmayer, playing her third final in New Zealand -- she won back in 2010. Still Aga was relentless Saturday, keeping herself perfect and not dropping a set throughout the week. With one more title to start the year, the eleventh of her career, she seems she might still have what it takes to make a move back to the top.

Maybe more impressive was the performance of a woman looking to make her own move to the top. Serena Williams has only lost one match since last year's French Open, and is now a stone's throw from reclaiming the sport's top spot. She came to Brisbane as only the third seed, but even before Maria Sharapova withdrew from the event and Victoria Azarenka pulled out of their semi with a (weird!) toe injury she was probably still the favorite. Despite a potentially tough first round against rising American star Varvara Lepchenko, she was nevertheless brutal on her way to the final, dropping just fourteen games in three matches. In the bottom half Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was pulling off her own comeback, taking out two top seeds in straight sets. But she didn't have it in her to put up a fight against the relentless Serena who, in another trouncing, claimed her eighth title in less than twelve months. With that kind of performance going into the Australian Open, there's no reason to think she won't keep her play up to take her sixteenth Slam trophy.

But maybe the most pressure was on Andy Murray this week -- after his breakthrough year, it would have been a shame to see him falter so early in 2013. But after being pushed in his opener against Australian qualifier John Millman, he largely sailed through his later rounds. Meanwhile rising star Grigor Dimitrov was having his own stretch of luck in the bottom half of the draw -- he started by stunning second-seed Milos Raonic and followed up with a win over Jurgen Melzer, and after eventually ending Marcos Baghdatis's win streak in the semis made his first career singles final in Brisbane. But the Bulgarian's Cinderella run would come to end in Sunday's championship -- after keeping it close for a set, Murray pulled ahead in the second ultimately closed out his first title of the year. If there was any concern he was about to endure a sophomore slump, he might have silenced them entirely after his performance this week.

It's still early in the season, of course, but it sure looks like this week's winners are well on their way to proving recent successes were no fluke -- or that any slumps they've had may be short-lived. With just a week to go before the first Major of 2013, there may not have been a better time to show us what they've still got.

And it could make for some real excitement when it really heats up in Melbourne.

Moving Forward.

It's been an exciting couple of days in the U.S., and whether or not you agree with the results of the Presidential election, we have been given a leader who promises a brighter future for the nation. The stakes might not be quite as high at the ATP Championships being contested this week in London, but so far the incumbent powerhouses have put on quite a show, and with their last-minute campaigning, they could prove they're more than ready to lead this sport for some time to come.

Group A

With two round robin matches in the books already, we still don't have any final calls for the first group of candidates. World #1 Novak Djokovic, though, certainly looks in the best shape to make the semifinals -- the 2008 champion has gone 2-0 in his early rounds, avenging Andy Murray again on Wednesday to take the lead. He'll next face Tomas Berdych, a man who's only beaten him once in their eleven meetings, so chances are pretty good he'll advance.

But hot on his tails will be Andy Murray -- the U.S. Open champion has had a breakthrough year, and the prospect of an ATP championship would put the cherry on top. He's 1-1 in London so far, and needed three sets in his win as well as in his loss, but as long as he can get at least one set off of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tomorrow, it's pretty likely he'll make the final four.

Hope isn't quite lost for Berdych or Tsonga yet, but as the less experienced players in the group -- both are making their third trip to the Championships -- it makes sense their roads forward will be tougher. The Czech has been strong in recent months, stunning Roger Federer in New York and winning a title in Stockholm. A win tomorrow could rocket him to the top of the group standings. Meanwhile Tsonga, who's had a bit of trouble defending points he'd accumulated late last year, hasn't won a match yet in London, but if he manages a win tomorrow he also has an outside chance to make it back to the semis.

Group B

There are still some ballots to be cast among the other London hopefuls, but long-standing seat-holder Roger Federer's performance so far has at least earned him a ticket to the semis. The six-time winner may have ceded the top ranking spot in recent weeks, but as the eldest statesman in the group, there should be no surprise he's been untouchable so far this week. He trampled sophomore senator Janko Tipsarevic on Tuesday and finally ended David Ferrer's eleven-match win streak earlier today. He still has one more round robin to go, of course, facing his Basel vanquisher Juan Martin Del Potro on Saturday, but even with a guaranteed spot on Sunday, I wouldn't expect him to give anything less than his all it that match.

The other spot will come down to either Ferrer or Del Potro, both of whom have had solid fall runs this year. Their two-plus hour match on Tuesday ultimately went in the Spaniard's favor, and after quietly winning two titles since the U.S. Open it seems only fair that he's so close to making another trip to the London semis. But DelPo just needs to repeat his win over Federer in Switzerland to keep that from happening -- and while the Argentine is 1-6 against the defending champ, he did take a two-set lead over the veteran in Roland Garros and very nearly defeated him at the Olympics. This spot, it seems, is hardly decided, and I really can't think of two people more deserving of the chance to earn it.

Only Janko Tipsarevic is wholly left out of contention after two rounds of play in London. He's been sick, yes -- since retiring from his quarterfinal against Jerzy Janowicz last week in Paris, he was crushed by Federer in his first match at the World Tour Final and lost the opening six games to Del Potro before finally getting on the board today. I can't say I'm too disappointed -- Tipsy lost himself a legion of fans after some controversial comments he made this summer, and while that certainly wouldn't have affected his play, in this day and age it certainly cost him some of the popular vote.

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So while [most of] the votes have been tallied on this side of the Atlantic, there is still some more campaigning left to go in London, and after the handful of matches we've seen already it certainly looks like the most experienced have the advantage. Still we can't quite rule out an October surprise, even if it comes in the early days of November -- all we can know for certain is that the eventual winner will usher in the new year as the man to beat. And if he can continue to play with the power it'll take him to win this title, the future of this sport looks very bright indeed.

The Magic of Paris

Year after year we've seen some amazing things happen in the French capital -- whether it's been Rafael Nadal's domination on the Roland Garros clay or the steady stream of the sport's biggest stars claiming the crown in Bercy. But this year's action at the last Masters 1000 event of the season may have been the most shocking results we've seen in years.

The upsets at the BNP Paribas championship came early and came often. Former top-twenty player Sam Querrey has been climbing back up the rankings for most of the year, but he might have made the best case for himself just this week -- after stunning year-end #1 Novak Djokovic in the second round, he followed up with a win over fourteenth seeded Milos Raonic to make the quarterfinals. His run was eventually ended by wildcard Michael Llodra, once ranked #21 in the world, now a full hundred spots below that. He'd pulled off a straight-set win over American #1 John Isner and a match later halted Juan Martin Del Potro's ten-match win streak since the U.S. Open.

But the clear Cinderella story was that of a man way off the radar. "Jerzy Janowicz" was not a name many casual tennis fans had heard before Paris -- and I'm pretty sure most commentators are still pronouncing it incorrectly. The twenty-one year old had spent most of his career on the Challenger tour, and three titles on that circuit this year helped cut his ranking from #221 at the start of 2012 to somewhere in the sixties now. He'd also made a bit of a stink at Wimbledon -- he only reached the third round, but took then-#29 Florian Mayer to five sets, 7-5 in the decider before finally succumbing.

Janowicz did still have to suffer through the qualifying draw in Paris, though, but once he hit the main draw he really caught fire. The big serving Pole won more than ninety percent of his first serves against Philipp Kohlschreiber in his opener, rattled off twenty-two aces against red-hot Andy Murray two matches later, and rebounded heavily after losing his first set to London qualifier Janko Tipsarevic to make the semis. One win later and the unknown Jerzy Janowicz had reached the final in the first Masters event he'd ever qualified for.

The magic wasn't reserved for the underdogs in Paris. In the other half of the draw, fourth seeded David Ferrer quietly continued the run he's put together in October. After retiring in the first round of Beijing, he'd gone on to win his third title in Valencia, and with straight-set wins over Stanislas Wawrinka and fellow London qualifier Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, he somehow became the only seed to make the final four. After an uninspired first set against Llodra on Saturday, he eventually took hold of the match to make his fourth Masters final.

Ultimately Ferrer's experience would triumph Sunday. Janowicz squandered a break chance late in the first set and Ferrer responded by taking that and the next game. The world #69 got up early in the second, though, but his lead wouldn't last. Ferrer took advantage of a slump in his opponent's serve, winning half the points on return and finally closing out the match in just under ninety minutes.

Janowicz's run to the final won't be for naught -- he's expected to jump into the top thirty when Monday's rankings come out. But for Ferrer, winless in his first three Masters finals, his accomplishment may be slightly more sweet. With his first match in London just days away, last year's ATP semifinalist is now riding his own ten-match win streak, and should take a nice confidence boost with him to the year-end championship. With seven titles now on the year, easily the most prolific season he's had, there's no reason to believe he doesn't have one more in him.

And if the magic of this week stays with him just a little while longer, we might finally see Ferrer transformed into the kind of player who can prove why he's been at the top of the game for so long.

Cramming It In

We were kind of spoiled during the first week of action at the U.S. Open. After a rain delay on opening day, there weren't a lot of weather-related concerns during the early rounds, and most matches that went late into the night did so because these athletes were fighting their butts off through one marathon match after another. But that all changed yesterday, with some strong showers suspending many matches midway through, and creating a bit of a jam in today's schedule which, given Wednesday's forecast, may be difficult to immediately unclog. And that might mean a couple busy days of play in the back half of the week.

Just two matches were completed Tuesday -- world #1 Victoria Azarenka put together a brilliant performance against defending champion Sam Stosur to book a spot in her first New York semifinal, and David Ferrer, likely the most underrated top seed at the Open, endured some long breaks in play to finish off France's Richard Gasquet under the lights. They are the only singles players who get today off, that extra day of rest may serve them well while everyone else hustles for court time.

Maria Sharapova didn't get off to the start she wanted against Marion Bartoli -- in the half hour of play they got in yesterday, the 2006 champion found herself down 0-4, disconcerting as she hadn't dropped even a set to the Frenchwoman in their previous four meetings. Something tells me she'll come back rejuvenated today -- she just broke Bartoli to open play again -- but she'll have her work cut out for her. After a stunning comeback against Petra Kvitova Sunday, Bartoli had won twelve games in a row, and to keep going Sharapova will have to keep that momentum squarely in her favor the rest of the afternoon.

While at least some of the ladies' semifinals are set, there are some fourth round men's matches that still have to be decided. Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka barely got any balls in play when action was halted last night, the defending champion up a quick break. His countryman Janko Tipsarevic was leading 2012 breakout story Phillipp Kohlschreiber too, up 5-2 in the first, but not surprisingly neither match was the focus of many people's attention.

Andy Roddick's Farewell Tour was extended by one more day when play was called after nearly an hour. Under supremely humid conditions last night, the crowd-favorite American got off to a strong start and broke for a 4-2 lead over 2009 champ Juan Martin Del Potro, but the big Argentine raised his game and Roddick couldn't serve out the set. In a near dead heat in the tiebreak -- Roddick's thirty-six points outnumber DelPo's by one -- they're set to resume today once if the skies clear, and there will be little time for rest after that. The winner faces the possibility of back-to-back quarters and semis, and that could put these players through an even tougher mental and physical toll.

You might think the players who didn't take the court Tuesday would now be at an advantage -- so far their schedules haven't been affected -- but some warm-ups have already been halted once today, and with eight partial or full single matches still on the docket there's no guarantee we'll be able to wrap things up be end of day. Hopefully the players will be able to handle the rapid fire matches in the back half of the week -- traditionally my last-minute cramming hasn't served me well in the long run.

And with so much on the line -- for some players more than others at this Open -- we certainly want to see everyone able to give their very best.

The Comeback Kids

Despite some recent high-profile exits at this year's U.S. Open, the theme hasn't so much been that of a "Farewell Tour" as it has been a "Comeback Tour." And those comebacks come in all shapes and sizes -- through four days of play nine men have rebounded after losing the first two sets and more than a couple players in both draws have had to regroup after squandering big leads. It might not always be pretty, but, as we've come to expect from action in New York, it certainly shows us how exciting this sport can be.

Fabio Fognini is no stranger to five set matches -- his two-day 2010 French Open second round against Gael Monfils was one of my best of the year -- but when he got down two-sets-to-one to Edouard Roger-Vasselin after less than ninety minutes of play in his first round, it didn't seem like he'd be able to pull it off. But somehow the twenty-five year old Italian was able to pull himself together, taking advantage of his opponent's weak second serve in the third set, and eventually pushed him to a decider. After more than three and a half hours on court, he finally walked away the winner, scoring just his second career win in New York.

The one saving grace for Fognini is the fact that his next opponent, Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, endured a similar battle on Tuesday. Against tenth seed Juan Monaco, a man who'd won four of their five previous meetings, the world #68 needed just an hour to go down two sets. But the Argentine's serve fell apart in the third and despite winning one more point in the fourth, couldn't get a win in the tiebreak. Garcia-Lopez finally closed it out in an eighty-one minute decider -- again winning fewer points -- earning only his second top-twenty victory of the year. It could be ugly when the two tested players meet later today, but with each of them vying for their deepest run at the Open, it seems likely they'll both put up a fight.

While these underdogs might have been able to eke out the improbable wins in their early matches, some favorites have had to claw back from the brink. Janko Tipsarevic, defending quarterfinal points from last year, looked like he might be heading straight for the door when world #129 Guillaume Rufin took the first two sets from him, and American Mardy Fish, himself a standout here in 2011, had trouble getting a handle on Nikolay Davydenko in their second round. Tipsy was able to turn things around and Fish dropped just five games once he got his bearings -- if they want to go further, though, they'll need to raise their game further. Tipsarevic will meet quickly-rising Brian Baker, who'll have the crowd support in their second round, and Mardy's got a date with sixteenth seed Gilles Simon. Hopefully the long early rounds will serve as valuable prep as they continue forward.

The ladies haven't been immune from the drama either. World #2 Aggie Radwanska comes to New York with mixed expectations -- on the one hand, she's fresh off her first Grand Slam final, holds her highest career ranking and is one of the few women who could be #1 at the end of this fortnight. But she's only won a handful of matches since Wimbledon and retired from her New Haven opener with a shoulder strain. She breezed through her first round in New York, but against petite Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro yesterday she got herself in a world of trouble. She fell behind early and pulled even, only to be broken again in the first set and was a point away from going down two breaks in the second. But as CSN's game fell apart, Radwanska's was raised. She won five straight games to force a decider and blanker her opponent in a twenty-six minute third. Her win earns her a third round meeting with former U.S. Open runner-up Jelena Jankovic, and though the one-time #1 has been solid in her first two matches, we all know how easy it is for her to lose leads these days. If Aggie can keep her cool she might be able to overcome her doubters and make a run into the second week.

But so far nothing can compare to the fight we saw last night between two true stars of the sport. In what might be the best match of the tournament yet, and what is arguable the only real battle Arthur Ashe Stadium has seen so far this year -- at least at night -- sixth seeded Angelique Kerber took on two-time champion Venus Williams in a rematch of their Olympic third round. The German has been one of the standouts over the last twelve months, climbing from a rank of #92 at last year's Open -- where she had to qualify -- and beating the likes of Petra Kvitova, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams this season. Venus, meanwhile, is clearly at the tail end of her career, but with five top-ten wins this year and a run to the semis in Cincinnati, she certainly can't be counted out.

The pair's second round match didn't start out well for either woman -- Kerber opened with a break of serve but immediately gave it back. In fact, no one held until the sixth game, and after about half an hour the German seemed to have all the momentum. When she was up a set and 2-0 -- a ten-game stretch during which Venus hadn't held serve once -- things began to turn around. The veteran pulled even and ahead, and though Kerber got a break back, Williams finally forced a decider after more than a seventy-minute set. She had a break in the third, too, but Kerber, one of the best fighters on Tour this year, rebounded again. With the all-American crowd clearly pulling for her opponent, Angelique stayed the slightest bit stronger and finally earned her first match point after nearly three hours of play. Her win late last night -- early this morning -- sets her up against world #67 Olga Govortsova, who's coming off her own long second round. But with this section of the draw open wide, and her biggest threat already dispatched, things are looking good for Kerber to at least repeat her run from 2011.

The first few days of the U.S. Open certainly haven't fallen short in the drama department, and hopefully that won't wholly exhaust the stars who've survived this far. If they can keep up their level of play it could bode well for what we'll see in the next week.

And their comeback performances could give hope to all the others who find themselves down and out -- after all, in New York we know that anything can happen.

Canada Not-So-Dry

Rain sure tried to wreak havoc on the Rogers Cup all week -- with so many matches suspended and delayed, players were forced to cram in multiple rounds in one day, and the ladies, in fact, won't decide their champion until later today. The weather wasn't to blame for all the surprises we saw over the last few days, of course -- the grueling summer schedule cast a shadow in the form of several pull-outs and retirements in Canada and Cincinnati -- and with both the literal and figurative clouds cleared, we're left with some results we might not have expected.

A lot of the big upsets in Toronto came in the early rounds, but players like Mardy Fish pulled off a solid comeback against Juan Monaco and top American John Isner stayed tough against fellow big-server Milos Raonic to make the semis. Both, however, were stopped by France's Richard Gasquet, who's seemed to make a habit of dismissing the best U.S. athletes this year.

In the other half of the draw, defending champion Novak Djokovic was trying to "turn around" the year that's only brought him two titles and seen him fall before the semifinals one time*. He didn't have to face a seeded player in his first three rounds, but with matches against back-on-the-rise Sam Querrey and Tommy Haas, he was certainly dealt no easy draw. His biggest on-paper challenge came late Saturday night when he faced off against countryman Janko Tipsarevic in a stop-and-go semi. But even that he handled easily, winning all but three points on his first serve and getting back to the final after less than two hours of actual play.

The championship match itself wasn't much to speak of. Gasquet hadn't beaten the recent #1 since 2007, and couldn't seem to get a foothold in this, his third Masters 1000 final. Novak broke early and often, served better than he had even on Saturday and before you even knew what happened, had earned his twelfth Masters trophy and moved himself within a few hundred points of reclaiming the #1 ranking. If he's able to keep up his play in Cincinnati -- not out of the question considering he's one of the few players who doesn't seem to be nursing major ailments -- he could make himself the favorite again at the fast-approaching U.S. Open.

The drama in the ladies draw was arguably more palpable. After the withdrawals and the upsets, there were a couple unseeded players who survived as far as the quarters and ultimately no one in the top five was left standing by the semis.

In the first match contested Sunday, world #23 Lucie Safarova, who'd already dismissed Sam Stosur and and an always-tough Roberta Vinci in Montreal, faced off against 2011 French Open champion Na Li, a woman who'd only won one match since the fourth round of this year's Roland Garros. She looked on point in Canada though, first ousting fellow clay-courter Sara Errani in the third round and then ending Aggie Radwanska's bid to become the top ranked player in the world with a two-and-one drubbing of the Wimbledon runner-up. The veteran Chinese got in trouble early against Safarova, ceding the only break of the first set, and found herself in a 1-5 hole in the decider. But the pressure finally seemed to get to the Czech, as she failed to serve out the match twice and finally succumbed in the nearly two-hour match.

The second semi was no less exciting. Former #1 Caroline Wozniacki and the player of 2011 Petra Kvitova were both hoping to claim their first title of the season. The Dane was arguably running on fumes, needing nearly four-and-a-half hours on court Saturday to survive both Varvara Lepchenko and hometown girl Aleksandra Wozniak. She started off strong too against last year's Wimbledon champ by taking the first set, but Kvitova was able to force a decider just before the skies opened up again. When play resumed later that evening, this Czech hit her way to a two-break lead and eventually finished off her opponent to make her first final of the season.

The finalists don't have a lot of history -- their three meetings have all happened in the last fifteen months -- but Li won their only meeting on a hardcourt this past January, and Kvitova hasn't traditionally fared well during this North American swing. But she's been more than solid in her last few matches, and with the motivation to prove last year was no fluke might just be in a position to run to a title here.

It has certainly been a brutal couple weeks for all the players on Tour, but those who've survived the rains at the first big event of this U.S. Open Series might just have a leg up on their competition. It promises to be an exhausting couple weeks before the next Major, but these guys have proven they might have the stamina to last a bit longer than others. And if they pace themselves during this home stretch, they might just come out shining brighter on the other end.

* Novak's earliest loss this year was in the Madrid quarterfinals, to world #8 Tipsarevic.

Blogcast: Playing for Gold

The world's best tennis players head back to the All England Club of Wimbledon with a little more than a trophy on the line.

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While You Were Otherwise Occupied...

Grand Slams make for great headlines, don't they?

"Serena Williams stunned at French Open." "Murray beats Nieminen and the pain barrier." "Victoria Azarenka narrowly avoids shock exit." "John Isner is tennis's marathon man again."

And while all these matches were well worth watching, and perhaps have held some of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring moments of the French Open so far, there have been just as many players sneaking through there draws with little or no fanfare. And maybe their victories deserve a little more notice as the fields get narrowed.

Janko Tipsarevic comes to Paris with his highest ever seeding at a Slam, but he had been a little quiet since his stellar 2011. It wasn't as though he was losing to a lot of triple-digit players, but he didn't quite keep up the momentum that brought him his first two titles at the end of last year, and his best performance came only last week in Dusseldorf, where he and compatriot Viktor Troicki brought the World Team Championship home to Serbia. Tipsarevic started off slowly in Paris, losing his first set to Sam Querrey, but he came back swinging and improved his record against the American with a four-set win. Earlier today he rallied after an early service break to clay court specialist Jeremy Chardy and earned his ticket into the third round. Maybe the least-discussed player in the top ten, he's certainly shown he can be something to talk about this week.

Julia Goerges had possibly fallen even further off the radar in recent months. The #17 seed here last year, she's fallen out of the top twenty after failing to defend a title in Stuttgart or a semi showing in Rome. Though she's notched wins over Marion Bartoli and Caroline Wozniacki this year, she hasn't made quite the splash she did in 2011 and few pundits were considering her a threat at Roland Garros this go-round. But the German survived a tough opener against Madrid semifinalist Lucie Hradecka and barreled through her second round against young Heather Watson today. Her next round should have been played against heavy favorite Serena Williams, but with perennial spoiler Arantxa Rus taking out the woman who took out Williams, Goerges's prospects are looking a whole lot brighter.

Somewhat of a longer shot is thirty-four year old veteran Tommy Haas. Once ranked as high as #2 in the world, a diet of injuries and illnesses and "old"-age pushed him out of ranking territory by this time last year. But after reaching the semis in Munich and battling through three qualifying rounds in Paris he was back in the main draw. He dropped a bagel set to Filippo Volandri in his first round, but had relatively little trouble today against Sergiy Stakhovsky, where he pounced on weak second serves and converted on nearly sixty percent of his return points. Next up he faces hometown favorite Richard Gasquet, over whom he holds a two-to-one career record. Those matches were a long time ago, though, so it'll be tough against the seventeenth seed. But we should know better than to count anyone out.

I guess that means I shouldn't give up on my New Year's pick to win the ladies' title here quite yet. Like Tipsarevic, Dominika Cibulkova ended the 2011 season with her career high -- that elusive maiden title in Moscow -- and then promptly failed to deliver through the early part of this year, winning just four matches in her first eight events. She finally started to show some spunk in Miami, but after that heart-wrenching loss to world #1 Victoria Azarenka I worried she might not be able to pick herself up. She finally started to turn things around on the clay, though, making the final in Barcelona and beating Yanina Wickmayer in Brussels. And so far at Roland Garros she's been on point, losing literally just a handful of games in making the third round. Tomorrow she'll face unseeded Maria Jose Martinez who earlier vanquished Lucie Safarova and won both the pair's previous two meetings -- ironically, both in Moscow. But if the diminutive Slovak plays up to her ability, she could make a real push for Week Two.

It's been a while since Fernando Verdasco got that far at a Major. Somewhat surprisingly seeing the most success at the hard court Slams, he hasn't reached as far as the fourth round since Australia last year and saw his ranking fall out of the top twenty in the latter half of 2011. The Spaniard started to pull things together in the late winter, though, pushing to the final in Acapulco and stunning Rafael Nadal in Madrid. So far in Paris he fought off an early break to Steve Darcis and stayed tough after losing the first set to Gilles Muller on Wednesday. On Friday he meets Belgrade champion Andreas Seppi, a man who may have momentum on his side. But Verdasco has won all six of their previous matches, in fact losing just one set in their eight-year history, so it might be his opportunity to really make a statement again.

But maybe the player with the best opportunity at the French is 2010 runner-up Sam Stosur. Like so many recent Grand Slam winners, she hasn't followed up successfully on her U.S. Open crown -- she lost the first round in Melbourne and only made the semis at two events this year -- and though still seeded sixth in Paris, she was mostly overshadowed by higher profile names. But she's been quietly making quick work of her opponents so far -- Stosur handed Elena Baltacha a bagel in their second set and took out rising American star Irina Falconi in just over an hour on Wednesday. Tomorrow she'll have her eighth career meeting with Nadia Petrova, often a spotty player, but one who's put up some thrilling three-set battles against the Australian in their last two matches. They too have never met on clay, where Stosur is arguably more comfortable, and a win on Friday could do wonders for her the rest of the tournament.

With so much attention being paid to the big stories of the week, it's been easy to miss some of the more quiet players as they methodically do their jobs. Who knows? It might just work to their advantage as the hard-fought struggles of their potential foes keep the pressure off them. And while we're all too busy looking elsewhere, any of these guys could take the opportunity to really surprise us.

Feeling Blue

By now you've all heard the complaints. The strange blue clay of Madrid is slippery, it's hard to see the ball fly, it's just a way for the tournament to sell out for a sponsor, it looks like a Smurfing pile of Smurf. But when you see the surface claim arguably the best clay court player of all time as a victim -- well then, then, you really have something to complain about.

Earlier today Rafael Nadal, who fell in the final here last year to Novak Djokovic, was handed an even more surprising loss. Despite putting on one of the best shows of 2009, Fernando Verdasco had won just four sets off the former world #1 in their previous thirteen meetings. But Nadal's fellow Spaniard came out swinging, capitalizing on both his break chances in the opening set and creating a lead for the first time on the surface. Nadal fought back, though, and after forcing a third set had a couple chances to serve out that match. But Verdasco kept his cool -- he rattled off five straight games and avoided a late rally by his compatriot, and after more than three hours sealed what might be the biggest win of his career.

It was Nadal's earliest loss on the surface in eight years, and he wasn't the only casualty of the blue clay. Eighth seeded John Isner fell in straight sets to former top-ten player Marin Cilic, and Marion Bartoli lost a long struggle to Sorana Cirstea in her opener. Alexandr Dolgopolov, who'd put up a mediocre 12-9 record on the year so far, pulled off an impressive win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Petra Kvitova, after winning her first match handily, was handed an equally one-sided defeat a round later.

But while these players' moods may reflect the color of the courts, not everyone is upset. And the results so far this week suggest anyone can take advantage of the spell the clay casts.

Verdasco had fallen out of the top twenty a few weeks ago, but he may have turned his year around with Thursday's win. He should be careful his hangover doesn't impede his next match, though -- he has a decent record on the surface against Tomas Berdych, his opponent on Friday, and if he stays strong he could make a run even further in his homeland. And Janko Tipsarevic, coming off a super-successful end to 2011, has won just two matches for each he's lost this year. He'll have to bring his A-game against countryman Djokovic on Friday, but he's beaten him before and could just rattle the defending champ.

Not surprisingly, the ladies have seen a few more upsets along the way, but while many of the favorites are still alive, the pressure will be on in the quarterfinals. Aggie Radwanska, who's still only lost to world #1 Victoria Azarenka this year, will face qualifier Varvara Lepchenko on Friday -- the Uzbek native has dispatched Shahar Peer and Francesca Schiavone already, so she's playing with some confidence. It'll be a tall order, but momentum may be on her side. And Lucie Hradecka, who also made it through the qualifying rounds, has similarly beaten three higher-ranked players, including Kvitova. She'll again be the underdog against Sam Stosur in the next round, but the Czech's won a doubles crown at Roland Garros -- a couple more singles wins may not be that far behind.

But perhaps the player with the biggest opportunity is David Ferrer, a clay court specialist coming off a run to the final in Barcelona. The world #6 faces 2009 titleist Roger Federer next, and though he's never beaten him in twelve tries, Thursday's results could give Ferrer some confidence. After saving match points against Nicolas Almagro today, he's shown he has more than a little fight in him, and if he catches King Fed a little off-footed, like Verdasco before him, he too might be able to score that elusive first win.

Who knows if the underdogs remaining will be able to pull off the upsets? But if even a couple of them do, you can be sure the complaints from the favorites will grow louder. The blue courts of Madrid may ultimately not be long-lived, but they have already seemed to impact. Whether it's for this event -- or for the rest of the season -- we have yet to see.

In the meantime, I'll go back to a normal font -- I don't know first hand how hard it is to find the ball in this sea of blue, but this post is giving me a headache.

Davis Cup Preview: A Man or Two Down

A week after the ladies launched their opening salvos in this year's battle for Fed Cup, the men are ready to do the same. And though a couple top-tier stars will be out battling for their nation's pride, a few teams are left without their stalwarts and could have to really fight for what should be theirs.

Spain vs. Kazakhstan

Defending champion Spain, winner of the Davis Cup three of the last four years, won't have the benefit of Rafael Nadal -- a key player here the last few years -- but comes with some depth and experience that should give them the edge over the upstart Kazakhs.

Nicolas Almagro, playing just his third World Group tie heads up the team and is coming off his best run at the Australian Open -- losing three tiebreaks to Tomas Berdych in their four-set, four-hour slugfest, had a couple balls bounced a different way, he might have scored the win. He's been quiet recently, but on his home turf -- on his best surface -- he could be deadly. He's backed up by world #27 Marcel Granollers, admittedly new to the elite ranks. He's never played singles for Spain and hasn't had a great start to the year, but a title run late last year in Valencia -- which included wins over Marin Cilic, Gael Monfils and Juan Martin Del Potro -- tells me he's got potential to make a big impact.

But the Spaniards can't rest too easy. Though none of the Kazakhs are ranked in the top fifty, Mikhail Kukushkin made a big push to get there in Melbourne. Barely in double digits at the time, the twenty-four year old stunned Viktor Troicki in the second round, and followed it up with his second five-set win in a row, beating Monfils to make the sweet sixteen. Now a perfect 4-0 in matches that go the distance, no one can assume this man will eventually tire out. And with Andrey Golubev -- ranked #33 in the world about a year ago -- backing him up, this may not be as easy as it initially seems.

Germany vs. Argentina

Last year's runner-up Argentine team might have an even harder time. Without big-serving Juan Martin Del Potro playing this tie, they'll have to rely on some consistent, yet veteran players to hold the torch. Juan Monaco is coming off a title at Viña Del Mar and is at his highest ranking in three and a half years. And Juan Ignacio Chela, just a few spots behind him, hasn't been in the top twenty since early 2008. Perhaps their best performance will come from David Nalbandian, who's well off his career-best ranking at #84, but boasts an impressive 22-5 record in Davis Cup singles. The linchpin of the team could help carry them past a tricky German squad.

Still there will be a few close calls. Florian Mayer had some of his best results on clay last year, and though he hasn't played -- or won -- a lot in 2011, he's capable of pulling off some big upsets. He has winning records against both Monaco and Chela, and could pounce if given the chance. And Philipp Kohlschreiber, arguably the stronger player these days, beat Nicolas Almagro in Auckland and Richard Gasquet in Montpellier, while Philipp Petzschner, half of one of the world's best doubles teams, has been notching big wins in singles as well. Either might surprise us this weekend.

Sweden vs. Serbia

Like the top contenders before them, 2010 champions Serbia are also without their team leader Novak Djokovic. But the likes of top-ten player Janko Tipsarevic and doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic should be more than enough to easily handle a Robin Soderling-less Swedish team. The underdogs' best hope might be Robert Lindstedt, ranked tenth in the world in doubles -- he's the highest ranked singles player on the team, at #309. Michael Ryderstedt, almost forty spots behind him, hasn't won a main draw match at an ATP event since July. On paper, it looks like this could be a near-Serbian sweep.

France vs. Canada

France, luckily, comes to their Davis Cup tie fully prepared with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils both in action. They've been solid performers in recent months, with Monfils making the finals in both Doha and Montpellier just last week and Tsonga claiming that Doha title along with runner-up spots in both London and Paris. Teaming with veteran Julien Benneteau and current doubles #5 Michael Llodra, they paint a formidable picture.

But despite the top-tier star power, they shouldn't overlook a wily Canadian team, looking for their first ever World Group win. Milos Raonic looks to be back in form, winning a title to start the year in Chennai. He might not have made as deep a run in Melbourne as he did last year, but he's certainly capable of serving his way through a few sets. And as he gets back on the trajectory he was on before injury stalled his 2011, even on-paper favorites aren't safe. And seven-time Major doubles champion Daniel Nestor could help notch an easy rubber win that may be the decider in a surprisingly close tie.

Italy vs. Czech Republic

The Italians have played the Czechs a surprising ten times at Davis Cup, with the eastern Europeans holding a 7-3 advantage. They haven't met since 1995, when the Italians secured a solid victory, but things may be going back to normal now. Tomas Berdych is coming straight off a title in Montpellier and has amassed an impressive 8-1 record on the year, and Radek Stepanek, once ranked #8 in the world, seems to be playing well again. But also look for Lukas Rosol to try making a statement in a possible reverse singles match -- ranked just seventy-eighth in the world, he is getting more play on the ATP Tour this year, and though he's only scored one win so far, the twenty-six year old may be ready to make a move.

The Italians have some firepower too, but nothing that should pose too big a threat for the Czechs. Andreas Seppi is just out of the top forty, and though he's scored a couple upsets over the last few months, he hasn't beaten a top-ten player since 2008. And Potito Starace, three times a runner-up in his career but never a bride champion, hasn't quite had the breakthrough I've been waiting for. It shouldn't be difficult for a strong -- and stacked -- Czech team to improve their record.

U.S. vs. Switzerland

The U.S. is technically the favorite in this match up -- with a record thirty-two Davis Cup trophies in the case, they certainly have history on their side. But even with their top player -- their top two players, in fact -- they'll likely struggle against a Swiss team that boasts Grand Slam king Roger Federer. Mardy Fish, the best hope for the U.S. in singles, has certainly put up a fight, taking sets from Fed both at last year's year-end championships and in the 2010 Cincinnati finals. But he hasn't beaten the world #3 in almost four years. John Isner doesn't have a better record, going 0-2 against Roger.

There's a little more leeway against Swiss #2 Stanislas Wawrinka. The twenty-six year old has only notched one win in five outings against the two Americans, and he's had some spotty results recently, having advanced past the quarters of only one tournament since last February. And veteran doubles champion Mike Bryan -- playing without twin and brand new father Bob -- could prove to be a great mentor for rising star Ryan Harrison as he seeks to establish himself as the next generation of U.S. athletes. I'm not giving this win to the Swiss outright, but something tells me it could come down to that all-important doubles rubber.

Japan vs. Croatia

This might be the biggest toss-up among this weekend's ties. Croatia has some real tennis talent in its ranks -- unfortunately, neither Marin Cilic, battling a leg injury, nor fellow former top-ten player Ivan Ljubicic will be representing their country. Ivo Karlovic should be able to pick up the reins somewhat, as the big-server seems to be making strides recovering from injury, and Ivan Dodig, one of the biggest flame-outs of 2011, will look to redeem himself here.

But they'll be playing on foreign ground and Japan's #1 Kei Nishikori, on the verge of the global elite these days, will certainly have the crowd on his side. One of the few players to beat Novak Djokovic last year, he's certainly got the talent to defeat most opponents. And Go Soeda, barely ranking in double digits right now, is coming off a Challenger win in Honolulu and a solid run to the semis in Chennai as a qualifier -- incidentally, he beat Dodig during that event. This one will be a battle between rising stars and those on the rebound, and whoever gets in the first punch could do the most damage.

Russia vs. Austria

If the Japan/Croatia tie is the biggest toss-up, this one might have the most at stake. There's a lot of star power on both teams, but not everyone has been playing at their best recently, and anyone might be able to take advantage.

For the Russians Mikhail Youzhny -- #1 in his country, but still out of the top thirty -- will try to build on his Zagreb title from last week. He didn't face much of a challenge from his opponents, though, so we'll get a true test this weekend of whether he's back in form. Alex Bogomolov, playing for the former Soviet Republic despite his former allegiance to the U.S., will make his Davis Cup debut, while former #3 Nikolay Davydenko may be relegated to the doubles rubber. It'll be interesting to see how captain Shamil Tarpischev chooses to stack his team.

Meanwhile the Austrians will hope that Jurgen Melzer, top ten less than a year ago, can live up to his potential. After a tough couple months, he needs to make an impact again on the singles scene -- his teammate Andreas Haider-Maurer has shown signs of potential, but has yet to make an impact on Tour. On the other hand, the sixteenth seed in World Group has a slew of doubles talent to choose from -- Melzer, Alexander Peya, and Oliver Marach are all ranked in the top twenty-five for the paired discipline. Unfortunately, of course, that strength can only translate into one rubber, max. We're going to have to see a lot more depth, if this team is going to advance.

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With pockets of powerhouses, and open opportunities, showing up throughout this weekend's rubbers, it looks like we could have some big matches -- and some big upsets. Whether the heavy favorites will make early exits or tricky upstarts will finally get footing is still to be seen. But we've seen almost anything can happen at Davis Cup. And as the field gets narrowed, be ready for a few surprises.