The Unexpected Victors

It seems to be turning into a more common occurrence these days, seeing the men's draws get turned on their heads early in some big tournaments. But often early upsets ultimately just open the door for #2 or #3 on the list of favorites, with ultra-underdogs simply bowing out quickly after their big wins. That didn't happen at this week's ATP events, though -- while upsets certainly took place throughout the week, the top seeds did eventually survive to the finals. But to their surprise they'd find out their opponents were far more formidable foes than they could have possibly realized.

World #6 Tomas Berdych has had some big results this season so far -- he reached the semis in Melbourne, took a title in Rotterdam and gained an early lead on Roger Federer in the Dubai final. He'd also had a few hiccups here and there, though, losing to Roberto Bautista Agut in his Indian Wells opener and to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Monte Carlo. He seemed to have righted himself at the Portugal Open though, riding his top seed to the final with little drama. He even took the first set from Carlos Berlocq without dropping a game and looked cleared for the title.

But the thirty-one year old had his own plans. A bit off his highest ranking, Berlocq hadn't won more than one match at any event all year, but was on point when he hit the courts in Oeiras. He stunned second seeded Milos Raonic in the quarters, his first ever win over a top ten player. But unlike so many players who expend all their energy on getting that one big win, the Argentine followed up with an ouster of Daniel Gimeno Traver to reach his third final. He seemed to lose steam on Sunday, dropping the first set to Berdych in less than half an hour, but did manage a break to kick off the second. It was a tough battle for that set, but eventually Berlocq forced a decider and decided to up his game even further -- converting on four of five break chances, he rolled through the third set, notching his second top-ten victory and earning his second career title, easily the biggest win on his record.

Things got even more interesting in Munich where both defending champion Tommy Haas and top seeded Fabio Fognini were the favorites for the title. In his first matches since Indian Wells, the thirty-six year old Haas looked good early, taking out always-feisty Alejandro Falla and hanging tough against Andreas Seppi to make the semis. But it was Fognini who seemed even more in control -- just a shade off his best ranking of #13 in the world, the Italian has scored wins over Nicolas Almagro, Tommy Robredo and Gael Monfils already this year, and at the BMW Open he reached his third final of the year without dropping a set. He even got a set lead in Sunday's championship too, but again, that would soon be reversed.

Like Berlocq, Martin Klizan had tasted success over his career, but hadn't quite maintained that stance. A title in St. Petersburg nearly two years ago helped propel him to #26 in the world, but a relatively uneventful 2013 season pushed him out of the spotlight. He did have a couple chances this year, sneaking into the third round at the Australian Open and beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Rio, but still languished with a triple-digit ranking. The Munich qualifier turned things around even before today's final, though -- he came back after losing the first set to Mikhail Youzhny and ended Haas's bid to repeat in the semis. And after losing his opener to Fognini -- incidentally, a rematch of the St. Petes final -- he turned the tables decisively, never losing serve again and dropping just three more games, making him the lowest-ranked player to win a title this year.

As much as the favorites have earned the right to be considered just that, sometimes it's nice to see some new faces in the mix. More important than winning the trophy, this weekend's champions proved they have what it takes to follow up one big win with another. And with so many of the most dominant forces in this sport showing they too can make mistakes, there may be no better time for these new champions to show their stuff.

On the Upswing

Tennis is a sport of ups and downs, one in which players can peak and fall quicker than cresting tides. But it's often how players bounce back from their stretches in the doldrums that can define their careers, and this weekend's champions proved they have what it takes to keep themselves at the top of the game for some time to come.

Fabio Fognini hadn't exactly fallen off the radar -- the third seed in Viña Del Mar came to the tournament at his then-highest ranking of #15 in the world. But since claiming his first two career titles last summer, he's gone a little radio silent since -- he retired from his opening round in Chennai and was drubbed by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. Back on the Chilean clay, though, he seemed to find his footing. He stayed tough against always tricky Jeremy Chardy and withstood a comeback from dirt-specialist Nicolas Almagro, playing his first match since October, in the semis. Meanwhile Leonardo Mayer, barely ranked in the top hundred at the time, survived a tight second round against Tommy Robredo and came back again against Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the quarters to make his first career final. But Fognini was too strong in the end, dropping just four points on his first serve and breaking his opponent three times in thirteen chances. In under ninety minutes the Italian had claimed the title, establishing himself as a real threat once the clay season gets in full swing. Whether he has what it takes to unseat the greats is yet to be seen, but he sure has shown he can put up a fight.

The comeback in Zagreb was a little more obvious -- former top-ten player Marin Cilic had fallen deep into double digits after an anti-doping violation last year forced him into a six-month hiatus, and though he put up quite a fight in Melbourne, he hadn't scored any notable wins since his return. The three-time champion in Croatia was granted just a fifth seed in his homeland, and with second seeded Mikhail Youzhny dropping his opener he only faced one opponent ranked inside the top hundred on his road to the final. In the draw's top half, not-to-be-forgotten Tommy Haas, still skirting the top ten even though he's in his mid-thirties, came back twice against both Benjamin Becker and Daniel Evans to reach the championship match. The top seed, who'd come out the winner in the pair's long Wimbledon slug-fest five years ago, might have been spent by the time he got to Sunday's final, though -- the strong-serving Croat fired off ten aces to Tommy's two and capitalized on any opportunity he could on the German's parlay. Cilic was able to close out the match in straight sets, adding trophy #10 to his mantle, but maybe more importantly proving he was back with quite a vengeance.

Over in Montpellier Gael Monfils' return to the podium marked the end of an even longer drought. The 2010 champion at the Open Sud de France -- back when the even was held in the fall -- skipped much of the 2012 season with injury and made spotty returns to the fray last year. Though he won a Challenger event in wine country and made the final in Nice, he couldn't quite seal the deal -- and earlier this year in Doha he failed to keep his Qatar record against Rafael Nadal spotless. He did get things back on track this past week though -- as the fifty seed he survived a couple scares on his way to the final where he met countryman Richard Gasquet on Sunday. But the top seed had just eked out a win over big-serving Jerzy Janowicz and couldn't keep up in the championship match. Here too Monfils out-aced his opponent, lost just two points on first serve and allowed not a single break point. In another quick, straight-set, sub-ninety minute match, the underdog again came out on top, claiming his first crown in over two years.

Whether these guys can continue their momentum remains to be seen, of course, but each faced and overcame some big challenges over the last week -- and maybe over a much longer time frame than that. And if they can keep their confidence high, I wouldn't be surprised to see them claim even bigger prizes -- and scalps -- in the months to come. After all, there's still no telling when their tide might start to ebb, so they'd better strike while they've got the best opportunity.

It's Getting Hot in Here...

We've got a full round's worth of action in the books for this year's Australian Open, and it's not just the athletes claiming victims in Melbourne. We've already had nine retirements in the first two days, an Open Era record for one round -- and while triple-digit temps weren't responsible for all of them, it seems likely they will result in a few more over the days to come. And that could mean the favorites face some tougher-than-expected times on court -- and may just open open the door for some others in the field.

Day One saw two top ten women fall by the wayside. Sara Errani, who began her climb to the top here two years ago, was sent home in her opener for a second straight year, while 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was stunned by unknown Thai Luksika Kumkhum. The men suffered their own losses too -- twelfth seeded Tommy Haas retired with a shoulder injury late in his second set, while Auckland champion John Isner, already pushing his luck with an ankle injury there, got two sets down to qualifier Martin Klizan in Tuesday's heat before pulling the plug. Even those that survived were tested. Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka, historically not great in the heat, already withstood a challenge from world #91 Johanna Larsson -- the little-known Swede served for the first set twice before relenting in the second. And eighteenth-seeded Gilles Simon, who arrived in Melbourne on crutches after rolling his ankle at an exhibition last week, marked more time on court than he wanted in his opener -- he needed four and a half hours and a thirty-game final set to dispatch German Daniel Brands.

So clearly where there are not holes in the draw, the fabric may be worn pretty thin.

Julia Goerges, ranked in the top twenty a year ago, got the better of Errani in dominating form on Monday and won her first match at a Major since reaching the fourth round here in 2013. The next seed she'd face is wholly untested Eugenie Bouchard, who's playing her first Australian Open main draw -- if Goerges keeps playing aggressive, there's no reason she can't match or beat her previous showing here. And American Alison Riske, who upset Elena Vesnina on Monday, would have been in Kvitova's section of the draw. While there are plenty of threats still around -- Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki and U.S. Open Cinderella Flavia Pennetta to name a few -- she might be able to pull off a few more surprises.

But also keep an eye on super-underdog Garbine Muguruza. The young Spaniard sailed through the qualifiers in Hobart and stunned Klara Zakopalova for her maiden title. Now in the top forty, she continued her run with a win over twenty-fourth seed Kaia Kanepi in her first round. Though she's never won more than a match at a Major and while most of the favorites in her quarter are still alive, there's reason to keep believing -- Caroline Wozniacki, her probable third round opponent, went down in straight sets to Muguruza just last year in Miami, so there may be no better time make a breakthrough.

On the men's side, fewer seeds have been sent packing, but plenty have been pushed to the limit. Former top ten player Marin Cilic, Simon's challenger in the next round, was pushed in Tuesday's heat as well, taking more than three hours to get past Spain's Marcel Granollers. It's been several years since he's faced the Frenchman, but as the relatively fresher player, he might be able to end a three-match losing steak. And Donald Young, looking to turn around his career -- and his reputation -- could take advantage of an exhausted Andreas Seppi on Thursday. The veteran Italian squandered a two-set lead to hometown favorite Lleyton Hewitt, and might not have it in him to rebound so quickly.

But let's also not count out Guillermo Garcia Lopez, the man who was up a set and a break when Haas retired. The three men he could face over the next two rounds have combined to spend nearly ten hours on court already, with nineteenth seeded Kevin Anderson, arguably the biggest threat among that group, putting in the most time. GGL, pro since 2002, has never made it past the third round of any Major, but he did notch wins over Mikhail Youzhny and Janko Tipsarevic last year -- and he has nine career wins over top ten players -- so he shouldn't be overlooked. If he stays rested and focused, he could be the Cinderella of this Slam.

Of course the favorites in the field -- all of whom are still alive -- will have a lot to say about any of these guys' chances. Though as the temperature and the pressure heats up, it could be out of their control. Still, it's important for everyone in the field to keep their cool -- to stay healthy and play their best. After all, no one wants to have this title decided by the weather.

Deep Seeded Anxiety

After the rampant bracket busting we saw at Wimbledon this year, we can't really be surprised by the upsets that have come in the weeks that followed. In fact, only one favorite won a title this past weekend, while everyone else broke new ground on their way to the winners' circles. Their performances show just how deep the talent in the fields has become, and may make even the biggest stars a little nervous.

The only top seed to survive the week's action was, maybe not surprisingly, Serena Williams. Playing for the first time in Bastad, Sweden, the world #1 was able to redeem herself after a shockingly early exit at the All England Club -- though she didn't face a player in the top thirty, she did make her way to this title without dropping a set, defeating 2011 runner-up Johanna Larsson in under eighty minutes during Sunday's final. It was Williams' fifty-third career title, her seventh of the year, and should do a lot to erase the memory of a disappointing run in London as she preps for the hardcourt season. But we've seen so often this year that nothing is certain on these courts -- and all the other winners this weekend prove that not all top seeds are safe.

That was quite apparent in Bad Gastein, where world #33 Mona Barthel retired while down a set to Austrian wildcard Lisa-Marie Moser, and up-and-coming German teenager Annika Beck won just a game in her quarterfinal match. Karin Knapp, something of a Cinderella at Wimbledon a few weeks back, was the only seed to make the semis, and even she couldn't cut it against eventual champion Yvonne Meusburger. The twenty-nine year old veteran reached her second straight final, having lost last weekend to Simona Halep in Budapest. But this time against doubles specialist Andrea Hlavackova, playing in her first ever singles championship, the hometown girl had the advantage. After surviving a tight first set, Meusburger won her first career trophy, reached her highest career ranking and proved some things do get better with age.

That sentiment is also true for Ivo Karlovic, who'd been struggling to come back from injury almost a year before being struck by illness in April. The big-serving Croat came to Bogota ranked out of the top hundred-fifty and title-less for over five years, and at thirty-four seemed unlikely to change that. But he withstood some tough challenges in Colombia -- he played five tiebreaks on his way to the final, only dropping one set to second seed Kevin Anderson in the semis. Meanwhile twenty-nine year old Alejandro Falla, himself ranked in triple digits and coming off a win over world #14 Janko Tipsarevic in the quarters, was playing his first ever title match. But Karlovic proved too much for the relatively untested local -- in a quick two-set match which brought his ace total above a hundred for the tournament, nearly three hundred for the year, Dr. Ivo landed his first crown in half a decade and put him back on the radar for the rest of the field.

On the radar too, now, are the two finalists in Hamburg, each of whom pulled off some of the biggest wins of their careers to make the title match. Young Federico Delbonis had won a handful of Challenger events before heading to Germany, but had only spent a total of one week inside the top hundred -- he hit #98 in the world after winning in Barranquilla. But he began his campaign last week with a win over Tommy Robredo and followed up by defeating recently resurgent Fernando Verdasco in the quarters. His biggest triumph, though, was over a much bigger fish -- in the semis he took on four-time champ Roger Federer and, against all odds at the bet-at-home Open, came out the winner. Meanwhile Fabio Fognini, long an also-ran in this sport, took out hometown hero Tommy Haas before ousting clay court specialist Nicolas Almagro to make his second final of the year. And ultimately the Italian's experience won out -- after dropping the first set and saving three match points in a tiebreak, the twenty-six year wrapped up the tightest final of the weekend, extending his win streak to ten matches and two titles since Wimbledon. Suddenly a top-twenty player, he's proven that even underdogs have a little bite to them.

Whether this weekend's results show that the favorites have lost a bit of their sparkle or that the longshots have upped the ante remains to be seen. Certainly a loss this week doesn't mean a career is over -- nor that momentum will last in the months that come. But with even the most unheard-of players proving they can hit with the big guys, it sure will be fun watching them all fight it out.

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.

The Graveyard

The summer hardcourt stretch is usually one of the more brutal periods of the tennis season -- it's hot, it's humid, it's hard on your body. But players, at least the top ones, usually get more of a chance to pick and choose events, take a week off to recover here and there, and pace themselves better between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. This year, on the other hand, the calendar has been especially rough, and more than a few high-profile casualties have been claimed.

Of course there was an Olympic elephant in the room, jamming the back half of the summer with three big tournaments back-to-back-to-back just before the final Grand Slam of the season. The London event isn't wholly to blame, of course, but the tight and tense schedule has taken a toll on the field. So far in Cincinnati, four players have retired mid-match, this after the likes of Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and John Isner pulled out of the draws entirely. And that's not even the worst of it -- Rafael Nadal yesterday disappointed a legion of fans when he announced he wasn't fit enough to play in New York, and earlier today Gael Monfils, absent from Tour since early May with knee issues of his own, did the same.

It does make you wonder, then, if everyone's efforts are worth it. Tommy Haas, left off the German team in London, has played every week since Wimbledon -- every week but one in fact since Roland Garros -- but fell in the second round in Cincy. And Olympic Bronze medalist Juan Martin Del Potro, who dismissed Haas Wednesday, battled a wrist injury today to get a three-set win over Viktor Troicki -- makes you wonder if he can last another round here. Even Serena Williams, riding a three-title win streak, was nursing a back strain on Tuesday and had trouble closing out against world #121 Eleni Daniilidou. In her match against Urszula Radwanska today, she was broken four times -- by comparison, she lost serve just once at the Olympics.

But while these guys struggle, there are of course those looking to pick through the remains of these fallen and broken stars and come out on top. Montreal titleist Petra Kvitova has already won more hardcourt matches this summer than she even played last year, suggesting she might have found a way to lick the asthma that plagued her in the latter half of 2011. And reigning U.S. Open champ Sam Stosur, two-and-four since Wimbledon, slogged through a nearly three hour match against Anabel Medina Garrigues Tuesday. Up a set and a break on Ekaterina Makarova now, she might be making that late-August push as she preps to defend.

A few men are also looking to take advantage of their opportunities. Mardy Fish, hobbled by illness for much of the first half of the year, seems to have found his groove again. He's dropped a bit in the rankings, but notched his only top-ten win of the year last week in Toronto. He's only been broken once in his first three matches year and looks poised for a quarterfinal meeting against Roger Federer -- the four-time champion is already up a break on Bernard Tomic in his third round. That's no easy draw, of course, but Fish has given the Great Fed a challenge more than once recently, so the outcome is far from certain.

More impressive, however, might be the run of Nikolay Davydenko in Cincinnati. The former world #3 has fallen well out of the spotlight the last few months, making it past the second round of a tournament just once since late March. Now almost out of the top fifty, he fully dominated DC champ Alexandr Dolgopolov in his opener, converting five of ten break chances and winning almost two-thirds of all the points. He followed it up with a similarly one-sided victory over Florian Mayer and will tonight face last year's runner-up Novak Djokovic. Clearly he's the underdog in that match, hasn't beaten the recent #1 since 2009, but the Serb has been pretty busy this summer and could be caught off guard.

As usual some players are primed to pounce on any chance created for them, and with so many falling by the wayside, the opportunities are particularly plentiful. For a few looking to turn their seasons around, it's a chance to get in a couple big wins before the year's last Major. And if they can do it, there might be a hugely different dynamic in place when we get to New York.

Making the Switch

It's been a rough couple days for the sport's best players as they've tried to make the relatively late shift to the American hardcourt season. With so many staying on Wimbledon's grass for the Olympics last week, there wasn't a lot of time to adjust for the first big events of the U.S. Open Series.

Players like fourth-place finisher Maria Kirilenko and runner-up Maria Sharapova skipped the Rogers Cup in Canada entirely, while Gold medalist Andy Murray withdrew after his first match. And a couple who were hoping to stick around fared no better -- five men's seeds, including Bronze winner Juan Martin Del Potro, were upset in Toronto on Wednesday and top players like Sam Stosur and Petra Kvitova had to fight back from the brink in Montreal.

But that does open the door for other players still in the draw -- both those who have been slogging it out on the surface the last few weeks while the favorites were otherwise occupied, and those who didn't last quite as long at the All England Club as they might have hoped.

Aggie Radwanska's run to the final at Wimbledon solidified her spot as one of the sport's top athletes, but her opening loss at the Summer Games threatened to halt her momentum cold. She got herself in a bit of danger her first match in Montreal, dropping her first set to rising German Mona Barthel. But perhaps helped by a couple rain delays, the Pole regrouped in the second and finally closed out the match. Traditionally strong this time of year, she might be able to take advantage of any holes left in the draw.

Sara Errani, too, hasn't done much off the clay since spring -- she's won a match here and there on grass, but with an infamous golden set against her record she might have been aching to get on a surface more to her liking. She's never won a Tour title on a hardcourt, but with a run to the Australian Open quarters, you know she can cause some waves. She was dominant in her opener against Jana Cepelova, but will have to raise her game against Na Li, a woman who's proven she's still relevant on both Errani's best grounds. If she can score the win, though, it could bode well for the Italian the rest of this week.

It's not just the favorites, though, that stand to gain in Montreal. Hometown favorite Aleksandra Wozniak has been rebuilding her game all year, winning an ITF title in Nassau and cutting her ranking basically in half. She survived a close call against unseeded and recovering Daniela Hantuchova in her first round and followed up with a one-sided victory over former #1 Jelena Jankovic on Thursday. She'll be the underdog again against Christina McHale in her next match, but with the American going three sets in her early rounds, Wozniak might be the fresher contestant. And the way her section of the draw is shaping up, there's plenty of reason to believe she could keep on going.

The men in Toronto have seen their bracket busted wide open over the last few days, and while favorites like Novak Djokovic and Canada's own Milos Raonic have survived, the possibilities for others may be stronger. Mardy Fish has a chunk of points to defend in the coming weeks, and while his contemporaries bided their time in London, he got in a couple practice shots in the U.S. He's only played one match so far at the Rogers Cup, but his drubbing of his Indian Wells vanquisher Matthew Ebden -- he lost just seven points on serve and needed less than an hour to advance -- suggests he's in good form. If he can make it past new top-tenner Juan Monaco next, certainly no easy task, he could make a good and deep run here.

Tommy Haas has also spent the summer rebuilding his game. Back in the top thirty thanks to a title in Halle and runner-up finishes in Hamburg and Washington, he's already survived two tough opponents -- veteran David Nalbandian nearly ousted him early while ninth seeded Gilles Simon provided relatively little resistance. He'll next face Radek Stepanek, who on Wednesday scored a big win over Juan Martin Del Potro and won their most recent meeting in Miami. But Haas is a different player these days and might just be the favorite this time.

But the sleeper in this draw might be Jeremy Chardy who notched his first top-ten victory of the year over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday. The Frenchman barely has a winning record on the year, but by making the third round here, he looks to be changing that. He'll next meet Spain's Marcel Granollers, a man who's technically a favorite, but with just two wins on hardcourts so far this year, he might not be quite up to snuff. Chardy did win the pair's only previous match about a year ago, too, so history could be on his side.

The switch to hardcourts seems to have had different effects on players this week, taking some victims, allowing others redemption, and rewarding those who've remained loyal to it the last few weeks. Whether players can keep the momentum they've captured so far in Canada as we head to the final Grand Slam of the year remains to be seen. But performances so far bode well for these players, and with a more wins they might just change the conversation at the U.S. Open.

It's Not All About the Gold

Now that all the excitement around Olympic tennis has died down it might be a good time to step back and look at the other action that went on last week. It's easy to have been distracted, but for the tennis players who passed on or were left out of the Summer Games, this was a great opportunity to get some momentum for the fast-approaching U.S. Open. And the results in DC certainly provided more than a few surprises and some real chances to shine.

The ladies' draw featured more than a few players who could have played in London last week. Top seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has seen her ranking drop slightly the last few months due to injury though and, at #34 when the Olympic players were determined, was only the sixth-highest Russian in the field. And South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers hasn't played for her Fed Cup team since 2005, so was ineligible to make the trip herself. Instead they made their way to the U.S. hardcourts along with a crop of other players looking to make a bold statement or a strong comeback.

Success came unevenly of course -- Scheepers dropped her first round quickly, back-on-the-upswing Melanie Oudin dropped a long three setter to one-time #15 Aravane Rezai, whose own comeback was stopped just one round later. Meanwhile Americans Vania King and Sloane Stephens, each at or near their career-high singles rankings, lived up to their rankings to make the semis while Pavs herself reminded the tennis world she was still relevant, making her first final in over a year.

Unfortunately for the former world #13, she was full out of gas -- her semi with King went nearly three hours -- when she met unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova in Saturday's match. The young Slovakian was well off her best ranking, having dropped out of the top hundred and compiling an unimpressive 5-11 record on Tour this year. But she took no prisoners in Washington last week -- she ousted Scheepers in just over an hour, stunned a strong Sloane Stephens in the semis, and took advantage of an exhausted opponent in the championship match. With Maggie's every ball finding its mark -- she made just seven errors in the match -- she dismantled the #1 seed in another hour's time, handing Pavlyuchenkova her first loss ever in a final and earning her own third career trophy.

The stakes for the men in DC might have been even higher -- with five hundred points on the line, the champion would receive a bigger boost than Federer got from taking Silver in London. Perhaps that helps explain why stars like Mardy Fish, Kevin Anderson and re-ascendant Sam Querrey were all in the bracket.

They weren't immune from upsets of their own, though -- only five seeds made it out of the second round with James Blake ousting Pablo Andujar in their opener and Xavier Malisse, strangely left off the Belgian team at the Olympics, taking care of Jeremy Chardy a few days later. On the other hand Fish, struggling with injury all year, rebounded after retiring in Atlanta and losing the first here to make his first semi of the season. And Querrey, a stone's throw from a seeding in New York, scored a solid win over Anderson in the quarters to make the final four himself.

Both their runs were stopped though -- one by a veteran who's been rebuilding his form throughout 2012, the other by a youngster who'd so far failed to repeat his successes from last year. Tommy Haas, who in January was ranked just #205, proved he wasn't going anywhere when he stunned Roger Federer to take the Halle title back in June and made the final a few weeks later in Hamburg. In a solid service performance he took out Fish in Saturday's semi, dropping just two points on first attempts and denying all three break opportunities. Meanwhile Alexandr Dolgopolov, a standout at last year's Australian Open, had failed to defend many points this season. He dropped three opening matches in a row during the spring and lost in the semis of Umag, the lone title he'd won in 2011. But he was back in the groove in Washington. He only struggled briefly against James Blake in his early rounds and got past Querrey without allowing a break of serve.

The final last night was not without drama -- a long rain delay late in first set gave Haas the advantage in the tiebreak, but the Ukrainian rebounded quickly and got a late break in the second which he did not cede. The tide swiftly turned after that and Dolgopolov built a solid lead in the decider, finally closing out the match as the German's serve faltered and his own confidence grew. The win vaulted him nine spots up the rankings, and with his solid play all week, reminded future opponents he was no one-season wonder.

This weekend's champions may not have had the honor of playing for their countries, but perhaps the boost they got in winning was worth a little more to them individually. With confidence restored they can play with -- and defeat -- the big guns, there's no telling what they can do the rest of the year.

Blogcast: 2012 Wimbledon Preview

The best tennis players in the world move to London for the third Grand Slam of the year, but the lawns of Wimbledon might prove tricky for even the biggest stars.

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And check out the man and woman I thought were most likely to bring home their very first Major trophies in London to see if anything's changed.

The Weirdest Day in Tennis

It's just after noon in New York, and I'm already overwhelmed by the stuff that's gone on today. Rain-delayed battles, amazing triumphs, stellar upsets, and one particularly strange display that brings up more questions than it does answers.

You'd be forgiven if you don't remember Alize Cornet. The twenty-two year old peaked during the 2008 clay court season, making the semis in Charleston and Amelia Island, the finals in Acapulco and Rome, and finally earning a title in Budapest. She's been a little quiet since, watching her ranking drop from nearly top-ten territory to triple-digits just a few months ago. She hasn't even won an ITF title in over four years. But she may be turning things around now -- the Frenchwoman beat four higher-ranked players to make the final in Strasbourg, and this week picked right back up post-Roland Garros to play for the trophy in Bad Gastein. In a surprisingly tight match against second-seeded Yanina Wickmayer, Cornet was able to capitalize on her break opportunities and out-lasted the favorite after more than two hours of play. For a woman who's been a bit of a non-entity in the sport the last several years, it was quite an accomplishment -- she might not be quite ready to take the grass court season by storm yet, but if she keeps up her confidence, it might not be long before she does.

Meanwhile in Birmingham, the rain played tricks with the players all week long. With play almost completely washed out on Friday, players were forced to endure one double-header after another over the weekend, with some athletes losing leads and others hanging tougher to get the win. Perhaps the greatest victories, though, came from world #208 Melanie Oudin, whose once-bright star has become a little tarnished since 2009. She looked good in her opening rounds in England, but it wasn't until her later matches that she really brought up her game. After her quarterfinal against compatriot Irina Falconi was delayed on Saturday, she got back on court to finish it up. She then went another three sets against eighth seeded Ekaterina Makarova, a more-than-solid player herself, to reach her first-ever Tour final. For the title she'll face Jelena Jankovic who, you might remember, she beat during that first breakout Wimbledon a few years ago. If she can pull it off again -- let's face it, JJ is not the player she was back then -- it could put Melanie way back on the radar over the next few months.

Tommy Haas has been on the radar before, but it's been a long time since. The thirty-four year old was the #2 player in the world a full decade ago, but shoulder surgery, hip surgery, illness and, well, age, pushed him out of the top fifty, hundred, three hundred and five hundred by this time last year. He didn't have the most successful return in 2011, winning just a handful of matches in his first five months back, but finally put together a few back-to-back wins to make the quarters in Vienna. He did even better this season, upsetting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the way to the Munich semis and even got in a couple main draw wins at Roland Garros as a qualifier. But his true comeback was sealed this week when, as a wildcard in Halle, the 2009 champion stunned third-seed Tomas Berdych, overpowered eventual Munich champ Philipp Kohlschreiber, and earlier today pulled off an epic straight-set victory over Roger Federer, a man he hadn't beaten since the Sydney Olympics -- that was back in 2000, for those who forgot. Ten losses and twelve years later, Haas was again victor over King Fed, winning his first title in three years and pulling off probably the most surprising win of the day.

Things didn't stop there, however. In what might have been the strangest -- and most disappointing -- end to a tournament, David Nalbandian, seeded tenth at Queen's Club, was leading Croatia's Marin Cilic by a tiebreak, but had just lost serve when this happened:



The linesman was left with a bloody calf, and though the Argentine apologized for his outburst, tournament officials chose to disqualify him from the tournament, handing Cilic the win. It's a tough way to claim a title, certainly not the way true athletes want a competition to end. But with his first trophy on grass, Cilic may have at least proven to himself he can triumph on the surface. As for Nalbandian, it'll be interesting to see how the veteran pulls himself together after this latest outburst. Sadly, it wasn't the first -- and won't be the last -- instance of tennis players losing their cool, and hopefully the sport won't lose anything from it.

With all the unpredictable things that happened on the tennis courts today, it's a bit of a shame we'll probably most remember what went down in London. But there's so much more that's worth celebrating this weekend, and with just a week left until Wimbledon, those players should take all that good with them over the next few weeks. And they're recent successes -- and even their failures -- could prove invaluable as they look to put together even bigger triumphs in the matches ahead.

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.

When the Cat's Away...

Not everyone showed up to defend their titles this week -- some literally, others more mentally -- so a couple trophies were truly up for grabs. And while players in every corner of the brackets scrambled for some big upsets, the ones who made it to the winners' circles were those who truly brought their A-games.

With last year's Belgrade champion sitting out the event this year, the tournament draw was wide open. Top seeded Pablo Andujar seemed to be in fine form early while veteran David Nalbandian, who's proven multiple times this year that he will not be discounted, fought his own way to the final. But ultimately it was Benoit Paire, playing his first ATP final, facing off against world #46 Andreas Seppi for the title. It was a valiant effort from the Frenchman -- he'd only spent one week of his career in the top eighty before coming to Serbia -- but the slightly more experienced Seppi took it to him from the start. He took advantage of weak serving from his opponent and capitalized on the strength that brought him his first title less than a year ago in Eastbourne. After just over an hour and a second set in which he lost just three points on serve, Seppi claimed the title and pushed himself to within a stone's throw of his career high ranking.

Nikolay Davydenko was in the draw at Munich, but a first-round loss to qualifier Robert Farah ended his hopes to recapture the crown early. And Tommy Haas, trying to get back in the double digits, took out both Marcos Baghdatis and top seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But world #24 Marin Cilic finally ended his run, and Philipp Kohlschreiber, the champion here in 2007, survived a two-plus hour battle against Feliciano Lopez in the semis to make his sixth championship match. The pair traded breaks in the first set of the final, with the German ultimately closing it out in a tight tiebreak. But Kohlschreiber was able to save all four break chances in the second and pulled off one more upset to claim the title.

Juan Martin Del Potro was the only champion from a year ago who not only showed up in Estoril, but also was out to prove who's boss, and perhaps his imposing presence helped keep everyone in line -- all four top seeds made the semis without dropping a set. The Argentine had a bit of a challenge against Stanislas Wawrinka in their first set, with neither man allowing a break chance, but eventually took the match in straight sets. In the other half of the draw, Richard Gasquet found himself in a bit of trouble, dropping his first set to Albert Ramos, but climbing out of a hole in the second and getting a late break in the decider to take the match. That may have taken all the juice out of him, though. DelPo's service game was indomitable, while Gasquet seemed to falter on his, and the defender never allowed him an opportunity to break. After less than ninety minutes, he was hoisting the trophy above his head for a second time.

This week's results show the impact a defending champion can have when he brings his best to the office. If he's at the top of his game, he could make an easy run to the title -- if he's not, there's no telling who'll take advantage of the holes. And if these guys learn that lesson, we might see them break through all over the place the rest of the season.

Winding Down?

We're getting to that part of the men's season where much of the London field has been decided and the couple remaining contenders are fighting to rack up a couple extra points here and there before the last few Masters events of the year. But even those players who have no possibility of making a trip to the O2 have reason to keep fighting -- some are looking to follow through on recent successes, while others need to get their games back on track after losing the momentum that was once so clearly on their side.

It hasn't been all successful -- one-time world #3 Nikolay Davydenko continues to struggle post injury -- though he was able to reach the semis last week in Moscow, he got bagelled in his second set in Vienna yesterday, ultimately losing the first round to qualifier Steve Darcis. And surprise Australian Open quarterfinalist Alexandr Dolgopolov may be at a career high ranking, but after his drubbing by Dudi Sela on Monday in St. Petersburg he's now lost three opening matches in his last four events.

Big-serving Kevin Anderson is trying to turn his year around. Though he's just a shade off a career-high ranking, he hasn't won more than two matches at any event since March. Many of his losses have come at the hands of top-twenty players, or better -- Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish, Gael Monfils are among the South African's vanquishers this year -- but it's still been hard for him to get traction since taking his maiden title in Johannesburg. So far in Vienna, though he seems to have found his game again. Already notching twenty-two aces this week, he had a straight forward win over Andreas Haider-Maurer on Monday and followed up by downing always-tricky Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets. This is where he can get into trouble, though, as his next opponent, either Jurgen Melzer or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, could present a challenge. But he'll have to power through if he's going to re-establish himself as a force next year.

More interesting, though, might be the re-emergence of veteran Tommy Haas. Once the #2 player in the world, he remained a force until hip surgery nearly two years ago cut his 2010 season way short. He started playing singles again at Roland Garros and won his first match of the year against Michael Berrer in Newport back in July. And though he made a surprising run to the third round at the U.S. Open, it wasn't until this week he managed to put together more than a few wins back-to-back. As a wildcard in the qualifiers, he took out Matthias Bachinger to make the main draw and immediately upset fifth seed Juan Ignacio Chela. Today he came back from a set down against fellow qualifier Aljaz Bedene to make the quarters, the first time he's gotten that far at a tournament in over two years.

Over in St. Petersburg Alex Bogomolov Jr. is having the year of his career. Though he first emerged on the scene at the start of the last decade, some personal troubles -- a divorce from fell tennis player Ashley Harkleroad and a suspension for doping in 2005 -- kept him from making a real impact on Tour. But already this year he's beaten Andy Murray in Miami and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Cincinnati. The seventh seed came to Russia, incidentally where he is a dual citizen, ranked #36 in the world, also just off his career high. After stomping down Igor Kunitsyn in his first match, he withstood a late surge by Philipp Kohlschreiber today to get the win earlier today. That gives him entry to his sixth quarterfinal of the year, proving his recent run was no flash in the pan.

Marin Cilic is trying to accomplish a similar feat, though his greatest successes are far less recent. A top-ten player last year, he hasn't won a title since February, 2010 and lost five opening round matches this year. But he's been trying to reverse that run recently and made the finals in Beijing earlier this month. He's fallen a bit in the rankings, but retained the fourth seed in St. Petersburg and today rebounded after losing his first set to Somdev Devvarman to get the win after two-plus hours of play. He also benefits from a lack of viable seeds in his section of the draw, so could make a very legitimate run for a title.

It's too late for any of these guys to hope their seasons will be extended this year, but it's still important for them to make a stand before they begin their 2012 campaigns. If they kick off next year like they're trying to end this one, there's no telling where the momentum will take them.

U.S. Open: First Round Matches I Wish I'd Watched

I've been on vacation since before the draws for this year's U.S. Open came out, and though I hoped to bring you the same first-round matches to watch I have for the other Grand Slams this quarter too, I'm a little late to the game.

But there sure has been some excitement in the first two-plus days of play, and the upsets, breakthroughs and clean games -- in both openers and some second round matches -- have set up what could be an interesting week. So, in a slight deviation from my previous posts, I'm going to take a quick look back at what's happened so far and what it means for the rest of the week. Maybe more.

The Men First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter

The Women First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter

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The Men

First Quarter

It's a little weird to see Novak Djokovic's name heading up the top quarter at a Slam, but that's where he is right now. He didn't seem to show many signs of trouble from that shoulder injury that forced him out of the final in Cincinnati in his first round match, only dropping a game before Conor Niland retired. His bigger tests will surely come further down the road. Gael Monfils, the second man in this part of the bracket, also had an easy opener against up-and-comer Grigor Dimitrov -- it should have been a tough match, but the Bulgarian dropped in straight sets.

More interesting were some wins by players trying to work themselves back in the game. Juan Carlos Ferrero, a runner-up in New York back in 2003, is somewhere in his tenth career and now ranked out of the top hundred. But the veteran stayed strong when trailing Pablo Andujar and took the five-set match in three and a half hours. And former world #3 Nikolay Davydenko, trying to climb back from a wrist injury that's made him a non-contender for almost two years now, forced just-seeded Ivan Dodig to the limit before sending the Croat home. Either has a chance to extend his streak, but with JCF next meeting Monfils and Kolya on track to face Djokovic in the third, it will only get harder.

The late-round match-to-watch: Djokovic could very well meet Tomas Berdych in the quarters. Remember the Czech, who stunned Nole last year at Wimbledon to make the finals, had to retire a few weeks back in the Cincy semis. I'd love to see that match to completion -- with both men healthy.

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Second Quarter

Defending champion Rafael Nadal was pushed down a quarter and so headlines the #2 section again. He was a bit challenged last night by Andrey Golubev, but was able to make it through. And David Ferrer, after dropping the first set to Igor Andreev, battled back quickly to advance.

But there were a bunch of big upsets in this quarter as well. World #10 Nicolas Almagro, actually having one of the best years of his career, was upended in straight sets by Julien Benneteau, while Mikhail Youzhny, a semifinalist here last year, was taken down by Los Angeles champion Ernests Gulbis in less than two-and-a-half hours. I'm not sure the losses clear out the draw for the true contenders, but it certainly could open the road for some others along the way.

The late-round match-to-watch: Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion here, comes to New York with his lowest ranking at a Major in ten years. He could be the sleeper in the draw, and while I'd love to see a battle with his friend James Blake in the fourth round, it would be more fun to match him up with Rafa for a semi spot. It would do a lot to pump up the American as he looks to extend his career a little bit longer.

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Third Quarter

Roger Federer has a #3 next to his name for the third Slam in a row, and it still seems strange. But with both Nole and Rafa in less-than-top form, he could sneak his way through and make a real statement. After his drubbing of Santiago Giraldo on Monday night, he's well on his way to do just that. And top-ranked American Mardy Fish keeps improving his game at the Majors. He knows how to beat the big guys, and with his section of the draw opening up nicely, he could make a big run here too.

Two of the most interesting early matches here are actually right next to each other on the draw sheet. Veteran Tommy Haas won only his third match of the year against qualifier Jonathan Dasnieres De Veigy on Monday and his first at a Slam since Australia 2010, after which hip surgery ended his season. And Alejandro Falla, who nearly beat Federer at Wimbledon last year, endured another five-setter against fifteenth-seed Viktor Troicki to earn only his second career win in New York. The two meet each other next, and with one likely exhausted and the other largely untested, there's no telling what sparks will fly. For sentimental reasons, I'm hoping for a Haas win.

The late-round match-to-watch: Though he'd have to get past Fish to do it, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could set up another quarterfinal match with Federer. He's won their last two meetings -- at a Slam and a Masters event -- so momentum is on his side. It would be fun to watch Roger try to turn the tables.

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Fourth Quarter

Andy Murray comes to New York with momentum on his side, having won in Cincinnati and putting up his best Major performances all year -- a final and two semis. His win over Somdev Devvarman earlier today was fairly routine, and with sixth-seeded Robin Soderling withdrawing from the tournament with illness, the road to the final four has never been clearer.

But that holds true for a couple others in the mix. Juan Martin Del Potro, champion here in 2009, reminded us what a force he can be with a sub-ninety minute drubbing of Filippo Volandri earlier today. And John Isner, who just beat Marcos Baghdatis in four sets, worked his way back into seeding territory with a successful summer run. In fact...

The late-round match-to-watch: The two big servers have played three times in their careers with all those matches -- all those sets actually -- going to the Argentine. But if they meet in the fourth round this time around, it could be a battle.

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The Women

First Quarter

Caroline Wozniacki is back on the winning track after four-peating in New Haven, and she should bring some of that confidence with her to New York. It only took her eighty minutes to dismiss doubles specialist Nuria Llagostera Vives on Tuesday. But the other favorite in the top quarter, French Open champion Na Li, did not fare so well, falling in straight sets to tough teenager Simona Halep. The young Romanian is one to watch, too, and might get a few more wins out of this fortnight.

I'm a little disappointed by the performance of Tamira Paszek, though -- the Wimbledon quarterfinalist had been having a decent year before Akgul Amanmuradova stopped her run short. And Sara Errani, who often has sparks of brilliance, probably had a good shot at breaking 2004 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, but she too lost in less than an hour-and-a-half. What could have been a great opportunity for either ended up sending both home far earlier than necessary.

The late-round match-to-watch: The top two seeds left in the bottom half of this quarter, Andrea Petkovic and Roberta Vinci, are slated to meet in the third round. Both are having the best years of their careers and it's a shame one will be sent packing before the week is up, but Petko is on the verge of the elite and could make her biggest argument with a win.

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Second Quarter

Last year's runner-up Vera Zvonareva isn't playing the best tennis on Tour these days, but she's held on to the #2 seed and fought past her first two opponents in New York. And with eighth-seed Marion Bartoli losing her second-round match to Christina McHale today, Bepa is facing a much easier draw.

Of course there are still obstacles left. Veteran Anabel Medina Garrigues, consistently ranked in the top thirty for the past seven years -- a small blip in 2010 notwithstanding, will be next up, and after losing her first set to Karin Knapp she's been playing well again. And Sam Stosur's one-sided wins over Sofia Arvidsson and Coco Vandeweghe show she's not one to be counted out. And we can't forget Maria Kirilenko who made the quarters here in 2009. She survived a tough match against feisty Ekaterina Makarova to open her campaign and could make a deep run here as the seeds continue falling.

The late-round match-to-watch: Sabine Lisicki got a big break today when two-time titleist Venus Williams sadly had to withdraw from their second rounder. With that challenge lifted, she should meet Zvonareva in the fourth round, a rematch of Roland Garros, where the German very nearly caused the upset. Now it much better physical shape, and coming off a trophy in Dallas, she might be my favorite in this section of the bracket.

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Third Quarter

Maria Sharapova leads this quarter and is playing the best tennis she has in years. She was tested by Heather Watson on Tuesday, but has a much easier outlook since her Wimbledon vanquisher Petra Kvitova lost early. The young Czech was handled on Monday by former top-thirty player Alexandra Dulgheru who, in turn, was handled today by Monica Niculescu.

I was impressed by Flavia Pennetta's win over Aravane Rezai in their first round. The Italian hasn't won a lot of matches recently and that she could turn things around bodes well for her tournament. She further followed it up with a straight set dispatching of Romina Oprandi earlier on Wednesday and is certainly on a bit of a roll. Julia Goerges, too, who'd started the year off with so much promise, only won two matches since Wimbledon. But she had impressive wins over both Kristina Barrois and Laura Pous-Tio to reach her first U.S. Open third round. Playing well again, she could cause damage further down the line.

The late-round match-to-watch: If seeds play out, Sharapova should play Shuai Peng in the fourth round. The Chinese woman is sitting at her highest-ever ranking and has pulled off upsets at Slams already this year. I'm not sure she's completely back in top form, but she could put up quite a challenge if the favorite's going to advance.

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Fourth Quarter

Victoria Azarenka is just aching for a big Grand Slam result -- she has the talent to do it, but something always gets in the way. In 2010 she had a frightening collapse in the middle of her match with Gisela Dulko -- surprise, her second round opponent this year -- and twice at the Australian Open she's squandered leads to Serena Williams -- surprise, probably her third round opponent here. Sorry, Vika. And Francesca Schiavone, never known for her hard court prowess, was already tested by Galina Voskoboeva in her opener. I'm not sure how much further she'll go.

But there's plenty other stuff to talk about here. U.S. Open Series winner Serena was unstoppable against Bojana Jovanovski in their late night match yesterday, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova seems to cleaned up her serve a bit, taking out rising star Anna Tatishvili in straight sets. Plus former #1's Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic droped a total of eight games between them in their first round matches. It would be nice to see either make a stab for this quarter.

The late-round match-to-watch: You can't avoid it. Vika and Serena always put on a great show and if they meet in the third round, I expect nothing less.

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Seeds have fallen, underdogs have emerged, and in just about three days of action we've learned that just about anything can happen. I'm not sure I've picked my favorites to bring home the titles quite yet, but it's clear some old champions and new have the chance to get it done.

And it'll sure be fun to watch it all happen.