U.S. Open Catch-Up: Week One Standouts

Okay, I realize I've been a little out of pocket the last few days, but that definitely doesn't mean there wasn't a ton going on at the U.S. Open's early rounds. And now with the battle for the quarterfinals about to start, you can't help but notice a few unexpected faces still in contention.

So far it seems Serena Williams is well in control of her destiny -- though she was well-tested by doubles specialist Bethanie Mattek-Sands in her third round, she came back strong to close out the match with a bagel set. Other favorites in the top half of the women's draw weren't so fortunate, though -- Belinda Bencic, one of my dark horse picks to win this tournament was stunned by an in-form Venus Williams on Friday, punching the American veteran's ticket to the fourth round in New York for the first time since 2010. And Aga Radwanska fell too, maybe not so surprisingly, to a tough Madison Keys, the first time she's lost to the twenty-year-old in five meetings. Other players, though, have really stepped up to the plate -- Genie Bouchard, who'd put together a more-than-disappointing 9-17 record this season before the Open, seems to have finally found her game again. While she hasn't faced another seed yet, she's taken out tough opponents from Alison Riske to former Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova. Next up she'll face Roberta Vinci, another woman who's looking for a comeback, but if the Canadian performs at her best there's no reason she can't make a real play for the only Major semi she didn't reach last year. But of course the real standout here is little-known Anett Kontaveit -- the nineteen year old qualifier is ranked outside the top one-fifty and has spent most of her time on the ITF circuit this year. But in her first week in Flushing Meadows, she notched a nice upset of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and followed through by beating a tough Madison Brengle. Of course she'll face a bigger challenge today against Venus, but she's had a lot of match play this season and may just have the energy to score another win.

It seems like there have been a few more upsets on the bottom half of the ladies' draw. Last year's runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, who'd already been struggling this year, bowed out early again, this time to world #149 Petra Cetkovska. And while it may not have been too surprising, Angelique Kerber, who'd been having a super-strong season, picking up her fourth Premier-level title of the year in Stanford, put up a huge fight before eventually succumbing to two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka in what's at least an on-paper upset. And with such big holes in this section, a couple underdogs may be able to take advantage. Always talented Varvara Lepchenko will face Vika next, and while the Ukrainian-born American is a bit off her career high #19 ranking, she's nevertheless a real threat in New York. She beat both Sam Stosur and Madison Keys to start the year in Brisbane and on the summer hardcourts in Stanford, took out Wozniacki in straight sets. In her first week at the Open, she battled past my other long-shot Lesia Tsurenko and yesterday came back from a set down to beat Mona Barthel. Her road forward will be tough -- it's been ten years since her only win over Azarenka, but after the energy the Belorussian expended in her third round, Lepchenko may be able to prevail. And then there's Johanna Konta, the twenty-four year old who's riding a ten match win streak coming into the Open. After reaching the quarters in Eastbourne, the Brit picked up ITF titles in Granby and Vancouver and this week scored her second straight win over Wimbledon finalist Garbiñe Muguruza and followed up by taking out Andrea Petkovic yesterday. She'll have to face New Haven champ Petra Kvitova next, and while the fifth seed has put together a nice run of her own, an upset here isn't out of the question.

Not surprisingly the men have been a little less susceptible to early exits, but not entirely immune. Kei Nishikori, of course, dropped out in his first round and David Ferrer, who'd only played one match since Roland Garros, seemed on point for a while but was eventually defeated by Jeremy Chardy on Friday. Of course the big shock came very early Saturday morning, when two-time champion Rafael Nadal squandered a two-set and a break lead to Fabio Fognini and allowed the thirty-second seed his third win over the former #1 this year. The feisty Italian, who'd never made the fourth round in New York before, now faces Feliciano Lopez, who stunned an out-of-form Milos Raonic in his lat match. The two have never met before, but if they play up to their potential this could be a big fight. But there are opportunities for others in the top half of the bracket too. Defending champion Marin Cilic hadn't been having the best season to date, but he made his way through early matches without much drama -- it wasn't until the third round against Mikhail Kukushkin that he was actually challenged, needing five sets and more than four hours to clinch the win. But the Croat likes long matches -- he's won seventy percent of the thirty he's played -- and seems able to bounce back well from the effort. He's just split his first two sets against Chardy, as one of the most under-the-radar returning titleists I can remember, he might just be able to surprise us again.

The bottom half of the men's draw has been largely in tact so far with all of the top seeds advancing as planned. While Andy Murray was dealt a bit of a scare early -- he was down two sets to Adrian Mannarino in his second round -- he rebounded quickly and took out Thomaz Bellucci last night in straight sets. But while Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and even Tomas Berdych have advanced with relative ease, there might be a few more battles in store down the road. Donald Young continues his strength this fortnight, yesterday racking up his second upset of the tournament over Viktor Troicki. He actually beat Wawrinka here four years ago, and might just have the confidence to do it again. But the Swiss #2's bigger threat may lie a match later -- severely underrated Kevin Anderson is coming off a solid run to the trophy in Winston-Salem, and he fought through early-summer standout Dominic Thiem without dropping a set. He has one career win over Murray, his next opponent, but if he manages to squeak by, he's got a much better shot against Wawrinka, who he's beaten in their last four meetings. It might be a tough ask to take out two top-ten players in a row, but the South African is long overdo for a big run at a Major, and this might just be his chance. Same too for John Isner, who hasn't come close to repeating his quarterfinal run here in 2011. But the Atlanta champion has been impressive so far in New York -- long known as a big server, he's finally getting breaks against strong opponents, and reached the fourth round without dropping a set. He'll meet Federer next, which will be no easy task, of course -- but the American has one five-set win over the living legend, and he might be able to give him a run for the money again.

There's a lot of ball left to be played, of course, but any one of them might just be able to cause a stir as the stakes get higher in New York. And after the wins they've already been able to score, there's not much I wouldn't put past them.

Random Acts

That weird blue clay may be a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean things are back to normal in Madrid. There have been upsets from the start, and even the most decorated clay courters have already been shown the door -- and with just one top ten player not making the trip to Spain*, that's no easy accomplishment. So for those still standing as we head into the final weekend, chances may not be better to make a real statement.

Kaia Kanepi is on what seems like her hundredth career comeback -- the Estonian made the quarterfinals at Roland Garros back in 2008, but a knee injury hampered her play for several months the next year; she reached the quarters at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2010, but lost momentum again in 2011, and she was in and out of Tour-level play throughout last season, battling an achilles injury that pushed her ranking back out of the top thirty. She's rebuilding again this year, but fell short of repeating as champion in Estoril. She's made better strides this week though -- she opened with a win in Madrid over former top-tenner Flavia Pennetta and then got one-sided revenge over her Portugal vanquisher Carla Suarez Navarro. Earlier today she battled through veteran Daniela Hantuchova to make the quarters, her best showing at a Premier event in almost a year. She'll have a tough task against Maria Sharapova in the next round, of course, but Kanepi's not one to be overlooked -- if she strikes early, she might just be able to put another big win on her resume.

Ekaterina Makarova has been scoring those "W"'s for years, beating Victoria Azarenka in the 2010 Eastbourne final and stunning Serena Williams in Australia last year. She's become a mainstay in the top thirty in 2013, but four first round losses coming into this event may have shaken her confidence a bit. She was instrumental in securing Russian victory at Fed Cup last month, though, and she hit the ground running this week in Spain. She got through Lucie Safarova in her opener and came from behind against third-seeded Azarenka late on Tuesday. Against recently struggling Marion Bartoli today, Makarova took control immediately, staving off all four break chances and jumping over her opponent on the return.

For her efforts she might get the honor of meeting another underdog in Varvara Lepchenko, whose so far ceded a two-break lead to seventh-seeded clay court specialist Sara Errani, a winner of five titles on the surface in the past year. Lepchenko has earned her chops on dirt too, though, making the fourth round of the French Open in 2012 and working her way from triple-digit rankings at the start of last year to top thirty now. She opened with a win over Roberta Vinci and then got a walkover from one-time Stuttgart champ Julia Goerges. She might be at a disadvantage even if she makes it through her third round -- Makarova won the pair's only previous meeting -- but there's no reason to believe the American #4 can't pull off a surprise.

The men's side hasn't been without upsets either and, maybe surprisingly, theirs have cut even deeper into the top ranks. Grigor Dimitrov, long hailed as "Baby Fed" for his similarity to the record-holding former #1, has only recently made good on these expectations -- since losing the final in Brisbane, he made the semis in Rotterdam and even took a set off Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo. This week, though, he really started to shine -- in a three-plus hour match against 2011 champion Novak Djokovic, he withstood two tight tiebreaks and eked out a win with just two more points than his much-heralded opponent. We'll see how worn out he is when he faces Oeiras champion Stanislas Wawrinka later today, but with his first career victory over a top five player finally under his belt, he should be confident that more can come.

Rivaling that result for most shocking of the tournament is what we saw this afternoon from Roger Federer. Defending Madrid titleist Roger Federer had only lost before the semifinals here once, and that was way back in 2002 when he made the quarters. Though he regained the #2 ranking from Andy Murray a few weeks back, he hasn't won a trophy yet this year, technically making this his least productive season since the turn of the century. His hopes to change that momentum were blunted today, though, when he met Japan's Kei Nishikori, rebuilding his own career over the last four years. The twenty-three year old stunned Roger to take the first set and, more impressively, held tough after losing the second 6-1. He got a break early in the decider, took advantage or weak serving by the legend and barely allowed Federer to win half his points on serve. After just over ninety minutes, he'd reached his first Masters quarter since 2011, but better yet scored the biggest win of his career.

Upsets are not uncommon at big events, of course, but the abundance of them in Madrid in recent years seems disproportionate. With no seeds safe, it seems, anything can and will happen on these courts. The winners that eventually emerge should know they've survived some of the biggest competition out there -- after all some of the best things ultimately came out of chaos.

World #7 Juan Martin Del Potro pulled out with a viral infection, the only man or woman in the top ten to miss the Mutua Madrid Open this year.

The New Faces of Fed Cup

The ladies take to the courts this weekend to contest their Fed Cup quarterfinals, and while there are more than a few powerhouse names in the draws, there are a couple fresher faces in the field. And they might just have what it takes to cause a stir during this year's battles.

Czech Republic vs. Australia

The two-time defending champion Czechs kick off their attempt to three-peat with a cadre of well-heeled athletes. Petra Kvitova may be a shade off her career high ranking, but is an impressive 16-6 when playing for her country, and Lucie Safarova, only 3-4 this year, was nevertheless the surprise star in the 2012 campaign. Meanwhile the duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka rebounded from a second round loss in Melbourne to make the final in Paris -- if this tie comes down to the doubles rubber, the pair could very well seal the deal.

But the Australians could surprise us, and not in the way you'd think. Bumped out of the World Group last year, they return to the big girls' draw led by veteran Sam Stosur -- but with only one, hard-fought win on her record this year, the Aussies might look elsewhere for leadership. Former top-thirty singles player Jarmila Gajdosova is coming off a mixed doubles title at the Australian Open, and young Ashleigh Barty teamed with Casey Dellacqua for a surprising runners-up finish in the ladies' draw too. They might be the lesser-known names on the squad, but it certainly doesn't mean they can't grab the headlines this weekend.

U.S. vs. Italy

In a repeat of the 2009 and 2010 championship round, Italy will take on a Williams-less U.S. team in Rimini. The #1 doubles team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci will represent their country's bid for a fourth trophy, but the two top-twenty singles players will be focused on clinching the tie before they ever get to the last rubber. They'll want to bring their A-game, too -- Errani hasn't been able to repeat her successes from early last year and fell unceremoniously to Mona Barthel in the Paris final, while Vinci is only 5-4 on the season. And if the headliners split singles rubbers, the Italians may have to rely on sub-hundred players like Karin Knapp and Nastassja Burnett in doubles. And that could open the door for their opponents.

The Americans are not only missing their veterans, though -- Melbourne standout Sloane Stephens pulled out with (another?) ab strain and was replaced by rising star Jamie Hampton, playing singles in her first Fed Cup tie. With these absentees, fellow newbie Varvara Lepchenko is the leader for the U.S. -- still fresh to the sport's elite, she's only won one match this year, but having notched wins over Francesca Schiavone, Jelena Jankovic and Dominika Cibulkova in the past twelve months, she may be ready to deliver. One-time darlingMelanie Oudin will also be called on -- she's relegated to the doubles rubber with Liezel Huber, but a few good plays here might get her the confidence she needs to mount a comeback.

Russia vs. Japan

The Russians are no strangers to Fed Cup glory -- having won all four of their trophies in the last decade, they should have history on their side against the upstart Japanese, playing in their first World Group draw since 2007. The favorites will be missing some of their biggest stars, though -- perennial powerhouses Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova and resurgent Svetlana Kuznetsova are all off the docket -- but they could very well make up for it with players like Melbourne Cinderella Ekaterina Makarova and first-time titleist Elena Vesnina. Rounded out by teenager Magdalena Gasparyan, ranked well into triple digits, it might not be the A-list you expect, but these ladies know how to turn up the heat when needed.

Their opponents, though, have been known to cause a few upsets themselves over the years. Ayumi Morita repeat a career-best third round showing in Melbourne and upset top-seeded Ana Ivanovic in Pattaya City. Uber-veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, who's been playing Fed Cup since 1989, climbed her way back into the top hundred -- again -- with an upset of Nadia Petrova Down Under. A win over a tried and tested Russian team is far from certain, of course, but there's really no telling what could happen when national pride in on the line.

Serbia vs. Slovak Republic

Perhaps the most interesting quarterfinal, though, pits last year's runner-up Serbia against long-time also-ran Slovakia. Possibly unfortunate for the on-paper favorite, though, they'll be missing their top two players in Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. That leaves Bojana Jovankovski leading a team completed by two teenagers and the world #92. Vesna Dolonc probably scored her best result last year in Moscow, where she made the quarterfinals, but Aleksandra Krunic and fifteen-year-old Ivana Jorovic have barely put up any numbers to speak of on Tour. But with a couple years of Fed Cup play under her belt, she might be the veteran on the squad this rubber.

The holes in the armor might give the Slovaks a chance to regroup. Dominika Cibulkova headlines the field, but seems to have created a pattern of one deep run followed by several early losses -- she made the final in Sydney, but that was the only time this year she's made it out of the second round. Veteran Daniela Hantuchova will also look to put some wins on her scoreboard -- plagued much of last year by injury that forced her to skip the French Open and played part in three subsequent Major first round losses, she did make the quarters in Sydney with a win over Sara Errani. Still, this tie could easily come down to the doubles rubber, allowing often spotty but certainly talented Magdalena Rybarikova a chance to shine. If the team performs to their ability, it wouldn't be the biggest shock to see an upset here.

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There's a lot at stake for the ladies this weekend -- especially with so many lesser-known players getting a chance to shine. When all is said, I wouldn't be surprised to see some new contenders left battling for this year's Fed Cup trophy. And if they make some real strides over the next few days, it could set the stage for even more successes this season.

Stopped Short

It's got to be a little disheartening for a tennis player, just putting together the momentum to launch a comeback, successfully pulling off a huge win at a tournament, and then having the wind sucked out of her a match or two later. Many of the ladies in Beijing this week have fallen victim to just that trend, and that's allowed some interesting names to make their way into the quarterfinals.

Ana Ivanovic isn't exactly an underdog at the China Open -- seeded eleventh here, she's coming off her first Major quarterfinal since 2008 and is at her highest ranking in three years. Still, she hasn't beaten a top ten player since Indian Wells, and was dealt a pretty tough draw from the start in Beijing. Ana opened against Christina McHale, a rematch of her Olympic first round, and got a challenge from new U.S. #2 Varvara Lepchenko a match later. Having survived these threats, she might have expected smooth sailing for a while, but world #69 Romina Oprandi had other plans.

The Swiss miss had lost three straight matches since the U.S. Open, but came to China with an agenda. She dispatched rising star Urszula Radwanska in her opener and avoided a second round against French Open finalist Sara Errani, who retired in her first match. She raised her game further against Ivanovic in today's match, taking advantage of weak serving from the Serb and actually winning more points on return than in her own game. After just over an hour, she'd notched her biggest win of the year and secured a spot in her first Tour-level quarter since last June. It'll only get tougher from here, of course -- she'll likely face world #1 Victoria Azarenka next -- but the veteran has proven she can still hit with the big girls and might just be able to make an even bigger statement this week.

Julia Goerges seemed to be in a bit of a sophomore slump after her breakout 2011 season. After reaching a career-high ranking at #15 this past March, she failed to defend clay court points during the spring and fell in the first round of the U.S. Open. She survived a scare against Vania King in her Beijing first round, but seemed to save face against rival Sam Stosur in the second. The German had won the pair's first two meetings, and though the fellow dirt specialist got revenge this year in Stuttgart, Goerges was able to turn the tide back in her favor in a two-and-a-half hour, three set win on Tuesday.

Her success would not last long, however. Ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli, who's play can be a little manic at times, had had a decent 2012 -- she was the first player of the season to beat Victoria Azarenka in Miami, made the final at two events, reached the quarters in New York, and very nearly ended a long losing streak to Maria Sharapova. Today she was relentless against Goerges, with eight aces and seven doubles, she was the aggressor and took down her opponent for the second straight week. She's certainly no stranger to the latter stages of an event, but her third round dominance may make her a bigger force than others realize.

Former world #1 Jelena Jankovic is striving to get back to that same level. Having fallen out of the top twenty in May, she's 1-9 against top-fifteen players this year and has racked up fourteen opening round losses -- I won't mention how many times she's squandered match points again. Well out of seeding territory these days, she also faced a tough draw in Beijing, but stayed tough against comeback story Andrea Petkovic to start and demolished a struggling Monica Niculescu on Tuesday to reach the third round. She seemed to be getting her act together again and, like compatriot Ana before her, should have bought herself a little breathing room.

But Carla Suarez Navarro was quick to put an end to the Serb's momentum. Dealing with her own set of injuries over the past two years, the teeny Spaniard had already scored wins over the likes of Sabine Lisicki and Sam Stosur this year and had made her way to the final in Estoril, her first since 2010. She'd already marked moral victory in Beijing, taking out Petra Kvitova in the second round, but kept her cool against JJ today. In a somewhat ugly display -- neither lady won even half of her service points and together they lost serve sixteen times -- Suarez Navarro was able to save just slightly more of the twenty-three break points she faced and eked out the win in just under two hours. She'll need to do better against Bartoli in her next round, but if she is able to clean up her game, she might just be able to catch the Frenchwoman by surprise.

It would have been nice to see the players looking to regroup this week really put an end to recent slumps, but with subsequent losses the roads to their revival seemed to take some unfortunate turns. Hopefully they'll be able to turn things around during the balance of the year -- after all, they've each proven they're still capable of pulling off some big wins.

Now they just needed to do it over and over.

Where's the Follow Through?

Here in the U.S., with veteran champions like the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick crossing, or about to cross, the thirty-year mark, and transition players like John Isner and Sam Querrey having their biggest successes so far at the mid-tier tournaments, we've been aching to identify our next generation of big tennis stars. We get some glimpses of hope here and there, but have yet to find the next athlete who promises to deliver again and again.

At last week's U.S. events, a couple American youngsters got a chance to shine. College stars like Nicole Gibbs and Mallory Brudette got their first Tour wins in Stanford and young Coco Vandeweghe chopped her ranking nearly in half by making the final. In Newport, 2009 champion Rajeev Ram put together his most successful singles run in a while on his way to the semis, and soon-to-be Olympian Ryan Harrison put up a solid fight himself in the final four. But all these guys fell in their first rounds this week, understandable given their efforts, but disheartening for those hoping to see them back up their recent success.

That's not to say all hope is lost. The draw in Carlsbad features plenty of Americans, many wildcards, and more than a couple have so far survived early rounds. Christina McHale, long touted as the premier talent in the generation has lived up to her seeding and Melanie Oudin, finally backing up her 2009 U.S. Open run with a title in Birmingham last month, pulled off a solid win over fellow(-ish) up-and-comer Sloane Stephens in her first round. But perhaps the most potential lies with twenty-six year old Varvara Lepchenko. The surprise fourth-rounder in Paris has only lost a handful of games so far this week. With a quarterfinal meeting against often-spotty Nadia Petrova next, she has the real potential to pull off another upset, and that could bode well for her even beyond this tournament -- a first-time Olympian in a few weeks, there might not be a better time for her to prove how well she can fight for her country.

There's no Olympic gold on the line for some of the standouts in Atlanta, but that's no excuse for them to not put up a fight. While veterans like Roddick and top seeded John Isner, twice a runner-up here, are getting in some good practice for London, those a little further down the rankings may be the ones to watch this week. Wildcard Steve Johnson had only played one Tour-level match this year, but he hung tough against one-time U.S. Open Cinderella Donald Young in his first round. He'll meet another young star in Jack Sock next -- the 2010 U.S. Open Juniors champ defeated seventh-seeded Alex Bogomolov in his opener and could put on an entertaining show for a spot in the semis. For the man who survives, it could be a great opportunity to make a real splash on a Tour-level stage.

It's going to be difficult for any of these guys to make a real and immediate impact at a Slam -- with the top players in the sport right now proving they're not going anywhere soon, they might have to slog it out for several more months or years. But it's important that they bring the momentum they capture from wins this week into their next few events -- if they can prove themselves to be constant threats in the draws, it might not be long until they're no longer considered the underdog.

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.