An Embarrassment of Riches

It may not be a Grand Slam, but the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo sure has the ability to attract some real talent in the women's game. With seven of the top ten in the draw and the lowest seed ranked just at twenty, from the start there was the potential for some big-time clashes even in the early rounds.

And the ladies did not disappoint.

Bad Gastein champion Julia Goerges and former world #1 Dinara Safina, both unseeded, met in the first round, as did Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Maria Kirilenko, ranked twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth respectively. And it wasn't just a matter of an unjust draw forcing out some stars early -- just shy of her fortieth birthday, Kimiko Date Krumm ousted Maria Sharapova while teen qualifier Coco Vandeweghe dealt Aravane Rezai another early blow. So now with the quarterfinal matches set in Tokyo, the eight women left certainly deserve to be there.

Top seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who secured her spot in the year-end Doha Championships with her win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, has only dropped seven games on her way to the quarters. There she'll meet Aggie Radwanska, who beat a tough-as-nails Andrea Petkovic in the third round.

Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up Vera Zvonareva rebounded nicely from her heart-breaking loss in New York with a solid win over Sara Errani and followed it up by bagelling Roberta Vinci in the second set to reach the final eight. Her next opponent Elena Dementieva, just back in the top ten, survived four breaks of serve in her first two matches, but was impressive getting past world #22 Flavia Pennetta.

The bigger surprises have been in the other quarters, though. While French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and Victoria Azarenka, who exited in Flushing Meadows far too early, have both advanced with little drama, but they both have dates with some unexpected contenders.

Vandeweghe, a former junior champion in New York, battled through the qualifying rounds in Japan -- her first appearance in an overseas tournament's main draw -- and defeated Goerges in under an hour for the right to meet Vika tomorrow. And Kaia Kanepi, who made the quarters at both the All England Club and the U.S. Open, notched her second straight win over Jelena Jankovic -- that after already defeating thirteenth seed Shahar Peer and America's one-time darling Melanie Oudin. She hasn't beaten Schiavone since 2006, but I wouldn't be shocked if she got the upset.

With so much talent in the field at the Pan Pacific, it's no wonder that only the strongest survived. It's a shame anyone has to lose, especially after all the work they've put in to get this far, but such is life on the pro Tour.

But isn't it so much better to watch the best compete?

Remember Me?

With all the hoopla surrounding the successful summer of Rafael Nadal and the comeback of Juan Martin Del Potro this week, it's easy to have missed two champions who put their names back on the radar on Sunday.

Thirty-one year old Juan Ignacio Chela has never been one skirt controversy. Once ranked as high as #15 in the world, he was suspended for three months in 2003 for using steroids in Cincinnati and once almost spat at Lleyton Hewitt during an Australian Open match. But since he was sidelined with a herniated disc two years ago, he hasn't made much of a dent on the Tour. This year he finally broke a three-year title drought in Houston, and handily beat Nikolay Davydenko in Umag back in July.

This week in Bucharest, the fourth seeded Argentine was nearly flawless. He lost only a game in his opener against Simon Greul and capitalized on his opponent's long quarterfinal match when he took out top seed Albert Montanes in the semis. Playing in only his second final since 2007 today against qualifier Pablo Andujar, he should have been the easy favorite, but after the two traded breaks to begin the match it looked like it could be a close one. Ultimately, though, the veteran was able to raise his play in the second set and took less than ninety minutes to capture his sixth career title.

It hasn't been quite as long since Gilles Simon has been out of the tennis elite -- the twenty-five year old spent much of last year in the top ten, but hadn't reached a Tour semifinal since Lyon last October. A persistent knee injury kept him from playing in Australia this year and the entire European clay court season, including the French Open. He had a disappointing summer as well, losing in the first round in both Toronto and Cincinnati, but started to show signs of his former greatness by helping France to a 5-0 drubbing of Argentina in the Davis Cup semis.

Having fallen out of the top forty for the first time since 2007, Simon came to Metz as the eighth seed. He had a solid first round, but struggled against qualifier Igor Sijsling and veteran Xavier Malisse in the quarters. But when he met Mischa Zverev in his first final since Bangkok last year, he was back in form. The five-foot-eleven Frenchman fired off nine aces and won more than eighty percent of his first serve. Saving the only break point he faced, Gilles took just over an hour to record the win, his first over the German who'd beaten him two times before, and lift the seventh title of his career.

It might be a little late in the year, but there's still plenty of action left in tennis, and it's nice to see these guys reasserting themselves on the court. And with a couple more trophies on each of their mantlepieces, both Chela and Simon have reminded us of just how big a force they can -- and probably will -- be again.

Return of the Man

You know the feeling when you comeback to work after a long vacation and it seems like everything has changed? Your passwords don't work, your desk is on the other side of the floor, you're now reporting to a new manager?

Well a lot has happened in the eight months since we last saw Juan Martin Del Potro in Australia. Roger Federer reclaimed the title in Melbourne after a three year absense, Rafael Nadal, once only the king of clay is now riding a twenty-one match Grand Slam win streak. Some new faces grace the top ten -- Mikhail Youzhny, Tomas Berdych -- while some previously unstoppable players -- Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick -- seem to be just holding on to their spots.

It is into this much-changed world where DelPo will be making his return this week at the Thailand Open.



The 2009 U.S. Open champion, a staple on the American hardcourts over the last few years, pulled out of multiple Masters events in the late winter and spring due to a wrist injury and then announced he'd miss the entire summer after opting for surgery on that wrist. Without even stepping on a court he climbed to a career high rank of #4 in the world back in January, but unable to defend titles in Washington and New York, has since falling out of the top thirty.

He's still given a fifth seed in Bangkok, though, and has a wholly winnable first round against Olivier Rochus. But things get only tougher from there, as Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and another rising star Jurgen Melzer are all in the draw and they've all spent more than a few hours on the courts this year. It's not the best surface on which to launch a comeback -- hardcourts are notorilously brutal on your body -- but it's where Del Potro thrives, having won five of his seven titles on it. And, although it been a while since we've seen him, it's hard to forget the fight he's able to put up. It sure would be great to see him get a few wins in his first tournament back.

It'll be a long road for Juan Martin to get back in the top ten, and though it could be a long shot to do so by the end of the year, I don't think we'll wait long for this champion to climb into the elite again. And whatever his results in Bangkok, it'll be great to see him back on Tour.

At six-foot-six, he might be hard to miss, but I certainly have.

Seeds of Change

The Asian hardcourt season is in full swing as more than a few familiar names took the court in Seoul this week. But with only two players in the top twenty entered in the Hansol Korea Open, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to see some big upsets.

And that's certainly what we've gotten.

Defending champion Kimiko Date Krumm has been one of the best feel-good stories of the past two years, breaking back into the top fifty at nearly forty years of age.

And as she tries to defend a title for the first time since 1995, she's gotten off to a good start. She rolled over qualifier Junri Namigata in the first round and took on second-seeded Russian teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the next. Proving age is no issue, she needed just over an hour to dispatch the girl woman, more than two decades her junior. Of course she needs three more wins before she can claim the repeat, but some of her colleagues are helping clear the path.

Twenty-two year old Ekaterina Makarova first made us take notice when she won the title in Eastbourne as a qualifier, dropping five top twenty players along the way. She hasn't made quite the splash since then, but we should know how capable she is of staging an upset.

In her Seoul opener she survived a two-plus hour battle against Iveta Benesova, a woman who'd beaten her in their last two meetings. But she had a far easier time against fourth seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Thursday, converting five of her seven break chances and earning the right to meet Alisa Kleybanova in the quarters.

Possibly more impressive has been the success of former world #1 Dinara Safina this week. A wildcard entry ranked #59 these days -- below Makarova and Kimiko -- she's been having fits during her comeback. After losing six matches in a row from April through June and pulling out of Wimbledon, she beat Nadia Petrova in Montreal and Francesca Schiavone in New Haven. Then she fell in straights in the first round of New York.

In her first round in Seould she soundly defeated rising star Simona Halep to set up a rematch with countrywoman Maria Kirilenko, the third seed in Korea who beat her soundly at the Pilot Pen last month. Though I would've given the on-paper favorite the advantage, Safina was on a mission, firing off aces and winning more than three-fourths of her first serves. Though her second-attempt percentage -- 15%! -- left a lot to be desired, it's certainly encouraging to see her winning again.

With Yaroslava Shvedova also losing her second round on Thursday, that leaves only three seeds still contending for the title, and it certainly doesn't look like anyone is safe. The underdogs are out to mark a change in the current standings, and with the way they're playing this week, it could very well happen soon!

The National Heroes

I've always enjoyed the camaraderie that comes along with Davis Cup tennis -- it's great to see players revel not just in their own victories, but in those of their teammates as well. And some performances this past weekend gave a few players real cause to celebrate.

In the World Group semifinals, the Serbs took on the Czechs, last year's runners-up, and the tie was close from the start. With superstar Novak Djokovic pulling out of his first singles match due to illness, it was up to the second string to pull the weight. The Serbs found themselves in an early deficit when Viktor Troicki lost his first rubber, but summer stand-out Janko Tipsarevic evened the score on Friday with a win over Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych.

Casual tennis fans might not have known about Tipsarevic a month ago, but the twenty-six year old had beaten players like Sam Querrey and Andy Murray this year, even before ousting Andy Roddick from the U.S. Open. Though he continues to struggle to put together more than a few wins at a time, he's a smart player, a tough hitter, and his second win over the top-ten Berdych had to feel good.

But it only got better. With the Serbs down 2-1 after losing their doubles match, Djokovic returned to win his first reverse singles match in dramatic fashion, battling back after an injury time out and playing through the pain. All even, it was up to Janko again to close out the tie. This time facing Radek Stepanek, a man who beat him handily last year in Barcelona, Tipsarevic was on fire. He bagelled his opponent in the first set and survived a tight tiebreaker in the second. He had momentum in the third and took an early 4-0 lead, but nearly lost it when the Czech fought to 4-5. With the tie on his racquet, Tipsarevic finally converted on his third match point and sent Serbia to their first ever Davis Cup final.

The U.S. wasn't playing for the final, but having lost their first round to the Serbs back in March, they were facing Colombia in the World Group playoffs. Missing perennial powerhouses like Andy Roddick and the Bryan brothers, the four men who flew down to South America were slightly less battle-tested than teams of the past. Though red-hot Mardy Fish, now the second best man in the country at #19, gave the Americans an early lead, he took five sets to dispatch Alejandro Falla, and Sam Querrey put the lead in jeopardy when he lost to world #61 Santiago Giraldo in straight sets.

But there's a reason Fish has clawed his way so far back up the rankings. Having played in the finals of four tournaments since June and picking up an extra doubles trophy in Washington, he's had one of the most successful summers on tour and proven just how fit he is. On Saturday he paired with pal John Isner to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead and got back on court Sunday to play the fourth rubber of the tie. And, as we've come to expect from Mardy over the past few months, we were in for a show.

Giraldo got off to a quick start on the American and seemed to have every advantage -- playing in Bogota and on clay -- but Fish got steady in the second set and took a lead into the fourth. The Colombian broke in the fifth game of that set, though, and was able to hold on long enough to force a decider. But Mardy's conditioning was the big advantage now, and even when both men had trouble serving late in the match, they were able to come up with some impressive shots. Ultimately, after over four hours of play, Fish went on a three game win-streak and won the match, 8-6 in the fifth. The win kept the U.S. in the World Group, a spot they have held onto since 1989.

India, on the other hand, had made the World Group last year for only the first time since 1998. Having lost to Russia in March, they took on Brazil in the playoffs this weekend, a team headlined by top singles player Thomaz Bellucci. After two rubbers that went a total of nearly nine hours, the Brazilians had the 2-0 lead going into the weekend, and it looked like India was primed for relegation again. But the reunited doubles team of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes won their match and Bellucci was forced to retire from his reverse singles while trailing Somdev Devvarman by a set and a few breaks.

Then it was time for U.S. open hero Rohan Bopanna to shine -- the historic doubles finalist in New York is just barely ranked in the top five-hundred in singles, but that hadn't kept him from taking two sets from Bellucci on Friday. And in the decider versus world #75 Ricardo Mello, he didn't seemed phased in the least. He kept his match clean, lost only four points on his second serve -- incidentally, all double faults -- and doubled Mello in winners. In just over two hours he'd won India another spot in the World Group and scored the country their only comeback victory from two rubbers down.

Each of these wins might mean different things for the individual players, but for their teams it certainly means more. There are very few times when tennis is a team sport and to see these guys play not just for each other, but for their countries, is very profound. Who knows if they'll be as victorious in the next step of their journeys, but at least for now, they're certainly on top of their worlds.

Separated at Birth -- U.S. Open Edition

Clearly the big stories from this year's U.S. Open centered around the top-notch play and the rise of the underdog. But as always, the goings-on were also marked by some real drama, and not just the athletic kind.

Andy Roddick told off a lineswoman, Victoria Azarenka fainted on court, Gael Monfils leapt through the air like a circus performer -- sometimes we were left wondering if we were watching a tennis match or a Broadway show. So maybe it's no wonder that I was struck by the similarities between some of the players and Hollywood stars of all varieties.

Simona Halep didn't make it out of the first round, but she sure gave fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic quite a scare. But she's young, still, and definitely talented. And with her good looks I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of the former Junior champion in years to come.


American Ryan Harrison staged one of the biggest upsets of the opening round when he defeated fifteenth seeded Ivan Ljubicic in four sets. The eighteen-year-old continued to cause a stir in his next match, holding match points against Sergiy Stakhovsky, and reminding me of another upstart from The O.C.


The players who advanced further were no less subject to comparison. Semifinalist Caroline Wozniacki has one of those smiley faces that rightfully earned her the nickname "Sunshine." It reminds me of a younger Alexandra Holden who, you might remember, played Ross's student/girlfriend on Friends. I haven't seen a lot of her lately, but I'm hoping the same isn't true for Sweet Caroline.


Men's surprise semifinalist Mikhail Youzhny has earned himself the reputation of being a bit of a hothead, but he was able to pull himself together when it counted, making the final four in New York for a second time. And as he demonstrated every emotion from elation to frustration to hear-breaking defeat, I couldn't help but notice the resemblance to an actor whose trials on Dawson's Creek were just as gut-wrenching.


So there you have it -- this year's selection of They-Could've-Been-Twins couples to entertain you. If you want to share your favorite look-alikes, send me a note, and check out my other "Separated at Birth" pairs here!

The Grandest of Slams

You know what I was doing at twenty-four?

Not winning Majors.

But last night Rafael Nadal made history by becoming the youngest tennis player to ever win the career Grand Slam. And more than that, he won three consecutive titles this year alone -- the first man to do that since Rod Laver claimed all four trophies in 1969. Only six other men have acheived the feat, and they include legends like Fred Perry, Roy Emerson -- who for a long time held the record for most overall Major titles -- and Andre Agassi.

I feel so unaccomplished.



The match itself was pretty good, if not great. Originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, consistent rainfall postponed play until Monday, and a flash thunderstorm halted the action again deep in the second set. Novak Djokovic, who'd exacted the upset of the tournament in the semis, clearly benefitted from from the added day of rest, but he was still a bit sluggish to start. Nadal came out firing and broke the Serb in the first game. Though Nole was able to display spurts of energy and get back on serve, Rafa got the lead again and took the advantage with him into the second.

In that set, though, we got a change in momentum and it was Djokovic who got the first break. It looked like he was shrugging off the fatigue from Saturday and might pull off yet another upset, but a few games later his adrenaline ran out, and Nadal pushed the match to four all, just before the rain came again. About two hours later when play resumed, Nole was rejuvenated and, somewhat against the odds, tied up the set score.

The next two sets were, on paper, all Nadal, but the fight Djokovic put up, even when he had to know the title was out of reach, was inspiring. He fought off ten chances for Rafa to get up a double break in the third set and created some passing shots that rivaled nearly everything his rival did. He cleaned up his service game too, winning seventy-six percent of his first attempts compared to just over half in the opening set and about two-thirds in the second. And again, even when he found himself down two breaks in the fourth, Novak kept up the effort, staying aggressive at the net and firing off just one less winner than the eventual champion.



While most probably thought the outcome was predictable, there sure was enough drama to make it worthy of a championship match. I was relieved to see Djokovic put up a solid fight -- after all, no one wants to win such an honor by default and forever have an asterisk by his name.

As the accomplishment sparks the inevitable "Greatest-of-All-Time" conversation, at least you know it will be a good debate -- for the first time ever two active players hold a career Grand Slam, so from here to retirement every next meeting between already great rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer becomes even more meaningful.

So let's get right to it!