No Fedal semifinal in Cincinnati. Congratulate Marcos Baghdatis for that.

Not sure how many of you were looking forward to that match. I just think it would be interesting to watch because besides Masters Cup, Federer and Nadal never played each other after Wimbledon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy for Marcos. He’s been playing great tennis and let’s just keep in mind that he lost in the 1st round of qualifying in Cincy last year. It’s amazing how things change.

Bags ousted Nadal in three sets. This is the 2nd time he’s in a semifinal of a Masters 1000 event (Paris 2007). He fired 18 aces to claim his first win over Rafa. I believe everything went well to the Cypriot yesterday. His serve was unbelievable (87% of 1st serve points won) and he really held his nerve in crucial times. After the match he said “I know that Rafa won’t give me the match so I had to go and take it”. That’s exactly what he did.

One thing I love about Rafa is how he praises his opponents after a loss. It shows a lot of character. Here’s what he said about Bags: “He played well. I think his serve was very good today. Just congratulate him. He’s very good person, and it’s very positive for our sport. I am happy for him. He had injuries and he came back, and now he’s playing well again.”

So, what do you get for beating the #1 player? Roger Federer. Bags has won 2 of their last 3 meetings, so fingers crossed he’ll do it again. Regardless of the outcome of this SF, it’s been a great week and hopefully things are definitely back on track for Marcos.

Welcome to the Top 20, Bags. Get yourself together for the US Open, Rafa.

Yesterday was juicy.

I didn’t get to watch the matches but managed to read people’s tweets and some articles, so my comments will be based on that.

I suppose it’s safe to say Roddick is back. He scored a three set win over Soderling. The way TB are going to Andy this year we never know if he’s going to win the matches or not. He actually had a match point in the 2nd set TB but couldn’t convert it. Not sure how this will work ranking wise for Soderling. He had no points to defend but it’s probably going to depend on Murray’s performance as well.

Although Nole beat Nalby, I’m happy he’s playing good tennis again. I’ve said this before but it’s always nice to have a competitve Top 10 instead of two or three guys that always win. That being said, a straight set win seems a very nice result to me. This also means David Nalbandian is probably going to be seeded for the US Open. How awesome is that? Dude was away for so long and now this. I believe the top guys are relieved. I would be if I were them. Never an easy 1st round to face Nalby.

Another impressive win was from Baghdatis. He ousted Berdych in two sets saving the three break points he faced. Again, not watching the matches makes it more difficult to comment, but I think Tomas has been having some physical problems and that might have played a role on the outcome of the match. Neverthless, Bags is in the QF of a Masters Series and I think he’s always a very tough opponent.

Murray came to this match with a 4-0 H2H againt Gulbis but to be honest it was a lot more difficult than expected. He eventually prevailed in the 3rd set TB. Andy will now face Mardy Fish (No, not talking about him after beating some of my favorites. Nice argument, huh?) and due to some heat troubles he asked if it was possible to play later today. Request not granted after Fish won his doubles match. Boo.

Davydenko also found some difficulties to beat Ferrer. I gotta say David is one of the most fighting players on Tour. He just never gives up and I love that about him. Anyways, I’m curious to see how things work out for Kolya from now on. He was out for a while (wrist injury) and his results since coming back haven’t been great.

And last but not least Rafael Nadal. I honestly didn’t think he would have a lot of trouble against Benneteau. I was so wrong. It took him three sets and almost three hours to take care of business. Nadal asked for a MTO but I don’t think it was that serious as he continued to play. He lost the first set and had to save a couple of match points in the 2nd. I feel bad for Julien because he really had that match in his hands, but here’s the thing, Rafa never gives up. He fights for every point like it’s MP against him. That is so frustating to his opponents. Props to Julien for testing Rafa and playing an amazing match, though. After this match people are already doubting Rafa can win the US Open (Are you surprised? I’m not.) but we can’t forget he always struggles on hard courts and already played a lot this season. Also, Rafa in five sets is not exactly the same. I’m just saying people shouldn’t rule him out so fast.

And while everyone else was playing their asses off, Mr. Federer has played a total of 40 min in the last two days. Istomin retired in the 1st set and Kohls had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.

I want to hurry up and get my ass out of here, so I figured I’d throw all my thoughts into one of these posts to save time. I knew I created this format for something.

- From what I’ve seen this week of Kuz, she is in top form. Sure, she has the mental lapses and the Russian headcasing of most, but she’s striking the ball incredibly cleanly and seems to have that killer instinct that she can harness into some amazing tennis.

- What’s going on with Nenad and Daniel? Maybe chemistry problems? They’ve been non-existent since Roland Garros. That’s not like them at all.

- Nice to see A-Rod back. The dude could use some points.

- Flavia is also looking absolutely money this week. She seemed so useless and frustrated earlier in the year, but there must be something about North America that she loves, because she’s stepped it up to the next level… again.

- So excited for Bepa/Vez vs. Kiri/Rad doubles today.

- Kim, you are so crazy. Never change.

- For all the babbling about no big names being in Montreal, of the final 16, only five aren’t seeded: Dinara, JZ, Agi, Iveta, and Kaia. Not exactly horrible non-seeds in any right. The third round matches today are absolutely loaded and there is a boat load of talent out there.

- I’m outta here! I’ll be there all day including the night matches. Don’t forget that Ana is doing all of the Cincy posts this week (there should be an author tag up on the posts soon) and I’ll be tweeting like a mad fool all day. Thanks for reading!

Week = made.

Those who follow me on Twitter know how the match went, but for those who don’t, or missed it, here’s a quick recap. Both players came out firing, absolutely crushing the ball and turning on everything. Errors were generally far and few between with both trying to get position on the other. Big babe tennis to the nth. Dinara got the break at the end of the first set to take it, saving two break points earlier in the set, one with a wicked ballsy drop shot. There were only four break points in the second set, and Nads took one of hers with Dinara serving at 4-5 in the second.

The third set was pure madness. Dinara was broken early, got it back, and then was broken again. Everything seemed to be going all WTA. But the quality picked up, and with Nads serving at 4-2, Dinara got her second break back. The following game was a total bloodbath. It went to seven, eight deuces (?) and Dinara just couldn’t seem to convert a game point. At one point she smiled and said to the ball boy, pointing at one ball “this one, this one!”. Even the uber-serious line judge cracked a smile. It was pretty clear that this was the most important game of the match, and whoever took it was likely to win the match. Especially if Nads got it, because then she would serve for it.

That wasn’t to be so, however, and once Dinara won it, the crowd went absolutely bananas. She did an awesome double fist pump “come on!” and then the train got steam rolling. Dinara loosened up in the next game, got the break, and held easily for the match. The crowd went absolutely bonkers and gave her a standing ovation.

The match made my week, and is by far the greatest live match I’ve seen. I’m so glad it got stuck on the second court (sorry everyone) because being able to sit that close was amazing. The atmosphere was just fantastic (mostly made by all the people up top) and by the end the crowd was clearly behind Dinara. She acknowledged us in her presser too “The crowd was unbelievable today. They were so much behind me. I could not let it go so easy.”

It would be easy for me to say that this could be the match that turns Dinara back in the right direction. It’s her first notable win since defeating A-Rad back in January. The timing seems to be back (no silly long or net errors) and she served at a fantastic 71% en route to saving 19/23 break points, an absolutely crazy stat rarely seen in the WTA. She also has a beatable opponent up next in Franny, and says that the back is feeling good again.

I can’t wait for her match tonight. Except a bit of crowd support.

I’ve followed tennis for a long time now and I have to say that what happened to Lu during his match against Hewitt was completely unacceptable. His chat with the umpire was one of the most absurd things I’ve listen in a while. I was shocked.
Long story short. Lu asked for a medical timeout at 5-4 in the 1st set but was told to wait until before his service game. He kept playing and lost the next 4 games going down 0-3 in the 2nd set. I still don’t quite understand what happened there but it seems the trainer again told him to wait until before his service again. Of course this ended up leading to the following conversation between him and the umpire.

- “Why I cannot call medical timeout now? Lu asked.
- “It’s up to him,” said the umpire, referring to the trainer, who was sitting courtside. “He decide if you need it now, if it’s urgent or it can wait.”
- “But I cannot move,” said Lu. “Also then [when the previous] set finished and he say you don’t need to take a medical timeout. And he just touched me for 20 seconds.”
- “I understand. He determines if it’s an injury that can wait or if it needs immediate attention. So…”
- “So if I say I have a heart attack I can’t call a medical timeout?”
- “If it’s a heart attack, he probably won’t wait.”
- “I have an injury and he cannot let me take medical timeout. What is this? I already wait three games.”
- “I understand that. He thinks you can wait one more game and then take a medical timeout… Our priority is that you get the medical timeout before your serve.”
- “So he can decide whatever he wants?”
- “He is a professional.”
- “But the important thing is how I’m feeling.”

Play resumed but after a couple of points Lu once again said “I’m in so much pain. I already waited three games. He told me, next changeover, we’ll take medical timeout.” He eventually received treatment on his back and said to the trainer “You lied to me.”

Ater the timeout he retired and apologized to Hewitt. I’m sure this wouldn’t have happened if it was a top player. I feel awful for Lu and I hope it never happens again. Everyone should be treated the same regardless of the ranking.

Another tennis day has ended. Once again there weren’t many surprises. Apart from Youzhny, Monfils and Ljubicic, all the seeds are through the next round. I’m not going to analyze all the matches but just mention the two I was most happy with the outcome.

Starting with Richie, I was so pleased to see him win the match against Mika. From what I’ve read he’s been working really hard. Their last meeting occurred at the AO this year and ended up in with a heartbreaking loss for the Frenchie, so it was really nice to see him bounce back from a set down and win it today.

I know, I know. Nalby’s been getting a lot of love lately, but he so deserves it. We can’t forget he was out for a long time due to injury and now it feels like he has never left. I was expecting a win today but not a bagel in the 2nd set. He never ceases to amaze me. I won’t even mention his backhand. I could literally spend the entire day watching it.

So, remember when I said today’s OOP was going to be good? Well, tomorrow is even better. It’s like Holy Wednesday. Where do I start? It’s one of those days I wish I could just watch tennis.

It’s tough going to a full day of tennis and then trying to think about all the things you were going to write about… several hours later. So I’ll just toss all my random thoughts into this post.

Awesome win for Kuz this morning. She was striking the ball cleaner than anyone I saw on Monday, and despite that second set blip, is in pretty solid form (especially considering the draw).

Tough loss for Lucie, who served for the first set and eventually lost it, as well as the match in three sets. That means Nads is up against Dinara tomorrow. It’s on a non-show court, so I’ll make sure to have tons and tons of tweeting from there to keep you all informed.

Flavs/Dani is hardly worth discussing. Flavs laid down the law in the first set, and once she got the break in the second, that was all. Excellent movement, dealing with the different looks from Dani beautifully, and not being afraid to flip the switch and go for the winner. Reminds me of the Flavs of last year’s hard court season… go figure.

Melanie Oudin can’t buy a win right now. Feel pretty bad for her. I still have no idea how her USO run happened, almost a year later. She’s going to lose a boat load of points in a couple of weeks and it’s not going to be pretty.

I’m pretty pumped for Woztuchova doubles tomorrow, as well as THE MOST INTENSE DOUBLES TEAM EVER Liezel/Nads which is around a similar time. Another great OOP ready for tomorrow. Also, if Aga/Kiri win their match, they face Vez/Bepa in the second round on Thursday. Nomnomnom.

If you ever hit up tournaments, doubles are an absolute must. You can see players you like playing together, or playing against each other. And overall, it’s a much faster style of tennis that you can see up close and personally. It’s also pretty clear why top ranked singles players often choose to play doubles. Adapting to a new surface, returning from injury, playing with a friend, and most importantly, practicing certain skills without having to run a lot! Extra serving, volleying, cross court rallies… you name it. Wholesome fun for the whole family, it’s a crying shame doubles are rarely ever shown on TV or streamed.

Practice makes perfect. It also makes tennis tournaments.

I find practice gets mentioned far more in the men’s game, probably because of the extremes of some of the top players. Rafa goes balls to the wall on all his practices as if they were a slam match, Fed relies on schedules, patterns, consistency, and Novak likes to yuck it up with the guys. That being said, watching a player, any player, in their practice, is something that makes a tournament, sets the atmosphere when you’re there, and is really such a bonus feature to the whole experience.

Practices are also different. Today I saw Marion serving at cones down the tee, Dinara practicing cross court backhands, Agi practicing volleys, there’s all sorts of stuff. Sometimes, player will play legit points against each other and really go at it, and that’s when things can get fun…

On Monday, I watched Flavs and Vika go at it, and it definitely wasn’t pretty. While Flavia seemed the angry one at first, getting absolutely killed, spraying balls everywhere, and eventually smashing balls against the back stop in frustration, it wasn’t long before Vika had her own set of problems.

Vika’s errors got ridiculously out of control, and she ended up firing a ball backwards off the court and into the Banque Nationale court. I mean, into to, not against. It very easily could have knocked someone in the back of the head, or entered play there. At the switch of ends, she steamed at her coach “when I ask you for the ball, give it to me right away.”

Once Flavs was on our side, she was yelling “aahhhh puta!” and having a hell of a time with just about everything.

The end result? Both of them lost a combined 6 games in their respective matches. Get that shit out on the practice courts, people. Especially against another good player. It’ll help you keep things together for your next match.

It’s hard to not feel bad for the girl. Remember when she was number 1? We felt bad for her then. Now? Her ranking is in total free fall.

If there was ever a time for things to be on the up, it would be now. Slowly, the nagging Doha injury all the way from last year is finally subsiding, and Dinara is able to put it in solid practices and go all out in matches.

I saw her opening match against Petko, which she won, and snooped in on several practices the past couple of days. Each time she’s going full tilt, grunting and ripping the cover off the ball. Today she was hammering cross court backhands off short balls, as a drill, and it was pretty clear to me that very few players on the tour hit as hard as Ms. Safina.

Up next is a tough, tough match against Nads (which I will most definitely be at) but after that, her draw is pretty forgiving. I’m not expecting a win, but we’ll get to see how far along the recovery road Dinara is tomorrow. I’ll make sure to have a post dedicated to that match, should be a good one.