ATP – Bastad (250)

Official Site: Here
Draw: Here
Top Seeds: Sod, Nando, Ferru, Nico

ATP – Stuttgart (250)

Official Site: Here
Draw: Here
Top Seeds: Kolya, Melz, Monf, JCF

WTA – Prague (International)

Official Site: Here
Draw: Here
Top Seeds: Lucie, Dulgheru, Bacsinszky, AMG

WTA – Palermo (International)

Official Site: Here
Draw: Here
Top Seeds: Flavia, Aravane, Errani, Pironkova

Sorry about the lack of posting, it’s probably gonna be a slow week here. After what has been a crazy couple of months with the clay season, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the World Cup… it’s a little sad that there’s nothing going on. At the same time, it’s both left me with little to talk about, and the chance to get a bit of a breather. Most people are doing the same, and as much as I love following the news (which I still am), watching matches, keeping on top of things, and writing about it, a battery charge would do me some good. Both the fifth slam, Portoroz, and Hamburg are next week, which I’ll definitely be interested in, so expect the odd post for the rest of the week, and generally normally coverage resuming Monday.

You can wake me up, Flavs won. Happy times in the all Italian final in Italy, but this was obviously Flavs’ title to win from the beginning being the top seed, and gotta be happy for her. Also, nice to see the Italians know what a trophy is. Flavs is kinda like the Batman of the WTA, a sort of quiet enigma, sort of sweet, sort of goofy, but can be a total badass when called for.

I rest my case.

In other news, Sybille dropped top seed Franny in the final to take the Prague title. However, we all win, for the sole sake of this being taken. Franny is apparently sucking the soul of Sybille’s daughter, Tina.

And neither does the scoreboard, bitches. 60 62. Yeah, that’s a tasty bagel. Didn’t see the match, but Pico took out Tommy pretty easily in Bastad, not an easy feat on clay, and moves on to the final to play Sodomy, who will be the home town favourite. Definitely watching that tomorrow morning.

Stuttgart: Jeremy defeated Zverev AND the Kief in the same day and will play Hanescu who defeated creepazoid Foghat.

Palermo: Two Italians in the final in Italy, Flavs and Errani, who took out ALG. Flavs, as she has been from the beginning, is the overwhelming favourite.

Prague: (Edit) Nevermind, live score box fail. Schiavone and Bammer. Hilarious fun.

I’ll give a more interesting look into the final, tomorrow after work. Life has been getting in the way, and again, pretty snoretastic week. Don’t worry, I’ll be going to town in a couple weeks.

In what must surely be the most exciting day of tennis in recent memory, Bastad’s top seed (Fergasm) and Palermo’s second seed (Patty) both withdrew. It also rained a bunch in Stuttgart, delaying a couple of matches to tomorrow. And the upset of the day is Foghat defeating Koyla. Slow down, I know.

Bastad: Fergasm is out with an injury, and will get himself to what has now begun to be affectionately know as the Adidas Bunny Ranch to get hard. I mean ready. For the hard season. The courts. Yeah.

Pico will take it I’m sure though, and will skip into the semis, where he will take on Tommy, which will be no easy task. On the other side of the draw, Swedish wildcard, Vinciguerra, who has apparently been out of the game for almost 5 years, defeated the Melzman to get all the way to the semis. Um, woah, hella epic. He’ll take on other hometown favourite Sod, so we’re getting a Swede in the final. Happy times.

Stuttgart: As already noted, Foghat defeated Koyla in a pretty off kilter, odd match from what I saw, and Hanescu also advanced. Jeremy will have to play twice tomorrow, assuming he wins. Yeah, whatever.

lolwut? There’s a hole or four in your dress. And seriously what the hell is that strange orange stuff and why are we still wasting our time with it?

Prague: Top 3 seeds Schiavone, Bammer, and Benesova (in that order) all move onto the semis, along with Bacsinszky (who?) who upset fourth seed CSN.

Palermo: No, Flavs still hasn’t won it yet. She’s into the semis, along with Garbin, Errani, and ALG who got a free pass from Patty.

Its raining, its pouring, and these tourneys are seriously boring as all hell.

And by that, I mean this exact day in tennis. Which has 13 minutes left in my time zone, so it will therefore likely be over by the time this is even posted. Regardless, all new posts summing up the day’s action will go under “This Day In Tennis”. Sadly, work got in the way today.

Story of the day comes from the Koellererererer/Fergasm match. Koellererererer started complaining to Mo (did I mention NO ONE messes with Mo?) that he was cramping and needed a timeout. Mo wouldn’t give it to him. Cramping is considered a lack of conditioning, not a real injury, and there for injury timeouts aren’t allowed while play is going on. Koel then let Fer serve it out, and proceeded to bitch to Mo the entire changeover while receiving physio, apparently even calling him the “worst ump” he had seen in his “seven years on tour”. Um, no, moron. Incident happened once again later in the match, and he freaked once again. Still no stop in play allowed. Koel even had match point on Fergasm come the third set, but no worries, as Sven was around to make sure justice was kept in order, and the Scales Of Mo remained, as Fer held it off, and eventually served for it at 6-5, in which Koel cramped up again and was screaming out in pain. Tough luck dude, but rules are rules, and the Hammer of Sven will come down if you even dare mess with the Mo man.

In other Bastad news, Pico won in straights, serving a bagel in the first (atta boy), Melz and Almagro both moved on. In Stuttgart, Gilly dropped pretty easily to Zverez 64 62 (wtf dude, you don’t like clay, why you doing this to yourself?) Jeremy, Kief, and Koyla moved on, Foghat knocked out PHM via retirement, and Kohlswhatever lost to qualifier Kubot (badass name).

For the women, cause you’re SO excited, K-Bond and Benesova won, as well as two other chicks Ive never heard of (snore). Patty, Errani, Shvedova, and ALG all move on in Italy, presumably the quarters. Hasn’t Flavs won this yet ffs?

Expect slightly more in-depth and partially more interesting coverage over the next couple of days, but seriously not feeling it too well right now. But that’s fine, Dina will be back come Monday, and stuff will be fully out of control come August.

Did I mention I’m going to the Rogers Cup for four days in Toronto?

Seriously, wtf girl? (For those wondering what a cornet ACTUALLY is, check here) She’s only 19, but the 07 RG Girls champ was putting together some serious results, with a run to the Rome final and Charleston semi-final last year, and a fourth round run at AO (where she lost brutally to Dina, dropping match points. Hell of match that was by the way). Ever since then, she’s failed to get passed the third round in seven different tourneys, and only made the second round in RG and the first in Wimbley. Yikes. She lost in Palermo (where she’s the third seed) to MJMS, who yes, did just defeat Caro, and is nasty on clay at times, but the final was 62 62 and this is Trumpet’s best surface.

Other results on the women’s side include top seed Schiavone, Bammer, and CSN advancing in Prague, and in Palermo, Flavs, Errani advancing, and Makaroni being upset, and ALG upsetting what surely must be a tired Dulkbag (yesterday). Seriously though, nothing really exciting is happening, I’m sad to say.