It just wouldn’t be a Labour Day weekend without some drama after the sun goes down and the lights come on.

What was originally scheduled as the third match on Arthur Ashe was pushed all the way to a late start on the Grandstand as to avoid delaying the night session, and the fans were treated to some tennis dessert as Samantha Stosur took on Maria Kirilenko.

The first set was all Stosur from the beginning, dominating from the baseline off the forehand wing and troubling Kiri with her big kick serve. Kiri scratched out a hold and broke Sam serving for the set, but was then broken herself, and the set was over in a blink, 6-2.

From then on, MaKiri decided it was do our die, and it was a beautiful thing to see. Instead of trying to out hit Sam from the baseline, she took any and every opportunity she could to get to the net. This often meant taking short balls inside out on the forehand and pushing Sam to her weaker backhand side. It was textbook net rushing harkening back to the often used strategy of 20 years ago and more.

The greatest part, however, was that it was working. A wonderful doubles player in her own right, it didn’t matter if it was forehand, backhand, or right at her, Kiri had all the answers at the net.

After a grind of a set, it was off to a tiebreak, one that is now already partly legendary. Set points and match points saved abound, it was full of insane winners, long rallies, and missed opportunities. 32 points, and 17-15 to Kiri.

Jacked up on adrenaline, she came flying out of the gate in the third to hold at love and take a couple points off Sam’s serve. Two nights ago, Sam played the longest women’s match in US Open history against Petrova, where she served for the match in the second and blew the tiebreak. She kept calm on serve in the third and found a way to secure the only break of the final set at 5-6 to take the decider.

Not unlike two nights ago, Sam kept her cool. Something has to be said about both her mental strength and her fitness. It was pretty clear that Kiri’s adrenaline and level of play would not hold up all set, and like a vulture swooping in to claim its prey, Sam broke early and cruised to take the match as if the second set had never happened.

Make no doubt about it, Sam is playing incredibly well right now. The errors are there, and always will be when you play the way she does. The important thing is that she’s sticking to her game plan (kick serves, finding a way to the forehand, pushing out wide and staying patient) even when things get tough, but not playing stubborn enough to not make small adjustments (such as her approach to passing shots against Kiri, specifically the third set). Her past two matches have been insanely close, but her opponents have been on their game and they’ve deserved to be.

After a great run in Toronto, and now overcoming two difficult three set matches, Sam’s confidence has to be sky high. Up against Zvonareva in the quarters and then possibly the winner of Pennetta/Kerber, she might just be the favourite to make the final.

These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.

It’s been a weird summer for Maria Sharapova. After getting blown off the court in Toronto, literally and metaphorically, by a crafty youngster, she went on to win Cincinnati. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t easy, but above all, it was effective. At the end of the match she was the better player, and at the end of the tournament she was the best player.

Unfortunately for her, it was a fine balance, and this week the scales didn’t quite tip as she would have liked them.

“I made way too many unforced errors. I fought back to get myself back in the match in the third set. I think the first three, four games on every game I had a chance to win that game, whether it was a breakpoint or it was a game point on my serve, and I didn’t win those games.” “Um, I didn’t feel comfortable with most of my game today,” said Sharapova.

Make no doubt about it, there are always two players on the court. Pennetta was incredibly consistent today, and persistent. She also overcame a huge mental hurdle in the third set, when she blew two break points to go up 4-0 and eventually found herself back on serve.

” Well, I just starting to play not too much shots in the same position to try to move her a lot and try to let her run a lot, and I think it was working really good. All the time when she move on the forehand she have a little bit of problem; with the backhand she can do whatever she want. So also I starting to be really aggressive when she was serving. I try to just let her think too much and maybe make some double fault,” said Pennetta. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s experience, maybe it’s luck, but getting Maria Sharapova to over think is a wonderful strategy, and it worked.

For Masha, it’s a match in a string of frustrating up and downs since her comeback from her shoulder injury. The ability is there, but the changes to the serve still haven’t quite worked out and one could argue the mental steel isn’t quite there either. After a double fault that brought up 0-30, 4-5 on her serve in the third she looked near tears. It was as if to say “no matter how hard I push back, I just can’t quite make it.” She lost that game and the match.

Luckily for Sharapova, her year is not over and she has a chance to return to Asia, where she found success last year, and the Year End Championships. ” I’m not really looking forward to a 14 hour flight in a couple of weeks. Yeah, the year is not over. We’ve still got I think I still have three tournaments to go or so. Yeah, once they come then it will be time to play again and raise my level. Until then, I just have to, you know, keep working in order for me to go out in the match and raise it.”

Photo: Getty

Official Site: Here
Draw: Here
Top Seeds: Wozniacki, Zvonareva, Sharapova, Azarenka, Li, Kvitova, Schiavone, Bartoli

Top Half, First Quarter

Initial Thoughts: The top quarter is always the top seeds to lose, and in this case, it is very much open for Wozniacki. Jarka, Kuz, and Dani all lurk in her eighth, with a smattering of other lower ranked, beatable players.

The second eighth is a different story. It is similarly underwhelming in overall quality, and on paper, it would be Nails/Petko in the round of 16. While the Chinese does have a habit of peaking for the majors, she’s had such a rough lead up, it’s really tough to know if that will be the case again. Even if she does get that far, I’m not sure I like her chances.

Look Out For… It’s happening today, so this is a tad late, but youngster Simona Halep has some solid game (especially when she can keep her head straight, which is rare) and takes on Nails Tuesday. That might get messy. Jie Zheng has also made a solid return to the tour, taking a set off Serena in Toronto and looking more than up to the task. A second round match-up with Petko could be a tricky one.

Predicted Quarterfinalists: Petkovic vs. Wozniacki

Top Half, Second Quarter

Initial Thoughts: This quarter is all about the possible third round match between Serena and Vika, one that looks very likely to happen. Azarenka has given Serena problems in the past, despite coming up rather short in Toronto. For me, her inability to adapt or mix it up in Toronto was a huge sticking point; it’s difficult to impossible to out hit Serena from the back of the court when she’s on. Regardless, that should be an intense, night time blockbuster match.

The flip side of the quarter, featuring Schiavone, Jankovic, MJMS, and Pavs is anyone’s guess.

Look Out For… Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. A tricky player in an open draw. We’ve seen players like this sneak their way through draws, either in Toronto or Cincy or in slams of the past couple years, and she might just be this tournament’s “huh?” quarterfinalist.

Predicted Quarterfinalists: VWilliams vs. Schiavone

Bottom Half, Top Quarter

Initial Thoughts: Having completed most of the matches in this quarter, I am cheating a bit, but the only real upset was Kvitova which, in all honesty, was not insanely surprising.

All eyes are on Sharapova in this quarter, who has looked rather shakey all hard court season, and did so in her first match, rather unsurprisingly. Luckily for her, the draw is kind. Filled with mostly players she can simply hit off the court, she should be fine making it to the quarters. With her draw and form of late, Radwanska should be an almost automatic pick to ninja her way to the quarters.

Look Out For… Shuai Peng is the very type of player that can cause Sharapova problems. She absorbs pace well, can mix it up and play great defense. There still has to be some doubts about her health, however.
Lucie Safarova is another one to keep an eye on, quietly having a solid summer and could cause Radwanska problems if they meet.

Predicted Quarterfinalists: Radwanska vs. Sharapova

Bottom Half, Bottom Quarter

Initial Thoughts: This quarter must be the strongest overall, without a doubt, and the one likely to cause the most upset and produce some of the best tennis. Unproven youngsters, up-and-comers, steely veterans, you name it, this quarter has it.

Lisicki/VWilliams, Stosur/Petrova, Robson/Zvonareva, you name it. Huge matches early on, and it only gets juicier as the seeds collide.

Look Out For… Youngsters McHale (who gets Bartoli) Falconi (vs. Cibulkova) and Robson (vs. AMG) are all in this quarter and all have opponents they could beat. As well as being a feast for “big babe” style lovers, this could also provide a few surprises as well.

Predicted Quarterfinalists: Lisicki vs. Stosur

Predicted Semifinals: SWilliams vs. Petkovic, Sharapova vs. Stosur
Final: SWilliams vs. Sharapova
Champion: Serena Williams

Over the years, the schedule for the ATP has been revised to try and save the health of the top players and prevent injuries, including finishing off the year earlier this year to create a longer off-season.

The schedule did not anticipate a single player going eight months without losing, however.

It’s been difficult to look for the relevancy of other players this year when week after week only one man remains on the top of the podium in the biggest events. In what feels like a struggle of man vs. tour as the defeated look to find a way to overcome the unbeatable, both have collapsed under the weight of themselves.

Djokovic looked tired at the end of last week, make no doubts about it. But when you’re striking the ball so well and so cleanly, and moving nearly as well, it doesn’t much matter. Boat loads of confidence in your ability doesn’t hurt either. For me, this week was all about the collapse. Playing day after day in Montreal and then traveling to Cincinnati to try and do it all over again was simply not going to happen.

First it looked like Monfils would do it. Down a set, Djokovic was having trouble on the return and his footwork look like he had a pair of iron shoes on in comparison to the energy he’s given off in previous tournaments. Instead, Monfils once again imploded under the pressure, frustration, and passivity of his own goofball patterns of play. Next? Berdych, the big serving Czech who saw a resurgence in Montreal last week. Up 5-3 in the first set, he mentally and physically checked out as his shoulder betrayed him and he was forced to retire after losing the first 7-5 due to a bum shoulder.

Then came the final, where Djokovic, propped up only due to the failures of his previous opponents, was forced to take on a relatively fresh Murray.

Murray’s path to the final looks nearly comically similar. A recently returned Nalbandian (who I believe has now had more hip surgeries than all four of my grandparents combined), American journeyman Alex Bogomolov who defeated a worn down Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who was injured trying to defeat, you guessed it, Djokovic the week before. Beyond that, a not so healthy Gilles Simon, an equally mentally and physically exhausted Mardy Fish who was ground to a dust by Djokovic in the Montreal final, and who defeated a brain damaged Rafael Nadal (mostly thanks to Djokovic) in the Cincinnati quarterfinals.

The moral of this story? Djokovic’s presence is being felt in more places than just those who he defeats round after round. Injuries aren’t helping anyone either, and while you can’t say that Djokovic’s dominance has pushed other guys to their physical limit, it sure feels that way.

If Djokovic dominance, injuries, crazy weather and other surprises continue a week from now, it is going to be one crazy ride in Flushing Meadows.

• Of all the players that impressed me the most over the week, Heather Watson was most definitely at the top. She’s only 19, but her footwork and consistent set-up and motion on her groundstrokes is excellent. She likely has some work to do on the speed of her movement and creating her own pace, all natural things for a 19 year old, but the girl has real potential, and I think could be a regular feature of the top 20 for years to come.
• After coming back from forearm surgery, Aleks Wozniak has changed her grip and her stroke, and it may be for the better. She had an amazing run in Vancouver and demolished Shahar before bowing out to eventual finalist Stosur. Some of the goofy errors, particularly off the once super loopy backhand, seem to be fading and she looks more patient out there. Glad to have her back.
• Eugenie Bouchard is probably going to be a superstar in a couple years. People have started to compare her to Anna Kournikova, and I’m not so sure they’re really talking about her game. Oh, she speaks great English and French, to boot. She’s a top junior, but she’s got some work to do. Regardless, one to keep an eye on over the next couple of years.
• How goofy is it that players need to wait to announce their withdrawl from a tournament? There was zero doubt in my mind that Aga Radwanska was not going to be playing Cincy, what with a seriously screwed up shoulder and all. Instead she was forced to lie, saying she would go down to the tournament and see how it would hold up. There has to be a better way.
• If the past week showed anything, it was that the big, baseliner bashers rarely have a plan B, and if you can get them out of their comfort zone, you can find a way to win. Vinci and Voskoboeva in particular, sliced, drop shotted, and pushed their larger, more powerful opponents out wide and into the net and found ways to win.
• In other words, there was a lot of talk about “parity”, or the flip side, inconsistency, in the women’s game this week in press (mostly because it was national press who only cover women’s tennis a week a year). I think us tennis nerds can realize that it might not be either. These players have a certain way of playing the game that works or them, and who can blame them. But there are certain styles and approaches that can really upset that style of play (along with the confidence and rhythm of them) and can cause upsets at almost any part of the tournament.
• The amount of work I pumped into this tournament was bordering on insane for the first several days, but I loved every second of it, and I really appreciate the support. Most reporters have deadlines and other things going on, but as someone able to head out to outer courts, I busted my butt to try and be the best “professional” fan I could, giving accounts of the weather, grandstand, atmosphere on centre, and making it back for pressers. And if you ask me, people willing to do this are fantastic for tournaments (I wasn’t the only one out there). I think it’s one thing to have the official site tweeting pics of Kiri on the practice court, but it’s another thing to have knowledgeable tennis people who have a beat on the pulse of what makes fans tick, and are there grinding it out across the grounds.
• Judging the absolute ridiculousness of the upsets, injuries and weather of the past two weeks, I think we’re in for the most neck damaging, eye popping grand slam in the year. It’s only a week away, people. More on that later today.

I don’t read Wertheim’s answers until after (unless they’re really short), love his stuff, blah blah blah. Read his answers here.

Sheesh, Jon Brodie. Your love affair with Roger Federer is getting downright embarrassing. Have you ever written one mailbag column that didn’t include, at minimum, a reference to him and how wonderful you think he is? I challenge you: Go back through your archives and see if you can find one column without a loving reference to Federer. Enough already. He’s old news.
– Sharon, Vancouver

You sure we’re reading the same blog, Sharon? Either way, having the GOAT still playing tournaments, still being in the top 4 for the foreseeable future, and still being relevant… it’s a little hard not to mention him, no?

Whether or not he’s old news remains to be seen. I think most people think he’s got a slam in him, but I respectfully disagree. I think it’s pretty clear that his game, particularly his backhand and serve, and maybe that killer instinct and ability to hit insane, unearthly shots, is disappearing. In other words, he’s become beatable. Not by a lot, but a select few that are pumping up their game (think Tsonga’s absolute ball bashing brutality at Wimbledon) to the point where Fed just doesn’t have an answer. He’s never been one for Plan Bs anyway (not that you should blame him).

Why are Federer’s ground strokes so shallow? How could he and his coach not see this and try to fix it? Trying to keep the ball deep is good tennis strategy, isn’t it?
– Venki, San Jose, Calif.

Shallow? Like… not deep? Maybe because the guy is 30 years old now? Just a thought.

I think it’s definitely a concern, again, especially on the backhand. The dude still has excellent hands, excellent feel, great movement, there’s no doubt. But he’s getting lost in rallies to some of these big hitters who are just crushing it and going for their chances.

Put it this way, Fed has never been one for slow surfaces. So as his shots slow down… well, you get the idea.

Melanie Oudin loses in the first round of Toronto qualies. Is she done?
– Pam, Amherst, N.Y.

I think it’s safe to say that Mel’s run at the US Open was the best and worst thing to ever happen to her. Really, it never should have happened, but one after another Russians froze at the sight of some scrappy American kid they had never played returning every damn ball and getting the crowd behind her.

Now turning 20 in September, Oudin’s game really hasn’t gone far and she just doesn’t seem to have any answers out there. She really doesn’t have a terrible game for such a small player, but the expectations were always way too high. Let’s hope that after a couple of years without any huge success, she’s feeling free to go out there and do her thing and get some results. Really, she’s a fun player to watch when she’s on, and has a great heart and great fight.

I have asked before if we can finally pull the plug on Donald Young’s career. After his performance at Legg Mason (where he reached the semifinals), I am not taking him off light support, but I do feel a pulse. What do you think — the start of a trend or an aberration?
– Phil O’Donoghue, Florence, Mass.

I think it’s safe to say that Donald Young has most definitely come alive, even if that Washington draw did collapse a bit. The most important part is that this has gained him a solid points foot hold which he can ride into main draws of smaller events to further push up his ranking.

As for his game, I’m still unsure. He moves incredibly well, has some flash and can pull off some great shots, but he also seems to lack any real punch to penetrate the court and push guys around, at least from what I’ve seen. And trust me, I know it’s easier said than done, I’m a pretty small guy too, but come on man. Hit the damn ball!

Regardless, worth keeping an eye on over the next year as he becomes a regular pop up in smaller tournies.

Jon Brodie,  regarding Martina Navratilova’s prediction that Federer would own multiple French Open titles if he had a two-handed backhand, she’s assuming you can neatly plug in a different stroke and not affect the whole package. Without the one-hander, Roger is a different player. Different tactics, point patterns, movement and most likely a diminished slice. One could argue that he might own fewer French Opens, not more.
– Curtis Sayers, Newton, Mass.

Hmm. An interesting idea, if a totally absurd one. I’ll take the bait.

I think we could say possibly. Maybe it gives him a bit more zip or ability to step into the ball as it pops up on clay, or the ability to do more on defense. Who knows.

At the same time, the one handed backhand is what makes Federer. It’s what makes him so quick on his toes, his ability to adapt in a rally, and his ridiculous shots off the backhand wing. And it’s definitely what helped him win so many Wimbledons and US Opens.

Would Rafa have won more US Opens if he hit flatter and with less air under the ball? Maybe. But that’s what makes Rafa who he is. It’s also what helped him win French Opens.

Utlimately, it changes the whole outlook of Fed’s game, how he would set up point, move, etc., and it’s impossible to know. What if Rafa was a righty? You get my point.

Does anyone (perhaps Greg Sharko?) have a tally of the Williams sisters withdrawals since turning pro?
– John Gordon, Toronto

Peaked at Jon’s answer because it was so short. Turns out it’s rather hilarious too: “I’d ask Sharko but I worry about a bandwidth issue.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Serena in her final press conference after winning Toronto, mentioning that eight months ago “I really wanted to win Toronto. I don’t know why, but for whatever reason I really wanted to win Toronto.” And it’s not even that I don’t believe her. But the Sisters have a bit of a reputation for bailing on Canada pretty hardcore, so the mass Serena fan support was a bit strange, if the reason why. In fact, the stat of them both pulling out of tournaments together is probably staggeringly high as well.

I have little patience for “anti-doping” — a hypocritical and tyrannical regime that is based more on moral indignation than science, and which wants me to believe that ingesting drugs is bad, but drinking Gatorade or buying the fanciest racket one can find is good because … drugs are bad! The entire anti-doping house is built on a foundation of silliness, lies and false notions of “purity.” Nonetheless, I have to say that I don’t understand why you think it matters that Robert Kendrick didn’t “intend” to enhance his performance. Anti-doping is a slippery slope. He did intend to mitigate the effects of jet lag, which in itself could be viewed as a performance-enhancing act — in fact, if this pill actually did help him recover from jet lag, this almost certainly was more beneficial to him than the stimulant effect. I don’t think this pill has any effect on athletic performance or anything else. Most illegal performance enhancers are ineffective if not outright countereffective. But that’s not the point. The anti-doping overlords believe it’s effective, and taking it “on accident” (but totally on purpose) doesn’t change anything. And Kendrick’s one-year ban for taking something that might actually provide some kind of material benefit seems downright generous in light of Martina Hingis’ two-year ban for a substance that could not possibly have improved her play!
– Joshua, Portland

Holy shit, there’s a lot going on here. I think most will agree with you that the uber-crackdown mentality of anti-doping, particularly in tennis (no thanks to our good Canadian friend Dick Pound, by the way) is a bit insane, particularly the scheduling. Making players predict where they’re going to be months down the road and at what particular times is absurd, if not abusive.

I’ll agree with you on intent though, for sure. The hard rules are meant as a deterrent, and it is most definitely a slippery slope. If you think it might boost performance, then don’t take it. That’s the whole point.

As for the Hingis (and Gasquet) thing, I agree and disagree. No, cocaine, that I know of, is most likely not going to improve your play. (unless you’re uber-paranoid and know there’s a sniper on the roof? I don’t know.) At the same time, something tells me you probably don’t want someone coking out in the locker room of other professional athletes, especially someone who has won grand slams and at the end of the day is an ambassador for your sport with the fans, media, etc.

You know what Kendrick’s problem is? His name is not Andre Agassi. Had it been, the powers that be would’ve accepted any excuse he may have offered. But I assume poor Kendrick is just another journeyman without a huge entourage paid to tell him what to do. It’s awful for him, because even if they overturn the suspension, it may be too late for him.
– Miriam Garcia, Rosario, Argentina

Two big things. Anti-droping isn’t the same as back in the day (I might be wrong on this one, but I’ll once again half sarcastically thank Dick Pound on this one). That is, they don’t take crap, and they don’t take excuses. Like I said before, it’s tough in aims to be preventative. Watch what you’re putting in your body.

The second thing is, as far as I know, there’s a lot more performance enhancers that are easier to get, and it’s a much better known fact that it was a real problem with sports in the 90′s than originally thought (I’m looking at you, baseball). Different cases require a different eye.

Kendrick’s ban is awful. Yes, it is strict liability, but if you want to look at it legally, he has proved it was an honest and reasonable mistake. If he were charged with a crime, he would be acquitted. I don’t see the point of sending this kind of message. Is it really going to deter athletes?
– L.T., Sydney, Australia

Jon, you’re burnin’ me out man. Look above. I think it is, and should, cause they’re clearly not screwing around.

I am very glad to see that Roger Federer has spoken his mind about the changes to the Canadian Open. Holding the men’s and women’s tournaments simultaneously in Montreal and Toronto has to be one of the worst ideas ever. I have not heard any criticism from the media, so it is good that at least one credible person is willing to say that the emperor wears no clothes.
– Gilbert Benoit, Ottawa, Ontario

Yup! I’m going to do more on this later, because there’s a lot of people discussing it on Twitter, and I can’t be assed to do it over that (it’s the whole reason I made this blog in the first place to be honest). Talking to other folks in media and watching Sportsnet (doing the coverage for the first time, as well) struggle to find the people to cover it, let alone people who actually know anything about tennis or have ever covered it before, was a bit painful. If there’s anyone who benefited, it was the folks at home in Canada and are too far away to make it to a tournament. The coverage was pretty seemless, and with so much tennis going on, it really did feel like grand slam chaos, so there was plenty of watch. But that’s it, and even that is debatable. More later.

Michael Chang is miffed at Agassi’s book, yet he didn’t even read it. I just think he looks really silly commenting about the book and then admitting that he only read excerpts. Excerpts can be taken out of context and you really need to read the whole book before you comment.
– Bob Romero, Monee, Ill.

Two things. One, absolutely. If you don’t judge a book by it’s cover, you probably shouldn’t judge it by it’s back cover either.

Secondly, a lot of people got ticked that Agassi said he didn’t like Chang thanking God after a win, and Agassi didn’t quite agree that God would choose sides. However, if you read the book, it’s an account of how he felt. Was it wrong? Sure, but it’s how he felt at the time, and if you didn’t know, he was a bit of a hot headed kid at times.

We’ve been to the U.S. Open three years running now (first-week day sessions). We drive up from Pennsylvania and have been pleasantly surprised by no issues with parking or traffic. In terms of sunscreen, be sure to warn your sunglassed listeners about raccoon eyes! Sitting in the same position under the sun for a three-hour match with sunglasses on will make you the butt of many jokes the next day!
– Bob Smith, Philadelphia

Definitely! I read Jon’s bit because this isn’t really an opinion question, and he has some great points. Take public transit if you can, to any tournament. Pack light, take what you need, bring a hat, some water (there’s usually spots to fill up water bottles, or just use the sink) sunscreen, a printed out order of play (and draw if you’re a nerd like me), and whatever else you might need. Just makes for a much easier, stress free day.

I’m going to my first live tournament, in Cincinnati for the semis. What are the “must-dos” and “don’t-dos” at a tournament? And how can I increase my chances of meeting and taking a picture with one of the players?
– Joe, Chicago

Again, good comments by Jon, and I’ll throw in a few myself.

Be aware of the people around you. There were a couple of people in the press reserved seats who wouldn’t stop talking, loudly, and during points. The stinkeyes being thrown their way could have killed an army. (At one point, someone asked of Azarenka’s serve “I don’t even know, is it good?”). So just be aware that there are different types of fans at different matches. Oh, and no matter how much you talk, don’t talk during points! Baaaaad!

If you’re in the market of trying to get some autographs and see players, the earlier the better. Everyone is there (literally, if it’s Cincinnati) and practicing, roaming around. Hell, I saw Petra Kvitova walk to a practice court with her coach and hitting partner, and I don’t think anyone outside of myself and another woman recognized her.

Which, once again, practice courts are the way to go. No idea how they’re set up in Cincy, but find them.

Also fun? Doubles! It’s often a small crowd, a lot of the times the players are a lot more candid and laid back on court (I’m looking at you, Ivanorazzi) and doubles is just super fun live in it’s own right. We don’t get to see it often on TV, so I’d say seeing some doubles is almost a must.

Lastly, these are human beings. No really. Nothing bothers me more when people get pissy about someone refusing autographs, ignoring fans, etc. Sure, not all players are as generous as others, but these are pro-athletes, they have scheudles, warm-ups, cool-downs, and other commitments. In other words, they’ve got places to be and shit to do. Cut them some slack and be generous, because they’re taking time out of their day to give you some love, no matter how much you paid.

Regarding your answer to the question about Federer not watching finals he isn’t in, you used Kobe Bryant as an example. In an interview with ESPN this week, he said he indeed watched the Heat-Mavs. I guess it is different for different guys?
– Russell, Houston

Different strokes. It’s also a team sport, you’re only one of five guys. You and those other four guys lost to the other five (and bench) guys. Tennis is just one on one. Shmeh.

I’m doing a video project for my dad’s 50th birthday. Do you know of any famous (or just plain funny) jokes related to tennis?
– Peter, Connecticut

For fun, Jon’s answer: On-court coaching? The “Bet-at-home.com Open”? Maybe too obscure. I would avoid anything having to do with the word “love.” That’s pretty played out. What about this line from the late, great Mitch Hedberg? “I think Pringles’ initial intention was to make tennis balls. But on the day that the rubber was supposed to show up, a big truck load of potatoes arrived. But Pringles was a laid-back company. They said, “F–k it. Cut ‘em up.”

Have to say, there’s a lot of bad puns out there. I happen to think my blog name is kind of clever, but it’s still pretty cheesy. And yes, the love jokes suck.

I have to say, tennis tends to be home to a lot of unintentionally crude and hilarious jokes. Just look at the vocabulary. I’ll let you do the work. Brad Gilbert repeating hitting “deep and hard” about a thousand times in two minutes at Wimbledon absolutely killed me.

Combined – Cincinnati (Masters 1000 & Premier 5)

Official Site: Here
Draws: Men & Women
Top Men Seeds: Nole, Rafa, Fed, Muzz, Ferrer, Monf, Fish, T-Berd
Top Women Seeds: Caro, Vera, Vika, Masha, Nails, Kvitova, Schiavone, Bartoli

Another week, another jam packed ATP draw as the top men pack it up and move to Cincinnati. Once again, all eyes are on He Who Cannot Lose, Mr. Djokovic, as he continues to improve on an already insanely great season.

The first half would set up some familiar match-ups, Djokovic/Monfils and Federer/Berdych in the quarterfinals. Federer will have to take out Delpo in the second round, however. Berdych has Pico and Nico. Djokovic is looking good to go once again, as he should be able to out last a quarter also featuring Isner, Stan, Feli and Ernie. Yup, safe to pencil him in for the final once again.

The bottom half has some immediately interesting match-ups. If everything holds up, quarters are Ferrer/Murray and Nadal/Fish. Murray has Nalbandian and then possibly Tsonga or Cilic just to possibly Ferrer, which is not a kind draw. Things are similar for Fish, who could have Davydenko and Gasquet just for the right to take on Nadal in the quarterfinals. That being said, Fish is playing the greatest tennis of his life, is extremely motivated, and has had success in Cincinnati before. Keep an eye on him.

Things look pretty similar for the WTA side of things. Big names and earlier match-ups. The top half would line up Wozniacki/Kvitova and Azarenka/Schiavone for the quarters, but there’s a lot in the way of that happening. In particular, doubles partners Ivanovic and Petkovic who may take on Wozniacki and Kvitova respectfully. Both of the latter players looked rusty and out of sorts in Toronto, and might be in for more than they bargained for early on in Cincinnati.

The bottom half is absolutely loaded, including the much talked about Williams/Stosur second round re-match of the Toronto final. Nails and Masha lurk around in that quarter. Your guess is as good as mine.
For the final quarter, we have Bartoli/PavsFlavs and Bepa/JJ if everything holds up. Dani is also hanging around, and is likely going to play Pavs Flavs in a tasty second round match-up.

All in all, things aren’t too ridiculously different compared to Toronto and Montreal. Very solid fields that are pretty evenly spread out but are far from straight forward. I’m looking forward to another great week of tennis.

Photo: Cincy Images

For those who don’t know, I had the amazing opportunity to cover the Toronto edition of the Rogers Cup for tennispanorama.com and take over their Twitter account @GVTennisNews This is my way of saying thank you to both the tournament and the site, and signing off in a way. The site really is a fantastic source of all tennis news. If tennis could have its own section in the newspaper, it would likely look something like Tennis Panorama. Thanks everyone for following along for what was a fantastic week. Regular blog proceedings will be starting up once again!

TORONTO, Canada – It has only been four tournaments, but Serena Williams is back to her winning ways.

In a week full of surprises, delays, and drama, Williams was the last woman standing as she defeatedSamantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 to claim her second championship in as many tournaments. The victory was her 39th career WTA title.

“Eight months ago if there was only one tournament I want to win, it was Toronto. For whatever reason, I really wanted to win this event,” said Williams. “Going through so much and being able to win is even more amazing.”

The match started out an incredibly high level, with both players serving incredibly well. First serves were hitting lines and surpassing 108 mph on a consistent basis as both players avoided break points for the first eight games.

The fifth service game for Stosur was a different matter, however, as she began to feel the pressure, and the errors crept in. She saved the first break point of the match with an excellent slice that handcuffed Williams as she came to the net. Williams managed to get another break point, and would take matters into her own hands with an incredible down the line back hand winner. “I definitely think that’s when the match started changing,” said Williams. “but for the most part I was really fighting until that point, and obviously after that point I kept fighting. It was definitely a big point.” For Stosur, it was a disappointing lapse in concentration. “Especially being up in the game and really holding quite comfortably up until that point, it’s disappointing to lose that,” said Stosur. “Once an opponent gets a certain lead, sometimes it really boosts them and makes it a bit more difficult.”Williams then held easily to take the first set, 6-4.

The pressure continued to bother Stosur. A passive game filled with errors meant that Williams would go up an early break in the second, and it was relatively smooth sailing for Williams. After a loud strike of thunder, she didn’t speed up the match by playing faster, but by serving better. Stosur insisted he didn’t let it bother her. “If you are losing, you kind of hope it does come to stop and get a bit of a break. But I think really you’ve got to just try and ignore it and play each points as normal.”

In Williams her first three service games of the set, she lost only two points. In the final game, she clocked a first serve coming in at 124 mph. “I kept thinking, hit a ace, hit a ace, hit a ace, because I knew at that point I didn’t want to hit too many shots because I felt like I was getting a little tight,” said Williams on the last game of the match. With rain threatening at 5-2, she saved the only break point she would face all day to close out the match and win the championship.

For Williams, it was another display of dominance why many consider her one of the best to have ever played the women’s game. Williams has often talked about finding “another level” this week, particularly after losing the first set to both Jie Zheng and Lucie Safarova, and she did so again today, taking opportunities with conviction and staying out of trouble on serve. She hit nine aces and lost only three points on her first serve, 11 on serve in total.

Though Stosur could not take what would have to be considered the best championship of her career, she remained positive after struggling with bouts of inconsistency this season. “I’m full of confidence, really happy with the way my game is at the moment.”

With the draw for Cincinnati already released, Stosur and Williams could meet again in the second round if the draw holds up. “I never really want to change my game too dramatically against any kind of opponent,” said Stosur. “It’s maybe trying to execute a bit better and must always go out there and try and play as best you can.” Williams praised Stosur’s game and looked forward to the possible match-up. “We’re both playing really intense and really well, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Serena Williams has to be considered the favorite heading into the final major of the year, the US Open which gets under way in two weeks. She now leads the Olympus US Open Series. “I feel like there is a lot of improvements I want to make, you know, being able to close out big points and winning on big points and capitalizing on that,” Williams said about her game. “Still returning a little better, but overall it’s solid.”

Next up for Williams is Cincinnati, and then the US Open. “Right now physically I feel solid. I feel really good. I’m due to play on Tuesday in Cincinnati, so I’ll be there.” Williams insisted that she doesn’t feel like a favorite heading into the final grand slam of the year. “I never go in as a favorite. I feel like I’m still the underdog. I’m just taking it one day at a time and one match at a time and just going with it.”

It is expected that Williams’ ranking on Monday will place her in the top 32 high enough to be seeded at the US Open.

Same as below. Wertheim’s still the man. Find his answers here.

I’m excited to be going to the Cincinnati tournament next month to watch the men and women. Can you give me some tips. What should I be looking for?
– Jim S., Chicago

Good question! You might mean “which players should I be keeping on” or “what things should I try and see at the tournament?” Either way, I’ll answer both.

I think it’s pretty obvious to say what you’re looking for with the men: Novak Djokovic, and guys who can beat Novak Djokovic. The chances of him sweeping Cincy/Montreal as well as USO like he did IW/Miami/AO seem small, but this is still a guy who has only lost once all year. As for the other guys, what adjustments has Rafa made? How’s the confidence? What about Fed? Muzz still looking good? You’ll definitely want to keep an eye on your top 3 Americans Fish, Andy, and Tree, and you might want to check out the BryBros too.

For the ladies, definitely try and see some of the youngsters if they make it out, Sabine, Heather, and whoever else. Definitely take a good look at the order of play and check where the good match-ups are. I always prefer the early round matches of the ladies as I tend to find them a lot less predictable and more competitive.

I’ve never been to the Cincy tournament, but I have been to Montreal and Toronto (where I’ll be this year, come say hi!) and I can say this: Bring a printed out draw, and especially a printed out order of play if you don’t have a sweet phone. That way you can keep track of what matches are when and what you want to see (it will never go according to plan). It’s also great to have a good idea of the draw, in my opinion, especially if you’re going to be there for a few days (I’ve always gone for four). If one of your favourites wins, you might want to go check out who they could play next on a different court.

Practice courts and general wandering around are a must. The coolest things about being at the tournament is all the little bonus moments that happen that you don’t normally see. Goofy (or angry) practices, funky outfits, funny things on changeovers, conversations with other fans; it’s all an awesome, geeky tennis experience. So make sure you don’t get stuck on centre court and get out and enjoy!

Oh, and don’t be afraid to bring a backpack with some water, food, sunscreen, and whatever else. They don’t care at the Canadian tournaments as long as you let them check it, and I would assume (hope) they don’t at other ones, either. And don’t be afraid to take a break! Especially if you’re going for the day and night session. It’s a long day. Don’t worry, there’s lots to see.

Simple question, Jon: Fish or Blake?
– Sam, San Francisco

I luckily peaked at Wertheim’s answer because of the chart he had, and overall, the numbers point towards Blake (more prize money, more titles, higher highest ranking). The trick, however, is that Blake is all but dunzo, and Fish seems to just get starting (good, cause I’m starving! Er…) This is probably the best he’s ever played and is crushing his way through easier opponents and racking up the points big time. We’ll see how he does over the summer, he may be inching towards the top 5 at this rate.

I think Ana Ivanovic has fallen into the Anna Kournikova life pattern of being told she needs to focus on her beauty more than her tennis.
– Allan Watkins, Atlanta

The only thing Ana and Anna have in common is tennis, and they’re both pretty. That’s about it. Anna K was nearly destined for “child star”-dom. Being hailed as a great junior out of Nick’s academy and not living up to the hype in singles, moving into a life of modelling and stardom came pretty naturally.

For Ana, the love of the game is still there. She’s been switching coaches and trainers in attempt to find top form. She was also never “told she needs to focus on her beauty”, and I’ve always got the sense that was something fun for her on the side, and never came as a huge distraction (even if the results weren’t great during some of those periods). Also, can was stop using the term “one slam wonder”? C Note from Forty Deuce brought up a great point… why not give some slack to Nails or Fran for being “one slam wonders” and underachieving their whole careers? Silly.

Just a comment on the reason why Roger Federer doesn’t watch the finals. If I’m a surgeon and do heart transplants all the time, do I go running to the operating room every time a heart transplant is done by another surgeon?
– Asif Khan MD, Canfield, Ohio

I… what? I think I know what you mean, and I think I’ve already agreed so… sure…

Jon, let me see if I’ve got this straight: The claycourt season goes from April until early June, ending with the French Open. Grasscourt season starts the next day, and ends four weeks later at Wimbledon. Fine, I guess. Davis Cup action happens again the next week, on the surface of choice for the hosting country. Again, fine, I guess. But then the following week there’s an ATP event in Sweden on … clay??? What?? So David Ferrer goes from playing on clay, grass, hardcourt indoor and back to clay in the span of six weeks??!! Whoa, I’m thinking the dude is probably ready for some R&R.
– John, San Francisco

Indeed. Let’s consider this.

1) The insane schedule mentioned above, not forgetting that he comes BACK to North America (he’s already been here once for Davis Cup) for Montreal, Cincy, and USO

2) He’s 29

3) His grinder style of play usually means he’s playing long points and long matches, which takes a serious toll on the body.

4) He actually wins! With, other than being crazy impressive, it means he’s playing even MORE tennis.

And, while not worth mentioning in the list, he’s only 5’9. The dude can not be worn down, not on the road, not on the plane, and sure as hell not on the court. Did I mention that he’s pretty solid on all surfaces too? A hero for the little man, figuratively and literally.

I was watching Marc Gicquel play in a Challenger event in Sopot, Poland, a few days ago and, as an ardent Federer fan, I immediately noticed he was wearing a white and yellow Roger Federer T-shirt from this year’s Australian Open! Am I the only one who thinks it’s bizarre to see a guy other than Roger compete on tour with an RF logo emblazoned on his chest?
– Marcin Zielkiewicz, Warsaw, Poland

Tennis players are pretty normal peeps, and the ones further down the rankings can be pretty removed from the top dudes. It’s almost more like wearing your favourite team’s shirt while playing. Not too weird.

I’m not sure if you heard about this on Howard Stern, but he made a great point: How long before the WTA has someone grunting corporate sponsor names? Maria Sharapova could do “Nikeeeeeeeeeeee,” Victoria Azarenka might be able to get away with “Sergio Tacchiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.”
– Jim M, Pittsford, N.Y.

Well behaved women rarely make history, no? I couldn’t help but peak at Wertheim’s answer because it’s such an intriguing question, and it’s pretty fantastic. And why limit to one sponsor? You could fill entire categories. Forehands could be “EEEEEEEEE-surance!!!!” Backhands could be “Emirrrrrrrrates Aiiiiiiir!” Serves could be “betttt-at-home-dottttt.com!”

Do you know who came up with the line, “Federer plays the game we wish we could play; Rafa plays the game we should try to play”?
– Mark S., Los Angeles

No idea, but I like it. Fed’s play is otherworldly. Rafa always tries to improve, and has a fantastic attitude on and off the court. Indeed.

I’m a little confused. Why do the players in doubles seem to hide their talks when they speak to each other after points? I see that maybe covering the mouths of the coaches in football, but doubles tennis?
– Ray Danganan, Frederick, Md.

It’s a bit like pitchers who put their gloves over their mouths, no? It always cracks me up when a doubles player on an outer court puts the ball over their mouth while they have an intense conversation and then bounce their way back to the baseline. Still, I guess you never know. There are worse habits.

Can Novak Djokovic be the next Federer? In terms of everything: domination, brand ambassador, front face for the sport …
– Suresh, Mumbai

I don’t think so. A couple of reasons. Mostly, his age and the fact that I don’t think he can keep such amazing play up forever. His head, his body, his shots… something has to go slightly. Fed also won a ton of slams when he had no real opposition, which allowed him to play a lot of easy matches and continue to keep up an insane level of play. That won’t be true for Novak, who has had to tough out a lot of wins. But hell, if Nole can keep this up for a few years, he might be the only guy worth talking about.

I attended the WTT match that featured Serena Williams of the Washington Kastles vs. the New York Sportimes. Serena played three matches and hardly uttered a grunt. What gives?
– Eric Bukzin, Manorville, N.Y.

I’ll speak entirely from my personal grunting experience (as in when I play tennis), but there’s two things in play. 1) When you really go for a ball, it can increase the grunting (which tends to be important points) 2) As you tire, the grunt factor goes up. For me, at least, when I’ve been playing for a bit, and really want to go for a forehand, I sometimes grunt. It’s mostly because my entire body is clenching, preparing for the shot, and then leans in to it and out comes the grunt (not that it’s very loud). WTT matches tend to be short, and let’s face it, not super important, and the opposition (Hingis) isn’t too scary. So a lot of factors go into it.

I’m planning to donate $1 to charity for every match Nikolay Davydenko wins this year. I have five singles in my wallet. Will I have to visit the ATM before this year is up?
– Brett Davis, Los Angeles

You’re already 9 bucks short, so you’re obviously not doing a fantastic job. Age and injury are a deadly combo. I think Kolya is likely out of the convo when it comes to big time matches, sadly.

Has anyone noticed that Andrey Golubev in the midst of an epic losing streak? He has lost 17 consecutive matches since March. He is only four loses away from tying Vince Spadea’s 21-match losing streak. To add insult to injury, his ranking just plummeted from 57 to 103 after being unable to defend in Hamburg. You have to feel sorry for the guy!
– Eric, Philadelphia

Holy crap! The last full match I watched of his was in Hamburg last year. He was cranking his one handed back hand and looked like a decent scamperer (that’s totally a word, right?) He definitely has the power to outright spank some of the lower ranked players… but apparently not. Messy stuff.

Once again, Jon always gives fantastic answers, and this is not meant as a slight to him. Also, I don’t read his answers until I’ve given mine. One final note: there were a couple questions that I simply don’t have the answers to. The Courier one was particularly interesting, and I encourage you to check it out and read the rest of his answers as well. You can find the original mailbag here.

What’s your opinion of Andy Roddick these days? If his results keep going the way they have been lately, does he make it to the London Olympics?
– Jeff, New York

Good question. There’s some real concern going around about Roddick right now, and rightfully so. I think it’s safe to say that the end is likely near. After working hard to solidify his backhand, the power is all but completely gone from it. His forehand seems to be lacking some zip, and he’s winning fewer matches on the strength of his serve alone, making it harder for him to go deep into tournaments.

As for him making it to the London Olympics? I think he will be there. Adding in the fact that it is on grass definitely helps, and it’s not like Andy is dropping in the first round of tournaments to nobodies, and he did win Memphis this year. I think the more likely question would be “do we see Andy beyond next year’s US Open?” That, only he knows the answer to.

What do you make of the fact that Federer always says he doesn’t watch the finals if he’s not in it? That just seems poor form, and he never gets called on it. Even if he really doesn’t watch, wouldn’t it be better for tennis if one of the all-time greats says he’ll be watching as a fan just like everyone else?
– Dominic Ciafardini, Hong Kong

In my honest opinion, Fed has said a whole lot worse and hasn’t reeeeeally been called out on it, in comparison to this. I can’t really blame him. If you lost in the ALCS in game 7, would you want to watch the World Series? Or the semis of the Champions League? Just to ponder “what could have been”? I doubt it. I also think it’s a bit silly to think of Fed as a “fan just like everyone else”. Of the game? Sure. But of the players? No way.

I don’t expect this to get printed but want to chime in on Chris Evert’s talent at ESPN. I thoroughly enjoyed her insight. She may have lacked some of the professionalism and wit of seasoned veteran Mary Carillo, but I believe she more than made up for that with her considerable charm, unique insight into the game and the fact that despite being a legend, she still seemed able to speak to the casual player. She did not come across as pompous as some former players turned analysts do. Rather, she was kind of like a more accomplished Mary Joe Fernandez.
– Keith Mainhart, Amityville, N.Y.

Let me start off by saying that being a tennis commentator is one hell of a hard job. They’re often ridiculed for being too boring, talking about the wrong thing at the wrong time, or being too biased. I’ve even seen Robbie and Jason hate (the guys who do the ATP Masters series events) and I thought they were universally loved.

As for Chris, it’s a two way street. I mostly heard her doing the women’s matches, and thought she did a great job. Was insightful, talked tactics and shot making, and didn’t appear biased at all.

On the other hand, I read some of the things she was saying during some of the men’s matches and they were… less than spectacular, mostly her open, blatant cheering of Federer. It’s tough. I think a lot of ex-pros come in to their side of things with a real knowledge and air of professionalism. But when they cover the other gender, they talk about it more from an outsider, fan point of view. I think this is also true of J-Mac and Mary. McEnroe in particular used to be horrible with the ladies because he openly spoke his mind and really added nothing to the match or the conversation, but he’s gotten much better over the years. This might be a similar story for Chris.

Seeing Novak break the stranglehold that Nadal and Federer have had on the No. 1 ranking is certainly impressive, but I’m also impressed and quite nostalgic to see apparel maker Sergio Tacchini return to glory and crack Nike’s hegemony when sponsoring the top-ranked men’s player (no disrespect to Martina Hingis, who wore the label in the late ’90s as the top women’s player.) Makes me think back to a simpler time when McEnroe and Sampras wore the brand before they became part of the Nike machine. Given that Novak has already been part of the adidas stable, do you think Phil Knight is putting together a monster package as we speak to lure Novak away? Will we soon see a Jim Gray interview from the Belgrade outpost of the Boys & Girls Club of Serbia where Nole announces that he’s “taking his talents to Beaverton”?
– Brian U., New York

Interesting. A few things. I think we can all agree that sponsorship, be it clothing or otherwise, isn’t exactly what it used to be. Winning a grand slam will get you set for life, but getting sponsorship deals will set you into the mega-mega-bucks. As for your question, I really have no idea. Novak and his family have done a pretty solid job of turning Novak into the “Nole Brand” if you will, not unlike other stars such as Fed, Rafa, and Sharapova. The clothes are a big part of that. Something tells me the family and Tacchini have something solid going there, so I wouldn’t expect him to jump ship any time soon.

Dude!!! Who said anything about playing Philly BETWEEN Roland Garros and Wimbledon??!!? They just played grass-court tennis in Newport. Why not shuttle down to Philly after that? Why not extend the grass-court season AFTER Wimbledon?
– Helen, Philadelphia

For the same reason there’s likely to never be a Masters grass tournament. Wimbledon is really one of the weirdest things in sports. It’s the biggest tournament in the universe, yet, as I wrote already, grass is weird. In an ideal world for scheduling, Wimbledon would become a hard court tournament, we could push it back a couple weeks, and warm up tournaments could be moved out of England and include places like France and Spain. But I think we all know that won’t ever happen.

Since we’re piling on about women’s tennis, what are your thoughts about the constant fist-pumping toward the player’s box, particularly after “big” points such as 15-15 in the second game of the match?
– Frank, Galisteo, N.M.

I peaked at Jon’s answer, and I agree with both things he said. First off, this is hardly exclusive to women’s tennis. Novak loves his box, so does Rafa. I’ve seen Pico do it when he’s not feeling too confident, and we all know Lleyton loves using the crowd to his advantage. Secondly, always trying to pump yourself does not send a good message to your opponent – it usually means you’re less than confident. In this case, the best players (if we’re talking women, Serena and Sharapova) often smell blood and up their game.

Amelie Mauresmo is only 32. With her one-handed backhand, sweet personality and athletic gifts, wouldn’t it be fantastic if she made a comeback?
– Joe Johnson, Allentown, Pa.

Not really. If you watched Momes near the end of her career, you know that her backhand wasn’t what it used to be, and her head and heart just weren’t in it anymore. It’s one of the reasons why 30 is generally pretty old for tennis players. After 10-15 years of grinding out traveling, long matches, and bad food, their confidence and will to compete go as much as their game.