Davis Final QF: Spain and Germany Even at 1-1

GERMANY @ SPAIN (TIED 1-1)
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus, Marbella (Outdoor Clay)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def Andreas Beck (GER) 6-0, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) def Tommy Robredo (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

No big surprises on Day 1 in Andalusia, as Spain and Germany split the first two matches of a very even match-up to go into Saturday even at 1-1.

Andreas Beck coming within a set of beating Fernando Verdasco might have been surprising if the Spaniard didn't have such a reputation for flightiness. Verdasco won the first set 6-0, and proceeded to largely disappear for the next hour or so. That Verdasco was able to come back in front of a mass of supporters was not unexpected, nor was Beck's complete inability to close out what would have been one of the biggest wins of his career.

The good-but-not-great tennis Tommy Robredo consistently delivers wasn't enough against Philipp Kohlschreiber, who as a shotmaker excels against a steady, backboard player like Robredo. Kohlschreiber looked the best of the four today, and definitely has to be given a shot of beating Verdasco on Sunday.

The remaining three matchups in this tie can all be considered toss-ups. Should make for an interesting next couple of days.

Davis Cup QF: Czechs, Argentines Knotted at 1

ARGENTINA @ CZECH REPUBLIC (TIED 1-1)
CEZ Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic (Indoor Hard)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) def. Ivo Minar (CZE)

Things went largely as expected on Day 1 in Ostrava. Tomas Berdych, never one to make things easy on himself, won in five sets over the always dangerous Juan Monaco. The indoor conditions kept Berdych's serve lethal while Monaco's defensive game eventually was worn out, probably due to a lack of recent matches.

Juan Martin del Potro had a considerably easier time against Ivo Minar in leveling the tie for the Argentines. In his first match since a disappointing second round loss at Wimbledon to Lleyton Hewitt, JMdP never looked out of complete control.

del Potro is the highest ranked player participating in this weekend's Davis Cup action, and he lived up to that distinction today, looking far stronger than any of the fifteen other players who took court for their country on Friday. He's got a truckload of points to defend in the coming month, as he defends the four consecutive titles he won in July and August of 2008. Based on today, he certainly looks to be in decent shape to make a run at keeping at least a couple of those trophies in his posession.

Based on their form on the first day, it seems clear that Argentina would sweep the reverse singles should the participants remain the same. del Potro was much stronger than Berdych, and Monaco much sharper than Minar. The wild card in this tie, as I mentioned in the preview, is Radek Stepanek and his knee. If he is well enough to muster a win in the doubles on Saturday and play in Minar's spot on Sunday, the Czechs may have a chance to make it to the semifinals. If not, fuggedaboutit.

Davis Cup QF: Israel Stuns Russia, Leads 2-0

RUSSIA @ ISRAEL (ISRAEL LEADS 2-0)
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel (Indoor Hard)

Harel Levy (ISR) def. Igor Andreev (RUS) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Dudi Sela (ISR) def. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5

What should have been at least one easy point for Russia turned into a jaw-dropping Israeli sweep on Day 1 of their Davis Cup quarterfinal in Tel Aviv, putting the host country in the driver's seat to close out the win on Saturday, in the doubles match featuring Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram that had previously been considered their only chance to score a point.

To put it mildly, Igor Andreev, ranked #24 in the world, had absolutely no business losing to #210 Harel Levy. Andreev, though best on clay, is no hard court slouch, pushing Roger Federer to five sets in the fourth round of the US Open last year. Harel Levy, on the other hand, is a complete slouch. He hasn't finished a year inside the top 100 since 2001. The highlight of Levy's year going into this event was qualifying for Halle by beating Lukas Lacko, then immediately losing to lucky loser Lukas Lacko (try saying that five times fast) in the first round.

Mikhail Youzhny, on the other hand, has some possible excuses. He'd been out with injury for a while, and Dudi Sela had been real hot. It was a winnable match for both, but Youzhny's failure to get the victory compounds Andreev's disastrous loss.

There are definitely some questions to be asked of generally well-thought-of Russian Davis Cup Captain Shamil Tarpischev should Russia get knocked out tomorrow. Starting with where Nikolay Davydenko and Dmitry Tursunov, both solid hard courters and Davis Cup players, were that prevented them from playing. On top of the embarrassing loss to Italy for the Russian Fed Cup team back in April, a team Tarpischev also coaches, it could prove to be a pretty rough summer for him.

Davis Cup Quarterfinals Preview

The quarterfinals of the Davis Cup begin on Friday, with all four ties seemingly winnable for both sides. Three of them, surprisingly enough for July, are being held indoors. Coverage of the USA-Croatia tie will be live on Tennis Channel in the States, with streams of the other three quarterfinals likely findable somewhere on the world wide web.

Only the first two match-ups in each tie are locked in, the rest are subject to change(*).

ARGENTINA @ CZECH REPUBLIC
CEZ Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic (Indoor Hard)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Ivo Minar (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)
Lukas Dlouhy/Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro/Leonardo Mayer (ARG)*
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)*
Ivo Minar (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)*

Nalbandian being out really weakens the Argentines, who could be in trouble against the same Czech team that upset the French in the first round. Radek Stepanek, out with a knee injury, could be an even bigger loss in singles, since he and his Czech Flag outfit usually do so well at Davis Cup. I expect del Potro to win both his singles matches, but for the Czechs to grab the other three for the win, possibly with Stepanek heroically returning for the fifth match vs. Acasuso.
Prediction: Czech Republic 3-2

USA @ CROATIA
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v James Blake (USA)
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Mardy Fish (USA)
Ivo Karlovic/Lovro Zovko (CRO) v Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)*
Marin Cilic (CRO) v James Blake (USA)*
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Mardy Fish (USA)*

Even Without Andy Roddick, I think the USA has a pretty decent shot in this one if they can handle Ivo Karlovic's serve. Big "if" there. The Bryans are a lock for doubles, as always, and if Fish and Blake can handle a Karlovic serve that should be somewhat stunted on clay, it could be a big win for the United States. That said, I don't think both Blake and Fish will be able to crack Karlovic, which is what it would take since Cilic should cruise to two singles wins.
Prediction: Croatia 3-2

RUSSIA @ ISRAEL
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel (Indoor Hard)

Harel Levy (ISR) v Igor Andreev (RUS)
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) v Igor Kunitsyn/Marat Safin (RUS)*
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Igor Andreev (RUS)*
Harel Levy (ISR) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)*

On paper, this is a real routine win for the Russians. In reality, the only Russian of late who has been playing mildly consistant tennis is Igor Andreev, not known for his Davis Cup prowess. Look for Dmitry Tursunov, not listed in this initial lineup, to see action for the Russians. Russian Davis Cup Captain Shamil Tarpishev loves nothing more than trying to outmaneuver opposing coaches with last minute changes. Israel has a good doubles team in Erlich/Ram (the winners of the 2008 Australian Open Men's Doubles), but Harel Levy is a weak second singles option. Asking Sela to win two singles matches is likely too much to hope for. No matter the result, however, the crowds at Russia-Israel team tennis clashes have proven to be a lot of fun in the past, and should be again this time.
Prediction: Russia 3-2

GERMANY @ SPAIN
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus, Marbella (Outdoor Clay)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Andreas Beck (GER)
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Nicolas Kiefer/Mischa Zverev (GER)*
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)*
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andreas Beck (GER)*

The match-up of Spain (minus Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer) and Germany (minus Tommy Haas) certainly leaves something to be desired. But even without each country's top player, there's a lot to look forward to in a few of these matches. Kiefer and Zverev are both considerably more comfortable on faster surfaces, which I presume is why Beck is getting the nod for singles. Kohlschreiber-Robredo is a good one that should come down to Kohlschreiber's nerves being better. Kohlschreiber-Verdasco could be a close one as well, especially if Verdasco's mind and forehand are misfiring, as they are prone to do in Davis Cup matches. The whole tie largely comes down to how well Kohlschreiber plays, and I think he'll play well, but not well enough to carry Germany all the way. Hopefully Nadal is healthy in time for the semifinal round.
Prediction: Spain 3-2

Should be a good weekend of tennis to wrap up what has otherwise been a fairly dull, hungover week to follow Wimbledon.

Tennis Has A New Villain in Patricia The Terrible

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a real bona fide lunatic player in top shelf of professional tennis. Too long. Luckily for us, Patricia Mayr of Austria, currently ranked # 71, appears ready and willing to fulfill that role.

Mayr, who is perhaps best known for making Anne Keothavong cry, is quickly establishing herself as a villain par excellence on the WTA Tour. Playing against Margalita Chaknashvili of Georgia in a first round match in Budapest on Tuesday, Mayr began loudly shouting "come on" after every point won, be it on winner or Chaknashvili error or double fault. At 6-0, 4-4, after Chaknashvili had said "sorry" for a point won on a net cord bounce, Mayr walked up to the net and inexplicably flipped off her opponent.

Mayr's gesture, naturally, was not warmly received by the umpire, crowd, or Chaknashvili, who refused to continue play. The tournament referee was called down to the outer court, where he let Mayr off with a warning.

Mayr went on to beat a clearly rattled Chaknashvili 7-5 in the second to get the win, a victory that was unsurprisingly not punctuated with a handshake.

No further fallout from the match in the way of fines or sanctions have been reported, though Mayr was seen angrily storming out of the WTA office on site.

Karma may have had a hand in Mayr's second round match, which she led 6-0, 2-0 before falling to Swiss Timea Bacsinszky 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Bacsinszky was finally able to get a read on Mayr's moonballing and establish control of her serve. Nice to see Bacsinszky back from that left knee injury that has kept her out of most all of 2009. She's a real fun player to watch, and hopefully she gets back in the mix soon.

For tennis fans longing to see Mayr’s madness for themselves, get excited because she is likely coming to a town near you! Mayr has played an absurd thirty-five tournaments in the last year, which puts her far into first place for tournaments played in the top 100. The next closest player only has thirty-one. Perhaps it’s the exhaustion that’s driving her to madness?

Whatever the reason for Mayr’s hatred of the world is, I'm happy to have it. In a sport that is becoming increasingly full of cookie cutter shreikers who are only passively aggressive in their on court behavior, Mayr represents an important step towards full on aggression that will eventually lead to straight up brawling and hair-pulling.

I, for one, can't wait.

Photo of the Day

Maybe it's just the section of stadium shown. Maybe it's just the fact that Bastad isn't Tokyo in terms of population. Maybe it's just the let down of it being the week after packed Centre Court at Wimbledon.

Whatever the excuse may be, it isn't a good sign to see all of two people in the stands behind Flavia Pennetta for her second-round match at a main level WTA tour event. And even those two people don't look particularly riveted.

Brydan Klein Handed Six Month Ban For Racist Outburst

Australia's Brydan Klein was handed a six month ban from tennis by the ATP for a racist outburst he had made earlier this month in Eastbourne during a match with South African Raven Klaasen.

The ban, which was announced Friday in Sydney (yes, it's already Friday in Sydney), comes on top of a previous $14,000 fine and a suspension from the Australian Institute of Sport.

Klein was immediately apologetic for the incident, a remorsefulness that did little to curry favor for him in the Australian tennis community. Klein had been subjected to previous fines and sanctions for other on court behavior, which Tennis West president Dean West has called "shocking" and "disgraceful."

While he has done nothing to match this latest Klein incident, Bernard Tomic, the other prominent Aussie up-and-comer on the men's side, is also known for a terrible temperment and on-court tirades. It may hardly be a coincidence, given that this generation of Australians would be the ones who grew up moulding themselves after Lleyton Hewitt...

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Alize Allayed Easily

Today in Budapest, second-seeded Alize Cornet, the tournament's defending champion, was unceremoniously drop-kicked out of the second round by Shahar Peer, by the score of 6-2, 6-0. Hardly a shocker, since I expressed surprise at her winning her first round match, but this loss still represents faceplant from grace, to say the least.

Cornet, who trailed 5-0 in the first set, has been in utter free fall of late. Going back to the Australian Open quarterfinal this year in which she blew match point vs. Dinara Safina, Cornet has been an astonishingly terrible 4-16 against players in the top 100. It's especially terrible considering Cornet was #11 in the world earlier this year.

Cornet, after her less than stunning first round upset at Wimbledon, chalked the loss up to breathing problems. Maybe those microscoping nostrils are finally catching up to her? In all seriousness, it would seem as though having a nose not fit for heavy breathing could be a large cause of her difficulties. Though that theory doesn't explain how those same-sized nostrils took her within one spot of the top ten several months ago.

Cornet is facing big points coming off on the summer hard court swing, but she isn't defending any major points in the post US Open indoor swing. Regardless of what happened last year, she could easily find herself unseeded at the Australian Open if she doesn't get herself together fast.

Tuesday's Slices--7/7/09

Four things that happened today in the world of tennis that you may have missed:

1. Still struggling to recover from a shoulder injury that had him out for well over a year, American Taylor Dent took a nice step toward regaining his old form by securing a relatively routine 6-2, 6-1 win over Brazilian Marcos Daniel in Newport. The grass at Newport should help Dent's serve-and-volley game immensely, hopefully giving him the springboard he needs to get back into the top 200. The previous time Dent won a match in the main draw of an ATP tournament was way back in April. His opponent in that match? Marcos Daniel. When you got 'em, you got 'em.
2. The top two ranked Italians on the WTA Tour, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, met today in the first round of the hard court tournament in Bastad, Sweden. The #3 seed Pennetta beat recent Wimbledon quarterfinalist Schiavone 6-2, 7-5. It's an unfortunate draw for both in an otherwise soft first round. I cannot fathom why Pennetta came to Bastad this week in the first place, when there was a perfectly good obscure clay court tournament in Budapest to be played. No one loves obscure clay court tournaments the way Flavia Pennetta does.
   
3. There is something strange going on with the seeds in Budapest. Both Sara Errani (#7) and Lucie Safarova (#8) were served a bagel by their qualifier opponents. Even stranger, Alize Cornet (#2), who can only beat the traffic of late, managed to win her match over Galina Voskoboeva. I haven't seen photos, but I'm guessing Voskoboeva was playing without the use of one or more of her legs.
   
4. Small weeks for the main tours usually mean big weeks for the challenger circuits, and this week is no exception. The men haveThe women are in a $100k in Biarritz and a $75k in Zagreb, with some pretty nice fields at each (headlined by Lucie Hradecka and Rossanna De Los Rios, respectively). Cult fan favorite Zuzana Ondraskova picked up a nice 6-2, 6-0 win in Zagreb over the third-ranked Serb, Ana Jovanovic. In Serbian women's tennis, Jovanovic is only behind Jelena Jankovic (#6) and Ana Ivanovic (#11). Jovanovic is #229. That's quite the drop-off.

Serena Does Letterman

The woman with 11 slams made an appearance at 11:30 last night on The Late Show With David Letterman, a traditional stop on victory laps for American slam winners.

Letterman asked Serena about grunting, her knee injury from a couple years back, and, out of nowhere, drinking. And she was pretty candid throughout. I just wish she had been asked about the #1 ranking. Because that's what really brings out the laughs.

Note that the outfit she showed up to the studio in (above) is completely different from what she wore on the set. Guess that dress must've been stuffed in the purse.



Smoothly done keeping the people at Wilson who sign her checks happy.

Mathieu Montcourt Dies at 24

Sad and surprising news out of Paris today, as the FFT confirmed reports that rising French player Mathieu Montcourt died overnight. He was 24.

Montcourt was found dead in the stairwell of his apartment building in Paris by his girlfriend. No cause of death has been reported, autopsy to follow.

What makes the circumstances of Montcourt's death even more curious than they already are is the timing. Monday, the last day on which Montcourt was alive, was the first day of his five week suspension for betting on tennis. Montcourt never bet more than three dollars, and never bet on matches he was playing himself. His sentence was widely viewed as overblown, and that he was being made an example of by the ATP. How these circumstances would lead to his death is not immediately clear, but the coinciding of the suspension and his death is pretty jarring.

Montcourt's singles ranking hit an all time high of #104 just two weeks ago on June 22nd, after making the second round of the French Open for the third time in three tries. Montcourt was clearly on the up in his tennis career, which makes this turn of events all the sadder.

What obviously doesn't get said bluntly in instances such as these is that since he never made it inside the top 100, very few tennis fans and journalists knew Montcourt for anything outside the betting scandal headlines, or had ever seen him play (notwithstanding the BBC headline calling him a "star"). But for the players who from their early childhood have been facing the same players in tournament after tournament, Montcourt was someone they had known for well over a decade.

Tennis players, especially the French and Spanish, seem to be a tight knit group stretching pretty far down the rankings. The tightness is especially evident when the passing of a player outside the top 100 is mourned by a titan of the sport who as of two days ago was the top-ranked player in the world.

From rafaelnadal.com:

Mon Ami Mathieu Montcourt

Manacor, Spain - July 7th 2009

This morning I woke up to one of the worst news anyone can receive. I heard about the death of my friend Mathieu Montcourt and I am still in shock, I can't believe it.

I knew Mathieu since we were kids. We competed together at all the events at an international level for kids: Les Petit As, Copa Borotta, etc, and of course, we played again afterwards after we became professionals.

When someone like this disappears, when something like this happens, you realize where you are and you put into perspective your life, winning or losing a tennis match, not competing at an event and everything else. This is the loss of a guy who was only 24 and who was a sportsman. He won't be playing with us again.

I would like to send my deepest and most sincere condolences to his family, to his friends and to the French fans.

Mathieu, Rest in peace.

Rafa Nadal

I don't remember much about Montcourt's playing style, but I do believe I saw him play Lleyton Hewitt in the second round of the French Open in 2006, vs. Hewitt. I can't say I remember much of anything about watching him. Well, except for the hair.

Unlike his hair, which always looked pretty out of control, hopefully his friends and family are able to make peace with what happened.

RIP.

Ladies' Quarterfinals Preview

The men get the day off on Tuesday, leaving the women to carry the day. Each match features a top four seed, meaning that we could get the top four ranked players in the world in the semifinals, which would be the first time that had happened on the women's side this decade.

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] 1 vs Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26
A perplexing battle between an underperformer and an overperformer. It's tough to say who will win, but based on who has been playing closer to their best, it would have to be Lisicki. I think Safina's difficulties on grass will finally catch up with her against the flat hitting, aggressive, courageous German, and she'll be the sole spoiler to the top four party in the semis.
Prediction: Lisicki in three.

2. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [8] 97 vs Serena Williams (USA) [2] 128
This one could be quite the bloody affair. The two met in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year, with Azarenka winning the first set then retiring midway through the second due to vertigo symptoms. It was a mess. Azarenka was a different type of mess in her fourth round win over Petrova yesterday, throwing a general tantrum the entire time yet still managing to power her way into her first Wimbledon quarterfinal. Serena, for her part, has looked great this entire tournament, but she hasn't faced anyone near Azarenka's caliber. This one could go into overtime.
Prediction: Williams in three.

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33 vs Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [11] 49
Serena got the opportunity to dismantle Radwanska in last year's Wimbledon quarterfinals, so it's only fair that Venus should get the chance to do so this year. Venus has been hitting the ball very cleanly, and Radwanska has no weapons that Venus won't be able to pound her way through.
Prediction: Williams in two.

2. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 74 vs Elena Dementieva (RUS) [4] 96
Elena Dementieva's soft draw continues. Two veteran players, neither of whom was talked about much going into this tournament, face off for a spot in the semis, where they will undoubtedly lose meekly to the Serena-Azarenka winner. Dementieva's game is much more stable, and should hold up better to the pressures of the occasion.
Prediction: Dementieva in two.

They Left The Lights On For Him

I have my problems with Andy Murray, to be sure, but he does seem to embrace these big stages much more than Tim Henman ever did. During his 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win over Stanislas Wawrinka, Murray emoted all The atmosphere indoors under the artificial lights was something Wimbledon had never before seen in its 132 years, for better or for worse. I like that the big matches won't have to be suspended due to darkness anymore, but I can't say I was enamored with the Astrodome-esque feel of the indoor grass court.

Though in terms of firing up the hometown fans in the papers the next morning, Murray's post match press conference leaves something to be desired...

Q. What are your emotions right now?

ANDY MURRAY: Uhm, well, obviously great to come through. Haven't thought about the match a whole lot. We made sure, you know, I warmed down properly, saw the physio and got as much food in me as possible.
And then, you know, organizing what I'm going to do tomorrow to, you know, make sure I recover as best as I can before the next round.

Without the Nadal-Federer rematch to look forward to, the Murray run is one of the best storylines Wimbledon has going for it to be sure. Having the native son be the one to blaze uncharted territory into the night was the best organizers could have hoped for. The crowd loves him and he loves the Wimbledon crowds, and the new roof amplifies the noise fivefold.

Juan Carlos Ferrero is the softest draw of the eight quarterfinalists, so Murray and the hometown crowd should have more to celebrate come Wednesday. Murray may need the help more than he thinks, as he is only 1-3 in his previous four grand slam quarterfinals. If he does get through, Friday against Andy Roddick or Lleyton Hewitt should be a real good time.

The Bump II

About twelve years after Irina Spirlea and Venus Williams made it cool, Sabine Lisicki and Caroline Wozniacki brought "The Bump" to a new generation of tennis. Wozniacki appeared greatly perturbed by the collision, but it's unlikely to have had much of an effect on the result, as it occured only a game from the end of Lisicki's 6-4, 6-4 win over the ninth-seeded Dane.

Have a look below at the biggest collision between a Dane and a German since the Second Schleswig War!



I think the British woman doing commentary sums it up best: "well that's, you know, handbags, isn't it, stuff, so, ha." Brilliant.

And for those of you still yearning for the mid-nineties when the only videos online were GIFs, The Bump II has been immortalized in that format too!

Out to Pasture Players Chew Up Grass

Not often a player loses the first two sets and then only drops five games the remainder of the match. That's exactly what Lleyton Hewitt did, however, in coming back to defeat #23 Radek Stepanek 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. It's Hewitt's first grand slam quarterfinal since the 2006 US Open, where he lost to Andy Roddick, also his opponent in the quarterfinal on Tuesday. Roddick defeated Hewitt two weeks ago at Queen's Club in straight sets, so it's a tough draw to be certain. Even if his run ends in the quarters, it's been a dream tournament for the 2002 Wimbledon Champion. Only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have dropped fewer sets thus far.

Even more surprising than Hewitt's run in my mind is the success of wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero. I was initially confused by the AELTC's decision to give the then #103-ranked Ferrero a wild card; he had made only one quarterfinal in his last twenty grand slam events, and he's not British. But the 2003 French Open champion's subsequent semifinal run at Queen's Club and his quarterfinal run here have proven their faith deserved. Just like Hewitt, Ferrero too faces his Queen's Club conqueror in the quarterfinals. Ferrero plays hometown hopeful Andy Murray for the second time in two weeks on Wednesday, and just like Hewitt, Ferrero will be given little shot to make the semis.

Even if both the oldies lose to the Andys, it's been a good week for the 29-and-over set. They may be ancient relics by tennis standards, but with the tennis they've produced they've electrified the grass, which is decidedly preferable to being buried under it.

The Best Day on the Tennis Calendar - Fourth Round Preview

The best ticket available in the world of tennis, the second Monday is one of two days on the tennis calendar where both the Gentlemen's and Ladies' draws converge on the dame day, the other being Super Saturday at the US Open. But while Super Saturday features only three matches and six players, the second Monday of Wimbledon features every Round of 16 match in both the men's and women's draw. Stars normally guaranteed a spot on one of the two main stadiums are relegated to outer courts, giving fans a chance to see big stars with just a grounds pass.

I made it out to Wimbledon on the second Monday last year, and with my grounds pass got to see Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Arnaud Clement, Marin Cilic, Shahar Peer, and Dinara Safina, capping my day off by being one of the five or so on Henman Hill pulling for Richard Gasquet against Andy Murray. Quite the day for £14 (plus £3 or so for strawberries and cream).

Here's what's on tap for this year's best tennis day of the year:

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Robin Soderling (SWE) [13] 113 vs Roger Federer (SUI) [2] 128
For a player whose big breakout tournament came on the terre battue, Robin Soderling's game is totally built for grass. Featuring power and more power, I expect him to smack a lot of winners past Federer in between moments of being thoroughly outclassed.
Prediction: Federer in four.

2. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] 1 vs Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) [17] 9
The marquee matchup on the women's side today sees top Dinara Safina play on Centre court for the first time this tournament. She faces 2006 Champion Amelie Mauresmo, who always brings her best tennis (if not her strongest nerves) to the All-England Club. Safina has looked shaky at best through the first week of the tournament, while Mauresmo has looked calm and in control throughout. I like the Frenchwoman to blitz the hollow top-seed in two jarringly vicious sets.
Prediction: Mauresmo in two.

3. Andy Murray (GBR) [3] 33 vs Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [19] 41
The Brits have got to be loving the draw that has fallen at Andy Murray's feet through these first four rounds. And if he does make it through the fourth round, his quarterfinal opponent from the winner of Ferrero-Simon shouldn't prove too challenging either. Onward toward the semifinal he marches.
Prediction: Murray in three.

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33 vs Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13] 48
A rematch of the 2007 Wimbledon semifinal, this match will be a testament to just how far Ivanovic has fallen. Ivanovic played by far her best match of the year in beating Sam Stosur in the third round, a match that I can only explain by calling it a strange fluke. Ivanovic hasn't made a grand slam quarterfinal since she won the 2008 French Open, and there's no way that streak is ending against Venus Williams.
Prediction: Williams in 2.

2. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [7] 97 vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [22] 105
As ugly and hard to watch as his game is, it's kind of refreshing to see Ivo Karlovic's serve blowing its way through the draw, taking down popular darkhorse J0-Wilfried Tsonga with it. Karlovic's game has a way of keeping players honest, and if his opponent doesn't play well he will lose, no matter how good he is (see also Federer Cincinnati 2008). Verdasco has been impressive thus far, but his mental struggles of yore are not completely behind him. I like Ivo to pull off the frustrating upset here, with a classic Verdasco breakdown left in the fifth.
Prediction: Karlovic in five.

3. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [20] 24 vs Andy Roddick (USA) [6] 32
This is the kind of matchup Andy Roddick loves to see in the middle of a slam. A mentally suspect player without a lot of variety, Tomas Berdych will hold serve a bunch, but is unlikely to pose any longterm threat.
Prediction: Roddick in three.

COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 86 vs Elena Dementieva (RUS) [4] 96
Probably the most under the radar of any of the sixteen women remaining, Elena Dementieva has quietly played some seriously ass-kicking tennis, earning a breadstick in each of her three matches so far. Vesnina is a nice draw, and a surprising fourth rounder on grass. Dementieva should get through easily, and make an impressive third quarterfinal at Wimbledon, despite it being on what should be her worst surface.
Prediction: Dementieva in two easy sets.

2. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 115 vs Serena Williams (USA) [2] 128
A rematch of their d-r-a-m-a filled fourth round match in 2007, this should be a pretty routine match for an in-shape, in-form Serena, neither of which she was in 2007. Good showing by Daniela to make it this far.
Prediction: Serena in two.

3. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 3 vs Radek Stepanek (CZE) [23] 9
One of the most consistently underrated players on the ATP Tour (probably due to his grave lack of charisma), Radek Stepanek has played great grasss court tennis before, and may very well surprise those who penciled Hewitt in to the quarters as soon as he beat Del Potro. This will be a tough loss for whoever comes out on the wrong end--it's a winnable match for both.
Prediction: Stepanek in four.

COURT 3 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [8] 97 vs Nadia Petrova (RUS) [10] 112
What should be a good match on paper should go to the Banshee of Belarus relatively easily, I would think. Azarenka has been steamrolling her way through the competition, and though she's had some underwhelming losses on big stages, I like her chances of crushing Petrova.
Prediction: Azarenka in two.

2. Dudi Sela (ISR) 85 vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) [4] 96
Novak Djokovic, like his opposite number Dementieva, largely flew under the radar through the first week. After a tough first rounder vs. capable grass courter Julien Benneteau, Djokovic looked very special in fending off a popular upset special from Mardy Fish. Dudi Sela is a fun player who has had a fun tournament, but it's largely the result of a soft draw, and reality should crash in vs. Djokovic.
Prediction: Djokovic in three.

3. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 53 vs Gilles Simon (FRA) [8] 64
A rare battle of lightweights late at Wimbledon, this match is a test of Ferrero's fitness as much as anything. And with his lack of runs in recent majors, I have to think that Ferrero won't be nearly as fresh as his younger opponent. Could be an underwhelming end to a nice run for Ferrero.
Prediction: Simon in four.

COURT 4 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Igor Andreev (RUS) [29] 72 vs Tommy Haas (GER) [24] 73
I'm at a loss for how Igor Andreev's game has been able to hold up this well on grass. With his big windmill forehand, I can't imagine it's an easy transition for him to the faster surface. Tommy Haas, on the other hand, has been playing some of the most solid tennis of his career, and should match up very well against Andreev.
Prediction: Haas in three.

2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [9] 17 vs Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26
This is a tough match to get a read on. Wozniacki has had some strange losses at majors, making unseeded dreams come true so by crashing out to Dokic and Cirstea at the first two majors of the year. Lisicki has played some utterly fearless tennis so far, but she does it with a recklessness that makes me think the wheels will fall off without notice. So who knows.
Prediction: Lisicki in three.

COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [11] 49 vs Melanie Oudin (USA) 58
Melanie Oudin seems to feed off power and not deal very well with variety. Those two factors could conspire to make it a short day at the office for the perky American qualifier from Marietta, GA. Radwanska, for a player completely devoid of power, has had some very impressive grass results in her short career, including a quarterfinal at Wimbledon last year and the 2008 Eastbourne title.
Prediction: Radwanska in two.

2. Virginie Razzano (FRA) [26] 72 vs Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 74
A battle between two entertaining, scrappy players (if not necessarily cover girls), I go with Razzano, whose game seems more suited to grass than the quick yet relatively punchless Schiavone.
Prediction: Razzano in two.

It's Her Party And She'll Cry If She Wants To

Today, Svetlana Kuznetsova celebrated her 24th birthday. Svetlana marked the occasion by giving an enormous gift to her opponent Sabine Lisicki, crashing out of the third round by the score of 6-2, 7-5, and allowing the young German to make the second week of a major for the first time.

As she is wont to do, the recent French Open Champion Kuznetsova played horrendously uncontrolled tennis at Wimbledon, regularly hitting shots that landed at the bottom of the net or feet wide of the doubles alley.

Kuznetsova has now lost to a player ranked below her at each of the last four Wimbledons. Even more embarrassingly, the two-time major champion has only registered one career victory over a seed at Wimbledon, an embarrassing 1-5 record.

To put that statistic in perspective, it's worth notingh that American qualifier Melanie Oudin today doubled Kuznetsova's number of career wins vs. seeds at Wimbledon by beating the #6 seed, freefalling Serb Jelena Jankovic. Oudin is in just her first Wimbledon, and is ranked well outside the top 100. Kuznetsova has played in the main draw of Wimbledon seven times, is ranked #5, and has been ranked as high as #2.

None too impressive, to say the least.

Steady as She Goes

The top fifteen seeds on the Ladies' side have all successfully advanced to the third round. Nineteen of the top twenty have as well, with only the #16 seed Zheng Jie, who made the semifinals last year, crashing out before the round of 32.

In sharp contrast to the success of the top tier, only two of the women seeded in the #21-32 range won their first two matches, with all but Virginie Razzano and Sorana Cirstea.

All this consistancy at the top means that there is only one match between two unseeded players in the third round, which is pretty unheard of at a slam. That unseeded match-up is none too shabby, pitting former Wimbledon quarterfinalists (and doubles partners) Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama against one another, both players who prefer the grass

While it's made for a largely headlineless week (save #24 Maria Sharapova's exit receiving the attention of a major upset), the smooth sailing for the seeds means that more of the best players are still playing, which will hopefully make for the best possible rest of the tournament.

Navratilova Broken At Love

Reports came out today that Martina Navratilova's second ex-wife, Toni Layton, is suing the nine-time Wimbledon singles champion for millions of dollars in palimony. The suit, which seeks the return of property Layton alleges the couple had agreed to divide, was clearly timed around Wimbledon in order to cause maximum embarrassment for Navratilova, who is working the event as a commentator.

Classless though it may seem, this type of tactic is hardly unprecedented when it comes to the divorces of high-profile athletes. Perhaps the most notable precedent is from 2003, when Martin Brodeur's wife filed for divorce during the Eastern Conference Finals. Navratilova's case is slightly different from Brodeur's, however, since there are no allegations that she was committing adultery with her sister-in-law...