Szavay Szucceeds, Schnyder Schtumbles

Agnes Szavay lifted a trophy for the first time since late 2007 Sunday in Budapest, after defeating top seed Patty Schnyder 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the biggest title in her home country of Hungary.

Szavay seemed nervous throughout the first set and early in the second--understandable for someone playing her first final in over a year in front of family and friends. But she seemed to relax on time, and as the Hungarian crowd rallied around Szavay, Schnyder seemed to lose her spirit.

Szavay has quietly been having an excellent middle part of 2009 (except on her weakest surface, grass), and is definitely a name to keep an eye on during the US Open Series. She's played her best tennis on hard courts in hot weather, and there's no reason that the right draw couldn't see her match the success she had in Flushing Meadows in 2007.

Davis Cup QF: Checkers Over Stars & Stripes in Four

Croatia continued its surprising dominance of the United States Davis Cup team Sunday in Porec, Croatia, improving its record in ties against the Americans to 3-0. Not bad for a country with about the population of South Carolina.

Despite dropping the third set, Marin Cilic never looked out of command in his 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over James Blake. His movement was much better (no shock on clay), and his ability to hit casual winners at will was something Blake couldn't match despite clearly trying. Seeing Cilic win with ease makes me appreciate more what Mardy Fish did in hanging with the big Croat on Friday.

Cilic has been playing far better tennis of recent than Blake, so for Blake to beat him in Croatia on clay was too much to ask. Unlike beating Karlovic on clay, which was a personably doable assignment for Blake.

In fact, Blake actually exceeded expectations on Sunday by taking a set off Cilic. Because of the way he lost on Friday and the way he whined about the crowd afterwards, I didn't think he'd have a whole lot of fight left for Cilic. There probably isn't anyone with as much to prove on the US hard court swing as Blake, so hopefully winning three sets in Croatia gives him something of a boost.

Not that it means a whole lot, but kudos to Bob Bryan for winning his dead rubber in a third set tiebreak. It doesn't make a lot of sense for him to pursue singles at this stage in his career, but watching him play pretty solid tennis to beat Roko Karanusic makes me wonder what he could have achieved in singles had he kept at it.

I'll have more on what this loss means for the present and future of US Davis Cup tomorrow and who's to blame for this quarterfinal loss. Suffice it to say that there's plenty to go around.

Davis Cup QF: Defending Champs Through in Five Thanks to Old Man Ferrero

Spain moved one step closer to defending it Davis Cup title thanks to one of its older hombres. Juan Carlos Ferrero, fresh off his quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, defeated Andreas Beck 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to send Spain to a home semifinal vs. Israel in September. With this win in Marbella, Andalusia, Spain improved to an astonishing 16-0 in its last sixteen home Davis Cup ties. None too shabby.

Ferrero took over the singles slot for Tommy Robredo, another older Spaniard who was justifiably replaced after a lackluster showing on Friday.

Tough to see a guy like Philipp Kohlschreiber play so well--winning two singles matches for Germany--and still see his country come away with an "L". In a thrilling battle between Friday's winners, Kohlschreiber outlasted Fernando Verdasco 8-6 in the fifth. Would be interesting to see if Kohlschreiber would have made a difference in the doubles, which for my money is ultimately where this tie was won for Spain.

Should Nicholas Kiefer have played in place of Beck? Even though I presumed that was going to happen. I didn't get to see Kiefer play doubles on Saturday, though, so maybe he didn't look too sharp. Beck, though generally impressive on Friday, had to have been emotionally spent after blowing a 2-1 lead against Changing things up worked well for Spain and the Czech Republic, so maybe it could've for Germany as well.

Germany has to be pretty happy with the effort though. Pushing the defending champs to five matches on hostile turf (both in Spain and on clay) should mean they can go back to Deutschland with their heads held pretty high.

And for Spain to win this tie without the services of either Rafael Nadal or David Ferrer is even more impressive. Tough to see anyone stopping them from repeating.

Davis Cup QF: Stepanek Steps In, Czechs Win 3-2

As I had predicted before the tie even started (and again after Day 1, and then again after Day 2), Radek Stepanek proved to be the hero for the Czech Republic in the decisive fifth rubber, defeating Juan Monaco in straight sets, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2.

After Juan Martin del Potro ran roughshod over Tomas Berdych to level the quarterfinal at two-a-piece, Stepanek was picked to play the final singles match of the tie in place of presumed singles player Ivo Minar, who had played (poorly) in singles on Friday. His knee held up, much to the chagrin of bitter Argentine coach Tito Vazquez.

“We knew that Stepanek was going to be in good shape,” Vazquez said after the loss. “It proved he was not injured at all. You cannot run a lot [with a knee injury]."

Along with Juan Carlos Ferrero (more on him later), Stepanek was one of two players Sunday who won his singles match after not playing Friday. Singles debuts Sunday went 2-0. Players coming back to live rubbers on Sunday after having lost on Friday were 0-2 (Monaco and Blake). It shows how important some creativity in coaching can be to Davis Cup success.

Take note, PMac.

Ram Chews Up Grass, Sets Up First All-American ATP Final of 2009

When the singles draw for Newport came out, few predicted Rajeev Ram to make the final. For starters, Ram wasn't even in the draw. Ram, ranked a lowly #181 in the world, only got in after Mardy Fish was summoned to Croatia to fill in for Andy Roddick.

But he has certainly made the most of the opportunity, winning four matches to make his first ATP final, which came only a couple days after his first ATP semifinal and first ATP quarterfinal.

Not bad for a player who last week couldn't even make the quarterfinals of the Winnetka, Illinois challenger.

Not only did Ram reach an unlikely singles final, he's also made it to the doubles final as well, partnering Australia'sJordan Kerr for the first time.

Ram beat Olivier Rochus convincingly in the semifinal, by the score of 6-3, 6-4. Ram has only dropped one set in the tournament, to Jesse Levine in his quarterfinal. Ram has avoided facing an opponent inside the top 100 through his first four matches in the weak Newport draw, so it could be a rude awakening in the final.

Ram faces Sam Querrey in the final, who upset two-time defending champion Fabrice Santoro in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(2). Querrey's serve took away chances for Santoro to get any of his trademark magic started, and Querrey's one break was the only one of the match.

The Newport final is the first All-American final of 2009, and should be a good chance for Querrey to pick up his second career title.

Ram has to be happy with what he's already achieved, which is good because chances are slim he wins another match this week. All the same, a nice story for one of the many hundreds of players who work tirelessly on the lower circuits and don't come close to a chance like this too often in their lifetimes.

Hungarian Homegirl Hones In On Hoisting Hardware

Nice to see Agnes Szavay regaining the form some thought she'd never get back. The Hungarian made the finals of her home tournament in Budapest by trouncing Alona Bondarenko 6-1, 6-2 in front of an extremely partisan Magyar crowd. Combined with Wozniacki playing to near full crowd support in Sweden, there was an almost Davis Cup like atmosphere at the WTA events Saturday as well.

Szavay made herself known as a force to be reckoned with during the late part of 2007, coming within an injury of winning New Haven, making the quarterfinals of her first US Open, and winning a Tier II title in Beijing with a memorable comeback win over Jelena Jankovic.

She had a horrendous 2008 and early 2009, that saw her ranking fall from a career high of #13 down to #38. A win over the also-struggling Ana Ivanovic at Miami saw her regain some confidence, and led to other solid wins over Flavia Pennetta, Victoria Azarenka, and a major upset of Venus Williams at the French Open that included the 20-year old serving the seven-time slam champion a bagel set.

Szavay is set to face veteran Patty Schnyder in the final tomorrow. I like her chances in that match up a lot, and expect the Hungarian fans to rattle the easily perturbed Schnyder. Should be a good chance this weekend for women's tennis spectators to get in on the Davis Cup spirit tomorrow, and cheer their homegrown Hungarian #1 onto victory.

Davis Cup QF: All Three Hosts Go Into Sunday With 2-1 Lead

Aside from the Israeli's assured victory over Russia, there's a lot still hanging in the balance in these Davis Cup Quarterfinals, with the three remaining ties all at 2-1, with the home country having the advantage in each. A quick run down of what happened today and where it all stands going into the deciding matches Friday:

ARGENTINA @ CZECH REPUBLIC (CZECHS LEADS 2-1)
CEZ Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic (Indoor Hard)

Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (CZE) def. Jose Acasuso/Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3

Sunday's Expected Schedule:
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)*
Ivo Minar (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)*

A very easy win for the Czechs today, as the Argentines decided to rest their top players for Sunday's singles matches. Though Stepanek expressed some surprise at the switch after the match, it wasn't a bad decision at all. The risk, of course, is that the injured Radek Stepanek could be a last-minute sub for Ivo Minar. If Minar does indeed get the nod, look for Argentina to sweep on Sunday for the comeback win. If Stepanek feels well enough to play, look for the Czechs to make it into the semifinal.

USA @ CROATIA (CROATIA LEADS 2-1)
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)

Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) def. Roko Karanusic/Lovro Zovko 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Sunday's Expected Schedule:
Marin Cilic (CRO) v James Blake (USA)*
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Mardy Fish (USA)*

After Friday's singles matches proved a double marathon that lasted almost nine hours, the Bryan Brothers made things considerably more brief today, beating the Croatian reserve players in 68 minutes. I blinked and missed it. It was a long blink, to be fair. Croatian Captain Goran Prpic said before the tie that his strategy was to get three singles wins, and this match certainly showed that. While the Croatians had no chance against the Bryans, the inclusion of the doubles specialist twins gives the US significantly less flexibility on Sunday thanteams like Spain or Germany enjoy, as each of those teams brought four capable singles players.

I think Mardy Fish has a pretty good chance against Ivo Karlovic in the potential fifth match, but I don't think it will matter since James Blake hasn't much of a chance against Cilic. The Bryans said in their post-match interview that Blake was in great spirits today, but I have to think all the things that bothered him about the Croatian crowd on Friday will haunt him again tomorrow.

GERMANY @ SPAIN (SPAIN LEADS 2-1)
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus, Marbella (Outdoor Clay)

Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def Nicolas Kiefer/Mischa Zverev (GER)* 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-7(6), 6-3

Sunday's Expected Schedule:
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)*
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andreas Beck (GER)*

A nice if predictable win for the Spanish pair against two pretty solid players in Kiefer and Zverev. Germany probably needed to get a win in the doubles to have a shot, as I don't see Andreas Beck being able to beat Tommy Robredo's steady level of play. If the Germans pull a surprise and put in a somewhat gimpy Kiefer for the fifth rubber, it could make things more interesting.

With the tie in Tel Aviv now largely irrelevant, a nice later start on Sunday, with all three ties now in the Central European time zone. Any extra time to sleep is always appreciated.

Davis Cup QF: Israel Finishes Stunning Beatdown of Russia

The Israeli Davis Cup team, previously best known for playing in an empty arena in Sweden, advanced to its first ever Davis Cup semifinal by sweeping 2006 Davis Cup champion Russia 3-0. The Russians may pick up a dead rubber or two tomorrow, but in the competitive matches they were completely shut out by the underdog Israelis.

The reunited team of Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram survived a determined comeback effort powered by Marat Safin and partner Igor Kunitsyn, winning the doubles rubber 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4 in front of a raucous home crowd in Tel Aviv.

The way Israel shut out Russia makes this easily one of the most shocking upsets in all of sport for 2009. Israel was relegated outside of the World Group (the main division of sixteen countries who compete for the Davis Cup in a given year) as recently as 2007. Israel boasts only one player ranked within the top 200. Russia has eight players in the top 100, including three ranked higher than the highest-ranked Israeli, Dudi Sela. Only one of those three players ranked above Sela, Igor Andreev, decided to play for Russia in this quarterfinal.

The Russian Davis Cup team made back to back finals in 2006 and 2007, and had not lost before the semifinals since 2004. This loss comes at a time when a Russian man has only made one slam semifinal in the last seven slams (Safin, Wimbledon 2008), and when no Russian man has made a slam final since 2005 (Safin, Australian Open). Safin, the last Russian player to flirt with greatness at the highest levels and their perennial Davis Cup workhorse, is set to retire at the end of the year.

So where does his departure leave Russian men's tennis? Not in a good place, for now. Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov, and Igor Andreev have all presumably peaked. The only young up-and-comer to speak of, Igor Kunitsyn, has showed glimmers of potential in recent years, but lacks the power to ever be a serious contender in the second week of a slam.

Things aren't all bad for the sport in Mother Russia, obviously, as four of the top seven female players in the WTA rankings are Russians. A Russian complaining about their lack of men's tennis success would results would be like a Pittsburgher bemoaning the Pirates not matching the championships of the Steelers and Penguins. Hard to work up too much sympathy.

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

Just as Svetlana Kuznetsova did exactly two weeks ago at Wimbledon, Dane Caroline Wozniacki suffered a disappointing loss on her birthday Saturday.

The top-seeded Wozniacki, who turned 19 today, dropped the final of the Swedish Open in Bastad to unseeded Spaniard Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez 7-5, 6-4. It was Martinez's second title of the year (and of her career), with her first coming on the clay courts of Bogota back in February.

Swedes and Danes are extremely close both geographically and culturally, and since there is no WTA event in Denmark this is as close to a home tournament as Wozniacki has. Bastad is only about thirty miles of water away from Denmark, so she had plenty of crowd support from visiting Danes as well as Swedes rooting for a Scandinavian champion.

Wozniacki's loss was disappointing, to be certain, but hardly one to be ashamed of. Martinez Sanchez played phenomenal singles and doubles all this week, using an impressively varied arsenal of slices, lobs, and drop-shots to throw the World #9 Wozniacki off of her baseline-hugging, punching style.

Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez has been the least talked about breakout players of 2009, most likely because her name takes so long to say that it precludes easy conversation. Sanchez Martinez, a rare late bloomer in tennis, will break into the top 40 on Monday for the first time in her career at the ripe old age of 26, after turning pro back in 1996. Sanchez Martinez's ranking has moved up almost fifty spots already this year, and could keep climbing into grand slam seed territory if she keeps up her form the second half of the year.

Martinez Sanchez is the rare Spanish player who is comfortable coming to net, and does so on clay perhaps more than any WTA player. Her aggressive style and deep ground strokes have given even the top players trouble, as she managed to win sets off both Dinara Safina and Serena Williams earlier this year. As evidenced by her two titles and a quarterfinal in Rome, clay is her best surface. She's done well on grass in years past as well, so a strong stint on the fast US hard courts is hardly out of the question.

If you're looking for a dark horse few have heard of to make a nice run at this year's US Open, she's your girl.

Fabrice Santoro Still Has Some Tricks Up His Sleeve

Two-time Newport defending champion and second seed Fabrice Santoro still knows how to saw the rain-soaked Newport draw in half.

The aging French player known as "The Magician" used his trade mark slicing angles and trick shots--as well as his underrated endurance--to win two back-to-back matches on Friday in Rhode Island. He won both his third round and quarterfinal matches in straight (though long) sets, over Taylor Dent and Nicholas Mahut, respectively. Dent and Mahut are both players who play their best tennis on the grass, so it's an impressive pair of victories in what is largely a soft Newport field.

Santoro, who will retire at the end of this season at the age of 37, was the highest ranked player (#34) left in the draw after top-seed Mardy Fish pulled out to fill in for Andy Roddick in Croatia. Santoro will face the second highest seed remaining in the semifinal, #3 American Sam Querrey.

While the bottom half of the draw is set to produce a decidedly impressive finalist, Fish's withdrawal has left the top half in shambles. #120 Olivier Rochus will face #181 Rajeev Ram in a semifinal that boasts a mean ranking outside the top 150.

.

I'm guessing tickets may still be available.

Davis Cup QF: After 10 Sets, Croatia 2 - USA 0

USA @ CROATIA (CROATIA LEADS 2-0)
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def James Blake (USA) 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5
Marin Cilic (CRO) def Mardy Fish (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1, 8-6

Croatia continued its dominance of the United States in Davis Cup into 2009, winning both matches on Friday in five sets.

The heartbreaking losses for the US both featured decidedly crappy play on both sides of the net, with no player able to sustain any sort of form. While the clay surface was picked by Croatia to disadvantage the Americans, it proved to be a much smaller factor than expected, as neither Croatian looked particularly sharp on the shifty red stuff, either. Cilic and and Karlovic both broke for the wins at the end of long fifth sets, benefitting from mental exhaustion on the parts of the Americans as much as anything.

Blake looked sharp early on, but the pressure of returning Karlovic's serve for hours on end eventually wore him down, as did a hostile crowd he would later call "disrespectful." Karlovic, the only player in action this weekend in Davis Cup to have reached the quarterfinals or better at Wimbledon, celebrated his victory with a few choice spanking gestures before meeting Blake at the net for the handshake. It wasn't entirely clear what Blake had the 6'10'' Karlovic bend down to hear during their post-match summit at the umpire's chair, but it was clear from Karlovic's expression that it wasn't hearty congratulations...

Mardy Fish appeared to be a game opponent for Marin Cilic several times during their match, but ultimately seemed to lose focus in his first Davis Cup action in some time. Cilic was surprisingly unimpressive, but his B-game was enough to beat Mardy's B+.

For both Blake and Fish, this was their second back to back five set loss, counting the loss the pair suffered in the Wimbledon semifinals of men's doubles. It would be near impossible for these crushing defeats not to take a toll on them that will have an effect into Sunday's matches.

Croatian Captain Goran Prpic all but conceded Saturday's doubles tie, so the Americans should head into Sunday with at least a glimmer of hope.

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.