Day 7 of the Australian Open

Damn you, Andy Roddick!!! Stealing the hopes I had for you to be eliminated.  Maybe I should blame the "cheating Chilean" Fernando Gonzalez for just falling apart at the end of the 4th set, and mailing in the 5th set.  When it was all said and done in the early morning of Melbourne, Australia, Roddick had a 5 set victory over Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Roddick will now face my upset special pick Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals.  Cilic the #14 seed from Croatia needed 5 sets to knock out the #4 seeded Juan Martin Del Potro.  Del Potro wasn't his normal self, due to a wrist injury and I'm sure that contributed to his not-so-spectacular Aussie Open.  But Cilic deserves a ton of credit for getting the win. 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.  Hopefully Cilic's streak continues in a win over Roddick.

Andy Murray started off a little slow against John Isner, needing to win the first set in a tiebreaker.  After that first set Murray started to get the timing and tendencies of Isner figured out and cruised to a straight set win. 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal had the tough challenge of facing "Dr. Ivo" Ivo Karlovic's serve.  Rafa managed to break Dr. Ivo 3 times throughout the match in his victory, but Karlovic did manage to take a set off Nadal.  6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4  Nadal will now face Murray in a very intriguing quarterfinal.

In a battle between Belgians, Justine Henin outlasted the up and comer Yanina Wickmayer in a tough 3 set match.7-6, 1-6, 6-3... Next up for the former #1 Henin will be Nadia Petrova who continues on taking out some of the favorites.  Just a couple days ago it was Kim Clijsters getting a beatdown from Petrova.  This time it was Svetlana Kuznetsova.  Petrova showed a solid all around game in beating her fellow Russian. 6-3, 3-6, 6-1... Jie Zheng put the last nails into my Australian Open womens bracket when she beat Alona Bondarenko, who I had taken to advance to the semifinals.  Thanks, Jie for taking out "Flying Bondarenko Sister" Alona in straight sets. 7-6, 6-4.... Zheng will now face another player who is on a roll, Maria Kirilenko.  Kirilenko benefited from an unfortunate injury that Dinara Safina had sustained months ago.  Safina's back was a problem once again.  She was unable to run and move on the court from spasms and it locking up on her.  She tearfully had to retire with Kirilenko leading 5-4 in the first set.

Day 8 preview:

Rod Laver Arena

The first match of the day on Rod Laver Arena will be between the #6 seeded American, Venus Williams and the #17 seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy.  SCHIAVONE WITH THE UPSET!! on this one.

The following match will be a good one with Fernando Verdasco and Nikolay Davydenko facing off.  Davydenko is on a hot streak, and its been over a year since Verdasco has defeated anyone in the top 10.  With them two factors I look forward to a Davydenko victory in 4 sets.

The final day match at Rod Laver Arena will be Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur.  I really don't see how Stosur can pull the upset.  Unfortunately Serena advances in straight sets.

In the first night match of the evening session Roger Federer gets to go against Lleyton Hewitt, and pretty much all of Australia who will be in his corner.  It will take more than that to stop "Fed"  I like Federer in straight sets.  Well maybe, just maybe Hewitt can steal a set.

The final match of the day will be a tough match to call between Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva.  Both women are playing well, and both are volatile and subject to complete meltdowns.  Then there is the factor that Azarenka's former coach is now Zvonareva's coach.  This match is a coin flip, but I will have to slightly favor Azarenka winning this in a tough 3 setter.

Hisense Arena.

The first singles match of the day at Hisense Arena will showcase #4 seed Caroline Wozniacki and #16 seed Na Li, who has been looking impressive this first week.  Wozniacki will be tested by Li, but will come out the winner in a struggling 3 sets.

The following match will have the #3 seed Novak Djokovic and Lukasz Kubot of Poland.  The only way Kubot can advance is if he is given the gift of a walkover, like Mikhail Youzhny handed to him.  Djokovic will steamroll Kubot in straights.

And the last match on Hisense will be the charasmatic #10 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Almagro.  Like the Djokovic match, I don't really see how the underdog Almagro has a shot in this one.  Tsonga should take this one in straight sets as well.

ESPN still sucks.