Preview and Picks for matches on Friday, April 30, 2010

This is the quarterfinal round in Rome

(unseeded) Ernests Gulbis  vs.  (unseeded) Feliciano Lopez

Gulbis or Lopez?  Gulbis or Lopez?  This is even. These are basically two guys who have played below their abilities the last year and a half.  Gulbis is finally tapping into his potential this tournament, but Lopez is rested after getting a walkover win over Ljubicic.  Lopez, a Spaniard who plays well on clay.  Gulbis has been getting publicity with his win over Federer a couple days ago, and seems to be everyones darkhorse for not only this tournament but upcoming ones as well.  I'm not sold on him yet.  Lopez has a few tricks up his sleeve and will win this match.

Pick - Lopez

RESULT:  Ernests Gulbis 7-6, 6-1.

(#3 seed) Rafael Nadal  vs.  (unseeded) Stanislas Wawrinka

Wawrinka is a good player, but not good enough to stop the buzzsaw that is Nadal on clay.  Nadal cruises to a routine straight set win.

Pick - Nadal

RESULT:  Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1.

(#7 seed) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  vs.  (#13 seed) David Ferrer

Tsonga has been consistently doing well on the clay this year.  He's staying healthy for long periods of time for the first time in his career.  On any other surface I'd have to favor Tsonga in this matchup, but Ferrer's form is on right now.  Like I said before he is probably the 2nd best player on clay right now behind Nadal.  Ferrer to pull a mild upset in 3 sets.

Pick - Ferrer

RESULT:  David Ferrer 6-4, 6-1.

(#6 seed) Fernando Verdasco  vs.  (#2 seed) Novak Djokovic

Verdasco has been playing a ton of tennis the last month.  He hasn't really had a break.  He should be starting to wear down from playing so many matches on the greuling clay, where every point is a grind.  Djokovic is rested and seems to be figuring out the flaws in his game that had him struggling a few weeks ago.  Djokovic will outlast a tired Verdasco in this one.

Pick - Djokovic

RESULT:  Fernando Verdasco 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.

The WTA Premier Event in Stuttgart, Germany is also into the quarterfinal round

(unseeded) Lucie Safarova  vs.  (unseeded) Anna Lapushchenkova

You can thank these ladies for not having a Caroline Wozniacki-Victoria Azarenka quarterfinal.  These two unheralded players took out the heavy favorites in the last round.  I'm still not that familiar with Lapushchenkova's game.  She is a qualifier who is having a dream tournament this week.  Safarova has more experience, and just as much hunger to win.  Safarova will be too much for Lapushchenkova.  Plus I'm sick of typing "Lapushchenkova"

Pick - Safarova

RESULT:  Anna Lapushchenkova 7-6, 1-6, 6-1.

(unseeded) Na Li  vs.  (#7 seeded) Samantha Stosur

The Chinese normally don't do very well on the clay, and add that up with Sam Stosur who has been playing excellent tennis on the dirt surface and you equal a long day for Na Li.  Stosur should win this one without much trouble.

Pick - Stosur

RESULT:  Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-3.

(unseeded) Justine Henin  vs.  (#4 seed) Jelena Jankovic

Without a doubt this is the match of the day in Stuttgart.  Henin seems motivated and Jankovic is well Jankovic.  Not the most mentally tough player around.  Henin will keep the defensive Serb on the run and will have too many weapons for Jankovic to win. 

Pick - Henin

RESULT:  Justine Henin  3-6, 7-6, 6-3.

(unseeded) Shahar Peer  vs.  (#2 seed) Dinara Safina

In her first match back from injury Safina fell behind early and was able to claw out of a early deficit to win a tough 3-setter against Agnes Szavay.  I still question her match rust and both her physical and mental toughness.  Szavay gave Safina a tough match, and Peer is a better player at this moment than Szavay.  Peer is rested after having the day off on Thursday.  I'm not sold on Dinara being back, so I have to go with Peer on this one.

Pick - Peer

RESULT:  Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-2.

These are the semifinal matchups for the WTA tournament in Fes, Morocco

(unseeded) Alize Cornet  vs.  (#7 seed) Iveta Benesova

Cornet has played like dogshit the last year, and this tournament is the first time she won 3 matches in a row in over a year.  Benesova is the higher seeded player and has been playing a little more consistent.  Maybe Cornet is reviving her game that took her to #11 in the world, and is ready for a good run....yeah, I doubt it.

Pick - Benesova

RESULT:  Iveta Benesova 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

(unseeded) Renata Voracova  vs.  (unseeded) Simona Halep

This is Halep's first ever WTA semifinal, so I'm sure the nerves will be there when she takes the court over Voracova who is having a nice tournament so far.  She has taken out both the #4 and #5 seeds this week, and will probably ride that wave of momentum to the final.

Pick - Voracova

RESULT:  Simona Halep 7-5, 6-4.

Wimbledon: NO FOOTBALL WATCHING ALLOWED!!

Wimbledon club officials will be banning the showing of any World Cup football/soccer games on its premesis, in order to not distract from any of the tennis being played.

Tim Phillips the head of Wimbledon had this to say:  “This is a tennis tournament. If you want to watch the World Cup, you can go to South Africa or watch it on television."

The heads of Wimbledon also noted that all of the big screens on the grounds will show tennis only.  So the people on "Henman Hill" will not be able to catch any soccer action.

Wimbledon will be taking place during the all important first round, group play of the World Cup.  At this point the officials are standing firm on their "No football" stand.  "There is no plan to show football. We are not ever going to say never on any subject because we have to make a judgment on the day, but it would not be right for people to be led to believe they can come here to watch a bit of tennis and then watch the World Cup on the big screen," said an official.

“That is not going to happen. This is arguably the leading tennis tournament in the world and you come here to watch tennis.”

Preview and Predictions for matches on Thursday, April 29.

The Internazionali BNL D'Italia in Rome, Italy has now reached the round of 16.

(unseeded) Ernests Gulbis  vs.  (unseeded) Fillippo Volandri

Gulbis is coming off two impressive wins so far this week.  In the first round he took out Marcos Baghdatis, and in the second round he topped that victory with probably his biggest win of his career when he defeated #1 player in the world Roger Federer.  Gulbis has to be on an all time high right now.  Feeling even better than when he got busted with that Swedish hooker last year... Filippo Volandri got into this tournament as a wild card.  He beat qualifier Peter Luczak and Julien Benneteau to get to the 3rd round.  Gulbis is riding a wave of momentem and is too talented to lose to this guy.  Volandri doesn't have much of a chance.

Pick -  Gulbis

RESULT:  Ernests Gulbis 6-2, 3-6, 7-6

(#11 seed) Ivan Ljubicic  vs.  (unseeded) Feliciano Lopez

On paper this looks like a win for Ljubicic, well the match will not be played on paper but on the red clay instead.  Ljubicic had a nice victory a few weeks back on the hardcourts, but this is clay and Lopez who is from Spain seems to be at home on this surface, just like many of his other countrymen.  Lopez pulled out a tough one against Marin Cilic to be able to face Ljubicic.  I think Lopez will be too much for the veteran Ljubicic who will wear down and lose a 3 setter.

Pick - Lopez

RESULT:  Feliciano Lopez 0-0 (retired)  I guess the old man had a hard time getting out of bed.

(#3 seed) Rafael Nadal  vs.  (unseeded) Victor Hanescu

Hanescu doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of beating Nadal in this one.  This is Tiger Woods standing over a quarter of an inch putt.  Too easy, a gimme.

Pick - Nadal

RESULT:  Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2.

(unseeded) Stanislas Wawrinka  vs.  (#5) Robin Soderling

Intriguing matchup here.  Soderling is coming around to the clay form of last year that put him in the French Open final.  Wawrinka is a solid vet who will battle and give almost anyone a tough time.  This is a tough match to call, but I'm going to take Soderling to win a close 3 setter.

Pick - Soderling

RESULT:  Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-2.

(#7 seed) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  vs.  (unseeded) Santiago Giraldo

I don't know a whole lot about Santiago Giraldo.  I do know that he is a clay court specialist who beat Juan Carlos Ferrero who was on a hot streak easily in the first round.  Giraldo is comfortable and does his best work on the clay, but that won't be enough to beat Tsonga.  Tsonga will keep him off balance with his big serve and tough net game.  Tsonga will win this one in straight sets.

Pick - Tsonga

RESULT:  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4.

(#13 seed) David Ferrer  vs.  (#4 seed Andy Murray)

This is the match of the day.  Murray has admitted to a lack of confidence in his game of late, and finally broke a losing streak a couple days ago when he beat Andreas Seppi...David Ferrer has been the 2nd best player behind Nadal this clay court season.  He has a win, reached a final, and was a semifinalist so far on the clay.  Murray's head isn't quite right yet, and playing someone like Ferrer isn't going to help.  Daveeeeeed to pull the upset.

Pick - Ferrer

RESULT:  David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4.

(#6 seed) Fernando Verdasco  vs.  (unseeded) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

Garcia-Lopez has been sneaking up and upsetting a lot of players in the last few weeks.  The guy isn't well known, and is just thriving on the clay so far.  He won't be able to fool Verdasco.  Verdasco is coming off a tournament title last week, and has been playing great tennis on the clay.  The only chance Garcia-Lopez has is if Verdasco is wearing down from playing so much in the last couple weeks.  I think Verdasco will win this one, but Garcia-Lopez will give him a scare.

Pick - Verdasco

RESULT:  Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-6

(unseeded) Thomaz Bellucci  vs.  (#2 seed) Novak Djokovic

Bellucci is a solid clay court player from Brazil, but he doesn't have the game to really challenge Djokovic.  Look for a 6-2, 6-4ish victory for the Serb.

Pick - Djokovic

RESULT:  Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4.

The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart Germany is also in the round of 16.  Only 6 matches left to be played., Na Li and Shahar Peer have already advanced to the quarterfinals with upset victories.

(#1 seed) Caroline Wozniacki  vs.  (unseeded) Lucie Safarova

This is Wozniacki's first match since rolling her ankle a couple weeks ago in Charleston.  The bad news is it might still be tender and hamper her movement.  Or possibly she might not be mentally ready to try to slide around on it in fear of hurting it again.  The good news is even on a gimpy ankle Safarova doesn't have much of a chance of winning this one.

Pick - Wozniacki

RESULT:  Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-4.

(unseeded) Anna Lapushchenkova  vs.  (#6 seed)  Victoria Azarenka

Who the hell is Anna Lapushchenkova?  I have no clue.  Victoria Azarenka will lay out a beatdown in this one.

Pick - Azarenka

RESULT:  Anna Lapuschchenkova 6-3, 6-3.

(unseeded) Alexandra Dulgheru  vs.  (#7 seed) Samantha Stosur

Stosur has been playing great on clay lately.  Dulgheru won't even be much of a challenge for the surging Aussie.  Stosur in straight sets.

Pick - Stosur

RESULT:  Samantha Stosur 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

(#8 seed) Yanina Wickmayer  vs.  (unseeded) Justine Henin

Fellow Belgian Fed Cup team member meeting in the match of the day in Stuttgart.  Wickmayer's coach/dad isn't much of a fan of Henin, and that adds to the intrigue of this match.  Henin before her retirement was far and away the best clay court womens player in the world.  She is still rusty, but is playing better.  Another thing to look for is how the broken finger is affecting Henin's game.  Henin has some question marks surrounding her, but she still has more talent than Wickmayer, and with a little motivation from Wickmayer's dad to push her, Henin will win this one.

Pick - Henin

RESULT:  Justine Henin 6-3, 7-5.

(unseeded) Tsvetana Pironkova  vs.  (#4 seed) Jelena Jankovic

Pironkova will push Jankovic to three sets, but Jankovic will grit out a tough win.

Pick - Jankovic

RESULT:  Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-2.

(unseeded) Agnes Szavay  vs.  (#2 seed) Dinara Safina

Safina is finally back playing after being out for 3 months with a back injury.  Safina wasn't playing all that well in Australia, and 3 months of match rust is tough to shake off.  This totally points to a Szavay upset. 

Pick - Szavay

RESULT:  Dinara Safina 7-6, 3-6, 6-0.

These matches will be the quarterfinals of the Fes, Morocco WTA tournament.

(unseeded) Anne Keothavong  vs.  (unseeded) Alize Cornet

Anne Keothavong benefitted from Carla Suarez Navarro's ankle injury in the 2nd round.  Now she must face the former #11 ranked player in the world Alize Cornet.  Cornet has been playing like garbage the last year or so.  She has won back-to-back matches only 3 times in the last year.  So can she make it 3 in a row?  I think she can, but it won't be easy. 

Pick - Cornet

RESULT:  Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-2.

(unseeded) Laura Pous Tio  vs.  (#7 seed) Iveta Benesova

I know little to nothing about Pous Tio.  I do know she is Spanish and seems to play well on clay, since the last few weeks of the clay season are the only time I have ever heard of her.  Benesova is the #7 seed, so I'll play it safe and stick with her.  I wouldn't be shocked to see a Pous Tio upset either.  Its a flip of a coin.

Pick - Benesova

RESULT:  Iveta Benesova 2-6, 6-1, 6-0.

(#5 seed) Angelique Kerber  vs.  (unseeded) Renata Voracova

Voracova will take out the #5 seed Kerber in this one.  Why? you ask.  I'm not sure.  Its a hunch.

Pick - Voracova

RESULT:  Renata Voracova 7-5, 6-2.

(unseeded) Simona Halep  vs.  (#2 seed) Patty Schnyder

All I know about Halep is that she had a breast reduction to help her play better, and that she seems to be good on clay.  Patty Schnyder is in the twilight of her career.  The one time top 15 player just doesn't play like she used to.  Halep will take out the vet to advance to the semifinals.

Pick - Halep

RESULT:  Simona Halep 6-2, 7-6.

"Worst Player" loses lawsuit.

(this article is from tennis.com, I pretty much stole it and thought I would give them credit for it, which I am trying to do with this rambling confession.)


Britain’s Daily Telegraph reports that it has won a lawsuit filed against the paper by British player Robert Dee, in which the Daily Telegraph and numerous other publications once described Dee as the “worst professional tennis player in the world.”


Dee, who lost a record-setting 54 consecutive matches on the Futures circuit, took legal action against dozens of newspapers and websites to defend his reputation. He has reportedly won thousands of pounds in settlements.

Instead of settling, the Daily Telegraph challenged the suit, and a High Court ruled: “The incontestably true facts are that the Claimant [Robert Dee] did lose 54 matches in a row in straight sets in his first three years on the world ranking ITF/ATP tournaments on the international professional tennis circuit, and that this was the worst ever run…There was no additional obligation on the paper to prove that Dee is objectively the worst professional tennis player in the world, in terms of his playing skills…it was simply a consequence of his unprecedented record of defeats.”

Man, this guy makes chumps like Robert Kendrick, Wayne Odesnik, Taylor Dent, and Scoville Jenkins look like absolute studs.

Rome, Stuttgart, and Fes previews.

The Internazionali BNL D'Italia is a ATP Masters Series event in Rome, Italy.  Last year Rafael Nadal won this event, and the winner this year will take home a check worth 434,000 Euros.

Top 8 Seeded Players:

1. Roger Federer (#1 world ranking)

2. Novak Djokovic (#2)

3. Rafael Nadal (#3)

4. Andy Murray (#5)

5. Robin Soderling (#8)

6. Fernando Verdsaco (#9)

7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (#10)

8. Marin Cilic (#11)

Other notables in the field:

Mikhail Youzhny, Tomas Berdych, Ivan Ljubicic, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Juan Monaco, Marcos Baghdatis, Ernests Gulbis, and many of the other top players.

Looking at the draw, Roger Federer and Rafael are on the same side and would possibly meet in the semifinals.  Look for Roger to be taken out early if Rafa is back playing like he has been the last month.  Federer will avoid a clay matchup with Nadal if possible.  Its just how he rolls.  He either doesn't want to show his hand before the French Open, or he doesn't want to risk getting smashed and ruining his confidence.  Look for Nadal to beat Djokovic in the final.

In Stuttgart, Germany the Porsche Grand Prix, a WTA Premier event is being played.  Last years winner Svetlana Kuznetsova is back to defend her title and attempt to win this years prize of $107,000 and a new porsche.

Top 4 seeded players:

1. Caroline Wozniacki (#2 world ranked)

2. Dinara Safina (#3)

3. Svetlana Kuznetsova (#5)

4. Jelena Jankovic (#4)

other notables in the field:  Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur, Yanina Wickmayer, Flavia Pennetta, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic, Marion Bartoli, and Shahar Peer.

Caroline Wozniacki is back after twisting her ankle a couple weeks ago.  Also Dinara Safina is returning for the first time since the Australian Open after struggling with an injured back.  Henin is also playing with a broken finger on her left hand.  The finger shouldn't hurt Henin's chances of winning this tournament, because its her off hand and not her racquet hand.  The top half of the draw is stacked with Kuznetsova, Azarenka, Stosur, and Wozniacki lurking.  The bottom half is a bit easier with a rusty Safina, Radwanska, Jankovic, Henin and Wickmayer.   I like a Stosur-Henin final with Henin winning.

In Fes, Morocco is the Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, a WTA tournament being played on red clay.  Most of the top players are at the Premier event in Stuttgart, this is a smaller tournament for some of the lower ranked players.

Top 4 seeded players:

1. Carla Suarez Navarro (#40 world ranking)

2. Patty Schnyder (#47)

3. Anabel Medina Garrigues (#48)

4. Melinda Czink (#51)

Other notables in the field:

Angelique Kerber, Petra Martic, Iveta Benesova, Alize Cornet, and the breast reduced Simona Halep.

Midland jobbers in the field: 

Anne Keothavong, Katie O'Brien, and Lucie Hradecka.

This tournament is wide open.  All these players are equally good, or equally inept.  Its all in how you perceive it.  Both would probably be acceptable.  Anabel Medina Garrigues won this event last year and will definetly be a factor this year.  If I had to put money on this one I'd place it on Carla Suarez Navarro.  Navarro has been playing well of late, and excels on clay.  Its hard to overlook that.

Boo-Boo bug bites Belgians. (say that 5 times fast)

The Boo-boo bug bit the Belgian Fed Cup team this weekend.  Justine Henin was unable to compete like anticipated, because she broke a finger in practice trying to catch a ball instead of hitting a volley.  Luckily for her the finger is on her left hand so it shouldn't affect her for a long period of time.  “A similar fracture to my right hand would have kept me off the courts for several weeks,” said four-time French Open champion Henin.

The more major injury was when during her match against Maret Ani, Kim Clijsters tore a muscle in her left foot.  This injury will put Clijsters on the sidelines for 4-6 weeks.  Physio, Sam Verslegers said that she "might" be back for the French Open which starts in 4 weeks. 

“We saw a lot of fluids around the muscle, and the doctor said it had a small rupture in it,” he said. “We’re going to try and recover properly, which means not trying to speed things up, because if her injury gets chronic, then we’ve got a real problem. We’ll go easy with the rehab and then see how long it takes."

#1 Womens Doubles team split up.

The #1 ranked womens doubles team, Cara Black and Liezel Huber have broken up.  Sounds like a love story, maybe it is?  Huber in her USTA blog that the pair were no longer playing together as a team.  She also announced she will be playing with an assortment of different players in upcoming tournaments.  Some of her future partners will be Jelena Jankovic, Nadia Petrova, and possibly fellow Americans, Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.... Black will be partnering with Shahar Peer in her next tournament.

The team of Black and Huber combined to win 28 titles, and 4 Grand Slam titles.

“It was not an easy decision,” Huber said. “We have had a great partnership. We both want to be better players and right now it is best for us to just take a little break. We might get back together and we might not….I am just going to work hard and pick up partners as I go along. That is another challenge in life but I am going to enjoy and embrace the challenge. Fortunately I am healthy so I think it will be okay. I have spoken to Melanie about playing some of the American hardcourt tournaments but it is a question of ranking and getting into the tournaments. I am open to any possibility."

Italy and United States advance to Fed Cup Final

 

I'm going to take a second to "toot my own horn".  In my previous post I predicted that Italy would win in a dominating way, calling for either a 5-0 or possibly a 4-1 victory.  Well the Italians dominated a Czech Republic team that came into the matchup outgunned.  Italy was all over the Czech's and cruised to a easy 5-0 win.  The defending champions will now face the United States in the final.

The United States "lucked out", when the Russians sent a inferior team to their matchup in Birmingham, Alabama.  Before the matches got underway, I predicted that the Americans would lose their singles matches to Elena Dementieva, but win the remaining 3 to advance to the final.  Well that is exactly what happened.  Dementieva did her part in the singles, but her teammates couldn't give her any help.  Could you imagine what would of happened if Russia would of sent a team with any other Russians like Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina, or even Maria Kirilenko?  Oudin, Mattek-Sands and the bunch would of been at the wrong end of a beat down.  Its a shame the best of the best aren't always willing to play Fed Cup.  It would be fun, and interesting to see who would come out on top.  The Italians do that, they send their best to Fed Cup, and the women players WANT to play, unlike almost all of the other countries.

So unless the U.S. can convince Serena, Venus, or both of them to play, the Italians should cruise to another Fed Cup championship.

Verdasco tops Soderling for Barcelona title.

Fernando Verdasco won his 2nd title of the season today, beating Robin Soderling 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the final of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in Barcelona, Spain.

This is a good homecoming for the Spaniard who has been playing well on the clay heading to the French Open which begins in only a few weeks.

"I have been training here since I was 15 or 16 years old so it's always a very special tournament and winning here is an incredible feeling," said Verdasco, who only decided to play on a wild card at the last minute. "I wasn't planning to play here and I won the tournament so imagine how I feel - amazing."

"I hope Rafa is not here again next year so I can win again," he joked, before he and Soderling sprayed the ball boys and girls and each other with champagne.

Really, who sprays underage kids with champagne?  Sounds like a R. Kelly video to me.

Verdasco on the left, Soderling on the right.

Barcelona Mens Final preview.

Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling, on Sunday will meet in the final of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in Barcelona, Spain.

(#5 seed) Fernando Verdasco  vs.  (#2) Robin Soderling

Verdasco will be playing in front of his fans in his home country, but will be very fatigued after battling fellow Spaniard, David Ferrer in the semifinals.  Soderling with his big forehand has been rolling over his opponents.  This is a tough match to predict.  Verdasco at times seems he would rather be a model, than concentrate on tennis, while Soderling does not want to be a model, but has struggled with injuries.  Has the long week on clay aggravated Soderling's bothersome knee?  Will Verdasco come into the final focused on winning?  With this match being in Spain, I believe Verdasco will be ready to grind out a win.  I like a close victory by Verdasco in straight sets 6-4, 7-6.

Pick - Verdasco

RESULT:  Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Fed Cup Preview and Updates.

The Fed Cup semifinals are this weekend, with Italy and the Czech Republic are battling for one spot in the finals, along with Russia and the United States fighting for the other spot.

Team Italy

Flavia Pennetta  (#15 World Ranking)

Francesca Schiavone  (#17)

Sara Errani  (#36)

Roberta Vinci  (#58)

Team Czech Republic

Lucie Safarova  (#38 World Ranking)

Petra Kvitova  (#60)

Lucie Hradecka  (#74)

Kveta Peschke  (#17 world ranking in doubles)

Schedule:

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Flavia Pennetta (ITA)  vs.  Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

RESULT:  Flavia Pennetta (ITA)  6-4, 7-5.

Francesca Schiavone (ITA)  vs.  Lucie Safarova (CZE)

RESULT:  Francesca Schiavone 6-0, 6-2.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Flavia Pennetta (ITA)  vs.  Petra Kvitova (CZE)

RESULT:  Flavia Pennetta 7-6, 6-2   ***** Italy clinches matchup

Sara Errani (ITA)  vs.  Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

RESULT:  Sara Errani 6-4, 6-2.

Sara Errani and Francesca Schiavone (ITA)  vs.  Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke (CZE)

RESULT:  Sara Errani and Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-4.

The Italians are the defending champions and are playing at home in Rome, Italy.  Team Italy is a close knit group who take pride in playing Fed Cup and on paper have the better team of higher ranked women.  I don't see how the Czech Republic has a chance to win and advance to the finals.  Italy will either sweep this 5-0, or with a convincing 4-1 win.

The 2nd semifinal matchup is Russia vs. The United States in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.

Team United States:

Melanie Oudin (#31 in World Rankings)

Bethanie Mattek-Sands  (#129)

Liezel Huber  (#1 world ranking in doubles) 

Sloane Stephens (#374)

Team Russia

Elena Dementieva  (#6 World Ranking)

Ekaterina Makarova  (#62)

Alla Kudryavtseva  (#78)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was suppose to be on this team, but has injury problems, so the Russians are going with only 3 players.

Schedule:

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Melanie Oudin (USA)  vs.  Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)

RESULT:  Melanie Oudin (USA) 6-3, 6-3.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)  vs.  Elena Dementieva (RUS)

RESULT:  Elena Dementieva (RUS) 6-4, 6-3.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Melanie Oudin (USA)  vs. Elena Dementieva (RUS)

RESULT:  Elena Dementieva 7-6, 0-6, 6-3.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)  vs.  Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)

RESULT:  Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)  vs.  Elena Dementieva and Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)

RESULT:  Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-1.

Its a shame none of the Russian women are willing to get together and win the Fed Cup.  Dementieva is elite, but the other two women on the team are nothing special.  Dementieva will win her 2 singles matches, but the United States will beat up on Kudryavtseva in the singles and will dominate the doubles to move on to the final after a 3-2 victory.

Venus Williams will not play Fed Cup this weekend.

Venus Williams has told Fed Cup coach Mary Jo Fernandez that she will be unable to play for the United States this weekend against the Russians, because of a knee injury she aggravated in Miami a couple weeks ago.

Her statement to the USTA read: 

“I am continuing to rehabilitate my knee and regret that I will not be able to participate in the Fed Cup tie against Russia this weekend. I waited until this moment in hopes that I would have an opportunity to play, but I am being advised by my medical support team that I will need more time to recover.”

We all know whats going on here.  The reason she is not playing is two things.  The Fed Cup just doesn't pay enough, and she is planning on playing Davis Cup, because we all know she has a peninsula just south of the equator.

Safina still recovering from back injury.

Dinara Safina the #3 ranked woman in the world is still fighting a nagging back injury that has bothered her since last August.  Safina recently wrote in her blog that an MRI revealed that her L5-S1 disk had two small stress fractures, and on top of that a ruptured muscle in her back.

“That was the worst news I could ever hear from a doctor, but now finally I’m recovering, though not as fast as I would prefer,” she said.

The Russian who hasn't played a match since the fourth round of the Australian Open is currently working with her trainer Tomislav Vrbnjak, and is slowly starting to practice.  She has set no timetable for her return to competition.

Injuries, Injuries, and more Injuries...

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of this weeks tournament in Barcelona, Spain due to soreness in his knee that developed last week when he won in Monte-Carlo.

Nadal will not be able to defend the title he has won the last 5 years in a row.  He often calls the Barcelona his "home".

Nadal said this in a recently released statement: “I feel bad about not playing Barcelona more than any other tournament, but after Monte Carlo my body is asking me to rest, I’ve said on many occasions that the tennis calendar, especially during the clay court season, is badly structured and for me not being able to play Barcelona is a consequence of that.”

Tournament director had this to say about Nadal not participating this week: “The withdrawal of Rafa hurts the tournament, but we have to go on and there will be a lot of other interesting matches."

That bum knee must of really been bothering him for him to just destroy everyone he faced.  I would of loved to see him at 100%, nobody would of probably even won a point.  Every match would of been 6-0, 6-0.  48 points to 0....Its hard not to call "bullshit" on this one.  The guy demolished a top 10 player just a day ago and now he has a bum knee?...hmmm this stinks of someone trying to use leverage against the ATP's scheduling of tournaments. 

Caroline Wozniacki received some good news today after having an MRI.  The good news is that the MRI showed just some stretched tendons and a bone bruise.  She will be out for only a short while and should be healed soon.

In her blog she wrote: “The doctor said that I might be ready soon,” she wrote. “I just need to make sure the right treatment.”  Wozniacki is scheduled to receive treatment this week in Barcelona.

Barcelona you say?  Isn't that where Fernando Verdasco is playing this week?  I wonder if riding Fernando's "pogo stick" is a part of the rehab treatment.

Along with Nadal, David Nalbandian has also pulled out of this weeks tour stop in Barcelona.  It has been found that Nalbandian has a tear in his left hamstring that will pull him out of this week, but also Rome in a couple weeks.

This guy cannot stay healthy.  It looks like the years where he didn't really care about his fitness are coming back to haunt him.

Sabine Lisicki has pulled out this weeks Fed Cup due to a lingering ankle injury.  Germany's highest ranked woman will surely be missed.  Lisicki had this to say about her bum ankle:  “Ever since Indian Wells, I have been working very hard to get my ankle better, I hope to be back in the weeks to come.”

Should of toughed it out, only a pansy needs a wheelchair.

ITF: Odesnik accepts voluntary ban.

This is a story taken from the Associated Press.

LONDON (AP)

American tennis player Wayne Odesnik has accepted "a voluntary provisional suspension'' from all events after pleading guilty last month to importing human growth hormone into Australia.


The International Tennis Federation said in a statement Monday that the suspension, which covers Grand Slam tournaments and ATP-sanctioned competitions, started last Friday. Because it is a voluntary suspension, the 111th-ranked Odesnik could decide to play again at any time.


Odesnik has not tested positive for a banned substance. He will face an independent tribunal in the next two months, according to ITF rules, and could be banned for two years.

"How long that suspension will remain in place will be at the discretion of the player, but we would normally expect it to continue through to the point at which a tribunal renders a decision on the case,'' said Stuart Miller, the head of the ITF's anti-doping program. "Technically, the length of any withdrawal is his choice.''

The 24-year-old Odesnik was stopped by customs officers on Jan. 2 when he arrived in Australia ahead of the Brisbane International, a warmup for the year's first Grand Slam event. Eight vials, each containing 6 milligrams of the performance-enhancing substance, were found in his baggage.

He was fined more than $7,000.

"Wayne Odesnik has accepted a voluntary provisional suspension from all events covered under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program,'' the ITF said in a statement. "In accordance with normal policy, the ITF does not intend to make further comment on this matter until its resolution.''


Odesnik has denied taking the banned substance, and despite his plea and subsequent fine, continued to play on the ATP tour. He reached the semifinals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships this month.

Several players have criticized the ATP for allowing Odesnik to compete.

By agreeing to a voluntary suspension, Odesnik will be able to accumulate credit against any suspension brought down by a tribunal. But he must not play in any ATP or ITF events.

"If he decides to return to competition in advance of the decision that is imposed in this case, then he would lose that credit,'' Miller said.


On Thursday, the ITF said it would review the rules that had prevented it from suspending Odesnik.

Under current rules, the governing body of tennis can only provisionally suspend players who are being investigated for a failed doping test. But players cannot be prevented from playing while they are investigated for other suspected doping violations, such as possessing a banned substance.

Odesnik was born in South Africa and moved to the United States as a child. He turned pro in 2004 and has a 35-43 career record in tour-level matches. He has never won an ATP title and his best ranking was 77th. He has reached one ATP final, on clay in Houston last year, and the highlight of his Grand Slam career was reaching the third round at the French Open in 2008.

Odesnik spends part of the year training in Miami. He is coached there by former top-10 player Guillermo Canas of Argentina, who served a 15-month ban in 2005-06 after failing a doping test.

Iceland volcano is causing travel problems for many players.

The volcano in Iceland is making travel difficult for many of the players trying to get to this weeks tournament in Barcelona.  Most of the players who played in Monte-Carlo this past week, and are scheduled to play this week are either going by train or car to make it to Barcelona on time.

The ITF is now considering delaying the April 24-25 Fed Cup matchups being played in Italy and the United States because of the travel disruptions.

Sharapova turns 23 today.

Bone bruise in my elbow, what bone bruise?  I'm gonna get wasted and let my greasy NBA benchwarming boyfriend hit it hard.

Sincerely,

The birthday girl, Maria.