Per tennis.com home page, Rafael Nadal will not play Davis Cup due to his knee injury.

what makes the Fed or Pete's big serving pretty amazing to watch is how they use it to get out of tough situations--Ivo's been serving so well over the last week that he hasn't been in many tough situations.

Does anybody know if Serena wins the entire thing which is a real BIG possibility, does she become #1, no matter how far Dinara goes? She will have three of the four GS. Wow! Also, the double bagels in their doubles match very impressive against a good team.

Samantha Elin,
Reasons I said Serena win would be easier than expected was:
(a) Hype going into the QF after what happened at Australian Open and Key Biscayne
(b) Serena was playing in a rhythm (and I saw where she destroyed Daniela on Wimbledon Primetime last night)
(c) Victoria played almost 150 minutes before defeating Nadia(that had no factor in today's outcome).

Well if Serena does meet Venus in the final I can be confident that lttle sister wont have her own way

I feel Serena over Venus on a h/court for sure

I feel Venus is a better all court grass player,she is an amazing athlete for one also her transion gaem to the net and her volley play is sublime.With her reach at the net she is very hard to pass.

Pspace - neatly done.

Beckham - i believe the ball is in your court? (No pun intended.)

BTW - are their lots of sedatives on the bus for tomorrow? Also, I think we need things to bite in frustration. Like, I dunno, old wooden rackets with which Ivo could not inflict such serves.

I wonder if players try and get ready for Ivo my having their hitting opponents serve from the service line instead of the baseline?

Pspace - neatly done.

Beckham - i believe the ball is in your court? (No pun intended.)

BTW - are their lots of sedatives on the bus for tomorrow? Also, I think we need things to bite in frustration. Like, I dunno, old wooden rackets with which Ivo could not inflict such serves.

I wonder if players try and get ready for Ivo my having their hitting opponents serve from the service line instead of the baseline?

Samantha Elin,
No, Dinara will be number 1 regardless of what happens.

Kolya is not going to Israel for Davis Cup...

Heh, Roger is evidently going to answer some questions from his fans on facebook...too bad the back issue is settled otherwise I'd ask that :P

"Roger Federer: I spend a lot of time doing press with the professional "questioners", but I thought today I would answer a few questions from my fans on facebook. So write me some questions you want answered and I will do my best to pick a couple of them to answer!"

MA, when Dinara can possibly loose her #1 ranking?

Another thing about Dr. I - when he is returning serve, I don't care how good a kick serve you have, it can't possibly kick high enough to be out of his strike zone. Of course the reverse is also true...anything sliced is gonna bring extra benefits.

Aw..one of the few NICE things about NBC/ESPN coverage is that you get to see/hear Cliffie again. For some reason he didn't seem as present at the FO. Was he there? Hmmm/

Coming round of the second viewing of Venus' match...already have seen Serena twice as well, I think.

Safina only once...Demy not at all...

Thanks Patrick. I'll just say unbelievable and leave it at that.

Based on this SF result, I can only imagine Dinara will be #1 for a looong time.

c1, Why don't you ask him if he's slowed down in defending on the fh side? ;-)

CL: what exactly did Pspace get neatly done?! Nothing at all if you ask me, no? lol

I know it's late, but I'm changing my pick to Serena to win if they both make it to the final. Patrick, I never thought Vika would win that AO match against Serena because I've seen her come back many times from such a scoreline and she was up a break in the second.

Oooh..yeah, good one...ask him about moving to his FH. And does he hire people to stand on chairs and serve to him when he is getting ready to play Ivo?

(Sorry for the earlier double post.)

"VC, no. That's not what I meant. Yeah, Fed's played much better in other tournaments. But '07 Fed in Wimbledon and USO, was still one scary sonofagun. Ground game may not have been the best, but he was serving lights out. I don't think Murray is at that level, or as good as Rafa circa '07. But, he doesn't need to be to win the tournament."

I think his level dipped last year (mono etc., etc.) and early part of this year, but I think his current level is about the same as he was in Wimbledon and USO '07. It's almost as if the defeats to Canas flipped a switch in Fed's career. If you think Murray isn't there yet, then that's nice to hear from a Federer fan's perspective :-)

Pspace, that's not even a question worth asking, we know it's true :P

I was impressed by his CC FH flick against Soderling in the 3rd set tiebreak though :)

Samantha - Dinara is #1 and will remain #1 by a large margin. She has been the most consistent player results-wise in the WTA post North American spring HC season going F W W F SF SF(now at SW19). She has also been gaining points since she made it past the third round while Serena is still defending points and not gaining any. Serena can only gain points if she wins the whole thing. This is what the ranking and points for the WTA top 6 look like now (taking into account the SF showing of the top four). Dinara is WAYYYYYYYYYYY ahead.

1 Dinara Safina 10521
2 Serena Williams 7658
3 Elena Dementieva 6591
4 Venus Williams 6117
5 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6071
6 Jelena Jankovic 5980

VC: I still think his level now is lower than it was in '07--he's a shade slower (said FH side for example), and of course now the story on how to beat him is wide open.

also, like Beckham said, we don't see him hit those TMF like heights as often as we saw in '07. Nothing I've seen these days remotely resembles the heights he hit at the TMC in '07...

"Rafael Nadal will not play Davis Cup due to his knee injury."

I saw that earlier. *cries bitter tears*

"VC: I still think his level now is lower than it was in '07--he's a shade slower (said FH side for example), and of course now the story on how to beat him is wide open."

crazyone : Fair enough. Yes, he might be a half-step slower now. I think his tactical intelligence has improved (like he showed against del Potro, Mathieu etc. at the French, Nadal in Madrid) so maybe that makes up for it a bit. Of course, Murray, and Djokovic have a foot in the door as they have beaten him on recent occasions, and will go in with a lot of belief.

c1, yeah, that was pretty, but Soderling put it a metre wide of the sideline. He's lost one or two steps...not three ;-).

Samantha - learn how the ranking works. If you play (and win) more - your ranking is better, even if you don't win the most prestigious events. Lisicki's ranking compares to Wozniacki's the same way (albeit in miniature) as Serena's ranking compares to Dinara's ranking. Lisicki won their h2h and went deeper in Slam (she has a quarter to her credit). But Wozniacki won more matches and smaller tournaments.
Of course, you will deny this analogy...

VC, hehe, to further clarify that point...The fact that Muzz is not there yet is demonstrated by his performance against the rest of the field. He's been good but dominant only in patches....even accounting for his style. Against Fed though, he ups his game, and has perfect tactics, imo at least. Contingent on getting a good first serve %, of course.

Thanks Avid. Venus is on my tv, I love her new long hair it makes her look younger. I can't believe how much is grew, it's almost as long as mine. Anyway she look very nice. I love the way she dresses on and off the court. Serena just makes me laugh the way she dresses sometimes. Venus said she doesn't want to talk about the wrap on her leg which tells me it's probably more than cautionary, but it can't be bad, or she would have pulled out of the doubles. Ok, got a movie waiting, see everyone later.

Pspace, really? I watched it again today, it was less than a foot within the sideline, I thought.

http://wimbledonlive.nbcsports.com/player.html?r=&j=2_30_246

""I saw that earlier. *cries bitter tears*""

jewell, That's good news, no? He's being sensible about his schedule. Hopefully, that's the last he'll play Davis Cup for the next three years. If he plays as he did previously, I'd see him topping out at 10 slams. Still great, but won't do his talent justice.

Mick1303,
You hit the nail on the ranking system when you said win while playing.

WTA SF predictions tomorrow after the ATP QF.

c1, ok. I'll take your word for it...yeah...I was exaggerating a bit...you need to get him outside the doubles line before he has trouble ;-)

"VC, hehe, to further clarify that point...The fact that Muzz is not there yet is demonstrated by his performance against the rest of the field. He's been good but dominant only in patches....even accounting for his style. Against Fed though, he ups his game, and has perfect tactics, imo at least. Contingent on getting a good first serve %, of course."

Yes, but Federer's performance against the field (I'm defining field as everybody against whom he holds a positive H2H) is probably unmatched in history. So it's harsh to hold Murray to those standards. BTW, I still believe that if Federer plays like in US Open 2008, the match is on his racquet, regardless of Murray's improvement since then. Murray could still grab a set, but I'd be supremely confident in Fed's chances if he comes out in that sort of mood. :-)

"Hopefully, that's the last he'll play Davis Cup for the next three years."

But he likes playing it!!! I'd rather he threw some MS and lower events out of the window than Davis Cup.

Also I am stuck in the despondent "will never play again" mindset and can't quite manage to get out of it. Ugh.

Realism and logic have no effect. ;-)

anyway - I am off for the evening, later, everyone.

Jewell, I have to agree with Pspace here. Forget DC for a while. Let the other guys with good knees carry it. :)

"The serve won Federer his fifth Wimbledon title against Rafael Nadal in a match where he was largely outplayed from the baseline"

Yes, that was a bitter one. Didn't Roger break in Rafa's first serve game and then not until the 5th set?

VC, no. I'm not holding Muzz to that standard...just saying it's a fact that he's not there yet. Well, USO '08 had some "circumstances" on Murray's end. So, I don't believe that the match is on Fed's racquet if he plays like that. Murray didn't serve very well in that match, and there was a blown line call to give him a break in the second set.

Pspace: I'll agree that Muzzah had/has perfect tactics but the match is still on the Fed's racquet...he's almost always the one dictating play...

Sherlock: but the Fed also has a gazillion bps that he did absolutely nothing with.

watched a couple Fed interviews. He's so relaxed, it's damn spooky.

One. Match. At. A. Time.

"Well, USO '08 had some "circumstances" on Murray's end. So, I don't believe that the match is on Fed's racquet if he plays like that. Murray didn't serve very well in that match, and there was a blown line call to give him a break in the second set."

Blah. Circumstances as usual. When aren't there circumstances lending a secret helping hand to Federer? ;-) And one line call? Which he didn't have the confidence to challenge? He didn't serve great yesterday, either.

"VC, no. I'm not holding Muzz to that standard...just saying it's a fact that he's not there yet."

Just saying it may be unreasonable to expect that sort of consistency. Rafa had it last year. Federer has had it, by and large, for the majority of the last 5-6 years. Sampras only had it in short bursts.

Oh, Mick, just saw your post as I was leaving. Would disagree on the Caro vs Lisicki. Caro has won five titles including Eastbourne, Lisicki has won l and only made it one round more than Caro at Wimbledon. Overall, Caro has had the better career. She was the 2OO8, new comer of year. But I do see your point as far as why Dina is ahead of Serena and I understand that is how the rankings work. Just not sure I agree with it, but I guess you take it as it is. Go Caro, Scandinavia's#1, world's#9, winner of 5 WTA titles and the youngest player in the top ten. Ciao dudes, movie time.

aww man. rafa out of DC? this knee thing looks more and more serious... wish him the best for his recovery. poor guy. :(

""he's almost always the one dictating play""

Illusions and delusions for $0.02 ;-)

"Sherlock: but the Fed also has a gazillion bps that he did absolutely nothing with."

Beckham : I don't remember Federer creating too many opportunities on Nadal's serve in the last two Wimbledon finals they played. He won 4/5 sets on tiebreaks (not that I'm complaining). It was a different story at the Australian Open this year, and RG 2007.

VC! Feddy's BP conversion rate was 1/12 or 1/13 in the Wimby'08 final.

VC, no, I don't expect him to be as consistent all the time, but I do except at least sustained hot streaks. So far in all the slams he's played, he's had a very bad day at some point.

The circumstances are not meant to take anything away from Fed ;-). It is what it is. He was the better player on the day. However, I'm pretty convinced that there is a level that Muzz has that can beat the way Fed played on that day. Whether he hits that level is another question. Yesterday's match will not inspire much confidence, of course.

Pspace: I'll buy or should I say bite?! lol

"VC! Feddy's BP conversion rate was 1/12 or 1/13 in the Wimby'08 final."

Arun : Yes, but I think there was only one in the last two sets (maybe I'm mistaken). Watching that match, I never got the impression that he was starting to figure out Nadal's serve at any stage. There were some BPs blown in set 1 as Nadal was serving it out, and there was a 0-40 situation in set 3 as well if I remember correctly.

btw, does anyone know where can we access the ATP Race standings? The link given by someone earlier this year doesn't seem to work anymore.

"VC, no, I don't expect him to be as consistent all the time, but I do except at least sustained hot streaks. So far in all the slams he's played, he's had a very bad day at some point.

The circumstances are not meant to take anything away from Fed ;-). It is what it is. He was the better player on the day. However, I'm pretty convinced that there is a level that Muzz has that can beat the way Fed played on that day. Whether he hits that level is another question. Yesterday's match will not inspire much confidence, of course."

Fair enough. I think it will take a similar effort to Nadal's last year in the Wimbledon final to beat Federer's best, and if he does it, hats off.

sorry, VC. I was reading between the lines. And actually, I agree with you. :) Also, to be (somewhat) fair to the Fed, he saved a lot of BPs at crucial junctures during that match.

No I dont think Rafa's injury is more serious

I am glad he isnt playing DC

With the h/court season to continue,he needs to get back 100% healthy again

"sorry, VC. I was reading between the lines. And actually, I agree with you. :) Also, to be (somewhat) fair to the Fed, he saved a lot of BPs at crucial junctures during that match."

Arun : Yes, his under-pressure play was tremendous.

Well I wasnt impressed with Rogers game against Soderling

he will have to step up against the Dr for sure

he does have a great return game also his serve has to be working full time

The Fed playing his best against anyone, and yes anyone, I would pick the Fed, the problem being tennis matches can be won in different ways, one being making your opponent play worse, Muzzah falls into that category, he makes the Fed play worse, which is a very valid and acceptable way of winning tennis matches, trying to match the Fed shot for shot or trying to overpower him does not work, the only player that has succesfully achieved matching the Fed shot for shot and overpowering him was Safin AO 05 (shout out to ARod in Wimby 04, alas close but no cigar)...

"the only player that has succesfully achieved matching the Fed shot for shot and overpowering him was Safin AO 05 (shout out to ARod in Wimby 04, alas close but no cigar)..."

Beckham : I would add last year's Wimbledon final (amazing level from both guys throughout the match) and the first four sets of this year's Australian Open to that list.

In regards to Murrays match I feel that was good for Murray to be pushed to 5 sets,he can now get a feel for where he is in terms of his game.

I think his fitness and all court coverage has improved out of sight.

Some of those returns were Rafa like,especially his running f/hand shots.

It will be interesting to see in his q/final match how he turns up,though he did have a day off to recover.

Pspace..

yeah, I saw highlights of Haas Vs Fed in AO 2006...so he is a worthy former No.2...so I won't be totally surprised if he defeats the Djoker...but the Djoker has also had a slump (compared to beginning 2008) and he has got to snap out of it sometime...

I believe that tomorrow's match will be five sets...it will be a tough match.

AM I agree - I think yesterday's five setter was important for MAndy to get an idea of where he is.

VC: we are going to have to agree to disagree...I don't count AO or Wimby as one of those matches...

From teh SI mailbag:

"Any chance an Andy Murray-Roger Federer final could outdo last year's final in terms of being the greatest match of all time in a historical sense? I would think a Brit going for the title for the first time in years up against Federer's history is miles ahead of hype for last year.
-- Russell P., Norwalk, Iowa

My kneejerk answer is no. Part of what made the 2008 final so special was the astronomically high level of play. But it was also the context. Here were two players, at the peak of their powers, playing the Wimbledon final for the third straight time. Four weeks earlier they had played in Paris. A win by Nadal would mean toppling the king and, almost assuredly becoming No. 1. A win by Federer would have meant a sixth straight title. Regardless of what would happen with Federer and Murray the final -- hypothetical at this point -- couldn't reproduce this texture.

And yet ... you can hardly exaggerate the hype for Murray. Covers of the newspapers. Lead stories on television. Letters from the queen. How's this for a bail-out answer. Globally, it's still Federer-Nadal. But in the UK (and in Centre Court) Murray playing The Mighty Federer would be big in a Beatles-at-JFK kind of way."

""I don't count AO or Wimby as one of those matches""

LOL. Fed would be proud of your consistency ;-)

It would have made no sense whatsoever if Nadal were to play DC...if his knees are bad enough that he skipped Wimbledon, the most important tournament of the year for him, it would just be bizarre if he was good enough to play Davis Cup the very week after.

"VC: we are going to have to agree to disagree...I don't count AO or Wimby as one of those matches..."

Beckham : Fair enough. It's all personal preference. Actually, I thought Agassi and Roddick were able to outhit Federer for some parts of the US Open finals of '05 an '06, but obviously couldn't sustain it over 4-5 sets.

Well, if there is a Fed-Muzz final, and Fed comes out blazing, and takes the first two sets, and Muzz fights back to win 13-11 in the fifth, it might just top the Fed-Nadal match. However, given the kinds of players that these two guys are (stylistically), I'd say the chances of that are close to 0.

ladyjulia : I'm sure the World #1 angle will be played up if the matchup happens. I think it would be decided on that match. Pretty big storyline. But yes, it doesn't have the same historical context that Federer-Nadal had last year.

Harman being interviewed about Murray after the match yesterday:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article6611120.ece

VC,

I don't think Muzz can become No.1 even if he wins Wimby..he can either become No.2 or stay No. 3.

Fed can become No.1, but that's really no story...he hogged the limelight for 4 and a half years as a No.1...it won't be such a big deal as Nadal staying No.2 for three LONG years chasing the top rank and then finally getting to No.1.

Pspace,

I may be wrong, but I can't imagine Muzz surviving a 13-11 with the Fed in the fifth after seeing him gas out yesterday. When Safin won 9-7 at AO, he was pretty tired too...just hung about at the net as a celebration. Only Nadal seems to have had the energy to stay around attacking that BH for 5 hours.

Also, VC...there's something about a player getting it to the final multiple times and then finally winning it...Nadal lost Wimby 2006 and 2007 final...

if the Muzz reaches teh final, its a first...dosen't stir up the same emotions as a player reaching finals again and again and losing...then finally winning it.

Ofcourse,GBR hasn't had a champion since stone age...for those fans, yeah its big and incomparable.

"VC,

I don't think Muzz can become No.1 even if he wins Wimby..he can either become No.2 or stay No. 3."

Ok. But it's still a play-off for the #2 ranking, I think.

"Also, VC...there's something about a player getting it to the final multiple times and then finally winning it...Nadal lost Wimby 2006 and 2007 final...

if the Muzz reaches teh final, its a first...dosen't stir up the same emotions as a player reaching finals again and again and losing...then finally winning it.

Ofcourse,GBR hasn't had a champion since stone age...for those fans, yeah its big and incomparable."

Yes, we don't have a historical context of the Federer-Murray rivalry in Slams yet, as we have only seen one Slam match. And Federer was coming off a thrashing in RG last year, which was another twist. It will be huge for British fans, but I'm sure Federer won't be bothered. He has survived tougher crowds in the US Open.

WTA Picks for Thursday:

Wanna take a wild stab at it, anyone? 'Nuf ced.

ATP Picks for tomorrow:

Murray d. Ferrero, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Nolo contendere.

Roddick d. Hewitt, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3. Maybe a tiebreak, but Roddick is fitter by a good margin.

Djokovic d. Haas, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The Djoker no longer erratic, is regaining a winning edge; Haas still a headcase, last time I checked. Novak was not the same man in Halle, either, before a German crowd.

(Gulp!) Federer d. The Forces Of Ivo.... barely: 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7). If you told me RIGHT NOW that there would be a fifth set in this match, I'd actually have to think about the proposition before ultimately rejecting it. Merely getting to a set in which Ivo could not win a tiebreak would give Fed a small measure of safety; then again, he'd have lost two sets to get to that point.

I just came to know Dr. Ivo is 30 years old...man..this is an oldies tourney.

If Muzz were to win he would get so close to #1 that when Nadal's Olympic points come off, he would then be #1, I believe.

Ladyjulia: the average age of the quarter finalists is 27 years and 4 months!

"man..this is an oldies tourney."

lol

"If Muzz were to win he would get so close to #1 that when Nadal's Olympic points come off, he would then be #1, I believe."

Cotton Jack - The Olympic points don't come off till August 18. If Andy M wins, he will become #1 when the Toronto (Rogers) points for last year come off on July 27. There will be an idle from after Wimbledon till August 8 when Rogers starts this year.

Hi everyone.
I see some people are concerned about the news that Nadal is not playing DC. To me, it's great news. It would be plain stupid to play it, even more considering that Spain doesnt really need him to beat Germany (without Haas) at home. I say come back in Canada, and not before. About playing DC at all, i say only if it's extremely necessary (hey, after all, i'm Spanish, and we are kind of greedy about winning).
Seriously considering my SP pick. Hewitt or Roddick? Oh, the doubts.

Well, even after Rafa won Wimby last year, he didn't become No. 1 straight away, did he? It took a while....was it Cincinnati that sealed it? Oh well...days of great sorrow for me ;-).

I dunno why most ppl see Muzz thrashing Mosquito. I'm in totes frazzle mode atm. Gah!

Mr. X, you can't go wrong with either Roddick or Hewitt ;-). My pick is Hewitt, but no suicide involved.

Greetings all:

Yes, I am going with Muzz, Djoko and Roddick to win tomorrow. The only match I am not sure about is Fed and Dr Ivo. Just can't make up my mind about that one at all.

About the rankings, i think (and this is gonna sound like a total travesty) that it's very possible that Nadal is No.3 come the USO. He is the one that has more points to deffend in the USO series, which is doubtful he will repeat, considering he will be trying to find back his rythm. Besides, he will lose the points from the Olympics. Muzz also has a lot of points to deffend, but i think we can all see him doing as well as he did last year (or even better). Fed... i dont expect much from him in those tournaments, and i dont know if he will play at all, as he will probabll only be thinking about the baby. But he deffends nothing in the USO series, so he has nothing to lose. Therefore, everything points to Muzz or Fed (most probably Fed) being No.1 when the USO begins, and Nadal being No.3

http://tinyurl.com/ko2bps
ZimoNest were pretty cheerful on court today. Even when they were down a break in the 2nd set. MASSIVE improvement in their body language from whatever little I saw of them in the prev. couple of tournies. Do me a favour and beat the crap out of Fish and Chips (cos am fairly certain they'll get to the semis). Thanks much.

'hopper, jaja, you will single-handedly save dubs :-). I'm even thinking about watching...some day.

"Do me a favour and beat the crap out of Fish and Chips (cos am fairly certain they'll get to the semis). Thanks much."

greenhopper - you are not allowed to call James chips ;-) but yes in this case, they are allowed to beat Mr Fish and Mr Blake ;-)

Mr X Well we all know how Rafa loves to come from behind,oops mind the pun there

I am fully confident on his return he will be bigger and better than ever

Pspace,
What do you mean i cant go wrong? I must pick one of them, and what if the other wins? I dont care who wins this Mickey Mouse tournament, i just want to win in the SP:)
It was official in Cincy last year, and became a fact after the Olympics. Almost a year for his first reign. I think it wont be the last.
OK, it's prediction time:
Hewitt vs. Roddick.
I'm frazzling like hell, not about any player, but about me. Anyway, i think Roddick has the advantage. He's serving very well and would have the edge in the possible TBs. Hewitt is the one i like more from the 2, but his previous match might take a toll. However, he has that warrior spirit, that makes me doubt about the match. Roddick in 4.
Murray vs. Ferrero
JCF is playing very well, but Muzz has already dodged a bullet, and i expect him to react. Besides, he already beat JCF easily at Queens. Lestat in 3.
Haas vs. Djokovic.
The closest, in my opinion. If Haas serves well, he can make a match out of it, but he has to control his tendency to make DFs in crucial moments. Nole has had a cupcake draw, and this is the first time he will be tested. I havent been impressed by his game (and specially his movement) in what i've seen of him, but if he makes it a long match, the age difference and the ability to hang in touhg moments will show. Djoker in 5.
Karlovic vs. Federer.
I know i wont watch this one. Serve fest. Fed usually wins this matches by showing his superiority in key moments, and i expect him to do the same thing. Ivo will have the extra pressure of knowing he's facing the Fed at Centre Court. Fed in 4 (might be 3) with 3 TBs.

AM,
Yeah, i was just stating it as a fact, not saying it's all that horrible. However, a Fedal SF would be just wrong. I bet everyone, except for Pspace and a couple more of those crazy Lestat KADs, will be hoping for the draw not to produce that travesty.

IMO Rafa can't maintain #1 and have any longevity. Look what it took for him to surpass TMF...not to mention the toll it took on his knees.

Team Rafa: please cut his schedule so we can enjoy him as one of the Wimby "seniors" like this year's group!!!

Greenhopper and Avid Sports Fan,
Are you selling Aspelin/Hanley a little short in their match against Blake/Fish tomorrow?

Mr. X, the courts here are (much) slower than those in Queen's. Hewitt will be able to put a lot more serves back. There's the issue of how he recovers from the Steps match...a thigh strain was mentioned...I dunno.

Rafa will definitely return to No.1, it will just be a matter of time. But I agree that he and his team will have to watch his schedule from now on.

Here's my predictions:

Federer def. Karlovic, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-1.
Karlovic takes the 1st set, as all around the world hardcore TMF fans are rushed to the hospital. Federer calmly rights the ship before Karlovic basically caves in by the 4th set, much like Ivanisevic did against Pete in the 1994 Wimby final.

Djokovic def. Haas, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Djokovic will have stretches where we are reminded why he thought at one point HE might be the one to overtake Federer, and then stretches where we positively wince. Haas will remain steady throughout, but won't have the mental "oomph" to ever really take the match. Nole will dig in in the 5th and win it with the one break of serve.

Murray def. Fererro, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Juanqui just doesn't have the weapons to hurt Murray, who will be more aggressive than at any other point in the tournament, past or future.

*gulp*
I cannot comment on the last match for fear of jinxing it. I am not kidding. You all know who I want to win.

Mr. X, yeah. I thot every1 wanted a Fedal SF ;-). It's so boring that we never get to see a Muzz-Nole SF every once in a while. Anyways, there'll only be a 50% chance of it happening in a tournament. Of course, I'd have to deal with all the Lestat haters claiming cupcake..but I'll have a response prepared (or not...pending the outcome of Wimbledon).

I wish people would stop using my catch cry statements like

Micky Mouse Tournament?mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Please originality is the name of the game

I used the above statement ages ago.

I need to get copy rights here and now.

Mr. X- You are right about Rafa may be going to #3 as Rafa and Andy M have exactly the same number of points to defend during the USO series but in reverse order. Rafa has W-SF while Andy has SF-W. Andy M however will have the compulsory zero points from Indianapolis coming off on July 20 and being replaced by his queen's club points so he will be #2 if Roger plays both masters and does very well (he will be gaining points all the way) or #1 if Roger does not play both masters.

OK, pick done. Roddick, if you dare lose, i'll forever refer to you as "Stifler":)
I see we are all basically picking the some results. We are just a bunch of conservative people:)
That's probably why there's so many people still alive in the SP.

My prediations

Roddick,Novak,Murray and sorry Roger fans I am going for the Dr here if he can serve like he has I feel he has a good chance of a upset.

Pspace,
Cupcake, cupcake, cupcake!!!! (Just in case)
No, it would be some different, maybe closer to blasphemy:)
AM,
Do i need to pay some royalties?:)
It is indeed a Mickey Mouse tournament.
I think i'm posting to much, but it's just that i cant believe how well this page is working. Those remedies posted today were miraculous.

Not selling them short, MA. They've lost at least one set in all 3 matches played so far, while the bleeping team has been cruising.

What do you think of the Spanish ladies' chances against Kleybsy and whoever? Kleybsy is on a roll here beating Dani/Ai, Nads/Bethanie, etc.