This weekend's semifinal tie, part 1, has a nice patina to it: old battle lines redrawn as (ex-) Soviets battle Americans in Russia. You can bet the Bryan Brothers have been salivating at the chance to get their own back against Misha Youzhny for kicking them to the curb in NY, and Misha's ready to get his back against Roddick who was so irritatingly emphatic in offing him in the US Open semis. Despite Davydenko's apparent fatigue and Safin's...Safinitis, it's hard to imagine Roddick and Blake, both allergic to dirt courts, making a real run in red country on even redder clay. So what if communism failed! Russia's got a good chance at the Davis Cup.
However, it seems that Pravda is back to playing mind games--suggesting that Anastasia Myskina is crushing on James Blake--are they trying to facilitate a hook up? Hmm. Could be an amusing couple--ever congenial Blake with Myskina's mouth (witness one of my favorite press conferences--her amusing but bitch-tastic comments re: Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon).
It's unlikely that the Davis Cup tie will yield as big a surprise as last weekend's Fed Cup, where Italy took out Belgium in the final, basically when an injured Justine Henin-Hardenne had to retire from the doubles. What I don't understand is why they don't just sub someone else in as needed. I mean, come on, folks--it's team tennis. It just seems such a shame when this sort of thing happens. Before the Justine haters add their two cents, I want to say that it was impossible not to feel gutted for H-H when she forfeited; she had the most forlorn look on her face--the abject frustration of people who are often betrayed by their bodies. Hugs. Her knee injury will keep her out until November.
Anyway, Davis Cup starts on Friday. The other semi features Lleyton Hewitt and his armed guard taking on a Gaudio- and Coria-less Argentine squad--who else is hoping that David Nalbandian, who's been talking lots of shite re taking out the Aussies, finally finds his game, which has been missing all season?
Other interesting match ups: Federer is sweeping in to save the day to ensure Switzerland stays in the World Group. He'll be handing a beatdown to the Serbian and Montenegran team (Novak Djokovic and crew)--possibly in a near empty home stadium. Italy v. Spain (Nadal is playing despite the recent injury that kept him out of Beijing), and Germany vs. Thailand (Paradorn Srichaphan, literally the most zen player on tour vs. the player with the most nervous energy--that means you, Tommy Haas!).
How did this post get so long? Oh, right. That's what happens when you blog at 3am.
You can follow all the scores and catch Davis Cup radio at www.daviscup.com; I'll post live streaming links once the appear.
Wow. James Blake lost to Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo? A dude who apparently was 0-7 on hardcourts until hitting New Haven? Wow.
In other defending champ news, Lindsay Davenport's through.
In other upsets, Myskina went down to lucky loser Mara Santangelo (also, Patty Schnyder was ousted Monday by qualifier Sun Tiantian). Here's a wrap of the women's Tuesday matches.
Today sees the return of this year's biggest names on the women's tour: Justine Henin-Hardenne and Amelie Mauresmo are back. Yay!
Here are today's matchups.
*AP Photo/Bob Child
I sort of forgot their was another WTA event this week; but congrats to Zheng Jie for beating Anastasia Myskina in Sweden for her 3rd career title. Here's a wrap.
Here Jie is with Bjorn Borg. Way for Borg to support Swedish tennis. It's always good to see him.
Serena Williams and Anastasia Myskina face off today in Cincinnati. Though Myskina's been playing well, I'm going with Serena in 3 sets.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Serena seems to be "in reasonably good shape." Read 'Serena seizes spotlight even for practice session.'
But if Myskina wins, I'll be curious to hear what she has to say. I'm still LOL re: her bitchy post-Jankovic comments at Wimbledon.
Photo © Rita May
This is a day late, but too funny to be missed.
"She's a really strange player," Myskina told reporters.
"Let's put it that way. She walks on the court. I don't think she really care about the way she plays. She cares more about how she looks. That was kind of strange. She was touching her hair, whatever, her skirt." Read On...
Nottingham: Defending champ Richard Gasquet KO'd countryman Gilles Simon in 3 and 1; Italian Andreas Seppi beat Andy Murray in 3; Robin Soderling, who has yet to drop a set, over Tipsarevic in 2, and Bjorkman over Lopez. I'm gonna go with Gasquet to repeat his win.
At the Ordina Open, Men's, it'll be defending champ Mario Ancic v. Marcos Baghdatis (making his first semi since Australia) and Jan Hernych vs. Forent Serra (who took out JC Fererro in 3). The women: Elena Demetieva, Danilidou, Dinara Safina and Michaela Krajicek. I'm going with Ancic and Safina.
Eastbourne: It'll be Henin-Hardenne vs. Clijsters and Kuznetsova v. Myskina. I'm going with Kuznetsova over Henin-Hardenne in the final.
Myskina's back with a little help from Yeltsin. (But for how long?)
One big Russian bear hug from Boris Yeltsin at the conclusion of yesterday's opening match on Court One was enough to tell Anastasia Myskina she was back.
Since winning the French Open two years ago the Russian beauty has been a pale imitation of her old self, a decline that clearly had much to do with the ill health suffered by her mother later that year. Read On...