U.S. Open: Top Seed Takes on Defending Champ

Can anyone slow down the chest-thumping Serb?

Federer was beaten in a classic, while Murray went out with a whimper. Now the top two tennis players in world are preparing to square off on the world’s grandest stage.

Nadal stumbled through the first four rounds, but suddenly found his legs and his confidence in the quarters against Roddick. Djokovic basically cruised through the entire tournament until he ran into a red hot Roger Federer. But even when he was down two match points - Djokovic rose to the challenge.

Rafa versus Novak is such an intriguing matchup. Rafa was once the most CONFIDENT and most ruthless player in the world. He swung for the fences and was always ready to live by the sword and die by the sword. These qualities led him to ten major titles and he really should have won Wimbledon this year.

But then you look at Novak Djokovic – it was not his skill, but rather his confidence that propelled him past Nadal in the Wimbledon final. And as where Rafa once had that unbeatable swagger about him – it now is firmly in the hands of Djokovic.

Never was the Djokovic confidence more glaringly apparent than against Roger Federer in the semis of this year’s U.S. Open. Federer had Djokovic beaten – a comeback was not only unlikely, it was nearly impossible. On his second match point, Federer ripped a punishing serve wide to Djoko's forehand side – The legendary reply was one of most devastating forehand service return winners in the history of the tournament. You have to believe your own hype to take a swing like that to erase a match point with such authority.

That mind-numbing forehand told Federer all he needed to know – this match was over.

It’s hard for me to endorse a tennis player who was actually beating his chest for the crowd after his semifinal win. But just because Djokovic acts like he’s on a casting call for Return of the Planet of the Apes, doesn’t mean he isn’t best tennis player alive right now. Rafa is an amazing champion and a lion-hearted competitor – but he will need his best to have any chance to stop chest thumping number one player in the world – Novak Djokivic.

Unless Rafa can regain his swagger – take Djokovic in four sets over Nadal.

Get Ready for Djokovic vs. Murray - Act Two

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, owners of 26 grand slam titles between them, are both in amazing form as they head into this year’s U.S. Open Semis. The only problem is, neither one of them is likely to be around to contend for the U.S. Open Championships on Monday. Andy Murray has been my pick to win his first grand slam tournament since the U.S. Open began and I see no reason to change that prediction now. But first, let’s look at the Federer – Djokovic matchup.

Federer is still a terrible threat to Novak Djokovic on almost any surface, but not on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. There was a time not so long ago, when Federer was unbeatable in New York – but those days have crept by us now. The list of people who can beat Federer regularly on hard courts is terribly short - sporting only three men. The problem is that all three of them, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray are the three remaining men in the draw.

Federer has the skills, but has lost about a half a step in the past year and that’s all Djokovic needs. The Serb is brimming with confidence and has never looked back since stunning Federer in last year’s U.S. Open semi finals. He’s captured two grand slam titles this year and is hungry to put the U.S. Open on his resume.

Take Djokovic in 3, possibly 4 sets.

Nadal and Murray represent the other half of the draw and this is really Andy’s time to shine and finally join the grand slam club. Nadal is playing his best tennis of the fortnight, but he doesn’t have the firepower to overcome Murray - if Andy can keeps his wits about him. This is the eighth time the Scot has made it to a Grand Slam semis in his last 17 majors.

Hard courts are Murray’s best surface and after losses in three different grand slam finals – He has the seasoning at the age of 24 to capture this year’s U.S. Open and end the dizzying drought for the United Kingdom. You can’t sell Nadal short because he is the defending champion. But Nadal has lost a lot of the sting on his serve that led him to last year’s title. Unless he can conjure up that booming serve again, Murray will prevail.

As Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have grabbed slam after slam – Murray has been steadily improving. He is playing smart and composed tennis and if he can break out of his own head, he will overcome Nadal and stamp his invitation into the U.S. Open Finals.

Take Murray in four tough sets!

Murray Ready for Break Out at 2011 U.S. Open

Murray is fit and ready to grab his first Grand Slam title.

2011 has been pretty good to me so far, correctly predicting the winners of 2 of the last 3 slams. I picked the Djoker to snag the Aussie and Nadal to capture the French. Rafa let me down at Wimbledon, but I'm obviously hoping to go 3 for 4 by picking the man that no one is really talking about – 4th-seeded Andy Murray.

Between Rafa and the Serb, Murray is really the forgotten man at the 2011 U.S. Open and that will come back to haunt the experts. The Scot has a tough draw with arch-nemesis and former U.S. Open champ, Juan Martin Del Potro possibly looming in the quarters. Murray and Del Potro have a mean-spirited history with each other dating back to the Italian Open in 2008, but should Murray prevail, the U.S. Open is his for the taking.

Murray is in the Nadal half of the draw and has had an amazing 2011 campaign reaching the finals in Australia and the semis at both the French and Wimbledon. Make no mistake, Murray’s best surface is the hard courts and he was a finalist at the U.S. Open 2008.

Djokovic is obviously the favorite, but like it or not, Djokovic proved once again during Cincinnati in August that he's still a quitter. Murray was giving him a good thumping in the final when Novak quit before Murray could finish him off.

It's not the first time Djokovic has called it quits while losing a match. This was actually the 8th time Djokovic has quit in the middle of match that he was losing, not to mention the fact he has defaulted a total of four times during Grand Slam play.

Going back to Murray – he has a long history of being his own worst enemy – but he is the only player on the circuit right now who has what is takes to knock Djokovic off of his perch.

The drought for the U.K. has to end some time – and it will be Murray who hoists the trophy in New York when all is said and done.

Djokovic Stings Nadal with Familiar Form of Intimidation

Nadal shrinks away from the Djokovic challenge at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal has fallen victim to the very same spell he cast over Roger Federer more than five years ago.

That was when the young Spaniard named Rafael Nadal became a splinter in the mind of the game’s most dominant player, Roger Federer. Back then, Federer was a tennis deity who firmly believed that no one alive could threaten him on any surface. Then came Nadal – And after just a few close losses, the seed of intimidation was planted deep into the psyche of Roger Federer.

From that point on, Federer forever lived in fear of Nadal. Federer was faced with an intimidation factor he never dreamed was possible and it cost him every time he stepped onto the court with Nadal. Nadal’s game played a factor in Federer’s problems, but the bottom line was, “Federer did not play like Federer against Nadal.”

Fast-forward to this year, and Rafael Nadal is writhing in the grip of his own inner demons – an intimidation factor he never thought possible, the bold and brash Novak Djokovic.

Like Federer, Nadal believed that if he was playing at 90%, he was unbeatable. But then Novak won a couple of close matches in a row and Nadal suffered what appeared to be a gradual decline in confidence. WRONG! What appeared to be a slow-moving virus is now a full-blown case of, “I’m scared of that guy!”

This is not to take anything away from the amazing brand of Djokovic tennis, but Nadal did not play like Nadal in the Wimbledon final. Nadal ran scared and instead of trying to win, he played not to lose. The Spaniard is NOW in huge trouble every time he steps of the court with the Serb.

What also makes this so interesting is the fact that Nadal had dominated Djokovic at the majors for so long. That era seems to be over. The Wimbledon final was only one match – but it is likely to set the tone for the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry for the next couple of years. Each Nadal loss against Djoko is worse than the one before, eerily similar to the decline of Federer.

Nadal played tentatively for the first time at a grand slam and it was a disaster. Without his fearlessness, Nadal is just another top three player who will win a stray grand slam here and there, more along the lines of Andy Murray.

What’s great for tennis fans is to see if Nadal can overcome it. Tennis history demonstrates that he probably can’t do it. But make no mistake, the torch has been passed.

Djokovic Grabs Top Spot, but Won’t Claim Wimbledon Title

Look for Djokovic to take the fall against Nadal

Novak Djokovic – This is his time.

When the new rankings come out next week, Djoko will be the number one player in the world according to the ATP computer. What he won’t have is the coveted cup that goes along with the 2011 Wimbledon title.

All signs point Rafael Nadal hoisting up his third Wimbledon trophy in four years.

Djokovic has enjoyed one of the easiest and luckiest grand slam draws in many years. Any time, you can cruise into the Wimbledon finals without playing a single player ranked in the top 15; you are very, very fortunate. Djokovic screamed and howled through every victory, even though he never encountered a top-ranked opponent.

Djokovic looks surprisingly mortal on the grass. His superior movement bogs down on the green stuff down and his unforced errors break into double digits.

The biggest break in the tournament for the Serb came when Roger Federer forgot to close out his QF match against Tsonga.

Tsonga was a pretender, not a contender and Djokovic ate him up on Saturday. Now he's riding high into the championship match having beaten Nadal in four straight finals. However, this is a grand slam and it's being contested on grass. Two pivotal factors that will leave Djokovic on the outside looking in.

It doesn’t matter whether Rafa is ranked 1, 2, or 102 – he is the most ferocious competitor in tennis and he is hungry to claim his third Wimbledon crown.

Rafa certainly won’t be happy to give up his number one ranking to Djokovic on Monday, but securing his eleventh grand slam title by beating him in the final will surely easy the pain.

Didn’t See that Coming – Tsonga Zaps Federer

Tsonga savors an unlikely win over Roger Federer.

It looked so routine.

Roger Federer was on cruise control with a two sets to love lead. After closing out 179 straight matches with a 2-sets to none lead – Federer sputtered, blinked and choked away a relatively easy path to the 2011 Wimbledon semis.

The Swiss star was down a break at 3-4 and 4-5 in the third set. On both occasions, he jumped to love-30 leads on the Tsonga serve and seemed poised to break back. But somehow – IT NEVER HAPPENED!

It seems that all good things must come to an end. Federer was a mere shadow of himself in the quarters breaking down with the finish line well in sight and giving Tsonga the victory.

I really don’t know what to make of Fed any more – this was his match to take. And when you watch it, he seems to have the upper hand. But he let it slip away – without question the worse loss I’ve ever seen from him. Fed actually seemed complacent - he didn't seem interested or inspired enough to close out the Frenchman.

This wasn’t Rafa on clay or DelPo/Djoko on a hard court – it was Jo-Willie on grass and Federer may never be the same. I’ve seen him out of sorts before, but never was the 16-time grand slam champ so in control and then so lost.

The killer-instinct we took for granted for so long seems to have lost its edge. After the French, I was a believer that Federer had one or two slams left in the tank – now, I’m not so sure.

Tsonga didn’t play badly, but he didn’t light up the court either. Tsonga served well, but not well enough to knock Federer off of his favorite surface. Tsonga gained confidence only because Federer fizzled out.

The irony here is that Federer, who saved the number one ranking at the French for Nadal – has now for all intents and purposes handed it to Novak Djokovic. Djokovic will batter Tsonga and claim the number one spot, even if Rafa claims the Wimbledon title.

Rafa-Federer Redux - Ready to Renew Epic Wimbledon Rivalry

The more the game changes, the more it stays the same. Carve out whatever subplot you like, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are once again on a collision course for the Wimbledon Championships. Just like the French Open – the top two seeds are also the best grass court players in the field.

Novak Djokovic lost just one match all year long and has won an astounding seven tournaments. That will be no help whatsoever on the grass courts of Wimbledon. Djoko got dumped on the clay at the French in 2011 and will be unceremoniously knocked out of Wimbledon as well.

Djokovic is playing the best grass court tennis of his life – but it’s still not enough to get him past Federer at the All England Club. If Djokovic makes it to the semis, he is likely to be cut down by the 16-time grand slam champion who is serving like his life depended on it.

British favorite, Andy Murray is rolling, but a relatively easy draw is not working in his favor. A list of easy opponents is no way to prepare for a possible meeting in the semis with the two-time defending champ, Rafa Nadal.

"Nadal is not playing his best, but no one on the grass, save Federer, is his equal."

This is Federer’s best shot in a long time to exact a little grand slam revenge upon Nadal. Federer is serving lights out, and to beat him, Nadal will have to be at his best. You can never count Nadal out, but he must right the ship against the great one to grab his third Wimbledon title and retain his number one ranking.

Fit and Fiery Djokovic Poised to Punish Murray

Djokovic ready to claim another grand slam title.

Even before David Ferrer extended Andy Murray to four draining sets, third seeded, Novak Djokovic, was and still is the favorite to claim his second Aussie crown in 2011.

Fitness has always been the Achilles heel for Novak, but NOT at this year’s 2011 Australian Open. His fitness is the best of his career and he’s serving lights out getting 69% of his first serves in. This particular tournament has shaped up into a worse case scenario for Murray, who’s also playing top-notch tennis right now.

These two have never faced off before in a major, despite the fact that they have both played in three grand slam finals a piece.

It’s true that Murray has dominated their last three meetings in smaller tournaments, but a major is different. After knocking off Roger Federer in consecutive grand slam tournaments, Djokovic is locked into a world-beater mind set right now and he should be. Anybody not named Rafa, who takes apart Federer in straight sets, has to be the favorite here.

Djokovic’s improved fitness has led to a level of confidence that he hasn’t enjoyed since winning the Australian Open in 2008. He’s dropped only one set on the way to the final and has only had to play a total of ten sets since the third round.

On the flip side, Murray was forced to slug his way out of trouble in both the quarters and the semis, and his mental makeup is not positive. The frustration he displayed against Ferrer and Alexandr Dolgopolov underscores a crack in the armor -- a flaw that will likely be exploited by Djovovic again and again. Prediction: Djovovic in four sets.

Nadal-Federer Final? -- Don’t Count on It

20-year-old Del Potro prepared to shock the tennis world.

A pair of amazing men’s semifinal matches are on tap for Sunday, but expect the unexpected. Rafael Nadal, who’s fought back from a slew of injuries, will face Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina in the first match of the day. At the conclusion of that match, Roger Federer clashes with the Serb, Novak Djokovic.

Juan Martin Del Potro obviously comes in as the underdog to the six-time grand slam champion, Rafael Nadal this afternoon. Without question, Nadal is one of the most dominant forces in tennis, but he’s not a hundred percent healthy and the 6'5 Juan Martin Del Potro is my pick for this one.

The 2009 U.S. Open Championships will be the coming out party for the 20-year-old Del Potro. He’s a monster on the court with laser-like accuracy and a punishing first serve. Nadal has the heart of a champion, but Del Potro is poised for a major break-through. I picked Del Potro to win the tournament from the start and I’m staying with him - Article: Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina

Look for Del Potro to come through this one in an epic 5-setter.

In the other semi, Roger Federer needs no introduction. He hasn’t lost a match here since 2003 and it would take a Herculean effort from Djokovic to end his streak today. It’s not impossible, Djokovic has beaten him on the grand stage before, but Federer is playing beautiful tennis right now and Djokovic has suffered a few ups and downs.

Federer should make his way to his sixth straight final in four sets.

Friday Washed Away – Tennis Schedule Revamped

Washout Friday: The more they rolled - the more it rained.

A day and night of the rain on Friday wreaked havoc with the schedule at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships that will now be extended until Monday.

Here’s the latest schedule which of course is still at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Rafael Nadal is slated to resume his match against Fernando Gonzalez at noon on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The weather of course, is still in question, but Nadal is up a set and on serve in a second set tiebreaker, 7-6, 6-6(3-2).

Once Nadal in finished, the schedule calls for the first women’s semifinal featuring Wozniacki versus Wickmayer.

The premier women’s semi, Serena Williams versus Kim Clijsters is set for the night session on Saturday beginning at 8pm.

The men’s semifinal matches, will be played on Sunday and the women’s final has been shuffled to Sunday evening starting at 9pm.

The men’s final which was to be played Sunday, will now be played on Monday. There will be a quiz after reading this!

Wet and Nasty Conditions Looming: Serena and Clijsters Up First – Nadal Match to Resume

On the women’s side, this is the clash that many people hoped for. Serena Williams has yet to blink running through 5 rounds of tennis like she was on vacation. The “Working Mom” Kim Clijsters is one of the great “feel good” stories of the tournament.

Clijsters won’t feel good for long. She’s been very impressive so far, but no woman on the planet is match for Serena right now. Williams serves too well, moves too fast and hits too hard for anyone to pose a serious threat. But Clijsters had a great run.

After that match wraps up, Rafael Nadal will resume his contest against Fernando Gonzalez. Nadal’s match got suspended last night, not once, but twice. Rafa is up a set and on serve in a 2nd set tiebreaker by a score of 7-6, 6-6(3-2).

Nadal aggravated an abdominal injury last night, but should be able to push past Gonzalez. The cold and wet conditions are apparently compounding the injury issues for Nadal and today’s conditions won’t be any better than the weather was last night.

Although advancing to the semis would be a great accomplishment for Nadal, he would run into the red-hot Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro struggled with the wind early in his match against Marin Cilic, but then overcame the conditions and swatted Cilic away 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.

No one wants a piece of Del Potro including Nadal. But Nadal has pressing issues to take care of this afternoon, before he can worry about the semis.

A Summer Off May Be Exactly What Nadal Needed

Rafael Nadal proves it time and again - Never count him out!

Very often, I'm not happy to admit that I was wrong, but this time is different. Plagued by a summer of knee issues, few writers thought they would still be covering Rafael Nadal during week 2 of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, but here he is - playing Fernando Gonzalez in the quarterfinals.

Rafa’s knees have come through with flying colors and he’s done well to overcome an abdominal injury earlier in the tournament. He was pushed to the limit in a four set win over French strongman, Gael Monfils in the 4th round. Nadal split two of the most physical sets you’ll ever see against Monfils before taking him out in four sets.

Going back to today’s quarterfinal matchup - Nadal has easily beaten Gonzalez five straight times and today should be no different. Gonzalez has a 3 and 6 lifetime record against Rafa and two of those wins have come on hard courts, but that is ancient history. If Rafa holds up physically, he should win this one in straight sets.

In the other quarter, my pick to win the tournament has me a bit worried now. When I picked Juan Martin Del Potro to steal his first grand slam title away from Federer this year, I foolishly never thought he might have to encounter Nadal. I’m staying with Del Potro for now, but I may change my mind for the next round.

Of course I’m way ahead of myself right now – for Del Potro to get to the semis, he must take out Marin Cilic from Croatia. I don’t think that’s going to be much of a problem for him, but that’s why they lace up the sneakers. Look for Del Potro to cruise past Cilic in four sets and meet Rafa in the semis.

Day 9: Kim Clijsters in Search of the Semis

Some outstanding headlines on tap for Day 9 at the 2009 U.S. Open Championships including the breathtaking comeback of unseeded Kim Clijsters and her return to professional tennis. Clijsters won a thriller against Venus Williams during the weekend and says it is these types of moments -- that made her long for a return to the game.

She took Labor Day (yesterday) off without hitting so she would be fresh for her early afternoon quarterfinal match against the 18th seed, Na Li from China. Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open Champion has to be the favorite in this one having already dispatched Venus in three tough sets. Look for her to cruise to a straight set victory today.

Serena Williams, a three-time U.S. Open Champion is playing in the other quarterfinal against Italy’s Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta has enjoyed a remarkable run in this tournament, but Serena is playing on another level right now. If Italian veteran manages more than 6 games against Serena in the entire match, that would be an accomplishment.

On the men’s side, "My Darkhorse Pick from Day I" 6th seeded Juan Martin Del Potro should have no trouble today against the 24th seed, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Del Potro had some injury issues in his last match, but says he’s feeling great again. I still believe (perhaps foolishly) that Del Potro will claim his first grand slam title here against Roger Federer on Sunday. He's too tough and too fast and is ready to shock the world.

Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal remain on a semifinal collision course. But Nadal has to get past a tricky fourth round match against the Frenchman, Gael Monfils. Nadal reaggravated an abdominal strain in his 3rd round match against Nicolas Almagro and had to get taped up during the match. Monfils has also had some injury issues, so health will be a factor for both players. Look for Nadal to advance in four sets.

As for the second seeded Andy Murray, he’s had some up and downs in this tournament so far, but should take care of business rather handily against the 16th seed, Marin Cilic from Croatia.

Day 3 Review: Venus Hurting, Rafa Running Wild

                     How far can Venus go on a bum knee?

Rafa Nadal is showing no ill-effects from the double knee tendonitis that kept him on the sidelines for the majority of the summer. He jumped on top of Richard Gasquet from the start and never let up. He has lumbered into the last several U.S. Opens looking a little bit haggard. Not this year – he’s playing with purpose and I think he wants his number one ranking back. He certainly has his work cut out for him, but if Rafa were to win the title here, he would regain his number one status.

In a tale of three knees, Venus Williams has a much darker prognosis. She is struggling with her left knee and her opponents will only get tougher from here. Early on in her 6-4, 6-2 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands, she lunged for a ball that left her grimacing for the next five minutes. It was unclear which upset Venus more, the pain in her knee or the terrible knee-high socks that her opponent was strutting around the court in.

Assuming that Venus fights her way past her 3rd round opponent, Magdalena Rybarikova, she could potentially meet a recharged and hungry Kim Clijsters in the fourth. Clijsters had to fight back from a set down to beat the 14-seeded Marion Bartoli from France 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. She has fire in her eyes and is looking to reestablish herself at the top of the women's game.

Two-time grand slam winner and 17th seed, Amelie Mauresmo crashed out in the 2nd round today after being soundly beaten and bageled by Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4, 6-0. 15th seeded Sam Stosur also made an early exit today after a 7-5, 6-4 loss to the 20-year-old American, Vania King.

Roddick Will Falter on the Swiss Alps -- Beware the Dark Horse from Argentina

         Could Del Potro make a run at the 2009 US Open?

In the top half of the men’s draw, Andy Roddick finds himself on the same side as Roger Federer. Andy’s dismal record against Fed is not really worth repeating, but let’s give the American props if he advances to the semis to face Federer this year. Yes, Andy R. had a great Wimbledon and most Americans (myself included) hope he can break the SWISS curse at the US Open in 2009, but don’t count on it.

Nadal’s injury recharged Federer and gave him a new lease on his already storied tennis career. His confidence is sky-high since he took back the number one ranking winning both the French and Wimbledon this year. The only half decent threat to Federer before the semis is the young American and 22nd seed, Sam Querrey. Querrey had a terrific summer on the hard courts, but isn’t quite ready to conquer the Swiss Alps.

No one is even talking about the fourth seed, Novak Djokovic. It wasn't that long ago that Djokovich was being heralded as the next true force in tennis. Nobody is even whispering his name at this year's U.S. Open. That is a major oversight. Roddick would have to best Djokovic in the quarters just to get a shot at Fed.

What’s really interesting in the bottom half of the draw is my dark horse pick, Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina. This guy is a piece of work. He’s a giant that covers the court like a wide receiver. He serves lights out and could give second seeded Andy Murray the same treatment he got from Roddick at Wimbledon. The guy has no fear and fires winners from every position on the court. Many people say this might be Murray’s coming out party, but I’m putting my money on Del Potro. Whoops, no betting in tennis!

The bottom half of this draw is a nightmare for the third seeded Nadal who is trying to return from a variety of injuries. He has a rough first round clash with the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, once the number seven player in the world. If Nadal somehow advances into the quarters, he could run into another Frenchman, seventh seeded, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I don’t see Nadal going that far anyway and I would be very surprised to see him make it to the second week of the 2009 Championships.