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The match that would never end finally did. John Isner notched the victory, but both he and Nicolas Mahut, who was so gutted after t players deserved every accolade received, including the special presentation by the AELTC after the match. Savannah summarizes the extraordinary event with her usual aplomb.

The story wasn't just covered on the front pages of newspapers across the globe, it also received coverage in segments on political shows.

Tennis. Politics. These are a few of my favorite things.

Great day for the sport.

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Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by tennis world No. 1 Serena Williams and world No. 2 Roger Federer as she attends the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships on Day 4 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 24, 2010 in London, England. It is the first visit by Queen Elizabeth II to the Championships in 33 years.

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This is your Wimbledon 2010 Day 4 Open Thread.

Order of Play for Thursday 24 June 2010

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) vs Andy Murray (GBR) [4]
2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [3] vs Kai-Chen Chang (TPE)
3. Robin Haase (NED) vs Rafael Nadal (ESP) [2]

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) vs Maria Sharapova (RUS) [16]
2. Robin Soderling (SWE) [6] vs Marcel Granollers (ESP)
3. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [13] vs Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)

COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [10]
2. Florent Serra (FRA) vs David Ferrer (ESP) [9]
3. Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)
4. Na Li (CHN) [9] vs Kurumi Nara (JPN)

COURT 12 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Gilles Simon (FRA) [26] vs Illya Marchenko (UKR)
2. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) vs Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [14]
3. Ivan Dodig (CRO) vs Sam Querrey (USA) [18]
4. Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) vs Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [19]

COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Alberta Brianti (ITA) vs Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [7]
2. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) [10] vs Monica Niculescu (ROU)
Not before 3.30 pm
3. Nicolas Mahut (FRA) vs John Isner (USA) [23] 120 T/F 4/6 6/3 7/6(7) 6/7(3) 59/59
4. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) and Bobby Reynolds (USA) vs Bob Bryan (USA) and Mike Bryan (USA) [2]

COURT 5 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Martin Fischer (AUT) vs Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) [25]
2. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) [24] vs Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)
3. Philipp Petzschner (GER) [33] vs Lukasz Kubot (POL)
4.

COURT 8 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Edina Gallovits (ROU) vs Kaia Kanepi (EST)
2. Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) [31] vs Romina Sarina Oprandi (ITA)

COURT 14 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Andreas Beck (GER) vs Julien Benneteau (FRA) [32]
2. Roberta Vinci (ITA) vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) [29]
3. Ayumi Morita (JPN) vs Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)


COURT 16 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Andreas Seppi (ITA) vs Tobias Kamke (GER)
2. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) vs Aravane Rezai (FRA) [18]
3. Xavier Malisse (BEL) vs Julian Reister (GER)


COURT 17 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Jie Zheng (CHN) [23] vs Petra Kvitova (CZE)
2. Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs Michael Russell (USA)


COURT 19 - 12.00 NOON START

1. Lukas Lacko (SVK) vs Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
2. Sara Errani (ITA) [32] vs Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP)

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The score board during the Nicolas Mahut and John Isner match on Day Three of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 23, 2010 in London, England. The match became the longest in Grand Slam history.

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The fifth set became the longest "match" in tennis history.

I've never seen such a display of will from two players during a tennis match.

It's beyond historic. It's downright legendary.


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Lost a bit in all the singles drama, Serena and Venus Williams captured the Roland Garros doubles title for their fourth straight Slam victory and 12th overall.

They became only the third women's doubles pair to win four major titles in a row. Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver did it in 1983-84, and Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva did it in 1992-93.

Serena called it the Williams' Slam.

All of sport may never see such accomplished siblings again.

The following was originally published last fall.

It seems appropriate to sing it again this spring.

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So.

Serena and Venus Williams were in the championship caliber group for the second year running, but this time, they both emerged, battered and bruised, to contest the final final of the WTA.

(I don't count that other event. I consider it an exhibition of mediocrity. It has no place whatsoever on the tour's calendar.)

I'm writing this before their doubles effort after "suitable rest" because I expect Spain to take that match. But the sisters will take the court and give the fans a semifinal.

And they will not retire.

Serena's left leg is mummified with Kinesio tape and heavy strapping. As though the injury that kept her from defending her title in Miami and interrupted her preparations for Roland Garros has returned. Venus is without mummification (yet), but her back and her knee are not up to snuff.

Neither sister can serve. Neither can run with any confidence. Changing directions looks painful even on the television screen. And yet here they are in the singles final of the season ending championships. The oldest in the field with bodies slowest to recover. Arguably the two best players on the tour -- still -- they've given their naysayers and the propagandists (far too often one and the same) heartburn. I would imagine a couple are choking on their own bile right about now.

Some of the propagandists give the sisters little to no credit, no benefit of the doubt, no matter what they do. The sarcasm that flooded Twitter and the forums after Serena announced her pullout from Fed Cup was quite catty. Any opportunity to pounce, the propagandists take it, and they don't back down.

They're more like the sisters than they care to admit.


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Caroline Wozniacki has been held up as the grittiest player at this event for her performance against Vera Zvonareva, an alternate who withdrew after her loss with an ankle injury. And what a performance it was. I'm not going to say Wozniacki wasn't cramping. Clearly, she was. The weather in Doha has been tropical, after all. But I have a sneaking suspicion the "Great Dane" is a better actress than a tennis player.

I found it intriguing that a gracious Serena, after winning her semifinal against the Dane by retirement, said that it was good for the WTA to have a "face" like Wozniacki's on the tour.

Very intriguing.

But the WTA ought to consider itself blessed in every way to have such gutsy, courageous, determined, talented, and yes -- beautiful -- champions still competing, still filling seats, still bringing the ratings, after all these years, after all they've endured. Career threatening injuries, a surgery here or there, tragic family loss, lawsuits, a bottomless pit of scorn, some of it earned, most of it not.

Kim Clijsters is back. Justine Henin is on her way. People are salivating. Some say they will "save" the tour. I admitted Clijsters' return just might be exactly what the tour needed and she delivered out of the gate.

But the sisters never retired, despite the cacophony of catcalls that they should, never doubted themselves, never stopped believing.

In sport, stars are not created in broadcast booths or weekly newsletters. They are born of accomplishment. No amount of hype can win a prematurely anointed player a championship title. This is not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is tennis.

Instead of trying to rush some other stars onto the stage to replace these lovely leading ladies, the propagandists ought to be propping up the Williams sisters instead of trying to tear them down without relent.

They're not getting any younger. They won't be around forever. They have served the sport well. And what they've done for people off the court, championing women's rights around the globe, opening schools for children in Africa -- to list but a sliver -- has made the world a better place.

Yes, the WTA is blessed, and it's about time somebody said so.


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It was champion Rafael Nadal's turn to finally get a victory, any victory, I suppose, but to make history by winning his 6th consecutive Monte-Carlo title over his frustrating and frustrated compatriot to the loss of a single game must have felt awfully good.

Weeping into his towel before the trophy presentation, it must have been a huge relief, too. He has now tied Roger Federer with 16 shields and is likely to break Andre Agassi's record with a title in Rome and Madrid. That is, if he plays them both.

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Meantime, Francesca Schiavone won her third career title at the Barcelona Ladies Open in a lopsided 6-1, 6-1 all-Italian final against Roberta Vinci.

And over on this side of the pond Sam Stosur crushed Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 6-3 to take the Family Circle Cup in Charleston.

by Mad Professah


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Tennis player Serena Williams arrives at the 18th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Viewing Party in West Hollywood, California March 7, 2010.

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Serena won her 3rd career Laureus World Sports Award in Dubai on Wednesday after she was named Laureus Sportswoman of the Year for 2009, 7 years after she won her first. In 2007, she won the Laureus Comeback Award, bringing her total to three, the most won by a female. Only Roger Federer, who has four, has won more. Federer was up for Sportsman of the Year for 2009 but lost to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won his second Laureus Award. Kim Clijsters won the Laureus Comeback Award.

Serena said:

"I am just so delighted to win this Award, but very disappointed I cannot be in Abu Dhabi to say thank you in person. It's my third Laureus Award which is amazing and I would like to say thank you to all the Academy Members who voted for me and to the world's media who nominated me. Last year had its ups and downs, so to get this support is fantastic.

"As a tennis player you look at the amazing names of the Academy Members - like John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker and Monica Seles - who have won so many Grand Slams and they know what it takes to do that. There is nothing better in sport than being acknowledged by the people that you looked up to when you were a young player.

"The Laureus Awards have been a constant reflection of my career, winning in 2003 and 2007, and I think I was also nominated four more times. I know only Roger Federer has more Awards, so it would be cool to catch him up.

"I've had a few injury problems over the years, so it's been great to get back to the top and be World No 1 again. It's going to be an interesting year with Justine Henin back, but I'm playing well and it was great to win in Australia, and I still want to win every tournament I play. It's going to be a very exciting 2010."

Congratulations, Serena!

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"That was sweet," Roger Federer said to Wayne McEwan, tournament referee, shortly after subduing Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11) in two hours and 41 minutes on Rod Laver arena last night.

With the victory, Raja wins his fourth Australian Open crown and his 16th Slam title, moving his championship accomplishments into a higher stratosphere.

As peytonallen commented:

What else can you say about Federer? He played great. He missed the Grand Slam last year by a few games. With Rafa on walkabout, and Fed already slaying his French demons its [sic] not unrealistic to follow this story. Especially when his rivals continue to fall.

The man is approaching 29 and he's proving to be in superior shape against everyone else on tour. When was the last time this guy sprained an ankle? To be this age in his tennis career and not really miss any time for injuries is remarkable. I used to doubt his boasts that he could go into his mid-30s, but really he looks just as fresh now as he did at 22.

I think its [sic] impossible to pick a greatest player of all-time, only the greatest of his era, or the greatest 'careers.' Fed is having a career no other male player dared dream. He's 2 slams away from tying [Chris] Evert and Martina [Navratilova]. A player on the ATP could have 18 slams. Laughable. If he gets there by the US Open, wouldn't his attention have to turn to the all-time record, men and women's? Which is, what? 22? I'm being lazy and not looking but he's not stopping.

The Fed storyline in the last year has really come out of a comic book alternative universe plot. After looking mentally broken from the first part of the year after the [Rafael] Nadal defeat his biggest rival, a man some were ready to proclaim as the better player goes down with injury and mental fatigue. The result has been Federer's wonderland.

I wonder if whoever is writing this decides its [sic] time to reintroduce the Nadal character into the storyline? I know many of the book's readers think so.

I love it when someone else does my work.

For me, I hoped the match would go five sets, but I always believed it would be over in three. Thus, the "ass on a silver runner-up platter" prediction. The outcome was just never in doubt. Yes, Murray put up a fight to not go down two breaks of serve in the second set. Yes, Murray played some great tennis to get a break midway though the second set, but it took a string of errors from Raja to even get the chance. Yes, the 24-point tiebreak was dramatic, with the outcome of the set in doubt as the score teetered from set point to championship point.

But the outcome of the match was never in doubt. Even if Murray had won the tiebreak, we knew Raja would win the fourth. Even when Murray served for the third set at 5-3, we knew he wouldn't close.


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Why? Because despite all the childish and brotherly mind games the players indulged in before the match, Murray openly admitted that he's not trying to win Slams for himself. Despite my belief that he simply doesn't possess the requisite weaponry to win a Slam, there's simply no way the mindset expressed in this exchange is going to produce a champion.

Q. Is there any extra motivation for you to know that you could be the one to break a long Grand Slam drought for Britain?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, I'd obviously love to do it. It's not really the only reason, you know, that I want to win a slam. I want to win it, you know, obviously for the people that I work with, for my parents and stuff, who obviously helped me when I was growing up, then doing it for British tennis and British sport would be excellent, as well.

But, you know, the pressure that I feel doesn't come from the people that are around me. They obviously are happy with anything that I do. But, you know, I want to win for them first.

It's one thing to read this exchange, it was quite another to witness it on television. Murray's body language and countenance betrayed a sense of resignation. I suppose living your life for other people and not (yet?) being able to find the desire to live for yourself can produce the demeanor he displayed during this exchange.

If Murray is to prove me wrong and mature to a point where he can actually play for himself, develop some weapons, and win a Slam, he's going to need to extract himself from the mental war he's allowed Raja to draw him into. He's going to need to do what Mats Wilander hoped and not "give a shit about Britian."

As for Raja. Having claimed his first major as a father, I suspect he'll win many more. One of his new stated goals is to hoist a trophy when his twin girls are old enough to appreciate their father's triumph. We have no reason to believe he won't stay healthy long enough to achieve it. And we know if Andre Agassi was still winning major titles into his thirties, Raja will also be motivated to improve upon that by winning more.

For now, it's up to Juan Martín del Potro and Rafael Nadal to stop him.


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It wasn't always pretty, but Serena Williams rained on Justine Henin's fairytale comeback parade to take her fifth Australian Open crown, an Open Era record.

Fighting through nerves, sticky feet, and legs heavy as wet hay, the world No. 1 picked apart Henin's game at the most crucial moments of the match for a gritty 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory on Rod Laver Arena last night.

It's the first time the American defended a Slam since Wimbledon 2003. The first to defend a title Down Under since Jennifer Capriati in 2002. And she finally broke the even-year jinx, winning a title in the first year of the decade to go with crowns in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009.

Serena has now won a Slam in three different decades, beginning with her maiden US Open title in 1999 at age seventeen.

With the victory, she claimed her 12th major title, equaling her idol Billie Jean King for sixth place on the all-time list. Serena now trails only Margaret Smith Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), Martina Navratilova (19) and Chris Evert (18).

With her five Australian Opens, she surpasses Smith Court, Graf, Monica Seles, and Evonne Goolagong for the most won in the Open Era. And she improves her overall winning percentage in Grand Slam finals to 12-3 (.800) the best among active players, woman or man.

Henin, who retired in a cloud of questions 20 months ago, was trying to repeat Kim Clijsters' comeback success by winning her first major entered, and to become the second unranked woman to win a Slam in the Open Era. (Bet I know who Clijsters was rooting for last night.) Despite Henin's run to the finals, she'll remain unranked on Monday. The WTA rankings system requires three events on the computer before spitting out a number before your name.

The Little Backhand That (Almost) Could played brilliantly in stretches and fought like she always fights, but it wasn't enough to overcome a determined defending champion. Despite being mummified with tape on her right thigh and left calf, and playing every day of the event for the last week and a half, including defending her doubles title with her big sister the day before, Serena had two practice sessions earlier in the day to get her feet moving and prepare for Henin's low slices.

In the first few games of the match, you would've never known. Serena had to serve 29 times, fight through two break points and five deuces just to hold her opening service game. She broke Henin's serve to lead 3-1 but faced another 15-40 deficit. She saved the first break point with a 119 MPH service winner.

On the second, a controversial line call denied the Belgian a break back. Henin played a great point to win the game but it had to be replayed because the linesperson called Henin's short volley out, corrected herself, but Serena chased the ball down and got her racquet on it. The crowd booed. When Serena struck another service winner to save break point, Henin cursed behind the baseline, and the crowd booed again. From thereon, it was firmly in Henin's corner.

Serena dropped the next three games to level the set and 4-4, but composed herself and broke Henin again in the ninth game to take the first set.

40 for 40 in wins Down Under after taking the first set, Serena was poised to run away with the match. Leading 3-2 in set two, she earned a break point on Henin's serve, but hit a forehand into Melbourne. After a few more deuces, Henin held on.

At 3-3, 30-0, Serena tossed in a wild double fault that landed halfway between the service line and the baseline. I gagged. So did Serena. She won a single point the rest of the set. Her feet froze, her mind wandered, and Henin took full advantage, striking line-cleaning winners off both wings from all over the court to win the set 6-3 and level the match.


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Surely the match was now Henin's to lose, right? After all, she had the advantage of opening the third set on her serve.

After both players took an extended bathroom break, Serena returned to the court composed and ready to take names. After the match, she told Mary Jo Fernandez she might not ever get another chance and had to "man up", dig in and go for it. But that's not exactly what she did.

The intensity when these two play is unrivaled and I wasn't sure who would raise her game, hold it together, and seize control of the match. Was this see-saw affair headed to 12-10 in the third?

Momentum still on her side, Henin opened the set with a strong hold at love. Serena once again had to save 15-40 on her serve to level the match. After trading three nervy breaks, Serena finally consolidated one to lead 4-2. The finish line in view, the defending champ switched tactics, adding more topspin and less pace to her shots, spreading the court with angles instead of depth. Henin had trouble creating her own pace on the higher bouncing shots and finally capitulated another break to a fiercely focused Serena who was not to be denied.


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With a strong service game, including the fastest ace of the match at 123 MPH, Serena closed out the tug of war in two hours and seven minutes. Falling on her back in victory, relief broke over her face like surf. When she finally got up to approach the net, she could hardly walk, a fortnight of fatigue on full display. Almost thought she was going to fall down again before reaching the stands and sharing celebratory hugs with her mother and sister.


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A double duty champion Down Under two years running and fifth overall, Serena the Great put out an extraordinary effort. Now that she's reached her goal of equaling King's Slam victories, she may be more relaxed on the crushed brick of Paris and finally win another crown there.

Henin surely will have something to say about that.


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Cross posted to The Huffington Post

2009 will go down as the most surreal year of tennis in recent memory. For most of the year, WTA had to bear a world No. 1 in Dinara Safina who played chicken on the biggest stages in the game; Rafael Nadal lost in the first week of Roland Garros; Serena Williams lost her mind; Andy Roddick fared better in Paris than in New York and only won one title; Ana Ivanovic won none; Roger Federer got everything back he lost last year and then some; Maria Sharapova's best Slam showing was on her worst surface; Richard Gasquet kissed a girl; Svetlana Kuznetsova won another Slam and immediately fell away; Andre Agassi dropped a bombshell; the International Tennis Federation couldn't make up its mind on what to do with two Belgian players, one rising, one fading, both treated like the stars they aren't; and Novak Djokovic remembered how to play tennis.

Players Of The Year: Serena Williams and Roger Federer


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Switzerland's Roger Federer, the Men's Singles Champion 2009, poses with the Wimbledon Trophy and US tennis player and Ladies Singles Champion 2009 Serena Williams during the Champions dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane, in central London, on July 5, 2009.

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Aldo Liguori, head of global public relations for Sony Ericsson and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Stacey Allaster pose with Serena Williams after she was presented a trophy to commerate finishing the year as number 1 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings after the final of the Sony Ericsson WTA Championships at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on November 1, 2009 in Doha, Qatar.

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Two Slam titles in 2009; the year-end No. 1 ranking; record-breaking prize money earned; AP Female Athlete of the Year; Sports Illustrated Female Athlete of the Decade. The accolades are all deserved for an athlete who stood out this year for once again elevating individual athletic competition to an art form.


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Roger Federer of Switzerland poses with the ATP World Tour Champion Trophy next to The ATP Executive Charmiman and President Adam Helfant during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 25, 2009 in London, England. Federer was crowned ATP World Tour Champion for the fifth time, after becoming just the second player in the history of the ATP Rankings to regain the year-end No. 1 ranking. Federer clinched the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion title by beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on November 24.

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He seemed to have lost his way in 2008, but with his chief rival nursing an injury, he got it all back and then some. He completed the career Slam in Paris and the Channel Double with his historic win in Wimbledon. He got married and gave birth to twin girls. He didn't finish the year as strongly as he might have liked, but in his own words, winning Roland Garros and getting back his Wimbledon crown were the only things truly worthy of getting up and going to work. Mission accomplished.

Greatest Performances: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams


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Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland during the men's tennis final on day 14 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on early February 2, 2009. Nadal won a classic Australian Open final against Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 to secure his first hard-court Grand Slam and stop the Swiss equlling the all-time Majors record.

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He was never supposed to be able to win a major on a hard court. He wasn't supposed to have anything left in the tank after his grueling 5-plus hour semifinal over Fernando Verdasco that a few have named best match of the year. The stars were aligned for the Monogrammed Maestro to earn his record-tying 14th Slam title and the tennis stars of old were lined up to witness the history.

They would have to wait a few more months.

Melbourne belonged to the Superman from Mallorca who tamed the field but perhaps gave his best performance when he offered up a shoulder for his defeated victim to cry upon. It was a bizarre trophy ceremony and one of the most surreal moments of the year for this tennis fan. How could Raja steal Rafa's night? many of the Spaniard's fans asked. Was Raja on the verge of a nervous breakdown? After producing glorious tennis over the fortnight and becoming the first player since Mats Wilander to hold Slam titles on three different surfaces and extending his ranking-points lead over the world No. 2, Rafa's generosity of spirit proved his greatest performance of the year. I'll leave you with the words of dylan, a self-professed Federer idolater.

There seems to me to be something in Roger that makes you hope for something perfect. Maybe this is childish, maybe Roger is a little big childish still. Maybe it is just that for a couple years, he did seem perfect, like the game had been solved. This was inspirational.

Regardless, Nadal is the truth, and there is no denying it.

And yet, it is hard not to feel bad for Roger. What a tragic development for his expectations, and mine.

Instead of perfection, or achievement, I'm now humbled by Nadal's superhuman generosity and real human warmth. It's easy to see larger the implications that these two men represent.

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Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts to her win over her sister Venus Williams during their WTA Championships final tennis match in Doha November 1, 2009.

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She had so many great performances this year it was difficult to pick one. From her final two matches in Melbourne to her semifinal victory over Venus in Miami or her back-from-the-brink-of-defeat victory over Elena Dementieva in the Wimbledon semifinals and total control over her sister in the Wimbledon final to make history, it was a show-off year for the Athlete of the Decade. But it was her gutsy, determined sweep of the field on one leg at the season ending championships in Dubai that earns Serena this award.

After her USO misstep and all the conflama surrounding it, Serena gritted her teeth and set out to do something she'd never done before: win a round-robin format year-end event. Though she won her first season-ending championship in 2001, it was a single elimination event. Serena isn't fond of the round-robin format and wasn't sure she'd be able to get over the mental block she'd need to get over in order to win one of these inventions of modern tennis. She came close in 2004, but an acute abdominal injury kept her from closing out that final despite being up 4-0 in the final set. In Dubai, no leg injury would keep her from victory. She emerged from the tougher of the two groups battled and bruised, got a virtual walkover in the semifinals when the overplayed and overhyped Caroline Wozniacki decided she had had enough and sat down, and then gave her sister no quarter in another straight-set final victory. Serena the Great delivered.

Best ATP Match: Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick, 5-7, 7-6(8), 7-6(3), 3-6, 16-14, Wimbledon Final

Runner up: Rafael Nadal d. Fernando Verdasco, Australian Open Semifinal


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What I wrote after the match: 5 Ending In 3

Best WTA Match: Serena Williams d. Elena Dementieva, 6-7(4), 7-5, 8-6, Wimbledon Semifinal

Runner up: Jelena Dokic d. Alisa Kleybanova, 7-5, 5-7, 8-6, Australian Open Round Of 16


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It was the longest Grand Slam semifinal in the Open Era and from the first point, you knew it would be special. As it turned out, it was outrageous.

Worst ATP Match: Andy Murray d. Fabio Fognini 7-6(11), 6-4, Monte-Carlo Second Round

If I recall correctly, the Italian raced out to a 5-0 lead over the Scot and then commenced to choke in gears. By the time he reached the fifth gear, the match had lost all semblance of watchability and the tiebreak had only just begun. I don't remember how many set points he wasted in the tiebreak but given the score, there were a-plenty. Murray simply hung around and pumped his fists, flared his fangs, and barked whenever Fognini missed a sitter. It was enough to score a victory in one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed.

Worst WTA Match: Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Dinara Safina, 6-4, 6-2, Roland Garros Final

How is it even possible for the world No. 1 to ask aloud "Why am I such a chicken?" in the middle of a Grand Slam final on her favorite surface? Surreal and bizarre don't even being to describe it. Pitiful is more like it. For her part, Kuzzy wasn't exactly stellar. When a Grand Slam final wins this award, you know it was a crazy year.

Biggest Performance Breakdown ATP: Tommy Haas to Roger Federer, 7-6(4), 7-5, 4-6, 0-6, 2-6, Roland Garros Round Of 16


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He was up two sets to love, 4-3 with a break point to go up 5-3 and serve for the match. Many of the year-end summaries point to Raja's forehand winner to save break point as the shot of the year. It was a routine inside-out forehand passing shot winner that was pretty easy to execute, even under pressure, because Haas' approach lacked depth and bite and he covered the net so half-heartedly. The resurgent German lost his nerve, his serve, his return, his forehand and backhand, and the next 11 games, only winning another two in the match.

Biggest Performance Breakdown WTA: Vera Zvonareva to Flavia Pennetta, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0, US Open Round Of 16


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Six match points. That's what she had. But Pennetta wasn't going down and I have to say, she saved every single one of them with a winner. It was enough gutsy tennis to drive the fragile one batty. David Waldstein sums it up best:

She tore at the bandage wrapping her left knee and implored the umpire Lynn Welch to allow her to grab a pair of scissors during the first-game changeover and cut the tape off. She was denied because it was a pre-existing injury and it was not a full changeover.

Zvonareva kept pulling off swaths of tape and when she lost her serve and did a split trying to reach a ball, she sat on the court and pounded her right leg four times, imploring the limb to do better. When a piece of the bandage flew onto the court and a ball girl hesitated in retrieving it, Zvonareva scolded her.

And after she fell behind, 0-3, she smacked the net cord with her racket and issued an expletive in perfect English; something about the “rule,” which earned her a code violation.

“She’s always like this,” Pennetta said. “I know her. She can cry on the court and the next point she fights and play good tennis.”

Biggest Upset, ATP: Robin Söderling d. Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(2), Roland Garros Third Round


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This choice was a no-brainer. I called it an earthquake. One writer (I can't remember which right now) opined that now that we know Rafa was injured, it put the upset in perspective and it's no longer quite as stunning. Bullshit. Rafa had never lost at Roland Garros and as far as I was concerned, he could defeat the field on his favorite surface at his "home" court on one leg if need be. But it wasn't to be and the Swede, who had only won a few games against the Spaniard just weeks before, deserves more credit that he's gotten then or since. After all, he dismissed David Ferrer in the previous round, which could have won this award in its own right.

Biggest Upset, WTA: Gisela Dulko d. Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, Wimbledon Second Round


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Had to think about this one a bit. Melanie Oudin got the best of Jelena Jankovic in the third round of Wimbledon (not to mention Elena Dementieva in the second round of the US Open) and Carla Suarez Navarro (what happened to her in 2009?) took out Venus Williams who had served for the match in the second round of Melbourne. But Jankovic was having a crappy year and Venus hasn't performed well Down Under since 2003, so I let those fall away as honorable mentions. Instead, the battle of the beauties that ended with the Argentinean dismantling the Russian and former Wimbledon champion in a third set after being down a break stands above the rest as the biggest upset of the year. South American Surprise indeed.

In her comeback, Sharapova had made it to the quarterfinals at her worst Slam and claimed to be 100% heading into her favorite. The propagandists, astonishingly, had made her a front-runner for the title. It was as though they didn't notice her serve was nowhere to be found in Paris, despite her guts taking her about as far as they could take her against a field of chokers. I expected Dulko to follow suit but she held her nerve and her serve enough to send Sharapova back to the practice courts and the propagandists back to shoulder excuse after shoulder excuse after shoulder excuse after....

Most Surprising Slam Runs: Melanie Oudin and Robin Soderling

The upstart American took out Russia with victories over Dementieva, Sharapova, and Nadia Petrova to advance to the US Open quarterfinals before falling to the "Great Dane."

Yes, the big Swede can boast the biggest upset of the year (the decade? the Open Era?), but surely he would have had a letdown in his next match, no? No. He played stupendous tennis all the way to the final, blitzing former semifinalist Nikolay Davydenko in straights in the quarters and Fernando Gonzalez in five sets in the semis before falling to the "Greatest Of All Time" in the final. His run almost qualified for Greatest Performance as well, but that award requires a victory on Sunday.

Best Mid-Career Makeovers: Andy Roddick, Robin Söderling, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova

I still can't believe it took Kuzzy this long to win another Slam, still can't believe Andy almost did but didn't, though his victories over Lleyton Hewitt in five sets and Andy Murray in four tight sets were most impressive and not at all expected. It was great to see Robin's power tennis work so well on clay among the men and Dementieva perform the best she's ever performed in two Slam semifinals before being edged out by the eventual champion both times.

Worst Luck: Jelena Dokic and Andy Roddick

Acute injuries broke their momentum just as they were on the verge of great things. If it wasn't for bad luck, no luck at all.

Most Surreal Moment: Serena's US Open Tirade

Nothing more to say about it except to give it a proper award here.

Most Unbecoming Scene Stealer: Roger Federer's Australian Open Trophy Ceremony Breakdown


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Most Spoiled Brat: Victoria Azarenka

She's going nowhere fast.

Biggest Drama Queen: Caroline Wozniacki

She snatches the wig off Jelena Jankovic what with all that acting on display at the year-ending championships.

Biggest Disappointments: Ana Ivanovic and Ernests Gulbis

Nuff said.

Most Improved Gonads: Juan Martín del Potro and Flavia Pennetta

The Tower of Tandil improved so quickly he went from enduring one of the most humiliating performances of the year to raising the US Open trophy after defeating the guy who humiliated him 8 months prior.

Flavia earned her place in history as the first female player from Italy to make the Top 10 after an outstanding summer. And then there were all those gonads on full display to save all those match points against Bepa at the US Open.

Both players ended the year strong with del Potro backing up his US Open defeat of Raja with another and finishing runner-up in London and Pennetta raising the Fed Cup with Team Italy.

Outstanding Newcomers: Melanie Oudin and Sergiy Stakhovsky

More on Miss Melanie later but Stakhovsky, not exactly a newcomer but I couldn't think of anyone else, will be most famous for ending Marat Safin's tennis career in Russia.

Best Comebacks: Kimiko Date-Krumm and Taylor Dent


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Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan holds winner's trophy after she defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in the women's singles final, during a ceremony at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.

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Jelena Dokic began the year as the front runner for this award but ended up taking Worst Luck. Kim Clijsters would seem a shoo-in for her US Open victory, but she's won this before and this category calls for winners without repeats. But for me, the 39-year-old Japanese player who was off the tour longer than I've been following tennis this go around came back and actually won a title.

As Matt informed us, she is the second oldest player (Billie Jean King was the oldest) to ever win a title on the WTA. Nice work if you can get it. And she got it after being off the tour for 12 years. 12 years.

“Yeah, of course, very happy. I realized one more time after this game that we don’t know about tennis unless we actually play it.

“Above all, my husband’s love was a big help for my win.

“I think I won’t have any problem in my physical strength over the next five years. But I’m married … have to have kids and have a lot of things to do. I think I can play tennis for the next two years.”

Go on with your bad self.


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Basically, he had his back ripped apart and rebuilt twice over two years and he wasn't sure he'd ever play tennis again. But he returned to the tour and participated in one of the best matches of the year, striking 121 winners to defeat Ivan Navarro 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(1), 7-5, 7-6(9) in the second round of the US Open. His grabbing the microphone from the chair umpire at the end of the match and telling the crowd how much he loved them was one of the most poignant moments of the year.

When he defeated Feliciano Lopez in four sets in the previous match, Dent howled as though expelling all his disappointment in one sound. It had been four years since he won a main draw match at the US Open.

Where does he go from here? He told tennis.com:

"I'm not looking too far ahead. But I've had a lot of small highs and a lot of silver linings to some of the losses, and my progress in general. It all culminated at the U.S. Open. I didn't feel I was playing that well going into the event, but I was able to compete at a pretty high level thanks to my fitness and a lot of hard work. That win over Navarro was great for me, even though Murray beat me in the next round. I followed up that tournament with wins in Tulsa and Knoxville (Challenger events), and a final in Champaign (Ill.). That was gratifying."

Best Farewell: Marat Safin


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Marat Safin of Russia holds the key of the Bercy stadium, a farewell trophy to mark the end of his career, during BNP Masters indoor tennis tournament in Paris, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Safin ended his career with style with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 defeat by Juan Martín del Potro in the second round of the Paris Masters. The 29-year-old Safin, a two-time Grand Slam title winner, put on a great performance on center court Wednesday against the U.S. Open champion but was unable to extend his career for at least one more day.


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Tennis champions and former champions pose together for a picture on November 11, 2009 in Paris during a ceremony to mark the last professional match of Safin at the ATP Paris Indoor Master tournament. LtoR, top: Spanish Albert Costa and Tommy Robredo, Portugese Federico Gil, Swiss Marc Rosset, Russian Marat Safin, Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, Croatian Ivo Karlovic, bottom : Argentinian Juan Martín del Potro, Serbian Novak Djokovic and Frenchman Gilles Simon.


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Signing balls and autographs to fans after an homage marking his last professional match, during the ATP Paris Indoor Master tournament, on November 11, 2009 in Paris.

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The Mercurial One hung up his racquet this year. He announced his departure early enough so that he could receive proper accolades from the fans at each of his final performances at events throughout the year. As I wrote, it was pure poetry for him to bow out to a man who considered him a childhood idol.


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Worst Farewell: Amélie Mauresmo


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She announced her retirement in a press conference long after she played her last match of the season and while no one was surprised, it was anti-climactic and didn't allow fans and organizers to pay their proper respect to a career worthy of much.

Best Spouses: Irina Davydenko and Brooklyn Roddick





Nikolay credits his wife with his recent successes and Roddick credits his for bringing him back from the brink of retirement between the 2008 and 2009 seasons. When the camera manages to find these two beautiful women in the stands watching their husbands battle before them, they always appear strong and calm. Obvious is their impact on their husbands' tennis and on-court demeanor.

Coaches Of The Year: Magnus Norman, Larry Stefanki, and Kim Clijsters

The men are credited with two of the best Mid-Career Makeovers of the year and Clijsters took out the sisters back-to-back en route to her second US Open title to become the first unranked woman to win a Slam in the Open Era.

Best Dressed: Tommy Robredo and Flavia Pennetta


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Tommy Robredo of Spain returns a ball to Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their Valencia Open tennis match in Valencia November 6, 2009.


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Flavia Pennetta of Italy celebrates a victory with her flag after the Final of the Fed Cup World Group between Italy and the USA at Circolo Tennis Rocco Polimeni on November 8, 2009 in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Best Tribute: Pancho Gonzalez US Open

Tennis player Richard Alonzo "Pancho" Gonzalez resting in chair courtside between matches during a tournament in Los Angeles on November 17, 1949. Photo by Allan Grant.

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The US Open knows how to do a tribute. If you didn't catch it on your local broadcast, too bad. Here's how the USTA promoted it:

On Saturday night, Sept. 5, special guests, including actor Benjamin Bratt, will host a tribute to former U.S. National Champion Pancho Gonzalez on-court in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The tribute will celebrate Gonzalez on the 60th anniversary of his second consecutive victory at the U.S. Championships and will include a video presentation highlighting Gonzalez’ life and tennis career. Gonzalez family members, as well as a number of former players and Hispanic community leaders, will be in attendance.

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With actors Jimmy Smits, right, and Benjamin Bratt at the side, Danny Gonzales, son of tennis great Pancho Gonzales, speaks at a tribute to his father at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009.

Biggest Controversies: Richard Gasquet kisses a girl, Andre Agassi spits on the ATP, and the International Tennis Federation exhibits impotence

Each one deserves a long essay that I won't take the time to write. What they have in common is doping, favoritism, incompetence and hubris.

Most Egregious Decision: Doha Denies Visa To Shahar Pe'er


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A picture taken on February 20, 2008 shows Israel's Shahar Pe'er during her tennis match against France's Virginie Razzano on the third day of the Qatar Open WTA tournament in Doha. The future of the Dubai Open may be at risk after Peer was prevented from competing in the event which started on February 15, 2009. The world number 48 from Israel has been denied a visa into the Gulf state, bringing a strongly worded statement from the Women's Tennis Association. The blocking is a surprise because Pe'er was given a visa to play in the Qatar Open last year, a visit which was a considerable success both in tennis and diplomatic terms.

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Raise your hand if the aforementioned controversies almost made you forget about this international insult? In several threads, this readership discussed the drama with an intelligence and civility here, here, here, here, and here that left me humbled. Yes, it got hot sometimes. We were discussing religion, politics, and tennis, after all. But at the end of the day, it was one of the best discussions of the controversy I'd read anywhere. And I have no bias, of course. Give yourselves a big round of applause.

Biggest Tennis Powerhouse: Spain Still Reigns


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Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain pose for a photo with their winners trophies and Spanish musicians after their three set victory against Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of the USA in the Womens doubles final during the Sony Ericsson Championships at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex on November 1, 2009 in Doha, Qatar.


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Team Spain attended a cocktail party celebrating their Davis Cup victory on December 6, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain.

Strongest Ovaries: Melanie Oudin


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US tennis player Melanie Oudin celebrates after winning against Russia's Nadia Petrova during day eight of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 7, 2009. Oudin qualified for the quarterfinals winning 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

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It may seem like overkill, but the little woman who could went all out on all surfaces at all events to show the bigger and better players that guts should never be underestimated.

She played clutch tennis to get Team USA into the Fed Cup semifinals. Her run through qualifying and past Jelena Jankovic into the second week of Wimbledon feels like a lifetime ago already. The hype around her remarkable US Open run was hard to resist. She did the best she could in the Fed Cup final and though she lost both her rubbers, she made the Italians put out to take the title. Whatever her future holds, 2009 was a year she'll never forget.

Biggest Balls: Juan Martín del Potro


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Juan Martín Del Potro from Argentina after defeating Roger Federer from Switzerland during the Men's Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 14, 2009 in New York.

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He gets more glory as well. After all, he defeated the "Greatest Of All Time" in a Grand Slam final in a fifth set to win his first major title. It don't get no ballsier than that.

Comment Of The Year

Leslie said...

Right now, for me, Federer is one of the greats. But he's going through a rough patch right now and this will define whether people argue him as just another great or THE greatest.

He had everything. A loving, dedicated girlfriend; he would go weeks, nay, months not losing a match; he was adored the world over, unlike his predecessors; Sampras, Borg, McEnroe, all of them had their "haters".

And the media loved him. He was never the most handsome fellow, but on becoming a major winner and potential great, he cut his hair, controlled his temper, redefined his image and became - in most person's eyes - not only the perfect tennis player, but the perfect gentlemen.

He was the combination of Andre Agassi and Sampras, the success and the fan base all in one.

And now, his empire is crumbling. Do I feel sorry for him? Of course I do. I felt sorry when Jordan embarrassed himself with the Wizards, I felt sorry when Zidane made an ass of himself in the World Cup finals of all places. I feel sorry for everyone, which is tough, because someone has to lose, so obviously I feel sorry a lot.

But I feel no more sorry for Roger Federer than I do for Rafael Nadal when he lost his first Wimbledon final and I saw the tears in his eyes and the desolation in his body language.

Champions will always rise to the top. But the truest champions are capable of rising from the ashes. If Roger Federer rises again and goes on to win another 3, 4 majors, then in my mind, he's the greatest. He limps out of the sport and breaks down, then he's just another great player in the conversation.

It's up to him to prove himself.

Mon Apr 06, 02:15:00 PM

Post: Quote For The Day II (Updated)

Quote For The Year

"From what I have been looking at and reading, it doesn't seem like Venus and Serena are in any hurry to go anywhere. Everyone is always looking for the next big thing. Well, the present, as far as the women's game goes, is pretty good. It feels like [people] will only really appreciate that once they are gone."--Andy Roddick, responding with sarcasm when asked about how everyone is waiting for the "American girl" to come along

Face Of The Year


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French player Mathieu Montcourt rests during a break of his French Open tennis second round match against Czech player Radek Stepanek on May 27, 2009 at Roland Garros stadium in Paris.

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Mathieu Montcourt (March 4, 1985 - July 6, 2009)

Rest in peace.