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Mardy Fish won his second consecutive title with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over John Isner at the Atlanta Tennis Championships. Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram took the doubles title.

The last set of the singles final was the only tennis I was able to see all week. Apparently it was a sauna on the court. Isner, who really can't stand the heat, looked like he picked up where he left off in that indescribable Wimbledon first round match. Fish played the last stretch of the match with the renewed confidence of a winner and found his way to another title.

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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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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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Albert Montanes of Spain holds the trophy at the Estoril Tennis Open after his 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5 victory Portugal's Frederico Gil in Lisbon May 9, 2010.


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Mikhail Youzhny from Russia holds the trophy during the winner ceremony after the final match against Marin Cilic from Croatia at the ATP BMW open tennis tournament in Munich, southern Germany, on Sunday, May 9, 2010. Youzhny won the match 6-3, 4-6 and 6-4.


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Sam Querrey of the U.S. holds up his trophy after defeating John Isner of the U.S. during their final tennis match of the Serbia Open tennis tournament, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, May 9, 2010.

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John Isner took Novak Djokovic, arguably the third best clay court player in the world last year, to five sets on clay in Serbia.

I'm going to say that again:

John Isner took Novak Djokovic, arguably the third best clay court player in the world last year, to five sets on clay in Serbia.

Make of the American's game whatever you will, but that was some effort.

Apparently, Venus Williams was tweeting about her nerves. If one believes Justin Gimelstob, President Obama was watching the match.

Whatever the case, Isner spilled his blood and guts all over the place. Made a temperamental Djoke earn it.

All this after pinch hitting for Mike Bryan in doubles the day before and getting the win to give himself a chance to do it again in singles.

Who knows what would have happened had Isner been fresh for the crucial singles rubber, but what did happen was fantabulous. One of our guests who doesn't even watch tennis couldn't avert her eyes in the match's final game.

I think this new American team has a foundation upon which to build a competitive team.

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David Nalbandian plays Davis Cup ties like no other. Just when you thought it was safe to write him off once again....

Injured a few weeks back, he kept Argentina in the tie against Sweden in Sweden by winning the doubles rubber with Horacio Zeballos and then clinches the tie with a four-set win in the live fifth.

Most Valuable Player.

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Complete Davis Cup results.

That's what Sam Querrey and John Isner can say about their plans to get some claycourt matches under their belt at the Albierto Mexicano Telcel before traveling to Serbia for Davis Cup in the coming weeks.

Since both have played a lot of tennis of late, winning their first doubles title as a pair in Memphis on Sunday after contesting the singles final, this comes as no surprise, the court surface notwithstanding. Still, Querrey managed to get Fernando González to a third set breaker before bowing out in the first round, while Isner couldn't even manage to win a tiebreak in his straight-set defeat to German veteran Simon Greul.

Would love to have seen Richard Gasquet defeat Carlos Moya in three close sets on Monday. Up next for the Frenchman is defending champion Nicolas Almagro. Two exquisite one-handed backhands go at it later today.

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Singles - First Round
[1] [WC] F Verdasco (ESP) d F Fognini (ITA) 26 64 60
[2] F Gonzalez (CHI) d S Querrey (USA) 64 36 76(2)
[3] D Ferrer (ESP) d P Starace (ITA) 62 64
[4] J Ferrero (ESP) d [Q] D Junqueira (ARG) 62 63
S Greul (GER) d [5] J Isner (USA) 76(4) 75
[6] N Almagro (ESP) d D Sela (ISR) 61 76(0)
[7] J Monaco (ARG) d [Q] A Martin (ESP) 67(6) 75 62
[8] A Montanes (ESP) d D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 75 46 62
P Cuevas (URU) d M Daniel (BRA) 16 75 76(8) - saved 3 M.P.
J Chela (ARG) d P Luczak (AUS) 60 16 60
V Hanescu (ROU) d F Gil (POR) 76(5) 63
I Andreev (RUS) d [Q] V Crivoi (ROU) 63 64
L Kubot (POL) d H Zeballos (ARG) 61 62

Doubles - First Round
[WC] S Gonzalez (MEX) / N Massu (CHI) d [4] J Brunstrom (SWE) / J Rojer (AHO) 62 67(2) 11-9
[WC] J Elizondo (MEX) / C Ramirez (MEX) d L Arnold Ker (ARG) / T Bellucci (BRA) 76(5) 46 10-8

Women's Singles - First Round
(1) Venus Williams (USA) d. Mathilde Johansson (FRA) 62 63
(3) Gisela Dulko (ARG) d. (Q) Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 61 26 61
(5) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) d. (Q) Greta Arn (HUN) 60 60
(7) Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 26 63 64
Kaia Kanepi (EST) d. (WC) Alejandra Granillo (MEX) 60 61
Edina Gallovits (ROU) d. (WC) Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 63 63
Mariya Koryttseva (UKR) d. Angelique Kerber (GER) 57 75 64
(Q) Catalina Castaño (COL) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 57 64 75
(Q) Laura Pous Tio (ESP) d. Patricia Mayr (AUT) 26 62 61

Women's Doubles - First Round
(2) Uhlirova/Voracova (CZE/CZE) d. Craybas/Pelletier (USA/CAN) 76(8) 26 10-6
Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) d. (3) Dulko/Szavay (ARG/HUN) 63 63
Mattek-Sands/Shaughnessy (USA/USA) d. Kondratieva/Lefèvre (RUS/FRA) 62 61
Osterloh/Tatishvili (USA/GEO) d. Savchuk/Woerle (UKR/GER) 16 60 12-10
(WC) Cirstea/Cornet (ROU/FRA) d. (WC) Hermoso/Muñoz Gallegos (MEX/MEX) 61 60

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Delray Beach International Tennis Championships

Singles - First Round
[2] I Karlovic (CRO) d P Petzschner (GER) 63 76(3)
[3] B Becker (GER) d K Nishikori (JPN) 63 16 60
[4] J Chardy (FRA) d X Malisse (BEL) 63 76(5)
[6] F Mayer (GER) d [Q] N Lindahl 64 61
[7] J Blake (USA) vs T Dent (USA) 61 36 53 - to resume Wednesday
M Zverev (GER) d [8] M Russell (USA) 64 36 75
L Mayer (ARG) d [Q] K Anderson (RSA) 76(7) 76(2)
E Gulbis (LAT) d [Q] R Harrison (USA) 64 76(5)
R Haase (NED) d [Q] R Kendrick (USA) 76(4) 76(0)
M Fish (USA) d C Rochus (BEL) 57 63 33 ret. (back)
J Nieminen (FIN) d P Lorenzi (ITA) 63 64
D Brands (GER) d [WC] S Grosjean (FRA) 36 63 62
S Giraldo (COL) d [WC] V Spadea (USA) 62 63

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Malaysian Open
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(1) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 62 63
(4) Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 67(4) 63 64
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) d. Ekaterina Ivanova (RUS) 62 62
Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. (WC) Yan Zi (CHN) 62 61

Doubles - First Round
(2) Y.Chan/Zheng (TPE/CHN) d. (WC) Basuki/Sema (INA/JPN) 61 36 103
(3) Kudryavtseva/Voskoboeva (RUS/KAZ) d. Chang/Klepac (TPE/SLO) 76(5) 63
Dzehalevich/Malek (BLR/GER) d. C.Chan/Rybarikova (TPE/SVK) 75 62
Borwell/Kops-Jones (GBR/USA) d. Jurak/Marosi (CRO/HUN) 76(5) 62

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Nine years after he first won back-to-back titles on the ATP tour -- Nine. Years. -- Juan Carlos Ferrero does it again. Rallying from a set down, he outlasted compatriot David Ferrer 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in a final that could easily end the year as one of the best. Last Sunday, he won the Brasil Open.

“I feel unbelievable after winning two weeks in a row,” Ferrero said after the match. “It is a great feeling. I think the key to my current success is the physical work I have done. I have been working very hard and I know that I can be on the court forever. That helps my game a lot because I get to the ball much earlier and can be more aggressive.

“This also helps me mentally. I feel very strong and know that I have more resources now when playing important points. I have been working with a friend on the mental aspect and all is coming into place.”

Consider that the 30-year-old former Roland Garros champion and world No. 1 won his first title in 6 years just last season. Consider that the Spaniard had to battle a debilitating bout with chicken pox during the prime of his championship career. Consider that he has been regarded as nothing more than expensive wallpaper in the tapestry of the Spanish Armada ever since falling out of the Top 10 years ago.

“My goal is to get back to the Top 10. This victory makes me believe in this goal. I don’t have much to defend in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami so I hope I will do well, get extra points and move up in the rankings.”

I remain on my feet applauding wildly.

Bravo, Mister Ferrero.

Other champions this weekend include:


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Micheal Llodra holds aloft the Open 13 trophy after dismissing compatriot Julien Benneateau in the final. Afterward, he and his vanquished foe won the doubles title.


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Sam Querrey holds aloft the Regions Morgan Tennis Championships trophy after dismissing compatriot John Isner in the final. Afterward, he and his vanquished foe won the doubles title.

Is there an echo in here?

Still can't believe Isner, up 5-2 in the second set tiebreak, choked so badly. Well, yes I can. The top American male players could all benefit from an injection of mental fortitude.


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If you go to Memphis instead of Dubai, which I really have no issue with, you better win. Maria Sharapova routed Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-1 to take the Regions Morgan Tennis Championships crown yesterday.

Is yellow the official color of the WTA this year?

Already today, Michael Llodra defeated Julien Benneateau in the All-French final at the Open 13 in Marseille.

Later today, David Ferrer will face off against Juan Carlos Ferrero in the All-Spanish final at the Copa Telmex in Buenos Aires.

And Sam Querrey will take the court against John Isner in the All-American final at the Region Morgan's Keenan Championships in Memphis for the "next big thing in American tennis" bragging rights.

Who you got?

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Week two begins. For my money, the Round of 16 at a Slam is the toughest match to win if you haven't been this way before. For the eventual champion, it's the middle match. You win, you become one of the Final Eight and will always be referred to as a Grand Slam quarterfinalist. If you don't, you have to "settle" for the honorable distinction of making the second week of a Slam.

Interestingly, in the bottom half of both draws only one player, Alona Bondarenko, makes her debut in week two and only two players, John Isner and Maria Kirilenko, have never been past the last 16. Both are making their second appearance in this round. Isner made his first appearance at last year's US Open with his upset of a broken-spirited Andy Roddick in a third-set breaker. Kirilenko made her major debut in week two right here two years ago, upsetting then-ranked Top 10-er Anna Chakvetadze in three. Do they have another upset in them? Can Bondarenko continue her fine form and win her first fourth round match on her first try against the gritty Chinese player?

For me, the most intriguing matches of the day are the battle of the Belgians, the battle of the Larry Stefanki charges, and the battle of the Giants.

I get a sense that Yanina Wickmayer doesn't particularly care for Justine Henin and has the hard flat shots that can keep Henin pinned behind the baseline looping slices into the short court. Both are exhausted, so the one who wants it the most will outlast the other. That would be Henin. Two tight sets. Then again, Wickmayer relishes Kim Clijsters and doesn't particularly care for Henin, so....

This is the first encounter between Roddick and Fernando González since the American stole the Chilean's coach. Roddick leads their head-to-head 8-3, but the Chilean fans in Melbourne are an excited bunch and lifted González over the finish line in his third-round war. We saw how tentatively Roddick played against an opponent he owned in his last match, so I expect much of the same. If Gonzo isn't missing, it's going to be a rough night for Koala Andy. Then again, no one thrives more in the night-match atmosphere than the sailor-mouthed American. It could be a straight-set beatdown, or a five-set epic. I ain't calling it.

The Giant Croat and the Giant Argentinean have only played twice, both times in Slams, including a meeting in the same round here last year and in the quarterfinals of the US Open last year. Both times, Juan Martín del Potro beat Marin Cilic in four sets. I think the Tower of Tandil will make it 3-for-3, tennis elbow notwithstanding.

For the rest, I'm going with Andy Murray in four, Rafael Nadal in four, Zheng in straights or Bondarenko in three (wimpy, I know), Nadia Petrova in two or Svetlana Kuznetsova in three (and again - but we're talking Russian headcases here!), and Dinara Safina in a rout.

Who you got?

Order Of Play For Sunday, 24 January 2010

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Men's Singles - 4th Round
Andy Murray (GBR)[5] v. John Isner (USA)[33]
2. Men's Singles - 4th Round
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]

Rod Laver Arena 19:00 Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 4th Round
Justine Henin (BEL) v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
2. Men's Singles - 4th Round
Andy Roddick (USA)[7] v. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[11]

Hisense Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Women's Singles - 4th Round
Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[31] v. Jie Zheng (CHN)
Not Before:12:30
2. Women's Singles - 4th Round
Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19] v. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[3]
3. Men's Singles - 4th Round
Marin Cilic (CRO)[14] v. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)[4]
Not Before:15:00
4. Women's Singles - 4th Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) v. Dinara Safina (RUS)[2]
This match may be moved to Rod Laver Arena.

John Isner of the U.S. celebrates with the trophy after beating Arnaud Clement of France in their Auckland Open final in Auckland January 16, 2010. Isner won the match 6-3, 5-7, 7-6.

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He saved a match point and notched another victory in a decisive set tiebreak. This time, he wins the whole shebang.

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Doubles - Final
[WC] M Daniell (NZL) / H Tecau (ROU) d M Melo (BRA) / B Soares (BRA) 75 64