It was rough out on the courts this weekend at the Sony Ericsson Open. Maybe it’s good that Fox Sports Network aired BMX world, instead. Yikes!
The wreckage on the WTA side was especially graphic:
Jelena Jankovic crashed out to Gisela Dulko (who then went out to Benesova)
Dinara Safina was crushed 6-1, 6-4 by Sam Stosur in what she memorably called a “disaster match.” (And due to WTA insanity – or is is inanity – Dinara could still make it to No. 1 at the end of the tournament! Don’t ask me to do the math, but it’s true.)
9th seed Nadia Petrova out to Makarova
Cibulkova out to Medina Garrigues (Dominika retired with muscle cramps)
Cornet destroyed by Jie Zheng, 6-4, 6-0
Dokic out to Wozniacki (not quite an upset, but too bad.)
The Indian Wells hangover:
Ana Ivanovic (IW runner up) went out in three to Agnes Szavay, 6-4,4-6,6-1.
Vera Zvonareva (IW champ) was ousted to Na Li
Victoria Azarenka (IW semifinalist) was the lone survivor of the four IW semifinalists after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (IW semifinalist) and then Chakvetadze (not really an upset, but impressive considering the fate of her desert cohorts.)
Joining Azarenka in the second week are both Williams sisters, Dementieva, Kuznetsova and Amelie Mauresmo (over Pennetta!) So not all is lost.
On the ATP side it was the B and C list Americans who suffered en masse:
Blake is not really B list, but went out to Berdych
Kendrick out to Tsonga (Allez!!)
Isner out to Ferrer
Delic out to Cilic
Reynolds out to Stepanek
Fish out to Massu
Querrey out to Feliciano Lopez
The good news for team USA: Qualifier Taylor Dent made up for his countrymen’s disappointing results by defeating two seeded players this weekend: Robredo (15) and Almagro (19). But can he keep the upset mojo going against Federer in the fourth round?
And some minor issues on the men’s side:
Richard Gasquet withdrew from the tournament – blahhhhh – I’m so over him, anyway.
Andy Murray almost got upset by hottie Juan Monaco – hope we see more of Juan on clay
As a Safin fan, I’m sad he didn’t get past Monfils, especially considering he had two match points. It’s also too bad (but typical) that Nalbandian went out Troicki 6-3, 6-1.
Hewitt’s gotta be “this” much closer to retirement after going out 6-1, 6-2 to Simon
When you see the results laid out like this in one big, bloody pile, you realize how brutal our sport really is. MMA has nothing on tennis!
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Tags: ATP, azarenka, Ivanovic, Jankovic, Mauresmo, Miami Open, Murray, Nalbandian, Safin, Safina, Sony Ericsson Open, tennis, WTA, Zvonareva
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Gasquet belongs to the ones among my ‘level 2′ fave players. so sad to see him not stepping up. at all. He has been a tad unfortunate with injuries too.. but still. whatever.
I hope one day we’ll see him winning a GS or AMS.. or is it just asking for too much?
I know, Arun! I was so, so psyched about Gasquet a couple years ago and he was one of my top players for so long and in the past year, I’ve just HAD IT. And he better be careful, because tennis is moving on. Being a “Baby Fed” might not be enough. I wonder if he misses all the accolades and is confused that his countrymen Simon, Tsonga and Monfils have taken over the spotlight? I thought having some of the focus off of him might help loosen him up, but so far, not so good!
Who knows, maybe he’s just a really late bloomer. Or maybe he’ll have a “moment” like Verdasco had during the last Davis Cup final. I think that’s what he needs – that “man up” moment.
“Who knows, maybe he’s just a really late bloomer.”
I hope so too. The problem is he neither thrives under pressure nor as the underdog. but let’s see.
I maybe repeating stuff. but if we works on fitness (like Murray did) will it give him additional confidence and work magic for him like it did for Murray? coz he isn’t short of talent either.
“The problem is he neither thrives under pressure nor as the underdog. but let’s see.”
HA! Arun that sums it up beautifully.
I think he needs to get out of France, come to America and start working his ass off. This isn’t a dig on France, at all, I just think that he’s grown up in a hothouse atmosphere and needs a break.
I think he needs to get out of France – put his nose to the grindstone and become a gym rat. Maybe he could sign with Adidas and start working with Cahill/Reyes in Vegas. Or hire Brad Gilbert! (Yes, I know that none of this would ever, ever, happen but wouldn’t it be great – just to mix things up?)
lol. that sound like a plan. If only you could email that to Reeshie himself…
Maybe he’ll start Twittering and I can get to him that way. . .
Holy Bovines, thanks for catching me up, and living, through your writing, the full-on train wreck. Gadzooks!
I’m especially humbled because I don’t recognize 50% of the names on the Ladies’s Side. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova? Sounds like Pushkin.
Ha! Yes, she is the new kid on the block. Made it to the semis of IW, and all the tennis writers were like “sh*t” now we have to learn to spell this girl’s name. Still working on it, myself.