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2008 Australian Open Men’s Final Live Blog

Hello Everyone. Welcome to the 2008 Australian Open men’s final. It’s 12:30am in California (Hi Pat), 1:30am in Texas and Arizona (Debra, are you awake? Hi Jason), 3:30am in Bloomfield Hills (that would be bleary eyed Nate), and breakfast time in Europe (I know Maria is watching, and you Jenny?). Farid, where are you located? Drop us a comment and we’ll log your current time. You too Sakhi. That’s goes for everyone. Please leave comments throughout the match and we’ll get everyone talking to each other.

Settle in with your coffee and croissant to watch the first slam final in three years without a Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. Instead we have 20-year-old Nole Djokovic and unseeded upstart Jo-Willie Tsonga. Can Nole complete the progression that started last year with semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and a final at the U.S. Open by taking the title today? Can Jo-Willie come up with the same perfect performance that ran Nadal off the court? If not, can he impose his game on Nole as he has on everyone else here? Tighten your seat belts, we’re off!

First things first: predictions?

Nina: Pat and I figured that Tsonga could probably get a set off Djokovic. I’d like it to be a great match but I also might like to go to bed before 4am! Love the poetic ESPN intros by the way.

Jason has joined us and here’s his prediction: Tsonga in 4 tight sets: 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.

Pat: ESPN is nothing if not poetic, and how ever do they do it, at 12:30 in the morning??? Good morning all, having hoped Tsonga gets at least a set I have decided I don’t care about sleep, Nina, let’s give him the whole match, shall we? Even if it takes hours (I still knock on wood!)

Nate: I don’t know how many sets, but I’m going with Tsonga.

Nina: Welcome Nate and Pat. Why do you think Tsonga is the crowd favorite over Djokovic. Are people turned off by Djokovic’s brashness or do they just want some new meat?

Nate: I don’t know if people are turned off by Djokovic (although message-boards would lead me to believe so…). I think it’s more a matter of everyone being electrified by Tsonga’s game, appearance, and manner.

Tsonga 0-1 (break)

Nate: Tsonga is clearly nervous

Nina: Jo-Willie had better stay out of ground stroke rallies with Nole. Nadal is a topspinner but Djokovic is a good baseliner who hits through the ball and that’s harder for Jo-Willie.

Djokovic serving at 1-2

Nate: Well, Djokovic handed the break back, and now Tsonga looks a lot calmer. So far, you’re right about the long rallies, but Jo-Willy didn’t allow too many in that game.

Tsonga 2-2

Nina: Nole held but Jo-Willie is now keeping the ball out of the middle of the court. He has to attack as soon as possible. Whow, that was some point on break point, both of ’em were hitting lines. I’m starting to believe in Jo-Willie. Ooooh, two jump overheads with a retrieval in between. This is gonna be a barn burner.

Jason: It looks like Tsonga is really running Nole around…perhaps Tsonga is trying to tire Nole out

Djokovic 2-2

Nate: Tsonga’s definitely opening his shoulders. But I’d say he’s more trying to simply win points than to tire Djoko out per se…Wow, he finally missed a touch shot. Anyone notice that slice return of his a couple games ago that almost turned into a good drop shot? Is he playing within the same laws of physics as everyone else?

Tsonga,3-2

Pat: Ohhhh, that drop shot from Tsonga was a bit ugly, but he’s picking up everything else, this could be a really fiery one.

Nina: Jo-Willie has to get a high number of first serves in. Lucky for him that Nole is making errors. From what I’ve seen so far, Tsonga can impose his game on Djokovic is he gets more first serves in and goes for corners from the get-go.

Tsonga 4-3

Nina: Do you think Nole might have an hangover from the Federer win? He’s making some uncharacteristic errors.

Pat: Maybe Nolo had too many of his mom’s pancakes, Nina, he’s probably hung over from that. I like the confidence I see in Tsonga, it is so nice to see this will not be a blow out, thank God.

Tsonga 5-4

Jason: Perhaps Nole felt like beating Federer had won him the championship and has underestimated Tsonga. I agree his UE’s in the rally’s isn’t like him

Tsonga 6-4

Nina: Crap, unuruly fans again. Are people that much down on Nole that they’re bothering his family? I’m unhappy to see that. Clearly Jo-Willie can stay with Nole off the ground if he attacks and he’s got his serve going. The dropshot isn’t working but look at that defense! A winner off an overhead to give him a set point!Ooooooooooh, what a lob.

Pat: Wow, Nole broke down there, he had chances to take charge of that point and he let it slip and Tsonga made the forehand pass. How about that topspin lob? Is this unbelievable or what? Go baby!

Tsonga 6-4, 1-0

Nate: Yeah a scrambling lob winner on set point! That is clutch play. Lets see of Tsonga relaxes more, and whether Djoko tightens up, or gets more aggressive…A poor drop shot and forehand error–so far he’s tightening…

Tsonga 6-4, 1-1

Nina: I’m not sure that Nole took Jo-Willie lightly but if I were Nole, there is part of me that would think, “I beat Federer and that is my biggest hurdle.” In other words, he probably doesn’t have Jo-Willie in his mind as a big player like Federer and that is costing him.

Tsonga, 6-4, 2-1

Pat: They discussed the seating arrangement of the competing fan bases…how on earth did they come to seat both families nearly on top of one another? No Djoke that, I guess we can say, no? Someone Down Under has a really wicked sense of humor. Go Willy! Free Willy!

Nate: Djokovic comes into the net to close out a point after getting passed on a shaky approach the previous point. That’s the kind of confidence that’s gotten him here.

Tsonga 6-4, 2-2

Nate: Tsonga seems to be letting all his tension out complaining about line calls. His touch game has been shaky though.

Tsonga 6-4, 3-2

Nina: Yeah, I’ve seen Nole come halfway to the net on a groundstroke and stay back but he can’t afford to do that. Gasquet came to the net about 73 times in his match against Tsongs and still couldn’t beat him. Nole doesn’t have to do that but he has to come in more. He has to do something to upset Tsonga’s rhythm and get his own momentum going.

Jason: 2 things Tsonga is doing well so far that he needs to keep up; keeping his groundstrokes deep so Nole can’t get too agressive – and keep pressuring Djokovic on his service games

Tsonga 6-4, 3-3

Nate: It looks like it’s going a bit now. That was his first hold at love if I’m not mistaken.

Nina: Pat, families at slam usually sit close to each other. Sometimes in the same box. I’ve seen the families congratulate each other at the end of the match. The Aussie Open is getting a well-deserved reputation for fan problems. This is the third incident.

Tsonga 6-4, 3-4

Nate: That was an unbelievable block return from Djokovic!…He’s got the break now, let’s see if he can run with it.

Pat: Nolo got life there, a great first service return certainly helped. Tsonga caved a bit on his first serve and Nole has the first break since the opening games of the match.

Tsonga 6-4, 4-6

Nate: Djokovic served that last game out with confidence. Everything he’s doing has more bite to it now, and Tsonga seems to be unraveling slightly. The first few games of the third set will tell us a lot about Tsonga’s level of belief.

Tsonga, 6-4, 4-6

Pat: Djoko got his serve on track a bit better at the close of the second set, also a combination it seemed of Tsonga not quite getting a handle on Nole’s second serves. I think Tsonga needs to come out and really try to grab a break early, and try to reassert himself.

Tsonga 6-4, 4-6, 1-1

Nate: Djokovic is the last guy you want to leave an opening for down the line. Tsonga needs to learn that.

Tsonga 6-4, 4-6, 1-2

Nina: I’m feeling a bit bad for Nole. For sure he is arrogant but he’s 20 years old and they’re riding him pretty hard. Seems a bit unfair. Jo-Willie is losing his sharpness just enough to keep Nole’s confidence going. And now the break. It’s not looking good.

Nate: Yeah, maybe the crowd hasn’t forgiven Djokovic for his taunting them in the third set of the Fed match…Tsonga is definitely losing it out there. I can feel the Nole Express heating up…

Tsonga 6-4, 4-6, 1-3

Nate: God, Tsonga’s ground-strokes have just gone. He’s getting more gunshy too. Throwing in more loopers.

Tsonga 6-4, 4-6, 2-3

Nina: We should remember that Jo-Willie has never been to the final of an ATP event – which is a five round event, best of three sets – and this (oh my god, I’m getting pornographic ads on my carrier, oy) while a slam is seven rounds with best of five sets. His legs are leaving him.

Tsonga, 6-4, 4-6, 2-3
Pat: Ohhhh, a second serve that Tsonga just dumped in the net, darn!Novak just consolidated his break, but Tsonga is only down a break, he has to remind himself of that. It’s not over yet.

Nate: Yeah, he’s looking green isn’t he? But it seems like his head as much as his legs. The way he smothered that second serve return at 15-30 was a fair demonstration of his mentality right now. And I’m sure Djokovic took note of it.

Djoko, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Pat: Well, maybe it is over yet(!) Tsonga’s heart should be broken, and I’m wondering, how much does he want it? How much can he muster?

Nate: Tsonga was looking amazing again saving those first six set points. But it was back-against-the-wall amazing, and no one can keep that up forever…I totally agree with the Fed comparison, Nina. Djokovic stayed patient, and took control–just as we’ve seen Federer due about a billion times.

Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-1

Maria has joined us: TSOONGAAA!!!!! he probabbly lost the match just now. The magic is gone, c’st dommage. what if Tsonga relaxes and just starts playing his game forgetting the tittle is at stake and finding his serve and volley tennis game

Nina: Maria, we feel bad too. We want a good close match and we wouldn’t mind seeing Jo-Willie win. I think everyone agrees that he’s physically (and mentally) worn down.

Djokovic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 2-2

Pat: Nina, you pinpointed what I don’t like about Djoko’s game, why I could never warm to him, is that he is TOO workmanlike, you’re right, we don’t get the Federer grace, or the wonderful shots. Tsonga reminds us of that too. He is a great shotmaker. But Djoko is a worker type, a Jim Courier, a man for whom I had a lot of respect but his baseline gritty game did not fire me up either. And if he really expects to be the Number One man in tennis someday, he’d better clean up his act a little and earn people’s respect. Coming in the wake of a man whose attitude is always nearly impeccable, Novak should aim to present himself well in the public eye. I love the imitations, but frankly he’s got an abrasive thing going on that is not very attractive, certainly not to many in this Aussie crowd.

Maria: 2-2 can he get back in the match?

Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-2

Nate: Djokovic has always been vulnerable physically. Maybe the signs of weariness he’s showing can encourage Tsonga? Jo-Willy had better hold…

Nate: Injury time-out for Djoko. The expert commentator on Star Sports is getting all high and mighty about how the players are allowed to receive treatment for strains, but not for cramps. Has he watched any tennis in the last five years?

Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-3

Nina: Remember the five medical timeouts Nole took against Gael Monfils at the U.S. Open a few years ago. He’d very good at gutting out matches when he’s physically hampered. By the way, what’s the likelihood that he had five different physical problems – four of them were probably for cramping.

Marina: We shouldn’t be deceived by Djokovic’s making believe he is tired..it is a huge tactic to get the momentum for him once again..I hate those mind games he plays all the time.

Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-3

Nate: Good point, you guys. I also remember that match with Baghdatis last year at Wimbledon. He basically rope-a-doped him throughout the fifth set, didn’t try on any of Baghdatis service games. Then all of a sudden sprang a trap at 5-4, and stole the match. Who’s reminiscent of Muhammad Ali?

Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-4

Nina: Jo-Willie should have the advantage if this set gets to a tiebreaker. He’s serving much better. Maria has her own cheering section for Jo-Willie. So far it’s eleven comments urging him on and it appears to be working.

Nate: But it could be trap time…

Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-5

Nate: Tsonga held his nerve! This is getting good again…

Djokovic wins, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6

Pat: How sad, I so thought having fought his way back that Tsonga would have served his way to a fifth set. Kudos to Novak for dealing with all of it the crowd and whatnot, and steeling himself to take it.

Nina: Novak Djokovic was solid if not spectacular. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was spectacular but inconsistent. Nole has a lot more slams in front of him but hopefully he can become a more fan-friendly, graceful champion. What looked like a runaway in the middle sets turned into a tight final set but Nole could not be shaken. Like most people, I’m looking forward to Jo-Wilfried. I want another artistic French champion in the world of tennis.

Nate: Tsonga just wasn’t ready. And Djokovic was…Still, on the strength of the first set-and-a-half, I’d say their games match up very well. Let Jo-Willy get a little used to winning, and he’ll be a formidable presence on the court, even in Slam finals.

Maria: Well, he deserved it! great slam and strong mind

Jenny: So sorry Jo-Wilfried and Maria. Djokovic deservedly won the title so many congrats to him. We can relax now Maria, but didn’t Jo-Wilfried do just great also.

Nate: G’night everyone. Tennis is more interesting than it was two weeks ago. I think this year is going to be intense…

Pat: Here we’ve had Gasquet, Berdych and Murray, our Infernal Trio, hemming and hawing over whether they want to be in the Top Ten or not, and here’s Jo-Willy coming right out and passing them all! I like that a lot. He deserves to be in the Top Ten the way he played. Too bad he’s not one of ours. Great game. Nighty night all, me go crash.

The Reign is Over: Djokovic Deposes Federer

Join us for the men’s Australian Open final! We’ll be blogging live on Sunday morning, January 27, at 12:30am (PST)/3:30am (EST)/9:30am (CET). We’ll stay up if you’ll stay up.

Roger Federer will not be in his eleventh consecutive slam final thanks to Novak Djokovic. What effect will this loss have on Federer’s legacy?

Novak Djokovic had his own booster club in Rod Laver Arena during his semifinal match against Roger Federer. His parents and two younger brothers each had one letter of Djokovic’s nickname spelled out on the front of their black and white Adidas outfits and when they stood up you could read it: N O L E.

They stood up a lot. Nole knocked Fed out of the semifinals at the Australian Open and for the first time in 10 slams, we will not be asking ourselves if so and so can beat Federer in the final. He’ll be on his way home. The king of tennis has been deposed.

He will not win the grand slam this year and he will not win the golden slam – all four slams plus the Olympic Gold medal. And I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say that it’s very unlikely that he’ll win a grand slam in the future and that means something very, very important.

Fed can move ahead of Pete Sampras in the Greatest of All Time conversation with three more slams, but Sampras has always had to share that title with Rod Laver. Laver won two grand slams and Sampras never got close. Laver might be the Greatest of All Time 1a, but the conversation will always have to include him and that makes Fed’s loss to Nole huge. Federer got close to a grand slam, very close, and he still could win the French Open, but he will not stand alone as the best tennis player ever to play the game.

I am eternally thankful that I live in an era where I’ve been able watch Roger Federer do his magic. I liked nothing better than to sit down to a slam semi or final and know, absolutely know, that Fed would come alive at some point and take over the match. He’d hang around and poke and prod his opponent until he turned the switch on and cruised to the finish. And in every match there’d be at least one shot that would make me freeze then turn to the person next to me and ask, “Did I really just see that?”

The truth is that what a champion loses over time is the ability to raise his level on command. There’s no pill for that. None that are legal, anyway. Nole was cracking the ball and Fed couldn’t respond.

There were signs. There were those consecutive losses to Guillermo Canas, a Wimbledon final that Fed won by attrition more than anything, consecutive losses to David Nalbandian, and then the five set squeaker over Janko Tipsarevic, of all people.

The reign is over and now that it is, well, I’m sad. But I also have to say that these last two days have been as exciting as any I can remember in my long love affair with tennis. I can literally feel the body of tennis jump up out of its chair and throw its arms to the sky. The world is watching tennis again.

Everyone is talking about Nole Djokovic and the perfect match unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga played to knock Rafael Nadal out of the semifinals. Wimbledon is now up for grabs and people want to know how long it’ll take Nadal to overtake Fed for the number one ranking or will Djokovic be the one to do it and is Tsonga really that good?

Most of the tennis season lays ahead of us and right about now, it looks like it’s gonna be a whole lot of fun.

Is The Williams Sisters Era Ending?

Join us for the men’s Australian Open final! We’ll be blogging live on Sunday morning, January 27, at 12:30am (PST)/3:30am (EST)/9:30am (CET). We’ll stay up if you’ll stay up.

Serena and Venus Williams lost their singles matches and their doubles match at the Australian Open. Are other players passing them by?

As Ana Ivanovic powered Venus Williams off the court in their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open – Ivanovic won the match by the score of 7-6(3), 6-4 – I couldn’t help wondering if I wasn’t seeing the tail end of the Williams sisters era.

Venus’ sister Serena lost to Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals and the sisters also lost their doubles match.

Both sisters were injured but neither one would reveal her injury. Serena was moving awkwardly and Venus walked onto the court with a slight limp and her thigh wrapped with enough bandage to cover a mummy. This is what Serena had to say about her injury situation:

I was having some issues, but I don’t like to make excuses. We won’t discuss those.

Neither Venus’ mother nor her hitting partner knew why Venus was limping and Venus wasn’t telling. Here’s what she said about the subject:

I never talk about my injuries.

Listen, nobody thinks you’re making an excuse if you divulge an injury after a loss. Justine Henin said her knee was bothering her after her lopsided loss to Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals and nobody is complaining about her today. Players refuse to reveal their injuries so they can maintain a mystique of invulnerability but Serena and Venus have been injured so much that there’s no mystique left.

I am apparently not the only person wondering about the sisters. Someone asked Venus the following question after her match with Ivanovic:

Has to be a long time, if ever, since you and Serena lost singles and doubles within 24 hours at a big tournament. If people start talking about the Williams era being over, what would you have to say to them?

What can she say? Yes, you’re right? What she did say is that she’s a champion and she expects to be a champion. It’s hard to count out either sister and we’re not sure how much Venus’ thigh was bothering her but there were points in her match when it very much looked like Ivanovic was passing her by.

Both players started out slowly. Ivanovic has a bad habit of being very nervous coming out of the gate. When she got to the French Open final last year, she was so nervous she couldn’t serve properly. Venus couldn’t get her serve over 100mph (160kmh) herself.

By the end of the second set, though, both players looked strong and Venus was just pounding the ball. At 4-4, she pounded a bunch of balls at Ivanovic’s backhand then sent a ball down the line. Ivanovic ran the ball down then got Venus on the run for few shots before putting an inside out forehand away. Ivanovic then leaned back and let out a big “Oh yeahhhhh.” Venus had hit her with her best shot and ended up playing defense.

Venus didn’t give up. She pounded a few more balls and got two break points as Ivanovic was serving for the match, but Ivanovic had found her serve by now and a few good serves put the match away.

It was a great show by Ivanovic but I wouldn’t say she’s ready to win a slam just yet. It’s those nerves! She should have rolled over Daniela Hantuchova in the semifinals but she started slowly again: she lost the first set 6-0. She won the match, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4, and she’s into her second slam final but she won’t get away with that against Maria Sharapova who ran over Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the final.

Blake is Getting Better, Really He Is

I’m encouraged by James Blake’s play. I really am. He looked sharp against Roger Federer in their quarterfinal match and that’s progress.

Federer wiped him off the court in Cincinnati last year. Blake doesn’t have enough game to beat Federer. He doesn’t have enough variety and his strength – hard flat shots – feeds right into Federer’s strength – quicksilver defense. Blake also has an average serve and he’s not going to outduel too many players from the baseline. But he kept attacking Federer and played a very high level of tennis. Check this out.

Blake was serving at 3-2 in the first set when he got to the net and hit a drop volley. Fed ran from one corner of the court to the other to get to the ball and hit a lob that landed just inside the baseline. Blake spun and raced back to the baseline and when he got there – no lie – he hit a between-the-legs lob! I have never ever seen a between-the-legs lob before, have you? Fed hit a soft overhead in response then followed that up with a forehand error. Definitely a top ten candidate if not top five for best point of the fortnight.

Blake is now back in the top ten and it looks like he really is getting better at age 28.

The question now is: can Novak Djokovic beat Federer?

Jelena Beats a Strangely Subdued Serena

Join us for the men’s Australian Open final! We’ll be blogging live on Sunday morning, January 27, at 12:30am (PST)/3:30am (EST)/9:30am (CET). We’ll stay up if you’ll stay up.

Jelena Jankovic beat a strangely subdued Serena Williams to get to the semifinals at the Australian Open.

Jelena Jankovic beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open by the score of 6-3, 6-4, and it was the strangest match I’ve seen in a very long time. Serena was out to lunch but we don’t know why.

After winning the first two games of the match, Serena lost four straight. She wasn’t getting to balls and her movement was awkward. Did she have an injury? Was she upset that the Green Bay Packers didn’t make it to the Super Bowl? I mean, what was the problem?

Her trainer said she received treatment earlier in the day on her quadriceps but she seemed surprised that Serena was struggling. If you’re struggling with your lower extremities, Jelena is the wrong player to take on. Her serve is weak and she doesn’t generate a lot of power on her own but she can track anything down.

With Jelena serving at 4-3 in the first set, Serena hit four straight shots that would have finished off most players. At the end of the point Jelena hit a strange short hop slice that went wide, otherwise it would have take Serena four or five more shots to win that point.

In the next game, Serena bent awkwardly and swiped at a ball as if it was uncomfortable to bend over. Two points later she put a sitter right into the net to lose the first set.

Then an even stranger thing happened: Jelena, not Serena, called for a trainer at 3-2 in the second set after she felt a sharp stab in her quadriceps. If Serena had a quadriceps problem, why wasn’t she getting treatment for it? Instead, she received treatment for a blister on her toe.

I now officially censure myself for having doubted Jelena. I had her practically sliding down the rankings because Ana Ivanovic passed her and Maria Sharapova looks like she’s healthy again. I miscalculated Jelena’s heart.

She somehow managed to hold on and win a 22 game third set in her first round match and struggle through another three set match in the third round even though she is beset with injuries. When someone asked her to list her injuries she said, “I cannot give you all the details, because if I would begin I would never stop.”

How does she do it? She has fun. Look at these comments from her post-match media session:

Q. All that twisting the trainer does with your leg, does that give you relief, or are you going to have to get a new leg before the tournament is over?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I think I need to change my oil and my wheels. They’re a little bit old.

And this:
Q. You said you were looking forward to your day off. Is there anything that takes your mind off tennis during those nearly 48 hours?
JELENA JANKOVIC: [My friends] keep telling me they want to take me on a helicopter, and they want me to drive them. I don’t know how safe is that. Actually, I did it last year in Auckland and I drove my mom and some friends in the back. They turned so pale, they were so scared. They couldn’t wait until they landed. But it’s so much fun. I love doing that, and I want to see Melbourne from the top.

At the end of the match, Pam Shriver said, “Whether it was Serena’s toe, her quad, her mood, I don’t know but something wasn’t quite right.” Serena would not let moodiness keep her from winning a slam. Her spirit wasn’t wounded, only her body. She smashed a racket in frustration and fluffed her feathers a bit when Jelena dared to upstage her.

Jelena successfully challenged a call early in the second set then smiled and waved at the crowd in her usual entertaining way. Serena followed that with a hard ace down the middle, took a few steps into the court, then slowly circled back to the baseline just to let Jelena know who she was dealing with.

Nah, it wasn’t mood, it was something else. I’m just not sure what.

Coming Out Party for Tsonga and Kohlschreiber

Join us for the men’s Australian Open final! We’ll be blogging live on Sunday morning, January 27, at 12:30am (PST)/3:30am (EST)/9:30am (CET). We’ll stay up if you’ll stay up.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Philipp Kohlschreiber have performed well at the Australian Open. We’re still not sure about Roger Federer.

Is Tsonga Only a Serve and Volleyer?

I let out a sigh of relief after David Nalbandian lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero by the score of 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round at the Australian Open. It’s not that I wish David any ill will, I’d love to see him win a slam, but I would have felt like a total idiot if he’d won this tournament because it would have been the third time I doubted him and paid for it. I didn’t pick him for my fantasy tennis team in Madrid or Paris and that knocked me out of the ATP fantasy tennis game top 100.

What’s up with that lopsided score, and to Ferrero too? Did David’s back spasms finally catch up with him? I couldn’t find any injury information about him and he didn’t talk to the media.

On the other hand, I picked Richard Gasquet to beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and now he’s gone. He was beaten by his good friend and countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3 in the fourth round. Tsonga is a serve and volleyer in my mind and I expected the slow court here in Melbourne to limit his results. Either the players are lying and the court is not that slow or Tsonga is a more complete player that I gave him credit for. Let’s see which it is.

On thing is for sure: Tsonga is driving his opponents crazy. He knocked Andy Murray out in the first round by attacking him nonstop early in the match. Something happened to Gasquet too. How else could you explain 73 net approached in one match. I doubt Gasquet has ever done that before but he had no choice, nothing else was working.

Tsonga attacked Gasquet early too and he was also winning the baseline game. Gasquet is the shotmaker but it was Tsonga who made the shots in this match. He was up 4-3 in the third set when he ran Gasquet first to one corner then the next and followed that up with a sweet forehand dropshot winner.

Tsonga is quick and it showed in his defense. In the third set tiebreaker, Tsonga hit his bread and butter shot, an inside out forehand approach. He backed up to get to a deep passing shot then ran to the opposite corner to track down a Gasquet approach. Gasquet followed that up with a pretty hard overhead shot but Tsonga tracked that down too and Gasquet put the ball into the net. On the next point, Tsonga dug another ball out of the corner and Gasquet put the ball into the net again to give Tsonga a set point.

You can see why Gasquet was trying to attack. He was lucky to stay as close as he did in this match .

Tsonga is still a bit inexperienced. He ran around his backhand too much and got himself out of position and he wasn’t always sure when he should attack. But all the tools are there and he deals with pressure very well judging by today’s match. He hit three aces when his serve was under pressure early in the fourth set and he hit another passing shot at the attacking Gasquet to win that game. That’s right, at this point Gasquet was attacking and Tsonga staying back. So much for being a serve and volleyer.

Federer Wins – Roddick Doesn’t

Tsonga is the second player to have a coming out at this party. The first was Philipp Kohlschreiber who beat Andy Roddick in the third round by taking the fifth set 8-6. Roger Federer almost suffered the same result at the hands of Janko Tipsarevic before finally winning 10-8 in the fifth set.

Kohlschreiber played a very good match and Roddick couldn’t do much about it. The question is: Was this a coming out party for Tipsarevic too?

No. Kohlschreiber should keep moving up the ranking but Tipsarevic will most likely continue to ping pong back and forth between the 40’s and 60’s in the rankings.

Tipsarevic played inspired tennis but Federer converted exactly five of 21 break points. That is bad tennis. And he had problems with his forehand. You think David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal – those energizer bunnies of the baseline – didn’t take note of that? Nadal can’t pass Federer in the rankings here even if he wins the title but I’m tellin’ ya, he can taste that number one ranking.

Blake Takes Advantage

James Blake beat Marin Cilic by the score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals and that’s exactly where he should be. Both Ivan Ljubicic and Fernando Gonzalez were knocked out before Blake could meet up with them and that’s what we call the luck of the draw. Blake got to the fourth round here last here so it’s fair enough to expect him to reach the quarterfinals.

Lest you think I’m being too demanding, I do not expect him to beat his next opponent: Federer.

Okay, people, here’s the question of the day: Can Federer win this tournament or not? Please chime in.