Mardy Fish: The Surprise Semifinalist in the Miami Open

Mardy Fish (#15) makes a surprise semifinal appearance in the Miami Open, which could help catapult him into being the #1 American player - an honor which Andy Roddick has been holding for sometime now.  Mardy has really been playing well since last year, and I'm very happy to see him now achieve almost Top 10 status.  He's so near!  This was his path to the semifinals -

SF - David Ferrer (ESP) (#6) 75 62
QF - Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (#51) 75 76(5)
3R - Richard Gasquet (FRA) (#18) 64 63
2R - Julien Benneteau (FRA) (#81) 64 63
1R - BYE

Jeson Patrombon Puts Up Brave Front in Manila Finals: Tally - Finals 3, Titles 0

Jeson Patrombon has been playing very well these past three weeks, reaching the finals in all three events, first in Thailand, then Malaysia, and then the one here in Manila last week.  Unfortunately, he lost in the finals here, again to his nemesis, Andrew Whittington of Australia.  However, Jeson still made a brave effort to reach the finals here on local soil and showed to the local crowd how big his heart was!  I'm just happy that he's doing very well in the junior circuit.  I am very excited to see how he transitions to the seniors division, where the real fun tennis is!

My Final Eight Picks for the ATP Miami Open

On the men's side, the second round has just been completed and they are now in the third round.  Anyhow, I have checked the draw and here are my eight picks for the quarterfinals a few days from now -

Rafael Nadal (ESP)
Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Roger Federer (SUI)
Andy Roddick (USA)
David Ferrer (ESP)
Robin Soderling (SWE)
John Isner (USA)
Novak Djokovic (SRB)

I will get back to you on the semifinal day and let's find out how I fared in my crystal ball prediction!

My Final Eight Picks for the WTA Miami Open

Well, I just saw the draw for the WTA Miami Open, and they have already finished the third round hostilities.  Well, just basing it on that, here are my picks for the eight women who are going to slug it out in the quarterfinals of this event.  Let's see how I fare in my predictions!

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Peng Shuai (CHN)
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Kim Clijsters (BEL)

I will get back to you on the day of the semi's to see how well I have seen through my crystal ball!

Juan Martin Del Potro Finally Makes Semi's Breakthrough in San Jose

Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) (#498) finally makes a semifinal breakthrough this week in San Jose.  He loses though to Fernando Verdasco.  This was his path to the semi-finals -

SF - lost to Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (#9) 46 46
QF - Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) (#70) 62 63
2R - Lukas Lacko (SVK) (#113) 61 76(1)
1R - Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) (#76) 63 62

Juan Martin Del Potro Makes Another Semi's Breakthrough in Memphis

After making a breakthrough through to the semi's last week in San Jose, Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (#298) duplicates the feat this week in Memphis, this time though, he lost to the eventual champion, Andy Roddick.  It has been a slow but steady rise again through the ranks for Del Potro, starting the year with two Round 2 finishes in Sydney and Melbourne, before bursting through the semi's in San Jose last week. 

This was his path to the semi's -

SF - lost to Andy Roddick (USA) (#8) 36 46
QF - Michael Russell (USA) (#107) 64 62
2R - Ivan Dodig (CRO) (#62) 64 64
1R - John Isner (USA) (#24) 64 63

Mardy Fish Reaches Semis of Memphis

Mardy Fish (USA) (#17) reached his first semifinal this year in Memphis.  He lost to Milos Raonic. He also reached the semifinals in Delray Beach.   This was his path to the semi's -

SF - Milos Raonic (CAN) (#59) 46 64 36
QF - Sam Querrey (USA) (#18) 63 64
2R - Lukas Lacko (SVK) (#109) 67(5) 64 76(3)
1R - Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) (#77) 61 75

Milos Raonic Reaches Finals in Memphis

Milos Raonic (CAN) (#59) reaches his second consecutive final this year in Memphis, after winning San Jose last week.  He loses though to Andy Roddick.  His biggest break this year came with his fourth round appearance in Melbourne.  This was his path to the finals -

F - lost to Andy Roddick (USA) (#8) 67(7) 76(11) 57
SF - Mardy Fish (USA) (#17) 64 46 63
QF - Robert Kendrick (USA) (#110) 64 36 63
2R - Radek Stepanek (CZE) (#65) 64 67(10) 76(1)
1R - Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (#9) 64 36 76(5)

Andy Roddick Wins First Title of 2011 in Memphis

Andy Roddick (USA) (#8) wins his first title this year and 30th overall in Memphis.  He reached the final in Brisbane and the fourth round in Melbourne and Indian Wells.  This was his path to the championship -

F - Milos Raonic (CAN) (#59) 76(7) 67(11) 75
SF - Juan Martin Del Potro (#298) 63 64
QF - Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) (#70) 46 63 64
2R - Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) (#51) 61 76(8)
1R - Richard Berankis (LTU) (#74) 46 62 63

ATP Rankings Watch - March 21, 2011

Novak Djokovic returns to #2 this week, after winning Indian Wells.  Within the Top 100, Juan Martin Del Potro is the biggest mover, due to his semi-final appearance in Indian Wells.  He zooms from #90 to #51.  Olivier Rochus is the highest new entry in the Top 100.  He won the Le Gosier title in Guadaloupe, which explains his rise from #116 to #89.  He has reached up to #24 in 2005.

Finally, Xavier Malisse reenters the Top 50, moving from #52 to #45.  He reached the third round of this week's Indian Wells.

Roger Federer Has To Content Himself With A Semi's Run in Indian Wells

Roger Federer (SUI) (#3) has to content himself with a semifinal appearance in Indian Wells this year, as he lost to Novak Djokovic.  He last won Indian Wells in 2006. 

Novak has had the upper hand over him this year 3-0, with wins in Melbourne, Dubai, and now, here.  Roger has won Doha this year, has been in the finals of Dubai, and the semi's of Melbourne and here.  This was his path to the semi's -

SF - lost to Novak Djokovic (SRB) (#3) 36 63 26
QF - Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (#14) 63 64
4R - Ryan Harrison (USA) (#152) 76(4) 63
3R - Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) (#32) 60 62
2R - Igor Andreev (RUS) (#96) 75 76(4)
1R - BYE

Juan Martin Del Potro Powers Into the Semi's of Indian Wells

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (#90) is slowly finding his old groove back, as he powers into the semifinals of this powerhouse draw in Indian Wells.  He lost to current world #1, Rafael Nadal. 

All his opponents in his side of the draw were either experienced veterans or up-and-coming players, and it served as a barometer as to how good his game is again.

It is great to see Del Potro reasserting his talent once again.  With the French Open, more than a month away, it would be exciting to see how further into the rankings he can make it to make sure he gets into the seeded players. This was his path to the semi's -

SF - lost to Rafael Nadal (ESP) (#1) 46 46
QF - Tommy Robredo (ESP) (#28) walkover
4R - Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 76(3) 76(7)
3R - Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) (#23) 76(3) 63
2R - Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) (#16) 57 64 62
1R - Radek Stepanek (CZE) (#67) 64 60

Rafael Nadal Is Just Runner Up This Year At Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal (ESP) (#1) last won Indian Wells in 2009, but this year, he had to satisfy himself with a runner up trophy as he lost to Novak Djokovic in the finals.  It's been a bit of a spotty year for Rafa with no title yet.  A semifinal in Doha, a quarterfinal in Melbourne, and a finals appearance here.  This was Rafa's path to the finals -

F - lost to Novak Djokovic (SRB) (#3) 64 36 26
SF - Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) (#90) 64 64
QF - Ivo Karlovic (CRO) (#239) 57 61 76(7)
4R - Somdev Devvarman (IND) (#84) 75 64
3R - Ryan Sweeting (USA) (#105) 63 61
2R - Rik de Voest (RSA) (#162) 60 62
1R - BYE

Novak Djokovic Slays Nadal and Federer to Win Indian Wells

Novak Djokovic (SRB) (#3) looks like the man to beat these days in the ATP Tour.  This week, he slays both the #1 (Nadal) and the #2 (Federer) in the world to win the championship in Indian Wells.  I think Novak has found the missing component which has eluded him for years, and finally this year, he has made the breakthrough in forming the third wheel in the long-standing rivalry between Federer and Nadal.  He won a second Australian Open title earlier in January.  This was his path to the championship -

F - Rafael Nadal (ESP) (#1) 46 63 62
SF - Roger Federer (SUI) (#2) 63 36 62
QF - Richard Gasquet (FRA) (#21) 62 64
4R - Viktor Troicki (SRB) (#18) 60 61
3R - Ernests Gulbis (LAT) (#34) 60 61
2R - Andrey Golubev (KAZ) (#39) 60 64
1R - BYE

Anabel Medina Garrigues Reaches Her First Semis in 2011 in Acapulco

One of the wily veterans in the WTA Tour, Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) (#92) reaches her first semifinal this year in Acapulco.  She lost to eventual champion Gisela Dulko.  Her last best performance was a quarterfinal appearance in Prague last year.   This was her path to the semi's -

SF - Gisela Dulko (ARG) (#73) 60 62
QF - Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) (#58) 62 22 Ret'd
2R - Julia Goerges (GER) (#34) 64 76(6)
1R - Karolina Pliskova (CZE) (#190) 62 61

Johanna Larsson Reaches the Semifinals of Acapulco

Johanna Larsson (SWE) (#74) reaches her first semifinal this year in Acapulco.  She lost to Arantxa Parra Santonja.  Her last good performance was a finals appearance in Portoroz.  This was her path to the semifinals -

SF - lost to Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) (#79) 26 06
QF - Greta Arn (HUN) (#59) 61 46 62
2R - Mathilde Johansson (FRA) (#71) 26 62 63
1R - Yvonne Meusberger (AUT) (#117) 61 36 60

Arantxa Parra Santonja Reaches the Finals of Acapulco

Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) (#79) gets her best performance this year with a finals appearance here in Acapulco.  She lost to Gisela Dulko.  Her last good performance was a quarterfinal appearance in Bastad last year.  This was her path to the finals -

F - lost to Gisela Dulko (ARG) (#73) 36 67(5)
SF - Johanna Larsson (SWE) (#74) 62 60
QF - Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) (#51) 26 63 62
2R - Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) (#132) 63 10 RET
1R - Sybille Bammer (AUT) (#89) 76(3) 76(4)

Gisela Dulko Wins Title #4 in Acapulco

Gisela Dulko (ARG) (#73) wins her fourth WTA Tour title this week in Acapulco.  Her first three titles came in Fes, Budapest and Forest Hills.  I like Gisela and although her victories have come mostly from clay, I think she has the game to hurt the top players on any given day.  This was her path to the semifinals -

F - Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) (#79) 63 76(5)
SF - Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) (#92) 60 62
QF - Laura Pous-Tio (ESP) (#85) 36 75 60
2R - Silvia Soler Espinosa (ESP) (#180) 61 61
1R - Anna Tatishvili (GEO) (#127) 63 61

Michaella Krajicek Reaches Semis of Kuala Lumpur

Michaella Krajicek (NED) (#150) has three WTA titles but the last one came in 2006, a long time ago, and in the past few years, her ranking has slipped outside the Top 100.  This week though, she reaches her first semifinal of the year in Kuala Lumpur, where she lost to Jelena Dokic.  This was her path to the semifinals -

SF - lost to Jelena Dokic (AUS) (#91) 26 36
QF - Anne Kremer (LUX) (#169) 62 63
2R - Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) (#24) 36 64 63
1R - Tatjana Malek (GER) (#144) 63 62

Jarmila Groth Gets to the Semis in Kuala Lumpur

After winning Hobart earlier this year, reaching the semis in Kuala Lumpur, has been the second best performance of Jarmila Groth (AUS) (#31).  She lost to Lucie Safarova.  This was her path to the semi's -

SF - lost to Lucie Safarova (CZE) (#35) 26 63 36
QF - Ayumi Morita (JPN) (#57) 75 36 75
2R - Misaki Doi (JPN) (#124) 76(6) 63
1R - Shengnan Sun (CHN) (#232) 76(2) 63

Lucie Safarova Makes the Finals in Kuala Lumpur

In her best performance yet this year, Lucie Safarova (CZE) (#35) reached her first finals of the year.  Before this, her best performance has been a quarterfinal in Brisbane and a third round appearance in the Australian Open.  Below was her path to the final -

F - lost to Jelena Dokic (AUS) 62 67(9) 46
SF - Jarmila Groth (AUS) 62 36 63
QF - Marion Bartoli (FRA) (#17) 61 64
2R - Dinara Safina (RUS) (#113) 63 46 63
1R - Zarina Diyas (KAZ) (#152) 75 61

WTA Rankings: March 21, 2011

Marion Bartoli is a big mover in the WTA Rankings this week, moving from #17 to #10, by virtue of her finals appearance in Indian Wells.  She returns to the Top 10 and the last time she was here, she reached #9, right after she made the Wimbledon finals.

I actually like Marion and I was cheering for her when she got that semifinal victory over Justine in that Wimbledon match.  She has her own quirks like the way she serves and the way she holds her racket.  She also seems like one of those girls who is not so popular in the locker room but doesn't matter.  Not everyone can be Miss Congeniality.

Maria Sharapova moves from #18 to #13 due to her semifinal appearance in Indian Wells.  Her year has been average to say the least but she is just a striking distance from the Top 10!

Yanina Wickmayer, another semifinalist in Indian Wells, moves up from #25 to #20, entering the Top 20 for the first time.  Could the Top 10 be far behind?

Yanina Wickmayer Reaches Semis of Indian Wells

Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) (#25) reached the semifinals of Indian Wells this year, losing to Marion Bartoli.  Earlier this year, she reached the finals of Auckland, where she lost to Greta Arn.  She also just reached the second round of the Aussie Open, so, it's been a spotty year for her.  This was her path to the semi's -

SF - lost to Marion Bartoli (FRA) (#17) 16 36
QF - Shahar Peer (ISR) (#12) 63 63
4R - Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) (#27) 75 75
3R - Kaia Kanepi (EST) (#16) 36 64 61
2R - Melanie Oudin (#84) 64 63
1R - BYE

Maria Sharapova Makes The Semis of Indian Wells

It has been a middling year for Maria Sharapova (#18) this 2011. Her semifinal appearance here has been her best performance yet this year.  She reached the 4th round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Auckland.  She lost to world #1 Caroline Wozniacki here in Indian Wells.  This was her path to the semi's -

SF - lost to Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (#1) 16 26
QF - Peng Shuai (CHN) (#36) 62 57 63
4R - Dinara Safina (RUS) (#108) 62 60
3R - Aravane Rezai (FRA) (#22) 62 62
2R - Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) (#77) 75 67(3) 61
1R - BYE

Marion Bartoli Continues Good Run Reaching Finals of Indian Wells

Marion Bartoli (#17) continues her good run this year with a finals appearance in Indian Wells, losing to eventual champion Caroline Wozniacki.  Her run here included scalps over two Grand Slam champions, Kim Clijsters and Ana Ivanovic, and wins over up-and-coming players, Yanina Wickmayer and Andrea Petkovic.  So it shows that she is finding her good form again.

I'm happy Marion is having a good year, and her finals appearance here makes her reenter the Top 10, the second time around, after she reached the finals of Wimbledon a few years back.  This was her path to the championship -

F - lost to Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (#1) 16 62 36
SF - Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) (#25) 61 63
QF - Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (#21) 64 76(4)
4R - Kim Clijsters (BEL) (#2) 36 31 RET
3R - Andrea Petkovic (GER) (#23) 64 62
2R - Monica Niculescu (ROM) (#65) 26 63 62
1R - BYE

Caroline Wozniacki Wins Title #14 at Indian Wells 2011

Caroline Wozniacki (#1) wins her fourteenth title in Indian Wells, winning in three sets over Marion Bartoli.  It's her second title this year, after winning Dubai last month.  She defeated a competent group of players so even if she has not Grand Slam title yet, she is still the bar where the best in women's tennis is being compared again.  This was her path to the championship -

F - Marion Bartoli (FRA) (#17) 61 26 63
SF - Maria Sharapova (RUS) (#18) 61 62
QF - Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (#9) 30 RET
4R - Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) (#24) 26 63 61
3R - Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) (#29) 61 63
2R - Sloane Stephens (USA) (#182) 63 62
1R - BYE

Jelena Dokic Returns to the Winners' Circle

Jelena Dokic's (#91) last title came in 2002, a slew of five titles she won when she was at her peak (Rome, Tokyo, Moscow, Sarasota, Birmingham).  And it was downhill after that.  There were flashes of her brilliance, including that dream quarterfinal run in the Australian Open 2009.  This week, she finally breaks her losing streak, and wins title #6 in Kuala Lumpur! 

I've always been a fan of Jelena and it's really a pity that she hasn't been able to achieve her full potential.  But there's time yet, and this year looks it's going to be a good year for her! 

This was her path to the championship -

F - Lucie Safarova (CZE) (#35) 26 76(9) 64
SF - Michaella Krajicek (NED) (150) 62 63
QF - Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) (#55) 76(4) 62
2R - Kurumi Nara (JPN) (#131) 36 76(6) 62
1R - Francesca Schiavone (ITA) (#5) 26 76(1) 64

Down to the Final Four in Indian Wells

The last four in this year's Indian Wells tournament includes #1 Caroline Wozniacki, two players trying to regain their old form - Maria Sharapova and Marion Bartoli and upcoming player Yanina Wickmayer.

I think the final will be between Caroline Wozniacki and Yanina Wickmayer.  Both represent today's up and coming players and they should be able to beat the veterans (Sharapova and Bartoli) handily.

Gisela Dulko: Semifinalist - Monterrey Open 2011

Gisela Dulko (#56) is one of my favorite players in the WTA Tour, and although she looks fragile in her frame, she has enough wins to prove that she can be a threat to anyone in the tour.  This week, she reaches the semifinals of the Monterrey Open.  She lost to eventual champion, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.  She won Acapulco last week.  This was her path to the semifinal -

SF - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) (#19) 46 16
QF - Ksenia Pervak (RUS) (#88) 61 60
2R - Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) (#138) 64 61
1R - Iveta Benesova (CZE) (#47) 62 76(3)

Polona Hercog: Semi-finalist - Monterrey Open 2011

Polona Hercog (#62) gets to her first semi-final of the year in the Monterrey Open.  She lost to Jelena Jankovic.  This has been Polona's first breakthrough this year.  Below was her path to the semi-finals -

SF - Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (#6) 36 26
QF - Olga Govortsova (BLR) (#85) 46 63 63
2R - Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (#53) 64 67(4) 62
1R - Angelique Kerber (GER) (#66) 63 63

Jelena Jankovic: Runner Up Monterrey Open 2011

Jelena Jankovic (#6) gets into her first final this year, in the Monterrey Open, but loses to Anastasia Pavlyuchenova.  She has also reached the semis of Dubai and Doha.  This was her path to the final -

F - lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (#19) 26 62 63
SF - Polona Hercog (#62) (SVK) 63 62
QF - Anastasija Devastova (#38) 61 75
2R - Sybille Bammer (#107) (AUT) 63 64
1R - Lourdez Domingues Lino (#48) (ESP) 64 61

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Champion - Monterrey Open 2011

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (#19) defends her Monterrey title this week, making it her third WTA Tour title.  The third title came in Istanbul last year.  She has had a busy year, getting into the semis in Brisbane and the third round of the Australian Open before winning the title here.  This was her path to the championship -

F - Jelena Jankovic (#6) (SRB) 26 62 63
SF - Gisela Dulko (#56) (ARG) 64 61
QF - Greta Arn (#58) (HUN) 62 76(3)
2R - Melanie Oudin (#82) 63 76(6)
1R - Eleni Daniilidou (#172) (GRE) 62 67(5) 64

ATP Tour Rankings Watch: March 7, 2011

It's been a quiet in the tour this week, with Juan Monaco, being the highest-ranked player who makes any upward movement. This week, he moves three places to #30.

Andrey Golubev enters the Top 40, moving four places to #39.



Jeremy Chardy returns to the top 50, moving six places to #49.  Within the Top 100, the two biggest movers this week are Somdev Devvarman and Rainer Schuettler, who both move nine places to #'s 84 and #83, respectively.

Return to Form: Lukasz Kubot of Poland - Acapulco Open 2011

A former Top 50 player last year, Lukasz Kubot (#132) has plummeted out of the Top 100 but is slowly returning to form.  He reached his first quarterfinal this year in Acapulco, with two wins over players ranked higher than him, Eduardo Schwank (#104) and Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (#75).  He lost to Thomaz Bellucci in the quarters, in a hard-fought three set match.  He now stands at #127.  He has to work a bit harder still so that he can make it in the main draw of the French Open.  A good showing there should catapult him back to the Top 100.

Tommy Robredo: Another Semifinal Appearance in Buenos Aires

Tommy Robredo (#32) won this tournament in 2009, but this year, he only reaches as far as the semifinals, as he falls to eventual champion, compatriot, Nicolas Almagro. However, it has been a good season for Tommy, as he has won the Santiago title earlier this month, and reached the fourth round in Melbourne.  This was his path to the semi-finals -

SF - lost to Nicolas Almagro (ESP) (#13) 57 16
QF - David Nalbandian (ARG) (#20) 64 64
2R - Albert Ramos (ESP) (#116) 63 75
1R - Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) (#127) 75 62

Stanislas Wawrinka: Semi-finalist - Buenos Aires Open 2011

Stanislas Wawrinka (#15) reached the semi-finals of the Buenos Aires Open but was thwarted by hometown boy, Juan Ignacio Chela.  It has been a good year for Wawrinka, winning the Chennai Open and then reaching the quarters in Melbourne.  This was his path to this semifinals -

SF - lost to Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) (#35) 26 26
QF - Juan Monaco (ARG) (#30) 75 63
2R - Victor Hanescu (ROU) (#56) 67(2) 61 76(4)
1R - Carlos Berlocq (ARG) (#73) 64 36 63

Juan Ignacio Chela: Runner-up - Buenos Aires Open 2011

Juan Ignacio Chela (#35) gets to his first final this year in Buenos Aires but the pro-Argentine crowd was disappointed by the eventual champion, Nicolas Almagro, from Spain.  Chela has also reached the semi-final of Costa Da Sauipe and the quarters in Santiago.  This was his path to the finals -

F - lost to Nicolas Almagro (ESP) (#13) 36 63 46
SF - Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (#15) 62 62
QF - Albert Montanes (ESP) (#25) 64 36 63
2R - Horacio Zeballos (ARG) (#97) 75 62
1R - Rui Machado (POR) (#85) 46 62 62

Nicolas Almagro: ATP Title #8 in Buenos Aires Open 2011

Nicolas Almagro (#13) captures his second ATP title this year and his ninth title overall in Buenos Aires!  It's a back-to-back win for Almagro, after winning the Costa Da Sauipe title last week!  Vamos Nico!  This was his path to this championship -

F - Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) (#35) 63 36 64
SF - Tommy Robredo (ESP) (#32) 75 61
QF - Jose Acasuso (ARG) (#256) 75 63
2R - Leonardo Mayer (ARG) (#100) 67(3) 61 63
1R - Pablo Galdon (ARG) (#305) 61 62

Tomas Berdych In His Second Semifinals of '11 in Dubai

Tomas Berdych (#7) reached his second semi-finals of the year in Dubai, with the first being in Chennai earlier this year.  He however, lost to eventual champion, Novak Djokovic.  He has also been to the quarters of the Rotterdam, Marseille and in Melbourne, where he lost to Novak, again!  This was his path to the semifinals -

SF - lost to Novak Djokovic (SRB) (#3) 76(5) 26 24 Retd
QF - Philipp Petzschner (GER) (#73) 75 64
2R - Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) (#39) 63 76(5)
1R - Jeremy Chardy (FRA) (#51) 62 63

Richard Gasquet: Semifinalist - Dubai Open 2011

Richard Gasquet (#28) reached his first semifinals of the year, in Dubai, where he lost to Roger Federer.  He has also reached the quarters in Sydney and the third round in Melbourne.  This was his path to the semi-finals -

SF - lost to Roger Federer (#2) 26 57
QF - Gilles Simon (FRA) (#33) 57 62 64
2R - Sergei Bubka (RUS) (#342) 62 75
1R - Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (#81) 62 64

Roger Federer: Runner-Up - Dubai Open 2011

This is only Roger's third tournament this year. He won Doha, then lost to Djokovic in the semi's in Melbourne, and loses again to Novak in the finals here.  The Novak-Roger rivalry is starting to heat up!  It has been 2-0 for now, in favor of Novak.  This was his path to the finals -

F - lost to Novak Djokovic (SRB) (#3) 36 36
SF - Richard Gasquet (FRA) (#28) 62 75
QF - Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) (#43) 63 64
2R - Marcel Granollers (ESP) (#53) 63 64
1R - Somdev Devvarman (IND) (#79) 63 63

Novak Djokovic Continues His Mastery Over the Fed, Wins Dubai

After winning this year's Australian Open, Novak Djokovic (#3) continues his mastery over the game's elite players, by defeating Roger Federer in two sets in the finals of the Dubai Open.  He also had a win over #7 player Tomas Berdych.  This was his 20th title overall.  This was his path to this championship -

F - Roger Federer (SUI) (#2) 63 63
SF - Tomas Berdych (CZE) (#7) 67(5) 62 4-2 Retd
QF - Florian Mayer (GER) (#38) 75 61
2R - Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (#41) 63 26 64
1R - Michael Llodra (FRA) (#27) 63 63

Mardy Fish: Semifinalist - Delray Beach Open 2011

On paper, Mardy Fish (USA) (#16) looked like the guy to beat among the four semifinalists in Delray Beach but he came across the resurgent Juan Martin Del Potro, and had to settle as semifinalist in this meet.  He also reached the semifinals in Memphis.  He only reached the second round in Melbourne.  This was his path to the semifinals -

SF - lost to Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (#166) 16 57
QF - Alejandro Falla (COL) (#119) 61 64
2R - Ricardo Mello (BRA) (#78) 62 61
1R - Bjorn Phau (GER) (#92) 5-0 Retd

Kei Nishikori: Semifinalist Delray Beach Open 2011

Kei Nishikori (#66) reached the semifinals of Delray Beach where he lost to Janko Tipsarevic. This has been his best showing this year, since reaching the quarters in Chennai.  He also reached the third round in Melbourne. 

SF - lost to Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) (#52) 46 46
QF - Ryan Sweeting (USA) (#118) 67(5) 62 64
2R - James Blake (USA) (#144) 63 64
1R - Brian Dabul (ARG) (#89) 62 76(5)

Janko Tipsarevic: Runner-up - Delray Beach Open 2011

Janko Tipsarevic (#52) reached his first final this year in Delray Beach, but he lost to comeback king, Juan Martin Del Potro. He also reached the semi-finals in Chennai.  He only reached the second round in Melbourne.

F - lost to Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (#166) 46 46
SF - Kei Nishikori (JPN) (#66) 64 64
QF - Ivan Dodig (CRO) (#60) 76 61
2R - Blaz Kavcic (SLO) (#87) 62 67(8) 63
1R - Ivo Karlovic (CRO) (#141) 76(14) 76(1)