Forty Deuce

Let's Give Them Something To Talk About.

The boys make their final stop in Paris this week.  And there's a lot to talk about.

Draw.

1.  Race To WTF: 7 players are still in the running for the final two spots for the ATP year-end championship in London.  Kolya and Fernando currently hold those spots, but they're definitely not a lock.  Sods, Gonzo, and Jo have to reach the finals in order to have a chance and Radek and Marin need to win the whole shebang (and Fer has to lose his opening match).  So if Fer wins his first match, Radek and Marin are out.  Past that, we'll have to wait and see.  The ATP put together a pretty handy chart to plot out everyone's chances:

The chart calculates each player's point total per round.

2.  Marat's Last Stand: Get ready for it ladies.  This is Marat's final tournament as an ATP professional.  May your vaginas weep accordingly.  He plays tomorrow.

3.  The Big Boys Duke It Out: A-Rod has withdrawn but otherwise it's the first time since the USO that all the top guys will be present.  Muzz, Delpo, and Fer are in Roger's half, while Nole, Kolya, and Jo are in Rafa's half.  But much like the ladies, the ATP trainers better be on alert.  Delpo and Jo have withdrawn from recent tournaments due to injury, and Nole, Muzz, and Rafa (and probably Fed) are struggling with injury as well.  That combined with the WTF could lead to some early retirements/withdrawals/losses.

4. Dubs: How's this for some awesome: Rafa teams up with Pico and Elf teams up with Gonzo.  Hilarity.

Monday's OOP:

Nice Urn, Andy.

Hate the trophy.  Love the jacket and the ugly mug in it.

Congrats to Muzzard for his 6th title of the season after beating Misha in straight sets.  And congrats to Misha for having a great tournament, beating Gilles and Kolya to get to the final.

Whee!

*SNORT*

I. Eat. Your. Pizza. I EAT IT UP!!!

 
Oh, Nole.  You sexy badass motherfucker.

If you're a Nole fan and a...um...Roger non-fan, there can be nothing sweeter than seeing Nole beat Fed for the Basel title.  It was a sweet three set win wherein Nole truly played some solid tennis.  It's the best I've seen him play against a top player in a really long time. 

I have no idea if this loss will bother Roger.  I mean, really, at this point nothing should.  But losing to a guy that you sincerely dislike at your home tourney?  That can't be an ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Nole's win of course would make the entire town of Basel cry.  No pizza for the ball boys, no 6th straight Basel title for Roger, and apparently, someone just shat in the tourney director's hat.

One last thought on Basel: Did anyone else see that its title sponsor is Davidoff, a tobacco company?  The EU forbids tobacco companies from being title sponsors of sporting events or teams, but Switzerland isn't part of the EU.  I found it...odd.

Who Da Campions? They Da Campions.

I love the use of ellipses.  So much suspense!

As expected, Flavia clinched the Fed Cup for Italy with a 75 62 win over Melanie. 

I could wax poetic about how awesome this is, but there are so many good pics from the Italians' celebration that I feel words are pointless here:

No, you, Flavia.  You.

Harses, harses, harses, harses.

Sing it loud.  Sing it proud.

You know Liezel's about 3 seconds away from a tantrum.
 

Flavia Cup.


Ain't no shame, MJ.  Hell of a job this year.

 
For love of country.


You know this picture would exist.  Deep in your heart, you knew it.


Forza!

It Couldn't End Any Other Way

For a second there I thought Bali was immune to the "limping to the finish line" theme.  Shame on me for forgetting that Marion was involved.  

I didn't see the match, but from the pictures it looked like Mono was in some real pain and did try to fight through the injury.  She actually had set point at 5-2 in the first before Rezai was able to reel off the next 5 games.  After that, Mono retired in tears, giving Rezai the title and her Top 30 ranking.

And as if it couldn't be more ironic, the retirement means Mono will stay outside of the Top 10, allowing her the opportunity to play as many tourneys as she wants next year.

Look, I have no doubt that she was hurt this time.  But at what point do you not look around and realize that you've retired from so many frickin' matches relative to other WTAers, that clearly there is something wrong with your training regimen.  It's really ridiculous and, honestly, irresponsible.

All that said, mucho congrats to Aravane!  A nice little cap to the season.

Rough Day

Tough day for both Fernando and Kolya, who are still trying to secure spots to the WTF.  Fer was able to come back from dropping to take the second, only to play one bad game in the third to lose 63 26 63.  Too bad.  He really wanted to impress the home crowd on this one.

Kolya on the other hand took the first set only to drop the next two, 64 63.  So the two who are still playing for something get bounced on the same day.  On to Bercy!

 

Go get 'em, Muzz.

Hot French Girl on Girl Action.

An all French final in Bali as both Mono and Rezai go undefeated into the final.  It's an unlikely final but a satisfying one, I think.  I wonder what the FFT is thinking, though.  These aren't exactly their favorite Frenchies.

And correct me if I'm wrong here, but don't these two not get along?  Or am I just trying to build in some drama where there is none?  It's happened before.

If Marion wins, she's in the Top 10 and subject to the Roadmap (heh).  If Aravane wins, she'll crack the Top 30.

Slippery Little Sucker

Novak Djokovic, Comeback Kid?  What's going on?

He already had to mount a comeback to overcome Stan.  But this time, Nole looked like a goner.  Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Nole faced triple break point.  He would then play 5 solid, confident points to save the game, which basically amounted to a swift kick in the nuts to Radek, who wasn't the same after that.  Nole would go on to break and take the second set 75 and the third 62. 

Well done, Falcon!

He'll face Fed in the final, who won the Battle of the Basel Ball Boys in the other semi.  All credit to Chiuds, who forced a really well-played tiebreak, which Fed won 9-7.  From there, Fed rolled to the win.

Go Fish, Kids.

At 2am this morning, I was reminded how much I love watching clay court tennis.

As expected, Team Italy is well on its way to hoisting the Fed Cup after two straight set wins by Flavia and Tranny.

It didn't take much from Flavia to beat Glatch 3 and 1 in a little over an hour.  I really don't know why Alexa says clay is her favorite surface.  She. Can. Not. Move.  Solid match from Flavia, who constructed points and used the slow clay to perfection.  Nothing Glatch could do, really.  She was just completely out of her league on this one.

The key match was Franny vs. Melanie.  Franny's been on a roll lately and Melanie, well, she's well-rested and a fighter.  She's proven us wrong before.

 

But not this time.  Mel came blasting out of the gate and held a 4-2 lead before rain suspended play and the wheels came off the Believe Train.  She'd get broken and would drop the tiebreaker and the second set, 62.

 

So Italy has their 2-0 lead and it's all smiles times for the Poker Team. 

"My insurance does not cover PMS!" "Well then, tell them I had a seizure."

 

I love Julia Stiles.  She doesn't do much anymore but I will love her forever simply because of 10 Things I Hate About You, a movie that was instrumental in bringing my kid sister and I closer together (you can guess which one of us is Kat and which is Bianca).  I think she's intelligent, grounded, and yeah, kinda pretentious at times, but hey, chick took some time off and went and got a degree at Columbia.  So no hate from me.

So I had to laugh when I read this article from the Wall Street Journal, which discusses the dressing room demands of a number of different celebrities on Broadway:

Backstage at "Oleanna," a play about sexual harassment, the most striking feature of Julia Stiles's dressing room is the photo of Serena Williams screaming at a line judge during the U.S. Open in September. "It is a reminder for me to go out there and not censor strong emotions that I might be having on stage," says Ms. Stiles.

Hah.

Semifinal Saturday OOPs

Bali:

Centre Court (from 14.30hrs)

1. Marion Bartoli vs. Kimiko Date Krumm
2. Aravane Rezai vs. María José Martínez Sánchez

Valencia:

Center Court (from 18.00hrs)

1. Davydenko vs. Youzhny
2. Murray vs. Verdasco

Basel:

Center Court (NB 14.30hrs)

1. Djokovic vs. Stepanek
2. Federer vs. Chiudinelli

Hey, Remember This Guy?

Heeeeere's, Rafa! He's hitting the practice courts and otherwise being adorable. As per usual.

Idiots.

According to reports, Serena and Caro are planning to play an exhibition in Barbados at the end of the month.  Yes, this is the same Caro who retired from her match against Serena a week ago due to injury, played more matches than anyone on the tour, and who Stacey Allaster has picked out as someone who should reevaluate her schedule next year.  And a Serena who is already hobbled and refused to play Fed Cup this week.

I have nothing.  I'm speechless.

Russians, Muzzard, and an Ill-Fitting Hat.

Fer in, Tommy out.  No real surprise there.  It was a clean kill.  But I love with Sergio Tachini decides to abandon navy blue and rock out some colors.  And I LOVE Tommy's red and white kit. 

Same goes for Fred Perry.  Love the red accents on Muzz's kit, even if it looks like Muzz is bleeding from the pits.  He also had a clean win, 4 and 2 over Montanes.

And of course, the Russians are in the mix.  Koyla took out Garcia Lopez in straights and Mischa upset Gilles, 4 and 4.  They'll face off in the other semi.

I love it when Gilles gets all veiny.  It makes me laugh.

Swissers, Falcons, and Worms.

Well look who crashed the party.

Not sure people thought the two Swissers to make the semis in Basel would be Fed and Chiuds, but there it is.  Marco summarily dismissed a very flat Reeshie, 1 and 3.

And then there were the comeback kids.  Nole pulled a rabbit out of his hat, coming back from a set and a break down to beat Stan.  And Radek pulled off a bit of an upset, coming back from a set down to beat Marin.  And Jelena's still pretty.

[1] R Federer (SUI) d [Q] E Korolev (RUS) 63 62
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d [6] S Wawrinka (SUI) 36 76(5) 62
[5] R Stepanek (CZE) d [4] [WC] M Cilic (CRO) 46 63 63
[WC] M Chiudinelli (SUI) d R Gasquet (FRA) 61 63

So it'll be Fed vs. Chiuds (yawn) and Nole vs Steps (intriguing).

Interestingly, the win keeps Radek in the hunt for the WTF.  The loss means Marin has to win Paris to have a chance.  I'm sure none of you care about this fact.  But I thought it was interesting.  So there.

 

Point, Bodo.

 

Pete's ESPN piece on the Wickmayer/Malisse suspensions.  I'm generally a rule-oriented person.  If you disagree with the rule, change it, but once it's in place, it is what it is.  So thanks to Mrs. Saifn for pointing out that the 1 year suspension was actually mandatory.  Them's the rules.

As for Pete, he makes a great point here:

Wickmayer's infraction was, literally, three times as serious. She went AWOL three times, and that's a little disturbing. You can't expect the teacher to believe that your dog ate your homework three nights in a row. And there's this: These two players aren't the only ones who have to jump through the doping hoops. If Roger Federer, Serena Williams & Co. all have abided by these demands, why should Wickmayer and Malisse get an exemption?

If bat-shit crazy Serena can focus long enough to check in with the authorities, and really, is there any doubt that not even Serena knows where the hell she is at any given point in time, then why couldn't Wickmayer and Malisse?

I think it's still unfortunate.  The penalty just doesn't fit the crime here.  But dem's the rules, I guess. 

The one year suspension could mean the end of a career for Malisse, who'll be 30 next year.

"A procedure before Cas is very costly and lasts a very long time," he said.

"I currently don't have the financial means to take on such a battle. I still don't know what I'm going to do, but if the suspension is maintained that means the end of my career."

Welcome To Italy, Kids.

Ah, the face of confidence.

The draw for the Fed Cup final took place today, and yeah, Italy's still in a good spot.

Round 1: Flavia Pennetta vs. Alexa Glatch

Round 2: Francesca Schiavone vs. Melanie Oudin

Round 3: Flavia Pennetta vs. Melanie Oudin
Round 4: Francesca Schiavone vs. Alexa Glatch

Round 5: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci vs. Liezel Huber/Vania King

It's a good draw for Italy.  Flavia on clay is always tough, though Alexa Glatch claims its her favorite surface because it gives her time, but more importantly, Tranny has been on a roll as of late, winning 9 of her last 10 matches.  If she can take out the US #1 on the first day, then Italy's golden after Day 1. 

All that said, I'm looking forward to this final.  You know Italy's going to bring it.  Here's hoping MJ finds a way to inspire her kids one more time.

And Marion Makes Four

Mono and her ratty hat beat Shahar in straight sets to secure the final spot in the Bali semis.  So it'll be Mono, Kimiko, MJMS, and Aravene.

Uh...GO KIMIKO AND ARAVENE!

Bali Scores:

Group A: (1) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Shahar Peer (ISR) 63 62
Group B: María José Martínez Sánchez (ESP) d. (2) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 76(4) 75
Group C: Vera Dushevina (RUS)* d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 26 61 75
Group D: (4/WC) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Melinda Czink (HUN) 62 67(1) 64

Pic This: Creepy.

I Could Watch Him Stretch All Day (and Night) Long

Boys: Friday OOPs

Valencia:

 

Basel:

Bali: Friday OOP

  

 

Results – Thursday, November 5, 2009
Round Robin – Day 2
Group A: Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 61 76(4)
Group B: María José Martínez Sánchez (ESP) d. Agnes Szavay (HUN) 46 64 60
Group C: (WC) Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 64 63
Group D: Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. Melinda Czink (HUN) 63 75

With Rezai's win over Czink, she goes 2-0 in round robin play and advances to the semis.  Kimiko's win, combined with Yanina's withdrawal due the doping suspension, means Kimiko also advances to the semis. 

Here's the OOP for Friday.

Bali:

Centre Court (from 14.00hrs)
1. Samantha Stosur vs. María José Martínez Sánchez
2. Sabine Lisicki vs. Melinda Czink
3. Marion Bartoli vs. Shahar Peer (NB 18.30hrs)
4. Yanina Wickmayer vs. Anabel Medina Garrigues

Play has already started and MJMS beat Sammy, 76(4) 75, which means Sam is out and MJMS will advance to the semifinals.  The winner of the Mono/Peer match will advance out of Group A.

WHY SAM, WHY???

This One Goes Out To The Love Birds. Get It? That's a Tennis Pun!

 

I'm a little late on this (sorry Eric!) but I'm going to do my best Casey Kasem impression:

 

This is Eric.  He and his wife Gwen are longtime FD readers who had the most adorable wedding ever.  I mean, have you ever gone to a wedding and needed to bring your racquet?  Probably not.  But the Crawfords did.  And from all the pictures, it was awesome.

FD Viewers: We were married on the beach next to one of the most beautiful public tennis courts in the country (Lowman Beach Park, Seattle). So, of course, we brought our gear and rallied as newlyweds with friends and family. It was awesome! If you're ever in Seattle and want to hit, just get in touch!

 

Eric and Gwen were married a little over a month ago, and he, being the adorable catch that he is, wanted to do something to celebrate their 42nd-Day Anniversary, which was November 3rd.  Here's his message to his beautiful bride, Gwen, which I was supposed to post a couple of days ago:

Gwen: As I'm sure you know, today is our 42nd-Day Anniversary and, I thought, what better place to celebrate than on our favorite site, FD! I love you! -Eric

So to Eric and Gwen, congratulations and thanks for sharing your amazing day with the Forty Deuce nation.  

 

And Gwen, you're a effin' rock star for playing in your dress.  I can't wipe the smile off my face.  Amazing.

Pic This: "My Poker Face, My My Poker Face."

 

Bring. It.

*GASP* Kimiko Goes White Face!

Damn.  Still doesn't have the same effect as this.

Also, can I just say, Kimiko looks fuckin' amazing:  

 

39 never looked so good.