The Harder They Come...
Gisela Dulko steadied herself and sent Maria Sharapova home. Gisela used her serve and her guts to race out to a 6-2, 3-0 lead before seeming to be overcome with the vapors as she lost the next seven games. It's usually when you reach the business end of a match that a player like Dulko is expected to fade. Instead she buckled down and played the better tennis pulling out a 6-4 third set. She needed five match points but a win is a win. Funny how all the machinations came to naught isn't it? I thought Mary Jo Fernandez, who should not be calling any matches involving Maria Sharapova or Roger Federer sounded as if she were going to cry.
To be honest this was a match that under normal circumstances would not have been on Centre Court. Sharapova's true ranking is 59. Dulko's ranking is 65. In this match of equals Dulko won. Not really all that surprising when you think about it.
Interesting hearing John McEnroe and his second banana trying to hype the Querrey/Cilic match. No matter what they say this was definitely not a Centre Court match. Querrey played his best but as I said it's what's between the ears that counts in tight matches.
Marin Cilic
JMac was also incredulous that Ernests Gulbis decided to turn down an invitation to work with the Adidas team in Las Vegas. Went on a five minute tear about how badly Gulbis is doing before he caught himself. And people wonder why I avoid the ESPN talking heads like the plague.
Vera Zvonareva
And of course they made it sound like the Monogram beat the bestest player in the world today and then spent time, while live tennis is going on, interviewing the Monogram. Amazing.
Michael Llodra retired from his match against Tommy Haas after the above collision with a ball kid.
The British Government has appointed a panel to investigate unusual betting patterns during the Jurgen Melzer vs Wayne Odesnik match yesterday.
Intended Order of Play for Thursday 25 June 2009
SINGLES
CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START
1. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) [5] 1 vs Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 3
2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [9] 17 vs Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 20
3. Andy Murray (GBR) [3] 33 vs Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 36
COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START
1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33 vs Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 36
2. Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 30 vs Andy Roddick (USA) [6] 32
3. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) [10] 49 vs Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 52
COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 22 vs Tomas Berdych (CZE) [20] 24
2. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] 1 vs Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) 4
3. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 53 vs Fabrice Santoro (FRA) 55
4. Iveta Benesova (CZE) 62 vs Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [6] 64
COURT 3 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 29 vs Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [5] 32
2. Thiago Alves (BRA) 61 vs Gilles Simon (FRA) [8] 64
3. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) [17] 9 vs Kristina Kucova (SVK) 11
4. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [19] 41 vs Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 44
COURT 4 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) [26] 25 vs Benjamin Becker (GER) 27
2. Elena Baltacha (GBR) 5 vs Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 7
COURT 6 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Victor Hanescu (ROU) [31] 57 vs Nicolas Devilder (FRA) 59
COURT 7 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 37 vs Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 39
2. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 53 vs Na Li (CHN) [19] 56
3. Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 22 vs Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) [20] 24
4. Pablo Cuevas (URU) 46 vs Jesse Levine (USA) 47
COURT 12 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26 vs Patricia Mayr (AUT) 27
2. Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6 vs Mischa Zverev (GER) 7
3. Radek Stepanek (CZE) [23] 9 vs Potito Starace (ITA) 11
4. Melanie Oudin (USA) 58 vs Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 60
COURT 14 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [11] 49 vs Shuai Peng (CHN) 52
2. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) [12] 17 vs Victor Crivoi (ROU) 19
3. Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 38 vs Viktor Troicki (SRB) [30] 40
COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START
1. Samantha Stosur (AUS) [18] 41 vs Tatjana Malek (GER) 44
2. Sara Errani (ITA) 45 vs Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13] 48
3. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 13 vs David Ferrer (ESP) [16] 16
4. Vania King (USA) 13 vs Flavia Pennetta (ITA) [15] 16
Doubles Order of Play
COURT 4 - SHOW COURT
3. Serena Williams (USA) and Venus Williams (USA) [4] 17 vs
Virginie Razzano (FRA) and Aravane Rezai (FRA) 18
4. Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) and Melanie South (GBR) 29 vs
Rogier Wassen (NED) and Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 30
COURT 5 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) and Sania Mirza (IND) [15] 57 vs
Jill Craybas (USA) and Carly Gullickson (USA) 58
2. Marcel Granollers (ESP) and Santiago Ventura (ESP) 5 vs
Chris Eaton (GBR) and Alexander Slabinsky (GBR) 6
3. Ashley Fisher (AUS) and Abigail Spears (USA) 11 vs
Kenneth Skupski (GBR) and Katie O'Brien (GBR) 12
4. Sara Errani (ITA) and Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 39 vs
Lisa Raymond (USA) and Vera Zvonareva (RUS) [9] 40
COURT 6
2. Joshua Goodall (GBR) and Naomi Cavaday (GBR) 61 vs Lucas Arnold Ker (ARG) and Gisela Dulko (ARG) 62
3. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) and Urszula Radwanska (POL) 55 vs
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Nadia Petrova (RUS) [10] 56
4. James Cerretani (USA) and Victor Hanescu (ROU) 43 vs
Oscar Hernandez (ESP) and Albert Montanes (ESP) 44
COURT 9 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Colin Fleming (GBR) and Kenneth Skupski (GBR) 3 vs Johan Brunstrom (SWE) and Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO) 4
2. Paul Hanley (AUS) and Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 45 vs
Filip Polasek (SVK) and Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 46
3. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) and Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 11 vs Alize Cornet (FRA) and Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 12
4. Julian Knowle (AUT) and Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 61 vs Robert Kendrick (USA) and Sam Querrey (USA) 62
COURT 11 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Rameez Junaid (AUS) and Philipp Marx (GER) 21 vs Guillermo Garcia- Lopez (ESP) and Ivan Navarro (ESP) 22
2. Andrei Pavel (ROU) and Horia Tecau (ROU) 29 vs
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) and Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 30
3. Sabine Lisicki (GER) and Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 19 vs
Maret Ani (EST) and Roberta Vinci (ITA) 20
4. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) and Shuai Peng (CHN) [5] 33 vs
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) and Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 34
COURT 15 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) and Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 59 vs Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) and Monica Niculescu (ROU) 60
2. James Blake (USA) and Mardy Fish (USA) 47 vs Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) and Leander Paes (IND) [3] 48
3. Stefan Koubek (AUT) and Dudi Sela (ISR) 45 vs Arnaud Clement (FRA) and Marc Gicquel (FRA) 46
COURT 17 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Jeff Coetzee (RSA) and Jordan Kerr (AUS) [12] 9 vs Rogier Wassen (NED) and Igor Zelenay (SVK) 11
2. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) and Bjorn Phau (GER) 27 vs Igor Andreev (RUS) and Evgeny Korolev (RUS) 28
3. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) and Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 51 vs
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) and Janette Husarova (SVK) 52
COURT 19 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Akiko Morigami (JPN) and Ayumi Morita (JPN) 23 vs Zi Yan (CHN) and Jie Zheng (CHN) [13] 24
2. Wesley Moodie (RSA) and Vladimira Uhlirova (CZE) 3 vs
Michal Mertinak (SVK) and Mara Santangelo (ITA) 4
3. Lucky loser 51 vs Benjamin Becker (GER) and Rainer Schuettler (GER) 52
MATCHES TO BE ARRANGED
Not before 4.00 pm
Elena Baltacha (GBR) and Amanda Elliott (GBR) 15 vs
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) and Elena Vesnina (RUS) [7] 16
Rik De Voest (RSA) and Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) 37 vs
Jamie Murray (GBR) and Liezel Huber (USA) 38
End Notes
Michelle Larcher de Brito did her thing against Francesca Schiavone. Schiavone looked annoyed at the shrieks and howls that increased as the match went on but decided that winning the match would shut de Brito up. It did. Young men enjoyed young Ms de Brito's performance.
COURT 4 - SHOW COURT
3. Serena Williams (USA) and Venus Williams (USA) [4] 17 vs
Virginie Razzano (FRA) and Aravane Rezai (FRA) 18
4. Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) and Melanie South (GBR) 29 vs
Rogier Wassen (NED) and Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 30
COURT 5 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) and Sania Mirza (IND) [15] 57 vs
Jill Craybas (USA) and Carly Gullickson (USA) 58
2. Marcel Granollers (ESP) and Santiago Ventura (ESP) 5 vs
Chris Eaton (GBR) and Alexander Slabinsky (GBR) 6
3. Ashley Fisher (AUS) and Abigail Spears (USA) 11 vs
Kenneth Skupski (GBR) and Katie O'Brien (GBR) 12
4. Sara Errani (ITA) and Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 39 vs
Lisa Raymond (USA) and Vera Zvonareva (RUS) [9] 40
COURT 6
2. Joshua Goodall (GBR) and Naomi Cavaday (GBR) 61 vs Lucas Arnold Ker (ARG) and Gisela Dulko (ARG) 62
3. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) and Urszula Radwanska (POL) 55 vs
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Nadia Petrova (RUS) [10] 56
4. James Cerretani (USA) and Victor Hanescu (ROU) 43 vs
Oscar Hernandez (ESP) and Albert Montanes (ESP) 44
COURT 9 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Colin Fleming (GBR) and Kenneth Skupski (GBR) 3 vs Johan Brunstrom (SWE) and Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO) 4
2. Paul Hanley (AUS) and Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 45 vs
Filip Polasek (SVK) and Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 46
3. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) and Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 11 vs Alize Cornet (FRA) and Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 12
4. Julian Knowle (AUT) and Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 61 vs Robert Kendrick (USA) and Sam Querrey (USA) 62
COURT 11 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Rameez Junaid (AUS) and Philipp Marx (GER) 21 vs Guillermo Garcia- Lopez (ESP) and Ivan Navarro (ESP) 22
2. Andrei Pavel (ROU) and Horia Tecau (ROU) 29 vs
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) and Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 30
3. Sabine Lisicki (GER) and Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 19 vs
Maret Ani (EST) and Roberta Vinci (ITA) 20
4. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) and Shuai Peng (CHN) [5] 33 vs
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) and Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 34
COURT 15 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) and Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 59 vs Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) and Monica Niculescu (ROU) 60
2. James Blake (USA) and Mardy Fish (USA) 47 vs Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) and Leander Paes (IND) [3] 48
3. Stefan Koubek (AUT) and Dudi Sela (ISR) 45 vs Arnaud Clement (FRA) and Marc Gicquel (FRA) 46
COURT 17 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Jeff Coetzee (RSA) and Jordan Kerr (AUS) [12] 9 vs Rogier Wassen (NED) and Igor Zelenay (SVK) 11
2. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) and Bjorn Phau (GER) 27 vs Igor Andreev (RUS) and Evgeny Korolev (RUS) 28
3. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) and Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 51 vs
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) and Janette Husarova (SVK) 52
COURT 19 - 12.00 NOON START
1. Akiko Morigami (JPN) and Ayumi Morita (JPN) 23 vs Zi Yan (CHN) and Jie Zheng (CHN) [13] 24
2. Wesley Moodie (RSA) and Vladimira Uhlirova (CZE) 3 vs
Michal Mertinak (SVK) and Mara Santangelo (ITA) 4
3. Lucky loser 51 vs Benjamin Becker (GER) and Rainer Schuettler (GER) 52
MATCHES TO BE ARRANGED
Not before 4.00 pm
Elena Baltacha (GBR) and Amanda Elliott (GBR) 15 vs
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) and Elena Vesnina (RUS) [7] 16
Rik De Voest (RSA) and Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) 37 vs
Jamie Murray (GBR) and Liezel Huber (USA) 38
End Notes
Michelle Larcher de Brito did her thing against Francesca Schiavone. Schiavone looked annoyed at the shrieks and howls that increased as the match went on but decided that winning the match would shut de Brito up. It did. Young men enjoyed young Ms de Brito's performance.
Michelle Larcher de Brito
According to Mary Carillo and Mary Jo Fernandez and the rest of the talking heads on ESPN Sharapova's loss today was not devastating. They all vowed she'd be back next year. Guess they'll bump her into the top ten.
Marion Bartoli is showing no signs of the quad injury that had her limp in agony out of her last match.
Elena Dementieva is overjoyed about her play today.
Aravane Rezai takes a moment to think about it.
Seed watch for tomorrow is as follows:
Lleyton Hewitt is ranked #52
Maria Kirilenko is ranked #59
Ernests Gulbis is ranked #74
Kateryna Bondarenko is ranked #73
Igor Kunitsyn is ranked #39
Leonardo Mayer is ranked #64
Rossana de los Rios is ranked #100
Iveta Benesova is ranked #35
Pauline Parmentier is ranked #78
5 comments:
Agreed on ESPN being in the tank for Sharapova.
It's embarrassing.
Pam Shriver or all people called PMac on his BS today. It was great! She shot down all of that "only 4th tourney back, still rehabing" nonsense. I was quite stunned...and pleased.
On another note...tennis is a small incestuous world, all of the commentators have conflict of interest. I don't have any issue w/ MJ commenting on Fed or Sharpie.
Tru I agree with you in theory.
Of all the talking heads MJF is probably one of the best in the business. And we certainly can't overlook her Fed Cup success.
It's just that when your husband is Roger Federer's IMG agent and at the end of the FO you are photographed with his family as he embraces his mother the conflict goes beyond the usual. Her husband is not Sharapova's agent but he's considered, along with MJ's one of IMG's superagents.
It's a little closer than usual Tru. :)
Dulko is 45th, not 65th.
I guess a 20 spots shift is not important for you, but 24 is.
Oops, confusion. Should be 35 instead of 24 which kills my killer line.
My mistake re Dulko's ranking. I rechecked the WTA site after reading this. Nothing meant against Dulko. And my point is reinforced. Dulko was the higher ranked player and she won.
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