DELAYED GRATIFICATION

Sunday was a wash.  Monday was full of fits and starts.  Finally, Rafa reigned supreme.  Relentless and unyielding on the court, humble and gracious off the court, Rafael Nadal is the worthiest of U.S. Open champions. His trophy case now complete with all four Grand Slam titles, his legacy permanently etched in the record books, Nadal is officially one of the all-time greats.  And he's only 24.  Much more to come from the Man from Mallorca who refuses to plateau.  Connors says he plays like he's broke.  After literally pocketing another check for $1.7 million, he's far from it.  But his brand of perpetual motion defies logic. Already the best, somehow he keeps getting better.  

Found this poignant poem by Cilla Reid on Peter Bodo's blog:

BREAKING NEW

On a DecoTurf court in a fabulous city,
Where life is a mixture of flashy and gritty,
A young man from Spain beat a Serbian lad
In a battle where both gave it all that they had.

The trophy is Rafa’s and it’s well deserved.
His game was inspired, and oh, how he served!
Nadal was relentless, like waves in a storm,
But Novak kept coming and would not conform.

In his semi with Roger, Novak made us all proud,
With his heart on his sleeve, he won back the crowd.
He stood on that baseline and dictated play,
But Rafa refused to be beaten today.

My first glimpse of Nadal was in France at their Slam,
And I watched him, mouth open, saying, “Hot Damn!”
His slides were amazing; his speed was a wonder, 
His footwork impressive; his ground strokes like thunder.

When he lifted that trophy in Paris and smiled,
My heart it just melted and I was beguiled
By his charm and his spunk and his guns and his gets,
He lit up the place; he was hard to forget.

Then he captured more titles on hard, clay and grass,
And he challenged the best with his game and his class.
He brought us the bolo; he redefined spin;
And his volleys improved to the skeptics’ chagrin.

Now he sleeps in the best of the finest hotels,
But he’ll never play poker—he has too many tells.
He picks at his shorts, he tugs at his locks,
He lines up his bottles and ignores all the clocks.

In tennis we’ve witnessed something so rare
In Roger and Rafa and the grand slams they share.
We wonder if there will be more to their story,
But for now, let’s just sit back and bask in their glory.

Let’s celebrate Rafa, who brought us his best.
He’s a jewel of a person and we are all blessed
With his courage and candor and beautiful smile,
We all hope that he will stay with us awhile.

Kudos to Rafa and Uncle Toni and everyone in the Nadal camp.  Vamos on a job well done.

THE MISSING LINK

Super Saturday at the U.S. Open, while not completely void of drama, was most notable for who or what was missing in action.  Three or the top four men in tennis were present in the semifinals, with Andy Murray being the lone exception.  Thinking Murray was primed to capture his first Grand Slam title, I picked him to win the tournament before it started.  Instead, the fourth-seeded Scot went down in the third round to Switzerland's second-best player, Stanislas Wawrinka.  Wawrinka then lost a heartbreaking five-setter to Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the quarterfinals.  Completing the chain, yesterday an exhausted Youzhny was overwhelmed by Rafa Nadal in the semifinals.  Tweaking his grip just before the start of the U.S. Open, Nadal has bumped up the MPHs on his serve and is clearly on a mission.  Perhaps Murray would not have been up the task of giving Rafa a real run for his money in the semifinals, but his absence was duly noted, and Rafa rolled in straight sets to reach his first U.S. Open final.

Kim Clijsters deserved to win the women's title.  Her monster semifinal against Venus Williams was the women's match of the tournament.  Vera Zvonareva played well to reach her second Grand Slam final, taking out the #1 seed Caroline Wozniacki (who is looking supremely fit and gorgeous these days).  But, again, what struck me most was the fact that Serena wasn't there.  Last year's memorable final between Kim and Serena included the famous blow-up at the lineswoman who called a foot fault on Serena, but Kim was already on the verge of defeating her fair and sqaure when the incident occurred.  Unfortunately, Serena sustained a foot injury which kept her from seeking revenge on Kim this time around.  Thus, the women's tourney really climaxed with Kim vs. Venus.  Taking nothing away from Clijsters, now a three-time winner at the U.S. Open, things may have been different if Kim was forced to get past both Williams sisters.

Without a doubt, the match of the day was Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic.  For three years in a row, Nole has suffered his U.S. Open fate at the hands of the Swiss maestro, he last two years in the semis, the year before that in the final.  You knew The Serb didn't want to lose to The Mighty Fed four years in a row.  But Fed hasn't been quite as mighty this year as in year's past.  In the spring, I was present in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to witness Roger squandering match points and losing to Marcos Baghdatis.  Uncharacterisically, Federer did the same against Tomas Berdych in Miami.  Those were losses to guys he previously owned.  Soderling took Fed out in the quarters at the French to snap his unbelievable Slam Semi streak, then Berdych beat him again at Wimbledon.  In the press conference following the loss to Berdych, Roger revealed he had been struggling with some nagging injuries.  It seemed to explain why we weren't seeing the Greatest Player of All-Time at his usual awe-inspiring level.  But yesterday was different.  Federer didn't have the same mastery of his forehand and appeared to tank the second and fourth sets to conserve energy.  Djokovic was not only the hungrier, more determined man on the court, he was the braver one, too.  It's hard to say something was missing from a five-set epic, but indeed there was something... Federer's killer instinct.  Once again, Roger Federer had match points against an opponent he has dominated throughout his career and ended up losing the match.  Although the tennis season began with Roger winning the Australian Open and banking his 16th Grand Slam, 2010 will be remembered as the year when Federer lost his invincibility.

Today could be a historic day in tennis.  Rafael Nadal has the opportunity to capture the only Grand Slam title that has eluded him.  By winning the U.S. Open, Nadal would complete the Career Grand Slam at the ripe old age of 24.  Or Novak Djokovic could play spoiler and accomplish something even more rare... defeating Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the same weekend to win a Grand Slam title.  Either way, someone is going to find something they've been missing.

VAMOS! TO RAFA, RYAN, AND THE SPARKLER DRESS

Some awesome tennis today.  Nadal-Istomin was a lot of fun.  Istomin played as well as he could possibly play in the second and third and came away losing both of them, 7-6, 7-5.  

The Ryan Harrison match was exhilarating, inspiring, thrilling, and then crushing.  

Venus' sparkler dress was pretty cool and pretty sexy, but more distracting than should be allowed on court.  For viewers?  Perhaps.  Opponents?  For sure.  Querrey-Almagro next round.  I like Fish's draw, I like Isner's draw if the ankle stays healthy, and I like Gasquet's draw if he can keep it up.  Roger looks superb, and is headed for a showdown with Soderling.  With Rafa now bombing serves and Murray in line to win his first major, that semifinal would be one for the ages.

ALLEZ!

Where in world did the French men come from?  Well, France, I suppose.  A record twelve Frenchmen made it into the second round of the U.S. Open.  Five of them played their second round matches yesterday, with four advancing to the third round.  The one French player who lost, Guillaume Rufin, went down to fellow Frenchman, Paul-Henri Mathieu.  Arnaud Clement, who vanquished fan favorite Marcos Baghdatis in five tough sets in the first round, advanced again when Argentine Eduardo Schwank retired from the match with an injury in the second set.  Gael Monfils dismissed Russian Igor Andreev in straights to set up a third round clash against Janko Tipsarevic, conqueror of Andy Roddick. But the biggest French victory of the day by far was Richard Gasquet shocked the 6 seed, Nikolay Davydenko, 6-3-, 6-4, 6-2.  Gasquet, a former Top Ten player, was suspended from the tour for a few months last year for testing positive for cocaine.  Somehow, the ATP bought his feeble excuse that the drug entered his system when he kissed some random chick in a nightclub, and Gasquet was reinstated.  Now ranked #38, the man Brad Gilbert likes to refer to as Dickie Gasket played yesterday like the budding superstar he was a couple of years ago.  With a favorable draw, if he keeps up this form, he could make a deep run in this tournament.  Seven more Frenchmen take the court today.  Already this morning, one has advanced -- Michael Llodra -- and one has been eliminated -- Julien Benneteau.  It'll be interesting to see how the French fare as we move forward.  Will it just be a lot of hot air in the early rounds?  Or will one of them find a way to go all the way and give the French their first men's champion at the U.S. Open in 82 years.  Henri Cochet won in 1928 after another Frenchman, Rene Lacoste took the title in '26 and '27.  However, with the top four seeds on the men's side still alive, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the odds of the French breaking the streak this year are slim to none.

Oh, by the way, including Nadal, 9 Spanish men are still alive in the tournament...

JANKO DOODLE DANDY

Adios, Andy...

Andy Roddick is out of the U.S. Open.  Playing in the night match slot reserved for the game's most exciting players, Roddick was anything but.  His conservative approach allowed Janko Tipsarevic, an eccentric Serb ranked 44 in the world, to dictate play.  After Roddick took the first set, Tipsarevic seemed to relax and gain in confidence, gradually slipping into a Zen-like zone.  A foot fault call in the third set send Roddick into a relentless tirade.  The lineswoman told Andy it was his right foot that hit the line, when in fact it was his left.  Roddick argued the logic of the call, saying his right foot never crosses in front of his left on the serve, and wouldn't let it go.  On replay, it was clear the call was correct but the explanation was not.  Roddick continued to berate the lineswoman as the third set went on.  After Roddick lost the set, the lineswoman was replaced, but Roddick was called for two more foot faults in the fourth set.  Meanwhile, Tipsarevic remained in his near-meditative state, controlling both the points and his emotions.  I believe Andy let the foot fault calls unnerve him because he was really angry at himself and needed to vent that frustration.  His inability to change tatctics and disrupt Tipsarevic spelled doom for his chances at this year's Open, and he knew it.  Though he seemed almost lethargic at times in the first two and half sets, Roddick's blood was already boiling.  The foot fault call just lit the fuse.  Late in the fourth set tiebreak, down 5 points to 4, Roddick raised his arms, urging the crowd to come to life. It's one thing to ask for the crowd's support, but nothing like inspiring their enthusiasm with great play. Americans before him like Connors, McEnroe, and Agassi were able to do just that.  Andy Roddick was not.  On this night, Janko Tipsarevic was the better player and the better man.

However, despite Roddick's early exit, all is not lost for American tennis.  Sam Querrey and John Isner both won their first round matches yesterday.  James Blake and Taylor Dent are both into the second round.  Mardy Fish won this morning to move on to the third round.  And 18-year-old Ryan Harrison pulled off a major upset yesterday by ousting Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubicic, the 15th seed.  It was the first time an American teenager beat a top twenty player in a Grand Slam since a 19-year-old Andy Roddick did it in 2001.

In August, Andy Roddick slipped out of the Top Ten for two weeks.  It marked the first time since the ATP Rankings began in 1973 that no American man resided in the Top Ten.  The American tennis media was all over the statistic.  Although Roddick quickly returned to the number 8 slot, the stat was significant in that it signaled the end of an era.  It's now been a full generation since Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang formed an American armada at the top of the men's game.  Since then, only Andy Roddick has managed to take a single Slam at the 2003 U.S. Open.  With Roddick's chances of adding another trophy to his mantlepiece dwindling, it's now time to usher in the new generation.  Sam Querrey and John Isner have already arrived and are only getting better.  Mardy Fish, technically part of the last generation, is finally fulfilling his potential and could make it all the way into the Top Ten before long.  And now young Ryan Harrison joins them in the conversation.  Europeans Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have dominated the game for quite a while now, and will probably continue to do so in the foreseeable future.  But nothing lasts forever.  You get the feeling it's only a matter of time before another American man climbs his way to the top.

HOT FIVES IN THE CITY

On a sweltering day in New York, seven more five-set matches were played yesterday at the U.S. Open.  One would think the heat would cause points to be quicker and matches to be shorter, but that has not been the case.  The depth of the game has given us some great first round matchups and guys are slugging it out to the end despite the extreme conditions.

Novak Djokovic looked cooked, down 2 sets to 1 and a break in the fourth, and wilting in the heat as he is prone to do.  He dug down deep, stayed mentally strong, and managed to outlast his countryman, Viktor Troicki.

American and #19 seed Mardy Fish dominated Jan Hajek in the first, fourth, and fifth sets, but lost the second and third.  In one of the more final scorelines you'll see, Fish took the match, 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1. Look for Fish to make a nice run after getting though a tough first-rounder and facing a favorable draw.

Fernando Verdasco, the #8 seed, hung tough and took out the Italian Fabio Fognini in five sets.

David Nalbandian, the #31 seed, played mostly in the evening when it was cooler, but still went the distance with Rik De Voest.  Nalbandian, who has been a hot player as of late, looked to be in real trouble in the fifth set, but pulled through 6-4 to stay alive.

The charasmatic Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis, wasn't as fortunate.  The Bagh Man, seeded 16th and coming off a great U.S. Open Series this summer, was up two sets to one on the French veteran, Arnaud Clement, but let the match slip away and was sent packing.  It had to be a very disappointing loss for Baghdatis, who has had some great moments in majors, but loses in the first round too often.

Talk about disappointments, Ernests Gulbis, the Latvian, seeded 24th, lost in straight sets to another Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy.  Gulbis, a very talented player who had an outstanding clay court season, failed to win a single match at a Grand Slam this year.  That tells me he's not putting in the hard yards off the court and he may be lacking the mental toughness it takes to battle the big boys.

Rafael Nadal took the court in the night match against Russian and self-proclaimed madman, Teymuraz Gabashvili.  I saw this same matchup in Miami a couple of years ago, with Nadal cruising to a relatively easy straight set win.  Last night, Nadal had to fight a little harder, with a game Gabashvili going for broke.  Rafa won the first two sets in tiebreaks before winning the third, 6-3.  He served consistently bigger than we've seen in the past, averaging around 130 mph for the match.  If he serve at the speed and maintain his usual high first serve percentage, look out, he might just complete his Career Slam after all.

But the biggest story of the day was the heat.  Nearly everyone seemed to struggle with the temperatures and humidity.  Julien Benneteau threw up on the court, then gutted out a four-set victory over the 28th seed Radek Stepanek.

The coverage on ESPN just began a short time ago, but already they're reporting even higher temperatures and higher humidity today.  Victoria Azarenka, the #10 seed on the women's seed, and a popular pick to challenge for the title, passed out on the court this morning.  She was down 5-1 to Gisela Dulko in the first, wobbled, and collapsed.  She was carted off the court in a wheelchair.  Heat exhaustion may have played a big part in her demise, but apparently she took a fall in warmups and needed medical attention, so there seems to be more to the story.  In these conditions, it's survival of the fittest.  One way or another, this tournament is going to come down to the last man and woman standing.

OPENING DAY AT THE OPEN

Happy Birthday, Andy!

To celebrate his 28th birthday, Andy Roddick cruised to en easy first round win.  As for what he did to celebrate in the evening... I don't have that kind of scoop, you'll have to check the gossip columns.  

Gael Monfils was pushed to the limit by American Robert Kendrick.  A controversial call late in the fifth really seemed to be the difference in Monfils taking the final set, 6-4.  At 4-4, 30 all, Kendrick hit a ball very close to the baseline, Monfils was going to hit it with his racket but tried to pull away at the last second.  It was almost impossible to tell on replay if that ball hit Monfils racket first or the ground first.  Monfils didn't admit to anything, the ball was called out, and the Frenchman won the next point to close out the game.  Kendrick seemed to lose a bit of concentration and was then broken to end the match.  Tough way to lose for a guy like Kendrick who has come close to upsetting top guys in majors, but never seems to be able to seal the deal.

Robin Soderling was also tested.  After winning the first two sets against Austrain qualifier, Andreas Haider-Maurer, Soderling dropped the next two and had to pull out a nervy 6-4 win in the fifth.  Haider-Maurer served big and went for his shots, surprising the Swede with greater talent than you'd expect from a guy who plays mainly on the Challenger circuit.

Lleyton Hewitt, former #1  and winner of the 2001 U.S. Open, fell behind two sets to love versus another Frenchman, Paul-Henri Mathieu, before roaring back to take the next two sets and send the match to a fifth.  But, the aging Aussie tired in the deciding set and Mathieu took it, 6-1, to knock the #32 seed out of the tournament.

Chilean bomber Fernando Gonzalez has been struggling with injuries all year and was forced to retire from his first round match against Ivan Dodig, from Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Gonzo has been around a long time and produced a lot of great tennis, I hope he can heal up and make another run at a major before he calls it quits.

American Taylor Dent had an easy first round win.  13th seed Jurgen Melzer pulled out a five-set win, as did 21st seed Albert Montanes.  That makes a total of 5 five-setters yesterday on the men's side.  However, none of them compared to the excitement generated by a single shot of the racket of the magical Roger Federer.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Technology has obviously changed the way the game of tennis is played.  Power and precision have anchored the game at the baseline.  Serve-and-volley specialists are a thing of the past.  The net game is still important for applying pressure and closing out points, but now you approach at your own peril.  In grinding his opponents down with punishing groundstrokes, Andre Agassi seems to have created the template for the contemporary game.  But, in order to play that type of physical game, you have to be supremely fit.  Gil Reyes made sure Agassi had the endurance to outslug and outlast the other guy.  In turn, that stamina gave Andre the confidence in his body to stand toe-to-toe with whoever was across the net, knowing he the fitter player.  Thus, he earned the nickame, "The Punisher."  On the men's side, today's tennis is all about punishment.  More groundstrokes means more running, and more running means greater risk of injury.  This summer, fitness has come to the forefront.  Repeatedly, we see examples of how dedication and training pay off on the court.  Look no further than Mardy Fish.

Mardy Fish, the 28-year-old American, lost 30 pounds while rehabing from knee surgery.  In interviews, he said he took a hard look in the mirror and asked himself how badly he wanted it.  His answer has become crystal clear.  He changed his diet, he worked his ass off in training, and now he's getting the results.  He lost to Sam Querrey in the final at Queen's Club, won Newport on grass, won Atlanta on hard courts, and yesterday lost in the final at Cincinnati to Roger Federer.  Now ranked 21 in the world, Fish has trained and played his way into the conversation of contenders at the U.S. Open.  The talent was always there, but the dedication wasn't.  Though it's relatively late in his career, he's now in the best shape he's ever been in.  It's allowed him to show the world he can play with the big boys.  Mardy Fish is finally fulfilling his potential.

David Nalbandian is another player who has always carried a few extra pounds.  Blessed with enormous skill and a shrewd tactical mind, the Argentine has reached the semifinals in all four Slams, but has never won one.  Like Mardy Fish, David Nalbandian is 28-years-old and nearing the dreaded tennis age of 30. Nalbandian had hip surgery last year, returning earlier this summer with a couple of huge Davis Cup wins for Argentina.  The U.S. Open Series showed David's renewed passion for the game.  He's lost weight, he's hitting the ball crisp and clean, and once again looks like a force to be reckoned with.  He even won the title in Washington D.C., taking out Marcos Baghdatis in the final.  

Marcos Baghdatis, the charasmatic Cypriot, is back in form.  Once the top junior in the world, he stormed onto the scene in January of 2006, reaching the final of the Australian Open.  Always entertaining, the Bagh Man has certainly played his share of thrilling matches and won a few of them. But, generally, it feels as if he's underachieved. During this summer, it's become evident that Marcos has trained hard.  He's leaner and moving around the court like a player who is not afraid of going the distance.  Improved fitness has allowed him to play the Agassi-like grinding game he needs to play to compete at the highest level.  His giant smile and pleasant court demeanor win him fans wherever he goes.  Crowds usually end up rooting for him.  It's good for the game to have him back in the mix.

Obviously, when you think of fitness in men's tennis, you have to look no further than the two headliners and living legends, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.  Federer defeated Fish yesterday in Cincinnati to claim another Masters shield and end a seven-month title drought.  He is currently tied with Andy Murray for the most points in the U.S. Open Series, but a tiebreaker gives Murray the edge.  Everyone talks about the beauty of Federer's game, how smooth he is and how easy he makes it look.  No doubt, that's in large part to the work he does off the court.  No one every questions his fitness.  Then again, rarely does it get mentioned.  One of the most remarkable things about Federer's career is his ability to remain healthy.  Mono threw him off a couple of years ago.  Some nagging injuries seem to have played a part in his subpar showings at the French Open and Wimbledon this year.  Besides those blips, Roger has been the picture of health, and it's enabled him to set all kinds of records for longevity and consistency.  Of course, Fed and Nadal do it in different ways.  Nadal's bulging biceps are two of the most useful marketing tools in the game.  You can see his fitness.  He's a beast.  And those muscles have been put to good use on the court.  He bullies guys.  Against him, players change their tactics for fear of going five sets with him.  He runs and runs and runs, and never seems to show signs of getting tired.  Nadal has taken Agassi's mentality and multiplied it.  He exemplifies the modern game.  A game in which you have absolutely no chance if you're not in perfect physical condition.

THE BIG A

Watching Rafael Nadal win Wimbledon and Spain win the World Cup was perfectly enjoyable.  I was particularly satisfied by Rafa's victory, as he is the player I root for above all others.  I liked the soccer played by the Spanish side, but America was my number 1 and the Netherlands was my number 2.  With the two tournaments running simultaneously, and my obsessive need to not miss a moment, the entire experience was saturating bordering on overwhelming.  Obviously, the Spanish are on el septimo cielo with Nadal on top of the tennis world, the World Cup in their possession for the first time, and Alberto Contador claiming the yellow jersey today in the Tour de France.  But I needed something decidedly American to balance things out.  I was lucky enough to receive an extremely generous gift from a fantastic friend to help me fill my patriotic need... tickets to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

I could probably ramble on for hours about my comprehensive All-Star Game experience, I have previously stated that this blog is dedicated to tennis.  I know I've already used this space to discuss other sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup, but I'd like to stick to the subject at hand as much as possible.  I suppose if I wanted to I could sing the praises of the Miami Heat miraculously signing LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade.  Or I could break down every pedal stroke of the daily drama unfolding in a phenomenal Tour de France.  But, despite that temptation, I'm going to restrict myself to talking tennis as much as possible, which brings me to the point of this piece.  Despite numerous opportunities to approach baseball players during the All-Star festivites, the one famous person I felt compelled to interact with turned out to be one of my tennis idols.

That's right, the one and only Andre Agassi!  Just to clarify, that's him on the left and me on the right.  As expected, he was gracious and cordial, even inviting me to have a seat next to him to pose for a picture.  I took full advantage of AA being so generous with his time.  I told him I had played tennis that morning and was in the process of changing my grip to Western in an attempt to hit with more topspin.  He told me, "Semi-Western, low to high," and demonstrated.

I can't possibly imagine anything satisfying my urge for something American more than a chat with Andre Agassi at the baseball All-Star Game.  Notice I'm even wearing red, white, and blue.

A FINAL WORD... OR TWO

Through all the trials and tribulations, the up-and-comers and the upsets, and the longest tennis match ever played, the strawberries and cream rose to the top at Wimbledon. In the end, Rafa and Serena were the only two left standing (despite the above photo of them sitting together at the Champions Ball). They are unquestionably the King and Queen of Tennis. Congratulations, Mazel Tov, and Vamos!

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Matt Harvey, the official Poet-in-Residence for the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, did yeoman's work throughout the fortnight.  Read his wonderful Wimblewords here.

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Despite a valiant effort by Diego Forlan and Uruguay, the Netherlands booked their spot in the World Cup Final today with a 3-2 victory. Though it may seem a bit bandwagon now, I made the Dutch my second favorite squad (behind the good ol' US of A) going into the tournament. When one of my best friends and I toured Europe one summer, we referred to Amsterdam as "home," as in "I can't wait to go home." Thus, I felt completely justified in adopting a rooting interest in Holland. Now I will join Rafael Nadal in pulling for Spain to send Germany to the showers, making the Finals a Dutch-Spanish affair.

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Snoop, Soccer, and Star Wars join forces in this new David Beckham ad for Adidas. Look for cameos by my friend, Jay Baruchel, and my archenemy, Greedo.

SEMI SWEET

Ah... Another serendipitous and delicious day of sports.  While Wimbledon held it's men's semifinal matches, the World Cup determined two of its semifinal participants, with high quality and high drama on display.

Things certainly did not go according to form this week.  At the All England Club, champions where kicked to the curb, one after another. Venus Williams got trounced by Bulgarian cutie Tsvetana Pironkova in the women's quarters. The 12th-seeded Czech, Tomas Berdych, slayed all-time great, Roger Federer. Even the Williams Sisters, a seemingly invincible doubles team, lost in the quarterfinals to a pair of Russians. Unthinkable. And then today, in South Africa, another dynastic force was ousted... Brazil! The Netherlands, or Holland, or the Dutch, whatever you want to call them, vanquished the greatest soccer nation in the world, 2-1. What a week! Shockers everywhere. Kings and queens dethroned. Brackets busted. Doors thrown wide open for new champions to emerge.

Berdych, who beat Federer earlier this year in Miami, won their quarterfinal match convincingly enough that no one thought it to be a fluke. In the post-match press conference, Federer said he was ailing with leg and back ailments. Some criticized his unusual lack of class in claiming injury had something to do with his defeat. But slack should be cut for a player as dominant as Federer who hadn't lost before the finals of Wimbledon since 2002. Eternally elegant and smooth and dominant for so long, he finally found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to explain why he wasn't at his best. Maybe it was because of the injury, maybe it due to age. Whatever the case may be, Roger Federer, now ranked number 3 in the world, will not be playing in the Wimbledon final on Sunday. The young Czech who beat him will be. Berdych has been touted for years as a great talent, but never seemed to be as strong mentally as he is physically. His time has come. Today, he dispatched Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Though Berdych is seeded 12th and Djokovic 3rd, this did not feel like an upset. Berdych outhit and outran The Djoker, who appeared to be breathing heavily from the first set on. And though it may seem hard to believe, Tomas Berdych was the more confident man in the this match. This win validated his upset of Federer and confirmed his arrival amongst the best in the game.

Rafael Nadal may already be a champion, but with Federer fading, he now has the opportunity to place a stranglehold on the men's game. There are plenty of sharks circling in the water, but Rafa may be the only Great White. Already holding 7 major titles, and currently ranked number 1 in the world, Nadal is poised to make his run at immortality. Both Federer and Nadal looked vulnerable in the first week of this tournament. It turned out, Roger was and Rafa wasn't. In the quarterfinal, Nadal continued to take his revenge on Robin Soderling. You may remember Soderling was the one who snapped Nadal's unbeaten streak at Roland Garros last year. Rafa got him back in the finals of the French last month, and eliminated the big-swinging Swede in 4 sets on Wednesday. Today, he broke the heart of a nation by outslugging the Scotsman, Andy Murray, in their semifinal clash. Murray was seeking to end the 74-year drought of British men winning the Wimbledon title. The quality of tennis was superb. Murray served brilliantly and made very few mistakes. But Nadal was even better, looking virtually unbeatable. Though there is much less animosity between Rafa and Andy than there is between Rafa and Robin, Nadal exacted a small measure of revenge on Murray, too. The Scot pounded the injured Spaniard in this year's Australian Open quarterfinal, eventually forcing Nadal to retire from the match. Murray ended up losing to Roger Federer in the final of that tournament. One wonders if that may be the last Grand Slam the Mighty Fed ever wins. Truthfully, I doubt it.  But at this moment, it at least seems possible. At the other end of the spectrum, this Sunday, Rafael Nadal will be looking to notch his 8th Grand Slam title. That would break a tie with the likes of Rene Lacoste, Mats Wilander, John Newcombe, and John McEnroe, and vault him into the stratosphere of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, and Fred Perry. Ironically, Perry was the last Brit to win Wimbledon, all the way back in 1936.

Funny enough, both the Berdych-Djokovic match and the Nadal-Murray match hinged on second set tiebreakers. After winning the first set, Berdych broke Djokovic to take a 6-5 lead in the second. Berdych got a bit tight and the Serb broke back to force a tiebreaker. Berdych raced to a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker and held four set points after a terribly-timed Djokovic double fault. But the pattern repeated itself, with Tomas pulling back a bit and Novak raising his level of play. Djokovic even took a 7-6 lead and held a couple of set points during the breaker. But with Berdych leading 10-9, the Djoker turned choker, double faulting yet again to lose the set. That knocked the wind out of his Serbian sails. To his credit, Djokovic didn't lay down in the third and continued to slug it out, but Berdych got the best of him and closed it out in straight sets. The pivot of the Nadal-Murray match can be narrowed down even further, to one particular point. After Nadal took the first set, the two men stood even at 6-6 in the second set tiebreaker. Murray took control of the point and charged the net. With Murray in a dominant position, Nadal attempted a backhand passing shot... which clipped the tape and bounced in for a winner. Murray whacked the net with his racket, at the precise spot where luck turned against him. Nadal won the next point and took a commanding two sets to none lead. Though Murray was able to break Nadal in the first game of the third set, Rafa inevitably turned the tide, winning the set 6-4 and booking his spot in the men's final against Tomas Berdych. It feels like a new era. Roger Federer raised the bar of all-time greatness during his reign. If Rafael Nadal is ever going to vault himself into that rarified air, the time is now.

With all the breathtaking action taking place on the grass courts of Wimbledon and the grass pitch in Port Elizabeth, the most dramatic contest of the day was reserved for Soccer City in Johannesburg. With Uruguay and Ghana level at 1 apeice in the 120th minute of the game (the final minute of extra time), the thrills began. Ghana had one final free kick to make something happen before the referee blew the whistle and sent the game to penalty kicks to decide the second semifinalist. A dangerous ball was sent into the box and the goalkeeper came out to knock it away. But he failed to clear the ball, which gave Ghana a golden chance at a game-winning goal. Luis Suarez and another defender covered the goal mouth for Uruguay. The first shot deflected off Suarez's leg, but the second one was going in... until Suarez knocked it out using his arm. A hand ball was called, a red card given to Suarez, and a penalty kick awarded. With no time remaining on the clock, Ghana's deadly striker, Asamoah Gyan had a chance to eliminate Uruguay, just as he sent the USA packing earlier this week. With the crowd in a frenzy thinking Africa would be sending one its own to the Final Four, Gyan lined up the penalty kick. But just as Lady Luck intervened in the Nadal-Murray match, and to some degree the Netherlands-Brazil match, she paid a visit to Soccer City as well. Gyan's rocket shot hit the crossbar and sailed over the goal. Uruguay was brought back from the dead. The game moved to the actual round of penalty kicks to decide the winner. Uruguay's phenomenal finisher, Diego Forlan calmly stepped up and knocked in the first shot. Minutes after blowing the game for Ghana, Asamoah Gyan composed himself and buried a fierce shot in the corner of the net, tying it up. A few penalty kicks later, with Uruguay up 3-2, Ghanian shooter John Mensah was denied by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. African hearts sank. But Uruguay immediately let them back in when Pereira sailed his attempt way over the net. However, on the next kick, the  Uruguayan goalie guessed right again and prevented Ghana from leveling the score. After one last successful Uruguay penalty kick by Sebastian Abreu, the game and Ghana's dream run was suddenly over. Veteran soccer analysts claimed this was the worst way any team has ever gone out of the World Cup. My heart goes out to Ghana, but my hope is that their exit signals the silencing of the vuvuzelas. 

It's hard to imagine a day of sports to top this one -- two outstanding Men's Semifinals at Wimbledon and two unbelievable matches at the World Cup. However, tomorrow marks a perfect storm of sorts -- the Ladies' Final at Wimbledon, two more World Cup quarters, and the first day of the Tour de France. Better make sure I have a poncho and some galoshes.

SWEET (AND SOUR) SIXTEEN

Today was all about the Round of 16.  In keeping with tradition, both the men and women played their fourth round singles matches to kick off the second week of Wimbledon. Coincidentally, the World Cup has also reached the Round of 16. Two of those matches were contested today, after four were completed this weekend.  In honor of the utter dominance of the number sixteen today, I've structured my post accordingly.

1) Aside from some spectacular finals in recent years, the Wimbledon Championships of 2010 have been the most memorable in eons.  Roger Federer taken to five sets by a little-known Colombian ranked 65 in the world... in the first round?!  Federer losing a set to an ever lesser-known Serb ranked 153 in round 2?!  Newly-crowned number 1, Rafael Nadal, needing five sets to shake off pesky challengers in rounds 2 and 3?!  John Isner and Nicolas Mahut requiring three days and over 11 hours of court time to decide a winner?! 70-68 in fifth???!!! (More on that match a little later.)

2) Sadly, it is now quite clear that Andy Roddick will, in all likelihood, finish his career with exactly one Grand Slam title.  Over the years, Roddick has lost too many stunners and heartbreakers to mention. His effort can never be called into question.  He has a big heart and a great motor.  But he is a tactical underachiever.  Countless times, on the big stage, he's needed to find a solution to a problem presented by an opponent and has been unable to do so.  Last year, his inability to figure out a way to break Roger Federer's serve ultimately lost him the Wimbledon title.  And today, against Yen-Tsun Lu, the 82nd ranked player in the world from Chinese Taipei, Roddick was again at a loss for solutions.  He stubbornly stayed back on Lu's serve and was pushed well behind the baseline during rallies.  For the past year and a half, Coach Larry Stefanki has worked with Roddick on his return game, namely stepping up and taking the ball earlier.  But the tactic eluded Roddick against Lu and he paid the price with an early exit.

3) Whether it's a matter of fitness, maturity, match toughness, or a sense of urgency, Kim Clijsters returned to the women's game ready to win a major, Justin Henin did not.

4) With Federer and Nadal looking vulnerable, the door seems to be open for Andy Murray to claim the crown for Great Britain.  The path through that door is still a rocky one -- Murray will have to defeat Jo-Willy Tsonga in the quarters, the Nadal-Soderling winner in the semis, and probably Federer in the final.  Murray is still under the microscope of the English press, but it's not quite as high-powered as usual, with the World Cup and the Marathon Match stealing headlines.  It just feels like the elements might actually be conspiring in his favor.

5) I have been completely overwhelmed by sports for the past few weeks.  Sports usually occupy a solid percentage of my time, but with the confluence of Wimbledon, the World Cup, and a renewed interest in baseball, I'm finding it hard to live a normal life.  My TiVo is logging some serious overtime and bitching about the job.  By the time I wake up here on the West Coast, my faithful DVR has already recorded 6 hours of tennis and a complete World Cup match.  Obviously, it's impossible to watch every second of every match, and I do fast forward through my share, but the hours I've spent in front of my 61-inch Samsung are staggering.  Though my trusty TiVo is complaining, I am not.

6) While I'm on the subject of the World Cup, I must mention the effort of the United States soccer team. While John Isner was on court showing America in its best light, Team USA was giving its all on the pitch in Pretoria. For 90-plus minutes the frustration and tension mounted, as the US squandered chance after chance against Algeria. With England scoring a goal in their game, the Americans needed to win theirs to advance to the knockout round. Another apparent goal was waved off in a questionable manner in the first half, and it just didn't seem to be our day. When the game went into extra time and a draw seemed to be the most likely outcome, the disappointment was palpable. But Team USA kept fighting and kept believing, and Landon Donovan kept hustling... and finally scored the golden goal! It was electric. In the blink of an eye, they went from out of the tournament to winners of the group. One of the most dramatic moments in the history of United States soccer. In the Round of 16, the team reverted to a very bad habit of giving up early goals. Ghana scored within the first five minutes of the game, and put the US team under pressure. Yet again, the diehard Americans found a way, getting the equalizer when Clint Dempsey earned a foul in the box and Landon Donovan buried the ball in the back of the net. They had the momentum. It seemed like they could win this game and advance to the quarterfinals against Uruguay. For a moment, the possibility existed that the United States could reach the semifinals of the World Cup without having to face one of soccer's superpowers. The game went into extra time. And then it happened again. Within minutes, Ghana took advantage of a defensive lapse and scored. Only this time, Team USA had expended too much energy and left themselves too little time to pull off another miracle comeback. It was over. Ghana moves on as Africa's lone representative in the quarterfinals, and the United States is eliminated from the tournament. A sad moment, for sure. But also a harsh dose of reality. The United States is one the best 16 soccer nations in the world, but not Elite 8. The early goals revealed a suspect defense and the team got exactly zero goals from its strikers. A solid midfield, a great goalkeeper, and a big heart just aren't enough to compete with the likes of Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and Spain. Hopefully, after seeing the effort and excitement of this USA team, more of our young athletes will chose to play soccer and we can continue to build momentum for the program. With a small taste of soccer glory, it's hard not to dream of the day when we can drink from the World Cup as champions.

7) The monotonous buzzing of the vuvuzelas is not only annoying, but has superseded much of the charm that makes soccer such a phenomenal spectator sport.  The droning hum of those awful plastic horns drowns out the chanting, drumming, dancing, and singing that the fans of each nation bring to the stadiums to let us taste the indigenous flavors of their cultures.

8) I would be tempted to mute the broadcasts entirely if it wasn't for the stellar commentary provided by a host of superb announcers. My favorite is the deeply knowledgeable and delightfully dry Martin Tyler. If you play video games, you might recognize him as the voice of the FIFA soccer game. When I listen to him describe the action, I feel like an uncivilized dolt getting an education in class as well as soccer.  He had me laughing out loud in a match during the group stage between Brazil and North Korea. One of the North Korean players was injured and appeared to be headed off. While a substitute warmed up on the sidelines, Martin Tyler expressed his fear that the sub might enter the game and make his job more difficult. The substitute had the same difficult name as one of the North Korean players already on the field. When the injured North Korean recovered and stayed in the game, Tyler joked about his sense of relief at not having to distinguish between the two of them. In today's match between Brazil and Chile, Martin Tyler deadpanned that the English ref, "still works a shift one day a week as a police officer in Yorkshire... So, essentially, he's a full-time referee."

9) Watching Brazil play The Beautiful Game is like watching Christina Hendricks saunter and sashay across the office on "Mad Men."

10) What with my tremendous ability to operate a TiVo remote and all, I rarely watch commercials.  However, this Gatorade ad is verging on art.

11) "Entourage" has become a poorly-crafted, dull, and nearly humorless television show.

12) I was lucky enough to catch two out of the three Yankees-Dodgers games this weekend in lovely Los Angeles. C.C. Sabathia out-dueled Vincente Padilla on Friday night, with the Yankees taking it 2-1 on an eventual game-winning solo shot by A-Rod. Then I caught an amazing Yankee comeback last night, with the Bronx Bombers tying the game with 4 in the 9th off Jonathan Broxton. Robby Cano hit a two-run shot in the top of the 10th, and Mo pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Tons of Yankee fans at the games, and the "Let's Go Yankees" chant could be heard loud and often, which prompted angry Dodger fans to respond with "Yankees Suck!" It's sad, really, that they put more energy into rooting against the Yankees than they do in root, root, rooting for the home team.

13) Stephen Strasburg is the real deal. By no stretch of the imagination did he have his best stuff tonight, yet shut the Braves out for 6 innings. Using mainly his fastball, he battled and clawed through some tough innings, then got hot and struck out 5 in a row. He got himself into trouble by starting the 7th with a four-pitch walk to Chipper Jones. But if Ian Desmond doesn't boot a sure double-play ball in the 7th, Super Stras probably gets out of that jam, too. Desmond's major league-leading 19th error led to a horrendous inning for the sloppy-fielding Nationals, which chased a frustrated Strasburg from the game.  However, after disappearing into the clubhouse to let off some steam, the Phenom returned to the dugout with a forgiving pat on the back for Desmond, a few words of advice for relief pitcher Drew Storen, and a thank you to Pudge Rodriguez for an outstanding job behind the plate. Strasburg is not only a titanic talent, so far he's also a class act. It'd be nice if the Nationals occasionally scored a couple of runs for him.

14) I'm back into baseball in a major way. In addition to the two games I attended in person this weekend, I watched Saturday's Yanks/Dodgers game on TV, and caught Strasburg's outing this evening. That makes it four days in a row I've watched a baseball game from start to finish. And that's while Wimbledon and the World Cup are going on! Not coincidentally, my brother and I recently revived our childhood love of collecting baseball cards. Last night, sitting in my generously-gifted loge seat while waiting for the LA/NY game to start, I used the eBay app on my iPhone to win an auction for a partial set of 1974 Topps and two mid-70s Thurman Munson cards. Oh, and I also watch "Baseball Tonight" on a daily basis now.

15) Getting back to tennis... Even though he won an uneventful straight set match today over Paul-Henri Mathieu, seeing Rafael Nadal struggling with a variety of injuries in his five-set win over Phillip Petzschner scared me. After limiting his schedule during clay court season, he was fresh enough to take back his rightful seat on the French Open throne. But maybe that was still too much tennis for the tendinitis in his knees. I'm hoping and praying he has enough strength to dispatch the ornery Robin Soderling, who has become a serious force to be reckoned with.

16) The Marathon Match between Isner and Mahut was one of the greatest events in the history of sports. It spoke to everything that is good about competition. The quality of the sportsmanship matched the quality of the two players' serves. Throughout the ordeal, Isner displayed outward signs of fatigue, but neither player ever seemed to tire mentally. There was a surreal feeling to the match, an absurdity that began fairly early in the fifth set and continued overnight until the merciful conclusion. Nobody -- including the fans in attendance, the television commentators, viewers at home like myself -- could believe what they were seeing. Yet, there it was, happening right before our eyes, and continuing to happen over and over and over again. There were so few break points that it rarely felt like either player had an advantage. Isner had a handful of match points scattered throughout the seemingly infinite set, but it was never surprising when Mahut fought them off. The spirit in which the match was played commanded respect, for the participants, for the history they were creating, and for the game of tennis itself. The pride they showed brought honor to the forefront. Rarely does a sporting contest achieve all that. As spectators, we watch sports with the hope that we'll see something great, something memorable, something we've never seen before. The Marathon Match certainly delivered on all those levels, but it went well beyond that, much deeper. It served as living proof that each one of us is capable not only of reaching our full potential, but of accomplishing things we never even dreamed were humanly possible.  John Isner and Nicolas Mahut earned our respect in that epic first round match and permanently etched themselves into the record books, but they also gave us a gift. I, for one, am eternally grateful.