Continuing my torrid run into the fourth round, or round of 16, seven out of my eight picks came through. Though my heart was with Andy Roddick, I had one of my favorites, Fernando Gonzalez moving on. Gonzo held a two sets to one lead over the American, but Roddick showed tremendous guts and guile in finding a way to take the match in five sets. So my heart won and my bracket lost. But that was my only loss. Federer, Davydenko, Djokovic, Tsonga, Nadal, and Murray all advanced, though to be fair, they were all favored to do so.
I scored big when Marin Cilic sent the seemingly indominitable Juan Martin Del Potro packing. Cilic and Del Potro serially murdered the ball for five grueling sets in a high-intensity slugfest between two goliaths who move freakishly well for their size. Del Potro got him at both the Australian and U.S. Opens last year, and I luckily had the sneaking suspicion that it could be Cilic's coming-of-age moment. It was. Monstrous win for the 21-year-old Croatian sensation. And for my bracket as well.
Earlier tonight, Cilic took out Roddick in yet another five-set epic. Cilic sprinted to a two-set lead while Roddick struggled with a tweaked shoulder. But again, tennis' A-Rod dug deep and changed tactics to level the match at two sets apiece. But Cilic stayed composed and raised his game to finish off the wounded but proud Roddick. Lo and behold, I had Cilic as my upset pick to reach the semifinals. Cilic's reward is the winner of the Nadal-Murray match, which I am currently watching live at 2:46 PST. Murray took a tough first set 6-3. As is my pattern, my heart is rooting for Rafa, but my bracket wants Murray. Adding to the inner turmoil, I'd love to see this monster match to go the distance and be filled with greatness, but it could mean staying up until 6 in the morning...
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