Saturday 21 August 2010

Cinncinatti Sun and Montreal M...sun

Well my two day headache is over hurrah, but my cramps have started boo.  But it gives me the opportunity to write up my blog as two big tournaments take place: Cinncinatti for the Men and Montreal for the Ladies.  Its all part of the US Open Series which takes place before the US Open (where the name came from I expect) wins in the series gives you points, and the most points wins, and the winner of the Series gets double the prize money at the US Open.  Clijsters and Murray lead the way atm, which means if Clijsters retains her US Open title this year shell get over $2 million for the US Open, as well as the money she won in the Series.  Not bad huh?

But Clijsters hurt her hip the other day in her match, and couldnt beat Zvonerava yesterday (the Russian with crazy blue eyes who got the Wimbledon final this year).   Wozniaki (lost to Clijsters in the US Open final last year), Kuznetsova, and Azarenka are through to the semis. Pleased for Zvonerava, but shame for Jankovic who lost in the first round and Safina who lost in the third to Schiavone (remember the French Open winner).  But for Safina it was a mini rivival from horrid back injury and this was the first time she had won back to back matches since February; last week her ranking was 35 now its 70 (big drop) so its a good thing of sorts.  Shes taken a wildcard into next weeks New Haven Pilot Pen Tournament (sigh, so many corporate sponsors its really hard to know what all these tournaments are about, but makes me think of Pigpen in Peanuts).

Murray also lost yesterday to mardy Fish (who beat him at Queens Club) which made me very happy, he complained about the heat ( got up to 38 degrees) and asked to play later in the day.  This was denied because Mardy is still playing in the doubles, Murray a bit peeved said 'matches shouldnt be scheduled around the doubles, singles are on tv, Im an idiot'- ok not that last part but dumb to suggest that tv schedules should determine order of play and not the fact that your opponent has another match to play.  And pretty odd when your brothers a professional doubles specialist too.  He had to have the trainer and doctor on in the match owing to the heat (not saying he had it easy) and lost the second set 6-1, and everyone keeps going on that hes played his last 7 matches in the hot sun BUT 5 of those were in another tournament.  Not saying the organisers should be heartless but equally why should they change his schedule because of matches in an entirely different tournament? 

Anyway Mardy (whose playing super well this year, lost 2 stone apparently, and his ranking is up to 36) beat Gasquet prior to Murray and will take on Andy Roddick (who got the dreaded mono and dropped to 13 in the rankings, a long tims since he was that low, but who's started to play well again) in the semi final.  Mardy beat Roddick recently, first time for everything, a combo of Mardys goodness and Roddicks illness.  But Roddick beat Soderling (the Swedish one that beat Nadal in the French Open a couple of years ago but lost to him in this years Wimbledon), then Djockovic (who has won about 2/3 the titles Roddick has but earmed almost the same prize money, I noticed the other day) to get to the Semi.  Seems likely Nadal and Federer will be in the other semi - yawn, but at least theyll be someone interesting in the final.

US Open starts 30th August, see you there.

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