Nadal cruises, Murray survives, three top seeds fall on Day 6

Top seed Rafael Nadal continued his hot summer on Saturday, defeating young Serb Victor Troicki, 6-4, 6-3, 6-0, to advance to his third consecutive fourth round at the US Open. There, Nadal will meet 20-year-old American Sam Querrey, who scored one of four major upsets on the day, taking out No. 14 seed Ivo Karlovic in three sets. Querrey met Nadal in the first round of the Masters Series Cincinnati event in 2006, and the then-18-year-old took Nadal to three sets before losing in just his 13th career ATP level match.

Other seeds falling were No. 4 David Ferrer to 18-year-old rising Japanese star Kei Nishikori, No. 7 David Nalbandian to No. 32 Gael Monfils, No. 9 James Blake to buddy Mardy Fish, and No. 16 Gilles Simon to the No. 17 seed and red hot Juan Martin Del Potro. Nishikori, a surprise winner at Delray Beach earlier this year, will next face Del Potro, a winner of 22 consecutive matches. Fish, who just defeated his soon-to-be groomsman, will now face Monfils who literally danced past Nalbandian, just like he did at the Olympics. Monfils, despite six double faults, advanced and looks to repeat his success at Roland Garros, where he was a semifinalist earlier in the year.

In one of the top matches of the day, No. 6 Andy Murray (pictured) outmuscled Jurgen Melzer for the second time this summer, but this time from two sets to love down. Murray took a close third set from Melzer, but rolled rather routinely in the fourth and fifth sets. Murray now faces No. 10 seed Stanislas Wawrinka who also came from behind to earn a win on Saturday.

Day 6 results:
No. 1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Victor Troicki (SRB) 6-4, 6-3, 6-0
Kei Nishikori (JPN) def. No. 4 David Ferrer (ESP) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5
No. 6 Andy Murray (GBR) def. Jurgen Melzer (AUT)

6-7 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-3
No. 32 Gael Monfils (FRA) def. No. 7 David Nalbandian (ARG)

6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Mardy Fish (USA) def. No. 9 James Blake (USA) 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4)
No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Flavio Cipolla (ITA)

5-7, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-0, 6-4
Sam Querrey (USA) def. No. 14 Ivo Karlovic (CRO)

7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2
No. 17 Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) def. No. 16 Gilles Simon (FRA)

6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

All seeds advance, four Americans fall

There will be plenty of great third round match-ups at the US Open, thanks to a great showing from seeded players on Friday. While No. 8 seed Andy Roddick was still battling young Latvian Ernest Gulbis at the time of posting, the other 13 seeds that played on Friday went a perfect 13 for 13.

Roger Federer, aiming for his fifth straight US Open title won easily, while last year’s runner-up and current No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic won a close three set match over 28-year-old American Robert Kendrick. Kendrick wasn’t the only American to fall on Friday, as No. 11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, No. 18 Nicolas Almagro and No. 30 Marin Cilic defeated Bobby Reynolds, Sam Warburg and Robby Ginepri, respectively. Ginepri, a surprise semifinalist in 2005, had made at least the third round in four of the last five years.

Virtual unknown Portugal native Rui Machado, looking for his sixth career win, almost took down No. 13 Fernando Verdasco in what began as one of the best matches of the tournament, but fell in disappointing 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-0 fashion. ATP veterans Mart Safin, Tommy Haas and Carlos Moya also fell, while Gilles Muller and Jarkko Nieminen both came from two sets down to win in five.

At the time of posting, Roddick was leading Gulbis two sets to one with a 3-2 lead in the fourth set. A Roddick win would leave 14 of a possible 16 seeds in the bottom half of the draw, while top seed Rafael Nadal only has eight other seeds remaining on his half.

**update - Roddick defeats Gulbis 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5.

Day Three results:
No. 2 Roger Federer (SUI) def. Thiago Alves (BRA) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Robert Kendrick (USA)
7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Agustin Calleri (ARG)
6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
No. 8 Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Ernest Gulbis (LAT)
No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) def. Bobby Reynolds (USA)
7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4
No. 13 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Rui Machado (POR)
6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-0
No. 15 Tommy Robredo (ESP) def. Marat Safin (RUS)
4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-0
No. 18 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Sam Warburg (USA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. Carlos Moya (ESP)
4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 23 Igor Andreev (RUS) def. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-3
No. 26 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) def. Victor Hanescu (ROU)
6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
No. 28 Radek Stepanek (CZE) def. Chris Guccione (AUS)
6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2
No. 30 Marin Cilic (CRO) def. Robby Ginepri (USA) def.
6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
No. 31 Andreas Seppi (ITA) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Gilles Muller (LUX) def. Tommy Haas (GER) 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-7 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Notable third round matches:
No. 2 Roger Federer (SUI) vs. No. 28 Radek Stepanek (CZE)
No. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. No. 30 Marin Cilic (CRO)
No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) vs. No. 26 Dmitry Tursunov
No. 7 David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. No. 32 Gael Monfils (FRA)
No. 9 James Blake (USA) vs. Mardy Fish (USA)
No. 13 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. No. 23 Igor Andreev (RUS)
No. 14 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Sam Querrey (USA)
No. 15 Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)

ATP releases 2009-2011 tournament calendars

The ATP unveiled on Thursday its 2009, 2010 and 2011 tournament calendars, which include many changes that will help the ATP become more fan friendly. Following the completion of the Australian Open, a brand new event in Johannesburg, South Africa will be played, marking the first ever ATP level event in Africa.

The ATP Board announced that the current nine Masters Series events will now be called Masters 1000, while 11 tournaments will be considered “500” events and the remaining 41 will be “250” events. The year end championships will now be called the ATP World Tour Finals and will take place in London. With over $1 billion to be spent on building new and upgrading current tennis facilities, as well five years worth of extra financial commitments, the ATP will take on a new look.

“The changes we are undertaking represent the biggest modernization of the ATP Tour since its inception and highlight the growing appetite for men’s tennis globally, both in established and emerging markets,” said Etienne de Villiers, Executive Chairman of the ATP. “This series of bold changes and huge investment underlines the level of ambition and confidence that the sport has in the future. The $800 million of investment into facilities and record $100 million in 2009 Tour financial commitments underlines that in the boldest way possible. Our aim has always been to ensure we have the best players playing in the best stadium, in the best markets at the right time. Our players, fans, tournaments, broadcasters and sponsors deserve a world class Tour and that is what we will be giving them from 2009 onwards.”

Croatian tennis star and current ATP Board member Ivan Ljubicic insists that the changes will be extremely positive for the players, the fans and anyone who follows the ATP Tour. The new look to the schedule will help reduce travel for the players and a healthier schedule for players. This is critical since many top players including Rafael Nadal have complained off the rough schedule, especially during the European clay court season.

Following the US Open, the ATP has announced an Asian tournament swing in which players can play in events at locations such as Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo and finish at a Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai. The season will be completed by an improved European indoor tennis swing with tournaments being held in locations such as Stockholm, Moscow and St. Petersburg, all this leading up to the ATP World Tour Finals at the top of the line O2 Arena in London.

More marketing and promoting of the ATP World Tour will be launched starting in 2009, starting with a new brand identity and look. The tournament schedules can be found on the ATP Tour official website.

Fish, Nalbandian advance; two seeds fall at US Open

In his ninth appearance in New York, American Mardy Fish finally advanced to the third round, defeating No. 24 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The win marked Fish’s first win over the Frenchman after two unsuccessful tries last season, both at hard court Masters Series events. Fish, currently ranked No. 35 in the world, put on a stellar serving performance as he smashed 27 aces without hitting a double fault. The hard-hitting righty currently ranks second in total aces in the men’s draw with 42, trailing only Croatian Ivo Karlovic who has hit 70. This afternoon, Fish was able to win 60 percent of his serve throughout the match, including 85 percent on his first serve. After two rounds, Fish has won 109 of 134 points when making his first serve. Mathieu struggled tremendously on serve, as he tossed in eight double faults compared to six aces.

Fish, a Tampa, Fla. resident, broke Mathieu’s serve on four occasions and was only broken once on his own serve. Currently coached by former tennis legend Mats Wilander, Mathieu had no answers for Fish today, as he saw all four of his challenges overturned. Fish next meets close friend James Blake for a spot in the fourth round. While they are good friends, they will need to put their friendship aside on the court in the next round as both compete for one spot in the fourth round. It will be the fourth meeting between the two, all of which have occurred on hard courts, with Blake leading the series 2-1. Blake earned his way into the third round when opponent Steve Darcis pulled out with a lower back injured. The American was leading the Belgian, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 at the time of the injury. No matter who wins the Blake-Fish contest, Blake will be taking part in Fish’s Sept. 28th wedding to attorney Stacey Gardner, a briefcase model on the TV show “Deal or No Deal.”

Former World No. 3 and 2003 semifinalist, David Nalbandian (pictured) trounced Andrey Golubev, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the 3rd round for the second straight year. Winning his 28th match of a lightly planned season, the No. 7 seed from Argentina only committed 14 unforced errors compared to Golubev’s 41. Nalbandian won 34 of 39 first serve points, while capitalizing on six of nine break point chances and thus earning himself a total of 11 service breaks in two routine victories. He next meets exciting young Frenchman Gael Monfils, a 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, winner over Russian Evgeny Korolev.

Others winners on Day Four in New York:
No. 1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Ryler DeHeart (USA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 David Ferrer (ESP) def. Andreas Beck (GER) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5)
No. 6 Andy Murray (GBR) def. Michael Llodra (FRA) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(7)
No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-2
No. 14 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def. Florent Serra (FRA) 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2
No. 16 Gilles Simon (FRA) def. Jose Acasuso (ARG) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4
No. 17 Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) def. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3
Viktor Troicki (SRB) def. No. 25 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-0, ret.

Sam Querrey (USA) def. Nicolas Devilder (FRA) 7-6(6), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Roddick no longer coached by brother; McEnroe takes over

After defeating veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro in his first round match at the US Open, former top-ranked Andy Roddick (pictured) confirmed to the media that he is no longer being coached by his brother John.

“When we first got together, it was temporary, you know,” said Roddick, who won the 2003 US Open. “Then all of a sudden, it’s two and a half years later. I think he was spent, and I was struggling, and so it was an easy conversation.”

Patrick McEnroe, current US Davis Cup captain and new GM of USTA Elite Player Development, will fill John’s shoes as Roddick’s coach for the US Open this year. Roddick was quick to mention that immediately following the conclusion of his time in New York, he will look for a long-term coach.

“I’ll probably get to that decision. I have a fair amount of time after this to figure it out,” said Roddick.

Besides his duties as US Davis Cup captain, McEnroe was recently appointed General Manager, USTA Elite Player Development.

In Roddick’s second round match he will take on rising young Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who is currently ranked No. 40 in the world.

No. 3 Djokovic in top form in the Big Apple

No. 3 seed and last year’s runner-up Novak Djokovic (pictured) started his 2008 US Open campaign on the right foot, as he advanced without much trouble by defeating Arnaud Clement, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. The last time these two players met was in 2007 on grass with Clement coming out on top, but this afternoon was a whole different story. The young Serbian, who won the Australian Open in January, served up 14 aces and had just 2 doubles faults, while also winning 81 percent of first serve points. Djokovic also held serve the entire match en route to his 50th win of the season. Djokovic had a slight scare when he rolled his left ankle in the third set but after receiving treatment from the tour trainer, he quickly recovered and closed out the match by breaking Clement’s serve for the fourth time. Djokovic next faces American Robert Kendrick, ranked No. 113, who defeated Nicolas Mahut in four tight sets.

Djokovic wasn’t the only ATP jokester advancing on Day Three, as No. 19 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won his first match in three months, defeating Spaniard Santiago Ventura, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Tsonga has been sidelined since May when he was forced to withdraw from a semifinal match in Casablanca, Morocco and under went immediate right knee surgery. The 23-year-old is trying to achieve the successful results that led him to a career high No. 11 ranking after a semifinal appearance in Adelaide and a runner-up performance at the Australian Open. The young Frenchman looks to get back to the third round, just like in his first visit to Flushing Meadows last year. Next up for Tsonga is former world No. 1 and 1998 Roland Garros champion Carlos Moya, who edged out a four set win over Aisam-Ul-Haq-Qureshi in his 13th appearance in New York. In their only previous meeting, Tsonga posted a victory over Moya in Beijing in 2004.

Others winners on Day Three in New York:
No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
No. 18 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Frank Dancevic (CAN) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
No. 26 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) def. Eduardo Schwank (ARG) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5)
No. 28 Radek Stepanek (CZE) def. Potito Starace (ITA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1
No. 30 Marin Cilic (CRO) def. Julien Benneteau (FRA) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-2
Robby Ginepri (USA) def. Amer Delic (USA) 6-1, 6-2, 7-6(5)
Chris Guccione (AUS) def. Jesse Levine (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8), 7-6(8)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) def. Thomas Johansson (SWE) 7-5, 6-1, 7-6(3)
Sam Warburg (USA) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-2, 1-0 ret.

Agustin Calleri (ARG) def. Austin Krajicek (USA) 6-2, 6-2 6-1

Former US Open winners Safin, Federer advance on Day Two

Sometimes one bad call can cost you the rest of the match, but that was not the case for former World No. 1 Marat Safin (pictured) on Tuesday on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court. Up two sets to one over American Vince Spadea and on the verge of victory, Safin was called for a foot fault on a second serve in the middle of a critical fourth set. Safin burst into flames as he threw down his racquet and stormed off the court searching for Tournament Referee Brian Earley to argue the questionable call. The outburst cost him the fourth, but he was able to rebound quickly as he broke Spadea to start the final set and never looked back, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to advance to the second round. Despite a lackluster serving performance by the former top-ranked player in which he made only 54 percent of his serves, while hitting ten doubles faults and only eight aces, Safin was able to control majority of the baseline rallies. Safin earned his 20th win of the season and a berth in the 2nd round for the third straight year. With a victory in his next match against No. 15 seed Tommy Robredo, the 2000 US Open champion will earn his 400th career victory.

In the final match of a busy day two, World No. 2 and four-time defending champion Roger Federer hammered No. 118 ranked qualifier Maximo Gonzalez, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, in the Argentine’s US Open debut. Just about flawless throughout, Federer smashed 15 aces and converted on seven of 13 break point chances. This is the first time since the 2004 Australian Open that Federer is not the top seed. At that grand slam event in Melbourne, he was seeded No. 2 and won the event by defeating Marat Safin in the finals. Federer is looking to win a fifth straight US Open crown, which is an open era record. Federer next faces Brazilian qualifier Thiago Alves, who won a thrilling five set match over Chilean Paul Capdeville.

Others winners on Day Two in New York:
No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) def. Ivan Navarro (ESP) 7-6(3), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5)
Tommy Haas (GER) def. No. 12 Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-7(3), 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
No. 13 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
No. 14 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def. Jan Minar (CZE) 7-5, 6-1, 6-4
No. 15 Tommy Robredo (ESP) def. Mischa Zverev (GER) 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1
Ivo Minar (CZE) def. No. 20 Nicolas Kiefer (GER) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 4-1 ret.
Sam Querrey (USA) def. No. 22 Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-3, 6-1, 6-2
No. 23 Igor Andreev (RUS) def. Marc Gicquel (FRA) 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4
No. 24 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) def. Sebastian Grosjean (FRA) 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2
No. 31 Andreas Seppi (ITA) def. Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3
Mardy Fish (USA) def. Robert Smeets (AUS) 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. Scoville Jenkins (USA) 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

ATP Bangalore event cancelled due to security concerns

Monday morning as the first balls were struck at the 2008 US Open in New York, halfway around the world in Bangalore, India, the Bangalore Open tennis promoter announced that he was canceling this year’s event due to security concerns, according to the ATP Tour’s official website.

“The ATP Board can confirm that it has regrettably accepted a petition from the Bangalore Open to suspend the 2008 event due to the local promoter’s security concerns. The total event prize money of $400,000 will now be paid into the ATP player pension fund.”

Since its debut in Bangalore in 2006 after being moved from its original location of Mumbai, two players have claimed titles. Dmitry Tursunov winning his first career title in 2006 by defeating Tomas Berdych and most recently Richard Gasquet of France in 2007 with a convincing straight sets victory over Olivier Rochus.

Nadal, Murray, Blake among Day One winners in New York

Five-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal survived his first ATP match as the top ranked player in the world by holding off qualifier Bjorn Phau, 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-6(4) to advance to the second round at the US Open for the sixth straight year. Nadal smashed seven aces while winning 73-percent of his first serves in the nearly three hour long contest on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court. Despite being two points away from losing the first set and only being able to break Phau’s serve on two of 13 opportunities, Nadal stayed fairly steady throughout the match, although he wasn’t extremely pleased with his 71st victory of the season.

“I didn’t play with normal intensity,” Nadal said. “Probably I’m a little bit tired.”

Nadal will now meet American qualifier Ryler de Heart who won a classic five-set thriller over Belgian Olivier Rochus during his grand slam debut.

No. 6 Andy Murray, who claimed the Masters Series Cincinnati title in late July, came out firing en route to an easy, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Sergio Roitman. Looking to rebound after a horrendous early exit from the Beijing Olympic Games, Murray hit nine aces in the 93 minute match. The 2004 US Open junior champion earned his 36th win of the season, which includes three hard court titles. Murray next faces Frenchman Michael Llodra, who held off Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili in four sets. They last met in 2007 in Metz (France) with the Scotland native winning easily in straight sets.

In the first edition of “Late Night at the Open,” No. 9 seed James Blake outlasted 19-year-old fellow American Donald Young in a match that ended past 12:30 a.m.. Young gave Blake all that he could, but Blake showed his experience and mettle late in the match and pulled out the 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win. Young won over a lot of fans in the late night match and will be well received next year when he comes back.

Others winners on Day One in New York:
No. 4 David Ferrer (ESP) def. Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-2
No. 7 David Nalbandian (ARG) def. Marcos Daniel (BRA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-3
No. 16 Gilles Simon (FRA) def. Marcel Granollers (ESP) 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
No. 17 Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) def. Guillermo Canas (ARG) 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-4, 6-1
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) def. No. 27 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN) def. No. 29 Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
No. 32 Gael Monfils (FRA) def. Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1
Andreas Beck (GER) def. John Isner (USA) 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(3)
Ryler de Heart (USA) def. Olivier Rochus (BEL) 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Wayne Odesnik (USA) def. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jose Acasuso (ARG) def. Michael Berrer (GER) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

This Week's Biggest Movers*

On the rise:

• #92 (+17) Christophe Rochus (BEL) – Former Top 40 player a finalist in a challenger event this past week; began the year ranked No. 194


• #88 (+16) Pablo Andujar (ESP) - 22-year-old has won two straight challenger events (10-0) to reach his present career high ranking


• #94 (+16) Mischa Zverev (GER) – Has been ranked as high as No. 73 this year, but fresh off a three-victory quarterfinal performance in New Haven, including a win over No. 30 Juan Monaco.

Moving on down:

• #105 (-9) Diego Junqueira (ARG) - Lost second round at French Open , but hasn't played in any other ATP-level matches since early 2007.


• #95 (-5) Luis Horna (PER) – Lost first round in New Haven for third time in four years; seven ATP match losing streak despite winning midsummer challenger in Switzerland.


• #97 (-5) Robin Haase (NED) – Cracked Top 60 after winning a challenger tourney in March, but since has gone 4-8 in ATP events (lost last five).

* Each week, this will feature players in or just recently out of the Top 100 whose rankings have undergone the greatest change since the week.

Cilic wins first career title in New Haven

No. 6 seed Marin Cilic (pictured) defeated American Mardy Fish, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, to win his first career ATP singles title at the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven on Saturday night. Cilic’s best results of the season entering New Haven were semifinal performances at Nottingham (England) and Chennai (India).

The teenager from Croatia got off to a very fast start by breaking Fish during the first service game. Cilic finished the first set by losing only six points on his serve. In the second set, Fish was the first player to break, going up 2-0, before eventually breaking Cilic at 5-4 to claim the second set. After exchanging breaks to start the final set, Cilic gained complete control and cruised to a 6-2 final set win after hitting a crushing 11th ace to earn the title. Winners and unforced errors played a big part in the Saturday evening contest, as Cilic hit 25 winners and 20 unforced errors to Fish’s 27 errors and 31 unforced errors. With the win, the 6-foot-6 big hitting right-hander joined a group of seven first time ATP singles champions this season.

"I am feeling very excited," Cilic said after the match. "The match was a little bit thrilling. It was a lot of ups and downs from both of us. But eventually in the third set I got my thoughts back and my rhythm. I was really pumped up when I had to be. Really enjoyed the moment in the end."

The 35th ranked Fish, who also lost the Masters Series Indian Wells final in March, obviously wasn’t as excited.

"I would have liked to have played better," he said . "This is my 11th final and I've only won twice. It's starting to really sting, nine times losing. I've got a lot of runner-up trophies in my office in my house. These are the ones I need to get."

Cilic earned $94,000 for the victory and will be ranked at a career high No. 24 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings that will be released on Monday. Fish has now finished as runner-up for the second straight year, losing to close friend James Blake last year.

US Open Preview

US OPEN
Place: Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
Date: Aug. 25-Sept. 7, 2008
Singles Draw Size: 128
Doubles Draw Size: 64
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $7,050,000 (singles champion: $1,500,000, doubles winners: $420, 000)
2007 Singles Final: Roger Federer def. Novak Djokovic
2007 Doubles Champions: Simon Aspelin and Julian Knowle

Top story lines:

1. Does new No. 1 Rafael Nadal have what it takes to win his first hard-court Grand Slam?
2. Can Roger Federer put his recent struggles behind and win his fifth straight US Open?
3. How far will Juan Martin Del Potro’s 19-match win streak be extended in New York?
4. How will No. 8 seed and 2003 US Open champ Andy Roddick fare after posting just a 3-2 record in 2008 Grand Slam events and only a 7-4 record this summer?
5. Can Novak Djokovic make it back to the finals for a second straight year, despite possible quarterfinal and semifinal showdowns with Roddick and Federer?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:

1. No. 8 Andy Roddick vs. Fabrice Santoro (Roddick leads 2-1 all-time with 1-0 edge on hard courts; Roddick is a 2008 winner in San Jose and Dubai, while 60th ranked Santoro defended his title in Newport)
2. No. 3 Novak Djokovic vs. Arnaud Clement (Series tied 1-1, Djokovic won on clay in 2004 but Clement won on grass in 2007; both have 12 losses on the season but Djokovic has 40 more wins)
3. No. 12 Richard Gasquet vs. Tommy Haas (Series tied 1-1, both on hard courts; Gasquet has never made it past the fourth round)
4. No. 17 Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Guillermo Canas (Del Potro leads 1-0 after a 6-2, 6-2 win in Cincinnati last summer; neither Argentine has gone past the third round in New York)
5. No. 22 Tomas Berdych vs. Sam Querrey (Berdych leads 1-0, winning 6-1, 6-2 in Miami this season; Berdych has made it to the fourth round the last two years)
6. No. 9 James Blake vs. Donald Young (First meeting; two-time quarterfinalist Blake just finished fourth in Beijing, while Young has only eight wins this season but advanced to the third round at last year’s Open)

Potential notable late round matches:

No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 28 Radek Stepanek, Third Round
· Federer leads series 4-2, with Federer winning the only hard court meeting
· Stepanek beat Federer 7-6(4), 7-6(7) on the clay in Rome this past May

No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 7 David Nalbandian, Quarterfinals
· Nalbandian leads 2-0, both on hard courts in 2007
· Nadal has 70 wins to date compared to Nalbandian’s 26

No. 3 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 8 Andy Roddick, Quarterfinals
· Series tied 1-1, both matches on hard courts
· Roddick defeated Djokovic 7-6(5), 6-3 earlier this year in Dubai

Watch out for…

1. No. 6 Andy Murray (Winner at Masters Series Cincinnati, Doha (Qatar) and Marseille (France); currently ranked at a career high No. 6; beat Novak Djokovic twice in July; generous draw that has Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and top Americans Blake and Roddick in other quarters of the draw)
2. No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez (Winner at Vina del Mar (Chile) and Munich; Silver medalist at Beijing Olympics; currently ranked No. 11 in the world, but has been ranked as high as seventh this season)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 2 Roger Federer over No. 1 Rafael Nadal
Jordan: No. 3 Novak Djokovic over No. 1 Rafael Nadal

Fish tops No. 1 Verdasco to advance to Pilot Penn final

With the main draw set and Arthur Ashe Kids' Day just around the corner, most tennis players and fans are in a "New York State of Mind," focusing in on the fast approaching U.S. Open. But not Mardy Fish.

Fish, seeded eighth at this week's Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Conn., battled top seed and 13th ranked Fernando Verdasco on Friday afternoon and came out on top. Fish served up seven aces and broke Verdasco's serve five times in the match, rolling to a 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 victory that took just under 90 minutes. Fish, a finalist in New Haven last year, will be looking for his first ATP title in over two years on Saturday, as he also tries to build up some more momentum heading into the US Open.

Prior to New Haven, the 35th ranked Fish posted a 3-5 record in five July and August events in North America. Verdasco, meanwhile, will head into the US Open after recording just a 6-4 record since the clay court season. His second round victory in New Haven against 75th ranked Dudi Sela was his most impressive in weeks, as he is 0-2 against Top 50 players since winning the Croatia Open in mid July.

Fish will face No. 6 seed Marin Cilic, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over qualifier Luka Gregorc.

Verdasco and Fish advance in New Haven

In a battle of two Americans from Florida, No. 8 seed Mardy Fish of Tampa defeated lucky loser Jesse Levine of Boca Raton, 6-3, 7-6(4) on Thursday at the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven. Despite only converting on one of fourteen break point chances, Fish made up for it by smashing twelve aces, while winning 89% of his first serve points. Levine struggled on return of serve as he only won four points when Fish made his first serve. Fish aims to reach his second straight Pilot Pen Tennis finals, but only top seeded Fernando Verdasco stands in his way.

The Madrid resident who is currently ranked No. 11 in the world defeated Mischa Zverev 6-4, 7-6(4), to advance to his fourth semifinal of the year. Verdasco was able to play through his early struggles with four doubles faults, as he went on to break Zverev on four occasions. The win marked the hard-hitting lefty’s fifth straight victory over a German. He discussed with reporters after his victory that he was pleased with his Thursday afternoon performance and looks forward to his next match against Fish.

“I think I played really good all the match and I happy how I feel and how I play. I think tomorrow the semis against Fish is going to be a hard match.”

One of the most astounding stories of the week comes from Slovenian qualifier Luka Gregorc who entered New Haven with only four career ATP level wins and roughly $63,000 in career earnings. The No. 434 ranked Gregorc now finds himself playing tomorrow for a spot in his maiden final after defeating No. 7 seed Andreas Seppi, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the quarterfinals. Gregorc hit nine double faults, but was able to convert on five of ten break point chances and smash 14 aces. Gregorc is guaranteed at least $29,000 for advancing to the semifinals, which is over triple of what he has earned so far this year. The qualifier faces No. 6 seed Marin Cilic who easily dispatched of No. 4 seed Igor Andreev, 6-3, 6-2 in the evening session match.

ATP Executive Chairman stepping down in December

Etienne de Villiers (pictured) announced this morning that he will be leaving the ATP as Executive Chairman and President after his contract expires in December. He has been under a lot of fire from all the top players including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who disagreed with some of his decisions throughout his time as boss.

According to published statements on tennis.com, Nadal met with de Villiers in Monte Carlo this past spring.

“I have nothing more to say to this man. We spoke to him last year, trying to understand why he is doing these things but it is impossible, it’s a waste of time.”

Nadal was referring to the crowded ATP tournament calendar.

The former Disney executive who was named Executive Chairman in June 2005, lost support from many top players due to aggressive experiments such as round-robin events that ultimately failed. In March this year at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, every Top 20 player signed a petition to each member of the ATP Tour Board of Directors demanding that de Villiers’ contract not be renewed at the end of 2008.

The South African will help find a successor.

No. 2 Karlovic falls, but top seed Verdasco advances in New Haven

World No. 434 Luka Gregorc scored one of this summer’s biggest upsets in New Haven on Wednesday, as he stunned No. 2 seed and 14th ranked Ivo Karlovic (pictured), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2. The win marked just his seventh career ATP singles win and only his third of the season. Despite six double faults, the Slovenian was a perfect three for three on break point chances. Gregorc, who spends the majority of his time playing in Futures tournaments (the lowest level of pro tournaments), now meets No. 7 seed Andreas Seppi of Italy. Seppi easily beat Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-2.

Top seed Fernando Verdasco, meanwhile, continued his incredible tennis in New Haven. He defeated Ivo Minar, 6-3, 6-1 to advance to his third career Pilot Pen Tennis quarterfinal, also his sixth ATP quarterfinal appearance this season. Verdasco was impressive, breaking serve on four occasions, while winning fifty-six percent of the points off Minar’s first serve. Verdasco, one month removed from a title at the Croatia Open, will now take on Mischa Zverev for a spot in the semifinals. Verdasco owns a 3-0 record against Zverev with their only hard court meeting coming in 2007 in Tokyo. On Wednesday, Zverev was sluggish from the start of his match with American Robby Ginepri, but rebounded for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.

Lucky Loser Jesse Levine continued to make the best of his late main draw entry opportunity, and this time he didn’t need to put up much of a fight. Levine was leading Steve Darcis 2-0, when the Belgian retired with a back injury. Currently ranked No. 106 in the world, Levine is certain to crack the Top 100 when the new rankings are released on Monday. Levine now meets countryman No. 8 Mardy Fish who took care of No. 9 Marc Gicquel, 6-4, 6-3 in the evening session.

In other action, No. 4 seed and 23rd ranked Igor Andreev conquered No. 16 Victor Hanescu, 6-4, 7-5 to advance to his third quarterfinal in New Haven. Teenager Marin Cilic, meanwhile, advanced to his sixth quarterfinal of the year after surviving a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 classic over Olympic quarterfinalist Jurgen Melzer.

Hewitt to undergo season-ending surgery

Lleyton Hewitt is out of the US Open and will have season ending hip surgery, the two-time Grand Slam champion said in a published statement on his Web site.

"Surgery was always the last resort, but unfortunately that's what it came down to," Hewitt said.

Hewitt, currently ranked No. 55, won the 2001 US Open and his streak of making seven consecutive quarterfinals and nine straight appearances in New York will come to an end. The fiery Aussie will finish 2008 with a 20-11 record, in which he reached only two quarterfinals and advanced to only the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Hewitt is optimistic, though, and hopes to be back and ready to play in time for the Australian Open early next year.

"I am looking forward to playing again in January in my home country, and using that as a springboard to compete at my best again on the world stage for at least a couple of more years," Hewitt said.

Americans Ginepri, Fish, Levine advance, but six seeds fall in New Haven

One week ago American Robby Ginepri (pictured) was not even on the direct acceptance list at the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, but now he is among the final 16 players left in the draw. Ginepri has taken full advantage of the wild card he received, as he defeated No. 12 seed Agustin Calleri, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in second round action on Tuesday. The 25-year-old now leads Calleri in career meetings 3-1, despite losing a tight three set match to Calleri at New Haven last year. The win also snapped a streak in which Ginepri lost five straight matches to Argentines. The former Top 20 player now takes on Mischa Zverev, who upset No. 5 seed Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-3.

Boca Raton, Fla. resident Jesse Levine also has made the best of his opportunity to play in the event. Despite losing in qualifying, Jesse Levine earned entry into the main draw after Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew citing fatigue. Following a first round bye, the lucky loser easily defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-0, 6-3, setting up a third round encounter with Steve Darcis. Darcis, who upset No. 13 seed Marcel Granollers, 6-2, 6-2, lost to Levine in their only previous meeting, a three set match back in February.

No. 8 Mardy Fish, meanwhile, despite a runner-up finish earlier this year at the Masters Series Indian Wells, beat countryman Wayne Odesnik, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the third round. Fish’s opponent, ninth seeded Frenchman Marc Gicquel, is fresh off a 7-5, 6-3 win over Albert Montanes.

In night action on Stadium Court, No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic toughed out a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 victory over John Isner. The Croatian put on a stellar service performance in which he smashed 17 aces on the way to winning eighty-eight percent of his first serve points. Karlovic also converted on two of six break point chances, while Isner did not break Karlovic’s serve all match. Karlovic will now take on qualifier Luka Gregorc for a spot in the quarterfinals. Other winners on the day include No. 4 Igor Andreev, No. 6 Marin Cilic and No. 11 Jurgen Melzer.

US Open seeds announced

1. Rafael Nadal, Spain

2. Roger Federer*, Switzerland

3. Novak Djokovic, Serbia

4. David Ferrer, Spain

5. Nikolay Davydenko, Russia

6. Andy Murray, Great Britain

7. David Nalbandian, Argentina

8. Andy Roddick, U.S.

9. James Blake, U.S.

10. Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland

11. Fernando Gonzalez, Chile

12. Richard Gasquet, France

13. Fernando Verdasco, Spain

14. Ivo Karlovic, Croatia

15. Tommy Robredo, Spain

16. Gilles Simon, France

17. Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina

18. Nicolas Almagro, Spain

19. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France

20. Nicolas Kiefer, Germany

21. Mikhail Youzhny, Russia

22. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic

23. Igor Andreev, Russia

24. Paul-Henri Mathieu, France

25. Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany

26. Dmitry Tursunov, Russia

27. Feliciano Lopez, Spain

28. Radek Stepanek, Czech Republic

29. Juan Monaco, Argentina

30. Marin Cilic, Croatia

31. Andreas Seppi, Italy

32. Gael Monfils, France

NOTE: 27th-ranked Mario Ancic has already withdrawn due to mono

* Roger Federer was last seeded second at the 2004 Australian Open, which he won

U.S. Open Qualifier begins today

The US Open Qualifying Tournament gets underway this morning at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as 128 men will compete for the final 16 main draw spots. Matches will begin each day at 11:00 a.m. in Flushing Meadows, concluding on Friday.

Notables entered in the qualifying field include 2004 Olympics singles gold medalist Nicolas Massu (pictured), former Wimbledon semifinalist Xavier Malisse, teenage sensation Kei Nishikori, and Benjamin Becker, the young German who ended Andre Agassi’s career at the 2006 U.S. Open. Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine is the top seed.

The 16 players that make it through qualifying by winning three matches will be put into the 128 player main draw, which will also be released on Friday. The main draw begins on Monday, Aug. 25.

No. 1 Verdasco among winners in New Haven

Top-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain defeated Israeli Dudi Sela, 6-4, 6-4, to start his Pilot Pen Tennis campaign off on the right note. The 13th-ranked Spaniard was able to capitalize early en route to earning earn his 35th victory of the season, tying his career best set in 2005. He awaits the winner of the match between No. 15 seed Eduardo Schwank and Ivo Minar.

American wild cards John Isner (pictured) and Robby Ginepri were also among the many winners on Monday at the final U.S. Open tune-up event. Isner smashed nice aces on the way to a convincing 6-4, 6-4 victory over Russian Igor Kunitsyn, while Ginepri continued his solid summer by defeating French Open doubles champion Luis Horna, 7-6(4), 6-2. The 6-foot-9 Isner will now take on 6-foot-10 Croatian Ivo Karlovic, while Ginepri is set to do battle with No. 12 seed and 2006 Pilot Pen finalist Agustin Calleri in the second round.

Other winners today included Memphis titleholder Steve Darcis, Washington finalist Viktor Troicki, and Frenchman Arnaud Clement. Darcis was ahead 7-5, 5-0, when Vince Spadea retired with a lower back injury, while Troicki and Clement defeated American qualifier qualifier Alex Bogomolov Jr., and Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci, respectively.

An All-American showcase between No. 8 Mardy Fish and Wayne Odesnik highlights the stadium court day session matches on Tuesday, while Karlovic-Isner is the featured evening session match. As expected, No. 3 seed Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew and was replaced by young American Jesse Levine.

Nadal officially claims top ranking; This Week's Biggest Movers

Signs of Rafael Nadal overtaking Roger Federer as the world’s greatest tennis player may point to this year's Wimbledon final, but Nadal is actually 4-0 versus Federer this season and the newest Olympic men’s singles gold medalist. Now, Rafa is officially the best player in all of tennis, according to the latest South African Airways ATP Rankings released late Sunday.

Although, Nadal’s record of 160 consecutive weeks in the No. 2 spot is impressive, now the Spaniard has something of which he can really be proud, and that is ending Federer’s 237 week hold on the top ranking. Nadal has gone 64-8 thus far this season, with seven titles including wins at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and three Masters Series events. The 22-year-old has also won eight of his last nine matches on hard courts, the surface at the upcoming U.S. Open.

With this notable change in the ATP rankings, let’s introduce you to a new segment here on DOWN THE TEE, “This Week’s Biggest Movers.” Each week, this will feature players in or just recently out of the Top 100 whose rankings have undergone the greatest change since the week.

On the rise:
#71 (+22) Viktor Troicki (SRB) – runner-up at Legg Mason Tennis Classic
#72 (+12) Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) – semifinalist at Legg Mason Tennis Classic
#86 (+12) Federico Gil (POR) – winner of Instanbul Challenger Series event

Moving on down:
#55 (-17) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) – Two-time Grand Slam champ is just 20-11 this year
#41 (-11) Carlos Moya (ESP) – Former No. 1 was ranked No. 13 earlier this year
#78 (-9) Arnaud Clement (FRA) – Just 5-11 outside of quarterfinal run at Wimbledon

Not to be forgotten, Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) continues his ascent up the ATP Rankings after winning his fourth consecutive title on Sunday. Del Potro was ranked just 65 in July following Wimbledon, but his most recent success has bumped him up two spots to No. 17.

Spanish sensation takes gold at Beijing Olympics

No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal continued his stellar season by winning Spain’s first ever singles Olympic gold medal. Nadal defeated Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, a singles bronze medalist and doubles gold medalist at the 2004 games, 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 on Sunday in the gold medal match. The 22-year-old Mallorca, Spain resident, who will take over the top ranking on Monday, became the highest ranked player to win a singles gold medal. Nadal will enter the U.S. Open with eight titles on the year, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

In the bronze medal match, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, denied American James Blake a chance to bring home his country’s tenth overall men’s singles medal with a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory. Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open Champion, broke serve quickly to secure a 3-1 lead before closing the set out 6-3. Both players were unsuccessful breaking serve throughout the second set, until Djokovic earned a mini break at 5-4 and served out the match. It was a heartbreaking end to Blake’s Olympic campaign as he had three straight match points in his semifinals match against Gonzalez before bowing out. Djokovic’s win earned Serbia its second overall medal of the Beijing Olympics.

Although a singles gold medal eluded Roger Federer again this year, the 12-time Grand Slam champion teamed with Stanislas Wawrinka to win the doubles gold medal. The Swiss duo defeated Sweden’s Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. It was Federer and Wawrinka’s fourth time pairing up for doubles, and prior to the Olympics they had just one win together as a team. Federer and Wawrinka gave Switzerland its first Olympic tennis medal since Marc Rosset won the singles title at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Also in doubles action, top seeded American twins Bob and Mike Bryan slugged out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra of France to claim the bronze medal.

Pilot Pen Tennis preview

Pilot Pen Tennis
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Dates: August 17-23, 2008
Draw Size: 48
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $708,000; men’s singles champion: $94,000
2007 Singles Final: James Blake, USA, def. Mardy Fish, USA, 7-5, 6-4
Official Web site: www.pilotpentennis.com

Top story lines:
1. Can Juan Martin Del Potro win his fifth straight ATP title?
2. Will Jurgen Melzer, quarterfinalist at the Olympics, be able to continue his recent winning ways?
3. Does Mardy Fish have enough to make it back to the finals in New Haven?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. Sebastian Grosjean vs. Wayne Odesnik (First meeting; both have 11 losses this season, Grosjean only with 7 wins)
2. Dudi Sela vs. Donald Young (First meeting; both have reached their career high rankings in 2008)
3. Luis Horna vs. Robby Ginepri (Series tied 1-1, both on hard courts; haven’t met since 2005)

Potential notable late round match:
No. 3 Juan Martin Del Potro vs. No. 8 Mardy Fish, Quarterfinals
· Series tied 1-1, both matches on hard courts
· Del Potro defeated Fish in straight sets two weeks ago at the Country Wide Classic in Los Angeles

Watch out for…
1. No. 2 Ivo Karlovic (Winner in Nottingham; defeated top ranked Roger Federer and advanced to semis in Cincinnati; currently ranked at a career high No. 16)
2. Nicolas Lapentti (Quarterfinalist at Masters Series Cincinnati and semifinalist at February’s Costa Do Sauipe in Brazil)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 2 Ivo Karlovic
Jordan: No. 8 Mardy Fish

Welcome to DOWN THE TEE!

Hi and welcome to my new tennis blog, DOWN THE TEE! My goal here is to share my passion for tennis with all of my readers by previewing and reviewing every ATP tournament, providing brief day-by-day analysis of all the events, covering major professional tennis news and top stories, and featuring an up-and-coming player each Monday. Stay up to date with all of the tennis action here on DOWN THE TEE, and I encourage you to post comments and vote in all the polls.

Thanks for reading DOWN THE TEE,

Justin Cohen

I can be contacted by email at justincohen4@gmail.com

**Daily Updates will begin with a preview of the Pilot Pen in New Haven on Sunday**