Les Femmes
Quarterfinals:
Serena Williams vs. Justine Henin – According to most, these two are the top contenders for the title. This match-up should probably be the final, but thanks to Roger Federer, it’s just a quarterfinal match. Henin will win in three sets.
(Poor Sam Stosur, by the way. She’s playing well enough to make the semifinals for the second year in a row, but there’s no way she’s getting out of the Serena-Justine quarter alive.)
Jelena Jankovic vs. Vera Zvonareva – Dinara Safina? Ana Ivanovic? They both know what it’s like to be in the final—neither has recovered from it. Agnieszka Radwanska? Haven’t heard much from her recently. Yanina Wickmayer? Recovering from surgery. Jankovic and Zvonareva are the best of a lot of bad choices. Jankovic in three sets.
Li Na vs. Caroline Wozniacki – I don’t know what’s going on with Svetlana Kuznetsova these days, but the odds of her defending her title are looking pretty bleak. The next highest seed in that section is Li Na, so I guess I’m picking her by default. Caroline Wozniacki (a.k.a. “Jankovic 2.0”) was clearly absent the day they were handing out common sense, seeing as she has played practically every week since the beginning of March. But assuming she can hold up physically, she’s got a pretty good draw. Wozniacki over Li in two sets.
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez vs. Aravane Rezai – Elena Dementieva has gone off the tracks and Venus Williams hasn’t made it past the third round in the last three years. So I’ll go with the in-form players. Rezai over Maria “I have too many names” Jose Martinez Sanchez in two sets.
Semifinals:
Henin vs. Jankovic – Justine extends her head-to-head advantage against Jankovic to 11-0. Three sets.
Wozniacki vs. Rezai – The Wizard of Woz wins in three sets.
Final:
Henin vs. Wozniacki – Wozniacki’s Grand Slam title hopes foiled by a Belgian again. Henin in two sets.
Les Hommes
Quarterfinals:
Roger Federer vs. Ernests Gulbis – Federer doesn’t have the easiest draw (why does it seem like Stanislas Wawrinka always seem to get stuck near Federer in every tournament?) but it’s Roger Federer and it’s a Grand Slam tournament. Enough said. Picking the other quarterfinalist from this section is tougher. I could make a good argument for Marin Cilic, Robin Soderling, or Albert Montanes making it to the quarters, but I’ll make the case for Gulbis: by winning his first tournament, beating Federer, and taking a set off of Nadal on clay, Ernests is finally starting to live up to his potential. And let’s not forget, he has been to the quarterfinals of Roland Garros once before (2008). Federer wins the (re-)rematch in four sets.
Marcos Baghdatis vs. Mikhail Youzhny – It’s either a very bad first round for Andy Murray or for Richard Gasquet. Gasquet, having won a challenger in Bordeaux last week and the title in Nice this week, is on a ten match win streak. Ultimately it doesn’t matter, though, because Marcos Baghdatis is getting to the quarterfinals in this part of the draw. He will then lose to Mikhail Youzhny in four sets.
Novak Djokovic vs. David Ferrer – Djokovic has been struggling with allergies recently (is Benadryl a banned substance on the ATP Tour?), so who knows how long he’s going to make it. But let’s assume he can fight through his sniffles to get to the quarters. There he will meet David Ferrer (who will have just done the world a favor by dispatching of Andy Roddick). Ferrer and a sore throat beat Djokovic in three sets.
Rafael Nadal vs. Fernando Verdasco – If Verdasco doesn’t burn out early (he played a lot of matches during the clay season), he’ll just get embarrassed by Nadal again. Maybe he ought to let Almagro win their fourth round match instead.
Semifinals
Federer vs. Youzhny – Federer in straight sets.
Nadal vs. Ferrer – Nadal in three and a half sets.
Final
Federer vs. Nadal – Nadal in 3.25 sets.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
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2 comments:
Hello Callie.
I know I’m late. However, I am honest. You’ll see.
Men
Federer v. Cilic
I hear good things about this Luczak kid…not really. Fed coasts to this point. Cilic could be a tough customer but Fed is one of the two best clay court players in the world. Also, I’m surprised we didn’t hear the name Nadal while Federer was calling the Women’s draw.
Gasquet v. Youzhny
The backhands. Oh my!
New Orleans has the French quarter. The French Open has the Spanish Quarters:
Ferrer v. Ferrero
-er was an easy pick, -ero: good clay courter, past champion, and Djokovic isn’t breathing.
Almagro v. Nadal
Well, you know what happen here. And I like Nadal’s new plaid shorts. They’d look even better if he wore black support stockings and wing tips with them.
Semi’s:
Federer v. Youzhny
Some great shot making in a 2 hour 3 set match
Ferrer v. Nadal
Some great defense and grinding in a 5 hour 3 set match
Final
Here comes the hard part
Federer v. Nadal
Some great shot making, defense and grinding in another episode of the single best match-up in all of sports. This year I pick Na…No I can’t do it.
Roger in 4. What can I say? Habit dies hard.
Ladies
S. Williams v. Henin
I’d like to pick Stouser but too often she has the deer in the headlights look during matches. She’s got to get over that. Did I hear that Serena is starting a school? Maybe she’ll be like Aggasi and drive the bus. And for Justine, it isn’t often you have to tell someone who is 5’5” and 120 lbs to dial it back on the serve a little.
Jankovic v. Ivanovic
Jank had a pretty good spring. Ivan looks somewhat resurgent under the coaching of Heinz Gunthardt. I understand that, to make Ana more like Steffi, Gunthardt has been working on the slice backhand and smacking Ivanovic in the nose with a racket after each practice.
Here comes the Honesty:
Cristea v. Pennetta
I picked this because I heard Wozniacki was hurting. And she’s not a pusher. Yet more honesty:
MJM Sanchez v Rezai
Cristea and Sanchez are both gone. Last year I thought that Cristea was going to be one of the next big things, but that hasn’t worked out yet. Maybe it will be Rezai. I saw her match with the other Williams a couple of weeks ago. I was impressed. However, Brad Gilbert (I hear that he’ll be one of the designers on next season’s Project Runway) doesn’t care for her dress.
Semi’s
Henin v. Jankovic Jankovic in 3 (wow). Yet more honesty:
Cristea v. Rezai. Well, I suppose now that I’ve entered the alternate universe, I might as well run with it.
Final: Jankovic v. Cristea
Winner: Jankovic
regards to all,
Mike in Etters
Hello Callie
Headline in tomorrow’s Paris Daily News:
French Tennis Player Falls from Eiffel Tower – Pennsylvania Man Sought for Questioning.
Regards to all,
Mike (on the lam) in Etters
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