The headline out of the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN in Indian Wells is two young and rising Serbians winning the men’s and women’s titles.  NOVAK DJOKOVIC followed up his stunning Australian Open title with the first Master Series title of the year.  And ANA IVONAVIC, who came in as the number 1 seed here, despite MARIA SHARPOVA’S strong start to the year, winning in Melbourne and coming into the tournament undefeated for 2008, played to fo

rm and won for her first time in Indian Wells.  She has now been in 9 finals, and won 6 of them.

DJOKOVIC beat MARDY FISH in 3 sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.  IVONAVIC beat SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA in straight sets 6-4. 6-3.

Her rise started last year, with a finals appearance in Paris at the FRENCH OPEN and then a semi-finals showing at WIMBLEDON.  His rise began last year also, with a finals appearance in this tournament, and then a win in Miami, where he will defend his title in just a week.

Both Serbians are 20 years old, and both are all business, and all charm.  When repeatedly asked about the political unrest in Serbia, or the Serbian fan unrest in the stadium (an energetic following of Serbian fans follows their countrymen, and cheer for them with perhaps more gusto than the staid tennis world is ready for), both NOVAK and ANA had just the nifty reply.  When DJOKOVIC was asked what the effect of his success was on his country, he sounded like a diplomat,

 “You know, you know, I think professional athletes all over the world represent their country, are one of the biggest ambassadors of their country, and, of course, considering the fact that our country is in very difficult position, they're struggling economically, in economics and in politics, as well, but this is something that I don't want to get involved in, and I just, from my side, try to help my country as much as I can.”

His publicist surely must have been proud. His country, no doubt prouder.

During her match IVANOVIC apologized for the fans, who were having trouble quieting down before SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA’S serve.  When ANA was asked about the boisterous group, her reply was as impressive as the gesture,

“People don't understand, but it affects both players, I think. You know, I really -- I really wanted to apologize, because it's not my fault. But then on the other hand, they're just very excited. They had basketball that was really popular and football and they are allowed to scream during the game, so, you know, they just need some more time to get used to in tennis you have to be quiet in between serves.   But, you know, they are just -- they're also learning, and I think they're doing a good job.”

Wow!  That is some 20-year old, with looks like an angel, a powerful forehand.  She can serve too.  She aced SVETLANA 5 times.

The rise of Serbian players on the tour, JELENA JANKOVIC, ousted in the semi-finals by her friend and countrywoman IVANOVIC, is also challenging for number 1 in the woman’s game, or the arguable unruliness of the Serbian fans, or even the necessity of complete silence when a tennis player serves (is a serve any more critical than, say, a free throw with a basketball game on the line?), could all be stories coming out of this tournament.

But the real tale here was the emergence, or perhaps the re-emergence of MARDY FISH on the men’s circuit.

MARDY FISH came into the Pacific Life Open ranked 98th in the world.  He was once as high as 17th, back in 2004, the year he won the silver medal at the Olympic Games.  But he was not on anyone’s radar to make a splash here.  His best showing in a slam was the quarterfinals in last year’s Australian Open.  His usual result was a first or second round exit from those big tournaments.  He was eliminated from the 2008 Australian in the 3rd round.  He was lost, like Nemo, never to be found in the East Australian current.  His buddies, those he grew up in tennis with, ANDY RODDICK, JAMES BLAKE, the BRYAN brothers and even ROBBIE GINEPRI all have generated far more attention, and success than he. 

He entered the tour in 2000 at number 304 in the world.  In 2001 he moved up to 141.  His best year-end ranking was 2003 at 20th.  In 2004 he moved up to 17th, but ended the year at 37th.  In 2005 he fell to 227th, primarily as a result of injuries and lack of play.  He moved back up to 47th after 2006.  And at the end of 2007 he was 39th.  But 2008 had not been a great year for him, and he came into the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN at number 98.

At the age of 26, he is engaged, and probably considering what the end of his tennis career might look like.  Life in the fishbowl at the dentist’s office in Sydney Harbour, instead of swimming free in the Great Barrier Reef of the top 20 tennis players.  After all, it is the youngsters, NADAL at age 21, and DJOKOVIC at age 20 that are nipping at the fins of tennis shark, ROGER FEDERER, all of 26 himself.

So it was some story when MARDY won his 2 nd round match against the number 31 seed IGOR ANDREEV.  Nice!

FISH followed that with a straight set win over NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO, the number 4 seed.  Sweet!

Fresh off that unlikely win, FISH took on former number 1 in the world, and always tough, LLEYTON HEWITT.  No problem, 3 sets, but victory for FISH.  Dude, gimme some fin!

Now to the quarterfinals and a match with DAVID NALBANDIAN, the man who beat ROGER FEDERER the last 2 times they played, and the number 7 seed.  Ride the swell man, 3 sets and FISH is the victor.  Awesome!

Next up, though, ROGER FEDERER, the number 1 seed, and for years running now, the world’s best player.  FISH is surely done now, right?  Wrong.  In a match that defied reality, MARDY started out blazing, and kept the pressure on ROGER from the first serve.  He was up 3-0, and never looked back.  FEDERER was never in the match.  He never got going.  And MARDY FISH took him out in straight sets.  Righteous! 

“You know, this wasn't obviously Roger's best day, but hopefully I had a little something to do with that. You know, I put the pressure extremely, from the word go, you know, on him, and you know, I wanted to start out sometimes in big situations or against guys who return real well and I consider him the best returner in the world that I'll tend to receive I want to toss, tend to receive, and just to kind of get my feet under me.  I said, ‘What the hell. Let's go for it and let's start it off and try and jumpstart him as best I can.’ Obviously it was a dream start to go up 3 love and have a couple break points there at 3-0”

Even ROGER had praise for the FISH.  “I've had a great record against him, you know, always sort of had sort of controlled matches against him, but today was different. He came out playing very, very well.  Yeah, he played great today. I mean, I can only congratulate him. Fantastic.”

But it came to an end in the final.  Despite the urgings of a supportive 11,000 fans in the stadium, and a 2nd set rally to extend the match to 3 sets, FISH could not close the deal, and get past a strong, surging NOVAK DJOKOVIC.  Dude, the one that got away.  Bummer.

No matter.  FISH had the week of his life.  He beat 3 of the top 10 players in the world.  He embarrassed the number 1, ROGER FEDERER.  He moved up his rankings 58 points, waking up Monday as the world’s 40th best player.  And he gained an immense amount of respect and confidence.   When asked if he found himself, NEMO, I mean MARDY replied,

“Yeah, yeah. That would be -- I think that would be accurate. You know, it would be -- it would be really nice to take this momentum and take this confidence into next week, because next week is just as big, just as big of a week for me. I didn't play last year.
You know, I think I put myself in a nice position now around 40 in the world with not a match to defend until August 19th.”

Dude, focus, dude.

It was Dory, in that fish story, who said:

“When life gets you down,
just keep swimming,
just keep swimming,
just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”

Sweet!

Mardy Fish faces the media after his amazing run.

Newcomer Alona Bondarenko	easily defeated Amelie Mauresmo	6-1, 6-2 in the 3rd round.
Andy Murray	Agnieszka Radwanska	Andy Murray
The Bondarenko sisters, Alona and	Kateryna, won the women's doubles	slam in Australia this year.
Daniela Hantuchova	Djokovic and fans	Fish and Djokovic with the spoils
	Tommy Haas
Andy Roddick was defeated by Haas	India's Sania Mirza	The Serbian tennis fans
	Sharar Peer

The finals of Masters Series events, the top tier men’s tournaments other than the grand slams, are usually reserved for two of the top 3 players in the world, ROGER FEDERER, RAFAEL NADAL and NOVAK DJOKOVIC.  Occasionally another player works their way into that upper echelon, like GUILLERMO CANAS, who had an amazing comeback year last year, beating FEDERER twice.  Or it was FERNANDO GONZALEZ who faced NADAL in Rome.  And there was JAMES BLAKE who faced ROGER in Cincinnati. 

At the end of last year it was DAVID NALBANDIAN who won Madrid and Paris, beating FEDERER and NADAL to capture those titles.  And it looked like NALBANDIAN would be knocking at the gates of the Pacific Life Open final, up 6-5 in the 3rd set on MARDY FISH in the quarterfinals, but it was not to be.  The man who has beaten ROGER FEDERER the last 2 times they played, and would have faced him in the semi-finals here, was beaten by MARDY FISH 3-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-7(7-4). 

NALBANDIAN will have to wait to see if he has the magic formula, the kryptonite for Superman FEDERER.  Make no mistake he feels he can beat FEDERER.

Question: “Were you looking forward to playing ROGER again and maybe beating hi a 3rd time in a row?”

NALBANDIAN: “Why not?”

Question: “Do you have some insight or some secrets on how that is done?”

NALBANDIAN: “Yeah.”

Question: “Would you like to share them?”

NALBANDIAN: “No.”

Question: “So you really think you could beat him again, you’re looking forward to it?”

NALBANDIAN: “Uh-huh.”

So, we’ll have to wait, to see if DAVID really has the answer to FEDERER’S control over men’s tennis.  Despite the recent talk, FEDERER came into this tournament having lost to ANDY MURRAY twice in a row.  But MURRAY was shown the door by TMMY HAAS, who was playing some of his best tennis.  But HAAS had to withdraw because of s shoulder injury, or a sinus infection, or who knows what?

So it is MARDY FISH who has crashed the party at the top.  FISH will have to play a rested ROGER FEDERER, and make his attempt at cracking a Masters Series final.  It won’t be easy, despite the amazing play he has exhibited these two weeks.

FISH, ranked 98th in the world, joins 1, 2 and 3 in the semis today.  But he is unfazed, having beaten the world’s number 4, NICOLAY DAVYDENKO.  “You know it really helps to beat someone like DAVYDENKO 3 and 2...To beat someone that good or that easily or that well, and play that well, that’s top 5 in the world and is going to be top 5 in the world for a while…that gives you a huge amount of confidence right there to just feel like you can play with everybody…I feel like I can beat everybody.”

FISH has played FEDERER 5 times and won only 1 set.  They last played here in 2005 in the second round when ROGER won 6-3, 6-3.  MARDY has his work cut out for him.

Meanwhile, RAFAEL NADAL and NOVAL DJOKOVIC replay last year’s final, won by NADAL 6-2, 7-5.  NADAL has a 6-2 record against DJOKOVIC, but NOVAK is coming off his first grand slam title, and has been riding high since his “coming out” last year at this tournament.

Life at the top of men’s tennis is as good as it gets.

It was no big surprise to see NOVAK DJOKOVIC exact revenge upon RAFAEL NADAL for his loss in last year’s final at the Pacific Life Open.  His game has been steadily improving since his emergence at last year’s event in Indian Wells, culminating in his amazing showing in Melbourne at the Australian Open.

And, NADAL has not been exactly dominating, pulling a Houdini act to avoid drowning against JO-WILFIRED TSONGA and JAMES BLAKE in back to back 3 set escapes. 

But when MARDY FISH came out and took the first set against ROGER FEDERER 6-3, now there is a sky is falling moment.  FISH, ranked 98th in the world has had a remarkable week in the desert, beating the world’s number 4, number 30 and number 7 in consecutive matches.  But he has never had a good showing against FEDERER, and has not even played him in 3 years, the time ROGER has grown to untouchable proportions in the world of tennis.

Could FISH pull off the upset of the tournament, of the year, of the tennis world?

When fish fly.
And they did on Saturday afternoon at the Pacific Life Open.

MARDY FISH followed up his unlikely first set victory by breaking ROGER FEDERER.  Behind a consistent, powerful serve, routinely in the 130mph range, as well as a penetrating backhand both cross-court and down the line, FISH consolidated his break to go up 2-0.

FEDERER was nowhere to be found.

FISH broke ROGER again in game 5 to go up 4-1, and consolidated that with a love game-2 first serve points, a cross-court winner, and an ace at 135mph to go up 5-1.  The FISH were jumping.

He had 2 chances to break ROGER on his serve to win the match at 6-1, but why rub it in?  He served out the match to win 6-3, 6-2.  FISH eliminated FEDERER by the same score that DJOKOVIC dismissed NADAL.  Number 1 and number 2, gone.

The fish weren’t just jumping they were flying at Indian Wells. 

It was a day for Serbian tennis on center court at the Pacific Life Open Thursday as the trio of that countries star players all dispatched their opponents, back to back to back before a rapt crowd. 

Starting out the day top seed ANA IVONOVIC beat VERA ZVONAREVA 6-1, 6-4.  “I started really well, I thought I played some of my best tennis since my matches here, so I was really happy about that.”  IVONAVIC was nearly bumped out of the tournament in her last match, but rallied to be FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE in 3 sets.

Following ANA was NOVAK DJOKOVIC, who took on STANISLAUS WAWRINKA of Switzerland.  Despite coming into the tournament unseeded, WAWRINKA made it to the quarterfinals by beating 10th seed THOMAS BERDYCH and 18th seed MARCOS BAGDHATIS.  OVAK won in straight sets, but spoke highly of his opponent after the match.

When asked if WAWRINKA could break into the top 20, NOVAK replied “Sure…Even further than top 20.  I think he really deserves to be there.”  Still, DJOKOVIC won in straight sets 7-6, 6-2.  He next faces RAFAEL NADAL, in a rematch of last years final, won by NADAL.  “Last year’s finals here at Indian Wells was my first final in a Masters Series.  I was still inexperienced, young.  Even though he’s only 1 year older than me he had much more experience and many titles, so I think I was really nervous at the start of the match.”  Should make an amazing semifinal.

Then came JELENA JANKOVIC and LINDSAY DAVENPORT.  JELENA, number 4 in the world, and seeded 3rd here, versus DAVENPORT, the former number 1 and now the 24th seed after taking time off to have a baby.  LINDSAY has looked impressive in her comeback effort, winning 4 tournaments, but on this day she didn’t have it.

She lost the first set 6-2, and had to withdraw because of back pain.  “I just hurt my back, and obviously I’ve gone down this road before.  I was debating before, you know, you never know, like, okay, I will go out there and maybe it will loosen up.”  But 2 games into the match LINDSAY knew it wasn’t going to get any better.  “I was pretty sore out there and it was hard to rotate.  Obviously with playing tennis you need your rotation, so you know, I tried to do the best I could.”

JELENA was a little disappointed she didn’t get more of a workout.  She didn’t feel 100% coming into this tournament, and has been battling the flu for the last couple of days.  But she is working into form at just the right time.   She next faces ANA IVONAVIC, her friend, but JELENA won’t let that distract her.

“At the end of the day, you realize that tennis is just a game, and you go out on the court and you try to do your best.  You try to win, and that’s-that’s what matters.  After that, you are just a regular girl.  You do your things.  That’s it.  I don’t really like to think over, oh, we’re from the same country and all this pressure that goes on.  We are young girls and we play millions of times throughout out career.  So we’ll try to get better each time, to get better rankings, to achieve our goals.  As an individual I am trying to do that, and I’m trying to become number 1 in the world, trying to win grand slams and just going after my dreams.”

The same could be said, and no doubt is true for all three of these young Serbian tennis stars.

Tennis fans were treated to a near perfect day in Indian Wells, as the Pacific Life Open moved on towards championship weekend.  SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA started the matches on center court with a revenge match against the 10th seed, AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA, the 19 year old from Poland who took SVETYLANA out of the Australian Open in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. 

RADWANSKA is one to watch, having won the WIMBLEDON juniors title in 2005 and ROLAND GAROS junior title in 2006.  She has broken in to top twenty in the world, but on this morning she was no match for KUZNETSOVA, who played much better than in Melbourne.  “I was more dictating my game, and I was more focused and calm…When I do everything right, this is the result.”  She took RADWANKSA out 6-2, 6-4 to move into the semi-finals.

Then came another Australian Open rematch.  Number 17 seed JO-WILFIRED TSONGA took on number 2 seed, and defending champion, RAFAEL NADAL.  In Melbourne, TSONGA surprised NADAL in the semis, taking him out in 3 sets, before losing to DJOKOVIC in the finals.  In Australia TSONGA was never broken. 

That changed fast in Palm Springs.  The players started the match by breaking each other’s serve.  There wasn’t another break until game 6 in the 3rd set, with each man holding a set, having won 7-6 in tie breaks.  TSONGA finally broke NADAL again in the 3rd set to take a 4-2 lead.  It was TSONGA that was pushing the pace for most of the match.  He consistently served around 125mph versus NADAL’S 110mph.  TSONGA looked solid to that point, winning his games easier than NADAL, and really never looking tested on his serve.

He consolidated the break in the 3rd set with a love game to go up 5-2, and at nearly 3 hours into the match it looked all but over for NADAL.

And then things got started.  NADAL held serve, on mostly medium paced efforts, around 100mph, but carefully managed points to get the match to 3-5.  TSONGA did not seem nervous, and came out blasting serves in the 120’s.  NADAL turned on the defense, hitting 2 and 3 amazing saves during rallies, to break TSONGA’S serve.  NADAL was hanging by a thread, but somehow kept the powerful strokes of TSGONA in play until TSONGA collapsed, losing the match 6-7.7-6, 7-5.  It was a match TSONGA could easily have won.

Afterwards, JO-WILFRIED lamented about his lost chances, “It was a very important match for me because I would like to show everybody, it’s not-my run in Australian Open is not lucky, it’s not luck.”  I think everyone who saw this match knows that for certain.  TSONGA is for real this year.

NADAL reluctantly agreed.  “Today I say it’s not revenge, not a special match.  But the truth is it’s an important win this match for me.  (TSONGA) Going to be one of the rivals for this year.

On court 2, 11th seeded ANDY MURRAY fell to a rejuvenated TOMMY HAAS, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.  HAAS is coming off of shoulder surgery, and looks fitter than ever.  He dismissed ANDY RODDICK from the tournament last week in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.  TOMMY comes into the tournament ranked 36th in the world, and unseeded, but as he has demonstrated with the number 6, and 11th seed, along with seed number 30, VERDASCO, he can beat anybody at anytime. 

“Like I said before after I beat ANDY (RODDICK) for me every day is just important to feel kind of healthy and going out there and hit my shots and hit my serves without feeling anything in my shoulder…as long as my shoulder stays strong and I don’t feel too much pain I can go out there and compete and I can be tough.”
He next faces number 1 seed ROGER FEDERER.

ROGER eliminated IVAN LJUBICIC in the late match of the night 6-3, 6-4,  “I felt good.  You know, I really felt good.  I really thought I moved extremely well. 
Came up with some great plays at the right time…I felt like nothing could get past me, and this is exactly how I want to feel this week.”  That can’t be good for the rest of the field.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC easily handled GUILLERMO CANAS in the afternoon, 6-2, 6-2, and is going about business in a most professional, workmanlike fashion since his ascendancy to the top of the game.  “Well I think the characteristic of the top players is to play better and better, match after match.  So I think I am doing that.”

Two Americans remain in the tournament.  Number 9 seed JAMES BLAKE easily handled Frenchman RICHARD GASQUET, 6-4, 6-2.   And in a surprise, unseeded MARDY FISH took out number 24 seed LLEYTON HEWITT, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7-4), after eliminating number 4 seed NICOLAY DAVYDENKO easily 6-3, 6-2 a day earlier.   FISH next faces number 7 seed DAVID NALBANDIAN, while BLAKE takes on RAFAEL NADAL, who by the way, has never beaten BLAKE.  BLAKE and FISH are close friends off the courts, and their story continues here at Indian Wells into the quarterfinals.

But the match of the day, perhaps of the tournament (at least on paper) pitted the number 4 and 5 seeds,  MARIA SHARAPOVA and DANIELA HANTUCHOVA.  The defending Australian Open champ, undefeated for the year in 17 matches against the defending Pacific Life Open champ, undefeated in 10 matches in Indian Wells.  Both with games as strong as their looks are stunning.  Both making their 7th appearance at this tournament.  Both former winners here. 

DANIELA, looking more like MARIA than MARIA, got the first break of the match at 4-2, consolidated it to go 5-2. But MARIA came back to tie the first set at 5.  SHARAPOVA looked a lot sharper than she did a day earlier, when she nearly fell to an upstart from the Ukraine, ALONA BONDARENKO took her to 3 sets, and came close to upsetting her.

But under the cool night sky, and a nearly full moon SHARAPOVA looked fresh and strong, and took the first set tiebreaker 7-6(7-2).  She steamrolled in the second set, 6-1, winning 10 of the last 12 games, and DANIELA’S quest to win a 3rd title here was over.  Not everything is perfect in paradise.  Earlier in the week HANTUCHOVA said she felt like center court here was her home.  On this night, it looked more like SHARAPOVA’S pad.

The top 8 seeds from the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN discuss the tournament, their chances and life on the tour.  Don't miss the action, as the tournament ends next weekend.  For more information go to:

It's 88 degrees, a dry heat, with snow capped mountains and the clear blue sky.  Where are you?  If you're lucky, you're in Indian Wells, at the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN, a 2 week tennis fantasyland with the best players Grand Slam championship.

The PACIFIC LIFE OPEN is 5th most attended tennis tournament in the world. Did you get that?  That puts it behind the 4 grand slams.  And it's right in Southern California's backyard, just a short drive away to the sun and fun in the desert, and all that Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and the rest of the valley has to offer.

Womens Top 8 Bartoli Hantuchova Ivanovic Jankovic Kuznetsova Safina Sharapova Vaidisova Federer Andy Murray Andy Roddick James Blake Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal

One of the reasons the tournament is so well attended is that it seems to draw the very best players in the world, and furthermore, highlights up and coming stars in a setting up close and personal before they break out as full fledged tennis superstars.

MARIA SHARAPOVA got her first notice her as a 14-year old here, and NOVAK DJOKOVIC got special notice last year en route to his storming of tennis' upper echelons.  Last year's champions were RAFAEL NADAL and DANIELA HANTUCHOVA, who got her first real attention on the tour here 6 years back when she first won this tournament.  This year she shoots for number 3, a feat no other woman has accomplished in the desert, not SERENA, not MARTINA, not MONICA, no one.

She'll have a tough road to achieve that accomplishment, as the number 5 seed here, she has MARIA SHARAPOVA, JELENA JANKOVIC, SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA and ANA IVANOVIC to climb over, not to mention the rest of the field, including players like SHAHAR PEER and AMELIE MAURESMO in her draw.  MARIA is 14-0, coming off a win at Melbounre in the year's first grand slam.
She is happy, rested and fit.

The WILLIAM'S sisters again have taken leave of the PACIFIC OPEN, as has JUSTIN HENIN.  But there is plenty of competition, and some promising matchups should seeds hold true to form, like  LINDSAY DAVENPORT andMARION BARTOLI.  BARTOLI, recall, took out JUSTIN HENIN in the semifinals at Wimbledon, getting to her first grand slam final last year.  DAVENPORT took time off to have a baby, and has returned to the tour solid as ever, winning 4 tournaments along the way.

How about SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA versus JELENA JANKOVIC, or MARIA SHARAPOVA against ANA IVANOVIC?  The beauty in that one would only be surpassed by the great tennis!

On the men's side, the promise of some great play lies ahead.  ROGER FEDERER will of course be here, coming off his exhibition win over PETE SAMPRAS.  It's time for some real tennis, ROGER.  And the talk is that he is vulnerable.  He lost recently to ANDY MURRAY, and comes in having lost 2 in a row.

DJOKOVIC tries to follow up his impressive performance last year, fresh off his grand slam win in Australia.  RAFAEL NADAL of course  is the defending champ.  And then there is ANDY RODDICK after splitting withJIMMY CONNORS.  Do you need more?

It’s hard enough to win a TENNIS MASTERS SERIES event on the men’s tour, but yesterday in Madrid, DAVID NALBANDIAN won his first in some kind of flair.  First of all, he beat ROGER FEDERER in a final, no less, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.  FEDERE, the world’s number 1 for the last millennium doesn’t lose many finals, particularly to players not named RAFAEL. 

“I usually play better in the finals, but it had something to do with the way he played,” ROGER said about NALBANDIAN.

It wasn’t the first time DAVID had conquered “goliath”.  He beat ROGER at the MASTER’S CUP in Shanghai 2 years ago, which also was the last time FEDERER lost on the indoor hardcourt surface.

But NALBANDIAN accomplished even more in Madrid over the weekend.  He became only the third player ever to win a title by beating the world’s top 3 ranked players to get there.  DAVID knocked off number 3 NOVAK DJOKOVIC in the semis and number 2 RAFAEL NADAL in the quarters to earn his first MASTERS SERIES title.  DJOKOVIC achieved the same honor earlier in the year, and BORIS BECKER did it in 1994.

It looked like it was going to be a fast day at the office for a ROGER, who came out strong winning the first set 6-1.  But NALBANDIAN bounced back in the second set, breaking FEDERER twice.  And despite steady pressure by FEDERER on each of NALBANDIAN’s service games, the Argentine persevered to hold serve and win the 2nd set 6-3. 

He got an early break in the 3rd set, to go up 2-1 and held on from there to beat FEDERER and claim his first MASTERS.  “It’s a great way to finish the season and to go into the next one,” NALBANDIAN said.  “To beat such great players as I did this week makes it important.”

It was quite a day for Serbia in the world of tennis yesterday as two of their young, rising stars took titles on the Road to the US Open.  On the men’s side NOVAK DJOKOVIC shocked ROGER FEDERER in the ATP ROGERS CUP in Montreal, and on the woman’s side, ANA IVANOVIC beat NADIA PETROVA to take the EAST WEST BANK CLASSIC from Carson, California.

For DJOKOVIC, it is the culmination of a steady rise to the top of the men’s game that started in Indian Wells early in the year at THE PACIFIC OPEN where he lost in the final to RAFAEL NADAL.  His steady play after that found him at No 3 in the world in July, a spot he will reclaim this week, after beating current number 3 ANDY RODDICK, current number 2 RAFAEL NADAL, and world number 1 ROGER FEDERER in consecutive matches to win this tournament-an impressive feat to be sure.  The last person to beat the top 3 seeds to win a title was BORIS BECKER in 1994.

It was DJOKOVIC’s first win over ROGER in 5 tries, and it stopped a 16-match win streak for FEDERER in Montreal at this event.  He had won in 2004, skipped 2005 and won again in 2006.

DJOKOVIC took the first set in an amazing tiebreaker.  But when FEDERER won the 2nd set 6-2, it looked like all was right with the world again.  FEDERER does not lose many finals.  DJOKOVIC was not daunted and jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the final set, only to see FEDERER break back and get the match into another tiebreak, again where ROGER seldom loses. 

But not this time, as DJOKOVIC again put the pressure on FEDERER, powering his way to a 6-1 lead, which ROGER could not overcome.  The final score was 7-6(2), 2-6, and 7-6(2).  FEDERER had 47 unforced errors in the match, a number rarely seen from the games best, and most consistent player.

It was DJOKOVIC’s 4th title this year, and puts him in the point lead for the US OPEN Series.  Bonus points are awarded at each US Open Series event, with the top three men’s and top three women’s finishers in the final standings eligible to earn bonus prize money at the US Open.  Those who win the most along the way arrive at America’s Grand Slam with the most to win. The men’s and women’s champions of the US Open Series can earn up to $1 million in bonus prize money at the US Open.

In Carson, NADIA PETROVA found herself in the final after MARIA SHARAPOVA had to bow out of Saturday night’s semifinal because of a leg injury.  She explained to a disappointed crowd that she could not compete in the match due to a leg that had tightened up during the day before the match.

So PETROVA came into the final rested, but it mattered little as a young and fresh ANA IVANOVIC, finalist at the FRENCH OPEN and semifinalist at WIMBLEDON took her out in straight sets 7-5. 6-4, for her second title of the year. 

IVANOVIC moves to number 4 in the world with the victory.  And she and her childhood friend, NOVAK DJOKOVIC look to be serious contenders at the US OPEN, which begins August  27th.

The evolving rivalry between the two best tennis players in the world lodged another remarkable chapter on Sunday, with ROGER FEDERER beating RAFAEL NADAL for his 5^th straight WIMBLEDON championship, tying the once-thought unreachable record held by BJORN BORG’S, who was in attendance to witness the feat.  ROGER extended his winning streak in this tournament to 34 straight matches and 54 on grass.  So, it was expected that FEDERER would win this match, after all grass is his favorite surface, like clay is NADAL’S.

 But it was not that easy.  ROGER FEDERER was actually in serious trouble, and when NADAL pushed him to his first 5 set match ever at WIMBLEDON, and first in a grand slam final, it was anybody’s guess who would take command for the final set.  When RAFAEL opened the final frame by getting treatment for a sore knee, all bets were off.  He totally dominated FEDERER in the 4^th set, winning 6-2, with ROGER looking lost and confused going into the 5^th.  It is mind-boggling to see the world’s number 1 in total disarray, but there he was.  At one point FEDERER was even arguing with the umpire about the electronic line calling, pleading with the officials that he was getting unfair treatment by the digital device.  If that’s not shaken I don’t know what is.

 So when NADAL came out lame to start the 5^th, you had to figure FEDERER had the edge back.  Or so it seemed.

 But there he was down, 15-40 in the 3^rd game of the set.  It took some heroic serving to climb out of that hole.  And there he was again in the 5^th game of the set, again down 15-40.  To this point NADAL had only been broken once, in the very first game of the match so if FEDERER were to lose his serve at this juncture, the match surely would go to NADAL.  Again, FEDERER came through with some amazing heroics, showing guts he’s never bared before, saving 3 break points to go up 3-2 and he never looked back.

 When it was over FEDERER won the final set 6-2, but ti was much closer than that.  As it was ROGER outserved NADAL, with 24 aces to NADAL’S 1, but it was FEDERER who just barely hung on to win.  It was ROGER FEDERER who beat RAFAEL NADAL for the 4^th time in their last 6 meetings, but it was NADAL who looked like he was on the rise.

 FEDERER has been ranked number 1 in the world for an unbelievable 180 weeks, but had he lost here, NADAL could have passed him, perhaps at the US OPEN.  NADAL, who has been number 2 in the world for 108 weeks, hung his head on the sidelines after the match, but it might not be that long before he has the skills not only on clay, but also on grass to bypass this number 1 player, ROGER FEDERER. 

 What a great rivalry!  What a great match!

 There were famous faces in the crowd other than BORG to soak it all in.  JOHN McENROE, who stopped BJORN’S streak at 5 was there, calling it “one of the greatest matches” he had ever seen, “without a doubt.”  JIMMY CONNORS, whose streak of 160 weeks at number 1 was eclipsed earlier in the year by FEDERER was there as well.  BORIS BECKER, who was a favorite here on the grass winning 3 times saw NADAL and thinks he will overtake FEDERER at the top.  “I think he’s the future number 1.  He’s testing him, even on his best surface, grass.  I just wish there would be more competition from the others.”

 FEDERER and NADAL have won 14 of the last 17 grand slam titles between them.  ROGER HAS 11, now just 3 shy of PETE SAMPRAS, who had his own attempt at 5 straight WIMBLEDON’S thwarted by, ROGER FEDERER.  PETE won 7 titles at the ALL ENGLAND LAWN AND TENNIS CLUB, ROGER has 2 more to go to catch him. But RAFAEL NADAL might just have a thing or two to say about that…

 On Saturday VENUS WILLIAMS completed the full circle re-emergence of the WILLIAMS’ sisters back onto the tennis scene.  The women, who looked like they would run away and hide with all the prizes a few years ago had both fallen out of the top 20.  It seemed with injuries and the rest of the distractions in their personal lives, their quest and desire might have slipped away.  But SERENA took the AUSTRALIAN OPEN as aunseeded entry.

VENUS won WIBLEDON as the 23rd seed, ranked 31st in the world.

She beat an over-matched MARION BARTOLI, who somehow took out JUSTIN HENIN, after falling behind 6-1 and a break in the second set. HENIN was rolling through the tournament and was the heavy favorite to win, looking for her first WIBLEDON, the only grand slam she hadn’t won.

But it BARTOLI in the final, and she was no match for VENUS who won her 4th WIMBLEDON title, and her 6th grand slam. That makes the US OPEN a very interesting proposition for the women’s game. It’s as wide open as you can get. VENUS has won there twice before, as has SERENA. JUSTIN HENIN, the tour’s current number 1 has won that event once, as has the defending champion MARIA SHARAPOVA.

The ROAD TO THE US OPEN starts now!