Out of Town for the Weekend!

Going to a swim meet on Saturday, and going to the airport on Sunday! I don't think I will be able to blog, but I hope I will be able to update my women's and men's bracket predictions for Wimbledon.

Wimbledon Day 5 - Abridged Predictions

Women's Predictions*
(8)Petra Kvitova CZE vs (25)Ekaterina Makarova RUS: Kvitova in 3 inconsistent sets
Two very streaky players, could be interesting!
(15)Marion Bartoli FRA vs Camila Giorgi ITA: Bartoli in 3 streaky sets (possible upset...)
Both go for broke on nearly every shot, Giorgi made the 4th round last year
(17)Sloane Stephens USA vs Petra Cetkovska CZE: Stephens in 3 sets
I think this will be similar to the Stephens-Petkovic match, Cetkovska is also coming back from injury and hits the ball similar to Petkovic I dare say
(29)Alize Cornet FRA vs Flavia Pennetta ITA: Pennetta in 2 tight sets
Pennetta is a veteran coming back from injury and a former top 10 player, Cornet is in the third round of Wimbledon for the first time
(19)Carla Suarez Navarro ESP vs Eugenie Bouchard CAN: Suarez Navarro in 3 sets
I can't make up my mind in this match, Bouchard has the potential for the upset but I pick experience
Vesna Dolonc SRB vs (20)Kirsten Flipkens BEL: Flipkens in 2 tight sets
Dolonc has had solid straight set wins including over Jankovic, I think the craftiness of Flipkens will be too much for Dolonc who has wins over solid baseliners Wickmayer and Jankovic
Karin Knapp ITA vs Michelle Larcher de Brito POR: Larcher de Brito in 3 sets
Can Larcher de Brito back up her upset of Sharapova? Knapp is a solid player, but hard to go against Larcher de Brito after her win
Monica Puig PUR vs Eva Birnerova CZE: Puig in 2 tight sets
Birnerova is a solid veteran on tour and will be up against a youngster

Men's Predictions*
(15)Nicolas Almagro ESP vs (24)Jerzy Janowicz POL: Janowicz in 4 tight sets
Neither player has been past the third round at Wimbledon though this is Janowicz's 3rd and Almagro's 9th Wimbledon, 50-50 but I think Janowicz will outplay Almagro
(32)Tommy Robredo ESP vs (2)Andy Murray GBR: Murray in 3 tricky sets
Robredo doesn't have much of a grass court pedigree and has never been past the 3rd round, Murray is the home favorite and defending finalist
(4)David Ferrer ESP vs Roberto Bautista-Agut ESP: Ferrer in 4 sets
Ferrer is a class above Bautista-Agut but he is still finding his feet on grass
Viktor Troicki SRB vs Mikhail Youzhny RUS: Youzhny in 5 sets
Another close match for me, Troicki and Youzhny both have raised their game in the past 1 or 2 months
Ernests Gulbis LAT vs Fernando Verdasco ESP: Gulbis in 5 sets
Lots of interesting matchups, Verdasco and Gulbis are both shotmakers and it's again 50-50
Jurgen Melzer AUT vs Sergiy Stakhovsky UKR: Melzer in 4 tight sets (very short sets)
Federer killer against an experienced veteran, both like to come forward to the net
(22)Juan Monaco ARG vs Kenny de Schepper FRA: Monaco in 4 sets
Monaco's worst surface is probably grass, de Schepper is a relatively unknown name though
Lukasz Kubot POL vs (25)Benoit Paire FRA: Paire in 4 sets
Kubot is a little lucky to be here after Nadal was upset and his killer Darcis withdrew before his second round match with Kubot, Paire is a very talented Frenchman looking for his breakthrough run at a Grand Slam
Adrian Mannarino FRA vs Dustin Brown GER: Brown in 5 sets
I've never seen Mannarino play but was thorougly impressed with how Brown played against Hewitt, Brown has all the shots in the play book but can he put it together?

*Several 2nd round matches were not finished. Check my previous post for those predictions!

Wimbledon Day 4 - Draw Steadied as Most Favorites Advance

Short recap because of lack of time. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are safely through to the third round as the top seeds. Seeds to fall today were Milos Raonic  in straights sets to Igor Sijsling, Peng Shuai to Marina Erakovic after wasting set points in the first set, and Mona Barthel to Madison Keys who served extremely well. The day was interrupted by a slight, but constant, drizzle during action, postponing several matches to Day 5. Agnieszka Radwanska, Juan Martin del Potro, Richard Gasquet, Tomas Berdych, Sabine Lisicki, and Li Na all advanced relatively easily to the third round. This is the first time since 1912 at Wimbledon, when no American men advanced to the third round. 

Wimbledon Day 4 - Predictions

Djokovic and Serena looks to avoid upsets.

With my predictions busted (winners might still be the winners though), I am almost scared to make predictions after what happened on Day 3 of Wimbledon... The world number 1s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams look to safely advance to the third round against Bobby Reynolds and Caroline Garcia. They will certainly be on their toes after the upsets of this tournament. Elsewhere, 4th seeds Agnieszka Radwanska and David Ferrer also look to progress against Mathilde Johansson and Roberto Bautista Agut. Watches to watch on Day 4 are: Lisicki/Vesnina, Brands/Berdych, Halep/Li, and Kerber/Kanepi just to name a few. Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet also look to advance to the third round. No bets on my predictions after the draw got decimated yesterday!

Jesse Levine CAN vs (8)Juan Martin del Potro ARG: del Potro in 3 sets (1 easy, 2 tight)

(4)Agnieszka Radwanska POL vs Mathilde Johansson FRA: Radwanska in 2 sets

(1)Novak Djokovic SRB vs Bobby Reynolds USA: Djokovic in 3 sets

(1)Serena Williams USA vs Caroline Garcia FRA: Williams in 2 sets (1 tight, 1 easy)

(9)Richard Gasquet FRA vs Go Soeda JPN: Gasquet in 4 sets

(4)David Ferrer ESP vs Roberto Bautista Agut ESP: Ferrer in 3 tricky sets

(23)Sabine Lisicki GER vs Elena Vesnina RUS: Lisicki in 3 tight sets

Daniel Brands GER vs (7)Tomas Berdych CZE: Berdych in 4 sets

Marina Erakovic NZL vs (24)Peng Shuai CHN: Peng in 3 tough sets

Laura Robson GBR vs Mariana Duque-Marino COL: Robson in 2 tricky sets

Simona Halep ROU vs (6)Li Na CHN: Li in 2 tough sets

(29)Grigor Dimitrov BUL vs Grega Zemlja SLO: Dimitrov in 3 tricky sets

Jimmy Wang TPE vs (13)Tommy Haas GER: Haas in 4 sets

Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN vs Alexandra Cadantu ROU: Date-Krumm in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tight)

(12)Kei Nishikori JPN vs Leonardo Mayer ARG: Nishikori in 5 sets (don't know why, just a feeling...)

Santiago Giraldo COL vs (26)Alexandr Dolgopolov UKR: Dolgopolov in 4 tight sets

Olga Puchkova RUS vs (14)Samantha Stosur AUS: Stosur in 2 tight sets

James Blake USA vs Bernard Tomic AUS: Tomic in 4 sets

(17)Milos Raonic CAN vs Igor Sjisling NED: Raonic in 4 sets

Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor ESP vs (18)Dominika Cibulkova SVK: Cibulkova in 3 sets

(32)Klara Zakopalova CZE vs Annika Beck GER: Zakopalova in 3 tough sets

Tsvetana Pironkova BUL vs Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE: Pironkova in 2 sets 

Michael Llodra FRA vs (23)Andreas Seppi ITA: Llodra in 4 sets

(11)Roberta Vinci ITA vs Jana Cepelova SVK: Vinci in 2 tight sets

Alison Riske USA vs Urszula Radwanska POL: Riske in 3 sets

Petra Martic CRO vs Karolina Pliskova CZE: Martic in 3 sets

Feliciano Lopez ESP vs Paul-Henri Mathieu FRA: Lopez in 3 tricky sets

Madison Keys USA vs (30)Mona Barthel GER: Keys in 3 tough sets

(27)Kevin Anderson RSA vs Michal Przysiezny POL: Anderson in 3 sets

Denis Kudla USA vs Ivan Dodig CRO: Dodig in 4 sets

Kaia Kanepi EST vs (7)Angelique Kerber GER: Kerber in 3 dramatic sets

Wimbledon Day 3 - Wimbledon Magic in the Air, Upsets and Injuries EVERYWHERE!!

Sergiy Stakhovsky stunned Roger Federer on Centre Court.

What a Wimbledon this has been!!! I am still in a state of ABSOLUTE shock!!!! First, Nadal out to Darcis, and now Roger Federer to little known Ukranian Sergiy Stakhovsky. That ended Federer's mindblowing streak of 36 straight Grand Slam quarterfinals, and marked his earlier loss at a Grand Slam since the 2003 French Open I believe! Now he will fall out of the top 4 after Wimbledon. What an absolute stunner, at least to me!!! Stakhovsky's net rushing tactics worked and this was a fitting end to an already shocking Day 3 at Wimbledon...

Qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito knocked out Maria Sharapova.

As Stakhovsky and Federer were battling it out on Centre Court, world number 131 Michelle Larcher de Brito was screaming to victory on Court 2 against another fellow shrieker Maria Sharapova. I had no words after this happened, since Sharapova has been in great form and hasn't been upset like this since...almost never! In straight sets also! 6-3, 6-4 to the 20-year old Portuguese, who showed great fighting spirit and aggression. She continued to go for her shots despite wasting four match points in the deciding game. The bottom half of the draw really opens up for a surprise finalist, as 8th seed Petra Kvitova is the highest seed remaining after more surprising news on Day 3...

With Maria Sharapova out, surely Victoria Azarenka would take advantage and reach the final? Not to be, as the knee injury she sustained in her first round match forced her to withdraw minutes before her match against Flavia Pennetta. With Sara Errani upset in the first round, the next two highest seeds were 8th seed Petra Kvitova and 9th seed Caroline Wozniacki on the bottom half of the draw. Kvitova advanced to the third round, though not the way she wanted as she received a walkover against Yaroslava Shvedova due to her arm injury. Wozniacki suffered an ankle injury early in her match against Petra Cetkovska and was clearly hampered. She went down tamely, 2-6, 2-6. On her Centre Court debut, teenager and rising star Eugenie Bouchard took out former world number 1 and 12th seed Ana Ivanovic in straight sets. The 22nd seed Sorana Cirstea fell in two tiebreaks to Camila Giorgi, who reached the fourth round last year. In yet another upset, 27th seed Lucie Safarova fell in three tough sets to Karin Knapp, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The upsets didn't stop, as finally, another Serbian and former world no.1 16th seed Jelena Jankovic went out in straight sets against fellow Serbian Vesna Dolonc. The bottom half of the draw was kicked wide open, as the only seeds in round three are: 17th seed Sloane Stephens (edged Petkovic 8-6 in the third), 15th seed Marion Bartoli (beat McHale), 8th seed Petra Kvitova (aforementioned walkover), 25th seed Ekaterina Makarova (scraped through Muguruza in 3 sets), 19th seed Carla Suarez Navarro (recovered to beat Lucic-Baroni), 20th seed Kirsten Flipkens (defeated Jovanovski), and 29th seed Alize Cornet (routed Hsieh).

With the courts slipping everyone up, the men's side was just as affected as the women's side. Just like the women, two major contenders in Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were knocked out. 2nd seed Andy Murray looks to take advantage and reach the final after a straight sets win over Yen-Hsun Lu to reach the third round. However, several players were taken out without a chance as there were 5 withdrawals or retirements on the men's side, bringing the total up to 7 withdrawals or retirements on Day 3! Nadal killer Steve Darcis withdrew with a shoulder injury against Lukasz Kubot who faces 25th seed Benoit Paire in the third round, one of the few remaining seeds. The big guy 18th seed John Isner retired with a knee injury tied 1-1 against Adrian Mannarino, who faces journeyman Dustin Brown, who took out 2002 Wimbledon champ Lleyton Hewitt in fourt sets. 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz was up 6-2, 5-3 on Radek Stepanek, when Stepanek retired with an unspecified injury. Ernest Gulbis went through against 6th seed and two-time Wimbledon semifinalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga when Tsonga retired with a knee injury. 10th seed Marin Cilic also withdrew citing the same injury against Kenny de Schepper who faces 22nd seed Juan Monaco. As this Wimbledon unfolds, I hope it can bring more stability! I like the occasional upset, but this is just too much!

Wimbledon Day 3 - Predictions

Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Victoria Azarenka, and Maria Sharapova highlight Day 3 Wimbledon action. All of them have potentially tricky opponents in Sergiy Stakhovksy, Yen-Hsun Lu, Flavia Pennetta, and Michelle Larcher de Brito respectively. Nadal killer Steve Darcis also looks to bring up some more Wimbledon magic against Lukasz Kubot. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looks to continue his love of Wimbledon against hard-hitting dangerous Ernest Gulbis. However, in my opinion, the men's matches will be overshadowed by the women's matchups, which happen to be very interesting today. Former champ Petra Kvitova is in action against the mercurial Yaroslava Shvedova. Petra Cetkovska looks to continue to on the comeback trail against Caroline Wozniacki, as does Andrea Petkovic against Sloane Stephens.

(6)Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA vs Ernest Gulbis LAT

Ernest Gulbis

Last year, Gulbis (pictured on right) upset Tomas Berdych, a former Wimbledon finalist, in straight sets in the first round, but lost to qualifier Jerzy Janowicz (who was then not in the top 100). Obviously, Gulbis has the ability to defeat any player on any given day, and lose to any player at any time. However, this year, after a disappointing start to the year, Gulbis has developed some consistency and has plenty of solid wins and almost-wins. He took the title in Delray Beach and pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets at Indian Wells, losing 6-4, 4-6, 5-7. However, his opponent is no slouch either, and has certainly more experienced than the young Latvian. Tsonga has been in a Grand Slam final before, and several semifinals including at Wimbledon the last two years. I think Gulbis' lack of consistency and Tsonga's net-rushing tactis and experience well be too much. But don't count Gulbis' flat, hard groundstrokes out of this contest.

Prediction: Tsonga in 4 tight sets (probably several tiebreaks)

(17)Sloane Stephens USA vs Andrea Petkovic GER

Sloane Stephens

This matchup, in my opinion, has a chance of being an extremely good match. Petkovic is a former top 10 player and is looking to complete her Grand Slam quarterfinal collection here at Wimbledon. Unfortunately after a breakthrough 2011, she suffered multiple injuries that saw Petkovic be on the verge of falling out of the top 200. Now she is back on in the top 100 and on the rise. Stephens is also on the rise as an up-and-comer. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at this year's Australian Open, famously beating Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. She fell in hard times after that run, but seems to have found her form again reaching the fourth round of the French Open (losing to Maria Sharapova). In a match of solid groundies, who can be more consistent and dictate the points? That's what the winner of this match must do. 

Prediction: Stephens in 3 sets (it would be really nice to see Petkovic win though...and she could!)

Elsewhere on the grounds...
Flavia Pennetta ITA vs (2)Victoria Azarenka BLR: Azarenka in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tough)
Sergiy Stakhovsky UKR vs (3)Roger Federer SUI: Federer in 3 sets

Fernando Verdasco ESP vs (31)Julien Benneteau FRA: Benneteau in 5 sets
Yen-Hsun Lu TPE vs (2)Andy Murray GBR: Murray in 3 sets
(8)Petra Kvitova CZE vs Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ: Kvitova in 3 sets (two very streaky players...)
Dustin Brown GER vs Lleyton Hewitt AUS: Hewitt in 3 sets
Petra Cetkovska CZE vs (9)Caroline Wozniacki DEN: Wozniacki in 2 tight sets
Michelle Larcher de Brito POR vs (3)Maria Sharapova RUS: Sharapova in 2 screaming sets
Kenny de Schepper FRA vs (10)Marin Cilic CRO: Cilic in 3 sets
(18)John Isner USA vs Adrian Mannarino FRA: Isner in 3 sets
(15)Nicolas Almagro ESP vs Guillaume Rufin FRA: Almagro in 4 sets
(15)Marion Bartoli FRA vs Christina McHale USA: Bartoli in 3 fist-pumping sets
Radek Stepanek CZE vs (24)Jerzy Janowicz POL: Janowicz in 5 sets
Eugenie Bouchard CAN vs (12)Ana Ivanovic SRB: Ivanovic in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tight)
(32)Tommy Robredo ESP vs Nicolas Mahut FRA: Mahut in 4 tight sets
(29)Alize Cornet FRA vs Su-Wei Hsieh TPE: Hsieh in 2 tricky sets
Vasek Pospisil CAN vs (20)Mikhail Youzhny RUS: Youzhny in 4 sets
(22)Juan Monaco ARG vs Rajeev Ram USA: Monaco in 4 sets
Camila Giorgi ITA vs (22)Sorana Cirstea ROU: Cirstea in 3 big hitting sets
Viktor Troicki SRB vs Audrey Kuznetsov RUS: Troicki in 4 sets
(19)Carla Suarez Navarro ESP vs Mirjana Lucic-Baroni CRO: Suarez Navarro in 3 sets
Stephanie Robert FRA vs (25)Benoit Paire FRA: Paire in 3 tight sets
Garbine Muguruza ESP vs (25)Ekaterina Makarova RUS: Makarova in 3 tight sets
Lesia Tsurenko UKR vs Eva Birnerova CZE: Tsurenko in 2 tough sets
Jurgen Melzer AUT vs Julian Reister FRA: Melzer in 3 tricky sets
Monica Puig PUR vs Silvia Soler-Espinosa ESP: Puig in 3 sets
Lucie Safarova CZE vs Karin Knapp ITA: Safarova in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tough)
Steve Darcis BEL vs Lukasz Kubot POL: Darcis in 4 sets
(16)Jelena Jankovic SRB vs Vesna Dolonc SRB: Jankovic in 2 tough sets
Bojana Jovanovski SRB vs (20)Kirsten Flipkens BEL: Flipkens in 3 tight sets

Wimbledon Day 2 - Upsets Abound, 8 Seeds OUT!

Laura Robson is now the only British women into the second round with an upset over 10th seed Maria Kirilenko. Robson came out firing, never really letting Kirilenko dictate points. She finished it out in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. 28th seed Tamira Paszek, a two-time quarterfinalist here for the past two years, continued her terrible form losing in straight sets to Romanian Alexandra Cadantu. Alison Riske advanced into the second round, though not the way she wanted, as 31st seed Romina Oprandi retired from a wrist injury down 7-6(7-5), 5-7, 1-3. 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova continued her streaky form, mustering one game against former Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova, losing 0-6, 1-6. Karolina Pliskova  comfortably beat 13th seed Nadia Petrova, who has been in terrible form this year with a record of 9-11. With the first round finished on both the women's and men's sides, two British hopes are left, Robson and Andy Murray who won yesterday. 

In a rematch of the Eastbourne final, 19th seed Gilles Simon lost again to Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, 2-6, 4-6, 6-7(11-13). Bernard Tomic certainly had her ups and downs in the match, sometimes even within points, but managed 21st seed Sam Querrey, 7-6(8-6), 7-6(7-3), 3-6, 2-6, 6-3. 16th seed Phillip Kohlscreiber retired from fatigue against Ivan Dodig after letting a 2 sets to 0 lead slip, retiring 1-2 down in the fifth set.

Wimbledon Day 1 - Rafael Nadal OUT to Steve Darcis

135th ranked Steve Darcis stuns the reigning French Open champ.

If you thought last year's shocking second round loss to 100th ranked Lukas Rosol was stunning, then this year's first round loss to 135th ranked Steve Darcis is...well out of this world! Nadal never seemed to be himself on his first match on grass this year, making uncharacteristic errors and being very defensive. His backhand was absolutely atrocious! I have never seen so many errors off of the backhand. Darcis on the otherhand, played excellently, dictating points and coming up with some amazing shots. He faced a setpoint in the second set tiebreak, but saved it and went on to win in straight sets 7-6(7-4), 7-6(10-8), 6-4. So much for the seeding controversy on Nadal's 5th seed and the Federer-Nadal quarterfinal... All other seeds advanced except for Janko Tipsarevic, Fabio Fognini, and Stan Wawrinka.

On the women's side, the 5th seed fared no better. Sara Errani was pummeled by teenager Monica Puig 6-3, 6-2. Errani has never been good on grass, and was constantly running down balls by the big-hitting Puig. 26th seed Varvara Lepchenko also lost to qualifier Eva Birnerova in three grinding sets, leaving the Errani-Lepchenko section wide open for a surprise run. No other seeds were lost, but all British hopes on the bottom half of the women's draw were defeated in straight sets. Victoria Azarenka survived a knee injury scare against qualifier Maria Joao Koehler. Petra Kvitova overcame Coco Vandeweghe and a second set letdown to edge her 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, and Maria Sharapova all advanced in straight sets to the second round.

Wimbledon Day 2 - Ladies

Serena Williams talks during a press conference.

Oh my gosh I keep forgetting to publish my women's previews!!! I press "Save" but not "Publish"... Anyways delayed predictions like yesterday... Serena Williams opens her title defense today against Mandy Minella of Luxembourg. Minella should be overmatched against Williams' sheer power. Agnieszka Radwanska will try to reproduce some Wimbledon magic that took her to the final last year against Yvonne Meusburger in the first round. Samantha Stosur looks to turn around her Wimbledon woes against 18 year old Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Bethanie Mattek-Sands will try to upset last year's Wimbledon semifinalist Angelique Kerber. She will come out on court with some electric hair, but no Google Glass. Li Na also faces Michaella Krajicek, who is coming back from injury, while Heather Watson, Laura Robson, and Tara Moore look to keep alive British hopes on the womens' side.

(1)Serena Williams USA vs Mandy Minella LUX: Williams in 2 sets
(10)Maria Kirilenko RUS vs Laura Robson GBR: Kirilenko in 2 tight sets (could go either way)
Heather Watson GBR vs Madison Keys USA: Watson in 3 sets
(4)Agnieszka Radwanska POL vs Yvonne Meusburger AUT: Radwanska in 2 sets
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova SVK vs (14)Samantha Stosur AUS: Stosur in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tight)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA vs (7)Angelique Kerber GER: Kerber in 3 sets
Michaella Krajicek NED vs (6)Li Na CHN: Li in 2 sets
Karolina Pliskova CZE vs (13)Nadia Petrova RUS: Petrova in 3 sets
(11)Roberta Vinci ITA vs Chanelle Scheepers RSA: Vinci in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tight)
(21)Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS vs Tsvetana Pironkova BUL: Pironkova in 3 sets
Monica Niculescu ROU vs (30)Mona Barthel GER: Barthel in 3 tricky sets
(32)Klara Zakopalova CZE vs Daniela Hantuchova SVK: Hantuchova in 2 tight sets
Alexandra Cadantu ROU vs (28)Tamira Paszek AUT: Paszek in 2 tight sets (depends on Paszek's health)
(31)Romina Oprandi SUI vs Alison Riske USA: Riske in 3 sets
Maria Elena Camerin ITA vs (18)Dominika Cibulkova SVK: Cibulkova in 2 tight sets
Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP vs (24)Peng Shuai CHN: Peng in 2 tough sets
(23)Sabine Lisicki GER vs Francesca Schiavone ITA: Lisicki in 3 sets (don't underestimate Schiavone, could pull an upset)

Wimbledon Day 2 - Gentlemen

(1)Novak Djokovic SRB vs Florian Mayer GER

Last year, Djokovic and Mayer met in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. This year, Mayer had the luck to draw Djokovic in the first round despite being the first player outside of the top 32 seeds. Everyone would expect a similar win to last year's straight set rout of Mayer, but Djokovic will be on his toes as Rafael Nadal was upset by 135th ranked Steve Darcis in straight sets. However, Djokovic's amazing consistency and defense, as well as solid offensive skills, should be enough to power past the inconsisent Mayer.

Prediction: Djokovic in 3 tricky sets

Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, and the other players in the top half of the Wimbledon draw kick off their campaigns tomorrow. Djokovic plays Florian Mayer, a two-time quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, including last year losing to Djokovic. He is ranked 33rd and the first player outside of the seeds. Ferrer opens against Martin Alund, while Berdych plays Martin Klizan, both first time matchups. Watch out for Dmitry Tursunov against 13th seed Tommy Haas. Tursunov has 2 top 10 wins this year, and is capable of pulling the upset, especially on the fast surfaces with his excellent groundstrokes. American Sam Querrey has a tough opener against Bernard Tomic, who is coming off a solid quarterfinal appearance at Eastbourne. Other matches of interest are: Gasquet/Granollers, Simon/Lopez, and Dodig/Kohlschreiber.

(4)David Ferrer ESP vs Martin Alund ARG: Ferrer in 3 sets
Albert Ramos ESP vs (8)Juan Martin del Potro ARG: del Potro in 3 sets
Martin Klizan SVK vs (7)Tomas Berdych CZE: Berdych in 4 sets
Dmitry Tursunov RUS vs (13)Tommy Haas GER: Haas in 4 tough sets
(9)Richard Gasquet FRA vs Marcel Granollers ESP: Gasquet in 3 tough sets
Bernard Tomic AUS vs (21)Sam Querrey USA: Querrey in 4 tight sets
(19)Gilles Simon FRA vs Feliciano Lopez ESP: Simon in 5 sets
Ryan Harrison USA vs (28)Jeremy Chardy FRA: Chardy in 4 sets
(17)Milos Raonic CAN vs Carlos Berlocq ARG: Raonic in 4 sets
Ivan Dodig CRO vs (16)Philipp Kohlschreiber GER: Kohlschreiber in 4 tight sets
(29)Grigor Dimitrov BUL vs Simone Bolelli ITA: Dimitrov in 3 sets
Denis Istomin UZB vs (23)Andreas Seppi ITA: Seppi in 4 sets
(27)Kevin Anderson RSA vs Olivier Rochus BEL: Anderson in 4 sets
(12)Kei Nishikori JPN vs Matthew Ebden AUS: Nishikori in 3 tough sets
Gastao Elias POR vs (26)Alexandr Dolgopolov UKR: Dolgopolov in 5 sets

Wimbledon Day 1 - Ladies

Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova kick off their campaigns today against Maria Joao Koehler and Kristina Mladenovic respectively. Interesting bottom half match ups today are: Hampton/Stephens, Puig/Errani, and Ivanovic/Razzano. In my opinion, Puig has a big chance to upset Errani. Watch out for the American clash of Hampton and Stephens and a rematch from the French Open between Razzano and Ivanovic.

Kristina Mladenovic FRA vs (3)Maria Sharapova RUS: Sharapova in 2 tight sets

(3)Victoria Azarenka BLR vs Maria Joao Koehler POR: Azarenka in 2 sets

Virginie Razzano FRA vs (12)Ana Ivanovic SRB: Ivanovic in 2 tough sets

(8)Petra Kvitova CZE vs Coco Vandeweghe USA: Kvitova in 3 topsy-turvy sets

Estrella Cabeza Candela ESP vs (9)Caroline Wozniacki DEN: Wozniacki in 2 sets

(16)Jelena Jankovic SRB vs Johanna Konta GBR: Jankovic in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tough)

(5)Sara Errani ITA vs Monica Puig PUR: Errani in 3 tough sets

(17)Sloane Stephens USA vs Jamie Hampton USA: Stephens in 3 sets

Eva Birnerova CZE vs (26)Varvara Lepchenko USA: Lepchenko in 2 tight sets

(19)Carla Suarez Navarro ESP vs Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP: Suarez Navarro in 2 sets

Johanna Larsson SWE vs (25)Ekaterina Makarova RUS: Makarova in 2 sets (1 easy, 1 tough)

(29)Alize Cornet FRA vs Vania King USA: King in 3 sets

(15)Marion Bartoli FRA vs Elina Svitolina UKR: Bartoli in 2 competitive sets

Stefanie Voegele SUI vs (22)Sorana Cirstea ROU: Cirstea in 3 sets

Yulia Putintseva KAZ vs (20)Kirsten Flipkens BEL: Flipkens in 2 tight sets

(27)Lucie Safarova CZE vs Lauren Davis USA: Safarova in 2 sets

Oops sorry I forgot to post this yesterday!

Wimbledon Day 1 - Gentlemen

Sorry I am unable to fully preview day 1 of Wimbledon! It took me awhile to figure out how to edit the brackets for Wimbledon, but the next tournament I will be able to do both full previews and brackets hopefully. The matches to watch today are: Wawrinka/Hewitt, Tsonga/Goffin, and Murray/Becker. This look to be interesting matchups as the bottom half of the draw kicks off. Federer, Tsonga, and Nadal also start their Wimbledon campaigns.

Victor Hanescu ROU vs (3)Roger Federer SUI: Federer in 3 sets

Benjamin Becker GER vs (2)Andy Murray GBR: Murray in 3 tight sets

(5)Rafael Nadal ESP vs Steve Darcis BEL: Nadal in 3 sets

Lleyton Hewitt AUS vs (11)Stanislas Wawrinka: Wawrinka in 5 sets

Marcos Baghdatis CYP vs (10)Marin Cilic CRO: Cilic in 4 sets

(6)Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA vs David Goffin BEL: Tsonga in 4 sets

Kyle Edmund GBR vs (24)Jerzy Janowicz POL: Janowicz in 4 sets (possibly 5 in my opinion)

(14)Janko Tipsarevic SRB vs Viktor Troicki SRB: Tipsarevic in 5 sets

(30)Fabio Fognini ITA vs Jurgen Melzer AUT: Melzer in 4 tough sets

Robin Haase NED vs (20)Mikhail Youzhny RUS: Youzhny in 3 sets

(15)Nicolas Almagro ESP vs Jurgen Zopp EST: Almagro in 3 sets

Adrian Ungur ROU vs (25)Benoit Paire: Paire in 4 sets

(22)Juan Monaco ARG vs Bastian Knittel GER: Monaco in 4 sets

(18)John Isner USA vs Evgeny Donskoy RUS: Isner in 5 sets

Tobias Kamke GER vs (31)Julien Benneteau FRA: Benneteau in 4 sets

(32)Tommy Robredo ESP vs Alex Bogomolov Jr. RUS: Robredo in 4 sets

Wimbledon Championships - Women's Preview

2013 Wimbledon Championships - Ladies' Singles by zziptennislife

Wimbledon Championships - Men's Preview

2013 Wimbledon Championships - Gentlemen's Singles by zziptennislife

's-Hertogenbosch - Final!

Kirsten Flipkens looks to capture her second WTA title.

Simona Halep and Kirsten Flipkens will compete for this year's TOPSHELF Open title. Other than a lost 2-6 set to Annika Beck in the first round, Halep has dropped just 14 games in her eight other sets! Flipkens can argue that she too only dropped one set, and looked quite good (especially on serve) against Garbine Muguruza in the semifinals. But, Halep has been in absolutely amazing form the past couple weeks. She reached the semifinals of a Premier 5 event in Rome, before losing to clay court specialist Carla Suarez Navarro at the French Open. Then Halep attained her first WTA title at Nürnberg on clay last week, and is now into her 5th WTA final in 's-Hertogenbosch. Flipkens has too had a breakthrough season, reaching the top 20 for the first time last week. Her creative game suits well on the grass, as does Halep's big power game. Will Halep be able to hit past Flipkens, or will Flipkens craft her way to a second WTA title?

Prediction: Halep in 2 sets

AEGON International - Final!

Elena Vesnina looks for her second career WTA title.

As usual, the grass court season brings its share of upsets. The AEGON International in Eastbourne was no exception. Top seeded qualifier Jamie Hampton and 36th ranked Elena Vesnina will face off in this year's final. The depth of the draw was amazing, as Hampton was forced to qualify despite entering as the 41st ranked player in the world. Hampton started off with a surprise upset over top seed Agnieszka Radwanska, whom she lost to earlier this year in straight sets. After defeating Hsieh Su-wei, she edged Lucie Safarova and former world no.1 and fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki in 2 epic three-setters to reach the 2013 final. Hampton's win over Wozniacki was her third top 10 win, all achieved in her past three tournaments: Petra Kvitova at the French Open, Radwanska here, and now Wozniacki. Vesnina has also had her share of upsets. She upset 7th seed Ana Ivanovic in 3 sets before going on to defeat home favorite Heather Watson in 3 sets. Then she rounded into even better form picking off 2nd seed Li Na and Yanina Wickmayer in straight sets to reach the final. Vesnina will certainly be the fresher one after a 6-2, 6-0, rout of Wickmayer, but Hampton has been in amazing form this week, despite playing long matches in the main draw. Vesnina will be more experienced as she has been in 7 previous WTA finals (though only winning 1-this year in Hobart). This final will come down to execution and who can be more consistent.

Prediction: Hampton in 3 sets

Up and Running!

I should be able to post normally again starting with the semifinals, possibly the finals of the ATP and WTA tournaments this week. ATP and WTA are hosting two joint grass events in Eastbourne and 's-Hertogenbosch. I had a good learning experience in the long course swim meet this weekend; I have a lot of work to do! I felt really good in the water in a league meet on Tuesday, almost beating my states time in the 50 backstroke! So we will see where this season goes.

Conflicts

Unable to post this whole weekend due to a long swim meet! Sorry!

AEGON Championships - Quarterfinals

Andy Murray looks to reach his first semifinal since March.

All the top 5 seeds, including defending champ fifth seed Marin Cilic, are into the quarterfinals. However, the rest of the 11 seeds were knocked out, except eighth seed Kevin Anderson who withdrew with injury. Sixth seed Sam Querrey faltered in the third round to tenacious Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 3-6, 4-6. Seventh seed Alexandr Dolgopolov continued his shaky season with a third round loss to unseeded Benjamin Becker 6-7(5), 5-7. Ninth seed Benoit Paire, tenth seed Grigor Dimitrov, eleventh seed Julien Benneteau, and twelfth seed Lukas Rosol all fell in straight sets in the second round of the event. Thirteenth seed Jarkko Nieminen fell to British wildcard Daniel Evans in the second round, fighting valiantly but losing 4-6, 7-6(6), 4-6. Fourteenth seed Denis Istomin, fifteenth seed Pablo Andujar, and sixteenth seed Grega Zemlja all fell in straight sets in various rounds. Here are the quarterfinal matchups:

(1)Andy Murray vs Benjamin Becker

After withdrawing from the French Open with a back injury, Murray looks to find form on grass at the AEGON Champs. He has not dropped a set onto the quarterfinals, much unlike his quarterfinal opponent Benjamin Becker. I'm pretty sure Becker has not dropped a service game all week, but he has had to work hard playing 7 sets - four tiebreakers, two 7-5 sets, and one 6-4 set. However, Murray is one of the best returners in the men's game and Murray has all the tennis intangibles on his side. Becker will have to come up with some big serving and something special to upset Murray. Can Murray avoid an upset similar to last year's loss to Nicolas Mahut?

Murray in 2 tight sets

(5)Marin Cilic vs (2)Tomas Berdych

Defending champ Cilic is set to face the big-hitting Czech Berdych. Cilic almost lost in the second round to qualifier, but always dangerous, Feliciano Lopez. Cilic saved a match point before winning, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5. Meanwhile Berdych has looked in scintillating form especially on serve coming off of a disappointing first round upset at the French Open. He has not dropped a set. Berdych looks to continue a 4-1 head-to-head record against Cilic and advance to the semifinals. They have not met on grass, but this match will come down to the winners-unforced errors differential.

Berdych in 3 sets

(4)Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Denis Kudla - (4)Tsonga in 3 tight sets

Lleyton Hewitt vs (3)Juan Martin del Potro - (3)del Potro in 3 sets

Nürnberger Versicherungscup - Quarterfinals

Andrea Petkovic is into her first WTA quarterfinal of 2013.

Three upsets have sprung in the early the Nürnberger Versicherungscup. Second seed Klara Zakopalova fell to Polona Hercog first round in three topsy turvy sets, 3-6, 6-4, 1-6. After a great start to the year, Zakopalova's momentum seems to be slowing down as she has suffered five straight losses. Third seed Alize Cornet faltered in the second round to Galina Voskoboeva, falling to the Kazakh 6-2, 3-6, 3-6. Fourth seed Julia Goerges continued her woes with a loss to resurgent Andrea Petkovic 1-6, 5-7. Here are the quarterfinal matchups:

(1/WC)Jelena Jankovic vs (6)Lourdes Dominguez Lino

Top seed Jelena Jankovic continues to find the form that took her to the top of the rankings before. She will face clay court specialist sixth seed Lourdes Dominguez Lino. Dominguez Lino's variety and angles has brought her right around her career high ranking, 40 (currently 50). Jankovic, despite being younger, is far more experienced than the 32 year old veteran. The former world number one has been in 30 WTA finals, four Grand Slam semis, and a Grand Slam final. Dominguez Lino also does not have the power to blow past Jankovic's watertight defenses. Unless Dominguez Lino can slice and dice past Jankovic, Jankovic will pull through this one.

Jankovic in 2 tight sets

(WC)Andrea Petkovic vs (8)Annika Beck

Andrea Petkovic continues trailblazing on the comeback trail, reaching her first WTA quarterfinal in 2013. After a strong finish to 2012, Petkovic was injured yet again and started from scratch. However, she will face a relative newcomer in fellow German 19 year old Annika Beck. Beck broke into the top 100 for the first time in late 2012, and is now at 56. Both Germans have looked clinical in reaching the quarterfinals at the inaugural Nürnberger Versicherungscup without dropping a set. This is a tossup for me, but I pick the more experienced player.

Petkovic in 3 sets

(7)Simona Halep vs Galina Voskoboeva - (7)Halep in 3 sets

(5)Lucie Safarova vs Polona Hercog - (5)Safarova in 3 sets

Up Next - Halle, London, Birmingham, Nurnberg

Gerry Weber Open, ATP 250, Halle

Gerry Weber Open, an ATP event

I will preview this tournament from the quarterfinals on. Roger Federer is the top seed at the ATP 250 event.   Six top 20 players are entered in this event. Looking to challenge Federer, is second seed Richard Gasquet, and defending champ and third seed Tommy Haas. Fourth seed Kei Nishikori, fifth seed Milos Raonic, sixth seed Phillip Kohlschreiber, seventh seed Jerzy Janowicz, and Gael Monfils are looking to continue good form after solid runs at the French Open. Eighth seed Florian Mayer looks to find consistency. Home players are: third seed Tommy Haas, sixth seed Phillip Kohlschreiber, eighth seed Florian Mayer, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, Mischa Zverev, Daniel Brands, Tobias Kamke, and Jan-Lennard Schruff.

Seeds

1. Roger Federer
2. Richard Gasquet
3. Tommy Haas
4. Kei Nishikori
5. Milos Raonic
6. Phillip Kohlschreiber
7. Jerzy Janowicz
8. Florian Mayer

AEGON Classic, WTA International, Birmingham

AEGON Classic, a WTA event

I will preview this tournament from the quarterfinals on. Kirsten Flipkens is the top seed at this WTA international event. There are no players in the top 20 at the time of entry (Flipkens is now 20, but entered at 21). Looking to challenge Flipkens, is second-seeded Ekaterina Makarova looking to bounce back after a first round loss at the French Open. Former champ and fifth seed Sabine Lisicki is looking to propel her season. Looking to turn around their 2013 seasons, are fourth seed Tamira Paszek, sixth seed Mona Barthel, ninth seed Yanina Wickmayer, and tenth seed Hsieh Su-Wei. The defending champ is Melanie Oudin. Home hopes harbour in: seventh seed Laura Robson, fourteenth seed Heather Watson, Melanie South, Anne Keothavong, Johanna Konta, and Tara Moore.

Seeds

1. Kirsten Flipkens
2. Ekaterina Makarova
3. Sorana Cirstea
4. Tamira Paszek
5. Sabine Lisicki
6. Mona Barthel
7. Laura Robson
8. Urszula Radwanska
9. Yanina Wickmayer
10. Hsieh Su-wei
11. Ayumi Morita
12. Kristina Mladenovic
13. Bojana Jovanovski
14. Heather Watson
15. Francesca Schiavone
16. Magdalena Rybarikova

AEGON Championships, ATP 250, London

AEGON Championships, an ATP event

I will preview this event from the quarterfinals on. Andy Murray is the top seed, looking to get some matches after withdrawing from the French Open. This year's AEGON Championships drew another high quality field, with 4 top 10 players. Second seed Tomas Berdych looks to bounce back from a first round upset at the French Open. Third seed Juan Martin del Potro, similar to Murray, looks to get some matches after withdrawing from the French Open. Fourth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who made the Wimbledon semifinals for two straight years, looks to bounce back from a flat loss to David Ferrer at the French Open. The defending champ is fifth seed Marin Cilic. Players looking to become the first Brit to win since Murray in 2011 are: top seed Andy Murray himself, Jamie Baker, Daniel Evans, James Ward, Kyle Edmund, and Edward Corrie. 

Seeds

1. Andy Murray
2. Tomas Berdych
3. Juan Martin del Potro
4. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
5. Marin Cilic
6. Sam Querrey
7. Alexandr Dolgopolov
8. Kevin Anderson
9. Benoit Paire
10. Grigor Dimitrov
11. Julien Benneteau
12. Lukas Rosol
13. Jarkko Nieminen
14. Denis Istomin
15. Pablo Andujar
16. Grega Zemlja

Nürnberger Versicherungscup, WTA International, Nürnberg

Nürnberger Versicherungscup, a WTA event

I will preview this event from the quarterfinals on. Jelena Jankovic is the top seed, coming off of a great quarterfinal run to at the French Open. This clay court event was hampered by 10 withdrawals: Begu, Mattek-Sands, Hradecka, Medina Garrigues, Pennetta, Niculescu, Scheepers, Shvedova, Soler Espinosa, and Suarez Navarro. However, there are still 5 top 30 players in the draw. Second seed Klara Zakopalova looks to bounce back from a first round loss at the French Open, as is fourth seed Julia Goerges, fifth seed Lucie Safarova, sixth seed Lourdes Dominguez Lino, and seventh seed Simona Halep. Third seed Alize Cornet looks to continue good form on clay, winning Strasbourg, and pushing Victoria Azarenka to three sets at in the third round of the French Open. This is the first edition of this Nurnberg event. Home hopes of becoming champion are: fourth seed Julia Gorges, eighth seed Annika Beck, Andrea Petkovic, and Dinah Pfizenmaier.

Seeds

1. Jelena Jankovic
2. Klara Zakopalova
3. Alize Cornet
4. Julia Goerges
5. Lucie Safarova
6. Lourdes Dominguez Lino
7. Simona Halep
8. Annika Beck

French Open Recap

What an interesting French Open it was this year! Here's a short summary of important events that happened by round:

1st Round

• 4 seeds in men's singles go out: Monaco, Granollers, Dolgopolov, and Berdych. Berdych goes out in a five-set thriller against Gaels Monfils, a Frenchman trying to come back from injury
• 7 seeds in women's singles go out: Petrova, Safarova, Gorges, Zakopalova, Makarova, Paszek, and Venus Williams. Williams fell to Urszula Radwanska in a big sister-little sister dogfight, while Petrova, Safarova, Gorges, and Paszek continued their disappointing years. Gorges lost to unranked Zuzana Kucova, who is retiring after this tournament. 

2nd Round

• No seeds in men's singles are upset. Isner rallies from two sets to love down against fellow American Ryan Harrison. Tipsarevic wins in 8-6 in the fifth set like Isner. Federer and Djokovic continue to be dominant on their way to the third round. 7 Frenchman advance to the third round.
• 6 seeds in women's singles go out: Pavlyuchenkova, Flipkens, Shvedova, Cibulkova, Wozniacki, and Na. Shvedova and Cibulkova continued disappointing 2013s, while Na and Pavlyuchenkova continued with their inconsistencies. Wozniacki fell to Bojana Jovanovski yet again in a terrible end to a terrible clay court season. Pavlyuchenkova fell to Petra Cetkovska, who is returning from injury.

Third Round

• Of the 15 of the top 16 seeds remaining, all advanced except: Tipsarevic, Raonic, and Cilic. This is the first round seeds met seeds. Djokovic avenged his loss in Madrid to Dimitrov, crushing Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Haas edged marathon man Isner, 10-8 in the 5th set after wasting 12 match points. Youzhny upset Tipsarevic in straight sets. Robredo ended the run of Monfils rallying from two sets to love down for the second straight match, while Troicki upset Cilic. Only 5 men have not dropped a set on the way to the fourth round: Djokovic, Gasquet, Ferrer, Tsonga, and Federer. 3 Frenchmen are left in the draw.
• Only 3 upsets in the third round: Jankovic over Stosur, Hampton over Kvitova, and Schiavone dominating Bartoli. No Frenchwomen advanced to the fourth round as Cornet lost to Azarenka in 3 sets, Razzano lost to Ivanovic, and Bartoli was crushed by Schiavone. Serena continued dominating, cruising past Cirstea. Former champ Kuznetsova edged Jovanovski, the Wozniacki killer. Suarez Navarro edged Puig to set up another match with Errani. Mattek-Sands continued her run of good form over Ormaechea, and will face Kirilenko who has not dropped a set. Sharapova and Azarenka advanced as well.

Fourth Round

• Djokovic advanced after hearing about the death of his former coach, Jelena Gencic. Haas destroyed Youzhny and advanced to the quarterfinals at the age of 35. Nadal looked Nadal-like in his easy win over Nishikori. Wawrinka rallied from two sets to love down to crush another French hope Gasquet. Robredo upset Almagro, rallying from two sets to love down for the third straight match. Ferrer continued to dominate, sweeping past Anderson. Tsonga continued to stroll, defeating Troicki. Federer advanced in 5 sets despite playing terribly for two sets, over Simon.
• Serena continued dominated dropping 4 games against Vinci. Kuznetsova upset Kerber, while Radwanska continued to dominate recent encounters with Ivanovic. Errani rallied past Suarez Navarro, while Kirilenko ended the run of Mattek-Sands. Azarenka dominated Schiavone, and Jankovic dominated Hampton. Sharapova edged Stephens in a tight two setter.

Quarterfinals

• The Spaniards Nadal and Ferrer, looked amazing dropping a combined 10 games. Tsonga beat an error-strewn Federer, while Djokovic ended the run of Haas.
• Williams survived Kuznetsova, going a break almost two breaks down in the third set. Errani edged Radwanska in a cat-and-mouse game, while Azarenka ousted Kirilenko. Sharapova recovered from a bagel first set, to beat Jankovic 0-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Semifinals

• Ferrer ended French hopes of a winner by defeating Tsonga in straight sets. Nadal edged Djokovic in an absolute thriller.
• Serena dropped one game against Errani, while Sharapova gutted out a win against Azarenka.

Final

• Nadal became the first man to win a Grand Slam eight times, defeating Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Serena won her first French Open since 2002, ousting defending champ Sharapova 6-4, 6-4. Serena now has won every Grand Slam multiple times. 

French Open Day 15 - Final Day!

(3)Rafael Nadal ESP vs (4)David Ferrer ESP

Nadal and Ferrer will brawl in the French Open finale.

After 2 weeks of drama-filled tennis, we have come down to the last two players at the French Open-Spaniards Nadal and Ferrer. Nadal has won 19 of 23 meetings against Ferrer, however the last two meetings in Madrid and Rome went down to 3 sets. Ferrer was also just a mere two points away from victory in Madrid. He has not beaten Nadal on clay since 2004. Ferrer has been absolutely clinical this week, not dropping a single set on his way to surprisingly his first Grand Slam final at the grand old age of 31. However, Nadal is a 7-time champion who has lost just once here at Roland Garros, though he was sorely pushed in his last match against Novak Djokovic. However, can Ferrer's consistency and tenacity grind his way past Nadal? If Nadal is off his game like his first week at Roland Garros, I think Ferrer actually stands a chance. No doubt Ferrer will be thinking that this will be his best and possibly only chance at a Grand Slam (he is 31 years old), and will do everything in his power to beat Nadal. As shown by his last two 3 set losses to Nadal, he can compete with him. Nevertheless, I think Nadal's absolute French Open dominance will again shine his way through and he will win his historic 8th French Open title.

Prediction: Nadal in 4 grinding sets

Elsewhere, the women's doubles final and the legends' over 45 and under 45 finals are going on. Here are my predictions:

Women's Doubles
(1)Sara Errani ITA/Roberta Vinci ITA vs (4)Ekaterina Makarova RUS/Elena Vesnina RUS
Errani/Vinci in 3 sets
Legends Over 45
Mansour Bahrami FRA/Pat Cash AUS vs Andres Gomez ECU/Mark Woodforde AUS
Gomez/Woodforde in 2 sets
Legends Under 45
Cedric Pioline FRA/Fabrice Santoro FRA vs Albert Costa ESP/Carlos Moya ESP
Pioline/Santoro in 3 sets

French Open Day 14 - Finals Preview!

(1)Serena Williams USA vs (2)Maria Sharapova RUS

Serena and Maria will face off in the 2013 French Open final.

After, 13 days of great tennis at the 2013 French Open, we have finally reached the final on the women's side. Williams has been absolutely dominant on her way to the final, only being tested once in the quarterfinals against Svetlana Kuznetsova. Sharapova has been looking solid as well, easing her way to the quarterfinals before pulling of three setters against Jelena Jankovic and Victoria Azarenka. Williams will be extra motivated to win her second French Open title after not even reaching the semifinals since her 2002 title run. Sharapova will be looking to defend her title and keep hold of her #2 ranking. Williams leads Sharapova 13-2 in their matchups, and has won 12 straight. Sharapova has not beaten Williams since 2004, and has never beaten her on clay, including a drubbing at this year's Madrid Open 1-6, 4-6. However, Sharapova can take some confidence as she did take a set off of Williams this year in Miami breaking a 13 set losing streak to Williams. She eventually lost by a bagel in the third set. Nevertheless, if Williams is half as good as her 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of Sara Errani in 46 minutes in her semifinal, Sharapova will have to come up with something special to beat Williams. In the end, I think this match will come down to execution and the person who dictates the points will win the match. So the question is, who can do this better?

Prediction: Williams in 2 tricky sets

Elsewhere on the grounds of Roland Garros, several other matches are going on. Legends and juniors will play. Here are my predictions:

Men's Doubles Final
(1)Bob Bryan USA/Mike Bryan USA vs Michael Llodra FRA/Nicolas Mahut FRA
Bryan/Bryan in 2 sets
Legends Over 45
John McEnroe USA/Adriano Panatta ITA vs Andreas Gomez ECU/Mark Woodforde AUS
McEnroe/Panatta in 3 sets
Women's Legends
Lindsay Davenport USA/Martina Hingis SUI vs Elena Dementieva RUS/Martina Navratilova CZE
Davenport/Hingis in 3 sets
Legends Under 45
Cedric Pioline FRA/Fabrice Santoro FRA vs Michael Chang USA/Andrei Medvedev UKR
Pioline/Santoro in 2 sets
Boy's Singles
Christian Garin CHI vs (4)Alexander Zverev UKR
Garin in 3 sets
Girl's Singles
(4)Antonia Lottner GER vs (2)Belinda Bencic SUI
Lottner in 3 sets
Boy's Doubles
(3)Kyle Edmund GBR/Frederico Ferreira Silva POR vs (5)Christian Garin CHI/Nicolas Jarry CHI
Edmund/Silva in 2 sets
Girl's Doubles
Domenica Gonzalez ECU/Beatriz Haddad Maia BRA vs (2)Barbora Krejcikova CZE/Katerina Siniakova CZE
Krejcikova/Siniakova in 2 sets

French Open Day 13 - Men

(1)Novak Djokovic SRB vs (3)Rafael Nadal ESP

Djokovic and Nadal will meet in a blockbuster semifinal.

This is the match everyone has been talking about since the beginning of the tournament! Djokovic and Nadal will face off in an absolute blockbuster semifinal. Djokovic has looked great all tournament, except perhaps for his one set dropped against Phillip Kohlschreiber in the fourth round. He will be extra motivated to reach the final and win Roland Garros to complete his career Grand Slam by winning all 4 majors. Also, Djokovic suffered a tragic loss in his childhood coach, Jelena Gencic. No doubt Djokovic will be playing for Gencic. Despite a shaky start in Nadal's terms to his 2013 French Open campaign, Nadal has shaped up in the second week and has been absolutely dominant in his last two matches against Kei Nishikori and Stanislas Wawrinka. Coming off of a 7 month injury layoff, he has looked just as dominant as he has been in the past years. Nadal reached 8 consecutive finals and won 6 of them, and his looking for his 9th final at his peak, Roland Garros. He is a 7-time champion, losing just once here. All tennis fans out there know that any Nadal-Djokovic matchup will be interesting, and with both players extra motivated this tournament to reach the final, this will be an epic match.

Prediction: Nadal in 5 sets

(4)David Ferrer ESP vs (6)Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Ferrer and Tsonga will face off in a match that will end in bitter disappointment for one player, and ecstatic joy for the other. Ferrer has been a commonplace at the top of the men's tennis world for many years. But the Spanish veteran has never reached a Grand Slam final. No doubt his best chance will be right here in this match against France's last hope in this year's French Open, Tsonga. Tsonga is looking to become the first Frenchman into the final at Roland Garros since Henri Leconte reached the final in 1988. Tsonga has reached one Grand Slam final before at the 2008 Australian Open where he lost to Novak Djokovic. The French crowd will surely we raucously cheering for Tsonga to reach the final. However, Ferrer will not be bothered and continue to grind away. Neither player has dropped a set on their path to the semifinals. I think this match will be in Tsonga's hands as he will be the player looking to dictate most of the points. Will Tsonga be able to execute and not be hesitant? Or will Ferrer continue to grind his way to the final?

Prediction: Tsonga in 5 sets