Granollers Rallies for Kitzbühel Title, Semifinals Set in Washington and Carlsbad!

Granollers clinched his 4th ATP title over Juan Monaco.

Marcel Granollers bounced back from a horrid first set to defeat Juan Monaco 0-6, 7-6(7-3), 6-4. Granollers served for the second set at 5-4 and eventually closed out the set in a tiebreak. He rushed out to a 4-0 lead over Monaco in the decider, before Monaco staged a brief fightback for 4-3. However, Granollers closed out the title and is the second person in history to win an ATP title after getting bagelled in one set.

At the ATP Citi Open, Juan Martin del Potro, Tommy Haas, John Isner, and Dmitry Tursunov all clinched their spots in the semifinals. del Potro rolled through a first set tiebreak against Kevin Anderson and never really looked back in a 7-6(7-0), 6-3 win. Grigor Dimitrov wasted 5 break point chances against Haas and lost in two tiebreaks 7-6(7-5), 7-6(7-3) despite not being broken the whole tournament. Tursunov edged Marinko Matosevic in a thriller 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7-4) to reach the semifinals at the age of 30. Isner rallied from a set down to defeat Marcos Baghdatis 6-7(5-7), 6-4, 6-4, surprisingly losing a tiebreak.

At the WTA Citi Open, defending champ Magdalena Rybarikova, Ekaterina Makarova, Alize Cornet, and Andrea Petkovic are the last 4 remaining. Rybarikova knocked out top seed and world no.9 Angelique Kerber 7-6(7-0), 3-6, 6-3. Makarova won just one game, but it was enough against Monica Niculescu who retired with a left wrist injury after the very first game of the match (which she lost to love). Cornet edged the mercurial Sorana Cirstea 7-6(7-5), 6-2, never really looking back after winning the first set. Former top 10 player Petkovic rallied from a set down to win against Paula Ormaechea 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, who won by default in her second round match.

In Carlsbad, Victoria Azarenka, Ana Ivanovic, Virginie Razzano, and Samantha Stosur all clinched semifinal berths in contrasting fashions. Ivanovic was the first to advance, recovering from a second set letdown to win against Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-7(1-7), 6-2, getting revenge after a shocking double bagel defeat last time they met. Razzano was the second to advance, winning a marathon 3 hour and 35 minute thriller against Petra Kvitova. In my opinion, this match was very similar to the famous Serena-Razzano match as Razzano wasted many match points at 5-3 (including one on a double fault), before finally closing out Kvitova after saving two match points 6-7(6-8), 7-5, 7-6(10-8). Stosur was the third to advance defeating Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, in an up and down match. Azarenka was the last to advance, routing Urszula Radwanska 6-1, 6-2. 

Citi Open WTA Semifinals
(3)Ekaterina Makarova over (7)Magdalena Rybarikova in 3 sets
Had these two player met in the first round, I would have picked Rybarikova. But however, I think tiredness will come into play for the defending champion after playing three three-setters in three matches. Makarova has not dropped a set and just 8 games total.
Andrea Petkovic over (4)Alize Cornet in 3 sets
I don't think Cornet will be good enough on hard courts against the former top 10 player Petkovic who is on the comeback trail. But don't underestimate the clay-loving Cornet, who has also been as high as #11 in the world.

Citi Open ATP Semifinals
(1/WC)Juan Martin del Potro over (3)Tommy Haas in 2 tight sets
del Potro has been advancing quietly through the draw with little drama while Haas has struggled a bit this week. del Potro leads the head-to-head 4-0 and I don't think that is changing here.
(8)John Isner over Dmitry Tursunov in 2 tight sets
Something about playing on American soil brings out the best in Isner. 6 of his 7 ATP titles have come in the USA, while 12 of the 14 finals he has been in were in the USA. Tursunov has had a great run this week, including an upset over Gilles Simon, but I think Isner will come through.

Southern California Open WTA Semifinals
(1)Victoria Azarenka over (7)Ana Ivanovic in 2 sets (1 tight, 1 easy)
Azarenka only leads the head to head 3-2, but has won the last two meetings easily in straight sets. Azarenka has been one of the best, if not the best, on hardcourts this year. I just can't imagine the former world no.1 and French Open champ upsetting the two time reigning Australian Open champ. 
(5/WC)Samantha Stosur over (WC)Virginie Razzano in 3 sets
The former world no.16 Razzano has come back to form this week with wins over Kuznetsova, Suarez Navarro, and a 3 hour and 35 minute thriller over Kvitova. However, fatigue will come into play today against the former US Open champ Stosur, who edged Aga Radwanska in 3 sets in the quarterfinals in a less physical match. If Razzano were to win this, I think it will have to be in straights and on very very bad Stosur play. Never count out the Serena-killer though...