Serena Williams withdrew from the event with an injury so I don’t care to watch (In case you didn’t hear how Serena was injured, she cut her foot on a piece of glass in a restaurant shortly after this year’s Wimbledon.  How believable…)

It wasn’t the case between the Sampras and Fed eras, but mens tennis is now way more entertaining to watch than womens (I know, you just want to see them dressed like skanks – so scroll to the bottom of the page).  Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are the top 2 seeds and most people want to see them go toe-to-toe in what would be their 8th match in a major final. 

The knock on Rafa is this is the time of year when he a) breaks down with an injury & b) gets blown off the court by someone with more power.  Now that the grass at Wimbledon has been altered since the Sampras era to slow down the pace of play, the US Open offers the fastest surface and it usually leads to a rough exit for Rafa. 

The knock on Fed is his age and wear and tear.  He may never finish the year #1 again, but I don’t think his major winning days are done.  He won a Masters event two weeks ago that included all the top players in the US Open and made the final in a similar tournament before that. 

Since this is my favorite tennis event of the year, I will go a couple steps further and predict the US Open from the quarterfinal round on:

Quarters: Rafael Nadal over David Nalbandian, Andy Murray over Tomas Berdych, Mardy Fish over Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling over Roger Federer

Semis: Nadal over Murray, Soderling over Fish

Final: Nadal over Soderling

I am going with my head over my heart here.  In a perfect world Fed would take out Nadal in a 5th set tie break, but I think Fed got the toughest player in his quarter.  Soderling has bigtime power on his serve, forehand and backhand.  Soderling has a couple landmark wins over Rafa and Fed the last two years so it wouldn’t be the biggest upset if he pulled it off.  But his biggest question at this event will be if he can play defense, Fed can take him out if he moves Soderling around the court.

In the end, Nadal is an all-time great currently at his peak.  He has to be the favorite to win, even if he hasn’t had typical results in New York.

And without further ado, I give you the all-important shots of hot tennis girls:

Crazy to think he could hold serve 30 straight times in a match and lose it, but that’s what happens when you don’t do a thing on the other guy’s serve. At least Roddick has an extremely hot wife…

It’s a match I’ll never forget as a tennis fan, but one I hope I never see and hope nobody ever has to play again.  They can honor these two by naming a special rule called the ‘Masner’ or ‘Ishut” or “IM” 5th set tie breaker.   

Maybe in this year’s US Open there will be a 5th set tie break to decide the champion.  It will be epic, and the tennis oldies will realize how awesome it is to have everything on the line after the match has been dead locked for a few hours.  Time for reform, tennis.  Even Johnny Mac has been calling for a 5th set tie break at every major for years.

58-57 Isner.  Mahut called to have a bandage re-wrapped.  How can you break up the momentum on your serve!?

…And it is still going.  Currently 53 all in the 5th set.  I repeat, 53-all in the 5th set. 

Time for a 5th set tie break, Wimbledon!

John Isner looks like he’s going to crumble over after every point.  Sad thing is this match will be suspended due to darkness any time and they’ll have to pick it up and continue for the 3rd time.

Obviously Blake was in the wrong, but Pam should have been much more professional and let the issue drop.  Being an ex-tennis player herself she should know how damn frustrating the game can be.  And when you are sucking there are no teammates to help you out, no bench to sit down on.  It’s just you out on an island sucking it up.  Blake was tilting as bad as Pee-Wee at the roulette table, but Pam was equally unprofessional.  You should never allow yourself to become the story when you are broadcasting a game.

Needless to say Blake got dumped in straight sets.

Didn’t see the match at all but I gather by the 7-1 score in the 4th set tie break and Fed winning the 5th 6-0 he found his game.  And Falla was probably demoralized early in that tie break.

Ski can vouch that I claimed Roddick was my #2 pick to win the event this year to Fed.  Meaning I think the championship match will be played in the semifinals this year.  But a result like this by Fed might make me reconsider who is the favorite in that match.  I wouldn’t mind seeing Roddick take it down this year - he has put in a lot of noticeable work and upgraded his weaknesses since Fed and Nadal took over the tennis world.  Roddick could have taken his one US Open win and mailed in a fairly good career because he doesn’t have the game to compete with these guys anywhere but Wimbledon. 

Nadal got a tad bit hosed in the draw this year.  To win the title he would have to go through John Isner (6’9″ massive serving up and coming American ranked in the top 20 already), Robin Soderling, Andy Murray, and the Roddick/Fed winner.  That’s a Sports-Idol “BRUUUTAL”.

Robin Soderling notched his second streak-ending upset in as many years at the French by dumping Roger Federer in 4 sets.  Fed’s 23 straight slam semifinal appearances ended – a run that more than doubled the previous high of 10 (Ivan Lendl).   Before Nadal was taken out by Soderling last year, he had won all of his 32 career matches at the French (4+ year run).  

In reality, Fed’s run coming to an end wasn’t the big story.  His accomplishments surpass all the other tennis greats.  But he missed a chance to grow the legend even further – by taking out Rafa where he never has before: in Paris.  The difference between 23 and 24 straight semis is child’s play compared to beating his nemesis on his turf.  And it would have given Fed multiple titles at all 4 slams. 

Serena’s loss to Sam Stosur (who also took out my other tourney favorite, Justine Henin) washed away any chance at the one thing missing on her resume: the calendar year slam.  She and Venus have already said they’re trying to win the calendar year slam in doubles.  Pulling off both would have been pretty damn sick – even for that man chick.

Picking the men’s champion is easy.  It’s Rafa, no questions asked.  He just tore up Fed last week in the finals of the Masters Series Rome.  Fed played way more aggressive than I ever remember him playing on clay, and even when he was hitting it well, Rafa turned it up like 2 notches higher and outclassed him.  His spin is so nasty, he’s a grinder, and he’s clutch.  Nadal could win the tournament without dropping a set. 

Roger Federer has nothing to lose the rest of his career.  He’s already the best all around player of all time and has the most grand slam titles.  And he’s 28, so you can count on Fed to be winning more majors for the next 3 or 4 years.  But I’m not sure he will make it to the finals this year.  I’m rooting for him to do so, because I would love to see him take out Rafa for the title. 

The women’s championship will be a metaphor for the women’s tour as a whole and the outlook of its future.  The champion will be decided before the semifinals as Justine Henin and Serena Williams will duke it out before then thanks to her 22 seed from the Frenchies.  These are the best two players in the world on clay, and they (along with Venus) are 2 of the few who know how to not choke when it’s tight.  It’s been a merry-go-round at the top of the women’s rankings and it’s because none of the young guns can handle the heat.  The WTA needs to hold on to Venus, Serena, and Henin because the tennis will be unwatchable when they’re done.  Look for Serena to get halfway to the first calendar year grand slam since Steffi Graf in 1988 (no Googling required).

No women’s tennis preview would be complete without mentioning Simona Halep.  Picture in the link below says it all.  That and more pics of giant cans in tennis can be found here.

But Murray got the best of Fed in the championship ceremony as he threw a jab at Roger for crying at last year’s ceremony.  Gotta love it when a guy can come up with something like that after getting humiliated.