Roger, my fave player on the ATP tour, met up with Diego Hartfield, my fave name on the ATP tour. Conditions were cool and calm, and Diego had never won an ATP-level hardcourt match, making it a brutally easy win for Rog and a fun night for us Fed fans. But I can’t help but worry like an old biddy about Roger’s sylph-like appearance on court. Perhaps it’s just the all black ensemble, but he’s starting to look like the Hantuchova of the men’s locker room. Is it the after affects of the flu? Is it his mysterious training practices? Is it preparation for a Prada modeling contract? He claims to feel like “nothing ever happened” stomach-wise, but I’m worried that he’s going to faint after twenty minutes in the Australian summer sun. Roger, pound some Power Bars, pronto!

And how about Fed’s next opponent, Fabrice Santoro? This true tennis-nerd favorite beat the out-of-a-tree serving John Isner in straights! Too bad I didn’t see the match – I would’ve loved to see the bewildered expression on John’s gentle giant face, as the nimble, under 6 ft. Santoro buzzed around the court like a diabolical wasp. I’m looking forward to the Fed/Fabrice face-off, but will the Frenchman’s antics be too much for the light-headed Fed?

Female fave Serena Williams had more of a test than Rog, but I think it was good for her. Her Chinese opponent, Meng Yuan, played the role of feisty qualifier – she was consistent and spunky, her teeth gnashed into every point. Serena was more than willing to rack up the miles on court – her physicality continues to awe. In terms of physical vigor, she’s the opposite of Rog right now. But it was Serena’s mental intensity that really broke through the t.v. screen and into my living room. Yowza. Noone can beat her when she’s got this look and a +15 winner-to-errors differential . . . except for Miss Determination Personified, Justine Henin. I’d pay to watch the two of them in a stare-off. Am I jinxing it to say that I can’t wait for the semis!

By morning, Sharapova-Davenport will be sitting in my DVR, as anticipated as fresh bread in the oven. I can’t wait to see if Lindsay is up for the challenge!