Sorry for the delay on the Day 9 Wrap – I had internet problems last night. We learned two interesting things on Tuesday:
1. Serena Williams will become No. 1 if she wins the US Open. And with her straight-set quarterfinal win over Flavia Pennetta on Tuesday she’s only two wins away. But will Kim Clijsters, who beat Li Na in the quarters, stop Serena from taking the top spot?
2. With Andy Murray’s upset to Marin Cilic and Rafael Nadal’s win over Gael Monfils in the Round of 16, Rafa will get his No. 2 ranking back.
“Is very good comeback, (to) be here in quarterfinals.” Rafa said after taking out the Flashy Frenchman in four sets: 6-7, 7-3, 6-1, 6-3.
Yeah, I’d say. It was the way Rafa won – sprinting to every ball, running his opponent from sideline to sideline, refusing to let Gael out chest thump or fist pump him – that announced his full comeback.
Credit to Monfils for playing an outrageous first set. The tennis was thrilling and brutal – like “Gladiator” meets “Blade Runner” meets some kind of torture porn where instead of Saws, the clueless victims are tied to treadmills and forced to run. Even I was sucking air during that tiebreaker.
Jo Wilfried Tsonga vs. Fernando Gonzalez was outrageous enough that I laughed out loud when Patrick McEnroe made this understatement: “There’s the potential for some shot making in this match.”
I know his nickname is Gonzo, but I still think Fernando’s craziness is completely underrated. He ducks his opponent’s overheads with his booty in the air, cracks racquets in disgust before tossing them to the crowd, hits forehands that break the sound barrier – he makes me woozy. But in a good way. Maybe his new nickname should be Gonzo the Most Crazy or something like that.
Gonzo on Gonzo: “You know, sometimes you feel like super hero, and sometimes you feel like ‑‑ I don’t have to say what you feel on court.”
Gotta love Most Crazy, but geeze, Tsonga was up a set and a break. I blame myself for wanting him to win too much. Please indulge me and vote on this poll.
Loading ...Del Potro advanced over Ferrero on Tuesday’s battle of the Juans.
Wednesday sees more great action, with Federer vs. Soderling and Djokovic vs. Verdasco in the men’s quarterfinals and Wickmayer vs. Bondarenko and Oudin vs. Wozniacki in the women’s quarters.
