All-day Monday...

...because I'm back in the grind!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Once again, doing that thing I (usually) do (for a living) with enjoyment, acute fascination, and severe passion...

...and yet, I wish there was time to write about Wimbledon... the fantastic way by which Roger Federer ousted old nemesis,
El Maestro, through to
the Round of 16.David Nalbandian of Argentina, from the Championships in SW19... the nerve-wracking way by which the defending Champ Rafa Nadal had to dig deep to push through to the Round of 16 via a hard-fought straight sets victory over Gilles Muller in their two-day rain-delayed third-round match... the way 2010 Roland Garros Champ Francesca Schiavone was sent out of the Championships by the unseeded Austrian, Tamira Paszek, in an epic third-round battle (3-6, 6-4, 11-9) that showed off their very best grass tennis - truly engaging! The way the hard-hitting Argentine warrior Juan Martin del Potro just barely edged off the brilliant Frenchman Gilles Simon last Friday, 7(10)-6(8), 7(7)-6(5), 7-5, to book a place opposite Rafa Nadal in a Round of 16 WAR today... the distasteful way by which Novak Djokovic
An "ugly win" for Novak Djokovic
in a beautiful third round
showing by Marcos Baghdatis.lost his cool (as in his old, immature days) while he figured out a way to prevail over the upbeat and crowd favorite Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis, who pushed the annoyed Serb to an exciting four-set duel... how the #5 in the World Robin Soderling ran out of gas to manage another escape from the fiery attacks of yet another Aussie, Bernard Tomic, and exited the Championships disappointingly... the same goes in the case of the lady who has been attempting a return to the Top 10 limelight, Ana Ivanovic.

Oh, well...

***

Red hot in white on green...

...in the All England Club!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


There's serious work, of course... but there's also serious play - courtesy of Wimbledon!

Just three weeks after my Knights' successful negotiation with the "hooded one" for my "visa extension" in this "valley of tears", I'm just very thankful to be back in the swing of things at España Blvd. While I'm only about 70% fine, all at once, busy, busy, busy is the story of my life again... but I'm not complaining. After all, I imagine it's a (big) "clause" in the negotiation "agreement": I'd get an "extension", I'd use my time productively... not that I haven't been trying to do exactly that. But it's a fair enough "clause"... therefore, I'm just very happy to comply. :) However, no matter the level of "busyness", there's always time to enjoy the fabulous tennis on display at the 2011 Championships, Wimbledon. I have to make time... it's a part of the "negotiation", too, you know. ;)

***
First and second rounds roundabout...

So, the Big Four in men's tennis are once again parading their tennis hotness... with the other men close "behind them" making the "grass show" at SW19 all the more alluring. And yes, there had been a number of well-documented baring of chest and abs on court, too, among the beautiful men, which received a lot of ooohs and aaahs from the smitten crowd. :) And from the looks of it, unlike in football world, I don't think the officials of tennis are about to outlaw such acts. Uhmm, nah, not complaining - never! ;)

The first round was full of heart-stopping "scares". The defending
Rafa Nadal, having fun? Champion, Rafael Nadal, was broken in the first set by USA's Michael Russel in their first round match on Day 1, going down to 0-2. Of course, after that first round scare courtesy of John Isner in Roland Garros, this was kind of unbearable - emotionally unacceptable! I had to give up my lecture slides preparation for a bit to pay close attention. But the World No. 1 recovered fast, re-calibrated his game to beat the American, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. I was too tired to stay up all night on Day 3 to see him take care of another American, Ryan Sweeting, in the second round. But I had just enough viewing time to notice that while he still glared a lot on court like the hot Spanish Matador that he is, he had been more than generous in flashing his charming Mallorcan smile in the first and second rounds - sweet! Purr.... :)

Roger Federer walked into Centre Court for his first-round match with Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin with the "gentleman of distinction" swagger that only he can carry without looking in-your-face arrogant - I think it's called "elegance". He seemed very aware of the admiring smiles all around him, obviously still conveying their appreciation of his good run in Roland Garros... and hoping he'd exceed his performance in the City of Lights at the All
The Swiss Maestro, en concieto.England Club. The Swiss Maestro most graciously returned the open admiration with an awesome grass repertoire: beautiful full-body lift for right-on-the-tee serves, full-body twist in mid-air for a blistering forehand down the line, full stretch of the sexy chest with a twist of the torso and a graceful bending of the knees to issue a precise one-handed backhand, brilliantly executed serve-and-volley, graceful groundstrokes that earned breathtaking winners... too beautiful! Undeterred, Kukushkin pushed El Maestro to earn his swagger to a tie break in the first set... kinda scary. But RF was not about to be robbed of "his moment", and went on to beat the Kazakh, 7(7)-6(2), 6-4, 6-2. While I enjoyed the match... I felt there was a bit too much of the RF awagger though as he went deep into the match... and I'm not liking it too much. He'd better concentrate on his game more, I think. Then again, it's his opening match... he's allowed a little All England "grass flirting". :) He was more of his serene and focused self in his second round straight sets victory, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, over Adrian Mannarino of France, which was good. And he was fantastic to watch, of course! He will face the dangerous Argentine, David Nalbandian, in the third round. And the uphill climb begins....

No. 2 in the World Novak Djokovic has been winning clinically as he resumes his phenomenal 2011 run, suffering a hitch only from that
Novak Djokovic, look-at-me, look-at-me!derailment courtesy of RF in Roland Garros. He dismissed Jeremy Chardy of France via a convincing 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win in no more than 80 minutes in the first round. He followed that up with another clinical straight sets win over Kevin Anderson of South Africa, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. He's living up to expectations, that's for sure. However, somewhat like RF, he's been walking with swagger, too. His is a bit overdone though... and there are some of those tell-tale signs of ego-swell with a "look-at-me, look-at-me" show on court that I can surely do without. As if the whole tennis planet's attention wasn't enough! Ugh! Then again, who am I to judge? Nobody, I guess... it's just that I prefer The Djoker in the brilliant Djokovic.

British Numero Uno, Andy Murray, scared the hell out of me in his first-round match with Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver. The
Andy Murray, British #1.
Aaaw-wooo... Scot looked red hot as he started his SW19 campaign... until he was broken, and lost the first set, 4-6! Into the second set, he was looking vulnerable - again! Dang! I had to make tea in the middle of the night to force butterflies in my stomach to settle down! But he prevailed... 6-3. And then, he realized that he had a "mission" to fulfill in SW19... he then gripped his racquet with a steel determination and downed the Spaniard, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0! Of course, he growled in the end! Aawww-wooo! His second-round match with Tobias Kamke of Germany was less tense, winning it in straight sets... and I hope it stays like that for him for the rest of the tournament... except that he's in the same half of the draw as Rafa Nadal! Aaaawww...

Of course, I've been watching Robin Soderling, too. It scared me
Robin Soderling escapes!silly, too, to see him being pushed to four sets by the German, Philipp Petzschner, losing the third set, and going on a heart-stopping tie break in the fourth! He won, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7(7)-6(5). As if that wasn't enough, the Swede had to dig deep in his shots kit to prevail in his second-round confrontation with former No. 1 in the World and 2002 Wimbledon Champ, the Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in the second round. I was torn, of course, because I like both men! I was glad to see Hewitt finally broke through his bout with injuries and arrive
Lleyton Hewitt, nice try. healthy in SW19 this season... but I couldn't completely celebrate as I watched him kill Soderling's "programmed game" in the first and second sets! Hewitt, brought his champion caliber game to Soderling, displayed fantastic moves that shook Soderling some... and more! But the Swede re-grouped... concentrated in winning points - one at a time - to re-emerge from a two-set deficit to go even in the fourth. He barely edged the passionate Aussie in a heart-thumping five-set battle, 6(5)-7(7), 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. Whew, too hot!

***
Bits and pieces of awesomeness...

Speaking of "scares", Roland Garros 2011 finalist and 2010 Champ, Italian Francesca Schiavone, made me sit up as she battled
Dokic & Schiavone, tight match!Australia's Jelena Dokic in a three-set first-round thriller! I couldn't make up my mind between the two ladies as I like Dokic, too. To be honest, I think the former Juniors World No. 1 Dokic was shooting the more outstanding winners - such a natural talent... but she looked rusty and "too heavy" to effect her former top caliber moves. She has been in and out of the tour due to various reasons... and it's a pity how her natural talents are being put to waste... I'm glad she's back, but Schiavone was too much of a wild force for her to tame. Maybe next time....

Of course, the big Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro, is making his presence felt once again with his booming shots! But I have been too busy to include his matches in my limited "relaxation time". Caught a few of his big shots though - whew, frightening! He just set up a third-round match-up with the brilliant Frenchman, Gilles Simon! Dang, how exciting is that! For sure, that's a must-see match... and it's going to be one of my priority matches in the third round! :)

Serena Williams has been moving beautifully on court. She's
Serena Williams, too good!playing a perfect game so far - fast, powerful shots, nicely put games for impressive winners. But then again, it's Serena. What else can be expected? She's too good, it's almost boring! Venus Williams, on the other hand, is painful to watch in her yet again trying-hard-to-wow outfit. Sorry, I know she's a great champ, and I like her personality... but that's exactly the point - she plays brilliant tennis, she doesn't have to try too hard to wow!

Ana Ivanovic is looking like she's on the right track... and I'm so
Ana Ivanovic, getting there.glad. I'd really like this former No. 1 in the World Serb to regain her great form and her Top 10 status. She's one of those great ambassadresses of tennis - very talented, and with a wonderful personality, too. She's through to the third round! Yaay! :)

The French Showman, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, once again wowed the crowd with his emphatic second round four-set win over Gregor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, 6(4)-7(7), 6-4, 6-4, 7(10)-6(8) - very exciting and emotionally charged match. Tomas Berdych is flying under the radar, gliding from one round to the other without hitches. I haven't seen David Ferrer in action, but he seem to be doing fine, playing the second round now with American, Ryan Harrison. I'm hoping to see Julia Goerges of Germany in action, too. She's through to the third round - good. I've yet to see Maria Sharapova's outfit... okay, and her, too. :) I'm not too excited to see Caroline Wozniacki in action though... could this be "the one" for her? I wish her luck... I'm serious! :)

***
And then the upsets...

While Robin Soderling marginally escaped a second round upset as Lleyton
Sabine Lisicki, sweet
victory!Hewitt faltered on critical points in their match, the 2011 French Open Champ, Li Na, was not as lucky. She was ousted by the wild card Sabine Lisicki of Germany in a truly fantastic second-round match that turned out to be the biggest upset so far! The 21-year old German had an answer to all the great shots thrown at her by China's No. 1. Li Na's usually unruffled faҫade was visibly shaken and in distress as the German assaulted her with big forehand shots send in winners and sprinted blindingly fast, covering the court easily, to save points! The high intensity of the match and her dramatic win, 3-6, 6-4, 8-6, sent Lisicki to her knees as she shook from tears of joy. Great match!

Seeded #13, Viktor Troicki of Serbia - the man who pushed Andy Murray to his limit in Roland Garros, was sent packing by Taipe's aggressive Yen-Shun Lu in a straight sets second round victory. Another high-quality match right there. #20 seed, Florian Meyer of Germany, suffered a second round ouster from the hands of unseeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium. Fernando Verdasco of Spain, a former Top 10 player and now seeded #21, exited in the second round after a four-set upset in the hands of Robin Haase of the Netherlands. Verdasco is slowly slipping down in the ranking - pity.


***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!

Fast track to quater-finals in Roland Garros

It sure felt like people were in a hurry!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Newsbreak: Just saw the live press conference of FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Zurich. *sigh* He looked like he was trying to keep his head above hot soup in a pressure cooker there... and was in a big hurry to escape! He took a defensive posture as he faced accusations that while he may not be directly involved in corrupt activities, he had been ignoring corruption in FIFA. But he did insist that, amidst all the Qatar World Cup 2022 bribery talks, "FIFA is not in crisis." Uh, what? Come again, Mr. Blatter. Have you been "around" FIFA lately, sir? Journalists were disappointed by Mr. Blatter's failure to show fangs and hardline commitment to bite-off corruption heads in FIFA. Hmmm... it's going to be a long week for Sepp Blatter for sure as the FIFA Congress convene on Wednesday. Good luck to him... and the football world! *sigh*

***
Back to the Roland Garros business

There's so much to do... and hobbies have to take the back seat as usual. Just when I finally paid decent amount of attention to this blog - and enjoying it, too, immensely, fate is bidding me to take a few "days off" from it and mind a "crisis" brewing. Bummer! And since I don't think Sepp Blatter is a good example in "crisis management", I'm compelled to take the "days off". *sigh* But I do have a few more minutes to write this entry, after all, it's that period in the tournament when the two halves of the draw combine for the Round of 16 in Roland Garros. And everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get the Round of 16 done and over with!

So, game on! :)

All-Swiss affair. Sorry, Fed... I was busy savoring the "Messi Magic" and the "Barҫa Day in Wembley", my mind flew as I watched you take care of "Stan, the Man" yesterday. Don't lie now, you were happy you didn't have to play on Saturday, weren't you? huh, fellow football fan? :)

So, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka spin in the Round of 16. It was a contest of one-handed backhands, big serves and serve-and-volleys. It looked like Stan, who is being coached by RF's former coach, had the more powerful backhand there, but Fed's was more precise and he moved better on court to put his backhand to a better use, too. It was puzzling though how Stan could haul himself from two sets down in that raucous match with Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the third round, and then go very subdued and looking without a fight against RF. Is The Man intimidated by El Maestro? Hmmm... he did look like he was thinking about an "against Tsonga" comeback in the third set... RF seemed to have sensed it, and he locked himself in the zone and hurriedly finished the match with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 straight sets win.

Aside from the All-Swiss affair and the David Ferrer and Gael Monfils match postponement for the next day, Day 8 was nothing special. Novak Djokovic, of course, took care of business... sending "local guy", Richard Gasquet, to his Round 4 exit from Roland Garros this year in straight sets win of 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. It was easy, considering he got "shaken" by Juan Martin del Potro's huge shots previously and had to concede a set - for the first time in the tournament.

Seriously, I am not sure what or who could stop The Djoker from winning Roland Garros this year. RF looked like he's hardly sweated so far, showed his impressive shots repertoire, and his game has been impeccable as well, but does his tank have enough mileage to cover a four-setter or a five-setter in case the Djoker would be in the mood to wow the French crowd a la Tsonga? We know the "old Djoker" was prone to something like that, too... but this is a new Djoker we're dealing with here. Anyway, before any confrontation with Djoke, El Maestro has to take care of the mini ball of fire, Gael Monfils first in the quarter-finals, actually... and with the crowd blowing to propel the Frenchman's sail for sure, too! And, I know I have my clay money on Rafa Nadal to clinch his sixth French Open title to equal the Great One, Bjorn Borg's record... but after watching Nole make Juan Martin del Potro surrender with a shake of the head as if he didn't know what hit him, he totally looked unstoppable. And Rafa is looking a bit like it has been a real effort for him to stay alive... not moving as nimbly and fast as Le Djokeur. Hmmm... I really hope to get back to my hobby soon! :)

The end of the Ferrer affair. Who would have thought? Who would have thought that it's going to be the ever inconsistent Gael Monfils who would put an end to the steady Spaniard trigger David Ferrer's run in Roland Garros this year? Certainly not me! But after the two mismatched warriors - personality wise - went two sets even, with the momentum on David Ferrer having won the fourth set, 6-1, I thought it was a Ferrer win for sure. And then, the Frenchman, with impressive winners and good serves, brought the fifth set to 5-3... with two match points! Unbelievable! But the 9th seed Frenchman was unable to finish it up. David Ferrer brought it to 6-6. At the extension, Monfils once again had another match point, which he again squandered with a lot of pressure from Ferrer. And then, on his serve, Ferrer committed heartbreaking unforced errors, one after another - very, very expensive ones, too... giving the set, and the match (6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 1-6, 8-6) to Monfils! How incredible! Whew!

Roger Federer once commented that Gael Monfils is a very talented player and has a lot of potential to get to the top, if he could stay focused on his game, that is. I agree completely... when he's concentrating, Monfils could create great variety of shots - more than Andy Murray is capable of, just because the lad has to divide his energy between winning and overcoming boredom on court - and then, he shifts to a Tsonga-like crowd-pleasing showmanship... and that's it, he loses concentration and kills his own game! Therefore, it has always been very hard for me to support him, because he seemed to be more interested in having childish fun on court rather than in winning, giving away crucial points to his opponents. After seeing him topple the 7th seed Spaniard earlier though, it looked like he's decided to take winning seriously now. Ironically, it's going to be El Maestro himself who will find out tomorrow.

The Swede swayed! I really like Robin Soderling - very much! :) I like the way he keeps things simple on court, almost clinical in winning matches... and then gets creative, even shows Viking-like aggression, when challenged. Whatever the situation though, he's almost always composed... celebrates points with quiet fist pumps with a pursing of the lips that shows his dimples... and so, you thought he smiled, but not really! :) And then back to business... winning. :)

But in his fourth-round match with Gilles Simon - the Frenchman who gained fame (or notoriety, depending on your RF fanatism level) by almost ousting Roger Federer in the second round of the US Open last year - I was surprised to see him show extreme amount of emotion after the match, even when he won in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, 7(7)-6(5)! It's the same kind of emotion RF showed when he finally broke to escape ouster by Simon in the 2010 US Open! Hmmm... Simon-induced extreme emotion? Interesting! I think it's more of a show of "wanting" to stay in the tournament... and eventually win it! And he's well-capable of doing that as well. The two-time Roland Garros runner-up who has beaten both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer is not Number 5 in the World for nothing! And he will face the King of Clay in the quarter-finals! Nadal, for his part, countered an Ivan Ljubicic challenge with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win.

Sharp Sharapova. Yes!! I survived the screaming and the shrieking of Maria Sharapova as she powered her way past the 12th seed Agnieszka Radswanska of Poland, 7(7)-6(4), 7-5, to advance to the quarter-finals. It was worth it, she was brilliant - I mean it. :) She wants to win this, it's very evident by the way she saved each point and made each winner. I say she's got a good shot at it, too! C'MON!!! :)

A murmur for Murray... ... and it isn't a prayer either! Dude, play tennis - brilliant, jaw-dropping, killer tennis! And tell your Mum to stay home while you show Viktor Troicki who is Number 4 in the World tomorrow, alright? You only have one shot... go hot and stay hot, dammit!

Uhm, ahem, ahem... go, get him, lad! :)

***
Photo credit: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks. :)

Big crashes, great comebacks...

...and some fantastic wins, too!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


They sighed, wimpered, screamed (a lot, in the case of Maria Sharapova)... and then celebrated - a win! And, on the other side of the net, head hung with the devastating agony... of defeat.

***
Big-name crash, underdog comeback

I rushed home from some big meetings at work, sprinted to my room, dropped my bag on the rug by my bed, kicked off my shoes, and breathlessly switched on my TV - fifth day of the French Open, second round for the other half of the men's and women's draws. Game on!

What greeted me was Kim Clijsters - in her new hair style, of course - battling Arantxa Rus of Netherlands. Clijsters arrived in Roland Garros a little "cold", barely recovering from a twisted ankle, which she said she sustained while having fun in her cousin's wedding. She went through the first round though with relative ease to set up a meeting with Rus. And now, they were on... wait, third set?? And the score was 3-6, 7-5, 4-1 in favor of... Rus?? Yes, Rus! The 20-year old Dutch came back from one set down to go even with the No. 2 in the World, Clijsters. And Rus was trying to close the third set, hammering Clijsters, who was looking painfully vulnerable amidst disappointed "ooohs" and then appreciative claps - for Rus - from the crowd. I had to pour myself a tall glass of watermelon flavored Fit n' Right on a pile of ice cubes to take that all in. Before, I could even peel off my "restraining" blouse for a more comfortable tank top, the young Dutchwoman caused the biggest upset so far at Roland Garros: she sent the No. 2 in the World to a shocking second-round exit! And Clijsters's young conqueror stood there with a charming smile and a quiet and unassuming shrug after her 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win - very adorable. :)

Another big-name crash and underdog comeback played up in Roland Garros when the former #3 in the World, now seeded #28, Russian Nikolay Davydenko let unseeded Croat Antonio Veic come back into the match, to go one set even with him after the second set. The Croat then took the third set, while the Russian himself came back in the fourth before finally crashing in the fifth set. The Croat took the match with a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 win.

But, perhaps, the most heartbreaking big-name crash of the day was that of Number 8 in the World, Germany's Jurgen Melzer's. He went first on a seesaw win-lose contest with unseeded Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, until they went two sets even to go into the fifth set. The duo opened the match with a tightly contested first set, which went on a tie breaker, and eventually won by the German, 7(7)-6(4). Rosol came back strong in the second set, taking it at 6-4 before giving the third set to the German, 4-6. The fourth set, once again went into tie break, which Rosol won 7(7)-6(3). Rosol went into the fifth set charging and took it 6-4, advancing to the third round over the disappointed German.

The focus shifted to Andy Murray's match with Simone Bolleli over at Philippe Chatrier. Hmmm... it was like watching Caroline Wozniacki. Zzzzzzzzzzz....

***
Intensity and big name comebacks

Guess what brought me back to planet earth from my Murray-induced enthusiasm crash (ok, ok... I was tired from work, too)... Maria Sharapova's ear-splitting lung-power, of course! Ugh! Uhm, mute button, quick! *press* There! Whew!

The Shrieking One amazingly came back from one set down to go even with the brilliant Caroline Garcia... and I mean, "brilliant" as in "really brilliant"! Yes, Sharapova was completely outshone (but not outscreamed, of course) by the Frenchwoman in the first set... and half of second set. But experience and intensity (and her annoying shrieks?) helped her get back into the game, getting Garcia commit a lot of errors, and then finally taking the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 win and a very loud "c'mon" plus a swirl of the skirt of her pretty picnic, er, tennis dress! *yawn*

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And, hey, hey, hey, what have we got here... an all-Spaniard second round showpiece starring The King of Clay, Rafa Nadal, and the late John F. Kennedy Jr. look-alike, Pablo Andujar at the Court Suzanne Lenglen. The match started out with an early struggle for Rafa Nadal to win the first game! Oh, gosh, I have take-home work to do tonight... no more of that five-setter, please, Rafa! Actually, I should've been talking to Andujar... 'cause, with his passing shots and some powerful forehand shots there, he took The King up to his game, making Rafa work hard to shakily win the first set, 7-5. And then, Rafa Nadal had to hold his game up to assert himself in the second set, taking it convincingly at 6-3. But Andujar reminded himself that John Isner almost managed to demolish the King of Clay two days ago... and so, he tried his luck in the third set... impressing the crowd with awesome shotmaking. All of a sudden, the third set score was 5-1... in favor of Andujar!!! I needed another tall glass of iced watermelon Fit n' Right! And then, with the hallmark of his distinguished kingship on clay, Rafa Nadal, picked his tempo up, saving several set points, and toiled his way back patiently to take control of the third set despite fantastic showing by Andujar. One game at a time, he reached the tie break to take control of the third set, 7(7)-6(4). And he did it - through to the third round! Vamos!

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Although, this is not our traditional big-name comeback, Andy Murray had to keep coming back - to his own mind - as he faced Simone Bolleli at Court Philippe Chatrier. Bolleli forced the No. 4 in the World Scot from a languid first-round run to a more spirited showing... and was handed some success by the Scot with almost a full mental presence on court. The match was peppered with breaks and break-backs, down on points and comebacks, as Murray went hot and cold... and back again. So, what's new? But he did bring the match to a three-set finish with a 7-6, 6-4, 7-5 win at the approval of his Mum (is it just me, or is Andy's Mum's presence in every single match he played has already become very annoying?). To be honest though Andy Murray's less than committed run sent my mind flying somewhere else, and I didn't see most of the third set... somebody crashed, big time - me. :)

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Comeback nuggets:

While #5 in the World and two-time Roland Garros runner-up Swede, Robin Soderling (I really like his "all business" stance everytime he steps on the court), had an easy passage through to the third round, Fernando Verdasco of Spain had to comeback from one set down to go even in the second set with Belgian, Xavier Malisse. He then had to dig deep from his tennis emergency shotmaking kit to win the tie break in the critical third set. He eventually clinched his second-round match, 4-6, 6-3, 7(7)-6(5), 6-1. Verdasco will be up against Croat Ivan Ljubicic, who beat American Sam Querrey, in the third round, while Soderling will be facing Argentina's Leonardo Mayer who beat Marcos Baghdatis in another tight contest.

Edward Cullen look-alike, #18 Gilles Simon looked rusty as he let the first set slip in his own match with fellow Frenchman, the unseeded Jeremy Chardy. But, he came back strong to win the match in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.


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Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks!