For the second year in a row, Roger Federer is on course to equalize Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles. Defending champion Rafael Nadal is also through to the second week as he goes for his third French Open-Wimbledon duo. While Novak Djokovic, the hottest player this season, is in great form through three matches.

The world’s top three players are still the ones to beat heading into the round of 16 while world number four and hometown pick Andy Murray is also alive with an outside chance. Here’s a review of the past few days and a look at the rest of the tournament.

Federer has looked superb through the first three rounds of play. The Swiss dominated his third round match against a less than 100% David Nalbandian who’s had his number previously.

In the fourth round, Federer takes on Mikhail Youzhny. Federer has won all ten of their prior meetings and the Russian has never been beyond the round of 16 at this event.

David Ferrer tied his best showing at the All England Club by reaching the round of 16 and will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who was a quarterfinalist last year. The winner of that contest will probably battle Federer in the quarterfinals.

After straight sets triumphs his initial two matches, Djokovic had to bear down against Marcos Baghdatis to move on in four in the third round. On Monday, Djokovic meets Michael Llodra in the fourth round. Although Llodra is sensational on grass, he should be no match for Djokovic.

Eighteen year old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic is the unforeseen name in the second week. In the first round, Tomic took down veteran Nikolay Davydenko. Next, he erased a 2 set to love deficit to topple another veteran Igor Andreev.

In the third round, Tomic stunned an ailing Robin Soderling in straight sets. The teenager clashes with veteran Xavier Malisse in the round of 16. The one left standing will probably see Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Consequently, a Djokovic-Federer semifinal seems a done deal.

Although Nadal was pushed his first three rounds, the Spaniard still dispatched his opponents in three sets. Juan Martin Del Potro was also tested in his second and third round matches by Olivier Rochus and Gilles Simon respectively but came through. As a result, the anticipated duel between Nadal and Del Potro will occur in the round of 16.

Since Del Potro’s return from wrist surgery, the two only tussled once at Indian Wells. Del Potro has improved considerably since that meeting. Yet, with his previous success on this surface, Nadal will squeak by.

With three time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick’s shocking exit in the third round to Feliciano Lopez, Mardy Fish is the sole surviving American. In his maiden fourth round showing at the All England Club, Fish collides with 2010 runner up Tomas Berdych.

Berdych and Fish have never played. Considering his 2010 breakthrough, Berdych has underachieved this year. Therefore, Fish has a tremendous opportunity to cinch his primary quarterfinal at Wimbledon where he will stare at either Nadal or Del Potro.

Twice a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, Lopez encounters Lukasz Kubot in the round of 16. The 29 year old qualifier in his second main draw at this tournament ousted Arnaud Clement, then Ivo Karlovic and subsequently upended Gael Monfils in the third round.

With Murray’s erratic performance so far, his fourth round rival Richard Gasquet should be able to capitalize. However, twice, Roland Garros in 2010 and Wimbledon in 2008, Gasquet blew a 2 set to 0 lead against the Brit. That is a gargantuan psychological hurdle for Gasquet to overcome. As such, Murray should make it to the quarterfinals.

Murray prevailed in all four meetings against Lopez and appears to have a comfortable road to the semifinals. The question is whether Nadal or Del Potro will be his adversary.

Similar to the French Open, the top four players have a good chance of colliding in the semifinals. With Federer ending Djokovic’s perfect season, the latter will be looking for revenge. Djokovic is hungry for this distinctive prize which can work in his favor or his detriment.

On the other hand, Federer has the pressure of wanting to make history. The same applies to Murray with his nation hoping to claim its home trophy for the first time since 1936. Nadal is playing with fewer expectations which sets up the perfect scenario for him walking away with the championship for the second straight year.

For the first time at the All England Club, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the top two seeds. Defending champion Nadal will fight to collect his third hardware at this venue and his third French Open-Wimbledon combo. Djokovic who registered his maiden loss of the year at the previous major after a forty-one match unbeaten run will attempt to reach his first final at SW 19.

Two other competitors are also hoping to make history. Third seed Roger Federer tries to equalize Pete Sampras’ all time record of seven titles while fourth seed Andy Murray carries the aspirations of an isle on his shoulders. This fortnight, Murray aims to terminate his nation’s 75 year drought at its home major. Here’s the breakdown of the 2011 Wimbledon draw.

For world number one Nadal, it should be smooth sailing until the third round. In that session, the defending champion could be bothered by phenom Milos Raonic. Again in the round of 16, Nadal will be on crash alert with Juan Martin Del Potro his likely opponent. Consequently, there are various rocks along the road early on for the top seed.

In the quarterfinals, Nadal could face a rematch of last year’s final with Tomas Berdych. Considering Berdych’s average performance this season, the Spaniard should have the advantage. However, a semifinal against either Andy Roddick, a three time finalist, or Murray will be a harder challenge.

Having won the Queen’s Club trophy for the second time, Murray has once more found his mojo. Murray’s potential third round counterpart is Marin Cilic and either Stanislas Wawrinka or Richard Gasquet in the fourth round. While these are all worthy adversaries, Murray should have the upper hand.

Roddick also has a favorable path until the round of 16 where the unpredictable Gael Monfils possibly awaits. A Murray-Roddick quarterfinal would be a rematch of their sensational 2009 semifinal. Although Roddick’s year has been sub-par to date, he can rebound at SW19 where he has had great success previously.

Djokovic and Federer anchor the bottom half of the draw. Thus, the two could collide in the semifinals.

Federer’s initial obstacle could be in the third round in the form of David Nalbandian. The Argentine has been contending with injury but has the tools to trouble Federer. In the quarterfinals, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer could offer Federer stiff opposition. Still, the Swiss maestro would be in the driver’s seat.

Like Federer, Djokovic could have a few early intricate encounters such as Marcos Baghdatis in the third round and Michael Llodra or Viktor Troicki in the round of 16. Yet, Djokovic should move on to the quarterfinals.

The wildcard in that section is Robin Soderling. Even though grass is not Soderling’s strong suit and he’s been inconsistent this season, Soderling will be a formidable hurdle for either Djokovic in the quarterfinals or Federer in the semifinals.

Call it kismet or curse, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut who last year redefined the meaning of marathon match will do battle again in the first round. Without question, each man is praying for a less dramatic outing this time around.

Surprises at the majors have been few on the men’s side with Nadal and Federer dominant at the ultimate six to seven years. However, the gap has shrunk between the top three players with Djokovic raising his game to new heights this season.

Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have the greatest possibly of hoisting the trophy on the final Sunday. With less than one hundred points separating him from the Spaniard, Djokovic could rearrange the pecking order and overtake Nadal at number one after this event.

For Nadal to retain the title, Federer to bag number seven or Murray to become a hometown hero, for at least one or all, the road may lead through Djokovic. Fasten your seatbelt, Wimbledon will be quite the ride this year.

It’s been smooth sailing for Nadal in getting through to the round of 16.  The world number one’s excellent form will come in handy as he faces 2010 semifinalist Marin Cilic.  After two easy matches, Cilic edged out John Isner 9-7 in the fifth to earn a crack at Nadal.

After a thrilling first round five setter against Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian called it quit in the second round, four games away from being handed a straight set loss.  Mikhail Youzhny also departed earlier than expected.  The tenth seed was sent packing in the third round by Milos Raonic.  The 20 year old Canadian qualifier with the humongous serve also ousted Michael Llodra, the 22nd seed in the second round.  Next up for Raonic will be David Ferrer who is a relentless competitor.  Ferrer’s experience may prove too much for the youngster.  Thus, a Ferrer-Nadal quarterfinal showdown is the likely scenario.

Without much fuss, both Robyn Soderling and Andy Murray have been taking care of business.  Soderling’s fourth round match will be against Alexandr Dolgopolov.  The Ukrainian upset 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round.  Following an impressive second round match versus Juan Martin Del Potro, Marcos Baghdatis was forced to retire down two sets to one with a hand injury in his third round match against Jurgen Melzer.  As such, Murray will battle Melzer for a quarterfinal berth.

After letting a two set to none advantage evaporate, Federer came back in the fifth set to vanquish Gilles Simon in the second round.  Interestingly, it was Federer’s first victory over the Frenchman in their three meetings.  With Americans Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey on that side of the draw going out prematurely, Federer will play Tommy Robredo in the round of 16.  Despite a 9-0 mark versus Robredo, Federer will have to keep his eye on the ball if he plans to stick around.

Federer’s countryman, Stanislas Wawrinka is having a sensational tournament.  Wawrinka is for the first time in his second week at the Australian Open.  Wawrinka dispatched all his rivals in three sets including Gael Monfils in the third round.  On the other hand, Andy Roddick, the last American standing, after routine wins the initial two rounds had a spot of bother in his third round encounter.  Thus, Roddick may have his hands well occupied with Wawrinka in the fourth round.

Considering the caliber of the opponents Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round and Richard Gasquet the third round, Tomas Berdych has fared well to reach the round of 16.  The sixth seed will now have to get through Fernando Verdasco, the 2009 semifinalist, in order to move on to his first quarterfinal in Melbourne.  Verdasco himself had a lucky five set escape in the second round versus Janko Tipsarevic.

Novak Djokovic, the 2008 champion, should be well rested for his round of 16 match since Viktor Troicki retired in the third round after only one set.  Moreover, with Nicolas Almagro as the opposition, it’s a mere formality that Djokovic will advance to the quarterfinals.

With Nadal and Federer still alive, the question becomes who can stop them from obtaining another major.  Certainly, Murray and Soderling are proving so far that they could be up to that task.  In a couple of days, it will be known whether Nadal will complete the “Rafa Slam” with four consecutive majors or Federer pocket his 17th major.  Quarterfinal action gets underway in a few hours.

1969 was the year when Rod Laver accomplished the calendar grand slam for the second time.  Laver had done so previously in 1962.  At the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal will attempt to become the first person to hold all four majors simultaneously, although not in the same calendar year.  Like Nadal, Roger Federer has won three majors in a single year on multiple occasions, but never held all four.  With a historic sixteen majors, Federer, the defending champion, will be one of the competitors trying to halt Nadal from revising  the tennis annals.  Indeed, if the Australian Open draw holds up, Nadal’s route to his second title is fraught with red flags.

After seemingly comfortable initial two rounds, Nadal may see Marin Cilic in the round of 16.  Despite disappointing results the remainder of 2010 after a semifinal placement in Melbourne, for Cilic knowing that he’s gone that far at this major can be an inspiration.  Moreover, the only time these two met in 2009, Cilic was the victor. In the quarterfinals, Nadal also has a few pesky potential opponents to look forward to: Mikhail Youzhny, David Ferrer and David Nalbandian.  On any given day, these men can be a real thorn on any individual’s side.

The second part of the top half of the draw has Robin Soderling and Andy Murray as the top seeds.  Either player could clash with Nadal in the semifinals.  Soderling appears to have a favorable trek until the round of 16 where he will possibly collide with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2007 Australian Open finalist and 2010 semifinalist.  On the other hand, 2010 finalist Murray may get Juan Martin Del Potro, Marcos Baghdatis or Jurgen Melzer.  Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, and Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, would be a contest for anyone.  Whether it’s Murray, Soderling or Tsonga in the semis, Nadal will have to his hands occupied in order to reach his second Australian Open final.

To say Federer is hungry for the title is an understatement considering the implications if Nadal prevails. Could Mardy Fish or Sam Querrey trouble the defending champion in the round of 16?  Possibly.  However, with Federer’s four titles out of five his last five tournaments, it’s unlikely anyone will down him early on. Both Gael Monfils and Stanislas Wawrinka have a win over Federer, but are a combined 2-11.  Therefore, it’s inconceivable that either Monfils or Wawrinka will upend Federer in the quarterfinals.  Once again, Andy Roddick may find himself in the position of needing to go through Federer to advance to the semifinals.  Despite Roddick’s 2-20 against Federer, he is the most formidable rival who can actually put a crimp in Federer’s style.

In the semifinals, potential adversaries for Federer include Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych.  Federer has an axe to grind with each of them since Djokovic defeated him in the semifinals at the U.S. Open and Berdych in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year.  Despite Berdych’s success in 2010, there a sense that he is still mentally frail.  Thus, it would not be astounding if Philipp Kohlschreiber boots him in the second round or if he falls to Richard Gasquet in the third round or is ousted in the fourth round by either Fernando Verdasco or Janko Tipsarevic.

Other than Viktor Troicki in the third round, no other persons comes off as a credible threat to Djokovic.  While Berdych surprised Djokovic in the semifinals at Wimbledon last year, in a quarterfinal match in Melbourne, Djokovic would have the advantage.  With the Davis Cup title last December, Djokovic finished the year on a high note while Berdych fizzled after Wimbledon.  Consequently, a rematch of the 2010 U.S. Open semifinals, Dojokovic versus Federer may be in store.

Will it be Rafa or Roger?  That’s the question on everyone’s mind.  Either way, it will be an Australian Open for the history books.  Federer could continue to pile it on with his seventeenth major while Nadal hoist four consecutive majors.  Can Del Potro or Djokovic sneak in for a second major title in an era dominated by two men or will it be Murray to add his name to the club of major winners?  In two weeks, all will know the response.

No room for dispute, 2010 was a banner year for Rafael Nadal.  The Spaniard captured three majors, regained the world number one ranking and completed the career grand slam.  As such, Nadal’s domination left no ambiguity as to who was the most outstanding player in 2010.  With the year at a close, here’s a snapshot of the stories which caught the headlines this foregone season.

After a slow start, Nadal found his footing on clay with his first calendar title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.  Subsequent to banking titles at the Masters in Rome and Madrid, Nadal culminated his clay campaign with his fifth big prize at Roland Garros.  At Wimbledon, the Spaniard defended his 2008 title to seize his second major at the All England Club.  Finally, at U.S. Open, with troublesome obstacles removed from his half of the draw,  Nadal reached his first final in New York.  Nadal stared down a strong challenge from Novak Djokovic to hoist his first U.S. Open trophy.  With a total of seven titles, Nadal topped his peers in 2010.

For Roger Federer, this year was a mixed bag.  After grabbing his sixteenth major in Australia, Federer had a fourth round loss at the Sony Ericsson Open to Tomas Berdych which sent him into a tailspin.  As defending champion at the French Open, Federer was beaten in the quarterfinals by Robin Soderling which ended an unprecedented streak of twenty-three consecutive semifinals at the majors.  Furthermore, defending champ Federer was ousted in the quarterfinals by Berdych at Wimbledon.  In fact, Federer’s ranking dropped to number three, his lowest since November 2003.  Yet, with his second title of the season at the Cincinnati Masters, Federer seemed again on the right road.  However, Federer failed to take advantage of match points in the U.S. Open semifinals against Djokovic and went down in flames.  After the New York fiasco, Federer resurfaced with a fresh coach, Paul Annacone, and won three of four finals including the ATP World Tour finals where he toppled Nadal.

The Australian Open appeared a turning point for Andy Murray.  Easily handled in the final by Federer, Murray could do nothing right with the racket for a while. Eventually at Wimbledon, Murray advanced to the semifinals only to be disappointed by Nadal.  With the defense of his title at the Rogers Cup, Murray seemed to be back.  But, another setback occurred at the U.S. Open where Murray was stunned in the third round by Stanislas Wawrinka.  In besting Federer in the Shanghai Masters final, Murray looked to be heading for a strong finish.  Yet, at the ATP World Tour Finals, Murray took another  downturn.  This was emblematic of the Scot’s tumultuous year which included a rupture with coach Miles Maclagan, a brief ceding of the world number four spot to Soderling and only two titles.

With solely two titles and a U.S. Open final appearance, Djokovic had a so-so year.  The Serb even ascended to number two for a bit, but finished at number three.  While individual success was sparse, Djokovic led his country to its first Davis Cup title.  Along with countryman Viktor Troicki, Djokovic mounted a brilliant comeback to stop France from a tenth trophy.

For the second consecutive year, Soderling earned a place in the final at Roland Garros.  Last year, by shocking Nadal in the round of 16, Soderling stamped his name into tennis trivia.  This time around though there was no surprise as Nadal exacted sweet revenge.  In the Paris Masters final, Soderling vanquished Gael Monfils for his biggest career title.  A few weeks later, Soderling announced that coach Magnus Norman and he were splitting up because the former wanted to dedicate more time to his family.  Thus, it will be interesting to see how Soderling will fare without the man who spearheaded his rise.

Despite no titles, 2010 was a breakthrough season for Berdych.  After a finalist showing at the Sony Ericsson Open, Berdych made it to the semifinals at Roland Garros.  Moreover, Berdych booked his first slot in the final of a major at Wimbledon.  Consequently feeling the weight of expectation, Berdych crashed in the first round at the U.S. Open and had a mediocre finish to his season.  With his highest career ranking at number six, Berdych will have to prove in 2011 that he was not a flash in the pants but the real deal.

At 28, David Ferrer, a former world number four, shot up from a ranking of 17 at season’s start to number 7 at year’s end.  The hardworking Spaniard claimed two titles and participated in the year ending championships in London.  Although compatriot Fernando Verdasco also terminated the season with two titles and as the world number nine, he missed out on the final dance.  Furthermore, unlike 2009, Verdasco performed poorly at the majors with a single quarterfinal showing at the U.S. Open.

With his triumph at the Sony Ericsson Open, Andy Roddick seemed to put all the elements together for a push to another final at a major.  But Roddick hit a low following a gut wrenching loss to Yen-Hsun Lu ranked 82nd in the Wimbledon round of 16.  Later, Roddick had an early departure in Washington.  As a result, for the first time since 1973, no American male was ranked in the top ten in singles.  Shortly thereafter, tests revealed Roddick was on the tail end of a bout of mononucleosis.  At the ATP World Tour Finals, Roddick was a shell of what he had been when the season began.

Several other veterans stood up in 2010.  Mikhail Youzhny demonstrated he still had game at the age of 28 with two titles.  The Russian was a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros, a semifinalist at the U.S. Open and ended the year as the world number ten.  At 29, Jurgen Melzer reached his first career major semifinal at Roland Garros and had his best ranking at eleven.  Besides, Melzer and Philipp Petzschener won their first doubles major at Wimbledon.  Following hip surgery, with a title at the Legg Mason Classic, David Nalbandian proved once again he was a force.  Michael Llodra equaled his career high ranking of 23 and was essential to France’s run to the final of the Davis Cup.  In the final at Indian Wells, 31 year old Ivan Ljubicic upended Roddick for his tenth and loftiest career prize.

As a result of a wrist injury in the early months, Juan Martin Del Potro went from a potent threat to Nadal and Federer to being unable to defend his U.S. Open title.  After the Australian Open, Del Potro had surgery and needed months to recuperate.  Del Potro returned in October and played just two tournaments with prompt exits.  Thus, Del Potro the world number four last year finds his ranking in the cellar at 258 this month.

At Wimbledon, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut made history with the longest match ever.  In a first round match lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes over two days, Isner emerged as the winner edging Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set.  However, the next round, Isner was drained and went away in straight sets.

Carlos Moya, the 1998 French Open champion and former world number one, succumbed to age and a body which would not cooperate despite his desire to continue.  This November, Moya retired at 34 after winning twenty titles.

In doubles, Mike and Bob Bryan dominated with an unblemished record in finals at 11 including the Australian and U. S. Open titles.  Also, the two became the winningest team in doubles surpassing the previous mark set by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde at 61. In addition, the Bryan brothers finished at number one ahead of Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.  Despite seven titles, amongst them the French Open and the ATP World Tour Finals, Zimonjic and Nestor decided to part ways at season’s end.

In conclusion, with the 2011 season just around the corner, there are a horde of interesting questions on fanatics’ mind.  Can Nadal accomplish the calendar grand slam?  Will Federer win another major or will 16 be all he wrote?  Moreover, can Federer wrestle the number one ranking from his nemesis?  Will Murray terminate the British drought at the majors?  Who will be the breakout star of this new season ?  Will Del Potro be healthy again and climb back to where he was in 2009?  With the Australian Open less than three weeks away, some of these answers will be come soon enough.

The initial week at the U.S. Open is complete and the men’s field has been scaled down to sixteen players.  Two names missing from the roll call are Andy Roddick and Andy Murray.  These two touted favorites were upset early on. Here’s a summary of the past seven days and an analysis of what could unfold the next few rounds.

While Rafael Nadal barely passed his pre-tournament exams in Toronto and Cincinnati, in his first three matches at the Open, the Spaniard gets an A plus.  Despite being tested, with a beefed up first serve to the tune of 130 miles per hour at times, Nadal has dispatched each adversary in three sets.  In the fourth round, Nadal will face compatriot Feliciano Lopez.  With Nadal’s 5-2 record against his fellow citizen, Lopez is likely the subsequent sacrificial lamb.

After surviving a five set tussle in the first round against Fabio Fognini ranked 86th, Fernando Verdasco is in the round of 16 and will take on David Ferrer, the tenth seed.  Although Verdasco has a 6-4 edge in their encounters, Ferrer prevailed at their last meeting on clay and at their only battle on hardcourt in 2004.  David Nalbandian, one of the few players who could have troubled Nadal, was easily given his marching orders by Verdasco in the third round.

Also in the top section of the draw, seventh seed Tomas Berdych was surprised in the first round by Michael Llodra.  However, the jaw dropper came today with  Murray, the 2008 finalist and fourth seed, dismissed by Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round. The Swiss advanced for the third occasion to the fourth round in New York.   Wawrinka will meet Sam Querrey for a spot in the quarterfinals.  Consequently, for Querrey, this is the ideal scenario to book his maiden quarterfinal berth at a major.

The Spaniards have ruled and Tommy Robredo made sure to partake in the round of 16 festivities. With John Isner beaten by Mikhail Youzhny in the third round, Robredo and the Russian will fight for a place in the quarterfinals.

Another American  propelled into the limelight this week was eighteen year old Ryan Harrison.  After coming through three rounds of qualifying, Harrison stunned Ivan Ljubicic, the fifteenth seed, in the first round.  Furthermore, Harrison was one point from a win in a fifth set tiebreaker in the second round.  Harrison became the first American teen to vanquish a top twenty player at a major since Roddick in 2001 also at this event.

With Murray done and dusted, Verdasco, Lopez, Ferrer, Wawrinka, Querrey, Robredo and Youzhny are the survivors in the top half of the draw.  Nadal has a record of 48 victories and 9 defeats against the guys left .  Thus, one can effectively write Nadal’s name on the final’s program.  As the axiom says, “one never knows for whom he works”.

Following a routine debut match, Roddick was toppled in the second round by Janko Tipsarevic.  As such, Roddick’s quest for a second major will be delayed another year.  With Roddick taking leave, a formidable hindrance to Novak Djokovic was removed in the bottom half of the draw.

After a near exit in the first round against Victor Troicki, Djokovic cleaned up his act to reach the fourth round against Mardy Fish.  The American had a strange five set, first round match whereby he lost one game in the three sets he carried.  In the third round, Fish escaped again, wrapping up the win in five sets against veteran Arnaud Clement who shocked Marcos Baghdatis in the first round.  Fish will be in search of his initial victory against Djokovic in five attempts.  With the wave Fish has been riding recently, it’s a feasible goal.

In the second round, sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko fell to Richard Gasquet. With his most successful showing at a major since 2008, Gasquet is now into the fourth round and will collide with fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils.  In contrast to Monfils whose play has had many highs as well as lows, Gasquet bounced his adversaries in three sets.  Hence, if Gasquet continues to be consistent, he has an excellent shot at making the quarterfinals.

In the same section, Marin Cilic, the eleventh seed, ran into Kei Nishikori in the second round.  Cilic was worn out by his opponent and the heat.  Yet, an injured Nishikori retired the subsequent round giving Albert Montanes safe passage.

Robin Soderling progressed to the fourth round after getting through the first round in five sets.  Since then, Soderling has been flawless and faces Montanes in the fourth round.  Thus, for Soderling, a quarterfinal meeting with Roger Federer appears almost certain.

Compared to Nadal, Federer has not been pushed and has readily reached the round of 16.  Federer will confront Jurgen Melzer whom he knocked out in their sole career meeting at Wimbledon two months ago.  For the five time champion, the real work will start with Soderling his likely quarterfinal counterpart.

With Roddick and Murray gone, it’s time to recalibrate.  In the top half of the draw, Nadal appears to be holding all the aces and seems a shoo-in for his first final in the Big Apple.  The singular brainteaser is who will be on the other side of the net on that day.  If Federer maintains the form he has demonstrated of late, in spite of the difficulties which Soderling or Djokovic could present in the quarterfinals or semifinals respectively, he should solve them.  In that case, there will be a Nadal-Federer final with the latter having a high chance of bagging his seventeenth major.  To the contrary, Soderling, Djokovic or Fish will be the one standing between Nadal and the career grand slam.  Under those circumstances, the Spaniard would be sitting pretty and hoisting his first U.S. Open trophy.

The U.S. Open draw has been unveiled with the usual suspects at the top pack.  Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are the highest seeds followed respectively by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.  For some, the path has multiple green lights, but for others it is lined with yellow flags.  Here’s a breakdown of the draw.

After his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, Nadal is once more in pursuit of the U.S. Open trophy, the sole major he lacks.  In 2008, the Spaniard was halted in the semifinals by Murray and last year in the same round by Juan Martin Del Potro, the champion.  Although Nadal has been the most prolific performer on grass and clay this season, hardcourt has been a different story.  Nadal has a lone final appearance in January in Doha and went down to Nikolay Davydenko.  With neither injury nor fatigue an issue this time, Nadal is capable of going the distance.  However, there may be a significant boulder in his way in the quarterfinals.

Finally in shape after hip surgery, David Nalbandian has made himself part of the conversation and could clash with Nadal in the quarterfinals.  Although Nadal recorded the win at their last meeting at the Sony Ericsson Open in March, Nalbandian’s form has improved markedly since then.  Moreover, Nalbandian took the title as a wildcard at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic earlier this month.  As a result, the Argentine will not be an easy customer for the Spaniard.

While Fernando Verdasco, the eight seed, is technically another likely quarterfinal counterpart for Nadal, Verdasco is at best a minute obstacle.  With a 10-0 record against his countryman, in a five set match, Nadal is a sure bet.

De novo, Nadal has been placed on a collision course with Murray to reach his first U.S. Open final.  Twice on hardcourt this year, Murray has comprehensively beaten Nadal including the Rogers Cup two weeks ago.  After dreadful results most of the season, Murray is at last in form and defended his title in Toronto.  If they clash in the semifinals, Nadal will have a tough time getting a pass.

Beforehand, Murray may need to handle his own spot of bother in the shape of Sam Querrey in the round of 16.  In the final of the Farmers Classic in July, Querrey prevailed over Murray.  In addition, Tomas Berdych, the French Open semifinalist and Wimbledon finalist, is a probable quarterfinal rival for Murray.  Therefore, a Murray-Nadal semifinal is not set in stone.

The bottom half of the draw is also intriguing with Robin Soderling, Andy Roddick, Djokovic and Federer, the projected quarterfinalists.  Yet, Mardy Fish and Marcos Baghdatis may spell trouble for the top seeds in that section considering their performance this summer.

The last time Federer encountered Lleyton Hewitt, it was the Halle final.  That day, Hewitt walked away with the trophy.  In the third round, Federer may get the opportunity to pay Hewitt back.  A similar scenario could unfold with Soderling who will likely be Federer’s quarterfinal match-up.  Soderling derailed Federer in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. Neither Soderling nor Hewitt has posted good results during the summer hardcourt season.  Conversely, Federer defended his title in Cincinnati and is playing his best tennis since his triumph at the Australian Open.  Hence, Federer’s chances of advancing to the semifinals are strong.

Still with the lingering effect of mononucleosis, Roddick reached the semifinals in Cincinnati last week. If illness is a non-factor, Roddick should have no difficulty getting by Davydenko in the round of 16.  Complications may come in the quarterfinals if Roddick faces Baghdatis or Fish.  The latter ousted Roddick in the semifinals in Cincinnati and Atlanta this summer after being winless nine consecutive times.

Out of deference as the third seed, Djokovic can be said to be a contender.  However, the Serb’s performance these past few tournaments leads one to question his physical and mental toughness in a torrid New York heat.  So, depending on the weather, Baghdatis or Fish could sneak through, thwarting a possible Roddick-Djokovic semifinal.  Nevertheless, if it comes down to a Roddick-Djokovic semifinal, Roddick should be in the driver’s seat.

Federer, Murray, Roddick and Nadal, in that order, are the heavyweights while Nalbandian, Soderling, Djokovic and Berdych are the middleweights with an outside chance for the title.  With major number seventeen, Federer would be three shy of his set objective of twenty.  After being denied twice, Murray is hopeful that on this occasion he will join the elite club of major champions.  For Roddick, a second trophy would silence the critics who are determined to label him as a “one slam wonder”.  By completing the career grand slam, Nadal would demonstrate that he is indeed a complete player and elevate himself to legendary status.

Following his Australian Open victory in February, Roger Federer’s game had been in a tailspin.  In his best form since Melbourne, Federer made the final at the Rogers Cup last week, but went down to Andy Murray.  However, today, Federer edged out wildcard Mardy Fish 6-7,7-6,6-4 at the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters for his second straight Western and Southern Financial Group Masters title and  his 17th Masters’ shield.

This hardcourt season, Fish has positioned himself as a man to fear.  After a grass title in Newport, Fish claimed the initial trophy of the Olympus U.S. Open series in Atlanta.  In Cincinnati the first three rounds, Fish dismissed Gilles Simon, 9th seed Fernando Verdasco and Richard Gasquet in straight sets.  Subsequently, in the quarterfinals, Fish defeated Andy Murray for the third consecutive time.  Then, in the semifinals, Fish collected his second successive win over Andy Roddick by erasing a 4-6,2-5 deficit and improved his record to 16-1 since Wimbledon.  Thus, with these results, Fish’s confidence was astronomical.

Moreover, with Fish in the most outstanding physical shape of his career and an easy triumph over Federer in their last meeting at Indian Wells in 2008, the chances were excellent that in his fourth attempt, Fish would gain his first Masters’ shield.  Conversely, despite advancing to two other finals besides Toronto, Federer was denied in Madrid and Halle this year.  In his 90th career final, Federer was hungrier than ever to capture his 63rd career title and gain momentum heading into the U.S. Open.

Subsequent to a comfortable hold by each player, Fish got embroiled in a 15 minute plus game.  After surviving two break points, on the ninth deuce, Fish obtained a game point with a backhand volley winner and sealed the game with a strong serve for 2-1.  Thereafter, both men cruised on serve until the tenth game when Fish misfired on a forehand up the line to give Federer set point.  With an ace, Fish wiped out Federer’s advantage and later tied the set at 5 all.  At 5-6 on Fish’s serve, Federer arrived again at set point when Fish’s stroke hit the net and flew long.  Once more, Fish repelled his opponent and forced a tiebreaker.

On Federer’s backhand crosscourt error, Fish got a mini-break for 4-3.  But, with two forehand winners, Federer stole both points off Fish’s serve for 5-4.  Still, Fish reversed the tides with an overhead winner and a backhand error by Federer to fabricate set point at 6-5.  With Federer unable to catch up to Fish’s serve, the American bagged the tiebreaker.

Yet to face a break point, Federer continued to coast on serve in the second set.  However, Fish had no problem matching the defending champion.  In fact, Fish’s first serve percentage improved as the set progressed.  At two all, Fish pushed Federer to a deuce game.  But, Federer guarded serve to stay ahead 3-2.  After holding at love for 6-5, Federer got to deuce on Fish’s watch with a forehand up the line winner.  By readily finding his first serve, Fish held for a second tiebreaker.

With a forehand crosscourt winner, Federer inched ahead with a mini-break for 2-0.  After stretching his lead to 4-1, Federer provoked two errors from Fish to take command of the tiebreaker at 6-1.  Next with an ace, Federer leveled the match at one set a piece and forced a decisive set.

Most of the ultimate set had a pattern similar to the prior two with neither person giving a millimeter on serve.  Following a quick hold, Fish caused Federer to flub a forehand for 30 all.  Yet, this was the extent of the American’s progress.  With two unreturnable serves, Federer maintained serve for 4 all.  At this point, a third tiebreaker seemed eminent.  But, at 30 all, Fish sent a forehand out of play giving Federer a break point.  Finally, on his fifth break opportunity, by staying patient in a long rally, Federer capitalized as Fish’s backhand sailed wide for a 5-4 advantage.  Then, with Fish’s miscue on a backhand return, Federer had double match point.  Although Fish salvaged one, on the next chance, Federer bagged the championship when Fish failed to accurately stick another backhand.

The last wildcard to prevail in Cincinnati was Boris Becker in 1985.  Fish would have been deserving of the title and a note in the history books after coming so close in the 2003 final against Roddick.  As he collected his second finalist trophy, Fish received a huge round of applause.  Fish recognized the crowd and expressed his appreciation for its support in saying “this is one of my favorite tournaments . . . I gave it everything I had . . . Roger is the greatest of all time . . . I’ll be back next year”.

Federer was also impressed with Fish’s performance citing “Mardy played fantastic. . . It could have gone either way”.  Federer also acknowledged that without the fans the week would not have been as gratifying commenting “you made it special”.  With this win, Federer equals Mats Wilander’s all time record in Cincinnati with four titles and becomes the first person since Andre Agassi in 1995-96 to repeat at this event.

For both athletes, it was a banner week.  By vanquishing Marcos Baghdatis in the semifinals, Federer assured a second place seeding at the U.S. Open.  Last week, Federer reclaimed the number two ranking by overcoming Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.  In Fish’s case, his status as a finalist means that his ranking will shoot up from 36 to 21 thereby locking his spot as a seed in New York.

Unlike the Rogers Cup where the top four seeds reached the semifinals, three crashed out in the quarterfinals.  Rafael Nadal was stopped by Baghdatis, Murray by Fish and Djokovic by Roddick.

Interestingly, since the Australian Open final, both Federer and Murray, the runner-up, have struggled.  But, the last couple of events in North America, these two appear to have rediscovered their form with each successfully defending his respective title.  As such, Federer and Murray will certainly be two of the favorites in New York.  However, with the likes of David Nalbandian, Fish and Baghdatis excelling this summer, the plot thickens as the U.S. Open approaches.

As a former world number three, Nalbandian’s current ranking of 117 due to hip surgery and other injuries the past twelve months did not reflect his talent.  In phenomenal form this week, dropping just one set prior to the final, Nalbandian felt his game was now coming together.  Classify it as arrogance, confidence or clairvoyance, after his semifinal win yesterday, Nalbandian intimated that if his form held up, he would run away with the title.

The first game of the match, following two errors by Baghdatis, Nalbandian connected on a forehand crosscourt return winner to earn triple break point.  When Baghdatis’ forehand landed long, Nalbandian took the game.  Next, the Argentine consolidated for a 2-0 lead.  His next time serving, Baghdatis got on the board for 2-1.  Too many return mistakes by Baghdatis especially on second serves led to short rallies and permitted Nalbandian to maintain the break advantage for 4-2. After having game point, Baghdatis double faulted for deuce.  Then, by netting a backhand down the line, the Cypriot donated another break point.  Nalbandian capitalized by hitting a backhand pass for a winner and 5-2.  By comfortably holding, Nalbandian wrapped up the first set in 32 minutes.

In yesterday’s semifinal, Nalbandian required just 72 minutes to dismiss fourth seed Marin Cilic.  His first set performance gave off the vibe that this might be another short match.  After having a game point, Baghdatis double faulted and later on in the first game gave Nalbandian a break point.  Fortunately for the Cypriot, he guarded serve.  The subsequent game, it was Nalbandian who cracked, committing two double faults to gift Baghdatis his first break and a 2-0 lead.  Quickly though, Nalbandian rebounded with a forehand down the line winner for double break point which he banked after a backhand error by Baghdatis.  In the fourth game, Baghdatis obtained double break point on another Nalbandian double fault.  Despite Nalbandian having to resort to his second serve, Baghdatis failed to seize those chances. Too casual on a forehand volley, Baghdatis dumped it in the net on his fifth break point.  Ultimately, Nalbandian salvaged six break points to level the set at 2 all.  Next, on another mistake filled game, Nalbandian broke to move ahead 3-2.  Nevertheless, Baghdatis did not relent and promptly stole the following game to get back on serve.  After holding, Baghdatis knocked at the door again, earning two break points, yet was rebuked by Nalbandian.  Following three love holds by the players, with Nalbandian serving at 5-6, Baghdatis reached set point.  As before, Nalbandian dug out of trouble and pushed the set to a tiebreaker.

Aided by miscues from Baghdatis, Nalbandian rolled off five straight points in the tiebreaker for 5-0.  With Baghdatis misfiring on an easy forehand, Nalbandian arrived at 6-3 and had three championship points.  As Baghdatis’ forehand up the line sailed wide, Nalbandian claimed his 11th career trophy.  The Argentine’s first since Sydney 2009.

Subsequent to the match, Baghdatis’ analysis was as follow when asked by MiamiTennisNews:
Q.  Did you feel you had to go for more on your second serve because Nalbandian returns so well?
Baghdatis: Yes. I felt in the second set I had to mix it up a bit, go for more.  I think I did pretty well in the second set.  We are two players who are great at returning.  I think if I served better today especially first serve, with more free points, I could have won.. I did not do that which was the key to the match.

Still, after being ranked in the 150’s last year and relegated to the challenger circuit to regain his form after injury, Baghdatis expressed there are multiple positives to build on from this week since his ranking will be back around 21.

For his part, Nalbandian stated despite practicing well, coming into the tournament he did not hold any expectation.  However, “when I started hitting the ball well. . .after the first match [then] the second, I felt really good”.  Thus, at that point Nalbandian started to believe he could triumph.

MiamiTennisNews inquired:
Q.  The last time Baghdatis and you played was three years ago and he had a 3-1 record against you.  Both of you are coming back from injuries, how did you approach the match?  Was there anything different about your game or his game that you had to adjust to?
Nalbandian:  Not really.  His style of play was the same, and that goes for all players. [The difference is whether the person] is playing with more or less confidence.  He was injured and came back earlier than me.  So, it was a little tougher for me.

Regarding the U.S. Open, Nalbandian says “I will try my best . . . If I continue to play this well, I have a chance to go far”.

Although the tournament has been around since 1969,  records have been meticulously maintained only since the 1980′s.   While it could not be confirmed with absolute certainty, today, Nalbandian officially became the first wildcard player to prevail. On Monday, Nalbandian’s ranking will soar to around 45.

At the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, the first semifinal showcased Marcos Baghdatis, the eighth seed, against Xavier Malisse.  Baghdatis defeated Malisse 6-2,7-6 to earn his initial spot in the final of a tournament States side.  Later, David Nalbandian booked his maiden berth in a final on U.S. soil by thumping fourth seed Marin Cilic 6-2,6-2.

Although this was their first meeting on the ATP tour, Malisse and Baghdatis faced off twice in the finals at the challenger level with Baghdatis prevailing both times.  From the difficult hold that Baghdatis had his primary game, Malisse gave the impression that he was going to reverse the former results.  However, with Malisse unable to make the volley off a dipping forehand,  Baghdatis gained double break point.  As Malisse’s forehand went out of bounds, Baghdatis nudged ahead 2-1.  By surprising Baghdatis with a sliced backhand down the line and forcing an error, Malisse attained break point.  But, with Malisse misjudging the second serve return, Baghdatis eventually consolidated for 3-1.  By inciting a few unforced errors from Malisse, Baghdatis captured a second break and later shut down the set with a love game.

The first two games of the second set, Baghdatis had two break points; Malisse handled the pressure to stay in front 2-1.  Following a couple of easy holds, Malisse connected on a forehand down the line winner for break point.  But, by sending a backhand outside the field of play, Malisse wasted that opportunity.  As Baghdatis shifted his movement in an attempt to track down the ball, he twisted his left ankle slightly.

With Baghdatis on the ground, play was interrupted and the trainer dispatched. Genuinely concerned for his opponent, Malisse quickly crossed the net and brought Baghdatis a bag of ice to apply.  After the ankle was attended to, play resumed and Baghdatis held for 4 all.  Subsequently, Malisse rebounded from love 30 to keep his nose in front 5-4.  Later, following a loose forehand by Malisse, Baghdatis connected on a forehand crosscourt pass for break point.  With another mistake by Malisse, Baghdatis claimed a 6-5 lead.  Yet, serving for the match, Baghdatis was bitten by the error bug.  Therefore, the set moved on to a tiebreaker.  At that stage, Baghdatis justified his 11-3 tiebreaker record.  In baiting Malisse into two miscues, the Cypriot raced to a 5-1 advantage.  Then, on his fourth match point, Baghdatis succeeded to punctuate the match.

In reference to his noble act, Malisse cited in the post match briefing:  “I know he has been injured for a while . . .you don’t want [the ankle to] be more inflamed. . . You don’t want to win a match in that way”.

MiamiTennisNews asked:
Q.  You got the equalizer in the second set, what went wrong in the tiebreaker?
Malisse:  At 3-1, I hit a good forehand but it clipped the tape.  He served well the whole tiebreaker . . . I kept [going] for my shots . .  At 6-4, it’s a little different because he feels he has to win the point because it’s on his serve . . . I made a couple of mistakes, but if you are going to hit your shot, you are going to miss a couple.  Too bad, it’s in a tiebreaker.

Q.  Despite the result today, it’s been a good week for you.  What are the positives you take away?
Malisse:  I’ve played good matches, so I can’t really complain . . . I gave it my all and beat a lot of good players in the top 20.  I lost today, but I fought hard . . . You can’t win everything . . . But the positive is that my ranking [will go] up to almost 50 . . . The pressure is off now, I can play freely.   My confidence is really high  . . I’m a bit tired, but we will see how Toronto goes after some days of rest.

In assessing his performance, Baghdatis surmised that the key to his victory was “playing smart” and coming up with “the perfect game” plan.  Essentially, Baghdatis said:  “I played the right point at the right time . . .not opening the court on his forehand and not giving him any angles”.  On the ankle, Baghdatis’ comment was “I twisted it a bit . . . I feel ok now and hope that it won’t be bad tomorrow”.

In the second semifinal, Nalbadian clashed with Cilic.  The last time these two tangoed, it was in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup in 2006 and Nalbandian was the victor.  Needless to say, with 21 year old Cilic now ranked 13th, Nalbadian was facing a different player.

In the first game, Cilic took advantage of multiple errors by Nalbadian and broke.  However, Nalbandian also pressured the Croatian into miscues to promptly level the set at 1 all.  Nalbandian then held at love for 2-1.  After getting to double break point with a backhand down the line winner, Cilic failed to capitalize on Nalbandian’s second serves.  Thus, the Argentine inched ahead 3-2.  With Cilic netting a forehand, Nalbandian earned his third break point of the sixth game.  Nalbandian converted when Cilic made his third forehand error in that game.  In his three previous matches, Cilic had only been broken twice, dismissing 12 of 14 break points.  After consolidating with a love game for 5-2, Nalbandian bagged another break to polish the first set in just 36 minutes.

After Nalbandian had an easy hold to begin the second set, aided by Cilic’s miscues and a forehand winner, the Argentine arrived at double break point.  With a forehand winner, Nalbandian pocketed the game for 2-0, then readily captured the subsequent game for 3-0.  Nalbandian continued to cruise on serve while putting Cilic on his heels.  But, with Nalbandian serving at 4-2, Cilic battled back behind 40-0 and pushed Nalbandian into misfiring a backhand for a break point.  Once again, Cilic’s poor returns permitted Nalbandian to guard serve and extend his lead to 5-2.  Serving to prolong the match, Cilic double faulted to donate double break/match point to his opponent.  On a deep return, Cilic dumped the backhand into the net.  Consequently, Nalbandian claimed the match and booked his first spot in a final since his last title in Sydney in 2009.

MiamiTennisNews commented the following:
Q. Cilic had a lot of trouble catching up with the forehand when stretched out wide.  Was this a weakness in his game that your coach and you deduced that you could exploit?
Nalbandian:  Any time the ball is far from the body, it will be tough [regardless] of the forehand or the backhand.  I tried to keep him on the move.  He’s very tall . . .so I [wanted] to keep him on the [run].

From Cilic’s perspective, MiamiTennisNews inquired:
Q.  You had been playing so well.  Yesterday, your forehand wing was particularly strong.  Today, that shot was frequently off, what was the reason?
Cilic:  Today, the big difference was the serve.  Yesterday, I was serving much better, while today I was not hitting my spots . . .Also, he did not miss many returns, especially from the backhand side.  He was really consistent which put a lot of pressure on me.  So, I did not have as much time as yesterday.  That’s the reason I could not take control of the points and couldn’t get any free points.

Cilic emphasized that Nalbandian was simply unbeatable tonight.  Therefore, it was useless to “blame myself on too many things. I have to credit him because he played really good tennis”.

Despite the outcome, Cilic was satisfied with his overall performance this week.  The Croatian expressed that these results can only help him as he looks to better his 2009 quarterfinal showing at the U.S Open.

Although Baghdatis has a 3-1 record against Nalbandian, the last time they met was at Wimbledon in 2007.  Since then, both have had injuries to contend with.  Nalbandian is feeling fit and expressed after his semifinal win “when I play this well, it’s tough for anybody.  It doesn’t matter who is on the other side”.  In spite of Baghdatis’ winning mark, Nalbandian hinted that his opponent will have his work cut out for him in tomorrow’s final.