FRENCH OPEN 2010: Nadal Wins 5th FO; Retakes #1

Rafael Nadal won his 7th career major title and 5th French Open crown by defeating Robin Soderling 6-4 6-2 6-4. By doing so, he will reclaim the World #1 ranking, denying his arch-rival Roger Federer his record-tying 286th week at #1.

Nadal did not lose an entire set in the tournament, not even facing a set point with the only tiebreak set was against unheralded Jurgen Melzer in the semifinals. In the championship match he had a mere 16 errors and 28 winners, including 7 aces. Soderling played very well in patches but Nadal's defense was impeccable and jaw-dropping, saving all 8 breakpoints he faced.

Soderling had finally beaten Federer in the quarterfinals and survived a 5-set thriller against Tomas Berdych to reach his second consecutive Roland Garros final.

FRENCH OPEN 2010: Men's Semifinals Preview

I previously made predictions of the four women's quarterfinals and four men's quarterfinals and got 4 of 8 results correct at this year's French Open. The 2010 Roland Garros men's semifinals are now set.

Roger Federer SUI (1) Robin Soderling SWE (5) vs. Tomas Berdych CZE (15). Soderling loves Court Phillippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros. Last year he beat defending champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round before losing to Roger Federer in the final. This year he beat defending champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinal and seems destined to reach his second consecutive Roland Garros final on the biggest clay court in the world. But there's someone who is even taller and serves bigger in the way of Soderling's dream: Tomas Berdych. Berdych has cut through the men's draw like the 6'5", 200 pound Czech scythe that he is, eliminating Andy Murray and John Isner along the way without dropping a set. Berdych recently had a career milestone when he finally beat Roger Federer for the first time in 9 matches(second time overall) in Miami in March. Soderling beat Federer for the first time of his career on Tuesday. The two have played 8 times overall, with Soderling holding a slim 5-3 lead in their career head-to-head match up. They have split the two matches they played this year, and they have split the two matches they have played on clay. In my mind, either Berdych will continue his rout of the field and win easily in straight sets (a low probability event) or he will start off hot and not be able to sustain his high level against someone like the powerful Swede who can match him toe-to-toe. Also, although this is Berdych's very first major semifinal, it is only Soderling's second, but this is also where Soderling outlasted Fernando Gonzalez in a very thrilling semifinal last year. I believe he will make it to the final for the second year in a row.

MadProfessah's pick: Berdych in 3 sets or Soderling in 4 or 5.

Novak Djokovic SRB (3) Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). Although Nadal survived his toughest test of the tournament in countryman Nicolas Almagro by having to play three very tight sets (7-6(2) 7-6(3) 6-4), there is almost no doubt that the Spaniard will reach his 5th Roland Garros final in six years by dismissing the surprising Austrian veteran relatively quickly. Many people (myself included) were salivating at the chance of seeing another showdown between Nadal and Novak Djokovic in an important clay court match which could possibly reprise their now-legendary 2009 Madrid semifinal where Nadal won a 3-set match in 4 hours. However, it is significant that the Serb let slip a double set and a break advantage to lose another Roland Garros semifinal, this time to the relatively unheralded Melzer. Could he possibly have blanched at the thought of having to face Nadal for the third time in four years in the semifinal round? Nadal and Melzer have only met twice before, once on clay, with Nadal winning easily both times and this time will be no different.

MadProfessah's pick: Nadal in 3 sets.

FRENCH OPEN 2010: Women's Semifinals Preview

I previously made predictions of the four women's quarterfinals and four men's quarterfinals and got 4 of 8 results correct at this year's French Open. The 2010 Roland Garros women's semifinals are now set.

Serena Williams USA (1) Samantha Stosur AUS (7) vs. Jelena Jankovic SRB (4). Samantha Stosur has the most clay court wins of anyone on tour this year. She showed that she can take out players who are expected to beat her with two exceptional, consecutive 3-set wins over 4-time French Open champ Justine Henin and 12-time major champion Serena Williams. She may possess the best serve in women's tennis right now. It was this difference which was most glaring in her defeat of Serena in the quarters. Stosur had quieter (but more effective) service stats (6 aces to one double fault) than Serena (13 aces, 9 double faults). Her second serve has a wicked kick which will push almost any opponent deep behind the baseline. Her next opponent is Jelena Jankovic who has lived up to her seeding (the only member of the Top 4 to do so) and is appearing in her sixth career major semifinal. Stosur is appearing in her second. Jankovic also sports a 3-1 career head-to-head edge over the Australian, but then again so did Serena Williams, with all their previous encounters occurring on hard courts. I actually like and appreciate both players' games so I will not be upset which ever player wins. In this case, I think Stosur will have the larger momentum and greater boost of her confidence having already beaten two great champions to reach this point. I think she will not stop until Stosur becomes a grand slam champion herself.
MadProfessah's pick: Stosur in 3 sets.

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (3) Francesca Schiavone ITA (17) vs. Elena Dementieva RUS (5). This was supposed to be where Venus Williams was supposed to take advantage of the top heavy draw and finally make her way to another French Open final. Sadly, that dream was deferred by the excellent play of Nadia Petrova who then could not sustain a lead against her friend and doubles partner Elena Dementieva, an ended up choking on 3rd-set bagel. Francesca Schiavone is a big match player. A few weeks before her 30th birthday she is in her first major semifinal, the first woman from Italy to be in a major final in over a generation. Although I love her game (that one handed backhand! the shotmaking!), I predicted that the World's 3rd ranked player would take her out easily but Schiavone flipped the script aruond and dismissed Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-3 in a match that was not as close as the score indicates. This match is the hardest one for me to predict. The two have played 10 tour matches, with only one on clay (won by Dementieva) and with the Russian holding a slight 6-4 edge. Just as Schiavone has indicated her mental toughness in big matches, Dementieva has shown the opposite. I think that either Dementieva will be so nervous that Schiavone will blow her off the court in straight sets, or if Dementieva is able to win a set, she will be able to gut out an ugly 3-set win for her 3rd major final, her first in over six years. MadProfessah's pick: Schiavone in 2 sets or Dementieva in 3 sets.

FRENCH OPEN 2010: Stosur Shocks Serena

World #1 Serena Williams was bounced from the French Open by World #7 Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-2 6-7(2) 8-6, despite holding a match point at in the 12th game of the third set. It was the first time Williams had lost a grand slam match having had a match point since 1999. Stosur, who had made the semifinals in Paris last year, has now beaten Justine Henin and Williams in consecutive rounds and owns the most clay court match wins of any player on the tour. She will play Jelena Jankovic in the semifinals on Thursday. Serena and her sister Venus Williams are in the women's doubles final o Friday.

The other semifinal will feature Francesca Schiavone and Elena Dementieva. The final four players in the tournament have never won a major title, with Dementieva a 2-time finalist (Roland Garros and US Open 2004)and Jankovic (US Open 2008).

The match between Williams and Stosur was an instant classic. Serena was not playing well in the first set and was spraying the ball, despite not hitting it very hard (for her). Stosur played well within herself and used her excellent first and second serve to great effect, as well as her backhand slice.

In the second set Serena continued to play badly but kept on saving breakpoints with either excellent serves or strong groundstrokes, eventually getting to a tie-break where she dominated after Stosur suffered a bit of a letdown after the Australian had finally broken Serena, served for the match at 5-3 but was quickly broken back. Serena used her reflief to power past Stosur in the tiebreak and broke twice in the third set but each time Stosur was able to break back. Then, at 5-6 Serena had a break point which was a match point and Stosur played an excellent point, but Serena had chances for a forehand cross-court winner when instead she went down the line and pushed the ball just over the baseline. In Serena's next service game at 6-6 for the first time in 4 service games instead of winning easily she faced two breakpoints and Stosur played two inspired points in a row to get the break. On her second chance to serve out the match, the one-time doubles specialist did not falter and sent the World #1 packing.

FRENCH OPEN 2010: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year.

Serena Williams USA (1) vs. Samantha Stosur AUS (7) Justine Henin BEL (22). For the second year in a row, the winner of the tournament will be decided in the quarterfinal in which Serena Williams competes. Last year, Serena lost a nervy, tension-filled (frankly, ugly) quarterfinal match to eventual champion, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. This year instead of playing the 4-time Roland Garros champion Henin (who had a 24-match winning streak since Tathiana Garbin beat the 2003 defending champion in the second round at this tournament in 2004) Serena will face last year's semifinalist Samantha Stosur. The Serena-Justine showdown had been the most anticipated match on either side of the draw, even in a section of the draw called the "quarter of death" by Brad Gilbert. However, thanks to the hard-hitting, brilliant-serving Sam Stosur, that storyline is now dismissed from the tournament. Serena and Sam have only played four times (all on hard courts) with Stosur winning once, in Stanford last year. Serena is a woman on a mission, and will not be denied her chance to reach another Roland Garros final. PREDICTION: Serena in 3 sets.

Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ vs. Jelena Jankovic SRB (4). Surely Jelena Jankovic is too strong a defensive player to go through her entire career without winning a major? She made it to the 2008 U.S. Open final (losing to Serena in two close sets) but I believe that it is clay where her particular skills should be rewarded the most. Following that first major final Jankovic fell into a major downward spiral (although not as precipitous a decline as her Serbian countrywoman Ana Ivanovic, who although she possesses the 2008 French Open title still does not own a reliable second (or first) serve.) Jankovic has played well on clay this year, having beaten both Williams sisters on her way to the Rome final (which she lost). She should seize on the good fortune of not being in the "quarter of death" and sneak into her second major final. PREDICTION: Jankovic in 2 sets.

Francesca Schiavone ITA (17) vs. Caroline Wozniacki DEN (3). Wozniacki can regain the World #2 ranking by getting to the final, although I suspect her current Italian opponent and future Russian opponent will do their best to help maintain Venus Williams' hold on that position. This is the veteran Schiavone's 4th career quarterfinal, her second in Paris since reaching that lofty height in her debut at the tournament in 2001. The young Dane had never been past the 4th round of a major despite being on the tour for 3 years until her major breakthrough in New York (over Svetlana Kuznetsova in one of the very best matches of 2009) last year, where she lost the final to Kim Clijsters. In these clashes between wily veteran and talented youngster it is often the older player who comes out the loser because they more viscerally understand the significance (and rarity) of the moment and I expect this case to be no different. Youth will be served, again. PREDICTION:Wozniacki in 2 sets.

Elena Dementieva RUS (5) vs. Nadia Petrova RUS (19) Venus Williams USA (2). Oh, Venus! After getting past her 3rd Round Roland Garros jinx easily she meekly went out to the hard-hitting, mentally fragile Petrova on a cold wet day in straight sets, losing to someone she had never lost to on any surface. Sigh. Soon to turn 30 years-old, and for once blessed with a draw that had all the deadliest players in the other half for once, Venus couldn't keep it together long enough to make another deep run at the clay major, despite having amassed a very good record on clay this year. Petrova has always done well in Paris, first breaking through here at age 17 into the semifinals in 2003. Her opponent, Elena Dementieva, has quietly snuck through the draw, losing only one set in a tiebreak to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, with almost no one discussing her chances despite being a finalist here in 2004 and having played the best women's match on tour last year. Matches between the Russians are very often hideous, very tight affairs with one player losing worse than the other instead of one player winning decisively. That's what I expect to see in this match. Head-to-head there's not much between these two, they are tied 7-7 in career matches, 2-2 in clay court matches and 1-1 in grand slam matches. Petrova has won exactly 2 major quarterfinal matches before, here in Paris, while the 6-month-older Dementieva has won 8 major quarterfinals, although only one in Paris. PREDICTION: Dementieva in 3 sets.

Federer-Nadal Final Set For Madrid Masters

For the 17th time, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will play against each other in a final, this time in Madrid. Federer scored a rare 6-4 6-4 win against Nadal in last year's final, after the Spaniard played a draining 4-hour 3-set thriller against Novak Djokovic. Nadal and Federer have competed together in 7 Grand Slam finals, with Nadal winning 5 to Federer's 2, although Federer has won 16 major titles overall, to Nadal's 6. Overall,Nadal has won 13 of their 20 matches, 11 of which have been on clay (and Nadal has won 9 of those matches).

Federer has not been playing well on clay this year, having lost his very first clay court match of the year to Ernests Gulbis (who he beat in the quarterfinal in Madrid) while Nadal is undefeated. I would be surprised if Federer even wins a set tomorrow. However, it should be helpful for Federer's chance of repeating as French Open champion to have to at least face Nadal in a non-major tournament to calibrate his game before Roland Garros which starts Monday May 23rd in Paris.

Nadal's place in the final assures his return to the World #2 position. If he wins on Sunday, he will have 18 Masters series titles, 2 more than Federer and 1 more than Andre Agassi, the all-time leader.

Serena Survives Career-Longest Match in Madrid

World #1 Serena Williams played for 3 hours 26 minutes in Madrid against Vera Dushevina, surviving a match point to win 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) to reach the third round of the clay-court warm-up for Roland Garros.

Her sister Venus Williams had an easier time of it with another Vera, beating Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-3. Venus can end the tournament ranked at #2 in the world as long as Caroline Wozniacki does not make the semifinals.

Federer Opens 2010 Clay Court Season With Loss

Julian Finney/Getty Images

World #1 and 2010 Australian Open champion Roger Federer lost his first clay court singles match of the year 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 to Ernests Gulbis of Latvia at the Rome Masters series tournament. Gulbis, 21, won his first ATP Tour title in Delray Beach, Florida earlier this year and is known for his big-serving, hard-hitting style. It took him 7 match points to earn his first win over the 16-time Grand Slam champion and current World #1. Interestingly, Federer won a clay court doubles match with countryman Yves Allegro on Monday.

World #2 Novak Djokovic cruised to the 3rd round, while World #3 and defending champion Rafael Nadal will open his title defense on Wednesday. World #4 Andy Murray stopped his tour match losing streak at three in a row by winning his first clay match of the year

Nadal Wins 6th Consecutive Monte Carlo Title

In an all-Spaniard final, Rafael Nadal cemented his status as the greatest clay court player of all time by beating heartthrob Fernando Verdasco 6-0 6-1 to win his 6th consecutive Monte Carlo ATP Masters Series title.

The match was much more competitive than the score suggests, with Nadal's lack of unforced errors and ridiculous defensive skills more than a match for Verdasco's firepower and nervousness.

It was former World #1 Nadal's first title since May 2009.

Nadal To Face Verdasco in 6th Straight Monte Carlo final

World #3 Rafael Nadal has won 31 matches in a row at Monte Carlo. On Saturday, Nadal dismissed compatriot David Ferrer 6-2 6-3 while Djokovic was demolished 6-2 6-2 by Fernando Verdasco to set up an all-Spanish final which could lead to Nadal's 6th consecutive Monte Carlo Masters series shield. It will be Nadal's first tournament victory in over 11 months and bodes well for his chances next month in Paris.

Federer Beats Nadal To Win Madrid Clay Masters!

Shocking almost all prognosticators World #2 Roger Federer defeated World #1 Rafael Nadal in straight sets 6-4 6-4 to win the Madrid Masters 1000 title in 86 minutes. This is the first time in 6 matches that Federer has defeated Nadal, and is only the second time in 20 matches that he has beaten the Spaniard on his best surface of clay. Their overall head-to-head score is 13-7 (in favor of Nadal).

Nadal was thwarted in his attempt to become the first man to win all three clay court Masters tournaments in a single season by his arch-nemesis, the 13-time grand slam champion.

Nadal Defeats Djokovic In Thriller; Faces Federer

Rafael Nadal saved 3 match points against Novak Djokovic to win his semifinal match in 4 hours and 2 minutes 3-6 7-6(3) 7-6(9) in front of 12,500 fans in Madrid, Spain. Federer defeated Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-4 to set up a 16th meeting with Nadal in a final and 20th overall. Nadal leads 9-1 on clay, has won the last 5 matches they played (including 3 consecutive Grand Slam finals in Melbourne, London and Paris) and overall has only lost 6 times to Federer in 19 matches.

Spare a thought for World #4 Novak Djokovic who showed to many that he is the world's second best player on clay by holding 3 match points against Nadal and still managed to lose due to some incredible shotmaking from World #1. Roll the tape:

The question is whether Nadal will be tired from today's match that he wll not be able to beat Federer. Honestly, I doubt that. Nadal played one of the best matches of the year against Fernando Verdasco in Australia (over 5 hours of brilliant tennis) and then just over 24 hours later beat Federer in 5-sets on hard courts. Tomorrow's match is a 3-set match on Nadal's best surface and I honestly don't see how Nadal doesn't win and extend his lead of Federer to 6 consecutive wins and 14-6.  I do HOPE that Federer plays as agressively as he can and takes it to Nadal.

MadProfessah's Prediction: Nadal in 3 sets.

Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Del Potro in Madrid Semis

Juan Martin del Potro

Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro will face each other in the semifinals of the (new) Madrid Masters Series clay court champoinships. Nadal will face Djokovic and Federer will face del Potro (who defeated World #3 Andy Murray).

MadProfessah prediction: Nadal defeats Djokovic in 3 sets, Federer defeats del Potro in 2 sets.

Nadal Wins 5th Consecutive Monte Carlo AMS Title

World #1 Rafael Nadal defeated World #3 Novak Djokovic in a hard-fought, high-quality, 3-set match 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to claim his 5th consecutive Monte Carlo Masters Series title. Every year since 2005 that Nadal has won Monte Carlo, he has also won the French Open. That is, 5 years in a row. For the last two years he had faced former World #1 Roger Federer in the final of Monte Carlo as well as facing him in the Roland Garros final and had been victorious (in both settings) every time.

However, Djokovic (and earlier, World #4 Andy Murray) showed this week that they are closing the distance between Nadal on clay.

With his win today, Nadal now ties Federer in second position behind Andre Agassi's 17 masters series titles with 14 AMS titles each. There are two more clay Masters Series titles this season (Rome and Hamburg Madrid) before the clay Grand Slam at Roland Garros in Paris at the end of May.

It looks to me very likely that Nadal will end the year with the most Masters Series titles of all time.

Federer Loses To Wawrinka in Monte Carlo

Only days after getting married, Roger Federer lost to fellow countryman Stanislas Wawrinka in the 3rd round of the Monte Carlo Masters Series tournament 6-4 7-5. Federer had lost the last three Monte Carlo finals to Rafael Nadal.