Sorry for the delay, folks.  Weather has not been kind to my internet access here in Washington...

Here's what we learned at the Australian Open about the top eight in the ATP (using their new post-Aussie rankings), as well as a few other notables.

#1 Roger Federer (Champion - Stays at #1) -- There were some hiccups against Russians along the way, but in the end it was yet another routine, straight sets victory in a slam final for Roger Federer, winning his sweet sixteenth.  He didn't look unbeatable, but he didn't get beaten.  The killer instinct that was questionable in New York against del Potro was definitely there against Murray, almost certainly because he just doesn't seem to like the Scot at all.  If he can muster that same disdain in the rest of his slam finals, no reason he can't reach 20.  Here's a stat that I don't think anyone else has come up with yet: With this Australian Open title, his first since Melbourne Park switched over to the blue stuff in 2008, Federer becomes the first player to win slams on five different surfaces (grass, clay, Rebound Ace, DecoTurf, Plexicushion).

#2 Novak Djokovic (lost in quarterfinals to Tsonga - Was #3) -- Congrats to Djokovic on making it to a career high ranking of #2, but man, did he ever fail to get any style points in the process.  After running through one of the softest slam draws in recent memory (Gimeno-Traver, Chiudinelli, Istomin, Kubot), Djokovic flamed out against the first tough opponent he faced, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.  He outplayed Tsonga for the first three sets, but then physically broke down with a mess of nausea and exhaustion, losing the fourth and fifth sets in short order.    While draws at major tournaments will feature a "Djokovic half" for the first time, he's hardly a lock for the finals with these questions still lingering about his conditioning when the going gets tough.

#3 Andy Murray (lost in final to Federer - Was #4) -- Definitely a strong run for Murray, but like Djokovic his bump in the rankings comes with more questions attached than answers.  And while the British media does deserve just about all the flak they're getting for wondering aloud if Murray will ever win a slam, they do have a point.  He may be "only" 22, but the last player to win a first career slam at an older age was Gaston Gaudio back in 2004.  Djokovic, Nadal, and del Potro (and Federer and Roddick just before Gaudio) were all younger when they struck paydirt for the first time.

#4 Rafael Nadal (lost to Murray in quarterfinal - Was #2) -- Nadal's lowest ranking since 2005 is all about not being able to complete his title defense due to injury on the surface, but in reality he was never going to be competitive against Murray in his quarterfinal loss.  Nadal lost bulky muscle up top in an announced attempt to keep his lower body healthier, but he's now less powerful and still perpetually injury prone.  I think it's about time to stick a fork in this career, sadly.  Many say he still has a shot on the clay, but from where I sit I can't imagine that long, grinding matches are the cure for what ails him.

#5 Juan Martin del Potro (lost to Cilic in fourth round - Stays at #5) -- del Potro didn't do much with having a quarter to his name for the first time at a grand slam, but he never really looked 100% with his arm, either.  There was a real nice gut-check win in the second round vs. James Blake for him, but also a real bizarre bageling at the hands of Florian Mayer before he finally went down in a battle of attrition against Cilic in the fourth round.  Cilic was impossible to get any rhythm against the entire tournament, so it is a pretty excusable, explicable loss as far as I'm concerned.

#6 Nikolay Davydenko (lost to Federer in quarterfinal - Stays at #6) -- Hard to really grade Davydenko's run at this tournament.  He largely failed to live up to the darkhorse label that had been bestowed upon him by the fawning Mary Carillo, but he did show that he has the potential to beat the best in the world when at his best.  He looked absolutely untouchable for his first three matches, losing a combined seventeen games in those three straight sets wins.  But then he absolutely stunk up the joint halfway through his fourth round match against Fernando Verdasco, and then stunk up the joint again halfway through his quarterfinal vs. Federer, playing so listlessly as to not win a single game for an hour.  I think the French Open still represents his best shot to make a grand slam final, as it always has, but it's clear that he's going to need to learn not to peak too early if that's going to happen.

#7 Andy Roddick (lost to Cilic in quarterfinal - Stays at #7) -- He comes away having not defended his semifinal points from a year ago, but it was a real impressive run for Roddick.  That five-set win against Gonzalez is exactly the type of match he would have routinely lost from 2004-2008.  His comeback effort against Cilic was also pretty valiant, but in the end the result is probably a sign that he doesn't have what it takes to beat these big, young guns on a consistent basis.

#8 Robin Soderling (lost to Granollers in the first round - Stays at #8) -- A bizarre early exit for Soderling, who looked to be cruising against the weaponless Granollers early on then totally fell apart as the match wore on, losing his two-set lead on the way to a first round exit.  The surface in Melbourne is probably too slow for him to have made much noise.  I'm more interested to see what he'll do in Dubai, Miami, and Wimbledon.  I still don't understand how his best ever run at a major was on clay, and I refuse to believe it could happen again.

255 matches down, 1 to go...

Not Before 19:30

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Andy Murray (GBR)[5]

I'm predicting Federer in 4.  I think part of the reason he lost to del Potro in that final was a real lack of fight and killer instinct against an opponent in del Potro whom Federer seems to genuinely likes.  Murray, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be on the receiving end of much respect from Federer.  That said, this match is totally in Murray's hands (though Federer's serve does play a huge role, as Jsz pointed out).

Here's hoping for a great one.  This match is our last taste of grand slam tennis for four months, so it'd better be big and delicious.

After laying dormant for almost two years, the Serena vs. Henin rivalry resumes on the grandest of stages. Hope you're not sleeping through this dream final.

Not Before 19:30

Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Justine Henin (BEL)[W]

I rewrote my prediction piece for this final about twelve times before finally deciding that I really don't know.  The one thing I expect is an awesome match.  If it goes three, that could spell trouble for the gimpier Serena, but that's really the only thing I can say with any degree of certainty.

The men's finals mirrored the women's ones that had preceded with them.  The first was a gutty, close affair that, while not always pretty.  The second was a rout in which the 2004 Australian Open champion made a fool of his/her opponent.

Roger Federer outclassed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in 88 minutes, or in just one minute longer than the second set of Henin-Dementieva lasted.

Federer was good, but not any better than he was against Davydenko, who put up much more of a fight.   Tsonga simply couldn't do anything right.  He didn't serve well, he didn't move well, and he hit bad errors early in rallies.  It was a sharp departure from the masterclass he delivered in his previous grand slam semifinal, where he was on the other side of a rout in beating Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 down under in 2007.

Only one match tonight, and each of the next two nights as well.  And then there will be zero grand slam matches per night for about four months, so make the most of these while you can.

Not Before 19:30

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10]

I'll go out on not much of a limb and take Federer in 3.

Not a whole lot of buzz around this matchup, really, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wake yourself up, pack into the comments and fill them with wonderfully insightful comments.

Doesn't get too much more major at a grand slam than having three semifinals in one day, easily the second biggest day at any slam short only to the US Open's Super Saturday. 

And it doesn't get much more sparse than having only one singles match on the slate per night, which is what we have from here on out for the rest of the tournament.  So by all means, get your fill of tennis tonight.

The later start doesn't really do us many favors here in the States, with Serena-Li not getting court til 9:30 EST.

Rod Laver Arena

Not Before 13:30
2. Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Li Na (CHN)[16]
3. Justine Henin (BEL) v. Zheng Jie (CHN)
19:30 Start Time
1. Marin Cilic (CRO) [14] v. Andy Murray (GBR) [5]

My abbreviated predictions tonight: Serena Williams in 2, Zheng Jie in 3.  It'll be like Natalie Dechy almost was in 2005, or like Marion Bartoli actually was in 2008.

And for the men, let's make it three straight five set upsets for Marin Cilic.

Things are getting serious, folks.  What was once 256 is now 12, and we'll be in single digits by the end of the night.  This should be a seriously awesome day of action.

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Li Na (CHN)[16] v. Venus Williams (USA)[6]
2. Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7]
3. Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6]
19:30 Start Time
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10]

Be sure to vote in the poll, then, if you feel so compelled, back up your guess in the comments with some reasoning as to why you picked who you picked.

In all three singles quarterfinals Tuesday that involved seeds, the higher seed lost.  Will upsets remain the M.O. on the second day of quarterfinal action?

Women's Top Half Quarterfinals:

Li Na (CHN)[16] v. Venus Williams (USA) [6] -- I have a real tough time getting any sort of read whatsoever on what will happen in this one.  Li won the only matchup between the two, in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics, which was the biggest event of her life.  But on paper this isn't the type of player who should trouble Venus, as she usually has a tougher time against backboard types than erratic, go-for-broke shotmakers.  Venus really seemed to have reached a new gear late in her match against Schiavone, so I'll go with her because I have to pick somebody.  But really, I have no clue.  Prediction: Venus in 3.

Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7] -- If you've seen Serena play during this tournament, you'll pick her to win every match she has left.  Azarenka does come off an emotional comeback victory over Zvonareva in the fourth round, and she was the player who pushed Serena to the brink of defeat in last year's tournament before falling ill.  Azarenka will make the second set interesting, I think, but I don't think she'll win it.  Prediction: Serena in 2.

Men's Top Half Quarterfinals:

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] -- As I said in my Day 8 recap, this matchup was a whole lot more interesting before Davydenko stunk up the joint against Verdasco.  Davydenko has won two in a row against Federer, but Grand Slam Federer is another beast altogether.  I think Roger will be making it an unbelievable 23 straight grand slam semifinals tonight. Prediction: Federer in 3.

Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10] -- This one will be exciting, but I can't imagine it will be pretty.  Novak Djokovic has not been perfect against his cupcake draw of Gimeno-Traver - Chiudinelli - Istomin - Kubot, but he hasn't needed to be.  Tsonga has been tested, but in matches where he probably shouldn't have been.  These two played in the only Federerless Grand Slam final of the last eighteen, and it was a pretty good match.  With no real usable sample of recent play from either, I'll go with Djokovic because he's the better player.  Crazy, I know.  Prediction: Djokovic in 4.

Men's Bottom Half Quarterfinals:

Marin Cilic (CRO)[14] def. Andy Roddick (USA)[7] 7-6(4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 -- This one was a total roller coaster.  Marin Cilic saved a set point in the first set, and then took the second fairly easily as Roddick looked completely neutralized by a shoulder injury he received treatment for several times.  But Roddick went up quickly in the third, and again in the fourth.  His injury was making him play much smarter, more efficient tennis, forcing him to play the type of aggressive style he always should.  Roddick then appeared on the verge of locking down the win, going up 0-40 on Cilic's serve in the very first game of the fifth . But Cilic saved all three break points, and never allowed Roddick another.  Cilic broke Roddick at 1-2, and held on by his fingertips for his first grand slam quarterfinal victory. 

Fairly quietly, Cilic is 10-0 on the year, winning five matches in Melbourne to add to his five wins in Chennai during his title run there.  He hasn't always won with a lot of style points, but an inability to lose can get you a long way in this sport.

As far as Roddick goes, it's his third straight five-set loss in as many slams.  That can't be easy.  And if that shoulder really is in trouble (which it doesn't seem to be, at least in the short run), that could spell big trouble for a serve-based player like him.  But he seemed to keep this loss in perspective in his presser, and should turn his focus now to the big spring hard court circuit that he's never dominated as much as he could.  Things are headed in the right direction for Roddick right now due to his incredible level of recommitment, and hopefully he'll get a coveted piece of shiny metal to prove that in the near future to validate his efforts.

Andy Murray (GBR)[5] def. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2] 6-3, 7-6(2), 3-0 (Ret. - Knee) -- As I suspected, this one wasn't really much of a contest.  The match really wasn't as close as the score would indicate, and though it ended with an injury retirement, it was clear from fairly early on that Andy Murray was going to outclass the less aggressive Nadal. 

Lengthened by a bizarre nine-minute fireworks delay in celebration of Australia Day, the second set was a somewhat more competitive affair, though it seemed obvious (to me at least) that Nadal could do little more than delay the inevitable. 

Nadal took a mid-game injury timeout early in the third, and from there the writing was on the wall.  I was surprised by his decision to stop the match early, but it was a totally respectable one as he clearly couldn't be competitive out there any longer.

But it wasn't that Nadal lost this match--Murray flat out beat him.  Aggressive and smart throughout, Murray dictated play and played exceptional offense against a player who forces just that.  The tennis he displayed in this match is exactly the kind of tennis that Andy Murray failed to play in his loss at the US Open to his next opponent, Marin Cilic.  Murray was passive and adrift in that match, and will need to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to him again when they meet.  It's one thing to be aggressive against a defensive player with few weapons to be burned by, but its another to commit to it against a player like Cilic who doesn't play a whole lot of defense speak of.

With the loss, Nadal is now 1-11 in his last twelve matches against top ten opponents.  That kind of record isn't going to keep him in the top five very much longer, much less the top two.  He simply doesn't have the flat, first-strike weapons that he needs to keep his legs healthy.  Nadal wouldn't have won the match even if he hadn't aggravated his knee, but  since he did this loss will almost certainly be pointed to for at least the next several months as proof that Nadal may never hoist another grand slam trophy again.  It's a sad reality, but it's definitely better to have burned brightly than never to have burned at all.  If the post mortem on his career reads "World #1, Six Grand Slam Titles, Olympic Gold," I hope that there aren't too many tears shed for him.

Womens Bottom Half Quarterfinals:

Justine Henin (BEL)[W] def. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19] 7-6(3), 7-5 -- This was a frustrating match to watch, in a lot of respects.  Nadia Petrova managed to outplay Justine Henin for most of the match, except for the parts that mattered.  This was a match won more by the ghosts of past dominance than by current playing levels in a lot of respects, as Petrova seemed completely devoid of self-belief at the end of each set.  It was still an incredible run for Petrova, but I'm not sure she has the mean streak in her that's necessary to beat sentimental favorites like Henin (or even Oudin at the US Open).  For Henin, it was good of her to be able to get out of this one in straight sets.  She went on a serious walkabout at the beginning of the second, going down two breaks to 0-3 to start the second frame.  It was the same vacant start to the middle stanza that she had against Wickmayer, though in this case Petrova was far more forgiving than was her countrywoman.  Based on her current form, and the capitulation of those with histories against her, I like her chances against most everyone but Serena.

Zheng Jie (CHN) def. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 6-1, 6-3 -- I had fairly high hopes for this match for some reason, but it was really a stinker.  Whether that was because of Kirilenko's leg injury, her relative inexperience compared to Zheng at this stage in a slam, or perhaps simply a poor stylistic matchup between two counter punchers, this one was not great to watch.  As great as it can be to watch an unseeded player shock her way through a draw, when she runs into another Cinderella the match usually turns into a pumpkin pretty quickly.  Disappointment aside, it was an incredibly competent and confident effort from Zheng, who tracked down a lot of balls and effectively took time away from Kirilenko, whom she danced around the court like a puppet.  When Zheng is on, like she is now, she doesn't beat herself in the least bit.  And if Justine Henin gets distracted by looking ahead to Serena in the final (perhaps even more of a danger if the top half semifinal is played first), then Zheng could catch her totally off guard.  Sort of a Bartoli 2.0 situation, if you will.