A couple of the first round ties were done after three rubbers, but the majority still have live rubbers going into Sunday.  Always a risk buying those Sunday Davis Cup tickets.  You either get the best of the best, or totally meaningless exhibition.

SERBIA LEADS USA 2-1
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia (Indoor Clay)

Viktor Troicki (SRB) def. John Isner (USA) 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4
Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Sam Querrey (USA) 6-2, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3
Bob Bryan/John Isner (USA) def Janko Tipsarevic/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-6(8), 6-3
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v John Isner (USA)
Viktor Troicki (SRB) v Sam Querrey (USA)*

The two singles matches were both incredibly roller-coastery, with wild momentum swings several times per set.  Unfortunately for the rookie American team, the Serbians wound up on the winning end of the roller coaster each time.  Things really looked bad for the Americans on Saturday when Mike Bryan went down with food poisoning (because he was dumb enough to order curry in Belgrade), but John Isner stepped in admirably to keep the US hopes alive.  At least until they face Djokovic again.

 
SPAIN LEADS SWITZERLAND 2-1
Venue: Plaza de Toros de la Ribera, Logrono, Spain (Indoor Clay)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
David Ferrer (ESP) def. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-1
Marcel Granollers/Tommy Robredo (ESP) def. Yves Allegro/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)* 7-6(8), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
David Ferrer (ESP) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)*
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)*

It's managed to be some fairly exciting stuff, even without the big names.  But Marco Chiudinelli and Yves Allegro really aren't in the same league as the rest of these guys, which ultimately has (and will continue to) seal Switzerland's fate.

CZECH REPUBLIC LEADS BELGIUM 3-0

Venue: Expodroom, Bree, Belgium (clay – indoors)

One of the most lopsided ties on the card has lived up to expectations, with the Czechs outclassing the Belgians at every stage.  Belgium may have a decent future ahead if Steve Darcis lives up to his hype, but for now they're just not competitive at this level.

CHILE LEADS ISRAEL 2-0
Venue: Enjoy Tennis Center, Coquimbo, Chile (Outdoor Clay)

Nicolas Massu (CHI) def. Dudi Sela (ISR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4
Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) def. Harel Levy (ISR) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Nicolas Massu/Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) vs. Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR)
Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) vs. Dudi Sela (ISR)*
Nicolas Massu (CHI) vs. Harel Levy (ISR)*

Real good story for Chile here, playing through their country's turmoil and destruction admirably so far.  If there's one team that's easy to root for no matter what this weekend, the Chiileans are certainly that team.

FRANCE LEADS GERMANY 3-0

Venue: Palais des Sports, Toulon, France (Indoor Hard)

Gael Monfils (FRA) def. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(5)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3
Julien Benneteau/Michael Llodra (FRA) v Christopher Kas/Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-1, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5

Gael Monfils notched his first ever win in Davis Cup to open up this tie, and it was all France from there on.  Without Tommy Haas it was always going to be tough for Germany, but I don't know that I ever expected a sweep.  France is the deeper, better tennis country, so having them in the next round certainly makes sense to me.

RUSSIA LEADS INDIA 2-1

Venue: Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow, Russia (Indoor Hard)

Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) def. Somdev Devvarman (IND) 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. Rohan Bopanna (IND) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes (IND) def. Teimuraz Gabashvili/Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v Somdev Devvarman (IND)
Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) v Rohan Bopanna (IND)*

A late substitution in the Igor slot of Kunitsyn for Andreev paid off for Russia, who looks to be firmly in control even after dropping the doubles tie as they were expected to do.  Russia is a country who could use some redemption in this contest, and when they get Youzhny and Davydenko together at full strength, they should be able to get it.

 
ARGENTINA LEADS SWEDEN 2-1

Venue: Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm, Sweden (hard – indoors)

Robin Soderling (SWE) def. Eduardo Schwank (ARG) 6-1, 7-6(0), 7-5
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) def. Joachim Johansson (SWE) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
David Nalbandian/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) def. Robert Lindstedt/Robin Soderling (SWE) 6-2, 7-6(4), 7-6(5)
Robin Soderling (SWE) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
Joachim Johansson (SWE) v Eduardo Schwank (ARG)*

David Nalbandian made a surprise appearance in the doubles to help the Argentines grab the lead.  Things have gone a lot better for the Argentines than I expected, both with Nalbandian's cameo and Mayer's fairly surprising win over Johansson in the second singles rubber.  Expect Nalbandian to make an appearance for Schwank in the final singles as well if it comes down to that.

CROATIA LEADS ECUADOR 3-0

Venue: Gradska Sportska Dvorana, Varazdin, Croatia (Indoor Hard)

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Ivo Karlovic/Marin Cilic (CRO) def, Giovanni Lapentti/Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)  7-6(3), 6-3, 7-5

This was the match-up that made  Czech Republic-Belgium look competitive, but the elder Lapentti acquitted himself fairly well against Karlovic, pushing him to five sets.  At least the Ecuadorians had the luck to be swept away from the majority of their fans, which should make this sting somewhat less, I suppose.

Tennis Channel will have coverage of the Americans Sunday, and a lot of the rest of the ties should be streamable at the official Davis Cup site.

Here's part 2 of 3 in catching up on the month of February.  At least it's a short month, right?

ATP 500 Rotterdam - ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament:

Robin Soderling beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 2-0 (ret.) to take the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam after Youzhny retired early in the second set with a leg injury. The title is the biggest title of Soderling's career, his first 500 level victory after previously falling short in three other 500 level finals (and a grand slam final).

Robin Soderling long had a reputation as one of the best (and only) indoor, fast-court specialists on either tour, which is what made his breakout performance at the very outdoors and slow French Open last spring so baffling to me.  By winning Rotterdam, the biggest European indoor tournament in the first half of the calendar, Soderling shows that he's still can be great at his old former strength while having added a big new strength.  A win over Davydenko along the way certainly doesn't hurt his confidence, either.

Since the title (and *SPOILER!* Andy Roddick's early exit in Memphis), Soderling has risen to a career high ranking of #7.  Not bad for someone who lost in the first round of the Australian Open to the likes of Marcel Granollers.

After the jump: ATP San Jose, ATP Costa do Sauipe, WTA Paris and WTA Pattaya City.  Click away!

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A combination of cataclysmic weather, internet outages, the Olympics and oversight have left this The Daily Forehand fairly stagnant for a while, for which I apologize.

I haven't been able to follow tennis nearly closely enough pretty much all of February, and while it's probably the least important month in the tennis calendar it's still something for which I should make amends.

So here is the first of a three-part series which will try to make sense of the results (and some news) from the post-Australian Open happenings in the sport with the fuzzy balls. 

And if you haven't been playing super-close attention to tennis over these last few weeks either, hopefully this will serve as a nice way to get a digest of what's been going on.

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Roger Federer, executing one of the more difficult maneuvers of the evening.(THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andy Wong)

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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.

Marin Cilic (GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

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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.

Justine Henin (Photo: AP)

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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.

Serena Williams crushes a forehand. (PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Women's Fourth Round:

Serena Williams (USA)[1] def. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[13] 6-4, 6-2 -- The scoreline really doesn't do this whooping justice.  Serena was absolutely untouchable on her serve, and returned exceptionally well against one of the best servers in the game in Stosur.  She hit 30 winners against only 14 errors, a ratio unheard of in the women's game for a player aggressive as she is.  This was as dominant as I have Serena play since, well, ever.  The only two previous matches I can compare it to are her final Down Under vs. Maria Sharapova in 2007, and her 2002 US Open quarterfinal vs. Daniela Hantuchova, back in the catsuit days.  They might as well give her the trophy now.

Li Na (CHN)[16] def. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[4] 6-4, 6-3 -- Li Na was able to keep her blasts within the court often enough to punch holes in the Wozniacki backboard, rallying from 2-4 down in the first set to run away with this one by the end.  This was exactly the type of tennis (aggressive and relatively clean) that Wozniacki really never had to contend with during her run to the US Open finals.  If more players can manage it, Wozniacki may find her days with her own quarter of draws at slams to be short in number.  Li is the second Chinese player to make the quarterfinals here, marking the first time that country has ever sent two.  An all-Chinese final doesn't seem too likely, to say the least, but it would be fairly interesting.

Venus Williams (USA)[6] def. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 -- I picked Schiavone to pull off the upset in straight sets, and my forecast was looking pretty good as Schiavone went up a set and a break.  But then the elder Williams really engaged in the second set, reeling in her shots well and stepping into the court more and more.  She was able to pick on the fairly paceless Schiavone shots with more and more ease, passing the test with flying colors by the time the final ball was struck.  In other news: those underpants of hers are ridiculous, especially in the back.  Li beat her in the 2008 Olympics, but Venus clearly has the edge in career slam quarterfinal records.

Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7] def. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[9] 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 -- I had this one totally pegged in my prediction, a feat I would be prouder of if it wasn't so easy.  For the second slam in a row, Vera Zvonareva blew a set-and-break lead and wound up being bageled listlessly in the third while on the verge of tears.  Azarenka really seemed to relax when she received an audible obscenity code violation at 4-3 in the second, and laughed it off in a decidedly un-Serenaesque fashion.  There were some real moments of impressive tennis in this one, but nothing that comes close to what Serena was able to do earlier in the day.  Azarenka will be lucky to win six games in her next match.

Lleyton Hewitt congratulates Roger Federer. (Photo: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

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Men's Fourth Round Singles:


Roger Federer (SUI)[1] def. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[22] 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 -- What could have been a real close match wasn't, because Roger Federer was his phenomenal self from the get-go.  The shaky Federer from the first round is nowhere to be seen right now, and the much-anticipated Federer-Davydenko quarterfinal really isn't all that anticipated anymore.  For Hewitt's part, it's an unfortunate draw.  He is still nowhere near demonstrative enough when playing Federer, restraining himself in the presence of royalty, seemingly.  Not that it would have made a difference in this instance, but I can hardly recall another such example of a top player routinely muting himself time and time again in the presence of a peer.

Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] def. Lukasz Kubot (POL) 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 -- Calling Djokovic's draw soft is like calling the ocean moist--it really doesn't do the situation justice at all.  Kubot in the fourth round of a slam is a blessing, to be sure, but this many blessings back to back has to be a curse eventually.  Djokovic hasn't been tested by anyone good, though he did get caught on an off-day by Chiudinelli in the second round.  If Tsonga can come out of the gates well in the quarters and blitz Djokovic, he should be able to get the upset.

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] def. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[9] 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-3 -- Davydenko was living up to all the hype early.  But then for no particular reason, he went off the rails, and it wasn't until some Verdasco sloppiness in the fifth that he got back on them.  It's a nice gut-check win for Davydenko, but that's not what he needed at this stage of the tournament.  Any swagger he brought into his quarterfinal with Federer is largely gone, and he's going to have to fabricate some of the self-belief he lost in this match.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10] def. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[26] 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-7(6), 9-7 -- This match was looking incredibly routine for Tsonga in the first two sets, until Almagro raised his level and Tsonga failed to follow suit.  There was a bunch of bizarrely boneheaded serving off the Tsonga racquet, including losing BOTH the third and fourth sets because of attempts to hit a second serve at around 130 MPH.  In Tsonga's first ever fifth set, he survived some very impressive shotmaking from Almagro to secure a victory that really had no right to be this difficult.