The Championships'08

Crazy Wimbledon.

That's right. This Wimbledon has everything aligned for some truly memorable, exciting, annoying, and hist0ry-breaking results. For starters, Roger's record is on the line, and somehow it would not be altogether shocking for him to lose here. Still, as we learned in France, he can play subpar and still book himself a spot in the final. I just don't know. I hate Djokovic to death and have him going out to Hot Marat in Round 2. The chances this will happen are miniscule. But I have to do it. Meanwhile, Venus and Serena are on opposite sides of the draw, and what a return to yesteryear with an all-Williams final! They bring their stuff to England. Serena's half is easier I think. But Venus I think refuses to lose to Maria at Wimbledon, but can Venus get past Jankovic, who is the last person to beat her at Wimbledon, and the only one to do so, besides Serena, in forever. Also, Maria will be wearing shorts. I would have thought after last year's third round defeat at the US Open, she might have learned to eschew such publicizing and glorifying her outfits and stick to tennis. I hope we don't see the same result!

Men. Round of 16
Fed over Lleyton
Ancic over Berdych
Safin over Stanislas
Bagh over Nalbandian
Andy over Blake. Fun match!
Davydenko over Niemenenenen
Murray over Gasquet
Nadal over Youzhny

Quarters
Fed over Ancic
Bagh over Safin (Safin will prob lose in Round 1)
Andy over Davydenko
Nadal over Murray, but after Murray's angry tirade, totally annoying of course, I want him to win.

Sems
Fed over Bagh. I will be dying during this match.
Roddick over Nadal. I go out of my way to be wrong.

Final: Fed over Andy. Still...

Now, let's hear it for the ladies
Sweet 16
Ana over Paszek
Stosur over Chaka
Aggie over Kutz
Serena over Kirlenko
Dav over Safarova
Maria over Nadia
Venus over Hantuchova
Jelena over Kraijek

Quarters
Ana over Stosur
Serena over Ags
Maria over Dav
Venus over Jelena (Match of the women's draw! Not because of the match-up, but because of the assured competitiveness. All other big matches will not live up to the excitement)

Sems
Serena over Ana
Venus over Maria
Winner: Old V

Tomorrow is Huge

Ladies Semi-final Day at Roland Garros! Ole! Can you all believe we made it? I kinda can't. Are we getting to the point where we shouldn't even expect it to see the Williams in the latest days of a slam? I kinda hope not. Wimbledon should turn that around, I would suspect. We need some Serena fire though. Venus can win at Wimbledon while simultaneously beading her hair. But we are not talking about the Williams. We have two Russian fullbacks, and two whimsically delightful Serbs to talk about!

Let's get the first sweaty, fugly match out of the way.
(4) Kuznetsova v. (13) Safina.
This match is either going to be a tough three-setter where anyone can win, or Dinara is going to run away with this match over the flaky Sveta. Either way, I think Dinara has the edge. Rankings mean nothing to me in this match-up, on this venue. Dinara has officially beaten everyone on clay this season and Kutz, despite thinking that with Justine gone, she is now the best living clay courter, well, she is also the most inconsistent Slam powderpuff.
I can't believe my draw actually might come true!
Dinara in 3

The most wonderful match ever:
(2) Ana Ivanovic v. (3) Jelena Jankovic
The forehand vs the backhand
Does someone really have to lose this match? And with all the goodwill and wonderment on the court, will it really ever have to end? This is going to be delightful I hope. We have seen Venus and Serena never really live up to expectations when they've played each other, same for our retired Belgians. I don't know how the hype/media/nationalism is going to approach the two Serbs now. It doesn't seem to have been so much of a factor yet in their careers. We are told repeatedly that yes, they are Serbian, but they clearly don't seem as connected as Venus and Serena, not even as connected as Justine and Kim. I think the Serbs will take after the onslaught of Russians and when they play each other, it won't be a bigger deal than anyone/thing else. I don't know. Ana and Jelena's relationship does not appear as intense as the sisters' and the Belgians'. Mind you, tomorrow is the first time they are playing one another at a Slam. Neither has won a Slam, as we all know, and I would like to think that the winner of their match is the heavy favorite for the title. But I could be entirely wrong there. Ana leads their head-to-head by a whopping 5-1. They have only played once on clay and Ana has won that, too. Clay may be Jelena's best surface, or maybe not her best, but she still seems more natural (and better) out there to me than the 6'1" Ana does. Yet, Ana is racing (killing opponents) through all of her matches and Jelena, god help this goofball, she seems perfectly fine to lose a set any old time. Still, I don't know who is mentally tougher at this point because at times, they both strike me as a sweet, lovely giggle. Jelena is easily one who can just laugh through an entire match, while setting aside 3 timeouts with the trainer. Ana has been to two finals now so maybe that will mean something. I really can't choose, but my gut wants Jelena to win because, making a Sophie's Choice, I like her more. My brain is telling me Ana, though.
Ana in 3.

But I am rooting for Serbia....and good tennis.