We are in the midst of the second US Open Series tournament for the Men, and first for the Women.  Last week in Los Angeles, at the Countrywide Classic, James Blake was upset in the finals in 3 sets by Radek Stepanek.  Most people wrote it off as another disappointing result for Blake, as they saw Stepanek was ranked 108th heading into the event.  However, the common fan also probably doesn’t know that Stepanek was ranked 8th just a year ago before getting injured.  Not that I’m blaming the common fan, Stepanek is probably the most unknown player ever to enter the top 10 - probably because he is one of the more boring and unlikable players around.  He didn’t help the latter cause by taking a dubious injury timeout in the middle of the 3rd set.  But I digress.  Blake getting to the finals of anything after his pretty horrific first half of 2007 has to help his confidence.  He is playing fellow American Sam Querrey in the quarters at Indy tonight, and will look to march on to the finals, which he won last year defeating Roddick in one of 2006’s more entertaining matches. (more…)

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I assure you,  this is the first chance I’ve had since the Fed Cup craziness started.  The last couple weeks have been a total whirlwind, but all went off without a glitch.  We definitely got a little lucky with the rain, as it rained non-stop before and after the event, but not during.  The only thing I would change is the outcome, as the Russians defeated the U.S. 3-2, needing a 7-5, 7-6 victory in the fifth and deciding rubber to secure the tie.  I’d love to comment more on the actual tennis, but I was inside the transportation trailer for pretty much the entire duration of the event (not to mention the week surrounding it), so anything I write would be a blatant lie. (more…)