Marin Cilic could be problematic for Andy Murray (Times Online)

Tennis great Alastair Martin dies (UPI)

Australian up-and-comer Bernard Tomic draws fire for criticizing the scheduling at the Australian Open (Reuters)

Tomic is also in the market for a new coach. He is looking at Brad Gilbert and Darren Cahill. If there is a god, he will pick Gilbert. Gilbert has been terrorizing American television audiences for years with his crack “analysis.” I have been praying for someone to hire him for years (Tennis)

Richard Gasquet has a new coach (Tennis)

In more Tomic news, Lleyton Hewitt is not on board for his rival's bid on the Australian Davis Cup team. The rivalry continues (The Australian)

Rafael Nadal answers some rather frisky questions from his fans (Herald Sun)

It looks like Laura Robson has moved on from Marat Safin (Daily Online)

Speaking of Safin, there is a rumor of a Safin love child (Open Court)

Saturday was marked with retirements and walkovers. Qualifier Stefan Koubek retired against Fernando Verdasco. Twentieth-seed Mikhail Youzhny withdrew with a wrist injury that developed during his epic match with Richard Gasquet in the first round. The Russian's withdrawal gave Pole Lukasz Kubot a walkover.

In the States, everyone’s favorite tennis sportscasters hyped the Hewitt-Baghdatis match as the match of the century. With their delusional pronouncements last night, the viewer would have had the impression that Marcos Baghdatis had actually won a grand slam. The reality is Baghdatis has won four career titles, with no grand slams or masters titles among them. After all the hype, the match ended with a whimper with Lleyton Hewitt trouncing Baghdatis and the Cypriots’ subsequent withdrawal in the second set from the match. Assholes.

The rest of the seeded players progressed pretty easily in straight sets with Djokovic and Davydenko moving quickly and quietly through the draw. The match of the day was 10-seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga versus 18-seed Tommy Haas.

The two players met once before in Halle last year with the German veteran winning that meeting on grass. Tsonga had an easy time progressing through the first rounds this week. Haas, on the other hand, had a much difficult road by drawing Janko Tipsarevic in the second round and getting caught in a five-set match with the Serb.

Tsonga and Haas started evenly with both players staying on serve. In the ninth game of the first set, Tsonga broke Haas and was able to win the opening set. The German returned the favor in the second set. In the third set, errors crept into the 18-seed’s game. Tsonga took advantage by breaking Haas twice and taking control of the match.

In the fourth and final set, the two players traded breaks and were even at 5-5. Haas had a sloppy game eleven, and 10-seed broke the veteran for the final time. The Frenchman held at love for the set and the match. After 2 hours and 28 minutes, Tsonga sealed the deal 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5.

Tsonga will now meet 26-seed Nicolas Almagro in the round of 16. The two players have never met in ATP competition.

Saturday’s Results
Singles Third Round
1 Roger Federer (SUI) def. 31 Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-3 6-4 6-4
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-1 6-1 6-2
6 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. 30 Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-0 6-3 6-4
9 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def Q Stefan Koubek (AUT) 6-1 ret. (illness)
10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. 18 Tommy Haas (GER) 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5
Lukasz Kubot (POL) def. 20 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) walkover (right wrist)
22 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-0 4-2 ret. (right shoulder)
26 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-4 6-3 6-4

Doubles Second Round
3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L Paes (IND) def. L. Arnold Ker (ARG)/ H. Tecau (ROU) 7-5 6-3
M. Kohlmann (GER)/J. Nieminen (FIN) def. C. Fleming (GBR)/K. Skupski (GBR) 3-6 6-4 6-3
A. Clement (FRA)/J. Erlich (ISR) def. F. Lopez (ESP)/R. Schuettler (GER) 6-3 7-5
F. Gonzalez (CHI)/I. Ljubicic (CRO) def. C. Ball (AUS)/S. Huss (AUS) 5-7 7-6(3) 7-5
I. Karlovic (CRO)/D. Vemic (SRB) def. WC K. Hensel (AUS)/ G. Jones (AUS) 3-6 7-5 7-5
J. Isner (USA)/ S. Querrey (USA) def. J. Benneteau (FRA) /S. Darcis (BEL) 6-4 6-0
L. Mayer (ARG)/H. Zeballos (ARG) def. I. Andreev (RUS)/E. Korolev (KAZ) 6-3 6-2

Sunday’s Matches
Singles Round of 16
2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
4 Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs. 14 Marin Cilic (CRO)
5 Andy Murray (GBR) vs. John Isner (USA)
7 Andy Roddick (USA) vs. 11 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)

Doubles Third Round
1 B. Bryan (USA)/M. Bryan (USA) vs. 17 J. Melzer (AUT)/P. Petzschner (GER)
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. P. Marx (GER)/I. Zelenay (SVK)
J. Brunstrom (SWE)/J.J. Rojer (AHO) vs. Arnaud Clement (FRA)/J. Erlich (ISR)

Sunday’s Order of Play

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Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur took part in the Hit for Haiti fundraiser at Rod Laver Arena yesterday afternoon. The 90-minute exhibition has brought in over $200,000 so far.

Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro had a scare today. He had to rally to beat Lleyton Hewitt 4-6 6-3 7-6(2). The Aussie pushed the 20 year old to the wire, but the Argentine was able to wrap up the match in the tiebreak.

Del Potro will now see Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals. The two players are even at 1-1 in their head-to-head matchup. This will be another must-see match. Hopefully, it is televised.

(Image: AP)

Gilles Simon, Radek Stepanek and Fernando Verdasco were all upset today. All faced dangerous players, but ultimately they all allowed their opponents to get the better of them and ended up being sent home.

Simon was stunned by Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2. The Frenchman had been playing better lately, but he allowed the Spaniard outplay him for a berth in the quarterfinals.

Stepanek was in the drivers seat for much of his match with Lleyton Hewitt. The Czech was up two sets, but the veteran Aussie managed to turn his fortunes around. He rallied to stun Stepanek 4-6 2-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 in just under three hours of play.

Verdasco was undone by Ivo Karlovic, who has yet to be broken in the entire tournament. The Croat's serve continued its steamroll. He rained down 35 aces on Verdasco. Karlovic ended up upsetting the Spaniard 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 7-6(9).

(Images: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images, AP, AP)

Juan Martin del Potro was upset by Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 7-5 7-5. The 2002 Wimbledon champion is a tough competitor, so it was a tough break for del Potro that he drew the Australian in the second round.

The 20 year old is having a phenomenal year, but Wimbledon has been a major obstacle for him. He has yet to make it past the second round at the Queen's Club. I am sure he will turn that fact around in the future, and he will definitely tear up the hardcourt circuit this summer.

(Image: Alastair Grant/AP Photo)

An action shot of Rafael Nadal in his win over former world no. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. The Aussie gave him no trouble, and Nadal disposed of Hewitt 6-1-6-3 -6-1 in under two hours of play. Nadal will meet Robin Soderling next, and I am sure it will be a repeat of this.

(Image: FFT)

The troublemaker of Monte Carlo and the troublemaker of Rome squared off in their first round match. Both players represent the future hopes of German tennis. When all was said and done, wildcard Andreas Beck ended up besting Mischa Zverev 6-3 6-4 after 87 minutes of play.

The 23-year-old Ravensburger is now 2-0 over the 21-year-old Hamburger in ATP events. Beck will play fourth-seed Tomas Berdych in second round. The two players have never met in ATP competition.

In other news, Lleyton Hewitt defeated German Philipp Petzschner 6-2 7-6(2) 7-6(8) in a hard-fought match. The win marks Hewitt's 500th win. The Aussie will play the Dutch qualifier Thiemo De Bakker in the second round.

Tuesday’s Matches
Singles First Round
2 Marin Cilic (CRO) def. Q Dieter Kindlmann (GER) 6-3 6-2
4 Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Q Sascha Kloer (GER) 7-6(0) 6-4
Q Thiemo De Bakker (NED) def. 5 Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-3 6-3
7 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) def. LL Lamine Ouahab (ALG) 6-3 6-2
Potito Starace (ITA) def. 8 Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 7-5 5-7 6-3
WC Andreas Beck (GER) def. Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-3 6-4
Denis Gremelmayr (GER) def. Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 5-1 Ret’d
Julien Benneteau (FRA) def. Q Alexander Peya (AUT) 2-6 7-6(5) 7-5
WC Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-2 6-7(2) 7-6(8)
WC Daniel Brands (GER) def. Stefan Koubek (AUT) 6-3 7-6(2)
LL Stephane Bohli (SUI) def. Simone Bolleli (ITA) 3-6 6-2 6-3

Doubles First Round
2 A. Fisher (AUS)/J. Kerr (AUS) def. Alt M. Crugnola (ITA)/C. Haggard 6-3 6-2
J. Cerretani (USA)/J. Chardy (FRA) def. N. Kiefer (GER)/M. Zverev (GER) 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 10-7

Wednesday’s Matches
Singles Second Round
7 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) vs. Denis Gremelmayr (GER)
3 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) vs. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
2 Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
Nicolas Kiefer (GER) vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA)

Doubles First Round
P. Petzchner (GER)/A. Peya (AUT) vs. J. Murray (GBR)/P. Vizner (CZE)
M. Kohlmann/A. Waske (GER) vs. S. Bolelli (ITA)/C. Kas (GER)
B. Bryan/M. Bryan vs. J. Hernych (CZE)/I. Minar (CZE)

Doubles Second Round
2 A. Fisher (AUS)/J. Kerr (AUS) vs. E. Gulbis (LAT)/I. Kunitsyn (RUS)

Wednesday's Order of Play

(Image: dpa)

Preview: BMW Open
City: Munich, Germany
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Championship Points: 250
2008 Singles Champion: Fernando Gonzalez
2008 Doubles Champions: Michael Berrer and Rainer Schuettler

Fernando Gonzales was set to defend his title this year but has pulled out of the tournament. He sprained his ankle in his Roman quarterfinal match with Juan Monaco. He did play in the semifinal against Rafael Nadal, but his ankle was still sore. The Chilean was playing well and would have been the odds on favorite this year.

The withdrawal now opens the draw. Marin Cilic, the second seed, should be the favorite, but he is not as proficient on clay as some of the others. He should have a good shot at the semifinals, but I would not be surprised if he was tripped up in the earlier rounds.

Lleyton Hewitt is back on tour after taking a break from the tour after his first round loss in Monte Carlo. He did win on clay in Houston and should have no trouble getting to the quarterfinals. From there, he could meet Andreas Beck or Mischa Zverev in the quarterfinals, and I think the Aussie might lose that battle. It is a shame these German upstarts have to play each other in the first round. They are both looking to breakthrough and what better time than in front of an eager German audience. Berdych is also in this quarter and could do well.

Julien Benneteau now breathes a sigh of relief, as he was scheduled to play Gonzalez in the first round, but now plays a lucky loser. Clay is not really his surface, and I would not be surprised if someone tripped him up in the early rounds. His portion of the draw is now the least predictable.

The main beneficiary of the Gonzalez withdrawal is Nicolas Almagro. He is an excellent clay court player and the most proficient in the tournament, but has not had a great year. He did successfully defend his title in Mexico, but his European clay season has been a disaster. This could be a good opportunity for another title and build some confidence for Madrid. His only problem is Mikhail Youzhny, who he could meet in the second round. If he can pass the Russian, he has a pretty good shot at the title.


Tournament Draw
Singles / Doubles

Tournament Malfeasance
Andreas Beck (GER) vs. Mischa Zverev (GER)
Nicolas Kiefer (GER) vs. Ernest Gulbis (LAT)
Evgeny Korolev (RUS) vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA)

Monday’s Order of Play

(Image: Getty Images)

Marat Safin was in good form as he beat Hewitt, who is fresh off his Houston title. He bested the Aussie 6-4 7-5 in routine fashion. Safin will play Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador in an old-school matchup. Safin currently leads their head-to-head match 1-0 after the Russian beat Lapentti in Barcelona in 2000.


Tuesday’s Matches Singles First Round
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. 9 Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-3 6-1
10 David Ferrer (ESP) def. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-2 6-3
12 David Nalbandian (ARG) def. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Albert Montanes (ESP) def. 16 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 7-6(6) 4-6 7-6(5)
Q Fabio Fognini (ITA) def. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 1-6 6-3 6-3
Marat Safin (RUS) def. WC Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-4 7-5
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def. Florent Serra (FRA) 6-4 6-4
WC Jean-Rene Lisnard (MON) def. Christophe Rochus (BEL) 6-2 6-2
Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) def. Igor Andreev (RUS) 2-6 7-6(5) 6-2

Singles Second Round
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Q Oscar Hernandez (ESP) 6-1 6-2
4 Andy Murray (GBR) def. Victor Hanescu (ROU) 6-3 6-2
Q Andreas Beck (GER) def. 6 Gilles Simon (FRA) 7-5 6-1
Juan Monaco (ARG) def. 11 Tommy Robredo (ESP) 6-2 6-4

Doubles First Round
N. Davydenko (RUS)/O. Marach (AUT) def. J. Chardy (FRA)/G. Simon (FRA) 6-4 6-1
WC M. Gicquel (FRA)/P. Mathieu (FRA) def. L. Arnold Ker (ARG)/P. Cuevas (URU) 7-6(5) 6-3
S. Aspelin (SWE)/W. Moodie (RSA) def. R. Lindstedt (SWE)/R. Soderling (SWE) 6-2 6-4

Doubles Second Round
M. Cilic (CRO)/N. Kiefer (GER) def. 5 B. Soares (BRA)/K. Ullyett (ZIM) 6-4 1-6 10-7

Wednesday’s Matches Singles Second Round
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG)
2 WC Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Andreas Seppi (ITA)
5 Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) vs. WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)
7 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
8 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) vs. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
10 David Ferrer (ESP) vs. Marc Gicquel (FRA)
12 David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
13 Stani Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG)
14 Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Q Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs. Simone Bolelli (ITA)
Marat Safin (RUS) vs. Q Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Albert Montanes (ESP) vs. WC Jene-Rene Lisnard (MON)

Doubles Second Round
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. WC M. Gicquel (FRA)/P. Mathieu (FRA)
3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L. Paes (IND) vs. A. Montanes (ESP)/T. Robredo (ESP)
6 M. Fyrstenberg (POL)/M. Matkowski (POL) vs. N. Davydenko (RUS)/O. Marach (AUT)
7 J. Knowle (AUT)/A. Ram (ISR) vs. S. Aspelin (SWE)/W. Moodie (RSA)
8 J. Coetzee (RSA)/J. Kerr (AUS) vs. N. Djokovic (SRB)/V. Troicki (SRB)

Wednesday's Order of Play

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(Image: AP)

The top thirty slots are the same as last week. The players, who did well last week, received a pay off this week. The movers this week are:

• Fueled by his title win yesterday, Juan Carlos Ferrero rockets 40 spots to 75. Phew!
• Evegeny Korolev jumps 11 spots to 72.
• German Bjorn Phau skips 7 spots to 70.
• Tommy Haas moves up 5 to 81.
• American Wayne Odesnik jumps 23 spots to 77.
• Lleyton Hewitt moves up 31 spots to 57 after winning Houston yesterday.
  

Singles Final
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-2 7-5

City: Houston, Texas, USA
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Championship Points: 250
2008 Singles Champion: Marcel Granollers
2008 Doubles Champions: Ernest Gulbis/Rainer Schuettler

Marcel Granollers will be on hand to defend his title. James Blake, Mardy Fish and Lleyton Hewitt will also be there. The tournament is on clay, so there will probably be no trouble from them. Look for Jeremy Chardy to cause a little bit of trouble in the top part of the draw. Also, there is always a possibility that Guillermo Canas could awake from his tennis slumber and surprise someone.

Ernest Gulbis and Rainer Schuettler will not defend their title. The Bryan Brothers, Fisher/Kerr, Ker/Damm and Huss/Hutchins will all be in the mix. Parrott/Polasek are having a good year, but Filip Polasek is not playing in the tournament. Travis Parrott is instead teamed up with the big, serving John Isner. This pairing could be interesting.

Tournament Draw
Singles / Doubles

Monday’s Matches
Qualifying Third Round
Donald Young (USA) vs. Scoville Jenkins (USA)
Michael Russell (USA) vs. Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
Alexander Peya (AUT) vs. Jesse Levine (USA)
Amer Delic (USA) vs. Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)

Singles First Round
3 Juergen Melzer (AUT) vs. Robert Kendrick (USA)
8 Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) vs. Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)
Wayne Odesnik (USA) vs. Kevin Anderson (RSA)
Evgeny Korolev (RUS) vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)

Doubles First Round
D. Martin (USA)/S. Querrey (USA) vs. J. Isner (USA)/T. Parrott (USA)
J. Blake (USA)/M. Fish (USA) vs. A. Delic (USA)/R. Kendrick (USA)

Monday’s Order of Play

(Image: Emily Jaschke)