Third-ranked Maria Sharapova withdrew from the tournament with a shoulder injury and therefore won’t be making any strides towards another stint at number one.

On the men’s side – well – Roger Federer lost. Somehow that seems like a very commonplace thing to say. Maybe it’s because I’ve been saying it rather too often in the past weeks. Ivan Karlovic came out on top in two tiebreakers on the first and third sets after dropping the second set to the current-but-soon-to-be-not number one men’s tennis player.

So with all this unrest in the top ranks, who’s going to win the Olympics?

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Ivanovic Holds On, Federer Loses

Pushing all the legal and financial mumbo-jumbo aside, the basic premise is this. The future WTA schedule will have 20 “premiere tournaments” instead of the Tier One and Tier Two events of today’s WTA. And, while the paycheck is going up 40% ($63.6 million in prize money up to $84.4 million), so are the fines.

Should a player withdraw late, back out of a committed tournament date or *gasp* have an injury, zero ranking points and no bonus money.

Oh, did I mention there are mandatory tournaments the top-ranked players are going to have to compete at?

Sorry ladies, but the freedom of the Pretty Woman-”I say who, I say when, I say…who!”-lifestyle has just kissed y’all goodbye. Better buckle in for WTA Boot Camp 101!

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WTA Introduces New Style

Nadal is just – wow. I think sports fans are some of the most fickle on this planet. I know what’s going to happen when R-Fed is finally removed from the position he’s held for nigh on forever. But just because I love Roger – and I would never turn my back on him or denounce the things he’s done – doesn’t mean I can’t have a healthy appreciation and admiration for his biggest opponent. Goodness knows Roger has a deep-seated appreciation for his more than worthy rival. It’s a matter of time before Nadal takes over the number one spot. I know it in the way I knew Nadal would win Wimbledon…or the way I know the sun is going to come up tomorrow because it always does.

Heck – Nadal just won in Toronto. He’s not a clay-courter any more. Is it a phase? Is this period of amazing tennis just a passing fancy for the Spaniard? Shoot, I don’t know. Nor do I really care. Because even if he does take over the number one spot, it’s only a matter of time before someone new comes along to force him to relinquish it whether that’s months or years from now. It’s just how sports are. There are so many variables – it’s like playing the stock market.

Is Nadal going to win the U.S. Open? Maybe. He’s certainly got a great shot, and he’s probably going to be the favorite running into it. But we all know this is tennis – anything can happen. Except Andy Roddick winning. His star set years and years ago.

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Nadal to number one?

Jankovic is number two in the world and, had she won the East West Bank Classic, she would have become the newly minted number one player in women’s tennis. Obviously that didn’t happen as Dinara Safina ousted the Serbian in the semifinals of the Classic 7-6, 6-1 to move into the final against Flavia Pennetta. (She is not to be confused with any person having a connection to Flava Flav…at least not to my knowledge.)

Despite the loss, Jankovic is still on the verge of becoming the world’s top-ranked woman in the yellow fuzzy ball sport. And – get this – the Serb has never played in a Grand Slam final. Never. Notta. Zilch. Zero. Bagel. Donut.

Jankovic is the quintessential good-but-never-great player of the tour and, baby, it’s payin’ off.

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Safina Halts Jankovic’s Number One Hopes

Roger Federer.

Yep, you see where this is going already, don’t ya? What’s happening to the big kahuna? I’m theorizing here, but I’m going to guess in about a week, R-Fed isn’t going to be numbah one any more. Federer got dumped out of Toronto in the first round by Gilles Simon. The first round! By Simon!

It’s been real. It’s been fun. But I think the cruise control is about to get the brakes slammed hard core on it. Rafael Nadal is playing phenomenally well – still. He just knocked off Richard Gasquet and will face Andy Murray who is coming off a huge mental win with a victory over Novak Djokovic.

But Roger? What happened? Did losing Wimbledon just completely demoralize him, make him lose confidence, slip into a shadow of his once impecable form? I still love watching the guy, but the cracks opponents were beginning to see and take advantage of at the beginning of the year have now become gaping chasms.

I’m sad. But at the same time, I’m very interested to see who will step up and pick up the slack. I don’t know if Rafa can sustain the awesomeness as long as Federer did – I think the opportunity for a little shake ‘n bake of the top royalty will make for some good fireworks.

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Fallen Federer

And on the heels of that sad news, I have some more bad news that will bring the frownies out to play. Due to a series of events and circumstances, this blog will be bidding everyone adieu at the end of July. I’ll be posting like mad the last few days to give everyone an extra boost into the days beyond Rackets and Balls, and by all means – pick another b5 blog to become a fan of – there are some absolutely wonderful blogs on this channel!

Until then, be sure to check back in as we get caught up on what’s been going down, and special thanks to Darren for filling in while I was gone!

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The End of an Amazing Journey

I am not sure if Wozniak is a one woman wrecking machine or if the demands of the schedule are breaking players down but one thing can be for sure, Wozniak took the Bank of the West Classic championship and ran with it. She is the first Canadian to win a WTA tour event in 20 years. Was it luck, was it her unmatched skill at that point and time. No one knows but what is clear is that she has her first event in the bag. Congrats Wozniak, the tour’s dark horseman.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Dark Horseman

Gone are the days of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Monica Seles, and Jennifer Capriati. These are the names of just a few champions who were part of the American tennis dynasty. In the late 1980’s and 1990’s American tennis was at its height. In everyone Championships there was an American on the list of players. Today unfortunately we cannot stay the same. While Venus and Serena Williams are still in the thick things there are not dominating women’s tennis. Andy Roddick who has been the hope of American men’s tennis since the exit of Agassi has been less than fruitful. This week proves there is a decline in American tennis.

Three tennis players made an exit from the opening Olympus US Open Tennis Series. Serena Williams withdrew from Stanford with a knee injury on Saturday. Serena withdrew in the seminfinals in the second set after a hard fought battle to Wozniak.Williams lasted only 46 minutes before pulling out of the match trailing 2-6, 1-3. Venus Williams and Davenport have already pulled out of next week’s East West Bank Classic in Carson, Calif., due to right knee injuries.

On the men’s side, Sam Querrey was taken down by Frenchman Gilles Simon who posted a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win into the Sunday final of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships. At a two hours match Querrey collapsed in a wave of fatigue. James Blake, who has been on shaky ground the entire tournament also fell in Indianapolis. Blake cracked under pressure in the wake of French Open and Wimbledon second-round disappointments, losing his serve after a rain interruption to go down 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Tursunov.

Tursunov and Simon will play for the championship. The big question on the minds of all American tennis players and fans alike has to be what can be done to reclaim the thrown or is it too late. American tennis is on the decline. While we root for the Americans the routes have not followed the cheers. I love tennis but I have to admit I know far too few people who are interested in the sport. Sadly I think it is a trend and unless something is done by the USTA I feel the way of the sport in the States is over. I just hope there is a rising star in the juniors.

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Americans in Decline

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The comeback kid

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Using all nine lives