By Nick Georgandis
Photo Credit: Mark Howard
The semifinals have arrived for the women, with the top two seeds nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, the men's final two quarterfinals are upon us, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both in action, and a shot at each other waiting should each man win.
Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Gilles Simon (FRA) – Let’s face it, not too many people in the world outside of gay Paris are rooting for Simon, not with the potential of a Federer-Nadal semifinal looming. Simon nearly took Federer down early at the Australian Open, but King Roger’s resilience came through again. Still, Simon is 2-1 all-time against Federer, with both victories coming on hard surfaces. Simon hasn’t made the final of a Masters 1000 event since his memorable turn at Madrid in 2008, when he stunned No. 1 Nadal in the semifinals, then lost to Andy Murray in the final. Federer is looking to extend a staggering streak of making at least the semifinals of six straight Masters 1000 events. The last time he failed to do so was at Rome last April
Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE) – Early in their careers, this was a burgeoning rivalry, but Nadal has since won eight straight against the seventh-ranked Czech, including on three stages in 2010 – the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, the final at Wimbledon and during round-robin play at the Barclays. Even scarier, Berdych hasn’t won a single set from Nadal in those eight matches, having last won both a set and a match against the Mallorcan at Madrid in 2006. On the surface, Berdych appears off to a dynamite start to 2011 at 19-6, but a peak beneath the surface shows that he’s just 1-4 against players ranked in the Top 20. Nadal is the quietest 17-3 on the planet to date in 2011, since he hasn’t won a title yet, and is being overshadowed by Novak Djokovic’s flawless start. For all his brilliance, Nadal has just one title here (2008) in seven attempts, tumbling in the semifinals last year and the quarterfinals in 2009.
Andrea Petkovic (GER) vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS) – As impressive as Sharapova has been lately, it’s really hard not to cheer for breath-of-fresh-air Petkovic, with her ridiculous post-win dancing, her non-stop Twitter feed and her refreshingly-original website, that includes her passion for political science and honest, humorous video blogs that come regardless of on-the-court success. Sharapova is poised to return to the Top 10, regardless of this match’s outcome, while Petkovic, 18-5 on the year, is already past halfway to her 2010 win total of 34. She was a third-round casualty here a year ago, meaning she’s already plus 370 points by reaching the semis, which will move her inside the Top 20. Should she reach the final (+620) or win the title (+920), she could climb as high as the Top 15 or the cusp of the Top 10.
Vera Zvonareva (RUS) vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) – It’s World War Z! Azarenka’s win over Kim Clijsters Wednesday was a huge confidence builder for the pride of Belarus. Prior to Wednesday’s action, Azarenka was just 2-4 against Top 20 players this year, and lost to Clijsters in the fourth round here a year ago. In 2009, she emerged as the champion here while ranked 10th. Zvonareva is one win from her 28th career final, and two wins from her 12th career crown. She leads the all-time series 6-2, but the pair has split their last four matches, all four in 2010. Zvonareva won the last two – in the quarterfinals of the Tour Championships and the semifinals at Montreal.