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Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta Women's Doubles Champions at Australian Open

Australian Open - Women's Doubles Final

1 Dulko/Pennetta d 12 Azarenka/Kirilenko - 26 75 61

Here is a quiz...

Who's #1 in the world without a Slam aided in their rank by Serena's injury?

This used to be a trick question: Caroline Wozniacki AND Dulko/Pennetta.

That is, until yesterday when the top ranked team finally won their 1st Slam.

And they did it coming back from a set and a break down.

A message from their Twitter:

So many messages, so much support...just one word to say THANKS!!!!

Great effort ladies.

Andy Murray Advances to 2nd Australian Open Final

Australian Open - Men's Semifinal

5 Andy Murray d 7 David Ferrer - 46 76(2) 61 76(2)

Now that was one helluva high level and entertaining match.

Andy dug deep to save a set point in the 2nd to turn it around.

Afterward he told Jim Courier that he didn't even realize it was a set point.

Andy advances to his 2nd AO final & 3rd Slam final - he lost both to Federer.

In the final he will play his pal Novak Djokovic - H2H: 4-3/ND.

Andy has won the last 3 - but they haven't played in nearly 2 years:

We've always been like 3 and 4 the last few years we've always been on...

different halves of the draw in every tournament we've played.

So yeah, we haven't come up against each other I think for over 2 years now.

So, you know, we practice a lot together. We get on well together.

We're good friends. You know, so in terms of a rivalry...

I hope it's the start of us playing each other in big matches.

Photos: Getty Images

Shirtless Sexy David Ferrer Hits Port Melbourne Beach

This is how David apologizes to saddened Rafaholics. Damn, he's smart.

Photos: Getty Images

Roger Federer Loses at the Australian Open

Yea, you're not going to read any 'end of Federer' stuff here.

I do not own a crystal ball and have no idea what the rest of 2011 looks like.

But boy, some tennis writers sure seem to know what's going to happen huh?

Must be nice to be them.

Here are some things I do know - because they actually happened...

This is the 1st time since Wimby '03 he is not the holder of a Slam title.

This is the 4th straight Slam without a final round showing: 2 Sf's & 2 Qf's.

Interesting: None of those losses were at the hands of Rafael Nadal.

Roger, being the AO defending champ, will lose 1,280 ranking points.

Which means if Novak wins the title Roger will drop to #3 on Monday.

If Murray/Ferrer win the title he'll stay #2 - tho with a fairly loose grip.

Since the USO Roger's result have been pretty damn good.

He had early round losses at IW & M - he can surely improve those results.

Roger had this to say about the suggestion of the torch being passed:

Yeah, I mean, they say that very quickly, so... Let's talk in six months again.

And Roger on his game and the rest of the season:

I feel very good. I'm very optimistic about the next 15 tournaments.

I've barely lost matches lately really, so I'm happy with where my game is at.

I'm really excited for what's to come. This is obviously a bit of a blow.

At the same time, I played a good tournament. I have no regrets.

I left everything out there. We'll see what comes next.

One thing I've learned over the last 8 years: Never count Federer out.

He ain't done yet.

Novak Djokovic Upsets Roger Federer to Advance to Australian Open Final

Australian Open - Men's Semifinal

3 Novak Djokovic d 2 Roger Federer - 76(3) 75 64

Lord, I was up 'til 3:45 AM watching this thing. I'm so out of it today.

That scoreline looks like close sets but it sure felt completely lopsided.

It's been a long time since I've seen Roger look so grumpy in a match.

Novak really took it to Rog - pounding a ton of shots to his backhand corner.

Novak wavered to start the 2nd set - but Rog could not take advantage.

Too many drop shots - & I just kept thinking: run around your backhand Rog.

The '08 Australian Open champ moves into his 4th Slam final: 1-2.

Novak's other 2 finals came at the USO in '07 & '10 - losing to Roger and Rafa.

If my math is correct a win in the final will move Novak ahead of Rog to #2.

But a runner-up finish will keep him at #3 - but closing in...

Is this Novak's time to collect a (seemingly elusive) second Slam?

He will play the winner of Andy Murray/David Ferrer.

And Novak will have to days off to relax and prepare for the final.

Novak: I'm looking forward to watch that match tomorrow from my bed.

They're both great players, David played a fantastic match against Rafa...

Andy's been playing really well. It's a Grand Slam final, anything can happen.

Photo: Reuters

Men's Semifinals All Set for Australian Open

Australian Open - Men's Semifinal Preview

2 Roger Federer vs 3 Novak Djokovic - H2H: 13-6

This is another of the interesting rivalries on the men's tour.

5 meetings in 2010: Rog downed Novak in Canada weeks before the USO.

Then they met in that blockbuster in the Sf's at the USO.

Novak stared down match points and pulled out a big upset.

They then met 3 times in the fall - Rog won them all. In sets: 6-1.

In fact, Roger has been on a real tear since losing at the USO.

4 titles in 6 tournaments... And he's the defending champion.

***

5 Andy Murray vs 7 David Ferrer - H2H: 2-3

The H2H lies in the details - Andy's 2 came on hard courts, David's 3 on clay.

This is David's 2nd Slam Sf: 0-1 - and Andy's 5th Sf: 2-2.

Remember, Andy was a finalist here last year - losing to the Rog.

David (9-0) & Rog (10-0) are both undefeated so far this year.

Women's Semifinals All Set for Australian Open

Australian Open - Women's Semifinal Preview

1 Caroline Wozniacki vs 9 Li Na - 1-2

R'uh r'oh: The 2 played twice last year and Li won them both.

And both of them were in Australia - including at the AO in the 4th round.

Li is also the only undefeated player of 2010.

Caro: By making the Sf's she is assured the #1 ranking on Monday.

***

2 Vera Zvonareva vs 3 Kim Clijsters - 3-6

They played 4 times last year: 3-1/VZ. But Kim won the big one at the USO.

This is the 5th time they've played at a Slam: 3-1/KC.

Their 1st match was a 3-setter way back at USO '02 which went Kim's way.

5 of their 9 matches have gone the distance. I'm thinking tonight too.

Photo: AP/Reuters/Getty Images

Rafael Nadal's Australian Open Post Loss Presser

Here is the good news for you Rafanatics... muscle tears heal. He should be 100% by the time Indian Wells and/or Miami rolls around. Then we're heading to the clay... He is still gonna give you a good year.

Here is the transcript of his press conference from the AO website:

Q. How emotional is it for you tonight?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, is a difficult day for me. I lost in quarterfinals another time. So I tried my best. I couldn't do more. Tonight I think I played against a great player, a great opponent. Today I really can't do more than what I did. So he played at a very high level, and I wasn't able to compete against him tonight.

Q. It's going to be difficult for us to write a piece without appreciating how well you could move. It seemed to us you couldn't move as well as you would like to have been moving tonight. Is that a fair statement?

RAFAEL NADAL: You see the match?

Q. Yes.

RAFAEL NADAL: So you are ready to write everything. I don't have to tell you about what I felt on the court because I tried my best all the time. But is obvious that I didn't feel at my best. I had a problem during the match, in the very beginning. After that, the match was almost over. So that's what I can say.

But you know what, for me is difficult come here and speak about. In Doha I wasn't healthy. Today I have another problem. Seems like I always have problems when I lose, and I don't want to have this image, no? I prefer don't talk about that today. If you can respect that, will be a very nice thing for me. Thank you.

David Ferrer Upsets Rafael Nadal at Australian Open

Australian Open - Men's Quaterfinal

7 David Ferrer d 1 Rafael Nadal - 63 62 64

In the 2nd game of this match Rafa tore a thigh muscle.

He did not want a repeat of last year by not finishing the match.

Class: Rafa played on and allowed David a great win.

David: Was victory for me but not like victory really.

Deja boo: At this point Rafa must really HATE Australia Day...

Remember, he retired his Qf match to Andy Murray on this day a year ago.

As for David, he advances to his 2nd Slam Sf following USO '07: 0-1.

Having won the warm-up in Auckland he has yet to lose a match this season.

This win will move his past Tomas Berdych to #6 in the rankings next week.

David will take a winning record into his Sf match with Murray - H2H: 3-2.

BUT: David's 3 are all on clay. Andy's are on hard. 

AO pattern: Clement, Schuttler, Gonzalez, Baghdatis, Tsonga...

All surprise finalists - Spain may just play for the title on Sunday after all.

Photos: AP/Getty Images

Kim Clijsters into Semifinals at Australian Open

Australian Open - Women's Quarterfinal

3 Kim Clijsters d 12 Agnieszka Radwanska - 63 76(4)

Hey momma, you're gonna need to stop going on those walk-abouts.

You made a big unnecessary mesh of that second set.

But hey, what do I know. You won!

In winning Kim advances to her 6th Aussie Open Sf: 1-4.

This is also her 15th Slam Sf: 7-7.

I only the tie-break of this match. State of the Union ended on the 1st point.

Photos: Getty Images

Vera Zvonareva into Semifinals at Australian Open

Australian Open - Women's Quarterfinal

2 Vera Zvonareva d 25 Petra Kvitova - 62 64

Let's hear it for Vera - she's into her 3rd straight Slam Sf: 2-0.

This is her 4th trip to a Slam Sf & 2nd at the Aussie Open - she lost in '09.

Vera: Every single match is very difficult...  and she's very tough opponent.

So I was trying to keep to stick to my game plan and what I had to do today.

I was trying to stay aggressive, and just keep fighting.

Photo: Getty Images

Petkorazzi: Andrea Petkovic & Novak Djokovic

Wacky meets zany. They are sooo a natural fit. More please.

Novak Djokovic into Semifinals at Australian Open

Australian Open - Men's Quarterfinal

3 Novak Djokovic d 6 Tomas Berdych - 61 76(5) 61

So instead of wilting in the Australian heat Novak has been bringing the it.

No sun: And he'll play nothing but night matches the rest of the way.

Except for that TB set lost in the 2nd round - Novak has been on fire.

And he's set up another blockbuster with Roger Federer in the semi's.

The '08 champ advances to his 2nd AO Sf: 1-0. He beat Roger in that one.

This is also Novak's 10th Slam Sf: 3-6. He also beat Roger in his last one.

Novak: Coming in here I was physically prepared, mentally motivated...

Today has been a real test, because he's No. 6 of the world...

I've played some of my best tennis in the last couple months.

So I have nothing to lose playing Federer, who's the title defender here.

We all know everything about him.

I have to believe in myself in order to win that match.

Caroline Wozniacki into Semifinal at Australian Open

Australian Open - Women's Quarterfinal

1 Caroline Wozniacki d 6 Francesca Schiavone - 36 63 63

For a moment there it looked like Fran was gonna do the improbable.

She was up a set & a break - then she ran into that mean bitch: exhaustion.

The scoreline doesn't really reflect the effort Fran put into this thing.

Her fight was inspiring.

***

As for Caro, the win secures her #1 ranking no matter who takes the title.

She's still seeking a maiden Slam - which many feel will justify her ranking.

Caro advances to her 3rd Slam Sf: 1-1.

Advancing to her 2nd Slam final won't be easy - as she faces inform Li Na.

And she'll need to steer clear of those pesky kangaroos.

Caro on being down: Well, I don't mind playing three setters in general.

I feel in good shape, and I can keep playing out there.

So I was just thinking just try to stay in the match. She still hasn't won it.

When I went to the third set, I was really pumped and

ready to go out there and fight until the last ball.

Photo: Getty Images

Roger Federer Storms into Semifinals at Australian Open

Australian Open - Men's Quarterfinal

2 Roger Federer d 19 Stanislas Wawrinka - 61 63 63

Hey Stan, pay no attention to those damn commentators on ESPN.

We know you tried. Hard. You were just up against it today.

Let's celebrate Roger tho as he continues his new Sf streak. It's now at 2.

The defending champ advances to his 8th straight Aussie Open Sf: 5-2.

Stunning stat: In overall Slam play this is Roger's 27th Sf: 22-4.

In the Sf he will play the winner of Novak Djokovic/Tomas Berdych.

Remember, these are the 2 that beat him at the last 2 Slams.

Tomas beat him in Qf at W, Novak the Sf at USO.

Cone of silence: Both of those losses were pre-Paul Annacone.

"Dont feel like I need revenge but I'm not giving them free entry into final."

Photo: Getty Images

Li Na Advances to Semifinals at Australian Open

9 Li Na d 30 Andrea Petkovic - 62 64

Li Na duplicates her result from a year ago. Can she go a step further?

She has stormed thru this tournament like a woman on a serious mission.

In 5 matches she has lost a total of 26 games.

That averages out to a little over 3.5 games per set.

She will play the winner of Wozniacki/Schiavone.

You have to luck this gals attitude, honesty and spunk.

Li: Because I'm better, so I won the match.

Photo: Reuters - In Melbourne's Chinatown

Serena Williams may not have made it to the Australian Open - but SHINO did!!!

YAY, SHINO!!!

Yea, she's bored too.

Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer Cross Paths on the Practice Courts at the Australian Open

Imagine how Melbourne would've imploded if they practiced together?

Tomas Berdych & Lucie Safarova Visit Melbourne Zoo

This may just be the cutest tennis couple ever.

Nice to see Tomas relaxing before his big match tomorrow.

Australian Open Quarterfinal Preview: Head-to-Heads

Here is a quick post with the men's & women's H2H's.

1 Rafael Nadal vs 7 David Ferrer - H2H: 11-3

This is David's 5th Slam Qf (1-3) and Rafa's 18th (14-3).

David handed Rafa a 4th round loss at the US Open.

David hasn't taken a set off Rafa since the spring of '08.

2 Roger Federer vs 19 Stanislas Wawrinka - H2H: 6-1

Both are coming off titles just before the Aussie Open.

Which means both are undefeated in '11: 9-0.

This has a built-in fun factor between countrymen and good friends.

Remember, they teamed to win Olympic gold in Beijing.

3 Novak Djokovic vs 6 Tomas Berdych - H2H: 4-1

This has all the makings of a real cracker as both are playing crazy good.

The '08 champ, Novak is still looking for his 2nd Slam title.

He's coming off a confidence-boosting Davis Cup victory. Adje.

5 Andy Murray vs Alexandr Dolgopolov - H2H: 1-0

That match was an absolute beatdown in Davis Cup 4 years ago.

A exciting as he may be Alex is not stopping Murray from advancing.

Andy has dropped a grand total of 22 games in 4 matches.

The Brit is looking for his 1st Slam title. And he's looking quite good here.

1 Caroline Wozniacki vs 6 Francesca Schiavone - H2H: 2-2

Fran beat Caro on her way to her French Open title last May.

I wouldn't expect a repeat; she has to be exhausted from that 4th R thriller.

Hey, but stranger things have happened.

2 Vera Zvonareva vs 25 Petra Kvitova - H2H: 1-1

Petra won the last one - feeding Vera a bagel in Rome last May.

Vera & Caro are both seeking their 1st Slam title.

Vera could also waltz out of Melbourne as the #1 ranked player.

3 Kim Clijsters vs 12 Agnieszka Radwanska - H2H: 1-0

Their only match was at Wimbledon nearly 5 years ago.

Kim is a 3-time USO champ looking to add a different Slam to her resume.

This Ag's 4th Slam Qf (0-3) and Kim's 18th (14-3).

9 Li Na vs 30 Andrea Petkovic - H2H: 0-0

This match just started and the score is 40-40 in the first game.

Li Na is the only Qf'ist this year that was also a Qf'ist last year.

I would love to see both of these gals have big years.

They both have such unique and fun personalities.

Photos: Reuters