TennisToday

Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray to Meet in Wimbledon Final

Wimbledon - Men's Semifinals

1 Novak Djokovic d Juan Martin Del Potro - 75 46 76(2) 67(6) 63

2 Andy Murray d 24 Jerzy Janowicz - 67(2) 64 64 63

1 Novak Djokovic VS 2 Andy Murray - H2H: 11-7/Novak

Both great matches. Novak's an instant classic.

In fact, Novak has played in the 2 best matches of the year...

This one and his Sf loss to Rafa at the French Open.

Novak: It was one of the best matches that I've been a part of, one of the

most exciting definitely. I'm privileged to be a winner of this match.

Something tells me a 3rd greatest match of the year is in the offing Sunday.

They last met in the Aussie Open final - Novak won that one in 4.

The last time Andy beat Novak was in the US Open final last year.

Andy also beat Novak the only time they played on grass at the Olympics.

Andy: Novak is playing very well. We've only played once on grass before,

at the Olympics last year. I'll take that thought into my head on Sunday.

Ok, I'm pulling for Andy. Just to get it over with.

Andy Murray Wins Epic Quarterfinal Match at Wimbledon

Wimbledon - Men's Quarterfinal

2 Andy Murray d Fernando Verdasco - 46 36 61 64 75

Talk about a thriller. An epic thriller. An instant classic for sure.

This is the 7th time Andy has come back from 2 sets down.

I can't even imagine how Henman Hill must have rocked today.

Post match: You're more concerned about losing the match,

not thinking so much that, 'I'm going to lose at Wimbledon.'. You're

concerned how the match is going and that you may lose.

But when you've been in that position a lot of times, you know how

to think through it and not get too far ahead of yourself.

I definitely didn't rush when I went two sets to love down.

I slowed myself down, if anything, and that was a good sign.

***

Andy is trying to get into his 4th straight Slam final.

He was runner-up last year, won the USO and was RU at the Aussie.

Remember: He skipped Roland Garros.

He'll play Jerzy Janowicz - H2H: 1-1. Jerzy won their last match.

It has the makings of yet another Centre Court thriller.

Rafael Nadal Defeats Novak Djokovic in Epic 5 Set Thriller in Semifinals at the French Open

French Open - Men's Semifinal

4 Rafael Nadal d 1 Novak Djokovic - 64 36 61 67(3) 9-7

Halfway thru the 5th set this was getting classified as an instant classic.

This baby was breathtakingly contested at an unreal high level.

And it should have been the final.

Rafa is going for an 8th French Open title.

No man in tennis history has 8 titles at any one given Slam.

A win would also put his Slam total at an amazing 12.

Today he also tied the record for most match wins at the French Open: 58.

Remember: Rafa has lost ONE match in 9 years at Roland Garros.

20's: At Rome a couple weeks ago he reached 20 wins over Federer.

Today he reached the same level over Nole - H2H: 20-15.

A win in Sunday's final would put him at 20 wins over Ferrer.

Post match: You need to love the game. You [need to] appreciate what

you are doing in every moment. I learned during all my career to

enjoy suffering, and these kind of matches are very special.

You don't have the chance to play these kind of matches every day.

So when these kind of matches happen you suffer,

but I really enjoy these moments.

Serena Williams Wins 4th US Open Title

US Open - Women's Final

4 Serena Williams d 1 Victoria Azarenka - 62 26 75

2012 will go down in the tennis history as the Summer of Serena.

She cleaned up the 3 big titles on offer: Wimbledon, Olympics & US Open.

And she came from the brink to win her 15th Slam...

Vika was up 5-3 and Serving for it. Serena broke and won the next 3 games.

Serena even admitted: I was really prepared for my runner-up speech.

Only 5 woman have more Slams than Serena (AO-5, W-5, USO-4, RG-1):

Court with 24, Graf 22, Moody 19 and both Navratilova and Evert with 18.

Serena's first USO title came in 1999 - she has title in 3 different decades.

Post match: Yeah, three decades - the '90s, 2000s, 2010s, that's kind of cool.

It's exciting to have this opportunity. And 13 years is a long time between...

the first and the last.

For me to get this 13 years later, and that I'm at No.15 now, it's so cool.

Novak Djokovic & Roger Federer Set Up Blockbuster Semifinal Showdown at Roland Garros

Roland Garros - Men's Quarterfinals

1 Novak Djokovic d 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 61 57 57 76(6) 61

3 Roger Federer d 9 Juan Martin Del Potro - 36 67(4) 62 60 63

Both champs were down 2-sets-to-1. Both dug deep. Both won in thrillers.

And it was all happening at the same time. INSANE.

They've set up a rematch of last years Sf which Rog won.

***

Novak actually saved 4 match points in that 4th set.

This is his 4th RG Sf: 0-3 and 15th at a Slam: 7-7.

Post match: As a tennis player, this is what you live for.

This is what you practise for all these years, to be part of...

An incredible performance, incredible match encounter here...

In Roland Garros with the home players.

I'm really glad that I could win today.

***

This is only the 3rd time Roger's come back from 2-sets-to-love at RG.

This marks Rog's 7th RG Sf: 5-1 and 31st at a Slam: 23-7.

In fact, 31 ties Roger with Jimmy Connors' record of most Slam Sf's.

Post match: I have been struggling to find my rhythm.

I did feel it in the first set, even though he was up two sets.

I was finding a way back and starting to feel better.

***

1 Novak Djokovic vs 3 Roger Federer - H2H: 14-11/RF

Novak has won the last 2 and 5 of the last 6.

They last played a couple weeks ago in Rome & it was Nole in straights.

This is their 9th meeting at a Slam: 5-4/RF - 1 final, 7 Sf's and 1 4th R.

Blockbuster: It really doesn't get much better than this.

Photos: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic Wins Historic Australian Open Final

Australian Open Men's Final

1 Novak Djokovic d 2 Rafael Nadal - 57 64 62 67(5) 75

Let's make that 7 Nole wins in-a-row over Rafa - H2H moves to 16-14/RN.

5:53 - They played the longest Slam final & longest Aussie Open match ever.

Nole wins his 5 Slam title & 3rd at the Aussie - also champ in '08 & '11.

He has now won 4 of the last 6 Slam titles.

In fact, between Rafa and Novak they've won the last 8 Slams.

Novak joins Laver, Sampras, Federer & Nadal in winning 3 Slams running.

Clearly he will head to Paris with all the talk of a Novak Slam.

Rafa becomes the 1st player to lose 3 straight Slam finals.

Rafa will be haunted by that easy backhand down-the-line error in the 5th.

This match was the very definition of an instant classic.

Hell, these great athletes couldn't even stand for the trophy ceremony.

Oddly enough, I couldn't sit through most of the last set and a half.

If this is a sign of what to expect for 2012 I'm gonna need medication.

Photos: Getty Images

Rafael Nadal Wins Thriller Quarterfinal at Indian Wells

Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 - Quarterfinal

1 Rafael Nadal d Ivo Karlovic - 57 61 76(7)

Most tennis fans knew this would be a close match - but this thrilling?

They engaged in one of those edge-of-your-seaters. Instant classic for sure.

And I don't toss the phrase 'instant classic' around much either.

Rafa: In the tie-break I was really nervous.

I think I returned fantastic in the tie-break,

but I didn't put one first serve on court, so I was really nervous.

Yea, I'll bet his Rafantics were nervous too.

Rafa, winner in '07 & '09, moves into his 6th straight Sf at Indian Wells: 2-3.

This also marks his 35th trip to a Masters 1000 Sf: 24-10.

He will next play Juan Martin Del Potro - H2H: 4-3/RN.

The last match they played was that USO Sf where JMDP whipped Rafa's ass.

In fact, Juan Martin has won their last 3...

***

Jekyll & Hyde: One minute he is a fierce competitor on court...

The next he's just a sweet kid offering you a cookie.

Rafael Nadal Advances to Final of ATP World Tour Finals in a Thriller Over Andy Murray

ATP World Tour Finals - Semifinal

1 Rafael Nadal d 5 Andy Murray - 76(5) 36 76(6)

Instant classic: And I DO NOT spout that over-used phrase very often.

You know it's pretty special when the loser wins more points: 114-109.

That 3rd set TB was a complete wowser - Rafa was down 0-3.

Rafa: Today I played one of the best matches of my career.

Indeed.

Rafa advances to his 1st WTF final & is looking to cap an amazing year.

A year that included 3 Slams & 3 Masters Series 1000 titles.

He will play the winner of the 2nd Sf: Roger Federer/Novak Djokovic.

The last Spaniard to win this title was Alex Corretja in 1998.

This will be Rafa's 9th final of the season: 7-1.

Poor Andy: For some reason he just can't get a title in London. Yet.

AWWWWW: Yes, an embrace was in order.

Photos: Getty Images

John Isner Wins Historic Match at Wimbledon - 70-68 in the 5th Set

23 John Isner d Q Nicolas Mahut - 64 36 67(7) 76(3) 70-68

Records were shattered in this match that will stand for a long long time.

Both players broke the ace record (Karlovic: 73) - John: 112, Nicolas: 103.

Match time 11:05. The previous longest match was 6:33.

The 5th set alone was 8:11... 70-60 equals 10 tiebreak (7-6) sets. Wild.

They both broke the winners record - Nicolas: 246, John: 244.

Whopping total points won by each player - Nicolas: 502, John: 478.

For an 11 hour match the double fault count was low - John: 10, Nicolas: 21.

As was the unforced error count - Nicolas: 60, John: 62.

Probably the most amazing stat: John only broke Nicolas twice.

Mahut served 'to stay in the match' 65 times before getting broken. Unreal.

I can't believe I watched that entire 5th set!

They both have doubles matches to play today - um... doubtful.

John will next face a well-rested Thiemo De Bakker: H2H: 0-0

Photo: Getty Images.