TennisToday

Ryan Harrison Reaches 1st ATP Qf Since Last Summer

ATP 250 San Jose - Second Round

Ryan Harrison d (W) Robbie Ginepri - 63 26 76(0)

And he saved 2 match points in doing so.

He last played a Qf match at Los Angeles last summer and won.

In fact, he had back-to-back Sf showings - at Atlanta and LA.

He will next face a qualifer today, Ditimar Kutrovsky.

It's only a matter of time before this kid starts winning titles.

This weekend is as good a time as any - if you ask me.

Photo: Getty Images

Milos Raonic Wins 1st ATP Title - at San Jose

San Jose ATP 250 - Final

Milos Raonic d 1 Fernando Verdasco - 76(6) 76(5)

Boy watching that match sure felt all 'star is born'ish, didn't it?

In upsetting Fern Milos wins his 1st (of many one assumes) ATP title.

He is the 1st Canadian since Greg Rusedski in '95 to hoist a tour level trophy.

Feeling old over here: Milos is also the 1st man to win a title born in the 90's.

His ranking rises to #59 - but that has a serious speeding bullet next to it...

Milos tweeted: Just landed in memphis, haven't slept,

Just been absorbing everything, thanks to all the kinds & motivational tweets.

In the photo Milos is with coach Galo Blanco. I thought that was a wine.

Tough loss for Fern, he only lost his serve once in this tournament, in the Sfs.

ATP oddity: They will face each other in the 1st R at Memphis on Wednesday.

Photo: Mark Lyons

Pete Sampras Played an Exo in San Jose Last Night

To kick off opening night at the ATP 250 event in San Jose Pete Sampras played Frenchman Gael Monfils, currently ranked #12. And played him pretty close: 76(4) 64. Not bad for the 39-year-old former '96 & '97 champ.

After the match Pete said, "I played a little better than I did last year and held my own, but physically that's the most I've served and volley in combination of the last seven years. Not easy."

Gael tweeted: It was a great experience tonight to play with Pete Sampras.

Other players were also very excited to meet Pete, including up-and-comer Milos Raonic (below) who tweeted: Just met my idol Sampras, its really something special getting to meet the person u grew up idolizing. Lifetime memory.

Roddick & Verdasco to Play San Jose Final

semifinal result >>> final match - h2h:

1 Andy Roddick (above) d. 7 Sam Querrey - 26 76(5) 76(4)

Roddick won without benefit of a single break point.

>>> Roddick vs Verdasco - h2h 9-2

2 Fernando Verdasco (below) d. Denis Istomin - 63 26 64

This was Istomin's first ATP level semifinal.

Hey look: SI's swimsuit cover model showed up for Roddick's match.

Photo: Roddick & Decker from AP - Verdasco from SAP Open Twitter pic.

 

Roddick and Verdasco Lead Quarterfinalists in San Jose

Tomorrow's quarterfinal match - head2head > today's results:

1 Andy Roddick vs 5 Tomas Berdych - h2h 4-2

> Roddick d. Mayer 63 62  - Berdych d. Nieminen 63 62

***

7 Sam Querrey vs Michael Russell - h2h 1-0

> Querrey d. Dent 64 64 - Russell d. Malisse 64 75

********

6 Philipp Kohlschreiber vs Denis Istomin - h2h 0-0

> Kohlschreiber d. Sela 62 60 - Istomin d. Haas 76(3) 62

***

2 Fernando Verdasco vs Q Ricardas Berankis - h2h 0-0

> Verdasco d. Becker 75 62 - Berankis d. Phau 76(5) 63

Pete Sampras Loses to Fernando Verdasco in San Jose Exhibition Match Tonight

But the old dog can still hang tough losing 63 76(2).

Too Pretty to lose.

Yea, you're gonna need a few days to recover.

Photos: AP

Ernests Gulbis: A Young Career (so far) Unfulfilled

This charismatic tennis star would make an awesome addition in the top 20.

Ernests Gulbis has everything it takes to spend a lot of time in the top 20 - currently ranked #98 he has a long way to climb.

In 2008 he enjoyed a breakthrough year reaching the quarterfinals in Las Vegas, the Master's Series event in Cincinnati and at the French Open.

But the last year and a half have been quite cruel.

Since that quarterfinal showing in Cincinnati in '08 he has only made it past the 2nd round 3 times in 28 tournament postings. Those three resulted in quarterfinal losses, the most recent to Roger Federer in Doha in January. In 14 of these events he was a 1st round loser and in another 3 he lost in the qualifying. Head-scratchingly dismal.

Today he again lost a 1st round match - in San Jose to Florian Mayer, 75 64.

He is simply too good for this. At only 21 he has time to turn it around but the odds get increasing worse as he gets older. Ernests, this need to be a good year.

Photo: I took this while he practiced at the Los Angeles Open in '09.

The ATP Moves to Rotterdam, San Jose and Costa do Sauipe this Week

Only 3 top 10 players in action this week.

Rotterdam ATP 500 - Top Seeded Players

1. Novak Djokovic - Semifinalist '07

2. Nikolay Davydenko - Semifinalist '06 '07

3. Robin Soderling - Runner-up '08

    >>> Robin won his 1st round match today.

4. Gael Monfils - Semifinalist '09

San Jose ATP 250 - Top Seeded Players

1. Andy Roddick - Winner '04 '05 '08

2. Fernando Verdasco - Debut

3. Radeck Stepanek - Winner '09

4. Tommy Haas - Semifinalist '05

Costa do Sauipe ATP 250 - Top Seeded Players

1. Juan Carlos Ferrero - Runner-up '07

2. Albert Montanes - Round of 16 '04 '07 '08

3. Thomaz Bellucci - Runner-up '09

4. Igor Andreev - Round of 32 '07 '08

Photo: Novak Djokovic in Vogue