PHOTO OP: Kolya's best bitchface

"Uber-UGH."

Nikolay Davydenko led by 2 sets then lost the next two before recovering and closing out a 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory over Fernando Verdasco in the Aussie Open fourth round. Although the sixth seed had his own issues in the match the Spaniard consistently showered the Russian with major gifts including 20 double faults, 81 UEs and a 33% conversion on break point opportunities (4 of 12).

It was amazing Nando was able to stay close to the Russian even with those awful numbers and a fading foe. But I'm sure the double fault fatigue took its toll. I mean, it did on me and I was just watching.

Now, onto Kolya v. Federer. Can he take his third straight win over the Swiss maestro?

[Photo(s): Reuters]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: Oz Open Day Eight

Q. You mentioned tonight you played some amazing shots. How often are you genuinely surprised by some of the shots you come up with?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, quite often. Even though I know I can play really good shots and come up with great backhands, forehands, serves and volleys, and stuff, when you can really produce them in the most important stages of a match it's so rewarding and such a good feeling that all the hard work you put in in the off‑season is so like ‑‑ it's just a beautiful feeling, you know.

Then if you can start to hit a dropshot or dig in the corner and get the ball back that you think you would never get, but it's a match situation and the adrenaline is there and you just got that extra speed and you get the ball back and end up winning the point, it does still obviously surprise me even today.

Q. Lleyton was saying you're still pretty much the best in the game. What makes you so good, do you think?

ROGER FEDERER: You guys are the experts.

Q. We try to answer it all the time.

ROGER FEDERER: Right. I know. I don't know, I mean, like I said, I think the love for the game is very important, that I go through the daily grind and practice and matches with a very positive attitude, and how much I like to play it.

I think the variety of my shots. Like I said before, I can always change it up and surprise myself again. That makes it a lot of fun for me. Very challenging as well.

I can always adjust to any type of player. Maybe those are the reasons. I don't know. I think with the experience and the mental toughness and the physical capabilities I have, I think it's a very good combination obviously.


Q. Yours and Sam's match here was supposed to be showing live. We only got to see a couple minutes of it, and they went to the news and some sort of soapies. How does that make you feel?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we just got to get the guys to finish earlier, before five sets. I'll talk to Fernando about that. Like, Dude you got to finish earlier. You can't hold all the TV time. They got Nikolay, Mr. Personality now. He just wanted to be on TV, and they took all our time. Have to have a talk with those guys next time.

Q. When Hollywood ends up making a movie about the Williams sisters, who would you like to see play, and you how would you like to see it end?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't want to see it end, that's for sure. But I've never thought about who would play me. I don't know. Maybe some up‑and‑comer‑no‑namer that's just able to do the job.


Q. For years you've said you don't want to be a star and you don't mind playing on the back courts. But you seem to have quite a profile here. Has this been fun? What's it been like?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't say ‑‑ I like to play show court. I don't want to play Court 20 or 22. It's too windy there. For sure I would like to play in show courts. Maybe not center court, but another courts.

Q. Has this been a fun week for you being in the public eye a little bit more than usual?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You mean now, in this moment?

Q. Jim Courier is interviewing you on the court. That didn't happen in years past. This room is full.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah. That's was surprising. Why you guys here? (Laughter.) Just I don't know what has change. Why you come now and you asking me some private questions? I don't know. It's you. You need to ask yourself why you come here.


Q. Why were you the better player today?

NA LI: Why?

Q. Why were you better than Caroline?

NA LI: Maybe I eat Chinese food. (Laughter.) No, I was play aggressive today. I know she's good player, and I also I play her in ‑‑ last week in Sydney. So it was tough match.

I know if I give her a chance, maybe she just beat me. So I was trying to hold on every point. I didn't want to give her chance.


Q. Djokovic is next.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, Djokovic is next, and I have to recover and I will be ‑‑ I think I will be ready for that.

Q. What is your game plan against him?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Against him, stay aggressive, very aggressive, and give everything. (Smiling.)

Q. What do you feel you've learned since the 2008 final against Djokovic?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: What I learned, I don't know. But I beat him four times, I think, since this moment. So I learned to beat. (Laughter.)

Q. You don't have any fears going into this match?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no, I don't have. It's a tennis match, and like I say every time, I will do my best and we will see.

[Photo(s): AP, Getty]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: Oz Open Day Six

Q. What were the chain of events that led to your latest Twitter posting about the underwear?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What do you mean?

Q. Were you getting ‑‑

VENUS WILLIAMS: I got on my computer and I posted to Twitter.

Q. Were you hearing that there were a lot of questions about that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Like I said, I never read the press. Like I don't listen to all of that. So it's kind of hard. I'm not always like in on the latest news.

But, you know, like when I'm here, like I hear things.

Q. How is it different now being a tennis player, because you all have Twitter and Facebook pages and you have this platform where you can interact directly with the fans? How is that different than before?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's amazing actually. That's a good and a bad thing, because I've always been a really private person. So I do try to keep a part of my life very private.

There's a lot of things I like to share, too. When people are following you, those people are really your fans and want to hear what you have to say. I mean, I personally do all of my Twitter and I respond to people. There's a few people that I respond to over and over again.

So it's fun actually. But of course there is a limit to how far for me I'll go with sharing too much.

Q. How often are you checking and updating?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just depends how busy I am. Right now I kind of don't as much because of everything going on. If I'm at home and I'm having days off, then I Twitter a lot more. Just depends.


Q. What do you think are the top pressing issues [for the ATP]?

ROGER FEDERER: At the moment?

Q. Yeah, for the tour.

ROGER FEDERER: I think it would be nice to have a main sponsor for the ATP. I think that's maybe No. 1. I always think figuring out, you know, sort of tennis mostly on TV as much as possible, especially in Europe where the markets are pretty difficult to get to sometimes.

Because one's French speaking, one's German, one's English, one's Italian. You have to go to each individual market which kind of makes it hard. I think that would be nice, to get as much tennis on TV as possible.

Other than that, just shortening of the schedule. I don't know if that's a really big priority. I mean, it's always something we'll talk about for the next hundred years. But we'll see if it's possible to change or not.

It's something we're always debating. And as the top guys, I think we'll come together and find a solution for that. The longer the season is the more weeks you have off during the season, so it always works.


Q. You are pretty good friends with Serena. Have you been doing stuff together here in Australia?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I mean, we've both been playing on the same days and everything. When we have the off days we're still here a little bit and chit‑chatting, having fun. She's a great and funny girl. We have great laughs in the locker room.

Q. You're wearing Stella McCartney, which is very nice clothes. How would you describe your fashion taste off court?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think I'm feminine, but casual. I like to dress up when I'm going somewhere. Cute summer dresses are always a hit for me.

Q. Do you exchange tips with Serena about fashion?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Definitely. If she sees something that I have that she thinks is nice she comments on it, and the other way around. Yeah, we talk about that kind of thing.

Q. Another question about your clothes line, was there problems with your socks that fell off?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It was the pom poms. I don't know what happened.

Q. Will you be wearing those again?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I'll probably think twice.


Q. You chose not to play in a ranking tournament before coming in here. What was the thinking behind that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it was one of the main reasons is because I've played almost hundred matches last year, and it was ‑‑ I got fed up, to be honest, with tournaments and matches. I didn't have a lot of time really to recover and just to relax like most of the top players.

I already started preparing, so I ‑‑ first of all, I wasn't ‑‑ tennis‑wise I wasn't ready for those tournaments, so I didn't want to go there to play one or two matches. Didn't make any sense.

So I just decided to come here earlier, ten days before the Australian Open starts, and put in some intensive workout. That's what I did.

Q. Do you feel fresh now?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I do. Actually, I do. I think this workout is paying off.


Q. Assuming Serena Williams is up next [and she is.] You've won the last couple time you've met. What do you think about that?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: I'm looking forward to it. I've lived up to my expectation. Now I've got to where I should have got to. Playing the No. 1 player in the world, defending champion, I can go out there and really enjoy it.

I know I won the last time we played against each other. That's probably not going to mean too much going into Monday's match. I know I've be able to get over and beat her before. I'm going to try to go out there and play the best I can and really enjoy it.

Q. Anything you need to do specifically better to beat her?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I mean, playing someone like Serena, you have to be on your game. I'm going to have to serve well and take every opportunity that presents itself.

As soon as I get that shorter ball at half sniff to do something, then I've got to do it. I can't let those kind of go by and wait for a second chance.

It's going to be obviously quick points and hard hitting, so I'm going to have to stand my ground and really stand up to her and give her my best shot.


Q. Some players get intimidated when they walk on to center court and there's 15,000 people there. You seem to really enjoy being out there in front of the crowd and putting on a show for the crowd.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course. Of course. I like tennis like this. I like, you know, watch tennis like this. You know, it's better to play in front of, you know, 10,000 people than two people that, I don't know, somewhere in the bush.

So of course it's good for me. I enjoy, you know, every moment, every match, every point I play on this court.


Q. Can you tell us about your meeting with Prince William? Maybe that's more fun.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I'm just tired. It was super cool. Prince William was really dapper and suave. You know, he was just basically, shazam. (Laughter.)

Q. Could you share with us one key sort of tennis fashion tip for the year?

SERENA WILLIAMS: One key fashion tennis tip is, you know, own it. You know, whatever you wear, own it. Some people come out here with crazy designs but they own it. They really feel comfortable in it.

I think as long as you feel comfortable in what you have and what you do, you'll be fine.

Q. You've met a lot of celebrities and politicians, all that. Did you get nervous meeting Prince William? Can you remember a time when you met someone and said, Oh, my God I'm speechless?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Every time I see Leonardo DiCaprio I get totally speechless. Every time I'm like, Hi.

No, I wasn't really nervous to meet him. He was my age. I kind of always wanted to meet him, so it was kind of cool. We're the same age, so I thought it would be really cool.

I told him that I might like his little brother better because he's the little brother, and he laughed and said he might like Venus better because she's older. So we just had a little joke about that.

Q. So double date is gonna happen?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Unless Leo is there.

Q. What is it about Leo? Titanic?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it was. I think it was how he just sacrificed the life. (Laughter.)


Q. If you had to marry another Russian tennis player, who would it be?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Marry?

Q. Get married, like husband and wife.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: If I married another tennis player? Man or woman? (Laughter.). I have already wife. I have my beautiful wife. I don't want to have any ‑‑

IRINA DAVYDENKO: I hear you.

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: She's here.

Q. Sorry about that. (Laughter.)

[Photo(s): AP, Getty]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: Oz Open Day Four

Q. A lot better players like yourself have a particular trademark shot or style: Federer, movement, say, forehand; Roddick, serve.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You tell me what's mine, because I cannot figure it out. (Laughter.) I still didn't figure out. I wanted to hear if you maybe know.

I don't know. It's hard to say. I like the backhand long line. I'm a baseline player and my game is based from that part of the court.

But, you know, I've been starting to work a lot lately on my volley game, net play, and trying to take the balls a bit earlier and use the chances and be more aggressive. Of course, the serve.

So I could say for myself that I'm all‑around player, but probably the backhand long line is...


Q. Is [doubles] a fun thing for you? Does it sort of relax you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely relaxes me. Sometimes I get stressed out because I don't like to lose in doubles. We take it very serious. You know, we had fun yesterday, but we're serious out there nowadays. We go for the best that we can do.

Q. Have you ever played with anyone else in doubles?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have. I played, believe it or not, with Martina Navratilova . That was after the comeback, just F.Y.I., it wasn't when she was No. 1. I'm not that old. (Laughter.)


Q. Tomic was pretty critical about the scheduling of his match last night and the fact that it went too late. Just wondering, as someone who has finished a match after 4:00 a.m. Does he have a case?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, as I said, I don't know why they're putting some mens matches first and some after the women's. I have no idea. We've all been prepared, I guess, if we do go five sets, nine times out of ten I've always been the second match after the women's.

There's only been a couple occasions in my career that I've played in the last couple of years that I've played a 7:00 or 7:30 match. You always know if you go five sets it's gonna be a long night. That's just how it is.

Q. Should he expect any sort of leniency? He said because he was young, it was hard for him that late. Is that just part of the learning experience?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I think it's part of learning. I don't know whether he requested night or day or what he did. If you get scheduled at night, yeah, that's what's gonna happen. You gotta be prepared for that to happen.


Q. Have you met other members of the Royal family before at Wimbledon?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, the ones on court at the trophy ceremony. Do those count for you, or not?

Q. Yeah. (Laughter.)

ROGER FEDERER: Because those you should know. I mean, but not...

Q. But chatty‑wise?

ROGER FEDERER: Chatty‑wise, no, I don't recall. No. Chitchat, no. English breakfast tea? No, not yet.


Q. Are you a vodka drinker?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes.

Q. Is that where you get your strength from?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, I don't drink really. I don't drink so much because, you see, I'm skinny. I mix only. Sometimes I drink clear vodka, sometimes mixed with Red Bull. Little bit get power in night club or disco.

Because if I drink only vodka I go sleep straight. That's what's something change.

Q. If you retire and you explain to your children why you're not working anymore...

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It's interesting. We're not talking about tennis. We're talking about my life. This is my first experience like this in the press (laughter.)


Q. Can you tell us what they say when they sing in the crowd?

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: A lot of things: Marcos, I love you. I will never stop singing for you. Stuff like this.

[Photo(s): Getty, AP]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: Oz Open Day Two

Q. Nikolay Davydenko said everyone in the draw is scared of him. Are you scared of him?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, respect the way he deserves. Yeah, sure.

Q. Not scared?

ROGER FEDERER: "Scared" is a bad word. I don't like that word. Ask a boxer if he's scared of the other guy. I don't think he's going to say yes.

Q. Do you fear him?

ROGER FEDERER: I respect him like I do over a hundred other players in the draw.

Q. Santoro said today he had the most respect for you out of the whole career. Do you have any words for him?

ROGER FEDERER: Sure, it's nice to hear. We're good friends and we get along well together. He enjoyed playing against me. Same for me. If I could pick a guy to play against, I would like to play against him. Every day I would pick him. He would try something different and I would try something different.

We would almost allow each other to do that; whereas with other players you get tangled up in the same rallies. He's not the power player and he uses a lot touch. So obviously I have a lot of respect for everything he's done in our game.


Q. I think you said on ESPN the other night you felt like the fine [for the U.S. Open outburst] was harsher on you.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I talk about that a lot. I wrote an article about it. $92,000 is a lot of money to fine someone. I always said what I did wasn't right, but I turned that around and I'm actually raising $92,000 to educate ladies, women, also for my school in Africa.

Also I'm giving some money to Haiti, as well, because just the recent things.

So, you know, I don't know whoever got fined like that. People said worse, done worse. I just thought it was a bit ‑‑ I think it was a bit much.

But that was that.

Q. Do you feel like it's a double standard that if some man had had the same reaction, they wouldn't have been fined as much?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we live in a world that still, you know, men are, you know, just leading a lot of things, as well. In tennis I think we've been able to do really well with having fought so hard to get equal prize money. I think that's really good.

But I think we still sort of, say, live in a man's world. I'm the first to say that I like men to be strong, to be leaders. I think that's absolutely important. But I just think at the same time some incidents can bring you back to life and back into reality.


Q. Yesterday your friend Miss Kirilenko said you had urged her to make a loud noise to enter the year. She said she did that and now it was your turn.

IGOR ANDREEV: She put too much pressure on me. (Laughter.) Like after she win the match she said, Okay, now it's your turn. No, I was happy she won yesterday. She won because ‑‑ not only because she won, but she played very good match. Very good tennis.


Q. Wozniacki is No.4 in the world right now. Are you surprised that she's been able to climb up that high?

JELENA JANKOVIC: You can ask her if she's surprised or not.

Q. She is.

JELENA JANKOVIC: She is? She doesn't think she belongs there or?

Q. No. She thinks that things have been developing very fast for her.

JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, I think last year was really, you know, different year from, you know, maybe the past. Because there was a lot tournaments where a lot of seeds went out, and then some other players who were outside of the top 10, they took advantage of that. They used it.


Q. Has Del Potro taught you to play PlayStation?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes. Like in London, everyone just start to talking about me like I'm like PlayStation player. Like if you play against me in PlayStation, the same level. I'm moving fast, play fast.

That's what is good. Everybody thinking I am very fast on the court. And I want to practicing like this. I want to keep this level, like PlayStation.

Q. Who won at PlayStation?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, like say Del Potro play against me in PlayStation. He lost in London. You understand, yeah?

Q. Since you won the Masters, are you more recognized in the street? Do you sign more autographs?

NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I hope not. Then is not so many like say celebrity guys. I am not Paris Hilton. I don't want to be like this. I don't want to be like Nadal, Federer. These guys I never see by breakfast. They stay in the room and take room service.

For me better go downstairs, you know, take breakfast, or dinner to go somewhere, not to be so much famous.

[More quotes after the jump - click the headline]

QUOTE OF THE DAY: DELPO

I never beat him on hard court or indoors. He's very fast. He plays like PlayStation. He runs down everything.

- Juan Martin del Potro on the game of WTF champ Nikolay Davydenko.

ROFL. Okay - that is SCARY fast.

[Photo(s): Reuters]

Kolya downs Delpo for WTF title, becomes first Russian to win year-end trophy

Nikolay Davydenko earned the biggest title of his career defeating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4 to win the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Final trophy in London, the Russian EVAH to do so.

It was a career week for the 28-year old who was at his workmanlike best gutting out tough matches against this year's major title holders including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Delpo today. His only loss came in his opening round robin match at the hands of Novak Djokovic. He earned $1,510,000 for his efforts this week and will replace Andy Roddick at No.6 in the rankings.

"I was [looking at the trophy], until 2008, [there are] so many names there, like Djokovic, Federer, everyone, [Pete] Sampras,” said Davydenko, who was contesting his fifth straight year-end championship. “In 2009, [it says] Davydenko forever on this trophy. I think it's amazing. [In the] history of the [Finals], for my name to be there is something amazing for me."

Huge props to Kolya - what an incredibly impressive effort for the consistently underrated Russian. Could he - dare I say - pull an "Andre Agassi" and hit hyperdrive in the second half of his career (sans the meth + mullets of course)? Clearly he's a hard worker so if he stays healthy and keeps the motivation it's not completely out of the question.


(Photo(s): Getty)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: KOLYA

All my family, everybody who supports me, wait for this moment, when I can beat Federer. I was thinking it coming maybe 2010 or '11. But in 2009, end of the season, it's good feeling.

- Nikolay Davydenko on defeating Roger Federer 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

LOL - "2010 or '11?" Anyway, it took 13 tries but the underrated Kolya finally pulled it off. And after beating Rafa earlier in the week and making his second straight final here the Russian must be feeling pretty good.

Congrats!

(Photo(s): Reuters)

(UPDATED) PHOTO OP: Nole + Kolya bask in the afterglow, share shirtless MOMA

"Was it good for you, bro?"

Novak Djokovic + Nikolay Davydenko shared a shirtless, and most likely sweaty, MOMA moment at the net after their opening round robin match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

The Serb continued his winning ways edging out Kolya 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 and earning his 11th straight win. It was a match full of long, intense rallies but Nole's confidence pushed him past the finish line as the Russian offered up errors in the crucial moments of the final set.

Afterwards the pair met at the net and exchanged shirts to commemorate their battle - and to entertain us of course. I mean, how could you not be? *licks chops*





UPDATE: Looks like the MOMA didn't do much for A-Rod who was sitting in the audience. Damn you Brooklyn.


(Photos: Getty)

SEPARATED AT BIRTH: A-Rod vs. Kolya

Andy Roddick was spotted at the Advanta WTT Smash Hits charity event this weekend (which raised more than $400,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund) sporting a newly cropped noggin' and working a cute argyle moment - similar to a look Nikolay Davydenko showed off earlier this year.

I guess we all know what A-Rod's going to look like when he hits, oh, 90-years old. No offense to Kolya, my sympathies to Brooklyn.

(image via andyroddick.net, ATP)

WEEKEND WINNERS: Fed, Rafa, Kolya, Maria K + Kateryna

Halle - Roger Federer

The 5-time defending Wimby champion made it 5 titles in Halle after easily dismissing homeboy Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-4 and extending his win streak on grass to a record 59 matches. But with his shaky performance in the French Open final and Rafa's awesome momentum right now, Fed's reign at The All-England Club will be severely challenged this year.

Queen's Club - Rafael Nadal

Note to Roger Federer: BE AFRAID. The Mallorcan Matador made a huge breakthrough and statement this weekend when he became the first Spaniard in 36 years to win a grass-court title by defeating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (5), 7-5, extending his winning streak to 17 straight matches. All of this success bodes will for Rafa at Wimbledon where he will be a towering favorite when the Slam begins next week.

Warsaw - Nikolay Davydenko

Kolya returned to the slippery stuff (anyone know why that makes sense right now? Oh yes, ch-ching!) to claim his third title this year by conquering Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-3 in Warsaw. Let's just say the Russian's probably not expecting much to happen in London besides maybe a lot of free time.


Barcelona - Maria Kirilenko

Maria added to her title in Estoril by crushing first-time finalist Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-0, 6-2 in the championship match in Barcelona. I guess she's also looking forward to some serious free time in London, right Kolya?

Birmingham - Kateryna Bondarenko

Kateryna, of the Flying Bondarenkos, took advantage of a weakened draw (Jelena Jankovic + Dinara Safina withdrew) and earned her first professional career title on the green grass of Birmingham with a 7-6(7), 3-6 7-6(4) win over Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. Kat's clearly comfortable on the grass as she won the Wimby junior girls' title over Ana Ivanovic in 2004. Could she be a darkhorse candidate in London?

(images via Getty)

Davydenko shows off his modest size...I mean 'side'!

Nikolay Davydenko is the top seed at this week's Hypo Group Tennis International 2008 in Pörtschach, Austria and has offered his blogging skills to the ATP.


The Russian is traveling with the whole clan, including wife Irina, brother and coach Eduard, and Eduad's son Philip, a 15-year old baller himself who lost in qualifying. During their off time, the group decided to do some fishing and hit the spa though the reserved Kolya is not feeling the local tradition of going full monty in a unisex steamroom:

I've been enjoying the spas at the tournament hotel here in Austria, but I must say they do things a lot differently than in Russia. Back at home they separate the men and women, but here not only do men and women take spas together, many of the hotel guests don't have anything on beneath their robes. Which all makes for some interesting sites. At times it's like watching the Playboy channel. Some of the guests don't like the idea of us wearing shorts, but I'm not ready to adopt all the local customs just yet!

Call me conservative, but I am just not ready to bare all at this point. As you can tell in this photograph (which shows Eduard, his wife, Philip and me) we all have something underneath, and that's the way it's going to stay!

Oh Kolya, you're so modest. But it begs the questions: at what point would you be "ready" show off the goods? C'mon, we're all friends here...

(image via ATP)

Monte Carlo mash-up: Fed vs. Nole, Rafa vs. Kolya

Well, well. The men's clay-court season couldn't have started off better if you planned it (but let's not start the match-fixing talk again, ok?)

The top four ballers in the world are meeting up this weekend in the semifinals of Monte Carlo:

The marquee matchup pits world no. 1 Roger Federer against growing nemesis Novak Djokovic. Their last meeting was, of course, in the same round at the Australian Open where the sexy Serb defeated Federer and went on to win his maiden Grand Slam. Their head-to-head stands at 5-2 for the Swiss but Nole has taken the last two out of three. And don't be fooled - there's no love lost between these two ballers.

In the other half three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal, who owns a staggering 95-1 record on the slippery stuff dating back to 2005, will face-off against Davydenko. The Russian took their most recent meeting in the final of last month's Sony Ericsson Open so he'll come in with some confidence against his Spanish foe. But Rafa will be looking for revenge and Davydenko knows the odds are stacked against him on the red clay.

Who'll take this title and make their move towards Roland Garros?

(images via Getty)

BREAKING: ESPN to broadcast Sopot match-fixing story, interviews accomplished gambler who bet on match

Details: ESPN's Outside the Lines is set to disclose the results of a 4-month in-depth investigation of the Sopot match-fixing controversy involving Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, who has been at the center of the firestorm since August 2007.

According to Bob Larson's Tennis News:

After four months of investigation by the ESPN Enterprise Unit, Sunday’s Outside the Lines (9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN; noon ET ESPNEWS) will show how a suspicious betting pattern on an August 2007 match in an obscure Sopot, Poland tournament prompted the ATP to launch an investigation amid pervasive reports of widespread gambling in the sport.

The British gambling website Betfair, which handled more than $7 million in wagers on the match between No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and No. 87 Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina, noticed that despite easily winning the first set against his little-known opponent, Davydenko became a bigger and bigger underdog. When Davydenko retired early in the third set after receiving treatment for his foot, Betfair took the unprecedented step of voiding all bets and contacted the ATP.

In addition to extensive interviews, ESPN has obtained never-before-released details of the wagering on the match, which, until now, were known only to those close to the ATP investigation.

Correspondent John Barr details how the suspect betting unfolded and interviews an accomplished gambler who says he bet on the match and is certain that the fix was in that day in Poland

ESPN The Magazine senior writer Shaun Assael obtained a never-before-published internal ATP email that details the suspicious betting activities of Martin Fuhrer, a gambler accused of knowing the outcome of some matches in advance. Assael traveled to Vienna to interview Fuhrer, who acknowledged having friendly associations with some of the players on whom he has won money. In 2003, Fuhrer had a 100-percent win record on Irakli Labadze of Georgia to lose with one betting website, documents say. In one of those matches, Labadze was fined $7,500 for showing "a lack of effort."

Now, do we think this will prove one way, or another, that the Russian was involved in the betting? No, of course not. But this story certainly won't help his image nor that of tennis.

(image via Getty)

PHOTO OP: US wins record 32nd Davis Cup championship

Congratulations to the US Davis Cup team for their determined three-and-out performance this weekend and a record 32nd Davis Cup title. Andy Roddick bullied Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, James Blake battled for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3) defeat of Mikhail Youznhy, and Bob and Mike Bryan clinched the championship defeating Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-2.

We'd also like to give huge kudos to USA Today and Douglas Robson for having the guts to keep consistent coverage of the Davis Cup in the national spotlight.

(images via Getty)

SIGHTING: The men of the Masters Cup arrive in Shanghai ready to rumble

The men of the Masters Cup began arriving in Shanghai this week ready to compete for the big season-ending prize:

Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic (still sexy in his glasses) & Fernando Gonzalez

Nikolay Davydenko & David Ferrer

Andy Roddick

One question: where in the world is Richard Gasquet?

(images via masterscup.com, getty)