PHOTO OP: The 2014 China Open Player Party

The China Open Player Party has come a long way. So long traditional garb, hello sometimes questionable fashion choices. But I have to say, for the most part [SPOILER ALERT] these looks aren't screaming, "Wait, what the hell were you, or your stylist, thinking?!"

It's safe to say our ballers have come a long way, too.

THE GUYS

Novak Djokovic. The Serb usually goes for relatively safe, classic looks for these events and this outfit is no exception. First of all, I love the blue, but Nole's bordering ever so slightly on game show host here.

Rafael Nadal. I wasn't kidding when I said they've come a long way, especially Rafa. Back in the day, he would never show up wearing anything that actually fit him well. That's no longer the case. Aside from the slicked back hair, I think he looks quite good here.

Tomas Berdych. I'm not a huge fan of denim made to be distressed. I much prefer either raw denim or denim that has been distressed naturally and over time. In this case, Big Berd's jeans give his look some edge and make it less conservative than Rafa's. As we've seen on-court with his H&M kits, the Czech isn't afraid to be bold.

THE LADIES

 

Serena Williams. She dares to be different and this striking dress is no exception. It's certainly in the theme of the evening. But if ReRe's trying to out-Milos Milos Raonic with her one-sleeve number, SHE WINS.

Ana Ivanovic. I'll keep it short here and say she looks lovely. It feels like, on-court and off, she's coming into her own this year.

 

Caroline Wozniacki. What I just wrote for Ana? Ditto for Woz. Great look.

Simona Halep. If this haircut is a new one, it's fantastic. Plus, the pops of yellow against the simple black dress are just right.

Genie Bouchard. You really can't go wrong with a great pair of jeans, a simple white blouse and black heels, and easy flowing hair. Smart, classic look.

Andrea Petkovic. Head-to-toe black is easy and always looks chic. Petko gives the outfit a little kick with these fantastic shoes.

Heather Watson. Fine, she's still very young as this outfit shows. It's a little casual for this event, in my opinion, but at least she's not trying to look older.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

WIMBLEDON: Centre Court is calling, ladies

The Wimbledon draws are out for the gentlemen and the ladies. Here are the lady ballers I’ll be keeping an eye on over this fortnight. I’ll post about the boys this weekend.

Maria Sharapova. The newly reminted French Open champ dug deep in her last four matches on the slippery stuff and willed her way to the title. We’re used to seeing her tenacity and determination in the face of adversity, but this time it was even more impressive. Her fitness is clearly at a ridic level, too. While the clay did favors for one of her biggest weaknesses, the serve, the grass won’t be as forgiving. The Russian’s serve, when it’s off, is much more of a liability on the grass. I don’t think the 5-time Grand Slammer will get away with hitting 12 double faults in any match as she did in the RG final. She can play a bit of defense and find a way back into points on the clay, but on grass it’s much harder when the points are quicker. Her best chance is to be on the offense – at ALL times. After completing the Career Slam in Paris in 2012, she made it to the fourth round at the All England Club. It wouldn’t surprise me if she maxed out there again.

Serena Williams. We’ve seen this one before. ReRe loses in the first round of the 2012 French Open and then goes on an absolute, historic tear on the WTA Tour. She hates to lose, nevermind losing at a Slam to an up-and-comer (see Wimbledon 2004), and early at that. Aside from crashing weddings and posing with Usain Bolt, I’m sure the 17-time Grand Slammer has been practicing her legendary serve since she openly berated it during that second round loss to Garbine Muguruza. ReRe will need it if she’s to match Chris Evert’s and Martina Navratilova’s 18 major titles. It’s not clear whether the loss in Australia (sure, she had a back issue) combined with the defeat to the young Spaniard in Paris were anomalies, or a sign of real demise in the legend’s power game. Wimbledon will give us all a better idea, including ReRe herself.

Simona Halep. What a story Simona continues to write. She wasn’t even ranked inside the Top 50 during last year’s French Open, but seven titles later she reached her first Grand Slam final. Can she make it consecutive major final appearances at Wimbledon? You’d be a fool to bet against her at this stage. The Romanian has made steady progress for the last year, culminating in her inspiring play against the bigger hitting Sharapova. It wasn’t quite enough that day, but she’s on the cusp. The big question is how will she recover from being that close to raising the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen? Will she see the positives in her play, or will she feel a mental, and maybe physical, hangover from the Paris fortnight? Here’s how the last four runner-ups did at Wimbledon a few weeks after their runs: Maria Sharapova (2013) – 2nd round; Sara Errani (2012) – 1st round; Francesca Schiavone (2011) – 3rd round; and Sam Stosur (2010) – 1st round. Hope she’s not a history buff.

Eugenie Bouchard. Genie sure does impress. Making consecutive final four appearances at a major is pretty huge, as evidenced by the fact that she’s the only lady baller on the tour to have achieved the feat so far this year. The 20-year old Canadian is gritty, aggressive, and wants it BADLY. And, she’s not afraid to say so even if it adds pressure, which she seems to thrive on. Like Simona, she played lights out tennis against Sharapova in their semifinal for a long stretch. But, like Simona, she couldn’t sustain it and buckled under the unrelenting power of the Russian’s game. Wimbledon 2013 is where I first realized the size of Genie’s talent. When she easily upended Ana Ivanovic in the second round, I took notice and thought she was beginning to come into her own. But she’s moved faster than even I expected (she doesn’t seem surprised by any of this…at all). Genie’s low stance and early, flat hitting will serve her well in a few weeks. If she breaks through to her first Grand Slam final, watch out.

Li Na. I’m never sure what to make of Li Na (and I venture to guess I’m not alone). The 2-time Grand Slammer is an enigma of the highest degree. She can confidently and methodically play a match, gracefully gliding across the court, and hitting winners with a sniper’s precision. Then, without warning, she can become harried and desperate, frantically spraying errors like a water hose gone wild. It seemingly comes down to her belief that, unlike ReRe or Sharapova, isn’t inborn and made of tough stuff. It’s learned, which means it could unravel when the conditions aren’t just right. We saw it happen in her opening round loss at Roland Garros, her semifinal against ReRe at last year’s U.S. Open, etc. Unfortunately, the slick stuff at Wimbledon isn’t where she feels the most comfortable – she’s never been past the quarterfinals in seven tries.

Ana Ivanovic. After being favored to go deep in Paris, the Serb was dumped out early by her left-handed nemesis, Lucie Safarova. But Ana has bounced back nicely, winning her first grass-court title at Birmingham. Although she made the semifinals at Wimbledon back in 2007, it’s a surface she has clearly needed time to work out. The former top lady baller should have a game tailor made for the slick stuff – big serve and return, and massive forehand - but it hasn’t quite worked out that way until last week. Ana will certainly be walking onto the pristine grass of the All England Club with the most confidence she has had since her breakthrough year in 2008.

Agnieszka Radwanska. Going from her least favorite surface to what’s been her best surface in the last two years should make Aga happy. On the clay, big hitters can easily overpower her and hit through her ingenious defenses, as we saw when she fell to young Croat Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of Paris. But the grass really takes to her slice-and-dice game, giving her shots a bit more oomph and pushing her to a finals appearance in 2012 (taking ReRe to 3 sets) and a semifinal spot last season (losing to Sabine Lisicki). What’s been worrisome to see is her inability to seize the opportunities presented to her, including winnable matches in that semifinal match at Wimby last year and at the same stage in Melbourne this year against Dominika Cibulkova. She’s come out flat and uninspired. Hopefully if Aga gets ANOTHER chance to prove her mettle when it matters, she’ll make good.

Others to eyeball:

Andrea Petkovic. There’s a reason why Petko’s highest winning percentage is on clay (73%) and the lowest is grass (50%): her serve. It’s a glaring weakness because the rest of her game is solid. But who knows? The ladies’ Wimby draw was decimated early last year – and we saw in Paris what the German can do when she’s healthy and confident, and when the draw opens up for her.

Victoria Azarenka. After missing three months with a lingering foot injury, the Belarussian finally made her return to the court at Eastbourne, losing in her first match back to Camila Giorgi. While she’s made the semifinals at Wimbledon, her best efforts have come on hard courts where she enjoys more firm footing. While we shouldn't expect much from her until the North American hard-court season, she's still a two-time major champ and former world number one.

Madison Keys. As I write this post, Maddy has just reached her first WTA final at Eastbourne. The American has massive weapons that could be deadly on the lawns of the All England Club. If she keeps her head on straight and plays with controlled aggression, the 19-year old could do serious damage. Could she be the one hoisting the Venus Rosewater Dish? Sure, why not. And it would be fitting on the 10th anniversary of the last teenager to accomplish the feat - Sharapova.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: 2013 Wimbledon, Day One

Q. You've said that only an arrogant man would not have doubts. You've said that a couple of times now. Do you have some doubts on your play on grass? And are you proud of your legacy on grass for a person who was brought up on clay?

RAFAEL NADAL: Obviously I have doubts. I have doubts on grass. I have doubts on clay and hard, for sure in indoor.
If I don't have doubts is because I really don't feel the passion for this game. You don't see myself with doubts the first week of Roland Garros? Yes, with a lot of doubts. Today I play with doubts. I lost, yes.

Q. But you're proud of your grass court play?

RAFAEL NADAL: If I'm proud today?

Q. Not today. Over the years, what you have done on grass.

RAFAEL NADAL: What do you think? Five finals, two victories. I don't know how many players have that. I think for me is a lot. That don't mean I not going to keep trying to have success in this surface.

Q. How did you draw on your years of experience when a friend of yours suffered a tough defeat in the first round in a big tournament back in America? Did you give some nice advice to console him after that setback?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Sorry, who are you talking about?

Q. Redfoo.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Oh, my God. I thought you were talking about real US Open tournament. He's happy with the match. I didn't see the match because was nighttime here. I mean, as long as he's happy ... I'm proud of him no matter what. 

To go out and have courage to do something like that, that's pretty remarkable. He's a champion in his heart. I mean, his forehand should get better, definitely. I mean, that's something that he has to work on.

Q. The win makes you the most successful British man in Grand Slams ever. Were you aware of that?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I didn't actually know that. Yeah, that's nice. You know, the Grand Slams are obviously the pinnacle of our sport. It's the tournaments I prepare extremely hard for, you know, 
where you want to try and play your best tennis.

Yeah, I guess that shows I've played some of my best tennis at the slams, and hopefully I can continue that.

Q. This week there's a commemoration of 40 years of the WTA. We have some of the best players ever playing right now. When you think of the sport, who do you consider the greatest woman player ever and why?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: That's an extremely tough question because I wasn't part of the generation which consisted of incredible players. I can only speak of the generation that I was part of.

I never played Steffi Graf. I never played Chris Evert. Never played Navratilova. So those are considered incredible champions.

So I think on many different levels, they all deserve a tremendous amount of respect. And I don't think one should be called greater than the other. There's no real reason for that.

Q. If you could play one player who you haven't played?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Probably Steffi.

Q. How do you think you'd play with her great forehand, her speed?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think she'd chop me up (smiling).

Q. Last question from me. I'm from Switzerland, so can you talk a little bit more about Roger Federer's serve? Is it tough to read?

JERZY JANOWICZ: I played against Roger once in Rome, so I remember during the important points he was serving ace perfectly on the line. So this was quite annoying sometimes. But, yeah, it's not easy to read his serve. Second of all, he has unbelievable second serve. He has great kick.

Q. On grass, what do you think comes easy to you and what is challenging for you on this surface?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I think you get to hit the ball as hard as you can and most of the time it's still going to go in. I think that's good, and that's the easiest part. You just, like, go for your shots on. Most of the ones on hardcourts are like going to go to the fence, and on grass for some reason it stays in.

Moving is the hardest part. You want to run, and when you think you're going to slide and do something cool you're on the floor. So I think movement is the hardest part.

Q. This is your sixth time out there on opening day as defending champion. Does it now feel familiar, or do you have a sense of excitement and nerves? Would you wish this were a longer match, to have longer on court for the first day?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, the longer the match, the longer you spend on Centre Court, it's not a bad thing. That's what I was thinking today. It went by very quickly. But I guess at the end of the day you'd prefer to have it this way, walk away as a winner instead of being out there for five hours and losing in the first round.

It's been always a dream come true for me. In some ways, once I understood what it's all about, opening Monday, the defending champion gets the honor to open the court, ever since it's been an amazing day and match to be part of. And I see it also for the other players. They always think it's super exciting being a part of that match. I'm happy I won 'em all. So that's been a good thing, as well. That helps to enjoy it (smiling).

Q. Grass doesn't suck too badly.

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, it awkwardly has to do with the head a lot. Normally when I went into the grass season I was already pissed before I hit one ball. This time I was just in this whole mood of gratefulness for my second chance career. I just see it really as a second career. I was just like, Okay, you're just going to go for the grass and love it and try to start a romance with it.

If it didn't want you, you're going to force it to love back. So I'm just enjoying myself really. I'm never going to be ... it's never going to be my favorite surface, but as I said, I'm working at least on a romance.

Q. Can you tell us what was your very first thought on Friday when you saw the draw, Rafa in the first round?

STEVE DARCIS: Shit (laughter).

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

GUEST POST: The German 5 on the rise

By Anna Nartova

In the semifinals of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Open, Julia Goerges defeated Caroline Wozniacki for the third consecutive time, so I thought it was high time to document the whirlwind revival of German women’s tennis. Although these girls haven’t reached the heights of Steffi Graf yet, having 5 players rising to the WTA Top 40 is more than ‘fantastisch.’

Read the rest of "The German 5" after the jump. Click the headline, y'all.

HE SAID/SHE SAID: US Open Day 4

Q. Caroline Wozniacki has a high profile relationship with a golfer. You've kind of been there. Any advice for her on how to deal in the public eye in that way in that kind of a relationship?

ANA IVANOVIC: I think it's different for every person, because some people like to be in the middle of attention or public eye and others don't. It's just very personal how you like to deal with it. I think, you know, once you decide how you want to handle it you should go about it. Of course if you want to be more private, that's harder. If you want to be out there it's a little bit easier. It's, you know, about to find the balance and to accept these things.

Check out more 'HE SAID/SHE SAID' from the US Open Day 4 after the jump - click the header!

+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Do you like your women beautiful and athletic? Well, you'll get that and more in Nike's 'Make Yourself Girl Power' campaign shot by famed photog Annie Leibovitz and starring Grand Slammers Maria Sharapova + Li Na along with track-and-field stars Allyson Felix + Perri Shakes-Drayton, soccer's Hope Solo, dancer Sofia Boutella, and surfer Laura Enever. The Double Bagel has additional shots, including Shrieka getting her crunch on.

- Speaking of Li Na, WSJ.com has a good piece on the influence her win at Roland Garros will have on sports in China. One person who's happy about the changes in the Chinese system is Zheng Jie. "I am so thankful for this mini-truce," she said.

- GQ.com showcased some of the best and worst styles worn by Rafael Nadal over the years (pirate pants!) while CNBC.com says Nike's decision to move the Mallorcan Matador towards more conservative attire helped retailers' bottom line.

- Andy Roddick knows how to deal with those pesky rain delays in London. With - what else? -  Angry Birds! Oh, and if you need to know what's been on his iPod while there, click here. For reals.

- So, this is what happens when you reach 20,000 fans on Facebook, for better or worse:



- Andre Agassi was interviewed for The New York Times and discusses everything from his charter schools, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, his controversial memoir "Open" and the 1999 French Open where he and wife Steffi Graf reigned as singles champs: "We don’t really talk about it, but the memory is so alive. But you also live with the fact her experience was way different than mine. This was a hard tournament for me, so to get over the line at that moment was something special."

- Federer likes it FAST.

- Deadspin's Dylan Stableford talks Borg-McEnroe and JMac's man-crush on the iconic Swede: "But did you know McEnroe had something of a heterosexual man-crush on Borg when he first saw Bjorn? 'I'd never seen a tennis player look like this," McEnroe admits in HBO's 'McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice,' documentary, which airs on Saturday night. 'He had this sort of perfect Viking godlike look, and I certainly wanted to get the same type of things that he seemed to be getting, which was a lot of interest and a lot of girls. … I think everyone wanted to look like Bjorn. Certainly he had the cool clothes and the sweet headband and the great locks.'"

- Dinara Safina on Rafael Nadal + Novak Djokovic for Sport.ru: "I like them both, I know them both, and they are both nice guys. What I like about Nadal is how he turns the audience on, charges everyone with his emotions, even when something is not going right. But if we take the beauty of the game Djokovic has the advantage."

- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Tracy Morgan still feeling the heat for homophobic rant; Britney Spears covering Madonna's 'Burning Up' on tour (just kill me); Congressman Weiner's sexts get the dramatic (and hilarious) treatment; Well, hello there Jessie Williams; Brief-tastic Francesco Totti moments courtesy of Kickette of course; MTV cans 'Skins'

[Photo(s) credit: Nike]

How Goergous

The talk of German women's tennis has been centered on Andrea Petkovic this year and with good reason. She has an unstoppable charisma, possesses a big personality to match her game, loves interacting with the media and fans and earned some impressive wins this year over Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova. That's all well and good but when it comes down to tennis Julia Goerges just might be better.

Jules beat Wozzi in a competitive Stuttgart final today upsetting the world's top lady baller 7-6 (3), 6-3 and earning the second and biggest title of her career. The 22-year old just kept serving huge (her kicker espesh) and backing it up with power groundies keeping the Dane pinned back and on defense for most of the match. She also took advantage of her opportunities earning the only break of the match in the second set and making good when coming forward (15 of 22 net points won).

In women's tennis it's all about who can hold serve and Jules uses her smooth, powerful delivery to open up the court for her equally big forehand. That's the major difference between Petko and Jules but one that could mean the difference at the business end of a tourney, particularly at majors. Petko's serve is mediocre at best and has hitches that can cause it to break down under pressure. I have a feeling she and her new advisory coach, Heinz Gunthhardt, will be spending some time at that stroke.

Jules also showcased some serious mental toughness outplaying the World No. 1 and earning the career win in front of an uber-supportive home crowd (and a father who looked on the verge of a heart attack at every turn of this match.) She hadn't won a match against Woz in two tries so to pull off the upset under these circumstances is impressive.

A quick note about Wozzi: She has yet to win a title on the red clay and this loss gave some clues as to why it's going to be a challenge. Her movement isn't as natural on the clay as it is on the hard court and can't seem to generate enough pace when she doesn't have firm footing. Moreover, she's still susceptible on the clay when a big hitting baller gets on a streak. Without the offensive tools on the slippery stuff she'll need to force her opponents into errors to get the wins. She's the best in the world at doing that consistently, but over two weeks and seven matches at Roland Garros? BIG question mark.

But it's Jules with the title. Enjoy driving that new Porsche, girl. And better luck getting it started next time.

[Photo: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images]

FED CUP Chronicles: Russia and Czech Republic reach final and other notables

The FED CUP final was set over the weekend with Russia and the Czech Republic coming out on top in their respective semifinals.

Vera Zvonareva sealed the win for the Russians when she defeated Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-2 to give them an unbeatable 3-0 lead. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Sara Errani in the fourth rubber while Pavs + Ekaterian Makarova teamed up to defeat Alberta Brianti + Maria-Elena Camerin in the fifth to give the Russians a full sweep. The team also guaranteed home court advantage for their attempt at a fifth FED CUP crown.

In the other semifinal the doubs team of Iveta Benesova + Barbora Zahlavova Strycova clinched the tie for the Czech Republic 3-2 over Belgium when they defeated Yanina Wickmayer + Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-4 in the fifth and deciding rubber. It's their first appearance in the final since becoming an independent nation in 1994; the won it 4 out of 6 times as Czechoslovakia in the 1980's.

And there's more!

- Roberta had a little something to say about her missing FED CUP teammates after getting blasted 0-5 by the Russians: "If they didn't want to come it's their problem. I don't care about Schiavone and Pennetta, they are not on this team. Right now I'm number one for Italy and Sara (Errani) is number two. We're here and we try to give our best." Yikes.

- Dominika Cibulkova may need to wear body armor if she ever decides to visit Serbia or get back on Twitter after remarks she made during the Slovak Republic's tie against Serbia. Don't think the apology is helping Domi. Nice try.

- Speaking of Serbia, congrats to them as well as Spain, Germany and the Ukraine for returning to the World Group next year. Bad news for the USA + France who were relegated to the World Group II after their losses to Germany and Spain, respectively. It's the first time in both country's histories they won't appear in the top tier group. Times are a changin' peeps.

- Check out some of the FED CUP outfits that caught my eye for one reason or another (read into it what you will):

[Photo(s): Getty Images, AP]

Learning to keep two left feet on the ground

If you think everyone out there has sad face about the end of the Petko Dance and all it has given to society you would be...uh....WRONG. I mean, really wrong.

Just ask Maria Sharapova. Well, I guess you can't and somebody else already did so read on:

Q. She said that one of the things that makes you such a good champion is that you sense right away a weakness in the other player and basically you jump on that. She said that she felt that you sensed she was hesitating, whatever. Can you talk about that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, to be honest, I felt like I was just making a lot errors in the first set and I wasn’t moving my feet at all. And especially with the wind I wasn’t moving towards the ball and letting the ball come to me and not really being aggressive. That’s what’s won me so many matches in my career is when I step in and I hit my strokes and they come deep. I just wasn’t doing that.

So first and foremost I felt like I had to start doing that and making little steps and adjusting my game a little bit. More than anything, I sensed that she was tired probably a lot of the dancing that she’s been doing and I took advantage of it.

Q. She thought you would be tired in the third after the long match you had the previous night. Didn’t seem to be that way.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Because I didn’t do the dance after. I wasn’t tired.

Meow meow, kitty.

I wonder what got under Shrieka's Nike dress (hint: IT WASN'T ME)? Oh yes, it must have been their match at the Australian Open when the German torched her 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round then proceeded to rub Petko Dance all up in her post-match mug. I guess Shrieka wasn't feeling that. Or maybe it's because her moves aren't very, uh, dancey.

Speaking of that Oz Open match the 3-time Grand Slammer did say something back then that struck me after watching her reach her third Miami final:

I was happy that I was down the last two matches and able to find the level again and do the right things to win the match and pick it up. I wasn't able to bring that today. I didn't build on what I gained in the last two matches.

It seems Shrieka, with the help of Coach Hogs, has filled in that gap. She gave us an uber-scratchy performance against ever ready Alexandra Dulgheru, including those 17 DFs, and began the semifinal in the same way. But she made the right adjustment in the second set to her opponent and the conditions (windy, much?) and started moving her feet and cracking her trademark returns. Next thing you knew Shrieka was on a run of 11 straight games. Whatever she picked up in that last match she brought to this one and, as she said, built on it.

Speaking of returns I always think of it as being such a natural part of her game, that it would come much easier than say her serve since she's reacting to the ball, getting pace and not dealing with her all the intricacies of a service motion. Moreover, it sets her up for first strike tennis and dominating rallies - a winning game plan for her. But without the confidence it becomes another liability. But she learned and she gained from the Dulga match and even her Oz match with Petko and now she's in the Sony Ericsson Open final where she'll face Victoria Azarenka. Damn, that's gonna be loud as all hell.

[Photo(s): Al Bello/Getty Images]

(UPDATED) A view from the other side

Talk about two lady ballers on opposite sides of the tennis spectrum, eh?

Andrea Petkovic + Ana Ivanovic, whose pairing on the doubles court at the Sony Ericsson Open was all the rage with fans and online, are both 23-years old, Serbian by birth (Petko plays for Germany of course) and floating ever closer towards the Top 10 but now seem to be on decidedly different paths after yesterday's fourth rounders.

Petko was already having a career tourney in Miami after defeating top lady baller Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in the fourth round. She offered a 4-page presser filled with quotables after the big win and her soon-to-be retired Petko shuffle has been discussed at length in all kinds of media. She even got NaturAna to participate (with hilariously mixed results - see here if you dare.)

The German was guaranteed entry into the Top 20 for the first time in her career after ousting Wozzi so no one would've blinked if she had a let down in her next match. But she didn't and impressively outhit Jelena Jankovic posting a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win for a spot in the semifinals. This girl is soaring.

NaturAna seemed to be playing with the same kind of confidence in her match against defending champ Kim Clijsters winning the second set after losing the first and going up 5-1 and 40-0 on the Belgian's serve in the decider. But after saving the three match points Kimmie tapped into her own reserve of confidence and experience (like winning the last two majors) saving two more MPs and earning an exhilarating 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(5) win.

We all know the struggles NaturAna has undergone since reaching the pinnacle of this sport and what a win over a lady baller like Kimmie could do for her game and state-of-mind. But as soon as it seemed the Serb would finally overcome a major hurdle it was gone in a flash. All credit to Kimmie for sure but this crushing loss will hurt. I mean, just ask Yonex:

"It's very hard, yeah - you should see my racquet," said Ana.

Not surprisingly, the doubs pairing that had become so popular this tourney was over. They were slated to meet Peng Shuai + Shahar Peer in the quarterfinals but called it quits. NaturAna explained after her loss:

"I'm just like exhausted. It's been a lot. Andrea also had a tough match today, and we were both very, very tired."

I'm sure they are, but in very different ways.

UPDATE: NaturAna has withdrawn from Marbella citing a need for rest. She also credits her doctor saying "it's only thanks to the brilliance of my doctor that I've been able to compete in Indian Wells and Miami."

[Photo(s): Getty Images, AnaIvanovic.com]