Hey PI, agree with you on all points. It indeed would have been great fun if the Djoko-Delpo match was the final and if del Potro had somehow edged it out.
Meanwhile, Federer seems to have hit rock bottom. Tough times for him for sure.
What do you think of Murray's chances this US Open. I know it's too early to say right now, but I'm guessing he'll have a win in Rogers, semi in Cinci and maybe SF/F in USO. Federer to either go out QF or win it in USO ( ); in all honesty I'm actually rooting for del Potro to win a slam again.
Federer's results in Hamburg and Gstaad can't have done his confidence much good, but they were both on red clay, so he might yet improve his form when he makes the transition to hardcourts. I don't see him winning the Rogers Cup (there is speculation that he will pull out of that, anyway), but he is always a serious contender at Cincinnati. I would favour Djokovic or Murray to beat him, even if he improves his level. Both of those guys are in contention to end the year as #1, and they need to win the Masters 1000s to take Nadal's #1 spot. If Federer does not make it to the final, he will lose at least 600 ranking points, in addition to the 450 Olympic points he is due to lose. Bad news for his ranking, but good news for Berdych and Delpo! That should add some pressure, because he will have tougher draws at the slams if he is not in the top four.
I reckon the USO is likely to have another Murray vs. Djokovic, with Murray the favourite to win after routining Djoker at Wimbledon. If they play each other in Cincinnati and/or Canada, the winner should have the edge if they meet in New York (unless they win one each!). It will be interesting to see if Nadal turns up for the hardcourt season this year. He won at Indian Wells, so he should have the confidence to compete at the next few tournaments; I won't be surprised if he pulls out, though. I just want to see him playing against Murray, who he hasn't met since 2011. It would be a good chance for Murray to start levelling his poor head-to-head record against Nadal. The last time they played, it was on hardcourts in Tokyo and Murray bageled him.
The most fun I've had with tennis this month has been following Fabio Fognini's winning streak at Stuttgart, Hamburg and Umag. He has always been fun to watch, but his game is usually too inconsistent and his behaviour too temperamental, so I was happy to see him winning his first two ATP titles in as many weeks, then going on to reach the final at Umag (he played terrible tennis in the final, clearly worn out from three weeks without any rest). During those three competitions, he gained 900 ranking points, pushing him up to a career high of #16. This means that he is seeded for the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati, receiving an automatic bye into the second round. His best surface is clay, but it will be interesting to see if he can make a decent run in the hardcourt season now that he has two titles to his name. It could do wonders for his confidence and consistency. Really, it will be fantastic if he can start fulfilling his potential in the biggest tournaments. He is such a talented shotmaker. Check of this highlight reel from his matches in Hamburg - the clips of him owning Haas and Almagro are great:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOlnAgGLtP8
When it all comes together, he is easily able to compete with the top players. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't!
I actually love watching the first few rounds of a GS more than semis and finals; more entertaining players as opposed to the same old faces slugging it out.
One of my favourite matches at Wimbledon this year was Dustin Brown's win against Lleyton Hewitt. Like Stakhovsky against Federer, Brown was playing old school serve-and-volley tennis, hitting dozens of winners and dominating Hewitt at the net almost every time. It was great to watch some all-court tennis instead of baseline bashing. I bet it made McEnroe happy!
); in all honesty I'm actually rooting for del Potro to win a slam again.