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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/19/2011

Despite the mounting drama over the star-studded World Group semifinals, this Davis Cup weekend delivered the greatest drama in the playoff ties that determine which nations participate in World Group next year. In a sense, the combatants at that...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/15/2011

Into the Royal Sydney Golf Club strides the dethroned king of the ATP, freshly committed to Davis Cup this season.  Perhaps hoping to snag a title for Switzerland before he retires, Federer demonstrated his dedication to this team competition...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/15/2011

After his startling rush to the top 10 last year, Austrian #1 Melzer has faded from contention in 2011 amidst injuries and a series of unfocused performances.  An accomplished talent in both singles and doubles, he will hope to bring the...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/15/2011

The visiting team certainly will win the doubles team with the veteran duo of Bhupathi and Paes, so Japan must earn a singles win from someone other than world #55 Nishikori.  And the prospect of two wins in the best-of-five format looks far...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/15/2011

Electing to exploit their opponent’s weakness rather than their own strength, Chile chose to play this tie on a hard court inimical to clay specialists Starace and Bolelli.  A nation that shares Russia’s tilt towards the WTA,...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/15/2011

Unlike Canada, this second English-speaking tennis nation enters this playoff as a clear underdog to a resurgent Cilic, who won a set from Federer at the Open, and the suddenly relevant Dodig, who defeated Nadal and won a set from Djokovic this...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/15/2011

If their respective nations advance through the Davis Cup semifinals, the top two men in the world could meet in Belgrade on the final day of the 2011 season. Less than a week after the US Opens captivating conclusion, Spain and Serbia aim to...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/13/2011

Djokovic: For the eventual champion, the first five rounds gave little sign of what would unfold during the final weekend, to which Djokovic advanced with efforts unremarkable by his standards this year. In eight hours across the last two rounds...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/13/2011

Stosur: According to the inverted logic by which the WTA has operated for much of this year, the understated Aussie should have seemed a tournament favorite. Absent from the second week of the seasons first three majors, she had not won a title...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/12/2011

A day after Stosur ambushed the heavily favored Serena Williams, the mens defending champion hopes to spring a sequel to that surprise upon world #1 Djokovic, who has won 63 of his 65 matches this year. Under normal circumstances, a title defense...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/11/2011

As she comfortably brushed aside the world #1 on Saturday night, Serena emanated a steely resolve that wavered only briefly in her final service game and dissolved only with her euphoric victory celebration. Almost more intimidating than her fist...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

After Saturday, just two matches remain in the Slam season.  We return to discuss the US Open finals before reviewing the fortnight in a mega-slideshow next week.

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

The 92nd-ranked player in the WTA, Angelique Kerber had won seven total Slam matches prior to this tournament—one at the US Open—and never had reached the second week.  Two wins away from accomplishing the unthinkable, she has...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

Finally, the moment of truth has arrived.  For almost a year, WTA fans have the match that they have craved between the gentle yet controversial Dane atop the rankings and the greatest women’s player of her generation.  While...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

An inadvertent, unfortunate, but potentially central factor in the second semifinal, fatigue from a third consecutive day of best-of-five clashes may sap the strengths of both combatants in key areas.  More aggressive with his serve against...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

In what has become an annual autumnal ritual in New York, the Swiss legend collides with the Serb who aims to supplant on the final weekend of the season’s final major.  Frustrated by Federer in their first three meetings here, Djokovic...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

Wozniacki vs. Serena: Finally, the moment of truth has arrived. For almost a year, WTA fans have the match that they have craved between the gentle yet controversial Dane atop the rankings and the greatest womens player of her generation. While...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/10/2011

Djokovic vs. Federer: In what has become an annual autumnal ritual in New York, the Swiss legend collides with the Serb who aims to supplant on the final weekend of the seasons final major. Frustrated by Federer in their first three meetings here,...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/09/2011

Super Saturday looms with the winners of Friday's quarterfinals in addition to the fourth consecutive Federer-Djokovic semifinal at the US Open, the battle of #1s between Serena and Wozniacki, and more....

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/09/2011

Featuring a pair of US Open champions, this more prestigious collision of the two quarterfinals should unfold in a manner similar to its predecessor.  Like his fellow American, Roddick possesses few advantage over his top-5 opponent except...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/09/2011

Joining Tipsarevic in the ranks of Slam quarterfinal debutantes here, Isner’s route to the last eight recalls Karlovic’s surge to a Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2009.  A titlist the week before the Open in Winston-Salem, this...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/07/2011

We preview the matches initially scheduled for this day, including a five-time champion, a three-time champion, and two #1s.  (For the matches postponed from Tuesday, see the previous slideshow.)

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/04/2011

We glance ahead at six scintillating matches on Day 7 of the US Open....

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 09/03/2011

We preview eight exciting matches to watch on Day 6 at the US Open....

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/27/2011

First quarter: Unlike Djokovic atop the mens draw, Wozniacki does not tower but rather totters above her rivals. But a fourth consecutive title in New Haven will have elevated her confidence at a critical moment following opening-round losses at...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/27/2011

First quarter: On the top line of a Slam draw for the first time in his career, Djokovic should not test his ailing shoulder significantly against his first two opponents. Not until the third round does the path become intriguing for the Serb, who...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/25/2011

Serena: Undefeated on hard courts since early 2010, the younger Williams restored order to the chaotic WTA with consecutive titles at Stanford and the Rogers Cup. At those tournaments, she displayed renewed appetite for competition while...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/24/2011

Djokovic: An overwhelming favorite before Cincinnati began, the world #1 remains the favorite despite the fatigue and shoulder soreness that caused him to withdraw from last weeks final. Confident that he will overcome those issues before the US...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/22/2011

In a suspenseful three-set encounter, not all points are created equal. Few players recognize and exploit this truth more than Sharapova, who survived 11 double faults and 64 unforced errors to collect the title that painfully eluded her a year...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/21/2011

Djokovic vs. Murray: Divided into three distinct acts is the mini-rivalry between the heirs apparent to the thrones of Federer and Nadal. In Act I, from 2006 to early 2008, Djokovic won all four of his meetings against the man exactly a week...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/20/2011

Murray vs. Fish: A day after his spirit-lifting first victory over Nadal, Fish now seeks to topple an elite opponent against whom he has enjoyed considerably greater success. In fact, the Americans four triumphs over the world #4 include a...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/19/2011

Nadal vs. Fish: Having spent nearly five hours on court the day before, the second seed will find his powers of recovery severely tested if he seeks to continue his mastery over the top-ranked American. Burdened with a similar task in Chennai...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/15/2011

A week after audacious saboteurs tore down the towers of the sport, will Cincinnati more closely resemble the usual blueprints? The last significant event before the US Open, it will play an especially crucial role this year as contenders who lost...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/15/2011

At the verge of victory, the pressure suddenly descended on Novak Djokovic. Even after his stunning Wimbledon title, and even after he took a 40-0 lead in the final game, the new #1 visibly tightened when he stepped to the service notch at triple...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/14/2011

Djokovic vs. Fish: Halfway through this historic season, the world #1 aims to break another record and become the first player to win five Masters 1000 titles in one year. In each of his previous four title runs, Djokovic contested at least one...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/13/2011

Stosur vs. Radwanska: Seeking her tenth straight victory, the deceptively unprepossessing Pole already has defeated consecutive top-10 opponents in Zvonareva and Petkovic. A champion in San Diego, Radwanska surprisingly won her only hard-court...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/12/2011

Far from Canadas frozen north, Toronto andMontreal still have proven inhospitable habitats for elite contenders in both Rogers Cups. Defending champions Murray and Wozniacki? The three WTA Slam champions this year? The two most dominant ATP...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/08/2011

From the relatively arid draws of San Diego and Washington emerge few signals for the Premier Five and Masters 1000 tournaments ahead. In fact, Del Potros nudge past Verdasco from #20 to #19 marked the only change in the rankings of the ATP top...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/08/2011

For the first time, the Rogers Cup events will occur concurrently rather than consecutively. Unlike the other concurrent ATP / WTA events, however, this veritable smorgasbord of tennis will unfold in two cities five hundred kilometers apart. This...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/01/2011

As premier players well know, staying at the top presents a greater challenge than getting there. Following their Wimbledon exploits, the leading WTA performers there found themselves tasked with preserving their momentum through the three-week...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 08/01/2011

Tucked unobtrusively into the week before consecutive Premier Five tournaments, the reinstated San Diego event has become a shadow of its former Tier I self. Nevertheless, the La Costa Resort might host some intriguing if not star-studded...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/25/2011

Inaugurating the US Open Series for the WTA is the 28-player tournament at Stanfords intimate stadium, where four top-10 players and three Slam champions converge. Like the overstuffed draws at Sydney and Eastbourne, this tournaments small scale...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/22/2011

With the season half completed, we revisit the 11 predictions with which we began 2011. Have we struck more aces or double faults so far? After reviewing the initial calls that we made in December, Halftime Hawkeye delivers its verdicts....1)...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/18/2011

In the first half of 2011, the Williams sisters played three total tournaments, Henin retired in January, and Clijsters nearly vanished after March. So what went right for the WTA so far this year? Quite a bit, in fact. A new champion rose, an old...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/15/2011

With the sport settled into its midsummer vacation, albeit not a vacation for players like Isner and Roberta Vinci, we return from our own brief respite to remember the most memorable matches of the first half. In three majors and five Masters...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/07/2011

Serbia at Sweden: Initially awaited as a clash between top-five superstars Djokovic and Soderling, this tie developed into a mismatch when Djokovic reaffirmed his Davis Cup commitment while Soderling withdrew. Considering the Swedes recent slump,...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/04/2011

Djokovic: The undisputed monarch of all that he surveys, the new #1 cemented his ascendancy by triumphing on the most prestigious stage of all. Expanding his empire to a second surface, Djokovic confirmed that his Roland Garros loss represented a...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/02/2011

Sharapova vs. Kvitova: After repeated disappointments at her favorite tournament, the 2004 Wimbledon champion has arrived in her first final there since the moment that transformed her from upstart into superstar. Despite not facing any top-15...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 07/01/2011

Tsonga vs. Djokovic: Buoyed by his victory over Nadal at Queens Club, the Frenchman has accelerated through this fortnight with an effort more sustained than any of his performances since the 2008 Australian Open. Triggering memories of Tsongas...

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By ChrisSkelton @ Sharapovanovic- Your Ticket to Tennis! 06/30/2011

Azarenka vs. Kvitova: Filled with percussive groundstrokes and fiercely aggressive shot selection, their Madrid clash developed into one of the most scintillating womens finals on clay in recent years. In her second straight Wimbledon semifinal,...

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