2008 Blowout

...ever play a word association game? Well, that's sort of what we're going for here. Just the first "correct" answer that comes to mind. Feel free to play along. Ready, set, go!

Gold - Todd
Green - Pierre
Orange - Oh Great Questioner Who Resides Inside the Net Post



1. WHICH TOP PLAYER WILL NEVER WIN A GRAND SLAM?
TS: Jelena Jankovic
PC: Jelena Jankovic

2. NAME TWO YOUNG PLAYERS, BOTH 20-AND-OVER AND UNDER-20, WHO WILL WIN A SLAM ONE DAY?
TS: Ana Ivanovic (over) & Tamira Paszek (under)
PC: Victoria Azarenka (under) & Ana Ivanovic (over)

3. WHO WILL REACH MORE SLAM SINGLES FINALS IN '08, JUSTINE HENIN OR THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THE WILLIAMS SISTERS?
TS: Justine Henin
PC: Justine Henin

4. WHO WILL WIN MORE TOUR TITLES IN '08, JUSTINE HENIN OR THE JANKOVIC/IVANOVIC COMBINATION?
TS: Justine Henin
PC: Justine Henin

5. WHICH NATION WILL WIN THE FED CUP?
TS: USA
PC: Russia

6 NAME ONE JUNIOR SLAM WINNER IN '08.
TS: Ksenia Milevskaya
PC: Anastasia Pivovarova

7. AGNIESZKA OR URSZULA?
TS: U-Rad
PC: Agnieszka :)

8. ALONA OR KATERYNA?
TS: Kateryna
PC: Alona

9. MARAT OR DINARA?
TS: Marat
PC: Marat

10. QUICK - NAME THE FIVE '08 SLAM & OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS (with an alternate choice for each):
TS: Sharapova in Melbourne (Henin), Henin in Paris (Vaidisova? - pulled that one literally out of a hat), Venus in London (Sharapova), Henin in Beijing (Ivanovic) and Serena in NYC (Henin)
PC: Sharapova in Melbourne (Henin), Henin in Paris (Kuznetsova), Sharapova in Wimbledon (Davenport), Henin in Beijing (Sharapova) and Ivanovic in NYC (Sharapova)

11. WHO'S THE TOUR'S MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER?
TS: Julia Vakulenko
PC: Lucie Safarova

12. WHO'S THE MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER?
TS: Anna-Lena Groenefeld
PC: Vera Zvonareva

13. MAURESMO, DAVENPORT OR PIERCE?
TS: Davenport
PC: Davenport

14. GAJDOSOVA, DOKIC, MOLIK OR STOSUR?
TS: Molik
PC: Dokic

15. THE SISTERS WILLIAMS, RADWANSKA & BONDARENKO. HOW MANY OF THE SIX WILL WIN TOUR SINGLES TITLES IN '08?
TS: five
PC: four

16. WHO'S THE CURRENT TOP 10 PLAYER MOST LIKELY TO GO TITLE-LESS IN '08?
TS: Marion Bartoli
PC: Marion Bartoli

17. ZVONAREVA OR DUSHEVINA?
TS: Dushevina
PC: Zvonareva

18. VENUS OR SERENA?
TS: Venus
PC: Serena

19. WILL SHARAPOVA FINALLY PLAY VAIDISOVA IN A MATCH THAT COUNTS THIS YEAR? IN A SLAM? WHO'LL WIN?
TS: yes, yes, Sharapova
PC: no...

20. NAME POTENTIAL SURPRISE FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS FOR 2008:
TS: Shahar Peer in the Australian, Vera Zvonareva at Roland Garros, Michaella Krajicek at Wimbledon, Agnes Szavay at the US Open
PC: Azarenka in Australia, Radwanska at Roland Garros, Krajicek in Wimbledon, Safarova in US Open

21. WHO'LL BE THE FOUR PLAYERS PARTICIPATING IN THE OLYMPIC MEDAL MATCHES?
TS: Henin, Sharapova, Ivanovic, Jankovic
PC: Henin, Sharapova, Ivanovic, Kuznetsova

22. WHO'LL BE THE YOUNGEST TOP 100 PLAYER AT THE END OF 2008?
TS: Paszek (born Dec. 6, 1990)
PC: U. Radwanska (born Dec. 7, 1990)

23: WHICH OF THESE PLAYERS WILL PLAY IN 2008? SELES, CAPRIATI, PIERCE:
TS: Pierce
PC: None.

24: HOW MANY MEDALS WILL CHINA WIN IN THE OLYMPICS (INCLUDING DOUBLES & MEN'S)
TS: 1
PC: 1

25: WILL JELENA DOKIC BREAK THE TOP 100 IN 2008?
TS: She'll get there briefly, but won't finish there. (I'm such an Ex-Debutante downer lately.)
PC: Yes.



...and how about some ATP Blowout for flavor?


1. Roger Federer, SUI
2. Novak Djokovic, SRB
3. Rafael Nadal, ESP
4. David Ferrer, ESP
5. Andy Murray, GBR
6 Andy Roddick, USA
7. James Blake, USA
8. David Nalbandian, ARG
9. Nikolay Davydenko, RUS
10. Mikhail Youzhny, RUS
Wild Card: Fernando Gonzalez, CHI


1.Roger Federer, SUI
2.Rafael Nadal, ESP
3.Novak Djokovic, SRB
4.Andy Murray, GBR
5.David Ferrer, ESP
6.Thomas Berdych, CZE
7.Andy Roddick, USA
8.Nikolay Davydenko, RUS
9.Richard Gasquet, FRA
10.Mikhail Youzhny, RUS
Wild Card: James Blake, USA

HOW WILL THE FOUR SLAM/ONE OLYMPIC GOLD PIE BE CUT in '08?:
TS: Roger Federer (3 pieces), Novak Djokovic (1), Rafael Nadal (1)
PC: Roger Federer(4), Rafael Nadal(1)

All for now.



NEXT UP: "Act I, Scene 1" (2008) Week 1 Backspin & Volley, Part 2
AFTER OZ: "What If..."