Day 6: Rise of the Serbs: The Story Continues...

Is Paris going to be the site of a Serbian coronation? Or will this year's Roland Garros serve as a prelude to the day when all the Serbian would-be superheroes serve notice that they are capable of keeping watch over the entire tennis world? Together, as one.

Despite a decided lack of the money and commitment that so many other traditional tennis powers throw at the sport, there are currently three Top 10 players, two women (Jelena Jankovic & Ana Ivanovic) and one man (Novak Djokovic), who hail from Serbia. The small but powerful Fantastic 3 of Serbian tennis seem destined to be the icons that future generations of Serbian tennis stars remember as the childhood heroes that stoked the competitive fires that helped to distance them from their country's recent internal turmoil and war.



The Fantastics (or is it "the Fantastovics?") may not currently have that all-important fourth team member to fully rival their cinematic/comic counterparts, but the three that ARE in the fold share many of the qualities of their comic book alter egos.



Djokovic, of course, stands in for Mr. Fantastic... and looks to have the best chance to potentially upset the Federer vs. Nadal cart of croissants in Paris. He's the top remaining seed (at #6) in his quarter of the draw, with the next-highest being #12 David Ferrer. Could Roland Garros be the birthplace of the next phase of Novak's career? He might not win THIS title, but it's only a matter of time before he ends the current domination of King Roger and Rafa at the slams. It might not happen at all in 2007... but 2008? It's probably a good bet.



On Day 6 against Venus Williams, Jankovic took a turn at multiple Fantastic roles, as she sometimes does (see the U.S. Open semifinal against Justine Henin last year). In the 1st and 3rd sets, she was an unstoppable force ala the Thing, burning as hot as the Human Torch (with a similar wit) as she served at over 80% and coasted to victory, overcoming a 2nd set where she was the Invisible Woman in the 6-4/4-6/6-1 match. It was further evidence that Jankovic might just be ready to assume the leading role in the women's game that her results over the last ten months have hinted that she's capable of.

Ivanovic does't get her shot to reach the Round of 16 until Day 7 against qualifier Ioana-Raluca Olaru. She'll likely live to play multiple roles another day, as well, as her tendency to rise to great heights (two Tier I titles in the past year, incuding Berlin in May) but alternately disappear from the final weekends of tournaments (she reached no SF in '06 other than at the event she won in Montreal) in between her great accomplishments. As of yet, consistency is not her hallmark.

While Ivanovic is still learning to harness her powers, Jankovic's next step is to defeat her arch enemy, "The Queen." Djokovic is just waiting... for Federer or Nadal to slip, or for the moment to arrive when he catches one or both with their guard down. It'll happen one of these days... maybe even in Paris.

There are many "superheroes" in the tennis world, but few are as multi-layered and entertaining as the Fantastics, Three or otherwise. Maybe one day they'll have their fourth member (could it be Janko Tipsarevic, who upset Marat Safin in the 2nd Round?)... just give them time.

Look at how well they've used what little they've had of it so far. Imagine what could come next.




Love-Love...most of the singles matches on Day 6 went according to form, with only two mild seed-related upsets (#18 Bartoli over #13 Dementieva, and #20 Bammer over #16 Li) occurring on the women's side of the draw, where Daniela Hantuchova defeated Olga Poutchkova to join the Final 32 and eight women adanced to the Round of 16. On the men's side, #29 Filippo Volandri, who knocked off Roger Federer a few weeks ago, ago, took out #7-seeded Ivan Ljubicic... but, hey, it's a slam, so an early exit by the Croat isn't exactly a big surprise.
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Love-15...in a nod to the worldwide spread of talent on the women's side, the Russian Horde notwithstanding, the eight women who advanced to the Final 16 in the top half of the draw hail from eight different nations. The eight men who advanced to the 4th Round included three Argentines and two Russians.
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Love-30...

SCORELINE-OF-NOTE #1: Doubles 1st Round - Bondarenko(UKR)/Bondarenko(UKR) d. Cetkovska(CZE)/Safarova(CZE) 2-6/6-2/7-6(6)

...the "other" sisters live!

SCORELINE-OF-NOTE #2: Doubles 1st Round - Jens(POL)/Rosolska(POL) d. Azarenka(BLR)/Chakvetadze(RUS) 6-4/6-3

...apparently, there ARE Polish players not named Radwanska or Domachowska.

SCORELINE-OF-NOTE #3: Doubles 1st Round - Bryan(USA)/Bryan(USA) d. Pless(DEN)/Spadea(USA) 6-2/6-1

...well, at least SOME American men can play on clay. Of course, even when the Bryan brothers win, another American man loses at the same time.

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15-30...nothing official yet, but with Sybille Bammer's 3rd Round victory today, and Tamira Paszek's star-turn (well, in miniature, at least) in the early rounds, I'm leaning toward crowning the Austrians as Roland Garros' "Revelation Ladies." Realistically, only the Italians (with Karin Knapp) could also potentially claim the title... but they won it in Australia a season ago, and it might be too soon for a repeat.
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15-40...

*ROUND OF 16 PICKS*
[women's top half]
#1 Henin d. #20 Bammer
#8 S.Williams d. #10 Safina
#4 Jankovic d. #18 Bartoli
#6 Vaidisova d. #19 Garbin
[men's top half]
#1 Federer d. #13 Youzhny
#29 Volandri d. #9 Robredo
#15 Nalbandian d. #4 Davydenko
#19 Canas d. Monaco

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30-40...it was 40 years ago today that Sgt.Pepper allowed us to hear his band play.



Nothing to do with tennis, of course. But as significant a moment in the history of rock music as there is at least merits a throwaway mention. I just listened to the album again today, and it still holds up as a uniquely superior piece of art. Hard to believe anyone's never listened to at least some of it, but if you haven't you should... from beginning to end, as it was intended by John, Paul, George and Ringo.

(And, in an aside, I'd like to think all the players with Backspin nicknames could be cobbled together as the famous faces are on "Sgt.Pepper's" iconic album cover... as sort of a combination in-joke/homage to all the joy and pain they go through, essentially for our entertainment, as well as some spare change and hardware for themselves.)
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MATCH, "Is it too early to start talking about the "dream" match-up coming true?"...hmmm, yeah, it IS too soon. That'll have to wait until the potential combatants reach the quarterfinals. Of course, this year there is more than one possible match that meets the criteria, isn't there?
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TOP QUALIFIERS: Timea Bacsinszky & Ioana-Raluca Olaru
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Justine Henin
TOP MID-ROUND (3r-QF): (vacant)
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): (vacant)
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FIRST SEED OUT: #31 Severine Bremond (1r- M.Krajicek)
UPSET QUEENS: Romanians
REVELATION LADIES: (vacant)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: (vacant)
IT GIRL: (vacant)
MISS OPPORTUNITY: (vacant)
COMEBACK PLAYER: (vacant)
DOUBLES STAR: (vacant)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: (vacant)




All for Day 6.