The Deuce Court: Aussie Aspirations, What do lead-up results really mean and more...

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The Deuce Court is about to go crazy. Australian Open qualifying is underway. Petra Kvitova is playing Li Na today. Ivan Lendl photos are more popular than Scarlett Johansson photos on the Internet right now. And everything I see is fuzzy, yellow, and pops off the strings. In other words, life is good.

Deuce #1: Baghdatis?

Check the highlights at the top of the page and realize two things: 1. Marcos Baghdatis is, was and always will be a must-see player down under, and 2. Matthew Ebden can play (props to @bgtennisnation for pointing that out on Twitter yesterday while the match was going on). No. 97 in the world gave the Bag Man a run for his money yesterday, and the highlight reel shows that the kid has chops. Ebden, too, will be a player to watch next week in Melbourne.

Deuce #2: Madison Keys, totally low key.

This is not Madison Keys Twitter page. This is Madison Keys' homepage. Neither says anything about her Australian Open preparations. This young woman put up a very strong US Open performance last summer, losing a closely contested three setter to Lucie Safarova in round 2. I'm anxious to see what she can do a million miles from home, and so are a lot of other American tennis fans. She wont turn seventeen until February, and I like that a lot of what she's doing is being kept under wraps. That said, I'm dying to hear some news, see some practice photos, read a canned Q and A -- ANYTHING!

Deuce #3: Match of 2012? Kvitova-Li

Na Li and Petra Kvitova are both running the table in 2012. That will end today, and it promises to be quite a show, as the pair of sluggers are both emerging as Australian Open favorites as we speak. In addition to emerging as favorites, both appear to have completely distanced themselves from their post-Slam-winning slumbers that caused many to question their long-term viability at the top of the game. Kvitova has won 14 straight (not including the three at Hopman Cup). Li has been decidedly demonstrative of late too, winning all three Hopman cup matches and her first three at Sydney. Both women are for real -- we'll find out who is realer tonight.

Previously the pair have split two matches on clay, with Li winning the bigger match, a French Open 4th-rounder last year.

Ad In: Aussie Kim in her last Aussie Open?

Say it ain't so, but it very much looks that way. So get her while you can, and read this must-read piece in the Guardian, written by Donald McRae.

Deuce #4: What the hell is up with John Isner?

My guess (and I'm going out on a limb here) is that he played a bad match against American qualifier Bobby Reynolds and it won't happen again soon. Yes, Isner could have used a few more matches, but let's not forget that his last two Australian Open appearances have been pretty solid (4th and 3rd rounds). I think he'll still be a factor in Melbourne.

Ad Out: Who's in top form, and does it matter?

The most difficult thing for me this time of year is to try and decide which results will actually correlate with Australian Open results. For example, Fish destroyed Milos Raonic at the Kooyong Classic yesterday, and Bernard Tomic beat Tomas Berdych. Those are some pretty eye-opening results, but it's an exhibition. Who knows what it all means. What if Na Li crushes Petra Kvitova in Sydney today? Naturally, we'll all be penciling Li in as the Aussie Open favorite, but is that what it really means? Sometimes the best thing for a player is to suffer a nice thrashing just prior to a big event. It tells the player: get your ass in gear because you have to be better. Then the player proceeds to work like a maniac, focus like a guru and train like a mensch. The message? Results in the lead-ups matter, but not as much as we armchair prognosticators would like to think.

Grading The Open: Week 1

There were a lot of high marks, and two epic fails at the US Open this week. Join us as we take out the red marker and grade the pros for their week one performances. 



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Flavia Pennetta: A + 
The gutsy Italian braved Maria Sharapova and a bout of heat-related nausea to fight her way to her third US Open quarterfinal of her career. She's still alive as the No. 2 seed with partner Gisela Dulko in the doubles draw as well.
Donald Young: A+
Finally, Young becomes the center of attention for all the right reasons. His signature moment was when he rallied from a set down in round 2 on Court 17 to defeat Stan Wawrinka, but he's been grinding hard all week. He's also endeared himself to fans this week by showing that he's really a super nice kid with a lot of respect for the game and the pros ranked ahead of him. Also, he's grateful for the support that he's been getting from the USTA (and grateful that the widely publicized rift is in the past). Don't believe me? Watch a few of his pressers and see for yourself.
Rafa Nadal: A
His tennis hasn't been as supersonic as 2010—yet—but his cramping episode today was an instant classic.
Tommy Haas: A
Saw an interview with Haas on the Tennis Channel, and came away invigorated by Haas' passion for the sport. A guy like him, who has been through numerous surgeries over the years, could easily say "No Mas" and cozy up to a nice post-tennis career, but he's still got the fire to compete, and it's admirable.
Jack Sock and Melanie Oudin: A 
Perma-slump would be a kind way to describe Melanie Oudin's year, which is why I'm rooting for her in mixed dubs. Melanie has been forgotten as a fresh stable of American gals have forged their way to major headlines this week, but she did get busy on the mixed doubles court with Jack Sock. They rallied from a set down to beat the No. 1 seeded team of Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan in a match tiebreak.
Sam Stosur and Maria Kirilenko: A 
Stosur won this awesome match, but both players get an A for playing the longest women's tiebreaker in Grand Slam history.
Andy Murray: A
He was facing another demoralizing early round loss on Armstrong (remember last year when he went down against Stan Wawrinka in the 3rd round?) but he got his act together and wobbled to the finish against Robin Haase in one of the craziest matches of the tournament thus far. It wasn't pretty, and some might say it wasn't even good, but for Murray it was a character win. It was also his sixth comeback from 2 sets down in a Slam, and that, my friends, deserves an A.
Serena Williams: A
I would have given her an A + but then she almost lost a set. How dare she?
Andrea Petkovic: A-
I'm not sold on the popping and breaking just yet, but I loved her kissing her recently-injured knee after a hard fought win over Zheng Jie in the 2nd round.
David Ferrer: A-
The consummate pro had another solid week and will head into his round-of-16 match-up with Andy Roddick as the heavy favorite.
Victoria Azarenka: B
We may very well look back a week from now and say "Wow, Vika was the only one who even came close to giving Serena a match." She didn't play well enough to win, but she sure as heck played well enough to impress.
Francesca Schiavone: B
She's playing D+ tennis but she's getting A+ results. She's still alive and there is definitely something to be said for that.
Sabine Lisicki: B
She had an A average coming into the fourth round (had lost only 7 games), but Vera Zvonareva brought her swiftly back to earth.
Juan Martiin del Potro: B-
Props to Gilles Simon for playing him perfectly, but Delpo was neither tactically nor technically anywhere near his best today. I think we all expected his return to New York for the first time since his title in '09 to be a little more magical.
Ryan Harrison: C
This is the year of the American resurgence, and our prize prospect gets shellacked by a lost-at-sea Marin Cilic? Look, Cilic is a great player, but the fact that Harrison's worst performance of the summer came in the US Open is very disappointing.
Bernard Tomic: D
You think Harrison was bad? Tomic was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist two months ago, but he only managed 3 games against Cilic in the second round.
Ivo Karlovic and Frank Moser: D
These guys have the nerve to take out the Bryan Bros. in round 1 and then lose the next match to Bolleli and Fognini? Huh?
Gael Monfils: D
Gael got bounced in 5 sets by Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2nd round in style. Unfortunately, La Monf prefers style over making the plays that would give him the best chance to win matches. It's beautiful to watch at times, but it's also infuriating to see a player of his talent level crash out in round 2. A lot of us just wish he'd save the Cirque du Soleil moves for the practice courts, because his propensity to dazzle is obviously fouling up his chances to win.
Petra Kvitova and Na Li: F
There's no other grade to give them, unfortunately.

Kvitova, Li and The Infinite Sadness

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The chaos is starting early in the US Open women's singles draw. In 2 days of US Open play we've lost the 2011 French Open and Wimbledon champions. This marks the first time that three Grand Slam champions from the same year have missed the 2nd round of the US Open since 1971.

Li Posted 54 errors in 2 sets against Simona Halep. Kvitova was not much better. Some would argue that she was worse. The Czech put up 52 in her loss to the Romanian, Alexandra Dulgheru.

Just like Li did on Day 2, Kvitova puzzled onlookers with her befuddling capacity for making unforced errors on day 1. Instead of reining in her shots and taking on less risk, Kvitova was unrelentingly aggressive; she was unrelentingly erratic as well.

Li was no better. Her haphazard ground strokes lacked bite, and she routinely floated simple shots several feet beyond the baseline. Watch the YouTube video above to see the carnage: Li plays one solid, unspectacular point (the first), then proceeds to botch the next 4, inluding match point. At her best, Li was tense and timid. At her worst, she was flat-out pitiful.

To be fair: it's only natural that Li and Kvitova encounter some turbulence at this stage of their careers. Each is adjusting to the new set of expectations that have accompanied their success. Currently, both seem overwhelmed. "Someone like Sharapova or Serena, they're used to that, they know how to budget their time," said Lindsay Davenport, while commentating for the Tennis Channel on Tuesday. "For someone like Li Na, who all of the sudden has all these offers coming in, she's probably doing a little bit too much off court."

Unfortunately for fans, neither did much on court.

Seeing Kvitova reel off six consecutive errors to conclude her match with Dulgheru was a pretty clear indication of where the 21-year-old Czech's game is at. It might still be in England, or perhaps it remains sitting unclaimed at the baggage check at JFK.

Li's game might be in China or in the bottom of her racquet bag for all we know.

The 29-year-old Wuhan, China native was despondent in the press room after her loss, when she spoke openly of her maddening inconsistencies of late. She spoke of telling her recently-hired coach (Michael Mortenson) that she felt her timing was off just prior to taking the court against Halep: "He tell me 'everything is perfect, everything is fantastic," said Li. "I say yes 'everything is fantastic, but I always lose first round.' I mean, this is not fantastic."

Li will turn 30 next February, and is the only Asian player to ever win a Grand Slam.

Kvitova won the Paris and Madrid titles this year, in addition to winning Wimbledon. But she's gone from trailblazer to disconcerting flameout in a matter of months. If her Wimbledon title was her crowning achievement, today's loss was her worst nightmare. On Monday, Kvitova became the first player in Open Era history to lose in the first round of the US Open after winning Wimbledon. According to this piece, the winner of the previous Slam is more likely to win the next Slam than they are to lose in the first round.

Should we be surprised?

It's surprising in some ways, but hardcore WTA fans know it can happen. Li and Kvitova are more proof that the women's tennis is a wild kingdom these days. Past results aren't necessarily guarantees of future results.

The road can be rocky, the pressure deleterious.

Li put it best after her match yesterday, when she said half-jokingly, "tennis is too tough for me."

Kvitova Swoops In For First Wimbledon Title

Petra Kvitova savours the moment after acing Maria Sharapova on match point in the 2011 Wimbledon final.

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Perhaps Petra Kvitova is the player that we've all been searching women's tennis for: that rare species of player that can dominate an era, let alone matches.

With Kvitova, you can see it, feel it, and now -- believe it.

Haven't you noticed?

These days, it's hard not to notice. There's so much potential in the 21-year-old Bilovec, Czechoslovakia native. So much game. So much unabashed leftiness.

"That lefty serve..." said fellow Czech native Martina Navratilova, after Kvitova's semi-final win over Victoria Azarenka, "...It was beautiful."

Call it 'leftiness' or call it 'fearlessness:' what we are really referring to is the pony-tailed phenom's ability to dominate her service games with alarming regularity. If Kvitova is going to continue at this pace in Slams (surrendering 6 breaks of serve in 7 matches) then we can pretty much write her in for a few more Venus Rosewater dishes, right?

If you want to know "What are the advantages of a lefty serve?" Martina Navratilova is the definitely the person to ask. And since you did, here is her take on the matter: "We just get on the outside (of the ball) more because we know we can get to the backhand," said the nine-times Wimbledon singles champ. "You practice it, use it more, therefore it becomes better."

In Kvitova's case it has gotten much, much better, but what is scary is that there still seems to be a ton of untapped potential in the 21-year old's lanky frame. Considering what she did to Maria Sharapova in today's Wimbledon singles final, that's a scary proposition.

"Well right now she's riding a big wave," said Martina. "She's in the top ten, still improving."

The numbers suggest Kvitova couldn't be better -- after all she's just won Wimbledon -- yet to witness Kvitova's game is to understand that she could. In spite of her glittering fortnight, Kvitova is still prone to stretches of discombobulation. It's natural, especially when considering her almost albatross-like build. "I think for Petra the key has always been to minimize the bad streaks of play," said Martina. "She's very streaky, which is good on the good side..."

Bad streaks aside, Kvitova is clearly figuring out how to win -- and win big -- by playing a courageous, swashbuckling brand of tennis. While her opponents might have the jazz, Petra's got the rock-n-roll. She does not allow her opponent any chances to find their rhythm, and they very rarely have the game or the quickness to defend her best shots.

In other words, it's giving them the blues.

Kvitova became the first Czech women to win a Grand Slam since 1998 on Saturday, with a breathtaking display of power that wowed even her opponent Maria Sharapova, a three-times Grand Slam champion herself. "She has a very powerful game," said Sharapova. "That's her strength. That's how she wins matches...sometimes it's just too good."

Kvitova, while thrilled to win, didn't seem totally blown away with her victory. Her dad may have been crying liberally after the match, but the first-time Wimbledon champ still had her wits about her.

"Sometimes my serve wasn't so good, and I have to keep mentally good," said Kvitova, after the match, while surrounded by journalists.

Already being hard on herself, just moments after her first Wimbledon victory? Sounds like a winner to me.

"I knew that I'd have to be first who is playing hard and who is making the points," said Kvitova. "So I tried it, and I did it."

As for her thoughts on what she was feeling when she won: "I don't know... It's strange," she said.

Maybe strange, but not surprising at all.

Archie's Picks: Sharapova-Kvitova

Archie went with his heart and it cost him his perfect record as Petra Kvitova won Wimbledon today.

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This pick didn't make it to press before the match but I swear to you it's official. So the big boy is 8 for 9 heading into the final. No shame in that whatsoever.

Without any further ado, here is Archie's Sharapova-Kvitova pick.

See Archie's French Open picks here.

See Archie's Djokovic-Tomic pick here.

See Archie's Federer-Tsonga pick here.

See Archie's Nadal-Fish pick here.

See Archie's Murray-Lopez pick here.

See Archie's Kvitova-Azarenka pick here.

See Archie's Sharapova-Lisicki pick here.

See Archie's Djokovic-Tsonga pick here.

See Archie's Nadal-Murray Pick here.

Archie's Pick: Sharapova

Why: Because, like many dogs, he loves her.

My Pick: Kvitova

Why: She's a grass burner, and she was my pre-tourney pick to win (though I still didn't crack the top 1,000 on Tennis Channel's Racquet Bracket).