U.S. Open -- Interim Update

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Again an apology for not keeping this site up-to-date--I promise though that after the U.S.Open, there will be a complete recap of 2009, with all sayanku ranks held during the year, and updates of all lists and rankings.

Now where do we stand well into the second week of the open?

• In the mens's tournament, Yokozuna (=Grand Champions) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal continue to go strong. Ozeki (=Champion) Novak Djokovic has defended his rank, reaching the semifinals where he will play Federer in an interesting match-up.

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• Andy Murray and Andy Roddick (a former Ozeki) blew their chances for an Ozeki promotion by crahsing out early. They will be demoted from Seikwake (=Junior Champion I) to Komusubi (Junior Champion II). In particular Murray has been close to Ozeki level for some time, but whenever he seems to be ready for the big step ("Ozeki" means "great hurdle" in Japanese), like at the Australian Open this year or now at the U.S. Open, he puts in a substandard performance.

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• Slim chances for an Ozeki promotion still have Komusubi Juan Martin del Potro and M3W Fernando Gonzalez, both French Open semifinalists and former Sekiwake, but either would have win the US Open. French Open finalist and Komusubi Robin Soderling will return to Sekiwake after this tournament for confirming his strong form with a quarterfinal participation (where he lost -- again -- to Reoger Federer).

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• In the ladies' game, Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams is going strong, but sister and fellow-Yokozuna Venus Williams lost early, as did all three Ozeki: Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Wimbledon seminfalists Safina and Dementieva go kadoban as a result, while Kuznetsova has already lost the Ozeki-rank she regained only recently at the French Open.

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• Back in the Sanyaku ranks is former Ozeki Kim Clijsters, at her very first slam following her comeback from a 2-year maternity leave. If she wins the semifinal against Serena, Clijsters is Seikwake. Should she win the tournament she would immediately make it back to Ozeki: a second or higher slam title entitles to an immediate Ozeki promotion outside the normal promotion schedule.

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• Fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer and the highly regarded talent Carolina Wozniacki have secured their first time sanyaku promotion and will be at least Komusubi after this tournament. The winner of their semifinal will even make it to Sekiwake.

But the true final, in my opinion, will be played tonight --- Serena Williams vs. Kim Clijsters. Ladies' tennis cannot be in that that bad a shape if it still produces such mouthwatering matchups.

The Ladies' Wimbledon Semi-Finals: two Yokozuna, two Ozeki

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First an apology for the lack of updates during Wimbledon, I am out of town and have little time. However, this is how the Sanyaku race lines up after 10 days:

• In the ladies' game, two Yokozuna (=Grand Champions) -- Serena and Venus Williams -- and two Ozeki (=Champions) -- Safina and Dementieva -- play the semifinals. The third Ozeki, French-Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, exited in round 4 and will go kadoban.
• Victoria Azarenka will be promoted to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) for the first tine after this tournament, for reaching her second consecutive grand slam quarterfinal. Stosur and Cibulkova, by contrast, failed to defend their Sanyaku ranks. Again there will be no female Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) after this tournament.
• In the mens' tournament, Novak Djokovic overcame kadoban demotion risk by reaching the quarterfinals and remains Ozeki. Simalarly, Andy Murray has defended Sekiwake rank, in contrast to Juan Martin del Potro and Robin Soderling, who will be demoted to Komusubi. Ex-Ozeki Andy Roddick has defended his Komusubi rank, one more win (over another former Ozeki, Lleyton Hewitt) and Roddick is back to Sekiwake. Ex-Sekiwake Fernando Gonzalez will drop out of the Sanayaku ranks after Wimbledon.
  

Safina Loses to Kuznetsova--and her Nerves

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2009 Roland Garros Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is back at Ozeki

One could not but feel sorry for Ozeki (=Champion) Dinara Safina after she had double faulted one last time and handed the match to her opponent, M1E Svetlana Kuznetsova. This was the third time within a year that Safina had lost a grand slam final. But while the first two losses had something inevitable about them--at Roland Garros 2008 to then-shooting star Ana Ivanovic, and at the Australian Open 2009 to an irresistible Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Serena Williams--this time the feeling prevailed that Safina had wasted a final that was hers for the taking. Kuznetsova did little extraordinary, just placed solid strong groundstroke after groundstroke until Safina fluked.

For Kuznetsova this win means the return to Grand Slam glory after almost 5 years. She will also get the Ozeki rank back that she held in 2005/06. Kuznetsova is already one of the stronger career-high Ozeki of the open era: one of only 6 with more than one grand slam title (the others are Virginia Wade, Tracy Austin, Mary Pierce, Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo). With this victory, Kuznetsova has proven once more that she is always a threat and ready to jump in when the favorites jitter. Whether she has the tools to establish the kind of dominance needed for a Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) is another question though; we may get an answer at Wimbledon.

Safina seems to have the tools, but after this loss the question is whether she has the nerves. In this she is not dissimilar to her elder brother and fellow career-high Ozeki, the emotional and wildly popular Marat Safin. This commentator has little doubt that the big Russian with the big game will be with us for considerable time, possibly as a strong and consistent Ozeki. To make it to Yokozuna though she will need to develop the mindset of a grand champion. Maybe a little more maturing is all that is needed.

With French Open final played, the sanyaku-ranks for Wimbledon are set. Serena and Venus Williams will again top the banzuke as Yokozuna--with Venus at risk of being taken off the active Yokozuna list if she misses the quarterfinal. Then follow Safina, Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva at Ozeki. Dementieva is kadoban, however, and would be demoted to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) if she does not make the final 8 in England. There will again be no Sekiwake, while surprise semifinalists Samantha Stosur and Dominika Cibulkova have earned a career-first promotion to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II). Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will drop out of the sanyaku ranks.

Gatekeeper Federer Prevails in a Rope-a-Dope

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A tough Juan Martin del Potro succumbs in five sets to the Yokozuna, but climbs to Sekiwake, where he'll be joined by tournament sensation Robin Soderling

"Ozeki" means "big hurdle" in Japanese-- and one responsibility of a Yokozuna (=Grand Master) in ozumo is to make sure that not too many competitors jump that hurdle. Roger Federer has fulfilled this responsibility to perfection recently. At the 2008 US Open, he obstructed Andy Murray's promtion to Ozeki (=Champion), beating him in straight sets in the final. And now he has blocked the path of Argentine Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) Juan Martin del Potro (picture).

But del Potro put up a fabulous fight before he submitted to Federer's might. At times in the first three sets, del Potro controlled ball and opponent with his powerful serve and groundstrokes. It was only when he tired--some time in the fourth set--that the Dai-Yokozuna took over. And even then, Federer had to fight for every single point in the fifth set before closing out the match.

Federer has now reached his 19th grand slam final, equalling Ivan Lendl's record. But the record he's after is arguably to become the only sixth man in history to win all four slams. If the del Potro seminfinal is any yardstick, this Sunday's final may be Federer's last chance to do so. In this tournament, he has reminded this commentator of Muhammad Ali in the 1970s: once untouchable, Federer now gets pounded by his opponents--but once they have punched themselves out, Federer still wins on superior stamina and game smarts.

Federer's opponent this Sunday will be M8W Robin Soderling, who, in a seminfal of big forehand hitters, eliminated another elite opponent in M3E and former Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Fernando Gonzalez. Soderling was already 1-4 down in the final fith set, but found his composure just in time to wrestle the match out of the flashy Chilean's hands. With this win, Soderling has claimed to the scalp of the third former Sekiwake in this tournament (Ferrer, Dvydenko, Gonzalez), adding the final piece of evidence that his shock victory over Yokozuna Rafael Nadal was no fluke. And given how Soderling has played here, I would not write him off against Roger Federer either.

After this tournament, Soderling will move up all the way from Maegashira to Sekiwake, where he will join del Potro and Andy Murray (both promoted from Komusubi). Gonzalez reenters the sanyaku ranks as a Komusubi, a rank that the he will share with verteran and former Ozeki Andy Roddick (demoted from Sekiwake).

Kuznetsova Battles to Another Grand Slam Final, Meets Safina

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Federer holds steady, del Potro reaches semifinal and earns career-first Sekiwake promotion

It is former vs. current Ozeki (=Champion) in the 2009 French Open ladies' final. In today's semis, Svetlana Kuznetsova edged past a tough Samantha Stosur in three sets. The win came only one day after an even closer quarterfinal in which Kuznetsova battled Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Serena Williams in a 7-6 5-7 7-5 nailbiter -- a result that reversed the outcome of the Australian Open quarterfinal a few months earlier.

By reaching her fourth grand slam final, Kuznetsova has earned a promotion to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I), up from the top Maegeshira (non-championshiop) rank M1E she occupied before Roland Garros. Kuznetsova can even gain back her Ozeki status of 2005/06 if she collects the second grand slam title of her career (after the 2004 US Open). Stosur, who had thus far been better known as a doubles specialists, will be promoted all the way to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) from M12E for her heroics.

In the other seminfinal, Ozeki Dinara Safina started nervously against M7E and future Komusubi Dominika Cibulkova, but then settled into her rythm to come through in straight sets. This is Safina's third grand slam final within a year; she will hope it is third time lucky. Safina certainly has looked like a champion for most of this tournament.

Both Kuznetsova and Safina are 23 years old, and both appeared first on the tour in 2002. But Safina still appears like a relatively fresh face in search of her maiden slam, while a Kuznetsova victory would mean the striking comeback of a battle proven veteran.

In the men's tournament, Yokozuna Roger Federer and Komusubi Juan Martin del Potro join M3E Fernando Gonzalez (a former Sekiwake) and the tournament sensation M8W Robin Soderling in the semifinals. For Federer this is the 20th consecutive time he makes the last four in a grand slam, a near-unbelievable achievement (next on the men's all-time list are Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl with 11 and 10 consecutive semifinals, respecitvely). Federer's quarterfinal opponent, ex-Komusubi M2W Gael Monfils, put up serious opposition only in the first set. Del Potro sailed past another ex-Komusubi, M5E Tommy Robredo. the Argentine has therefore secured a career-first Sekiwake promotion. He even holds a small chance to get to Ozeki, but for this he would need to win the tournament.

Soderling!!!

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The thus far unheralded Swede dominates another elite player and enters the championship ranks.

So it was no one-match wonder after all. M8W Robin Soderling followed up on his shock 4th-round victory over Yokozuna (=Grand Champoion) Rafael Nadal with an impressive straight-sets blowout of M2E Nikolay Davydenko--a former Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) and world #3. Soderling therefore makes his Sanyaku breakthrough at almost 25 years of age. After Roland Garros he will be at least Komusubi (=Junior Champion II), but Sekiwake is in the cards if Soderling wins one more match.

The man who will try to prevent this is ex-Sekiwake M3E Fernando Gonzalez, who re-entered the sanyaku ranks himself by beating the current world #3, Andy Murray. Murray has secured re-promotion to Sekiwake with this quarterfinals participation, but his chances of becoming the 28th Ozeki (=Champion) of the open era took a severe blow. To this end, Murray would have needed to reach the final at Roland Garros--a feat that seemed quite faesible after Nadal's early exit. Now Murray needs to win Wimbledon.

In the ladies' quarterfinals, Ozeki Dinara Safina was made to work hard by up-and-coming M1W Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, before the teenager ran out of steam in the third set.

Safina now meets another upstart, M7E Dominika Cibulkova, who will be promoted at least to Komusubi after this tournament. Cibulkova abruptly ended Maria Sharapova's comeback. Maybe it was the relentless pressure applied by the young Slovakian, maybe Sharapova had gone through too many tiring three-setters during the course of this tournament, but the former Ozeki found some form only at 0-6 0-5--too late to prevent Cibulkova from closing out the match. Nonetheless, it is good to see Sharapova back on the big stage. Maybe she can re-enter the Sanyaku ranks at Wimbledon.

Federer and Serena Williams Defend Yokozuna Honor

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Kuznetsova back in the Sanyaku ranks, del Potro one win away from Sekiwake

For a moment it looked as if Roger Federer could go the way of fellow Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Rafael Nadal and Ozeki (=Champion) Novak Djokovic -- crashing out of Roland Garros before even reaching the quarterfinals, and leaving the men's tournament without a firm favorite. 7-6, 7-5, 4-3 40-30 led his opponent, former Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Tommy Haas, when Federer suddenly got his game together and turned the match around.

Federer now faces former Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) M2W Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals, who gave him all kinds of troubles in last year's RG semifinal. Monfils made quick work of former Ozeki Andy Roddick. With this loss the veteran Roddick drops back from Sekiwake to Komusubi. Still, 2009 was Roddick's best French Open tournament ever.

Komusubi Juan Martin del Potro and ex-Komusubi M5E Tommy Robredo complete the men's quarterfinals. For del Potro this is the third consecutive participation in a grand slam quarterfinal. The Argentine has looked strong thus far; a win over Robredo would earn him a first-time promotion to Sekiwake.

In the ladies' tournament, Yokozuna Serena Williams had little difficulties with the young Canadian M11E Aleksandra Wozniak. In the quarterfinals she meets battle-proven former Ozeki M1E Svetlana Kuznetsova, who won a close match over ex-Komusubi M3E Agnieszka Radwanska. Kuznetsova will re-enter the Sanyaku ranks at least as Komusubi after this tournament.

Less luck had former Sekiwake Jelena Jankovic, who was upset by the powerful unseeded Sorana Cristea. Jankovic, who has been close to an Ozeki promotion a couple of times in her career, therefore drops out of the sanyaku ranks altogether. Next for Cristea is M12E Samantha Stosur of Australia, victor over Ozeki Elena Dementieva in the third round. The winner of this quarterfinal is guaranteed to join the Sanyaku ranks for the first time.

The King of Clay Stumbles

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Rafael Nadal's shock 4th-round exit leaves the men's tournament at Roland Garros wide open.

If yesterday's loss of Ozeki (=Champion) Novak Djokovic to M11W Philipp Kohlschreiber was a surprise, today's defeat of Yokozuna (=Great Champion) Rafael Nadal to M8W Robin Soderling was a shocker. In contrast to the brilliant but inconsistent Serb, Nadal is not known for sudden lapses in performance -- he always seems to find a way to fight himself into a match, at least when he is healthy. But today Nadal failed to find a receipt against the unassuming Swede's powerful and agressive game.

Nadal's quest to become the first player to win Roland Garros five times in a row is therefore over. As much as this commentator has taken a liking to the humble and charismatic Majorcin, this result is good for tennis. The men's game had gotten at risk of becoming too predictable and uncompetitive, especially on clay.

The loss changes nothing a bout Nadal's lifetime Yokozuna status, of course, but his and Djokovic's early exits throw the men's tournament wide open. Favorite to win is now arguably Nadal's fellow Yokozuna Roger Federer, who lost the past three French Open finals to Nadal. If he nails this one, he would become only the third player of the open era to win all four slams.

But this is not all. All of a sudden it seems quite possible that this tournament could create a new male Ozeki. Andy Murray, who has already regained his Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) spot by making surprisingly quick work of the young Croat M3W Marin Cilic, has now a fairly decent chance to make the final, with Nadal removed as a likely semifinal opponent. And in the other half of the draw, it seems not unthinkable any more that Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) Juan Martin del Potro or ex-Sekiwake M1W Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -- who will face off tomorrow -- would win the tournament. As both reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, a tournament win in Paris would propel them to Ozeki.

A Komusubi promotion is guaranteed to come out of the quarterfinal between Soderling and ex-Sekiwake M2E Nikolay Davydenko, who ended in straight sets Fernando Verdasco's spell at Komusubi.

In the ladies' tournament, Dinara Safina confirmed her newly gained Ozeki rank by blasting past French lady Aravane Rezai. Safina has looked flawless so far, but in the quarterfinals, Belarussian M1W Victoria Azarenka may present a stiffer challenge than Safina's previous opponents. Azarenka beat ex-Ozeki Ana Ivanovic in straight sets in round 4. Ivanovic has now failed to reach the quarterfinals in all grand slam tournaments since she won least year's French Open, and therefore drops out of the Sanyaku (=Championship) ranks altogether.

A Komusubi promotion will result from the quarterfinal between rising star M7W Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia and former Ozeki Maria Sharapova, who is coming back from injury. Sharapova has made prevailing in gruelling three-setters her specialty at this tournament, this time edging past Na Li from China. It's good to have her back -- together with her compatriot Safina, the combatative and charismatic Sharapova has arguably the best shot at establishing a persistent challenge to the Yokozuna Venus and Serena Williams.

Djokovic, Dementieva go Kadoban

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With the first three rounds played, some Sanyaku ranking decisions have already been taken.

A tired looking Novak Djokovic lost his 3rd-round match to the unspectacular but solid Maegashira (=non-champion) M11W Philipp Kohlschreiber. The young Serb therefore goes kadoban for the second time in his career. Should he fail to reach the quarterfinals also in Wimbledon, he will lose the Ozeki (=Champion) rank that he first earned at the US Open 2007. Also kadoban goes Elena Dementieva, who had re-obtained her Ozeki title only at this year's Australian Open.

An early exit took also long-standing Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Venus Williams. Thus, In Wimbledon her status as an active Yokozuna is on the line--a loss before the quarterfinals and Venus would be considered inactive. But then, Wimbledon is Venus' best tournament.

The 4th round--starting tomorrow (Sunday) will bring further Sanyaku-rank decisions. Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) Fernando Verdasco battles M2E and former Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Nikolay Davydenko. A win and Verdasco earns a first-time Sekiwake promotion, a loss an he drops out of the Sanyaku (=Championship) ranks altogether. Similarly, Andy Murray gets re-promoted to Sekiwake or demoted to Maegashira when he plays M3W Marin Cilic. The winner of the fourth-round match between Komusubi Juan Martin del Potro and former Sekiwake M1W Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be in the Sanyaku ranks after the French Open. And former Ozeki Andy Roddick has his Sekiwake rank on the line when he battles ex-Komusubi M2W Gael Monfils.

In the ladies' tournament, freshly promoted Ozeki Dinara Safina, who has looked superb thus far, battles unseeded French lady Aravane Rezai to avoid kadoban. If she wins she may meet defending French Open Champion, former Ozeki and current Komusubi Ana Ivanovic in the quarterfinals, who has looked no less impressive but first must get by M1W Victoria Azarenka to stay in the Sanyaku ranks. Komusubi Jelena Jankovic would make it back to Sekiwake if she wins her 4th round match, but her opponent, unseeded Sorana Cirstea, looks like no pushover. Finally, ex-Ozeki M1E Svetlana Kuznetsova would re-enter the Sanyaku ranks if she beats ex-Komusubi M3E Angieszka Radwanska.

French Open 2009: Banzuke and Preview

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The long and gruelling slam-less period betwen the Australian and the French Open is finally over. Here is how the top players line up for the this year's elite tournament at Roland Garros:

• As has been the case since last year's Wimbledon tournament, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer lead the men's banzuke as Yokozuna (=Grand Champions), followed by long-term Ozeki (=Champion) Novak Djokovic. For Nadal, this is the first time he enters Roland Garros as Yokozuna.



• The ladies' banzuke is once again headed by the Williams sisters. The Ozeki slots are occupied by two Russian ladies: Australian Open finalist Dinara Safina in her first apearance as ozeki, and the re-promoted Elena Dementieva.



• No player is on a Yokozuna run. There is also no particularly strong candidate for an Ozeki promotion, even though three men and one woman would obtain the rank if they reached the final: Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Andy Roddick (for who this would be the third Ozeki promotion of his career), the Komusubi (=Junior Champions II) and US-Open finalists Andy Murray and Jelena Jankovic, and the Komusubi and Australian Open semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco.



• Frenchman Gilles Simon (M1) and Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro (M8) would obtain a first-time sanyaku promotion if they reach the quarterfinals.



• Komusubi Vera Zvonareva had to withdraw with an ankle injury, and will get demoted to Maegashira after the tournament.

The table below shows the top banzuke ranks. The Sanyaku ranks are determined by the Yokozunatennis ranking system, the Maegashira ranks are filled up according to the seeding list. The full banzuke is published here.

Men

Career rank 1/	Seed	East	Current Rank	West	Seed	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Champion Ranks)
Y	1	Rafael Nadal	Y	Roger Federer	2	Y
O	4	Novak Djokovic	O	-	-	-
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
O	6	Andy Roddick	S	-	-	-
S	3	Andy Murray	K1	Fernando Verdasco	8	K
K	5	Juan Martin del Potro	K2	-	-	-
High Maegashira
-	7	Gilles Simon	M1	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	9	S
S	10	Nikolay Davydenko	M2	Gael Monfils	11	K
S	12	Fernando Gonzalez	M3	Martin Cilic	13	-

Women

Career rank 1/	Seed	East	Current Rank	West	Seed	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Champion Ranks)
Y	2	Serena Williams	Y	Venus Williams	3	Y
O	1	Dinara Safina	O	Elena Dementieva	4	O
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
-	-	-	S	-	-	-
S	5	Jelena Jankovic	K1	Ana Ivanovic	8	O
K	(6)	Vera Zvonareva*	K2	-	-	-
High Maegashira
O	7	Svetlana Kuznetsova	M1	Victoria Azarenka	9	-
-	10	Caroline Wozniacki	M2	Nadia Petrova	11	S
K	12	Agnieszka Radwanska	M3	Marion Bartoli	13	S

* withdrew
1/ Career-high Sanyaku rank, if applicable.

The Top 101 Players of the Open Era--an Update

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The first Yokozuna-Tennis top 101 ranking of the open era was compiled right after Wimbledon 2008. Two grand slam tournaments have been played since,thus it is time to take another look.

Men’s Ranking

Dai-Yokozuna (great Grand Champion) Roger Federer (13 GS titles—4 finals—3 semifinals—2 quarterfinals) remains where he is, inspite of another grand slam title at the US Open and a lost final down under. Well, as the #2 of the open era he cannot be ranked much higher—only the great Rod Laver remains ahead of him. To pass season-grand-slam-winner Laver, Federer would need to win the French Open or close to 20 grand slam tournaments, both of which seems unlikely.

Just behind Federer follow the other two Dai-Yokozuna Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg—Sampras because of Federer’s greater versatility across surfaces ad greater peak-dominance; Borg because of Federer’s larger number of GS titles. But I am well aware that these three could be ranked in any order.

The new Australian Open champion, Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Rafael Nadal (6-2-2-2) moves up one rank to #13, just behind Stefan Edberg, and now ahead of John Newcombe... full article

Sanyaku Ranks after the Australian Open 2009

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The Sekiwake (= Junior Champions I) Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva get promoted to Ozeki (= Champion), as a result of their consistent strong performances at the recent grand slam tournaments. For Dementieva this is a re-promotion to the rank she already held briefly in early 2005; but Safina becomes an Ozeki for the first time and is the 29th female Ozeki of the open era.

Other notable promotions are: former Ozeki Andy Roddick moves from Komusubi (= Junior Champion II) up to Sekiwake; while Fernando Verdasco, Juan Martin del Potro and Vera Zvonareva earn the first sanyaku (= championship) ranks of their careers at Komusubi. By contrast Andy Murray, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic (a former Ozeki) lose Sekiwake rank and drop to Komusubi. Maria Sharapova (a long-time former Ozeki) and Patty Schnyder fall out of the sanyaku ranks alltogether.

The Yokozuna (= Grand Champions) -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena and Venus Williams -- keep their ranks, of course, as these are for life; Novak Djokovic remains Ozeki.

The full post 2009 Australian Open statisitcs, inclucing the complete new sankyaku line-up and the quarterfinal-through-final results, are published here.

Another One for the Ages

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The two active Yokozuna of mens' tennis play another dramatic 5-set final, and the winner is again Nadal

It does not get much better than this: for more than four hours Roger Federer (Y1E) and Rafael Nadal (Y1W) battled each other last night, with the momentum swinging several times, before Nadal finally imposed himself again and won the 6th grand slam title of his career -- the first on hardcourt. Federer's disappointment was only too visible in end. For a long time he looked more likely to win than his opponent, however: Federer had more chances to break serve (19-16), played more winners (71-50), even gained more points overall than Nadal (174-173) -- but in the end the brilliant Swiss fell again short when his game deteriorated markedly in the fifth set.

For Federer this is a setback in regaining the #1 spot and in equalling Pete Sampras record of 14 grand slam titles. It does not hurt him in my open era ratings though -- there he is already #2, ahead of fellow Dai-Yokozuna (=great Grand Champion) Sampras due to his greater versatility and peak dominance. To become #1 and bypass Rod Laver, Federer would have to either win the French Open or accumulate close to 20 grand slam titles -- both seems rather unlikely.

It is to be hoped that Federer does not lose motivation after this renewed disappointment. Tennis needs Federer. It may be hard for him to regain the #1 spot, but I for my part have little doubt that on his day he still can beat Nadal. Moreover, he still tends to display more dominance vis-a-vis the other players than the Spaniard. Admittedly though, age does not play in his favor. Federer is 27, most great players start to lose consistency at this age.

Nadal moved up one place in my open era ratings and is now #13, just behind Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg and ahead of John Newcombe. But who would doubt that he could move up further soon, his possibly as early as at the upcoming French Open, a tournament he has dominated in the past four years. Given how similar career achievements are between #6 (Rosewall) and 13, Nadal may well be the open era #6 in a year or two.

Fortunately for us, Nadal is still only 22 years old and could have many more years at the top ahead of him -- if his body continues to support his immensly physical game.

Magnificent Serena

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Serena Williams is the 7th female Dai-Yokozuna of the open era.

Last night Serena Williams won the 2009 Australian Open in sytle, blasting past the brave but overmatched Dinara Safina, who will be promoted from Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) to Ozeki (Champion) after this tournament. This is Serena's 10th Grand Slam title. In Ozumo, 10 titles is commonly seen as the threshold for a Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) to be considered "Dai" -- i.e., "great".

Dai-Yokozuna is not a rank (like Yokozuna or Ozeki) but an honorary title. Thus far in the open era, only seven female tennis players have earned this attribute:

(1) Margaret Court, whose 24 grand slam titles (between 1960 and 1973) are still the record, 11 of them in the open era;

(2) Court's great rival Billie Jean King (12 grand slams 1966-1975, 8 of them in the open era);

(3) Chris Evert (18 slams, 1974-1986),

(4) Martina Navratilova (18 slams, 1978-1990);

(5) Steffi Graf (22 slams, 1987-1999);

(6) Monica Seles (9 slams, 1990-1996); and now

(7) Serena Williams (10 slams, 1999-2009).

Seles falls one short of the common threshold but is considered a Dai-Yokozuna nonetheless, given that her career was interrupted by a violent attack from a deranged fan that cost Seles several years of her career.

And now there is Serena. Serena started her Grand Slam career in 1998 at age 16, one year after her older sister, fellow Yokozuna Venus Williams. Her first great success came at end-1999 when she won the US Open, beating three Yokozuna on the way to the title: Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis and earning an immediate promotion to Sekiwake. Serena then stayed at lower sanyaku level for the next 2 1/2 years, until she suddenly exploded in 2002, winning 4 grand slam titles in a row, starting with the French Open. No player since Steffi Graf in 1993/94 had achieved this feat, and no player has since. 2002 also saw Serena's promotion to Ozeki and then Yokozuna, as well as her first world #1 ranking, inherited from Venus.

Serena's career had her setbacks. From 2003 chronic knee injuries made her miss several grand slam tournaments or play them with insufficient preparation. By 2006, she was not considered an active Yokozuna any longer, as she had not reached a grand slam quarterfinal in more than a year, i.e. since her victory at the Australian Open of 2005. Other players, like Yokozuna Justine Henin or Ozeki Maria Sharapova, took over as the sport's leading competitors.

Serena burst back onto the scene by winning the Australian Open 2007 out of the blue, beating Sharapova in the final, but resumed her former domination in full only in 2008, when she reached the Wimbledon final (losing to Venus) and now won back-to-back the US and the Australian Open.

In my open era player rankings I keep Serena at #7 for now, behind her six fellow Dai-Yokozuna. But two more grand slam titles and Serena would overtake King and Seles and move to #5. Given how Serena has performed recently, there is little doubt she could achieve also this. Only Court, Graf, Navratilova and Evert would then remain ahead of her (that are probably out of reach).

For Serena's full career record see here (to come).

An All-Yokozuna Mens' Final

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Rafael Nadal followed his fellow Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Roger Federer into the Australian Open final by wrestling his compatriot M5E Fernando Verdasco to defeat in five gruelling and gripping sets.

This is the 7th time Federer and Nadal meet in a Grand Slam final, but the first time for both to meet as Yozokuna. The last all-Yokozuna Grand Slam final was at the 2005 US Open, when Federer beat Andre Agassi in four sets.

It's hard to make out a clear favorite: while Nadal leads Federer 12-6 head-to-head (5-2 at slams), he trails Federer 2-3 on hard court, and Federer's record at the Australian Open is much better. Plus, Federer has looked awesome at these Open even since he overcame M8W Tomas Berdych in a tight five-setter in round 4.

Verdasco (picture) earns a career-first promotion to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) for his heroics, joining Andy Murray -- demoted from Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) -- and fellow first-time Komusubi Juan Martin del Potro at this rank. The other failed semi-finalist, former Ozeki (=Champion) Andy Roddick, who fell in three entertaining sets to Federer, moves up one rank from Komusubi to Sekiwake.

After the Australian Open, the mens' sanyaku-line-up will therefore be as follows:

Yokozuna: Federer, Nadal
Ozeki: Djokovic
Sekiwake: Roddick (up from K)
Komusubi: Murray (down from S), del Potro (up from M2), Verdasco (up from M5).

Safina Follows Dementieva to Ozeki; Serena One Win Away from Dai-Yokozuna Status

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Something rather unusual happened in the ladies' game: two promtions to Ozeki (=Champion) in one tournament. Elena Dementieva secured her Ozeki re-promotion by entering the third consecutive GS semifinal, even though she lost the semi to Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Serena Williams, who saved her best tennis for this match (Dementieva had already been an Ozeki in 2004/05).

Now Dinara Safina has made the same step, overcoming her compatriot Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals. This plus Safinas semifinal participation at the US Open fulfills the promotion requirements to Ozeki. Safina has therefore reached the same career-high rank as her charismatic elder brother, two-time grand slam winner Marat Safin.

Ozeki promotions are rare enough -- Safina will be the 29th female Ozeki of the open era (along side 27 male career-high Ozeki) -- but double-Ozeki promotions are extremely rare. In the ladies' game it has happened only once right at the beginning of the open era, when Anne Haydon-Jones and Nancy Richey made it to Ozeki at the Wimbledon tournament of 1968. In mens' open era tennis, the only double promotion has been Gustavo Kuerten's and Magnus Norman's at the French Open of 2000.

The majority of Ozeki have won one (14 female/11 male players) or more (5 female/12 male players) grand slam titles in their careers. It is to be hoped that Dementieva and Safina can live up to this standard. Safina will have an opportunity tonight when she battles the magnificent Serena Williams.

Should Safina fail at this occasion, something out of the ordinary would happen: Serena would win her 10th grand slam title, which is the common threshold for being considered a Dai-Yokozuna (great Grand Champion). Since the beginning of the open era, only six female and four male Dai-Yokozuna have been recognized as Dai-Yokozuna: Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles; Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer. Serena would join an outstanding elite group indeed.

Finally, the post-Australian Open ladies' sanyaku line-up is set:

Yokozuna: S. Williams, V. Williams
Ozeki: Safina (up from S), Dementieva (up from S)
Sekiwake: none
Komusubi: Jankovic (down from S), Ivanovic (down from S), Zvonareva (up from M1).

Demoted from Komusubi to Maegashira: Sharapova, Schnyder.

Dementieva Returns to Ozeki, the Yokozuna Are on Track

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After almost 5 years in the lower echelons, Elena Dementieva is again a Champion

Three female players entered the Australian Open needing only a semifinal for a promotion to Ozeki (=Champion): French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, who had just lost Ozeki status after disappointing performances at Wimbledon and the US Open; world #1 Jelena Jankovic, who had been at the lower sanyaku ranks for more than 2 years, had repeatedly toyed with an Ozeki promotion and came to Australia as the US Open finalist; and Dementieva, who had quietly restablished herself as an elite player, reaching back-to-back semifinals at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In the end it was Dementieva--maybe the longest shot of the three--how suceeded. Ivanovic and Jankovic exited early and will be demoted to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II). By contrast, Dementieva sailed through the field, stopping the Spanish sensation Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarterfinals in two one-sided sets. Dementieva regains therefore Ozeki status she had first earned in 2004, after reaching the finals at the French and the US Open. At the time she could not hold on to the rank for long, hopefully she will do better this time. In the semifinals Dementieva will meet Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Serena Williams, who looked vulnerable in her quarterfinal against M1W and former Ozeki Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The other female player who can still become Ozeki is Dinara Safina, who would need a victory in her semifinal against M1E Vera Zvonareva. However, Zvonareva has shown outstanding performances thus far, and a semifinal victory for her, together with a promotion to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I), seems at least as plausible.

In the mens' tournament, an all-Yokozuna final is well within each. After Roger Federer's quarterfinal triumph of yesterday, Rafael Nadal shook of the pesty Frenchman Gilles Simon (M1W) in three sets. Nadal's surprise opponent will be his countryman Fernando Verdasco (M5E), who followed up on his victory over Sekiwake Andy Murray with the elimination of the 2008 finalist, M1E and former Sekiwake Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and has therefore earned the first sanyaku promotion of his career.

The Andys Swap Places

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Never write off a champion -- the old battle horse Andy "A-Rod" Roddick is climbing again up the sanyaku ranks.

Andy Roddick beat the defending champion, Ozeki (= Champion) Novak Djokovic, when the latter melted under the Melbourne heat and retired at the beginning of the fourth set, being 1-2 sets down. The former long-time Ozeki Roddick therefore rises from Komusubi (= Junior Champion II) to Sekiwake (= Junior Champion I), swapping places with Scotsman Andy Murray. Roddick could even make it back to Ozeki if he wins the tournament, but in the semifinal his nemesis Yokozuna (= Grand Champion) Roger Federer will be waiting, who pulverized Juan Martin del Potro (M2E) in three one-sided sets. Del Potro's sanyaku debut therefore comes to a halt at Komusubi.

In the ladies' tournament, top-ranked Maegashira Vera Zvonareva (M1E) stormed past former Sekiwake Marion Bartoli (M5E) to secure a first-time sanyaku promotion. In the semis she meets Sekiwake Dinara Safina, who edged local favorite Jelena Dokic (unseeded, a former Komusubi) in an error prone three-setter. If Safina wins the semifinal she will get promoted to Ozeki, if Zvonareva wins she will march through to Sekiwake.

The Quarterfinals--How They Line Up

The quarterfinal draw of the 2009 Australian Open is complete. Most favorites have made it, with the notable exceptions of Yokozuna Venus Williams and the Sekiwake Andy Murray, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic. Especially in the ladies' field there are a few new faces. From now on, every match will affect the future sanyaku line-up (=championship ranks).

Nadal, Federer and Serena Williams are Yokozuna (=Grand Champions) and hold the rank for life. Defending AO champion Djokovic has already secured Ozeki (=Champion) status until at least Wimbledon 09 by reaching the quarterfinals. He could start a Yokozuna run if he wins the tournament again.

Safina and Dementieva have already defended Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I)rank. Dementieva is just one victory away from regaining the Ozeki status she held last in early 2005. Safina needs to win both her quarter- and semifinal to get a first-time Ozeki promotion.

Former Ozeki Andy Roddick has already defended Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) status. A win over Djokovic would get him back to Sekiwake, a tournament victory to Ozeki. Del Potro is the other male player with a remote chance for an Ozeki promotion. He would also need to win the tournament, a victory over Federer in the quarterfinals and del Potro is Sekiwake.

Simon, Tsonga, Verdasco, Zvonareva, Bartoli, Dokic, Suarez and Kuznetsova need to win their quarterfinal to enter the sanyaku ranks. For Simon, Zvonareva and Suarez this would be a first-time sanyaku promotion, for Tsonga, Bartoli, Dokic and Kuznetsova a return to champion status. The matches Tsonga vs. Vedasco and Zvonareva vs. Bartoli are guaranteed to produce a Komusubi promotion.

Andy Murray, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic will be demoted from Sekiwake to Komusubi as a result of their early exits from the tournament. Maria Sharapova and Patty Schnyder will drop out of the Sanyaku ranks.

The Australian Open 2009 Quarterfinals

Men
Rafael Nadal (Y)	vs.	Gilles Simon (M1)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (M1, former S)	vs.	Fernando Verdasco (M5)
Novak Djokovic (O)	vs.	Andy Roddick (K, former O)
Roger Federer (Y)	vs.	Juan Martin Del Potro (M2)
Women
Vera Zvonareva (M1)	vs.	Marion Bartoli (M5, former S)
Dinara Safina (S)	vs.	Jelena Dokic (-, former K)
Elena Dementieva (S)	vs.	Carla Suarez Navarro (-)
Serena Williams (Y)	vs.	Svetlana Kuznetsova (M2, former O)

Komusubi, not Ozeki, for Andy Murray

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Andy Murray entered the 2009 Australian Open as a strong Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I), with the US Open 2008 final under his belt and repeated wins over top players like Dai-Yokozuna Roger Federer. A semi-final participation down under and Murray would have been the 28th Ozeki (=Champion) of the open era.

In the event, Murray didn't even reach the quarterfinals, as he fell in five sets to an inspired Fernando Verdasco (Maegashira 5E). Murray gets therefore demoted to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II). Murray remains in a strong position though: a quarterfinal at the French Open and he'd be back at Sekiwake, a final and he would get the Ozeki promotion at Roland Garros. Given Murray's obvious talent and increasingly mature attitude, it may be that we just have to wait a little longer for the first male British Ozeki of the open era (there have been female British Ozeki -- Anne Haydon-Jones, Virginia Wade,and Sue Barker).

But not now. The only male players left in the tournament with a remoted chance of an Ozeki promotion are Juan Martin del Potro (M2E, Komusubi-promotion secured) and Andy Roddick (K1E). Either would have to win the tournament, however.

Murray's conqueror Verdasco will meet M1E and former Sekiwake Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals, who demolished M2W James Blake in three sets. The winner is guaranteed a promotion to Komusubi. The quarterfinal line-up is completed by Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) rafel Nadal, who had little trouble with M4W and ex-Sekiwake Fernando Gonzalez and will now play the aspiring Frenchman Gilles Simon (M1W).

On Retirement Day, Dementieva Edges One Closer to Regaining Ozeki Status

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Three of today's five completed 4th round matches were decided because a player had to call it quits.

In the mens' tournament, M1W Gilles Simon moved to his first grand grand slam quarterfinal after M4E and former Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) Gael Monfils had to give up with an injured wrist, being 1-2 sets down. The other three remaining 4th-round matches are still to be played.

In the ladies' tournament, Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Serena Wiliams lost the first set to M4E Victoria Azarenka, but Azarenka could not complete the second set. Serena will now meet M1W and former Ozeki (= Champion) Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals, who got free passage against M8E and former Komusubi Jie Zheng.

A clean win was recorded by the young, unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat copatriot Annabel Medina Garriques (M7W) in two sets. Suarez, who had eliminated Yokozuna Venus Williams in the second round, enters her second grand slam quarterfinal after the French Open 2008. She will face Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Elena Dementieva, who blasted past M6E Dominika Cibulkova. Dementieva came into the Australian Open with semifinal participations at Wimbledon and the US Open, and is therefore only one win way of regaining Ozeki status that she last held at the French Open of 2005.

Del Potro Secures First-Time Sanyaku Promotion, Jankovic's Ozeki is Run Off

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The 2009 Australian Open are entering the decisive phase.

Maegashira M2E Juan Martin del Potro reached the quarterfinals by beating M7W Marin Cilic in four sets. Together with his quarterfinal participation at the 2008 US Open this secures del Potro's promotion to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II), his career-first sanyaku rank. Another win in the quarterfinals and the Argentine is Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I). Three more wins and the 2009 Australian Open title and he is Ozeki (=Champion). In the quarterfinals, del Potro will meet Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Roger Federer, who had more trouble than expected with M8W Tomas Berdyrch.

Also in the quarterfinals is Komusubi (and former Ozeki) Andy Roddick, where he will probably face the defending Australian Open champion, Ozeki Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is two sets up against the unseeded ex-Sekiwake Marcos Baghdatis as this is written.

In the ladies' tournament, Jelena Jankovic's Ozeki run got derailed by a clear defeat to M5E and former Sekiwake Marion Bartoli. Jankovic drops to from Sekiwake to Komusubi, together with fellow Serb and former Ozeki Ana Ivanovic. All is not lost though: a final at the French Open in June and Jankovic can still become Ozeki.

Still on track is Dinara Safina, however, after surviving a scare against M4W Alice Cornet in a hard-fought three-set victory. Safina has therefore already defended her Sekiwake rank; two more victories in the quarter- and seminfinals and Safina will be the ladies' 29th Ozeki of the open era. Next she will meet the unseeded former Komusubi Jelena Dokic, who -- frenetically supported by the Australian audience -- is having an impressive combeack after a three-year absence from Grand Slam tennis.

Also through to the quarterfinals is top-ranked Maegashira 1E Vera Zvonareva. Her quarterfinal opponent will be Bartoli; with the winner being guaranteed to get promoted to the sanyaku ranks for the French Open.

Hope to see you back, Maria

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With the withdrawal from the 2009 Australian Open, long-term Ozeki Maria Sharapova will drop out of the Sanyaku (=Championship) ranks for the first time since 2004, when the burst onto the scene by winning Wimbledon and gaining an immediate promotion to Ozeki.

Sharapova's career achievements to date make her already one of the strongest Ozeki (=Champions) of the open era. After Wimbledon 2004, Sharapova won two more slams, the US Open 2006 and the Australian Open 2008. She has therefore collected as many open titles as the Yokozuna Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. Among female career-high Ozeki, only Virginia Wade matches her achievements.

Sharapova entered 15 grand slam tournaments as Ozeki. At one point -- the Australian Open 2007 -- she was only one victory away from a Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) promotion, when she lost the final to a spirited Serena Williams. Sharapova had lost Ozeki rank before -- after sub-par performances at Wimbledon and the US Open 2007 -- but regained it brilliantly by winning last year's Australian Open. Thereafter Sharapova's game fell apart due to injuries, however, forcing her to miss the last two slams altogether.

It's easy to forget over these achievements that Sharapova is still only 21: almost two years younger than world #1 Jelena Jankovic, one year younger than Dinara Safina, and just 7 months older than Ana Ivanovic. If healthy and motivated, Sharapova should be able to enjoy many more years at the top.

And ladies' tennis needs her. Since Justine Henin's retirement, the scene has again been dominated by the ageing but, on their day, still overwhelming Williams sisters, both established Yokozuna. Other than them, no female player has managed to even establish herself as Ozeki recently, a short-lived interlude by Ana Ivanovic last year notwithstanding. What a contast to the mens' game, where Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have closed in on the phenomenal Yokozuna-double Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and where other exciting players -- del Potro, Tsonga, Monfils -- are breathing down the leaders' neck.

Ladies' tennis needs badly the starpower and brilliance Sharapova can produce. Get healthy, Maria, and hope to see you back.

Maria Sharapova

Career-High Ozeki
Born April 19, 1987 in Nyagan, Russia
Grand Slam Achievements
	Australian	French	Wimbledon	US	Total
Titles	1	0	1	1	3
Finals	1	0	0	0	1
Semifinals	2	1	2	1	6
Quarterfinals	0	2	0	0	2
Career points	11	4	8	6	29
Tournament rank	O	K	O	O	O
Career Timeline
Year	Tournament	Rank Pre-T	Result	Rank Post-T	Career points
2003	A	-	R1	-	0
2003	F	-	R1	-	0
2003	W	-	R4	-	0
2003	U	-	R2	-	0
2004	A	-	R3	-	0
2004	F	-	QF	-	1
2004	W	-	Win (1)	O	5
2004	U	O	R3	O*	5
2005	A	O*	SF	O	7
2005	F	O	QF	O	8
2005	W	O	SF	O	10
2005	U	O	SF	O	12
2006	A	O	SF	O	14
2006	F	O	R4	O*	14
2006	W	O*	SF	O	16
2006	U	O	Win (2)	O	20
2007	A	O	F	O	23
2007	F	O	SF	O	25
2007	W	O	R4	O*	25
2007	U	O*	R3	S	25
2008	A	S	Win (3)	O	29
2008	F	O	R4	O*	29
2008	W	O*	R2	S	29
2008	U	S	-	K	29
2009	A	K	-	-	29

* Kadoban

Australian Open 2009: Banzuke and Preview

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The Australian Open 2009 start with an unusual banzuke on both the mens' and the ladies' side, and with a great chance to see the first Ozeki promotion since the US Open 2007.

• Only five male players enter the Australian Open with Sanyaku (championship) rank, a record low that attests of the dominace of the top dogs: the Yokozuna (=Grand Champions) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and Ozeki (=Champion) Novak Djokovic



• The ladies' banzuke is headed by the seasoned Yokozuna sisters Serena and Venus Williams. There is no Ozeki: both Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova lost Ozeki status in 2008, and there has been no Ozeki promotion since Wimbledon 2007.



• There is a great chance that the Australian Open will produce a new Ozeki. On the men's side, a semifinal participation would make shooting start Andy Murray the 28th male Ozeki of the open era. On the ladies' side, Jelena Jankovic also needs a semifinal for an Ozeki promotion--the 29th of the open era--Dinara Safina a final. Safina would therefore attain the same career rank as her brother, Marat Safin. Also, former Ozeki Ana Ivanovic and Elena Dementieva could regain champion status if they reached the semis.



• Several Maegashira are worth having and eye on for a possible first time Sanyaku promotion. On the mens' side, Juan Martin del Potro and Gilles Simon have convinced with strong performances in late 2008. Del Potro comes into the Australian Open with a quarterfinal participation at the US Open, hence another quarterfinal would propel him to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II). Simon needs a seminfal. On the ladies' side, US Open quarterfinalist Flavia Pennetta is a player to watch out for.



• Komusubi and long-time former Ozeki Maria Sharpova had to withdraw once again with injury. She will therefore drop out of the Sanyaku ranks for the first time since 2004.

The table below shows the top banzuke ranks. The Sanyaku ranks are determined by the Yokozunatennis ranking system, the Maegashira ranks are filled up according to the seeding list. The full banzuke is published here.

Men

Career rank 1/	Seed	East	Current Rank	West	Seed	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Champion Ranks)
Y	2	Roger Federer	Y	Rafael Nadal	1	Y
O	3	Novak Djokovic	O	-	-	-
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	4	Andy Murray	S	-	-	-
O	7	Andy Roddick	K	-	-	-
High Maegashira
S	5	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	M1	Gilles Simon	6	-
-	8	Juan Martin del Potro	M2	James Blake	9	-
S	10	David Nalbandian	M3	David Ferrer	11	S

Women

Career rank 1/	Seed	East	Current Rank	West	Seed	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Champion Ranks)
Y	2	Serena Williams	Y	Venus Williams	6	Y
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	1	Jelena Jankovic	S	Elena Dementieva	4	O
S	3	Dinara Safina	S	Ana Ivanovic	5	O
K	14	Patty Schnyder	K	Maria Sharapova	(wd)	O
Maegashira
-	7	Vera Zvonareva	M1	Svetlana Kuznetsova	8	O
K	9	Agniezska Radwanska	M2	Nadia Petrova	10	S
-	11	Caroline Wozniacki	M3	Flavia Pennetta	12	-

1/ Career-high Sanyaku rank, if applicable.