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

.
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

.
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

.
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

.
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!!!

.
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

.
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.