Dai-Yokozuna Roger Federer and Serena Williams Reign Supreme

.
Henin reestablishes herself as Yokozuna, Murray falls short again
.
Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Roger Federer spoiled again Andy Murray's prospects of a grand slam title and Ozeki (=Champion) promotion, beating the young Scott in straight sets. Federer therefore increased his tally of grand slam titles to 16. Murray just gets re-promoted to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) going into the French Open, a rank that he will share with ex-Ozeki Andy Roddick and first-time sanyaku ranked player Marin Cilic. A seminfinal at Roland Garros, another final at Wimbledon, or a quarterfinal at Roland Garros and a semifinal at Wimbledon (which is what Murray did last year) would elevate Murra to Ozeki--a rank he is clearly qualified for.

In the ladies' tournament, Serena Williams completed her dozen of grand slam titles with a hard-fought three-setter over fellow Yokozuna Justine Henin. The return of the petite Belgian, together with the comeback of her compatriot Ozeki Kim Clijsters, is already making the ladies' game much more interesting.

Here is how the sankyaku-ranked players will line up for the 2010 French Open.

Sanyaku Rank Holders After the Australian Open 2010

East 1/	Current Rank	West 1/
Men
Roger Federer	Y	Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic	O	Juan Martin del Potro*
Andy Murray	S1	Andy Roddick (O)
Marin Cilic	S2	-
Robin Soderling (S)	K	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (S)
Women
Serena Williams	Y1	Justine Henin
Venus Williams	Y2	-
Kim Clijsters*	O	-
Dinara Safina (O)	S1	Elena Dementieva (O)
Na Li	S2	-
Svetlana Kuznetsova (O)	K1	Carolina Wozniacki (S)
Jie Zheng	K2	-

1/ Career-high sanyuaku rank in brackets if different.
* kadoban

Andy Murray at the Edge of Ozeki--Again

.
Andy Murray ended Marin Cilic's run with a not-so-short but sweet four-set victory to move into his second grand slam final. His opponent there may quite possibly be the same as in Murray's first final: Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Roger Federer, who will try to overcome ex-Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tonight. Should Murray do better than at the US Open of 2008, he would finally have made to Ozeki (=Champion), after flirting with this rank for some time (Murray was even outpaced by Juan Martin del Potro after the latter's win at the 2009 US Open).

Cilic will be promoted to Sekiwake due to his successes at this tournament and the preceding US Open.

In the ladies' tournament, the Yokozuna Serena Williams and Justine Henin both overcame Chinese opposition, but in rather different fashion. While Henin blasted past an overwhelmed Jie Zheng, Serena edged out a nailbaiter over a tough and smartly playing Na Li. Zheng has earned the second Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) promotion of her career. Li will be Seikwake after this tournament.

So a mouthwatering "Williams vs. Belgium" final is next--quite possibly one in a series of such encounters going forward.

Justine Henin Reestablishes Herself as Active Yokozuna

.
It seemed as if she had never been gone--back from a two-year break, Justine Henin won her Australian Open quarterfinal in straight sets over ex-Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Nadia Petrova. Henin was Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) prior to her retirement. Yokozuna is a title for life, meaning that a former Yokozuna cannot be demoted; he or she can only be considered "inactive". Reaching a grand-slam semifinal or two quarterfinals over the course of one year is enough to reactiviate Yokozuna status, and Henin did this right in her very first comeback tournament.

With Henin's and fellow-Belgian Kim Clijsters' return--who made it straight back to Ozeki (=Champion) by winning the US Open--ladies' tennis has certainly received a much needed quality boost.

In the semifinal Henin will meet Jie Zheng, who earned her career's second Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) promotion as a result of her straight sets victory over Maria Kirilenko. Should Henin also get by Zheng, in the final one of the Williams sisters will likely be waiting. This would make the Australian open final an all-Yokozuna affair.

In the mens' tournament, Marin Cilic secured a promotion to Sekiwake by beating ex-Ozeki Andy Roddick in five sets. Next will be the other Andy, Andy Murray, how is also back to Sekiwake after eliminating Yokozuna Rafael Nadal. Cilic and Murray retain a slim chance at an Ozeki promotion if they win this tournament.

The Australian Open After One Week--an Interim Update

.
With one week played at the US Open, several sanyaku ranking decisions have already been taken.

In the men's tournament:

• Novak Djokovic defended the Ozeki (=Champion) rank he has held since the US Open of 2007 by entering yet another grand slam quarterfinal.
  .
  
• By contrast, Ozeki debutant Juan Martin del Potro lost his 4th round match in a gruelling five-setter against Marin Cilic. Del Potro therefore goes kadoban and needs to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open to remain Ozeki. Cilic wins a first-time sanyaku promotion to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II).
  .
  
• To advance even further, Cilic would have to beat big-serving ex-Ozeki Andy Roddick, who is back at Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) after yet another five-setter over Komusubi and ex-Sekiwake Fernando Gonzalez. Gonzalez will be demoted to the Maegashira (=non-champion) ranks after the Australian Open.
  .
  
• Also through to the quarterfinals is Komusubi and ex-Sekiwake Andy Murray. Murray will meet next Yokozuna (= Grand Champion) Rafael Nadal, who continues to go strong just as fellow Yokozuna Roger Federer.

In the ladies' tournament:

• all (!) players ranked Ozeki, Sekiwake or Komusubi exited before the quarterfinals. This means: kadoban Ozeki for Kim Clijsters, demotion to Sekiwake for Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva (who were already kadoban going into the Australian Open), demotion to Komusubi for Svetlana Kuznetsova and Carolina Wozniacki, and demotion to Maegashira for Yanina Wickmayer.
  .
  
• Wickmayer gave a good fight to dormant Yokozuna Justine Henin, however, who returned to grand slam tennis for the first time in 2 years and needs to win just one more match--against hard-hitting ex-Sekiwake Nadia Petrova--to reactiviate her Yokozuna status.
  .
  
• A re-promotion to at least Komusubi have already earned quarterfinal participants Viktoria Azarenka and Na Li, who will be followed by the winner of Maria Kirilenko vs. Jie Zheng.
  .
  
• Meanwhile, the Yokozuna Serena and Venus Williams continue to cruise through the field.

Banzuke for the Australian Open 2010

.
Here is how tennis' top ladies and gentlemen line up for the 2010 Australian Open. With Justine Henin, an inactive Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) is participating in the women's tournament. Henin needs to reach the semifinals to reactivitae her Yokozuna status.

With three days gone, it is already clear that Elena Dementieva will be demoted from Ozeki -- for the second time in her career. Also, Robin Soderling has lost his Sekiwake rank. All the other sanyaku (=champion) ranked players are going strongly.

Men

Career rank 1/	Seed	East	Current Rank	West	Seed	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y	1	Roger Federer	Y	Rafael Nadal	2	Y
O	3	Novak Djokovic	O	Juan Martin del Potro	4	O
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S	8	Robin Soderling	S	-	-	-
O	7	Andy Roddick	K1	Andy Murray	5	S
S	11	Fernando Gonzalez	K2	-	-	-
High Maegashira
S	6	Nikolay Davydenko	M1	Fernando Verdasco	9	K
S	10	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	M2	Gael Monfils	12	K
-	13	Radek Stepanek	M3	Marin Cilic	14	-

Women

Career rank 1/	Seed	East	Current Rank	West	Seed	Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y	1	Serena Williams	Y	Venus Williams	6	Y
O	15	Kim Clijsters	O1	Dinara Safina*	2	O
O	5	Elena Dementieva*	O2	-	-	-
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
O	3	Svetlana Kuznetsova	S	Caroline Wozniacki	4	S
K	NS	Yanina Wickmayer	K	-	-	-
High Maegashira
K	7	Victoria Azarenka	M1	Jelena Jankovic	8	S
K	9	Vera Zvonareva	M2	Agnieszka Radwanska	10	K
S	11	Marion Bartoli	M3	Flavia Pennetta	12	-

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