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by Christopher Gerby Back by popular demand, here's a category by category wrap-up of the week that was in Montreal... Match of the Week: If you didn't mind getting baked by the sun, Court 1 was the best place to catch sterling action. The best of the best was Andy Roddick vs. Carlos Moya, three emotional sets of monster hitting and momentum swings. The rapidly ascending 18-year-old had to call on all of his reserves to pull out a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 thriller. Upset of the Week: Coming out of nowhere just like his countryman Goran Ivanisevic did at Wimbledon, Ivan Ljubicic shocked Andre Agassi in straight sets on Tuesday. Fresh off a tournament victory in Los Angeles, the "A-Train" pulled into Montreal late and departed early. Point of the Week: A few memorable rallies stand out, but there was none better than a point Fernando Vicente won in his second round match against Todd Martin. The Spaniard ran down three would-be Martin winners (a smash, a forehand, and a volley) before guiding a backhand winner of his own down the line. It was a terrific example of the agility and racquet control Vicente used to take a 6-1 set from the big-serving veteran. Game of the Week: I'll cheat a little bit here and pick the tiebreak contested by Thomas Johansson and Chris Woodruff on Monday afternoon. It was an epic 26-point whale of a baseline struggle between the last two Montreal champions, with Woodruff fighting off seven set points before finally capitulating. Fans of the Week: The original quartet of chanting Aussies disappeared midway through the event, but not before inspiring Patrick Rafter, making Andrew Ilie smile, and getting numerous rounds of applause for their enthusiastic routines. Imitations which cropped up over the weekend paled by comparison. Racquet Toss of the Week: Tommy Haas gets bonus points for distance and Andy Roddick made a nice rookie attempt, but nobody was more destructive than Nicolas Escude. The Frenchman turned his bat into a mangled mess after dropping serve against Bohdan Ulihrach. Best Interviewee: Thoroughly relaxed and unflappably honest, Patrick Rafter was a joy to have around in his Montreal swan song. Questions good, bad, and otherwise were fair game for the Aussie's quick wit. "I'm a funny bastard, aren't I?" he mused on Friday. You are indeed, mate. Best Line to Open a Press Conference: "I broke your microphone, dude. I didn't mean to," muttered by a sheepish Andy Roddick while struggling to get a mic attached to his shirt. Best Line to Close a Press Conference: "See you in two years! I'll be 38 then," vowed by the ATP's most senior citizen, Ronald Agenor. Courage Under Fire Award: Australian doubles specialist David MacPherson soldiered through three full sets against # 1 seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge despite suffering an obviously painful injury to his serving wrist. Who says the doubles guys don't earn their pay? Fan Appreciation Award: The always pleasant Daniel Vacek called two inattentive spectators "f***ing retards" and accused the entire Canadian public of being unable to recognize good tennis shots. Feng Shui Award: Vacek's partner in crime Jeff Tarango did some nifty redecorating on Tuesday, carrying his chair all the way from its conventional spot to the other side of the court. Perhaps Jeff would save himself some trouble if he always sat that far away from the umpire. |