(16) Ana Ivanovic vs. Vera Dushevina
Women's Singles: First Round
Grandstand

Rising star Ana Ivanovic has been plagued by some inconsistency in 2006, but she recently put it all together in Montreal, trouncing Martina Hingis to win her first Tier I title. Largely on the strength of that performance, Ivanovic also clinched first place in the US Open Series, guaranteeing her doubled prize money at the Open. Ana's first test here would be a stern challenge from one of the tournament's dangerous floaters, fellow hard-hitting teenager Vera Dushevina.

Ivanovic got off to a strong start, storming out to a 5-1 lead. Dushevina broke Ivanovic for 3-5, but gave the break right back, losing the 6-3 set on a forehand error. The powerfully built Serbian carried her momentum into the early stages of the second set, particularly on serve. Ivanovic rocketed her fifth ace of the day in a hold for 2-1, her sixth in holding to 3-2, and her seventh early in Game 7. Ivanovic's vaunted forehand produced some errors in that seventh game, however, and Dushevina managed to break for a 4-3 lead.

Following an exchange of holds, Dushevina got an opportunity to serve out the set at 5-4. Ivanovic opened the game with a clever drop shot winner, followed with a winning backhand pass, and eventually broke at 15 to even the set at 5 games apiece. Rather than dwell on the missed opportunity, Dushevina struck back, breaking again for a 6-5 lead. At 30-15 in Game 12, Ivanovic sent a forehand long and bounced her racquet in disgust. The very next point -- double set point for the Russian -- ended with Ivanovic sending another forehand long. Second set to Dushevina, 7-5.

With both players routinely registering triple digits on the radar gun with their serves, the third set charged ahead to 4 games all without a service break. Ivanovic held at 30, pulling ahead 5-4 and positioning herself within one game of victory. After Ivanovic crunched a forehand return for 15-30, Dushevina coughed up a double fault, taking Ivanovic to double match point. Dushevina survived the first match point when Ivanovic missed a backhand return. The second match point, however, was a classic. Ivanovic followed one of her hefty forehands into the net, but was met with a dipping cross-court pass. Ivanovic lunged and executed a brilliant stab volley with backspin. The ball crept over the net, then ricocheted back towards it, out of Dushevina's reach. Ivanovic immediately threw her arms into the air, celebrating a tense, well-played 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win.

(27) Gael Monfils vs. Michael Russell
Men's Singles: First Round
Grandstand

A matchup that caught my eye once the qualifiers were placed in the main draw pitted the lanky athleticism of former junior world champion Gael Monfils against the bulldog scrappiness of Michael "Spanky" Russell. Both players are entertaining in their own right and the contrast between them was too delicious to resist. Monfils is a loose-limbed, wild-haired bundle of Gallic charisma for whom it all seems to come fairly easily. He entered the professional paddle tennis event at this year's Tennis Channel Open on a whim and, despite never having played paddle tennis before, won the whole thing. Russell, on the other hand, is a classic grinder, overcoming injuries and physical limitations as he valiantly claws his way through the challenger ranks. Now 28 years old, the Detroit native is still best known for a match he lost (after holding a match point against Gustavo Kuerten at the 2001 French Open).

Monfils managed to claim a 6-2 win of the opening set on Tuesday before the rains returned and forced a Wednesday afternoon resumption. Skidding and sliding all over the court like he was still at home on Roland Garros clay, Monfils dropped the second set 6-3. Monfils recovered to post a 4-1 lead in the third set, but managed to win only two points in the next three games. As evenly matched as their red muscle shirts, Monfils and Russell were tied at 4-all in the third. At this stage, Monfils informed the chair umpire that he'd need a visit from the trainer at the next changeover. However, he opened the next game with a 123 mph ace and held easily for 5-4.

After having his left leg rubbed by the trainer, Monfils came back and played an absolute thriller of a tenth game. Still sliding and using his considerable wingspan, Monfils played great defense against the Russell terrier, who was likewise running everything down. The game featured four long, physical rallies and went to deuce before the American was able to hold for 5-5. A double fault put Monfils in a precarious 0-30 hole in Game 11, but he battled back, survived a pair of deuces, and did a funky strut to his chair after cracking a service winner for 6-5.

Yet another long rally ensued with Russell up 30-15 in Game 12. This time Monfils decided to go for broke, killing a huge forehand winner and getting a thunderous ovation from the Grandstand crowd, which had been lapping up the extra effort put in by both men. A missed forehand by Russell then brought up the first set point. On set point, a sizzling backhand pass by Monfils proved too much for Russell, who netted his volley. A truly enthralling 58-minute set had finally been won by the young Frenchman, 7-5. Monfils let out a celebratory howl and did some high stepping en route to his chair, now leading two sets to one.

At 1-1 in the fourth set, some loose errors put Monfils behind 0-40 on his serve. Russell failed to convert all three break points, though, and the game continued on. The third deuce point saw Russell make an incredible get in the corner, throwing up a desperate defensive lob. When Monfils netted the resulting overhead, the crowd went bananas and the endlessly determined Russell raised a clenched fist. He'd gotten a fourth chance to break...and this time he made good, snaring the 2-1 lead when Monfils sent a forehand wide.

Russell carried his break lead to 4-3 in the fourth. Having already made a couple calls to the trainer, Monfils was beginning to look winded, bending over at the waist between points. But Russell let him off the hook -- making three critical errors, "Spanky" was broken at 15 to tie the set again at 4-4. A newly energized Monfils broke out a double fist pump and closed out a love hold with an ace. Russell was suddenly on the verge of elimination, trailing 4-5 in the fourth.

The contentious tenth game (in which each player thought he got hooked on at least one call) went to Russell. Monfils came up with a nifty drop shot winner en route to holding for 6-5, but Russell held at love with a winning dropper of his own. After 3 hours and 5 minutes of action spread over two days, the weary warriors would have to settle the fourth set via tiebreak...

GM serving: Monfils whips a forehand winner and shouts "allez!" -- 1-0 MONFILS

MR: Monfils rips a forehand down the other line and shouts "allez!" again -- 2-0 MONFILS

MR: Russell's forehand is barely wide; the crowd whistles -- 3-0 MONFILS

GM: Monfils ends an extended rally by dumping a drop shot in the net -- 3-1 MONFILS

GM: GREAT defense by both players; Monfils finally nets a forehand; crowd roars -- 3-2 MONFILS

MR: Monfils sends an exhausted looking backhand long -- 3-3

MR: Untimely double fault (into the net) by Russell -- 4-3 MONFILS

GM: Monfils launches an unreturnable forehand and screams "allez!" -- 5-3 MONFILS

GM: Russell's defensive forehand error inspires fist pumps and dancing from Monfils -- 6-3 MONFILS

MR: Monfils squanders his first match point by sending a forehand wide -- 6-4 MONFILS

MR: Russell is wide with a forehand to end it -- 7-4 MONFILS

Despite being eight inches shorter, nine years older, and ranked 129 spots lower, Michael Russell gave Gael Monfils all he could handle over the course of a sublimely entertaining four set tussle. The fans gave both players a rousing, richly deserved hand following the French teen's 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 victory.

(17) Daniela Hantuchova vs. Bethanie Mattek
Women's Singles: First Round
Court 10

One of the sport's great characters, Bethanie Mattek is a study in contradictions. On the one hand, she's a feisty, fist-pumping jock from the Midwest who claims Green Bay Packers gunslinger Brett Favre as a personal hero. Yet Mattek also has a self-professed "girly" side, which inspires her to don increasingly unique, outrageous attire on the court. Beth wore a ribbon-festooned fedora throughout a doubles final in Los Angeles, got fined for sporting a striped cowboy hat at last year's US Open, and made headlines by taking Centre Court at Wimbledon in a wacky, soccer-themed ensemble. Ironically, Mattek drew fellow clotheshorse Daniela Hantuchova (who once played at the Australian Open in what amounted to a cocktail dress) in the opening round. Suddenly, the fashion-themed advertising campaign the USTA had launched for this year's Open didn't seem all that incongruous.

True to form, Mattek did not disappoint. She arrived at Court 10 in a beige, sleeveless, flowing bit of terrific topped off with crocheted knee socks and a headband that resembled a lacy tiara. All in all, the outfit looked like a cross between a toga and something Stevie Nicks might have worn in the late 70's. Hantuchova (conservative by comparison in her red-and-white Nike gear) couldn't help but smile when the pair met at the net for the pre-match coin toss. Their standard ten minute warmup was followed by a lengthy delay. The players were kept parked in their chairs, forced to wait for a supervisor to arrive and approve Mattek's unconventional outfit. Hantuchova looked understandably antsy, whereas Mattek simply kicked back and grinned, appearing to enjoy all the fuss her latest sartorial adventure was causing. An official finally came by and gave Mattek the thumbs up, hereby ending the Mr. Blackwell section of this report.

Mattek opened matters with a love hold, but the skinny Slovakian took charge after that. Serving big and cracking backhand winners, Hantuchova reeled off five straight games. Down 1-5, Mattek recorded her first ace and blurted out an annoyed sounding "come on!" Mattek used another ace to hold for 2-5, then earned a break point in Game 8. Mattek spanked a break-clinching backhand return winner, pumped her fist, and let loose with a far more positive sounding "come on!"

Notorious for being as fragile emotionally as she can sometimes look physically, Hantuchova grew flustered as Mattek's comeback blossomed from quaint pipe dream into burgeoning reality. After Mattek held for 4-5, Hantuchova opened Game 10 with an ungodly drop shot attempt that bounced well before reaching the net. Dani would save two break points before the game was over, but the third time was the charm as an errant Hantuchova forehand knotted the set at 5 games apiece.

Mattek seemingly had control of the set, but she suddenly lost control of her serve. Unable to put a first delivery in play -- and unable to fend off Hantuchova when spinning in second serves -- Mattek faced a double break point at 15-40. Under that pressure, she double faulted, giving the leggy 17th seed a 6-5 edge. Serving for the set for a third time, Hantuchova rose to the occasion. She surged ahead 40-0 and smacked a service winner on triple set point, finally claiming the topsy-turvy opening frame 7-5.

Another double fault on a break point cost Mattek, who dropped serve to open the second set. Hantuchova was clearly getting the better of the baseline exchanges, but there was plenty of fight left in Mattek. Playing aggressively, the Wisconsin native made multiple forays to the net (22 in all) and punctuated seemingly every big point with an impassioned "come on!" Hantuchova came up with big serves when she needed them, however, and carried her break advantage all the way to 5-3.

Game 9 of the second set saw Hantuchova bouncing on her toes, taking shadow strokes as she looked to finish off the American wild card. Yet another untimely Mattek double fault brought up match point, but Bethanie bailed herself out with an ace and belted out her loudest "COME ON!" of the evening. The battle raged on over three deuces before Hantuchova earned a second match point. This time Hantuchova managed to open up the court with a big, flat forehand. A lunging Mattek got a racquet on it, but her defensive lob sailed long.

Daniela Hantuchova waved to the appreciative capacity crowd on Court 10 after wrapping up her 7-5, 6-3 win. The talented enigma couldn't have been thrilled about nearly blowing a 5-1 lead in the opening set, but she'd played quite well overall, recording 35 winners (versus 22 unforced errors). Bethanie Mattek, meanwhile, continues to be Bethanie. Six days after this loss, while still alive in the doubles draw, she stepped into the USA Network's karaoke booth to deliver a saucy, lip synched rendition of Black Eyed Peas alumnus Fergie's risque single "London Bridge."