Djokovic the next Davydenko?

Djokovic not winning a Slam is conflictingly as certain as his place among the top five or so for the next five years.

Maybe Davydenko WILL win a Slam soon to erase that one discrepancy too.

But the ‘five-set’ similarity between the two is so striking that it’s hard not to lump the two clowns together.

Can we get Davydenko’s mother to show up too to narrow the gap?

What’s next for Federer?

It’s the beauty of Slams that you could be rolling at the bottom of the barrel leading up to any of these gold standards, but a win here washes all sins while simultaneously making the future look deceptively rosy.

It’s high unique in its feel and texture – a station absolutely impossible to fathom without actually being there in person. Just being a runner-up places you galactic miles away from that spot forget about if you are not in the arena.

The fruit is so intensely coveted that the end truly justifies the means. No one really cares to remember how you got there even if it’s as dramatic as Nadal’s win last year at the AO.

For Federer, this may have been his first Slam where winning the title was as uncertain as the certain Slam dunk scenario he has had with most of them for almost six years. Draw certainly didn’t help either – with Andreev in the opening round, Davydenko, Djokovic and Murray lined up one after another.

The up and down matches Federer had for the last couple of months going into this Slam only added to the drama: He lost to Djokovic @ Basel, opening round @ Paris, two losses @ WTF to Delpo and Davydenko and losses at Abu Dhabi and Doha.

What this says is this: Federer adds another layer of motivation like everybody else for the Slams. Duh!!! In the past, that extra gear was nearly invisible as the consistency in form throughout the season camouflaged it seamlessly. It has now become openly conspicuous for obvious reasons.

Next step is for the bug to hit the Slam matches themselves, if it hasn’t already. That first set against Davydenko may go down as the worst Federer has ever played in a Slam – despite Davydenko’s near flawless play.

Translation: Next few tournaments will be a more accurate gauge as to where Federer really is form-wise and how much bearing will this AO win have on the rest of the season. However, Federer may have already achieved all if not more than he himself may have envisioned given the events leading up to this new year.

With nearly 3000 points separating him for the No. 1 rank, that last carrot currently in Sampras’s possession may just be a matter of time regardless of how much he messes up from now on.

The fact that Federer did not fall on the court after winning a Slam for the first time may be another arrow pointing to the BS I am attempting to subtly convey here.

Murray Tears Up After Loss To Federer. Click ‘watch on youtube’ if it doesn’t work.

Sooo funny and I can’t stop watching them!! From bluechyll. Thanks.

BLUECHYLL

I’m not sure if these have been posted before but they are sooo funny and I can’t stop watching them!!

Volley of the Dolls: Clijsters Barbie released. From Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE

Click here.

Best Federer-Murray Highlight. From arbit. Thanks.

ARBIT

Photos from Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE