Bob Larson's Tennis News | Monte-Carlo Saturday Summary

Singles - Semifinal: (1) N Djokovic def. (6) T Berdych 4-6 6-3 6-2
This took more than two and a half hours, and it wasn't just time spent while Novak Djokovic bounced the ball! Djokovic actually faced more break points than Tomas Berdych, but he saved all but two of them, while Berdych was broken four times. That means that Berdych remains at #7, at least for now; David Ferrer will keep the #6 spot.

Singles - Semifinal: (2) R Nadal def. (9) G Simon 6-3 6-4
And so we get the Monte Carlo final that everyone wanted all along. It won't help Rafael Nadal regain the #1 ranking -- he goes into the final almost 4000 points behind Novak Djokovic. But he is building a lead over Roger Federer in the contest for #2.
With the loss, Gilles Simon loses his faint shot at a Top Ten ranking. We show him at #12. That means that the Top Ten will be entirely unchanged: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray, Tsonga, Ferrer, Berdych, Tipsarevic, Isner, Fish, in that order.

Doubles - Semifinal: (1) Bryan/Bryan def. Granollers/M Lopez 6-4 7-6(7-5)
It really does look as if the Bryans are finally getting into form. Just in time, given their razor-thin lead in the contest for #1.

Doubles - Semifinal: (2) Mirnyi/Nestor def. (3) Llodra/Zimonjic 4-6 6-4 10-5 (Match TB)
It really doesn't get much better than this, does it? #1 versus #2 in both the singles and the doubles finals. And the doubles final has the added attraction that it will settle the #1 ranking. The top four are effectively tied, with Mirnyi/Nestor ahead by a hair in safe points:
1..(1) Mirnyi.............9060
1..(1) Nestor.............9060
3..(1) Bryan..............9030
3..(1) Bryan..............9030
So the top spots belong to the winners, by a substantial margin.