Where the Road Stops.

Singapore Theme song

• Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova are the only former singles champions.
• Flavia won the doubles with Dulko in 2010. 
• Garbine and Lucie are in both singles and doubles the last person to win both was Hingis in 2000.
• Garbine has been placed with all three lefties that are at the Championships. 

Muguruza vs Kerber. 

The tiebreaker to decide of the match they played at Wimbledon is one of the best sets of tennis played this entire season. 

Garbine has won three of their four meetings this year. 

Halep vs Sharapova

They have not met this year and both have had injury layoffs late this season. Maria has won all five of the previous meetings but has not played a completed match since the Wimbledon Semifinals. Could the Romania vs Russia show down that we are denied with in Glasgow deliver in Singapore? 

Kivtova vs Muguruza 

WE ARE ENTERING NEW AND UNEXPLORED TERRITORY THAT CAN BE VERY AMAZING.  

Safarova vs Muguruza 

They had a first meeting in the Roland Garros Quarters.  An indoor court could suit this match up nicely. 

Semi Finalists

Pannetta, Kerber, Muguruza, Halep 

Thought Dump 4/17 : Monte Carlo, Fed Cup

• When Rafa failed to serve out the match in the second set the Tennis Channel commentators seemed to fall back on the "here we go again he is lacking confidence". It could totally be seen as that since he had a point to go up 4-love earlier in the set. Then Rafa started the game to stay in the set with a double fault before saving a set point he ended up losing the set he once lead by a double break. It would have been great for the match to have been shorter and such. How Rafa started the third set with a break and then digging out of several 0-30 service game deficits and saving a break point. Which do you think would build confidence better closing a match out simply or falling behind and then coming back to close it out how you intended to in the first place. 
• The past two matches seem like Rafa is channeling his inner Claypova with the epic struggles.
• Narrative would say that who ever wins tomorrows Rafa/Novak match would be the "early favorite" for Roland Garros but it won't. 
• Rafa is still building up his confidence. Novak seems unstoppable. This makes me seem like Rafa has "less" to lose than Novak. 
• Twitter is a important part of my tennis viewing experience. Yet this morning I found myself watching from Monte Carlo without also following along on twitter. Usually this happens during early clay season when there is not much to follow such as Charleston or Monte Carlo. It is refreshing to watch a match without the white noise that twitter sometimes becomes when there is only one or two matches happening at the given time. 
• I have been looking forward to this Fed Cup weekend since the match ups have been set. 
• Kivitova/Mladenovic has the ability to be a great match between two hard hitters. There is the question mark of if Petra will be rusty after the time she has taken off or if it will have refreshed her. Petra will also have the home Fed Cup crowd which she is known to thrive in front of and that did not phase Kiki in Italy. Hopefully this is a good kick off for Petra as she heads into her most succcesful part of the season that has just been expanded. 
• Germany/Russia
• Captian Rittner has thrown a curve ball by not calling on Petkovic or newly crowned Charleston champion Kerber in Sochi. Instead the match ups for the first day will be Goreges/Kuznetsova and Pavlyuchenkova Lisicki. These two matches could be glorious examples of hard hitting clay court tennis or beautiful disasters and a two rubbers to zero lead for either team would not suprise me. Most likely is a 1-1 tie going into Sunday with  all to play for. 
• Aga vs Hingis in SINGLES. Also Bacinszky returns for her first match since losing to Serena in Indian Wells in the Poland/Switzerland World Group Playoff. 
• Serena vs Camila Giorgi. On Clay. In Italy. 
• Laura hitting forehands!

  Happy Friday 👀 ps It's a sweatband (not tape) on my wrist.

  A video posted by Laura Robson (@laurarobson5) on Apr 17, 2015 at 8:15am PDT

Anything you can Ninja... I can Ninja better?

Rafael Nadal and Aga Radwanska showing off their soft hands and amazing touch but who flicked the backhand better. The Magician from Mallorca or the Ninja of Krakow.