A Look Back At Novak Djokovic's 43-Match Win Streak

Coming into his match against Roger Federer in the semifinals of the French Open, Novak Djokovic had a 41-match win streak to begin 2011, and a 43 match-win streak in a row dating back to last year. Djokovic needed 1 more win to tie John McEnroe's record of 42 straight wins to begin a season, which McEnroe did in 1984. He also needed just 1 more win to tie Ivan Lendl's 44-match winning streak, which Lendl did in 1982. Novak was also just two matches away from being one win short of Gullermo Vilas's record for 46 straight match wins, which Vilas did in 1977.

Djokovic said about the incredible win streak, "It [has] to end somewhere. I [know] it’s coming." Although it appeared at times that Djokovic would never lose, his streak came to an end in the semifinals of the French Open against Roger Federer. Federer beat Djokovic in four grueling sets 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). The match could have gone either way. To honor one of the greatest streaks that tennis has ever seen, here are some highlights.

Winning the Australian Open: One of the most impressive things about the Joker's streak was that he won a major during it. When John McEnroe won 42 matches in a row in 1984, he also didn't win a major during the streak. McEnroe lost in the final of the 1984 French Open to Ivan Lendl. When Ivan Lendl won 44 straight matches in 1982, he didn't win a major during the streak either. In fact, he didn't win his fist major until the French Open in 1984. However, Novak was able to play well under the pressure of a grand slam and was able to win his second major. In the semifinals, Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-4. He had previously been 2-4 against Fed in majors. Djokovic joined Rafael Nadal as the only player to beat Federer in consecutive majors, as Djokovic beat Federer at the US Open last year in the semifinals. It was also his third win over Federer in the semifinals of a major, while no other player has more than one win over Fed in the semifinals of a grand slam. In the final, Novak beat Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to take the title and his first grand slam since the Australian Open in 2008. He lost just 1 set the entire tournament.

Victories Over Rafael Nadal In Four Finals: Coming into 2011, Novak Djokovic was just 7-16 against Rafael Nadal including 0-5 against him in finals. That all changed during the streak as he beat Nadal four times in finals. The first victory came at Indian Wells in March on a hard court. He beat Rafa in three sets after dropping the first 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The Joker's next victory over Nadal came at Miami a week later. He once again dropped the first set but came back to win in a 3 hour and 21 minute match 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). No only did he prove to himself, Nadal, and the world that he couls beat Rafa but he also showed he could do it coming from behind. Djokovic became the first player to win the Austrlian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami in one season since Roger Federer in 2006. He became the seventh player in history to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. Djokovic entered the clay court season undefeated joining Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi as the only players to do so. However, questions still remained on whether Djokovic could beat Nadal on clay, as he was 0-9 against him on the dirt and has only won 3 sets in nine matches. He proved the doubters won in his next two tournaments. At Madrid, Djokovic beat Nadal in the final 7-5, 6-4 on clay. He proved that it wasn't a one time thing when he beat Nadal at Rome the next week once again in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 on clay. He became the only player to ever to beat Nadal multiple times on a clay court in one season. As Rafael Nadal said after he loss to Novak at Rome, "He is doing amazing things. He is playing fantastic, doing a lot of things very well and has a lot of confidence. The most important thing for me is to be confident and be happy with what I am doing. I have done everything I can, I cannot ask more of myself but one player is doing better then me."

Victories Over Roger Federer: This season, Djokovic joined David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, as the only players to beat Federer 3 times in one calenday year. After the Joker beat Fed at the Auzzie Open, he beat him at Dubai in a final. He joined Rafael Nadal as the only player to beat Federer in the semifinals or later of a major and then beat Federer in the next tournament he played in. During their match at Dubai, the Joker won an impressive 81 percent of his first service points. At Indian Wells in March, he beat Federer for a third straight time in the semifinals in three sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. With his victory over Nadal in the final of that tournament, he joined David Nalbandian and Nikolay Davydenko as the only players to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament.

After Djokovic lost to Roger Federer in the semifinals of the French Open in a great match 7-6 (5-7), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) snapping his win streak, Djokovic said, "It had to end somewhere. Best five months of my life, my tennis career. I cannot complain. It was definitely an incredible peroid."

The SEC Is Making A Smart Move By Scrapping Its Two Divisions

Beginning in the 2011-2012 season, SEC basketball will no longer have an Eastern and Western division. Instead, the league will become one 12-team basketball league and the move makes perfect sense. SEC commissioner Mike Slive said about the league eliminating divisions, "I'm pleased that we came to this conclusion. I think it's better for SEC basketball." Florida coach Billy Donovan added, "...collectively, as a group, it's the best thing for our league." 

The SEC East has been a lot better than the SEC West since the SEC began its two-division structure 19 years ago. Since then, the SEC East has gotten 58 teams into the tourney, while the SEC West has gotten just 43 teams into the Big Dance. Last year, 5 out of the 6 teams in the SEC East got into the NCAA tournament, while not one of the teams in the SEC West got into the tournament. In the SEC West, Alabama played Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, and LSU twice. Those five opponents were a combined 77-82 including Auburn and LSU who were a combine 22-41. Compare Alabama's schedule with South Carolina, who had to play Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Tennessee twice. Those five teams had a combined record of 121-55. Many problems have arisen over the years with the unbalanced scheduling of the conference. For example, the SEC West teams complain that their RPI and SOS don't benefit like the teams in the SEC East who play each other twice. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said, "The perception of the league has been that if one division was playing well, the other was getting criticized. That can't be pointed out anymore. We're hoping this will have traction for us going forward.'' John Calipari added that a big reason behind getting rid of the two divisions was to try and get more teams into the tourney. He said, "...how do we get six, seven or eight teams into the NCAA Tournament? What’s the best way for us to do that? I don’t know the answer. I’ve been through this a few times now. I’ve lived what Alabama just went through... The bottom line is I would like to think everyone [in the SEC] wants to play us twice and get us in their building. Well, the only way that happens is if there is something rotating [in the schedule]."

The SEC tournament will also be tweaked as a result of the abolition of the two divisions. Instead of the two top teams from each division being given a bye, now the top four teams overall will get a bye in the first round. Last year, Mississippi St. received a bye because it finished second in the SEC West although it finished 6th overall behind the 3rd and 4th place teams in the SEC East. Georgia coach Mark Fox said about the change in the SEC tournament, “...we want to go 1 through 12. We have to come up with tiebreakers and everything else, but the seeing will be based on conference record. It wasn’t unanimous but I think everybody is confident that this was the best thing for the league.” Kentucky coach John Calipari added, "You always have to look at it and says, How do we make our league better? How do we get more teams in the tournament? How do we make sure our best teams have high seeds? You look at league’s across the country and that’s what people are doing. How do we get our best four teams to get the highest seeds they can possibly get to the win the national title? It’s not about bringing those teams back to the pack, it’s about the SEC winning national titles."

A Dream French Open Semifinal

In one heavyweight semifinal the number 1 seed Rafael Nadal will play the number four seed Andy Murray. In the other semifinal the number 2 seed Novak Djokovic will play the number 3 seed Roger Federer. The top four seeds all advancing to the semifinals of a major has only happened 11 times in the Open era and the last time it occurred was at the French Open 5 years ago in 2006. Previously, these four guys along with fifth seeded Robin Soderling became the first top five seeds since Wimbledon in 1989 to all reach the quarterfinals of a major. Pretty amazing stuff; I would definitely agree with that statement. 

Rafael Nadal is just two matches away from winning his 6th French Open title, which would tie him with Bjorn Borg for the second most French Open championships in history.

Will Rafa tie Borg for the second most French Open titles?

Novak Djokovic has a 41 match win streak to begin 2011, and now has 43 wins in a row dating back to last year. Djokovic needs 1 more win to tie John McEnroe's record of 42 straight wins to begin a season, which he did in 1984. If Djokovic beats Federer in the semifinals, he would tie Ivan Lendl's 44 match winning streak, which he did in 1982. If Novak wins his next two matches at the French Open, he will be just one short of Gullermo Vilas's record for 46 straight match wins, which Vilas set in 1977.

Will the streak continue?

After beating Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in the round of 16, Federer broke Jimmy Connors record of most consecutive quarterfinal appearance at a major by reaching his 28th straight. Federer is looking to win his first major since the Australian Open in 2010 and is looking to extend his record 16 major victories to 17.

Will Roger win his second French Open?

Andy Murray has made three glam slam finals and has not won a set in any of the three matches. He is looking to break through and win a major at this year’s French Open. Murray is also just the second British player to reach the semifinals of the French Open in the Open Era. In 2004,Tim Henman made the semifinals before losing to Guillermo Coria.

Will Murray finally win his first major?

Although it sounds cliché, tennis is really the winner in this situation. Although everybody likes an underdog story, a semifinal that includes the top four players in the world, who are all playing at such a high level, and all have so much to play for, is just something spectacular. No matter if Nadal ties Borg for the second most French Open victories, or Djokovic's streak continues and he breaks McEnroe's record, or Federer extends his record for major victories by winning his 17th, or Andy Murray becomes the first player from England to win the French Open, it should be a hell of a Friday and Sunday of tennis.

NBA Finals Prediction

NBA Finals:

2. Miami Heat over 3. Dallas Mavericks in 6 games

Will the Heat or Mavericks walk away with the Larry O'Brien Trophy?

Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

Stanley Cup Finals:
1. Vancouver Canucks over 3. Boston Bruins in 6 games

Will the Canucks or Bruins walk away with the Stanley Cup?

Barcelona-Manchester United Champions League Final Reaction

Final Score: Barcelona 3 - Manchester United 1 (Barcelona's second victory over United in the Champions League Final in three years)

• As expected coming into the huge matchup, Barcelona had the majority of possession during the game. Aside from the first 10 minutes of the fixture, United struggled to keep the ball, while they couldn't keep Barcelona off the ball. There were long spills during play when United found themselves without a touch for 5 to 10 minutes. At the end of the first half, Barca had 70 percent of possession and they finished the game with about 68 percent. In the middle of the field, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi were given way too much space for Barcelona. United was able to frustrate Barcelona in the first 10 minutes of the game because they didn't give Xavi, Iniesta, or Messi any time on the ball. However, as the game went on, Barcelona began to shred apart United in the middle of the field with combinations and clever passing.
•  Barcelona kept United on their back foot the entire game. If it wasn't for 9 great saves from Van der Sar including one in the 66th minute that he turned away after a blast from Xavi, Barcelona could have scored more than 3 goals. Barca took 22 shots and 12 on goal including a total of 18 shots from Iniesta, Xavi, Villa, and Messi. United could muster just 4 shots and only 1 on net. Unlike Barcelona who had so many chances to score throughout the match, United really didn't have any opportunities to finish aside from Rooney's goal in the 34th minute. 
•  The finishing for Barca was exquisite and clinical. The first goal came in the 27th minute from Pedro Rodriguez. Xavi carried the ball into the attacking third when Nemanja Vidic turned his head and lost Pedro on the edge of the circle. Xavi played the ball into Pedro's feet, who finished beautifully into the bottom right corner by a helpless Van der Sar. Barca came back with their second goal in the 55th minute of play. Xavi and Iniesta were exchanging passes in the middle before the ball was played to Messi, who somehow was not being marked about 25 yards out. As Messi so often does, he took a few touches to his left and finished by Van der Sar for a lovely goal into the bottom right corner. Messi's early shot from distance caught Van der Sar off his guard. Van der Sar said about the goal, "I though I was positioned well. He tends to curl it into the far post but he didn't. They are very good, you have to try and score the first goal and we didn't do that. It is not always a given." Van der Sar was positioned so he could save a curling shot from Messi into the back post, but Messi went to the short side and Van der Sar had no chance to keep the game deadlocked at 1. Barca completed the great finishing in the 70th minute when Villa slotted a beautiful goal home to seal the victory for Barca. Messi traveled into the box before losing it to United but they scuffled with the ball and lost it to Busquets. Busquets delivered a pass to Villa, who curled the ball into the upper right corner from the top of the box for a magnificent goal. Vidic said, "The goals we lost, we didn't do what we have to do to close their players down. When they have time on the ball they can make the final pass and that is what they did."
• After the game, Man United gave all the credit to Barcelona for their victory. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said, "We were beaten, there is no other way to addess the situation, by the best team. I expected us to do better but at the end of the day we were beaten by the better team. They are the best team we have ever played, they are at the peak in this cycle of their team. There wa good evidence we are a consistently good European team but we were beaten by the best team in Europe and there is no shame in that. Sometimes you come up against a far better team and tonight was one of those night... Great teams go in cycles and the cycle they [Barcelona] are in at the moment is the best in Europe, there's no question of that... they are enjoying the moment that they have just now." Manchestr United captain Nemanja vidic said after the 3-1 loss, "I think if you look at it we have never played a team in the past like Barcelona, they played good football and deserved to win... A couple of the goals were preventable but you have to give credit where it's due. They've got a system they work to and did it well. We had a game plan we though could beat them, but wasn't to be."

Here are the match highlights of the final.

Don't Overlook Roger Federer In The French Open

With Rafael Nadal aiming for his 6th French Open title to tie Bjorn Borg for the most French Open championships in history and Novak Djokovic's current 41 match win streak, most people have forgot about a man that has won 16 majors and is currently ranked 3rd in the world. However, to look past Roger Federer when talking about serious contenders to win the French Open, is a huge mistake.

Roger Federer has not had an easy walk in the park for the first three rounds of the French Open. To begin this quest for a second French Open crown, he had a tricky looking match with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Lopez had previously played Federer in a great match early in May in the 2nd round of Madrid that lasted nearly three hours. Federer won that extremely tight match, where all three sets went into tiebreakers, 7-6 (15-13), 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (9-7). Federer even had to save a match point during the third set tiebreak in that match. However, Federer played some great tennis and beat Lopez in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). 

In the second round, he lost just 5 games to the young Frenchmen Maxime Teixeira, as he took the match 6-3, 6-0, 6-2.

In the third round, Federer beat Janko Tipsarevic in a difficult third round match 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. His first set against Tipsarevic took just 19 minutes. Tipsarevic said after the match, "I was honestly expecting more from myself today but he was just too good."

Federer is also extremely confident right now. He said, "I'm at peace with my game right now. Physically I feel better. My body is in better shape. I've had more practice, more matches, because between Australia and Roland Garros last year I didn't play much, and when I played it was a bit difficult. It's still early in the tournament but at the same time it's really nice to be moving in the draw so well and so quickly.

In the round of 16, Federer will play his fellow countrymen from Switzerland Stanislas Wawrinka. Federer has owned his really good friend Wawrinka. Federer is 8-1 against Stan and he has won 18 sets out of 21 against Wawrinka in 9 matches. 

The last time Federer was seeded outside of the top two at a grand slam was in 2003 and Federer has never flown so far under the radar as he has at this year's French Open since before he won his first major at Wimbledon in 2003. Federer doesn't mind having so much attention on Nadal and Djokovic and having less pressure on his shoulders. He said, "People expected me to hopefully win or to prove myself here in Paris over many, many years, and this year I don't have to do that because I have already won this tournament before. And now the expectations are sky-high for Novak and Rafa, because he's the defending champion. That leaves me a bit out of the pressure situation, which is not a bad thing for me.

EPL Team Of The Season

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart, Manchester City

Joe Hart took away the starting role from Shay Given between the pipes this season for Manchester City and lead them to a third place finish and qualification in the Champions League. He was the model of consistency in the Premier League. Hart was 1 of only 6 goalies to play all 38 games in the league this season along with Petr Cech of Chelsea, Pepe Reina of Liverpool, Tim Howard of Everton, Brad Friedel of Aston Villa, and Ben Foster of Birmingham City. Among starting goalkeepers, he conceded the least goals in the premier league at home with just 12 in 19 games and he was tied for the premier league low with just 33 goals allowed in 38 games. Hart allowed just 0.87 goals per game, which was tied with Petr Cech as the low in the league. Hart led the Premier League and set a Manchester City single season record with 18 clean sheets. Hart also led the premier league with a save percentage rate of over 75. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said about his starting goalkeeper, “I think Joe is young and can improve a lot but he can also become one of the top goalkeepers in England history... He can improve a lot in his job because he is a fantastic keeper. He is as good as Cech and Van der Sar. He is younger than them but he can become like them. Joe broke the record for clean sheets and has been a solid rock and, in every important crucial game for us, he has come up with the goods. In the Tottenham game, he made some pretty crucial saves, and in the final against Stoke he made an instrumental save, without which the game could have gone in a different direction.”

Center Back: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United

In his first year as captain of Manchester United, Vidic led United to a Premier League title. He started all but three games for the champions. Although Vidic was sometimes guilty of committing silly fouls, his toughness led a defense that allowed just 38 goals during the season, which was tied for the 3rd least in the Premier League. He also scored the fifth most goals for United with 5 including a goal against Chelsea off a corner to give United a 2-0 advantage in the game. He was very dangerous off set pieces the entire season. Vidic was named the English Premier League Player of the Year for his importance to the United back four.

Center Back: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City

A huge reason behind Joe Hart's success this season was due to the unbelievable play of his central defender Vincent Kompany. Kompany started 37 of City's 38 Premier League games and was mr. reliable in the back. Roberto Mancini said about his center back, "Vincent can become number one in the world. He has always played at a high level. When he was at Anderlecht and I was at Inter, I wanted to buy him. He was a good player then. He has improved a lot and now is one of the top defenders in Europe. But he can improve even more. Vincent is incredible. He has a fantastic mentality. His attitude has been excellent. Without doubt he has been one of our top players this year." Kompany was awarded the Manchester City Player of the Year for his role in the City back four. Kompany was so good this season fo City that both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are now interested in buying the defender.

Full Back: Leighton Baines, Everton

The English defender had a great season for Everton with a career high of 5 goals and 11 assists, which was tied for the third most in the Premier League and most among defenders. He played every minute of every game for Everton in the Premier League. Baines was voted the Player of the Season for Everton to top off his unbelievable year. Everton manager David Moyes sai about his left back, "Leighton has had a realy good season.He has played well - been good going forward, created goals, and scored some goals. Where I go people ask me about Leighton Baines. They can see how well he is doing and what a great season he has had." Like Vincent Kompany, Leighton's great season has attracted other clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City. Roberto Mancini values Baines so much that he is willing to spend 25 million on the left back. 

Full Back: Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea

This selection is a combination of the lack of star power at the right back position and the quality season that Ivanovic had for the Blues. As always, Ivanovic was very dangerous in set pieces and strong in the air, as he scored 4 goals for Chelsea in the Premier League. The right back was a key component to Chelsea's offense, as he constatly was getting forward into the attack. Ivanovic was also one of the nominations for Chelsea's Player of the Year award. His outstanding season was rewarded with a new five and a half year contact with Chelsea, which will last until the summer of 2016.

Midfield: Rafael Van der Vaart, Tottenham Hotspur

Rafael Van der Vaart nearly went to Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window for 18 million pounds. As the deal collapsed, Van der Vaart fell right into Tottenham's lap for an unbelievably cheap 8 million punds, especially for a world class player like Van der Vaart. Although he missed 10 Premier League games, Van der Vaart still scored 13 goals, had 8 assists, had 113 shots including 41 shots on goal, which all led Tottenham. Van der Vaart had a nack of coming through for Tottenham when they really needed it and always scored the big goal. In Tottenham's second to last game, Van der Vaart scored the opening goal of the game in the 9th minute and helped Tottenham secure a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 victory. Luck enough for Spurs,Van der Vaart said he isn't going to leave White Heart Lane, so he can play in the champions league. He said, “I won’t be looking to leave Tottenham to play in the Champions League. I have only been here one year and I have really enjoyed my first year. Of course I want to be playing in the Champions League. Every player is the same. But I don’t want to leave and will see what next season will bring."

Midfield: Luka Modric, Tottenham Hotspur

Modric pulled all the strings and was the playmaker for the Spurs. His stats of just 3 goals and 2 assists don't tell any of the story of how great the Croatian international was for the Spurs. His ability to see the field and pass was unmatched in the Premier League. Like Van der Vaart, Modric always came thorugh when Tottenham needed him. In Tottenham's second to last game, Modric scored on a penalty kick in the 56th minute and helped Tottenham secure a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 victory. He led Tottenham in games played at 32. Harry Redknapp isn't the only coach he believe that Modric was the best player in the Premier League this season. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglsih said, "Jack Wilshere has shown that he is a top-class player. But my personal favorite this season is Luk Modric, a really gifted footballer who, at 25, is going to entertain us for many years ahead."

Midfield: Charlie Adam, Blackpool

Although his side was relegated, Charlie Adam had a fantastic first season in the Premier League. The Blackpool captain was tied for 12th in the Premier League with 12 goals and was tied for 10th in the Premier League with 10 assists. He also led his team in shots with 112 including 35 shots on goal, while missing just 3 Premier League games. Adam did his best to keep Blackpool from being relegated. He scored 3 goals in Blackpool's last 5 games. On May 7th against Tottenham at White Heart Lane, Adam converted on a penalty kick that helped Blackpool stay in contention to stay in the lead with a 1-1 tie on the road. On May 14th against the Bolton Wanderers, he scored the game winner in the 63rd minute in a 4-3 victory. Even on the last game of the season against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Adam scored in the 40th minute to tie the game at 1 before United won 4-2. The speculation can now begin on where Charlie Adam will be next season.

Midfield: Jack Wilshere, Arsenal

The 19 year old midfielder was absolutely fantastic this season in the Premier League.  He showed that he is a complete midfielder who can do nearly everything on the pitch. His combination of speed and quickness with vision and passing made him one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Wilshere's ability to play any position across the midfield allowed Wanger to utilize the full array of Arsenal's skillfull midfielders. His manager Arsene Wanger said about him, "He's a box-to-box player, more than just a holding midfielder. But to be honest, he can play in any position across the midfield. He can play behind the striker because he can penetrate." Wilshere's outstanding play was recognized as he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year. England boss Fabio Capello said about Wilshere, "... he plays without fear, and with confidence. Also, for somebody so young, he is a leader. It is incredible. I never saw someone so young be a leader on the pitch. It is incredible... As a young player, I think he is at the top, not only in England but Europe and the world."

Striker: Carlos Tevez, Manchester City

Tevez was tied for the Premier League lead with 20 goals this season and Manchester City needed every single one of his goals. Aside from Tevez, no other Manchester City player had more than 8 goals. Tevez scored a third of City's goals during the season. He also led Manchester City with 120 shots including 45 on goal. Only one other Manchester City player had over 50 shots and no City player had more than 20 shots on goal. He was also second on City with 6 assists. Tevez was arguably the most important player to City's third place finish and qualification in Champions League. In the thirty-one games Tevez played in (30 of which he started), City was 18-7-6. In the 7 games Tevez was out, City was just 3-1-3. However, Tevez has recently admitted he wants to make a move away from City to another club during the summer. He said, "I want to leave Manchester City. Football has changed a lot from me and I don't know if I will even make it to the next World Cup. And that has nothing to do with wheather I'm selected or not.... I need a change of scene."

Strike: Javier Hernandez, Manchester United

Hernandez, commonly known as Chicharito, had an outstanding season for the title winners. His paternship with Wayne Rooney up front, led to a league high 78 goals including a league high 49 at home. Hernandez was tied for 6th in the Premier League with 13 goals in only 27 appreances. It is even more impressive that he only played a full 90 minutes in the Premier league 7 times and he only started 15 games. He played his best towards the end of the season. Chicharito scored a huge goal on April 23rd against Everton in the 84th minute, which gave United a 1-0 victory. The huge win point United 6 points clear of Chelsea instead of just 4. His biggest goal of the seaon came within the first minute of United's huge game with Chelsea on May 8th. It gave United a 1-0 lead, which they never surrendered and won the game 2-1 at Old Trafford, which virtually wrapped up the league title.

Men's Notable French Open First Round Matches

1. Rafael Nadal vs John Isner: John Isner has really struggled this season. He began the season ranked inside the top 20 at number 19 in the world but has now fallen to 39 because of a rough 5 months to start the season. He is just 9-12 this year. Isner is not at all a clay court specialist and is much better on hard courts. John is just 3-5 on clay courts this season and hasn't reached the semifinals of any clay court tournament. Isner has never made it past the 3rd round at the French Open. However, his big serve and ability to hit the big forehand makes him somewhat of a threat to Nadal even if he is really struggling and has never been to good on clay. Nadal said about playing Isner, "He's one of these players that you prefer not to have to have in the first round. His style of game is dangerous. His serve is unbelievable. He can be dangerous... I have to be very focused with my serve."

24. Sam Querrey vs Philipp Kohlschreiber: Philipp Kohlschreiber has always played very well at Roland Garros and he is very good on clay. In 2009, Kohlschreiber beat Novak Djokovic in the third round of the French Open 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 before he was knocked out in the round of 16. On the other hand, Sam Querrey has really struggled on clay. This season he is just 1-3 on clay courts and his only win came because Kevin Anderson had to retire after one set. Sam said about his early season struggles, "Even though I haven't had great results this year, my game feels really good and I actually feel confident. I have been hitting the ball as well as I have ever hit it and I am working really hard. I just need one little spaek to get going... Everyone has their ups and downs aside from gus like Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal], who are pretty consistent at the top. But I think I'm just a bit og a cycle and can turn it around pretty qucikly." Querrey has especially struggled at Roland Garros. He has never made it out of the first round and is 0-4 at the French Open in his career. Querrey said about his struggles at the French Open, "I have never won a match at the French, so the goal is to win one match. That is all I am really focusing on right now. I can't afford to look beyond that... Sometimes in sports you make runs out of nowhere. It would be great to do that here [at the Fench Open] and prove everything wrong." Thus, this matchup is so intriguing and could definitely be a possible upset because Kohlschreiber plays so well on clay and Querrey struggles so much on clay especially at Roland Garros.

3. Roger Federer vs Feliciano Lopez: Rafael Nadal is not the only highly seeded player who has a difficult first round match. Roger Federer will have a tricky match with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. In fact, Lopez and Federer played a great match early this month in the 2nd round of Madrid that lasted nearly three hours. Federer won the extremely tight match, where all three sets went into tiebreakers, 7-6 (15-13), 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (9-7). Federer even had to save a match point during the third set tiebreak. Although Federer has never lost to Lopez and is 0-8, Lopez looks like a different player in 2011. Lopez has had a terrific season especially on clay as he made it to the quarterfinals of Bareclemona and the finals of the Serbia Open before he lost to Djokovic. Although most people believe that Federer will advance out of the first round, Lopez will be a tricky opponent especially if he is playing well.

Lleyton Hewitt vs Albert Montanes: This is by far the most intriguing matchup of two guys who aren't seeded in the French Open. Lleyton Hewitt hasn't played since he lost to Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round of Indian Wells due to a foot injury. However, as always you can expect the Aussie to fight, scrap, and crawl for every point like he always does. His coach Tony Roche said about Hewitt playing through the pain at Roland Garros, "I think he's used to that. Look, he'd be the toughest competitor that I've ever seen. He's had a lot of setbacks over the last couple of years but he keeps bouncing back... It's his first tournament back fom his operation. It's a big ask, but he could do it... Lleyton is still as keen as ever. He feels in the grand slams, given the right opportunity, that he can still be competitive with the top guys." The other side of this matchup is the Spaniard Albert Montanes. He is a clay court specialist, as his 4 runner-ups and 5 tournament victories, have been all on clay courts. His only winning record at a major is at the French Open. He has made it to the third round of the French Open 5 times. However, this season Montanes has just not been good on the clay. He is 6-7 in 13 matches on clay this season and his ranking has dropped from 25 at the beginning of the season to 37. 

13. Richard Gasquet vs Radek Stepanek: Richard Gasquet has looked absolutely fantastic this season. He began the season ranked 30 in the world and has moved up 16 spots to number 14. At Rome, Gasquet had a great tournament. He beat Roger Federer in the third round 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4). Gasquet beat Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 before his great tournamnet ended with a loss to Rafael Nadal 5-7, 1-6. He showed his new found toughness and grit by coming back to beat both Federer and Berdych after dropping highly contested first sets in both matches. Gasquet showed his maturity, which he failed to show when he was younger and has shown his resolve and determination to fight for every point. His change of attitude makes him look like a real contender to make a deep run at Roland Garros as long as he can first get by the old veteran Radek Stepanek. Stepanek was ranked in the top 20 just last year but has fallen to 57 in the world now. However, he has begun to show his 2010 form, which should be dangerous for Gasquet. He beat Marcos Baghdatis at Monte Carlo in the first round and made it to the semifinals of Munich on clay.

25. Juan Martin Del Potro vs Ivo Karlovic: Juan Martin Del Porto is 6'6. Ivo Karlovic is 6'10. These two guys are huge and their first round match at the French Open should have huge serves and hitting from both guys. Although Del Potro hits the ball very hard and flat, he is also very good on the dirt. In 2009, he made it to the French Open semifinals. Del Potro has been working himself back into shape and tennis form this season after a 9 month break due to a wrist surgery. Del Potro has played pretty well since his return. He has won 2 tournaments and has beaten 5 players in the top 20 including Robin Soderling in straight sets twice, Fernando Verdasco, Mikhali Youzhny, and Marin Cilic. Karlovic and Del Portro aren't very familiar with each other either, as their only meeting was on grass four years ago. Both of these guys are great servers. Karlovic ranks 1st in 1st serve points won at 80%, service game won at 91%, and break points saved at 73%. He also ranks 2nd in aces with 357. Del Potro is a pretty god returner. He rankes tied for 2nd with Novak Djokovic and only behind Andy Murray in break points converted at 50%. Del Potro isn't too bad serving himself either. He rankes 6th in service games won at 87%, 5th in break points saved at 68%, and 5th in 2nd seve points won at 55%. It should be a great match especially if Karlovic can serve well and stay in the match.

Carl "Walk-off" Crawford

When the Red Sox signed Carl Crawford in the off-season to a seven year, 142 million dollar contract, they couldn't have envisioned a much worse start for the left fielder. Crawford looked extremely uncomfortable and wasn't relaxed at the plate for all of April. In April, Crawford was 15 for 97 and had a .155 batting average. He had 5 extra base hits in 97 at bats. He also struck out 17 times including 6 strikeouts in 4 games to begin the season. Crawford's numbers don't even look that bad compared to after April 17th when he was 7 for 55 and was batting .127 with just 1 extra base hit in 13 games.

May has been much kinder to Crawford. He is starting to look like the player the Sox signed to a huge contract during the off-season. In May, Crawford's fortunes have changed. He is 20 for 68 in May, which means that in 29 less at-bats, Crawford has five more hits. He is batting .294 during the month and has brought his average up from .155 to .212. 

Crawford has also earned the title of "Papi Jr." as the new clutch Red Sox. His first walk-off hit came on the 1st of May. The Sox has lost two in a row and were struggling at four games under .500 at 11-15. In the bottom of the ninth, Crawford came up with two outs and Jed Lowrie on third. Crawford singled to center to give the sox a 3-2 win a Fenway. Crawford said after the game about the hit, "After seeing it go through the middle, it was like a big weight off my shoulder. It's been a while since I felt this good. It's been tough on me; I can't sit here and act like it hasn't been. But you try to minimize that and keep positive thoughts in your head. As a team, we just wanted to put the month of April behind us," Crawford said. "We wanted to start fresh and act like the month of April never happened." Something began to click for Crawford after that game. He obviously felt like some pressure was off his back and he looked more comfortable, especially after his new teammates mobbed him after his first walk-off hit.

Crawford was not done with his clutch hits just yet. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Crawford came up with a runner on first and one out with the game tied at 1-1. Crawford hit a high shot off the monster and Jose Iglesias came around from first to score the winning run for the Sox. Crawford's hit in the 11th, extended his hitting streak at the time to 9 games dating back to May 1st. Crawford said after the game, "It's always nice to get walk-offs. I'll take 'em all the time. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said about Crawford, "He's still settling in." Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon added about Crawford, "I think we're seeing a guy that goes out there, that's a great athlete and is doing what he can to pick up the ballclub."

Crawford came through once again for the Red Sox last night in the clutch. The Red Sox were looking for their 6th win in a row lat night against the Tigers at home. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Crawford hit a bases-loaded single to lift the Sox over the Tigers. Crawford said after the game, "You always want to get a hit in those situations," the left fielder said. "You know it's gonna win the game, you definitely don't want to go to extra innings. So you just try to tell yourself to focus a little harder and hope for the best. It's always nice to come through in those situations. I've been struggling so whenever I get a chance to do something good like that it definitely feels good." Red Sox manager Terry Francona said about Crawford hitting yet another wal-off, "It's gotta be good for his confidence. It's a good time to hit, the infield is playing in, the outfield is playing in. He stayed on the ball really well, that's the one thing you don't wanna do -- roll over and pull off -- and he stayed on it really well."

In just the month of May, Carl Crawford has three walk-off hits for the Red Sox. In his last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Crawford had just 2 walk-off hits.