Shanghai Crisis Center: Day 4

I don't know about you, but it seems like forever since David Ferrer beat Rafael Nadal. I was all stoked up yesterday afternoon for catching some tennis action, only to settle for a tape-delayed broadcast of the David Ferrer/Rafael Nadal match. By then, the result was not only old news, but Tomahawk Perrotta had done a nice riff on Ferrer at his String Theory blog.

I forget what kind of havoc time zones and the international dateline play with a tennis fans's mind, because I'm accustomed to being at some of the tournaments, not following them from home. I suppose I could wake up at 4 AM to watch Roger Federer or Andy Roddick, live, but that's a bridge too far for this old dog.

The Mighty Fed couldn't ask for a better deal than getting Nikolay Davydenko in today's round-robin match-up, and Roddick doesn't have much to kick about either, given how hot and cold Fernando Gonzalez blows, but guess who I would pick as the more likely favorite to be upset? That's a rhetorical question, folks, because as soon as I make a prediction, fans of the player I am picking to win go into a collective swoon. Juan Jose can tell you all about that. . .

I always did  hate making predictions anyway, unless I feel there's some special, overlooked factor that might produce an unexpected result. The thing with predictions is that if you play the percentages, like any sane person, you will have a solid record. But to tell you the truth, I feel like a bore if I go with the percentages - it's like, duh! So I tend to take more flyers, because I'd rather fire the occasional brilliant shot - and reap the acclaim - than be right most of the time.

My best pick, ever: Andres Gomez over Andre Agassi in the French Open final of 1990. Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while. Still, I'd like to know what y'all think of the Roddick vs. Gonzalez match, so let's do this. Pick the winner, with an explanation brief of your pick, and we'll see who happens to be the visionary genius today.

Let me start it out with this: Roddick beats Gonzo in three sets because his first-serve percentage for the match comes in at between 60 and 70 per cent, or about 10 per cent better than Gonzo's.

I can hear JJ chortling in the background already. . .

Enjoy the tennis, I'll be back with you later!