Nadal beat Roddick

Nadal beat a serve and volleying Roddick in three sets, so he's already one win ahead of last year. No doubt Maradona's presence inspired them all to greater heights (but hopefully not drug taking or cheating). Kylie Minogue was there too.

Fed and Murray won their openers against Ferrer and Soderling. Ferrer is presumedly just there to make up the numbers but Murray appeared to play very well against Sod. He usually does this time of the year, it probably helps that it's not a Major and few people aprt from him and a lot of Brits care about who wins the end of year title.

The Djoker beat Berdych also, showing at least he thinks he's in contention for the title. Does Roddick still think he is?

Meanwhile Wozniacki used all of her skills at a exo against Azarenka.

I'm pretty sure tennis was the winner.

Monfils carves up Fed then chokes

The dancing wonder Gael Monfils carved up the Greatest player of all time Roger Federer then choked before his adoring home crowd, losing the Paris final to Robin Soderling. Typical.

Monfils has a load of charm, plays brilliant shots and entertains the crowd but lacks a certain consistancy - a bit like Fed used to be before he became Fed. The young Federer burst on the scene approximately 230 years ago as a talented shotmaker with no consistancy or discipline but then matured into the great unruffled perfectionist that we know and love and won himself countless titles and prizemoney. And now only a ruffled Spaniard stands between himself and immortality.

Are we likely to see the same career progression for Monfils? Can he tame the wild beast within and advance from the entertainers to the winners?

Elena Dementieva has left the building

The almost great Elena Dementieva has retired (near) the top and we are one classy Russian the lesser. Much paper and cyberspace volume has been wasted describing how she failed to win a Major but all she ever wanted was an Olympic Gold medal (and a serve) and she won that years ago. Now mummy Vera can finally relax and Elena can start a family and begin a new life. All the best Elena.

Meanwhile some other former retiree won the glamour bash in Doha. Poor Woz.