After Wimbledon winds down, the tour diverges for a few weeks.  Those who head to the US, can play Newport, the last grass event of the year, and a little over a week after Newport ends, the US Open Series starts up the hard court season.  There are, much to Nadal’s chagrin, three hard court seasons.  There’s the extended hard court season just before the Australian Open to just before the clay season.  There’s the US Open Series.  Then, there are the tournaments after the US Open.

However, fans of clay also have a couple of seasons.  South and Central America host clay tournaments for a few weeks right before Indian Wells, then there is the main clay season leading up to the French Open, then there is the clay tournaments just after Wimbledon.

Robin Soderling won a tournament in his native country of Sweden after Wimbledon last year.  He is the only high ranking Swede of note.  There are three other Swedes in the Swedish Open, but two were given wild cards and one more qualified.  Soderling is now the sole Swede.  The other three semifinalists?  Spaniards, of course.

Soderling will, once again, face David Ferrer, although this time on clay, rather than the grass of Wimbledon.  In the other semifinals, Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Robredo face off.  Soderling has been working hard, having been taken to three sets in his first two matches.  One expects Ferrer is likely to push him too, though perhaps the slower pace of the clay might work to Soderling’s advantage.

Probably the most interesting player in the Swedish Open was Franko Skugor of Croatia who made it to the quarterfinals and even took a set off of Almagro.  He’s still fairly young and hopes to improve (who doesn’t?).

Meanwhile, the Mercedes Cup is being played in Stuttgart.  Three Spaniards are also in the semifinals, though somewhat more unheralded.  Gael Monfils, the sole non-Spaniard, plays Gimeno-Traver in one semifinal.  Ferrero plays Montanes in the other semifinal.

Davydenko was in this tournament but lost early to Gimeno Traver, blaming the change in surface from indoor hard court (Davis Cup) to clay court as being too abrupt.  Davydenko is still trying to get his game right.  He is defending champ at Hamburg, and will presumably go there to see if he can get his game in order.