When the weather turns cold, American fans turn to cold weather sports.  Even ardent fans of tennis forget there are matches played after the US Open.  It’s time for college football or pro football.  It’s time for baseball season to go into postseason.  It’s time for hockey season to get started.  Indeed, these sports remind tennis fans that there are seasons.  Tennis, meanwhile, continues most months of the year.  The women’s tour, perhaps a bit more sane, have concluded their year-end championship.  Men’s tennis still has a little more than 3 weeks to go before their season ends.

In the meanwhile, the biggest tennis news is always news that has little to do with playing of the sport, but with the controversy that swirls around the edges.  Sometimes the news is so tennis-centered that few non-tennis fans are even aware, such as Richard Gasquet’s reinstatement after being accused of using cocaine.  Gasquet’s French after all, not a household name.

It was Serena Williams outburst on a hapless lineswoman who dared call foot-fault that lead to a break point, then a point penalty.  This incident resonated far outside of tennis.  Everyone from late-night hosts to NPR Car Talk guys mentioned the Serena outburst.

The most recent incident was Agassi’s admission that he used crystal meth.  And he hated tennis when he grew up.  And he wore a wig when he was young.  And he thought Connors was a jerk.  Perhaps it says something about this controversy that Serena’s admission that she didn’t know what crystal meth was and how she also had a book she wanted to sell.  Perhaps it galled her that Agassi would steal the limelight and book sales from her.

Despite all of this, there really is tennis being played.  You remember Roger Federer?  He almost achieved a small Slam this year, falling short of that with his loss to Juan Martin del Potro.  He faced Andreas Seppi of Italy yesterday.  At times, Federer looked inconsistent, hitting balls out of control.  But he does just enough that the win is comfortable: 6-3, 6-3.

Novak Djokovic continues to look to regain the form that made him number 3 in the world.  At the beginning of the year, we started off with Nadal #1, Federer #2, Djokovic #3, and Murray #4.  Murray eventually passed Djokovic and became number 3, then when Nadal could not defend Wimbledon and lost early in the French, Murray moved to #2.  This was short-lived as Nadal returned back to #2, and with Murray unable to play shortly after the US Open, Djokovic came back to #3.  And Federer, of course, regained the #1 spot he had held for so long.

Djokovic’s match is something you rarely see in the men’s tour.  A double bagel.  Indeed, it’s so rare that it is Djokovic’s first double bagel.  He beat Jan Henrych of the Czech Republic without giving up a game.  Richard Gasquet beat John Isner in two tight sets, 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-2.  If form holds, Federer would meet Djokovic in the finals.  It would be an interesting test of who is fresher: Federer, who has taken around a month off the tour or Djokovic, who played the Asian part of the tour.

In Valencia, Spain, Andy Murray had to struggle to win his match over Argentine, Leonardo Mayer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.  Verdasco won over Tipsarevic, 6-3, 6-3.  Davydenko beat Argentine, Juan Monaco, 6-3, 7-5.

Much like Federer and Djokovic, the top two seeds Murray and Davydenko are expected to reach the finals, but with Davydenko being the one with more match play and success.

Next week, the final Masters 1000 event begins: the Paris Indoors.  Then, a week off, and the year-end championship in London, the ATP World Tour Championships.  Unlike last year, when Tennis Channel could only secure rights to the doubles (and never mentioned they had no rights to the singles), this year, Tennis Channel will show both singles and doubles.