The match should have been played earlier, but due to the weather, it was delayed til past 5 PM, the rain creating heavy conditions.  Roger Federer was looking to right the ship.  He had not played well since Australia.  A loss to Marcos Baghdatis at Indian Wells.  A loss to Tomas Berdych at Miami.  Then, a loss to Ernests Gulbis at Rome.  All of these losses, despite being surprising, were somewhat acceptable.

Baghdatis had reached the Australian Open finals one against Federer.  Berdych had given Roger trouble (at the Australian).  Gulbis is finally fulfilling some of his talent.

But Estoril should have been easy.  Montanes is a tough clay courter, no doubt, but someone Federer shouldn’t struggle against.  Again, Federer was plagued with unforced errors.  Announcers claimed he hit 50 unforced errors in a 6-2, 7-6(5) loss.  Federer was even up 5-2 in the tiebreak, mostly due to Montanes’s own errors before making numerous errors of his own.

Montanes’s likely opponent is Portgual’s own Federico Gil who has won the first set, 6-2 and is up a break, 5-3, in the second.

Apparently, rain has caused issues at the Serbian Open.  John Isner surprisingly upset Stanislas Wawrinka.  Isner had not been making much of an impression on Wawrinka’s serve, but serving up 6-5 and 40-15, Wawrinka double-faulted and produced errors to give the game to Isner.  Isner then took the second set by the same score.  Isner is in his first clay court final.  Sam Querrey was to face Filip Krajinovic, but no score is available.  If Querrey wins, this will be the second time Isner has faced Querrey in the final, the last time being at Memphis, an event that Querrey won.

In Munich, both men’s semifinals were played.  Youzhny beat Petzchner in two close sets while Cilic needed three sets to beat Baghdatis.

It will be interesting to see what Federer decides to do.  Is it worth going to Madrid and play another tournament, or should he skip Madrid and just train until the French.  Federer’s game hasn’t looked this shaky in some time.