It’s the semis in Paris, my favorite time of year.  I missed being there; it’s one of my all-time favorite venues as a player and as a coach.  My son Zach got his first hair cut there in the players lounge when he was 11 months old.  If you ever get a chance to go to an indoor event, this is the one.  Tomorrow’s line up has Nadal playing the Djoker and Gael Force Monfils against the dark horse Radek Stepanek. 

I’ll get to Stepanek in a minute, but Nadal has had to work incredibly hard to earn his place this week.  In two consecutive matches: his countrymen Almagro and T-Rob each served for the match against him.  Setting the stage for him to play his best match of the week in beating the talented Frenchmen Jo- Willy Tsonga, ending Tsonga’s chances to make the year end championship.

Okay for Stepanek, the guy is having a career year at age 31 this month. I love stories like this where a guy has battled through a lot of injuries to play his best tennis of his career.

He has also led his country in Davis Cup to the finals to play Spain next month.

He’s got a very sneaky eclectic game.  Moves tremendously for his age and is fit as a fiddle.  I also think he has some of the best volleys in the game.

Djokovic is playing better than anybody this week.  I think he’ll handle a tired Nadal in two tight sets and I’m going with the veteran Steps over the French hope Monfils in a three-set thriller.  I like Djoker winning the tournament, as he seems to be playing as good as I’ve seen him indoors.

On a final note:  I recently finished the final copy of AA’s Open.  I urge you all to read this book, it’s incredibly well written, and aptly titled.  I really enjoyed my trip down memory lane.  You’ll have a hard time putting it down.

The WTA wraps a winning season.  The drama for the No. 1 ranking between Dinara Safina and Serena Williams went out the window with Safina pulling the rip cord in her first round-robin match. 

I actually think it’s a good thing for Safina to have not finished the year No. 1.  She had so many nay sayers and this will possibly give her some incentive to earn it and win a major in 2010.

Winning a major should be her one and only goal for the coming year.  Serena Williams puts on possibly her best performance of the year, by posting a 5-0 record in Doha, beating her sister twice and finishing the year on a high note, in winning her first season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships title since 2001. 

Did I mention she broke the single season women’s prize money record with a whopping $6.3 million? That should put some presents in the stockings this season.  At 28 and 29 years old respectively, Serena and Venus show no signs of slowing down when so many of their peers have fallen by the way side.  Their careful schedule  and increasing their doubles play seems to help them maintain more motivation. And I see no reason why they can’t carry on this way for another three or four years.

 Props to the WTA Tour for finishing up the season one month earlier than the men’s side.  I still feel like November 1st is a tad late to finish the season, but the fact that the men have to slog it out another month makes for a very long season of wear and tear for these athletes. 

 I think potentially in 2010 with a healthy return of Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, the William sisters, Maria Sharapova and the emergence of the young Caroline Wozniaki, it could be the most exciting year in women’s tennis history. 

All eyes will be on the women in Melbourne…especially Justine Henin.  I doubt she’ll let it on, but I think finishing No. 1 is a big deal to Serena.  I feel she’ll be highly motivated in 2010 to prove that she’s still the one to beat and not the Belgians. 

On the final stretch of the men’s season, I’m seeing a four horse race in the last two tournaments to get into the ATP World Tour Finals on November 22nd.  Check out the fight between Gonzo, Tsonga, Verdasco and Soderling to be last man into London. 

Nice to Fed back on the courts, looking well rested and ready to go.  I hear there’s a full time physio on the sidelines — keeping him fighting fit.  Great move by Federer, too many athletes ignore this part of the equation.