I love rooting for underdogs, but I was upset when Maria Sharapova lost in the third round of the US Open to polish teen Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 2-6.

12 Double Faults and 49 unforced errors crippled her chances, especially in the third set when it mattered most. Gorgeous and wealthy #2 ranked and seeded Sharapova was a favorite to repeat as champion of this tournament. Instead, she made history when she lost- she became the first #2 seed to lost earlier than the fourth round since 1981, a stretch of more than 25 years. Craighickmanontennis, a tennis blog, reveals his thoughts about the match.

She will have to battle back and stay in good shape as the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) and Justine Henin are playing solid tennis these days.

I am confident in Sharapova to bounce back from this major upset in the third round and prepare arduously for the upcoming events. Even though the US Open is the final major event of the season (Australian Open is in January 2008), there are titles to be won. Sharapova is still young, has already won 16 titles including including Wimbledon and the US Open and amassed millions of dollars in advertisements.

On the men's side, Rafael Nadal is battling knee problems and still managing to dominate his opponents. He has only lost one set in three rounds of play. Federer is well, Federer. He has also lost only one set in the first three rounds of play.

I was privileged to enjoy #3 Novak Djokovic defeat Radek Stepanek in a thrilling five set match on Friday. The 4hr 44 min spectacle defined excellent play on both sides of the court. In the 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) match, Djokovic seemed to gain momentum in the fifth set tiebreaker where has much experience even as a 20-year old.

By the way Djokovic has defeated Federer, Roddick, and Nadal in a Montreal tournament. Can you say upset? Well,Djokovic over Federer in the finals would earn himself a lot of respect. Gotta root for the underdogs even if he is ranked #3.

In the greatest women's match this far, Israeli Shahar Peer defeated Nicole Vaidisova in a three-set marvel that lasted over 2 1/2 hours. The USOPEN site relates over an excellent recap for those who missed the match. The scores were 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). Both women played their hearts out, chasing after what looked like unreachable shots. Peer was able to overcome Vaidisova's agressive approach and claim defeat.

Good luck the rest of the way.

My picks to win it all are Djokovic and Henin on the women's side. I like Henin because she is incredibly dominant and I don't see Serena or Venus stopping her. My sleeper is definitely Peer. We will see how she fares in the fourth round.

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