The unknown quarter

Live-blogging--sorta--the quarterfinal match between Bondarenko and Wickmayer.

• Had never heard of the latter before this. I got down to the Pilot Pen this year after she had already been eliminated.
• Bondarenko is down a break. Leg is still heavily strapped. (Are we back to this strapping over the physio tape stuff? Haven't seen much of that at the Open.) Saw her and her sister play one set of doubles in New Haven this year. They retired in the second set but not sure whose injury prompted it--both had their legs strapped at different places.
• Um...Bud Collins what do you mean it's rare to see a woman volley well? Yes Wickmayer's stab volley was very nice but there have been plenty of other good volleys executed by women this Open.
• How does Bondarenko play with that large pendant necklace?
• Wickmayer's grunt reminds me of Seles's in its two-syllable-ness.
• Nice hat, Bud. Very daring to go with polka dots.
• How cute are those shorts of Wickmayer's? She wears Erke, a Chinese apparel company. Looks like Chinese companies are getting into sports apparel. Jankovic and Li Na are also wearing a Chinese label.
• The "green light special" Pam? Never heard that one before. How about just calling it a "winner" like everyone else? No need to prove how different you are. Your wardrobe this week has shown us that.
• We shall see how Wickmayer deals with pressure down a break point serving for the first set.
• Not so well
• Bondarenko is a little bit badass, eh? She's got the nose ring and I see part of a tattoo on her upper back. Women's tennis needs more edgy players.
• Wickmayer pulls out set #1.
• Hmm...Rennae Stubbs is texting Pam Shriver to say that Wickmayer can have a pretty bad temper. Seems this is a pot/kettle situation. Or a takes one to know one.
• "Ladies" not being able to keep their emotions intact says commentator? You know Oudin was not exactly keeping her emotions intact those last three matches. If she had lost any of them I am sure there would have been commentary about whether she let emotion get the better of her--a criticism previously levied at Andy Murray.
• All of a sudden "steady emotions" are the prized possession. Can you imagine if we had asked Monfils or Nadal to steady their emotions last night?
• I knew we were going to get to the "women players and their dogs" conversation when we saw a pic of Alona Bondarenko holding a chihuahua. And alas there was Pam's unfortunate "hope there's not a dogfight"comment.
• Oh goodness, another Belgian player with a deceased mother--we're going to be hearing about this tragedy every time we see her play. Not that it isn't tragic for a child to lose her mother but why does the media play on (and on and on) the "tragic circumstances of ___'s life"?
• Good for Wickmayer. Way to pull through nerves and get the second set.
• Bud Collins should not be allowed to do on-court interviews.