Stosur Upsets Azarenka in Carlsbad, Del Potro Outduels Isner in DC

Juan Martin Del Potro hasn't missed a beat since pressing Djokovic in the Wimbledon semis, outlasting one of the tour hottest men, Isner, in 3 sets in the Washington final.  Is this the beginning of another amazing summer for the Argentine?  Samantha Stosur had all but disappeared from the headlines of the WTA, but she upset Azarenka in the Carlsbad final, making us wonder if she might become a player in Toronto, Cincinnati, and New York.  Petkovic had perhaps her best week since returning from injury in the women's DC event, but came short in the final against Magdalena Rybarikova, who defended her Washington title from 2012 is quietly rising in the rankings and having a career year.  And in the final clay event of the season, Marcel Granollers overcame a first bagel to defeat Monaco in the Kitzbuhel final.

Good Stories
-James Duckworth (AUS), a 21-yr-old now ranked no. 153, has won back-to-back first round matches in ATP events Bogota and Washington.
-Dominic Thiem (AUT), a 19-yr-old former boys French Open finalist, ranked outside the top 250, defeated Kuznetsov and Austrian no. 1 Melzer en route to his first ATP quarterfinal in Kitzbuhel.  Is this the passing of the torch for Austrian tennis?
-Seeded players in Carlsbad went 14-2 in the first two rounds, but somehow wildcard Razzano managed to sneak into the semis.  This after all the inconsistencies of the past months for top 10 women.

Bad Stories
-Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR), whose title defense in Washington ended in his opening round match against a qualifier.  He now drops to no. 37 in the world.
-Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER), a finalist last year in Kitzbuhel and the top seed there this year, crashing out in his opening match against L.Mayer.
-Sloane Stephens (USA) had a chance to shine as the second seed in Washington, DC, but instead lost in the first round to Puchkova.

WTA Premier: Carlsbad, CA, United States

5) Samantha Stosur (AUS) def. 1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 6-2 6-3

-Stosur wins 4th career title, last '11 US Open (almost 2-yr drought)

Defending champion: Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) - R1 l. to Ivanovic

Quarterfinalists: 2) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL), 3) Petra Kvitova (CZE), 4) Roberta Vinci (ITA), 7) Ana Ivanovic (SRB)-SF, Urszula Radwanska (POL), Virginie Razzano (FRA)-SF

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: U.Radwanska
Locals performance: 2-5, miserable - only Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe won, the latter against compatriot wildcard Kiick.  Lepchenko (QF last year) and Burdette also lost opening matches.

Americans performance: see above

Third set tiebreaks: Razzano def. Kvitova (QF) 6-7(6) 7-5 7-6(8) in 3:35!

ATP 500: Washington, DC, United States

1) Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) def. 8) John Isner (USA) 3-6 6-1 6-2

-Del Potro wins 15th career title, 2nd of 2013, last '13 Rotterdam
-It is his 3rd title in Washington ('08,'09)
-Eleven of his titles have come on hard courts

Defending champion: Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) - R2 l. to Devvarman

Quarterfinalists: 3) Tommy Haas (GER)-SF, 7) Kevin Anderson (RSA), 11) Grigor Dimitrov (BUL), 16) Marcos Baghdatis (CYP), Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)-SF, Marinko Matosevic (AUS)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Haas and Anderson
Locals performance: 11-12, which is actually a bounce back and a little encouraging.  Isner won 4 matches, Fish came back and won 2, and Harrison beat Hewitt then lost to Del Potro. Querrey, Sock, q-Kuznetsova and q-Smyczek also won their first match.  Blake, Ram, Johnson, Kudla, and l-Williams lost in their first round.

Americans performance: see above

Third set tiebreaks: Querrey def. Istomin (R2) (11-9), Tursunov def. Matosevic (QF)

WTA International: Washington, DC, United States

7) Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) def. Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-4 7-6(2)
-Rybarikova wins 4th career title, last '12 Washington

Defending champion: Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) - defended title

Quarterfinalists: 1) Angelique Kerber (GER), 3) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)-SF, 4) Alize Cornet (FRA)-SF, 5) Sorana Cirstea (ROU), Monica Niculescu (ROU), Paula Ormaechea (ARG)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Rybarikova

Locals performance: 3-11, which is unbelievably bad. Only Keys, Oudin, and Riske won, while Stephens, McHale, King, Capra, Townsend, q-Falconi, q-Pegula, and q-Mueller

Americans performance: see above

Third set tiebreaks: Niculescu def. Keys (R2) (8-6)

ATP 250: Kitzbuhel, Austria

8) Marcel Granollers (ESP) def. 2) Juan Monaco (ARG) 0-6 7-6(3) 6-4

-Granollers wins 4th career title, last '11 Valencia
-Three of his titles have come on clay

Defending champion (x2): Robin Haase (NED) - SF l. to Granollers

Quarterfinalists: 3) Fernando Verdasco (ESP), 7) Albert Montanes (ESP)-SF, Robin Haase (NED)-SF, Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP), Leonardo Mayer (ARG), Dominic Thiem (AUT)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Haase

Locals performance: 3-5, Haider-Maurer picked up a win over compatriot q-Novak (19-yr-old ranked no. 516), but Melzer and q-Fischer both lost in R1.  However, see good stories for Thiem!
Americans performance: none

Third set tiebreaks: Garcia-Lopez def. Bellucci (R1), Montanes def. Hanescu (R2)