Miami: Men's 4th Round

Tuesday's action advanced the following eight men to quarterfinals:

4) Rafael Nadal (ESP): defeated 15) Ferrer, 7-6(5), 6-4; This tournament is now Rafa's to lose;
5) Robin Soderling (SWE): defeated 9) Gonzlaez, 6-2 in the 3rd; The Swede just keeps on winning;
6) Andy Roddick (USA): defeated Becker, 7-6(4), 6-3; The American just keeps on winning;
8) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA): defeated 12) Ferrero, 2 and 2; Tsonga getting back in the groove;
10) Fernando Verdasco (ESP): defeated 7) Cilic, 6-4, 7-6(3); Big win for the Spanish #2;
13) Mikhail Youzhny (RUS): Fish retired; Youzhny back on the winning track;
16) Tomas Berdych (CZE): defeated 1) Federer, 8-6 in 3rd set tiebreak, saved a match point; An absolutely gigantic win for Berdych, prevailing over the world #1 in a tight match;
33) Nicolas Almagro (ESP): defeated 27) Bellucci, 7-3 in 3rd set tiebreak; Both players have had a nice early season;

With Federer now out, the top four finishers from 2009 are now but still all four quarterfinal losers (Nadal, Roddick, Verdasco, and Tsonga) are still alive, meaning they have successfully defended their points.  Nadal will take the #3 ranking back from Murray and will now be breathing down the back of Djokovic.  Berdych, Nadal, Roddick, and Soderling have made back to back Masters 1000 quarterfinals.  We should be in for more good tennis as the week progresses.

Quarterfinal matchups:

-Verdasco vs Berdych
-Soderling vs Youzhny
-Nadal vs Tsonga
-Roddick vs Almagro