Does anyone miss the old Federer?

You remember him: The guy who used to take the Gilles Mullers of the world and toy with them like... Well, like someone who toys with something else. Cat and small mouse, perhaps. Anyway.

Federer just took the first set of his quarterfinal with Muller in a tiebreak, 7-5, on the seventh set point of the set. The old R-Fed might have let this set go to a tiebreak, just to get in a good workout, perhaps, but would put the hammer down eventually. We'll see if he can do that.

I liken the old Federer to Fezzik, Andre the Giant's character in "The Princess Bride." When Fezzik is fighting Cary Elwes' Westley character, he tells the much smaller man, "I want you to feel you are doing well."

Maybe we'll see the old Federer before the week is out.

Roddick, Blake named to Davis Cup team

Blake stunk it up here, losing in the third round, but captain Patrick McEnroe decided that the only two Americans in the top 10 should play in the semifinal against Spain in Madrid in two weeks.

Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey had nice results here, but McEnroe noted Blake has done well on clay this season and that Fish and Querrey weren't even among the top 40 until recently, at least in Fish's case.

"For this tie, it was a pretty easy decision," P-Mac noted.

Federer's on the court. And it's hot outside.

The thermometer reads 28 degrees celsius, which is like... a lot of degrees Fahrenheit. OK, I think it's 90. Or so.

Anyway, we're about to get started with the serious tennis today. Qualifier Gilles Muller of Luxembourg is set to face Roger Federer, the four-time defending champion.

In other news, Leander Paes and Cara Black won the mixed doubles crown, defeating Liezel Huber and Jamie Murray (big brother of men's semifinalist Andy Murray) 7-6, 6-4. Paes, 35, has now won the mixed Grand Slam for his career, and he and men's doubles partner Lukas Dlouhy are in tomorrow's final against Americans Mike and Bob Bryan.

Black, 29, is the top seed with Huber in the women's doubles, and they are into the semis. This is her first U.S. Open mixed title, to go with a French Open and Wimbledon title as well.

Oh, and if you think doubles is bush league, here are a couple numbers for you.

The first is 795,907. The second is 350,635. Those are Black's and Paes' prize earnings for 2007. They each get $75,000 for winning here.

So, that ain't bad.