Justine Henin Retires!
A shocking development in the WTA has just broken with the word that world number one, Justine Henin has just announced her retirement from professional tennis today. This is a big blow to Belgian tennis, having already lost Kim Clijsters to retirement a year ago.
Henin, a permanent top ten fixture in the 21st century, has struggled as of late in comparison with her usual standard of brilliance. Still, at twenty five years of age she is still certainly in her physical prime with many more accomplishments to come. No word yet on the reason for her retirement, but one can surmise that nagging injuries, the vigorous tour schedule and perhaps a lack of confidence and/or motivation all played a part in this decision. In the past year Henin had hinted at other aspirations.
“I’m young in life but starting to get old on the tour. I’m growing up, and I need different things,” said Henin. “Now I’ve been playing tennis for 20 years and it’s been my whole life but…you need to think about the future.”
Henin was coming off her strongest year on the tour in 2007, where she went 63-4 and won two grand slams as well. So far in 2008, she has gone 16-4 with two titles to her credit. An Olympic champion, Henin also has taken three of the four grand slams in her career, with only Wimbledon missing from her repertoire. With Wimbledon just over a month away, one would think that Henin would want to take one last crack at it before making such a decision. She had made the final in 2006 and semi final a year ago, so she was definitely in the hunt. Not having that final slam will undoubtedly be taken into consideration when comparing her against some of the greatest female tennis players of all time. And yet Henin had the following to say about failing to reach the title at Wimbledon.
“Winning Wimbledon would not make me happier than I am,” she said. “I could never dream of Wimbledon. It was destiny. I didn’t feel myself capable. It was too much for me.”
In her retirement press conference today, Henin also acknowledged that she had been contemplating retirement seriously since late last year.
“I thought long about this,” Henin said, her voice cracking and eyes watering. “I started thinking about it late last year. I was at the end of the road. I leave with my head held high.”
WTA CEO Larry Scott had the following words in response to the retirement announcement.
“Justine Henin will be remembered as one of the all-time great champions in women’s tennis, and a woman who made up for her lack of size with a will to win and fighting spirit that was second to none,” Scott said. “It is rare that an athlete leaves at the very top of her game in this day and age, but Justine has always played by her own rules, in the very best sense of those words.”
May 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
French Open Preparation Continues
As we begin the last major tournaments on the men's and women's tours this week before the French Open, both Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin appears to have hit a bump in the road as they prepare to defend their Roland Garros titles from a year ago. Nadal was knocked off by unseeded Juan-Carlos Ferrero in the second round in Rome, while Henin was defeated in the third round by upstart Dinara Safina in Berlin. This is certainly not the confidence boost either player was hoping for as we now sit just two weeks away from the biggest clay court tournament of the year. While Nadal gets a shot at redemption this week at the Hamburg Masters, Henin has pulled out of the WTA tournament in Rome. Lets now look at the tournaments coming up this week as the players check to see where their clay court games now stand.
On the men's side, the Masters Series event in Hamburg should be very interesting considering the recent stumbles of both Federer and Nadal. For Nadal, his early defeat in Rome could have been a sign that the young Spaniard needed a break. I'll never understand who plans his schedule, but a lesson in time management may be in order. If Nadal does not take the time to recover between tournaments, he is putting his health and future success on the tour in jeopardy. Expect him to bounce back especially with the less than challenging draw he has received.
Returning to Hamburg will hopefully be the jump start Roger Federer has been waiting for in 2008. Still without a Masters Series title to his name this year, Federer missed a great opportunity last week in Rome by falling to Radek "the Worm" Stepanek. He won the Hamburg tournament last year, but came in with a much bigger head of steam. Without a strong showing here, I would say his chances at finally winning Roland Garros are slim indeed. He shouldn't be challenged until meeting David Ferrer in the quarters. Even then, he has the advantage of being seeded first and not meeting Nadal or Djokovic until the finals.
The rest of the field should produce some great clay court match-ups. I particularly like seeing some heavyweight clay court players face each other in round one, such as Monaco/Volandri and Alamgro/Acasuso. This tournament usually provides us with some upsets and surprise quarter-finalists, and I would not be shocked if that held true this year. Watch for Marcel Granollers to perhaps make a splash in his section of the draw. Already a winner on clay in Houston, Texas earlier this year, he came through the qualifying section as the top seed and enters with a couple of wins under his belt already at this venue. My semi final picks in fact include Granollers against Federer and Nadal against Djokovic or Robredo. Djokovic might be tired after a full week of tennis, and Robredo is the only other active player in this draw to have hoisted the trophy before in Hamburg.
On the WTA tour, expect less upsets as the women take to the courts in Rome. Last week's final of Dinara Safina vs Elena Dementieva was certainly not one I would have predicted, and the top players should get back to business this time around. I wouldn't count on Safina continuing her impressive form of late, where she knocked off three top ten players in the world in Berlin. She may be tired, and somewhat less focused after such an improbable and exciting week. She also has the misfortune of having to face a solid player in Victoria Azarenka in round one, and then likely Ana Ivanovic in round three.
Past champions in Rome who are back once again include Jelena Jankovic and the Williams sisters. Noticeably absent from the draw are Amelie Mauresmo who is battling a rib injury and Justin Henin. Without serious match play leading up to her home tournament at Roland Garros, it appears another year will pass with Mauresmo disappointing the French fans. As for Henin, she must feel that a week off will benefit her more as she prepares her title defense. My semi final picks here in Rome would be Jankovic vs Sharapova, who has an easy path to the final four and on the other side Ivanovic vs Serena Williams who has had quite a year thus far.
If you're looking for a preview of who to watch at the French Open this year, keep your eyes open for this week's results. Players on both tours will be looking to hit their stride as the clay court season edges closer to its culmination in Paris.
May 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Clay Court Now In Session
The Clay Court is now in session!
For the next month and a half it is time for a single surface to have its moment on the ATP tour. Get set for some long rallies, great angles, a dominating bunch of Spanish tennis players you've maybe never noticed before and lots of slow, red clay! The tour now shifts to Europe for a solid stretch leading up to the French Open at the end of May. Nothing but clay court tournaments each week until then. Lets take a closer look at the road to the next Grand Slam and discover what players to pay close attention to during that journey.
There are numerous clay court tournaments that lead up to Roland Garros, but three in particular of note. The Master Series events in Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg will tell us a great deal about who is a worthy contender for the King of the clay court. Last year we saw the same familiar faces throughout the clay court season and there is no reason to expect that to change in 2008. Rafael Nadal has made the finals of every single Masters Series clay court tournament he has played going back to 2004. He is the three time French Open champ and is going to be incredibly difficult to take a single set off of, let alone beat on this surface. He seems to be healthy so far this year, and as his result last week in Monte Carlo indicated, he is as dangerous as ever on clay. Nadal never gives up on a rally which helps him wear down his opponents point by point. He clearly holds a mental advantage over all of his opposition. His one area of vulnerability is the heavy schedule of tournaments he chooses to play leading up to the main event in Paris. This makes him susceptible to potential injuries and fatigue.
Roger Federer would certainly have beaten the all time Grand Slam record of Pete Sampras by now had it not been for Nadal's clay court dominance. Roland Garros is the only slam missing from his repertoire, although he has reached the finals twice and semi finals on one other occasion. Last year he finally defeated Nadal in a clay court match in Hamburg, and also reached the finals in Monte Carlo - a result he repeated last week. The fact that he is guaranteed not to meet Nadal in any of these tournaments until the finals, bodes well for Roger. However when faced with the tough challenge that those finals present, it seems as though Rafa has gotten into Federer's head and holds the mental edge.
The final two major contenders I see on clay this year are Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko. These all-surface players are dangerous year round. Both had impressive results in 2007 including semi final appearances at the French Open. Oddly enough they both also made the semi finals last week in Monte Carlo. That result does not inspire much hope amongst the competition of being able to make a dent in this dangerous group of four.
Then there is a larger group of players I would call pure clay court specialists. You likely won't see any of this group making much noise on grass or hard courts, but they will gather their share of victories on the red dirt. Nicolas Almagro, Juan Monaco, Jose Acasuso, Tommy Robredo and perhaps Filippo Volandri are among the most consistent clay court players on tour. Many of these players will end up with clay court titles, although usually of the smaller variety. They rack up many clay court wins primarily because it is the predominant surface they play on, however they typically will falter on the larger stage of Masters Series events and Roland Garros as well. Of that group, only Robredo has made it to the quarter finals of the French Open. When the other big names show up to play, this group simply cannot keep pace.
Some names to float around who may be able to cause some damage on clay and yet I wouldn't recommend placing any wagers on them include Igor Andreev, Thomas Berdych, Fernando Gonzalez, David Nalbandian and David Ferrer. Someone from this group will likely make a splash somewhere along the way, although consistency is not part of their profile. My wild card pick this year is Mario Ancic, who could be a threat now that he has some matches under his belt after injuries took their toll in 2007.
Players you won't see making any noise this year include former clay court monsters Guillermo Coria, Gaston Gaudio, and Gustavo Kuerten in his French Open swan song. Also lacking in any serious clay court discussions are Andy Roddick, and every other American tennis player you can think of.
So there you have it, a quick overview of who we might expect to see racking up the ranking points this Spring. Nothing from the first big clay court tournament this year leads me to think we will witness any major changes from 2007, although you can never predict the future. Until any major surprises though, welcome to the clay court - the honorable Rafael Nadal presiding!
April 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Time for Federer to Step Up
Here we are now, two months into the 2008 tennis season and who would have thought that by this point Roger Federer would have exactly zero titles to his name? Not only has he failed to win a title thus far, but he has not even made it to a final. While I'm not ready to join the growing number of tennis fans who are wondering aloud if Roger may have passed his peak, clearly it is time that he delivered some results to quiet his critics. It needs to start here and now with the Masters tournament in Miami.
To summarize his year to date, Federer has reached two semi finals and had one first round defeat. His semi final appearances have not exactly been attained with his usual level of brilliance however. At the Australian Open he struggled to get past Janko Tipsarevic in the third round. He eventually pulled it out 10-8 in a rare fifth set. Rare for Roger that is. Then last week at Indian Wells, Roger made it through three easy opening round opponents, lucked-out with a quarterfinal bye, and was then trounced 6-3, 6-2 by Mardy Fish. The bottom line is that Federer has not had a strong performance to date in 2008. For a player who has dominated the opening months of the year going back to 2004, this is a major issue.
Each of the past four years, Roger Federer has opened the tennis season by dismissing almost every challenge sent his way. In 2004 he had three titles by this stage. In 2005, he had four titles. By this point of 2006 he had three titles and one result as a finalist. And in 2007 he had two titles. The consistency in his game was incredible, and by starting each season so strongly he was able to carry that momentum throughout the year. The same cannot be said thus far in 2008, and with only one more hard court tournament before the clay court push, his confidence and aura of invincibility are nowhere to be found.
While some of his lackluster play can be attributed to him coming down with mononucleosis earlier in the year, one has to wonder if that is the only factor at work. Perhaps other players are finally beginning to figure out what makes him tick. Younger players like Djokovic and Murray are presenting well rounded and dangerous games that he has not had to face in recent years. Maybe his motivation is starting to wane after so many consecutive years of dominating play. Whatever the reason may be, it is time for Roger to make a statement in Miami to show the rest of the tour he is still top dog.
Should Djokovic win this Masters event after his victory in Indian Wells last week, he would be the number one threat on tour, whether the rankings reflected that or not. Suddenly Federer could be viewed as the underdog in their rivalry. Federer needs to have that sense of being unbeatable to continue his push for the Grand Slam record. Many close matches he has had over the years have probably swung his way due to the player across the net realizing who they were playing, and not necessarily always how he was playing. How will Roger Federer evolve as a tennis player if he is no longer the number one threat?
I think we will see Federer fight his way to the title in Miami. He needs a confidence boost before switching to the clay courts of Europe and this would be the perfect solution. It is time that Roger Federer displayed his champion spirit and returned to the winners circle. The alternative would not bode well for him as the tennis season quickly unravels. He does not want to be sitting back watching the Djokovic's and Murray's of the tour grab the titles that he has owned for so long. He needs to step up and show them that their time has yet to come.
March 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Roddick Lets Racquet Talk For Him
How long has it been since Andy Roddick's name was mentioned as a serious challenger to reigning heavyweight tennis champ Roger Federer? With young guns Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the scene, Roddick has quietly slipped into the background of men's tennis. A perennial top ten player who can't quite compete with today's versatile, all-court players. And yet looking at Roddick's record the past five years, he has been one of the most consistent players on tour. Yet it seems there is a lack of respect from media and tennis fans alike that such a record would normally command.
Looking at his Grand Slam record it's true that Andy Roddick hasn't exactly lit the record books since his professional tennis debut in 2000. The US Open title in 2003 is his lone Grand Slam title. That puts him in the same company as Thomas Johansson, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Juan-Carlos Ferrero and Goran Ivanisevic. All one hit wonders. I'm not trying to say that Roddick is on par with these players, or that he won't at some point perhaps win another slam. Surely if it were not for Roger Federer, Roddick would own a couple of Wimbledon titles and another US Open as well. How many players has Federer denied reaching greater heights?
Roddick's record over the past five years grants him the status as one of the best players of his generation. Have a look at the following win/loss stats and it is hard to argue with that statement. His Slam record other than his one win, includes 3 finals, 4 semi finals, and 4 quarter final appearances. He has also qualified in the season ending Masters tournament each year during that span.
2003: 69-16
2004: 63-14
2005: 56-15
2006: 42-15
2007: 46-14
His wins have diminished over the years, but he is also playing less tournaments than he used to. More importantly he has had to deal with the growing threat of an emerging group of younger tennis players who have come out to play. His steady play has been overshadowed by the recent emergence of Nadal (3 grand slams, age 21) and Djokovic (1 grand slam, age 20). He even gets upstaged by whoever has had the most recent momentary surge such as Jo-Wilfred Tsonga for example.
This past week in Dubai, Roddick certainly reclaimed the spotlight. Not only did he hold serve the entire tournament, but he successfully defeated both Nadal and Djokovic which must have felt incredibly satisfying. Both were straight set victories leaving no doubt that Roddick was in control of the match. He had never before defeated Djokovic, and had not beaten Nadal since 2004 when Nadal was still a kid. Despite amicably parting ways with coach Jimmy Connors, he has made it known that he is ready to contend for a Grand Slam again and will be looking to build on these victories at the upcoming Masters Series hard court events in the US. After years of everyone asking what's wrong with Andy Roddick, it's nice to pause for a moment and examine what's right.
March 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Will Sampras Return???
.When Pete Sampras defeated Andre Agassi in the finals of the 2002 US Open, the retirement debate began almost immediately. Will Pete go out on top or will he continue to add to the record breaking legacy he had created? While that decision took a year to officially sort out, I've always wondered if Pete did the right thing. Sure, he had been struggling that last year on tour. His motivation did not seem to be as high. Getting knocked out at Wimbledon in the second round that year was a major shock for the tennis world. And yet his run during those two weeks at Flushing Meadows certainly showed he had what it took to continue at a high level. During that time he knocked off his young heir apparent Andy Roddick, and perhaps his greatest rival of all time in Agassi.
But Sampras opted to go out a champion, and nobody could fault him for that. He had a young family to spend time with. His 32 year old body was taking a beating after so many years on the tour, and after tasting success at almost every possible major venue he felt it was time to call it a career. Many wondered if Sampras would be content in retirement. I would not have been surprised if a year or two later he decided to come back while still young enough to compete at a high level. Maybe he could have put away another Wimbledon or two before Roger Federer truly hit his stride. Instead not a whisper was heard from Sampras. He kept to himself while spending time with his family and practicing his game on the golf course, not the tennis court.
Almost five years would pass before the world would again see Pistol Pete on a tennis court. It started very simply, with an exhibition match against young American Robby Ginepri on April 6, 2006. Sampras could have decided to take on a fellow retiree such as Jim Courier or John McEnroe. Instead he chose to test himself against a current professional. An interesting choice no doubt. While Ginepri would take the exhibition 6-3, 7-6, Sampras must have been content in his showing after such a long layoff and against a much younger opponent.
Talk turned quite quickly to the prospect of a Sampras/Federer clash of the ages. While that would not materialize for sometime, Sampras did try his hand at World Team Tennis and some events on the Outback Champions Series, a senior level tour. Many remarked that Sampras still had some serious skills on the court, with John McEnroe even stating he felt Sampras could be a top five threat on the lawns of Wimbledon.
Fast forward to the fall of 2007. Talk of a Sampras/Federer exhibition matchup came to fruition with a three match tour of Asia between the two. Sampras had been practicing quite heavily leading up to the encounters. While Federer was coming off the Tennis Masters Cup and a long season of tennis on top of that, he was still the clear overwhelming favourite. Federer also does not strike me as the type of competitor to simply go through the motions in order to entertain the crowd. I have no doubt that he was eager to show his ability to defeat Sampras, whom he is trying to catch in the overall Grand Slam race.
The result of all three matches was quite close. Federer took the opening encounter 6-4, 6-3 in Seoul, Korea. Two days later the score was even closer, as Federer again won in staight sets 7-6, 7-6. The last match of the series was the most remarkable, with Sampras actually winning in two straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. Clearly his serve and volley game was something that gave Federer somewhat of a challenge. The fact that a 36 year old Pete Sampras was even able to make these matches close against the 26 year old Roger Federer was incredible. Sampras must have left the Orient feeling pretty happy with his accomplishments. Might he also have been wondering about how he would fare against some of the other top ATP players of today? Part of him had to have at least for a fleeting moment considered how he might hold up against todays players in a real tournament scenario.
Here we are now at the start of the 2008 season. Instead of taking a break from his recent exhibition revival, Sampras is scheduled to play Marat Safin in just over a week's time at the SAP Open in San Jose. Again testing himself against a current player, what does Sampras hope to achieve with this match, or other future matches against today's players? Is he trying to see if he can defeat another one of today's big names? Trying to see whether his encounter with Federer at the end of a long season was just a fluke?
Another exhibition match against Federer looms in March at Madision Square Gardens in New York City. A good opportunity for Sampras to take on the current number one on his home soil. Where does he go from there? Why is he continuing to play against today's players and not his contemporaries who still dabble in the sport on the senior tour?
The only realistic and reasonable answer in my opnion is that Sampras is systematically gearing himself up for a return to the ATP tour. Not a full return, and perhaps not even a limited schedule, but certainly he is trying to gauge his response to today's challengers. The thought has to be planted in his head, and further nourished by his recent success against Federer. I would not be the least bit surprised if Sampras asked for, and was granted, a wild card at the Queen's Club tournament in June in order to prepare for his ultimate goal, a return to the All-England club at Wimbledon. While he may be in tough against a Federer or Djokovic, he could still give just about anyone else a good run for their money on his favourite surface. Keeping his age and fitness level in mind, he would have to try to limit his matches to three or four sets and avoid a long, drawn out five setter. But with his booming serve still in order, and his net game tuned up, he would still be able to make it to the last sixteen I'm sure.
There's something more than just a desire to stay fit and have fun with today's crop of players at work here. While no official word has been given to indicate this is what Sampras has in mind, don't be surprised if we see Pistol Pete one more time on Centre Court at Wimbledon this summer. Tennis fans of all ages and backgrounds would certainly be in for a treat if this ever were to happen.
February 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Week Ahead
Now that the first round of the Davis Cup has come to an end, it is time to resume the lead up to two Masters Series tournaments on the hard courts of the United States in the middle of March. Each week from now until then, we will see on average two hard court tournies played along with one on clay court. Gotta keep those clay court specialists busy too! Here's who to look out for this week on tour.
Marseille, France
Injuries or illness among the contenders in this field will have a major impact on who comes out on top. Number one seed Novak Djokovic would be the heavy favourite except for the fact he didn't even make it through his Davis Cup rubber against Russia last week due to a stomach virus. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't yet ready for tournament play. Andy Murray is also in the top half of the draw, but questions of his health are also present. He did not even suit up for Great Britian in their tie versus Argentina in the Davis Cup.
The bottom half of the draw includes an interesting potential matchup between Marcos Baghdatis and Mikhail Youzhny. An all-French quarter final matchup could also involve Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Richard Gasquet in a rematch of their Aussie Open fourth round. Two names lurking in this section of the draw who are returning after a long layoff are Mario Ancic and Robin Soderling. Lookout for either of these two to cause some 'upsets'.
Final: Murray vs Youzhny
Delray Beach, United States
Not too much to get excited about in this hard court tuneup. James Blake goes in as the heavy favourite in the top half. Also lurking around are Americans Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri. I wouldn't bank on either of these two, especially Ginepri whose game has gone south since the US Open in 2005.
The bottom half of the draw has over the hill Vince Spadea perhaps meeting under the hill Sam Querrey. Back from injury is German Tommy Haas, who I would call the tournament favourite if healthy. Belgian Xavier Malisse should also be tough if he's feeling healthy. And don't forget the future of American tennis, Donald Young who is also testing the waters in Delray Beach.
Final: Blake vs Haas
Costa do Sauipe, Brazil
Ok, for all your clay-courters out there we have some tennis on the red dirt this week as well. The usual suspects will be out in full force in Brazil this week. Top half includes Carlos Moya who I'm sure is looking for a good result to get him going. Also Jose Acasuso and Augustin Calleri are up here. In the bottom half, there are some less impressive names like Montanes and Starace. Be on the lookout for Gustavo Kuerten's foray into the game again on his farewell tour. Also some bigger names like Volandri and Almagro are to be wreckoned with. And I'll throw this name in as well, although expectations are non-existant...Guillermo Coria.
Final: Acasuso vs Almagro
February 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Davis Cup Anyone?
Time again for the least popular event in tennis. I'm not talking about John McEnroe still trying to argue his way to victory on the senior tour or players we've never heard of playing mixed doubles, I'm talking about the Davis Cup folks. Somebody please explain to me the logic behind this age old international competition that hardly anyone seems to care about.
Players are always talking about how long the tennis season is, and I'd have to agree with them. From the beginning of January right up until the middle of November these guys are battling it out accross the globe. What other professional sport has its players travelling accross the world at such a hectic pace? Some guys even play through December in smaller level challenger events in order to stay on top of their game. While that may be their perogative, it still does not diminish the year-round committment to the sport that they must demonstrate. Then when there are gaps in the demanding schedule, the ITF feels compelled to throw in the Davis Cup. How about some vacation time???
The Davis Cup is not a mandatory event which means that it is up to the individual player whether he wants to compete or not. I'm willing to bet that some countries make it pretty tough for their players to turn down a request. There is also an element of pride involved that I'm sure motivates the players to represent their countries, and I'm certainly not knocking that aspect. But if you're going to put on an event of this magnitude, at least promote the Davis Cup with a little more accessibility and understanding for the fans and find a schedule and setup that is functional with the rest of the tennis calendar. Make this thing worthwhile!
Looking at the official website for the ATP tour (www.atptennis.com) one can't even find a link to the Davis Cup website (www.daviscup.org) or any information about the history of this event or its supposed importance. The marketing guru's for the tour are clearly working overtime on this one.
One last head-scratching aspect of the Davis Cup is how it is still played during Olympic years such as this one. How many international competitions are really needed in one season? Instead of playing Davis Cup, let's build some hype around the Olympics. Again, I see no mention of Olympic involvement on the ATP website.
For the record, round one of the World Group commences February 8th and has the defending champion United States taking on tennis power-house Austria. I can sense the anticipation already building!
February 1, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Joachim Johansson Retires
Due to ongoing shoulder problems, big-serving Swede Joachim Johansson has announced his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 25. Apparently surgery was no longer a solution for this problem that prevents Johansson from being able to compete on a regular basis. It is really a shame to see him forced out of the game at such a young age and with so much potential. I always felt like he had the talent to become a top five player. His 51 ace ATP tour record in a match against Andre Agassi at the Aussie Open in 2005 is one I will always remember. Here is a link to the post-match press conference with Agassi where he talks about the record-setting barrage:
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=23884
Here is the link to the official retirement notice on the ATP website:
http://www.atptennis.com/1/en/2008news/jjohansson_retires.asp
Best of luck in all your future endeavours Pim-Pim!
February 1, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Coria and Gaudio Ousted in Chile
Tough times for these two former clay court wizards. Gaudio's comments in this article below make it seem like retirement is a real possibility for him. It's amazing how much confidence is a factor with these guys.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=ap-vinadelmar&prov=ap&type=lgns
January 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Preview Vina del Mar, Chile
Time for the first clay court tournament of the year. Anyone not intending on being a serious contender at the two hard court Masters tournaments in March is welcome to show up. There is a real division on tour between those players who excel on hard courts versus those who excel on the clay courts. There are very few players who can do both. Here is a breakdown of what we can expect in this week's tournament in Chile.
Top Half:
The home town favourite and number one seed Fernando Gonzalez will be hard pressed to taste success this week. He has won here before (2002 and 2004), and reached the final in 2005. But Gonzo has been so erratic the past couple of year's that it is really hard predict when he will reach that kind of success again. He won one clay court Masters event in Rome a year ago, so the possibility does exist for some victories on the dirt. This is a good opportunity on home soil to turn around his shaky play of late and build some confidence for 2008.
My favourite to come through to the semi's with Gonzo is Jose Acasuso. He won the event in 2006 and is always a threat on clay. A wild card pick in this section of the draw would be former French Open finalist Guillermo Coria. We haven't heard his name in the news in quite some time, yet he was just a couple of years ago one of the top clay court players on tour. With only two matches under his belt in 2007 (both losses) our expectations are low for Coria. Still, it will be interesting to see if he can resurect his career. He won this very tournament himself back in 2001.
Bottom Half:
My money is on Juan Monaco to prevail in this section of the draw. Not as many serious clay court foes lurking in the bottom half. He was the winner of three clay court titles in 2007 and certainly has the confidence and experience in this type of setting to have some success. A far-fetched wild card pick in this section of the draw would be Gaston Gaudio. You would think a player of his experience would have a good chance in a weaker draw such as this, however over the past year Gaudio has proven to be a complete disaster on any surface. I expect him to go down in straight sets in the first round given his recent adventures on the challenger circuit. Still, the talent is there somewhere.
January 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Future for Djokovic/Federer
The first Grand Slam tournament of the year is over and Novak Djokovic has now joined the elite group of tennis players to call themselves a Grand Slam champion. He did so in impressive fashion, only dropping one set (in the final) the whole tournament.
His semi final win over Roger Federer in straight sets has caused everyone to at least wonder if Roger's dominance is in serious jeopardy. Is this a sign that Federer might have a little more resistance in surpassing the Grand Slam record held by Pete Sampras or could it signal something even bigger - that he may not be able to do it at all?
Is Djokovic the one who is ready to begin a torrid assault on the record books? Already the youngest male player of all time to reach the semi finals of each Grand Slam tournament, Djokovic is clearly a dangerous threat on all surfaces.While Rafa Nadal is the best clay court players out there, he has shown vulnerability on hard courts and with injuries. Perhaps Djokovic is going to be Federer's greatest rival moving forward. The biggest obstacle towards his breaking the Sampras legacy comes from Serbia at the moment.
Federer was 21 years old (almost 22) when he won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003. Djokovic is 20 years old winning his first here at the Australian Open. Federer was 23 by the time he had reached the semi finals of all the Slams. Djokovic has accomplished this by the age of 20.
It will be interesting to see how Roger reacts to this performance. The two hard court masters tournaments in March should be a good indicator if this Australian Open signals a power struggle for Federer or a complete shift in the balance at the top of the men's game. Will Roger get a taste of his own medicine from Djokovic? Will he be able to handle playing second fiddle? If he loses to Djokovic again on hard courts and in such convincing fashion, how will he react? I personally feel that Roger stil has a very strong chance of beating the Sampras record. It certainly seems as if it may take a little longer than expected however. Adding Djokovic to the Federer/Nadal mix is going to be a real treat to watch this year. How do you think it will unfold?
Let the debate begin!
January 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Semi Final Preview
Down to the final four at the Aussie Open and here is a little preview of the matchups. Federer/Djokovic is going to be a blockbuster, and thus far Federer has a 5-1 career head-to-head versus the younger Serb. I'd give a 50/50 chance here to either player. Djokovic has looked so dominant this past week and a half without losing a set. Federer came so close to being bounced in the 3rd round, but has looked pretty strong himself since then. A five setter should would be a treat from these two.
Nadal/Tsonga is more of a mystery, simply because nobody expected Tsonga to make it this far. Nadal leads their career head-to-hear 1-0, and that lone victory came at the US Open last August. The way Tsonga has been playing it's hard to really predict the outcome of this matchup, although Nadal goes in as the favourite. Nerves may get to Tsonga, never having been this far in a major before.
I'll post again before the finals.
January 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Challenger News of Interest
While everyone in the tennis world had their eyes on the Australian Open last week, there were in fact other tournaments going on as well. At the Challenger level, two players who have tasted levels of success at Roland Garros both went down in defeat.
French Open champ from 2004, Gaston Gaudio got knocked out of the first round of a green clay tournament in Miami, 6-0, 6-3 to 18 year old Kei Nishikori of Japan. Last year was absolutely dismal for Gaudio, but losing to a kid with a 3-5 lifetime record on tour must be a sign the end if near.
French Open finalist from 2005, Mariano Puerta also was beaten in the first round of a small clay court tournament in Chile last week. He went down 6-1, 6-4 to Eduardo Schwank.
It's hard to believe that two guys who were playing in the year-end Tennis Master Cup merely two years ago, can't even win the opening round of a challenger event now. Time to call it a day perhaps.
January 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Australian Open - Halfway Report
Here we are at the half way point of the season's first Grand Slam, and there have been several moments worth reflecting on. So in no particular order, here are some thoughts and observations.
Most years I find the Aussie Open to be relatively free of major upsets, with the favourites making it to the final eight. This year Andy Roddick lost in the 3rd round to Philipp Kohlschreiber in a marathon match of five sets. I don't think anyone could have seen this result coming, and it was unfortunate for Roddick as he had a nice draw going for him. Kohlschreiber had never before taken a set off Roddick, and had in fact lost to him at this very tournament three years ago. This is a tournament that is made for Roddick's aggressive hard court game. In seven attempts down under, Roddick has made three semi-finals, and one quarter final. This year I was certain he would reach the semi's and gave him a decent shot of beating Rafa Nadal to attain his first final. Look for Roddick to regroup and emerge hungry for some wins on the upcoming hard court circuit in the US.
Now to focus on a the emergence of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a fast rising player from France. Had a decent run at his first tourney of the year in Adelaide by making the semi finals. Still I gave the edge in his first round encounter here to Andy Murray, who I was expecting a big showing from. Instead he took out Murray and has just beaten Richard Gasquet rather handily to reach his first Grand Slam quarter final. This is a major breakout for the young Frenchman, and I like his chances in the next round against Mikhail Youzhny. He could be this year's Novak Djokovic I suppose. While looking at his results from 2007, I noticed he put together a very solid run on the challenger circuit, winning three hard court titles in a row at one point. By the looks of it he could very well transfer that success to the big league!
The top half of the draw has gone more according to form. The big clash will arrive in the semi's here if Federer and Djokovic advance as predicted. Roger's big moment thus far came earlier than expected however, with his five set win against Janko Tipsarevic. That match could have easily gone the wrong way for Federer, and resulted in a big pay day for some risky gamblers out there too. What a headline that would have made! Federer prevailed in a tight fifth set, 10-8 against the upstart Serb. In his post match comments, Roger admitted that he needs some matches like that to keep him in check. Not very often this guy gets pushed to five sets, and especially so in the 3rd round of a tournament. The last time Roger was pushed in an early round of a Slam was back in Spring 2004 at Roland Garros where he lost in straight sets to Gustavo Kuerten.
Heroes:
Roger Federer - overwhelming favourite encounters some adversity and shows that he's able to battle through it.
James Blake - fights back from down two sets to one for the first time in his career.
Novak Djokovic - Breezes through first four rounds of the tourney...lookout Roger!
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - Youngster serves notices of his arrival by beating Murray, Gasquet in early rounds.
Fabrice Santoro - Sets record with 62nd Grand Slam appearance.
Zeroes:
Ivan Ljubicic - No longer a threat on tour. Grand Slam record is brutal.
David Nalbandian - Losing to JC Ferrero 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 indicative of a lack of effort.
Andy Roddick - Not for losing a tough match, but for his lack of respect towards officials and fans.
Missed Seeing Ya:
Joachim Johansson, Guillermo Canas, Tommy Haas
January 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Men's Australian Open Preview
It's hard to believe but the first Grand Slam of the year is already upon us. It wasn't that long ago that everyone's favourite Terracotta Warriors were battling it out in Shanghai to close out the 2007 ATP season. That tournament ended with Roger Federer putting an exlamation mark on his fantasic campaign, with a straight sets victory over David Ferrer. Federer is undoubtedly the favourite heading into Melbourne, although he has yet to test himself in battle this season due to flu-like symptoms. If the defending champ is not feeling his best, there may be an opening for someone else to come up big. Let's look at some names to watchout for.
Top Half:
In the top half of the draw there are plenty of big hard court players lurking. Federer's path to the semi's seems rather clear, but there are some other interesting potential matchups. James Blake and Ivan Ljubicic could clash in round three with the winner prehaps moving on to face Fernando Gonzalez. Gonzo started 2007 off on fire in Australia, but the rest of the season he did not look like the same player and finished with a whimper. He could be tested early by Aussie Chris Guccione in round two. Further down in the top half of the draw we have an enticing third round battle between Dmirtry Tursunov and Novak Djokovic as a possibility. The winner likely to face either Hewitt or Safin. Also in this section is David Nalbandian and David Ferrer. Which Nalbandian are we likely to see in action at this stage of the season? He finished 2007 as the hottest player on tour, but was barely noticeable for the first eight months of the year.
Bottom Half:
Not as many early round matchups of note in this section of the draw. It looks like Andy Murray should be able to move through his first few rounds to reach the quarterfinals. Tsonga may give him a tough set in the opening round however. Either Russian Mikhail Youzhny or Nikolay Davydenko should likely meet Murray in the quarters. One player I expect a very strong tourney from is American Andy Roddick. He started very well in the Kooyong Classic last week, and doesn't appear to have any true opposition en route to the quarters. Rafa Nadal should be his potential opponent at that stage, as he also has gained an easy draw.
First Round Matches of Note:
Isner/Santoro: One of the hardest servers in the game in Isner should contrast greatly with Santoro's spins and drop shots.
Tursunov/Malisse: Two solid players meeting up in early round action. A five setter would not be a surprise.
Johansson/Baghdatis: Upset written all over this matchup. The experienced Swede could prove to be too much for Baghdatis.
Nieminen/Dancevic: Gotta give props to my fellow Canadian Frank Dancevic here. Nieminen holds the advantage 4-0 in career meetings, but I like Frank's chances in a best of five hardcourt matchup.
Sleepers: Lookout for any of the following players to make an impact.
- Chris Guccione: local boy is fresh off the finals in Sydney
- Marat Safin: first round defeat as likely as a return to the finals
- Nicolas Kiefer: if healthy, a trip to the quarters would be no surprise
Final Eight:
Federer vs Blake
Djokovic vs Nalbandian
Murray vs Davydenko
Roddick vs Nadal
Final: Federer d Murray
January 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Week 2 Recap
Here's a quick recap of the second week on tour. It's hard to believe that after just a couple of short weeks we are already on the brink of the year's first Grand Slam!
Sydney:
Sydney was the recipient of the strongest field out of the two official ATP tournaments this past week and yet somehow none of the major names advanced very far. James Blake was beaten for the first time by Fabrice Santoro (aka The Magician) in the first round and Lleyton Hewitt went down to fellow Aussie Chris Guccione in round two.
Guccione, whose career record now stands at 25-31, made quite a run on home soil before falling in two close sets to Russian Dmitry Tursunov. Guccione seems to save his best for tournaments in his native Australia. It was only a year ago that he managed to make the finals in Adelaide. This week he knocked off some major names in Hewitt, Berdych and Stepanek.
Tursunov recorded some impressive victories this week himself, and after defeating Gasquet, Grosjean, and Santoro in consecutive matches, will likely not be receiving an invitation to France anytime soon. The Russian is heading into the Aussie Open with a full head of steam.
Auckland:
Not as many big names in attendance for this tournament, and the final of Kohlschreiber vs Ferrero is not likely one we'll see repeated in two weeks time. Both of these players will be happy to take the points home with them, but I don't see either one being a force on the bigger stage of Melbourne. A good week for Kohlschreiber as he takes his second career title, and first one on hard courts. I enjoyed the picture of both finalists holding mini-kegs from tournament sponsor Heineken! The only surprise in this tournament was David Ferrer falling to Julien Benneteau in the third round.
Kooyong Classic:
While not an official ATP tournament, the Kooyong Classic is an annual exhibition that occurs just before the Aussie Open. It typically has a strong field of eight players participating, and this year was no exception. Andy Roddick, Marcos Baghdatis, Ivan Ljubicic, Andy Murray, and Marat Safin were all involved in the 2008 edition. Roddick won the event for the third time in a row and did not drop a set all week. Of note was Fernando Gonzalez losing both of his final two matches handily to Baghdatis and Safin. Which Gonzo will we see in Melbourne this year? For more info on the Kooyong Classic, see the tournament website (http://www.kooyong.com.au/)
And now on to the Aussie Open!
January 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Week 1 Recap
Happy New Year everyone, we are back in action on the courts! Here is a quick recap of the tournaments that we saw in week one.
Adelaide:
Considering how the Aussie Open is fast approaching, this tournament is a good starting point in my opinion for those willing to make a serious commitment towards the first slam of the year. Get down under early and get adjusted to the heat of the Aussie summer.
A surprise final between Nieminen and Llodra is what we got this year. I was impressed with how the Frenchman completed the tournament without dropping a set. Not bad for someone not usually noticed on the singles radar screen. The match of note for me in this tourney would be Tsonga taking out Hewitt. I feel that Tsonga is ready to have an impact year, and this win could be a big confidence boost for him.
Qatar:
Andy Murray starts 2008 strong with a win in the tournament with the biggest prize money available in the first week of the ATP schedule. Starting the season healthy will be a major improvement for Murray over his previous year. I expect him to challenge for top five in the rankings if he can avoid the injury bug. Speaking of which, I'm sure I wasn't the only one dissapointed to see Nick Kiefer pull out of the 2nd round with another injury. He's had a tough go the past few years and this is certainly not a good start for him in 2008.
Chennai:
Youzhny manages to pull his career head to head with Nadal to a respectable 4-6 record with his 6-0, 6-1 thumping of the young Spaniard in the final here. I don't know if Rafa was battling an illness or simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but this result was not expected at all. Also of note, was another solid start to the year for Carlos Moya by reaching the semi finals. Nadal's mentor always seems to have a strong performance here in India.
On to week two!
January 8, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pro Tennis Fan 2008
Well the 2007 tennis season is now officially over with the conclusion of the David Cup Finals. I wasn't really that surprised that the US won, considering the strange matchups the Russian coaches put on the court. Not using Davydenko for singles, and then the doubles matchup they put out there did not make any sense to me.
Anyhow, I will be trying to post more regularly in 2008. I lost some motivation after the US Open ended. Any suggestions for the upcoming season would be appreciated! Should be an exciting year with Federer poised to challenge Sampras' all time Grand Slam record!
December 6, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Davydenko Fined for Not Trying
A bit of a copout. Somehow I don't think this is the match the ATP is really upset about. If you think he's in bed with gamblers, charge him with that. If not...this is kind of silly.
Then again, I didn't see the match.
From Reuters: Davydenko says warning for not trying 'outrageous'
World No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko has been fined $2,000 for not trying hard enough during his upset loss to Croatian qualifier Marin Cilic at the St. Petersburg Open on Thursday...
The top seed played near-flawless tennis in the first set against the 102nd-ranked Cilic but then started making numerous errors and committed 10 double faults in the last two sets. Cilic won 1-6, 7-5, 6-1.
He was warned by Belgian umpire Jean-Philippe Dercq in the final set for not trying hard enough.
"I double-faulted to lose a game in the third set and he gave me a warning saying I was trying to lose on purpose," Davydenko told reporters after the match.
"I was simply shocked to hear him say that. This is just outrageous. How does he know what I was trying to do? I was so upset with the whole thing I started crying."
Continue reading "Davydenko Fined for Not Trying"
October 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tennis Masters Madrid
Sorry for the two month layoff, but to be honest I have a real hard time getting excited for the early fall tournaments. I always feel like the end of the US Open is the end of the "real" tennis season. And yet here we are with one of two remaining masters level tournaments and I suppose it is time to take notice once again.
Other than Roddick and Hewitt (injuries), all the top guys are here. Although I heard Davydenko was having some wrist problems in the finals of Moscow this past week. He may pull out, although I think we've all learned never to bet against this guy! Or wait, maybe we should be betting against him actually.
I'm sure if things hold true to form, we'll get a Djokovic/Federer final. Any upset predictions here?
Here's a link to Nina Rota's predictions for the week.
Masters Madrid - Fantasy Predictions
October 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Davydenko First to Semi's
Boy does this guy show up for Slams or what? Granted he had an easy draw, but even so he demolished Haas today and even that surprised me a bit.
September 5, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Serena Williams Interview Transcript
For all of you to read and comment on.
September 5, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Serena Williams - Classless?
Looks like Serena's post match interview last night did not sit so well with members of the media. I read the transcript and agree it was poor sportsmanship for sure. But it did not in the least bit surprise me. I've seen that from Serena before, so it's old news. Some athletes are so full of self-confidence that it translates into cockiness as is the case here with Serena. In hockey one of my favourite players growing up, Patrick Roy, was very similar. It's part of their persona and I think that is part of what makes them great players....that they truly believe they are great. That only a poor performance on their part will allow the other player or team to achieve victory.
I think the media is blowing this one out of proportion. Yes Serena was a poor loser, but that cocky attiude is part of her personality, part of her game, and I don't think we should expect it to change.
Serena Williams Post Match Inverview Reaction
September 5, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Quarter Finalists Set
Down to the final 8 already at the US Open on the men's side. I went 5 for 8 with my fantasy tennis pics, chosing correctly with Federer, Roddick, Davydenko, Djokovic and Ferrer (my wildcard). Went wrong with Blake, Gonzalez and Youzhny. In hindsight I really wouldn't have made any changes. I had contemplated taking Moya, but figured a younger player would outlast him in a best of five. I thought Chela could be an upset pick in his quarter with bigger names like Gonzo, Safin and Ljubicic all struggling. Problem is, I've never been impressed with Chela's game. I knew I could have flipped a coin with Haas/Blake, but thought James was coming in so strong that he should have momentum on his side. Well he had his chances, with three match points. I didn't go with Nadal just because ever since I saw him live in Montreal last month he just did not look 100%. Far from it in fact. Think the kid should take some time off to heal up properly. I don't see Nadal having a long career like an Agassi the way he plays. Too rough on his body.
Looking forward to Roddick/Federer tonight, although it would be a major upset should Andy find a way to win. Haas and Davydenko could be another five set gem, although I think the Russian is probably much more rested than the German and should pull through in four. Djokovic will take care of Moya in my opinion, despite the fact he was bounced by Moya in Cincy last month. I'm taking Ferrer over Chela, and easily at that. This guys has quietly built himself quite a season on both clay and hard courts. Very impressed with him lately.
I'd love to hear how everyone else has done with their fantasy pics at the Open. Leave a message!
September 5, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)
