Mrs. Roddick Graces Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover
Andy Roddick's wife, Brooklyn Decker, has been chosen for the prestigious cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition for 2010.
For more from Decker in this year's issue, check out Sports Illustrated's website.
February 10, 2010 in Andy Murray | Permalink | Comments (0)
Verdasco Defeats Sampras in San Jose
A 38 year old Pete Sampras fell to Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6(2) during an exhibition match on opening night at the SAP Open in San Jose on Monday night.
Feeling his age, the fourteen time Grand Slam champion admitted it was tough to keep up with the 26 year old Verdasco.
"I felt a little old," Sampras said. "I tried. At times it wasn't all that competitive."
For a full report, check out the following article by Janie McCauley of the Associated Press.
February 9, 2010 in Fernando Verdasco, Pete Sampras | Permalink | Comments (0)
Andy Roddick and Drew Brees - Childhood Tennis Competitors
Here's an article from 2006 detailing the friendship and tennis rivalry between Andy Roddick and newly crowned Super Bowl Champion Drew Brees.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune: Top U.S. player glad Drew chose football
They were two Texas tykes on an Austin tennis court. The little shaver with the sound strokes, even at the age of 8 or 9, was Andy Roddick. The other kid did not have Roddick's grounding in tennis fundamentals, but how he would compete!
“I remember the most annoying thing was that Drew played about twice a week,” Roddick said. “I was hard-core; I was playing every day, every weekend. I could never beat the guy.”
Which is not how Brees remembers it. The Chargers quarterback said when he was opposing Roddick, who was three years his junior, he always was aware that one day, the little guy across the net would beat him. Finally, as Brees recalls, he did.
When Roddick was playing Brees, it has to be remembered that he was “playing up,” as the phrase has it, competing against older players. A third notable on those courts at that time was Chris Mihm, who would grow up, way up, to become the 7-foot center of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Mihm was 6-foot-6 starting in the sixth grade,” Brees said...
Roddick, a Nebraska native who lived in Austin from the ages of 4 to 10, said he had lost track of his one-time tennis antagonist until one day he clicked on a television set to a Purdue game. “And there is Drew,” he said. “I remember that guy. He's throwing touchdown passes instead of hitting balls by me.”
Roddick was asked whether if Brees focused more fully on tennis, could he have had a future in the game at the level Roddick currently occupies. “It's impossible to tell when a guy is 12 years old,” Roddick said.
At 8 or 9, Roddick, as Brees remembers him, had the same confident attitude that has served him in his advance to tennis' pinnacle. This served to whet Brees' zeal for competition.
“But every time I played him, he got better and better,” Brees said. “There are three guys from that time I remember, and I remember him the most.”
Brees said he might attend this weekend's Davis Cup match. Meantime, he had a message for America's ranking player.
“Tell him I want him to serve some balls at me,” Brees said. “I want to see if I can return them.”
February 8, 2010 in Andy Roddick | Permalink | Comments (3)
Around The Corner
By Mike McIntyre
Now that they've had some time to recover from a fantastic Grand Slam in Australia that saw Roger Federer confirm his dominance in the men's game, many big-name players will make their return to the court. Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko are all back in action. Here's a closer look at the three tournaments we have around the corner this week.
SAP Open - San Jose, CaliforniaOf the three tournaments this week, the SAP Open has by far the biggest drawing card on day one by showcasing an exhibition match between Fernando Verdasco and fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras. The 38 year old Sampras will face the 12th ranked Verdasco on Monday. Sampras has faired well in the past couple of years with exhibition matches against Roger Federer, Tommy Haas and Andre Agassi.
“When you play a current player that's a really good player like Fernando, it's not going to be easy for me,” admitted Sampras, “I kind of have to get to work here a little bit and hopefully play well. I've seen him playing quite a bit over the last few years, and he's got a big game and he's one of top players in the world. He serves well, huge forehand. It's gonna be a competitive match. That's what I'm hoping for.”
As for the actual tournament itself, look for Andy Roddick, seeded first, to have a successful event. Roddick won the event in 2004, 2005 and 2008. If his shoulder is healed up he is the clear favorite and has already won a title in 2010. Tomas Berdych is the only threat in his section of the draw, and he has dismissed the Czech player once already this year.
Defending champion Radek Stepanek opens the tournament with a tough match against Xavier Malisse, while Taylor Dent and Sam Querrey could possibly face each other in an all-American second round match to look forward to. In the bottom half of the draw veteran Tommy Haas will be someone to watch, along with Verdasco.
One interesting note from the qualifying draw in San Jose was the appearance of American Jan-Michael Gambill who received a wildcard in order to participate. You know your career is in limbo when you require a wildcard to get into the qualies. Gambill won his opening match before falling to Giovanni Lapentti in the second round. His name has surfaced very rarely the past few years on the challenger circuit and at the age of 32 and currently ranked 833rd in the world, I think it's safe to say Gambill's professional career is pretty much done.
ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament - Rotterdam, The NetherlandsWith a prize-purse twice the size of the other two events this week, Rotterdam has several quality players represented in the field. The tournament is guaranteed a new champion in 2010, as Andy Murray is not present to attempt to defend his title. The hard-court event features Novak Djokovic as the number one seed and he opens against Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round.
Gael Monfils and Mikhail Youzhny (the champion in 2007) are also in the top-half of the draw and will challenge Djokovic for a spot in the finals.
In the bottom section Russian Nikolay Davydenko is seeded number two and will look to continue his early season success. After admittedly choking against Federer at the Aussie Open, Davydenko should fare better now that he's playing a smaller level tourney. In the second round he will face the winner of an intriguing opening round match between Marcos Baghdatis and James Blake - both who are unseeded. Interestingly enough, the two have never faced each other before.
Brasil Open - Costa do Sauipe, Brazil
Brazil hosts the only clay-court tournament this week and is also without its defending champion, as Tommy Robredo has elected to play in Rotterdam instead.
Former French Open champion Juan-Carlos Ferrero is seeded first in the draw and could face-off against Richard Gasquet in the quarter-finals.
Albert Montanes is seeded second while hometown favorite and a finalist here a year ago, Thomaz Bellucci is seeded third.
February 7, 2010 in Andy Roddick, Gael Monfils, James Blake, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marcos Baghdatis, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Radek Stepanek, Richard Gasquet, Robin Soderling, Sam Querrey, Tomas Berdych | Permalink | Comments (0)
Quick Hits
By Mike McIntyre
Just a quick post to bring you up to speed on a few developments since the end of the Australian Open. The ATP and WTA Tours will now proceed with some smaller level tournaments on both hard and clay courts. March will showcase the two Masters Series hard-court tournaments in the United States before the official clay-court season is upon us and with it the road to the French Open in May. Until then, check back regularly for any exciting developments on the men's and women's game that you will not want to miss.
Lleyton Hewitt Injured:
Just when Lleyton Hewitt was rounding into top-twenty form, he has been hit by another injury. Hewitt had surgery on his right hip following his straight sets loss to Roger Federer in the fourth round in Melbourne. The injury was sustained during the Hopman Cup in January and is similar to the one on his left hip that kept him out of contention for much of 2008. Hewitt says he plans on coming back to the tour as quickly as he can and estimates that will be somewhere around the French Open.
For more info check out his official press conference transcript where he reported the news.
Ivan Lendl Exhibition:
Since retiring from the tour in 1994, Ivan Lendl has managed to stay away from playing any tennis exhibitions, instead choosing to focus on his golf game. That will change on April 10th as he plays former rival Mats Wilander at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The event will be called the Ceaser's Tennis Classic and will be the first in a new annual tradition. Some of the proceeds will be used to help the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education group.
Also playing during the event will be Andy Roddick against recently retired Marat Safin. That's the same Marat Safin who said we would never see him play in such exhibition events after his professional career ended.
David Nalbandian:
Speaking of hip surgery, after being out since May 2009 with an injury to his hip, David Nalbandian is looking ready to return to the tour on clay in Buenos Aires in two weeks. Nalbandian was aiming for a return at the Australian Open, but suffered an abdominal injury while practicing. While his ranking is officially 140th in the world, Nalbandian should have a higher protected ranking when he returns from his injury.
Ranking Movements:
The most noticeable change is Novak Djokovic overtaking Rafael Nadal as the number two player in the world. Nadal has dropped to the number four position after failing to defend the ranking points he earned winning in Australia a year ago.
Youngster Marin Cilic moves up four spots into the tenth position after his first ever Grand Slam semi-final appearance in Melbourne.
This Week on Tour:
In Chile we have the Movistar Open on clay with Fernando Gonzalez as the number one seed and Juan Monaco as the number two. Not too many other names worth noting at this one, except perhaps Jose Acasuso who is always a threat on clay.
Zagreb, Croatia hosts a hard court tournament with Marin Cilic as the top dog. Ivo Karlovic also lurks in the top-half of the draw, while veteran Ivan Ljubicic is the number two seed.
In Johannesburg, the SA Tennis Open is underway and showcases Gael Monfils and David Ferrer as the top two players. Aside from them the draw is quite sparse, so expect the two top-twenty players to meet each other in the final.
February 2, 2010 in Andy Roddick, Ivan Lendl, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin | Permalink | Comments (2)
Comments Welcome
By Mike McIntyre
2010 has been a good year for tennis so far and it has also been a good year for ProTennisFan. I have thankfully found more time to dedicate to the sport that I love and that has translated to a renewed focus on our website.
One of the recent changes is that readers no longer have to log-in to post comments or feedback to any of our articles. Hopefully that will result in some increased discussion amongst our readers and encourage more debate between us.
There will be other changes as the year unfolds and your suggestions are always welcome. I can be reached at mike132@hotmail.com and check my email religiously.
Hope you all enjoyed the Aussie Open.
Mike
February 2, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Adds to Grand Slam Legacy
By Mike McIntyre
Roger Federer rolled over Andy Murray in straight sets in the Australian Open final on Sunday, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11). With the impressive victory, Federer increases his all-time Grand Slam record with his sixteenth major title.
Many felt that Murray had a legitimate shot at defeating the world number one, as he has held the advantage in their career meetings by a 6-4 margin coming into the match. After losing to Federer in the finals of the 2008 U.S. Open, a more physically and emotionally mature Murray seemed poised to at least push him to a fourth or fifth set this time around.
Instead, Federer was his usually dominant self and managed to thwart Murray's attempt to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry in 1936.
After the match Federer was quick to diffuse any talk of mind-games leading up to their encounter in the finals. Federer had joked that it had been 150,000 years or so since a Brit had won a Slam.
"Well, I think it got exaggerated. The on‑court interview, I don't take those serious anyway. If you think it was a mental thing, it was not the case, you know. But you ask me a question, I'll give you a straight answer. That's how the press conference was after the Tsonga match. It's not an easy thing to do to win your first Grand Slam. That's not mental, you know, trying to screw with his head, you know. It's just a tough thing, you know."
Federer has not won the Aussie Open since 2007 and his victory on Sunday will spark talk of the potential for him to achieve a Grand Slam in 2010 - winning all four major titles in one calendar year. With Rafael Nadal out for four weeks with a knee injury that is seemingly becoming chronically debilitating, Federer could repeat at the French Open in May. Only a healthy Nadal stands in his way in Paris. He is still the runaway favorite at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, so those are still more than attainable.
When asked how he feels about the possibility of attaining a Grand Slam this year, Federer had a lengthy and revealing reply:
"Look, I mean, it's not something I've ever put in my mind that this is something I want to achieve. I'll still go and play the smaller tournaments, you know, the Masters 1000s, the ones we're supposed to play. I try to give my best everywhere I go to, because I think there's not only the Grand Slams."
"I won't just put the entire calendar just around trying to win the calendar Grand Slam. I mean, it's something if it happens, it does, it's great; but it's not something that's like my number one goal. Not at all. It's the same as I haven't put a number on how many Grand Slams I want to try to win. Whatever happens happens."
"You know, I really want to try to enjoy, you know, my end to my career, because I've reached already so many goals I thought were never possible. I really want to just enjoy the tour, and that's what I'm doing at the moment. Obviously as a dad as well even more so."
Despite emerging challengers in recent years from Nadal to Novak Djokovic, from Murray to Juan Martin Del Potro, Federer has managed to consistently add to his growing legacy. He might not own the best record against all of his foes, and they may beat him at smaller events - but Federer has found a way to remain the uncontested greatest player in the game of tennis.
January 31, 2010 in Andy Murray, Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (2)
Murray Prepared for Federer
By Mike McIntyre
Roger Federer is saying all of the right things ahead of contesting his twenty-third Grand Slam final and his second versus Andy Murray. He appears to be calm, cool and collected enough to even mention in jest how it was been about, “150,000 years” since a British man has won a major event.
In reality it has 'only' been 73 years since Fred Perry won a Slam (U.S. Open) in 1936. Murray has a legitimate shot at attaining the same result and here’s why:
Having already lost a major final to Federer, Murray has experienced the first-time jitters and first-time disappointments that came along with it. In that encounter, at the U.S. Open in 2008, Federer swept Murray away easily 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 in straight sets.
Murray has grown both physically and emotionally since that drubbing, and has established himself as a bona-fide top-five player on the ATP Tour. He holds a 6-4 advantage in head-to-head matches against the world number one, including six of the past eight meetings.
Speaking on Saturday, Murray had the following to say about the differences between his first and second career Grand Slam finals:
"Well, I was only 20. I mean, 20 was pretty young when I played my first slam final. It was a year and a half, two years later, I just feel physically more mature, mentally more mature. You know, just a lot more experience in these sort of situations now."
Murray also seems to be the hungrier of the two. Federer has been unusually chatty in the days leading up to this final match. He’s joking with the press and talking-up Murray’s lack of Slam success just a little too much. Hopefully he isn’t underestimating the damage Murray can inflict upon him and is merely trying to get inside his opponent’s head a little bit.
Federer's lost his last Slam final in part because he was slightly overconfident. He allowed the U.S. Open title to slip through his fingers last summer against first-time Slam finalist Juan Martin Del Potro after being up two sets to one. Perhaps having attained the all-time record of 15 Slams has softened Federer’s killer instinct ever so slightly.
His comments off the court after defeating Tsonga reveal that his self-confidence is still clearly in tact.
"Uhm, don't know. I mean, look, he's in his second Grand Slam final now. I think the first one's always a bit tougher than the second one. But now that he didn't win the first one, I think doesn't help, you know, for the second one around. Plus he's playing, you know, me, who's won many Grand Slams prior to that, been able to win here three times so I know what it takes and how to do it, which is definitely an advantage. I don't feel like the pressure's really on me having to do it again, because I did it before. I think he really needs it more than I do, you know. So I think the pressure's big on him. But we'll see how he's gonna handle it. It's not going to be easy for him, that's for sure."
On court, Federer has been brilliant at times during this edition of the Australian Open and ordinary during others. In the first round against Igor Andreev he came out flat and nearly found himself down two sets to one. Federer then oversaw the precise dismantling of Victor Hanescu, Albert Montanes and hometown-hope Lleyton Hewitt where Federer looked invincible. He followed those matches up with a close four-setter against Russian Nikolay Davydenko who has had his number of late. Just as he did against Andreev, he flirted with disaster early on nearly finding himself down by two sets. Federer self-corrected in the semi-finals by embarrassing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 and his fans will be hoping that the same Federer shows up on Sunday in Melbourne.
The outcome of this match is significant. With Roger’s main rival Rafael Nadal sidelined for four weeks with a right knee injury, this is another opportunity to further solidify his status as the best player in the game. A defeat however, would be the second Grand Slam tournament in a row where he has lost to a player not from Mallorca. It could signify his growing vulnerability in a men’s game that suddenly has many potential threats.
January 30, 2010 in Andy Murray, Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Henin and Williams Ready to Renew Rivalry
By Mike McIntyre
Diminutive Justine Henin has just one more step to take to match fellow-Belgian Kim Clijsters' remarkable comeback from last summer. Clijsters won a Grand Slam in just her third tournament back on tour at the U.S. Open in August. Henin is trying to one-up Clijsters, by accomplishing the same feat in only her second tournament back at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Clijsters was able to impressively win at Flushing Meadows by defeating not just one, but two Williams sisters. Henin only has to defeat one here in Melbourne, but that sister just happens to be the current world number one, Serena Williams.
While Williams appears to be bothered by injuries to her right quad and left knee, (that are both heavily taped during matches) she can never be underestimated, especially not in a Grand Slam final. That being said, Williams has been seeing twice as much time on court while entered in the doubles competition as well with sister Venus. The sibling duo won the doubles title on Friday.
Surprisingly enough, this will be the first Grand Slam final in which Henin and Williams have ever met each other. Despite that fact, the two have had numerous high-intensity clashes between them and it's fair to see these two are not exactly the best of friends.
During a match at the 2003 French Open, with Williams leading 4-2, 30-love in the third set, Henin held up a hand to indicate she was not ready to receive serve. Distracted by the motion, Williams would drop the serve into the net. She would then proceed to lose the remaining four points in that particular game and eventually the match. Henin never indicated to the chair umpire that she made the gesture which would have allowed Serena to have another attempt at a first serve.
Afterwards, Williams said, "I was a little disappointed with her. It wasn't the turning point of the match, I should have still won the game. But to start lying and fabricating is not fair."
Fast forward now to 2010 and what exactly will it come down to between these two? Serena's big serve, Justin's elegant backhand, or will the winner be whoever is more mentally prepared on Saturday?
"Absolutely", Serena admitted in her most recent press conference. "I think that's a really good point. It definitely will be mental and who wants it more and wants the title more and who's willing to go the extra step."
Henin echoed that sentiment, saying, "I think it's gonna be really mental. I mean, the one who will want it more will win probably. She served great, of course, in the last few matches, always on the important points. I know I'll have to be aggressive generally and use my qualities. I have the determination and the ambition, of course."
Any way you look at this match, I think it is almost a guarantee that it will go three sets. Williams leads their head-to-head meetings by a mere 7-6 margin. Emotional and physical fatigue could be a real issue for Serena while Henin on the other hand, cruised into the final with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Jie Zheng. The potential for a great match looms large here - let's hope it can live up to the much anticipated hype.
January 29, 2010 in Justine Henin, Serena Williams | Permalink | Comments (0)
Charity Auction for Haiti
By Mike McIntyre
Players from both the ATP and WTA Tour's have donated their tennis racquets to Tennis Australia's charity auction for Haiti.
You can bid on the racquets of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters and Jelena Dokic. No surprise that Federer's is the current high bid at $13,300.00 right now, more than three times as much as the next bid.
Check out the following link for more details and here to view auction items.
If you are simply looking for a place to donate to this great cause, here is the link for standwithhaiti.
January 28, 2010 in Jelena Dokic, Kim Clijsters, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Beats Davydenko When It Counts
By Mike McIntyre
Down 2-6, 1-3 and 15-40 on his serve, things were not looking good for Roger Federer against Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday at the Australian Open. All signs were pointing towards a third consecutive victory for the Russian against the world's number one player.
Instead, just as he did in the opening round against another Russian, Igor Andreev, Federer stormed back and managed to claim a four set victory. Federer was able to reel off thirteen straight games against Davydenko and the end result was a score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 to move on to the semi-finals.
As I expected, Federer vs Davydenko is a completely different story in a best of five set match. The Russian does not have as much stamina or winning experience under those conditions.
Federer had the following to say about his comeback against Davydenko:
"Was in a tough situation at 6‑2, 3‑1 down and 15‑40 on my serve. I knew I wasn't looking very good, you know. But that's the beauty of best of five sets. I wasn't panicking, even though I maybe would have lost the second set had I lost another point there at that stage."
"But, you know, I just relaxed and thought, you know, maybe if the sun goes and his level drops just a little bit, the whole thing might, you know, change for the better. It did. I couldn't believe the way it changed. But I'm happy the way I was able to go on an incredible run and get the cushion with the extra break at the beginning of the fourth."
Another disappointment for Nikolay Davydenko at the Grand Slams, although he seemed to have quite the sense of humor about it in his post match press conference.
"Pissed off. (Laughter.) What else? Yeah. Like say I'm pissed off of my serve. Pissed off. I didn't realize this point, I didn't realize this point. It's like everything was shit (laughter.) But what else? Bad luck. Go home tomorrow, relax."
Federer now moves on to face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who defeated 2008 Champion Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Federer and Tsonga have only met twice before, splitting those two matches between them. Federer admitted that he does not know that much about Tsonga which favors the Frenchman, but after two five-set matches in a row, how will Tsonga recover?
Roger Federer Interview Transcript
Nikolay Davydenko Interview Transcript
January 27, 2010 in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nikolay Davydenko, Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Murray Produces Fireworks Versus Nadal in Australia
By Mike McIntyre
Ladies and gentlemen, play is suspended due to...fireworks.
Never before have I seen a professional tennis match, or any other sporting event for that matter, delayed due to fireworks overhead, but such was the case on Tuesday in Melbourne.
January 26th is Australia Day commemorating the 1788 arrival of British Fleets in Sydney. To celebrate, one of the most amazing fireworks displays I have ever witnessed was on hand in the middle of the second set between Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.
The delay lasted 10 minutes during which play was stopped. Both players sat around trying their best not to get distracted during the visually impressive stoppage with Murray leading 6-3, 2-3, on serve in the second set.
The fireworks continued on court afterwards, as an inspired Spaniard would win the first three points on Murray's serve before breaking him to move ahead 4-2. Murray returned the favor on Nadal's next service game, breaking easily to get back on serve.
Later, with the match tied 5-5, Murray had three break point opportunities that he could not convert on. Each time, Nadal would come up with a great display of talent with either a reflex volley at net, an ace (his first of the match) or a cross-court shot that Murray simply could not reach in time. He would manage to make the crucial hold. In the next game, Murray would hang-on to send the two-hour match to a second set tiebreak. It was a crucial moment for Nadal.
It was all Murray in the tiebreak however. He would never allow Nadal even a chance to get into it and raced out to 3-0, and then 6-1 leads before taking it 7-2. Murray now held a stranglehold on the match up two sets to none.
Early in the third set with Nadal serving at 0-1, he would tweak his right knee on a seemingly innocent play where he stopped suddenly after making a routine shot. It is a move that Nadal makes countless times in each match. At the conclusion of the point and with the score at 15-15, he would immediately jog to his seat and call for the trainer and a subsequent injury timeout. The sight of Nadal getting his knee treated must have been disturbing for his coaching team, as the Spaniard was supposedly 100% healthy so far in 2010.
Returning to the court after a short stoppage, Nadal would lose the next three points in a row to hand Murray the break and put him ahead 2-0 in the third. After Murray took the next game to lead 3-0, the defending champion Nadal would be forced to retire due to the knee injury. Murray now advances to his first semi-final appearance at the Aussie Open winning 6-3, 7-6(2), 3-0. The Scotsman has yet to drop a set at the tournament.
For Nadal it is a devastating blow, as the Spaniard was trying to put his game back together after fighting knee issues for much of 2009. Even though he trailed two sets to one, a healthy Nadal always has a chance to claw his way back into a match. With the consistency in Murray's game, that likely would not have happened on this day - but it would have been nice to watch Nadal try.
Earlier in the day in the other men's quarter-final match, promising youngster Marin Cilic defeated Andy Roddick 7-6(4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 to advance to his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final. We have been talking about Cilic's potential for several years now and at the age of 22 the 6'6'' giant from Croatia seems ready to take his place among the best players in the world. Cilic will certainly be vaulted into the top-ten following the conclusion of this tournament and will now face Murray in the semis.
Both players were coming off five set matches in the previous round as Roddick had been pushed to the brink by Fernando Gonzalez and Cilic by U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro. For Roddick, it is another Grand Slam disappointment. After tasting Grand Slam success in 2003 at Flushing Meadows, Roddick had the misfortune of being in his prime at the same time as Roger Federer - the greatest tennis player that ever lived. Now, although Federer is still ranked number one, the men's game has a diverse array of talent, like Cilic, who are making it hard for Roddick to get that elusive second major title.
Cilic and Murray will now face each other in the semi-finals, with Murray owning a 3-1 lead in career matches between them. Cilic won their last encounter, a straight sets victory at the U.S. Open last year. We'll see if Murray can keep the fireworks going when they take the court later this week.
January 26, 2010 in Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Marin Cilic, Rafael Nadal | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Stepping Up as Quarter-Finals Approach
By Mike McIntyre
Only eight men remain in Melbourne at the Australian Open and is it any surprise that Roger Federer seems to be picking up his game at the right time?
While I believed at the onset of the tournament that this could be where Roger's remarkable run of 22 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals comes to an end, he clearly isn't playing as if that is a possibility.
After narrowly avoiding going down two sets to one in the opening round against Igor Andreev, Federer has been destroying his opposition just as we have grown accustomed to at the majors. Victor Hanescu, Alberta Montanes and Lleyton Hewitt were all sent packing easily in straight sets to set up the anticipated quarter-final match against confident Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Davydenko started the tournament on fire by dispatching his first three opponents with ease, winning a set 6-0 on each occasion. Things seemed to be on-track against Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round as he took the first two sets before Verdasco stormed back to force a fifth and deciding set that Davydenko would ultimately salvage and emerge victorious 6-2, 7-5, 4-6. 6-7(6), 6-3.
Davydenko won his first tournament of 2010 by defeating Federer and Rafael Nadal along the way. He also won the season-ending championship in London at the end of 2009 by defeating the above two players and Juan Martin Del Potro in the finals. This guy is on a serious run at the moment and his confidence is at an all-time high. His comments in recent press conferences reveal a player who is believing in himself more than he ever has before.
While it is understandable that Davydenko is now mentioned among the favorites in this tournament and he has defeated the best players in the world recently, it remains to be seen how he handles himself in a five-setter against those same opponents. I'd back Federer or Nadal over Davydenko in a best of five format any day.
Roger gets my vote not only against Davydenko, but he looks focused on reclaiming the Aussie Open title from just about anyone at the moment. Grand Slam title number sixteen could be just around the corner.
In the remaining quarter-finals Novak Djokovic will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Roddick takes on youngster Marin Cilic and a huge match between Andy Murray and Nadal looms as well. All of these matches are incredibly tight and could go either way. We could even get fiver-setters in all of them.
Cilic and Roddick stand at one win apiece against each other and this could be Cilic's break-out Grand Slam. I give him the nod in five sets against Roddick, although I'm sure rooting for the American to make it deeper in the draw.
Tsonga holds the advantage over Djokovic 4-2, while Nadal leads Murray head-to-head 7-2. I think Djokovic has something to prove in this tournament and with Todd Martin now firmly in his corner he will find the composure required to move forward. With Murray, he still lacks the mental edge in the Slams and Nadal looks healthy which is a dangerous prospect. The Spaniard should advance closer towards a defense of his Aussie Open title.
Regardless of the end result, tournament organizers and tennis fans worldwide should be thrilled with the amount of big-name talent that has made it to the final eight.
January 25, 2010 in Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Marin Cilic, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Australian Open Day Seven Preview
By Mike McIntyre
Time for fourth-round matches to get underway in Melbourne and there are some fantastic battles on deck for Sunday from the bottom-half of the men's and women's draws.
John Isner, Ivo Karlovic and Andy Roddick are proving that a big serve still goes a long way on the men's side. Karlovic leads the tournament with 93 aces through three matches, while Isner is second with 81 and Roddick in sixth position with 47. Karlovic and Isner have both played several more sets than Roddick which explains their elevated numbers. Sunday could be the day of the tie-break as it is going to be a challenge to break these serves for their opponents.
Karlovic and Isner face tough matches against Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray respectively. While Karlovic is in over his 6'10'' head in this one against Nadal, Isner has a chance to make his encounter with Murray a meaningful one. The American is playing the best tennis of his professional career and is fresh off an impressive victory over 12th seeded Gael Monfils. While I expect Murray will advance, Isner will provide him with his toughest test of the tournament thus far.
Roddick should be able to knock-off Fernando Gonzalez as the erratic Chilean just barely made it past Igor Korolev in five tight sets in the previous round. Roddick has been playing terrific tennis so far this season and is still undefeated in 2010.
The fourth round match to watch is between youngsters Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic and has the best odds for a five set match on Sunday.The two have only met twice before and both times were at Grand Slams in 2009. Each time, Del Potro dropped the opening set before prevailing in four. Cilic has yet to come into his own but expect him to remain a fixture in the top-twenty for years to come. Both are twenty one (in fact Del Potro is only five days older) and they each tower over most of their opponents at 6'6''. While Del Potro already has a Grand Slam title to his credit, nobody would have expected that from him a year ago. My point is that much can change within the frame of one year. With one title already in 2010, maybe this is Cilic's year to make a name for himself.
On the women's side, Sunday has the all-Belgian battle between Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer. While it might not be the all-Belgian match-up that we looked forward to when the draw was announced, it is still going to provide some fireworks. Wickmayer is undefeated so far this year after winning the title in Auckland and going through three rounds of qualifying action in Melbourne as well. She has more match-play under her belt in 2010 than anyone else on tour and is capable of giving Henin a real push. When Henin lost the first set of her match against Alisa Kleybanova, it showed that she is still shaking off some post-retirement rust. I think Wickmayer has a great shot at taking her out.
Aside from the Belgians, we have a couple of all-Russian matches on Sunday to look forward to. Nadia Petrova meets reigning French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova while second-seeded Dinara Safina faces Maria Kirilenko.
Kuznetsova leads Petrova 5-1 in career meetings, but Petrova seems to be on a nice role in this tournament and her lopsided victory over Kim Clijsters has certainly given her a confidence booster.
Don't expect another upset out of Maria Kirilenko. While she played terrific against Maria Sharapova in the first round, I think she is in tough against a very fit Dinara Safina who seems to be keeping the mental aspect of her game in check lately. Kirilenko has matched her career-best result in a Grand Slam, as she also made the fourth round here in Australia in 2008. I don't see her going any further at the moment.
The remaining women's match on Sunday has Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko against Jie Zheng from China. Both are ranked in the top thirty and have played each other three times before. Zheng won the first two times back in 2003, while Bondarenko came out on top 7-5, 7-5 two weeks ago in Hobart en route to her second career title.
I have always thought that Alona's younger sister Kateryna was the one to watch between these two, however it is Alona who is on fire so far this year as evidenced by her title in Hobart and her straight-sets victory of Jelena Jankovic in the previous round. She doesn't have much power to her game, but it won't be needed against Zheng and I think she'll take her in two sets to advance to the quarter-finals.
January 23, 2010 in Alona Bondarenko, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Dinara Safina, Gael Monfils, Jie Zheng, Juan Martin Del Potro, Justine Henin, Nadia Petrova, Rafael Nadal, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Yanina Wickmayer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Clijsters Humbled by Petrova at Aussie Open
By Mike McIntyre
Wow - who saw that one coming?
Kim Clijsters was demolished on Friday in Melbourne 6-0, 6-1 by 19th seeded Nadia Petrova. It was her first career loss to Petrova in five meetings. This was their first encounter since Clijsters emerged from retirement last summer and a result that nobody would have seen coming.
Clijsters has been on fire since coming back in July 2009, winning her first Grand Slam tournament at the U.S. Open and starting 2010 off on a winning note in Brisbane with a win over Justine Henin in the finals. All signs pointed to another strong showing here at the Australian Open where she was considered one of the favorites.
But it was Petrova who was in control from start to finish on Friday, finishing with 15 winners to a mere 10 unforced errors. She would only allow Clijsters a total of five points during the entire first set.
Clijsters was clearly not on her game as she had only 5 winners the entire match while committing 26 unforced errors. After the match, the Belgian praised Petrova's play, but admitted that she was largely responsible for the outcome.
"I was completely off. Just, you know, I think tennis‑wise, I didn't feel the ball at all. You know, on the other hand, you know, she was good. But, you know, I let her ‑‑ you know, I made all the mistakes and she didn't really have to do much. She served really well and was aggressive in the rallies, but that's because I let her play into the courts. Just because I wasn't feeling the ball well. It sucks."
Petrova is a player I have always been impressed with - in practice. Physically she seems infinitely stronger than most of the women on tour and her serve is really something else. You would think that would translate into more success on the court. Yet every time I've seen her play a match against the top players, it seems she is completely out of her league.
That being said, Petrova does have a history of solid results at the Slams. This is her third round-of-sixteen result at Australia in a row, and she made the quarter-finals in 2006. She has made the semi-finals at the French Open twice before, the quarters at Wimbledon twice, and the quarters of the U.S. Open two times as well.
Petrova now faces Svetlana Kuznetsova in an all-Russian fourth round match. The winner of that will face either Belgian Justine Henin or Yanina Wickmayer in the quarter-finals.
January 22, 2010 in Kim Clijsters, Nadia Petrova | Permalink | Comments (0)
Henin Drops Dementieva at Aussie Open
By Mike McIntyre
Justine Henin scored the first win of her comeback against a top-ten player on Wednesday by defeating 5th seeded Elena Dementieva 7-5, 7-6(6) in the second round of the Australian Open.
"Well, it was a great match", Henin said after the match. "It was very emotional for me on the court at the end because there was so much intensity. To play this kind of match in the second round, for me, after two years off in a Grand Slam, it's just the kind of situation that I needed."
Henin's comeback is resembling the early success that fellow-Belgian Kim Clijsters experienced last summer when she returned to the WTA Tour. The two players are on a collision course that could see them play each other in the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
Henin will next face big-hitting Russian, Alisa Kleybanova in the third round.
Dementieva Interview Transcript
January 20, 2010 in Elena Dementieva, Justine Henin | Permalink | Comments (0)
Australian Open Day Three Preview
By Mike McIntyre
Featured Match: Elena Dementieva vs Justine Henin
Without the luxury of a seeding here in Australia, Justine Henin knew full-well that she may get a difficult draw in her first Grand Slam since emerging from retirement. She probably didn't expect it would be this difficult however, as she must now face the 5th seeded Dementieva.
Dementieva is one of the most talented players to never have won a Grand Slam tournament and is fresh off a victory in her first tournament of the year in Sydney a week ago where she defeated Serena Williams in the final.
Henin has also looked sharp since returning this year and fell to Kim Clijsters in her first tournament back in Brisbane two weeks ago. Along the way she defeated top players like Nadia Petrova and Ana Ivanovic, although neither of them have the consistency of Dementieva.
Henin has a 9-2 career head-to-head record again Dementieva which might help her mentally in approaching this match. Both players know they are in for a struggle that will likely last three sets.
Result: Henin is a special type of player and despite her year-and-a-half layoff I'm picking her to prevail in this one in three sets.
Upset of the Day: Andrey Golubev vs Ivan Ljubicic
I don't think we can call Henin over Dementieva an upset, so instead look to Andrey Golubev to defeat veteran and 24th seed, Ivan Ljubicic.
Golubev knocked off American Mardy Fish in the first round, while Ljubicic was fortunate to draw an Australian wildcard named Jason Kubler. Golubev has therefore already faced a tough opponent while Ljubicic has not.
Ljubicic is eight years older and has never performed well in the Slams. He started 2010 by appearing in the Kooyong Classic exhibition where he lost two of his three matches, only defeating Robin Soderling who had to retire from that match with injury.
Result: Golubev in four.
Canadian Content: Aleksandra Wozniak vs Caroline Wozniacki
Aleksandraw Wozniak is the only real Canadian threat in singles play on either the ATP or WTA tour's at the moment and at the age of 22 she has still yet to reach her potential. She has a losing record (1-5) against Wozniacki but has played well against her in their recent encounters.
Wozniacki has been mediocre since her run to the finals of the U.S. Open, so Wozniak has a shot here.
Result: Wozniacki in three.
One ticket to Ireland please: Louk Sorensen
Sorensen is the first tennis player from Ireland to win a main-draw match in the Open era on the ATP tour. The 25 year-old came through the qualifying draw before defeating Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round. It's a nice story, but Sorensen is going to get hammered by the power of John Isner tomorrow.
"I don't know what's going on right now," said Sorensen after his match against Lu, "I've suddenly got so many friend requests on Facebook."
Result: Isner in three.
Other Matches of Interest:
Unseeded James Blake takes on 4th seed Juan Martin Del Potro in a great second round match. Blake has won their only previous encounter but that was over two years ago and he'll find Del Potro a much better player than he was back then. Should be a fun one to watch.
Result: Del Potro in four.
January 19, 2010 in Aleksandra Wozniak, Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Dementieva, Ivan Ljubicic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Justine Henin | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Digs Deep to Defeat Andreev in Australia
By Mike McIntyre
Roger Federer made things awfully interesting in
The pair traded the first two sets and it appeared as though
this one might mirror their previous encounter, a five-setter at the U.S. Open
in 2008, in terms of drama. For a while it did just that.
After the opening set, I wondered if fellow-Russian Nikolay
Davydenko had shared some secrets with Andreev on how to finally overcome the
Swiss superstar or if perhaps he was merely inspired by girlfriend Maria
Kirilenko’s upset over Maria Sharapova the previous day.
It was in the third set that the intensity increased even
further and would prove to be the most entertaining frame of the match with six
service breaks between both players.
Andreev missed his golden opportunity with Federer serving
at 3-3 in the third set and the score 30-40 in that key game. After exchanging
rallies, Federer tried an ill-timed drop shot that Andreev got to with more
than enough time to take advantage of. With Federer sitting like a lame-duck at
the net, Andreev over-hit a forehand up the line that would have given him a
crucial break.
That seemed that it would prove to be the turning point in
the match as Andreev could not keep things together after blowing that critical
opportunity. Federer broke Andreev’s serve in the next game to go up 5-3 and it
appeared as though he would then hold to take the third set.
Instead, Andreev took four of five points off Federer’s next
service game to get back on serve and then held his own to even at 5-5. The
Russian then broke Federer convincingly to jump ahead 6-5. Federer missed two
forehands, double faulted once, and then gave Andreev an air-ball to smash with
conviction to take the lead. It looked as though Federer was surely done for
but somehow he managed to save three set points in the next game to force a
dramatic tie-break.
Once in the breaker and for the rest of the match, Federer suddenly
looked like the dominant athlete we have come to expect these past six years.
He would prevail seven points to two in the tie-break thanks to his superior
serving. What had looked like an impossibility just a few games earlier came to
be a reality for Federer and gave him the two-sets-to-one lead.
In the fourth set, Andreev had nothing left to offer and
Federer rolled with it by taking all six games to close out the match. Perhaps
all those squandered set points in the third played on Andreev’s mind.
Federer now advances to the second round where he will face the winner of the Juan Ignacio Chela/Victor Hanescu match.
January 19, 2010 in Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Australian Open Day Two
By Mike McIntyre
After one semi-completed day at the Australian Open we have already witnessed the shocking defeat of Maria Sharapova at the hands of 58th ranked Maria Kirilenko. What will day two have in store?
Featured Match: Roger Federer vs Igor Andreev
Why have I chosen this match as my feature for day two? Because Federer just happens to be the greatest tennis player that ever lived and we really need to put that into perspective on a more regular basis. I feel like we have all taken Roger's accomplishments for granted simply due to the fact that he makes it all look so darn easy. For the past six years this guy has dominated the sport like nobody else in such a short time span. Appearances in 22 straight Grand Slam semi-finals - are you kidding me??? Federer will turn 29 this year and we must realize that his reign will not last for an infinite period of time. Enjoy this guy while he is still hanging on to the top.
Federer is not going to be happy with the first round opponent he has drawn. Andreev can be tricky and pushed Roger to his limits the last time they met. Federer prevailed 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at the 2008 U.S. Open against Andreev. If Roger isn't on top of his game he could get hurt in this match.
Upset of the Day: Lucie Safarova vs Venus Williams
I'm not jumping on the upset bandwagon in the WTA draw after yesterday's Kirilenko over Sharapova result, but I truly feel this is the potential upset of the day.
We all know that Venus has been on a slide since Wimbledon and her results away from grass courts are really nothing to write home about. Safarova has never beaten Williams in three tries, but has pushed the American to a third set in their previous two encounters.
Will Venus likely win this match - yes. It is a match she certainly should win. Her track record has never been amazing in Australia though and all the right ingredients are there for a potential upset to occur.
If you're looking for a more probably upset I would look at veteran qualifier Xavier Malisse to knock off 26th seed and clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro.
Welcome Back to the Slams: Alicia Molik
Molik returns to the Grand Slam singles stage for the first time since the Aussie Open in 2008. Once ranked as high as number eight in the world and the Bronze medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics, Molik was a top-level player before injuries hit her big-time.
She was hit by an inner-ear infection in 2005 that sidelined her for several months and retired in September 2008 after struggling with leg and elbow issues. Molik then announced in July 2009 that she was injury-free and ready to return to the tour. She impressed last year at the challenger level and received a wild-card from her home country to participate here in Melbourne.
She takes on Julie Coin from France in the first round.
Coin Toss: Mikhail Youzhny vs Richard Gasquet
Youzhny is seeded 20th in the tournament while Gasquet should be ranked inside the top-twenty but isn't because of his doping suspension last year. This is a great first-round match which could go either way.
Youzhny leads their career head-to-head 2-1, but they have not played since 2007 where the Russian won in a tight five-setter during Davis Cup competition.
Gasquet has started 2010 playing well and made the finals in Sydney last week falling to Marcos Baghdatis in the finals. I'd give him the advantage in this one based on talent alone.
Grizzled Veteran Special: Carlos Moya vs Illya Marchenko
Moya missed most of 2009 due to injuries and at the age of 33 he is on his last legs on tour. He has played once so far this year losing in the first round in Chennai - one of his favorite tournaments - to Janko Tipsarevic.
He's coming in against an opponent who, despite his ranking of 119th in the world, has already won two qualifying matches on the courts in Melbourne. Bottom line - don't expect Moya's stay in Australia to last long.
January 18, 2010 in Alicia Molik, Carlos Moya, Richard Gasquet, Venus Williams, Xavier Malisse | Permalink | Comments (0)
Kirilenko Upsets Sharapova at Australian Open
By Mike McIntyre
Day one of the Australian Open got off to an unexpected start on Monday with 58th ranked Maria Kirilenko defeating 14th seeded Maria Sharapova 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4 in the first match of the tournament in Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova tried to control the match but her shots were off the mark as she had 45 winners to an overwhelming 66 errors. As has been the case since her return from shoulder surgery last year, double faults also hurt Sharapova's chances as she had 11 during the match.
The encounter nearly set a women's record at 3 hours, 11 minutes - just eleven minutes short of the all-time WTA mark in Melbourne.
After the match a proud Sharapova was unwilling to admit that she was disappointed by the result.
"I can be disappointed or head back on the court and keep working. I choose option two instead."
She admitted that her game was, "up and down in many areas and just finished in the down area."
Sharapova did not apologize for making so many errors, saying that she would rather go for her shots than be passive on the court. While the former Aussie Open champion (2008) did attempt to impose her game on her opponent, it was still an impressive showing from the underachieving Kirilenko.
Recognized more for her beauty than her tennis game, Kirilenko did not wilter after blowing a 5-3 lead in the third set and allowing Sharapova to get back on serve in the late stages of the match. Instead, she broke Sharapova right back to claim the first round victory.
Many tennis writers chose to focus on this match ahead of time purely for its aesthetic value rather than the possibility of a real battle. For this very reason I failed to even put it on the radar of my opening day preview article. These women are terrific athletes and should be recognized for that above all else. On top of that, never did I think Sharapova could go down this early in the tournament. It is her earliest exit from a Slam since losing in the opening round of Roland Garros in 2003.
After her big win today, Kirilenko will deservingly merit some tennis-related discussion before her next match for sure.
January 18, 2010 in Maria Kirilenko, Maria Sharapova | Permalink | Comments (0)
Australian Open Day One
By Mike McIntyre
Day one at the Australian Open is set to begin and here is a look at a few of the matches that I've got my eye on.
Featured Match: Justine Henin vs Kirsten Flipkens
This all-Belgian match features Justine Henin back in Grand Slam competition for the first time since the 2008 Aussie Open where she lost to Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals. Flipkens will be a mere foot-note in the history of Henin's return as she does not pose a true threat to the returning former champion. Still, there will be plenty of hype around this match which should lead up to an expected second round clash between Henin and Elena Dementieva.
Result: Henin in two sets.
Canadian Content: Valerie Tetreault vs Kim Clijsters
Being Canadian myself means that I get to throw this obscure category into my daily preview - for the first couple of rounds at least. There is not much to chose from in this first Grand Slam of the year as most Canadians fell during qualifying.
On the men's side there is only Daniel Nestor in the doubles draw as Frank Dancevic is missing from singles play while recovering from back surgery and on the women's we have Aleks Wozniak, Stephanie Dubois and Valerie Tetreault.
Tetreault's stay will be short as she has the misfortune of facing Kim Clijsters on day one. This is her first time playing in Australia and only her second ever appearance at a Grand Slam. At 22 years old Tetreault is flirting with a top one hundred ranking and can hopefully enjoy the moment on Rod Laver Arena while it lasts.
Result: Clijsters in two sets.
Upset of the Day: Rainer Schuettler vs Sam Querrey
Querrey had a break-out year in 2009 but had to end his season prematurely after a freak accident where he fell through a glass table in September. Querrey has lost two first-round matches in a row to start 2010 and just does not seem ready to roll at this point. Schuettler is a veteran nearing the end of his career and is savvy enough to take advantage of a struggling opponent.
Result: Schuettler in four.
Grizzled Veteran Special: Fabrice Santoro vs Marin Cilic
After "retiring" at the end of last season we all thought we had seen the last of the Magician - Fabrice Santoro. The allure of playing in his 70th Grand Slam tournament proved to be too much for the 37 year old Frenchman and he is back to face the 14th seeded Cilic.
While his prospect of winning is slim, Santoro becomes the only professional tennis player in ATP history to have played in four decades on tour. Not too shabby for a trickster like Santoro.
Result: Cilic in three.
Coin Toss: Radek Stepanek vs Ivo Karlovic
Despite leading their head-to-head encounters 3-0, Radek Stepanek will have his hands full with the monster-serving of "Dr." Ivo. Their last meeting in Davis Cup competition went five sets with Stepanek prevailing 16-14 in the fifth and this will be their first career meeting on hard courts. Your guess is as good as mine.
Result: Stepanek in five.
January 17, 2010 in Fabrice Santoro, James Blake, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Sam Querrey | Permalink | Comments (0)
Women's 2010 Australian Open Preview
By Mike McIntyre
When was the last time the women's game had this much depth? I'm not knocking the WTA Tour, which in fact has had more depth in recent years than the men's Federer vs. Nadal show. When I look at the Australian Open draw though, I'm just floored with the amount of talent out there. This is a fantastic way to kick-off the 2010 Grand Slam calendar.
The Favorites:
Number one ranked Serena Williams has a pretty sweet ride to the
quarter-finals from the looks of it. I don't expect her to drop a set for the
first week that's for sure. There's simply nobody in her section of the draw
that can keep up with her power, experience and winning-attitude. If she truly
did tweak something against Elena Dementieva in
A nice third round match-up in the top-half could include Vera Zvonareva
against Ana Ivanovic. Either one of these players could use a good Grand Slam
showing to correct their career progress after a disappointing 2009. Zvonareva
started strong in 2009 with a semi-final showing in
U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has a great path to perhaps a
semi-final berth in
Wozniacki may meet the winner of an intriguing fourth round match between
Americans Venus Williams and Melanie Oudin. A Williams/Oudin match would give
tennis fans a nice glimpse of the past, present and future of American tennis
and perhaps that future is now. Oudin has some winnable matches early on while
Venus has looked mediocre since
In the bottom-half don't get your hopes up for second-seeded Dinara Safina.
The mentally fragile Russian attained the number one ranking for a period of time
in 2009, but will most be remembered for tanking in two Slam finals in
There are plenty of other top-level players ready to contend for the title in the bottom section of the draw however, and the Belgians are leading the charge.
Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer are all in the same quarter of the draw, which is unfortunate because they could all have easily advanced quite far given their play of late. Clijsters has the most favorable path and should get past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make the quarter-finals. A second-consecutive Slam is a distinct possibility for her.
Henin, entered as a wild card, is not going to enjoy the same Grand Slam
return that Clijsters had at the U.S. Open. After a first round match with up
and coming Sorana Cirstea, Henin will most definitely face fifth seeded Elena
Dementieva - the same Dementieva who just won in
The third Belgian, and the future of tennis in that country, Yanina
Wickmayer, has already fought through three qualifying matches in order to
secure entry into the tournament. Wickmayer was not allowed to take the 16th
seeded spot that she is due because of the timing of her return from a
mishandled doping violation. She may face Italian Flavia Pennetta in the second
round and either Henin or Dementieva in the fourth round. Regardless of how she
fares here in
In the very last quarter of the draw we've got the unpredictable Jelena Jankovic. Fairing no better than the fourth round of any Slam in 2009, Jankovic has much to prove this year. She has a nice section of the draw and should stay untroubled until the quarter-finals. Don't expect her to move much farther than that however, as the Serbian is not the huge threat she used to be.
Do keep an eye on Maria Sharapova to have a big Aussie Open. The talented Russian has come back admirably from shoulder surgery last year and has the power game to defeat anyone on tour. If she can keep her serve consistent and free of double-digit double faults, then she is more than capable of winning this tourney. If she does come up against Safina in the round of sixteen, I see Sharapova advancing with ease. There are more Grand Slam titles within her and this could be the next one on her list.
Anticipated First-Round Matches:
Kimiko Date-Krumm vs Yaroslava Shvedova: The 39 year old veteran Date-Krumm
has been very impressive since returning to the tour in 2008 and has worked
herself back into being a dangerous player to face. Her return is even more
impressive given the fact she was away from the sport for twelve years. She'll
face a difficult player in Shvedova, who impressed in the late stages of 2009
with victories over Daniela Hantuchova in
Caroline Wozniacki vs Aleksandra Wozniak: It amazes me how often these two near-identical names get paired together in so many tournaments. Unfortunately for the Canadian Wozniak, it rarely ends up in her favor. The fourth seeded Wozniacki has won five of their six meetings although the pair have usually produced closely contested matches. Wozniak is ranked 34th in the world right now, so this is a fairly strong first rounder.
Jelena Dokic vs Alisa Kleybanova: While it was nice to watch Dokic have her fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals in last year's edition, the same fate will be difficult to duplicate. Dokic faces hard-hitting Russian Kleybanova whom she defeated here in the fourth round last year by a tight score of 7-5, 5-7, 8-6. Kleybanova's court movement is limited due to her stature, but she can really hit the ball and was able to defeat Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Jankovic (twice) in 2009.
January 17, 2010 in Alicia Molik, Ana Ivanovic, Daniela Hantuchova, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Dokic, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Venus Williams, Yanina Wickmayer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Men's 2010 Australian Open Preview
By Mike McIntyre
The first Grand Slam of 2010 is about to get started in Melbourne and with the draw announced we can now start to debate who will be crowned champion in two weeks time. Will it be someone from the usual suspects - a Federer or Nadal perhaps? Or will someone new like Fernando Verdasco or Andy Murray breakthrough and claim their first major? Let's take a look at who has a strong shot at the title and some of the potential dark-horses as well.
The Favorites:
Every Grand Slam begins by looking at world number one, Roger Federer, and rightly so. Having "only" won the Aussie Open three times, Federer has not had as much success at the start of the year as you might imagine. He is three years removed from his last victory in Melbourne and with the draw he has in 2010 I wouldn't expect Federer to be the last man standing. In fact, I think this is the Slam where his record of twenty-two straight Grand Slam semi-finals may finally come to an end. It has to at some point, right?
Who is the most likely man to take Federer out? Igor Andreev is hoping it might be him in the opening round, and Andreev is a tricky player who just might be up for to the task. The pair have only met twice before, but Andreev gave Federer a rough-go at the 2008 U.S. Open where he pushed him to five sets before losing 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Andreev is as inconsistent as they come, but has come up big in the past during high-stakes matches as he displayed in ending Rafael Nadal's streak on clay back in 2005. This is not a guy that Roger wants to face in his opening match.
Federer may also have to face either Marcos Baghdatis or Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round, and potentially Fernando Verdasco or Nikolay Davydenko (who defeated him in Qatar two weeks ago) in the quarter-finals. Sure, Roger is still favored to make it deep in this tournament - but the potential for upset grows stronger each year.
Also in the top-half of the draw is third-seeded Novak Djokovic who has a nice section at this year's edition. The first seeded player he may face is little-known Jeremy Chardy of France in round three and the only true opposition I can foresee would be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals. Tsonga actually leads their career head-to-head by a 4-2 margin, but Djokovic won their last encounter on hard courts easily in 2009.
Djokovic has not chosen to play any ATP tournaments thus far in 2010 which is puzzling. Instead he showed up at the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament where he beat an aging Tommy Haas and then went down to Verdasco 6-1, 6-2 in an apparently meek effort. To make the start of his season even more troubling, Djokovic then played a friendly match against Australian Bernard Tomic and was beaten 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. These are not your typical Djokovic results but makes one question his off-season preparation.
Despite these early upsets and the fact that Djokovic's frail physique is not meant for the brutal Aussie heat, he does have a good path in front of him to succeed. A couple of easy wins could boost his confidence and make him tap into the success he had here when he won his first and only Slam in 2008.
Fernando Veradsco is a player to watch and just came off a victory at Kooyong over Tsonga in the finals. Verdasco pushed Nadal to his limits at the Aussie Open in 2009 and came ever so close to defeating him before falling in the fifth set. His problem is that he usually does not trouble the top-fve and lost to all his matches at the season-ending championships in London to Federer, Del Potro and Murray in November.
The bottom-half of the draw contains some serious fire power with Andy Roddick, Juan Martin Del Potro, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal all lumped together. Picking one of those four players to make it to the finals is easier said than done - although it will without a doubt come from this talented pack of four. I would be shocked if anyone but these four made it to the quarter-finals in the bottom of the draw. I will be glued to my television for the expected Roddick/Del Potro and Murray/Nadal matches.
Roddick already won his first tournament of 2010 by defeating Radek Stepanek in Brisbane. Looks like he is healthy and should breeze through the early round matches.
Del Potro has broken through the Grand Slam barrier with his win over Federer in New York last year. His confidence should be high, but it remains to be seen if he is prepared to challenge at the Slams on a regular basis. Success can affect people in different ways, so Del Potro will want to start the year off strong so that everyone knows he is for real.
Andy Murray is aware that it's time to show the world he is capable of winning a major. He set high hopes after making the finals at the U.S. Open in 2008, but his results at the Slams in 2009 left a lot to be desired. The talent is there with Murray, but we've yet to see the mental consistency on the big stage.
Finally, defending champion Rafael Nadal must also be mentioned - I mean, he did win the thing a year ago! With no titles in the past nine months and injuries that derailed his season in 2009, it is easy to forget about Nadal's potential impact on the game in Australia. Due to last year's circumstances, the pressure will not be very high for Nadal in Melbourne and he is a strong possibility to repeat as champion.
Anticipated First-Round Matches:
Mikhail Youzhny vs Richard Gasquet: These two have only met three times before, and you can ignore the results in that series. Youzhny defeated a sixteen year old Gasquet at this tournament in 2003, Gasquet won on hard-courts in 2005, and then Youzhny won a tight five-setter in 2007 on clay. Youzhny is the 20th seed, while Gasquet should be ranked higher if not for his suspension last year. A coin-toss that I'd give the edge to Gasquet based on recent results and a heck of a first round match to watch.
Marin Cilic vs Fabrice Santoro: Just when you thought the magician had retired he is coaxed back onto the court to become the only player to appear in four decades as a professional tennis player. This will also mark Santoro's 70th career Grand Slam. The 37 year old has been training hard in order to make this a competitive appearance, but don't expect him to defeat the 14th seeded Cilic. It will be their first career meeting and I'm sure the veteran will have some tricks up his sleeve that the young Croat has likely never seen before.
Radek Stepanek vs Ivo Karlovic: The 13th seeded Stepanek surely hoped for an easier starting match than big-serving Ivo Karlovic. This match will feature two completely-opposite styles of play and probably not too many lengthy rallies.
Darkhorses:
As I mentioned before, beware of Igor Andreev to give Federer a stern test in the first round. Qualifier Xavier Malisse could push through a few rounds and upset Nicolas Almagro in the opener as well.
Overall though, this does not look like a tournament where someone is going to surprise us and come from nowhere to make headlines. It is a strong field with a small cluster of top quality hard-court players. One of the regulars should be hoisting the trophy when the final Sunday comes around.
January 16, 2010 in Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Xavier Malisse | Permalink | Comments (0)
2010 Australian Open Suicide Pool
Check out the 2010 Australian Open suicide pool over at Talk About Tennis. These are always very enjoyable and bring out the competitive spirit in all of us.
Pick a different ATP and WTA player in each round and see if you can outwit some very savvy tennis enthusiasts.
You can only pick a player once in the entire tournament, so save your Federer/Serena picks until the late stages - if you can make it that far!
January 16, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Australian Open Draws Released
By Mike McIntyre
The 2010 Australian Open men's and women's draws have just been released. More analysis to follow shortly.
January 14, 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0)
