Cardiac Arrest Claims Montcourt
Cardiac arrest has been revealed as the apparent cause of death of French tennis player Mathieu Montcourt. I will have a more extensive article on Montcourt later in the week.
For more info follow the link.
July 9, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mathieu Montcourt Passes Away
More details to follow, but all we know for sure at the moment is that 24 year old French tennis player Mathieu Montcourt has passed away.
See the following link for available details.
July 7, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Injured Roddick Pulls Out of Davis Cup
Perhaps that tumble during the 5th set against Roger Federer at Wimbledon was more serious than we thought? Or maybe Andy just needs some time to diggest how close he came to winning his second Grand Slam. Either way, Roddick will not be representing the U.S. against Croatia and has been replaced by Mardy Fish.
Injured Roddick Pulls Out of Davis Cup
July 7, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Roddick Amazing Even In Defeat
By Mike McIntyre
Boy did we ever learn a lot about Andy Roddick on Sunday at Wimbledon. The supposedly one-dimensional American certainly proved his critics wrong. While the history books will show that Roger Federer won his record breaking fifteenth Grand Slam title, few people will forget just how close Roddick came to achieving his elusive second. In dramatic fashion on Sunday he pushed the greatest tennis player that ever lived to five entertaining sets eventually falling by a score of 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14.
In their fourth career meeting at Wimbledon and third championship final, Roddick displayed a well-rounded game that we never expected to see. Sure he had played brilliantly against Andy Murray in the semi-finals, but could he do it in back-to-back matches and against a player who had soundly dominated him in their previous encounters? Fortunately for viewers, both players were full of surprises on this day. Who would have thought that Roger Federer would hold the edge in aces by a margin of 50-27? More shocking was Roddick's ability to match the Swiss superstar from the baseline. He continually punished Federer with his two-handed backhand up the line, and also with the wicked forehand he would flick cross-court.
Despite a career head-to-head record of 18-2 against the American, Federer appeared to have his hands just as full against Roddick as he had the previous two years against his nemesis Rafael Nadal. I don't know how Roddick could step on court and from the opening game pressure Federer as if the two were on equal footing. Roddick's mental composure was just as impressive as his physical abilities on the court.
At 5-5 in the opening set it did momentarily appear as though Federer was preparing to impose his will on Roddick when he had three break points. Instead, Roddick managed to hold serve and then promptly break Federer to take the opening set 7-5. Our curiosity was piqued, but still the expectation was that Roger would respond in his usual dominating way.
In the second set both players stayed on serve throughout, forcing a tiebreak that we will not soon forget. Roddick lept out to a seemingly commanding 6-2 lead in points. At 6-5 in the breaker, and on serve, he missed an overhead volley on his backhand that seemed destined to move him into a two sets to love lead. Instead he shanked it as bad as could be imagined to even the breaker up 6-6. Federer took the next two points and evened the match up at one set apiece.
Speaking about the missed backhand volley, Roddick said, "Well, there was a pretty significant wind behind him at that side. It was gusting pretty good at that time. When he first hit it, I thought I wasn't gonna play it. Last minute, it looked like it started dropping. I couldn't get my racquet around on it. I don't know if it would have dropped or not."
I wondered if Roddick would be able to keep his cool after blowing such a golden opportunity and I'm sure I wasn't alone in thinking that. Would the pressure of the moment overwhelm him? He would surprise us all once again by maintaining his composure and continuing to stay with Federer.
Despite losing the third set in a tiebreak, he kept pressuring Federer in the fourth set. Roddick, who still hadn't lost serve in the match, broke Federer for the second time to go up 3-1 in that set. He took the set 6-3 to force one of the greatest fifth-set Grand Slam finals we have ever seen. While it wasn't as strategically brilliant as what we witnessed a year ago, it had just as much tension as both players refused to give up their service games. The games went by quickly, and both Federer and Roddick did what they had to in order to extend the match.
The key moment came at 8-8 with Federer serving at 15-40. Roddick had a glorious chance with two break points. All he had to do was convert one, and then serve it out for the win. Instead Federer managed to save both points through some well-placed first serves that pushed Roddick off-court. Despite returning them both, Federer was positioned for easy winners. The match continued on serve until tied at 14-14. By that point it broke the record for most games in a Wimbledon final and had everyone at home on the edge of their seats.
Roddick finally waivered as he served at 14-15. A couple of nervous errors and Roger had it - his fifteenth Grand Slam victory. Instead of his usual celebration consisting of falling to the ground, Federer began to jump up and down with complete jubilation. He knew how close he had come to losing to Roddick.
Even in defeat Roddick was amazing. He somehow held his composure enough to deliver a thoughtful and humble speech to those in attendance. He praised his opponent and vowed to return and try and win Wimbledon one day. Losing for the third time puts him in the same category as Goran Ivanisevic. After the performance he put through this year, I hope Roddick has the same result as the Croat should he make a fourth final at the All England Club.
In a sport with so many naturally talented players who waste their potential through a lack of commitment and discipline, it is refreshing to see a veteran like Roddick willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goals. Training harder, focusing on his diet and diversifying his game have all made a difference in 2009. Most noteable, his partnership with Larry Stefanki is paying huge dividends and he has shown us parts of his game we always hoped he could find.
Just as Andre Agassi managed to do as he matured both as a person and a tennis professional, Andy Roddick has gained our respect and I would say our hearts as well. He has played during an era where two of the greatest tennis players of all time have emerged and no doubt been denied Grand Slam success on multiple occasions. He is more talented a player than his one U.S Open victory would suggest and now seems closer to repeating that success than we have expected in along time. Let's hope he doesn't dwell on what might have been at Wimbledon for too long and continues his recent resurgence this summer.
July 7, 2009 in Andy Roddick, Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jon Wertheim's Final Wimbledon Thoughts
Here are Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim's final thoughts from Wimbledon 2009.
July 5, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
All Williams Final at Wimbledon
Both Serena and Venus Williams won their semi-final matches today at Wimbledon to advance to the championship final. Serena narrowly defeated Elena Dementieva 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 and saved a match point along the way, while Venus cruised past Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0.
Check out the following article for more info.
July 2, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Advances to 21st Straight Grand Slam Semi
By Mike McIntyre
Roger Federer advanced to his record extending 21st straight Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-3, 7-5, 7-6(3) win over Croatia's Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
Federer was brilliant on serve all day, only losing eleven service points in three sets. The incredible serve of Karlovic was subdued, as Federer became the first man to break him during the tournament after 79 straight holds. Karlovic was broken once in the first set, once in the second and then failed to threaten Federer during the third set tiebreak.
Other than his monstrous serve, Karlovic appeared completely lost on court against Federer. His approaches to the net were often a failure and his abilities in a rally were equally inept.
Asked if playing against Karlovic was boring, Federer replied;
"Look, everybody plays different, you know. Like I said before the match, I enjoy the match playing Ivo. It's not fair to call him boring. He's got a phenomenal serve. The way he backs it up with his volleys, it's quite something. I think it's exciting actually to go see him play."
Kudos to Federer in his ability to neutralize Karlovic, who up until today had been having quite an astounding run at Wimbledon. It was the 6'10'' Karlovic's best Grand Slam run to-date, having never before reached the quarter-finals of a Slam.
Federer now advances to the semi's on Friday where he will face German veteran Tommy Haas, who dispatched of Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3.
Asked about playing Haas again, Federer had the following to say;
"He's always been one of the best ball strikers in the game. I think he's really gotten his game together again after some tough injuries. I actually played him before he got his surgery in Paris, and then I went on to play the Shanghai Masters, I think 2002 it was. So he's had a rough few years, you know, behind him. But it's so nice to see him back. We're very friendly. We're good friends. You know, I hope we can live up to the expectations and repeat a good match like we had in Paris."
July 1, 2009 in Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jon Wertheim's Midterm Wimbledon Grades
Check out Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim's midterm Wimbledon grades.
June 30, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
American Oudin Shocks Jankovic
By Mike McIntyre
Seventeen year old American qualifier Melanie Oudin has proven to be the surprise story of the women's draw at Wimbledon this year as she knocked off sixth seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday. Oudin is listed at 5'6'' and reminds me of Justin Henin in terms of her physique. While not physically imposing, Oudin used a versatile arsenal of shots and a well disguised drop shot to upset the former world number one.
Oudin had set points in the first set tie break, but was unable to capitalize and lost the breaker by a score of 10-8. After taking the first set, Jankovic took a thirteen minute medical timeout and was visited by both a trainer and doctor who took her blood pressure. This lengthy delay caused ESPN's Brad Gilbert to remark how such prolonged breaks should be banned. Gilbert felt quite strongly that if a player is unfit to play they should lose the match. Speaking about what happened Jankovic had the following to say:
"After the first set, I felt really dizzy, and I thought that I was just gonna end up in the hospital. I started to shake. I was losing my ‑ how you say ‑ consciousness. I didn't know. I was really gonna lose it, you know, to fall down and just, you know, probably go ‑‑ call the ambulance and leave the court. But I came back. Like I started to feel a little bit better."
The two traded several breaks of serve in the second set, and at one point Oudin was two points away from defeat. Down 4-5, 15-30 she used a sneaky dropshot hit from well behind the baseline to confound Jankovic. Oudin took control of the match in the third set as Jankovic whithered away.
Ranked outside the top hundred players in the world coming in to the tournament, Oudin will see quite a jump after her success here this week. She will next face the eleventh seed, Agnieszka Radwanska, who defeated Na Li 6-4, 7-5.
In her press conference after the match, Oudin seemed unfazed by the success she has experienced thus far at her first Wimbledon.
"Yeah, uhm, you know, I went out there and actually did really well. Was just thinking that she was any other player and this was any other match and I was at any other tournament, you know, not like on the biggest stage at Wimbledon playing my first top 10 player."
Not since the Williams sisters broke through has a young American woman enjoyed such success at a Grand Slam. Oudin has already proven herself in Fed Cup action for the United States when she won the opening match against Argentina in February. Regardless of how far she continues to advance at Wimbledon, Oudin has given American tennis and unexpected shot in the arm.
June 27, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hewitt Returns to Form at Wimbledon
By Mike McIntyre
2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt is displaying strong grass-court form as he knocked off number five seed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 to advance to the third round.
"Oh, it was a big win. I wanted to beat a top‑five guy," Hewitt stated after the match. "These are the places you want to do it, too."
Despite practicing together on numerous occasions, it was the first career meeting between the two and Hewitt used his experience to knock off the twenty year old Argentine who falls to 3-3 in his career at the All England Club.
Speaking about Del Potro's inexperience on grass, Hewitt said, "Yeah, he's an exceptional player, he's a very talented player, but he's still a little bit raw. I had to try and take advantage of that as much as possible."
Del Potro rated his own play as an 8/10 which may sound surprising given his straight sets loss, but he gave much credit to Hewitt's play after the match.
With a wide open top section of the draw, Hewitt should be able to advance to the quarter-finals where he will likely face American Andy Roddick. The absence of world number one Rafael Nadal has certainly provided a nice opportunity to advance deep into a Grand Slam for the first time in years for Hewitt. He last advanced to a Grand Slam quarter-final at the U.S Open in 2006.
Hewitt Press Conference Transcript
Del Potro Press Conference Transcript
June 25, 2009 in Lleyton Hewitt | Permalink | Comments (0)
Agassi Still Connected to Tennis
An enjoyable read about Andre Agassi's future involvement in the sport. The eight time Grand Slam champion will hit the courts this summer as part of World Team Tennis. How long until we see some exhibition matches between Agassi and Sampras I wonder?
June 24, 2009 in Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Advances to Third Round at Wimbledon
A transcript of Roger Federer's post-match press conference after defeating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez at Wimbledon on Wednesday 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
June 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Federer Makes Fashion Statement at Wimbledon
Unlike last year's cardigan, Roger Federer's fashion statement at Wimbledon this year is not receiving glowing reviews. Check out the following link for some articles and assessments of his latest new accessories.
June 24, 2009 in Roger Federer | Permalink | Comments (0)
What's Up With James Blake?
James Blake's first round loss at Wimbledon to Andreas Seppi was the shock of the first day. In his most recent Tennis Mailbag, Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Wertheim responds to Blake's struggles.
June 24, 2009 in James Blake | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sharapova Ousted At Wimbledon
By Mike McIntyre
Maria Sharapova was defeated in the 2nd round of Wimbledon on Wednesday for the second year in a row. The Russian went down 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 against Gisela Dulko. Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champ, still has a long way to go towards regaining her form after a nine month layoff from shoulder surgery. While this one will be called an upset, Sharapova has only played in four tournaments since returning to the tour.
June 24, 2009 in Maria Sharapova | Permalink | Comments (0)
Safin One Step Closer to Retirement
Russian enigma Marat Safin lost in four sets on Tuesday to unseeded American qualifier Jesse Levine, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Not only does Safin get one step closer to his impending retirement, but he also loses a pile of ranking points from his semi-final run a year ago at Wimbledon.
Check out the full press conference transcript from the official Wimbledon website. It offers up such gems as the following:
Q. How do you feel?
MARAT SAFIN: Relieved. Pretty much relieved (smiling).
Doesn't sound like a guy who's having any second thoughts.
June 24, 2009 in Marat Safin | Permalink | Comments (0)
Serena's Hungry for More Than Just Wimbledon Title
I got a kick out of Serena Williams' most recent blog posting. It seems she is none too pleased about the locker room food restrictions.
You would think there have to be more important issues to blog about as Wimbledon begins.
June 24, 2009 in Serena Williams | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sports Illustrated's Elusive Cover
By Mike McIntyre
On June 15th Roger Federer, in recognition of his record-tying 14th Grand Slam victory, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine for the second time. Considering the millions of readers that will come accross this article either in print or online it is indeed a significant source of exposure for Federer and the sport of tennis as a whole. Congratulations to SI for recognizing the monumental feat that has just been accomplished and for allowing the sport to grace its elusive cover. You see, tennis does not often find itself splashed accross the cover of America's most influential sports magazine. Instead the sport takes a backseat to football, basketball, baseball, golf, nascar, hockey, darts, horseshoes and backgammon. Well alright, that might be a bit of a stretch but for the love of Pete (Sampras), what has tennis done to be shunned by this mighty publication?
It should first be stated that tennis has not always been overlooked by Sports Illustrated. Tennis was featured on the cover 14 times in the 1970s, 22 times in the 1980s, 19 times in the 1990s before dropping to what it has experienced thus far this decade - a mere 5 covers. With six months left before 2010, I'm guessing we're not going to see a late surge pushing tennis back to its earlier numbers. During those previous decades the sport was close to averaging one cover a year with the weekly publication. Those numbers might not be stunning, but it provided at least an annual display of the sport and its stars. What was going on in the 70s, 80s and 90s that was so riveting?
Certainly there was the enduring American appeal of John McEnroe (7 covers), Jimmy Connors (8 covers), Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi (3 covers each). An American champion will obviously gather more attention in the United States and with their sports magazines than someone from Spain or Switzerland for example. Those earlier decades were a great time for tennis in America.
Yet while those stars captivated the nation's patriotic attention it wasn't merely American tennis players making the cover. Bjorn Borg was on the cover 5 times and he came from Sweden. Being American also does not necessarily translate to being cover-worthy. When American Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003 he received just a small corner of the cover while the start of the NFL season took up 95% of the available space.
Ah yes, the timing of the most important events in tennis are unfortunately usually pre-empted by other North American traditions. The Australian Open concludes at the same time as the Super Bowl, the French Open often conflicts with the Stanley Cup finals in hockey and the NBA finals as well. The U.S. Open as previously mentioned coincides with the opening of the NFL season and Wimbledon with its all-white dress code and strawberry's and cream is just not American enough to draw the front page.
While statistics can be misleading, the following speaks volumes towards the athletic inclination of Americans and the sports they enjoy the most. Here are my unofficial tallies of Sports Illustrated covers by sport thus far in the 21st century.
Football - 180
Basketball: 117
Baseball: 97
Golf: 19
Hockey: 14
Tennis: 5
While the magazine has made its choice to glorify the typical American pastimes, it is also time for tennis to look itself in the mirror and ask what more it has to offer. While Sports Illustrated has neglected some of the sport's major accomplishments, tennis has not exactly been flexible with marketing itself in mainstream American media. If the executives of both the ATP and WTA tours altered the Grand Slam schedule ever so slightly, I'm sure we would see more of the game's stars on the cover of Sports Illustrated and many other publications as well.
Tennis does have an advantage over other sports in that it celebrates both the men's and women's tours with virtual equality. Kudos to Sports Illustrated for providing a strong mix of covers to both genders. Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles each appeared on the cover on more than one occasion, and until last summer's Federer/Nadal Wimbledon edition it had been nine years since a male tennis player had made the cover while the women (S.Williams, Kournikova, Sharapova, S. Williams) had enjoyed four in a row. This wonderful duality in tennis is something that should be promoted more often to enable to sport to reach out to as many fans as possible.
While getting on the cover of Sports Illustrated is a nice achievement and an excellent source of visibility, it is not the only indicator for how strong and vibrant tennis has become. I would argue that it is quality and not quantity that matters. Last summer we witnessed what Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Wertheim and many other pundits called the "Greatest Match of All Time" and in this most recent issue S.L. Price debates whether or not Federer is the "Greatest of All Time." These are some pretty momentous moments in the history of the sport that we are witnessing and fortunately that Sports Illustrated is recognizing as well. And who knows, if Federer can break Pete Sampras' all time Grand Slam record at Wimbledon we might even be treated to another SI cover this year. Quality and quantity - wouldn't that be something?
June 21, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Dancevic Falls to Tursunov in Eastbourne Final
Canadian Frank Dancevic's bid to win his first career final fell short Sunday at Eastbourne as he lost 3-6, 6-7(5) to Dmitry Tursunov of Russia. Nevertheless, a great week for Frank as he approaches Wimbledon.
For the full story check out yahoo sports.
June 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon
By Mike McIntyre
Rafael Nadal announced at a press conference at the All England Club on Wednesday that he will not be defending his title at Wimbledon due to the tendinitis in both his knees.
Speaking about his decision Nadal said, "To not play Wimbledon is one of the toughest decisions of my career."
"I have some time now to recover and will work very hard to return as soon as possible."
“I think I reached the limit right now. I need to reset to come back stronger."
Asked about the longterm threat the injury posed, Nadal said, “It’s not chronic. I can recover for sure.”
The Spaniard has been hobbled by the injury since losing in the fourth round of the French Open in May. He tested himself in exhibition play this week by playing against Lleyton Hewitt and Stanislas Wawrinka but lost both contests.
With his withdrawal, Roger Federer becomes the number one seed followed by Brit Andy Murray in the number two spot.
June 19, 2009 in Rafael Nadal | Permalink | Comments (0)
Dancevic Advances to Final in Eastbourne
By Mike McIntyre
Canadian Frank Dancevic boosted his chances at returning his ranking to within the top hundred today as he advanced to the finals of a Wimbledontune-up event at Eastbourne. Dancevic who had to qualify for the tournament,defeated veteran Frenchman Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro 6-4, 6-4. He will now face Russia's Dmitry Tursunov who defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2to reach the championship match. This will be the second career meeting between the two, with Tursunov holding a 2-0 edge. The pair have previously met in a final, the only previous one of Dancevic's career, in 2007 in Indianapolis.
June 19, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wawrinka Defeats Nadal in Exhibition Match
Another loss for Rafael Nadal today on grass as he attempts to gauge his ability to defend his Wimbledon crown beginning Monday. The Spaniard went down 4-6, 7-6, 10-3 to Stanislas Wawrinka on Friday in an exhibition match at an exclusive private venue in London. Nadal seemed to be much more competitive than he was against Lleyton Hewitt earlier in the week. Still no word on whether or not he feels fit enough to play at the All England Club.
June 19, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Canadians Dancevic and Wozniak Win Again at Eastbourne
Another great day for Canadian tennis players on the grass courts in Eastbourne. Both Frank Dancevic and Aleksandra Wozniak advanced to the semi-finals on Wednesday. Being Canadian myself I feel the need to boast for a moment! Humor me, we don't get many of these moments in tennis.
Dancevic is seeking to finally get his game on track after a tough first half in 2009. He squeezed out a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 victory over Argentine Leonardo Mayer.
Wozniak continued her impressive season to date by demolishing Vera Dushevina 6-1, 6-0.
I can't remember the last time Canadians made the semi's of a combined men's and women's event but it sure is a nice accomplishment.
Along with doubles superstar Daniel Nestor, Dancevic and Wozniak are giving the country some hope of posting a few victories at Wimbledon next week.
June 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Nadal Struggles in Exhibition Match
The chances of Rafael Nadal defending his Wimbledon title from a year ago look bleak after a straight sets loss on grass to Lleyton Hewitt on Thursday at an exhibition match in London.
For more information check out the following link.
June 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wimbledon Suicide Pool
Check out the Wimbledon Suicide Pool
June 17, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
