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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fresh Start for 2010

By Mike McIntyre

Welcome to a new season of professional tennis! 2010 represents a fresh start not only for our website but also for several players on the ATP tour. Let’s take a quick look at a few players who are most looking forward to the clean slate.

Rafael Nadal:

Rafael Nadal is looking to bounce back after an up and mostly down 2009 on tour. He started last year by winning his very first hard-court Grand Slam at the Australian Open over a teary-eyed Roger Federer. At the time we all wondered how Roger would be able to recover after losing to Nadal at another Slam, and this time on a hard-court as well. What followed nobody could have predicted.

Nadal suffered his first loss ever at Roland Garros and subsequent injuries kept him out of Wimbledon all-together. Nadal would return during the summer swing after nearly three months off, but never really got his rhythm back.

The Spaniard says he is completely healthy now and we can only hope that is true. He has indicated that a lighter schedule will be adhered to this season and one wonders what took him so long to come to that conclusion. For years Nadal has played such a heavy schedule that by the time the U.S. Open arrived he looked like a shell of his usual self on court.

Is a repeat in Australia possible? Certainly. Despite being the defending champion, there will not be as much pressure on Nadal due the nearly nine months since he last held a trophy on tour. If he stays healthy, a win at the French Open is almost a guarantee and another year of frustrating Roger Federer and the rest of the tour should follow as well.

Andy Murray:

One player who will have enormous pressure on him is 5th ranked Andy Murray. What do all the players ahead of Murray in the rankings have in common? They have all won a major. Last season was supposed to be Murray's breakthrough year where he would make-good on all of his talent and win his first Grand Slam tournament. Instead he reached the 4th round on hard-courts in Melbourne and New York, the quarters in Paris and a respectable semi-final showing at Wimbledon where he lost to Andy Roddick. It was not Murray's breakthrough year after all and he is undoubtedly looking to put 2009 behind him.

Murray will likely win a Grand Slam title at some point in his career and perhaps even several. Until that time comes though, the pressure will remain. Murray's quest for a Slam reminds me somewhat of the pressure that existed on a young Andre Agassi. Murray, like Agassi, has enormous talent and has proven with regular wins over Federer, Nadal and Del Potro that he is able to dominate the big guns. He has made a Slam final, in 2008 losing to Federer, but must find a way to mentally focus long enough to get that seventh win over a two week period.

Richard Gasquet:

There is one more player who especially needs a fresh start in 2010 and you'll have to look a bit lower down the rankings to find Richard Gasquet. Currently the 53rd best player in the world, Gasquet will be looking to re-establish himself as a top-twenty tennis player this season. 

It was last year that Gasquet was suspended by the International Tennis Federation for doping violations. Traces of cocaine were discovered in one of his samples and he was immediately banned from playing on tour. Gasquet could have faced up to two years away from the game, but had his suspension lifted after a mere two-and-a-half months. The Court of Arbitration of Sport accepted Gasquet's claim that he ingested a small amount of the drug from kissing someone at a Miami nightclub.

It was definitely one of the strangest explanations I have ever heard of and one that was surprisingly accepted. I'm not saying the explanation isn't true – only Gasquet would know - but the fact that it was used as the basis for overturning the ban is a real head-scratcher.

Either way, Gasquet is fortunate to be back on tour and at the tender age of twenty-three (doesn't it feel like he has been around for ages?) he still has ample time to make it back to the upper echelon of the sport. With all the depth in the men's game right now it might be difficult for him to best his career-high ranking of seventh in the world, but nobody will question he has the natural talent to do it.

What player do you think most needs a fresh start in 2010? While you're thinking of that, make sure you wipe the slate clean for your own game as well. It's a new year for players of all calibers!

 

 

Around the Corner - Aussie Open Tune-ups Continue

By Mike McIntyre

With the Australian Open just a week away, many players are using this time to rest from tournament play and work on their game in practice only. You won't find Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray or Andy Roddick playing any real matches this week. All of those top-dogs have already notched several wins under their belts and are feeling confident heading towards the first Slam of the year.

For some players though, they have yet to gain enough time on the court and are looking to take advantage of some precious ranking points and prize money while the big guns rest up. This week there are two ATP tournaments and one exhibition tourney set to begin.

Heineken Open - Auckland, New Zealand:

Tommy Robredo is the number one seed in Auckland this year and is coming in with a big win off Andy Murray at the Hopman Cup last week. The Spaniard defeated Murray 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to help lead Spain to victory. He has a first-round bye and may face big-serving John Isner in the quarter-finals.

The only other big name in the top half of the draw is veteran Juan Carlos Ferrero who will likely face a qualifier or two on his way to the later rounds. Ferrero is still kicking his tires on tour, but expectations are low even in a tournament of this scale.

In the bottom half Philipp Kohlschreiber has the not-so-enviable task of facing David Nalbandian in his return to tour action. Nalbandian has not played since May of 2009 due to injury but started his season a year ago with a victory in his first tournament of the year. It will be interesting to see what kind of shape Nalbandian is in and whether or not he can be considered a threat at the Aussie Open.

David Ferrer is the second seed in Auckland and has a fairly open section of the draw which should enable him to reach the semi-finals. The bottom half also welcomes Sebastien Grosjean back to the tour. The Frenchman had a record of 2-6 in 2009 as he too was plagued with injury problems.

Medibank International - Sydney, Australia

There will be a new champion in Sydney this year, as defending champion David Nalbandian is in Auckland instead. It's hard to figure out why the Argentine would make such a move, but he never really has been an easy one to figure out.

Gael Monfils is seeded number one and should advance to face Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals. It is surprising that Wawrinka is choosing to play in Sydney, since he already reached the finals in Chennai where he lost to Marin Cilic last week. I would not be surprised if Wawrinka drops out at the last minute to rest up for the Open.

Igor Andreev and Richard Gasquet are also in the top half of the draw and are capable of causing some damage. We're still waiting on Gasquet to deliver some results since returning from his shortened drug-related suspension from last season. 

Lleyton Hewitt, who has won here four times before, will represent the local hopes. Hewitt is eager to return to the top ten this year and with a higher ranking he should be seeded at most tournaments he enters in 2010.

Sam Querrey and Tomas Berdych are also in this section of the draw. Querrey lost in the first round last week in Brisbane, while Berdych made it to the semi-finals before falling to eventual champion Andy Roddick. 

Kooyong Classic - Melbourne, Australia

The annual Kooyong Classic exhibition normally attracts some big-name players and this year is no exception. Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro will both be in attendance, as will Fernando Gonzalez, Tommy Haas, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Robin Soderling.

While there will be no ranking points awarded here, the prize money must certainly be enticing and the players have the luxury of putting as much or as little effort as they see fit in the week before the Open. The draw will not be out until January 12th.

While players are eager for some more match play before the Aussie Open, it may be more of a burden for those who advance deep into the draws. Best-of-five-set matches are just around the corner and having some gas left in the tank is going to be a necessity for most.

Davydenko Downs Federer in Doha

By Mike McIntyre

Nikolay Davydenko continued his impressive form of late by defeating Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Friday by a score of 6-4, 6-4.

After losing to Federer in their first twelve career meetings, Davydenko has now defeated the world number one twice in a row. The Russian captured his first victory over Federer at the season-ending championships in London in November of last year.

Davydenko admitted that he broke through the mental barrier that had previously existed when playing Federer, after that monumental victory in London.

“I have a different type of confidence [against Federer] now than before when I lost every match to him. After beating him once it makes it mentally different. If I beat him once, I say I can beat him twice. Now I come ready, fighting, with a chance to win. Not just a chance, but I really can win."

In Doha, Federer was only able to maintain a first serve percentage of 54% and converted on 1 of 3 break point opportunities. Davydenko meanwhile managed to get 78% of his first serves into play, while capitalizing on 3 of 10 break point chances. 

While it is still early in the year, losing to Davydenko twice in a row has to be a concern for Federer. This is a guy he totally owned up until recently. It is also a trend that might signify to the rest of the tour that Federer is no longer as invincible as he once was. The fear-factor that Roger has wielded over the years has definitely helped him maintain his superiority on tour and has acted as a nice bonus to his impressive arsenal of talent on court. If it disappears, Federer is going to find other players who will play him with more optimism and belief as Davydenko has done.

Davydenko has been on a tear since he won the Shanghai Masters in the fall, defeating Djokovic and Nadal along the way. Then in London, he knocked off Federer, Nadal and Del Potro for the title. Watch the hype soar if he should manage to defeat Nadal again in the Finals in Doha on Saturday.

For Davydenko, these crucial victories are making him a very dangerous foe as the Australian Open approaches. While he has been a top-ten fixture for several years now, Davydenko has never been truly considered one of the top players in the game. His name is not mentioned in the same breath as Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. His play since October is starting to change that point of view and Davydenko now has to be considered a top contender for the first slam of the year - and potentially the first of his career.

Nadal Wins in Abu Dhabi

By Mike McIntyre

Rafael Nadal defeated Robin Soderling 7-6(3), 7-5 to win the Capitala World Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The victory must have felt especially good considering Soderling ended Nadal's 31-match winning streak at the French Open in 2009 and also defeated him at the season-ending championships in London in November.

After suffering numerous injuries last season, Nadal seems to finally be realizing that his body may have its limits. He plans on taking some time off after the Australian Open.

“After the end of the season, I didn’t stop and practiced for two and a half weeks,” Nadal said. “I hope to have good tournaments in Doha, Australia and Rotterdam, and then have three weeks off because I have to rest a little in order to play the American season and play many seasons afterwards.”

That is the kind of preparation that Nadal has failed to embrace in the past, and ultimately a decision that has cost him in the later stages of the season. Each year he seems to be deflated by the time the U.S. Open comes around in August. In 2009, injuries crept up even earlier and cost him his chance to defend his Wimbledon title.

Nadal was not the only player to finish with a victory in Abu Dhabi, as Roger Federer won the consolation final over David Ferrer by a score of 6-1, 7-5.

Both Federer and Nadal will now move on to Doha, for the Qatar Exxonmobil Open and a tournament where tangible ranking points are up for grabs.

2010 ATP Season Begins

By Mike McIntyre

The 2010 ATP tennis season is set to begin at three locations across the globe this week and plenty of big-name players are getting ready to fine-tune their games as the first slam of the year approaches. It's hard to believe that in less than three weeks we'll already be watching the action at the Australian Open. Such is the way the ATP tour continues to operate and therefore players can ill-afford to skip the early part of the season.

Here's a look at the competition in Brisbane, Chennai and Doha.

Brisbane International:

For those players looking to get accustomed to the Aussie heat and limit any last minute travel leading up to the Open, Brisbane is the place to be.

American Andy Roddick is seeded number one in the tourney and should advance to the finals without any major opponents in his path. Sure Richard Gasquet might give him a workout in the quarters, but it's not like he has to face a Federer or a Nadal at any point. Tough to say who he might encounter in the semi's, but if Marcos Baghdatis is ready to go, he could certainly make it to that stage. Baghdatis is never in super shape, and that might explain why he typically has such good results in January - nobody else is ready either!

The bottom half of the draw is pretty sparse, so look for defending champion Radek Stepanek to make it through to the semi-finals at least with relative ease.

An interesting opening match-up has 5th seeded Sam Querrey against unseeded James Blake. Blake is accustomed to being the number two ranked American behind Roddick, but we're seeing a younger group like Querrey and John Isner start to challenge. I really feel like 2010 is the year where Blake either has to make some tactical adjustments or kiss the top-fifty goodbye for good.

Aircel Chennai Open:

The draw in Chennai is quite wide-open so look for some unfamiliar names to potentially have a small breakthrough here. Sweden's Robin Soderling is the number one seed here and deservingly-so after his accomplishments in 2009. Soderling already has an exhibition win over Roger Federer this year, so he should perform well. A potential semi-final opponent is Stan Wawrinka who should be able to gather a few wins in Chennai.

In the bottom of the draw don't be surprised if either wildcard Carlos Moya or Somdev Devvarman makes a splash. Moya has won this tournament twice before and will be looking for a fond farewell as 2010 is likely his last on tour. Devvarman is a former NCAA standout and has performed well since joining the pro ranks a year and a half ago. He will certainly have plenty of support from the local crowd.

Second seeded Marin Cilic should also not be forgotten. The big-serving Croat should be able to maneuver into the finals.

Qatar Exxon Mobil Open:

So exactly where are all the big fish to start the 2010 season? Look no further than Doha, Qatar where the $1 million-plus prize purse has attracted Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko. Imagine potential appearance fees on top of that and you can see why this tournament has nabbed the world's number one and two players. There is a big drop-off in talent after these three players however, and perhaps this is due to the distance between Qatar and Australia. It's a bit out of the way for players without a legitimate shot of advancing.

Roger has a good draw in the top-half and will likely face Davydenko in the semi's. After breaking the all-time Grand Slam record in 2009 and having his focus divided between being a family man and a professional tennis player, Roger is going to be tested more than ever in 2010. While Nadal and Murray have had Fed's number over the years, there may be new players that emerge as regular threats to his game. Davydenko defeated him for the first time at the season-ending championships in November, and Soderling did the same a day ago in Abu Dhabi. 

In the bottom-half of the draw, look for Nadal to find his way easily to the finals, where he would face Mikhail Youzhny if the draw holds true to form. You never know what you're getting with Youzhny however, so don't be surprised if someone else surprises.