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, California

Of 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 Netherlands

With 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.

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.

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.

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. 

The Year That Was: 2009 In Review

By Mike McIntyre

Another calendar year about to come to a close means that we can officially turn the page on another exciting year of professional tennis. Truly 2009 was not just an ordinary year in the history of the sport, but one that had fans and media alike talking tennis at great lengths over the past twelve months.

Tennis grabbed the headlines for a variety of reasons - some good, some bad - and captivated us from Rafael Nadal's first hard-court Grand Slam victory in January to Nikolay Davydenko's unlikely season-ending triumph at the Tour finals in November. In between we had a comeback like no other from Kim Clijsters in the summer and a meltdown from Serena Williams that made John McEnroe look like a saint. What about December you ask? Well hey, we have to give these guys a break sometime don't we?

With all the high's and low's from the past year it is difficult to focus on just a few, but some certainly stood out more than others.

Roger Federer's Achievements:

Up until the last Slam of the year in 2008, our boy Roger was getting a lot of flack from people about his performance on the court. No major titles to his credit, a thrashing by Rafa at Roland Garros and losing to the Spaniard again at Wimbledon did not bode well for his attempt at continued domination and his desire to topple the Grand Slam record held by Pete Sampras. Eventually he did win the U.S. Open to salvage some much needed respect and confidence - but could he maintain it in 2009?

Roger responded with authority by making all four Slam finals, finally breaking through at the French Open to complete his career-slam and re-taking Wimbledon in a match for the ages (yeah I know, we said that in 2008 too!) He broke Pete's record with his 15th major title and also celebrated the year in his personal life with a wedding and the arrival of twins.

He is arguably now the greatest player of all-time and whether he adds to his Slam-total or not, it will be a good while before we even think about his record being challenged. Despite not being named the AP athlete of the year, this guy is as classy a champion as we'll ever see. He is without a doubt, the tennis played of the year for 2009.

Serena Williams' Ups and Downs:

On the women's side the distinction of player of the year goes to Serena Williams. I'm not sure if the word 'classy' can be thrown in along with that, but her record at the majors was untouched. Slam victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, along with the season-ending championship in Qatar,' all cemented her status as world number one. And let's not forget her doubles accomplishments with sister Venus, as the duo won three Slams together and finished the year ranked third overall despite only entering six tournaments.

Negating some of the praise for her tennis achievements was the unfortunate meltdown in her semi-final match at the U.S. Open against Kim Clijsters. Her verbal assault towards a line-judge was completely unacceptable and brought all the wrong kind of attention to the sport in a match that should have been purely about two great and talented tennis players. Foot-fault or not, she was deducted a point according to the rules and as it was on match-point it ended up being the end of the contest.

Take away that one incident - if you can - and everyone would have been singing Serena's praises for such a fantastic year. Personally I think we can shrug off this ugly heat-of-the-moment outburst and look for Serena to let her play speak for itself in 2010.

Comebacks:

Big-name, small-name, older and younger, there were several notable comebacks in 2009. The most impressive no-doubt goes to a certain Belgian player named Kim Clijsters. Clijsters chose a difficult time of the year to return to professional tennis - halfway through the season - and knocked off some tough competition in her first two tournaments back. It was in her third tournament, at the U.S. Open however, that she really showed us what she could do. After more than two years away from the game, Clijsters knocked off both Williams sisters en-route to her second career Grand Slam title. Makes you wonder if a little time away from the game might help some other players seeking to win another major, doesn't it? 

Other returning players worth note include Taylor Dent on the men's side who overcame a potentially career-ending back injury to jump from 804 to 75 in the ATP rankings. It's nice to see the affable serve and volleyer back on the court after such a prolonged absence from the game.

Kimiko Date-Krumm showed us that age is but a number when she returned to the court at 38 years old and became the second-oldest player behind Billie Jean King to win a tour event.

Maria Sharapova returned from an injury to her shoulder that kept her away from the game for ten months. While her powerful groundstrokes remain a threat, her serve was a disappointment as she attempted to use an adjusted motion. If she can keep the number of double-faults to a minimum there is no reason why Sharapova cannot return to Grand Slam success. January will mark two years since her last major victory.

A final comeback worth noting is that of Justine Henin. While Henin has yet to play a competitive match, she made her announcement in 2009 and one cannot help but think the success of her fellow-Belgian Kim Clijsters was partially responsible. What a great boost to the women's game that is already thriving with plenty of big-name appeal.

Andre Agassi's Revelations:

When eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi left the game in 2006, he exited as a soft-spoken, elder-statesman of the tour and a highly respected ambassador of the sport. It was hard to remember him as the long-haired, Big-mac eating, rock-star Agassi of the 80s or the over-weight, sullen, challenger-level Agassi of 1997. Agassi's autobiography, Open, reminds us of these times and other dark moments in his tennis career that we never even imagined. 

Recreational drug-use, lies to Tour officials about dope tests, and a deep rooted hatred for the game were all shocking admissions that Agassi shares with his readers. How did Agassi's confession sit with his peers and his fans?

Some, like Martina Navratilova, were quick to condemn him, while others like Andy Roddick stood firm behind him. Most voiced their surprise and disappointment and some applauded his candor. While the manner in which Agassi came clean is somewhat less than perfect, his book sheds much insight into the tortured inner-feelings of one of the sport's more complex characters.

Many lessons can be learned from his writing such as the pressure tennis parents place on their children, the completely ineffective drug-testing policies the tour's adhere to and the ability to overcome adversity and triumph through hard work and determination. 

Israeli Tennis:

It was a year of major tennis accomplishments and disappointments for Israeli tennis players in 2009. The ugly side of sports emerged in February in the United Arab Emirates when politics and racism reared their head in a controversial decision that had everyone talking. Israeli top-forty player Shahar Peer was denied entry into the Emirates despite qualifying for direct entry into the tournament in Dubai. Tournament organizers hid their motives behind so-called fears of security concerns for Peer. In truth, this was just another example of a country that attempts to appear progressive displaying its shallow prejudice.

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour officials mistakenly allowed the tournament to continue despite Peer's exclusion. Fortunately the situation was corrected in time for the ATP event the following week with Andy Ram playing in the doubles draw. Despite Ram's entry, American Andy Roddick took a noble stand and refused to play due to the treatment of Peer. A nice gesture of solidarity on his part.

Just when that situation had resolved itself, Israel was once again in the middle of a controversy - this time in Malmo, Sweden, for a Davis Cup tie in early March. Player safety was again cited as the reason why the best-of-five tie would be played with no spectators in attendance. The controversial decision clearly did not help the favored Swedes, as Israel advanced with a surprise 3-2 victory.

Davis Cup would prove to be the saving grace for Israeli tennis in 2009, as the country would defeat a powerful Russian team to get to the semi-finals before bowing out against the eventual champions from Spain. With a roster compiled of unheralded journeymen such as Jonathan Erlich, Harel Levy, Andy Ram and Dudi Sela, Israel made it to their very first Davis Cup semi-final and shocked many along the way. After all of the sensational press they had received earlier in the year, it was a deserving, feel-good story for the Israelis. 

Other Noteable Events:

 - Rafael Nadal's first-ever loss at Roland Garros versus Robin Soderling. The most shocking loss of 2009 without a doubt and one that would greatly help Federer achieve his missing slam. 

 - Andy Roddick coming so close to winning his elusive second Grand Slam title. Boy did Andy ever take Roger into extra-innings at Wimbledon in June. He earned some much needed respect after that five set marathon.

 - Melanie Oudin's unexpected run at the U.S. Open where she made it to the quarter-finals. A nice shot-in-the-arm for American tennis that bodes well for the future.

 - Drug suspensions and subsequent reversals for Richard Gasquet, Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse. It is time for the ATP and WTA Tour's to conduct a serious review of how they handle positive drug tests. Gasquet's excuse that he ingested cocaine from a night-club encounter with someone's mouth just doesn't sit right.

 - The retirement of former Grand Slam champions Thomas Johansson, Amelie Mauresmo and Marat Safin as well as Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro and Ai Sugiyama.

Men's U.S. Open Draw Analysis

By Mike McIntyre

The U.S. Open men's and women's singles draws were announced today and for the next few days tennis fans can speculate all they want about who will emerge victorious at the last Slam of the year. Today I'll take a look at most of the seeded players on the men's side and give my perspective on each player's chances.

1 - Roger Federer: Hard to bet against Roger with the season he has had thus far in 2009. After a tough start on hard courts he won his first ever title at Roland Garros to complete his career-slam and then went on to win Wimbledon and dethrone Pete Sampras as the all-time Grand Slam title holder with fifteen. Following the birth of twin daughters, Roger was understandably not as sharp in Montreal where he was defeated in the quarter-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He did rebound nicely with a victory in Cincinnati last week where he defeated Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in succession. A return to the finals seems likely and his biggest challengers in the top half are Djokovic and Andy Roddick. After his recent win over Murray and with Rafael Nadal's knee issues, I'd say Grand Slam number sixteen could be right around the corner for Federer.

2 - Andy Murray: At the start of the year everyone was buzzing about how this would be the year Murray would win his first Grand Slam. While he has improved upon his results in each major this year (4th round Australia, quarters French, semis Wimbledon) he has still not been as consistent in the slams as he is elsewhere. With a wounded Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro as his biggest competition in the bottom half of the draw, a return to the final is likely. I feel that Federer still has the edge against him in a major final, and that Murray's first Grand Slam success is still a year away.

3 - Rafael Nadal: Normally by this time of year, Nadal already has a French Open title and at least a Wimbledon final result to his name. This time around he has an Australian Open victory, but due to injuries was ineffective in Paris and MIA in England. His rust showed big-time in straight set losses to Del Potro in Montreal and Djokovic in Cincy. We can't blame the guy for his lack of court time, but we also can't expect a big showing in Flushing Meadows. On top of Nadal's injury woes, he has the misfortune of drawing a pretty good first round opponent in Richard Gasquet. Gasquet is returning from a four month layoff of his own, albeit one that was not injury related.

4 - Novak Djokovic: aka the Falcon (who comes up with these nicknames?), Djokovic has had terrible results at all the Slams in 2009. He retired in the quarters of Australia against Roddick, got bounced in straight sets in the third round at the French by Philipp Kohlschreiber, and lost to Tommy Haas in the quarters at Wimbledon. The "good" news is that he has already retired from one Slam this year, so he's gotten that out of his system (Djokovic has retired from a Slam in 4/5 years on the tour). The bad news is that he has failed to win a hard court tournament since February and after his listless performance against Federer in the finals of Cincinnati, I expect that streak to continue for some time.

5 - Andy Roddick: After his dramatic performance at Wimbledon this year, who doesn't want to see Andy win another Slam? His gritty and heart-breaking five set loss to Federer at the All-England club in June is still on our minds, yet the American number one seems to have already put it behind him. He had a solid return to the hard courts by making the finals of the Legg Mason in D.C. against Del Potro and then lost in the semi's in Montreal to Del Potro once again in a tight three set match. I'd give Roddick the edge against the young Argentine in a best of five set match at the Open, but since they are in separate halves of the draw, a rematch is unlikely. Roddick does have Fernando Verdasco lurking in the fourth round, and then a likely quarter final match against Djokovic who he has owned this year by winning all three of their encounters. A semi-final rendez-vous with Federer is what we're all hoping for.

6 - Juan Martin Del Potro: Not quite as impressive as he was a year ago when he won four tournaments in a row, but Del Potro has still had a solid summer in 2009. He won the Legg Mason Classic, and then made the finals in Montreal where he played quite well against Andy Murray in defeat. He has had an up-and-down year in the Slams, falling to Federer in Australia in the fourth round and then nearly knocking off the Swiss star in the semis at the French. At Wimbledon he was schooled by Lleyton Hewitt, but we're back on the hard courts now and expect Del Potro to go deep into the draw. He'll give Murray a run for it in the quarters and just like the Scot he will taste Grand Slam success at some point in the future.

7 - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Anything could happen with this talented young Frenchmen. The draw he has received looks quite promising, with a fourth round potential match against Fernando Gonzalez, and then a battered Nadal in the quarters. After knocking off Federer in Montreal, Tsonga got a nice confidence boost heading into the Open. Despite his inconsistencies this year, I like him to make the semis.

8 - Nikolay Davydenko: A threat on most surfaces, I rank Davydenko as the best of the rest of the field outside of the top seven. He's just not quite as strong or durable to challenge here at the Open.

9 - Gilles Simon: Not even close to matching his summer of 2008 performance. Won't get past Del Potro in round four.

10 - Fernando Verdasco: Started the year on a tear in Australia but has cooled off considerably since then. Matches up nicely though against Roddick who he will likely face in the fourth round.

11 - Fernando Gonzalez: No predictions here. You just never know what you'll get with Gonzo. Hasn't had the best hard court results this year. Chilean fans will be all over his first round match against former Olympics doubles partner Nicolas Massu. 

12 - Robin Soderling: Can't seem to get a Slam draw without a Federer match in his path. This time they could meet in the fourth round. Has only taken one set off Roger in eleven career meetings - ouch!

13 - Gael Monfils: Two months off due to injuries is not going to help his chances.

14 - Tommy Robredo: Tommy has been having a tough time of late, unable to make it past the second round in his three hard court summer tournies.

15 - Radek Stepanek: The worm has a good draw to make it to the fourth round.

16 - Marin Cilic: Progress seems to have slowed after two tournament victories early in 2009. Has not been a factor all summer.

17 - Tomas Berdych: Almost had the match of his career against Federer at the Aussie Open. Don't expect anything similar here in New York.

18 - David Ferrer: If he's healthy he could go a few rounds, but nothing like his semi-final run from 2007.

19 - Stanislas Wawrinka: Not much to show since his tough Wimbledon loss to Andy Murray whom he could very well face in the fourth round.

20 - Tommy Haas: Seeded 20th but playing like a top-ten again at the age of 31, anything could happen here with Haas. He hasn't made much of a splash since Wimbledon, but at this stage of his career I'd imagine he saves his best for the Slams. Tough section of the draw though, with Verdasco and Roddick in the early rounds.

21 - James Blake: If it weren't for an easy opening few rounds, I'd write off Blake's chances for a victory entirely. I love his character but question his game-plan. It has been an odd year for Blake with his best results coming on clay and grass. With his spotty play, I don't expect Blake to be receiving a seed at this tournament in a year's time.

22 - Sam Querrey: Now here's an American whose career is going in the right direction. Querrey has had some great hard court results this year, including the title in Los Angeles, and the finals in Indianapolis this summer. A recent victory over Andy Roddick also bodes well for his chances at making some Grand Slam noise in New York. Has a good section of the draw and is capable of a quarter-finals result.

The last ten seeds don't represent any threats in my opinion and really, how much can one say about Viktor Troicki? The U.S. Open is a place where the big guns are going to shine and for the men that means we can look forward to some excellent quarter-final matches during week two. I'm going for a Federer-Murray final once more and with the same outcome. How about you?

Gasquet Cleared For Duty

By Mike McIntyre

Frenchman Richard Gasquet has been cleared to resume his tennis career after completing a two and a half month ban for testing positive for cocaine. Apparently Gasquet kissed a woman at a Miami nightclub who had recently used the drug and inadvertently passed it on to him. Due to the small traces that were found in his system an ITF tribunal has rescinded the doping ban. 

“We have found the player to be a person who is shy and reserved, honest and truthful, and a man of integrity and good character,” the tribunal said in its ruling. “He is neither a cheat nor a user of drugs for recreational purposes.”

Given the tougher stance the ITF has taken against other tennis players who have tested positive for drug use over the years, I'm somewhat surprised that this violation was swept aside so easily. I'm not saying I do not believe in Gasquet's innocence, but his story does not seem to be backed by solid evidence. Somewhere out there Martina Hingis must be wishing she had thought of such an excuse two years ago when she tested positive for cocaine as well. 

Gasquet was facing a potential two year ban from the tour which would have made him twenty-five when he returned. Still young enough to return to form with the talent he possessed, but it would be tough to maintain your focus and training during that type of hiatus to be sure.

The doping violation will still remain on his record, meaning that if he tests positive again for the substance he would be facing a lifetime ban from the sport. That also seems odd to me - either he's guilty or he's not, right? How can you reinstate someone and concur with their version of the events that transpired, yet still threaten to end their career should he test positive in the future?   

The Frenchman expects to resume playing in the next few weeks. Welcome back Richard!

Video: Gasquet's MP Winner; Other Highlights from Monday

Eurosport's got a great video wrap of yesterday's action, with interviews as well with Mauresmo, Henin-Hardenne, Jankovic, and more.