Hit For Haiti A Huge Success

By Mike McIntyre

Some of the greatest tennis stars in the history of the sport came together Friday night in Indian Wells for the second edition of Hit for Haiti to raise money for those affected by the devastating earthquake that hit the small country in early January.

The night started out with a women's doubles match between Martina Navratilova/Justine Henin and Steffi Graf/Lindsay Davenport that could not disappoint with a collective 50 Grand Slam singles titles between them.

The level of tennis and good-natured banter were both impressive as the Navratilova/Henin tandem won 8-6 on a Henin backhand up the line.

All four players had their moments that rekindled moments past, from Graf's forehand to Davenport's serve, from Navratilova's volleys to Henin's backhand - it was all on display for the capacity crowd to enjoy,

Most impressive hands-down, were the quick hands that 53 year old Navratilova showed off to us all. Even with 22 Grand Slam singles titles to her name and another 31 Grand Slam doubles titles it is a wonder that she is still able to work her magic on court at her age. It is a tribute to her incredible fitness and obviously her raw talent as well. If she played doubles today I'm certain she could still be a factor which is just amazing.

Equally as impressive as Navratilova's physical game was her verbal one as she joked with the crowd, the ball kids and her opponents throughout the charity match.

Early on in the match Graf was able to track down a Navratilova shot and launch a perfect lob for the point, which prompted Navratilova to sarcastically dead-pan, "it's a slow court."

She later asked for the service gun to be turned off after her serve was clocked at a mere 80mph.

My favorite Martina quote of the night was after the Graf/Davenport tandem picked on Justine Henin for four or five overhead smashes in a row and she said, "obviously you're playing to the weaker link (Henin) over there."

After the women's match the men took to the court with the serve and volley dream-doubles tandem of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer against the baseline duo of Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.

As much fun as watching the women was, this was the match I was really looking forward to. The four greatest ATP players of the last twenty years all on the same court. The greatest rivalry of the 1990s as well as the greatest rivalry thus far of the 21st Century.

Agassi played surprisingly well for someone who has not really played much tennis since retiring in 2006. He twice placed a serve within 1mph of his pre-announced target. For his part, Sampras looked a bit shaky but could still deliver some pop on his serve when needed. Federer and Nadal were clearly not at their usual level of brilliance - nor did they have to be. They were - for a change - more of a supporting act to the two great American players. 

Aside from the tennis, It was no surprise that Andre did about 95% of the chatting throughout the set and some of his quotes were just hysterical. Here are a few of my favorites from the evening:

"I know you’re not taking me seriously Fed, but I’m coming."  

"Stop hitting the ball to Federer alright?...Not Sampras either, just keep it in between them."

"I got that partner." (shot goes into the net) "I used to have that partner."  

"You’re not very intimidating there (Roger). You’re very disarming. You’re very Swiss."

"Red’s not your colour Rog."  

"You know what 10,000 kids are saying right now? Who are those two bald guys playing with Federer and Nadal?"  

"They just don’t make athletes like they used to." (after a Nadal shank into the net)

"You move a lot faster on tv." (to Nadal) 

"Sorry partner, I only go to net to shake hands."

Things did get somewhat awkward about halfway through the match when Pete finally got into the comedy act by mimicking Agassi's pigeon-toed walk. Andre stayed quiet in response for a change until Pete asked him if he had a comeback. Agassi then said he had an imitation of Pete and followed that up by pulling the pockets out of his track pants and pretending he had no money for a tip - a reference to a less than kind passage from Agassi's recent autobiography about Sampras. It was a poorly timed reference and I don't think anyone deserves to be called cheap during a charity exhibition match such as this one.

Federer picked up on the tension and turned to Nadal and said, "Rafa, do something!" Fortunately Justin Gimelstob stepped in at the changeover and tried to lighten the mood. A good Federer-Nadal exaggerated grunt-fest in the next game also helped to restore the festive mood and get the evening back on track.

Federer and Sampras would prevail 8-6 in what I would say was the expected outcome given the winning duo's talent at net. Another nice outcome was the $1 million dollars raised for the people of Haiti. A great cause got the support it rightly deserves and if you are able to help out some more please visit the Red Cross website to donate.

Hit For Haiti - Live Streaming

By Mike McIntyre

The second Hit for Haiti charity event is happening tonight in Indian Wells. The tennis kicks off at 7:30pm PST or 10:30pm ET.

You can catch live streaming of the event here for free.

The first match will feature Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport against Martina Navratilova and Justine Henin.

The second match has a scary combo of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer against Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal. Something tells me that Pete and Rog could make a very competitive doubles team on the tour today. Something also tells me that the husband/wife duo of Graf and Agassi is going to come up empty in the win column.

Enjoy the tennis and please remember those affected in Haiti as you do so.

Around the Corner: Indian Wells

By Mike McIntyre

Alright everybody it's time again for some tennis that really matters at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Both the ATP and WTA Tour's are in the house and that should make for a great week of coverage for our sport. This has always been a terrific event and it set the record for attendance outside of a Grand Slam event in 2008 with over 300,000 spectators during a twelve day period.

Let's have a look at the men's draw and see how things shape up.

Roger Federer is back on the scene for the first time since his Australian Open title at the end of January. The world number one has just overcome an apparent lung infection and coupled with his recent inactivity I don't think we should expect all that much from him. Yes, he will likely make it deep into the draw, but I would be surprised if Roger made it past the semi-finals here this year. Roger gets a first round bye as do all thirty-two seeded players in the tournament. His first capable opponent could be Marcos Baghdatis in the third round.

Also in the top-half of the draw are the two Andy's - 4th seeded Murray and 7th seeded Roddick. Murray tanked in Dubai in his only appearance since losing in the finals of the Aussie Open to Federer, while Roddick has played a fairly heavy schedule on the hard-courts of North America.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also lurks in the top-half while David Nalbandian seems ready to return to tournament play. Coming back in February after nine months away from the game due to hip surgery, Nalbandian withdrew before his third round match in Buenos Aires with a leg injury. The talented Nalbandian played the role of hero this past week in Davis Cup play as he closed out a victory over Sweden with a four set win over Andreas Vinciguerra. If he can stay healthy for an extended period, look for Nalbandian to quickly return to his typical top-twenty form.

The bottom-half of the draw contains 2nd seeded Novak Djokovic who recently defended his title in Dubai and seems poised for a bigger result here on the Masters Series stage. Right behind him is 3rd seed, Rafael Nadal, who returns to the tour after a recurring knee injury forced him to withdraw in Australia where he trailed Andy Murray in the quarter-finals. Expectations are low for Nadal as he has been away from the game for over a month and let's just hope he can finish the tournament on his own terms. Defending his title in India Wells from 2009 is simply not going to happen.

Playing on fire so far this year and also in the bottom section is hard-serving John Isner of the United States and veteran Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain. Isner won his first career title in Auckland in January and then was a finalist in Memphis, while Ferrero won back-to-back clay events in Costa Do Sauipe and Buenos Aires.

Also worth watching is Nikolay Davydenko who is likely still kicking himself for self-destructing against Federer in Melbourne and youngster Marin Cilic who made the semi-finals down-under and is ready to assert himself as a top-level threat in every event he enters.

I feel that with players like Federer, Nadal and Davydenko dealing with recent injuries or illnesses we are in for a Djokovic/Roddick final in Indian Wells. Those are my picks in the ATP World Tour Fantasy Challenge that begins Thursday at 2pm ET. Who will you choose?

Around the Corner: Acapulco, Delay Beach and Dubai

By Mike McIntyre

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

With Venus Williams successfully defending her title this past week, the pressure will now be on Novak Djokovic to accomplish the same feat as the men take to the hard-courts in Dubai. Djokovic is seeded second, but is the top ranked player in the draw, as Roger Federer has withdrawn with a lung infection. This year's edition has a slightly tougher field than a year ago, so Djokovic will have to be on top of his game in order to repeat as champion.

In the top-half of the draw is Andy Murray who is playing in his first tournament since losing the Australian Open final to Federer almost a month ago. Murray will likely advance to face rising star Marin Cilic in the semi-finals.

The bottom-half is where we can find both Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko who will also be entered in the doubles draw. Djokovic is paired with fellow-Serb Dusan Vemic while Davydenko is teamed with compatriot Igor Kunitsyn. This is a rare treat for fans in Dubai, as these two players do not usually partake in the doubles competition Also in this section of the draw is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who will threaten for the title.

One first round match to note is between eighth seeded Gilles Simon and Marcos "please keep your shirt on" Baghdatis. The winner will likely face Davydenko in the third round.

Absent from Dubai for a second year in a row is American Andy Roddick who withdrew a year ago due to the treatment of Israel's Shahar Peer. This year scheduling has placed Roddick at back-to-back tournaments in the United States and he likely needs some rest to his shoulder before the Masters Series event in Indian Wells in two weeks time.

Also missing is Israeli doubles specialist Andy Ram, who a year ago was allowed into the United Arab Emirates to compete a week after the Peer incident. 

Delray Beach International Tennis Championship:

With only a third of the prize money being offered compared to Dubai, the tournament in Delray Beach has a lower-ranked clientele yet there are still many familiar names floating in the draw this year. Good luck picking a winner from this group, as there are many players who are capable and several who have won this very event in years past.

Leading the group of former Delray Beach champions is number one seed, Tommy Haas. The German veteran has not had any note-worthy results thus far in 2010 so expectations are low. Haas won this event in 2006 but is 3-3 on the year and has failed to advance beyond the third round of any tournament he has entered.

Mardy Fish is the defending champion from 2009 and opens against Christophe Rochus. Despite being unseeded, Fish has a nice section of the draw and could get on a good roll.

Other former champions here include Xavier Malisse ('05, '07) who opens against fourth seeded Jeremy Chardy, and Kei Nishikori ('08) who is making his return to the ATP Tour after season-ending elbow surgery a year ago. Nishikori opens against third seed Benjamin Becker.

Other names to keep an eye on include seventh seed James Blake who starts the tournament against fellow-American Taylor Dent. Finally an early round match where Blake should be considered the favorite, although Dent's old-school serve and volley style is capable of giving anyone fits. Big-serving Ivo Karlovic is the tournament's number two seed and should be counted on to win a few rounds as well.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel:

This week's clay court stop on the tour is in sunny Acapulco, Mexico, where Nicolas Almagro is the two-time defending champion. Almagro will be looking for his third title in Acapulco in a row, while Tomas Muster has the all-time record of four consecutive wins from 1993 to 1996.

While the draw has not yet been released from the tournament, Fernando Verdasco is listed as the top ranked entry, with Fernando Gonzalez and David Ferrer also in the draw.

Federer Adds to Grand Slam Legacy

By Mike McIntyre

Roger Federer rolled over Andy Murray in straight sets in the Australian Open final on Sunday, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11). With the impressive victory, Federer increases his all-time Grand Slam record with his sixteenth major title.

Many felt that Murray had a legitimate shot at defeating the world number one, as he has held the advantage in their career meetings by a 6-4 margin coming into the match. After losing to Federer in the finals of the 2008 U.S. Open, a more physically and emotionally mature Murray seemed poised to at least push him to a fourth or fifth set this time around.

Instead, Federer was his usually dominant self and managed to thwart Murray's attempt to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry in 1936.

After the match Federer was quick to diffuse any talk of mind-games leading up to their encounter in the finals. Federer had joked that it had been 150,000 years or so since a Brit had won a Slam.

"Well, I think it got exaggerated. The on‑court interview, I don't take those serious anyway. If you think it was a mental thing, it was not the case, you know. But you ask me a question, I'll give you a straight answer. That's how the press conference was after the Tsonga match. It's not an easy thing to do to win your first Grand Slam. That's not mental, you know, trying to screw with his head, you know. It's just a tough thing, you know."

Federer has not won the Aussie Open since 2007 and his victory on Sunday will spark talk of the potential for him to achieve a Grand Slam in 2010 - winning all four major titles in one calendar year. With Rafael Nadal out for four weeks with a knee injury that is seemingly becoming chronically debilitating, Federer could repeat at the French Open in May. Only a healthy Nadal stands in his way in Paris. He is still the runaway favorite at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, so those are still more than attainable. 

When asked how he feels about the possibility of attaining a Grand Slam this year, Federer had a lengthy and revealing reply:

"Look, I mean, it's not something I've ever put in my mind that this is something I want to achieve. I'll still go and play the smaller tournaments, you know, the Masters 1000s, the ones we're supposed to play. I try to give my best everywhere I go to, because I think there's not only the Grand Slams."

"I won't just put the entire calendar just around trying to win the calendar Grand Slam. I mean, it's something if it happens, it does, it's great; but it's not something that's like my number one goal. Not at all. It's the same as I haven't put a number on how many Grand Slams I want to try to win. Whatever happens happens."

"You know, I really want to try to enjoy, you know, my end to my career, because I've reached already so many goals I thought were never possible. I really want to just enjoy the tour, and that's what I'm doing at the moment. Obviously as a dad as well even more so."

Despite emerging challengers in recent years from Nadal to Novak Djokovic, from Murray to Juan Martin Del Potro, Federer has managed to consistently add to his growing legacy. He might not own the best record against all of his foes, and they may beat him at smaller events - but Federer has found a way to remain the uncontested greatest player in the game of tennis.

Murray Prepared for Federer

 

 By Mike McIntyre

 

Roger Federer is saying all of the right things ahead of contesting his twenty-third Grand Slam final and his second versus Andy Murray. He appears to be calm, cool and collected enough to even mention in jest how it was been about, “150,000 years” since  a British man has won a major event.

 

In reality it has 'only' been 73 years since Fred Perry won a Slam (U.S. Open) in 1936. Murray has a legitimate shot at attaining the same result and here’s why:

 

Having already lost a major final to Federer, Murray has experienced the first-time jitters and first-time disappointments that came along with it. In that encounter, at the U.S. Open in 2008, Federer swept Murray away easily 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 in straight sets.

 

Murray has grown both physically and emotionally since that drubbing, and has established himself as a bona-fide top-five player on the ATP Tour. He holds a 6-4 advantage in head-to-head matches against the world number one, including six of the past eight meetings.

 

Speaking on Saturday, Murray had the following to say about the differences between his first and second career Grand Slam finals:

 

"Well, I was only 20. I mean, 20 was pretty young when I played my first slam final. It was a year and a half, two years later, I just feel physically more mature, mentally more mature. You know, just a lot more experience in these sort of situations now."

 

Murray also seems to be the hungrier of the two. Federer has been unusually chatty in the days leading up to this final match. He’s joking with the press and talking-up Murray’s lack of Slam success just a little too much. Hopefully he isn’t underestimating the damage Murray can inflict upon him and is merely trying to get inside his opponent’s head a little bit.

 

Federer's lost his last Slam final in part because he was slightly overconfident. He allowed the U.S. Open title to slip through his fingers last summer against first-time Slam finalist Juan Martin Del Potro after being up two sets to one. Perhaps having attained the all-time record of 15 Slams has softened Federer’s killer instinct ever so slightly.

 

His comments off the court after defeating Tsonga reveal that his self-confidence is still clearly in tact.

 

"Uhm, don't know. I mean, look, he's in his second Grand Slam final now. I think the first one's always a bit tougher than the second one. But now that he didn't win the first one, I think doesn't help, you know, for the second one around. Plus he's playing, you know, me, who's won many Grand Slams prior to that, been able to win here three times so I know what it takes and how to do it, which is definitely an advantage. I don't feel like the pressure's really on me having to do it again, because I did it before. I think he really needs it more than I do, you know. So I think the pressure's big on him. But we'll see how he's gonna handle it. It's not going to be easy for him, that's for sure."

 

On court, Federer has been brilliant at times during this edition of the Australian Open and ordinary during others. In the first round against Igor Andreev he came out flat and nearly found himself down two sets to one. Federer then oversaw the precise dismantling of Victor Hanescu, Albert Montanes and hometown-hope Lleyton Hewitt where Federer looked invincible. He followed those matches up with a close four-setter against Russian Nikolay Davydenko who has had his number of late. Just as he did against Andreev, he flirted with disaster early on nearly finding himself down by two sets. Federer self-corrected in the semi-finals by embarrassing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 and his fans will be hoping that the same Federer shows up on Sunday in Melbourne.

 

The outcome of this match is significant. With Roger’s main rival Rafael Nadal sidelined for four weeks with a right knee injury, this is another opportunity to further solidify his status as the best player in the game. A defeat however, would be the second Grand Slam tournament in a row where he has lost to a player not from Mallorca. It could signify his growing vulnerability in a men’s game that suddenly has many potential threats.  

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.

Federer Beats Davydenko When It Counts

By Mike McIntyre

Down 2-6, 1-3 and 15-40 on his serve, things were not looking good for Roger Federer against Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday at the Australian Open. All signs were pointing towards a third consecutive victory for the Russian against the world's number one player.

Instead, just as he did in the opening round against another Russian, Igor Andreev, Federer stormed back and managed to claim a four set victory. Federer was able to reel off thirteen straight games against Davydenko and the end result was a score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 to move on to the semi-finals.

As I expected, Federer vs Davydenko is a completely different story in a best of five set match. The Russian does not have as much stamina or winning experience under those conditions.

Federer had the following to say about his comeback against Davydenko:

"Was in a tough situation at 6‑2, 3‑1 down and 15‑40 on my serve. I knew I wasn't looking very good, you know. But that's the beauty of best of five sets. I wasn't panicking, even though I maybe would have lost the second set had I lost another point there at that stage."

"But, you know, I just relaxed and thought, you know, maybe if the sun goes and his level drops just a little bit, the whole thing might, you know, change for the better. It did. I couldn't believe the way it changed. But I'm happy the way I was able to go on an incredible run and get the cushion with the extra break at the beginning of the fourth."

Another disappointment for Nikolay Davydenko at the Grand Slams, although he seemed to have quite the sense of humor about it in his post match press conference.

"Pissed off. (Laughter.) What else? Yeah. Like say I'm pissed off of my serve. Pissed off. I didn't realize this point, I didn't realize this point. It's like everything was shit (laughter.) But what else? Bad luck. Go home tomorrow, relax."

Federer now moves on to face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who defeated 2008 Champion Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Federer and Tsonga have only met twice before, splitting those two matches between them. Federer admitted that he does not know that much about Tsonga which favors the Frenchman, but after two five-set matches in a row, how will Tsonga recover?

Roger Federer Interview Transcript

Nikolay Davydenko Interview Transcript

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.

Federer Digs Deep to Defeat Andreev in Australia

By Mike McIntyre

Roger Federer made things awfully interesting in Melbourne on Tuesday against Russian Igor Andreev. The world number one had to battle back from a set down before prevailing 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-0.

The pair traded the first two sets and it appeared as though this one might mirror their previous encounter, a five-setter at the U.S. Open in 2008, in terms of drama. For a while it did just that.

After the opening set, I wondered if fellow-Russian Nikolay Davydenko had shared some secrets with Andreev on how to finally overcome the Swiss superstar or if perhaps he was merely inspired by girlfriend Maria Kirilenko’s upset over Maria Sharapova the previous day.

It was in the third set that the intensity increased even further and would prove to be the most entertaining frame of the match with six service breaks between both players.

Andreev missed his golden opportunity with Federer serving at 3-3 in the third set and the score 30-40 in that key game. After exchanging rallies, Federer tried an ill-timed drop shot that Andreev got to with more than enough time to take advantage of. With Federer sitting like a lame-duck at the net, Andreev over-hit a forehand up the line that would have given him a crucial break.

That seemed that it would prove to be the turning point in the match as Andreev could not keep things together after blowing that critical opportunity. Federer broke Andreev’s serve in the next game to go up 5-3 and it appeared as though he would then hold to take the third set.  

Instead, Andreev took four of five points off Federer’s next service game to get back on serve and then held his own to even at 5-5. The Russian then broke Federer convincingly to jump ahead 6-5. Federer missed two forehands, double faulted once, and then gave Andreev an air-ball to smash with conviction to take the lead. It looked as though Federer was surely done for but somehow he managed to save three set points in the next game to force a dramatic tie-break.

Once in the breaker and for the rest of the match, Federer suddenly looked like the dominant athlete we have come to expect these past six years. He would prevail seven points to two in the tie-break thanks to his superior serving. What had looked like an impossibility just a few games earlier came to be a reality for Federer and gave him the two-sets-to-one lead.

In the fourth set, Andreev had nothing left to offer and Federer rolled with it by taking all six games to close out the match. Perhaps all those squandered set points in the third played on Andreev’s mind.

Federer now advances to the second round where he will face the winner of the Juan Ignacio Chela/Victor Hanescu match.