Serena clinches title.

Serena Williams clinched her fourth Miami title by posting a ‘come from behind’ victory over World’s No.1, Justine Henin 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. In fact, she had to save two championship points in the second set, to finally emerge victorious.

Once World,s No.1, she slid to 140th in the rankings last July. With this win, she is now No. 11.

It was a thrilling match with so many ups and downs, that it was virtually impossible to predict the outcome. Henin fell twice on the court and on the second fall, was on the verge of quitting, but she continued to the delight of the crowd.

Serena has cemented the notion that she is back and all her distractions and health issues are thing of the past. She has shown tremendous resiliency and has not wavered in the face of imminent defeat. She has fought and earned her new ranking, defeating top players convincingly on her way up.

With Sharapova struggling with her serve, Clisters almost retired, Mauresmo not having a good year, Henin seems to be the only one offering her resistance to her incredible march, to regain the No. 1 spot. 

Canas tries to push it to the limit.

Old vs the new. Canas defeated World’s No. 7 Ivan Ljubicic in straight sets to set up ‘finals’ clash with World’s No. 10, Novak Djokovic. Ljubicic was eliminated in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.

It was once again an awesome display of defensive prowess from Canas. Practically everything kept coming back to Ljubicic and when he tried to hit the next shot out of Canas’s reach, he committed an unforced error. That constant pressure to hit a perfect shot to win a point, eventually wore Ljubicic down.

Canas has already reached No. 31 in the world, from 514 six months ago, no matter what happens in the final. If he wins it, he will be close to 25. Talk about moving up!!! He is the first qualifier in the tournament history to reach the final.

On his way, he has eliminated three top 10 players – Federer, Robredo and Ljubicic.

On the other end is a teenager, Djokovic, who is in his second consecutive final. He lost to Nadal last week at Indian Wells. He is trying to become the youngest winner in the tournament’s 23-year history.

Djokovic will reach No. 7 in the world, irrespective of what happens in the final. He is yet to drop a set in the tournament and has ATP best 23-5 match record this year.

On his way, he destroyed Andy Murray in straight sets 6-1, 6-0. It looks like this will be the new Federer-Nadal combo of the future.

It will be an interesting match. Canas for the first time will be pitted against a player who himself is a great retriever, while possessing fresher and younger pair of legs than his past opponents. Experience is the only area Djokovic is lacking in, compared to other players Canas has faced so far.

But will that deficit be good enough to outweigh the speed, shot making ability, defensive power, youth and intense hunger to reach the top echelons of tennis? Many feel, Canas has reached the end of his long and impressive, run and is now about to run into a buzz saw.

One cannot help but like Djokovic’s chances. While Canas is obviously a little surprised and amazed where he is, Djokovic is clearly not happy yet, and is yearning t0 push it all the way.

We all might one day look back to this match as the dawn of a new era. 

Canas storms into semi-final.

Qualifier from Argentina, Guillermo Canas, has booked a semi-final berth against World’s No. 7, Ivan Ljubicic by defeating another top 10 player, World’s No. 6, Tommy Robredo from Spain 7-6(5), 6-1. He also happens to be the first qualifier to ever reach the semi-final of Sony Ericsson Open.

Canas knows this is probably the last year for him to make some noise at this level and wants to go out swinging. He is sure executing his plan to perfection. With the way he is going, it is hard to bet against him winning it all the way.

How long can he keep this up at 29? With the clay court season starting soon, being a clay court specialist, it couldn’t have come at a better time for him.

Canas is on an unbelievable hot streak, having defeated Federer twice in two weeks. He will be facing another 28 year old veteran. Canas is 29. Whoever wins it, will find a resurgent teenager, standing in their way. It will be the old against the new.

It looks like this is going to be the story for most of this year. It will be a battle between the rulers and the rebels. How long can the old guard hold them off? 

Serena and family consider legal action.

Serena’s father, Richard Williams says “We’ll definitely have to consider legal action. And the WTA don’t make the rules for America”.

Richard is talking about the new WTA rule, to take effect in 2009, which will make Indian Wells tournament as one of the four mandatory events for top-ranked players.

Serena and Williams promised never to return to Indian Wells, after they were booed by the crowd in 2001, when Venus withdrew from a match against Serena. Richard alleged that his daughters were subjected to racial slurs.

The new rule stipulates that the top-10 ranked players should play at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing, otherwise they are subject to face sanctions, including suspension from the next two tournaments.

Serena said, “I need to have a sit down and pow-wow with Larry Scott. But I can guarantee you the chances of getting me to Indian Wells are slim and none”.

Serena Williams.

During the late 90′s, Serena asked that she be allowed to compete against men on the ATP tour.

Boris Becker, former World’s No. 1, when asked about it, said “She might be able to play tennis against some, but against Sampras and Agassi, she will be playing anything but tennis”.

Changing of guard?

 

“I think you’ve all have had enough of Roger Federer winning every tournament”. Djokovic told reporters. “My lifetime goal is to be number one so I’m really doing everything to do that”.

Is that a challenge, Djokovic? Federer, did you hear that!!!

No one has said that, since Federer ascended the throne three and a half years ago. Or rather no one would have believed that.

But Djokovic’s impressive record (23-5) and one title, this year, backing his words, many are not dismissing it as some empty threat. This is certainly not the perfect time for Federer to hear such snide remarks, being down with two loses in two weeks of important Masters events.

They have met twice this year, and Djokovic was able to take a set off Federer both times, one going to a tie-break. But overall, Federer holds an impressive 4-0 head to head edge.

Most pundits believe, that Pacific Life Open was a preview of the inevitable, changing of guard at the top. Murray and Djokovic clashed there in the semi-final, without dropping a set in the entire tournament. They are clashing again here at Sony Ericsson Open in the semi-final. Djokovic has not dropped a set, whereas Murray had one lapse against Mathieu.

It is no coincidence. Both these teenagers are rising future stars of tennis, and are not afraid to challenge the best. This is the first time, Djokovic defeated World’s No. 2 Nadal in three meetings – in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Other than Nadal and Federer, there is really no other player that can offer them much resistance, to their goal of getting to number 1 in the world. Both play stifling defense and cover the court magnificently. It is almost impossible to get the ball past their solid defense.

Is there anyone doubting, that one of them is going to win this tournament, specially when you have 28 yr old, Ljubicic and 29 yr old, Canas vying for the spot in the finals against them?

Federer is the only last line of defense against them. If he continues his slide through the clay court season, and consequently damages his psychic, these hungry guns will smell blood and will surely go for the kill.

They are on a tear through the top 10 in the world, to reach the top five by end of this year. Will they live up to the hype or fade away as a flash in the pan?

Djokovic gets revenge.

 

World’s No. 10, Novak Djokovic from Serbia eliminated second seed Rafael Nadal in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semi-final of the Sony Ericsson Open. Nadal had defeated Djokovic in the finals of the Pacific Life Open in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 almost a week ago.

Semi-final will be a clash of the teenagers – Murray vs Djokovic. Djokovic has a 2-0 head to head advantage, last win was in the semi-final at Pacific Life Open two weeks ago, in straight sets.

After their impressive showing here and at the Pacific Life Open earlier, they now need to be on different half of the draw so they could meet in the final. They are for sure, the next top seeds of tennis. With Federer faltering and Nadal with his injuries (foot is the latest), the field is wide open for these young guns.

No one has the credentials to stop them now. They will be a major factor in the Grand Slams events of this year and beyond. A whole new order is in the making. Watch out, veterans!!!

Federer losses – is there more than what meets the eye?

The first loss at Pacific Life Open was being dismissed as an aberration. But then, two days later, Federer lost the doubles match too, against some unknowns. We let that one slide too, dismissing it as one of those days, for the beloved World’s No. 1.

But two weeks later, he loses again? To the same player? Now people are wondering, is there more to these lapses, than what meets the eye? Is this, the beginning of an end, to the frantic pace, Federer has been on, for the past three and a half years?

Here are some reasons, alongwith suggestions, for Federer to regain the magic touch. Mind you, this is a sincere effort, to point out, what ‘we think’, in the hope that it will lead Federer to even higher goals. It is, in no way, meant to criticize or critic him:

1) It is natural for all of us to relax, specially after having annihilated, everything in sight for a good stretch of time. We all have been there, in our own small way. Times when we have a great run going, we are motivated, we work hard, practice, prepare and get results. It just becomes routine, like second nature.

But with success and money, comes all those temptations, that only success and money can buy. And being human, we are all guilty of letting our guard down, and enjoy the good life we have earned.

But it is impossible to have both, without giving up the discipline and hard work that got us those luxuries, status, friendships or what have you, in the first place. The new life inevitably drains, at the very core of values and ‘down and dirty’ work ethic, which lifted us to this hallowed status.

Rocky II movie, is probably the perfect example of it – where Rocky after becoming a big star (from humble beginnings), now practices in fancy gyms surrounded by hot women and media, whereas the challenger is down in some islolated basement, honing his skills with intense hunger.

You want to look at someone closer and real? How about Serena Williams? She became a celebrity (from humble upbringing) due to her prowess as a tennis player. And that new status, eventually took her out of tennis, almost for good – acting, designing etc. According an open letter, written by Chris Evert in Tennis magazine, she challenged Serena to come back. Chris believed, Serena would have surpassed the best in history, if she had stayed course. 

As they say, nothing stays stagnant. You are either moving up or going down.

In one of his interviews, Pete Sampras was asked, about what his routine was, during his playing days.  As expected, it was two or three days to recuperate after the tournament, and then back to the tennis courts for 6-7 hours a day. He had no girl friend, no other appointments, business engagements or whatever.

That has been the work ethic of any legend, across the board, no matter what their area of expertise is. Just raw talent can get you only so far, without the intense focus and the perspiration.

Maybe, the various interests, that have sprung up around Federer, since he became a star, are taking away from the laser focus and the ‘dirty’ work ethic, required to sustain the unique run, beyond the boundaries set by past legends.

It would be a shame to waste that huge talent, we all recognize in Federer, and not milk it to the last drop. He, undoubtedly, has the potential to set the bar, perhaps, beyond anyone’s reach.

2) As has been the case of any legend in any sport, there comes a time, when his age does not allow him to have the same repetoire of shots, he had when he was at his peak and younger. That’s when he adjusts his game, to counter the inevitable effects of aging, by playing smarter and developing new shots in his arsenal.

For instance, Michael Jordan developed his ‘fade aways’, when he could not take it to the basket as often. He worked on his outside shooting, to compensate for the famous dunks. He was still able to maintain that scoring average and domination of the game, but with new strategy.

Federer will be 26 years of age, in four months, this August. That’s little over middle age in today’s tennis world. With teenagers almost breaking the door down, to gain entry in the elite circle, maybe its time to revise the whole strategy and retool the entire arsenal. Whatever has worked in the past will clearly not work as effectively now, since you are taking away some of the physical prerequisites of that thinking, due to ‘aging’.

The famous example is of ‘the greatest’ Mohammad Ali, when he fought the seemingly invincible, George Foreman in Zaire. Ali was clearly past his prime, facing an intimidating Foreman at his peak. ‘The rope a dope’ tactic developed by Ali, to counter the fierce punching power of Foreman, eventually diffused any advantage Foreman had over Ali. Ali not only won the fight in the 8th round – he KNOCKED him out!!! What a sports spectacle!!! If you haven’t watched the fight, rent the video, and you will have enjoyed one of the most thrilling sports event of all time.

3) Related to above is pacing. Legends begin to use their ability in a very controlled manner. They begin to pace themselves for the bigger moments in their sport, and save their best when it matters the most. Its quality over quantity.

For example, look at Shaq. Just like clockwork, lately, whenever the playoffs come along, Shaq’s numbers, in practically every department, start soaring. In 2005 season, when asked about his team’s little-above-average record in the regular season. He replied “numbers are overrated. Look at the Pistons, they had a phenomenal regular season record, but what happened. They did not win the championship”.

He is now 34 and wisely paces himself, for the important moments, by focusing on the bigger picture. He wants the championship, but he needs to play smarter and save himself, for the big push, when his team needs him the most.

Look at the tournaments Federer has played for the past few years. Maybe, its time for him to be more selective, and screen the various events, based on what he wants his legacy to be, and whether they align with the bigger picture.

-2006-18
-2005-16
-2004-19
-2003-26
-2002-27
-2001-23

By smartly choosing quality over quantity, these legends have, in the process conserved energy,  limited the wear and tear and reduced injuries to the minimum, while preserving their legacy and extending their career beyond the normal life span. You think Connors used some of that, while accumulating a record career 109 titles? You bet.

As tennis fans, we all want Federer to continue and extend his dazzling display, for as long as possible. He is a class act, both on and off the court and a great ambassador for tennis, worldwide. It is due to him, that tennis has gained a new lease of fresh life around the globe. He has wowed and surprised us with his incredible talent, and the tennis world is ever grateful to him. Thanks champ!!!

Roddick retires due to injury.

Andy Roddick, World’s No. 3, had to withdraw due to hip injury, against World’s No. 12, Andy Murray in their quarter final match, at Sony Ericsson Open. Murray was leading 5-3, when Roddick called it quits.

Murray moves to the semi-final, and waits for the winner of Djokovic and Nadal match tonight.

Roddick took an injury time out and left the court briefly, to get attended to, after the 7th game. The discomfort seemed to have happened during the match, since Roddick was cleared to go, by his trainer, before the match.

Although Roddick has made impressive strides in his game, since having Connors on board, he is still not among title contenders at major events. Once he gets deep in the tournament and has to play the top 10 players, he falters miserably in straight sets. It is downright humiliating. Look at his three loses this year:

-Roger Federer – 4-6, 0-6, 2-6 – semi-final.
-Andy Murray – 6-7(10), 4-6 – semi-final.
-Tommy Haas – 3-6, 2-6 – final.

With Federer not in the picture, in past years, Roddick would have been the obvious contender. Not so any longer, despite his all-round game. The dynamics have changed dramatically with fresher, younger faces forcing the veterans out.

Roddick might win couple of titles here and there, but whenever the top 10 are entered for the tournament, his chances are bleak to none. That ‘next Grand Slam title’ window, has closed forever.

He was able to reverse the ranking slide last year, after falling out of the top 10. This next slide, coming later this year, is inevitable and  irreversible.

Serena wo-’man’ handles Sharapova.

Serena Williams showed no mercy and blasted top seed Sharapova of Russia 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth round of Sony Ericsson Open. In January this year, she humiliated Sharapova at the Australian Open finals 6-1, 6-2.

Sharapova did not help matters by hitting 8 double faults. Serena feasted on the slower second serves, hitting outright winners with authority. Sharapova, consequently was on the defensive, both on her own and Serena’s serves.

Being a fierce competitor that she is, for Sharapova it must be very humiliating to be eliminated this way. It seems her body language is much more timid against Serena compared to other players. Probably she realizes the competitive fire of Serena and mentally may be is not fully capable of dealing with it.

Remember also, that Serena is an experienced veteran, having won 8 majors. That has to be intimidating and stifling, specially if you are not on your game. If she does not solve the problems with her first serves and the resulting double faults, quickly,  she will be easy picking for the rest of the field. Her hamstring injury, apparently has affected her serves. She needs to recuperate completely, to get the confidence back or else she is not going anywhere, in a hurry.

Evaluating the second loss in two weeks from Federer.

What’s going on? Tennis world has been rocked twice in just two weeks.

After the first loss at Pacific Open, Federer was asked “if there is anything different you have noticed, when you enter the locker room, after this loss”. He said, “the players try to look away when I enter”.

What is the response in the locker room now? How does one explain these loses?

Lets look at the players, who have defeated him, from January 2006 to-date. They are Nadal, Murray and Canas. Nadal did it 4 times – 3 times on clay and once on hard surface, Murray once on hard surface and Canas twice on hard surface.

‘Nadal’ wins can be explained to few things that have bothered Federer, namely his heavy top spin to Federer’s backhand, his retrieving ability and his expertise on clay surfaces. Nadal had established himself as a force, by this time, having won 11 titles in 2005 and had a winning record against the World’s No. 1. So it wasn’t a huge surprise, it was considered a budding rivalry. Something most thought, Federer will be able to solve in the near future, and turn back the winning record, like he had done with Leyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian. It was just a matter of time.

Murray, at the time, seemed just lucky to get a win, catching Federer on back to back events, without any breaks, with some matches played on consecutive days. So, understandably he was tired. Most thought, Federer should have taken himself out of the Cincinnati tournament (Toronto event concluded on 14th August and the Cincinnati tournament started the same day). Murray then, was just about finding his rhythm, and was himself surprised, and was wondering, if this was all because Federer was tired, or was there anything he did, that may be partially contributed to the victory.

And now we have Canas. This was a 69th ranked player in the world, was coming off a 15-month doping suspension, still trying to find his rhythm on the tour. To top it all, he is 29 years old, a virtual senior citizen in today’s tennis world.  It is difficult to find an obvious expanation. This is obviously the most startling loss for Federer, since he ascended the throne, about 31/2 years ago.

Is it the 15-month suspension that is to blame? Suspension seems to be the ultimate motivator these days. Remember Kobe Bryant, who went on a wild streak of 4 straight games of 50 or more points, breaking records, set by none other than, Michael Jordan and Elgin Baylor. For those who have not heard of Bryant, he is arguably the best basketball player on the planet, right now. Kobe was coming off a suspension himself, and his coach Phil Jackson conceded that the suspension probably motivated him.

Is that what’s going on here, with Canas? If that’s the case, somebody, please suspend Roddick, so he can get that ‘one slam’ monkey off his back, or how about Nadal, so we can finally HAVE the rivalry!!! Or do we have to suspend Federer, to get him back to his old ways? It seems certainly to have some hand in the resurgence of Canas.

Here is Canas’s ATP ranking surge:
-Sept, 2006 – 514.
-Oct, 2006 – 214.
-Dec, 2006 – 143.
-Jan, 2007 – 106.
-Feb, 2007 – 60.
-Mar 19      – 55.

If you analyse these three players who have defeated Federer, is there a pattern? It looks like, the following trend seems to stand out:

-All three are great defensive players and have uncanny ability to retrieve balls from unbelievable angles and spots on the court. They personafy ‘the never give up attitude’, irrespective of what the scoreboard says. Apparently, that is what is frustrating for Federer. He tends to gets pressured and starts committing unforced errors, when trying even harder, to get even more acute angels, to get past these ball retrievers.

Is the old adage ‘defense is the best offense’ at work here? Dirty work does pay off – huge in Canas’s case!!! Is the rest of the field taking notice, or more importantly, do they have the ability and the willingness to do the dirty work, on a consistent basis, to make the quantum jump?

Canas Upsets Federer – AGAIN!!!

 

Qualifier from Argentina, Guillermo Canas, the 55th ranked player in the world, defeated World’s No. 1, Roger Federer 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(5). This is his second win against the top seed in two weeks. He trounced Federer earlier, at Indian Wells in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.

Some of the other players who have beaten Federer in back to back events are: Leyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian and Rafael Nadal. Hewitt and Nalbandian achieved it early in Federer’s career, whereas Nadal and Canas have the rare distinction of doing it, with Federer on top of his game. Federer is just coming off an amazing 41-match winning streak, cut short by Canas at Pacific Life Open.

From January last year to-date, only three players have beaten him: Nadal, Murray and Canas. If you try to look at the common strength of these players, to figure out what is it that they have, that bothers Federer, it is one ability that stands out – defense and the abililty to retrieve the ball from anywhere on the court.

Against Canas today, at times, Federer had to hit upto three winners to win a point. The ball kept coming back, from seemingly impossible spots on the court. On couple of occasions, Federer lost the point, because he was clearly not prepared and was’nt expecting the ball back.

In the first set, Canas broke Federer first, but Federer rallied and broke back and they went to the tie-break, which Canas won easily. Federer won just 2 points in the tie-break.

In the second set, the momentum seemed to shift in Federer’s favor, as he broke Canas twice to close the set. At this point, Canas clearly looked tired and fatigue, from all the running around he had to do, to get the ball into play.

Federer sensing the momentum shift, seemed ready to run away with the third set, having a 2-0 lead. In the third game, it went to deuce couple of times, with Federer even having a break point, for the ‘insurance’ break. Canas, however, stood his ground and was able to scrape by and escape.

Federer seemed clearly agitated for not having converted to go up 3-0, and perhaps that frustration spilled over and he was broken by Canas. The match was back on serve, to Federer’s disbelief. The momentum had shifted again, this time in Canas’s favor.

Canas who looked tired, suddenly seemed to have caught the second wind, and was playing with some spring in his step. The adrenalin probably kicked in, and he stepped up his game and took Federer to the final tie-break.

Federer for the first time, seemed rattled, and nerves got the better of him, as he started missing routine forehands.

At match point no. 2, Federer could not even touch the serve from Canas, that was easily within reach, and Canas had won the match.

Serena heckled with racist remarks.

 

“The guy said, ‘Hit the net like any Negro would.’ I was shocked”, Williams said. “I could’nt believe it. I had to do a double take. I think I hit a double fault at that point.”

This happened today against her match against Lucie Safarova, which Serena won 6-3, 6-4. The heckler was finally ejected.

“Every time I missed a shot or serve, he would say, ‘That’s the way to do it,” she said. “He was calling, ‘Foot fault’, he was saying ‘Hit in the net’… I mean, who does this? That’s so elementary. You don’t do this on a professional level.”

Serena and Venus have boycotted the Indian Wells tournament, since 2001, when the family was booed after Venus withdrew just before the semi-final match against Serena. Their father, Richard, said those jeers were racially motivated.

Where is Federer at 26, vs other legends.

 

Roger Federer is a gift to the sports world, at large. Such mountain of talent, aligned with grace, modesty and decency, sprinkled with an unsatiable desire for humanitarian work – that’s a rare combination destined to transcend tennis and sports. We are fortunate to be witnessing history and greatness unfold.

Every sport has a stand-out player - unique, and so much superior than every other player in history. But not all these players transcend their sport. Some players who have achieved that are: Mohammad Ali of Boxing, Michael Jordan of Basketball, Tiger Woods of Golf.

Here is a breakdown of where Roger Federer stacks up, against the greats of the game, when they were 26 years of age. Federer still has about 4 months to reach his 26th birthday, and to add more to his total.

Age	Name	Country	Titles	Majors	Rank
26	Pete Sampras	United States	49	10	1
	Bjorn Borg	Sweden	61	11	1
	Ivan Lendl	United States/ Czech	79	2	1
	Andre Agassi	United States	44	3	3
	John McEnroe	United States	61	7	1
	Roger Federer	Switzerland	47	10	1
	Jimmy Connors	United States	67	5	1
	Mats Wilander	Sweden	31	7	58

Sharapova and Serena clash once again.

Top seed, Maria Sharapova has another crack at 13th seed, Serena Williams in the fourth round of Sony Ericsson Open at Miami.

Sharapova was humiliated by Serena in the finals of the Australian Open this January, 6-1, 6-2.

Despite what they say for the cameras, there has to be some bad blood between these two extreme competitors.

Serena was beaten at her own ’power’ game, handily, by Sharapova at 2004 Wimbledon finals, in straight sets 6-1, 6-4. Then there is that overhead shot that Sharapova directed straight at Serena’s body at the Australian Open. Serena did not have any nice words for Sharapova, and was clearly angry and ready for confrontation.

If Sharapova plays the way she played against Venus Williams in the previous match, she is in for another humiliating drubbing. She had 13 double faults and 36 unforced errors in that match and won,  just because Venus was more sloppier in her performance – 12 double faults and 55 unforced errors.

Good match to watch!

Federer seeks revenge against Canas in fourth round.

 

World’s No. 1, Federer has his wish. He will face Guillermo Canas, a qualifier from Argentina, who defeated the 15th seed teenager from France, Richard Gasquet in straight sets 7-6(3), 6-3.

Federer will be seeking revenge for his opening round, straight set loss at the Pacific Life Open earlier this month, at the hands of Canas.

Canas has had a remarkable run, so far, at Sony Ericsson Open. He beat Tim Henman, followed by former World’s No. 1 and 19th seed, Juan Carlos Ferrero and now the 15th seed, Richard Gasquet. Add to it the fact, that he is supposed to be out of rhythm, coming off a 15-month doping suspension, and he is 29 years of age!!! What’s going on?

Federer needs to be level headed, and not go for too much. He does not have to win 6-0, 6-0 to prove anything. He is the World’s No. 1. That will be like playing, right into Canas’s hands. Canas has nothing to lose, and will go for broke, with outright winners, to avoid long rallies, to diffuse Federer’s arsenal of shots.

It will be more of a mental game for both players, keenly aware of the unique circumstances and what is at stake. Federer, obviously, has much more at stake, and the best way for him to get over it, is to just play his game, without trying to make a statement. Canas would be hoping to capitalize on the mental breakdown, Federer may experience due to the history, and the fact that Canas is undoubtedly hot.

It would be interesting to see what strategies, each player will employ, to counteract each other’s plan. Match to watch.

Davydenko, Hinges out.

N. Davydenko, the 4th seed from Russia, was eliminated in straight sets by qualifier, Amer Delic of USA 7-6(5), 6-3. Davydenko is one of the players, identified on this site to be one of the losers this year. Click here for more.

Davydenko has a lot of miles of his odometer. He has been playing enormous number of tournaments last few years. Sony Ericsson Open is already his 7th of the year. Get this: last year he played in 35 tournaments -35!!!

Having won only 10 titles in his entire career, I guess his trick, to maintain a high ATP ranking (currently 4), is to play in as many events as possible, and accumulate points that way. If you are not winning many titles, there is no other choice. It also, is a clever way to make good money (career 5.5 million) without winning too many tournaments.

But all that comes at a price, and this is the year, when he will start making his first installments. Getting married earlier this year, is an indication of his plans to wrap up his tennis career, and move in different direction.

Martina Hinges, the former World’s No. 1, was defeated by A. Radwanska of Poland 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Hinges relies mostly on her crafty placement and movement of the ball. That’s her weapon to compensate for lack of power in her game in general, and  in her serve, in particular.

Main reason she retired early, was the emergence of power players, like the William sisters, Davenport and Sharapova. She chose the right time to make a comeback, since the power hitters were off the scene, momentarily. But they are back now (William sisters and Sharapova is coming into her own). Not good!!!

Tennis blog.

 

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Steffi Graf

Playboy magazine offered Steffi Graf, to appear on the centerfold. Graf declined and said, she found it interesting and amusing.

Trivia archive.

Q: Who is the only tennis player to be stabbed with a knife on the court?
A: Click here.

Q: Who is the only tennis player, whom Playboy magazine offered to appear on centerfold? No, it’s not Sharapova!!!
A: Click here.

Q: Who is the only female tennis player, who asked that she be allowed to compete against men on the ATP tour.
A: Click here. 

Q: Pete Sampras has an inherited disease that causes anemia. It limits physical and athletic endurance and causes those who have it, to feel fatigued when forced to perform athletic feats. What is it?
A: Click here.

Q: You know what a Grand Slam is. But do you know what is a Golden Slam?
A: Click here.

Q: Beautiful Hollywood actress, Brook Shields, was once married to which tennis player? 
A: Click here. 

Q: -”It was a little difficult because I had previously been with a guy. But once I had a lesbian experience I realized that although I liked guys and still do like guys emotionally I could only be attracted to women.” Which tennis player said that?
A: Click here.

Q: Her father said that he would have preferred for her to have been a prostitute? Whose father was that?
A: Click here.

Q: Which tennis player was nicknamed ‘SuperBrat’ by the British press?
A: Click here.

Q: -What is ‘the most difficult double in tennis’ and is considered impossible by today’s players?
A: Click here.

Q: Who was the only tennis player in the world to send get-well-soon card to Blake when he was in the hospital with a broken neck?
A: Click here.

Q: Which tennis player hired the same workers who laid the hardcourt surfaces at the US Open each year to install an exact copy in the grounds of his home in Greenwich, Connecticut?
A: Click here.

Q: Who was the first tennis player to miss a Grand Slam tournament due to suspension?
A: Click here. 

Q: -Roddick hosted Saturday Night Live on November 8, 2003, becoming the second tennis player and only the tenth athlete to do so. Who was the first one?
A: Click here.

Q:”I want to bring the crowd into the match: in short, turn it into a football match”. Who said that?
A: Click here.

Q:  A race horse won the US Filly Triple Crown and got inducted into the racing Hall of Fame after being named ‘after’ a tennis star. Who was that star tennis player?
A: Click here. 

Where does Nadal stand against the legends, at 20 years.

 

Nadal has had a remarkable career so early in life. There are very few parallels in the history of the game, for what he has accomplished so quickly. Is this an indication of what is in store for us? Or will some tennis experts, who predict an early burn out due to injuries, be proven right.

However you slice it, there is no denying he is a huge talent, and can only get better, with so many areas still not up-to par, specially his showing on faster courts. Will he be able to shirk off the ‘clay court specialist’ label and master other surfaces? We have seen some glimpses of that, in the early part of last year, when he won three hard court titles, overcoming the master himself, Federer.

Here is a comparison with other legends in the game. The stats are up-to the last month, when the players turned 21. So Nadal still has about 3 months, to add to his total.

Age	Name	Country	Titles	Majors	Ranking
20	Roger Federer	Switzerland	4	0	13
	Pete Sampras	USA	10	1	8
	Björn Borg	Sweden	23	3	4
	Rafael Nadal	Spain	18	2	2
	Mats Wilander	Sweden	20	4	4
	Andre Agassi	USA	9	0	4
	Ivan Lendl	USA & Czech	0	0	6
	John McEnroe	United States	17	0	4

Also check out Federer vs Tennis legends at 26 years, here.

Federer advances. Could face Canas in fourth round.

 

Federer made sure not to repeat his performance in the opening round, and dispatched upcoming teenager, Sam Querrey from USA, in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 in just 1 hour and 1 minute.

Coming off an opening round loss at Pacific Life Open, it was satisfying and certainly a boost of confidence, for the World’s No. 1 to come out strong, and perhaps start a new winning streak. Last winning streak was snapped at 41 matches.

Federer may get a chance to seek revenge, in the fourth round where he might meet, Guillermo Canas from Argentina again. Canas has to get past 15th seed Richard Gasquet for it to happen, though.

Canas is entered as a qualifier, but he defeated former World’s No. 1 and 19th seed from Spain, Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5. He also beat Tim Henman from Great Britain in the previous round, easily 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

It looks like Federer is headed to clash with Tommy Robredo in the quarterfinal and Ljubicic in the semi-final.

Tennis quote archive.

 

-”New balls, please”. Fans demanding new faces, after getting tired of seeing Sampras and Agassi, at practically every final of a meaningful tournament in the 90′s.

-”Steffi, will you marry me”. Fan screams from the stands in a Grand Slam match. Steffi Graf pauses, before serving and asks “How much money do you have?” to the delight of the crowd. Watch the video.

-”What’s up. Have you gone mad?” First words from John McEnroe to Bjorn Borg over phone, when he learnt, that Borg was selling his five Wimbledon trophies, to raise money.

-”No, no, no. Seriously no”. Nadal, when asked if he was disappointed that he was not playing against Federer at the final of the 2007 Pacific Life Open. Federer lost in the opening round.

-”12-10″. Text message from Tiger Woods to Federer on his 10th major at the Australian Open in January, 2007. Woods has won 12 majors.

-”You cannot be serious”. Phrase heard by the referee, from John McEnroe at every disputed call, before throwing a tantrum. He later wrote a book entitiled “You cannot be serious”. Click here to watch the video.

-”Don’t try this, if you haven’t had children yet”. John McEnroe, in the broadcasting booth, talking about the ‘back-to-the-court, between-the-legs’, shot.

-”Tie both his shoe laces and play him in the dark”. Other players on the tour, on how to get a 50% chance of winning against Bjorn Borg.

-”I hate losing more than I love winning.” Jimmy Connors.

-”From now on, he is going to add an ‘er’ to his name, everytime he wins a major.” David Letterman talking about Federer.

-”We are loving this rivalry. I guess you are not, really.” Interviewer to Federer about Nadal after Wimbledon victory. Click here for the video. Move forward 5:26 seconds.

-”I’ve had enough tennis for the week. I’m still in school so I’m going to relax by doing economics”. Maria Sharapova.

-Agassi: Let’s see what you got, big boy. Roddick: Hair.

-”You are doing better at this news conference than you did in the match”. Reporter to Roddick, at the meeting with media after Roddick got humiliated by Federer at AO semifinal.

-”Can you please reduce the tax on my prize money”. Serena Williams to the then Presdent, Bill Clinton when he called her over phone to congratulate, after she won the US Open.

-”They get it now. Don’t they?”. Letterman to Federer when told that his parents and grandparents constantly nagged him for practicing on garage doors and walls in the house.

-”Agassi’s explanation that ‘sex does not interfere with your tennis: it’s staying out all night trying to find it, that affects your tennis’.

Haas out. Nadal, Roddick advance – Sony Ericsson Open.

Tommy Haas, 9th seed from Germany was eliminated in the opening round, by lucky loser, A. Falla in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. This lucky loser status is getting quite a name. Guillermo Canas of Argentina, was the lucky loser, who defeated Roger Federer, in straight sets at Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells.

Haas had 31 unforced errors, whereas Falla did a good job at the net, winning 73% of the points. Haas has to be very careful, and has to focus hard to sustain his stellar performance so far this year. It must be at the back of his mind, that he will be 29 years of age in a few days (April 3).

Tennis circuit is brutal, and Haas needs to be more selective of the tournaments he enters in. He needs to keep the momentum going, without burning himself, out before the bigger events.

This could be his last year on the tour. He had to deal with a lot of injuries and heartbreaks, but he did manage to get as high as No. 2 in ATP rankings as a singles player.

World’s No. 2, Rafael Nadal from Spain and World’s No. 3 from USA had little trouble in their opening round.

Nadal trounced R. Mello from Brazil in straight sets 7-6(7), 6-2. Nadal was aggressive as usual, and had 27 winners compared to 19 from his opponent.Up next, Oliver Rochus, 5’5″, 30th seed from Belgium.

Andy Roddick had easier time against V. Arguello of Argentina dispatching in straight sets also 6-3, 6-2. G. Simon from France is next.

Blake and Hewitt out.

Blake lost his opening round match, against Florent Serra of France 6-7(8), 6-2, 3-6. Blake had 36 unforced errors, to show for it. And this is Blake’s favorite surface!!!

Blake’s game is based on precision, taking the ball early, perfect timing and consequently flatening the ball with very little clearance at the net. This game, is bound to create a bunch of unforced errors. Its risky play, and most of his winners, are not high percentage shots.

It is much easier to pull off, when you are young and are able to quickly get in position, perfectly time the shot and hit a winner. He is 27 years of age. You are a senior citizen in the tennis world of today.

Blake does’nt seem to have a plan B, when his high-risk game is not working. He stubbornly continues to pound away. He has now lost six of his last nine matches!!! He has got to be smart tennis to halt the skid, otherwise the slippery slope is not far away.

As predicted earlier,  on this site, Blake is surely getting out of the top 10 for good, and if he doesn’t adjust his game, he may start his registration at Harvard already (Blake wants to continue his studies after tennis).

Leyton Hewitt was forced to withdraw due to sore lower back before his opening match on Friday. He hurt his back last week at Indian Wells.

“Not a whole lot I do about it at the moment”, Hewitt said. “I don’t want to go out there and play in pain, and obviously not been able to compete 100% like I’d like to every time I go on the court”. 

Various theories on why Federer lost.

The loses, Federer has had so far- there is an excuse for them, a clear explanation. For instance, the loss to Andy Murray at Cincinnati, last year. He got no break after winning the Masters Series in Canada. The finals were Aug 14 and Cincinnati tournament started Aug 14. He was just too tired. Loses to Nadal – well, his heavy top spin and retrieving ability troubled him.

But to lose to Guillermo Canas, a lucky loser and 60th ranked player in the world, in straight sets- in the opening round? And two days later, go and lose the doubles match too, to some unknowns again? Federer has ‘a lot of explaining to do’.

Here are some theories that might attempt to answer the eternal question, of what actually happened during the week at Indian Wells.

1) Overconfidence: Having won both the tournaments he had entered this year, including a major, Federer thought, he could take it easy, specially against a guy who was still trying to find his rhythm on the tour, after serving a 15-month doping suspension.

2) Pressure: The physical and mental pressure of maintaining his No. 1 spot is starting to show signs of wear and tear. Mind you, he has been operating in his own stratosphere, for most of the past three years. In each of those three years, he has lost just 5 matches a piece. That’s a frantic pace by any imagination. Look at the number of tournaments he has played for the past few years:
-2006-18
-2005-16
-2004-19
-2003-26
-2002-27
-2001-23

 Maybe these are early signs of getting burnt out. Borg certainly has set a precedent in that respect – having retired at age 26.

3) Age: May be, it is just physical. He will be 26 years of age this August. Possibly, this is the time for him to slow it down, and pace himself, if he plans to keep playing into his early thirties, as he has expressed his wish to be. No one in the history of the game, has had such hectic activity, and amazing results, in such a short span of time. He has compressed a lot of top quality play in very limited time. Others on the tour, may be playing the same number of tournaments in a given year, but Federer wins practically, all he enters. So he is playing lot more matches, and with lot more stress and pressure.

We all know, he has been streaking at break-neck speed, and it cannot go on for long. Something has to give. It has to slow down and eventually end. Maybe the slow-down process has already begun, and the era of absolute and total domination and destruction of opponents, is tapering off.

By the end of this year, most definitely, we will get a much clearer picture. So enjoy this unique run, for as long as it lasts.

Federer to face dangerous Sam Querrey of USA.

 

19 year-old, dangerous wild card, 6’6″ Sam Querrey of USA, booked himself a berth in the second round against the World’s No. 1 player, Roger Federer in the Sony Ericsson Open tournament in Miami, Florida. He defeated Igor Andreev of Russia, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

On January 1, last year Querrey was ranked 616th. January this year – 130th. As of now, he is 69th in the world. He almost beat World No. 4, Davydenko at Indian Wells last week.

Considering Federer’s vulnerability, this might not be the perfect opening round match for Federer. Federer lost in the opening round against a lucky loser and 60th ranked player in the world, Guillermo Canas at Indian Wells last week. Canas was 29 years of age.

Federer has to take it seriously, and open an early lead to dash any hope, Querrey might have of repeating what happened in Indian Wells.

Evaluating the draw at Sony Ericsson Open – March 21 to April 1.

-Federer has drawn a very comfortable field in his half of the draw.  He is on course to meet the 15th seed, Richard Gasquet in the fourth round. Gasquet has a 1-5 record against Federer, having lost all of his last five matches- in straight sets. But he is coming of a good quarter-final showing at the Pacific Life Open.

Federer’s semi-final opponent, most likely will be the hot 9th seed from Germany, Tommy Haas. Federer has a huge head to head advantage of 8-2, but they have played some close matches- a five setter at the 2006 Australian Open. Last match was at Dubai this year, which Federer won in straight sets. But Haas been playing great this year, having won one title at Memphis, and has a good 20-4 match record this year.

In the semi-final, Federer is looking to clash with, either the 4th seed Davydenko or the 7th seed Ljubicic. Ljubicic has a miserable 3-11 record against the World’s No. 1 whereas  Davydenko is still enjoying his bagel at 0-8.

Nadal has a much tougher draw. He will most likely meet the 16th seed from Russia, Youzhny, in the fourth round, who has beaten him last two times they met- at Dubai this year in straight sets, and the US Open last year. They have 3-3 record.

His quarter-final clash will be against the new No. 10 in the world, Djokovic, unless Blake is able to take Djokovic out in the fourth round. Blake has a winning 3-0 record against Nadal. It is unlikely that Blake can accomplish that, against the resurgent Serbian. Expect Djokovic to have a better showdown with Nadal than the one he had at the Pacific Life Open, since he should have gotten over the nerves of a big match, by now.

Nadal’s semi-final opponent could be again, another teenager, ranked 12th in the world, Andy Murray from Scotland. Although Nadal has a 1-0 advantage against Murray, but the fourth round match at this year’s Australian Open, went to five sets and lasted almost 4 hours. There is a slim chance that Roddick may take out Murray in the quarter-finals. Murray has a 3-2 record against Roddick, but Roddick has won two of the last three encounters in straight sets.

And finally the finals. Are we looking at another Federer-Nadal clash? Tennis fans have been salivating for it for a long time now. Nadal still has a winning 6-3 record against Federer, but Federer has trounced Nadal in two of the last three meetings-once at Wimbledon finals last year, and at the year end championship at Shanghai, China, last year also.

Fans are eager to find out if Federer has finally solved the Nadal puzzle or the victories against Nadal were mainly due to Nadal’s sloppy play, the whole of the second half of last year. Is the rivalry alive or has Federer buried it once and for all.

Will Miami provide the answer or do we have to wait till the Roland Garros? Click here for the complete draw.

What do you think???

Gustavo Kuerton makes an early exit.

  

Three time French Open champion and former World’s No. 1, Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil was eliminated at Sony Ericsson Open at Miami in the first round by Dutchman Raemon Sluiter 6-2, 6-2.

Kuerton is trying a comeback, but he has just won three out of his nine matches this year.

Tennis statistics.

 

Right sidebar contains the most interesting tennis statistics ever. Gobble, gobble, gobble them up.

More interesting entries.

• CLICK HERE.

Round Robin experiment over – ATP.

ATP has decided to get rid of the Round Robin experiment after it ran into rough weather.

Reasons cited for the withdrawl were following:

• the 32 hybrid format caused confusion.
• deciding who would progress to the next stage was complicated.
• media members had trouble reporting these matches.
• Players had no control on the eventual result, despite winning matches, due to other considerations, that were taken into account, to declare the player progressing.

Federer meets Woods again.

 

World’s No. 1, Roger Federer met another World’s No. 1, Tiger Woods on Miami golf course, where Woods was practising for the CA World Golf Championship starting Thursday.

“It was great to have Roger out there,” Woods said. “He’s a wonderful supporter of golf and I think it’s pretty neat when you have probably the most dominant athlete on the planet in your gallery”.

Federer himself is getting ready to start on Saturday at the Sony Ericsson Open in the same city.

Is Nadal starting a new trend?

 

As is true of almost everything, practically every sport is in a continuous state of evolving. Tennis has gone through its own share of metamorphosis.

What we are possibly witnessing, is the next wave of change, initiated inadvertently, by none other than Nadal.

He is first player in tennis history to be that muscular and ripped. None of the tennis players of the past come even close to his body structure. In fact, muscular body was
considered by tennis pundits, to be a deterrent in the game of tennis. Terms like ‘muscle bound’ and ‘stiff and inflexible’ were used to show its ineffectiveness in a game requiring suppleness and fluidity.

Nadal is a living example of its merits, and his continued success, can easily breed a new generation of buffed up tennis players, who would brush aside the stereotype and rule the tennis world in the future. The ‘flexible’ player of today, may find it difficult to compete with this new body type, and eventually it may become a norm and a prerequisite.

If you look back, most World’s No. 1 tennis players were not even 6 feet tall. Borg, McEnroe, Agassi, Hewitt (all 5’11″), Connors (5’10″) and there were many of similar height in the top 10 in the past eras.

Now, the minimum requirement is 6’2″. Anything under, and your chances of being in the top 10 diminish dramatically. In fact, unlike in the past, we are now having players way past the 6 feet mark. Safin and Ljubicic at 6’4″, Ancic and Berdych at 6’5″, Karlovic at 6’10″ etc. Such tall players never opted for tennis earlier. The few players with some success, without this new ‘tennis minimum’, are Nalbandian and Davydenko at 5’10″ and Robredo at 5’11″.

So, as we have seen, a new benchmark for height has been set, and that’s the way it might go for the muscular body, if Nadal continues to enjoy sustained success at the top.

Look at boxing, the ultimate contact sport. Mohammad Ali, Joe Frazier or even George Foreman did not have the definition and ‘ripped’ bodies of the newer generation like Mike Tyson.

What about Basketball. Wilt Chamberlain would be considered a toothpick compared to Shaq. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or even Michael Jordan cannot compare to the muscular bodies of even an average NBA player today, leave alone stars like Kobe Bryant, Le Bron James or Dwayne Wade. Today’s NBA player has to spend a lot of time in the gym. Its not fancy stuff, its just a basic prerequisite now. You can see, how out of place some of the NBA players, who are not buffed up, look on the court today, like Tony Parker or even Tim Duncan. Compare him to Dwight Howard!!!

How about Baseball. Compare Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aron etc. to Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Jose Conseco. You probably won’t be even allowed, to step on the field, if you are Babe Ruth today.

Golf? Tiger Woods has set a mark with his chiseled and muscular body, and if you do not follow suit, forget about making a mark in the sport. John Dalys and Phil Nickelsons have to either shape up or ship out.

Boys are getting taller and bigger and the competition is intense. Its the true ‘survival of the fittest’ out there.

It seems to be the dawn of the new era for tennis too. Muscular and chiseled bodies would become the rule, rather than an exception. With prize money shooting through the roof in recent years, any edge over the competition can bring in rich dividends.

Will the tennis world turn direction like other sports have, or will Nadal be considered just an aberration?

Embarrassing and annoying moments for tennis fans.

 

NADAL. 

Please get bigger shorts or underpants, so you don’t have to pick. Come on, man, this is not just unpleasant, it is rude. This is one of those things you will look back in amazement, and wonder how in the world, you ever continued to do it, despite being written all over the media.

Its, like those weird hairstyles, we all  have when we are teenagers, and you look back at those old pictures of yourself, and wonder how could I have done that.

It is clearly an embarrassment, so please fix it for the sake of the game and fans.

RODDICK. 

You cannot be grabbing your crotch, in full view of the fans in the stadium and on TV. Click here to view.

As if one was not enough, you have paired up with Nadal to compete for the most undignified moment on the court. Just because you are not looking down, while doing it, doesn’t mean we can’t see it. You are not fooling anybody with those quick jabs.

What’s next!!! Are you guys going to…..well, I don’t even want to go there.

Get some treatment for the area, and please spare us the gross moment.

 

JIMMY CONNORS.

 Your job as a coach, is not to stare at your pupil every second of the match, sitting at the edge of the seat, craning your neck. Come on, relax. Roddick is not going to fire you, if he finds you sitting back and relaxed.

 Look at other coaches. Is it a coincidence that you are the only coach with this weird behavior? It comes across as fake and put on. Doesn’t seem natural and spontaneous at all.

Sit back and be dignified. You are considered one of the greats of the game. Don’t be intimidated by an also-ran. Roddick’s is not going to do any better, with you sitting stiff with the forced interested look.

If you are really doing this, to fool Roddick into believing how deeply interested you are, so you can keep your job – you got to put up a more believable act.

Just look at Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers, and you will realize- game face the coach puts on is contagious. Getting that anxious and hassled look is not helping anyone.