Shanghai: So What Have We Learnt, Gentlemen?

 

1) Just what is Rafa so pumped about?

 

Being Rafa of course. Silly question.

 

(Reuters)

 

If the Asian Swing really is a “swing”, then Rafa’s the kid that always takes things too far by pushing your 7 year-old self so high up, you end up crying.

 

I don’t suppose I’ll ever completely understand why playing these piddly events means so much to a guy that’s just written history. But then isn’t that exactly what Rafa’s all about? Barely stopping short of non-metaphorical cartwheels after beating a qualifier in round two of an ATP 500 event? Don’t ever change.

 

I might be wrong about this, but it’s almost as though he’s relishing the feeling of being able to play with the total abandon that must arise from being, a) injury free and b) able, therefore, to deliver his level best on a surface not traditionally considered “his bag”.

 

What all this means is that he’s got “nothing to lose” in the truest sense of the phrase: not in the way, say, Oscar Hernandez might have “nothing to lose” when he takes to court against Fed; not even in terms of ranking points (virtually none to defend until next year).

 

Perhaps this might be the best chance his career ever offers him of winning the WTF - the one title that eludes him. God knows what will happen if he wins in Aus.

 

Needless to say, this is both hugely problematic and profoundly dispiriting news for the rest of the tour.

 

I’d be be doing cartwheels too.

 

2) How good is Djoko’s Calculus?

 

If tennis was A-Level Maths, then  Djoko just went through a point of inflexion at Flushing.

 

 (getty)

 

I don’t think for a minute that he’ll repeat those highs right away, but I really don’t want to believe that was just a one off .

 

Personally I think it’s perfectly natural to have a slight dip in trajectory after such a defining performance before readjusting to a renewed sense of your self worth.

 

But he does SO need a good showing here: he’s got all those points to defend in Paris.

 

3) How much can ‘The Cone’ help Fed to “get it together”? “Get what together”, exactly?

 

In some ways, Fed’s in the same kind of “what now” transition Djoko is. The difference being that whilst Djoko’s Flushing performance was a step up from the way he’d been playing of late, Fed’s is more business as usual - which means that he’s mostly kept it together and (perhaps more importantly) hasn’t had any real WTF results (Baggy/IW perhaps the oddest loss, and yet take a look at what he had to say).

 

 (Reuters)

 

That gusto totalling of Sod in the gustiest conditions we’ve seen this year was as good as anything we’ve seen since the final of Melbourne (if not better given the wind).

 

I realise this will go down as one of his two worst Slam years since 2003, but it’s worth noting that it required three career-defining performances from top ranked players to bring that about – not something he’ll want to see repeated, but not nearly the catastrophe suggested by the column space devoted to doom-mongery.

 

Worth also mentioning that whilst I think input from the Cone will be invaluable over the coming months, I stand by my original assertion that his role will be (and should be) more about quietly nudging Fed back into reoccupying that mental space that wins Slams - renewing that sense of confidence that he can, indeed, beat everyone, dominate even the way he says he can (telling, that he chose  “dominate anyone” over “everyone” – not even he would claim to be able to dominate the way he did in 06-07).

 

Less important will be the need to “come to the net”, “to mix things up”, or any one of the manifold tired technical enhancements being touted as this years “silver bullet” solution to his “problems” (if you can call them that).

 

The tour moves on, players develop new weapons, so it is, of course, critical to keep your finger on the pulse and to understand how best to refashion a gameplan to respond to that.

 

It’s one thing to say that “Rafa has a beefier serve now, so I need to be ready for that”.

 

Or that “Djoko is clearly returning more fearlessly from the back of the court - I definitely ought to be prepared for that”.

 

Or that “Muzz is undergoing something of a career-tailspin, in a bit of a funk right now, so maybe I can bully him a little and profit from that”.

And yet, I can’t help feeling that a player like Fed, or indeed Rafa is less about mere technicalities, than they are about their formidable presence and belief: the belief that they really are, naturally, a superior order of being on the tennis court – in, of course, the most inoffensive way imaginable.

 

4) Where’d it all go wrong for Muzz?

 

*Grits teeth*

 

I want to say good things - hopeful things. It’s just that they don’t seem to accord with the narrative right now.

 

 (getty)

 

It wasn’t so much that he went out to Wawa at Flushing – it was the miserable, vacuous way in which he did. And there weren’t even any answers forthcoming from the post-mortem.

 

I didn’t follow Beijing very much but from what I gather, things weren’t considerably different against Ljuby.

 

Can you do us all a favour and appoint a coach already? A Coach-shaped cut out will suffice until you find a real one – something, anything to direct all all those death stares and verbal refuse at.

 

For one thing, I really don’t think he’s the “going it alone” type.

 

What was perhaps most concerning about the Flushing loss was the lack of any real diagnostics in it’s aftermath – Muzz was at a loss to explain his lack of energy and even went on to say he “might never win a Slam”.

 

Nothing hugely irresponsible about that – even the top players are more likely not to win a Slam than they are whenever they enter one. But being in the top four since 2008 and one of the esteemed few that has a winning record against Fed and Djoko and a not too blemished one against Rafa either, you’d think he’d have a less instinctive measure of his own self worth – though perhaps not, given that that presser was given less than an hour after the match.

 

In any case, get on to it Muzz, and soon. I have this horrible vision of you being drawn to play Phillip Kohlschreiber in the not too distant future with no one in your box and Miles Maclagan in his.

 

I agree: let’s not go there.

 

5) And the Others?

 

» I’m trying not to read too much into Sod’s loss to Fed at Flushing.

 

The wind was wreaking havoc, Fed was playing his best tennis of the year – looking back at it now, it was never really going to happen.

 

But I have to raise an eyebrow when Sod goes down in straights to Daveed Ferrer.

 

There’s also the uncomfortable fact that despite his recent success over Rafa and Fed – he’s now lost to both of them in their most recent respective Slam encounters.

 

 AP

 

» Davydenko: Remember him? Actually defending points here and, of course, at the WTF next month.

 

» Too early to diss Berd very much. A first round exit at Flushing is certainly a shocker – though it’s worth remembering how very new it all is to him. If he flames out early here or in Paris, or at the London WTF (assuming he qualifies), we’ll talk.

 

» Don’t expect too much from Delpo until the middle of next year. And then maybe only after that. But you already knew that.

 

» ARod is infected with the passive, top-ten, grinderman bug -- that had hitherto plagued only Novak – until further notice. I almost think less of myself for not expecting very much from him in what’s left of this year.

 

» Daveed Ferrer is  a top ten player – I keep having to remind myself of that. Don’t expect him to give anything less than his insolent, blue-collar, overachieving best to make the most of it.

 

» Mikhail Youzhny has a shot at end of season glory of some kind – and should by rights be made president, of something.

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Pull yourself together….or not.

 

 

Darned if I know what’s come over Reeshie recently.

 

Putting together consecutive wins and knocking out Misha the #12 seed ?

 

Pull yourself together man.

 

Describing the incident as “unacceptable”, Reeshie has reportedly apologised, takes full responsibility and has vowed “to never allow that to happen again”.

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Dubai: Final Line Up and my ‘Notes on a Scandal’

There’ll be no further reposting of what I’ll only gingerly be referring to as “the video”.

We’ve all seen the video – correction, we’ve all experienced, the video.

You don’t need me to do another “me too” post about it.

Though the following must be gotten off my chest.

A collection of my choicest reactions over the last 15 hours.

• “Oh Rafa – What will your mother say!?”
• “What will Xisca say!?”
• “You did ask her?”
• “$$$***$$#####”
• “Your ingénue appeal is forever lost.”
• “No wonder your knee hurts!”

All I need now is for Murray to do a cover of “You can call me Al” (in the role played by Paul Simon of course), and my life will be complete.

***

Speaking of my life being complete – as of yet it’s only half way there.

Headbanger came through in straights against Melzer who’s yet to form any meaningful impression on me.

Djoko’s just put out Baggy – to which I say pesh-tosh.

It also means I’ll be firmly ensconced in Camp Headbang tomorrow.

You might think it strange for me to be rooting against Djoko, but rest assured I have his best interests at heart.

A win for him here will benefit precisely no one.

Not him, and certainly not tennis.

The way I figure it, he might get a little too complacent, maybe a little too content with winning the odd 500 event now and again, when he should be pitching his tent at the Masters and Slams. At least that’s what I thought the agenda was.

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Oz Withdrawal Symptoms: Extrication Complete.

It took a while in getting there, but I think I’m ready to move on.

With Warped-Pete’s blessings.

ABM AMRO Rotterdam: Soderling d. Youzhny 6-4 2-0 (Ret.)

(Photo: Getty)

This title had Davy, Djoko or Big Rob written all over it.

Hard indoor ones tend to have the Swede’s name etched in a little more deeply – exactly the kind of event suited to his flatter-than-flat hard boiled style of play, and one he really should bag if we are to treat his top-ten maverick status very seriously.

Besides, what better way to snap out of that heady stupor he’s been in since the beginning of the year?

And so it played out – with Big Rob mostly keeping things simple (as if his game could be anything else), and with Davy and Djoko both falling in the semis and reassuming their lovingly-tended spots in the playground of ‘nearly-man’ tennis.

Except this was a 500 event. Where the nearly-men are supposed to go to town.

Maybe that’s a tad harsh to Davy, but with Djoko looking as 0ut of sorts as he did opposite Youhzny, one wonders what remedy if any will effect a turnaround, or whether that Serbian shooting star really has shot it’s last.

I tend towards believing it’s been shot down. And you know who I hold culpable? Marat Safin.

Cast your minds back two years - deep in the inner most recesses of those tennis-heads of yours lies embedded a memory, one which I like to think of as Marat’s Last Stand.

In 2008 Safin wowed his way to his last ever Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. Perhaps the greatest story of 2008 – second only to that greatest-of-all-finals itself.

His fans, tennis aficionados, and the rest of the world waited for, wished for good things to follow. In vain as it turned out.

But there was another story too. One that’s mostly been relegated to a footnote in history, if that.

For the Djoko that emerged from that punishing three set 2nd round loss displayed an almost dismembered look, one that I put down at the time to being ridden over roughshod by the Mighty Hippo.

Marat may have breathed what turned out to be his last gasp that year, but with it too he appeared to extinguish Djoko’s only remaining flame.

He has never regained that glint in his eye.

Gone was the cocky free-swinger and in his place stood an inhibited, austere, risk-averse, neurotic ‘Grinderman’, intent on reinventing himself as a clay courter.

That part of his post-‘Safinated’ agenda at least, remains intact.

In the eighteen or so months that have followed that psychosomatic shakedown, only two hard court Masters titles have been forthcoming, though it’s on clay that he appears to have retained at least some afterglow of his pre-Safinated self, the most notable example of which being that semi-final at Madrid last year.

I have no idea why exactly this is – in the same period he’s reached a further four hard court Masters finals, though in neither of which he displayed a shadow of the confidence that was so inextricably a part of what for the time being remains his only Slam title.

But consider this: if the experience has left him more of a force on clay, then Marat might very well be considered the architect of Federman’s revival.

Confused?

I was. At first.

I’m following a lengthy, loosely connected, slightly indulgent, and not entirely water-tight train of thought here – I must ask that you bear with me.

Whether or not you fully care for the creature Djoko’s morphed into, and whether or not you fully agree with the direction he’s headed in, he remains – perhaps by virtue of that grind -- for the time being at least, a force on clay.

Had he not been taken to the cleaners by Marat, he might never have evolved into Grinderman.

Had Djoko not seen fit to undergo this transfigurement, we might very well never have had that Madrid semi.

And if we didn’t have that maddeningly delicious Madrid semi, Nadal may have made the final only fractionally as exhausted as he turned out to be.

You follow?

Three setters are as ruthless as they are unforgiving affairs – where the slightest lapse in concentration, a single break can decide the course of a match.

Suppose Fed didn’t win Madrid, would he still have entered Roland Garros the energised figure we are told to believe he was?

Would Rafa still have lost?

Would Fed have still have served his way to number fifteen, on the back of 55 aces?

I would still say yes to those last two. But I would also say that there’s a ‘house-that-Jack-built’, in there somewhere.

This is the legacy that Roger built.

This is the GOAT that sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

Madrid is the event that freed the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the grind that stirred-up the clay,

That irked the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the kid, that would be King,

That took to grind that stirred-up the clay,

That irked the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the match that Marat played,

That swept the kid, that would be King,

That took to grind stirring up the clay,

That irked the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

Honorary mention to Mikhail, who truly earnt his final spot, despite some lackadaisical play from Djoko.

This week’s Dutch Master: Big Rob

This week’s Wooden Clogs: Davy, Djoko

In other news….

Open GDF Suez Paris: Dementieva d. Safarova 6-7, 6-1, 6-4

(Photo: AP)

What, another tier two title Elena?

I was more interested by the way Safarova came into this. Quite the most confident exhibition of ‘line and length’ from her in around 3 years.

Except not very many players do line’n length as well as Elena.

Pattaya Open Thailand: Zvonareva d. Tanasugarn 6-4 6-4

Brasil Open Costa do Sauipe: Ferrero d. Kubot 6-1 6-0

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Melbourne: It Just Wouldn’t be Oz…

It just wouldn’t be Oz without the customary five set bruiser, would it?

You know, the ones that threaten to venture ever closer to the six hour mark and usually take place early on in week one.

It just wouldn’t be Oz without the pain.

(PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images)

It hurts Ma, it hurts real bad…

M. Youhzny d. R. Gasquet 6-7(9), 6-4, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-4

Bruising (self inflicted or otherwise) and Mikail are never too far apart, and by the last two sets of this bash, I was quite unsure who I was rooting for, despite beginning the match firmly ensconced in Camp Reeshard.

Reeshard had a lot of baggage to shed from last year and a win here might have allowed him to wash the very last vestiges of ‘Pamela’ right out of his hair, nose and throat; except I think he might already have attended to the first of those, if that new shortened (somewhat thinning) hairdo he’s sporting is anything to go by.

Except Camp Reeshard is a notoriously precarious place, and brand loyalty not an especially precise science.

(PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images)

Pain pain go away,

Come again another day,

Little Reeshard wants to play.

Remember that Agassi match from Flushing 06, where he eventually downed Baghdatis in five - where they were both cramping so much it was difficult to breath?

Let no digitally enhanced sports bio ever allow us to forget that this sort of thing is actually quite prevalent on tour.

By the last set and a half of this encounter, Mikail looked hamstrung, and possessed little or no upwards thrust on his serve. You could almost hear the formation of millions of micro-shreds in his muscle fibre as he cramped his way through the pain. Gasquet fared little better and looked to be coughing up the lining of his lungs in between each and every point.

Gasquet didn’t choke this one down the chute (thank goodness for that), though I do wonder if it would have been the same result had he taken greater risks with two sets already in the bag.

He who dares wins. Not always maybe, but when you’re both as crippled by pain and fatigue as these two were, it’s the smallest of risks that suddenly assume the greatest significance and often offer the greatest pay back.

Youzhny maybe shouldn’t have won this one, but it was he that was the more daring in that last set.

Difficult not to root for someone that’s prepared to smile through seven shades of pain for our amusement.

***

Federer d. Andreev 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), 6-0

In other matches Federer downed 'Igor the Forehand' in four.

Fed lost the first set, not as you might imagine by flaking away the way he did all his openers in London last year, but by ‘going to the well’ of Igor’s forehand once too often.

If a baby Rafael Nadal hadn’t happened upon a tennis court, Igor would be the undisputed heavyweight (and most top-spun) forehand in the game. Most people appear to recognise that.

(Photo: Press Association)

In fact in Igor we have what might be the closest Federer might get to playing a right handed facsimile of Rafael Nadal.

His name should be synonymous with big forehands, for in that first set he very much ‘Igored’ Federer. To his credit, Federer defended immaculately well, but it was the wrong play altogether.

Igor’s level of play was replaced, to Fed’s relief, with something altogether more penetrable in set two and in set three he managed to choke away all of three set points despite forcing things to a breaker he eventually lost.

Fed may have steamrolled him in the fourth, but he seems to agree with my view that this one was rather too close for comfort, and not entirely through any great lapses in his own play:

"I knew it was going to be tough," said Federer. "We played five sets in New York two years ago. I thought I was playing well even in the first set and thought I would hang in there.

"It was a tough first round and I'm really, really relieved I'm through.

"It was a tough third set, I definitely got very lucky to get out of that one. That's the way it goes sometimes, all in all I'm very happy with my performance."

BBC

Elsewhere, Davy rather begrudgingly accepted the opinion of some that he might be considered a 'favourite' at this year’s open, when interviewed this morning. Yeah you know, that eponymous title which Murray was bestowed with last year.

And then this:

"Now I feel like I can beat everyone," said Davydenko, who is trying to win a first Grand Slam title. "Before no, mostly I was losing against these guys (top players), but now I can beat everyone. It's a good feeling."

BBC

Everyone Davy? Beware, you’re mighty close to convincing me you believe you can actually win this thing.

Belief in rather shorter supply for Big Rob however, losing his opener to Granollers after being 2 sets to love up.

"I don't know what happened, I just didn't play well," said the Swede. "I started terrible and finished terrible."

BBC

Sounds terrible.

I feel terrible.

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Asian Order.

I forgot to mention Youzhny yesterday, who's had something of an upturn in his fortunes this week.

And despite my future willingness to treat French tennis seriously being heavily dependant on the outcome of that French Proposition I put forth a few days ago, a small part of me wanted to see Youzhny pull through today, hopefully bringing to an end a particularly dank spell of form.

A season that’s seen him plummet from his top ten highs of early 2008.

(Photo: Getty)

But it wasn’t to be. Jo was nimble, Jo was keen, Jo-was-serving-like-a-dream.

And was rewarded, for his troubles with what looked like an item of 80s Phantasm Memorabilia.

Taken with Gael and Gilles' efforts this is now the most productive three weeks of French tennis I care to remember.

I’m tentatively back on board.

Similar story in Beijing.

A-Rad looked set to cap off a week of borderline top ten play.

But there’s few distinctions in tennis more worthy of my attention than the sight of one of it’s most skilled athletes intent on playing the house down, and even fewer than watching Sveta doing precisely that from her very first match.

The Pole did good, and has much to be proud of, though I think I still prefer the relative ‘order’ of the head girl beating up on the young fledgling.

Fortunately A-Rad seems to share my view of things.

(Photo: AP)

And in other news from the land of oversized cheques and trophies, Nole celebrated his recent ascension to world #3 with his best Rafa impression yet.

(Photo: AP)

…and by throwing his shirt in security’s face.

(Photo: AP)

Generally unimpressed with this outcome.

For Marin it’s another nearly-man result. And not an entirely distinguished one for Novak either, despite getting past some tricky opponents.

They’ll have it all to play for next week.

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Monty-real Tennis, Pt 1

Back to the world of 'real' tennis.

And time to be resurrecting those vaguely meaningful round ups.

Simon d. Falla 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

I don't like it that Simon dropped a set, but all but drooled over the way in which he stepped up and took control thereafter.

The movement and timing seem to have picked up from where he left off at the end of last year. Still early days, but I rather like the sound of a quarter final against one Roger Federer.

Tsonga d. Scheuttler 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Dead Horse? Rod. Rod? Dead Horse.

Apologies in advance to any Jo-Willy fan, but this was full of exactly the kind of play I find so troubling. Scheuttler's a veteran and it showed.

By playing more or less solid tennis he was able to expose Tsonga's lack of consistency that is fast becoming the trademark of his early round losses these months gone by.

There was some big serving and a few of those frabjous inside out forehands, but there's still no reason this should have gone to three sets. Be looking out for him to step it up next round.

Youzhny d. Isner 6-7, 6-1, 6-3

Well looky looky here.

Here's me thinking that the win over Cilic was an anomaly. It took three sets, but there's no doubting this is an impressive win for Youzhny. Don't expect him to get past Djoko, but I'd like to see him give some trouble.

I've kinda missed having Mikhail around. Sans headbanging.

del Potro d. Hernych 6-2, 7-5

I switched over to this during one of the changeovers in the Jo-Willy match. They had only just started practicing and del Potro was lumbering around in that way he normally does.

The next time I switched over del Potro was still lumbering around, except this time the score was 6-2 in his favour.

I continue to marvel at the way this guy has matured - I honestly had him down as a hothead.
Like I said before, I don't forsee many problems for him until he's made to square off with Nadal. And maybe not many more even then.

Verdasco d. Mayer 6-1, 6-1

Exactly the way I think top tenners should be conducting themselves in their opening rounds.
Didn't catch very much of this, but from what I saw, the other Fernando's forehand is in fine working order. I've never liked the look of his double hander, but that extended take back doesn't seem to be doing him much harm. Shows how much I know.

Davydenko d. Mathieu 7-6, 7-6

Didn't see any of this. But it seems to have the air of a Davydenko match, with its path-of-most-resistance-like journey into two tie breakers. And with Mathieu proving once again, that he nearly has what it takes not to be a nearly man.

Federer d. Niemeyer 7-6, 6-4

Ok this probably took a little longer than it should, but I'm not at all convinced that all is not in fully functioning order in Camp Federinec.

This match had all the airs and graces of his early round matches of years gone by. Not his best performance, but more than sufficient at this stage of the game.

Djokovic d. Polansky 6-4, 7-6

I switched over after the first set; which by the sounds of it is when things got interesting. Djoko looked about where he should be from what I could tell, and maybe I'm a teeny-bit concerned it got a little sticky in the second set. But give the man a break: he didn't drop a set, so all's well that end's well.

Murray d. Chardy 6-2, 6-2

An ideal start against an underrated opponent. The talk rages on about the possibility of a number 2 ranking by next week. I don't like any of it. But I did quite like the way Murray's chosen to deal with it.

"Rafa's missed quite a bit of tennis and if I get the opportunity [to move up] I would like to try to maintain it, and not just stay there for a couple of weeks."

(BBC)

Like the man says, what good will a transitional ranking attained on the back of Rafa's dodgy knee do him?
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Today's Picks...

My pick of today's matches, which I won't get to see as coverage commences tomorrow:

[5] A Roddick (USA) vs D Junqueira (ARG) - ATP
Junqueira took Gasquet to hell and back at Melbourne this year - I'd like to see how the leaner meaner A-Rod stands up to this abuse.

[WC] M Lopez (ESP) / R Nadal (ESP) vs A Montanes (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP) - ATP
A Spanish conspiracy is underway to make the Bryans work for their ranking, no?

[22] A Chakvetadze (RUS) vs D Hantuchova (SVK) - WTA
Both these players are former top tenners; I prefer Daniela's game but neither has been that convincing recently. Still, be interesting to see where they're at.

[31] P Mathieu (FRA) vs M Baghdatis (CYP) - ATP
Juiciness; Baggy just took out Gulbis in the opening round and I thought he looked very strong at Melbourne. If both players play to the best of their abilities, this one has epic written all over it.

[7] G Simon (FRA) vs [WC] L Hewitt (AUS) - ATP
My pick of the day. For one thing it pits grinder against grinder and will no doubt answer a lot of the following questions: Is Simon a grinder? Is he an aggressive counterpuncher? How effective is he against someone who plays much the same way? What can we expect from Hewitt? How effective can he be against perhaps the only grinder in the top ten? Can he get back into the top 20?

[Q] T Dent (USA) vs [19] N Almagro (ESP) - ATP
Dent is a one time owner of the fastest serve in the world before Greg Rusedski took on that record. I always used to enjoy watching him play before he disappeared off the face of the planet it seemed. Great to see he's making something of a comeback. He's up against one of the best clay courters in the world who's lost much of his fizz since going down to Nadal (for the loss of only three games) at RG last year.

[13] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs [WC] J Dokic (AUS) - WTA
What!? Shouldn't this one be a quarter final?

A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs [11] V Azarenka (BLR) - WTA
The giant killer versus the baseline banshee.

L Safarova (CZE) vs [18] P Schnyder (SUI) - WTA
Safarova was once considered a hot prospect. Then she hooked up with Tomas Berdych and picked up some of his 'winning ways' - you know, the type where you lose all the time.

F Schiavone (ITA) vs [25] A Szavay (HUN) - WTA
You all know how I love Schiavone's personality - makes 125% of her more limited abilities, much like Ferrer. Szavay's been disappointing - in 2007 I picked her, along with Radwanska (Senior) as future top tenners. I was only half right, and now Agnieszka's showing signs of frailty as well.

M Youzhny (RUS) vs [21] T Berdych (CZE) - ATP
Just how does a one time top tenner, a guy who had Nadal on the ropes for a period, drop to number 62 in the world? It all went wrong when he smashed his head in at this very event last year. Maybe he can try and turn it around at the same place.

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2008: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Pt II

Davydenko hits a winner - Youznhy hits his head - continued...

Wow....it's difficult to know where to begin with this one - I certainly haven't seen anything like it in any non contact sport; come to think of it I haven't seen anything like it in any full contact sport either (not self inflicted anyway).

Mikhail Youzhny was involved in a gripping third round encounter in Miami with Nicolas Almagro.
Up until that moment, Youzhny had been characteristically intense both in terms of his shotmaking and his outbursts (mostly directed at himself). Then at 4-5 down in the final set, he failed to convert a much needed break point and in what must be tennis's first display of no holds barred self flagellation, slammed his racquet into his forehead three times. His frame must have nicked his head in at least one of those 'headshots', as the next camera shot showed Youzhny with blood streaming down his face.

A strange edgy silence descended over the stadium as it became clear he'd need medical attention.
Almagro tried to make light of the situation as he went over to Youzhny's seat and smiling sheepishly, asked if he was ok - I almost expected a 'GoodFellas' moment from Youzhny ("I'm funny how Nicolas? Like a clown!? I'm here to amuse you!?")
And no I'm not going to include a picture or a video - it's very well documented on YouTube and elsewhere.

James Blake later said of the incident "That was pretty funny - not for Mikhail, I'm sure....I did that as a kid and I kind of stopped doing that. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."
Quite.

Serena Bagels Henin in Miami

Not that I find Serena bagelling anyone that surprising, but this was after all Henin, the world number one, winner of 7 Slams, and this was already her second bagel of the year (she suffered the first at the hand of Sharapova in Melbourne). Something was obviously very wrong. But what?

Monte Carlo: Djokovic advises Murray to be more agressive (or 'How I wish I'd never said that...' Part II)

Another Murray critique, although this time poor Nole was at least asked for his opinion.

Upon witnessing Djokovic hand Murray a 6-0,6-4 duffing-up, the British commentary team understandably aggrieved at seeing their man downed in the tennis equivalent of just three rounds, asked Djokovic what Murray could do to improve.
The two did after all train together and their move up the rankings was largely expected to be concurrent.
Djokovic had also just one year earlier, inflicted a stinging 6-1,6-0 defeat on Murray en route to his first Masters Title in Miami, and had since moved up to number 3 in the rankings, makingn this latest loss especially bitter.

"Be more aggressive..." the man said. I'm pretty sure Djokovic thought he was giving an honest reply to a very straightforward question (and both he and Federer were spot on about Murray). In any case Murray's never looked back, returning the favour in back to back wins over Nole at Toronto and Cincinnati. Maybe he'll be less forthcoming in the future...
(Djokovic image by laboratoria_recreativo under licence)

Sharapova wins her first clay court title

It wasn't terribly exciting, didn't have the best atmosphere and let's face it, she wasn't facing Henin at Roland Garros, but in winning Amelia Island Sharapova showed that cows (her words*) aren't that clumsy on ice after all.
* The word 'cow' when used in reference to women assumes a very particular connotation here in the UK; needless to say this isn't my intent; Sharapova herself used the phrase 'cow on ice' in describing the awkwardness she feels on clay...

Djokovic 'Wins' Rome

After Nadal v Coria in 2005 and Nadal v Federer in 2006, things had to deflate in Rome and deflate they did in 2007. Still it wasn't so bad and it had to happen sometime, I suppose. However nothing prepared me for the absurd, sorry, shambolic train wreck of an affair that was Rome 2008.

Nadal had been beaten in his opening match against Ferrero but anyone who saw the state of his feet will understand why - not really blisters so much as craters.
Djokovic seeded three, received a bye into round 2 and posted convincing wins over his next two opponents. However he didn't need to play much tennis against both Almagro in the quarters and Stepanek in the semis who both defaulted after a set each.

As if things weren't bad enough, on the other side of the draw Roddick, despite his incredible run to the semis (did Andy forget he was playing on clay?), decided that he too was unable to continue and pulled out after just three games.

We did thankfully have a final of sorts, but no one really expected Wawrinka to trouble Djokovic.
So there you have it; Djokovic won a Masters Title having only played three full matches.

Still think a win's a win?

Federer 'Wins' Estoril

I wasn't altogether clear on Federer's reasons for entering Estoril: he was either looking for some extra practice on the dirt, or for a way to purge his system of the losses incurred at Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.

Could he also have foreseen further losses in the season and have been looking to strengthen his ranking with a quick win here?
Either way it wasn't the most convincing of wins (Davydenko defaulted in the final), and left me feeling rather confused about the state of his game.
(Image by Kainashi under licence)

Safina beats Henin, and Serena and Dementieva

We all know Safina's rebirth began at Berlin this year. But what really impressed me about the scalps she collected along the way, was that in each match she came back from a set down seemingly on the brink of defeat.

Comebacks and mental fortitude are not normally associated with Safina or her brother. I can only assume that the Safin Gene has undergone a rather radical mutation in her case. I'm hoping that something will rub off on Safin when they partner in Hopman Cup next year...

Justine Calls Time

Yes it was shocking, unexpected, premature....but in some ways the natural conclusion to a partial season that already included two bagels.

What was perhaps equally revealing was the precarious position she left Women's Tennis in. Sharapova's shoulder problems were soon to resurface and Ivanovic, who would go on to win RG and become the new number one, would plummet so spectacularly that many began questioning her Slam credentials. Not the best year for Women's Tennis.

Anyway, I'm not completely convinced by the burn out theory - even if she was tired, why not (as many have suggested) take some time off and return, even after a whole year.

In terms of Slams and accolades, yes she's 'been there and done that', but still hasn't won Wimbledon and I simply don't believe someone as ruthlessly competitive as she is (sometimes to her own detriment - let's just say that RG 2003 v Serena and Melbourne 2006 v Amelie were not her finest moments), will remain content with that.
(Henin image by Tinrey)

Rafa ruffs up Federer ('Thanks for the headline 2Hander')

One word: Ouch. First bagel in ten years. The most uncompetitive display of tennis from Federer you may ever see, although not through any lack of effort on his part. The British Media, in the build up to Wimbledon began wondering whether the scars would affect him at Wimbledon. I'm pretty sure they did although he still managed to give us that final.

This for me was Federer at rock bottom. Yes he had surprising losses to Fish, Simon and others - but to be, well, humiliated frankly, in the final of a Grand Slam - one that he probably thought he had a good chance at winning, has to hurt. In fact I'm surprised he held it together as well as he did.

Davydenko 'Wins' Warsaw

I'm going to keep this short: In the same week that his colleagues began gearing up for the grass and SW19, Nikolay chose to enter (and win) Warsaw.

This is a man who despite having been in the top 10 since 2005, has only once been to the fourth round of Wimbledon, which, with his hand skills is beyond reason.

Even David Ferrer, who probably sprinkles crushed shale on his breakfast cereal each morning, and is likely to remain further than ever from being anything like the grass court player Kolya could become, was able to win Hertogenbosch. Well done David.

Tennis Magazine recently suggested he should be docked ATP points for even electing to enter a clay court tournament at this time. I think they might be right. (Davydenko image by ataelw)

Federer 'Wins' Halle

Perhaps a little cheeky this one, but come on, most everyone was at Queens...

Egbaston washed out

To those that don't follow this, it's one of the more important women's grass court events in the build up to Wimbledon. It's not exactly Queens for women, but along with Eastbourne regularly features big names like Sharapova, Jankovic and others. Except for this year when all the big names either didn't enter or pulled out.
Anyone wanting evidence of the problems of Women's Tennis this year needed to look no further.

Nottingham played indoors

This was just plain funny and a little surreal. After the final between Verdasco and Karlovic had been delayed by rain, the officials eventually gave in and decided to conduct it in a somewhat commonplace indoor court in front of only a handful of members of the press and public. The court bore a stark resemblance to my local club and for a very fleeting moment I felt the very large space that separates us from the tennis elite contract a little.

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