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Rafael Nadal pulls out of London Olympics; Serena Williams on a mission — The Friday Five

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By Maud Watson

Déjà vu

It was three years ago when Rafael Nadal suffered a major upset at Roland Garros at the hands of Robin Soderling, announced he had knee problems, and then pulled out of Wimbledon, unable to defend his crown. Now it seems he’s been handed a very similar scenario in 2012. After a hard loss in the second round of Wimbledon, he’s once again battling knee problems that have inhibited his ability to prep for London, meaning that he will be unable to attempt to defend his singles gold medal and serve as flag bearer for Spain. But while this is a troubling immediate concern for Nadal, it also brings plenty of uncertainty to the bigger picture. It would be plain stupid to write Nadal off just yet. Things looked bleak in 2009 before he turned it around to put together a banner year in 2010. But he’s three years older now, more of the competition is starting to catch up, the knee problems are never going to go away, and his style of play is only going to increase the wear and tear on his joints. Champions are stubborn. They don’t like to change the playing styles that have brought them so much success. But at this juncture in his career – and another heartbreaking pullout – it might be time for Rafa to consider doing more re-tooling of his game.

Woman on a Mission

The US Open Series got underway last week at the Bank of the West Classic, and it was a familiar champion that was left holding the trophy aloft. Serena Williams has rarely played the week after winning a slam, but she made an exception this year as she jetted from the lawns of Wimbledon to sunny California to successfully defend her title in Stanford. Stanford marked the site of a lucrative summer campaign for Williams last season, and she’s no doubt hoping for more of the same in 2012. But pundits are guessing there was a little more driving Serena to compete the week after winning her fourteenth major than just looking to recapture some good vibes. If she can successfully defend the bulk of her points this summer, she’s in with a real chance to finish the year as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. It’s certainly an attainable goal given how frequently the top spot has changed hands, and the younger Williams already has the experience of knowing what it takes to get there. If she’s truly dedicated towards reaching the upper-most echelons of the game, it’s going to make for an interesting summer.

Back on Track

While Tipsarevic secured a title in Germany, Ferrer continued his best year with a win in Sweden, and Cilic thrilled the home crowd in Croatia, the biggest ATP stories came out of the grass court event in Newport. The winner, John Isner, is undoubtedly elated to notch a tournament win and perhaps get his season back on track. Newport served as a catalyst to a great summer for him the past, and after the slump he’s been in, a victory in the City by the Sea is just what the doctor ordered. If he’s once again able to use this as a springboard to pile up the wins and confidence throughout the summer, look for him to be a force to be reckoned with at the US Open. The finalist in Newport is also noteworthy. Lleyton Hewitt, who has undergone a number of surgeries and played very little in 2012, proved that he’s still got the moves, even on the challenging grass courts. Though he fell one match shy of garnering his first tournament win since 2010, it was an excellent effort by the two-time Grand Slam champion. Hard saying how much longer he’ll be competing at the top professional level, but if he can continue to find that vintage form that made him the youngest ever to finish a season ranked No. 1, he can still cause more than a few problems for the game’s best.

Major Shift

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that hell has frozen over, but a big change is slated to come to the All England Club in 2015. After studying the facts and figures, the powers-at-be have decided to bump Wimbledon back a week, allowing players both a little more recovery time following Roland Garros and the opportunity to gain an extra week’s prep on grass. The event that may be most impacted by this change is the tiny 250 event in Newport, typically played the week after Wimbledon. Presumably, Newport may look to grab a spot before The Championships, but even if that occurs, the move could have a negative effect on its field. How many players will opt to travel to the States for a week on grass only to return to Europe for Wimbledon? And if Newport is allowed to remain after Wimbledon, will players be as willing to participate, or will they look to get straight onto the hard courts in preparation for the US Open? But the potential woes of Newport aside, this is great news for tennis overall. It should lead to less grumbling and hopefully ensure even higher quality grass court tennis.

Assuming the Helm

In what is probably a welcomed change by many of the French WTA Players, two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo has been named the new French Fed Cup captain. She replaces Nicolas Escude, who has been involved in a drawn out controversy concerning leaving top French player Marion Bartoli off the team due to her coaching arrangement with her father. As one of the most successful French players in recent decades, she brings a wealth of experience to the table – experience and guidance from which many of France’s fledgling talents could benefit. Smart move by the FFT, and hopefully the move pays dividends in the near future.

5 reasons why Roger Federer will win Olympic Gold at London 2012

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Roger Federer claimed his 15th Grand Slam title when winning Wimbledon earlier this month but he would trade that for an Olympic gold medal at London 2012, which would complete his trophy cabinet. Live-Tennis.com writer Neil Roarty gives five reasons why he thinks the Swiss maestro will achieve his dreams this summer.

1. Federer is the reigning Wimbledon champion

I have to admit that prior to Wimbledon I did not think that Federer would win The Championships but he proved himself to be by far the best player at the All England Club, beating Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray relatively comfortably. The Swiss was imperious at SW19 and only against Julien Benneteau did he look in any trouble.
His serving was as accurate as it’s ever been and the win was totally deserved. He will, therefore, head back to Wimbledon full of confidence and will be the man to beat this summer.

2. Federer is playing for Switzerland

Roger will carry the flag for Switzerland at the opening ceremony in London and that is a responsibility that he will take very seriously. Immediately after his win at Wimbledon Federer spoke of his excitement about returning for the Olympics saying “I hope I can do my country proud.”
This was unusual from the world number one who usually speaks with such certainty ahead of major tournaments. He is clearly going to be playing for more than just himself this summer and that will make him more determined to claim the gold medal. Switzerland only won gold in two events at the last Olympics (tennis and cycling) so the hopes of a nation really do rest on Federer’s shoulders.

3. Nadal and Djokovic have had disappointing summers

Neither Rafael Nadal nor Novak Djokovic have covered themselves in glory since the French Open with the Spaniard losing to Philipp Kohlschreiber in Halle before a shock second round exit to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon. The world number three looked exhausted after a year trying to keep pace with Djokovic and his exertions seem to have caught up with him.
Similarly, Djokovic simply didn’t look to have another level left in him when he was beaten by Federer in the semi finals at Wimbledon. The Serb’s meteoric rise has been marked by an ability to lift his game when in high pressure situations but he too looked tired out on Centre Court. A fortnight off isn’t going to dramatically change anything for either player and they will both be conscious of the upcoming US Open, which will surely be bigger goals.

4. The English weather

Wet weather can be a great leveller in Formula One but it was the opposite at Wimbledon this year with Roger Federer gaining a huge advantage when the rain fell and the roof was closed on Centre Court. This is understandable as the Swiss is the greatest indoor tennis the world has ever seen and, even in an era where Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are dominating, Federer is unbeaten in two years under covers. The weather forecast during the Olympics doesn’t make fantastic reading and it seems certain that some matches will have to be played under the roof on Centre Court. This means its advantage Federer before a ball is even struck.

5. Federer needs gold to complete his trophy cabinet

Federer has won every title there is in men’s tennis barring one – Olympic gold. The Swiss claimed gold in 2008 in men’s doubles, with Stan Wawrinka, but he has never stood atop the podium himself and that will be his motivation when he heads to Wimbledon for the London 2012 tennis competition. This will be the last chance for Federer to win an Olympic medal and it is surely not one he will want to pass up lightly.

Roger Federer: born or molded champion?

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By Romi Cvitkovic

Roger Federer has claimed a multitude of records in tennis and now he can add one more to his list of accolades: World No. 1 for a record 287 weeks, bypassing great legends such as Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe.
Federer has been the face of tennis since 2004 when he first catapulted to the top, holding the No. 1 ranking for a record 237 consecutive weeks from February 2, 2004 to August 18, 2008. In what many consider to be the greatest and most competitive era of all time, holding the top spot that long without break was enough to solidify him in the top echelons among all sports. He has claimed not only countless record titles, including 17 Grand Slam titles, 20 ATP Masters 1000 titles, 6 ATP World Tour finals and reached 32 Grand Slam semifinals, but he has also been a repeat recipient for some of sports’ greatest awards, including the Laureus World Sports and ESPY awards.
But it did not always come so easy for Federer. As a kid, he threw fits on court and could be found crying after losses — the latter not being hard to believe given his breakdown after the finals of the 2009 Australian Open. His emotional outbursts as a child may have simply been growing pains, or conversely, tell-tale signs of a future elite player. But no one could have guessed just to what degree his talent would climb. So, are legends born or molded?
In tennis, good athletes come along in constant cycles, reaching the top 100 or so in rankings, great athletes tinker with the top 20 rankings, and excellent athletes hold solidly in the top 5. But legends, they are unlike any species in sports — they dare to dream and achieve the impossible, breaking records and standing as ambassadors. And Roger Federer could already proudly stand at the pinnacle with sporting legends such as Babe Ruth, Muhammed Ali, and Michael Jordan.
After winning his seventh Wimbledon earlier this month at a ripe age of 30, Federer made a confession about his development as a player.
“I never thought I’d be that good. I really never thought that … When I won [Wimbledon] in 2003, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I was going to win Wimbledon and have my kids seeing me lift the trophy… I was considered a big talent. I was considered good in Switzerland first and then at 16, 17 internationally I was making a few dents so I thought ‘ooh, maybe something is possible here, maybe I can make the top 100’. But I was never like ‘I’m going to be world No.1’. That was more like a fantasy, a dream, an idea.”
For Federer it seems to have been equal parts talent and training, combined with some interspersed luck, that got him to this point in life. When he was a junior player, he had the shots and technique, but couldn’t quite put together consistent winning games. With time, some emotional restraint, and his ability to turn weaknesses into strengths, he has achieved what athletes only dream of. And what is scary is that he’s not even near finished — aiming to not only play the London Olympics this summer but hopeful of playing in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.
Congratulations Roger, and thank you for your inspiration, thirst for the best, and for bringing tennis the most graceful one-handed backhand in history!
Check out the ATP World Tour video tribute below that includes interviews on Federer’s legacy from the likes of Marat Safin, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Stefan Edberg and Ken Rosewall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B9NliaXr2U&hd=1&w=585
(video and photo credit: ATP World Tour)

Maria Sharapova on the Verge of Something Big in ‘12

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The period of time when Maria Sharapova was sidelined by a career-threatening shoulder injury seems like an eternity ago.
Next week, the Russian superstar is guaranteed to return to the number-two spot in the WTA rankings. She’s also notched final-round appearances at two out of the past three Grand Slams: last year’s Wimbledon and this season’s Australian Open. Had she won one of those two, odds are that she would be back in the top spot.
As it is, though, her two opponents in those matches—Petra Kvitova and new world number-one Victoria Azarenka—handled Sharapova quite easily. Sharapova’s experience was expected to play a huge role in her match against Kvitova, but she was unable to keep pace with the young Czech. As for Azarenka, she established herself as the tournament favorite early on with the way she romped through her matches.
On the other side of the Melbourne draw, Sharapova was doing some romping and routing of her own: In her first three matches, she only lost five games total. She dropped sets to Sabine Lisicki and Wimbledon conqueror Kvitova in later rounds, but those two going into the event had dark horse and contender status, respectively, and were true tests of where her game is.
After the Australian, Sharapova resurfaced this past weekend for Fed Cup duty against Spain won her opening rubber match. Fed Cup participation sets the stage for one of her major goals for 2012: the summer Olympics.
The tournament venue will be one she’s quite familiar with: the players will be competing at the All-England Club, the site where a young teen shook up the tennis world in 2004 by defeating the legendary Serena Williams in the final.
There are many players on the tour who have a strong grass-court pedigree, and Sharapova is definitely one to them. Realistically, she could walk away with either a Grand Slam or Olympic Gold, or both, all within the span of a few weeks.
This week she’s the top seed at the Open GDF Suez in Paris, which features top 10 stars, such as Marion Bartoli and Li Na, in the mix. Coming through a tough tournament could possibly spur her to solid runs at the U.S.’ two biggest tournaments outside of the U.S. Open: Indian Wells and Miami. Sharapova won Indian Wells in 2006, but hasn’t pulled it off in Miami yet.
Should her good form carry over in the months ahead, Miami could end up being hers—and propel her to major heights over the course of the season.