At first, 2011 appeared to mark the breakthrough of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova when she reached two major quarterfinals and stood toe to toe with many of the WTA’s leading ladies. The former junior #1 looked likely to become the latest Russian woman to rise in a sport riddled with them over the past decade, blending ferocious groundstrokes from both wings with a keen competitive instinct. Soon afterwards arrived the apparent emergence of Australian prodigy Bernard Tomic. The lanky, enigmatic teenager delivered his “hello, world” moment by soaring from Wimbledon qualifying all the way to the quarterfinals of the main draw, where he won a set from eventual champion Djokovic. Two majors later, Tomic thrilled his home fans by reaching the second week of the Australian Open with electrifying five-set victories over Verdasco and Dolgopolov.
Not entirely concealed by those achievements, however, were the shortcomings in the games of both nascent stars. While Pavlyuchenkova grappled with a serve that leaked too many double faults and untimely service breaks, Tomic struggled less with his body than with an undisciplined mind that too often drifted away from the task at hand. For most of 2012, they not only stagnated but regressed dramatically. The Russian struggled to string together consecutive victories and did not advance past the first week at any major, while she defeated top-30 opponents at only one tournament (Cincinnati). Meanwhile, Tomic combined on-court with off-court embarrassments that ranged from a visibly disinterested loss at the US Open to surly altercations with media and Davis Cup team members. A nation that values hard work and humility, Australia recoiled from the man whom they had prized so recently when he admitted his failures to commit full effort and sounded detached while doing so.
During those demoralizing seasons, then, Pavlyuchenkova and Tomic absorbed a series of bruising blows that might well have left their confidence in tatters. But this week they began 2013 with promising performances that hinted at a revival.
On opposite sides of the Australian continent, the two faltering phenoms delivered victories over players who would have dismissed them with ease last year. At the Premier tournament in Brisbane, Pavlyuchenkova recorded consecutive victories over top-eight opponents for the first time in her career, thus improving even upon her success in 2011. Neither Kvitova nor Kerber played convincing tennis for long stretches in those matches, to be sure, but journeywomen of the WTA had not needed to play even average tennis to unravel her during her slump. In those two straight-sets victories, a fitter and generally calmer Pavlyuchenkova found the courage to win crucial points late in sets. The serve that had betrayed her so relentlessly over the past year became an occasional weapon and only a rare liability. Rallying from a dismal first set in a semifinal against lucky loser Lesia Tsurenko, the Russian also showed the maturity to reverse the momentum of a match while shouldering the pressure of a heavy favorite. In view of the field’s overall quality, Brisbane marked arguably her most significant final to date.
Thousands of miles to the west in Perth, Tomic toppled three consecutive top-25 opponents at the Hopman Cup. The experience of playing before the fans whom he had alienated over the preceding months seemed to energize rather than weigh upon him. Crucial to his week was his first match against Tommy Haas, the author of a remarkable resurgence in 2012. Having let a one-set lead slip away, the Aussie quickly dropped the second set and fell behind by an early break in the third, at which point familiar chatter about “Tomic the Tank Engine” reverberated around Twitter. Many onlookers, including me, expected him to fade meekly and lose the set, perhaps by a double break. To the contrary, Tomic stayed within range until Haas served for the match, when edgy play from the German veteran allowed the youngster to sweep the last four games. Galvanized by this comeback, he then notched straight-sets victories over Italian grinder Andreas Seppi, who had compiled the best season of his career last year, and world #1 Djokovic. Granted, the Serb seemed a bit out of tune in that match, and exhibition tournaments rarely elicit A-list tennis from A-list names. As in the case of Pavlyuchenkova in Brisbane, however, Tomic deserved credit for capitalizing on an opportunity that would have eluded him last season. And the speed with which his compatriots embraced him again illustrated how easily he can reverse the tide of public opinion that had flowed against him.
A tennis season is a marathon, not a sprint, and one should beware of placing too much emphasis on a single strong week. All the same, plenty of draws would become more intriguing if Pavlyuchenkova and Tomic rediscovered the talents that deserted them in 2012, and they took important steps in that direction during the first week of 2013.
Bernard Tomic
The Rafael Nadal Saga continues; Andrea Petkovic's cruel twist of fate — The Friday Five
By Maud Watson
The Saga Continues
The 2013 tennis season got underway this week, but unfortunately for Nadal, his season didn’t start with it. Citing a stomach bug, the Spaniard pulled out of the Abu Dhabi exhibition event in late December and then shocked everyone when he named that same bug as his reason for not only withdrawing from Doha, but the Australian Open as well. His decision left even his most ardent fans scratching their heads and had others spinning conspiracy theories. Wild conspiracy theories aside, he does seem to be taking an exceptionally long time to recover from this stomach bug considering it had to have hit him at least a few days before Abu Dhabi for him to have not made the trip there. And while everyone understands Nadal’s need for caution and recognizes that a major isn’t the most ideal event for his return, making a comeback at the Australian Open might not have been such a bad thing. At best, he was always going be the fourth favorite to win it. The same won’t likely be true if he returns on the clay in February. With his track record on the dirt, fans will have high expectations for him irrespective of how long he has sat out of the game. Couple that with the natural pressure that comes from returning from an extended layoff, and it could be an even bigger ask for Nadal to deliver when he finally does return to competition. A potential poor return on the clay would also likely be more damaging to his mental game than an early loss on hard courts. So who knows how it will all shake out? The only thing for certain is that Nadal has managed to kick off 2013 with more questions than he ended with last season.
Cruel Twist of Fate
The player who arguably suffered the biggest disappointment in the opening week of the 2013 season was Andrea Petkovic. The affable German, who had more than her share of injury woes in 2012, was to play the Hopman Cup alongside her compatriot, the resurgent Tommy Haas. But in her opening match against young Aussie Ashleigh Barty, she suffered a knee injury that sadly left her in tears. She’s since had to pull out of the year’s first major with a rupture of the medial meniscus. She will be out another one to three months, depending on whether the rupture can be treated via a simple trimming or will need to once again be sewn. Hopefully it will be the speedier option. With a jovial disposition, hers is a personality from which the WTA could greatly benefit, and after all she went through last year, she’s due a good run of form in 2013.
Tick-Tock
It seems officials aren’t wasting any time in implementing the ATP’s new measures to better enforce the 25-second rule between points. They’ve handed out more than a few warnings and violations this week, and with the mini-meltdowns of Monfils and F. Lopez, it’s apparent that it’s going to take some adjustments from the players. Wrinkles like determining when the umpire should start the clock, show some leeway with the rule, and what constitutes a player being ready to serve all need to be ironed out, but the actions of officials this week do provide hope that this will properly up the tempo of the sport. It was particularly rewarding to see one official give Lopez a warning when he was triple set point down. After all, if the rules aren’t adhered to in the most crucial moments of a match, why have them in the first place? It remains to be seen if umpires will have the courage to apply the rules in equal measure against the megastars and on the bigger stages, but their actions this week certainly show promise.
Rumbles Down Under
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it thunder Down Under, but Bernard Tomic is making some noise in Perth. The young Aussie is paired with the even younger Ashleigh Barty in the Hopman Cup, and he’s delighted the home fans with a solid win over Tommy Haas and a very impressive victory over Novak Djokovic. Granted, there isn’t a lot on the line at the team competition. It’s a fun time that allows the competitors the opportunity to get a few matches under their belts before the Australian Open, so no one, including Tomic, is operating under the assumption that someone like Djokovic was giving the same kind of effort he will in Melbourne. But the Serb, and Haas for that matter, didn’t tank their matches against Tomic either. Based on his comments, the Aussie is also taking confidence from the victories and interpreting them as his hard work paying off. But the most crucial point of all is, that for a guy who generated a lot of negative press at the end of 2012, these were the kind of positive headlines he needed to boost his image. In short, Tomic couldn’t have asked for a better start to his 2013.
Don’t Kneed This
American tennis hopes took a hit earlier this week when John Isner was forced to pull out of the Hopman Cup with a right knee injury. It capped off a forgettable week for the American, who lost both of his singles matches to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson and France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga respectively. Isner remained upbeat about his situation however, stating that even though he was unsure if he was suffering from tendinitis or something more serious, he’s always experienced speedy recoveries and plans on being ready to go for the Australian Open. Hopefully the towering American’s self-assessment is correct. Between the majority of the points he has to defend coming at the front of the season and a string of lackluster results dating back to the second half of 2012, Isner is in dire need of a strong showing in Melbourne.
Surprises, Upsets and the Hot Australian Summer of Tennis
By Jesse Pentecost
The Australian Summer of tennis is under way, mainly in Perth and Brisbane, but also in those parts of the country unaccountably located in Doha, Shenzhen, Auckland and Chennai. We have now commenced the single month of the year when Australia strives mightily to convince the rest of the world that it is a tennis-mad nation, a month otherwise known as January.
Indeed, for a month Australia is mad for tennis. Last night there was a news feature about the guy painting lines on the Rod Laver Arena court-surface. In a couple of weeks Channel 7, the Australian Open’s official network, will relocate its entire base of operations to Melbourne Park, from which to broadcast its nightly news. Meanwhile, two-time defending Australian Open champion and world No.1 Novak Djokovic has finally arrived amidst general fanfare, fresh from triumph in Abu Dhabi. Amongst his unnumbered mainstream media commitments, there is some hope he’ll be permitted to play tennis.
Of course, Djokovic landed in Perth, and not Melbourne, but he’s well on the way. Paired with Ana Ivanovic, he’s contesting the Hopman Cup, which to the enduring outrage of the ATP and WTA maintains the highest profile of all the lead-up events. Within hours of arriving, and on virtually no sleep, Djokovic saw off Andreas Seppi. By his own admission he took a while to hit his stride, but thereafter demonstrated that it is possible to be at once the overwhelming favourite and the sleeper in the draw.
Interviewed on court immediately afterwards the question was put to Djokovic that having just flown in from the Middle East, he was therefore well-qualified to say which city was hotter, Abu Dhabi or Perth? It was akin to the cringe-worthy old practice whereby visiting movie stars were breathlessly asked for their thoughts on Australia even as they exited the plane, but before their feet had found the tarmac. Djokovic, by now an old-hand at reading the subtext, remained sufficiently awake to provide the desired answer. ‘Perth’ he replied, after only a slight hesitation. The crowd duly cheered: damn right we’re hotter.
In any case, Djokovic was probably right. Perth is suffering through a heatwave that can be readily termed biblical, insofar as it is only justifiable as divine retribution. Most days have seen the temperature exceed 40C (104F for those countries – the Cayman Islands, the United States – that have retained Fahrenheit). Happily, New Year’s Day has brought blessed relief. Today it is merely 34C (93.2F). The Hopman Cup is intended to provide useful acclimatisation for Melbourne, but so far it has usefully prepared its attendees for a manned mission to Venus.
It helps that its new venue – the evocatively named Perth Arena – is a truly leading-edge facility. Its designers had the foresight to install individual air conditioning units under every seat. Spectators are thus afforded the rare treat of watching professional athletes expire from sunstroke even as their own buttocks remain blissfully climate-controlled. Truly we live in an age of wonders.
The Perth Arena’s other defining characteristic is blue. It is probably the bluest venue I have ever seen. Indeed, great swatches of retina-searing cobalt more or less define the entire Australian tennis summer, to a degree that must make even Ion Tiriac weep with envy. Tiriac’s contention, amply borne out in Madrid, was that blue courts make for greater visibility. It’s a hard contention with which to argue. The ball in Perth is clearly visible from Melbourne. The venue itself is clearly visible from space.
Meanwhile the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane looks, from low geosynchronous orbit, like nothing so much as an extravagant arrangement of swimming pools, although the main Pat Rafter Arena rather ruins the effect with its bone-white roof. Nevertheless, beneath that roof Sam Stosur has already initiated another defining characteristic of the Australian summer, which is for her to suffer home-soil losses that would be more shocking if only they were less common. She fell to Sofia Arvidsson in straight sets. It says a lot that the same domestic media that is busily canonising Bernard Tomic for beating Tommy Haas didn’t even bother to act surprised. Meanwhile the first-round loss for Marinko Matosevic, the nation’s top-ranked male, generated barely even a ripple.
Australians expect their elite athletes to be world-beaters, but in Stosur’s case they no longer expect her to do it in the part of the world she lives in. She already proved she can do it in New York, and the same impulse that compels Australian reporters to demand validation from foreign visitors before they clear customs, elevates triumph overseas above triumph at home. If Lleyton Hewitt had won the Australian Open in 2005 it would have meant the world, but it would have done so because he’d previously claimed Wimbledon and the US Open. By not winning he wasn’t the least diminished in his compatriot’s eyes (for all that he himself was bitterly disappointed). He’d already proved himself to be ‘world-class’; it’s a tired phrase, but in Australia there is no higher accolade.
Hewitt, incidentally, will open his season later today in Brisbane against Radek Stepanek, whose Davis Cup triumph may or may not do for him what it did for Djokovic in 2011. Time will tell. The only guarantee is that, win or lose, the prevailing opinion of Hewitt won’t change, just as it hasn’t changed for Stosur.
For Tomic, on the other hand, there’s still a great deal to prove, and, Wimbledon aside, the Australian tennis-mad summer is time in which he is obliged to prove it. He proved it the other night against Haas, twice recovering from desperate situations. Tomorrow night he’ll get to prove it in the azure immensity of Perth Arena against Djokovic, who by then may have shaken off the vestiges of jet-lag and the Hopman Cup ball. It’s a perfect match for the Australian, assuming he gives his all. There’s no shame in losing, but if he wins, he’ll be anointed as world-class.
Bites from the Big Apple.The U.S. Open…so far.
By James A. Crabtree
So yes, it is still in the very early stages.
But am I just imagining this or has there been an absurd amount of five set matches, thirteen at last count. Absolute proof the game is decided not only by the power of a serve but as much by a will of nerve.
Milos Raonic was made to work and work against Santiago Giraldo, but his big serve came in handy. Janko Tipsarevic scraped through as did fellow seed Marin Cilic who next faces Daniel Brands another five set survivor.
Surely these guys, after such a gruelling day at work deserve an immunity pin or something.
But reality TV this is not. You lose and you go home. No chance of a recall here just because you are a fan favourite.
Speaking of recalls how long has Radek Stepanek been around? Surely he remembers the better movie Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger over the latest disappointment with Colin Farrel. Anyway poor old Radek lost a tough four setter, dressed in a shirt paying homage to the statue of liberty, finding no such liberty from 11th seed Nicolas Almagro. Gilles Simon was more successful in his tough four setter against another old guy, thirty four year old Michael Russell.
Remember back in the eighties when they said to be a great tennis player you had to be dominating the tour before you needed to shave or were legally allowed to drive. How and why has it changed so much? Are we going to see players play to a Ken Rosewall and Pancho Gonzalez vintage? Will we ever see the likes of a teenage Boris Becker or Michael Chang again? Or is it simply because the older guys employ an improved diet and fitness regime whilst the younger guys play on their iPads and update their FaceBook status. It’s complicated.
Interestingly the only teenie within the top 100 currently is Bernard Tomic. Now correct me if I am wrong but Bernard is most certainly an old school name and the young Australian does play quite a flat forehand and uses the almost antiquated slice backhand to a devastating effect. Maybe that is the secret, be young but play old. This is getting confusing. Anyway he is playing the old Andy Roddick next.
Now, speaking of confusing Andy Murray did escape losing a set in his match to Alex Bogomolov Jr and Ivan Dodig. However, as has become quite normal for the Scot we had to witness his usual facial pains of distress and sudden hamstring grasps. If it were not for the score line you could have sworn he was down and out, not safely into the next round. Typical whinging Brit 😉
And a bit more whining. I am so disappointed in Grigor Dimitrov. If your style emulates Roger Federer we want the same results as Roger Federer. Is that really too much to ask ? Oh yes, Marcos Baghadatis is playing Alexandr Dolgopolov in his next- that should be a good one. Remember when Baghadatis made the 2006 Australian Open final. Feels like more than half a decade ago. Actually it was.
Ok, enough of all that. Bring on the next round.
Sam Stosur slams through to fourth round of Roland Garros without dropping a set
By Melinda Samson, Special for Tennis Grandstand
Given that 27th seed Nadia Petrova holds a 5-2 winning record over 6th seed Sam Stosur, and both players have reached the semi finals or further at Roland Garros in past years, their third round match had potential to be tough, long and tense.
But that was not to be. They have never played on clay before and Stosur was in control from the start, seeming determined that this wouldn’t be a repeat of their three hour and 16 minute record-breaking match at last year’s US Open.
Stosur broke Petrova’s first and second service games for a fast 4-0 lead. Petrova broke back in the next game but Stosur was able to hold one break and serve out the set at 6-3.
In the second set, Petrova double faulted away her second service game, to give Stosur a break which she held, despite Petrova having three opportunities to get the break back. Stosur then clinched the match on Petrova’s serve, winning the second set 6-3 to impressively take victory in 1 hour and 8 minutes.
Stosur, looking strong and confident, has now improved on last year’s third round exit from Roland Garros, and will play Sloane Stephens in the fourth round.
Stosur is the only remaining Australian player in the singles draw, after Bernard Tomic and Jarmila Gajdosova lost their second round matches in straight sets, Tomic to Giraldo Santiago and Gajdosova to Caroline Wozniacki.
Follow Tennis Grandstand for updates on all the Australian players’ progress throughout the main draw of the French Open.
Melinda Samson is attending Roland Garros and will be writing updates on Australian players through their trek of the tennis world’s second slam. She also manages the website Grand Slam Gal and is attempting to do the fan version of a tennis grand slam in 2012. Follow her on Twitter for further live updates @GrandSlamGal.
Stosur powers past Falconi into the third round of Roland Garros
By Melinda Samson, Special for Tennis Grandstand
Number six seed Sam Stosur powered past Irina Falconi in straight sets to set up a third round match against Nadia Petrova.
Stosur broke Falconi’s first and second service games to comfortably win the first set 6-1 in 25 minutes. During the second set, both players held serve until Stosur broke in the fifth game, a break that she held to win the set 6-4 in 38 minutes. Although she double faulted on the first match point, and Falconi was able to get a few break point opportunities during the match, Stosur looked powerful and in control.
Update on Aussie action from Round 1: Tomic and Gajdosova through to 2nd Round
It was perfect weather for tennis on the opening Sunday of Roland Garros as Stosur kicked off the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier, serving up a strong performance to beat British No.1 Elena Baltacha 6-4, 6-0.
After taking only an hour to complete the match, Stosur left the court smiling and looking relaxed.
Stosur and her supporters will be hoping the stunning weather continues, which it has so far.
“If it’s not sunny, it plays dead. If it’s sunny, it’s great for Sam,” commented Stosur’s coach David Taylor.
Casey Dellacqua won the first set against 21st seed Italian Sara Errani before losing in three sets. Likewise Anastasia Rodinova lost to French player Mathilde Johannson in a tough three set match.
Despite his will to win and the support of the crowd, Lleyton Hewitt lost in four sets to Slovenian qualifier Blaz Kavcic. Hewitt plays next on grass as a wildcard recipient at Queens.
Matthew Ebden lost his first ever match at Roland Garros in four sets, to German 24th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.
After the match Ebden took a positive approach on his Facebook page:
“Played a good match today and improved lots of things but couldnt quite get there Phillip served and played very well. Quite disappointed of course but excited with all the improvements I have to make.”
Bernard Tomic had more success, achieving his first ever win at Roland Garros by defeating Austrian qualifier Andreas Haider-Maurer in three sets. Tomic plays Santiago Giraldo in the 2nd round.
Although wild card recipient Ashleigh Barty was beaten by Wimbldeon champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets in less than an hour, the sixteen year old gained a lot from the experience, tweeting:
“Tough day yesterday. Was a great experience to play Petra on such a big occasion! I’ve learnt a lot and can’t wait to play again next here (hopefully :)”
Jarmila Gajdosova progressed through the draw after Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova retired in the second set due to a spine injury. Gajdosova plays number nine seed Caroline Wozniaki in the 3rd round.
Follow Tennis Grandstand for updates on all the Australian players’ progress throughout the main draw of the French Open.
Melinda Samson is attending Roland Garros and will be writing updates on Australian players through their trek of the tennis world’s second slam. She also manages the website Grand Slam Gal and is attempting to do the fan version of a tennis grand slam in 2012. Follow her on Twitter for further live updates @GrandSlamGal.
The Aussie lineup for Roland Garros
By Melinda Samson, Special for Tennis Grandstand
With three men and five women hailing from Australia in the main draw of the 2012 French Open, here’s a full recap of their form from Roland Garros in 2011 and the Australian Open in January.
Sam Stosur
Having made it to the French Open final in 2010, Sam will be aiming to better last year’s third round loss. Coming in to the Australian Open in January off her US Open victory, Sam made an early exit in the first round.
Stosur plays Baltacha in the first round and potentially faces in Petrova in the third round.
Read more about Sam’s highs and lows since the USO.
Lleyton Hewitt
Having recovered from his February foot surgery former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt received a wildcard entry into the French Open, which he missed in 2011 due to injury.
Hewitt made it through to round 4 of the Australian Open, eventually losing to Djokovic, who he potentially faces in Round 2 at Roland Garros.
Hewitt plays Kavcic in round 1.
Bernard Tomic
Tomic has played at Roland Garros twice, losing in the first round both times.
He showed great form at the Australian Open, beating Verdasco in an epic first round five set match and following up the win by beating Sam Querry and Alexandr Dolgopolov before losing to Roger Federer in the fourth round.
Tomic plays Haider-Maurer in round 1.
Jarmila Gajdosova
This will be Gajdosova’s seventh appearance at Roland Garros. Her best result was making it through to the fourth round in 2010. Gajdosova lost in the first round of this year’s Australian Open.
Gajdosova plays Rybarikova in round 1.
Casey Dellacqua
Dellacqua is well loved since her run to the fourth round of the 2008 Australian Open, beating Patty Schnyder and Amelie Mauresmo along the way. This January she lost in the second round to eventual champion Victoria Azarenka.
2012 will be Dellacqua’s fourth appearance at Roland Garros, where she lost in the first round last year.
Dellacqua plays Errani in round 1.
Anastasia Rodionova
2012 is the sixth time that Rodionova will play at Roland Garros, having made it to the third round in 2010 and 2011. She lost in the first round of this year’s Australian Open.
Rodionova plays Johannson in round 1.
Ashleigh Barty
Wimbledon junior champion Barty received a wildcard entry into the Roland Garros main draw, to follow up her first grand slam appearance at the Australian Open in January, when she lost in the first round.
Barty faces a tough first round match against Kvitova.
Matt Edben
This is the first time Edben has played at Roland Garros.
During the Australian Open he won two sets off Kei Nishikori before eventually losing the second round match in five sets.
Ebden plays Kohlschreiber in round 1.
Several Australians played in the qualifying rounds, including Marinko Matosevic and Greg Jones but none were successful in making it through to the main draw.
Follow Tennis Grandstand for updates on all the Australian players’ progress throughout the main draw of the French Open.
Melinda Samson is attending Roland Garros and will be writing updates on Australian players through their trek of the tennis world’s second slam. She also manages the website Grand Slam Gal and is attempting to do the fan version of a tennis grand slam in 2012. Follow her on Twitter for further live updates @GrandSlamGal.
Comebacks, Smiles and Wins: Tuesday at the Sony Ericsson Open
Day one of any tennis tournament can be overwhelming. But multiply that by 3 and add two 128-player draw for both the WTA and ATP and you have yourself a full-blown tennis party at this year’s Sony Ericsson Open held in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Although the women’s first round just began today and the men’s will begin tomorrow, there was still plenty of tennis around the grounds for fans to enjoy. From matches, to intense player practices, to fun off-court promotions, there was something in store for every age. The temperature was steady and warm, but the sun made it feel balmier than the 80 degrees that it registered.
Walking the grounds during the first couple of days of a tournament as large as this, you may be surprised to find the atmosphere calm, but therein lies the beauty. In order to see the elite practice, it’s best to come at the very beginning when there aren’t as many restrictions around the site and you have easy access to players.
Having never been to Crandon Park before while the Sony Ericsson Open was in session, the nature and palm trees nearly persuaded me into a vacation attitude. But I had work to do. I entered the media center and situated myself with my laptop, camera, chargers, schedule and personal flatscreen tv — all just steps away from stadium court. As I looked out over the stadium, top Serb Novak Djokovic was basking in the mid-day sun as he practiced against Xavier Malisse. Djokovic’s morning session took a more serious tone while his afternoon session near dusk was more light-hearted in order to please the fans that had converged to watch – which were numerous!
Also spotted were Maria Sharapova working on baseline shots extensively, and countless shirtless men sweating and playing to their hearts’ content on the practice courts. Needless to say, there were also many matches in progress, but the interest by fans was spread evenly between the practice sessions and the matches.
Highlights of the day
Venus Williams: In what turned out to be an emotional day on the WTA tour with the return of both Venus and Alisa (below), the former is back on court and practicing! Need I say more? Well, yes, actually. As wonderful and courageous as she has been, her Sjogren’s is something she will need to manage for the rest of her life. As good as she looks, she was visibly frustrated during her practice session, consistently hitting balls at wrong angles and sending them flying into neighboring courts. One thing is for sure though: she knows when to be fierce on court and when to smile once the work is done.
Alisa Kleybanova: In what has become the story of the day, Kleybanova came back after 10 months of being off the tour due to treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and basically rocked the tennis world off its axis. If you want to talk about a fighter and a strong woman, just use her as the example. She fought off world #64 Johanna Larsson in three mighty sets and afterward couldn’t stop smiling and hugging friends and coaches, and chatting up fans. If you ever needed a feel-good story in tennis, there you have it.
Milos Raonic and Jurgen Melzer: The Canadian in person looks even larger than his 6’5” frame would have you believe. The towering “Missile” is mostly legs though, as his normal-sized Lacoste shorts constantly ride up on his long legs. His left knee though is still alarmingly taped up. This is the same knee that was feared to be a serious injury which forced him to pull out of the Davis Cup. However, I hope the tape job is just precautionary. Melzer, on the other hand, looked great and invoked the same strategy in the practice set as he had used to beat Raonic in Memphis: pull Raonic to the net wide as quickly as possible and pass him into the open court with Raonic on the wrong foot to recover. Worked like a charm.
Bernard Tomic: Where do I begin? Here we have a 19-year-old boy who gets speeding tickets yet has no problem being the only player of a group to stop, bend over to a young fan and sign autographs. One who is constantly bombarded by the media as having a rude or offensive demeanor, yet none of this was seen today. Instead, the focus of why Tomic might be viewed the way he is should fall on his father John (Ivica) who is originally from Croatia. Having myself been born there, I’ve stayed fluent with the language and so had the privilege of watching Tomic’s afternoon practice session on a side court and actually understanding what was being said. And boy, did it not disappoint. John hounded his son nearly the entire time from the chair on court – yelling, pointing, talking, or simply swearing in Croatian at his son’s inabilities. It was quite honestly disturbing and somewhat saddening. Tomic is one of the brightest youngsters on the tour, but to see the background he comes from makes me question how far he will really go before he cracks emotionally. Take away: get yourself a non-relative coach, Bernard.
Sloane Stephens: The young American continues to prove her place in the upper echelons of tennis as today she defeated former top-30 player Sania Mirza in two easy sets, 6-2, 6-4. At the conclusion of the match, fans busted out in a fun rendition of “Happy Birthday!” in honor of Stephens turning nineteen today. She instantly got shy and covered her immensely smiling face. A few minutes later she joked, “Why didn’t you bring me any gifts?!” Touche, Stephens.
Practice Courts C & D: Another personal highlight of mine was these two practice courts. To me, there was no better tennis for your buck than watching the practice sessions that took place there. At any one time, four ATP players and two WTA players would take the court and hit at the same time. Whether it was Marcos Baghdatis and Ivo Karlovic on the same side or Ryan Harrison and Viktor Troicki during another hour, these courts were not short on talent – or laughs! Don’t believe me? Check out the great candid shots of Baghdatis below!
Shirtless Men: Last, but definitely not least, the hot weather tends to bring out shirtless male players. Namely, Janko Tipsarevic, Gilles Simon and Philipp Kohlschreiber. I can’t complain.
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ATP Tidbits: Nadal's Anti-Doping, Djokovic Waxing and Winning, and Davis Cup Outtakes
Rafael Nadal’s drug tests, Novak Djokovic “waxing” and winning, and Davis Cup outtakes are some of the happenings this week on the ATP Tour. We’ll take a look at the history of Nadal’s doping tests, introduce you to Djokovic 2.0 and his beautiful girlfriend Jelena Ristic, as well as inspect some memorable Davis Cup moments featuring Roger Federer, Mardy Fish, Tommy Haas, and Bernard Tomic among others.
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Just days after a French TV show aired a Rafael Nadal skit that was meant to be a joke, insinuating that Nadal takes performance-enhancing drugs, Nadal tweeted about a surprise anti-doping test he had on Saturday morning stating that “it’s expected after everything … but I’m happy it’s like this!”
To those not familiar with the Tennis Anti-Doping Program, any professional tennis player can get tested and “must submit upon request to testing … at any time or place.” This means testing can be done during or outside of a tournament, while on vacation, or in the early-morning hours, and a player must report their whereabouts, or risk being banned from playing professional tennis. All cases are “surprise” cases to ensure honest results and players may be tested anywhere from several times per tournament to a couple of times per year. Typically, higher-ranked players are targeted but any player could be tested.
In 2009, 1972 in-competition tests (urine, blood, and EPO) and 154 out-of-competition tests were performed by the anti-doping agency — only a slight increase from the 2069 total tests done the year before. Nadal, in particular, was tested 10 times in 2009 and twice at Roland Garros, while only playing 18 total events. In 2008, he was tested 8 times during tournament play and twice more out-of-competition. In 2007, he was tested only 5 times while in 2006 he was tested 10 times. We can argue that doping is quickly becoming more prevalent among athletes as the technology needed to accurately identify a positive result is falling behind. But to insinuate that an athlete that has passed the roughly 75 or so drug tests given to him in the past decade, is just plain ludicrous and irresponsible.
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Just five days after winning his third Australian Open, Novak Djokovic was awarded the “Laureus World Sportsman of the Year” beating out the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Usain Bolt, and Lionel Messi among others. He attended the Laureus Welcome Party and the awards ceremony in London with long-time Serbian girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, in hand. If you know nothing about his beautifully genuine girlfriend, then just enjoy her British accent in the video below. I dare you not to fall in love with tennis’ cutest couple.
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And speaking of the devilishy-charming Djokovic, after attending a boxing match in Jagodina, Serbia, he unveiled a “larger than life” wax sculpture of himself in the town’s museum. He was greeted by some 6,000 fans and was happy to oblige for photos. Even though the wax statue is wearing Djokovic’s Sergio Tacchini ensemble and holding a tennis racquet used by the man himself, I wonder how much he paid the sculptor to give him an extra few inches … and a bigger head.
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In lighter news, the Davis Cup is in full swing this weekend and it has already brought in some memorable photos.
“Alexia, this is my friend Roger. He has two girls your age, Myla and Charlene. Make sure to befriend both of them and become a better champion in tennis than your daddy. Now, can you say ‘Myla’ and ‘Charlene?'”
Not sure if this sign is a compliment for Bernard Tomic, but you can’t say the Australians don’t go all-out in support of their players — even if they do liken them to drooling dogs.
Tommy Haas and his German compatriots just lost the Davis Cup to Argentina, 0-3, but all Haas cares about is if his hair looks good. Yes. Yes, it does, Tommy. I whole-heartedly approve.
I’m not sure what is so funny to Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan, but I would be laughing too if I had just beaten the reigning Olympic champion Roger Federer on clay. The American men surprised the entire tennis world as they dominated the Swiss in Davis Cup action handily winning 3-0, with John Isner defeating Federer on Saturday in singles.
When are height differences not funny? The answer: never. Ivo Karlovic at 6’10” towers over Kei Nishikori who is just 5’10”. Croatia currently leads Japan 2-1 and the winner will be decided on Sunday in singles’ play.
Azarenka to Meet Sharapova; Serena's Wake-Up Call – The Friday Five
by Maud Watson
High Stakes
Have your ear plugs handy, folks, because this year’s Australian Open women’s final is going to be a loud one as Azarenka takes on Sharapova. While the noise level of this match is going to be a turn off for many fans, we have to give credit where credit is due. Sharapova dug deep when it counted, weathering the barrage of Kvitova’s strokes to allow her Czech opponent to self-destruct. It was evident that Sharapova’s greater experience in major semifinals paid off, and it’s been an excellent effort by her to reach the final. The more impressive performance, however, has to be that of Azarenka. She’s grown in leaps and bounds, managing her emotions even when her game and nerve nearly failed her. She overcame the reigning champion and heavy crowd favorite in Kim Clijsters to reach her first major final, and it may just prove another crucial piece in her maturity as a player that will allow her to give Sharapova a good fight come Saturday. Much more than just a major title will be on the table for both women. For Azarenka, it represents a chance to break through at a slam. For Sharapova, it would be her first major since shoulder surgery, making it a title she probably wants and would appreciate more than her previous three. And of course, whoever wins in Melbourne will be the new No. 1 come Monday. Sit back, because this could be interesting.
Tall Task
At the time of writing, we know of one men’s finalist, and not surprisingly, it’s Rafael Nadal. Despite his comments to the contrary, it’s doubtful many were surprised when he emerged victorious over his Swiss rival. Coming off a tough four-setter against Berdych, the Spaniard looked no worse for wear as he scampered around the court making incredible get after incredible get. Falling completely apart after blowing an early break in the second, Federer did well just to right the ship near the start of the third to avoid getting completely steamrolled as Nadal’s relentless defense coupled with brilliant offense took its toll. Eventually it proved too much for the Swiss No. 1 as Nadal pressed him into making one too many unforced errors to lose the match in four. When it was all said and done, two things were very evident. First being that injuries or not, Nadal appears to be playing and moving just fine and is going to be difficult to beat for the foreseeable future. Second, while this was one of the better matches Federer has played against Nadal on a Grand Slam stage, he’s either going to need a great psychiatrist or get someone else to knock Nadal out of his path if he wants to win another major. The belief just doesn’t seem to be there.
Wake-Up Call
Serena Williams was given a loud wake-up call when she was bounced out of the Australian Open by the unheralded Ekaterina Makarova. Give Makarova credit. She played a great match not only in her consistency, but also in her ability to hit down the line and short cross court angles. But it was also evident that Serena still needs to get in better shape, even allowing for her injury. She also needs to develop a Game Plan B for when A isn’t working. But perhaps most importantly, she can no longer bank on her reputation for freebies. In her prime, against most players, there was this feeling that no matter what the score, what the tournament, Serena would find a way to win. She knew it. Her opponent knew it. The fans knew it. But those days are long over. It takes work to maintain that kind of an aura, so she’d better ditch the attitude of “I’m not that desperate to have to play Acapulco,” or “I considered Indian Wells for like, a nanosecond” (her hiatus from Indian Wells is a topic for another time). Jon Wertheim, among others, phrased it perfectly when he stated that she can no longer afford to treat tennis as a part-time gig. She must sort out her priorities, and if tennis isn’t one of them, that’s fine. But if that’s the case, Serena can retire to save herself from further embarrassment and quit wasting everyone’s time, because we’ve reached a stage where Serena needs tennis more than tennis needs her.
Hogwash
That’s the word that comes to mind when reading the latest on the WTA investigation into the whole “grunting” issue. One of the biggest obstacles to overcoming this problem is mislabeling it. Grunting is not the issue. Shrieking is. It’s higher pitched, a bigger distraction, and a bigger annoyance. Then there’s the WTA’s faulty approach to the problem. They want to focus on fixing it at the junior level so as not to “adversely” affect those other players who have already developed their game under the current system. First, that hindrance rule has been around a long time, just that everybody is afraid to enforce it. And instead of worrying about adversely affecting the established shriekers, how about the WTA worry about those established quieter players? Don’t they deserve to play a match without negatively being affected by the loud screeching? So it’s time to cut the bull that shrieking is a natural part of these players’ games. They don’t do it in practice, and they don’t even do it consistently from match to match. If you need proof, just watch (or rather listen) to the difference in Sharapova’s decibel level in her tight tussle with Lisicki vs. her trouncing of Makarova. Start hitting these players where it hurts by assessing fines or point penalties for crossing a set decibel threshold. And if they can’t maximize their talents without the use of this tool that essentially amounts to cheating, then they don’t really deserve to be at the top to begin with.
Precarious Moments
In one of the more bizarre breaking news stories, Bernard Tomic was once again in trouble with the police. The young Australian resisted being pulled over, which resulted in the police showing up at his house. The nature of the two traffic tickets he was given is unknown, and Tomic has previously cited being unjustly persecuted by the police. Still, this doesn’t look good. He’s already had some colorful moments in his past, but recently it appeared that he was starting to get a good head on his shoulders and move in the right direction. Hopefully this is just going to turn out to be one more minor blip in his past instead of the start of a downward spiral. With all of his talent, it would be such a waste.