Milos Raonic Wins First Title In San Jose

by Craig Hickman


AP

An historic moment. Milos Raonic becomes the first Canadian man to win an ATP title with his 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) upset defeat of defending champion Fernando Verdasco at the SAP Open since Greg Rusedski won Seoul in 1995. And he did it in his first final

“It’s been amazing," the 20-year-old, who rises to No. 59 in the rankings today, said after the match. “I came here and had probably my best week. I can’t stop smiling. I’m happy about it and I hope I can keep it going more than six weeks into the full year schedule and see where I am at the end of the year.”

The match was mostly a serve-fest. The rallies that ensued were split pretty evenly by both players. But the turning point of the all-tiebreak affair came when Verdasco led 6-2 in the first set breaker and found a way to lose the next 6 points and the set. I don't recall what happened on the first 3 set points, but at 6-5 and serving in the ad court, Verdasco chose not to hit his swinging serve that had been winning easy points for him all match, choosing to serve up the T instead. Raonic blocked back a timid return short and Verdasco's forehand landed 10 feet wide. When they switched ends at 6-6, you could sense defeat for Verdasco and victory for Raonic.

Still, I always expected the veteran to pull out the match in three sets. Surely, a first-time finalist playing on his 8th tour level event is going to find a way to lose his way and the defending champion would pounce. But that wasn't to be. Raonic kept his composure throughout, didn't let a thing distract him, and on his first match point, struck a service winner out wide to claim victory.

These two are drawn to meet in the first-round of Memphis this week. Imagine that.


AP

Raonic receives a bottle of Canadien maple syrup and a San Jose Sharks jersey after the match.

Best (Men's) Tennis Matches of 2010

Here are my picks for the "best" (or most memorable) tennis matches by men in 2010. These are basically the matches that had the most impact on me while they were occurring, feature some of the best play, had the most impact on the rest of the tennis world or are matches that I would most likely to watch again in the future. You can see my previous lists: Best Men's Tennis Matches of 2009 and Best Men's Tennis Matches of 2006. (There were no men's lists in 2007 or 2008.) I also have posted the Best Women's Tennis Matches of 2010.

1. J. Isner USA d. N. Mahut FRA, 6-4 3-6 6-7(7) 7-6(3) 70-68, Wimbledon 1st Round, London.

A match for the ages. A tennis match that transcends tennis, and possibly sport itself. Two relatively unheralded players played a match which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, by far the longest match ever. The final set itself is a marvel, shattering the record for the longest match--in terms of time (8 hours,11 minutes) and number of games (138) played. The list of records broken is a litany of exceptionalism which is unlikely ever to be matched. When the rest of the tennis of 2010 is long-forgotten Isner-Mahut will still be referred to. What was most remarkable that despite playing so long, there was still brilliant tennis for vast portions of the match. This was truly an example of the cliche where it is sad that in every game there has to be a winner.

2.  R. Nadal ESP d. A. Murray GBR, 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(6), ATP World Tour Finals semifinal, London.

The penultimate match of the 2010 season was one of the most exciting, well-played matches of the year. Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray had met three times before in 2010, with the Briton leading 2-1. However, this semifinal match at the Year-Ending Championships was being held before a British crowd which was considered to be a disadvantage for Murray. Many people do not like Murray's game, feeling that he plays too defensively given the talent, power and mobility he possesses (Gael Monfils suffers from similar complaints), but in this match Murray confounded his critics by being as aggressive as I have ever seen him play. The match was probably decided in the first set. There, both players  played well, with Murray serving exceedingly well but after his serve failed him in the tiebreaker Nadal was able to tuck the set away on his first and only set point. In the second set, things were pretty even until Nadal went through a very bad patch at 3-all and basically donated the second set to Murray. In the third set Nadal got an early break which he was able to nurse into a 5-3 lead. Murray was able to hold serve and when Nadal served for the match at 5-4 he was broken despite holding a match point. In the inevitable tiebreak Murray continued his aggressive play but was rewarded with errors instead of winners. He can take heart that he at least went down slugging away and if he can apply this mentality to future matchups with his higher ranked rivals the results may be different.

3.  N. Djokovic SRB d. R. Federer SUI, 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5, U.S. Open semifinal, New York.

The greatest Grand Slam match played this year was the second men's semifinal at Super Saturday at the U.S. Open in New York. For the fourth year in a row Roger Federer faced Novak Djokovic at the last major of the year, having beaten him the first three times in one final and two semifinals. This time, history seemed prepared to repeat itself when Federer earned double match point at 15-40, 4-5 in the final set. The number of times Federer had lost a grand slam match after holding a match point in his career can be counted on one hand (without using all of the fingers). However, the young Serb was able to be very aggressive on these match points and after getting past that near-death experience was able to use the mental momentum gained to immediately break Federer in the very next service game and serve out the win. The match featured long streaks of very high-quality tennis from both sides, with both players displaying impeccable defense and offense. After winning 5 U.S. Opens in a row, Federer has now lost in the last two to younger challengers. Is this a sign of things to come? Only time will tell.

4.  R. Federer SUI d. A. Murray GBR, 6-3 6-4 7-6(11), Australian Open final, Melbourne.

The highest quality grand slam final of the year featured yet another historic performance by Roger Federer as he was able to beat a player who has a career head-to-head edge against him in straight sets. Murray did not play badly, Federer was simply on fire for exactly the optimal time which allowed him to win each set. The third set in particular Federer should have lost but he was able to finally earn the break back and set up one of the classic tie-breaks of all time--a 24-point thriller that ended with Federer winning the match and his record 16th grand slam singles title.

5.  G. Monfils FRA d. R. Federer SUI, 7-6(7) 6-7(1) 7-6(4), Paris ATP Masters semifinal, Paris. 

Gael Monfils is a 6' 4", 180 pound Frenchman of African descent with size 15 feet who has long been predicted to do great things in tennis. He is one of the most dynamic players on tour and easily one of the fleetest of foot. He often responds well to a supportive crowd and has had some of his best results in front of Parisian crowds. Federer had never lost to Monfils and was probably not worried when he somehow lost the first set in a close tie-break. However, even Federer must have been surprised by the Frenchman's tenacity and will-to-win despite being down 4-1 in the 3rd set. Somehow, Monfils was able to save (count 'em) five match points at 4-5 through tremendous defense (his mighty serve basically deserted him on match points down so Monfils had to win those points the hard way). This was the fourth example of a match in 2010 where Federer had a match point and went on to lose the match (l. Djokovic US Open semifinals, l. Berdych Miami Masters 4th Round, l. Baghdatis Indian Wells 3rd Round, l. Monfils Paris Masters semifinals). Hopefully, Federer's new coach Paul Annacone will try to work on raising the level of his charge's aggression on big points (his often-atrocious break-point conversion rate should be another focus of improvement for the Swiss great) and we look forward to seeing the results in 2011. For Monfils, this was an amazing result which hopefully will spur him on to greater results next year and beyond.

6.  R. Nadal ESP d. N. Djokovic SRB, 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2, U.S. Open final, New York.

 After the fireworks of the men's semifinal between Federer and Djokovic, this final was something of an afterthought, especially since  for the third year in a row it was played on Monday instead of Sunday due to inclement weather (get a roof already, New York!). The tennis quality was reasonably high but Nadal secured his inevitable date with destiny by achieving the career grand slam at the tender age of 24 years old, just 15 months after his great rival had achieved the same feat in Paris. Nadal and Federer both have claims to be the greatest of all time, with Nadal at 9 majors to Federer's 16 but is 5 years younger (and further along at comparable ages). The GOAT question will not be decided until after both men have retired, but without doubt this match was a seminal moment in tennis history, one to be remembered for a long time as Nadal joined the small select group of career grand slam holders.

7.  R. Federer SUI d. R. Nadal ESP, 6-3 3-6 6-1, ATP World Tour Finals final, London.

 Any match between Federer and Nadal is a marquee event, but this contest, following the best match of the year between top players (Nadal-Murray semifinal) was the culmination of the season in which Nadal won 3 consecutive grand slam tournaments. With Nadal sporting a gaudy 14-7 career head-to-head record against Federer some people thought he would cement his dominance with a win here. They were incorrect, however, because on hard courts the two greats are more evenly matched, with a very slight edge to Federer. The actual tennis was high quality, but the sets were somewhat lopsided in score. Even small lapses can be converted into 6-3 sets and a large lapse results in a 6-1 blowout between these two rivals who know each other's games so well. In the end Federer was better on the day and postponed the discussion of which of the two men will be at the top of the heap in history's final estimation.

8.  R. Soderling SWE d. R. Federer SUI, 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-4, French Open quarterfinal, Paris.

One year after engineering the upset of the decade by handing 4-time defending champion Nadal his sole defeat (ever!) at Roland Garros, the tall, strong Robin Soderling repeated the effort by ending Federer's incredible streak of grand slam semifinals at 23 with a 4-set win over the defending champion. History was repeated again a few days later, when, after reaching the French Open final, Soderling lost in a surprisingly non-competitive fashion. However, this match, like last year's defeat of the defending champion will be long remembered by tennis fans. It should be noted that Federer hasn't forgotten either, and hasn't lost to the Swede since (but Nadal has).

9.  T. Berdych CZE d. R. Federer, 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-4, Wimbledon quarterfinal, London.

A few weeks after losing his hold on the #1 ranking and his famous semifinal streak, Federer had his dominance on grass ripped from his grasp as Tomas Berdych showed that his inaugural win over the Swiss player in Miami was not a fluke but a harbinger. The 6' 5", 200 pound Czech simply played a near-perfect match on Federer's home turf of Wimbledon's Centre Court, dismissing the defending champion in 4 crisp sets. Although Berdych was able to follow up his win with a victory over Novak Djokovic in the semifinal, he was unable to compete effectively against Nadal in the final, succumbing in straight sets to the Spaniard while I watched in the stands. Unsuccessfully defending his title in two consecutive grand slams, failing to reach the semifinals twice in a row must have been a dreadful blow to Federer, but he can seek solace in his quarterfinal streak, which now stands at 26 and counting.

10 F. Verdasco ESP d. D. Ferrer ESP, 5-7 6-7(8) 6-3 6-3 7-6(4), U.S. Open 4th Round, New York.

The only other match on this list besides the Isner-Mahut classic which does not feature a grand slam champion was this all-Spaniard showdown between two of the fittest (and best-looking) players on the men's tour in the 4th round of the 2010 US Open. It also happens to feature one of the most amazing match points in the history of Open tennis. It should be noted that this fifth-set tiebreak occurred after nearly 4 1/2 hours of grinding, extended-rally play, after Verdasco had already been down two(!) breaks in the deciding set and fought back to even the match. What happens on match point deserves no words, just your admiration:

Absolutely amazing!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

R. Soderling SWE d. T. Berdych CZE, 6-3 6-3 3-6 5-7 6-3, French Open semifinal, Paris.

A. Murray GBR d. R. Nadal ESP, 6-3 7-6(2) 3-0 ret., Australian Open quarterfinal, Melbourne.

R. Soderling SWE d. M. Llodra FRA, 6-7(0) 7-5 7-6(6), ATP Paris Masters semifinal, Paris.

A. Murray GBR d. R. Federer SUI, 7-5 7-5, Canadian ATP Masters final, Toronto, Canada.

A. Murray GBR d. R. Federer SUI, 6-3 6-2, Shanghai ATP Masters final, Shanghai, China.

R. Nadal ESP d. T. Berdych CZE, 6-3 7-5 6-4, Wimbledon final, London.

R. Federer SUI d. N. Djokovic SRB, 6-4 3-6 6-1, Swiss Indoors final, Basel, Switzerland.

R. Nadal ESP d. R. Soderling SWE, 6-3 7-5 6-4, French Open final, Paris.

R. Nadal ESP d. A. Murray, 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4, Wimbledon semifinal, London.

Y-H. Lu TPE d. A. Roddick USA, 4-6 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 9-7, Wimbledon 4th Round, London.

T. Berdych CZE d. R. Federer SUI, 6-4 6-7(3) 7-6(6), Miami ATP Masters 4th Round, Miami.

R. Federer SUI d. N. Djokovic SRB, 6-1 6-4, ATP World Tour Finals semifinal, London.

S. Wawrinka SUI d. A. Murray GBR, 6-7(3) 7-6(4) 6-3 6-3, U.S. Open 3rd Round, New York.

J. Melzer AUT d. N. Djokovic SRB, 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-2 7-6(3), French Open quarterfinal, New York.

J-M. Del Potro ARG d. J. Blake USA, 6-4 6-7(3) 5-7 6-3 10-8, Australian Open 2nd Round, Melbourne.

M. Cilic CRO d. J-M Del Potro ARG, 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-5 6-3, Australian Open 4th Round, Melbourne.

L. Hewitt AUS d. R. Federer SUI, 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4, Gerry Weber Open final, Halle, Germany.

J-W. Tsong

US OPEN 2010: Men's Semifinals Preview

By MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's semifinals at the US Open for 2010. I previously correctly predicted 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals.

Roger Federer SUI (2) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). For the fourth year in a row, Roger Federer must defeat Novak Djokovic to reach the final of the US Open. Three of their four meetings have been in the semifinals in New York, and it should not be forgotten that the Serb is the last person to beat the Swiss player at this stage in a grand slam, at the 2008 Australian Open. Federer leads their career head-to-head 10-5 (8-4 on hard courts) and should be expected to win again. However, it's unlikely to be easy. Although Djokovic has only ever won set against Federer in New York and lost 12, but almost every set has been very close including 3 tiebreak sets. Djokovic will probably not be affected by a partisan New York crowd rooting for his defeat and a mouth-watering Nadal-Federer final; he beat Roger in the final of his own tournament in his hometown of Basel last year. That win was indoors, and it is very likely that the conditions will become a factor on Saturday. So far, Federr has been the player to take the most advantage of the difficult conditions of anyone in the draw. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets or Djokovic in 5 sets.

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (25) Mikhail Youzhny RUS (12). Nadal has been playing some of his best tennis, ever, in New York, especially his serve which has now improved to the point where the Spaniard is regularly reaching 130 mph. He has now become the player least likely to have their service broken. Nadal did well to dismiss Fernando Verdasco in straight sets in the quarterfinals and has yet to lose a set in the tournament. Youzhny has a lost at least one set ni every round he has played here, except for a straight set first round victory. Surprisingly, Youzhny has quite a good record against Nadal, with 4 wins to 7 losses (4 to 3 on hard courts) and has a notable victory over Nadal at the U.S. Open, having beaten the then-20-year-old Spaniard in 4-sets in the 2006 Quarterfinals. However, neither player is the same player they were four years ago, with both having improved tremendously. Nadal is now the #1 player in the world and riding a 19 grand-slam match winning streak, while Youzhny is just out of the Top 10 at #14 in the world. The Russian played a grueling 5-set match to dispose of Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarters and has demonstrated that he is not intimidated by any opponent. The question does he have the game to prevent the most anticipated match in tennis history? Doubtful.  PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets. 

US OPEN 2010: Men's Quarterfinals Preview

By MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at the US Open for 2010.

Roger Federer SUI (2) vs. Robin Soderling SWE (5). The showdown everyone has been waiting for since the draw was released is this repeat from the 2010 French Open quarterfinal where the Big Swede ended Federer's streak of 23 consecutive major semifinals on a cold, wet day in Paris. Soderling has become a legitimate Top 5 player, playing in the last two Roland Garros finals (losing both). Federer's recent disappointments at majors have all come at the hands of tall, muscular, mobile players like Soderling (French Open 2010) Berdych (Wimbledon 2010) and Juan Martin del Potro (US Open 2009). It is supremely possible that this could be another addition to that string. But, I doubt it. Federer has something to prove, and like most great players hates to lose to any player twice in a row. For Federer to win he will need to play better than he did against Jurgen Melzer in the 4th Round, and he has to hope that his felicitous luck continues. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Gael Monfils FRA (17) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). The extremely gifted French player has never beaten the Serbian champion, but a lot of their matches have actually been pretty close. The annoying aspect of Monfils' game is that despite being (in Jim Courier's words) "the most gifted athlete tennis has ever produced," the 6'4" 176-pound speedster plays a defensive, counter-punching style of tennis. Monfils did well to dismiss his even more gifted French compatriot Richard Gasquet in straight sets in the fourth round (winning the last 5 games) to reach his first ever US Open quarterfinal. Djokovic has also played well, easily dismissing American Mardy Fish in straight sets.Unless New York City gets very hot and/or Monfils (does and) starts playing the way all his coaches have been begging him to play (lights out, aggressive tennis) Djokovic will be in his fourth consecutive US Open semifinal, where he would most likely face Roger Federer for the third consecutive year.  PREDICTION: Djokovic in 4 sets. 

Andy Murray GBR (4) Sam Querrey USA (20) Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (25) vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS (12). This is the dark horse spoiler quarter where Andy Murray went out early and loudly to the suddenly sharp other player from Switzerland. Wawrinka did very well to follow-up that big win with a strong-hearted outlasting of American Sam Querrey in 5-sets on a tough, windy day to win in just under 5 hours. Youzhny also dashed American hopes by taking out Marathon Man John Isner in the 3rd round. This will be the quiet quarter because no one expects the winner of this match to be able to win their next match and reach the 2010 US Open final. I agree, but Youzhny would be the player who could pose more questions for his future Spanish opponent. PREDICTION: Wawrinka in 3 sets or Youzhny in 4 or 5 sets.

Francisco Verdasco ESP (8) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (1). This is a repeat of the now-legendary 2009 Australian Open Men's Semifinal where Nadal beat Verdasco in a 5-hour, 14-minute 5-sets instant classic. It's doubtful that this repeat will be as amazing as that match (very few matches in any year are). I'm sure many people would be satisfied if this match is as exciting as Verdasco's last match, where he came back from 2-sets to love down against David Ferrer and won the 5th set despite being down a service break and then 1-4 in the tie-break--winning the last 6 points of the match! Nadal is playing the best tennis I have ever seen him play, and is clearly the best player in the tournament so far (he still has not dropped serve!) but he hasn't really been tested. He has clearly had the better half of the draw and potentially will be able to reach the final of a major by only facing one Top 10 player. Verdasco has never beaten Nadal in ten attempts, but if he plays like his life depends on it, just maybe he can turn that stat around. After all, before Soderling beat Federer in France, he had lost to the Swiss player 11-times in a row. Is Verdasco how one pronounces Soderling in Spanish? PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets.

Roland Garros 2010 Men's Quarterfinals

BY MadProfessah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2010.

Roger Federer SUI (1) vs. Robin Soderling SWE (5). This quarterfinal is a repeat of last year's final, which Federer won relatively easily in straight sets. Although Soderling has not beaten Federer in an official ATP Tour match in 12 tries, he did beat the World #1 at an exhibition earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and having beaten Rafael Nadal in what some people call the greatest upset ever, the tall, powerful Swede knows he has the game to end Federer's jawdropping streak of 23 consecutive major semifinals. In fact, this match is very important to Federer, not only due to the semifinals streak, but also because he needs to win it in order to be certain that he will break Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at #1 before Wimbledon. Federer has yet to drop a set in Paris this year, but I am sure that he will take the challenge posed by Soderling seriously, even though the 6'4", 195-pound ballcrusher has only ever won two tie-break sets against him. After all, it is very possible to never lose your serve and still lose the match! Some say that Federer is losing his edge now that he is a husband, father and broken the major singles title record. I disagree, even though the fact is that Federer has already lost 6 matches this year (to Nadal, Tomas Berdych, Ernests Gulbis, Marcos Baghdatis, Albert Montanes, and Nikolay Davydenko). Regardless, I think that there is an inexorable march towards another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Tomas Berdych CZE (15) vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS (11). Berdych has been playing really well this year, and made a huge mental breakthrough by finally ending his losing streak against Roger Federer earlier this year in Miami. He has been demolishing his way through the draw, not dropping a set despite playing good clay court players like John Isner and Andy Murray. Youzhny got lucky in the previous round since an injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire after losing the first set. Although head-to-head Youzhny leads Berdych 6-4 in career ATP matches, I believe the in-form Czech will take out the (un)lucky Russian. PREDICTION: Berdych in 4 sets.

Jurgen Melzer AUT (22) Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (3). Gabashvili blew Andy Roddick off the court in the 3rd round in straight sets, blasting forehands into the corners of the court and defly handing the American's deflated serve easily. However, he was unable to repeat this performance on the clay against the wily lefty veteran Melzer, who like Samantha Stosur on the women's side, had previously experienced success and fame on the doubles court and used that to build confidence on the singles court. Melzer was one of the few Top 30 players never to reach the fourth round of a major, and now he finds himself in a quarter playing Djokovic. The World #3 has had mental lapses in the second set in three of the four matches he has played at Roland Garros this year. If that happens again, perhaps Melzer can find a way to win the resulting best-of-3 match. All the pressure will be on the higher ranked player to reach a 3rd semifinal against Nadal, who took out the Serb in that round in 2007 and 2008. Roland Garros 2010 is looking like a replay of those years, with another Nadal-Federer final. PREDICTION:Djokovic in 4 sets.

Nicolas Almagro ESP (19) Fernando Verdasco ESP (7) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2). The Verdasco and Nadal played one of the best matches of the year (probably of the decade) in the semifinals of the 2009 Australian Open, a five-hour, thrilling slugfest that both competitors were ennobled simply by their participation, although of course there was only one winner (Nadal). Almagro dashed hopes for a reprise of that thrilling Melbourne showdown by taking out Verdasco in four sets. Although Almagro has never beaten Nadal on any surface in 6 attempts, he did start off the match very strong when they played the Madrid Masters semifinal. It i beyond belief that Almagro could maintain that level of play over 5 sets in Paris when he could not do it for 2 sets in Madrid. PREDICTION: Nadal in 4 sets.

Remembering How To Win II

Reuters

It was champion Rafael Nadal's turn to finally get a victory, any victory, I suppose, but to make history by winning his 6th consecutive Monte-Carlo title over his frustrating and frustrated compatriot to the loss of a single game must have felt awfully good.

Weeping into his towel before the trophy presentation, it must have been a huge relief, too. He has now tied Roger Federer with 16 shields and is likely to break Andre Agassi's record with a title in Rome and Madrid. That is, if he plays them both.

::

Meantime, Francesca Schiavone won her third career title at the Barcelona Ladies Open in a lopsided 6-1, 6-1 all-Italian final against Roberta Vinci.

And over on this side of the pond Sam Stosur crushed Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 6-3 to take the Family Circle Cup in Charleston.

Champions On Four Continents

Getty

Woke up too late to watch the Rotterdam final. Tried to watch the replay, even though I knew the result. Couldn't do it. I hate when finals end in retirement. Robin Söderling defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 2-0. Hamstring, I think.


Reuters

Elena Dementieva finally wins Paris Indoors. Lucie Safarova can't seem to get over the hump. Second time to the final, second time she takes the first set against a higher-ranked Russian opponent, second time she finishes runner-up. 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4.


AP

Lukasz Kubot was a bit overwhelmed and couldn't exactly get out of his own way. But Juan Carlos Fererro was otherworldly to take the Brasil Open title. He is a Roland Garros champion, after all. And when he's clicking on clay, it's some clicky classy stuff. Not to mention crushing. Yeah. I know. But I couldn't resist.

The Spaniard lost a single game. 6-1, 6-0. Crushing.

Happy belated 30th birthday, JC.


Reuters

Didn't see a point of the match. Wanted the homegirl to take the title, but I've no problem with Vera Zvonareva beating Tamarine Tanasugarn to win the Pattaya Open in Thailand.


AP

I said it before and mean it again: this title was Andy Roddick's to lose. He lost it. Check the stats. They each won 50% of the points, 95 of 190 to be exact. Roddick won slightly higher percentage of serve points and a slightly higher percentage of return points had a higher first-serve percentage, and saved a slightly higher percentage of break points against serve.

But stats don't always tell the tale especially when a match is so close.

Wanna know when Roddick lost the match?

Second set, third game 15-40 on serve. Had been facing down triple break point before saving one with aggressive tennis. At 15-40, though, Roddick constructed a point and blasted a forehand so hard, it pulled Verdasco so far to his forehand he had to stretch, open his racquet face, and lunge just to get his racquet on the ball. He did. It floated. Roddick, waiting, waiting, waiting, oh, so, patiently on the baseline for the floating ball to land, pushed it inside out crosscourt with his forehand. This time, Verdasco had no trouble planting his feet and stricking a forehand crosscourt that landed short enough for Roddick to angle a two fisted backhand right back to Verdasco who, waiting expectantly, struck a forehand down the line to break serve.

Game, set, match.

Really. Cuz after that, Roddick reminded Verdasco just how vulnerable he's been since Wimbledon 2009. And when you smell blood....

Roddick, down break points in the final two sets, played tentatively and lost. Verdasco, on the other hand, stepped up and crushed the ball when facing break points in the second set, faced no break points in the final set -- he was, after all, under no pressure, the smell of blood intensifying -- and won.

Or, to put it another way, Roddick broke serve twice in 9 games and won a set. Verdasco broke serve twice in 20 and won the match. 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Go figure.

And to think Roddick was a set away from giving the USA a clean sleep in San José, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey taking the doubles title earlier.

The broadcast director, whenever Brooklyn Decker Roddick was on the screen, kept asking the graphic designer to draw a heart around her head. You know. Valentine's Day. But the heart always looked like the cloud containing the dialogue above a comic strip character. In her heart, she seemed to say, "This is how I have to spend Valentine's Day? You better win, honey.... Yes!.... Wait.... You.... What?!!!.... Awwwwwwwwww.... crap.... Humph.... No nooky for you tonight, buddy."

The Spanish Armada carries on.

Best (Men's) Matches of 2009

Earlier this week I posted the list of the Best Women's Matches of 2009, here now are the best men's matches of 2009. Generally, there were far more memorable matches on the ATP tour than the WTA tour this year.

Here are the most memorable tennis matches by men in 2009:

1. R. Federer SUI d. A. Roddick USA, 5-7 7-6(8) 7-6(3) 3-6 16-14,Wimbledon Championships final, London.

Roger Federer must have been pleased to see Andy Roddick was the opponent he had to beat in order to win his 6th career Wimbledon title and record 15th major title--after all he had beaten him three times before at Wimbledon and had only lost to the American twice in twenty-one matches and never in a Grand Slam. However, this was a new and improved Andy Roddick, someone who could play 5 sets of tennis and only get his service broken once. Roddick played like someone who recognized this rare opportunity and played his very best. Unfortunately, it was not enough to win the match, though he did get very, very close. I'm sure that Roddick will have nightmares about the shanked volley in the second set tiebreak which would have given him set point. Instead, at the end of that 2nd set tiebreaker the match was all tied up and with Federer again winning the 3rd set in a tiebreak things looked bleak for the American. But, then, somehow, miraculously Roddick was able to break in the fourth set and serve out the set to even the match again. And the most amazing part of the match was about to begin: a 95-minute, 30 game deciding set. In the end, the entire match came down to a few points played over a few minutes, with Federer winning a mere 10 more points out of more than 400 points over nearly 5 hours. A classic tennis match for the ages, almost as venerable as the 2008 classic between Nadal and Federer from the year before.

2. R. Nadal ESP d. F. Verdasco ESP, 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(2) 6-7(1) 6-4, Australian Open semifinal, Melbourne.

Amazingly, the second most memorable match of 2009 is not one of the four Grand Slam finals. The showdown between two Spaniards in Australia under the stars and full moon was electric. During the match everyone who watched it knew it was an instant classic, one of those matches destined to be replayed and discussed for years. The match featured incredible athleticism and shotmaking from both players. The two talented lefties battled each other for more than five hours and ended up at practically a draw. After five sets, the stats say it all: Nadal 193 points, Verdasco 192. The 193rd point that Nadal won was due to a double fault by Verdasco on match point. Heartbreaking for both players that in these sporting contests of will and spirit there must be a loser and a winner, because sometimes that competition itself elevates all those who participate.

3. J. del Potro ARG d. R. Federer USA, 3-6 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2, U.S. Open final, New York City.

For the fourth time of the year, the seventh consecutive Grand Slam tournament in a row and a record 21st time in his career, Roger Federer was in a major final. However, this time he was facing a genetically gifted nightmare: a 6-foot 5-inch, 21-year-old Argentine who grew up dreaming of glory on hard courts; Juan Martín del Potro. Federer was already the universally regarded Greatest of all Time, a newly married man and father of twin baby girls who had won his record 15th major title a mere 8 weeks before while del Potro was someone Federer had never lost to in 6 matches. In fact, earlier in the year at the Australian Open del Potro won a mere 3 games in a 3-set match in a quarterfinal humiliation featuring two consecutive 6-0 bagel sets versus Federer. An indication of the rapid rate of his improvement through the year was that by May in Paris, del Potro was able to extend Federer to a 5-set thriller in the French Open semifinals. So, it was not surprising that del Potro was in his first major final in New York City. Federer started off well and del Potro did not, and quickly found himself down a set and a break. But then something happened and Federer faltered, allowing del Potro to sneak away with the second set in a tie-break. Federer again won the all-important middle set, but again del Potro was able to take the 4th set to a tiebreak. This was Federer's chance, but he blinked. He played a horrible tie-break and del Potro kept on hitting 135+ mph serves and 100+ mph forehand winners. The final deciding set was a letdown, with del Potro building up a huge lead and holding it to savor his first win over the World #1 and his first major title. The King was dead, long live the King.

4. R. Soderling SWE d. R. Nadal ESP, 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(2), Roland Garros 4th Round, Paris.

The upset of the decade? The biggest upset ever? Prior to this fourth round meeting between the agile, indomitable Spanish World #1 and the tall, powerful Swede, Rafael Nadal had never lost a match at Roland Garros, and was the 4-time defending champion who had won 3 of the last 4 major championships played in the last year. But Robin Soderling didn't care. He simply doesn't care what anyone thinks. He knew he had worked hard to be in the best shape of his life and knew that his game could cause anyone difficulty. It is true that Nadal did not play his best tennis, but it is also true that Soderling did, and it was enough so that the result, no matter how shocking was never in doubt: a Soderling victory over Nadal on clay in Paris.

5. R. Nadal ESP d. R. Federer SUI, 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 3-6 6-2, Australian Open final, Melbourne.

After the incredible semifinal Nadal played to get past Verdasco while Federer had a relatively routine straight-set dismissal of Andy Roddick, most observers felt that Federer would have an edge in this first meeting between the two great rivals on hard courts, since Federer already owned 3 Australian Open titles and 5 U.S. Opens. However, Federer again started off a major final against Nadal playing badly and by failing to win the middle set tie-break he lost the match not with a whimper but in a drizzle of tears. Several people felt that Federer's outburst during the trophy ceremony was disrespectful to Nadal but it is important to note that it was his great rival himself who did the most comforting, allowing the Swiss star to bury his face in the Spaniards shoulder.

6. R. Nadal ESP d. N. Djokovic SRB, 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(9), Madrid Masters semifinal, Madrid.

The most exciting clay court match of the year was this 3-set, 4-hour showdown between the King of Clay Rafael Nadal and the heir-apparent Novak Djokovic. Djokovic was the better player on the day and deserved to win this match, but Nadal just refused to lose. Despite losing the first set relatively easily in a 3-set match and being behind in both of the remaining sets, somehow Nadal was able to claw both sets back to tie-breaks and somehow win both of them. The points were agonizingly long, with ridiculous saves and amazing retrievals from both players, but in the end the Nadal (again!) proved why he is the Greatest Clay Court Player of all Time. After battling Djokovic for nearly four hours it is not surprising that Nadal lost one of his rare clay court finals against Federer the next day, 6-4 6-4.

7. R. Stepanek CZE USA d. I. Karlovic CRO, 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 16-14, Davis Cup semifinal tie, Croatia.

Absolutely insane. Davis Cup matches are usually intense due to the national prestige on the line, but this was insane. Everyone knows that Ivo Karlovic is a freak of nature: a 6-foot, 10-inch behemoth who has a serve like a lightning bolt that leaves his opponents constantly leaning the wrong way and shaking their head in disbelief having completely missed touching the ball. In this match "Dr. Evil" hit 78 aces. That's 23 more than his previous record of 55! There were exactly three breaks of serve in the 5 hour, 59 minute contest. Unfortunately, I was not able to see this match, but after reading about it, it clearly belongs in the most memorable matches of the year.

8. T. Dent USA d. I. Navarro ESP, 6-4 5-7 6-7(1) 7-5 7-6(9), U.S. Open 2nd Round, New York City.

Taylor Dent had been told repeatedly that his tennis career was over after two back surgeries in 2007 and 2008. The American serve-and-volleyer met his match in the form of Spaniard Ivan Nvarro who was also a rare serve-and-volleyer. This match was not expected to be anything special, it was just an early round match at the US Open played on the intimate Grandstand Court. However, it turned into a scorcher: a 5-set, knock-down, drag-out street brawl between two punch-drunk prize fighters. Both players had the same game plan: serve and rush the net. In the end, Dent had more control over the result than his opponent, hitting a garish 121 winners (mostly volleys) compared to 50 errors (+71!) as opposed to Navarro's 70 winners to a mere 22 unforced errors. Tennis like it used to be played and will most likely not be played in the future.

9. F. Gonzalez CHI d. R. Gasquet FRA, 3-6 3-6 7-6(10) 6-2 12-10, Australian Open 3rd Round, Melbourne.

Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet are two of the flashiest players on the ATP Tour and it was expected that this early-round showdown would be a non-stop highlight reel. The two did not disappoint. Both players hit far more winners than errors, with Gasquet at +22 (80 winners, 58 errors) and Gonzalez at +34 (85 winners, 51 errors). Gasquet has one of the most beautiful one-handed backhands on the tour and Gonzalez has a hugely powerful forehand. The battle was intense but even though each competitor won the same number of points, Gonzalez won more games and the match. This showdown would have been more widely celebrated if the Nadal-Verdasco semifinal had not cleared the decks of superlatives used to describe matches at the 2009 Austraian Open.

10. N. Davydenko RUS d. R. Federer SUI 6-2 4-6 7-5, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals semifinal, London.

Nikolay Davydenko was nearly run out of tennis at the end of a stick in 2008 after being caught up in a betting scandal. He professed his innocence but tennis fans have looked at him with a jaundiced eye ever since. Davydenko is often viewed as the invisible man, because although he has been in the Top 5 since 2005 he has racked up a slew of losses to both Federer and Nadal and was widely regarded as being unable to breakthrough in a major tournament. This win over Federer was his very first and followed a week in which he demolished a weakened Nadal, outlasted the powerful Robin Soderling and ended the year by dismissing the new wunderkind Juan Martín del Potro to win the ATP year end championships, the biggest title of his career. However, he ended the year at #6, out of the top 5 for the first time in 5 years. Perhaps 2010 will be the year that Davydenko is able to make through at a major title, now that he has shown that he can beat Mr. Major, Roger Federer.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Here are some honorable mentions for memorable matches of the year by men

N. Djokovic SRB d. R. Federer, 6-4 4-6 6-2, Swiss Open final.
R. Federer SUI d. N. Djokovic SRB, 6-1 7-5, Cincinnati Masters final.
R. Federer SUI d. N. Djokovic SRB, 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5, U.S. Open semifinal.
J-M. del Potro ARG d. R. Nadal ESP, 6-2 6-2 6-2, U.S. Open semifinal.
R. Federer SUI d. R. Soderling SWE, 6-1 7-6(1) 6-4, Roland Garros final.
R. Federer SUI d. T. Haas GER, 6-7(4) 5-7 6-4 6-0 6-2, Roland Garros 4th Round.
R. Federer SUI d. J-M. del Potro ARG, 3-6 7-6(2) 2-6 6-1 6-4, Roland Garros semifinal.
R. Soderling SWE d. F. Gonzalez CHI, 6-3 7-5 5-7 4-6 6-4, Roland Garros semifinal.
N. Djokovic SRB d. G. Monfils FRA, 6-2 5-7 7-6(3), Paris Masters final.
A. Roddick USA d. L. Hewitt AUS, 6-3 6-7(10) 7-6(1) 4-6 6-4, Wimbledon quarterfinal.
A. Roddick USA d. A. Murray GBR, 6-4 4-6 7-6(7) 7-6(5), Wimbledon semifinal.
F. Verdasco ESP d. A. Murray GBR, 2-6 6-1 1-6 6-3 6-4, Australian Open 4th Round.
J-W. Tsonga FRA d. R. Federer SUI, 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(3), Montreal Masters quarterfinal.
J-M. del Potro ARG d. R. Soderling SWE, 6-7(1) 6-3 7-6(3), Barclays ATP World Tour Final semifinal.
J-M. del Potro ARG d. R. Federer SUI, 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals round-robin.

Davis Cup Champions

AP

Spain's captian Albert Costa, center, celebrates with the rest of the Spanish team after beating Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych from Czech Republic in the doubles match of the Davis Cup tennis Final at Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez won 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 winning the third point to win the Davis Cup against Czech Republic.

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Asian Champions

Reuters

Gilles Simon of France holds his trophy after winning his final tennis match against Viktor Troicki of Serbia 7-5, 6-3 at the Thailand Open tennis tournament in Bangkok October 4, 2009.

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Reuters

Nikolay Davydenko of Russia kisses his trophy during a photo call after winning against Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-4, 7-5 in the final match of the Malaysia Open tennis tournament in Kuala Lumpur October 4, 2009.

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US Open 2009 Men's Quarterfinals Preview

In the order they will be contested:


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Fernando Verdasco could probably beat Novak Djokovic, but he won't because he's too erratic. Djoke seems to be playing within himself and Todd Martin has him attacking the net at almost every opportunity. Then again, Jesse Witten took a set off Djoke, and was up a break in another, so why can't Verdasco win a few sets if not the match? I guess I've talked myself into this being a toss up. But I've got to pick, no? Djoke in 5.


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Roger Federer won't be troubled under the lights much at all by Robin Söderling because Soderling is going to do what he always does when he plays The Name. Maybe he'll take a set, but I've got my doubts. RF in straights.


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Juan Martín del Potro may be breathing a sigh of relief that Marin Cilic brutalized Andy Murray in the upset of the tournament. Haven't heard it called that by the propagandists, though. Maybe I just wasn't listening. What I heard from John McEnroe is that Murray "overtrained". Pitiful. Wasn't it none other than St. Andre himself who picked Murray to win the whole thing this year? I've never trusted Murray in Slams and he's strengthening that mistrust in each Slam he plays. The Croatian can play tennis, but he won't be beating the Argentinean. Del Potro in straights.


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Fernando Gonzalez will pummel Rafael Nadal with his power, but it won't be enough to keep Rafa down. Rafa's nursing an injury, but it won't be enough to keep Rafa down. The Spaniard is hungry. Rafa in 4.

Roland Garros 2009: Men's Quarterfinal Preview

by Mad Professah

Here are my predictions for the men's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year.

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) Robin Soderling SWE (23) vs. Nikolay Davydenko RUS (10). After pulling off one of the most stunning upsets of the year decade (possibly ever?) everyone is watching to see what the tall, newly muscled (and generally disliked) Swede will do in his very next match. He will play against the very steady Russian who has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world but spent most of last year under a cloud due to allegations of match fixing. Davydenko had an ungodly 6 unforced errors in his straight set demolition of the always dangerous Fernando Verdasco in his 4th round match. It is unlikely that either Soderling or Davydenko will be able t repeat the magic of their 4th round victories in this round, but Soderling will not need it to make his first ever major semifinal. PREDICTION: Soderling in 4 sets.

Andy Murray GBR (3) vs. Fernando Gonzalez CHI (12). The Chilean has been silently cutting through the draw like a Ninja but will now run into a much improved and loud Scot, who is now the No. 3 player in the world and has nowhere to go but up. Gonzalez has an insanely huge forehand and is very good on clay but Murray possesses many powerful weapons in a deceptively innocuous-looking package: excellent movement, surprisingly powerful serve and a brilliant court sense. It seems very bizarre to say this, but it is very possible the first Grand Slam singles title by a British (male) subject since 1936(!) may be on French terre battue instead of the hallowed grass of Wimbledon. Murray knows the stakes and is itching to have another shot at facing Federer in a major final, having lost to him in the 2008 US Open Final. The 22-year-old Brit has won all three matches he has played against the Swiss 13-time major champion since. Easily. PREDICTION: Murray in 5 sets.

Juan Martín Del Potro ARG (5) vs. Tommy Robredo ESP (16).The two surprise quarterfinalists. Who would have thought that the lone handsome Spaniard left in the draw during the 5th Round would be the rugged Tommy Robredo? Del Potro is not really a surprise, but I had thought that French favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would use the crowd and his aggressive ground strokes to take out the 6'5" Argentine kid like he defeated Argentine Juan Monaco in the second round. Alas, Le Mome (French slang for "The Kid") lost to the 20-year-old, the youngest of the quarterfinalists. Robredo definitely has some skills on clay but del Potro will blast him off the court. PREDICTION: Del Potro in 3 sets.

Gael Monfils FRA (11) Andy Roddick USA (6) vs. Roger Federer SUI (2). Sadly this was not André Roddique's year as the pulchritudinous Parisian took out The Quiet American in straights sets 6-2 6-2 6-3 in the fourth round before an increasingly boisterous and partisan crowd. Of course this quarterfinal match-up is a rematch of 2008's semifinal in which Federer took out the young Frenchman in his first Grand Slam semifinal and the Swiss G.O.A.T.-wannabe's sixteenth. Even with the entirety of the French nation behind him I doubt that the powerful and crafty Monfils will be able to withstand Federer's inevitable march to his fourth consecutive final at Roland Garros, and mind-blowing twentieth consecutive major semifinal. After surviving a near-death experience at the hands of Tommy Haas, Federer will not let this opportunity slip by. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.

Face Of The Day

Reuters

Fernando Verdasco of Spain reacts during his match against Nikolay Davydenko of Russia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 31, 2009.

Targeting Spaniards? (Updated)

Darren Cahill reported three times in the last 48 hours on ESPN that David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco and Rafael Nadal, were all awakened at their hotel rooms at 7:30 AM a few days ago for doping tests. According to Cahill, Robredo apparently had a match later that day and had his preparation disrupted. Toni Nadal was livid. Ferrer had gone to the bathroom five minutes before the call and had to wait in the lobby of the hotel for two hours until he had to pee again. Maybe that racquet smash had something to do with this.

Cahill said nothing about any other players still in the draw being awakened and tested. He made it seem as though only the Spaniards were targeted in this way.

Make of it what you will.

Oh, and make of this what you will, too.

UPDATE: Ferrer has spoken out. (From the comments. Thanks, oddman)

París, 29 May (EFE).- David Ferrer today joined Rafael Nadal in criticising the surprise antidoping tests, saying it is a dictatorship and the players can hardly do anything, that they scarcely have any privacy.

"In my personal case, they really messed me up because I played a five-set match against Keifer on Wednesday that ended at 9 pm. I finished being treated by my physio at 2 a.m. and at 7 in the morning they were knocking at my door to do an antidoping test," said Ferrer. "I think that is very badly done, because they could have done it as easily in the hotel or at the club. I got only five hours sleep and that really offended me: treating players like that, and even more so at such an important tournament as Roland Garros. It's not an excuse for why I lost today, but it was badly done," he added.

"It's ridiculous because we are subjected to 15 to 20 antidoping tests a year and it's your private life, your privacy, and I can't possibly know every day whether I'm going to be in Valencia, Xavea, Almusafes or Santa Rita, so it's a lottery in other words. It hardly seems possible that these things happen and you can't even have your own privacy... but it's up to them," he went on.

"It's senseless, I've already had two tests here, that one the other day and one right now, and what can I say, it's ridiculous. They don't get anything out of this, except more tension among the players. I don't think they're getting anywhere with this," said Ferrer, who doesn't see any solution to the matter, not even them organising a boycott.

"Let's just wait and see who's got what it takes to tell them he's not playing here. At the beginning of the year, 80% of the players complained, but there's not much we can do: "Put a pistol to their head?", and not playing is not an option, the tournaments are not to blame. They're the ones that ought to stop and speak to the players, because this is like a dictatorship," he said.