Fifth Annual Gonad Awards

by Craig Hickman

The 2010 tennis season is history.

Players of the Year: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams


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Serena Williams of USA and Rafael Nadal of Spain with their winners trophies at the Wimbledon Championships 2010 Winners Ball at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel on July 4, 2010 in London, England.

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Rafael Nadal from Spain celebrates after winning against Novak Djokovic from Serbia in the Men's Singles Final at US Open 2010 match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York September 13, 2010.

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Three Slam titles in a row; first player to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open back-to-back-to-back since Rod Laver in 1969, making him only the second to achieve the three-some in the Open Era and first to achieve it on three different surfaces; youngest player in the Open Era to complete the Career Slam; second man to complete the Career Golden Slam; won his record-breaking 18th Masters Shield; all on his way to wresting back the year-end No. 1 ranking.

While injury disallowed him from defending his first hard-court Slam championship in January, the year belonged to Rafa. Once he healed, stepped foot on the terra battue, there was no looking back. Folk will debate where his season ranks in historical context, but what a season it was. He's the sole recipient of the Gonad for Greatest Performance of 2010.

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Serena Williams, watches as her sister Venus Williams, of the United States returns a shot against Shahar Peer of Israel during her women's singles match on day seven of the 2010 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 5, 2010 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

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Folk will likely debate my choice of Serena Williams for Player of the Year. After all, her season was cut short with a cut foot and she fell from the top ranking to No. 4 by year's end. But Caroline Wozniacki, the ITF's choice, remains a wannabe (she didn't even advance to a Slam final this year), two-time Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva, improved though she is, remains a head case, and Kim Clijsters, who got the WTA's nod on the strength of winning her third US Open, remains on the losing end of the most stunning Slam upset of the season.

Serena, old as she is with as storied a career as hers, is still achieving personal firsts that deserve accolades, not derision. 2010 was the first time in her career that she defended an Australian Open championship and the first time in her career that she defended two Slams. She was also between the lines for two of the year's best matches, losing one after holding a match point, and beat her nemesis Justin Henin in the first Slam final they've ever contested. (The last time Serena won two Slams in a calendar year, had her season cut short with injury, and was denied Player of the Year by the WTA and the ITF, Henin won the other two Slams and got the nods instead.) And lest we forget, she tied and then surpassed Billie Jean King on the leader board of legends with her 13th singles crown at Wimbledon. What she accomplished in half a year outclassed the field for the remainder.

Best ATP Match: Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer, 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, US Open Semifinal

Runnerup: Rafael Nadal d. Andy Murray, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6), World Tour Finals Semifinal

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When two players who don't care much for each other take the court in the late stages of a Slam, two things can happen: 1) One or both can't get out of their own way and the tennis is forgettable; or 2) both players refuse to lose and they play balls to the walls from jump, producing an edge-of-the-seat spectacle that puts all their previous encounters to shame. This fan, who doesn't care much for either player (though, I confess, Djoke is growing on me) was thrilled because we got the second scenario.

I called the match unreal. The shotmaking, the guile, the determination, the atmosphere -- all of it out of this world. That Djoke was able to come up with his most daring tennis to save two consecutive match points surprised not only my eyes, but seems to have caught Raja off-guard as well. A warrior with his back against the wall, Djoke let loose a series of serves and ground strokes that brought some in the crowd to their feet. That Raja would lose a Slam semifinal after holding two consecutive match points against anybody was almost shocking. Unreal indeed.

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Beth, who had a birds-eye view, agreed:

... the Djok Fed match was unREAL! The crowd was so into it and I was sitting just a few seats away from some vocal Serbian guys letting it rip with gusto! I was for Djok the whole way and seeing it happen in person.....priceless. He really put himself out there and capitalized on the few chances he was given AND managed to dig himself out of some big holes. I'm elated. I truthfully think, and this is just my pure speculation, that Roger didn't want to face a hungry Nadal in the final and lose to Rafa in a final at the Open where he has reigned so long.

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Best WTA Match: Serena Williams d. Petra Kvitova, 7-6(5), 6-2, Wimbledon Semifinal

Runnerup: Samantha Stosur d. Serena Williams 6-2, 6-7(2), 8-6, Roland Garros Quarterfinal


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Savannah doesn't think any women's match this year was worthy of mention. MadProfessah believes my runnerup was the most compelling women's match because of what was at stake. But I went with the match that made the most lasting impression on me this year. The first match that came to mind when getting to this category. Most of us know I love Wimbledon and most of my nods go to matches contested in that hallowed space. This year, I only chose one.

I thoroughly enjoyed the effort by the underdog to dethrone the defending champion. The young Czech brought everything she had to the battle and a few tricks she probably didn't know she possessed. She served and volleyed, sliced and diced, hit the ball harder than her champion opponent, painting lines at will. Serena withstood the barrage and strategized her way to victory. She wielded magic, too. What I wrote after the battle remains. The match left me breathless.


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As dapxin wrote:

And my third memorable women Tennis moment, was at Wimbledon watching some lil, apparently new, kidgirl play her lives out against Serena, I think @ the Semis, and there was a huge rally in the final parts of the game where Serena -having won the point - had the little girl stood for an odd 1 or 2 seconds, as though wondering:

"there is nothing more on earth to do to win that point off you aunty Serena, even if I came to try"

She had finally been forced to come to terms with a valiant defeat, in what was a thrilling clash of Tennis competencies...

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Biggest Performance Breakdown ATP: Nikolay Davydenko against Roger Federer, Australian Open Quarterfinal

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I was going to choose this match anyway, but Randy Burgess nominated it as well:

At the men's quarterfinals at the Aussie Open, Nikolay Davydenko knocks a backhand into the net while leading Roger Federer a set and a break and from that point on seemingly forgets how to play. Worst of all is the look in his eyes as he realizes this is his destiny.

It's what Kolya has done against Raja in every Slam match they've contested. But this breakdown out broke all of them.

Biggest Performance Breakdown WTA: Andrea Petkovic against Svetlana Kuznetsova, Roland Garros Second Round

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Four match points. That's what she had. On her own serve, no less. And still, the talented German found a way to lose to a slumping defending champ. Most troubling was that she never even showed emotion during the unraveling. She simply vanished, like crushed brick in a windstorm. It's the kind of breakdown from which a player may never recover.

Biggest Upset ATP: Yen-Hsun Lu d. Andy Roddick, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 9-7, Wimbledon Fourth Round


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Roddick was reliving a nightmare. For the second straight year on the lawns of Wimbledon, he found himself staring down the barrel. Needing to hold serve just to stay alive in a battle that went to overtime in the fifth. For the second straight year on the lawns of Wimbledon, Roddick dropped his serve only once in an entire match and lost it. For the second straight year on the lawns of Wimbledon, a dream would be deferred, both for the player and the player's fans. I had no doubt Roddick would falter well before the semifinals. After all, he was reliving a nightmare. But if you'd told me the young man from Taipei without a weapon would be the man on the other side of the net, I'd have told you to see a shrink.

Roddick says he's going to play Davis Cup again next year. I guess if he can't fulfill his four career goals and finally win a Wimbledon championship, another run at a Davis Cup will have to do.

Biggest Upset WTA: Nadia Petrova d. Kim Clijsters 6-0, 6-1, Australian Open Third Round


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I didn't watch the match live. I had no desire to see a lopsided affair with the Belgian prevailing. But when I walked past the television and saw the final score, all I could do was shout, "What?!" repeatedly. I mean really. One game, Aussie Kim? Against a woman you practically owned? Clijsters was picked by nearly every pundit on the planet to win her first Australian Open crown and second Slam in a row. But Miss Nadia showed the world why she, as far as I'm concerned, is the most talented Russian playing tennis. She put a full court press on Australia's adopted daughter from the first ball and never relented. This upset faded in the rear-view window as the season unfolded, but I'm putting it back in front of the windshield where it belongs. I don't know that I've ever been as shocked by a result.

Most Surprising Slam Runs: Tomas Berdych and Samantha Stosur

I've chosen these two players because I never thought either of them would advance past their quarterfinal and fourth round opponents, respectively.

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Yes, Raja was ripe for the plucking. He almost lost in the first round to another player who choked in the face of the opportunity to take down the defending champion. But the man with the face of an angel, despite a few victories over Federer in best-of-three encounters, had never been able to close the deal in best-of-five. After ending Raja's record of consecutive Slam semifinals appearances, the big Czech with the most effortless ground strokes in tennis tamed Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to make his first Slam final appearance where he fell to the Player of the Year.

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Samantha's run to her first Slam final at Roland Garros doesn't seem such a surprise, given her run to the semifinals last year. She won this award for that as well, making her the first recipient of back-to-back Gonads in this category. But she rallied to defeat Justine, fought off a match point to subdue Serena in the quarters, and crushed former semifinalist Jelena Jankovic in the semis. Most expected her to take the title. Many thought she deserved the trophy after beating two former champions back-to-back. But a small woman with stronger ovaries had something else to say about that.

Biggest Disappointments: Juan Martin del Potro's absence and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour


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Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro reacts after a missed shot during his first round match against Spain's Feliciano Lopez at the Japan Open tennis tournament in Tokyo on October 4, 2010. Lopez beat Del Potro 6-3, 6-0.

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Just when the giant Argentine was poised to insert himself in the mix at the top of tennis, he undergoes wrist surgery and drops into the abyss. Who knows if we'll ever see him in the champion's circle again.

There's really nothing left to say about the WTA.

Most Transcendent Match: John Isner d. Nicolas Mahut, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68, Wimbledon First Round

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Why recreate the wheel? I'll go with MadProfessah's take:

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.

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Best Mid-Career Makeover: Vera Zvonareva

As I said, she remains a headcase, but she composed herself and played enough disciplined and smart tennis to outthink her opponents to advance to not one, but two Slam finals this year. Back-to-back, no less. She finishes the year at a career-high No. 2 ranking. If she's to win a major, she'll need a better serve.

Honorable mentions: Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova. That two Slam champions/stars deserve mention here tells you a lot about the current woes of the WTA.

Most Improved Gonads: Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych

Their previous awards are a testament to their improved fortitude on the biggest stages of tennis. Both regressed in the latter months of the year, but you can't take away Vera's Wimbledon and US Open runnerup plates or Berdy's Wimbledon runnerup plate.

Coaches Of The Year: Toni Nadal and Sergey Demekhine


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Actor Bradley James (L) and Rafael Nadal's coach Toni Nadal watches the Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych men's singles match against during the ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 26, 2010 in London, England.

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Toni Nadal rivals the Williams' parents as the best coach of a family member in the Open Era. What his charge achieved this year has already been heralded.



Something tells me that if this was my coach... well. Anyway. Vera probably looks forward to all her sessions. (Blame Savannah for the photo.)

Best Farewells: Elena Dementieva and Carlos Moya



Elena Dementieva receives an award from the president of Russia, December 30, 2010.

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In some ways, Elena Dementieva was the WTA incarnation of Marat Safin. Not just because both are Russian, but because you have to search long and hard to find a fan of tennis who doesn't like her. Sure, we made fun of her horrendous serve. But so did she. Which is one of the reasons we liked her as much as we did. We liked her more, though, because she troubled the best of the best with her speed, tenacity, and forehand, fighting her way to two Slam singles finals, falling short both times. The best player of her generation never to have won a Slam will remain so. But she doesn't care. Her biggest dream was to win an Olympic Gold Medal in singles. Check.


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Carlos Moya of Spain poses during a ceremony for his retirement during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 21, 2010 in London, England.

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He struggled with injuries over the last few seasons. One of the humblest champions on tour, his presence will be missed.

We also said farewell to Nicolas Kiefer, Taylor Dent, just a season after he won Best Comeback, Paradorn Srichaphan, and Guillermo Cañas,

Biggest Balls: Viktor Troicki

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Yes, it's a team event. But, with conviction, Viktor won the final rubber against a fried Michael Llodra to give his nation its first Davis Cup title. Striking remarkable returns of serve and viciously dipping passing shots that simply defied logic, the unheralded Serbian displayed balls of steel in capturing victory.

Strongest Ovaries: Francesca Schiavone


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She dropped one set in her first Roland Garros match and that was that. Given ElenaD's retirement after the first set in her semifinal, Franny played 14 sets of tennis to win her maiden Slam title. Almost like winning a Slam without dropping a set. Almost. The 29-year-old plowed through the bottom half of the draw totally under the radar. But her tennis was sublime. For a woman contesting her first Slam final, she gave daring new definition.

Stosur was favored. She has a better serve, survived a tougher draw. But as one of the fittest women on tour, if not the fittest, fatigue was never a factor. Certainly not after her own waltz through the semifinals.

Franny was not to be denied. It was clear she approached the final as though it was hers to lose. As though her place in history as the first Italian woman to win a Slam was already etched in granite. She served as well as she's ever served and played the forecourt with the expertise of most of the old school Italian players who've performed well over the years on grass and clay. But most of all, in the face of victory, she seized the moment without an ounce of trepidation.

Again, I yield the floor to dapxin:

I thought the Francesca match transcended Tennis in a sense that is somewhat intractable.

The story of the match, and the leading to it, should be used as material towards defining, dare.

And her speechmaking remains the most memorable feeling that I got, ever, since I watching this sport.

You get the feeling, she outdid herself in the latter stages of the match and I remember one particularly beautiful lob shot...joy!

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It was arguably the most inspiring performance of the year.

Quote For The Year: Venus Williams

“Thankfully [Serena and I] won't be walking into the sunset too soon. Hopefully that will give some bumper time. It's just definitely strange because of the unbelievable tradition we've had with tennis for Americans since the beginning. I think that's what makes it so odd.

"But I've got hope. There are a lot of players who are very good, but getting to that level isn't easy for anyone. So hopefully there will be someone coming along soon with the tools and the traits and who will build that in their game to get there."--Venus Williams on the state of women's tennis at home

Comment Of The Year: from peytonallen:

A couple thoughts before I talk about Rafa.

Novak just won over a lot of hearts this weekend, maybe even Craig's (as cold as it is). The old Joker would have folded up shop against Fed and then on numerous occasions against Rafa tonight. He fought. He made Nadal earn his dinner and has nothing to feel bad about. He will win another major and if this was the beginning of Djoke/Nadal bring it on.

Despite the media song of the big boy tennis taking over the game all 4 majors were STILL won by two men. Some will still consider it a weak era here and there but this is an arms race we've not seen the likes of since US/Russia. Even though they may never play another major final against the other, this is Martina/Chrissy for the ATP. You will read books written about the rivalry, you will see movies. Amazing.

I don't see Nadal getting to 16. Fed had a couple years with no serious competition from his age-peers while Rafa was building his all-surface game. 7 more slams is a Hall of Fame career in itself. But he will get to 11-14 major titles.

How does he become the greatest of his era? He's already got the h2h advantage. He has a Gold Medal (which should count as a major.) He's done something only Laver has done before him with three in a row, Rafa's being on three different surfaces.

To make his case bullet proof he needs 2 of everything. Which means one more on each hard court. But, the big one comes in January when he'll go for the Rafa Slam.

If Rafael Nadal can win the Australian Open and hold all four major titles, its case closed. No, it wouldn't be a Grand Slam, but it'd be damn close.

Where does Nadal's season rank? There was a column on ESPN debating this. Obviously Laver's GS is #1, but from there it's debatable. Fed in '04 barely lost. He was locked in EVERY MATCH. 4 major finals only loss to Rafa.

Jimmy Connors in '74. Won all three slams he played lost 4 matches and wasn't allowed to play the French due to signing a contract to play World Team Tennis.

And Rafa in '10. I think Nadal winning on three different surfaces in a row in majors is a slight edge over Fed's year especially when considering the year he came back from. The injury/mental lay off. Who saw this coming? Oh, we all saw the French Title but really who saw this?

Novak said it was disheartening that Nadal keeps getting better, seemingly every time they play. The fact that he could walk away from a summer and fall of ass kickings and say "yeah I need to improve to win, no?" and then do so after already being so accomplished is amazing.

Nadal's 4th set tonight may be the best set of the year by one performer. 50+ straight points with no UFE. Get out. And the kid was hitting the crap out of the ball.

How does the sport's greatest defensive player become one of the best offensive players?

Fed said it best after the '07 Wimbledon final, "I have to win now before he wins them all."

Great match tonight. By both men. Maybe for drama's sake and being a 5th set the Fed/Joker match was better, but much cleaner ball striking by both men tonight. Both men moved with grace and power. Very good final.

How fitting that Rafa tries for the 'Slam' in Australia? In Rod Laver Arena.

How.

Faces Of The Year


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A ball boy watches Australia's Samantha Stosur in action during her women's semi-final match against Serbia's Jelena Jankovic in the French Open tennis championship at the Roland Garros stadium, on June 3, 2010, in Paris. Stosur won 6-1, 6-2.

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Serena Williams of USA receives a kiss from Rafael Nadal of Spain as he arrives at the Wimbledon Championships 2010 Winners Ball at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel on July 4, 2010 in London, England.

Happy New Year

I thought I would have up the Gonad Awards by Christmas. But life had other plans.

Today, my dog died.

Just like as last year, I'll get them up in the first week of the New Year.

Take care of your blessings.

Up Next

The Gonad Awards.

Since I spent so much of the latter half of the tennis season AWOL, I'll ask you all to nominate some players and some matches for some Gonads over the next week or so. I'll try to post my year-end awards before Christmas.

Peace.

Clijsters: WTA Player Of The Year

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Kim Clijsters of Belgium fields questions from the media after her win over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the singles final on day six of the WTA Championships at the Khalifa Tennis Complex on October 31, 2010 in Doha, Qatar.

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Nothing surprising here, except that I believe the WTA got it wrong. More on that in the upcoming Gonad Awards.

Fourth Annual Gonad Awards

2009 will go down as the most surreal year of tennis in recent memory. For most of the year, WTA had to bear a world No. 1 in Dinara Safina who played chicken on the biggest stages in the game; Rafael Nadal lost in the first week of Roland Garros; Serena Williams lost her mind; Andy Roddick fared better in Paris than in New York and only won one title; Ana Ivanovic won none; Roger Federer got everything back he lost last year and then some; Maria Sharapova's best Slam showing was on her worst surface; Richard Gasquet kissed a girl; Svetlana Kuznetsova won another Slam and immediately fell away; Andre Agassi dropped a bombshell; the International Tennis Federation couldn't make up its mind on what to do with two Belgian players, one rising, one fading, both treated like the stars they aren't; and Novak Djokovic remembered how to play tennis.

Players Of The Year: Serena Williams and Roger Federer

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Switzerland's Roger Federer, the Men's Singles Champion 2009, poses with the Wimbledon Trophy and US tennis player and Ladies Singles Champion 2009 Serena Williams during the Champions dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane, in central London, on July 5, 2009.

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Aldo Liguori, head of global public relations for Sony Ericsson and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Stacey Allaster pose with Serena Williams after she was presented a trophy to commerate finishing the year as number 1 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings after the final of the Sony Ericsson WTA Championships at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on November 1, 2009 in Doha, Qatar.

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Two Slam titles in 2009; the year-end No. 1 ranking; record-breaking prize money earned; AP Female Athlete of the Year; Sports Illustrated Female Athlete of the Decade. The accolades are all deserved for an athlete who stood out this year for once again elevating individual athletic competition to an art form.


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Roger Federer of Switzerland poses with the ATP World Tour Champion Trophy next to The ATP Executive Charmiman and President Adam Helfant during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 25, 2009 in London, England. Federer was crowned ATP World Tour Champion for the fifth time, after becoming just the second player in the history of the ATP Rankings to regain the year-end No. 1 ranking. Federer clinched the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion title by beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on November 24.

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He seemed to have lost his way in 2008, but with his chief rival nursing an injury, he got it all back and then some. He completed the career Slam in Paris and the Channel Double with his historic win in Wimbledon. He got married and gave birth to twin girls. He didn't finish the year as strongly as he might have liked, but in his own words, winning Roland Garros and getting back his Wimbledon crown were the only things truly worthy of getting up and going to work. Mission accomplished.

Greatest Performances: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams


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Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland during the men's tennis final on day 14 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on early February 2, 2009. Nadal won a classic Australian Open final against Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 to secure his first hard-court Grand Slam and stop the Swiss equlling the all-time Majors record.

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He was never supposed to be able to win a major on a hard court. He wasn't supposed to have anything left in the tank after his grueling 5-plus hour semifinal over Fernando Verdasco that a few have named best match of the year. The stars were aligned for the Monogrammed Maestro to earn his record-tying 14th Slam title and the tennis stars of old were lined up to witness the history.

They would have to wait a few more months.

Melbourne belonged to the Superman from Mallorca who tamed the field but perhaps gave his best performance when he offered up a shoulder for his defeated victim to cry upon. It was a bizarre trophy ceremony and one of the most surreal moments of the year for this tennis fan. How could Raja steal Rafa's night? many of the Spaniard's fans asked. Was Raja on the verge of a nervous breakdown? After producing glorious tennis over the fortnight and becoming the first player since Mats Wilander to hold Slam titles on three different surfaces and extending his ranking-points lead over the world No. 2, Rafa's generosity of spirit proved his greatest performance of the year. I'll leave you with the words of dylan, a self-professed Federer idolater.

There seems to me to be something in Roger that makes you hope for something perfect. Maybe this is childish, maybe Roger is a little big childish still. Maybe it is just that for a couple years, he did seem perfect, like the game had been solved. This was inspirational.

Regardless, Nadal is the truth, and there is no denying it.

And yet, it is hard not to feel bad for Roger. What a tragic development for his expectations, and mine.

Instead of perfection, or achievement, I'm now humbled by Nadal's superhuman generosity and real human warmth. It's easy to see larger the implications that these two men represent.

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Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts to her win over her sister Venus Williams during their WTA Championships final tennis match in Doha November 1, 2009.

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She had so many great performances this year it was difficult to pick one. From her final two matches in Melbourne to her semifinal victory over Venus in Miami or her back-from-the-brink-of-defeat victory over Elena Dementieva in the Wimbledon semifinals and total control over her sister in the Wimbledon final to make history, it was a show-off year for the Athlete of the Decade. But it was her gutsy, determined sweep of the field on one leg at the season ending championships in Dubai that earns Serena this award.

After her USO misstep and all the conflama surrounding it, Serena gritted her teeth and set out to do something she'd never done before: win a round-robin format year-end event. Though she won her first season-ending championship in 2001, it was a single elimination event. Serena isn't fond of the round-robin format and wasn't sure she'd be able to get over the mental block she'd need to get over in order to win one of these inventions of modern tennis. She came close in 2004, but an acute abdominal injury kept her from closing out that final despite being up 4-0 in the final set. In Dubai, no leg injury would keep her from victory. She emerged from the tougher of the two groups battled and bruised, got a virtual walkover in the semifinals when the overplayed and overhyped Caroline Wozniacki decided she had had enough and sat down, and then gave her sister no quarter in another straight-set final victory. Serena the Great delivered.

Best ATP Match: Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick, 5-7, 7-6(8), 7-6(3), 3-6, 16-14, Wimbledon Final

Runner up: Rafael Nadal d. Fernando Verdasco, Australian Open Semifinal

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What I wrote after the match: 5 Ending In 3

Best WTA Match: Serena Williams d. Elena Dementieva, 6-7(4), 7-5, 8-6, Wimbledon Semifinal

Runner up: Jelena Dokic d. Alisa Kleybanova, 7-5, 5-7, 8-6, Australian Open Round Of 16

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It was the longest Grand Slam semifinal in the Open Era and from the first point, you knew it would be special. As it turned out, it was outrageous.

Worst ATP Match: Andy Murray d. Fabio Fognini 7-6(11), 6-4, Monte-Carlo Second Round

If I recall correctly, the Italian raced out to a 5-0 lead over the Scot and then commenced to choke in gears. By the time he reached the fifth gear, the match had lost all semblance of watchability and the tiebreak had only just begun. I don't remember how many set points he wasted in the tiebreak but given the score, there were a-plenty. Murray simply hung around and pumped his fists, flared his fangs, and barked whenever Fognini missed a sitter. It was enough to score a victory in one of the worst matches I've ever witnessed.

Worst WTA Match: Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Dinara Safina, 6-4, 6-2, Roland Garros Final

How is it even possible for the world No. 1 to ask aloud "Why am I such a chicken?" in the middle of a Grand Slam final on her favorite surface? Surreal and bizarre don't even being to describe it. Pitiful is more like it. For her part, Kuzzy wasn't exactly stellar. When a Grand Slam final wins this award, you know it was a crazy year.

Biggest Performance Breakdown ATP: Tommy Haas to Roger Federer, 7-6(4), 7-5, 4-6, 0-6, 2-6, Roland Garros Round Of 16

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He was up two sets to love, 4-3 with a break point to go up 5-3 and serve for the match. Many of the year-end summaries point to Raja's forehand winner to save break point as the shot of the year. It was a routine inside-out forehand passing shot winner that was pretty easy to execute, even under pressure, because Haas' approach lacked depth and bite and he covered the net so half-heartedly. The resurgent German lost his nerve, his serve, his return, his forehand and backhand, and the next 11 games, only winning another two in the match.

Biggest Performance Breakdown WTA: Vera Zvonareva to Flavia Pennetta, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0, US Open Round Of 16


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Six match points. That's what she had. But Pennetta wasn't going down and I have to say, she saved every single one of them with a winner. It was enough gutsy tennis to drive the fragile one batty. David Waldstein sums it up best:

She tore at the bandage wrapping her left knee and implored the umpire Lynn Welch to allow her to grab a pair of scissors during the first-game changeover and cut the tape off. She was denied because it was a pre-existing injury and it was not a full changeover.

Zvonareva kept pulling off swaths of tape and when she lost her serve and did a split trying to reach a ball, she sat on the court and pounded her right leg four times, imploring the limb to do better. When a piece of the bandage flew onto the court and a ball girl hesitated in retrieving it, Zvonareva scolded her.

And after she fell behind, 0-3, she smacked the net cord with her racket and issued an expletive in perfect English; something about the “rule,” which earned her a code violation.

“She’s always like this,” Pennetta said. “I know her. She can cry on the court and the next point she fights and play good tennis.”

Biggest Upset, ATP: Robin Söderling d. Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(2), Roland Garros Third Round


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This choice was a no-brainer. I called it an earthquake. One writer (I can't remember which right now) opined that now that we know Rafa was injured, it put the upset in perspective and it's no longer quite as stunning. Bullshit. Rafa had never lost at Roland Garros and as far as I was concerned, he could defeat the field on his favorite surface at his "home" court on one leg if need be. But it wasn't to be and the Swede, who had only won a few games against the Spaniard just weeks before, deserves more credit that he's gotten then or since. After all, he dismissed David Ferrer in the previous round, which could have won this award in its own right.

Biggest Upset, WTA: Gisela Dulko d. Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, Wimbledon Second Round


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Had to think about this one a bit. Melanie Oudin got the best of Jelena Jankovic in the third round of Wimbledon (not to mention Elena Dementieva in the second round of the US Open) and Carla Suarez Navarro (what happened to her in 2009?) took out Venus Williams who had served for the match in the second round of Melbourne. But Jankovic was having a crappy year and Venus hasn't performed well Down Under since 2003, so I let those fall away as honorable mentions. Instead, the battle of the beauties that ended with the Argentinean dismantling the Russian and former Wimbledon champion in a third set after being down a break stands above the rest as the biggest upset of the year. South American Surprise indeed.

In her comeback, Sharapova had made it to the quarterfinals at her worst Slam and claimed to be 100% heading into her favorite. The propagandists, astonishingly, had made her a front-runner for the title. It was as though they didn't notice her serve was nowhere to be found in Paris, despite her guts taking her about as far as they could take her against a field of chokers. I expected Dulko to follow suit but she held her nerve and her serve enough to send Sharapova back to the practice courts and the propagandists back to shoulder excuse after shoulder excuse after shoulder excuse after....

Most Surprising Slam Runs: Melanie Oudin and Robin Soderling

The upstart American took out Russia with victories over Dementieva, Sharapova, and Nadia Petrova to advance to the US Open quarterfinals before falling to the "Great Dane."

Yes, the big Swede can boast the biggest upset of the year (the decade? the Open Era?), but surely he would have had a letdown in his next match, no? No. He played stupendous tennis all the way to the final, blitzing former semifinalist Nikolay Davydenko in straights in the quarters and Fernando Gonzalez in five sets in the semis before falling to the "Greatest Of All Time" in the final. His run almost qualified for Greatest Performance as well, but that award requires a victory on Sunday.

Best Mid-Career Makeovers: Andy Roddick, Robin Söderling, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova

I still can't believe it took Kuzzy this long to win another Slam, still can't believe Andy almost did but didn't, though his victories over Lleyton Hewitt in five sets and Andy Murray in four tight sets were most impressive and not at all expected. It was great to see Robin's power tennis work so well on clay among the men and Dementieva perform the best she's ever performed in two Slam semifinals before being edged out by the eventual champion both times.

Worst Luck: Jelena Dokic and Andy Roddick

Acute injuries broke their momentum just as they were on the verge of great things. If it wasn't for bad luck, no luck at all.

Most Surreal Moment: Serena's US Open Tirade

Nothing more to say about it except to give it a proper award here.

Most Unbecoming Scene Stealer: Roger Federer's Australian Open Trophy Ceremony Breakdown


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Most Spoiled Brat: Victoria Azarenka

She's going nowhere fast.

Biggest Drama Queen: Caroline Wozniacki

She snatches the wig off Jelena Jankovic what with all that acting on display at the year-ending championships.

Biggest Disappointments: Ana Ivanovic and Ernests Gulbis

Nuff said.

Most Improved Gonads: Juan Martín del Potro and Flavia Pennetta

The Tower of Tandil improved so quickly he went from enduring one of the most humiliating performances of the year to raising the US Open trophy after defeating the guy who humiliated him 8 months prior.

Flavia earned her place in history as the first female player from Italy to make the Top 10 after an outstanding summer. And then there were all those gonads on full display to save all those match points against Bepa at the US Open.

Both players ended the year strong with del Potro backing up his US Open defeat of Raja with another and finishing runner-up in London and Pennetta raising the Fed Cup with Team Italy.

Outstanding Newcomers: Melanie Oudin and Sergiy Stakhovsky

More on Miss Melanie later but Stakhovsky, not exactly a newcomer but I couldn't think of anyone else, will be most famous for ending Marat Safin's tennis career in Russia.

Best Comebacks: Kimiko Date-Krumm and Taylor Dent


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Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan holds winner's trophy after she defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in the women's singles final, during a ceremony at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.

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Jelena Dokic began the year as the front runner for this award but ended up taking Worst Luck. Kim Clijsters would seem a shoo-in for her US Open victory, but she's won this before and this category calls for winners without repeats. But for me, the 39-year-old Japanese player who was off the tour longer than I've been following tennis this go around came back and actually won a title.

As Matt informed us, she is the second oldest player (Billie Jean King was the oldest) to ever win a title on the WTA. Nice work if you can get it. And she got it after being off the tour for 12 years. 12 years.

“Yeah, of course, very happy. I realized one more time after this game that we don’t know about tennis unless we actually play it.

“Above all, my husband’s love was a big help for my win.

“I think I won’t have any problem in my physical strength over the next five years. But I’m married … have to have kids and have a lot of things to do. I think I can play tennis for the next two years.”

Go on with your bad self.

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Basically, he had his back ripped apart and rebuilt twice over two years and he wasn't sure he'd ever play tennis again. But he returned to the tour and participated in one of the best matches of the year, striking 121 winners to defeat Ivan Navarro 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(1), 7-5, 7-6(9) in the second round of the US Open. His grabbing the microphone from the chair umpire at the end of the match and telling the crowd how much he loved them was one of the most poignant moments of the year.

When he defeated Feliciano Lopez in four sets in the previous match, Dent howled as though expelling all his disappointment in one sound. It had been four years since he won a main draw match at the US Open.

Where does he go from here? He told tennis.com:

"I'm not looking too far ahead. But I've had a lot of small highs and a lot of silver linings to some of the losses, and my progress in general. It all culminated at the U.S. Open. I didn't feel I was playing that well going into the event, but I was able to compete at a pretty high level thanks to my fitness and a lot of hard work. That win over Navarro was great for me, even though Murray beat me in the next round. I followed up that tournament with wins in Tulsa and Knoxville (Challenger events), and a final in Champaign (Ill.). That was gratifying."

Best Farewell: Marat Safin


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Marat Safin of Russia holds the key of the Bercy stadium, a farewell trophy to mark the end of his career, during BNP Masters indoor tennis tournament in Paris, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Safin ended his career with style with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 defeat by Juan Martín del Potro in the second round of the Paris Masters. The 29-year-old Safin, a two-time Grand Slam title winner, put on a great performance on center court Wednesday against the U.S. Open champion but was unable to extend his career for at least one more day.

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Tennis champions and former champions pose together for a picture on November 11, 2009 in Paris during a ceremony to mark the last professional match of Safin at the ATP Paris Indoor Master tournament. LtoR, top: Spanish Albert Costa and Tommy Robredo, Portugese Federico Gil, Swiss Marc Rosset, Russian Marat Safin, Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, Croatian Ivo Karlovic, bottom : Argentinian Juan Martín del Potro, Serbian Novak Djokovic and Frenchman Gilles Simon.


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Signing balls and autographs to fans after an homage marking his last professional match, during the ATP Paris Indoor Master tournament, on November 11, 2009 in Paris.

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The Mercurial One hung up his racquet this year. He announced his departure early enough so that he could receive proper accolades from the fans at each of his final performances at events throughout the year. As I wrote, it was pure poetry for him to bow out to a man who considered him a childhood idol.

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Worst Farewell: Amélie Mauresmo


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She announced her retirement in a press conference long after she played her last match of the season and while no one was surprised, it was anti-climactic and didn't allow fans and organizers to pay their proper respect to a career worthy of much.

Best Spouses: Irina Davydenko and Brooklyn Roddick





Nikolay credits his wife with his recent successes and Roddick credits his for bringing him back from the brink of retirement between the 2008 and 2009 seasons. When the camera manages to find these two beautiful women in the stands watching their husbands battle before them, they always appear strong and calm. Obvious is their impact on their husbands' tennis and on-court demeanor.

Coaches Of The Year: Magnus Norman, Larry Stefanki, and Kim Clijsters

The men are credited with two of the best Mid-Career Makeovers of the year and Clijsters took out the sisters back-to-back en route to her second US Open title to become the first unranked woman to win a Slam in the Open Era.

Best Dressed: Tommy Robredo and Flavia Pennetta


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Tommy Robredo of Spain returns a ball to Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their Valencia Open tennis match in Valencia November 6, 2009.

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Flavia Pennetta of Italy celebrates a victory with her flag after the Final of the Fed Cup World Group between Italy and the USA at Circolo Tennis Rocco Polimeni on November 8, 2009 in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Best Tribute: Pancho Gonzalez US Open

Tennis player Richard Alonzo "Pancho" Gonzalez resting in chair courtside between matches during a tournament in Los Angeles on November 17, 1949. Photo by Allan Grant.

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The US Open knows how to do a tribute. If you didn't catch it on your local broadcast, too bad. Here's how the USTA promoted it:

On Saturday night, Sept. 5, special guests, including actor Benjamin Bratt, will host a tribute to former U.S. National Champion Pancho Gonzalez on-court in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The tribute will celebrate Gonzalez on the 60th anniversary of his second consecutive victory at the U.S. Championships and will include a video presentation highlighting Gonzalez’ life and tennis career. Gonzalez family members, as well as a number of former players and Hispanic community leaders, will be in attendance.

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With actors Jimmy Smits, right, and Benjamin Bratt at the side, Danny Gonzales, son of tennis great Pancho Gonzales, speaks at a tribute to his father at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009.

Biggest Controversies: Richard Gasquet kisses a girl, Andre Agassi spits on the ATP, and the International Tennis Federation exhibits impotence

Each one deserves a long essay that I won't take the time to write. What they have in common is doping, favoritism, incompetence and hubris.

Most Egregious Decision: Doha Denies Visa To Shahar Pe'er


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A picture taken on February 20, 2008 shows Israel's Shahar Pe'er during her tennis match against France's Virginie Razzano on the third day of the Qatar Open WTA tournament in Doha. The future of the Dubai Open may be at risk after Peer was prevented from competing in the event which started on February 15, 2009. The world number 48 from Israel has been denied a visa into the Gulf state, bringing a strongly worded statement from the Women's Tennis Association. The blocking is a surprise because Pe'er was given a visa to play in the Qatar Open last year, a visit which was a considerable success both in tennis and diplomatic terms.

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Raise your hand if the aforementioned controversies almost made you forget about this international insult? In several threads, this readership discussed the drama with an intelligence and civility here, here, here, here, and here that left me humbled. Yes, it got hot sometimes. We were discussing religion, politics, and tennis, after all. But at the end of the day, it was one of the best discussions of the controversy I'd read anywhere. And I have no bias, of course. Give yourselves a big round of applause.

Biggest Tennis Powerhouse: Spain Still Reigns


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Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain pose for a photo with their winners trophies and Spanish musicians after their three set victory against Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of the USA in the Womens doubles final during the Sony Ericsson Championships at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex on November 1, 2009 in Doha, Qatar.

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Team Spain attended a cocktail party celebrating their Davis Cup victory on December 6, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain.

Strongest Ovaries: Melanie Oudin


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US tennis player Melanie Oudin celebrates after winning against Russia's Nadia Petrova during day eight of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 7, 2009. Oudin qualified for the quarterfinals winning 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

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It may seem like overkill, but the little woman who could went all out on all surfaces at all events to show the bigger and better players that guts should never be underestimated.

She played clutch tennis to get Team USA into the Fed Cup semifinals. Her run through qualifying and past Jelena Jankovic into the second week of Wimbledon feels like a lifetime ago already. The hype around her remarkable US Open run was hard to resist. She did the best she could in the Fed Cup final and though she lost both her rubbers, she made the Italians put out to take the title. Whatever her future holds, 2009 was a year she'll never forget.

Biggest Balls: Juan Martín del Potro

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Juan Martín Del Potro from Argentina after defeating Roger Federer from Switzerland during the Men's Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 14, 2009 in New York.

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He gets more glory as well. After all, he defeated the "Greatest Of All Time" in a Grand Slam final in a fifth set to win his first major title. It don't get no ballsier than that.

Comment Of The Year

Leslie said...

Right now, for me, Federer is one of the greats. But he's going through a rough patch right now and this will define whether people argue him as just another great or THE greatest.

He had everything. A loving, dedicated girlfriend; he would go weeks, nay, months not losing a match; he was adored the world over, unlike his predecessors; Sampras, Borg, McEnroe, all of them had their "haters".

And the media loved him. He was never the most handsome fellow, but on becoming a major winner and potential great, he cut his hair, controlled his temper, redefined his image and became - in most person's eyes - not only the perfect tennis player, but the perfect gentlemen.

He was the combination of Andre Agassi and Sampras, the success and the fan base all in one.

And now, his empire is crumbling. Do I feel sorry for him? Of course I do. I felt sorry when Jordan embarrassed himself with the Wizards, I felt sorry when Zidane made an ass of himself in the World Cup finals of all places. I feel sorry for everyone, which is tough, because someone has to lose, so obviously I feel sorry a lot.

But I feel no more sorry for Roger Federer than I do for Rafael Nadal when he lost his first Wimbledon final and I saw the tears in his eyes and the desolation in his body language.

Champions will always rise to the top. But the truest champions are capable of rising from the ashes. If Roger Federer rises again and goes on to win another 3, 4 majors, then in my mind, he's the greatest. He limps out of the sport and breaks down, then he's just another great player in the conversation.

It's up to him to prove himself.

Mon Apr 06, 02:15:00 PM

Post: Quote For The Day II (Updated)

Quote For The Year

"From what I have been looking at and reading, it doesn't seem like Venus and Serena are in any hurry to go anywhere. Everyone is always looking for the next big thing. Well, the present, as far as the women's game goes, is pretty good. It feels like [people] will only really appreciate that once they are gone."--Andy Roddick, responding with sarcasm when asked about how everyone is waiting for the "American girl" to come along

Face Of The Year

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French player Mathieu Montcourt rests during a break of his French Open tennis second round match against Czech player Radek Stepanek on May 27, 2009 at Roland Garros stadium in Paris.

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Mathieu Montcourt (March 4, 1985 - July 6, 2009)

Rest in peace.