Just one more thing…

Taylor Townsend

Congratulations to American teenager Taylor Townsend who won the Australian Open Girl’s Singles Final last Saturday. Townsend is a Georgia native who is coached by a former teen phenom Kathy Rinaldi defeated her Russian opponent in three hard fought sets (6-1, 3-6, 6-3).

It’s way to soon to heap a boatload of expectations on her young shoulders. But it does bode well for the future of American tennis. Not only that, a former Girl’s Aussie Champion won the Big Girl’s Crown that same day.

Good job Taylor!

 

Triumph After Disaster

Finalist

It was the epic that most tennisheads expected. It was also the result that most tennis pundits predicted as well. This isn’t going to be some desultory post about the loss. For sure I’m disappointed. But knowing how hard Rafael Nadal fought for nearly 6 hours, and how well he handled himself during the trophy presentation and his post-match press conference, I feel an incredible sense of pride.

There were no tears. There were no recriminations. He didn’t wallow in his defeat. Instead, he praised his part in making more tennis history. He remarked how he actually lives for the, “suffering” (we Nadal fans know all about suffering). In essence, moments like those are the reason why he plays tennis. Who can’t but admire that attitude? Hearing that just makes me look forward to seeing him on the court again very soon.

The fire is there. The passion is just as intense as it ever was. Although Djokovic fans can gloat now, they know that the victory was by no means easy. These two will meet again and  the result will be different.  This I know. I know because Nadal said so. I have no reason to doubt him.  It’s not often that one derives an important life lesson from a tennis match. I learned one last night. It is this; no matter what the odds are, you go on and keep fighting. You may not get the result you desire, but you shouldn’t be ashamed of your effort if you put everything you have in it.

Nadal did just that. All I can say is, Job well done.

 

the final four: Oz Championships, the fellas

I’ll admit, I really don’t want to know what’s going on in Rafael Nadal’s mind right now. Is it just a jumble of bad memories and regret? Or is it an endless stream of fury and point scenarios? What does someone do when they are facing an opponent who has defeated him or her six straight times? SIX.

This time last year, Novak Djokovic was preparing himself for the final against Andy Murray. No one knew that his subsequent victory against Murray would be the launch pad for a furious assault on the number one ranking. Even though history will determine that Novak’s 2011 was one of the best performances in the Open Era, it wasn’t much fun to watch it happening. Especially, since my favorite player was on the receiving end of so many defeats. It looks as if Djokovic hasn’t lost any steam in 2012. Before his five set semi-final victory over Andy Murray, Novak had only lost one set in the tournament.

So how will the final play out? Some people like to listen to a song over and over and over again. Others get quickly tired of the same tune and want to change the dial. The thing is, does Rafa have the wherewithal to do just that?  Judging from his last couple of matches, he can. After a scare with his knee and previous shoulder issues, he’s been serving and moving quite well. The real test is going to be between his ears.  Can he push away those dark thoughts? Can he tap into those mental toughness reserves?

We’ll just have to see. All those previous defeats haven’t been easy on Nadal’s fans either. The sense of trepidation that this final could turn out to be like the others  isn’t unwarranted. A victory for Nadal could very well hinge on hope and luck more than good groundstrokes and easy serves.

I’ll set my tent in the hope and luck camp.

The Final Four: The Oz Championships, Ladies First

Sorry for the lack of posts, I had some problems getting into WordPress, but my brain is working again and here I am. On to tennis:

Vika

 

Sharapova

The Australian Open Ladies Final has been set. Victoria Azarenka, the third ranked player, will meet Maria Sharapova, the fourth ranked player for the Aussie crown. Also, the number one ranking is up for grabs after it was wrested from the eternal grip of Caroline Wozniacki. No more comment is needed regarding that. The woman who wins the match will be the top ranked player, so there’s the guarantee that a Grand Slam winner will finally occupy the top stop.

The head to head is 3 to 3, they play a similar style of game, they are both loud grunters. VERY LOUD. There’s really not much between them on paper. It’s going to be the intangibles that count in this match. Sharapova has a ton of Grand Slam experience. Azarenka is undefeated so far this year. This match is going to be won by the woman who wants it most and who is willing to fight for it.

Personally, I’m rooting for Azarenka. She’s a total badass and a worthy candidate to enter the Big Babe Tennis Brigade.

Good luck, Vika.

 

The Lone One: Week One at Oz

Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Ryan Sweeting, Michael Russel, John Isner, Dennis Kudla, Ryan Harrison, Alex Kusnetsov, Sam Querry, Donald Young.

Christina McHale, Irina Falconi, Sloane Stephens, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Vania King, Jamie Hampton, Madison Keys, Vavara Lepchenko, and Alison Riske.

All American; all entered in either the Men or Women’s Singles; all have been eliminated. Except:

Serena

 

She’s 30, she’s got a gimp ankle, she doesn’t know how she became an athlete, but she’s now the lone American left in the Singles draw. Why is that? Well here are some other facts about Serena. She’s won the Australian Open five times. She’s won the Doubles Championship four times. She’s never lost a first round singles match in a Grand Slam in her entire career. She might not win the title. There’s no denying however, that she has and continues to be the standard-bearer for American tennis. Reviled by some, Confusing to others, yet no one can deny that fact.

Some comedian on Tumblr quipped that she didn’t know they allowed men to play women’s tennis. It was an obvious dig at Serena Williams. The funny thing is, she’s lasted longer than the Men’s Singles players too.

To that I say, HA!

Pressure Cooker: Day 3 at Oz

As the relentless heat continues down under, tempers rose in time with the temperature. There were upsets, yelling, screams and racket smashing. Let’s review:

Frannie S.

After Samantha Stosur’s shock exit the day before, Italy’s top ranked female and last year’s French Open finalist, Francesca Shiavone was ushered out by her compatriot. Sad to see her go. Frannie’s a ton of fun to watch. She’ll be missed.

Mardy Fish

Not to be outdone, the top ranked American, Mardy Fish was dismissed by Alejandro Falla in straight sets. The pile on the by ESPN bobbleheads was immediate. I do think Mardy still has problems keeping it together emotionally when he’s not playing well, though. Although Falla is a great player, this is a match that Fish should have won. Instead, he was listless and temperamental. A distressing trait that we are seeing more and more often. Let’s not forget his very recent dust-up at the Hopman Cup between him and his opponent. Falla reported that during the match, Fish said something less than charitable to him. C’mon now. Even the best players have bad days, Mardy. You just gotta suck it up, tug ‘em down and play. Well, maybe he’ll think about that on his plane ride home.

Then again, he didn’t get as mad as this guy:

Smashing!

Marcos Baghdatis did not take his bad play against Stan Wawrinka well at all. As you can see from the picture, he made quite a job of smashing his racket. He didn’t stop there, he smashed four rackets in succession. There’s a YouTube video of the carnage. I like a good racket smash as much as anyone, but it didn’t seem to help. He lost in four sets and was fined $800. Poor little tink tink.

But what’s a Grand Slam without a questionable call from an umpire? Picture this: It’s the fifth set of a grueling men’s match. The score is knotted at 8 a piece (there are no tiebreakers in final sets). Player one serves and it’s called wide. The crowd erupts. In the confusion, the Umpire overrules the call and says the serve was in. Player two is aghast and asks what the hell is going on. He checks the mark, he asks Player one what he thinks, and then decides to challenge. The Umpire says no. His call stands. Player two is livid, Player one is befuddled but goes on to win the match.

You cannot be serious?

Poor David Nalbandian got hosed for sure. A replay of point showed that the serve was wide. The linesperson was right. Tough break for sure. Although Nalbandian said that the point wasn’t the deciding factor in his loss, we all know it kind of did.

The heat did bring some good things, though. Like this:

Tommy Haas

And this:

There’s No Place Like Home: Day 2 at Oz

There is no place like home, unless you’re Samantha Stosur. With eyes of the entire Australian Open continent upon her, Stosur crashed out of the Australian Open in the 1st round in straight sets to Romanian player, Sorana Cristea. You can’t help but feel for Stosur, the pressure had been mounting since the season started. After her convincing win over Serena Williams at the U.S. Open last fall, expectations were high-probably too high. You could sense how tense Stosur was during the match. Her serve lacked bite, her groundstrokes were erratic and her movement was slow. The huge partisan Aussie crowd lived and died over each point. When Stosur hit her final forehand error on match point, there was a moment of stunned silence.

Now is the time where I’m supposed to congratulate Cristea for gutsy play. In her brief career, the by-line on her was that she has a ton of talent, but she’s been unable to close out the big matches. She did just that yesterday. She was fearless and yet kept it together when it counted. Her screaming forehand at deuce point during the final game was the perfect combination of guile and bravery. A very good effort on her part.

Back to Sam, shall we? Her post match press conference was heartbreaking. Kudos to her for keeping it together and handling the loss with grace. I know I couldn’t do that. I’ll admit it right here and now, I’m a sore loser and a worse winner. Hmmm,  maybe that has something to do with why I was always picked last for kickball. Anyhoo, that sense of sadness turned to anger when I saw the pictures of the headlines blaring in the Australian newspapers. “This is how you do it, Sam!” they screamed while having a picture of a despondent Stosur placed next another Australian (well, this year at least) Jelena Dokic. “Stosur’s Meltdown!”, “Sam Sunk!” and on and on. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Stosur, I felt horrible for her because I’m human and Stosur is human too.

Sometimes I think the sports press forgets that the athletes they follow relentlessly are indeed carbon based organisms. To place so much pressure on an athlete has a price for both parties. For the athlete, it entails constant scrutiny and for the press it means possible overkill and dashed hopes. The remedy however, is to not make matters worse by making fun of the athlete. I know that Australia hasn’t had an Australian citizen win the championship in decades, but they might want to chill with the hype. Lleyton Hewitt was the top ranked male player and winner of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, but he couldn’t quite get it done in Melbourne. Now there’s Sam Stosur who probably hasn’t even had to polish her U.S. Open trophy yet, succumbing to the expectations of her countrymen and women. There might be a lesson to be learned there.

I can only imagine how the players from the U.K, France, Australia, and the U.S. feel. To win a slam on the home front is a monumental achievement and yet so few have been able to do so. Although I love the Grand Slams for their drama, I can’t help but cringe a bit for Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Marion Bartoli, The Williams Sisters, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Bernard Tomic, and Casey Dellaqua. That’s because I knew the heat of the spotlight is just a bit hotter for them and the defeats are just that much more bitter. It’s not the kind of feeling you want at home.

 

Fashion Forward: Day 1 at Oz

The 2012 Australian Open is officially underway. The story for day one was the heat. After a week of mild and rainy weather, the Aussie summer arrived at full blast with temperatures reaching the high 90′s (Fahrenheit). The two top guys won. The two favorites on the ladies’ side came through comfortably. A couple of dark horses struggled early on. The oldest women’s player was bounced and one of the youngest was trounced. There was a dramatic women’s match, a comeback from an American full of promise and a mild upset.Yes, yes, all very compelling.

However, the most important subject of the day was the fashion. It’s the first Slam of the year, so everyone’s watching to see what the clothing sponsors were going to inflict upon us.

Adidas gave us this:

Fernando Verdasco

Was it something he did in a former life? No one deserves this kind of punishment no matter how much money is dished out. To make matters worse, his entourage was decked out in this monstrosity as well. Nothing bands together a bunch of men like sharing the shame of a horrible outfit. He lost his match in five sets. If he was smart, he’d toss the entire outfit in the trash bin. But Adidas wasn’t finished. For the ladies…

Caroline Wozniacki

Maria Kirilenko

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This tangerine/pink combo is simply a crime against the non-colorblind. Horrific. I’m sure many tennis fans were hit with a craving for a Big Mac and some fries.

Let’s see what Nike had for us:

Petra K.

Vika A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m digging the teal/purple/light green combo. Vika’s shorts are quit natty and a nice departure from the regular tennis skirts and dresses. The focus is definitely more gym babe than Victoria’s Secret model.

Let’s look at the custom kits, shall we?

Federer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say, Nike always does Federer well. This year is no exception. The red and white combo is simple and stylish. The white initials are needless I think considering everyone knows who “RF” is.  Good job.

Rafa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rafa’s Nike kit follows the same tradition for him: Bright colors. The shorts are slightly shorter this year than in previous ones and the knee bandage isn’t available for purchase. It took a while to get used to the light green, but now I like it. It suits him. He also has the best custom shoes in the game.

And as for Fila:

Kim C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black/White/Lime Green combo. One word: Boring! I’ve always loved Fila’s simple, color blocked style but this is unimaginative. Oh but wait..

Jelena J.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Jelena Jankovic’s custom Fila kit…You know what, nevermind.

 

Li Ning is bringing the Canary Yellow.

Ivan L.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lacoste is bringing the White (as usual) with a little bit of tan.

John Isner

Alize Cornet

Reluctant Rebel With a Real Cause

I woke up today to the buzz over Rafael Nadal’s pre-tournament press conference. In it, he criticizes Federer for basically keeping up that status quo and criticizing players who speak out for change. ”For him it’s good to say nothing. Everything positive. ‘It’s all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman,’ and the rest can burn themselves”, Nadal is quoted as saying during the Spanish portion of his presser. He also warned that there may be, “strong action” if changes aren’t made, but he was no longer interested in being in the forefront because he feels as if he is the lone person complaining publicly.

This divide isn’t new. For months, the rift between the two most recognizable and respected athletes in tennis had been reported. When the ATP was in search of a new head, Nadal wanted tour veteran Richard Krajicek to take the helm whereas Federer wanted someone with more business experience. Nadal favors a two year ranking system, Federer does not. Nadal wants a shorter season with less play on hardcourts, Federer is fine with the schedule as is. The two even met during the World Tour Finals to hammer out some of their differences. From Nadal’s comments, not much was accomplished. For now we are left with a frustrated No. 2 , a complacent No. 3 and a tour in flux.

Nadal says he’s not alone in his stance and there is evidence to show that. No. 4 ranked player, Andy Murray has complained in the past as well as American stalwart, Andy Roddick. Former players, coaches and commentators have all stated that the season is too long and the injuries are too numerous. Tennis fans all over the net have railed against the wonky decisions from the Powers That Be. The failure of the ATP and the ITF to address these issues have indeed become a mountain instead of a molehill.

The reactions I have read are split. Nadal fans are in full support of their man. Federer fans think their guy is right. The tennis press in a rare attempt to seem neutral have attempted to outline both sides of the argument, but they can’t help themselves from making this another chapter in the FEDAL wars. The thing is, Nadal’s concerns run deeper than a tiff with Federer. Depending on how you feel, this is really about the tennis tour as it is now versus how it’s going to be in the future. It’s more than just a multi-millionaire athlete speaking from a place of self interest. This is about the long term survival of the tour. Nadal is addressing a wide range of problems: from the length of the tour, to revenue sharing, to player representation, to the opportunities of lower ranked players to make a living.

That’s not to say that I agree with everything Nadal says. I’m no blind stan. I do support his right to say whatever he feels though without making himself or the tour look bad. I do wish that the other players who feel the same will support him and turn all this talk into action. I’m also interested in Federer’s response to all of this. Yes a Grand Slam tournament is about to start but this shit is important. I don’t give a damn if there’s a ripple in the Federer/Nadal bromance, these issues need to be addressed.

In short, the Emperor is losing his jacket and nobody puts Baby Rafa in a corner.

Fight the Power!

Wish List

Now that the brackets have been analyzed to death and the predictions have been made, let me show you what I would like to happen at the Australian Open 2012:

REPEAT!!!