The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, did something no man in the Open Era had ever done - win the same major tournament eight times. The Matador from Mallorca did just that on a cool Sunday final afternoon with a dominating 62 63 62 win over his countryman David Ferrer, who was making his first appearance in a Grand Slam final at 31 years of age. It was Nadal's 12th Grand Slam title.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Ferrer, who hadn't dropped a set in his six matches to get to the final. He got down a break early but then got it back. Then he gave it up again and Nadal crucially took the first set. From then on, it was all Rafa, and you never got the sense he was going to let his good buddy back into the match. The under-sized fighter fought, and fought hard, but whenever he made any in-roads Nadal was there to stop him, with the vicious forehand sizzling like meat on a barbeque.
Eight French Opens. Whatever way you slice it, and no matter who you support, that is an achievement that will go down in history as one of the great feats in this great sport. Nadal is unquestionably the greatest to ever step foot on Court Chatrier, and it will be a long time before a player can do what he has done on the surface. We may never see something like it ever again.
Personally, I don't like Nadal, but I don't dislike him either. As I have matured I have come to see him in a neutral light and appreciate the legend that he truly is. I have watched him more in 2013 than in any other year and I have seen in great detail how dominating his game is when he is rolling. He can dictate with the forehand like no other (except maybe Federer).
His backhand, while not what you would call an elite backhand like Djokovic or Murray's, is one of the best simply for the power and angle he can generate with it from far behind the baseline, creating ridiculous passing shots with the strength of his right hand. His defense is extraordinary, even if he was much faster back in his younger years. His serve has improved a ton in the last five years and is a big weapon for him (and will be in the future as he tries to shorten points off clay to protect his body). His return of serve, while not great like Djokovic, Murray, or Ferrer's, is an example of what every club level player should do with the return - first and foremost, get it back in the court. I know, because I absolutely hate missing returns I should get back in play. It is like a cardinal sin. And Rafa understands this, and he just does not miss returns he should get within the court.
You may be thinking to yourself, "isn't he a Federer guy? What's with this sudden praise of Nadal?" Don't worry, Roger is still the undisputed greatest ever in my mind and I could write 10,000 words as to why. But I see things differently than I used to back when Rafa was the guy you didn't like because he was Federer's arch-rival. I appreciate how great Rafa is to be so good for so long on clay (and how great he has become on hardcourt and grass), especially with how many injuries he has had the last 8 years. It has taken tremendous dedication, and unrelenting work ethic, and a true love of the game to keep coming back from what he has had to endure.
With his 8th French Open, Nadal became the first man ever to win a Slam title in 9 straight years (Federer won in 8 straight, 2003 to 2010). That is very impressive to say the least. Personally, Federer's 8-year streak is more impressive for me because Roger won 3 Slams a season in 3 different years (2004, 2006, 2007), and 2 in two other years (2005, 2009), with winning one in the 3 other years (2003, 2008, 2010). I think those 16 Slams in 8 years is more impressive than Nadal's 12 Slams in 9 years (1 each in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, and up to now 2013, with 3 in 2010 and 2 in 2008).
Just one other thing to touch on before I wrap this up - the future for Rafa Nadal.
Since returning from his 7-month absence, Rafa has come back with a vengeance: 43-2, 7 titles in 9 finals, with 3 Masters and now a Grand Slam. It has been remarkable. But his dominance this year could end now.
He has played 8 of his 9 tournaments on clay so far. I said back in February that Rafa would be as dominant as ever on the red stuff, because it is where he is most comfortable and confident. I said the real test would come after the French Open. Now, here we are. He has already withdrawn from Halle, which is a smart move since he's already played 45 matches this year (in comparison Federer has 29, Djokovic has 38, and Murray has 27) and played a taxing tournament in Paris. Then comes Wimbledon, where he might be a favourite if he's playing well, though I think any of the big 4 could take it. And then it will get real difficult for him as the rest of the year is played on medium-fast hardcourts, which, as we all know, don't suit Nadal's knees well. Will Rafa run out of gas? Can he stay healthy? I'm sure we will see a lesser schedule from him in the second half of the year, perhaps missing Cincinnati and Basel or Paris.
Regardless, it's a good time to be a Nadal fan. His comeback has been remarkable. I give my sincere congratulations on winning his 12th Grand Slam title and record-breaking 8th French Open.
Now onto the grass!
Sunday, June 09, 2013
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Federer Falls to Tsonga in French Open
In his 36th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, Roger Federer's hopes of being in another Grand Slam final were dashed by the dangerous Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 in a rather one-sided affair.
The conditions were windy, and after the first few games of getting used to the breeze, Federer struck the first blow as he broke in the fifth game with a smooth inside-out forehand. Both men held once and then came the big turning point in the match, the seventh game with Federer serving at 4-3. The Swiss went up 40-15 when Tsonga hit a ridiculous forehand angle winner to get to 40-30. On that point, Roger hit a simple error and it was deuce. Then he swung a forehand drive volley wide and then a routine forehand into the net gave the crowd favourite the break back.
From then, on it was all Tsonga, who is the first Frenchman to appear in a Roland Garros semifinal since Gael Monfils in 2008 (who played Federer). He won the first set and overall won 7 of the next games to take a 7-5, 3-0 lead. Federer held his own service games for the remainder of the set but couldn't get a sniff on Tsonga's service games, and quickly, almost too quickly, it was two sets to none for the Tsuper Tsonga.
In the third it didn't get much better as Roger lost serve in the opening game but he managed to break back. Then at 3-3 he played some loose tennis and gave up the break, which was the final nail in the coffin. A bad match from the 17-time major winner, and it's now onto the grass as he prepares for Wimbledon, where he is the defending champion.
Now, I will give you my in-depth thoughts about everything to do with this match and what the future holds now for Mr. Federer.
First off, many people are overreacting to this loss, saying that Federer will never win another Slam, that he isn't a top 5 player anymore, that he should just retire now, you get the idea. At the end of the day, Tsonga played a good match and Federer played a bad one, and that is what led to a straight sets defeat. I have heard people say he lost so badly because he has declined steeply, which, let's face it, is what we have been hearing for the last 5 years.
Tennis players have bad days. They do when they are 31 going on 32, they do when they are 28, they do when they are 24. This loss doesn't mean he's finished, or that he will never have another shot at glory during Grand Slam play. The motivation isn't lacking like some fans and pundits say, he just had a bad day. His forehand was wild. His return of serve was struggling. He missed simple overheads that he never misses.
Certainly the wind did not help much. When you aren't timing the ball well and in a good rhythm, the very last thing you want is wind which will screw up your timing of the ball even more. It probably didn't help his serve either as unlike Tsonga, he couldn't really hit through the court. He didn't hit once ace in the match.
Federer is declining. It is clear, and inevitable that everyone will decline at some point as age catches up to them. Against Tsonga, we did see some glaring glimpses that he was not who he once was even two years ago. He does not possess as much power. His reaction time is not as sharp. He cannot defend as he once did, especially on clay which is the most physical surface of them all. But his anticipation, racquet skills, tennis knowledge, and tactics have not diminished, and he is still capable of playing tennis as well as he did in his prime. The problem now is that he's just more inconsistent. He has more bad days than he used to. That happens when you are over 30 and have played over 1100 matches at the professional level. Not to mention the fact that he has been at the top of the game non-stop for the last decade, competing against amazing players who have pushed him hard.
So what does the future lie in store for the great man? If there is one positive from going out in the quarterfinals it is that he will have extra time to prepare for Wimbledon, starting with the warm-up tournament in Halle. I am sure Fed is going to go all out at Wimbledon once again this year knowing it is his best chance at another Slam title.
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I think he is going to push really hard in the second half of the year to do well. Last year, he had so much success in the first half of the year and played so many matches (lots of tough, mentally and physically exhausting ones as well) that he kind of ran out of gas after Cincinnati. This year he had only played 29 matches with a record of 22-7. We know of the problems with his back, but he just hasn't played as much because he hasn't gone as deep in tournaments as he did last year.
Think about it: 5 matches in Australia (one walkover), 4 in Rotterdam (one walkover), 5 in Dubai, 6 in Indian Wells, 2 in Miami, 5 in Madrid, 4 in Rome, and 6 at the French Open. This year: 6 in Australia, 3 in Rotterdam, 4 in Dubai, 4 in Indian Wells, 2 in Madrid, 5 in Rome, and 5 in the French Open. By this time last year he was 34-5 with 4 titles. He was in a good rhythm and had great confidence from winning so many matches he could have and perhaps should have lost. This year, he has had a few bad losses, namely to Benneteau in Rotterdam, Berdych in Dubai (a shattering defeat mentally), and Nishikori in Madrid. I do believe that lack of match play and lack of success did hurt him in this match against Tsonga, as right after he gave up the break in the first the wheels came flying off (unlike last year, where the wheels on the bus go round and round....).
I honestly think Roger is going to have a good second half of the year. Halle, Wimbledon, Canada, Cincinnati, the US Open, Shanghai, Basel, Paris, and the WTF are all surfaces that suit his game. I would like to see him skip Shanghai and play Paris like he did in 2011 as playing indoors is better for his game.
As for the rest of the French Open, the semifinals are set and they feature Tsonga vs Ferrer and the much-anticipated Nadal vs Djokovic rematch from last year. This is now the 4th year in a row the two of them have played in at least one Slam.
Djokovic was given a stern test by Tommy Haas in the quarters, who undoubtedly is playing some of his finest tennis at age 35, quite the remarkable feat. Stan Wawrinka had nothing against Rafael Nadal and was dispatched easily.
If I was a betting man, I would pick Djokovic over Nadal and Ferrer over Tsonga, even though the better story would be Tsonga vs Djokovic in a rematch of last year's epic quarterfinal. Tsonga won't be able to exploit Ferrer like he did Federer - the Spaniard defends and returns better, and you can guarantee he won't litter errors like Roger did either, unless he implodes under pressure. But as it stands, Jo is the one with the most pressure as he looks to become the first French man to make the final since 1983 when Yannick Noah won.
Before I finish just one quick note to all Federer fans reading this: don't be too disappointed. Even if Roger had beaten Tsonga and Ferrer and made the final it would have been a very, very tough challenge to beat Nadal or Djokovic. From here on out, his best chances at the Slams lie at Wimbledon and the US Open and even the Australian Open as even with the slower court there, it's still played on hard.
Enjoy the rest of the tournament and we'll see Federer in Halle, looking to win that title for a 6th time.
Kyle.
The conditions were windy, and after the first few games of getting used to the breeze, Federer struck the first blow as he broke in the fifth game with a smooth inside-out forehand. Both men held once and then came the big turning point in the match, the seventh game with Federer serving at 4-3. The Swiss went up 40-15 when Tsonga hit a ridiculous forehand angle winner to get to 40-30. On that point, Roger hit a simple error and it was deuce. Then he swung a forehand drive volley wide and then a routine forehand into the net gave the crowd favourite the break back.
From then, on it was all Tsonga, who is the first Frenchman to appear in a Roland Garros semifinal since Gael Monfils in 2008 (who played Federer). He won the first set and overall won 7 of the next games to take a 7-5, 3-0 lead. Federer held his own service games for the remainder of the set but couldn't get a sniff on Tsonga's service games, and quickly, almost too quickly, it was two sets to none for the Tsuper Tsonga.
In the third it didn't get much better as Roger lost serve in the opening game but he managed to break back. Then at 3-3 he played some loose tennis and gave up the break, which was the final nail in the coffin. A bad match from the 17-time major winner, and it's now onto the grass as he prepares for Wimbledon, where he is the defending champion.
Now, I will give you my in-depth thoughts about everything to do with this match and what the future holds now for Mr. Federer.
First off, many people are overreacting to this loss, saying that Federer will never win another Slam, that he isn't a top 5 player anymore, that he should just retire now, you get the idea. At the end of the day, Tsonga played a good match and Federer played a bad one, and that is what led to a straight sets defeat. I have heard people say he lost so badly because he has declined steeply, which, let's face it, is what we have been hearing for the last 5 years.
Tennis players have bad days. They do when they are 31 going on 32, they do when they are 28, they do when they are 24. This loss doesn't mean he's finished, or that he will never have another shot at glory during Grand Slam play. The motivation isn't lacking like some fans and pundits say, he just had a bad day. His forehand was wild. His return of serve was struggling. He missed simple overheads that he never misses.
Certainly the wind did not help much. When you aren't timing the ball well and in a good rhythm, the very last thing you want is wind which will screw up your timing of the ball even more. It probably didn't help his serve either as unlike Tsonga, he couldn't really hit through the court. He didn't hit once ace in the match.
Federer is declining. It is clear, and inevitable that everyone will decline at some point as age catches up to them. Against Tsonga, we did see some glaring glimpses that he was not who he once was even two years ago. He does not possess as much power. His reaction time is not as sharp. He cannot defend as he once did, especially on clay which is the most physical surface of them all. But his anticipation, racquet skills, tennis knowledge, and tactics have not diminished, and he is still capable of playing tennis as well as he did in his prime. The problem now is that he's just more inconsistent. He has more bad days than he used to. That happens when you are over 30 and have played over 1100 matches at the professional level. Not to mention the fact that he has been at the top of the game non-stop for the last decade, competing against amazing players who have pushed him hard.
So what does the future lie in store for the great man? If there is one positive from going out in the quarterfinals it is that he will have extra time to prepare for Wimbledon, starting with the warm-up tournament in Halle. I am sure Fed is going to go all out at Wimbledon once again this year knowing it is his best chance at another Slam title.
.
I think he is going to push really hard in the second half of the year to do well. Last year, he had so much success in the first half of the year and played so many matches (lots of tough, mentally and physically exhausting ones as well) that he kind of ran out of gas after Cincinnati. This year he had only played 29 matches with a record of 22-7. We know of the problems with his back, but he just hasn't played as much because he hasn't gone as deep in tournaments as he did last year.
Think about it: 5 matches in Australia (one walkover), 4 in Rotterdam (one walkover), 5 in Dubai, 6 in Indian Wells, 2 in Miami, 5 in Madrid, 4 in Rome, and 6 at the French Open. This year: 6 in Australia, 3 in Rotterdam, 4 in Dubai, 4 in Indian Wells, 2 in Madrid, 5 in Rome, and 5 in the French Open. By this time last year he was 34-5 with 4 titles. He was in a good rhythm and had great confidence from winning so many matches he could have and perhaps should have lost. This year, he has had a few bad losses, namely to Benneteau in Rotterdam, Berdych in Dubai (a shattering defeat mentally), and Nishikori in Madrid. I do believe that lack of match play and lack of success did hurt him in this match against Tsonga, as right after he gave up the break in the first the wheels came flying off (unlike last year, where the wheels on the bus go round and round....).
I honestly think Roger is going to have a good second half of the year. Halle, Wimbledon, Canada, Cincinnati, the US Open, Shanghai, Basel, Paris, and the WTF are all surfaces that suit his game. I would like to see him skip Shanghai and play Paris like he did in 2011 as playing indoors is better for his game.
As for the rest of the French Open, the semifinals are set and they feature Tsonga vs Ferrer and the much-anticipated Nadal vs Djokovic rematch from last year. This is now the 4th year in a row the two of them have played in at least one Slam.
Djokovic was given a stern test by Tommy Haas in the quarters, who undoubtedly is playing some of his finest tennis at age 35, quite the remarkable feat. Stan Wawrinka had nothing against Rafael Nadal and was dispatched easily.
If I was a betting man, I would pick Djokovic over Nadal and Ferrer over Tsonga, even though the better story would be Tsonga vs Djokovic in a rematch of last year's epic quarterfinal. Tsonga won't be able to exploit Ferrer like he did Federer - the Spaniard defends and returns better, and you can guarantee he won't litter errors like Roger did either, unless he implodes under pressure. But as it stands, Jo is the one with the most pressure as he looks to become the first French man to make the final since 1983 when Yannick Noah won.
Before I finish just one quick note to all Federer fans reading this: don't be too disappointed. Even if Roger had beaten Tsonga and Ferrer and made the final it would have been a very, very tough challenge to beat Nadal or Djokovic. From here on out, his best chances at the Slams lie at Wimbledon and the US Open and even the Australian Open as even with the slower court there, it's still played on hard.
Enjoy the rest of the tournament and we'll see Federer in Halle, looking to win that title for a 6th time.
Kyle.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
French Open Week One Wrap-Up
The first seven days have come and gone at the 2013 French Open and it was a very entertaining week of tennis. The usual suspects are through to the round of 16 with a few exceptions and the second week looks to be very entertaining with many great matches.
Since I am a Federer fan I will start with him. He had a simple draw to the 4th round facing a qualifier, young prospect Pablo Carreno-Busta in round one (62 62 63), then another qualifier in Somdev Devvarman in the second round (62 62 61). He won both those matches comfortably playing his unique brand on all-court attacking tennis, serving well and hitting many winners. Then in the 3rd round he faced a man that can be tricky for him, Julien Benneteau, but the Frenchman was coming off a long 5-setter and had a leg injury. He came through that one rather easily 63 64 75. He has been on court a very short time through his first three matches and that should only bode well for the next week when the matches get tougher.
Even though Roger did not have a difficult path to the 4th round, it is undeniable that he is playing very good tennis this week. He is confident, playing aggressive, hitting over the backhand return of serve, and coming to the net plentifully. Overall in the 3 matches, he has hit 125 winners to 73 unforced errors, a differential of +52. That right there shows you how aggressive he has been, hitting an average of 41.6 winners per match and 13.8 per set. You might say it was easier to hit winners given his three opponents, but you could probably estimate that Djokovic and Nadal would not have hit that many winners in each match.
Speaking of Nadal and Djokovic, it has been a different story for both of them. The World #1 had a tricky opening match against David Goffin (who made the 4th round last year and took a set off Federer) which he won in three tight sets. He then had a much easier contest against Guido Pella before an anticipated 3rd round match against Grigor Dimitrov, who upset him a few weeks ago in Madrid. The young talented Bulgarian made no dents in the Djokovic armor this time and only won 7 games in a lopsided defeat.
Rafael Nadal has struggled a fair bit so far in this tournament and he is far from the player we saw last year when he was rolling through easily. He had a tough 1st rounder against German Daniel Brands, a big guy, the kind that can give Rafa trouble. He took the first set and went up 3-0 in the 2nd set tiebreak before Nadal came roaring back to win the tiebreak and the next two sets. Then in the 2nd round the King of Clay faced Martin Klizan, who also took the opening set before falling in 4 to the Mallorcan native. And in what looked to be an easier 3rd round encounter against the Italian superstar Fabio Fognini, Rafa struggled once again going down a break twice in the opening set (once at 6-5) before he eventually worked his way to a straight sets win.
Federer has cruised, Djokovic has looked solid, and Nadal has looked shaky and lacking confidence, which sounds absurd to say because he has been so great on the dirt this season. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is slated to meet Federer in the quarterfinals, has not dropped a set and looks as dangerous as he did last year when he fell to Djokovic after having multiple match points. And the scrappy Spaniard David Ferrer, seeded #4 this event, has quietly gone about his business and marched through all his matches under the radar.
Other main highlights from the week that was:
The 1st round match between 5th seed Tomas Berdych and wildcard Gael Monfils felt like an anticipated quarterfinal match-up instead of a 1st round. The beyond-athletic Frenchman won in 5 sets after winning the first two; it was a highly entertaining match but the end result saw one of the big guns knocked outin the very first round. Monfils next took on an in-form Ernests Gulbis and he won that match in 4 sets (more on Gulbis later).
Unfortunately for the French crowd, Monfils' luck ran out in the 3rd round when he lost to veteran Spaniard Tommy Robredo in 5 sets after having 4 match points in the 4th set. The win for Robredo sent him into tears and he will have a shot at making the quarterfinals once again at the French Open (he did in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 as well).
Tommy Haas continues to amaze at 35 years of age, and he moved to the round of 16 after outlasting big John Isner in a 5-set match in which he won 10-8 in the final set. Isner played the day before against Ryan Harrison, where he won 8-6 in the 5th set after coming back from two sets down. Isner, who should be known now as the Marathon Man, saved 12 (yes 12) match points in the 4th set and then was up a break in the 5th set before the wily German broke back and served it out in the 18th game of the set.
By the 5th Isner was visibly injured and was giving up on drop shots Haas threw his way. Still, it's astounding to see a man of Isner's size fight through his fatigue and physical problems to keep hanging in there, large part thanks to his massive serve. It was a match that will be remembered as an epic, especially when you consider one of the participants was 35 years old.
Another interesting story was 18 year-old Nick Kyrgios who won the Junior Australian Open in January, played his first pro Grand Slam ever and took out Radek Stepanek in three tiebreaks. He lost to Marin Cilic in round two but it was a success story for the kid in his first Slam. I hope we see more of him in the next decade.
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There are a few off-court issues I want to put in this article.
The first, as I noted earlier, had to do with Ernests Gulbis, the brash talented Latvian who is very outspoken. He has a very rich family and he has a history of partying and general off-court behaviour problems. He has gotten his game together this year and has pushed Rafael Nadal to the limit twice, once in Indian Wells and the other in Madrid. After his match it was brought to the media's attention of some words he said a few months back (and maybe he repeated them after his post-match presser after losing to Monfils). To paraphrase it, he basically said that the big 4 (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Murray) are boring with their press conferences, saying the same things and not being interesting enough for his liking. Very honest and always the attention seeker, Gulbis spoke his mind and that's fine. He is entitled to his opinions.
The one problem I have with it is that he does not understand the heavy toll these press conferences take on these 4 men, especially Federer, who is the most sought after by the media of all the tennis players. They have the most press conferences (because they win the most, while Gulbis has very few in comparison) and they are forced to sit there and answer the same questions over and over again, and in the case of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, in different languages.
I'll use this example: after his 3rd round win against Benneteau, Federer was asked about the new Asian league that will take place in the coming off-season which features the other three members of the big 4. Federer replied "I've already answered it, look at my last two transcripts." That was more or less what he said. Basically, another repeated question. That sort of thing happens all the time in press conferences for these 4 guys and you know it must get very tiring after a while, especially Federer, who has basically been answering the same questions for the last 5-plus years since his decline from the stratosphere after the end of 2007.
Gulbis pretty much wants their pressers to be like those you see in boxing, with trash talking, controversy, and the like. Sorry Ernests, that is just not the way it works. All these 4 amazing athletes respect each other a lot and are humble and courteous to one another. Their pressers may sound boring to you (Gulbis, not you the readers), but maybe you would understand if you had them after each match for an entire season (75-95 matches) where you get poked and prodded over and over all the while being annoyed more and more.
Sorry, that just really grinds my grill.
The other thing: On Thursday, Rafael Nadal's 2nd round match against Klizan was postponed due to rain until Friday where they went on first on Court Suzanne Lenglen. After his win, he complained about not being put on earlier (before the women, because they play best of 3) and the fact that his next opponent, Fognini, was able to complete his match against Lukas Rosol and have a full day off.
His remarks were direct and honest and a bit harsh. I stand on the fence. I understand his frustration that he wasn't given priority over the women (a match that featured Victoria Azarenka). I also don't understand why he was unhappy that Fognini finished his match. Were the organizers supposed to not let them complete the match (which was on another court) just because Rafa wasn't going to get on?
The bottom line is that weather at the French Open and US Open can screw up a schedule badly. Every player has gone through what Rafa went through, and while he has a point that men should be given priority over the women (because of the longer length), in the end he may not have finished on Thursday if he was put in the scheduled spot that Azarenka had - and then he would have had to play three straight days, which I know he would have hated.
Besides, there would be no problem whatsoever if the tournament put in lights and a roof on Chatrier and Lenglen so players could play beyond 9:30. It is 2013 after all, not 1813.
Okay, enough with the Kyle rant session.
Predictions for the Round of 16:
Sunday features the bottom half foursome pairs of Federer/Simon, Tsonga/Troicki, Ferrer/Anderson, and Almagro/Robredo.
Federer has had tough matches against Simon in the past but he beat him easily in Rome two weeks ago and expect more of the same here. Simon is coming off two five-setters in three matches and should be tired. Kevin Anderson beat David Ferrer in Indian Wells earlier this year, but expect the Spaniard to advance in 3 or 4. Troicki, the 3rd-ranked Serbian, has played well so far but he is going up against a hot Tsonga so Jo should win in 4 at the maximum. Almagro vs Robredo could be interesting but Tommy could have his gas tank empty after the tough match vs Monfils.
The top half features Djokovic/Kohlschreiber, Haas/Youzhny, Nadal/Nishikori, and Wawrinka/Gasquet.
Kohlschreiber beat Djokovic in straight sets here in 2009 but Djokovic as we all know is a whole different animal now in Slams than he was then. Expect Djokovic in 4 at worst. Haas vs Youzhny should be a good match and the German has a real chance if he recovers well after the match vs Isner. Nadal, though he has struggled thus far, should take care of Nishikori. The only way the Japanese talent has a chance is if his backhand (his best shot) is firing. Wawrinka vs Gasquet is the battle of the beautidul one-handers and it could very well go 5 sets in a toss up. Both are in good form and Gasquet will have the French crowd behind. Take your pick; I say Gasquet in 5.
Very much looking forward to seeing who these matches unfold. Now, I leave you with stats.
Winners/Unforced Errors through the first 3 matches for all R16 players:
Djokovic: 68/79 (-9) - 9 sets
Federer: 125/73 (+52) - 9 sets
Nadal: 91/95 (-4) - 11 sets
Ferrer: 86/73 (+13) - 9 sets
Tsonga: 88/93 (-5) - 9 sets
Gasquet: 92/46 (+46) - 9 sets
Wwarinka: 153/112 (+49) - 11 sets
Almagro: 124/102 (+22) - 10 sets
Haas: 146/114 (+32) - 11 sets
Nishikori: 96/115 (-19) - 11 sets
Simon: 131/119 (+12) - 14 sets
Kohlschreiber: 90/64 (+26) - 6 sets (one walkover)
Anderson: 127/85 (+42) - 10 sets)
Youzhny: 157/126 (+31) - 12 sets
Robredo: 134/88 (+46) - 11 sets
Troicki: 122/104 (+18) - 11 sets
Total stats:
1830 winners, 1488 errors, +342 difference, 163 sets.
PS: This round of 16 has 8 players with a one-handed backhand: Federer, Gasquet, Wawrinka, Almagro, Haas, Kohlschreiber, Youzhny, Robredo. Quite cool!
Kyle.
Since I am a Federer fan I will start with him. He had a simple draw to the 4th round facing a qualifier, young prospect Pablo Carreno-Busta in round one (62 62 63), then another qualifier in Somdev Devvarman in the second round (62 62 61). He won both those matches comfortably playing his unique brand on all-court attacking tennis, serving well and hitting many winners. Then in the 3rd round he faced a man that can be tricky for him, Julien Benneteau, but the Frenchman was coming off a long 5-setter and had a leg injury. He came through that one rather easily 63 64 75. He has been on court a very short time through his first three matches and that should only bode well for the next week when the matches get tougher.
Even though Roger did not have a difficult path to the 4th round, it is undeniable that he is playing very good tennis this week. He is confident, playing aggressive, hitting over the backhand return of serve, and coming to the net plentifully. Overall in the 3 matches, he has hit 125 winners to 73 unforced errors, a differential of +52. That right there shows you how aggressive he has been, hitting an average of 41.6 winners per match and 13.8 per set. You might say it was easier to hit winners given his three opponents, but you could probably estimate that Djokovic and Nadal would not have hit that many winners in each match.
Speaking of Nadal and Djokovic, it has been a different story for both of them. The World #1 had a tricky opening match against David Goffin (who made the 4th round last year and took a set off Federer) which he won in three tight sets. He then had a much easier contest against Guido Pella before an anticipated 3rd round match against Grigor Dimitrov, who upset him a few weeks ago in Madrid. The young talented Bulgarian made no dents in the Djokovic armor this time and only won 7 games in a lopsided defeat.
Rafael Nadal has struggled a fair bit so far in this tournament and he is far from the player we saw last year when he was rolling through easily. He had a tough 1st rounder against German Daniel Brands, a big guy, the kind that can give Rafa trouble. He took the first set and went up 3-0 in the 2nd set tiebreak before Nadal came roaring back to win the tiebreak and the next two sets. Then in the 2nd round the King of Clay faced Martin Klizan, who also took the opening set before falling in 4 to the Mallorcan native. And in what looked to be an easier 3rd round encounter against the Italian superstar Fabio Fognini, Rafa struggled once again going down a break twice in the opening set (once at 6-5) before he eventually worked his way to a straight sets win.
Federer has cruised, Djokovic has looked solid, and Nadal has looked shaky and lacking confidence, which sounds absurd to say because he has been so great on the dirt this season. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is slated to meet Federer in the quarterfinals, has not dropped a set and looks as dangerous as he did last year when he fell to Djokovic after having multiple match points. And the scrappy Spaniard David Ferrer, seeded #4 this event, has quietly gone about his business and marched through all his matches under the radar.
Other main highlights from the week that was:
The 1st round match between 5th seed Tomas Berdych and wildcard Gael Monfils felt like an anticipated quarterfinal match-up instead of a 1st round. The beyond-athletic Frenchman won in 5 sets after winning the first two; it was a highly entertaining match but the end result saw one of the big guns knocked outin the very first round. Monfils next took on an in-form Ernests Gulbis and he won that match in 4 sets (more on Gulbis later).
Unfortunately for the French crowd, Monfils' luck ran out in the 3rd round when he lost to veteran Spaniard Tommy Robredo in 5 sets after having 4 match points in the 4th set. The win for Robredo sent him into tears and he will have a shot at making the quarterfinals once again at the French Open (he did in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 as well).
Tommy Haas continues to amaze at 35 years of age, and he moved to the round of 16 after outlasting big John Isner in a 5-set match in which he won 10-8 in the final set. Isner played the day before against Ryan Harrison, where he won 8-6 in the 5th set after coming back from two sets down. Isner, who should be known now as the Marathon Man, saved 12 (yes 12) match points in the 4th set and then was up a break in the 5th set before the wily German broke back and served it out in the 18th game of the set.
By the 5th Isner was visibly injured and was giving up on drop shots Haas threw his way. Still, it's astounding to see a man of Isner's size fight through his fatigue and physical problems to keep hanging in there, large part thanks to his massive serve. It was a match that will be remembered as an epic, especially when you consider one of the participants was 35 years old.
Another interesting story was 18 year-old Nick Kyrgios who won the Junior Australian Open in January, played his first pro Grand Slam ever and took out Radek Stepanek in three tiebreaks. He lost to Marin Cilic in round two but it was a success story for the kid in his first Slam. I hope we see more of him in the next decade.
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There are a few off-court issues I want to put in this article.
The first, as I noted earlier, had to do with Ernests Gulbis, the brash talented Latvian who is very outspoken. He has a very rich family and he has a history of partying and general off-court behaviour problems. He has gotten his game together this year and has pushed Rafael Nadal to the limit twice, once in Indian Wells and the other in Madrid. After his match it was brought to the media's attention of some words he said a few months back (and maybe he repeated them after his post-match presser after losing to Monfils). To paraphrase it, he basically said that the big 4 (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Murray) are boring with their press conferences, saying the same things and not being interesting enough for his liking. Very honest and always the attention seeker, Gulbis spoke his mind and that's fine. He is entitled to his opinions.
The one problem I have with it is that he does not understand the heavy toll these press conferences take on these 4 men, especially Federer, who is the most sought after by the media of all the tennis players. They have the most press conferences (because they win the most, while Gulbis has very few in comparison) and they are forced to sit there and answer the same questions over and over again, and in the case of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, in different languages.
I'll use this example: after his 3rd round win against Benneteau, Federer was asked about the new Asian league that will take place in the coming off-season which features the other three members of the big 4. Federer replied "I've already answered it, look at my last two transcripts." That was more or less what he said. Basically, another repeated question. That sort of thing happens all the time in press conferences for these 4 guys and you know it must get very tiring after a while, especially Federer, who has basically been answering the same questions for the last 5-plus years since his decline from the stratosphere after the end of 2007.
Gulbis pretty much wants their pressers to be like those you see in boxing, with trash talking, controversy, and the like. Sorry Ernests, that is just not the way it works. All these 4 amazing athletes respect each other a lot and are humble and courteous to one another. Their pressers may sound boring to you (Gulbis, not you the readers), but maybe you would understand if you had them after each match for an entire season (75-95 matches) where you get poked and prodded over and over all the while being annoyed more and more.
Sorry, that just really grinds my grill.
The other thing: On Thursday, Rafael Nadal's 2nd round match against Klizan was postponed due to rain until Friday where they went on first on Court Suzanne Lenglen. After his win, he complained about not being put on earlier (before the women, because they play best of 3) and the fact that his next opponent, Fognini, was able to complete his match against Lukas Rosol and have a full day off.
His remarks were direct and honest and a bit harsh. I stand on the fence. I understand his frustration that he wasn't given priority over the women (a match that featured Victoria Azarenka). I also don't understand why he was unhappy that Fognini finished his match. Were the organizers supposed to not let them complete the match (which was on another court) just because Rafa wasn't going to get on?
The bottom line is that weather at the French Open and US Open can screw up a schedule badly. Every player has gone through what Rafa went through, and while he has a point that men should be given priority over the women (because of the longer length), in the end he may not have finished on Thursday if he was put in the scheduled spot that Azarenka had - and then he would have had to play three straight days, which I know he would have hated.
Besides, there would be no problem whatsoever if the tournament put in lights and a roof on Chatrier and Lenglen so players could play beyond 9:30. It is 2013 after all, not 1813.
Okay, enough with the Kyle rant session.
Predictions for the Round of 16:
Sunday features the bottom half foursome pairs of Federer/Simon, Tsonga/Troicki, Ferrer/Anderson, and Almagro/Robredo.
Federer has had tough matches against Simon in the past but he beat him easily in Rome two weeks ago and expect more of the same here. Simon is coming off two five-setters in three matches and should be tired. Kevin Anderson beat David Ferrer in Indian Wells earlier this year, but expect the Spaniard to advance in 3 or 4. Troicki, the 3rd-ranked Serbian, has played well so far but he is going up against a hot Tsonga so Jo should win in 4 at the maximum. Almagro vs Robredo could be interesting but Tommy could have his gas tank empty after the tough match vs Monfils.
The top half features Djokovic/Kohlschreiber, Haas/Youzhny, Nadal/Nishikori, and Wawrinka/Gasquet.
Kohlschreiber beat Djokovic in straight sets here in 2009 but Djokovic as we all know is a whole different animal now in Slams than he was then. Expect Djokovic in 4 at worst. Haas vs Youzhny should be a good match and the German has a real chance if he recovers well after the match vs Isner. Nadal, though he has struggled thus far, should take care of Nishikori. The only way the Japanese talent has a chance is if his backhand (his best shot) is firing. Wawrinka vs Gasquet is the battle of the beautidul one-handers and it could very well go 5 sets in a toss up. Both are in good form and Gasquet will have the French crowd behind. Take your pick; I say Gasquet in 5.
Very much looking forward to seeing who these matches unfold. Now, I leave you with stats.
Winners/Unforced Errors through the first 3 matches for all R16 players:
Djokovic: 68/79 (-9) - 9 sets
Federer: 125/73 (+52) - 9 sets
Nadal: 91/95 (-4) - 11 sets
Ferrer: 86/73 (+13) - 9 sets
Tsonga: 88/93 (-5) - 9 sets
Gasquet: 92/46 (+46) - 9 sets
Wwarinka: 153/112 (+49) - 11 sets
Almagro: 124/102 (+22) - 10 sets
Haas: 146/114 (+32) - 11 sets
Nishikori: 96/115 (-19) - 11 sets
Simon: 131/119 (+12) - 14 sets
Kohlschreiber: 90/64 (+26) - 6 sets (one walkover)
Anderson: 127/85 (+42) - 10 sets)
Youzhny: 157/126 (+31) - 12 sets
Robredo: 134/88 (+46) - 11 sets
Troicki: 122/104 (+18) - 11 sets
Total stats:
1830 winners, 1488 errors, +342 difference, 163 sets.
PS: This round of 16 has 8 players with a one-handed backhand: Federer, Gasquet, Wawrinka, Almagro, Haas, Kohlschreiber, Youzhny, Robredo. Quite cool!
Kyle.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Nadal beats Federer in Rome Final
Roger Federer fell one win short of winning in Rome for the third time on Sunday, as he was beaten and outclassed by Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-3. As a Federer fan it wasn't pretty to watch but Nadal was on his game and Roger wasn't, and when that happens, the match will be lopsided on clay.
The first two games were fine from Federer, but after that everything fell apart. Nadal started to utilize his tried-and-true patterns of play and Roger saw error after error fly off his racket as he tried to go for too much. To be fair to Fed, Nadal did play very well especially off the return and he did what he had to do to win - namely keep peppering the Federer backhand, forcing him onto the back foot and not letting him attack as he would so love to do. Nadal, a generally defensive baseliner, is able to be more aggressive than he is against, say, Djokovic, because he is getting short balls from one wing much of the time.
At the end of the day, it's a bad loss but the loss itself wasn't unexpected at all given their history on clay. Nadal on that surface is just the worst possible opponent for Federer and the challenges posed to the Swiss from Rafa are grander than the challenges he faces from any other opponent.
From my point of view, I don't know why Roger wasn't coming to net behind the first serve every point. Nadal was standing 10 feet behind the baseline to return and he just looped the ball back into play, usually deep, and from there he had the advantage. Fed needed to be like Stefan Edberg during the match. Edberg would come into net behind every serve. And I mean every serve. It didn't matter whether he got passed 10 straight times, he would always come in. This is what Roger needed to do to at least try and neutralize the edge Nadal has in the baseline rallies (especially today, when he was missing everything). Make him hit passing shots over and over and over and over.
It did seem to me that the conditions were very slow as it was dry and the match was played during the day. Nadal's shots kicked even higher off the court and that meant Roger could not attack whatsoever off the backhand side.
Everything Federer's game is designed to do he cannot, or at least with the same proficiency, against Rafa. Roger loves to hug the baseline and take the ball early, Nadal's heavy spin pushes him back. Federer likes to set up points with his backhand, Nadal doesn't allow him to as the majority of backhands are hit at shoulder height and off balance. Federer wants to win free points off his serve, Nadal gets many returns back and neutralizes the server's advantage immediately. Nadal's style is literally Federer's kryptonite with the exception of indoor hardcourt, which rules out the elements.
I have never seen a match-up like Federer/Nadal where one player is pushed so far out of his comfort zone and one player is able to play so easily right in it. Federer wants to play aggressive, and when he can't because of Rafa's forehand, he rushes and misses. While it is true that winning the points in 5 shots or less is a good play against Rafa, it's easier said than done with the way the Spaniard defends. Nadal also rarely gives him the opportunity to attack right away as the first ball he hits is aimed at Federer's backhand, pushing him back where he doesn't want to be.
Overall, it was still a great week in my view. Federer made his first final of the year, he served well all week, nearing 70% throughout the 5 matches played. He got the match practice needed for Roland Garros, and I expect he will do well there, at least making the quarterfinals. Much will depend on the draw.
I'm honestly not upset at all by the loss. Nadal fans will gloat as Rafa has a 20-10 head-to-head now. The media will write many articles about Federer's decline and they will speak of retirement. As always whenever Federer loses, things get blown far out of proportion.
Today wasn't his day. He ran into a great Rafa and he cannot do much against the King of Clay when he is firing on all cylinders. It's doubtful the French Open will bring him success but I believe the only person he can't beat in that tournament is Nadal. Not saying he can't lose to Berdych or Tsonga or Djokovic, but he can beat them. He can't beat Rafa. Certainly not in best of 5. He couldn't when he was 25-28, and he is definitely not.
Looking forward to Roland Garros, don't feel too bad Fed fans.
Kyle.
The first two games were fine from Federer, but after that everything fell apart. Nadal started to utilize his tried-and-true patterns of play and Roger saw error after error fly off his racket as he tried to go for too much. To be fair to Fed, Nadal did play very well especially off the return and he did what he had to do to win - namely keep peppering the Federer backhand, forcing him onto the back foot and not letting him attack as he would so love to do. Nadal, a generally defensive baseliner, is able to be more aggressive than he is against, say, Djokovic, because he is getting short balls from one wing much of the time.
At the end of the day, it's a bad loss but the loss itself wasn't unexpected at all given their history on clay. Nadal on that surface is just the worst possible opponent for Federer and the challenges posed to the Swiss from Rafa are grander than the challenges he faces from any other opponent.
From my point of view, I don't know why Roger wasn't coming to net behind the first serve every point. Nadal was standing 10 feet behind the baseline to return and he just looped the ball back into play, usually deep, and from there he had the advantage. Fed needed to be like Stefan Edberg during the match. Edberg would come into net behind every serve. And I mean every serve. It didn't matter whether he got passed 10 straight times, he would always come in. This is what Roger needed to do to at least try and neutralize the edge Nadal has in the baseline rallies (especially today, when he was missing everything). Make him hit passing shots over and over and over and over.
It did seem to me that the conditions were very slow as it was dry and the match was played during the day. Nadal's shots kicked even higher off the court and that meant Roger could not attack whatsoever off the backhand side.
Everything Federer's game is designed to do he cannot, or at least with the same proficiency, against Rafa. Roger loves to hug the baseline and take the ball early, Nadal's heavy spin pushes him back. Federer likes to set up points with his backhand, Nadal doesn't allow him to as the majority of backhands are hit at shoulder height and off balance. Federer wants to win free points off his serve, Nadal gets many returns back and neutralizes the server's advantage immediately. Nadal's style is literally Federer's kryptonite with the exception of indoor hardcourt, which rules out the elements.
I have never seen a match-up like Federer/Nadal where one player is pushed so far out of his comfort zone and one player is able to play so easily right in it. Federer wants to play aggressive, and when he can't because of Rafa's forehand, he rushes and misses. While it is true that winning the points in 5 shots or less is a good play against Rafa, it's easier said than done with the way the Spaniard defends. Nadal also rarely gives him the opportunity to attack right away as the first ball he hits is aimed at Federer's backhand, pushing him back where he doesn't want to be.
Overall, it was still a great week in my view. Federer made his first final of the year, he served well all week, nearing 70% throughout the 5 matches played. He got the match practice needed for Roland Garros, and I expect he will do well there, at least making the quarterfinals. Much will depend on the draw.
I'm honestly not upset at all by the loss. Nadal fans will gloat as Rafa has a 20-10 head-to-head now. The media will write many articles about Federer's decline and they will speak of retirement. As always whenever Federer loses, things get blown far out of proportion.
Today wasn't his day. He ran into a great Rafa and he cannot do much against the King of Clay when he is firing on all cylinders. It's doubtful the French Open will bring him success but I believe the only person he can't beat in that tournament is Nadal. Not saying he can't lose to Berdych or Tsonga or Djokovic, but he can beat them. He can't beat Rafa. Certainly not in best of 5. He couldn't when he was 25-28, and he is definitely not.
Looking forward to Roland Garros, don't feel too bad Fed fans.
Kyle.
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