Slice Out Wide

We've Moved!

2009-07-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been following Slice Out Wide, time to get used to a new locale.

http://www.thedailyforehand.com is the new home. Nothing more to be posted here...

Nathalie Dechy Retires

2009-07-21T12:27:00.001-07:00

French veteran Nathalie Dechy announced her retirement today, saying "au revoir" to tennis in order to get ready to say "bienvenue" to a baby.

The thirty-year old leaves the game ranked #90 in the world, a ranking that had been as high as #11 back in early 2006.

Dechy will be best remembered for memorable close losses against top seeds at majors. At the 2005 Australian Open, Dechy held match point against top seed Lindsay Davenport, before eventually dropping the match in three close sets. And at Wimbledon in 2008, Nathalie Dechy lost a heartbreaking marathon match to top seed Ana Ivanovic straight after an Ivanovic shot bounced in off a net cord to fend off Dechy's match point. Ivanovic went on to win the match 10-8 in the third, getting a few more lucky bounces along the way.

Dechy's pleasant demeanor and lack of big results outside of that Australian Open in 2005 likely means she will bie largely forgotten in the fairly near future. But when she is remembered, she'll be remembered fondly.

Nathalie was on the losing end of the first women's tennis match I ever saw in person, at the 1998 US Open vs. then world #1 Martina Hingis, by the score of 6-4, 6-4. Though clearly facing a superior player, Dechy's fight til the end left an impression on me that I still haven't forgotten more than a decade later.

World #1 Slums It Up In Slovenia

2009-07-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

There's something to be said for having big name players show up to small tournaments to promote the game. It helps tennis gain roots in non-traditional markets, and lets fans in far flung locales see world class tennis in their own part of the world.

But when the big name player in question is a world #1 hearing increasingly loud criticism that her ranking is unjustified due to her inability to win the biggest tournaments, the decision is a little more questionable.

Dinara Safina is not only the only top ten player entered in this week's in Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz, Slovenia--she's only one of two entrants inside the top twenty (the second, twentieth ranked Anabel Medina Garrigues, barely fits in that category). It's almost as if Safina heard Serena Williams' sarcastic remarks about Safina deserving the #1 ranking because "she won Berlin and Madrid" and decided that the joke needed a better punchline.

While Safina spends her time in the second-least populated of the former Yugoslav nations, the rest of the top flight of women's tennis is preparing for next week's Premier level tournament in Stanford, a tournament Safina is not playing. The field at Stanford includes Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, Samantha Stosur, Nadia Petrova, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, and Na Li. Every one of those players is ranked above anyone Safina might face in Slovenia. That list doesn't even include other Stanford participants like Maria Sharapova and Sabine Lisicki, both of whom are much scarier opponents than an Anabel Medina Garrigues or a Kaia Kanepi.

Portoroz, Slovenia sounds a lot more desolate than it is, in fairness. It's less than ten miles from Italy, and only about sixty miles of the Adriatic Sea separate the tournament from Venice. And Safina has been training in nearby Croatia for some time now, the home country of her coach, Zeljko Krajan.

But Portoroz is still Portoroz. Safina winning the title this week in Slovenia would only confirm her propensity for winning only the smaller titles in the eyes of her many critics, and would make her even more of a laughingstock .

And since that's how bad it would be if she wins, I can't even begin to imagine what the reaction will be if she loses.

Pennetta Wins Battle Of The Boot

2009-07-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

In a final that proved to be more of a meatball than a Vesuvius, Flavia Pennetta (left) routed compatriot and defending champion Sara Errani 6-1, 6-2 in the final of Palermo on Sunday.

Pennetta's win confirmed her reputation as a queen of the small clay court tournaments outside of the main clay court season, as now six of her seven titles have come at such events. As long as they keep holding them, somebody's gotta win 'em.

Just like Bammer, Pennetta too is defending US Open quarterfinalist points she's unlikely to defend. I give her a better shot, though. She's not someone who has too many inexplicable losses (save the French Open this year vs. Glatch), and she should be facing lower ranked opponents for the first three rounds. Put her in the eighth of a Kuznetsova or a Jankovic and she could see her way into the later stages of the tournament with some ease. Though if she lands in Serena or Dementieva's territory, she could well go out without a wimper.

Errani never made a ton of noise during her strong 2008, but has made even less so far in 2009. She'll fall slightly in the rankings from this loss, and it will be interesting to see how much longer she can keep knocking on the door of the top tier. I don't think we'll hear too much more from her, but I could be wrong.

Take Your Daughter to Victory Day in Prague

2009-07-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

With seven year old daughter Tina watching in the stands, late-blooming Austrian Sybille Bammer won her second career title in Prague 7-6(4), 6-2, defeating Francesca Schiavone in the final.

Bammer is about the streakiest player I've ever seen, so I'm always amazed whenever she manages to string together more than a couple wins. She's been written off and come back about as many times as a player of her notoriety can be, and yet keeps managing to put up surprising results.

She's defending quarterfinalist points at the US Open, and while I'd be surprised to see her make the second week, it's certainly not out of the question should the right draw fall her way.

I don't think too much can be read into this win, but it is cool, just a few days before Kim Clijsters makes her comeback, to see another mom on the tour still getting it done.

Chardy Drives Off With First Title

2009-07-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

While players who have never won a tour title can't really be choosers, it's tough to say it was a bad decision for Jeremy Chardy to make his first tournament win the one that came with a Mercedes.

The 22-year old Frenchman drove away in a E350 CDI by defeating Victor Hanescu in the Mercedes Cup final in Stuttgart, by the score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Hanescu was a two-time loser on Sunday, dropping the doubles final as well. I'm sure someone told him he'd be happy with his accomplishments later on.

Chardy is a real fun player to watch. Think Lleyton Hewitt minus a step, but with a more downhill way of ball striking. With this win he moved up eleven places to a career high of #32 in the world, in position to be seeded at a slam for the first time.

His movement is much better on clay than hard courts, but if he ever gets a handle on moving on the hard stuff, his game should translate real well to the US Open courts. It'll be interesting to see what if anything he can do during the next couple months.

Robin Rocks On

2009-07-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what happened to Bambi's mother? She was coated and glass and made into the Bastad trophy.

Robin Soderling got thehonor of lifting the deer carcass by defeating Juan Monaco in the final of the Swedish Open, 6-3, 7-6(4). He is the first Swede to win a title in Sweden since Thomas Johansson won Stockholm in 2000.

With the win Soderling moved to a career high ranking of #11, and has a great chance of making it into the top ten once #10 Fernando Gonzalez's indefensible Olympic points fall off.

And it's a ranking he more than deserves. Though recently thought of as a fast, indoor court specialist, Soderling secured his first clay court title in Bastad on the heels of making the French Open final some weeks ago. Soderling has gone 15-0 since Madrid against players not named "Roger." If he can keep that up, he'll have a pretty nice year on his hands.

All-Italian Final in Sicily

2009-07-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Internazionali Femminili Di Palermo trophy will stay in Italy for a second straight year, as Flavia Pennetta of Brindisi and Sara Errani of Bologna will play for the International level clay court title on Sunday.

Errani is ranked thirty-two places below Pennetta, but is the defending champion at Palermo, having defeated Pennetta in the semifinals of the tournament last year. The two have only faced each once outside of Palermo, with Pennetta defeating the younger Errani when she was still ranked a lowly #216 in 2007 at Acapulco.

The odds of having an all-Italian final looked pretty good by the semifinal round, with three of the four semifinalists hailing from the country. Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany was the only foreigner in singles action on the last day in Palermo, losing to Errani in a roller-coaster three setter, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Pennetta had decidedly less trouble dispatching fellow Italian veteran Tathiana Garbin, taking care of her country woman in fourteen games, 6-1, 6-1.

The real question for me going into this final is not how each will respond to the pressure of the occasion, or who the Sicilian crowd will be pulling for, but rather why Anabel Medina Garrigues wasn't in the draw. In AMG's last six times in Palermo, she's won four titles and made two semifinals. Medina Garrigues is scheduled to play Potoroz next week, so she's not injured--maybe she's just sick of winning in Sicily?

See Thursday Night's Skirmish For Yourself

2009-07-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

I had no idea the event was even televised.

Fognini Makes Semis in Stuttgart

2009-07-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

Perennial first or second round exiter Fabio Fognini is making a surprise run into the late stages of an ATP tournament for only the third time in his career.

He's doing so on the heels of one of his biggest career scalps, a in the quarterfinals of Stuttgart, defeating second seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. At #11 in the world, Davydenko is the highest ranked ever to fall to the player straight outta San Remo.

Fognini, who has a father named Fulvio and a sister named Fulvia, notched a nice 6-2, 6-0 win over Marin Cilic in Monte Carlo this spring. That was the kind of match he was capable of winning--one where the other guy never really showed up. But for him to prevail in a match that was tied 5-5 in in the third set against a tough opponent could represent a milestone in the 22-year old Italian's career.

I've seen Fognini play a couple times in person, and he's got some nice weapons, to be sure. He moves incredibly quickly and can hit just some pretty decent shots on the run off both wings.

He's also been, today's win excluded, totally useless in terms of mental toughness during the key stages of matches. When the going got tough, racquets got smashed, chains of Italian gestures and expletives flew, and Fognini routinely blew late leads and chances. If something happened (perhaps winning a $35k challenger in San Benedetto last week?) to give him the mental toughness he needed so badly, he could become a real threat to make some noise at some big clay court events next spring.

Coming Soon: 1 on 1 With Rennae Stubbs

2009-07-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

The incredible PR team for the Washington Kastles was able to hook yours truly up with a one-on-one extended interview with five time grand slam champion Rennae Stubbs, which took place earlier today.

Rennae and I talked about World Team Tennis (including yesterday's newsmaking incidents), Australian tennis, and the "soap opera" (her words) that is doubles in the WTA.

We covered a lot of stuff in pretty good detail, so the interview will probably be split up into two parts when it is published on the new site, TheDailyForehand.com .

Coming Soon: Q&A With John McEnroe

2009-07-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

John McEnroe was in town with his World Team Tennis squad, the New York Sporttimes yesterday, causing all sorts of commotion during the contentious match between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.

But before all hell broke loose, I got a chance to talk to him about a wide range of topics, including the entertainment aspects of tennis, Davis Cup, and even Roger Federer's "15" jacket.

That interview will be posted sometime soon after the new site, TheDailyForehand.com , goes live.

Stay tuned.

WTT: New York Sporttimes def. Washington Kastles 20-19

2009-07-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON—A contentious and drama filled match between the top two teams in World Team Tennis’ Eastern Conference made for an entertaining Thursday evening in the nation’s capital. With tensions peaking in the men’s doubles, the New York Sporttimes and Washington Kastles aimed blistering shots and blasting words at each other in a match that boiled over more than once.

Women’s Singles: Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Olga Puchkova (WAS)

Known for her serving woes, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Olga Puchkova chose to return to open the match. The shakiness on serve first popped up at 1-2, when Puchkova double faulted twice to go down 0-3. The youngest Washington Kastle was able to fight back to 2-3, but a loose forehand put her down a break at 1-3.

Spears seemed to have caught some of Puchkova’s serving yips, which made things a little more interesting. Puchkova steadied her groundstrokes to rebreak for 3-4, but then blew a 3-1 lead at 3-4 to give Spears the game and the event. New York Sporttimes lead 5-3.

Between matches there’s a John McEnroe impersonation contest, which consists of three people in wigs shouting at New York Sporttimes player John McEnroe, screaming that he was a jerk. He didn’t seem to know quite how to take it.

Women’s Doubles: Abigail Spears/Christina Fusano (NYS) vs. Olga Puchkova/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

After she and Spears held easily to open the match, Rennae Stubbs took over. Taking over involved hitting a shot that bounced up into Spears’ face, for which Stubbs apologized copiously, an example that would not be followed in the next event…

Fusano was broken for the second time to give the Kastles the event 5-2, and the overall lead. Washington Kastles 8-7.

And then things got interesting.

Men’s Doubles: John McEnroe/Robert Kendrick (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Scott Oudsema (WAS)

Six fairly easy holds brought the event to 3-3. Then things got interesting.

After a long exchange on Paes’ serve, Paes ended the point with a drive into Kendrick, which he just barely managed to turn away from slightly, letting the ball strike him in the back. Paes was fired up and ran back to high five Oudsema, without the half-hearted apology customary in such a situation. Kendrick was having none of it, and stood over the net shouting “you’re not gonna apologize?”

Paes didn’t apologize, and so Kendrick’s partner John McEnroe walked around the net to get in Paes’ face. Kendrick and New York coach Craig Adams joined him, with Washington coach Murphy Jensen coming over to monitor the situation.

Serving at 3-4, 1-0, Kendrick then drilled Paes, who was standing at net on the opposite side of the court, with a first serve. The Sporttimes won the point, and it was a long time until the next one.

As Oudsema and McEnroe argued at the net, Puchkova ran over to Kendrick and began yelling at him, leading Craig Adams to come over to yell at her some. Rennae Stubbs didn’t think too highly of this, and began yelling back. Jensen and Adams both protested with the chair umpire, who gave a conduct violation warning to the Kastles, apparently for Puchkova’s behavior.

After the Sporttimes held for 4-4, more arguments with the chair erupted. Rennae Stubbs incurred a point penalty for something, giving the Sporttimes a 1-0 lead in the tiebreak before it even started. The Kastles seemed rattled and didn’t quite recover, losing the first three points to 4-0. A bloop off McEnroe’s racquet then gave Oudsema an opportunity to peg either one of his opponents, but he put it away softly, the crowd appreciative of his taking the high road.

But one point later it was over, the Sporttimes taking the tiebreak 5-1, and evening the match. Tied 12-12.

The tension continued into halftime, with Kastles owner Mark Ein joining Jensen for more arguing

Kendrick approached Ein, and seemed to make peace. The arguments stopped there, but the flame-up, a type of incident unheard of in World Team Tennis, cast a shadow over the night that would last the rest of the match.

A fun shadow, though.

Men’s Singles: John McEnroe (NYS) vs. Scott Oudsema

Surprisingly given Kendrick’s ranking inside the top 100, McEnroe played the singles event for the Sporttimes, taking on Washington’s Scott Oudsema.

It was a classic battle of experience and finesse vs. youth and raw power, with the finesse and court smarts winning with relative ease. The fifty-year old McEnroe conserved energy well, and reflected back Oudsema’s power at sharp angles that slid out of the23-year old’s reach.

The event ended on a game point at 2-4, with an Oudsema shot landing near the sideline. Both players thought they had won the game, and fist pumped. The challenge showed the ball to be just barely wide, giving McEnroe and the Sporttimes the event and the lead. New York Sporttimes lead 17-14.

Mixed Doubles: Robert Kendrick/Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

The close, tense match was to end on Washington’s forte—mixed doubles, with doubles stars Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs combining their slam winning forces against the far less heralded team of Kendrick and Spears. Kendrick’s substitution in for the scheduled McEnroe (greeted by boos by the Washington crowd) was a sign of both the Sporttimes’ desire to win as well as McEnroe’s fatigue.

The Kastles had a chance to win the match right then and there if they were able to win the event 5-0 or 5-1, and they came close. They were unable to win either of Kendrick’s service games, however, winning the match 5-2 to force a match deciding super tiebreak. Tied 19-19.

Super Tiebreak: Robert Kendrick/Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

The sides remained the same from the last event into the deciding event. The tiebreak stayed close until the very end, when at 5-6 Kendrick was able to take advantage of a Rennae Stubbs serve to give New York the victory. New York Sporttimes win 20-19.

As McEnroe and the rest of the New York team rushed to celebrate with Kendrick and Spears, the dejected Kastles were left to compose themselves for the post match autograph section.

It will be interesting to see what if any fallout there is from the ugliness in the men’s doubles. I don’t know that suspensions or fines are ever doled out in World Team Tennis, but if they are, this would certainly seem to be an occasion for them.

Ana Ivanovic Enlists Darren Cahill

2009-07-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Struggling Serb Ana Ivanovic is now working with Darren Cahill, TennisReporters.net reports (in their sidebar). Cahill and Ivanovic will meet up the week before the Los Angeles WTA stop, which Ivanovic is playing and Cahill is commentating for ESPN2.

This is definitely a good get for Ivanovic. Her career has been in total freefall ever since she won the 2008 French Open. Ranked #1 less than a year ago, she is now outside the top 10, sitting currently at #11 (up from #13 before Wimbledon). With an errant ball toss causing her problems, as well as a seemingly complete loss of her court instincts, Ivanovic needs a big, proven name like Cahill to come in and work with her exclusively, which her Adidas-hired coach Sven Groenefeld was never able to do.

Cahill, who has previously coached Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi, has not worked extensively with a WTA player previously. He's got a reputation for being a great tennis mind and a class act, which should help him communicate with Ivanovic, who seems to be completely out of ideas and weapons in many of her matches.

Ivanovic won matches back in her peak playing days by playing fairly level, consistent tennis that was driven by aggression and decent movement. After she won her slam the self-doubt came (would seem an odd time for it), and her results tanked. She hasn't made the quarterfinals of a slam in her five slams after winning the 2008 French Open, a letdown that has taken her almost completely out of the conversation about the elites in women's tennis.

She doesn't have many points to defend in this second half of the season until Linz which she won at the end of 2008 in sort of a fluke patch of good form. With Venus and Serena still not playing many smaller tournaments, there's a fair number of points out there for Ivanovic to pick up. There's a great opportunity here for Cahill to help Ivanovic get back into the top 10, and possibly even into the Year-End Championships. Whether or not he'll be able to help the struggling Serb is yet to be seen, but it least it shows she's still trying.

Coming Soon: Q&A With Billie Jean King

2009-07-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

I got the incredible chance to speak with tennis legend Billie Jean King while she was in town to promote World Team Tennis yesterday, just before the Newport Beach Breakers vs. Washington Kastles match.

She had a lot of great answers on a wide range of topics, from World Team Tennis to Davis Cup.

I'll post the full transcript of my questions and her answers in a few days, after the site moves into its new home.

Richard Gasquet Cleared

2009-07-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

The ITF's independent Anti-Doping Tribunal announced today that it is letting Richard Gasquet off on time served.

Gasquet, who had been suspended since May for a positive cocaine test during the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, had always claimed he had not intentionally used cocaine. His claims that he had likely accidentally picked up trace amounts of it while partying at a Miami nightclub (after having already pulled out of the tournament) were verified in the tribunal's 38-page report.

"By the end of the hearing before us, the expert witnesses were agreed that the quantity was of the order of 1-10 mg, and more likely than not towards the lower end of that range, i.e. 5 mg or less," the report stated.

That is a very small quantity indeed. We were shown a vial containing 1mg of a white powder similar in appearance to cocaine. It was about the size of a single grain of refined salt."

All in all, this is the best possible ending for Gasquet, who has already faced some pretty steep consequences for what now appear to be circumstances not of his own volition. Missing the French Open and Wimbledon (his strongest slam historically), was punishment enough. Hopefully he can put this behind him and get back to doing what he did best: not playing up to his potential.

WTT: Washington Kastles def. Newport Beach Breakers 22-12

2009-07-14T23:19:00.003-07:00

WASHINGTON—After a starting line up introduction of WWE proportions—complete with cheerleaders, pyrotechnics, and no less than three mascots (a medieval knight in full armor and a giant tennis ball of each gender)—the Washington Kastles and Newport Beach Breakers were set to battle in front of a sell-out crowd of over three thousand in Kastles Stadium, the venue for World Team Tennis in downtown DC.

There was little doubt whom the throngs had come to see: Serena Williams, fresh off her eleventh Grand Slam Singles title just ten days ago at Wimbledon. Though Serena Williams is the marquee player on Washington’s lineup, she plays only one of her four World Team Tennis matches in Washington, as the league makes an effort to get the fan favorite to as many of their locations as possible.

Though Serena is the main attraction, the fans will have to wait for her to take the court until the second half of the competition, with men’s doubles and singles serving as her opening acts.

Men’s Doubles: Kaes Van’t Hof/Ramon Delgado (NBB) vs. Scott Oudsema/Leander Paes (WAS)

The Kastles got off to a quick start in the first event of the evening, with the home team taking the first six points of the match on the back of the dominant play of the best doubles player on the court—Leander Paes. The momentum soon ran out though, with Newport Beach coming back with a six point streak of their own to gain complete control of the match-up.

Newport Beach won the event 5-2, with the Kastles only winning the games on Oudsema’s serve (as much due to Paes’ presence at net as Oudsema’s tough serving). Serena Williams and Olga Puchkova coped with the defeat as they coped with most everything else during the evening—by giggly chit-chat. Newport Beach Breakers lead 5-2.

Everybody on each team comes on the court to warm-up, as the crowd applauds the introduction of Redskins QB Jason Campbell, who, like almost everyone else, is here to watch Serena.

Men’s Singles: Ramon Delgado (NBB) vs. Scott Oudsema (WAS)

Based on their relative forms in the doubles, Delgado seems primed to take the singles rubber. But Oudsema gets off to the better start, breaking the Paraguayan in the third game for 1-2.

Oudsema’s demeanor on court is a strange cocktail of listless and fired up; he lackadaisically gives up on several points after hitting poor approach shots, yet shows an incredible amount of emotion after every big point won.

The instability of both players’ emotions makes for some pretty ugly tennis. Both are content to moonball back and forth, waiting for the other to change things up and inevitably make a mistake. With neither player having any success flattening out the loopy shots, it’s a style that pays dividends, however unattractive it is to see enacted.

The event goes to a tiebreak, with Oudsema jumping out to a 4-1 win and holding on for a 5-4 win, which makes the partisan crowd and Washington Kastles Coach Murphy Jensen extremely happy. Newport Beach Breakers lead 9-7.

With the men’s tennis out of the way, it’s time for Serena to take center stage.

Mixed Doubles: Kaes Van’t Hof/Julie Ditty (NBB) vs. Leander Paes/Serena Williams (WAS)

On paper, the mixed doubles is a mismatch of epic proportions. Leander Paes and Serena Williams have won a combined twenty grand slam doubles titles, which compares rather favorably with Van’t Hof and Ditty’s combined total of zero.

Not surprisingly, the matchup isn’t much closer on court than it looked on paper. Though Serena doesn’t even touch a ball for the first seven points of the match, the Kastles win them all. A few crowd-pleasingly grunted Serena Williams volleys later, the Kastles close out the event 5-0, and take the lead in the match. Washington Kastles lead 12-7.

Women’s Doubles: Marie-eve Pelletier/Julie Ditty (NBB) vs. Rennae Stubbs/Serena Williams (WAS)

This match-up doesn’t look much closer on paper than the mixed. Rennae Stubbs and Serena Williams have won a combined seventeen grand slam doubles title, and Pelletier doesn’t bring any more to the Breakers’ table than Van’t Hof did, leaving the Newport Beach total at zero.

Williams makes it seven games in a row for herself before Pelletier and Ditty take a game thanks to some nice touch from the front of the court. Williams and Stubbs are unfazed, and stay strong to win the event 5-1. Washington Kastles lead 17-8.

Rough day at the office for Julie Ditty, who won exactly one of her eleven games.

World Team Tennis founder and civil rights icon Billie Jean King comes on to the court to say a few words to the crowd, who show their respect for all that she’s done for tennis with the loudest applause of the evening.

Women’s Singles: Marie-eve Pelletier (NBB) vs. Serena Williams (WAS)

Though she made things look easy in her first two doubles events, Serena Williams hardly looks to be playing effortless tennis in her singles match vs. Quebecoise Marie-eve Pelletier. Williams labors to hold for 2-1, but then gets a relatively soft break to go up 3-1. But she digs herself a 1-3 hole in her next serve game, needing to lean on her big serve more than before to get to 4-1.

With Pelletier serving at 1-4, Serena jumps out to an 0-3 lead, giving herself four match points. But she manages to lose all four, spraying shots wide when trying to end the evening with an exclamation point. Pelletier is taking the ball early and taking advantage of Serena’s often slow first step, as she moves to 0-3 on Williams’ serve. But Serena holds on for the 5-2 with four big serves, carrying the Kastles to the “W” on the strength of her 15-3 record on the night. Washington Kastles win 22-12.

The victory brings the Kastles’ winning streak to five, and moves them into second place in the Eastern Conference. A matchup with the first place New York Sporttimes and John McEnroe looms for Thursday. The Kastles won’t have Serena, so they’ll have to rely on Puchkova and Stubbs to compensate for the lost fifteen points. Won’t be easy.

To see all the exclusive photos from Tuesday night's action, check out The Daily Forehand's Picasa Album.

WTT Coverage Tonight: Breakers @ Kastles

2009-07-14T10:30:00.001-07:00

I'll be covering World Team Tennis for the first time tonight, as the Newport Beach Breakers are in DC to face the Washington Kastles. Headliner Serena Williams, in her only home match for her team, the Kastles, has already caused the first sell out of the season in Washington.

The Kastles boast a line up of Serena Williams, Leander Paes, Rennae Stubbs, Scott Oudsema, and Olga Puchkova (who probably won't see much action with Serena in the lineup).

The Breakers don't quite have the star power of the Kastles, bringing a lineup of Ramon Delgado, Julie Ditty, Marie-Eve Pelletier, and Kaes Vant Hof.

I've never been to a World Team Tennis event before, but I've heard from everyone who has that they're a lot of fun, so it should be a good time. Hopefully I'll be able to get some good stuff out of it in the way of photos, recaps and interviews as well.

Stay tuned for all that good stuff some time later tonight (and probably into early tomorrow).

US Davis Cup: The Blame Game

2009-07-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

With the United States Davis Cup team losing its quarterfinal to a country with less than one-sixtieth its population, there will certainly be some finger pointing going on. And I'm certainly not immune from it.

For starters, let's exonerate those who are largely free from blame on this one:

Andy Roddick. Some people might rush to blame Andy Roddick for missing this tie, sitting out with injury after seemingly appearing healthy at the end of his Wimbledon final just a week ago. Those people are, of course, delusional. Roddick's Davis Cup record of loyalty is beyond repute, and for him to take a week off after the most devastating loss of his career with what is almost certainly a legitimate injury is more than fair. Had he been able to keep up his Wimbledon form, Roddick still might not have been able to beat Marin Cilic (though he would have handled Karlovic pretty well).

Mardy Fish. Sure he lost his only match of the tie, but for Mardy Fish to push the much higher ranked Marin Cilic to an extremely tight fifth set on his least favorite surface in front of a "hostile" (James Blake's word) crowd was an extremely impressive showing.

The Bryan Brothers. Practically a guaranteed point, hard to fault the Bryans for this loss as they won their doubles rubber in just over an hour of abusive tennis. But more on them later...

And now the more fun part. The ones who do deserve the blame. Or at the very least a couple whacks with Dunlop's shame stick.

James Blake. Though he was an integral part of the US winning the Davis Cup in 2007, a lot can change in two years. Blake has been declining more and more rapidly, mentally more than physically. And he didn't have a lot of mental strength to start with. I can't say that I had any confidence that Blake would win either of his singles matches at any point, including when he led Karlovic 2 sets to 0. Blake said after the tie that he didn't realize how much he had been taking Andy Roddick's presence on the team for granted until he had to go out and be the top player on the team himself. Blake is such a class guy, but I think this needs to have been his last time playing for the US Davis Cup team unless his tennis drastically turns around.

Patrick McEnroe. PMac soaked up plenty of praise for guiding his team to the 2007 Davis Cup title, when all he did on paper was pick the two highest ranked singles players and the highest ranked doubles team. Nothing too remarkable there. It's tough to get a gauge on how effective he is as an on-court coach, but judging on the way both Mardy Fish and James Blake withered on Friday, I'm guessing it's not extraordinary. McEnroe's main problem, from an outsider's point of view, is a complete and utter lack of creativity or foresight in picking his line up, almost always going with the Roddick-Blake-Bryan-Bryan foursome no matter the surface or location. Putting in stronger clay court players like Wayne Odesnik or Jesse Levine should be an option worth considering, as well as giving more opportunities to players like Levine and Sam Querrey who likely represent the future of the American team in the long run. Exposing them to Davis Cup atmospheres and pressure can only be good for the future of the team years down the road.

The Bryan Brothers. (This is mostly rirected at McEnroe again) Yes, their Davis Cup record is unassailable. But they take up so much room. Having both Bryans on the team completely locks the Americans into playing the same two players in all four singles matches. The lack of options the Bryans cause can prove disastrous if the player plays poorly in a crushing defeat like James Blake did, and then is forced to return Sunday, and would be even worse if one of the singles players suffered an injury that forced a Bryan brother into a live, decisive fifth rubber. Certainly having a "guaranteed" point from the Bryans is nice, but it's hardly to say that they're the only pairing that could win for the US team. Mardy Fish won the doubles rubber in the 2008 Davis Cup semifinals with Mike Bryan. Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick won the 2009 Indian Wells doubles title, and Fish teamed with Blake to make it all the way to the semifinals of Wimbledon just recently. When Ivo Minar and Tommy Robredo looked shaky in their opening singles matches during this weekend's Davis Cup play, their respective captains had the flexibility to replace them. As long as both Bryans are on the team, the US has no such option.

Easy to pass around blame (especially to the guy in all four photos), but I have a couple possible solutions, too. My line up for the American Davis Cup team would be Roddick, Fish, Querrey, and Bob Bryan. If Roddick were out like he was this time, only then would I add Blake to the roster, to serve as an emotional, veteran presence more than anything, and definitely not playing him on the first Friday of the tie.

After several years of doing the same thing and getting results, it's time for Patrick McEnroe (or his replacement) to make some changes. The team is broken, and it needs fixing before 2010 if the US wants any shot at competing for the title.

Rajeev Ram (Who?) Achieves Newport Double

2009-07-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

Probably the luckiest lucky loser ever, American Rajeev Ram made the most of his last minute entry into the Newport singles draw by taking home the ATP 250 title, defeating Sam Querrey 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-3. As if that wasn't enough for the 181st ranked player in the world, he also won the doubles title in a super tiebreak with partner Jordan Kerr.

Crazily enough, Ram probably should have won this match more easily than he did, as he served for the first set, playing a pretty tight game to allow Querrey to break back and force the tiebreaker he eventually won. But Ram rallied valiantly in the second, and kept momentum through the third, leaving the always-chipper Querrey, an enormous favorite to win this final, shell-shocked.

In Sam's defense, I don't think anyone could have anticipated how well Ram would play today. Ram had not faced a player inside the top 100 on his way to the final, so it would have been only natural for a top fifty player like the third-seeded Querrey to consider him a push over.

Looking back at the ATP title winners of 2009, no previous champion comes anywhere near close to the longshot winner Ram is. Ram is the first lucky loser to win an ATP title since Sergiy Stakhovsky won Zagreb in 2007.

Hopefully the US Open (and some of the lead up tournaments) will reward Ram, who will still be well outside the top 100, with some well deserved wild cards. It's going to be interesting to see how Ram follows up this dream of a week.

Szavay Szucceeds, Schnyder Schtumbles

2009-07-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Agnes Szavay lifted a trophy for the first time since late 2007 Sunday in Budapest, after defeating top seed Patty Schnyder 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the biggest title in her home country of Hungary.

Szavay seemed nervous throughout the first set and early in the second--understandable for someone playing her first final in over a year in front of family and friends. But she seemed to relax on time, and as the Hungarian crowd rallied around Szavay, Schnyder seemed to lose her spirit.

Szavay has quietly been having an excellent middle part of 2009 (except on her weakest surface, grass), and is definitely a name to keep an eye on during the US Open Series. She's played her best tennis on hard courts in hot weather, and there's no reason that the right draw couldn't see her match the success she had in Flushing Meadows in 2007.

Davis Cup QF: Checkers Over Stars & Stripes in Four

2009-07-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Croatia continued its surprising dominance of the United States Davis Cup team Sunday in Porec, Croatia, improving its record in ties against the Americans to 3-0. Not bad for a country with about the population of South Carolina.

Despite dropping the third set, Marin Cilic never looked out of command in his 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over James Blake. His movement was much better (no shock on clay), and his ability to hit casual winners at will was something Blake couldn't match despite clearly trying. Seeing Cilic win with ease makes me appreciate more what Mardy Fish did in hanging with the big Croat on Friday.

Cilic has been playing far better tennis of recent than Blake, so for Blake to beat him in Croatia on clay was too much to ask. Unlike beating Karlovic on clay, which was a personably doable assignment for Blake.

In fact, Blake actually exceeded expectations on Sunday by taking a set off Cilic. Because of the way he lost on Friday and the way he whined about the crowd afterwards, I didn't think he'd have a whole lot of fight left for Cilic. There probably isn't anyone with as much to prove on the US hard court swing as Blake, so hopefully winning three sets in Croatia gives him something of a boost.

Not that it means a whole lot, but kudos to Bob Bryan for winning his dead rubber in a third set tiebreak. It doesn't make a lot of sense for him to pursue singles at this stage in his career, but watching him play pretty solid tennis to beat Roko Karanusic makes me wonder what he could have achieved in singles had he kept at it.

I'll have more on what this loss means for the present and future of US Davis Cup tomorrow and who's to blame for this quarterfinal loss. Suffice it to say that there's plenty to go around.

Davis Cup QF: Defending Champs Through in Five Thanks to Old Man Ferrero

2009-07-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Spain moved one step closer to defending it Davis Cup title thanks to one of its older hombres. Juan Carlos Ferrero, fresh off his quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, defeated Andreas Beck 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to send Spain to a home semifinal vs. Israel in September. With this win in Marbella, Andalusia, Spain improved to an astonishing 16-0 in its last sixteen home Davis Cup ties. None too shabby.

Ferrero took over the singles slot for Tommy Robredo, another older Spaniard who was justifiably replaced after a lackluster showing on Friday.

Tough to see a guy like Philipp Kohlschreiber play so well--winning two singles matches for Germany--and still see his country come away with an "L". In a thrilling battle between Friday's winners, Kohlschreiber outlasted Fernando Verdasco 8-6 in the fifth. Would be interesting to see if Kohlschreiber would have made a difference in the doubles, which for my money is ultimately where this tie was won for Spain.

Should Nicholas Kiefer have played in place of Beck? Even though I presumed that was going to happen. I didn't get to see Kiefer play doubles on Saturday, though, so maybe he didn't look too sharp. Beck, though generally impressive on Friday, had to have been emotionally spent after blowing a 2-1 lead against Changing things up worked well for Spain and the Czech Republic, so maybe it could've for Germany as well.

Germany has to be pretty happy with the effort though. Pushing the defending champs to five matches on hostile turf (both in Spain and on clay) should mean they can go back to Deutschland with their heads held pretty high.

And for Spain to win this tie without the services of either Rafael Nadal or David Ferrer is even more impressive. Tough to see anyone stopping them from repeating.

Davis Cup QF: Stepanek Steps In, Czechs Win 3-2

2009-07-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

As I had predicted before the tie even started (and again after Day 1, and then again after Day 2), Radek Stepanek proved to be the hero for the Czech Republic in the decisive fifth rubber, defeating Juan Monaco in straight sets, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2.

After Juan Martin del Potro ran roughshod over Tomas Berdych to level the quarterfinal at two-a-piece, Stepanek was picked to play the final singles match of the tie in place of presumed singles player Ivo Minar, who had played (poorly) in singles on Friday. His knee held up, much to the chagrin of bitter Argentine coach Tito Vazquez.

“We knew that Stepanek was going to be in good shape,” Vazquez said after the loss. “It proved he was not injured at all. You cannot run a lot [with a knee injury]."

Along with Juan Carlos Ferrero (more on him later), Stepanek was one of two players Sunday who won his singles match after not playing Friday. Singles debuts Sunday went 2-0. Players coming back to live rubbers on Sunday after having lost on Friday were 0-2 (Monaco and Blake). It shows how important some creativity in coaching can be to Davis Cup success.

Take note, PMac.

Ram Chews Up Grass, Sets Up First All-American ATP Final of 2009

2009-07-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

When the singles draw for Newport came out, few predicted Rajeev Ram to make the final. For starters, Ram wasn't even in the draw. Ram, ranked a lowly #181 in the world, only got in after Mardy Fish was summoned to Croatia to fill in for Andy Roddick.

But he has certainly made the most of the opportunity, winning four matches to make his first ATP final, which came only a couple days after his first ATP semifinal and first ATP quarterfinal.

Not bad for a player who last week couldn't even make the quarterfinals of the Winnetka, Illinois challenger.

Not only did Ram reach an unlikely singles final, he's also made it to the doubles final as well, partnering Australia'sJordan Kerr for the first time.

Ram beat Olivier Rochus convincingly in the semifinal, by the score of 6-3, 6-4. Ram has only dropped one set in the tournament, to Jesse Levine in his quarterfinal. Ram has avoided facing an opponent inside the top 100 through his first four matches in the weak Newport draw, so it could be a rude awakening in the final.

Ram faces Sam Querrey in the final, who upset two-time defending champion Fabrice Santoro in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(2). Querrey's serve took away chances for Santoro to get any of his trademark magic started, and Querrey's one break was the only one of the match.

The Newport final is the first All-American final of 2009, and should be a good chance for Querrey to pick up his second career title.

Ram has to be happy with what he's already achieved, which is good because chances are slim he wins another match this week. All the same, a nice story for one of the many hundreds of players who work tirelessly on the lower circuits and don't come close to a chance like this too often in their lifetimes.

Hungarian Homegirl Hones In On Hoisting Hardware

2009-07-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Nice to see Agnes Szavay regaining the form some thought she'd never get back. The Hungarian made the finals of her home tournament in Budapest by trouncing Alona Bondarenko 6-1, 6-2 in front of an extremely partisan Magyar crowd. Combined with Wozniacki playing to near full crowd support in Sweden, there was an almost Davis Cup like atmosphere at the WTA events Saturday as well.

Szavay made herself known as a force to be reckoned with during the late part of 2007, coming within an injury of winning New Haven, making the quarterfinals of her first US Open, and winning a Tier II title in Beijing with a memorable comeback win over Jelena Jankovic.

She had a horrendous 2008 and early 2009, that saw her ranking fall from a career high of #13 down to #38. A win over the also-struggling Ana Ivanovic at Miami saw her regain some confidence, and led to other solid wins over Flavia Pennetta, Victoria Azarenka, and a major upset of Venus Williams at the French Open that included the 20-year old serving the seven-time slam champion a bagel set.

Szavay is set to face veteran Patty Schnyder in the final tomorrow. I like her chances in that match up a lot, and expect the Hungarian fans to rattle the easily perturbed Schnyder. Should be a good chance this weekend for women's tennis spectators to get in on the Davis Cup spirit tomorrow, and cheer their homegrown Hungarian #1 onto victory.

Davis Cup QF: All Three Hosts Go Into Sunday With 2-1 Lead

2009-07-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Aside from the Israeli's assured victory over Russia, there's a lot still hanging in the balance in these Davis Cup Quarterfinals, with the three remaining ties all at 2-1, with the home country having the advantage in each. A quick run down of what happened today and where it all stands going into the deciding matches Friday:

ARGENTINA @ CZECH REPUBLIC (CZECHS LEADS 2-1)
CEZ Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic (Indoor Hard)

Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (CZE) def. Jose Acasuso/Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3

Sunday's Expected Schedule:
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)*
Ivo Minar (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)*

A very easy win for the Czechs today, as the Argentines decided to rest their top players for Sunday's singles matches. Though Stepanek expressed some surprise at the switch after the match, it wasn't a bad decision at all. The risk, of course, is that the injured Radek Stepanek could be a last-minute sub for Ivo Minar. If Minar does indeed get the nod, look for Argentina to sweep on Sunday for the comeback win. If Stepanek feels well enough to play, look for the Czechs to make it into the semifinal.

USA @ CROATIA (CROATIA LEADS 2-1)
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)

Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) def. Roko Karanusic/Lovro Zovko 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Sunday's Expected Schedule:
Marin Cilic (CRO) v James Blake (USA)*
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Mardy Fish (USA)*

After Friday's singles matches proved a double marathon that lasted almost nine hours, the Bryan Brothers made things considerably more brief today, beating the Croatian reserve players in 68 minutes. I blinked and missed it. It was a long blink, to be fair. Croatian Captain Goran Prpic said before the tie that his strategy was to get three singles wins, and this match certainly showed that. While the Croatians had no chance against the Bryans, the inclusion of the doubles specialist twins gives the US significantly less flexibility on Sunday thanteams like Spain or Germany enjoy, as each of those teams brought four capable singles players.

I think Mardy Fish has a pretty good chance against Ivo Karlovic in the potential fifth match, but I don't think it will matter since James Blake hasn't much of a chance against Cilic. The Bryans said in their post-match interview that Blake was in great spirits today, but I have to think all the things that bothered him about the Croatian crowd on Friday will haunt him again tomorrow.

GERMANY @ SPAIN (SPAIN LEADS 2-1)
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus, Marbella (Outdoor Clay)

Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def Nicolas Kiefer/Mischa Zverev (GER)* 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-7(6), 6-3

Sunday's Expected Schedule:
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)*
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andreas Beck (GER)*

A nice if predictable win for the Spanish pair against two pretty solid players in Kiefer and Zverev. Germany probably needed to get a win in the doubles to have a shot, as I don't see Andreas Beck being able to beat Tommy Robredo's steady level of play. If the Germans pull a surprise and put in a somewhat gimpy Kiefer for the fifth rubber, it could make things more interesting.

With the tie in Tel Aviv now largely irrelevant, a nice later start on Sunday, with all three ties now in the Central European time zone. Any extra time to sleep is always appreciated.

Davis Cup QF: Israel Finishes Stunning Beatdown of Russia

2009-07-11T16:46:00.001-07:00

The Israeli Davis Cup team, previously best known for playing in an empty arena in Sweden, advanced to its first ever Davis Cup semifinal by sweeping 2006 Davis Cup champion Russia 3-0. The Russians may pick up a dead rubber or two tomorrow, but in the competitive matches they were completely shut out by the underdog Israelis.

The reunited team of Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram survived a determined comeback effort powered by Marat Safin and partner Igor Kunitsyn, winning the doubles rubber 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4 in front of a raucous home crowd in Tel Aviv.

The way Israel shut out Russia makes this easily one of the most shocking upsets in all of sport for 2009. Israel was relegated outside of the World Group (the main division of sixteen countries who compete for the Davis Cup in a given year) as recently as 2007. Israel boasts only one player ranked within the top 200. Russia has eight players in the top 100, including three ranked higher than the highest-ranked Israeli, Dudi Sela. Only one of those three players ranked above Sela, Igor Andreev, decided to play for Russia in this quarterfinal.

The Russian Davis Cup team made back to back finals in 2006 and 2007, and had not lost before the semifinals since 2004. This loss comes at a time when a Russian man has only made one slam semifinal in the last seven slams (Safin, Wimbledon 2008), and when no Russian man has made a slam final since 2005 (Safin, Australian Open). Safin, the last Russian player to flirt with greatness at the highest levels and their perennial Davis Cup workhorse, is set to retire at the end of the year.

So where does his departure leave Russian men's tennis? Not in a good place, for now. Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov, and Igor Andreev have all presumably peaked. The only young up-and-comer to speak of, Igor Kunitsyn, has showed glimmers of potential in recent years, but lacks the power to ever be a serious contender in the second week of a slam.

Things aren't all bad for the sport in Mother Russia, obviously, as four of the top seven female players in the WTA rankings are Russians. A Russian complaining about their lack of men's tennis success would results would be like a Pittsburgher bemoaning the Pirates not matching the championships of the Steelers and Penguins. Hard to work up too much sympathy.

It's Her Party And She'll Cry If She Wants To II

2009-07-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just as Svetlana Kuznetsova did exactly two weeks ago at Wimbledon, Dane Caroline Wozniacki suffered a disappointing loss on her birthday Saturday.

The top-seeded Wozniacki, who turned 19 today, dropped the final of the Swedish Open in Bastad to unseeded Spaniard Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez 7-5, 6-4. It was Martinez's second title of the year (and of her career), with her first coming on the clay courts of Bogota back in February.

Swedes and Danes are extremely close both geographically and culturally, and since there is no WTA event in Denmark this is as close to a home tournament as Wozniacki has. Bastad is only about thirty miles of water away from Denmark, so she had plenty of crowd support from visiting Danes as well as Swedes rooting for a Scandinavian champion.

Wozniacki's loss was disappointing, to be certain, but hardly one to be ashamed of. Martinez Sanchez played phenomenal singles and doubles all this week, using an impressively varied arsenal of slices, lobs, and drop-shots to throw the World #9 Wozniacki off of her baseline-hugging, punching style.

Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez has been the least talked about breakout players of 2009, most likely because her name takes so long to say that it precludes easy conversation. Sanchez Martinez, a rare late bloomer in tennis, will break into the top 40 on Monday for the first time in her career at the ripe old age of 26, after turning pro back in 1996. Sanchez Martinez's ranking has moved up almost fifty spots already this year, and could keep climbing into grand slam seed territory if she keeps up her form the second half of the year.

Martinez Sanchez is the rare Spanish player who is comfortable coming to net, and does so on clay perhaps more than any WTA player. Her aggressive style and deep ground strokes have given even the top players trouble, as she managed to win sets off both Dinara Safina and Serena Williams earlier this year. As evidenced by her two titles and a quarterfinal in Rome, clay is her best surface. She's done well on grass in years past as well, so a strong stint on the fast US hard courts is hardly out of the question.

If you're looking for a dark horse few have heard of to make a nice run at this year's US Open, she's your girl.

Fabrice Santoro Still Has Some Tricks Up His Sleeve

2009-07-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Two-time Newport defending champion and second seed Fabrice Santoro still knows how to saw the rain-soaked Newport draw in half.

The aging French player known as "The Magician" used his trade mark slicing angles and trick shots--as well as his underrated endurance--to win two back-to-back matches on Friday in Rhode Island. He won both his third round and quarterfinal matches in straight (though long) sets, over Taylor Dent and Nicholas Mahut, respectively. Dent and Mahut are both players who play their best tennis on the grass, so it's an impressive pair of victories in what is largely a soft Newport field.

Santoro, who will retire at the end of this season at the age of 37, was the highest ranked player (#34) left in the draw after top-seed Mardy Fish pulled out to fill in for Andy Roddick in Croatia. Santoro will face the second highest seed remaining in the semifinal, #3 American Sam Querrey.

While the bottom half of the draw is set to produce a decidedly impressive finalist, Fish's withdrawal has left the top half in shambles. #120 Olivier Rochus will face #181 Rajeev Ram in a semifinal that boasts a mean ranking outside the top 150.

I'm guessing tickets may still be available.

Davis Cup QF: After 10 Sets, Croatia 2 - USA 0

2009-07-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

USA @ CROATIA (CROATIA LEADS 2-0)
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def James Blake (USA) 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5
Marin Cilic (CRO) def Mardy Fish (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1, 8-6

Croatia continued its dominance of the United States in Davis Cup into 2009, winning both matches on Friday in five sets.

The heartbreaking losses for the US both featured decidedly crappy play on both sides of the net, with no player able to sustain any sort of form. While the clay surface was picked by Croatia to disadvantage the Americans, it proved to be a much smaller factor than expected, as neither Croatian looked particularly sharp on the shifty red stuff, either. Cilic and and Karlovic both broke for the wins at the end of long fifth sets, benefitting from mental exhaustion on the parts of the Americans as much as anything.

Blake looked sharp early on, but the pressure of returning Karlovic's serve for hours on end eventually wore him down, as did a hostile crowd he would later call "disrespectful." Karlovic, the only player in action this weekend in Davis Cup to have reached the quarterfinals or better at Wimbledon, celebrated his victory with a few choice spanking gestures before meeting Blake at the net for the handshake. It wasn't entirely clear what Blake had the 6'10'' Karlovic bend down to hear during their post-match summit at the umpire's chair, but it was clear from Karlovic's expression that it wasn't hearty congratulations...

Mardy Fish appeared to be a game opponent for Marin Cilic several times during their match, but ultimately seemed to lose focus in his first Davis Cup action in some time. Cilic was surprisingly unimpressive, but his B-game was enough to beat Mardy's B+.

For both Blake and Fish, this was their second back to back five set loss, counting the loss the pair suffered in the Wimbledon semifinals of men's doubles. It would be near impossible for these crushing defeats not to take a toll on them that will have an effect into Sunday's matches.

Croatian Captain Goran Prpic all but conceded Saturday's doubles tie, so the Americans should head into Sunday with at least a glimmer of hope.

Davis Final QF: Spain and Germany Even at 1-1

2009-07-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

GERMANY @ SPAIN (TIED 1-1)
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus, Marbella (Outdoor Clay)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def Andreas Beck (GER) 6-0, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) def Tommy Robredo (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

No big surprises on Day 1 in Andalusia, as Spain and Germany split the first two matches of a very even match-up to go into Saturday even at 1-1.

Andreas Beck coming within a set of beating Fernando Verdasco might have been surprising if the Spaniard didn't have such a reputation for flightiness. Verdasco won the first set 6-0, and proceeded to largely disappear for the next hour or so. That Verdasco was able to come back in front of a mass of supporters was not unexpected, nor was Beck's complete inability to close out what would have been one of the biggest wins of his career.

The good-but-not-great tennis Tommy Robredo consistently delivers wasn't enough against Philipp Kohlschreiber, who as a shotmaker excels against a steady, backboard player like Robredo. Kohlschreiber looked the best of the four today, and definitely has to be given a shot of beating Verdasco on Sunday.

The remaining three matchups in this tie can all be considered toss-ups. Should make for an interesting next couple of days.

Davis Cup QF: Czechs, Argentines Knotted at 1

2009-07-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

ARGENTINA @ CZECH REPUBLIC (TIED 1-1)
CEZ Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic (Indoor Hard)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) def. Ivo Minar (CZE)

Things went largely as expected on Day 1 in Ostrava. Tomas Berdych, never one to make things easy on himself, won in five sets over the always dangerous Juan Monaco. The indoor conditions kept Berdych's serve lethal while Monaco's defensive game eventually was worn out, probably due to a lack of recent matches.

Juan Martin del Potro had a considerably easier time against Ivo Minar in leveling the tie for the Argentines. In his first match since a disappointing second round loss at Wimbledon to Lleyton Hewitt, JMdP never looked out of complete control.

del Potro is the highest ranked player participating in this weekend's Davis Cup action, and he lived up to that distinction today, looking far stronger than any of the fifteen other players who took court for their country on Friday. He's got a truckload of points to defend in the coming month, as he defends the four consecutive titles he won in July and August of 2008. Based on today, he certainly looks to be in decent shape to make a run at keeping at least a couple of those trophies in his posession.

Based on their form on the first day, it seems clear that Argentina would sweep the reverse singles should the participants remain the same. del Potro was much stronger than Berdych, and Monaco much sharper than Minar. The wild card in this tie, as I mentioned in the preview, is Radek Stepanek and his knee. If he is well enough to muster a win in the doubles on Saturday and play in Minar's spot on Sunday, the Czechs may have a chance to make it to the semifinals. If not, fuggedaboutit.

Davis Cup QF: Israel Stuns Russia, Leads 2-0

2009-07-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

RUSSIA @ ISRAEL (ISRAEL LEADS 2-0)
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel (Indoor Hard)

Harel Levy (ISR) def. Igor Andreev (RUS) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Dudi Sela (ISR) def. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5

What should have been at least one easy point for Russia turned into a jaw-dropping Israeli sweep on Day 1 of their Davis Cup quarterfinal in Tel Aviv, putting the host country in the driver's seat to close out the win on Saturday, in the doubles match featuring Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram that had previously been considered their only chance to score a point.

To put it mildly, Igor Andreev, ranked #24 in the world, had absolutely no business losing to #210 Harel Levy. Andreev, though best on clay, is no hard court slouch, pushing Roger Federer to five sets in the fourth round of the US Open last year. Harel Levy, on the other hand, is a complete slouch. He hasn't finished a year inside the top 100 since 2001. The highlight of Levy's year going into this event was qualifying for Halle by beating Lukas Lacko, then immediately losing to lucky loser Lukas Lacko (try saying that five times fast) in the first round.

Mikhail Youzhny, on the other hand, has some possible excuses. He'd been out with injury for a while, and Dudi Sela had been real hot. It was a winnable match for both, but Youzhny's failure to get the victory compounds Andreev's disastrous loss.

There are definitely some questions to be asked of generally well-thought-of Russian Davis Cup Captain Shamil Tarpischev should Russia get knocked out tomorrow. Starting with where Nikolay Davydenko and Dmitry Tursunov, both solid hard courters and Davis Cup players, were that prevented them from playing. On top of the embarrassing loss to Italy for the Russian Fed Cup team back in April, a team Tarpischev also coaches, it could prove to be a pretty rough summer for him.

Davis Cup Quarterfinals Preview

2009-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

The quarterfinals of the Davis Cup begin on Friday, with all four ties seemingly winnable for both sides. Three of them, surprisingly enough for July, are being held indoors. Coverage of the USA-Croatia tie will be live on Tennis Channel in the States, with streams of the other three quarterfinals likely findable somewhere on the world wide web.

Only the first two match-ups in each tie are locked in, the rest are subject to change(*).

ARGENTINA @ CZECH REPUBLIC
CEZ Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic (Indoor Hard)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Ivo Minar (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)
Lukas Dlouhy/Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro/Leonardo Mayer (ARG)*
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)*
Ivo Minar (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)*

Nalbandian being out really weakens the Argentines, who could be in trouble against the same Czech team that upset the French in the first round. Radek Stepanek, out with a knee injury, could be an even bigger loss in singles, since he and his Czech Flag outfit usually do so well at Davis Cup. I expect del Potro to win both his singles matches, but for the Czechs to grab the other three for the win, possibly with Stepanek heroically returning for the fifth match vs. Acasuso.
Prediction: Czech Republic 3-2

USA @ CROATIA
Sportska Dvorana, Porec, Croatia (Indoor Clay)

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v James Blake (USA)
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Mardy Fish (USA)
Ivo Karlovic/Lovro Zovko (CRO) v Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)*
Marin Cilic (CRO) v James Blake (USA)*
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Mardy Fish (USA)*

Even Without Andy Roddick, I think the USA has a pretty decent shot in this one if they can handle Ivo Karlovic's serve. Big "if" there. The Bryans are a lock for doubles, as always, and if Fish and Blake can handle a Karlovic serve that should be somewhat stunted on clay, it could be a big win for the United States. That said, I don't think both Blake and Fish will be able to crack Karlovic, which is what it would take since Cilic should cruise to two singles wins.
Prediction: Croatia 3-2

RUSSIA @ ISRAEL
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel (Indoor Hard)

Harel Levy (ISR) v Igor Andreev (RUS)
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) v Igor Kunitsyn/Marat Safin (RUS)*
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Igor Andreev (RUS)*
Harel Levy (ISR) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)*

On paper, this is a real routine win for the Russians. In reality, the only Russian of late who has been playing mildly consistant tennis is Igor Andreev, not known for his Davis Cup prowess. Look for Dmitry Tursunov, not listed in this initial lineup, to see action for the Russians. Russian Davis Cup Captain Shamil Tarpishev loves nothing more than trying to outmaneuver opposing coaches with last minute changes. Israel has a good doubles team in Erlich/Ram (the winners of the 2008 Australian Open Men's Doubles), but Harel Levy is a weak second singles option. Asking Sela to win two singles matches is likely too much to hope for. No matter the result, however, the crowds at Russia-Israel team tennis clashes have proven to be a lot of fun in the past, and should be again this time.
Prediction: Russia 3-2

GERMANY @ SPAIN
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus, Marbella (Outdoor Clay)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Andreas Beck (GER)
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Nicolas Kiefer/Mischa Zverev (GER)*
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)*
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andreas Beck (GER)*

The match-up of Spain (minus Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer) and Germany (minus Tommy Haas) certainly leaves something to be desired. But even without each country's top player, there's a lot to look forward to in a few of these matches. Kiefer and Zverev are both considerably more comfortable on faster surfaces, which I presume is why Beck is getting the nod for singles. Kohlschreiber-Robredo is a good one that should come down to Kohlschreiber's nerves being better. Kohlschreiber-Verdasco could be a close one as well, especially if Verdasco's mind and forehand are misfiring, as they are prone to do in Davis Cup matches. The whole tie largely comes down to how well Kohlschreiber plays, and I think he'll play well, but not well enough to carry Germany all the way. Hopefully Nadal is healthy in time for the semifinal round.
Prediction: Spain 3-2

Should be a good weekend of tennis to wrap up what has otherwise been a fairly dull, hungover week to follow Wimbledon.

Tennis Has A New Villain in Patricia The Terrible

2009-07-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a real bona fide lunatic player in top shelf of professional tennis. Too long. Luckily for us, Patricia Mayr of Austria, currently ranked # 71, appears ready and willing to fulfill that role.

Mayr, who is perhaps best known for making Anne Keothavong cry, is quickly establishing herself as a villain par excellence on the WTA Tour. Playing against Margalita Chaknashvili of Georgia in a first round match in Budapest on Tuesday, Mayr began loudly shouting "come on" after every point won, be it on winner or Chaknashvili error or double fault. At 6-0, 4-4, after Chaknashvili had said "sorry" for a point won on a net cord bounce, Mayr walked up to the net and inexplicably flipped off her opponent.

Mayr's gesture, naturally, was not warmly received by the umpire, crowd, or Chaknashvili, who refused to continue play. The tournament referee was called down to the outer court, where he let Mayr off with a warning.

Mayr went on to beat a clearly rattled Chaknashvili 7-5 in the second to get the win, a victory that was unsurprisingly not punctuated with a handshake.

No further fallout from the match in the way of fines or sanctions have been reported, though Mayr was seen angrily storming out of the WTA office on site.

Karma may have had a hand in Mayr's second round match, which she led 6-0, 2-0 before falling to Swiss Timea Bacsinszky 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Bacsinszky was finally able to get a read on Mayr's moonballing and establish control of her serve. Nice to see Bacsinszky back from that left knee injury that has kept her out of most all of 2009. She's a real fun player to watch, and hopefully she gets back in the mix soon.

For tennis fans longing to see Mayr’s madness for themselves, get excited because she is likely coming to a town near you! Mayr has played an absurd thirty-five tournaments in the last year, which puts her far into first place for tournaments played in the top 100. The next closest player only has thirty-one. Perhaps it’s the exhaustion that’s driving her to madness?

Whatever the reason for Mayr’s hatred of the world is, I'm happy to have it. In a sport that is becoming increasingly full of cookie cutter shreikers who are only passively aggressive in their on court behavior, Mayr represents an important step towards full on aggression that will eventually lead to straight up brawling and hair-pulling.

I, for one, can't wait.

Photo of the Day

2009-07-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just the section of stadium shown. Maybe it's just the fact that Bastad isn't Tokyo in terms of population. Maybe it's just the let down of it being the week after packed Centre Court at Wimbledon.

Whatever the excuse may be, it isn't a good sign to see all of two people in the stands behind Flavia Pennetta for her second-round match at a main level WTA tour event. And even those two people don't look particularly riveted.

Brydan Klein Handed Six Month Ban For Racist Outburst

2009-07-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Australia's Brydan Klein was handed a six month ban from tennis by the ATP for a racist outburst he had made earlier this month in Eastbourne during a match with South African Raven Klaasen.

The ban, which was announced Friday in Sydney (yes, it's already Friday in Sydney), comes on top of a previous $14,000 fine and a suspension from the Australian Institute of Sport.

Klein was immediately apologetic for the incident, a remorsefulness that did little to curry favor for him in the Australian tennis community. Klein had been subjected to previous fines and sanctions for other on court behavior, which Tennis West president Dean West has called "shocking" and "disgraceful."

While he has done nothing to match this latest Klein incident, Bernard Tomic, the other prominent Aussie up-and-comer on the men's side, is also known for a terrible temperment and on-court tirades. It may hardly be a coincidence, given that this generation of Australians would be the ones who grew up moulding themselves after Lleyton Hewitt...

TDF Logo

2009-07-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Alize Allayed Easily

2009-07-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today in Budapest, second-seeded Alize Cornet, the tournament's defending champion, was unceremoniously drop-kicked out of the second round by Shahar Peer, by the score of 6-2, 6-0. Hardly a shocker, since I expressed surprise at her winning her first round match, but this loss still represents faceplant from grace, to say the least.

Cornet, who trailed 5-0 in the first set, has been in utter free fall of late. Going back to the Australian Open quarterfinal this year in which she blew match point vs. Dinara Safina, Cornet has been an astonishingly terrible 4-16 against players in the top 100. It's especially terrible considering Cornet was #11 in the world earlier this year.

Cornet, after her less than stunning first round upset at Wimbledon, chalked the loss up to breathing problems. Maybe those microscoping nostrils are finally catching up to her? In all seriousness, it would seem as though having a nose not fit for heavy breathing could be a large cause of her difficulties. Though that theory doesn't explain how those same-sized nostrils took her within one spot of the top ten several months ago.

Cornet is facing big points coming off on the summer hard court swing, but she isn't defending any major points in the post US Open indoor swing. Regardless of what happened last year, she could easily find herself unseeded at the Australian Open if she doesn't get herself together fast.

Tuesday's Slices--7/7/09

2009-07-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Four things that happened today in the world of tennis that you may have missed:

Still struggling to recover from a shoulder injury that had him out for well over a year, American Taylor Dent took a nice step toward regaining his old form by securing a relatively routine 6-2, 6-1 win over Brazilian Marcos Daniel in Newport. The grass at Newport should help Dent's serve-and-volley game immensely, hopefully giving him the springboard he needs to get back into the top 200. The previous time Dent won a match in the main draw of an ATP tournament was way back in April. His opponent in that match? Marcos Daniel. When you got 'em, you got 'em.
The top two ranked Italians on the WTA Tour, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, met today in the first round of the hard court tournament in Bastad, Sweden. The #3 seed Pennetta beat recent Wimbledon quarterfinalist Schiavone 6-2, 7-5. It's an unfortunate draw for both in an otherwise soft first round. I cannot fathom why Pennetta came to Bastad this week in the first place, when there was a perfectly good obscure clay court tournament in Budapest to be played. No one loves obscure clay court tournaments the way Flavia Pennetta does.
There is something strange going on with the seeds in Budapest. Both Sara Errani (#7) and Lucie Safarova (#8) were served a bagel by their qualifier opponents. Even stranger, Alize Cornet (#2), who can only beat the traffic of late, managed to win her match over Galina Voskoboeva. I haven't seen photos, but I'm guessing Voskoboeva was playing without the use of one or more of her legs.
Small weeks for the main tours usually mean big weeks for the challenger circuits, and this week is no exception. The men haveThe women are in a $100k in Biarritz and a $75k in Zagreb, with some pretty nice fields at each (headlined by Lucie Hradecka and Rossanna De Los Rios, respectively). Cult fan favorite Zuzana Ondraskova picked up a nice 6-2, 6-0 win in Zagreb over the third-ranked Serb, Ana Jovanovic. In Serbian women's tennis, Jovanovic is only behind Jelena Jankovic (#6) and Ana Ivanovic (#11). Jovanovic is #229. That's quite the drop-off.

Serena Does Letterman

2009-07-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

The woman with 11 slams made an appearance at 11:30 last night on The Late Show With David Letterman, a traditional stop on victory laps for American slam winners.

Letterman asked Serena about grunting, her knee injury from a couple years back, and, out of nowhere, drinking. And she was pretty candid throughout. I just wish she had been asked about the #1 ranking. Because that's what really brings out the laughs.

Note that the outfit she showed up to the studio in (above) is completely different from what she wore on the set. Guess that dress must've been stuffed in the purse.

Smoothly done keeping the people at Wilson who sign her checks happy.

Mathieu Montcourt Dies at 24

2009-07-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sad and surprising news out of Paris today, as the FFT confirmed reports that rising French player Mathieu Montcourt died overnight. He was 24.

Montcourt was found dead in the stairwell of his apartment building in Paris by his girlfriend. No cause of death has been reported, autopsy to follow.

What makes the circumstances of Montcourt's death even more curious than they already are is the timing. Monday, the last day on which Montcourt was alive, was the first day of his five week suspension for betting on tennis. Montcourt never bet more than three dollars, and never bet on matches he was playing himself. His sentence was widely viewed as overblown, and that he was being made an example of by the ATP. How these circumstances would lead to his death is not immediately clear, but the coinciding of the suspension and his death is pretty jarring.

Montcourt's singles ranking hit an all time high of #104 just two weeks ago on June 22nd, after making the second round of the French Open for the third time in three tries. Montcourt was clearly on the up in his tennis career, which makes this turn of events all the sadder.

What obviously doesn't get said bluntly in instances such as these is that since he never made it inside the top 100, very few tennis fans and journalists knew Montcourt for anything outside the betting scandal headlines, or had ever seen him play (notwithstanding the BBC headline calling him a "star"). But for the players who from their early childhood have been facing the same players in tournament after tournament, Montcourt was someone they had known for well over a decade.

Tennis players, especially the French and Spanish, seem to be a tight knit group stretching pretty far down the rankings. The tightness is especially evident when the passing of a player outside the top 100 is mourned by a titan of the sport who as of two days ago was the top-ranked player in the world.

From rafaelnadal.com:

Mon Ami Mathieu Montcourt
Manacor, Spain - July 7th 2009

This morning I woke up to one of the worst news anyone can receive. I heard about the death of my friend Mathieu Montcourt and I am still in shock, I can't believe it.

I knew Mathieu since we were kids. We competed together at all the events at an international level for kids: Les Petit As, Copa Borotta, etc, and of course, we played again afterwards after we became professionals.

When someone like this disappears, when something like this happens, you realize where you are and you put into perspective your life, winning or losing a tennis match, not competing at an event and everything else. This is the loss of a guy who was only 24 and who was a sportsman. He won't be playing with us again.

I would like to send my deepest and most sincere condolences to his family, to his friends and to the French fans.

Mathieu, Rest in peace.

Rafa Nadal

I don't remember much about Montcourt's playing style, but I do believe I saw him play Lleyton Hewitt in the second round of the French Open in 2006, vs. Hewitt. I can't say I remember much of anything about watching him. Well, except for the hair.

Unlike his hair, which always looked pretty out of control, hopefully his friends and family are able to make peace with what happened.

RIP.

Ladies' Quarterfinals Preview

2009-06-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

The men get the day off on Tuesday, leaving the women to carry the day. Each match features a top four seed, meaning that we could get the top four ranked players in the world in the semifinals, which would be the first time that had happened on the women's side this decade.

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] 1 vs Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26
A perplexing battle between an underperformer and an overperformer. It's tough to say who will win, but based on who has been playing closer to their best, it would have to be Lisicki. I think Safina's difficulties on grass will finally catch up with her against the flat hitting, aggressive, courageous German, and she'll be the sole spoiler to the top four party in the semis.
Prediction: Lisicki in three.

2. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [8] 97 vs Serena Williams (USA) [2] 128
This one could be quite the bloody affair. The two met in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year, with Azarenka winning the first set then retiring midway through the second due to vertigo symptoms. It was a mess. Azarenka was a different type of mess in her fourth round win over Petrova yesterday, throwing a general tantrum the entire time yet still managing to power her way into her first Wimbledon quarterfinal. Serena, for her part, has looked great this entire tournament, but she hasn't faced anyone near Azarenka's caliber. This one could go into overtime.
Prediction: Williams in three.

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33 vs Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [11] 49
Serena got the opportunity to dismantle Radwanska in last year's Wimbledon quarterfinals, so it's only fair that Venus should get the chance to do so this year. Venus has been hitting the ball very cleanly, and Radwanska has no weapons that Venus won't be able to pound her way through.
Prediction: Williams in two.

2. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 74 vs Elena Dementieva (RUS) [4] 96
Elena Dementieva's soft draw continues. Two veteran players, neither of whom was talked about much going into this tournament, face off for a spot in the semis, where they will undoubtedly lose meekly to the Serena-Azarenka winner. Dementieva's game is much more stable, and should hold up better to the pressures of the occasion.
Prediction: Dementieva in two.

They Left The Lights On For Him

2009-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have my problems with Andy Murray, to be sure, but he does seem to embrace these big stages much more than Tim Henman ever did. During his 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win over Stanislas Wawrinka, Murray emoted all The atmosphere indoors under the artificial lights was something Wimbledon had never before seen in its 132 years, for better or for worse. I like that the big matches won't have to be suspended due to darkness anymore, but I can't say I was enamored with the Astrodome-esque feel of the indoor grass court.

Though in terms of firing up the hometown fans in the papers the next morning, Murray's post match press conference leaves something to be desired...

Q. What are your emotions right now?
ANDY MURRAY: Uhm, well, obviously great to come through. Haven't thought about the match a whole lot. We made sure, you know, I warmed down properly, saw the physio and got as much food in me as possible.
And then, you know, organizing what I'm going to do tomorrow to, you know, make sure I recover as best as I can before the next round.

Without the Nadal-Federer rematch to look forward to, the Murray run is one of the best storylines Wimbledon has going for it to be sure. Having the native son be the one to blaze uncharted territory into the night was the best organizers could have hoped for. The crowd loves him and he loves the Wimbledon crowds, and the new roof amplifies the noise fivefold.

Juan Carlos Ferrero is the softest draw of the eight quarterfinalists, so Murray and the hometown crowd should have more to celebrate come Wednesday. Murray may need the help more than he thinks, as he is only 1-3 in his previous four grand slam quarterfinals. If he does get through, Friday against Andy Roddick or Lleyton Hewitt should be a real good time.

The Bump II

2009-06-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

About twelve years after Irina Spirlea and Venus Williams made it cool, Sabine Lisicki and Caroline Wozniacki brought "The Bump" to a new generation of tennis. Wozniacki appeared greatly perturbed by the collision, but it's unlikely to have had much of an effect on the result, as it occured only a game from the end of Lisicki's 6-4, 6-4 win over the ninth-seeded Dane.

Have a look below at the biggest collision between a Dane and a German since the Second Schleswig War!

I think the British woman doing commentary sums it up best: "well that's, you know, handbags, isn't it, stuff, so, ha." Brilliant.

And for those of you still yearning for the mid-nineties when the only videos online were GIFs, The Bump II has been immortalized in that format too!

Out to Pasture Players Chew Up Grass

2009-06-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

Not often a player loses the first two sets and then only drops five games the remainder of the match. That's exactly what Lleyton Hewitt did, however, in coming back to defeat #23 Radek Stepanek 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. It's Hewitt's first grand slam quarterfinal since the 2006 US Open, where he lost to Andy Roddick, also his opponent in the quarterfinal on Tuesday. Roddick defeated Hewitt two weeks ago at Queen's Club in straight sets, so it's a tough draw to be certain. Even if his run ends in the quarters, it's been a dream tournament for the 2002 Wimbledon Champion. Only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have dropped fewer sets thus far.

Even more surprising than Hewitt's run in my mind is the success of wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero. I was initially confused by the AELTC's decision to give the then #103-ranked Ferrero a wild card; he had made only one quarterfinal in his last twenty grand slam events, and he's not British. But the 2003 French Open champion's subsequent semifinal run at Queen's Club and his quarterfinal run here have proven their faith deserved. Just like Hewitt, Ferrero too faces his Queen's Club conqueror in the quarterfinals. Ferrero plays hometown hopeful Andy Murray for the second time in two weeks on Wednesday, and just like Hewitt, Ferrero will be given little shot to make the semis.

Even if both the oldies lose to the Andys, it's been a good week for the 29-and-over set. They may be ancient relics by tennis standards, but with the tennis they've produced they've electrified the grass, which is decidedly preferable to being buried under it.

The Best Day on the Tennis Calendar - Fourth Round Preview

2009-06-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

The best ticket available in the world of tennis, the second Monday is one of two days on the tennis calendar where both the Gentlemen's and Ladies' draws converge on the dame day, the other being Super Saturday at the US Open. But while Super Saturday features only three matches and six players, the second Monday of Wimbledon features every Round of 16 match in both the men's and women's draw. Stars normally guaranteed a spot on one of the two main stadiums are relegated to outer courts, giving fans a chance to see big stars with just a grounds pass.

I made it out to Wimbledon on the second Monday last year, and with my grounds pass got to see Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Arnaud Clement, Marin Cilic, Shahar Peer, and Dinara Safina, capping my day off by being one of the five or so on Henman Hill pulling for Richard Gasquet against Andy Murray. Quite the day for £14 (plus £3 or so for strawberries and cream).

Here's what's on tap for this year's best tennis day of the year:

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Robin Soderling (SWE) [13] 113 vs Roger Federer (SUI) [2] 128
For a player whose big breakout tournament came on the terre battue, Robin Soderling's game is totally built for grass. Featuring power and more power, I expect him to smack a lot of winners past Federer in between moments of being thoroughly outclassed.
Prediction: Federer in four.

2. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] 1 vs Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) [17] 9
The marquee matchup on the women's side today sees top Dinara Safina play on Centre court for the first time this tournament. She faces 2006 Champion Amelie Mauresmo, who always brings her best tennis (if not her strongest nerves) to the All-England Club. Safina has looked shaky at best through the first week of the tournament, while Mauresmo has looked calm and in control throughout. I like the Frenchwoman to blitz the hollow top-seed in two jarringly vicious sets.
Prediction: Mauresmo in two.

3. Andy Murray (GBR) [3] 33 vs Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [19] 41
The Brits have got to be loving the draw that has fallen at Andy Murray's feet through these first four rounds. And if he does make it through the fourth round, his quarterfinal opponent from the winner of Ferrero-Simon shouldn't prove too challenging either. Onward toward the semifinal he marches.
Prediction: Murray in three.

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33 vs Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13] 48
A rematch of the 2007 Wimbledon semifinal, this match will be a testament to just how far Ivanovic has fallen. Ivanovic played by far her best match of the year in beating Sam Stosur in the third round, a match that I can only explain by calling it a strange fluke. Ivanovic hasn't made a grand slam quarterfinal since she won the 2008 French Open, and there's no way that streak is ending against Venus Williams.
Prediction: Williams in 2.

2. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [7] 97 vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [22] 105
As ugly and hard to watch as his game is, it's kind of refreshing to see Ivo Karlovic's serve blowing its way through the draw, taking down popular darkhorse J0-Wilfried Tsonga with it. Karlovic's game has a way of keeping players honest, and if his opponent doesn't play well he will lose, no matter how good he is (see also Federer Cincinnati 2008). Verdasco has been impressive thus far, but his mental struggles of yore are not completely behind him. I like Ivo to pull off the frustrating upset here, with a classic Verdasco breakdown left in the fifth.
Prediction: Karlovic in five.

3. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [20] 24 vs Andy Roddick (USA) [6] 32
This is the kind of matchup Andy Roddick loves to see in the middle of a slam. A mentally suspect player without a lot of variety, Tomas Berdych will hold serve a bunch, but is unlikely to pose any longterm threat.
Prediction: Roddick in three.

COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 86 vs Elena Dementieva (RUS) [4] 96
Probably the most under the radar of any of the sixteen women remaining, Elena Dementieva has quietly played some seriously ass-kicking tennis, earning a breadstick in each of her three matches so far. Vesnina is a nice draw, and a surprising fourth rounder on grass. Dementieva should get through easily, and make an impressive third quarterfinal at Wimbledon, despite it being on what should be her worst surface.
Prediction: Dementieva in two easy sets.

2. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 115 vs Serena Williams (USA) [2] 128
A rematch of their d-r-a-m-a filled fourth round match in 2007, this should be a pretty routine match for an in-shape, in-form Serena, neither of which she was in 2007. Good showing by Daniela to make it this far.
Prediction: Serena in two.

3. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 3 vs Radek Stepanek (CZE) [23] 9
One of the most consistently underrated players on the ATP Tour (probably due to his grave lack of charisma), Radek Stepanek has played great grasss court tennis before, and may very well surprise those who penciled Hewitt in to the quarters as soon as he beat Del Potro. This will be a tough loss for whoever comes out on the wrong end--it's a winnable match for both.
Prediction: Stepanek in four.

COURT 3 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [8] 97 vs Nadia Petrova (RUS) [10] 112
What should be a good match on paper should go to the Banshee of Belarus relatively easily, I would think. Azarenka has been steamrolling her way through the competition, and though she's had some underwhelming losses on big stages, I like her chances of crushing Petrova.
Prediction: Azarenka in two.

2. Dudi Sela (ISR) 85 vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) [4] 96
Novak Djokovic, like his opposite number Dementieva, largely flew under the radar through the first week. After a tough first rounder vs. capable grass courter Julien Benneteau, Djokovic looked very special in fending off a popular upset special from Mardy Fish. Dudi Sela is a fun player who has had a fun tournament, but it's largely the result of a soft draw, and reality should crash in vs. Djokovic.
Prediction: Djokovic in three.

3. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 53 vs Gilles Simon (FRA) [8] 64
A rare battle of lightweights late at Wimbledon, this match is a test of Ferrero's fitness as much as anything. And with his lack of runs in recent majors, I have to think that Ferrero won't be nearly as fresh as his younger opponent. Could be an underwhelming end to a nice run for Ferrero.
Prediction: Simon in four.

COURT 4 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Igor Andreev (RUS) [29] 72 vs Tommy Haas (GER) [24] 73
I'm at a loss for how Igor Andreev's game has been able to hold up this well on grass. With his big windmill forehand, I can't imagine it's an easy transition for him to the faster surface. Tommy Haas, on the other hand, has been playing some of the most solid tennis of his career, and should match up very well against Andreev.
Prediction: Haas in three.

2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [9] 17 vs Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26
This is a tough match to get a read on. Wozniacki has had some strange losses at majors, making unseeded dreams come true so by crashing out to Dokic and Cirstea at the first two majors of the year. Lisicki has played some utterly fearless tennis so far, but she does it with a recklessness that makes me think the wheels will fall off without notice. So who knows.
Prediction: Lisicki in three.

COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [11] 49 vs Melanie Oudin (USA) 58
Melanie Oudin seems to feed off power and not deal very well with variety. Those two factors could conspire to make it a short day at the office for the perky American qualifier from Marietta, GA. Radwanska, for a player completely devoid of power, has had some very impressive grass results in her short career, including a quarterfinal at Wimbledon last year and the 2008 Eastbourne title.
Prediction: Radwanska in two.

2. Virginie Razzano (FRA) [26] 72 vs Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 74
A battle between two entertaining, scrappy players (if not necessarily cover girls), I go with Razzano, whose game seems more suited to grass than the quick yet relatively punchless Schiavone.
Prediction: Razzano in two.

It's Her Party And She'll Cry If She Wants To

2009-06-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today, Svetlana Kuznetsova celebrated her 24th birthday. Svetlana marked the occasion by giving an enormous gift to her opponent Sabine Lisicki, crashing out of the third round by the score of 6-2, 7-5, and allowing the young German to make the second week of a major for the first time.

As she is wont to do, the recent French Open Champion Kuznetsova played horrendously uncontrolled tennis at Wimbledon, regularly hitting shots that landed at the bottom of the net or feet wide of the doubles alley.

Kuznetsova has now lost to a player ranked below her at each of the last four Wimbledons. Even more embarrassingly, the two-time major champion has only registered one career victory over a seed at Wimbledon, an embarrassing 1-5 record.

To put that statistic in perspective, it's worth notingh that American qualifier Melanie Oudin today doubled Kuznetsova's number of career wins vs. seeds at Wimbledon by beating the #6 seed, freefalling Serb Jelena Jankovic. Oudin is in just her first Wimbledon, and is ranked well outside the top 100. Kuznetsova has played in the main draw of Wimbledon seven times, is ranked #5, and has been ranked as high as #2.

None too impressive, to say the least.

Steady as She Goes

2009-06-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

The top fifteen seeds on the Ladies' side have all successfully advanced to the third round. Nineteen of the top twenty have as well, with only the #16 seed Zheng Jie, who made the semifinals last year, crashing out before the round of 32.

In sharp contrast to the success of the top tier, only two of the women seeded in the #21-32 range won their first two matches, with all but Virginie Razzano and Sorana Cirstea.

All this consistancy at the top means that there is only one match between two unseeded players in the third round, which is pretty unheard of at a slam. That unseeded match-up is none too shabby, pitting former Wimbledon quarterfinalists (and doubles partners) Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama against one another, both players who prefer the grass

While it's made for a largely headlineless week (save #24 Maria Sharapova's exit receiving the attention of a major upset), the smooth sailing for the seeds means that more of the best players are still playing, which will hopefully make for the best possible rest of the tournament.

Navratilova Broken At Love

2009-06-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

Reports came out today that Martina Navratilova's second ex-wife, Toni Layton, is suing the nine-time Wimbledon singles champion for millions of dollars in palimony. The suit, which seeks the return of property Layton alleges the couple had agreed to divide, was clearly timed around Wimbledon in order to cause maximum embarrassment for Navratilova, who is working the event as a commentator.

Classless though it may seem, this type of tactic is hardly unprecedented when it comes to the divorces of high-profile athletes. Perhaps the most notable precedent is from 2003, when Martin Brodeur's wife filed for divorce during the Eastern Conference Finals. Navratilova's case is slightly different from Brodeur's, however, since there are no allegations that she was committing adultery with her sister-in-law...

Golden Girl Gone

2009-06-24T08:20:00.001-07:00

The big news out of SW19 today came from Centre Court, where 2004 Wimbledon Ladies' Singles champion Maria Sharapova, the #24 seed, was knocked out of the tournament with a thud by Gisela Dulko of Argentina, currently ranked #45.

There was a fair amount of grumbling in some tennis circles about Sharapova being bumped from her current ranking of #60 to the #24 seed, with critics citing her ranking, her second round exit at last year's Wimbledon, and lack of a grass court title since 2005. I will agree that Sharapova's grass court p

Any objection to the bumping almost certainly is coming from longtime detractors of the polarizing Sharapova, of whom there are many with valid reasons. As someone who has managed to stay pretty neutral when it comes to the 2004 Wimbledon Champion, it seems obvious to me that seeding Sharapova was a correct and necessary move for the LTA to make.

All the other #21-#25 seeds lost in the first round. Seeds, especially lower ranked ones, lose all the time. Making her a seed just implies that she has a pretty good chance of winning, better than the other four people in her section. People expected her to beat Dulko, so nothing a miss there.
Wimbledon rewards players with great results at Wimbledon, just as they did in 2004 bumping Serena Williams from the #10 ranking to the #1 seed. And before her second round lost last year, a loss almost certainly due to the injury that restricted Sharapova to only one more tournament in 2008, Sharapova had never lost before the second week of Wimbledon. She had lost to the eventual champion three years in a row, twice in the semifinals (Venus Williams and Amelie Mauresmo) and once in the fourth round to Venus Williams, whose low ranking was the cause of the premature collision.
Had Sharapova not been injured for so long, her ranking would easily be within the top 32. She only was healthy enough to enter four tournaments since her last time at Wimbledon, and that includes Montreal, which she pulled out of after the first round due to her shoulder problems.
Seeding Sharapova protects the big names. No one wants to see a matchup between Sharapova and Serena Williams happen in the first round when both players are good enough to go far. Seeding Sharapova kept her out of the stars' way at least for a couple rounds.

Defending her seeding doesn't mean that this loss is not troubling for Sharapova. Gisela Dulko is not a bad player and is capable of giving top players scares early in majors (as she did to Serena in Melbourne earlier this year), but she doesn't have a reputation for being able to close those matches out like she was able to against Sharapova. Sharapova can't fall back on not being match tough as an excuse either, as making the quarterfinals of Roland Garros just over two weeks ago should be preparation enough for anyone.

As an aside, this loss makes it three years in a row now in which Sharapova has done better at the French Open than at Wimbledon, which is a bizarre statistic to be sure for the player who once described her clay prowess as that of a "cow on ice."

The lesson to cull from this loss may be that Sharapova is not the grass courter she was once made out to be. Her biggest results early on were on grass, to be sure, but fourteen of her nineteen career titles have come on hard courts, including eight of her last nine. She won the last last hard court slam she was healthy enough to play (Australian Open 2008), and has also won the US Open as well as the US Open Series.

Players' surface preferences have been known to shift over time, so Sharapova's evolution from grass courter to hard courter is hardly unprecedented. Andre Agassi also won his first major at Wimbledon, and only reached one Wimbledon final after that, winning six of his remaining seven major titles on hard courts.

Also worth noting is the absence of her oft-villainized father, Yuri Sharapov. Sharapova hasn't gone into great detail as to why he is no longer traveling with her, but it's safe to say that his absence certainly hasn't improved her results.

The US hardcourt swing has been where Sharapova has shone in recent years, and there's a fair amount of pressure on her to salvage her year in the coming months. The US Open does not adjust seeds, it uses the computer rankings directly. So if she's going to be seeded in the year's final grand slam, she'll have to earn it the old fashioned way.

Warming Up And Cooling Off

2009-06-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

The grass court season leading up to Wimbledon is a mere two weeks, far less surface preparation time than is afforded for any other grand slam. Because the window of preparation is so small, one would think that making the most of the warm-up tournaments on grass would be a direct indicator of success at SW19.

But in the opening round of Wimbledon, that theory has been completely toppled, as smaller titles on the turf heading in have created no significant tailwinds to speak of for the victors at the All-England Club. Rather, these champions have been apparently exhausted by the effort needed to secure the lesser prizes.

Here is how the seven winners of the seven warm-up tournaments have ~~failed~~ fared in the opening round of Wimbledon:

ATP Eastbourne Champion Dmitry Tursunov (Seeded #25 at Wimbledon, lost to unseeded Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-2, 3-0 ret.)

Perhaps more physically exhausted than mentally, Russian/Californian Dmitry Tursunov followed up his title at the first Eastbourne ATP tournament with a lethargic upset loss to German Mischa Zverev, a match Tursunov was unable to complete due to an ankle injury that had also surfaced in Eastbourne.

WTA Eastbourne Champion Caroline Wozniacki (Seeded #9 at Wimbledon, defeated unseeded wild card Kimiko Date Krumm 5-7, 6-3, 6-1)

For the first part of her first round match, eighteen-year old Dane Caroline Wozniacki looked nowhere near as fresh as an opponent two full decades her senior, Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm, who has recently returned to the tour at age thirty-eight. Wozniacki was eventually able to outmuscle Date Krumm, but not with anything near the ease that would be expected for a top ten player playing a rusty opponent ranked well outside the top 100.

ATP Halle Champion Tommy Haas (Seeded #24 at Wimbledon (though ranked #35), defeated unseeded Alexander Peya 6-7(5), 7-6(0), 6-3, 6-4)

Germany's Tommy Haas recovered well from losing the first set to Austrian Alexander Peya, defeating him in four sets. Haas' title in Halle was his first since February of 2007, and his current win streak of six is his longest since that same month.

WTA Birmingham Champion Magdalena Rybarikova (Unseeded at Wimbledon, lost to unseeded Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-2)

Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova won her first career WTA title in Birmingham just over a week ago, so her having a letdown at Wimbledon is not an enormous surprise. What is surprising is how lopsided her defeat to Italy's Roberta Vinci was, given Vinci's general lack of success outside of clay courts.

ATP 's-Hertogenbosch Champion Benjamin Becker (Unseeded at Wimbledon, defeated Roko Karanusic 6-4, 6-4, 6-1)

Arguably the most impressive of the warm-up champions in his first round (faint praise) was Benjamin Becker (no relation to Boris). Becker, who is still best known for beating Andre Agassi at the 2006 US Open in what would be the last match of Agassi's career dispatched Croatian Roko Karanusic in straight sets. Becker was the only one of the seven 2009 grass champions not to drop a set in the first round of Wimbledon.

WTA 's-Hertogenbosch Champion Tamarine Tanasugarn (Unseeded at Wimbledon, lost to unseeded Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-4, 6-4)

Easily the WTA player most specialized toward grass court play, Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn shockingly crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round to the unheralded clay court specialist Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain. Tanasugarn reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last year, losing to eventual champion Venus Williams. Failing to defend the points she earned in last year's tournament, Tanasugarn's ranking will plummet approximately 34 places after Wimbledon, from #47 to #81.

ATP Queen's Club London Champion Andy Murray (Seeded #3 at Wimbledon, defeated Robert Kendrick 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4)

The highest-ranked man to enter a grass court warm-up event, Scotsman Andy Murray struggled perhaps more than expected in his four-set win over seventy-sixth ranked American Robert Kendrick. Kendrick had previously pushed Rafael Nadal to five sets at Wimbledon in 2007, so the challenge wasn't completely unexpected. But it is safe to say, all the same, that Murray would have liked to have opened his Wimbledon campaign with a more convincing win in front of the throngs of Brits hanging their hopes on his shoulders.

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So what does the uninspiring 4-3 record of these grass court warm-up tournament champions say about the importance of preparation? All seven champions were facing a lower-ranked opponent, and all but one of them lost at least one set. Perhaps after the grueling and seemingly interminable clay court season, rest is just as valuable as reacclimation.

Last year's finalists on both the Gentlemen's and Ladies' sides demonstrate both schools of thought on Wimbledon preparation--Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer won Queen's Club and Halle respectively and met in the final, while the Ladies' final was contested by Venus and Serena Williams, both of whom skipped the pre-Wimbledon grass stretch as they have done most every year.

It could just be as simple as a gender difference--that the men recover more quickly than do the women, with the male champions going 3-1 in the first round (with Tursunov's injury bringing the only loss), while the women, especially those lower ranked ones with less experience following up titles, were more vulnerable to an early let down.

The impact of the warm-up events will likely be less and less as the fortnight continues, but for the opening few days, it's worth taking a gander at.