Bleacher Report - Articles by Dudu James

Tennis: Best Players on Tour Without a Grand Slam

Dudu James — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:43:53 -0400

Besides Novak Djokovic winning the Australian Open in 2008, it seems the Slams in the past few years have belonged almost completely to Roger Federer and, more and more, Rafael Nadal—but not much besides those two.

Federer's decline seems much more obvious this year, while Nadal, although winning three out of the last four grand slams, seems beatable off the clay, if he's played correctly. Things seem a bit more open, and more players can join the chase for the big titles, even those who haven't won one in their career.

Here's my list of the best six players today without a Slam title and their future chances of winning one.

Andy Murray, United Kingdom

Career singles titles: 11, 10 of them on hard courts, one on carpet. three titles in 2009.

Grand Slam Bests: Australian Open—fourth round (2007, 2009); French Open—third round (2008); Wimbledon—quarterfinal (2008); U.S. Open—final (2008).

Boasting a 26-2 record, the almost 22-year-old Scottish player is the latest hope for the Brits to finally win Wimbledon for the home team. (Well, almost—Scotland is close enough.)

He has already reached two Masters finals this year, winning one in Miami vs Novak Djokovic and losing one to Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells.

Despite his lack of success on clay so far in his career, he has reached the Monte Carlo Masters semifinal, where he has lost to Rafael Nadal, who hasn't lost in Monte Carlo for 26 straight matches, which might signal he is to be considered a contender for the upcoming Roland Garros.

He will surely be one of the top contenders for a win in Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, where he reached the finals last year.

My bet: With Federer looking less and less capable of constantly showing his old form, count on Andy Murray to get his first Grand Slam by the end of 2009 or early 2010. What happened this Australian Open was just a glitch. Murray is the real deal.

Juan Martin Del Potro, Argentina

Current ATP Ranking: fifth.

Career singles titles: five, two on clay and three on hard courts. One title in 2009.

Grand Slam Bests: Australian Open—quarterfinal (2009); French Open—second round (2008); Wimbledon—second round (2007,2008); U.S. Open—quarterfinal (2008).

The 20-year-old Argentinian beat Rafael Nadal in the Miami Masters' quarterfinal, a win that brought him further into the spotlight than ever before, and his growing talent has gotten a lot more media time than ever before. This year seems like his breakout year, and he is expected to be a major force at Roland Garros.

The only problem? Rafa—Nadal to you and me—who just seems unbeatable on clay at the moment. But Del Potro has beaten him recently, maybe he has his magic number?

My bet: No Grand Slam for Del Potro this year, but he's only 20, and if he keeps progressing like he has in the past 16 months, we will see him getting a big trophy or two. He has to improve his record against the top ranked players, as he is 1-13 against Federer-Nadal-Murray-Djokovic.

Gilles Simon, France

Current ATP Ranking: seventh.

Career singles titles: five, three on clay and two on hard courts. No titles in 2009.

Grand Slam Bests: Australian Open—quarterfinal (2009); French Open—second round (2007); Wimbledon—third round (2008); U.S. Open—third round (2008).

The Swiss-born French player had his profile rise in 2008 by beating both Nadal and Federer in tournament play, but he has yet to thrive on the momentum, and his trophy cabinet is void of one in 2009 as of yet.

Already 25, Simon is considered a late bloomer, winning his first title five years after first going pro.

He did put on his best Grand Slam appearance in Australia this year, reaching the quarterfinal only to be knocked out in 3 sets by Rafael Nadal. Can he produce a better performance in this year's Roland Garros, where he hasn't exactly been dazzling?

My Bet: Although Simon is extremely talented and, on a good day, can beat anyone on any court (well, maybe not grass), he isn't consistent enough and doesn't step up when he's on a big stage, whether it's a Masters or a Grand Slam.

With Murray and Djokovic and of course Nadal and Roger and other youngsters, I don't see Simon winning a Slam before he retires.

Gael Monfils, France

Current ATP Ranking: 10th.

Career singles titles: One, on clay. No titles in 2009. He also has four Challenger titles.

Grand Slam Bests: Australian Open—fourth round (2009); French Open—semifinal (2008); Wimbledon—third round (2005,2007); U.S. Open—fourth round (2008).

The No. 2 Frenchman and, guess what, he was also born in Switzerland. With Wawrinka and Federer, they could have made an amazing Davis Cup team, no?

Monfils is probably one of the most exciting players on the tour since his arrival on the pro scene in 2004. He made a huge leap in 2005 into the top 50, also winning a title in Sopot, Poland, but since then, he seems more like a young man exploding with potential but not fulfilling it.

But the past year or so has been better for him, reaching the semis in Roland Garros before being outed by Federer and also reached his career bests in Australia and the U.S. Open last summer. He started this year with a win over Nadal in Doha, before losing to Andy Roddick in the final of the tournament.

My Bet: Monfils has long been one of my favourite players on the tour. He's an entertainer as much as he's a tennis player, and he's incredibly fun to watch when his game is on.

The problem is that sometimes he relies too heavily on his athleticism, and that could get the best of him. Nonetheless, Monfils showed last year he can go deep in the French Open and wasn't far from beating Federer. He can beat Nadal, posing a style that gives the Spaniard a lot of problems.

I see him winning one French Open in the next few years.

David Nalbandian, Argentina

Current ATP Ranking: 15th.

Career singles titles: 10, four on clay and four on hard, two on carpet. One title in 2009.

Grand Slam Bests: Australian Open—semifinal (2006); French Open—semifinal (2004, 2006); Wimbledon—final (2002); U.S. Open—semifinal (2003).

Unlike the rest of players before him on this article, Nalbandian is seemingly past his prime. It seems Nalbandian peaked about four to five years ago. His 2009 form so far has been less than great, except for winning the Sydney tournament in the beginning of the year.

Nalbandian does play beautiful tennis at his best, clean and efficient as some may call it. The problem is it doesn't come out too often.

My bet: It won't happen for the Argentinian, who'll go down as one of the best players to never win a Grand Slam. His ability to beat Federer, Nadal and also Djokovic always keeps him in the shortlist of contenders, but it doesn't seem like he still has it in him to keep it up for a whole major tournament.

James Blake, United States

Current ATP Ranking: 17th.

Career singles titles: 10, all on hard. None in 2009 and 2008.

Grand Slam Bests: Australian Open—quarterfinal (2008); French Open—third round (2006); Wimbledon—third round (2006,2007); U.S. Open—quarterfinal (2005,2006).

Blake, who will turn 30 by the end of 2009, has the unfortunate luck of being American, and he is expected to succeed like Sampras and Agassi in the 90's and early 2000's.

Blake definitely has the talent but just seems to be missing something else, probably drive or killer instinct, call it what you like. Maybe he just doesn't cope well with great pressure, and his lack of Grand Slam and Masters trophies is good proof of that.

My Bet: Blake has one of the best forehands in the game and is one of the more physically gifted players to step on the tennis court. That's not enough with the competition being the way it is these days.

Being almost an old man in tennis terms, Blake doesn't have much gas in the tank probably, despite looking to be fit enough to play like any of the youngsters.

His inability to win in the past two years and his inability to do anything outside a hard court will leave Blake, like Nalbandian, without a Slam in his very impressive career.

2009 NBA Playoffs: Who Has the Most to Prove?

Dudu James — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:24:21 -0400

As with each post season, some players have more to lose than others. Here are these years men with the target cross on their back.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Not a tough choice. To my opinion, this year's deserving MVP to be is playing his best basketball of his career and finally has the home advantage from day one of the playoffs. In a season were the Cavs have lost only once at home during regular season play, that's important.

His teammates around him have never been better, with a complimentary No. 2 in Mo Williams and all the Role Players you want in a contender. Is this the year the "chosen one" get his ring?

He's been to the finals once already, I think it's time LeBron gets his title. Not winning one in a year like this one will make all the Knicks and summer of 2010 rumors re-appear.

Stephon Marbury, Boston Celtics.

Boston seem vulnerable this season, especially with Garnett not a 100 percent for the play offs and not having home advantage like last season. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and the rest of the guys won it last year and actually have much less pressure on them, Garnett or no.

Marbury was given a chance to save his career by the Celtics, but so far hasn't done more than 3.6 ppg in 17 minutes a night. Boston need more from their bench, especially the back court so Rondo can have some resting minutes with the Celtics not falling apart. Can Marbury dig deep and give them that reliable back court sub they need?

Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta are in the playoffs for the second year in a row, and this time don't have to meet with the Celtics who they almost knocked off last year. They have home court advantage against Dwayne Wade and his bunch. This year potential is not enough. They have to deliver, and when you talk about potential...

Josh Smith is considered by many to be the best athlete in the league and it's time he shows a bit more than just dunking and blocking. It's time he steps up and helps Joe Johnson lead this team and show that people have been talking about his potential for a reason.

Taking the Cavs to six games in the Eastern semi-finals (minimum) should give them a lot to build on for next season.

Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers.

Well, one of the biggest questions running around in the league, for good reason or not: Can he win one without Shaq? With Arguably the best squad in the league, it's (again) time for Kobe to lead Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and the rest for Shaq-less title.

Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets.

Ever since 'Melo was draft back in 2003, the Nuggets have made the playoffs each year. Each year they've been knocked out in the first round. Their record in those playoffs? 4-16. It's time Carmelo rises to the league of Lebron and Dwayne Wade and win a playoff series, or maybe he's content of being the next T-Mac.

Yao Ming, Houston Rockets.

Well, Yao is in the same situation as Melo. When healthy he just might be the best Center in the league. His Rockets are again after a good solid season in the tough west. And again, there's a feeling they're going to say goodbye to the post season in four to seven games.

Can Ming change the Rockets fate, and with the curse of T-Mac on the sidelines these playoffs win a playoff series for Houston for the first time since 1996-97?

Steve Kerr's First Attempt at Revolution Fails: Where to Next?

Dudu James — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:28:39 -0400

The Suns' theoretical chances of making the playoffs are now finished and the franchise won't make it to the post season for the first time since the '03-'04 season and for only the second time in the past 20 seasons.

The problems started last season after bringing in Shaq for Marion, which changed the gunslinger mentality of the team but didn't improve it's defense by much, and in general just made the team slower and limited their offense.

O'Neal, brought in to be the man to stop Tim Duncan in the yearly playoff matchup with the Spurs, didn't work as the Spurs finished off the Suns in five games.

Although Steve Kerr expressed his desire to keep Mike D'antoni, D'antoni left to the Knicks after not fully agreeing with the front office personnel moves, not fitting the style of basketball he installed in the team the previous seasons, and Kerr hired Terry Porter.

Porter was suppose to be more suited for the slow half court offense Kerr envisioned for the Suns, but the problem, besides Porter being the wrong fit, was the players.

Nash can't work in the half court offense—At least not as efficiently as he does an open court offense.

Plus, Nash's age has started showing, with his scoring average and assist numbers dropping to their lowest level since moving from Dallas to Phoenix. That can be attributed to the slower pace under Porter, but it's not all pace.

Amar'e Stoudemire also seemed to had taken a step back this season with his scoring average dropping almost four points. Shaquille improved his numbers from last season, but that wasn't enough.

The defense was as bad as it was in the up-tempo days, but it wasn't backed up with the best offense in the league. Nash, Amar'e, Grant Hill—None of them are close to being good defenders, and without Marion who was a key member of the D'Antoni-style Suns, there wasn't anyone to make defensive plays.

In December they made a trade and brought Jason Richardson to the team, but Richardson, despite producing solid numbers since his arrival, is not what the Suns needed.

A coaching change soon came, with Terry Porter being fired and Alvin Gentry replacing him. Gentry brought the run-and-gun back to Phoenix. It seemed to work initially. Scoring over 140 points in his first three games, the tides shifted back for Phoenix.

The Suns have found it very hard away from home since Gentry came on, and the defense became even weaker due to the fast pace he brought back to the team, as Phoenix allow more than a 107 points per game, 27th in the NBA.

So the playoff hopes for this season are over, and Shaq has already started opening his mouth about wanting to move; maybe to Dallas who beat Phoenix for the final spot in the Western Conference.

Shaq is being his usual self. When things start going south, he starts tearing his organization from within. Kind of like basketball's own T.O, except with titles to back up his words.

But the story here is Phoenix and Kerr's failed (so far) revolution. If he keeps his job, and it seems he will, he needs to decide if he wants to break up the package and rebuild from scrap, shipping anything he has worth something for future picks or try and squeeze this seemingly dried up lemon a little more.

I think Gentry should stay, as he fits the up tempo style that Phoenix should and are used to playing. Building around Amar'e sounds logical, but it might be hard keeping him happy if the team won't be getting wins soon.

Shaq and Nash will be hard to move because of their contracts and age, so it's too early and hard to guess if and where they'll move. But Phoenix, after losing half of its core from the past five seasons, will probably look completely different by the start of the 2009-'10 season.

The question is, if they'll still be any good.

Roger Federer Loses His Head in Loss to Novak Djokovic

Dudu James — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:15:37 -0400

I was just watching the Federer-Djokovic semifinals matchup at the Masters tournament in Miami, Fla.

To those who don't know already, the Swiss Maestro lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. It's OK to lose, and even though about a year and a half ago it seemed as Federer losing only happened on clay courts; however it's now normal to see Federer lose to players not called Rafael Nadal.

But it wasn't just the defeat. Federer really lost it this time. It's probably being uploaded on YouTube and other similar Web sites. Federer, after another forehand shot of his went into the net, he lost his head and control.

Federer smashed the racket on the hard surface, and to the sound of jeers from the crowd went to his seat and let a bottle fly a distance.

Although it's always enjoyable to watch tantrums like this as long as no one gets hurt, I felt sorry for the guy. 18 months ago he was called the greatest of all time, and after last year’s US Open it seemed he would be coming back to his pre-2008 form.

However, that wasn't the case, and his defeat to Nadal in the Australian Open Final and defeat to Andy Murray a couple of weeks ago in Indian Wells shook his mental state even more.

We have gotten used to see him cry, but to throw a tantrum like this? Federer is just not dealing with his aging and his slowly descending ability.

He had four years of total domination, and the uber expectations of himself and from the crowd who always seem to take his corner of late just seem to backfire again and again in big games.

What's next?

Clay season is coming up, and then that unclimable mountain that is the Roland Garros Grand Slam. I really fear Roger will replay his performance of last year's Paris final, but at an earlier stage.

Maybe he can pick the pieces up. It's too soon to say he'll never win another Grand Slam but he is in dire need of some change. I don't know what and/or will be that change, but he needs to get his confidence and groove back.

He should do this for his sake and for tennis in general, because when he is good, when his head is in the right place, and when he ever gets rid of that fear of Nadal, he's the best tennis player of all time.

The question is, will we see him like that again?

I hope we will, but I feel we won't.