Bleacher Report - Tennis

ATP World Tour Finals: With Groups Determined, The Scene Is Set

Chloe Francis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:35:51 -0500

Now that the competitors of the two round robin groups for the ATP World Tour Finals have been finalised, and official photos taken, the first day of hotly anticipated competition is less than 48 hours away.

In the first time that the event will be hosted in London, the location seems especially apt for an almost wholly European participation (following Andy Roddick's withdrawal due to a knee injury and Swede Robin Soderling taking his place, only Argentine Juan Martin del Potro does not hail from the European continent).

Equally, the huge, modern, architecturally stunning location of the O2 Arena in the east of the city seems apt for the newly rebranded and highly anticipated end-of-season spectacle.

In Group A, the first of the round robin groups, Roger Federer will face Del Potro, Scot Andy Murray, and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in what is described as the toughest of the two groupings.

The first singles match on Sunday, the first day of the eight-day tournament, will be home hope Murray against Del Potro—surely a highly entertaining encounter from the two young talents—followed by Federer against Verdasco.

The other group consists of world No. 2 Rafael Nadal, defending champion Novak Djokovic, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, and Robin Soderling of Sweden, who will play on Monday.

Group B will start with Nadal against Soderling in a rematch of the French Open fourth round, where the Swede knocked out the four-time defending champion. Djokovic and Davydenko will conclude the first round robin matches late on Monday.

Djokovic goes into the finals as the in-form player, having won last week's Paris Masters title, brushing aside Nadal in straight sets on the way to the final. The week before he beat Federer on his home court in Basel to win the final of the Swiss Indoors.

Although the players do not have to win every match in the round robin stage in order to progress to the semifinals, with such stiff competition, every victory will matter this year.

The top two players in each of the round robin groups advance to the semifinals of the tournament, with a possible $1.63 million on offer to a champion who is also undefeated in group stages.

An important side story will be the ongoing battle for year-end No. 1, a position which is still yet to be determined. Federer, who took over as world No. 1 in midseason as Nadal was sidelined by injury, could still lose the No. 1 ranking to the Spaniard.

An undefeated winner of the tournament will claim 1,500 points in the rankings, with the Swiss star's lead over Nadal at 945 points, meaning that effectively Nadal will have to reach the final of the event in order to recapture the No. 1 position.

While this year is undoubtedly Roger's year, with final appearances in all four Slam finals and wins in the French Open and Wimbledon (securing a career Grand Slam and record-breaking 15th Slam title), it is clear that the final plot line of Roger's annual story is yet to be written.

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Queens of the Court: The Heart and Stomach of a King—Billie Jean King

clarabella bevis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:48:46 -0500

A tribute to a personal heroine who celebrates her 66th birthday on 22nd November.

A first impression

What was it about one particular woman, wielding her wooden racket in the black and white world of 1960s television, that imprinted itself in this fan’s memory? She came from another country, and she played a game I had barely learned to understand, let alone master.

To me, she looked middle-aged even though still in her early 20s. She was ordinary in appearance but unusual in demeanor.

I knew nothing of her background nor of her achievements in tennis—other than she had just beaten the homely, and British, Ann Jones. But once I heard her name, I never forgot it.

Billie Jean King.

Her story has been simmering in the bloodstream ever since, because her name takes me back to my very first monochrome memories of tennis and of Wimbledon—for it was only Wimbledon that made its way into British living rooms back then.

These were impressionable years for a girl heading towards adolescence. It was the uncomfortable realisation that my mother seemed quite embarrassingly enamoured of the Santanas and Newcombes. It was also the uncomfortable realisation that King was being undermined by that mother’s slights about her appearance, her manner, and her attitudes.

It’s in unexpected places that children on the verge of adulthood have their opinions formed, and King was one of those places.

I immediately responded to her and the way she played. She had a powerful, nimble, forward-moving game. She was as fit as a flea. She had little vanity but great pride. She didn’t conform to the elegant ideal of Margaret Court, nor the girl-next-door safe of Jones, and certainly not to the pretty new star on the block, Evonne Goolagong. She wore glasses, was short, and often battled with her weight.

All of this was strangely reassuring to a girl bombarded by the glamor of the “swinging '60s,” Twiggy, and Sgt. Pepper.

But King’s absence of glamor allowed her strong personality and talent to take centre stage. By the time King, then still only 23, was having her impact on this fan in England, she had begun not only to stamp her achievements on the tennis record books, but also to make her mark in social and political issues off court.

It started with the tennis

No, it started with her name.

When she was born, in Long Beach, CA in 1943, Billie Jean was to be Michelle Louise. But her father, Bill Moffat, was away at war, and so her mother named her baby daughter in his honour.

King had a conservative, working-class upbringing, but very soon showed a special blend of two important strands. She had natural sporting ability, and she was bright. The young Billie Jean could have gone to Stanford had her parents been able to afford it. Instead she went to California State University in Los Angeles.

She had her first tennis lesson at the age of 11 and was so hooked that she bought her first tennis racket for eight dollars, using money she had saved up from odd jobs.

“I knew I had found my destiny. I wanted to be the No. 1 tennis player in the world.”

She claimed that, by 12, she already saw things she wanted to change, and knew that if she could be No. 1, people would listen. “It was all white people, dressed in all white clothes, playing with white balls before a crowd of polite observers. I wanted people to get excited, to be fans and participants, not observers.”

At 15, she entered her first U.S. Open. Then in 1961, at just 17, she played at Wimbledon. That occasion marked the very last time she failed to reach at least the singles quarterfinals, though she continued to compete at her favorite tournament until 1983. She didn’t, however, come away empty-handed in 1961: She won the first of her 14 doubles titles.

By 1963, she had reached Wimbledon’s singles final, and by 1966 she was the singles champion.

In the year that she reached out to one girl in England—1967—she won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles at both Wimbledon and the US Open. She went on to win the Australian Open as the year turned to 1968 (one of the rare times she played that event) and then won Wimbledon again.

By the end of 1968, she needed knee surgery (as she would do twice more in her career). That did not stop her playing, in 1970, one of the greatest Wimbledon finals against long-term adversary, the towering Court. It was a straight sets loss for King, but the women played 46 games: 14-12, 11-9.

In 1972, King added her only French title to further Wimbledon and U.S.Open wins.

Her style of play illuminated not only her lack of the enthusiasm for, and success on, clay, but spoke volumes about her character.

She was a hard-hitting shot maker, and a great volleyer despite her 5'4" stature. She felt her forehand down the line was weak, so she made a point of hitting it more often. She was a woman to tackle problems head on, a characteristic that pigeonholed her as aggressive rather than driven or courageous.

“Any woman who wants to achieve anything has to be aggressive and tough, but the press never sees us as multidimensional.” It took many more years before the media truly appreciated the multifaceted King.

Breaking down the barriers one by one

While King was embarking on the golden road to tennis fame, she was also finding out about the ways of the world. At university, where she was already the most lauded athlete, she met her future husband, Larry King. It was he who pointed out to her that he had a tennis scholarship when she did not solely because she was a woman. The campaign for equal rights beckoned.

First, she took on what she called the “shamateurism” accorded the women’s tour, a world where the top players were paid under-the-table fees to grace the major tournaments rather than being paid as professionals.

In 1970, she joined the new Virginia Slims Circuit, the first women-only tennis tour. She helped to form the Women’s Tennis Association (W.T.A.) in 1973, and a year later, she founded the Women’s Sports Foundation dedicated to advancing women’s sports.

As the first W.T.A. president, King threatened to lead a boycott of the 1973 U.S. Open if female players weren’t awarded the same prize money as the men. As a result, it became the first Slam to do just that.

Weeks after the Open, King took the fight for gender equality by the throat in possibly her most famous match, known as the “Battle of the Sexes.” The 55-year-old Bobby Riggs was a former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, and had challenged the top female players as a publicity stunt, saying that “women just don’t have the emotional stability for the game.”

In May, he had beaten Court in what became known as the “Mother’s Day Massacre.” King had originally turned down Riggs’s offer to play, but after seeing Court embarrassed 6-2, 6-1 by Riggs, she felt she needed to take up his challenge. “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn't win that match.”

His comment? “I want the women’s lib leader.”

The records of King and Court between 1966 and 1975 had followed similar paths. One or both of them played 35 of the 40 Slam singles tournaments held during this period, and together they won 24 of them.

They were like chalk and cheese in looks, in playing style, and in their personal lives. But they became united in this common cause.

After studying a tape of Court’s match, King became incensed that Riggs had presented Court with a bouquet of flowers before it started. “She should have belted him over the head with the flowers rather than accept them!” What Court did do, however, was exchange notes with King on tactics.

The match became the most watched—by 50 million—in tennis history.

But even there, King had an eye to equality. She noted that not a single sportswriter covering the event was a woman. She knew her worth and used it to advance her cause. A couple of days before the match, she told the head of ABC, who had paid $750,000 for the broadcasting rights, that she wouldn’t play if the network used Jack Kramer, whom she believed to be anti women’s tennis, in the commentary box.

She won. She also won the match, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

This is, perhaps, an appropriate point to look at King’s views on the three-set versus five-set debate. She never had an issue with men and women playing the same length of match—as her Riggs encounter proved. What she did, and continues to, favor is the three-set format for all players, particularly in the context of the modern game.

“I want every player to play as long as possible and I think the long five-setters are taking a toll on the longevity of the men’s careers...I think two out of three is better so we can see more of them.”

Courage and controversy

King was always unafraid to take on the establishment in her professional life. But she eventually had to face it in her personal life too.

She was one of the first professional sports woman to admit she was gay, or rather she was forced out of the closet, in 1981, by the revelations of her P.A., Marilyn Barnett. The greatest barrier to admitting her sexuality sooner had been her parents. It’s worth quoting her own words about what was clearly a major internal conflict.

“One of my big goals was always to be honest with my parents and I couldn’t be for a long time. I tried to bring up the subject but...I was pretty easily stopped because I was reluctant anyway. I ended up with an eating disorder that came from trying to numb myself from my feelings. I needed to surrender far sooner than I did.”

On top of the family conflict, she feared the homophobia that was more widely prevalent: “I had people tell me that if I talked about what I was going through, it would be the end of the women’s tour.” As it was, she estimates that the revelation cost her millions of dollars in endorsements.

King and her husband had experienced controversy before, when he revealed, without her permission, that she’d had an abortion in 1971. Nevertheless, they rode out their relationship together until they divorced in 1987. After they agreed to pursue separate relationships, he asked her to be godmother to any child he may have, and she is.

Still embracing challenge and change

King retired from singles tennis in 1984, and became commissioner of World Team Tennis, which she and her husband had helped to create in 1973. She still serves on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation, which in 2008 opened the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center, the first museum dedicated to women’s sports.

She, along with John McEnroe, still strives to bring tennis to the masses, to make it fun and accessible. After 30 years, she has brought the World Team Tennis brand back to New York, with the intention of getting locals up close and personal, at an affordable price, to the big tennis stars such as Venus and Serena Williams.

It comes as no surprise that she welcomes technological advances as enthusiastically as social ones. The new roof over Wimbledon’s Centre Court, far from being “sacrilege”, is “beautiful…like a functional piece of contemporary art.”

The powerful modern rackets help players in the local park to “feel like they can, even for a few points, hit as cleanly as the pros.”

She’s a great supporter of “hawkeye” technology, both for the fairness it brings to the tennis and the excitement it brings to the fans.

“With all of the information, equipment advances and technology…players get better every generation...I would be having so much fun if I was playing today, my personality would fit the modern game!”

Yet she still sees much to achieve.

She works with long-time friend Elton John on AIDs awareness.

She is co-founder of GreenSlam, an environmental initiative for the sports industry.

And she still sees discrimination against gay women in the media, and even within the W.T.A. where the names of players’ male partners are mentioned, but not the females’ partners.

And still she inspires

What was it, then, from this catalogue of achievement, that made such an impression on a very young, very unworldly British schoolgirl all those years ago?

No-one could foresee that King would win 129 singles tournaments, 12 of them in Grand Slams, nor that she would claim a record-setting 20 Wimbledon titles.

It was impossible to imagine that the prestigious home of U.S. tennis would be named in her honor, or that she would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work on the rights of women and gays.

Her worldwide status could be measured by awards: the Sunday Times Lifetime Achievement Award; the Champion of Justice award from the Public Justice Foundation; the Arthur Ashe Courage Award; and many more.

Whatever it was, the emotion was rekindled by a brief, live encounter at the eponymous U.S. National Tennis Center. King was, as she has always done, enthusing the public about tennis with a new Champions Invitational event that pitted three co-ed teams against one another in her beloved W.T.T. format.

A crowd spanning all ages gathered around the perimeter of one of Flushing Meadows’ outside courts to enjoy a line-up of Grand Slam champions and finalists under the leadership of three of the greats of the game: Pat Cash, Ivan Lendl and, the real star of the show, Billie Jean herself.

Looking trim, and unexpectedly petite, in black tracksuit and trademark spectacles, King lounged casually in her team’s corner, just meters from the excited spectators. She was the quiet center of the hubbub, yet her name was on everyone’s lips. If I had thought I was the only person in awe of her presence, I was sorely mistaken.

She was asked recently what it was about her life that gave her satisfaction: “All the off-the-court stuff. After I die, it will still be there, affecting people’s lives.”

Never was a truer word spoken.

The title refers to words attributed to Queen Elizabeth 1: “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.”

Read other articles in this series about women and their contributions to the game:

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Gael Monfils: La Monf, The Man

Nima Naderi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:37:52 -0500

In the midst of celebrating a glorious point, which included a mid-air two-handed smash against Marin Cilic during the quarterfinals of the Bercy event last week, a strange but confiding moment occurred for Gael Monfils: he became a man.

It wasn't so much his jaw-dropping attempt against his lanky opponent that caused the Frenchman's revelation—if anything, we've seen one too many (or too few) miracle acrobatic moves by the French player during his career.

Let's not forget the 100 mph forehand winners against Rafael Nadal at this year's US Open, or the perennial out-of-court, out-of-reach backhand passes the Paris native has created on his yearly romp through a few rounds at Roland Garros.

There was certainly something different about that point, which took place at 6-3, 2-4, Cilic serving. Monfils, who had never made the finals of a Masters 1000 event, missed a golden opportunity the week before in Valencia to remain in contention for the Tour finale in London.

The Frenchman's productive yet inconsistent year, which had included a title in Metz and a runner-up finish in Acapulco, was respectable, but was it enough?

Here was perhaps the best athlete on Tour, a player who had won three of the four Grand Slam events as a junior and at one time or another equaled or surpassed the Olympic curriculum for athletic measure.

Thus, it was easy to determine that even though Monfils held many exquisite attributes, comprising of a few trick shots and a fist pump here and there, the youngster's style of play would ultimately lead to limited results.

Putting on a good show simply held greater value than winning Major titles.

So what suddenly changed in the mindset of Monfils while slapping back a Cilic overhead?

Was his career worthy of a second look?

One could say that Monfils' intervention took place as a result of his failure to qualify for London—pain and reflection usually take place when the moment of truth has been revealed.

More than Monfils' missed opportunity to qualify for London, I believe the Frenchman finally (as it so fittingly happened on one of his miraculous circus shots) posed this specific statement to himself: Hey, if I do apply myself on a week-to-week basis, there is no reason why I won't be able to remain in the elite ranks of the game.

Now, I'm not saying that Monfils is a certifiable Grand Slam contender. His shot selection and ability to play under pressure remain in question. However, if the Paris Masters taught us anything, it was that the age-old theory of "heart" and "fighting to the end" will remain the cornerstone of any great competitor.

Even though Nadal was ushered out the event in convincing fashion by eventual champion Novak Djokovic, the Spaniard's resilience throughout the early stages of the tournament allowed for his deep progression. Against Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Robredo, Nadal's serve and forehand (his usual bread and butter) were "off," to say the least.

However, what remained a constant for Nadal was his ability to give 100 percent under any circumstance.

This tactic, or should I say mental asset, has served the Spaniard exceedingly well in his claim of both the No. 1 ranking and his six Major championships.

With the 2010 season a mere six weeks from commencement, it will be rather interesting to observe Monfils' trajectory up (or down) the mental ladder.

Remember folks, wanting to compete day in and day out is much easier than just reciting it to oneself. Monfils displayed tremendous grit throughout his last event of Tour, and if he is to creep up and become a consistent top-10 player, nothing short of a better game plan and continued belief must be present.

Monfils does deserves credit for being consistent in one facet of the game throughout his six-year career: he's managed to play tennis under his own terms.

I asked Monfils earlier this year in Montreal after defeating Marat Safin in a first encounter if he ever thought of holding back a touch when accelerating towards a dynamic all-or-nothing passing shot.

The charismatic 23-year-old, who was slouched over at the time, glanced down at his tennis shoes, thought about his answer for a second, and confidently replied, "If I don't play this way, I cannot play. This is my game. If I don't dive for the ball, I can't return it."

Who said anything about not diving for a ball?

At any rate, the consensus is out that Monfils is a real deal tennis player who will continue to battle the mental grind of what he hopes will turn into consistent results.

You can bet that during his current offseason, Monfils will attempt to inject himself with the following words of inspiration: How can I take my game to the next level?

This vital but precocious statement has never been apart of the Monfils repertoire.

He's always had the talent; now all that remains for the current world No. 13 to discover is the conundrum of fusing his athletic ability with his seldom-used metal game.

Will the task be easy? Not a chance.

Will it even happen?

Just like his miraculous portfolio of death-defying shots, La Monf has repeatedly proved that the unthinkable can be turned into a vivid reality.

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Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Preview: the Fate of Eight

Nima Naderi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:50:40 -0500

Tournament Preview

With the draw ceremony for the Barclays ATP World Tour finals taking place this week on the London eye, the world's best players are set to battle one another in two elite groups, comprising the final showdown of the tennis season.

The O2 Arena, which will host the biggest indoor tennis event in history, has sold out on a majority of their available tickets—250,000 to be exact.

Four-time champ Roger Federer heads the elite field, which will include all four Major winners this season.

An interesting fact going into this year's event remains that only Federer and defending champ Novak Djokovic have won the title in previous appearances.

In his fifth year of qualification, Rafael Nadal appears eager to rectify a season which has been hindered with both personal and physical anguish.

The Spaniard has exuded tentative play as of late, and will have to step up his court positioning in order to succeed.

Consistent Russian Nikolay Davydenko will be making his fifth straight finals appearance, highlighted by finals loss to Djokovic last year.

Davydenko, who was plagued with a number of foot injuries to begin the season, comes into London on the heels of winning four tour titles post Wimbledon.

Tour finale newcomers, Juan Martin del Potro, Fernando Verdasco, and Robin Soderling will be adamant on proving their worth after pouring in respectable year-long campaigns.

Del Potro, who won his maiden Grand Slam title in New York this summer, holds perhaps the hardest forehand on the circuit. The Tandil native has proved that he is not only one of the best ball strikers on the planet, but he also holds a full deck of focus when it comes to mental toughness.

Spaniard Verdasco has risen to the upper echelon of the game's elite this season, due in large part to his consistent results. His 52-22 match record highlighted by an epic run in Australia to start the season, has this Spanish powerhouse in full flight towards London glory.

Verdasco will be a dark horse in the event, resting on the strength of his affective lefty game.

Hard-hitting Soderling finds himself in the year's last tournament on the good grace of Andy Roddick.

The American, who was the sixth player to qualify for the event, was forced to withdraw from London due to an ongoing knee injury. Roddick has qualified for the year end finale on seven straight occasions.

Roddick's loss might just turn into Soderling's gain. The Tibro native will be playing with house money all week and was put in the Group B, which does not include his nemesis Federer.

Soderling has been suffering with a bothersome right elbow as of late and will hope for a clean bill of health as he embarks on the final event of the season.

With the stage set for what promises to be a week of both scintillating and sold out tennis, let's take a look at both groups and their respective combatants.

Group A

1. Roger Federer: The four-time winner comes into London with cloud of doubt over his record-breaking year. Two consecutive losses to Djokovic and Benneteau, holds Federer's drive for five in doubt. The Swiss will have to deal with Murray, who he trails 6-3 in career head-to-head meetings, Del Potro, who he lost to in New York, and finally a swing happy Verdasco with nothing to lose.

Federer should be able to make it through the round robin portion, though his matches with Murray and Del Potro could be ambush induced, to say the least.

A final note of importance for Federer: If he bombs out in the round robin draw, Nadal could very well snatch his No. 1 ranking away.

4. Andy Murray: The Scot, or Brit for the week, enters the burden filled O2 Arena with every English supporter expecting a title run. Murray's second appearance at the event will be highlighted by a recent title in Valencia, topping off an overall stellar year.

Let's not forget that a recent left wrist injury and five set confusion during the Grand Slam events has tripped up Murray during his season.

When it comes to figuring out three-set matches though, Murray is in a league of his own. Murray's confident head-to-head mark against Federer, Delpo, and Verdasco will aid well in his bid to the finals.

Murray's match against Federer will be key; likely implying a guaranteed spot for either competitor in the semifinals.

5. Juan Martin Del Potro: There's no time like the present to make a significant impact on tour. Del Potro is clearly in the Grand Slam mix after his triumph in New York, and a deep run in London would simply solidify his place as an Australian Open favorite.

Delpo has struggled against Murray and Federer, but has proved that he can create countless opportunities against either adversary.

It remains to be seen if Del Potro is still in hangover mode since winning the US Open; capturing only two match victories throughout the fall season would suggest just that.

All in all, I like Del Potro in this group, but his chances of survival against R-Fed and Murray will be difficult.

The Argentine has proved his mettle all season, and another chance to change the face of tennis lies in London.

7. Fernando Verdasco: Good old Nando. He's graced the world with his Aussie faux-hawk, a visor in the summer, and his current hybrid of Antonio Banderas meets a mobster from the Sopranos —what's not to like?

Regardless of his hairstyle preference, one constant in Verdasco's game this year has been his ability to win matches on a weekly basis. Seldom suffering a first round loss, Verdasco's forehand and improved fitness have aided him in becoming a respective member of the top 10.

The lone concern for Verdasco in London will be his shot selection. When Verdasco is winning, it's all about the pace he can generate. When Verdasco is losing, it's all about the pace he can generate—see a problem?

With versatility not being his strength, and a substantial losing record against both Federer and Murray, Veradasco's stay in London may just be filled with the experience of "just" being there.

All in all, with del Potro being the x-factor in this group (a giant one at that), let's stay on the side of factual and viable evidence and pick the two men who have been there, done that.

Semifinalists: Federer and Murray

Group B

2. Rafael Nadal: Talk about a long season, no? Not only does Nadal have to think about battling through a treacherous field in London and have the weight of an upcoming Davis Cup tie on his "sleeved" shirts, the Mallorcan, for all intensive purposes is also playing poorly.

What started off as a knee injury and stomach muscle strain for Nadal has quickly turned into an all out attempt at regaining his unbeatable court presence.

Once feared by everyone in the locker room, Nadal is simply beatable these days.

From his loss to del Potro in New York, to his white wash defeats to Marin Cilic and Davydenko in Asia, and even as recently as his semifinal drubbing at the hands of Djokovic in Paris, Nadal's defensive foundation has turned into his worst offensive nightmare. It seems that there is no offense in sight.

However, this isn't the first time we've seen Nadal struggle. If anything it's what he thrives on in the arena of competition.

His talent and fight will always be present on court, and his willingness to compete should last until his last breath on tour.

Now, on the flip side of hope, Nadal will have to deal with three foes which he has struggled against this season: Djokovic, Davydenko, and Soderling.

Losing to all three players in commanding fashion at some point during the year, Nadal is both vulnerable and eager for revenge.

The Spaniard has historically shown the ability to defeat opponent's that have handed him prior defeat—London's challenge will surely test all of the Spaniard's innate abilities.

3. Novak Djokovic: The man of the hour has never come into the tour finale more confident. Defeating Federer and Nadal along the road to capturing respective titles in Basel and Paris, Djokovic currently resides with significant bark to his title defense.

Using the current flame of confidence that Djokovic possesses to advance should be easy; keeping up his fitness for a third consecutive event will be the most challenging component.

Djokovic has rarely won three tour titles in a row during his career. With that critical stat lacking in his favor, a repeat to the Tour finale seems unlikely.

Based on his reaction alone after defeating Gael Monfils in Paris, Djokoivc should be spent. The fact that he has a losing head-to-head against Nadal, and an even head-to-head against Davydenko—Djokovic may just dwindle during the latter stages of the event.

Something tells me that a surprise or two may be in order in this group.

6. Nikolay Davydenko: Never a fan of the grass courts in London, Davydenko will happily throw his hat in the mix on the neutral hard surface.

Playing hard and playing often has allowed Davydenko to put forth a devastatingly successful fall campaign, which saw him defeat both Nadal and Djokovic on his way to his third Masters 1000 title in Shanghai.

It appears that a fresh Russian will look to run ramped on a fatigued Djokovic and Davis Cup-occupied Nadal.

All in all, Davydenko's karma seems to be right where is should be in London, resulting in a potential off-the-rise symposium which could take him to the winner's podium by week's end.

8. Robin Soderling: Soderling could very well have the most to prove in this event, simply because he wants to prove his worth. He knows that his place in London was achieved by default, and if not for Roddick's misfortune, his vacation time in Monte Carlo would have started earlier.

La Sod has the game to defeat everyone in this section and his match with Nadal should be the popcorn match of the event. If the flat-hitting Swede can control his nerves throughout his first few matches, a semifinal place is certainly within reach.

I alluded to his group being full of surprises, and Soderling may very well be the surprise of the event.

The odds makers weren't as kind to Soderling this time around, posing a further problem in choosing his glory.

However, Soderling does provide significant punch in his game—pound for pound—over the other three competitors in this group.

Power can often hinder a players' progression through a big time event, but in Soderling's case, his blazing ground game should fit right in with his O2 surroundings.

Semifinal picks: Davydenko, Soderling

Finals: Murray vs. Davydenko

Winner: Murray

Please check back throughout the week for daily coverage from the last ATP World Tour event of the calender year.

The fate of eight awaits.

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams Topped Tennis Power Rankings 2009

kriston Sellier — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:44:47 -0500

As we embark on the ATP Tour World Finals, the top guns aren't exactly playing up to snuff.

Roger Federer has struggled since the U.S. Open final, Rafael Nadal hasn't fully regained his form and Andy Murray has been virtually nonexistent.

That leaves Novak Djokovic, who, for the past few weeks, has regained his on-court bravado, while notably leaving his off-court hubris home.

Is the Serb, our new No. 1 player in the Power Rankings, the guy to beat in London? Our man, Ravi Ubha, thinks so.

Don't agree with him? Let him have it. We think he can handle it.

2009 Power Rankings: November
	RK (LM)	PLAYER	COMMENT
	1	Novak Djokovic	This is the kind of display most everyone expected from Novak Djokovic throughout 2009, not just in the fall. A confident, fearless Djokovic topped Roger Federer in his own backyard and trounced Rafael Nadal en route to claiming back-to-back titles in Basel, Switzerland, and Paris. He's the man to beat at the upcoming World Tour Finals.
	2	Serena Williams	A women's No. 1 actually playing the part? Yes, it does happen. Serena Williams overcame a thigh injury, and as we've seen so many times before, battled past her peers to win the women's year-end tourney. She ends the campaign top ranked for the first time since 2002.
	3	Roger Federer	So Roger Federer lost to Djokovic in Basel and fell early to the streaky Julien Benneteau at the Paris Masters. Big deal. He's never done that well indoors in Paris anyway. Fed will step up his game in London to ensure he reclaims the year-end No. 1 ranking from Rafa.
	4	Venus Williams	She disappointed at the majors in 2009, but Venus Williams finished strong in Doha, a runner-up to Serena. It's back to the simple things in the offseason. "Making my mom's soup," she tweeted this week. "Tomatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, apple, oregano, basil and salt. All fresh." Sounds good.
	5	Rafael Nadal	What a week Rafael Nadal had in Paris. Nadal survived multiple match points to edge enigma Nicolas Almagro and escaped against another countryman, Tommy Robredo, before upping the ante versus French gunslinger Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Then came the thumping loss to Djokovic. Well, at least the fans were on his side in Paris, which hasn't always been the case.
	6	Caroline Wozniacki	How ironic that Caroline Wozniacki's tears at the year-end championships resulted against Vera Zvonareva. Wozniacki, less than 100 percent prior to the tournament, showed real grit by edging the Russian and Belorussian Victoria Azarenka to reach the semis. Still, she'll be hard-pressed to remain in the top five in 2010.
	7	Nikolay Davydenko	Nikolay Davydenko deserved a place at the World Tour Finals and booked his spot for the fifth straight year. He couldn't maintain the form he showed at the Shanghai Masters, although reaching the semifinals in Valencia and losing to Robin Soderling in Paris is far from embarrassing.
	8	Kim Clijsters	Kim Clijsters opted against competing at the second-tier Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali -- it would have been a nice holiday. Instead, the U.S. Open champ is gearing up for an exhibition in Belgium and next season.
	9	Gael Monfils	Yes, Gael Monfils is still playing a little too defensively. However, his acrobatics in Paris, particularly against Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals, even surpassed his usual standard. Now he has to get some results outside his native France.
	10	Andy Murray	Wrist injuries are touchy, so Andy Murray must have been happy with his performance at the Valencia Open. In his first tournament in a while, the Scot cruised to the title. Not so good was falling to wily Czech Radek Stepanek in Paris after dominating the opening set.
	11	Marin Cilic	Marin Cilic, the giant Croat, keeps improving. Cilic achieved his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal of the year in Paris, where he was worn down by Monfils. It followed a quarterfinal appearance in Basel and runner-up showing in Vienna.
	12	Radek Stepanek	Radek Stepanek has plenty of game but continues to struggle at crunch time. Stepanek couldn't convert three consecutive match points against Djokovic in the Basel semis and got himself into a winning position facing Monfils in the Paris semis, only to fall short. Nonetheless, he'll be confident heading into the Davis Cup final.
	13	Juan Martin del Potro	Most players suffer a letdown after winning a first major, and Juan Martin del Potro is no exception. Del Potro has won only two matches since his stunning performance at Flushing Meadows, although a wrist injury has much to do with it.
	14	Jelena Jankovic	Jelena Jankovic took a step back in 2009, relinquishing her No. 1 ranking and failing to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. Some consolation was landing in the semis in Doha, with plenty of good fortune. "It is my goal to return to the very top in the next year, and to win the greatest tournaments," Jankovic said on her Web site.
	15	Robin Soderling	Robin Soderling is a more than adequate replacement for Andy Roddick at the World Tour Finals. He probably would have edged Fernando Verdasco for the final spot had he not suffered an elbow injury. Soderling, unlike Verdasco, actually believes he can beat the top guys.
	16	Francesca Schiavone	On the verge of exiting the top 50 as recently as June, roadrunner Francesca Schiavone ended 2009 as one of the tour's hottest players. Schiavone went 10-1 in her last 11 encounters, finally collecting title No. 2 and helping Italy down the U.S. in the Fed Cup final. She ends the year top 30 for a seventh straight time.
	17	Yanina Wickmayer	Unless she wins an appeal, Yanina Wickmayer serves a one-year suspension for failing to adhere to the so-called "whereabouts" program. The timing is horrible. The 20-year-old Belgian proved reaching the U.S. Open semifinal was no fluke, triumphing in nine of 10 matches prior to the ban.
	18	Dinara Safina	A bad back deprived Dinara Safina the chance to salvage a miserable late summer and fall. Next, it's about getting body -- and mind -- ready for the Australian Open in two months. "I'm looking forward to coming back in 2010 stronger than ever," she told her Web site.
	19	Elena Dementieva	It's hard to get a read on Elena Dementieva. One minute she's a world-beater and the next she's got nothing. Dementieva failed to reach the semifinals in Doha, losing to another mentally fragile Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova, when Kuzy had little to play for. Ugh.
	20	Andy Roddick	Too bad Andy Roddick's injured knee kept him out of the World Tour Finals. Imagine the rousing reception he was bound to receive in the wake of his performance in the Wimbledon final.

Check More Matchups, News & Updates

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Novak Djokovic: Life in the Passing Lane

J.A. Allen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:08 -0500

2007

Remember two years ago at the U.S. Open? Remember how happy Novak Djokovic was and how happy he made the New York crowds with his impersonations of Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, and even Rafael Nadal?

While the guys growled, seemingly a little scratchy about his antics, Sharapova loved it and even sat in the Serb's box with his parents! Life was good then, Nole. Wasn’t it?

Djokovic made it all the way to the finals of the 2007 U.S. Open, where he faced Federer down. The Serb lost, of course. Nerves. Actually, he lost in straight sets to Federer, but the match was closer than it looked on paper. That’s what everybody said, anyway.

After mixed reviews, Nole faded fast in the 2007 fall indoor season—tired no doubt from all that instant fame and the rocket ride to the top of the men’s game at age 20. He could barely hold up a racket during the 2007 Masters Season-Ending Championship in Shanghai. Noticeably, he didn’t win a rubber.

Extreme fatigue.

2008

By the Australian Open in 2008, Nole was ready to roll again. He did that by powering his way through to the final. In the process, he defeated his former foe, Federer. This time, Djokovic won in straight sets and sent the shocked Fed man home without a trophy. This took place in the semifinals, as Jo-Willy Tsonga was doing something similar to Nadal.

The culmination of this epic victory will forever be marked by the utterance of Nole’s sweet old mom, who cried out, “The king is dead!” This, of course, referenced the newly deposed Roger Federer. Such remarks endeared her forever to the legion of Federer fans.

In the final, the Serb swept Tsonga aside, the Frenchman overcome by the occasion. Djokovic had won his first Grand Slam tournament, and, according to the pundits, there would be many more trophies gathering dust on his mantle before his career was over.

The 2008 Australian Open marked the beginning. The following months seemed to punctuate the Serb's early success. Djokovic won Master’s Series Tournaments in Indian Wells on hardcourts followed by another victory in Rome on clay.

He closed in on Nadal, constantly nipping at his heels, but Djokovic could never surpass the No. 2 player, even though many speculated that soon Nadal would fade away. That is ironic when you think about what really happened.

Because after Rome, Djokovic began to fade. The Serb mysteriously quit in a match with Federer in Monte Carlo. This occurred after Federer apparently shushed Nole’s parents during the match.

Djokovic's reputation began to unravel. He was criticized for his rush to retirements when he was losing.

The Serb made it to the semis of Roland Garros but was dismissed early at Wimbledon by Safin. His early defeat registered as a real shocker, especially after much musing about how important Djokovic was to the "triumvirate" at the top of the men’s game.

Djokovic met Federer again—this time in the semifinals of the 2008 U.S. Open. He lost in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. During the match, Djokovic seemed a bit shell-shocked and timid. At the conclusion of this match, there were no comments by Nole’s mom.

In fact, this time, Djokovic did his own damage by berating the New York crowd for supporting Roddick, who had poked fun at the list of all of Nole’s supposed ailments prior to their quarterfinal match. The New Yorkers did not take well to his scolding and booed him.

If you look at the year between the 2007 U.S. Open and the 2008 U.S. Open, Djokovic dipped. His confidence seemed to drop off the chart.

He was still ranked No. 3, but his prospects did not appear quite as rosy as they did in 2007. Andy Murray subsequently forced himself into the group as a member of the top four. The Scot was closing in fast on the No. 3 spot.

Even after winning the year-end championships in 2008, Djokovic was pretty much the forgotten man at the start of 2009.

2009

In January, at the Medibank International in Sydney, all the Serb had to do was defeat Jarkko Nieminen in the semifinals and he would have been the No. 2 ranked tennis player in the world. But he lost, letting Federer off the hook. Another golden opportunity wasted.

As defending champion at the Australian Open, Djokovic had to retire in the quarterfinals against Roddick—the man who had speared him with his comments in New York. At this point, the criticism for his actions came from on high, as even Federer noted that Djokovic had retired in three of four grand slam tournaments.

For the rest of the year at Masters Events, Djokovic became the best man—coming in second—to Andy Murray in Miami, to Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo and in Rome. After Rome he dropped to the No. 4 ranking while Nadal retained his grip on the No. 1 spot for the time being.

In Madrid, Djokovic again lost to Nadal in the finals. At Roland Garros, Djokovic was beaten in the third round by Philipp Kohlschreiber and at Wimbledon in the quarterfinals by a red-hot Tommy Haas.

At the Cincinnati Masters, Djokovic made it to the finals before losing to Federer, coming in second best as was the Serb's custom. Then, once again, Federer took Djokovic out during the U.S. Open semifinals.

When the season headed indoors for the remainder of 2009, Djokovic began to make his move on the field. He won the China Open and once again reigned as the No. 3 ranked player in the world, knocking Murray back down.

At the Shanghai Masters, he lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Nikolay Davydenko but then went on to steal away Federer's home tournament in Basel, defeating the Swiss in the final.

To capitalize on his improving status, Djokovic captured the final Masters tournament of the year, BNP Masters in Paris, defeating Frenchman Gael Monfils in the final.

There is much speculation as to the outcome at this year's Barclay's ATP World Tour Finals in London. Can Nadal overtake Federer for the No. 1 spot with only 945 points separating them? Can Djokovic supplant Nadal with a 1295-point spread between them? An undefeated champion picks up 1,500 points. The possibilities loom large.

Subtle traces of maturity have surfaced as the good-humored demeanor returned to the very talented Serb's repertoire. The world still awaits the promise the 20-year-old exhibited in 2007.

The fun-loving, carefree guy didn’t handle his instant fame well. He took his personal life with him onto the court. When potential continues to override commitment, hard work is set aside. You can never rise to the top on talent alone. Now Djokovic seems at long last to have figured out his priorities.

Djokovic has natural talent to burn. He moves better and serves better than most at the top of the game. At last these tools are going to take him out of being third best, but the question remains—who will surge ahead in London and who will get passed standing in line?

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Tennis Power Rankings 2009: Novak Djokovic Topped Roger Federer

Lorraine Perla — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:44:10 -0500

Well, the entropy of Tennis Power Rankings 2009 - November is beneath. As we enter on the ATP Tour World Finals, in my view the top players are not exactly playing up to the mark.

For an instance, Roger Federer has clambered since the U.S. Open final, Rafael Nadal has not fully retrieved his pure form and Andy Murray has been almost absent.

Coming to Novak Djokovic, for the past few weeks he has regained his on-court bravado, while notably leaving his off-court hubris home.

Is the Serb, our new No. 1 player, Ravi Ubha in the Tennis Power Rankings, guy to beat in London?

On Sunday, Andy Murray faces Argentina's US Open champion Juan Del Potro with Roger Federer to follow as Group “A” matches start the ATP World Tour Finals.

On the opening day at the O2 Arena, under few situations, Roger Federer who could lose his top ranking to Rafael Nadal will face Spain's Fernando Verdasco.

In September, the Swiss lost his US Open crown to Del Potro before the youngest Grand Slam winner hit a plot of bad form in the autumn.

On Monday, Spain's Nadal begins starts in Group B against Robin Soderling; he lost of re-run of the Roland Garros in fourth round. Soderling replaced injured Andy Roddick in the eight-man field.

The winner of last pair of ATP titles this season, Novak Djokovice now takes on Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

Let’s have a look over 2009 Tennis Power Rankings (November) now:

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (1) Novak Djokovic
Every one expected a lot from Novak Djokovic. Guy with confidence topped Roger Federer in his own back yard. He is the man to beat at the upcoming World Tour Finals.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (2) Serena Williams
Serena Williams got over a thigh injury. To win the women's year-end tourney battled past her peers. She ends the campaign top ranked for the first time since 2002.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (3) Roger Federer

In Basel, Roger Federer lost to Djokovic. In London, he will step up his game to ensure he recovers the year-end No. 1 ranking from Rafa.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (4) Venus Williams

At the majors in 2009, she disappointed but she finished superbly in Doha being a runner-up to Serena.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (5) Rafael Nadal

In Paris, what a week Rafael Nadal he had? Nadal survived multiple match points to edge enigma Nicolas Almagro. Well, at least the fans were on his side in Paris, which has not always been the case.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (6) Caroline Wozniacki

Against Vera Zvonareva, at the year-end championships resulted, how ironic that Caroline Wozniacki's tears were? To reach the semis, less than 100 percent prior to the tournament, showed real guts by edging the Russian and Belorussian Victoria Azarenka. Still, she will be distressed to remain in the top five in 2010.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (7) Nikolay Davydenko

At the World Tour Finals, Nikolay Davydenko really merited a place and booked his spot for the fifth straight year. He couldn't maintain the form he showed at the Shanghai Masters, although reaching the semifinals in Valencia and losing to Robin Soderling in Paris is far from abashing.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (8) Kim Clijsters

In Bali, at the second-tier Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, Kim Clijsters opted against competing. Instead, the U.S. Open champ is gearing up for an exhibition in Belgium and next season.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (9) Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils is still playing defensive. Hoe ever, in quarter finals, his tumbling in Paris against Marin Cilic exceeded his normal standard. Now, he has to get some results outside his native France.

Tennis Power Rankings 2009: (10) Andy Murray
Well, Wrist injuries are so touchy and so Andy Murray must have been very happy with his performance at the Valencia Open. In his first tournament, the Scot looked to the title. In Paris, it was not so good, falling to wily Czech Radek Stepanek after dominating the opening set.

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Preview: ATP World Tour Finals

Rajat Jain — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:44:17 -0500

It has been a long, hard, grueling season. Backs have been broken, knees have been burned, wrists have taken twists, and shoulders have dropped off. Yet, its ironic that the players who have been over the top in their complaints about the length of the season are either the only ones participating, or ruing the missed opportunity due to injury, in the season's most coveted prize after the Grand Slams—The ATP World Tour Finals.

The ATP has been experimenting to settle for a good location for this event ever since it left the Madison Square Garden in New York. The five time champion of this event, Ivan Lendl, has said that no place can give the same thrill while playing this event than Madison Square Garden. He may be right, and as Steve Tignor has noted , Frankfurt and Hannover never quite managed up to the expectations of the event, and neither did Shanghai.

The event now moves into brand new O2 arena in London with the hope of gaining more popularity. Lots of money has been poured in the construction of the arena and its grand appearance indicates that the Tour Finals is here to stay for the next few years.

The event holds special importance this year because the Year End No. 1 ranking is still up for grabs for Rafael Nadal if things may go his way. Roger Federer, on the other hand, needs to ensure a semis appearance to be the first person since Lendl in 1989 to reclaim the year end No. 1 ranking after losing it. He will also equal Pete Sampras and Lendl with a record of five championship titles.

Robin Soderling and Fernando Verdacso make their maiden appearance in this event—the former at the cost of Andy Roddick, while the latter through his consistent performances during the season after the blinder at Melbourne.

The draws are heavy, as always, with every single player capable of being the last man standing. It will be hard to predict which half is the tougher of the two. All that can be said is each one has the potential to offer something unpredictable, and even a single loss in the round robin might result in an early flight back home.

Group A

The first sight of the draw will not be comfortable for the Swiss maestro. He is stacked up with the home favorite Andy Murray, who has been his nemesis in the three set format and Juan Martin del Potro, who has troubled him with his heavy forehand. Verdasco is the only one who may not trouble Roger.

On second thoughts, though, Federer might feel more comfortable in this draw than the other. Del Potro has been severely out of match practice post his maiden Grand Slam, while Murray is yet to zone in after a significant layoff due to the wrist injury.

The contests between the other three will be completely unpredictable with each match going either way. Del Potro would prefer the pace of the O2 arena, but Murray's eye has been towards this tournament which cannot be ignored. The crowd support might play its part as well.

Semi Finalists: Roger Federer, Andy Murray

Group B

No player would be prematurely counting their chickens here. Rafael Nadal must be having fits after seeing the draw comprising of Djokovic, Davydenko, and Soderling, all of whom have beaten the Spaniard in their last meeting, and very convincingly at that. All three of them will thrive on fast indoors and make the Spaniard cover every inch of the court.

There will be some serious dogfight between the Serb, Russian, and the Swede, all of whom will be motivated enough to make it to the next round. Soderling will especially thrive in the absence of Federer in his part of the draw, and would look to make most of it. Djokovic, however, may not come out full steam after the strenuous last few weeks of his stellar indoor season, and the ever consistent Davydenko will benefit from this.

Semi Finalists: Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Soderling

Semi Finals: Federer bt. Soderling, Davydenko bt. Murray

Champion: Federer

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Near Misses: Venus at the 2008 US Open

claudia celestial girl — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:56:36 -0500

There's a certain commercial for the 2009 US Open—one where Serena Williams has two dolls in her lap.

"I'm gonna beat you, Venus," Serena says, marching one doll over her knee into the other one's face.

"No, you not," replies the second doll in an elevated, falsetto voice.

Near Misses: the canvas on which is painted ugly, bitter things, the scope of which contains hidden beauty that lingers in the mind like the aftertaste of a fine, aged Scotch.

The subject of this series is not the winner, but the so-called "loser," the one whose exit is at first bitter and burning like the first note of a 30-year-old Glenmorangie, but for whom the second note is sweet, nuanced, and lasting, just like said 30-year-old Scotch.

Richard Williams, their notorious, old father and coach, announced, when Venus won her first title, that his two daughter's would ultimately find that their greatest rival would be each other.

Such was his confidence in the talents of both of his offspring.

How bitter then, must it be, to realize that of all the finals played against your sister, if not for her, the title might have been yours (other rivals having been beaten).

How burning after all the years growing up with her stealing your toys, taking the last flakes of cereal from the box at breakfast, hogging the bathroom and the phone, that she won't go away in humble defeat and leave you the field.

Sweet. When you go out and defeat the rivals from other countries and even those from other regions of the US who you know from the locker room.

Nuanced. When you have to play her instead.

Lasting. How much longer can you last? This would be your seventh US Open campaign. You're not getting any younger.

In 2008, Venus was arguably at the height of her career—experienced, battling injury before coming back to top form; Wimbledon Champion; 27 years of age. But she had neither won the Open since 2001, the day before 9/11, nor won any other major besides Wimbledon since, where she was a five-time defending champion.

At the 2008 US Open, Venus stormed through the draw up until this point. Serena looked sharp as well.

Ten set points.

1. 1st Set [(6-6) 6-4]. It’s the tiebreak, and you’ve arrived a set point. You've got two set points, actually. You've led through the match so far with an early break, but it’s been a tough match with a lot of deuce games. You skid and slip on the DecoTurf and miss the forehand, but it's no big deal. You’ve still got a set point, though it's her serve now.

2. 1st Set [(6-6) 6-5]. Oh, bad. Serena gets out of that one with a forehand winner. The stats for this match are so close between the two of you, like playing a clone of yourself.

3. 2nd Set [(5-3) 40-0]. You’ve arrived at three set points this time. You leaped out in front through the second set with two breaks, and Serena has been hard to put away, saving more break points with hammer forehand winners—clocking 109 mph and such. But you’ve arrived at the finish line, you just have to serve it out. OK, well, a forehand error. On to the next set point.

4. 2nd Set [(5-3) 40-15]. Another forehand error.

5. 2nd Set [(5-3) 40-30]. Yet another forehand error after a nine-stroke rally. The completely sold out stadium is quiet. Your body language is starting to droop. You’ve lost the last three points. But you are too classy to smash your racket to the ground.

6. 2nd Set [(6-5) 40-30]. OK, now you’ve got her. The match has reached the two-hour mark and with a break you can drive this to a third set. But yet again you put too much into that forehand, after a seven-stroke rally, and we’re at deuce.

7. 2nd Set [(6-6) 6-3]. That last game went to five deuces! Back and forth, back and forth—a ten minute game. And now we’re in another tiebreak. You got a standing ovation from playing a phenomenal point at 4-2 in the tiebreak, then, like an idiot, you missed an easy put away on the next point. But now you’re here again. Three set points. Yet another phenomenal rally—this one characterized by a lob from Serena that floated in the air like a hot air balloon. Only, doggone it, you overcooked the reply with another forehand error.

8. 2nd Set [(6-6) 6-4]. A glance at Serena across the net shows her intensity is keyed-in. One of those close-up photographs of her winning a point in this tiebreak, in her red dress, fist clenched, mouth wide open, is going to be a classic shot of quintessential Serena.

9. 2nd Set [(6-6) 6-5]. You miss the line with the overhead smash, and you are so flustered that you forget to change ends. The crowd cannot believe the call is out.

10. 2nd Set [(6-6) 7-6]. This is a phenomenal tiebreak. Been going on for 12 minutes. You’ve got the 8th set point of this second set. Serena comes in for a crosscourt-smashing passing shot that is phenomenal in its beauty, power, and elegance. A truly brilliant shot. Why is she so hard to put away?

The final score: [6-7(6); 6-7(7)]. Serena has only one set point and one match point in this contest.

Burning. When you have to shake her hand at the net. No hugs this time.

Bitter. When you could be packed up and headed home but instead have to hang around and smile and support your sister's success (Serena would go on to win the tournament).

Sweet. The acknowledgement of appreciative fans for one of the classiest matches you have ever played.

Nuanced. How it must feel to be on the losing end of a contest that is a contribution to the legendary matches of the sport.

A lasting memory for this tennis narrator.

Here is the video of Serena’s commercial with the dolls, and here is Venus’ reply, which is essentially, if you want to have friends on the tennis tour...get a dog.

Other articles in this series:

Hingis [1999 FO]
Djokovic [2009 Madrid]
Kuznetsova [2009 AO]
Venus [2008 USO]

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An Idea for the Ages: Fantasy Tennis!

Adithya Ramaswamy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:12:41 -0500

I love participating in fantasy football leagues. It feels so gratifying to have wins and losses be obsolete in the process of winning a fantasy game. It's based completely on stats.

Nowadays, they've got a fantasy game for almost every sport: football, baseball, basketball, they've even got one for golf. But one thing I have never seen on any fantasy websites is a fantasy game that I think would be unbelievably fun to participate in: FANTASY TENNIS.

I mean, think about it: fantasy tennis would have nothing to do with whether the players on your "roster" wins or loses. It would be based solely on different stats involved in a tennis match. Okay, so here's a basic breakdown of how it would work:

(You would draft players like you would in any other fantasy league.)

Serve

2 points for every ace.
1 point for every three service winners.
1 point for every 12 points won on serve.
-2 point for every double fault.
-2 point for every serve where the opponent hits a winner.
-1 point for every 4 points lost on serve.

Return

2 points for every winner hit off of serve.
1 point for every four points won while returning.

General Matchplay

1 point for every winner hit (at baseline or at net, excluding passing shots)
-1 point for every unforced error (at baseline or at net)
2 points for every passing shot.
5 points for every trick shot (i.e. tweener, no-look shot, etc.)

So that's pretty much it. Whadya think?

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Andre Agassi's Big Misunderstanding (humor)

Robert Orzechowski — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:27:30 -0500

Andre Agassi finally acknowledged that there has been a monstrous error in his new book "Open".

"I meant to say that I had taken Crystal Pez and not Crystal Meth. I had a serious addiction to the crystal Pez dispensers back in 1997. It was so bad that I offered to buy out the production company to discontinue the product", he said.

Andre said that the Pez head kept looking at him and providing him with continuous sweet candy.

"I would push back his head and yet another piece of candy would appear. It was relentless and never-ending."

Agassi at first denied reports that he was using Crystal Pez to his family and the press. His coach at the time, knew better.

"I would walk in and see him with a family of Pez dispensers and he would try to cover it up.", said former coach Brad Gilbert.

"He tried to make it seem like he was giving these toys to friend's kid but all the candy in each one had been consumed. That is when I knew that he needed help."

Agassi checked in to the Betty Ford Candy Clinic for severe diagnosis of sucrose addiction. Four and a half months later, he was clean.

"I just want to say that maybe my experience can be a lesson to others. Just say no to Pez dispensers. Don't feel sorry for Pez just because he has only a head and no hands or legs. Just move on."

The Pez Company has declined interviews but has stated that its Crystal Pez lines are now oddly out of stock.

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Novak Djokovic: Coming of Age

Rajat Jain — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:52:07 -0500

It is often said that winning the second major is more difficult than the first. And what better proof of this is there than Novak Djokovic. Not only because it has been a while since he stunned the world No. 1 Roger Federer on course to win his maiden grand slam title in 2008, but also because of the performances that followed after that show us exactly why it is said so.

Complementing his major with two more masters in earlier half of 2008, he was a definite star and was being spoken of in the same breath as the two players ranked ahead of him. And this was the period when the elements of self doubt and skepticism crept in. The Serbian was unsure of his place in tennis—whether as a legitimate slam contender or still an exciting upcoming competitor.

After repeatedly placing himself within one victory to attain the No. 2 ranking, and missing on both occasions, he went through a very tough period in 2009, whether it was due to the criticism for his fitness, his relations with the media, the emergence of new stars in Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro, or a series of near misses at the Master Series—specially his heartbreaking loss against Rafael Nadal at Madrid. The lack of titles did not help matters, and the Serbian No. 1 was in danger of being the forgotten hero.

Not anymore.

The Novak Djokovic in the indoor season is a completely transformed player. He has developed much more meat and become much fitter and stronger than before. The transformation from a player unable to battle the Australian heat to the one clocking 94 appearances and 76 victories—both being the highest on the tour—speaks for itself.

The increase in fitness and strength has been well complemented by the maturity developed in his game. He has added more speed and accuracy to his forehand, although the margin of error can still be reduced further, especially on the faster courts. His serve may still not be comparable to Federer or del Potro, but he possess immense variety in his first shot, including the recently developed serve right at the body, something which he used cleverly against Federer and Monfils. And he looks as confident as ever at the net either by hitting good approach shots or infrequently using the now-extinct chip-n-charge approach.

Everything else, though, is overshadowed by the way he has carried himself on court. He confidently gave a punishing lesson on hard court tennis to Rafael Nadal (against whom he held a poor 5-14 win/loss record) and battled with two partisan crowds in Basel and Paris which were heavily rooting for the player opposite to him.

He maintained his concentration and composure when Gael Monfils was launching an unexpected counter attack riding fully on crowd support. He shrugged aside the disappointment of blowing away of early leads and stuck to his basics, rather than folding his arms to the heaven for divine intervention, by doing the things that were under his control.

He never once lost his nerve in the final set tie-breaker against Monfils and took control of points by timing his net approaches perfectly and springing off exquisite volleys to easily win the breaker, and the title. This was especially courageous against someone like Monfils, capable of running down balls from every part of the court.

And once he broke his streak of the defeats in the finals, he let the old Djoker out by his trademark chest thump towards his camp.

Djokovic has utilized the fall season brilliantly to work his way into form and gain a lot of confidence with this much needed title which will definitely help him put behind the disappointments of this season.

A new Novak Djokovic awaits us in 2010.

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Roger Federer Moments V.006: Brute Courage

Gil — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:45:31 -0500

Idea and Format: Courtesy U.S.

It was a fine Monday afternoon in the world's most romantic city.

There was nothing romantic about today however.

Rather, things were getting silly in France. More precisely, on the red clay in Stade Roland Garros.

The world's Number 1 and 4 players had been knocked out before the second week of the game's most demanding tournament.

And in his Rd of 16 battle, the second best player in the world and now favourite for the title was tantalisingly flirting with defeat.

Against the oldest man left in the draw, German Tommy Haas, he was down two sets to love and facing a break point late in the third.

6-7 5-7 3-4 *30-40

Silly.

The partisan crowd groaned in agony at the sight of Federer's forehand shank at 30 all in the eighth game of the third set.

Break point Haas.

Paris had lost Nadal.

Were they about to lose Federer too?

Not yet...

For the fighting Swiss hung on for his dear life. And how.

One moment of courage...

It had been Federer's forehand that had let him down for the better part of three sets in the match.

That very wing which had helped win him a mind-boggling thirteen grand slam titles was all over the place.

Yet, there is a reason why the Federer forehand is considered one of the greatest weapons in the sport.

Not because of it's speed or strength.

Nor the spin or the sting.

But because of it's sheer reliability. When in danger, the beloved forehand almost always comes to his aid.

Running around a decent Haas return of serve to his backhand side, the Swiss braved an audacious inside-out forehand winner that landed right on a line.

Touch or Go. It was touch.

"I knew I was going to look back on that shot. That saved me."

This shot eventually proved to be the turning point of the tournament.

Federer held serve. Broke the very next game. Bagged the set. The Match. And the title.

With it, the honours for the year.

I am quite honestly fed up of quoting Mr David Foster Wallace. And so are you, I would think.

Thus, I would like to rewind back to a memorable quote I read after Federer's historic Wimbledon triumph later on this year in that draining but memorable encounter against Andy Roddick.

"The muscle on the fitness freaks of the sport serve them well until the pounding of their play breaks down the body. Knees are eroded. Shoulders give way. Muscles tear.

But Federer doesn't snap."

This day, Federer had displayed brute courage at it's very best. Just when he needed it the most.

He had refused to snap.

ALLEZ!

Federer Moments series:

	Federer Moment	Description	Submitter
V. 001	The No Look Flick Lob	Backhand lob over Agassi's head	Gil	Watch
V.002	The Greatest Shot of his life	Between the legs cross court passing winner against Djokovic	U.S	Watch
V.003	"That shot" against Roddick in Basel	Flying overhead passing shot off an overhead from the back court	Rajat Jain	Watch
V.004	The touch of a genius	Leaping overhead smash-lob from the baseline against Djokovic	Gil	Watch
V.005	A little bit of that old magic...	Down-the-line forehand undershot with his back to the net	antiMatter	Watch
V.006	Brute Courage	Inside-out forehand past Haas down break point	U.S	Watch
V.007
V.008
V.009
V.0010

If interested, please submit your "Federer Moments" here .

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Novak Djokovic: 2010 Starts Now

Rob York — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:53 -0500

How will Novak Djokovic look back on 2009?

As things stand now, it would seem a letdown from the prior year, when he captured his first major title at the 2008 Australian Open, then threw in a couple of Master’s Shields and the year ending Master’s Cup for good measure.

In contrast with last year—and even with 2007, when he was clearly on the rise—Djokovic’s 2009 campaign bore the marks of a highly gifted young man unsure of where he belonged in the world of tennis. The Serbian, who turned 22 in May, has endured varying degrees of disappointment at this year’s majors.

His title defense in Melbourne was derailed when he withdrew due to heat exhaustion. A heartbreaking loss to Rafael Nadal in Madrid contributed to a flat third-round exit from Paris. While regaining his form at Wimbledon, he was surprised by the resurgence of Tommy Haas. Even when his play (and fun-loving demeanor ) had returned, it wasn’t quite enough against Roger Federer in New York.

What’s more, the solid play of fellow 22-year-old Andy Murray and the stunning rise of now 21-year-old Juan Martin del Potro made it clear that the Serb was no longer the best of the young guns in tennis.

But as Djokovic’s winning ways began being spoken of in past tense, the fall indoor season shows that he has not stopped believing in his own talent. While he is not quite the cerebral tactician that Murray is, and while he may not have a single shot as brutally effective as del Potro’s forehand, Djokovic is still arguably a better athlete than either. And this year he’s doing what some of us advised him last year: Take advantage of the fall, when your competition has been beaten down by the rigors of the tour.

The Serbian has now won three of his last four events: Beating up-and-comer Marin Cilic in Beijing, stunning hometown favorite Roger Federer in Basel, and now winning his first Master’s Shield of the year in Paris. If not for one torrid third-set tiebreak against Nikolay Davydenko in Shanghai, Nole might have made it four-for-four.

To have upset the world No. 1 in Basel’s final was impressive, but Paris may prove his loudest statement yet. After improving to 5-0 against Robin Soderling in the quarters, he handed world No. 2 Rafael Nadal a one-sided 6-2, 6-3 beating in the semis. The Spaniard still seems to be laboring in search of his best play, and the speed of Paris’ indoor courts definitely favors Djokovic’s game.

That said, there was more than a favorable surface separating the two this weekend: At one stretch, the Serbian won seven games in a row against Nadal.

In the finals, he faced a native son for the second straight week, this time world No. 16 Gael Monfils, for whom “Mercurial” would be a fitting middle name.

But Djokovic, to borrow parlance from American team sports, remains perfect on the road, having proven more consistent than Monfils in the third set finale. After falling short in four Master’s Series finals this year, Djokovic’s satisfaction with this win was palpable.

Having produced a scintillating series of results this fall, the Serb can now travel down two paths: one is David’s way, the other is Marat’s.

In 2004, Marat Safin won both the Madrid and Paris Master’s shields, a feat duplicated by David Nalbandian in 2007. Both men had known sporadic results in the year leading up to those victories, which had the unintended benefit of leaving them fit when their competitors were breaking down at the end of the season, and both had games that translated well to the indoor courts.

Safin is rarely spoken of as a good example in terms of capitalizing on one’s opportunities, but at the Australian Open in 2005 he took that momentum and put it to use, winning his second major title.

In Nalbandian’s case, the 2008 AO was a disaster, as he folded early and meekly in the third round.

Djokovic will probably conform to neither pattern exactly; he’s a very different player than both the Russian and Argentine, and has a very different temperament. If he’s looking for examples, though, Safin’s would certainly be the better route. 2009 may not have been the best year of the young Serbian’s career, but if he wins a major in 2010—and anything short of that will be a disappointmen—this year will be remembered as the time young Djokovic retooled and renewed his play.

For Djokovic, the 2010 season has already begun.

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Men's Tennis Power Rankings: Djokovic Gets the Better of Federer and Nadal

clarabella bevis — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:19:04 -0500

The last fortnight has been a nail-biting time for many men in the top 15 or so places of the A.T.P. rankings.

Even as the final Masters of the year began this week in Paris, two guaranteed spots at the Tour End Finals were still up for grabs. For some of the players, their destiny was not even on their own rackets.

Nikolay Davydenko, for example, failed to confirm his place in Valencia and had to wait for Fernando Verdasco to lose in Paris.

Verdasco himself, poised at No. 8, had an even more agonizing wait, with his fate in the hands of Fernando Gonzalez, Robin Soderling, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Not until Rafael Nadal’s defeat of Tsonga on Friday did Verdasco heave a sigh of relief.

What did become increasingly clear, however, was that Novak Djokovic was the man to beat not only in Paris but also at the Tour finale.

The Top Ten

1. Novak Djokovic (1,405 points)

(Last Power Ranking: 2, ATP Ranking: 3)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [Winner], Basel [Winner], Shanghai Masters [SF], Beijing [Winner]

It’s hard to believe that Djokovic, despite reaching four Masters finals, had not won a single major this season.

Coming into Paris, the Serb was carrying losses to Nadal in Monte Carlo and Rome, a defeat by Roger Federer in Cincinnati, and a defeat by Andy Murray in Miami.

In winning both Paris and Basel he not only took his first Masters of 2009, but also the scalps of Federer and Nadal.

In beating Gael Monfils in the Paris final, he showed stamina and impressive focus. No wonder his roaring, unsmiling celebration was the most pumped up we’ve seen all year.

Prospects for London: he has no injuries, has the best end-of-season record, and is the defending champion— he is one of the favorites.

2. Gael Monfils (656 points)

(Last Power Ranking: NR, ATP Ranking: 13)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [Final], Valencia [R16], Vienna [QF], Shanghai Masters [R16]

All the talk in recent weeks had been of Monfils’ compatriot, Tsonga: Would he repeat his Houdini act of last year to qualify for the Tour End Finals by winning his home tournament?

In the event, it was Monfils who had the French crowd on their feet as he stormed into his first ever Masters final.

A player of enormous promise and potential, Monfils has a flat speed, it is claimed, of 10.4 secs for the 100m. He used all that speed and boundless talent to push Djokovic to the wire. At stake for Monfils was a top-10 ranking and a reserve seat for London. By losing, he handed Tsonga that reserve spot.

3. Rafael Nadal (582 points)

(Last Power Ranking: 3, ATP Ranking: 2)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [SF], Shanghai Masters [Final], Beijing [SF], US Open [SF]

Nadal continues to ride high in the power rankings despite this being, in the past, his least successful phase of the Tour.

He has never won the indoor Paris event. Indeed last year he had to pull out with injury and missed the Masters Cup in Shanghai. But with his extended layoff over the summer, Nadal has posted some decent results on the indoor hard courts. A semifinal place on the very fast Bercy court may not have been what he wanted, but he came through some strong challenges along the way—especially against an inspired Tommy Robredo—and fell to what can only be described as a white-hot performance from Djokovic.

Prospects for London: He seems recovered from injuries, but some have suggested a loss of weight or conditioning. By Nadal’s standards, it’s been a decent run through his least favourite season: He has not won an indoor title since Madrid 2005. Expect him to make the semis, and then he is bound to be a contender for the title.

4. Radek Stepanek (501 points)

(Last Power Ranking: NR, ATP Ranking: 12)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [SF], Basel [SF], Vienna [QF], Shanghai Masters [QF]

Stepanek clearly loves the hard courts, and the indoor hards in particular. He opened 2009 with two wins and a final, and he has hit good form again with the Tour’s return to the hard indoor courts.

Stepanek is at his highest ranking since the summer of 2006: not bad for a 30 year old. His fast serve-volley game, when on song, is a joy, even though his demeanor rarely shows the same grace.

Had he held onto his advantage over Djokovic in Basel or gone on to beat Monfils in Paris, he could have bagged a reserve place for London. As it is, he will pose a real challenge in the Davis Cup final against Spain in December—or would if the indoor court was hard instead of clay.

5. Andy Murray (386 points)

(Last Power Ranking: OLI, ATP Ranking: 4)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [R16], Valencia [Winner], US Open [R16], Cincinnati Masters [SF]

After his long layoff, there were question marks over Murray’s fitness as he came into Valencia. Those were quickly dispelled when he won the tournament, despite a rusty start.

His showing in Paris was not entirely convincing, as he struggled past James Blake in three sets, and went down to Stepanek in three. Murray’s wrist seemed to be holding up, but he showed worrying signs of a groin strain by the end. He will be glad of a week’s rest to recuperate before London.

Prospects for London: The Paris result was his first indoor loss of the season, and Valencia was his sixth title. He is bound to come on strong, on home ground and indoors: a strong semi prospect, with a decent shot at the title.

6. Juan Martin del Potro (382 points)

(Last Power Ranking: 7, ATP Ranking: 5)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [QF], Shanghai Masters [R32], Tokyo [R32], US Open [Winner]

Del Potro continues his poor post-U.S. Open run. He pulled out of Basel, and then had a tough three-setter against Marat Safin at Paris. He looked close to retirement in the next round until his opponent, Fernando Gonzalez, took those honors at one tie-break set apiece.

Del Potro never looked like he was going to make it through another round, and unable to serve, he retired with an abdomen strain at 4-0 down against Stepanek.

Prospects for London: There is currently no further news of his injury, but he looked a tired man even before his Paris retirement. The RR format could well be a step too far for the Argentine.

7. Nikolay Davydenko (380 points)

(Last Power Ranking: 1, ATP Ranking: 7)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [R16], Valencia [SF], Moscow [R32], Shanghai Masters [Winner]

Davydenko remains one of the form players at the tail-end of the season. With the scalps of both Nadal and Djokovic under his belt on the hard courts of Shanghai, he will relish the prospect of similar conditions in London.

He had a decent run in Valencia, eventually taken out by Mikhail Youzhny in a competitive three-setter. He might have preferred to confirm his seventh slot for London with a win over Soderling in Paris, but the Swede needed a good performance of his own, and got it with some big serving and power-play.

Prospects for London: The Russian seems confident and energetic, and is developing some useful all-court tactics and net-play. He made the finals last year and would be a good tip to make at least the semis this time.

8. Roger Federer (357 points)

(Last Power Ranking: 4, ATP Ranking: 1)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [R32], Basel [Final], US Open [Final], Cincinnati [Winner]

Federer had a decent showing at his home-town Basel, though he still lost ranking points by failing to hold the title. The final against Djokovic showed lack of match-play practice, with some problems on timing and over-striking.

Though he played better in Paris, he came up against a man possessed in Julien Benneteau. Few would have beaten the Frenchman hitting such a purple patch, but Federer would almost certainly have liked a few more matches to improve his timing.

Prospects for London: no injuries, but little match-play. Like Nadal, he is looking a little thinner—perhaps family life taking its toll. But London has the year-end No. 1 at stake, which should be incentive enough to drive him into the final stages.

9. Mikhail Youzhny (269 points)

(Last Power Ranking: 9, ATP Ranking: 19)

Last Four Tournaments: Valencia [Final], St. Petersburg [R16], Moscow [Winner], Tokyo [Final]

The Russian’s season ended in Valencia with another excellent showing that has taken him to his highest position in the A.T.P. rankings since the summer of 2008. Perhaps his recent hard-court successes will give him the incentive to perform well on the outdoor equivalents in the new year.

10. Robin Soderling (269 points)

(Last Power Ranking: NR, ATP Ranking: 9)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris Masters [QF], Stockholm [SF], Shanghai Masters [QF], Beijing [SF]

Soderling had to pull out of his semifinal clash with Marcos Baghdatis in Stockholm with injury. However, he came back with a strong performance in Paris to reach the quarterfinals, losing in a three-setter to Djokovic. (Surprisingly, Soderling has never done better in a Masters event.)

With his solid results in the Asian swing, the Swede won the first reserve* place for London, his first time at the event.

Prospects for London: He may get a chance to play should just one of the top eight drop out, and will enjoy the indoor hard courts. But it would require an exceptional performance to get beyond the RR stages.

* With the confirmed withdrawal of Roddick on Tuesday, Soderling is now in the final eight.

The Outsiders

Paris marked the last A.T.P. tournament of the year, so the ranking points for the Tour End Finals are now set. However, three names on the firm or reserve lists for London failed to make the final Power Rankings.

Andy Roddick: He confirmed his place for London long ago, but has been out since the first round at Shanghai with a knee injury. There is no word, at the time of writing**, about his status, though his website shows he has a string of charity events lined up for December. Assuming he makes it to London, he will have no recent match play, so he could end the season as he did last year, retiring early at the RR stage.

Fernando Verdasco: The Spaniard gained the eighth spot at the very last minute. He looked tense in losing to Murray in Valencia and to Cilic in Paris. Qualification clearly meant a lot. But now that he’s in the mix, he has the power to cause problems to any opponents who are less than 100 percent, as long as he has enough self-belief.

Jo-Wilfied Tsonga: As second reserve** Tsonga may not be required to play, but there is certainly an outside chance that two of the top eight, Del Potro and Roddick, may succumb to injury early on. If that happens, Tsonga is on his favorite surface, and talented enough to cause an upset. Whether he can maintain consistency against the best players across several matches is another question.

** Roddick has since confirmed his withdrawal. Tsonga thus becomes first reserve.

The Other Year-End Prize

Federer’s early exit in Paris has left the door ajar for Nadal to steal the year-end No. 1 ranking.

If Nadal had won Paris, his task would have been easier. As it is, Nadal will either need to reach the finals in London and see Federer lose all his RR matches, or win the tournament and see Federer lose at least one RR match. The last permutation is that Federer wins two of his three RRs, in which case Nadal needs to win the tournament undefeated.

In short, the year-end No. 1 looks like it's Federer's to lose.

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

Novak Djokovic Defeats Gael Monfils in Compelling Fashion to Capture Paris Crown

Nima Naderi — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:14:50 -0500

BNP Paribas Masters—Paris

Third seed Novak Djokovic captured the final regular season match of the year on Sunday, defeating an inspired Gael Monfils, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3).

Djokovic, who dominated his French opponent in a first set with two breaks of serve, won a total of 84 percent of his first-serve points in the 30-minute set.

The Serb began the second set with the same amount of poise, breaking Monfils early to lead 3-1.

Monfils simply looked spent throughout the first set and a half of the contest; remaining in recover mode from his near three-hour epic with Radek Stepanek on Saturday.

However, in the spirit of all that is French flair, Monfils began to mount an incredible comeback which featured recommitted movement and improved serving.

Monfils, who won seven of the last nine games in the second set, was determined to give the Parisian fans a match to remember—he surely did not disappoint.

Monfils' embracing the fans after every winning shot did not sit well with Djokovic.

During the change over before the start of the third set, Djokovic spoke to chair umpire Carlos Bernardes to oversee Monfils' antics after winning and losing a point. Djokoivc's concern stemmed the rowdy crowd's noise level between points.

Monfils accepted the warning from Bernardes with a sheepish smile, only to continue his entertaining tennis for the remainder of the encounter.

Djokovic, who drew first blood in the final set, led 2-0 before Monfils leveled the set on serve.

The rollercoaster, poor serving set continued for both players, which saw a total of four break conversions, leading to a fatiguing groundstroke affair.

Monfils' bicep pump, which was exhibited upon entering the Palais Omnisports, continued its course throughout the latter stages of the set, drawing energy and conviction from the legion of French followers.

With a final-set tiebreak determining the titlist for 2009, Djokovic gained a mini-break to lead 4-2, only to set up his first match point with a routine overhead smash.

Monfils, who had exhausted all of his resources and then some to stay with Djokovic, double-faulted on match point, handing the Serb his fifth title of the season.

Djokovic, who immediately dropped to his knees after winning his first Bercy title, shouted in continuous compelling joy, acknowledging his well-deserved win.

"Winning back-to-back titles on this level is a huge achievement for me, and adding to that, beating No. 1, No. 2 of the world," said Djokovic, who dismissed No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals on Saturday. "So I'm very pleased with my performances in the past four, five weeks.

"I think winning back-to-back titles probably for the first or maybe second time in my career gives me even more motivation to make the same success in the future."

Djokovic, who improved to 76-18 on the year (first on Tour), remained perfect against Monfils in the pair's career head-to-head matches at 4-0.

Monfils, who was devastated by his loss, took solace in telling his hometown fans that he had given his utmost best on Sunday.

"Of course, [the] big support of the crowd gave him even more motivation and more energy towards the end of the match. So I was kind of fighting him and fighting the big pressure of the crowd.

"I was trying to hold all my nerves. At the end of the match, I threw all my emotions out and was happy."

"The only thing I see is that everything depended on this tie-break in the last set. I was not able to win that final tie-break," lamented Monfils. "I will be disappointed. I'll be disappointed today or tomorrow or in three weeks, because it was really tight.

There's nothing that I did wrong. He played very well. He was hitting well and no mistakes," complimented the Frenchman. "I needed to fight and stay in there. I started playing better in the third set. He broke me. I was able to find my energy to come back."

Monfils' heroic finals performance dropped his season mark to 42-19, while ending the year with one Tour title and two final appearances.

The Paris native will end the year just outside the world's top 10 at No. 13.

"This end of season gives me really the desire to work hard so that next year maybe I will have a full season. I'm thinking if I was able to play all the year round, all the tournaments, how good it would be.

"Without doing that, I'm already Top 13. I don't want to over-estimate myself, but if I had played a full year this year, I would have been among the Top 10. I'm almost sure of that. I'm sure next year I will be able to get back within the Top 10."

Watch out for Monfils in 2010; if he can keep his head in the game, there is no telling how far the athletic and entertaining Frenchman can go.

Djokovic, who will be hard pressed for recovery time leading into next week's Barclays ATP World Tour finals in London, remains confident that he will be able to repeat his title in Shanghai.

"I'm very happy that I managed to win a big tournament just two tournaments before the end of the season," said Djokovic. "Now I'm coming with a lot of confidence in London, and the only question is if I'm able to physically rest and get energy for that event."

Well, folks, that ends what has been another terrific year of jaw-dropping regular season action on the ATP World Tour.

Please check back shortly for a preview of the London finale, where the top eight players in the world will be vying for the prestigious year-end crown.

All quotes courtesy of the atpworldtour.com

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Near Misses: A Case Of Svetlana's "What If"

Rohini Iyer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:43:53 -0500

The question of 'what if' is something that runs like a loop in one's mind especially if things do not pan out the way one wants them to; it plagues and demoralises the thought process, leaves one regretting and despairing over what could have been but yet couldn't be...

The Australian Open 2009 Quarter Final match between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serena Williams is one such 'what if' situation; where the Russian could have defeated the younger Williams, she ended up giving the match away on a platter, thus making it a perfect 'Near Miss' scenario.

From being in a position to serve out the match, to finally leave the arena as the vanquished isn't exactly a situation that any player envisages for oneself and Svetlana wasn't an exception to the feeling that day.

And though she blamed everything and everyone under the Sun [or rather covered by the Sun] that day for her loss, it would have to be said that ultimately she and she alone was responsible for her loss that day.

In a match that oscillated right from the word GO, where serves were broken back and forth as though they were powerful baseline rallies; Svetlana did good—about time—by managing to capture the first set after a marathon of 48 minutes. her efforts [in pocketing the set] were laudable indeed considering that the Melbourne heat was actually roasting both the players at a temperature of 43 degree centigrade.

And while, Svetlana appeared to be a bit less intimidated and daunted by the heat, Serena, on the other hand was flailing helplessly. Twice in the first set she had managed to break the russian's serve, before finally succumbing and surrendering it for the third and the final time to hand over the set to her opponent. Blame it on the heat, though!

In the second set, Svetlana fared a bit better and Serena struggled a bit more; the exchange of break-and-be-broken merchandise wasn't repeated...till...Svetlana was serving for the match at 5-4 and till the officials decided to overlook the concept of solar energy.

And as finally the roof was brought out and all the matches in the outside courts were suspended, all hell broke lose in the Rod Laver arena. with the roof closed and her confidence suddenly making a dramatic comeback—Serena pocketed the set, while Svetlana was just confined to serving that game or rather 'serving for the match' , as it needs to be called!

It is as this stage that the most boring of matches gets interesting and this one was just warming up to the theory, as after breaking back Svetlana's serve, Serena proceeded to lead—for the first time—in the match. Svetlana had to hold on, not only to her service game but also to her pride as well.

But somehow she never managed to recover from that horrendous break of serve; she gave away her second game of the set [consecutive at that] allowing the American to take the match into a deciding third set.

There was, however, no deciding factor necessary in the third set, as Kuznetsova was completely unable to wage the third set war; it was clinical to the point of being humiliating, there were definitely no holes barred and every lose chance covered up before it could prove detrimental.

Finally, after 29 minutes of play, Serena finally ended Kuznetsova's 'roof woes' as she wrapped up the set and thereby the match with a score of 6-1; her yells and fist pumps testimony to her regrouping in a match that could have very well been the curtains in her 10th slam conquest.

Reverting back to Kuznetsova, while she was no doubt disappointed with her lacklustre presentation, her statements regarding the closing of the roof were somehow ludicrous and though, she might have meant about her concentration getting distracted, especially because she was indeed serving for the match when the roof was brought out or she might have just meant that the heat wasn't a ruling factor, there would be no denying that she did lose the match in the end, albeit painfully.

Thus, while Svetlana would have pondered about the 'what ifs' , her match has provided me with an article for an ongoing and catchy series...the only question being, "What if Svetlana hadn't lost the match?"

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The Highs and Lows of the 2009 Tennis Season

Steven Merriam — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:51:11 -0500

The 2009 tennis season was a season tennis fans will never forget. This tennis season brought such memories that will go down in tennis history such as Serena Williams problem at the US Open with the line judge and also some good memories. This tennis season also brought us some new champions, some comebacks, some retirings and some books that should have never been written. Here are the high and the lows of the 2009 ATP and WTA Season.

Begin Slideshow

State of Grace: Losing in 2009

claudia celestial girl — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:32:42 -0500

After a spectacular loss to Roger Federer in the 2007 Australian Open, Andy Roddick, said, "It was frustrating, it was miserable, it sucked, it was terrible...Besides that it was fine."

Decades ago, for those of us in the US old enough to remember, ABC used to open a weekly sports show citing, in equal measure: the Joy of Victory...and the Agony of Defeat (using a horrible skiing accident to illustrate the latter).

The truth is that defeat, though agonizing, can often be the most inspiring illumination of character that comes out of a sporting contest.

This year, Roger Federer took two of the most spectacular losses a champion can accept, and also recorded two of the most spectacular wins a champion could ever make in meeting, then breaking, the all-time Slam record formerly held by Pete Sampras.

But this is an article about that state of grace that can sometimes be entered by a sporting champion in defeat.

1) 2009 Australian Open Final

Roger Federer was so distraught in his runner-up speech that he lost his composure and cried in front of 15,000 fans, an international TV audience and a collection of the sport’s all-time legends gathered at the ceremony ostensibly to honor his achievement in meeting the all-time Slam record.

For me, this occasion is memorable for two things. One is the passion that Roger brings to the game that he rarely releases on the court, but that emerged as fans acknowledged their appreciation for it, and he said “God, it’s killing me!” (somewhat reminiscent of the tears he shed at his loss at the 2008 Wimbledon final, where the evident pain of the loss only served to further illuminate how magnificent an event it was).

The second moment that stood out was the gracious way in which the champion of the event, Rafael Nadal, was able to help Roger regroup and make composed remarks, as is expected.

2) 2009 Madrid Master’s Series Semi-Final

It was the longest semi-final in Master’s Series history, not only tournament history. Novak Djokovic walked off the court in an evident state of distress after giving his all and having his heart broken. He acknowledged later that he was having trouble getting over the loss. He skipped Queen’s Club, where he stood to face Nadal again, opted instead for Halle, where he stood instead to face Roger Federer, but lost early, and in fact, his performance (that of both contestants of the Rome semi-final) suffered for months after. Unable to defend points, he dropped from World No. 3 to World No. 4.

For me, and I can’t do it justice, there is something elegant about having a loss affect one’s performance so. It is illustrative of the heart and self-validation that went into that particular contest.

3) 2009 French Open Fourth Round

Rafael Nadal had never lost at Roland Garros. His opponent in the QF was one whom he rather famously disliked on the tour, and to whom he had administered a drubbing 1-and-0 on clay just a few weeks before. The loss was compared by one commentator to that of boxer Mike Tyson against Buster Douglas in 1990—a shocking change of fortune that affected the future of the sport.

Nadal’s extraordinary remarks on the occasion of this loss included some rather poetic work. “Defeats never make you grow, but you also realize how difficult what I achieved up until today was, and this is something you need sometimes. You need a defeat to give the value to your victories.”

The fact that tennis has these traditions of the handshake following every match and occasionally speeches from the loser only seconds after the loss, which are for the most part extraordinarily gracious, was captured with profound irony on the occasion of this loss, as the NBA playoffs were underway, and a famous player and the team he led had failed to qualify. The basketball star in question (Lebron James) walked off the court without making the customary remarks, and so the world’s press was treated to this wonderful dichotomy of grace, recorded in a fantasy telephone call in commentary on ESPN (presented at the last page of this article).

4) 2009 Wimbledon Final

Yet again, Andy Roddick lost in spectacular fashion to Roger Federer, and handed him one of the greatest triumphs of Federer’s career—his 15th Grand Slam title (allowing Roger to reverse the tears he’d shed in January at the AO). After playing what amounted to a seven-set match (the final set went to 14-16, and not in his favor), he had to sit in the chair and applaud while Roger made the rounds with the golden trophy in his hands.

Andy Roddick has borne the expectations of American tennis fans for half a decade as the heir apparent to the tradition of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Jimmy Conners. Though consistent for 10 years and one of the few to be ranked in the top 10 for eight consecutive years, Roddick may yet go down in history as a ‘One Slam Wonder.’

His closest chance of wiping that appellation from his record and perhaps the greatest performance of his career ended in an extremely tough loss. Yet he did not throw his racket to the ground; he retained his sense of humor. He did not get down on himself. He showed us that a champion digs deep, and sometimes when the contestants leave the field, the audience feels as if there was no loser.

5) 2009 US Open Fourth Round

The biggest disappointment of my career, said Andy Murray, losing in the fourth round to Marin Cilic, after being touted (as he always is for every single Slam) as the hands-down, odds-on betting favorite to win the tournament. As such, it was a big disappointment to more people than just Murray! The young Scot's savvy, canny game has so much potential and seemingly is without the fitness problems that plague Novak Djokovic.

As the heir apparent to Fred Perry and Tim Henman, he shoulders the expectation of a nation of tennis lovers where the game was born to be the next great British champion. He bears these expectations with considerable grace, and none more profound than when he has to stand up before the world’s (but particularly the British) press, and expound on the reasons for the loss and his feelings about it. On this occasion, he offered these explanations in somber, sincere tones, without the glib, cavalier attitude of Andy Roddick or the occasional self-pity of Roger Federer.

6) 2009 Paris Third Round

Everybody loved Marat Safin. One commentary noted that he leaves the tour without having made a single enemy (though he had some pretty sour remarks to make about Andre Agassi, and one wonders how Andre would have responded if he’d still been playing, but then again that kind of speculation is moot).

He played a competitive, three-set match against Delpo, showing his notorious occasional flashes of brilliance. After his final professional loss, the French held a special award ceremony, and gave Safin the Key to the City. Safin’s "aw shucks" attitude will, for me, leave a lasting sense of charm.

So congratulations to the losers, for their losses have, in some cases, conveyed more "attitude" than yet another win might have.

The following is an excerpt from an article by senior writer Tim Keown that originally appeared on ESPN Page 2. This article (a fantasy conversation) captures some of the expectations of character that tennis seems to enjoy at the expense of some other sports. The original article (very funny in its entirety) can be found here (and seemingly archived under ‘NBA’ and not ‘tennis’).

LEBRON JAMES: ...You gotta understand. When we lost to Orlando, I was out of there, baby.

Right from the court to the locker room. Then I got a cop on each side of
me, my headphones in my ears and headed for the bus. Didn't need to talk.
Didn't have anything to say, man. Did I tell you I'm a winner?

NADAL: I have won a lot. I don't like to lose. I have won Wimbledon and
Australia and Roland Garros, but when I lose it is part of my job to....

JAMES: You know the funny thing? I didn't even have the music on, man. I
just made it look like it. Just playin', you know?

NADAL: That is...funny?

JAMES: They thought I couldn't hear 'em. They were all like, "LeBron, can we
get a minute? LeBron, what do you have to say about the loss?" When I
didn't break stride you should have heard them muttering and complaining.
Those cops kept on walking, and I kept on walking. Right to the bus. Right
off the bus to the plane. Right on home.

NADAL: Sometimes a good walk can help calm a man's....

JAMES: Wait, wait, wait. That reminds me. You gotta come clean with me on one
thing: With calm? What kind of stuff is that? Is that a tennis thing or
something? It's like you're talking about calm all the time, man. Calm this
and calm that. First off, I'm not accepting anything, and I'm definitely not
accepting it with calm. You understand? Calm's messed up.

NADAL: I guess I just have a different way of thinking. I was not happy—I
was very unhappy—but I realize it is not the end of the world. In the
end, I have no one to blame but myself.

JAMES: Well, man—that's one thing we don't have in common.

(JAMES laughs loudly. In the background there is more laughter. NADAL thinks
he hears the sound of hands slapping.)

JAMES: But back to what I'm saying, man. That dude...what was his name?

NADAL: Robin Soderling.

JAMES: Yeah, whatever. He was the 23rd seed?

NADAL: Please, do not remind me.

JAMES: Didn't he make fun of you once before, mocking what you do in front
of everyone at Wimbledon?

NADAL: Please do not remind me.

JAMES: So this time he beat you up, ran you all over the damned court, and
when it was over you congratulated him? You shook the man's hand?

NADAL: As I said, I was taught to be gracious, to be a sportsman....
Perhaps we do not speak the same language, no?

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Sonia's Letter (Fantasy)

Robert Orzechowski — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:36:40 -0500

Many people have written about Roger Federer's Australian 2009 defeat to Rafael Nadal and his subsequent tears. I thought it would be a neat idea to write a fantasy piece to explain those tears through a story that never happened but...could have:

As his limo drove on through the Australian summer rain, he got lost in his thoughts gazing at the down-pour. Upcoming nuptials, the pregnancy of his wife, and the Australian grand slam looming all swirled around in his head.

He had promised this visit somewhere in the back of his mind. Whether it was through his agent or some promotional director, he was to visit this particular patient in a hospital in Melbourne.

Roger toyed with the idea to cancel the day before so that he get in more practice but there was a tiny voice somewhere that said he should honor this commitment.

This engagement should last 30 minutes, he thought and then he proceed to the tennis courts.

He was quietly ushered in the back way and was surprised that he was taken to a quieter wing in the hospital known as the palliative care section. He was used to visiting the children's ward.

The serene silence of the ward was a little unnerving at first but he welcomed it as opposed to the consistent rush of faces so desperate to seek him out and even touch him.

In the middle of the pristine shiny-floored hallway, he was ushered into a small room. There was a couchful of family keeping their young 16-year-old member company.

She had blond hair and her youthful appearance had somewhat been drained from her fight with the brain tumor that they had discovered. Her months of chemo had not completely got rid of it and its location meant that it could not be operated on.

Roger respectfully greeted the family. Their utmost shock and disbelief temporarily erased the grief-stricken and worrisome lines on their faces.

He was informed that this was Sonia and that she consistently talked about Roger's tennis and personality non-stop even during the darkest stages of chemotherapy.

Roger: Hi Sonia. My name is Roger Federer.

Sonia: Roger is that really you. I must be dreaming. I cannot believe you are here.

Roger: It is really me. They tell me you are quite the fighter.

Sonia: Well, I have watched you for so many years. You are my favorite tennis player of all time. You inspired me to fight and to win.

Roger: Thanks, I am really honored.

Sonia: No. the honor is mine. The way you play tennis is something special. Even if I never met you, I would still fight to live so that I could watch you play. (Over to the rest of the family) Could you please give me a few minutes with Roger?

The family files out of the room to wait outside.

Roger: I am really sorry that you have been going through this.

Sonia: Don't be sorry Roger. I sometimes dream of being a great tennis player. I would have great dreams of how I would hoist the cup and wave to the crowd like you do.

Roger: Sometimes, I think it is all a dream myself. How about I live that dream for you.

Sonia: What do you mean?

Roger: Well at the Australian Open, I am going to try my best to win the tournament. I really hope to win it but what if I give you a sign only meant to be for you. It would then be your dream as well and you could share in it.

Sonia: Wow...that is beautiful. I and millions of others already share in your victories.

Roger: Yes, but this would be just solely for you.

Sonia: What would the sign be?

Roger: I don't know...it might be a gesture or maybe something in a speech if I win or make the finals.

Sonia: Roger.

Roger: Yes?

Sonia: I don't know if I could hold on that long. I mean, I want to live so much but I get tired all of the time.

Roger: You have done so amazing so far. Just do your best and I will do mine.

Sonia: I will but I just don't know if it will be enough. Thank you, Roger.

Roger: You don't need to thank me. I wish I could have done more.

Sonia: You have. You have made me so happy. I can face whatever lies ahead.

The nurse comes in and informs Roger that Sonia needs her rest.

Roger: Before I go, Sonia, I want you to know that as much as you are a fan of mine, I am a big fan of yours. I will play my heart out for you.

Sonia: Roger, before you go, can I have...a....a...kiss?

The room lighting was subdued as Roger leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Sonia's forehead. As if on cue, her eyes closed and she went into a deep sleep.

A few weeks later, Roger was informed that Sonia had passed away the day before. He tried to keep it out of his mind and concentrate for the upcoming match with Nadal but this was difficult to do.

The day of the final came and before he left his hotel to go prepare for the big match, his agent came in with an envelope. "This came in for you, Roger," was all he said.

Roger opened the sealed envelope and was surprised to find out that it had been written by Sonia:

Dear Roger,

I wanted to thank you once again for visiting me. There are so many sick and ill people out there who never get the real treat of having a visit from someone like you. I am so weak now and my mom is writing this out for me.

You told me to do my best and I have. I just want you to do your best and if it is allowed, somewhere I might look and find your sign.

Sincerely with love

Your biggest fan

Sonia

Roger was resolved win this match at all costs for Sonia. After four and a half hours of scratching, clawing and fighting, Roger lost to Rafael Nadal. His constant strong mental efforts to keep that written letter out of his mind now came back and flooded his mind.

Awash with tears, Roger seemed to be looking up in the distance as if to transmit his message to Sonia. The loss had hurt and he had felt that he had let her down. As his tears came out, he thought he had heard a voice. "Just do your best," was all it had said.

Roger knew that he had more of his best inside him and that there would be more days to fight on. The photos had all caught his teary-eyed face and as those tears were coming down, he looked up and mouthed inaudibly his thoughts.

"Thank you, Sonia."

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Djokovic Thumps Nadal in Paris, Meets Monfils in Final

Nima Naderi — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:12:33 -0500

BNP Paribas Masters—Paris, France

No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic put an exclamation mark on two great weeks of tennis, easily dismissing No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Bercy event in Paris on Saturday.

Djokovic, who defeated world No. 1 Roger Federer in three sets to claim the Basel Indoors event last week, took advantage of Nadal's weak serving on the day, breaking the Spaniard in six and eighth games of the opening sets—both at love.

The second set mirrored the first set in many ways, with Djokovic dominating the tempo of the baseline exchanges, striking deep flat groundstrokes.

Nadal, who had exhibited more of a defensive foundation throughout the week, couldn't generate the necessary firepower required to trouble his Serbian opponent.

Winning only 58 percent of his total service points throughout the one hour and 16 minute blowout, Nadal, who leads the Tour in several return of serve statistics, remained quiet on Djokovic's service games, failing to gather a single break point opportunity.

Djokovic, who was a relentless from every part of the court against his Spanish rival, improved his head-to-head deficit against Nadal to 14-6, while winning his Tour-leading 75th match of the season.

Djokovic was ecstatic after his victory, confessing that he couldn't have played any better.

"There's not much to say about today's performance, except it was perfect," said Djokovic, who hit 31 winners.

"[It was] exactly the way I wanted it. I have done, tactically-wise, everything that I imagined to do and planned to do before the match. I was very aggressive.

"[I] took the early control of the match over my opponent, and it paid off. I was hitting winners from all over the court and really trying to keep that momentum going throughout the whole match. I didn't give him many chances to come back into the match."

Nadal, who fell to 64-11 on the year, has encountered a variety of upsets as of late, losing to players who strike deeper more penetrating shots.

"He played very well," admitted Nadal. "He played unbelievable, in my opinion. I didn't play bad. That's the truth. But with this level of Novak's, [it] is very difficult to play at this level, especially [on] this surface. I finish the tournament playing much better than [how] I started [it]."

Nadal will now head back to Mallorca, before traveling to London where he will begin preparations for the Tour finale.

Djokovic, who will be competing in his 10th final of the year, will face athletic Frenchman and crowd favorite Gael Monfils in the final.

Monfils advanced to his first Masters 1000 level final on Saturday, defeating Radek Stepanek 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Monfils, who dazzled the hometown crowd throughout the two hour and 41 minute slugfest, nearly lost his momentum in the second set after serving for the match at 5-4.

Stepanek, who remains one of the most determined competitors on the circuit, broke Monfils to even the second set at 5-5, before holding to lead 6-5.

Using a crafty selection of flat backhands and net approaches, Stepanek captured the second set with an overhead smash—converting his second of four break point opportunities.

With the Parisian crowd gasping at his every stroke, Monfils drew last blood in the ninth game of the final set, breaking Stepanek for the sixth time in the contest.

After Stepanek hit a final forehand long on match point, Monfils pumped his chest with vigor, acknowledging the tremendous crowd support.

With the win, Monfils advanced to his third final of the year and will attempt to win his second title on home soil in the last month, capturing his second career in Metz.

The flexible Frenchman, who improved to 42-18 on the season and 3-1 against Stepanek in career head-to-head meetings, spoke about his delight of reaching the biggest final of his young career.

"I don't feel tired anymore," said Monfils. "I know tomorrow I'll give my life on the court. I've been playing more than two hours today and the day before. It's no longer a physical issue. It's mental now. I want to win. I'm not listening to my body anymore. I'll give it all."

Monfils' inspiring words will be needed on Sunday, when he takes a 3-0 career head-to-head deficit against his Serbian opponent.

Regardless of his undefeated mark against the Frenchman, Djokovic will not be taking Monfils for granted come Sunday.

"[Monfils] is one of the players who is very unpredictable," said Djokovic.

"He can play really, really fast. And with a big serve, he can do a lot of damage to opponents. I've seen a couple of matches in this tournament, and I've seen that he's in good shape. He's moving really fast, he's fit, and he's motivate. He's going to have big support of the crowd, and that's one of the key facts."

Please check back on Sunday for a complete finals recap from the BNP Paribas Masters in France.

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ATP World Tour Finals: The Contender Run-Down

Chloe Francis — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:21:32 -0500

Now that the final tournament of the season is reaching its conclusion, the 2009 ATP Tour will culminate in the ATP World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena between Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, less than two weeks away.

The top eight players, their rankings taken from their year-long results on the tour, will battle it out in this exclusive finale in the hopes of becoming the year's ultimate tennis champion. These players have produced consistently exemplary results throughout the season, thoroughly deserving their place at the O2. But who will be the ultimate champion?

Rafael Nadal of Spain was the first player to secure a spot in the end of year championships as a result of his stellar start to the season. Following on from his French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic success in 2008, Nadal continued the trend by defeating Roger Federer in an epic 5-set final at the Australian Open in early February. His hot streak continued into the Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome Masters 1000 tournaments, until he faltered in mid-May against Federer in the Masters 1000 Madrid Final.

From that point, his recurring knee problems seemed to get the better of him; he lost to Swede Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open, his most lucrative tournament (he had not lost at the event in 31 matches over five years) and was unable to defend his crown at Wimbledon, pulling out with patellar tendonitis.

He rallied somewhat in August, reaching the latter stages of events in Montreal and Cincinnati, but was still not at his best at the US Open, later putting his sub-standard performances down to a painful abdominal muscle strain.

More recently, he was runner-up to Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai but there are signs that he is still not back at his peak fitness or skill level. Occupying the No. 2 spot in the world, it is evident he has high hopes for the London championship.

Roger Federer was the second player to quality for the World Tour Finals. With a somewhat shocking start to the year, that seemed to continue his run of bad results from 2008, where he suffered from mononucleosis and back strains—including his loss to Nadal at the Australian Open and a racket-smashing episode in Miami against Novak Djokovic—Federer rebounded with a vengeance in Madrid against Nadal.

He then went on to win his first ever French Open, allowing him to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14 Slam victories and achieve a career Grand Slam. In just under two weeks, Federer followed this sweet victory with a win over Andy Roddick to clinch his 6th Wimbledon title and 15th Slam overall, signalling him as the greatest player of all time. He also returned to No.1 as a consequence of his victories and Nadal's absence, a position that he will hold until the end of the year.

Since Federer's amazing summer, the Swiss player's level has plateaued somewhat, with consistent match victories but no titles. He lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open Final and recently Djokovic in his home town of Basel, with an extensive break in between these two events in order to rest his weary limbs.

An early exit in the Paris 1000 event may mean that he has less match experience than preferred going into the World Tour Finals, but there is no doubt that his extended breaks from competition at the end of this season will stand him in good stead for the tiring tournament in London.

Andy Murray, from Scotland, was the third player to qualify as a result of his consistently excellent results throughout the season. He started off as the player to beat in 2009, winning an exhibition in Abu Dhabi and a tournament in Doha. His Australian Open tournament did not turn out as well as expected with an exit in the quarterfinals, but since then Murray has continued to outperform the majority of players on every surface.

In August he moved to No. 2 in the world, briefly overtaking Nadal and Djokovic—the first time someone other than Nadal or Federer had held such a prestigious position in over four years. A finalist in 2008, Murray had high hopes for his favourite Slam, the US Open, but lost to Croat Marin Cilic in three easy sets.

Throughout the back end of the season, the Scot has been suffering with a persistent wrist injury, making his ranking slip back down to No. 4; but with a win in Valencia in November, it looks as if Murray is finding form just in time for the end of year championships.

Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Roddick occupy three other London berths. These players, too, have excellent chances at the season-ending tournament; Djokovic has been consistent throughout the year, beating many top players, and is the defending champion of the event.

Del Potro has been inspired throughout much of the hard court season in particular, with his US Open win a notable highlight and justification of his selection for the championship. Djokovic is enjoying a burst of renewed confidence, with his recent win over Roger Federer to win the Basel title and Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the 1000 Paris event. Is he peaking just in time to defend his crown?

Andy Roddick, too, has produced stellar results, frequently reaching semifinals and finals of the biggest and best tournaments, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Miami.

Injuries are nevertheless a big concern for this trio; tiredness and exhaustion are playing their part, plus Roddick is suffering from a knee injury which saw his exit from Shanghai and withdrawal from Paris. Will he be fit enough in time for London? Only time will tell.

The final two players, completing the 8-man lineup, had their fates sealed in the final tournament of the year in Paris. Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco, through their own exploits and those of the other few remaining contenders, sealed their positions as 7th and 8th ranked in the world respectively.

With these eight players being so consistent in their success over the past 10 months, it is incredibly difficult this year in particular to predict the World Tour Finals champion. All players have prowess on indoor hard courts and all have shown that they can withstand the pressure of the most tense, important moments.

Andy Murray will be the home favourite, with significant column inches being reserved for the Scot's play; however, it is difficult to ignore the experienced Federer, Nadal and Roddick in such an event, where a loss in the 'round robin' stage does not necessarily mean the end of the player's chances to win the event. The defending champion, Novak Djokovic, should not be discounted, having won the most matches in total this season.

One thing is for certain; injuries and withdrawals notwithstanding, the ATP's London masterpiece should certainly live up to its hype of being 'The Decider'.

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Serena Williams and Gatorade at Work in Chicago

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:44:28 -0500

In 2010, Gatorade plans to release a number of new beverages and is working closely with a number of their key athletes to represent the new offerings.

On Nov. 11, tennis superstar Serena Williams was in Chicago to work with experts from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute as part of this venture.

Analysts say that Gatorade is designing specialty beverages designed for athletes before, during, and after athletic events. PepsiCo has reportedly filed for trademarks on names including Prime, Perform, and Recover for the new line.

Gatorade is still represented by elite athletes like Williams, Peyton Manning, Dwyane Wade, and Derek Jeter, while retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan continues to be a driving market influence for Gatorade as well.

In 2001, PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats, the parent company of Gatorade, and has since seen an annual growth from the brand between 12 and 18 percent.

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"Open" by Andre Agassi: Far from Perfect, but a Clean Winner

Rajat Jain — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:16:56 -0500

Why, Andre? Why now?

These questions have been haunting the tennis world—players and fans, alike—ever since the revelation about the former world No. 1 Andre Agassi's indulgence in drugs at the lowest point of his career.

Various opinions were formed, some offensive, some defensive...but each one with a big tint of surprise. And why would one not be surprised when one of the most prolific tennis players of the history, a role model for youngsters, a media darling, and a fan-favorite had the courage to openly admit his grave mistake?

The opinions can only said to be premature, and lacked the bigger picture which was not revealed—at least outside of the special tennis contingents—till Nov. 9. The wait was long right from the time when I pre-ordered this book from Amazon on Oct. 26. They did a fabulous job, as I received the book exactly on its release date, and, due to necessary commitments, it took me four days to complete one of the finest pieces of sporting autobiographies.

And after finishing the last word of the 386th page, one couldn't help but realize that the crystal meth story, which had grabbed more headlines than Serena Williams ending the year as No. 1, was only a tip of the iceberg. The huge iceberg, where this small tip was as insignificant to ignore as it was important to include.

For this book is named Open, where he fluidly laid out his whole life—a struggled childhood, insecure adolescence, the troubled early adulthood, and finally his inspiring redemption—and his way of paying back to society.

He has revealed his facts in the style he always does—a candid way. Informal conversations are dominant in this book, which makes a reader feel more connected with this champion than they may have ever done while incessantly rooting for him at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Agassi knows who the most important people in his life are, and he reserves ample space for each and every one of them. His early relationship with his father is presented in a resentful way; so were his experiences at the Mecca of tennis education—Nick Bollettieri Academy.

Open is all about belief. It was vividly depicted through two strong-minded personalities in this book. His trainer, Gil Reyes, alongside his coach, Brad Gilbert, have masterly believed in his abilities right since the beginning. Their "belief" and support can only be regarded as sole reason for his game statesmanship as we know it.

The section about his time with his former wife Brooke Shields was surprisingly candid, given the way things ended between them. The description of their first meeting, their growing relationship, and the ultimate end was moving. But it was really a central part of the book, as it really showed how great Steffi Graf is—as his life companion.

Agassi's special relationship with Graf is well documented, and his attention to every possible detail was romantic. It is easily visible by the way his wife has been mentioned as "Steffi" in the earlier part of the book, while as "Stephanie" from the time when he met her, the way she likes her name to be said. This story may have taken fewer pages than the one with Brooke Shields, but it certainly conveyed volumes more than the latter.

Of course, this book is far from perfect. Even after taking aside the unfortunate crystal meth incident, there were many stories which could have been avoided. His story about the French Open '90 final, his history with Boris Becker, and some little secrets between Pete Sampras and himself. He even subtly hinted that he considers himself better than his curly haired rival, that his one special Slam victory at Paris is more important than those extra six that Pete achieved.

His experiences with media and sportswriters were never good, which we now know were in blasphemy throughout the 20 years—including his redemption after '99—he played tennis.

So were his followers—not fans—who followed him for the wrong reasons.

Yet, this book would have felt incomplete without these revelations. As Brad Gilbert said to Agassi in their first meeting—striving for perfection will not win you a match. Being better than the guy across the net on that particular day will.

This book does not try to be perfect. This book tries to be true to its title—Open.

And it sure wins.

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Getting to Know Marco Chiudinelli

Nima Naderi — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:53:04 -0500

Imagine growing up in the shadow of Roger Federer? Now, imagine growing up with Roger Federer and attempting to emulate his ever move?

For tennis nations such as Spain, Argentina and France, the talent pools remain so deep that there is enough success to go around.

However, when a player is attempting to advance to the higher echelons of world rankings, resides from the well kept but, power country of Switzerland—there is only one mark of excellence to compare oneself with—Mr. Federer.

Growing up with the current world No. 1, Marco Chiudinelli had the same aspirations as the 15-time Grand Slam champ.

Traveling to local tournaments together, sharing the same coaches and even playing soccer as a means of escaping the day-to-day grind of intensive training was shared between the two juniors.

Both aspiring pros wanted to reach the latter stages of Majors; both wanted to be No. 1 in the world.

Well, we all know how that story panned out.

Sadly, though, along the road to tennis' hierarchy, Chiudinelli was forced to live his dreams through his childhood friend. Seeing Federer capture 61 career titles (and counting), was not easy Chiudinelli, who spent the majority of his career in the Challenger circuit.

Suffering various knee and shoulder injuries over the last two seasons, Chiudinelli, who is the exact same age as Federer (28), found not only his tennis dreams dwindling, but his health as well.

Optimism was all but lost for Basel native, who completely fell off the Tour ranking system in March of 2008.

Entering the 2009 season with a ranking of No. 603, Chiudinelli's expectations of a successful season were put aside for the sheer pleasure of competing again.

While being back on Tour provided the forgotten locker room chatter and practice court conflicts, a funny thing began to happen, Chiudinelli started to win tennis matches.

Qualifying for his first Tour event of the year in Doha, Qatar, Chiudinelli made a modest first round exit to circuit warhorse Philipp Kohlschrieber.

Following his return to action in the Middle East, Chiudinelli gained further qualification into the Johannesburg and Dubai events.

Slowly but surely his ranking was making a rebound.

Representing his country in Davis Cup action (in the absence of Federer), Chiudinelli lost both his singles rubbers to Andy Roddick and James Blake.

Even though Chiudinelli was not successful in his Davis Cup campaign, the experience of playing two upper tier foes helped his preparation for the remainder of the season.

Chiudinelli's breakthrough of the year came in a little known Challenger in Tenerife, Spain. There, Chiudinelli defeated seven quality opponents (qualifying included), raising his ranking to No. 243.

Drawing inspiration from his Challenger victory in the Spanish suburb, Chiudinelli's next breakthrough occurred at the US Open. After qualifying for his fourth big league event of year, Chiudinelli advanced to third round action, losing a tight three set affair to Nikolay Davydenko.

The year, the struggle and the endless hour a training were beginning to pay off, Chiudinelli had cracked the top 100.

The Swiss' achievement in New York meant the right to partake in the qualifying draws during the fall circuit.

The fall season (for those of you who don't know) involves much more intimate draw settings than the rest of the season. Therefore, players taking part in the qualifying draws need to be ranked higher.

With the indoor season on deck, Chiudinelli qualified for three straight Tour events in Asia. Making the quarterfinals in Bangkok, the second round in Tokyo and the main draw in Shanghai, Chiudinelli's days of qualifying were finally left behind.

Gaining main draw acceptance into the Vienna tournament in Austria only paved the way for the highlight of his year to take place. Winning one previous main draw match in his home tournament of Basel, Chiudinelli was adamant on setting the record straight.

Being a former ballboy at the Davidoff Swiss Indoor Basel meant that a memorable performance for Chiudinelli would mean that much more.

Beginning his hometown campaign by exacting revenge on Germany's Kohlschrieber, Chiudinelli obtained the most impressive victory of his year by defeating Richard Gasquet in quarterfinals.

Advancing to the first semifinal of his career, the unheralded Swiss set up a first career meeting against his fellow childhood friend Federer.

The encounter would turn into much more than two former ballboys facing each other.

The competitive affair, won by Federer, saw Chiudinelli hold a set point in the opening set tiebreak.

Federer's good friend had now become a formidable foe—remember, Chiudinelli was ranked No. 603 at the beginning of the season.

The loss for Chiudinelli was taken in context: He may not have defeated arguably the greatest player of all time, but, if anything, for that one Saturday in his own backyard, he was seen as his equal.

Now that the season has come to an end for Chiudinelli, rumors of him recieving comeback player of the year honors have surfaced.

The current world No. 55 has locked up direct entry into the 2010 Australian Open and will now be looked upon as a legitimate No. 2 player for Swizterland's upcoming Davis Cup tie against Spain next year.

He may never win a Grand Slam event or be ranked amongst the world's best, but Chiudinelli, who stands at his career high rank, proved more than anything this season that hardwork personalized was worth every moment.

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Novak Djokovic Eliminates Robin Soderling, Final London Spot Remains

Nima Naderi — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:41:38 -0500

BNP Paribas Masters—Paris, France

No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic dusted the hopes of another Barclays ATP World Tour candidate on Friday, defeating Robin Soderling 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

Soderling, who needed to win the tournament in order to qualify for the London finale, rebounded nicely to take the second set in convincing fashion, only to remain inconsistent in the final set charge.

Soderling's forehand was in good form throughout the encounter, striking a majority of his 23 winners off his one-handed stroke.

The balance for Soderling in terms of winner to error ratio was not upheld however, committing a miserable 39 unforced errors throughout the one hour and 57 minute contest.

By contrast, Djokovic's winner to error ratio was slightly better than Soderling (19 to 29), relying on timely passing shots and more confidence to oust his Swedish foe.

In fact, Sodlering's serving throughout the match, which saw him win 80 percent of his first serve points, was far better than Djokovic's 68 percent of first serve points won.

The No. 9 also converted on 15 of 20 trips to the net, while Djokovic capitalized on four of eight attempts when moving forward.

With emotions riding high during the pair's fifth meeting, a missed volley in the net by Soderling on match point all but ended his sensational year on Tour.

Returning to Paris for the first time since reaching his maiden Grand Slam final in the spring, Soderling will now sit back and hope that an ailing Andy Roddick, who is the sixth qualifier for the London finale withdraws.

Roddick continues to recover from an ailing right knee injury, remaining a question mark for the season ending tournament.

Whatever the case, Soderling would have much rather gained entry into London on his own merit.

With the win, Djokovic improved his Tour-leading match record on the season to 74-18, while increasing his head-to-head career lead over Soderling to 5-0.

Djokovic, who will contest his 15th semifinal of the season on Saturday, will now await winner of the day's second match between No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal and No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Tsonga, who must defend his title in order to gain entry into London, will take a 3-1 career head-to-head deficit against Nadal during the center court clash.

Tsonga's form this week has been quite uplifting, playing point-by-point, while not looking at the big picture.

Nadal on the other hand, struggled mightily in his first two wins over countryman Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Robredo.

Remaining predominately defensive throughout the event thus far, Nadal's back-court play has resembled his tactical approach to playing on clay: High spin and high margin.

However, when playing on a quick hard court like the one in Paris, a penetrating approach must be taken in order to succeed.

Nadal will also be attempting to aid his countryman Fernando Verdasco by defeating Tsonga. If the Spaniard can dismiss the Frenchman, Verdasco would qualifying for the finals in London.

Nevertheless, nothing short of a dramatic encounter should be set forth by these two entertaining combatants.

Following the Nadal-Tsonga clash, Marin Cilic vs. Gael Monfils will take place, followed by Juan Martin del Potro vs. Radek Stepanek.

Cilic, who defeated Verdasco on Thursday, will meet the flamboyant but erratic Monfils for the first time.

Monfils ousted countryman Julien Benneteau in a routine by scratchy affair on Thursday.

Monfils will be vying to reach his first Masters 1000 semifinal of the season, while Cilic, who has picked up his form as of late, will attempt to reach fifth semifinal of year.

The final encounter of the day will see a interesting contrast of styles between del Potro and Stepanek.

Del Potro, who fought through a monsoon of forehand winners by Fernando Gonzalez on Thursday, trails Stepanek 1-0 in career head-to-head meetings.

The serve and volley Czech poured in a stellar win over Andy Murray in the previous round, using his net touch and backhand up-the-line to offset the Scot.

Gonzalez, who played some of the best tennis of the week against del Potro, pulled up lame after two demanding sets, sustaining a knee injury at the end of set two.

Gonzalez held seven match points against against the Argentine, converting on only one of sixteen break point chances during the two hour and 24 minute battle.

Please check back on Saturday for a semifinal wrap up from the final Masters 1000 event of the year in Paris.

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In the Zone with Roger Federer, Pt. 2: Australian Open 2007

J.A. Allen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:03:36 -0500

I’ve grown accustomed to your pace...

No one was more acutely aware that Andy Roddick was on a roll during the 2007 Australian Open than Roger Federer. The Swiss No. 1 had been keeping a watchful eye on the progress of Roddick through out the early rounds.

This was the man who had defeated Federer in the semifinals of the Kooyong Classic, a warmup event, a few weeks ago.

Federer was not really surprised that in the quarterfinals Roddick had rolled over Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in about 90 minutes on Rod Laver Arena while committing only two unforced errors. He had seen Roddick accomplish such feats before—especially over Fish. They were buddies and knew each other’s games inside and out.

During his quarterfinal match, Federer, who won the Australian Open in 2004 and 2006, overcame having his serve broken four times in his 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 win over seventh-seeded Tommy Robredo. Federer would advance to the semifinals where he would meet the American Roddick who had only defeated him once in their 13 meetings.

Roddick was confident, prepared, psyched up with Jimmy Connors sitting in his box daring him to defeat this champion. If you dream it—it will happen. Picture it in your mind and it will unfold that way...

The crowd, the press, and the commentators in the booth felt the positive energy flowing from A-Rod. This, they assured each other and the world, was going to be one of those special occasions.

And it was—except not the way Andy Roddick hoped or anyone else dreamed.

It was a night in the deep-seated, intensely mesmerizing zone inhabited by the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer. In the beginning as the match got underway no one could imagine the scope of the clinic Federer would put on.

The Match

The first set began with Roddick being broken in the opening game even though he managed to get five of six first serves in play. Roddick broke back in the fourth game to even matters. They remained on serve until 4-4 in the first set.

It was at that point in the match that Federer moved into another sphere unknown to most human beings. He became at one with the court, the ball, the racket and the net. Roddick was serving at 30-15 when Federer hit an overwhelmingly powerful backhand passing shot for a winner.

At 30-30, Roddick’s sliced backhand fell into the net as he approached.

Finally, at 30-40, Roddick met Federer at the net, where Federer rebounded quicker and with more touch to complete the break of serve. The first set for Federer (6-4) was in the bag as he held at love.

What no one including Roddick understood immediately was that the match was essentially over at that point. Federer would go on to win 11 games in a row—in fact, 24 of 27 points—as Roddick watched, dazed.

It becomes difficult to catalog the full array of shots zipping past the befuddled Roddick who could do nothing to stem the tide of forehand flicks that skimmed the net and dipped just out of Roddick’s reach.

There were several running one-handed backhands blasted from edges and corners that zipped down the line away from a lunging Roddick. There were volleys hit so sharply that they bounced twice against the rubber surface and quickly died—unable to be returned.

Through it all Federer seemed as calm as still waters can be while underneath the undisturbed demeanor he was amazed at this game he was unleashing against the number one American.

It all was summarized in this moment when in the fourth game of the second set, Roddick, behind 3-0, was astonished to find that Federer had given him a short ball. All of his anger and frustration converged as Roddick attacked the yellow sphere. As he moved forward, he smacked the ball with all the power in his possession and the ball landed near the baseline.

It was an absolute rocket.

Most players would have ducked for cover, but Federer did not. Instead, he bounded to his left, hitting a backhand reflex half-volley as he moved. The ball whistled cross court for an absolute clean winner while the crowd exhaled in unison in their amazement, soon bursting into whistles and shouts.

Roddick stood at the net dumbfounded at the apparent ease by which Federer had turned Roddick’s winner into such a monstrous loser. The American went down to defeat in the set, 6-0.

Roddick had no answers for Federer during the semifinals. No one could as Roger zoned in on the finish line. After the opening eight games, Federer remained untouchable. Everything turned to gold.

Roddick was helpless against the assault. He grew angry and frustrated because no one wanted to turn this around more than Roddick.

Even Hawkeye—which we all know is hated and despised by the Swiss No. 1—was going Federer’s way. Federer was a perfect 4-for-4 on challenges for the night. All calls went Federer’s way.

Federer converted all seven of his break points against one of the best servers in the game. The win sent Federer into the finals against Fernando Gonzalez, which he won 7-6, 6-4, 6-4, giving him his 10th Grand Slam title and his third Australian Open championship.

The best press conference in the history of press conferences occurred when Andy Roddick answered reporters questions after the match. Click here to watch this amazing encounter.

Federer had many moments, numerous matches when he was in the zone. We have been able to highlight a few and perhaps will find many more to detail in the months to come. Stay tuned for others in this In the Zone series...

[This companion piece—In the Zone with Roger Federer, Pt. 2—is the second part of a previous article by Clarabella Bevis. Click here to read her entry].

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Queens of the Court: The Luminous Evonne Goolagong

claudia celestial girl — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:02:52 -0500

Evonne Goolagong can be described in mathematical terms.

Parallels and angles. Circles and singularities (a situation that is completely unique). Chaos versus The Metronome.

She will be forever remembered as a seven-time Grand Slam winner: four Australian Open, two Wimbledon, and one French Open title(s).

She was a contemporary of Jimmy Connors. (Jimbo was born Sept. 2, 1952, Evonne on July 31, 1951), and her career paralleled his in its dramatic jump-start.

In 1970, at age 18, Connors recorded his first significant victory in the first round of the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles, defeating Australian tennis legend Roy Emerson.

Goolagong came out of nowhere to win the 1971 French Open at the age of 19 and then shocked the world again a month later when she routed her idol, fellow Australian Margaret Court, 6-4, 6-1, to win her first Wimbledon title.

1971 was the year that Love Story was No. 1 at the box office (in the US at least) and "Joy to the World," by Three Dog Night was the No. 1 song. It was also the year that the Pentagon Papers were leaked to the New York Times and Apollo 14 landed on the moon.

1968, three years before, was a seminal year in the annals of tennis. It was the moment (March 30) that saw the birth of the "open" era, where professionals were allowed to compete in the majors—the beginning of modern tennis.

In the early 1970s, big names at the top of the world of tennis included (as a friend recently wrote to me) Arthur Ashe and Rod Laver—Chris Evert and Evonne Goolagong too.

I remember 1968 very clearly. I remember Arthur Ashe and Muhammad Ali, two diametrically opposed personalities; the former being the first African-American man to win a major in tennis (at the US Open), and the latter being stripped of his heavyweight title in April of that year.

In another article in our Queens of the Court series, I noted that almost no tennis players came from poverty. I wrote of the success of Althea Gibson , being the first person of African descent, of any nationality, to win a major (1956) in the sport of tennis.

If Evonne Goolagong’s career sometimes paralleled that of Jimmy Connors, her life paralleled that of Althea Gibson.

Evonne was one of eight children from an Australian Aboriginal family, being a member of the Wiradjuri people, making her completely unique in the world of tennis. When she was a girl, her father, an itinerant sheep shearer, used to fashion makeshift tennis "paddles" for her out of pieces of wood.

Like Gibson, she was a consummate athlete. She played rugby, cricket, and soccer as a child, and at 13 left home to pursue the dream of a career in tennis.

Her game paralleled that of John McEnroe in that she was a volleyer who relied more on skill and speed than strength, and thus was vulnerable to opponents with a power game, big serves, and punching groundstrokes, such as that of Chris Evert and Billie Jean King.

Long-armed and graceful, with agile reflexes, Evonne Goolagong reputedly possessed the ability to cover the court with great precision. At her peak, like Johnny Mac, she was regarded as one of the most subtle practitioners the women's game had ever seen.

Her greatest weakness, in a complete departure from Johnny Mac: lapses of concentration that may have cost her several titles, and for which her home press in Australia used to take her to task.

Her luminous and memorable rivalry with Evert, so fondly remembered by my friend, was dominated by Evert, who led 21-12; in the majors Evert’s edge was 3-2 (a ratio that roughly paralleled their overall record).

Evonne first met Evert in the 1972 Wimbledon semis, where Evonne pulled out with a third-set rally, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Goolagong won their initial championship encounter, the 1974 Australian, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-0.

Their tightly contested 1975 US Open contest was a three-setter that Goolagong lost 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, and their 1976 Wimbledon final also resulted in a three-set thriller that Goolagong lost 6–3, 4–6, 8–6.

She beat rising star Martina Navratilova for her second Australian Open title in 1975. After that, Evert and Navratilova would dominate the Ladies’ Tour for the latter half of the decade of the 1970s (though Goolagong was ranked World No. 1 in 1976).

In 1980, Goolagong became only the third mother in history to win Wimbledon (in a parallel with Kim Clijsters’ 2009 USO experience). She upset Tracy Austin in the semifinal and Evert in the final of the 1980 Wimbledon.

"When I was 19, I didn't appreciate it," she said comparing her two Wimbledon titles that, separated by nine years, book-ended her career. "But in '80, I had a child and nobody expected much. That was amazingly sweet."

Enjoy this five-minute clip of Evonne’s win against Austin in the 1980 Wimbledon semifinals.

Read other articles in this series about women and their contributions to the game. See how 19th-century American Molla Mallory pioneered the "look" of flowing short skirts for ladies’ tennis, and how Helen Willis came of age as an American rival of Suzanne Lenglen. Look for other articles about Billie Jean King (BJK), Martina Navratilova, and Althea Gibson, among others.

Molla Mallory
Helen Wills
Suzanne Lenglen
Althea Gibson
Maureen Connolly

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