Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Top Winners and Losers from Dubai to Argentina
Not even Novak Djokovic could stop Roger Federer's express to a seventh title at Dubai. Just how easy was this one? Meanwhile Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer were in the New World, sliding and slugging themselves to trophies before Masters 1000 tournaments break the dawning of spring.
There was also a familiar pattern of tennis futility with tennis' "Lost Generation." Who are these players, and do they deserve this label?
All of this and more in the following Winners and Losers column that is raising awareness for the lost luggage that holds Fabio Fognini's tennis game—see slide three for more details.
Losers: The Lost Generation
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"You are all a lost generation," Gertrude Stein famously said, a tag that would historically define a talented but troubled group of young American writers in the 1920s. This generation of disillusioned authors including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and T.S. Eliot often faced tragic lows amid their success.
If Stein were alive today to watch the young 20-somethings play tennis, she would no doubt recognize the patterns of rolling a few highs into crashing failures. Week after week on the ATP tour it's the same old story.
This week, Grigor Dimitrov's title defense at Mexico was a bust after getting bageled (6-0) in the third set to then No. 169-ranked Ryan Harrison—one of America's fading young hopefuls.
Harrison, after somehow arriving in the semifinals, ate two bagels after taking the first set against eventual champion, David Ferrer. The result was more a reminder of what he was supposedly supposed to be rather than a celebrated stepping stone.
There's no guarantee that even the best of the rising 20-somethings this past year, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic, have enough to be a major champion. Five years from now, this generation could very well be shut out, unless Bernard Tomic performs halfway to his brash outlook.
Winner: David Ferrer
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The intensity of David Ferrer is etched in his biceps, sweat and determination. Like the photo above, he is a man on a lifetime mission, playing as if every match were his last. We featured him last week, and we will continue to do so as long as he keeps adding more hardware to his trophy shelves.
Acapulco, Mexico was Ferrer's third title triumph in 2015, and symbolically another coin in the coffer for the the early thirty-somethings. Ferrer and Roger Federer were joined by Rafael Nadal who is little more than a year from leaving his 20s. It's a clear contrast to the Lost Generation.
One consolation for Kei Nishikori was moving up to a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings. He had previously dominated Ferrer with five consecutive wins in the past year but had to stand aside while Ferrer donned the winner's sombrero, holding onto the pear-like trophy.
Loser: Fabio Fognini
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We could write a column about how Fabio Fognini is the anti-David Ferrer. Since their meeting a week ago, the differences could not be more pronounced.
Last week, Fognini unpacked his A-game, survived tough matches, defeated Rafael Nadal, and advanced to the final at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sometime after, during the 2000 kilometer flight to Buenos Aires, he must have lost his luggage.
Fognini won only three games in his only match against underdog Carlos Berlocq, and he may as well have called in his boarding pass for the flight out of Argentina during the changeover to the second set. At least he picked up his parting bagel, perhaps a welcome backup to airline cuisine.
Will Fognini be a factor at all during spring's clay-court season, a time that should be his best stretch of the year? It depends on if he can find his game. Hopefully it's not floating somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
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Winner: Rafael Nadal
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Never mind that Rafael Nadal's title came against a cream-puff quartet. He needed this title, breaking a nine-month drought since the 2014 French Open. He took it by crushing doubles partner Juan Monaco in the Buenos Aires final, 6-4, 6-1.
Otherwise, winning this title does little to really certify that Nadal is back and ready to win at venues like Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. Had he not won, more scrutiny and Chicken Little references would have been the story.
Nadal's title drought was only the third longest streak since his first title victory in 2004. From 2009-10, he did not win a title from 2009 Rome until 2010 Monte Carlo (11 months). He also suffered a title-less streak from the 2011 French Open to 2012 Monte Carlo (10 months).
Loser: Andy Murray
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Our February stock watch already noted Murray's dismal performance in losing to Croatian teenager Borna Coric, so we are not going to panic or write off the Scottish champion after his return to becoming a major contender in January.
As Roger Federer polished off another impressive win at Dubai, defeating Novak Djokovic no less, Murray seems to be the player who most needs to win at Indian Wells or Miami, just to feel good going into the clay-court season. Will there be extra pressure for him to come through and beat his top rivals?
The case against Murray right now is that for all of his consistency and positive results, he can inexplicably throw in some real clunker sets and matches. November, 2014 was a terrible performance against Federer. The last set and a half against Djokovic was, as Peter Bodo outlined, "The Meltdown." And the latest thrashing against Coric suggests that Murray might be mixing in more flops with critically acclaimed performances.
It's important to note because winning a major title means no very flat performances in seven matches and two weeks. A lousy pair of sets (see Australian Open) is enough to wash away all the success, to the point that it can relabel his entire performance.
And that's all academic to Murray who must only be concerned about bringing his best stuff to each match in the near future. Then the opportunities will come.
Winner: Borna Coric
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"I think my game is quite similar to Djokovic’s. I move well, I don’t miss many balls, I’m a fighter and my backhand is my best shot. Currently, I’m the best of my generation," Borna Coric said in an interview, as reported in Kevin Mitchell's profile in The Guardian.
OK, so defeating Rafael Nadal at Basel last fall and blasting Andy Murray last week at Dubai does perk up everyone's attention a bit more. He's just 18 years old also defeated the likes of Jerzy Janowicz and Ernests Gulbis. He's played Davis Cup tennis and was named last year's Star of Tomorrow.
Everyone's still waiting for the next big thing in tennis, and Coric, along with Australia's talented Nick Kyrgios could indeed skip over The Lost Generation. Djokovic is a believer, explaining what he thinks about Coric after practicing with him, his comment also via Mitchell's profile:
"He feels comfortable playing with top players. I practised with him a lot in the last two, three months. I try to help him because I see, in a way, myself through him. I’ve never felt that way when I practise with somebody as I felt with him. It’s like playing myself.
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But let's not get carried away just yet. We've seen the early 20-somethings twitch up and down like a seismograph. Kyrgios has had a couple big moments at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, but clearly has more work and maturation before, or if, he is to be a major contender.
Coric found his reminder in Dubai's semifinals against Swiss Maestro Roger Federer (who has a knack for demolishing very young players). He was bounced 6-2, 6-1 as if he were the bad side of the Fognini coin.
Be patient. He could be worth it.
Loser: No Real ATP Tournaments Next Week
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No, this will not be another anti-Davis Cup commentary. We'll let the interest level and results speak for themselves. Some will tune in and enjoy it.
Many other tennis fans will bide their time until Indian Wells and Miami become March's feature events.
Winner: Roger Federer
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There was plenty to like about the way Roger Federer played attacking tennis. Above all, he is still a very dominant player when his serve is working, his forehands are clicking and he can set up short points on a fast surface like Dubai. His seventh title there equals his titles on grass at Halle and Wimbledon.
Federer, with almost no disputation, is clearly tennis' King of Fast Courts.
It seemed like old times for Federer in the way he ripped through his opponents, outgaming Mikhail Youzhny, Fernando Verdasco and Richard Gasquet (retired after one set) by a 42-15 count in sweeping seven sets. Then he took down World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5, commanding the points and showing the confidence and composure of a 17-time major winner.
There will be plenty of tennis in the next few months, and Federer will have his share of hits and falls, but Dubai certainly shows he is favored to grab title No. 8 at Halle and be in position to contend as one of the top three players for Wimbledon.
Perhaps the biggest precaution is that he does not burn out his stamina before late June, but Federer has rarely been one to pace himself with less tennis
Bright orange is a different kind of look for the Swiss Maestro, but colors always look good when they lead to a trophy.
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