Tennis' Winners and Losers at Vienna, Stockholm and Moscow
Just another week and another title for mighty David Ferrer as he picked up Vienna’s 2015 hardware. The ATP World Tour had other stops in Stockholm and Moscow as borderline top-10 players scrambled to get into the elite eight for London’s year-end final.
There were other tennis opportunities and misses, including back-to-back slides with Tomas Berdych, who has not shied away from attempts at fashion while he competes for tennis titles. Maybe the tennis world needed some other highlight while Novak Djokovic and the superstars of tennis were resting up for bigger tournaments ahead.
All of this and more in this week’s “winners and losers” column where we examine the most significant turns in tennis.
Loser: Tomas Berdych
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The worst part of Tomas Berdych’s participation was not his game. What do he and his clothing company hope to accomplish with one bad outfit after another in the last two years? This past week was a garish clash of deep purple and hot pink, like he was modeling for grape and strawberry Starbursts.
If a picture displays a thousand words, Berdych’s outfit screamed obscenities. Purple spandex underneath pink shorts? Andre Agassi could pull off rebellious tones in his younger years, but whether tennis or fashion, Berdych is a far cry from the great American.
Was this worse than Berdych’s 2014 Australian Open striped shirt (see several photos in the middle of the gallery from Tennis View) that looked like something a painter would wear to support Argentine soccer.
Unfortunately, Berdych just won a title wearing this combination, so he might think of this as a successful experiment. Whatever his motive or outlook, it needs to stop. Seriously.
Winner: Tomas Berdych
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OK, I know that every tennis fan is excited for back-to-back Berdych, so at least we can give him credit for picking up a big, round trophy that looks like something they should be handing out at a basketball tournament. Or did he win the science fair?
Fine. Berdych lived up to his top-seed billing by cruising through an easy week at Stockholm, highlighted by his 7-6(1), 6-2 final over American Jack Sock. After not winning a title in a year, Berdych has picked up two mid-majors in the past month.
Maybe Berdych is a sleeper after all for the WTF year-end tournament at London. For now, he is at No. 5 with the right kind of momentum to be a factor in challenging for that really big tennis trophy. I’m sure he’d be glad to trade in Stockholm.
Loser: Richard Gasquet
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Richard Gasquet really needed the 250 points for winning the Stockholm title. He needed the momentum and and outright title at Masters 1000 venue Paris just for a chance at London’s year-end WTF title.
It’s all but over after a convincing 6-4, 6-2 semifinal loss to young American Jack Sock. The disheartening part for the Frenchman was once again getting overpowered by someone with greater power. Sock had also defeated Gasquet earlier in the year at Washington D.C. in a much tighter match.
It’s another interesting kind of contrast. The veteran Gasquet sports a skilled but finesse backhand, while the young American has a heavy forehand. In generations past, Gasquet’s talents would have flourished, but power and strength have socked him in the modern game.
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Winner: Ernests Gulbis
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It’s been an awful year for Ernests Gulbis, who has plummeted from his summer 2014 top-10 ranking down to No. 117 in the world heading to Vienna. His 8-22 record would get him benched in the NBA if he were the team’s three-point specialist.
Gulbis not only crashed into Vienna’s semifinals, but he defeated John Isner in three sets without playing a single tiebreaker. How often does that happen? Gulbis then defeated another monster server, Ivo Karlovic, in the quarterfinals by winning both sets with tiebreakers.
For those wins, Gulbis moves up 35 slots to No. 82.
Loser: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
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A few days after he fell to Novak Djokovic in Shanghai’s final, Jo Wilfried-Tsonga probably saw his last chance disappear for the eighth spot at London’s WTF. He fell in Vienna's second round to Lukas Rosol, but once again showed the inconsistencies that have kept him from being an elite player.
If Tsonga’s serve is off or his groundstrokes are too methodical, he cannot make this up on the defensive end. What’s the difference between his Jekyll and Hyde?
He’s athletic and quick for a big man, but he’s unable to retrieve like a top-five player.
He has the talent but not the energetic fury of tennis’ great players.
He’s tough when in a rhythm, but he has often faded in tight matches and comebacks.
At his peak, Tsonga made it to the year-end final three times (2008, 11-12), but he will not be attending London for the third consecutive year.
Winner: Marin Cilic
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In Moscow, Marin Cilic defended his title, the first time in a year he has held any title at all. Although Cilic is a winner in moving up two slots to No. 11, he has been eliminated from the race to London.
It was at least a mildly disappointing year for Cilic. He missed a lot of time early in the season, nursing injuries. He had strong runs at Wimbledon (quarterfinal) and the U.S. Open (semifinal), but got blasted in straight sets each time to Novak Djokovic.
On to Paris for the year’s final Masters 1000 tournament, before getting rest and preparing for Melbourne. There’s always a chance he'll get a second major title, and if he does, would he be considered a hall of fame player?
We’ll see. There should be another half-decade of very productive and winning tennis if he remains healthy and motivated.
Loser: Kevin Anderson
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Two weeks ago, veteran Kevin Anderson cracked the top 10 for the only time in his career. It was hardly enough time for a cup of coffee. Days later, his loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had him out once again.
Anderson lost in Vienna’s quarterfinal to eventual surprise-finalist Steve Johnson. Whether or not Anderson feels better that Johnson nearly went on to win the title, he has been eliminated from a chance at London’s year-end tour.
Will he get this close again? Probably not. The 29-year-old has only three career titles, and if he is to climb further into the top 10, he will need to play livelier defense, continue to attack with his improved groundstrokes and win a few more big matches.
He can’t lose matches to the likes of Johnson, and he certainly is capable of winning a tournament like Vienna with a good day against David Ferrer.
Winner: David Ferrer
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Good timing, David Ferrer. We profiled his impact as the king of mid-majors, and Ferrer did not disappoint. Down a set in Vienna’s final, Ferrer rallied to pick up the 500 points and virtually earn his ticket to London’s WTF year-end tourney.
In true Ferrer fashion, he is immediately slated to fly to Valencia and compete as the top seed in another mid-major. Then on to Paris and London.
Maybe all that work compromises his energy somewhat for big-stage matches, but it’s the only way he can maximize his wonderful talent in a tour that is much larger than it was in the days of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.
Props to Ferrer for five titles this year. That’s as many as Roger Federer and more than Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Rafael Nadal and others. Well, Novak Djokovic can claim a few more big titles than Ferrer.
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