Quote For The Day

"Petkovic herself seems to realize that her novelty was wearing off. She said after her win over Wozniacki that she wouldn’t do her post-win Petko-dance anymore. This is a positive development—champs are known for winning, not dancing. But she couldn’t help herself when that last backhand found the line against Jankovic. Good for her. I’m happy she’s not a sideshow anymore, but I wouldn’t want her to lose her sense of fun along her way up the rankings. The WTA needs winners, it needs players with guts, but it needs personalities, too." --Steve Tignor

Miami: ‘True Grit’

 
MATCH OF THE WEEK. YEAAAAAH, I SAID IT.

And please don’t bore me by stating the ear-bleedingly obvious, that whilst full of ‘drama’ and ‘spirit’ the match was pretty shoddy in terms of quality and the preponderance of UFEs.

I’m well aware of that: Pova hit 76 UFEs. Her serve was predictably senile, but perhaps most shockingly, her forehand calcified disturbingly enough to make the most routine of strokes a major logistical exercise – furiously struck balls that would once sail long/wide now barely reaching the net. And it seems to be happening more and more.

As an exhibition of execution and technique it was simply criminal. A shoddy, garish abomination.

But the fact that Pova fought through on spirit and spirit alone, in spite of her uncooperative, beleaguered toolset, in spite of her ankle injury, against her very able opponent, and (let us please not forget) at 3hrs and 28 mins, against the limits of her own endurance, make this something very special.


 
To argue that the quality wasn’t there is to SPECTACULARLY miss the point: like arguing about the intricacies of Atomic Physics under the shadow of an incoming Nuclear Bomb.

We can all ooh and aah at Nole inflicting a flawless, clinical beatdown on his fellow Serb. We can admire the technique, the efficiency,  the fluency – attributes which acquire even more greatness when they are on show against the very best. As they were against Federer in the USO semis last year or against Nadal in Madrid 09. All spiritually exhilarating matches more akin to an “experience”.

Then there’s the flipside: and it’s equally if not more spiritually exhilarating. Where a competitor finds a way to win based on little more than inner resolve. If there’s a  gene for ‘true grit’, then it’s one Pova has in spades and perhaps only shares with Rafa and Serena.


 
As for Dulgheru, I’ll be the first to admit I’d not seen her play before – though after last night, that “least known player in the top 30” tag should, if we have any sense of decency at all, be torn to shreds and not spoken about in polite company ever again.

To say she acquitted herself doesn’t even come close. It’s true Pova wasn’t striking with the fluency she once had – most of her shots were rather desperate winners, UFEs or low pace balls sent confusingly and pointlessly straight down the middle – but Dulgheru did succeed in moving Pova around in a way Sam Stosur entirely failed to.

She forced Pova to play for as long as she did. She also defended immaculately well and, when it was all over, was utterly gracious in defeat. What’s not to like?

There were reports circulating on twitter this morning of how Dulgheru was barely mentioned in the commentary, so intense was the sense of adulation surrounding Pova.

This is no longer a surprise to me – I actually assume it to be the default form of “tribal” behaviour exhibited by certain media outlets. 

Let us not forget that Bartoli only last week went through the very same in her match against Caro. Neither Pova, nor Caro, are to blame, of course.

Unfortunately, and however resigned you may be to it, it still grates.

Whatever you may think about both players, whatever your sympathies may be with a former Slam-winning world #1 on the comeback, its’ simply good form and good manners, is it not, to give both players their due? And not just when they put on the soul-stirring show BOTH Pova and Dulgheru did last night. It’s even possible (believe it or not) to do this whilst retaining loyalty with your fave.

When fans are unable to do this, it grates, but you kinda indulge it. When the media behaves this way, it’s simply inexcusable.

I, for one, will be keeping an eye on Miss Dulgheru from this point on. She deserves nothing less.

Petko for Pova next, who battled past JJ with the same brand of feistiness and angular aggression that put paid to the Woz.

Pova can’t have anything left in the tank (and that’s assuming her ankle even lets her move). I think Petko’s gonna make her first Premier-Mandatory final – that’s what I think.

And then, who knows what?

(Pics: Getty)

Miami: Heartbreak

 

Clijsters d. Ivanovic 7-6(4) 3-6 7-6(5)

If you can’t win a match at 5-1 0-40 up in the final set, however well your opponent suddenly, mysteriously begins to play, you choked. Plain and simple.

And not ALL the kind, fanciful spin in the world will change that.

That said, and I’m not a great fan of either player, but you need help if you can’t conjure up even the pretence of sympathy.

Miami Quarterfinals: Sony Ericsson Open Day 9 Open Thread

by Craig Hickman



Ana Ivanovic arrives at Crandon, Park, March 22, 2011. Photo: JD Blom



Ivanovic in practice yesterday. Photo: Forty Deuce

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When you're trying to grow your sport, improve your brand, especially if you're the WTA, or more specifically, the sponsor of both the women's tour and the best event in North America, as far as I'm concerned, you would probably go through hell and high water to get a camera on a non-television court to bring viewers what could easily be the best WTA match of the year to date. But no. All we got to see was match point. If we weren't still in Miami, or in Miami at all, we had to watch the entire drama unfold via the scoreboard read the courtside updates of FortyDeuceTwits on her timeline. Such a drama it was, what with Ana Ivanovic losing a 5-1 final-set lead, as well as 5 match points, to fell to defending champion and world No. 2 Kim Clijsters, that Ana and Andrea Petkovic, author of her own upset over No. 7 seed Jelena Jankovic, withdrew from doubles. Ana was reportedly "inconsolable", according to FortyDeuceTwits, so much so that she pulled out of Marbella earlier today citing sore abdominals.



Kim Clijsters' hands in her interview roundtable, March 22, 2011. Photo: JD Blom

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Later today, Houdini Clijsters, will take the court against Victoria Azarenka, who survived a dogfight of her own to get here.

::

Sony Ericsson, please get with the program. Literally. I want to be more excited about women's tennis but I need to be able to watch the exciting matches. Thank you.

ORDER OF PLAY - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am

J Erlich (ISR) / A Ram (ISR) vs [4] J Melzer (AUT) / P Petzschner (GER)

Not Before 1:00 PM
[9] A Radwanska (POL) vs [3] V Zvonareva (RUS)

Not Before 3:00 PM
[6] D Ferrer (ESP) vs [14] M Fish (USA)

Not Before 7:00 PM
[8] V Azarenka (BLR) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL)

Not Before 9:00 PM
K Anderson (RSA) vs [2] N Djokovic (SRB)

COURT 2 start 12:00 noon

[3] L Huber (USA) / N Petrova (RUS) vs [WC] S Stephens (USA) / Y Wickmayer (BEL)

[3] M Bhupathi (IND) / L Paes (IND) vs [6] M Llodra (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB)

Not Before 3:00 PM
O Marach (AUT) / J Tipsarevic (SRB) vs [7] R Bopanna (IND) / A Qureshi (PAK)

Not Before 4:30 PM
[8] R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) vs [2] M Mirnyi (BLR) / D Nestor (CAN)

Miami: News and Views

 

1) Murray has officially parted ways with Corretja and is, one assumes, on the look out for a new coach. “Open to new opportunities”, or however it’s being framed. 


 
Lendl’s name has been in the mix for a few days. Some of the reaction to this has been as outrageous as it is predictable, with SKY viewers yesterday emailing alternatives ranging from JMac to Martina Navratilova to Maclaghan again…

No one explicitly dissed Lendl, but it’s very clear who they DON’T want.

Never mind that none of those other suggestions have put themselves forward.

Never mind that Lendl is an 8 time Slam winning former world #1 who might, you know, know a little something about success on tour.

I’m not saying it struck me as the obvious choice either (both are strong willed, though that might be EXACTLY what Murray needs), but it seems to me it ought at least to be tried before being so routinely dismissed.  Stranger things have happened.

My own somewhat cynical suspicion is that a legacy of dislike continues to pervade Lendl’s public persona – he certainly wasn’t out to win any popularity contests during his career. I’m still waiting to hear why that should have ANY bearing on his suitability as a coach.

Whatever the case, the truth is Muzz very likely represents GB’s best chance of winning a Slam for many years to come. Perhaps even decades. I hardly need to remind you that the next highest ranked Brit is James Ward at #213 – and this is actually better than things have ever been.

To be blunt about it, beggars can’t be choosy. And you could do a LOT worse than Lendl. Let us hope he doesn’t reconsider.

2) A few further things need to be said about Petko’s win over Caro. 


The first is that however well Petko played (and don’t let anyone tell you she didn’t), she simply wasn’t facing the Caro that has dominated the tour outside of the Slams, and that people so enjoy poking fun at.

Anyone that claims otherwise needs to explain away the whopping 52 UFEs from Caro that equates to over a hundred from anyone else. Good luck with that.

The second, is that this is a relatively new experience for Caro and one from which she’ll likely benefit. It brought home in the most stark way imaginable that she might be just as prone as any other top player to a bad day at the office.

I doubt it’ll cause her to substantially alter her game, but if it results in a few new wrinkles it will have been worth the pain.

The third, is that this anguish resulted in the emergence of a new shouty, screechy Caro that I’ve actually become rather fond of.

I doubt she’ll be around very much. Yesterday is likely to remain her finest “big screen” moment – expect her to fade away into a less-distinguished daytime TV career.

And finally, I’m still not a fan of Petko. Not at least in the way some people are. (I’m not wholly convinced by her game either – but there’s still time to improve upon that)

 

I realise that puts me very much in the minority. Fine by me.

I’ll certainly concede that she’s #goodfortennis, though I’ll hope you’ll give me leave not to succumb to the hopeless strain of infatuation that lead to en-masse Petko mini-raves after her win yesterday.

Word soon after was that she’s “bored” of the Petko dance and is looking for a new “thing”.  I was bored of it too – and pretty soon after the initial novelty wore off. She seems to me to be talented enough and charismatic enough to be above gimmicks like that.

And as far as a new “thing” is concerned, here’s a somewhat wacky idea: her new thing could be, you know, not having one.

 

3) Delpo’s 63 62 win over Sod was perhaps the greatest sign yet that he’s steadily progressing towards the top ten if not the top five in the not too distant future. You could infer all of that on the basis of the serve alone. It was also the most beleaguered form of underperformance I’ve seen from Sod in a long time. 


I’ve seen Sod play badly before: I’ve seen him thrown off balance, having trouble with the elements, and leaking UFEs of nearly every shade. I’ve not, however, seen him shank this many balls in a single match – say what you will about him, but that’s just not his style.

At the end of the match the stats showed that both men hit only 18 winners apiece. Two of the heaviest ball strikers of this generation only managed to conjure up 36 winners between them.

That tells me Delpo, despite being in his element, felt he didn’t need to hit many winners. And that Sod simply couldn’t.

None of this is to suggest that Delpo isn’t progressing entirely steadily and appropriately – it just could have been a very different match.

4) Pova’s win over Sam said more to me about where Sam is than it did about Pova.

Like Delpo, Pova got through doing exactly what she needed to, and not an iota more. Why would she?

The serve is still not under control, but really, neither was Sam’s. More worryingly, she wasn’t able to convincingly get Pova off balance the way her game is custom built to. and to which Pova is uniquely vulnerable to.

When she did manage to, it all had a laboured feel to it that speaks to me of a player struggling to cope.

And that kick serve we’re all so fond of musing over? The stats showed that Sam served only marginally better than Pova. That’s not a comparison anyone should be flattered by. 



 

Miami Men's 16: Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Day 8 Open Thread

All about the serve.

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ORDER OF PLAY - TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am
[14] M Fish (USA) vs J Del Potro (ARG)

Not Before 12:00 PM
[21] A Dolgopolov (UKR) vs [15] J Tsonga (FRA) 67(2) 64 32 - to finish 67 64 32

Not Before 1:00 PM
[21] A Petkovic (GER) vs [6] J Jankovic (SRB)
[19] A Ivanovic (SRB) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL) - Round of 16 heldove
[16] V Troicki (SRB) vs [2] N Djokovic (SRB) - Possible Court Change
[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs [21] A Dolgopolov (UKR) or [15] J Tsonga (FRA)

Not Before 7:30 PM
[16] M Sharapova (RUS) vs [26] A Dulgheru (ROU)

Not Before 9:30 PM
[3] R Federer (SUI) vs [Q] O Rochus (BEL)

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
[6] D Ferrer (ESP) vs M Granollers (ESP)
[30] J Isner (USA) vs K Anderson (RSA)
F Mayer (GER) vs [7] T Berdych (CZE)

Not Before 5:00 PM
J Tipsarevic (SRB) vs [25] G Simon (FRA)

COURT 2 start 12:00 noon
[3] M Bhupathi (IND) / L Paes (IND) vs M Lopez (ESP) / D Marrero (ESP)
D Hantuchova (SVK) / A Radwanska (POL) vs N Llagostera Vives (ESP) / A Parra Santonja (ESP)
X Malisse (BEL) / J Murray (GBR) vs [6] M Llodra (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB)
[WC] A Ivanovic (SRB) / A Petkovic (GER) vs S Peer (ISR) / S Peng (CHN)
[1] G Dulko (ARG) / F Pennetta (ITA) vs [8] M Martinez Sanchez (ESP) / A Medina Garrigues (ESP)

Face Of The Day

Source

Ahem.

(Thanks, lynnlovestennis)

Quote For The Day

"We lived through a decade of Carlos Rodriguez coaching Justine Henin after every single point and nobody called it on them."

--Lindsay Davenport, Tennis Channel commentary during the Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur match on Monday, March 28, 2011.

Apparently, Sharapova was called out for on-court coaching from the stands during a previous match in Miami. Davenport seemed to be underscoring a double standard. Or maybe she was simply stating her perception of a widely known "fact."

I put fact in quotations for I remember Carlos and Maria being called out once. But only once. Back in 2004 during Justine's quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova in Indian Wells. I remember being surprised by the call out, but not by the coaching, which only the blind couldn't see. Those in denial wouldn't admit. Carlos was telling his charge to charge the net more in order to turn around the second set. Sveta was leading 5-4 or 5-3, according to my memory. Justine took her coaching advice and won the last 3 or 4 games to take the match in straights.

Miami Marquee Match Monday: Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Day 7 Open Thread

by Craig Hickman


JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

Samantha Stosur at the Sony Ericsson Open WTA Roundtable on March 22, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida.

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Day 7 at the Sony Ericsson Open features both world No. 1's Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki, major champions and former world No. 1's Maria Sharapova, on court against Stosur (most engaging player I met in Miami, but more on that some other time) right now, Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Kim Clijsters, and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan. Neil Harman tells us storms are in the forecast. Let's hope they blow over.

I, for one, am most interested in Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Happy to see it open the night session on Stadium.

ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am
[4] S Stosur (AUS) vs [16] M Sharapova (RUS) - WTA
[1] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs [21] A Petkovic (GER) - WTA

Not Before 2:00 PM
[3] R Federer (SUI) vs [32] J Monaco (ARG) - ATP
[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs F Lopez (ESP) - ATP

Not Before 7:30 PM
[21] A Dolgopolov (UKR) vs [15] J Tsonga (FRA) - ATP

Not Before 9:00 PM
[19] A Ivanovic (SRB) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL) - WTA

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
C Berlocq (ARG) vs [7] T Berdych (CZE) - ATP
[Q] O Rochus (BEL) vs [13] M Youzhny (RUS) - ATP
A Medina Garrigues (ESP) vs [6] J Jankovic (SRB) - WTA

Not Before 4:30 PM
[5] F Schiavone (ITA) vs [9] A Radwanska (POL) - WTA
[25] G Simon (FRA) vs P Cuevas (URU) - ATP

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
[WC] S Stephens (USA) / Y Wickmayer (BEL) vs [7] B Mattek-Sands (USA) / M Shaughnessy (USA) - WTA
M Mertinak (SVK) / D Norman (BEL) vs [7] R Bopanna (IND) / A Qureshi (PAK) - ATP
[8] R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) vs J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) - ATP
S Stakhovsky (UKR) / M Youzhny (RUS) vs [2] M Mirnyi (BLR) / D Nestor (CAN) - ATP
- WTA

COURT 2 start 11:00 am
S Peng (CHN) vs [26] A Dulgheru (ROU) - WTA
P Petzschner (GER) vs J Tipsarevic (SRB) - ATP
[11] N Almagro (ESP) vs F Mayer (GER) - ATP
[15] M Bartoli (FRA) vs [3] V Zvonareva (RUS) - WTA

Not Before 5:00 PM
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs O Marach (AUT) / J Tipsarevic (SRB) - ATP

COURT 3 start 3:00 pm
A Kleybanova (RUS) / Z Yan (CHN) vs S Peer (ISR) / S Peng (CHN) - WTA
L Dlouhy (CZE) / P Hanley (AUS) vs [4] J Melzer (AUT) / P Petzschner (GER) - ATP

Sony Ericsson Open Week 1 Review

JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

Kourtin' Karen, owner of Tennis Panorama News has posted her highlights of the first week down in hot, hot Miami. She's included some new photo galleries with previously unpublished photos we shot on- and off-site.

I attended one other charity exhibition in the first week that I haven't gotten around to writing about yet.

Stay tuned.

Sony Ericsson Open Day 6 Open Thread

JD Blom

Juan Martín del Potro changes directions to track down a shot by Ricardo Mello on March 23, 2011.

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I arrived home safely today and happy to be eating farm fresh eggs and in front of tennis on the tube.

ORDER OF PLAY - SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am

[14] M Fish (USA) vs [17] R Gasquet (FRA) - ATP

Not Before 1:00 PM
[5] F Schiavone (ITA) vs L Dominguez Lino (ESP) - WTA

Not Before 3:00 PM
[27] M Martinez Sanchez (ESP) vs [2] K Clijsters (BEL) - WTA
J del Potro (ARG) vs [4] R Soderling (SWE) - ATP

Not Before 7:30 PM
[8] V Azarenka (BLR) vs [25] D Cibulkova (SVK) - WTA

Not Before 9:30 PM
[WC] J Blake (USA) vs [2] N Djokovic (SRB) - ATP

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am

K Anderson (RSA) vs P Andujar (ESP) - ATP
[6] D Ferrer (ESP) vs S Devvarman (IND) - ATP
[Q] A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) vs [30] J Isner (USA) - ATP
[28] J Groth (AUS) vs [3] V Zvonareva (RUS) - WTA

Not Before 5:00 PM
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs [WC] R Harrison (USA) / J Sock (USA) - ATP

COURT 1 start 10:00 am

[8] R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) vs S Aspelin (SWE) / J Knowle (AUT) - ATP

Not Before 11:30 AM
V Razzano (FRA) vs [19] A Ivanovic (SRB) - WTA
[3] M Bhupathi (IND) / L Paes (IND) vs E Butorac (USA) / J Rojer (AHO) - ATP
[6] I Benesova (CZE) / B Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) vs [WC] A Ivanovic (SRB) / A Petkovic (GER) - WTA
[17] A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs [12] P Kvitova (CZE) - WTA

COURT 2 start 11:00 am

[15] M Bartoli (FRA) vs E Makarova (RUS) - WTA
[24] M Kirilenko (RUS) vs [9] A Radwanska (POL) - WTA
[23] M Llodra (FRA) vs M Granollers (ESP) - ATP
[16] V Troicki (SRB) vs [19] S Querrey (USA) - ATP

Not Before 6:00 PM
J Chela (ARG) / J Monaco (ARG) vs [6] M Llodra (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) - ATP

Slideshow: Rafael Nadal Practice Session

All photos by JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

Miami: 52 = 100

These things happen. Even to the best of us. Or, you know, the most consistent of us.

I daresay it might even benefit her in the long time.

I really hope all those Neanderthals that pretend EVERY win by Caro is a case of her opponents’ capitulating, are as vociferous today about her errors.

52 UFEs from someone as passive as her equates with at least 100 from anyone else. That’s, like, a LOT to merely “explain way”.

Great win for Petko, but anyone pretending that Caro wasn’t struggling, perhaps as badly as she ever has, needs to be punched in the face. Repeatedly.

Slideshow: Roger Federer Practice Session

Roger Federer practices with Andy Murray on March 22. Didn't seem to do Murray a whole lot of good. I'm sure Federer won't have much difficulty with Radek Stepanek later today, though the Czech does enjoy playing the world No. 3.

::

Video of practice session

Tennis Family Unites For Japan Relief

Getty

Miami, FL – Friday evening at the Sony Ericsson Open, the tennis family came together for a special fundraising event for the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster, dubbed “Tennis for Japan”, featuring the stars of the WTA and the ATP World Tour. Kim Clijsters, Robin Soderling, Vera Zvonareva, and many others, including Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Kimiko Date-Krumm, and Ayumi Morita, walked through the stands of the Stadium Court to collect donations from fans and encouraged the public to show support for the victims. In total, thanks to contributions from the WTA, ATP World Tour, the Grand Slams (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open), Sony Ericsson, ITF, IMG, SAP, Itaú, FILA, adidas and Lagardère, and the fans, the evening raised over $300,000 which will be donated to the Red Cross and other relief organizations to aid the victims of the disaster.

“Tennis is a global sport and when a tragedy strikes, the entire tennis community comes together and responds,” said Adam Barrett, Sony Ericsson Open Tournament Director. “I think the fact that the entire tennis family has come together tonight to help raise money for the relief effort makes a powerful statement about the sport, its players, and sponsors.”

“All of us have been deeply touched by the terrible disaster in Japan and I am glad that the tennis family was able to come together to organize this very important event so quickly, giving us the opportunity to raise money for the victims,” said Zvonareva, WTA World No.3. “As tennis players, we travel the world and play in Japan each year, so the disaster has touched all of us on a personal level. I hope that this fundraiser is only a start and the players and the public will continue donating and help the victims in every way possible.”

“It has been horrible to follow what happened in Japan and it is our duty to do as much as we can to raise awareness and funds,” said Soderling, ATP World Tour World No.4. “I am very proud of what the ATP and the rest of the tennis family has done so far and we need to continue to help as much as possible.”

Additionally, numerous players, including Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Ai Sugiyama, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic recorded video messages of hope supporting the victims. Videos will be shown throughout the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open and online on Facebook and both the WTA and the ATP World Tour’s websites.

Sony Ericsson Open’s defending champion and WTA World No.2 Clijsters was wearing a custom-designed FILA shirt, available for purchase at the Sony Ericsson Open. Proceeds from the sales of the shirt will be donated to Japan earthquake relief funds. Players have also been collecting signed tennis memorabilia which will be auctioned to raise funds.

Shortly after the disaster, Nishikori established a Facebook page in partnership with the Red Cross to collect money for Japan’s victims. Fans can visit www.facebook.com/#!/keinishikori and click on the “Japan Disaster Relief” tab in order to help. Nishikori also created an online auction at http://www.aceauthentic.com/keinishikori/main/index.php. Date-Krumm established a Relief Fund account at www.kimiko-date.com/gien/index.html. The WTA tournament in Tokyo, the Toray Pan Pacific Open, is also organizing a charity auction of the WTA players’ signed memorabilia and collectibles which will kick off in April.

On Wednesday night in Miami, many of the ATP World Tour’s top players took part in the ‘Hope Match for Japan’, a charity football match between the ATP World Tour All-Stars and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a North American Soccer League team. Marcos Baghdatis, voted the team’s most valuable player, and Andy Murray scored goals for the ATP World Tour All-Stars, which was captained by World No. 2 Djokovic. A total of 17 ATP World Tour players took part, including World No.1 Nadal and Nishikori. The charity match, which the Fort Lauderdale Strikers won 4-2, was followed by a gala dinner which raised more than $100,000.

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From Tennis Panorama News

Miami: On Anarchy and Perspective

Murray routed in straights. He’s 0-9 sets since the final of Oz. 



 
This is no longer a slump. He’s practically comatose.

“He needs to snap out of it.”

“He needs a coach.”

”He needs to be slapped about the chops with a wet (Omega-3 rich) halibut.”

We get it.

Expect a slew of smug, utterly irritating, self-satisfied, vindictive screeds, some not even bothering to masquerade as “commentary”, on how he might never win a Slam. On how he’s toast. On how this would never happen to <insert fanboy fave>.

I’m not denying that it’s all oppressively bleak right now. It just seems to me we’ve seen worse, from bigger and better players than Murray.

For all we know he might even look back upon this one day as a necessary dip. I’ve seen it happen before.

A little perspective wouldn’t go amiss.

 

”Call me ‘Bogie’ one more time…”

Meanwhile GGL and Dasco’s departure  (in addition to Kolya and TooMuch yesterday) has effectively killed the top section of Nole’s draw and rendered his entire quarter positively plebeian.

Did I mention Stan went down to Granola in three?

Or that Boy Wonders, Harrison and Milos bit the dust (as did Grigor AND Berankis AND Sock)? Boy bands must suck in Miami.

And the crazies don’t end there.

Maka slew Kleybanova – actually that’s not crazy. [In fact I gotta ask: how many of these “upsets” will Maka have to pull for us to concede they might not be, ya know, upsets?]

Even both of Robin and Marion had to go three sets to secure their openers.

So when Dinara snagged a set from Bepa it somehow didn’t seem so anarchical amidst what was otherwise absolute anarchy.

Whatever. See if I care. 



JAMES BLAKE KNOCKED OUT THE 27TH SEED, PEOPLE.

James Blake: Who can barely put two matches together for as far back as I can now remember.

A little perspective, if you please.




I doubt it amounts to much seeing as he’s playing Nole next.

But God help you, if you can’t find it within yourself to celebrate (or at least look fondly upon) this.

Your soul’s depravity clearly knows no bounds.

And the angels will WEEP for you.

(Pics: Getty)

Maria Sharapova Enjoys 'That Latin Flavor'

All Photos by JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News. I've included a lot at the special request of a fan on twitter who wanted to see all aspects of her dress. Best viewed on full screen.

::

Last night, I attended my first-ever night session on Stadium Court at the Sony Ericsson Open. Outside of the Slams, this is among my favorite tournaments. I've always considered it the fifth Slam, even though recently, I've heard Indian Wells referred to as such. What I love about this slam is the high-energy crowds that come out at support Central and South American players. When JD asked me what the biggest tournament in South America actually was, I drew a blank. In my mind, this is it.

Which is why I ought to have gotten out to Court 2 a lot earlier and watched the compelling drama unfold between Paul Capdeville of Chile and Frederico Gil of Portugal. By the time I arrived, the match was at a few points shy of the final set tiebreak, which Capdeville let 4-1 and 6-3, only have the match stolen from him by the tenacious "Fred" (his fans where chanting his name after almost every point) who struck two outrageous passing shots to save two of the four match, deflating the Chilean who was gutted after the match. I shot a video of his interviews after the match to post for fans in Argentina and Spanish speakers who follow him, but unfortunately the footage exceeded the 90 seconds I'm allowed to publish and my editing skills are rudimentary at best.

Back on Stadium Court, Maria Sharapova played her first match in Miami match in three years. After she cruised to victory 6-3, 6-2 over Croatia's Petra Martic, I was the only writer, along with five photographers, who showed up for her news conference. Because it was late and she appeared to be a bit insulted by the empty room, joking that more children showed , I kept my one-on-one with the former No. 1 and face of the WTA succinct.

How are you feeling?

Good. Great.

When was the last time you played in Miami?

Three years ago.

That's what I thought. How does it feel to be back?

Way too long.

Feels really good. This is one of my favorite events. It's crazy that I've missed it this many years because of injuries. So I'm just so happy to get back on that court today and just I love playing in front of the crowd. They're so enthusiastic. They love their sports and have that Latin flavor about them. You know, it's fun.

How is your shoulder?

MS: Doing good. Yeah, stable.

Are you healed?

Healed? Tough to say an athlete is healed, but, yeah, I'm doing really well. Thank you.

You are pretty popular in Asia. Can you talk a little bit about how you felt when you heard about the Japan earthquake?

Yeah, it was a tragedy. You know, you still see all the coverage in the papers and on video. It's crazy to think that something like that could just happen so quickly and destroy so many lives, so many emotions.

Japan is one of my favorite places to visit, to go to. I've had incredible memories ever since I think I was maybe 13, 14 years old my first time I went there. I love so many things about it. I love the people. I love the food. I love the culture. I mean, I have been to so many different parts of it, as well, I've got to experience. I mean, you go to a different town, people live differently. It's so unique there. I draw so much inspiration all my life from there and from those people. It's devastating to know what they're going through. Yeah, but I hope that it doesn't continue and become worse.

Where do you see yourself in the game right now?

Um, you know, I see myself building from what I can. You know, my goal this year is to consistently stay healthy and just really build on you know, last week I got to the semifinals. I was really happy, because I hadn't played a tournament in a while. So just, you know, play a lot more tournaments, you know, play a lot more matches, and I feel like my form will get to where I want it to be when I do that.

::

Cross-posted to Tennis Panorama News

Video: Roger Federer Practice Session

Video by JD Blom and Craig Hickman

Slideshow: GR8 Friends For Japan Fundraiser

by Craig Hickman


All photos by JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News

From what I hear, it's not often media is invited to sit down for dinner at an event such as this. As another photographer said while cutting through her tender filet mignon, "I fully expect we're going to get kicked out of here shortly." But Natalie Mikolich, the publicity director for the event, made sure the media she invited got to enjoy a delicious three-course dinner featuring:

House Salad of Mesclun wrapped in Shaved Cucumber with Mandarin Oranges, Candied Walnuts, Cherry and Yellow Pear Yomatoes, and Dried Cranberries Drizzled with lemon oil

Surf and Turf featuring Filet Mignon in Red Wine Reduction, Seared Sea Bass, Mashed Potates, and Petite Vegetable Medley with Micro Greens

Chocolate Ganache Coated Three-Layer Cheesecake with Marzipan and Cocoa adorned with Fresh Raspberries

As for the rest of the event, the photos and videos speak for themselves, no?

::

Oh. I forgot to mention the Hors d'œuvres:

Salmon Tartare on Roasted Corn Crackers

Grilled Lamb Skewers

Foie Gras Mousse on Toast Points

Beef Wellington Bites

::

Cross-posted to Tennis Panorama News

For photos from the live tweets, click here.

Videos: GR8 Friends For Japan Fundraiser With Novak Djokovic

by Craig Hickman







ATP World Tour No. 2 Novak Djokovic, Kei Nishikori and other ATP players held a fundraising event on Wednesday, March 23rd to benefit Japan relief efforts.

First Djokovic lead a team of ATP stars in an exhibition soccer match against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers professional soccer team. After the match Djokovic and Nishikori hosted a dinner at the posh JW Marriott Marquis Miami. The $350 per plate exclusive dinner/ after-party featured a silent auction and donations were made to the American Red Cross Japan disaster relief efforts.

The event was hosted by GR8 Miami (www.GR8Miami.com).

::

I shot all these videos. Pardon the shaky hands. I had no tripod. I'll try to write a report that does the forthcoming slideshow of the event justice sometime in the next day or so. It may have to wait till I return home to Maine on Sunday though, as I'm traveling to Boston tomorrow afternoon.

Slideshow: Andy Roddick Practice Session

Defending champion Andy Roddick gets in a good session with compatriot Ryan Harrison on Stadium Court.

Slideshow: Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Children's Day

On Tuesday more than 1,350 children converged at the Sony Ericsson Open for Lindt Kids’ Day. Marcelo Melo, Bruno Soares, Natalie Grandin and Vladka Uhlirova joined the kids on court and offered tennis instruction. The children hailed from Miami-Dade, Broward and Lee counties; and the Hobe Sound area. A host of donors contributed to the event including: Build A Bear Workshop, Chuck E. Cheese, Dave and Busters, Hyatt Regency Miami, Jungle Island, the Miami Dolphins, Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay, Miami Zoo, Publix, TennisKidsZone.com and US Road Sports.

Sony Ericsson Open Day 2 Open Thread

JD Blom

Today, men's main draw matches begin with the All-American matchup of veterans Micheal Russell and James Blake as the featured night match.

ORDER OF PLAY - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011

STADIUM start 11:00 am

S Arvidsson (SWE) vs B Mattek-Sands (USA) - WTA
N Davydenko (RUS) vs K Anderson (RSA) - ATP
K Date-Krumm (JPN) vs Z Ondraskova (CZE) - WTA
J Del Potro (ARG) vs R Mello (BRA) - ATP

Not Before 7:30 PM
Q J Dokic (AUS) vs [WC] D Safina (RUS) - WTA
Q M Russell (USA) vs [WC] J Blake (USA) - ATP

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am

G Arn (HUN) vs S Peng (CHN) - WTA
[WC] C Vandeweghe (USA) vs V Lepchenko (USA) - WTA
I Ljubicic (CRO) vs Q P Lorenzi (ITA) - ATP
S Giraldo (COL) vs I Andreev (RUS) - ATP

Not Before 5:00 PM
Q A Yakimova (BLR)vs A Kudryavtseva (RUS) - WTA

COURT 1 start 10:00 am

I Dodig (CRO) vs A Golubev (KAZ) - ATP
[WC] A Tomljanovic (CRO) vs J Hampton (USA) - WTA
X Malisse (BEL) vs Q R Sweeting (USA) - ATP
A Cornet (FRA) vs V Razzano (FRA) - WTA
E Gallovits-Hall (ROU) vs A Kerber (GER) - WTA

COURT 2 start 11:00 am

[WC] B Tomic (AUS) vs P Andujar (ESP) - ATP
G Dulko (ARG) vs E Vesnina (RUS) - WTA
S Devvarman (IND) vs P Starace (ITA) - ATP
Q D Young (USA) vs D Istomin (UZB) - ATP

Not Before 5:00 PM
Q S Stephens (USA) vs B Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) - WTA

COURT 3 start 10:00 am

P Hercog (SLO) vs C Scheepers (RSA) - WTA
J Benneteau (FRA) vs D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) - ATP
V Hanescu (ROU) vs Q A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) - ATP
L Dominguez Lino (ESP) vs Q A Rus (NED) - WTA
A Parra Santonja (ESP) vs Q S Mirza (IND) - WTA

COURT 7 start 11:00 am

S Errani (ITA) vs Y Shvedova (KAZ) - WTA
Q K Pervak (RUS) vs A Medina Garrigues (ESP) - WTA
Q S Zhang (CHN) vs A Szavay (HUN) - WTA
Q V Manasieva (RUS) vs T Bacsinszky (SUI) - WTA
Q L Hradecka (CZE) vs Q Y Chan (TPE) - WTA

COURT 8 start 11:00 am

J Nieminen (FIN) vs M Kukushkin (KAZ) - ATP
B Becker (GER) vs M Granollers (ESP) - ATP
T Kamke (GER) vs Qualifier - ATP
Q A Tatishvili (GEO) vs O Govortsova (BLR) - WTA
Q R Kendrick (USA) vs Q I Kunitsyn (RUS) - ATP

Slideshow: On The Red (Blue) Carpet

by Craig Hickman


Photos by JD Blom for Tennis Panorama News. Slideshow best viewed on full screen.

Tuesday night, the players chose their fashion forward best for the "Oscars" of the player party circuit. Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Ana Kournikova were the biggest stars of the tennis world in attendance, as well as world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, Fernando Verdasco, and pretty boy Feliciano Lopez, who made one of the photographer's weak-kneed.

Robin Soderling, along with his girlfriend, were among the first to show up and they were already walking out when we arrived. Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova were the last to arrive on the red (blue) carpet. An adorable couple close up, their chemistry was palpable. Tomas has always had the look of an angel and Lucie's baby-doll face was all aglow. I was thrilled to see Anastasia Myskina who arrived with the self-proclaimed "Russian Mob," led by Svetlana Kuznetsova in another one of her head-scratching get ups.

Mixed in with the players were a few actors, a couple professional gamers, some well-known local DJ's, and a few mystery men.

Venus Williams arrived about midway through and when Serena Williams wasn't far behind, it was clear the superstar wasn't coming. Also noticeably absent was Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Kim Clijsters.

Tweeting the photos was a stroke of genius suggested by JD Blom. I was all set to tweet my best descriptions of the outfits when he looked over my shoulder and said, "Just snap a photo." Ah, technology. I'm not a wizard with the latest toys, so I had no clue you could do such a thing. Once I got the hang of it, it was all over. Would love to do that again someday.

Right before the paparazzi packed up equipment to leave, one of the Getty photographers asked my to identify most of the players he'd just captured for he only recognized a few big names. Who knew?




JD Blom

Maria leaving.

Cross-posted to Tennis Panorama News

Video: Serena Williams In Top Spin 4

Of War And Radiation: Kim Clijsters Speaks

by Craig Hickman


JD Blom

Tuesday morning at the Sony Ericsson Open, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Samantha Stosur, Francesca Schiavone, Jelena Jankovic, Li Na, and Victoria Azarenka made themselves available for the WTA All-Access Hour.

But it was Clijsters who spoke most candidly about recent world events. Probably because she was sharing her thoughts and feelings in her native tongue to journalists from her country. Something about being around your people that opens you up. What follows is translated from Flemish by JD Blom.

Q: When you are looking at the world events of Japan and Libya do you think about what is happening to the world and Jada’s future?

KC: Certainly. As soon as I heard that there was a radioactive cloud on its way to the west coast, normally I would not have worried about that, because you think it’s so far away. But this time I was “Let’s get out of here as soon as possible,” and also with Jada you think about it differently. When I was younger I used to worry about stuff, like when we had to go to Australia or Tokyo, and the war in Kuwait (sic) was going on and then on your flight map you could see that we were flying over Iraq and Iran and I had quite a bit of fear. I want to follow world affairs, but I do know that when Jada is walking around I don’t want her to see those things. But Brian looks at it quite differently. He knows what is happening and feels badly about it but it does not affect him as much as it affects me.

I was like, “We need to get those pills.” I went to all the natural food stores to look for products with natural iodine like seaweed, spirulina, and kelp. I bought it all. And Brian just laughs at me. He is like, "If the government says it will not have any influence no problem," but I think they are lying. Of course, they say that because they can’t evacuate the whole west coast. But I won’t be fooled. Even in Belgium my sister and aunt called me saying, “You gotta leave because the cloud is coming, or you can just put Jada alone the plane and we’ll pick her up here at the airport.” What a panic. It was a bum. Do you really think it can get here in Indian Wells? I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Q: Then there’s the Toray (Pan Pacific Open) in Tokyo in October.

KC: I won't go. And I won't go to Beijing either.

::

The world No. 2 retired from her fourth-round match in Indian Wells against Marion Bartoli citing a shoulder injury. She's now happy to report that her shoulder and her wrist are improving and she's ready to defend her title in Miami.

Cross-posted to Tennis Panorama News

Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Day 1 Open Thread

JD Blom

David Ferrer practice session.

::

ORDER OF PLAY - TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am

[WC] S Cirstea (ROU) vs J Zheng (CHN) - WTA
J Goerges (GER) vs M Oudin (USA) - WTA
P Schnyder (SUI) vs [WC] M Keys (USA) - WTA
[WC] S Lisicki (GER) vs M Czink (HUN) - WTA

COURT 1 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - J Dokic (AUS) vs C Mchale (USA) - WTA
Not Before 11:00 AM
E Baltacha (GBR) vs S Bammer (AUT) - WTA
R Vinci (ITA) vs I Benesova (CZE) - WTA
A Morita (JPN) vs [WC] H Watson (GBR) - WTA
E Makarova (RUS) vs V Dushevina (RUS) - WTA

COURT 2 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - J Hampton (USA) vs K Flipkens (BEL) - WTA
Not Before 11:00 AM
B Jovanovski (SRB) vs M Niculescu (ROU) - WTA
K Barrois (GER) vs [WC] P Martic (CRO) - WTA
U Radwanska (POL) vs S Halep (ROU) - WTA
J Larsson (SWE) vs A Rodionova (AUS) - WTA

COURT 3 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - M Russell (USA) vs M Matosevic (AUS) - ATP
Qualifying - S Bolelli (ITA) vs A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) - ATP
Qualifying - R Kendrick (USA) vs J Reister (GER) - ATP
Qualifying - R Schuettler (GER) or B Reynolds (USA) vs I Navarro (ESP) or G Zemlja (SLO) - ATP
Qualifying - T Smyczek (USA) vs F Cipolla (ITA) or O Rochus (BEL) - ATP

COURT 5 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - Y Meusburger (AUT) vs V Manasieva (RUS) - WTA
Qualifying - R Farah (COL) vs M Ilhan (TUR) - ATP
Qualifying - N Llagostera Vives (ESP) vs A Tatishvili (GEO) or P Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) - WTA
Qualifying - I Kunitsyn (RUS) vs E Prodon (FRA) - ATP

COURT 6 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - [WC] M Larcher de Brito (POR) vs A Rus (NED) - WTA
Qualifying - S Zhang (CHN) vs E Birnerova (CZE) - WTA
Qualifying - L Hradecka (CZE) vs I Falconi (USA) or S Zahlavova (CZE) - WTA
Qualifying - A Hlavackova (CZE) or Y Chan (TPE) vs A Pivovarova (RUS) or A Keothavong (GBR) - WTA

COURT 7 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - P Capdeville (CHI) vs B Phau (GER) - ATP
Qualifying - D Munoz-De La Nava (ESP) vs P Lorenzi (ITA) - ATP
Qualifying - R Sweeting (USA) vs L Rosol (CZE) - ATP
Qualifying - G Dimitrov (BUL) vs [WC] N Massu (CHI) - ATP
Qualifying - F Dancevic (CAN) vs D Young (USA) or A Clement (FRA) - ATP

COURT 8 start 10:00 am

Qualifying - K Pervak (RUS) vs J Namigata (JPN) - WTA
Qualifying - [WC] S Stephens (USA) vs S Ferguson (AUS) - WTA
Qualifying - J Craybas (USA) or [WC] L Davis (USA) vs A Yakimova (BLR) or K Bondarenko (UKR) - WTA
Qualifying - R Voracova (CZE) or C Dentoni (ITA) vs X Han (CHN) or S Mirza (IND) - WTA

The Excitement Starts Here And Now

JD Blom

Tours, draw ceremonies, and qualifying matches filled up most of the day at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open.

::

At 10:00 am, I toured the 34-acre site guided by tournament director Adam Barrett and Media and Public Relations Director Sam Henderson. Tracking down minor facilities issues ("Why is the Head Tent Closed?") while walking a small group of media around the exquisitely designed and built set of facilities, it was clear that the Sony Ericsson Open has its eye on a bigger future. Adding another television court, hardwiring expanded workrooms for faster connectivity, and including a high-end VIP restaurant which will feature four celebrity chefs over the next week, the event will remain the premiere event outside of the Grand Slams.

::

At approximately 11:45, the women's draw was unveiled. Samantha Stosur chose the chips with the 32 seeded players whose names were taped on a giant draw board threatening to blow off the easel. "Right now, it's all just a bunch of names," she said of her place in the 128-line draw. The No. 4 seed and Roland Garros finalist will face the winner of Zheng Jie and Xperia Hot Shot Sorana Cirstea in the second round.

The men's draw followed with Jurgen Melzer doing the choosing. "The first thing I look at is where is Juan Martín del Potro in the draw," said the No. 10 seed. "He's in Robin Soderling's section so that's going to be a nice little section. I think everybody says you play one match at a time, but we're human so sometimes we do look ahead. If you're confident you don't care who you play, but if you're not, you want to know what's coming." What's coming for Melzer is his doubles partner Philipp Petzschner of Germany or Florent Serra of France.

::

Next, I jumped around and the grounds and darted in and out of several qualifying matches.


JD Blom


JD Blom


JD Blom


JD Blom

American wildcard and birthday girl Sloane Stephens had to rally from a set down to advance to the second round of qualifying. She beat the No. 4 seed Evgeniya Rodina of Russia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. For a place in the main draw she'll face Aussie Sophie Ferguson who upset No. 13 Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Read the rest...

Face Of The Day

JD Blom

Arnaud Clement of France on a changeover during his qualifying match against American Donald Young at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, on March 21, 2011.

Sony Ericsson Open 2011: At Work

Sony Ericsson Open 2011

Just happened to be working nearby in the media center when Samantha Stosur gave the first Sony Ericsson Open TwitterView after the draw ceremony.

Indian Wells: “The Anti-Commentariat”

She’s consistent in a way Marion is not. And, more tellingly in the last set, she’s fit in a way Marion is not. As far as I’m concerned, that makes her the better player.

I think I might have already said this, but Caro’s retrieving skills are her “Killer App”. You don’t have to like that, but you sell yourself very short indeed when you pretend she has no business being at the top of the game because of it. Razzle-dazzle winners are a means, not an end. Her “means” are very different: deal with it.

I think I might have said this already too, but Caro will almost certainly win a Slam. Damn Straight. With Kim, perhaps, only around for a year and a half more (if that), playing a Willams-patented restricted schedule until then, and now nursing a shoulder injury, its all but inevitable.

Personally, I have no problem with that.



Can we agree I have given her her due?

Good, because it appears it’s physically impossible for the mainstream to extend the same treatment to her opponents – most notably those that don’t fit the “bombshell” agenda that has nothing whatsoever to do with tennis.

I don’t like personal attacks on anyone. And the Marion hate has been out of control for YEARS. Whilst I consider it equally retarded, it’s worth remembering that the hate Caro has had to endure is still only a fraction of that of Marion’s and most of that is restricted to her style of play – not her weight, her fitness or looks, as is the case with Marion.

Marion’s an aloof, idiosyncratic, ferocious talent with attitude she’s not about to apologise to anyone for. I must have missed the part where this makes her Cruella de’Vil or, indeed, where its not her right to behave exactly as she sees fit.

Whilst she hasn’t always made life easier for herself (particularly in her dealings with her compatriots) and whilst that might preclude her from ever being your cup of tea, some of the barbed invective hurled her way has no place in civil discourse (try and imagine Caro receiving the same treatment after a bust up with Karen Barbat or Malou Ejdesgaard, assuming either of them are ever ranked high enough to be seriously considered a “compatriot”).

And I know not everyone will agree with this, but some of this “anti-commentary” has sometimes (subconsciously or otherwise) spilled over to the mainstream.



When Marion was routed 6-1 in the first set, the commies began speaking longingly (almost wistfully) of their wish for a Caro/Kim final. Whatever other thoughts you might have on that sentiment, it’s highly disrespectful to any competitor there on their merits. If you were troubled about the quality thus far, far better to say you wished for A FINAL, whoever the competitors. Would we have heard the same if it was Pova, Dani or any other “bombshell” playing Caro? I rather doubt it.

As it happens, Marion played a dud of a 1st set. But you wouldn’t know this if the mainstream commentary was your only take on the match. For them it was supposedly “all about about Caro” which Marion “had no answer to”. There’s no doubt Caro played an impeccable first set. Truly flawless. I’d expect nothing less from the world #1. It’s also true she was contending with Marion’s ‘D’ game for almost all of it: 90% of Marion’s returns being sent unconvincingly down the middle, right into Caro’s hitting zone. Unsurprisingly, Caro lapped it all up.

When the tables turned in set two, the “anti-commentary” painted a picture of Caro having “lost intensity”, rather than conceding (even in part) the very different tactics Marion brought to bear. 2-6.




Set three really was “all about Caro” – Marion, put up a brave fight, but was simply done physically. A familiar problem; one wonders how much she can do to mitigate against it. 6-3.

And for that in particular, I grant that Caro was the better player out there (indeed the best player of the week): consistency together with that level of fitness (and mobility) seems to me to be a perfect fit against a tour whose majority is comprised of players finding it difficult to stay in a long rally, let alone possessing the fitness commensurate with playing so many of them over three sets.

I’m not going to pretend Marion isn’t one of my favourite WTA players , and I know better than to foist her on you as Caro is thrust upon us. It’s also true that Caro is not my favourite player but I also know better than to attack her personally for that.

The “Anti-Commentariat” is unable to extend the same levels of courtesy to players they don’t like (and mostly for reasons that have very little to do with tennis).

Even as I write this, there’s not a single picture of Marion in Yahoo’s tennis photostream: that would be your ladies runner-up of Indian Wells – an event some call the “fifth-Slam”.

 

Still think some players aren’t unfairly promoted/demoted above and below others?

(Pics: Getty)

Indian Wells: “This too, will pass”

I don’t think you can ignore just how AWOL Rafa went in set three (he only served in the 30th percentile in set two), and taken in isolation, Noles’s  performance didn’t come close to convincing me of that “best player in the world right now” tag being bandied about.

Here’s something else you can’t ignore: Nole is now 20/20 matches, a streak dating back to DC last year (17/17 for 2011), 3 for 3 titles won this year, the new world #2 and had back to back wins over Fedal this week.

Taken in its totality, you might even argue that “best player in the world right now” tag doesn’t go far enough.

All good things must come to an end and this will too. The big question of course is what will remain in its place. Not the languid, burnt out shell Nole was during his first post-Oz downturn (brought about incidentally by Safin in Wimby 2008), one hopes?

Experience, maturity and common sense would suggest not.



Not a good look.

I can only put it down to the most freakish of freak incidents. As nightmarish an anomaly as you might ever see. The contrast between the first and third sets was as stark as it was bleak. I can’t, in all honesty, say I’ve ever seen anything like it – not after such  an such an emphatic opening statement.

Still, we’d do well not to treat it as anything other than an anomaly.

(Pics: Getty)

Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Men's Draw

JD Blom

Jurgen Melzer interviewed by Mats Wilander of Eurosport after the Sony Ericsson ATP draw ceremony earlier today.

::

(1) NADAL, Rafael ESP vs. BYE
CHARDY, Jeremy FRA vs. NISHIKORI, Kei JPN
LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP vs. BERANKIS, Richard LTU
BYE vs. (26) CHELA, Juan Ignacio ARG

(21) DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr UKR vs. BYE
SEPPI, Andreas ITA vs. ZVEREV, Mischa GER
GABASHVILI, Teymuraz RUS vs. BRANDS, Daniel GER
BYE vs. (15) TSONGA, Jo-Wilifred FRA

(11) ALMAGRO, Nicolas ESP vs. BYE
GIL, Frederico POR vs. Qualifier
MAYER, Florian GER vs. (WC) KARLOVIC, Ivo CRO
BYE vs. (20) MONTANES, Albert ESP

(28) GULBIS, Ernests LAT vs. BYE
BERLOCQ, Carlos ARG vs. (WC) SOCK, Jack USA
MANNARINO, Adrian FRA vs. RAMIREZ HIDALGO, Ruben ESP
BYE vs. (7) BERDYCH, Tomas CZE

(3) FEDERER, Roger SUI vs. BYE
FOGNINI, Fabio ITA vs. STEPANEK, Radek CZE
STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy UKR vs. Qualifier
BYE vs. (32) MONACO, Juan ARG

(22) BAGHDATIS, Marcos CYP vs. BYE
KAVCIC, Blaz SLO vs. Qualifier
RIBA, Pere ESP vs. LU, Yen-Hsun TPE
BYE vs. (13) YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS

(10) MELZER, Jurgen AUT vs. BYE
PETZSCHNER, Philipp GER vs. SERRA, Florent FRA
TIPSAREVIC, Janko SRB vs. HAASE, Robin NED
BYE vs. (18) CILIC, Marin CRO

(25) SIMON, Gilles FRA vs. BYE
(WC) HARRISON, Ryan USA vs. Qualifier
CUEVAS, Pablo URU vs. BERRER, Michael GER
BYE vs. (8) RODDICK, Andy USA

:: ::

(6) FERRER, David ESP vs. BYE
Qualifier vs. Qualifier
DEVVARMAN, SOmdev IND vs. STARACE, Potito ITA
BYE vs.(31) RAONIC, Milos CAN

(23) LLODRA, Michael FRA vs. BYE
MALISSE, Xavier BEL vs. Qualifier
BECKER, Benjamin GER vs. GRANOLLERS, Marcel ESP
BYE vs. (12) WAWRINKA, Stanislas SUI

(14) FISH, Mardy USA vs. BYE
BENNETEAU, Julien FRA vs. GIMENO-TRAVER, Daniel ESP
LJUBICIC, Ivan CRO vs. Qualifier
BYE vs. (17) GASQUET, Richard FRA

(29) KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp GER vs. BYE
DEL POTRO, Juan Martin ARG vs. MELLO, Ricardo BRA
DODIG, Ivan CRO vs. GOLUBEV, Andrey KAZ
BYE vs. (4) SODERLING, Robin SWE

(5) MURRAY, Andy GBR vs. BYE
HANESCU, Victor ROU vs. Qualifier
GIRALDO, Santiago COL vs. ANDREEV, Igor RUS
BYE vs. (30) ISNER, John USA

(24) GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo ESP vs. BYE
DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS vs. ANDERSON, Kevin RSA
(WC) TOMIC, Bernard AUS vs. ANDUJAR, Pablo ESP
BYE vs. (9) VERDASCO, Fernando ESP

(16) TROICKI, Viktor SRB vs. BYE
KAMKE, Tobias GER vs. Qualifier
NIEMINEN, Jarkko FIN vs. KUKUSHKIN, Mikhail KAZ
BYE vs. (19) QUERREY, Sam USA

(27) BELLUCCI, Thomaz BRA vs. BYE
Qualifier vs. (WC) BLAKE, James USA
Qualifier vs. ISTOMIN, Denis UZB
BYE vs. (2) DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB