Montreal and Cincy Sign Out...

You'd think the five week post-Wimby interlude would have left me fired up with the anticipation of being able to witness 'real' Fedalistic tennis again; instead I've been having what I call 'anti-withdrawal' symptoms: where the long spell out has almost fostered a type of lethargy and allowed indifference to set in.

Still unsure of whether it's the poorly defined and generally very fuzzy state of Federer's post '15' agenda, or the lack of any real sense of expectation from Nadal until well into the US Open, that's at the bottom of it.

Whatever it is, I'm a little concerned. For not even a mini-breakthrough from my favourite whipping boy Tsonga, or an event winning return to form for everyone's favourite Dramedy-Queen Jelena Jankovic, or even an unprecedented top-eight quarter final showing in Montreal was sufficient to reignite my interest that's currently burning with about as much intensity as my rusty old secondary school bunsen burner.

Perhaps the spaced-out sensation I'm getting as Amelie Mauresmo and Francesca Schiavone take to court in their opener at Toronto is an appropriate indicator of where my tennis barometer is right now.

And just why is it, they have chosen to play 'tubular bells' as the ladies warm up? Seems strangely appropriate too. In a sensory-displaced apathetic kind of way.

Apologies for the distinctly ATP feel, it's just I haven't watched much womens tennis in the last week.

Andy Murray: The 'real' number two

With the way in which he won Montreal, Murray has almost accomplished what Serena did at Wimbledon, in terms of being the hands-down best performer of the event, and playing that way from beginning to end. The fact that Federer and Nadal only partially showed up is irrelevant. My feeling is he'd have closed it out against them too.

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Not that that's going to stop people from talking about how meaningful his breakup of their four and a half year duopoly of the top two spots is.

Or making endless allusions to the fact that he's a Slamless number two.

It's clearly on a different plane from whats going on in the WTA though. For one thing Murray's been beating up on the top four with an alarming regularity from Wimbledon last year. The one meaningful win that Safina scored against Serena came at the start of her rise to the top at Berlin last year. She's suffered several equally meaningful and altogether more traumatic losses to both Sisters since then.

But I'm not at all convinced Murray's rise is the 'sea of change' some are making it out to be either. It's certainly not the dawn of a new age that Nadal's securing of the number two spot was four years ago.

It's closer in nature, I'd say, to a transitional adjustment (made possible by the setback Nadal has suffered): the formation of a small tributary rather than a wholesale sea of change.

As groundbreaking an achievement as this is for British Tennis, we'll get a rather more accurate impression of his top two standing with Rafa's return to form and condition, and with Federer's gradual return to a more domestically-attuned sense of normality.

'The rankings don't lie', but until then, I'll continue to think of Rafa as the 'real' #2, if I may

Juan Martin del Potro: Not yet a Bigwig

Going into the final I really thought del Potro was going to win his first Masters Shield. In fact, I was rather hoping he'd win.

(Photo: AP)

He's been 'fabulous-five' for rather too long, except there's still a slight problem with that characterisation: Admittance to Tennis-Bigwig Society in my opinion, requires that the following conditions be fulfilled:

-- Regular wins over all other bigwigs. It's what Djoko started doing back in 07 with increasing regularity. So has Murray.

-- Claiming of a Masters Shield. Djoko began to interest me back in 06. But it wasn't until his first big showing at a Masters final at Indian Wells in 07, that I really began to take notice. A one sided dismantling by Rafa soon put paid to that. But it was to be a thrashing he put right straight away at Miami the next month, with his first win over Rafa and the claiming of his first Masters Title. Wins over Federer followed soon after.

-- Regular showings in the second week at Slam events. This has been a relatively disappointing season for Djoko. Last year he won one and made the semis of two others. Since the US Open last year, Juan has performed rather well in this category.

My problem with Juan's somewhat pseudo-bigwig status, is that his record over the top three, though rapidly improving, is still in need of some work - particularly against Federer, whose game Juan's matches up with rather too well. He also needs to win himself one of those Masters Shieldy Things.

Until he does so, I'll not broach the subject again. That might seem a little harsh, especially after putting in a performance I thought was second only to the man who won the entire event. His performance prior to the last set of the final that is; during which he could barely walk from one point to the next. He'd do well too it seems, to attend to those significantly less polished standards of fitness.

Suddenly Murray's trauma-inducing training regime seem a little less zany.

Jelena Jankovic: Return of the Dramedian, I think, I hope

I don't care if it was all a little rough around the edges. Her performance against Dementieva in particular, if you can bring yourself to forget the almost inebriated happenings of the second set, was impressive and sets her in good stead ahead of the Open. And a far cry from anything we've seen since the end of last year.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

My only slight concern is I seem to remember a similar mini-peaking earlier this year, quickly obfuscated by a very predictable return to oblivion. The same oblivion she spends a lot of time in adding her two cents to the rankings debate. And bitching about Roger.

Dinara Safina: Not With or Without Zeljko.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Well if she can't even win a final with Zeljko's involvement, she's really in trouble.

Novak Djokovic: Existentially Complete. Almost.

I know he's only a mere semi finalist, but I need to get this off my chest.

Am I the only one that doesn't think Djoko is undergoing an existential crisis of some kind?

He's not the player he was last year, but the way in which the media have begun at times to speak of him, you'd almost think that retirement represents a plausible choice. Or a career in Serbian politics. Hey, there's an idea.

Monty-real Tennis: Sliced, Carved and Served Up

There wasn't a lot of juice in this match. But this point needs to be made a rather big deal of as it demonstrates why I think Murray has the best backhand slice of any double hander.

He's had a somewhat easier route through to the quarters, but still seems the most in control of the top four.


I'm not going to apologise again for the 70s disco jingles, I'm getting to quite like them.

Monty-real Tennis: QF Preview

This has been a strange little event.

On the one hand it's been full of the kind of box office participation you'd want and expect from an event at this level. What's more is all the top seeds have followed up, playing the kind of tennis that doesn't always amaze, but is sufficient to have seen them all safely through to the quarters for the first time since 1973.

I shouldn't be complaining.

But I really do think we've been missing the kind of rip-roarer that sets the direction and tone for the event.

It usually comes on the 2nd or 3rd day and involves one of the top seeds squaring off against a tier two player playing out of his skin.

The funny thing is, we've had plenty of matches, that should have been corkers, either blighted by injury or uninspired play.

That's fine. But if either of these mouth watering quarter final match ups fail to live up to expectation, prepare for some rather moody episodes of fist shaking on my part.

Federer v Tsonga

I said I wanted this match to go ahead right at the beginning of the event. Preferably with Jo-Willy at his slam dunkin' smack-downin' best.

Federer's been as good as he need be up to this point, coming out on top against Stan Wawrinka in straights yesterday.

And though I was hopeful of a Gilles Simon renaissance given the surface and what time of year it is, Jo-Willy quickly put an end to all of that.

I've yet to see either of those two matches as they'll be shown later today in a delayed-broadcast, but I'm not expecting anything special.

(Photo: AP)

What I do know is if Tsonga continues to play the way he has been of late, it'll be an easy straights sets route through to the semis for Federer. This is a great opportunity to improve upon my less than favourable opinion of you Jo. Do not let me down.

del Potro v Nadal

Nadal played the match he should have done in the first round yesterday. That he got past Phillip Petzchner fairly easily is encouraging but nothing to write home about. I'd rather see it as a cause for concern if he dropped a set.

Having said that, Rafa's clearly rested if a little rusty. He could certainly win it if Juan is at anything other than his very best.

del Potro in three.

Murray v Davydenko

These two met up earlier this year at Monte Carlo, when Davydenko was returning from an injury with Andy still very much in the 'finding his feet' stage on clay. Murray won.

Nikolay has won two titles since then, with at least one of them assuming some kind of pseudo-importance, despite the incongruity of post-Wimby clay court events.

Unfortunately for Kolya, Andy seems to be back to something like his form of late last year, I daresay there might even be a more acute stone-cold efficiency about him, which means I expect him to win this one too.

Don't be surprised to see it go to three though.

A-Rod v Djoko

Hmmm. Perhaps the most evenly matched of the four. With all the prickliness of US Open subplots to boot. If I was pushed, I'd go in favour of A-Rod, just because of his specially stellar form and all-round awesomeness of late. But I also think Novak's been somewhat unfairly tarnished as the 'nothing-man' recently (I've even heard him characterised as a grinder), so focused has attention been on the top two, and Murray's potential world #2 status.

A-Rod in three.

Monty-real Tennis, Pt 2

Any one else hit by the amount of potential first/second round corkers we seem to be having? Or how many of them have been blighted by injury?

(Photo: AP)

Nadal d. Ferrer (Ret.) 4-3

A real shame this. There were actually a number of quality exchanges in the few games they did manage to contest. Rafa looked to be swinging freely. Or as freely as is realistically possible after two months out. Mind you, a 'David-unplugged' might have been exactly the kind of court time Rafa could do without. Not often you see Ferrer, retire hurt.

Gonzales d. Haas (Ret.) 7-6

I say 'defeated' Haas, except that Haas was for me, the better player out there, weathering Gonzo's out-of-the-block intensity with some carefully crafted net play of his own. There's no knowing what might have happened had the match not been curtailed by Tommy's hand blisters. Second potential 'corker', bunged up.

Hanescu d. Kohlschreiber 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Oh that's good. One of the few remaining credible threats in this section of the draw out. Apologies to all Romanian Tennis fans. No disrespect to Victor intended. It's just that Phillip happened to be my dark horse in this section of the draw; he also happens to be one of my faves.

With Ferrer out too, I'd say del Potro's route to the quarters is now all but clear. All but clear of Rafa that is.

del Potro d. Hanescu 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

'All but clear', you say? Almost.

Far too many scary moments from Juan for one set and a bit.

Hanescu belongs to that category of players that do just about everything well, just not any one of them spectacularly so. For a moment I thought Victor was about to pull off an even bigger upset than he did in the last round.

Fortunately, Juan pulled out some of that big-gun artillery just in time. Let's hope this is his last big wobble of the week.

Murray d. Ferrero 6-1, 6-3

No problems with big gun artillery here. Not at all surprised with the result. Serve and backhand as potent as ever. Perhaps a little surprised by how well Murray used his forehand, often a more defensive stroke, but fast developing a big-gun quality of it's own.

Djokovic d. Youznhy 6-4, 6-3

I'm not at all sure what all the fuss is about re Djoko's supposedly suspect form. He's not at the top of his game. Any Djoker could tell you that. Does he really have to be at this stage in the game? I'd be more concerned if he dropped a set, which he hasn't yet. Little sorry for Mikhail, who had some momentum going there, after many troublesome months.

Roddick d. Verdasco 7-6, 4-6, 7-6

An evenly contested match as expected. A bit too evenly contested for my liking. I switched over early on. When I switched back they were about to enter the final set tie break with Nando firing groundstrokes similar to 'that match' in Melbourne this year. This could've gone either way, but I'm kinda glad it went Andy's.

Monty-real Tennis: 50 Stroke Rally

Gael Monfils is clearly still on the comeback, but he and Juan-Carlos did manage to put together this little gem of a rally in Montreal yesterday (apologies for the seventies nightclub jingles).



Alas, not quite enough to avert defeat for young Gael. Ferrero's resurgency is, well, resurgent as ever.

I say they're not trying hard enough.

Monty-real Tennis, Pt 1

Back to the world of 'real' tennis.

And time to be resurrecting those vaguely meaningful round ups.

Simon d. Falla 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

I don't like it that Simon dropped a set, but all but drooled over the way in which he stepped up and took control thereafter.

The movement and timing seem to have picked up from where he left off at the end of last year. Still early days, but I rather like the sound of a quarter final against one Roger Federer.

Tsonga d. Scheuttler 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Dead Horse? Rod. Rod? Dead Horse.

Apologies in advance to any Jo-Willy fan, but this was full of exactly the kind of play I find so troubling. Scheuttler's a veteran and it showed.

By playing more or less solid tennis he was able to expose Tsonga's lack of consistency that is fast becoming the trademark of his early round losses these months gone by.

There was some big serving and a few of those frabjous inside out forehands, but there's still no reason this should have gone to three sets. Be looking out for him to step it up next round.

Youzhny d. Isner 6-7, 6-1, 6-3

Well looky looky here.

Here's me thinking that the win over Cilic was an anomaly. It took three sets, but there's no doubting this is an impressive win for Youzhny. Don't expect him to get past Djoko, but I'd like to see him give some trouble.

I've kinda missed having Mikhail around. Sans headbanging.

del Potro d. Hernych 6-2, 7-5

I switched over to this during one of the changeovers in the Jo-Willy match. They had only just started practicing and del Potro was lumbering around in that way he normally does.

The next time I switched over del Potro was still lumbering around, except this time the score was 6-2 in his favour.

I continue to marvel at the way this guy has matured - I honestly had him down as a hothead.
Like I said before, I don't forsee many problems for him until he's made to square off with Nadal. And maybe not many more even then.

Verdasco d. Mayer 6-1, 6-1

Exactly the way I think top tenners should be conducting themselves in their opening rounds.
Didn't catch very much of this, but from what I saw, the other Fernando's forehand is in fine working order. I've never liked the look of his double hander, but that extended take back doesn't seem to be doing him much harm. Shows how much I know.

Davydenko d. Mathieu 7-6, 7-6

Didn't see any of this. But it seems to have the air of a Davydenko match, with its path-of-most-resistance-like journey into two tie breakers. And with Mathieu proving once again, that he nearly has what it takes not to be a nearly man.

Federer d. Niemeyer 7-6, 6-4

Ok this probably took a little longer than it should, but I'm not at all convinced that all is not in fully functioning order in Camp Federinec.

This match had all the airs and graces of his early round matches of years gone by. Not his best performance, but more than sufficient at this stage of the game.

Djokovic d. Polansky 6-4, 7-6

I switched over after the first set; which by the sounds of it is when things got interesting. Djoko looked about where he should be from what I could tell, and maybe I'm a teeny-bit concerned it got a little sticky in the second set. But give the man a break: he didn't drop a set, so all's well that end's well.

Murray d. Chardy 6-2, 6-2

An ideal start against an underrated opponent. The talk rages on about the possibility of a number 2 ranking by next week. I don't like any of it. But I did quite like the way Murray's chosen to deal with it.

"Rafa's missed quite a bit of tennis and if I get the opportunity [to move up] I would like to try to maintain it, and not just stay there for a couple of weeks."

(BBC)

Like the man says, what good will a transitional ranking attained on the back of Rafa's dodgy knee do him?