"Always a reason"...

(Photo: REUTERS/Vincent Kessler)

A couple of months back in Miami, after an uncharacteristic loss to Juan del Potro, Nadal made the following comment:

"Always is a reason because you are not playing at your level during the tournament. No, I am calm. I am happy about myself, about everything this year, yeah … I don't know. Always is a reason, but it's personal."

Like many, I wasn't sure what to make of it.

Right now, such sensitive matters are on the mind of Nadal, at home in Majorca. For many weeks there have been whispers that all was not uncomplicated in the Nadal household, that his parents, Sebastian and Ana María, who hugged their son on the most joyous day of his life a year ago, had separated. Yesterday, we discovered that that was, in fact, the case, that Nadal had been playing in such a fog for the past couple of months, he should have been wearing luminous clothing. He is crushed and any fair-minded person has to be crushed for him.

Imagine what it has been like, trying to do your duty by yourself, your team and your profession and yet having to perform when your heart is elsewhere, the distressing nightly calls home, the wish that it were not so, the desire for a reconciliation. Nadal never mentioned it, he played and hoped. He talked about resetting his body after having to withdraw from the championships with problem knees and yet he has a more difficult task, resetting his entire life. We wish him well.

(Source: The Times)

"Rest and recovery" might be more than just a physical endeavour. Hope he takes all the time he needs.

Can we just play some Tennis?

(Photo: Anja Niedringhaus/AP via the Guardian)

This has been doing the rounds. And getting a more rigorous treatment than you'll find here.

Suffice to say that I don't like it. It's not just the overly-contrived nature of it all.

It's just...not Roger. Or Wimbledon for that matter.

I get the feeling that Nike lost their way a little. As in let's fling all these heterogeneous baubles at him and hope he carries it off, which he probably will being Mr Destiny and all.

I get that he needed a sleeker, more modern look to distinguish himself from young Murray cableknit, I really do. And bravo for trying something a little different. Did we really need that bling bling manbag though?

It's trying rather too hard, with too much and all at once.

Swiss Military Jacket + White Waistcoat + Reject from Serena's handbag collection = What sorta look exactly?

Roger doesn't need all that. Not to mention how at odds it is with his understated classic appeal.

It's not a complete disaster.

Nike have simply lost focus in the clamour of trying to outshine Murray and clothing Mr Destiny in a manner that befits him.

Then there's the waistcoat.

(Photo: AP)

This at least is more in keeping with what most people have come to expect from him.

Still think having that military jacket worn over it reeks desperation, but the waistcoat is very Roger, and he just about pulls it off.

Can't help thinking someone's pinched his cricket pads though, or that there should be an extra slip or two standing to his right...

Bottom line is he won, and rather well I might add. Djoko came through too. As did Serena and Sharapova. Just like I hope Murray will tomorrow.

I think I've had enough of Tsunami-like natural disasters masquerading as Tennis Upsets for a while.

Let's keep things simple shall we? As in boom-boom, off court in little over an hour - thankyouverymuch.

Back to the good old days of top seeds getting through the first week without dropping a set. Boring? Maybe, but we need some order and harmony restored.

These guys swaggering around at their fancy dress party are tempting fate.

Wimby Men's Draw Revisited, Revisited...

Rafa's departure puts a slightly different slant on things.

Show must go on, and all that...

1st Quarter

Rafa's switch up with del Potro hasn't changed things that substantially.
Except I'm suddenly preferring Hewitt's chances over del Potro, given the obvious grass court pedigree and Juan still being something of an SW19 virgin.

Ditto Davydenko and Ferrer, not really anyone's idea of grass court tennis, but both of whom I think can make things very difficult for Juan.

Though Juan will grow in strength if he survives his initial encounters.

I also think Berdych has suddenly lost his edge that only existed while Rafa was still around. And I probably read way too much into that anyway.

I'd like to think all of this makes Juan the dark horse except I think he'd demand more from himself and has clearly developed beyond that stage.

(Winner: A Rod)
(Dark Horse: Lleyton Hewitt)


2nd Quarter (Unchanged)

Murray doesn't have it that easy either. He's just come off a stinging loss to Gonzo in Paris - that Bagel he suffered has to have left something of an impression. Wawrinka's probably the other biggest threat, and I'm loving what I've been seeing from him this year - remember he lost to Safin last year, so it's not like he can't play on grass.

Then there's Safin himself, who I want to say good things about, but won't be, seeing as keeping quiet and expecting nowt proved to be a wonderful strategy last year.

Gilles Simon, Ernie Gulbis. Wish them well. But all a lot of big talk (and no badge).

The guy I want to make a lot of noise about, and who I'm looking forward to seeing most though, has to be Taylor Dent. If you remember his match against Federer in Miami from earlier this year, you'll understand why. Serve and volley at it's finest. Bags of talent. And very easy on the eye. He said at the time he'd be forgoing the clay court season to concentrate on getting fit - he was pretty out of shape in Miami, coming back as he was from an extended injury layoff.

But as I say, I can't see anyone other than Gonzo and Wawrinka giving Murray trouble, and Andy will be out for revenge.

(Winner: Murray)
(Dark Horse: Taylor Dent)

3rd Quarter

Big question is whether Juan's removal from this section of the draw will strengthen Novak's chances. It obviously will, except I still think he's dangerously susceptible to an early exit.

Believe me there's plenty of players remaining that can pull that off. Not least Seppi, who'll be pleased to be facing Blake and not Juan in the opening round. I wouldn't mind seeing him do well given the way he played here last year.

Other players to look out for: Tommy Robredo, who put right my poor opinion of his game in Paris, but this is grass. A couple of big serving Croatians, in Marin Cilic and Ivan Ljubicic ('Croatia shalt continually produce tall, big serving players that will do well on grass before being upended by injury or simply failing to live up to their talent' [Elder Tomes of Tennisdom: 4-3.24])

Then there's Tommy Haas, who I just have to pick as my dark horse, given what he achieved in Halle last week. And because I love watching him play. And swearing in German.

(Winner: Djokovic)
(Dark Horse: Tommy Haas)


4th Quarter (Unchanged)

Mmmm, can I just say Federer and be done with it? Didn't think so.

Well let me just start by saying that this is a rough draw too.

Kohlschreiber's a magical player, and he'll be happy with what he achieved in Halle, not to mention that big win over Djoko in Paris.

Feliciano Lopez, the grass court Spaniard. Also the biggest Spanish headcase. But also the biggest serving Spaniard, a deft volleyer - and that will do wonders for you on any surface.

Not as big a serve as Dr Ivo's though, who's beginning to carve out a niche role for himself as the millstone around Roger's neck. I've lost count of how many times I've seen him in Federer's section of the draw. Good news is Roger virtually always comes through.

Robin Soderling. Well. It certainly is crunch time isn't it? In terms of "Will he/Won't he follow up"? Can play on grass, that much is for certain. And his heavy, flat (ugly) groundies together with that big serve will pose problems for anyone who faces him. That said, I think Roger will do exactly what he did in Paris should he face him.

I'd love to say something good about Jo-Willy and it certainly is his surface to shine. But I'm not liking his lack of confidence recently. Don't think his time is quite nigh.

The player I'm most interested in is Fernando Verdasco, who's gone under the radar a little since his exploits from earlier this year. Don't think he's a grassie, never has been, never will be. But he's one of the most confident players in this part of the draw.

(Winner: Federer)
(Dark Horse: Fernando Verdasco)

Semis:

Roddick over Murray in five
Federer over Djokovic in four

Final:

Federer over Roddick in four.

That almost certainly covers it. I hope.

Rafa Pulls Out of Wimbledon...

Can't say I'm surprised. Can't say I'm happy either.

“I am going to be out for a while, I don’t know exactly how long but to arrive at two of the most important tournaments of the year, in Paris and Wimbledon and not be ready to play because of physical problems is very sad for me,”

(Source: The Times)

A little concerned by him not being able to provide a return guestimate.

Injury doubters, now would be the time to hang your head in shame.

Of course this also means my revisiting of the men's draw from earlier today will itself need revisiting. Del Potro will take Rafa's vacant spot and the rest of the draw is to be reshuffled.

Watch this space.

Wimby Men's Draw Revisited...

Well the Wimbledon draw's finally out and I thought I'd make some last minute adjustments (or not) to my picks from earlier this week.

Yes I am being meticulous, seeing as I may not do this again for the rest of the year.

1st Quarter

Look. Nadal's knee is in a state. I don't care what Pat McEnroe thinks. Besides, I'm sensing some incredibly sour grapes, and a rapidly over-ripening bowl of fruit coming from his direction anyway. I think he's still smarting from the US Davis Cup loss to Spain last year, and is still pretty peeved at what Rafa can almost single-handedly achieve.

Anyway we've been saying it all week and I see nothing in his quarter that'll lead me to revise the opinion that Rafa will struggle to make the quarters. Quite the reverse in fact. Just take a look at the talent in his quarter. Davydenko, Ferrer, Mathieu, 'Baby Fed' and a possible second round match against Hewitt, someone he just lost to yesterday in straight sets.

There's no great grass court pedigree other than Roddick and Hewitt. But Davydenko and Ferrer, yep they'll make it real easy on those knees.

One other thing - we also have a lurker in this section in the form of Tomas Berdych. Yes I know, a headcase. But he has some acrimonious history with Rafa. Remember what happened the last time Rafa played someone he didn't like?

(Winner: Roddick)
(Dark Horse: Tomas Berdych)

2nd Quarter

That said, Murray doesn't have it that easy either. He's just come off a stinging loss to Gonzo in Paris - that Bagel he suffered has to have left something of an impression. Wawrinka's probably the other biggest threat, and I'm loving what I've been seeing from him this year - remember he lost to Safin last year, so it's not like he can't play on grass.

Then there's Safin himself, who I want to say good things about, but won't be, seeing as keeping quiet and expecting nowt proved to be a wonderful strategy last year.

Gilles Simon, Ernie Gulbis. Wish them well. But all a lot of big talk (and no badge).

The guy I want to make a lot of noise about, and who I'm looking forward to seeing most though, has to be Taylor Dent. If you remember his match against Federer in Miami from earlier this year, you'll understand why. Serve and volley at it's finest. Bags of talent. And very easy on the eye. He said at the time he'd be forgoing the clay court season to concentrate on getting fit - he was pretty out of shape in Miami, coming back as he was from an extended injury layoff.

But as I say, I can't see anyone other than Gonzo and Wawrinka giving Murray trouble, and Andy will be out for revenge.

(Winner: Murray)
(Dark Horse: Taylor Dent)

3rd Quarter

Well given the state of Djoko's game right now, I've little reason to change my opinion that del Potro won't prevail in this section of the draw. What I will say though is if Djoko is to go out, it will come sooner rather than later. If he gets to the quarters, he may force his way past del Potro who I still think has a thing or two to learn about big matches against big players.

Much as I loved his match versus Safin last year, I'm afraid I've lost confidence in Seppi, who I think del Potro will subdue. Don't expect it to be easy though. His flat strokes do wonders for him on grass. Then again so do Juan's. And Juan's serve's way better. So, not so much Andreas. Sorry.

Other players to look out for: Tommy Robredo, who put right my poor opinion of his game in Paris, but this is grass. A couple of big serving Croatians, in Marin Cilic and Ivan Ljubicic ('Croatia shalt continually produce tall, big serving players that will do well on grass before being upended by injury or simply failing to live up to their talent' [Tomes of Tennisdom: 4-3.24])

Then there's Tommy Haas, who I just have to pick as my dark horse, given what he achieved in Halle last week. And because I love watching him play. And swearing in German.

(Winner: del Potro)
(Dark Horse: Tommy Haas)

4th Quarter

Mmmm, can I just say Federer and be done with it? Didn't think so.

Well let me just start by saying that this is a rough draw too.

Kohlschreiber's a magical player, and he'll be happy with what he achieved in Halle, not to mention that big win over Djoko in Paris.

Feliciano Lopez, the grass court Spaniard. Also the biggest Spanish headcase. But also the biggest serving Spaniard, a deft volleyer - and that will do wonders for you on any surface.

Not as big a serve as Dr Ivo's though, who's beginning to carve out a niche role for himself as the millstone around Roger's neck. I've lost count of how many times I've seen him in Federer's section of the draw. Good news is Roger virtually always comes through.

Robin Soderling. Well. It certainly is crunch time isn't it? In terms of "Will he/Won't he follow up"? Can play on grass, that much is for certain. And his heavy, flat (ugly) groundies together with that big serve will pose problems for anyone who faces him. That said, I think Roger will do exactly what he did in Paris should he face him.

I'd love to say something good about Jo-Willy and it certainly is his surface to shine. But I'm not liking his lack of confidence recently. Don't think the his time is quite nigh.

The player I'm most interested in is Fernando Verdasco, who's gone under the radar a little since his exploits from earlier this year. Don't think he's a grassie, never has been, never will be. But he's one of the most confident players in this part of the draw.

(Winner: Federer)
(Dark Horse: Fernando Verdasco)

Semis:

Roddick over Murray in five
Federer over del Potro in four

Final:

Federer over Roddick in four.

Does that cover it?
Are we good?

Alright then.

Rafa's Wimby Campaign Plunged into Doubt...

It's all sounding pretty ominous.

Not liking it one bit.

Nadal apparently struggled with his movement in a straight set loss to Lleyton Hewitt at the exho event at the Hurlingham Club this week.

He did not speak to reporters, but uncle and coach Toni Nadal said it was still uncertain whether he can play at Wimbledon, which starts Monday.

Nadal plays another match Friday against Stanislas Wawrinka. Toni Nadal said the top-ranked player will decide after that. When pressed about Wimbledon, the coach did not sound optimistic.

“If it’s me, I’m (flying) to Mallorca,” he said, referring to the island where Nadal grew up.

(Source: Yahoo! Sports)

What really stinks up my hallway though is the way many commentators appear all too ready to cast doubt on the injury:

“I’m a little dumbfounded by all the talk on how bad his knees are. I think he pulled from Queen’s (a Wimbledon warm-up tournament) because he’s mentally spent. Last year at the US Open everyone was talking about how tired he was and he lost in the semis. Five days later I saw him practicing in Madrid (in the Davis Cup semis vs. U.S.A.) for four or five hours a day. I’m not exaggerating. . .I have a hard time believing he’s really that hurt.”

“I think he’ll be fine (at Wimbledon). It’s more of a mental battle for him in losing the French.”

-- Patrick McEnroe, on an ESPN hosted Conference Call, via GOTOTennis

There's been others like this. You know who you are.

Do people honestly believe this is some sort of flimsy excuse for the early loss at Roland Garros?

Or some vain attempt to cover his behind in advance of Wimby?

What I do know is I've never heard so much caution being emitted from either Rafa or Toni Nadal.

Call me pedantic but isn't this the same Rafa that played his way through blisters in that opening round loss to Ferrero at Rome last year? The same one legged Rafa that lost to Murray earlier this year at Rotterdam?

The Rafa that bends over backwards to credit his opponents' victories - sometime sickeningly so.

Murray Makeover...

Do you know all this Murray talk already has me exhausted and the shows not even started yet.

As per scripture, the Murray related jet stream continues unabated this week. Anything and everything ranging from the usual set of predictions (Borg has backed Andy over Nadal) to obscure items of trivia (he hasn't yet passed his driving test but has bought Kim Sears a Range Rover, so she can give him a lift to 'work').

It's truly deafening.

And yet, if you can look past it's schmaltziness (particularly that closing line), this piece by Matt Dickinson of The Times echoed much of what I said about Murray's slightly gruff disposition, his strained relationship with the public and the press, and having to grow up in public eye.

Yes, as unlikely as the UK press may make it seem at times, there is still some work to be done on getting the public truly behind Andy Murray.

Barking obscenities after all, is unlikely to ingratiate you with a discerning tennis loving lot, and releasing a biography at the age of 20 - a celebrity trend I reserve my most venomous daggers of hate for - was probably not the best idea. Though not as senseless perhaps, as titling it 'Hitting Back'. That has to rank as his most regrettable double fault ever.

But like I said in my recent post, much of the criticisms levied at him now are three years too late. The trouble with the tabloid hysteria generated by the whole anti-English thing, is that it ignores the progress he's made both on and off court over the past few years, which is very easy to do given that for a large body of people here, tennis is still only a 4 week season, that begins with Queen's and ends with Wimbledon.

Though I said, Brits are on the whole well versed regarding Tennis, there exists a significant body whose only recollection of Murray on his 'best' behaviour is that bicep of last year. And even that didn't go down too well.

Strangely prophetic that call to try a cardigan though?