Quote For The Day

“Some people have that drive more than others who’ve been number one. Rafa doesn’t seem like he cares as much for number one, or he doesn’t show it.”--Roger Federer

(Thanks, Savannah)

Oz Withdrawal Symptoms: Extrication Complete.

It took a while in getting there, but I think I’m ready to move on.

With Warped-Pete’s blessings.

ABM AMRO Rotterdam: Soderling d. Youzhny 6-4 2-0 (Ret.)

(Photo: Getty)

This title had Davy, Djoko or Big Rob written all over it.

Hard indoor ones tend to have the Swede’s name etched in a little more deeply – exactly the kind of event suited to his flatter-than-flat hard boiled style of play, and one he really should bag if we are to treat his top-ten maverick status very seriously.

Besides, what better way to snap out of that heady stupor he’s been in since the beginning of the year?

And so it played out – with Big Rob mostly keeping things simple (as if his game could be anything else), and with Davy and Djoko both falling in the semis and reassuming their lovingly-tended spots in the playground of ‘nearly-man’ tennis.

Except this was a 500 event. Where the nearly-men are supposed to go to town.

Maybe that’s a tad harsh to Davy, but with Djoko looking as 0ut of sorts as he did opposite Youhzny, one wonders what remedy if any will effect a turnaround, or whether that Serbian shooting star really has shot it’s last.

I tend towards believing it’s been shot down. And you know who I hold culpable? Marat Safin.

Cast your minds back two years - deep in the inner most recesses of those tennis-heads of yours lies embedded a memory, one which I like to think of as Marat’s Last Stand.

In 2008 Safin wowed his way to his last ever Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. Perhaps the greatest story of 2008 – second only to that greatest-of-all-finals itself.

His fans, tennis aficionados, and the rest of the world waited for, wished for good things to follow. In vain as it turned out.

But there was another story too. One that’s mostly been relegated to a footnote in history, if that.

For the Djoko that emerged from that punishing three set 2nd round loss displayed an almost dismembered look, one that I put down at the time to being ridden over roughshod by the Mighty Hippo.

Marat may have breathed what turned out to be his last gasp that year, but with it too he appeared to extinguish Djoko’s only remaining flame.

He has never regained that glint in his eye.

Gone was the cocky free-swinger and in his place stood an inhibited, austere, risk-averse, neurotic ‘Grinderman’, intent on reinventing himself as a clay courter.

That part of his post-‘Safinated’ agenda at least, remains intact.

In the eighteen or so months that have followed that psychosomatic shakedown, only two hard court Masters titles have been forthcoming, though it’s on clay that he appears to have retained at least some afterglow of his pre-Safinated self, the most notable example of which being that semi-final at Madrid last year.

I have no idea why exactly this is – in the same period he’s reached a further four hard court Masters finals, though in neither of which he displayed a shadow of the confidence that was so inextricably a part of what for the time being remains his only Slam title.

But consider this: if the experience has left him more of a force on clay, then Marat might very well be considered the architect of Federman’s revival.

Confused?

I was. At first.

I’m following a lengthy, loosely connected, slightly indulgent, and not entirely water-tight train of thought here – I must ask that you bear with me.

Whether or not you fully care for the creature Djoko’s morphed into, and whether or not you fully agree with the direction he’s headed in, he remains – perhaps by virtue of that grind -- for the time being at least, a force on clay.

Had he not been taken to the cleaners by Marat, he might never have evolved into Grinderman.

Had Djoko not seen fit to undergo this transfigurement, we might very well never have had that Madrid semi.

And if we didn’t have that maddeningly delicious Madrid semi, Nadal may have made the final only fractionally as exhausted as he turned out to be.

You follow?

Three setters are as ruthless as they are unforgiving affairs – where the slightest lapse in concentration, a single break can decide the course of a match.

Suppose Fed didn’t win Madrid, would he still have entered Roland Garros the energised figure we are told to believe he was?

Would Rafa still have lost?

Would Fed have still have served his way to number fifteen, on the back of 55 aces?

I would still say yes to those last two. But I would also say that there’s a ‘house-that-Jack-built’, in there somewhere.

This is the legacy that Roger built.

This is the GOAT that sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

Madrid is the event that freed the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the grind that stirred-up the clay,

That irked the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the kid, that would be King,

That took to grind that stirred-up the clay,

That irked the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

This is the match that Marat played,

That swept the kid, that would be King,

That took to grind stirring up the clay,

That irked the bull, a step too slow,

That found Madrid a step too far,

Thus freeing the GOAT,

That sat atop the legacy that Roger built.

Honorary mention to Mikhail, who truly earnt his final spot, despite some lackadaisical play from Djoko.

This week’s Dutch Master: Big Rob

This week’s Wooden Clogs: Davy, Djoko

In other news….

Open GDF Suez Paris: Dementieva d. Safarova 6-7, 6-1, 6-4

(Photo: AP)

What, another tier two title Elena?

I was more interested by the way Safarova came into this. Quite the most confident exhibition of ‘line and length’ from her in around 3 years.

Except not very many players do line’n length as well as Elena.

Pattaya Open Thailand: Zvonareva d. Tanasugarn 6-4 6-4

Brasil Open Costa do Sauipe: Ferrero d. Kubot 6-1 6-0

Champions On Four Continents

Getty

Woke up too late to watch the Rotterdam final. Tried to watch the replay, even though I knew the result. Couldn't do it. I hate when finals end in retirement. Robin Söderling defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 2-0. Hamstring, I think.


Reuters

Elena Dementieva finally wins Paris Indoors. Lucie Safarova can't seem to get over the hump. Second time to the final, second time she takes the first set against a higher-ranked Russian opponent, second time she finishes runner-up. 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4.


AP

Lukasz Kubot was a bit overwhelmed and couldn't exactly get out of his own way. But Juan Carlos Fererro was otherworldly to take the Brasil Open title. He is a Roland Garros champion, after all. And when he's clicking on clay, it's some clicky classy stuff. Not to mention crushing. Yeah. I know. But I couldn't resist.

The Spaniard lost a single game. 6-1, 6-0. Crushing.

Happy belated 30th birthday, JC.


Reuters

Didn't see a point of the match. Wanted the homegirl to take the title, but I've no problem with Vera Zvonareva beating Tamarine Tanasugarn to win the Pattaya Open in Thailand.


AP

I said it before and mean it again: this title was Andy Roddick's to lose. He lost it. Check the stats. They each won 50% of the points, 95 of 190 to be exact. Roddick won slightly higher percentage of serve points and a slightly higher percentage of return points had a higher first-serve percentage, and saved a slightly higher percentage of break points against serve.

But stats don't always tell the tale especially when a match is so close.

Wanna know when Roddick lost the match?

Second set, third game 15-40 on serve. Had been facing down triple break point before saving one with aggressive tennis. At 15-40, though, Roddick constructed a point and blasted a forehand so hard, it pulled Verdasco so far to his forehand he had to stretch, open his racquet face, and lunge just to get his racquet on the ball. He did. It floated. Roddick, waiting, waiting, waiting, oh, so, patiently on the baseline for the floating ball to land, pushed it inside out crosscourt with his forehand. This time, Verdasco had no trouble planting his feet and stricking a forehand crosscourt that landed short enough for Roddick to angle a two fisted backhand right back to Verdasco who, waiting expectantly, struck a forehand down the line to break serve.

Game, set, match.

Really. Cuz after that, Roddick reminded Verdasco just how vulnerable he's been since Wimbledon 2009. And when you smell blood....

Roddick, down break points in the final two sets, played tentatively and lost. Verdasco, on the other hand, stepped up and crushed the ball when facing break points in the second set, faced no break points in the final set -- he was, after all, under no pressure, the smell of blood intensifying -- and won.

Or, to put it another way, Roddick broke serve twice in 9 games and won a set. Verdasco broke serve twice in 20 and won the match. 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Go figure.

And to think Roddick was a set away from giving the USA a clean sleep in San José, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey taking the doubles title earlier.

The broadcast director, whenever Brooklyn Decker Roddick was on the screen, kept asking the graphic designer to draw a heart around her head. You know. Valentine's Day. But the heart always looked like the cloud containing the dialogue above a comic strip character. In her heart, she seemed to say, "This is how I have to spend Valentine's Day? You better win, honey.... Yes!.... Wait.... You.... What?!!!.... Awwwwwwwwww.... crap.... Humph.... No nooky for you tonight, buddy."

The Spanish Armada carries on.

Happy Valentine's Day

SAP Open

Singles - Semifinals
[1] A Roddick (USA) d [7] S Querrey (USA) 26 76(5) 76(4)
[2] F Verdasco (ESP) d D Istomin (UZB) 63 26 64

Doubles - Semifinals
M Fish (USA) / S Querrey (USA) d [2] E Butorac (USA) / R Ram (USA) 76(5) 64
B Becker (GER) / L Mayer (ARG) d D Istomin (UZB) / D Sela (ISR) 61 76(4)

::

ABM AMRO World Tennis Championships

Singles - Semifinals
[6] M Youzhny (RUS) d [1] N Djokovic (SRB) 76(5) 76(6)
[3] [WC] R Soderling (SWE) d [2] N Davydenko (RUS) 76(3) 64

Doubles - Semifinals
[1] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d J Knowle (AUT) / R Lindstedt (SWE) 75 76(6)
S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) d [2] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) 36 63 10-8

::

Brasil Open

Singles - Semifinals
[1] J Ferrero (ESP) d [WC] R Mello (BRA) 64 62
L Kubot (POL) d [4] I Andreev (RUS) 26 62 64

Doubles - Semifinals
[1] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT) d T Bellucci (BRA) / M Daniel (BRA) 62 75

::

Open GDF Suez

Singles - Semifinals
(1) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Melanie Oudin (USA) 46 63 63
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (2/WC) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 46 63 64

Doubles - Semifinals
(1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) d. (3) Jans/Rosolska (POL/POL) 63 63

Roger Federer Visits Ethiopia

For Federer, this week’s visit to Ethiopia was one that moved him to tears. “When I arrived at the school and all of the children were singing, it was very emotional,” Federer told Reuters. “They sang, `Roger, our Father’ to me. I didn’t really understand it at the beginning but I still had tears in my eyes.” Federer was taking some time out to visit Ethiopia – one of the countries his charitable organisation works in. The Roger Federer Foundation, founded in 2003, spends $1 million a year on education in Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, Mali, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Mother’s inspiration: “My Mum being from South Africa is obviously the inspiration behind the foundation,” Federer said, as local kids screamed `Number one!’ behind him. Eating a lunch of traditional injera – a sort of spongy pancake – with the students at one of two schools he pays for in the country, Federer was peppered with questions. Most of the children wanted to know if he had any of his own.

(Thanks, rabbit)

Face Of The Day

AP

Brazilian former tennis player Gustavo Kuerten, known as Guga, holds up the Cross of Sporting Merit after being decorated by Brazil's Sports Minister Orlando Silva, not seen, in Brasilia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010.

Open GDP Suez

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Andrea Petkovic (GER) 36 64 62
(2/WC) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 61 63
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (6) Shahar Peer (ISR) 63 60
Melanie Oudin (USA) d. Agnes Szavay (HUN) 26 64 62

Doubles - Semifinals
(2) Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) d. Govortsova/Poutchek (BLR/BLR) 63 63

::

Brasil Open

Singles - Quarterfinals
[1] J Ferrero (ESP) d [Q] C Berlocq (ARG) 63 62
[WC] R Mello (BRA) d [3] T Bellucci (BRA) 63 76(3)
[4] I Andreev (RUS) d [6] P Cuevas (URU) 61 61
L Kubot (POL) d F Fognini (ITA) 63 61

Singles - Second Round
L Kubot (POL) d [2] A Montanes (ESP) 62 62
[3] T Bellucci (BRA) d D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 64 62
[WC] R Mello (BRA) d [5] V Hanescu (ROU) 75 63
F Fognini (ITA) d M Granollers (ESP) 06 61 76(1)

Doubles - Semifinals
[2] P Cuevas (URU) / M Granollers (ESP) d J Chela (ARG) / S Ventura (ESP) 61 76(6)

Doubles Quarterfinals
[1] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT) d L Friedl (CZE) / D Skoch (CZE) 63 61

::

SAP Open

Singles - Quarterfinals
[1] A Roddick (USA) d [5] T Berdych (CZE) 76(5) 76(5)
[2] F Verdasco (ESP) d [Q] R Berankis (LTU) 63 76(5)
D Istomin (UZB) d [6] P Kohlschreiber (GER) 61 16 63
[7] S Querrey (USA) d M Russell (USA) 64 63

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[2] E Butorac (USA) / R Ram (USA) d C Ball (AUS) / S Huss (AUS) 76(3) 67(8) 10-5

ABM AMRO World Tennis Championships

Singles - Quarterfinals
[2] N Davydenko (RUS) d J Melzer (AUT) 63 62
[3] [WC] R Soderling (SWE) d J Benneteau (FRA) 60 61
[6] M Youzhny (RUS) d [4] G Monfils (FRA) 57 62 63

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[2] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) d M Llodra (FRA) / A Ram (ISR) 64 76(6)

Oz Withdrawal Symptoms: Gently Does It…

The pull of Oz afterglow, Warped-Pete’s warm chatterings and a smattering of ho-hum events has left me less than inclined to keep even one (half open) eye on the happenings on tour.

Easing oneself in gently, as I understand it, is the usual protocol.

There is life after Oz, whatever Warped-Pete might have to say about it.

JMDP out for four weeks with a wrist injury.

(Photo: AFP)

He cited this ahead of Oz, and then made it to the fourth round before falling prey to the man-mountain that is Marin.

My conclusion at the time was it was a minor niggle – now I’m not so sure.

Tentative return expected at Indian Wells. Shame - I had hoped for more matches under his belt ahead of ‘The Fifth Slam’.

Conventional wisdom says you normally need around 12-18 months after winning your first Slam to acclimatise to a reality in which you’ll hopefully continue to play a part.

Conventional wisdom also says it’s impossible for anyone not named Rafael Nadal to defeat Federer in the final of a Slam.

Corollary: Conventional wisdom can go to hell.

Not that I think he’ll win another Slam this year – just don’t go expecting him to go all Jo-Willy on us.

That other ‘Stringed-Quartet’

If you’re serious about tennis and haven’t already ventured an opinion on the possibility of Federer scoring the Grand Slam this year, I’m guessing you’re holed up somewhere on Mars with your head in the (red, baking) sand.

I have mixed views on this.

On the one hand, to even consider it feasible is of course totally preposterous, the provenance of obscure statisticians or the staunchest of RF.Commers.

The fact that Fed (as much a hay munching Goat as we’re ever likely to see) only came close to achieving it three times out of the four seasons from 2004-2007 , should give us an insight into the dangers of uttering those words lightly.

On the other hand:

-- “Fed came close three times of the four seasons from 2004-2007” – that argument works both ways.

-- Steffi Graf. 1988.

Nuff said? Not nearly.

She didn’t play with a wooden racquet and try, just try telling Seles, Navratilova, Capriati, Hingis, Davenport and Sanchez-Vicario that they were part of a ‘weak era’.

I pity the foo’ that does.

-- Lest we forget the Rafael Nadal effect – had the Clay Goat taken up fly-fishing or (probably more appropriately) clay pigeon shooting instead, Fed might very well stand before us the proud owner of not one, but two Grandest of Slams.

-- 2009 saw some uncanny happenings both on and off the court. But with Fed’s loss in the final of a Slam and Rafa’s loss at RG, two of sport’s most deeply held religious tenets - were unceremoniously thrown to the wall.

There’s also this.

…Sure, I have regrets inasmuch I was wrong [about predicting Federer’s demise]. But let's go back to the summer of 2008. Federer lost in Australia to Djokovic. He simply failed to show up for the French Open final. After a five-year reign at Wimbledon he lost an epic final to Nadal and was simply gutted afterward. He went the Olympics and lost to James Blake. He had fallen to No. 2 in the rankings and Nadal, the younger player, was riding a wave of confidence while other challengers -- Djokovic, Murray, Tsonga -- were hitting their stride. Or so it seemed. Against that backdrop, imagine if someone had written: "Don't worry Federer fans! This is just a blip. He'll win four of the next six majors and be on top within a year!" They would have reserved you a room at the sanitarium.

-- Jon Wertheim, SI.com

Corollary: Weird sh*t happens, and weirder sh*t has happened.

Rafael Nadal’s Knee: The Last Taboo

There was a barely detectable off court momentum shift in the immediate aftermath of Oz. It came right after Rafa was unable to finish up his semi against Andy Murray: fearing the worst about Rafa’s knee officially became mainstream.

Up until that point, obligatory laments about the effect the grinding nature of his game will have on his career, had mostly been tempered with reference to his awesome fitness and an undying faith in his will to succeed.

Now they tend to come alone.

Perhaps the biggest reason for this was that this time, no one saw it coming. There was no tell-tale taping beneath his knees, and he was playing as well as he had been prior to Wimbledon last year.

Corollary: Continuing to hold fort for now, but the need to temper his schedule cannot be emphasised enough.