Is that Federer is wearing pink, Rafa is still pulling his pants out of his ass and beating the opposition and Nalbandian is still chubby but back and fantastic. I don’t know how you can’t love this sport.
Tennis
The longest tennis match in history ended yesterday with John Isner beating Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the final set after a total play of 11 hours extending over three days. It was an absolutely amazing contest with both players holding their nerve for so long and just managing to serve so well for so long is a painful experience for any shoulder (as well as the rest of the body). I think extra credit should be given to Nicolas Mahut who had to serve to stay in the match 65 times! You can’t do nothing but feel sorry for him and sorry that there had to be a loser in this fantastic match. Isner is playing today already and he is bound to be tired. Would be nice to see him win the match though as no one should be punished for putting in this kind of effort. Thanks for the entertainment, guys!
Well that is not really true, although it does make a dramatic headline. Federer beat Alejandro Falla in three straight sets today in the second round of Roland Garros. More good tennis news? Soderling lost only two games (!) against American Taylor Dent. Can Soderling make another successful French Open?
Summing up yesterday
Apr 16
It was another great day for tennis and also a good day for my predictions. 6-2 to me! A new set of predictions for today’s quarterfinals coming later.
Berdych vs Verdasco
Obviously a huge battle, but the gut feeling prevailed. Verdasco was a little stronger yesterday. Why is hard to say, he wanted it a little bit more perhaps, played a little bit more solid at times.
Cilic vs Montanes
Here I was completely wrong. Cilic looked like a fish out of water and lost in straights instead. It was a very Spanish day in Monte Carlo.
Ljubicic vs Ferrer
Ferrer was indeed to strong for Ljubicic.
Berrer-Nadal
Nadal is fantastic on the red dirt. He has now lost only 2 games in two matches. Amazing.
Tsonga vs Ferrero
Another gigantic battle. It could have gone either way, but Ferrero looked very determined to get the W. Another Spaniard.
Robredo vs Nalbandian
Nalbandian is looking good! A nice win in straights.
Djokovic vs Wavrinka
Djokovic extended his lead to 8-2. Not a surprise
Petzschner vs Kohlschreiber
Kohlschreiber in good form, nice to see him in the quarters.
Today in Monte Carlo
Apr 15
The Monte Carlo Masters is on a roll and there are some great matches to look forward to today. Below you will find the odds at Betsson.
Berdych vs Verdasco
Berdych is on fire at the moment. He only gave away 2 games to poor Richard Gasquet who must be desperate for excuses for why his “Baby Federer”-potential is still just “potential” and hardly so. He has a 6-3 h2h on Verdasco which also counts for clay and has won the two last matches. These are two huge talents with extreme ball-striking skills and they are both in good form. It is just a gut feeling that Verdasco will come out on top in three sets. The odds are similar, 1.85 for a Berdych win and 1.89 for Verdarsco.
Cilic vs Montanes
Montanes is a competent clay courter but Cilic is a top player who has all the shots and the right mentality. It will be a straight sets win for the tall croat.
Ljubicic vs Ferrer
Ljubicic is in good form (after all he won a Masters shield a couple of weeks ago!) but Ferrer will run down everything and loves the clay. Ferrer is along with Monaco and maybe also Verdasco the fittest guy on tour and this will play a factor in this likely marathon encounter. Also he has 4-1 in the H2H. Ferrer in three tight sets.
Berrer-Nadal
This match is not even worthy of a write-up. Nadal will give away 3-4 games, max.
Tsonga vs Ferrero
Tsonga is a volatile player, if he is feeling the ball he will win today. But you got to love JCF who aspires to come back to the top ten. If his forehand is on today he has a chance of disturbing the firy Frenchman. Tough one to pick. In the end I think youth will take it. Tsonga in three.
Robredo vs Nalbandian
Two solid guys on clay, Nalbandian looks to be back in good form after injury. They have met twice in Monte Carlo before, in 2008 Nalbandian won 6-1 6-0, but that is not really a telling figure for this match. Nalbandian seems really inspired right now and I think he will be too tough this time. Nalbandian in 3.
Djokovic vs Wavrinka
These guys have played many tough matches in the last few years, Djoko winning the last six of them and being up 7-2 in the H2H. This will go the distance, but in the end Djokovic will be too good, again.
Petzschner vs Kohlschreiber
I don’t really get Petzschner to be honest, what is he doing here? I mean he has a good serve and an OK forehand, but that you since he slices on the backhand side 90% of the time you should be able to take advantage of that. Kohli won their last meeting just a couple of weeks ago in straights and that was on hard court, and I see no reason why it shouldn’t be as simple this time.
The odds at Betsson.com (times in UK time)
Andre Agassi’s “Open”
Nov 14
As an avid tennis player and reader of tennis biographies I was very happy when I found this one in the book shop today. They have talked a lot about Agassi’s book, a book where he claims to have taken drugs, that he hated tennis passionately throughout his career, and that he sometimes lost matches on purpose. I am very excited about this book and the first couple of pages tells me that I am in for quite a ride.
“Standing in the bathroom mirror, toweling off, I stare at my face. Red eyes, gray stubble – a face totally different from the one with which I started. But also different from the one I saw last year in this same mirror. Whoever I might be, I’m not the boy who started this odyssey, and I’m not even the man who announced three months ago that the odyssey was coming to an end. I’m like a tennis racket on which I’ve replaced the grip four times and the strings seven times – is it accurate to call it the same racket? Somewhere in those eyes, however, I can still vaguely see the boy who didn’t want to play tennis in the first place, the boy who wanted to quit, the boy who DID quit many times. I see that golden-haired boy who hated tennis, and I wonder how he would view this bald man, who still hates tennis and yet still plays. Would he be shocked? Amused? Proud? The question makes me weary, lethargic, and it’s only noon.
Please let this be over.
I am not ready for this to be over.
The finish line at the end of a career is no different from the finish line at the end of a match. The objective is to get within reach of that finish line, becasue then it gives off a magnetic force. When you’re close, you can feel that force pulling you, and you can use that force to get acress. But just before you come within range, or just after, you feel another force, equally strong, pushing you away. It’s inexplicable, mystical, these twin forces, these contradictory energies, but they both exist. I know, because I’ve spent much of my life seeking the one, fighting the other, and sometimes I’ve been stuck, suspended, bounced like a tennis ball between the two.
Tonight: I remind myself that it will require iron discipline to cope with these forces, and whatever else comes my way. Back pain, bad shots, foul weather, self-loathing. It’s a form of worry, this reminder, but also meditation. One thing I’ve learned in twenty-nine years of playing tennis: Life will throw everything but the kitchen sink in your path, and then it will throw the kitchen sink. It’s your job to avoid the obstacles. If you let them stop you or distract you, you’re not doing your job, and failing to do your job will cause regrets that paralyze you more than a bad back. ”
I have a feeling that this is going to be a great read.
Little Rafa
Oct 13
Yesterday I played the remainder of a rained-off match in Malta Open. I started from 4-3 and a break down and my opponent Stefan was on fire from the beginning, won 4 straight games and at the score of 6-3 2-0 everything looked like it was going to be over fast. I managed to find a little bit of spark to level it at 2-2 and then we held serve until 5-4 where I lost a tight game and then the match. I lacked the desire to win it seemed, but Stefan is a good player (which is good because we play doubles together today).
Anyway, if you haven’t fallen asleep by now I want to tell you about this little kid (12-13 years old I would guess) I saw on center court next to us. He played a match against a seeded guy in his thirties and beat the crap out of him. The funny thing was the after every point he was shouting “vamos!” and “ejja!” at the top of his lungs. I mean that guy was something else. Usually kids at that age get really frustrated and almost stop playing when things are going against them or they start missing shots but this guy is such a fighter. He can definitely be a top player in Malta in a few years and then who knows?
Must have been heart-breaking for his opponent to be outclassed by a little kid. He looked like he seriously considered quitting tennis. I would, even though that kid would probably beat the hell out of me as well.
Fedtastic
Sep 14
When you pass the world number four with a shot between your legs and by so doing bring up three match points and then win in three straight sets to get to your 17th slam final, then you are the greatest tennis player of all time. Then you are Roger Federer. And then you deserve your 16th slam title. Good luck in the final, Rog.
Check out the amazing highlights at the excellent official US Open page.
Photo by: Rob Loud/usopen.org
Professional tennis players play a LOT of tennis, eat healthy and work out all the time. That is a fact. Or should be. Because last night I saw another one of these chubby women players, Petra Kvitova. And she actually beat world number one, Dinara Safina, who is only a little bit chubby. (There are many others of course, so many that they need to write about nutrition on the WTA tour website).
Something is wrong with women’s tennis. You shouldn’t be able to be that big and still be able to win high level matches and earn as much as they do on the men’s tour. That is fucked up. What else is fucked up is that it is so one-sided. There is no variety in the game. They just stand at the baseline and hammer balls at each other. The one who can hit the hardest wins. I wish Justine Henin-Hardenne would return. She is small and skinny but plays amazing tennis. Maybe she retired because there was no competition.
Here is a picture of Kvitova looking like a stuffed chicken. She would kick my ass on the tennis court, so I need to be mean like this instead.
And please, Eurosport, don’t show women tennis matches with scorelines like 6-0 6-2 and pretend to be excited about it.
