When I first started this blog a few months back, I had the idea that Buy/Sell would be one of my recurring features. Of course, that hasn't happened. You know what they say about the best laid plans.
It's here now, though, so I guess there's that. Without further ado, here we go.
BUY:
- I might be alone on this because I'm a sports cards and collectibles nerd, but I'm buying that the Leaf Trading Cards purchase of Ace Authentic's stock is a positive for tennis trading cards.
I appreciate what Ace Authentic did for tennis cards and memorabilia, but their releases seemed sporadic and lacking in uniformity and consistency. Maybe their tennis product falls into the trading card rank and file, but with Leaf at the helm, you are likely going to at least get some consistency in the product.
I have already pre-ordered my first hobby box and you should too. I guess you could say I'm buying this in both a figurative and literal sense.
- I'm buying that John Isner might be working his way out of the funk he has been in since the 2013 season started. Isner played really well in wining the US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston and I think it will be good for him to play a lighter schedule leading up to the French Open.
At this point, it's clear that he has a good game for clay, but for a number of reasons, he just hasn't been able to put it all together at Roland Garros. It remains to be seen whether or not this is the year he makes a deep run there, but don't be surprised if it is.
- I think we just might be witnessing Nicolas Almagro's career year. For so long, Almagro has been a nice, consistent top-15 or 20 player, but nothing more. He was overshadowed by countrymen Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. He also had a habit of never really losing early in majors, but also never really exceeding expectations, either. Injuries played a part as well.
But now, he's in the middle of one of the best stretches of his career. He had a great run to the quarters of the Australian Open. Once there, he put the fear of God in David Ferrer before losing. He made the semis in Buenos Aires, the semis in Acapulco and the finals of Houston. More than the results themselves, though, you have to like the way he is playing.
Almagro is serving as well as anyone on tour right now and when you are getting all those free points, everything else kind of comes easy.
- I'm buying the fact that I can't wait for the French Open to get here. Independently, the French is fourth on my list of favorite Grand Slam tournaments.
But because of how long it has been since we've had a major, I always end up waiting breathlessly for it to begin. I know it's not going to change because it has been this way forever, but I've always disliked the fact that we have a four month break from majors followed by two weeks between majors.
Sell:
- Speaking of the French Open, I'm selling Rafael Nadal as an overwhelming favorite to win the tournament. Sure, he can win it and he has looked pretty darn good since returning from his knee injury, but playing at run of the mill ATP World Tour stops and playing in the French Open are two completely different things.
Specifically, playing two or three sets and playing five sets are two completely different things. He has been pushed physically to a certain extent since returning, but nothing will come close to the way he will be pushed if he ends up in a marathon four or five-setter against a tough opponent. It will be at that moment that we see just how healthy Nadal's knee is.
-I'm selling anyone in the ATP rankings behind the top four players. It's not that there aren't really good players behind those top four. There certainly are. It's just that the top 25 or 30 spots have been so fluid of late. I can't help but feel like that fluidity in the rankings has more to do with mediocrity and not parity.
Take a look at the current rankings. Is Richard Gasquet a top ten player? He is because he is ranked ninth in ATP points, but I just don't see him as that type of player. Outside the top ten, we have players like Marin Cilic, Tommy Haas, Gilles Simon, Andreas Seppi and Juan Monaco. Those guys have obviously had some success to get where they are now, but would you trust any of them in a big match?
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Loss to Serbia Highlights Issue in US Davis Cup Lineup
I have gone on the record as saying that I'm bullish on the current US Davis Cup lineup moving forward.
The Bryan brothers have said they aren't looking at retirement until after the 2016 Olympic games and given the longevity that most doubles players enjoy, there is no reason to expect them to slow down before then.
John Isner and Sam Querrey may not give you the ceiling of an Andy Roddick in his prime, but you certainly could do at lot worse. Players with their serves are always going to be competitive.
I also think it helps that these four, barring injuries and things of that nature, are the obvious four players to select. Over the last several years, the parts had been shuffled quite a bit as Roddick began to take some Davis Cup ties off, James Blake was forced to take more time off due to injuries and Mardy Fish had a late-career resurgence.
I think there is something to be said for continuity, even in a sport there the "team" doesn't compete together.
The downside of this lineup is that is has its limitations.
Isner and Querrey are nice players. They both feature a dangerous weapon in their respective serves. Against most players they will face in early-round Davis Cup matches, that will be enough.
They run into problems, though, when they come up against teams that feature an elite player, like they did this past weekend against Novak Djokovic and Serbia. Neither guy is known for digging deep and coming up with awe-inspiring performances when faced with a top-flight player. Isner's win against Federer in Davis Cup last year comes to mind, but that's about it.
On top of that, the Davis Cup format rewards teams that have one transcendent player. Anything can happen in a Davis Cup weekend, to be sure, but when you have a near-sure thing in a player like Djokovic, you are basically coming into the weekend up 2-0.
And that's exactly the type of player the US is lacking.
They don't feature a player that gives the team an automatic win. They have nice players, sure, but you can't bank on them the way Serbia banks on Djokovic and the way Spain banks on Nadal or even Ferrer.
I guess I need to change my tune about the current version of the US Davis Cup team. I like their depth. There is no real weak spot in the lineup and against teams with no real elite player, that will almost always be enough to get the job done. But when they do come up against a team with that type of player, they are woefully unable to fight fire with fire.
The Bryan brothers have said they aren't looking at retirement until after the 2016 Olympic games and given the longevity that most doubles players enjoy, there is no reason to expect them to slow down before then.
John Isner and Sam Querrey may not give you the ceiling of an Andy Roddick in his prime, but you certainly could do at lot worse. Players with their serves are always going to be competitive.
I also think it helps that these four, barring injuries and things of that nature, are the obvious four players to select. Over the last several years, the parts had been shuffled quite a bit as Roddick began to take some Davis Cup ties off, James Blake was forced to take more time off due to injuries and Mardy Fish had a late-career resurgence.
I think there is something to be said for continuity, even in a sport there the "team" doesn't compete together.
The downside of this lineup is that is has its limitations.
Isner and Querrey are nice players. They both feature a dangerous weapon in their respective serves. Against most players they will face in early-round Davis Cup matches, that will be enough.
They run into problems, though, when they come up against teams that feature an elite player, like they did this past weekend against Novak Djokovic and Serbia. Neither guy is known for digging deep and coming up with awe-inspiring performances when faced with a top-flight player. Isner's win against Federer in Davis Cup last year comes to mind, but that's about it.
On top of that, the Davis Cup format rewards teams that have one transcendent player. Anything can happen in a Davis Cup weekend, to be sure, but when you have a near-sure thing in a player like Djokovic, you are basically coming into the weekend up 2-0.
And that's exactly the type of player the US is lacking.
They don't feature a player that gives the team an automatic win. They have nice players, sure, but you can't bank on them the way Serbia banks on Djokovic and the way Spain banks on Nadal or even Ferrer.
I guess I need to change my tune about the current version of the US Davis Cup team. I like their depth. There is no real weak spot in the lineup and against teams with no real elite player, that will almost always be enough to get the job done. But when they do come up against a team with that type of player, they are woefully unable to fight fire with fire.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Bartender! Another round (of Davis Cup) please!
Davis Cup is criminally underappreciated in the sports world.
Not only is it as exhilarating and intriguing as almost any other international competition, but generally speaking, we consistently get fantastic tennis from this event.
If the last round of play in early February is any indication, this year is going to be no exception. All we had last time were upsets, returns to prominence for historical tennis powers and the longest match in the storied history of Davis Cup.
It would be asking a lot of this round of play to stack up against that, but I'm anxiously awaiting what we will see over the weekend.
Okay, enough dawdling, on to the tie previews.
Canada vs. Italy (Vancouver, Indoor Hard Court)
The fact that I might be most excited to see this tie confirms the fact that I'm a huge tennis nerd. There aren't any real big names in this tie like there are in the others (although I will admit that Milos Raonic is getting close to that level) and neither of these teams strike you as teams that are going to ultimately come away with the Davis Cup in the end.
With all that being said, though, this tie is so completely unpredictable.
Canada obviously has a huge advantage thanks to Milos Raonic being by far the best singles player in this tie. If he plays like he's capable of in his matches, Canada will only need to eke out one more match win to clinch the team win.
On the other hand, Italy's top two players, Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi, are the type of grinders that might be able to frustrate Raonic. Fognini has the raw talent to play with anyone on tour and Seppi gives a good, honest effort every time he takes the court.
You also can't overlook the fact that Italy has the players to challenge Canada for the doubles point. Against most nations, Canada would all but have the doubles point wrapped up before the match even starts thanks to the presence of Daniel Nestor. But that's not the case against Italy. Fognini is an accomplished doubles player and Simon Bolelli gives him a solid partner.
Most intriguing of all for me is that this tie represents a fantastic opportunity for both nations. For Canada, it gives them a chance to show that they are now real players in the world of international tennis. For Italy, it gives them the chance get back to a place that had been very familiar at one point, the top of the tennis world.
This one is too close to call, but I guess I have to pick a winner. When in doubt, I like to go with the nation that has the best one player. For that reason, I'm picking Canada, but I think it's going to be close.
USA vs. Serbia (Boise, Indoor Hard Court)
I suppose if I were to be as excited for any one tie other than Canada/Italy it would be this one. I mean, I'm nothing if not a patriot, particularly when sports are involved.
I have to admit that I kind of like this new-look USA Davis Cup lineup. With Isner and Querrey leading the way, you have a better than average 1-2 punch in your singles lineup and the Bryans don't show any real signs of slipping from their perch at the top of doubles tennis.
I just wish that was going to matter more this weekend.
I don't have to tell you who leads the Serbian team. That would be none other than Novak Djokovic, arguably the best player on tour. Behind him, they have Viktor Troicki, a player that is easily overlooked but shouldn't be taken lightly. The Serbians also feature Nenad Zimonjic, a championship-level doubles player that will, at the very least, make the Bryans work to get the doubles point.
The Americans have the depth to go toe-to-toe with Serbia, but when you are dealing with a player as good as Djokovic, I'm not sure depth matters as much. If he plays anywhere close to his best, he will be able to take care of Isner and Querrey in his matches and I'm betting that Troicki will upset one of those two, as that is just what Troicki does.
While we're here, let me mention how disappointed I am that the USTA decided to hold this tie in Boise, Idaho. I'm sure Boise is a nice enough city, but is it a tennis hotbed? Do they have a history of hosting major international competitions like this? Can we guarantee that the crowds won't end up being paltry because a heavy snowstorm moves in over the weekend? I don't have any definitive answers for those questions, but I'm guessing the answer is no in each case.
In conclusion, I hate to say it, but I think the Serbians are the safe bet here.
Argentina vs. France (Buenos Aires, Outdoor Clay)
Only one thing is for sure in this tie and that's that there are going to be literally hundreds of long, drawn out, stylish points played on the clay in Buenos Aires. That's just what these two teams do.
Beyond that, I don't see anything but domination on France's part in this tie.
The French are bringing their "A" team to Argentina. It doesn't get much better than Tsonga, Gasquet, Benneteau and Llodra.You know your team is good when Benneateau might not be able to get into a match unless he plays doubles.
Argentina has as close to an "A" team as they can get at this point.They are missing Juan Martin del Potro, but that's not all that surprising considered his estrangement from the Argentine Davis Cup team.
It's just that I don't think Argentina matches up well against France. In the first round, Argentina came up against a German team that was undermanned and was ill-fit for the surface they were playing on.
That won't be the case against France. The French team has better talent from top to bottom and they play well on clay. Their country's major tournament is played on that surface after all.
It's also worth noting that France is 5-0 all time against Argentina in Davis Cup play. That has little bearing on what will happen this weekend, but I found it interesting.
Argentina might find a way to steal a point here, but look for France to emerge victorious.
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic (Astana, Indoor Clay)
Kazakhstan is what Davis Cup is all about. They don't have any big names on their team. For that matter, they don't even have anyone currently ranked in the top 150. And yet, they continue to find ways to win.
Pete Bodo of Tennis Magazine likes to say that the Kazakhs punch above their weight in Davis Cup and I couldn't agree more.
Quite frankly, the Czech Republic isn't much different. Sure, in Radek Stepanek they have an accomplished singles player and in Lukas Rosol they have a young up and comer, but just looking at this team, you wouldn't think they would be capable of winning the whole thing. And yet, they did in 2012.
All signs point toward the Czechs ending Kazakhstan's unlikely run, but keep in mind that Kazakhstan beat the Czech Republic just over two years ago in the World Group First Round.
With Argentina and France, I don't think the all-time numbers mean much. In the case of this tie, I think it does matter, though. In that tie two years ago, it was many of the same players involved. That win for Kazakhstan also served as their announcement that they were going to be players in Davis Cup.
I think the Czechs win this tie, but I have my doubts that Kazakhstan goes easily. Look for them to go down swinging.
Not only is it as exhilarating and intriguing as almost any other international competition, but generally speaking, we consistently get fantastic tennis from this event.
If the last round of play in early February is any indication, this year is going to be no exception. All we had last time were upsets, returns to prominence for historical tennis powers and the longest match in the storied history of Davis Cup.
It would be asking a lot of this round of play to stack up against that, but I'm anxiously awaiting what we will see over the weekend.
Okay, enough dawdling, on to the tie previews.
Canada vs. Italy (Vancouver, Indoor Hard Court)
The fact that I might be most excited to see this tie confirms the fact that I'm a huge tennis nerd. There aren't any real big names in this tie like there are in the others (although I will admit that Milos Raonic is getting close to that level) and neither of these teams strike you as teams that are going to ultimately come away with the Davis Cup in the end.
With all that being said, though, this tie is so completely unpredictable.
Canada obviously has a huge advantage thanks to Milos Raonic being by far the best singles player in this tie. If he plays like he's capable of in his matches, Canada will only need to eke out one more match win to clinch the team win.
On the other hand, Italy's top two players, Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi, are the type of grinders that might be able to frustrate Raonic. Fognini has the raw talent to play with anyone on tour and Seppi gives a good, honest effort every time he takes the court.
You also can't overlook the fact that Italy has the players to challenge Canada for the doubles point. Against most nations, Canada would all but have the doubles point wrapped up before the match even starts thanks to the presence of Daniel Nestor. But that's not the case against Italy. Fognini is an accomplished doubles player and Simon Bolelli gives him a solid partner.
Most intriguing of all for me is that this tie represents a fantastic opportunity for both nations. For Canada, it gives them a chance to show that they are now real players in the world of international tennis. For Italy, it gives them the chance get back to a place that had been very familiar at one point, the top of the tennis world.
This one is too close to call, but I guess I have to pick a winner. When in doubt, I like to go with the nation that has the best one player. For that reason, I'm picking Canada, but I think it's going to be close.
USA vs. Serbia (Boise, Indoor Hard Court)
I suppose if I were to be as excited for any one tie other than Canada/Italy it would be this one. I mean, I'm nothing if not a patriot, particularly when sports are involved.
I have to admit that I kind of like this new-look USA Davis Cup lineup. With Isner and Querrey leading the way, you have a better than average 1-2 punch in your singles lineup and the Bryans don't show any real signs of slipping from their perch at the top of doubles tennis.
I just wish that was going to matter more this weekend.
I don't have to tell you who leads the Serbian team. That would be none other than Novak Djokovic, arguably the best player on tour. Behind him, they have Viktor Troicki, a player that is easily overlooked but shouldn't be taken lightly. The Serbians also feature Nenad Zimonjic, a championship-level doubles player that will, at the very least, make the Bryans work to get the doubles point.
The Americans have the depth to go toe-to-toe with Serbia, but when you are dealing with a player as good as Djokovic, I'm not sure depth matters as much. If he plays anywhere close to his best, he will be able to take care of Isner and Querrey in his matches and I'm betting that Troicki will upset one of those two, as that is just what Troicki does.
While we're here, let me mention how disappointed I am that the USTA decided to hold this tie in Boise, Idaho. I'm sure Boise is a nice enough city, but is it a tennis hotbed? Do they have a history of hosting major international competitions like this? Can we guarantee that the crowds won't end up being paltry because a heavy snowstorm moves in over the weekend? I don't have any definitive answers for those questions, but I'm guessing the answer is no in each case.
In conclusion, I hate to say it, but I think the Serbians are the safe bet here.
Argentina vs. France (Buenos Aires, Outdoor Clay)
Only one thing is for sure in this tie and that's that there are going to be literally hundreds of long, drawn out, stylish points played on the clay in Buenos Aires. That's just what these two teams do.
Beyond that, I don't see anything but domination on France's part in this tie.
The French are bringing their "A" team to Argentina. It doesn't get much better than Tsonga, Gasquet, Benneteau and Llodra.You know your team is good when Benneateau might not be able to get into a match unless he plays doubles.
Argentina has as close to an "A" team as they can get at this point.They are missing Juan Martin del Potro, but that's not all that surprising considered his estrangement from the Argentine Davis Cup team.
It's just that I don't think Argentina matches up well against France. In the first round, Argentina came up against a German team that was undermanned and was ill-fit for the surface they were playing on.
That won't be the case against France. The French team has better talent from top to bottom and they play well on clay. Their country's major tournament is played on that surface after all.
It's also worth noting that France is 5-0 all time against Argentina in Davis Cup play. That has little bearing on what will happen this weekend, but I found it interesting.
Argentina might find a way to steal a point here, but look for France to emerge victorious.
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic (Astana, Indoor Clay)
Kazakhstan is what Davis Cup is all about. They don't have any big names on their team. For that matter, they don't even have anyone currently ranked in the top 150. And yet, they continue to find ways to win.
Pete Bodo of Tennis Magazine likes to say that the Kazakhs punch above their weight in Davis Cup and I couldn't agree more.
Quite frankly, the Czech Republic isn't much different. Sure, in Radek Stepanek they have an accomplished singles player and in Lukas Rosol they have a young up and comer, but just looking at this team, you wouldn't think they would be capable of winning the whole thing. And yet, they did in 2012.
All signs point toward the Czechs ending Kazakhstan's unlikely run, but keep in mind that Kazakhstan beat the Czech Republic just over two years ago in the World Group First Round.
With Argentina and France, I don't think the all-time numbers mean much. In the case of this tie, I think it does matter, though. In that tie two years ago, it was many of the same players involved. That win for Kazakhstan also served as their announcement that they were going to be players in Davis Cup.
I think the Czechs win this tie, but I have my doubts that Kazakhstan goes easily. Look for them to go down swinging.
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