March is a fantastic time to be a tennis fan in this country.
First off, it's nice that the weather is again consistently nice enough that outdoor tournaments can be played. The events at Indian Wells and Miami, pardon me, the Sony Open, really are a sign that Spring is upon us.
Beyond that, Indian Wells and Miami are fantastic events.
This year is certainly no exception. Indian Wells was a star-studded event that may end up being looked back upon as the event where Rafael Nadal announced that he was completely "back."
Miami, with the notable exceptions of Roger Federer and Nadal, who is still playing it safe with his knee, looks to have almost as strong a field.
To get you ready for all of the action from Miami over the next week and a half, let's look at some of the early-round matches you should be looking out for.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Gilles Simon - second round
This match would happen if Hewitt handles his business in the first round against Joao Sousa of Portugal. I'm pretty confident he'll get that done.
There's very little to not like about Hewitt's game. He grinds, he fights, he plays out every single point and every so often in a match, he'll give you a glimpse of what made him the top-ranked player in the world about a decade ago.
You can't even really get upset about his demeanor anymore. When he was first bursting onto the scene, tennis lifers bristled at his on-court snarl and the way he yelled "Come on!" after big points. Now, those two traits make him just one of literally hundreds of players on tour that snarl and yell on the court.
Simon is the type of player that frustrates you to no end if you are a fan of his. Often times, he seems content to just push the ball around the court and extend points until one player or the other can make a circus shot.
But up against a grinder like Hewitt, that style can make for a fun match.
I like Hewitt if this match comes to fruition. The Aussie is going to struggle from here on out in his career against the biggest hitters on tour, but against a guy like Simon that is going to let him hang around, he can get the job done.
Ryan Harrison vs. James Blake - first round
Here we have a match between two American players whose careers are passing like ships in the night.
James Blake has spent the last few years battling injuries and inconsistency. As much as I would like to see it, it's getting really tough to imagine a scenario where Blake battles his way back into the top-50 or so.
Every so often, though, he is able to put it all together and give us an inspired performance.
Harrison is undoubtedly on the upswing of his career, but some are beginning to get impatient with his development. He clearly has the game, but sometimes he struggles with the mental side of the sport. There are no questions about his hunger, though, and I think that will ultimately serve him well.
In this one, I expect to see some of the best of both players. Blake will be looking to show the younger generation of players that the old guard is still a factor and Harrison will be looking to show that he is both the future and present of American tennis.
In a related note, Harrison finally has a manageable draw. He has had such bad luck with draws at big events. He often finds himself up against one of the giants of the game in the first or second round. In Miami, if the draw holds, he will have winnable matches against Julien Benneteau and Juan Monaco before having to face Juan Martin del Potro.
Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. David Goffin - second round
For this to happen, Goffin would have to beat Robin Haase in the first round. That's a solid opponent, but I'm confident in Goffin.
Kohlschreiber has a way of sneaking up in events like this. The German has a good game for these hard courts and he's due for one of those deep runs that few see coming.
After bursting onto the scene last year, Goffin has yet to take the next step in his development and force his way into a seed in events like this.
If Goffin is going to make a move like that, Kohlschreiber is an opponent he can get that run started against. On the other hand, Kohlschreiber is the type of guy that can give a young player lots of trouble. He isn't going to beat himself and he is going to force his opponent to play a sound match.
Either player would be disappointed with a loss in this round and both would have to chalk this up as a good win.
Andy Murray vs. Bernard Tomic - second round
We would get this match if Tomic wins his first round match against Marc Gicquel. The fact that that's not a given illustrates exactly why this match would be exciting.
No outcome for Bernard Tomic would be a surprise. Just as he could drop his first round match to Gicquel, he could come out on fire and beat Andy Murray.
It's also just about time that we see a move from Tomic. So far in his career, he's the type of player that crumbles under pressure and thrives when no one is expecting anything from him.
It will also be interesting to see what kind of form Murray is in. He has, by design, played few events since the Australian Open. Then, at Indian Wells, he was upset in the quarters against del Potro and wasn't even all that competitive in the last two sets.
Robby Ginepri vs. Yen-Hsun Lu - first round
Okay, so I picked this match pretty much solely because I'm a sucker for nostalgia. It's easy to forget that Ginepri once made the semifinals of the US Open and was considered one of the real up and comers in American tennis.
He never again reached that pinnacle and he quickly fell behind others in the pecking order of American players, but it speaks well of him that he's still plugging away at it as hard as ever.
For that, he has my support and my attention when he takes the court.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
BNP Paribas Open: Early Round Matches to Watch
After a month of few meaningful matches, with the notable exception of Rafael Nadal's matches on his comeback trail, we finally get into the swing of the Spring season with the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
As usual, most of the big names are here, including Rafael Nadal in his first tournament of the season off of clay.
With this being the case, we are often treated to some Grand Slam-level matches at this event. Before we even get that deep into the tournament, though, there are some early-round matches that are worth your time.
The ones that I'm looking forward to are as follows:
Mardy Fish vs. Whoever he ends up playing first
Because Mardy still has enough points left over from when he was playing, he was able to be seeded 32nd in this draw. That puts him through to the second round automatically where he will play the winner of a first-round match between Benjamin Becker and a qualifier.
Honestly, the player that ends up facing off against Mardy isn't all that important. If Mardy is anywhere close to the player he was before his long hiatus, he will win the match. But if he is the same player we saw just before he decided to shut it down last season, he's going to get beat.
I'm really rooting for Mardy. His comeback story of a couple of years ago was fantastic and I've always loved his game. But I fear that if he suffers another setback, he might end up face to face with the prospect of hanging it up for good. That's how serious his health concerns are.
James Blake vs. Robin Haase
James Blake is another American that has had his career threatened by injuries. You are left wondering what his peak would have been had he not missed significant time with various ailments. And now that he is relatively healthy, he doesn't have game like he used to.
That's not to say that he can't still have a successful last ride through the ATP Tour. He still plays well in spurts and he loves hard courts in his home country. Keeping that in mind, I wouldn't be shocked if he puts together some good tennis over these next couple of weeks.
Haase is the type of player that Blake is going to have to be able to beat if he is going to find his way back into the top 100 and into the main draw of majors. Haase is a solid top-50 or 75 player that is consistently having the type of seasons that you would hope for Blake to be able to have in these last years of his career.
Sam Querrey vs. Jack Sock
In order for this match to take place, Sock would have to win his first round match against a qualifier, but I think he will manage to do that.
Sam needs a good week and I think he can accomplish that if he avoids the early-round loss that can sometimes plague him. If the draw holds, he would end up facing Juan Monaco in the third round. Monaco doesn't play all that well on hard courts and he has been terrible so far this season. From there, he would likely face Novak Djokovic, but getting that far and fighting hard against Djokovic should be taken as a positive result.
It's getting past Sock that might be the problem. Sock has the game to win just about any match he is in and, similar to a young Andy Roddick, he has the belief that he's among the best in the game, even though he's not there yet.
This match also represents a big opportunity for Sock. It is assumed that Ryan Harrison leads the pack when it comes to young American players, but his development is taking a bit longer than some would have hoped. With a big win over arguably the top American on tour right now, there might start to be some rumblings that Sock is the young American to watch.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Lukas Rosol
In tennis, few things are more fun than a classic contrast of styles and that's what we have here in this first round match.
There are no secrets about what Hewitt is going to bring to the table. He is going to fight and scrap for every point. If Rosol isn't on his game, Hewitt is going to make him miserable.
The downside of that style is that Hewitt doesn't have the firepower to really dominate a match. Even if his opponent is not at the top of his game, Hewitt's style will allow the player to hang around a little bit.
When it's all said and done, it's hard to bet against a battler like Hewitt, though.
Kevin Anderson vs. Victor Hanescu
I have long been bullish on the potential of the big South African Kevin Anderson and after a breakthrough performance at the Australian Open, it looks like I'm finally being rewarded for that faith.
To really take the next step in his development, though, he will have to put away opponents like Hanescu routinely. Hanescu is a solid but unspectacular player that guys the caliber of Anderson should be beating with regularity.
In the past, Anderson has been up and down against these types of players in early-round matches and that has to stop if he is going to consistently keep his ranking around the top 30.
As usual, most of the big names are here, including Rafael Nadal in his first tournament of the season off of clay.
With this being the case, we are often treated to some Grand Slam-level matches at this event. Before we even get that deep into the tournament, though, there are some early-round matches that are worth your time.
The ones that I'm looking forward to are as follows:
Mardy Fish vs. Whoever he ends up playing first
Because Mardy still has enough points left over from when he was playing, he was able to be seeded 32nd in this draw. That puts him through to the second round automatically where he will play the winner of a first-round match between Benjamin Becker and a qualifier.
Honestly, the player that ends up facing off against Mardy isn't all that important. If Mardy is anywhere close to the player he was before his long hiatus, he will win the match. But if he is the same player we saw just before he decided to shut it down last season, he's going to get beat.
I'm really rooting for Mardy. His comeback story of a couple of years ago was fantastic and I've always loved his game. But I fear that if he suffers another setback, he might end up face to face with the prospect of hanging it up for good. That's how serious his health concerns are.
James Blake vs. Robin Haase
James Blake is another American that has had his career threatened by injuries. You are left wondering what his peak would have been had he not missed significant time with various ailments. And now that he is relatively healthy, he doesn't have game like he used to.
That's not to say that he can't still have a successful last ride through the ATP Tour. He still plays well in spurts and he loves hard courts in his home country. Keeping that in mind, I wouldn't be shocked if he puts together some good tennis over these next couple of weeks.
Haase is the type of player that Blake is going to have to be able to beat if he is going to find his way back into the top 100 and into the main draw of majors. Haase is a solid top-50 or 75 player that is consistently having the type of seasons that you would hope for Blake to be able to have in these last years of his career.
Sam Querrey vs. Jack Sock
In order for this match to take place, Sock would have to win his first round match against a qualifier, but I think he will manage to do that.
Sam needs a good week and I think he can accomplish that if he avoids the early-round loss that can sometimes plague him. If the draw holds, he would end up facing Juan Monaco in the third round. Monaco doesn't play all that well on hard courts and he has been terrible so far this season. From there, he would likely face Novak Djokovic, but getting that far and fighting hard against Djokovic should be taken as a positive result.
It's getting past Sock that might be the problem. Sock has the game to win just about any match he is in and, similar to a young Andy Roddick, he has the belief that he's among the best in the game, even though he's not there yet.
This match also represents a big opportunity for Sock. It is assumed that Ryan Harrison leads the pack when it comes to young American players, but his development is taking a bit longer than some would have hoped. With a big win over arguably the top American on tour right now, there might start to be some rumblings that Sock is the young American to watch.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Lukas Rosol
In tennis, few things are more fun than a classic contrast of styles and that's what we have here in this first round match.
There are no secrets about what Hewitt is going to bring to the table. He is going to fight and scrap for every point. If Rosol isn't on his game, Hewitt is going to make him miserable.
The downside of that style is that Hewitt doesn't have the firepower to really dominate a match. Even if his opponent is not at the top of his game, Hewitt's style will allow the player to hang around a little bit.
When it's all said and done, it's hard to bet against a battler like Hewitt, though.
Kevin Anderson vs. Victor Hanescu
I have long been bullish on the potential of the big South African Kevin Anderson and after a breakthrough performance at the Australian Open, it looks like I'm finally being rewarded for that faith.
To really take the next step in his development, though, he will have to put away opponents like Hanescu routinely. Hanescu is a solid but unspectacular player that guys the caliber of Anderson should be beating with regularity.
In the past, Anderson has been up and down against these types of players in early-round matches and that has to stop if he is going to consistently keep his ranking around the top 30.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Give College Tennis a Try
If you're anything like me, you love professional tennis but wish it was more accessible on a regular basis.
Sure, we are blessed to have the Tennis Channel, an outlet that does a fantastic job of covering the sport from all angles, but sometimes you just really want to see the game live.
The guys on tour are so talented that it can look easy on television. Watching live and in person reminds a person of just how fast and talented they are. Plus, you get a better feel for tension building with the match when you are there live.
The problem is that most people don't live anywhere near an ATP event. That's only becoming more true as time goes on. The tournaments in Los Angeles and San Jose have recently been moved to international locales and as tennis becomes even more of an international game, that's only going to continue.
Heck, even if you do live in a place that has a tournament, you only get to see the sport up close for one or two weeks a year.
This is precisely why I would suggest that all tennis fans go out and watch college tennis during the spring season.
College tennis at the highest levels gives you everything you love about the sport. These kids might not be Federer or Nadal, but they are very, very good. Most of them were blue chip recruits out of high school or highly-ranked junior players in their home countries.
You are guaranteed to see blistering serves, long rallies and fantastic doubles play. And because these kids might not be as adept at constructing long points as the pros are, you will likely see a lot more serve and volley. I take that as a positive as well.
The best part in my mind, though, is that it takes the things I love about tennis and combines them with the things I love about the more traditional team sports.
The players are competing with the players standing across the net from them, but the point gained from each individual win adds to their team total to help them beat the opposing team in what they call the dual match that pits the two teams against each other.
With this team aspect, the players get really into rooting for their teammates. When a dual match comes down to one final match between two players, it's not uncommon for the players from each team to huddle around the court and act like fans themselves. By this point, the actual fans in the stands will also have congregated around this one court, making what might have started off as a sparse crowd look like a much larger crowd.
Chances are, you have a Division I NCAA tennis program near you. They are littered all over the country. Some programs don't charge admission to get in and watch and even if they do, it will be at a fraction of the cost of attending a pro tournament or really any pro sport, for that matter.
Do yourself, and the sport, a favor. Find the college program nearest you and attend a match there. You will be glad you did and college tennis, dwarfed by the money sports of football and basketball, needs the support.
Sure, we are blessed to have the Tennis Channel, an outlet that does a fantastic job of covering the sport from all angles, but sometimes you just really want to see the game live.
The guys on tour are so talented that it can look easy on television. Watching live and in person reminds a person of just how fast and talented they are. Plus, you get a better feel for tension building with the match when you are there live.
The problem is that most people don't live anywhere near an ATP event. That's only becoming more true as time goes on. The tournaments in Los Angeles and San Jose have recently been moved to international locales and as tennis becomes even more of an international game, that's only going to continue.
Heck, even if you do live in a place that has a tournament, you only get to see the sport up close for one or two weeks a year.
This is precisely why I would suggest that all tennis fans go out and watch college tennis during the spring season.
College tennis at the highest levels gives you everything you love about the sport. These kids might not be Federer or Nadal, but they are very, very good. Most of them were blue chip recruits out of high school or highly-ranked junior players in their home countries.
You are guaranteed to see blistering serves, long rallies and fantastic doubles play. And because these kids might not be as adept at constructing long points as the pros are, you will likely see a lot more serve and volley. I take that as a positive as well.
The best part in my mind, though, is that it takes the things I love about tennis and combines them with the things I love about the more traditional team sports.
The players are competing with the players standing across the net from them, but the point gained from each individual win adds to their team total to help them beat the opposing team in what they call the dual match that pits the two teams against each other.
With this team aspect, the players get really into rooting for their teammates. When a dual match comes down to one final match between two players, it's not uncommon for the players from each team to huddle around the court and act like fans themselves. By this point, the actual fans in the stands will also have congregated around this one court, making what might have started off as a sparse crowd look like a much larger crowd.
Chances are, you have a Division I NCAA tennis program near you. They are littered all over the country. Some programs don't charge admission to get in and watch and even if they do, it will be at a fraction of the cost of attending a pro tournament or really any pro sport, for that matter.
Do yourself, and the sport, a favor. Find the college program nearest you and attend a match there. You will be glad you did and college tennis, dwarfed by the money sports of football and basketball, needs the support.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Horacio Zeballos Rains on Nadal Parade
Few returns have been as eagerly anticipated as Rafael Nadal's return to the ATP this past week at a clay court tournament in Chile.
Although there have been some fantastic happenings in tennis since his injury occurred, his absence has certainly been felt. There's just no other way to describe it.
Coming into this relatively minor tournament, optimism about Nadal's return was guarded. I think most figured he would have some success in Chile, but I think we all expected him to not quite look like his old self.
The guarded part of that optimism, however, went right out the door as soon as he took the court.
In doubles, he and partner Juan Monaco looked like favorites to win the title. In singles, against relatively soft competition, I will admit, he looked fantastic.
He quickly dispatched Federico Delbonis in his first match and countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver didn't fare much better in Nadal's second match, the tournament quarterfinals. It was in the semifinals that he really turned it on, though. In that match, he took down Jeremy Chardy, one of the hotter players on tour so far this season by the score of 6-2, 6-2.
It looked like it was smooth sailing from there as he was set to take on little-known Horacio Zeballos in the final.
But then it wasn't.
After taking the first set in a tiebreaker, a set in which most were impressed that Zeballos had just stayed close, Nadal dropped the last two sets to lose the title.
The reaction from the tennis Twitterverse, the real barometer for these types of things in this day and age, was nothing short of shock and awe and why shouldn't it have been?
According to The Tennis Abstract, Nadal had not lost a match to someone outside the top-50 on clay since 2004, before Rafael Nadal was Rafael Nadal, an all-time great.
After stepping back, though, you can see why we might be overreacting to this loss.
For starters, Zeballos isn't bad. He's ranked 73rd in the world, which isn't great, but it's not like this guy is some kid in his first top-level tournament with a ranking in the 200s. He's also coming off something of a high, as he and partner David Nalbandian clinched Argentina's Davis Cup tie two weekends ago against Germany with a win in their doubles rubber.
Physically, Nadal probably isn't quite there yet, either. He admitted as much in the lead up to this event. He was not shy about admitted that his knee isn't 100 percent and that he won't know if the surgery he had truly did the job until weeks later.
It speaks to how good Nadal is on clay that he was able to get as far as he did this week even though he is still battling his body.
Overall, it's hard to have anything but positive things to say about Nadal's return in Chile. He won some matches, he played like his old self in patches and he didn't have any real setbacks.
Most of all, I think he showed us that given time to fully get back into match shape, he's going to get back to his usual level of play, at least on clay.
For me, that's good enough for his first week back.
Although there have been some fantastic happenings in tennis since his injury occurred, his absence has certainly been felt. There's just no other way to describe it.
Coming into this relatively minor tournament, optimism about Nadal's return was guarded. I think most figured he would have some success in Chile, but I think we all expected him to not quite look like his old self.
The guarded part of that optimism, however, went right out the door as soon as he took the court.
In doubles, he and partner Juan Monaco looked like favorites to win the title. In singles, against relatively soft competition, I will admit, he looked fantastic.
He quickly dispatched Federico Delbonis in his first match and countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver didn't fare much better in Nadal's second match, the tournament quarterfinals. It was in the semifinals that he really turned it on, though. In that match, he took down Jeremy Chardy, one of the hotter players on tour so far this season by the score of 6-2, 6-2.
It looked like it was smooth sailing from there as he was set to take on little-known Horacio Zeballos in the final.
But then it wasn't.
After taking the first set in a tiebreaker, a set in which most were impressed that Zeballos had just stayed close, Nadal dropped the last two sets to lose the title.
The reaction from the tennis Twitterverse, the real barometer for these types of things in this day and age, was nothing short of shock and awe and why shouldn't it have been?
According to The Tennis Abstract, Nadal had not lost a match to someone outside the top-50 on clay since 2004, before Rafael Nadal was Rafael Nadal, an all-time great.
After stepping back, though, you can see why we might be overreacting to this loss.
For starters, Zeballos isn't bad. He's ranked 73rd in the world, which isn't great, but it's not like this guy is some kid in his first top-level tournament with a ranking in the 200s. He's also coming off something of a high, as he and partner David Nalbandian clinched Argentina's Davis Cup tie two weekends ago against Germany with a win in their doubles rubber.
Physically, Nadal probably isn't quite there yet, either. He admitted as much in the lead up to this event. He was not shy about admitted that his knee isn't 100 percent and that he won't know if the surgery he had truly did the job until weeks later.
It speaks to how good Nadal is on clay that he was able to get as far as he did this week even though he is still battling his body.
Overall, it's hard to have anything but positive things to say about Nadal's return in Chile. He won some matches, he played like his old self in patches and he didn't have any real setbacks.
Most of all, I think he showed us that given time to fully get back into match shape, he's going to get back to his usual level of play, at least on clay.
For me, that's good enough for his first week back.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Davis Cup Previews and Predictions
Yesterday I posted five overarching thoughts on Davis Cup weekend as a whole, but now that we are just a few hours from the first ball of the weekend, it's time that I give my predictions on how these ties will play out.
Canada vs. Spain (Vancouver, Canada, Indoor Hard Court)
I talked yesterday about how important this tie is for Canada. This is a real chance for Canada to make a statement about the state of tennis in their country. Even though Spain is without several top players, name recognition of Spain as a world power would still force people to take notice if the Canadians were to get a win.
Don't feel bad for Spain. Even without Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, they still boast two singles players ranked 34 and 51 and a doubles player ranked third in the world. Ultimately, though, I think a home tie and a friendly court surface will help Canada to a win.
Milos Raonic (CAN) d. Albert Ramos (ESP)
Marcel Granollers (ESP) d. Frank Dancevic (CAN)
Vasek Pospisil/Daniel Nestor (CAN) d. Marc Lopez/Marcell Granollers (ESP)
Milos Raonic (CAN) d. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Frank Dancevic (CAN) vs. Albert Ramos (ESP) - dead rubber
Italy vs. Croatia (Turin, Italy, Indoor Clay)
This tie is going to fly under the radar because of a general lack of star power, but I'm really intrigued by this pairing of teams.
Italy has to be happy with their team coming into this weekend. Top player Andreas Seppi had a great run to the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Along the way, he beat Croatia's own Marin Cilic. Fabio Fognini is a really solid player in his own right and his fun-loving demeanor is always refreshing.
Croatia has the highest-ranked player in this tie, Marin Cilic, but he is coming off of a somewhat disappointing performance in Australia, complete with that aforementioned loss to Seppi. It also doesn't help that clay is far from his favorite surface. Cilic and Ivan Dodig are a nice combination at the top, but they aren't nearly as deep as Italy, and quite frankly, I like Seppi and Fognini better as a duo.
Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Fabio Fognini (ITA
Andreas Seppi (ITA) d. Ivan Dodig (CRO)
Paolo Lorenzi/Simon Bolelli (ITA) d. Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic (CRO)
Andreas Seppi (ITA) d. Marin Cilic (CRO)
Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. Ivan Dodig (CRO) - dead rubber
Belgium vs. Serbia (Charleroi, Belgium, Indoor Clay)
Quietly, Belgium has put together a pretty decent Davis Cup squad. David Goffin is a top-50 player that has yet to reach his potential. Steve Darcis is a consistent top-100 player. Olivier Rochus, the elder statesman, has been ranked as high as 24th in the world and he certainly isn't going to be awed when he goes up against some of the big names the Belgians will face in Davis Cup play.
Unfortunately, Serbia is just better. Janko Tipsarevic pulled out of the event this weekend due to injury, but the Serbs still boast the top player in the world, Novak Djokovic, a steady veteran in Viktor Troicki and an established doubles champion in Nenad Zimonjic. The red clay will help Belgium a bit, but I don't think it will make a ton of difference.
Viktor Troicki (SRB) d. David Goffin (BEL)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Nenad Zimonjic/Viktor Troicki (SRB) d. Steve Darcis/Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. David Goffin (BEL) - dead rubber
Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Olivier Rochus (BEL) - dead rubber
USA vs. Brazil (Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Indoor Hard)
On paper, the US shouldn't have a ton of trouble in Jacksonville. The Brazilians only have one singles player, Thomaz Bellucci, that should scare them at all and even Bellucci isn't a huge threat on faster courts, which this court is expected to be.
If you dig a bit deeper, though, there are some concerns for the US. First and foremost is the health of John Isner. He pulled out of the Australian Open and that was only a few weeks ago, so you have to wonder how he's feeling. The Brazilians also have a decent shot at neutralizing the secret weapon for the US, the Bryan brothers. In most Davis Cup ties, the US has the doubles point all but wrapped up before a ball is even hit, but that won't be the case this weekend. Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares are a talented team and could give the Bryans problems.
In the end, I think the US will be pushed more than they would have liked in their individual matches, but I think they manage to come out on top pretty cleanly.
Sam Querrey (USA) d. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
John Isner (USA) d. Thiago Alves (BRA)
Mike Bryan/Bob Bryan (USA) d. Bruno Soares/Marcelo Melo (BRA)
John Isner (USA) vs. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) - dead rubber
Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Thiago Alves (BRA) - dead rubber
France vs. Israel (Rouen, France, Indoor Hard)
The Israelis are a fun team to root for in my mind. This is not only because they are an underdog in just about any World Group tie in which they palay, but because their best player, Dudi Sela, has an everyman feel to him. He's only 5'9" and he's a real scrapper on the court. I like being able to get behind a player like that.
It's just a shame that being fun to watch doesn't necessarily mean that the team will be successful. The French are bringing their A-Team and I don't give Israel much of a chance.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) d. Amir Weintraub (ISR)
Richard Gasquet (FRA) d. Dudi Sela (ISR)
Julien Benneteau/Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Dudi Sela/Jonathan Erlich (ISR)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Dudi Sela - dead rubber
Richard Gasquet vs. Amir Weintraub - dead rubber
Argentina vs. Germany (Buenos Aires, Argentina, Outdoor Clay)
This might end up being the most competitive tie of the weekend. The atmosphere obviously favors Argentina. They are playing at home and this team, led by Juan Monaco, loves to play on clay.
The personnel advantage, however, has to go to Germany. Philipp Kohlschreiber is a really underrated player and Florian Mayer, a top-30 player himself, is certainly no scrub. To top it off, David Nalbandian, a player who probably plays as hard in Davis Cup as any player in the world, is only playing doubles for Argentina.
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) d. Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Juan Monaco (ARG) d. Florian Mayer (GER)
David Nalbandian/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) d. Philipp Kohlschreiber/Christopher Kas (GER)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) d. Juan Monaco (ARG)
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Astana, Kazakhstan, Indoor Clay)
When the draw came out, I think both of these teams breathed a sigh of relief. The World Group is littered with traditional tennis powers, but these two teams got a manageable tie since they drew each other. It's that relatively level playing field that makes this an interesting tie to watch.
Unfortunately, this tie won't be as much fun as it could have been, as Kazakhstan's best player, Mikhail Kukushkin, will not play. Without a battle-tested player in Kukushkin to face off against, the advantage of having Jurgen Melzer on their team gets even bigger for the Austrians. Ultimately, I think it's that advantage that puts them over the top.
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) d. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Evgeny Korolev (KAZ)
Julian Knowle/Alexander Peya (AUT) d. Andrey Golubev/Yuriy Schukin (KAZ)
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Andrey Golubev (KAZ)
Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) vs. Evgeny Korolev (KAZ) - dead rubber
Switzerland vs. Czech Republic (Geneva, Switzerland, Indoor Hard)
Here we have a matchup of two teams missing big pieces of their respective Davis Cup puzzles. The Swiss will be without Roger Federer, only the greatest player of all time and the Czechs will be without Radek Stepanek, the anchor on the team that won the Davis Cup last season.
I have very little feeling about who is going to win this one. If it comes down to who misses their missing player the most, I think the Swiss will win out. Federer often skips Davis Cup, so it's nothing new, while the Czechs are used to having Stepanek. Although I'm also not sure that the Swiss have the depth behind Stanislas Wawrinka to take down the defending champs. This really is a toss-up, but I will take a stab at it.
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) d. Lukas Rosol (CZE)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) d. Henri Laaksonen (SUI)
Marco Chiudinelli/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) d. Ivo Minar/Jiri Vesely (CZE)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) d. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Lukas Rosol (CZE) d. Henri Laaksonen (SUI)
Canada vs. Spain (Vancouver, Canada, Indoor Hard Court)
I talked yesterday about how important this tie is for Canada. This is a real chance for Canada to make a statement about the state of tennis in their country. Even though Spain is without several top players, name recognition of Spain as a world power would still force people to take notice if the Canadians were to get a win.
Don't feel bad for Spain. Even without Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, they still boast two singles players ranked 34 and 51 and a doubles player ranked third in the world. Ultimately, though, I think a home tie and a friendly court surface will help Canada to a win.
Milos Raonic (CAN) d. Albert Ramos (ESP)
Marcel Granollers (ESP) d. Frank Dancevic (CAN)
Vasek Pospisil/Daniel Nestor (CAN) d. Marc Lopez/Marcell Granollers (ESP)
Milos Raonic (CAN) d. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Frank Dancevic (CAN) vs. Albert Ramos (ESP) - dead rubber
Italy vs. Croatia (Turin, Italy, Indoor Clay)
This tie is going to fly under the radar because of a general lack of star power, but I'm really intrigued by this pairing of teams.
Italy has to be happy with their team coming into this weekend. Top player Andreas Seppi had a great run to the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Along the way, he beat Croatia's own Marin Cilic. Fabio Fognini is a really solid player in his own right and his fun-loving demeanor is always refreshing.
Croatia has the highest-ranked player in this tie, Marin Cilic, but he is coming off of a somewhat disappointing performance in Australia, complete with that aforementioned loss to Seppi. It also doesn't help that clay is far from his favorite surface. Cilic and Ivan Dodig are a nice combination at the top, but they aren't nearly as deep as Italy, and quite frankly, I like Seppi and Fognini better as a duo.
Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Fabio Fognini (ITA
Andreas Seppi (ITA) d. Ivan Dodig (CRO)
Paolo Lorenzi/Simon Bolelli (ITA) d. Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic (CRO)
Andreas Seppi (ITA) d. Marin Cilic (CRO)
Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. Ivan Dodig (CRO) - dead rubber
Belgium vs. Serbia (Charleroi, Belgium, Indoor Clay)
Quietly, Belgium has put together a pretty decent Davis Cup squad. David Goffin is a top-50 player that has yet to reach his potential. Steve Darcis is a consistent top-100 player. Olivier Rochus, the elder statesman, has been ranked as high as 24th in the world and he certainly isn't going to be awed when he goes up against some of the big names the Belgians will face in Davis Cup play.
Unfortunately, Serbia is just better. Janko Tipsarevic pulled out of the event this weekend due to injury, but the Serbs still boast the top player in the world, Novak Djokovic, a steady veteran in Viktor Troicki and an established doubles champion in Nenad Zimonjic. The red clay will help Belgium a bit, but I don't think it will make a ton of difference.
Viktor Troicki (SRB) d. David Goffin (BEL)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Nenad Zimonjic/Viktor Troicki (SRB) d. Steve Darcis/Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. David Goffin (BEL) - dead rubber
Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Olivier Rochus (BEL) - dead rubber
USA vs. Brazil (Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Indoor Hard)
On paper, the US shouldn't have a ton of trouble in Jacksonville. The Brazilians only have one singles player, Thomaz Bellucci, that should scare them at all and even Bellucci isn't a huge threat on faster courts, which this court is expected to be.
If you dig a bit deeper, though, there are some concerns for the US. First and foremost is the health of John Isner. He pulled out of the Australian Open and that was only a few weeks ago, so you have to wonder how he's feeling. The Brazilians also have a decent shot at neutralizing the secret weapon for the US, the Bryan brothers. In most Davis Cup ties, the US has the doubles point all but wrapped up before a ball is even hit, but that won't be the case this weekend. Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares are a talented team and could give the Bryans problems.
In the end, I think the US will be pushed more than they would have liked in their individual matches, but I think they manage to come out on top pretty cleanly.
Sam Querrey (USA) d. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
John Isner (USA) d. Thiago Alves (BRA)
Mike Bryan/Bob Bryan (USA) d. Bruno Soares/Marcelo Melo (BRA)
John Isner (USA) vs. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) - dead rubber
Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Thiago Alves (BRA) - dead rubber
France vs. Israel (Rouen, France, Indoor Hard)
The Israelis are a fun team to root for in my mind. This is not only because they are an underdog in just about any World Group tie in which they palay, but because their best player, Dudi Sela, has an everyman feel to him. He's only 5'9" and he's a real scrapper on the court. I like being able to get behind a player like that.
It's just a shame that being fun to watch doesn't necessarily mean that the team will be successful. The French are bringing their A-Team and I don't give Israel much of a chance.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) d. Amir Weintraub (ISR)
Richard Gasquet (FRA) d. Dudi Sela (ISR)
Julien Benneteau/Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Dudi Sela/Jonathan Erlich (ISR)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Dudi Sela - dead rubber
Richard Gasquet vs. Amir Weintraub - dead rubber
Argentina vs. Germany (Buenos Aires, Argentina, Outdoor Clay)
This might end up being the most competitive tie of the weekend. The atmosphere obviously favors Argentina. They are playing at home and this team, led by Juan Monaco, loves to play on clay.
The personnel advantage, however, has to go to Germany. Philipp Kohlschreiber is a really underrated player and Florian Mayer, a top-30 player himself, is certainly no scrub. To top it off, David Nalbandian, a player who probably plays as hard in Davis Cup as any player in the world, is only playing doubles for Argentina.
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) d. Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Juan Monaco (ARG) d. Florian Mayer (GER)
David Nalbandian/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) d. Philipp Kohlschreiber/Christopher Kas (GER)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) d. Juan Monaco (ARG)
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Astana, Kazakhstan, Indoor Clay)
When the draw came out, I think both of these teams breathed a sigh of relief. The World Group is littered with traditional tennis powers, but these two teams got a manageable tie since they drew each other. It's that relatively level playing field that makes this an interesting tie to watch.
Unfortunately, this tie won't be as much fun as it could have been, as Kazakhstan's best player, Mikhail Kukushkin, will not play. Without a battle-tested player in Kukushkin to face off against, the advantage of having Jurgen Melzer on their team gets even bigger for the Austrians. Ultimately, I think it's that advantage that puts them over the top.
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) d. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Evgeny Korolev (KAZ)
Julian Knowle/Alexander Peya (AUT) d. Andrey Golubev/Yuriy Schukin (KAZ)
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Andrey Golubev (KAZ)
Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) vs. Evgeny Korolev (KAZ) - dead rubber
Switzerland vs. Czech Republic (Geneva, Switzerland, Indoor Hard)
Here we have a matchup of two teams missing big pieces of their respective Davis Cup puzzles. The Swiss will be without Roger Federer, only the greatest player of all time and the Czechs will be without Radek Stepanek, the anchor on the team that won the Davis Cup last season.
I have very little feeling about who is going to win this one. If it comes down to who misses their missing player the most, I think the Swiss will win out. Federer often skips Davis Cup, so it's nothing new, while the Czechs are used to having Stepanek. Although I'm also not sure that the Swiss have the depth behind Stanislas Wawrinka to take down the defending champs. This really is a toss-up, but I will take a stab at it.
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) d. Lukas Rosol (CZE)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) d. Henri Laaksonen (SUI)
Marco Chiudinelli/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) d. Ivo Minar/Jiri Vesely (CZE)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) d. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Lukas Rosol (CZE) d. Henri Laaksonen (SUI)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Five Thoughts Ahead of Davis Cup Weekend
I love everything about Davis Cup.
I obviously love tennis. That's what I'm writing this blog.
I'm also a sucker for international competition. Every four years, I drop everything and dive deep into the Olympics. The World Cup is what made me a casual soccer fan. I can't stand golf, particularly watching golf on television, but when it's time for the Ryder Cup, I'll watch a round or two.
The tennis community is somewhat lukewarm on the Davis Cup in general, but I'm hopeful that if you're one of the ones that's on the fence about how you feel about the event, I can get you off the fence with my five thoughts ahead of the weekend.
- This weekend will give us a look into the future of the United States Davis Cup team. Over the last five or six years, there hasn't been a ton of stability within the program. Roddick won some big matches for the US over the years, but later in his career, injuries and his choice to bypass the event took him out of the lineup at times. Mardy Fish's late-career resurgence put him back in the thick of things, but he has had trouble staying in the lineup. Sam Querrey's rise up the rankings put him in the mix, but then injuries took him right back out for over a year. Ryan Harrison has made cameos over the last couple of years, but his game hasn't come along as quickly as anyone would like.
But with Roddick's retirement, Fish's heart condition that may very well end his career and solid seasons from John Isner and Querrey, I think we know, barring something unforeseen, what the US lineup is going to look like for, hopefully, the next three years. Isner and Querrey should have five or six more years of quality play left and the Bryan brothers have said that they aren't planning on retiring until after the 2016 Olympics. It's not Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Todd Martin, but it's not bad.
- Don't look now, but Canada finds themselves in a must-win match. When the team nominations were announced, I thought the Canadians had a more than realistic chance of beating a Spain team that was going to be without Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. Now that Nicolas Almagro is going to be out with injury, Canada is the odds-on favorite.
It's probably not fair, as a matter of fact I know it's not fair, but there will be a ton of criticism heaped on young star Milos Raonic if the Canadians don't come through. He has a reputation for wilting against the top players on tour on the big stages and losing this weekend certainly won't help change that perception.
- If you're a fan of soap operas, Argentina is the Davis Cup team for you. It seems that it's always something with them.
The most notable issue for the Argentine team, as it has been for several years now, is the power struggle at the top. David Nalbandian takes a special pride in Davis Cup. He's something of an honorary team captain in this way. He has certainly been a warrior over the years for Argentina. No one can dispute that. During this time, he has almost always been the best player on the team as well, though.
Now that's no longer the case. Juan Martin del Potro is far and away the best player on the squad and in the eyes of some, that makes him more equipped to be the leader of the team. Needless to say Nalbandian doesn't agree.
Those issues shouldn't rear their ugly head this weekend as del Potro isn't playing, but injuries and form will be an issue. Nalbandian seems to be chronically injured at this point in his career. Juan Monaco, the second-best Argentine player in the world (don't tell Nalbandian), seems to be healthy enough, but he got blown off the court in the first round of the Australian Open.They are at home and have the choice of surface, two factors that might be their saving grace against what should be a game German squad.
- Quietly, Switzerland and the Czech Republic has turned into a really interesting match. The Czechs are the defending champions, but they aren't at full strength. Radek Stepanek, who came up huge in the final last year, is out with injury.
Tomas Berdych is still there and Lukas Rosol is a solid player, but the two players behind them are ranked 192 and 272 in the world. Berdych and Rosol are going to be asked to do a lot.
On the other side of the net, Switzerland will be without Roger Federer, but with the way Stanislas Wawrinka played against Novak Djokovic in their match at the Australian Open, that might be okay. The Berdych/Wawrinka match has chance to be special.
- For Davis Cup junkies like me, it doesn't get much better than Austria vs. Kazakhstan. These two nations won't come to mind when you are thinking of tennis powers and yet, one of these teams is going to advance to the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup. I think that's pretty neat.
I think it will also be a really competitive tie. Only one player from these two teams really stands out and that's Jurgen Melzer. Melzer, at one time a top-15 player on tour, is a perfect Davis Cup player. He is a very solid singles player that will be expected to control his singles matches this weekend and he's also an accomplished doubles player, even though he isn't often asked to play doubles.
Don't count out Kazakhstan, though. This team has some fight. Just making it to the world group a couple of years ago was a huge accomplishment and staying there has been even bigger. Mikhail Kukushkin, their top player, finds himself ranked 155 right now, but he has been as high as 49 in the world and he made it to the Australian Open round of 16 in 2012. Although it probably doesn't bode well that he lost to Jurgen Melzer in straight sets in the first round of the 2013 Australian Open.
I obviously love tennis. That's what I'm writing this blog.
I'm also a sucker for international competition. Every four years, I drop everything and dive deep into the Olympics. The World Cup is what made me a casual soccer fan. I can't stand golf, particularly watching golf on television, but when it's time for the Ryder Cup, I'll watch a round or two.
The tennis community is somewhat lukewarm on the Davis Cup in general, but I'm hopeful that if you're one of the ones that's on the fence about how you feel about the event, I can get you off the fence with my five thoughts ahead of the weekend.
- This weekend will give us a look into the future of the United States Davis Cup team. Over the last five or six years, there hasn't been a ton of stability within the program. Roddick won some big matches for the US over the years, but later in his career, injuries and his choice to bypass the event took him out of the lineup at times. Mardy Fish's late-career resurgence put him back in the thick of things, but he has had trouble staying in the lineup. Sam Querrey's rise up the rankings put him in the mix, but then injuries took him right back out for over a year. Ryan Harrison has made cameos over the last couple of years, but his game hasn't come along as quickly as anyone would like.
But with Roddick's retirement, Fish's heart condition that may very well end his career and solid seasons from John Isner and Querrey, I think we know, barring something unforeseen, what the US lineup is going to look like for, hopefully, the next three years. Isner and Querrey should have five or six more years of quality play left and the Bryan brothers have said that they aren't planning on retiring until after the 2016 Olympics. It's not Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Todd Martin, but it's not bad.
- Don't look now, but Canada finds themselves in a must-win match. When the team nominations were announced, I thought the Canadians had a more than realistic chance of beating a Spain team that was going to be without Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. Now that Nicolas Almagro is going to be out with injury, Canada is the odds-on favorite.
It's probably not fair, as a matter of fact I know it's not fair, but there will be a ton of criticism heaped on young star Milos Raonic if the Canadians don't come through. He has a reputation for wilting against the top players on tour on the big stages and losing this weekend certainly won't help change that perception.
- If you're a fan of soap operas, Argentina is the Davis Cup team for you. It seems that it's always something with them.
The most notable issue for the Argentine team, as it has been for several years now, is the power struggle at the top. David Nalbandian takes a special pride in Davis Cup. He's something of an honorary team captain in this way. He has certainly been a warrior over the years for Argentina. No one can dispute that. During this time, he has almost always been the best player on the team as well, though.
Now that's no longer the case. Juan Martin del Potro is far and away the best player on the squad and in the eyes of some, that makes him more equipped to be the leader of the team. Needless to say Nalbandian doesn't agree.
Those issues shouldn't rear their ugly head this weekend as del Potro isn't playing, but injuries and form will be an issue. Nalbandian seems to be chronically injured at this point in his career. Juan Monaco, the second-best Argentine player in the world (don't tell Nalbandian), seems to be healthy enough, but he got blown off the court in the first round of the Australian Open.They are at home and have the choice of surface, two factors that might be their saving grace against what should be a game German squad.
- Quietly, Switzerland and the Czech Republic has turned into a really interesting match. The Czechs are the defending champions, but they aren't at full strength. Radek Stepanek, who came up huge in the final last year, is out with injury.
Tomas Berdych is still there and Lukas Rosol is a solid player, but the two players behind them are ranked 192 and 272 in the world. Berdych and Rosol are going to be asked to do a lot.
On the other side of the net, Switzerland will be without Roger Federer, but with the way Stanislas Wawrinka played against Novak Djokovic in their match at the Australian Open, that might be okay. The Berdych/Wawrinka match has chance to be special.
- For Davis Cup junkies like me, it doesn't get much better than Austria vs. Kazakhstan. These two nations won't come to mind when you are thinking of tennis powers and yet, one of these teams is going to advance to the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup. I think that's pretty neat.
I think it will also be a really competitive tie. Only one player from these two teams really stands out and that's Jurgen Melzer. Melzer, at one time a top-15 player on tour, is a perfect Davis Cup player. He is a very solid singles player that will be expected to control his singles matches this weekend and he's also an accomplished doubles player, even though he isn't often asked to play doubles.
Don't count out Kazakhstan, though. This team has some fight. Just making it to the world group a couple of years ago was a huge accomplishment and staying there has been even bigger. Mikhail Kukushkin, their top player, finds himself ranked 155 right now, but he has been as high as 49 in the world and he made it to the Australian Open round of 16 in 2012. Although it probably doesn't bode well that he lost to Jurgen Melzer in straight sets in the first round of the 2013 Australian Open.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Just What is a Dirt Rat?
I'm happy you asked.
A dirt rat is a tennis term with a couple of definitions.
Often times, it is used as something of a derogatory term. Used this way, it is a name given to a player that does most of his or her damage at clay court tournaments, many of which take place in far-flung places in Europe and Latin America.
Taking it one step further, it can also imply that said player hoards points, thus inflating their ranking, based almost solely on their performances in these clay court events.
Until his mid-to-late career push to be a perennial top-five player, David Ferrer might have been lumped into this group. Right now, I'd have to say that Juan Monaco fits this bill. I'm not trying to take anything away from Monaco. He is a solid pro and he has played some of his best tennis over the last year or so. But he's not the 12th best player in the world, as his ranking would indicate.
Of his seven career tournament wins, only one is on a surface other than clay. He has been the runner-up at nine different tournaments in his career and, again, only one has been on a surface other than clay. His first-round exit in straight sets at the Australian Open just goes to show what can happen to him when he plays off of his favorite surface.
So that's one use.
The other use of the term is far more positive.
I like to think of a dirt rat as a real grinder. A player that goes all out for every point. Think the aforementioned David Ferrer or a couple favorites of mine, Marcos Baghdatis and Lleyton Hewitt.
I have a lot of respect for this type of player. There is something to be said about going into a match knowing that you don't have the big weapons other players have and still finding a way to be competitive. Above all else, these guys bring their best every single day.
That's the spirit I'm going for in this blog. I'm going to cover tennis from all angles. I will be looking to cover the Grand Slam tournaments, sure, but I also want to bring coverage of smaller tournaments all over the globe.
I'm looking forward to getting started. I hope you will come along for the ride.
A dirt rat is a tennis term with a couple of definitions.
Often times, it is used as something of a derogatory term. Used this way, it is a name given to a player that does most of his or her damage at clay court tournaments, many of which take place in far-flung places in Europe and Latin America.
Taking it one step further, it can also imply that said player hoards points, thus inflating their ranking, based almost solely on their performances in these clay court events.
Until his mid-to-late career push to be a perennial top-five player, David Ferrer might have been lumped into this group. Right now, I'd have to say that Juan Monaco fits this bill. I'm not trying to take anything away from Monaco. He is a solid pro and he has played some of his best tennis over the last year or so. But he's not the 12th best player in the world, as his ranking would indicate.
Of his seven career tournament wins, only one is on a surface other than clay. He has been the runner-up at nine different tournaments in his career and, again, only one has been on a surface other than clay. His first-round exit in straight sets at the Australian Open just goes to show what can happen to him when he plays off of his favorite surface.
So that's one use.
The other use of the term is far more positive.
I like to think of a dirt rat as a real grinder. A player that goes all out for every point. Think the aforementioned David Ferrer or a couple favorites of mine, Marcos Baghdatis and Lleyton Hewitt.
I have a lot of respect for this type of player. There is something to be said about going into a match knowing that you don't have the big weapons other players have and still finding a way to be competitive. Above all else, these guys bring their best every single day.
That's the spirit I'm going for in this blog. I'm going to cover tennis from all angles. I will be looking to cover the Grand Slam tournaments, sure, but I also want to bring coverage of smaller tournaments all over the globe.
I'm looking forward to getting started. I hope you will come along for the ride.
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