3Victoria Azarenka vs. 7Sara Errani - Based on clay court form, I’d take Errani, but I think the 2013 Australian Open champion and the World #1 are on a collision course. Azarenka in 2 close sets is my pick.
Men’s Semifinal Matches
2Roger Federer vs. Benoit Paire - Federer beat Paire easily in Madrid. I think this match will be closer, but Roger should advance in 2 close sets.
5Rafael Nadal vs. 6Tomas Berdych - This is the match of the day. Nadal should win. Still, Nadal has lost two matches on clay in 2013 and has dropped 2 sets to Ferrer and 1 set to Gulbis over the past two events. I have been bullish on Berdych’s form throughout 2013. I think Nadal will win in straight sets, but if any of these four matches is going to be an gem it is this one.
5 Rafael Nadal vs. Pablo Andujar – If Andujar is ever going to win against Rafa, this is his chance. Nadal played 2 tough sets and a 3rd set versus Ferrer. Nadal is also seemingly a little rusty. The altitude in Madrid has never been to Rafa’s liking. Still, I don’t think anyone sanely picks an upset here.
6 Tomas Berdych vs. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka – Berdych to this point inb 2013 has outplayed Roger Federer and looks like a top 5 player. Wawrinka is on a serious roll. This is close to a 50-50 match, but I think Warinka is currently playing the best tennis of his career.
Semifinals
1 Serena Williams vs. 7 Sara Errani - Serena seems ripe for an upset, and Errani could do it based upon her runner-up finish at Roland Garros in 2012. Recent form seems to have little impact on how Serena will play in a given situation. I think Williams is close enough to the finish line in Madrid to win this semifinal.
2 Maria Sharapova vs. 16 Ana Ivanovic - Ivanovic has put together some decent results at different times since her brief stint at number one. I hope she gets back to the top five, but I am not going to bank on such a rebound at this stage of her career.
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [1] v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) – Kuznetsova has a chance. Still, the defending champion and world #1 has a method for ceasing to be an afterthought – beat people. I think Vika wins in 2 tight sets.
Serena Williams (USA) [3] v Sloane Stephens (USA) [29] – Great result for Stephens, but the road ends here. Serena is looking determined and Sharapova’s steamrolling likely motivates Serena for a top level showdown to decide the title.
Serena Williams (3) vs. Maria Kierilenko (14) – Kirilenko is a sound player. Still, Serena is on a roll.
Caroline Wozniacki (10) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova - Kuzy beat Wozniacki in a tune-up. This is a possible upset. I just think Wozniacki will be steady enough, as she was at the 2010 US Open, to grind out a close win. I am almost certain that this match will go 3 sets.
The recent controversy about Caroline Wozniacki’s impersonation of Serena Williams got me thinking about the history of impersonating a player’s ticks or idiosyncrasies. My mind initially thought that Jonas Bjorkman was the progenitor of this fad. His rain delay US Open fodder of lighthearted imitations did indeed pave the way to Djokovic’s 2007 US Open impersonation tour. However, a more contentious and longer history came into my mind the more I thought about the topic. It is doubtful that Rod Laver ever impersonated John Newcombe, but since the late 1980′s impersonations have popped up and generally engendered bad feelings.
1988 – Boris Becker Imitates and Gets Imitated by Pat Cash
Boris Becker won Wimbledon in 1985 and 1986. Pat Cash was the defending champion having claimed the title in 1987. Their 1988 quarterfinal round battle lived up to the hype, but not because of the tennis. Becker won the match routinely 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Here is how Mitch Album described the memorable events on June 30, 1988:
Well. Let us take you to the second set Wednesday: Becker was leading, 4-1, and Cash came charging, hit a volley winner — and fell over the net.
Fell over the net? Yes. And Becker got so excited, he somersaulted over the net as well. Wheee. Are we having fun, or what? Now we had two guys on the wrong side. Becker was kidding. He offered his hand. Cash was serious. He offered his thoughts.
“What did he say?” someone asked Becker.
“I don’t think I should repeat it,” Becker said. “He taught me some new words in English.”
And the girls screamed. Cash wigs out after losing
But wait. Before you castigate Cash for being a poor sport, let us take you now to the post-game press conference — after Becker had humbled Cash in two hours and 17 minutes. Everyone figured the moody, broody Australian wouldn’t show, right? He had just lost his title.
But here he came, wearing a red punk-rock wig, all spikes and points. The kind that makes you look like Son of Porcupine.
1988 – Agassi Ticks off Connors and McEnroe Simultaneously
Andre Agassi’s first US Open tilt with Jimmy Connors was seen as a passing of the torch as Agassi would assume the mantle as the top US born player. John McEnroe was watching as well. At some point during the match, Agassi imitated McEnroe’s serving motion, an act that infuriated Johnny Mac. Agassi’s post-match comments angered Connors into making a biting paternity joke. Agassi did win the match 6-2, 7-6, 6-1.
1989 – Boris Becker gets Imitated by McEnroe
Boris Becker defeated John McEnroe in an epic Davis Cup encounter in Hartford, Connecticut in 1987 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2. Even before that match, McEnroe and Becker had exchanged tense words and stares dating back to their first match. McEnroe’s autobiography You Cannot Be Serious describes their relationship as generally being that of friendly rivals. At times, tensions did boil over. McEnroe saw fit to challenge perceived gamesmanship on Becker’s part during their semifinal encounter at the 1989 Paris Indoor. McEnroe loudly coughed in response to Boris Becker’s characteristic cough. At a changeover, Becker asked for compassion, and McEnroe retorted that Becker had been sick since 1985. McEnroe calling Becker out for gamesmanship in this manner did not endear him to the crowd and helped inspire Becker to a 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 victory. McEnroe even recounted that this event led to a post-match argument with his first wife.
1998 – Andre Agassi Mocks Karol Kucera
Karol Kucera had a great season in 1998. He reached an Australian Open semifinal and a US open quarterfinal. Along the way, Kucera dispatched of Andre Agassi in the 1998 US Open round of 16 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3. Kucera’s return of serve and ability to change the pace and direction of the ball during a rally mystified Agassi. Head games were the only thing that made this match close. Agassi, irritated by either the scoreline or Kucera’s frequently errant service toss, began to imitate a Kucera. Agassi timidly approached the service line and mockingly attempted to toss the ball. Beyond that, Agassi hit moonballs to his upstart opponent. These tactics unnerved Kucera and helped the match extend to 5 sets. Personally, this is the lowest moment of tennis imitations that I can remember. Agassi was simply trying to throw his opponent off through mockery.
The Sampras-Agassi Hit for Haiti Debacle
The first Hit or Haiti was an unqualified success. Major world athletes threw together an enjoyable charity event without the meddling hands of sponsors and agents. It was a feel good event. When Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were added to the mix for a sequel charity doubles match, things looked great, right? Who would not want to see all-court maestro’s Roger Federer and Pete Sampras take on two men who revolutionized backcourt tennis in Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal? It did not live up to the hype.
“That aint personal.” (?)
Sampras and Agassi already had some bad blood from Agassi’s recently published autobiography Open. Agassi did not take Sampras’ imitation well and threw out a tasteless imitation implying that Pete is cheap. Sampras went head hunting, and Agassi still pressed his claim of Sampras’ stinginess.
Lessons?
Boris Becker attempted a funny net dive when playing Pat Cash and was repaid by Cash wearing an ugly red wig?!?! John McEnroe’s impersonation of Becker helped to inspire his opponent to victory and started an argument with his then wife. Andre Agassi angered or incited John McEnroe and Karol Kucera with impersonations. Agassi responded badly to Pete Sampras impersonating him. This spiraled to a tit for tat impersonation that managed to ruin a fundraiser for a natural disaster. Caroline Wozniacki, as well as Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic, have made questionable imitations of Serena Williams’ body-type.
My advice is that unless an impersonation serves a purpose and is obviously approved of by the player being mimicked (a la Djokovic’s take on Guga) to not do imitations. My main reason for saying this is not that charitable events or marriages might be threatened. My advice for not doing imitations stems from the fact that impersonations have been done to death and are not terribly comical (Gustavo Djokovic aside). If comedy is not funny, what is it?
The Exception that Proves the Rule? (No Impersonations Unless They are This Funny?)
Nole’s recent hilarious send-up of Guga reminded us of how good these can be (remember US Open 2007). Nole’s recent take on Serena was tedious. Is this like tennis’ version of the comic book movie genre?
Victoria Azarenka has had a great, and I mean great, 2012. She won her first Grand Slam final in Melbourne in convincing fashion. That victory led to her becoming #1 in the world in a manner that Jankovic, Safina and Wozniacki never did. She had a great winning streak. Vika won a Gold Medal in mixed doubles and a Bronze Medal in singles to add to her trophy case.
She now has an opportunity. Right now Vika is the #2 player in the world in my mind and in the minds of most tennis fans and pundits. A win today would mean 2 slams, 2 Olympic medals and control of the destiny of the WTA. In 2011, Vika played Serena tough losing 1-6, 6-7. At Wimbledon 2012, Vika lost 3-6, 6-7. Their Olympic match was a thrashing, but Azarenka was the one player in this draw that I thought had a realistic shot at beating Serena.*
Will she win? I don’t think so. Sernea is clearly #1 on grass courts. I think Serena is #1 everywhere else as well. I expect the match to be reasonably close, but Serena’s serve, ability to go from defense to offense and will to win set her apart in most of these big occasions. For Vika to win, she will need to force Sernea to play defensive tennis when possible, shift from defense to offense when possible and play great defense herself. Those are a lot of “ifs” needed for victory so I will pick the consensus favorite to take her 4th US Open title. Prediction: Serena Williams d. Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-3.
* – Kim Clijsters lengthy winning streak at the US Open made me think she had a miraculous shot at winning the title as well.
We saw this same match in the 2007 US Open semifinal round. The good news for David Ferrer is he is playing much better than he did in 2007. The bad news is that Novak Djokovic is playing much better as well. Novak is 32-1 in his 5 most recent hard court Grand Slam events. Ferrer has played magnificent tennis in 2012 and especially here in New York. I think Ferrer will earn a set vs. Nole, but Novak is going to his 3rd consecutive US Open final. The deciding factor is Nole’s return and serve are both stronger than Ferrer’s. That is too much real estate to surrender and expect to win a 3 out of 5 set match. Prediction: Novak Djokovic d. David Ferrer 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Berdych has beaten Murray on clay and could bully him off of the court. However, I think Murray’s speed will be the difference in this match. If Murray can dig out some of Berdych’s booming shots and force the big man to scramble some via counter-punching, Murray wins in 4 sets. Prediction: Andy Murray d. Tomas Berdych 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Victoria Azarenka (1) vs. Maria Sharapova (3) – Sharapova reversed her career troubles vs. Vika on clay this year. AA Sharapova win would not shock me; especially if Vika is drained either emotionally or physically from her quarterfinal match. Nevertheless, Vika dominated Sharapova on hard courts in big occasions twice this year.
Serena Williams (4) vs. Sara Errani (10) – Errani will have to play incredible defense and make her way to the net to have a chance at winning. I love Errani’s spirit, and she has had a great 2012. Her Grand Slam run in 2012 ends today.
