Archive | US Open RSS feed for this section

Andy Roddick in Retrospect

15 Sep

Roddick Start to Finish

I first heard of Andy Roddick during the 2000 US Open final when the announcers mentioned the winners of the junior US Open events.  I saw Andy Roddick’s final match as he lost to Juan Martin del Potro.  I will miss seeing Roddick in major draws.  It became apparent after some health issues scuttled a promising start to 2010 that Andy Roddick was no longer an outside threat to win majors.   Roddick kept plugging away and won in Memphis in 2011 and at Eastbourne and Atlanta in 2012.  Roddick winning at least one title per year for 12 years and finishing 9 consecutive years in the top 10 are among his best marks on the tour.  His US Open title and year end finish at #1 in 2003 are his other great accomplishments.

Roddick Reached His Goals

Andy Roddick set out four goals when he became a tennis pro.  He wanted to win the US Open and Wimbledon titles, he wanted to reach #1 in the world rankings and he wanted to win a Davis Cup title for the United States.  Roddick won the US Open and reached the #1 ranking during the 2003 season.  In 2007, Roddick helped the US win the Davis Cup title.  Wimbledon was not to be, but Roddick was a runner-up in 2004, 2005 and 2009.

Roddick was an Australian Open semifinalist in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.  He reached two other Australian Open quarterfinal rounds in 2004 and 2010.  His Australian Open results alone outstrip the Grand Slam results of James Blake, John Isner and Mardy Fish combined.  His 3 Wimbledon runner-up finishes were joined by a semifinal finish in 2003 and a quarterfinal finish in 2007.  At the US Open Roddick added a runner-up finish in 2006 as well as quarterfinal finishes in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2011 to his 2003 title.  US tennis had a consistent second week performer in Andy Roddick.  A replacement is not on the horizon.

Did Not Become a National Sports Figure

After Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open and was soon on the Best Damn Sports Show Period laughing it up with retired professional athletes.  Roddick may yet become a national sports figure by pursuing his career in Sports Radio.  He has been a regular guest of Dan Patrick and already has a radio show.  Roddick never got to be a national sports figure for casual tennis fans because Roger Federer frankly blunted his drives for success from 2004-2007 when Roddick had chances to increase his Grand Slam haul.  Roddick had the personality to engage the average US sports fan’s psyche, but he needed more elite results to cross-over.  It just did not happen.  He may have a last laugh in that he beat Roger Federer in their final head-to-head match earlier this year, but Federer will always be linked to Roddick’s career.

My Memories

  • I first remember how heavy Roddick’s second serve seemed when he played some clay court events in the US in 2001.
  • I thought Roddick looked positively awesome in the early rounds of the 2004 US Open (including a shellacking of a young Rafa Nadal) only to lose in the quarters.
  • He had a lot of high profile coaching changes, but Larry Stefanki seemed to be the right man for his late career.
  • I am a Federer fan, but I was gutted to see his composure and pain after the 2009 Wimbledon final.
  • His 2010 win in Miami beating Nadal in the semifinal round and Berdych in the championship match was his last super high point.
  • He won his final head-to-head match with Roger Federer and lost his last Australian Open match to Lleyton Hewitt.

Tags: , , , ,

Post US Open Power Ranking – The Rise of Andy Murray

11 Sep

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Ranking

Post US Open Edition

  1. Andy Murray – He has won the most recent Grand Slam event as well as a Gold Medal in singles.  Murray is riding high.  I am not sure where this will lead, but two things are fact.  First, Murray is no longer the best player to never win a Grand Slam title.  Second, Ivan Lendl has made a huge impact on Murray’s mental game.  Change from last ranking +2 
  2. Novak Djokovic - Nole played well enough in the 3rd and 4th sets to know that his A game is still the best in the world.  Still, 2012 is a drop off from the consistent excellence he demonstrated in 2011.  Nole is probably the best player in the world, but at the last 4 big events he lost to Nadal, Federer, and Murray (twice).  Nole has to reassert his focus and his confidence on his rivals if he is to become a dominant number one again.
  3. Roger Federer – Is the Roger Federer who won Wimbledon and Cincinnati recently the Roger we will see going forward?  Is the Roger Federer who struggled against Novak in Paris, against Murray in the Olympic games and lost to Berdych in New York the Roger we will see going forward?  We will see both in the next 2-3 years.  Roger can still play at a high level, but at 31 he needs more ideal circumstances and a few breaks to see that level as frequently as we once did.  Change since last ranking – 2
  4. Rafael Nadal – Rafa won the French Open, 3 other clay court events and lost an epic Australian Open final.  Until those points start to fall off, he is pretty well encamped in my top 4.  Nadal’s recovery is a huge story.  If the gang of 4 remains in tact, tennis is in a state of stability. However, if Rafa declines or is absent, a lot more opportunities for reaching Grand Slam final weekends exist.
  5. David Ferrer – His win vs. Tipsarevic alone speaks well of Ferrer.  The other Spaniard finally reached the final four at the French Open and got destroyed by Nadal.  Ferrer responded by winning a grass court event, pushing Murray hard in the Wimbledon quarterfinal round, and reaching his second US Open semifinal.  Change since last ranking +2 
  6. Tomas Berdych – The big Czech looked like a Grand Slam force in 2010.  His play in New York reminds us that this is still possible.  His lousy grass court season is in the past.  Change from last ranking +4
  7. Janko Tipsarevic – Tipsy is not helping his q rating or any good guy status he may have had after ugly twitter wars.  Still, Janko has played well in 2012 and also displayed an excellent level of fight at the US Open.  Change from last ranking – Not Ranked 
  8. Marin Cilic – The Croatian has slowly returned to his 2009 and early 2010 form.  Change from last ranking – Not Ranked  
  9. Juan Martin del Potro – Delpo reached his 3rd Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year, but his ability to beat top players is coming into question.  His wrist and knees are perhaps putting his game into a plateau.   Change from last week – 4
  10. Nicolas Almagro - Nico had a reasonably good showing in New York.

Biggest Movers – Tomas Berdych +4 and Juan Martin del Potro – 4

Newcomers – Marin Cilic and Janko Tipsarevic

Dropped Out – John Isner, Richard Gasquet, and Juan Monaco.

Tags: , ,

Andy Murray vs. Novak Djokovic – My Pick

10 Sep

Dear readers,

I have had some difficulty the past 8 days with predictable access to the internet.  This is not great timing for a Grand Slam, but life does what it does sometimes.  In tennis news:
I am picking Andy Murray to win 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.

Why?

  • I know Djokovic is 33-1 in his past 5 Hard Court Slams
  • I know Novak beat Murray down under and in Miami this year
  • I know Novak is playing some of his best tennis of 2012

I think Murray will win for 3 reasons:

  1. It is time.  Murray has reached his 5th slam final.  He’s due.  He played pretty well at Wimbledon and won Olympic Gold by beating Novak and Roger back-to-back (yes on grass but still…).
  2. Ivan Lendl has paid off as coach.  Novak is in his 3rd consecutive US Open final and 4th overall.  Lendl reached 8 consecutive US Open finals.  Lendl will give Murray good advice on both a plan A and a plan B in this match.
  3. The only way to end the trend of Monday finals that started in 2008 is for the man who lost that final to take home a US Open title.  Federer won in 08 and had 4 other US Open titles.  Delpo beat Fed in 09 who already had 5 titles.  Rafa beat Novak in 2010, and Nole beat Rafa in 2011.  The only Monday finalist to not have a US Open crown is Murray.

Close to a 50-50 Match

On paper, Novak is a slight favorite.  Point three’s numerology was a disaster of a point.  These two guys are incredibly quick and have tremendous return games.  I think the winner will be the player who serves better to minimize the return pressure of his opponent.  Murray ended the Olympics with multiple aces.  I think mentally he is ready to have a day where his game clicks and have a match where he is confident that he has the goods when he goes to the well for a big shot.

My Head says Novak in 4

My Gut says Murray in 4

My Heart says a Match of Equal Quality to their 2012 Australian Open tilt.

Enjoy!

Tags: , , , ,

US Open Super Saturday Match Previews and Picks

8 Sep

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Women’s Final

 Victoria Azarenka (1) vs. Serena Williams (4)

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.

Semifinals

Novak Djokovic (2) vs. David Ferrer (4)

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.

Andy Murray (3) vs. Tomas Berdych (6)

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

US Open Final Weekend a Preview of a Post Fedal World

7 Sep

Golden Age

Many words have been written about how great Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been for tennis.  Each has been nearly omnipresent on the big stage for many years.  Both players are respected by fans and the media alike.  Most importantly, each appeals to different sensibilities.  Nadal draws on the gritty hustle driven tennis that many love.  Nadal is a worthy successor to players such as Jimmy Connors, but he has superseded grinders like Jimbo because most of Nadal’s grit comes from a place that is not as dark or negative as Connors or Hewitt’s grit.  Federer is a hybrid of 1990′s players such as Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg and artistic players such as John McEnroe or even Henri Leconte.  Federer blends these styles while being more media and fan friendly than Sampras was while being a genius with consistency many have lacked and without the inner turmoil of John McEnroe.

Post Fedal World

The Fedal Era is not over.  Federer has won a tour leading 6 titles this year including Wimbledon and 3 Masters 1000 events.  Rafael Nadal dominated the clay court season as comprehensively as most of his best years and more so than he did in 2011.  However, injuries and age will eventually make tennis a sport that is no longer directed by these two different yet excellent ambassadors.  This weekend will give us a glimpse of what that reality may resemble.

Janko Tipsarevic’s twitter war is evidence that tennis’ image may not be entrusted to players with the likability and savvy of Rafa or Roger.  The out of touch spoiled tennis stereotype may indeed get another run.  Nevertheless, I think the future is not in a bad spot.  David Ferrer represents a style of play and a work ethic that is easy to embrace.  Novak Djokovic has been an ambassador for the sport since 2007 and his excellence in 2011 demonstrates that more great champions will arise in the future.  Andy Murray’s emotional defeat at Wimbledon and inspiring rebound at the 2012 Olympic games are proof that a man who has been on the cusp since September 2008 may yet breakthrough.  Tomas Berdych is an archetype for tall players such as Delpo, Sodeling and Cilic who move reasonably well and hit the ball with breathtaking power.  A champion will be crowned from these four non-Fedal players.  Each points toward a future that can be positive for tennis.

Tags: , , , ,

US Open Women’s Semifinal Picks

7 Sep

Semifinals

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.

Tags: , , , , ,

US Open Day 11 Picks

6 Sep

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic (2) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (7) – Delpo can beat Nole in a big match as he did so at the Olympic games, but Novak should advance in 4 sets.

David Ferrer (4) vs. Janko Tipsarevic (8) – Will Tipsy’s rage fuel an upset?  No.  Ferrer is so solid that I think he wins here and makes Novak work hard on Saturday.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

US Open Day 10 Men’s and Women’s Picks

5 Sep

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Quarterfinals

Roger Federer (1) vs. Tomas Berdych (6) – Berdych is playing well enough to pull the upset.  He has wins over Roger at the 2004 Olympic games and 2010 Wimbledon Championships.  Still, Federer is the favorite.

Maria Sharapova (3) vs. Marion Bartoli (11) 0-4 suspended – I am sticking with yesterday’s pick, but this match is more complicated than it was yesterday.

Andy Murray (3) vs. Marin Cilic (12) – Murray gets some revenge for 2009.

Serena Williams (4) vs. Ana Ivanovic (12) – Serena FTW

Sara Errani (10) vs. Roberta Vinci (20) – Successful doubles partners go head-to-head.  I am going to pick Vinci based on how much I liked her game on Monday, but Errani deserves to be the higher seed based on Paris.

Fourth Round

Novak Djokovic (2) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (18) 2-0 suspended – Nole is up a break.

Juan Martin del Potro (7) vs. Andy Roddick (20) 6-6 suspended – Roddick had a chance to salt away an early lead.  This can go either way, but I think that Delpo is the favorite if the emotional context were not present.

Janko Tipsarevic (8) vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (19) 5-2 suspended – I have to stick with yesterday’s pick, but it is obvious that Kohlschreiber will need to bounce back if he can win.  Will Tipsy ride the bad boy of twitter designation to some success? Did I just type bad boy of twitter?

Tags: , , , ,

US Open Day 9 Men’s and Women’s Picks

4 Sep

Projected Winners in BOLD

Quarterfinals
Victoria Azarenka (1) vs. Samantha Stosur (7) – Stosur has played well to get this far after a somewhat shaky post French Open stretch.  Still, the #1 seed should beat the defending champion in a close 2 set match.

Maria Sharapova (3) vs. Marion Bartoli (11) – Bartoli can beat just about anyone, but I think she used her big match vs. Kvitova.  Sharapova in 2.

Fourth Round
Novak Djokovic (2) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (18) – Stan will make Novak beat him, but I expect Nole to win in 3 or 4 sets.

David Ferrer (4) vs. Richard Gasquet (13) – I am going against my usual pick against Gasquet formula.  Ferrer is playing awfully well, and on paper he is the favorite.  I just have a feeling about Gasquet.

Juan Martin del Potro (7) vs. Andy Roddick (20) – 2003 Champion vs. 2009 Champion – This is hard to predict as the crowd is an X Factor.  If this is a Davis Cup environment, Roddick has a slight edge.  Under normal circumstances, I’d pick JMDP.  I think Delpo has enough mentally to get through in a tight match.

Janko Tipsarevic (8) vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (19) – A one-handed backhand bias in my picks today?  Maybe, but Kohlschreiber is capable of advancing.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Should Every Overrule Have an Automatic Shot Spot Review? POLL

4 Sep

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 899 other followers