When will Rafa be fully back? Points like this say his best form may be close Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Monaco I’d be a fool to say Nadal is not the favorite in this match. I still don’t think it will be easy. Monaco is a true pro in terms of his preparation, willingness to…
Month: February 2015
Buenos Aires 2015: Semifinal Predictions
Rafael Nadal vs. Carlos Berlocq Maybe I was being a bit harsh in my pick after looking at these highlights This is a mismatch. I know saying that about Rafa on clay is trite, but Berlocq’s game (which I love) is predicated on running, scrambling, grinding out points etc. He is not going to be…
Dubai 2015: Djokovic vs. Federer Prediction
A worthy sequel in 2015? The Dubai event always draws in a great field and when the draw holds up a tremendous final is in the offing. This year is no exception. Federer and Djokovic each won a title in Australia to start their seasons. Of course, Djokovic’s Australian Open is significantly more coveted than…
Dubai 2015: Semifinal Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs. Tomas Berdych I doubt it will be this one-sided, but I expect a similar result. Berdych has had a nice start to 2015. I don’t think he has much of a chance in this match, but Berdych has been quite consistent. Nole has won 2 of the past 3 slams after a…
Returning from Illness: 10 Quick Hits
I have been sick with assorted ailments throughout February. My kids and spouse have also had a mixture of maladies (I love alliteration). I am back to writing more regularly now. Stan Wawrinka winning Rotterdam and skipping Davis Cup makes me think he is tired of being on the outside of the Big 4. I…
Tennis at San Quentin from Vice Sports
This is an awesome story. I’d love to see a couple top 10 players pull a Johnny Cash and put on a tennis exhibition at San Quentin.
The Definitive Comparison: Federer vs. Dimitrov
Originally posted on The Tennis Island:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/roger-federer-and-grigor-dimitrov-take-part-in-the-pat-news-photo/460999326 Ever since Grigor Dimitrov burst onto the scene seven years ago, he’s been ceaselessly compared to one Roger Federer. Some have been highly critical of the parallels made between the two, but before anything is said, it’s essential to recognize that no two tennis players on the planet…
Andy Murray’s 5 Most Clutch Victories
Andy Murray left Melbourne with a 2-6 record in Grand Slam championship matches. Strangely, he’s played all 8 of these matches against 2 men: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Federer throttled Murray in 2008 when Federer looked vulnerable most of that summer after losing an epic 5 set clash with Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. Murray’s…
Tennis Abides working with Fanthem
Dear readers, This site is going no where. However, I will be posting a few things I write here at Fanthem. They approached me during the Australian Open to add to their tennis content. The goal is that some of their readers may check out Tennis Abides and some of my readers might check Fanthem. Thanks,…
2015 Power Ranking: Nole Wins #5 Down Under
Tennis Power Ranking 2015: #1 Given that I live so close to Cincinnati we can all hope these are used for seedings at Masters Cincinnati Novak Djokovic – Nole ended 2014 well and started 2015 with his 5th Australian Open title. He is set up nicely to finish his 4th year at #1 and is…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 