Historical Waves Tennis players tend to arrive in waves. Pete Sampras was so dominant that his generation, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Sergi Bruguera, Goran Ivanisevic, Thomas Muster, Michael Chang, and Richard Krajicek, more or less eclipsed the next group of promising players. To be sure, Gustavo Kuerten, Patrick Rafter and Yevgeny Kafelnikov made marks…
Category: Ivan Lendl
Happy New Year and Links to My 2012 Predictions
Tennis Abides Community, I’d like to wish all of you a happy new year and a great start to 2012. I am looking forward to the Australian Open starting soon. Big news with Andy Murray hiring Ivan Lendl. I am not sure what to make of it, but it is an interesting hire. Here are…
Lendl and Sampras’ Impact on Federer’s 6 Year End Championships
A Major Accomplishment Winning 6 Masters/ATP World Championships/Masters Cups/World Tour Finals (Year End Championships hereafter)* is not an accomplishment on the same level as winning 16 Grand Slams. It is however no small task. To win a tournament that is only comprised of elite players is difficult. To win a tournament in which one has…
Youtube Tennis 11-27-2011 through 12-3-2011
3 Good Tennis Videos 1. Highlights from the ATP World Tour Finals Roger Federer d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 2. Highlights of Petra Kvitova’s Wimbledon Title Call me old fashioned,but I find it reassuring having a Wimbledon champion who is Czech and a lefty. 3. Boris Becker diving volley vs. Ivan Lendl in the…
Federer Sweeps and Tsonga Advances
Roger Federer d. Mardy Fish 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 Roger did not play his best tennis in completing a 3-0 sweep of his pool. Even in the one-sided 1st set Roger faced a lot of challenges while serving. Still, Roger brushed back Fish in the 3rd set after Fish found his range in an impressive 2nd…
Federer since 2008
2004-2007 Roger Federer’s results from 2004-2007 are the most remarkable 4 year period any male player has compiled. The accomplishments for these 4 years are too numerous to name in a single column, but 3 top highlights are Federer winning 11 Grand Slam titles, 3 Year End Championships and 41 total tournament titles. This…
Thomas Muster Retires Again
Thomas “Coach” Muster? A lot of good can be said about how hard Thomas Muster worked on and off of the tennis court. Muster is best know for his perseverance to overcome a freak knee injury and his amazing clay court play in 1995. Muster played a sort of visceral tennis that often looked like…
Creating Frankenstein’s Monsters of Tennis
The Inspiration Every October James Rolfe reviews one monster movie per day in his Monster Madness feature. This year he started off with Frankenstein. I thought it would be fun to stitch together the best shots in tennis and imagine animating these amalgamation players. The Rules Four tennis monsters will be created. Only one stroke/aspect can…
Youtube Tennis for 10-9-2011 through 10-15-2011
1. Andy Murray d. Rafael Nadal 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 Some highlights from their final encounter in Tokyo. A good sign for Murray who looks poised to rise to #3 in the world. Still, 3 Grand Slam semifinal losses to Nadal keep the edge in Rafa’s corner in big matches until Murray proves otherwise. Andy Murray…
Best One-Handed Backhand Ever (Poll)
Some Backhand Videos: Stefan Edberg – A series of great backhands from Edberg against Lendl Roger Federer – Saving match point at Wimbledon 2008 Petr Korda – Korda passing Sampras at the 1997 US Open Rod Laver – Laver vs. Bjorn Borg in 1976 Ivan Lendl – Nice backhands by Lendl vs. Becker Gustavo “Guga”…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 