Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life

Olympic Tennis Review: 1988 Graf was Golden

Originally posted on Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life:
Preview Olympic Tennis has had a lot of ups and downs. During some Olympic years, the tennis events have seemed at best like a 500 point tour level tournament while other years have produced high drama for the sport. With Davis Cup, Federation Cup,…

Petra Kvitova Attacked

I have no special words and do not know any details beyond what has been reported regarding Petra Kvitova being attacked during a home robbery and sustaining injuries. Petra Kvitova underwent hand surgery after this attack. I hope the tennis world rallies around her. Focus on the sport of tennis can wax and wane due…

5 Closest Calls for Australian Men at the Australian Open since 1976

Not Everything has been Rosy in the Land of Oz, but a Few Men have Come Close Mats Wilander d. Pat Cash 1988 Final Round: 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6 Near miss Stefan Edberg d. Pat Cash 1987 Final Round: 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3 Cash had momentum, but Edberg pulled away in the 5th…

Jim Courier The Entrepreneur Former Australian Open Champions Part 2

Originally posted on Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life:
Jim Courier: the Entrepreneur The 1992 and 1993 Australian Open Men’s Champion Jim Courier has been a strong presence in tennis since retiring without overshadowing active players. Although Courier made his Grand Slam breakthrough in Paris on red clay, I think the Australian Open…

Sampras Turns 41 and Federer Turns 31

Originally posted on Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life:
Familiar Faces Sampras ushered in a new age in 1990 By some luck for tennis junkies, Pete Sampras was born on August 12, 1971 and Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981. The two men are almost exactly 10 years apart in age. …

Thomas Muster: What Was and What Might Have Been

I am not sure anyone can overstate what Muster did to come back from his injuries in early 1989. An automobile accident in Miami nearly cost Muster his life. In 1989, Muster reached the Australian Open semifinal round losing to Ivan Lendl and had reached the championship round at Masters Miami hours before being injured…

The Top 10 Male Australian Open Champions

Originally posted on Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life:
This is the first installment in a series looking at the best performers at each Grand Slam event. I will look at the 10 best champions on the male and female sides of Open Era tennis and explain why they are ranked where they…

Davis Cup 2016: Argentina Shocks the World (and Me)!

Croatia led 2 to 1 heading into the final day of the Davis Cup. Marin Cilic is a top 10 player who had won matches on days 1 and 2. A home court crowd plus a surface selected to benefit the Croatians spelled doom for Argentina in my mind. I figured even if JMDP won…

Davis Cup 2016: Day 3 Predictions

Predicted Winners in BOLD Marin CILIC vs. Juan Martin DEL POTRO – At the 2010 Australian Open, Cilic won a 5 set match over Delpo that seemed to draw battlelines for a coming decade of big man tennis. These are the two best practitioners of Big Man tennis in my view. When healthy, each can…

Davis Cup 2016: Day 2 Doubles Prediction

Ivan DODIG & Franko SKUGOR VS Leonardo MAYER & Guido PELLA This match is likely to decide the winner. I could see Croatia sweeping the Day 3 singles matches, but Argentina almost certainly needs this point. I rarely predict doubles matches due to not knowing enough to say X is more likely than Y with…

Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life

Chess and Tennis: Chess Can Be Good for Your Tennis Game

Interviewing the University of Louisville’s Alex Wesbrooks

Tennis and Father’s Day: My Reflection

Interviewing Dartmouth’s Dan Martin

Madie Cook Interview: 4 Year NCAA Division 1 Player

Catholicism and Jimmy Connors: Blood on the Court