I have not been to Australia yet, but there are many things about Australian culture that I like. Of course, Australia has a supremely rich tennis tradition. I grew up serving and volleying so I am sure I would have loved Lew Hoad, I have autographs from Rod Laver (!), John Newcombe, Fred Stolle, and…
Tag: Patrick Rafter
Rafter Inspired Renaissance
Tennis racquets and strings have made hitting the ball easier for me. As a junior, I was at times too weak to hit a topspin one-handed backhand terribly often during a match. Even with a reasonably good underspin backhand, players quickly zeroed in on my backhand to get a predictable reply. Movement and conditioning seem…
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…
Wimbledon 2015: 5 Men that Leave with Momentum and 5 Men that Leave with Questions
5 Men that Leave with Momentum Novak Djokovic – The world #1 leaves London with his 9th major title and 3rd Wimbledon title. Novak played airtight tennis for nearly the entirety of the men’s final. He has now won 3 of his previous 4 Grand Slam finals and is in a class of his own…
US Open Memories: Rafter vs. Sampras 1998
This was a great match and maybe one of the last great clashes between two guys making their way toward the net with great frequency. Before tennis conditions began to slow down and strings began to make passing shots easier to hit, some attacking players were serve and then volley if necessary players. Sampras and…
Stan’s Rise Resembles?
Tennis champions have typically broken through in their late teens or early twenties. A lot has been made of the lack of teenagers in the top 50 and the success of players over thirty in recent years. The explanation, and it seems to be a sound one, is that tennis has become so physically demanding…
Top 10 Gentlemen’s Championship Matches #4 – #1
As I said, I am only ranking finals that I had a chance to watch. I did not see the 1980 final. I am sure it would rank highly if I had seen it. 4. 2007 Roger Federer d. Rafael Nadal 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 In 2006, Rafa and Roger traded 4 set wins…
Top 10 Gentlemen’s Championship Matches #10-#8
This Top 10 List is Based on Matches I have actually seen. I was four years old and did not see McEnroe vs. Borg in 1980 therefore I can’t rate it. This is also purely subjective as each of these matches have their merit. 10. 2000 Pete Sampras d. Patrick Rafter 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 