Both Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have punched tickets for the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Australian Open. That fact has caused me to revisit their match at Wimbledon last year even though they still each have to win to set up a sequel. Their Wimbledon match was not the match of the year by…
Tag: Tennis History
Federer Throttles Dimitrov and Reaches First Final of 2015
Roger Federer collected his third career win versus his shadow Grigor Dimitrov. I am not going to read too much into Dimitov’s one-sided loss, but at 33 Roger Federer is someone Dimitrov should press a bit more than he has to date. Dimitrov only won 4 games in this match and is now 0-3 (0-6 in…
Why in my Mind Novak Djokovic is Number One for 2014
I have never hidden the fact that I enjoy Roger Federer’s play and his winning as much as I’ve enjoyed watching or rooting for any player in tennis history. I try to be fair, but I think objectivity is a fictional location that, like Utopia, does not exist for human beings. Roger Federer trails Novak…
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…
Can Hewitt exact some Revenge on Karlovic for 2003?
Karlovic has been a hard nut to crack for Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt entered Wimbledon 2003 as the defending champion and as the top player of the New Balls generation. His peers were making inroads prior to Wimbledon 2003. Juan Carlos Ferrero was an Australian Open quarterfinalist and won Roland Garros. Andy Roddick was an Australian…
Federer or in Some Ways it is Always 2003
Nole will need to make Federer feel the grass and dirt After Nick Kyrgios’ explosive performance versus Rafael Nadal, I wrote about how that win brought me back to Boris Becker’s 1985 Wimbledon victory. Becker’s early years helped inspire me to play tennis so I am always fascinated to see a player breakout and become…
Kyrgios or In Some Ways it is Always 1985
The unexpected drew me to tennis in 1985 Rafael Nadal Forever Young? Rafael Nadal has always been a revolutionary figure in tennis. Whether it is his method for hitting the ball with record RPMs, his ushering in a new level of athleticism, or his raging bull persona, Rafa has always seemed to be young. He’s…
The Loss of the Serve Volley Game Explained in Under 7 Minutes
I love the geometry and angles of the serve and volley game. By today’s standards, I hit an exceptionally flat forehand and used to be a serve-volley player in the junior ranks. Well I need a Jurassic Park makeover.
At What Point does a Fan Transition from Clay to Grass?
Just a Bit of Musing Queen’s Club has a lot of history. Many winners have gone on to do serious damage at Wimbledon (see Murray, Andy in 2013 for the most recent example). Halle has gotten a major boost from Roger Federer winning the event in 2003-2006, 2008 (all part of Federer’s 65 match grass…
Serena Williams: At a Crossroads? Probably Not
Cue Jim Morrison to Sing The End? When Do Questions Start? As a champion declines, there are always points when questions about his or her future move from the subconscious to the conscious to the public. Pete Sampras’ loss to Marat Safin at the 2000 US Open was not the start of this talk…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 