The Men: A 2008 Preview (Top Ten)

I just finished reading an incredible article by James Martin about tennis players becoming less and less political. As Martin suggests, tennis is a political sport, a game that stretches around the globe and includes dozens (if not hundreds) of nations. Yet, without pioneers like Arthur Ashe to push the envelope, tennis players today are more likely to take cash for play.

Martin points out Amelie Mauresmo, the two-time slam winner. Mauresmo has been vocal about her support for tournaments in the Middle East, where the society is openly homophobic. It disappoints me that Mauresmo, as a strong-hearted lesbian, doesn't speak up more about issues like this. And where are the other gay tennis players? We all know that they're out there, both men and women. Why aren't these contemporary athletes speaking their minds and being true to who they are?

The point is, has cash continued its dominance over conscience in the world of tennis?

In any case, 2008 will prove to be a delicious year of tennis. Now that my predictions are in for the women, let's talk about the men:

Roger Federer
World rank: 1 '07 record: 68-9 Highlight: Capturing his fifth-straight Wimbledon in a hard-fought match over Rafael Nadal.
It's hard not to say a lot of good things about Roger Federer. The man is arguably the Greatest Of All Time and has his way with every opponent on the ATP when he's on his game. So after another banner year in 2007, I'm expecting more of the same from the man from Switzerland.

Prediction: Another three-peat for Roger. He'll take the cake at the Aussie, Wimbledon and the US Open, but still won't be able to break the clay-court spell of Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal
World rank: 2 '07 record: 70-15 Highlight: Continuing his clay-court supremacy.
I can't help but love the speedster from Spain. Nadal has all the charisma you could want from a young tennis champion, and his style of play is something I tried (emphasis on tried) to emulate when I was playing competitive tennis. Nadal, however, has continued to struggle in proving himself as a versatile tennis player. Yes, he had a triumphant run at Wimbledon, where he battled rain, opponents and everything in between to make a run at Roger Federer and the All England title. But his record on hardcourts was 31-12 compared to 31-1 on clay, keeping his confidence at bay while continue to be the prince to King Federer.

Prediction: Another title in Paris, but won't repeat his All England magic.

Novak Djokovic
World rank: 3 '07 record: 68-19 Highlight: Establishing his place with the game's elite.
What a year 2007 was for Novak Djokovic. Like Jankovic, Djokovic has garnered my "Favorite" player title on the men's side. Like his personality, Djokovic's game grew in '07, and it will only continue to blossom in 2008.

Prediction: Djokovic will continue to win titles, just not slams...yet.

Nicolay Davydenko
World rank: 4 '07 record: 53-31 Lowlight: Will he ever give us the straight story on this scandal?
Cheater. Cheater. Cheater.

Prediction: I'm so fed up with Davydenko that I'm not even going to grant him the right to a prediction.

David Ferrer
World rank: 5 '07 record: 61-23 Highlight: Making the USO semifinals and compiling a 9-7 record against top 10 players.
Ferrer was simply fun to watch this season, especially during his run at the US Open. He lacks the weapons we all love to watch: the big gun that ends point with a bang. But Ferrer's grind, his speed and his tenacity certainly make him an enjoyable player to watch and a threat to any man opposite the net from him.

Prediction: I'm not quite sure if Ferrer can continue such a hot streak in 2008. The 25 year old has been a late bloomer, however, and has only improved each year on the tour since turning pro in 2001. Another top 10 finish certainly isn't out of the picture.

Andy Roddick
World rank: 6 '07 record: 54-16 Highlight: Leading the U.S. Davis Cup team to its first title since '95.
I'm not sure if there's a harder player to pinpoint than Andy Roddick right now. After achieving what he's worked so hard for this past month in winning the Davis Cup, it will be interesting to see whether Roddick can come out of the winter with the same work ethic he usually does.

Prediction: I can't help but think that 2008 will be much the same as '07. Roddick will linger with the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, but won't be a threat at the majors like he once was.

Fernando Gonzalez
World rank: 7 '07 record: 37-24 Highlight: His awe-inspiring run to the Aussie final.
After the Aussie, Gonzalez went 31-23 on the year, and without Beijing and Rome, he would've been 23-21.

Prediction: Will slip out of the top 10, most likely back to the 20s or 30s.

Richard Gasquet
World rank: 8 '07 rank: 49-24 Highlight: His 8-6 in-the-fifth win over Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
Gasquet had an up and down year, culminating at Wimbledon. After Wimbledon and through the USO, Gasquet went 3-4 before salvaging his year with a strong fall (including qualifying for Shanghai). Gasquet battled an injury, and still seems to be growing into his game - both mentally and physically.

Prediction: It's always hard to tell with Gasquet. But like Djokovic, I think this will be another year of maturation for the Frenchman. Perhaps he will go far for the first time at his home slam (perhaps the quarters or semis) and make a final at Wimbledon or the US Open.

David Nalbandian
World rank: 9 '07 record: 31-18 Highlight: A triumphant return to the upper echelon of tennis with two wins over Federer this fall (and two TMS titles to go along).
Is back. And seems poised to stay.

Prediction: If he's healthy, Nalbandian can play with the best. But if that gut re-appears, he'll once again slip into the oblivian of the 30s to 80s.

Tommy Robredo
World rank: 10 '07 record: 49-26 Highlight: Being consistent.
I have to admit that I didn't pay much attention to Tommy Robredo this last season. He's a seasoned player and has continued to be consistent, landing him inside the top ten for the second straight season.

Prediction: If he continues to do what he did this last year, including capturing two titles, I think Robredo might be a top 20 staple for a few years to come.

Honorable Mention

Ed McGrogan gave Honorable Mention to Lindsay Davenport and David Nalbandian yesterday on Peter Bodo's TENNISWORLD, saying that if the two were playing in their respective YECs they'd make some noise.

So if you had the chance to give Honorable Mention to one man and one woman on tour - who would it be?

Contribute to the Chatter -- TELL US!

Tennis Chatter

The WTA Tour Championships get underway tomorrow, but the women have already been in action, doing a photo shoot for publicity. Check out the video of all the (photography) shots.

Martina Hingis' scandalous retirement announcement has already been made page 2 news, even on tennis-only sites like the Tennis Channel. Are we already over the Swiss Miss and her departure? Perhaps. But Steve Tignor did have some nice thoughts about the former No. 1 in his latest post on TENNIS.com.

How did I miss this awkward picture? Or is this a photo illustration? I'm so confused! Either way, David Nalbandian looks rather uncomfortable.

Erwin is back in action over at TennisServedFresh. As always, the popular Trophy Watch kicks off his Monday.

But wait, Hingis will fight the allegations? Okay...so does that mean she hasn't actually retired? So confused....

Finals Videos

Paris Masters Series - Paris, FRA
David Nalbandian defeats Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-0.


Bell Challenge - Quebec City, CAN
Lindsay Davenport defeats Julia Vakulenko 6-4, 6-1.

...I know that Canadians do things a little differently, but does NO ONE in that country have a video camera?!? I mean, I know I'm asking a lot to have a video up the day after the final - but what's the deal, eh?

Because of the lack of a Quebec video, I decided to include this vintage match between Davenport and Monica Seles from 10 years ago(!), 1997. Enjoy!

A Tale of Two Comebacks

Lindsay Davenport and David Nalbandian have both worked off their respective 'guts' in the past few months and the results are speaking for themselves.

The American, back from semi-retirement and giving birth to her first child, and the Argentine, back from a sluggish year and a brief dis-interest in his career path, have both claimed two titles this fall to the shock and surprise of the tennis world.

Davenport, following her September win in Bali, cleaned up in Quebec this week, beating Julia Vakulenko in the final of the Bell Challenge 6-4, 6-1.

It was the second title in three tournaments for the new mom, who returned to the tour a year after leaving. With the win, Davenport finishes 2007 13-1 and should move into the Top 100.

Meanwhile, Nalbandian captured two more prestigious tournaments this week, winning at the Madrid Masters two weeks again and claiming the Paris Masters this week in France.

The Argentine, a former Top 5 player who currently sits at No. 21 in the ATP - thanks in part to his win in Madrid - beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-0 for a comfortable win in Paris.

Salvaging a rather ugly 2007, Nalbandian has set himself up - along with Davenport - to be a major force on the tour in 2008.

Tennis Chatter: Hingis Update, etc.

While I was (not) going to class yesterday and picking up my parents at the airport, Martina Hingis was retiring from professional tennis.

The "breaking news" that I thought surfaced this morning was a nearly a day old - so is the life of a student blogger, right?

Lindsay Davenport - officially un-retired and cocaine free - continued her assault on the women's tennis tour, belting her way into the quarterfinals of Quebec, where she's a wildcard. Two titles in three tries for the California mom? It's looking that way.

Want to hear what Roger Federer had to say after his loss to Nalbandian yesterday? Click here.

Speaking of Hingis, the WTA issued this statement from Larry Scott.

Hingis' full statement can be found on Peter Bodo's TennisWorld.

And the video (for the emotion, not the words):

Nalbandian Stuns Federer

David Nalbandian has pulled a Guillermo Canas.

Short of doing it in back-to-back weeks, Nalbandian has defeated Roger Federer at the Paris Masters Series event for his second win over the world's number one player in as many meetings.

The Argentine, who beat Federer at the finals of the Madrid Masters Series ten days ago, scored an impressive 6-4, 7-6(3) win over the Swiss.

We'll have in-depth coverage of this shocking upset and the following development of the Paris draw from Mr. Troy Venechanos himself. Stay tuned!

TIP: Troy in Print

If any of you are clock watchers, you would be correct when you thought my mid-term was in 18 minutes.

Yet the cramming is over...is there anything I'm actually going to retain 20 minutes before the test? Probably not.

So in my post-cram and pre-test perusing of the internet, I found a surprising entry on TENNIS.com's homepage: one by fellow intern Troy Venechanos.

You all remember Troy, that guy that I carried manikins around Manhattan with, and more recently, our Madrid correspondent.

Well, he's all grown up now, writing for the big boys at TENNIS.

But don't worry, Troy sent me a message earlier this week promising a full wrap-up from Madrid including all the juicy gossip on Mirka he could get.

Tennis Chatter: It's Monday!

As usual, Ed McGrogan posts an entertaining and intriguing "Monday Net Post" over at Tennis World.

While I couldn't find any video of the Henin/Golovin final, there was plenty of footage of the Nalbandian upset over Federer. This one is full of match highlights.


Anna Chakvetadze is the top seed in Linz this week at the Generali Open. Tatiana Golovin is on the bottom half of the draw along with Daniela Hantuchova. (Link opens PDF file.)

Meanwhile, the men are in Basel this week and Tennis Planet is wondering if it's a good or bad thing that Mr. Nalbandian happens to be in the draw.

I'm loving the photo gallery over at TENNIS.com this week. From racquet throwing, to award presenting to ball girl hitting...it's full of the week's best tennis moments.

Justine Henin is officially on a roll, according to Aasim Shaffi over at Sportingo. 20 matches in a row.

RANT: For the Love of the Comeback

As we speak, Troy is making his way back from Madrid into France, where he's doing a study abroad program for the semester. We'll have wrap-up commentary about his Madrid excursion sometime this week, along with pictures and (I'm hoping) maybe some video. I'm jealous that Troy got to experience so much high-quality tennis compared to my New Haven trip, but also so thankful that he was willing and able to share with us his journey.

A few thoughts from this weekend:

First off, David Nalbandian played some great tennis. I think tennis, and perhaps sport in general, is the second great arena for comeback artists. The first would obviously be Hollywood, where people are re-making themselves everyday.

It is rare to see a player display such different personas on court in one calendar season. Sure, tennis has seen the comeback stories of Agassi, Seles and Capriati (along with more recent small-scale comebacks like Serena and Henin), yet for a player to play so poorly and brilliantly in one season is something we don't witness much.

Now before you jump off your seat and say "You idiot! Players go through valleys and peaks all the time!", let me explain what I mean. To me, there is a difference between a player stringing together a few quality matches after having a lackluster season and a player beating the Top 3 ranked men in the world AND winning a Masters series event after having a lackluster season.

David Nalbandian did the latter. Just a couple weeks ago, I did one of my "Where Are They Now?" updates in a post, in which I called Nalbandian an "overweight has-been". Looking at those words now, they look harsh and un-called for, but a few weeks ago, I think they were particularly true and accurate. Nalbandian was just 25-17 coming into this week in Madrid. And though those numbers aren't alarming by any means, he had reached just one quarterfinal in his entire full-season schedule. And we're talking about a guy who made the quarters or better of 8 out of 11 slams played between the US Open '03 and the French '06!

His feat this week (beating the Top 3 players in consecutive matches) makes him just the third man since 1994 to do so. And while some tennis fans think that the current state of the game hovers at a level below what it once was, I think Nalbandian's accomplishment should be marked with high praise; he salvaged an embarrassing season in a single week, or, three days to be exact.

In his press conference after the match, Nalbandian said that he thought the timing of the win couldn't be better. He believes it gives him a fresh start for 2008, and I would have to agree.

The one thing the Argentine must continue to do is stay healthy. He has always struggled with his fitness - his belly a sign of where his work ethic is hovering - but it's his health that is most important. If he can stay healthy, and in turn get into great shape, he showed this week that he is among the greats in the game...and not just for a match or two.

To say that Nalbandian is "back where he belongs" or that he will be a sure-shot contender for the Australian Open would be rather foolish. He did, however, show that he's capable of playing great tennis for multiple matches, and that's all the professional tennis tour asks of its great players: play good, and do it consistently.

Perhaps the disinterest that Nalbandian exhibited at last year's Wimbledon, when he tanked a match just to go watch a soccer match (hasn't he hear of TiVo?) caught up with him this year. The injuries, the lack of off-court training and the disinterest all pooled together in '07 to make a great player just mediocre. And as a professional athlete, mediocrity can be worse than failure, especially for someone who's tasted the cake at the top.

If anyone can love a great comeback story more than the sport or screen world, it's the individual himself. There is nothing more motivating to hear bad things said about yourself, or whispers about the person/athlete/actor you once were and then turn around and say "Ha! I proved you wrong!" And if Nalbandian can keep his hunger - for something more than just a Masters Cup - alive...perhaps for something called a Major, we might just see his comeback story continue.

David Beats Goliath

David Nalbandian stunned Roger Federer in the finals of Madrid today, winning 1-6 6-3 6-3.

We'll have a re-cap later on from Troy about this shocking development.

Meanwhile, Justine Henin continued her dominance of the women's tour by knocking out Tatiana Golovin 6-4 6-4 in the finals at Zurich.

A great day of quality tennis!

Exclusive: Day at the Masters Pt. 2

Troy is at it again on semifinal day at the Madrid Masters (or as he calls it, "Quadruple M"). Check out his latest post, complete with pictures:

Things are wrapping up quickly at the Quadruple M this weekend. Nalbandian's run continues as he takes yet another Top 3 victim in Novak Djokovic. Ironically enough, Nalbandian's run is looking more and more like Novak's at this summer's Masters Montreal. Djokovic's game seemed intact all around excluding his serve which disappointed on several key points. It seems he is also suffering something common among the elite Serbian tennis players: burnout. Novak admitted that he felt "really exhausted" during the match and smiled at the prospect of a week off.


Mirka, no stranger to R & R herself, continued her courtside reign this weekend. Last night she spent most of her time on her new pink cellphone and chatting with her friend. Today was no different, although, judging by other's reactions, she seems to have picked up a strange odor today. Too much arroz con habicheula's?


Meanwhile, Mirka's unidentified boyfriend continued to live up to his reputation and seemingly permanent number one seeding during a semifinal routing of Nicholas Kiefer. Kiefer, the only man to play Federer in all four Grand Slams (as recalled by Fed himself), took a respectable eight games off the Swiss. The 6-4, 6-4 victory kept
Federer's straight set record intact at this year's MMMM. People have started to run out of things to ask Roger, as the latter part of his press conference was dedicated to his F1 Racing predictions and the whereabouts of Juliette the cow (which he received as a gift for winning the Swiss Open at Gstaad in 2003). Federer admitted the cow was slaughtered.


The Bryan Brothers kept their slaughter of the doubles game alive with a win over the resurgent Argentine team of Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas. There was plenty of belly-bumping and Argentine ball abuse to be had during the entertaining match-up.


Tomorrow's finals should be interesting. Although the number one seeds in both singles and doubles are through (again) this time, it seems like they will all have their hands full. Anyone else smell an upset? Or is that just Mirka?


All photos by Troy Venechanos.

Madrid Exclusive: A Day at the Masters

Troy's live in Madrid giving us the play-by-play with his always-witty commentary:

Tennis balls in Madrid are big. So big that they need large Sony Ericsson WTA Tour labels and their own velvet ropes.


Madrid is wrapping up the first of its two big tennis 'balls,' and today its host left the party early. In fact, today was a day of grand exits and entrances. Let's review:

Novak Djokovic entered the semifinals with a convincing win over Mario Ancic. He rarely seemed threatened and despite an awkward landing on his foot that resulted in medical timeout, he closed out the match with ease. As he moves forward, we can wave goodbye to any clear idea of the world's second best player.


As we know, Rafa exited the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid earlier than anyone (here) expected. The MMMM's pride and joy didn't leave them without a few words on his regrets and overall disappointment with his performance. Surprisingly he was in good spirits during the press conference. He cracked jokes and seemed at home and at ease with the Spanish press. Although its so hard to tell - emotional subtly is definitely his strong suit.


Good-bye Rafa. Hello to the Nalbandian we once knew. It's hard to argue with David's performance today. You may think the match was closer than the score indicated, but it wasn't. The slimmed-down Argentine played flawless tennis when he had to and even when he didn't, too. I had never seen him smile until today during his post-match comments. He should enjoy it while it lasts; I'm sure he has Federer at the back of his mind. (Nalbandian next plays Djokovic in the semis, but could face Federer - whom he beat at the Masters Cup in '05 - in the final.)


Federer made his way to the semis with a straight-set win over Spain's last hope, Feliciano Lopez. In typical Federer style, he has cut himself an easy path through the draw. He steamrolled who everyone thought would be his biggest pre-final hurdle, Guillermo Canas. Although for some reason Willy seems less than intimidating
lately...


All photos by Troy Venechanos.

Where Are They Now? Part One

Checking in with the few non-stars that AIPT has followed in the past.

Alexandra Stevenson. Last time (February) we checked in with the '99 Wimbledon semifinalist, she was in decent form at a challenger event (her norm over the last few years) in Minneapolis. Currently ranked 396, Stevenson has found recent success (she's moved up 115 spots in three weeks) on the challenger events in the US. If the American can continue such a pattern, we might see her in the qualifying draw in time for the Australian.

Amy Frazier. Is MIA. After phoning in to the WTA, I learned that Frazier is "not retired and has no plans of retiring." Curious indeed. A little more digging might be needed in this one...

Aravane Rezai. The sassy Frenchwoman continues to be a lower level mid-major player (how's that for a title?). After starting the year a respectable 9-15, the 20-year-old has gone just 1-7 in her last eight matches and is 76th in the rankings this week after reaching a career-high number 40 in January of this year.

David Nalbandian went from Grand Slam contending powerhouse (aka Mr. Consistency) to overweight has been. The Argentinian is 22nd in the rankings, but is 33rd in the Race to the Championships, showing he's had a less-than impressive year.

Frank Dancevic. Following a brilliant summer in which Dancevic went 8-3 (including the quarters at the Rogers Masters), the Canadian fell in a tough three sets to Marat Safin in the opening round of the Open. He won a tough battle against Juan Martin Del Potro in Bangkok before falling to Fernando Verdasco in three last week.

Part two will feature Donald Young, Gustavo Kuerten, John Isner, Li Na and Madison Brengle. Stay tuned!

Clip of the Week

Fifth-set tiebreakers are certainly a rarity, especially since the US Open is the only major to have them in place. They are nevertheless dramatic, no matter who is involved in them.

Yet these two players - Safin and Nalbandian - provide the character that we LOVE in tennis. Their quirky tennis (watch Nalbandian slap a ball over early in the TB and Safin's drop shot later) and their even quirkier personalities provides the classic drama we all crave. The men's game certainly isn't lacking their fair share of crowd pleasers.

Enjoy.