Tennis Chatter: End of the Weekend

It's always tough to watch the weekend wrap-up like it was never here. I even have three-day weekends this quarter, but the days still fly by like they weren't even there in the first place.

I haven't felt this removed from the tennis scene in a long while, but alas, tennis was still being played all around the world as Davis Cup completed round one and the women were at two separate sights for smaller tourneys.

I'm still a little baffled by the in-and-out (and out-and-in) performance of Novak Djokovic this weekend. He doesn't play Friday, but then appears Saturday on the doubles court and gets a two-set-to-one lead (including 3-0 in the third!) over Nicolay Davydenko only to pull out again? Aye dios mio! Make up your mind, Djoko! I just feel like he showed so much guts and guile in Melbourne... and then, this?

If you haven't discovered Nole's web site yet, it's a treat.

The Princess of Boring won at Paris this weekend, beating up-and-comer Agnes Szavay in the finals. I would've really loved to have seen Szavay win this one, but we certainly can continue to expect great things from the Austrian. I think she might be a top ten player by the end of the year, especially if she continues to learn from experiences like this one. (If you're wondering who the Queen of Boring is, click here. But really, did you not know?)

The American men made quick work of the Austrians and their horrific clay court this weekend. Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan brothers beat Austria - bad bounces and all - in three matches. Roddick struggled the most, needing five sets to win the opening rubber against Jurgen Melzer.

On the Baseline news discusses the popularity of tennis and how it can be improved while Erwin over at TSF gives us a run-down of Davis Cup attire, including the Frenchmen, who the U.S. takes on in North Carolina in April.

Tennis Chatter: Between the Cups

It's Wednesday in Seattle, which means rain, wind and gray skies all come together for one day of inspiring weather! Needless to say winter is in full force here, but we're lucky not to be in the South, where I can't imagine the devastation the tornado victims are going through right now.

It's been a wacky week in the neighborhood that I live in: last week there was a shooting at a burger joint, then a woman threatening to kill herself on a church roof along with a wondering homeless lady who came into my cafe Monday morning pleading with me to call 911.

I guess living in the city never has it's dull moments, right?

The dull moment that engrossed the tennis world (aka last week) is over for now, as the women have battled it out in round one of Fed Cup and the men are getting set for their own ties this coming weekend.

My friend Erwin over at TSF has put together a little preview (with some visuals, of course) of what he is calling the "Center of his Universe:" the Russia versus Serbia tie.

While Russia-Serbia is promising plenty of good-looking guys and hopefully some good-looking tennis, there are plenty of enjoyable match-ups in the first round of the men's action.

If you missed this juicy story from last week's tie between Israel and Russia, I would check it out. Craig Hickman gives a great play-by-play of how Maria Sharapova pulled a Justine (via the '04 Aussie, not '03 French). It even includes a clip from JuJuBean's disgraceful moment! How spectacular!

For some reason, the YouTube clips have been pulled of the incidents in Israel. Speculations as to why... ?

And while the American men focus on taking care of the Austrians this weekend, Joel Drucker tells us what Andy Roddick needs to focus on in order to once again be a top 5 threat on the ATP Tour.

Clean Sweep

Pull out the brooms, go start the bus, pop open the champagne.

The American men have easily defeated their Russian opponents in the finals of the Davis Cup today in Portland with a win by the Bryan brothers in the doubles rubber.

Congrats guys. Job well done.

Andy Up, Computer Down

Well, it looks like Andy Roddick is just about to close out Dmitry Tursunov in the first rubber to give the Americans a 1-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup finals.

It isn't surprising that Roddick has put the U.S. up, but it is rather impressive the way he did it. In their three previous match-ups, the pair had tight battles, including the instant classic 17-15 fifth set Davis Cup win for Tursunov last year in the semifinals and a 7-6 in-the-third win for Roddick at Indianapolis in 2005.

If this sets any tone for this tie, it's that the Americans are here to play. Can James Blake answer with a win over Youzhny? History favors Russia, again...

Meanwhile, my computer made a sad sighing noise before turning itself off this afternoon. Was that the last of its seven lives? I think so. And what perfect timing! Finals in two weeks :)

WoDaCu

I wish WoDaCu was the name of a new tennis wonder; a 13-year-old Nigerian girl who weighed just 95 pounds but hit a down-the-line backhand at 100 miles per hour.

But, instead it's my acronym-infused shortening for: Weekend of Davis Cup, which is as (or, more, depending on how you see it) exciting as a Nigerian child prodigy.

For all of you hoping for the dramatics of a typical U.S.-Russia DC tie, you're in for a treat. I'm hoping that the tennis is as good as the theatrics, and that Mr. James Blake can win his first big Davis Cup rubber, ever.

For now, I'll leave you with my new closest friend, Sweety. Here, Sweety auditions for American Idol, but is successful as Daniela Hantuchova was in attempting to beat a hobbled Serena Williams at Wimbledon this year (aka NOT successful). Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in Portland: A Week Too Early

As we made our way into Portland last night on I-5, I couldn't help but wish that the holiday was a week later this year. What an event it would've been: the Russians stomping into America on Thanksgiving weekend to play Roddick and company on American turf. What theatre it would've been!

Yet, in many ways, tennis has had its share of theatrics over the past eleven months, and more than anything, it would be great to end the season with something every true tennis fan loves: captivating tennis.

Sure, the drama is always compelling - especially when it comes to Davis and Fed Cup - but wouldn't it be great to watch James Blake gut it out in five sets to break a 2-2 tie and win the Americans their first Cup in this new millennium? I sure would love that.

If you've forgot about Mr. Sampras cramping twelve short years ago in the Davis Cup final, there's a comprehensive list of American-Russian battles up on the DC web site. Included is last year's semifinal, where Dmitry Tursunov beat Andy Roddick 17-15 in the fifth to give the Russians the edge.

And if there hasn't been enough to talk about with the claims of Tommy Haas being poisoned in the semifinals, or if Roddick will be healthy enough to play at all, it sure would be nice to see some terrific stuff played at the Rose Garden - even if I can't see it live.

Tennis Chatter

There are plenty of advantages waiting up north for Jesse Levine, but the question is: will he go for it? There's no doubt that a 'notable' athlete in the States would be considered a super star in Canadian sports. Example: Frank Dancevic. (via ZooTennis)

Which was the better SEC? The men or the women? Justine and Maria put on an epic show to cap off the year, but Roger Federer is epic every time he steps on the court. Women's wrap. Men's wrap. Let us know which tour went out with a bigger bang.

Is there really competition between Roger Federer, the most genius and athletically sound tennis player on the earth right now and Pete Sampras, the former great who hasn't played a pro match in over two years? Koreans will decide that this week when the two go head-to-head in an exhibtion.

Oh yeah, and for winning the Masters Cup, Fed got another trophy. I wonder where he puts those things?

You do have to love Andy Roddick and the stuff he says in the interview room, even if his tennis is less-than-exciting sometimes.

And no matter who wins the battle of the GOATs, Rog and Pete will still be friends.

If you thought Novak Djokovic played bad last week, look how terrible the Shanghai crowd is in attempting to play some 'giant tennis'. Yikes.

Portland to Host Davis Cup Final

Portland is officially hosting the Davis Cup final the first weekend of December. Will I be there?!? I sure hope so!

(This is June 2006 me - in Portland - hoping that November 2007 me will get to go to the Davis Cup final. AIPT photo.)

Clip of the Week: It's Raining (DC) Men!

In my last post, I talked about how my love for the fall tennis season was rekindled with the flurry of action around the world this past weekend. With three competitive women's tournaments taking place and a handful of Davis Cup ties taking place, I felt (for the first time in years) that the tennis season continued following the annual trip to Flushing Meadows.

I thought I would put some of that tennis on display for you all, seeing that I talk about tennis more than I watch it these days. Here are several clips from Davis Cup ties around the world.

Clip One: Semifinal Wrap
Highlights of the USA vs. Sweden and Germany vs. Russia ties


Clip Two: Djokovic and Tipsarevic thank their fans
Novak and Janko lay a Serbian flag in a heart-shaped clay tribute to their Serbian fans after their 4-1 defeat of Australian. Short, but sweet clip.


Clip Three: Israel stuns Chile
Dudi Sela, ranked 105th in the world, knocks out Fernando Gonzalez in the fifth set to give Israel a shocking 3-1, insurmountable lead over Chile.


Clip Four: Pero beats Belarus
Luis Horna does the trick over Max Mirnyi for the Peruvian win.


Clip Five: Szavay is Comeback Queen (of the week) in Beijing
One clip of the ladies! Agnes the Great pulls out a title win in Beijing after being down a set and 1-5. Jelena will be thinking about this one for a while.

And Then the Picks Got Tough...

Sometimes being a blogger is painful. You'll sit there staring at the screen hoping and wishing that something your readers would eat up would just pop into your head. I think that's what the problem is with a lot of literature out there today - none of it is worth our time. And sure, I may write some stuff that is useless to many every now and then, but I promise you that there's always a thought process behind what shows up on the page, or screen for that matter.

This weekend has been a rather blessed one in the world of tennis content. Over the past two weeks I felt like I was dragging my heals along with the rest of the tennis kingdom. The US Open was done and over, and though Lindsay Davenport was making her inspired return in Bali, I felt more like throwing mud on the screen and calling it a post than actually putting up stuff people might enjoy.

With the Davis Cup weekend done and over, I find myself extremely thankful for this Cup that many have come to forget. Perhaps it's because the Americans are in the title match for the first time since 2004, or maybe it's just because good tennis was happening all over the world, not just in one place. Roger Federer was being proved human in Prague while Tim Henman had a true champions farewell at Wimbledon.

While those were just two of many Davis Cup stories, the flurry of news surrounding the weekend gives me the same feeling I had when reading Jon McEnroe's "You Cannot Be Serious" when he spoke about playing for your country and the swelling of pride and competitive drive players felt. And if players are getting this pumped up about doubles, I'm all about making the ATP schedule more conducive for top players to represent their home countries.

Andy Roddick has repeatedly said how important winning a Davis Cup title is to him, and though for a while I thought that was Roddick copping out of talk of him winning another Major, I do understand how much he wants such an honor, especially after he (and the Bryan Bros.) carried the American team on their shoulders this past weekend.

While the global reach of tennis was being flexed by the men, a few new faces popped up on the women's scene this weekend, giving us more evidence that this game can be played people other than the white and the privileged.

Agnes Szavay continued her incredible late-summer/early-fall run on the WTA Tour. Following her appearance in the Pilot Pen final prior to the US Open, Szavay marched her way to the quarterfinals of the final Major of the year before many tennis fans took notice of Hungarian. This week her raw talent was on full display as she marched through the Beijing field, including a set-and-1-5-down comeback against Jelena Jankovic in the final.

Joining Szavay in the win column this week were Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin, two mid-major youngsters who have proven themselves capable of - but not consistent in - beating Top 20 players. Another virtual unknown, Mariya Koryttseva was Kirilenko's challenger in the finals of Kolkata.

If the entire fall is this interesting, I might turn into a proponent for keeping a year-long schedule...

Tennis Chatter

Radek Stepanek is wearing the single most disgusting tennis outfit of all time for the Czech's Davis Cup tie against Switzerland. It's reported that they used Bethanie Mattek as a fashion consultant. Surprise, surprise!

Erwin's on fire today with these Davis Cup pictures. Here's a classy one of Novak Djokovic semi-shirtless and completely headless. Djoko is always good for a laugh, especially off the court.

Corina Morariu calls it quits from the WTA Tour on her own terms. What an inspirational story to all of us. And with the company she kept on tour (Davenport, etc.) you know Morariu will be an incredible mother and do-gooder for the rest of her life. Good luck, Corina!

Wertheim has a great mailbag up at SI right now. Check it out. Who knew we would be adding Helga Masthoff to the list of Comeback Queens for this fall?!

My friend Matt has been exploding with good content over at Ranting Details lately. And though that doesn't fall under the category of 'Tennis Chatter', this is, after all, my blog!

Another good friend of mine, Troy, has been blogging up a storm from across the pond in France. Troy and I interned at TENNIS together this summer, and along with being a diehard Daniela Hantuchova fan, he's a pretty dang good tennis player himself, too.

After Igor Andreev (looking quite good, I might add) embarrassed Tommy Haas in the Germany-Russia tie, Philipp Kohlschreiber somehow beat Nicolay Davydenko to draw even after day one. There's a reason to love Davis Cup.

Davis Cup Weekend: Remembering Marat

Marat Safin has certainly had an up-and-down career.

Last year in Davis Cup, he pulled out the heroics for the Russians against Argentina to give his home country a Cup title. This year, the Russian team is pitted against Germany in the semifinals, sans Safin.

While Safin is out with a pick in his hand instead of a racquet, the Russian team of Igor Andreev and Nicolay Davydenko will have to go head-to-head with Tommy Haas, a formidable opponent that will try to single-handidly try to upstage the defending champs.

Southern Sunday Strolls

Sunday turned out to be a pretty easy day in the South.

The American Davis Cup team took what was to be a hearty challenge from the visiting Spaniards in North Carolina and made quick, easy work of their European foes, winning the tie 4-1.

Meanwhile, Tatiana Golovin also made quick work of Nadia Petrova in the finals of the Bausch and Lomb Championships just a couple hundred miles away in Amelia Island, Florida.

Both the Americans and Golovin piled their eggs in one basket, the winner's basket. Too bad the losers didn't make things a little more interesting.

Thumbs Up, American Tennis

Boy was I wrong. One, two, three. That's all it took for Roddick, Blake and the Bryan brothers to knock off the visiting Spaniards in Davis Cup action this weekend.

Tennis dead in America?

Not in this picture it isn't.

Underrated Underdogs

In the Davis Cup tie between the United States and Spain this weekend, the predictions have swung heavily in favor of the Americans as the match-up draws closer. With a Nadal-less team from Espana taking on the Americans in the U.S. and away from their beloved clay, betters are putting the Roddick-Blake-BryanBros. squad as the heavy favorite.

Yet hold those thoughts, this could get a little more interesting than you might think:

First off, there's Peter Bodo, god of all tennis gods (when it comes to writing about the stuff) saying that one American's (Blake) downswing compared to a Spaniard's (Robredo) upswing could make things tight, very tight.

And then there's the players themselves. First off, Andy Roddick saying that he'll "do his best" against Fernando Verdasco on Friday, a player that Roddick is 5-2 lifetime against, including one hardcourt loss to the Spaniard at the 2005 Ericsson.

Meanwhile, U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe said in a press conference Thursday that "both our guys are playing well" and he expects a good weekend for his team. Playing well? Both of them? C'mon Patrick, you know that's not true. Not to mention that Blake lost his only Cup match so far this year to Berdych back in February.

So what's it going to be all you gambling folk out there? A runaway victory for the Americans? Steve Tignor thinks so. Or perhaps an on-the-road upset for the Spaniards. I'm not going to guess either way - just sit back and enjoy some high-quality tennis this weekend, we're sure to see some.

A Pattern

Poor James Blake. First he runs into Fernando Gonzalez at the Aussie, then gets roughed up by Berdych in his only Davis cup match and now Ivo Karlovic in San Jose!?! Not fair! Not fair at all.

But for Blake, it's always about the comeback...and I'm sure we'll see him bouncing back in style.