Day One Videos

One feature that I'm adding into the blog this year is a more consistent posting of tennis videos. For all of us - whether we have ESPN, The Tennis Channel, Versus or none of the above - tennis is a hard sport to find on the tube. More importantly, producers aren't always interested in what is sometime the most compelling tennis (rather than watching Federer close out a 6-0 6-0 6-0 win). Therefore, I'm going to be combing sites like YouTube and DailyMotion in hopes of finding some great snippets that we would otherwise not be able to find.

Day one featured that stunning match of Jelena Jankovic and Tamira Paszek. Though TENNIS.com's Tom Perrotta wasn't a big fan of this match, the final point shows just how much emotion was thrown into this three-plus-hour match. Perrotta also takes issue with the speed of the courts, but I'm more worried about the color: blue just isn't the same as that classy Aussie green!


Keeping on subject of court surface and the Australian Open, here's a video from way back when the Aussie was played on grass. It features the 1975 men's final between John Newcombe and Jimmy Connors. Newcombe, the Aussie, won the match in four sets 7-5 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7).

Day One: Janky is Through, Just Barely

Jelena Jankovic is through to the second round of the Australian Open after an excrutiating battle with Austrian up-and-comer Tamira Paszek. Jankovic won the match 2-6 6-2 12-10.

After an extensive 2007 season, Jankovic has cemented herself inside the top 10 of women's tennis, and has even given some of us valid reason to believe she might be a slam contender. But her shaky start to the '08 Aussie tells the rest of the field that her fragile shell is undoubtedly crackable.

Not to take anything away from Paszek, who was a success story in '07 and will continue to make waives in 2008. It would've been a grand upset for the 41st ranked Austrian. She served for the match at 9-8 in the third set, but lost four of the last five games.

In a tournament that has already seen Serena Williams and Justine Henin breeze past their opening-round opponents, perhaps we can look forward to some lengthy and competitive battles on the women's side.

Underdogs Version: Men and Women

Now that the tennis year is in full swing, I thought it might be time to do something a little less predictable; something other than the top 10. 2007 was full of breakout artists: Ivanovic, Jankovic, Djokovic...and those are just the Serbs that caught our attention!

Here's a short list of players I think will make big noise in '08:
Lindsay Davenport
World rank: 72 '07 record: 13-1 Highlight: Winning two of three tournaments in her baby-in-tow return.
Lindsay Davenport was the feel-good story of the fall while the tennis world was engulfed in a storm of scandal that included the on-going betting scandal, Martina Hingis' bizarre re-retirement and speculation of a fixed exhibition series between the two GOATs.

Davenport's return isn't all about feeling good, however, it's about feeling great. The new mother blazed to a 13-1 record while collecting two titles and announcing a powerful return to the tour. The Californian has already committed to a full slam schedule (minus the French, of course) and has opened '08 with two wins already.

Prediction: It's hard to put Davenport up there with Henin (who she always struggled against), the Williamses and others. I think she'll no doubt make some noise at the slams, and may garner a runner-up trophy or two...but nothing more.

Tamira Pazsek
World rank: 41 '07 record: 33-18 Highlight: Making the 4th round at the USO (and beating Schnyder along the way).
Tamira Pazsek is the full package. The 17-year-old Austrian made the 4th round at both Wimbledon and the US Open on her way to finishing the year ranked 41st in the world. Her strong backcourt game was groomed for much of the year by Larry Passos, the former coach of Gustavo Kuerten. Though Passos and Pazsek have gone separate ways, the teen will certainly be a top 20 player by the end of the year.

Prediction: Top 20 by year's end along with a grand slam quarterfinal appearance (or two). In '09 she'll join Ivanovic, Jankovic and company in the "Slam Contender" category.

Agnes Szavay
World rank: 20 '07 record: 56-14 Highlight: Rising nearly 200 spots in the rankings in one calendar year.
Szavay won her first WTA title in Beijing this past fall, beating Jankovic in the final as the sixth seed. Her victory capped off what was an extremely impressive year for the Hungarian, who finished the year at No. 20 in the rankings following an impressive run to the quarters at the US Open.

Prediction: Szavay will continue her run up the rankings, but not quite at the pace she did in 2007. She doesn't have many points to defend early in the year, and could climb into the top 15 before the French. Expect her to hover there for the next year or so, before breaking in to the top 10 in '09 or '10.

Julie Ditty
World rank: 101 '07 record: 49-25 Highlight: Winning six matches at Quebec and making her first ever WTA semifinal.
Vanderbilt grad Julie Ditty continued her steady rise up the rankings in 2007 with a flurry of wins on the ITF tour. Her best results, however, came on the WTA circuit in late fall, when she qualified for four straight tournaments including Quebec, where she made the semifinals.

Prediction: The lefty has the chance to climb up the rankings (much like Szavay) early in the year. She'll be top 80 by the end of the year.

Janko Tipsarevic
World rank: 52 '07 record: 19-22 Highlight: His 8-6 in-the-fifth win over Fernando Gonzalez at Wimbledon.
Tipsarevic, the Prince of Serbian Tennis, made his mark on the ATP Tour last year by going 6-4 in the majors, including a dazzling performance at the All England Club. He won three straight five-set matches to advance to the 4th round before falling to a red-hot Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Prediction: Janko's cooky playing style, partnered with his speed and grit, will keep him in the top 50 this year. If he can stay healthy, and continue to feed off the positive energy of countryman Novak Djokovic, we could see him as a seeded player at Wimbledon and the USO.

Frank Dancevic
World rank: 72 '07 record: 18-19 Highlight: The quarterfinals at AMS Canada.
Frank Dancevic had quite the summer, where he went 7-2 and scored wins over Andy Roddick and Fernando Verdasco. After making the finals at Indianapolis, Dancevic wowed his hometown crowd in Canada by taking Rafael Nadal to three sets in the quarterfinals.

Prediction: The Canadian will continue to win matches with his rifle serve and dangerous one-handed backhand. He'll be top 50 by year's end, if not before.

Fernando Verdasco
World rank: 26 '07 record: 34-28 Highlight: Advancing to the 4th round at RG after seven straight losses.
This is the year for Fernando Verdasco. At least, that's what I say. After demonstrating so much talent and so little execution over the last few years, Verdasco, now 24, should solidify his place inside the top 20 in 2008. The success of Rafael Nadal has no doubt motivated his fellow Spaniards, and Verdasco, along with Feliciano Lopez should benefit from Nadal's success this year with some of his own.

Prediction: Top 20. Semifinals at the French.

Where Are They Now? Part Four

Sybille Bammer. Not only should Bammer win the "Mom of the Year" award over one Miss Lindsay Davenport, she might also be a strong candidate for "Breakthrough Player of the Year". In her 13th year on the tour, Bammer has reached a career-high #20 in the rankings and compiled a stunning 44-23 record. At 27, I can only see it getting better for the Austrian.

Tamira Paszek. Speaking of successful Austrians, one can't forget another breakthrough player from 2007 in Paszek. The 16-year-old, in her first year of competing at the majors, went 8-4, including 4th Round appearances both at Wimbledon and the Open. She had just two losses to players outside the Top 50 this year, and gave Justine Henin a run for her money more than once.

Sania Mirza. Midway through the year I was ready for Sania Mirza to finally make her run into the Top 20. She has had inconsistent success over the last three years, and after she shook off a bit of injury and immaturity, I thought Mirza would come into her own. But that didn't quite happen...though it doesn't mean it won't. Mirza went 14-6 over the summer, and her baseline game (particularly her giant forehand) loves the hardcourts. Is 2008 her year? I'm unsure of that, but she certainly will be one to watch.

Taylor Dent. Hasn't played a match in nearly two years, but has a new web site launched by (it appears) adidas and IMG. I'm guessing if you asked Dent today, he'd tell you he's still looking to get back on the tour as soon as he can.

Vania King. King was as high as #50 in the rankings last fall after she won Bangkok, but following a year in which she lost in the first round of every major and only made the quarterfinals in Thailand, the American teenager has fallen out of the Top 100. Perhaps some time in lower level tourneys might help King find her form.

Tennis Chatter: Week Two Begins

After having a successful 2007, the Bryan Brothers couldn't keep their momentum going, falling in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the doubles draw.

Kudos to Americans John Isner and Donald Young. Isner won two well-played matches before giving Roger Federer a run for his money in the third round. Young posted his first-ever slam win before benefiting from a walkover against Richard Gasquet in the second round.

Anna Chakvetadze advanced to the quarterfinals at the Open for her first time, beating Monica Seles look-alike Tamira Paszek. Gustavo Kuerten was in Paszek's box, as Larry Passos, Kuerten former coach is now working with Paszek. Pasos couldn't make the trip to NYC, so Kuerten sat in for support of the Austrian who went 7-2 in the second two Majors of the year.