It might be a slight exaggeration that Novak Djokovic owned 2011. One of the best ever seasons compiled in the sport winning 3 of the Grand Slams and his only loss was at the Roland Garros semi finals to Roger Federer who needed to play his best ever match there to take him down. Just like human life has a beginning and an end Federer lost to Rafael Nadal in the final, it can be dressed up so many ways but the result will always be the same when Federer and Nadal play at Roland Garros. Nadal pounds Federer’s backhand into submission, then Nadal feasts on the scraps.
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic was able to carry his form from the 2010 Davis Cup win until the US Open, unsurprisingly his level faltered after that had some fitness issues combined with mental fatigue. How he ended the season shouldn’t take away from what he did in the first nine months. Djokovic previously used to have same amount of stamina as a teenage boy losing his virginity, but has made significant steps in improving his fitness levels. Yes, there was the change of diet eliminating gluten, the use of the hyperbaric chamber to get the benefits of training at altitude without having to go into the mountains and improves recovery times.
The biggest improvement has been his forehand, it used to break down under pressure, while not being to the level of his outstanding backhand which he is comfortable hitting down the line as well as crosscourt. After the disastrous coaching stint with Todd Martin where they tried to fix Djokovic’s serve, which lead to a loss of confidence that filtered through to the rest of his game. Marian Vajda who has done a great job in coaching Djokovic was able to get the serve back to its previous level at worst and improved at best. Combine these factors with his excellent defensive skills this was how he was able to dominate this season and go 6-0 over Rafael Nadal his closest rival. Djokovic beat him everywhere except indoors, hardcourt, clay and the grass. Nadal wasn’t willing to hit the forehand up the line often enough, therefore feeding Djokovic’s strength in addition to the aforementioned improvements in Djokovic’s game, it wasn’t surprising that Djokovic was able to go 6-0. It will be interesting to see how Djokovic backs up next season.
While Djokovic’s season was a highlight of the ATP, there weren’t many other highlights during the season. It’s hard to believe that they could homogenise the court surfaces any more than they have, but the ATP have managed to do so. As long as the court dimensions are the same and the singles net is the same height, then there should be different surface challenges. The ATP like this because it gives them predictability and easy to market the game from this perspective, in reality it’s the same style of tennis being played on all courts with the only challenge being the movement of the specific surfaces. I have explained previously how the current situation came about, the ball not being in play at all on grass or the indoor events at the end of season, so using a heavier ball and slowing down the court speeds. At this point in time the game has been solidified now they can make the faster surfaces slightly quicker, use a lighter ball and it will improve the diversity of the game not detract from it.
2011 was the classic more of the “same old shit” scenario. There wasn’t a first time Grand Slam finalist, any new TMS winners and the final 8 that qualified for the TMC have all participated previously. The average age of the top 200 is getting older which isn’t surprising due to the game becoming more physical as a result of surface homogenisation, the predominance of baseline tennis. The game has become even more speed endurance orientated and it usually takes players and athletes until their mid to late 20s that they reach their speed endurance peak, naturally there are exceptions. This plus there is more money in the game giving incentive to play the game for longer.
On the other hand there were 10 time first time winners at the lower level of the tour, some of these well overdue like Tipsarevic, and Florian Mayer. Ivan Dodig’s win in Zagreb was brilliant when he threw the racquet into the crowd thinking he won the match, but hadn’t done so. Younger players like Dolgopolov Jr and Raonic getting on the board. Big Kev Anderson winning the last edition of Jo’burg and Sweeting coming out of nowhere to win Houston.
Kevin Anderson (RSA) Johannesburg Outdoor Hard
Ivan Dodig (CRO) Zagreb Indoor Hard
Milos Raonic (CAN) San Jose Indoor Hard
Pablo Andujar (ESP) Casablanca Clay
Ryan Sweeting (USA) Houston Clay
Andreas Seppi (ITA) Eastbourne Grass
Alex Dolgopolov (UKR) Umag Clay
Robin Haase (NED) Kitzbühel Clay
Florian Mayer (GER) Bucharest Clay
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) Kuala Lumpur Indoor Hard
Andreas Seppi wins Eastbourne
One of the highlights of the season occurred in Eastbourne when the “South Tyrolean Sex Machine” Andreas Seppi won his first tournament. This was well overdue, in his previous final in Gstaad he managed the next to impossible feat of choking to Paul-Henri Mathieu after leading *5-3 in the 3rd set serving for the title. There aren’t many people who have managed that but two more will be mentioned later. He lost 4 games in a row and the title.
Seppi when asked what his best surface is, he said “the one I’m winning on”. The final was hilarious, gale like winds. Seppi played 3 sets earlier in the day, was up a set and a break, then Tipsarevic takes the 2nd set. There were a few drops of rain and Tipsarevic was bitching about the conditions. Seppi up *4-0 30-30 gives back the double break, then Seppi serves for the match at *5-3 and 15-0 then Tipsarevic retires.
Fabio Fognini Files
The Fog deserves his own section here as he was involved in some fine comedy this season.
Tommy Robredo:
The Fog reacts
Robredo in the Santiago semi final was very bad tempered both of them at their best with their antics. Robredo “vamosing” at the Fog’s errors, to which “The Fog” has words with Boredo calling him “hombre di mierda”, the literal translation “the shitman”. Once the match is done the Fog tries to shake Boredo’s hand who refused not once but twice and then was booed off the court.
Worst of all Santi Giraldo served for the title but choked and “the shitman” won the title to the amusement of the Chilean fans.
Blaž Kavčič:
There was a brilliant choke in the 2nd round in the match between Blaž Kavčič and Fabio “the Fog” Fognini. This probably should have had a separate entry and it may do so in the future. It’s hard to write about this as Kavčič is someone who I happen to like and “the Fog” is just the “the Fog”. He’d be top 10 in the world if it was down to strutting ability.
Kavčič takes the 1st set 6-1 and the only game Fog got was because he broke the Kavčič serve. Second set is going along the same path, a few breaks and Kavčič is up *5-2 has a chance to serve the match out, fails to do it at the first time of asking. Then in the Fog’s next service game he had 4 match points couldn’t convert any. After this Blaž loses the next 4 games and the set 7-5.
Third set was a breakathon and Blaž had another chance to serve it out at *5-4, loses his serve and then drops the 12th game to love and the Fog sneaks out another win. It’s annoying yet hilarious at the same time on a personal level. This should have been livestreamed just for the entertainment value alone, at the same time as a Blaž fan watching this on a computer could have done bad things to my health and sanity.
Albert Montañes:
The most entertaining match of the tournament from these smaller guys, this was the real RG final.
Montañes usual steady self with solid strokes and the Fog at times was more aggressive, hit some fine dropshots. Montañes served for it at *5-3 in the 5th but was tight as a drum. At 15-30 *6-7 Fog gets an injury timeout for what initially was believed to be cramps.
Commentators thought he was faking an injury, getting a massage during a service game will get some people off side and the crowd gave it to him after that, though mostly they were on his side during the match.
Fat Albert was paralysed by fear, wasn’t hitting any dropshots or moving the Fog around who managed to get double footfaulted only Gaudio, Echagarry and the Fog can do this.
Fog saved match points with dropshots and clean FH winners with his typical blase attitude. Somehow he wins the match, gets a mix of cheers and boos, but he was diagonised with a muscle problem and withdrew from the quarter final vs. Djokovic.
Fognini was the “Peoples Champion” at Roland Garros this year.
Fognini pleading for forgiveness
Retirements
Some of my personal favourites retired this season. The gaucho Marcos Daniel who had injury problems after playing Nadal at the Aus Open, couldn’t play a full season he wanted to play one last Roland Garros but was one out of the Entry List, players hadn’t withdrawn in time so he missed out. Now he is watching Internacional PA, enjoying life with the family, churrascos and always peaked for the Bogota Challenger.
Marcos Daniel
After complications with the back surgery Oscar “the King” Hernandez decided to leave the mere mortals of the tennis tour. His famous confrontation with Dani Koellerer in Santiago never gets old. Koellerer was mocking the grunt, in the process he earned the wrath of the King. He is working with his old coach Marcos Roy training the youngsters. The King got married and she makes a lovely queen.
King Oscar with Queen Rachel
Crazy Dani Koellerer was put into forced retirement banned for attempting to fix matches. There was collective joy around the tour when Crazy Dani was banned from the game. This guy had more incidents than Rocco Siffredi has had women.
He was involved in a fight with the late Federico Luzzi a fiery character. They’d been abusing each other the whole match, then Koellerer at the handshake spits on his hand. Luzzi gets pissed off and after the match there were punches thrown.
Andreas Vinciguerra got so pissed off with Koellerer at the Cordenons Challenger he walked off the court, asked for the tournament car to take him to the hotel getting defaulted in the process. Then little Flavio Cipolla wanting to punch him as well at Reggio Emilia, might have to do a separate entry on Koellerer later.
El Fashionista Stefan Koubek left the game, no one will match him for stylish fashion more on his career and style El Fashionista Stefan Koubek retires . Gaston Gaudio, the second last survivor of that Argentine golden generation and the surprising Grand Slam winner retired as well Gaston Gaudio. He is playing exhibitions against his best friend Mariano Zabaleta in Buenos Aires and del Potro.
2012 well the ATP will have a new chairman since Adam Helfant will be stepping down. Best things about him were that he managed to get some sponsors, he wasn’t a public figure and he wasn’t de Villiers. At the same time he voted that Madrid TMS should be blue clay, will gloat that he managed to reduce the season by 2 weeks next season which really isn’t anything to be proud of. The threat of strike action isn’t likely due to difficulties and lack of proper union representation
Schedule .
Roger Federer as the main player rep has already stonewalled the idea of a 2 year ranking system. There are more pressing issues than Nadal wanting a 2 year ranking system. There’ll be less fluidity between the rankings, in the process making it more difficult for players to breakthrough protecting the top players who the tournament directors rely on to make money.
In other words not good for the sport in any form, that's what they tried with round robin instead and that turned out so well, it's not getting off the ground.
Hopefully 2012 can be an improvement on 2011, some other players being able to step up to the next level. Whether Federer can continue his form at the end of this season through to the Australian Open, can Murray finally win his first Slam. Even among the gloom and doom there are moments of hilarity, inspiration and craziness which make the sport fun to follow.
9 comments:
good stuff man.
Plenty of Fog is always a good thing.
Nice to acknowledge the retired players too.
Might do something on them myself.
The very hard working blogger(i'm looking at you too, shank) spoiled us again with a year review. Sadly the material that he had to work with, aka the 2011 itself was of such poor quality that he had to concentrate on what he knows best: the under the radar mugs. Here his writing is flying freely, his knowledge is top notch and the stories couldn't be more entertaining and he even got misty eyes at his favorites retirements, thing that couldn't leave us cold hearted. And rightly so, seeing that these character are a lot more interesting than the topdogs even for a glouryhunting, drooling shallow fangirl with limitations like me.
AO quallies are around the corner, keep them coming.
And yes, I'm sincere.
just like the other drooling shallow fangirls who read your blog, i just want to say thanks for all the work you put into it.
Thanks very much for the end of season review, being able to find positives in a tennis environment that is obviously on the nose to the blogger.
Excellent work on the retirement section, generational shifts can be fun or tedious dependant on which areas progress and others regress.
Great work as always, Nils. Though I would normally take a swipe at your grammar and punctuation, I've just finished up my semester and haven't an inclination towards anything remotely related to teaching right now :P Will take some time out to read it again, but the first glance tells me its rate.
great read mate.
The Fog and Crazi Dani, a flawless formula for an entertaining read.
Fun end of the year read. And agree not a great year overall for this tennis fan but hey you can't have everything.
Thanks for the review, excellent work there. It seems to me that the younger generation has not been able to establish itself firmly, but at least they are getting there. I look forward to the AO from that point.
The ATP is a disaster and it is clearly not enough to avoid having a clown like de Villiers at the top. It will be interesting to see how the relations between the players and the organizers evolve in 2012, I guess the problems cannot be hidden under the carpet for long.
It takes a lot of dedication to find so much to write about such a bland and boring season.
Only a couple of matches could be salvaged from this awful year.
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