Abject Poverty of Tennis Journalism

This entry about the wading pool depth of mainstream tennis journalism has been on the mind for some time. The overall low standards of media in its various guises, isn't just restricted to tennis it cuts across all spheres. We now live in the instant gratification, 24 hour news cycle where we need to hear tomorrow’s news and latest trends yesterday.

A positive aspect with the technological advancements, now we have some high quality tennis blogs dedicated to tennis on various subjects that aren’t covered at all by the mainstream press or at best superficially. It’s a brilliant they exist because without these mediums it would almost be impossible to believe there were any players on the ATP that weren’t in the top 4.

Discourse

Mass media dictates that they have to get the most amount of information to the largest audience within the shortest time. To achieve this everything is condensed into soundbites and clichés without going into further detail or leaving it open for further exploration. This leads only to superficial knowledge of the respective issues, not a strong basis to build and form opinions on any subject.

Mainstream tennis journalism is a faithful disciple of the above if it was possible it would follow it 150%. There are numerous examples of this style of reporting. Easiest example to use is the common line “This is the Greatest Era ever of men’s tennis”. This is peddled as fact without acknowledging how this consensus came about. It’s like tennis began in 2005 when Rafael Nadal became a serious challenger to Roger Federer, nothing came before it and nothing will come after it. Whether people want to believe the greatest ever tag is their prerogative, at least report or acknowledge at least how we came to the current status quo.

To anyone who followed tennis before 2005 it’s clear that surface homogenisation has had a major impact on what we see now on the ATP. To someone who started following tennis after 2005 how would they know about this, since their main reference point is after 2005? Surface homogenisation was done by the ATP to reduce the differences between the respective surfaces, while this has been a successful business decision from the ATP. Look we can market these top 4 guys as they’re nearly always there at the later stages of the main events. As a result they can get more money when they negotiate the TV rights, sponsorships bringing more money for the ATP and not necessarily using it in the right manner. The surface homogenisation, has taken away other aspects of the sport which were required from the bigger differences between the surfaces. Movement is the biggest challenge these days and something Roger Federer said himself in relation to the achievements he and Nadal have had. "Anyway, every surface is very similar today, otherwise we couldn't have achieved all these things on all these different surfaces so quickly, like him and myself". Yet, none of the major journalists really delved into this topic.

Lack of Critical Thinking

Tennis while being a niche sport has many vested interests and the lack of critical thinking or investigation of the issues in tennis by the prominent journalists is apparent to any individual with a functioning brain cell. Drugs in professional sport are a problem and tennis is no different, yet it has only got some recent coverage with a well overdue biological passport being introduced. No, it’s not about sending reporters undercover deep on the tennis tour to find out who is taking those special supplements, nor is it like TENNIS HAS A STEROID PROBLEM, who thinks anyone with big biceps is juicing. Whatever his style of reporting, he is bringing to attention an issue the mainstream tennis press haven’t or won’t covered in relation to the lax testing procedures from the authorities. As they don’t have a vested interest it’s easier him to write about this.



Lack of critical thinking

Journalism is at its best when there is critical thinking, well researched and written articles irrespective of whether reader agrees or disagrees with the diagnosis. It helps form opinions gaining from different sources and its best it will encourage further reading or research which can only be beneficial. It’s the same useless narrative about the top 4 players with a slightly different take depending on the surface.

In an ideal world it would be great if the articles were unbiased, though in an ideal world in the words of the Maderian philosopher Cristiano Ronaldo I wish “I was rich, good looking and successful”. As humans we all have our biases,, but the key is to not them dominate what is written, something Bodo (Bozo), Wertheim (Worthless), Cronin, Tignor, Harman” are brilliant at in their articles.

Duplicity

Another personal gripe is the old line “where are the personalities in the game” from the mass media. This one is as obvious as wearing a skullcap at Mecca in its duplicity. The players don’t say anything interesting because they’re media trained to give dull, bland answers and don’t give them anything.



Mainstream tennis journalists

Majority of journalists ask boring questions without thought behind them and the experience is as pleasant as have root canal with Justin Bieber blaring from the speakers. To counter that when a player gives an honest answer, the media take it out of context to suit their agenda, get more hits on their website without giving the correct context. Fortunately the internet wasn’t around when Yevgeny Kafelnikov made the comment about “tennis players being underpaid” this went around and was hammered for it. Naturally the full context wasn’t given when he made the comment was made in comparison with golfers that tennis players are underpaid. Nikolai Davydenko is another example of this, the classic syndrome of the media wanting it both ways.

With a lack of critical thinking, well researched and poorly written articles as the standard for mainstream tennis reporting. The question arises why do the majority of tennis fans put up with fodder served up as analysis? Maybe, the masses of tennis fans are happy to be spoon fed drivel about the top 4, health of the game without further inspection of why this is the dominant ideology.

As a consequence the abject poverty of tennis journalism is allowed to continue with the passivity of the readers. There is no incentive to improve standards, as those in the tennis media are operating on the AC/DC principle give them the same stuff all the time. Essential difference is AC/DC bring energy to their work, these guys are as energetic and engaging as a bear in hibernation.

Thankfully the DIY aspect in tennis writing community is active with the blogosphere. Sure, there is some absolute garbage out there, though they aren’t alleged respected tennis writers who get paid for writing shit. This medium has had the best researched and written articles for example about the conflicts of interest within agency groups & the ATP, the schedule, financial struggles for players on the ATP outside the chosen few, Davis Cup, gambling and doping issues, why players are making later breakthroughs.

While there are outlets and some hope for improvements. An Irish freelancer Stephen Kelly nailed it accurately “If there is a bad NFL journalist, all his colleagues know enough about the NFL to know he sucks. This is not the case in tennis. Most media outlets only have 1 or 2 people covering the sport. It’s not enough if you want more coverage than the big 4. It’s a minority sport so fewer complain about bad commentary and journalism”.

This post has been a long time coming, not sure it will get any better any time soon but would like to thank Stephen, Joey, Jay, FootSoldier, Jimmy, Jesse, Michelle, Denys, Nathii and others that I have forgotten who helped with this post and fighting the good fight against sloppy, tepid and tedious narrative that passes for mainstream journalism.

Nick Kyrgios wins first Challenger Title

In the battle of the elements the tournament was able to be completed on time in between the various showers and rain delays. Personally I thought Stephane Robert would win the event after coming through the tough section which had Millman and Barton, but fell to the youngster Nick Kyrgios who had a very busy day playing 7 and a bit sets on one day winning the singles and finalist in the doubles.



Nick Kyrgios

Australia has done well in the past in relation to junior success, though in recent times they have not made the breakthrough to the top tier of the seniors. Kyrgios pronounced “Kyr-ios”, yes the g is silent is the number 1 junior in the world. He could be a GS champion or he could end up as Julien Jeanpierre, Daniel Elsner though Elsner was top tier when it came to partying.

As impressive as Kyrgios’s first Challenger title is considering he is still a junior did have some fortune with the weather. Naturally these things can’t be controlled as reported in my last post. Greg Jones playing a very tough 3 setter, even tanking doubles at the end of the day, yet he was on first with less recovery time. This was Kyrgios’s toughest match of the week.

Robert didn’t play for 2 days before his semi final, since there are no indoor facilities at the complex. All he could do was wait around, play on the ipad, joking around with the stringers while his match couldn’t be played on Saturday. Kyrgios started well and Robert was flatter than the Dead Sea. He was just making so many basic mistakes mid court rally balls halfway up the net. Kyrgios was serving well, taking advantage of the fodder that Robert was serving up moving to the net to finish off points when the chances were on offer.

Only time Robert fired up was when Kyrgios served for the match at 30-15, big Nick hit a forehand very close to the line. Couldn’t say for sure whether it was in or out, but Robert was convinced he got ripped off on the call. 30 all is a lot better than 40-15, at the same time Robert was fighting with his own poor form and good play from Kyrgios.

Groth vs. Reid

Luckily, I could stand in between both courts to see these matches and who says men can’t multitask. Interesting thing about this match was coach Ben Mathias works with both of them. Asked him about it beforehand and he gave them both tactics to beat each other. He sat under the tree away from the match and didn’t clap.


Samuel Groth in the Grothawk days

Big Groth had an excellent win against Duckworth in the quarters. Groth hit one of the best double faults during the 2nd set tiebreaker. At *5-4 Groth went for the big kicker wide, he miss hits the serve and it hit the side fence on the full. Normally this is when Groth continues with the running commentary. Next serve hits a big ace down the tee and then wins the match on a backhand pass. Duckworth was really shattered he had his family there watching, still pissed off an hour later.
Reid was just a bit better in the semi as he was able to return enough of Groth’s serve to get him moving on the baseline working him over with his forehand to expose the average backhand.

In the final Groth service game where he was broken at 30 all Groth hits a forehand and the umpire overrules. Groth is far from happy and has an animated conversation with the umpire. Reid served out the match and Groth then goes straight to the tournament car directly to the airport.

Final

Kyrgios was excellent in the final he has beaten Reid a few times previously, so that helped his mental state for the final. Reid lost his first service game and was quite passive which doesn’t work for him.



Matt Reid
Kyrgios took advantage of Reid’s passive start dominating from the baseline. He was so comfortable that he didn’t need to serve that well, as Reid was unable to take advantage of the second serves. It was an excellent week for Reid, but he didn’t think he could win and Kyrgios was very calm and assured in taking the title.

Towards the end of the match John Blom called a let serve, both players were shocked since this stupid rule is in vogue and not very likely to last past the trial. None of the players like this rule, it’s probably as popular as equal prizemoney at Slams on the ATP.

He could have won the doubles final as well, they had match point but Alex “Usain” Bolt missed an easy volley at the net, then Klein and Dane Propoggia who was rocking the almost red flattop were able to take the title. There was no sparring between Klein and Kyrgios this time.

Chris Guccione has Achilles tendonitis so he is only playing doubles at the moment. Barton is trying to steal the Gooch’s thunder for being the most handsome redheaded tennis player, Sure Barton supports the Canterbury Bulldogs which is all and good, but the Gooch has a 1-0 head to head record over Nadal.

Challenger events need to be better supported you know it’s a bad thing when places like Italy and Spain get crowds to their Challengers, yet there are less events every year and without the increase in prizemoney since the 80s. Let’s be honest anyone with a miniscule level of critical thinking can see the temptations for the poorly paid players would think about throwing a match, no this isn’t excusing it. There is a correlation players not earning enough in a tough sport, so the temptation is there.

Kyrgios’s parents drove up from Canberra 3 times during the week and it’s 2.5 hour trip one way. Now Kyrgios will have some time at home and prepare for the next events. Barton, Duckworth, Reid and Propoggia had other players staying at their houses. Which went back to my previous post that hospitality should be mandatory at these events, whether it’s staying with local families as they do for some events or official hotels. Then again this is the ATP who once thought round robin was a good idea, so can’t expect too many sensible solutions from them.

Challenging Times on the Challenger Tour

Yes, it has been a while since I’ve written something. More due to a bit of laziness but also not having regular computer access and typing a report from a phone that is worse than Pippo Volandri’s serve isn’t ideal. Normally I’d have gone to the Burnie Challenger in the north of my former home Tasmania, but since I’ve moved away which has caused the inactivity.

It was a surprise announcement that Sydney had a Challenger, came out of nowhere in reality to replace the Singapore event, so they only had 3 weeks to prepare. Considering the lack of preparation they have done an excellent job. It’s been held at the Olympic tennis complex where the ATP Sydney is located. Since it wasn’t a +H event which should be compulsory at Challenger level and with the Soundwave music festival on it was difficult finding accommodation, but there was no need for sleeping bags in the park.

Challengers are a very important of the tennis circus. It’s the breeding ground for players to win in the varied and tough conditions to prepare them for the main tour especially for players who either don’t have a powerful federation, have a huge agency backing them like IMG, Octagon or Ion Tiriac Mafia Enterprises to get wildcards into these events.


Paolo Lorenzi Challenger Tour veteran

As the game becomes more physical, which means there is a greater emphasis on speed endurance which comes with time. The breakthroughs for players are coming at more advanced ages an example the lion hearted Paolo Lorenzi finally makes the top 50 at 31, he has been battling on the Challenger tour for years to make it now. The next problem is what is the ATP solution to keep cutting Challenger events, normally I don’t approve of subsidies but in this case the ATP should doing a lot more to ensure that they don’t lose players who have the potential to do well, but can’t afford it as they are worried about losing money. It’s very hard to focus on your tennis, if it comes down to worrying about finances instead of focusing and improving your game.

So far the event has been impacted by the weather. Sydney has had a lot of rain this month and when it hasn’t rained this week apart from one day it has been very humid which provides specific challenges in relation to the speed and bounce. Naturally when it’s humid the ball isn’t going to bounce very high or go through the air quickly due to the heavy air.

The tennis
Adam Feeney really shouldn’t have played at all. He was so lame if he was a horse, he would have gone to the glue factory, not to Findus lasagne or IKEA meatballs. This is thing while it’s only a 50K Challenger, it was practical decision to play. One, it’s his home city and two the cheque would pay for the physio which he’ll need as he should take some time off, Another side of the tour which isn’t spoken about very often.


Matthew Barton

Best performance of the week was easily Matthew Barton’s match against John Millman. This section was loaded with Millman who won Burnie, Barton who won Adelaide and Stephane Robert the Frenchman rebuilding his ranking was the finalist in Burnie, lost to Barton in Adelaide and won the Futures in Melbourne. This was the day when it was warm and not humid, which played into Barton’s hands. He was serving out of a tree, didn’t face a break point all match. As he was so comfortable on serve putting pressure on Millman, he was swinging freely and slapping forehand winners for fun getting a lot of purchase off the court. It was one of those days where everything went perfectly and Millman was just outplayed.

As per usual after a big performance Barton couldn’t back that up against Robert. It was very humid and Barton wasn’t serving out of a tree, as Robert got more chances off the second serve he was able to put pressure on Barton with the returns and expose his movement around the court to win this match comfortably. On that performance Robert should win this tournament, since he came through the form section of the draw.

Scheduling for these events is never easy and this time Greg Jones was the guy who copped the short straw. After Sitak defeated Mitchell, since Sitak was a qualifier and hadn’t had a day off he was given one. Jones played a tough 3 setter against Peter Polansky which he won, came back and tanked doubles which was last match. Yet, he was expected to play first match against Kyrgios and it was a very close match in fact Kyrgios only had 2 break points and was able to take it winning in 3 sets.

Random

Millman finally has a coach travelling with him called Ben Mathias. This was done since Millman was asking for some help with a coach when he was overseas and TA didn’t want to know. The funniest is Todd Woodbridge talking him up during Brisbane, but said nothing before about him in a positive way. Besides Millman, there is a group with Sam Groth, Matt Reid and JP Smith they’re working together with Mathias. It’s a good deal as they can push each other. Reid has a massive forehand, he still needs to mature as for big Grothy well he has that serve but can’t move that well. JP is having some hamstring problems at the moment, but lacks a weapon,


John Millman

Klein and Kyrgios matches are fun, since there is a lot of verbal stuff going on. Klein has form and Kyrgios doesn’t mind talking to his opponent either. Klein called him a “gorilla” and also after Kyrgios missed a shot then Klein says to him “that’s what you get for cheating on your girlfriend”. There were plenty of attempts to hit the player at the net, all good entertainment for those who like that stuff.

Millman after he lost to Barton. He was asked by Big Ed who is the coolest Challenger supervisor about the umpire’s performance. In classic Millman “she was a poor umpire when I was 18 and she hasn’t improved”. Barton is going to be off the tour doing some physical work for a month, well he needs to get faster, fitter and more durable this will take time.

Stephane Robert is an interesting character, never been a fan of his game but is a pleasant individual which is a good thing. His ranking dropped last year due to a fibia problem and was playing on clay for last year. In the off season he was hitting with Hanescu, Serena Williams, Chardy and Putinsteva in Mauritius on the hardcourts.

He played Noumea and Melbourne qualies his body was able to hold up, so he decided to stay in Australia. It was good for him he could get into the events, find some form and in his own words it’s cold and miserable in Europe why not stay here. Started the year at 280, now is around 180 and if he wins the event, then move further up the rankings, his spot in the Roland Garros qualies is assured.

Surprisingly he is a big AS Monaco fan he loved the days of when Georgie Weah was tearing it up and it’s always good to talk to tennis players about other sports they like, since they’re sick of tennis talk for the most part. His assessment of Deschamps he is good for the national team as manager as he isn’t around the players day in, day out as he’d drive them crazy with the work, work. Robert is French, so naturally Deschamps is as artistic as a block of wood.


Stephane Robert

It was lucky for him, he had good people around him since he needed money to attempt the comeback and he wasn’t doing well financially. This time in Australia he has stayed in backpacker hostels to save on money, too many people think that tennis players have it easy. The very few have a great concentration of the wealth, the majority don’t, but Robert isn’t bitter about it.

Knowing he only has a couple of years left playing he is thinking about the future. He and his coach are looking at a Club Med style academy where they cater to all levels. It’s a way of staying involved in the sport.

Tomorrow hope the showers pass over as Reid, Groth, Duckworth and Sitak, two of these guys will be doing double duty tomorrow. Will file a report on the last 2 days of this event, as bad as the money is in Challengers, it does make for a more relaxed atmosphere off the courts even though they’re playing for a lot more than points.

Times like this I wish I was back in Europe watching these events like I used to, but at the same time the same girls you like or pick up at 18 aren’t the same ones when you’re 40.

Simple Simon trolls Monfils. Seppi on the brink of history

Very mixed day this one. It was very frustrating at the beginning because I didn't see a point of the Tsonga vs. Kavcic match.

There are specific reasons this happened, but the nicest thing that will be said that there was an admin error. Stupid Saturday at the Aus Open is the worst day when the crowds are at their largest, nearly impossible to see matches on the outside courts especially if Tsonga is playing.

Could not see Kavcic in his biggest match at a Slam, it doesn't matter the result whether he won 1 game, 1 set. Just wanted to see this moment, but wasn't able to due to no fault of my own. It was a fantastic week for him, hope he can build on it.

Seppi vs. Cilic

Thought this was a tough but winnable match for Seppi and thankfully I was able to get into see the last 2 sets after all the crap beforehand.

While Cilic was leading 2 sets to 1, never really felt that Seppi was out of the match at all. It's about managing the momentum shifts and Seppi managed to keep hanging in there and was able to take the 4th set.

Cilic gets the early break in the 5th set for a 2-0 lead. The absolute turning point to this match was Seppi holding the service game for *1-2 when apart from the last point he basically served a game of second serves and the Seppi second serve is still a liability.

This was huge for Seppi who got confidence from serving so poorly yet holding on that game. He stepped up his game, became steadier and Cilic was leaking errors from both sides. Seppi's improved durability backing up from a long 5 setter against Istomin in the heat served him well and while Seppi did improve his level, what was disappointing was the Cilic performance in the last set leading 2-0 and then losing 6 games in a row.

Seppi now plays Chardy for a place in the quarter finals this is a massive opportunity for him. Seppi isn't the most naturally talented player, but has maximisied his potential, kept working very hard at his game to be the best player he can. The rewards came last year and started the year in an impressive manner, better he than a ballbashing buffoon like Chardy, who won't back up the big win in the next round.

Raonic vs. Kohlschreiber

Raonic is looking even more like Chief Wiggum than usual. This was a very comfortable win for Raonic especially after he won the first set buster. He was in good serving rhythm and hitting huge kickers to Kohli's backhand who couldn't return the serves at all.

With the first set down Raonic was able to use the serve and forehand combo to dominate from the baseline. Kohlschreiber looked like a little kid at the beach with sand kicked in his face by Raonic.

Simon vs. Monfils

Hahaha, what to say about this match. Not really sure words could do justice. It was so hilariously bizarre that it had to be watched until its completion for the sheer ridiculous nature of it.

These guys thought it was a hitting drill just paddling the ball back and forth without too much pace. Yes, they had a 71 shot rally, plus a few in the 40 stroke territory. Tactically Monfils isn't known for his mensa like abilities and this will be highlighted later on.

Simon likes pace, so Monfils wasn't trying to give him any well so the theory looked like. The first 4 sets there was more pushing than a woman giving birth to sextuplets. As bad as this was, it was still more watchable than a WTA match or when Simon played Robredo in Bercy.

Monfils with the ham acting early one, he loves the drama and the clowning as much as an alcoholic loves alcohol. He claimed he was injured and then Simon while leading 2 sets to 0 actually takes an injury timeout. You'd have to be a pretty big douchecanoe to take a timeout when leading 2 sets to love if you weren't injured.

Simon always looks like he is asleep or there is something wrong at the best of times. After the timeout Simon was just existing on court running now and then, whereas Monfils can't actually say he was playing better than before, not even he could stuff these 2 sets up against a guy who looked ill and was cramping.

The bizarre nature of the match where both looked like they were gasping for their last breath, the nonsense paddling rallies and general surreal nature of watching this deserved a 5th set. Simon got slightly more energised and Monfils not exactly sure what to do about this and ironically the tennis was more watchable in this set.

Monfils showed why he is a tactical genius. Yes, it's hard playing a friend or someone who is ailing, but the ball is still round and yellow, it needs to be hit. Instead of moving Simon around the court, a few times side to side, then go in behind that corner to test whether he can turn or not. Perhaps some drop shot and lob combos as well. No, the genius decides to hit up the middle of the court.

Simon fighting through all this crap and gets it done. He still doesn't know how he won this match and probably better off not knowing how either. Monfils well he can always join the circus. Yes, Simon will be fodder for Murray as per usual, but the fact he won such a bizarre and hilarious match will make this event memorable.

Should those two be charged for bringing the match into disrepute, well not sure about that. The fans who paid their tickets for this should be given free tickets.

Seppi and Kavčič beat the heat

Yesterday was a brutal day 3 5 set matches and the mercury reached 40.8, so there was no blog from last night. Dehydration, cold showers and electrolytes were my friend last night.

Before getting into the matches from the second round. There were a couple of quirky moments that I forgot to mention previously. In the Sela vs. Davydenko match in the 4th set when Sela had a break point on second serve. Someone possibly a member of the Davydenko camp threw one of the balls over the fence on the court, so Davydenko gets 2 serves which he held. This guy must have laid some cash on Davy holding the service game.

Quirky moment number two was in the Ram vs. Garcia Lopez match when Garcia-Lopez lost serve in the 4th set. He smashed a ball down the court and almost cleaned up Rampras on the side of the head. Ram naturally wasn't impressed and glared down the court and the umpire had to do some work in this one. You don't get these moments on the main courts for the most part.

Melzer vs. Bautista-Agut

This wasn't a bad match overall. Initially it was about all the idiots who kept walking in between points that was pissing both players off. Most of the cattle really have no clue about tennis etiquette.

Melzer was a little bit off, bitching about everything and Bautista was his solid self hence this was the reason it went to 5 sets. Bautista had an early chance in the 5th but once he missed that and Melzer took it, he ran away with the last set as Bautista was tiring.

It's clear Bautista-Agut has improved and should stay in the top 100 for a while barring injuries. He moves well and has a flat game for a Spanish player, his differences between clay and hard aren't say to the level of Andujar.

Stepanek vs. Lopez

This was such a clinic, the real handsome beast Stepanek showed LaLo how to play tennis. He was toying with him, just moved the serve around enough to get the burro out of position, then would come in on LaLo's backhand or hit the winners from the back while keeping him off balance.

Sure, Feli had his Justin Bieber like fangirls supporting him, but this was just too easy and fun in the process watching Thunder Lips just block back the returns of Lopez to the neutral position and then work him over and finish him off quickly.

Seppi vs. Istomin

These two had another tight 5 setter at a Slam. Since the Aus Open organisers like to troll me and put both Seppi and Kavcic on at the same time, this is where this match is a mixture of mine and Sammy's experiences.

Very few chances in the first set with the extended rallies that were dominant in this match, but Seppi was more aggressive in the breaker and the forehand held up well and he took it.

Second set was more of the same there was the feeling that Seppi was just in front. Then all of a sudden at 15-15 at *5-6, Seppi decides to be like Santa and serve two double faults in a row to give Istomin 2 sets points, which he took to level it.

Seppi started to be a bit passive but when it's almost 40 degrees it's not always to have clear decision making. The match hit a flat patch until the 4th set buster and in this period Istomin was the slightly better player but he wasn't dominant.

Once Seppi took the buster, then he stepped it up and was able to run through the 5th set with momentum on his side. This was the first time he has made the 3rd round at the Aus Open and has a tough but winnable match with Cilic.

Seppi has bought a big crew down to Melbourne. Max, the coach's brother is here as well huge AC Milan fan, cool guy. He summed up Inzaghi perfectly with the feet he was nothing, but he always where to find the goal.

Kavčič vs. Duckworth

Thankfully had some more time to digest this match. What a great fight from both guys this was not necessarily about the quality of tennis in brutally hot conditions. It was a big opportunity for both players to make the 3rd round of a Slam for the first time and that added some extra spice to the match.

Kavčič got the early break in the 1st set, then Ducky who has an outstanding serve for a player of his height consistently hitting 215km/h wide took the first one comfortably.

Kavčič started to make more returns and once he was able to do this, then he was dominating the baseline rallies though he wasn't as aggressive as he was against Bellucci. Then again the circumstances and conditions weren't comparable, that match he was the underdog and here he was the favourite.

As the momentum changed with Kavčič taking a more offensive position in the court and taking the 2nd and 3rd sets there were no major indications of the major drama to follow.

Duckworth called for the trainer first, but he must have been over at the Melbourne Storm training ground since it took him a good 15 minutes to get to the court. This was before the medical assessment, then the treatment took place, so it seemed like 25 mins.

It helped Duckworth who improved his serving again, starting to hit some good forehands. Kavčič was struggling physically and Ducky was getting energised from the crowd who helped him through a tough time to take the 4th set.

Kavčič gets the early break then at *2-0 at 30 all decides to serve 2 double faults to give the break back. There were about 6 Kavčič fans and the rest of the crowd was very pro Duckworth as expected. They had the "quack, quack, quack" chants, especially when there was a challenge which is much better than "Aussie, Aussie , oil oi oi".

Now this match was about who could take their chances, endure the brutal conditions and take this big opportunity. Kavčič had to take a medical timeout, both guys were feeling it and were only chasing down drop shots when they were so poor that they had to be dealt with.

Kavčič has improved the serve which was key in this set, apart from when he tried to serve the match out at *5-3, where he was so nervous and had no acceleration on his shots played it so carefully and Ducky broke easily. There is a reason when Kavčič serves out matches, that getting in the brace position is common.

Both guys giving it their all and struggling against the elements. Kavčič blows another 4 match points through a mix of passive play, clutch serving from Ducky. Finally something had to give and it was Duckworth who hit the ball long. If Kavčič had more energy then there would have been a greater celebration.

Good to see Channel 7 who broadcasted the match didn't show the Kavčič camp at the end of the match and John Newcombe is still as biased as ever. Ducky has a big upside to him as a player and the IV drip Kavčič was on after the match was worth it after this big win.

Nieminen vs. Dodig

Match of the tournament so far and easily so. It helped that the conditions while warm weren't oppressive which was different from the early matches.

Dodig is great to watch, this guy is so determined and came from nothing that he is an inspiration to other players. He fights for everything, but doesn't play a negative gamestyle which makes it all the better.

He was serving from the tree in this match, hitting the corners regularly with good pace on serve and Nieminen who is a good returner wasn't able to get as many balls back in play as per usual.

Neither player were taking a backward step from the baseline moving each other around with flat and deep groundies mixed in with some angles. Nieminen trying to pass when he could and Dodig for the most part coming to the net and making volleys.

Main difference in this match was Nieminen was slightly down from his level against Haas, while Dodig was playing a very high level of tennis. They split the 4 sets which wasn't a surprise, Nieminen who has an excellent 5 set record didn't make many first serves initially and was down to the weaker 2nd delivery in which Dodig attacked either hitting for winners or making volleying winners from weak Nieminen shots.

There was a game where Nieminen had break back points, but Dodig was serving like Karlovic saved them with ease and was able to run out a comfortable winner in the end.

This match was played in great spirit, both sets of fans were in a good mood, high quality tennis involving all aspects of the game, good serving, baseline rallies, volleying, desire from Dodig and excellent passes.

Seppi provided the stability, Kavčič provided the drama and Dodig/Niemien provided the quality.

Australian Open Day 2: What you gonna do when "Dextermania" runs wild on you

It was Slovenia Day on Day 2 at the Aus Open and the guys weren't handed easy draws for their matches. Naturally it would have been good for all of them to go through, but this didn't happen.

Kavčič vs. Bellucci

For those who don't know Kavčič looks like Dexter, so that's the reference in the subject title just in case it was lost on some readers. This was not an easy draw on paper for Kavčič, as we know tennis matches aren't won on paper.

Bellucci does have some poor days, so this was the chance for Kavčič to get him. They played on clay at Gstaad and Bellucci beat him comfortably. The first set is always the key for the lower ranked guys when it comes to playing a seeded player, this was no different. It was going along comfortably on serve for both guys, then Bellucci played a poor service game and Kavčič broke. Normally when Kavčič serves out sets, it's time to get in the brace position as they show in the safety demonstrations on aeroplanes.

What was noticeable and continued through the match was Kavčič was playing aggressive tennis standing just behind the baseline and moving Bellucci around who looked even more disinterested than usual. Yes, there was some classic defensive stuff from Dexter, but the second set was a high level and Bellucci had a mental break.

Start of the 3rd set Bellucci broke, but Kavčič broke back straight away. The theme continued from the previous sets with Bellucci even moonballing whereas on clay when he hits the forehand well it has some big spin and pace. Here, he was brushing up the back of the ball too much and not even racquet head speed into the ball.

Kavčič served at 69% first serves for the match that was a big factor in the result and also that he wasn't passive as he can be, especially when he has a lead. Good winners down the line exposing the poor hardcourt movement of Bellucci. You know it's a big performance from Kavčič when he serves a set out to love.

Big opportunity for Dexter next round when he plays Duckworth.

Seppi vs. Zeballos

As this was on at the same time as the Kavčič match. I didn't see as much of this match as I should have but what I did see it was a training clinic for Seppi. He was hitting well from both sides especially the forehand side and was breaking when he felt like it.

Zeballos has a bit of a belly at the moment, but he was being rushed into errors from Seppi. He should be able to maintain his top 100 ranking and it showed the level from challengers to the big stuff.

On a side note, the South Tyrolean Sex Machine's girlfriend is here in Melbourne. Lets say this, she is pretty easy on the eye and not a diva at all, so unlike most of the ones on tour, it suits Seppi down to a tee.

Žemlja vs. Granollers

This was quite a brutal match for the time it lasted. There were plenty of extended rallies and Granollers defending like Franco Baresi getting to everything, of course he is not as stylish as Baresi but very effective.

Žemlja was trying to make more of the play, but one thing he wasn't doing and it's necessary against a guy like Granollers is that you have to hit behind the guy. Žemlja was mostly hitting open court in fact 97% of the time in rallies it was open court and Granollers was anticipating it well, making the shots putting them into difficult spots.

The first tie breaker was hard fought and Granollers was making running forehand passing shots, then on his set point. Žemlja works him around the court, gets Granollers at the net and Grega has a very short ball drills at Granollers who makes the reflex volley winner.

At 4-4 in the 2nd set Žemlja who always looks tired and asleep at the best of times, was really struggling not moving his feet. He fought hard to get to the TB, but Granollers was too solid and he could have ran for another 5 hours. The grunting was on and off in this match.

Cool to see Fernando Vicente there and yes he was smoking at the side of the court, though at least he is not in the Dirk Hordoff league.

Bedene vs. Becker

Bedene has improved for sure, but there is still some work to be done. He isn't working with the academy in Austria anymore. His brother Andrjaz is working with him as a hitting partner after retiring. One thing I noticed about Aljaz he has a touch of the Seppi about him build wise, wouldn't say the same game wise.

This match was a case of missed opportunities for Bedene. Becker was his usual self hitting big, but he has his moments where the game goes off and Bedene needed to take advantage of these which he didn't in the last 2 sets.

Bedene broke back at 5-5 in the 3rd, then to serve to take it in the TB, he played a poor game. Then Bedene was up a break in the 4th set, but a combo of not making enough first serves, some average shot selection and Becker making some winners.

As for how far Bedene will go, it all depends on whether he can keep injury free. He is good enough for top 30 in a couple of years, but who knows what can happen.

Haas vs. Niemien

Fun match between the 2 veterans. No moonballing here, just a lot of all court tennis but this is the one that got away from Haas.

Nieminen still serving the 110km/h second serves which were dealt with for the most part. Have to give it to the Shark, saving the match point against him with a sexy serve and volley.

Haas getting broken at 6-6, through 2 double faults and a poor dropshot that was amateur stuff from such a seasoned pro.

Nieminen very pumped after the win and was mobbed after the match. It was funny he was walking while doing an interview with Finnish radio and the security.

Slovenia went 1 for 3, but Dexter will survive to Saturday.

Australian Open Day 1 : So close to comfort, so close to joy

Sorry for the lack of updates after qualies, there were quite a few annoying side issues going on at the time which needed to be sorted out.

Yesterday was a long day and there will be some help from one of my best friends Sammy who was at matches, that I couldn't make, so there won't be a lack of snark in the reports. Before we get under way have to say that I was immaculately turned out in a Wigan Athletic football shirt and a bright red Sporting Gijón hat with fluro socks. It's all about the looks.

Benneteau vs. Dimitrov

Dimitrov has a lot of fangirls in general and they call him "Baby Fed". One played well in Brisbane, then the other in Sydney and Mats Wilander summed up Dimitrov pretty accurately. "He has mind set on imitating Federer and yes it looks good. But he has no idea what to do on the court".

Sammy said Benneteau played some good tennis and was solid but Dimitrov was awful and if he is "Baby Fed", then it must be the left handed, can't hit the ball in court, leaden footed version of Federer. It's the classic all sizzle and no steak. He has the potential to do very well, but it's up to Dimitrov to work it out for himself.

Gimeno-Traver vs. Kubot

This was quite a good standard match out in Court 22 aka the "Car Park". Tight 1st set with a classic poor DGT breaker giving it to Kubot who was his usual aggressive self coming in on everything.

Second set was the key to this match. DGT went up a break twice but failed to follow the cardinal rule of not confirming his break of serve. The only way he was going to win the set was to break which he did to take it 6-4. Kubot was off his game for a bit and Gimeno-Traver steamrolled him with the usual solid first serve and massive forehand combo.

Kubot pulled himself together and was attacking even more, the forehand wasn't leaking the errors and he was coming to the net on anything short from DGT and having success taking the 4th set.

DGT had the advantage of starting the 5th set serving, in my own eyes it's a big advantage to be serving first whether you have a good service or not. Pressure on is from the start against the player serving second, which is even more of a mental battle in a 5th set.

There were some absolute morons at this match for some reasons and no I'm not talking about the young Poles who were supporting Kubot. The 5th set was DGT trying to dominate with the forehand and Kubot trying to make Gimeno-Traver defend on the forehand which he has problems with due to his grip and can't make the grip changes quickly.

Kubot had break points and DGT played some very good tennis, though there were some classic DGT backhands. The guy has a top 20 forehand, reasonable serve but a village level backhand.

At match point on Kubot's serve, the only one Gimeno-Traver had in the match ended in a delicious irony. Kubot worked the point to come in on the DGT backhand expecting a passing shot bouncing into the net or halfway up. Nooo, he stayed down on the ball and swung through making a fine backhand pass to take out the match.

Yes, Gimeno-Traver won his first ever match at the Aus Open on a backhand pass. He was over the moon and one of the morons were going about his reaction. I just told them, "you see this is his first ever win at the Aus Open, not everyone can and will peak for the second week, hope this helps".

Harrison vs. Giraldo

Went there after being in the car park. Giraldo's coach Francisco Clavet is still looking like a better looking version of Jerry Seinfeld. This is match where Giraldo will be kicking himself for losing this in the manner he did.

Harrison wasn't too bratty just the odd whine, but nothing over the top. After splitting sets Giraldo was up a break in the 3rd, playing reasonably well and then as he can do, decided to play his dumb service game where his lack of defensive skills and at times poor shot selection came in cost him.

Got to give Harrison credit, he was just massaging the ball around as Giraldo doesn't like the pace off the ball and in the 4th Giraldo dominating from being up an early break, loses 3 games in a row two of them on his serve. Harrison takes it, but he will be fodder for Djokovic.

Bautista-Agut vs. Fognini

It was good to see Bautigol in person to see how much he has improved and it's pretty clear. The only Spaniard in the top 100 with a continental forehand grip and better on hardcourt than clay, but the level between the surfaces isn't that great so he should be able to stay in the top 100 barring injuries for some time.

What can be said about "the Fog" what we already don't know. He was his usual grumpy self as Bautista gives him a bagel in the 1st set, hitting deep, flat and too the corners.

Fognini wakes up a bit and Bautista drops his level slightly so the Fog takes the 2nd set. The Fog was complaining about the conditions, being footfaulted, the crowd in general. The main difference in this match was Bautista kept a fairly constant level and the Fog was a mix of the "I don't give a shit", trying when he felt like it. Once Bautista got the early break in the 5th, the Fog folded the tent.

Bautista's coach is a Sporting Gijón fan he loved the hat as you'd expect.

Millman vs. Ito

This was the toughest result of the day. In the first 2 sets Millman was making too many forehand errors, pulling off the ball not staying down for long enough. Ito was just solid not doing anything spectacular but it was effective.

Millman lifted his game in the next 2 sets, but couldn't get the early break in the 5th which would have helped him. Ito served for the match, but Millman broke easily as Ito was so passive in the game.

Millman had a break point at 5-5, played a very good point but he doesn't have good hands at the net after a big forehand which put Ito on the defensive he hesitated coming in. Once he came to the net after the hesitation, he hit a volley which was neither short nor deep. Ito got a lob into the corner and then held that game and broke for the match.

This was a huge missed opportunity for Millman, but he will learn from this and come back better and stronger for the experience of his first Slam match but that is small consolation at the moment.

Stepanek vs. Troicki

Got there at the middle of the 4th set. Said to Sammy that Steps is winning in 5 sets even when Troicki was 0-2 up. Such a difference between these two games. Trociki is the big serving grinder, ugly but effective whereas Stepanek with the cagey serve, smooth volleys but without the power.

There was one drunk idiot who was totally on Troicki, he must have had a bet on it. Every single point he was screaming out something, but it wasn't funny. Use some humour it always works better.

Troicki had more fans in number, but that was only cause of nationality not his game. Stepanek who can get tight when serving out matches failed at the first time of asking at 5-4, then he broke Trocki straight back and served it out.

Always a good day when Troicki loses from 2 sets up and Stepanek was just his usual sexy self with some fine volleys, good backhands and got to admire someone who can still survive with a continental forehand.

Big day today got to watch Kavcic, Bedene, Zemlja, Seppi, Weintraub thankfully all are in the same area of the complex.

Pretty good results all round, though the Millman one was tough coming back from 2 sets down, not taking the break chance, where he could have attempted to serve it out. It's all about taking your chances as within any field.

Australian Open Day 1 Qualies

Yes, first report of the year, figured I'd start it off at a Slam. The scheduling sucked with all the matches I wanted to see at the end, but overall not a bad but long day.

No photos so far, will try and make it a bit better, but laziness is a problem. They are doing some major restructuring to the venue. The great old court 4 doesn't exist anymore, it used to be a practice court but it had one of the best Aus Open matches in ages. The Antonio Veic vs. Dani Koellerer 5 set classic, there were only 3 rows on side that were full, the walkways were full. The other side was all grass in between Court 6 which is a showcourt. Every supervisor was there, players like Darcis, Melzer, Rochus watched it, plenty of antics with Koellerer getting warnings, bitchung about people walking. Best of all the top 2 tiers on Court 6 were watching clapping loudly while interfering in the Monaco vs. Gulbis match which was on that court. Goodbye Court 4.

Now onto business.

Brown vs. Moriya

Brown was struggling with the wind initially and Moriya wasn't missing too much. The 4-4 where Brown was broken he played a dog of a game, then at 15-30, Moriya gets a netcord over Brown at net to get 15-40. Moriya serves 2 doubles yet manages to win 6-4.

Brown got footfaulted second serve break point down to lose his early serve, which he was less than amused about. He broke back straight away, was hitting some huge forehands, yes the love affair with the dropshot continued worked well for the most part.

Dreddy created a lot of break chances, through a mix of solid Moriya play and Brown's erratic play kept it closer than it needed to be, eventually Brown broke for the 2nd set.

He started playing better and Moriya's second serve makes Seppi's look like Sampras. Best part was the woman who footfaulted Brown made another tight call, which set him off. He said "I didn't get footfaulted before this, nor after this. Moriya's shot hit the line, yet mine was out in the same spot. This is not a coincidence. You know it's not easy playing 3 against 1."

After this he steamrolled the final set.

Weintraub vs. Odesnik

Pretty tight match and reasonable standard as well. Surprisingly Odesnik had more support, he must have imported a crowd here to cheer for him.

Weintraub's backhand was working very well such a well produced stroke, though his forehand is pretty ugly and was missing some simple mid court ones.

Odesnik was being his usual rat self, wasting time in between points, took an injury timeout for the sake of it at the end of the 2nd. Usually it's the toilet break after he lost the 1st set.

Weintraub when he rushed Odesnik was the better player which is what he did in the 1st and 3rd set. He missed a few more shots in the 2nd and was a bit passive and the Rat took advantage.

Amir did the tennis world a favour.

Young vs. Sektic

Good old DY, didn't get there in time to see if he had the pimp headphones on. He is an example of how not to manage a teenage talent.

Man DY was passive, some huge moonballing on and if he played a better player it would be just fodder. Sure there were some good volleys, but a poor showing all round.

Stebe vs. Ignatik

Ignatik went up the early break in both sets, but once he did then he lost the initiative and conditions at the time were up and down. He didn't handle them that well, whereas Stebe was just solid played the big points well when he needed to and was a comfortable winner in the end.

Pashanski vs. Ward

Boris is a hardcourt hack, there was no weight on his shots at all. Ward served fairly well, but didn't do anything special.

As for antics Boris was quite calm, though he bitched about being footfaulted and wanted a linesman changed due to lacking vision. Even then he was subdued by his standards.

Other stuff Antonio Veic got footfaulted on the first point of the match and typical Veic style it was a grind, but couldn't get it done.

Robert Farah, the wrist tendonitis impacted on him badly really looked like he didn't want to be there and could tell it was his first match of the year.

Freddie Niemeyer had another kid so he is staying in Montreal to coach the Canadian kids, whereas Frederic Fontang is working with Pospisil.

Saw some Diez and Cervenak. Diez is a fiesty little guy who is always talking to himself in Spanish as for Cervenak the guy had some chances in the 3rd but too chicken shit on the shots to hit them and was too passive. He needs to play Stuttgart to show some good stuff.

That's it for today.

Czech Republic creating history with Davis Cup triumph

Davis Cup creates some of the greatest memories in tennis and also the biggest lows, which is unsurprising due to the nature of the competition. It's not just about the individuals, they're playing for their countries having to work within a team environment in different ways.

In the 100th edition of the Davis Cup, it got the final it deserved going down to the 5th match where dreams are made or shattered depending on the outcome of the result.

As was stated in my Davis Cup Preview that Radek Štěpánek was the true heartbeat and leader of the team. These skills were apparent as he lead the Czech Republic to their first win as an independent nation.




Winners are Grinners

Unsurprisingly it was 1-1 after Day 1. David Ferrer who was the true star for Spain for the season going undefeated in live singles matches, the last time he lost a live rubber was to his nemesis Gael Monfils. Štěpánek didn't play too well, but he wasn't allowed to as Ferrer kept him back on the baseline and played the match on his terms running out a comfortable winner. Sure, the Lukas Rosolites were hoping that he'd play a role in the tie, but Jaro Navratil is known for his loyalty to these two guys.

Promoting the final

Tomas Berdych made some comments about Nico Almagro before the tie, depending on the viewpoint Berdych was either talking trash or stating the obvious that he was the weak link in this team especially on the low bouncing surface. Almagro played an excellent match and Berdych looked tired and heavy legged perhaps with the pressure that he needed to level the tie. Berdych eventually got through and there definitely wasn't a lot of love in the handshake, but two combative characters provides something different.

In the doubles was where Štěpánek's leadership skills thrived as he was the dominant partner as Berdych was struggling with tiredness. His scheduling before the final was pretty ordinary playing 6 out of 7 weeks, not everyone has the endurance levels of Ferrer. Granollers and the good Lopez Marc won the doubles world championship, even then on the surface Stepanek and Berdych were favourites who have known each other for a long time, that they don't need to play too often to get in the groove. Once they wrestled the momentum and Berdych improved while Štěpánek kept the level up to get it done.


Radek always smooth with the women

Czech fans were hopeful Berdych would be able to seal the tie in the 4th match but that was gone after the first game. Both he and Ferrer hadn't lost a Davis Cup singles match this season so something had to give. Ferrer played arguably his best ever match, it was one of those days where everything was working perfectly. He was seeing the ball like a medicine ball but striking it like a golf ball dominating from the baseline and moving Berdych around who was getting more weary over time. Ferrer just owned Berdych.

Heroic Štěpánek

It all came down to the 5th match with the alleged weak link Almagro and the crafty Štěpánek who was dreaming of this moment as a child. What a performance under pressure from Štěpánek he played an outstanding match apart from a poor break point conversion rate.

For all the hooplah about the surface it wasn't so fast, the bounce was very low which is unusual for courts these days and it played into Štěpánek's game to expose Almagro who loves rhythm from the baseline. He was able to protect his forehand and keep Almagro off balance, who was very passive at times.


Air Štěpánek

Štěpánek was getting tight at the end but managed to serve it out and create his greatest tennis moment. Not bad for a guy in 2002 who was struggling playing doubles, then makes it as a singles player with his awkward game in an era where the surfaces don't favour his game.



Spain fought hard as per usual, gave their best efforts but they've have dominated the Davis Cup in recent times and the historical significance of the former Czechoslovakia team of Ivan Lendl, Tomas Smid, Pavel Slozil and Jan Kodes who were in attendance. They defeated Argentina away in 1980 just as the current team in 2012.


2012 and 1980 Davis Cup winners

Once Jaro Navratil took over the captaincy, then Štěpánek came back to the team. Once they won promotion to the World Group defeating Switzerland with Federer and Wawrinka. It has been gradual progress and the rewards eventually game. There aren't so many opportunities to win Davis Cup especially if they have a 2 man team, so have to take them when on offer.

Yes, Berdych and Stepanek were the main men of the Czech team but Lukas Rosol, Minar and the others helped create the positive atmosphere within the squad. Most only the see the main guys on the court, but there are more than 3 people involved.

It will be interesting to see how long Steps can play singles for and Lukas Rosol if he can continue to improve will need to step up. That's for the later, now it's party time and the celebrations should go on for days

Time for the Czechs to cash in the Davis Cup final

While the race to Aus Open is still going strong with a few places to be sorted out. The big tennis event this weekend is the Davis Cup final between the Czech Republic and Spain in Prague.

My views on the Davis Cup as a competition are very clear, but for those who don't know lets say unlike gloryhunter or player fans I believe it's a special competition. Yes, there are plenty of issues with it, more so with its scheduling than with player participation, though many of the top guys are always looking for an excuse to miss something that doesn't benefit them directly. It's an opportunity for global fans to see players they normally wouldn't for example Tomas Berdych playing and winning in Argentina to get them in the semi finals..



Czech Davis Cup Squad

Unfortunately the Czechs didn't choose Ostrava as the venue for the final. That's where they get the best support from plus Berdych, Stepanek and Rosol are Moravian and the Prague crowd is like a museum compared to Ostrava. At the same time it's a lot easier to rip off tourists and visiting corporate sponsors who will have access to most of the tickets in Prague than the tourist hot spot of Ostrava. The expense accounts of the ITF and the Davis Cup sponsors might even reach the amount of zeros comparable to the number of women Tiger Woods has slept with. Can never overlook the business factor in sport.

Davis Cup
Enough of the prelude and onto the important tennis stuff. This is easily the best chance for the Czechs to win the Davis Cup and to get some revenge for the thrashing Spain gave them in 2009 on the clay in Barcelona. Since the ITF have bought in speed regulations in relation to court surface. The Czechs can't lay down a very fast carpet like surface which Belarus perfected during their World Group stay and affectionately known as the ice rink, due to very low bounce and fast pace.

As per usual before a Davis Cup tie there are the shenanigans usually in relation to the court surface. Never in doubt the Spanish are complaining about the speed, then again it's not like the clay courts don't get an extra bath before ties in Spain. It's part of the fun of trying to win ties away from home which makes Davis Cup special and that individuals aren't just playing for themselves.



Berdych

Tomas Berdych came out during the week and said Nico Almagro is the weak link in the Spanish team. Mr. Berdych and Almagro have had their issues in the past, which isn't surprising since both of them are very confident in their abilities and don't toe the PC or cliche lines which is more interesting. The comments aren't exactly incorrect as Almagro isn't at his best indoors and on fast surfaces. While Almagro has an impressive serve and he is a lot fitter these days, he doesn't have the required defensive skills which are highlighted more on faster surfaces as he doesn't get the time he needs.

Berdych's best work when it comes to Spain when he beat Rafa Nadal in Madrid way back in 2006 and was the last time he beat him. The Madrid crowd weren't too sporting and Berdych with the famous shhh gesture at the end of the match. That was some classic heel work as the crowd booed the hell out of him, too bad Berdych didn't do the Hulk Hogan gesture for more booing. After the match Berdych said "all the Spanish know is bullfighting and football". That's how to be a heel.


From 6.46

While Berdych is the big star of the team, it's in fact Radek Stepanek that is the actual leader of the squad. He is the glue that holds them together and the reason once he retires that it will be more difficult for the Czechs to win another Davis Cup. Steps is the man who creates the atmosphere in the squad, quick with the jokes, the fashion plate and he loves the Davis Cup environment.


Smooth Stepanek

Jaro Navratil the man with the best mullet in tennis and Czech captain has played the 2 man team of Berdych/Stepanek in all the live rubbers. Though with Lukas Rosol winning the Blava Challenger on a similar surface to the one used in the DC final it would be a brave man to include him on Day 1 against Ferrer. Stepanek not sure about whether he can last the 3 days at the end of the season, that is the main question. Navratil hasn't made a call like this in his time as captain, though it's about adapting to the particular circumstances.

With Spain they have David Ferrer who has had a brilliant season and tough to beat anywhere, though Berdych, Stepanek/Rosol would fancy their chances on this surface. Almagro's strengths and weaknesses have been taken into account and Feliciano Lopez is the 5th man travelling with the squad.


Almagro


Corretja

Of course with the doubles both sides think they'll have the advantage. Berdych/Stepanek are an excellent combination who've only lost one match in the 2009 final and Granollers/Marc Lopez won the world doubles title. The big question is how Granollers/Lopez will handle the surface, there are rumours about Marc Lopez might be replaced, though we'll find out soon enough.

On Day 1 it's Stepanek vs. Ferrer, then followed by the best of friends Berdych vs. Almagro. Would love to see the Czechs go up 2-0 on Day 1 but anything can happen in Davis Cup.

As for who will win. I'm going for the Czechs either 3-1 or 3-2. Berdych has been talking a big game and time for him to deliver, though it would be great for Stepanek who since he came back to the Davis Cup fold has been outstanding especially in the doubles. The greatest worm of all time will be performed if they get it done. The omen is there for a Czech win, when they won in 1980 they defeated Argentina away from home with Ivan Lendl and he has been there for the training this week.


From 1.00

Lets hope it's a good final and the Czechs are celebrating with the trophy.

The Forgotten Race

With the 2012 tennis circus virtually coming to a close apart from the Tennis Masters Cup in which the final 8 was even more predictable than long balls from Stoke City or West Ham and the Davis Cup final next week. This post isn't going to be a season review, that will come after the Davis Cup final which hopefully the Czechs will be winning.

Huge surprise the ATP have shown their brilliance in organisation by scheduling TMS Paris week before the Masters. Can see why they want to shorten the season, they should have made it a non mandatory TMS but we already have the unique situation with Monte Carlo, Forget wants the event to move to February to keep it's TMS status, then we aren't dealing with a competent organisation.

Jerzy Janowicz was the star of the week that's as obvious as Nadal taking too much time in between points. Janowicz started the year ranked 221 playing the Sheffield and Wirral Futures which are the lowest level of events on the ATP and now finishes the season ranked 26 which will get him a seeding at the Australian Open.


Jerzy Janowicz

Not even Janowicz's family would have thought by the end of the year that he would be ranked this highly. As for his game, well he has something that is lacking in tennis today some variety. Yes, he has a massive serve but not a semi western forehand which is unusual, He has great touch for a big man, though not quite to Magnus Larsson's level but he definitely moves better.

While Janowicz has already secured his direct entry spot into the Australian Open . At the end of the season this race is inherently more interesting than the one for the Masters for the reasons there are more players with something to play for unlike the guys say from 20-90 who are already thinking about their holidays, rest and then preparations for the next year.

Forgotten Race

At the lower end of the tennis tree where points tight and the finances tighter, direct entry into a Slam is beneficial for these players especially with the long trip to Melbourne which will pay off for them financially. If they don't make the cutoff, unlike the other Slams then they have to think about the financial realities of making the expensive trip to Melbourne for qualies, this is the reason why the cutoff for the qualies is lower than the other Slams.

Ranking from 95-112

Rank	Player	Points
95.	Horacio Zeballos (ARG)	554
96.	Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP)	547
97.	Joao Sousa (POR)	546
98.	Andreas Haider Maurer (AUT)	542
99.	Blaz Kavcic (SLO)	540
100.	Dudi Sela (ISR)	540
101.	Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)	538
102.	Ivo Karlovic (CRO)	536
103.	Michael Russell (USA)	531
104.	Nicolas Mahut (FRA)	530
105.	Matthew Ebden (AUS)	529
106.	Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)	529
107.	Philipp Petzschner (GER)	527
108.	Matthias Bachinger (GER)	527
109.	Jan Hajek (CZE)	527
110.	Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)	526
111.	Adrian Ungur (ROU)	515
112.	Rajeev Ram (USA)	512

There are 3 weeks of Challengers for the fringe players to reach Melbourne. Horacio "The Bolivian" Zeballos with his win in Montevideo moved up 24 places to 95. If he could play 53 weeks a year he would, plus he always plays singles and doubles. For those who don't know the Slams are made up of 16 qualifiers, 8 wildcards and 104 players including Protected Ranking (PR) which is something players apply for when they're out for 6 months or longer due to injuries or illness. The PR is taken after the last tournament played and can be used to enter events. Tommy Robredo will use his PR to enter the Aus Open, ideally finishing the year at 100 or 101 will get the player into the main draw.

Since the Australian Open is the Slam that I do to go, there will be even more bias than usual with who I'd like to make the trip. With Grega Žemlja and Aljaž Bedene already in the tournament barring injuries, it would be fitting that Blaž Kavčič makes it as it will create history in Slovenian tennis with 3 men in the main draw of a Slam.


Blaž Kavčič

Sergiy Stakhovksy who manages to infuritate WTA apologists with his forthright comments, plus he doesn't want to miss the important player meeting in Melbourne which should be even more fiery than usual. Of course then there is Mikey Russell, one of the great guys in the sport who has had so many injuries plus he has quads of steel and has to walk through doors sideways because of the size of the thighs.


Sergiy Stakhovsky

Ivo Karlovic well because my Croatian mate will be pissed off if he doesn't make it, then there is the comedy factor which leads into Petzschner. He of the fun game but brittle temperament who was almost on the way to a triple bagel of Lukáš Rosol leading 6-0 6-0 4-0 before he let Rosol get 2 games and he gets extra points for the compression socks.


Phillipp Petzschner

Dudi Sela is on the edge as well, he is one of these guys who performs better on the big stage and struggles to get motivated when playing Challengers, then again shotmakers aren't usually the epitome of consistency. Adrian Ungur who has been in a slump has a chance at Sao Leopoldo to get himself closer to direct entry.

As there are 6 Challengers this week as the forgotten race really heats up. It's called that because it's something that is rarely spoken about since in tennis especially for the vast majority it's all about the top 4 and nothing exists outside this group. Sure, there are fleeting mentions to other activities besides whether Rafael Nadal had breakfast, Federer wants more appearance money for Basel, Murray whether he is miserable or is Djokovic sleeping in the egg.

Challengers are tough places to play at the best of times, even better at this time of the year when there is so much on the line for players who are overlooked in the tennis circus but are needed for the circuit to function. Though there are enough clowns who want a top 4 exhibition tour for the whole year, lucky they haven't reached the head of the ATP or ITF yet.

Please follow FootSoldiersofT here Foot Soldiers of Tennis and on Twitter who has been doing excellent updates on the forgotten race to 103.

Davis Cup Review : Timing is Everything

With Andrew Murray enjoying some good times in Scotland celebrating his win and Ivan Lendl going back to his other job as the Easter Island statue. Last weekend was Davis Cup time, the World Group Semis and the playoffs to get that spot in the promised land.

My views about Davis Cup are clear. It's a great event, those casual fans who don't get it or the player fans yes the ones that only follow players and not care about the sport. Then this post isn't for them. Yes, the top players bitch and moan about Davis Cup so the player fans usually one of the big 4 think that's good for them to do so without thinking about the subject.

Yes, there are scheduling issues but that concerns the whole tennis world and no playing at a neutral venue would kill one of the unique aspects of the event. Playing away from home, winning in conditions that they aren't familar with and it's not just playing for themselves which lead to specific challenges that regular tournaments don't have.

World Group

Czech Republic def. Argentina 3-2

Huge effort from the Czechs to win away from home and hand Argentina their first defeat at the Parque Roca and on clay since 1998 when Davis Cup warrior Dominik Hrbaty led them to a 3-2 win when he defeated Hernan Gumy in the 5th rubber.

As with anything in life timing is everything and opportunities must be taken when on offer. This result is an example of this in numerous ways. Argentina when they picked the clay knew it would be tough to beat the Czech team but the plan starting coming apart a few weeks ago. Davis Cup stalwart David Nalbandian who pretty much is playing these days only to win this event had to withdraw from the US Open due to injury, he wanted to play here but captain Martin Jaite who was his former coach told him he wouldn't be selected.


David Nalbandian

Losing the spirtual leader and one half of your doubles combination tested the depth on clay normally Argentina are pretty solid so Juan Monaco stepped up. It got worse with Juan Martin del Potro having wrist issues being told by the doctor to rest, but he told Jaite he was ready to play on Day 1. The fact he defeated Stepanek handily while having problems hitting backhands was outstanding.

Sadly for Argentina this is where it unravelled. Tomas Berdych after winning a comfortable 1st set, started looking heavy in the legs, making errors and getting irritated with the loud crowd. Juan Monaco lifts his game and leading 2 sets to 1 with a break in the 4th. This is Monaco while he is courageous he is famous for getting tight in situations when he has the chance to take a big slap, maybe he should do some transcendental meditation. Once Berdych got back on serve, then Monaco walked through door of inevitability, even coming back from a double break in the 5th and losing serve for the match.



Berdych and Stepanek

Once the tie was 1-1, the Czechs with Berdych and Thunder Lips too good in the doubles. It came down to Carlos Berlocq replacing the injured del Potro to salvage the tie for Argentina. Three years ago Berlocq was struggling financially who only turned it around in the last two years that he was able to pay back his sponsor and keep some money for himself.

Berlocq fought so hard and left everything on the court as per usual, but he is limited as a player though he has improved significantly since he joined the tour. The feeling in this match was while Berdych wasn't near his best, wasn't really in any trouble even with Berlocq having more break point chances. There was a clear difference in their levels, the break point conversion rate Berdych 5/8 and Berlocq 1/13 summed it up. While the crowd were disappointed in losing they gave Berlocq a great reception and deservedly got very loud "Charly" chants at the end of the match.


Carlos Berlocq

After the match the Argentine media showed they're world class when it comes to scapegoating for when they lose at sport especially football and tennis. Del Potro has been copping a lot of criticism and can read more about the dramas Davis Cup Drama - A Look Back at the Lost Semifinal.
Yes, they lost at home and it was tough for them under the circumstances. Yes, got to take the praise when doing well and vice versa with criticism which doesn't tend to be constructive in moments like this. Monaco refusing to talk to the press is smart in a way, he could have always done it this way, though not in German.



Translation.
- Hello..There are 4 Questions and 4 Answers...
- I will ask the Questions and give the answers, too.
- Atmosphere in the team? The team worked very well.
- Tactics? it will depend on the personal situation, because a few players are injured.
- How I see the opponents ? Aachen has to win, we are prepared for this.
- Is the team prepared for this pressure? What I saw in the training, yes. and the team will give the answers on the field.
thank you

Argentina is one of the hardest places to play for visitors. The clay and the boisterous fans who provide a fun and football atmosphere unlike you see on the regular tour. Hrbaty commented that it was his favourite place to play, not sure Stepanek and Berdych will say that but they can be proud of their victory. As Jaro Navratil said they were lucky to win without Nalbandian and del Potro, but got to be good enough to take advantage which they were.

Unless next year Nalbandian can remain fit and del Potro as well then the Davis Cup dream for Argentina might be a long way off. Timing is everything, the previous golden generation of Coria, Gaudio, Nalbandian, Calleri, Cañas they couldn't do it, due to injuries and a lack of viable number 2 options off clay but it didn't happen. This time Argentina couldn't get their top 2 fit for this tie, which is something the Czechs didn't need to worry about this time.

Spain def. USA

Best thing about this tie was that it held was in Gijón. Asturias hasn't seen top class for a long time. No, I'm not including Galo Blanco the Real Oviedo fan and current coach of Milos Raonic.
The crowd was full of sportinguistas (Sporting Gijón football fans) who have been starved of success.

The result of this tie was doubtful as the sun rising in the east.

World Group Playoffs

There were a few fallen giants who didn't get promoted to the World Group. The Russians were thrashed by Brazil, while their decline is noticeable it's not as bad as Sweden or to a lesser extent Australia.

Sweden had to select 31 year old Andreas Vinciguerra who hadn't played any tennis since December and this was local league tennis. He became a father and trying for another comeback, while he played well considering his time out of the game there was no danger of him winning a match.


Andreas Vinciguerra

Robin Söderling being out indefinitely with glandular fever and financial mismanagement from the federation the lack of quality coming through is a problem that won't be sorted in the near future.
In the 80s Sweden had a brilliant generation to the point where Peter Lundgren was ranked number 23 in the world, yet was the only the 7th best Swede. This is where the time machine needs to be invented.

Australia lost to Germany on the clay. The weekend highlighted the funkiness of Florian Mayer who was the star of the tie. Lleyton Hewitt who is almost at the end of his career and struggles to play 3 days in a row. Nard Dog Tomic well he won the only singles match but will be remembered for the attitude where Tony Roche giving him a bollocking.

Canada won easily at home after South Africa forfeited their option of hosting the home time. Just not enough money there in South African tennis and Kevin Anderson has had his issues with the federation doesn't help.

Amir Weintraub was the star of the Davis Cup weekend leading Israel into the World Group with a win in the final rubber over Soeda. Weintraub who writes an interesting blog about the problems of the lower ranked players on tour especially coming from Israel. He is a man who loves the Davis Cup environment he defeated Raonic before taking down Ito on Day 1 after Dudi Sela failed to win his singles matches. Nishikoro levelled at 2-2 leaving it down to the final match.


Amir Weintraub

Weintraub was rallying well, dominating from the baseline using his backhand down the line to smash clean winners. He was showing Eli Ohana like flair over the weekend. At the end of the 3rd set he was cramping, but once he held a long service game at the start of the 4th set he was able to regain the momentum and playing much better tennis than Soeda who was waiting for Weintraub to make errors. Amir held on and showed that Davis Cup is more than just the World Group.