Roddick/Stefanki

 Andy Roddick hired a new coach a few days ago.  Former Fernando Gonzalez/Rios/McEnroe/Henman/Kafelnikov coach Larry Stefanki was hired by the American.  This new hire by Roddick seems like his 90Th coach is 3 years, and just shows how badly he is looking for answers.  Stefanki certainly has credentials(leading Rios and Kafelnikov to world no. 1) and did wonders for Gonzalez's game.  

      My concern is Roddick is searching way too hard.  Roddick has had a great career by any standards and needs to relax and play his game.  All of these big name coaches that he works with are all going to put there imprint on Roddick's game...I just hope Stefanki doesn't try and change Roddicks game because frankly, it's too late.  The American isn't getting any younger, and almost daily his serve is getting slower.  Roddick seems to put too much pressure on himself...my advice is to work hard on his game, like always, and go out on the court and just worry about competing.  

I am going to post a new Poll on the site asking you guys if you think Stefanki will be a positive for Roddick...don't forget to vote.

Talk you soon...

Spain Wins Davis Cup

Hey all...first sorry for missing a day of doubles...but I know you guys aren't die hard doubles fans anyway.  Spain wins the Davis Cup.

Spain won the doubles point yesterday as Verdasco/Lopez beat Nalbandian/Calleri

5-7,7-5,7-6(5),6-3 to put Spain up 2-1.

Coming to the last day of singles...Del Potro had to pull out because of a leg injury. That left Jose Acasuso to pick up the spot...

There was also some drama on Spain's side, as Fernando Verdasco picked up David Ferrer's spot.  

So the stage was set...2 alternates playing each other with the Cup on the line.

Verdasco battled through in a 5 set victory, winning 6-1 in the 5Th to clinch the Davis Cup.  The last match of the day was slated to be Nalbandian/Lopez...but it is meaningless anyway.

I think everyone is a bit surprised of how badly Argentina collapsed, especially after that statement-like start by Nalbandian.  Rafa must be celebrating with the Spaniards...and the rest of the team must be relieved they got through it without him.  Congrats Spain, and along with that win the tennis season REALLY ends until the Aussie.

take care.

Davis Cup Day One

Hey everyone...Day 1 of the Davis Cup is over and leaves Spain and Argentina in a 1-1 tie.

Due to the new emergence of Del Potro as one of the big boys, and mix that with an injured Rafa nowhere in sight, Argentina looks poised to win.

Match 1 would strongly support Argentina's strength.  David Nalbandian dismantled Ferrer 3,2, and 3.  This match seemed like it would be about 7 hours, and barely lasted 2.  

So Nalbandian won, Lopez next played Del Potro...looks like a 2-0 lead for Argentina...not quite.

Lopez stepped up and upset Juan 4-6,7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3.  Leaving a critical doubles point tomorrow.  

Stay Tuned tomorrow for my first edition of Tiebreak's '08 and the results of the Davis Cup Doubles.

take care.

Tiebreak's '08 Series.

Hey everyone...I hope you are doing O.K. with your boredom without having any scores to check.  

Don't worry Davis Cup is very soon.  Another bright side is that a good challenger is going on right now in the US...it has Spadea, Dancevic, Ram, Russell and some other fairly common names in it.   Vince "I ain't afraid of ya" Spadea played Devvarman in the first round and won 7-6(7) ret. 

Devvarman, for those who don't know, is the former Virginia college player, who was basically unbeatable.  He will go down as one of the best college players ever, without a doubt.   So far, he has been pretty dominant in the pros as well, rising up the ranks in the challengers.  It is always interesting to see how monsters in the college game transition to the pros.  Below is a pic of Devvarman...

Anyway...I'm going to start a new series in my blog for the next week or two.  It's going to be called "Tiebreak's '08."(very original title)  It's going to be five parts...

-Biggest Duds of '08.

-Rising Stars of '08.

-Who's done.

-Best Slam in '08.

-Best Performance in '08.

As always, I'll keep you posted on Davis Cup results and some of the good challengers.  See you soon for Biggest Duds in '08...

Novak Wins.

In order to do my best not to be redundant, I don't have a picture today of Novak...considering I feel like he has been in a couple of the last few.

Novak wins the Tennis Master's Cup after blitzing Davydenko 7-5, 6-1.

To be honest, the match had no pulse up until 5-3 in the second set. Up to that point, Novak was simply making Nikolay look bad.

At 5-3 in the 2ND, Novak fought to get to 15-40 on Davydenko's serve...2 Championship points. Nikolay suddenly came alive and saved both...

At 5-4 Novak got down 15-40, and after missing a first serve, mocked the crowd for applauding in between serves...leading to a double fault to lose the game.

Once again Novak had to add a bitter taste to his victory...the crowd ALWAYS makes noise in between serves as the match gets closer...and Novak bounced the ball a good 17 times before missing that first serve, which is asking the crowd to get on his back.

At 5-5 Nikolay reverted back to the heartless, emotionless tennis we sometimes see from him, and got broken easily. Novak is too tough and good to get broken for the match twice...and sealed his first Masters Cup title. Congrats to Novak...had a fantastic year.

He finishes again at No. 3 in the world, and gains some needed momentum going into the off season.

The tennis season of '08 ends today(OK except Davis Cup)...fans everywhere will have to either watch the Tennis Channel reruns or follow the Challengers.

Now that the season is over, I'll start to cover more of the Challenger events and try and name some of those players to watch in the coming year.

STAY TUNED SOON FOR MY '08 IN REVIEW...

Also, I'll still be posting quite a bit, but might miss some days here and there if there is really nothing going on. Tip of the Weeks, Vocab, etc. will continue.
Comment me if there is anything you'd like me to write a blog about, and I'll do my best. Lastly a new poll should be up very soon...feel free to vote.

Take care...

Davydenko/Djokovic Final is set.

The Finals of the Master's Cup is all set.

We got to see a rematch of round robin play, a match that Djokovic squeaked by after getting crushed in the second set 6-0. Both men come in searching for their first Master's Cup final...and nothing tells us than it will be anything but a war. I'm expecting a 3 set nail-biter. I am going to predict Davydenko as the winner because I think..
1-It's tough to beat someone twice in a few days.
2-Davydenko has looked sharper and physically fresher.
3-This might be one of Nikolay's last chances to win this tournament...Novak has plenty.

Let me back track a bit and show you how they got to the finals...

RESULTS: DAVYDENKO DEFEATED MURRAY 7-5, 6-2.

So how would Murray respond after having 24 hrs to recover from an emotionally draining 3 hours epic against Fed. The short answer: not well. Murray looked tired and agitated throughout the whole match. However, that only tells half the story. Davydenko is playing some of the best tennis of his career. He is stalking the baseline and playing smart veteran tennis. Who knows maybe he got sick of being the unknown 5 in the world after all...

DJOKOVIC DEFEATED SIMON 4-6,6-3,7-5

This one was a roller coaster. The first two sets were both players trading blows and momentum. In the third Novak looked tired, even got treated for cramps at one point...yet always seems to move amazing for the rest of the match. I'm not questioning his integrity, I think he's always has and will be quick to pull the trainer trigger. With that said..he moved along in a gutty performance to seal his spot in the finals. Bravo to Simon who seemed to almost want it a little too much at the end of this match...he became more vocal than usual, and a bit tight. It will be very interesting to see how he responds next year, and see if he will be a norm in the top 10.

TV NEWS: Supposedly the tennis is not showing live in MSG +. The listings have it set for 1:30 P.M. E.T. to show the finals. If you're looking for it live, I would leave on MSG + in the morning, chances are they might show it.

Only one more match left in '08. Seems a bit sad...

PREDICTION: I think that Davydenko will control the points against Novak and wear him down over the course of the match. However, if Novak serves very well, I could see it being a long day for Nikolay.
Davydenko wins 6-2,3-6,6-3

See you after the final...

POLL RESULTS

Before I forget---->

The poll is closed, and you guys did well...you chose Davydenko to be the most likely semifinalist, although no one gave Simon much hope(who also made the semis).  

New poll should be up very soon...so keep checking and make sure you vote.  

Thanks everyone.

-Tiebreak

Instant Classic.

Wow.  Only one word seems to sum up the round robin match between Murray and Federer today...wow.

The blockbuster semifinal stage was set when Simon defeated Stepanek earlier in the day to put the pressure on Fed.  The stakes were simple, Fed wins and he is in the semis, he loses and he goes home.  

Murray stakes were much different, win or lose he was in the semis, he was only playing for a seed.  Someone forgot to tell Murray this information, because he played the match as if it was his last ever.  

Federer, revealing he had a stomach virus, was now fighting four opponents...Sickness, his hurt back, Murray, and his own errors.  

What happened over the next 3+ hours reminded us just how good Murray is, and just how huge of a champion Federer is.  

Murray defeated Federer 4-6,7-6(3),7-5.

1st set:  Murray started off slow, and Fed was hitting his spots, and raced to an early break.  The middle of the set was really when the tennis started to pick up and the Master Fed opened to a 6-4 lead.  

2ND set:  Murray pounced on a tired looking Fed to go up 5-2...leading to Fed breaking him back twice to even the set and send it into a breaker.  Murray played an almost flawless tiebreak to even the match at one set all.

AFTER THE 2ND SET FED CALLED FOR AN INJURY TIMEOUT TO TREAT HIS BACK.

3rd set:  The third set of this match was an epic.  The only match that seemed to come to mind was the Nadal/Fed Wimbledon final. (of course that match was still better)  Murray could have packed it in about 60 times in this match, but showed he wanted this match bad, and got it.  Say what you want about Federer showing no emotion, or being only a front runner, or not a huge heart.  Fed saved 7 match points in the third before finally giving in to Murray's relentless play.  Roger looked tired, sick, and hurt...and did something we're not always used to seeing from him: he played his absolute heart out.  Looking back, he will have no regrets, and tried as hard as he possibly could throughout the match.  Murray on the other hand showed that his mental toughness is no longer an issue, he is a rock on the court.  

The final outcome leaves the semifinal stage set and the highly unlikely Simon reaches the semis of his debut Master's Cup.  Fed goes home, and puts an end to the most disappointing year in a while for him.  

In a slightly less dramatic match Simon beat Stepanek 1 and 4 in a boring match.  

So we now go into the semis, and it's time for the last section of grades.  

Fed: A+ One of the best ever.

Murray: A++ Looks like he's going to be threatening for #1 very soon.

Novak: C Should have watched how Murray played the third set and hid his head after his tank against Tsonga.

Davydenko: B+ Dark Horse.

Tsonga: B Gave the crowd one more cheer for the year.

Del Potro: C- Just not quite ready for the big big boys yet.

Simon: A He is simply overachieving.  

Semifinal action is tomorrow.  

Novak/Simon and Murray/Davydenko....see you tomorrow.  

Davydenko Joins the Semis.

Day Five is in the books at the Master's Cup, and so is another semifinalist. Nikolay Davydenko fought his way into the semis, joining Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. One more spot remains, and mathematically Federer, Simon, and Stepanek could all potentially make it to the semis. I'm getting ahead of myself, first results.

RESULTS: DAVYDENKO DEFEATED(ASSAULTED) DEL POTRO 6-3,6-2

This was just a beat down. Davydenko looked like the older, better, more consistent, and more mature player. Del Potro looked like he isn't quite ready to be top 5 this tournament, but should be a real threat next year, especially now that he has had a taste of the best. Davydenko on the other hand seals a semifinal spot. (AND MADE ONE OF MY "TENNIS PSYCHIC" PREDICTIONS COME TRUE...COME ON I HAD TO BRAG A LITTLE, I DON'T GET THEM RIGHT VERY OFTEN LATELY)

TSONGA DEFEATED NOVAK 1-6,7-5,6-1

Novak's game plan was pretty simple in this semi-meaningless match for him. Win easy, or lose. Yes this helps for seeding, but he was in the semis win or lose, and Tsonga was out regardless of his result. Tsonga was fighting for his life, no one likes to go win-less in a tournament. Novak came out blazing, and after a very entertaining second set, where both players were at the top of their game, Novak ended his round robin play. He stood out there for the third, but as soon as he went down a break, he decided to save his body for the semis and pack it in. Who knows, maybe he wanted to give Tsonga a win, sort of an early Christmas present. All that said, Novak moves on, and Tsonga flies home.

As I said before, Novak, Nikolay, and Andy Murray are all in the semis.

Fed plays Murray in a blockbuster match tomorrow for a chance at the semis, and Simon plays Stepanek (hopefully with his own rackets) for a chance at the semis.

The last spot will have to be won, and could very well come down to sets won and lost. Imagine a semifinal without Fed? It would feel very strange, and is a real possibility.

See you tomorrow for the last day of Round Robin play...

Day Four Recap.

Day Four was a bit odd at the Master's Cup.  To start, the worm joined the party.  By worm, of course, I mean  Radek Stepanek (world No.26) who got in to the tournament last second as an alternate.  How did this happen?  Well Andy Roddick rolled his ankle on the practice court (poor Andy...) and was forced to withdraw from the event.  What luck.

The blockbuster that was supposed to be Roddick/Fed turned into Stepanek/Fed...a slightly worse marquee match up.  

To keep the strange events going, Radek had no rackets with him (or socks for that matter) and had to borrow Novak Djokovic's racket, along with Andy Murray's socks.  

I think that says a lot about what the racket means....pros really CAN play with anything and be great.  

RESULTS: MURRAY DEFEATED(DESTROYED) SIMON 6-4,6-2.

Well Murray raced to a 4-0 lead after some unreal rallying, but Simon found a way into the match.  When he couldn't quite get all the way back and lost the set 6-4, the match ended.  Simon lost his patience and Murray just didn't miss.  This was a totally one sided affair that leaves Murray into the Semifinals.  Simon on the other better rebound quick because he is going to play Stepanek for a shot at the semis.

FEDERER DEFEATED STEPANEK 7-6, 6-4.

This one was fun almost all the way through.  Radek is a tough competitor and probably couldn't have played any better, even with his own racket.  Fed fought off a spirited first set, and hung tough in the second to put himself against Murray for a shot in the semis. 

 

Round 2 of play is over...time for grades.

 

FEDERER B+ He still wasn't himself, but won a match that could have gotten away.

 

NOVAK C+ Yea he did win, but when you lose a set (6-0)..I can't give better than a C+.

 

MURRAY A+ Looks almost unbeatable at the moment.

 

DAVYDENKO B Looks good, still has a nice chance at the semis.

 

RODDICK: OUT

 

TSONGA: C+ Just not playing the big points well enough.

 

DEL POTRO A- Hammering the ball, if he gets to the semis could be trouble.

 

SIMON C- Ran into a better version of himself(Murray).

 

STEPANEK A- Came out with no racket or socks and played his heart out.

 

Tomorrow is the last day for the GOLD GROUP ...should be a good one between...

Del Potro/Davydenko with the winner going to the semis.  

Day Three Recap.

Novak is off to the semis.

Day Two has great matches, and Day Three was more of the same.  Two highly competitive matches in the Gold Group left us all with a slightly less fuzzy version of the semifinals.  I got one comment about still not being able to find the matches on TV, and my advice is to turn on FSN, MSG +, or any other channel that looks like that 100 times a day to check.  Supposedly the matches are on everyday at 1...which has been false.  Today (in CT at least) the tennis came on at 5.  Be relentless with your remote, and you should find some tennis somewhere.  

RESULTS: 

DEL POTRO DEFEATED TSONGA 7-6(4),7-6(5)

This match had some serious emotion.  After a slow start for Tsonga, he caught fire and the shot making clinic began.  Both young players rifling balls to each other made for some great tennis.  Del Potro won simply because he hit as hard as Tsonga, for longer.  Somewhere late in the first set they showed match stats and that told the whole story...Del Potro had something like 4 winners and 5 errors, while Tsonga had something around 19 winners and 18 errors.  Tsonga was dictating play, but missing badly on a lot of big points(especially with the backhand).  

Tsonga was down an early break in the 2ND, but fought back with the help of a loose service game by Del Potro.  The later the match grew the more Tsonga got the crowd involved, and the tension grew.  The second set was destined for another tiebreak, and after incredible shots from both players, Del Potro won the match on his third match point.  

Tsonga drops to 0-2, making it 100% necessary for him to beat Djokovic if he wants a sniff to reach the semis.  

Del Potro improves to 1-1, putting him right in the mix.  

DJOKOVIC DEFEATED DAVYDENKO 7-6(3), 0-6, 7-5

Well this match was just plain weird.  After a semi-solid first set from both players, Davydenko fell apart a bit in the tiebreak, and double faulted twice, eventually losing it.  The second set should be kept on record to show how good Davydenko can be.  Usually if a top 3 player in the world loses a set 6-0, you think that either he tanked, or his name is Federer and he's playing Rafa on clay...but this was a case of Davydenko being in the zone.  It seemed like he didn't miss for a set, and was absolutely teeing off. 

The third set was a shaky start for both, but then the players calmed down and found their own rhythm.  Novak broke a 5-5, after a somewhat shaky game from Nikolay, and held serve at 40-30 to win the match, and put himself in a guaranteed position to make the semis at 2-0.  

The Red Group continues tomorrow with Fed trying to avoid an 0-2 start against Andy Roddick who is also trying to avoid an 0-2 start.  Both players will be fighting for their lives so it should be a good one, as it always is to see A-Rod try and solve Fed.

The other match is Simon/ Murray and the winner will put himself in terrific position to make the semis, with both standing now at 1-0.  

See you tomorrow for DAY FOUR. 

Simon Stuns Fed....Murray Takes Out Roddick.

Take a breath.

What a great day 2 at Shanghai today.  Two three set competitive matches, and one big upset.  The great thing about Round Robins are you get another chance (you hear me out there Fed and Roddick?) therefore, it's harder to get the big players out of the semis, considering they have more chances.  For the first time in a few years, I think this Master's Cup is wide open.  I could see any of the 8 player's getting hot and making a run for the title, which makes it very exciting to watch...

RESULTS: SIMON DEFEATED FED 4-6,6-4,6-3

In a pendulum-like match the momentum was everywhere.  After the first set, it looked like a routine Fed win, but after an array of errors, Simon found himself doing what he has done all year...getting balls back.  Simon is really becoming an amazing player, and is someone no one wants to play.  Fed looked off a bit the tighter the match got, which might have something to do with his back and not practicing much, but mostly because he simply hasn't played great in all of the big moments this year like we are all used to.  Fed seems to mishit A  LOT of balls.  This also puts Simon in a great position to qualify in a very tight red group that all 4 players will beat each other up in.  Fed has some serious work to do, and might very well have to run the gauntlet of Murray and Roddick to reach the semis.

MURRAY DEFEATED RODDICK 6-4, 1-6,6-1

Murray could be playing the best tennis of anyone right now.  This match also had it's moments, and you got the feel that it would be a dog fight in the third, and then you blinked and Murray was up 5-0.  It had to be disappointing for Roddick to fight to even things, and then get hammered in the third so badly.  Especially with A-Rod's serve, it's hard to imagine him losing sets 6-1, but perhaps that is a sign of how good Murray's return is.  The win puts Murray in a dominating position in the red group, and Roddick will have to conquer his demons and beat Federer(yes I know he did finally beat him again, but he is far from happy to play him.) to put himself in a good position to reach the semis.  

So the first group of round robins are done, and time for me to grade the players performances so far...

Fed: B-     I'll be lenient.  He had some flashes of Fed, just got outplayed most of the third.  Errors are still the big difference from the old fed to the now fed.  

Novak: A He played great, looks very sharp.

Murray: A- Played a solid match, had a bit of a hiccup in the second set, but bounced back quickly and put Roddick away.

Davydenko: B+ Was grinding as usual.

Tsonga: C+ Looked dangerous, but inconsistent.

Del Potro: C This was the biggest disappointment for me.  He seemed a bit overwhelmed by the moment and Novak's game.

Simon: A+ Showed huge heart in his first victory.  It's not often you see a guy pull of an upset after losing the first set...that takes some serious mental toughness.

That's it for today...GOLD GROUP ACTION TOMORROW.

TAKE CARE

DAY ONE

Del Potro was left looking to the heavens for answers against a sharp Djokovic.
Day one is history in Shanghai...

RESULTS: NOVAK DEFEATED DEL POTRO 7-5, 6-3

Well this results was surprising to a lot of people.  Del Potro came in on fire, and Novak seemed to be struggling.  Let's not all forget how good Novak is..as much as it might feel a bit like it, this is FAR from an upset.  I think everyone thought it would be a war...which turned out to be a dud.  Novak controlled this all the way through.  Juan broke back in the first set and made everyone get excited...but Novak quickly put out that fire and comfortably earned his first win ever in the Masters Cup.  The good news is he won, the even better news is that he looks very sharp.

DAVYDENKO DEFEATED TSONGA 6-7(6-8), 6-4, 7-6(7-0)

Perfect timing for Davydenko to have this sort of win after my article on him.  This was full of grit.  He clawed his way form a set down, weathered the Tsonga storm, and even mentally bounced back from being up a break in the 3rd and giving it back.  When the third set breaker came...Tsonga had enough of Nikolay.  He made a bunch of errors to give Davydenko a lead, and Davydenko played rock solid for 7 points.  Experience won this match, and Nikolay, once again, moves along.  The good news for Tsonga is that he played well, and looks very dangerous on these courts.  

It was a good day of tennis...although I must admit finding it on TV is like trying to find the Holy Grail.  ATP tennis says it is on FSN, however it seems that FSN has a millions brother channels (MSG, MSG PLUS, FSNY,FSNESPANOL, AND ANY OTHER FSN YOU CAN THINK OF) so who knows what channel it was really on today.  Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow.  Comment if anyone else had trouble finding it today, and I'll try and help resolve it with you as best as I can.  

Tomorrow shows Fed open up action against Simon, as well as the blockbuster match up of Roddick vs Murray.  

See you all tomorrow for the Day Two recap....also don't forget to vote on my new poll.

Good luck channel surfing.

Simon & Tsonga

First ball is struck on TV today at 1 p.m. ET. The matches are delayed, so I have been avoiding all sports websites this morning (as you all should be.)

I'll quickly preview Tsonga and Simon, and then post later with the results from day one.

First Tsonga: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has emerged as one of the great personalities of tennis. He burst on to the main stage this year after putting together a dream run to the Aussie Open finals.
The good thing about his chances in Shanghai are that
1- He won the Paris Masters to propel himself to a Shanghai berth...which means he has HUGE momentum.
2- The tournament is indoors, and with his huge serve and forehand, the courts will probably suit his game nicely.
Tsonga is in the Gold Group, and if he catches fire, we all might see him make some memorable moments.

Now Simon:

Gilles Simon is obviously a favorite of mine, considering I have mentioned him quite a bit in my blog. What I love about him is that if you watch him practice, (like I have at the US Open) he doesn't look like anything special. His skinny frame doesn't look like it can overpower anyone, he's not particularly tall, and his strokes look...well solid.
Simon doesn't have a huge stroke, or too much of a flashy game. He wins with patience, Tennis IQ, and great movement.
I am very interested to see how he will do in the RED GROUP, which, on paper, he seems to be very out of place.
Simon is gritty, and a tough competitor, so I look for him to be at least close in every match he plays.


That's the end of my previews...it's up to the players to decide now.
Enjoy the tennis today, and I'll see you later with results from day one.

Davydenko Preview

Everyone knows that Nikolay Davydenko may be one of the least popular top 5 players of all time.

If you're a top 5 player in the ATP...

You know it's bad when it takes a betting scandal for you to become a household name.

You also knows it's bad when you can't get a clothing line anyone heard of.

You also know it's bad if you can't half fill up a stadium.

And you really know it's bad if your never talked about before any Grand Slam.

This is the case for Davydenko. Before his betting scandal (I can't tell the story again, or even think about it because I have heard it forty times.) he was hardly even known. He keeps to himself, and lets his racket do all of his talking. He is a steady and gritty competitor who is very unpredictable (game and attitude.) Sometimes he looks like you need to drive a stake through his heart to beat him, and other times it looks like he couldn't care less at the end of matches. Even with his scandal, he's been lingering around the top 5 for quite a while now. Let's face it, no one thinks he's ever going to break into the top 2, and no one really thinks he's going to ever win a Slam. He is sort of in a tennis limbo, and the catch? Davydenko wouldn't change a thing. He loves to be ignored, and likes to play with sort of a "no one cares" chip on his shoulder. It would be easy for him to jump into the spotlight by saying some outrageous comments or acting nuts on the court, but he chooses not to.

Nikolay is in the ever wide-open GOLD GROUP, which has been mentioned for the past few days by me.

Earlier on in my posts, I predicted Davydenko would make the semi's of the Master's Cup, and I think the group he is in gives him a solid chance. He can sure beat Tsonga and Del Potro, and Novak isn't a bad match-up for him. I'll stick with my prediction, and hope he wants to show everyone he belongs in the Master's Cup. He's never really made much noise in the year-end tournament, maybe this is his year? The guy is starting to get old, and we can only imagine the mental energy he has spent this year with his scandal. I'd personally love to see him make a dent in the tournament...just to remind us all that HE IS, in fact, in the top 5.

Play starts tomorrow(or middle of the night/morning/afternoon depending on your channel, time zone, and country.) I still need to preview Simon and Tsonga, so I'll do that tomorrow, along with results and a brand new poll. See you soon.

POLL RESULTS

Hey everyone, just posting to show the results of the last poll. ---->

As you can see, in a bit of a surprising result, Del Potro beat out Murray 46% to 38%.  Tsonga and Simon each pulled in a dull 7%.  

Most of you think Del Potro has made the biggest improvement this year.  It's hard to argue with his stats this year, and he has made an incredible jump in the rankings,a ll the way to number 8.  Murray has been dominant this year, but it seems you felt his rise from the top 10 to the top 4 was slightly less drastic than Del Potro's rise from nowhere to to 10.  

Also, ATPTennis.com has finally posted the TV Schedule for the Master's Cup...

Check it out HERE.

See you later for my preview of Davydenko.

Novak Preview...plus TV Update.

Thank you to one of my readers for commenting me about where to find Shanghai on TV.  After I posted last night, I check the Tennis Channel site and found that it is showing on that, pretty much every match.  This is disappointing considering I only have the TC at my house...(and am at college).  How could ESPN2 not be showing it?  I also found out from doing some reading that Fox Sports Net might show the final.  That is good news, except for the fact that Fox Sports Net could possibly have the worst coverage of tennis I could ever 

imagine...oh well at least I'll be able to see it.  For those of you as sad as me, check into Masters Series TV online, I've never tried it, but have heard good things.  

Now for the NOVAK PREVIEW.

I have to admit; I haven't said many good things about Novak in my blog so far. I'm not totally sure why I'm not a big fan...but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with his attitude. 

I have never felt that he is genuine.  There is no doubt he is an amazing personality for the game (think US Open impressions), so you'd think players would love him...right?

Personally, I've never really heard of a player liking him (most countrymen are included.)  Novak has had known feuds with Fed and Nadal...along with a public feud with Roddick (leading to him being booed out of Arthur Ashe Stadium).

Novak had been calling for injury timeouts, and numerous aches and pains after, and during his match with Tommy Robredo. 

Not only did Robredo question Novak's sincerity after the match, but Roddick joked (as only he can) about Novak having leg pain, arm pain, a hurt back, SARS, and even the Bird Flu.  Novak got all bent out of shape about it, and after beating A-Rod, accused the crowd and Roddick of not believing him.  This is what got the boos going. 

I also spoke to an ATP Tour stringer a while ago who said that out of all the players he worked with, Novak seemed to be the most ungrateful, and had the biggest ego. 

My message to Novak is if you can't take it don't give it.

Now that my tangent is over, back to his tennis.  There is no doubt that he is an incredible player and talent.  After winning the Aussie Open, he seemed ready to overtake Rafa as #2.  After being within one win of passing Rafa twice, (and losing both), he seemed to slip a bit.  He comes into Shanghai with an 0-3 lifetime record at the Master's Cup after his tired performance last year. 

His game is sure good enough, but physically he seemed to get beat up at the end of the year.  He hasn't been doing all that well recently, which might be a blessing for him, giving him more rest than usual.  He is also in the wide open Gold Group (with Del Potro, Tsonga,and Davydenko.) 

If Novak finds his Aussie form, he'll waltz into the semis.  If he doesn't, he could very well lose all three matches again. 

The one thing you always have to give Novak is that he believes in himself and is very mentally tough.  Something tells me his 0-3 showing last year got circled on his calendar for last this year.

 

SEE YOU TOMORROW WITH DAVYDENKO'S PREVIEW.

Housekeeping

Just a quick note to all of you.  Since I have been getting more comments recently...I want to answer all of you guys personally, but can't always write them as a blog.  If you comment me a question, I'll do my best to answer you back as another comment from now on...so check the comment forums.   

Take Care.

Del Potro...Plus Tennis Vocab...

I wanted to open up today's blog to first say thanks for all of the comments that have been coming in. They are greatly appreciated, and help me to try and make a better blog, so keep it going. Also, feel free to let me know of any new sections you want me to start, or anything you want me to write about.
Next order of business is that as the Master's Cup is upon us...I haven't seen ANYTHING on where to watch it on TV. I spent 20 minutes today on tvguide.com looking for when it is on...according to the tv guide this morning, I didn't find it once on either ESPN or ESPN2, which were the channels it was on last year. I haven't check the Tennis Channel yet, but I am pretty sure it's not on that. ATPTennis.com also has nothing about where to find it on TV, and neither does the Master's Cup site itself. Maybe I overlooked it (but I don't think so)...so if anyone knows where to find it on TV, comment me and I'll post it. If not, we'll just write it off to another awful marketing job of tennis. Put it this way, I can't go get a cup of coffee without seeing something about when and who is playing in the NFL on Sunday...the top 8 tennis player's of the world are playing a year end event, and you would barely know.

Now for my PREVIEW OF DEL POTRO.

Juan Martin Del Potro stormed onto the scene of tennis this year. I remember for the past couple of years, I have heard of how much potential he had, with his tall frame(6 foot 6), huge serve, and monster forehand...everyone knew if he put it together, he'd be trouble. Well he did...and he's trouble.
Del Potro had an unreal season going 45-13 and winning 4 titles. It would be hard to argue that anyone had a better season than him besides Rog, Rafa, Murray, and Novak.
Del Potro was placed in the round robin group with Novak, Tsonga, and Davydenko...which is a dream group for Del Potro. Novak had an awful first try at Shanghai last year, Tsonga is always a bit hot and cold, and Davydenko, well, is Davydenko.
Del Potro is technically second to last according to the rankings at number 8 (Simon is 9, but got in because of Rafa), but I think most people would place him as the favorite (with Novak) to get to the semis from this group.
The question is whether Juan can hold his nerves on a huge stage, and for the first time in the Master's Cup. He seems like a pretty "cool under pressure" kind of guy, and I look for him to play well.

THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION TO MY NEWEST WEEKLY, OR MONTHLY(DEPENDING ON MY MOOD) section of the blog WHICH IS CALLED TENNIS VOCAB.
Tennis vocab will pick one word from the tennis world and define it(to the best of my ability). This is another section that comments will be very helpful. If there is ever a word I use in the blog, or that you heard, in the tennis world...comment me and ask me to define it.

Grinder: Noun or Verb(to grind):
-one who is willing to fight for every point, usually winning with consistency.
_a version of a pusher, that goes for winners when necessary, and hits with pace.
_Verb: to grind: the act of fighting for every point.


See you soon.

Roddick Preview

Andy Roddick has, once again, had a forgettable season.  The catch is that Roddick is so tough, that even with an "off" season, he still makes it to Shanghai.  He has struggled all year with matches, and injuries...yet has grinded his way to a spot in the top 8.  

How does he do it?  It always seems like he doesn't really do anything that BIG, yet is still always in the top of the rankings.  Well...some of Roddick's tricks are, defending titles, winning some small tournaments, and trying to always beat the players that he should be beating.  

For the first time, age is finally starting to come into the picture for Roddick, he's not getting any younger at 26, and had some injury troubles, really, for the first time in his career this year.  I think we all wondered when he would get some kind of a twinge somewhere from serving 140 in his trademark jerky motion a billion times a match.  Luckily his work ethic is almost unmatched on the tour, and he is just as fit as anyone.  He will continue to be a factor for a while if he keeps up his hard work.  

So now Shanghai comes along...I expect, if Roddick gets in a favorable group(you'll see later on in this post that he didn't), to play really well.  I think he sees that his opportunities are getting more and more precious, and as always, if he serves well, he can beat anyone.  I'd love to see him make a run, and get to the semis...you have to feel for the guy more than you feel for anyone.  Watching him choke away a chance at a 5Th set against Djokovic  at the US Open this year, was hard to watch...and I hope he can avenge that loss.  

An underrated key to Roddick's game is his backhand, if he is feeling it, he becomes very dangerous, and can hit some nice down the line shots, and bully his opponents around.  If he he tentative on the backhand, he slices too much, and good players step in and push him around the baseline.  

NOW FOR THE 2008 SHANGHAI ROUND ROBIN GROUPS.

FIRST HERE IS THE LINK TO THE MAIN SITE...

RED GROUP: 

FED

MURRAY

RODDICK

SIMON

ABSOLUTELY LOADED.

GOLD GROUP:

NOVAK

DEL POTRO

TSONGA

DAVYDENKO

The Red Group, as you can see is loaded.  Fed is going to have his hands full to get to the semis. 

The Gold Group is a bit more wide-open. I could realistically see any of those four guys makes it to the semis.  

See you soon.