Tiebreak Tennis

Best of 2010?

2010-12-06T19:43:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone,

I've been on a bit of a Twitter/blog break...

Some of the big events that I missed: Rafa completing the Career Slam...Serbia winning the Davis Cup...and Federer and Nadal closing out the season in London at the ATP World Tour Finals...

Tiebreak Tennis will be back soon for all new info...

E-mail me and let me know what you want us to talk about. What were the best stories of 2010? Best matches? Best Slam?

E-mail: Tiebreak.Tennis@Yahoo.com

New Episodes Coming Soon!

2010-08-08T12:21:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone!

The US Open Series is heating up and the Open is right around the corner.

Brand new episodes of the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast coming soon!

New Podcast!

2010-07-12T17:11:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,

Check out a brand new episode of the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast!

As always, it's available at the top of the blog, on Twitter, on the Podcast SITE, and on iTunes.

Don't forget to check out Tiebreak Tennis during the US Open Series!

Also, Congrats to Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams for winning Wimbledon.

Take care,

2010 Wimbledon Finals Set

2010-07-02T14:59:00.004-04:00

The 2010 Wimbledon finals are set.

Serena Williams will try and defend her title against Vera Zvonareva on Saturday.

Rafael Nadal will try and defend his 2008 title against Tomas Berdych on Sunday

For info on both finals check out Tiebreak Tennis!

The Blog

Tiebreak's Twitter- live scores and commentary

The Tiebreak Tennis Podcast- also available on iTunes

2010 Wimbledon Semifinals

2010-07-01T14:54:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone!

Check out a brand new episode of the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast as I recap the first week and a half of Wimbledon and talk all about the men's and women's semifinals.

The episode is available on the top of the blog, on the podcast SITE, and on iTunes.

Isner Wins Epic Match 70-68 in the 5th.

2010-06-24T18:56:00.004-04:00

Congrats to John Isner for winning the most epic match in the history of tennis.

Players took the court today for the 3rd straight day after having battled for 10 hours. The score was 59 all when they arrived again on Court 18.

After more than an hour of battle, John Isner finally put an end to the marathon with a backhand passing shot winner.

70-68. Do the scores of the other sets even matter?

112 aces for Isner in the match. 11 Hours and 5 minutes on court. 138 games in the 5th set.

This match will never be touched again...ever.

Congrats also to Nicolas Mahut whose name will be forever etched in the history books. He showed he may be the fittest guy in the game of tennis.

Thanks to both of them for giving me, and every tennis fan a match they will remember forever.

Wimbledon moves back into reality tomorrow as action continues with Federer, Venus, Roddick, and Novak all in action.

Check Tiebreak's Twitter for live commentary throughout the day.

59 All

2010-06-23T19:52:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you all got a chance to witness history today.

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut are locked at 59 All in the 5th set. No, that is not a typo. 59 all.

The match was suspended due to darkness at 0-0 in the 5th set yesterday and after 7 hours and 6 minutes of play today...play was suspended again.

They will resume play tomorrow as they are 3rd match on Court 18.

The match is already the longest match in tennis history at 10 hours.

Check out a special podcast episode with my reaction to the match.

The podcast is available on the top of the blog, the podcast SITE, and on iTunes.

Keep checking Tiebreak Tennis for all your Wimbledon 2010 info!

Tiebreak Tennis: Wimbledon

2010-06-20T20:43:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone!

The 3rd Slam of the season is here.

Wimbledon, the most historic of the Slams, starts tomorrow (June 21st).

Stay posted on all scores, stories, commentary, and much more with Tiebreak Tennis.

Tiebreak's Twitter- Live scoring and commentary.

The Blog- Stories of the tournament.

The Tiebreak Tennis Podcast- everything you need for Wimbledon 2010.

Check out a brand new episode of the Podcast where I preview Wimbledon 2010. It is available on the top of the blog, on the podcast SITE, and on iTunes!

Don't forget to subscribe!

New Podcast!

2010-06-16T14:32:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

Brand new Podcast is up!

Check it out as I recap the entire 2010 French Open.

Podcast is available on the top of the blog...the podcast SITE...and on iTunes!

Don't forget to subscribe...

All new Wimbledon Preview show coming this weekend.

Thanks,

The King

2010-06-06T15:40:00.003-04:00

Congrats to Rafa Nadal for winning his 5th French Open!

Rafa now has won 5 French Opens, 7 Grand Slams total, and is World No. 1 again.

Nadal dismantled Soderling 64, 6-2, 6-4.

Thanks for checking out Tiebreak Tennis during this French Open!

Full French Open recap episode of the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast coming soon!

Wimbledon is right around the corner...

Tiebreak Tennis Podcast: Men's Final Preview

2010-06-05T17:24:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone,

Brand new episode of the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast!

Check it out as I preview the men's final.

Rafa looks to regain his No. 1 ranking and Roland Garros crown against the only player ever to beat him at the French Open, Robin Soderling.

The Podcast is available on the top of the blog, the Podcast SITE, and on iTunes.

Check out Tiebreak's Twitter for live commentary and scoring during the men's final.

Also...

Congrats to Francesca Schiavone for winning the 2010 French Open!

Amazing effort from her to beat Sammy Stosur in straight sets. With her incredible run, she brings Italy home a Grand Slam title. Much more on that match on the Roland Garros Recap Podcast coming soon!

Take care!

2010 Roland Garros Semis

2010-06-03T20:19:00.004-04:00

The women's final is set in Paris.

Francesca Schiavone from Italy VS Samantha Stosur of Australia.

I'd like to meet whoever had that match-up before the draw came out.

Stosur took the hard road to the finals, beating Henin and Serena back to back in 3 set wars. Her semifinal match was much less complicated as she breezed through Jelena Jankovic 1 and 2. Good to see an Aussie making noise in women's tennis.

Schiavone, the hard working Italian, battled her way to the semis and then got handed a trip to the finals. Elena Dementieva, perhaps the best woman ever to not win a Slam, retired after she lost the first set in a tiebreak. Apparently, she tore a calf muscle in her 3rd round match, and just couldn't play through the pain in the semifinals.

Now, I am not going to bash Elena for retiring...but I am going to bash her for how she handled it.

How does she retire without even calling the trainer to the court? Her response: Something along the lines of that she has seen the trainer too many times and knew there was nothing else she could do.

Give me a break.

On one of the biggest stages in the game, you better call out the trainer. If she had a serious injury and felt she could not continue, I completely understand and she made the right decision.

She owed it to the fans and especially Schiavone to at least sit through an injury time-out. Elena, maybe you know that the trainer can't do anything...but why not call him out, take treatment, play a point and then call it quits.

This had a bit too much Henin in it for me. Of course we remember Henin retiring in the FINALS of a Slam to Mauresmo, yet was OK enough to stay for the trophy presentation and press conference after the match. That was one of the all-time heartless moves in sport history.

Again, I don't judge injuries and if players choose they can continue or not. All I judge is how it's handled, and when your in a Slam Semi or Final, you owe it to your opponent and the fans to over exaggerate how hard your trying to stay on the court.

No one wants to retire.

If you want to know how to handle it, watch the Rafa/Murray match from Australia. Rafa called the trainer, he looked devastated, and called it quits. No one questioned how he handled it.

I like Elena, and believe she was in a tremendous amount of pain out there.

Call the trainer, take an injury time-out, and then call it quits. If it's still too bad to continue...No mas. No one will say a word.

Tomorrow we have Soderling/Berdych and Rafa/Melzer...should be good.

Predictions:

Soderling DEF Berdych in 4 sets.

Rafa DEF Melzer in 3 sets.

Check out Tiebreak's Twitter and Podcast for more info!

Tiebreak Tennis: 2010 French Open Quarterfinals

2010-05-31T17:04:00.003-04:00

New Podcast episode is out! Check it out on the top of the blog, on the Podcast site HERE, or on iTunes by searching "Tiebreak Tennis."

Check it out as we recap the first week of Roland Garros, and discuss all 8 of the Quarterfinal matches.

Check out LIVE coverage of the 2010 French Open on Tiebreak's Twitter.

Thanks and see you soon.

TT

French Open Rd of 16

2010-05-29T23:57:00.003-04:00

It's time for the Rd of 16 at the 2010 French Open.

Henin/Sharapova will finish tomorrow after they were stopped at one set all today. Once there is a winner in that one, the Rd of 16's will be complete.

This is always the gritty part of a Slam. For the most part, everyone who couldn't make a real dent in the tournament is out.

To try and sort through the matches, and pick out which ones to pay close attention to...here are a few predictions.

The Men

The Lock- Rafa is always a good lock on clay. He goes up against Belucci from Brazil. Belucci is sort of a mini-Nadal with big lefty strokes. He just doesn't have enough game to take him out, but I look for him to be a threat in a few years.

The Upset- My upset pick is Almagro (19) over Verdasco (7). It's the perfect equation for an upset. Take a tired, overplayed Verdasco coming off a 5 set marathon win and mix it with a talented, dangerous, relatively fresh shot-maker with a lot of heart= an upset.

The Dud- Cilic/Soderling on paper is a blockbuster. However, I think Cilic is feeling his last match against Mayer that went 5, and Soderling is playing awesome. I think Sod is going to take care of him without many problems. I hope I'm wrong because on paper, this match could be amazing.

Closer than you think- Fed/Wawrinka. I'm not quite brave enough to make this my upset pick, but I certainly think Stan Wawrinka is going to give Fed trouble. He has beaten him once already on the dirt and usually plays well against him. I also think Fed feels some pressure against him because he is his countryman and good friend. Keep a close eye on this one.

The Women

The Lock- Dementieva/Scheepers. Admittedly, I have never seen Scheepers hit a ball...and couldn't pick her out of a lineup. I really like the way Dementieva is quietly moving through the draw and look for her to win this one easy.

The Upset- Hantuchova over Jankovic. In the battle of could-be mental cases, I think Hantuchova takes out the 4 seed.

The Dud- Venus/Petrova. I think Venus is going to roll through Nadia. Perhaps it's purely a hunch, but I think Venus is playing at an extremely high level right now.

Closer than you think- Peer/Serena. Serena seems to be under the weather and was really tested in her last match. Peer has a lot of fight in her and is a very good clay courter. I look for this one to be tight.

These next few rounds should be very interesting. Stay tuned to Tiebreak's Blog, Twitter, and Podcast for much more info on the 2010 French Open.

New Podcast coming very soon.

Full coverage tomorrow on Tiebreak's Twitter.

TT

Four Horse Race...

2010-05-28T20:28:00.007-04:00

Today was a busy day of catch-up at the French Open.

It featured just about everyone in the draw, men and women as the 2nd Slam of the year made up a rainy Day 5.

Watching just about everyone in the draw today, it seems like this tournament is a four horse race.

2 men and 2 women seem a level above everyone else in the competition.

MEN:

Rafa- Rafa has lost 2 sets on clay this entire season. He is assaulting people on the dirt as usual, looks fit, is playing more aggressive, and the scariest thing: I think he can play better. Honestly, the way he is playing right now who can beat him best of 5?
Roger- Fed seems to have left his mini-slump. He is moving beautifully on the clay and hitting the ball really well. He is so versatile on the clay, maybe even more than any year. He is using the drop shot more, hitting the backhand more solid, and seems to be serving a high percentage.

Women:

Serena- I don't care how she grades herself, the tournament is in her hands. She is the best player and it really comes down to how bad she wants this one.
Venus- She is playing the best clay court tennis of her life. Moving and sliding very well and playing a nice blend of patient and aggressive tennis. Backhand looks awesome too.

Now, of course, things can change. One bad set can change everything in tennis, and someone else can certainly step up (think Henin, Verdasco, Novak?).

But, if your asking me through 6 days at the French...Roger and Rafa will be battling it out for the trophy, and so will Venus and Serena. It's a four horse race.

Check out the blog, Twitter page, and Podcast for full coverage of the French Open.

A Wild Night...

2010-05-26T18:52:00.007-04:00

Just before 10 PM Paris time, Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini ended their epic...well just until tomorrow.

There are some moments in sport that you may never see again, and today I saw tennis in the dark.

Day 4 at Roland Garros was sprinkled with Federer, Venus, Cilic, Soderling, and Tsonga all winning easily. The real tennis didn't really start until late.

The most entertaining match of the women's side was defending champ Svetlana Kuznetsova, as she battled back from a set and 4 match points down VS Petkovic to win in 3. Svet looked down and out before she loosened up and took a tough match that will give her some major momentum.

The most entertaining match on the men's side, and the tournament so far hasn't even finished yet.

Tempers, a point penalty, chanting, umpires, tournament directors, darkness, match points saved, and cramping.

Those are just some words that describe what went on. Gael Monfils, 13 seed and fan favorite, took on the talented Fabio Fognini from Italy. After 2 uneventful sets that Monfils won comfortably, the real fun started.

Monfils began to take Fabio for granted and let him sneak out the 3rd set 7-5. Everyone then thought Monfils would win in 4 after he raced to a 4-1 lead. Fognini, hardly known for his heart, fought back to win 5 games in a row and take the match into a 5Th set.

Monfils went down an early break but fought to get it back. As night fell, it got nuts.

Isner/Chiudinelli got suspended with Isner down a set. Murray/Chela got suspended with Murray up a set in a drop-shot-fest.

Every court suspended play except Chatrier where Monfils and Fognini were locked at 4 all in the 5Th. The tournament director walked out onto the court to the crowd booing and had a long discussion with Monfils, Fabio, and the ump.

Apparently, Monfils wanted to continue (he has a habit of that, think VS Roddick last year) and Fabio and his camp wanted to finish tomorrow. For some reason, the director decided to let them play on, leading to a temper tantrum from Fognini for about 6 minutes. The delay then led to the ump hitting Fabio with a point penalty.

Personally, I thought the match should have been called at 4 all when every other court stopped play, but I'm certainly OK with the drama that followed.

Fabio fought off break points on his serve to hold for 5-4. This led the director to decide there was one more game to be played. ESPN2 did a great job of coverage as they showed what the court looked like without camera enhancement...it was pitch black. Pat McEnroe was great saying it was some of the best drama he's "never seen."

Monfils was serving to send the match to tomorrow and in the darkness fell down double match point at 15-40. He saved both, of course. Then came the next piece of drama...the cramps. Monfils began cramping in his leg and hobbling around. With all guts, he held serve leaving the crowd rabid, Fognini yelling at everyone he could see, and some pretty good tennis left for Day 5.

As Fabio left the court, he yelled in the direction of the umpire and tournament director.

Great drama and the true beginning to the French Open.

Day 5 will have Roddick, Rafa, Novak, Serena, and of course the completion of Monfils. Tune in to the Tennis Channel and ESPN2 for live coverage.

You can check out a recap of Day 4 and full coverage of the entire French Open on Tiebreak's Twitter HERE.

For all the scores from the day click HERE.

Tiebreak Tennis Podcast available on iTunes!

See you tomorrow,

5 Things I learned from the French Open 1st Round...

2010-05-25T23:20:00.003-04:00

As the 1st Round of the French finished, I found myself thinking that there are 5 things that everyone should have learned...

1- Getting much better.

The Tennis Channel and ESPN2's coverage of the French Open(and all the Slams) is getting much better. I think both stations have found a comfort zone and have a good cast of commentators. They are showing better matches, more live coverage, and more features.

2- Age is a number.

Kimiko Date-Krumm, a 39 year old, took out former #1 Dinara Safina. Even though I think it was a huge statement about Safina's awful attitude, lack of mental toughness, and the fact that she was a fraud at #1...I am still impressed by Date-Krumm. There aren't too many 39-year-old athletes that can play at the top of a sport.

3- Rafa #1

If Rafa wins the tournament and Fed loses before the Semifinals...Rafa is once again the World Number 1. Incredible considering Rafa's brutal injury struggles. The King of Clay definitely looks hungry to get that top spot back, and I think he will.

4- She Was Missed...

Justine Henin was missed at the French Open, and in tennis overall. She is a great personality and has one of the most beautiful games to watch. Women's tennis should thank Justine for giving us another player worth watching.

5- American Dirt.

America hasn't been exactly been tearing up the red clay, but they've been better. Isner, Roddick, Serena, Venus, Ginepri, and Fish are all big names that survived round 1.

Stay tuned for much more coverage of the 2010 French Open on Tiebreak Tennis...

Keep checking the Blog/Twitter/Podcast/ and Facebook for full coverage!

If you want all the scores from today, click HERE.

Subscribe to the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast on iTunes!

See you soon,

Tiebreak Tennis: Anthony Renna

2010-05-24T13:55:00.005-04:00

Day 2 of the French Open saw Fed and Serena breeze through.

Djokovic struggled a bit but moves on in 4 and Murray won a 4+ hour marathon against Gasquet.

Check out the blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Podcast tomorrow for full Day 3 coverage.

ALSO: Brand new Tiebreak Tennis Podcast episode. After that 4 hour battle between Murray and Gasquet, what better time to talk about fitness than now?

Podcast available, as always, on the top of the blog, the podcast site HERE, and on iTunes.

In the new episode I interview host of the Strength Coach Podcast, and owner of his own fitness studio, Anthony Renna.

Check it out and let me know!

For every score from Day 2 at the French Open...click HERE.

Live Murray/Gasquet coverage

2010-05-24T10:34:00.001-04:00

Check out Tiebreak's Twitter now for live coverage of Murray/Gasquet!

click HERE.

5 Things to look for...

2010-05-23T23:22:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone...

With Day 1 in the books after another Sunday start (which I'm still struggling to get used to) I thought I'd mention 5 things I am going to be looking for this French Open.

1- Is this where it ends?

Is this finally when Fed's streak of Slam semifinals is going to end? No question clay is still his worst surface and there are a handful of guys in his section that could take him out. His form has been suspect for this clay court season. BUT. At the end of the day, it's hard to ever bet against him.

2- Somebody help US(A).

Is this going to be the year when an American man breaks through and makes a run? Roddick hasn't played much dirt ball this year but is always a tough out in the Majors. Isner and Querrey are giving us some hope, but can there big bodies handle best of 5 grinding clay court matches? I predict one American man reaches week 2.

3- The Deadly Quarter

The blockbuster women's 1st quarter of the draw features Henin, Serena, Sharapova, Peer, Bartoli, and Stosur. All eyes are on Serena and #22 seed Henin...something tells me if they meet up, that result will decide the French Open champ.

4- The Wounded

Will the injury bug continue to bite at Roland Garros? Even before a ball was struck this tournament lost huge names on both sides. Clijster, Davydenko, Del Potro...just to name a few all weren't fit to play. Hopefully that's the end of injury in Paris.

5- Still the King?

Rafa has returned to domination on the clay. That being said, Slams are a different animal and I'm anxious to see how Rafa looks in his first few matches. Hopefully he can get on and off the court as quick as he can. Efficiency is going to be the key for Rafa to get his crown back.

Coverage starts at 5 AM ET tomorrow for Day 2 of the French Open on the Tennis Channel so tune in!

Don't watch it alone, I'll do my best to live tweet scores and commentary for all of you working without a TV. click HERE for the twitter page.

E-mail any questions/comments to Tiebreak.Tennis@yahoo.com

See you tomorrow,
TT

Nick Bollettieri Interview

2010-05-20T23:53:00.003-04:00

Continuing with the Tiebreak Tennis 2010 Roland Garros coverage...check out an all new Tiebreak Tennis Podcast.

In this episode listen as I spoke with Nick Bollettieri. He is the founder of the IMG Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and coach of 10 world number 1 players.

You can check out the interview on the top of the blog, or by going to the Podcast site HERE.

Make sure you subscribe to the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast on iTunes.

Much more to come...keep checking the blog, podcast, and twitter for full coverage of the 2010 French Open.

Brad Gilbert Interview

2010-05-19T11:06:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone!

Today I interviewed best selling author, former coach and player, and tennis analyst, Brad Gilbert.

In case you missed Brad and I previewing the 2010 French Open on WVOF 88.5 Fairfield...I posted the interview on The Tiebreak Tennis Podcast!

You can listen to the interview HERE....it's also available at the top of this page.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast on iTunes!

Check the Podcast tomorrow for a special new episode where I interviewed the founder of the IMG Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and coach of 10 World Number 1s...Nick Bollettieri.

Check out all the shows and feel free to comment!

E-mail Tiebreak.Tennis@yahoo.com

2010 Roland Garros Coverage

2010-05-18T17:09:00.004-04:00

Get ready for the 2nd Slam of the year.

-Tiebreak Tennis will be there for every match!

-Check out the Twitter page for live scoring updates and commentary....

-Check out the blog for analysis of matches, results, and more.

-Check out Tiebreak Tennis on the radio Sundays at 6 PM ET on WVOF.org and 88.5 FM.

-Check out the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast available at the top of the blog and on iTunes!

All new Roland Garros preview show with very special interviews available tomorrow on the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast!

Tiebreak Tennis NCAA Specials

2010-05-13T20:21:00.003-04:00

Tune in Friday May 14Th for 2 Tiebreak Tennis Specials!

When: 1:30 pm-2:45(ET) Tiebreak Tennis NCAA Pregame Special

Where to Listen: If you are in the Connecticut area tune your radio to 88.5 FM or access the show on live web cast available HERE on WVOF.org...click "Listen to FM Studio stream" on the right side of the page!

How to talk: Call in with your questions/comments to 203 254 4111

What's On? Tune in as Tiebreak discusses Roland Garros, Madrid, Del Potro, ATP, and WTA Tennis

Also, we'll preview the Men's and Women's NCAA D1 Championships and preview the Fairfield Stags 1st Round match against Stanford!

When: 5:00 PM(ET)- LIVE coverage of Fairfield VS Stanford(women's tennis)

Where to Listen: go to WVOF.org or click HERE and go to "Listen to Web Studio Steam" on the right side of the page.

How to talk: Call 203 254 4002

What's on?: Tune in for play by play, scores, and commentary on Fairfield/Stanford.

Check out this Press release from the Fairfield University athletic web site!

HERE

2010 Australian Open Recap

2010-02-01T11:16:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone, the first Grand Slam of 2010 is history and we learned a few things...two of the most important being that Serena and Roger still rule the tennis world.

Check out the new episode of the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast!

Nick and I recap the entire Australian Open... you can access HERE

or click the link on the top of this blog...

If you want to support the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast go to iTunes and search "Tiebreak Tennis" and subscribe!

Thanks for listening,

Rd. of 16 Recap

2010-01-25T14:22:00.007-05:00

The Rd. of 16 of the 2010 Australian Open finally had some classics on the men's side. The women...not so much.

In what has to be maybe the deepest men's draw ever, the Rd. of 16 didn't disappoint. 5 set marathons seemed to be contagious, but most of the main contenders seemed to survive.

Why mention?

Fed DEF Hewitt 2, 3, 4- Well, I wish I could say I am surprised. Hewitt could play Roger 1,000 times in a row starting tomorrow and I don't think he'd win once.

Murray DEF Isner 6, 3, 2- Although the big American did have a set point in the 1st set, this was a pretty comfortable win for the determined Scot

Novak DEF Kubot 1,2, 5- Who has Novak paid off to get this draw? Seems like he hasn't played a guy I've heard of yet.

The Battles

Rafa DEF Karlovic 6-4,4-6,6-4,6-4- It took Nadal some time to figure our Dr. Ivo's serve, but eventually he grinded him down.

Davydenko DEF Verdasco 6-2,7-5,4-6,6-7,6-3- This was an interesting match where neither guy was playing up to their capabilities. Verdasco served 20 double faults and was very erratic from the ground, but Davydenko, the normally rock solid Russian, also struggled a bit with his form. Both guys were fighting some demons out their but eventually Davydenko moved on.

The Classics

Roddick DEF Gonzalez 6-3,3-6,4-6,7-5,6-2- A gritty match from both guys. Both did battle under the lights, with Roddick finally imposing his will in the 5th.

Cilic DEF Del Potro 5-7,6-4,7-5,5-7,6-3- Maybe it was only a matter of time before Del Po went down. His wrist seemed to be bothering him the whole tournament, and after surviving for 3 rounds, he finally ran into a guy who was ready to beat him. He didn't go out quietly though, this was a slug fest of two giants.

Tsonga DEF Almagro- This was the most fun Rd of 16 match. Two guys with electric personalities and unreal shot making capabilities. Tsonga went up 2 sets to love against Almagro, who was playing with a broken left wrist. OK, so he is one handed and a righty, but still. Almagro fought back and forced Tsonga to play his first 5th set ever, Jo-Willy took it 9-7.

Stay tuned later for much more on the 2010 Australian Open.

New Podcast

2010-01-23T18:00:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone...the new podcast is posted HERE. Check it out!

You can also check it out by going to iTunes, search "Tiebreak Tennis", and subscribe!

Comment/tweet/e-mail your thoughts! Tiebreak.Tennis@yahoo.com

Aussie Sweet 16

2010-01-23T11:04:00.009-05:00

Don't worry tennis fans, only another 9 days of staying up until 6 a.m. watching tennis.

The first Slam of 2010 is well underway in Australia and we have already seen quite a bit of stunning tennis, story-lines, and great matches.

Now we're down to 16 men and 16 women, all with dreams of hoisting up the trophy.

Tiebreak will be coming out with a podcast in a few hours recapping the first few rounds of the Aussie, as well as previewing all of the Rd. of 16 matches so be sure to check it out!

Before the podcast comes out, here are a few things we've noticed so far...

BEST MATCH:

The best match so far has to have been the Blake/Del Potro marathon. A semi-injured Del Po comes into the match against Blake, who has been dropping like a stone in the rankings. After over 4 hours of battle, Del Po raised his arms in victory, winning 10-8 in the 5th. To me, this was the best and maybe last chance for Blake to have a big win in a Slam. He was up a break early in the 5th, but once again his impatient and high-risk brand of tennis proved to be his downfall. He made a few too many errors late and leaves Australia with a big opportunity missed.

RECURRING THEME:

Retiring. It's the first Slam of the year, isn't everyone supposed to be well rested and injury free? I guess not because Baghdatis, Koubek, Youzhny, Hernandez, and Gil all had to call it quits in the first 3 rounds.

BIGGEST SURPRISE:

Kim Clijsters. Kim's mind-boggling 0 and 1 loss by Petrova certainly was unexpected. With Henin looking a bit hindered by her leg, Kim looked like the biggest threat to stop Serena from winning the Aussie. That threat ended quickly.

BEST FORM:

Serena for the women, and Davydenko for the men. Serena has dropped 9 games in 3 matches. She has been devastating so far.

Nikolay Davydenko, arguably the best player in the world since October, has been equally destructive in his first 3 matches. He has dropped only 17 games in 3 matches, and has won one set 6-0 in each of his matches. He looks to be on a collision course with Roger Federer in the quarters.

CLOSEST CALL:

Federer/Andreev 1st round. This 1st round was the first one in recent memory that Roger was tested in the opening round of a Slam. The huge forehand of Andreev gave Roger headaches for the first 3 sets of the match. At 1 set all, Andreev greatly outplayed Federer in the 3rd set having multiple set points. The Russian couldn't close out the set and let Fed escape in a tiebreak. In the 4th Andreev handed Roger the match 6-0.

We've also seen Hewitt playing good tennis, Rafa looking healthy, Novak quietly moving through the draw, and Murray moving better than ever.

Stay tuned for the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast with much more info about the Australian and previews of all Rd. of 16 matches.

You can access the podcast either on iTunes by searching "Tiebreak Tennis", on the top of this blog, or by visiting http://tiebreaktennis.podbean.com.

The Top 10 Questions for 2010

2010-01-05T22:51:00.005-05:00

2010 is upon us and with it brings so many questions as what is to come for the year ahead. Here are the ATP Tour's top ten questions for 2010:

10) Does "The Streak" continue? That is, does Roger Federer's streak of 22 consecutive grand slam finals continue? Despite his phenomenal 2009 season, several tennis analysts are doubting the streak will continue through 2010 as Roger's dominance begins to wane.

9) The U.S. of A.-Rod? Are all the hopes of the United States this year on Andy Roddick? For the past few years, the U.S. has relied on the 1-2 punch of A-Rod (no. 7) and James Blake (no. 44), but with James' precipitous drop-off in 2009 we are left wondering if A-Rod is our only hope for grand slam success. Two long shots for the U.S. are upshots Sam Querrey (no. 25) and John Isner (no. 34).

8) Comeback! So many top names have dropped out of the top rankings, so we are left wondering who will make a comeback this year. Some names we're looking for are Marcos Baghdatis (no. 42), James Blake (no. 44), Richard Gasquet (no. 52), and Mario Ancic (no. 95).

7) Who breaks through? Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have had a strangled hold on grand slam titles for most of the last five years. Juan Martin Del Potro (no. 5) unexpectedly broke through and won the U.S. Open this past september. But who will do it in 2010? Certainly, Andy Murray (no. 3) has to be a favorite given his 2009 performance and consistent performance on all surfaces. But there's a lot of guys out there that have the talent to do it - add these dark horses to your grand slam draw sheets this year: Davydenko, Soderling, Verdasco, Tsonga, and Gonzalez.

6) Does Bollettieri get into the ITF Hall of Fame? Nick is on the ballot this year for the Hall of Fame and we hope that this long overdue recognition final happens.

5) Who pops? Is this the year that Monfils breaks into the top 10? Or can Sam Querrey? Does Isner's booming serve get him into week two at Wimbledon? With this much talent on the tour, there's so many guys who can make huge waves in the rankings.

4) Who drops? The flip side of having so much talent on the tour is that nothing can be taken for granted. Nobody is protected on the tour and it's either feast or famine for rankings, pay, and endorsements - just ask James Blake who fell from being a top ten player to an unseeded underdog.

3) Reign in Spain? Could Spain pull off a three-peat - win the Davis Cup three years in a row? Their deep roster of talent makes the argument that Spain's dominance is here to stay for years to come.

2) And the winner of the Coup des Mousquetaires goes to...? Who the heck is going to win the French Open? Do Rafa's knees heel enough for him to reclaim his clay court dominance? Can Roger repeat? Or will a new name don the champion's trophy when it's all said and done?

1) Who's number 1? When the year wraps up in 2010, who will take home the year-end number one ranking? Can Roger Federer possibly do it again? He dominated the points race this year with two grand slam championships and two finals, but the competition is on his heels. Certainly, this year is going to be a horse race - grab onto your seat.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T22:43:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, tennis fans.

Hope 2010 is a happy, healthy, and great year of tennis.

Tiebreak will be back Jan 4Th with all new blogs, Twitter updates, the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast and all new Tiebreak Tennis on the radio!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-25T13:35:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year from Tiebreak Tennis!

Stay tuned in 2010 for much more tennis...

Coming in 2010...

2009-12-15T11:46:00.001-05:00

The Tiebreak Tennis Podcast is coming soon to iTunes in 2010...stay tuned for more info...

Tiebreak Tennis tonight!

2009-12-13T14:42:00.002-05:00

Don't miss a special 1 hour Tiebreak Tennis special tonight at 6!

HTTP://WWW.WVOF.ORG

Live webstreams...web studio.

Tennis' Forgotten Soldier

2009-12-11T19:22:00.006-05:00

As 2009 draws to a close, I have been thinking not only about the year that was in tennis, but this past decade, and where tennis has come since the Open era began in 1968. I have thought about the many names in American tennis that have had an impact on the sport, its history, and its future.

Ashe. Billy Jean. Everett. Connors. Austin. McEnroe. Chang. Courier. Agassi. Sampras. Venus. Serena. Roddick.

These are the names that have represented American tennis for decades, names that have had an indelible impact on tennis and it's history.

But there is one name that is suspiciously left off this list and it shouldn't: Bollettieri.

Nick Bollettieri, who started the Bollettieri Tennis Academy from scratch, has arguably had a greater impact on this sport than any other single name on that list because his impact was multi-generational. Bollettieri has coached ten #1 players in the world, four of which are Americans. I beg to wonder where American tennis would be without his influence.

Would we have seen Courier raise his hands in victory at four grand slam events? Would we have seen the incomparable Andre Agassi become the champion that he turned into? Or would we have seen the Williams sisters dominate the women's tour the way they have for the past decade?

We'll never know for certain, but what we do know is that with Nick Bolletieri's tutelage, American tennis has had not just a competitive presence on the men's and women's tours, but a dominant one.

This year, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, will vote on whether Bolletieri will be inducted into this prestigious group of tennis elite. I have to wonder, if Nick doesn't get in this year, what else does he have to do to get in? How many more champions does he need to produce? Hopefully, at this point, the International Tennis Hall of Fame can acknowledge that his honor is long overdue and is very deserving.

Thanks for listening!

2009-12-06T21:43:00.002-05:00

Thanks to anyone who tuned in or called!

See you next week.

Tonight 6pm ET

2009-12-06T12:36:00.004-05:00

Tiebreak Tennis on the Radio tonight at 6 PM ET!

TUNE IN/CALL IN 1-203-254-4002

http://tinyurl.com/ykmcyax CLICK ON WEB STUDIO.

Full topics include...

-2009 in review

-ATP World Tour Finals

-Davis Cup Finals

-Santoro

-Mauresmo

-A look ahead to 2010

-Serena's $82K punishment

Tiebreak Tennis on the Radio Sunday at 6!

2009-12-05T15:26:00.003-05:00

Don't forget to tune in to Tiebreak Tennis on the radio Sunday at 6 PM ET...

We'll discuss the ATP World Tour Finals...Davis Cup...and we'll wrap up the 2009 ATP and WTA seasons.

Call in your questions during the show at 203-254-4002 or e-mail any questions to TiebreakQuestions@gmail.com

Click Here for the link

Just click on WEB STUDIO!

See you soon,

The New ATP Tour

2009-11-30T20:59:00.005-05:00

If the year end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals proved one thing, it's that tennis no longer has a sheriff. Gone are the days of Roger and Rafa's absolute dominance of this sport. Gone are the days of the oligarchy that was tennis for so many years. Gone are tournaments whose outcomes were foregone conclusions.

In are the days of parity. In are the days of balance. In are the days of the New ATP Tour.

What is the New ATP Tour? The New ATP Tour was on display this past week at the O2 arena where the top eight players in the world squared off in the year end tournament. The New ATP Tour showed us that the current rankings don't mean anything. #8 can beat #1, #6 can beat #4, #4 can beat #3, and so on. Anyone in the top 8 can beat anyone else in the world. When was the last time we could say that?

Nikolay Davydenko is a testament of the New ATP Tour. Coming into the tournament Davydenko was ranked #8 in the world, but wasn't given much of a chance at winning the best-of-the-best tournament. But Nikolay had other things in mind. Big hitting from both sides and consistent shot-making proved too much for the field as he vanquished the competition.

On the other side of the coin, but also testaments of the New ATP Tour, are Federer and Nadal. Roger, who was champion of this event 4 of the past 6 years and finished year end #1, struggled in every match and lost to the eventual champion in the semifinals. Roger looked very pedestrian - and again, I'm left asking when was the last time we could say that? Rafa was the worst of the eight...unquestionably. He lost all three of his matches and worse yet, he didn't win a set. Rafa is not the same. I'm not saying he won't return to his prior form, but I can say for certain that he is nowhere near it at this time.

What we are left with in the New ATP Tour is the O.K. Corral - there's no sheriff, there's only gun-slinging - every match as perilous as a ten-pace duel. Rankings or seedings won't help you, only shot-making and nerves of steel, and whatever you do, don't run out of bullets.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

2009-11-21T19:43:00.003-05:00

Get ready for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The top 8 men in the world are going to battle it out at London's O2 Arena.

Play starts tomorrow with Murray VS Del Potro

I purchased the Tournament pass (25$) which allows me to watch all the matches live web-streamed.

You can purchase HERE....

For those of you who don't have Tennis Channel, or want to spend $25...I'll be live tweeting as many matches as I can.

This tournament should be a lot of fun. I could see any of the 8 players coming out on top. My personal pick is going to be an unpopular one. I'm going to pick Fernando Verdasco to win the ATP World Tour Finals...

Everyday I'll try and give a prediction for the day's matches.

Day Match: Del Potro VS Murray- Murray is going to have the crowd electric as the opening match. Neither of these guys come in to the tournament all that healthy...both fighting wrist injuries. I'm going to say Murray uses the home crowd to knock off Del Po in 3...

Night Match: Federer VS Verdasco- I can't turn my back on my pick to win it all. I'm going to go with Verdasco to take out Fed in straight sets...forcing Fed to drop his 3rd match straight.

Enjoy! Check out the Twitter for live updates...

A Look Back + Andre's Chat...

2009-11-21T19:17:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone! I admit, since the start of the radio show, I haven't been blogging as much as I used to. I'll try and change that and stop ignoring you die-hard bloggers.

First of all, what a year it has been in the world of tennis. Going into the last tournament (besides Davis Cup finals)...take a step back and think about all that has happened in tennis. In no real order...

-Agassi's book, Clijsters, Serena's outburst...

-Nadal's injury, drug bans, Nadal losing at French...

-Fed equaling and beating Pete's record, New roof at Wimbledon, Rafa takes the #1 ranking,...

-Fed takes the Career Slam, emergence of Verdasco, Soderling, and Del Potro...Roddick loses 15 lbs...Henin announcing her return...

-Safin and Santoro ending their careers....

This has been an incredible year for the game.

A special highlight on that list, for me, is saying farewell to two of the games greatest personalities. Fabrice Santoro might go down as the biggest overachiever the game has ever seen. His two hands of both sides magician-like play was unlike anyone I have, or probably will ever see. Above all, he was an intense competitor and a great sportsman. I don't think the world will ever see another "Magician."

Marat Safin also says good-bye to the courts as he hangs up whichever rackets he hasn't already cracked. When he wanted, he could play with anyone...the only problem was that this didn't happen often enough. We saw the brilliance he had to offer in flashes that won him 2 Grand Slams and a brief period at No. 1 in the World. His temper and shot making will be greatly missed on the tour. The ATP will also have a huge void to fill in press conference personalities.

Also(if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know this) Andre Agassi held an online chat press conference on ESPN.com to answer questions from his fans. I frantically submitted about 20, and he actually answered 2 of mine. Considering it was only a roughly 15 minute chat, I was pretty excited.

To see the full chat click HERE

My Questions and Andre's answers...

Ryan B. (Fairfield, CT)

In your new book, you admit to hating tennis for a bulk of your career. What would you say to fans that supported and idolized you during a time in your career when you didn't care whether you won or lost?

Andre Agassi
(12:04 PM)

There were many times when I didn't care about myself. This has been a journey for me and quite a process to reconcile my contradictions. There were many days when I did love it. I think I felt that my eyes would betray me out there. I always wore my heart on my sleeve. This book, while not the ideal perception of me, it is the real me. I think that journey can help others.

Ryan B. (Westchester, NY)

If you were at such a bad place in your life that you turned to crystal meth, why should we believe that you wouldn't turn to performance enhancing drugs to get back to the top of the game?

Andre Agassi
(12:09 PM)

Crystal meth was a way of hurting myself, it wasn't a way of cheating others. I was in a place where I didn't like myself and it was a form of affliction. My route back to the top was earned because of the place I was starting from. There's a huge difference from the desire to cheat others and to hurt yourself.

Thanks to anyone who tuned in, called, or e-mailed!

2009-11-15T19:41:00.004-05:00

Thanks to all of our listeners!

Don't forget next week Sunday at 6 PM ET!

Tiebreak is close to making it to FM Radio so keep listening and thanks for all of the support.

Also, the Tiebreak Tennis Podcast is coming soon and will be available on iTunes...

Thanks,

Tiebreak Tennis on the Radio Sunday at 6!

2009-11-14T22:23:00.003-05:00

Tune in tomorrow at 6 PM ET to Tiebreak Tennis on the Radio http://tinyurl.com/n6ncr4

Full discussion on Nadal's future, Safin's goodbye, the Paris Masters, the Masters Cup, Fairfield tennis, and much more!

Marat Ends Career

2009-11-11T09:49:00.003-05:00

Marat Safin just lost a tough three setter to Juan Martin Del Potro at the Paribas Masters. This marks the end of Safin's up-and-down career.

Good luck in the rest of your life, Marat. The game will certainly not be the same without this huge personality, and 2-time Grand Slam Champion in it.

FULL BLOG TO FOLLOW SOON...

Thanks!

2009-11-09T11:07:00.001-05:00

Thanks to anyone who tuned in, called, or e-mailed!

Have a topic you want us to discuss next week? E-mail them to TiebreakQuestions@Gmail.com

Same time next Sunday 6 PM ET.

Take care,

Don't Forget!

2009-11-07T22:03:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to tune in at 6!

http://tinyurl.com/n6ncr4

Call in 1-203-254-4002 or e-mail any questions to TiebreakQuestions@gmail.com

Tune in this Sunday at 6 PM ET!

2009-11-01T01:44:00.003-04:00

Tune in to Tiebreak Tennis on the Radio tonight! 6 PM- 8PM ET

Call in throughout the show! 1-203-254-4002

or E-mail questions/comments to TiebreakQuestions@gmail.com

Tune in tonight as we discuss

-college "off-seasons"

-Fairfield Men's Tennis

-Fairfield Women's Tennis

-Andre Agassi's new confession

-All ATP/WTA scores

-Safin

-The Masters Cup......along with anything else that comes up on the show.

Don't forget to tune in tonight at 6 PM...http://tinyurl.com/n6ncr4

Thanks,

Role Model?

2009-10-28T13:21:00.002-04:00

Andre Agassi admitted, in a recent excerpt from his autobiography, that he used crystal meth in 1997. Agassi also admitted to lying to ATP officials in order to escape a ban. For a player of Agassi's popularity, this raises a ton of questions about the state of the ATP drug policy, his status as a role model, and what implications this will have on Andre and the ATP.

Tune in this Sunday at 6 PM ET to Tiebreak Tennis on the Radio on WVOF.org for full discussion on Agassi.

Thanks to anyone who tuned in or called!

2009-10-25T21:42:00.002-04:00

Thanks to anyone who called in or listened to Tiebreak Tennis tonight!

Same time next week!

SUNDAYS 6 PM ET.

Tonight at 6!

2009-10-25T13:44:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone, don't forget to tune in tonight at 6 PM ET to Tiebreak Tennis on the radio!

http://tinyurl.com/n6ncr4 Tune in!

Don't forget to call in 1-203-254-4002!

Roddick Qualifies

2009-10-21T20:32:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Andy Roddick for qualifying for the Masters Cup taking place in London this year. This is good news for Andy, who is resting a hurt knee. This will certainly mean he won't rush back to playing, and will make sure he is 100% ready to go in London.

Roddick is the 6th man to qualify. Roger, Rafa, Murray, Novak, Del Po, and Roddick now are locked in.

Thanks!

2009-10-04T22:02:00.003-04:00

Thanks anyone who called in or listened! Tiebreak will be back next week same time, same place. Sundays at 6 pm ET on WVOF 88.5 Fairfield.

Tune in tomorrow(Sunday) 6 PM ET

2009-10-03T21:56:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to tune in tomorrow(Sunday) for the second episode of Tiebreak Tennis on the radio...

Feel free to call! 1-203-254-4002...or e-mail TiebreakQuestions@gmail.com

Tiebreak Tennis NEW DAY AND TIME!

2009-09-30T20:50:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone...thanks again for listening last week to Tiebreak Tennis on the radio...

Thanks to WVOF 88.5 Fairfield, Tiebreak Tennis will now be on air every Sunday from 6 pm to 8pm ET...hopefully all of you can tune in, or call anytime during the show 1-203-254-4002. Also, e-mail any questions you want answered to TiebreakQuestions@gmail.com.

Steps to Listen...

Go to http://www.WVOF.org

Then click "Live Webstreams"

Next click on the block of text that says, "Click here for web exclusive content produced by Fairfield University students including student-only broadcasts of Stags Basketball games enjoy all the great shows from the WVOF WEB STUDIO"

WVOF is Fairfield University's student and local radio station. The station is 88.5 FM. Hopefully with a lot of listeners to our webstream and some callers, Tiebreak will be on FM 88.5 very soon.

See you soon!

Thanks for listening!

2009-09-24T20:42:00.001-04:00

Thanks to anyone who listened to the first ever Tiebreak Tennis on the radio. Thanks for all the calls and e-mails. I look forward to next week.

Thanks again,

Tonight 6pm ET!

2009-09-24T09:46:00.006-04:00

Tune in tonight at 6 PM ET to Tiebreak Tennis on the radio...topics include Serena's outburst, Henin's comeback, Roddick, Fairfield University tennis fall preview, and many more.

Call in with any questions or comments to 1-203-254-4002 or e-mail your questions to TiebreakQuestions@gmail.com

Steps to Listen...Go to http://www.WVOF.org

Then click "Live Webstreams"

Hopefully I'll see you tonight....

Number to call...

2009-09-22T09:59:00.003-04:00

If you want to call in live to Tiebreak with questions, comments, or just to say hi...the number is 1-203-254-4002

Remember...Thursday 6 PM ET.

WVOF.org...

...Or just click right here -----> "Click here for web exclusive content produced by Fairfield University students including student-only broadcasts of Stags Basketball games enjoy all the great shows from the WVOF WEB STUDIO"

Tiebreak Tennis on the radio!

2009-09-22T09:39:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone...I'm happy to announce that Tiebreak Tennis will now be hitting the radio!

We are starting out as a live web cast, and hopefully moving up to FM radio very soon. It will be an all-tennis show with covering all of ATP and WTA tennis, along with tips, callers, interviews, and full coverage of the Fairfield University Men's and Women's tennis teams. The first ever episode will air this Thursday September 23rd at 6 PM ET and last until 8 PM ET.

Steps to Listen...

Go to http://www.WVOF.org

Then click "Live Webstreams"

WVOF is Fairfield University's student and local radio station. The station is 88.5 FM. Hopefully with a lot of listeners to our webstream and some callers (I'll post the number soon)...Tiebreak will be on FM 88.5 very soon.

Don't forget to check it out Thursday at 6 PM ET.

Thanks,

Tiebreak

US Open Recap...

2009-09-21T23:06:00.003-04:00

Hey All...

The Grand Slam season is over in tennis...which means we all have to wait until January to see another Slam match. Luckily, the season's last Major proved to leave us with quite a thrill. For the past couple of years, the Open has been, in my opinion, the worst Major. It's been dominated by Federer, with no real competition for him, and no memorable finals. It was like Roger would float through the draw and beat someone easily to add another notch to his belt.

This year's Open couldn't have been more different.

Besides the fact that we had Americans Melanie Oudin and John Isner make names for themselves, there were loads of interesting material in Flushing Meadows. Rafa was back, Fed was hunting for another, Murray looked poised to win, rain played with the schedule again, Novak was with his new coach Todd Martin, Roddick was 15 lbs lighter at this Open, and what turned out to be the best story...could Del Po win a big one.

The finals were set to play on Monday because of the rain, and the match up was less desirable than the usual Rafa/Roger showdown, or even an American trying to pull out a title. The familiar face, Roger Federer...possible GOAT and all time leader in Grand Slam singles titles was set to meet Juan Martin Del Potro. Going into the match Del Po was 0-6 against Fed, and this was also his first ever Slam final. All this should have added up to Roger's 6Th straight US Open.

I guess that's why they play the game. After being out-classed in the first set and looked down and out in the second, the 20 year old monster rallied to win the 2ND set in a tiebreak to even the match. Finally, we had a classic in the making in New York.

Del Po looked ready to take a two set to one lead, but tightened up and gave Federer the 3rd set thanks to a few crucial double faults. Surely Roger would cruise now, right? To my surprise,( and I think mostly everyone who studies the game) Del Po hung around and snuck the 4Th out in a tiebreak. A 5Th set would decide the 2009 US Open.

As soon as the set started, Federer resorted back to what he has gotten into the habit of about a year ago...unforced errors. They came in bunched from the ground, and his serve abandoned him. Before you knew it, Del Po was sprawled out on the floor as a new Grand Slam Champion.

It was an amazing match, and an amazing Major to close the year. It seems like we have a new threat to #1 in the world besides the "Big Four"(Rafa, Roger, Novak, Murray). Hopefully Del Po backs up his win and continues to grow and develop. He's a great personality in the game and a gracious and respectful champion. I hope to see a lot more of that hammer-head forehand in the future.

Del Potro Wins First Grand Slam at US Open

2009-09-15T10:08:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Juan Martin Del Potro for winning his first Slam over Federer at 5 sets at the US Open...I guess this answered the question of whether he's fit enough. Full Blog to come...Stay tuned.

Semis

2009-09-13T09:39:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone...Rafa wasted no time yesterday reaching the semis after a bludgeoning of Gonzo to finish their match. Play was suspended as Rafa was up a set and 3-2 in the tiebreak. He went on to win that tiebreak 7-2 and then the third set 6-0. I guess Gonzo didn't have his hotel booked any farther than Saturday and wanted to get out of New York.

This sets up a great semifinal day today for the men.

Fed/Novak

Obviously Federer is the favorite in this one. They've had a few days off which I think helps Novak a little because he seems to be the less fit of the two and those days off took fitness out of the equation. Maybe Todd Martin can whisper something in the ear of the young Serb and tell him to summon some of the guts he showed against Federer in the semis a few years ago in Australia....but I still don't think it's going to happen. Novak's game has been very erratic at times this year, especially on the forehand side. To me, this match is going to be all about who can take care of their serve. Federer is going to serve great, that is a given. If Novak can serve well, and put some kind of pressure of Roger in his own service games, then this match could be very interesting. If he starts double faulting and serving below 60%...look for Fed to roll.

My Pick: Federer in 4.

Rafa/Del Po

Del Po has looked like a force during this US Open...tomahawking forehands and serving better than I've ever seen. Rafa is having a "Rafa-esque" Grand Slam. He is physically a bit beat up...but is grinding through matches and winning. The knees seem fine, but now his abdominal strain is the cause for concern. However, it's only one match, and he only played for a half hour yesterday. Del Po has the game to hit through Nadal and punish his serve, especially if Rafa can only crank it up to that 105 mph range because of his abs. I believe the huge X factor in this match is going to be nerves for Del Po...he should have beat Fed in the French Open semis, but just thought about it too much in the big moments. Some of my brain also tells me to choose Del Po because he likes the ball up on his tall frame, and that's exactly the ball that Nadal is going to give him.

However, I never bet against heart, and no one has more than Rafa.

My Pick: Nadal in 5 bone crunching sets.

Tune in today to watch the semis and enjoy.

Back again...

2009-09-11T11:39:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone...Tiebreak Tennis is back after a short break due to moving in, starting school, etc. Since the US Open is now getting down to the semifinals, there is no time to rest...Fed/Novak and Del Po/ whoever wins the Rafa VS Gonzo rain delayed match.

Stay tuned for all new Tiebreak news...soon to come the Tiebreak Podcast and possibly Tiebreak Tennis on the radio.

See you on the court,

The Rogers Cup Wrap Up

2009-08-16T18:54:00.005-04:00

Tennis has a new number two and his name is Andy Murray. It took over four years to break the stronghold that Roger and Rafa had over the top two spots in the world, but with a semifinal win over Jo-Willy Tsonga (no. 7) at the Rogers Cup, Andy Murray did it. Roger and Rafa had ruled the roost at the top of men's tennis since July 2005, but with Rafael Nadal's (no. 3) nagging knee injury and Murray's consistent success, the Scot proved he is deserving of this new echelon.

On the other side of the draw, Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro (no. 6) topped America's best Andy Roddick 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a rematch from last weekend's Legg Mason final. Again, Del Potro proved to be just a little too much for Roddick. At 5-5 in the third set, Roddick either tightened up or felt fatigued as he started and ended the game with a double fault - two weeks in a row, Andy has blinked in critical moments of a big match. Unfortunately, there seems to be a consistency to this theme for Andy this summer as I'm sure he still wakes up at night thinking of the volley that got away in the second set breaker at Wimbledon.

What a story line for a final: the new world's no. 2 versus the guy who beat the former no. 2. Murray and Del Potro seemed to be on a collision course for the final throughout this tournament as they carved up the competition match by match. The final was nothing short of spectacular, at least for the first two sets, each taking a set in a tiebreak before fatigue got the best of the Argentine as Murray steamrolled 6-1 in the third set to win the tournament.

This match confirmed for me that Andy Murray is ready to win the U.S. Open, yet this tournament also confirmed for me that so can ten or so other guys. At the top of the list you have the world's number one, yet despite all of Roger's success this year, I think we see he is not a given to win in New York like he was in year's past - perhaps this is either because Roger doesn't seem quite as dominant over his peers as he once was or that the competition is that much better 0r maybe some of both. Next, you have Rafa who is not the player he was a few months ago, but you'd have to be crazy to count him out. Then you have this bunch of guys who are a virtual tie in ability and all are very capable of winning - Roddick, Djokovic, Del Potro, and Tsonga. Flushing out this mess, you have these wild cards who are incredibly dangerous - Verdasco (no. 10), Gonzalez (no. 12), Karlovic (no. 29) - to name a few. Unquestionably, this tournament answered a lot of questions for us, but yet why do I feel like we still have no idea who is going to win the Open?

Rogers Cup Update...

2009-08-15T08:23:00.003-04:00

The Rogers Cup is shaping up to be one of the best tournaments of 2009 - yes, including the Grand Slams. For the first time in the history of the ATP tour, the top 8 seeds made it to the quarterfinals of the draw. Now some might say that there is something boring about the lack of upsets through the first few rounds, but I couldn't be more excited. The top 8 seeds also represent the top 8 ranked players in the world. I ask you when are we going to see this kind of draw again on a neutral surface (unquestionably, an outdoor hard-court is the most neutral of the surfaces)?

This tournament also features the return of no other than Rafael Nadal, making his first tournament appearance since the French Open and since losing his no. 1 ranking. Just this aspect alone is reason for elation. There are so many questions that this tournament will answer and raise about the Spaniard - are his knees better?, has his conditioning slipped?, is he match tough?, will he be back to number 1?

The quarterfinal match-ups proved to be some of the most exciting matches of the year. To begin the day, Andy Murray (no. 3) dispatched Davydenko (no. 8) 6-2, 6-4 in a very routine manner. Clearly, we see Andy Murray is on a quest for the top. Next, the world's number one, Roger Federer, faced-off against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (no. 7) in what was expected to be a typical quarterfinal match for Roger. But this match proved to be anything but typical as Tsonga came back from a 5-1 deficit in the third set to win in a tiebreaker. Am I surprised, shocked, awed? Yes, but we all know that Roger has been distracted the past few weeks with the birth of his twin daughters. The most important question that faces Roger is whether or not he will be able to regain his form for the U.S. Open. Oddly enough, I think he will.

On the other side of the draw, we saw a hard hitting match-up between rivals Andy Roddick (no. 5) and Novak Djokovic (no. 4). Roddick's new found conditioning and confidence were overwhelming for the Serb as Andy triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (4). In the last quarterfinal matchup, we finally got to see Nadal tested against a top ranked opponent in Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro, fresh off a Master's Series victory at Legg Mason, was in top form and dismantled the Spaniard 7-6 (5), 6-1. This match featured incredible points, beautiful shotmaking, but left me scratching my head about both players. First, I thought Nadal looked good, but not great and nowhere near his top form. I wonder whether or not he will be a threat at the Open, the jury is out. And as far as Del Potro is concerned, I have serious doubts about his fitness and conditioning. After last weekend's final against Roddick, the Argentine cramped in the locker room after three long sets. Last night, he looked very tired and was breathing hard after one grueling set with Rafa. How will Del Potro fair in Flushing Meadows in best-of-five matches over two weeks?

Many experts say that the Rogers Cup foretells the results at the U.S. Open and if that is true, we will have a champion who doesn't bear either the name Roger or Rafa.

Wimbledon Week 1 Recap and Rd of 16 Predictions

2009-06-28T14:28:00.004-04:00

Finally A Champ?

Week 1 of Wimbledon is over...we have reached the middle Sunday...

This day is the perfect example of the 'calm before the storm' as the lawns of Wimbledon lay untouched today before they are graced by every man and woman left in the draw tomorrow. Manic Monday as it is sometimes referred to could be the best day in tennis.

The first week has had it's fair share of surprises and story lines, so let's look at a few.

No Rain?: Of course, now that there is a roof on Centre Court the weather has been unreal. No indoor tennis has been played...yet.

Hewitt Reborn: Lleyton Hewitt, coming off of his hip surgery, is playing excellent tennis. He took out No. 5 Del Potro in straight sets and is finally showing emotion again on the court. Hewitt, for the past few years, has been so subdued on court, and finally something went off in his mind and he is the fiery Aussie once again.

2 Favorites Dominate: Murray and Federer have looked superhuman so far. Both dropping one set on their way to the Rd of 16, but neither have really been tested much.

A Bit Better From America: Blake and Ginepri disappointed once again, and Fish had a predictable Wimbledon. Roddick continues to be our ONLY real competitor by a mile. The good thing is that Jesse Levine had a breakthrough run to the third round, and had a look at beating Wawrinka.

Andy-monium: The Brits finally have a real favorite, who is looking every bit of the part right now. The fans might be psychotic for him, but he seems as calm and cool as ever.

Good Matches: Only 6 of the 16 3rd Round matches went straight sets on the men's side. A Lot of matches were very competitive.

Now we're caught up at Wimbledon and Week 2 is almost here, so I'll go through all 8 Rd of 16 matches and tell you what I think...

Fed/ Soderling: A rematch of the French final...surely Soderling will try to get revenge, but it's not happening on Centre Court. Fed in 4

Verdasco/Karlovic: Karlovic's serve has been untouchable so far, and I don't see why it won't be again. Verdasco has enough fire power to hang with him. This is a tough match to call because it will probably come down to 4 or 5 points here and there in the tiebreaks. I'll go Dr. Ivo in 4.

Sela/Djokovic: Sela, the Israeli, has to be thrilled to be in the 2ND week...but I'm afraid his run is over. Maybe he'll make a set close and might even take one because he'll be playing with zero pressure...I think Novak takes it in 4.

Andreev/Haas: Andreev has a monstrous forehand and plays a lot like a Spaniard, which shouldn't translate to grass right? Well he's been playing solid so far, and I think he'll give Tommy a lot of trouble...let's not forget how difficult Tommy finds it to win a big match. That said...I think Tommy will pull it out in 5.

Ferrero/Simon: Ferrero is having a nice run here at Wimbledon. He beat Gonzo in the last round, which has to give him a bunch of confidence. Simon has been going through the draw without a mention. Simon in 4.

Murray/Wawrinka: Wawrinka has a huge one-hander and is a shot maker. Murray is way too good and way too supported to lose to Stan. Wawrinka makes a set close...but Murray in 3.

Roddick/Berdych: Berdych is a huge hitter, and has the kind of game that can overpower anyone, even Roddick. The problem is the stars have to be aligned for him to play as well as he needs to in order to win 3 sets. Roddick in 4.

Hewitt/Stepanek: This match is really interesting. Both veterans who are looking for a deep run in a Slam. Step is very dangerous, but his knee seemed to bother him at the end of his 2ND 5 setter in a row against Ferrer. Hewitt is moving and striking the ball brilliantly. I think this match will go five, and I'll go with my dark horse Step in his 3rd 5 set win in a row.

Get ready for Manic Monday everyone...tune in to my Twitter Page all day with live updates( as always)...and don't forget to vote on the new poll...

Take Care,
Tiebreak

Top 5 Players To Watch

2009-06-14T12:11:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone...with Wimbledon approaching, I figured I would write a post that highlights the 5 players that I'm going to be watching this Wimbledon.

First, let's recap this week.

Aegon: The prestigious event was won this year by Andy Murray, the British(Scottish) hopeful. He beat James Blake in the finals who put together a nice run thanks to the help of Andy Roddick retiring to him after rolling his ankle. Roddick should be fine for Wimbledon.

Halle: Halle was supposed to be dominated by Djokovic after Federer pulled out to get ready for Wimbledon, but Haas had other plans. The German won his first grass court title defeating Novak in the finals in 3 sets. Quite simply, that is tournament Novak has to win...I think it's going to hurt him going into Wimbledon.

Now that we're all caught up...THE TOP 5 PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WIMBLEDON

1: Roger Federer: It should be really interesting to see how Roger reacts after winning the French Open. Will he have any let down, or will he return to his old dominant ways? Of course, whether Nadal is in the draw or not will have a big affect on him. You also have to think that the next Slam he wins breaks the tie with Pete, and that is some serious pressure.

2. Rafael Nadal: Before we can watch Nadal, we have to see if he is even in the draw. He is expected to play, but you never know. We also have to see how he looks physically, because if his movement is compromised, there are a lot of guys that can give him trouble.

3. Andy Murray: How could we not watch Murray this Wimbledon? The British finally have a real contender again (since the old Tim Henman days) and I look for them to be firmly behind the fiery Scott...I mean Brit. So what if he is technically Scottish? Sean Connery pulled off being a Brit in Bond.

4. Andy Roddick: The leaner Roddick has been playing very solid tennis this season. He, for the most part, is beating who he is supposed to beat. Ankle injury aside, I think he can make a real run here, and think he is without a doubt the 4Th favorite to win.

5. Ivo Karlovic: Am I the only guy who scratches his head when I see that Karlovic hasn't won a match at Wimbledon in the last 4 chances. In my opinion, he has the best and most dominant serve in the game, and on grass that is a recipe for winning. If he can ace Hewitt 55 times on clay, how many times can he ace him on grass? 80? I keep waiting for him to put together a run here again (he did get to the Rd of 16 once) because he certainly has the game to win on grass. His volleys have improved and his serve is lights out. Yes, his ground strokes are still absolutely atrocious, but if he gets to the net, he can be a dark horse.

OTHER NOTABLES: Djokovic: Will his fall continue?, the Americans: Can they rebound?

Dark Horses: Fish, Stepanek, Cilic, Haas, Mahut
Stay Tuned for more Wimbledon Preview...AND Check Out Tiebreak's Twitter

Take Care

All about the (possible) GOAT.

2009-06-11T22:58:00.004-04:00

Well, we have a lot to talk about.
the GOAT?

First, congratulations to Roger Federer for beating Soderling in straight sets to complete his Career Slam and tie Pete Sampras for the most Grand Slams in the Open Era, 14. Perhaps the most entertaining part of the final was the Barcelona soccer fan rushing the court and trying to put a hat on Federer's head.

The only other interesting aspect of the final was waiting to see how nerves would get to Fed. I think that swinging volley that gave Soderling a break point at 5-4 was about as nervous as I've ever seen him. Luckily for Fed, he ran into someone who wasn't even close to ready to win a Slam.

As expected, this now raises the question of, "Is Roger the greatest ever?"

For once I'm actually going to agree with Mary Carillo on this one. Her response was that she was going to save her opinion until Nadal's career was complete. Nadal, if healthy, has a real shot at making a strong case for himself. Unfortunately, that seems to be a huge 'if'.

It came out that Nadal has tendinitis in both knees that has been affecting him physically and mentally over the past few months. I think we all saw something wrong with him at the French. Kudos to Soderling, but lets get real...quite simply, Rafa was about 60%. He is going to undergo treatment and try and defend his Wimbledon title later this month, but honestly, no one knows how bad his knees are right now.

Back to the possible GOAT(Greatest of All Time): Roger is a great guy, great for the sport, and quite a choice for the best ever. However, one French Open win and he is back to his old overconfident and stuck up remarks.

In an article for ESPN (found HERE) Federer was asked about Wimbledon and went on to proclaim himself the favorite because of his new found French Open title and "with all the success I've had." He didn't stop there. He then went on to downplay Nadal's injury, saying that,
" He seemed fine, [from] what I saw, anyway. I've played him so many times, I can tell when he's in pain and when he's not. "

Fed also was quoted saying, "It seems like it's not 100 percent serious, his knee injury."

Let's see, First: Rafa really seems like a faker and an excuse maker. I'm sure that he is just making up an injury that he might have to miss his favorite tournament of the year because of.

Second: "With all the success I've had." Roger, you won a French Open by beating no one. You've lost your number 1 ranking, and have only two titles this year. Not to mention, everyone was declaring you just about dead a few weeks ago. I'm sorry to say, but Federer should have lost twice in that tournament, maybe three times. Haas had him on the brink, Del Potro outplayed him for most of the match, and Acasuso should have won in straight sets. Sure, he battled his way through the draw, and beat everyone that was put in front of him. But in the end, he beat no one. There are the big 4 in tennis, and then everyone else. He beat NO ONE in the top 4. He won the French Open because he was the last man standing who had enough guts to win.

Nadal is still, by a mile, the King of Clay. He was obviously bothered by an injury in the tournament, and didn't look anything like his former self. For Federer to say he is barely injured, is absurd. It is Roger trying to prove to everyone that he won the French Open, and is now the King of tennis. To admit Rafa was a fraction of himself would make everyone say.."Yea Fed won...BUT Rafa was hurt." Say what you will about Rafa, his injury or Federer, but I think any tennis fan in there right mind knew that if that was Nadal on the other side of the net in the final...Fed would still be waiting for his glorious French Open.

14 Grand Slams and a Career Slam is amazing. But let's keep it in perspective here and not jump yourself to the king of the world again. It wasn't too long ago that an over-cocky Federer was turned into an uncontrollable crying beaten man in Australia at the hands of a humble Nadal. Roger had a feeling of invincibility, and then Rafa came along. Rafa, the quiet, humble, Spaniard slowly, but surely wrestled greatness from him one win at a time. Roger, stay humble, because if you don't it's going to come back again to bite you.

One win and he's all of a sudden unbeatable again, and the favorite? It's interesting that Federer would declare himself the favorite going into Wimbledon. Am I Mistaken or is there still a number 2 next to his name. When the draw comes out, if Rafa is in it, Federer will be number 2. The only way on earth Federer is the favorite is if Nadal comes into Wimbledon like he did the French, injured. And until Federer beats Nadal on a big stage, while there both healthy, he will be number 2.

Hopefully Rafa will get healthy enough to play, and defend his title. One thing is for sure, there will certainly be a Swiss superstar quite nervous if the first match of Wimbledon on Centre Court is the defending champion and World Number 1, Rafael Nadal.

FOLLOW FED/DEL POTRO LIVE

2009-06-05T13:08:00.001-04:00

Hey all, since no TV coverage is available for Fed/Del Potro(sad but true...)...I'm twittering the match live while watching the live scoreboard and listening to Radio Roland Garros...

Check out my Twitter Page for all the latest...

6 Sets Away...

2009-06-03T17:54:00.003-04:00

Fed's draw has been so good, it looks rigged. On a day where he should be getting ready for entering a Djokovic semi and then Nadal final...instead he's getting ready for Del Potro and Soderling/Gonzalez

Roger Federer is 6 sets away from his first French Open Title, and the Career Slam, something that doesn't happen quite to often in tennis.

Is it even possible for anyone to think that he is going to lose now? Let's see...

Rafa, his nemesis and King of Clay, loses.
Djokovic, a guy who gives him all sorts of troubles, is out.
Murray, another dangerous # 3 in the world that Fed was weary of, out.

Who does that leave?

Well it leaves Gonzalez, Del Potro, and Soderling. All three players combined have one win against Federer, and that is Gonzalez.

I think it's safe to say Roger is going to be moving along to his first French Open, right?
Well, after pretty much guaranteeing a Rafa victory at this tournament, I won't say anything is for sure, but let's just say I wouldn't put any money down on anyone else.

Gonzalez gives Fed some trouble sometimes(but never beats him...OK once out of 13 times), and is the most experienced of the other three, but you have to think he'll have his hands full with Soderling if the Swede continues to dominate. If Soderling makes the final, chances are that the moment will be way to big for him to handle.

So all you Rafa fans out there that want Fed to lose, the only chance I guess is Del Potro in the semis. Poetically, he has the best chance because it is his chance to avenge his crushing loss to Fed at the Australian, where I believe there were 2 bagel sets involved. Del Potro is going to come out on a mission, and wants to prove he is a legit top 5 player, and can hang with the big boys.
The bad news is that I think Roger has too much game, and is going to put Del Potro in uncomfortable positions on the court. Del Po is huge, and loves to stand back the baseline with his huge wind up and smack his forehand. His 6'6 body doesn't make him ideal for playing short slices, or really being stretched awkwardly. Who better than Roger to execute that game plan?

Semi's should be fun, and we know we'll have a new French Open Champion crowd.

Who else is rooting for a Del Potro/Soderling final?

The King is Done

2009-05-31T13:17:00.004-04:00

I think it's safe to say that he won't ever wear a pink shirt again.

Hi everyone...hopefully you've all been checking out my Twitter Page during the French. I've been updating as much as possible, but figured I'd write a new blog now because one of the biggest upsets in sports this year has just happened.

Soderling DEFEATS Nadal 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(2)

Unreal. Thanks to a brilliant embargo by NBC, I haven't seen the match yet ans therefore can't say much about it...but what a shock.

Soderling hates Nadal...we all knew that since there epic encounter at Wimbledon a few years ago that seemed to go on over 16 days because of rain, and went 5. Soderling would play mind games with Rafa, and even made fun of his trademark wedgie pick.

Of all the guys in the draw, all the dangerous dirt ballers...a predominately indoor player beats Nadal.

Again, I haven't seen the match so can't say much but that it is a shocking defeat, and makes you appreciate just how much pressure a number 1 seed has.

Keep checking Twitter, and this French just became much more open.

Roger Beats The King

2009-05-19T01:12:00.004-04:00

Step One Back To Number One.

In a pretty poorly played encounter (compared to the classics they usually have) Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal on Sunday to win his first title of '09, and get rid of a few of the demons that have been haunting him, and taking his first real step towards getting back his beloved number one world ranking.

Isn't this how tennis always goes? Everyone writes Fed off, he stinks, he can't play on hard court even anymore, Nadal has surpassed him in every way...and then BOOM. He beats him in straight sets, routinely.

6-4, 6-4 was the score after about an hour and a half.

First, let's go over what happened.

FIRST SET: Nadal came out and had break points in a few service games early, but wasn't his usual rock-solid self. He let a few opportunities slip away, and at 4 all, he blinked to give Fed to break and the set.

SECOND SET: Fed came out and got the break fairly early thanks to Rafa's out of character backhand errors. Rafa's movement looked off, and Fed's aggressive style made him look like the better player for most of the match. At 5-4 serving, Fed found himself down 15-40...and just when you could see Fed starting to say, "Please God, NO."...Rafa gave him a few points and Fed finished with an ace. As he walked up to the net he pointed his index finger in the air (I guess to signify number one?) Well, Rog, let's not go crazy...you're CLEARLY the second best player so far in '09. Yes, you did beat Rafa on clay, in Spain, but here's a few reasons why...

Reasons why Fed won the match(that he controlled):

-He played more aggressively than usual, taking big cuts at the ball and chances on his return games.
-He moved well, and kept Rafa out of the middle of the court.
-He believed
-He worked his way in to the net when needed, and also used the drop shot.

Reasons why Fed won the match (that he didn't control):
-Rafa was obviously exhausted on court.
-Djokovic's 4 hour battle with him in the semis took more out of him than anyone thought.
-His movement looked much worse than usual (knee?)
-It was a best of 3 set match, not best of 5.
-It wasn't the French Open.

All that said, give Fed some credit, he played a great match and showed he can still be a realistic factor at Roland Garros. This match certainly made the French more interesting next week. However, something tells me Rafa is going to put that match in his memory bank if he does play Roger in the final, and I don't think an extra chippy Nadal isn't something that Roger would like to deal with.

Stay tuned to my blog for some French Open Preview editions, and during the Slam for extended coverage. Don't forget to check out, and sign up for my Twitter page, where I'll be updating you on what's going on, by the moment, during the French as best as I can.

Talk soon

Rafa/Roger...again.

2009-05-16T23:23:00.003-04:00

It took a Herculean effort from Rafa against Djokovic saving four match points, but he is safely into the finals.

Fed's road was a bit easier, to say the least, downing Del Potro in 2 relatively comfortable sets.

So we are where we have been countless times before: Going into Sunday's final with a pretty well rested Fed is going to play a beat up Nadal. Rafa's 4 hour marathon with Novak HAD to have taken something out of him. BUT, like i said, we've been here before. Remember the Aussie? Rafa played a 20 hour match with Verdasco in the semis and was supposed to be too tired. Well, that was wrong, and anyone who thinks Rafa won't come out tomorrow the same as he always does is also wrong.

I can't wait for the next chapter of this classic rivalry. Fed has as good of a chance as he's ever going to have. Rafa is a little tired, and it's best out of three sets.

Rafa is going to come out and do what he always does...fight for his life. Kick balls high up to the Fed backhand, make a huge amount of first serves in, play within himself, run down balls, and open up the court with angles.

Fed will have to try something different. His normal game simply won't work. I have heard people say that he should serve and volley, and I agree with this to an extent, but he doesn't want to become a bulls eye for the Raging Spanish Bull. He needs to play insanely aggressive. Go for outright winner, come in, drop shot, serve big...play high risk clay-court tennis.

That all said, i still think that tomorrow's match will end the same way Rafa's match ended today...with the Spanish crowd chanting, "RA-FA, RA-FA."

Enjoy and tune in. Anyone who doesn't have the tennis channel, I will do my best to follow the match live on my Twitter page.

Early Madrid Results

2009-05-13T12:25:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone...since it's a Masters event, I figured I'd update you guys on what has been going on.

Firstly, Tennis Channel is actually covering the tournament well...it is pretty much on 6 am to midnight every night. For those of us lucky enough to have it (me) we get the pleasure of listening to heavily accented commentators who know their stuff.

Rafa opened up his tournament today like a bull, wiping the clay with Jurgen Melzer 3 and 1. My Twitter placed the over under on games Rafa will lose this entire tournament at 15.

Verdasco is through to the third round comfortably along with Fed, Djokovic, and Murray.

No huge upsets yet, but it's still early. Fed has a close second set with Soderling, but was never in doubt.

Best story so far? To me it's Ivan Ljubicic. If I remember correctly I featured him as one of the players that is done this year, but he has proven me wrong. He beat Tsonga yesterday in a slug fest and looks rejuvenated. If he's mentally into it and serving well, Ivan is very tough to beat on any surface.

Later today Florent Serra takes on Davydenko and Andy Roddick takes on Tommy Haas. Check out my Twitter page for my take on those matches.

Take Care

-Tiebreak

Blake reaches Estoril Semis

2009-05-09T00:06:00.002-04:00

Hi all,

As promised, lets get into this weeks action. The first tournament going on is the Estoril Open.

[7] A Montanes (ESP) d [1] [WC] G Simon (FRA) 57 64 76(4) - saved 1 M.P. --Simon is really slipping.
[2] N Davydenko (RUS) d [6] M Fish (USA) 64 63: Good to see Nikolay back after his injury.
[4] J Blake (USA) d [8] F Serra (FRA) 64 61: Good effort for Blake.
P Capdeville (CHI) d O Hernandez (ESP) 46 61 64 : Dirt war.

I must say, even though I'm not a huge fan of Blake (and think he is overrated, and a terrible clay courter) I have to give him a lot of credit. A lot of the Americans don't even bother playing warm-ups for the French, and try to make their European clay swing as short as humanly possible. Blake is playing on the red stuff this year, and I have to commend him. He knows he has no chance of winning the French, or even making it to the quarters(I think)...but then again did Martin Verkerk have a chance a few years ago?

Another tournament going on is the BMW Open, which doesn't really have that much going on. Berdych beat Hewitt today in a third set breaker, and that's about all that is interesting.

The last tournament is the first ever Serbian Open...Serbia has to win the award for the most flashy players, whether it's doing impressions or wearing Oakley's...they seem to have some personality.

[2] I Karlovic (CRO) d [Q] F Cipolla (ITA) 63 63 Big serving Croat keeps rolling
[4] A Seppi (ITA) d M Daniel (BRA) 64 75 Seppi is an underrated Clay courter
[LL] L Kubot (POL) d K Vliegen (BEL) 76(6) 63 Polish lucky loser making it to an ATP semi...good for him.
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) d [5] V Troicki (SRB) 63 62 Djokovic moves a step closer to his home title.

Take care...don't forget to check out the TiebreakTennis Twitter!

17 Days...

2009-05-07T21:21:00.008-04:00

Hey everyone and welcome to the beginning of the Slam season. My college season is over, along with my classes and that means I'm going to launch the blog again.
So, my last post was Feb. 8, and nothing has really changed since. Fed keeps losing (a lot it seems) and Rafa is in the clay season, which means that his opponents are struggling to win games against him.

Perhaps the most interesting storyline in tennis that is starting to develop is the battle for 2,3, and 4 in the world. Fed, Djokovic, and Murray are in a real dogfight for those positions, and are all close enough that a big result in a Slam can change it. As it is, Murray just took the 3 spot from Novak after Novak's loss to Rafa in Rome.

Murray hasn't had a great year on clay so far, but I'm looking for him to have a pretty big result in France. As for Novak, I think he has the best chance to beat Rafa at the French, and that's a zero percent chance (OK, 0.01%).

The question I have is, with 17 days to go until Roland Garros, are they even going to play the tournament, or are they going to give the trophy to Nadal now. He is arguably playing the best ever on clay right now, and after last year (or the past 4) is that possible?

Poor Fed...Fed's struggles continue. I mean he still is getting to semis for the most part, but every time he plays a top 5 guy, it seems like he is losing. I'm still going to stand strong and say that I am not going to write him off until he loses before the quarters in a Slam. The scary thing is that could be this year at the French.

Check the bottom of my blog for some more tennis news and scores.

I'll pick up this weeks tournaments, as usual, in the quarterfinals.

** I'm also excited to tell you guys about a new aspect to Tiebreak.

I've just made a Twitter account for the blog, which is going to focus mostly on the Slams. During the French, Wimbledon, and US Open, I'll be posting throughout the day live scores, thoughts, and more as I'm watching all the action.
Until the Slams, I'll post a thought or tip every once in a while.

The website is Http://Twitter.com/TiebreakTennis
Check it out. Sign up and follow if you like. During the Slam's the site is going to be updated a lot.

Talk to you soon.

-Tiebreak

Roger Cries, Rafa's Reign Survives.

2009-02-08T20:33:00.003-05:00

2 Is the Loneliest Number.
Hello everyone. Welcome to my first post since the latest installment of the Rafa/Roger rivalry that silenced the few who still doubted Rafa. Now, to add to his Wimbledon and French crowns, he has a hard court Slam. With the win Rafa showed a few things...

1- He is, by far, the fittest person in tennis in the entire universe.

2- He owns Roger.

3. If he stays healthy, he might end up being better than Fed when it's all said and done.

What did i just say? I know, I can't believe it either. It's time for us to legitimately start to consider Rafael as a possible greatest of all time. He stand at 6 Slams right now, and you have to figure he's going to win at least 2 more French Opens guaranteed. The sky is the limit for Nadal now, obviously the question is will he hold up...personally I think he's going to be winning Slams until about 28...that still gives him quite a bit of time.

As far as Roger goes, another Slam final, another disappointing step backwards away from Rafa and the #1 ranking. His crying during the awards ceremony was heartbreaking to tennis fans. Personally I think it took a little away from Rafa's win...but not intentionally. Also who am I to judge, I am inconsolable after a college match loss, forget about what I'd be like losing a Slam final to my nemesis attempting to tie the greatest record in pro tennis.

It should be fun to see how Roger handles this, especially going into the French Open, where Rafa looks like a lock.

Talk to you all soon.

If you can't take the heat...

2009-01-27T15:17:00.003-05:00

I ask all of you to forgive my laziness over the past 3+ weeks.

I'm sure you were all checking this blog hourly looking for insights and predictions during the Aussie wondering what on earth I could be doing.

Well, in short, I have begun my own tennis season and have been staying up until 4 every night watching the tennis.

Anyway, enough apologies we have a lot to get caught up on.

The Australian is almost over...we're halfway into the semis, with the last two quarters playing tonight.

Without wasting too much time on the past, lets see....Monfils retired again, Nalbandian lost a 5 setter that he never loses, Blake couldn't make a move, Tsonga is on fire, Fed survived a scare, Rafa looks unbeatable, Murray felt the favorite jitters, Roddick lost 15 pounds, Simon keeps winning, and Novak switched rackets.

Now to the meat of the Slam...the quarters. Yesterday featured the blockbuster showdown between Roddick and Djokovic. I must say this match inspired me to get back on the blog wagon again because I had so much to say about it.

First some history...we all remember at the Open when Roddick was making fun of Novak saying he has 15 different injuries...and Novak retaliated by beating A-rod in front of his home crowd.

Yesterday Roddick would have the last laugh as the over 140 degree on court temp drained Novak of everything he had, forcing him to retire in the 4Th set, down 2 sets to 1 and a break.

Roddick looked like he was playing in a 60 degree breeze. This match also solidly placed Roddick back in the mix, and might prove to be his last best chance to win a Major.

The bad news is Roddick plays Fed after his 3, 0, 0 massacre of Del Potro last night. I'm sure Roddick is praying for another heat wave.

Tonight showcases Verdasco VS Tsonga and Nadal VS Simon.

Verdasco is one of the hottest players on tour right now, and looked like he had a new found consistency, maturity, and faux hawk, in his win over Murray last round. Tsonga is Tsonga and will be ripping impossible winners and errors all day. This should be a good match to watch.

My Prediction: Verdasco in 4 tough ones.

Nadal's outfit this tournament gets a C-(what is that pink stripe?) from me, but his game is beyond an A. He is hammering the ball off both sides, and looks like he is on a mission. I think Simon has the the game that can give him trouble, and has beat him before...but this time I think he is in for a beating.

My Prediction: Rafa in straights.

I hope you all are enjoying the Aussie, and managing to get some sleep. Take Care, see you tomorrow with results and a preview of the semis.

Best Performance of '08

2008-12-31T11:39:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone, welcome to the last post before the new year.

The Australian is about 2 weeks away, it seems like the off-season flew by. I can't wait to have tennis scores to check daily again.

Now for the final post of "Tiebreak's '08"

The Best Performance in '08.

To be honest, this one is a no-brainer. I think anyone who watched a minute of tennis this year knows that Rafael Nadal put together one of the great years in tennis history. 1 Gold Medal, his fourth straight French Open, his amazing first Wimbledon title, few Masters Series titles along the way...oh yea and he took over the 1 ranking from arguably the greatest player of all time. He took the step this year to the next level of tennis.

For the most part Rafa has been in the shadow of Roger Federer...until this year. He stole Roger's thunder this year and proved that he is a lot more than a beefy grinder from Spain who can't lose on clay.

Now for the hard part. As amazing as his year was, just think what it's going to take to keep his No. 1 ranking. His results at the Slams last year were Semi, Win, Win, Semi. Rafa has no room to breathe next year, and Federer will be as hungry as ever trying to regain that spot. It should make for some great drama during the tennis season, but the most important thing is that he stays healthy.

Congratulations to Rafa on his incredible '08, and good luck to him next year.

Until then, I hope you all enjoy the last few weeks of your off-season.

Have a safe and happy new year.

Happy Holidays!....AND The Best Slam of '08.

2008-12-25T17:03:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone, Happy Holidays. Whatever you celebrated, or have already celebrated, I hope it was great.

Oh, and before I forget....--->

POLL RESULTS: It seems you are undecided on whether Querrey will break into the top 20...with 42% of you saying YES and 42% saying NO.
The new year is quickly approaching, which means everyone is gearing up for competition. For college players, this is the mini-off season...which is about a 4 week period when you scramble to get into the best shape you can be in for the Spring season. For ATP pros, it is the period between the Master's Cup (for those who made it) and the Aussie Open. The pros have a short amount of time to prepare their bodies for 11 months of mental and physical punishment. It's also a time where players try and work on their games and beef up in the weight room. It's also exciting to see who is going to come out the most improved in January...

So now for my second to last installment of "Tiebreak's '08"...The Best Slam of '08.

This is tough because I think that it is widely accepted that the Rafa/Roger Wimbledon Final was the best match in '08(maybe ever)...but does that make Wimbledon the best Slam? Well Wimbledon had it's moments...Safin's miracle run to the semis...the epic final in the twilight of Centre Court...Murray's comeback moment against Gasquet...but I still don't think it was the best Slam overall.

The French also had its moments...Rafa proving to be immortal on clay with his embarrassment of Roger in the final...and Monfils electrifying the crowd.
The US Open also saw a king regain his crown and the rise of Andy Murray to his first Slam final.
There is only one Slam left...and my choice for the Slam of '08..The Australian Open.

The Aussie Open seemed to have an amazing match every time I turned on the TV.
First the main story lines....Novak Djokovic beats Fed in the semis and goes on to win his first Slam solidifying his emergence as one of the best in the world. This was also the beginning of the "he's done" talk about Fed as he looked vulnerable along the way to his semifinal loss. This was also the birth of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as a star. Tsonga made a run to the finals, and crushed Rafa in the semis.

Along with those story lines...there were also some incredible matches. Three of those come to mind right away....Janko Tipsarevic equipped with his futuristic sunglasses gave Fed all he could handle in the the third round. The match turned back and forth, ending with a gutsy 10-8 in the fifth victory for Fed.

Andy Roddick also played an incredible match with the German Kohlschreiber. Roddick wouldn't go down until the German finally put a stake in his heart ...going on to win 8-6 in the fifth.

Perhaps the most captivating match of the tournament ended at 4:33 am local time. Hewitt/Baghdatis took court late because of the Fed/Janko match and was an emotional roller coaster which saw Hewitt win the battle 6-3 in the fifth.
The Aussie Open was amazing, and was quite a way to begin '08, which was a year filled with great matches and intriguing story lines.

The 2009 Australian Open will have quite a pair of shoes to fill.

Take Care...see you soon for the finale of "Tiebreak's '08"

Who's Done.

2008-12-13T21:20:00.006-05:00

Hi all...welcome to my third installment of "Tiebreak's '08."

This blog is going to be fun, and I hope I get a lot of comments from you guys.

In sports, sometimes you just don't have it anymore. I'll try and pick out a few guys that, in my opinion, are done. I use the word "done' loosely...for some of the names I mention, it doesn't mean they should hang up the towel for good and quit, it just means their career, as we know it(top 10, Slam winner, or a threat) is done.

Lets get started...

My first player I'd like to declare done is Tommy Robredo. The feisty, fit Spaniard always found himself around the top 15 for the past few years...except this one. Tommy finished at #21 in the world this year, as yes this is an excellent ranking...BUT I think the days of Tommy being in the 4Th round at Slams or being a threat to big players are over. Robredo relies heavily on his fitness and now at the age of 26 will start to break down. I'd give him another year or two in the top 25 until he starts to drop like a stone, but gone are the days of thinking he has a chance to sniff a Slam semi.

Carlos Moya is done. The beefy "big bro" of Rafa has battled shoulder injury for the past few years, and although still being able to play some pretty high quality tennis (mostly on clay) this former world No. 1 is done. He has dropped to the 40s in the rankings and seems like the kind of guy that doesn't want to just "show up" to Slams. Lets not forget Carlos is also in his early 30s...which means his career clock is starting to get down to the end...I look for this fan favorite to call it quits very soon, probably in the next year and a half.

The magician is very close to done. Fabrice Santoro, a fan favorite for his two handed ground strokes and wizardry on the court. Sadly, Fabrice can't quite cut it anymore on a weekly basis. He has hinted at retirement and spoke about it often, which means it's not far off. The game will certainly miss his one-of-a-kind game.

Ivan Ljubicic is done. It seems like a lot longer than '06 that the big serving Croatian was number 3 in the world...A LOT LONGER. Now standing at number 44 in the world, Ivan has fell into the group of players that doesn't make it onto TV coverage for a second the entire year. I'm not quite sure what happened to him, but he is just not a factor anymore. He can lose to anyone on a given day, and every player knows it. His struggles seem to be getting worse, and at right around 30, his days may be numbered.

Lleyton Hewitt hired a new coach to try and become a contender again, and after some mixed results got injured, ending his season early. The thing is, even is Hewitt comes back 100%, mostly likely, he's still done. His flat counter punching style is simply outdated. Hewitt was the prototype for a grinder about 6 years ago, now grinders are bigger, stronger, and younger.(Rafa) I love the guy, and hope he makes his way at least into the top 20 again...but any higher and I think it's pushing it.

Nicolas Massu is done. The former Gold Medalist looks more and more like that will be his one and only career bench mark (although if you can only have one...I guess it's not a bad one to have.) Massu plummeted into the challenger ranks, before making a last minute push to break into the 70s or so. The truth is that Massu is done. He'll never be back at the top of the game, and although I could see him pushing top 50 (40 maybe), I don't give him very much longer.

Tommy Haas is done. Haas is one of the most resilient players in the game. The problem is he is also one of the most injury prone. Coming back from an injury is a draining process that takes patience, hard work, and drive. Tommy has come back from so many, we can only wonder how many more can he go through. He is now in the 80s...I doubt he can make another comeback into the top 15...but I guess there is still a slim chance.

Last but now least...Spadea is done. The American rapper is now approaching his mid 30s. I don't know how much longer he is going to be out there grinding for wins...his love of the game still seems strong, but I give him another year and a half tops. He is in the 70s which means he can still get straight into a lot of events. Once he drops out of the 90-100 range...that might be the end of Vince.

Rising Stars of '08.

2008-12-10T16:37:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone...it's time for my next installment of "Tiebreak's '08."

The Rising Stars of '08

Today we'll deal with people who made their mark in '08 and seem to be ready to soar into '09 with major momentum. The last blog was all about the duds and depressing players in '08, this one should be much more happy.

Since I bashed the Americans first in the duds blog, I'll praise them first here.

Sam Querrey is my first rising star. The young American came on the scene a few years ago, but for the first time looked like he belonged as a legitimate top 50(at least) pl

ayer this year. He's now number 39 in the world, and is starting to another big American's game, Todd Martin. If he keeps getting stronger and fitter, he could become someone no one wants to get on their side of the draw.

Semi-Honorable Mention: A quick note on Donald Young (since I've gotten a few comments on him.) DY, as his fans call him, ALMOST became a rising star this year. He climbed his way into the low 70's in the rankings, and

was starting to look like the player most people thought he would become. Then we all realized something...he was 0-4 this year in Grand Slams, which shoves him back to the 140 range in the ATP. Donald had a chance to salvage his year at the Open, and become a household name by giving Blake all he could handle. Sadly, this seemed to say a lot more about Blake's game then it did D

Y. Can he still be a top 50 player? Sure, why not...he does have some talent. Will he ever sniff a Slam or get in the top 5? If there was a stronger word I could use than "Never", I would use it.

Now, back to the stars. Another huge riser this year was Gilles Simon. Simon seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the biggest names of the year. He beat Federer twice (including once at the Master's Cup) and rocketed to number 7 in the world. It will be interesting to see how Simon handles the pressure of being a contender in Australia, but one thing that seems to be his strength is his mental game...he believes he can be out there(and beat) anyone.

Juan Martin Del Potro also became a real threat this year. The big Argentine is 9 in the world, and, in my opinion, is one big Slam result away from solidifying his place in the top 5(maybe higher.) He got quicker and stronger this year, and it paid off...(think back to his bludgeoning of Roddick last summer in Los Angeles.) I'll look for him in the top 5 at the end of '09.

Semi-Rising Star: I thought I'd mention Andy Murray in this blog, even though he cracked the top 10 last year. Murray made the jump Del Potro can make...from a top 10 player to a favorite in every tournament he enters. Murray will look to win his first Slam in '09, and I don't see anything stopping him...well except Roger at Wimbledon, and Rafa on the dirt. I think he's got a great chance to open the year with a win in Australia. One thing for sure is that Wimbledon should be really fun this year with the Brits having a top 5 player in the draw again.

Moving along...Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also burst onto the scene this year (mostly because of Australia when he reached the finals.) Tsonga is kind of like the new Baghdatis on tour...a big fun guy who seems to always be happy on the court. He has gotten tremendous fan support all year and is one of those big match players that can give anyone trouble if he is hot. However, like Baghdatis, Tsonga can also lose to anyone if he is off, which will hinder his chances of ever getting to be top 5. Nevertheless...I think he'll have a nice homecoming in Australia and will continue to be a tour favorite in '09.

Last but not least...Stan Wawrinka shocked the tennis world this year with his break into the top 10 (although short lives he now stands at 13.) The other Swiss player on tour made a name for himself this year with his gorgeous one-handed backhand and toughness on court. He sort of reminds me of Nalbandian, only a bit less gritty. I hope Stan can stay among the top in '09, but I think he'll most likely drop into a spot of 17 or 18, where I think he fits nicely.

Honorable Mention: Almagro(Tough Spaniard who doesn't take well to losing.)

Soderling( huge serving Swede who hammers the ball.)

Bolelli( Charismatic Italian with big, flat strokes.)

Gulbis(could be a future top 10 player)

Troicki(tough, crafty Serbian.)

Nishikori(Japanese sensation with a big forehand.)

Welcome Back

2008-12-02T18:36:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone, I've missed you.

Thanks for voting...it seems unanimous that you all think Stefanki will be a good thing for Roddick.

Hope your Thanksgiving was great and you enjoyed your (hopefully) short break from the Tiebreak blog. Of course we're all still in tennis limbo here in early December...but it's time to start to gear up for year. This brings us to our first "Tiebreak's '08"

Biggest Duds of '08.

2008 was an amazing year of tennis...we saw so many new fresh faces and even the rebirth of some old ones that we all thought were done. BUT...that's for another blog and another time...we had our fair share of disappointments in '08.

First I'm going to start with the Americans...Andy Roddick reached ONE quarterfinal this year at a Slam, and that was the US Open. Of course he did have a bit of injury struggles this year, but I'd like to hope a top 8 player can prove he is in the top 8 in more than one Slam.

Moving along to James Blake. He also had a whopping one quarterfinal in a Slam and that was early in Australia. The thing is, I've never been a big Blake guy. Don't get me wrong, as a person he is unmatched, but on the court do you really think he is top 10? I sure don't. His results are just too inconsistent and let's face it when is he going to have his big breakthrough Slam?...sadly never it seems.

Of course the Americans aren't the only ones who tanked in '08...

David Ferrer saw his surge into the top of the game quickly disappear in '08.

By no means did he have a bad year...but he fell from 4 to 12 and usually if you make it to the top 5 and then leave...you're gone.

Fernando Gonzalez also saw his descent continue...ever since he reached the Aussie Open Final two years ago it has been a steady decline for Gonzo. Stefanki left him and he's going to need to do some serious damage control this off season if he wants to stay in the top 20.

Berdych, Robredo, Youzhny, and Tursunov all either had OK years, or continue to never make a move. When is Berdych going to take his giant game into the big time? Robredo A.K.A Mr. 4Th round of every tournament had a bit of an off year, Youzhny was too busy hitting himself in the forehead, and Tursunov went almost all of '08 without me hearing his name once.

I like to keep my duds in the top 50...so that leaves only 1 more to mention. I saved him for last because...well he bombed the worst this year. Richard Gasquet...the man with every shot continued his under achieving this year, but if you ask me he took it to a new level. After showing signs of life in '07, he single-handedly erased every piece of positive momentum he had going.

Honorable Mention: Haas, Hewitt(excused for injury), Baghdatis(excused for injury)

See you soon for the next of Tiebreak's '08...until then challengers have pretty much come to halt for the next two weeks so write me a comment on anything you'd like me to write about.

Roddick/Stefanki

2008-11-23T16:28:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-23T16:17:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-21T21:42:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-11-19T15:05:00.005-05:00

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.

2008-11-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-11-15T22:28:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-14T17:00:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-11-14T16:41:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-11-13T23:50:00.005-05:00

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.

2008-11-12T16:24:00.006-05:00

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.

2008-11-11T22:57:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-11-10T19:58:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-09T23:51:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-09T12:07:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-08T19:54:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-08T11:02:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-11-07T13:49:00.009-05:00

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

2008-11-07T13:09:00.002-05:00

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...

2008-11-06T21:25:00.007-05:00

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.

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