Welll here we are getting to last four of the Olympics tennis from Wimbledon for the men's and ladies events, so here is more on that as I dissect the quarter finals matches.
Starting as usual with the ladies, first up we had last year's Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova take on the Russian No.3, Maria Kirilenko, however it was Kirilenko that emerged victorious, by upsetting the World No.6 in straight sets 7-6, 6-3. This was another surprise upset for Petra and after such a great year last year, Petra has struggled her consistency this year in winning the majors or any other titles, so this shows that maybe she is starting to go on a bit of a downward turn, which is a pity as it would be great to see her rise up the rankings again. Next up Serena Williams played the former World. No.1, Caroline Wozniacki for a place in the semi finals, but she had trouble getting past the Dane, as she thrashed her opponent in emphatic fashion with a 6-0, 6-3 win. So far Serena has proved to be the hot favourite to win the gold medal and her form at the Olympics has been frighteningly good so far, as she has barely conceded more than 5 games in a match, which is a scary stat. After this we had Victoria Azarenka play Angelique Kerber, which promised to be quite a tough match and it proved to be just that, as Kerber put in a gutsy performance, breaking back several times throughout the match, but in the end Victoria had just about too much for her, and emerged the winner after a 6-4, 7-5 win. And finally in what promised to be the match of the day, we had Maria Sharapova take on Kim Clijsters, however for the fist set Maria made short work of Kim, breaking twice to win the first set. The second set however was more competitive as Kim after going a break down, broke back, and at 5-5, with Kim serving, Maria broke and went on to close out he match with a 6-2, 7-5 win to secure her place in the semi finals.
So this sees a showdown between Maria's Sharapova and Kirilenko, which let's face it is going to be a really noisy one, and Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. My pick of those two matches natually will be Sharapova and Serena as the winners, but hopefully both matches will be really good ones, but I'd imagine the best one might be Sharapova vs Kirilenko, hopefully Victoria can given Serena a match as well, but the odds are firmly stacked in Serena's favour on that one. And here's hoping it will be a Serena and Maria showdown for the gold medal, but I think Serena will win, and if Vika plays Kirilenko then Vika will win, so I predict Serena for gold, Maria for silver and Vika for bronze. But we shall see, whatever it goes, it promises to be an interesting day today.
Right now onto the men, which first up we had Andy Murray take on the Spanish No.3, Nicolas Almagro, who as it turned out was no match for the British No.1. Almagro was also hampered by a shoulder injury, and despite putting in good in the first set, but losing by a break, Andy proceeded to wipe out Almagro in the 2nd set, and put him out of his misery to seal his place in the semis witha 6-4, 6-1 win. Next up we had Novak Djokovic play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, this match promised to be a real cracker, however probably due to fatigue after his lengthy match with Raonic, Tsonga looked under cooked as he was broken twice in the 1st set by Djoko, however in the 2nd things got tighter, as Tsonga broke Djoko. But Djokovic being the player he is, held his nerve and dug deep to level the scores and broke Tsonga to make it 6-5, and serve it out with ease for a place in the semis with Andy Murray. After that we had Juan Martin Del Potro who was up against one of his Wimbledon opponents, Kei Nishikori, and once again he emerged victorious with a straight sets win in 6-4, 7-6. And finally in what proved to be the match of the day on the men's we had Roger Federer take on John Isner, with the Fed being put under pressure by the big yin constantly on serve. But Roger held his iron nerves to break in the opening set, however in the 2nd, things were even pegged until the tie break, and by a cruelt twist of fate, Roger at match point returned Isner's serve, with a net cord, to secure a place in the semis against Del Potro, with a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory.
So that sets up a mouth watering semi final showdown between four of the world's best players, Federer vs Del Potro, and Djokovic vs Murray. My pick out of those two matches??? Well for the first match, I'd really have to go with Roger, as Delpo hasn't been able to beat Roger all year, or since their 2009 US Open final, plus he is the World No.1, and is back to playing his best tennis, so for me his place in the final is already booked. As for the other match, well its difficult to say, especially considering Andy's form on grass, and he has a strong chance here, but I think that Djokovic just might edge it, given his slam experience, however it could go either way, so its 50/50 on this one.
But in regards to Andy there are a few scenarios here, the best scenario of all is that Del Potro beats Roger, and he beats Djokovic for a place in the final, and if that happens then Andy is sure to win a gold medal. Or Djokovic could beat Andy to leave him with a chance to win the bronze medal, either against Federer or Del Potro, and out of those two I'd much rather see Andy play Del Potro, as he will have a stronger chance of winning the medal. And personally I would be quite happy to see Andy win the bronze medal if he was to lose today, and if he plays Del Potro, I think it could be a great match, especially as they haven't played each other for quite a while. But the worst case scenario would be that if Andy and Federer both lose today then I would be almost certain that Andy would be guaranteed to lose the bronze medal match, and he would leave empty handed, which is the last thing I want to see. There is also the possibility we could have another Andy and Roger final like we did four weeks ago, and there Andy will have his chances, but there is a strong chance he could end up losing again, to garner a silver medal. But on a personal level I'd much rather see Andy win the gold or the bronze, because either way he has won the match, rather than lost it.
Sooooooo it promises to be a very exciting day in the mens and ladies semi finals matches, which way it goes we will soon find out.
And on that note I will leave it there!
Friday, 3 August 2012
Thursday, 2 August 2012
2012 Olympics Tennis Part 2: Getting down to business
Well I've finally got round to a doing a catch up post on the tennis at the 2012 Olympics from Wimbledon, and there have been plenty of cracking matches this week so here's an update on them.
Starting with the ladies, there has been several matches since that have been more than worthy of attention. First up was a major upset in the first round as we saw the No.2 seed, Agnieszka Radwanska go out to the German player, Julia Goerges, who hit the Pole off the court, but it was far from easy as the two battled it out over 3 sets, with the score finally reading 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. This was a real surprise and as the Wimbledon finalist, it made me wonder if Aga had a case of the post-slam blues, but anyway that's her out with plenty more seeds left in.
Serena Williams however had no such trouble as she has blasted her away through the opposition so far, thrashing Jelena Jankovic, Ursula Radwanska (Aga's younger sister), and worst of all Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, with Vera coming away with only one game to her name, 6-1, 6-0. Caroline Wozniacki however has had a tougher passage to the quarter finals of the Olympics, having to beat Anne Keothavong and Yanina Wickmayer in 3 sets (both excellent matches), which has more than made up for her first round exit at the Wimbledon championships, but she managed to defeat Daniella Hantuchova in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, to set up a meeting with Serena Williams, which hopefully promises to be a good one, but I think we all know the winner already!
Kim Clijsters also has had a pretty straight forward passage into the quarter finals, defeating Robert Vinci, Carla Suarez Navarro, and Ana Ivanovic in straight sets to set up a mouth watering meeting with Maria Sharapova, which promises to be a cracker. Maria Sharapova has had a tougher time of it, having faced a plucky Laura Robson in second round, she overcame the young Brit in 7-6, 6-3, but it took more than that to get by the German, Sabine Lisicki, as she battled it out over 3 sets, but ultimately winning in 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. Victoria Azarenka also has had a fairly tough passage to the quarter finals, beating the tricky Roumanian player, Irina-Camela Begu in 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, after an easy second round, she faced Nadia Petrova, eventually prevailing in 7-6, 6-4. Vika will now go on and face Angelique Kerber, which promises to be another really good match, as they played a high quality match earlier in the year at Indian Wells.
On the Brits side of things however for the ladies, they haven't had much luck sadly, after reaching the 2nd round, Elena Baltacha went out to Ana Ivanovic, but it was a really good match, with Elena playing some excellent tennis, but in the end Ana came through in 6-4, 7-6. Heather Watson also fell at the 2nd hurdle, as she met the Russian player Maria Kirilenko, 14th seed, who defeated Heather emphatically in 6-3, 6-2. And as already mentioned Laura Robson went out against Maria Sharapova in another gutsy match, losing in straight sets. However Laura still will be involved in the doubles this week, as she has teamed up with Andy Murray for the mixed doubles tomorrow, which should be interesting.
Right onto the guys, there have been plenty of interesting developments, starting with Roger Federer who in the 2nd round faced Julien Benneteau, who he had a really tough match with back in the championships. However this time it couldn't be more different as Federer steamrolled over the Frenchman, conceding only four games, winning in under an hour in 6-2, 6-2. Today however Roger had a tougher match against the Kazhak, Denis Istomin, but won in straight sets 7-5, 6-3, which now sets up his quarter final match against the giant John Isner, who should be a tough one, and well worth watching.
Novak Djokovic also so far has had a tough passage, starting with the Italian player, Fabio Fognini, Djoko dropped the opening set, and after a lengthy rain delay, he eventually found his form, breaking Fabio twice in the 2nd set, and the same in the 3rd to win 6-7, 6-2, 6-2. However he had an easy time getting past Andy Roddick, which we all thought would have been a really competitive match, but in the end, Djokovic gubbed him in 6-2, 6-1. In the 3rd round, Djokovic had another scare as he faced the former Wimbledon champion, Lleyton Hewitt, whom he had to battle with to win in 3 sets in 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Juan Martin Del Potro hasn't the easiest of times getting this far either, as after an easy first round against the Croat, Ivan Dodig, he met with Andreas Seppi, who he beat in 6-2, 7-6, and his toughest match was with Gilles Simon in the 3rd round, in which he eventually won in 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
But the match of the week so far on the men's tournament has been Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic, the big serving Canadian. After the two men levelled the match at a set all, the decider was an epic which went on for nearly two hours, as both men tried to break serve, and with Tsonga even having a few match points. But it wasn't until the scoreline was 24-23 (with Raonic serving to make it 24-24), that the big Canadian finally capitulated on serve, handing a historic victory to Tsonga, as they played the longest match in Olympic tennis history, at just under four hours, with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 25-23.
Now finally onto Andy Murray, who after the disappointing and emotional loss at the Wimbledon championships a few weeks back, has continued his great form at the Olympics. In the first two rounds, Andy dispatched both Stan Wawrinka and Jarko Nieminen in straight sets, showing that he is still in fine fettle. However in the 3rd round he had a much tougher opponent in Marcos Baghdatis, as Andy dropped his serve to let Baghdatis take the opening set, in the 2nd however, Andy got back into the match, breaking the Cypriot twice to level the match. And in the decider, Andy got the decisive break, and with some impressive serving he put Baghdatis down, to secure a place in the quarter finals, with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory.
So that's the Muzza into the quarter finals at the Olympics for the first time, and when we saw his reaction after his victory, you knew just how much it means to him to try and win an Olympic medal. Wimbledon so far has been very kind to Andy, despite his loss in the slam, he has proven that his relationship with Ivan Lendl really is starting to pay off, and we are starting to really see a change in his demeanour on court (although Lendl was nowhere to be seen this week on court!). No longer do we see the whinning and whinging Andy Murray of old, now he is more focused, determined, and mentally stronger than before, and he deals with the pressure so much better in the big events. So will he win a medal??? In my opinion absolutely. I'm not sure that Andy can win the Olympic gold, although it would be terrific if he did, but he still has to face possibly Djokovic in the semis and possibly Federer in the final before he has a chance to wear that much desired medal, so its not going to be easy by any stretch of the old imagination. But I really do believe he has a good chance at winning the Olympic bronze or silver at least, and it would be great if he could walk away from this event with a medal to his name.
Soooooo after that exhaustive post, that's it for now, more to follow as the matches come in.
Bye the now!
Starting with the ladies, there has been several matches since that have been more than worthy of attention. First up was a major upset in the first round as we saw the No.2 seed, Agnieszka Radwanska go out to the German player, Julia Goerges, who hit the Pole off the court, but it was far from easy as the two battled it out over 3 sets, with the score finally reading 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. This was a real surprise and as the Wimbledon finalist, it made me wonder if Aga had a case of the post-slam blues, but anyway that's her out with plenty more seeds left in.
Serena Williams however had no such trouble as she has blasted her away through the opposition so far, thrashing Jelena Jankovic, Ursula Radwanska (Aga's younger sister), and worst of all Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, with Vera coming away with only one game to her name, 6-1, 6-0. Caroline Wozniacki however has had a tougher passage to the quarter finals of the Olympics, having to beat Anne Keothavong and Yanina Wickmayer in 3 sets (both excellent matches), which has more than made up for her first round exit at the Wimbledon championships, but she managed to defeat Daniella Hantuchova in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, to set up a meeting with Serena Williams, which hopefully promises to be a good one, but I think we all know the winner already!
Kim Clijsters also has had a pretty straight forward passage into the quarter finals, defeating Robert Vinci, Carla Suarez Navarro, and Ana Ivanovic in straight sets to set up a mouth watering meeting with Maria Sharapova, which promises to be a cracker. Maria Sharapova has had a tougher time of it, having faced a plucky Laura Robson in second round, she overcame the young Brit in 7-6, 6-3, but it took more than that to get by the German, Sabine Lisicki, as she battled it out over 3 sets, but ultimately winning in 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. Victoria Azarenka also has had a fairly tough passage to the quarter finals, beating the tricky Roumanian player, Irina-Camela Begu in 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, after an easy second round, she faced Nadia Petrova, eventually prevailing in 7-6, 6-4. Vika will now go on and face Angelique Kerber, which promises to be another really good match, as they played a high quality match earlier in the year at Indian Wells.
On the Brits side of things however for the ladies, they haven't had much luck sadly, after reaching the 2nd round, Elena Baltacha went out to Ana Ivanovic, but it was a really good match, with Elena playing some excellent tennis, but in the end Ana came through in 6-4, 7-6. Heather Watson also fell at the 2nd hurdle, as she met the Russian player Maria Kirilenko, 14th seed, who defeated Heather emphatically in 6-3, 6-2. And as already mentioned Laura Robson went out against Maria Sharapova in another gutsy match, losing in straight sets. However Laura still will be involved in the doubles this week, as she has teamed up with Andy Murray for the mixed doubles tomorrow, which should be interesting.
Right onto the guys, there have been plenty of interesting developments, starting with Roger Federer who in the 2nd round faced Julien Benneteau, who he had a really tough match with back in the championships. However this time it couldn't be more different as Federer steamrolled over the Frenchman, conceding only four games, winning in under an hour in 6-2, 6-2. Today however Roger had a tougher match against the Kazhak, Denis Istomin, but won in straight sets 7-5, 6-3, which now sets up his quarter final match against the giant John Isner, who should be a tough one, and well worth watching.
Novak Djokovic also so far has had a tough passage, starting with the Italian player, Fabio Fognini, Djoko dropped the opening set, and after a lengthy rain delay, he eventually found his form, breaking Fabio twice in the 2nd set, and the same in the 3rd to win 6-7, 6-2, 6-2. However he had an easy time getting past Andy Roddick, which we all thought would have been a really competitive match, but in the end, Djokovic gubbed him in 6-2, 6-1. In the 3rd round, Djokovic had another scare as he faced the former Wimbledon champion, Lleyton Hewitt, whom he had to battle with to win in 3 sets in 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Juan Martin Del Potro hasn't the easiest of times getting this far either, as after an easy first round against the Croat, Ivan Dodig, he met with Andreas Seppi, who he beat in 6-2, 7-6, and his toughest match was with Gilles Simon in the 3rd round, in which he eventually won in 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
But the match of the week so far on the men's tournament has been Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic, the big serving Canadian. After the two men levelled the match at a set all, the decider was an epic which went on for nearly two hours, as both men tried to break serve, and with Tsonga even having a few match points. But it wasn't until the scoreline was 24-23 (with Raonic serving to make it 24-24), that the big Canadian finally capitulated on serve, handing a historic victory to Tsonga, as they played the longest match in Olympic tennis history, at just under four hours, with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 25-23.
Now finally onto Andy Murray, who after the disappointing and emotional loss at the Wimbledon championships a few weeks back, has continued his great form at the Olympics. In the first two rounds, Andy dispatched both Stan Wawrinka and Jarko Nieminen in straight sets, showing that he is still in fine fettle. However in the 3rd round he had a much tougher opponent in Marcos Baghdatis, as Andy dropped his serve to let Baghdatis take the opening set, in the 2nd however, Andy got back into the match, breaking the Cypriot twice to level the match. And in the decider, Andy got the decisive break, and with some impressive serving he put Baghdatis down, to secure a place in the quarter finals, with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory.
So that's the Muzza into the quarter finals at the Olympics for the first time, and when we saw his reaction after his victory, you knew just how much it means to him to try and win an Olympic medal. Wimbledon so far has been very kind to Andy, despite his loss in the slam, he has proven that his relationship with Ivan Lendl really is starting to pay off, and we are starting to really see a change in his demeanour on court (although Lendl was nowhere to be seen this week on court!). No longer do we see the whinning and whinging Andy Murray of old, now he is more focused, determined, and mentally stronger than before, and he deals with the pressure so much better in the big events. So will he win a medal??? In my opinion absolutely. I'm not sure that Andy can win the Olympic gold, although it would be terrific if he did, but he still has to face possibly Djokovic in the semis and possibly Federer in the final before he has a chance to wear that much desired medal, so its not going to be easy by any stretch of the old imagination. But I really do believe he has a good chance at winning the Olympic bronze or silver at least, and it would be great if he could walk away from this event with a medal to his name.
Soooooo after that exhaustive post, that's it for now, more to follow as the matches come in.
Bye the now!
Monday, 30 July 2012
Best ATP/slam tour grass court matches of 2012
Ok so here is yet another post that is to do with my review of some of the best matches from the grass court season this year, and while the season is still actually ongoing as the Olympics is held at Wimbledon just now, I will probably add any further matches from that if any are deemed worthy enough. ;-) So without a further ado here it goes...
5. 2012 Olympic Games, semi final, Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 7-5.
Starting with this very entertaining match, we saw Andy Murray, the GB hope who was going for his first Olympic medal, but one man that stood in his way from reaching the final was Novak Djokovic. And on paper Djokovic was the natural favourite to win the match, however it proved to be quite the opposite, as Andy was on absolute fire in this tournament and he came out firing on all cylinders as he took it to Nole. This match saw Andy and Novak's fledgling rivalry that was blossoming throughout 2012 carry on in fine style, and in the match both men traded some exciting rallies, but it was Andy that came out on top of most of them, and he also managed to hold onto his serve in the crucial moments, avoiding break points on several occassions, as didn't let Nole into the match. And it was Andy that managed to get the key break in each set, which after the 2nd set, he sank to his knees in delight, as the crowd on Wimbledon centre court erupted in delight at their home favourite reaching the final to play Roger Federer. But this was definitely one of the most enjoyable matches of the grass court season.
4. Wimbledon championships, semi final, Andy Murray d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
This match couldn't really not be in this list because it ranks as one of the most memorable and above all historic matches in recent years, particularly in grand slam history, as Andy Murray was bidding to become the first British singles player to reach the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin in 1938. In the match itself, Andy for the first two sets, probably played the best match of his career, serving and returning magnificently to take a 2 set lead. However in the 3rd set Andy's level dropped as he lost serve to let Tsonga find his way into the match after being on the receiving end of the Muzza, and Tsonga went on to win the 3rd set. The 4th set however must rank as one of the most nerve shredding sets of tennis ever played, as Andy knew what was at steak he battled with Tsonga, breaking at one point, but only to have Tsonga break back, and both men held serve until 6-5, with Tsonga serving to take the match into a tiebreak, Andy managed to get the most crucial break of his career to take him into his first ever Wimbledon final. You could almost say this was a match of two halves, with Andy in firm control for the first two sets, and in the 2nd two sets, we got a real battle, as both men knew what was at steak But in the end it was Andy's day and he became the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final in 74 years, and his 4th slam final overall, just a pity he came second best in that one.
3. Wimbledon championships, quarter final, Andy Murray d. David Ferrer, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6
When you watch Andy Murray's matches, there are several different varieties, and there are matches that are bad for your nerves to watch, and then some, and this is probably is the single most nerve wracking match of Andy Murray's career. The main reason for this is because of the form of David Ferrer in the tournament was formidable, who played superbly in the tournament, and had previously beaten Andy in their two meetings, most recently at the French, and there were moments in this match where it could have been the same. After dropping the first set, and taking the 2nd set to a tiebreak, Andy was a mini break down, but managed to play the vital points to level match. After winning the 3rd set, it was even Steven in the 4th set, with Ferrer staying close with Andy, with the play going to another tiebreak, but this time Andy found a break, and went on to seal the win with an ace down the T, ending an exhaustive, brutal match. This really was one of those matches I could scarcely watch at times because it was so utterly intense throughout, and it really could have gone Ferrer's way, but Andy deserves nothing but credit for his tenacity and improved ability to play under high pressure, which couldn't have been more intense than it was here. And both players played some of their best tennis throughout the match as well, which must have kept the audiences off the edge of their seats, in fact they must have fallen off onto the floor! But after this match you kind of knew Andy had already done the hard work in order to reach the final, Ferrer was the real hurdle, and he made it
2. Wimbledon championships, Final, Roger Federer d. Andy Murray, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Well this was the match many people had been waiting for, for quite a while and it was one match I'm sure that Andy Murray was waiting his life for, to reach the Wimbledon final. However his opponent was only the 6 time champion, Roger Federer, who played some of his best tennis in the previous two matches, so it was a tall order to beat him. And after 3 successive slam final defeats, Andy hoped to turn that around, and he got off to a strong start as he managed to win his first ever set in a major final, and he also managed to maintain his intensity level in the 2nd set, with a few break point chances against Fed. But Roger being Roger, managed to pull out a few genius shots to break Andy to grab the 2nd set, and at the start of the 3rd the cruel fate of the Gods saw the rain come on, which meant one thing, closing the roof. And given Roger's incredible record for winning indoor matches, and with no outside elements to deal with, Fed went on to take control of the match, winning the 3rd set, and breaking in the 4th to seal his 7th Wimbledon title.
After the previous disappointment of the last two Wimbledon finals of 2010 and 2011, this final more than made up for that, as both players played some high quality tennis for the energised crowd. And for once in a grand slam final, Andy Murray showed up, and after suffering the inglorious defeat last year at the hands of Djokovic, winning a mere 9 games, this time Andy doubled his luck, winning 18 games. In this match we also saw Andy play some aggressive tennis that showed the progress he really has been making since Ivan Lendl took over the coaching duties. But it was Roger that provided the moments of genius that ensured the title was his, and at 30, he is still the greatest player of all time, and with 17 slams who could argue with that. And despite Andy's loss, his heartfelt speech during the award ceremony, saw him win over the British public and the nation realised just how much he cares for the sport, as well as his terrific gutsy effort in the final. And that for me stands out more than Roger's victory here, as Roger may have won the tournament, but it was Andy that won over the crowd and the public. Great stuff as I often say.
1. 2012 Olympic Games, semi final, Roger Federer d. Juan Martin Del Potro, 3-6, 7-6(7-5), 19-17.
Well if the Tsonga vs Roanic match broke new ground with being the longest match in the Olympic tennis history up until that point, well Roger and Delpo decided to go one better here as they played an incredible and exhaustive epic of a match in front of the Wimbledon centre court. And for the most part of the season, Delpo had been beaten quite easily by Roger, up until the French Open, where Roger prevailed after 5 sets, with Delpo being injured his challenge dwindled toward the end of that match. However this match couldn't have been different as Del Potro came out swinging straight away, and broke Federer to take the opening set. And in the 2nd set Roger struggled to break the big Argentine's serve and it took a tiebreak to separate the two men, with Rog levelling the match to take the 2nd. But the 3rd set was a massive encounter with both men playing some very high level tennis, and for the most part neither player was able to break, however Roger had his chances to serve it out at 11-10, but Delpo seized the initiative to break back again. And after more play Roger finally secured the crucial break at 17-17 all, and finally served it out to secure his first Olympic games final. This really was quite a match and it would have been impossible for either player to have put in anymore, and at 4 hours and 25 minutes, it is the longest match in Olympic game history. And at the end it was a pity there had to be loser, and Delpo himself looked inconsolable as he walked off court, with Federer filled with emotion also at reaching the final. But for once in the final, the man who has it all, came up short, but that's another story.
So that's it for now, and yup all these matches were from Wimbledon, but where else will you get the best matches on grass.
And that's eeeet.
5. 2012 Olympic Games, semi final, Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 7-5.
Starting with this very entertaining match, we saw Andy Murray, the GB hope who was going for his first Olympic medal, but one man that stood in his way from reaching the final was Novak Djokovic. And on paper Djokovic was the natural favourite to win the match, however it proved to be quite the opposite, as Andy was on absolute fire in this tournament and he came out firing on all cylinders as he took it to Nole. This match saw Andy and Novak's fledgling rivalry that was blossoming throughout 2012 carry on in fine style, and in the match both men traded some exciting rallies, but it was Andy that came out on top of most of them, and he also managed to hold onto his serve in the crucial moments, avoiding break points on several occassions, as didn't let Nole into the match. And it was Andy that managed to get the key break in each set, which after the 2nd set, he sank to his knees in delight, as the crowd on Wimbledon centre court erupted in delight at their home favourite reaching the final to play Roger Federer. But this was definitely one of the most enjoyable matches of the grass court season.
4. Wimbledon championships, semi final, Andy Murray d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
This match couldn't really not be in this list because it ranks as one of the most memorable and above all historic matches in recent years, particularly in grand slam history, as Andy Murray was bidding to become the first British singles player to reach the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin in 1938. In the match itself, Andy for the first two sets, probably played the best match of his career, serving and returning magnificently to take a 2 set lead. However in the 3rd set Andy's level dropped as he lost serve to let Tsonga find his way into the match after being on the receiving end of the Muzza, and Tsonga went on to win the 3rd set. The 4th set however must rank as one of the most nerve shredding sets of tennis ever played, as Andy knew what was at steak he battled with Tsonga, breaking at one point, but only to have Tsonga break back, and both men held serve until 6-5, with Tsonga serving to take the match into a tiebreak, Andy managed to get the most crucial break of his career to take him into his first ever Wimbledon final. You could almost say this was a match of two halves, with Andy in firm control for the first two sets, and in the 2nd two sets, we got a real battle, as both men knew what was at steak But in the end it was Andy's day and he became the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final in 74 years, and his 4th slam final overall, just a pity he came second best in that one.
3. Wimbledon championships, quarter final, Andy Murray d. David Ferrer, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6
When you watch Andy Murray's matches, there are several different varieties, and there are matches that are bad for your nerves to watch, and then some, and this is probably is the single most nerve wracking match of Andy Murray's career. The main reason for this is because of the form of David Ferrer in the tournament was formidable, who played superbly in the tournament, and had previously beaten Andy in their two meetings, most recently at the French, and there were moments in this match where it could have been the same. After dropping the first set, and taking the 2nd set to a tiebreak, Andy was a mini break down, but managed to play the vital points to level match. After winning the 3rd set, it was even Steven in the 4th set, with Ferrer staying close with Andy, with the play going to another tiebreak, but this time Andy found a break, and went on to seal the win with an ace down the T, ending an exhaustive, brutal match. This really was one of those matches I could scarcely watch at times because it was so utterly intense throughout, and it really could have gone Ferrer's way, but Andy deserves nothing but credit for his tenacity and improved ability to play under high pressure, which couldn't have been more intense than it was here. And both players played some of their best tennis throughout the match as well, which must have kept the audiences off the edge of their seats, in fact they must have fallen off onto the floor! But after this match you kind of knew Andy had already done the hard work in order to reach the final, Ferrer was the real hurdle, and he made it
2. Wimbledon championships, Final, Roger Federer d. Andy Murray, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Well this was the match many people had been waiting for, for quite a while and it was one match I'm sure that Andy Murray was waiting his life for, to reach the Wimbledon final. However his opponent was only the 6 time champion, Roger Federer, who played some of his best tennis in the previous two matches, so it was a tall order to beat him. And after 3 successive slam final defeats, Andy hoped to turn that around, and he got off to a strong start as he managed to win his first ever set in a major final, and he also managed to maintain his intensity level in the 2nd set, with a few break point chances against Fed. But Roger being Roger, managed to pull out a few genius shots to break Andy to grab the 2nd set, and at the start of the 3rd the cruel fate of the Gods saw the rain come on, which meant one thing, closing the roof. And given Roger's incredible record for winning indoor matches, and with no outside elements to deal with, Fed went on to take control of the match, winning the 3rd set, and breaking in the 4th to seal his 7th Wimbledon title.
After the previous disappointment of the last two Wimbledon finals of 2010 and 2011, this final more than made up for that, as both players played some high quality tennis for the energised crowd. And for once in a grand slam final, Andy Murray showed up, and after suffering the inglorious defeat last year at the hands of Djokovic, winning a mere 9 games, this time Andy doubled his luck, winning 18 games. In this match we also saw Andy play some aggressive tennis that showed the progress he really has been making since Ivan Lendl took over the coaching duties. But it was Roger that provided the moments of genius that ensured the title was his, and at 30, he is still the greatest player of all time, and with 17 slams who could argue with that. And despite Andy's loss, his heartfelt speech during the award ceremony, saw him win over the British public and the nation realised just how much he cares for the sport, as well as his terrific gutsy effort in the final. And that for me stands out more than Roger's victory here, as Roger may have won the tournament, but it was Andy that won over the crowd and the public. Great stuff as I often say.
1. 2012 Olympic Games, semi final, Roger Federer d. Juan Martin Del Potro, 3-6, 7-6(7-5), 19-17.
Well if the Tsonga vs Roanic match broke new ground with being the longest match in the Olympic tennis history up until that point, well Roger and Delpo decided to go one better here as they played an incredible and exhaustive epic of a match in front of the Wimbledon centre court. And for the most part of the season, Delpo had been beaten quite easily by Roger, up until the French Open, where Roger prevailed after 5 sets, with Delpo being injured his challenge dwindled toward the end of that match. However this match couldn't have been different as Del Potro came out swinging straight away, and broke Federer to take the opening set. And in the 2nd set Roger struggled to break the big Argentine's serve and it took a tiebreak to separate the two men, with Rog levelling the match to take the 2nd. But the 3rd set was a massive encounter with both men playing some very high level tennis, and for the most part neither player was able to break, however Roger had his chances to serve it out at 11-10, but Delpo seized the initiative to break back again. And after more play Roger finally secured the crucial break at 17-17 all, and finally served it out to secure his first Olympic games final. This really was quite a match and it would have been impossible for either player to have put in anymore, and at 4 hours and 25 minutes, it is the longest match in Olympic game history. And at the end it was a pity there had to be loser, and Delpo himself looked inconsolable as he walked off court, with Federer filled with emotion also at reaching the final. But for once in the final, the man who has it all, came up short, but that's another story.
So that's it for now, and yup all these matches were from Wimbledon, but where else will you get the best matches on grass.
And that's eeeet.
Sunday, 29 July 2012
2012 Olympics Tennis Part 1: Doing for it Great Britain
Right well I thought I might as well get my Summer Olympics posts for the tennis under way, as the games kicked off yesterday for all events, not just the grass courts, and here's a look at some of the matches from Day 1 of Olympics tennis from Wimbledon.
OK so starting with the ladies (the usual tradition) we had one or British players up in the singles, starting with Elena Baltacha, who was handed probably the easiest player that the singles Brit players have had, with Agnes Szavay of Hungary. Elena came through the match with little trouble and she impressively broke once in each set to claim a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory. Although her next opponent will be a much sterner one, which is Ana Ivanovic who came through a tough test yesterday against the American, Christina McHale, in 6-4, 7-5. Anne Keothavong however was less successful as she faced a much tougher opponent in the former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki, and despite getting off to a strong start, taking the first set, Anne was unable to maintain her form once Caz got going, who took the second set, and in the 3rd the former No.1 broke Anne twice to land her place in the 2nd round, which marked her first victory ever since losing in the 3rd round at Roland Garros. Serena Williams however had no trouble whatsoever in getting past Jelena Jankovic, who she more than comfortably ass-whipped in a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win. Its a shame for Jankovic as she clearly is showing the signs of a player who is now past her best, but let's hope she does better in the future, and on the bright side she will play in the Fed cup finals for Serbia later this year. Petra Kvitova however had a tough test as well against Kateryna Bodarenko who took her the distance, but ultimately the former Wimbledon champion came through in 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. And finally Kim Clijsters, breezed past the Italian player, Roberta Vinci, in straigh sets 6-1, 6-4.
On the men's singles we had Roger Federer, the current World No.1 out on court playing against the talented big hitting Colombian, Alejandro Falla, who gave Fed a big scare two years ago in the first round at Wimbledon (funnily enough). And this time it threatened to look the same, as Federer despite being a break up in the 2nd set, suffered a minor wobble, dropped serve to let Falla back in the door, who went on to break to take the 2nd set. In the decider however, despite letting Falla break back again to level 3-3, Falla had no real answer for the mighty Fed after that, and the maestro went onto to win in 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The other top seeds mostly have a good day as well, as the giant John Isner for starters, closed out a straight sets victory against the pint sized Belgian player, Olivier Rochus in 7-6, 6-4. I didn't see them shake hands at the net but I bet it looked mighty funny! Gilles Simon also come through in a straight set win against Mikhail Kukushkin with an easy peasy 6-4, 6-2 victory, as did Juan Martin Del Petro against the Croat player, Ivan Dodig in 6-4, 6-1.
However the upset of the day was Tomas Berdych, who once again suffered the cruel fate he had at the Wimbledon championships, as he lost to the unseeded Steven Darcis of Belgium in 6-4, 6-4. This was a bit of shocker, but I guess Berdych might have been haunted by his loss four weeks back at Wimbledon, and he appeared to be struggling with slipperiness of the court, as did a few of the players. Perhaps that is something that he organisers should have looked into, as I recall even Andy Murray took one or two bad tumbles during the Championships a few weeks back in his match against Baghdatis. However I am actually relieved that Berdych is out, as he was in Andy's section of the draw, and would have been a very dangerous quarter final opponent should he have got there, especially as he leads their head to head 4-2.
So that brings onto the Brits doubles teams who were playing today, well three of them, starting the Murray brothers, who took on an Austrian team in Jurgen Melzer (former Wimbledon doubles champion) and Alexander Peya. Overall it was a very tight close match and the Murrays had their chances to win as they were up a break a couple of times in the 3rd set, but in the end the Austrians tenacity proved to be that bit too good for the Brits, as they won a close match in 5-7, 7-6, 7-5. Also in action were the top ranked doubles Brits, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins, who unfortunately also fell to the Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Julien Bennetau in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. And finally Heather Watson and Laura Robson took on the German pairing of Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber, and despite getting off to a great start winning the first set in 6-1, the two Germans found their form and went onto win the match in 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Well it was a rather sad day for the Brits, particularly for the doubles teams, which leaves only one team left, who are Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha, who are scheduled to play today Ekaterina Makarova and Maria Kirilenko, and frankly I don't fancy their chances either, especially as the two Russians are the 6th seeds, so it could be yet another downer waiting for the Brits, but you never know. And Laura Robson and Heather Watson are both in action today in singles, but Laura hasn't got it easy by any means as she will play Lucie Safarova of the Czeck republic, although Heather does have a more evenly matched opponent as she plays the Spaniard Silvia Soler Espinosa, so here's hoping one of them gets through.
But one man who hopefully will come through today for the Brits in the singles will be Andy Murray, but he faces a stern test in his first opponent as he will play the Swiss No.2, Stan Wawrinka, and although Andy leads their head to head 6-4, it will no doubt be a tough match, but hopefully win Andy can win. And if the Muzza keeps up his form that he showed at Wimbledon then there's no reason that he should lose, but you never know! But nah, he should get through, and all the best to him.
Right well that's it for now, I'll baaaaaack hopefully with some good news for the Brits, but we shall see. Also today we have more of the top seeds on either side of the gender net in action, with Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer and Jo-Wilfried Tsong in action on the guys, and Agnieszka Radwanska, Sara Errani (who plays Venus Williams), Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, so its alllll good!
So that is that.
OK so starting with the ladies (the usual tradition) we had one or British players up in the singles, starting with Elena Baltacha, who was handed probably the easiest player that the singles Brit players have had, with Agnes Szavay of Hungary. Elena came through the match with little trouble and she impressively broke once in each set to claim a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory. Although her next opponent will be a much sterner one, which is Ana Ivanovic who came through a tough test yesterday against the American, Christina McHale, in 6-4, 7-5. Anne Keothavong however was less successful as she faced a much tougher opponent in the former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki, and despite getting off to a strong start, taking the first set, Anne was unable to maintain her form once Caz got going, who took the second set, and in the 3rd the former No.1 broke Anne twice to land her place in the 2nd round, which marked her first victory ever since losing in the 3rd round at Roland Garros. Serena Williams however had no trouble whatsoever in getting past Jelena Jankovic, who she more than comfortably ass-whipped in a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win. Its a shame for Jankovic as she clearly is showing the signs of a player who is now past her best, but let's hope she does better in the future, and on the bright side she will play in the Fed cup finals for Serbia later this year. Petra Kvitova however had a tough test as well against Kateryna Bodarenko who took her the distance, but ultimately the former Wimbledon champion came through in 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. And finally Kim Clijsters, breezed past the Italian player, Roberta Vinci, in straigh sets 6-1, 6-4.
On the men's singles we had Roger Federer, the current World No.1 out on court playing against the talented big hitting Colombian, Alejandro Falla, who gave Fed a big scare two years ago in the first round at Wimbledon (funnily enough). And this time it threatened to look the same, as Federer despite being a break up in the 2nd set, suffered a minor wobble, dropped serve to let Falla back in the door, who went on to break to take the 2nd set. In the decider however, despite letting Falla break back again to level 3-3, Falla had no real answer for the mighty Fed after that, and the maestro went onto to win in 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The other top seeds mostly have a good day as well, as the giant John Isner for starters, closed out a straight sets victory against the pint sized Belgian player, Olivier Rochus in 7-6, 6-4. I didn't see them shake hands at the net but I bet it looked mighty funny! Gilles Simon also come through in a straight set win against Mikhail Kukushkin with an easy peasy 6-4, 6-2 victory, as did Juan Martin Del Petro against the Croat player, Ivan Dodig in 6-4, 6-1.
However the upset of the day was Tomas Berdych, who once again suffered the cruel fate he had at the Wimbledon championships, as he lost to the unseeded Steven Darcis of Belgium in 6-4, 6-4. This was a bit of shocker, but I guess Berdych might have been haunted by his loss four weeks back at Wimbledon, and he appeared to be struggling with slipperiness of the court, as did a few of the players. Perhaps that is something that he organisers should have looked into, as I recall even Andy Murray took one or two bad tumbles during the Championships a few weeks back in his match against Baghdatis. However I am actually relieved that Berdych is out, as he was in Andy's section of the draw, and would have been a very dangerous quarter final opponent should he have got there, especially as he leads their head to head 4-2.
So that brings onto the Brits doubles teams who were playing today, well three of them, starting the Murray brothers, who took on an Austrian team in Jurgen Melzer (former Wimbledon doubles champion) and Alexander Peya. Overall it was a very tight close match and the Murrays had their chances to win as they were up a break a couple of times in the 3rd set, but in the end the Austrians tenacity proved to be that bit too good for the Brits, as they won a close match in 5-7, 7-6, 7-5. Also in action were the top ranked doubles Brits, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins, who unfortunately also fell to the Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Julien Bennetau in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. And finally Heather Watson and Laura Robson took on the German pairing of Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber, and despite getting off to a great start winning the first set in 6-1, the two Germans found their form and went onto win the match in 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Well it was a rather sad day for the Brits, particularly for the doubles teams, which leaves only one team left, who are Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha, who are scheduled to play today Ekaterina Makarova and Maria Kirilenko, and frankly I don't fancy their chances either, especially as the two Russians are the 6th seeds, so it could be yet another downer waiting for the Brits, but you never know. And Laura Robson and Heather Watson are both in action today in singles, but Laura hasn't got it easy by any means as she will play Lucie Safarova of the Czeck republic, although Heather does have a more evenly matched opponent as she plays the Spaniard Silvia Soler Espinosa, so here's hoping one of them gets through.
But one man who hopefully will come through today for the Brits in the singles will be Andy Murray, but he faces a stern test in his first opponent as he will play the Swiss No.2, Stan Wawrinka, and although Andy leads their head to head 6-4, it will no doubt be a tough match, but hopefully win Andy can win. And if the Muzza keeps up his form that he showed at Wimbledon then there's no reason that he should lose, but you never know! But nah, he should get through, and all the best to him.
Right well that's it for now, I'll baaaaaack hopefully with some good news for the Brits, but we shall see. Also today we have more of the top seeds on either side of the gender net in action, with Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer and Jo-Wilfried Tsong in action on the guys, and Agnieszka Radwanska, Sara Errani (who plays Venus Williams), Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, so its alllll good!
So that is that.
Friday, 27 July 2012
Best ATP/Grand slam clay court matches of 2012
Well the 2012 tennis season is far from over however the clay court is over for another year so I thought I would post up my thoughts on some of the best men's matches on the ATP tour on the red dirt, so here's my pick of the bunch.
5. BNL Internazionali Italia Rome Masters 2nd round, Andy Murray d. David Nalbandian, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
This match was noteworthy partly because it took place on Andy Murray's 25th birthday, but it also because it was a very high quality match from both players. After dominating the first set, Andy was on the receiving end of a fightback from Nalbandian, who battled his way to win the 2nd set, despite Andy having been a break up at one point. In the 3rd, the two men went at it again, although this time Andy dropped his serve to let Nalby get ahead for the first in the match, but with some great tenacity, the Muzza broke back again to level and at 5-5, Andy got the vital break on a net cord, and he went on to close out his birthday match that could go have gone either way. This was a very entertaining match, and it featured some of the two players best tennis, particularly from Nalbandian who looked very much out of it in that first set, but as it turned around it became an enthralling contest.
4. Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid Masters final, Roger Federer d. Tomas Berdych, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.
This match was the final to one of the most controversial tournaments in recent years, mainly because of the organisers decision to dye the clay blue, as a result alot of players were up in arms about it, especially Nadal and Djokovic, who complained bitterly about the surface. And in the end it was ironic that neither of the world's top two players made it to the final, and instead we were treated to a feast from the then World No.3 Roger Federer and the world no.6 Tomas Berdych, who had it out on the blue dirt. In the first set though it was Berdych that came out strong, breaking Fed's serve and going on to close out the first set, however in the 2nd set, the two men traded breaks, but it was Berdy that handed Roger a gift by double faulting to level the match. In the 3rd more breaks were traded and Berdych once again had chances to win the title, but he faltered on the big points, and in the end it was the Fedster who won his 20th Masters title. It was great to see such a fine match be played on such a difficult surface, and both men played their part in this match, with Berdych's powerful hitting and Federer's finesse. But it was Federer as ever who came up with the goods and played the pressure points far better than Berdych could, and this win was also testament to Federer's champion qualities that he was able to adapt to such a difficult surface and win on it, which almost to their shame is something Djokovic and the king of clay Rafa couldn't do.
3. French Open 4th round, Roger Federer d. David Goffin, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4.
This was quite a remarkable match as it saw the arrival of a fresh new talent who is without a doubt one to watch, and that talent is the 21 year old from Belgium, David Goffin. I had already seen David Goffin in action at the Davis cup back in April there, when he won the decisive rubber for Belgium against Great Britain, and even there I could see what an impressive player he was. But his first real impression was made here in this match against the greatest of all time in Roger Federer, as the young Belgium went toe to toe with the Swiss maestro, as he throw everything he had at him, and even managed to succeed in taking the first set. However it wasn't before long that Federer's pedigree started to shine through (not his dog!) as he cranked up the gears and put the plucky Goffin in his place. But Goffin showed a great deal of courage and promise in his performance, and after the match he was even interviewed on the Philipp Chartrier court with Roger, as the two men shared a hug and acknowledged the quality match they had just played for the Parisian crowd. Terrific stuff.
2. French Open final, Rafael Nadal d. Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
In the 2012 French Open final there was so much at stake on either side for both players, with Rafa he was going for his 7th Roland Garros title, whereas Nole was going for his first ever French Open title, and also a chance to complete his career slam and to hold all four majors at once. However taking on Rafa in any form on clay is a mighty big ask, but his form at the French Open this year was frighteningly good, even by his own high standards, he really surpassed himself this year. At the French Open this year in reaching the final he never dropped a single set, only conceded 35 games, and with the exception of Nicolas Almagro, no other player was able to give him anything resembling a match, as he annihilated players such as Juan Monaco and David Ferrer. But in the final there was so much more at stake, and I'm sure nerves were on both sides, but it was Rafa that came out firing, whereas Djokovic struggled to find consistency in the first two sets. However in the 3rd set, after a rain delay, Djokovic found his form and he proceeded to do something that no other player has done against Rafa at the French Open, which was to reel off 8 games in a row to secure his first ever set against Rafa at the French Open, and in the 4th set Djokovic got an early break. However rain interrupted play for the night and it was resumed the next day, but momentum was with Rafa again as Djokovic squandered his break, but kept level until 6-5, with Djoko serving to take it into a tiebreak, Rafa got a break point, which would clinch the title. And here Djokovic suffered the cruellest of fates in that he double faulted to hand Rafa his record breaking 7th French Open title. For the most part this was an excellent match, especially in the last two sets when Djokovic found his range, but I'm sure that final point will haunt him for quite a while, it also saw his winning slam streak come to an end, after 27 consecutive match wins. But it was Rafa that deserved all the credit for winning his historic title, that put him above Borg in the record books (who had 6 RG titles to his name) and it was the cherry on the top of what had to be his most magnificent clay court season.
1. 2011 French Open quarter final, Novak Djokovic d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1.
With the nation's best player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga trying to be the first Frenchman to reach the semi finals at Roland Garros in many years, there was so much at steak (again, it was that kind of tournament!) for him, especially as he was up against the World No.1 in Nole. And after being outplayed in the 1st set, Tsonga drastically turned it around in the 2nd and turned the match from thereon into a thrilling contest, which had the Parisian crowd cheering and cheering, as he took the 2nd and 3rd sets. And in the 4th set, Tsonga had four match points against Djokovic, which unfortunately for him, he was unable to take, which saw the daredevil in Djoko come out to play, and as the match went into its pulsating 4th set tiebreak, Djokovic closed the door to take it into a 5th. Unfortunately in the 5th set however, Tsonga's spirit seemed to have been broken by the Serbian, who proved to be just too good once again, and he went on to seal the match and his place in the semi final. You could almost say that the first and last set of this match were like bookends and the match itself was in between in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sets, which were absolutely superb, and Tsonga showed off his skills around the court and the net, with his monstrous big hitting and power. In the end though you would have to have a heart of stone to not feel for Tsonga after his defeat, as he slumped down in his chair, sobbing, and who could blame the guy. And despite it being a big downer for Tsonga in the end, it was a terrific match.
So that's it for now, more to follow on the Olympics and my fav matches from the grass court season! :-)
5. BNL Internazionali Italia Rome Masters 2nd round, Andy Murray d. David Nalbandian, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
This match was noteworthy partly because it took place on Andy Murray's 25th birthday, but it also because it was a very high quality match from both players. After dominating the first set, Andy was on the receiving end of a fightback from Nalbandian, who battled his way to win the 2nd set, despite Andy having been a break up at one point. In the 3rd, the two men went at it again, although this time Andy dropped his serve to let Nalby get ahead for the first in the match, but with some great tenacity, the Muzza broke back again to level and at 5-5, Andy got the vital break on a net cord, and he went on to close out his birthday match that could go have gone either way. This was a very entertaining match, and it featured some of the two players best tennis, particularly from Nalbandian who looked very much out of it in that first set, but as it turned around it became an enthralling contest.
4. Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid Masters final, Roger Federer d. Tomas Berdych, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.
This match was the final to one of the most controversial tournaments in recent years, mainly because of the organisers decision to dye the clay blue, as a result alot of players were up in arms about it, especially Nadal and Djokovic, who complained bitterly about the surface. And in the end it was ironic that neither of the world's top two players made it to the final, and instead we were treated to a feast from the then World No.3 Roger Federer and the world no.6 Tomas Berdych, who had it out on the blue dirt. In the first set though it was Berdych that came out strong, breaking Fed's serve and going on to close out the first set, however in the 2nd set, the two men traded breaks, but it was Berdy that handed Roger a gift by double faulting to level the match. In the 3rd more breaks were traded and Berdych once again had chances to win the title, but he faltered on the big points, and in the end it was the Fedster who won his 20th Masters title. It was great to see such a fine match be played on such a difficult surface, and both men played their part in this match, with Berdych's powerful hitting and Federer's finesse. But it was Federer as ever who came up with the goods and played the pressure points far better than Berdych could, and this win was also testament to Federer's champion qualities that he was able to adapt to such a difficult surface and win on it, which almost to their shame is something Djokovic and the king of clay Rafa couldn't do.
3. French Open 4th round, Roger Federer d. David Goffin, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4.
This was quite a remarkable match as it saw the arrival of a fresh new talent who is without a doubt one to watch, and that talent is the 21 year old from Belgium, David Goffin. I had already seen David Goffin in action at the Davis cup back in April there, when he won the decisive rubber for Belgium against Great Britain, and even there I could see what an impressive player he was. But his first real impression was made here in this match against the greatest of all time in Roger Federer, as the young Belgium went toe to toe with the Swiss maestro, as he throw everything he had at him, and even managed to succeed in taking the first set. However it wasn't before long that Federer's pedigree started to shine through (not his dog!) as he cranked up the gears and put the plucky Goffin in his place. But Goffin showed a great deal of courage and promise in his performance, and after the match he was even interviewed on the Philipp Chartrier court with Roger, as the two men shared a hug and acknowledged the quality match they had just played for the Parisian crowd. Terrific stuff.
2. French Open final, Rafael Nadal d. Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
In the 2012 French Open final there was so much at stake on either side for both players, with Rafa he was going for his 7th Roland Garros title, whereas Nole was going for his first ever French Open title, and also a chance to complete his career slam and to hold all four majors at once. However taking on Rafa in any form on clay is a mighty big ask, but his form at the French Open this year was frighteningly good, even by his own high standards, he really surpassed himself this year. At the French Open this year in reaching the final he never dropped a single set, only conceded 35 games, and with the exception of Nicolas Almagro, no other player was able to give him anything resembling a match, as he annihilated players such as Juan Monaco and David Ferrer. But in the final there was so much more at stake, and I'm sure nerves were on both sides, but it was Rafa that came out firing, whereas Djokovic struggled to find consistency in the first two sets. However in the 3rd set, after a rain delay, Djokovic found his form and he proceeded to do something that no other player has done against Rafa at the French Open, which was to reel off 8 games in a row to secure his first ever set against Rafa at the French Open, and in the 4th set Djokovic got an early break. However rain interrupted play for the night and it was resumed the next day, but momentum was with Rafa again as Djokovic squandered his break, but kept level until 6-5, with Djoko serving to take it into a tiebreak, Rafa got a break point, which would clinch the title. And here Djokovic suffered the cruellest of fates in that he double faulted to hand Rafa his record breaking 7th French Open title. For the most part this was an excellent match, especially in the last two sets when Djokovic found his range, but I'm sure that final point will haunt him for quite a while, it also saw his winning slam streak come to an end, after 27 consecutive match wins. But it was Rafa that deserved all the credit for winning his historic title, that put him above Borg in the record books (who had 6 RG titles to his name) and it was the cherry on the top of what had to be his most magnificent clay court season.
1. 2011 French Open quarter final, Novak Djokovic d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1.
With the nation's best player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga trying to be the first Frenchman to reach the semi finals at Roland Garros in many years, there was so much at steak (again, it was that kind of tournament!) for him, especially as he was up against the World No.1 in Nole. And after being outplayed in the 1st set, Tsonga drastically turned it around in the 2nd and turned the match from thereon into a thrilling contest, which had the Parisian crowd cheering and cheering, as he took the 2nd and 3rd sets. And in the 4th set, Tsonga had four match points against Djokovic, which unfortunately for him, he was unable to take, which saw the daredevil in Djoko come out to play, and as the match went into its pulsating 4th set tiebreak, Djokovic closed the door to take it into a 5th. Unfortunately in the 5th set however, Tsonga's spirit seemed to have been broken by the Serbian, who proved to be just too good once again, and he went on to seal the match and his place in the semi final. You could almost say that the first and last set of this match were like bookends and the match itself was in between in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sets, which were absolutely superb, and Tsonga showed off his skills around the court and the net, with his monstrous big hitting and power. In the end though you would have to have a heart of stone to not feel for Tsonga after his defeat, as he slumped down in his chair, sobbing, and who could blame the guy. And despite it being a big downer for Tsonga in the end, it was a terrific match.
So that's it for now, more to follow on the Olympics and my fav matches from the grass court season! :-)
Friday, 20 July 2012
Going for the Gold
Right well as the 2012 Summer Olympics is looming as it starts next Friday, I thought I would say something about the tennis which is due to start on 28 July.
Well for starters I might as well say something about the surprising news that Rafa Nadal will not be playing at the Olympics, as he has been forced to withdraw due to tendonitis in his knee. This might also have reflected why he lost out early in Wimbledon this year, as perhaps it was attributed to this, but it is a pity that he won't be able to play, and here's hoping Rafa will be ready for the hard court season.
So with Rafa out of the Olympics, that means that our British Numero, Andy Murray, uno has another shout at reaching another final, at Wimbledon. But that all depends on how well Andy will play throughout the tournament, and with the matches being the best of three sets, up until the final (which is the best of five) that leaves less margin for error, so Andy will need to play consistently well throughout. Thankfully for him his form at Wimbledon was terrific, and he will be really motivated once again to do really well at the Olympics, and with Ivan Lendl in his corner he will hopefully be able to be more mentally prepared this time round. So while Andy will have his chances to win a medal, it will still be a really tough road to walk, and doubtless he will have to face either Roger or Novak in the final, should he get there. And I'm hoping this time that Andy will face Djokovic, as he stands a better chance of winning against him then Federer, who seems to always Andy's number just now (and everyone elses!). And over the best of 3 set matches anything can happen, and there maybe a few upsets on the way, but I hope that Andy isn't one of them. And if he does face Federer in the final here's hoping he can upset the odds and be the one to lift the prize this time.
And back in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, Andy had little time to prepare for the games, as he had a mere 3 days in between winning his first Masters title in Cincinnati that year and going to Beijing, which saw him go out in the first round. And since then Andy has said he has sworn to make amends for his loss back then, which I'm sure he will, especially as he will once again be playing for the home crowd. But whatever way it will go its not going to be easy by any means, but whatever happens I do hope that Andy wins a medal, the gold would be terrific, but the silver and bronze aren't to be sniffed at either.
As for Roger, well you could say that he is the hot favourite to win the gold medal, given that its back at Wimbledon, and his form during the grass court major was for the most part superb. But it is the best of 3 sets, and anything can happen, and there is a slight chance that Federer could even lose en route, but given his current form it probably seems doubtful. But I also think that probably Roger is more concerned with winning the majors, so even if he loses I don't think its something he will be too disappointed by (but I could be wrong!). But if it is to be a repeat final from Wimbledon two weeks ago, I would much rather see Andy trade places with Roger on this one, and that way Andy will have achieved something that Roger hasn't in winning the gold medal. But with Roger having regained the World No.1 ranking, you would be mad to write him off in his chances of taking the top prize.
But if there is one man that can defeat Rog then it is Novak Djokovic, who's form has dipped off a little since his incredible last year, that saw him rise to the World No.1 spot. But Djokovic will be more than motivated to try and win the Olympic gold, and he has said all year that it was one of his main priorities in 2012, the other to win the French Open, which he lost to Nadal. But I'm certain that Djokovic will be utterly determined to ensure that he doesn't lose this one, and he could very well win it, but time will tell all. Djokovic himself suffered a heart breaking defeat to Rafa back at the 2008 Olympic games in the semi finals, but he went on to secure the bronze medal, by defeating the US player, James Blake. So I'm sure that Djokovic will be able to learn his past experience and do his best to improve on it this time round.
So that's it for my pre-Olympic games thoughts on the tennis, as for the overall event, well we will see how it pans out, as the organisation of the event hasn't exactly been that smooth. This of course is due to G4S, who were to oversee the security for the event, screw up on the training front, with nowhere near enough staff being properly trained to handle the security for the events. This has left the military to sort things out and ensure the Olympic games will be properly policed. Ah good old Britain, eh??? We can't do anything the right way, and its almost like as Ben Elton once said, that in Britain we prefer things to be just a bit crap, so that way we know where we stand. Coh!
Riggghhttt well that's it!!
Well for starters I might as well say something about the surprising news that Rafa Nadal will not be playing at the Olympics, as he has been forced to withdraw due to tendonitis in his knee. This might also have reflected why he lost out early in Wimbledon this year, as perhaps it was attributed to this, but it is a pity that he won't be able to play, and here's hoping Rafa will be ready for the hard court season.
So with Rafa out of the Olympics, that means that our British Numero, Andy Murray, uno has another shout at reaching another final, at Wimbledon. But that all depends on how well Andy will play throughout the tournament, and with the matches being the best of three sets, up until the final (which is the best of five) that leaves less margin for error, so Andy will need to play consistently well throughout. Thankfully for him his form at Wimbledon was terrific, and he will be really motivated once again to do really well at the Olympics, and with Ivan Lendl in his corner he will hopefully be able to be more mentally prepared this time round. So while Andy will have his chances to win a medal, it will still be a really tough road to walk, and doubtless he will have to face either Roger or Novak in the final, should he get there. And I'm hoping this time that Andy will face Djokovic, as he stands a better chance of winning against him then Federer, who seems to always Andy's number just now (and everyone elses!). And over the best of 3 set matches anything can happen, and there maybe a few upsets on the way, but I hope that Andy isn't one of them. And if he does face Federer in the final here's hoping he can upset the odds and be the one to lift the prize this time.
And back in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, Andy had little time to prepare for the games, as he had a mere 3 days in between winning his first Masters title in Cincinnati that year and going to Beijing, which saw him go out in the first round. And since then Andy has said he has sworn to make amends for his loss back then, which I'm sure he will, especially as he will once again be playing for the home crowd. But whatever way it will go its not going to be easy by any means, but whatever happens I do hope that Andy wins a medal, the gold would be terrific, but the silver and bronze aren't to be sniffed at either.
As for Roger, well you could say that he is the hot favourite to win the gold medal, given that its back at Wimbledon, and his form during the grass court major was for the most part superb. But it is the best of 3 sets, and anything can happen, and there is a slight chance that Federer could even lose en route, but given his current form it probably seems doubtful. But I also think that probably Roger is more concerned with winning the majors, so even if he loses I don't think its something he will be too disappointed by (but I could be wrong!). But if it is to be a repeat final from Wimbledon two weeks ago, I would much rather see Andy trade places with Roger on this one, and that way Andy will have achieved something that Roger hasn't in winning the gold medal. But with Roger having regained the World No.1 ranking, you would be mad to write him off in his chances of taking the top prize.
But if there is one man that can defeat Rog then it is Novak Djokovic, who's form has dipped off a little since his incredible last year, that saw him rise to the World No.1 spot. But Djokovic will be more than motivated to try and win the Olympic gold, and he has said all year that it was one of his main priorities in 2012, the other to win the French Open, which he lost to Nadal. But I'm certain that Djokovic will be utterly determined to ensure that he doesn't lose this one, and he could very well win it, but time will tell all. Djokovic himself suffered a heart breaking defeat to Rafa back at the 2008 Olympic games in the semi finals, but he went on to secure the bronze medal, by defeating the US player, James Blake. So I'm sure that Djokovic will be able to learn his past experience and do his best to improve on it this time round.
So that's it for my pre-Olympic games thoughts on the tennis, as for the overall event, well we will see how it pans out, as the organisation of the event hasn't exactly been that smooth. This of course is due to G4S, who were to oversee the security for the event, screw up on the training front, with nowhere near enough staff being properly trained to handle the security for the events. This has left the military to sort things out and ensure the Olympic games will be properly policed. Ah good old Britain, eh??? We can't do anything the right way, and its almost like as Ben Elton once said, that in Britain we prefer things to be just a bit crap, so that way we know where we stand. Coh!
Riggghhttt well that's it!!
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Go Heather!!
OK right well I'm back to my other blog noow, yup which is now more focused purely on tennis, hence the new title! ;-) So this time it isn't quite about a tournament but more about a certain player in the British ladies tour, who is fast rising and just maybe the ray of hope that British tennis desparately needs, and that player is Heather Watson.
From early this year we really saw Heather improve, and as early as the Fed Cup we saw how well she played against teams such as Israel, where she played her part in Great Britain team's success. From there she went on to produce some more impressive results, one of them was reaching the 3rd round of the WTA Premier Mandatory event, where unfortunately she eventually succumb to the World No.1, Victoria Azarenka. And even more impressively she soon also went on to reach the 3rd of Wimbledon, and she was the first player to do so since Elena Baltacha, back in 2002. And in recent weeks, in fact just last week, Heather finally managed to win her maiden WTA title, in the doubles at The Bank of the West Classic tournament in Stanford, with her partner Marina Erakovic. This in itself is hugely impressive as neither any of the other British players on tour have won a single WTA event in either singles and doubles, and its actually the first time any British player has had a win on the WTA tour since 1992! That's a 20 year drought finally been ended! But its great Heather was the one to end it.
Heather however has suffered a couple of losses this week at the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, California, as she was defeated in singles by Chan Yung-Jan in straight sets 3-6, 6-7, and in the doubles, so I guess she can't win them all. Regardless of her most recent loss, Heather now being the British No.1, can try and improve her game for the future, and it will be a work in progress. And out of all the British players, Heather is by far the best and has made the most progress out of any of them this year. Its also strange to think though how she has been relegated to playing the doubles at the Olympics this year, when I think she should really play in the singles, but I think it boils down to the time when the wildcards were handed out to the British team. But either way I think Heather can make a big impression in either singles or doubles, and I'm sure with Laura Robson, the two of them will make a great team for Great Britain.
But in retrospect, it is a pity that Heather wasn't picked for the singles, as Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong have been picked instead, and unfortunately for them, they have both struggled badly this year. Elena has struggled with a foot injury, which has restricted her in winning matches, and Anne sadly has had a poor track record this year, as she has a tendency to start off her matches well but ends up always losing to lower ranked players than herself. So from the singles point of view, it doesn't bode well for the GB team, but we will see.
As for Heather however, I really think, to forgive the cliche, that a new star is born in British tennis, and it looks like she is finally filling the gap of a much needed top British player in the ladies game. And if she can go on and build on her impressive form this year, then I think it won't be long before she will start winning many singles titles on the WTA tour, and she hopefully can have the equivalent success that Andy Murray has had so far. It will take her some time to reach that level but if she carries on in the way she has been, then its only a matter of time.
Buttttttt for now we shall see how Heather progresses, but things are looking pretty bright for the new British No.1, and its a position she thoroughly deserves.
So that is that for the now.
From early this year we really saw Heather improve, and as early as the Fed Cup we saw how well she played against teams such as Israel, where she played her part in Great Britain team's success. From there she went on to produce some more impressive results, one of them was reaching the 3rd round of the WTA Premier Mandatory event, where unfortunately she eventually succumb to the World No.1, Victoria Azarenka. And even more impressively she soon also went on to reach the 3rd of Wimbledon, and she was the first player to do so since Elena Baltacha, back in 2002. And in recent weeks, in fact just last week, Heather finally managed to win her maiden WTA title, in the doubles at The Bank of the West Classic tournament in Stanford, with her partner Marina Erakovic. This in itself is hugely impressive as neither any of the other British players on tour have won a single WTA event in either singles and doubles, and its actually the first time any British player has had a win on the WTA tour since 1992! That's a 20 year drought finally been ended! But its great Heather was the one to end it.
Heather however has suffered a couple of losses this week at the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, California, as she was defeated in singles by Chan Yung-Jan in straight sets 3-6, 6-7, and in the doubles, so I guess she can't win them all. Regardless of her most recent loss, Heather now being the British No.1, can try and improve her game for the future, and it will be a work in progress. And out of all the British players, Heather is by far the best and has made the most progress out of any of them this year. Its also strange to think though how she has been relegated to playing the doubles at the Olympics this year, when I think she should really play in the singles, but I think it boils down to the time when the wildcards were handed out to the British team. But either way I think Heather can make a big impression in either singles or doubles, and I'm sure with Laura Robson, the two of them will make a great team for Great Britain.
But in retrospect, it is a pity that Heather wasn't picked for the singles, as Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong have been picked instead, and unfortunately for them, they have both struggled badly this year. Elena has struggled with a foot injury, which has restricted her in winning matches, and Anne sadly has had a poor track record this year, as she has a tendency to start off her matches well but ends up always losing to lower ranked players than herself. So from the singles point of view, it doesn't bode well for the GB team, but we will see.
As for Heather however, I really think, to forgive the cliche, that a new star is born in British tennis, and it looks like she is finally filling the gap of a much needed top British player in the ladies game. And if she can go on and build on her impressive form this year, then I think it won't be long before she will start winning many singles titles on the WTA tour, and she hopefully can have the equivalent success that Andy Murray has had so far. It will take her some time to reach that level but if she carries on in the way she has been, then its only a matter of time.
Buttttttt for now we shall see how Heather progresses, but things are looking pretty bright for the new British No.1, and its a position she thoroughly deserves.
So that is that for the now.
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