OK so now onto the men's preview of the Australian Open as I look at my pick of the bunch for possible contenders at the first slam of the new season. Regretfully before I start, as we know, Rafa will not be participating in Melbourne this year, due to a stomach virus, and he won't make a return to the tour until the end of February, so let's hope he makes a fast recovery.
So to start off at the top, we have Novak Djokovic, who has won the title for the last two years running and for me he has to be the absolute favourite to win here again. Novak won his first major in Melbourne back in 2008, and for me I think this is the slam he can gain real owernship over, just like Rafa has at the French Open, I do believe that Djokovic will win this title at least another 2 or 3 times before he retires. So if I had to pick the top favourite, it has to be Nole, and he really is back on top of his game again as well, after his level dipping slightly during 2012, he went on to defeat Roger Federer in the year end championships, which no doubt gave him a real boost. And in terms of putting away a player, there is no one more difficult to put away than Novak Djokovic, who never gives up on any point, with his first class defensive play, speed, court coverage and sheer flexibility which is why he is the World No.1 (no one else can do the splits like him!). And as Nole has re-established his position as the world No.1 again, I think he will continue to dominate the game over the next few years, so to say he will win the Australian open again is a fairly safe bet. However safe bets aren't always safe, as Nole's nemesis would be my next best choice.....
And that man is Andy Murray, as Andy has already proved he has the chops to win a major, after finally getting the monkey off his back at the US Open last year. So does he have a good shot at winning the title???? Absolutely, as in regards to Djokovic while he may lead their head to head 10-7, there really hasn't been much between them and their games, in terms of return, defence and fitness, and their last few matches have been so close, and I'm sure their terrific rivalry will continue to improve this year, which is a scary thought! So while I wouldn't put Andy as the outright favourite to win, he definitely has a really good chance to do so, and I hope he does, and in doing so let's hope its an Andy vs Nole final. However if Andy were to play Roger in the semis, there is still that danger he could lose, as Andy struggles against Federer, once he get's ahead in a match, its tough for Andy to get back into the game. So if Andy were to play Rog he would have to ensure he got off to a good start and try and maintain his lead. And the Muzza also struggles with consistency at times, especially on his serve, as he infamously has struggled to get good 1st serve percentages in, which means he could end up on court grinding it out more than he needs to, due to playing sloppy service games or being bossed in the points by his opponent. But all that aside, Andy has grown as a player since this time last year, and with that 1st major title behind him, more is sure to follow at some point, and Melbourne would be the perfect place to follow that up.
Speaking of which, next up is Roger Federer, who last year really got back on his game by securing the No.1 spot for three months or so, as well as adding another major to his collection with a 7th Wimbledon title. Roger Federer's record speaks for itself as well, 76 career titles, 17 grand slams, and when he is on his game, the guy is simply unplayable. In terms of physical fitness however, its debatable just how well Roger can last in the blazing heat in Melbourne, as over 7 rounds and 5 set matches, its a big ask for him to try and battle his way past the other top guys, especially Novak, who has beaten Federer in their last two semi final meetings there. And given that Roger is that bit older than the rest of the competition that makes him a step slower than Nole and Andy for example, especially when moving in and out of the corners on the court. But for Roger I think you would be mad or both to dismiss his chance at winning another title in Melbourne, and with him taking extra time to prep for the tournament, I'm sure he will be fit and ready to have another go at picking up his 18th career major title. Unless en-route before the final Roger meets the next man I will discuss...
Which is Juan Martin Del Potro, who remains the only man, other than Rafa, to defeat Federer in the final of a grand slam. Delpo after taking a year in 2010 to have wrist surgery, made a resurgance in 2011, with his ranking having gone from about 485 to 11 in the space of 11 months! In 2012 he also made further strides as he won the Olympic bronze medal in the play-off against Novak Djokovic, and in their last two meetings, Delpo has gotten the better of Federer. So if the two of them are drawn together, Delpo will pose a serious threat to Federer's chances of winning. And Del Potro as I have already said is a grand slam champion, so he knows what it takes to win one, so for me has an excellent chance of winning the title as well, especially as he is the only man other than Andy Murray, outside the top three to have won a major in the last 10 years! And for that reason he is 4th favourite to claim the Norman Brookes challenge cup (the name of the trophy if you don't know!).
So onto some of the other possible contenders, first off we have David Ferrer, who last year had the best season of his career, having won not only the most titles of any player last year (7), but also the most matches (76). Ferrer also clinched the biggest title of his career at the Paris masters last year, which was thoroughly well deserved as being in the top 10 he deserves nothing less. Ferrer also last year had a good run in the majors, as he reached the quarter finals at the Australian open and Wimbledon, and the semi finals at the French and the US Open. However Ferrer doesn't have the big weapons that the top three have (or Delpo has for that matter, but he does lead their head to head) and in that department has always struggled against them, so it will be tough for him to get past them. But Ferrer still remains one the biggest competitors on the tour, and never gives up on any point and fights to the very end, so if he will be beat, he will go down fighting.
Next up there is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who was a former finalist in Melbourne, when he played Novak Djokovic in 2008, but he hasn't reached the final of a major since, and he is somwaht inconsistent in his results also. Regardless Tsonga has done well at the majors last year, having reached the quarter finals of the French and the semi finals at Wimbledon, so its fair to say he will have another good run in Melbourne, if he is on his game. After that we have Tomas Berdych, who was also a former finalist at Wimbledon, who has the game to beat anyone, with his powerful serve and his groundstrokes, he can knock any player off their ryhthym. Berdych also poses a strong threat to players such as Federer and Murray, who he has good head to heads against (4-4 with Andy, and well ok Federer leads 11-5) and has what it takes to topple them. But Berdy still lacks the mental focus when playing in the big matches, as he tends to come up a bit short, and when it comes to players like Djokovic (who dominates their head to head 8-1) he always struggles to get to the finishing line. Regardless Berdych remains a tough obstacle for any player to get past, especially when he is on form.
And finally I thought I would add the new kid on the block, Milos Raonic from Canada, who is fast rising in the game, and is now sitting at No.13 in the world. Raonic has one of the biggest and more importantly consistent serves in the game, and that will prove to be a serious threat for anyone in his side of the draw. Roanic has also already beaten some of the big names, especially Andy Murray, whom he leads their head to head 2-1, and Andy has struggled against the big fella's serve in those defeats. Raonic has also had some pretty close tight matches with Federer and he proved in those matches he has what it takes to be a real threat to the top guys in the game as well. But Raonic's downfall is his lack of experience and he has also never gotten past the 4th round in a major so far, but that will change quite soon I think. So while he is an outsider, he remains a tough one for any player to get past.
So that's it for my preview of the Australian Open, more to follow once its under way. In the meantime some of the top players are in action this week, with Andy Murray playing at the Brisbane International, which he is the defending champion of. But can he defend the title???? Who knows, as Andy has always been a bit up and down on the ATP tour, and he has a tough draw to face with potentially Lleyton Hewitt and Radek Stepanek ahead of him, and a possible meeting with Milos Raonic in the final, which could end in another loss, but here's hoping he can win it. In fact as an update (as of 07.01.13) Andy has successfully defended his title in Brisbane, having defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the final 7-6, 6-4. Also Novak Djokovic was in action at the Hopman cup, the team event featuring 8 countries, where despite a dip, when he was beaten by Beranrd Tomic 6-4, 6-4 during the round robins, he and Ana Ivanovic did manage to secure Serbia's place in the final. However Serbia was defeated by Spain in the final, in the crucial doubles match, but despite that I'm sure Novak will be more than ready for Melbourne when it starts next week.
And that is it for now. More to follow later, in the meantime have a good new year!
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
2013 welcome! Australian Open ladies preview
Well I'd to start off this post by saying happy new year to everyone out there (and to whoever is reading!) as we are now into 2013, and we have survived the Mayan prophecy in 2012, so it looks like existance will continue for quite a while yet. So now onto my first tennis post of the year (and for quite a while) which will be a quick preview of the Australian open, and my thoughts on the contenders for the men and the ladies tour. I'll split these posts into two, one for the ladies and the men each.
So to kick off with the ladies, starting the top favourite, Serena Williams, who has already made a bold statement in saying she is looking to make a clean sweep at the grand slams this year, and go for a calendar slam, by trying to win all four majors. This is quite ambitious even for Serena, but can she do it???? Absolutely, as she is by far the greatest in the ladies game just now, and one of the all time greats, and despite my misgivings about her, I can't deny her talent as a player, and she is more than capable of winning the Australian open, having won the last two slams at Wimbledon and the US Open. And despite the fact she went out in the 4th round last year, I don't think it will happen this year, as she really re-established herself throughout last year, so for me she will be the player to beat.
And the next player to beat after Serena will be Victoria Azarenka, who is also the defending champion, who triumped last year by thrashing Maria Sharapova in straight sets. Victoria had her best season last year, winning 26 consecutive matches at the start of 2012, as well as going on to win big titles such as Indian Wells, Beijing, and additionally winning the Olympic bronze medal in the singles, the gold medal in the mixed doubles. And she is just about the only player who has the chops to actually beat Serena, and she came real close in the US Open final last year, but in doing so, she will have her work cut out. But if by any chance Serena is knocked in Melbourne, I'd peg Vika as the next favourite to win.
Other contenders for the title are of course Maria Sharapova, who is the world No.2 and she without doubt the hardest hitter in the ladies game right, and no doubt she will bludgeon her way past the opposition, that is until she meets Serena and Vika. But it would be mad to write off Sharapova's chances depending on how her draw works out, so she is still a top contender. Next up would be Agneiszka Radwanska who had a great season last year, having reached the final at Wimbledon, and winning her biggest title at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Aga also had the most consistent year of her career in 2012 as well, and if she carries on in that veint she will be hard to stop, and she can ever upset the big hitters such as Sharapova and Angelique Kerber, which she did last year, with her guile and ingenuity. However Aga lacks the raw power of the big hitters, and she has definitely struggled against Serena and especially Azarenka in the past, so it will be tough for her if she should meet either player to get past them, but you never know. Which brings me to Angelique Kerber who made a meteoric rise in 2012, and also won the most matches out of any female player on the tour last year. Kerber while she isn't quite as big a hitter as Sharapova, Serena or Azarenka, she does have the speed and the agility to take it to any of these players, and she has beaten them all, with the exception of Azarenka. However Kerber's serve is also somewhat inconsistent and she does falter at times on the big points in the big matches, so I think it will tough for her to battle past the big three, but not impossible.
Next up would be Sam Stosur, the Aussie, although she does lack the focus in the big matches at times, and is prone to making errors on her forehand, and she obviously felt the pressure last year going out in the 1st round, with the expectation of winning in Melbourne, after her victory at the 2011 US Open final. And this year she appears to be suffering the same as she has already made first round exits at Brisbane and Sydney on the WTA tour. But if Stosur regroups her game, then she will prove to be very tough to beat, and she has the chance to make a really good run in Melbourne, if she holds her nerve.
And then there is Caroline Wozniacki, who has been up and down of late, and she already suffered (like Stosur) a first round exit at the Brisbane International event last week, but as of this week (updated 07.01.13) she has won her first match of the year against Ursula Radwanska (Aga's younger sister). However Caroline is one of the grittiest competitors in the women's game, and if her game is really on then she will be tough to beat. But she also lacks the raw power to take it to the big hitters, who mostly can overpower her with relative ease. On the tour she has always had an over reliance bringing her dad, Piotr, onto court quite alot, and in the slams the ladies aren't allowed that, so she may also find herself in tight moments where she has to fend for herself without help. However Caroline has shown she can be a tough obstacle to remove especially as she proved against Sharapova last year in Miami, in a tight match, and when she defeated Serena there as well. So while she isn't a top favourite to win there, Caroline still can pose a threat to the other players, but she will have to up her pace and aggression in order to win through.
Then there is Li Na who was of course a finalist at the Australian open two years ago, and she is also a major champion having won the French Open two years ago. However Li Na can also be a bit up and down on the tour, but she is a tough competitor and on form she will be tough to win against. Li has also shown some great form early on in the lead up to Melbourne, as she won a title in China, and is playing well in Sydney. So I think Li could be a real dark horse for the title in Melbourne. Next up is Sara Errani who has also made a name for herself after last year when she reached the final of the French Open, where she lost to Sharapova. Errani is another clever counterpuncher, and she the tools to knock any player off their ryhthym, however she also lacks the raw power of the big hitters, and that's where she comes up short, as proved at the US Open last year, when Serena Williams thumped her in the semis. Nonetheless Errani still managed to reach the quarter finals of Melbourne last year and she is still a danger when she is playing her best.
And finally another potential contender could be Marion Bartoli, who is one of my favourite players on the tour, with her unorthodox style of play and her two handed forehand and backhand. Marion has proven that she can pose a big threat to the top players and she has pretty much beaten all of them at one time or another. And while Marion didn't have the best season last year, she made promising signs in reaching the quarter finals of the US Open in 2012, and defeating Petra Kvitova in the 4th round. Marion has also proven she has the ability to reach the latter stages in a major, having been a former Wimbledon finalist, and she is also one of the best returners in the ladies game. However Marion, while she has improved her fitness, she still lacks the speed of the more agile players on the tour, and her two handed style can hamper her movement on the court, and her ability to reach certain shots. But regardless of that, Marion is still a possible contender and one to watch in Melbourne.
So that's it for the ladies, next up is my look at the men's.
See you in a bit!
So to kick off with the ladies, starting the top favourite, Serena Williams, who has already made a bold statement in saying she is looking to make a clean sweep at the grand slams this year, and go for a calendar slam, by trying to win all four majors. This is quite ambitious even for Serena, but can she do it???? Absolutely, as she is by far the greatest in the ladies game just now, and one of the all time greats, and despite my misgivings about her, I can't deny her talent as a player, and she is more than capable of winning the Australian open, having won the last two slams at Wimbledon and the US Open. And despite the fact she went out in the 4th round last year, I don't think it will happen this year, as she really re-established herself throughout last year, so for me she will be the player to beat.
And the next player to beat after Serena will be Victoria Azarenka, who is also the defending champion, who triumped last year by thrashing Maria Sharapova in straight sets. Victoria had her best season last year, winning 26 consecutive matches at the start of 2012, as well as going on to win big titles such as Indian Wells, Beijing, and additionally winning the Olympic bronze medal in the singles, the gold medal in the mixed doubles. And she is just about the only player who has the chops to actually beat Serena, and she came real close in the US Open final last year, but in doing so, she will have her work cut out. But if by any chance Serena is knocked in Melbourne, I'd peg Vika as the next favourite to win.
Other contenders for the title are of course Maria Sharapova, who is the world No.2 and she without doubt the hardest hitter in the ladies game right, and no doubt she will bludgeon her way past the opposition, that is until she meets Serena and Vika. But it would be mad to write off Sharapova's chances depending on how her draw works out, so she is still a top contender. Next up would be Agneiszka Radwanska who had a great season last year, having reached the final at Wimbledon, and winning her biggest title at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Aga also had the most consistent year of her career in 2012 as well, and if she carries on in that veint she will be hard to stop, and she can ever upset the big hitters such as Sharapova and Angelique Kerber, which she did last year, with her guile and ingenuity. However Aga lacks the raw power of the big hitters, and she has definitely struggled against Serena and especially Azarenka in the past, so it will be tough for her if she should meet either player to get past them, but you never know. Which brings me to Angelique Kerber who made a meteoric rise in 2012, and also won the most matches out of any female player on the tour last year. Kerber while she isn't quite as big a hitter as Sharapova, Serena or Azarenka, she does have the speed and the agility to take it to any of these players, and she has beaten them all, with the exception of Azarenka. However Kerber's serve is also somewhat inconsistent and she does falter at times on the big points in the big matches, so I think it will tough for her to battle past the big three, but not impossible.
Next up would be Sam Stosur, the Aussie, although she does lack the focus in the big matches at times, and is prone to making errors on her forehand, and she obviously felt the pressure last year going out in the 1st round, with the expectation of winning in Melbourne, after her victory at the 2011 US Open final. And this year she appears to be suffering the same as she has already made first round exits at Brisbane and Sydney on the WTA tour. But if Stosur regroups her game, then she will prove to be very tough to beat, and she has the chance to make a really good run in Melbourne, if she holds her nerve.
And then there is Caroline Wozniacki, who has been up and down of late, and she already suffered (like Stosur) a first round exit at the Brisbane International event last week, but as of this week (updated 07.01.13) she has won her first match of the year against Ursula Radwanska (Aga's younger sister). However Caroline is one of the grittiest competitors in the women's game, and if her game is really on then she will be tough to beat. But she also lacks the raw power to take it to the big hitters, who mostly can overpower her with relative ease. On the tour she has always had an over reliance bringing her dad, Piotr, onto court quite alot, and in the slams the ladies aren't allowed that, so she may also find herself in tight moments where she has to fend for herself without help. However Caroline has shown she can be a tough obstacle to remove especially as she proved against Sharapova last year in Miami, in a tight match, and when she defeated Serena there as well. So while she isn't a top favourite to win there, Caroline still can pose a threat to the other players, but she will have to up her pace and aggression in order to win through.
Then there is Li Na who was of course a finalist at the Australian open two years ago, and she is also a major champion having won the French Open two years ago. However Li Na can also be a bit up and down on the tour, but she is a tough competitor and on form she will be tough to win against. Li has also shown some great form early on in the lead up to Melbourne, as she won a title in China, and is playing well in Sydney. So I think Li could be a real dark horse for the title in Melbourne. Next up is Sara Errani who has also made a name for herself after last year when she reached the final of the French Open, where she lost to Sharapova. Errani is another clever counterpuncher, and she the tools to knock any player off their ryhthym, however she also lacks the raw power of the big hitters, and that's where she comes up short, as proved at the US Open last year, when Serena Williams thumped her in the semis. Nonetheless Errani still managed to reach the quarter finals of Melbourne last year and she is still a danger when she is playing her best.
And finally another potential contender could be Marion Bartoli, who is one of my favourite players on the tour, with her unorthodox style of play and her two handed forehand and backhand. Marion has proven that she can pose a big threat to the top players and she has pretty much beaten all of them at one time or another. And while Marion didn't have the best season last year, she made promising signs in reaching the quarter finals of the US Open in 2012, and defeating Petra Kvitova in the 4th round. Marion has also proven she has the ability to reach the latter stages in a major, having been a former Wimbledon finalist, and she is also one of the best returners in the ladies game. However Marion, while she has improved her fitness, she still lacks the speed of the more agile players on the tour, and her two handed style can hamper her movement on the court, and her ability to reach certain shots. But regardless of that, Marion is still a possible contender and one to watch in Melbourne.
So that's it for the ladies, next up is my look at the men's.
See you in a bit!
Monday, 3 December 2012
The Rivalry of 2012
Well the tennis season is over for now, but I can't resist but say a bit more about a rivalry in the men's game that is taking shape very nicely in 2012, and it promises to become an even better one in future years to come. I am talking about the rivlary of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, both men were born in 1987, just separated by a week apart in their age (Andy on 15 May, and Nole on 22 May) and they grew up together on the tour circuit, having met in Spain where they trained with one another and they played friendly rival matches together.
However early on in their rivalry, it was Djokovic that made faster strides in his career as he defeated Andy four times in a row in so many meetings, and he made his breakthrough maiden grand slam victory at the Australian Open back in 2008, after he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final. Djokovic also went on to win the Olympic bronze medal in Beijing and finished the year with victory at the ATP Masters Cup final. However Andy has also had a few one ups over Djokovic in the past, especially when it came to Masters tournaments, as he won his first ever Masters title in Cincinnati in 2008, where he defeated Djokovic in straight sets 7-6, 7-6. He also went on to defeat Djokovic in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in 2009, where he defeated Novak again in straight sets with a 6-2, 7-5 win. It looked to be like they were starting to even out in their rivalry.
In 2011 though Djokovic started his incredible run of form and he made an emphatic statement to the tennis world when he thrashed Andy in straight sets in the Australian Open final, with a bruising 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win. And he carried on with an incredible winning streak that was finally ended by Roger Federer with their thrilling match at the French Open semi final. But during that streak, while Djokovic was demolishing players left, right and centre, there was only one man other than Federer, that came even close to beating him, and that was Andy Murray. This was highlighted in one of the best matches of 2011, where Andy and Novak faced each other in a 3 hour battle at the Rome Masters semi final. In the match Andy fought back from a set down to level the match, and he at one point in the 3rd was even serving for it, although a loose service game let Djokovic back in, and before we knew it the Serb emerged victorious yet again. But in this match this is where we saw their rivalry start to really take shape and showed us all glimpses of what could be in the future, as it was toe to toe stuff, and it also showed just how good Andy Murray really could be.
After this match however the two men would not meet again until the Cincinnati masters final, where it promised to be another cracking match. Unfortunately though, after a promising 1st set, Djokovic succumbed to injury as he was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury, which saw Andy lift his second title in Cincinnati. It could have been a great match and it was disappointing to see it end the way it did, and after this the two men would not play again until 2012. And what little did we know we would all soon by in for a treat.
When 2012 kicked off, Andy had appointed his new full time coach, Ivan Lendl, who helped him immensely throughout the year with his mental focus and on improving his consistency as a player. So when the first grand slam of the season came along, the Australian open in Melbounre, Andy and Novak were drawn on the same side together, and there were probably underlying fears that it would be the same story as last year. However their semi final proved to be anything but, as we suddenly saw an Andy Murray we had never seen before, as he really took it to Djokovic and pushed him to the limit over 5 sets, before falling to the Serb once again. It was a tough loss, coming so close, but it showed that Andy was getting that bit closer, and that as a player, he had finally turned a corner. Novak himself would then go and win his 3rd Australian open title by beating Nadal in an incredible 6 hour long 5 set epic, which considering the fact he had just played a five hour match with Andy, showed incredible almost superhuman endurance from the Serb.
As 2012 carried on, Andy and Novak met up again, and this time it was Andy that got his revenge in Dubai, as he snapped Nole's three year winning streak at the event, and beat him for the first time in a proper full match since the Sony Ericsson Open final back in 2009! Again we saw Andy step it up as a player, playing really aggressively and taking it to Djokovic all the way, breaking him twice in the opening set, and making the decisive break in the 2nd set to clinch the victory, although he would go on to lose to Federer in the final. In March 2012, Andy and Nole faced each other again in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open, except this time the tables were turned, as it was Nole that emerged the victor, playing the better tennis by far, and he won the title without even dropping a set! After such a momentous match in Melbourne it was a bit of letdown this one, but the two men still traded some great rallies in the 2nd set. Again we saw just how Novak was and is one of the greatest hard court players to have played the game, and that he was fast emerging as one of the all time great players also.
Their next meeting wasn't until August at the Olympics, in which they played a terrific and exciting match in front of a full capacity crowd on centre court at Wimbledon. Throughout the match Andy played his best tennis, but Nole put up some great resistance, but despite his best efforts, he was unable to break down Andy's defences, and his dream to win the Olympic gold medal was shattered after Andy defeated the Serb in straight sets to reach the final. This showed Andy's growing maturity as a player, and his ability to handle playing the big matches and the big points superbly, especially as he took one step closer to realising one of his dreams as an athlete to win an Olympic medal for his country. And after this they met in the momentous final of the US Open, the last grand slam of the season, in which the two men faced off each other in an epic battle on Arthur Ashe stadium. The windy conditions at times took away the ryhthym of the play, and made it sluggish to watch as well at points, but there were also some terrific moments and great points from both players. And in this match we saw again Andy Murray's sheer determination and self belief really come through, as he finally achieved his main goal to win a grand slam title, and beating one of the best players to have played the game in doing so. In this match, Andy really showed that he truly is one of the top four, and not like as the cynics might have said, the top three and Andy, in this tournamnet, he made that leap and surely more grand slams will follow.
In their penultimate meeting of the year in the Shanghai Rolex Masters final, the two men played their best match of the year, which was also arguably the match of the year, which saw Nole triumph, coming from a set down and saving 5 match points against Andy. In this final, we saw Andy and Novak's rival really blossom into something special and amazing to watch, as both men traded some incredible points, and produced some magnificent shot making which stunned the Chinese crowd. It was a match that was almost good enough to eclipse anything that Roger and Rafa have served up over the years together in their rivalry. It was also such a great match simply because it was so entertaining as well as enthralling, and there was alot of fun to be had watching these two men at the peak of their games. And in their final match of the year at the ATP world tour finals in London's o2 Arena, both men yet again put on a terrific display of exciting and aggressive tennis for the fans. And despite Andy's best efforts, it was Novak that won again, as he firmly re-established his foothold as the world's best player, and he went on to win the title there, by dethroning Roger Federer in the final. And the only set he conceded in the whole tournament was when he played Andy Murray in their match.
So there you go, in 2012 men's tennis has really been given something fresh and exciting to watch in the growing rivalry of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Based on what we've seen this year, their rivalry promises to get even better in 2013, which is scary thought when you think about it, as what we have seen this year has been astounding. And hopefully next year we will see Andy and Novak fighting it out in at least one of the grand slam finals of the season, and here's hoping that the Scot will have a chance to win one more, and no doubt Nole will win at least one too (maybe even all four!). So let's hope in 2013 we continue to see the building up of an incredible contest between two friends and two superb competitors, which will hopefully become one of the best rivalries in the history of tennis. And if it carries on like it has, there's no doubt it will.
And on that note, I will leave it there for now.
However early on in their rivalry, it was Djokovic that made faster strides in his career as he defeated Andy four times in a row in so many meetings, and he made his breakthrough maiden grand slam victory at the Australian Open back in 2008, after he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final. Djokovic also went on to win the Olympic bronze medal in Beijing and finished the year with victory at the ATP Masters Cup final. However Andy has also had a few one ups over Djokovic in the past, especially when it came to Masters tournaments, as he won his first ever Masters title in Cincinnati in 2008, where he defeated Djokovic in straight sets 7-6, 7-6. He also went on to defeat Djokovic in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in 2009, where he defeated Novak again in straight sets with a 6-2, 7-5 win. It looked to be like they were starting to even out in their rivalry.
In 2011 though Djokovic started his incredible run of form and he made an emphatic statement to the tennis world when he thrashed Andy in straight sets in the Australian Open final, with a bruising 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win. And he carried on with an incredible winning streak that was finally ended by Roger Federer with their thrilling match at the French Open semi final. But during that streak, while Djokovic was demolishing players left, right and centre, there was only one man other than Federer, that came even close to beating him, and that was Andy Murray. This was highlighted in one of the best matches of 2011, where Andy and Novak faced each other in a 3 hour battle at the Rome Masters semi final. In the match Andy fought back from a set down to level the match, and he at one point in the 3rd was even serving for it, although a loose service game let Djokovic back in, and before we knew it the Serb emerged victorious yet again. But in this match this is where we saw their rivalry start to really take shape and showed us all glimpses of what could be in the future, as it was toe to toe stuff, and it also showed just how good Andy Murray really could be.
After this match however the two men would not meet again until the Cincinnati masters final, where it promised to be another cracking match. Unfortunately though, after a promising 1st set, Djokovic succumbed to injury as he was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury, which saw Andy lift his second title in Cincinnati. It could have been a great match and it was disappointing to see it end the way it did, and after this the two men would not play again until 2012. And what little did we know we would all soon by in for a treat.
When 2012 kicked off, Andy had appointed his new full time coach, Ivan Lendl, who helped him immensely throughout the year with his mental focus and on improving his consistency as a player. So when the first grand slam of the season came along, the Australian open in Melbounre, Andy and Novak were drawn on the same side together, and there were probably underlying fears that it would be the same story as last year. However their semi final proved to be anything but, as we suddenly saw an Andy Murray we had never seen before, as he really took it to Djokovic and pushed him to the limit over 5 sets, before falling to the Serb once again. It was a tough loss, coming so close, but it showed that Andy was getting that bit closer, and that as a player, he had finally turned a corner. Novak himself would then go and win his 3rd Australian open title by beating Nadal in an incredible 6 hour long 5 set epic, which considering the fact he had just played a five hour match with Andy, showed incredible almost superhuman endurance from the Serb.
As 2012 carried on, Andy and Novak met up again, and this time it was Andy that got his revenge in Dubai, as he snapped Nole's three year winning streak at the event, and beat him for the first time in a proper full match since the Sony Ericsson Open final back in 2009! Again we saw Andy step it up as a player, playing really aggressively and taking it to Djokovic all the way, breaking him twice in the opening set, and making the decisive break in the 2nd set to clinch the victory, although he would go on to lose to Federer in the final. In March 2012, Andy and Nole faced each other again in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open, except this time the tables were turned, as it was Nole that emerged the victor, playing the better tennis by far, and he won the title without even dropping a set! After such a momentous match in Melbourne it was a bit of letdown this one, but the two men still traded some great rallies in the 2nd set. Again we saw just how Novak was and is one of the greatest hard court players to have played the game, and that he was fast emerging as one of the all time great players also.
Their next meeting wasn't until August at the Olympics, in which they played a terrific and exciting match in front of a full capacity crowd on centre court at Wimbledon. Throughout the match Andy played his best tennis, but Nole put up some great resistance, but despite his best efforts, he was unable to break down Andy's defences, and his dream to win the Olympic gold medal was shattered after Andy defeated the Serb in straight sets to reach the final. This showed Andy's growing maturity as a player, and his ability to handle playing the big matches and the big points superbly, especially as he took one step closer to realising one of his dreams as an athlete to win an Olympic medal for his country. And after this they met in the momentous final of the US Open, the last grand slam of the season, in which the two men faced off each other in an epic battle on Arthur Ashe stadium. The windy conditions at times took away the ryhthym of the play, and made it sluggish to watch as well at points, but there were also some terrific moments and great points from both players. And in this match we saw again Andy Murray's sheer determination and self belief really come through, as he finally achieved his main goal to win a grand slam title, and beating one of the best players to have played the game in doing so. In this match, Andy really showed that he truly is one of the top four, and not like as the cynics might have said, the top three and Andy, in this tournamnet, he made that leap and surely more grand slams will follow.
In their penultimate meeting of the year in the Shanghai Rolex Masters final, the two men played their best match of the year, which was also arguably the match of the year, which saw Nole triumph, coming from a set down and saving 5 match points against Andy. In this final, we saw Andy and Novak's rival really blossom into something special and amazing to watch, as both men traded some incredible points, and produced some magnificent shot making which stunned the Chinese crowd. It was a match that was almost good enough to eclipse anything that Roger and Rafa have served up over the years together in their rivalry. It was also such a great match simply because it was so entertaining as well as enthralling, and there was alot of fun to be had watching these two men at the peak of their games. And in their final match of the year at the ATP world tour finals in London's o2 Arena, both men yet again put on a terrific display of exciting and aggressive tennis for the fans. And despite Andy's best efforts, it was Novak that won again, as he firmly re-established his foothold as the world's best player, and he went on to win the title there, by dethroning Roger Federer in the final. And the only set he conceded in the whole tournament was when he played Andy Murray in their match.
So there you go, in 2012 men's tennis has really been given something fresh and exciting to watch in the growing rivalry of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Based on what we've seen this year, their rivalry promises to get even better in 2013, which is scary thought when you think about it, as what we have seen this year has been astounding. And hopefully next year we will see Andy and Novak fighting it out in at least one of the grand slam finals of the season, and here's hoping that the Scot will have a chance to win one more, and no doubt Nole will win at least one too (maybe even all four!). So let's hope in 2013 we continue to see the building up of an incredible contest between two friends and two superb competitors, which will hopefully become one of the best rivalries in the history of tennis. And if it carries on like it has, there's no doubt it will.
And on that note, I will leave it there for now.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Top 10 WTA/Grand slams matches of 2012: Part 2
OK so now onto Part 2 of my top 10 favourite matches from the WTA tour and I think I've hopefully picked some of the best uns of the year, as there is definitely plenty of great tennis to be found in them, so here we go from 5 down to 1.....
5. US Open quarter final, Victoria Azarenka d. Sam Stosur, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(5).
This quarter final clash between Vika and Sam Stosur had mixed expectations, especially since Stosur had never beaten Victoria, and had not even managed to take a set off her (I think!) especially as their last meeting in Doha earlier this year was a thrashing for Stosur. However this match proved quite the opposite, with Sam, the defending champion, giving her all to try and hold onto her title. After a very one-sided first set to Victoria, this looked like yet another routine straight set win, however things soon changed in the 2nd set as Sam rose her game and broke Victoria to go and win her first ever set against the Belarusian. In the 3rd set the players traded breaks (as is quite often the case in these sorts of matches!) but they both eventually wound up even pegged as the match went into its deciding tiebreak. But in the breaker, Azrenka re-established her authority and took the crucial minibreak to seal the deal after an exhaustive 2 hours and 24 minutes. Despite the fears of this being a doddle for Victoria, it was a pleasant surprise that it turned into quite an epic struggle for them both, and Stosur also deserves alot of credit for pushing Azarenka as hard as she did, especially in taking her first ever set off the World No.1, and it was a pity her title defence ended, but at least she went out with a bang and not one of those whipers. Great stuff.
4. Kremlin cup final, Caroline Wozniacki d. Sam Stosur, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
In the Kremlin cup final we were given a real treat, despite the asbence of the top 8 players, who all took the week to prep for the WTA Championships, instead we had the World No.9, Sam Stosur, and the former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki (now World No.11) go at it for the Kremlin cup. From the start of the match, Caroline played some effective and aggressive tennis, breaking Stosur twice to go and clinch the opening set. In the second however, the play dipped a little as both players traded breaks, but Stosur raised her level and managed to hold onto her serve to finally get the break she needed to bag the 2nd set, to level things at a set apiece. And in the 3rd and final set, the tennis increased in quality dramatically, and although Caroline went a break down straight away, she soon broke back, and after that it was all good as both women fought it out to try and win the title. And at 6-5, with Sam serving to take the match to a final tiebreak, it was Caroline that took the initiative and broke Sam for the last time to grab her 2nd title of the year, and end it on a real high note with an important victory, which saw her re-establish herself as a top player. This was a great match and despite the odd dip here and there, it got better and better as it went on, and it was terrific to see Caroline get back on form, as she looked like a revitalised player, especially after struggling for the most part of 2012, she turned it around and has become a more aggressive player who is willing to take it on more. As for Stosur, well it was a pity she lost, as she had her chances in that 3rd set, especially as she was a break up and she nearlt was in a position to serve it out but unfortunately she just wasn't able to take her chances. But regardless of that, it was a great final in the last Premier event of the WTA tour in 2012.
3. US Open final, Serena Williams d. Victoria Azarenka, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
In recent years, the US Open ladies finals have generally always been won in straight sets, so it was a breath of fresh air, that for the first time in 16 years, we finally got a 3 setter, and it couldn't have featured two better players than here, with Serena going for her 4th US Open title, and Victoria her first. The match started off with Serena, who had been in imperious form throughout the tournament, serving with effortless ease and precision, as she broke Victoria twice in the opening set. In the 2nd set however, we had a rare turnaround as Serena's level dipped as she struggled with her serve, and Vika took the initiative to break her twice and getting her own back to grab the 2nd set she won against her in all their meetings. In the decider Vika managed to break Serena again, and it looked like things were going to go her way as she had a chance to serve for the title at 5-4, but then Serena showed her grit and went on to break her back to level 5-5. And after an effortless hold for Serena, Vika struggled with hers and in the end it was the American who went on to shut down the World No.1, winning her 4th US Open title. This was a great final for the last grand slam of the year, and it was great to see it be the longest ladies final in the last couple of years, clocking in at just under 2 hours and 20 minutes (which is long for a ladies final trust me!). The level of play from both women was great for the most part of the match, and it just went to prove that even though Serena isn't still yet the World No.1 in the rankings, she is very much the World No.1 for real. And despite Azarenka's loss, it showed she is the best player in the world next to Serena and hopefully they will continue many more high quality matches like this one in the future.
2. French Open 1st round, Virginie Razzano d. Serena Williams, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Over the years tennis has had some great upsets in the history of the sport, however they didn't get much bigger than this one, when at the French Open, despite going in as the hot favourite to win it, Serena went on in a shock first round defeat to a home players, Virginie Razzano, who was then ranked 111 in the world. In the match, Serena came in off having just won 17 matches in a row, and on paper this sounded like a doddle for the former champion. But Razzano had other ideas as she put up an incredible fight against Serena, coming from a set down she went on to level the scores at a set all. And something appeared to be really up with Serena emotionally, as she cried at certain points in the match, and she went 5-0 down, before fighting back to win the next 3 games. But the last game of the match was an unbelievable effort from Razzanno, who not only battled Serena but also cramp, as she was even docked a couple of points for crying out during points from the pain. However none of this dampened her spirits, as the racuous French crowd backed their player to win the match, and after 8 match points she did just that and pulled one of the biggest upsets in the history of tennis by defeating Serena Williams. This was a superb match, not only for its incredible play from the Razzano but also the amazing atmosphere, generated by the French crowd, who were naturally very partisan. Serena showed some uncharaceristic signs of crumbling throughout but she also did her best given the circumstances to hang in there as long as she could, especially against an inspired opponent. But it was Razzano's match and no doubt its one she will never forget, just like I'm sure Lukas Rosol won't have at Wimbledon, who defeated Rafa in another big upset. Wonderful stuff.
1. WTA Championships round robin, Victoria Azarenka d. Angelique Kerber, 7-6(13-11), 6-7(2-7), 6-4.
In the last WTA event of the season, featuring the top 8 players in the world, it was an event that needed some real top tennis to suit it, and they sure got it in this match, which for me is undisputedly the ladies match of 2012. The first set alone featured some of the greatest tennis you will ever see from anyone on a tennis court, as neither player held back and went for their shots, and the 1st set tiebreak, was nothing short of astonishing, which Kerber won. In the 2nd set it was even pegged again, with both players fighting hard, and in the 2nd tiebreak, Vika levelled the scores to one set all. In the final set though, it was Azarenka that made the vital break and went on to serve out a classic match after an epic 3 hour 6 minute slog. If there was ever an advert for the quality of women's tennis, then this match would be it, as the level from both players was simply staggering, the first set particularly has to rank as one of the finest sets on a tennis court. Keber once again showed why she is in the the top ten as she gave it her all to stay in the match and fought to the end. And as for Victoria well it showed once again her fighting spirit and champion qualities, who surely will go on to become a multiple grand slam champion in the future, and she is also great to watch in action (even despite her opera-esque grunting!). Just terrific stuff all round, and a great way to round off anyone's top 10 (and if it isn't anyone elses, then there's something wrong with them. Just kidding!) ;-).
So that's it for my top 10 list of the best ladies matches from the WTA tour and the grand slams this year. Hope its been enjoyable.
Until the next post, bye the now.
5. US Open quarter final, Victoria Azarenka d. Sam Stosur, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(5).
This quarter final clash between Vika and Sam Stosur had mixed expectations, especially since Stosur had never beaten Victoria, and had not even managed to take a set off her (I think!) especially as their last meeting in Doha earlier this year was a thrashing for Stosur. However this match proved quite the opposite, with Sam, the defending champion, giving her all to try and hold onto her title. After a very one-sided first set to Victoria, this looked like yet another routine straight set win, however things soon changed in the 2nd set as Sam rose her game and broke Victoria to go and win her first ever set against the Belarusian. In the 3rd set the players traded breaks (as is quite often the case in these sorts of matches!) but they both eventually wound up even pegged as the match went into its deciding tiebreak. But in the breaker, Azrenka re-established her authority and took the crucial minibreak to seal the deal after an exhaustive 2 hours and 24 minutes. Despite the fears of this being a doddle for Victoria, it was a pleasant surprise that it turned into quite an epic struggle for them both, and Stosur also deserves alot of credit for pushing Azarenka as hard as she did, especially in taking her first ever set off the World No.1, and it was a pity her title defence ended, but at least she went out with a bang and not one of those whipers. Great stuff.
4. Kremlin cup final, Caroline Wozniacki d. Sam Stosur, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
In the Kremlin cup final we were given a real treat, despite the asbence of the top 8 players, who all took the week to prep for the WTA Championships, instead we had the World No.9, Sam Stosur, and the former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki (now World No.11) go at it for the Kremlin cup. From the start of the match, Caroline played some effective and aggressive tennis, breaking Stosur twice to go and clinch the opening set. In the second however, the play dipped a little as both players traded breaks, but Stosur raised her level and managed to hold onto her serve to finally get the break she needed to bag the 2nd set, to level things at a set apiece. And in the 3rd and final set, the tennis increased in quality dramatically, and although Caroline went a break down straight away, she soon broke back, and after that it was all good as both women fought it out to try and win the title. And at 6-5, with Sam serving to take the match to a final tiebreak, it was Caroline that took the initiative and broke Sam for the last time to grab her 2nd title of the year, and end it on a real high note with an important victory, which saw her re-establish herself as a top player. This was a great match and despite the odd dip here and there, it got better and better as it went on, and it was terrific to see Caroline get back on form, as she looked like a revitalised player, especially after struggling for the most part of 2012, she turned it around and has become a more aggressive player who is willing to take it on more. As for Stosur, well it was a pity she lost, as she had her chances in that 3rd set, especially as she was a break up and she nearlt was in a position to serve it out but unfortunately she just wasn't able to take her chances. But regardless of that, it was a great final in the last Premier event of the WTA tour in 2012.
3. US Open final, Serena Williams d. Victoria Azarenka, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
In recent years, the US Open ladies finals have generally always been won in straight sets, so it was a breath of fresh air, that for the first time in 16 years, we finally got a 3 setter, and it couldn't have featured two better players than here, with Serena going for her 4th US Open title, and Victoria her first. The match started off with Serena, who had been in imperious form throughout the tournament, serving with effortless ease and precision, as she broke Victoria twice in the opening set. In the 2nd set however, we had a rare turnaround as Serena's level dipped as she struggled with her serve, and Vika took the initiative to break her twice and getting her own back to grab the 2nd set she won against her in all their meetings. In the decider Vika managed to break Serena again, and it looked like things were going to go her way as she had a chance to serve for the title at 5-4, but then Serena showed her grit and went on to break her back to level 5-5. And after an effortless hold for Serena, Vika struggled with hers and in the end it was the American who went on to shut down the World No.1, winning her 4th US Open title. This was a great final for the last grand slam of the year, and it was great to see it be the longest ladies final in the last couple of years, clocking in at just under 2 hours and 20 minutes (which is long for a ladies final trust me!). The level of play from both women was great for the most part of the match, and it just went to prove that even though Serena isn't still yet the World No.1 in the rankings, she is very much the World No.1 for real. And despite Azarenka's loss, it showed she is the best player in the world next to Serena and hopefully they will continue many more high quality matches like this one in the future.
2. French Open 1st round, Virginie Razzano d. Serena Williams, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Over the years tennis has had some great upsets in the history of the sport, however they didn't get much bigger than this one, when at the French Open, despite going in as the hot favourite to win it, Serena went on in a shock first round defeat to a home players, Virginie Razzano, who was then ranked 111 in the world. In the match, Serena came in off having just won 17 matches in a row, and on paper this sounded like a doddle for the former champion. But Razzano had other ideas as she put up an incredible fight against Serena, coming from a set down she went on to level the scores at a set all. And something appeared to be really up with Serena emotionally, as she cried at certain points in the match, and she went 5-0 down, before fighting back to win the next 3 games. But the last game of the match was an unbelievable effort from Razzanno, who not only battled Serena but also cramp, as she was even docked a couple of points for crying out during points from the pain. However none of this dampened her spirits, as the racuous French crowd backed their player to win the match, and after 8 match points she did just that and pulled one of the biggest upsets in the history of tennis by defeating Serena Williams. This was a superb match, not only for its incredible play from the Razzano but also the amazing atmosphere, generated by the French crowd, who were naturally very partisan. Serena showed some uncharaceristic signs of crumbling throughout but she also did her best given the circumstances to hang in there as long as she could, especially against an inspired opponent. But it was Razzano's match and no doubt its one she will never forget, just like I'm sure Lukas Rosol won't have at Wimbledon, who defeated Rafa in another big upset. Wonderful stuff.
1. WTA Championships round robin, Victoria Azarenka d. Angelique Kerber, 7-6(13-11), 6-7(2-7), 6-4.
In the last WTA event of the season, featuring the top 8 players in the world, it was an event that needed some real top tennis to suit it, and they sure got it in this match, which for me is undisputedly the ladies match of 2012. The first set alone featured some of the greatest tennis you will ever see from anyone on a tennis court, as neither player held back and went for their shots, and the 1st set tiebreak, was nothing short of astonishing, which Kerber won. In the 2nd set it was even pegged again, with both players fighting hard, and in the 2nd tiebreak, Vika levelled the scores to one set all. In the final set though, it was Azarenka that made the vital break and went on to serve out a classic match after an epic 3 hour 6 minute slog. If there was ever an advert for the quality of women's tennis, then this match would be it, as the level from both players was simply staggering, the first set particularly has to rank as one of the finest sets on a tennis court. Keber once again showed why she is in the the top ten as she gave it her all to stay in the match and fought to the end. And as for Victoria well it showed once again her fighting spirit and champion qualities, who surely will go on to become a multiple grand slam champion in the future, and she is also great to watch in action (even despite her opera-esque grunting!). Just terrific stuff all round, and a great way to round off anyone's top 10 (and if it isn't anyone elses, then there's something wrong with them. Just kidding!) ;-).
So that's it for my top 10 list of the best ladies matches from the WTA tour and the grand slams this year. Hope its been enjoyable.
Until the next post, bye the now.
Top 10 WTA/Grand slam matches of 2012 Part 1:
Right well I've done enough on the guys best matches of the year, now I thought I would so something on the ladies, as there have been plenty of excellent matches this season with some incredible stuff throughout. Because I thought I would combine all the surfaces to avoid having to do a separate post each and instead I've picked 10 matches throughout the year, so this post will be in two parts, for the top 10-6, and then 5-1 (you get the idea). Right with no further ados, let's get on with it. By the way this is going to be tough and take some digging arounf but hopefully I'll get there!
10. Sony Ericsson Open 4th round, Victoria Azarenka d. Dominika Cibulkova, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.
This was quite an extarordinary match to open the proceedings with as Vika came into this match on an unbeaten 25 match winning streak, as she appeared to be doing a Djokovic. However the first real signs of her fatigue started to set in, in this match, as Victoria struggled badly on her serve, whereas Cibulkova started off the match with some amazing tennis, blasting winners left, right and centre off Victoria's ailing serve and return game, as she confidently went on to take the first set 6-1. In the 2nd set, it was more of the same where Vika struggled with herself on court, showing signs of emotion (nearly in tears at one point) and she went a double break down. However it wasn't before long with Cibulkova serving for the match to end Vika's unbeaten run at 5-1, that Vika broke back and rattled off the next 4 games to level the score, and the 2nd went to a tiebreak, which Vika eventually won to take the match into the decider. In the decider both players traded breaks with Cibulkova still game throughout, however she eventually faltered on serve at 5-6 to hand Vika her 26th match in of the season, after an incredibly hard fought 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 win. This really was quite a Houdini-esque performance from Victoria Azarenka here, as she clearly for the first half of the match struggled with her emotions on court, as well as feeling the fatigue of her success. But the tennis from Cibulkova was superb for the most part, especially the aggressive way she went about it, and she came mighty close to ending Vika's winning streak, but she just came up short at the very end. But she did the hard work to try and end the run, but in the next match it was Bartoli that finished her off, but that's another match and another post, and this was a great one to start with.
9. Wimbledon 1st round, Tamira Paszek d. Caroline Wozniacki, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
In a first round match in a grand slam, its quite common that you can get some incredible encounters, and this one certainly fit the bill, as the former World No.1, who came into this tournament having suffered a serious slump in her form took on the in form Tamira Paszek, who had just won her grass court title in Eastbourne the week before. The quality play throughout the match was excellent and Caroline got off to a stronger start by sealing a break at 6-5 to take the first set. In the 2nd set the high quality play continued as it was even pegged and play went into a tiebreak, with Tamira's tenacity seeing her come through to level the match. In the 3rd set however, Tamira got the break to go 5-3 up, but not before Caroline broke back to make it 4-5, but on her next service game it was Tammy's aggressive play that saw her edge the Wozza and to take her place in the 2nd round after a terrific 3 set battle. This was an exciting match especially, and as can be the case the 1st round matches can sometimes even prove to be the best, and Tamira Paszek showed throughout just how good a player she can be, and she then went on to reach the quarter finals before falling to Victoria Azarenka. As for Caroline, well unfortunately, despite her quality of play, it saw her with her earliest exit from grand slam in a few years, and afterwards saw her form dimish further, as she clearly was outhit by Paszek's aggressive groundstrokes here. Regardless however overall this was quite a match and well worth catching the highlights if you haven't already seen it.
8. Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome Open) final, Maria Sharapova d. Li Na, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).
The final of the Rome Open (which let's face it is easier to type than the Italian version above!) was between two big hitters, the former French Open champion Li Na, and Maria Sharapova, so you could expect some real brutal rallies. And we certainly got plenty of those, and despite the up and down standard of the tennis, partly due to the heavy rainfall, it remains a fascinating battle between two French champions (Li last year, and Sharapova this year). With Sharapova's form going up and down at certain moments, Li Na played the better tennis in the first set, breaking to get the 1st set. In the 2nd set however, Sharapova showed her warrior qualities and battled back from 4-1 down, to eventually go on close the set to level. In the 3rd set it was more topsy turvey but it remained an intruiging watch, and the level of play rose as it went on, with a terrific game from Sharapova who faced a couple of match points, which she saved with some gutsy returning. The 3rd set tiebreak finally saw after a massive see-saw, Sharapova triumph winning the breaker 7-5, both women shared a laugh at the net as they couldn't believe the swings and roundabouts they faced in this remarkble match.
7. Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart quarter final, Victoria Azarenka d. Mona Barthel, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 7-5.
In 2012, Victoria Azarenka had her fair share of battles with some players, but this one came just about as close any of them ever could against the talented and rising German star, Mona Barthel, who played the World No.1 on her home soil (or clay to be accurate). The quality of play throughout this match was stunning, particularly from Barthel, whom despite some erratic serving, blasted 61 winners past Azarenka as she played at full throttle. But Victoria showed her just why she is the World No.1 as she dug deep against the in form German an eventually made her to way to victory, with the help of a double fault from Mona, who capitulated on serve at 5-6 to try and take the match into a final set tiebreak. The Porsche tennis grand prix WTA event has often proved to be popular with the ladies players on tour and its easy to see why in this match, and the home crowd also provided a terrific atmosphere for this match, with its incredible twists and turns, it ranks as one of the most entertaining of the year, and also how Mona Barthel is definitely a player to watch in the future.
6. 2012 Wimbledon quarter final, Angelique Kerber d. Sabine Lisicki, 6-3, 6(7)-7(9), 7-5.
The final 8 at Wimbledon in the ladies or the mens matches always promises to provide some really exciting tennis and this match undoubtely provided exactly as the top two German players hammered it out to reach the semi finals in epic clash. It was Kerber that made the better start as she broke Lisicki to go a set up in the first, however after going a break down in the 2nd, Lisicki fought her way back into the match and took the 2nd set to a tiebreak, where they traded breaks and it was Lisicki who pushed it to a 3rd set. In the 3rd there were more breaks of serve with Liscki finally getting a chance to serve it out for a place in the semis at 5-3, however she wasn't able to close it out as Kerber managed to break to get back on serve, who eventually broke Lisicki to go 6-5, and went on to seal the deal to reach her first Wimbledon semi final. This was a terrific battle from both players, under the closed roof of centre court, and neither player for the most part giving the other an inch, and it was an impressive fightback also from Lisicki after being a set down. But it just shows how good a player Angelique Kerber has become in 2012, as she has reached a career high No.5 in the world, and in this match she showed just why she is in the top 10.
Right so that's it for Part 1, Part 2 is on the way!
10. Sony Ericsson Open 4th round, Victoria Azarenka d. Dominika Cibulkova, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.
This was quite an extarordinary match to open the proceedings with as Vika came into this match on an unbeaten 25 match winning streak, as she appeared to be doing a Djokovic. However the first real signs of her fatigue started to set in, in this match, as Victoria struggled badly on her serve, whereas Cibulkova started off the match with some amazing tennis, blasting winners left, right and centre off Victoria's ailing serve and return game, as she confidently went on to take the first set 6-1. In the 2nd set, it was more of the same where Vika struggled with herself on court, showing signs of emotion (nearly in tears at one point) and she went a double break down. However it wasn't before long with Cibulkova serving for the match to end Vika's unbeaten run at 5-1, that Vika broke back and rattled off the next 4 games to level the score, and the 2nd went to a tiebreak, which Vika eventually won to take the match into the decider. In the decider both players traded breaks with Cibulkova still game throughout, however she eventually faltered on serve at 5-6 to hand Vika her 26th match in of the season, after an incredibly hard fought 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 win. This really was quite a Houdini-esque performance from Victoria Azarenka here, as she clearly for the first half of the match struggled with her emotions on court, as well as feeling the fatigue of her success. But the tennis from Cibulkova was superb for the most part, especially the aggressive way she went about it, and she came mighty close to ending Vika's winning streak, but she just came up short at the very end. But she did the hard work to try and end the run, but in the next match it was Bartoli that finished her off, but that's another match and another post, and this was a great one to start with.
9. Wimbledon 1st round, Tamira Paszek d. Caroline Wozniacki, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
In a first round match in a grand slam, its quite common that you can get some incredible encounters, and this one certainly fit the bill, as the former World No.1, who came into this tournament having suffered a serious slump in her form took on the in form Tamira Paszek, who had just won her grass court title in Eastbourne the week before. The quality play throughout the match was excellent and Caroline got off to a stronger start by sealing a break at 6-5 to take the first set. In the 2nd set the high quality play continued as it was even pegged and play went into a tiebreak, with Tamira's tenacity seeing her come through to level the match. In the 3rd set however, Tamira got the break to go 5-3 up, but not before Caroline broke back to make it 4-5, but on her next service game it was Tammy's aggressive play that saw her edge the Wozza and to take her place in the 2nd round after a terrific 3 set battle. This was an exciting match especially, and as can be the case the 1st round matches can sometimes even prove to be the best, and Tamira Paszek showed throughout just how good a player she can be, and she then went on to reach the quarter finals before falling to Victoria Azarenka. As for Caroline, well unfortunately, despite her quality of play, it saw her with her earliest exit from grand slam in a few years, and afterwards saw her form dimish further, as she clearly was outhit by Paszek's aggressive groundstrokes here. Regardless however overall this was quite a match and well worth catching the highlights if you haven't already seen it.
8. Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome Open) final, Maria Sharapova d. Li Na, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).
The final of the Rome Open (which let's face it is easier to type than the Italian version above!) was between two big hitters, the former French Open champion Li Na, and Maria Sharapova, so you could expect some real brutal rallies. And we certainly got plenty of those, and despite the up and down standard of the tennis, partly due to the heavy rainfall, it remains a fascinating battle between two French champions (Li last year, and Sharapova this year). With Sharapova's form going up and down at certain moments, Li Na played the better tennis in the first set, breaking to get the 1st set. In the 2nd set however, Sharapova showed her warrior qualities and battled back from 4-1 down, to eventually go on close the set to level. In the 3rd set it was more topsy turvey but it remained an intruiging watch, and the level of play rose as it went on, with a terrific game from Sharapova who faced a couple of match points, which she saved with some gutsy returning. The 3rd set tiebreak finally saw after a massive see-saw, Sharapova triumph winning the breaker 7-5, both women shared a laugh at the net as they couldn't believe the swings and roundabouts they faced in this remarkble match.
7. Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart quarter final, Victoria Azarenka d. Mona Barthel, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 7-5.
In 2012, Victoria Azarenka had her fair share of battles with some players, but this one came just about as close any of them ever could against the talented and rising German star, Mona Barthel, who played the World No.1 on her home soil (or clay to be accurate). The quality of play throughout this match was stunning, particularly from Barthel, whom despite some erratic serving, blasted 61 winners past Azarenka as she played at full throttle. But Victoria showed her just why she is the World No.1 as she dug deep against the in form German an eventually made her to way to victory, with the help of a double fault from Mona, who capitulated on serve at 5-6 to try and take the match into a final set tiebreak. The Porsche tennis grand prix WTA event has often proved to be popular with the ladies players on tour and its easy to see why in this match, and the home crowd also provided a terrific atmosphere for this match, with its incredible twists and turns, it ranks as one of the most entertaining of the year, and also how Mona Barthel is definitely a player to watch in the future.
6. 2012 Wimbledon quarter final, Angelique Kerber d. Sabine Lisicki, 6-3, 6(7)-7(9), 7-5.
The final 8 at Wimbledon in the ladies or the mens matches always promises to provide some really exciting tennis and this match undoubtely provided exactly as the top two German players hammered it out to reach the semi finals in epic clash. It was Kerber that made the better start as she broke Lisicki to go a set up in the first, however after going a break down in the 2nd, Lisicki fought her way back into the match and took the 2nd set to a tiebreak, where they traded breaks and it was Lisicki who pushed it to a 3rd set. In the 3rd there were more breaks of serve with Liscki finally getting a chance to serve it out for a place in the semis at 5-3, however she wasn't able to close it out as Kerber managed to break to get back on serve, who eventually broke Lisicki to go 6-5, and went on to seal the deal to reach her first Wimbledon semi final. This was a terrific battle from both players, under the closed roof of centre court, and neither player for the most part giving the other an inch, and it was an impressive fightback also from Lisicki after being a set down. But it just shows how good a player Angelique Kerber has become in 2012, as she has reached a career high No.5 in the world, and in this match she showed just why she is in the top 10.
Right so that's it for Part 1, Part 2 is on the way!
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
ATP Best Hard Court Matches of 2012
OK the tennis season maybe as good as over (bar the Davis cup) but I couldn't resist but look back at some of my favourite matches from this year from the hard court season. I've already done grass and clay, but as the hard court season continues after Wimbledon I thought I would update it a bit. So here they are....
5. ATP World Tour Finals final, Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer, 7-6(6), 7-5.
In what was the last match of the ATP tour season, it promised to be a real cracker, which saw the world no.1, Novak Djokovic take on Roger Federer, the defending year end champion. And the match itself proved to be just that as they both produced some scintallating tennis in front of 17,800 crowd at the o2 London arena. Roger started out the stronger of the two as he broke Nole to take a 3-0 lead, before Novak broke back himself to level the scores. The first set continued to have breaks of serve, and it lead into a terrific tiebreak, which saw Federer pull off an amazing retrieving shot to level the score at 6-6, before handing another set point to Djokovic who took it to seal the set. In the 2nd set the match dipped slightly in quality at the start, but it rose again as Federer went a break up, Djokovic eventually battled his way back to level at 5-5, just as Fed was to serve for the 2nd set. But at 5-6, with Fed trying to level to make a 2nd set tiebreak, it was Djokovic that took the initative and secured his 2nd year end championship with a superb backhand passing shot. This was a real high octane, fast paced match, and both guys were terrific pretty much throughout, despite the odd lull, the matchplay was of the highest quality you can imagine. It also saw Djokovic restamp his authority as the world no.1 once more, after losing the ranking to Federer for 3 months, he not only re-took it, he backed it up with a significant victory at the year end championships. And no mistake can be made that Nole is back and that he is the best player in the world.
4. Australian Open final, Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6(5)-7, 7-5.
In what turned out to be the longest grand slam final in the history of the open era, the 2012 Australian Open final was quite a historic encounter the world's two best players, Rafa and Novak. Going into this match Novak had the advantage over Rafa having won the last six of their meetings, the majority of which he won with relative ease. However this meeting turned out to be anything but easy, as Rafa ran the World No.1 ragged round the Rod Laver arena, as the two of the battled it out in an epic 5 set match which lasted nearly six hours. In the match Rafa started off the better by breaking Nole, who then broke back, but Rafa went on to take the 1st set. In the 2nd and 3rd however, Novak established his authority in the match by taking a 2 sets to 1 lead. But in the 4th set, with Rafa facing break points at 3-4, he battled his way back in and push the match to a decider, after winning a thrilling tiebreak. And in the 5th set, Rafa despite going a break up, was unable to maintain it as Novak broke back once again, and he went on to make the curcial break at 6-5, and served it out for his 3rd Australian open title. One of the most remarkable things about this match was not only did Novak spend nearly five hours before that on court in an intense battle against Andy Murray in the semis, he also found the reserve energy to outlast Rafa in this incredible encounter (who had two full days rest, as opposed to Nole's one!). And with this win, Novak really continued to cement his No.1 ranking. And Rafa also deserves alot of credit for playing his part in such a match, and despite the match being a rather slow burner, by the time we hit the 4th set it really took off as both men played some immense stuff for the crowd. So the 2012 Aussie open final was an excellent one as much as it was entertaining, it also set itself rightfully in the history books as the longest final ever.
3. US Open final, Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic, 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2.
Well this match is one that can't be forgotten in a hurry, simply because of its historic value in that it saw Great Britain's 76 year wait for a British men's singles grand slam champion finally come to an end. In an intense and lengthy epic battle, two of the best players in the world, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray went at it on Arthur Ashe stadium in a memorable final, which saw Andy clinch his first ever grand slam title. Due to the windy conditions however, the match at times lacked pace, as it looked like the two men were trying to play tennis in quicksand at some points, but there were also some great points as well between Murray's amazing retireving skills and Djokovic's flashy volleying at the net. However what made the match so fascinating was how the two men had to adapt their game to the conditions, and as the match progressed, the level of play increased in quality. The first set tiebreak also was a big highlight, which had nothing but twists and turns and with a final 12-10 score, it was the longest tiebreak in the US Open final history. With Andy having gone two sets to love up, Novak started to fight back in the 3rd as he broke twice and he also continued his dominance in the 4th to level the match. And in the 5th set after levelling, Novak looked surely to be the favourite, however Andy refused to go down like he did in his four previous slam finals, and hung in there and fought it out, to pull off his ultimate goal, to win his first major title. This match more than anything really showed how Andy has matured as a player throughout 2012, and it showed that all the hard work he put in with his new coach Ivan Lendl, had well and truly paid off. Novak played his part in the match aswell, and he fought really well to try and keep a hold of his US Open title. And its full credit to Andy that he was able to beat one of the best players to have to played the game to win that elusive major, and I'm sure more will follow next year.
2. Davis cup final, deciding rubber, Radek Stepanek d. Nicolas Almagro, 6-4, 7-6(0), 3-6, 6-3.
In what proved to be the very last match of the season we were expected to be in for a treat, with the Davis cup final from Prague, as the host nation, the Czech Republic took on the defending champions, Spain. This was the deciding match for the title as coming into this final rubber, David Ferrer managed to level the scores to 2-2 for Spain so it was literally all to play. And with the weight of the nation on his shoulders, it looked like an extremely daunting task for Radek Stepanek, ranked the world no.37, against Nicolas Almagro, ranked the world no.11. However the 33 year old Czech didn't fold under pressure, quite the opposite as he thrived off the energy from the racuous crowd who cheered their man on all the way, as he put on a terrific display from the home audience. Throughout the match, Stepanek looked the stronger player, but Almagro played his part too, and after a shaky start, he also played some great tennis to challenge the Czech fella. However Stepanek stepped it up (no pun intended) and proceeded to step on Almargo's neck, after going 2 sets to 1 up, he made the decisive break in the 4th, and soon went on to serve it out for the Czech Republic's second Davis cup triumph in over 30 years. This was a great match to finish off an incredible 2012 season of tennis, and Radek Stepanek, became the unlikely hero of the final, as he put in a superb, gutsy performance and he was backed up considerably by an immense crowd, who must have blown the sound barrier with all the noise they made. It was a pity for Almagro, who tried his best and fought so hard to try and stay in the match, but for the Czechs all the credit must go to Stepanek and Tomas Berdych who between secured their nation's triumph at the Davis cup. And it was a fitting finale for a great season.
1. Shanghai Rolex Masters final, Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 5-7, 7-6(11), 6-3.
I just had to put this match at the top of the list as not only did it contain some of the most magnificent stuff you will see all year on a tennis court, it also was further proof that tennis has a new exciting rivalry in Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. And throughout this match these two players proved why they are the best around just now, with not much to separate them both in the first set, except a break at 6-5, which saw Djoko angrily smash his racquet, before Andy took the 1st. In the 2nd it went by serve until Andy broke to go 5-4, serving for the championship however, he faltered on serve, and Djoko fought back to level 5-5, and the two of them battled on into another incredible tiebreak, which Djokovic won (which saw Andy uncharacteristically smash his racquet after also!). In the 3rd set, despite dropping his serve, Andy still produced some incredible resistance to Djokovic's near imperious performance, but in the end it was Novak that came through to win his 3rd Masters title of the season, with an incredible 3 set victory. There are times in this match where the tennis reached near magical heights, with some of the shot making both men produced, in fact it was so good it threatened to put Novak's rivalry with Rafa to shame, and that is saying something. On the negative side there was no doubt about it that Andy had five match points and plenty of chances to put Nole away, but he just couldn't quite do it, as let's face it Nole is the toughest player in the game to try and finish off, and he certainly proved it here. So for me this is the top match of the season, just incredible stuff, and it shows just how great the Djokovic vs Murray rivalry can and will be.
So that's it for my hard court fav matches of the season, I noticed that Novak Djokovic features in four of them, but with the guy being that good its hard to not include him is it???? And that Andy Murray isn't too bad either it has to be said.
And with that, that's it!
5. ATP World Tour Finals final, Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer, 7-6(6), 7-5.
In what was the last match of the ATP tour season, it promised to be a real cracker, which saw the world no.1, Novak Djokovic take on Roger Federer, the defending year end champion. And the match itself proved to be just that as they both produced some scintallating tennis in front of 17,800 crowd at the o2 London arena. Roger started out the stronger of the two as he broke Nole to take a 3-0 lead, before Novak broke back himself to level the scores. The first set continued to have breaks of serve, and it lead into a terrific tiebreak, which saw Federer pull off an amazing retrieving shot to level the score at 6-6, before handing another set point to Djokovic who took it to seal the set. In the 2nd set the match dipped slightly in quality at the start, but it rose again as Federer went a break up, Djokovic eventually battled his way back to level at 5-5, just as Fed was to serve for the 2nd set. But at 5-6, with Fed trying to level to make a 2nd set tiebreak, it was Djokovic that took the initative and secured his 2nd year end championship with a superb backhand passing shot. This was a real high octane, fast paced match, and both guys were terrific pretty much throughout, despite the odd lull, the matchplay was of the highest quality you can imagine. It also saw Djokovic restamp his authority as the world no.1 once more, after losing the ranking to Federer for 3 months, he not only re-took it, he backed it up with a significant victory at the year end championships. And no mistake can be made that Nole is back and that he is the best player in the world.
4. Australian Open final, Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6(5)-7, 7-5.
In what turned out to be the longest grand slam final in the history of the open era, the 2012 Australian Open final was quite a historic encounter the world's two best players, Rafa and Novak. Going into this match Novak had the advantage over Rafa having won the last six of their meetings, the majority of which he won with relative ease. However this meeting turned out to be anything but easy, as Rafa ran the World No.1 ragged round the Rod Laver arena, as the two of the battled it out in an epic 5 set match which lasted nearly six hours. In the match Rafa started off the better by breaking Nole, who then broke back, but Rafa went on to take the 1st set. In the 2nd and 3rd however, Novak established his authority in the match by taking a 2 sets to 1 lead. But in the 4th set, with Rafa facing break points at 3-4, he battled his way back in and push the match to a decider, after winning a thrilling tiebreak. And in the 5th set, Rafa despite going a break up, was unable to maintain it as Novak broke back once again, and he went on to make the curcial break at 6-5, and served it out for his 3rd Australian open title. One of the most remarkable things about this match was not only did Novak spend nearly five hours before that on court in an intense battle against Andy Murray in the semis, he also found the reserve energy to outlast Rafa in this incredible encounter (who had two full days rest, as opposed to Nole's one!). And with this win, Novak really continued to cement his No.1 ranking. And Rafa also deserves alot of credit for playing his part in such a match, and despite the match being a rather slow burner, by the time we hit the 4th set it really took off as both men played some immense stuff for the crowd. So the 2012 Aussie open final was an excellent one as much as it was entertaining, it also set itself rightfully in the history books as the longest final ever.
3. US Open final, Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic, 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2.
Well this match is one that can't be forgotten in a hurry, simply because of its historic value in that it saw Great Britain's 76 year wait for a British men's singles grand slam champion finally come to an end. In an intense and lengthy epic battle, two of the best players in the world, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray went at it on Arthur Ashe stadium in a memorable final, which saw Andy clinch his first ever grand slam title. Due to the windy conditions however, the match at times lacked pace, as it looked like the two men were trying to play tennis in quicksand at some points, but there were also some great points as well between Murray's amazing retireving skills and Djokovic's flashy volleying at the net. However what made the match so fascinating was how the two men had to adapt their game to the conditions, and as the match progressed, the level of play increased in quality. The first set tiebreak also was a big highlight, which had nothing but twists and turns and with a final 12-10 score, it was the longest tiebreak in the US Open final history. With Andy having gone two sets to love up, Novak started to fight back in the 3rd as he broke twice and he also continued his dominance in the 4th to level the match. And in the 5th set after levelling, Novak looked surely to be the favourite, however Andy refused to go down like he did in his four previous slam finals, and hung in there and fought it out, to pull off his ultimate goal, to win his first major title. This match more than anything really showed how Andy has matured as a player throughout 2012, and it showed that all the hard work he put in with his new coach Ivan Lendl, had well and truly paid off. Novak played his part in the match aswell, and he fought really well to try and keep a hold of his US Open title. And its full credit to Andy that he was able to beat one of the best players to have to played the game to win that elusive major, and I'm sure more will follow next year.
2. Davis cup final, deciding rubber, Radek Stepanek d. Nicolas Almagro, 6-4, 7-6(0), 3-6, 6-3.
In what proved to be the very last match of the season we were expected to be in for a treat, with the Davis cup final from Prague, as the host nation, the Czech Republic took on the defending champions, Spain. This was the deciding match for the title as coming into this final rubber, David Ferrer managed to level the scores to 2-2 for Spain so it was literally all to play. And with the weight of the nation on his shoulders, it looked like an extremely daunting task for Radek Stepanek, ranked the world no.37, against Nicolas Almagro, ranked the world no.11. However the 33 year old Czech didn't fold under pressure, quite the opposite as he thrived off the energy from the racuous crowd who cheered their man on all the way, as he put on a terrific display from the home audience. Throughout the match, Stepanek looked the stronger player, but Almagro played his part too, and after a shaky start, he also played some great tennis to challenge the Czech fella. However Stepanek stepped it up (no pun intended) and proceeded to step on Almargo's neck, after going 2 sets to 1 up, he made the decisive break in the 4th, and soon went on to serve it out for the Czech Republic's second Davis cup triumph in over 30 years. This was a great match to finish off an incredible 2012 season of tennis, and Radek Stepanek, became the unlikely hero of the final, as he put in a superb, gutsy performance and he was backed up considerably by an immense crowd, who must have blown the sound barrier with all the noise they made. It was a pity for Almagro, who tried his best and fought so hard to try and stay in the match, but for the Czechs all the credit must go to Stepanek and Tomas Berdych who between secured their nation's triumph at the Davis cup. And it was a fitting finale for a great season.
1. Shanghai Rolex Masters final, Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 5-7, 7-6(11), 6-3.
I just had to put this match at the top of the list as not only did it contain some of the most magnificent stuff you will see all year on a tennis court, it also was further proof that tennis has a new exciting rivalry in Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. And throughout this match these two players proved why they are the best around just now, with not much to separate them both in the first set, except a break at 6-5, which saw Djoko angrily smash his racquet, before Andy took the 1st. In the 2nd it went by serve until Andy broke to go 5-4, serving for the championship however, he faltered on serve, and Djoko fought back to level 5-5, and the two of them battled on into another incredible tiebreak, which Djokovic won (which saw Andy uncharacteristically smash his racquet after also!). In the 3rd set, despite dropping his serve, Andy still produced some incredible resistance to Djokovic's near imperious performance, but in the end it was Novak that came through to win his 3rd Masters title of the season, with an incredible 3 set victory. There are times in this match where the tennis reached near magical heights, with some of the shot making both men produced, in fact it was so good it threatened to put Novak's rivalry with Rafa to shame, and that is saying something. On the negative side there was no doubt about it that Andy had five match points and plenty of chances to put Nole away, but he just couldn't quite do it, as let's face it Nole is the toughest player in the game to try and finish off, and he certainly proved it here. So for me this is the top match of the season, just incredible stuff, and it shows just how great the Djokovic vs Murray rivalry can and will be.
So that's it for my hard court fav matches of the season, I noticed that Novak Djokovic features in four of them, but with the guy being that good its hard to not include him is it???? And that Andy Murray isn't too bad either it has to be said.
And with that, that's it!
Monday, 12 November 2012
2012 ATP World Tour Finals Part 5: Top dog
So so so this is the final part of my posts on the ATP World Tour Finals from the o2 in London, and its been quite a week of tennis with some excellent matches, but it has now drawn to a close, and in this post I'll look at the final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
The final promised to be quite an encounter as Djoko and Fed have meet on 28 occassions prior to this, with Roger leading their head to head 16-12, and in this match he was looking for a record 7th year end championship title, whereas Novak was looking for his second. As for the match itself it very much lived up to its billing, as from the first set we were treated to some scintillating tennis from both men. But it was Federer that made the stronger start as he broke Djokovic straight off, and come out firing really strong to take a 3-0 lead. However after holding serve, Djokovic went on to win the next 2 games to level the scores, and after that he secured a break to make it 5-4, but on serving for the set, Federer broke back once again, and the match went into a thrilling tiebreak, with more breaks of serve, and despite saving a set point with an amazing shot, Federer went on to hand a set point to Nole who gladly accepted and took it to win the set. In the 2nd set, after a scrappy first game Novak was broken by Federer who maintain his break, but at 5-4, serving for the set, he let Djokovic back in, and at 6-5, with Fed serving to stay in the match, Djokovic broke Federer a final time to clinch his 2nd season end championship title, with a 7-6(6), 7-5 victory.
This was an excellent finale to a great year of tennis, and both players played some incredible tennis for the 17,500 strong crowd, although I do get the impression there were more Roger fans than Novak ones! As it could well have been 12,000 Federer fans and 5,000 Djokovic fans for all we know! And I have to say I really thought that Federer would win this one, as he started out really strong and he appeared to keep saving break points. But in the end its credit to Djokovic's tenacity that he was able to hang in there and keep plugging away, applying pressure on Federer's serve, which shockingly dropped to about 36% at one point in the 2nd set! But despite all that Federer has had a great season, as he aimed to become the World No.1 again, and for three months or so, he did just that, he also claimed 6 titles, one of which being his 7th Wimbledon title, and his 17th grand slam overall. So I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Federer and we can never write him off, despite this loss, I'm sure he will be back next year.
As for Djokovic well with this win he has really has re-established himself as the World No.1 and he is certainly that, make no mistake, and come 2013 we can expect more greatness for him, and I personally think he will win the Australian open next year for starters. And I think its safe to say that he can remain at the top of the game for quite a few years yet to come, and its no coincidence or a one-off that he had an incredible 2011, as he is the real deal, and he is here to stay at the top. But despite all that, it has to be said there is now one man that remains a real threat to Djokovic, and that is Andy Murray, who has already proven this year that he can beat Djokovic in the big matches, and by winning the US Open title, he beat one of the greatest hard court players to have played the game in doing so. And that says alot about Andy, and throughout 2012 we have seen them develop a terrific rivalry, which I hope carries on into 2013, and it may yet become one of the great rivalries in the sport, so I look forward to seeing how that progresses. But in the meantime Djokovic deserves a big congratulations for his victory and ending what has been an excellent season for him in style.
And that's just about it for men's 2012 tennis season, all that really remains now is the Davis cup final which takes place this weekend, which will see Spain and the Czeck Republic battle it out to win the prestigious team cup title, with David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych being the top singles players respectively, so that promises to be quite a tie.
So its been a great season for the ATP tour in 2012, and we have seen some superb tennis throughout, and let's hope 2013 get's even better. And that's it for now, I will possibly post up another entry about the Davis cup final, but until then that's it for my tennis posts.
So bye for now!!
The final promised to be quite an encounter as Djoko and Fed have meet on 28 occassions prior to this, with Roger leading their head to head 16-12, and in this match he was looking for a record 7th year end championship title, whereas Novak was looking for his second. As for the match itself it very much lived up to its billing, as from the first set we were treated to some scintillating tennis from both men. But it was Federer that made the stronger start as he broke Djokovic straight off, and come out firing really strong to take a 3-0 lead. However after holding serve, Djokovic went on to win the next 2 games to level the scores, and after that he secured a break to make it 5-4, but on serving for the set, Federer broke back once again, and the match went into a thrilling tiebreak, with more breaks of serve, and despite saving a set point with an amazing shot, Federer went on to hand a set point to Nole who gladly accepted and took it to win the set. In the 2nd set, after a scrappy first game Novak was broken by Federer who maintain his break, but at 5-4, serving for the set, he let Djokovic back in, and at 6-5, with Fed serving to stay in the match, Djokovic broke Federer a final time to clinch his 2nd season end championship title, with a 7-6(6), 7-5 victory.
This was an excellent finale to a great year of tennis, and both players played some incredible tennis for the 17,500 strong crowd, although I do get the impression there were more Roger fans than Novak ones! As it could well have been 12,000 Federer fans and 5,000 Djokovic fans for all we know! And I have to say I really thought that Federer would win this one, as he started out really strong and he appeared to keep saving break points. But in the end its credit to Djokovic's tenacity that he was able to hang in there and keep plugging away, applying pressure on Federer's serve, which shockingly dropped to about 36% at one point in the 2nd set! But despite all that Federer has had a great season, as he aimed to become the World No.1 again, and for three months or so, he did just that, he also claimed 6 titles, one of which being his 7th Wimbledon title, and his 17th grand slam overall. So I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Federer and we can never write him off, despite this loss, I'm sure he will be back next year.
As for Djokovic well with this win he has really has re-established himself as the World No.1 and he is certainly that, make no mistake, and come 2013 we can expect more greatness for him, and I personally think he will win the Australian open next year for starters. And I think its safe to say that he can remain at the top of the game for quite a few years yet to come, and its no coincidence or a one-off that he had an incredible 2011, as he is the real deal, and he is here to stay at the top. But despite all that, it has to be said there is now one man that remains a real threat to Djokovic, and that is Andy Murray, who has already proven this year that he can beat Djokovic in the big matches, and by winning the US Open title, he beat one of the greatest hard court players to have played the game in doing so. And that says alot about Andy, and throughout 2012 we have seen them develop a terrific rivalry, which I hope carries on into 2013, and it may yet become one of the great rivalries in the sport, so I look forward to seeing how that progresses. But in the meantime Djokovic deserves a big congratulations for his victory and ending what has been an excellent season for him in style.
And that's just about it for men's 2012 tennis season, all that really remains now is the Davis cup final which takes place this weekend, which will see Spain and the Czeck Republic battle it out to win the prestigious team cup title, with David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych being the top singles players respectively, so that promises to be quite a tie.
So its been a great season for the ATP tour in 2012, and we have seen some superb tennis throughout, and let's hope 2013 get's even better. And that's it for now, I will possibly post up another entry about the Davis cup final, but until then that's it for my tennis posts.
So bye for now!!
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