I’ll admit that it’s hard to like Davydenko because he doesn’t seem to have much of a personality, positive or negative. But I love his game. It’s compact and swift and his court positioning is perfect. He makes tennis look fun and easy with his perfet on the rise shots. Only problem is he sucks at net but he did well today. He doesn’t have the same appeal as Agassi but his game is very very similar and it’s a great game.

I like it too. Pure and simple tennis. Just like that. Bravo

He’s got that magic racket. Can’t be beat. Until a string breaks.

Davy got some revenge on the ATP today - almost expected them to come onto the court after the trophy presentation and take him away in handcuffs - LOL.

In all seriousness though, he did deserve the win. He played better than Rafa today and he dominated by attacking every ball.

However, I don’t agree with Rafa’s comment that he “could not have played better” because I’ve seen Rafa play better on hardcourts than he did today. Davy did a good job of pushing Rafa back, but Rafa made more unforced errors than he should have.

Davy will be a factor on clay - he’s pushed Nadal on that surface before. I am sure the other players will be waking up to that fact soon.

Good win for Davydenko but who knows what’s going to happen with him on clay. I’ve seen him play great one week - lose first round the next (sounds like Djokovic!) lol! But with the way tennis has gone this year, you don’t know who is going to win from one week to the next and I don’t like it. I loved it when the #1 player dominated (yes I’m a Federer fan). I want those times to come back. lol! I’m selfish. lol!

Idk what Nadal meant exactly, but TODAY there wasn’t anything Nadal could’ve done. He started the match decent but someone said before the match that Nadal would have to be 120% against Davydenko and he wasn’t. And Davydenko played a smart match by attacking Rafa’s backhand so much because it was very subpar today. Nadal without a doubt is capable of much better tennis, but he didn’t play really bad, he just didn’t play good enough to throw off Davydenko.

Today, it didn’t look like Nadal could do anything. Like it’s not fair to say Davydenko beat Nadal even though Nadal was playing great or something. He beat him in a fair match in which Nadal could’ve won if a few break points had gone his way. But for some reason Nadal just left the match after he failed to go up a break in the first set. It’s funny to me every time Carillo says “How often do you see Nadal with so little energy and emotion?” Every time he’s losing. Same thing happened against Tsonga and Djokovic and Youzhny and Federer and even Ferrer. He has days like today in which he plays good but not great, so average. And those players can really hurt him on average days and he seems to give up.

quote-”Andy Roddick, who American fans continue to vilify each time he falls short of challenging the top triumvirate of world.”

tennis-X has been drinking the Roddick haterade for years ever since he first came on the scene. That’s a crime and shame.

Zola:

Sorry about RAfa. I had a bad feeling about Davy v. Rafa, after Davy pushed Andy back behinfd the baseline consistently. His court positioning was excellent v. Roddick and he took time away from Roddick by pushing him behind the baseline. Davy did to Rafa what he did to Andy, he dictated play and took their time away. Not much one can do about that sort of strategy, unless they are prepared to play within themselves, and be the one dictating play. Andy was very sure of Davy’s game, I guess so sure that he probably never bothered to view the tapes of Davy’s previous matches to see if Davy changed any strategy. (The Tipsy match was a batting practice for Davy.) That’s being too over confident. I suppose Rafa may have made a similar error. In law, when one is aganst an adversary, we review all of his recent wins to see what new technicalities he’s been using to win and believe me there’s always one or two points to ponder and find an answer. My point is: Do your homework, take nothing for granted, and be the attacker, not the attacked, or else there will be one helluva surprise and/or let down.

TD:

Roddick makes headlines. In a very sick way, it’s a backsided compliment. But I have a question for the media and for those who dislike him or love to just poke fun at him for the hell of it: Is there anything that Roddick does good, or is there any good in him, even a smidgen? The guy got engaged, he didn’t take a poll as to who’s the most attractive young woman in the land, and there was a post stating that there are at least 500,000 young women just as pretty or even prettier than her. This is some wierd world, and it has some very disjointed people. More power to them.

I don’t think it’s American fans who are vilifying Roddick. Roddick has been kinda like Rocky Balboa to American fans of late (did ya see the Roderer match?). It’s media’s game of continuing to try to influence public opinion by postulating certain views and falsely righteous presumptions, expecting people to jump onboard. They skim over the surface as if that’s all she wrote and never seem to take into account the workmanlike efforts put forth by players at various times throughout the course of a season, making significant progressions. The thing is, media is looking for the latest big-time sensation. Fans are fans and nobody’s gonna change their feelings for certain players but themselves.

This is obvious. I don’t think I really needed to post this, but here it is.

It is not like that. More then a half of Nadal errors were just the opposite of unforced error they were FORCED errors, and Nadal is not capable to get back in the match on hard when he has opponent in the zone like Nikolaj today.
Interesting is one thing i got to see is that Nadal waited for second serves on the same place where he waits for the first well behind the baseline. Either he was well stunned and confused by remarkable percentage and aggressiveness of Nikolajs both backhand and forehand. But i have not seen Nadal so disoriented like that.
Maybe against Tsonga but i did not seen it.
Well done.
Blake should won in qf, i dont know why he did not
I did not see him loose tonight but Hey, i dont like he s game so i am satisfied with the turn of the things

From now on, I’m going to turn the sound way down when Mary Carillo and scorekeeper Bill “Goodness!” McAfee are on. As Davydenko was about to win a great upset, she declares he won’t be known for his record, but for the gambling investigation. First, there’s no evidence he took a dive; second, he lost early several times back then, because of (I think)a foot injury; third, why would a top five millionaire risk his career at a minor tournament; fourth, if the Russian mafia threatened his fiance, brother, or him,wouldn’t that rattle him enough to lose? It would me. And the tournament was over there. Sports gambling is big business in Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia. I think maybe that’s what was behind Floyd Landis’ being discredited — too many stood to lose a lot when he came in first.

Carillo gabs too much, frequently through points, and her wit is getting tiresome. On Sunday, she even compared tennis to the Academy Awards. She did come up with one good one, though — “Ah, this is crazy good!” And it was. But she still had to brand Davydenko. Doesn’t know when to shut up.

Davydenko is justifying his ranking position with a big win here. It’s easy to sometimes forget his steady record in important tournaments over the last 3 to 4 years (had to look some of them up again), making numerous quarterfinal and semifinal appearances, not including smaller tournament titles or his heavily-loaded schedule over the season:

Austraian Open: QF (2005, 2006, 2007)
French Open: SF (2005, 2007) QF (2006)
Wimbledon: no significant progress
U.S. Open: SF (2006, 2007)
Masters Cup: SF (2005)
MS Indian Wells: no significant progress
MS Miami: WIN (2008)
MS Monte Carlo: QF (2004)
MS Rome: SF (2007)
MS Hamburg: SF (2005) QF (2006)
MS Canada: QF (2007)
MS Cincinatti: SF (2007) QF (2005)
MS Madrid: no significant progress
MS Paris: WIN (2006) QF (2005)

This MS title made up for his wife’s shopping spree in Palm Springs (IW), too!

Don’t know where to post this, but this is just as good as any other thread - so here goes.

CONGRATS to Serena who put a good beat down on Jankovic. And, CONGRATS to the Bryan brothers, who won their first doubles title for this year. Pity A-Rod could not have made it an all-American Miami sweep. But two (2) outa three (3) ain’t bad at all, by any stretch of the imagination. The stars ‘n stripes is still flying. I’m proud of you guys.

Davydenko played a little better than he actually is today. This has happened to more than one player through the years. He had his rut in round one and played better and better from that point forward. Kudos to the guy for a great couple of weeks. After a pretty rough year, this was exactly what the doctor ordered for him.

Watching ‘Denko play both Roddick & Nadal, I was struck by just how flat, early and deep he was hitting the ball. It doesn’t seem that Roddick or Nadal are capable of hitting through a hard court with the kind of crispness that Davydenko does. Nadal & Roddick generate a lot of spin, not much penetration. For Davydenko, it’s second nature. He also seems capable of hitting crisp angle shots from the baseline.

The truth is, Roddick has to serve out his mind to go deep into tournaments. And if those 1st serves start to get returned, and he gets into a rally with a superior baseliner like Davydenko, he will lose. The reason he lost so many to Fed was because of Fed’s ability to neutralize his serve.

As for Nadal, his game is not much different than it has been the last couple of years. He also needs to take a look in the mirror. If you stand still, you eventually fall behind. His game needs to grow he needs the ability to flatten out the ball if he is going to get better and threaten in the US Open and on hardcourts.

Even Davydenko has to improve his net game. His inability to handle Federer is symptomatic of not being able to keep the points shorter. he has the ground game to challenge peak Federer. He does not have the all court game required to beat him.

Everyone involved in tennis betting (i bet the sport for a living) knows Davydenko is corrupt as the day is long so i find this result a very dark day for Tennis. This guy has been taking the mickey out of the sport in the lower level tournaments for the past 2-3 years - Sopot was just the tip of the iceberg. There have been numerous other losses in strange circumstances and with accompanying suspicious betting patterns. Hes a great player on his day granted. But why is that day reserved for the odd match in big tournaments? The sooner this guy is out of tennis the better. He does nothing for the sport at all apart from travel the world like a nomad playing every week taking as much money as he can.

I do agree that Davydenko is certainly suspect for all the allegations against him. Hopefully all truths will come out. As for today, it’s hard to say he didn’t play remarkably. His old style or comfort zone of the game was adjusted with great results so Bravo. I have one thing on my mind though. Remember all the tournaments that Kafelnokof (spelling) played in??? He was a work horse. I beleive that Davydenko is also trying to play in as many for the purses. Would there be any chance that playing so much made the differnce in his level during those “suspect” matches??? I’m intersted in views. Thanks.

Roddick is more often than not a disrespectful prick on the tennis court - THAT is why many people don’t like him. Connors seemed to bring this side out of him even more. People forget that American fans disliked Connors for most of his career. In fact, Connors basically got booed of the tennis court in the final at Forest Hill one year. All people remember, however, is that last run at Flushing Meadows…

To Graham:

Even if the guy’s guilty, then he certainly WOULDN’T be the first (and the last) one… Or shall I give you away some other names? The fact is: match fixing in tennis (and other sports) has been here EVER SINCE the first betting agency opened - but of course, the mighty ATP and WTA are acting as if they “didn’t” know about anything till the Sopot 2007 tournament…

Nadal’s serves prolly looked slow to Davy after playing against a super-sharp Roddick. He was early on every shot.

Does anyone else think Nadal should play american hardcourt tourneys in shorts and a collar shirt. I think it would help him, as he is a very psychological/emotional player. It MUST feel uncomfortable to play here wearing that crazy outfit because so many people look at him like he is from outer space. But, maybe he likes that. He is still very young, and it sure is entertaining to watch him. Soooo much raw talent! Too bad he didnt approach the net once today… ahem…

Anyway, here’s hoping he has another perfect clay court season!

quote SG-”the truth is, Roddick has to serve out his mind to go deep into tournaments.”

Interestingly enough it was Davydenko who had to serve out of his mind in order to win Miami. Coincidence?

quote Naydal-”Roddick is more often than not a disrespectful prick on the tennis court - THAT is why many people don’t like him.”

Roddick has shown nothing but respect for his opponents OFF the court and that’s what matters most in life.

quote Von-”CONGRATS to Serena who put a good beat down on Jankovic. And, CONGRATS to the Bryan brothers, who won their first doubles title for this year. Pity A-Rod could not have made it an all-American Miami sweep. But two (2) outa three (3) ain’t bad at all, by any stretch of the imagination. The stars ‘n stripes is still flying. I’m proud of you guys.”

Have I told you lately that I love your posts? It’s such a pleasure to see other fans of the Americans instead of people berating them all of the time. I’ve always felt like the odd (wo)man out on other boards but there seem to plenty of like minded individuals posting here.

Von,
thanks for your nice words. I had a bad feeling too. I had the same feeling before Ferrer match in US Open.

I know Davydenko is under investigation. But that has nothing to do with this match. Neither should be used as sympathy for Davydenko or as something to attack him. Today he won because he played better. he pushed Rafa to the back of the court and played his game. Rafa did not. I am very sad and it is still in my mind. But Davydenko deserved to win.

nevertheless, Rafa had a fantastic two weeks. Rolled over his old nemeses, beating three of them in a row. I would have been happy with just one of those wins. He reached the semi in one and the final in the other. I hope he can play great against Germany with his team and then on clay and wimbledon. The clay season is very brutal this year and I hope Rafa can get past this period with minimum injury.

Win or lose, I like Rafa. He is a great sportsman and a precious human being. Vamos RAfa! all the time!

btw,
Von, only my first sentecne ( the thanking) is directed at you. The rest of my post is general comments after reading some of the comments here. I forgot to separate the two!

Davy played a great match.. infact his last couple of matches were great. No wonder he has been Top 5 for last 3 years. He is also under-rated cuz of his inablity to beat Nadal or Fed. But not many have that distinction either. He had come close to beating Federer on a few occasions and his nerves let him down then. He could be a threat on clay as well. I like his game better than that of Djoker, but personality-wise he falls short.

Anyway.. am glad he won… after reachin endless QF and SFs these last few years.. especially a tournament where all the top-3 played(The Paris victory in 2006 dint have top players in the draw)

Sean,
I just realized you had picked Rafa to win the tournament!

So, it was YOU!.

I am going to register in a betting site and use your predictions ( just opposite of them) to make millions of dollasrs !

Please , please , please, don’t predict any wins or rankings for RAfa anymore!

Tejuz,
I agree that Davydenko has always played very well. His matches with Rafa in Rome and shanghai were close. I have read that he had a couple of close matches with Federer too. He has been 3 or 4 for ages. He is not as handsome or charismatic as Safin, but he is consistent. He needs a good clothing advisor. That’s it.
I like it that he is laid back and reserved and doesn’t take things for granted. I am very disappointed at Rafa’s loss, although I know it is a game and Rafa has a tough season ahead of him, etc. etc….but after 12 hours, a crappy movie, tons of discussions with other fans , it is still on my mind. Although I discovered that the real reason was not Davydenko’s fantastic play or Rafa’s absence on the court, but predictions by a certain writer that always come tru, but on the opposite side! .

Hopefully Rafa can put this defeat behind and concentrate on the clay season. There are losts of positives for Rafa to take away from IW and Miami.

We have had a great run of postings this past month. I do find it amazing that different people see the same player so differently, i.e., Roddick’s behaviour on the the court.

Lines - Actually those pants are quite comfortable and sleveless shirts pull less on the lats when one is built like Rafa.

As to gambling etc., show me the smoking gun. Everything else is b.s.

Here’s to the Clay season!

Excellent match by Davydenko.
After 3-3, in the first set, Nadal never got any chance.

Nadal hasn’t won any tournament since Stuttgart in July, and he hasn’t won on hardcourt since IW 2007. So there was some true in the article Nadal will never n°1. Except that I might be. Nadal need an excellent clay season and Federer an average clay season.

We will see what Heaven got in store.

Top 3 watch out. Davydenko is coming. Davy played such amazing tennis in the final. It is not fair to say that Nadal played his best, because he didn’t, but Davy played magnificent.
If he gives this kind of performances in the future, he will be very tough for top3 on all surfaces. Don’t forget that Davy can play brilliant on clay.

boring final
sean randall jinxes everybody with his picks

I think they way the ATP and the tennis media have treated Davydenko is disgraceful. If they have evidence against him, then they should come forward, if they don’t, they should exonerate him.

From phony “lack of effort” penalties to a long drawn out fruitless investigation, he is well within his rights to flip the tennis world the bird today.

For those who are so certain that there’s anything to this match-fixing investigation/witchhunt/scapegoating (Graham) feel free to divulge your evidence if you have any.

Tam (TD) Says:

“Roddick has shown nothing but respect for his opponents OFF the court and that’s what matters most in life.”

I don’t want to play the role of Darth Vader here. I really do respect players who bring a genuine sense of sportsmanship to the table. Let’s face it though. Roddick isn’t exactly Mats Wilander or Stefan Edberg. He doesn’t win like they did and he doesn’t really behave as well as them either.

Pro sports is largely about winning. I think that Andy’s early success has stunted his growth from the point of how his game developed. Lleyton Hewitt was the best player in the world when Andy made his splash. The ante has been upped quite a bit since then ( aka Rafa and Fed). On days when he serves huge, he can play anyone tough. Once that weapon is neutralized, the rest of his game is not complete enough. Beating a less than perfect Fed doesn’t mean Andy is about to turn it on and dominate. Davydenko overpowered him and took away his time from the baseline, on what is suppose to be Andy’s best surface. I ‘ll have to see more from Roddick before I jump on the bandwagon.

Amen, SG!

What is it about americans that they feel they must have the number 1 player in the world for every sport in the world?

The fact is, Andy Roddick is a great, great player. He is a grand slam winner. He is a three time grand slam finalist. He is a dual wimbledon finalist. He was year end world no. 1. He won the davis cup for his country. If it wasn’t some Swiss freak, he would no doubt have multiple grand slam titles. He began a charity foundation before he finished his teen years. He is a personality and brings entertainment and attracts fans for this sport.

I can’t believe those people who claim Andy Roddick is anything but a winner!

Pftt.. American arrogance.

I thought the final was great, but I have a question for the real addicts on the board.

It seemed that Davy had a lot of xcourt winners that were set up by more or less down the center rallies. Both Fed and Nadal set up their down the line winners with xcourt rallies. Is this a strategy that Davy came up with to beat the Fed and Nadal down the line winners?

Tenski - very good observation. Cross court rallies are the norm for modern singles. Then Fed and Rafa take the short balls and pound them down the line. Both are capable of taking short balls and hitting wide angles x court as well. The latter is most difficult for “normal” players like us. So the former strategy is the way to go. One has about five feet of extra court going x court on rallies. Taking the short ball down the line just requires a lot of practice.

Davy is probably playing a variation of that theme. Hitting to the center, hard and flatter than some, cuts off the angles. I would reckon these are very deep shots to the center eliciting a short ball (or a ball he can volley?) which must come back near the center of Davy’s side. From there, he can pound it where he wants x court and still have more of a margin for error. He is probably more comfortable with this sort approach.

All good strategies for us to learn.

TD: Your post : ***”Von, Have I told you lately that I love your posts? It’s such a pleasure to see other fans of the Americans instead of people berating them all of the time. I’ve always felt like the odd (wo)man out on other boards but there seem to plenty of like minded individuals posting here.”

Thanks TD. I love your spunky posts too. We sound like a mutul admiration society. Skorocel: Are you reading, this is a perfect example of what I tried to explain in my emails to you about MAS.

TD: First, are you male ore female? — A little confusing where you put the (wo) in parens. You have my empathy about the berating of Americans on this and other tennis sites. I used to become very upset and am not ashamed to say, became very emotional and sobbed my heart/eyes out because of the anti-American posts and some were extremely cruel. But, experience is the best teacher. I’m glad to say, they don’t make me cry or back down anymore. I’ve leart how to fight back, and some can’t handle that. (Skorocel has been on the receiving end of one of my rather heated, emotional posts. Hence, my advice to you, keep on fighting. Be proud of who you are — many would love to have that privilege. Here’s to you and all of the Americans who fight with us.

God Bless the USA, by Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I’d thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can’t take that away.
I’m proud to be an American
where at least I know I’m free,
And I won’t forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

Hooray, for the stars ‘n stripes, may God bless it to keep on flying!!!

ferix:

Youstated: “The fact is, Andy Roddick is a great, great player. He is a grand slam winner. He is a three time grand slam finalist. He is a dual wimbledon finalist. He was year end world no. 1. He won the davis cup for his country. If it wasn’t some Swiss freak, he would no doubt have multiple grand slam titles. He began a charity foundation before he finished his teen years. He is a personality and brings entertainment and attracts fans for this sport.”

I can’t believe those people who claim Andy Roddick is anything but a winner! Pftt.. American arrogance.”

Thank you ferix, this is how I feel about Andy’s tennis accomplishmnets, and his achievements as a young man. There are those, not just Americans, as is evidenced by some of the posts on this site, who want perfection. It ain’t gonna happen people. He’s only human and is not on the ballot for sainthood cannonization, but he’lll be on the first ballot for the Internation Tennis Hall of Fame. You don’t like him, that’s fine, leave it at that, minus the semantics and oratorios. We get your drift.

SG: “Beating a less than perfect Fed doesn’t mean Andy is about to turn it on and dominate.”

Believe or it, I do respect you and some of your posts, but I suppose according to you, Andy beat a less than perfect Fed. Know what SG, it’s people like you sho make me angry. So now Andy has to live under this Fed mono shadow that he didn’t beat Fed fair and square, Fed was under the weather. You’re entitlled to your opinion, of course, but it sounds more to me like sour grapes, even though you always state you’re not a Fed fan, so what’s your point? Then I guess, Djoko, Murray, Mardy, Gonzo, and Now Andy, all beat a less than perfect Fed. Tell me SG, when will Fedx ever be perfect? Only when he wins?

MMT: Same goes for you, re your Amen to SG’s post.

From what I have read from both of your psat posts, you don’t like Roddick, and he’ll NEVER do anything commendable in your eyes. But that’s Ok with me and Andy’s fans, we love mediocre one-dimensional tennis. Can’t wait to see another Roddick one-dimensional tennis match.

Von,

Andy came up short against peak Davydenko, not a peak Federer. I think it’s pretty obvious that Fed is not the Fed of 12 or 18 months ago. If you doubt that, you’re in a bit of denial. I am not a Fed fan. Never have been, never will be. But, IMO, the only guy on the planet that can challenge a top notch Fed on a hardcourt is Djokovic. As I have said many times, the field is a little weak at the top on hardcourts and grass.

“Tell me SG, when will Fedx ever be perfect? Only when he wins?”

Yeah. Any player who plays “perfect” will not be beat. Idk why Federer lost to Gonzo, but he did not play his best against Canas and Volandri. Nalbandian, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, even Roddick played too tough for Federer to come back from. But, again, if he plays perfect, how can he lose. I don’t wanna take away from Roddick’s win because I’m very happy he won, but it doesn’t change that Federer usually plays great tennis against Roddick which is why he wins. He did for a set and some games but not throughout the whole match. Roddick was more consistent. Against Davydenko, Roddick was definetly physically tired. But I don’t want to take away from Davydenko’s win either because he clearly played amazing tennis. Who knows, if Roddick had won that first set tiebreaker he could’ve been the champion right now.

SG:

“But, IMO, the only guy on the planet that can challenge a top notch Fed on a hardcourt is Djokovic.”

And yet, Andy put a good beatdown on Djoko in Dubai. So, let’s be logical, if Djoko is the only guy on the planet who can beat a top notch Fed on hard court, and Andy beat an in-form Djoko on hard court in Dubai, Djoko’s most powerful surface, then what do you call Andy’s win against Fed? Or was Djoko not in form in Dubai. Logic dictates that if Andy can beat Djoko who is the only one that can beat Fed on HC, then Andy can beat an in-form Fed.

Your argument and logic is flawed, SG.

Re: Andy losing to Davy. I don’t want to demean Davy’s win, but Davy had the easiest cup cake draw, and has gotten those very often. Have you ever majored in human psychology? There’s a major, and I mean, mucho, major letdown, when one accomplishes a win over an opponent who has been his nemesis for a considerable period of time. POWs go through that let down when released. That’s why they have debriefing and emotional incarceration classes. Long term prisonees experience the same. The mind/brain goes into shock. One does not understand if he’s coming or going. Being on cloud nine, a mixture of both, euphoric heights and then crashing. Relief and disbelief sweeps over your whole body. Some become so listless (wet noodle) and can hardly move, and some can move mountains. It all depends on the individual’s psyche. Did you notice how Roddick responded. He was in shock and that shock could last for a long time. Davy won, fair and square but it was obvious from Roddick’s serve that Andy was not esven concentrating.

sensationalsafin:

“Who knows, if Roddick had won that first set tiebreaker he could’ve been the champion right now.”

Spot on SS, Andy is a front runner. That tiebreaker was the nail in the coffin, added to that the break that Andy got from Davy, but then Davy broke back, that did it for Andy. He seemed too tired to care. If I were Roddick, the win against Fed would be enough for me — who knows that’s how Andy felt. His camp stated that he, (Andy) stayed up very late that night just trying to put things into perspective and I suppose coming to terms with the win. We’ll see what happens when next he meets Fed. That will be the rule of thumb. Until then, we’re spinning our wheels. Spinning wheel… Dr. D. (Methuselash’s bro) Do you know this one?

Djokovic was in-form but not quite “on” in Dubai the way he was at the Australian. And to be honest Roddick seems to be having some very good days and tournaments himself. He’s played some of his best tennis this year and it’s because he’s been “on” quite a few times.

Something to note, though. After Djokovic beat Federer at the AO some article mentioned that although Federer is still plenty capable of beating Djokovic, Djokovic is no longer one of those players who Federer can beat when he’s NOT playing very well or even his best. But apparently Djokovic isn’t the only one.

someone mentioned the drivel that mary carillo was spouting during the men’s final and i have to agree. such blatant one side-ness to commentating does a disservice to the sport.

on an ESPN feed there are a couple of great commentators - one with a south african accent. they don’t yammer when it’s not necessary and they offer good analysis that isn’t skewed by personal bias.

hopefully dick enberg will retire soon as well. i don’t know if i can handle watching his shiny face much longer.

“…hopefully dick enberg will retire soon as well. i don’t know if i can handle watching his shiny face much longer.”

Funny, funny, incredibly funny. Poor Dick, I don’t think he can remember of what he spoke 5 minutes prior to his next comment. He needs a compass and a helping hand to find and lead him through the exit door. He’s got to make a living, but I think courtside commentary would be best suited to him, where he can nod off and when he does speak, the noise will drown him out. It’s frightening how cruel aging can be. But it’s a comin’ for all of us. Absolutely scary!

Von - have you been taking those medicines I sent to you? You are on a roll these days!

Dr. Death:
“Von - have you been taking those medicines I sent to you? You are on a roll these days!”

Yes, thank you very much. Am I on a roll down hill? A funny side effect of those meds, I’m positive I’ve heard you calling out to me on three (3) occasions. Is it supposed to work that fast?

You have been on a bit of a high the last couple of days. Perhaps just a good dose of the law books would be best since there is no tennis for a while to wind you up.

The callings you heard were shouts of pain - trying to improve my serve and volley.

Von, did you REALLY need to crank up the cheese factor on here by including lyrics to that god-awful song??? hahaha. I was cringing! I love this country too (though I’m not nationalistic), but c’mon, there are better songs! Your vivacity and sentimentality are amusing.

Von - if I’m honest, you’re right - I don’t like Roddick, but it’s not entirely his fault. Much like my distaste for Djokovic’s parents, part of what I don’t like about Roddick is the pass he gets from the tennis establishment, the American media and his fans for his abhorrent behavior. (I’m American, by the way). I also think his game is over-rated by casual sports fans, but then again he is a big draw for them, so one must take the good (more fans, more tv coverage) with the bad (Roddick’s on-court behavior).

That said, I think he’s a very good player (not great, but good) and Americans (and his non-American fans) have every reason to be proud of his accomplishments, although I don’t consider him to be a “first ballot” HOF’er (of course I don’t vote, so who cares).

I must also differ with your assessment of the assessments of his victory over Fed in Miami. I think Fed played quite well that match, and his only dips in form game at the most inopportune moments. In fact, I pointed out in one post that I don’t even think Andy played that well and he STILL beat Fed who (in my opinion) played quite well. It means that Andy can beat Fed even if he isn’t at his best and Fed is close to his. I don’t consider mono an issue at all - if he’s fit enough to play, he’s fit enough to lose fair and square. That’s all positives regarding Roddick.

I’m sure he’s a great guy, although I’ve never met him. But I appreciate that his on-court persona is much worse than his off-court actions and principles. The character he showed in that hotel fire in Rome for example, comes to mind, as well as his foundation and committment to Davis Cup.

But that doesn’t mean I love everything he does - when he does wrong I call him on it. I suppose that rankles his fans, but this is (still) a free country!

Dr. Death:

“Perhaps just a good dose of the law books would be best since there is no tennis for a while to wind you up.”
“The callings you heard were shouts of pain - trying to improve my serve and volley.”

So, tell me, good Dr. D., do you want me to tone it down? I get enough law from my research, and the characters I interact withon a daily basis. How about my felling some trees instead, to get rid of the excess energy.?

You’re wrong, about tennis scarcity, I get to see Davis Cup beginning on Friday and ending on Sunday, featuring none other than the enfant terrible`, A-Rod. But you won’t be able to see that, serves you right for seeking greener pastures. Boo-hoo.

Btw, the groans/voices of pain and anguish pertained more to the over 40(?) knees than from the serve and volley enhancement. But don’t get discouraged, they shoot horses don’t they? That should help when all else fails. DDG. Did you figure that out?

johnnhoj: ” Von, did you REALLY need to crank up the cheese factor on here by including lyrics to that god-awful song??? hahaha. I was cringing!”

You can always count on me for some amusement, albeit cheesy, in the true sense. Maybe some Limburgher cheese might help you to appreciate my choice of words. Did you know that my sister dropped me on my head when I was 9 months old. Oh yesz, — it stunted my growth (I couldn’t pass the height requirements for American Airline) and my mom has been trying to get revenge on my sis since that day. The poor girl has had to move every month and can’t attend family gatherings, etc. My mom feels that she didn’t deserve such an awful offspring, moi.

MMT:

“In fact, I pointed out in one post that I don’t even think Andy played that well and he STILL beat Fed who (in my opinion) played quite well. It means that Andy can beat Fed even if he isn’t at his best and Fed is close to his.”

There you go! I knew if I kept hammering and chipping away at your comments, that you’d eventually see things my way. So, let’s get this straight, from the horse’s mouth, Andy CAN and DID beat Fed, fair and square. I knew it, it’s all a matter of perception. My feeling is that Roddick has finally gotten rid of the cobweb in his head, and has come to terms with the FACT, that if he wants to win a tournament and has to go through Fed, he’s going to have to beat Fed, no more cop-outs. As Nike says: “Just do it.”

“But that doesn’t mean I love everything he does - when he does wrong I call him on it. I suppose that rankles his fans, but this is (still) a free country!”

I’m just looking for a balanced summation, which is what you have just given. That kind of fairness would not rankle me, because we are all imperfect creatures, but just a few kudos thrown Roddick’s way, now and then, will hit the spot everytime with me, and that wasn’t hard for you to do. Thanks.

To MMT:

I’ve just checked your tennis blog, and was more than impressed! Too bad there wasn’t anyone who would bother to respond to your articles, since they certainly look very interesting in my opinion… I mean, why are you wasting your time? Go over here! I bet the tennis-x.com staff would welcome such a talented blogger!

Skorocel,
you got me curious. and yes! it is a very impressive blog MMT! Great job!

MMT Thanks for that site also.

Von - you have to be you.

But, after the Battle of the Green Berets, that is about the worst patriotic song - in English at least. Other than that, no complaints. Keep it up and let’s see what heat your comments generate.

Dr. Death:

“Other than that, no complaints. Keep it up and let’s see what heat your comments generate.”

I hope none. Now I feel rather badly, and it wasn’t meant to offend anyone. But sometimes I suppose, I should stop and think before I act. Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I’ll take your advice and stay with what I am safest, and that’s reviewing statutes, codes, rules, and regulations.

Well .. for Fed… usally a long streak ends.. and he immediately starts off on a new streak.. as has often been seen. So this win by Andy over Fed doesnt been he’ll start turning the tide. He will always have to have a near perfect serving day and he can only hope to to clip Fed again in 3 sets. He certainly is a great player.. but dont agree he is going to win as consistently as say Nadal or Nalbadian .. against Fed.

Von,

It’s pretty clear you think a lot of Andy Roddick. And why not? The guy has had a lot of success. He’s quite personable. But, peak Andy cannot beat peak Fed.

You stated that my logic concerning Djokovic being the only able to beat peak Fed on a hardcourt is flawed. Actually, it’s not. When Federer was recording 3 and 4 loss seasons, Andy never (…and I really mean never) beat him. What was it? 11 or 12 times in a row he lost to Federer. My logic stands because the results bear out my statement.

The reasoning that if player A can beat player B and player B can beat player C, then player A can beat player C doesn’t work. You are applying a sort of mathematical logic to this. This isn’t an equation of logic. It’s based on how players games match up against each other. Andy may match up well against Djokovic who in turn matches up well against Federer, but Andy does not typically play well enough against Fed to beat him. It’s just how it is.

Wow! Thank you Skorocel, Zola and Dr. Death! And Von, I love my country more than I resent Roddick, so I hope he blows Gasquet and Tsgona out of the water this weekend in North Carolina!

MMT:

“Wow! Thank you Skorocel, Zola and Dr. Death! And Von, I love my country more than I resent Roddick, so I hope he blows Gasquet and Tsgona out of the water this weekend in North Carolina!”

Thanks MMT. I also wish that the USA comes out on top in this tie. France is pretty tricky, especially their doubles team, but considering the Bryans just won their first title for 2008, they should be on a roll. Gasquet and Tsonga are, in my opinion, head cases, sometmes they’re on and most times, not, but A-Rod is usually on in DC, which always makes me wonder, why is it he can’t be that way at other times. But, I’m very thankful for small mercies, and I just hope Blake can eek out a live rubber win.

I came across your blog site a while back, but I remained silent because I thought I was probably prying, but I have been secretly reading your articles. I must say, that even though it’s a blog site, you are par excellence in your wrtiting conerning grammar/syntax/parallel construction, et al. The first poster to compliment you, Skorocel, who remarked on your site, is the one who has taught me how to get to web sites, etc. Now, I have learnt that when the poster’s name appears in blue, it shows that theirs is an accessible website, and if I let my cursor hover on it, I can obtin access. Skorocel, you should be proud that a computer clutz such as myself, has been learning from you.

SG Says:
“Von, It’s pretty clear you think a lot of Andy Roddick. And why not? The guy has had a lot of success. He’s quite personable. But, peak Andy cannot beat peak Fed.”

You’re correct, I think a lot of Andy. You can say, I watched him grow up, since I’m older than he is, and I liked that sweet kid. I also admire his ‘big’ heart, whereby he gives so much back. that makes me overlook the bad. Additionally, he’s a son of the soil. Need I say More.

I’ll concede that some of your points, or maybe most of them are logical, and yes, Andy has not beaten Fed in the past, 12(?) times. Yes, Fed was able to read his serve, and block it back, and the culprit was the ball toss. However, A-Rod has subsequently changed up his ball toss, which has made it a lot more difficult to read now. But,yes, in the past, Andy’s game did match up very well with Fed’s, much to my horror, and Fed’s groundies (which I am grudgingly praising) are superior to A-Rod’s, however, I still feel that in those instances, e.g., ‘06, TMC, and ‘07 USO, where Roddick played so brilliantly, and had match points, and set points, respectively, against Fed, and Fed came out the victor, hinged mostly on A-Rod’s disbelief than on Fed’s greatness, in those instances, and Fed was playing his A game. That being the case, I do believe that A-Rod can beat Fed, even when Fed is playing his A game. But, to coin a phrase from my famous last words, ‘only time will tell’.

I retract my statement, grudgingly, and I’ll concede,that it’s not about a logical equation, but how their games match up. Thus, your logic is is NOT flawed. But, and there’s a BUT, now that A-Rod has beaten Fed, I feel that we’ll see a less nervous Andy, with self-belief, against Fed, and Fed will NOT get those prior easy wins. Pax!

MMT:

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when I have been secretly reading your blogs, I do believe that you previously write a blog on Davis Cup, in which you stated that givng ranking points for DC matches would attract the top players and entice them to play? If so, you need to apply for a patent. I suppose my comment will engender some anger from the present writer. What can I say, par for the course; I always seem to raise the ire of many. I need to read more and say less, per the good Doctor D.

MMT: correction: line 2, “previously write” s/b, “previously wrote”.

Von says: “I still feel that in those instances, e.g., ‘06, TMC, and ‘07 USO, where Roddick played so brilliantly, and had match points, and set points, respectively, against Fed, and Fed came out the victor, hinged mostly on A-Rod’s disbelief than on Fed’s greatness, in those instances, and Fed was playing his A game.”

I would agree with Von on this because by then Andy (06-07) had succumbed to Fed phobia. He was only just getting his bearings with Connors as a coach & only just getting his confidence back, for the 06 USO final, where again, he had a chance, but it slipped away.

I would even add that the 04 Wimbie final, had there not been a rain delay, could’ve went either way as Andy was still a confident player then, coming off his stellar 03 season etc….

In the past, his concentration, or emotional peaks and valleys, have got the better of him against Fed, but he’s more mature now, and, I think, able to focus better. We’ll see if the results bear this speculation out.

on another note, I recently rewatched the Roger’s Cup final between Djokovic and Federer last summer in Montreal [call it withdrawal :-)] and I was struck by how similar Fed played in that match to the AO semifinal, and even against Roddick in Miami. In each case, he made a number of UEs, had moments when he looked sluggish, and was, yes, even sweating (!) although he wasn’t sick then. He also produced moments of brilliance in all of said matches, too. But his era of utter dominance was 05-06.

To Von:

Guess you should thank Kash, not me Anyway, no need to worry, Von! Each beginning is rather tough

Jane:

“I would even add that the 04 Wimbie final, had there not been a rain delay, could’ve went either way as Andy was still a confident player then, coming off his stellar 03 season etc….”

I forgot about the ‘04 Wimbie, where Fed was saved by the rain. It’s good to have more than one fan thinking.

“I recently rewatched the Roger’s Cup final between Djokovic and Federer last summer in Montreal [call it withdrawal]… and even against Roddick in Miami.”**** “In each case, he made a number of UEs, had moments when he looked sluggish, and was, yes, even sweating (!) although he wasn’t sick then.”

That’s very true. Fed’s brilliance was diminishing slowly toward the end of ‘06 and it was even more pronounced in ‘07. He’s only human, and had been firing on all cylinders nonstop — there had to come a dying of the embers. I’d say that he is now running on fumes. But, only time will tell.

Andy will have to once again find his self-confidence and play within himself and not become dissuaded by external factors. Now that his personal life is somewhat settled, he needs to re-focus on his tennis, and make it his priority to win the tournaments that he selects to play. Perhaps that second GS is somewhere lurking in the horizon. He can turn things around and further improve on his game. I know I can, instead of I think I can.

Skorocel:

“Guess you should thank Kash, not me Anyway, no need to worry, Von! Each beginning is rather tough.”

Yes, I should also thank Kash, who led me by the hand and walked me through the process.

Thanks Kash for the computer help and the smileys. But, I am curious, as to why you faded away after the Andy/Fed match? Was it because your prediction that that match would go 20-18 in the tiebreak with Fed as the winner not transpire? I’ll say that comeuppance was rather swift in that instance. Don’t you think? Anyway, all’s forgiven and you can now surface, unless you’re still feeling the pain, in that case, I understand.

Only time will tell… its too premature to predict a Federer downfall. He might lose his No 1 ranking this year.. but only briefly. This is not the first time he had a slump(by his standards).