“We know that some fans have planned their vacations and a night out with friends around Andy’s Tuesday night play and potential to earn his third title on finals weekend, so we can only imagine how disappointed they are also,” said Indianapolis Tennis Championships Tournament Director Kevin Martin.” Now that was an unnecessary thing to say, by the TD no less. I would be surprised if Andy returns next year after that comment.

July 17th, 2009 at 4:24 pm

I hope its just a matter of Andy needing more rest (which he deserves) as opposed to serious hip issue. He has supported the tourney in the past, so they should not complain too much about this.

July 17th, 2009 at 4:29 pm

I don’t know, I’m beginning to become very concerned about Andy’s right hip injury and I only hope it doesn’t turn into something chronic for him. It would be sad indeed if it were to become problematic for him, considering he’s finally gotten himself to a place where he’s playing great tennis. I’m hoping for the very best for Andy and a speedy recovery. Rest up dear Andy.

July 17th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

There goes my tie-in with the movie Hoosiers with Larry Stefanki as coach Norman Dale and Andy Roddick as sharp shooting Jimmy Chitwood bringing home hardware in Indianapolis.

I hope Roddick gets healthy.

This does probably mean the difference between a lot of tickets not being sold and that would have been and a lot of tickets that have been sold to corporations not being used and cutting into merchandise and concession money for the event. Bad luck all around.

July 17th, 2009 at 5:05 pm

Not going to lie, the only reason I purchased tickets was to see him play. Now he is out and I’m willing to bet that I can’t even get half of face value for my tickets. Talk about a total tournament changing moment.

July 17th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

tennisontherocks Says:
“I hope its just a matter of Andy needing more rest (which he deserves) as opposed to serious hip issue. He has supported the tourney in the past, so they should not complain too much about this.”

I said it during and after the match that it appeared to me Roddick was hurt after that dive, but a few didn’t want to hear of it. It was obvious from the way he walked off upon arising from the fall, but he valiantly tried to conceal it. That’s now all water under the bridge, and I’m hoping you’re right that all Andy needs now is rest.

July 17th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

Maybe Roddick should have stuck to being fat Roddick when he had those extra 15 pounds, maybe Stefanki worked him too hard

July 17th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

This is too bad for Roddick. I hope he is well soon too, since a lot of us have high hopes for him during the hardcourt season. Who knows? Maybe he is just being extra cautious. In other words, why risk jeopardizing a Masters series event or even the USO to play a smaller tier event. Better to rest/heal the hip in time for the bigger tournaments.

July 17th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

The Indy event really could have used a big gate. Maybe the hometown hero Ram can get through some rounds and Blake, Querrey, Isner, Ginepiri, Baghdatis etc. can draw some fans but none will draw like Andy would have.

July 17th, 2009 at 8:25 pm

Green Balls Says:

“Maybe Roddick should have stuck to being fat Roddick when he had those extra 15 pounds, maybe Stefanki worked him too hard.”

That’s very unkind. Roddick was never fat. Have you ever seen him in person? He’s a very strong, muscular guy. I’d take Roddick’s body over a lot of the other players.

July 17th, 2009 at 9:08 pm

Yo Von, yah I’ve seen Roddick in person, he’s like fat Nalbandian’s little brother

July 17th, 2009 at 10:24 pm

Von, I thought of a new nickyname for your Roddick-love, “Vonahhrea” – it has a pungent feel to it ya think?!?

July 17th, 2009 at 10:29 pm

Green Balls: There are some fine lines that people shouldn’t cross and one of them is making a mockery of someone’s name. I hope you had some fun doing so with mine, but I don’t think it’s funny.

July 17th, 2009 at 11:00 pm

Green balls: BTW, did someone suddenly flip a switch in your head or something?

July 17th, 2009 at 11:30 pm

It’s too bad that Roddick won’t be playing in Indianapolis.:( He’s had such a great year too. I’d like to see him in the finals again at the US Open.

July 18th, 2009 at 12:35 am

Curious to see how Roddick’s (as well as Rafa’s) return to the tour shakes out during the hardcourt season. At this point, it’s hard to tell who would be more of a threat. Andy’s been playing so well thus far this season, but he’s just suffered probably the worst loss of his career. On the other hand, Nadal has had plenty of time to rest now, but he’s still grappling with knee issues no doubt, and who knows what effect his family’s troubles will have on his tennis.

I guess I’d have to put my money on Fed…

July 18th, 2009 at 1:04 am

Von – my sincerest apologies, may skinny Roddick get better ASAP! I was really hoping to see him shake up the U.S. Open series :(

July 18th, 2009 at 1:52 am

It is good for Roddick to take some time off (hope the injury is not too bad).
He made a samrt decision to not play all the clay events, perform decent in Madrid and Paris and peaked at Wimbedon. He can do even better in The US hard season.
I saw him play against Berdych on Court 1 and remember saying he was second favorite after Fed. His display was remarkabe, both offense, deffense and the serve that pop’s out on the court making a bigger sound than when we watch on TV. I saw in the same day Karlovic and Roddick and in the end a sense of disapointment come along: I would not ever produce even a single serve that looks like one of those!

July 18th, 2009 at 1:57 am

Bad news, but it’s better to be sure he’s fit for the USO. He’s playing the best tennis of his life, and I’m sure we’ll see a spectacular performance from him in September.

July 18th, 2009 at 4:07 am

I was just watching some vids on wimbledonlive.nbcsports.com. Notable: Hewitt vs Roddick and Roddick vs Murray, Roddick vs Federer. And I have to say, Roddick had the best tournament of his life there. He was playing better than any other player. He should have been awarded the trophy, and I think Andy may even know that also. With so little separating the top of the men’s game, I think it is a much bigger deal to take care of business when your game is 100% “on”. Maybe Andy is thinking about this now. That was his absolute best chance yet to win Wimbledon…maybe all that time he spent working out instead of enjoying his life is now all the sudden coming back to haunt him now that he has realized he doesn’t have “it” to take the big titles anymore when it pays off.

July 18th, 2009 at 6:20 am

Hey Von and other Roddick fans, sorry to hear about this. Hope he gets better soon. He might just want a break from tennis to get himself ready for the USO. Now that he has the belief he needs to be healthy too. He played the tennis of his life in those last two matches. He got a lot of fans. I for one have always liked watching him play but I didn’t have as much respect for him in interviews or how he responds to thing in public. Anyhow I never like players to be injured and especially someone of his rank.

As for Green Balls, I say to you get lost with your loser comments to Von.

July 18th, 2009 at 8:32 am

Von, first of all, I really hope Andy’s injury isn’t too serious and he’s taking extra time off as a precaution to fully recover before stepping back on court for the big 3 upcoming tourneys on the North American Continent.
Going back to my remark ” hopefully he’ll slash his teeth into Novak’s heels” to go for the number 4 spot to which you remarked: “to Novak it’s still too big a difference, around 2700 pts”
I broke down some numbers to give you an interesting look down below. Tell me what you think:

Rogers Cup and Cincy points from last year will drop before Rogers Cup is played this year so substracting the ’08 pts for the top 6(and if apparent any other pts that drop off until the Rogers Cup)you get the following table:

*A.Murray will add 250 pts for winning Queen Club after his 0 pts from Indianapolis ’08 will drop coming Monday 20-07-’09.

1)R.Federer: (11220-10-150=)11060 *(10860)
2)R.Nadal: (10735-1000-450=)9285 * (8485)
3)A.Murray: (9450+250-450-1000=)8250 * (8250)
4)N.Djokovic: (8150-250-700=)7200 * (6790)
5)A.Roddick: (5440-150-0-240=)5050 * (5050)
6)J.M.Del Potro:(5425-500-350-350=)4225 * (4225)

*Between brackets is including the pts dropped from the Olympic Games ’08

So Von, taking the above as his template, Andy can very realistically start knawing at the Djoker’s heels because if fit, I suspect he is more than able to outscore Nole in Montreal and Cincy. And if he does: wowie…..he would put himself in prime position to get competitive with Djoko for the number 4 position, more so considering the fact that Djoko has a lot of points to defend from winning the YEC ’08.

July 18th, 2009 at 8:51 am

My worry is that Roddick who retired in the Queen’s semis and now missed Davis Cup and Indianapolis might (and I stress might) be at a stage where nagging injuries/potential injuries detract from his play more frequently than anyone would want.

I do think Roddick still has “it” but in a toned down version of an above post, the weeks when a player feels great getting out of bed and plays close to the zone day in and day out are the weeks a player needs to maximize, because no one plays at their peak year round.

July 18th, 2009 at 8:58 am

Here are all of the players to withdraw before the draw is made plus the final Wild Card was awarded:

“The final wild card was awarded to 2009 NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Champion Devin Britton. He was the first Ole Miss men’s tennis player to ever win a NCAA Men’s Singles Championship.

Previously announced players Andy Roddick (right hip flexor), Juan Carlos Ferrero (personal), Ivo Karlovic (personal), Gilles Muller (knee injury) and Kei Nishikori (wrist injury) all withdrew from the tournament prior to the singles draw being released.” – just got the email from the event – thought I would pass it along.

July 18th, 2009 at 9:00 am

Scottish: Hi, and thanks for your concern and kind comments ref: Andy. I’m hoping that he’ll recover from this hip problem as quickly as possible. It’s not like him to skip the US Open series, especially Indy, where he’s been a repeat champion, and it’s one of the reasons I’m very concerned. He loves playing in the US — I wonder why? LOL. BYW, I’ve been meaning to ask you, are the walls still painted bright orange? Since you mentioned that little tidbit, whenever I see an orange painted anything I remember you. ha ha

July 18th, 2009 at 9:22 am

Veno:

Thanks for your concern with respect to Andy’s injury, and also a big thank you for the breakdown of points in your post @ 8:51 am. You’ve no idea how very grateful I am, since I’m not a numbers cruncher per se, so again, a big ‘thank you’ for your kind consideration and thoughtfulness.

Now that I look at the numbers, I tend to agree that it’s somewhat, though not entirely doable for Andy to overtake Djoko considering the amount of points Djoko has to defend between now and the YEC. I think if Andy remains healthy for the rest of the year, that scenario could happen closer to the YEC, or after Paris, due to Andy having to defend QF points at Paris. There’s an ironic twist to the Djoko/Roddick ranking scenario, as it was Djoko who derailed Andy in ’07 thus causing him to lose the No. 3 ranking. Therefore, one can argue that it would only be fair and/or fitting if their (Roddick/Djoko) ranking positions were to be changed with Roddick avenging his loss in ’07, and roddick doing the dirty deed himself. LOL. It’s amazing how history seems to repeat itself within a short space of time, sometimes, isn’t it.

I answered your post after you left on the Gasquet thread, click on the link below and it should take you to my comment.

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2009-07-16/1806.php#comment-82539

Veno, thanks again, and keep enjoying the sunny Spanish weather. Remember, don’t imbibe the Spanish drinks which have names you can’t pronounce. LOL.

July 18th, 2009 at 9:48 am

Dan Martin:

“My worry is that Roddick who retired in the Queen’s semis and now missed Davis Cup and Indianapolis might (and I stress might) be at a stage where nagging injuries/potential injuries detract from his play more frequently than anyone would want.”

I’d say yes and no. The Queens SF injury was a fluke accident, and could have happenend to anyone, which is not indicative of a body breaking down.

The DC withdrawal, was due in part to him lunging, falling in an uncomfortable position at Wimby thus causing the right hip flexor injury. It was also a combination of some much wounded ego/pride and the hip injury. And the Indy pull-out, I think is just a prolongation of the Wimby injury/pride combination as well, but also caution seems to play a huge part, the reason being, bigger things are looming on the horizon.

“I do think Roddick still has “it” but in a toned down version of an above post, the weeks when a player feels great getting out of bed and plays close to the zone day in and day out are the weeks a player needs to maximize, because no one plays at their peak year round.”

I absolutely agree with the foregoing. No one player feels at 100% day in and day out, thus it’s of pivotal importance that they maximize and make good use of those times when they feel healthy. Per Shakespeare: “The lost opportunity come not back’.

We have a family friend who’s suffered a heart attack, and he recently mentioned something very profound, wherein he tries to maximize and squeeze the most out of the days he feels well, because he never knows when subsequent and/or similar times are coming.

You’re very perceptive Dan Martin, and kudos to you. Your posts always have that subtle hint of compassion for your fellow human beings.

July 18th, 2009 at 10:08 am

Hey mom…ehmmmm I mean Von! I read your comment on the Gasquet-thread. Tx for your reaction and imput and…..your advice. It made me skip 1 round in the bar yesterday and as a reward only had to deal with a 99% hangover this morning waking up(you see how it’s always those little things that make the difference!!)

Back to tennis:

you’re welcome and I agree with your reasoning. Imo it won’t hinge on the pts Andy has to defend from the QF Paris Masters ’08(Only 250)
And he only has a slight chance to overtake Dismal Djoko(before Nole fans(Jane, you’re aces in my book btw), start bashing me, I mean no disrespect, but the Spanish drinks(all of which I can pronounce….thanks mom….ehm Von) make it impossible for me to pass up on this alliteration)
But who knows, could be a very good battle between the 2 of them, which is good for tennis, so we would all win!!! Same holds for the Murray-Nadal fight for 2nd coming up. And who knows…towards the Ozzie Open twenty-ten things could get really interesting if Delpo(I am still not sure) can put some Argentinian seasoning in the mix that is becoming a delicious dish at the top of the tennis world.

July 18th, 2009 at 10:10 am

Veno:

Glad you had the willpower to pass on imbibing that one extra, the most important one, before you keel over the precipice into oblivion. Sweet dreams … LOL.

“And who knows…towards the Ozzie Open twenty-ten things could get really interesting if Delpo(I am still not sure) can put some Argentinian seasoning in the mix that is becoming a delicious dish at the top of the tennis world.”

Maybe Delpo needs to eat some more rice, yucca and South American plantains to invigorate his legs, and add some more bounce when he walks.

I think DelPo will be aspiring to go deep at the MS events and then make that final big push at the USO, but concentrating more on the USO. He seems very hungry, but considering he’s only 20, he needn’t worry, because time is in his favour. However, the time is now for the older guys, e.g., Roddick.

And Nadal, even though only 23, has a lot to prove before the YEC to remain at the No. 2 ranking. Isn’t it strange, he remained consistently at the No. 2 spot for so many years, fought so hard to get to No. 1, only to find himself back at No. 2, due to his knees. He’s come full circle, and then some.

You can call me ‘maman’ which is French for mommy, but my son will be jealous. LOL.

July 18th, 2009 at 10:46 am

Von says: “And who knows…towards the Ozzie Open twenty-ten things could get really interesting if Delpo(I am still not sure) can put some Argentinian seasoning in the mix that is becoming a delicious dish at the top of the tennis world.”

Maybe Delpo needs to eat some more rice, yucca and South American plantains to invigorate his legs, and add some more bounce when he walks.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL great description. I call him “stilts” from now on.

Yeah, he’s 20, he’ll have time, but he’s Argentinia….I still need prove on and off the court that he’s hungry enough. We’ll see, he surely has the time and the talent to get there.

Von says:And Nadal, even though only 23, has a lot to prove before the YEC to remain at the No. 2 ranking. Isn’t it strange, he remained consistently at the No. 2 spot for so many years, fought so hard to get to No. 1, only to find himself back at No. 2, due to his knees. He’s come full circle, and then some.

I agree, it has almost come full circle!!!

And, I will call you maman(btw I know it’s mom in French, it’s 1 of the 5 languages I speak)
just don’t tell your son, I don’t want to cause any problems…..that, I am doing plenty off here at the Costa Brava hehehehe

July 18th, 2009 at 11:00 am

*off means of(“writing” with a double tongue so to speak :O)

July 18th, 2009 at 11:03 am

Veno: “And, I will call you maman(btw I know it’s mom in French, it’s 1 of the 5 languages I speak)
just don’t tell your son, I don’t want to cause any problems…..that, I am doing plenty off here at the Costa Brava hehehehe”

You speak five (5) languages? Gosh, I envy you! I struggle with English, even though it’s my native tongue, and I know some French and Latin. I can pick up some Spanish words here and there, but nothing to talk about. I’m fluent in ‘probably’ only English.

So you’re writing with a double tongue, eh? Then how am I supposed to believe anything you say? LOL. That was meant as a joke.

Veno, nice chatting with you, I have to go now, but I’ll catch up with you when next you choose to grace us with your insightful posts and/or presence. Manana!

July 18th, 2009 at 11:29 am

Von is a polyglot! I know Spanish well and some French. I tried my hand at Russian and studied Latin, but in each I am quite quite limited.

As far as being compassionate to human beings, well like it or not (Nietzsche awaiting his overman) I am human and think we have to look out for one another.

July 18th, 2009 at 11:32 am

Dan Martin:

“Von is a polyglot!” No way, I struggle big-time.

I must confess though, I’m very good with Latin, as I’ve lived with nuns for many years at Catholic boarding school, singing Jubilate Deos and Gregorian chants until my lungs seemed to burst and throat became parched. I continue to use Latin for my job, thus all that singing has been put to good use.

I sometimes tell Sean Randall that he reminds me of my visits to Mother Superior’s office whenever he chides me. LOL.

“As far as being compassionate to human beings, well like it or not (Nietzsche awaiting his overman) I am human and think we have to look out for one another.”

Well, as the Jewish people would say, one hand washes the other. You’re a good man Dan Martin, and it shows in your writing! Seriously.
________________
The following link is on Stich’s return to the ATP tour, playing doubles. Is it me, or is it rather obvious, that it seems quite a few of the older players in the 35+ year-old group are looking for a resurgence in their defunct careers? If so, then the sport can only become more appealing to the masses and we’d probably see some additional TV broadcasts here in the US of matches played globally. On the downside, considering there’s a seismic shift in tennis from the US to global, maybe not. One can only hope, and hope springs eternal!

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/18072009/58/stich-return-atp-tour.html

July 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am

Daniel says:”I saw him play against Berdych on Court 1 and remember saying he was second favorite after Fed. His display was remarkabe, both offense, deffense ” Also, Daniel, bear in mind that Berdych was in tremendous form. He had simply destroyed Davydenko (in an eerily similar display to Soderling’s unraveling of the Russian in Paris), and his confidence was sky high. He matched Roddick in the first set, couldn’t take it, and then just fell apart. Roddick of course held steady – his mental strength is a formidable weapon. At this very high level, the mind is crucial, which is why the greatly talented Berdych will always disappoint when it comes to the crunch. I deeply regret this, because I think there is no finer sight in tennis than an on song Berdych striking the ball.

I also agree with you that Roddick was the main threat to Federer. Those who said Roddick had done Fed a favour by beating Murray were talking elementary stats, never a good guide. I do think a fit Roddick is favourite to win the US – but it will be a lot more open than Wimbledon, with del Potro and Murray, for instance, being far more dangerous.

July 18th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

I just looked at the Indy draw and it has been hit hard by players not being able to play for whatever reason. Roddick is out, James Blake is not playing, JCF pulled out, Gilles Simon is not defending his title… that is the top two U.S. born players, the defending champion and a former #1 not playing. Hewitt is also not playing although he never said he was hoping to this year.

A big chance for a lot of guys to get some wins and some points, but this is not 2001 when the semifinalists were reigning U.S. Open champion Marat Safin vs. a very in form and popular Patrick Rafter and reigning FO champion Gustavo Kuerten vs. reigning Wimbledon champ Goran Ivanisevic.

July 18th, 2009 at 1:48 pm

Monaco, Soderling and Chadry are playing well this makes the form these guys showed at the recent slams look permanent.

July 18th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

more permanent.

July 18th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Veno says “he only has a slight chance to overtake Dismal Djoko(before Nole fans(Jane, you’re aces in my book btw), start bashing me, I mean no disrespect, but the Spanish drinks(all of which I can pronounce….thanks mom….ehm Von) make it impossible for me to pass up on this alliteration)”

LOL Veno – thanks for the props; you seem like a great poster, so jovial. Then again, I suppose that’s easy basking in the sun and drinks in Spain! Enjoy every minute.

If Roddick overtakes Djoko that’s alright; I’ve always liked watching both of them, and if Andy surpasses Novak, he deserves it for all the hard work he’s put in. And Novak has been rather “dismal”, sadly, this season – at least in terms of consistency. He’s had some shining moments as well.

Anyhow, when the rankings heat up like they are this summer, it makes the contests just that touch more exciting, with a little more at stake.

July 18th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

Von, “I’ve been meaning to ask you, are the walls still painted bright orange? Since you mentioned that little tidbit, whenever I see an orange painted anything I remember you. ha ha”

Sorry of forgot about this. What did I say about orange? I do have orange painted walls. I get a lot of comments about them and most people are like “Wow I could never work in this office.” LOL I love them and this is my 2nd office to have orange walls.

As for Roddick, I think Roddick can and will take over #4. Actually I think if Djoko doesn’t start stepping it up he is vulnerable to lose more than just #4. I really really hope JMDP picks up his game. I like him more and more every time I watch him.

This is definitely an exciting time for tennis no matter who you cheer for. I’m glad I’m a fan of such a great sport.

July 18th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

tenisbebe why are the comments by the Indy TD so wrong? I read that tickets sales increased alot after Andy’s run at Wimbledon so obviously what the TD said is true, many fans bought tickets expressly to see Andy play.

Von, I agree, it sounds like Andy’s hip is worse than previously thought. :( I hope he will be fully healed for the usopen.

I still have not recovered from Andy’s loss in the Wimbledon final. He wanted it so bad, he should have won! -cries-

July 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pm

I think the time to panic about Nole is not now. Slams QF – Australia and Wimbledon, MS 1000 events runner-up Miami, Monte Carlo, and Rome Sf – Madrid
Other events – Titles in Dubai and Serbia runner-up at Halle.

He won his first slam last year with semis at FO and UO along with a Bronze Medal. Sampras went 24 months between his first slam and second slam final and nearly 34 months between his 1st slam and second slam. I think novak needs to figure out Murray a little better and get his asthma as squared away as possible, but once a player wins a slam it can take a year or two to adjust to how life changes. A slam and an olympic medal in a country such as Serbia might make him the #1 athlete in his whole nation. That can be a lot to deal with and sometimes success is harder to deal with than failure as when one fails the path to improvement is generally more clear. Novak is fine in my mind.

July 18th, 2009 at 6:19 pm

Dan Martin:

Indy would have been the perfect opportunity for Blake to step up and win a title. I honestly don’t understand what’s happening with Blake. Is he having deep psychological issues that is causing him to be so ‘mentally tired’? It can’t be physical, because he’s not suffering from any type of visible injury that I can see, and he for sure wouldn’t have wasted any time pulling that card out to give him a much needed assist in the excuse department with respect to his recent Davis Cup debacle. I think he’s probably opted out of not playing due to his recent Davis Cup experience and want to avoid answering questions from the press and his colleagues. I hope Blake is able to bounce back, or else he’d be in hiding for a long time since the DC mess-up will continue to linger and pop up in conversations.

I agree that Djoko’s fans shouldn’t be concerned about his status and/or successes. Not every player is able to keep playing at a high level every day, and Djoko will win some and lose some, because that’s sports and human nature as well. I think the expectations come from some of his fans who want him to win every time. Fans in general, are like bottomless pits, where they want to see only wins and not losses. Some fans’ expectations are so high, that they’re not content with their player winning a match 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, they want 6-1-, 6-3, anything short of those results seem to cause a panic and takes away from their enjoyment, even though their fave won.

I guess I try to look at the glass being half full, and only some losses have a huge impact on me, e.g., Roddick’s ’04 Wimby v. Federer, ’06 USO Final, and ’06 TMC, where he had match points v. Federer. This year’s Wimby loss has been the worst and I’ve erased it, not because he lost, but how he lost, not to mention that dejected, inconsolable look on his face, which is still so vivid in my mind. Other than that I take his losses with the wins as par for the course and could care zilch if he had to win in three sets, not playing effectively at the net, too many errors, first service percent too low, et al., with all being decided by a tie-break. For me, it’s just stats, but the bottom line is, he won , and a win is a win, whichever way we look at it.

July 18th, 2009 at 7:39 pm

Scottish: I was speaking about the orange walls. We discussed this when you initially began posting on this site and I’ve since then correlated any large, painted surfaces with your orange walls in mind. Thus, you can say, ‘You’re always on my mind’, per Willie Nelson’s song. LOL.

____________________
TD(Tam): Yes, I do believe Andy’s hip injury is not looking too good and I’m becoming a wee bit more concerned than when he twisted his ankle, because hip problems can escalate rather quickly. However, at this time, I’m somewhat more concerned with his mental outlook. Does he have the will to keep on fighting or will we see him just trying to hang in there and/or becoming disinterested in competing on the new higher level? In the past he’s been very resilient, but that Wimby loss was not an ordinary par for the course loss, and it has to have deleterious effects on his mind-set going forward, but if he could separate the negatives from the positives in that match, he could become stronger, based on the knowledge that he gave Federer one hell of a fight, and didn’t just hand over the win on a platter.

I sincerely hope Andy’s able to bounce back after the hip is healed with the same intensity we saw during Wimby. It would indeed be sad if Andy is unable to do so, and that will definitely break my heart to see so much potential and hard work going down the drain.

July 18th, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Dan Martin, Thanks. That’s a very encouraging post about Novak. I tell myself he hasn’t had such a bad season, but then I read articles by people like Wertheim and at sites like Tennistalk, which recently picked Novak as one of the “Lost Boys” of tennis, and they make me have some doubts again. But that’s totally true about Sampras; it’s just 18 months since Novak won his first slam so he has time. He’s younger too. Besides which, if Novak can remain in the top ten and continue to “win some” (as Von said), then I can be happy with that.

I’m actually more curious to see if Murray can overtake the number 2 spot in time for the USO, than I am about Novak losing his #4 to Andy R, as that could shift the dynamic if Nadal and Fed aren’t secured spots opposite one another on the draw.

July 18th, 2009 at 8:38 pm

Ah thanks Von, Orange is such a great colour. Maybe Fed should add a little to his wardrobe. LOL.

Yeah Djoko is a mystery. Good point about Sampras. It goes to show though just how special Nadal and Fed have been that once they started winning they kicked it up a notch.

It definitely would be interesting having Nadal and Federer in the same side of the USO draw. Can someone fill me in on how the draw is actually selected? Sorry it’s such a newbie question but I really haven’t had time to look into that part of the game.

July 18th, 2009 at 9:44 pm

Dan Martin Says:
I think the time to panic about Nole is not now. Slams QF – Australia and Wimbledon, MS 1000 events runner-up Miami, Monte Carlo, and Rome Sf – Madrid
Other events – Titles in Dubai and Serbia runner-up at Halle.

He won his first slam last year with semis at FO and UO along with a Bronze Medal. Sampras went 24 months between his first slam and second slam final and nearly 34 months between his 1st slam and second slam. I think novak needs to figure out Murray a little better and get his asthma as squared away as possible, but once a player wins a slam it can take a year or two to adjust to how life changes. A slam and an olympic medal in a country such as Serbia might make him the #1 athlete in his whole nation. That can be a lot to deal with and sometimes success is harder to deal with than failure as when one fails the path to improvement is generally more clear. Novak is fine in my mind.

Very good break-down, Dan, and I agree.
Imo there’s no way Novak won’t win at least 1 more slam. I think he’s just searching to find that “click” where his game, his mental state and his ability to cope with pressure situations will come together(as it did during Ozzie ’08) Of course after winning his first slam the whole dynamic changes, especially the overall increase in expectations at the slams. He’s got time(just 22) to develop the acquired confidence and the belief on court again. It will help him to cross the finish line(especially in big matches against big opponents) rather than just reaching it.

Jane, thank you for the kind words….time’s flying here, I’m heading home come Saturday…

A confession to you, I never liked Novak’s personality but always enjoyed watching him play(and still do, cause his tennis skills are mad!)
But he’s growing on me as a person, especially cause I can see he’s making an effort to improve his demeanor and he comes across much more mature.
I will make a bold statement in saying that I suspect his next slam will be on the red dirt in Paris!

July 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am

@Scottish:

At all the slams the draw is the same. Wimbledon has a different approach to seeding the top 32 contenders though. They have the right to seed players higher or lower than their world ranking looking at past tournament results on grass. The other 3 slams just seed the top 32 following their ranking. See below to see howthe draw works:

The top two seeds are placed in opposite halves(of 64 players), assuring they can’t possibly meet before the finals.
The rest of the draw is randomly drawn, except that the top 4 seeds are placed in different quarters(consisting of 32 players) of the draw, assuring they can’t meet until the semis, and the top 8 seeds are put in different eighths of the draw, assuring they can’t meet until the quarters.

This goes on until all the seeds(32) are placed in the draw and then randomly the remaining 96 players(wildcards, not seeded players and qualifiers) will be drawn.

So if you’re a seed, you can’t run into another seed before the third round.

July 19th, 2009 at 9:33 am

Chardy has won his first title; he’s a player with some good potential, as he can play well on all surfaces, and his serve is definitely a weapon. Congrats to him. Also Soderling won in Sweden, so he continues his good form, on clay in particular.

I am beginning to think the French Open is going to be MUCH more competitive next year (veno – I’ll be happy if your prediction comes true!). If a few more step on grass, too, all of the slams should be more open, as there are already a number of serious hard court competitors. Things will only get better next year. I hope we see a couple new slam champions soon! : )

July 19th, 2009 at 2:10 pm

Amen to that Jane!!!

July 19th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

Good job by Chardy on his first title win and Soderling winning his fourth.

Simon appears to be on a downward spiral and seems to be over-playing having played in 28 tournaments thus far for this year.

July 19th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

Veno, I think if Djok can keep up his results on clay, he could win the FO esp. in the next couple of years. His goals are WIM and FO, not USO.

July 20th, 2009 at 9:38 pm

vared says “His goals are WIM and FO, not USO.” Did he say this somewhere? Just curious. It would seem like the USO should be a goal in a way, since he plays well on hardcourts, and has gotten to the semis and finals there already.

p.s. I posted this link for you on the Rafa thread but since you may not see it, here it is again:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/220439-top-nadaldjokovic-match-ups

July 20th, 2009 at 10:12 pm

Jane,thanks for the link on match-ups. I missed it. I really like these two players.

Of course every player would like to win every GS but like Murray has said he prefers to win the USO, the following hints at Djok’s priorities.

Manager Allon Khakshouri:
I don’t like to discuss the future, but our wish is for Novak to win two European Grand Slams – the French Open and Wimbledon.
http://www.tennisinsight.com/playerid186.htm

July 21st, 2009 at 2:06 pm

Thanks vared; I guess those are his goals/”wishes”, but like you say, I am sure he wouldn’t mind a USO either! ; )

July 21st, 2009 at 7:39 pm

Hey Jane,

I’m 100% positive the USO is as important to Novak as the European Slams, but I think his manager stated it like this, because he already has an Ozzie Open and he already finished RU at Flushing Meadows. He knows what it takes to get to and win a HC Slam final. Considering his all-court game and possibilities to win all 4 I deem it wise to pet some extra emphasis on the Clay and Grass Slam in Europe. But…I am only thinking out loud here :)

What do you think?

Greets to you and Maman(you know who you are) from sunny Spain.
Speak to you guys about tennis when I get back…Laterzzzz

July 22nd, 2009 at 1:05 pm

Veno: I gave a shout out to you last evening on the other thread, but I guess you didn’t see it. Here’s a link to my comments, which means I didn’t forget you. ha ha. I’m one step ahead of you.

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2009-07-18/1822.php#comment-82827

July 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm

Hi Veno,

Thanks for your thoughts. What you say makes sense. Djoko’s got the hard court prowess, and has proven it, so why not focus on the other surfaces? I think grass will be the most difficult for him, as he struggles a bit with movement on grass, but he’s gotten to a Wimbledon semi and a Queens final, so there is no reason to think he couldn’t win at SW19 if things go his way. I know he holds that event in the highest of esteem. He’s also a great clay-courter, as he’s proven this season, so the clay slam should be within his grasp, maybe even sooner than later? I hope he can win a couple more slams anyhow. He’s got a lot of talent, imho. But whatever will be, will be.

July 22nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm