Australian Open Day 1 Notes: Vaidisova Marriage a Prank

marrying stepanek would have to be a prank.

January 14th, 2008 at 10:09 am

Stephanek says … let the worm dance!

January 14th, 2008 at 10:16 am

At the open tonight Chris Fowler was enquiring about Vaidisova/Stepanek’s so-called engagement. It seems that they are dating but not officially engaged. I hope that she takes a good look at him soon. At the Medibank semis he looked terrible and grey. He had a grey look on his face, fatigued and lost. I thought he was going to collapse on the court. That’s a case of the beuty and the beast. Her mom should take her to see a psychiatrist.

January 14th, 2008 at 11:03 am

“Ana Ivanovic in her diary for the Sydney Morning Herald: “The biggest gossips are the coaches and agents.”

Also, the ESPN commentators. They gossip incessantly. I like the Tennis Channel commentators they don’t indulge as much as the ESPN characters.

January 14th, 2008 at 11:10 am

To Von:
“Beauty and the beast” – ha ha, that’s right! As you may know, the Czechs are our neighbors (we were living with them in a same state for about 70 years before we finally split), so I often visit their sport servers, and there you can read literally tons of similar comments everytime this topic pops up:-) You know, “What a ugly type, this Štěpánek!” or “Where she left her brain?” type of comments, etc. etc. Btw, speaking about Vaidišová, she too is often viewed in her homecountry as a rather conceited, cocky girl – which I can certainly agree with… A total opposite to Lucie Šafářová (the Czech No. 2 and Tomáš Berdych’s girlfriend), who, despite her successes being comparable to those of Vaidišová, always seems to me as a rather natural, modest young woman… But then again, it’s only my opinion…

January 14th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

“Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,
Not utter’d by base sale of chapmen’s tongues”
– William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labours Lost – 1588

Still, I can’t stop looking at him and thinking, “ACK!” Maybe he has an ab fab personality, great wit, a high IQ, a big…um.
OK, look, he’s got to have SOMETHING or she wouldn’t be dating him.

January 14th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

[…] Vaidisova is apparently claiming marriage application was a joke During the broadcast, ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez called Nicole Vaidisova’s application for a marriage license a “prank” on boyfriend Radek Stepanek. She did say the two were indeed dating. Of note, Fernandez’s husband Tony Godsick works for IMG, the same management company that represents Vaidisova… Tennis X […]

January 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pm

Did Stepanek dump Hingis already? I thought he was engaged to Hingis? So now he’s with Vaidisova? I don’t know what these ladies see in him. He is not a stud, for sure.

January 14th, 2008 at 11:49 pm

TO: Skorocel,

I was wondering where you had gone to.

“Beauty and the beast” – ha ha, that’s right!” And that’s putting it mildly. Lord have mercy. Of what is she thinking? Does she have a bone to pick with Hingis? But with him? As I said, if she were my daughter I would be dragging her to see a psychiatrist. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She needs contacts and magnifying glasses on top of the contacts. Have you ever noticed the way he sticks out his tongue and the funny/sick things he does with it? And the worm-like positions? He reminds me of a snake when it is about to attack it’s prey. It surely is not about money, because he has not made a huge sum.

“…as a rather conceited, cocky girl – which I can certainly agree with… A total opposite to Lucie Šafářová (the Czech No. 2…”

She does seem cocky to me. As I stated before, nouveau riche, can make a monster out of a young person.

Lucie Šafářová, on the other hand seems like a very sweet girl. I hope she stays that way.

What do you think of the first round matches. Some upsets already. I thought Murray would at least make it to the fourth round. Rafa had a difficult time putting away the Croat. He did not run around and jump up as much as he used to. We’ll see how th slam unfolds.

January 15th, 2008 at 12:32 am

Skorocel: Sorry for the typos.

“Croat.” S/b Serb.

“We’ll see how th slam unfolds.” “th” s/b the.

January 15th, 2008 at 12:35 am

JCF Says:
“Did Stepanek dump Hingis already? I thought he was engaged to Hingis? So now he’s with Vaidisova? I don’t know what these ladies see in him. He is not a stud, for sure.”

I think you are spending too much time with the barbie. (joke) He broke up with Hingis for a couple of months now. He has gotten himself a younger chickadee. He went from age 25 to 18.

January 15th, 2008 at 12:39 am

To Von:
Speaking about Lucie Šafářová, well, the girl sadly lost her 1st round match against the Colombian Catalina Castano (Vaidišová won, btw)… Too bad, since I really like Lucie! Her eyes are out of this world:-)

As for the results, well, everything (except a certain Scotsman) goes according to plan… Nadal, Nalby, Djoker, Andy – all through in three… Ljubo again lost in the 1st round, so I guess he’s going to have another poor year… But who knows?

As for women… Again, no real surprises. To be honest, I don’t quite follow these first few rounds – simply because there are too many “nobodys” playing, you know… For me, the REAL tourney starts with its 2nd week, when the draw gets cleared of all those “nonames”… Anyway, too bad I missed Jankovic vs Paszek! I’ve heard there were no less than 15 breaks of serve in that 3rd set (which Jankovic won 12-10, btw)! That’s quite something! Looking forward to the Shriekapova vs Davenport clash…

January 15th, 2008 at 1:53 am

To Von:
I’ll add something more to the Andy Roddick debate shortly, so stay tuned!

January 15th, 2008 at 1:55 am

I’m furious that Murray lost. But oh well. Safin vs Baghdatis round 2, that should be quite the match. If Baghy starts cramping like a little baby, Safin should win, but who knows? About Nadal, he looked a lot like the old Nadal to me, the pre-dominant-world-no-2. I don’t know why, something about the way he was playing was, just, not, the way I’ve grown accustom to. We will see.

January 15th, 2008 at 8:21 am

sensationalsafin

I agree about, well, pretty much everything you wrote: it’s crappy that Murray lost and the Safin v Baggy match will be a treat. I particularly agree that, despite his taped knees, Nadal looked better in that match (how bout that Serb though?) than he has in a while. For one thing, he tends to stand too far behind the baseline on hard courts, which means he’s running all over the place, but he didn’t in that match up. For another, his movement seemed good, as I say, even though those knees were taped. He even looked more fit and seemed to have that hunger to win. But like you say, we’ll see.

Safin, Djoker, Hewitt and Nalby are all through and quite confidently so, which means the heat is on for Federer, even if he did dominate his 1st match. Plus he faces the magician, who had no problem making the Tall Man disappear.

Can Santoro make Fed disappear?

January 15th, 2008 at 11:39 am

Haha no chance. Federer owns Santoro no matter how much trouble he gives him. If Nadal can keep doing what he’s doing, only a flat player can beat him. Roddick can’t outspin Nadal so if he wants to win he’s gotta hit really flat and continue his nonmissing ways.

I can’t get over Baghdatis vs Safin. In a different world this would be a grand slam final for the ages. I really hope they bring their A games and produce great tennis. I don’t like to see good players waste too much energy in the early rounds but this match just has to go to 5 sets. Safin can handle it in the long run, I think, but Baghdatis was already cramping.

Does anyone disagree that Djokovic and Nalbandian are the favorites after Federer? Maybe not even after. Nalbandian really grinds my gears, though. If you’re gonna dominate, do it quickly, don’t start screwing around in the 3rd set. Atleast Djokovic had an excuse, he was nervous. But you could tell by Nalbandian’s body language that he was just messing around. He was injured like 2 days ago! What is he thinking?

In the end, I’m cheering for Safin to go all the way. If he has to disrupt some of Federer’s records, so be it. Federer winning all the time is getting to me now and if someone else has to win, then let it be Safin.

One final note, Hewitt looks better but I disagree with Cahill on him getting back into the top 10. I like Hewitt but I don’t believe there’s anything he can do to elevate his game to an elite level like it once was. He just doesn’t have enough explosiveness to consistently compete with Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

January 15th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

I agree about Hewitt – he won’t be the first Aussie since … to win the title; I just can’t see it. That being said, he’s not an easy guy to count out, he’s such a fighter, and he has Roche behind him.

I think Djoker and Nalby are favorites after Fed, but there are so many others who look good in their first round matches, including Safin, Ferrer and Nadal. Safin has confidence again, and he’s injury-free, so if he stays focused, he’s got a shot for sure. When he hits his stride, he can trouble anyone, including Fed. When he finally got it altogether at Wimbie, he took Fed to a TB in the 3rd set; if he had had it together sooner, he could’ve won maybe. Yesterday, he started fast; he needs to do that consistently.

Djoker also got in and out quick – nerves or not. And Becker is no slouch, so Djoker didn’t really need an excuse.

Speaking of jokes, probably (99:1) Santoro has no chance, but he has troubled Fed (they’ve played a lot of TBs for instance) and he’s got nothing to lose now that he’s retiring, so…maybe he’ll take a set. The crowd will be on his side too. Either way, it’ll be fun to watch. I hope it’s not a complete rout. Fed v Santoro seems to go one of two ways based on their H2H: tight and topsy-turvy or Fed dismisses him. Their two most recent matches have featured tight sets with Fed winning.

January 15th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

SS:

How do you like the big guy. He is more or less back to his ’05 standard of play.

“In the end, I’m cheering for Safin to go all the way. If he has to disrupt some of Federer’s records, so be it.”

It seems that you have answered my question before I put it into words. So, let me get this right, you’re going to back Safin instead of Fed if they played each other. It’s good to know that you’re loyal to the big guy. It’s a no brainer for whom I am going to be rooting.

“Federer winning all the time is getting to me now and if someone else has to win, then let it be Safin.”

That’s been my beef all along. I want to see variety. When Fed gets on the court he knows he is going to win. I would like for him to get on court and be unsure, which means he’s going to work hard to get the win.

I had stated previously (months ago) that Fed winning all the time is destructive for tennis. It makes the tournament boring. People are not going to want to watch if they know that it’s going to be a prdictable winner. A match should have some degree of suspense. Needless to say, I got slaughtered. However, after Pete played Fed in the exho, he was asked whether he agreed that Fed’s matches are predictable, and is not good for viewer participation, and he stated yes, he agreed, and commented why watch if you already know the outcome.

Fed’s match with Hartfield was so predictable. ESPN commentators were saying that they were surprised that the crowd stayed because there was’nt much to cheer about. The crowd cheered a few times when Fed was at the net and Hartfield made a good pass behind Fed. The commentators further stated that Hartfield did show good sportsmanship by trying to make the match interesting.

Did you notice, Fed was coming to the net often, some of Pete’s chip and charge, and serve and volley?

January 15th, 2008 at 7:50 pm

I just love the records. I love seeing Federer break and create all these records. And it’s not that I mind seeing him win, it’s just that there are other players I like. I would hate to see Federer start losing his records but I want to see Djokovic, Murray, Safin, Baghdatis get some slams or atleast other titles under their belts. When Baghdatis and then Djokovic played Federer in their respective slam finals, I always thought to myself how much it sucked for them to be 0-1 in slam finals where as Federer was like 7-0 to start.

Unless he’s facing Safin at the slams, I’ll still probably root for Federer. But outside, I’m rooting for the others. I don’t want Federer losing to nobodies or Nalbandian or Nadal, but I would like to see Djokovic, Murray, and Baghdatis to get some wins over the world number 1. Baghdatis needs to shape up, he’s choked too many matches away against both Nadal and Federer. I think Djokovic is getting used to his position and will feel less and less nerves each time he faces Federer. We already saw he’s not afraid to take him down in a masters. Same goes for Murray, as long as all these players avoid early upsets. Gasquet and Berdych I leave out of this discussion because they really grind my gears. I don’t feel like talking about these ridiculous underachievers.

January 15th, 2008 at 8:41 pm

SS:

“Same goes for Murray, as long as all these players avoid early upsets…”

You can laugh at this if you feel so inclined, but I think Murray missed Gilbert. He was so silent. He had no one to curse at/vent his frustrations. He went down like a lamb going to be slaughtered. Poor kid.

January 15th, 2008 at 9:33 pm

Jane:

Rafa came through his second match quite easily. He conserved some energy. He looked rejuvenated. What a difference a week makkes. According to Chris Fowler the bandages are for protection; his knees are fine.

Andy won also. He had an easy match.

Tonight we see Baggy and Safin, I don’t want to choose. So we’ll see how the match unfolds. Fowler and McEnroe spoke about Safin’s form and stated he was looking good.

During McEnroe’s and Fowler’s comments they stated that they felt Connors would have ended his coaching job with Andy at the ’07 USO. But he was in attendance and enjoyed Andy’s lobs, etc. Andy has certainly gotten better with his returns. They mentioned what we were talking about Andy having a more accessible court, apparently, that’s Andy’s wishes also. We were’nt far off on that point in our discussion.

I think if Rafa keeps up his form he’ll make it to the quarters,. I hope Andy does too.

Sharapova was her usual shriekarama self tonight. She beat Davenport.

January 16th, 2008 at 8:09 am

Von,

Yeah, Rafa looked strong in the match, and so did Andy, other than the beginning third set blip. Andy’s match I could only follow on the computer, but TSN should replay it this afternoon. These two should be heading for a quarter final clash. Any predictions?

sensationalsafin,

“I want to see Djokovic, Murray, Safin, Baghdatis get some slams or atleast other titles”

Echoing Von, Fed’s dominance has been my beef too. I admit I don’t love Federer’s character (he just doesn’t appeal to me) but I can appreciate his talent. However, what I’ve complained about since I arrived on this blog (much to some people’s chagrin) is his utter dominance of tennis, which robs it of it’s drama and unpredictability. People have judged me as being “anti-Fed” but I think of it more as “pro-tennis excitement” in a general sense. The players I tend to cheer for have distinctive personalities AND talent – the ones you name above, plus Rafa and Andy. Whereas players like Berdych, Gasquet and Nalby are obviously talented, imo, they lack the charisma and distinctive character I feel that Safin, Baggy, Murray, Rafa (whose charisma is primarily on court rather than off imo) and Andy have. Federer has a personality, too, but just not one I, personally, am drawn to.

I recently came across this article and it hit home for me:

http://in.news.yahoo.com/indiabroadcast/20080109/r_t_ibn_sp/tsp-no-gentleman-s-game-tennis-cries-out-a134623.html

It seems like more-and-more people (fans, press, etc) are really longing for more players to challenge Federer and create some consistent rivalries. Personally, it’s not that I want Federer gone from the sport (he’s done a lot of great stuff for the game and his record breaking has drawn new and old fans of the sport to watch), but that I want to see him pushed and I want to see others win the big titles – both slams and MS.

That will shake up the worshipping of Fed (by other players, fans and press) and allow other players to shine through and make their mark. It will allow for variety – you know – the spice of life.

January 16th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Jane:

Predictions: Let’s wait until the fourth round of 16.

Re your comments, those are my sentiments as well, however, speaking up has a price.

That article expresses my views. Is it any wonder why Tennis’ fan participation is lagging so far behind the other sports. I would not pay $75 for a ticked to see a match that will be over in 90 minutes. It’s insane. I get bored mid-game watching TV and switch back and forth to other channels.

Regarding the media, they caused this problem. Now, it has come back to haunt them. There’s so little to report. The media, by their one-sided comments, beat the other players for Federer before they even get on the court. I hope something changes soon.

January 16th, 2008 at 4:48 pm

So much for the magician – this was one of those dismissive matches. There have been a lot of 3 setters in the men’s early rounds, it seems. Not too many dramatic ones. I’d imagine Safin and Baggy will provide some of that…

January 16th, 2008 at 11:44 pm

Von,

“The media, by their one-sided comments, beat the other players for Federer before they even get on the court”

I agree that Fed-phobia was exacerbated by the hype: surely other players hearing Federer called the greatest of all time by so many tennis pundits adds to the mystique. Of course they’d know he’s great after playing him and losing to him, but the mental aspect of tennis – the pressure – can’t underestimated.

January 17th, 2008 at 12:15 am

s/b “can’t be underestimated” – sorry

January 17th, 2008 at 12:17 am

Jane Thanks.

“I agree that Fed-phobia was exacerbated by the hype: surely other players hearing Federer called the greatest of all time by so many tennis pundits adds to the mystique. Of course they’d know he’s great after playing him and losing to him, but the mental aspect of tennis – the pressure – can’t underestimated.”

I’ll put a scenario to you. You are in school, graduated from your grade and you are now ready for the higher grade, but, you hear the students and teachers talking about your soon to be grade room teacher, he/she is a terror, unkind, etc. Fillin the blanks. You’re now very scared of this new teacher. What happens to you psychologically during the school semester break. You keep wondering about this teacher and begin to get scared. First school day approaches. You’re nervous and really afraid, and your knees are buckling. All of this has happened because you heard so many stories about the new teacher.

That’s about the same way these young tennis players feel when they have to play Federer. All because of the stupid hype.

And, my friend, that’s a textbook scenario.

January 17th, 2008 at 12:55 am

The latest press tag for Federer is “IMPERIOUS”. In some ways, this word fits.

January 17th, 2008 at 1:55 am

Jane:

“The latest press tag for Federer is “IMPERIOUS”. In some ways, this word fits”

There are two meanings:
(1) overbearing, arrogant domineering; or
(2) urgent, imperative.

I would say No. 1. Which did you pick.

Was there an article on him?

I am sitting up waiting for Safin/Baggy match.

January 17th, 2008 at 4:28 am

Jane:
Re: Our conversation about Jimmy and Andy.

““We are still learning on how to deal together because obviously he’s not going to travel 30 weeks a year and I wouldn’t feel right asking him to do that,” Roddick said before the tournament.

““We are going to focus more on preparation and spending maybe some off weeks together preparing, as opposed to showing up at a tournament and more or less having a Band-Aid effect.””

It’s about the same answer we came up with.

January 17th, 2008 at 5:05 am

Why?????????????????????????
Why was this round 2???????
Why is Safin ranked so low??????
If this was atleast a quarterfinal that would have been great. I feel like even if Baghdatis had lost it would have been a loss for the tournament because both of them are such quality players. Why did he fall apart????
Why??????????????????????
He was so close to coming back. He made like 3 first serves in the final set. God damnit!! I hope Baghdatis whipes the floor with Hewitt. I don’t know why but I want Hewitt to get crushed. Nalbandian needed 4 sets against that guy who’s name I can’t spell, my hatred grows. Federer has crossed the line, I want someone else to win. But still, now that Safin’s out my spirit is crushed. And it was only round 2!!!!
Why???????????????????????

January 17th, 2008 at 10:11 am

sensationalsafin,

I feel for you. But Safin showed he’s back this year; this is only the first tournament. Let’s see how he makes out the rest of the year. He’s healthy, he’s more focused – keep the hope alive! I am for Murray.

Von,

There were just a couple of things I read which used that word in relation to Federer. And yeah, I read that article on the Andy/jimmy relationship, so it sounds like they’ve reached a new kind of agreement – more work in the lead up to tournaments, less travel from Jimmy. This might be good. Andy has a more difficult opponent in the second German today. But it was nice to see him play looser the other night, even using a few lobs!

January 17th, 2008 at 10:32 am

Von,

Here are two of the articles on the IMPERIOUS ONE:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/01/15/tennis.federer/index.html?eref=rss_latest

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hQzglbHTJdrJUent_kUWquQFDyzA

This one uses RUTHLESS instead and even calls Fed a little “mean spirited” and says “It didn’t matter that he could have beaten Santoro blindfolded and strapped to a net post.”:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23069171-5013459,00.html

So let’s hope Tipsy can give Fed a little more of a challenge anyhow, although Tipsy might be tired from earlier matches.

January 17th, 2008 at 11:15 am

Just watching a replay of Baggy v Safin – what a great match and a fantastic couple of shot-makers.

sensationalsafin – you’re so right – this should’ve been a quarter final at least. But we nevertheless finally got to appreciate a dramatic and exciting tennis match this tournament; let’s hope for more like this!!

January 17th, 2008 at 4:48 pm

jane Says:

“Just watching a replay of Baggy v Safin – what a great match and a fantastic couple of shot-makers.”

That is my point about Fserer’s boring on-sided guillotine matches. For those of you who like to just watch a great match, then that Safin/Baggy match is what I call fantatic. Compare it to Fed/Sabtoro = absolutely boring.

January 17th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

I feel like Federer isn’t going to be as threatened by his “competitors” all that much in the next two weeks. Call him ruthless and all, which he is, but I think he’s preparing himself for the worst. Deep down he knows Nalbandian is very likely to make it through and he fears Nalbandian. So by focusing completely on his goal he will be ready to take Nalbandian down. I’m looking foward to the springtime masters. Federer’s won Indian Wells and Miami several times but we all know what happened last year. This year should be kind of interesting, unless Federer maintains this level of perfection all year and pulls a 99-1 match record out of his ass, that’d be ridiculous.

January 17th, 2008 at 8:27 pm

sensationalsafin:

“Why?????????????????????????
Why was this round 2???????
Why is Safin ranked so low??????”

I am asking myself that same question. And, they say draws are not fixed. Guess again. Anyone who could beat the “great one” was surgically removed from his pathe until the semis.

I was sitting at the edge of my seat just willing him to break back. He played so great. The beating up on himself is now gone. That’s a positive. I felt as though someone has ripped my heart out. If only, if only ….

I share your pain and anger. However, I think Gumy is doing some good for Marat, he’s not blowing up as he used to. And, even though he has not gotten as far in the AO as we wanted for him, he’s going to go forward in a more positive frame of mine. He’ll do well at Roland Garros.

January 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

Forget Federer and his quest for the Career Slam, I want Safin to win the French. I’m sick of him losing early. He’s so great to watch, every time he loses, everyone loses something, too. I’m so pissed.

January 17th, 2008 at 9:28 pm

Fed played exceptionally well at the AO last year but then kind of fizzled at the following MS hardcour events, so yeah, let’s look ahead to those and in the meantime hope for some fun matches at OZ. I have a feeling that only Nalby or Rafa could take out Fed here. Best for Rafa would be a hot day when the balls are bouncing high, like at Indian Wells. I am not sure Djoker could beat him if it’s really hot like they’re predicting. But we can only wait and see.

January 17th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

At the moment, Rafa’s struggling against Simon, so I am not so sure now. Up to now, especially in the last match, Rafa looked good. But if this is a sign — maybe we should be looking to the Frenchmen!? Gasquet, Tsonga, Grosjean…

January 18th, 2008 at 12:17 am

Oh me of little faith – Nadal fought back and came through in straights. Andy, on the other hand, lost, which is a shame. Does this mean Rafa should get through to the semis and maybe the final? I’m not sure; he’s likely got more Frenchies to contend with if he gets by Mathieu, which he should (even though he often drops a set in their matches) and then the winner of those two suprises: the Fin & German. I’m guessing either Gasquet or Tsonga will come through that other quarter, but who knows! Davydenko is Mr. Consistent and Youzhny slaughtered Dr. Ivo.

Any predictions on the lower half anyone?

January 18th, 2008 at 10:47 am

Jane:
“Oh me of little faith – Nadal fought back and came through in straights.” Congratulations.

I wanted to mention Rafa’s win, but I kept forgetting. He played his heart out in the first set. I was hoping that would happen to the German, but it seems that he is a marathon man.

January 18th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

I keep forgetting about Ferrer: can he take out Nalbandian if they meet in the next round? He did at the USO, though only barely.

January 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm