Will Andy Murray Rank No. 2 Next Week?

by Sean Randall | August 10th, 2009, 2:56 pm
  • 230 Comments

The Montreal Masters is already underway, and already Marin Cilic has been shown the exit by Mikhail Youzhny. Igor Andreev is also through courtesy of Dmitry Tursunov’s bad ankle. ADHEREL

As for the rest of the field, I like Andy Murray to win this one beating Novak Djokovic in the final. That’s right, Murray def. Djokovic with the Scot moving ahead of Nadal for the No. 2 ranking and the No. 2 seeding at the US Open.

Roger Federer is the top seed, he’s on a great run – personal and professional – and I know the pressure is off, but you cannot spend the last two weeks caring for the new born girls and sleeping in the hospital without some negative impact on your game. I think if someone doesn’t get to him before, Murray takes him out in the semifinals.


And remember what Roger said after losing to Novak in Miami, “Thank God the hardcourt season is over.” Well, it’s back.

The No. 2 guy is Rafael Nadal who returns to tennis after a two-month layoff due to a couple bad knees. And I think that rust is also going to show and could show very early against someone like David Ferrer or Sam Querrey. So I don’t like Nadal’s chances either this week.

With Federer and Nadal out of the mix, that leaves the door open for some surprises, sort of.

Murray has a great draw to the semifinals, no need to detail it!

Djokovic’s is a tougher path with foe Roddick in the quarterfinals. But Novak’s turning into a Masters player – he’s reached the SFs or better in his last four – and he won this same Montreal title a few years ago beating the Top 3 consecutively. Meanwhile, Roddick had a tough end to a so-so week in D.C., and if he’s getting broken by the likes of Ivo Karlovic and John Isner, what’s Novak going to do him? So I’m actually picking Novak in a mild upset to beat Roddick.

That means in the semifinals Murray beats Federer and Novak gets by DelPo. The first match I feel good about, but the second is dicey.

DelPo really came up big yesterday. He handled the heat really well, didn’t get down on himself in the third set when he fell behind a break, and once he made it to the tiebreaker he absolutely tossed aside the nerves and went full throttle.

What’s scary is I don’t think he even played his best tennis, but he elevated his game at the right moments and stole it from Roddick. Very impressive performance and one that  moves him into the conversation for the US Open title. But next week I think the fast courts in Montreal and the overall grind catch up to DelPo and Novak gets through.

Regardless, unless you are a Marin Cilic fan, looks like we have a great week ahead in Canada. Enjoy it. If you are a tennis fan this is the start of a great 30-day run.

For live online streaming from Montreal, click below:


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230 Comments for Will Andy Murray Rank No. 2 Next Week?

David Says:

I’ll be surprised if Djokovic beats Roddick. It seems to me Novak has moved down to the bottom of the top 5, while Andy’s heading upward. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if he finishes the season No. 2 the way he’s going. He did lose to JMDP this past week, but that was Roddick’s first tournament back after a few weeks off. He should get better and better as the summer goes on.


johhny Says:

I like Novak Djokovic beating Andy Murray in the finals. Ajde Nole!


Twocents Says:

Fast courts are for the young and restless. Yeah, Murray/Djork or Murray/JMDP final. Murray the winner.


Skorocel Says:

“due to a couple bad knees”

“Regardless, unless you are a Marin Cilic fan, looks like we have a great week ahead in Canada.”

LOL!


Ruza Says:

Uve 4goten wen nadal came bk and beat fed in dubai,hw he came back and won the aussie open.that is hw he will come back and win montreal.he knows he can.


Fed is GOAT Says:

No, I don’t think so (I am answerng Sean’s question – will Murray rank No 2).

Nadal is tough. The last time his No 2 ranking was on the line (against Djokovic at Hamburg 2008), we know what happened. He will not let it go so easily.


I can kick your a** on a tennis court Says:

[corrections]

Sean,

It’s one thing to sell ad space on the site because you got to pay the bills. It’s another thing to support the ATP’s miserly pay-to-watch business model. It’s plain stupid and why you support it in your blog is beyond me.

If those retards could grasp the benefits of giving away live video for free, tennis would NOT be in the trouble it is. Especially considering how TV distribution is so poor in the U.S., you would think “ok, let’s at least get the fans watching on the web” but alas we all get is the money grab and expensive at that.

What they should be doing is finding a way put video out for free via an ad-driven model. Perhaps bumper ads before vids like Hulu. It would provide exponential exposure for the game and probably more than the few thousand bucks they pick up each each year via “subscriptions”.

Check your next ATP “help us run our Internet business” online survey… Hopefully someone’s sniffing the coffee over there.


Veno Says:

I think Murray will overtake Nadal and pretty soon too, but we’ll see first how well-rested and fit Rafa is.


Kimmi Says:

Fed is GOAT Says:
No, I don’t think so (I am answerng Sean’s question – will Murray rank No 2).

Nadal is tough. The last time his No 2 ranking was on the line (against Djokovic at Hamburg 2008), we know what happened. He will not let it go so easily.
__________________________________________________

FIG, It was easy for Nadal to fight for his # 2 ranking then because they played in his fav surface. Hardcourts and on top of that coming back from injury will not be easy…


Veno Says:

Kimmi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


tennisontherocks Says:

It will be smart for Nadal not to fight too hard for #2 spot here and focus more on getting good enough match play before US open. But yeah, at the US open, he will be willing to die out there.

Btw, Nadal is playing doubles with his part-time coach Francisco Roig and facing Djokovic-Vemic right now. sounds fun :)


Kimmi Says:

Hey Veno, what is that ?

Is your live streaming working ? the matches today are slow….. The stadium is empty too, not enough tennis fans in canada ?


Kimmi Says:

tennisontherocks: I wonder what criteria is used to pick a doubles patner.. what is the ranking position for this Nadal coach ? does he even play tennis regulary ? interesting !


Veno Says:

Just a shout out to you :)

Yes my streaming is working perfectly…Already glued to my screen for over 2.5 hours!!!

Stan da Man just pummeled Kiefer 4 and 1.
He was hitting some impressive groundies!!!

Can’t wait for Safin-La Monf!!! Will start in about an hour…


Kimmi Says:

Shout out to you too veno.. I just came back for work and saw the end of stan/kiefer…In that match Stan looked like the GOAT. Not good for Kiefer, he will lose plenty plenty of points, last year finalist.

Safin and Monfils should be good, monfils also coming from long layoff, I love his court magic though.


Veno Says:

How do you pick a good doubles partner:

You just have to be formally credited as a pro tennis player.

#Step 1

You are out at the courts and want to play some doubles, but you don’t have a partner.
Picking the perfect tennis doubles partner can be a challenge. Two individual ranked singles players often don’t make a winning doubles team because they may lack chemistry. How do you begin to find that compatible partner? First and foremost, find someone you LIKE. You are going to be with them for an hour or more for each match you play, you might as well like the person. It is especially true in Ladies’ League Tennis and Girls’ High School tennis (I coached both of them for years and years). Look at Venus and Serena Williams, they get along great on the court AND off the court. That makes for a compatible doubles team.

#Step 2

Next you look for opposite strengths, like a righty and a lefty as partners; or a strong baseliner and an active netman volleyer together; a deuce court receiver and an ad court receiver side by side. One player’s strengths should blend with the other player’s strengths in the tennis skills department.

#Step 3

Temperament is another compatibility factor. You don’t want TWO hotheads together or TWO nervous players together, or TWO really slower movers together. The word compatible means able to exist together without conflict, have a harmonious relationship and be consistent with each other. Both partners shouldn’t fall apart at the same time in doubles play. One should always remain cool under pressure and hold up the team.

#Step 4

Communication is another key in a compatible partner. Talking between points or between games can iron out a weakness that the other team may have found. Momentum switches quickly in doubles play. The best doubles teams can let their partner know their positioning or placement changes in a quick word or two. Adjustments can be made if partners can talk to one another easily.

#Step 5

Get out and practice. Work out your differences and different scenarios before you play an important match. Who will cover the lob? Who will serve first when the sun is in your eyes? Who will take the middle ball? Getting along is only part of the game, the strategy should become important too, when selecting a compatible doubles or mixed doubles partner. Most importantly, have FUN out there!


steve Says:

No.

Nadal is not so soft as to lose his ranking to Murray.


Veno Says:

Thanks Kimmi, and I love Gael too!
Loved his post-match interview at RG when he lost in the quarters to Federer….

Stan played the whole match on a very high level….Mucho winners and Nicolas deflated and got overpowered more and more as the match progressed. If Stan can keep up this level, he’ll be dangerous for everyone.
In that humidity he served easily in the 130’s, hit 15 FH winners and 6 BH winners. His total winner count was almost 30. He only hit 41% 1st serve but won every point!!!!


Veno Says:

First blood to Rafa though….beat Novak in doubles and Murray is out too….Gotta count for a little…


Kimmi Says:

Veno, thanks for this breakdown, I see a lot of factors are required to make the partnership work. You can see this very well on successfull doubles players.

I was just wondering if nadal can partner with his coach even if his coach does not have a high ranking enough to get a direct acceptence to MS tournament. I guess maybe as long as one of them is high enough in the ranking then its OK ?


Kimmi Says:

Aaaarg..Djoko and Murray better concentrate in singles. Rafa is very good doubles player too, he is won some big tournaments and Murray got the tough 1st round but it will be good warm up for both.


tennisontherocks Says:

‘Kimmi Says:
I was just wondering if nadal can partner with his coach even if his coach does not have a high ranking enough to get a direct acceptence to MS tournament. I guess maybe as long as one of them is high enough in the ranking then its OK ?’

They got wild card. so Rafa could have played with his physio and that would have been just fine. Otherwise, they pick the lower of singles or doubles ranking to make the cut. But seedings are purely based on doubles ranking.


Veno Says:

Actually no, ranking is no issue as long as both players are members of the pro circuit(USTA in America)
And they have been given a WC. I think the organization of the tournament always has the right to give WC’s to whomever they deem best eligable.


Kimmi Says:

tennisontherocks, thank you. I did not see they got a wildcard.. now that explains.


Kimmi Says:

Thanks Veno, it does make sense now.


Veno Says:

And if they didn’t get a WC, then their combined rankings would have determined whether they were good enough to enter the draw directly or they would have to play Qualifying…


Veno Says:

I doubt btw if Rafa and Roger would decide to enter in a MS doubles tourney that would have to qualify. Probably be seeded 5th or 6th :)
Rafa has hinted in the past that he would like to play doubles with Fed…Now that would be a sight!!!!


Veno Says:

“Le Monf and “L’enfant Terrible” sont au court recouvert de bitume!!!!!!

Allez-y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Kimmi Says:

Rafa/rog doubles will attract at lot of eyes. I wonder how their individual fans will react to each other, they just don’t like each other, do they ?

La monf/safin on court..I like them both but ..will have to pick sides eerr..


Veno Says:

Lol, the umpire said “trente par tous”


Kimmi Says:

.4 easy errors from safin. Monfils just return the ball and let safin self distruct.


Veno Says:

Marat looking way off!!!


Veno Says:

Looks like Marat already finished his career….Come on man!!!!


Kimmi Says:

yak! he should just go home and retire with some dignity.


Veno Says:

He looks like a club player….This is ridiculous…
Come on Marat!!!!

Monfils hasn’t hit 1 competitive tennis ball in 2 months(Queens)


Veno Says:

This is just painful to watch!!!!!


Veno Says:

0-11 winners to UE!!!!! Unheard of!


Veno Says:

1-11 lol


Kimmi Says:

almost..C’mon


Kimmi Says:

F-I-N-A-L-Y !!!!


Veno Says:

0 aces and 4 doubles and no racket broken says it all!


Kimmi Says:

ha ha aaaa…La monf


Veno Says:

Why laughing Kimmi?


Kimmi Says:

Monfils was doing his usual crazy things on the court…there was no need for him to chase that ball like that..he was 5-1 up. Dangerous for his body…


Veno Says:

Safin finally playing better but La Monf isn’t having any of it


Veno Says:

Yes Kimmi, agree….but it’s why he plays tennis…See the grin on his face?

But true, not that smart…I don’t get the gliding on HC’s anyway


Kimmi Says:

the commentators here say “you can never see federer do that” mmmm..what a comparison !


Veno Says:

Heard that lol. True though, but not many players can shift their body weight better and change direction better than the maestro. Murray comes close…
Djokovic will have to be careful too with all the sliding and stretching….At 22, the body can take it…At 25 he will start to break down…


Veno Says:

Which quarter are these guys in?


Kimmi Says:

Agree, It is dangerous on hard court…thats why I like Murray too. the way he moves on hard court is just sublime. He just needs to be aggressive though because sometimes he retreats back into too much defense mode.


Kimmi Says:

Murray qtrs


Kimmi Says:

la mof..the FH..POWER


Veno Says:

Tx Kimmi

And yes, Murray moves very very well, especially for a 6’3″ guy. I am that height(bit heavier cause of my build) and it is not easy to move that well at that size.

I’d like to see Murray play more aggressive, cause sometimes it’s just irritating to watch him play….


Veno Says:

Woohoooo, in for a match now!!!!!!


Kimmi Says:

Great..Safin is waking up now.


Kimmi Says:

bartoli and Clijsters have started…Can the Kim do the unthinkable ?


Veno Says:

She’ll beat Bartoli…
Kim’s from a village not even 30 miles from where I live :)


Veno Says:

Sam Q. is in trouble on the other court…


Veno Says:

Hahaha, they heard La Monf yell in Vancouver there…


Kimmi Says:

Really !! wow…OK…let hope she does just that. she is 3-0 up….GREAT…just following live score BTW


Kimmi Says:

“Hahaha, they heard La Monf yell in Vancouver there…” What don’t understand ???


Kimmi Says:

C’mon Monfils


Veno Says:

You didn’t hear his roar after missing the run down FH after great defence?

Kimmie is 4-1 up, Bartoli’s serve


Kimmi Says:

I think I missed it..bye bye Queery..


Veno Says:

Yeah, Querry’s out…This is another tourney than Los Angeles or Washington :)


Veno Says:

Unbelievable how hard they’re hitting the ball right now!!!

Whooooooshhhhh


Veno Says:

Ugh, Kim is messing up things…4-0 up double break but it’s back on serve again…Disappointing


Kimmi Says:

Yeeeesss, safin is really on the roll now. If safin keeps this up..he will win this.


Kimmi Says:

aaaarg..It will be difficult match for her. You don’t just come back after 2 years and then win somebody like bartoli…if that happens I would worry more than I worry now about the state of women tennis.


Veno Says:

Lars Graf keeps saying 30 par tous lol


Veno Says:

Kim wil beat Bartoli…in 3


Kimmi Says:

They have tell score in both French and English…


Kimmi Says:

mind you i would not tell because my french very poor though…


Kimmi Says:

SAAAAFFFIIIINNNNN


Kimmi Says:

Kim is 2-set points….c’mon


Kimmi Says:

and first set in the bag for Kim. And marat is doing G-O-O-O-D…

C’mon La monf


Veno Says:

I know Kimmi, but in French you normally say quinze-en/trente-en/quarante-en(15 all/30 all/40 all)

And un jeu par tous(1 game all)


Kimmi Says:

OK, I get it….LOL


Kimmi Says:

Kim is getting in a lot of Bartoli games…dues, advantage..she must be rolling it


Veno Says:

I fear for Marat now…


Kimmi Says:

And marat crumbles as usual…


Veno Says:

We the only ones watching Kimmi…


Kimmi Says:

“We the only ones watching Kimmi…”

Looks like it


Andrew Miller Says:

I like Mr. Randall’s analysis of the draw. It is true that Roddick did not look good in DC, but if he is still beating the likes of Karlovic while being broken, that means he is returning well. And if he is returning well, that suggests that Roddick remains in good shape.

So if he is in good shape, I like Roddick’s chances in a Masters tournament. Masters tournaments require a lot of endurance, and if Roddick is consistently breaking opponents that means he has the endurance required to go deep. If Federer can win tournaments playing so-so, and Roddick makes finals playing “ok”, that means we havent seen anything yet!

On the other hand: I take all your points. Murray loves the hardcourts and so does Novak, so they should be favorites. I second the notion of Federer not being Federer at the moment, but I dont blame him. His kids are only newborns once in a lifetime.


Veno Says:

“We the only ones watching Kimmi…”

“Looks like it”

Great pun!!!!!!!


Kimmi Says:

La monf FH POWER


Veno Says:

He could trouble Murray, if he keeps fit and won’t be fickle…


Kimmi Says:

veno, Are you looking at Kim’s score…she broke again. She might win this in two


Veno Says:

Kim a break up but 0-30 on serve now…


Kimmi Says:

La Monf…great job


Veno Says:

yes, good job from La Monf…entertaining match(after 4-0 in the first)

Kimmie at 4-1 in the second…


Kimmi Says:

Kim..held a very difficult game in the end. Wowow..surprise surprise.


Veno Says:

2 holds and she’ll be the talk of the town :-D


Veno Says:

Falling over here Kimmi, 3 am…time for bed…enjoy the matches!!!

Later


Kimmi Says:

Bye bye…and thank


Kimmi Says:

And last one for you Veno: KIM Wins 6-4, 6-3. Wonderful, she is done it in straight sets WOW…Great comeback for her.


sar Says:

Veno, what village is Kim from?


Dan Martin Says:

I pick JMDP to win one of the three big hard court titles remaining this Summer. Montreal, Cincinnati or the U.S. Open will land in the big Argentine’s arms. He has a lot of upside as Sean pointed out – his conditioning can improve and he can play a brutally efficient power game when on his game.


Kimmi Says:

Sar..ho ho ho..that picture of Djokovic..Mama mia ! Has he been working out ? :)


jane Says:

sar – good lord! Doesn’t leave much to the imagination does it? He does look quite healthy.

I am sad as I am on the road again on my holidays and will miss all of tomorrow’s matches as I missed today’s. Am quickly checking scores as I have some wireless.

Was surprised to see both Querrey and Cilic out. Sadly, Safin too, although Monfils does seem to always get the better of Marat.

And too bad Dancevic had to run into an on form Simon in the first round, hey Kimmi? Or did Frankie play horribly? I had thought their match would be more competitive than that!

I see Rafa and his coach (?) beat Djoko and his doubles partner.

Finally – to Sean’s post – I would be sad for Rafa if he lost number 2, especially in these circumstances, but on the other hand, it’d be great to see someone bust up the stranglehold Rafa and Fed have had on number 1 and 2 for TOO long! So on that note – GO Murray! And if you get number 2, why not shoot for number 1 year end??!! If it’s mathematically possible, go for it!


margot Says:

Sean: disagree re Murray’s draw, he has Davydenko who is on fire at mo. and Gonzales who beat him at French Open, yes I know it’s different on hard but….
Veno: agree Andy has got to “destroy not toy” but according to newspaper reports he’s been practising hard in Miami on his net game also on his fitness so fingers crossed.
jane: thanx for your good wishes, always appreciated.


Marcus Says:

Wasn’t it last year when most people predicted that Djokovic will surpass Nadal in the number 2 position? By the end of the year, Nadal was numero uno.


Veno Says:

Jane: pity you miss so much coverage…
And a great pic of Novak(watch on the ATP site…you ‘ll see the clip of him modelling the underwear) Novak has always looked fit and trimmed. Dunno, have the feeling Novak is going to be in the mix of things very soon again….he comes across relaxed and eager….intersting.

Margot: Saw Andy, he looks very fit and he has been training like a bull in Miami. He’s my favourite to win in Montreal. Semi’s will be Fed-Andy M. and that’s going to be some match(the last 4 wins Andy got was against Fed serving a lot worse than he is now)

Agree with Dan on DelPo: he looked mighty impressive in Washington(I was surprised by his stamina in the 3rd against Andy R. He has the HC powergame to blast everyone off the court.

Sar: Kim lives in Bree, in Flemish Belgium(they also speak Dutch) and it’s about 45 km from Maastricht and she was born in Bilzen which is only 2 miles from Maastricht(this is where I live) Google it to see where both lie :)


Marcus Says:

All my good memories of Safin are fast disappearing each time he plays in his farewell year. He should just retire immediately. I think he is playing to keep collecting money from his sponsors. It is sad to watch somebody you once admired playing simply for bucks and not for the love of the game.


Marcus Says:

Roddick is quickly becoming the Heartbreak Kid.


Veno Says:

Agree Marcus. It’s painful to watch…

The first 4 games yesterday were just insane!!! He looked like an average club player…. 0-11 for winners to UE, no aces until game 6, 4 doubles….

Luckily he picked up his game after being 4-0 down and the match was very entertaining. But have to say that Marat doesn’t look like he’s enjoying even 1 second on the tennis court. It is time to say your goodbyes when that happens imo…


Von Says:

“Roddick is quickly becoming the Heartbreak Kid.” Marcus

What do you mean by the above? Is this because he lost at DC?

I don’t know about Sean Randall’s assessment of the match or anyone else’s for that matter, but I think if DelPotro had to go through Querrey, Karlovic, Isner and Roddick, no way would he have have been at the final and performed as well as Roddick. Delpo’s opponents were Wu and Hewitt (3 sets each) a walk-over, and a dog-tired Gonzalez, who gave the third set on a platter to DelPotro. It seems to me that this salient factor has been overlooked by many, and I feel despite the competition Roddick faced in those huge servers, and 17 hours recovery time, plus changing from night to day matches, he just barely lost the match. I could be wrong, but that’s how I saw the situation at DC and I doubt many players (even the top 4) would have been able to get to the final if they were up against those guys that Roddick faced, after being off the tour from since July 7th to the present time.


Von Says:

Veno: I don’t know about Safin being painful to watch. he’s always played very good tennis IMO, but sometimes he’s off, and when he’s off his results are a bit disappointing. I don’t agree that he should go home and retire with dignity though, to me that’s wrong, because he played a good second set yesterday against Monfils who is a very distracting player and one who moves very fast. anyway, I’d love to see Marat around for as long as he wants to play, painful or on song.


Von Says:

Margot: I agree with you on Murray’s draw. the Two Andys have their work cut out for them. If we were to contrast their draws to Djoko’s (WC and qualifiers) and DelPotro’s (possibly only either Kohlschreiber or Berdych as threats) and Nadal has Ferrer and Querrey as possible threats. I’d say their opponents (Murray’s & Roddick’s) their opponents are much tougher players than those the other top 6 have to contend with in their sections of the draws.


Von Says:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11082009/58/safin-ll-win-title.html

Seems as though Safin has given up on winning a title again.


Marcus Says:

Von, it is because it is heartbreaking to see him play so well, good enough to win (as in Wimbledon and DC). He works so hard on and off the court and puts all his heart in the game. Hence, heartbreaking that he lost those two matches. Heartbreaking for the fans as well as for Roddick.


Von Says:

correction: @8:58 am “..and a dog-tired Gonzalez, who gave the third set on a platter”

s/b second set instead of third.


Marcus Says:

Von, again.

Well I hope that for the US Open, there will no heartbreaks for Roddick and his fans. The guy deserves to get rewarded soon.


Cindy_Brady Says:

Oh yes Von,

If Roddick loses early in Canada, it’s the draw that did it.

Couldn’t be that he has already peaked over the last couple of months and is beginning a spiral downward.

Roddick has put out a lot of energy both physically and mentally, recently.

A burn out is inevitable. Won’t win either master’s series events or the U.S Open.

A threat but only that. Have to settle for being A brides made for the rest of his career.


Marcus Says:

Roddick playing all those night matches may have hurt him too because he did not know what to expect playing in such hot weather unlike del Potro who had some idea having played before and may have some mental preparation on how to handle the temperature.


Von Says:

Marcus: Alright, I now understand and thanks for the explanation. It’s very heartbreaking for me also, and even more so when I see him being dissed for no reason at all without objectivity, except to add some lines to an article that’s meritless. Take a look at the Randall write-up on the Montreal draw and you’ll see what I mean. As I said, I’d like to see one of them take on Querrey, Karlovic, Isner and DelPotro and win just returning to the tour after being laid up for so long with an injury also. After Karlovic it would be goodbye. Anyway I’d better shut up.


Von Says:

Marcus, as I said, we need to look at the whole picture, but how many can do that? Any time I counter with objectivity and facts the anti-Roddick clan begin crawling out of the woodwork, LOL.


Von Says:

Marcus:

“Well I hope that for the US Open, there will no heartbreaks for Roddick and his fans. The guy deserves to get rewarded soon.”

Same here, and I’ll leave the crystal ballers with their negative predictions.


Marcus Says:

I joined this blog to be entertained and get information to enjoy the game of tennis better. I hope people will post to express an opinion and not for the purpose of irritating somebody else. One can express an opinion counter to another and that is perfectly fine by me but sometimes, it is obvious when one writes to pick a fight. There is too much real fight out there in the world. I don’t believe this is a place for it.

That is all I have to say.


Veno Says:

Hey Von,

then we disagree and that’s ok. I could go with your reasoning if Marat had been a player who would have gotten everything possible out of his career. Someone as good(yes I know, he has had his share of injuries which is very unfortunate) as Marat, next to being such a great character with all that potential to me it’s disappointing to see him struggle his way through the matches. I have watched him play since ’98 and always loved him on the court. What an amazing player he was and is. It would make my day if Marat had to play and it was broadcasted. I saw the whole match on stream yesterday and although I would always watch Marat play, I haven’t seen Marat enjoy even 1 second of his match with La Monf and that’s what makes it painful for me to watch. And not only this match, also his 3rd round 5 set loss at Roland Garros to Ouanna and his 1st round 4 set loss to Levine at Wimbledon. Those were his last slams there and he didn’t seem to enjoy any of it…just wrapping up his last season. To me, seeing a great player like that and one of my favourites to watch for years, that is painful.
Further induced by the fact that he is going to quit at the end of the season and we’d likely never see a character like him back on the tour. He’s not causing me pain, dear Von, it’s painful for me to see him not enjoying himself doing something he’s so incredibly good at!!! Also his defeatist attitude off the court complaining it’s all about the money and that players can’t be friends and only think about money tells me he’s not residing in a safe environment in the tennis world anymore. What a pity.


Von Says:

Marcus: @ 9:57 am, good one. I come here for laughs also, but then I’m condemned for chin wagging with my pals. The irritating comments are borderline bellicose and just to start a fight that’s displaced anger which can’t be channeled correctly, but some thrive on that stuff, so more power to them. You’ll learn that there are more Roddick ‘haters’ than ‘fans’ on this site. I often wonder what the guy did to any of them, c’est la vie.


Veno Says:

Cindy_Brady says: “Roddick has put out a lot of energy both physically and mentally, recently.

A burn out is inevitable. Won’t win either master’s series events or the U.S Open.

A threat but only that. Have to settle for being A brides made for the rest of his career.”

Why oh why would you wish for any player bad luck? What do you personally ever have to gain from something like that?
I don’t get it.

Agree Marcus in you saying:
” I joined this blog to be entertained and get information to enjoy the game of tennis better. I hope people will post to express an opinion and not for the purpose of irritating somebody else. One can express an opinion counter to another and that is perfectly fine by me but sometimes, it is obvious when one writes to pick a fight. There is too much real fight out there in the world. I don’t believe this is a place for it.”

However, just as you would want to be respected stating your opinions and your view as to what the function of this blog is, you’ll also have to repsect the fact that other people use these blogs as outlets and do write to pick a fight. I choose not to engage in fights with other posters, because to me, there’s no added value(read: more knowledge and a broader point of view concerning all things discussed) coming from that. But everybody has to decide that for him- or herself.


Von Says:

Veno: I understand what you’re saying about Marat not playing to his full potential/talent and his defeatist attitude, and I agree. However, it’s just that I don’t believe in kicking anyone when they are down and it’s why I would defend him and have done so for Federer, Nadal, and the others. Due to my learning on working of the human mind, all I can say is that the players are human beings and some are very frail mentally. I believe Marat is mentally frail, has lost his desire to compete and it shows, but whatever he does, I still like to watch that tall Russian whenever I can see a glimpse of him, and his bad match play becomes insignificant. I’d be heartbroken when he retires and can’t see him again playing, as I was when Sampras retired. Hope you get my drift.


Veno Says:

Hey Von! How have you been?

I watched the Andy-Juan-Martin match.
A great match and a great effort by your guy, especially considering the route he had to travel to the final. You have a point in saying that Juan-Martin has had an easier road to the final.
It was great to see Andy get 5 matches under his belt and although he’s got enough things he has to improve the coming weeks for the USO(his serve and his foreward movement to net) I was impressed with his demeanor, attitude and movement(after a hip flexor injury) You needn’t worry, Andy as well as Juan Martin are contenders for the title the remaining HC season and I for 1 am thrilled and happy about that!!!


Marcus Says:

Veno,

Well, if somebody writes simply to pick a fight, who am I to stop them? But I will not pick his fight.

When you said other people use these blogs as outlets, does that mean like therapy? Hopefully not. It will not work.

Bye for now. I have to do some work to give me free time to watch the tennis coverage at 1PM.

Nice talking to you all. It has been “therapeutic” for me. Hahaha!


Von Says:

Marcus: Pity you haven’t been posting long. Yes, I’ve stated many times previously, these blogs are conduits to unleash pent-up madness, crazed thought processes on easy victims, especially Roddick fans who are few, and much hatred for them is manifested. Stick around and you’ll get the full picture. As the saying goes, ‘you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet!’


Von Says:

Veno: @10:18 am, thanks for seeing that draw objectively. Had rRddick had JMDP’s path, well, who knows, but it’s tough fighting four giants one after the other. anyway, he got in some good practice fighting them off and it will boost his confidence to know he can handle them in the future. If you recall so many were scared of Karlovic facing your fave at Wimby, well what about 4 Karlovics in a row for Roddick, shouldn’t he get some kudos, instead of disdain? Roddick will NEVER be given objectivity on these blogs, and that’s due to the writers who don’t like him. Gotta leave as I have motions/depos today, but will be back later. As you know I don’t blog during watching the matches on TV. Enjoy your day and the matches also, and I’ll catch you later.


Veno Says:

Of course I get your drift Von, and you should know me well enough by now that I write my comments purely from my own subjectively based opinion, not to jump a band wagon or ride the general common wave of consensus.
Not in the least will I kick people when they’re down, not in my nature, but I do believe in calling it like I see it. I am but an observer. I think it’s galant you jump in and assume responsibility to defending someone who’s being backed into a corner, but towards me I’ll just inform you, there is no need to do that(although I don’t mind if you do)
I applaude your ability to look at things mentally from another person’s perspective(actually this is one of the best social attributes to have) and through professional deformation it does sound logical, but one has to be careful not to intertwine the inference you make based on the same knowledge compared to what conclusion the other person would make from said knowledge.
If we were to ever met in real person(I know, an almost certain nullified hypothesis) I would love to talk to you about this most interesting phenomenon as my mind works almost non-stop in an analytical and scientific way….Would be a great way to spend an evening discussing our combined insights!!!!


Cindy_Brady Says:

Veno,

I don’t wish any players bad luck. I just call it the way I see it. I’m a realist. Not one of these “head in the sand” fans who have no objectivity.

The fact is Rockick’s last two finals were close but he ended up losing. Great efforts to get to the finals but his tremendous serve let him down in the end. His career has been centered around that serve and it seems when things get tight so does the serve.

Roddick can’t even beat a South American player on hard courts. His supposed best service with the fastest serve in the game. What does that say about his future chances. Not much.


Veno Says:

Later Von and Marcus…
Can’t wait for the matches to start!!!!!


Von Says:

Veno: PS: I’d like to meet with you too and have those mind/mood altering discussions. WOW, what a night that will be. LOL.


Von Says:

Veno: Give it up on Roddick’s future. I can provide posts where the same was stated with respect to your fave, ‘he’ll never win another slam’ and the tune changed from a hater to a lover. sheesh


Veno Says:

Hey Cindy,

I respect the fact you call it the way you see it.
I do too, but with all due respect, you totally contradict yourself stating first: “I’m a realist. Not one of these “head in the sand” fans who have no objectivity.”

And after express your opinion about Roddick saying: “Roddick can’t even beat a South American player on hard courts. His supposed best service with the fastest serve in the game. What does that say about his future chances. Not much.”

I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’re hardly objective there. It’s easy to draw conclusions from backward induction and make statements about his future only based on that. It’s ok you think he won’t make it, but to say that about just losing to a fit and good Juan Martin to me is stretching it a little.

Again, you could be right, only the future will tell, but remember the similar statements made about Fed last year? Funny how life always seems to move in unexpected directions. You could also say: “His career has been centered around that serve and it seems when things get tight so does the serve.” And then say: ” Because this has been the case in the past, you have to respect Roddick’s willingness to try and become an all-round player now.”


Veno Says:

Lol@Von, stressing the same point at the simultane time….What a night it would be indeed :-D

Later gator


C!P! Says:

Oh yeahhh ! ,the sleeveless RAFA is back :)))


Cindy_Brady Says:

Veno,

Comparing Roddick’s woes to Federer’s woes is a huge mistake. Something I would attribute to the logic of Von.

Quite Obvious:

Von = Veno in blog.


i am it Says:

veno, i have been coming to this site for a long time now and never felt the urge to post before but you did the trick for me today. thank you. you are intelligent and smart and very active. keep up with your good work. see you soon.


JCZ Says:

Even if Murray manages to take Nadal’s spot by the end of the tournament, we also have to keep in mind that there are tons of other points that have will simply be coming off the board soon, especially for those two.

For Nadal: Olympics (800), Madrid indoor master (450)

For Murray: Madrid (1000)

This will put them (especially Murray) in Djokovic territory in terms of points. Obviously Federer has his US Open defense while Djokovic has 1,300 pts from the YE tournament. So definitely an exciting finish to come.


Veno Says:

Cibdy_Brady says: Veno,

Comparing Roddick’s woes to Federer’s woes is a huge mistake. Something I would attribute to the logic of Von.

Quite Obvious:

Von = Veno in blog.

You’re making 2 assumptions there without any solid base, Cindy.
You’re not making a strong case of being “objective”(you stated this, not me)
I have always said that I express my views subjectively cause we’re not in the position to claim objectivity. It would be arrogant by anyone to claim this insight :-D

That’s fine though. It’s ok to have strong views and opinions about different matters and it’s also good to defend one’s own opinions through argumentation. However, true intellectual growth comes from also being able to look at things from other people’s perspective and extrapolating your personal preference when discussing a topic in order to gain more knowledgable about it. Being able to admit that you might have had the wrong view and being big enough to adjust it with new found wisdom is what makes us grow imo.
Actually Von and I couldn’t be more different lol, but we do agree on some basic and important things(in these blogs anyways hahaha)

I have no problem agreeing to disagree Cindy. I am not stating there is absolutely no merit in some of the things you have said regarding Roddick. I just don’t see it the same way, not because of Von, but because of me….savvy?


Veno Says:

Wow, Juan Carlos is dismantling Lleyton


Veno Says:

Impressive win by Juan Carlos


Marcus Says:

Holy Guacamole! I should cut my fingers. I turned on the TV to watch the Hewitt-Ferrero match thinking it was a live coverage but could not control my fingers from foraging the internet. Voila! 6-1, 6-4 in bold print!


sar Says:

Veno, my great grandfather was from Oeffelt, North Brabant. Just learning I had a Walloon ancestor too but don’t know where just yet.


margot Says:

Murray looking very good and Chardy very good looking soooooooooooo an excellent match!


Veno Says:

Nice Margot!!!
Murray did what he had to do. He looks in great form…Wish he wasn’t so tentative/defensive so often..

Sar: I know Oeffelt, not that far away…Where do you live?


Veno Says:

And in the second set Verdasco and Lopez are hammering on each other…Always great to see 2 lefties going at it.


Veno Says:

Lol, Lopez said “ai ai ai muy bueno” after Verdasco hitting a FH winner


sar Says:

Veno, I am a genealogist in Chicago but ancestors in Oeffelt, Mill, Grave, Cuijk, Gennep, Venray, etc. We were there years ago looking at ancestral sites.


Veno Says:

Ah, ok Sar. Nice. Did you like it?
I have studied and lived in Nijmegen for 3 years


sar Says:

Yes, I loved it and want to go back. Very, very nice, met some good people.


Kimmi Says:

Jane: “And too bad Dancevic had to run into an on form Simon in the first round, hey Kimmi? Or did Frankie play horribly? I had thought their match would be more competitive than that!”

Simon was just too good last night, he was hitting winners left right and center very few UE, everything seem to connect for him. Dancevic could not do much, he could not hold his serve until 1-6, 0-4 in the second set..was bad, he looked very average against simon.

Simon seem to enjoy this part of season, like last year…so lets see how he continue..the way he played last night, if he continue like that.. he could give a lot of guys problems.


Veno Says:

Hey Kimmi, yes Gilles was on fire, but it will be the same as always with him I think.

He can get on a roll against someone like Frankie(no disrespect to him) but when he sees any of the top guys at the other end he’ll likely fade away again. But who knows, maybe this is his tourney.


Kimmi Says:

Veno, R U watching Djokovic ? a little rusty but the canadinan boy is letting him have it.


Kimmi Says:

Veno, Simon is on feds Quater and we all know what happen last year, lets hope the maestro is a little sharp.

Impressed with this young guy, he is giving it to Novak.


Veno Says:

Fed this year isn’t Fed last year :-D
Not saying he’ll win, but imagine being him now. No pressure whatsoever after 4-5 years of constant pressure and having to answer questions how great he is and could be….

Or he loses a good match to Murray for instance or he totally swings free and pummels everyone. We’ll see tonight.

Novak looks a little shaky, but not bad. Peter Polansky is someone I would like to see more of in the future. He has a good, powerful game. Only needs to fine-tune certain areas. And he’s only just 21. Hopefully some Canadian young guns can get the taste this tourney and build on that eh?

Go Canada!!!!(Novak will win in straights though)


Veno Says:

Rippin””””””””””’backhand!!! Yowzerssss

Could we see a third set here eh?


Kimmi Says:

Veno, did you just jinx the young man…I agree though, he looks to have some good in him. his groundies are powerful both sides and he is cool, calm and collected…


Kimmi Says:

Yeah..the djoker is back in the house. Needs to go practice a little though, too many UE (35)..and 7 DF aaargh.

OK next..the Federer…


Veno Says:

Good win for Novak, he didn’t get a freebie there.
Hopefully we’ll see more of Peter Polamsky.

I still think it’s time for Novak to say goodbye to his coach….tenniswise he’s learned him the goods, but that’s not enough anymore. He looked shaky and tentative at times. You could see the relief when after making matchpoint how he hit the ball into the satdium…


Veno Says:

*Polansky


sar Says:

Koenig and his partner were definitely pro-Polansky.


Veno Says:

Hey Kimmi, can’t wait to finally see my man running on a tennis court again!!!!!!!! It has been a long haul….over 5 weeks!!!!
Fed must be thrilled to just let everything out and play some good tennis to not think about what has naturally been on his mind 24-7 since the twins were born. I hope for Niemeyer’s sake he goes a little easy and is still a little rusty. Would be fun to see a good game(actually I’m glad Fed doesn’t have as ruthless a search and destroy attitude as Rafa, or he would win a lot of his matches 1 and 1!)


Veno Says:

Wow, Troicki loses 3 and 0 to Ferrer and hits 48!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!UE
Was he hitting only 5 percentile shots?


Von Says:

Hey Veno: I saw the last six (6) games of the second set of Djoko’s match delayed, and I agree he indeed seems shaky, and was very dependent on his serve to bail him out even though he was double-faulting so much. Polansky had so many chances to break but couldn’t convert. Overall, not a very exciting match.
_____________________
Sar: I thought the commentators tried very hard to give kudos to Djoko, on his BH and coming up with a good serve when down break-point. As a matter of fact when they were complimenting Djoko, I remembered your comments to Koenig when he had posted to me a few months ago in which you mentioned Doug Adler to Koenig being anti-Novak and I thought to myself, gee Koenig took notes, e.g., listening to you and is trying very hard to please. Thus, I think the commentators were pretty fair and somewhat pro-Djoko in several of their comments. Anyway, I could be wrong and I’ll defer to your judgment, since I don’t have a vested interest in the match and wasn’t really looking for put-downs of Djoko by the commentators.


vared Says:

Sean:
Who cares if Murray is 1,2 or 3. He needs to win a slam or risk being a Safina.


Kimmi Says:

Yeeeeeah..cant wait to see the master too..only few minutes now..

Ferrer should go easy of Rafa tomorrow..must be feeling the ball if he could win Troicki as easy as that.

Niemeyer is 33 apparently…well, still young for tennis.


Veno Says:

Hey Von. Good break down. Match was ok though(although a lot of UE from both men)

I thought the commentators did their best to be complimentary about Novak too.

He’ll have to up the ante though or it’s bye bye before he can face the top guys….

And getting back to this afternoon(morning for you) I couldn’t restrain myself: Cindy_Brady wrote:

“Cindy_Brady Says:

Veno,

Comparing Roddick’s woes to Federer’s woes is a huge mistake. Something I would attribute to the logic of Von.

Quite Obvious:

Von = Veno in blog.”

Now you CAN’T be happy someone has the odasity to put crappy me in the same group as you!!!

Read my reaction at 11:40 my friend…


Veno Says:

i am it Says:

veno, i have been coming to this site for a long time now and never felt the urge to post before but you did the trick for me today. thank you. you are intelligent and smart and very active. keep up with your good work. see you soon.

Posted August 11th, 2009 at 11:26 am

@I am it: I’m sorry, I hadn’t seen your post until just now. Thank you for the kind words and please feel free to join in any discussion or conversation. I would like that! But of course don’t feel obligated. Talk to you later I am it.
A shout out to you!!!


Veno Says:

My goodness, imagine how Frederic Niemeyer at 33 is feeling seeing Fed at the other side of the net. Must be a little surreal.

Here we go….Talk to you all after the match!!!!!


Kimmi Says:

Federer should wear green often..it a good colour.


i am it Says:

the serb ranks 226 maybe worse than that in power ranking. he barely etched out the win defeating who? 225h-ranked polansky whose first ever atp match win was against who? another canadian wild card agostinelli. the serb was a good player once upon a time long ago. now he is reduced to one of the worst among the top 30. can he beat a top 100 player? who is his next opponent? isner or youzhny. the serb is gone. even todd martin cannot rescue his skinny ass.


Von Says:

Veno: “Now you CAN’T be happy someone has the odasity to put crappy me in the same group as you!!!

“Read my reaction at 11:40 my friend…”

No, I think it’s the other way around. I’m the crappy one, but thanks for being so magnanimous, anyway. You’re a good man McGee, and a lot better human being than I’ll ever be, so kudos to you.

BTW, you did a good job in your replies to CB, but if you noticed I didn’t dignify that drivel with a comment, and won’t do so in the future, period. Henceforth, I refuse to answer her and any other behemoth(s) who thrive on demonizing me and my faves, and I allow them to always have the last word, thereby hanging themselves with their own rope. LOL. Enjoy the match and I’ll catch ya later. off to my TV I go. I know, and I’m not rubbing it in because you have ADTHE.net, which is great IMO, to keep you in the loop. I have another link to give to you but later — after the match.


Von Says:

i am it:

Who’s Todd Martin coaching? I thought it was weird seeing him there, but I couldn’t hear why he was there, as the announcers didn’t say anything.


Giner Says:

Fed is GOAT Says:

“No, I don’t think so (I am answerng Sean’s question – will Murray rank No 2).

Nadal is tough. The last time his No 2 ranking was on the line (against Djokovic at Hamburg 2008), we know what happened. He will not let it go so easily.”

That was against Djokovic. Djokovic had plenty of opportunities to take the #2 spot and whenever a single match would decide the ranking, he declined the offer. He only had to win ONE match in Brisbane this year to get it and surpass Federer, in a weak field and he lost his opening round.

Murray is tougher. If the opportunity is presented to him, he will take it. However, I still don’t see him taking #2 this week. Nadal would have to lose his first round match for that to happen, and Murray would have to win the title, and after that he’d only be ahead by some 30 points.


i am it Says:

now roger is in no better situation could not break 487th-ranked 33-year old Niemeyer in the first set.
only murray played up to the mark today. will he be able to oust rafa? he will try but rafa won’t give it away easily. the vamos will put up every resistance to keep it but not risking his knees too much. grand slam is sweeter than no. 2. he will try to keep both but if need be he will let murray have the no. 2 making sure he wins the us open and take back the no. 2 with the slam win.


Colin Says:

I am it – I never think much of these tactical theories . It’s Nadal’s nature to try to win every match he plays. Look at the occasion earlier this year when he lost the last set 6-0 to Murray because he could hardly walk. He was risking further damage, but he insisted on finishing the match.
As for the US Open, Rafa didn’t win it last year, did he? Do you honestly think he’ll go into the tournament in better shape this year? Rather worse, I’d guess.
The guy is, after all, human!


Colin Says:

Veno, I’m afraid I shall always think of you as a dealer in medicine. When I was a kid, there was a linctus on sale in the UK called Veno’s Lightning Cough Cure.


Veno Says:

Lol Colin, that’s fine. Veno is only my nick name so it’s ok :-D


Veno Says:

Von, Juan Carlos this afternoon beat the kazungas out of Hewitt. He was mucho impressive,

Tommy Haas beat Dr. Windmill so 1 of the Gullivers is out!


Veno Says:

Hey Von! I can enjoy tomorrow’s afternoon’s play watching when I get home from work Gael La Monf against Juan Carlos. That one looks yummie on paper and after that Roddick taking on Andreev which is mouth watering as well. Unable to watch Nadal in the evening which is a pity, because I start work Thursday morning very early…pity


Von Says:

Veno: Yes, Juan Carlos was impressive, but in all fairness to Hewitt, he is playing with an injured foot, and did so last week v. Juan Martin DelPotro, but he still made the giant work for the win. Hewitt is tenacious!


Kimmi Says:

Federer looked OK, I thought his serving was very good. He struggled on the return but Niemeyer was serving lights out. Overall, it was a good first round match, next could be Wawrinka who played very well yesterday, it will get tougher from here..


Von Says:

Veno: Here’s the other streaming sites as promised

1. http://www.justin.tv

2. http://www.watch-sports-live.com/

Yes, I’m looking forward to watching Roddick/Andreev tomorrow also.


Veno Says:

Agree Kimmi, he reminds me of Robin Soderling(an older version of course)

Fed served well, didn’t break a sweat. Probably played 65-70%. It was a good work out for him and the Canadian did himself, the organization(giving a 33-year-old 487 in the world a wildcard and reaching round 2) and the public a pleasure by playing very well. Nice match to watch.

@I am it: true that Andy M. played well and score-wise was more impressive than Novak or Fed, but this says nothing. The first rounds you just want to get through without wasting too much energy. Novak is the only one of the top players who didn’t look in control of the match. Fed and Andy M. were definitely.

C y’all tomorrow, way past bed time for the medicine dealer….enjoy Gonzo!!!(How can you not?)


Veno Says:

Tx for the stream-links maman; you do take very good care of your son abd I thank you for that :-)


Veno Says:

BTW that young gun Raonic playing Gonzo looks like Tsonga’s kid brother.


Nancy Says:

I will put my money on Nadal or Roddick in the finals. Nadal looked good in doubles and is back to his sleeveless look!!!!!
Federer and Djokovic both looked pretty pathetic in their openers. Nadal has a big job ahead to beat Ferrer but after that I think he will be strong. Roddick is playing well and is fit and mentally strong right now. I hate to say it but I think Roger’s luck is about to run out!!!


Veno Says:

Nancy, I’ll give you 1 example: Nadal beat Hewitt in the 3rd rnd at Roland Garros 1, 3 and 1 and 2 days later lost to Soderling.

So different day, different result…past performances give no insurance on future outcomes :)


Scottish Says:

Hey all, saw the Fed match and he looked solid. Sure it was close but there weren’t any glaring holes. I think he will build steam as he goes through the rounds. Would love to see a Fed/JMDP final. But really it’s anyone’s game. Some pretty exciting tennis though.


Dan Martin Says:

I think Roger has only a few goals for the remainder of 2009 –

1. Win the U.S. Open
2. Finish the year at #1
3. Win the Masters Cup
4. Win a Masters Series if the opportunity is there or goal #2 needs it
5. Win Basel

He already went 1 round further Down Under, in Paris and in London than he did in 2008. Winning today improves upon his Canada performance last year. I think he will try to win matches in Montreal and Cincinnati to boost goal #2 but he wants everything in the tank for goal #1. If I had to guess….

I would ask the tennis-x community for some prayers and/or good thoughts as I have some stuff going on in real life right now that is fairly serious. Thanks. Dan


Von Says:

Veno: “you do take very good care of your son abd I thank you for that :-)”

Hey, don’t push it now! I’m not that much older than you, but I’ll be maman on paper, so all’s good. LOL. Have a good night and sleep well, and pleasant dreams of Sorana. ha ha
__________________
Scottish: Hi. Your boy edged my guy out of a win, but all’s fair. Glad to see you’re gracing us with your post.


Kimmi Says:

Nancy: “Nadal looked good in doubles and is back to his sleeveless look!!!!!”

Looks like Nadal did not like his new look so much, then..I wonder why !


Von Says:

Dan Martin: “I would ask the tennis-x community for some prayers and/or good thoughts as I have some stuff going on in real life right now that is fairly serious. Thanks. Dan”

Sorry to hear and hope all will be resolved soon. You can count on my prayers for a speedy resolution to your problems — Our Father is awesome!! PAX.


Scottish Says:

Hey Von, yeah JMDP got his act together against Andy but it was a great match. I thought of you when it was done. I like Andy R as well so it was fun to watch. Yeah I wish I could post more but my company is releasing a few new products this fall and it’s crazy busy. I Still manage to check in now and then.


Nancy Says:

Nadal always said that he didn’t like playing in the “sleeved” shirts – no big deal. He looks better without.
I think the big game of the tourny will be Roddick and Nadal. Federer will be very lucky to make the semis and Murray is playing well so far.
Roddick could very well beat Nadal and win overall.
Dan: Federer may have a bunch of goals but he’d better have his lucky charm with him as he has had for the last few tournaments.


Scottish Says:

Hey DM, you got my prayers for sure!!


Scottish Says:

Nancy: I don’t know why you think fed is in such bad shape. He looked very solid to me. Made some great shots and his serve was never really challenged. And by now he definitely has mastered silencing the critics. Nadal should be fine too and I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps the title.


Nancy Says:

Scottish: I have been watching the Canadians very enthusiastically but for Federer to have a game that close to Fred, who is retiring this year and has never won a game against anyone close to a top-tenner, I would have to say Fed is looking pretty rusty. And Djokovic too, although I think Polansky is someone to watch in the future. And look at this young Canadian who is beating Gonzo right now. Things are looking up for us in Canada.


Scottish Says:

Yep, I’m Canadian too and it would be nice to see some young guys come up strong in the system. But on Fed’s game you can hardly expect a guy who hasn’t played in 5 months, just had twin daughters to come out firing on all cylinders. Even Djoko had trouble. But that doesn’t mean he’s shaky. He’ll be fine.


Kimmi Says:

This young guy Raonic..can he do it ?????


Kimmi Says:

GUTSY Gonzo..WOW..very tense match. Raonic has done a good job, he even had a match point…Now all momentum to Gonzalez, experience I guess. But welldone Raonic. Hope he can hang in here in third.


Nancy Says:

Kimmi,
I sure hope he can. I have a feeling now that it is in the third set that he may get a little nervous but I sure am looking forward to watching him in the future – great serve and net play. Nice to see in a young player.


Kimmi Says:

Nancy, he is still holding his own. This guy is a real deal…I hope he wins but maybe too much to ask ??


Nancy Says:

Can’t wait to see what this guy looks like when he smiles. His expression has not changed once the whole match.


Kimmi Says:

He is soooo calm, so in control..unbelivable. Thats why he is still playing. C’moooon


Kimmi Says:

Aaaaaarg..went on the wrong side, too bad. shoulda woulda….

Great talent though. 18 only..a lot of potential.


jane Says:

Nancy says “I think Polansky is someone to watch in the future. And look at this young Canadian who is beating Gonzo right now. Things are looking up for us in Canada.”

AMEN! I hope you’re right Nancy.

Scottish, I am sure it was a typo, but just to point out that Fed hasn’t played for 5 *weeks*, not 5 months! : )


jane Says:

Dan Martin, you have my most heartfelt good wishes; I will send lots of positive vibes your way, and my deepest hope that all turns out well.


Nancy Says:

Too bad, we never got to see Raonic smile. Maybe next time. Can’t believe the net play from this kid. Looking forward to Nadal playing tomorrow – that will be a huge test for him to play Ferrer.
Sean, I still say no to Murray taking over #2.


Kimmi Says:

Dan, wishing you all the best…


vared Says:

Raonic lives in Thornhill and is from Serbia/Montenegro like Nestor.


Dan Martin Says:

Thanks for all of the good vibes. Sadly, things did not improve, but my family and I appreciate the good vibes and prayers. Dan


PietjeP Says:

Dan;

Sorry to hear about your situation.
Please take care and I hope everything can and will get better for you soon!

All the best,
Pietje


scineram Says:

Fed defends jacket, Marat defeneds Dinara.

http://tennis.com/news/ticker.aspx


Marcus Says:

Dan Martin,

I join the tennis-x commnunity in prayers and wishing that everything will turn out well for you and your family.


Joe W Says:

Dan, may peace be with you and your family.

Dan, I’ve been meaning to comment on a post you made some blogs ago re: your top players list and experiences on the juniors tour. I wanted to comment on our shared sentiments here, particularly the player who inspired us to pick up a racket in the first place. This post can wait.

When I lost my Father, I was 30 years old. Months later that same year, i spoke with my two older brothers about what they did to free themselves from the grief, if at least just for a few moments, and more importantly find meaning in our loss, our lives. My oldest brother went surfing, my middle brother returned home to be with, at the time, his 1, 4, and 7 year old children and me? I picked up my tennis racket, got on my motorcycle and drove to the park, with the concrete handball wall, where I taught myself to play tennis while aspiring to be Boris Becker. Tennis is a game for life. Damn straight.


Sean Randall Says:

Dan, sorry to hear. My best wishes and prayers are with you and your family.


Veno Says:

Dan, so sorry to hear that:I second all the good vibes, prayers and wishes for you and your family.


margot Says:

Dan Martin: all my good thoughts for you and your family.
von: thanx for link. Here’s hoping for an ace tournament for both Andys.


Von Says:

margot: You’re welcome. Yes, here’s hoping, which is all we can do, yes?


Von Says:

margot: Here’s another write-up on Murray’s performance yesterday.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12082009/58/murray-makes-solid-start-montreal.html


vared Says:

Andy Murray on the Wimbledon final:

Q. When if you are watching the very end of it, are you actually cheering for one guy or the other, pulling for one guy or the other?
ANDY MURRAY: No. I mean, I think that — it’s tough, because I mean, a lot of people obviously wanted Federer to break the record. It wasn’t like I was anti- Federer breaking records, because I’ve said all along I think he’s probably the greatest player ever. So that was never sort of a doubt in my mind.

You know, sometimes it’s nice, you know, when you have guys like Roddick who a lot of guys have sort of written off for, well, a number of years, you know, for no reason at all, just, you know, saying that he’s not going to win another Slam, it would have been nice to have seen him, you know, win, as well, because he’s been around in the top 10 for so many years now and been a great player for so long.
It’s just nice when you see guys having a chance. You know, I think he even said a few years ago he didn’t necessarily know if he was going to get another opportunity and he came unbelievably close at Wimbledon.

That was nice to see, and I wouldn’t have minded seeing Andy win.


Veno Says:

Hey Margot..I thought Andy M was impressive…

He’s my fav if I had to pick a winner this week. Dunno if DelPo is already stamina-wise fit enough to play 5 days in a row, tough matches against tough opponents, but I can see him go deep too….


jane Says:

vared, I agree with Murray’s take on the final.

Rafa looked rusty but it was tough to tell in only a few games…


vared Says:

Yeah but Fed’s reading it and probably going to take revenge.


vared Says:

let’s see, Djok and Youzhny tied h2h. I actually like Youzhny too.

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