Wimbledon, the Big Four & some honorable mentions

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray

It's quickly becoming that tennis time of year when it goes back to where it all began, the hallowed grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, better known to the masses as Wimbledon.  Dating back to 1877, the game today is a far cry from where it began, thanks in part to the Big Four of men's tennis, and the many tennis greats that came before them.  There's just something about watching tennis being played on grass, with everyone wearing their whites, that makes the game...sexy.  At only about five weeks, the grass court season goes by at the blink of an eye, and it's not nearly enough to time to fully appreciate the beauty of tennis played the way it originated.  Wimbledon is the final grass court tournament, and third slam of the year - it will begin on June 20th, and the final ball will be played on July 3rd.  The talk going into this year's Wimbledon is exactly where it should be, on the top four - deservedly so after their performances at the French Open.  Although the focus is definitely on them, there are some guys who could throw some monkey wrenches into the program.

Rafael Nadal

Number one, Rafael Nadal has been in the finals four times, 2006-2008 & 2010.  He was beaten by Federer in the '06 & '07 finals, before cracking the Federer code and taking the trophy for himself in 2008.  He was out with an injury in 2009 and was unable to defend his title, but coming back in 2010, he won the title again by defeating Tomas Berdych.  Rafa is not a grass court player by nature, he was born on the clay, but he made a point to improve his grass court play after winning his first French Open in 2005 & made winning Wimbledon his goal.  In the 2005 Wimbledon, he was ousted in the round of 64, but come 2006 he was in the final.  Rafa has long ago adjusted his game to suit any surface, and if he is in the draw, expect him to go far. With a renewed confidence after his French Open win, look for Rafa to be in the finals of this year's Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic

Number two, Novak Djokovic's best performance at Wimbledon was last year when he made in to the semifinals, losing to Tomas Berdych.  He is currently having the best year of his career, with his only defeat coming from Roger Federer in the semifinals of the French Open he is currently 13-1 against top ten players.  Up until that point, he was on a 41 match win streak, with seven titles - including one major & four Masters series events.  Nole has proven (this year alone) that he can do battle with the two best players the game has ever seen, but the question going into Wimbledon is how will he bounce back after the defeat at the French.  Under normal circumstances it wouldn't have been an issue, but with the number one position being on his racket in that match, how will that weigh on him?  He has the game to go all the way, but where will his head be at?

Roger Federer

Roger Federer, current number three, is definitely not someone to be counted out, even if he is on course to be 30 years old in August.  I had doubted him going to the French Open, but he proved me & lots of others wrong.  The Federer is the most decorated player in the history of the game with sixteen major titles, six of them at Wimbledon ('03-'07 & '09).  His grass court game is Shakespearean - every move he makes is stoic, classic, and absolute poetry.  Roger has been a finalist at Wimbledon every year since 2003, with the exception of '10 where he was beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual finalist, Tomas Berdych.  Anytime there is grass underfoot, Roger must be included in the conversation.

Andy Murray

Number four ranked Andy Murray, my dearest Andy Murray. He's been in the last two Wimbledon semifinals, losing in '10 to eventual champion, Rafael Nadal, and in '09 to Andy Roddick.  Everyone knows that the Scot has the game to win a major, but he's head has not seemed to grasp that fact yet.  This probably the hardest major for Andy to play in, not because of the surface, but because of the British press.  Since Tim Henman's retirement, Andy has had the weight of British hopes for a major winner on his shoulders.  Maybe new coach/consultant, Darren 'Killer' Cahill, can help get Andy's head where it belongs.

Juan Martin Del Potro

Currently ranked number 22, Juan Martin Del Potro, will be a thorn in the side of any of top players that he may go up against.  His ranking is low only because he missed most 2010 with a wrist injury.  His game is one of power, hit his opponents off the court power, and he can move pretty well for a big guy.  He's done pretty well this year considering that he started the year off ranked 485.  The grass has never been his forte, but this a man who has had a taste of the big time and is hungry for more.

Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick, currently ranked number 10, could also make a little noise at Wimbledon.  He is a three time finalist ('04, '05, & '09) losing each final to the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer.  The 2009 final was without a doubt his best showing at Wimbledon or against Federer in general, losing 14-16 in the fifth set.  He's a former US Open Champion (2003), and definitely has the game to win another title, but much like Andy Murray, his temper head gets in his way at times.  Roddick is on the tail end of his career, but with the right draw, and some old school ARod type play on the grass, he could definitely be around in week two of the tournament.  Can he take out an 'in form' Nadal, Djokovic,or Federer, highly doubtful.

Wimbledon Streaker

These six guys are just of sample of ones to look out for on the lawns of Wimbledon.  There are some others, like Jo Wilfried Tsonga, who recently took out Nadal in the quarterfinals of the AEGON Championships in London.  Tomas Berdych, who beat Federer in the quarters last year & went on to reach the final.  Robin Soderling, who has a game suited for the (now) slower playing grass courts at Wimbledon, or even David Ferrer, who is a scrappy, human backboard.  There will be plenty more players to raise some brows during the tournament, the majors are always full of surprises, and players making their breakthroughs, so I'm sure this one will be no different.  And of course, there is always the Wimbledon streaker!  Be sure to tune in!  If you are unable to watch on television, head over to livescorehunter.com for live feeds.

Aussie Open Day 1 Results

Sunday, January 16 (Monday, January 17th Aussie time) marked the beginning of 2011 Australian Open.  Here's a brief rundown of results of the 9 guys that are my favs in the tournament.

Roger Federer

Number two, Roger Federer, won his opening match against Lukas Lacko with an absolute tennis clinic 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.  Nothing more need be said other than the fact that his game was sick.  He was much more aggressive than Roger of the past couple years, and if he keeps this type of play up, he could regain the number one ranking sooner, rather than later. Roger hit 37 winners against 18 unforced errors & his first serve percentage was 64%.  When his first serve landing in the box, he won 87% of those points, and 67% percent of his 2nd serves.  Obviously, he was happy with his performance.

Novak 'Nole' Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, world number three also came out with an impressive start, taking out Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.  Nole came to net 19 times, winning 13 of those points - good averages for a guy that's not really known for his net play.  He was plus 17 in the winners to errors ration (34 winners - 17 unforced errors).  He's won this tournament before in 2008, so let's see if he can step it up & once again hold the hardware.

Andy Roddick

America's own, Andy Roddick's serve was en fuego throughout his first round match against Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic, with his fastest of the match being 136 MPH (219 KMH).  His overall first serve percentage was 68%, winning 80% of first serves that he got in.  He mixed up the pace of his shots well, but still isn't playing aggressive enough to worry the likes of the top 3 guys (Rafa, Roger, & Nole).  A-Rod won his match 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.  If you so please, here's the link to his aftermatch interview transcript.

Fernando Verdasco

The last of the 9 favs I have for this tournament that played on day one is Fernando Verdasco (remember his Calvin Klein ad).  Señor Verdasco came up against Rainer Schüttler, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.  He came into the tournament with a 'healed' ankle injury from about 2-3 weeks ago.  He's stat sheet looked good as well as the other 3 guys - overall his first serve percentage was 62%, he won 86% of them. 33 winners and 17 unforced errors also put in the plus ratio.  He was moving well & his forehand looked sharp.  I still feel he can make it deep into the tournament, but not deep enough to take it all.


Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Robin Soderling, David Ferrer, and Juan Martin Del Potro will all be playing their opening round matches Tuesday.  Looking at their opening rounds draws, it would be rather shocking if they all didn't make to round 2.

Janko Tipsarevic

Hottie for Aussie Open day one will be Serbian Janko Tipseravic, who will be Verdasco's second round opponent.












Remember, I'm not a tennis expert, I'm just a boy.
 

My most favorite time of the year...the beginning of Grand Slam Tennis season!

Just six days before the Australian Open begins!  First TV showing will be Sunday, January 16th on ESPN2 from 630P-330A EST.  Aussie Open TV Schedule is here.   Let's take a look at the top 5 male players in the world & any wild cards that could possibly make some noise in the tournament.  No disrespect meant to the ladies, but their side of the draw is wide open & just about any of the top 10 or 20 players could have a chance.

Rafael Nadal - current rank #1



The number one player in the world is Spain's own, Rafael Nadal & he's won each one of the 4 majors.  Rafa goes into every tournament he enters as on the favorites.  He plays every single point as if the match depends on it - with some players, especially Roger Federer, a single point could determine the match.  Rafa being a lefty & as strong as an ox creates problems for most players.  The spin he puts on the ball, combined with the amount of pace he hits it with is intimidating to say the least.  No one scares Mr. Nadal, he scares them!  Rafa without a doubt is one of the favorites to win the Aussie Open, but it won't be easy for him.  If he makes it to the final, he is very hard to beat (ask Roger Federer, who cried in 2009 after Rafa beat him).  If Rafa does win the Aussie Open, he'd be the current holder of all 4 slams, having won the '10 French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open.  Rafael Nadal's website.



Roger Federer - current rank #2



Next up, Roger Federer, the Swiss Mister, currently ranked #2 in the world.  He's also completed the career Grand Slam (winning all 4 majors) & he was reigning number one 237 consecutive weeks, until Mr. Nadal ruined his party.  Much like Rafa, Roger is a threat to any man that stands on the opposite side of the net.  His game is like Shakespeare - every move he makes on the court is classic, stoic (except that '09 Aussie Open when he cried) & absolute poetry.  For 4 years no one could touch this man, except Rafa on the clay, which I think made him kinda lazy.  He'd gotten so used to beating the snot out of people, that he wasn't ready when the field caught up to his amazingness.  Even so, there have been only a handful of guys who have beaten him in majors in the past 5 or 6 years.  Roger's website.




Novak 'Nole' Djokovic - current rank #3

 Novak 'Nole' Djokovic from Serbia, is currently ranked #3 in the world.  He used to do really funny impressions of some other players, but I guess someone gave him shizz about it b/c he doesn't do them anymore & kinda miss them. Nole won the 2008 Aussie Open, beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.  He's been in the final of two other majors - the '07 US Open, losing to Roger Federer & the '10 US Open, losing to Rafael Nadal.  Depending on which Nole shows up, he has a shot at this year's Aussie Open.  Nole isn't intimidated by the other big players, but sometimes has difficulties that can't really be explained.  Against the top 2 guys, Nole is 7-16 Vs Rafa & 6-13 Vs Roger.  Nole's website.

Robin Soderling - current rank #4

Sweden's Robin Soderling is currently ranked #4 in the world, although he only has a 25 point led over Andy Murray.  He's been in two French Open finals, losing both attempts - '09 to Roger Federer & '10 to Rafael Nadal.  At the '09 French Open, he took out Rafael Nadal scoring the biggest upset of the year beating Nadal and ending his record 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros. Robin's game is a big one, but he needs a lot of time to set up his shots because of that big wind-up.  If the wind is blowing, or he's playing on a fast court, he's basically screwed.  Luckily the Aussie Open is played on one the slower hard courts.  He's definitely one to watch here.  Robin's website.




Andy Murray - current rank #5

 The Scot, Andy Murray, is the game's #5 player in the world.  He's never won a major, but he has beaten the players ranked above him, however not in a big tournament.  Andy has been in two major's finals, the '08 US Open & the '10 Aussie Open, losing both times to Roger Federer.  Andy has a helluva game, but his head gets in his way.  He's more of a defensive player - against guys like Rafa, Roger, or Nole that style of play doesn't work.  It's not that he doesn't have the shots to win, he prefers to be a backboard - not taking his chances when they are presented to him.  He is Great Britain's best & greatest hope to bring a major to the land of the Royals.  I think one day he will win a major, but I'm doubtful that it will be at this Aussie Open.  Here's a link to his website.



Juan Martin Del Potro - current rank #259



One of the long shots this year could very well be the Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro.  He won the '09 US Open, beating Roger Federer in the final, and in January '01 reached a career high ranking of #4 in the world before having to take the rest of the year off after surgery for a wrist injury.  He's currently only ranked #258 in the world, but that's after being out of the game for almost all of '09.  Although his chances of winning the Aussie Open after a long time off the court are slim, it could very well be an indication of how his year will go.  Before having to sit out, he was considered a player who was going to be a big threat to the big 4 of Rafa, Roger, Nole, and Andy Murray.  Make no mistake, this is a big dude (6'6") with a big game. 

There are some other players that I think could possibly make a run at the Aussie Open.  First, would be Spainard, David Ferrer, currently ranked #7.  He's only 5'9", but is built like a bull dog & has been known to give the top 5 plenty of problems.  Ferrer's website. Then, American Andy Roddick, former #1 ranked player, currently ranked #8 in the world.  A-Rod has one major under his built, which was the '03 US Open, and he has the game to get things done on the court.  Roddick is known for frequent outbursts against umpires on the court.  He also holds the record for the fastest ever recorded serve - 155 MPH & he has a blooper reel.  A-Rod's website.  Next is another Spainard, Fernando Verdasco, currently ranked #9.  He's highest ranking was in '09 when he #7 in the world.  Fernando's best Slam performance was making the semis at the '09 Aussie Open losing to Rafael Nadal.  His game has a lot of promise...will he win a slam, maybe, maybe not, but I still give the guy a chance.  Mr. Verdasco's site.




David Ferrer - current rank #7

  



Fernando Verdasco - current rank #9

Andy Roddick - current rank #8

Just for kicks, here's a vid of Fernando Verdasco doing a Calvin Klein underwear shoot

All rankings are as of Monday, January 10, 2011.  Stay tuned...the Aussie Open begins this Sunday, so once it starts, I may blog about it daily.  One of the many players will definitely be a hottie of the week/day!  These are nine guys that I think have a chance to 'do work' at the Aussie Open.  Keep in mind, I'm not a tennis expert, I'm just a boy.