Acasuso vs Federer

I mentioned in my first blog that Roland Garros holds a special place in my heart because of depth we see at the event. Its a slam full of surprises. Not heeding my own words, I saw the day's schedule and picked this morning as the one to sleep in for a change. Waking up to see Jose Acasuso one set all and up two breaks against Federer, I scrambled to pour some coffee and settled in for the potential upset.

The first set tie break was a thriller. Acasuso spent most of the time dictating with fast, deep, heavy strokes while Roger was very discrete about when to be offensive and when to scamper. This ended up being the key for the Swiss, as he made Acasuso play ball after ball until an unforced error finally gave Federer the set. 

In the third set, Acasuso continued his assault of consistently meaty groundstrokes and raced into the lead.  When he turned his ankle at 4-1 the situation looked dire, but the Argentine was able to regain focus and hold. Ironically it was after this that Federer was able to raise his level and fought back 4-5. The weight of the situation seemed to really hit Jose at this point. Some loose play on serve allowe Roger to level the situation at 5-5 and hold for 6-5, draining the belief from Acasuso. And just like that we saw the demons return. Sulking and bickering with his box, Acasuso self-destructed in the tie break giving the 3rd set to Roger Federer. 

Unfortunately it was all downhill from here. It turns out my instincts to sleep in were right. As talented as Jose Acasuso is, we must always remember that his top ranking of 20 came three years ago and that this is the man that had his heart broken twice after he was thrown into the decisive rubbers of two davis cup finals against greater opponents.  His fragile dam of confidence is broken easily. As enthralled as we all were, I have a feeling Federer knew exactly this even when down a double break down in the third.

We seem spoiled these days with the absolute quality of our top players. They are so consistently good that should they loose a single set, the world scrambles to watch the 'potential upset.' The press goes crazy, fans go crazy, and general craziness conquers the day. At what point does this type of thing play on Federer's mind in the middle of a simple 4 set match that a few years ago he knew he would never loose?  I suppose thats the price of perfection. 

The Rank of the Commentators

We all have our favorite commentators. Today I was listening to the difference between the one commentator per court on the multi-court feed and the plethora of teams that commentate for ESPN and the Tennis Channel. Being the tennis geek I am, I have heard a lot from all of these people. Quite a difference, and here is what I think. Just remember this is very much subjective. Spelling of the actual names may be questionable here...

Jason Goodall - my favorite. The ultimate professional. Keeps quiet during points and is very classy with humorous quips every now and then that seem out of left field making them all the better. He doesn't just commentate - he shares his articulate analysis with the audience much like a sports writer does.

Robby Koenig - really good, especially when teamed with Jason Goodall. Shares many of Jason's good qualities and has an great South African accent that keeps you entertained even after the 5000th time he says 'inch perfect!'

Darren Cahill - Very classy professional. On top of that, he has so much tennis knowledge in his head I'm amazed how well he is at filtering what comes out of his mouth, much unlike someone else who I won't mention (but his name rhymes with Chad Filbert). Cahill has coached many excellent players and is someone you can trust. 

Doug Adler - often works with the two guys above for the ATP world feed. A bit brash, he can get carried away and berate players for hours if he is left unattended (his solo work on today's match of Tsonga vs Benneteau). We may one day see him dash down to the court on the change of ends to yell at Andy Roddick.

John McEnroe - this guy is such an established character that he's really beyond judgement, especially from a tennis nerd like me. He may get off track and talk between points, but he brings a nice laid back presence to the booth and can make you laugh.

Patrick McEnroe - he's a solid commentator with lots of knowledge of the players and the game. Just keep him away from Drysdale. These two sound like a bitter married couple whenever they are in the booth together.

Jimmy Arias - He has a tendency to be a bit hard on the players but is great at speaking his mind. Being a great analyst and strategist adds weight to his words. 

Leif Shiras - This man is a great anchor. He can pull of the duties of someone like Ted Robinson but has the tennis knowledge and discretion that make him 100% respectable. Probably underpaid and definitely under-appreciated.

Brad Gilbert - Good in the sense that he is never short on things to say. Bad in the sense that he is, well, never short on things to say. Sometimes he's hilarious and other times he makes you want to watch on mute. Excellent in small doses.

Chris Fowler - no one is perfect, and I am willing to overlook all of this guy's faults because of how much he seems to try. This guy has been working for ESPN outside of tennis for a long time. He is able to focus on his job and genuinely seems to like tennis. Kudos to one of the hardest working guys in sports casting.

Justin Gimelstob - enrages me every time I hear him. He's an established chauvinist and has a hard time hiding it even on tv. He probably works for cheap, which is why the tennis channel chose not to permanently can him after those Kournikova remarks last year.

Barry McKay - I have to respect him because of his age, accomplishments, and overall nice guy persona. But my god man - the linesmen aren't shouting at the top of their lungs for no reason. Barry's constant remarks like 'thats a fault,' 'just long,' and 'wide' must stop. How is it that none of his bosses have called him on this?

Ted Robinson - an absolute tool. Not sure if he actually has a personality or any opinions of his own. He is pretty good at being a liaison for non tennis fans. Unfortunately he has no clue what he's talking about 50% of the time.

First Blog

Welcome to my first blog! I will be doing these as often as possible in order to share my own views of mens pro tennis for those interested. 

The second slam of the year is just around the corner. Personally I can't wait - Roland Garros is my favorite of the four majors. The terre battu is the ultimate equalizer and brings out the full depth of the field.

The last notable thing to happen on the ATP tour was the defeat of clay king Rafael Nadal at the hands of Roger Federer. As shocking as that may sound, this particular event was riddled with more asterisks than a cell phone contract. Here are a few - 

- Nadal's effort level - the match against Djokovic that took place less than 24 hours before the final was an epic four hour slugfest. Leave it to Nadal and Djokovic to play the longest 3-set match in masters history. It was a big ask for Nadal to come back the next day and fight as hard as one must against the holder of 13 slam titles. Rafa's flat performance coupled with none of the recent self-destructive play from Roger resulted in a fairly quick result. 

- The conditions - Madrid's notoriously high altitude rewards the aggressor and is in stark contrast to the conditions present for the rest of the clay court season. Federer used this to his advantage and Nadal failed to adjust properly. The greatest indicator to me was the number of backhands Nadal missed into the net on Sunday.

- Supermodel ballgirls - Federer recently tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Mirka but young Nadal wears no ring. He was clearly distracted ;)

So take what you will from the last notable match before Roland Garros. The field is deep and there are more serious contenders than last year. Here is a run down of some of those favored to make a dent - 

1). Rafael Nadal..... The guy who's never lost at the event is the clear favorite. He's never even been pushed to five sets at Roland Garros, and only twice ever on clay (he won both). He destroyed the field last year without losing a set. My pick to win by a long shot.

2). Novak Djokovic.... Clearly the second best clay court player this year so far. He's got the consistency, the fitness, the strength, and the weapons to crush inferior players. Remember he made the semis in 2007 and 2008. My second favorite

3). Roger Federer.... Were it not for the recent win in Madrid I would have written off this great champion. He's shown little noticeable effort to change in the face of his recent slump. This indicates to me that he believes it is only a matter of time before he's back in form and matches are the only way to get there. Hopefully this is true, as the number of opportunities for him to complete the career slam are dwindling as he ages. 

4). Andy Murray.... He's not what you picture when you think clay court player, but this talented tactician has shown that a sound strategy transcends the surface he plays on. His superior tennis brain will allow him to cruise against lower ranked players provided he keeps his cool

5). Fernando Verdasco.... A physical machine that powers through lesser competitors, it seems safe to pencil him into the second week. Unfortunately his recent meetings with the cream of the crop have led me to believe he still cant handle the biggest of stages, with the one obvious exception being the classic run in Melbourne. 

6). Juan Martin Del Potro.... Much like Verdasco, he has shown great consistency but has faltered against the greatest of foes. If he can replicate the heart he showed in Miami, he could easily disrupt the Murray Djokovic Nadal Federer semi final slots. 

7). Fernando Gonzalez.... Probably not at the top of the list for most people, but this Chilean veteran knows how to win 5 setters and will have no trouble grinding for hours.  While he is no apparent worry for Nadal, he could be a threat to everyone else. 

If we've learned anything about Roland Garros over the years its one thing - nothing is for certain. Though Federer and Nadal have managed to consistently make the final as of late, the tournament is often known for featuring some obscure players late in the tournament.