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.