Unbreakable

These days the Wimbledon final seems to be inevitably entertaining. While the Roland Garros final was slightly exciting this year as we were holding our breaths to see if Roger could win the elusive slam, the action itself turned out to be quite disappointing. Sunday's Wimbledon final was sheer excitement from beginning to end.

Roddick came into the match with a losing record of 2-18 against Roger Federer. Under normal circumstances many people would have written him off. I definitely would have. But his recent performance against Hewitt and Murray suggested he was reaching another level. On top of that, Roddick's last few encounters with the Swiss were quite close.

I have always been perplexed over the curious fact that Federer out-aced Roddick in their matches. Sunday I realized why. Federer can get away with putting in a second serve. His ground game is superior so he has the option of going for aces on every first serve. Roddick on the other hand, can't afford to show Federer a second ball. He NEEDS a high first serve percentage. That he had - something near 80%. He wasn't always going for aces, but Roger still could not get his returns in play. Unlike in the past, Federer could not read the Roddick delivery. It took Roger 5 sets and over 4 hours to break Andy's serve - and his heart (sorry I just had to :))

Now to get a bit technical. Roddick did hit his groundstrokes well during the fortnight. But I still find his ground game the most technically immature of the top 10. The once fearsome forehand of 2003 has now become a jerky windshield wiper stroke. In order to produce a more penetrating ball, he has to produce far more racquet head speed than in the past. As a result, the consistency of his flat stroke has fallen dramatically as well as his accuracy. He also has to get properly set up and 'charge' the stroke which makes his defensive forehand particularly weak. Roger on the other hand has a forehand that is technically perfect as far as I am concerned. His swingpath is extremely versatile. As a result he can vary his spin-to-speed ratio extremely easily. He can also hit with variety from any position, as Nadal can do, and therefore defend extremely well. Similar principles apply on the backhand. Roddick will always have one of the best serves in the game. But he may never have as good a chance as he just had at Wimbledon.

The Wardrobe of a Champion?

Walking onto court with his new jacket and vest this year made me cringe. To compound the problem, a coincidental NetJets commercial starring the Swiss aired moments before. Lets put aside the fact that his outfit and purse look a bit ridiculous. Roger Federer, being a role model to millions of children, should watch after his image and take care not to disconnect himself with this snobbish look. Obviously he is wealthy beyond most people's wildest imagination. Just ask Mirka - it looks like she dunked her hands in a bowl of glue, then a bowl of jewels. All I ask is to tone it down a bit. Show some humility and class. We know he's a classy player and person, so why not portray this externally? Put down the matching purse and vest and throw on a Roger Federer Foundation t-shirt!

Wimbledon Preview

With Nadal unable to defend his cherished title the door was left wide open for Federer to claim number 15 with relative ease. For so long the grass courts have belonged to one man - Roger Federer. Then Nadal came along and eventually prevailed. But even then, it took the best match in tennis history for Rafa to overcome the reigning champ. So even though Federer is having one of his less successful years, he will not be so easily pushed aside on his favorite court.

I personally doubt Federer will have any trouble winning this year. He's now a veteran of grass and has more experience than anyone else in the draw on this surface. Consider that this is his best tournament and realize that he is to Wimbledon what Nadal is to Roland Garros. So who out there can top him besides his greatest rival? Here are a few challengers and my take on them -

Andy Murray -

All eyes are on him this year. Even if he wasn't playing for the home team, he does have a winning record against Roger and one of the best return games on tour. He's been to a slam final and won a few masters titles, so the only variables are his temper and the pressure of the press. He will be under the microscope as his the official favorite for many. I pick him to make the final, but also pick Federer to make mincemeat of him when he gets there.

Novak Djokovic -

He's been to the semis in 2007 and the finals of Queens in 2008. With few weaknesses and incredible defensive skills this guy is a contender wherever he goes. Remember he has a grand slam and Murray does no so experience should be no factor. Unfortunately his lackluster performance at Roland Garros is a worrisome variable. If he's feeling good I see him as the #3 favorite for the title in my mind.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -

One of the most aggressive players on tour is sure to love the grass courts of London. He's only played Wimbledon once (l. to Gasquet) but did not fail to impress. Shorter rallies mean he'll have to hit less backhands which I'm sure he wont mind, and his soft hands will create more than a few unreachable drop volleys. Big serve + big groundstrokes always equal success on this surface but he's also got a far better than average forecourt game. My dark horse pick.

Andy Roddick -

Sorry Roddick fans, but this guy is outdated. After years of trying to improve his game he's got little to show for it. His massive serve keeps him floating in the top 10, but his backhand is still one of the weakest in the top 50 and he's lost a lot of zest from his forehand since 03-04. He is now hitting far less winners (almost always less than his opponent) and is still hitting questionable approach shots. He'll probably cruise through a few rounds, but as soon as he faces a quality player I don't see him lasting long.

Juan Martin Del Potro -

While he is shaping up to be a legitimate challenger for major titles, I just don't see him doing well this year. He's obviously quite tall but unfortunately he doesn't play like Goran Ivanisevic. He likes to stay at the baseline so the low bounce won't favor his game. For a 6'6" man, his serve is still not where it should be.

Fernando Gonzalez -

My sleeper pick for Roland Garros will be riding a wave of confidence as he moves onto the grass. His slice will stay low and his fierce forehand translates to any surface. His relatively weak returns won't make things easy for him but he can counteract this with his ability to end a point from any spot on the court.

The Legend Continues

When someone accomplishes something or something happens that is beyond belief, something that has never happened before, something that may never happen again, it is looked back upon as legend. An event or series of events so remarkable that their reality is debatable. The legend of Roger Federer earned a new chapter today, in a way ensuring that this chapter will not be the last. Had Roger succumbed to any one of the many serious challengers this week he may have been forced into a downward spiral. But here he stands, a new man. No doubt the events of last week will give him much needed confidence as he continues his career. 

The early exit of Rafael Nadal opened the door wide for the world number two. Federer managed to take full advantage, and after a few bumps in the road he claimed what Nadal had kept from him for the last four years. With a knee injury threatening to keep Nadal from defending his Wimbledon title later this month the path could be cleared again for Federer to claim a 15th major title with relative ease and break Sampras's record. Sure there are going to be challengers other than Nadal at the all england club, but few have the vast grass experience that the 28 year old Federer has. 

The Swiss maestro now ties the record of 14 majors, has made the semis or better in the last 20 slams, and now has all 4 slams under his belt. We are watching history in the making, and I consider it a an honor to be a tennis fan during this period.

Soderling vs Nadal

So much has already been written about the shocking loss of Rafa Nadal to Robin Soderling so I won't dwell on the historical implications here. Instead I'll take a more technical approach. 

At the end of the day it boils down to this - Nadal played terribly and Soderling played great. I thought it would have been fun to see Nadal go for broke for 4 or 5 games in order to change the rythm of the match. He's as strong dude (probably stronger than Soderling) and can hit winners from anywhere. At least dictate as much as possible. Soderling isn't the best mover, and he can't pound groundstrokes as consistently if he has to dash from corner to corner. Pretend you're on grass Rafa!

Another thing Nadal could have done was employ the slice and hit more drop shots. If you've ever seen Roger Federer play Soderling or Berdych he does exactly this and it works perfectly. These big guys are tanks from the baseline but flounder a bit in the forecourt - especially with balls below the height of the net. Relatively speaking, Soderling is terrible volleyer and no one passes better than Nadal.

The problem was that Nadal would not or could not change strategy during the match. You can't really blame him either - his strategy has won him 4 French Open trophies. This was also the guy that made Lleyton Hewitt look like a club player just a few days ago. There are a lot of things Nadal could have done differently but we can't be too critical. He seems to be struggling with his backhand lately, and in all fairness strict defense is a often a viable play against a player like Soderling. Unfortunately Soderling was ready to hit a few extra balls and was playing out of his mind. It apparently was no fluke either - today he crushed Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.

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.