The world is coming to an end; well only if you are a Nadal fan it is.
For all of you who said you knew it was going to happen, that Nadal was only human, you have achieved bragging rights. But lets be serious with ourselves we didn't think it was going to happen this year, not even next year. It had appeared that Nadal was unbeatable he beat Federer at the Australian Open earlier in the year on hardcourt and beat him on his own territory at Wimbledon in 2008, it was almost a given that he was going to win at Roldan Garros, where he has won for the past four years. We were only really watching the French Open to see who would give Nadal a good run for his money, maybe Murray, or Verdasco (who also lost today) but not Robin Soderling the number 23 seed.
So now what? The question on everyone's mind is who is going to win now?
If you are French then your chances are looking good with two Frenchmen left in the tournament, Monfils and Tsonga who are both looking very good on clay and have the homecourt advantage.
If you are American and/or a fan of Andy Roddick then you may be liking your chances, he has already surprised us by getting into the second week for the first time in his career. He is looking fitter and can no longer be labeled as the dumbest American player; that award goes to Blake. Unfortunately for all you fans, Roddick has to play Monfils who will definitely have the crowd behind him, but don't give up hope, maybe Roddick will surprise us again.
If you are British then Andy Murray is looking promising. He may not have been able to win at Wimbledon but I'm sure the Brits will settle for a win at Roldan Garros. He has to play Gonzalez next who has been playing quite well all year, but if Murray continues to hit the angles that he has been using all tournament, which are extremely effective on clay then we might see a British Champion.
And of course who can forget about Federer, who has been flying below the radar for the majority of the tournament. He has been winning pretty easily but we have been expecting that from him. We just assumed he would get to the finals and then lose to Nadal, which has become a trend. Now with Nadal out of the tournament this could be Federer's year to finally win at France and join that list of greats who have won every single grand slam title.
Although I don't know who is going to win I do know one thing for sure, the French Open just got a lot more interesting.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Are We Really That Surprised?
Honesty is the best policy right? So let's be honest with ourselves.
Are we really that surprised that James Blake lost...no.
Are we surprised that he lost in the first round...maybe.
That he lost in three sets...okay yes.
We didn't think he was going to win the French Open but losing in three sets and in the first round, what happened? Out of all the Americans he was probably the most promising to get the farthest, I mean the man can slide on a hard court so it shouldn't be too hard for him to figure out sliding on clay right? Of course we were proven wrong again, don't they get tired of proving us wrong in the worse way?
James Blake didn't play smart, a necessity on clay. Not only that but he gave up; the first two sets were close 8-6 in the first set tie breaker and 7-5 in the second set. However, the third set score was 6-2 not even close to the previous scores; if you are going to lose go down swinging, don't give up. Now, that really surprised me.
Are we really that surprised that James Blake lost...no.
Are we surprised that he lost in the first round...maybe.
That he lost in three sets...okay yes.
We didn't think he was going to win the French Open but losing in three sets and in the first round, what happened? Out of all the Americans he was probably the most promising to get the farthest, I mean the man can slide on a hard court so it shouldn't be too hard for him to figure out sliding on clay right? Of course we were proven wrong again, don't they get tired of proving us wrong in the worse way?
James Blake didn't play smart, a necessity on clay. Not only that but he gave up; the first two sets were close 8-6 in the first set tie breaker and 7-5 in the second set. However, the third set score was 6-2 not even close to the previous scores; if you are going to lose go down swinging, don't give up. Now, that really surprised me.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
It is May 24th...You Know What that Means...
The French Open has officially begun!
And with the French Open comes two things that tennis fans can expect. The first being, long matches and the second, upsets.
Roland Garros is known for longer matches because the red clay surface slows down the ball, which gives players more time to track down a ball therefore causing longer points. The longer points and slower surface create a different game; a game that requires thinking not necessarily power. Therefore upsets are more likely because a lot of the big time players like to hit the ball hard and win the point immediately off of big serves and big forehands. So when Ivo Karlovic the number 26 seed played Lleyton Hewitt it is not really that big a surprise that the big man lost. The red clay surface worked against his tall frame and big serve. All Hewitt needed to do was make him run and keep the ball in play wearing Karlovic down.
Although the Karlovic-Hewitt five set match is the only match that can be really be labeled an upset, because Karlovic was seeded and Hewitt was not, there were still a lot of other close matches. For example, Sam Querrey's loss to Ernests Gulbis was in four sets and Frenchman Gilles Simon, who is seeded 7th had a tough five set match.
Simon's match strikes me as interesting because you would think that since he is French and he is playing in France he would have some home court advantage. You would also presume that since the French Open is known for its red clay surface that Simon would be a pro on the surface and have an edge over the competition, especially an American like his opponent Wayne Odesnik. Well scratch that out of your mind because if you were betting on Simon to beat Nadal and restore French tennis at the French Open then you should probably stop betting and keep your day job because you will definitely need the money. Simon did come up with some big shots but he just didn't look as comfortable as you would like him to be out there.
Simon is a talented player but I think the pressure of playing in France might be getting to him. The French fans like the English fans at Wimbledon are tough critics and they will be the first to cheer for their countrymen when they are playing well and the first to criticize them for not playing up to standard. Will the five set match in the opening round boost Simon's confidence or tear him apart; we will just have to see how the tournament plays out for him.
And with the French Open comes two things that tennis fans can expect. The first being, long matches and the second, upsets.
Roland Garros is known for longer matches because the red clay surface slows down the ball, which gives players more time to track down a ball therefore causing longer points. The longer points and slower surface create a different game; a game that requires thinking not necessarily power. Therefore upsets are more likely because a lot of the big time players like to hit the ball hard and win the point immediately off of big serves and big forehands. So when Ivo Karlovic the number 26 seed played Lleyton Hewitt it is not really that big a surprise that the big man lost. The red clay surface worked against his tall frame and big serve. All Hewitt needed to do was make him run and keep the ball in play wearing Karlovic down.
Although the Karlovic-Hewitt five set match is the only match that can be really be labeled an upset, because Karlovic was seeded and Hewitt was not, there were still a lot of other close matches. For example, Sam Querrey's loss to Ernests Gulbis was in four sets and Frenchman Gilles Simon, who is seeded 7th had a tough five set match.
Simon's match strikes me as interesting because you would think that since he is French and he is playing in France he would have some home court advantage. You would also presume that since the French Open is known for its red clay surface that Simon would be a pro on the surface and have an edge over the competition, especially an American like his opponent Wayne Odesnik. Well scratch that out of your mind because if you were betting on Simon to beat Nadal and restore French tennis at the French Open then you should probably stop betting and keep your day job because you will definitely need the money. Simon did come up with some big shots but he just didn't look as comfortable as you would like him to be out there.
Simon is a talented player but I think the pressure of playing in France might be getting to him. The French fans like the English fans at Wimbledon are tough critics and they will be the first to cheer for their countrymen when they are playing well and the first to criticize them for not playing up to standard. Will the five set match in the opening round boost Simon's confidence or tear him apart; we will just have to see how the tournament plays out for him.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Don't Expect Anything
Instead of thinking about school work, I have found my mind wandering to the NCAA tournament that my college tennis team didn't make this year. Although I am disappointed that we didn't make the tournament this year I don't think it is anything to be ashamed of.
I feel that our program is slowly growing and as a team we don't have expectations to fill, we play to have fun and if we make the tournament that is great, if not there is always next year. When I am playing my dual matches I always think like this. I love being the underdog because there is no pressure to win, no expectations. Instead I think that the person who is the higher seed can have a harder time winning matches because they know that they are supposed to win. For me some of my hardest matches are the ones that I know I am supposed to win.
Expectations are a recognizable theme at any level, even with the pros. With the French Open nearing I have been wondering how Rafael Nadal is dealing with the expectations people have of him. He has won the French Open four times in a row now and therefore people are expecting him to enhance his streak to five. How is he dealing with this pressure? Is he going to fulfill these expectations or will they catch up with him? And on the red clay with all these new young guys showing up you cannot expect anything.
I feel that our program is slowly growing and as a team we don't have expectations to fill, we play to have fun and if we make the tournament that is great, if not there is always next year. When I am playing my dual matches I always think like this. I love being the underdog because there is no pressure to win, no expectations. Instead I think that the person who is the higher seed can have a harder time winning matches because they know that they are supposed to win. For me some of my hardest matches are the ones that I know I am supposed to win.
Expectations are a recognizable theme at any level, even with the pros. With the French Open nearing I have been wondering how Rafael Nadal is dealing with the expectations people have of him. He has won the French Open four times in a row now and therefore people are expecting him to enhance his streak to five. How is he dealing with this pressure? Is he going to fulfill these expectations or will they catch up with him? And on the red clay with all these new young guys showing up you cannot expect anything.
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