Sunday 8 July 2012

Murray's Moment or Federer's History?

76 years of hurt about to be broken? The best final since Fedal in 2008? Federer chasing history? 


Since Roger Federer and Andy Murray made it through their respective semi's on Friday, much has been made of the pressure on both men to lift the treasure trophy this Sunday afternoon.
Federer at 30, and having not won a grand slam title in over 2 years, faces perhaps the toughest task of his career. On the line, a return to the number one ranking and a record advancing 17th grand slam prize pushing him towards Sampras' record of weeks atop the world rankings. A win for Roger also secures him the top section of the draw for the Olympic Games, his main priority for the 2012 season, importantly meaning to win that title he will feasibly only have to play ONE of Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal to win that gold medal.


Meanwhile, Murray carries British hopes on his shoulders. No stranger to grand slam finals, (he's contested another 3 thus far) Murray has yet to play a final in his home country on the famous Centre Court, carrying pressure like no other match in his career to date. The 25 year old Murray is seen by many as being long overdue a major prize, and the ageing Federer would seem to be his best chance to date, of reaching the pinnacle of the sport for the very first time. Murray's 8-7 record against the Swiss also bodes well for the Scot's chances in the match, as he knows that he can beat Federer if he plays to his best level.


The worry for Murray and his fans today is that he realises where he is, what he's doing, and the history he could make. After all, 2 of Murray's 3 previous major losses came against the mighty Federer, who importantly knows how to get it done in major finals on centre court, and against the player he faces today in Murray.


In terms of match up, as the head to head shows, the two are very evenly matched, with Federer's explosive attacking game often being negated by Murray's fierce counterpunching, whilst other times Murray is too defensive for the dynamic all court style of the former 6 time winner at SW19. 
On grass, (a surface they've never met on before) both will look to vary their game mixing their strike backhands with a few deft slices, and both will look to play some of their points up at the net, especially Federer who will look to play first strike tennis and not enter into too many long rallies with the consistent Scot.
Whilst the grass is by no means as quick as it was back in the 90's, it still favours the more attacking style of Federer, and should he be able to execute by keeping his errors down, i get the feeling that Murray will have to step out of his comfort zone to deal with Roger's game today.


Finally, nerves must come into the equation of this match not just for Murray, but for Federer as well. The history on the line for both men means that it will be difficult for both men to play their best tennis, but i thought that before Fedal in 2008 and we got the best match of all time. Good luck to both men :)



Prediction Federer bts Murray- 6-3, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2










DJT

Friday 6 July 2012

Wimbledon Men's Semi's Preview

As the 2012 Wimbledon championhsips reach their conclusion, we see three familiar faces in the last 4, and one grass court supremo who proved himself on the surface by reaching the same stage here last year. Federer, Djokovic and Murray are no strangers to the semi's here with over 12 between the three, whilst Tsonga's exploits on grass in the last couple of years suggest that we could be in for the most exciting semi-finals ever.


Neither match up's will pose many new questions to the players. Federer and Djokovic have faced off a mammoth 27 times already, whilst Tsonga and Murray have met 6 times, importantly with 2 wins for Murray on the grass, but there are some slight differences that will add some extra spice to today's match up's.


First Semi- Roger Federer (3) vs (1) Novak Djokovic


History and records are on the line once again for Roger Federer in this match up. A win over Djokovic puts his much discussed quest to return to number one in his own hands, giving him the possibility to overtake Sampras for most weeks at the top of the pile and claim another record that strengthens his claim for GOAT.


Another tangible in this match up will be the grass factor. Federer as the former 6 time champion here will fancy his chances in a completely new surface match-up, without forgetting that Djokovic won here last year, and is by no means a rookie on the surface.
In terms of how the surface might affect the match up, the lower bounce on grass will reward the more creative side of Federer's game. No doubt he'll hope to bring Djokovic in with low slices and pass him at the net, a tactic he used to great effect earlier in his rivalry with the young Serb. For Djokovic, he'll be best served to be consistent from the baseline and drag Federer into the longer rallies which will benefit his punishing game and draw Federer into overhitting. 


Talent wise, both are two of the best players of all time, so for sure the match will be decided by one or two moments. Djokovic goes in favourite due to his recent grand slam head to head with Roger, and for the ageing Federer to win you would think he needs a good start and preferably the first set to build a head of steam.


The final wildcard in Federer's favour is the glorious British summer. The forecast for today is for the roof to be closed, rendering the match an indoor match, bringing into play Federer's sublime indoor career record that includes over 20 titles. Indoor's the consistent conditions allow Federer greater margin and more comfort on his backhand which has been prone to shanks in windy conditions. 


Prediction: Djokovic in five sets. 3-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2, 7-5


Second Semi- Andy Murray (4) vs (5) Jo- Wilfried- Tsonga


Home favourite Andy Murray see's his best chance to reach a final since 2009, as he faces the charismatic Frenchman Jo- Tsonga, a fellow semi-finalist yet to make a final on the lawns on SW19. \


The British hopeful owns a 5-1 positive h2h record against Tsonga with 2 of his wins coming on grass, at Wimbledon in the quarters in 2010, and in last year's Queens Club final. Undoubtedly however the Tsonga of 2012 is a whole new prospect. His French Open quarter final performance on considerably his worst surface shows just what good form he is in, even taking Djokovic the distance with a combination of big serves and blistering forehands, tactics further rewarded on the grass courts.
His form over the fortnight has shown no signs of dipping from the Roland Garros days, with especially his serve firing on all cylinders, going unbroken in his first four matches.  


Murray's draw saw many worrying that he might not even make the second week, but a combination of awesome returning and tenacious defense has seen him fight his way past the likes of Davydenko, Karlovic, Baghdatis, Cilic and Ferrer, by far the most impressive route of the four semi-finalists. This match practice should stand him in good stead, particularly to deal with the powerful serve and main weapon of the frenchman. 


A potential indoor match probably see's this match becoming a throwback serve fest to the days of Sampras and Ivanisevic. The stabilised conditions have favoured Murray in his matches, but both he and Tsonga will be serving bombs, and i fancy the match includes a couple of tiebreaks in a four set thriller.


Prediction: Murray in five sets. 6-7, 6-4,  6-4, 2-6, 7-9 




DJT

Sunday 24 June 2012

Wimbledon Men's Preview 2012

In my Women's prediction thread, i noted how the WTA had finally refound a degree of consistency and stability at the top of the game, yet my predictions for the men's draw will buck those same trends which have been a feature of the ATP since the rise of Fedal and then the emergence of Djokovic, by making what some might call "crazy" decisions.


Irrelevant of the draw, the history books beckon of any of the top 3 manage to win the Wimbledon title. Djokovic enters Federer like dominace at the fast majors with a win here, whilst the Spaniard Nadal does the RG/Wimbledon double thrice, not bad for a "clay courter". The real history though lies with Federer ( nearly every win see's him breaking some sort of record) should he win, the number one ranking is his again tieing Sampras for most weeks, another major lengthens his lead to 17, six over Nadal at 11, and strengthens his argument for GOAT and another year end no.1 finish.


To see any hope for players outside of the top 3 HAS to be dependant on the draw, so lets take a look and see what upsets we might see over the next 2 weeks at SW19:

Top Half


First Quarter- Djokovic is on a 9 consecutive SF streak, and bar big hitting Tomas Berdych in the quaterfinal, his road to the semi's is relatively block free. Former no.1 Ferrero is a tough opening match, but Novak will have too much in the tank over five sets for the 32 year old Spaniard. Towards the Czech's end, Gasquet looms as a possible candidate to spring an upset and make the Djokovic QF, but the safe money is on Berdych who often saves his best tennis for the quicker lawns of the All England Club. Pick of the first rounds are the top seeds matches. Djoko/Ferrero and the battle of the ball bashers Gulbis/Berdych.

Winner - Novak Djokovic


Second Quarter-  6 time champion Roger Federer has the easiest opening round on paper against clay favoring Spaniard Ramos, Llodra is too old to challange RF in round 2, so Muller could be his shock in the third. Simon on grass is a nice fourth round, opening up a potential QF with Tipsarevic. The 2 ranked Serb will have to make it through Nalbandian in his opening match, and potentially Isner in the round of 16 to get there, and nothing tells me he should be banked on to get through those tough ties. Isner/Mahut do battle again in the second round, and lets hope they finish more in the vein of last year rather than the 2010 marathon.

Winner - Federer ( over Nalbandian in a turn back the clocks moment)


Bottom Half


Third Quarter- British hopeful Murray leads the 3rd Quarter, looking to make it one better than his last 3 efforts and make his first SW19 final. Unfortunately for him, getting there will be a nightmare. Davydenko in the first will be easier than most expect but 3 consecutive big servers in Karlovic, Anderson and Raonic is too much of a shootfest for fans to be confident. Raonic will be that guy. On the other side of the quarter, Del Potro and Ferrer are the highest seeds, but unsuited to the grass. Roddick could swoop in for the dream run to the semi's where it's anyones ball game.

Winner- Andy Roddick


Fourth Quarter- Nadal once again takes the uncomfortable position at the bottom of the draw, and would have much preferred Djokovic's route to the final. He faces an awkward looking third round with Haas or Kolschreiber both of whom performed strongly in Halle last week. Things start looking better after that, but Lopez serving well on grass isn't a formality either. A Tsonga/Hewitt opening round will test the charismatic frenchmans injured thumb, whilst Melzer and Wawrinka are other tricky customers in his section. Tsonga's efforts last year in making the semi's make him my favourite for this section of the draw (fitness dependant), with Nadal suffering a rare first week loss to Haas or Kolschreiber in R3.

Winner- Jo Wilfried Tsonga


Semi Finals


Federer bts Djokovic in a high quality four set match reminiscent of their RG encounter in 2011
Tsonga bts Roddick in a five set serve fest, heartbreak for A-Rod who blows his last shot at a Wimbledon title.


Final


Federer avenges his loss to Tsonga by winning a four set tussle in the final, and recapturing the no.1 ranking once again. A familiar sight?










DJT

Wimbledon Women's Preview 2012

Looking ahead to the womens singles at Wimbledon this year, and for the first time since 2010 and Serena, the WTA looks a lot more settled and stabilised, with a successful and proven number one star in the shape of Maria Sharapova. That combined with the continued steady play of other front runners like Azarenka and Kvitova, and the top of the womens game looks as solid as it has been in the last four or five years.


Heading into SW19 this stability takes on an added meaning, with this particular event having been dominated by very few women, 2 women in particular going by the names of Venus and Serena. Between them, the sisters have been involved in 10 of the last 12 finals, winning 9 titles, 5 for Venus and 4 for little sister. The only other previous champions in this years field are last years winner Kvitova, and Sharapova who's 2004 win at 17 kickstarted her career, which has now come full circle back to number 1 in time for the event where it all started.
Looking past these 4 women, obviously Azarenka can't be counted out in what looks to be her career season to date, whilst grass court lovers Bartoli and Pironkova could be the dark horses for a place in the final.


Predictions based on grass court history are all well and good, but as we all know the draw can and has curtailed many dream finals (Sharapova, Serena anyone?) and meant that the unexpected does happen, even at one of the most consistently predictable events. Looking at it , and one quarter could be anyone's:

Top Half


First Quater- Unless Lisicki recaptures her form from the grass last year, Sharapova's road to the quarters looks relatively comfortable, and i expect her to defy the possible bannana skin R2 by beating Venus Williams slayer Tsvetana Pironkova in 2 comfortable sets. Past that, Kerber looks good to meet her as the seeded quartefinalist. I expect Clijsters to fight hard, but that it's too soon for her to beat Kerber on her worst surface. Floaters in this part of the draw are Mchale who's had some big wins this year, and Makarova who comes alive on grass beating Kvitova in Eastbourne last week, after winning that title back in 2010.

Winner- Maria Sharapova


Second Quarter- Every slam throws up that crazy quarter that nobody would like to call, but here's my shot at it. Venus Williams is the 5 time champ, but her fatigue inducing disease makes her too unpredictable to back, whilst Stosur as one of the top seeds in this section is about as home on grass as she would be in the Siberian Winter. The solid Radwanska is the highest seed but has flattered to deceive at the majors and not always reproduced her winning tournament tennis on the biggest stage. Li Na certainly has the game for grass, and might be freed from the shackled of being French open champion. Look for her to make a deep run this fortnight. Interesting match up's see A-Rad face Venus in R2 again, whilst Stosur/Navarro could make it a triple of first round losses for the unlucky Aussie.

Winner- Li Na


Bottom Half


Third Quarter- The Serena quarter looks good for the four time former champ until a possible Kvitova QF which everyone will hope materialises. After her R1 loss at Paris, the American must surely be motivated to lay down the gauntlet on the grass as she has so many times before, and i'd wager that until Kvitova nobody will stop her. Errani in the fourth round would be a struggle on clay, but Williams game will be far too big for the diminutive Italian on the grass, whilst Kvitova might struggle but should get by flat hitter Cibulkova at the same stage.

Winner- Serena Williams (but her 3 set match with Kvitova in the quarters will be match of the tournament)

Fourth Quarter- Many interesting names sit in the last quarter, with Woznaicki, Bartoli and Vika sitting above the likes of Kuznetsova and Ivanovic who could realistically do some damage on the lawns. Wozniacki doesn't have the firepower and aggression for grass, and i think she'll fall to Sveta in R3. Vinci could trick her way past Bartoli in the 3rd round, but if Marion escapes her then she'll do enough to get to the quarters. Facing her there, well probably Vika who has a clear run to the last 16 where it would take a consistent Ivanovic to knock her off, and we haven't seen that in forever. There, i get a feeling Bartoli makes it a match, but is beaten by Vika's superior movement and clutch play.

Winner- Victoria Azarenka

Semi Finals

Sharapova bts Na
Williams bts Azarenka

Dream Final: Williams bts Sharapova 6-3, 7-5


So my guess is that this familiar sight will greet us at the end of another Wimbledon campaign. Predictable? Perhaps, but i expect it to be one hell of a ride to get here!

Friday 15 June 2012

King Murray falters at Queens

The ever impressive Nicholas Mahut added another big scalp to his list of victims on a grass court, by beating British favourite Andy Murray in the Scots first round, and only pre Wimbledon tune-up at Queens club.


The 30 year old Frenchman best know for his epic match on the grass with Isner a couple of years ago, played tennis defying his advanced years, leaping around the court, and bounding to the net, playing a brand of tennis reminiscent of Borg and Mcenroe from years gone by. Probably the trickiest kind of player Murray could have drawn for his first grass match since 2011, Mahut's big serve and crispy volleys were too tough to handle and the 2007 finalist ultimately progressed over the top seed in a tiebreak third set. 


With the hopes of a nation once again resting solely on his shoulders for another year at SW19, Murray now has to go into his home grand slam with only one competitive grass court match, surely not ideal preparation for a charge towards winning his first major. After the match, Murray himself was quick to point out that Djokovic and others are heading into Wimbledon light, and that his 2012 schedule thus far means he's hardly been short of tennis, so who knows maybe an early loss at Queens will be just the tonic he needs to go into Wimbledon refreshed and ready for glory. Something tells me that the British press will fail to see that light at the end of the tunnel!


Better news for Murray this week, was that he was by no means the only seed to bow out early, with both Tsonga and Tipsarevic losing their opening matches to much lower ranked opponents. Both the number 2 and 3 seeds were upset in three close sets, emphasizing the beauty of the grass court swing particularly in the best of 3 format. The quick surface, low bounce and specialist players mean shock defeats are much more likely than on a more predictable surface like hard courts. All 3 players come from the French having made the fourth round or better, and have had considerably less time to get their grass court feet under them than some of their opponents this week. 


Notable names still left in the draw include 2010 champion Sam Querrey, David Nalbandian the Wimbledon finalist 10 long years ago, and perrenial French underachiever Julien Bennateau. My money is on Nalbandian to sneak out another title and potentially turn that momentum into a decent result at SW19.




Here's a look at the grass court events at Queens, including Mahut/Murray.





DJT

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Ten predictions for the Grass Court Season!

Exams and end of Uni celebrations have meant this blog has been inactive for much too long. Revision, festivals, and other such activities barely allowed me time to watch the action at Roland Garros, much less blog about it, but now as my long British Summer begins, so again does my blog, just in time for (in my opinion) the best tournament of the year- Wimbledon !


Speaking of the French, what a topsy turvy, up and down tournament that was. On the woman's side, the form player of the Clay swing Maria Sharapova held firm to capture her fourth slam and complete the career set, but  Azarenka, Na and both Williams sisters disappointed , in what has become a remarkably consistent trend for top players in the womens game in recent years. Top marks for Sharapova though. It's been no secret that the last few years have been tough for her both on the injury, and confidence front, but it's great to see a truly hard working woman back at the top of her sport.


As almost everyone expected Rafa Nadal was nigh on impossible to stop in his quest for a record breaking 7th French title, well except for a brief collapse in set 3 against Djokovic, but we'll let him off with a few nerves against his 2011 nemesis. Barring Rafa's miraculous clay consistency, the remaining memebers of "the big 4" played their worst majors in a long time. Both Djokovic and Federer lost sets left right and centre before the quarters, never usually making a habit of that in the majors, whilst Murray after reaching the semi's last year went out rather flatly in four sets to Ferrer. Top marks in this however for the insurmountable Rafa, and the returning American Brian Baker who looked like he belonged on the court Phillipe Chatrier.


Now, after a long stretch of tournaments on all sorts of different colours of clay, we reach the grass season, which i'm sure we all hope isn't suddenly played on pink turf! Such a short period of the season, and such a specialist surface usually plays out in a very predictable fashion, so here's my (educated) stab at what's in store over the next few weeks:


1) The winner of the mens single's title at Wimbledon 2012 will DEFINATELY be one of either Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer. (sorry Andy Murray)
2) The womens singles champion will NOT be a first time major winner.
3) However the winner will DEFINATELY NOT be Samantha Stosur, Fran Schiavone, Ana Ivanovic, Sveta Kuznetsova, or the world no.1 Azarenka!
4) Nicolas Mahut will invariably draw John Isner.
5) Venus and Serena will be on the same side of the draw for the first time since 2005.
6) Neither the mens winner nor the womans winner will repeat their victory at the Olympics, 3 weeks after Wimbledon ends.
7) Laura Robson will get to the third round in the womans main draw.
8) At least one whole day at this years Championships will be lost to rain.
9) The womans singles champion will be four time former champ Serena Williams.
10) The mens singles champion will be Novak Djokovic.




So there we have it, a few thoughts about the grass season ahead, not really touching on the Olympics, which is being saved for a special after Wimbledon. Hope you've all enjoyed the blog, nice to be back blogging, and bring on the grass!






DJT

Sunday 6 May 2012

Blue Clay- Here to stay or go away?

This weeks Mutua Madrilena open is special for a few reasons. Firstly, and somewhat contentiously the joint event for both men and women on the ATP and WTA tours will be offering more prize money for the ladies, secondly the Caja Magica (the venue for the event) is the only tournament in Europe in which the roofed stadium houses 3 courts, all which can offer play in a rain delay. However, these interesting but somewhat irrelevant stats pale into insignificance when you realise that this Madrid Open will be the first ever clay court event to be played on Blue Clay.

Tournament owner and former professional Ion Tiriac has always been known to shake things up, least we should forget his controversial introduction of model ballboys and girls that garnered so much attention back in 2008. This time, he says the move to a more 'viewer and player friendly" blue clay will enhance the experience for tv viewers who might have struggled to make out the ball before, and won't truly hinder the players. Indeed Tiriac had figures at the ready saying his expert team of court analysists believe that the visibilty will be over 20% better for those watching, and that it's just a happy coincidence that the blue matches that of Mutua Madrilena the premier sponsor of the event.
Naturally, with change comes a variety of different opinions. Clay stalwart and hardly an acrimonious figure, Rafael Nadal is one of a few players to already have spoken out against the move saying,   "The court is more slippery than usual, because I do not know if you have too little clay, it's hard underneath it, and [maybe] if you paint it blue its more slippery ... I am not a technician, but I've noticed it. There are times when the court is soft, but that’s a less worrisome problem." Nadal, born Majorcan also echoed a Federer like argument, pointing out that the clay season and Roland Garros has always been played on red/orange clay suggesting that the blue is somewhat unnatural.
Whilst a cynic might argue that Nadal's beef with the change is due to his previous clay success, and a dislike for a potentially faster and more slippery surface particularly when playing against monster hitters like Isner and Del Potro, he is not the only player to argue against the blue. Raonic, no pusher, and a player that would perhaps benefit from the new surface, tweeted about the slippery nature of what he and many others have now deemed "Smurf Clay".




However, what has to be remembered in the face of much criticism and skepticism, is that this is hardly the first big radical shake up in tennis in recent memory. Hawk eye received a lot of negative press about the potential for time wasting, slow down the game, usurping the umpire- i could go on- but has been an unanimous success. A short 7 years ago, and both the Australian and the US Opens were played on green surfaces, but now both use different shades of blue, and undoubtedly provide a clearer more vivid picture for both spectators and players. Despite the comfort and tradition the red clay provides, the manufacturing process that the courts undergo, involves applying a dye to the court whether it's blue or orange, so the difference between the actual playing surface of 2012 and 2011 is minimal at best.


Yesterdays start of play shed some interesting light on how the surface will play differently, and how this will affect the players. 3 of the marquee matches on the Manolo Santana centre court went 3 sets and over 2 and a half hours possibly indicating a variation in how the court plays as the match develops. Indeed Venus Williams after her marathon win told reporters that "she had to remember she was on a clay court (sic)", referring to the combination of the colour change, and the slightly faster surface. Another troubling development has been the ankle injury to Wozniacki today during her gutsy win over Pervak. The Dane is unsure of whether she'll be able to continue in the tournament, but will seek doctors advice before making a final decision tommorow. So far, one injury can be attributed to rotten bad luck, but by this time next week should there have been any more then we may just be celebrating the downfall of Tiriac's blue dream and assigning it to the history books. There's certainly a few players who hope so.

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Claypova- Here to stay or just visiting?

Despite being a three time grand slam champion, a former world number one, the current world number two, and one of the most dominant women in tennis for the last decade, Maria Sharapova is not known as an all court player, much less a clay courter so to speak.
For the majority of her career, approximately at its half-way stage, Sharapova has slipped and slide, criticized and dreaded playing on the red stuff, famously dubbing herself a 'cow on ice' on the surface back at the 2008 French Open. Instead, the majority of her success has largely been built around a high risk, high pace game more suited to the fast courts of London and New York where her first two major victories were secured. What a shock it then is in 2012, to perhaps be calling the red clay Sharapova 2.0's best surface, but recent results and changes to her game since her shoulder surgery may mean what would once have been considered impossible is now true.


My analysis of Maria's clay game can be broken up into the parts where the slower surface helps her game, and how by aiding Maria's strengths the surface may also reduce her opponents ability to play successfully against her.
The Sharapova return of serve has and will always be one of the most devestating aspects of her game. Her natural timing and ability to connect well with the ball on the stretch means that this will always be a strength, but the slow pace and high bounce of a clay court is perfect for this shot to thrive. Last week in Stuttgart, and particularly against Stosur and Azarenka, serves that would rush through on grass and hard courts sat up that little bit more allowing her that extra time to set up her return. Indeed in the final, she hit over 5 clean return winners, and many more unretrieveable returns based on this advantage.


In terms of movement, this has always been a tough area for the 6 ft blonde on a slippery and foreign surface to her (and will continue to be so) but she seems to have found a way to hide it. Never a great mover on any surface, the slower conditions required for clay court tennis means better movers find it tougher to keep her on the run. Despite still being an unorthodox slider, the extra time clay provides allows her to sort her feet out better than on the quicker surfaces these days, giving her more time to bludgeon a groundstroke for a winner. In these cases where Maria is afforded time to set herself up to wallop a backhand, there aren't many women who can co-exist never mind beat her from the back of the court, Serena excused.


Another improvement i found in Maria's game this week was the serve, which post shoulder surgery has really been the key piece of the jigsaw missing for her. Her first serve percentage since the quarter against Stosur never strayed under 60% and hitting it as hard as she does, that's nothing to be scoffed at. For me, the clay attitude which downplays the need to get your first serve in has actually helped Maria to loosen up and just go for it, avoiding the doubles and tension which has so often infiltrated her serve in the past 2 or 3 years.


No doubt many fans and critics alike will be tempted to jump on the Maria train straight to the Roland Garros title, but i wager that there'll be a few tests yet before she can be considered the front runner for the French.


1. Stay injury free! Sharapova has played a heavy schedule so far this season and won a lot of matches, with both Madrid and Rome still to come before the French she needs to avoid burnout and or peaking to soon.
2. Beat the tricksters! Pova's biggest match-up struggle could come from the guile and crafty skills of a Schiavone, Medina, or definately Radwanska who she lost to in Miami. If she can beat the slice of Schiavone, and rally with Aga before she gets to Paris then she'll be looking good.
3. Finally beat or avoid Serena Williams! Maria's big bogey player who she hasn't beaten since 2004 and seems to have the Russian's number, and be in her head. The form Serena showed in Charleston, she very well may have to beat the American to win the tournament and that will be her biggest challenge.




To finish, the final with Vika to demonstrate the effect clay is having on Sharapova's game this season.



Check out the super returns at 5:20 and 6:50.



Come back tommorow for my thoughts on the transition to blue clay at the upcoming Madrid Masters :)





DJT

Thursday 26 April 2012

Nadal/Djokovic- Just a blip or has order been restored?

Depending on how you look at it, last weeks Masters final in Monte Carlo delivered the most predictable result of the season, or one of the first big shock moments in 2012.
Rsz_nadalGoing into the first clay court masters, Rafael Nadal could be comfortable with the fact that in each of his last 7 attempts to win the tournament nobody had been able to stop him, a run which included tournament victories over Roger Federer (3 times), Djokovic, Verdasco, Ferrer, and Guilermo Coria all the way back in 2005 when Rafa was in his teens. On the other hand, his opponent in the final Novak Djokovic had won the last 7 finals between the two including three slam finals, and perhaps most importantly 2 on Rafa's beloved clay in Europe this time last year.


The recent tale of the tape between the world's current top two players has been one dominated by Djokovic's two hander pounding through Rafa's defenses, but this was Monte Carlo, one place Rafa hadn't yet given up to Novak, and held extra special value considering the consecutive run of victories at the venue which really started Rafa's rise to the top echelons of the sport.


Unfortunately, the 6-3,6-1 scoreline in favour of Nadal casts the match as a bit of a damp squid considering the expectations both mean faced, and given the quality of their previous finals, not least in Melbourne last January.
Credit must go to Nadal, who despite reportedly suffering from knee tendinitis recently, really managed to move the Serb around, and use his natural proficiency for the clay surface to his advantage, and out manoevre Djokovic in pretty much every aspect of the game.
Of course, without wanting to demean the performance of Nadal, the loss of his Grandfather a couple of days previous to the final can't have helped the cause of the world no.1, who afterwards claimed to have been mentally shattered in the recent days since hearing about his family tragedy. Since the weekend, Djokovic has withdrawn from his hometown tournament the Serbian Open citing much needed time to grieve and mentally recover as reasons for his absence.


Despite the questionable circumstances around Djokovic's first loss to Nadal since the 02 in London back in 2010, it is now a different tennis environment that we looks out upon as we head towards the years second major. Unlike this time last year , Djokovic is looking vulnerable. All 3 of Murray, Isner and now Nadal have managed to do what nobody had done by this stage last year and beat the Serbian. Whilst for me he still goes in to the next few tournaments as it's clear favourite, the aura of invincibility that he like Federer and Nadal before him had worked so hard to build up is showing signs of fading, and the top 10 at least will go in to their matches thinking they have a realistic shot at springing the upset.


Lastly though, how has this weekends results impacted on the two players involved do we think?


I would wager that the loss is a lot less significant for Djokovic than Nadal. For sure Novak knows the he wasn't himself on Sunday for reasons most out of his control, he won't think that Rafa has beaten him at this best, and the last 7 wins will still count for a lot more than this one.
For Nadal however, this win may just be the catapult he needs to gain more confidence for what will be certainly be future encounters between the two. Monte Carlo might not have been Paris, and Djokovic might have been distracted, but any win against the no.1, a win that breaks a run of consecutive losses can only help Rafa rebuild in terms of his game and mindset when he faces Djokovic.


This week see's Rafa continue in Barcelona, whilst the next couple of weeks see's the rest of the tour join in as the circuit hits the masters 1000 in Madrid and then Rome. We can consider how Federer (absent since Miami) fits in to the clay scenario after a great run last year, and some early season form.


Rafa's win might not be the biggest of his career, but it definately provides that hint of doubt and excitement that could help make the clay season one to remember!







DJT




Wednesday 8 February 2012

The Curious Case of Serena Williams

The enigma that is Serena Jameka Williams can probably best be summed up by watching her recent Fed Cup match against Belarus vs Anastasia Yakimova.
Yakimova an opponent ranked 53 places below Serena, battled hard and took the first set 7-5 playing consistently and well above her 65th ranking. But as has been the case throughout Williams career, the result and dynamic of the match wasn't about what her opponent was doing, but how Serena was playing and acting on court.




The opening set was full of 'Serena Drama' with a racket smashed, inconsolable head shakes and hand gestures, and verbal beration all directed towards herself.
This 'dark side' to Serena has reared its ugly head on occasions, most notably twice in New York; once in 2009 against Clijsters and then in last years final vs Sam Stosur. Despite arguably being the most naturally talented woman to step foot on a tennis court, many would argue that Serena's attitude and temperament has stopped her legacy being even greater, up there with the likes of Graf and Navratilova.
Comments made in Brisbane earlier this year made clear that tennis is not a sport she passionately loves, but a means to an end. A way to win, and be successful. Remarks and attitudes like this have meant that despite her immense talent, at times lack of commitment and preparation have left her short in big matches against more match sharp players.

Whilst the first set showed Serena at her worst and most frustrating, the second two sets (both won with a 6-1 scoreline) showed her at her imperious best. For my money, no more complete a tennis player has played the womens game. Most focus on her massive serve and powerful groundies, but Williams movement, foot speed, point construction and mental intensity are all massive factors which elevate her above being just a ballbasher.
Yakimova's form dropped slightly, but her consistency just couldn't hold up to the bombardment of a wounded Serena, who was visibly angry at herself for losing a set to a player who really shouldn't get close to beating her.
The head shakes of the first set were replaced by fist pumps and 'come-on's' reminiscent of the fiercesome competitor that has so far captured 13 major titles, the most of an active player.

Effectively, the glum and uninspired Serena, and the pumped up and intense Serena seem like two completely different personalities, trapped inside one body. However, i think that without the attitude Serena wouldn't be the player she is today, or has been throughout her illustrious career.
Serena's angry and at times self-loathing personality on court, has often to me been the inspiration behind some of her comebacks and achievements.
Many a time we've witnessed her play sub-par tennis for the majority of the match and turn it around almost at the push of a button. Her frustration on court is not all down to 'not loving' tennis, but because she knows what she is capable of and demands no less from herself everytime she takes to the court. Without a doubt, this makes her frustrating to watch, and many will call her sulky and childish, but if Serena had a levelled attitude and settled for playing averagely (which for her would still make her a top 10 player) then would she have achieved all that she has.....I would say No!

Characters like Serena don't come around too often in a very subdued game like Tennis. Her fiesty personality may not be to everyone's taste , but as she creeps past 30, one thing is for sure. We won't be celebrating or chastising her for too much longer, and when she's gone her celebrity and presence will be sorely missed.
          
                                                                        

Watch this point, and ask yourself again if Serena loves tennis? It may annoy her from time to time, but she's still here, and once she's gone i get a feeling both we and she will appreciate what she achieved in the sport!





DJT











                                                                   

Wednesday 1 February 2012

How to craft the perfect player

After my first few blogs took a serious route, i thought it was about time i had a bit of fun (not that regular tennis isn't fun) and gave my thoughts on a more relaxed and informal topic, so i thought how about i try and make my perfect player.
The motivation behind writing this particular piece came from a conversation i had with a friend of  mine just this morning. My friend (a casual tennis fan) said 'The Djoko-Nadal final that was pretty much perfect tennis right?' which got me to thinking, obviously 'perfection' isn't possible in a subjective sport, but how close is this current men's era to being 'perfect'.
If we were to throw aside changes in racket technology, how would the Federers and Nadals match up against the Borg's and Mcenroes of years gone by. Obviously the fitness and intensity of the game has increased seven fold, but based on pure talent, who wins basically. Well, i came to the conclusion that in terms of variety and game plan the older generation seemed to have more nouse and play better all round games, but the current stars serve and hit harder and move better. So after all that, i decided that 'perfection' could be achieved by a mix and match of the two so here goes :


Serve: How can you not go with Sampras here, 'Pistol Pete' may not have had as big a serve as a Roddick or a Karlovic, but it always got him out of trouble and once he got a break, he never lost it back!




Return: Agassi has never been matched for a two handed return. So great that it was a key part of his revival in his late 20's early 30's and kept him competitive up til 35!



Forehand: Federer takes this for having such a lethal combination of pace and accuracy, and singularly dominating tennis through this shot for most of the early/mid noughties!


Backhand: Must go to Djokovic, the last 18 months this has been the shot to go up another gear and really help him dominate his opponentts from the back of the court!

Volleys: Mcenroe without a shadow of a doubt. Deft touch, unbelievable feel, and quick hands. GOAT
His volley at 0:46 is testament to this.



Movement: Tough between Rafa and Borg but after his display in the Djokovic final the other day he just about gets the nod.






So there it is, my so called 'Perfect Player', feel free to leave any thoughts or comments, would love to hear opinions on this. Womens perfect player discussed tommorow :)






DJT

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Australian Open- Men's marathon

On the surface of things, Novak Djokovic beating Rafael Nadal for the seventh consecutive time, and in their third consecutive Grand Slam final doesn't appear to be a life changing event. But, scratch underneath the surface, and last Sunday's 5 hour 53 minute epic reveals a lot more about the state of and future of top level men's tennis.


After having emphatically beaten Federer, the all time best player in the semi-finals, Nadal was coming in to this final against Djokovic with something he didn't have the last two times, confidence and belief. On the other hand, Djokovic's form had regressed as the tournament developed, and he had just won an energy sapping 5 setter vs Murray the match before, hardly great preparation for the gladiator that is Rafa Nadal.
Only a short couple of years ago, Djokovic was the top guy most likely to retire from sunstroke, or lose his fitness, and thats what makes this victory even more monumental than any of those in his oustanding 2011.



In many ways, the match went to plan. Djokovic dictated early, taking his backhand on the rise, hitting deep and not giving Rafa time on his shots. Nadal too played to script, producing at times Herculean defense and hit his trademark forehand down the line with great success. Djokovics' victories in London and New York were quicker surfaces, favouring his attacking game, but the slow plexicushion neutralised some of Novaks pace and the match was always going to be tighter than the previous ones. But then came the surprise!
Who expected at 5-5 in the fifth that it would be Rafa who wavered, while Djokovic held firm. At 5-5 break point Djokovic stuck in the rally, and it was ultimately Rafa who netted a slice backhand allowing Djokovic to serve out the match and the tournament. 
Whilst he certainly didn't hit the heights of this time last year, the 2012 Australian Open perhaps says more about Novak Djokovic than any other tournament. When he was tired, beat up, and not playing his best, he still found his best when it mattered most, and once again was the last man standing!


For Nadal, credit where it's due, not many expected him to reach the final based on form and fitness, and he surprised us once again. He can take away another victory over Federer, and knows that the gap is getting closer, a reassurance that will make him extra motivated to get Djokovic back when the clay is back under his feet.
Federer was looking good, but once again couldn't answer the Nadal question. Whilst one is tempted to say he may never find that particular answer, his first set tactics in that match can be taken forward, and next time if a shot or two goes his way, he'll be the finalist in Paris, London, or NYC.


As for Murray, he was the nearly man once again, but he's getting closer. Taking the mighty Djokovic to five is another step closer to the win, and a bit more time under the guidance of Mr Lendl should by big dividends by the early summer, and i'll go out on a limb and say he reaches the final of one of the later two majors.


My post doesn't mention anyone outside of the big four. The tournament saw inspired runs by the local lads Tomic and Hewitt, a resurgance by Del Potro, and the continued over-achievement of Ferrer. But once again there was no denying the big four, and no denying Novak Djokovic, and it sure doesn't look like stopping.




Best point of the match, just to refresh the old memory :)








DJT

Australian Open- Who were the wonder women?

The 2012 Australian Open has just come to the end, and with that, one of the most entertaining and competitive grand slams closes, but what are the main talking points coming out of Melbourne Park?

Firstly, and most importantly , the WTA has a new number one, and new grand slam champ in the shape of Victoria Azarenka. At 22, Azarenka can be considered somewhat of a late bloomer, but has built on the sucess of last year (Wimbledon Semi's) and bludgeoned her way to the title, with a consistent hard hitting display, beating the likes of Wozniacki, Clijsters and Sharapova.
Whilst previous first time slam winners (Li, Ivanovic, Kvitova) have struggled to back up their good results straight away, Azarenka's extra experience should stand her in good stead to cope with the rigours of being the new face of womens tennis!

The women she conquered in the final Maria Sharapova faces a much more uncertain future. Admittedly, Sharapova has done well to return to top 5 form after debilitating shoulder problems, but this is her second tough grand final loss in under a year, (and both to first time finalists) losses that will hit her confidence hard, and by now it is fair to question whether Maria will ever get back to her pre-shoulder best.

Kvitova, many peoples favourite going in, looked good early on but seemed to wane as the tournament progressed, as she struggled to manage her at times erratic game on a slow neutral hardcourt. Kvitova never looked like she wanted it in the same way as an Azarenka or Sharapova. The way she threw away the last couple of games in her semi-final although not catastrophic sends a message to the other women, that if the match is kept tight, she might just crumble in the big moment.

In what looks like her last Australian Open, Clijsters was an unlikely semi-finalist and showed great guts and determination in getting that far, despite a combination of rust and injury. While props must go to the Italian Sara Errani, who finally made a slam quarter-final, proving that a grinding counterpunching game can still reap rewards!

The biggest disappointments in the draw may well have been Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. After her 'I don't love Tennis' comments in Brisbane, many expected Serena to prove once again that she doesn't need matches to win, and romp to the second week. The reality this time was a tough straight sets loss to an inspired Makarova in Round 4, but no doubt will be the catalyst Williams needs to come roaring back in time for the lawns of SW19 in the early summer.

As for Wozniacki, her early tournament form, suggested that she might finally have been ready to take that next step, and strike her forehand all the way to a maiden Australian title. A gutsy Clijsters soon put paid to that idea in a straight sets quarter final, which saw Caroline retreat again into a defensive rallying game, one that was always going to benefit the powerful consistency of the Belgium. Whilst many fans and critics have judged her on the lack of a major, the loss of the top ranking could motivate and relieve her enough to push forward and work on a more attacking game that will WIN her back the ranking and a slam, rather than a game that relied on defending her position in more ways than one.

The attention now switches to the spring hard court season, and there are many questions to be asked. How will Sharapova respond to another final defeat? Will Serena play the tour events up until the next major? How far will Azerenka's winning run stretch?

If there's one thing that following women's tennis has taught me, is to never discount the unexpected. Let's see what happens :) !!!



DJT

Thursday 26 January 2012

The Injured Tour- How to solve the growing injury pile!

At the end of a grueling tennis season, Christmas rolls around, and what might the pro's on the ATP and WTA tours wish for from Santa Claus? Maybe they want a top ten ranking, maybe a maiden Grand Slam title, or maybe they even just wish to want for a main draw. Whilst all of these wishes would undoubtedly feature highly on our tennis players minds, the one thing any athlete wants at the start of a new season is to be fit, healthy, and free from injury!

Understandably, by the time the Year End Championships roll around, most players are held together by tape or strapping, after all, the tennis season starts as early as the first week of January, and for a select few, can run all the way through to November. The troubling thing as we start 2012 is that players are pulling up, rolling their ankles and jarring their backs two weeks into the season.
Less than a month into the new season, the injury/injured list looks like it would way further into the season, as bodies break down on the tough hard court surface in Australia.
Top players from both sides of the tour, are already facing question marks over their fitness, from Serena's ankle to Rafa's shoulder, to Caroline's wrist and Roger's back.

The last few Fall seasons put pressure on the tour to consider ways of protecting players from injury and burnout, but this current clump of injuries has only served to highlight what hasn't been done, and the improvements that can still be made. So, for arguments sake I was one of Stacey Allaster or Brad Drewett here's what I would be doing to prolong the players careers and solve our injury crisis:


  1. Create a longer off-season: Most of the top ten men only get 1 week off before they need to be training again for Australia. Follow the example of the women and push the YEC up a couple of weeks and shorten the fall asian swing, and European indoors. This gives a couple of weeks extra off, and could make all the difference in term of better recovery and preperation.
  2. Quicker balls or Quicker courts: The homogenization of tennis, has left us with mostly slow/medium courts and promoted grinding baseline rallies, at the expense of a quick net rushing game. Speed up grass and the North American hardcourts, and bring in faster balls in Australia, where players are battling both a slow court and a dead ball. Would only produce more variety, and create new match up's, what's not to like?
  3. Limit entry to tournaments: I know it sounds quite dictatorial, but many players overplay consciously, to gain a higher ranking. Not all players listen to their bodies, so the tour should set reasonable boundaries. For example limit players to 25 main draw appearances, a rough season average of every other week. Players with 33 tournament schedules are asking for trouble, and the tour can do their bit to protect players from themselves!  

Although some of these methods might slightly weaken the tour financially, the benefits would far outweigh the negatives. A fresher, healthier tour would almost certainly create better more entertaining matches, and the variation in speed of ball and surface would improve what is slowly becoming a very predictable baseline hitting game.
Player pressure would be the really effective catalyst for change, but it seems few of them are interested or concerned enough to firmly voice their thoughts. Maybe the business men behind the tour have accepted injuries and depleted fields as a natural part of the latter stages of a season, but maybe the ever growing wounded list at the start of 2012 will finally highlight that the time for change has come!

Watch some videos of the walking wounded below:










DJT

Friday 20 January 2012

What's in store for the Big 4 in 2012...

Most people in the tennis universe, whether it be the players, coaches, analysts or fans, believe that the current era of Fedal, Djokovic, and Murray is the best one ever seen by tennis, or at least on a par with the golden age of your Lavers and Rosewalls, back in the late 60's and 70's.

Between 2006 and 2010, Federer and Nadal dominated the tour to the extent that out of the 20 grand slams played in that period, only Djokovic and Del Potro broke their stranglehold and pushed through to win their first majors, with Federer winning a massive 10 and Nadal taking 8.
Rewind to 2011 and the emergence of Novak Djokovic, using Serbia's Davis Cup win at the end of 2010 as his platform to push on, he went on to win 3 majors last year, and earn a 6-0 record against Nadal and 4-1 against Federer, becoming the first number once outside of Fedal since 2004.

Currently Djokovic sits atop of the mountain with a comfortable lead of over 4000 points from Nadal at number two. He is undoubtedly now the favourite to retain his Australian Open crown, and his start to the season in Abu-Dhabi showed no signs in a dip in form after the long off season. The big question Djokovic must answer though is , Can he follow up a career best year with another, or will he wilt under the pressure of expectation?
You see for Novak, he's always been the one chasing the top two of Federer and Nadal a role that eventually paid off for him as he mature and his game developed, now he is the one with the target on his back, and it will be interesting to see if he can cope with the pressure of the no.1 ranking and consolidate his place as the world's best player with another multiple slam year.

For Nadal, his biggest question is the Djokovic question. His 3-1 record over Federer in 2011, and 4-1 record over Murray shows he still has the measure of his other big rivals, just not the biggest one Djokovic! He lost all 6 times to him in 2011. Where Nadal can relentelessly punish the backhand of both Fed and Murray, Djokovic possesses the best two hander in the game leaving Nadal vulnerable to stinging returns and powerful crosscourt passes if he goes there.
Mentally, he needs to hope the off season refreshed him and if he is to turn around his recent h2h with Djokovic in 2012, he'll need to forget last years losses and start afresh, hoping that Novak can't match last years level this time around.

The question once again this year for Federer is age. Whilst undoubtedly still capable of slam winning performances (French Open SF vs Djokovic), he just isn't able to produce them time and time again like he was in his peak years between 05-07. The matchup with Nadal still poses serious issues, despite his indoor win at the WTF and the fact that to win a slam he will likely have to go through at least 2 of Djokovic/Nadal/Murray doesn't stack the odds in his favour despite the brilliance of the man.
Despite all this, Federer was the only man to pose a serious threat to Djokovic's 2011 , and he will take the belief of his 17 match win streak at the end of the year into 2012, and i expect him to win at least one major in another consistent season for the Fed Express.

Finally, for Andy Murray, 2011 was a case of so near but yet so far as he lost in the SF's of three majors to his nemesis Nadal, whilst losing the final in Melbourne to Djokovic this time last year. In terms of game, Murray has it all, mean serve, strong groundstrokes, deft touch, but so far in his career his mentality has held him back from winning that first grand slam. Pure and simple for Andy, he needs to break through that barrier and REALLY believe he can beat the top three at the business end of majors. The introduction of Lendl into his camp is a good start, and the former 7 time slam champ should provide some valuable advice on how to take that next step, but Murray has to be the one to do it.

Look for Federer to take his momentum from last fall into Australia and take the years first slam, in a gruelling 4 setter vs Djokovic.

Thanks for reading :)

DJT



Check out the Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/TopicTennis

Thursday 19 January 2012

Do the young guns have what it takes? Or will 2012 be the year of the Veterans?

Having got through my English essay at a faster pace than expected, i've been feeling eager to write my first tennis blog post, so here goes?

Since 2008, when Jelena Jankovic gained the number one ranking much debate has sparked upon whether a player can really be considered the "best" in the game without having won at least one of the four major titles.
Jankovic although going on a strong fall run winning titles in China, Stuttgart and Moscow failed to back this up at the Australian or any other majors that year, and eventually lost the ranking back to Serena Williams.

Since then, both Dinara Safina and Caroline Wozniacki have occupied the number one spot, both without a major title to their name, and spend as much time in their press conferences talking about this lack of a major as they do about tennis!

The precedent in the last couple of years has been that sure the younger generation of Azarenka, Wozniacki, Radwanska etc win big tour events, but when it comes to the business end of the majors, up steps a Serena or a Clijsters to seize the moment, and do what they've done time and again, win the big one, leading many to question whether as long as the dominant older forces stick around, then the youngsters still have some time left to wait before they become the next dominant tennis champs!

Fast forward to Wimbledon last year and finally a new hungry young champion stepped up and showed that maybe the younger generation are finally ready to challenge the old guard of Williams, Clijsters and Sharapova at the biggest events.
Petra Kvitova's first grand slam win at the biggest one of them all, was important not just for being the first slam from the new generation, but for the dominant and composed manner in which it was done, serving out the match to love and finishing with an ace against a dogged Sharapova, who didn't play a bad final, just couldn't live with the consistent pace of Kvitova.

Having shown the world how emphatically she could win her first grand slam, the expectation was for Kvitova to kick on and prove the win wasn't just a fluke in New York a couple of months later, but her first round lost proved again in many eyes that nobody was yet ready to handle the pressure of expectation in the same way a Serena or Venus can.

2012 being an Olympic year, motivation will be extra high for all players, but especially for tour veterans like the Williams sisters and Clijsters (who's already signalled this will probably be her last year on tour) who will be eager to prove they still have the game to win big as they enter the twilight of their careers. Out of the young group, Petra Kvitova's game looks most likely to stand up to the test of a Serena slug fest, her power from both wings matching that of the Americans, but what can players like Azarenka and Wozniacki do to make this their year:

Woznaicki- Work on the forehand technique, and shorten the backswing to help flatten out her shots. The best backhand in the world won't be good enough to hide a forehand that when attacked looks vulnerable.

Azarenka- Work on getting a little more pace on the first serve and forehand but particuarly the serve. Isn't the weapon it could be, and would shorten the rallies for her. 

While neither Kim or Serena are as dominant as in years gone by, both will bring sustained power hitting, and intense self-belief to the court, so it is up to the young guns to really step up to this level and prove that they do belong in the semi's and final's of majors.

Can they do it? Their first chance is not too far away, look for an Azarenka vs Serena final in just under a fortnight, and for the Belarussian to push Williams close but come up short in a good 3 set match. 

DJT

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Welcome to TopicTennis

Hello everyone, and welcome to Topic Tennis the blog!

My name is Daniel Teasdale and i study English Literature at Manchester University, and hope to go on to do a Masters degree in Journalism, with a particular interest in sport...and in particular Tennis!

I started watching Tennis properly about 7 or 8 years ago and have since gone on to develop a passionate interest in both the mens and womens game. My interest in the sport ranges from the obvious joy of watching pro tennis, to the more fan specific elements like coaching, scheduling, and other things based around the financial and political aspects of the game.

My intention in creating this blog is both to hopefully provide an interesting place for other tennis enthusiasts to hear the thoughts of a fellow tennis nut, but also to gain some valuable experience that i may use and draw upon  when trying to kickstart a career as a tennis analyst/reporter in the near future.Therefore any feedback (which is hopefully constructive and not abusive lol) would be much appreciated.

Alongside my blog, i have also recently started a twitter page which you can find here: https://twitter.com/#!/TopicTennis

As this is my first blog post i thought i would reveal some of my favourite things about tennis :)

Favourite Men's player = Roger Federer
Favourite Women's player = Venus Williams
Favourite Doubles team = The Bryan Brothers
Favourite Grand Slam = Wimbledon
Favourite Court surface (to watch on) = Grass
Favourite "legend"= Bjorn Borg
Best ever Mens Singles match = Federer vs Nadal Australian Open 2009
Best ever Women's singles match = V Williams vs Davenport Wimbledon 2005


So there's your first taster of Topic Tennis. I will aim to post a blog every couple of days and the first blog (proper) will be published this Friday, with the title :

WTA tour- Do the young guns have what it takes, or will be 2012 be the year of the veterans.

Thanks for reading.

DJT