Season ending Tennis and Controversy

The season ending championships in Madrid on the WTA tour has already been a microcosm of what the 2007 season produced. On the men's side, David Nalbandian defeated Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal two times each and Novak Djokovic once in two tournaments, winning both. Off the court, more players have come forward revealing they had been offered money to throw matches and Nikolay Davydenko, the man who set off this controversy, was fined for not giving a good enough effort in a match earlier this fall.

First off, I want to say that watching the women's matches has been particularly entertaining because save Justine Henin, nobody in the top 10 has separated themselves from the pack. Still, the trends from the year have been noticeable in the round robin matches. Jelena Jankovic has played a lot of matches this year and no longer seems to have the legs to be playing at a consistently high level to justify her third seed. She lost all three round robin matches, retiring in her last. The big story was Serena Williams retiring from her match against Anna Chakvetadze after losing the first set 6-4. Chakvetadze continues her surge into the upper ranks and Williams continues to demonstrate a lack of preparation and conditioning. Williams struggled prior to her injury and if she really intends to focus on tennis, she'll have to start from the basics. She plays her best when she's able to cover the court and dominate opponents with her power. Her off-season should be centered around building strength and conditioning to get her back to that level of play.

Maria Sharapova took a lot of time off presumably to let her shoulder heal and it has paid dividends right away as she has worked her way into the semifinals of the tournament. Her game depends heavily on her ability to serve well. What I like about the season-ending championships is that all of the players are good enough that you can really pinpoint the weaknesses of each player. With only the top players qualifying, the early matches are just as tough as the later matches. Unless of course if you are Justine Henin. The most emphatic statement of the tournament so far has to be Henin's 6-0, 6-0 clinic she put on against Marion Bartoli. Not only did Henin punish Bartoli for her previous defeat against the French woman at Wimbledon, she did so in downright embarrassing fashion. Although Bartoli had less than 24 hours to prepare for her match after replacing Serena in the tournament, there was no mercy from Henin. She made it clear that the championship goes through her.

David Nalbandian's recent surge is difficult to gauge in my opinion. Clearly, the season is winding down and Nadal is physically worn. Nalbandian's victories over Nadal are not terribly surprising nor worrisome. The victory over Djokovic is impressive but Djokovic still has to sharpen his complete game before he solidifies his spot in the top 3. Nalbandian was there a few years ago and is looking to regain that form. The victories over Federer are much more impressive for obvious reasons. The first match against Roger, Nalbandian dropped the first set 1-6 and took the next two. The second match was a straight set victory. At this point in the season, Federer does not look as sharp or as motivated to play at his normally pristine level. It's good to see Federer being challenged and defeated by some of the other tour players but it took him two losses against Guillermo Canas before Roger figured out how to beat him. Hopefully Nalbandian has built good momentum toward the 2008 season but don't expect him to dethrone Roger.

The recent controversy in tennis surrounds a match for which all bets were nullified involving Nikolay Davydenko. Since then, Davydenko has been criticized twice during matches for not giving a proper effort and was fined once. Other players have come forward saying they have been offered money to throw matches. Interestingly, so far only those on the men's tour have come forward with these cases. Many players are encouraging clear and open talk about the issue but so far no names have been named. This whole issue is similar in my mind seems to be less scandalous than it appears. If players are coming out and saying they were offered money but rejected it, then the tennis on the court is not compromised. If in any instance a player accepts the payment and throws a match, we have a problem. Davydenko strongly denies all claims that he is involved in match fixing so until there is proof otherwise, there is nothing to worry about. The rules must be clear (to avoid a Patriot-like "misinterpretation of the rules" and the punishment must be harsh for violators. Clearly, the tour will be more attentive to the possibility of match fixing now, but there is no drastic measure necessary.

Looking ahead to 2008 there are a few stories to keep an eye on. Lindsay Davenport looked exceptionally sharp during her few months on the tour after giving birth. She is going to be a major factor in the Australian Open. Serena Williams' latest injury will likely keep her from repeating at the Aussie Open but like I said, if Serena commits to getting in shape, she will always be a threat to win the majors. Martina Hingis retired from the tour for a second time, this time under cocaine usage allegations. I tend to agree with Hingis that someone on cocaine probably wouldn't be able to compete at the level she does. Spoiled brat as she was, she brought a lot of skill and talent to the tour so her presence will be missed. Hingis was never able to rediscover her early success but found a way to be competitive in a game that has significantly changed since she first broke out onto the tour. Hingis is another name on the list of stars such as Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles that were forced out of competition before they could be given a proper farewell. There are a few other questions I have: What ever happened to Anastatia Myskina? Where is Amelie Mauresmo? Have people realized that James Blake and Andy Roddick have both peaked? Is 2008 the year that Sam Querrey, John Isner, and co make a large splash for American tennis?

When it Rains, it Pours

It looks like no sport is immune from scandal this summer. Officials are investigating a possible betting scandal involving the match between 4th ranked Nikolay Davydenko and 87th ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello in an ATP tournament in Poland. Massive bets were placed for Arguello to win a match in which he entered the huge underdog. No accusations against Davydenko have been made but a British betting company nullified all bets pertaining to that match because of "suspicious betting patterns."

The ATP tour has avoided the substance abuse scandals endured by MLB and the Tour de France by dealing out harsh punishments to the likes of Guillermo Canas who was banned from the tour for a year for violating the policy. However it now looks like Tim Donaghy has some friends on the tennis circuit. Expect officials to be extra-sensitive in this case in light of the NBA's troubles this summer. I personally wouldn't be surprised if Davydenko was involved. He has had a thus-far disappointing season and has had to fight his fair share of injuries. Davydenko has not even made it to the finals of a tournament in 2007, let alone winning a championship. His play since Wimbledon has been downright awful. So perhaps he thought he could make some money on the side by overplaying an injury and throwing the match. Regardless, this does not affect tennis in the same way betting affects other sports. One corrupt player can be kicked out, a bad linesman can be overruled, and an incorrect chair umpire can now be questioned by players. Tennis has a better system of checks and a less subjective system of umpiring that protects the sport well from corruption.

On the women's side of the tour, Maria Sharapova quickly disposed of Sania Mirza, who until this match, had been playing her best tennis of the year. Mirza looked sluggish, hopeless, and lost on the court. She also could not get a serve to fall in. Admired by fans in India, Mirza has done a lot for women's tennis and for sports in India, but she will never amount to anything more on the court. She does not have the skills on her backhand or serve to be successful against a top player such as Sharapova. While Indians and people around the world alike can appreciate what she represents, she does not seem focused enough on tennis to be ranked in the top five.

Maria Sharapova, however, should be doing much more with her 2007. Three disappointing slams and like Davydenko, no tournament victories, should have her plenty motivated for the US Open. But she will have to start elevating her game if she has any chance of salvaging a season that can be considered a step backwards for a player that ought to have one major this year. Even against Mirza, winning 6-2, 6-1, Sharapova looked timid at times. Her serve has been, to say the least, unreliable over the summer and though she does not lack the focus, she seems to lack the mental toughness this season. Now, she's playing with expectations unlike the young woman who had nothing to lose when she won Wimbledon. I liked Sharapova then, but she might be drifting toward the land of Marat Safin, a fellow Russian whose full potential could never be realized because of faulty wiring between the ears.

Almost Perfect

I can't decide whether or not I was surprised by Federer winning his fifth Wimbledon. The question a lot of people are asking is: Could Federer have beat Nadal had he not injured his knee? The answer is that the injury did not matter. Nadal still had four break points in the fifth set and failed to convert.

What I like about the Caveman's stance on this final is that he recognized his own weakness: his serve. He has beaten Federer on clay and almost on grass but I think he still knows that his game needs improvement. If Nadal can learn to flatten out his serve from time to time, he could have a lot more success on grass. And remember, the kid is still only 21 years old. As long as he stays healthy, he will eventually get his first Slam besides the French.

About the match itself, you just had to watch. If you missed it, too bad for your life. Entertainment from start to finish. By the way, would you take Pete Sampras at his prime or Roger Federer at his prime at Wimbledon? I'd still take Pete no question.

Nadal = Caveman??

I'm back from a month in India and I managed to catch some of Wimbledon out there. It has been played out quite expectedly despite all the rain. I was watching Nadal's interview this morning and made a startling discovery. Geico is missing a caveman!! I found him, he's in London, playing at Wimbledon. Look:










I have to credit my brother for the idea of showing these guys side by side. Looks like Nadal is having a meltdown of his own at Wimbledon. Luckily for him he has been able to put together back to back five set wins.

In other news, Pete Sampras thinks he would still be able to get to the net against players today at Wimbledon. He's right. With his serve on point, he could do it. Roddick seems to think he's invincible with his serve as well. Given that if Roddick is going to win, he's going to do it either at Wimbledon or the US Open, but what makes Andy so cocky? Making it this far is good for Andy and he's building confidence but blah blah blah blah, Federer wins again. That is, unless blast from the past Juan Carlos Ferrero has an out of body experience. We might still see a Monday or Tuesday final to put off the boredom of July and August in the sports world.

French Open Week 2

There's no guarantee we see a Nadal vs. Federer final. But really, is anyone up to the challenge? I was happy to see Novak Djokovic playing to win and reaching the semifinals to set up his match against Nadal. Djokovic might be the type of player that men's tennis needs to challenge the two power houses. Everyone else, including former top players like Carlos Moya, look like amateurs against Nadal and Federer. Still, I doubt Djokovic will be able to seriously challenge Nadal in this year's tournament.

On the women's side, the most exciting event of week two was Justine Henin's victory over Serena Williams in the quarters. While Serena could intimidate and outplay most top players even when she's not at the top of her game, she could not do the same to Henin. That match, in my mind, solidifies Henin as the top player in women's tennis today. She has won at least one grand slam in every year since 2003 when she won two. She has reached four other slam finals and looks to add yet another French Open title to her collection. With the retirement of Kim Clijsters, the injuries plaguing the Williams sisters, and the inconsistency of Sharapova, Henin quietly put together an impressive four years of tennis. She should be the heavy favorite going into the finals against first time finalist Ana Ivanovic.

I was surpised that Guillermo Canas put on such a lackluster performance against Nikolay Davydenko. Perhaps he was looking past Davydenko, anticipating another match up with Federer. Canas is one player who managed to discover some flaws with Federer's game, beating him twice this year. Canas and Djokovic have potential to be threats to win in the future, but this year's French Open will be a rematch of the budding rivalry between Nadal and Federer. The match should prove to be a thrilling one.

Roddick makes another early exit

This is my first blog so I'm going to start off with my first sport: tennis.

American favorites struggled and bowed out in the first round of the French Open, again.

It's official, Andy Roddick is not the one to carry on the torch of American tennis left behind by Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Roddick played an uninspired match and often looked confused on the court. His serve fell apart and his forehand was overshadowed by winner after winner from opponent Igor Andreev.

I've never been so sure that Andy Roddick is just a one-hit wonder than after watching this match. Andy looked like Safin on a really bad day, throwing his racket and talking to himself. What's worse is that Andy admits that his mental game is the reason he has not seen more success. While that might be true in the early rounds against supposedly weaker opponents, I don't think Roddick has the tools or skills to win in the later rounds. He has no consistent strategy or play to back up his big serve. And if the serve falls apart, he has no chance.

I think Andy has finally started to realize that his future is not to be mentioned in the same breath as the other American tennis legends. This is Andy's second lack luster year in a row and he has yet to win a tournament in 2007. I know all of the die-hard Andy Roddick fans claim that he still can be the champion that he was expected to be. But at this point, expectations are not enough. Getting to the finals of a slam is not enough, just ask Anna Kournikova. It will take a miracle for Andy to pull an Agassi-like renaissance of a career who's ending was almost prematurely written. But it would be stupid to try to compare the early parts of Roddick's Career with Agassi's. To put it simply, Andy Roddick is not good enough.

Unfortunately for Andy, he doesn't have the looks or appeal to be an icon like Kournikova. And he doesn't have the skill to be a tennis pro with the likes of Igor Andreev. Let the Nadal-Federer rematch happen and as I look for a job for myself, I will look for one for Andy Roddick as well.