Sloane Stephens V/s Serena Williams, Day 10

The world’s a stage (aka for the purposes of this blog also known as the Rod Laver arena) and the everyone’s watching the 18 year old Stephens play her role mode Williams.  The smart and witty Stephens had earlier said that she will try to not be star-struck while playing the giant but it will be a distraction nevertheless.

While some fireworks were expected, the match has gotten off to a slow start with both the players holding their serve for the first three games.  All were love games.  In the fourth game, Stephens was the first to make things happens, going for her shots instead of just returning them and as expected, Williams broke her and won the first set 6-3.

There have been no rallies so far.  Williams seems a little lethargic and it seems is forcing Stephens to play to her pace, which is the mark of a good player but makes for poor viewing.  Its almost like Williams is strolling in Melbourne park (I am sure there is one).  The first set lasted 28 minutes and the it is the 28^th minute now with both players level at 3 games each.  You can see the difference in the quality and maturity of the players in their eyes.  Stephens’ look like a fawn, alert, taking in everything, but not yet hardened with endless travel on the tennis circuit and the emotional yo-yo of wins and losses and of course the extraneous static that will manifest should she play to her potential (that phrase belongs to Paul Annacone, Federer’s co-coach). But all credit to Sloane Stephens for making things happen as I mentioned earlier, she is trying to set up points, rushing to the net and it shows in the 4^th game where is up 0-30 and Williams is serving.  And Sloane Stephens breaks Serena in the 4^th game to be up 5-3.  Oh no, Williams is limping,  Is that a cause for concern? She didn’t even move a muscle to return the Stephens’ shot in the earlier game. Her last serve was tame as well. Let’s see.

For now, Stephens is serving, its 30-30.  Serena hits a high backhand and Stephens has all the time in the world to return which she did, leisurely. Oh oh, Stephens is a bundle of nerves, what should have been a set point is not deuce and she double faults to give Serena the advantage. Come on Stephens, buckle up!  From set point, Stephens commits an unforced error  and gives away the game to Williams. Its now 4-5, with Serena serving.  Serena calls for a 3 minute medical timeout.  Whats that? Serena is leaving the court with her physio and Stephens will have to wait.

Just a little over 6 minutes and Serena is back to serve. A gingerly serve but follows it up with a powerful backhand and wins the point.  Sloane Stephens should make the most of the weakned Williams serve (133 kms/ hr).  I think the nerves are doing the talking here.  4 unforced errors out of which the last two were plump forehands hit wide. Williams holds and its 5 games all.

Stephens  serves and hits one more backhand wide of the sidelines. Its 15-15. Stephens rushes to the net and Williams hits a crosscourt forehand that lands out…and Stephens hold her SSSERVE! Yay Stephens way to go!

Serena serving and the score level at deuce, Serena returns a wide backhand and makes an error. Advantage Stephens…………..and Serena commits yet another unforced error, in the net this time and Stephens breaks Serena and wins the second set.

I am taking a break now but will keep you updated!

Berdych V/s Djokovic, day 9

Berdych that tall iceberg is playing Djokovic in his new-style Prussian blue shorts that are shorter than the length popularised by the Americans, his were classic European shorts that stop mid-thigh.
Djokovic has won the first set 6-1 and is down 2-1 in the second, the result of three consecutive unforced errors. Needless to say, Berdych will hold his serve and not squander the hard-earned reward that has come so late in the match.
Djokovic amazes me with his constant innovative shots, his sliding across the court with legs stretched and the ankle slightly bent. It allows him to get to ball without moving those extra steps but oh the risk to his ankle and the strain on his inner thigh and groin! He says this slide come naturally to him and he is not conscious of the strain or injury it could cause him. Novak attributes it to his skiing skills that he picked early at the ski resort that his parents run in Serbia.  He comes from a family of competitive skiers.
So far so good.  Dkokovic's ability to open up the court from his trademark down-the-line forehand has earned him quite a few points. His recovery time between two shots is amazing so when the opponent feels that he has Djokovic cornered, Djokovic is already at the spot where the ball hits next and flummoxes his opponent with a cross-court backhand or a lob. But, but , but...nothing;s going right for Djokovic at the moment.  He is serving at 15-30 and is being led from one end of the court to the other like marionette by Berdych. But we know that Djokovic is 'infamous' for getting out of the deep hole, crawling right back into the match and then 'roaring' to a win!
Keep watching while I keep you updated.

oh my god, Ferrer wins the 5 setter in 4 hrs and 13 mins

I love the way the Spaniards speak English.  In comparison Jim Courrier sounds so pedestrian! more power to non- English speakers then speaking the language!

Are you tired, asks Courier, the idiot. And Ferrer says, "I am perfect".

So a great match, great effort. And i am a relieved person. I must have lost about a kilo or two to the the 10 kilos lost by Nico and Ferrer. 

Now my question is how does Ferrer recover or for that matter any player who has just been through the 5 set grill?  And what is the secret to their renewed energies- mental and muscular? Lance Armstrong anyone?

Tie break, set 4, Almagro V's Ferrer

I don't have the heart to watch this one.  Both the players are pounding the clay in a determined dance...
And Ferrer wins the tie break- 7-4
Who will blink first? Ferrer or Almagro?
Ferrer is known as the 'Little beast', is know to get back every ball, running away on his nimble feet. Wait..there is medical time-out.  I think Almagro has cramps in his things and a medic is attengding him while he rests his face under the towel. Ok time's over and the little matador is on his feet. 5th set, 1st game.  Ferrer scores his first point as Almagro nets a volley. But Almagro holds his serve and bags the game.  Aha, 5 th game of the final set and ALmagro is serving at 15-30.  The two unforced errors costing him to give away two points. Unruffled, Almagro serves in the tight corner and has Ferrer scurrying to hit a backhand.  He opens up the court for the return forehand which is absolutely unplayable.  ALmagro scores.  But makes an unforced error to give level the score at 40-40.  Oops one more back hand finds the net and Ferrer stands at Adv. Oh dear, a loose forehand finds the net again and Ferrer walks away with the first break of the 5th set. 

Still on Day 9

Almagro looks like a matador in tennis shots with his hand moving in an arc and ending over his head. His back arched slightly and neck strained form the effort of backhand shot. The last set sees both the players tied at 4-4 having broken each other once. None are showing the slightest indications of wilting or giving up. Almagro and Ferrer are being driven to the end of their limits (I don't see them though) and .....Almagro breaks Ferrer for the second time to be 5-4 up in the 4th set and he is to serve which he hopefully will hold. This baseline game is really demanding, exhausting.  No delicate volleys or drop shots.  The ball whizzing like a bullet and the feet wearing down the baseline area with some manic running.  Did you know that Djokovic and Nadal ran nearly half a marathon which is 21kms in their 5 hr 53 minutes slug fest at the Australian Open?
Here to there is respite for the players, the rallies are there for sure but they are not the steady, middle of the line sort but crazy left hand corner to an impossible right-hand corner.  My estimate is at least 12 meters for a rally of 8 shots.
That is ......at least a dozen buckets of sweat in the 40 degrees centigrade!

Day 9, Almagro V/s Ferrer

If it is possible for the heart rate to up to abnormal levels by simply watching the game then well, I am dangerously close to a cardiac arrest as I can get.
Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer are hitting forehands and backhands like they are in a Nike advert. Hitting as close as possible to the sidelines and freely without a hint of hesitation or inhibitions. Both pummeling, punching, whiplashing and their arms flailing in back and fore motions like rhythmic gymnasts...just that the prop is no 10 gm ribbon but a 300 gm graphite racket.
Ferrer is down 4-6, 4-6, but has taken the last set intrepidly 7-5. His short, heavy set body is not lethargic and is not averse to run all over the court, giving as good as he gets.  Alamgro is no wuss either. His single fisted backhand has such tremendous power and just watching him has given me a frozen shoulder. I have seen him play at Chennai Open last year, he was drenched in sweat and trying to negotiate the intense himidity and the monster serve of Milos Raonic. He lost 4-6, 4-6 to the Canadian.  Now however I am reading a body language that has not an iota of self doubt.  That can be gauged from the total number of points won so far by each player- 92. His gaze steady and steely.  His shoulders at the ready.  You can't see those drooping and there is no self-flagellation either at points lost. This goes for both the players and is a mark of intense readiness- to win, whatever it takes.
At the end whoever wins deserves it.

4th round at the Australian Open and some questions

The Pre-quarter final rounds threw up some interesting observations.No 10. Caroline Wozniacki (and former No. 1) was playing Svetlana Kuznetsova who is ranked No. 75.  I have always loved Kuznetsova's game but I degrees.
I had the following questions:
1. Where are all the Russian ladies?
2. Can a person play the backhand as well or even better than the forehand?
3. Why was Caro ever World No. 1?
4. Why do we frequently see Yo- Yo sets in women's tennis?
The answer are- I don't know, I have never seen it before, I don't know and I really don't know.
Where are the Russian ladies?  Russia and countries that were a part of the defunct Soviet Republic like Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Latvia, Uzbekistan, produce tennis players like Pakistan churns out fast fearsome fast bowlers.  Of course what's common for these two are like both burn like comets, brilliant in their transience, produce smashing tennis and fade away.  Actually the tennis players don't fade away as much as hover on the edge of brilliance and in top 50. Take the case of Dinara Safina, former world No. 1, temperamental, brilliant player of mediocre player (depending on her mood swings) never won a grand slam and has now retired from the professional tennis.  Anna Kournikova, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvertadze, Daniela Hantuchova, Bondarenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova...which brings us to the present and her 4th round match against Wozniacki and to the second question.
Svetlana's backhand finds the sweet corner spots and the way she hits it like a forehand in the sense that the same smoothness of action, the beautiful footwork and the natural sequence of actions that culminates in the double handed shot are a treat to savour. Opponents better watch out for that one.  She has won two grand slams and has been relegated to no. 80 and now No. 75 in world rankings due to knee injuries.  Hope she continues her run at the Open.  Kuznetsova next meet No. 1 seeded Azarenka.  It will be an interesting match for sure.
Meanwhile Djokovic survived a massive scare at the hands of the Stanislas Wawrinka (the man with the superb single fisted backhand) in a gruelling five hour- five setter. I think it was Wawrika's unforced errors that finally 'gifted' the match to Serbian. It was shattering to watch that ripper of a backhand finding the net. Djokovic exulted by taking his t-shirt off and baring his slender upper body. Another interesting observation- Novak always gives the opponent his dues.  After his match with Stepanek, he gave him a hug instead of hand-shake.  Today, he not only warmly hugged Wawrinka but also patted his cheek and hugged again. I think it makes the opponent feel better.  I admire that in the Nole.
Now on to the QuarterFinals!