NEVER GIVE UP!

I always felt that Wawrinka chokes at the pearly gates.  He works all the five setters only to lose and being denied entry inside the golden gates of the slams. Case in point being his epic  battles with Djokovic at Us Open and Australian Open last, year.  A year and a tattoo -Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better- later, Wawrinka has announced his arrival on the big stage and demanded attention. The back hand that demonstrates elegance of a ballerina and the lethality of a knife made of German Solingen steel.  I thought Wawrinka will fall at the Djokovic hurdle and the first set Stan lost only served to fuel my anxiety- 2-6.  Thereafter he won the next two sets, lost the fourth set and I felt the match as well because experience tells me that anything that stretched beyond three sets against Djokovic is out the opponent’s bag and into Novak’s.  Except of course if he is playing Rafa. And the decider is always at the fag end of the game when it is a question of who blinks first.  But once you blink, then there is no creeping back out of that hole as today’s quarter finals proved. 

Both were evenly poised till the 7^th game of the final set.  Stan lead with seven games to six. Djokovic served to level at seven games each.  Wawrinka served in the 15^th game and held to lead at eight games.  Djokovic was now serving to stay in the match.  He took his time to serve, bounced the ball at least 12 times, that clearly was a sign that something had changed.  I think Novak fired an ace and then lost the first serve but managed to score a 15-30.  Then Wawrinka leveled score at 30-30 and suddenly it looked like Stan can make it after all.  And he did win the next two points to defeat Djokovic in the 5-set epic at the Australian Open. I felt that whatever was going on inside Djokovic’s heat during the dying moments of the match which was when the score was 30-30, ultimately lost him the match.  It is a break from the past where Djokovic has literally climbed out of the coffin, dusted the soil off his clothes and resurrected himself to stay in the match and wrestle it away from his opponent. 

This time however it was a different story.  The man with that perfect hyperbola of a backhand had won.  I might go so far as to equate it with the Beckham Bender.  Now the Swiss meets Berdych in the semifinals.  Berdych is another dangerous player but has languished in rankings albeit of the top ten variety.  Keeping him company is Del Po, Tsonga, Federer, Gasquet and Wawrinka.  Gasquet and Wawrinka have been recent entrants in the top 10 club as is Federer! As he won the the last set and the match, he smiled, truly the happy smile of a person who knows what he has achieved. He kept smiling and said “I am really, really, really, really, really happy” and I guess that says it all.  Stan admitted that when Novak plays well, Djokovic is a better player than himself. I interpret that as -Novak plays that level of tennis 'consistently' whereas Stan's brand of tennis is 'inspired' or the superb tennis happens in bursts. But whatever it was in the past, something has changed in Stan's play and demeanour. 

And now time for a long, long ice bath where he might contemplate the next player- Tomas Berdych.

Women's Quarter Finals- One win and one loss for my predictions!

Melanie Bouchard! The first Canadian woman to make it to the semifinal of a grand slam.  As predicted, Bouchard lost the first set and won the next two to oust Ana Ivanovic.  In the on-court interview she was asked who she would like to date and she said..hold your breath, Justine Bieber.  I hope it was said in humour though, I wouldn’t want any teenage girl to date him forget being in the same newsprint space!  Bouchard showed her mettle in the quarter finals.  She now battles Na Li whom she played three years ago in Montreal and lost of course.  She says she has a bit more experience and she is ready for the match. Watch out Li. 

I also said in my last blog that Na LI will lose to Flavia Penetta but she won and how- 6-2, 6-2.  So now you know, you cannot blog about a match and predict the outcome without getting a handle on how the player is faring currently.  And yet I believe that Bouchard will win against Na Li in two sets.

In the other QFs Cibulkova will play Simona Halep and Azarenka will play Radwanska.  Its Halep V/s Azarenka semifinal. This is unless Azarenka can control that imploding anger and play her power game without getting trapped into playing Radwanska at her own game and pace.  Radwanska is no match against the brute power of Azarenka.  The alternative scenario is, Azarenka will lose her cool, commit unforced errors while Radwanska will lie in the wait quietly.  Azarenka will be turn blind in fury at her own ineptitude and will abandon her style of play and tactics.  Then it will of course be a walkover for Agnieszaka Radwanska.

If everything goes as I say, it will be Bouchard V/s Na Li final!

Men's singles, Round 4

In men’s 4^th round we have Federer battling it with Tsonga for a place in the quarter finals of the Australian Open.  As I thought, Federer won the first two sets with ease and then in the third set while serving in the 8^th game, he showed nerves and I thought Tsonga would break him.  Fortunately if not his forehand, Roger's serve is standing him in good stead and he rode out the game on the strength of his serve.  Federer leads five games to three.  Federer is now serving for the match and a place in the quarter finals.  Second serve is quite menacing and Tsonga hits it in the net.  Second serve from fed again.  This time the ball forces Tsonga into a corner and scurrying to the centre of the court only to find that Federer has hit in the same spot again.  It is 40-0.  And a double fault.  I must say, Federer does show fraught nerves just as he is on the verge of closing a win.  And a beautiful volley wins him the game and match. 

Federer has gained a spot in the Quarter finals and now begins the real task.  He will meet Andy Murray in the QFs.  Murray does not show the delectable, faultless form he was in at Wimbledon in 2013.  The Scot could do no wrong against the equally sparkling Djokovic.  Murray was there within hitting distance of the ball always, wherever you hit it.   I was watching his match with Stephane Robert of France ranked 119^th in the world.  Stephane’s been around since 2001 and has never progressed beyond 2^nd round at the slams.  Murray made heavy work of the 3^rd set which he was expected to win.  Confused shots, unforced errors, leaden footwork and just wayward tennis.  When he started the usual self-flagellation, I thought, oh oh here comes another upset and nothing less than the Nadal-upset brought about by Lucas Rosol. 

Muray is doing all the right things while managing the business end of Enterprise Murray.  He has given the reins in the hands of people who are effective and the best in the business at what they do freeing him thus to ‘focus on what he does best’.  Ideally there should be no dip in form except due to injuries. Alas that is precisely that has plagued him since his winning form of last year.  Right now, even discounting the back surgery, he should be going from strength to strength, winning more tournaments, getting fiercer, getting unbeatable.  Instead what I saw against Robert was not a play befitting world no.4.  I thought Murray was hypnotized by the ball that he kept in play for longer than necessary and not really for any constructed points or anything.  The ball that should have been put away after hitting it twice was finding the racket more often and in pointless rallies.  He did rush to the baseline but there was no thought to it.  Murray, pull up your socks or the man who wears four of them (incidentally Federer wears two pairs of socks to give him extra cushioning and softness should a match run into 5 sets.) will whip your muscular arse. 

Williams and Sharapova exit Aus Open in Round 4 and 3

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams’ defeat in Round 3 and 4 respectively has had a cascading effect on the fortunes of the winners of all Round 4 winners.  Na Li, Ekaterina Makarova, Eugenie Bouchard, Flavia Penetta all got through Round 4 and of course Ivanovic  and Cibulkova who were responsible for Williams and Sharapova ouster.  It’s never fun to watch Serena losing because it is never a keenly contested or a close match.  Williams always self-destructs and the opponent to her credit of course has to maintain her composure throughout the match because you never know because as wounded as the cheetah maybe, it still has the cunning to lie in wait for the deer and then it’s all over.  The cheetah just tears into the heart of the prey. But that will never happen now. 

Eugenie Bouchard has the power and guile.  I saw her match against Casey Dellacqua of Australia.  The crowd was naturally rooting for the Dellacqua.  Bouchard in spite of losing the first set, didn’t let go of her shots and committed fewer unforced error to take the next two sets and the match.  She will now play Ivanovic.  I think Ivanovic will lose in three.  Na Li will play Flavia Penetta, Cibulkova will play Simona Halep of Romania while Azarenka awaits the result of the match between the willy Radwanska and Muguruza of Spain.  Azarenka played Sloane Stephens in the 4^th round.  Of course there never was any doubt as to who would win with Azarenka taking the match 6-3, 6-2.  Stephens has a long way to go yet.  My prediction for the winners of quarter finals is Bouchard will win against Ivanovic, Penetta will defeat Na li, Halep will win against Cibulkova, Azarenka will defeat Radwanska.

In the semifinals Bouchard will defeat Penetta, Azarenka will beat Halep.  So in all likelihood it will be Bouchard V/s Azarenka finals.  

What is Federer these days doing besides playing tennis?

What’s it with Andy Murray?  He has unwittingly become a trendsetter of sorts on the circuit. First he brought in Ivan Lendl to coach him and it worked.  So Djokovic and Federer brought in Becker and Stefan Edberg respectively and we still don’t know it will work but older tennis stars are coming out of their woodwork thanks to Murray’s experiment.  Then he set up 77- a sports management company to look after his brother’s and hi interests on and off the court.  This initiative is in good hands, what with Simon Fuller being in charge with business strategy.  So now we have Federer who has started Team 8, also a sports management company.  In tandem with Roger’s image it is not a crude sports management company but a boutique agency that have onboard Tony Godsick- Federer’s longtime agent and another billionaire backer.  Juan Martin Del Potro and Grigor Dimitrov aka baby Fed and Sharapova’s off court interest are the first to be managed by it.

Tony Godsick who earlier worked with International Management Group that managed Federer’s interest before they parted ways said that,” We’re trying to be a boutique agency that will manage just a small stable of iconic athletes.  We’re really going to try to be selective here. Some of the other groups, they look to sign as many players as they can and hope a few of them stick and make it, and they really go after the juniors. We’re not going to.”” The agency has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.  Godsick also said that Team 8 had been created in part to give Federer a platform when he retires.  The smooth talking, suave Federer who looks just as much at home in the commercial world of wheeling-dealing and negotiation as with a tennis racket in his hand will be successful in his new role feels Godsick. “I can really sell Federer but nobody sells Roger better than Roger.

The other investors in this venture are Ian McKinnon and the billionaire financier Dirk Ziff, the eldest of the three brothers who started Ziff Brothers Investments in 1992 after their father, William, sold his publishing interests.

And Godsick 42, has the credentials.  He began working with the former No. 1 player Monica Seles when he was at IMG on a summer internship. He later represented Lindsay Davenport, Anna Kournikova and Tommy Haas.  Godsick is married to Mary Joe Fernandez, a former  French Open and Australian Open finalist with whom he has two young children. Godsick began working with Federer in 2005 when Federer returned to IMG after managing many of his own business interests for a brief stretch. 

Men's singles- Round 3 Jeremy Chardy Vs David Ferrer

Temperatures are soaring and players are falling like nine pins to the extreme heat conditions at Melbourne Park.  Federer says deal with it.  Sharapova says its is not known really what the limits of the players are.  I think it is like doing hot Yoga for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of five hours.  Inhuman really and the fact that the players are paid princely purses doesn't does not make it better while you are playing. PLay on outside courts was suspended due to soaring temperatures and matches are being playes in Hisense arena and Rod Laver arena.
COming back to Chardy V/s Ferrer, the Spaniard has won the first set 6-2.   

We have the season's first maverick

Nick Kyrgios is sparkling against the seasoned Benoit Paire of France.  While the spotlight was on Tomic who disappointingly retired with a groin injury against Nadal in first round, Kyrgios is arriving in style.  He has won the first set in a tie break, is playing calmly without squandering his cool.  The maverick sports a Mohawk cut with cornrows on either sides.  Kyrgios has power, a solid serve and fire up aces as only someone who is taller than 6ft 4 can.  He has the game. Now does he have the staying power to beat players higher up in rank?  Djokovic had to battle stamina problems in his early days when he ran into 5 setters and allegations of feigning injuries might still rankle Djokovic.  All players in top have The Game.  In fact players down the ranking along 5 to 10 have certain shots that surpass those of the top players. Some have a killer backhand, some have nuclear serves, some are better movers and some have far better volleying skills.  What differentiates the top players is that they never give up till the last ball.  They never lose till they have lost the match.  They never give up and are willing to stretch the last mile again and again reaching for balls that are whizzing past and returning them as winners.  Just when you think are tired, they reach inside their hat and pull out those extra reserves that tide them through that final lap.  The body language is always smart, shoulders never droop and slouch.  They are playing to win always.  And of course they are stronger and have more stamina to stay up for the long matches- all the time.  A lesser player will give his all in a five setter in the third round and lose in the fourth in a match of similar length. 

Back to the second set between Paire and Kyrgios.  Kyrgios has won the first set and they are five set all in the second.  Are we going in for a second tie break?

That was a cracking return from Kyrgios where all the opponent can do is watch it go by helplessly. Paire leads six games to five, Kyrgios is serving at 40-30 and there it is.  Second tie break to conclude the second set.  Who will win this one? The score read 3-3, Kyrgios serving and boom…an ace! It is 4-3.  Paire serves, Kyrgios resturn Paire pulls pulls out a brilliant drop shot.  It is 5-4.  Kyrgios serves and kboom an ace again, five all. And an ace again to pit Kygios in the lead at 6-5.  Set point for him again.  And it is two sets to love for Nick Kyrgios, 18yrs from Canberra, Australia.

To give you a brief on Kygios, he won the boys’ singles event at Aus Open 2013 and double event at Wimbledon in the same year.  He is of Greek and Malaysian descent.  To watch him play is to watch a player who brings immense to the game his immense self confidence without the burden of success and expectations.  It is refreshing to watch.  Alas the match was not to have a fairy tale ending for the 18yr old. Benoit Paire rallied to come back from two sets down and win the next three sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to deny Kyrgios a place in the 3^rd round.  But Australia and world tennis has found possibly the next young thing to watch and comment on.  Here’s hoping that Kyrgios makes the progression steadily and not drops off the curve like Tomic.