Tennis Chatter

The streak reaches 72 matches. Rafael Nadal wins the Godo Open. And somewhere Roger Federer wrings his hands in fear.

On Sunday Nadal showed the world once again why he is the best player alive on clay. And perhaps why he will one day be number one period. Nadal hasn’t lost a set on clay since LAST year’s French Open against Federer. Nadal beat Canas in Barcelona 6-3, 6-4.

To get to the final Canas faced Agustin Calleri. It wasn’t exactly an easy semifinal. Canas cramped up, took treatment for his blisters, and had to break back against his opponent three times before sealing the victory.

Understandably, Nadal’s semifinal against David Ferrer went a bit smoother. Nadal took down Ferrer in the first set 7 games to 5, and the second set 6 games to 1. He was just paving the way toward the final.

Canas wanted to win in Barcelona badly. He gave Nadal his best during the first set extending the first 4 games of the match to 23 minutes. But Nadal knows clay like his backhand and moves around the court accordingly. After the lengthy opening of the match, Nadal got into the groove and soon dominated Canas. Though he lost the match Canas was proud of his play.

“I think my level was good today, the only difference was a few points,” Canas said. “I didn’t have the luck to beat Rafa today. But I am very happy with the way I played this week, to reach another final. I know I need to improve a few things, but I am not that far away.”

Well another tournament has come and gone and Rafael Nadal is standing above them all. He has proven he runs thing on clay and believe me he smells the approaching red courts of Roland Garros.

The quarterfinals have arrived in Barcelona and the lines have been drawn in the clay. Does any else think of it as 7 versus 1? The one being Nadal who extended his clay win streak to 69 Thursday in a quick win over Thomas Johansson 6-1, 6-4. So the others are chasing the Master. Who are these 7 gun for hires?

First up is Potito Starace.

The 76th ranked Italian has fought his way to this match with Nadal. He climbed over first round opponent Sam Querrey 6-4 6-4, second round foe Simone Bolelli in two sets 6-4 6-3, and most recently defeated third round Juan Ignacio Chela with a thrilling second set 6-4, 7-6(12-10). Even Nadal acknowledges Potito’s rise in Barcelona.

“I’ve got a difficult match in the quarterfinals to get into the semifinals, but if I get to the semifinals, I will already feel relaxed because whatever happens I haven’t had a bad tournament,” Nadal said.

Though Potito has shone the fighting spirit in Barcelona I fear he will fall in two sets to The King.

Also vying for a chance at Nadal are Guillermo Canas, Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian, David Ferrer, Oscar Hernandez, and Agustin Calleri. I’m sure they would each say they are focused on their respective quarterfinal match, but trust me they smell a shark in the waters. And that shark has won 69 straight matches and he’s hungry for number 70, 71, and 72.

No wonder he likes to bite his trophies.

Good for Felix Mantilla. The wild card made it to the second round and faced old opponent Carlos Moya fair and square. He won the first set and looked good in the third. That was until Moya broke Mantilla’s serve in the seventh game of that set and went on to win the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Next up for Moya is David Nalbandian.

Rafael Nadal’s victories on clay keeps on rising. It’s now at 68. He swiftly ended Kristof Vliegen’s Godo Open campaign. Unfortunately for Vliegen this was his second encounter with the red hot Nadal in the past week. Nadal won in straight sets 6-1, 6-2. Chances are pretty high that we will see that number reach 69 by week’s end.

Even though Nadal continues his march, the real story today was the confidence of Mantilla to enter this tournament as a wild card and fight to the second round. Felix made an impressive return to his hometown. If for nothing else his comeback after 18 months of fighting skin cancer makes him a true champion. Felix, keep swinging that patented backhand. We’re glad you’re back.

As things heat up on the clay courts at the Open Seat Godo tournament, it might be wise to look at the potential for exciting matches. The first round is well under way and there are many budding stories.

Besides the impending match between Carlos Moya and Felix Mantillo there are other Spanish men who want to raise the trophy on their native soil. For instance, this fella you might have heard of him, Rafael Nadal. If you’re not familiar with the name, then you might recall his 67 consecutive victories on clay, or his recent win over Number One Roger Federer, or maybe that he in fact is number two in the world. Ring a bell? That’s what I thought. Well Nadal is hungry for number 68 and will be gunning for Belgian Kristof Vliegen.

Who is Benjamin Becker? When I saw his name and that he was German I did a double take. Could he be Boris Becker’s son? No, but he does on occasion where the Tennis Legend’s clothing line. If you don’t know Benni Becker now, soon you might not have much of choice. He was named the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2006. Some have said he’ll be in the Top Twenty in the coming years. He’s in the second round in Barcelona as well. Basically, this Deutschlander could be a household name before you know it. Look out world, here comes Becker Part 2.

Don’t forget former Godo Open champion Tommy Robredo who got into the third round Tuesday after beating Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-2. Robredo’s 6th in the world, so don’t expect him to lose easily.

Those are just a few of the players wanting to make some noise in Barcelona. There’s David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, and Juan Carlos Ferrero. I think there’s something like a 95 percent chance of a native hombre de Espana winning this tournament. That’s not bad odds.

Felix Mantilla has returned to tennis. Who? You know, Felix Mantilla Botella. He’s earned over 5 million dollars during his career. He is one of those sure footed Spaniards who knows how to win on clay. Still no? OK, Felix Mantilla Botella has returned to his hometown of Barcelona to compete in the Godo Open. Whats so fascinating about all of this? He’s beat cancer. That’s right, he’s beat cancer and he’s back out on the clay doing what he loves.

Best of all, Felix beat Farrukh Dustov 6-4, 1-6, 6-0 yesterday. Next he will face fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya. These two met 10 years ago in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open where Moya defeated Felix. Could this coming match be sweet revenge for Mantilla? More importantly does it even matter? Mantilla’s a hero. If he doesn’t win another match on the court, since he’s already won the greatest off the court.

I suppose I can’t say I told you so in a blog, but if I could I would. Rafael Nadal showed the world why he’s in the undisputed champion on clay Sunday. He defeated Number One Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in Monaco.

While the Spaniard’s game has been top notch throughout the tournament, Federer has struggled a bit. His backhand was off against Andreas Seppi and his technical malfunctions continued Sunday. In his battle against Nadal, it was Federer’s forehand that wouldn’t cooperate. And the Swiss Bomber knew it.

“It rarely happens to me. It’s the best shot of my game,” Federer confessed afterward.

Regardless of Federer’s problems, this was a title Nadal was destined to win. He has won here at Monte Carlo the last two years and has been playing some of the finest tennis of his career during this year’s tournament. Not to mention that with this win, his streak of clay victories stands at 67 and his fifth consecutive win on clay over The Rog.

So Number One and Number Two are back at it again.

While Nadal has Federer’s number on Clay, Federer owns Nadal on grass. Over the course of the summer it will be interesting how this rivalry plays out. Though Nadal has won this battle, Federer may still win the war.

Never thought I’d see it.

Switzerland

versus

Spain

Well, perhaps I’ve spoken too soon. It appears Roger Federer’s tough match earlier this week was not a sign of things to come, but just the Champ working out the kinks. On Thursday, The Swiss had a much easier time dismantling Lee Hyung-taik 6-4, 6-3. Though there moments where the South Korean was able to break Federer’s serve. But have no fear dear fans, our Number One knew all the right words after the match.

“Maybe it was just my timing in the beginning. I was just shanking a lot of the balls and not able to keep the ball in play. Once I was able to do that, I was in total control. So I never felt worried too much today.”

Like I said earlier this week, the only way to beat him is for him to beat himself.

So Roger moves on to the Quarters where he will face title="david_ferrer.jpg" width="116" height="116" border="0" /> David Ferrer

In other Monte Carlo Masters news Rafael Nadal, you know that OTHER tennis great, also advanced to the quarterfinals. Yesterday he briskly beat Kristof Vliegen 6-1, 6-1. In fact, the Spaniard was so efficient on Thursday that he scored 21 unanswered points. Nadal’s next victory will be over German Philipp Kohlschreiber.

So Number One and Number Two are cruising through Monaco en route to an inevitable final match against one another. Stay tuned for more exciting wins from the both of them in the days to come.

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

So what if Roger Federer struggled in his last match, he’s the best in the world, right? Not so much on clay. That mantle is owned by the Spanish Left Hander, Rafael Nadal. Nadal extended his winning streak on clay to an amazing 63 consecutive matches on Wednesday.

With the Monte Carlo Masters well under way everyone avid Tennis spectator hopes to see a rematch between the Swiss Bomber and the Spanish Lefty. With Federer’s backhand deficiency in the last match and Nadal’s complete domination of Juan Ignacio Chela the possibility of a three-peat for Nadal in Monaco could be very real. Next up the Spaniard will battle Belgian Kristof Vliegen in what could be another easy match for the reigning Monte Carlo champ.

Following the match Nadal spoke about returning to Monaco this year: “It was very nice for me to come back here and play the first match like this. I was feeling very well, so I play a good match. Very comfortable on court. Trying to have less mistakes as possible. I feel very good with the backhand, with the forehand, too, dropshots, good defending. Just a little bit… could serve a little bit better, but for the rest I’m very happy.”

So what if his English isn’t the best, HE’S THE BEST THERE IS ON CLAY and Federer and the rest better watch out or he’s going to be sliding his way to another championship. My feeling is that Nadal is just warming up.

That’s right folks, it seems that at Monte Carlo yesterday Roger Federer needed not one, but two tiebreaks to defeat 91st ranked Andreas Seppi.

No offense to Mr. Seppi, but it was Federer who was beating himself. The Swiss couldn’t keep his backhand under control including five unforced errors in the first set’s 10th game. and it forced him into difficult situations the entire match. The only way to beat Federer is to face him on a day when he isn’t swinging the racket as well as he should.

Perhaps another way to beat The Rog is by playing him on a surface he hasn’t battled on in 10 months. That was the case in Monte Carlo on Tuesday. Monaco’s Clay. But Federer’s a champion.

I mean how could Tiger’s best friend not come out victorious in the end.

Next up for Number One is South Korea’s Lee Hyung-Taik. Mr. Lee you might want to use an oversized racket on this one, preferably a yard wide one.

What’s so important about a first service? Everything. As the game of tennis has become more fast paced the serve, especially the first one, has grown without question. A strong first serve means not having to get into long volley matches that wear you down.

That is why Sampras dominated on Centre Court. He would blast the ball over the net at such a blistering speed that his opponent’s couldn’t keep up. He struggled when his serve was off and he got mired in long matches.

The same theory holds true for the current number One, Swiss Bomber Roger Federer. Federer’s serve is in my opinion more deadly than Pete’s and for good reason. He first serve clocks in at 125 MPH. And he’s able to back that up with a smooth volley game.

Of course a powerful service game cannot be your only strength. In fact, it can also be mediocre. While no one would say Andre Agassi’s serves were weak, but it wasn’t his strong suit. The backbone of his game was his ability to control the game AFTER the serve. He was a statistical anomaly. The man relied on outlasting his opponent AND he kept on playing. When any other player his age would hang up the tennis shoes Agassi was still backhanding his way into tournaments. Agassi alone almost debunks my whole theory.

Kudos, to you Mr. Agassi. And even though you just hit her in the face with your racket I’m sure you and Steffi Graf will move past this accident and have a good career playing doubles on the Married Circuit.

After a victory over Venus Williams on Saturday, Jelena Jankovic had her eyes set on the trophy at the Family Circle Cup. One problem. Dinara Safina wanted it as well. Though Safina’s previous two opponents had dropped out of competition early due to injury, she was ready for battle. So the scene was set for the final in Charleston.

Jankovic

VERSUS

Safina

Early on in the three set match, it was clear to see that another adversary was present. WIND. That’s right, a wind that kept the players on their toes and forced them to readjust their approach to the match.

“The ball was going all over the place,” Jankovic said following the match.

Regardless of her humility, Jankovic dominated the match. She double faulted only twice and controlled the pace of each set.
Jankovic held her serve and won the match 6-2, 6-2 over 4th seeded Safina. This is Jankovic’s third career title.

With the victory Jankovic should move up from 9th to 7th in the WTA rankings. For making it to the finals Safina will earn the rank of 10th internationally. Besides winning the 1.3 million dollar purse, winning in Charleston also cements Jankovic’s ambitions to make it into the Top 5.

Congratulations Jelena Jankovic. Watch out Henin and Sharapova, looks like you have some company.

In the scope of international appeal, Tennis has it made. Of the top twenty players in the world all but 2, Andy Roddick and James Blake, call their native country somewhere other than the US. Where are the Americans?

I personally hail from the midwest where right now the temperatures are constantly fluctuating and the tennis courts are being replaced with skateparks. Those courts that do survive are rarely kept up and therefore suffer from cracks. To top it off, the nets around here don’t get strung up until late May.

Which makes sense or else we might be playing in the snow.

So what is cure for America’s tennis plight? Champion calibre players rocking the international boat. Andy Roddick, I’m talking to you. Venus and Serena, listen up. 5 years ago, you couldn’t turn on Sportscenter WITHOUT seeing the Sisters grunting and swinging their way to title win after title win. I understand the bulk of international tournaments are on clay and grass and that most here are hardcourt, but that doesn’t mean our best and brightest shouldn’t give it their all no matter the playing surface.

Not too long ago we had Sampras, Agassi, Capriati, and Davenport winning service games and taking names. Pete had SEVEN Wimbledon victories for crying out loud. He’s from DC and still knew how to win on the lawn.

So I say to the American players on the curcuit, play your best this summer. American tennis needs your support. I only rant, because I care.

I suppose by the title that I won my first service in the proverbial match… but I suppose you the reader will have to decide if my first attempt was an ace or a fault. Today’s thoughts are on the current state of the women’s game. Just by reading through the Top Ten you’ll notice the strong presence of international players and the lack of Americans on the leader board. With both Williams Sisters vying for comebacks this summer should be interesting. So now, the Women’s Top Ten.

10. Anna Chakvetadze- Since 2002, this Russian 20 year old has climbed from 756 to her current ranking. You do the math, that’s a climb that would make Sir Edmund Hillary jealous. Watch her close this summer.

9. Jelena Jankovic- She’s consistently gotten better these past few years. Jankovic made it to the 4th round at the Australian Open. Maybe the other Grand Slams should keep their eyes on this one.

8. Nicole Vaidisova- This German two handed backhander turned pro in 2003. She’s 18. She’s ranked 9th. Look out.

7. Nadia Petrova- Another Russian. Another successful backhander. Once made it up to number 3 in the World. Needless to say Petrova is eyeing Hingis and wants to add one more to her 7 career singles.

6. Martina Hingis- Once the best in the World. Martina Hingis has found a revival in her game. One of the veteran’s on the circuit, Hingis is back and hear to stay. With Navratilova’s heir in the mix, anything can happen. She’s sure to stir things up, especially at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Could this year mark a return of the old (is 26 really old?) guard?

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova- At this point her career best was at last year’s French Open where she lost to Henin 6-4, 6-4. Could there be a rematch this May? Will Kuznetsova blast her away through Wimbledon as well?

4. Kim Clijsters- She’s good. Real good. In fact she’s made it to at least the 4th round in every Grand Slam in which she’s competed since 2003. The win at the US Open in 2005 doesn’t hurt her resume either.

3. Amelie Mauresmo- Vive le France. The other veteran in the Top Ten, Mauresmo’s been swinging professionally since ’93. With a record of 31-8 at Wimbledon, she’s best on grass, but of course her triumph at the Australian in 2006 shows she is no push over on hardcourt either.

2. Maria Sharapova- This consistent champ has more endorsement deals than Michael Jordan. Ok, not even close, but still you have to think people really believe tennis balls follow her around when she walks. She’s even a Goodwill Ambassador to the UN. Though Sharapova has withdrawn from her next two competitions, she is sure to be be true to form in time for the French in May.

1. Justine Henin- Number One is 26-5 in Australia, 28-4 at Roland Garros, 38-7 on the grass courts of England, and has made it at least the 4th round in New York since 2000 with a finals appearance there in 2006. Right now in the Women’s Game she’s the best there is. There are several ladies above who are gunning for this position and that makes for us fans an exciting summer.

With the men chasing Federer, the women after Henin, and 3 Grand Slams left to play … this summer could be one for the ages.

First off, welcome to Tennis Chatter. I’m Jake, I’ll be your blogger for the next few minutes as you scan over my thoughts on tennis. Today’s focus will be on the Men’s side of the court. For some of you this might be redundant, but a new writer means a level playing field. So let’s look at the Top Ten.

10. Tommy Haas-The Good German’s still at it. Won in Memphis earlier this year. Let’s see if his luck on Grass improves this summer.

9. James Blake- One of the two American’s consistently vying for a top spot, Blake grabbed attention last summer with a solid victory at the RCA Championship in Indianapolis. Has also successfully crossed-over the headband look from Basketball.

8. Ivan Ljubicic- Look to see this righty command more attention this summer.

7. Novak Djokovic- This up and coming Serbian won in Adelaide and Miami this year. At only 19, Djokovic has only more time on his hands to improve.

6. Tommy Robredo- Just like Blake is the OTHER American tennis star, Robredo is the OTHER Spaniard in the Top Ten. With a win at the Swedish Open last yeat, look for Robredo to make some noise in this summer’s tournaments.

5. Fernando Gonzalez- Since winning in Orlando in 2000, Chilean Gonalez has earned titles all over the world. Let’s see if a run in the majors could bump his rank.

4. Nikolay Davydenko- Adelaide, Munich, Moscow twice. Don’t be surprised if this Russian right hander is chomping at Roddick’s heels by summer’s end.

3. Andy Roddick- For American tennis fans this ball cap wearing ace is it. After Roddick’s hamstring heals look for him to start gunning for Nadal and maybe even the Swiss himself.

2. Rafael Nadal- The second fiddle. Sure he’s taken down Number One a few times, but he’s tired of smiling in the shadow of Federer. He’s almost expected to win on clay, but grass still eludes him. This could be his year. I perdict El Izquierdo de Espana (the spanish lefty…sorta) will have his Strawberries and Cream this summer on the green grass of Wimbledon.

1. Roger Federer- The Swiss Bomber. 4 time defending Wimbledon champ. One the Australian open… again. What can you say about the Master. Winning majors is what he does. Nadal is good. Federer is great. He’s quickly approaching Sampras’ championship tally. He even has his own stamp. For Tennis fans watching him play is LITERALLY witnessing history in the making.

Tomorrow we’ll chat about the women’s game. Will Sharapova and Henin duke it out all summer or will one of those pesky Williams Sister’s find a way back on top? We’ll see together.