Tennis Chatter

Rafael Nadal is in the best moment of his career.

He said so himself.

“I think I’m in the best moment of my career,” he said.

After winning at the Rome Masters on Sunday he now holds the most victories of any player on any surface. The previous record holder was John McEnroe.

Mac, whose own 75 wins came on concrete, was quite impressed with the 20 year old Spaniard.

“This guy is unbelievable on this surface,” McEnroe said.

He’s now on the hottest streak on one surface ever. And he’s only 20! I can’t imagine what he will do over the course of his entire career.

What’s worse for everyone not named Nadal is that biggest clay tournament is still on the horizon. Nadal has tasted victory in Roland Garros before and believe me he wants seconds.

The true test for the Spaniard will be Wimbledon and the US Open later this summer. He has more than proved his ability to succeed on clay. He now has to show the world he can reach this level of dominance on all the surfaces. Then we will see if he can take Federer’s number one spot.

With the all of the impressive players in Rome I was expecting some entertaining tennis and perhaps even an upset or two. However, I didn’t think it would happen to two of the world’s best. Atleast, not this early. World number one Roger Federer lost Thursday to wildcard Filippo Volandri. He couldn’t keep his game straight and had an uncanny 44 unforced errors to his unranked opponent.

Besides winning in Dubai two months ago, Federer has failed to notch another victory. What’s wrong, Rog?

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Federer said.

Well if it’s preparation time he needs, he now has more than enough time to get ready for the French Open. It’s disparaging to see a historically significant player such as Federer going through a slump. Much like last year in Baseball when Alex Rodriguez couldn’t hit a ball to save his life. However, The scary thing is THE COMEBACK.

Again like A ROD, who came out this year on a mission and had one of the best April’s in Major League history, Federer will return. We all know it will happen. People will begin to doubt the Swiss’s right to the top ranking. They will lift Nadal up on their shoulders and proclaim him the new numero uno.

And then, Federer will dig deep. He will have to something to prove. Believe me, you don’t want a champion like the Swissman feeling like he has something to prove… atleast if your last name is Nadal, Roddick, or Davydenko. And then he’ll find his forehand in wherever place he lost it and start blasting away. This return to form may not come on clay, but it will come and it will be a glorious spectacle of modern tennis.

Fans will cheer. Haters will boo. Rog will lift more trophies. Rafa will stay numero dos. The tennis world will regain balance.

Oh yeah, Roddick was the other player I mentioned at the top of this blog. He lost too.

Darn it.

Maria Sharapova hadn’t played since March. Now she won’t play until almost June. The world’s 2nd ranked player called it quits in Rome after a nagging shoulder injury. Furthermore, Justine Henin didn’t make the trip either. So what does that entail for the women’s draw in Italy?

It means Amelie Mauresmo is the top seed and would want nothing more than to take some Roman clay home with her.

But first she has to make it out of Berlin. Yesterday Mauresmo beat Yan Zi 6-3, 6-3. So now she’s in the third round. Despite the victory, Mauresmo looked a bit rusty.

Amelie confessed, “She had 10 break chances against me in the first set, but I won the key points. I wasn’t frustrated, I knew that I wasn’t able to play completely the way I wanted yet.”

That’s understandable being that this match was her first since undergoing Appendectomy surgery in March. And it won’t get easier in Berlin before it’s all said and done. Henin, Hingis, and Jelena Jankovic are still swinging their rackets in Germany. So before number 3 can even breathe a sigh of relief about Rome, she has to scrub off the rust and tighten up the catgut. She’s in for the long haul.

A player not often mentioned on tennischatter is America’s own, James Blake. Yesterday in Rome Blake showed he can swing he too can play on clay. He beat Gael Monfils 7-6 (4), 6-3 to advance to the next round. The best part of the victory was the fact that Monfils had beaten the American last year in Roland Garros and so Blake was only returning the favor. Revenge is sweet.

“I feel like I’ve gotten better. Whether or not this one match proves it, I don’t know. But I definitely feel like I’ve gotten better on clay,” said Blake.

And in other OBVIOUS news, Federer made it past his first foe and his awaiting a third round opponent.

OK, Justine Henin probably doesn’t gloat or brag about her victories. After her tournaments wins she is more concerned with if she is going to find any room on her trophy shelf.

Henin did it again on Monday after waiting a day due to rain delay. She put the hurt on Ukranian Alona Bondarenko 6-1, 6-3 to win her second title in Warsaw. At points in the match it appeared Number one was toying with her 40th ranked opponent. Bondarenko held three break points early in the second set and showe life against Henin. Henin provided a different explanation for her crummy start to the second set.

Henin said:

“In the second set, I lost a little bit of my intensity. Things were going a little bit too easy at that time and I lost my concentration for a few games.”

Was I wrong? Was that a little gloating? That’s OK, Justine. You deserve a little self promotion. After all, you are the best and you can definetely put your money (estimated career winnings at 14.4 mil) where you mouth is. She’s made it to the finals in 4 of the 5 tourney’s she’s played in this year.

Next up for Henin, the Qatar Telecom German Open. Next up for Bondarenko, an ice pack for her tennis elbow (OK, she’ll be there in Berlin too, but just saying that wouldn’t have been as clever, right?)

Well the second most pretigious clay tournament starts today and it’s shaping up to be an exciting Masters. As the Rome Masters or in Italiano the Internazionali BNL d’Italia’s first round gets underway, it will be interesting to see what stories develop. The clay courts of Rome should definetely serve up some quality matches. Most of the top draw have the 1st round off to enjoy the sites of the city. So until the field is widdled down a bit, we’ll take a look at another developing story.

Pete Sampras.

Yep, good ole Pete. The man who made an avid fan a rabid fan after racking up 7 Wimbledon championships. Sampras is back and is once again a champion. He defeated Todd Martin in 2 sets yesterday at the Champion’s cup. Though it is a senior’s event, the competition was still stiff. And don’t think Pete at 35 is that much different than Pete at 30. Sure his lateral movement might be a bit slower. Sure his knees might not be as reliable. But he’s still Pete Sampras. Pete “14 Grand Slam titles” Sampras. He’s no pushover. And Martin knew it.

“I was thoroughly unprepared for a lot of what he had to offer,” said Martin, “The only recourse I had was to turn it into a tennis match rather than a skills test, because his skills are better than mine.”

Martin was right. Sampras’ skills were better. Sampras took down his old foe 6-3, 7-6 (11-9). This was Sampras’ first tournament trophy since 2002 and you can believe his competitive thrist isn’t quench just yet. Sorry Jim Courier and John McEnroe. You’ll just have to ice up those knees and eat your Wheaties. Sampras is back.

The women get down to business. With all of the talk about Nadal and Federer smiling through an exhibition match, it’s easy to miss the hard work of the other players around the planet.

In Warsaw, Justine Henin has made it to the quarterfinals. She cruised past Anna-Lena Groenefeld at the J&S Cup tournament. Henin’s playing for the first time since April’s Sony Ericsson Open. It’s apparent Henin’s using this clay contest as a preamble to a hopeful championship march in Roland Garros later this month.

Also making it to the quarters in Warsaw is Family Circle Cup winner Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic is 7th in the world and with the way she’s playing will be well known by summer’s end.

I’m also interested in the elder Williams Sister. Though she is unseeded, Venus is taking down some talent on her way to the quarterfinals. She overtook seventh-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Now we know she’s ready to play for real. And knowing is half the battle.

Let’s keep our eyes peeled on the clay courts of Warsaw. Could be a preview of things to come in France.

Almost by the time I sit down to wax about the current tennis dealings, the information I present is old news. Such is the case during a non grand slam period. Soon us fans will have more tennis than we can swing a racket at. But for now we will have to feed our appetites with small draw tournaments and gimmick matches. Of course with the latter I’m talking about the Battle of Surfaces which Nadal won over Federer yesterday in his home country. The match, which was NOT televised here in the states, went to three sets with the players only really heating up for the final one. Here’s my rendition of yesterday’s exhibition.

Federer miscalculated on a return volley into the grass side and lost the match. “Haha,” said Nadal who stroked his imaginary beard in delight, “I kind of beat the Swiss on his surface. Half way anyway. And there is nothing that can stop me on my way to world domination.” (why Nadal is portrayed as an evil dictator here, I’m not sure) Federer, hung his head and wished he was home rolling around in his millions of dollars. He smiled for all of the cameras, shook hands with his opponent, and plotted his revenge. Little did the Spaniard know that Federer held the trump card.

Sure Nadal had won 72 1/2 straight on clay. Sure he had beaten Federer 7 times while only losing 3. Sure he was the hottest tennis player in the world. He even had a patented fist pump that was becoming legendary. But what Nadal didn’t have was this. A big trophy from Wimbledon. 4 of them in fact. 4 trophies that Federer kept close to his side and actually travelled with (not true, but funny to imagine). Even though Nadal held clay supremacy over Federer’s head like a chewie treat over a insubordinate dog, Federer ultimately held the Queen of England’s favor.

The Swiss King resided over the biggest tennis tournament in the world. The tournament which could be seen by turning on NBC at 11 o clock in the morning during the middle of the summer. Federer was a household name and Nadal knew it. Even though he laughingly sprayed champagne at his defeated foe, Nadal knew his Achille’s heel. He knew that he would always be second best. Unless. Unless he could finally surmont his grass court deficiency. Only by beating Federer at the All England Club could he finally put those nagging naysayers in their place and take up the mantle of Number One.

To be Continued…

Believe it or not, there is other tennis happening in the world besides the Battle of Surfaces. I know I had a tough time coming to terms with it myself. I’ve spent so much time as of late covering the exploits of Number One and Number Two that I almost forgot there were other men’s tennis players. And don’t get me started on my coverage of the ladies. Lackluster at best.

So anyway, who in the men’s draw has made it to the second round in the BMW Open? Well for starters we have Sebastian Grosjean who whipped up on top seed Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-4. It just goes to show that even the top seeds can have a bad day. Grosjean will face Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina. Arguello made it to the 2nd round in Munich by defeating South Korean and recent Federer victim Lee Hyung-taik.

Germans love Benni Becker. Maybe not as much as David Hasselhoff, but close. Deutschlander Becker hopes to make some noise in this tournament. He bested Serbian qualifier Ninad Zimonjic 7-6, 6-3 and thus scoots into the second round. There Becker will wage war with Russian Mikhail Youzhny. Youzhny outlasted Stefan Koubek in the first round 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Bad for Benni is the fact that Youzhny’s 3 seed in this tournament. Come on Becker make your country proud.

Also making it into the 2nd round are Marko Baghdatis and Jarkko Nieminen. They are seeded 4th and 5th respectively.

I still think Grosjean is the man to beat in Munich. Topping Haas in the first round should be the foundation of a perfect tournament.

Keep that thumb up, Sebastian.

Tomorrow will be a day for the history books. Roger Federer, the world’s number one tennis player, will face his arch rival Rafael Nadal, the world’s number two tennis pro. What’s so historic about that? Well how about the fact that they will both play on their best surfaces AT THE SAME TIME. Yep, Rog and Rafa will swing away on a court that is one half clay and one half grass. Never before has this been attempted. This match, called The Battle of Surfaces, should theoritically determine who is the best…period.

So who are you betting on?

First there is Grass King, Roger Federer. Who in the past five years has developed into the most dominating player on grass. He’s won Wimbledon 4 times and the other Grand Slams as well. Except the French Open. He can’t seem to pull down the big one on clay. And of course there is that ever-present clay master Rafael Nadal to deal with.

Rafael Nadal is on the streak of a lifetime. Currently, he’s won 72 consecutive matches on clay. He’s beat Federer and everybody else at every event. He’s the King of Clay without a doubt. But his grass game isn’t what it could be. Sure he made it to the final last year at Wimbledon, but who was standing there on the other side of the net? The Rog.

So we have a classic rivalry. A Russell vs Chamberlain. A Sosa vs Maguire. A Chevy Chase vs. Bill Murray. Federer and Nadal are each other’s opposite. Nadal succeeds on clay because he game is built around precise returns and strategic volley play. Federer wins on grass due to his brilliant service game and strong armed returns. So who will win this Battle of Surfaces?

Nadal.

The man’s playing his best tennis ever AND if he wins this it would extend his streak to 72 1/2. Nadal is competing at such a high level. Federer hasn’t been in the light as of late and actually struggled a bit in Monte Carlo earlier in April. Sure Roger met up with Nadal in the final there, but held his racket firmly with both hands and backhanded past Number One to the trophy.

So I say Nadal wins in three sets, but not by much. Federer will put up a worthy fight. I mean half of the match will take place on HIS surface. And he is getting better on clay. But I just don’t think anybody can stop Nadal’s current game. Not even Wimbledon’s heir apparent.

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.