I Take Thee Tennis

Roger Federer has a Rogers Cup Fail

2011-08-12T10:36:00.001-04:00

So, the Rogers Cup is turning out to be quite the interesting tournament. And by interesting I mean lame. Roger, Rafa, Andy, Delpo, Caro, and Maria are all out already. Seriously? Anyway, I was in Montreal this week and took some photos of the players before they all lost. Good thing I was there early in the week or else the best photo I could have taken would have been of Mardy Fish.

Let's take a look at Roger before he joins the loser train:

Poor guy doesn't know he's one day away from losing to Tsonga. Again.

Okay, good. He looks serious again.

And he's even sweating. A lot. Which means that he must be working hard.

Looking good. But...

...now he's smiling again.

Hey Paul, perhaps your pupil needs to do a little less smiling and a little more winning. Just saying.

Hottest Man in the World Just Touched Me

2011-08-11T20:34:00.000-04:00

I'm alive! Sorry for not posting in awhile, but I was busy traipsing around Europe.

Just got back from the Rogers Cup in Montreal, so I'll post some photos from the event later tonight.

But first, some man-love for Rafa...

Unfortunately, the hottest man in the world did not touch me in Montreal. Maybe next year.

French Open Men's Semifinal Predictions

2011-06-03T05:22:00.001-04:00

Well, we couldn't have asked for two better semifinals: Rafa vs. Murray and Novak vs. Fed. I think it's pretty safe to say that Nadal is going to win his match against Andy, but the Djokovic/Federer much is much more intriguing. I know a lot of people are going with Djoko to beat Fed, which I totally understand, but I'm going to pick Federer. Mainly because I just really want that to be the result, but also because I think it's possible.

Rafa is Ridiculous

2011-04-17T11:39:00.000-04:00

Nadal just won his SEVENTH straight title in Monte Carlo by defeating Ferrer in straight sets. Rafa is, in fact, ridiculous. I just wish Djokovic had been at the event so we could have seen a Rafa/Nole clay final. Not that I think that Djokovic being there would have changed the end result...but who knows, maybe it would have.

Just Hand Rafa the Trophy

2011-04-15T18:14:00.000-04:00

So, good old Jurgen Melzer beat Federer in straight sets today. It was painful. I mean, come on...Jurgen Melzer? Yikes.

Milos Beats Ernests in Monte Carlo

2011-04-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

Photo: Julian Finney, Getty Images

Raonic defeated Gulbis 6-4, 7-5 in Monte Carlo today. That's right. Canadians ARE good at tennis.

Well, at least one is.

And the Clay Court Season Begins...

2011-04-10T18:13:00.003-04:00

Monday's Order of Play in Monte Carlo

MONDAY, 11 APRIL 2011

COURT CENTRAL start 10:30 am

[10] M Youzhny (RUS) vs F Mayer (GER)

Not Before 11:30 AM
D Istomin (UZB) vs [13] R Gasquet (FRA)

Not Before 1:30 PM
[12] J Tsonga (FRA) vs J Monaco (ARG)

Not Before 3:00 PM
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) vs Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) - Exhibition Match
[Q] J Benneteau (FRA) vs J Nieminen (FIN)

COURT DES PRINCES start 10:30 am

[WC] J Lisnard (MON) vs [11] V Troicki (SRB)
M Granollers (ESP) vs [9] N Almagro (ESP)
[WC] R Stepanek (CZE) vs M Baghdatis (CYP)
[15] M Cilic (CRO) vs [Q] F Volandri (ITA)

COURT 2 start 11:00am

D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) vs S Giraldo (COL)
T Robredo (ESP) vs I Dodig (CRO)
N Davydenko (RUS) vs R Haase (NED)
R Gasquet (FRA) / I Ljubicic (CRO) vs N Almagro (ESP) / M Raonic

COURT 9 start 11:00am

[Q] O Rochus (BEL) vs J Chela (ARG)
[Q] F Gil (POR) vs S Stakhovsky (UKR)
E Gulbis (LAT) / V Troicki (SRB) vs P Hanley (AUS) / A Ram (ISR)

Djokovic Soon to Be Number 1?

2011-04-10T15:43:00.000-04:00

After beating Rafa in two straight finals I'm going to have to say that the number 1 spot might not be too far off for Djoko. But let's wait until clay court season is over before we start making crazy predictions. If Rafa can win the first few clay court tournaments then the whole Djokovic love-fest is going to fade anyway. But I'm going to make a very early prediction that Novak is going to win Roland Garros (and clearly I'm back to crazy predictions).

Cry-Baby Verdasco

2011-02-19T13:40:00.000-05:00

Turns out Fernando Verdasco is a bit of a sore loser. After getting beaten twice in a week by Canadian Milos Raonic, Verdasco claimed that it didn't really matter because it wasn't a "real" tennis match. Here's what cry-baby Verdasco had to say after his loss in Memphis:

"For me that's not a real match in tennis. I hope to play soon against him in clay court to show him what it is to play tennis, and play rallies, and run, and not [just] serve.

"I think he was more lucky than me in the tiebreak. He hit the line at 5-5 with a return and when you are at that point in the match and are lucky to put a ball on the line then you have big options to win the match."

So, I guess Federer is not really that great of a tennis player then, since he only won one of his grand slams on clay. And I guess Rafa's Wimbledon and Australian Open titles don't count for much either.

Oh, and by the way Fernando...you probably don't want to meet Raonic on the clay. He's going to beat you, and then you'll be really embarrassed.

Nice One Novak

2011-01-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

So, Djokovic defeated Murray in straight sets to win his 2nd Australian Open title. To be honest, my interest in the whole event sort of died when Federer lost, but if Roger couldn't win I was at least hoping for Murray to win his first grand slam title. However, I do have to congratulate Novak who played amazingly well against Roger and Andy to take the title. But let's hope Andy wins one of these things soon, because if I hear anything else about how a British man hasn't won a grand slam event in 75 years I'm going to scream.

Ferrer Ends Raonic's Run at the Aussie Open

2011-01-24T16:38:00.001-05:00

Well, I can't complain. Making the fourth round of the Australian Open in your first appearance at the event is not too shabby. Being 20 years old and knocking off a top ten player at a grand slam is also quite the feat. So, congrats Milos. You were amazing. And judging by the praise you're getting from the other players, writers, and commentators, it seems like the entire tennis world agrees with me. Plus, did you really want to have to play Rafa in the quarters? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Can Raonic Make the Quarters? Yes He Can!

2011-01-23T18:28:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for tonight's match of Milos Raonic vs. David Ferrer. I really don't know who I think will win. I want Milos to win (because let's face it, I don't get to cheer for Canadian tennis players too often), but Ferrer is going to be really tough to beat. Unless, of course, Milos plays like he did against Llodra and Youzhny—which basically means staying calm and serving ridiculously well. Seriously, I can't wait for this match. I want it to be on right now.

I have a feeling Milos is going to win, but I'm having trouble deciding if I actually think he'll win, or if I just want him to win. No, you know what? I do believe that he can do it. I mean, why not? If he knocked off Youzhny he can take out Ferrer. Let's do this Milos!

Also, can you believe that Milos is the only non-European left in the draw? Yeah, it's crazy.

Results Roundup: Australian Open

2011-01-23T09:57:00.002-05:00

In not-so-shocking 4th round news...

Federer defeats Robredo 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Berdych defeats Verdasco 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 (although I would say the straight sets, fairly easy victory is a tad shocking)
Djokovic defeats Almagro 6–3, 6–4, 6–0
Wozniacki defeats Sevastova 6–3, 6–4

In fairly shocking 4th round news...

Wawrinka defeats Roddick 6–3, 6–4, 6–4
Schiavone defeats Kuznetsova 6–4, 1–6, 16–14 (yes, that does say 16–14...longest ever women's match at a grand slam!)
Li defeats Azarenka 6–3, 6–3 (I guess this isn't that shocking, but it could have gone either way)
Petkovic defeats Sharapova 6–2, 6–3

Team Pretty vs. Those Other Guys

2011-01-23T00:18:00.000-05:00

Feliciano Lopez and Juan Monaco got into a brawl with Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi during their doubles match at the Australian Open. Okay fine. It wasn't a brawl. But it could have been. Seriously...watch the video. It's ridiculous.

Australian Open: Day 7 Order of Play

2011-01-22T14:32:00.001-05:00

Caroline Wozniacki

Matches to watch on Day 7 of the Australian Open

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 AM start (7:00 PM start in Toronto/New York City)
Wozniacki vs. Sevastova (predicted winner: Wozniacki)
Na Li vs. Azarenka (predicted winner: Azarenka)
Robredo vs. Federer (predicted winner: Federer)

Rod Laver Arena 7:00 PM start
Petkovic vs. Sharapova (predicted winner: Sharapova)
Roddick vs. Wawrinka (predicted winner: Roddick, but really won't be surprised if Stan wins this one)

Hisense Arena 11:00 AM start
Bryan/Bryan vs. Becker/Kohlmann (predicted winner: Bryan bros.)
Almagro vs. Djokovic (predicted winner: Djokovic)
Kuznetsova vs. Schiavone (predicted winner: Kuznetsova)

Margaret Court Arena (not before 2:30 PM)
Berdych vs. Verdasco (predicted winner: Berdych)

Raonic Upsets Youzhny at Aussie Open

2011-01-21T22:33:00.001-05:00

Canadian Milos Raonic defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6–4, 7–5, 4–6, 6–4 to move into the fourth round of the Australian Open. This is a huge win for the 152nd ranked Raonic who will likely play the No. 7 seed David Ferrer in the next round. I'm so excited that there's a Canadian player doing so well at a grand slam event, and I will be cheering hard for Raonic in his next match.

Photo: John Donegan/Associated Press

Kim Clijsters is Awesome

2011-01-21T06:49:00.001-05:00

How can you not love Kim Clijsters? She's the best. See video below for proof.

Australian Open Day 3: Federer Interview

2011-01-20T16:29:00.003-05:00

Roger Federer defeats Gilles Simon in a close five setter

Q. You warned us two days ago it was going to be close and it was going to be tough. Did you really expect it was going to be that tough?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, four or five sets, what's the difference really? But, look, at the end of the day I'm happy I'm through. That's what it comes down to. Doesn't matter if you win in straight or in five. Just keep on moving on in the draw and give yourself an opportunity for the next match, maybe an opponent that suits you more, maybe conditions that are maybe a bit more faster than tonight, let's say. Get the night sessions, sort of the first one, out of the way, and stay alive and feel good.

That's what's it's all about. I thought the match was great. I thought it was played at a high level for a very long time. Obviously it's always hard like also last night with Hewitt and Nalbandian to see someone lose when there's such a great match happening out there. But at the end of the day, I thought I played great and I'm very happy.

Q. Was that as hard as the Alejandro Falla match at Wimbledon in the first round?

ROGER FEDERER: If it was as hard?

Q. Yeah.

ROGER FEDERER: Look, it was different. Look, I was always at the water here against Falla the whole match basically until I was up a break in the fifth. I mean, I was under enormous pressure for a very long time; whereas today it was completely the opposite.
While I was losing the third and the fourth, I still was in the lead somehow. That's why I was I guess a bit more confident tonight, even though I knew it was going to be a much more difficult fifth set against Simon than it was going to be against Falla for some reason.

Because I was getting stronger and stronger as the match wore on in Wimbledon, and tonight I started so well in the first two sets. It was always going to be hard to keep it up against such a good player like Gilles. I found a way in the fifth, and I'm happy I made it.

Q. He's not the average second round opponent, is he? He's sort of a lot better quality. Do you think that kind of match sets you up well for the rest of the tournament?

ROGER FEDERER: I would think so, yeah. There's definitely positives to take out of this match. I didn't play bad. I didn't think I played bad in the third and the fourth sets. Really a lot positives coming out of this match.

Physically I'm fine, and I'm really looking forward to my next round opponent, who I've known since a very, very long time. Sure, a match like this can give you a lot of information, and should be very positive in the long run. We'll see how it goes.

Q. Do you think your previous record against him affected you?

ROGER FEDERER: Not too much, to be honest. Look, I came out and played great. Didn't really affect me. But he hasn't been nothing what was he, No. 6 in the world for nothing? He's beaten me twice, Rafa before, other players before at the very top. He's got something special in his game that really can be very tricky for us. I think obviously he raises his game against the best players.

The better the ball he gets the better he plays, really. But I was able to outplay him early on. And I think through really cold weather almost towards the end, it was harder and harder to really put balls away, and that got him on so many more balls that in the beginning he couldn't get on.
I think that's just what made it so hard for me to readjust tactically against him. But, look, he played great and fought so hard. It was a very intense match. Maybe it wasn't the longest one. We didn't take much time between points so, and I think that's why it was so short but exciting match to play.

Q. The fact that it's been a long time since you've fallen in the early rounds of a Grand Slam event, does that help you in a match like this?

ROGER FEDERER: Look, I mean, for me losing last 16, second round, first round, it's the same thing basically, because there are so many other guys that are ranked around me that are going to make to the semis or finals.

It's an early loss in a slam, which then obviously hurts. They do happen. What to do when the guy plays well? You have to just acknowledge it and move on. I'm happy I survived a scare like today. It's not the first time. I've had Berdych here before; I've had Tipsarevic before; Falla in Wimbledon.

So it does happen, and you just try to stay calm even though I'm not playing for much. He's playing for the huge upset, and I'm just trying to get through. So it's not easy.
But, look, I handled it well tonight, and I'm very happy that things turned out so nicely at the end.

Q. You see Simon returning to the top 10 based on tonight's performance?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, look, I mean, I hope for him. I think he's an exciting player to watch. He brings something different to the match every time he plays. He can play soft, he can play hard, he can counter punch really well. He's one of the quickest guys out there and he returns really, really well. I think he's just a different kind of a player.

Look, he's had some issues with his knee, so I hope that holds up. I think obviously if he plays at the very high level for a long time, I definitely think it's possible.

Q. You say the two defeats only don't mean that it's a boogeyman for you, your wild beast our whatever you call it. Still, he's one of the three guys that causes you more problems, would you say, or maybe not?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, the thing against Gilles, victory is in my racquet because I'm the aggressor. He let's me play and he likes to defend, so I like that kind of a match up where I control if I'm going to win or lose.

Today I was able to completely outplay him for two sets. After that, we had a tricky third set, and next thing you know he's completely in the match. And then it gets hard. So is he one of those guys? I don't know. We have to play more often.

But I was very happy the way I was able to forget those two matches I played against him and just play a good match. I'm very pleased with my performance tonight.

Q. Did you change the way that you played in the third and fourth set, because early on you seemed to keep him off balance with short slices and dropshots and moving him all around the court. In the third and fourth set, he seemed to have a bit more time and then you put that away and brought it back again late in the match.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, like I said, I think conditions helped him. As the match wore on, it was really cooler. The shots that in the first two sets were causing a lot of damage were just not causing the same damage, so he was getting on more shots.

The next thing you know, it's like it changed the whole dynamics. I had to take more chances to come in, I had to take more chances on the serve, more chances with my backhand, with my forehand, and this is when I started to overplay a little bit. But that was due also that he was really getting into the match sort of midway through the second set, and it was important to get the two sets to love lead.

So I think it was more due to the conditions changing. I knew that he was going to find a way to get into the match regardless of the conditions, but it just got that much harder as it was getting cooler.
And in the fifth set, I mean, you threw the tactics out of the door, because all you want to do is just fight and find a way and hope that maybe he misses a few, or that you find an extra gear, which I was able to find.

It was an extremely exciting end towards the end when I had 5 2, Love 40, I think, and then he held and I had a really good game to finish. It was really a lot of fun.

Q. What was going through your head when he saved those three match points? I think they were all on second serves as well.

ROGER FEDERER: I was like, This can't be true, right? I've had some tough losses last year. Obviously they're in the past and I've had a wonderful last six months. But sometimes it just doesn't seem to go your way. As much as you believe and press and do the right things, sometimes you get unlucky and sometimes the other guy just reads your mind or it just all falls into place and it's not your day.

I didn't feel that feeling out there, but I definitely felt something was not going my way. I really had to play an extremely good game to close it out. Obviously I was quite relieved.

Raonic into Australian Open Third Round

2011-01-20T15:55:00.002-05:00

Canadian Milos Raonic defeated the No. 22 seed Michael Llodra of France last night in a big upset at the Australian Open. Raonic is 20 years old and currently ranked 152nd in the world, and this is just the second grand slam event that he has been a part of. Raonic will have a tough next match against the No. 10 seed Mikhail Youzhny, but if Raonic can stay focused and keep serving as well as he has been, he might stand a chance.

I got a chance to watch Raonic practice a lot at the Rogers Cup this past summer, and it's exciting to see him doing well and actually making it into the third round of a major tournament. It's not often that I get to cheer for a Canadian during a grand slam event (except for Daniel Nestor in the doubles of course), so I would love to see how far Raonic can go.

Photo: Yuriko Nakao/REUTERS

Jimmy Fallon Impersonates Roger Federer

2011-01-20T15:34:00.001-05:00

Last year during Wimbledon, Jimmy Fallon did a sketch called "At the Bar with Roger Federer" where he dressed up in tennis gear and pretended to be Federer hosting his own television show for the Tennis Channel. He did the same thing last night in his second edition of "At the Bar with Roger Federer."

Jimmy puts on a slightly horrendous Swiss accent and says things like this:

"I'm playing the tennis so perfect, I'm the best and all the other players they just don't want to play me they get afraid to play me, they get humiliated because I play so good and at the end of the match they can't even look their own father in the eye."

And when speaking about Nadal he says this:

"On the court I want to kill him. I want to destroy him, like the angry birds, I want to slingshot myself into his little fort and eat a pig with a hard helmet on, and the ceiling falls in on him, suffocates him and kills him, and I get the 500 points, and then game, set, match."

It's pretty funny, and definitely worth taking a look at. I've posted both videos below...

Federer Wins First Title of 2011

2011-01-08T17:42:00.000-05:00

Federer defeated Davydenko today to win his first title of the year at the Qatar Open in Doha. Roger looked good, and seemed extremely happy with this win, so I'm very excited to see what happens in Australia. I'm pretty sure it's time for another grand slam for R. Fed.

Federer Beats Nadal in ATP World Tour Final

2010-11-28T21:12:00.001-05:00

You really needed this Roger. As did I. I thought for a minute during the second set that you were going to screw things up, but you held on and played ridiculously well to win the third set 6-1. Oh, and 100% on break point conversions? Well-played R. Fed, well-played.

Perhaps I'll write a more in-depth post about the match later, but for now head on over to All Tennis Considered to read a great article on Federer's win.

Federer Loses to Murray in Shanghai Final

2010-10-17T14:07:00.001-04:00

Don't be fooled. The smiling man is actually the loser.

Yikes. I didn't get a chance to watch this match but the scoreline is fairly brutal for Federer, with Murray beating him 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Shanghai Masters Event today. On the bright side, Roger will get his number 2 ranking back on Monday, but on the not-so-bright side he lost to Murray in a Masters Series final for the second time this fall. I guess it could be worse though, he could have lost to Jurgen Melzer.

Click here for Roger's press conference after the final, and here for Andy's.

Passing Shots

2010-10-01T19:36:00.000-04:00

I am aware that I have not been posting as much lately, and that I've been the worst blogger ever. I've been busy with school, and let's be honest, the tennis world is not so exciting right now. I'll be better about posting more soon, but for now here are some links to interesting articles that other people have written...

India + Pakistan = great doubles team (All Tennis Considered)

I love tennis. And this article. (LaRosa's Sweet Spot)

Sure, Uncle Toni shouldn't be on-court coaching, but to say Nadal's record is tainted by this is ridiculous. (Jon Wertheim–Tennis Mailbag)

Photos of Gilles Simon and his new baby. (Down the Line)

Federer answers questions in Gillette's Quickfire video (GOTOTENNIS)

Good Try, Del Potro. See You Soon!

2010-09-28T19:24:00.000-04:00

Juan Martin Del Potro played in his first match today since the Australian Open in January...and sadly, he lost. But, the good news is that he says his wrist is feeling perfect, so he should only get better from here. Let's hope he's back to normal by the Australian Open so he can really make a good run for the title. And by good run, I mean I hope he makes it to the final, and then Federer beats him. And yes, non-Fed fans, I still believe this could happen. And I do, in fact, realize that I have not included Nadal in this fantasy final, but it's my blog and I can do what I want. Welcome back Delpo!