The women's final at the Australian Open is going to be close to my prediction several days ago: Serena Williams vs Dinara Safina. Both women are playing a very high level of tennis as they pushed through some tough conditions and really tough opponents in the semis. No question they deserve to be there, no other women have been able to match their consistency and tenacity throughout the tournament. Wilting violets like Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova (who actually served for the match against Serena and folded) really had no business getting as far as they did, while upstarts like Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Dokic made inspired runs, but need to show they can do it again.
Roger Federer pressed forward into yet another Grand Slam final with his convincing 3-set victory over Andy Roddick. Federer is definitely back in his dominant form, cracking just silly forehands all over the court, while taking his opponent's strength, in this case Roddick's serve, and using it against him. Time and again, Fed hit chip returns of serving, which pulled Roddick into the net where he made easy pickings for passing shot upon passing shot.
His opponent has yet to be determined, but Federer clearly has Grand Slam title number 14 in his sights, which would tie the all-time record. Healthy, fit, and focused, he really is starting to look like the dominant player we missed in 2008
Showing posts with label Andy Roddick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andy Roddick. Show all posts
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Roddick Looks To The Semifinals, Djokovic Looks For a Popsicle
Andy Roddick has done it! He has just beaten the defending champion Novak Djokovic and advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open. Roddick was up 2 sets to one and a service break when Djokovic broke and retired. This is a huge moment for Roddick, who has dropped off most tennis radars, and he did it under some pretty extreme conditions.
The needle on the thermometer was off the edge, the temperature on court was 142 degrees, and Roddick was scrambling around like there was nothing to worry about. Hard to believe what he was able to do under such appalling conditions, which makes it so amazing. Not an ounce of sympathy for Djokovic either, who retired in the fourth set but was clearly out of gas in the second set.
Roddick came into this tournament as something of an afterthought, but after a winter spent putting in roadwork and losing 15 pounds, he's clearly brought his fitness, confidence, and aggressiveness to a new level. He's also still got one of the greatest serves the men's game has ever seen. Now that he's got his fitness up to a world class level, and Djokovic has let his drop to where he can't finish matches, it's gonna be fun to see how this season goes.
As these two slugged it out in the heat, ESPN's crew of Patrick McEnroe and Dick Enberg in the booth, with Cliff Drysdale at courtside provided a fabulous telecast. There was a great sense of the ebb and flow of the match as Djokovic came out strong, then Roddick upped his game along with the temperature. Lots of fun to watch a match like this with such solid commentary.
No way I can stay up to watch the next quarterfinal, but Roddick will face the winner of the Juan Martin Del Potro-Roger Federer match on Wednesday.
The needle on the thermometer was off the edge, the temperature on court was 142 degrees, and Roddick was scrambling around like there was nothing to worry about. Hard to believe what he was able to do under such appalling conditions, which makes it so amazing. Not an ounce of sympathy for Djokovic either, who retired in the fourth set but was clearly out of gas in the second set.
Roddick came into this tournament as something of an afterthought, but after a winter spent putting in roadwork and losing 15 pounds, he's clearly brought his fitness, confidence, and aggressiveness to a new level. He's also still got one of the greatest serves the men's game has ever seen. Now that he's got his fitness up to a world class level, and Djokovic has let his drop to where he can't finish matches, it's gonna be fun to see how this season goes.
As these two slugged it out in the heat, ESPN's crew of Patrick McEnroe and Dick Enberg in the booth, with Cliff Drysdale at courtside provided a fabulous telecast. There was a great sense of the ebb and flow of the match as Djokovic came out strong, then Roddick upped his game along with the temperature. Lots of fun to watch a match like this with such solid commentary.
No way I can stay up to watch the next quarterfinal, but Roddick will face the winner of the Juan Martin Del Potro-Roger Federer match on Wednesday.
The Tennis Equivalent Of Ultimate Fighting (And Breaking News)
First, a bit of breaking news: Andy Murray just got knocked out of the Australian Open by Fernando Verdasco in a brilliant 5 setter. Murray was a popular pick to win the whole event, but Verdasco was fitter, tougher, and your winner. Now back to the post I wrote a couple hours ago.
Monday night we get to check out tennis' version of Yankees-Red Sox, Browns-Bengals, or USC-UCLA when Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic square off in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Why is this going to be gripping competition? Because these two just plain don't like each other.
It started at last year's US Open, at least in public, when Roddick called Djokovic onto the carpet over his continous and variegated ailments. (funny clip here) Djokovic, who is rapidly accumulating the world's largest collection of irritating habits (read: ball bouncing before serves, awkward hugs after wins, and hypochondriasis) took a trip to crazytown after beating Roddick in the US Open quarters. He decided the right way to respond was to rip both Roddick and the New York crowd while standing on the court surrounded by drunk and disappointed Bronx-dwellers.
These two sluggers get to start this year off with an early airing-of-grievances, and we get to watch. Probably somewhere around 7 PM PST on ESPN2.
No fun watching Victoria Azarenka walk off the court in tears twice, then having to default her match against Serena Williams despite having won the first set. Not a great way to go out, and if you've ever had food poisoning, you know how she feels.
Very fun watching Jelena Dokic storm back into the tennis consciousness, not only with her courageous 4th round victory on a bad ankle or her ranking of 187 in the world, but with her honesty about how hard the last few years have been for her.
Between severing ties with her overbearing father, battling depression and financial problems, it's a wonder she's still playing, let alone winning. Could Dokic be the shot in the arm the women's game needs? If she wins tomorrow, she'll be well on the way.
Real quick, before we go today, here's my cousin Guy doing color commentary on Sky Sports. So cool!
Monday night we get to check out tennis' version of Yankees-Red Sox, Browns-Bengals, or USC-UCLA when Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic square off in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Why is this going to be gripping competition? Because these two just plain don't like each other.
It started at last year's US Open, at least in public, when Roddick called Djokovic onto the carpet over his continous and variegated ailments. (funny clip here) Djokovic, who is rapidly accumulating the world's largest collection of irritating habits (read: ball bouncing before serves, awkward hugs after wins, and hypochondriasis) took a trip to crazytown after beating Roddick in the US Open quarters. He decided the right way to respond was to rip both Roddick and the New York crowd while standing on the court surrounded by drunk and disappointed Bronx-dwellers.
These two sluggers get to start this year off with an early airing-of-grievances, and we get to watch. Probably somewhere around 7 PM PST on ESPN2.
No fun watching Victoria Azarenka walk off the court in tears twice, then having to default her match against Serena Williams despite having won the first set. Not a great way to go out, and if you've ever had food poisoning, you know how she feels.
Very fun watching Jelena Dokic storm back into the tennis consciousness, not only with her courageous 4th round victory on a bad ankle or her ranking of 187 in the world, but with her honesty about how hard the last few years have been for her.
Between severing ties with her overbearing father, battling depression and financial problems, it's a wonder she's still playing, let alone winning. Could Dokic be the shot in the arm the women's game needs? If she wins tomorrow, she'll be well on the way.
Real quick, before we go today, here's my cousin Guy doing color commentary on Sky Sports. So cool!
Monday, January 19, 2009
5 Hours, 36 Minutes in 96 Degree Heat
Aside from sleeping, when was the last time you did one single activity for 5 hours, 36 minutes? It's tough to think of one thing that could hold any level of focus and intensity for nearly a quarter of a day.
Now fold into this recipe a 96 degree oven in which this endeavor takes place. I would venture to say there are precious few of us that would even have the audacity to think they might have, once in their life, by choice done such a thing.
Last night in the first round of the Australian Open, Gilles Muller and Feliciano Lopez brawled in the summer heat for 5 hours, 36 minutes until Muller came out on top 16-14 in the 5th set. No quarter, no complaining, no respite.
And don't be fooled by this 96 degree business. That's what the grounds thermometer showed, but a tennis court is like a cast-iron griddle; it retains and emanates a stunning amount of heat. It's that rugged, dry, enveloping heat that makes your feet burn and your eyes dry up. I've played in those conditions for a few hours, but wouldn't even consider trying to play for that long.
This first round match will likely disappear from our memory as the tournament goes on, but attention must be paid to such an incredible effort. The focus, fitness, and heart these two showed in a first round match is something to marvel at.
Oh, and Wayne Odesnik lost in 4 sets (along with just about every other American male in the draw save Andy Roddick)
Now fold into this recipe a 96 degree oven in which this endeavor takes place. I would venture to say there are precious few of us that would even have the audacity to think they might have, once in their life, by choice done such a thing.
Last night in the first round of the Australian Open, Gilles Muller and Feliciano Lopez brawled in the summer heat for 5 hours, 36 minutes until Muller came out on top 16-14 in the 5th set. No quarter, no complaining, no respite.
And don't be fooled by this 96 degree business. That's what the grounds thermometer showed, but a tennis court is like a cast-iron griddle; it retains and emanates a stunning amount of heat. It's that rugged, dry, enveloping heat that makes your feet burn and your eyes dry up. I've played in those conditions for a few hours, but wouldn't even consider trying to play for that long.
This first round match will likely disappear from our memory as the tournament goes on, but attention must be paid to such an incredible effort. The focus, fitness, and heart these two showed in a first round match is something to marvel at.
Oh, and Wayne Odesnik lost in 4 sets (along with just about every other American male in the draw save Andy Roddick)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Australian Open 2009 Preview: Wayne Odesnik Watch Resumes
It's time to turn our focus down under and get ready for the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. The theme for this two weeks is quite the same for both the men and women's draw: who wants to stamp the season with their name and make a claim to the world number one ranking.
Make no mistake, world supremacy is most assuredly up for grabs. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal has nothing close to a strong grip on the number one spot, and Roger Federer must deal with the ignominy of being a number two seed for the first time in years. Andy Murray is surging forward and is a sexy pick to break through, but has to play under this mounting pressure and expectation.
The early rounds, which start tomorrow (with TV coverage starting on ESPN2 tomorrow night, have a handful of choice matches, particularly American Sam Querrey vs Philip Kohlschreiber, and Australia's golden boy Lleyton Hewitt taking on the much-disliked Fernando Gonzalez. I'm not watching this because of sentimentality for Hewitt on his home court; these dudes are both obnoxious and loud-mouthed, so the on-court antics should be quite festive.
Best of all, though, is that Wayne Odesnik is back in the main draw after winning three qualifying matches. He takes on Mario Ancic in the first round, and I refuse to pick against him in this clash.
The Tipsy Historian's Picks
Semis: Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick (look for Roddick's quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic to be an all-out brawl)
Finals: Murray vs Federer
Champion: Federer reminds Murray just how hard it is to take that final step and win a Grand Slam by taking the Australian Open 2009 away from him
Make no mistake, world supremacy is most assuredly up for grabs. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal has nothing close to a strong grip on the number one spot, and Roger Federer must deal with the ignominy of being a number two seed for the first time in years. Andy Murray is surging forward and is a sexy pick to break through, but has to play under this mounting pressure and expectation.
The early rounds, which start tomorrow (with TV coverage starting on ESPN2 tomorrow night, have a handful of choice matches, particularly American Sam Querrey vs Philip Kohlschreiber, and Australia's golden boy Lleyton Hewitt taking on the much-disliked Fernando Gonzalez. I'm not watching this because of sentimentality for Hewitt on his home court; these dudes are both obnoxious and loud-mouthed, so the on-court antics should be quite festive.
Best of all, though, is that Wayne Odesnik is back in the main draw after winning three qualifying matches. He takes on Mario Ancic in the first round, and I refuse to pick against him in this clash.
The Tipsy Historian's Picks
Semis: Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick (look for Roddick's quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic to be an all-out brawl)
Finals: Murray vs Federer
Champion: Federer reminds Murray just how hard it is to take that final step and win a Grand Slam by taking the Australian Open 2009 away from him
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Five Set City At The US Open
On this gateway-to-the-quarterfinals day, it was a battle of attrition throughout.
To start the morning, we had third seeded Novak Djokovic battling 15th seed Tommy Robredo. This one went the limit, with all of the requisite ups, downs, injuries, shotmaking, and drama you need. Djokovic was gimping around on a bum hip and ankle, Robredo fell down and tweaked his shoulder. In the end, Djokovic had just a bit more in the tank and beat Robredo to move into the quarterfinals.
As this match was winding down and Roger Federer's match against Igor Andreev was building up, qualifier Gilles Muller continued his unlikely run through the tournament, knocking off 5th seed Nikolay Davydenko in 4 tough sets. He got back to the locker room just in time to watch the next thriller of the day, as the Federer vs Andreev clash started to heat up.
Andreev is a player more comfortable on clay, but possesses arguably the biggest forehand in the men's game, which on hardcourts is a great equalizer. Federer dropped the first set, then stormed back to take the next two. Just when it looked like vintage Roger was ready to put the hammer down and close out the Russian upstart, he faltered and Andreev seized the opportunity to push the match into a fifth set.
Shouting, gesturing, and emoting all over the place in a way I've not seen before, Federer found another level just in time and took the 5th set 6-3. With Boris Becker and John McEnroe in the booth, Federer channeled them and rediscovered the net. He won 16 of 20 points when he attacked the net in the 5th set, and looked cool as the other side of the pillow up there. He said after the match he "rediscovered" his confidence at net during his run to the doubles gold medal, and (you heard it here first) this is going to be the way he forges into the future. He'll use that first serve that goes in about 70% of the time, his quickness, size, and confidence to take his game back to the highest levels. On his way there, you'd better believe that he's glad to be facing the qualifer Muller instead of the 5th seeded Davydenko in the quarters
On the women's side, we met our first two semifinalists: Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic, who coasted through their quarterfinal matches and will square off in a few days (I got this one half right; who knew Dementieva had gotten so mentally tough?)
It fell to Andy Roddick to change the tempo of the day, and he looked tremendous in his three set crushing of Fernando Gonzalez. He'll be facing Djokovic on Thursday in the quarters, promises to be something special
To start the morning, we had third seeded Novak Djokovic battling 15th seed Tommy Robredo. This one went the limit, with all of the requisite ups, downs, injuries, shotmaking, and drama you need. Djokovic was gimping around on a bum hip and ankle, Robredo fell down and tweaked his shoulder. In the end, Djokovic had just a bit more in the tank and beat Robredo to move into the quarterfinals.
As this match was winding down and Roger Federer's match against Igor Andreev was building up, qualifier Gilles Muller continued his unlikely run through the tournament, knocking off 5th seed Nikolay Davydenko in 4 tough sets. He got back to the locker room just in time to watch the next thriller of the day, as the Federer vs Andreev clash started to heat up.
Andreev is a player more comfortable on clay, but possesses arguably the biggest forehand in the men's game, which on hardcourts is a great equalizer. Federer dropped the first set, then stormed back to take the next two. Just when it looked like vintage Roger was ready to put the hammer down and close out the Russian upstart, he faltered and Andreev seized the opportunity to push the match into a fifth set.
Shouting, gesturing, and emoting all over the place in a way I've not seen before, Federer found another level just in time and took the 5th set 6-3. With Boris Becker and John McEnroe in the booth, Federer channeled them and rediscovered the net. He won 16 of 20 points when he attacked the net in the 5th set, and looked cool as the other side of the pillow up there. He said after the match he "rediscovered" his confidence at net during his run to the doubles gold medal, and (you heard it here first) this is going to be the way he forges into the future. He'll use that first serve that goes in about 70% of the time, his quickness, size, and confidence to take his game back to the highest levels. On his way there, you'd better believe that he's glad to be facing the qualifer Muller instead of the 5th seeded Davydenko in the quarters
On the women's side, we met our first two semifinalists: Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic, who coasted through their quarterfinal matches and will square off in a few days (I got this one half right; who knew Dementieva had gotten so mentally tough?)
It fell to Andy Roddick to change the tempo of the day, and he looked tremendous in his three set crushing of Fernando Gonzalez. He'll be facing Djokovic on Thursday in the quarters, promises to be something special
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Refreshments And Roddick At The US Open
Last night was Andy Roddick's first big test of this US Open as he took on Ernests Gulbis in the second round. It was muggy as anything in NYC and Roddick was dripping sweat off his hat brim straight away, so to help him cool off, The Jess and I decided some cool refreshments were needed. I decided to try a new spin on old standbys, here's what I ended up with:
G & T For The Jess1.5 oz Tanqueray Ten gin
Schweppes tonic water (the small bottle)2/3 of a fresh lime, cut into thick wedges
Add gin to highball glass, add 4 large cubes of ice. Squeeze each lime wedge (should have 4 total) over ice and then drop each on top of ice. Pour over tonic until 1/4 left in bottle. Use bar spoon to gently stir.This was crisp, cold, limey goodness. Plenty of aromatic spice from the gin, and the lime was just going everywhichaway!
Twisted 7 & 71.5 oz Seagram's 7
1/2 can 7up
1 thick lime wedge1/2 can 7up
Pour Seagram's into highball glass. Add 4 large ice cubes. Squeeze in lime juice, then drop in wedge. Add 7up until can nearly empty. Gently stir.
Oh yes, lime and whisky play well together! The juice amps the 7up just the right amount, so the whisky and fruit are just dancing.
I can say that these two drinks were a smashing success, and so was Roddick. After dropping the first set and nearly letting the second get away, he settled down and rolled to a 4 set victory. He'll be back on court tomorrow on CBS.
Also on the men's side, kudos to Mardy Fish, who just finished stomping James Blake in three sets, and Sam Querrey, who steamrolled the 14th seeded Ivo Karlovic to move into the Round of 16 for the first time at a Grand Slam event. In the process, he hit an absolutely ridiculous topspin lob winner against the 6 foot, 10 inch Ivanovic. Querrey will have his work cut out for him next round, as he'll face Rafa Nadal, who is playing tremendous tennis (and his blog is as funny as ever).
The Jilted Kilt advanced with a 5 set victory over journeyman Jurgen Melzer, coming from 2 sets down to win. Nice comeback, but he has no business getting pushed so hard by a player nowhere near his class. Worse yet, he closed out the match with another of his disgraceful bicep flex routines. Just a pathetic display of unsportsmanlike conduct, so no rooting for him!
The women's draw is as turbulent as expected, with the 1 and 3 seeds out after two rounds. We do have a marquee match coming up on the women's drawn, as 9th seed Agnieszka Radwanska faces off against Venus Williams, seeded 7th, on Monday. In such a jumbled draw, this could just have easily been a finals clash, so we're in for a treat.The Jilted Kilt advanced with a 5 set victory over journeyman Jurgen Melzer, coming from 2 sets down to win. Nice comeback, but he has no business getting pushed so hard by a player nowhere near his class. Worse yet, he closed out the match with another of his disgraceful bicep flex routines. Just a pathetic display of unsportsmanlike conduct, so no rooting for him!
To wrap us, here's a nice augmentation to USA and CBS' coverage on Youtube.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
US Open 2008: Andy Roddick and Ana Ivanovic In Different Directions!
Before we begin our post, here's another breaking news bulletin from the Tipsy Historian: Women's number one seed Ana Ivanovic has just been upset by Julie Coin, currently the 188th player in the world, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. This literally just happened, so you know where to turn for your breaking news! Now back to your regularly scheduled US Open post.
It all comes down to the US Open for Andy Roddick this year, that's for certain. He crashed and burned in Flushing last year and this year has been one struggle after another: changing coaches, the sore shoulder, the Wimbledon loss to Tipsarevic, the decision to skip the Olympics. About the only thing going right in his tennis life right now is Davis Cup. His seed for this year's tourney has dropped to 8, and he's just about off the radar as a title contender.
Which also makes it the perfect time to make a move, and he sure looks ready to do it. Last night, with Davis Cup coach and erstwhile mentor Patrick McEnroe in his box, he came out blazing against Fabrice Santoro and rolled to a quick three set victory. Santoro is the sort of player who could have driven Roddick nuts with his mixture of spin, consistency and fitness. Roddick was unfazed as his serve was enormous (up to 147 mph) his forehand was dialed in, and his backhand was solid. This last issue is certainly huge for Andy, because opponents know to pick on that wing whenever possible. If it's going to be up to the challenge, then Roddick may be poised to make a run.
This would be the perfect time for it, with American tennis in the doldrums and interest waning, not to mention the fact that this ex-champ has become something of an afterthought in the world of Nadals, Federers, and Djokovics. He certainly has his work cut out for him in the second round, with everyone's favorite up and coming player Ernests Gulbis waiting for him tomorrow night.
Today is a big day for another Andy, last name Murray, who not only moved into the third round with a tough 4-set win, but finally got his nickname! I dub him "The Jilted Kilt", and he will henceforth be referred to as such in this space. Congrats to Mr. Triathlon, who will get a stash of home-roasted coffee as his prize.
It all comes down to the US Open for Andy Roddick this year, that's for certain. He crashed and burned in Flushing last year and this year has been one struggle after another: changing coaches, the sore shoulder, the Wimbledon loss to Tipsarevic, the decision to skip the Olympics. About the only thing going right in his tennis life right now is Davis Cup. His seed for this year's tourney has dropped to 8, and he's just about off the radar as a title contender.
Which also makes it the perfect time to make a move, and he sure looks ready to do it. Last night, with Davis Cup coach and erstwhile mentor Patrick McEnroe in his box, he came out blazing against Fabrice Santoro and rolled to a quick three set victory. Santoro is the sort of player who could have driven Roddick nuts with his mixture of spin, consistency and fitness. Roddick was unfazed as his serve was enormous (up to 147 mph) his forehand was dialed in, and his backhand was solid. This last issue is certainly huge for Andy, because opponents know to pick on that wing whenever possible. If it's going to be up to the challenge, then Roddick may be poised to make a run.
This would be the perfect time for it, with American tennis in the doldrums and interest waning, not to mention the fact that this ex-champ has become something of an afterthought in the world of Nadals, Federers, and Djokovics. He certainly has his work cut out for him in the second round, with everyone's favorite up and coming player Ernests Gulbis waiting for him tomorrow night.
Today is a big day for another Andy, last name Murray, who not only moved into the third round with a tough 4-set win, but finally got his nickname! I dub him "The Jilted Kilt", and he will henceforth be referred to as such in this space. Congrats to Mr. Triathlon, who will get a stash of home-roasted coffee as his prize.
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