For a while last night, it looked like Andy Roddick might go down in the first round of the Australian Open, and I can't tell you how overcome with glee I was at that prospect. That result would have destroyed my men's tournament bracket on the Tennis Channel website, but so what? I won't win that anyway and a Roddick loss would be oh so satisfying. Why do I dislike Andy so? A few reasons come to mind. First, I can't stand the way he acts on the court when he tries to be so confrontational. Stare-downs, yapping at his opponents, strutting around the court and begging everyone to "look at me" are some examples of behavior that are straight out of the video game, in-your-face generation that I can't stand. In his match yesterday, he called his opponent, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a "f***ing prick". Am I supposed to respect that kind of behavior? It would be one thing if something came up during a match and that was said in the heat of the moment, however it's different when this type of episode occurs in nearly all of his matches. Oh and what about that sickening Lacoste ad with Andy playing with his shirt off and begging for attention? That was exhibit A for why I can't stand this guy.
Yes, it's now official - I'm old and out of touch. Well, so be it. By the way, don't expect his behavior to get any better with Jimmy Connors as Andy's new mentor. Jimbo is king of the pricks and if anything, he'll encourage his student to be even more brash and confrontational on the court.
Reason number 2 for hating Andy Roddick - since he's an American, I feel like the media is telling me that I have to like him. That strategy isn't going to work with me. I have a very strong contrarian streak in me (can you say Yankee fan in New England!) and I don't like being told for whom to root. Plus, tennis is an individual sport so why do I have to cheer for Americans, especially if I don't like them? It's not like I have never rooted for any Americans - Jim Courier and Pete Sampras come to mind as two Yanks that I enjoyed watching - but some of the Americans just aren't as appealing as other players from around the world. So stop telling me I have to like Roddick because he's an American. That just ticks me off.
The last reason that I can think of, at the moment, has more to do with Andy's fans in the tennis blogosphere, many of whom are beyond rational thought. I'll admit that my bias against Andy is a bit on the irrational side, but some of Roddick's supporters are so detached from reality that I can't help but engage in schadenfreude.
Is Andy Roddick playing well? Yes. Has Jimmy Connors made an impact on his game? Absolutely. Will he have a good season in 2007? I would bet on it. Will I ever root for him? Not a chance.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Australian Open Preview
The first Grand Slam Event of the 2007 tennis season, the Australian Open, begins soon, and with both the Men's and Women's draws in hand, let's play the role of prognosticator and analyze the field. As we did for our US Open preview, we'll note a player's seeding in parentheses, and we'll also refer to each quarter of the draw by the highest seeded player in that section.
Men
For the men, the top four seeds are:
Second Round - Baghdatis vs. Monfils
Third Round - the Baghdatis/Monfils winner vs. Gasquet: the winner of this match would probably play Tommy Robredo.
Third Round - Djokovic vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero (24): Ferrero isn't the same player who won the French Open in 2003, but he could still give the enigmatic Djokovic a tough time on the Rebound Ace surface.
Federer's first tough match looks like Mikhail Youzhny (25) in the third round. Youzhny conquered Rafael Nadal at the 2006 US Open before falling to Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, but he should not trouble the world number one. The pick for this quarter: Roger Federer (shocking, I know).
The next quarter of the draw is the Ivan Ljubicic quarter and this one looks rather competitive. Some of the other seeds here are: Andy Roddick (6), Mario Ancic (9), David Ferrer (16), Radek Stepanek (20), and Marat Safin (26). The hard-serving Aussie, Wayne Arthurs is also lurking in this portion of the draw. On recent form, Roddick is the player to beat here, but let's look at some of the potential encounters before declaring a pick for this quarter.
First Round - Ljubicic vs. Mardy Fish: Fish has played well so far in 2007 and if there is a vulnerability in the Ljubicic game it seems to be his underwhelming performances in Grand Slams. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Fish win this one.
Third Round - Ferrer vs. Stepanek
Third Round - Ancic vs. Dominik Hrbaty (22)
Third Round - Roddick vs. Safin
Fourth Round - Ancic vs. Roddick/Safin winner
Athough Andy Roddick seems to be playing very well at the moment, he has a potential killer draw starting with the third round. If all of the seeds were to hold, he would play Safin, Ancic, Ljubicic, and then Federer in the semis. Tournament play is not only about winning matches, it's also about taking the path of least resistance to the title. With the amount of effort required to get out of this section, it's difficult to pick Andy to win the tournament, but we think he emerges from this quarter to face Federer in the semifinals.
Next up is the Davydenko Quarter. This doesn't look like one of the stronger quarters of the draw, but it's not terrible either. Aside from Davydenko, other seeds are: David Nalbandian (8), Tommy Haas (12), Tomas Berdych (13), and Xavier Malisse (29). Davydenko recently pulled out of Sydney with a foot ailment and told the world that no one cares about the Sydney tournament. Sounds like he's saving himself for Melbourne so I don't think his injury will be an issue. Malisse won his first event of 2007 which included a win over world number 2 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. The X-Man has always been known as a talented player who can beat anyone at anytime. We'll have to see how far that actually carries him in this tournament as there are times when he can be as bad as he can be good. Here are some potential matches in this quarter.
Fourth Round - Nalbandian vs. Haas
Third Round - Malisse vs. Davydenko
Fourth Round - Berdych vs. Malisse/Davydenko winner
This is one of the tougher quarters to pick as there is no obvious choice and the health of the number 3 seed Davydenko is a bit of question. Let's go out on a limb on this one: Tommy Haas!
The last quarter of the draw is topped by Rafael Nadal, the number 2 seed, but the best player at the moment in this section is probably James Blake (5). However, Blake has a tough opening round match versus the man he beat today in the Sydney final in three sets, Carlos Moya of Spain. Wouldn't Nadal be grateful if his compatriot from Mallorca could eliminate his nemesis? It's certainly possible, but we think it's unlikely. Other seeds in this quarter:
Lleyton Hewitt (19) - the Aussie is going though a rough patch at the moment as he recently split with his coach Roger Rasheed and may have a slight muscle tear in his calf. On the bright side, the Open tournament committee might have made the courts a bit faster per Hewitt's liking although the verdict on this seems to be mixed.
Andy Murray (15) - fans around the world are waiting for the Brad Gilbert magic potion to take affect on his latest charge. Will it happen in Melbourne in '07? Will it ever happen?
Fernando Gonzalez (10) - Gonzo has been playing better tennis over the last year and is playing smarter. His forehand is as dangerous as any in the game so he simply cannot be overlooked.
Intriguing potential matches:
First Round: Moya vs. Blake
Third Round: Hewitt vs. Gonzalez
Fourth Round: Gonzalez vs. Blake
Fourth Round: Nadal vs. Murray
The pick for this quarter is James Blake. I don't want to pick against my boy Rafa, but I don't have a good vibe about his game right now. I hope that I'm wrong, but I don't know if he has figured out how to combat Blake's strategy against him. If the courts are faster, that's an advantage for James, but the high bounces that come off of the Rebound Ace surface favor Nadal. I'm just not sure that's enough of an advantage for Nadal to stifle Blake's power game.
So our semifinal matches are Roger Federer (1) vs. Andy Roddick (6) and Tommy Haas (12) vs. James Blake (5).
Federer vs. Roddick - Although Roddick beat Federer in Kooyong today in the final of an exhibition tournament, I give that result very little weight. Attaching any significance to this loss for Federer is directly parallel to those who read something into Roger's defeat versus Andy Murray last summer in Cicninnati. There's nothing there to read, and as Nikolay Davydenko so eloquently stated earlier this week in Sydney, the player's don't really care about these events when there is a Grand Slam on the horizon. With that being said, Andy Roddick does seem to be playing better tennis these days, but as we stated earlier, the path through a draw is a significant factor in determining the champion. Unfortunately for Roddick, his path looks too tough and I expect him to be a little fatigued by the time he reaches this match. Federer in 4 sets.
Haas vs. Blake - Tommy Haas is my darkhorse in this event, but his run ends in the semis. Blake takes him down to move into his first Grand Slam final.
Federer vs. Blake - This is simply a bad match-up for James Blake, and he knows it - kind of similar to Blake being a bad match-up for Nadal. Blake's game doesn't have the same affect on Roger that it has on other player's and James doesn't handle that well mentally. While this match may be competitive at the outset, Federer will eventually take control and win another Grand Slam title.
Women
The top four seeds in the Women's draw are:
Three missing players of note are the 2006 finalist, Justine Henin-Hardenne (personal reasons), Venus Williams (wrist injury), and Lindsay Davenport (retired). Even with those ladies not in the draw, the 2007 Australian Open Women's Singles is still a very interesting tournament. The tournament will also be somewhat special for the fans as 2007 is Kim Clijsters' final season on the WTA Tour and this will be her last appearance in Melbourne as a player.
The Sharapova Quarter
Maria Sharapova is at the top of the draw, and her quarter looks relatively straight-forward. The next highest seed in this section is Patty Schnyder (8), but she could have a difficult Fourth Round match against Anna Chakvetadze (12). A couple of other players of note in this section are Ana Ivanovic (13), Samantha Stosur (24), and Alicia Molik. Stosur and Molik will be sure to have the hometown support throughout, but Sharapova emerges from this quarter with little resistance.
The Clijsters Quarter
In her final Australian Open, Kim Clijsters is seeded fourth and has been presented with a relatively easy path to the quarterfinals. Who she meets in the quarters is very open to debate. Some of the possible matches to watch in that section of this quarter are:
Third Round - Na Li (19) vs. Dinara Safina (9)
Third Round - Sania Mirza vs. Hingis (word is that Mirza may be playing better again after a dismal 2006)
The winners of these 2 matches would meet in the fourth round, and would most likely be playing for a chance to tackle Clijsters in the quarters. Based on her performances in Sydney, Clijsters is the pick in this quarter.
The Kuznetsova Quarter
This quarter of the draw appears to be the most wide open of the four. Aside from Kuznetsova, other notable players are Nadia Petrova (5), Jelena Jankovic (11), Shahar Peer (16), Tatiana Golovin (20), and Serena Williams. It may seem strange that I included Serena in this list, but I did so only because of her past accomplishments and for her ability to bring attention to herself. Potential matches in this quarter are:
Third Round - Petrova vs. S. Williams
Fourth Round - Petrova vs. Jankovic
Third Round - Golovin vs. Peer
Fourth Round - Kuznetsova vs. Golovin/Peer winner
I expect that the quarterfinal match-up here will be Jelena Jankovic vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova. The pick here is Jankovic. We love her game. Her groundstrokes, athleticism and court movement tell us that she has a chance to be a great player.
The Mauresmo Quarter
This quarter isn't that deep, but there are three players with a legitimate chance of advancing to the semi-finals: Amelie Mauresmo (2), Elena Dementieva (7), and Nicole Vaidisova (10). Vaidisova and Dementieva are scheduled to meet in the fourth round with the winner most likely taking on Mauresmo. Our pick for this quarter is Nicole Vaidisova.
The semi-final matches are Maria Sharapova (1) vs. Kim Clijsters (4) and Jelena Jankovic (11) vs. Nicole Vaidisova (10).
Sharapova vs. Clijsters - The sentimental pick will be for Kim in her final tournament Down Under. Based on her current form, the sentimental pick seems to be the right pick, so we'll go with Kim.
Jankovic vs. Vaidisova - These 2 young ladies just played a highly competitive match in Sydney and Jankovic won in 3 sets. We expect something similar in Melbourne. Pick: Jankovic.
Clijsters vs. Jankovic - Another rematch from the Sydney tournament. Jankovic held a match point versus Clijsters at 6-4, 5-4, but was unable to close it out. Can she close out Kim on an even bigger stage? We're not sure that she can based on her meltdown at the US Open versus Justine Henin-Hardenne, but perhaps she learned from that. Regardless, Kim Clijsters is our pick as the 2007 Australian Open Women's Single Champion.
Enjoy the tournament!
Men
For the men, the top four seeds are:
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
- Nikolay Davydenko
- Ivan Ljubicic
Second Round - Baghdatis vs. Monfils
Third Round - the Baghdatis/Monfils winner vs. Gasquet: the winner of this match would probably play Tommy Robredo.
Third Round - Djokovic vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero (24): Ferrero isn't the same player who won the French Open in 2003, but he could still give the enigmatic Djokovic a tough time on the Rebound Ace surface.
Federer's first tough match looks like Mikhail Youzhny (25) in the third round. Youzhny conquered Rafael Nadal at the 2006 US Open before falling to Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, but he should not trouble the world number one. The pick for this quarter: Roger Federer (shocking, I know).
The next quarter of the draw is the Ivan Ljubicic quarter and this one looks rather competitive. Some of the other seeds here are: Andy Roddick (6), Mario Ancic (9), David Ferrer (16), Radek Stepanek (20), and Marat Safin (26). The hard-serving Aussie, Wayne Arthurs is also lurking in this portion of the draw. On recent form, Roddick is the player to beat here, but let's look at some of the potential encounters before declaring a pick for this quarter.
First Round - Ljubicic vs. Mardy Fish: Fish has played well so far in 2007 and if there is a vulnerability in the Ljubicic game it seems to be his underwhelming performances in Grand Slams. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Fish win this one.
Third Round - Ferrer vs. Stepanek
Third Round - Ancic vs. Dominik Hrbaty (22)
Third Round - Roddick vs. Safin
Fourth Round - Ancic vs. Roddick/Safin winner
Athough Andy Roddick seems to be playing very well at the moment, he has a potential killer draw starting with the third round. If all of the seeds were to hold, he would play Safin, Ancic, Ljubicic, and then Federer in the semis. Tournament play is not only about winning matches, it's also about taking the path of least resistance to the title. With the amount of effort required to get out of this section, it's difficult to pick Andy to win the tournament, but we think he emerges from this quarter to face Federer in the semifinals.
Next up is the Davydenko Quarter. This doesn't look like one of the stronger quarters of the draw, but it's not terrible either. Aside from Davydenko, other seeds are: David Nalbandian (8), Tommy Haas (12), Tomas Berdych (13), and Xavier Malisse (29). Davydenko recently pulled out of Sydney with a foot ailment and told the world that no one cares about the Sydney tournament. Sounds like he's saving himself for Melbourne so I don't think his injury will be an issue. Malisse won his first event of 2007 which included a win over world number 2 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. The X-Man has always been known as a talented player who can beat anyone at anytime. We'll have to see how far that actually carries him in this tournament as there are times when he can be as bad as he can be good. Here are some potential matches in this quarter.
Fourth Round - Nalbandian vs. Haas
Third Round - Malisse vs. Davydenko
Fourth Round - Berdych vs. Malisse/Davydenko winner
This is one of the tougher quarters to pick as there is no obvious choice and the health of the number 3 seed Davydenko is a bit of question. Let's go out on a limb on this one: Tommy Haas!
The last quarter of the draw is topped by Rafael Nadal, the number 2 seed, but the best player at the moment in this section is probably James Blake (5). However, Blake has a tough opening round match versus the man he beat today in the Sydney final in three sets, Carlos Moya of Spain. Wouldn't Nadal be grateful if his compatriot from Mallorca could eliminate his nemesis? It's certainly possible, but we think it's unlikely. Other seeds in this quarter:
Lleyton Hewitt (19) - the Aussie is going though a rough patch at the moment as he recently split with his coach Roger Rasheed and may have a slight muscle tear in his calf. On the bright side, the Open tournament committee might have made the courts a bit faster per Hewitt's liking although the verdict on this seems to be mixed.
Andy Murray (15) - fans around the world are waiting for the Brad Gilbert magic potion to take affect on his latest charge. Will it happen in Melbourne in '07? Will it ever happen?
Fernando Gonzalez (10) - Gonzo has been playing better tennis over the last year and is playing smarter. His forehand is as dangerous as any in the game so he simply cannot be overlooked.
Intriguing potential matches:
First Round: Moya vs. Blake
Third Round: Hewitt vs. Gonzalez
Fourth Round: Gonzalez vs. Blake
Fourth Round: Nadal vs. Murray
The pick for this quarter is James Blake. I don't want to pick against my boy Rafa, but I don't have a good vibe about his game right now. I hope that I'm wrong, but I don't know if he has figured out how to combat Blake's strategy against him. If the courts are faster, that's an advantage for James, but the high bounces that come off of the Rebound Ace surface favor Nadal. I'm just not sure that's enough of an advantage for Nadal to stifle Blake's power game.
So our semifinal matches are Roger Federer (1) vs. Andy Roddick (6) and Tommy Haas (12) vs. James Blake (5).
Federer vs. Roddick - Although Roddick beat Federer in Kooyong today in the final of an exhibition tournament, I give that result very little weight. Attaching any significance to this loss for Federer is directly parallel to those who read something into Roger's defeat versus Andy Murray last summer in Cicninnati. There's nothing there to read, and as Nikolay Davydenko so eloquently stated earlier this week in Sydney, the player's don't really care about these events when there is a Grand Slam on the horizon. With that being said, Andy Roddick does seem to be playing better tennis these days, but as we stated earlier, the path through a draw is a significant factor in determining the champion. Unfortunately for Roddick, his path looks too tough and I expect him to be a little fatigued by the time he reaches this match. Federer in 4 sets.
Haas vs. Blake - Tommy Haas is my darkhorse in this event, but his run ends in the semis. Blake takes him down to move into his first Grand Slam final.
Federer vs. Blake - This is simply a bad match-up for James Blake, and he knows it - kind of similar to Blake being a bad match-up for Nadal. Blake's game doesn't have the same affect on Roger that it has on other player's and James doesn't handle that well mentally. While this match may be competitive at the outset, Federer will eventually take control and win another Grand Slam title.
Women
The top four seeds in the Women's draw are:
- Maria Sharapova
- Amelie Mauresmo
- Svetlana Kuznetsova
- Kim Clijsters
Three missing players of note are the 2006 finalist, Justine Henin-Hardenne (personal reasons), Venus Williams (wrist injury), and Lindsay Davenport (retired). Even with those ladies not in the draw, the 2007 Australian Open Women's Singles is still a very interesting tournament. The tournament will also be somewhat special for the fans as 2007 is Kim Clijsters' final season on the WTA Tour and this will be her last appearance in Melbourne as a player.
The Sharapova Quarter
Maria Sharapova is at the top of the draw, and her quarter looks relatively straight-forward. The next highest seed in this section is Patty Schnyder (8), but she could have a difficult Fourth Round match against Anna Chakvetadze (12). A couple of other players of note in this section are Ana Ivanovic (13), Samantha Stosur (24), and Alicia Molik. Stosur and Molik will be sure to have the hometown support throughout, but Sharapova emerges from this quarter with little resistance.
The Clijsters Quarter
In her final Australian Open, Kim Clijsters is seeded fourth and has been presented with a relatively easy path to the quarterfinals. Who she meets in the quarters is very open to debate. Some of the possible matches to watch in that section of this quarter are:
Third Round - Na Li (19) vs. Dinara Safina (9)
Third Round - Sania Mirza vs. Hingis (word is that Mirza may be playing better again after a dismal 2006)
The winners of these 2 matches would meet in the fourth round, and would most likely be playing for a chance to tackle Clijsters in the quarters. Based on her performances in Sydney, Clijsters is the pick in this quarter.
The Kuznetsova Quarter
This quarter of the draw appears to be the most wide open of the four. Aside from Kuznetsova, other notable players are Nadia Petrova (5), Jelena Jankovic (11), Shahar Peer (16), Tatiana Golovin (20), and Serena Williams. It may seem strange that I included Serena in this list, but I did so only because of her past accomplishments and for her ability to bring attention to herself. Potential matches in this quarter are:
Third Round - Petrova vs. S. Williams
Fourth Round - Petrova vs. Jankovic
Third Round - Golovin vs. Peer
Fourth Round - Kuznetsova vs. Golovin/Peer winner
I expect that the quarterfinal match-up here will be Jelena Jankovic vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova. The pick here is Jankovic. We love her game. Her groundstrokes, athleticism and court movement tell us that she has a chance to be a great player.
The Mauresmo Quarter
This quarter isn't that deep, but there are three players with a legitimate chance of advancing to the semi-finals: Amelie Mauresmo (2), Elena Dementieva (7), and Nicole Vaidisova (10). Vaidisova and Dementieva are scheduled to meet in the fourth round with the winner most likely taking on Mauresmo. Our pick for this quarter is Nicole Vaidisova.
The semi-final matches are Maria Sharapova (1) vs. Kim Clijsters (4) and Jelena Jankovic (11) vs. Nicole Vaidisova (10).
Sharapova vs. Clijsters - The sentimental pick will be for Kim in her final tournament Down Under. Based on her current form, the sentimental pick seems to be the right pick, so we'll go with Kim.
Jankovic vs. Vaidisova - These 2 young ladies just played a highly competitive match in Sydney and Jankovic won in 3 sets. We expect something similar in Melbourne. Pick: Jankovic.
Clijsters vs. Jankovic - Another rematch from the Sydney tournament. Jankovic held a match point versus Clijsters at 6-4, 5-4, but was unable to close it out. Can she close out Kim on an even bigger stage? We're not sure that she can based on her meltdown at the US Open versus Justine Henin-Hardenne, but perhaps she learned from that. Regardless, Kim Clijsters is our pick as the 2007 Australian Open Women's Single Champion.
Enjoy the tournament!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Sportsman of the Year and Nadal in India
Over the past couple of weeks, I've read a few articles decrying Sports Illustrated's choice for 2006 Sportsman of the Year, Dwyane Wade, rather than tennis superstar Roger Federer. While I don't disagree with the premise that Federer is a more deserving candidate based on his 2006 accomplishments, and his graciousness on and off court, I'm completely unsurprised by SI's choice. Tennis is a faint blip on the American sports radar screen and it's a blip that is fading more and more with each passing day since the departure of Andre Agassi at last year's US Open. Without an American male or female at the top of the game, tennis won't garner the attention of the provincial American sports fan, and that attitude is mirrored by magazines like Sports Illustrated. At this moment in time, I think SI's Sportsman of the Year could only come from one of the following sports: Football, Baseball, Basketball and NASCAR. Two notable exceptions to candidates from these sports are Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods. Both of these men are American icons and no other participant from their respective professions would have a chance. So while we all may disagree with Sports Illustrated's choice for 2006 Sportsman of the Year, we can't really be surprised by it, can we???
While it's fun to discuss Sports Illustrated's perhaps controversial choice for Sportsman of the Year, it doesn't address the real problem of why no tennis player will win this particular award, regardless of accomplishment, in the near future. First, there are no American players, male or female, at the top of the game and there don't seem to be any on the horizon. Andy Roddick and James Blake you say - I think not. With Federer around, these two men won't have a chance to reach the pinnacle of the game. However, Roddick and Blake are two American men in the top 10 so you would think that that would garner some media attention. The fact of the matter is that it hasn't and it makes me pessimistic that the rise of an American superstar can rescue tennis from the dustbin of the American sports landscape. One or two players near the top may not be enough - we may need a dozen or so in the top 30! Of course, the likelihood of this happening diminishes each day as community based programs for soccer, football, basketball, baseball and lacrosse organize and attract more American youth. Does the USTA understand this? Does it understand that the next great American champion isn't likely to come from some upper middle-class white community where children don't have to work for what they want? There are millions of great athletes in this country and many of the best ones don't have tennis as a choice. The USTA needs to consider that when trying to grow the game in America.
Nadal loses in Chennai
I found the news today that Rafael Nadal lost to Xavier Malisse in straight sets at the Chennai Open to be a little deflating. I was hoping that Nadal would begin to return to his place as the clear-cut number two player in the world, and this loss is giving me some doubts about his ability to do that. While Malisse is a quality player, under no circumstances should the true number 2 player in the world lose to him in the semi-final of a tournament. This is exactly the kind of match that Nadal should be winning in straight sets if he is to mount a true challenge to Roger Federer at this year's Australian Open. There was a part of me that really wanted to predict a Nadal triumph in Melbourne in 2007, but that part of me has retreated to the background to lick its wounds after today's disappointing result. Perhaps I'll feel differently when the draw for the Open is released, but until then, I can't shake the feeling that Roger Federer will continue his domination over the sport with another title in Australia.
While it's fun to discuss Sports Illustrated's perhaps controversial choice for Sportsman of the Year, it doesn't address the real problem of why no tennis player will win this particular award, regardless of accomplishment, in the near future. First, there are no American players, male or female, at the top of the game and there don't seem to be any on the horizon. Andy Roddick and James Blake you say - I think not. With Federer around, these two men won't have a chance to reach the pinnacle of the game. However, Roddick and Blake are two American men in the top 10 so you would think that that would garner some media attention. The fact of the matter is that it hasn't and it makes me pessimistic that the rise of an American superstar can rescue tennis from the dustbin of the American sports landscape. One or two players near the top may not be enough - we may need a dozen or so in the top 30! Of course, the likelihood of this happening diminishes each day as community based programs for soccer, football, basketball, baseball and lacrosse organize and attract more American youth. Does the USTA understand this? Does it understand that the next great American champion isn't likely to come from some upper middle-class white community where children don't have to work for what they want? There are millions of great athletes in this country and many of the best ones don't have tennis as a choice. The USTA needs to consider that when trying to grow the game in America.
Nadal loses in Chennai
I found the news today that Rafael Nadal lost to Xavier Malisse in straight sets at the Chennai Open to be a little deflating. I was hoping that Nadal would begin to return to his place as the clear-cut number two player in the world, and this loss is giving me some doubts about his ability to do that. While Malisse is a quality player, under no circumstances should the true number 2 player in the world lose to him in the semi-final of a tournament. This is exactly the kind of match that Nadal should be winning in straight sets if he is to mount a true challenge to Roger Federer at this year's Australian Open. There was a part of me that really wanted to predict a Nadal triumph in Melbourne in 2007, but that part of me has retreated to the background to lick its wounds after today's disappointing result. Perhaps I'll feel differently when the draw for the Open is released, but until then, I can't shake the feeling that Roger Federer will continue his domination over the sport with another title in Australia.
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