2014 Australian Open Championship...Melbourne, Austalia

[GeoffWilliams]

Fed was the king. NOw he's just a don.

[don_budge]

Weather it is nobler...To Be or Not to Be-Come on Roger!

Hey, don_budge,
pretty interesting match between Falla and Wawrinka. Wawrinka looking awfully good to me. Went off the boil just a little in the third. He's lucky they are playing a night match. But he looks to me like he's really confident with the way he is hitting the ball.

They only have two more days of heat. Rafa got a not before 2:00 in the third match of the day tomorrow, but Federer is not before 5, Del Potro is not before 6, Murray is a second night match and Monfils is fourth match of the day on his court. That would be an edge against Rafa, but he is playing an Aussie 17 year-old wild card. The heat will not be a factor for any of them; maybe Del Potro; he looked pretty tired from Williams (who needs desperately to learn to S&V) yesterday; he's struggling dragging that big body around, but he also looks very good. The forecast is for the temperature to drop 25 to 30 degrees F on Saturday; and that is supposed to hold next week.

don

Can't believe I am still up watching the fourth set of Falla/Wawrinka, but here I am. Fatigue is taking its toll. Falla is very good at playing possum.

Very interesting tennis_chiro...aka "The Don" here on the forum. The weather is going to also be another factor when factoring in the conditions into the equation.

With a temperature drop this is another point in Roger Federer's favor if he is to have any chance at all. You see how tunnel visioned I am when it comes to the cast of characters. He is afterall..."The Living Proof" in the don_budge Paradigm of Tennis. The Kingdom of Tennis.

This tournament is going to get really interesting about the round of sixteen...that is my prediction.

[tennis_chiro]

Heat ends in two more days!

Hey, don_budge,
pretty interesting match between Falla and Wawrinka. Wawrinka looking awfully good to me. Went off the boil just a little in the third. He's lucky they are playing a night match. But he looks to me like he's really confident with the way he is hitting the ball.

They only have two more days of heat. Rafa got a not before 2:00 in the third match of the day tomorrow, but Federer is not before 5, Del Potro is not before 6, Murray is a second night match and Monfils is fourth match of the day on his court. That would be an edge against Rafa, but he is playing an Aussie 17 year-old wild card. The heat will not be a factor for any of them; maybe Del Potro; he looked pretty tired from Williams (who needs desperately to learn to S&V) yesterday; he's struggling dragging that big body around, but he also looks very good. The forecast is for the temperature to drop 25 to 30 degrees F on Saturday; and that is supposed to hold next week.

don

Can't believe I am still up watching the fourth set of Falla/Wawrinka, but here I am. Fatigue is taking its toll. Falla is very good at playing possum.

[don_budge]

2014 Australian Open...Melbourne, Australia

All of that being said...this tournament potentially could shape up to being one of the most interesting tournaments in recent history.

With the conditions being what they are and most of the players rather ill prepared for them we are going to witness a great deal of "improvisation". The eventual champion will be the man who best adapted himself to unsure conditions.

I am watching Wawrinka play Falla, a homey from Columbia, and the contrast of the court conditions is just as I have written. The lower and flatter trajectory has the advantage over the longer rallying heavy topspin. The opportunities at the net increase but with unsure technique it becomes an adventure.

It isn't only the uncertain net play either. The players that are all accustomed to high bounding, slower balls are going to be just a tad uncertain as they try and adjust to the bounce and speed that has grown to be monotonous on the tour. Plus their responses to players that are forced to come to the net are going to be a bit uncertain as well. Very interesting from a student of the game point of view. From a tactical and technique point of view. Fascinating stuff.

The results and outcomes may be less predictable than they have in the past. As I said...this could get interesting. That's a good thing.

[don_budge]

The Precious Paradigm...Bill Tilden is the Book

The Precious Paradigm...Bill Tilden is the Book...Richard Gonzales is the model with the Don Budge backhand. Harry Hopman is the coach and Roger Federer is living proof.

tough post don_budge .

But I can't disagree on the points you make on Serve and volley. You have spoken the truth.

As for the Aussie Open,,,

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

“You’re damn right...”, said John McEnroe to Jiminy Glick.

Yes it was klacr...it was a tough post. But it was one that was easy to write and I didn’t bother to edit it. There are some grammatical mistakes in it. Maybe I will clean it up a bit...or maybe it is better in its raw state.

Then you said...”As for the Aussie Open”...well son, I am afraid that what I am writing about is the 2014 Australian Open. This is the story. It is deep...and long. Like a good penetrating approach shot. Designed to surgically open up the court leaving a gaping wound in the opponent.

The truth...the truth is that most people cannot handle the truth. The truth is...it is bad news all the way around. The precious paradigm that was constructed on the grave of classic tennis may just be crumbling. Well good riddance I say...let the walls come tumbling down. It’s amazing isn’t it? Just slick up the courts a bit and guess what...every single USPTA tennis professional is standing there with their shorts pulled down to their ankles. That’s the tough news.

All of the gimmickry in the “ATP forehand” and the rest of it is right down the shoot. Why? Because Tilden is the book...the strong grips and ridiculously high backswing renders this forehand a liability if you are not playing sound tactical tennis on a slicked up tennis court. Tennis courts should be slick too...not all of them. But some of them. Tennis courts should be high bounding and slow too...but not all of them.

Read "Match Play and the Spin of the Ball" if anyone is remotely interested in what "Tennis in the Kingdom" is. Tilden's writings are timeless and they solve the riddle of why modern tennis fails to live up to it's billing. Why it is inadequate compared to the classic game. It has to do with a combination of the courts, speed and height of the bounce, the coaching and most of all...the abominable oversized racquet with the suped up strings. Ah what the hell...throw in the stringers too. Cheaters? A cheater is one who looks for an unfair advantage over their opponent.

So variety is the spice of life...and it should be the paradigm of tennis courts in the world of tennis. This “planet of tennis” is a fake mockery of the real world and hopefully this tournament is the first salvo in a revolution...but it probably won’t be. For many reasons...first and foremost being money.

The enemy...it’s complicated. So many are actually innocent. Innocent by reason of ignorance. But there are far too many that are guilty...guilty by reason of being in denial even though they have the intelligence and the facts.

Take Fafa Nadal for instance. Listen to this whining, low brow moron. Typical athlete and just one good reason why it is 99 times out of a 100 a boring proposition to listen to any interview of an athlete. I wonder if he knows that historically the Australian Open was a grass court tournament. You see...it is not all about you...Fafa.

“Completely different conditions than what I remembered of this tournament, faster conditions that I ever played here in Australia,” Nadal said, his tone indicating displeasure with the perceived change.

Nadal expressed confusion over why the Open would want to change the conditions that he believes produce the most epic and enjoyable matches.

“I really don’t understand very well why they change because the last couple of years, Australian Open had amazing matching, long ones, good ones for the crowd,” he said Saturday. “I don’t know why the people who decide to make the conditions that fast. I am not sure for the show is the best thing. But they decide, and I’m just a player to try to be competitive from the beginning.”

“I thought Craig Tiley was a good friend.”

What Fafa is really saying is..."waaaaa, the faster courts make it impossible for me to run around my backhand if anybody has the common sense to play it there and the ball doesn't set up high enough for me to take my rodeo forehand swing at it."

You see...Fafa is referring to one Craig Tiley who is the tournament director at the Australian Open. For him to even make a comment about a tournament director being his “friend” is cause to pause. Does the tournament director owe him a favor? Over and above the rest of the field? Moron is not a strong enough word...I have always suspected this about Nadal. I wouldn’t put anything past him. He sees himself as a great manipulator of the truth...but in reality he isn’t that convincing. At least...not to me.

Well I was up in the middle of the night here in Sweden looking in on the foreplay of the early rounds and it was just as I wrote yesterday. I would have been laughing out loud, it was so comical, but I didn’t want to wake Frankie who was snoring peacefully in the next room. How many times did I witness players coming to the net and having absolutely no idea what the hell to do up there? The approach shots were atrocious. The volley skills non-existent. Marginal smashing. Even the drop shots were being totally mishandled as the ball was not sitting up like a huge cupcake begging to slugged into next week. Just think what will happen if they really do slick up the courts. The whole house of cards comes tumbling down. Say goodbye to your ATP forehand...it isn't suitable for play in the forecourt.

I watched quite a bit of tennis last night. I dropped in on a bunch of matches. It gave me a sense of deep satisfaction to watch the carnival on the tube...my “beloved” Imac. I watched Jerzy “Joe” Janowicz. tennis_chiro is not the only one watching this loose cannon. And at this point that is exactly what he is...a loose cannon. Serve and volley? Of course...but there is a problem. And skills. He is not tooled for the serve and volley game. It takes a mind set (right klacr?) and he isn’t geared for it. If he gets passed a couple of times he is liable to lay down on the court and have a temper tantrum. tennis_chiro was spot on as usual when he threw that shit fit down in Miami. It isn’t necessarily passion as I was hoping for...it is more like petulance.

But if Jerzy was properly schooled this would be a perfect venue for him with his flatter groundstrokes...as tennis_chiro is down on his knees praying that “The Kid” would get someone in his corner to teach him such tactics. He needs way more spin on his serve. It looks as if Djokovic and Federer has some inside information when they decided to hire the celebrity coaches to stand in for the usual. They needed some schooling in the approach and volley department. The dead school of net play. The rooster has come home to roost...and the rest of the field is ill prepared for it.

It’s a long shot...but for me it is the only shot. Roger just might have the conditions to his liking. The combination of the balls and the court with a brand spanking new “Excalibur” in his trusty hand...could he do it? Well it’s a romantic dream, but realistically probably not. The weather may just take it’s toll on him. But who knows? I could see him taking a less than 100 percent Andy Murray out with the playing conditions. Then anything could happen. The weather is going to take something out of everybody and if Roger can resurrect his old school game that he was brought up with...well I have to check myself here. It is probably too much to hope for...but on paper he is the one that has the schooling and the tools to work out this logistical problem of navigating the net.

The rest of them...sorry lobndropshot...Ferrer looked pretty darned uncomfortable playing on the faster surface. The big old Prince wasn’t big enough for him to learn to adapt to the speed of the court. But we will see about that little piece of business too. Tomas Burdych just may be another player who might benefit from shorter points.

This 2014 Australian Open is a huge story and could have some real impact on the future of modern tennis. Once the results are in and all of the geniuses and accountants have all of their facts and figures the powers that be will determine a ways forwards. Don’t count on them to do the right thing though...only the most economical thing.

But as far as the truth goes, klacr...I don't really know. I don't really claim to know. All that I can do is write something that represents a plausible reality...like a movie writer should do. Afterall...isn't that what we are all doing...just making pictures?

[tennis_chiro]

Janowicz squeaks through

It's so tough to watch Jerzy play. There is so much potential there. Even though he is 6' 8" tall, he actually has the quickness to be able to S&V effectively. I'm not sure any of the other guys over 6'5" tall actually do. Just imagine what Edberg would have done with some of the returns Jerzy sees, not only off his serve, but off his returns as well. He does not return as consistently as Edberg did, but if he toned it down just a bit, he could probably be reasonably consistent and he would still be presenting a daunting challenge to his opponent if he directed those returns down the line and came in.

He'll have to get over his injury problems to get past Florian Mayer in the next round and get to Ferrer, but he could be so much more effective if someone would get him to come in a little more. He throws away so many points swinging for the fences. With his height and reach, chip and charge might even work, but an easy return deep down the line and charge definitely would work...and it would even make his drop shot more effective.

Hate to see all the wasted energy with the stupid histrionics. He actually got a great draw and was lucky to get through these two matches. If he doesn't have a pulled groin, he could be really tough for Mayer and then Ferrer, but not with injuries and not if he just swings for the fences like he did with Andujar today. I think he'll have to play a more intelligent, complete game to beat either of those two in best of five.

don

[klacr]

Isner would be a tremendous serve and volley player if he just relied on his
2nd serve. Many tour players have commented that his 2nd serve is tougher to return due to its height than a fast 1st serve. Of course, his serve is great, but he'd really have to learn how to properly volley. But Geoff is right, Isner should embrace s&v. Or he can continue to grind out baseline rallies during his service games. How's that working for him? I want to see Isner do well but very frustrating to watch.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Isner and Roddick don't sv IMHO, because they serve too fast. Edberg didn't go for aces, just a good kicker so that he could get to the net fast.

[GeoffWilliams]

Why in hell isn't Isner sv? All those crazy fifth set matches would go by the way side. Fed took Edberg in for sv lessons, as he knows, he can't out grind the top guys. He also is playing that blacked out 98 sq in. frame, with the side weights, that sv players love, to combat twist weighted passing shots.

[klacr]

tough post don_budge .

But I can't disagree on the points you make on Serve and volley. You have spoken the truth.

As for the Aussie Open, with Tomic pulling up lame (not too surprised) and Hewitt being upset by Andreas Seppi, fans were disappointed. By two young Australians named Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have stepped up and won their first round matches. Hopefully the future looks bright for a country with a tennis rich tradition.

Federer took out a young Aussie in James Duckworth who happened to be using the old trick of standing out wide on the ad side and pulling Fed wide on the BH side. Good to see players giving opponents different looks on the serve. Still didn't work as Fed cruises.

tennis_chiro's boy Janowicz came back from two sets down as did Marin Cilic.

Isner retired in his match against Klizan. Very tough for the #1 American.

Here are Isner's last 8 majors...
Lost 18-16 in the fifth set
Lost 7-5 in the fifth set
Lost 6-4 in the fifth set
w/d
Lost 10-8 in the fifth set
retired
Lost 7-6 in the 4th
retired

Djokovic cruised in a very entertaining but straightforward match vs. Lukas Lacko.
Match of the tournament so far was Gilles Simon and Daniel Brands. 3 days ago Gilles Simon was still on crutches recovering from injury. Guess he felt better since he beat Brands 16-14 in the fifth set. The final set of the Simon/Brands match lasted nearly 30 minutes longer than the entire Andy Murray/Go Soeda match. May be smooth sailing for top seeds until the quarters. Berdych and Ferrer quarterfinal match approaching. Tberd has made quarters of Aussie Open last 3 years. Could take it at least one step further before he meets Djokovic.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

The Speed of the Courts and the Balls...A developing story

On the other hand, it seems like the speed of the courts has the players moving to the net a little more than last year. Anyone else notice this?

don

Watching the matches so far the best that I can come up with is...ho hum. Boring...boring...boring. Except for Roger Federer of course. I can always hold out with a bit of hope as long as he is in the draw. But then again...I bet with my heart. Which makes me a loser.

But it is the speed of the courts that is the compelling story so far. In all of the interviews and post match commentary that I have heard so far the speed of the courts and the balls were the main topic of conversation. But then again...I only saw Fafa Nadal being interviewed and I only heard the comments of my fellow Swede Mats Wilander.

Fafa is a dreadful interview. My oh my...he is a dumbass isn't he. Please tell me why his left eyebrow is so arched when he is making one of his stupid comments about either his injuries, his game, his fake respect for anything etc. Anyone that is a fan of this guy is attracted to low brow worship...real elementary stuff. As far as I am concerned his game sort of lacks any sort of real indicator of intelligence either. Forehand...topspin...forehand...topspin...forehand ...topspin ad infinitum. But that's the "greatest player ever"...not. So one-dimensional and so very boring. On court and off. He's not alone, he's just at the top. James Courier did nothing to showcase this guy's intelligence either in his interview he only confirmed what is missing.

Fafa had some rather interesting comments about the courts. They didn't even qualify as left-handed compliments. Mats Wilander said that Nadal does like quick ball though...so maybe the two things equal things out from the Nadalian perspective.

Quickening the courts is not the answer to the games problem either with the way that it is being played in the modern era. But now we are going to have quicker points with a bunch of professionals that look amateurish when the are approaching the net and volleying. From what little that I have watched so far all that I can say is that it is laughable. I don't really believe there are any accomplished serve and volleyers out there. Mostly they are delegated to the backcourts to play doubles which is not really the real game of doubles any longer with contests being decided with tie-breakers in lieu of a third or deciding set. Serious problems in the "planet of tennis" as the overly dramatic and slurpy Rupert what's his name was gushing up his idea of a good idea to Sir Rodney and Sir Roger. Sir R & R.

What we are going to witness with the quicker courts and quicker balls is going to be somewhat amusing. Some players will get it into their noggins that perhaps it will be a good idea to try and conclude things at the net. Not that it is a bad idea, it is only that they have spent all of their lives camped out on the baseline. Quick balls and quick courts? What to do? Anyone remember approaching with slice that makes the ball "lie down"? I doubt it. Certainly this is not in the average players repertoire. Perhaps somewhere in Federer's DNA he has some genetic awareness of what used to be like to attack the net. Obviously he was forewarned of the engineering process underway...thus the addition of Stefan "Sleepy Bear" Edberg to his corner.

But of any player in the field the conditions favor Roger Federer's game. The only problem for Federer that he will not be able to overcome...is his age. The temperature downunder is down right strange according to Mats Wilander and the comely what's her name...Annabelle something or other. I can never remember her name...she is forgettable as well. Her empty lead up questions usually fall harmlessly short in the court.

Be that as it may...game on. I look forwards to the continuing utter nonsense discussions about the courts and the balls. The weird commentary about issues that have a deep and compelling history being bantered about by imbeciles in the commentary booth. Even Wilander glosses over things. Either these guys are unaware of the history of tennis or more than likely they fear for their jobs...like everyone else connected to the game. Everything hanging flimsily and precariously in the balance. One loose comment and it is into the mulch pile with the offending mouth.

Speeding up the courts and balls is not the answer. Even if the players were technically and tactically up to the challenge what we will have is a form or level of incompetence at a professional level. Brad Gilbert had it absolutely correct when he commented that the "modern" game of serve and volley was equally boring as the current interpretation or invention of the game. That was way too fast as well. The funny thing is...there is very few left to remember that the game was never broken in the first place. The final days of classic tennis were as good as it ever was. The game was evolving...ever so slowly and gradually just as nature would have had it. The wood was good for the game. There was a "Tennis in the Kingdom"...but that mythical world has been utterly destroyed by the very technology that is promoted as the cure for what ails you. The bigger racquet certainly makes it easier for the average Joe to play tennis but in the hands of professionals...it has made a mockery of the game.

The current fashion of lauding guys like Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Patrick Rafter as somehow pioneers of serve and volley only serve to perpetuate the myth of modern tennis. The truth is...it is a sad story.

[GeoffWilliams]

Fed knows he can't win the grinding matches against the top players any more. There is too much ad campaign pressure to bring in more viewers, who never did like wham bam no thank you ma'am tennis.

Those of us who did, were also able to love the grinders, and that's the problem. No one cares about the slower courts, slower balls, faster defenders, etc. It's the same reason no one cares about string, or stringing methods. Only students of the game love sv, and string.

[don_budge]

Engineering the game of tennis...The 2014 Australian Open

Just as the game of tennis has been engineered in the New World of cyberspace or virtual reality and virtual morality...so has society. One only has to open their eyes...but why bother? It is so much easier to exist with eyes wide shut. -don_budge

Nadal mentioned that courts are faster than last year.
The corresponding interview
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/sp...ef=sports&_r=0
Federer complained as well as expected

Thanks for posting the NY Times article. I think that there is a difference between complaining and making poignant and astute observations.

Here is the bit about Federer and what he said...

While playing in the faster conditions of Brisbane, Roger Federer bemoaned that no matter how the balls were changed, the gritty courts in Melbourne would fluff up the felt on the balls.

“You can speed up the balls as much as you want, they’re going to be so fuzzed up after two games that it’s just going to be hard to hit winners and service winners,” he said. “If that’s what people want to see, just rallies, rallies, rallies all the time, then it’s good to have a slow court. If you want a bit more even ground for everybody, even the lower-ranked guys and more danger for the top guys, you go with a faster court. Maybe we’ll get more serve-and-volley back into the game or more of the unknown, which I think is nice.”

Federer, the No. 6 seed at the Open, also pointed out that conditions in the late rounds in Melbourne were altered by having the semifinal and final rounds played at night, which he said had “slowed down conditions drastically over time.” The semifinals first moved to night sessions in 2000, and the first men’s night final was in 2005.

“I think it’s quite incredible how things have slowed down over the years,“ Federer said of the tour in general. “I remember when I came up on tour with Lleyton things were so different,” he said, referring to Lleyton Hewitt, who turned pro in 1998, the same year as Federer. “We had to change our games around to be able to still compete today.”

end of bit...

Roger is corroborating exactly what I am alluding to in the engineering of the game. He even puts in a plug for a revival of the serve and volley game that has gone into hibernation as klacr is writing about so eloquently in his series of articles. From Roger's vantage point he has a perfectly good reason to "complain"...or rather comment about the engineering. Afterall, it is a question of fairness in the end. Isn't that the point of the rigid political correctness enforced on the masses in our Orwellian world. Yet...large corporations exist and operate under the guise of their own agendas...the ITF is above the law. They are the law. Hmmm...more metaphor to life as in government and its role of serving the people.

There is controversy here about some rather minor or subtle changes in the court surface. All of the top players are voicing their opinions. Why wouldn't they? They have vested interests. I wonder where the NY Times was when the sport of tennis made the decision that anything goes concerning the equipment...oversize racquets. I wonder where the NY Times was when the game was raped by the vested interests of the powers that be. I know where they were...in the pockets of the equipment companies, the ITF and all of their other corporate partners in crime. Just as the they are now with their fantasy interpretation of realistic news coverage...in the pockets of vested interests.

It is one of the strangest phenomenas that I have ever witnessed in all of my years and experience in life...how the sport of tennis managed that transformation without a single mention or controversy that I know of. Why is it the opinions of John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl or Jimmy Connors were never heard in the news? The transformation was completed at the 1984 U. S. Open. What a coincidence...except there are no coincidences in politics. I personally quit the game for almost 15 years because I was so disgusted with the sport. Oh well...live and learn. Hopefully.

[julian1]

Faster courts?

Nadal mentioned that courts are faster than last year.
The corresponding interview
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/sp...ef=sports&_r=0
Federer complained as well as expected

[tennis_chiro]

Stepanek Served and Volleyed

One never knows about the future. Every once in a while a dream comes true. But what is that? Coincidence? Fate?

Yeah...the courts. Let's get some quantification on the courts. The engineering could be under way. Is there any reason why the secretive bastards that are asserting their discretions on the game of tennis wouldn't share them with us...the unwitting morons that they perceive us to be?

The ITF...what an outfit. Always has been. No wonder John McEnroe was having a tizzy that basically lasted for the duration of his career. Here he was at the zenith...playing five set finals at Wimbledon against the Norse God of Tennis Björn Borg and the ITF basically goes and change the rules on everyone for that matter. The real studs of tennis at that time didn't revert until the very last...Borg, McEnroe, Connors and Lendl.

The ITF somehow overnight basically ordained an anything goes policy...that is, they allowed for oversized racquets without any specifications whatsoever. For a hundred years or more the standard sized woodie was good enough for the lords and commoners alike. But all of a sudden...out of nowhere an intervention was underway. They said that size didn't matter. Guess what...it does. A reinvention. Did anybody notice that the racquets got bigger? A facetious question in light of tennis_chiro's query..."did anyone else notice this?" Trust me...nothing escapes me.

But they are back at it again. I predicted as much a couple of years ago. The game is ridiculously boring the way that it has been engineered and the only thing funny about it is how the mass public bought into it hook, line and sinker. Tennis is a metaphor for life much of the time...just look around you as the masses buy into the modern paradigm of life. Ha!

Last year there was a very good article that I read about precisely this...the engineering of the game. Much of the subject was about the speed of the courts at the Australian Open. There was much grousing and complaining going on by players, fans, journalists...everyone it seems was complaining that the courts were too damn slow and the bounce was too high. It doesn't take one of your genius PhD's to figure out that something has been rotten in Denmark for a very long time. Sometimes I wonder how guys like Rod Laver and the like can stomach the new game compared to the old...but the thing is these guys are all trying to make a buck still off of their legendary. It's human nature.

So here is my prediction...the game is under reconstruction once again. If it isn't...it should be. An entire basic part of the game has been deleted...the art of volleying, serve and volleying, approaching the net. All that is left is serve, forehand and backhand. Even the remaining elements are one track mentality...if you want to call that mentality. I would call it an absence of. A lot of the material here on this website has been more or less heading in this direction. The current effort of klacr invoking the memory of serve and volley and the like. Kirston Popp's classic game revisited...the opportunity attack. People don't like to talk about the obvious...conventional wisdom is synonymous with political correctness these days. Shhh....the NSA is listening.

So let the games begin. This stuff reminds me of Big Time Wrestling more and more. The coliseum of ancient Rome another venue that comes to mind. Trotting out these legends as coaches. Pure Hollywood. Coaching on the court. Can't players think for themselves any longer? What is so difficult in holding to a game plan...or even devising one? A player has a team around them? The ones that can afford them do...you see, it's all about the almighty buck in the end.

Don't get me wrong...I love tennis. At least I used to. But Roger Federer will soon be leaving the stadium. Perhaps not as dramatically as Elvis did...but just as significantly. I hear a giant sucking noise...like the air going out of a balloon. It's no coincidence the engineering is under way. There are no coincidences...not in politics.

Fafa vs. Joker in the final. The rest is foreplay. Let's keep an eye on the play at the net. Afterall...it is tennis, you know.

Radek was able to make a match out of his contest with Del Potro because he got to the net a lot. If the court was just a little slower, I think Juan Martin would have routined him 2 and 2. Stepanek may well be the best practitioner of net play left among today's singles players. Without his superior front court skills, he would struggle to have a spot in the top 100.

Federer and Murray should take a look at the tape of the Stepanek/Del Potro match. The formula is right there for everyone to see.

don