Archive for the ‘Australian Open’ Category
Does calmness make the player?
Although Roger Federer beat Ivo Karlovic in straight sets, there were moments when you would have forgiven Federer for acting out in frustration. In any given match, no matter how good you are, there must be moments when things just don’t turn out the way you want them to. In those moments you’d forgive a player for venting his frustrations.
But what if you are Roger Federer? His reputation for having a cool, calm head no matter what the circumstances is well deserved. He has gone through hellish matches with the same measured calm as when he is comfortably winning (at least, on the outside). After his match with Karlovic, Federer told reporters that he sometimes just wants to go crazy. Like other players who scream and shout and throw their rackets around, Roger sometimes feel the emotions sizzle and wishes for the chance to throw a wobbly.
So why doesn’t he? Apparently, it’s because nobody remembers his early days. Anyway who does know Federer’s history knows that he used to throw some tantrums in his time. He threw rackets, kicked water bottles, all relatively minor stuff but completely unheard of in the Federer nowadays.
After 10 years of being the Buddha of the tour, he now has a reputation to uphold. As he states himself, he is now a role model to thousands of people young and old. He needs to maintain his calm because that is what is expected of him. When it comes to incentives to stay cool, that’s a pretty useful one.
As one of the best players ever to gr more »
Scaling tennis mountain
Day 6 means we’re tantalisingly close to the end, but still just too far. Enjoyable for us, barely maintained torture for the players baking out on the Melbourne courts every day. Here’s a quick roundup of everything that has happened in these last few days:
Novak Djokovic barely stopped for breath whilst beating Nicholas Mahut, losing only 2 games, and looks as good as he did this time last year when he went on to win the Australian Open. Poor Mahut didn’t have much of a chance with a strapped up leg and Novak in a good mood, and it took only an hour and 14 minutes before was dispatched from the tournament. He was a hit with the crowd, though. After all, it was Mahut who narrowly lost to John Isner in the fifth set that went to 7-68 at Wimbledon 2010.
Michael Llodra couldn’t stop the force of Andy Murray. He was beaten 6-4 6-2 6-0 by Murray, not able to put up much of a fight. Murray’s sparkling form has had little to test it, so it will be interesting to see what happens to him over the next few days.
From the looks of things, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are on course to clash in the semi finals. Fans are rubbing their hands in glee. Roger is reaching his 1000th match on the Tour, and does he look like he’s slowing down? Does he heck. Having twins didn’t slow him down, turning 30 didn’t slow him down, so what will? Maybe Rafa, if only temporarily.
Then again, Roger’s game is an effective speed bump for Rafa’s form too. He dispatched the dangerous I more »
Day 3
Day Three of the Australian Open and already my confident choice of Stosur to win has been blasted in the foot by the proverbial shotgun. Surely the biggest upset of the tournament so far, Sam Stosur was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 by world number 59 Sorana Cirstea. Stosur was the home favourite, and the disappointment was palpable in the crowds as she was systematically blown away by a more focused opponent. A US champion should definitely not be beaten this early on in the first tournament of the year, on home turf, with a relatively straight forward opponent. Unfortunately for Sam it’s a habit she appears to have picked up this year.
The rest of the women’s results appear to be moving in a smoother direction. Petra Kvitova – no stranger to being thrown out in shock early exits – managed it through past Dushevina. Maria Sharapova is also safe, only dropping one game against the Argentine Dulko. Azarenka could come out of this tournament aa world number 1, and she seems on course so far after beating Australian wildcard Dellacqua with style and flourish.
Paths for the top seem similarly smooth in the men’s draw. Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have all made solid starts to the tournament. Andy Murray did better than his British compatriots and pushed through the first test. Even though he dropped the first set, Murray breezed through the rest of the first round challenge and that’s that hurdle passed.
Federer moved with the typical grace of a player who has done this all befor more »
2012 cometh
The annoying thing about tennis stars is that they probably keep to their New Year’s resolutions. More than that, I doubt they make any of the same sorts that we mere mortals do. Diets, new fitness regimes, I will bet any money that these sorts of resolutions do not pop up on tennis star’s lists. Apart from, maybe, ‘a new and improved’ diet, or ‘a brand new fitness regime with my new coach’.
Well that’s one that might be on Andy Murray’s list. As the dawn rises on 2012, Andy Murray announces the addition of Ivan Lendl to his coaching team. Yes, finally, Andy Murray has sat down and made the decision about who is going to be his coach. Ivan Lendl, the former world number 1 originally from the Czech Republic, has been hired to make Andy Murray the flavour of the year. Murray has been without a coach for a while, and so far it seems like he has made a good choice. Apparently, they share the same sense of humour. Probably something you need when you are/coach Andy Murray.
Too mean? Probably for my first blog, yes. Apologies, Andy. Good luck with the year ahead and it will indeed be interesting to see how the new coaching situation is handled. Murray has just won the Brisbane Open after all. So yes, this does look like a positive thing for Murray. It’s just that if I have to hear sports pundits call it ‘Murray’s year’ I am going to break new year’s resolution number 3.
Speaking of Australia, the draws have been announced for this year’s Open. Murray is seeded fourth, with more »
French Open Predictions
After the Australian Open has finished, what can we learn to carry forward to French Open? Are there any early predictions that can be made?
The biggest shift from the Australian Open to Rolland Garros is, of course, the move from hard court to clay. Playing on clay requires a different kind of player, and few make a smooth transition from one surface to the other (even Roger and Rafa have found difficulties in moving between the two). Spanish players are particularly good at the clay, with European courts having a high number of courts of this surface for the young players to grow up on.
So, it’s a no-brainer that Rafa will be transferring well to the clay. That is, if he has time to fully recover from his leg injuries. The current estimates for the time it will take is about 10 days, but with Rafa and his propensity for dodgy knees, who knows if this might become a more long-term problem. Nadal is staying tight-lipped about the injury, which hopefully is a good sign that it is just a quick annoyance that he does not want to dwell on.
So, if Nadal is back to fighting form then he will definitely be a contender. What about the winner of the slam Rafa missed out on on Sunday? Novak Djokovic doesn’t typically do well on the clay, although he has been getting better and better year by year. And, after proving that he has on a pretty impressive streak of form, maybe this will be the year that he really threatens on the clay.
Of course, there are the host of other pla more »
