The Blog That Started It All...

This blog is from January 18, 2008.  I wrote this on my myspace after watching a match between Roddick and Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Australian Open.  Going into the match I didn't like Andy Roddick, but I didn't really hate him either.  On this day, and after showing just how big a piece of shit he is, I have despised Roddick ever since.  Enjoy.

Okay, so I just got done watching the amazing and almost flawless tennis match between Germany's Phillip Kohlschreiber and the United States' own Andy "douche" Roddick. Both players played amazing and each made hardly any errors. Kohlschreiber won in a marathon of a 5-set match. That is not what i'm writing about so lets get to the good stuff.

This is about the actions and sportsmanship of Andy Roddick. There was a specific point where Kohlschreiber hit the line, but Roddick anticipated incorrectly that the ball would land out and chose not to attempt to play the point. Well the ball landed in. Which put "assgoblin" Roddick on tilt. Even after an official challenge where they use computer synthesized replays it showed the ball obviously hitting the line. There were other camera angles and it was in major agreement by all announcers in the booth that the point was obviously good, and a good call. Well this wasn't good enough for "asshat Andy". During the change-over where the players are able to sit down and get a drink of water he proceeded to yell at the chair umpire. The gem of his tantrum was "I bet you dropped out of school when you were in second grade. Is this the job you get if you drop out of school?" Then stood up and yelled to the crowd. "HEY KIDS!! STAY IN SCHOOL." What a class act "jugglenuts" Roddick is.

Although it was kind of entertaining and fulfilling ot watch. I love it when the "golden boy" proves once again to be nothing but fool's gold. The American savior of tennis is choking under the pressure. Its a beautiful thing to watch this guy fail......Okay lets pan away for a second and go to Roddick's coach. The great Jimmy Connors. Standing up and yelling like an old "red-nosed" drunk. Hmmmmm I wonder why its so hard to like you Andy.

So with this loss "Captain America" Andy's chances of getting another major (he got lucky a few years ago, somehow.) slowly fade away. Which I guess is a good thing. Hopefully retirement is on the horizon. I would say it gets old watching you be Federer's, Nadal's, Djokovic's, Davydenko's bitch. But you actually have to make it past the 3rd round to play them. So you can be the jobber to legends like Philip Kohlschreiber, Carlos Moya, Sebastian Grosjean's of the world. But its kinda fun to watch you melt down and show the true colors of your "turddom" to the world. So when the day you do retire it will be quite bitter-sweet. I'm sure you will be missed. Just not by the person at the keyboard right now.

So Andy, GET OFF MY TV SCREEN. Pack your shit up and catch your plane. You played a great match. Some of the best tennis i've seen in awhile. Its the extra-curicular garbage that I will remember. So when you get home go sit in the corner for 10 minutes. Brats need to be treated like brats.

Mardy Fish can join you. He had a meltdown and whined his way to a loss as well. Maybe you guys can share a blankey on the ride home. Hopefully your homies James Blake, and the Williams' sisters will join you back in the homeland soon. I have nothing against the remaining American Sam Querrey. Because when I hear his name all i can say is "Who?". Sammy will be done today. Novak Djokovic will make quick and hopefully painless work of Mr. Querrey. It was good knowing you. I ask one question before your demise. "Did your last name get you tons of teasing as a kid?"

So in conclusion. "Chode" Andy Roddick and the rest of the Americans are an embarrassment. I haven't seen such whiners and crybabies since i picked my nephew and niece up from daycare a few years ago. So to the rest of the Americans left. (what few 'overrated' chumps you are.) Please lose soon and get off my television screen. I want to see true classy champions play.

AMERICA!! FUCK YEAH!!!

Here is the video clip of the incident:

Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year.  The 2010 tennis season begins on Monday, hopefully it will be just as good as 2009.

News and Notes

Juan Martin Del Potro is ready to replace Andy Murray as the #4 ranked mens player in the world.  Murray will not be defending his champions points at Doha, causing him to slip #5.

Mario Ancic is working towards another comeback.  The 25 year old Croatian who once was ranked as high as #7 , but has struggled since contracting mono a couple years ago.  During his time away while being sick, Ancic began studying law and recently became a lawyer.  During this past season (2009) Ancic announced his retirement to focus on his law career.  It seems the "tennis bug" has now hit Ancic, and he is now taking small steps  to get himself back in action on the tennis court, not the court of law.  "I don't even want to consider a return to the Top 10" said Ancic.  "the most important thing is to start to roll now."  Ancic is pointing towards a possible Davis Cup appearance in March, when Croatia faces Ecuador.

The ITF is pissed about the ruling to let French tool Richard Gasquet play after testing positive of traces of cocaine in his system.  I can't blame them, but they need to realize hes an underachieving turd and won't really make much noise on the court...now off the court is a different story.

The United States Davis Cup Team's 2010 first round opponent has been named.  The Americans will face Serbia in Belgrade on indoor clay March 5-7.  Look for a first round loss for the USA.  Americans and clay do not mix well, and will have to face Djokovic and possibly Tipsarevic in the homeland.  Should make for some crazy atmosphere.

Victoria Azarenka and coach Antonio van Grichen are no longer working together.  Van Grichen took Azarenka from junior champion to the #6 ranking in the world....This may not be a good thing for Azarenka in my opinion.  She seems to have come a long ways in just a short period of time.  Hopefully her new coach will help her with the mental aspect of the game.  She needs to quit having the on-court meltdowns when things are not going her way.

Player of the Decade

Roger Federer is not only the player of the decade, but most likely the "greatest player to ever live".  Instead of rambling on about how great he is, I'm going to just list some of his accomplishments.  After seeing some of these things you begin to realize just how amazing the guy really is, and doesn't get enough credit for all of his accomplishments. 

1. Roger Federer during the 00's won a mens record 15 Grand Slam Championships.
2. He won a record 5 straight U.S. Open titles from '04-'08.
3. Won 6 Wimbledon championships '03-'07 and '09
4. "The Rog" won 3 Australian Open titles.
5. Won a French Open title to earn the "career grand slam" which is winning a title at all 4 different Grand Slam tournaments
6. 1st man to be ranked #1 for atleast four consecutive (non-calendar) years.
7. Roger Federer currently is on a streak of reaching the semifinals at 22 straight Grand Slam events.  The last time he has not made it to the semifinals was the French Open in '04.  That in itself is amazing.

The list goes on and on and Roger's achievments can be seen here Fed's accomplishments.

Recently the AP named Tiger Woods the athlete of the decade.  Lance Armstrong was second, with Federer coming in third...REALLY?  A "blood-doper", who rides a bicycle in second?  It should of been a 1a and 1b with Woods and Federer in my opinion.  A roid'er who blood dopes just to ride his bike through some mountains is not worthy of being on this list.  Well maybe down the list, tied with Brandon Inge.

Players of the Year

The players of the year on both the men and womens sides are pretty obvious.  There was 2 players who dominated the Grand Slam seasons, and took back their #1 rankings. 

Roger Federer throughout the 2009 season was heads and shoulders above his competition.  He started the year out by making it to the finals of the Australian Open, where he lost in a tough 5 sets to Rafael Nadal.  At the next grand slam in June at the French Open, Federer took advantage of the upset loss to Rafael Nadal to claim his first ever French Open title, and complete the career grand slam.  With the victory in Paris, Federer tied Pete Sampras with 14 grand slam titles.  The tie did not last long.  A month later Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in an epic match to win Wimbledon, and become the only man in tennis history to have won 15 Grand Slam championships.  By this time Federer had become the #1 player in the world again.  Pushing Nadal back to #2.  Once again Federer was the man to beat at the U.S. Open.  He made it fairly easily to the finals, but was upset by the young up-and-coming Juan Martin Del Potro, and denied his 6th straight U.S. Open title... For someone who had questions about them whether their game was slipping or not, and if he still had it in him to get back to previous form, Roger Federer, in 2009 answered the critics with a loud YES, I'M STILL THE MAN

When not being a whining brat who believes she is almost entitled to things on the tennis court Serena Williams, when motivated is the best womens player by a significant margin.  The 2009 season was just proof of that.  She started 2009 out by winning the Australian Open, and followed that up with a quarterfinals finish at the French Open.  Serena then beat sister, Venus in the finals of Wimbledon to take her 2nd grand slam of the year.  The U.S. Open was a rollercoaster ride for Williams who played great in the first week of the tournament, but had a meltdown during the semifinals that led to her disqualification and a victory for eventual champion Kim Clijsters.  Serena came back strong and finished the year on a high note, by dominating the year end WTA Tour Championships.  With the win Serena guaranteed she would finish the year as the #1 woman tennis player in the world.  Proclaiming to the world  YES, I'M STILL THE MAN...uh wait, WOMAN!!

Druggies 3 ITF Suspensions 0

The results are in on the appeals of 3 suspended players.  WTA player Yanina Wickmayer, and ATP players Xavier Malisse and Richard Gasquet, have all been cleared to resume playing once again.  All 3 were facing atleast a year suspension.

Both Xavier Malisse and Yanina Wickmayer were freed to play by a Belgian court.  The Belgian court decided to suspend the one year suspensions.  Because this injunction suspended the decision of the Belgian National Anti-Doping Agency, the ITF was also forced to lift its ban as well.

So Malisse and Wickmayer weasled their way out of this one.  So now we are all spared of Malisse retiring, and he plans to try to qualify for the Australian Open.  Malisse is a scrub and isn't relevant.  If he does get into the Aussie Open, he will just be a jobber a top player will crush in the first round.  Actually, that might be kind of cool.  So good luck Xavier.  Hope to see you in Melbourne.

On the other hand this is great news for Wickmayer.  Wickmayer, the young 19 year old who is in the top 20 after a run to the U.S. Open semifinals can continue on with the great momentum she has made for herself.  After the lifting of the ban, Wickmayer received a wildcard to a tuneup tournament in New Zealand, and is hoping for a wildcard into the Australian Open. 

French "toolbag" Richard Gasquet also managed to be cleared of his alleged use of cocaine after the Court for Arbitration of Sport accepted his excuse that he had cocaine in his system because he was making out with some skank, who had cocaine on her lips at a Miami nightclub at 4 a.m. Hmmmm could Richard be getting some of Tiger's sloppy seconds? 

After hearing the ban had been lifted Gasquet said "I'm absolutely relieved.  This is the end of a crazy story." and also saying, "I'm happy to be 100% cleared".

I wonder if Richard will be reimbursed for the missed tournaments he would of been underachieving and choking at.

Stick A Fork In 'em Award goes to......

Here is an award that is given to a mens player and a womens player who were once very good, if not great, but now are way on their way to turdom.  So you can stick a fork in them, their chances of getting back to the level they once were are done.

Going into the 2008 season American, James Blake was the #10 player in the world.  Only a couple years prior in 2006 Blake was the #4 player in the world.  2009 was a pathetic year for James.  He started off the year making it to the 4th round of the Australian Open, but the middle of the year is where everything went bad.  Blake lost in the 1st round at both the French Open and Wimbledon, and ended the season losing in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open. On top of that he even got his ass kicked in Davis Cup.  Shitty results for someone who had so many hopes coming into the year.  James was hit by some injuries throughout the year, but tell me who doesn't get a little banged up.  Its not like he missed a lot of time.  He played in all 4 majors and was average at best.  Well between all four majors and averaging only getting to the 2nd round, thats pretty bad, even for a top 50 player.  So with his weak year came a pedestrian ranking of #44, which is where he ended this season.

Blake has never made it to a semifinal of a grand slam event.  Hes made it to the quarterfinals on only 3 different occasions in his career that started in 1998.  So tell me how does someone get the recognition and respect that James Blake gets when he's made it to the "final 8" only 3 times in 31 grand slam tournaments?  Being desperate after a horrible 2009 season, Blake fired his long time coach Brian Barker who has been his coach from the beginning of his career.  Well James, its not the coach.  You just aren't that good anymore. You're 29 which by tennis standard is bordering being a "geezer".  You never really were the most talented guy on tour, so your hopes of ever winning a grand slam, or even reaching the semifinals are done.  Hell, you will never make it to a quarterfinal ever again.  I'll go on record and say that James Blake will never be a top 15 player again.  SO PUT A FORK IN HIM!!  HE'S DONE!!

When your claim to fame for the 2009 season is when you were not allowed to play in a tournament, you know it wasn't a good year.  That is exactly how Shahar Peer's season will be remembered in 2009.  She is the Israeli who was not given a visa by the UAE government to play in a tournament in Dubai.  This drew the attention of mainstream news stations around the world.  The sad thing is, they weren't talking about her play on the court.  Her luck on the court wasn't any better on the court, than it was off of the court.  Her 2009 started by losing in the 1st round of the Australian Open, and then she missed the French Open due to injury.  At Wimbledon she lost in the 2nd round, and her best grand slam result was an appearance in the 3rd round at the U.S. Open.  These results are nothing like the glimpse of excellent potential she showed in 2007 when she made it to the quarters of both the Aussie Open and the U.S. Open and reached the 4th round at the French and 3rd round of Wimbledon.  In 2007 at only 20 years old Peer ranked #10 in the world showed she may be a top 10 possibly top 5 mainstay.  Ever since the end of 2007 it has been a struggle for her.  2008 saw her ranking slip to 38, and this past season she won 2 small tournaments in a row to reach a year end ranking of 30.  Winning 2 small tournaments with fields featuring none of the top players doesn't impress me much.  I don't see Peer being a factor in any major ever again, she may have a nice career having solid results in some small tournaments, but thats not good enough.  So at the age of 22 you can STICK A FORK IN HER, SHE'S DONE!!!.....yeah, the fork is kosher.

Most "Under the Radar" Players

This will be an award that goes to a player who is a top player, but doesn't get the recognition they deserve.  A player who is not in the media all that much, but keeps winning tournaments and playing at an elite level.  I guess it could be a player who is underappreciated.

 Nikolay Davydenko has been on the ATP tour since 2001, and has been a mainstay in the Top 10 the past 5 years.  Many of them years he was a top 5 player, but he never seems to get the recognition for his top play. The Russian isn't going to overpower anyone on the court, or overpower a press conference with crazy quotes, but would rather to just goes about playing the game well, and being humble about it.  Instead he just grinds away on the courts with a style that isn't the most flashy.  Davydenko is a smaller guy who is more of a "counter-puncher" and his playing style has been compared to like playing against a wall.  Basically whatever you hit at him, he'll more than likely return it back at you.  This type of play has made him into a tough opponent and a top level player on the court, but hasn't really endeared him to a lot of fans or journalists around the world.  Davydenko isn't going to have meltdowns on the court where he throws fits and breaks rackets, nor will you see Davydenko getting overly boisterous when things are going his way.  Ths lack of charisma probably doesn't help in gaining popularity of the fans, nor does having the lack of a Grand Slam title to call his own help his cause for gaining a lot of recognition.  Davydenko who had to battle injuries in the first part of 2009, came back strong to finish the year with a ATP World Tour Championship.  Hopefully this will set up Nikolay for a great 2010 and attain that elusive Grand Slam championship and recognition he deserves.

In the world of women's tennis you get noticed for 2 things.  Being extremely attractive, or playing great tennis, if not both.  And then there is Agnieszka Radwanska the 20 year old from Poland.  Radwanska has not won a major tournament, nor does ESPN find the need to put her matches on TV so the men at home can drool while watching her.  Now don't get the wrong idea that I am saying Radwanska doesn't get attention because she is ugly.  That is not the case at all.  Lets just say I've seen a lot more scarier women than Agnieszka Radwanska on my television playing tennis.  But that is not important.  This isn't about how attractive, or unattractive she is.  This is about a good player who should be getting more recognition for her play than what she really does.  Radwanska is the 10th ranked womens player in the world, and yet her name is hardly ever put in the conversation as being one of the best, or a contender for a Grand Slam title.  Instead other players deemed more beautiful or are falsely believed to be better players are talked about and given more credit than what they rightly deserve, get undeserved attention.  Radwanska's best at a Grand Slam is making it to the quarterfinals a few times, so that isn't going to get her lots of recognition.  Instead she has earned her to a top 10 ranking by being a grinder and playing in lots of tennis and playing well in the smaller tournaments.  She is out on the court fighting, and earning points in tournaments many of the other players stick their nose up at, and believe they are too good to be playing in.  Instead she keeps plugging away in hope of getting better and winning a major tournament sometime in her career.  Hopefully next year she will noticed for the hard work she puts in.....until then, keep working on that 2nd serve.

Most Improved Players of the Year.

Going into the 2009 French Open, Robin Soderling was on nobodys radar.  Before his improbable upset of the "reigning king of clay" Rafael Nadal, Soderling had never made it past the 3rd round of a Grand Slam Event.  With that miracle upset came a new and improved Robin Soderling.  Soderling reached the final of the French Open where he was dismantled by Roger Federer, but walked away with a a new found confidence in himself and his game.  Soderling saw improved play and the best results of his career at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.  He reached the 4th round of Wimbledon, and made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.  Soderling showed a consistently high level of play throughout the 2nd half of the year, and that consistency paid off.  He was invited to the ATP World Tour Finals in London.  Soderling the #8 seed in the year end event, once again upset his nemesis Rafael Nadal in his first match of the tournament.  Soderling was able to win his group, and eventually lost in the semifinals of the event, nobody thought he had a chance of attending, at the beginning of the year.  But the greatest accomplishment, by far of Robin Soderling this year was him being named my Most Improved Player of the Year....and that is something to be proud of. 

Even being afflicted (allegedly) by "the curse of Fernando Verdasco's weiner",  Caroline Wozniacki was able to take her game to an all-time high level.  In 2009 Wozniacki made it to a career best #4 ranking, and reached her 1st Grand Slam final when she lost to Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open.  Her excellent play helped her to reach the 2009 year end Sony Ericsson year end WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar for the 1st time in her career.  In her first WTA Championship, Wozniacki, like Soderling was able to make it to the semifinals before losing.  The future looks extremely bright for the 19 year old from Denmark.  And with more improvement and the experience she gained from reaching her first grand slam final and WTA championship, 2010 could be another great year for Wozniacki.

Moment of the Year and Match of the Year.

On Sunday, July 5, 2009 Roger Federer staked his claim as "the greatest player of all time", by winning his 15th Grand Slam championship, surpassing the great Pete Sampras who has 14 major titles.  Federer had to fight off the rejuvenated Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 in a grueling 4 hours 17 minute 5 setter.  The last set by itself was 95 minutes.  This Wimbledon final was the longest mens singles final in the history of Grand Slam tennis, as far as number of total games (77).  The win would be Federer's 6th Wimbledon championship in the past 7 years, and adding to his dominance of the event in the past decade.

Credit definetly should go to Andy Roddick who would have beaten anyone in that final, on that Sunday, not named Roger Federer.  It was a back and forth affair and Roddick had his chances at the title.  He had a nice lead in the third set tiebreaker, just to get tight and miss hit an easy lob that could of put the momentum on his side.  He was definetly in control, and looked to be on his way to a victory, but the nerves or the moment got to him and a couple shanked shots and it was gone.  I cannot say he choked, because both players gave it their all and both had opportunities to change the tide of the match, but couldn't execute.  The 5th set became a game in itself, with both players serving out of their minds.  Neither one of them could come within a whiff of a break of serve, until the end when Federer was able to squeak out the victory and his record breaking 15th Grand Slam Championship.

Roger Federer finally beating Pete Sampras' Grand Slam record, and the brilliance of the match between two players digging deep inside of themselves and fighting to win an epic marathon of a  final on tennis's grandest stage.  Had to be both the greatest moment of the year, and definetly the match of the year in my eyes.

........yes, this will be the nicest post I will ever make about Andy Roddick.

Comeback Players of the Year

Kim Clijsters is the obvious choice for the comeback player of the year, on the womens side.  In 2007 Clijsters retired as a top 10 from tennis to "start a family".  Clijsters left the tennis world behind, got married and had a daughter in the 2 years she was away from the game.  Early this past year Clijsters announced that she was going to attempt to make a comeback on the WTA Tour.  This was going to be a "test-run" to see if she still had the skill to compete, and not make an embarrassment of herself.  Her comeback began in July at a U.S. Open series tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Clijsters upset top 10 player Marion Bartoli in the early rounds before she was eliminated in the quarterfinals.  This was the first step, to what was a miracle run at the U.S. Open.  Clijsters proved she still had some skill and talent left in her 26 year old body.  Going into the U.S. Open the perception was how nice of a story that she was back, and she'll probably win a couple matches, but she has so much rust to work off, and is she physically and mentally fit for the toll of a Grand Slam.  All good reasons for why Clijsters would not be much of a factor at Flushing Meadows.  But the Belgian, one match at a time made her way through a tough draw.  She had to beat Marion Bartoli in the 2nd round.  Then in the 4th round she was a huge underdog to Venus Williams.  After a hard fought match it was the comeback mom moving on to the quarterfinals.  Na Li didn't put up much of a fight in the quarterfinals, so now Clijsters had to face the defending champion and more manly Williams sister, Serena in the semifinals.  Everyone will look back at the classless tirade Serena pulled, getting her disqualified.  But in all reality Clijsters was straight up kicking her ass and was going to win that match regardless.  Just another player being overshadowed by a piece of shit Williams sister.  In the final Clijsters beat an upstart, young up-and-coming Dane, Caroline Wozniacki.  Capping off one of the most miraculous feats in tennis history.  With her championship win Clijsters rocketed from retirement and 2 years away from tennis to the #18 ranked woman on the planet, and a major factor come the 2010 season. 

I really struggled to come up with a mens comeback player of the year.  There was no real great stories like Kim Clijsters on the mens side.  The one player that stood out after a few minutes of thought was Lleyton Hewitt.  Early in 2008 Hewitt suffered a hip injury.  He had to pull out of a few tournaments and with the pullouts came lost points and a world ranking that started to slide.  He would play in a tournament here, and a tournament there, due to his hip being so bothersome.  Hewitt believed to be healthy enough to play both singles, and doubles in the 2008 Olympics for his home country of Australia.  He lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the 2nd round of the singles.  It was in doubles where a long match aggravated his tender and bothersome hip once again.  After the Olympics, Hewitt decided to have surgery on his hip.  The surgery caused him to miss the 2008 U.S. Open.  There was talk of retirement for Hewitt.  With his style of play which relies on movement and shot making to win matches, because Lleyton will not overpower anyone on the tennis courts, a hip injury needing surgery could be the end of a career.  And if he did make it back he would only be a shell of his former self.  Well 2009 was a fairly successful year for the Aussie.  Hewitt didn't win a Grand Slam, but he showed glimpses of his former self.  A former self who was the #1 player in the world and has a couple Grand Slam titles.  Hewitt fought from the depths of not being seeded in tournaments and having to face a top player in early rounds, to finishing the year at #22.  The hip seems to be holding up, and Hewitt might just have one more run in him, before he hangs up the racket.

Biggest Disappointments of the Year.

Dinara Safina gets my vote for biggest disappointment on the womens side.  You may ask how can the current #2 player in the world be a big disappointment?  Its not necessarily the results and how far she got into this years tournaments, its how she lost while being on the biggest stage.  Safina made it to the Australian Open final, just to be smashed by Serena Williams.  She followed that up with another final appearance at the French Open, and she played scared in losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova.  A few weeks later she made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon and got beat by Venus Williams.  Now for anyone else these are great accomplishments, but the ultra talented Safina, basically choked, and lost all confidence in herself.  At the U.S. Open the then #1 seed Safina had to get lucky to beat a couple chumps and lost in the 3rd round to Petra Kvitova a player she has no business losing to in a Grand Slam event.  It looks like she is mentally not there, to go along with the injured back she now has.  It may be a difficult year for Dinara in 2010.  She has the talent and drive to be probably the best woman on the planet, but it just seems she clams up and just folds during big pressure matches.  Thats what makes it so frustrating and disappointing.

 

This may be a surprise, but the little known Latvian, Ernests Gulbis is my biggest disappointment for this past year.  The 21 year old was labeled as one of the "next big things", in mens tennis.  In 2008 he came onto the scene as this young kid who could just hit the piss out of the ball.  He would just blister his ground strokes.  In the summer of '08 he gave Andy Roddick all he could handle during a night match at the U.S. Open.  This match is what set him up for being a player to look for in 2009.  This is when the disappointment starts.  In 2009 Gulbis never made it past the 2nd round in any of the 4 Grand Slams.  Making it to the 2nd round of the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.  Gulbis lost in the 1st round of the U.S. Open.  Not only did he struggle in the Grand Slam events, but he didn't do much in any of the smaller tournaments as well.  For someone with as much talent as Ernests Gulbis, this type of play isn't acceptable.  The kid has all the talent to be atleast a top 15 player.  Maybe Gulbis lacks motivation or just needs to mature a bit.  I do know he comes from a very wealthy family, so maybe he doesn't have the love or want to push himself to the next level.  Seems like he is just a young kid doing this, to do it.  And that explains why his ranking plummeted to a current #90 in the world.  Getting busted for soliciting a prostitute in Sweden, didn't help an all so disappointing season.  Gulbis better get his shit together or this time next year he may be getting "the fork".

A Few Quick News and Notes.

Dinara Safina the #2 ranked woman in the world had to withdraw from a Australian Open tune-up tournament in Brisbane, due to a bad back that she has been hampered with the last couple months.  Safina is still expecting to play in next month's Australian Open, but this set back puts them hopes in jeopardy.

Spanish Davis Cup captain, Albert Costa was recently hospitalized after suffering a "heart scare".  The 34 year old Costa was admitted to the hospital complaining of discomfort.  The doctor's believe that the problems were probably stress related.  Watching a David Ferrer match will do that to you.  Costa spent only a few hours in the hospital, before being released.

The International Olympic Committee has added mixed doubles tennis for the London, Olympic Games......Yep, I know.  YIPPEEEEEE

And the photo of the week:

I wonder if Mirka is sitting down to Roger's right.  That would explain Tiger looking over there with that big "shit-eating grin".

Upset of the Year.

Robin Soderling's upset of Rafael Nadal in the 4th round of the French Open is by far the most shocking win this year, if not ever.  Nadal possibly the greatest clay court tennis player to ever step foot on the red dirt had never been beaten and amassed 31 straight match wins and 4 straight titles at Roland Garros.  Going into the match a snowball in hell had a better chance than Soderling beating Nadal.  A month earlier at a Masters event in Rome, Italy which is also played on clay, Soderling and Nadal matched up and Nadal creamed Soderling 6-1, 6-0.  Its no secret that there is some bad blood between these two competitors (due to the infamous Soderling pretending to pull out his wedgie like Nadal does and fist pumping after a net cord winner, instead of apologizing at the 2007 Wimbledon), so with Nadal playing at the tournament he has dominated like no other,  and also the factors that Nadal would be motivated to destroy his Swedish enemy, and that Soderling, himself knew that he had little-to-no-chance of winning.  It looked like it would be an ugly day for the Swede..... Well just like most sports and tennis is no different, the games are played on the court or field.  Soderling came out blazing his forehand and was over-powering Nadal on clay.  A feat that people thought could not be done.  4 sets later Rafael Nadal streak was over, and  the shocking news of loss around the world had just begun.  Soderling not only won, but won convincingly 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.

Maybe it was the pink shirt that did Rafa in.

Its pretty sad, but this is the best video I could find of the event.  Gotta love the 2 handed wave Soderling gives Nadal after winning as if to say "get the fuck outta here Rafa."  Soderling kicks so much ass. (the video on here is cut off on the right side for some reason.  Click on the video and it will take you to the youtube page, and it can be seen uncut.)

Breakthrough Performers of the Year.

Juan Martin Del Potro is my mens breakthrough performer of the year, for his improbable championship run at this years U.S. Open.  Del Potro known for being a huge talent, who could possibly win a grand slam or 2 in the future wasn't really expected to win one, atleast not just yet though.  Some of the critics point to his stamina and fitness as being a reason why he wasn't quite ready to take the next step as a major champion.  With that lack of fitness and stamina Del Potro was never thought to be a threat in the 2 week long, best of 5 set majors.  Especially ones in warmer more fatiguing climates.  Also it was believed that the 21 year old Argentine just didn't have enough experience in the grand slam tournaments.  So for Del Potro to defeat Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open semifinals and go on to dethrone #1 ranked Roger Federer who had sit on top of the perch for 5 consecutive U.S. Open championships was "major" in so many different ways.  It put the young Juan Martin Del Potro right up there with the present elite.

My breakthrough performer on the women's side is the young American, Melanie Oudin.  The 17 year old Oudin created a buzz among American fans at the U.S. Open this year by reaching the quarterfinals.  Not only was it a surprise that Oudin made it so far, it was the people she beat to make it to be one of the "elite 8".  Oudin had to beat one of the tournament favorites and top 5 player Elena Dementieva in the 2nd round.  Just to face another elite player in Maria Sharapova in the next round.  After climbing out of a early deficit and upsetting Sharapova, Oudin had to go against yet another tough Russian, Nadia Petrova.  Petrova once again took the early lead and first set, just to have Oudin dig down and upset yet another top 20 player, to make it to the quarterfinals where she lost to Caroline Wozniacki.  Oudin with her run provided hope for American Women's tennis by having another name that isn't Williams deep into a major tournament.  Tennis journalist Matt Cronin went as far as posting on his facebook that "The Americans finally have their Justine Henin", or something like that.  Its not the exact quote, but it was a comparison of Oudin and Henin.  To me that was a little much at the time, but when you have a 17 year old with the talent and drive, who am I to totally judge.  Since her tremendous U.S. Open run in late August Melanie Oudin has won a total of 1 match.  Looks like there is a long way for her to go, but she did put her name on the map as someone to look out for, and follow in the future.

What To Expect Now That The Offseason Is Here

Just because there will not be any tournaments for a few weeks, it doesn't mean that this blog will be dead.  Actually I think the offseason will be the most fun. 

A few of the things to look for in the next few weeks will be:

I will post an older blog from a different website, where I spew more hatred for Andy Roddick.

I will also scour some of the funnier youtube clips I can find.

Also look for my year in 2009 awards.
Some of the categories I will be visiting are:  Player of the Year, Match of the Year, Most Improved Player, Upset of the Year, and the "Fork" award where I will put the fork in someone, and pronounce that their career is basically done.

And of course I'll be keeping an eye on and passing along any news and updates.

Just wanted to give an update to my International fans. (Especially the one in Cyprus.)

Behind David Ferrer's miraculous comeback, Spain clinches Davis Cup.

On Friday the Davis Cup final began between the defending champion Spain and the Czech Republic.  Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych was the first match of the best of 5 matches event.

Berdych hung with Nadal in the first set losing 7-5.  After keeping close for that one set Nadal put the hammer down and thumped Berdych the last two sets 6-0, 6-2.  Giving Spain an early 1-0 lead.  Final Score:  Nadal 7-5, 6-0, 6-2.

David Ferrer and Radek Stepanek followed on Friday.  The Czech, Stepanek came out on fire and Ferrer had no answers.  Radek was hitting great shots and all David do was hit the ball into the net.  Through the first 2 sets Ferrer managed to hold serve a mere one time.  It was total destruction that Stepanek was showing as he beat down the Spaniard.  All during the first 2 sets Stepanek would show some gamesmanship by staring at Ferrer and pumping his fist during many of the points.  He would then turn to the crowd and give them a fist pump as well.  He was on cloud nine and he was making sure to rub it in all he could.  Stepanek won the first two sets in awesome fashion 6-1, 6-2.  It looked like this would be a short easy match for the Czech team.

After the 2nd set Ferrer decided to leave the court for a bathroom break.  Team captain Alberto Costa and Rafael Nadal went running to follow him.  A down Ferrer had to regroup and possibly "drop a deuce."  Costa later said that he went to tell him to "keep fighting, and to make the match go as long as possible".  Basically Costa didn't believe Ferrer could win, but he wanted David to play as long as possible and hopefully wear down and tire Stepanek out for the matches on Sunday.  When Ferrer came back onto the court after the break he had to walk in front of Stepanek's chair.  Stepanek sitting down at the time jump out of his chair right in front of Ferrer as he tried to walk by.  This is just another one of Stepanek's tricks that makes him one of the least liked players on tour.   In the third set Ferrer came out hitting the ball more consistently, and Stepanek's game wasn't at the high level it was the first 2 sets.  Ferrer known for being a "bulldog" on the court and his never give up attitude did just that.  He kept grinding away the whole 3rd set and managed to win the set 6-4.

The 4th and 5th sets were nothing different.  Great shot making and back and forth play.  Both men managing to break each other.  Stepanek during the 4th set showed signs of slowing.  He was battling a cramp in his calf, and Ferrer took advantage pulling out the 4th set 6-4.  The match was now even and the Spanish crowd was chanting and going crazy.  Something you rarely see at a tennis match.  Normally the crowd is asked for silence during serves, but Ferrer was serving as the crowd was cheering almost using their energy to help him.  The 5th set was once again a mirror image of the 3rd and 4th.  Both men battling and if one took a early lead the other would manage to come back and pull even.  The point when you knew Ferrer wouldn't be beat is late in the 5th set a long rally on the clay was being played out, Stepanek played a short dropshot in order to try and win the point, Ferrer ran to the net and hit the ball back for a winner.  The mild-mannered  Ferrer then pulled a Stepanek and as the players were only a few meters from eachother looked into Stepanek's eyes and gave him a fist pump back.  It seemed like through this 4 hour plus match some "bad blood" had been made.  At 6-6 in the 5th Ferrer managed to break Stepanek and earned the right to serve out the match, and he did just that taking the 5th set 8-6.  What was a pathetic performance from David Ferrer turned into one of the greatest comebacks I had ever seen.  I'll admit I am a bit biased since Ferrer is by far my favorite tennis player, but anyone that was playing as bad as he was, and how well Stepanek was playing, I'm sure nobody  gave Ferrer a chance.  David Ferrer grit gave Spain a commanding 2-0 lead.  Final Score:  David Ferrer 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6.

The doubles match is the lone match on Saturday during Davis Cup play.  The Czech team down 0-2 decided to use their 2 singles players Berdych and Stepanek to also play doubles against the team of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez.   I guess Berdych and Stepanek had played doubles in the previous few rounds as well, so I guess it wasn't much of a surprise.  It didn't matter in the end,  Lopez and Verdasco beat what was probably a both physically and emotionally drained Stepanek and Berdych.  Spain clinches the Davis Cup with the doubles giving them the 3 match wins to retain the cup for another year.  Final Score:  Verdasco and Lopez 7-6, 7-5, 6-2.

There will still be matches on Sunday.  Odds are that Lopez and Verdasco might be given a shot to play singles along with the two Czech's who didn't play Dlouhy and Hajak.  Just a guess since these matches don't really matter.

Amelie Mauresmo retires from tennis.

Amelie Mauresmo the 30 year old Frenchwoman called it quits Thursday.  Her main reason for retiring was that she no longer has the burning desire for competition.  "I don't want to train anymore".  Amelie said while shedding a few tears.  "I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks.  When you grow older its more difficult to stay at the top."

Mauresmo is known for at age 19 acknowledging she is a lesbian, just as much as her great play.  At one time Mauresmo was the player to beat on the WTA tour.  In 2006 Amelie won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and reached being the #1 ranked woman in the world.

To go along with 2 major championships, Mauresmo was also on the 2003 Fed Cup French Championship team.  She won the WTA Tour Championship in 2005, and won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.  A definite hall-of-fame career.

When asked about a possible comeback, Mauresmo said her decision was definitive.  She'll be missed on the tour, especially by doubles partner Svetlana Kuznetsova. ;)

One last thing I ponder is:  Did the curse of this guy lead to her retirement?  Nah, couldn't be.  She is a lesbian.....right?

Davis Cup Preview

Tomorrow Spain and the Czech Republic begin battle for the Davis Cup on the red clay in Barcelona, Spain.  On paper the Spanish team looks very strong, and should easily retain the Davis Cup for a 2nd straight year.  Everything seems to be in the Spaniards favor.  A home crowd,  higher ranked players, playing on clay with arguably the greatest clay court player in the history of tennis on your squad.  The matches are played on the court and not by computer rankings or public opinion.  The Czech team aren't necessarily pushovers, and there are question marks with the Spain squad.

Some things people are wondering are:  Is there something wrong with Rafael Nadal?  Nadal the #2 ranked player in the world was unimpressive in going 0-3 at the ATP World Championships last week.  Is he still bothered by injuries, or was he consciously holding back and saving something in the tank for this weeks Davis Cup final.  With how much money the players were getting for an individual victory ($120,000), you would think he would of gave his best effort or had better results.  So maybe once again Rafa is beginning to wear down at the end of the year.  Another question surrounding the Spanish team is the health of David Ferrer.  Ferrer had to drop out of his own tournament in Valencia, and also missed the masters series event in Paris with a bad hamstring.  So will there be rust to his game, and is he 100%.  Plus even at 100% Ferrer isn't any better than the Czech players, even on clay.  So the Cup staying in Spain isn't a foregone conclusion.  Look for it to come down to possibly the last match on Sunday.

Fridays Matches:

Rafael Nadal (ESP)  vs.  Tomas Berdych (CZE)

Tomas Berdych has no chance on clay, especially in a best of 5 format against Rafa Nadal.  No matter how injured or how much he is struggling this should be an easy win for Spain who will take a early 1-0 lead.

David Ferrer (ESP)  vs.  Radek Stepanek (CZE)

Like I mentioned before, how Ferrer will play, and if he is 100% healthy, and if he will have match rust are all questions that are facing the Spanish team.  David Ferrer has had a lot of success in Davis Cup competition.  Even when he was struggling last season and seemed to not be able to buy a win went out and dismantled a favored Andy Roddick in the semifinals.  Radek Stepanek is crafty and has been able to beat Ferrer on clay.  I can easily see this match going 5 tough sets.  At the end Radek Stepanek will be the victor and even the final at 1-1.

Saturdays Match:

The only match on Saturday will be the doubles match of Fernando Verdasco, and Feliciano Lopez for Spain, facing the Czech team of Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajak.  Verdasco and Lopez are the superior singles players, without a question.  Dlouhy and Hajak are doubles specialists, who commit most of their time and efforts to doubles.  Lopez and Verdasco make a good doubles team, and have had quite a bit of success in the Davis Cup competitions, but I like Dlouhy and Hajak to upset the Spaniards and give the Czech Republic a surprising 2-1 lead going into Sunday.

Sundays Matches:

Rafael Nadal (ESP)  vs.  Radek Stepanek (CZE)

This will be just like Fridays match against Berdych for Nadal.  Nadal on clay is head-shoulders-waiste better than any of the Czech players.  Nadal will even the final at 2-2 with a straight set victory.

David Ferrer (ESP)  vs.  Tomas Berdych (CZE)

This is where it will get interesting.  I don't see Ferrer participating in this match.  With the Davis Cup on the line look for the Spanish team to replace a struggling Ferrer with Fernando Verdasco for this match.  Which is unfortunate for the Czech Republic.  If Ferrer were to play I think the Czech's would claim the upset and take the Davis Cup back to Prague, but look for Fernando Verdasco to repeat history.  Last year Verdasco filled in on the last day of competition against Argentina and won the Davis Cup clinching match.  Verdasco will beat Berdych to once again claim victory for Spain 3 matches to 2.

Final Mens Rankings for 2009

The ATP season is done, and the rankings are final.  It came out last week that Roger Federer had clinched the season ending #1 spot in the Official World Rankings, but "The Rog" is NOT #1 in my rankings.  Let me break it down one last time how I come up with my rankings.  Its highly sophisticated, and I should not be revealing my secrets, but nobody reads this anyways. 

This is how players get points in my rankings:

GRAND SLAM EVENTS
3 points are earned for every win at a grand slam tournament up until the final.
5 points is earned by the player who wins in the final.

example:  Juan Martin Del Potro won 7 matches to win the U.S. Open. 
1st round defeated Juan Monaco = 3 pts
2nd round defeated Jurgen Melzer = 3 pts
3rd round defeated Daniel Koellerer = 3 pts
4th round defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero = 3pts
Quarterfinals defeated Marin Cilic = 3 pts
Semifinals defeated Rafael Nadal = 3pts
Final defeated Roger Federer = 5 pts
For a total of 23 points for winning a major.

Masters Series Events
There are about 8 Masters Series tournaments a year and they normally have a field of 64 players.  Which means you must win 6 matches to be the champion.
Rounds 1st to Semifinals = 2pts each
Final = 3 pts to the winner.
For a total of 13 points for winning a Masters Series tournament.

All Other Tournaments
Most other smaller tournaments have 32 player fields, so 5 matches are needed to win.
Rounds 1-4 = 1pt
Final = 2 pts to the winner.
For a total of winning 6 points for winning any smaller tournament.

So with my system the bigger the tournament the more points there are to be earned.  Kind of makes sense to me.  Also the same system is used for both the men and women.

Anyways here is my season ending Top 15
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 168

2. Roger Federer (SUI) 159
3. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 154
4. Andy Murray (GBR) 142
5. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 128
6. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 113
6. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 113
8. Andy Roddick (USA) 102
9. Gilles Simon (FRA) 98
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 98
11. Robin Soderling (SWE) 96
12. Tommy Robredo (ESP) 93
13. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 90
14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 86
15. Radek Stepanek (CZE) 84
everyones favorite David Ferrer (ESP)  is ranked #17 with 72 pts.

Djokovic was ranked 3rd after the U.S. Open, but while Federer and Nadal were out with injuries, Novak just kept playing and kept winning.  Staying healthy, playing in tournaments, and playing well in the tournaments are key and Djokovic was the best at it all year long.  That is why he got the top spot in my poll.

And now here is the OFFICIAL Year End TOP 15
1. Roger Federer (SUI)
2. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
4. Andy Murray (GBR)
5. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)
6. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
7. Andy Roddick
8. Robin Soderling
9. Fernando Verdasco
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
11. Fernando Gonzalez
12. Radek Stepanek
13. Gael Monfils
14. Marin Cilic
15. Gilles Simon
and  everyones favorite David Ferrer is ranked #18

Serena Williams Verdict is In.

The penalty has been issued, and it seems to be what I had expected.  No way was the WTA "cash cow" going to be sitting out any events.  Serena was issued a Grand Slam record fine of $82,500 and is basically being put on 2 years Grand Slam probation.  If she flips out again, she will be suspended from a future Grand Slam event.... I wonder if she will pay the fine in "straight cash, homey"?

Nikolay Davydenko Wins ATP World Tour Championship

Nikolay Davydenko in somewhat surprising fashion is the year-end champion defeating Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday's final.

Davydenko's week started on shaky ground losing his first match to Novak Djokovic, and putting him into a hole where he could not lose again, and thats what he did.  In his journey to the championship Davydenko defeated the Australian Open winner (Nadal), the French Open winner (Federer), the Wimbledon champion (Federer), and the U.S. Open winner (Del Potro) in route to win the title.

Davydenko's season started very slow.  He was hampered by injuries for the first quarter of the season, but when finally healthy Davydenko was consistently good.  Could this win be a look into what to expect for the future?  Davydenko has been a top 10 player for the last 5 years, but never seemed to be able to get over the hump and make a run at the #1 ranking or finally win a major that has eluded him for so many years.  Called "the machine" for his consistent play, Davydenko may have the momentum to make a run in 2010.

ATP World Tour Finals Round Robin Results and Semifinal Matchups.

Round robin play at the ATP World Tour Finals has concluded.  3 of the top 4 ranked players are going home, and will not be crowned the season ending champion.

Group A Final Results:

Roger Federer  2-1

Juan Martin Del Potro  2-1

Andy Murray  2-1

Fernando Verdasco  0-3

Federer and Del Potro advance to semifinals over Murray by percentage of games won.  Verdasco went 0-3 but lost close hard fought matches in all 3 of his matches. 

Group B Final Results:

Robin Soderling 2-1

Nikolay Davydenko 2-1

Novak Djokovic  2-1

Rafael Nadal  0-3

Nadal dropped a goose egg and Djokovic was eliminated by the tiebreaker rule.  In an upset Soderling and Davydenko advance to the semifinals.

The Semifinal matchups look like this:

Roger Federer  vs.  Nikolay Davydenko

Robin Soderling  vs.  Juan Martin Del Potro

I like a Federer vs. Del Potro final with Federer winning.

Goodbye Rafa....ATP World Tour Finals Update.

Rafael Nadal is out of contention for winning the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.  Today Rafa lost to Nikolay Davydenko to go to 0-2 in the competition.  He has one more match left against Novak Djokovic in the tournament.  Is the Rafael Nadal era coming to an end?  Or is he saving something for the Davis Cup Final next week?  Could he still be bothered by lingering injuries?  I guess only he knows what is going on, but it is odd for Rafa to lose to two players he normally dominates.

The standings look like this:

Group A

Roger Federer  2-0

Andy Murray  1-1

Juan Martin Del Potro  1-1

Fernando Verdasco  0-2

The final matches for this group are  Federer vs. Del Potro and Murray vs. Verdasco.    I think Federer and Murray will be the winners and both move on to the semifinals.

Group B

Robin Soderling  2-0

Novak Djokovic  1-1

Nikolay Davydenko  1-1

Rafael Nadal  0-2

With Nadal being eliminated look for him to possibly withdraw and have Jo-Wilfried Tsonga take his spot.... the final matches for this group are Nadal vs. Djokovic and Davydenko vs. Soderling.  Djokovic needs this match in order to stay in the tournament, so look for him to come out playing his best tennis, and I like Davydenko to beat Soderling making a 3 way tie at 2-1.  Then the tiebreaker of how many sets they lost and games they won by comes into effect.  I'm not sure who is in the lead on that as of now, but I'm going to guess and say Soderling and Djokovic continue on to the semifinals.

Mid Week News and Notes.

The ATP is not going to re-open  the Andre Agassi case after his admission of using crystal meth.  The ATP's reason was that they cannot penalize Agassi since he is already retired.......duh.  This was "newsworthy" on a few tennis sites.  I thought it was humorous at how common sense it was, yet they thought it was worth mentioning.  Well no shit the ATP isn't going to re-open the case.

Juan Carlos Ferrero has been named the #1 substitute for Spain in their Davis Cup Final against the Czech Republic.

Novak Djokovic is changing clothing sponsors after this season.  He is leaving Adidas to Italian clothing company Sergio Tacchini.....yeah, I don't care either. 

Ana Ivanovic who was once "banging" fellow tennis player Fernando Verdasco, but is not being "plowed" by golfer Adam Scott, has re-hired former coach Sven Groeneveld to help her shake the "curse of Verdasco's weiner", and get her game back to the top 10 level it once was.

Roger Federer says he is only "midway" through his career and plans to paly past the 2012 Olympics and hopes to play long enough so that his twin daughters will be able to see and remember his playing days.

29th ranked player in the world, American Sam Querrey is back practicing after a near career ending injury scare.  Querrey was sitting on a glass table changing his socks when the table broke.  The fall caused a 3 inch gash in his forearm that needed 25 stitches.  Doctors were worried that may have caused nerve damage to his serving arm.  Everything seems to be going well, Sam is back on the court and says he just needs a little longer to warm his arm up.