MÂąka idzie w gĂłrĂŞ

Robertinho · 04-04-2011 07:54:59

Zaczynamy!

DUN I LOVE · 04-04-2011 11:12:59

MaÂła charakterystyka gÂłĂłwnych bohaterĂłw.

Faworyci

Rafael Nadal

Absolutny dominator. Zawodnik, ktĂłry pomimo mÂłodego wieku i wciÂąÂż trwajÂącej kariery jest coraz czĂŞÂściej okreÂślany i kreowany jako najlepszy i najwybitniejszy specjalista od gry na kortach ziemnych w historii tenisa. W latach 2005-2007 zanotowaÂł rekordowÂą seriĂŞ 81 kolejnych wygranych gier na clayu. W poprzednim sezonie jako pierwszy tenisista w dziejach wygraÂł tzw "caglanego szlema", czyli 3 najwaÂżniejsze turnieje podprowadzajÂącego pod Roland Garros plus oczywiÂście sam Puchar MuszkieterĂłw. Nadal na kortach ziemnych wygraÂł jak do tej pory 29 turniejĂłw, w tym 5 razy Roland Garros, Rzym, BarcelonĂŞ i 6 razy z rzĂŞdu Monte Carlo. Kolejny sezon znowu stawia go w roli faworyta. Im dÂłuÂżej trwa jego dominacja, tym czĂŞÂściej pojawia siĂŞ pytanie, kiedy i czy w ogĂłle ta niesamowita dominacja Nadala na kortach ziemnych zostanie przerwana? Podobnie rzecz ma siĂŞ i w tym roku.

Roger Federer

16-krotny Mistrz turniejĂłw wielkoszlemowych przez ostatnie lata byÂł gÂłĂłwnym rywalem Rafaela Nadala podczas Clay Court Swing. CzĂŞsto w cieniu Hiszpana, niemniej sukces na Roland Garros 2009, 4 wygrane turnieje Masters w Hamburgu, 1 w Madrycie i szereg finaÂłĂłw plasujÂą go bardzo wysoko w grupie wspĂłÂłczesnych specjalistĂłw od gry na cegle (z zaÂłoÂżenia kaÂżdy tenisista jest dziÂś takim specjalistÂą ). W tym roku jego szanse nie sÂą oceniane specjalnie wysoko, niemniej doÂświadczenie, talent, potencjaÂł i umiejĂŞtnoÂśĂŚ przygotowywania formy na najwaÂżniejsze turnieje nie pozwalajÂą, by go caÂłkowicie skreÂśliĂŚ.

Novak DjokoviĂŚ

GÂłĂłwny bohater sezonu 2011. Niepokonany w tym roku, z wielkim apetytem przymierza siĂŞ do kolejnych wielkich zwyciĂŞstw na europejskim clayu. JuÂż w 2008 roku rzuciÂł wyzwanie samemu Nadalowi (znakomita bitwa w Hamburgu), a w 2009 byÂł bardzo bliski pokonania KrĂłla na jego nawierzchni (twarda walka w Monte Carlo, znakomity mecz w Madrycie, gdzie miaÂł piÂłki meczowe). Zdecydowanie wielki faworyt nadchodzÂącego okresu w tenisowym kalendarzu, wielki pretendent do zakoĂączenia/przerwania dominacja Nadala. Jego pojedynki z hiszpaĂąskim kolegÂą powinny nadawaĂŚ sens najbliÂższym 2 miesiÂącom gry w ATP Tour.

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Pretendenci

Robin Soderling

Wielka postaĂŚ ostatnich 2 sezonĂłw na kortach ziemnych. 2 lata temu, jako pierwszy gracz w historii pokonaÂł Nadala na kortach Roland Garros, przed rokiem przerwaÂł niesamowitÂą seriĂŞ Federera 23 kolejnych pĂłÂłfinaÂłĂłw w turniejach WS. 2 razy przegrywaÂł w finale najwiĂŞkszego ceglanego turnieju na Âświecie. Tenisista chimeryczny, dla wielu drewniany i jednowymiarowy, de facto z bardzo mocnymi argumentami na wielkie wyniki na tym podÂłoÂżu. Soderling daÂł siĂŞ poznaĂŚ jako bardzo pojĂŞtny uczeĂą. Warsztatu tenisowego specjalnie nie rozbudowaÂł (raczej doszlifowaÂł swoje zalety), ale nabyÂł cennÂą umiejĂŞtnoÂśĂŚ przygotowywania Âświetnej formy na najwiĂŞksze turnieje. Jeden z najgroÂźniejszych zawodnikĂłw "drugiego planu", czego dowodem mogÂą byĂŚ jego tegoroczne wyniki - juÂż 3 wygrane turnieje w 2011.

Nicolas Almagro

Jeden z najÂładniej i najestetyczniej grajÂących tenisistĂłw dzisiejszego ATP. Dawniej miaÂł bardzo duÂże problemy z wiarÂą w siebie, co przekÂładaÂło siĂŞ bardzo brutalnie na umiejĂŞtnoÂśĂŚ utrzymywania koncentracji podczas spotkaĂą. Tenisista systematycznie (chociaÂż trochĂŞ za wolno) czyniÂący postĂŞpy w grze, czego owocem sÂą 2 bardzo dobre mecze z Nadalem sprzed roku (1/2 Madrytu, 1/4 RG). Almagro to specjalista od mniejszych turniejĂłw na kortach ziemnych. Czy w tym roku skupi siĂŞ na wielkich imprezach i wreszcie ugra coÂś wiĂŞcej? Chyba najwiĂŞksza niewiadoma nadchodzÂących miesiĂŞcy).

Juan Martin del Potro

Wielka nadzieja na szum w rozgrywkach. 2 lata temu byÂł bardzo bliski pokonania Federera na RG, przegraÂł nieznacznie, chociaÂż zauwaÂżalnie. W kolejnym sezonie miaÂł byĂŚ najwiĂŞkszym zagroÂżeniem dla dominacji Nadala. RzeczywistoÂśĂŚ okazaÂł siĂŞ brutalna, przyniosÂła bardzo powaÂżnÂą i przewlekÂłÂą kontuzjĂŞ, po wyleczeniu ktĂłrej Mistrz US Open 2009 wciÂąÂż odzyskuje dawnÂą dyspozycjĂŞ. Gdyby nie ten rok przerwy to umieÂściÂłbym Juana w zakÂładce z faworytami, bo jest to facet z papierami na wielkÂą grĂŞ i wielkie zwyciĂŞstwa.

David Ferrer

Jeden z najsympatyczniejszych i najbardziej niedocenianych tenisistĂłw w rozgrywkach. Znakomita forma w styczniu, upĂłr i determinacja stawiajÂąc go w roli kandydata do miana jednej z gÂłĂłwnych postaci w nadchodzÂących miesiÂącach. Zawodnik kochajÂący grĂŞ na kortach ziemnych. Nigdy nie ograÂł na tym podÂłoÂżu spektakularnego triumfu nad ktĂłrymÂś z Âżelaznych faworytĂłw, ale kilkakrotnie powaÂżnie im siĂŞ przeciwstawiÂł i w tym roku na pewno wrĂłci po wiĂŞcej. W tym roku ma juÂż 1 tytuÂł wywalczony na clayu - turniej ATP w Acapulco.

Niby sÂą ludzie do grania, byle na tych wyliczeniach siĂŞ nie skoĂączyÂło.

Fed-Expresso · 04-04-2011 16:33:41

Sporo pracy w to wÂłoÂżyÂłeÂś Dawidzie, ale obawiam siĂŞ, Âże wszelkie dywagacje speÂłznÂą na niczym i bĂŞdziemy mieli powtĂłrkĂŞ z 2010 roku, nawet jeÂżeli Nadal nic szczegĂłlnego nie zaprezentuje.
PrzemyÂślaÂłem sobie rolĂŞ Djokovicia w ziemniaczanym okresie i dochodzĂŞ do wniosku, Âże skoro facet grajÂący Âżyciowy tenis potrzebuje tie-breaka 3 seta w celu ogrania Zombi-Rafy to coÂś tu chyba jest nie tak. Prawda jest taka, Âże Serb powinien zamknÂąĂŚ oba finaÂły w 2 gÂładkich setach, biorÂąc pod lupĂŞ formĂŞ obu zawodnikĂłw w tych turniejach, a takÂże majÂąc w pamiĂŞci drugÂą czĂŞÂśĂŚ 2009 roku, gdzie Nole byÂł w stanie wycieraĂŚ sobie Hiszpanem buty na twardej nawierzchnii z tym zastrzeÂżeniem, Âże nie byÂły to spotkania bezpoÂśrednio o tytuÂł.

Federera zupeÂłnie nie biorĂŞ pod uwagĂŞ, moje zdanie pozostaje niezmienne od czasu AO- zbudowaĂŚ porzÂądnÂą dyspozycjĂŞ na Wimbledon(przede wszystkim serwis rodem z 2009 roku), a takÂże liczyĂŚ na przemĂŞczenie Nadala, bo DjokoviĂŚ to nie zrobi Szwajcarowi krzywdy na tym podÂłoÂżu. Nie widzĂŞ Feda w Âżadnych ceglanym turnieju powyÂżej pĂłÂłfinaÂłu i to teÂż pod warunkiem korzystnego losowania, poniewaÂż nie przypuszczam by Roger katowaÂł siĂŞ z jakimÂś opornym rywalem, ktĂłry postanowi jednak nie daĂŚ siĂŞ Federerowi i podejmie rĂŞkawicĂŞ.

jaccol55 · 04-04-2011 19:56:57

CĂłÂż, w mojej opinii Nadal i Djoko bĂŞdÂą walczyli o trofea. JeÂśli ktĂłryÂś z nich nie wykruszy siĂŞ fizycznie, to moÂżemy obejrzeĂŚ z ich udziaÂłem nawet kilka finaÂłĂłw. Mam nadziejĂŞ, Âże kilkoro zawodnikĂłw wyskoczy z jakÂąÂś wysokÂą formÂą w pojedynczych turniejach i nieco oÂżywiÂą tenis.

Kazik · 05-04-2011 13:01:03

Djokovic: I can live with Rafa on clay

Novak Djokovic has been invincible so far this year and believes he is ready for his biggest challenge yet - against Rafael Nadal on clay courts.

At least that is what common logic suggests as the claycourt swing begins and nine-times Major winner Nadal gets the whiff of red European dirt in his nostrils.

Djokovic's surge to second in the rankings on the back of a 24-0 start to 2011, including the Australian Open title and victories over Nadal to claim the Indian Wells-Miami double, means Nadal is under pressure to repeat his 22-0 stampede through last year's claycourt grind.

Nadal still leads Djokovic by more than 3,000 points in the world rankings but the 24-year-old has 5,000 to defend over the next eight weeks or so, culminating in the French Open before the small matter of trying to retain his Wimbledon crown on grass.

Djokovic, with far less to lose after managing just one semi-final on clay last year, can head to Monte Carlo, his adopted home, swinging from the hip and ready to challenge Nadal for his clay court throne.

"I've never beaten him on clay," Djokovic told reporters after his epic third-set tiebreak victory over Nadal in the Miami sunshine on Sunday.

"He's the king of that surface, the guy to beat. But I think I have the game to challenge him on that surface, and I showed that in 2009. I think we had some great matches in Monte Carlo, final; in Madrid, semi-final, so it is possible.

"If I do have an opportunity to play him on clay, obviously I have to be aggressive. Clay is the slowest surface that we have, and it's the surface that suits him best."

The way Djokovic was able to inject pace into rallies to stretch Nadal on Sunday was a telling factor and it is a tactic he will again try to use in the weeks ahead when he at least will not have to face the Spaniard until finals thanks to leaving Roger Federer behind in the rankings.

Djokovic and Nadal are head and shoulders above everyone else at the moment.

Federer is still a huge threat on any surface but defeats by those around him in the rankings are now becoming commonplace.

World number four Andy Murray is in a rut following his defeat by Djokovic in the Australian Open final while Swede Robin Soderling will do well to repeat his form on slow clay after bludgeoning his way to the last two French Open finals.

Worryingly for Nadal's rivals, the Spaniard looks to have overcome the physical problems that blunted his game until this time last year when he exploded into life.

His play against Djokovic, particularly in Sunday's third-set decider, would have been too much for any other player in the world apart from the irrepressible Serbian.

However, Nadal knows that not even his dominance on clay can go on forever and that, after a long stint on hardcourts, his natural instincts cannot be taken for granted.

"That's one time in (a) life to win every tournament on clay," Nadal said, referring to his feats of last year. "Nobody did that in history, only myself last year.

"It's difficult to imagine two years in a row to repeat that. The adaptation after almost 10 months without play on clay is hard the first days, so we will see.

"Hopefully I'm going to be playing well (in Monte Carlo). This is important for my confidence for me. I'm not going to win 10 times in a row Monte Carlo. That's for sure. I won six in a row and I'm going to try my best for the seventh."

Few expect Nadal to stumble on clay, but should the Spaniard show any chinks in his armour, Djokovic will be ready to pounce and eat into Nadal's rankings lead.

"The claycourt season is coming, so it's going to be interesting to see who's going to play some good tennis there," said Djokovic who after Monte Carlo, Belgrade, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros could be within touching distance of completing his mission to be the world number one.

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/04042011/58/ … -clay.html

Clay - the real test for Djokovic

So, another week, another tournament and ... oh, wait, the same winner.

Tramlines is being facetious, of course. Novak Djokovic's third-set, tie-break win over world number one Rafael Nadal in the Miami Masters final was an absolute thriller.

Tramlines was actually let out of the office on a good behaviour bond on Sunday evening but how do you think it chose to celebrate its freedom? That's right - by watching the final. So ingrained is tennis in TL's psyche, it was simply too good a match-up to miss.

Apart from being yet another triumph over one of his rivals, that win in Miami extended Djokovic's unbeaten streak to 26 matches, 24 for this season, and was his third tournament on the bounce.

The Australian Open was impressive from the Serb, but this run in the American spring has been arguably even more so - the world number two not only winning two Masters tournaments in three weeks (they are both 10-day tournaments) but also preceding that with victory in Dubai.

Gone are the days when Djokovic was a talented but mentally suspect player who received criticism for pulling out of matches, citing anything from breathing problems to heat exhaustion and everything in between.

The 23-year-old now knows, without any shadow of a doubt, that he can beat any opponent he steps out on court with and Nadal even said after the final that he fears for his world number one ranking.

However, Tramlines would argue that this last point is getting a little carried away.

A 26-match winning streak is the sort of thing most players can only dream of, although Guillermo Vilas went unbeaten for 46 matches in 1977, picking up titles in Kitzbuhel (clay), Washington (clay), Louisville (hard), South Orange (hard), Columbus (hard), US Open (clay) and Paris (clay).

And, just because TL can't quite get its head around this, here's another stat for you; in 1984 John McEnroe had a win-loss ratio of 82-3 across all surfaces.

But, and herein lies the rub for Djokovic, the Tour now moves on to clay where Nadal, despite his increased success on all surfaces over the years, is still very much The King.

Nadal has lost just 16 matches on clay throughout his entire career, compared to 203 wins, picking up 29 titles (including five French Opens) in the process.

Last year, the Spaniard won in Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid and at Roland Garros, whilst he also picked up three claycourt titles in 2009 (Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome), four claycourt titles in 2008 (Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Hamburg and Roland Garros), four in 2007, four in 2006 and four in 2005.

On the other hand, while Djokovic possesses the still-impressive claycourt win-loss ratio of 82-30, he has won only four claycourt titles and only reached one semi-final on the surface last year - in Monte Carlo.

On top of that the Serb has never beaten Nadal on the dirt, red or any other colour.

Djokovic is almost unrecognisable from the player he was 12 months ago, leading Serbia to Davis Cup triumph at the end of the year seemingly a never-ending source of confidence.

It would surely be madness to think Djokovic can remain unbeaten as the Tour moves to Europe but if he continues to produce the kind of tennis he has so far this year, he stands a very real chance of upsetting the King of Clay.

Now that really would be impressive.

- - - - -

RANKINGS

Despite his fairly abysmal loss to Alex Bogomolov Jr in the opening round in Miami, Andy Murray actually moves up one spot to fourth in the world rankings.

The Scot also crashed out in his first match last year and so had no points to defend while Robin Soderling was defending a semi-final appearance, which he failed to do, losing instead in the third round to Juan Martin Del Potro.

Fernando Verdasco and Jurgen Melzer both move up one spot while Gael Monfils enters the top 10 at the expense of Andy Roddick who failed to defend his title in Miami and plummets down to 14th.

And talking of Roddick, he also has to contend with the fact that he is no longer the top-ranked American player as Mardy Fish's win over David Ferrer in the quarter-finals saw him move up to 11th in the world.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/tr … icle/1025/

Ostatnio edytowany przez Kazik (05-04-2011 13:01:24)

Joao · 09-04-2011 16:40:23

MyÂślĂŞ, Âże Nadal nie wygra wszystkich tytuÂłĂłw na mÂączce. Tylko w ubiegÂłym roku taka sztuka mu siĂŞ udaÂła, z tym Âże nie startowaÂł w Barcelonie. Mam nadziejĂŞ, Âże DokoviĂŚ mu siĂŞ mocno przeciwstawi. Pojedynki z Nadalem mogÂą byĂŚ wojnami totalnymi, na wyniszczenie, do upadÂłego. Nie zdziwiĂŞ siĂŞ zbytnio jeÂśli ten rekord 4 godzin w meczu trzystetowym zostanie pobity. MyÂślĂŞ, Âże Novak posmakuje wreszcie zwyciĂŞstwa nad RafÂą na kortach ziemnych. Najbardziej prawdopodobnym miejscem ku temu bĂŞdzie Madryt. Roland Garros powinien przypaÂśĂŚ Rafie. JeÂśli Novak dotrze do finaÂłu, moÂżemy byĂŚ Âświadkami dÂługiej i nuÂżÂącej piĂŞciosetĂłwki.

DUN I LOVE · 09-04-2011 20:34:13

Joao napisaĹ:
MyÂślĂŞ, Âże Nadal nie wygra wszystkich tytuÂłĂłw na mÂączce. Tylko w ubiegÂłym roku taka sztuka mu siĂŞ udaÂła, z tym Âże nie startowaÂł w Barcelonie.

TeÂż mi siĂŞ tak wydaje, 4 turnieje plus RG to nawet dla takiego dominatora chyba za duÂżo, zwÂłaszcza na przestrzeni tak krĂłtkiego okresu czasu. Ciekaw jestem tylko, czy ktoÂś go pokona czy Nadal odpuÂści sobie ktĂłryÂś z tych turniejĂłw. IdealnÂą opcjÂą byÂłaby powtĂłrka z roku ubiegÂłego, ale nie sÂądzĂŞ, Âżeby Hiszpan drugi raz z rzĂŞdu wycofaÂł siĂŞ z Barcelony. Ewentualna poraÂżka? Chyba Rzym albo Madryt. Tam zagra caÂła czoÂłĂłwka, z Djoko i del Potro (mĂłj czarny koĂą tego okresu), ktĂłrzy powinni byĂŚ w stanie stawiĂŚ czoÂła Rafie w pojedynczym meczu. Federer chyba nie bĂŞdzie siĂŞ liczyÂł w pierwszych tygodniach, ale jeÂżeli marzy o wygraniu czegokolwiek podczas 2 najbliÂższych szlemĂłw to najpĂłÂźniej w Rzymie powinien zasygnalizowaĂŚ niezÂłÂą formĂŞ, przynajmniej rokujÂącÂą nadzieje na kolejne tygodnie.

jaccol55 · 13-04-2011 19:55:45

Ground to Lose

by Pete Bodo

Well, Monte Carlo is well underway; it's officially Euroclay time. It's an interesting time of year because it makes significant demands. Clay-court tennis may be less punishing on the body in some ways (the surface is soft and forgiving) but it's more demanding in others. How would you like to have whack an endless stream of heavy, topspinning shots on a damp, cool day, and with relatively dead strings to boot?

It's funny, but it wasn't all that long ago that any player worth their name (pro or rec level) used elastic, lively gut strings, hoping to get the most bounce out of each racket ounce. Now, the most popular strings curb or attempt to eliminate elasticity and the catapult effect it creates. That's a 180-degree difference, friends. The way of the world.

Anyway, overall consistency coupled with great fitness is de rigueur on the tour these days. The clay game is plenty "physical," but that's not an entirely new development. The terms "grinder" or "grinding" were coined to describe clay-court tennis, or tennis played with what has always been thought of as the clay-court sensibility. Slowly, though, the classic grinder has vanished almost as comprehensively as the classic serve-and-volley player. To win on clay today, you must be able to belt the ball and take your chances—two things that were never part of the grinder's repertoire.

The typical ATP pro is looking at the next two months as something like the "busy season." And that cuts both ways. It's a time of great opportunity—get the wind at your back, a surge of confidence, and a few breaks from the gods of the draw and you can build up a lot of momenturm, piling up those precious ranking points like a traveling salesman collecting frequent flyer miles. Just ask Fernando Verdasco, who played six Euroclay events last year and profited handsomely.

But if you're down in the dumps, not especially enamored of clay, physically tender or otherwise impaired, the clay season can seem less like an opportunity than a two-month sentence of hard labor. Frustrating labor. This-is-getting-me-nowhere labor, plus there's all that laundry to do, even though no article of clothing will ever again be entirely free of that faint, rusty tint. So you do what John Isner told me he does—you just leave all your tennis stuff at the hotel as a kind of room tip when you're eliminated from your last Euroclay event.

All in all, it's best to go into this clay season with a lot to gain when it comes to points, money and street cred with your fellow pros. A guy like Novak Djokovic has much to gain and relatively little to lose, thanks to the enormous number of ranking points he accumulated with his 24-0 start this year. And while his results have always been solild on clay, he hasn't really made the kind of breakthrough that characterized his hard-court season.

Last year, Djokovic lost in the semis of Monte Carlo to Fernando Verdasco, getting all of four games. With all due respect to Verdasco, it's hard to imagine the Djokovic of 2011 doing so poorly, although we're not going to find out. Djokovic skipped Monte Carlo, claiming a knee injury of which there was no evidence whatsoever when he last actually played a competitive match. Whatever the status of his knee, the man has earned a little rest.

Another guy with a lot to gain is No. 45 Juan Martin del Potro, and in his case we're not just talking about ranking or reputation points. Del Potro still needs matches after missing virtually all of last year because of that right wrist injury. He'll have the opportunity to really grove that big game of his (clay is great for that), and because he has no points to defend, he can swing from the heels. But remember what we said about those strings and big cuts? Del Potro knows that his wrist will get a serious workout in every clay match. It's one of the reasons he opted for three weeks rest after his successful hard-court season. He'll begin his European campaign at Estoril.

Del Potro can only gain ground, but some of his peers and rivals also have ground to lose. Let's take a look at the prime suspects:

Rafael Nadal, No. 1: It's counter-intuitive and perhaps even absurd, but because Nadal was perfect last spring, he can only break even or lose ground. On the whole, it's not a bad problem to have. Still, critics like to point out that Nadal hasn't won a tournament since October of 2010, and that's certainly significant. Who would have predicted that Djokovic would be a combined 5-0 against Federer and Nadal in 2011? But in the end, the overarching reality is that Nadal is in a different league from every other player on clay, and if he loses ground, it's apt to be measured in inches and square feet rather than miles or hectares.

Andy Murray, No. 4: He hasn't won a match since that devastating loss to Djokovic in the Australian Open final. In 2010, Murray was a mediocre 3-3 going into Roland Garros (where he lost in the fourth round), so he can rake in some points to make up for his dismal late winter. But Murray is one of those guys who not only has ground to gain—he has ground to lose, should his swoon continue.

It isn't so much about the ranking points at stake—Murray does a lot of his damage once the tour has moved on to North America, Asia and beyond. Murray needs wins on clay to get his game back in groove and his confidence and enthusiasm replenished. And those wins on slow clay just aren't as easy to come by as they are on hard courts or grass. Remember, this is one guy who doesn't want to head to Wimbledon in anything like crisis mode. It would bring enormous, unwanted, negative atttention down on him, and it's tough enough to be the great British hope at Wimbledon. The mandate for Murray: Win now!

Robin Soderling, No. 5: Those back-to-back titles (Rotterdam and Marseilles) he bagged this year gives him a cushion, and he'll probably need it. Soderling has two finals to defend—Barcelona and Roland Garros, which adds up to a fair number of ranking points (even if his record in the three events between those bookends was a dismal 1-3). Soderling's bigger problem is that he hasn't been himself this year, partly due to injuries and the way he handled him (for example, at Indian Wells, he more or less admitted that he probably should not even have tried to play).

In the latest development, Soderling pulled out of Monte Carlo with a sore knee. How hurt is he? It's hard to tell; perhaps whatever has been ailing Djokovic is contagious and in the end not all that serious. I can't help but notice that Soderling didn't begin his spring campaign until Barcelona last year, either.

Fernando Verdasco, No. 8: Verdasco is exhibit A for what a good clay-court season can do for you. He's still perched at No. 8 despite a fall-off in his results, and to a great extent it's due to the way he played at this time last year. Verdasco took on a huge workload and made three finals (Monte Carlo, loss to Rafael Nadal; Barcelona, won title; Nice, loss to Richard Gasquet) and a semi (Rome, loss to Ferrer) to go with a third-round effort in Madrid before Roland Garros was even underway. That catapulted him to No. 9, and he justified his seeding by going four rounds at the French Open.

But Verdasco has struggled lately. Since losing the San Jose final to young Milos Raonic in mid-February, he's won exactly one match—and that perhaps only because Richard Berankis had to retire during their second-round encounter at Indian Wells. Another loss to Raonic (first round, Memphis) helped put him in his present snit, and when last heard from, Verdasco was sniping at the promoters of the Barcelona event (where he's the defending champ) for failing to hold a wild card open for him.

Why Verdasco would not have entered Barcelona directly is something of a mystery, at least to me, but the upshot is that Verdasco will play Estoril instead. Bottom line: This is not a happy camper, and he has a lot to defend, having played a killer schedule last year.

Jurgen Melzer, No. 9: Last year on Euroclay, the Austrian surprise failed to win at least two matches at only two tournaments, and he was a quarterfinalist at Madrid and a semifinalist at Roland Garros. Coming off a career year in 2010 (did anyone really expect Melzer to burst through to the Top 10?), Melzer got off to a good start in January, losing to finalist Andy Murray in the fourth round at the Australian Open.

But then the wheels fell off, and Melzer hasn't won consecutive matches since that first major of the year. He can consolidate and win back some of the ground he lost during the hard court season in the coming weeks, because clay is his surface of choice. He could use the boost of confidence that may come from returning to the red dirt, but it might prove very slippery underfoot if he can't find the consistency that he developed last year.

http://blogs.tennis.com/tennisworld/201 … -lose.html

Joao · 14-04-2011 16:22:03

Clay Kings

Combining insights from clay-court greats with revealing statistics from the FedEx Reliability Index, we explore the key ingredients for success during the European clay swing, which is arguably the most demanding – and important – period of the ATP World Tour season.

Thomas Muster, who's big-ripping, dual-winged baseline aggression was the forerunner of today’s clay-court game, says simply, "Playing on clay, in my mind, was the greatest test in tennis."

And there’s no greater test on clay than the European clay-court swing. With three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments - the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, the Mutua Madrid Open - and Roland Garros as the highlights, this stretch can determine a player's success or failure for the whole year.

Gustavo Kuerten, a three-time titlist in Paris, who compiled a 181-78 record on clay courts including 14 titles, told ATPWorldTour.com, "In my opinion the heart has a direct link with the clay. You have to get involved and practice for hours."

Clay-court greats Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg, Kuerten and Muster all know about the perils that await players who aren't physically and mentally prepared. Each mastered the surface and earned the nickname "King of Clay" for their red dirt heroics.

Six-time Roland Garros champion Borg, who regularly trained with his coach Lennart Bergelin at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, told ATPWorldTour.com, "When you are physically tired, you soon become mentally tired, and then you start to have trouble concentrating. When you're tired you're less patient during rallies, you take risks and in the long run that always means losing matches.

"I trained a lot to be fitter than my rivals and ready for my matches. But the game has changed a lot since I played and now more guys are capable of winning and are stronger on multiple surfaces."

Kuerten agrees with Borg. "Nowadays the major part of being a tennis player is getting regular results on all kinds of courts.

"The reasons for the diversity of players are physical conditioning, differences in speed of how hard the balls are hit and the variance of strategy. The same tennis players have been standing out on all kinds of court and therefore tennis has levelled off in recent years."

Over the past four years, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have largely held the top four positions in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. But one player has been pre-eminent on clay courts.

The 24-year-old Nadal has captured five Roland Garros titles in six years. Since 2005 he has compiled a 177-6 match record - 2005, 50-2; 2006, 26-0; 2007, 31-1; 2008, 24-1; 2009, 23-2; 2010, 22-0 - and his last clay-court loss came to Robin Soderling in the last 16 at 2009 Roland Garros.

In ATP history, since 1973, Nadal leads the FedEx Reliability Index for career clay-court matches with a 204-16 mark and 29 titles (.927 per cent). Borg is second overall with a 245-39 record and 30 titles (.863), followed by Ivan Lendl with a 329-75 record and 29 titles (.814).

Muster, the 1995 Roland Garros winner, has no doubts about why Nadal heads the current generation of players on red dirt. "Nadal has dominated because he has every shot in the book and because of the way he plays the angles,” Muster told ATPWorldTour.com. “To win on clay, you have to have fantastic endurance, be powerful and flexible, a complete player. I always thought you needed to be physically fit and have ever shot. Nadal has that.

"If you win the first set on clay, it is mentally hard for anyone to come back. We see this so often with Nadal. If he wins the first set, then the match is as good as done. If I lost the first set, it didn't matter, because I was always physically fit. If you are strong, then mentally you are fresh."

Carlos Moya, who like Nadal, lives in Mallorca, and once mentored the current World No. 1, told ATPWorldTour.com, "It is hard to name just one thing [why Nadal is ahead of his rivals on clay] but it is a mix of many different things. The effects he puts on the ball, how hard he hits, his mentality and of course his fitness level."

Kuerten believes Nadal's dominance has not helped but hindered the development of other clay court talent. "It has not benefited, I think exactly the opposite. His dominance has so astonished [everyone] that it has meant that all tennis players have stagnated on a level lower than him."

"Spain has always had so many good clay-court players," says Borg. "They grow up on clay and develop their games as kids, so it is no wonder that Nadal feels at home on the surface."

One such player, World No. 4 Murray, who trained in Barcelona during his teenage years, but is more comfortable these days on hard-courts, admitted at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters this week, that he always take a bit of time to get used to the surface.

"Because I don't play a lot on clay, it always takes me a bit of time to get used to it: the sliding, which shots to hit at the right time," said the Scot. "Shot selection on clay is definitely different to the other surfaces." His thoughts may mirror the majority of players on the ATP World Tour.

While some perfect their balance and top-spin ground strokes for the clay-court grind, Nadal is far too professional to admit to having one eye already on Roland Garros.

"It's impossible to have the control of this [my form]," said Nadal at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. "If you are playing well now, I try my best every week. I don't know how to be at perfect condition for Roland Garros. I try to be at my 100 per cent in every place that I play."

Kuerten, who retired in 2008, openly admits to longing for his trip to Paris in late May. "Always, always. When the European circuit started, every week I felt a private desire and this increased the anxiety to go to Roland Garros."

Muster, who is third-placed in ATP history behind Guillermo Vilas and Manuel Orantes for most clay-court match wins (422-126 overall record), said, "I always focused on Roland Garros as I moved through the European clay swing. I wanted to make sure that I was not over tired, so sometimes I would skip tournaments in between, to stay physically strong.

"When I played you had to earn every point at every tournament, now with the courts and the balls slowing the game down, it is different. I wanted to play as well as I could at every tournament, get wins under my belt and build my confidence ahead of Roland Garros."

In 2010, Nadal became the first player to win the three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court and Roland Garros titles. But Muster believes Djokovic - unbeaten so far this season - has a shot at challenging Nadal's dominance on clay

"Nadal is the clear favourite to win again at Roland Garros," says Muster, "but Djokovic could challenge him. He can play well on clay and his unbeaten run of matches will have helped him confidence."

Kuerten also provides words of encouragement for 2009 Roland Garros champion Federer, who recently dropped to No. 3 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, on how he can improve on clay courts.

"It's admirable to watch Roger playing in any kind of court, it's wonderful," said Kuerten. "But he needs to improve his resistance level and also take his game to a higher level to gain more power. Nadal knows how to do it, [as] he always plays with power and can raise his level quickly."

Will Djokovic, Federer or another player break the tradition of Nadal's dominance of European courts? Moya is in no doubt. "I think Rafa will dominate the clay season, he might lose a match on his way to Paris, but I think once there, under normal circumstances, nobody can beat him [over the] best of five sets." Over the next 10 weeks we'll find out.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … ecord.aspx

Raddcik · 22-04-2011 10:25:52

Can anyone stop Nadal on clay?

I saw quite a lot of the Monte Carlo Masters last week and the headline for me was that Rafael Nadal wasn't playing well but he still won the tournament. That sounds like the worst news of all for his rivals.

I don't think he's moving as well as he usually does; in fact, that's something he said himself last week. Andy Murray had one great set against him but, other than that, he was pretty much untroubled.

He's never in cruise control because that's not his style, but he didn't look troubled at any point. It looks like it is going to be an early summer for the other players, just as it has been over the last few years.

Novak Djokovic wasn't playing, so we don't know how much his marked improvement will transfer over to clay. He's certainly improved on the hardcourts, and I imagine he will also have developed his game heading into Roland Garros, but Nadal looked very comfortable.

I think he would like to play as much as possible on clay. He hasn't fully found his feet yet and I think Barcelona will be useful for him with the graph moving upwards towards the French Open.

As for the number one ranking, it's hard to tell how much importance Nadal and Roger Federer give to it.

On the whole, if you win Grand Slams in the men's game you tend to be the number one player in the world.

That's certainly the way Roger sees it - he was winning Slams and was the number one. When Rafa started winning the Grand Slams he became number one.

I don't think now that the number one ranking is as important to those two as it has been. I think its something they'd like, but is it something they actively seek?

Has Nadal gone to Barrcelona to protect the number one ranking? I don't think so.

I think Rafa would like to be the number one player in the world but, I think if you ask him which would you rather do, win the French Open and Wimbledon or stay world number one, he'd pick the former.

Of course, there is the balancing act for him. He seems to be injury-free but you never know. His schedule last year was nigh on perfect and he went through the summer unscathed.

So you wonder by putting an extra week in is he risking it a bit too much? He obviously feels he's a bit undercooked on clay and wants to put that right.

It seems that this is more important to him than the danger to his knee, which I think is probably good news.

Even though he noticeably wasn't moving as well last week as he usually does, he puts that down to a lack of practice, and he knows better than anyone.

It was also good to see Andy playing better on clay. He had one really good set against Nadal when he stepped up to the baseline and dictated the play, but I don't think he can do that in a best-of-five sets match.

From what we've seen so far on the clay, I don't think anyone apart from Djokovic can really stop Nadal. But even then we're yet to see the Serb play him on this surface.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/si … icle/6122/

Raddcik · 26-04-2011 13:50:14

I can beat Nadal again, insists Soderling

ESTORIL, Portugal (AFP) – Two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling insisted on Monday he has the confidence to defeat Rafael Nadal once again on the Spanish superstar's favourite claycourt surface.

"He's a great player, especially on clay," the world number five Swede said Monday as he prepared for a second-round start in his debut at the Estoril claycourt tournament.

"But you have to go to the court thinking that you have a chance. Otherwise, what's the point? Nadal is the best on clay ever but he can be beaten. You just have to play your best tennis and have some luck."

Soderling famously beat Nadal in the fourth round of the French Open in 2009, paving the way for a final appearance against Roger Federer which the Swiss won.

Since that breakthrough, Soderling has become a regular member of the world's top five and reached the French Open final again last year where he lost to Nadal.

Soderling will be playing this week after missing the Monte Carlo event to let Achilles tendon and knee injuries clear.

His claycourt season debut last week in Barcelona ended in failure when he lost in the second round to eventual semi-finalist Ivan Dodig of Croatia.

But the Swede does not feel he's in a race against time with the Madrid and Rome Masters looming before the May 22 start of the French Open.

"I wanted to play in Monte Carlo but I wasn't ready. The clay season is long and now I'm injury-free. I feel ready to play well. This will be a tough tournament with a lot of guys who can win.

"But I'm feeling good with my game and I've had two and a half weeks of practice on the clay. I have to be counted among the favourites," said the Swede.

The 26-year-old backed world number three Federer to do well on clay this season.

"He is always among the guys who can win events," he said.

But he also warned of the danger posed by number two Novak Djokovic, who is on a 24-0 winning record this season and is stepping onto clay for the first time this season at home in Belgrade this week.

"It's very even at the top of the game. Djokovic has beaten Rafa twice this year (hardcourt) but clay is totally different. Nadal is good on everything, but on clay he's even better."

The joint ATP-WTA event got underway on MOnday with the women's section taking centre stage.

Russian top seed Alisa Kleybanova earned a 6-2, 6-2 win over Olga Govortsova of Belarus to reach the second round while two more seeds were eliminated.

Romanian Monica Niculescu beat number five Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 as the American tested a recent hip injury while 2006 winner Zheng Jie of China crashed 6-4, 6-2 to Italy's Romina Oprandi.

Australian Casey Dellacqua played her first match since Wimbledon after a long injury period, beating Zhang Shuai of China 6-2, 6-1.

On the men's side, South African seventh seed Kevin Anderson recovered to defeat Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 while Romania's Victor Hanescu beat Portugal's Rui Machado 6-3, 6-3.

Jeremy Chardy won an all-French battle over Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110425/sp … 0425182919

Serenity · 06-05-2011 14:44:50

What can Madrid and Rome teach us?

The Madrid Masters starts this week and will be quickly followed by the Rome Masters.

We're in the home straight for the French Open and these two Masters tournaments are going to give us a better idea about who is in the best shape to win this second Grand Slam of the year.

Let's start with a look at the Rafael Nadal versus Novak Djokovic battle.

Everybody is waiting for this duel between Djokovic, the most impressive guy of this start of the season, and Nadal, who is still the boss on clay having won back-to-back titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

The Serb was smart to avoid facing Rafa on clay earlier, skipping Monte Carlo and Barcelona. He knows how much the result of their first encounter will matter in terms of his French Open chances. So he decided to take his time and return to clay at Belgrade, where he won. He has gained new confidence before going into the fight with Nadal, the clay monster.

The Spaniard was quick to adapt to the surface and get back to winning ways after struggling earlier in the season. He is now reassured. Even not playing to his best standards, he was still good enough to beat every opponent in front of him.

Nevertheless he knows that, in order to beat Djokovic, he has to play better than this. The depth of his shots isn't optimal and the Serb will take advantage of any flaw. It appears that Rafa has lost confidence - and so efficiency - on his backhand. So here are the two areas he has to work on if he wants to record a win over Djokovic, who is in full gear and completely focused.

Roger Federer didn't reassure us at all on clay, a surface he mastered in his best years but which has appeared to magnify his struggles since.

His footwork leads him to commit more mistakes on his backhand but also to lose efficiency on his forehand because he takes the ball later than before. On clay, which slows the ball down, his serve becomes also less decisive. We've noticed him going more for trickiness these days, with the kick serve for example. Even if his game is still enough to beat most of the field, he looks way more fragile against players like Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, Djokovic and Nadal.

Robin Soderling is also struggling. Disturbed by a foot injury, he's struggled to get back to his best level. Even if he likes clay because it gives him enough time to move and organise himself, it's also an issue for him because of his footwork, especially with the foot injury.

So he's not arriving in Madrid in the best condition but will hope to find some encouragement heading towards Roland Garros.

The guy who is coming back very strong those days is Del Potro. Having been forced to take a full year off with injury, he's slowly but surely coming back to his best level. He could become a serious outsider for the French Open.

Murray is an enigma. Absolutely non-existent since his loss in the Australian Open final, he jumped back in the game at Monte Carlo, enjoying a good tournament and being the only one to push Nadal to a third set. So he seems to be back on the right path sooner than last year when he struggled basically until Wimbledon.

But the Scot is capable of being the best and the worst. It is tough to predict anything with him until he stabilises his team (he split with coach Alex Corretja not long ago and still hasn't replaced him). And he injured his elbow at Monte Carlo, withdrawing from Barcelona and only making his comeback this week in Madrid.

We will also get the opportunity in Madrid and Rome to see more of Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic. They'll get the chance to play against the best players and to see how far from or close they are to them - and the work they still have to do to compete with them. Over on the women's side Victoria Azarenka is the in-form player.

We've been waiting for some time for her to develop and she is on a roll right now since her triumph in Miami.

Clay should really suit her, with the topspin she can put on her forehand and her great footwork. However she's injury-prone and still pretty sensitive. After Madrid and Roma, we'll know all we need in terms of whether we can picture her with the trophy in Paris.

Caroline Wozniacki is the other in-form player of the moment: she's winning nearly every event she's entering. She now only lacks a Grand Slam trophy. She'll be in prime position for the French Open if she can clinch the victory in Madrid and Rome because of the huge confidence it will give her.

Both Francesca Schiavone and Samantha Stosur, finalists at last year's Roland Garros, are struggling at the moment. We thought they would rediscover their inspiration now that they are back on the clay - but it hasn't happened. They have two tournaments left in order to find the confidence necessary to win the French Open.

It is impossible to conclude without talking about Aravane Rezai, winner in Madrid last year with victories over Justine Henin, Klara Zakopalova, Andrea Petkovic, Jelena Jankovic, Lucie Safarova and Venus Williams. She is going through a tough time, which have only got worse with her first-round loss in Madrid on Sunday.

Now coached by Alexia Dechaume-Balleret, she's facing the three most difficult months of her season where she'll have to defend about 80 per cent of her WTA points. She will have to deal with a lot of pressure. In Paris, she won't be under the same pressure - so maybe she will be able to do better.

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/patri … icle/1608/

DUN I LOVE · 08-05-2011 20:58:34

MogĂŞ posypaĂŚ gÂłowĂŞ popioÂłem. CoÂś ruszyÂło. Nie ukrywam, Âże ta "dwuwÂładza" Âśrednio mnie rajcuje, ale lepsze to zdecydowanie niÂż dominacja Nadala, gdzie w kaÂżdym meczu Hiszpan oddaje rywalom 2-3 gemy, czĂŞsto w caÂłym meczu.

Nie chcĂŞ wyciÂągaĂŚ zbyt daleko idÂących wnioskĂłw, wszak to tylko jedna poraÂżka, ale chyba powoli koĂączÂą siĂŞ czasy, gdzie Rafa bĂŞdzie wygrywaÂł wszystko, co pomaraĂączowe, grajÂąc jak na siebie Âśrednio, czy nawet poprawnie. Spadek w jego przygotowaniu kondycyjnym jest dla mnie szokujÂący. Podczas IW-Miami w starciach z Serbem wyglÂądaÂł duÂżo gorzej motorycznie i to nie na poczÂątku (tutaj bardzo czĂŞsto dÂłuÂżej "wchodziÂł" w mecz), ale po 2-3 godzinach nieustannej wymiany ciosĂłw. Wtedy byÂłem przeÂświadczony, Âże to skutki ostrego treningu, jaki przyniesie efekt wiosnÂą. Ale to chyba jednak nie to. W zasadzie nie mam pomysÂłu, co o tym wszystkim myÂśleĂŚ. MoÂże organizm domaga siĂŞ spÂłaty weksli, jakich Nadal powystawiaÂł sobie caÂłÂą masĂŞ przez te 7 lat atletycznych popisĂłw?

Druga istotna rzecz, ktĂłrÂą przyszÂłoÂśĂŚ zweryfikuje to to, czy ktoÂś poza Nole teÂż poczuje krew i bĂŞdzie w stanie ugryÂźĂŚ RafĂŞ na mÂączce? Szczerze mĂłwiÂąc widziaÂłem silnego kandydata w osobie del Potro, ale musiaÂła siĂŞ przewlec ta kontuzja biodra. Federerem siĂŞ nie czarujĂŞ, od niego to ja chcĂŞ tylko jeszcze jednego Wimbledonu. ChociaÂż wydaje mi siĂŞ, Âże fizycznie ciÂągle jest on w stanie walczyĂŚ o najwyÂższe laury teÂż i na paryskim froncie.

Joao · 09-05-2011 07:35:20

Akurat udaÂło mi siĂŞ trafiĂŚ z wytypowaniem zwyciĂŞzcy Madrytu . Szybkie korty, Nadal nie paÂłajÂący sympatiÂą do ich wÂłaÂściwoÂści i staÂło siĂŞ. Trzeba jednak zauwaÂżyĂŚ, Âże od czasĂłw przeniesienia turnieju w 2009 roku Rafael rokrocznie nie gra tu dobrze. W Rzymie na trochĂŞ wolniejszej mÂączce powinno byĂŚ lepiej dla Hiszpana i trudniej dla Dokovicia.

Pomimo tej poraÂżki faworytem do paryskiego triumfu jest dla mnie mieszkaniec Majorki. Na przeÂłomie maja i czerwca jego dyspozycja powinna wzrosnÂąĂŚ. ChociaÂż z tÂą sÂłaboÂściÂą bekhendu ciĂŞÂżko mu bĂŞdzie siĂŞ tak szybko uporaĂŚ. JuÂż w Rzymie DokoviĂŚ moÂże byĂŚ mocno zmĂŞczony i nawet w ewentualnym finale nie jest dla mnie faworytem.

Moim zdaniem brakujÂącym ogniwem w ukÂładance Dokovicia byÂł ten lekcewaÂżony przez wielu CetojeviĂŚ. JakoÂś dziwne, Âże w pĂłÂł roku przygotowanie mentalne i fizyczne wzrosÂło tak bardzo pod jego opiekÂą. Vajda i inni specjaliÂści przez trzy lata nie mogli tego poprawiĂŚ. Poza tym mĂłwiono, Âże Novak Âźle siĂŞ czuje na mÂączce i nie ma szans w walce z Nadalem. Okazuje siĂŞ, Âże nie. Ma wszystkie argumenty, aby gnĂŞbiĂŚ Hiszpana. Jest regularny w dÂługich wymianach, kiedy trzeba potrafi przyspieszyĂŚ. Moim zdaniem Serba staĂŚ na wiĂŞcej, wczoraj zagraÂł na 80-90 % moÂżliwoÂści. ÂŚwiadczy o tym minimalnie ujemny bilans W-UE (23-26). Z resztÂą chyba w kaÂżdym wygranym w tym roku Mastersie byÂł na minusie.

Robertinho · 09-05-2011 08:25:34

Na razie niestety za wczeÂśnie by ogÂłaszaĂŚ koniec dominacji Nadala na cegle. We mnie ciÂągle jest obawa, Âże to wszystko ciÂągle dopiero rozgrzewka i kolejny raz wyskoczy na RG z duÂżo lepszÂą formÂą. Chyba Âże ta nieco dyspozycja to faktycznie znak czasĂłw i Terminadal to juÂż przeszÂłoÂśĂŚ, ale jak jest naprawdĂŞ przekonamy siĂŞ dopiero za jakiÂś czas.

Djokovic ma grĂŞ na zdobycie tytuÂłu w ParyÂżu, czy jego zdrowie wytrzyma do tego czasu to podstawowe pytanie na tĂŞ chwilĂŞ.

Federer? Na razie nie ma co wychylaĂŚ siĂŞ z nory, trzeba siedzieĂŚ cicho i robiĂŚ swoje, a moÂże i bĂŞdzie okazja coÂś zdziaÂłaĂŚ.

Warto odnotowaĂŚ pĂłÂłfinaÂł Bellucciego, czyÂżby miaÂł w koĂącu pokazaĂŚ reszcie gdzie ich miejsce?

Art · 13-05-2011 20:03:29

Hesitating Murray needs strong coach

As soon as Madrid finishes, Rome begins. I want to take a look at how the French Open hopes of the players are being affected by the tournaments.

Robin Soderling - Crisis of doubt

Robin Soderling has improved a lot in the last three seasons, is a solid member of the top five and a double finalist at Roland Garros. However he has lacked efficiency in the last few months without coach Magnus Norman.

I was surprised when the man who succeeded in transforming this gifted but easily-angered player into a calm, serious trainer was allowed to move on. And I was even more surprised when I heard who was to replace him: Claudio Pistolesi is completely different to Norman in terms of views and personality.

The Swede ended this new relationship after only five months and is now going through some rough times: Madrid was fine on paper, with a loss to the great Roger Federer, but it is obvious that he is lacking the confidence of last season - a bad sign ahead of the French.

Juan Martin del Potro - Injured

In contrast, Juan Martin del Potro's form is on the rise this year. I was even ready to put him on the outsiders list for Roland Garros, such has been his start to the season: he has secured a lot of wins and refound his striking quality and amazing length of ball.

In Madrid, a battle with Rafael Nadal would have given us even more information on his ability to push the big favourites for the Grand Slam; unfortunately, he was forced to withdraw before the match due to a hip injury. He is now back in Buenos Aires. We hope it isn't too serious because it would be terrible if he couldn't make it to Paris. Besides the Nadal/Novak Djokovic fight, the tournament needs big outsiders like him.

It's also interesting to note the new types of injury arriving on the Tour, and consider the technical and material reasons for these: the open stance trend for forehands is now used by all the players and could be a rational explanation as far as the work of the hand and one strong step in support has been replaced by a very strong rotation of the upper body, putting the hips in play on each shot. This leads to a premature wear of this joint, which is unfortunately a degenerative condition. So we have reasons to be afraid for the future of players who suffer from it at an early age. Open stances are now also used on the backhand and so will only compound the issue.

Andy Murray - Unstable

The Scotsman, who remains unpredictable, surprised us in Monte Carlo by displaying, for the first time in his career, a very high level on clay - even pushing Rafa to a third set.

Andy is very gifted player but he's lacked a solid guide for too long now. I'd like him to be strong and make a decision on a coach in order to give everything in the attempt to make the most of his potential - and become a key player in the fight for the top two positions in the world. It's not happening at present and, as time passes, it's worrying to see him hesitate so.

In Madrid he lost in two sets against Thomaz Bellucci, who played amazing tennis all week. However Murray did not play well and saying he is now working with Darren Cahill in 'Team Adidas' is not, in my opinion, going to improve the situation - because it is remaining in do-it-yourself mode.

Thomaz Bellucci - Surprising

When you talk about speedy development, the Brazilian is a very good example. We have known how talented this player is for a long time now, but Madrid signalled another level in his progress.

Jeremy Chardy was training with him in Monte Carlo and I was not impressed by the doubting, hesitating, nervous player I saw - and he lost 6-3 6-2 against Gilles Simon. Then suddenly something clicked in his mind, he took a few victories and he is now playing with inspiration and self-belief. He has the talent and the shots that hurt opponents - he can be a threat at the French Open.

Nadal v Djokovic

This long-awaited battle is changing the face of the game, now that it has moved up a notch with Nole's win in the Madrid final. These players are flying away from the rest of the ATP field at the moment (note: written before qualifier Paolo Lorenzi's impressive fight against Nadal).

Roger Federer said that now it is about the top four then the rest - but for me it is the top two then the rest. The Swiss is clearly operating at a level beneath Rafa and Djoko, and even more so on clay which highlights Roger's current flaws still further.

The first duel in Madrid ended in Nole's hands - the conditions favoured him and I have to say that I don't understand why the organisation did not do more to help their man Nadal. They cannot do anything about the high altitude at the event, but they could have slowed the surface. This is often done for Davis Cup matches, for example.

That said, Novak showed why he has regularly - technically and tactically - beaten Nadal since the start of the year. As I said in my last blog, the contest was very important regarding the mental edge of the players; Rome will offer new information, but for now the Serbian has an obvious advantage. Rafa will have to set the situation straight before Roland Garros or he will not be the clear favourite there for the first time in his career.

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/patri … icle/1661/

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#1 04-04-2011 07:54:59

MÂąka idzie w gĂłrĂŞ - ceglane rozwaÂżania 2011

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