Archive for the ‘French Open’ Category
Will The King Of Clay Be Dethroned in 2012?
With the clay court season set to dominate both the ATP and WTA for the next two months it seems timely to start contemplating the many questions that the slippery red dirt surface may help us answer in the months of April and May. With all four Davis Cup quarterfinals currently being played on clay the surface will completely dominate mens tennis for the next two months, women’s tennis will also be inundated with the red dirt surface in April and May although this weeks opening clay court tournament on the WTA calendar in Charleston prefers the more envious colour of green for their clay courts.
The only tournament that will be played on anything but a clay court surface for the next two months will be the WTA tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark, the home of former women’s World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, the WTA e-Boks Open in Denmark will be the only respite and hiatus that players will get from applying their trade on clay courts for the next two months.
All other tennis will be played on the red dirt with one notable exception being the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, the Mutua Madrid Open will be played in early May and will revolutionise the red surface and become the first clay court tournament to adopt the colour blue, it is well known amongst tennis fans that blue courts provide better viewing for fans inside the stadium and also those at home watching on television.
The steady diet of clay court tennis will have all dirt baller fans salivating at the more »
Tennis moves to the grass
We’re at that strange stage of the year where very important tournaments start to step on each other’s toes. No sooner has the biggest event of the clay court season culminated in two exciting, breathless finals, has the grass court season started in earnest with Queen’s. Play started on Monday, only 24 hours after Roger and Rafa battled for the title, so it’s understandable that a number of players are slightly lagging. Still, Queen’s is a great way to help round up the clay court season whilst simultaneously kicking off the grass season.
Rafael Nadal is proving his worth as a champion by progressing quickly and effectively through the tournament. After a minor wobble against Radek Stepanek, he made it into the quarter-finals only days after competing against Federer for his 10th Grand Slam title. He won the match 6-3 5-7 6-1, and looks impressive as he heads towards the finals.
Andy Roddick has won at Queen’s 4 times, and is still on a positive course after beating Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4. He now faces Fernando Verdasco. The other Andy, Andy Murray, is also on a steady course, making the quarter finals after a confident win against Janko Tipsarevic 6-4 7-6 (7-3). The tendon in his right ankle is still giving him problems, but so far it appears to be possible to play well with it. He is much more comfortable and at home at Queen’s, so his fans are hoping he can start a good build up for Wimbledon here.
So in what ways are these opening rounds of Queens a more »
Rafa a Champion again
So once again it was the Clash of the Titans, The Rivalry To End All Rivalries: the finals of the French Open with Rafael Nadal facing up to Roger Federer. Now the excitement wasn’t because this was a new and intriguing clash. In fact, it was one of the oldest rivalries in the book. The match up has been perfectly established as a great in the modern history of sport, and looks set to continue. Maybe that was why it drew the crowds. Not only that it has had so much coverage and talk over the last few years, but that it was continuing to do so. After a few iffy seasons from Federer and injury from Nadal, it looked doubtful for a while whether a Grand Slam would once again culminate in the Great Rivalry.
This time, many were thankful to see, it did. All other pretenders to the throne were cast aside and it was just Roger and Rafa. Of course, they are quite different to how they used to be when the rivalry was at its peak. Roger was number one in the world most of the time back then; now he is number 3 after Djokovic has muscled his way through the rankings. Rafa used to be the undisputed King of Clay, but he has been beaten on his favoured surface. Shock horror.
So the two men were very different; time had passed, it felt, as they walked onto the court. It was packed, unsurprisingly, and they were in a for a treat. Instead of a five set contest, they got a 4 set one, but that doesn’t mean that it was any less thrilling to watch. The Spaniard started off well, with Fed more »
Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal for the French Open title
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are once again to meet in a Grand Slam final after the two players won their semi final matches. Rafa was sublime against Andy Murray, beating the battling Brit in straight sets, 6-4 7-5 6-4. It took him just over three hours though, and Murray had moments where one of his trademark comebacks seemed imminent. But when Rafa gets his head down he is like a bull with its horns down on charge: determined and dangerous.
Andy Murray found himself speared with that clay court magic from the very first set, with Nadal being so comfortable on clay that no matter what Murray pulled out of the bag Nadal found something just a little bit better. Still, Murray pushed Rafa to some impressive break points, but he never managed to win them when it mattered. He is an improved man on clay, but it looks like he has a long way to go before he is able to beat the world number one on his favourite surface.
As for the Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer match, not many people knew where to place their bets. Most guessed it would be a five set battle, but with Roger Federer looking back to his old self and Djokovic on an impressive run, the outcome was unsure. But ultimately, it was Roger’s day. Despite winning the third set, Djokovic seemed a little tired and lacking in that magic that has got him the 43 winning streak. Federer, on the other hand, came into his own and moved into that silent, focused mindset that has won him his raft of Grand Slam titles.
Novak more »
Li Na wins French Open
Li Na became China’s first champion at a Grand Slam, after beating last year’s winner Francesca Schiavone for the French Open title. The combined age of the two finalists was the highest since 1998, and both were proud to show that their age was no obstacle to their achievements. In fact this has been shown more and more in the women’s game, especially since Kim Clijsters came back from retirement and having a child to win a grand slam.
Li Na’s performance was powerful from start to finish, but there were some wobbles in her game and Schiavone made her work hard for her points, particularly in the second set where it moved to a tie-break. Li was dominant in serve and although Schiavone’s powerful topspin and kick serve were meant to serve her well and make her the favourite on this surface, Li put up a strong resistance and found a rhythm with her own style. Li won the key break points at the key times, and soon the lead added to her confidence and more beautiful cross-court shots that left Schiavone skidding in the clay.
The rain which was predicted to come held off as well, which must have added to Li’s confidence as she won the first set and moved confidently into the second. But this was where the Italian started to impress, and she began to claw her way back up onto the score board. When the tie-break came, however, it was Li’s show. She took the points superbly, quickly, and with immense composure for a player who had lost last time she played in a Grand Slam fina more »
