Roland Garros favorites in the men's and women's draw may have been cursed, because I have the same disease as Brad Gilbert. And there's no cure for Brad-Gilbert-itis
Okay, so I’m suffering from Brad-Gilbert-itis. Basically if I pick you to win, it’s a good bet that you are going to lose. Just ask Maria Sharapova, Lleyton Hewitt, or Serena Williams. I picked them all to win over the past few days and each lost. But come on! Gael Monfils beating Lleyton Hewitt? There's no question that Monfils is talented, but what has he done lately that suggested he’d beat Hewitt? Was it the four first-round losses in a row, before his semi-final finish last week in Zagreb, where he lost to the no.94 player in the world? Now he takes out no.16-ranked Hewitt whom he had never beaten and who gave Nadal a serious run in Hamburg? And how about Serena losing to Patty Schnyder in Rome? Serena has practically owned Schnyder, losing to Schnyder only once before (6-1 before the loss last week), back in 2002.
You know, I used to compare myself to Brad Gilbert as a player. He didn’t have a pretty game; he broke down the opponent’s weakness, put lots of pressure on you to conceal his own weaknesses, and “just won baby.” That’s the kind of game I think I played once upon a time. Now I’m calling matches like him too! Over at the Tennis Warehouse forum (real knowledgeable crew over there) the guys say that if Gilbert picks you, it’s the kiss of death. Whatever he’s got, I think I got it too.
Not convinced yet? How about Sharapova today? Give me a break! I know she was coming in to Istanbul after a long layoff due to that shoulder injury, but Aravane Rezai? Who heard of Rezai before last week’s showing in Rome when she finally won a first-round match? We are talking seven; count ‘em, SEVEN tournaments in a row where she lost her first match! Surely a two-time Grand Slam winner and former world no.1 can handle a player who stands no.124 in the WTA points race, right? Not! Not if I pick her she can’t.
Anyway, I’m totally scared for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros now, because I picked them to meet in the final. Oh well, nice run Rog, Rafa…I won’t pick either of you for Wimbledon. I’m disgusted and I’m out…
