Tennis/Racquet Sport

Posted by T. A. Niles

Ok, so I have to back pedal a little on the Kiss of Death thing. It only works 50% of the time. In the semis, I picked Dinara Safina to lose and Elena Dementieva to win. Both won for 50%. I picked Novak Djokovic to win and Stanislas Wawrinka to lose. Both won for another 50% record.



So I held off on cursing anyone in the finals, and Djokovic and Safina both pulled off the wins as I suspected they would. Safina looked unstoppable this past week, as her brother Marat Safin did when he won the Australian in ’05. No matter what was thrown at her, she practically scoffed at it.



Djokovic is THE Drama King on tour, so you know his match went three sets (4-6, 6-3, 6-3). Yep, Wawrinka has plenty of game, but Djokovic has more. It took Safina a set to get used to Dementieva’s pace, but once she did, she cruised (3-6, 6-2, 6-2).



The 22-year-old Safina, who has been a pro since she was 14, claimed the biggest of her six titles in Berlin. In claiming his third championship of the year, the almost 21-year-old Djokovic solidified his lead atop the ATP Tour singles race, leading Nadal by 66 points and Federer by more than I care to count.



Oh, and while I’m at it, I claimed the Ultimate Tennis Men’s 6.0 Spring Championship, my second Ultimate Tennis championship in two years, by beating Stephen Hunt-Marriott 6-2, 6-4.



I owe Ken Wasserman a note of thanks for choosing not to play in the playoffs, because he was clearly the best player in our division. Ken went undefeated, beating both Stephen and me in straight sets. Ya gotta play to win, right?



A report and slideshow of the event are imminent. Game, set, match….

Posted by T. A. Niles

Yep, the “Kiss of Death” is still in effect. I did apologize to Serena Williams last night for picking her to win, and that apology was well warranted. Dinara Safina played as tough a set as I’ve seen her play against Serena in the third set, and I’m sure that was fueled by the “Kiss.”



Safina was reminiscent of her brother Marat Safin when he was on his game and had his mind together. She hit some incredible shots and moved better than she has ever moved. A little fitness does wonders for one’s confidence.



I should have apologized to Jelena Jankovic in advance as well, since I cursed her too with my pick. Elena Dementieva actually had fewer double faults than Jankovic, and won more point on serve than Jankovic.



Federer is likely to be a repeat victim because I just can’t pick against the guy. And Stepanek is a serve volley player, beating the Fed on clay! I can get away with that sometimes, but Stepanek against Federer? I’m guilty on Robredo as well, as he fell to Roddick in a third-set breaker.



This Kiss isn’t totally guaranteed however. I figured Blake would wilt and he did. I thought Victoria Azarenka would prevail over Alona Bondarenko and she did. Djokovic did get past Almagro.



That’s 50% on the men, and the best I can do is 50% on the women. It may take me a while to perfect the “Kiss of Death,” but when I do, it will compel players to offer me large sums of money not to pick them. I can smell the green$$$.



So, next round I’m picking Djokovic over Stepanek, and Roddick over Wawrinka in the men’s draw, Azarenka over Safina, and Dementieva over either Ivanovic or Szavay. We’ll see tomorrow. Game, set, match…

Posted by T. A. Niles

James Blake and Andy Roddick are showing me something in Rome. I’ve accused both of being more “ball bashers” than tennis players, and that’s why they are "pa-dang-thetic" on clay. But this week, they are displaying patience, that’s right, patience on the red stuff!



James Blake coming back after dropping the first set on clay? A common occurrence that isn’t. Blake barely holds his own on clay and he played a Spaniard who has a better record on clay. Pulled it off though.



Roddick has played less matches on clay than any other surface in the last 12 months and no one would accuse him of being a clay court specialist (remember Roland Garros last year?). Yet he straight-sets an Italian who is much more familiar with, and has a better record on, clay.

Blake has a fair chance against Stanislas Wawrinka if he can stay patient. Blake has bad memories of Wawrinka, having lost a five-setter to him at Roland Garros in ’05 after being up two sets. My guess is Blake will be too tired to go the distance tomorrow, after playing a tough three-setter against Verdasco and a doubles match.

Roddick will have to play his best clay court tennis to beat Robredo, even though he beat Robredo the only time they’ve played on clay (2002). They’re both different players now and their fortunes have changed since those early days. I'm putting "The Kiss" on Robredo.



Favorite Federer should eradicate Radek Stepanek, having beaten him five times running, and Djokovic should be too steady for Nico Almagro. But that could be wishful thinking since that would set up the Federer-Djokovic match-up that everyone would love to see, after Djokovic’s swoon against Federer in Monte Carlo.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s racquet roundup from Rome. Game, set, match…

Posted by T. A. Niles

The “Kiss of Death” worked on Justine Henin (1) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (3). Henin continues her freefall from grace, losing to Dinara Safina in three sets, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. It’s strange that after such a stellar year as ‘07 Henin seems to be struggling with confidence, and showing little fight once things turn south. In three of her four losses on the year, the final sets have been 0, 0, and 1.

After cruising to a 6-1 first set, Kuznetsova didn’t put up much resistance either, bowing out a 2 and 2 in the final two sets. It’s the first time Kuzi hasn’t reached at least the semis since February.

The Serbs proved immune to the curse, although Ivanovic struggled against Sybil Bammer in a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 tester. Ivanovic (2) gets up-and-comer Agnes Szavay (10) next, and don’t be surprised if Szavay presents more of a problem than Ana can solve. Szavay has been steadily climbing the ranking ladder since her pro debut in ’04. She’s jumped from No.207 in ’06 to a current ranking of no.14.

Jankovic (4) cruised through a 6-2, 6-4 win over Maria Kirilenko, and will match-up against Elena Dementieva (7) next. Dementieva has plenty of game to hang with, and beat, Jankovic, but she also has plenty of head issues as far as her serve goes…Sounds like me these days… Anyway, that match could go either way depending on which Dementieva shows up. Gotta go with reliable Jelena though.

Serena’s got to be the favorite at this point (sorry Serena), and only the curse can stop her. She has Safina (13) next, then the winner of Alona Bondarenko (15) versus Victoria Azarenka. I’m thinking she’ll meet Azarenka, whom she beat the only time they’ve played previously. Until next…Game, set, match.

Posted by T. A. Niles

Serena's Streak Still Sizzling

Seven of the top-ten women in the Sony Ericsson World Rankings are still in the draw in Qatar, the hottest being Serena Williams who has won three tournaments in a row, possesses a 15-match win streak. During that streak, Williams beat Henin, Kuznetsova, and Jankovic, all seeded higher in Berlin.

Another Potential Henin-Williams Quarterfinal

Chances are the tennis world will get to see its favorite and most common quarterfinal in women’s tennis: Williams versus Henin. I think most people in Miami watching the matches were surprised at the deuce, bagel blowout that Serena dropped on Justine at the Sony. I know I was after watching them both play. It’ll definitely be interesting to see what happens if they both get through.

Neither one has a gimme though. Justine has Dinara Safina, who’s wild but talented, and Serena has Aggie Radwanska who made some noise last year by silencing Shriekapova at the US Open. However, Henin has never lost to Safina, and if Serena is on her game, Radwanska's noises will be whimpers or screams of frustration.

Promising Match-ups

The match-up that promises to be the most fun to watch is the Marion Bartoli-Agnes Szavay match. Both are hovering around the top ten, Bartoli at No.11 and Szavay at No.14, although I suspect that Szavay is on her way up and Bartoli on her way down from her high of No.9 late last year, it ought to be an entertaining battle of ball-bashers.



Looking ahead, if all goes as seeded, the Serbian sensations, Ivanovic and Jankovic are scheduled for a semifinal tussle, and Kuznetsova will likely meet the winner of a Williams-Henin quarterfinal. Of course, given that I have the kiss of death, we’re likely to be watching Gisela Dulko and Maria Kirikenko in the final. We’ll see. Game,set, match…

Posted by T. A. Niles

Federer Favorite for Final

I think a heavy weight was lifted off Roger Federer’s chest today…or maybe the weight grew heavier. With Nadal out of the fray in Rome, Federer is now the favorite. Does that make him breathe easier or clog up the airways a bit? Only Roger knows and only his performance on the court will tell.

Upsets the Norm in Rome



There have certainly been a few surprises thus far at the Internazionali Bnl D'italia. In addition to Nadal falling on clay, who would have picked Radek Stepanek to take down David Ferrer? Not many would have picked Nicolas Almagro to bounce David Nalbandian. Once again, parity is in the house.

Good Match-ups in 16s

There are some decent match-ups in the round of 16, particularly the Davydenko-Robredo match. If the non-betting Davydenko shows up he ought to get by Robredo, but ya never know. Federer ought to take down Ivo “The Giant” Karlovic without much trouble.

Andy Roddick & James Blake Face Tests

Andy Roddick and James Blake will have their hands full with Simone Bolelli and Fernando Verdasco, respectively. If Novak Djokovic doesn’t bring his best, Andreev has the stuff to spank him. After all the talk about Djokovic quitting in Monte Carlo, I’m betting Djokovic will not be Djokin’ and will do all he can to come out smokin’.

Federer-Djokovic Dream Semi

Fernando Gonzalez escaped Janko Tipsarevic in a third set breaker, and now he’s got another tough one against Nico Almagro, who has plenty of game to beat anyone if he can just get the brain cells lined up right. Of course the really sweet match-up will be the Federer-Djokovic battle if they both reach the semis. Stay tuned for that one. Lemme go check the women…Game, set, match…

Posted by T. A. Niles

Today's was one of the most depressing displays of non-tennis that I have ever put forth. After fudging my way through a first set tiebreak, I lost the next twelve games. Double-bagel? Wow! It was definitely one of those head-shaking, have-to-laugh-at-yourself experiences.



Keeping things in perspective, even the best players in the world play as though they haven’t played much tennis on a given day, so why not me who resides in different stratosphere? We’ll let the shoulder, and the mind heal for a few days and evaluate whether we go on to St. Pete as planned.



As far as my “Kiss of Death” is concerned, No.1 seed Val Wilder was not immune. Ninth-seeded Tom Coulton, my vanquisher, played a stellar match, winning the second set in a tiebreak and running away with the third, 6-2. I’m still waiting for someone to offer me cash not to pick him.



Now that I’m out, and can’t be accused of trying to garner favorable calls, I’ve got to give the tournament officials, Referee Melissa Jackson and umpire David LeBoutillier kudos for the incredible job that they do out there. Having to be on the ball, and on the balls of your feet, all day is no easy, uh, feat. Yet, they were on hand each day making sure that things progressed smoothly.



And no tennis would be played without the crew that prepared and kept the courts ready for play. A pat on the back for Steve Vaughan and his crew! Oh, we can’t forget the members of the Lauderdale Tennis Club. Not only are they good tennis players, but they were really gracious, giving up their court time so that we could enjoy the championship. Thanks to all who made the experience a memorable one! Game. set, match…

Posted by T. A. Niles

The kiss of death is still mine…for the most part. Wilder cruised as expected, and Coulton didn’t have much trouble at all with me either, but almost every other match I predicted went the other way.. I predicted a heck of a match between Fedderly and Eagle, and I was right…for seven games. Fedderly then withdrew due to injury. So much for a fan pleaser.

Another match I predicted to be a “terrific match for the spectators” (Kraut v. Rearte) might have been, but only for the Rearte fans. Kraut went down 1 and 0. I picked Mendel to beat Bucar, and Mendel went down 4-6 in the third. Two other seeds that I picked, Egan Adams and Jeff Clark, were banished to the back-draw down as well. At least Mike Rose made it through as predicted.

You could make a lot of money betting against my picks. It’s absolutely uncanny. I’m going to start a business: Guys are going to have to pay me not to pick ‘em. Too bad it didn’t work against Coulton…

Today’s was the weakest match I have played mentally in a while. Heck, I only saved one measly match point. And the match point that I lost was a great point until the most pathetic attempt at a dropshot you’ve ever seen…unless you saw the one I tried a couple points earlier.

I’ll go at it again in the morning, and I hope to bring more to the table than I did today. There are no easy matches left, so I’m looking for the “A” game to make an appearance. I’m starting to forget what it looks like. If you see it before I do, holla! Game, set, match.

Posted by T. A. Niles

The tennis gods are complaining about the pain in their cheeks. They’ve been smiling down on me now for the past several weeks, and, trust me, I’ve been really grateful. I’ve managed to hit the lines, come up with the big shot, just in the nick of time to get another win. My draws have been favorable, two weeks in a row drawing a player who has trouble with cramping, and a strong seed pulling out this week.

Yes, the 10-win streak has been largely due to providence and the MaJiC Princess on the sidelines. Unfortunately MJ had to return home and gods have sore cheeks. Now it’s just up to me to triumph over a player with the type of game I hate to play…and he plays it really well. Do ya hear the bell tolling for my little streak?

On the bright side, the weather has been great! The tournament personnel, Frank Hughes, Patty Crawford, Karen Hunnicutt, Harriet Petropolos, Miread Devonshire have been terrific. I’ve run into guys that I played in high school and picked up quite a few points toward the ranking goal of top-five in Florida.

On the less than sunny façade of things, every time I’ve ordered something from the onsite cantina, they’ve had to defrost something, or some other thing that would take at least 45 minutes to prepare. I was compelled to change my order the second time this happened to Blue Cheese & Bacon Burger with Fries. Uh, not a good idea. It was about the size of a McDonald’s kids’ meal, and the burger…well let’s just say that I won’t be ordering there again even if I make it to the finals! What are ya laughin’ at? It could happen! Game, set, match…

Posted by T. A. Niles

I’m not sure what was better today, coming back from 1-6, 1-4 and a few match points down, or my full body massage from Bridgette Bonner after the fact. Sorry Bridgette, as great as that massage was, I’ll have to vote for the comeback. If I win tomorrow though, everybody will know it is because of the great job you did kneading the old bod back into some semblance of playing shape.

Quite frankly, no element of my game was up to snuff, except my desire to hang in there. That was probably because MJ was there rekindling the fire that was threatening to go out each time I hit a pathetic shot that would have embarrassed most of my students. Glad no one from Grandezza was in the house! But we live to stroke another day in the main draw.

And, I think the tennis gods are still with me. Although I was looking forward to playing Pablo “I floss with cat gut” Arraya (inside joke), I can’t say I’m all broken up about playing Charles Johnson. I think I’m more in his league than Arraya’s. Now, I think I have a bit more than the proverbial snowball’s chance of making it to round four.

I’ve gotta give the props to my man Eric Ernstrom. Not only is he ballin’ (2, 2 win today) but he’s callin’ all the matches on the nose. He picked Tres Cushing (12) to fall to Charlton Eagle and he did. He suggested that Gary Clermont might have some trouble with Steve Bucar and Clermont went down in two. He picked Al Cannon to get by Dave Smith and Cannon balled Smith out in three, 7-5 in the third. I hope he picked me to meet him in round 4. Game, set, match…