Legg Mason Tennis Classic Draw Preview and Analysis

The third week of the Olympus US Open Series will bring the ATP World Tour to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C.

Beginning six weeks of intense hard-court action, the Washington event will set the platform for the upcoming Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati. The hot and humid conditions in D.C. have never been easy for the ATP players to deal with (especially during the day), but there is no doubt that the fitness and mental fortitude of every main draw player will be pushed to the limit.

Two-time defending champion Juan Martin del Potro remains sidelined with a wrist injury and will not be able to compete for a third straight title. The Tandil native has set a comeback date for the end of September, and will be sadly missed during the current and forthcoming marquee events on the circuit.

With three of the top 10 players in the world present in Washington this year, let’s now take a look at the top and bottom halves of the draw, and who the potential winners and surprises could be.

Top Half:

Wimbledon finalist, Tomas Berdych will lead the way in Washington this year. Fresh off of his first Grand Slam final in London, which was followed by a semifinal performance at the French Open, Berdych will occupy the unlikely role of the being the favorite this week. Receiving a bye in the first-round, Berdych will face either Dmitry Tursunov or Teymuraz Gabasvili in second-round action.

Looking ahead at other potential winners in the top half of the draw, No. 3 seed Fernando Verdasco, No. 5 seed John Isner, and No. 9 seed Ernests Gulbis can’t be overlooked.

Verdasco, who spent last week training in Las Vegas in order to better prepare for his hard-court march, took a late wildcard into the event. Originally slated to make his first hard-court appearance in Toronto, Verdasco will make his debut in Washington this year. Losing four of his last five matches on Tour, Verdasco will be adamant on changing his fortunes on the hard-courts of North America.

Marathon man Isner will be looking to add to his recent finals appearance in Atlanta. Reaching four finals this season, Isner continues to prove that his will and serving prowess are more than adequate weapons to sustain a top 20 position. One wonders if fatigue and injury will catch up with the 6′9″ American, considering that most of his matches this year have gone to the limit—see his Wimbledon first-round against Nicolas Mahut, and more recently the finals of Atlanta against Mardy Fish.

Nevertheless, Isner is currently surrounded by an aura of confidence and hype, and those variables are often more valuable than a put-away forehand.

The dangerous groundstrokes of Latvian Gulbis will be interesting to monitor in Washington. Returning from injury last week in Los Angeles, the 21-year-old was bounced from the event in the second-round, but not before receiving multiple code violations and saving four match points. Gulbis has exhibited the type of form that has challenged and defeated the top players in the world, but remains an enigma considering the frequent early round losses that he’s encountered in the past.

Gulbis does though, remain one of the purest ball strikers on the circuit, and could become a nightmare for anyone to face if his timing and confidence returns.

Other dangerous floaters that lurk in this half include: Richard Gasquet, James Blake, and Marcos Baghdatis.

Although Berdych provides the most bang for the buck in this half, something tells me that Verdasco’s week of heavy duty training in Las Vegas will aid him towards a first time final.

Pick: Verdasco

Bottom Half:

Is it time for Andy Roddick fans to push the parachute button on their backpacks, or will the three time champ and two time finalist turnaround his slumping form in Washington?

Roddick’s year has been filled with quite a few notable momentum changes. His season began with a flourish by taking home two tournament titles in Brisbane and Miami, while reaching two other finals in San Jose and Indian Wells (all on hard-courts). However, a hiatus from the clay-court season derailed Roddick’s level of play, and saw him encounter earlier-than-expected losses at the French Open and Wimbledon. Observing his matches in Atlanta two weeks ago, Roddick was far from his hard-court best. The American struggled with his returns, and lost a set in each of his first two matches before falling in straight sets to Fish in the semifinals. Roddick’s Washington record does speak for itself, and I think it’s safe to say that if he’s hoping for a successful summer season, than a deep charge in Washington must be achieved.

Roddick was handed a generous draw up until the semifinals, with the exception of giant killer and former top three player David Nalbandian as a potential quarterfinal foe.

Nalbandian pulled off an epic performance in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup against Russia, and his silky smooth backhand has always excelled on hard-courts.

The top quarter of this half contains four players who could all advance to the semifinals. No. 4 seed Marin Cilic, No. 6 seed Sam Querrey, No. 11 seed Lleyton Hewitt, and No. 15 seed Fish have all shown flashes of brilliance on the asphalt this season.

Cilic, who has been in a slump as of late, returns to action after an early exit from Wimbledon. The lanky Croat blazed to the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, but has cooled off considerably after signs of reaching the top 10. Querrey has always thrived during the North American events, but has struggled to sustain respectable results in tournaments of larger stature. He does remain a menacing force on hard-courts, and appears like a good pick to reach the semifinals considering Hewitt’s recent hip injury.

Fish, who remains the man of the moment, will enter Washington on a two tournament winning streak. Making the veteran decision to skip the Los Angeles event last week, Fish’s stock would gain further value if he could bag his third title in a row. Entering the meat of the summer circuit with Toronto and Cincinnati on the horizon, Fish would send a clear message to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer that he’s the player to beat with a victory in D.C.

Although Fish has shown nothing short of the desire to achieve the most out of his game during his final year’s of his career, I still feel that his forehand can be exposed by the right caliber player.

All in all, the bottom half of the draw appears far less predictable than the top half. In saying that, one has to think that Roddick will be licking his chops with del Potro not defending his crown. Five final appearances will definitely spur Roddick’s chances at victory. Although the Toronto and Cincinnati events provide more points and prize money, Roddick’s US Open chances—in my eyes anyway—will rest on how he performs in Washington.

Pick: Roddick

Champion: Roddick

Movers and Shakers on Tour: Fish in Form; Ginepri Tumbles

by Nima Naderi

With week one of the US Open Series in the books, let’s take a quick look back at how everything went down in Atlanta, without forgetting about the surprising events that took place in Hamburg.

Mardy Fish: The Fishman proved that fitness does matter in tennis by surviving the scorching heat in Hotlanta. Losing only one set in five matches, Fish pocketed his fifth career title, while picking up his second career win over Andy Roddick. Fish last defeated Roddick in 2003.

I like what I’ve been seeing from Fish as of late, which has been illustrated by his renewed belief and dedication to maximizing his game. Remember here folks, here’s a guy who told Tracy Austin at the US Open in 2000 that his prime objective at the event was “to pick up girls.”

With a lovely Deal Or No Deal wife by his side, here’s hoping that Fish remains in his current frame of mind.

John Isner: The XXL Georgia alumni continued to showcase that his serve and more importantly his will were the greatest assets in his game. Reaching his fourth final of the year, Isner gutted through two tough three set matches before being thrown into the oven against Fish. Making the most out of his game up until this point in his career, Isner will need to develop the other aspects of his arsenal in order to prevent further fatigue from marathon matches.

I guess after his three day Wimbledon classic, 7-6 in the third set scorelines will always be welcomed.

Nevertheless, hats off, and a lot of laundry coupons to Isner for another solid week on Tour.

Andy Roddick: No hair meant a continued slump for America’s top ranked player. Losing in straight sets to Fish in the semifinals, Roddick continued his concerning play after an amazing spring. To this day, I still can’t figure out why Roddick would miss so much time on Tour after his sensational charge in Miami, but he certainly hasn’t been the same since his triumph in Florida. Taking this week off before gearing up for Washington, Roddick will have to improve the stick on his return game, while remembering that his head has now become another body part which requires sun block.

Robby Ginepri: Weren’t we all overly excited just a few months ago when Ginepri reached the fourth-round at Roland Garros? Standing alone and proud during the second week of the Parisian Slam was quite the achievement, but his second-round loss in Atlanta will be remembered for quite sometime.

The trouble with the Tour rankings has always been the sliding 52 week system. While Ginepri captured his third career title at Indianapolis last year, most of his points were also tucked away in that successful week. By losing his second match in Georgia, Ginepri took a skydive out of the top 100, and is currently positioned at No. 118. In case you were wondering, James Blake is ranked one spot higher at No. 117, and former top five player David Nalbandian is ranked No. 114.

Depending on how you look at the rankings, the 100-120 range on the ATP currently features a solid cast of players. Or, on the flipside of being positive, a youthful and more powerful brand of tennis could be taking over proceedings, which would mean that the older statesmen of the sport are on their way out.

Ending our recap for this week, recent Hamburg champ Andrey Golubev, who came out of nowhere to take the Hamburg title must receive a deserved shout out. Shaking Micheal Stich’s hand at the event of the event, Golubev shot up the rankings to a career high of No. 37. The slight built Bra resident came into Hamburg as the No. 82 ranked player in the world.

Great effort for Golubev, and let’s hope for his sake that Robreto Carretero circa is not revisited.

Tournament Previews and Day One Review for Gstaad, Croatia, and Los Angeles

Tournament Previews:

The second leg of the US Open Series will kick off this week in Los Angeles, California. After a successful first week in Atlanta, the Tour will head to Hollywood where the heat off the hard-courts will remain a significant factor.

For one reason or another, the ATP still has clay-court events on the docket during the US Open build up, with Croatia and Gstaad entertaining two tournaments in Europe.

Let’s begin our weekly trek through the tournament draws with the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. The time zone shift of this event will become a problem on the eastern seaboard, but the on-court action should make up for the late night coverage. Top seed Andy Murray, who was originally slated to make his first appearance of the hard-court season in Toronto, has opted to begin his hard-court preparation early in Los Angeles. Something tells me that the tournament officials threw Murray a hefty appearance fee after Novak Djokovic withdrew due to personal reasons.

Murray has been training hard in Miami—his typical training ground post-Wimbledon—and the heat of LA shouldn’t affect his performance. One would like to think that Murray will be looking to light up his first hard-court event of the summer, considering that he has yet to take home a tournament title this year. That to me is a very telling stat, and if Murray wants to be taken seriously as a US Open contender, his results over the next month will be significant.

Murray will have to contend with the likes of defending champ Sam Querrey, No. 3 seed Marcos Baghdatis, and No. 4 seed Feliciano Lopez if he’s to capture his first Tour title of the season. Latvian Ernests Gulbis is also back in action, and depending on his form, the powerful youngster could become a force this week. Gulbis was the talk of the tennis world heading into the French Open, but a leg injury during his first-round match at Roland Garros derailed his momentum.

Let’s not forget about Mardy Fish, who captured his second consecutive Tour title in Atlanta last week, and will be riding a 10-match winning streak. I’d be surprised if Fish took home his third title in LA, considering the fatigue that he will be carrying from Atlanta. Defeating John Isner in a third set tiebreak on Sunday, Fish was hooked up to IVs after the match because of the debilitating conditions.

The winner of this week’s LA Open will pocket $111,950 in prize money, and 250 ATP World Tour points.

For those of who can afford to head over to the Gstaad event this week, consider yourselves lucky. A hot spot for winter time skiing, Gstaad hosts summer time car racing and of course a tennis event.

Boasting a respectable field, the Gstaad event will feature Mikhail Youzhny as the top seed. Youzhny has poured in a stellar year, which has been highlighted by a victory in Munich, and finals appearances in Dubai and Rotterdam.

The crafty Russian will be joined by recent Bastad champ Nicolas Almagro, No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci, and recent Stuttgart champ Albert Montanes.

Other notables in the field will include: Richard Gasquet, who is returning from a back injury, Tommy Robredo, and Hamburg champion Andrey Golubev.

Gasquet remains one of the cleanest ball strikers on the circuit, while Golubev will attempt to continue his fine form from his maiden title in Germany.

Moving up 45 spots to No. 37  in the rankings with his first career title, Golubev will face countryman Yuri Schukin in first-round action.

The champion in Gstaad will earn € 68,450, and 250 ATP World Tour points.

The week’s third event will take place in the beautiful beach destination of Umag, Croatia.

Hoping to break out of his recent slump, defending champ Nikolay Davydenko will enter the 28-man field as the only top 10 player in the draw. Not advancing past the second-round of a Tour event since February, Davydenko has been hampered by a left wrist injury this season. Parting ways with his long time coach and brother last week, Davydenko finds himself in need of victorious week.

Davydenko will have to contend against an eager field which will feature: Jurgen Melzer, Ivan Ljubicic, and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Melzer, who lost to Golubev in the Hamburg final on Sunday, will enter Umag in the best form his career. Ljubicic’s level of play has dipped since his victory at Indian Wells, but he will undoubtedly be carried by his hometown supporters. Ferrero, who made the finals last year, will look to continue his fine clay form in 2010. The Spaniard has captured two titles on the season, while advancing to three quarterfinals (or better) all on clay.

Other notables in the draw will feature: Alexandr Dolgopolov, Juan Ignacio Chela, and Potito Starace.

The winner of this week’s 250 point ATP World Tour event will take home € 72,150 in prize money.

With the previews for this week set in place, let’s now take a look at day one results form the respective three tournaments.

Farmers Classic—Los Angeles, California

Day one action on the campus of UCLA will feature four singles matches. The day’s most anticipated match will likely unfold between Lukas Lacko and No. 5 seed Ernests Gulbis. Both players are exquisite shot makers, with Lacko remaining confident after his second-round victory over Lleyton Hewitt in Atlanta. Gulbis, who flourished during the clay season, will be making his first appearance on Tour since sustaining a leg injury at the French Open.

Gulbis will be the favorite in this one, but I wouldn’t discount Lacko’s ability. For those of you who have never seen Lacko play, his effortless forehand and uplifted demeanor bring forth a unique dynamic to any event.

Elsewhere, recently married Janko Tipsarevic will battle Santiago Giraldo, No. 7 seed Horacio Zeballos will face Rainer Schuettler, and Xavier Malisse will take on Dudi Sela.

Top seed Andy Murray will be in action later in the week.

Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad—Switzerland

No. 5 seed Tommy Robredo became another early round loser on the ATP today during the first-round of the Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad.

Falling in three sets to Frederico Gil, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, Robredo lost his third consecutive match on Tour. After capturing the first set on the strength of one break of serve, Robredo lost control of the contest during the latter stages of the second set, before being stream-rolled in set three.

Gil, who has enjoyed his best career results on the clay-courts of Europe, won 71 percent of his second serve points, while breaking Robredo’s serve on four of 11 opportunities.

Improving to 9-9 on the season, Gil will next face either Hamburg champ Andrey Golubev or Yuri Schukin.

Elsewhere, Richard Gasquet returned to competition in style on Monday with a straight set win over Farrukh Dustov 6-3, 6-4. Suffering from a back injury before the start of Wimbledon, Gasquet advanced to the second-round by winning 95 percent of his second serve points and striking two aces.

Winning his 21st match of the year, Gasquet will next face Daniel Brands, who defeated Peter Luczak 6-4, 7-5.

Other completed results on day one action included:

Alexandr Sadecky defeating Yann Marti 7-5, 1-6, 6-0, Michael Lammer over the flashy Dustin Brown 7-5, 7-5, and Andreas Haider-Maurer dismissing Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4.

Albert Montanes and Igor Andreev were first-round winners on Sunday.

ATP Studena Croatia Open—Umag

No. 7 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov survived a challenging first-round encounter to prevail over Paolo Lorezni of Italy in Croatia on Monday. Losing the second set after serving for the match at 5-4, Dolgopolov persevered through at tight third set to advance to the second-round, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (3).

With both players serving and volleying to prevent long baseline exchanges from taking place, the two hour and 36 minute contest would feature seven aces from Dolgopolov to three aces from Lorenzi.

Improving his ranking almost 100 spots from the beginning of the year, Dolgopolov will next face either Franco Skugor or Filippo Volandri from Italy.

The day’s final match will feature Juan Ignacio Chela vs. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo.

For updated scores from all of today’s matches, click the live-scores section at the top of the page, or for live streaming of today’s action, click here.

A Few Words For Montanes

He may not have the physique of Rafael Nadal, or the sex appeal of Fernando Verdasco, but Spaniard Albert Montanes continues to turn heads on the ATP World Tour.

Capturing his second title of the season on Sunday, the 29-year-old from Barcelona proved that his success on the second tier of the circuit was no fluke.

Defeating Roger Federer in Estoril earlier this year for his fourth career title, Montanes benefited from an ankle injury to Gael Monfils in Stuttgart over the weekend for his fifth career title.  Using his deceptively powerful one-handed backhand, Montanes’ off the apex hit serve is always difficult to read.

In a day and age where Tour success in Spain has hit legendary proportions, Montanes has proved that just because he’s entering the twilight of his career, there’s no reason to slow down.

Picking up 80 percent of his Tour hardware after the age of 28, Montanes’ fit and efficient game has taken him to a career high rank of No. 24 this week. Reaching the third-round of every Major thus far in 2010, Montanes may not push for his maiden Grand Slam title anytime soon, but he’s certainly one to watch when the draws are released.

There’s always been an endearing quality about players who enjoy maximizing their talents. It’s not so much about winning Wimbledon or topping the rankings as the longest standing No. 1—it’s more about the experience of respecting their profession and understanding that their day job is to travel and rip a forehand.

With all of the hoop la that’s surrounded the Dennis Rodmans and Cristiano Ronaldos of the world, Montanes has upheld and surpassed what a role model in sports should be: A hard-working, dedicated athlete who wakes up every morning with the sole purpose of improving.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Montanes looks forward to tournaments such as Estoril, Umag, and Bucharest. The fields are usually not top heavy, and Montanes can let his shots fly with a greater degree of confidence. It’s not that Montanes doesn’t want to be challenged by the towering fields in New York or Australia—more than anything, the Barcelona native has accepted that his time to shine will likely come at 250 point events.

That to me is a wonderful quality for a Tour player to have. Let’s be honest here, how many players who are slogging it out in the Futures and Challengers events wouldn’t sign up for a chance to hold a top 25 ranking, and two Tour titles on the year?

You probably wouldn’t have Nadal or Novak Djokovic stand in that line, but there’s no doubt that the Taylor Dents and Janko Tipsarevics on Tour would be more than adamant on filling that position.

Saluting Montanes for his efforts, it’s once again a pleasure to witness a player who is not looking for billboard status, but merely to enjoy the wonderful experience of traveling the globe and telling a ball person that he needs a towel.

There may only be one Rafael Nadal, but the sport in general would greatly benefit with more Albert Montanes’ around.

Tournament Preview and Day 1 Review for Hamburg and Atlanta

Tournament Previews:

The first hurdle of the Olympus US Open Series will kick off this week with a 250 point ATP World Tour level event in Atlanta, Georgia. Taking over for the previous tour stop at Indianapolis, the 28-man field will be highlighted by American Andy Roddick.

Over in Europe, the clay-court players will continue to slide away during their day jobs at the 500 point event in Hamburg, Germany.

Once known as a Masters 1000 event, Hamburg was stripped of their elite status because of poor attendance. The International German Open will be highlighted by defending champ Nikolay Davydenko.

Back to Atlanta for a moment and Roddick’s last minute wildcard into the event. Initially intending on making his return to action at the Washington, D.C. tournament, Roddick felt that his early exit from Wimbledon warranted a quicker return to action. Crashing out of the year’s third Major in the fourth-round, Roddick will be desperate to keep his top 10 status heading into the US Open.

Currently ranked No. 9 in the world—his lowest ranking since November of 2008—Roddick will be joined by a cast of formidable hard-court players in Georgia.

John Isner, the man who defeated Roddick at the US Open last year, will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed. Making his first tournament appearance since his Wimbledon classic, Isner should have a relatively smooth road to the weekend’s festivities until a potential clash with No. 3 seed Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals.

Hewitt, who had a great lead up into Wimbledon by defeating Roger Federer at the Halle event, will also be keen on establishing his momentum heading into New York.

Other potential contenders this week in Georgia could include: Mardy Fish and James Blake.

Playing some of the best tennis of his life, Fish will enter Atlanta on a five match winning streak after taking home the title in Newport. The hard serving 28-year-old could turn a few heads this summer with his under the radar play.

Blake’s form this week could become instrumental towards how his summer will shape up. Dropping out of the top 100, Blake will not be taking part in the upcoming Toronto Masters, and would in danger of retiring from the sport if he can’t sustain a return to form. Posting an 8-9 record on the season, Blake’s knee will undoubtedly be tested on the North American asphalt.

The champion this week in Atlanta will take home $95,845 and a first place lead in the US Open Series.

Onto the Hamburg event and defending champ Davydenko. Also returning from injury, Davydenko will hope to put a surprise first-round loss at Stuttgart behind him.

Entering the year as the hottest player on Tour, Davydenko will need to fight through the likes of Jurgen Melzer, Nicolas Almagro, and Juan Carlos Ferrero if he’s to repeat his title.

Gael Monfils, David Ferrer, and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez were notable withdrawals on Monday.

A potential dark horses to watch out for this week could be Alexandr Dolgopolov. The young Ukrainian has improved almost 100 spots in the rankings this year, and currently finds himself at the No. 39 position.

Using a sneaky array of early hit groundstrokes, the 21-year-old remains the youngest player in the world’s top 100.

The winner of this week’s event in Hamburg will take home € 228,000.

With the previews for this week out of the way, let’s now take a look at Monday’s action from Atlanta and Hamburg.

Day 1 Review:

Atlanta Tennis Championships—Georgia

American Mardy Fish will bring his fine form to day one action in Atlanta with a first-round meeting against wildcard James Ward.

Riding a five match winning streak, Fish has won 11 of his past 13 matches. Improving his physical prowess over the past year, Fish appears adamant on finishing his career on a high note.

The 28-year-old currently holds a 23-11 record on the season, while never facing his No. 287th ranked opponent.

Elsewhere, No. 8 seed Benjamin Becker will face Michael Russell, while Teymuraz Gabashvili will take on Rainer Schuettler.

Becker’s career will always be highlighted by being the last man to play Andre Agassi, while Gabashvili will attempt to build on his fourth-round showing at the French Open in May.

Rajeev Ram will take his silky smooth game into a first-round affair against Karl Beck, and Illya Marchenko will battle Kristof Vliegen. Top seed Andy Roddick and No. 2 seed John Inser will take to the court on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

International German Open—Hamburg

Italian success came early and often on Monday in Hamburg.

Advancing to the second-round in clean-cut fashion, Potito Starace and Fabio Fognini scored first-round victories.

Starace needed one hour and 17 minutes to dispatch German hopeful Bjorn Phau 7-5, 6-0, while Fognini was made to work slightly harder in defeating Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Starace, who won 76 percent of his first serve points while striking one ace, improved to 15-16 on the year and will next face No. 11 seed Tommy Robredo.

Fognini’s march to the second-round was highlighted by breaking serve on four of 11 occasions, while winning 60 percent of his total service points.

The 23-year-old from Arma di Taggia, Italy will next face Marc Giquel, who took the place of No. 2 seed David Ferrer.

Elsewhere, Florian Mayer delighted the hometown crowd by dismissing Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 6-1; Jarrko Nieminen ousted Christophe Rochus 6-3, 7-6 (6); Maximo Gonzalez sent Oliver Rochus packing, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; Jan Hajek defeated Andreas Beck 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, and Denis Istomin picked up his 17th win of the year by disposing of Lukas Rosol 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Matches that are still to come on Monday will include:

Mischa Zverev vs. Andrey Golubev, Jeremy Chardy vs. Marco Chiudinelli, Pere Riba vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu, Simone Bolelli vs. Simon Greul, and Florent Serra vs. Evgeny Korolev.

For live score updates click the live scores section, or alternatively to check out live action click here.

Nicolas Mahut: From Top to Bottom

A show of hands out there for those of you who have ever went on a “big” first date.

I’m not referring to a drive in movie and box of Smarties, or slaving over two perfect plates of Fusilli Bucati and a nice bottle of ice wine.

The impressiveness of limo service, a five star restaurant, a Broadway show, and maybe even a helicopter ride around the skyline of a metropolitan city sounds more in line with an evening to remember.

How many hands are still in the air?

Of course, I’m not claiming to be a dating specialist, or know the ins and outs of how to prepare pasta in any al dente form. But, what I am familiar with, and I’m pretty sure Nicolas Mahut is reminded of each and everyday, is the unfortunate repercussions of ending something on an extreme high—it only makes the fall that much more painful.

Although the Frenchman lost the longest match in tennis history to John Isner a little over three week’s ago at Wimbledon, one can’t help but wonder if Mahut will ever come close to the level of success and attention that he received at the world’s biggest tournament?

Living in obscurity for the better part of his tenor on Tour, Mahut briefly occupied a top 40 position before injuries and a dip in confidence knocked him out of the top 100.

However, during those three seemingly fabled days on Court 18 at the All England Club, Mahut’s Challenger level resume was transformed into the talk of the sports world. Becoming the pulse of England for those three days, the 28-year-old would finally exit the second-to-last court on the premises in tearful fashion. Mahut would forever write his name in the record books for something that will likely never happen again, even though that final passing shot will likely haunt him every time he ventures towards the net.

With all of the well-deserved praise and pats-on-the-back that Mahut received after his classic with Isner, it will be interesting to follow the Frenchman from here-on-in, and keep track of his tournament results. It goes without saying that Mahut will likely never win a Grand Slam event or even a Masters 1000 title. Although I was flabbergasted at times when he drilled backhands down-the-line at a ridiculous 55-all in the fifth set, I just can’t see his game translating into a deep charge in a premier tournament.

What’s more troubling when attempting to predict how the Frenchman will rebound from his cross-Atlantic loss, is whether or not he will be able to mentally reclaim a top 100 position. We are readily reminded from an early age that: “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger,” but something tells me that Mahut would have rather not learned a trying lesson against Isner, and would’ve preferred to come away as the somersault winner.

We saw Mahut donate articles of his Wimbledon whites to the Tennis Hall of Fame during his trip to Newport last week. Although that gesture from Mahut will live in the archives of the venue for years to come, I really felt for the guy as he posed for a mandatory photo op with a generous wide smile.

Losing in the second-round of Newport, Mahut currently stands at 3-4 on the year, while holding a ranking of No. 148. He will be forced to play qualifying for the US Open in August—did we forget to mention that he won a 24-22 second-round qualifying match at Wimbledon?—and it’s also unlikely that he’ll make the cut for the forthcoming Masters events in North America.

If there’s any sort of solace for Mahut to walk away with at this point, it’s that he does have a certain (you would hope so) level of name recognition that he can ride after his Wimbledon performance. There are no guarantees as to how long that will last, considering his inactivity during the world’s premier events. But considering the Frenchman’s work ethic, which was displayed by his willingness to dive across Court 18 in his fifth set against Isner, he will likely continue to provide himself with ample opportunities to win matches.

Starting at the top and heading to the bottom is never an easy proposition for anyone to endure. The journey is seldom felt, and even when success is achieved, the appreciation for what took place is not immediately absorbed.

For Mahut, his challenge heading into the latter stages of his career will be to pinpoint the positives that occurred throughout his historic Wimbledon loss.

He was the fresher of the two players throughout; meaning that he should never get tired in future drawn out matches. His mental fortitude lasted more than three days, which would suggest that his future opponents will take note of his unbreakable focus. And finally, Mahut showed that he had the heart and charisma both during and after his defeat. That would unanimously suggest that fans across the globe (hopefully) will remember his efforts for quite sometime.

There’s no doubt that Mahut won’t find too many shoulders to lean on when trying to cope with a loss of this magnitude. Simply put, no other player—except of Isner—has ever played a match anywhere close to its vicinity.

It’s difficult to gauge at his point, but Mahut might have been better off ordering in some takeout, instead of opting for the house special.

Player of the Month for June 2010: Rafael Nadal

It’s beginning to resemble a broken record when player of the month honors are being thrown around.

Since the start of the clay season, which was highlighted by his ominous form throughout Monte Carlo and Rome, Rafael Nadal has been on an unprecedented roll. He cleaned house on the dirt this year, Nadal didn’t lose a single set en route to taking home his fifth Roland Garros title. With four titles to his credit heading into Wimbledon, Nadal proved that his guile on the softer courts of the circuit was ever present.

Nadal survived two titanic struggles against Robin Haase and Philipp Petzschner earlier in the event. Nadal later defeated dangerous Swede Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals, and then hometown favorite Andy Murray in the semifinals.

Having been dealt a difficult draw in the early rounds, Nadal ousted Tomas Berdych in the championship round.

Casting aside earlier doubts that his knees would not make it through the fortnight, Nadal ended his fantastic trip to London with an updated forward somersault to celebrate his latest victory. Let’s be honest here: The Bjorn Borg backwards knee bend was getting a little old, no?

Nevertheless, Nadal’s post-match gestures weren’t the only attribute to chronicle throughout the fortnight. Capturing his eighth Grand Slam at the age of 24, Nadal currently stands with two more Major titles than Roger Federer did at the same age.

Nadal also improved to 47-5 on the year (that’s a 90.3 percent winning mark for those of you counting), while taking home his fifth title.

Although there wasn’t any ground-breaking additions to the Spaniard’s game throughout the event—that in turn wasn’t necessarily a bad sign.

Nadal is beginning to—or is he already there?—reach a stage in his career where he is completely in tune with what he needs to accomplish at every stage of a tournament.

After fighting past Haase and Petzschner, Nadal was forced to dip into his defensive foundation and claw back from a 5-0 first set deficit against Soderling. Advancing in four sets over the Swede, Nadal displayed his ability to spit back the penetrating shots of his opponent while mounting his court positioning closer to the baseline.

Nadal’s straight set win over Murray was perhaps his most impressive win of his title campaign. Murray, who had lost only one set in reaching the semifinals, was matched in the craft department by Nadal. He would as a result, fall victim to the Spaniard’s ever-improving net game. Holding his only set point of the match at 6-5 in the second set tiebreak, Murray’s valiant backhand pass down-the-line was met by a drop-shot volley winner by Nadal.

Murray to my mind is perhaps one of the best thinkers on the circuit. However, if Murray is the best thinker, then Nadal is at the very least the best at executing his game-plan.

Not succumbing to the desperate cheer’s of the British crowd, Nadal picked up on Murray’s forehand cross-court earlier, and exploited the shot for a greater part of the contest.

Trading in the length of shot that he used against Murray for short angled spins shots against Berdych, Nadal further exemplified that every opponent does in fact warrant a different strategy.

Not losing his serve against Berdych throughout the match, Nadal’s constant barrage of low hit passing shots allowed for a hand-full of timely second hit opportunities.

Using Berdych’s height to his disadvantage, Nadal breezed through his second career Euro Slam.

With his next goal being a potential US Open title, what will the Spaniard need to succeed?

Having never captured the title at Flushing Meadows, Nadal will likely play the Toronto and Cincinnati events in order to prepare for the final Slam of the season.

Attempting to become the seventh player in history to capture all four Slam titles, Nadal will need his body to hold up, while attempting to survive the fast-paced asphalt.

The courts in New York are without question quicker than the lawns at Wimbledon and the clay of Roland Garros. But if all holds to form, Nadal will be more than ready to complete his career Slam later this summer.

There is no doubt, however, that the passionate Spaniard will be eager to further define his historic career during the year’s final Major.

Wimbledon Day 13 Blog: Halfway to History

Wimbledon—London, England

Could it be that at the ripe old age of 24, Rafael Nadal has already began his race against history, and not against defeating his on-court opponents?

Capturing his second Grand Slam title of 2010 on Sunday over Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon, Nadal pocketed his eighth Major championship, while leaving the window wide open for a march towards Roger Federer’s total of 16 titles.

With his dominating straight set win over the Czech, Nadal currently holds two more Majors than Federer did at 24.

Nadal’s ability to fight through the 128-man field, and display the courage and resilience to remain the last man standing at the end of a fortnight will likely continue.

Watching the Spaniard pick apart Berdych’s in form game, I couldn’t help but wonder if and when Nadal could potentially reach Federer’s mark of 16 Majors? I’m in no way stating that I believe that Federer is done winning big titles—because I don’t—but we must also not shy away from the overall mark of 16 titles when predicting what the future may entail, because unknown number aren’t helpful.

It would truly be a monumental feat if Nadal could continue to fight through the grinding Tour calender, and remain competitive until he was well into his 30s. I personally don’t believe that he will be able to play that long—especially with the brand of tennis that he chooses to play—but then again, the future remains an unknown commodity.

However, Nadal likely has at least five good year’s left in his body, which would leave him with 21 more Slams at his disposal, including this year’s US Open.

Hard-courts will always be difficult for Nadal to complete on, simply because of the stiff and pounding nature of the surface. Nadal has poured in more than respectable results on the asphalt, including his 2009 Australian Open victory. But when considering that seven of his eight Majors have come on either clay or grass, there’s no mystery that further hard-court success will be difficult to come by.

Not losing his serve against Berdych throughout his victory, Nadal showcased his continued strength at out-thinking his opponents. Nadal’s serve has never been the overpowering bullet that so many of the top players posses, but what he achieves perhaps better than any other player is the innate knowledge of knowing where the return is headed. Sprinting over to defend the second shot of his service games, Nadal either quickly takes the offense in a point, or better yet neutralizes his opponents by forcing them into drawn out rallies.

Nadal will have to address his point composition (and length of each point he plays) going forward in his career, especially if he intends on sustaining the health of his knees.

Saving all four of his break points against Berdych, Nadal was optimistic on his return games by converting on four of seven break chances. Not losing a set to Berdych since 2006, Nadal has won an incredible 17 straight sets against the Czech. Appearing relaxed throughout his second career Euro Slam march, Nadal provided the on-court crowd with a forward somersault dive and fist pump to commemorate his successful campaign.

Admitting that a US Open triumph remains the top goal for the remainder of his career, Nadal went onto suggest that his immediate future will include some much deserved R&R.

“Right now I’m very happy to win Wimbledon. Yeah (smiling). We gonna think about US Open in one month. Right now we just relax and enjoy for me this amazing season,” said Nadal.

“Was very difficult for me to be back at my best. I did, so is very important and emotional moment for me. I want to enjoy that. For sure, keep working to try to be in the US Open finally ready to try to win. But for sure US Open gonna be one of my goals for rest of my career.

“But right now is enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party, and Mallorca.”

It remains to be seen if Nadal can cap off his fantastic return to dominance by taking home his first US Open title. However, what does seem apparent from the jaguar-quick Mallorcan is his balanced and professional lifestyle.

His family life seems to be in order after a trying ‘09. His tournament schedule appears ready to morph around his health, and his already invincible game still has room for improvement.

If anything, Nadal’s continued drive towards history, much like his willingness to wake up everyday and be a better player, will result in his prolonged stay at the reigns of the sport.

It’s goes without saying that it’s nearly impossible to determine what the future will hold for a player’s career when it’s all said and done. But taking into consideration what we already know about Nadal, and his desire to win the grandest titles the sport has to offer, I’d say it’s a safe bet to at least claim that we haven’t seen the last of the trophy biting Spaniard.

Standing halfway to history didn’t appear like a possibility at the beginning of the season, but now with eight Slam titles in the bag, Rafael Nadal has clearly cemented himself as menacing force towards the current record books.

Wimbledon 2010: Men’s Final Preview

It’s been perhaps the most entertaining fortnight in London in recent memory.

The strawberry’s and cream have been flowing as usual, but a different essence of competitiveness has encompassed The Wimbledon Championships in 2010.

We’ve seen the longest match in history, followed by a speed bump in the historic run of Roger Federer. Andy Murray once again gave his yearly English campaign everything he had, but came up short (once again) to a trigger happy opponent.

Tomas Berdych finally came of age, while beginning his descent to achieving the proposed potential that was laid out for him an early age.

However, there is still one match to play—the match that means the most—for history, and all the glory.

This year’s final will pit the familiar swashbuckling face of Rafael Nadal versus the skyscraper presence of Czech Berdych.

There is some truth to that age old saying that “anything can happen once a final rolls around,” but do we really believe that Berdych’s Cinderella charge still has one more monumental upset left on deck?

Well folks, it’s time to sit back and take a look at what may unfold during Sunday’s Super Bowl final that will take place in the cathedral called Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych

Nadal leads the pair’s head to head series, 7-3.

For every ebb and flow that Nadal has gone through during the previous year, he sure has made up for it in and then some during Wimbledon.

Beginning his winning ways in April, Nadal has lost one match since his Monte Carlo victory. Powering through the likes of Robin Soderling and Murray—two men who were supposed to give him a world of hurt—Nadal has taken the difficulties of competition and turned it into his potential eighth Slam.

Battling through knee and bicep injuries against Philipp Petzschner, Nadal has rounded into physical shape quite nicely, and that could spell trouble for finalist rookie, Berdych.

Winning sixth straight matches against the Czech, Nadal has not lost a match against his finals’ opponent since the Madrid event in 2006.

There has been some bad blood between these two in previous meetings (that Madrid encounter sticks out like a sore thumb), but Nadal has been able to prevent anymore drama from developing by capturing 14 straight sets against Berdych.

However, irrespective of what history has taught us, Berdych is in fact a different player this year. His calmness and demeanor on-court represent a man who has enjoyed his craft at the highest level, while brushing aside the highest echelon of competition in the process.

Losing only one set against Federer and Novak Djokovic combined, Berdych has discovered that playing within his limits (which still includes a tremendous amount of debilitating power), has allowed for his mind and body to develop the synergy that championship players embody.

If there is a cause for concern when assessing Berdych’s chances at taking home his first Major title it’s his movement versus Nadal. Although Berdych has displayed an improvement in court positioning and quickness around the baseline, Nadal is at least two times as fast as Berdych, and has the ability to cut of angles better than anyone in the business.

Berdych will also have to deal with Nadal’s swinging ad-side serve, while contending with the Spaniard’s whipping crosscourt forehand.

Berdych has been returning exceeding well, and does possess the wherewithal to take Nadal’s serve off the rise and implement his first-strike tennis regime.

However, Nadal is the ultimate dream killer, and although he holds a great deal of compassion for his foes, his ability to win almost every major title on the planet will play dividends in this match.

This should be a close one, but there’s something about Grand Slam finals, and Rafael Nadal that seems to result in continued success.

Berdych surely has a chance—he’s taken out the King and Djoker—but does he have enough to dismiss the current world No. 1?

All in all, look for an early start to be imperative for Berdych’s success—it seems that I end up saying that about everyone else on Tour except Nadal—but when it’s all said and done, there’s no doubt that the rejuvenated Spaniard will be difficult to upend.

Pick: Nadal in four sets

Wimbledon Day 12 Blog: Proving that Talent Matters

Wimbledon—London, England

Cracking an inside-out forehand winner to capture the first set over Novak Djokovic on Friday, one could almost sense that Tomas Berdych was ready to unleash his tremendous talent at the most prestigious tournament in the world.

Never known for his mettle or ability to grind out close matches, Berdych has recently transcended into a player who takes a fraction of second longer before serving a big point, or using his towel to calm his nerves before combating a break point opportunity. In a nutshell, these tempo controlling nuances are what encompasses great players, and you can bet your Wimbledon lottery ticket that Berdych is well aware that he’s improved in those categories.

Berdych has always had the talent to challenge the world’s best players. Defeating Roger Federer in Athens in 2004, the Czech had also dispatched Rafael Nadal on several hard-court occasions. However, even though Berdych was well adept at creating an upset earlier in his career, his ability to close out matches when they really mattered wasn’t evident.

Proving this season that his level of play was on the incline, Berdych reached the final in Miami (defeating Federer once again), while later advancing to his first ever Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open. Although Berdych would lose in five sets to Robin Soderling during the final four in Paris, the belief of the Czech native was ever apparent. Gone was the player who appeared imposing at first when a Major draw was released, and soon faded when the pressure of the event began. Here was a competitor who was quickly becoming a viable commodity in the contender category.

What was perhaps the most enthralling component of Berdych’s semifinal victory was his commitment to playing within himself. Creating “easy power” as Brad Gilbert so appropriately put it before the match, Berdych not only showcased his nullifying power against his Serbian opponent, he also displayed his improved footwork and touch at net.

Making his move at capturing a two sets to love lead, Berdych continued to win the first point on his service games, while zipping back the serve of Djokovic. Using his tree-trunk legs to begin the connection into his devastating blows, Berdych would start the 11th game of the second set with a laser like forehand crosscourt. After receiving a donated double fault in the ensuing point, Berdych would step in and take a backhand for an off the rise winner. Djokovic would hold his nerve by blasting a 120 MPH second serve to stay in the game, but would succumb to the defense of Berdych at 15-40 after mishitting a hail-marry lob.

Although Berdych would be broken when serving for the second set, the drama that unfolded in the tiebreak would further illustrate the polished and pristine mindset of the Czech.

Enduring a rollercoaster end to the tiebreak which included needing five set points to prevail, Berdych survived the “best defense point” in Wimbledon history according to Patrick McEnroe, while once again benefiting from a final double fault by Djokovic.

Cracking the changeover chair with his racket while sitting down, Djokovic had given his all in attempting to draw the match on even terms, but did not gain the desired result because of the immovable confidence of his opponent. Although Berdych was made to work overtime in capturing the second set—a set which he could have very well lost—his ability to survive everything that Djokovic had to offer would be enough to advance.

What impressed me the most about Berdych today wasn’t the fact that he defeated his second formidable opponent in a row, or the fact that his detonating serve and forehand cleaned the titanium dioxide painted lines. More than any other impressive trait that Berdych portrayed today was his ability to make everyone in house, and around the world believe that defeating Djokovic was a foregone conclusion.

Entering the semifinals with the notion that he belonged, Berdych will now play for the crowing jewel of the sport come Sunday.

There’s something to be said about having what it takes to win the toughest matches provided by the sport. It’s not always about speed or muscle or even media attention—having what it takes to fulfill a childhood dream often comes down to personal self worth.

Berdych has always had the talent to compete. But what has change in recent months has been the combination of on-court serenity, hard work, and wanting to be challenged.

A prime example of the competitive nature of Czech was brought forth in eighth game of third set after Djokovic hit his eighth double fault. Gaining the final break necessary to serve for the finals, Berdych glanced over at Djokovic while providing a disappointing stare that screamed: “You’re really not going to make me work harder for this?”

Gone are the days where Berdcyh would give matches away, or remain eager to accept a gift from his opponent. The Berdych of 2010 is more than willing to earn his way to the top, while proving that his talent and his demeanor are ready to seize the moment.

Talent is a great asset to have, but knowing how to engage and utilize those talents under the sternest of moments—now that’s really talent.

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