IW: Order of Play for Monday March 15, 2010

Monday’s order of play at the BNP Paribas Open will feature: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Fernando Verdasco. For Monday’s full schedule, click the link below.

Order of Play for Monday March 15, 2010.

Exclusive Q&A With Marcel Granollers

Competing in his Davis Cup debut last weekend in Spain, current world No. 110 Marcel Granollers recently had a chance to stop by and give Tennis Connected an exclusive interview.

Granollers, 23, began his year by defeating current world No. 7 Robin Soderling during the first-round of the Australian Open for his biggest win to date. Capturing two doubles titles on the ATP World Tour in 2010, Granollers was victorious during the first week of the season in Chennai, India, with partner Santiago Ventura, which was followed by his second title of the year in Costa do Saupie, Brazil, with Pablo Cuevas.

Ranked No. 25 in the world in doubles, Granollers shared an intriguing look into his unique game style; his love for soccer, and why he believes having one coach is ultimately the best decision for a player.

Granollers is currently participating in a Challenger level event in Rabat, Morocco, as the No. 5 seed.

Interview by Nima Naderi:

Q. How much confidence did you take away from defeating Robin Soderling in the first-round of the Australian Open?

A. It was a very important match. It was the first time I expressed top 10 level and it was very important to become aware that I am able to play on a top 10 level. It gave me a lot of confidence.

Q. Capturing your first career title at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in 2008, what components of your game or confidence do you need to improve in recapturing that level of play?

A. I am a better player than the Marcel who won at Houston. I am a much more mature player with more game solutions then two years ago. For me, winning in Houston came as a surprise. It was the first ATP event in which I was direct acceptance in the main draw and I won it. During the weeks before Houston I had won many matches on Challenger level, and I was used to winning many matches in a row. That is what I have been missing lately, winning many matches in a row [to] arrive at the end of the week still competing. I need to get used to winning.

Q. You recently exited the world’s top 100 after being ranked No. 44 in the world (February 2008). Is regaining a top 50 ranking your priority for this season?

A. Yes, definitely. I believe that the strategy and the work that I did during the winter and these first [few] months [will] make the top 50 a natural and realistic goal for this season.

Q. Your game consists of very low take-backs on both your forehand and backhand groundstrokes. What would you attribute to your unique style of play. Did you ever encounter a coach trying to alter your strokes?

A. I did work on my forehand take-back last year with my former coach Galo Blanco. My take back on the forehand side is now shorter and a bit higher. This gives me much more power on the forehand side, and I can use the forehand more to come in and follow the stroke to the net. It has been a good change.

Q. Playing well on both hard and clay-courts, what would you consider your favorite surface and favorite tournament?

A. I don’t know what to answer. I also think that I play the same level on both courts, and so show also the results. I like both surfaces, and I think that it is necessary if you really aim to the high rankings nowadays.

Q. You currently have two coaches working with you (David de Miguel, Alex Calatrava). Do you find that having more than one coach aids in your overall improvement, or have you ever encountered a conflict of interest?

A. Well, I travelled only three weeks with Alex Calatrava, when David was busy elsewhere, I can’t really say that I have two coaches now. Sometimes when you work in Academies it happens to travel with different coaches, and on the mental side it can be helpful not to see always the same face every day at breakfast and on the court. At the same time one coach needs to have the leading role, and the others need to execute the program that the main coach gives. I prefer having one coach.

Q. How important has Davis Cup competition been to your career? Do you enjoy the team atmosphere of Davis Cup along side your countrymen?

A. Davis Cup is extremely important. Now, after my real debut ( I was in the team last year but didn’t play) I can tell it is an incredible experience. The connection with the people, the team, the media. Everything gets more intensive. I must say that I have not been nervous at any time during my debut, all the team has helped me a lot, knowing it was my first match. I really like to represent my country and to be so close to the Spanish fans. It is one of those experiences you don’t forget.

Q. You’ve increased your doubles ranking recently to No. 25 in the world. Do you find that playing doubles increases your level of play for singles, in terms of working on your volleys and return game?

A. Yes, I think playing doubles helps a lot to improve your singles. The serve, the returns and the volleys get more precise, because you have a smaller court and you decide with your partner where to hit. Doubles also helps me very much to regain my confidence. If I lose first round in singles, but keep going in doubles all week until the final, I get confident to the next singles tournament as well.

Q. With many years left in your career, what would you like to accomplish before you retire?

A. A tournament that is very important to me, and where I never played well is Barcelona. I am a member of this club, like my brother. My parents, my friends and relatives come to watch me play and I would give anything to win that tournament. Of course, I would also love to win a Slam event or another Davis Cup.

Q. Finally, if you could disclose one locker room story that the public is not aware of, what would it be?

A. Well, in the locker it’s all about soccer. Most of the Spanish players are for Barcelona or Madrid. We discuss a lot in the lockers about soccer, but [we] can be pretty loud and annoying for the other players. At this time, being a fan of Espanol they are giving me quite a bit of sh…! I don’t worry, and wait until Espanol beats them to pay them back!

DC: United States Avoids Elimination

The first time team of Bob Bryan and John Isner kept the United States in contention of reaching the quarterfinal stage of the Davis Cup world group on Saturday by defeating Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-6(8), 6-3.

Bob’s twin brother Mike became ill with food poisoning on Friday evening and was unable to play.

“Mike got room service, chicken curry, and at 3am he started to get the shakes and started to vomit, we put him on an IV, he came out to the stadium and tried to practise but shook his head as he knew he couldn’t finish a match,” Bob Bryan said. “I picked John because I wanted to back up that big serve and I think we combined pretty well.”

Bryan and Isner gutted through the three hour and six minute encounter to avoid a 3-0 defeat in Belgrade. Striking 17 winners and winning 70 percent of their first serve points, Bryan and Isner broke their opponents on two of six occasions.

The win for the United States will now put pressure on Isner to battle Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s reverse singles. If Isner can upset Djokovic then Sam Querrey will face Viktor Troicki in the deciding fifth rubber.

Quotes courtesy of daviscup.com.

Nadal Helps Take “Gypsy” to No. 1

Currently sidelined from the ATP World Tour, six-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal recorded yet another first in his successful life earlier this week.

Already achieving a great deal of success in the tennis world, Nadal can now add a No. 1 Billboard music video to his resume.

Shakira’s new sultry music video Gypsy, was voted No. 1 on Billboard’s top 10 video list last week.

Inching his way closer to competition next week in Indian Wells, Nadal told Billboard that he throughly enjoyed his music video debut.

“It has been a great experience and I had a lot of fun doing it. I had some time in between tournaments and preparation and could not miss this opportunity. “Shakira, as always, was spectacular. Working with a woman as charming as her, well, it makes it a lot easier to tell the truth. It was great, very easy, she’s really sweet and that always makes the hours go by faster,” said Nadal.

Shakira, who was seen attending Nadal’s matches at last year’s Sony Ericsson Open, told the press that she has a lot in common with the Mallorcan.

“Shooting this video with Rafa was a great experience, he is very sweet and made it easy and fun,” said Shakira. “He and I have so much in common — starting out so young in our respective careers and traveling the world — I felt this would translate the spirit of the lyrics in the song and I was thrilled he wanted to be a part of it.”

Billboard added their own interpretation of the successful video on their website: Shakira might “steal your clothes and wear them,” but all is forgiven with her new music video for “Gypsy,” in which the Colombian firebird looks hotter than ever. Shakira braves the desert with (shirtless) tennis heartthrob Rafael Nadal and plays the harmonica, but we’re pretty sure that’s not what catches his eye.

Nadal has been out of action since injuring his right knee at Australian Open January.

Quotes courtesy of atpworldtour.com.

Tennis Australia Under Fire by Players and Coaches

During the recent airing of ABC’s Four Corners television newsmagazine in Australia, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Cash went on record to suggest that Tennis Australia is nearing a crossroads.

“’In terms of players coming through, we don’t have a lot right at the moment,” said Hewitt.

“We’re looking at guys ranked 250 to 400 in the world possibly getting a gold jacket to play Davis Cup, and that’s scraping the barrel.”

[Tennis Australia] [has] “messed up the kids pretty bad,” said Cash.

Currently having two players inside the world’s top 100 (Hewitt at No. 24, and Peter Luczak at No. 75), the rich history of Australian tennis appears to be on a downward spiral.

Entertaining the thought that youngster Bernard Tomic may head for the top of the rankings, Tennis Australia does not hold any further prospects past the 17-year-old.

Australian Open executive Craig Tiley combatted the remarks of Hewitt and Cash by stating that he welcomed any new ideas and input from all players and coaches.

“[The] tent is open for everyone,” said Tiley.

Australia will battle Chinese Taipei in a Group I, Asia/Oceania Davis Cup first-round encounter March 5-7.

Quotes courtesy of tennis.com.

Getting to Know Ernests Gulbis: Raw Talent Meets Initial Success

It’s that time of week again, folks. The time of week where we take a look at a new, familiar, or rejuvenated ATP World Tour star, and his success on the circuit.

In the circle of many tennis enthusiasts and fans alike, the name Ernests Gulbis has always remained a familiar constant. Beginning his professional career in 2004, a 16-year-old Gulbis had already earned high accolades from his peers and coaches. Holding significant power off of both his forehand and backhand strokes, Gublis played tennis—even from his early teens—like it was a magnified version of ping pong.

Making himself a viable name on Tour by reaching the fourth-round of the 2007 US Open, Gulbis dismantled No. 8 seed Tommy Robredo in the third-round before losing to veteran Carlos Moya. It was during his match with Robredo (a match which I attended) where the promise of the young Latvian was ever present.

Picking apart the rock-solid strokes of Robredo was never an easy task, considering his consistent track record throughout his career (especially at the Majors). For Gulbis to defeat the Spaniard 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in 89 minutes—taking into account that it was his debut in New York—was a testament to his tremendous talent. Although Gulbis would lose in the next round to Moya, I would leave New York with a new red circle around a surefire future champion.

Well, my vision of Gulbis’ future would soon take a hit.

Although Gulbis’ 2008 season would feature his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal finish at the French Open, his year would remain without a maiden title, and no better than a quarterfinal finish on Tour. My darkhorse pick of the Latvian as a Grand Slam contender was surely under fire.

I met Gulbis during the US Open in ‘08 at the players’ hotel in Manhattan, the day before he was set to take on Andy Roddick in the second-round. At the time, Gulbis seemed very poised and confident for a player with his track record—he provided a casual smile here and there, but for the most part his answers were filled with tales of improvement and hard-work. Although he would lose to Roddick in four sets in Ashe Stadium, Gulbis accepted his defeat like a consummate professional.”I wish Andy well for this tournament, and I will go and practice and come back stronger,” said Gulbis during the on-court interview.

To me, anyway, that attitude was a breath of fresh air coming from an up-and-coming player—one that didn’t take his losses too hard, and one who was willing to enjoy the process of reaching the top.

Alas, Gulbis did not follow through on his words of wisdom. His 2009 season was filled with a trainwreck of results, followed by a puzzled head-scratching session from the nearby viewership. Gulbis’ year was such a disappointment that the highlight of his season came in the form of an alleged arrest for soliciting prostitutes during the event in Stockholm, Sweden. The irresponsible side of Gulbis had become prevalent to the public; a dark-side that did not warrant much respect.

With a dismal record of 20-27 (three of those wins were against lesser foes in Davis Cup zone action), Gulbis’ stock and limelight appeal had all but faded.

The once promising superstar had become an underachieving, not-caring playboy tennis player—all the wrong and none of the right if you will.

But through the ashes of his failing career, Gulbis turned to Herman Gumy for a new perspective on his struggles, while dedicating himself to a fitness regime to rekindle his career (ironically Gumy had coached another talented but “special” player, Marat Safin prior to Gulbis). Under the tutelage of Gumy, Gulbis reached the quarterfinals in St. Petersburg, Russia to end the year. A decent finish to a turmoil filled season; one which saw Gulbis win back-to-back matches on only two occasions—finished on an encouraging note.

I remained skeptical towards Gulbis’ future in the game, purely because he appeared rested on his wealthy upbringing and immense talent. The Gulbis that I had met in 2008, and saw take apart Robredo in 2007, had become a preverbal headcase, one who could not be counted on—anyone for a Tomas Berdych chant?

However, in the true spirt of the ever changing demeanor and outlook of the world’s best players, Gulbis began his 2010 campaign by nearly defeating Roger Federer in Qatar. Even though the top seed prevailed in three tough sets, it was evident that Gulbis was not bothered nor frazzled by playing the 16-time Grand Slam champion. That look of reckless, but controlled abandonment was back in Gulbis’ eyes; a look that would assist him when marching back to the forefront of the men’s rankings.

In many ways like a Safin, Gulbis’ game is uncoachable. His technique is all but flawless and his physique is well chiseled for the Tour. If anything, a player of Gulbis’ caliber requires a voice of reason that he can make sense of; a voice that for whatever reason he’ll listen to.

Luckily for Gublis, the encouragement from Gumy quickly made a positive impact. Reaching the semifinals in Memphis in mid-February, Gulbis progressed to the final four of a Tour event for the first time since reaching the semifinals in St. Petersburg in 2006. Nearly three and half years parted from his success in Russia, Gulbis appeared destined for continued success.

Arriving in Delray Beach, Fla. last week, the 21-year-old Riga native poured in a riveting performance which included capturing his first career title, while not losing a set en route. Gulbis’ defeat of No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic in the finals was ironically his easiest victory of the week, considering the thundering pace of the Croatian’s serve.

Hoisting the first title of his career, Gulbis remained calm and collective while assessing his performance. Becoming the first Latvian player to capture an ATP World Tour title, Gulbis shared his outlook with reporters during the post-tournament presser.

“I’m never impressed with statistics,” Gulbis told the Associated Press. “I’m impressed I won the title. So I didn’t lose a set, I don’t see that as a big accomplishment.”

The honest nature which Gulbis conducts himself leads me to believe that his future on the circuit will depend on his commitment to becoming a “true professional.” There’s no doubt that he has top five talent; perhaps top three potential if he works really hard. The desire to refine his skill-set and make it into a consistent entity on Tour, though, remains an assumption I’m not willing to take.

The day will come when Gulbis will have his shot at a Major title, or perhaps the upset of Federer or Rafael Nadal. Will he take his opportunity, or will he fade again? It’s a tough one to call.

Here’s hoping the hardwork sticks around of “Ernie” Gulbis.

Day Four Review: Cilic Upset in Dubai; Ferrero Looks for Semifinal Spot in Acapulco; Karlovic Searches for Quarterfinal Position in Delray Beach

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships—U.A.E.

No. 6 seed Marin Cilic suffered his second defeat of the season on Thursday in Dubai, losing to crafty Austrian veteran Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (8), 7-5.

Cilic, who began the year by winning in Chennai, India, continued his fine form by reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open (l. Andy Murray). Capturing his second title of the year in  Zagreb, Croatia, Cilic was undoubtedly the hottest player on Tour.

Facing his second left-handed opponent in a row, Cilic was matched in the ace department by Melzer (11 aces each), during the two hour and four minute contest.

Finding it difficult at times to deal with the angled forehands of Melzer, Cilic fought hard in the first set before being narrowly defeated.

The second set would remain on serve towards the latter stages before an opportunistic Melzer converted on the lone break-of-serve of the set.

Striking seven aces in the second set, Melzer won 71 percent of his first serve points while saving Cilic’s only break-point chance along the way.

Improving to 10-5 on the year, Melzer reached his second semifinal of the season, and avenged a semifinal loss to Cilic during the event in Croatia.

With the day session reaching upwards of 36 degrees Celsius, Melzer admitted that he was fortune to defeat the powerful Cilic in straight sets.

“I think I was a little lucky to hold serve at 1-4 [in the first set],” said Melzer. “He played really fantastic, I think.  It [was] very hard hitting.  I could not find my length in the game.  I was playing too short, [with] no spin, no height in my shots. After that I mixed it up a little bit.  [I] played a little serve and volley.  [I] served better and I took the chance to get back into the game.”

Falling to 17-2 on the season, Cilic confessed that the heat didn’t allow for his best tennis to be played.

“It was not easy,” said Cilic. ”It was quite hot today, and from one side the sun coming into my eyes when I served in the first set, and I lost [a] little bit of balance there.”

Melzer will now await the challenge of No. 7 seed Mikhail Youzhny, who defeated a tired and deflated Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-4.

Fighting off a match game in his first-round match with Lukas Lacko, Youzhny has not lost a set since. Taking advantage of a fatigued Tipsarevic, Youzhny broke serve in routine fashion in both sets, while never surrendering his serve during the 92-minute contest.

Tipsarevic, who was coming into the quarterfinal affair after defeating Andy Murray in two and a half hours, showed visible signs or wear-and-tear off of his groundstrokes and court movement, never finding his way into any of Youzhny’s service games.

Falling to 6-5 on the year, Tipsarevic will leave Dubai with a quality finish to end the month of February. The flamboyant and tattooed Serb will now head back home to Belgrade to begin preparations for next week’s first-round Davis Cup clash against the United States.

Improving to 15-8 in Dubai, Youzhny reached his fourth semifinal at the event, and his second this season.

Youzhny holds a slight 3-2 career head-to-head lead over Mezler, while contesting their first hard-court match on Friday. The pair have played five previous clay-court matches.

The night session in Dubai will feature No. 2 seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic against Tour veteran Ivan Ljubicic.

Leading his Croatian opponent 4-1 in career head-to-head meetings, Djokovic remains adamant on defending the first title of his career this week.

Ljubicic has displayed under-the-radar form in the past six months, winning his ninth career title in Lyon, France last fall, while regaining a top 30 ranking of No. 26.

Possessing a canon serve and an eclectic one-handed backhand, Ljubicic could cause an upset over his higher ranked opponent.

Attempting to knock off Roger Federer from the top spot in the rankings, Djokovic’s form during these smaller 500 events could make the difference.

The final match of the day will feature entertaining Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis battling in-form German Michael Berrer.

Baghdatis leads Berrer 1-0 in career head-to-head meetings, having beaten the German during the 2006 New Heaven event in two tiebreak sets.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel—Acapulco, Mexico

Quarterfinal Thursday in Mexico will feature the continuation of one streak and the end of another.

Two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro, who defeated Richard Gasquet in a tight three set affair on Wednesday, will put his 12-match winning streak on the line against Juan Carlos Ferrero’s 12-match Tour winning streak.

Capturing titles in Brazil and Argentina during the month of February, Ferrero has regained the formidable form he showcased during his run to the No. 1 position in 2003.

Trailing Almagro 2-1 in career head-to-head meetings, Ferrero won the pair’s last encounter in Beijing last fall.

Expect nothing less than a barn-burner between these two.

Elsewhere, top seed Fernando Verdasco will attempt to reach his first clay-court semifinal of the season when he faces tough Argentine and No. 7 seed Juan Monaco.

Dismissing Lukasz Kubot in routine fashion on Wednesday, Verdasco appears to have overcome his sciatic nerve injury.

Never an easy opponent on the dirt, Monaco remains a darkhorse contender for the duration of the clay-court season.

Elsewhere, the bottom half of the draw will feature No. 2 seed Fernando Gonzalez vs. Eduardo Schwank, and No. 3 seed David Ferrer vs. Pablo Cuevas.

Both dynamo clay-court players will continue their strides towards optimal preparation for the year’s second Major championships in France.

Gonzalez reached the finals in 2004, and holds a 6-1 lifetime record in Mexico, while Ferrer, who is making his fourth appearance in Acapulco, has reached his best finish in the event after losing in the round-of-sixteen on three occasions.

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships—Florida

Wishful thinking will be on hand Thursday in Florida after only two matches were completed on Wednesday due to persistent rain.

Defending champion Mardy Fish, who is battling a right knee injury, will bid for a place in quarterfinals against German Mischa Zverev.

The American charge will continue on day four action when Wayne Odesnik and James Blake will contest secon- round matches.

Blake will battle Dutch youngster Robin Hasse, while Odesnik will face No. 3 seed Benjamin Becker.

No. 4 seed Jeremy Chardy will take on inexperienced hard-court player Santiago Giraldo, while No. 5 seed and defending finalist Evgeny Korolev will face Jarko Nieminen.

The day will not end without an ace or two being struck, when No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic battles 6′5″ German Daniel Brands.

Last but certainly not least, rejuvenated Latvian Ernests Gulbis will face top seed Tommy Haas’ conquerer, Teimuraz Gabashvili from Russia.

Gulbis won three consecutive matches in Memphis last week for the first time on Tour since August of 2008.

For continued scoring of all the day’s matches, click the TennisConnected livescore section for up-to-second updates. Talk soon.

Quotes courtesy of atpworldtour.com.

Corona Signs on as ATP’s New Title Sponser

Corona Extra has reportedly signed a 5 1/2 deal with the ATP World Tour as the new title sponsor of men’s professional tennis.

The ATP has been in search of a title sponsor since the departure of Mercedes-Benz in 2008. The deal is expected to take flight in May, and is reportedly worth $70 million.

The ATP will officially release details of the contract on Monday.

Adam Helfant, the ATP World Tour chief executive called the new contract “a big win [for the Tour].”

Quote and information courtesy of atpworldtour.com.

Federer Receives Top Honors at ATP World Tour Awards

Grand Slam record holder Roger Federer received three awards on Wednesday during the annual ATP World Tour awards.

Federer captured Player of the Year, the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, and ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite Player of the Year.

Other notable winners included:

- Doubles Team of the Year: Mike and Bob Bryan

- Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Of The Year: Malivai Washington

- Most Improved Player of the Year: John Isner

- New Comer of the Year: Horacio Zeballos

- Comeback Player of the Year: Marco Chiudinelli

- Tournament of the Year – Masters 1000 event: Shanghai Masters 1000 event presented by Rolex

- Tournament of the Year – ATP World Tour 500: Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

- Tournament of the Year – ATP World Tour 250: SkiStar Swedish Open (Bastad)

Federer, who received Player of the Year honors for the fifth time, told the media that he was proud of his achievement.

“I am very proud of these recognitions,” said Federer.  “It was a great achievement to once again finish the season at No. 1, especially in a year that was so special for me off the court with my marriage and birth of my daughters.  It is also very humbling to be awarded the sportsmanship award again by my fellow ATP players, many of whom I have known for a long time.  Additionally, I would like to thank my fans for voting me as the Fans’ Favourite.  I always try to exhibit fair play and be a good sport, and it is the fans that inspire me to play this wonderful game.”

The world No. 1 will next see action at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Quotes courtesy of atpworldtour.com.

The War of the Racket: A Tennis Players’ Worst Nightmare

Have you ever picked up a racket and thought it felt identical to the previous model in your hand? Has the word “string tension” or “grommet size” created a puzzled look on your face? If so, you’re not alone—the world’s best tennis players have the exact same problem.

The struggle of finding a consistent and appropriate frame for the world’s best players can often times become a tedious process. Adding lead tape to balance out the swing-weight of a racket, or applying an extra grip to ensure that a forehand on match-point lands in the court instead of in the stands, takes years of fine-tuning.

Speaking to numerous professional players throughout the years, I often found it amusing when they referred to their rackets like a second child, instead of a finely molded piece of graphite. Could a players’ racket really be that important? I mean, with the skill-set the pros render, couldn’t they just pick up any old racket and win a tournament?

German great Boris Becker once said that his “racket was like his right arm.” That to change his racket would result in a decrease of his results. Becker was nothing short of a powerful and smart player, using his wit and powerful arsenal to capture six Grand Slam titles. I guess his Puma Estusa 1990 Wimbledon Limited Edition ProVantech PB was quite an important tool after all.

The great Pete Sampras viewed his Wilson racket under a similar set of circumstances to Becker. Playing with the same ProStaff 6.0 Original throughout his career, Sampras sacrificed a bigger sweet spot for continued control. Winning 14 Grand Slams with his same Wilson frame proved to be an optimal choice for Sampras, even though he later admitted that he could’ve performed better throughout the latter stages of his career—a stage where he went title-less for two years between the summer of 2000, and the fall of 2002—had he switched to a larger racket face.

Even the current king of the court, Roger Federer, has decided to keep a similar frame to his junior days. Federer has increased the head-size of his racket from 85 to 90 square inches in order to generate more power, but that’s the only change he’s made. Regardless of the head-size differential, Federer uses an identical racket to the one he used to win Wimbledon in 2003. Can anyone say paint-job?

Often times, though, players sacrifice their performance, and perhaps legacy, for an increase in income.

Take Spanish heart-throb Fernando Verdasco. Playing his best season to date in 2009, the 26-year-old Madrid native recently switched to a Yonex RDiS 200 racket after playing with a Tecnifibre TFight 325 VO2 Max throughout his rise to the top 10. Even though Verdasco won the title in San Jose last week over Andy Roddick, one would have to think that the abrupt switch to a new racket manufacturer will cost Verdasco in the long run.

Remember Ivan Ljubicic? The wily veteran took a fat contract from Head rackets a few years back, opting to concede the Babolat frame which taken him to No. 3 in the world. Ljubicic has stumbled around the Tour the past few seasons—recording minimal success, but has never reached the heights that he did with his previous racket.

The most high profile racket change in recent years took place between Wilson and Novak Djokovic. The current world No. 2 changed to a Head racket to begin the 2009 season, and struggled throughout the year. Admitting that he needed “time” to get used to his new frame, it was clear that Djokovic was in search of a more lucrative contract.

Can we blame Touring pros for their ritualistic bond with their racket of choice, or should we point fingers at those pros who change frames for added economic incentive?

Drawing parallels between the players mentioned, I think it’s safe to say that the better players (Federer, Sampras, Becker) had the luxury of sticking with their desired frames because they made a higher annual salary, as well as other endorsement deals. The argument could also be made that the aforementioned players would have continued to play with their weapon of choice regardless of their success, because of their style of play and their on-court morale.

When speaking of Djokovic, Verdasco, and Ljubicic, it’s evident that their off-court earnings have never, and will never, resemble the previous three players mentioned—excluding Djokovic, who may record a number of Major titles during his playing days, and who receives substantial appearance fee money.

It would be interesting to determine how a player of Federer’s caliber would have reacted if he was never a Grand Slam winner and hovered around the top 10 with average results. Would the Swiss great have shopped around his options for various rackets, or continued to believe in his trusty stick?

The debate about players, rackets, and their desired choices may linger for the rest of eternity, resting on whether or not a player is in search of comfort, or a beach house in Malibu.

Whatever the case, the truth remains that racket changes, and ritualistic racket belief, will remain a constant in today’s game.

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