Podcast: Recapping week one at the Australian Open

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a week one review of the 2012 Australian Open.

We discuss Bernard Tomic’s exciting form; Novak Djokovic’s steamroll of the competition, and Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s chances of setting up a blockbuster semifinal.

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Podcast: Previewing the 2012 Australian Open

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a preview of the 2012 Australian Open.

Will Novak Djokovic defend his title and begin another banner season? Does Roger Federer have the fitness to capture his first grand slam in two years? Could we see an early exit from Rafael Nadal at this year’s event? The Spaniard made some equipment changes during the off season, but hasn’t been himself since dropping down to No. 2 in the world.

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Podcast: Reviewing Federer’s record-breaking week in London

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament review of the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Will Roger Federer take his fantastic end to the 2011 season and win another slam in 2012? Will Rafael Nadal ever win the season-ending event? Will Novak Djokovic be able to regroup after a disappointing fall season and dominate again next year?

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Podcast: Previewing the ATP World Tour Finale

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament preview of the ATP World Tour Finale in London.

Will Roger Federer end the year with a third straight title? Will Novak Djokovic have enough fitness in his shoulder to cap off a remarkable 2011? Finally, will a rested Rafael Nadal pick up his first ever season-ending crown?

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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ATP World Tour Finale 2011: Draw preview and analysis

by Nima Naderi

What started off as a record-breaking season in Australia, could end with relatively disappointment for Novak Djokovic at the O2 Arena in London. The undisputed world No. 1 currently stands at 69-4 on the year, but has gone 5-2 since the US Open. The toll of an astonishing season has caught up with the Serbian’s shoulder, and he won’t head into London (for the first time this year?) as the overwhelming favorite.

Djokovic won’t be alone in his injury woes this week. First time qualifier Mardy Fish has an ailing hamstring that needs to recover, while home-country star Andy Murray could still be feeling the ill effects of a sciatic nerve that took him out of Basel. Rafael Nadal, who lost in the finals last year heads into London well rested, but his fighting spirit continues to be in question after a dismissal exit from his last event in Shanghai.

Tomas Berdych has again scraped into the niffy eight with a consistent season, but the bullying Czech has never given his fans the belief that he’s the man to beat at a big event. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga appears to be playing his best tennis with no elements around, and his impressive play lately should leave him as a go to player for the crown.

Roger Federer enters England full of vigor; riding a 12 match winning streak and two straight titles in Basel and Paris can’t hurt his confidence. The defending champ will be looking to close out a slamless season with his sixth year-ending title, while placing himself in prime position for a successful visit Down Under.

Federer has said in the past that he’d like to end his career at the 2012 Olympic Games, and if that’s the case then the all-time great would be making his final trip to the prestigious tournament.

With a lot of emotion and passion put into this year’s WTF edition, let’s now take a look at the two all-star round robin groups for the event.

***

Group A: Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych

Who would have thought that a group led by the new Novak Djokovic would be so open for grabs? Djokovic has won this title before, yes, but as mentioned above he’s far from his best currently. Murray will be motivated to raise the roof for his home country supporters, but will the overwhelming pressure from the fans and media once again clip his chances? Ferrer has seen the finals of this tournament before, and he’s capitalized on his opportunities when they’ve been presented. Berdych, well, he’s simply a man we can’t count on. Loaded with talented and shot-selection, the enigmatic star has yet to put the proverbial feather in his cap that we’ve been waiting to see.

In saying that, though, Berdych could be a man to watchout for here. He took down Murray in Paris, and with Djokovic injured, this could be his year for a breakthrough.

You’d have to think that the winner of the Djokovic vs. Murray blockbuster would be semifinal bound, considering that the other two match ups for each player appear winnable. I’d like to see Ferrer pull in a deep result in London, but as always his chances of success are more dependent on the overall play of his opponent.

However, Ferrer continues to be one the all-time greatest competitors in the sport, and he’ll burn through as many pairs of shoes that he needs in order to survive.

All in all, a year filled with countless good memories could be approaching a screeching halt for Djokovic. His buddy and Davis Cup teammate Janko Tipsarevic is the alternate here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Serbian No. 2 got a shot at testing his skill set at some point.

With Djokovic on the mend, and Berdych too flaky to bet on, let’s stay with the backcourt consistency of Murray and Ferrer to pull through.

Semifinalists: Murray, Ferrer

***

Group B: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Mardy Fish

Where has Rafa been? He said he wanted to rest up for London and the Davis Cup final, and we certainly want to believe him. The former No. 1 has been on a mental skid this year, and he’s already expressed his desire to improve for 2012. Before the new season kicks off, though, Nadal will have to rekindle his rivalry with Federer, as well as face the aggressive expertise of Tsonga and Fish.

When taking into account the current state of all the players in this group, Nadal doesn’t appear the favorite. Tsonga can blow him off the court, and as Fish proved in Cincinnati this summer: “no one beats Mardy Fish eight straight times.” Fish’s hamstring could be a telling factor as the week goes on, but you’d have to think that his adrenaline as a first-time participant will push him through.

I stated before the draw took place that I liked Tsonga’s chances here. Alongside former US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, Tsonga remains the only non Big Four player that can deal with the highest pressure. He’s been in a slam final before, and he’s always a factor at the Masters level. He’s also defeated Nadal, Federer and Fish on multiple occasions, and his bazooka serve coupled with his point-ending forehand are dynamo on an indoor hard-court. Add to the mix his showmanship aura, and Tsonga is a great pick for the final four.

Riding the wave of his current success, Federer will be tough to stop in London. He’s serving with purpose and healthy as can be, and it even appears that a few sleepless nights at the hands of his daughters can’t hurt him. Federer’s game is tailored for indoor asphalt, and with his confidence sky high, I just can’t see him faltering before the weekend. Even though he has a poor H2H record against Nadal, he’s never lost to his career nemesis in three matches at the WTF. Federer has owned Fish throughout the years, and even though Tsonga has given him a handful this season, Federer leads their H2H 4-2 in 2011.

With a lot of Australian Open momentum at stake this week, look for Federer and Tsonga to pencil their names into Saturday’s action.

Semifinalists: Federer, Tsonga

Champion: Federer

Podcast: Recapping Federer’s Paris Indoor title

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament review of the Paris Masters 1000 event in France.

Will Novak Djokovic’s shoulder injury affect his London campaign? Are tennis fans satisfied with the elite eight who will be in London? Will Roger Federer end a disappointing year with his this third straight title at the O2 Arena?

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Podcast: Previewing the Paris Masters 1000

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament preview of the Paris Masters 1000 event in France.

With Rafael Nadal out of the mix, will Novak Djokovic breeze toward another title, or will the likes of Andy Murray, Roger Federer and David Ferrer have the goods to stop the mighty Serb? We also take a look at the two remaining spots for the Tour Finale in London.

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Podcast: Shanghai Masters Wrap up

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament wrap up of the Shanghai Masters 1000 event in China.

Does Andy Murray finally have what it takes to capture a grand slam title after winning his third tournament in a row? How will Rafael Nadal’s recent loss affect the rest of his season? How exciting was the tournament as a whole with many of the big names missing?

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Podcast: Previewing the 2011 US Open

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament preview of the men’s and women’s draws for the 2011 US Open.

Will Novak Djokovic cap off a sensational year with his third Grand Slam title? Will Roger Federer capture his first major in nearly two years? Does Rafa Nadal have the mental fortitude to cast aside his recent bad form and defend his title? Will Serena Williams roll to her fourth title in New York?

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

For last minute travel packages to the US Open, click here.

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Movers & Shakers: Grading the Rogers Cup

In this week’s edition of Movers & Shakers, Nima Naderi reviews the action from Toronto and Montreal. Did the Rogers Cup thrive with both men and women competing during the same week for the first time? We’ll also take a look at the dominate performances of Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.

Can we finally sit back and say that Canada has a true mini slam? Both men’s and women’s tours descended to Canada last week for the first major event since Wimbledon. While most of the top seeds perished prior to the business end of the week, both Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams proved that their status as US Open favorites couldn’t be denied.

I personally enjoyed Canada being the center of the tennis universe for one week, even if it dismissed two consecutive weeks of tennis in the country. The event in Montreal drew great crowds throughout the tournament, but Toronto’s stands did remain relatively bare until the semifinals. It’s been widely documented that Montreal fans gather to watch both tours on an annual basis, but Toronto’s attention for the women’s game just hasn’t gathered much steam throughout the years. Call it what you want, but except for The Maple Leafs, Toronto fans are hard to please.

The convincing performances by Serena and Djokovic did allow us to gain an even better indication as to who will win the US Open. Although both fields were decimated by early exits, the two champs went to work, pulled through some tough moments, and in the end showed us why tennis is a game of momentum and experience. For Serena, her fourth tournament back showcased her new found topspin on the run, as well as her devastating serve. Pounding through a draw filled with cunning baseliners, Serena overcame a set deficit to Zheng Jie in the quarters, before upending Azarenka and Stosur enroute to the title.

Appearing nonchalant in her pressers, Serena showcased her fist-pumps and fire while on court. Taking part in the Cincinnati event next week, Serena will look to carry her unbeaten summer right through the US Open. Defeating Stosur in Sunday’s final, Serena will have another look at the Australian during a potential second-round match in Mason, Ohio.

Serena will also be joined in the States by Wozniacki, Zvonareva and Sharapova, but the rest of the top four women will have to improve their consistency if they intend on ousting the favorite.

I’m not sure what it says about the WTA when Serena is out of action for a year and returns to win two big tournaments in a row, but as it stands now the 13-time major winner doesn’t appear too concerned with the negative publicity.

While the WTA has seen better days in terms of competition, the ATP World Tour continues to thrive in the brilliance of its top stars. Djokovic won his record-breaking fifth different Masters 1000 event this year, and in the process improved to an astounding 53-1 in 2011. Losing only one match since last November, Djokovic must feel like he can play without strings and still come away the victor.

Using his quickfire footwork and baseline grabbing forehand, Djokovic lost one set through five matches in Montreal. Similarly to the aura of invincibility that Serena has recaptured, Djokovic is beginning to win matches solely based on his results this year. He’s winning points before he even steps on court, and the opposition is pressing and misfiring more-often-than-not because of the intimidation factor. When exactly did Djokovic gain the ability to scare opponent’s into errors they wouldn’t have made against him last season? I’d say it came around the time when he defeated Nadal at the Roma Masters. Although Djokovic was bounced by Federer’s superb serving in Paris, the Serb wasn’t at his best at Wimbledon (and won), and he was far from his best in Montreal and still came away with the title.

It’s unlikely that the Cincinnati field will have any new answers to the rubix cube that is currently Novak Djokovic, and if there remains one player who can somehow dent his armor prior to New York then I’d have to take world No. 2 Nadal.

With that being said, it’s hard to believe that Djokovic could lose to anyone prior to the fall season, but we’ll still watch with intent as he attempts to rewrite the record books throughout the summer.

All in all, the Rogers Cup did feature two players in jaw-dropping form, while also highlighting the urgency that resides in the other notable characters.

With the quick turnaround to Cincinnati, we’ll have a whole new set of stories to review next week.

Or will we?

—Nima

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