Hi Ed. Nice post again and good analysis. I loved this AO for how it has shaken things up. I posted this in the other thread but I think it is most relevant here:

The fact that the top three positions are relatively closer to each other than they have been for the last couple of years adds a lot of excitement to the upcoming season. Depends how things play out throughout the season, we may end up with several tournaments where the #1 and/or the #2 position are up for grabs.

As for the clay court season, Nadal has a lot of points to defend, but Roger and Nole also have many points in play. Depending on the point spread when Roland Garros comes around, we may even see Nadal lose the #2 even if he wins, if Novak were to reach the final by knocking Roger out. I sure as hell hope that that does not happen, but the beauty of the sport is that it can be so unpredictable.

In answer to your question, if the Davis Cup is played in Paris and the players mentioned are in current form, I think that I would have to give the edge to the French team, but only a very narrow edge.

In answer to your second question: it is difficult to tell. One problem with so much depth, is that there are too many choices!

Gasquet does seem to have problems playing in front of his countrymen, but I think he is ready to shake that monkey off his back and he does tend to do well in Davis Cup. If Tsonga can keep up current form, I would pick him also.

"Because attaining the year-end number one ranking is such an exhaustive process, due to the amount of effort, consistency, and winning that is required, I feel that players who have achieved it are often not given the credit they deserve."

Truer words....this has particularly been so on the women's side, especially where the top woman has lost in a GS final to the number 2 or 3.

Answer to if question:
France wins that match. And, Tsonga/Gasquet for singles and Clement/Llodra are France's best team.

Ed, the piece on Federer being No. 1 is one of the better pieces I have read in the last few months...may not mean much, but I read more articles than most on tennis for my job...keep up the good work.

Well, Tsonga/Gasquet have also defeated the Bryans, so they might not need the Llodra/Clement team either :-P

Nice post as ever, Ed. As for the rankings, we shall see -- and I agree with you that year-end means something; the Race does not paint a full picture. The tournaments in the next few months are really going to benefit from all this intense scrutiny.

French team gets the edge; I'd field that team based on current status. When is Monfils going to get uninjured, sort out his coaching issues, and break through? It's too bad.

List of ATP and WTA year-end #1s:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ATP_number_1_ranked_players
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WTA_number_1_ranked_players

fantastic round up post. many thanks for that!

I completely agree about the importance of the number 1 ranking and this is why, as I said somewhere else, that I tend to believe Federer downplayed his illness during the AO. Not making the semis would have meant his number 1 ranking to be in jeopardy. Kudos to him for making it. And kudos to Djoko for winning his first slam.

--------------------
if...Tsonga, Gasquet, and the prominent doubles team of Llodra/Clement play the U.S. Davis Cup team (Roddick/Blake/Bryans) on an indoor hard court in Paris, who wins?

FRANCE OF COURSE!!! (though not in easy straight sets)

-gasquet-blake = 2-0 for Gasquet, should I say more?
-tsonga/gasquet can get under roddick's skin pretty quickly and if the surface is not solely chosen for A-Rod's serve (as in was in Portland against the Russians) well they both have a chance to beat him quite convicingly.
-clement/llodra (with santoro added in the mix) can create some serious problems for the twins.

thanks, crazyone: I had completely forgotten tsonga/gasquet has beaten the twins....

Ed, if both DC teams were in good form, I'd say France would win. Then again, given how prone Blake and Gasquet are to walkabouts, who knows what would happen? Currently, that's probably France's best team.

Also, I agree with your thoughts on the rankings.

How will Gaudio and Coria do this week in Vina del Mar? It's almost hard to believe that less than 4 years ago, they contested the FO final.

ED, I disagree.

20 years from now no one will remember how many weeks or years Fed ended up as No. 1, but everyone will remember how many Grand Slams he won.

I don't remember exactly how many years Sampras ended No. 1, but I'll always remember that he has 14 GS wins.

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters in Tennis is Grand Slams. That's it. Being ranked No. 1 is like winning a bunch of ATP tournies. It's nice, but if you don't have any GS wins that year, it's feels kind of hollow.

Like in 1982 when Mac ended the year ranked No. 1, but won 0 GS while Connors that year won 2 GS. If you ask Mac, he'd rather have the 2 GS and been ranked No. 2 that year.

And remember back in the late 90's (I forget the exact year) when Hingis was ranked No. 1 officially but Venus was the one who won all the big GS that year and everyone considered her the real No. 1.

If you ask Fed, I'm sure he'd rather win 2 GS this year and not be No. 1 than to win only 1 GS and finish ranked No. 1.

It's all about the titles.

Hey Schwab, have you seen the Fed Cup team annoucements? They are pretty interesting. Even though not all of the top players are entered, a lot of the ties could be quite good this weekend. For France, Goven has named Mauresmo and Bartoli, even though both players said previously that they didn't want to play. I wonder what will happen with that...

Ed - nice piece of writing , as always
and good morning everyone
finally got to watch the tape of the men's final - busy around here so did not watch it live
congrats to Nole and his fans . and to Tsonga - well done. I thought that match was terrific to watch - and even though neither of the two are my favorite player - it was fun to see new faces in a final

Hey beth! how goes it?

GSte - hi !
things are ok - Saturday was incredibly busy - hosting a party for teen daughter and her friends after their winter formal.
Much drama - anyway - yesterday I was exhausted and sat on the couch and did nothing!
Today -I feel back to normal

GSte,
I have seen the Fed Cup teams. France will be the underdog if Amelie and Marion(with Tati injured again) do not go to China. At least, I have the chance to see Russia/Israel and USA/Germany this weekend(USA/Germany needs to be decided before the Super Bowl starts).

I wouldn't describe Nole's victory over TMF as "clinical." It certainly wasn't the beatdown that Rafa received at the hands of Tsonga, ranked 38 in the world at that time. Fed had his chances in all three sets. It just wasn't his day. Nole is a great player, dont' get me wrong, but don't start talking about the end of Fed's dominance just yet.

P.S. Re. Sharapova's game---Correct me if I'm wrong, but after a few losses she suffered when her serve went south because of shoulder problems last year...I thought I read a quasi "obituary" of Maria as a player on this site. And, now, here she is back on to of the heap. All I'm saying is, don't be jumping to all kinds of conclusions after one match. Indeed, the top three spots are getting closer, and that is something to watch...but just let it develop. Nobody has a crystal ball around here.

Ed: Not sure if Henin will get back into her “invincible” mode, but I like her chances against anyone at the French Open. On other surfaces, I think Sharapova will be a formidable opponent, but on clay her power will be blunted and her movement will be a liability again Henin.

Schwab: Agree with your answer to the "If" question

Uncensored Beth is back - yay!

beth-glad you're back to TW. Aww teen parties-oh yeah those can tire out parents. I think it's great that you and your husband host them for your kids-a lot of my friends used to do the whole "party-at-my-place-while-the-folks-are-away-schtick". Often, those didn't turn out so well...

Schwab-agree. Go Pats (no reason not to start early with that)!

omar: Federer is very consistent about his aims for the season year on year. He always says his goal is to win Wimbledon and protect his no 1 ranking.

A Nadal win at Rotterdam would create a situation where Nadal could pass Federer at Dubai (low probability, but possible). Federer would have a good chance of regaining the no 1 ranking with good performances at IW, Miami and Estoril, but even a brief loss of the no 1 ranking would, I think, be noteworthy.

GSte: I have joined the Pats bandwagon for the Super Bowl.

Just one little thought about thinking.

Do you know the first rule of improvisational comedy? Never say "No." If one of your compadres up on the stage says the cure for your ingrown toenail is amputation at the knee, you say, "Yes," and then you figure out how to extend the plot.

"No" just isn't funny.

The same is true of discussion sites. If someone says Tsonga is going to take over the world, you cannot just say "Let's wait and see." "That's an unfounded prediction." "We'll know in 11 months."

Sure we'll know in 11 months, but the the fun is to talk about it, dream a little bit, throw out some offbeat ideas, stir the pot and see what bubbles up. If all we're going to do out here is say, "Check back after Shanghai," then what's this place for?

Gee, Sam, that must have been really "tough" given that you are an Eagles fan. . .

In the not-bloody-likely department, how bitchin would it be if vina del mar had a Gaudio vs. Gaudifaux final?

the livescores at atp.com isn't working but... I think... El Mago is... UP A BREAK IN THE FIRST! Look away, oh dear, this day will kill me for sure, mo zabs vs. gaudifaux plus the 2004 FO finalists each making yet another terrifying desperate gasp in the death throes... arrrrrghhhhhhhhhh

Pete: touche :-)

Pete: Though some of my fellow Eagles fans are rooting for the Giants due to the Pats Spygate stuff.

GSte: I have joined the Pats bandwagon for the Super Bowl.

Sam, is this a "my perpetual enemy's enemy is my best friend" style of thing?

Ed - great post. I think there will be a major battle for the #1 ranking this year - and that it may actually be handed around a bit before settling on 1 player at year end.

Omar - I don't agree that its 'all about the titles. Sampras's record of 7 years at year end #1 is an incredible feat. And each time a former #1 player's name is mentioned, it invariably has the 'former #1' label atteched. Its not derogatory that they're former, but more a badge of honour that they ever got there in the first place. imo at least.

Sam, you're a logical guy.

Pete-lol

Ed, thanks for the great wrapup. So much of what I have been reading about the AO since yesterday has related to players' parents and Federer vs Nole. Can't say either topic interests me greatly so I have been waiting eagerly for the MNP.

The highlights for me: Tsonga, Ram and Erlich winning the doubles and their joyous celebration, Casey Dellaqua, James Blake's five set comeback and the outstanding nearly 24/7 TV coverage from ESPN and TC. And of course TW and other websites did their usual fine job writing about the tournament.

GSte: :-)

ptenisnet: Yup.

jb: I don't know if it's "all about the Slam titles", but to me a year-end #1 ranking carries more weight when it is backed up with some Slam titles.

Sampras finished #1 6 straight years (1993-98).

Sam has given in to the inevitable - as the Pats are going to win. Frankly , we could have handed them the trophy back in August and saved ourselves a lot of trouble . But what fun would that have been ?
I know the Giants defense is good , but I do not think that the unstoppable Eli is a superbowl champ this time.
GSte - hmm - teen parties ,Well uncensored Beth was in full flight about 1 am Sunday morning. I confiscated enough vodka in their bags to stock a nightclub. Anyway , that really pissed off a few of the party goers. I had also collected car keys - just in case they tried came back from the dance drunk. Guess what - they were sober upon arriving at my home , thinking they were gonna party here. unbelievable , the balls of these kids. They thought they could walk into my home and party like rock stars , and even try to sneak a drink past the principal? Anyway - they wanted to leave with their stuff ( they did not ) , they were mad saying I had said they could drink here ( I did not) , They called me a bitch and probably worse ( I do not care. ) They drove away alive , albeit angry. ( that was the whole point) After the troublemakers left - probablly to find booze at some other poor parents home- the kids that stayed had a great time. They ate pizza , watched movies , and talked all night long. In the morning they had bagels and juice. One even stayed and watched the tennis with us. Missie now knows who her true friends are , and who are the users.
I figured the kids would try to sneak booze in, I did not figure they would bring 3 half gallons of vodka. I probably could have looked the other way for a flask , or a 12 pack . But 130 shots of straight vodka - which came out to about 5 shots per guest- would have killed someone. Or made them very sick. Remember these are relatively inexperienced drinkers here, for the most part.

that should read Not sneak booze past the principal
-oh well

Beth: I don't think it's a foregone conclusion - I actually think the Giants are going to give the Pats a good battle, with the game undecided until mid-late 4th quarter.

More importantly, good job remaining firm with the alcohol stuff for the party.

Does anyone think that Federer will be able to hang on to #1 for all of 2008?

I think it's inevitable that he'll lose it this year at some point, and that his consecutive weeks streak will come to an end. It may be noteworthy, as Andrew says, but it may also be a good thing. Nothing like a streak to add pressure. I do think he'll end the year at #1, but it will be an unprecedented struggle.

IF Federer ends '08 at #1, who will be #2? Nadal? Djokovic? Tsonga? :)

All is not right with the world. It used to be I could count on one thing - Fed making it to the final, but now... who knows to what oblivion we are headed.

Wow Beth! That sucks. The kids being bad. Jeez that's a lot of booze. But cute the kid who stayed for tennis.

so much for Gaudio/Gaudifaux, El Gato lost 3 and 0, a minor step back from his last loss of 0 and 3. But hey, at least he didn't get double bageled! Or retire! 3 games, whoo whoo! as for El Mago being up a break, he lost the next 3 games and the 1st set. For some reason I don't find this life-affirming.

VAMOS MO ZABS! You're my only hope, 1995 junior FO Champion. Man I'm getting depressed.

Note to TMF: do not win the French Open, it only leads to broken heartedness and WCs into vina del mar 4 years from now.

Nickname-wise: I think I might just move back to plain old Manolo...

Low Chicago: I think that Fed will hang on to N1 all year. The only time which I find the ranking vulnerable is for the next few weeks or so, but I think he will manage and when IW and Miami come, he will simply add more points and get a bigger difference (safer one, if you will).

As to who is N2 at the end of the year, its a bit early to think for the rest of the year, considering that Djoko and Nadal get injured more often than Fed (Who doesnt get injured more often than Fed?). But if I had to pick, I would say Nadal.

GSte,
New England 38 Mew York Giants 17

buenas ed, good post as usual
though I would hand the hero of the week to jowi. not only because I dislike djoker and can't warm to him but also because big jo played the most scintillating tennis in the tourney. he struck me with his shining personality and touching story. although he broke my heart after handing my rafa a stunning beatdown, I couldn't root against him. let's hope he keeps it up and prove that is is not a one-tourney wonder.
as for the if question, I give the edge frances. reeshie struggles when he plays in front of home fans but he should beat james who doesn't have a great record on the roead (dead rubbers excluded). llodra and clement beat the bryans in the wimby final last year and reeshie and jowi beat them in an AO warmup this year.

Omar,

20 years from now Roger Federer will be the CEO of the ATP, the Swiss ambassador at the United Nations, Chairman of the UNICEF a sucessful business entrepreneur and a family man. Everybody who has ever played, trained or watched tennis from 2001 on will know who he is with or without GOAT-status and what he has accomplished as master of this sport. But as he often says: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice".

Don't worry.

Gotta agree with Sam here. Any team that can go into Dallas and Lambeau and win has got something going on. Granted, Garcia, Romo, and Favre aren't Brady, but that defense has shut down 3 good qb's, and really good offenses, in a row. If the Giants can pound Jacobs at that weak linebacking core, watch out.

Sam, I'm with you on Maria at RG. (Not with you on the Pats. I'm shocked... ;) )

I think Maria's obit was written prematurely last year, and I think Justine's being written off too easily this year. Despite what the ESPN commentators kept saying, Justine wasn't playing all that well in Melbourne - not when she had to face Maria playing as well as she did. (Credit to Maria: she played a fantastic match.)

Just saying, I'm not putting Maria's name on the Coupe Lenglen just yet. Stranger things have happened, sure, but I think a healthy Justine beats on-fire Maria on clay. Wimbledon, that's another story...

Let me qualify that. Garcia is a decent qb. Tampa's offense is not, however, really good. :)

GSte,
New England 38 New York Giants 17.

Sam,
This game will be over in the first 5 minutes of the 3rd qtr when the Pats score a TD to Moss.

By the way, what were those (stuffed) animals they gave the girls with their trophies?

to the "If" question:
France, totally!

this aus open has been fantastic. i didn't get to watch many matches, but i really think the men's final was one of the best GS finals i've seen in a while. both djoko and tsonga played well and i would have LOVED to have seen a fifth set. i don't know why tsonga lost the steam he had in the first set after he won it. maybe he felt confident that he would keep it up and didn't expect nole to get it together. whatever the reason, he did take it to a TB in the fourth, which definitely made me think he'd take it to a fifth.

i can see shriekie taking the french this year. she's going to have a good boost of confidence now she's got the other three slams and with such a good start to the year, she'll be on top. unless justine strikes back :)

MAN it's been such a fun tourney! i can't believe it's all over. i honestly think that this is the first AO in a few years that i've gotten so into, despite the lack of match watching. thanks TW :) you guys brought back my latent tennis fever.

Wombats, all the winners and runners-ups got them. It used to be kangaroos.

El Mago has rallied from down 2-4 in the second to win 4 straight games and the 2nd set! dale mago!

I hope el gato saved his money, I hope he can retire if he wants and not have to steal cars or whatever, what do retired tennis players do if they don't want to have anything to do with tennis? luckily he seems well suited to sleeping all day and watching tv all night and never leaving his house. and maybe wearing kleenex boxes for shoes. I should be happy but I am inordinately distraught.

http://tinyurl.com/2nmy3w

AliC: Not sure, but I think those animals were wombats.

Oops, Snoo beat me to it.

Snoo
are you sure that is from 2 days ago? I remember El Gato pondering retirement last year too.

Ali: Agree with you on the premature obits for both players. If they stay healthy, I expect both to be in the mix at all the Slams.

Schwab: If the Giants can't get a good pass rush on Brady, they're in real trouble. Their secondary is not that good. But I think they will trying to control the clock with their running game and keep Eli in manageable down and distance situations, which has been a key to their offensive success during the playoffs.

oops, sorry for the typos. I meant to say I give the edge to france.
and about the year-end ranking, I'm not so obsessed with the idea of rafa becoming the world number one. my main priorityies for him are the french and wimby but I would hate it if djoker leapfrongs him. after almost two years and a half as the undisputed no2 player in the wold, rafa deserves to be the no1 no? he will have loads of points to defend from IW to the french and I can see him dropping some points here and there. the big question mark is whether he can improve his results in the second half of the season. rafa usually strugles in that period so it will be intersting to see if he can raise his game his to another level and improve his physical conditions.
vamos rafa

Snoo: was el gato the player who got booed last year in BA and ended up practically in tears, swearing he'd retire? If so, nice to see he got over it and is still playing, if not doing very well. Hope he can go out on a high note.

The 'roos were cuter.

I can't believe that France has named Bartoli to the Fed Cup team. (And Mauresmo.) Could be a big win for China if Na Li can pull off a couple wins.

Ali C,
Heard that Amelie and Marion did not make the trip to China. Instead the French team was Dechy, Razzano, Cornet, and Parmentier.

Nole's flying wombat:

http://tinyurl.com/2mmeda

Just read a very interesting article about the N1 ranking from the AO until the RG.

Fed: 1320 points to defend. Winner of Hamburg and Dubai(500 and 300); finalist in Montecarlo(350), R16 in Miami and Rome (75 and 75); and 2nd Round in Indian Wells (20).
NadaL: 2350 points to defend. Winner of Indian Wells, Montecarlo, Barcelona and Rome (500, 500,300 and 500); finalist in Hamburg (350); and quarter finalist in Miami and Dubai (125 and 75).
Djokovic: 1485 points to defend. Winner of Estoril and Miami (200 and 500); finalist in Indian Wells (350); semifinalist in Rotterdam (110); quarter finalist in Rome and Hamburg (125 and 125); and R16 in Montecarlo (75).

It seems that Rafa´s N2 ranking is in more danger than Fed´s N1... at least until RG.

Well, glad Cornet's in the mix. Glad Dechy's still there, too.

Interestingly, it seems (according to the WTA) that Justine has dropped Doha in favor of Antwerp. That might be a goodwill gesture to the Belgian Tennis Fed. for letting her off the Fed Cup hook this year... (well, it's a win-win situation, really.)

zonie that was his archnemesis el mago, el gato doesn't cry.
;-)

yeah ptenisnet I think that's from this year, I don't think he was ranked as low as 176 a year and 2 days ago. I know he's talked about it forever but this sounds worse than ever. "Things in my life aren't going well and I am in a difficult situation." I'm, like, concerned.

snoo,
are you watching the gato/mago match. I sooo want to watch the vina del marr but I'm not finiding any live stream. I flove soutamerican clay tourneys with the crazy atmoshphere. I also flove el gordo.

Ed
I see it's the weeks that count for Fed, but not Justin. Henin has almost doubled point wise. But so what. The last grand slam,Sharapova lost in the third round, but so what. She is the one to beat now. It doesn't matter so much that Justine is the french and u.s.open title holder,and YEC. If have to see if justine can come back from this, have you forgotten the Wimbledon semi? Bud collins,you, and the rest of the so called tennis experts, how small minded. The queen is dead long live the queeen. Ya right.

Does anyone remember last year's media brouhaha of how Canas, Gonzalez, and Nalbandian were going to put an end to Federer's reign? Where are they now? According to the pundits, Fed was already dead, embalmed and buried. Still, he is #1. His match against Djokovic was pretty close, so I don't think anyone should be popping the champagne corks just yet. Let's wait and see instead of admiring the emperor's new clothes.

That really is a righteous bummer for el gato.

Hey Marta :) Barca drew with Athletic :( They dont seem to want the Liga title... But still, Im hoping for Dinho and Etoo to comeback soon, to at least score a title.

Daryl: Chill. I dont think Ed is trashing Justine (Maybe elevating Maria a bit too high...). We all know that Justine is the one to beat for now, but what Ed tries to point at is that Maria can very well pounce on Henin for N1 (if things go well for her this year). Last year Maria was a mini-threat due to her shoulder injury. This year can get more interesting with two women fighting for supremacy (at the end of the year). Allthough I cant consider Maria as a candidate for RG.

wait, who's el mago and el gato? coria and gaudio?

oh and had to add, yeah that ESPN scoreboard was awful. too weird and confusing!

Daryl: Take comfort in the knowledge that the bar is constantly raised for Henin. That tells me people know, deep down in their hearts, that she's a tour de force in tennis. They just can't admit it.

Personally, I think el gato should be encouraged. He's doing better than he was back in september.

no marta I'm just lamely scoreboard watching, plus gato's match has been over for hours. I draw the line at gordo, I never cottoned to him for some reason. technically I kind of hate el mago but it's a love/hate hate.

oy ptenisnet and that was before he lost today in the 1st rd. but yes he sounds, you know, gravely unhappy, not just his customary malaise.

Reading the chronology of men's holders of #1 ranking (provided by Sam above) shows how players used to come into that slot, lose it for some time, and then regain it.

That seems to be the natural course of events. I don't ever recall such to-do about the ups and downs of ranking points throughout the year. When did we lose our lives?

Someone has to add "el mago" and "el gato" and "gaudifaux" to the nickname list...

Harini: I dont know who is who, but I think Snoo (or someone else) will enlighten us shortly

Ali C,
For Justine to play Antwerp instead of Doha, I have to agree with you on being a goodwill gesture especially she plays Doha/Dubai every year and Doha is now a Tier I tournament. Also, heard that Justine first match(2nd round) in Antwerp will be on Thursday.

Manolo

I believe gaudifaux is Diego Hartfield. He resembles Gaudio, but according to some he is not as beautiful. Mrs. Santa would strongly disagree.

Ah, thanks Zonie. People here really come up with nice nicknames... I am thinking about sending a picture of myself (anonymus of course) and seeing what nickname do I get... Or do I have to play a GS to get one?

... In that case I better start practicing :)

i thought i was all caught up, but i dont know who gordo is.

Schwab: yep. She doesn't need the money. The face time in Belgium will be worth more than gold. Or diamonds.

"When did we lose our lives? "

When the Internet became popular?

Amen, carnap! My point exactly.

carnap....sorry, I was referring to your 2:19 p.m. post.

"When the internet became popular?"

Ouch... :) But I totally agree.

awww manolo don't remind me. /sigh/ the liga is over now. that draw in san mames ended and shattered our hopes. now we must concentrate on the copa and the champions.
and on tennis, we have to do something to help supermario. it's so painful to see a potential top 5 player and slam contender drop out of the top 100. he has barely played last year and the illness and injuries are still haunting him. at the end of last year it looked as though he is returning to form but unfortunately it was not to be.
illness injuries go away
we wanna see baby goran play

El Gordo is Calleri I think.

Why am I not at Vina Del Mar? Even Juan Pablo Brzezicki is there.

for the record, coria, gaudio & calleri were called el mago, el gato and el gordo before I ever came along. el gordo calleri, I'm not totally sure why he's called that. but whatever. mo zaba is called el negro but that's a little, uh, culturally untranslatable. The Wizard, The Cat, and The Fat Guy sounds like a really dubious kid's book.

Mkay el Mago is gone, but at least he won a set, which is impressive in this microcosm of despair.

VAMOS ZABALA!!!!!

wince

Sam, Schwab and Sherlock (the 3S Club),

All is right with the world when you three are talking NFL football again. Great to see. :)

Wait, you mean the Packers aren't in the Super Bowl? Bummer. :)

Does this mean I don't get to be NFL Tangi anymore?

I think that Nalby is mounting a campaign to wrest El Gordo nickname for himself, though. Maybe he can be Gordofaux.

I wonder how Nadal retooling his schedule could affect or be affected by the thought of gaining #1 or losing #2 ranking. I remember last year there was a lot of talk amongst commentators that he really ought to skip events like the clay tournaments late in the season and save his body. If he cuts a couple of tournaments anywhere in the schedule, that will obviously make a huge difference in his points. Whereas Federer has a pretty set schedule and if anything is likely to attend more, since he had to pull out of Halle and Tokyo last year.

It's so funny how quick Sharapova is given the crown as queen of the WTA. lets see how she follows it up. Her performance was filled with DF and UFE's , justine had a knee issue and served horribly throughout the whole tournament, Janky was in tears when the trainer was working on her back, Marias hasn't won a gs title when the whole field is playing well and in good health not too mention the creampuff draws she was given last year.Last year all we heard was 'her shoulder injury' well 'Duh! you have to use your shoulder all the time playing tennis, if you show up to play, you are ready to play.The media was more than happy to keep letting use know that Maria was injured, thats why she kept getting whipped. All the Hype surrounding Mara is a total turn off , so much so that this was the first year I have not watched the womens final
And the crap about here speech sounded like a retread of last year, trying to give maria a soul. she is such a marketing tool...nobody should want to be a tool.
One writer noted that her speech seemed rehearsed. What is to be expected from the charge of the Bobby knight of tennis, Yuri
ATP here i come

Snoo, thanks for clarifying the nicknames. i love the nicknames, as manolo said, just takes me a while to figure some of them out. not all are as easy as rafa or TMF hehe.

man i really hope coria does well this yr. i love him...would've loved to see him win RG but gaudio took it. i like him too, and it's sad that he's retiring after well...kind of not playing in forever. was he injured for a while?

'gaudifauz' = hehe. i like that nickname too.

I vehemently protest the el gordo thing. it is not even derivable like, for instance, "where the wild things are" or "nel blu pinto di pinto"

Zonie: What about Yoyo for Nalby? He goes up and down, he is capable of the best and the worst, he is either skinny or fat... and so on, and so on, and so on. Either way, I will leave the name thinking for the name-thinkers.

Manolo, jeje. Yeah, poor guy, I hope he gets back in shape soon..and not a round shape.

"According to the pundits, Fed was already dead, embalmed and buried"

LOL carnap.

"Does this mean I don't get to be NFL Tangi anymore?"

As long as you contribute to the discussion, you can remain NFL Tangi. ;-)

mrs. santa, el polaco? are you forrealz? well good on him cuz he pulled a minor upset.

oh zonie, gordofaux, that's pretty funny.

for me nalbo is el gordito but there is only one el gordo.
what if a miracle happens and el gordo re-captures his best form. and then he plays against rafa in the final of the french. alas, that is never gonna happen.

Manolo: Ooo, Yoyo is a good one for Nalby!

Hi!
@yello fuzz
Interesting observation about Maria's speech. I just read in article about the women's final in a well respected german newspaper and the author basically agrees with you. He wrote that nearly everthing she does and says comes across as fake and rehearsed. He said he found it frightening when Maria mentioned the death of her 'good friend'. But he also said some nice things.

"When did we lose our lives?"

When Djoko's mother appeared on the scene. And we won't get them back till Fed administers a royal beatdown at Indian Wells. I'm so excited.