19 posts categorized "December 2010"
By Jackie Roe, TW Social Director
Hey, everyone! Looks like we'll be starting off 2011 with another Fedal final. A harbinger of things to come?
Let's start off this special New Years Eve Deuce Club post with some TWibe announcements. First, this from GVGirl:
Due to the growth of the site and a marketing partnership, Global Village Tennis News is re-launching on Saturday as Tennis Panorama News (www.tennispanorama.com). Although the site is basically ready, TWibers can get a "pre-opening" peek right now. I'll still be @GVTennisNews on Twitter; we have too many followers to change it. (Funny that at some events and tournaments I cover as media some people call me GV. LOL)
If it were not for Pete letting me do some Davis Cup coverage on the blog years ago, I probably never would have gotten back into sports coverage again. In a way, I, along with people like Bobby, CNote, and others, are like TWibe offspring who are making our own way in the tennis media world.
Congrats on all of your success, GVGirl, and thanks for the heads-up about your site!
Now, I have the results from Codge's "Twennis" survey, which I linked to a few weeks ago. Click here to check ‘em out. (Awesome Tumblr page, Codge! Reading the results was just as fun as taking the survey.) I also have the results of our friend Jasmin's tennis-themed survey, and you can find those here.
So, how about that holiday party yesterday, eh? That was a rollicking good time, and I was glad that so many folks showed up, including many of our "vets" who aren't around much anymore. Not a bad way to wrap up 2010!
Well, not wrapping it up just yet. We've still got tonight . . .
Most of you already know that I'm not huge on celebrating New Year's Eve. My NYE is usually spent with family, at home, drinking sparkling apple-grape juice, watching the ball drop on TV. It's tradition, and it's easy. I guess some part of me wouldn't mind getting decked out and going to some extravagant hotel bash, but when I think about the crowds, the traffic, the drunkenness—just, the hassle—my cozy couch and PJs start to sound a lot more appealing. But far be it for me to judge anyone who goes the hassle route! It's still more exciting than what I've got going on, for sure.
So tell us what you're doing—or did, if it's already 1/1/11 for you!—to celebrate NYE. Will you be at home, a bar, a house party? With your honey, family, friends, by yourself? Drinking champagne or the fake stuff?
And then there are those new year's resolutions. I make them every year; nothing too elaborate or lofty, just little goals I set for myself. The new year signals a fresh start, the perfect time to put long-stewed-about plans—or even just a new attitude or perspective—into motion. (I’m reminded of a Massive Attack lyric: Your mind can never change/Unless you ask it to/Lovingly rearrange/The thoughts that make you blue/The things that bring you down/Only do harm to you/So make your choice joy/The joy belongs to you. Cheesy but rings true.) It's silly, really—if I want to do something, why wait 'til January? And yet it works . . . I began 2010 on the right foot and reaped the benefits of this initiative for the rest of the year. I'm excited to repeat the process and to uncover what 2011 has in store for me.
What about you? How are you feeling about the new year? Any resolutions? (You can share tennis-related resolutions, too. One of mine is to do a better job following tennis this year. What's that you say? I'm obsessed enough as is? Not so. I actually staggered a bit this year, falling behind on schedules and results, and it drove me crazy! I had that "last to know" feeling all throughout the season, so I'm determined to step up my game in 2011. Well, and hope that work and life don't get in the way.)
Since this is obviously my last post of 2010, I want to take some time to thank you all for continuing to make this Social Director gig such a deeply rewarding and enlivening experience for me. I'm honored to be a member of the TW community and to help foster its growth, in some small way, through this Deuce Club space. I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and tennis-filled new year, and may we continue the fun here in 2011!
Howdy, come on in, pull up a chair. Would you like a glass of wine, or something a little stronger. Say, a pomegranite and leechi nut martini or my own holiday favorite, a quadruple Dewar's on the rocks? I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, or a happy holiday of your choice. It's the great lull before New Year's Eve, a good time to gather to chat about just about anything.
We just pulled into the farm in game-rich Andes a few hours ago, after having spent Christmas in Easton, Md. and Washington, D.C. They were predicting a paralyzing snow event the day after Christmas, which would have made our lives a little tougher than expected, because we were traveling from my in-laws to my friends Paul and Ingrid in D.C. that day. But the snow never happened. The only drama materialized when I almost had an eye put out by a nasty salt nugget fired from the back of a D.C. salt/plow truck preparing for the blizzard that never came.
Our dog, Buck, had a fine time with Paul's blue-eyed sled dog, Angie. And we all saw True Grit, which comes as close to cinematic perfection as I can imagine, topically as well as execution-wise. Some of it was a bit graphic for my 8-year old, Luke, but he can handle it - I'm definitely of the school that doesn't believe in overly sheltering children from certain realities, while protecting them from others. I heartily recommend the movie, especially for those of you who are besotted with the romance and larger-than-life realities that shaped the American west.
When we returned to New York, the city was still digging out. I love it when it snows in New York, for all sorts of reasons. But one of the most practical if not most romantic is knowing that my four-wheel drive truck is built to handle the conditions in a way typical city sedans are not. I can just barge into parking places others can't risk trying, and I can get out without ever having to swing a shovel or recruiting passers-by to push. Glory!
Well, it's 4 pm, so I'd better post this. . . I'll be around most of the afternoon and evening if you feel like saying hi.
-- Pete
By Jackie Roe, TW Social Director
Echoing Pete's sentiments in his Seasons Greetings post, I send my warmest wishes to the TWibe for a joyous and peaceful holiday season!
How are folks spending their Christmas Eve? It's actually my mom's birthday—poor thing always gets cheated out of a proper celebration—so we're not too focused on what's happening tomorrow . . . though the prospect of Christmas morning always makes me just a little bit giddy. I'm reminded of my childhood, when my sister and I would race downstairs in our PJs and slippers and marvel at all of "Santa's" surprises under the tree. No tree this year, and no presents to shake or squish (they only seem to come in card form these days), but the feeling still lingers.
Of course, feel free to use this post to talk tennis or share holiday stories over the weekend.
Now, a special announcement:
This is your official invite to our annual Virtual Holiday Party, hosted by Pete and yours truly!
Date: Thursday, 12/30
Time: 4 PM EST/TW time
Hopefully that time works for everyone, including our friends abroad. (I'll be fashionably late because of work, alas. Wait for me.) Please stop by, and let us know in the comments if you plan on bringing any treats or tunes. Anyone who does will get a shout-out in the party post—now that's incentive.
For those who weren't around for our previous virtual holiday parties, check out last year's celebration here. We know how to live it up!
Looking forward to it. 'Til then, have a restful weekend, and happy holidays, everyone!
This will be as heartfelt as it is brief, because the Christmas rush is on! I wish you all a merry Christmas and joy-filled holiday season. If you're traveling terrrestrially, go safely. If you're flying, go safely - and patiently. If you're staying home, enjoy the comforts of the hearth and try to keep those two bullheaded family members from locking horns. Look for an announcement about a virtual holiday party (I think it will be on Dec. 30th) starting early enough so that many of our readers in England, Europe and other points abroad can join us, at least for a little while. And if you want to talk tennis before then, use this post for your Comments.
Of course, it doesn't always have to be about Roger and Rafa, Serena or Caro. Extend your holiday greetings to each other, make peace across the great Fedal Divide, even if it's only until the starter's gun sounds at the Aussie Open. Say something kind to someone you, just for the holiday hail of it.
I will jump back into the fray early next week. We have a wonderful community here, and that makes me proud and happy. Thank you all for reading, and adding your insights on the topics of the day. God bless you all.
-- Pete
 Howdy. I missed the first exhibition battle between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal because of a conflict, but I can't exactly say I was surprised to see that it went three sets, with Roger storming back from the loss of the first set to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
It was a feel good moment for Federer's countrymen, who've never had the pleasure of witnessing Roger play Rafa on Swiss soil. So everybody wins, except Rafa, but don't you worry—his moment is coming, too.
One of the things I like about this set-up is that nobody is blowing it full of hot air, or billing it The Rivalry, XXV. Actually, these two have met more than 25 times (the official head-to-head is 14-8 favor of Nadal). Who can forget that monstrous half-clay, half-grass, half-@ss exo of a few years ago? I can't imagine that anyone but the most addled of Federer fans is going to stick this result in the win column for Roger, but you never know. . .
I guess I'm going out on a limb here, for a guy who didn't see the match. But I am looking forward to watching today's telecast with you all, live from Madrid. If I were a betting man, I'd pick Rafa in three. This may be the only in history when even the most obsessive Federer fans can honestly say, "My guy doesn't stand a chance!"
You know what I'm curious about, having missed the first exo? Just how these guys will manage to make it look like a match. There's an art to that, you know. Back in the day, the guys used to agree to split the first two sets and more-or-less play out the third as competitively as either guy wants. Usually, neither guy wanted to be too competitive (among other things, it makes you feel a bit of a butthead), but the funny thing is that at some point you do have to decide whether you're going to hit that serve right down the pipe with all the arm you've got at 4-4, deuce. And why would you intentionally dump an easy passing shot, if the other guy was lazy, indifferent, or casual enough to hit a really lousy approach? Staging an exciting exo is tricky, kind of like synchronized swimming.
Back when you had guys like McEnroe, Connors, Borg and Gerulaitis going at it in exos, you could count on at least a little bit of the animosity, jealousy, or innate sense of superiority bubbling to the surface to add an unpredictable element to even an exhibition. But this truly is different, for a variety or reasons, including the charitable nature of the event and the friendship that exists between these rivals. I like that neither of these fellas is trying to cloak it with meaning. I'm not even sure that "exhibition" is the right word to describe these matches. "Demonstration" or even "celebration" might be more appropriate. What the hail, it's been a cold winter so far in Europe, but this two-off exo is providing a bit of warmth.
"I'm just so proud and happy that we made it all work," Roger said after his win.
As victory speeches go, it was more Oscars than Oz Open.
"It was an unforgettable experience," Rafa said. "I'm very happy to be part of this event."
As runner-up speeches go, it was heart-warming. And isn't it nice, once in a while, to get a break from "heart-rending?"
I'll be back with a Racquet Reaction post on today's match soon after it ends. Enjoy!
- Pete
by Pete Bodo
"Tradition" has always been a loaded word in tennis: Depending on the reference and how the word is used, it can signify something grand and deeply valuable, or something that makes fans, especially the uninitiated, roll their eyes. (The guy just saved a break point when his shot ticked the net and flew by his opponent, what's he apologizing for?)
But tradition is merely the residue of history; it cannot exist without extensive precedent, and it's a kind of stamp of authenticity, even in its more eccentric articulations. (Like showing your opponent that you're serving with new balls. Shouldn't he be aware of that kind of thing, a first-time spectator is entitled to wonder.) But this is how we evolved, this is how we do things, because we exist on a historical continuum, shaped over more than a century by conventions, some outdated.
Of course, the Open era, now well over 40 years old, put some severe stress on tradition. For starters it was a de facto repudiation of the most sacred tenant of the old school, which is that tennis ought to be a game pursued by gentlemen. Amateurs. Keep it pure. The original purpose of games like tennis was character-building. The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton and all that stuff. The new purpose, in the Open era, was choosing champions from among all comers, and the advancement of tennis as a legitimate profession.
None of that was lost on JIm McManus, the 70-year old ATP tour lifer who was a founding member of the organization. He basically worked there all of his adult life. McManus was good at many things, starting with the game itself. He grew up in northern California, then more of a tennis epicenter than it is presently. He was, according to his long-time friend J. Wayne Richmond (presently General Manager of the U.S. Open Series and a veteran of numerous tennis wars), perhaps the first world-class pro to play with a two-handed grip on both sides. McManus was an All-American at Berkeley, and an NCAA doubles finalist back when guys like Arthur Ashe, Bob Lutz and Stan Smith played collegiate tennis.
McManus's most memorable resuts were a doubles quarterfinal at Wimbledon, and a win over Rod Laver in doubles at the U.S. Open. "There have been so many great memories," he told me yesterday. "At the first U.S. Open, I beat Sergei Likhovtsov (something tells me this might be Elena Likhovtsova's father, but I couldn't find confirmation of that), one of the very first Russian players allowed out of the Soviet Union to play the tour. I won in five sets on the grass at Forest Hills."
McManus doesn't recall the fifth-set score of that one, which is uncharacteristic for a guy who's spent so much of his life crunching numbers and statistics and doing nitty-gritty organizational work at the ATP. He played a major role in developing the ranking system, the entry system, and even the pension plan. The ginger-haired McManus, who bears a striking resemblance to Rod Laver, managed to stay below the general public and even media and tournament-promoter radar. It took a certain sort of genius, but McManus was a player and organization guy. He couldn't give a hoot about recognition in the big picture.
Although he's battling serious health issues as I write this, McManus' legacy with the ATP is secure. I'd be shocked if the outfit didn't eventually name some award for him. Oddly enough, one of his largest contributions, and the one destined to last longest as an entity that bears a unique, personal stamp, is a project he undertook more or less on his own, as a labor of love. It's a book called, simply and appropriately, Tennis History. You'll notice I didn't link to Amazon.com. That's because the book is self-published, as befits a man who always shied away from the limelight and the deal-making.
The book represents McManus's effort to catalog every pro tournament ever played, with the names of the winners and runners-up in singles and doubles. Want to know who won that ATP 250 grade tournament that started life as the Insurance Company Open then morphed into the Adult Beverage Classic, then moved to Europe and became the Credit Card Challenge? McManus is your man. He recently sent me a copy of his book, and it will be an invaluable resource.
McManus embarked on his project sometime in 1990, because he had a growing feeling that tennis executives and promoters—the Mark Mileses, Larry Scotts, and Charlie Pasarells—knew surprisingly little about the history of most tournaments. "They were the power brokers, wheeling and dealing and trying to figure out which tournaments to keep and which to eliminate. They were good at building great big stadiums and marketing events, but the way operated left me thinking that could care less about the history of the game. A tournament like Montreal may have seemed dispensible to them for various reasons, but few of them knew that the event had been played since 1881. It's the second oldest event in tennis, after Wimbledon. And that ought to count for something in the calculations."
One of the delights of the book is the Table of Contents. Section I, titled "The Tour," lists the tournaments that presently exist, in order of age (starting with Wimbledon and the Canadian Open aka Montreal/Toronto/Rogers Cup). Did you know that the SAP Open (San Jose) is the fifth longest running tournament, and was first played three years before the first French Open (Roland Garros)?
Well, it just gets better from there, at least for those of you who are curious about the history of the game, and who won what, where and when (McManus even includes the tournament results from the wives tournament that was once a staple of the Alan King Tennis Classic in Las Vegas. The first "wives" champions were Jenny Hoad and Wilma Rosewall; the last were Rosemary Gullikson [wife of the late Tim] and Debbie Kronk).
For his research, McManus pulled everything from the ATP computer. He also wrote to the events, defunct ones as well as present tour stops, collected ancient programs, old issues of World Tennis magazine, and various yearbooks published by everyone from the USTA to the Spaulding sporting goods company. He left no stone unturned.
Of course, there are some blank spots—McManus is still trying to track down the results from what was once a flourishing Caribbean circuit ("I played it," he said. "I remember seeing Roy Emerson and Manuel Santana walking around at the events. But I can't find anything on them."), or the early results from the original Munich tournament. As a self-published work, there are typographical errors here and there, but the book is well-organized, easily read (if that's the right word for perusing lists punctuated by text introductions). In fact, McManus' own notes on the tournaments, including minutes from ATP meetings and notable facts about the events (did you know that the Metz, France, event was canceled in 2001 because of a terrible explosion at a chemical factory near the facility?), are nothing less than fascinating.
The book is a large format paperback, printed on good stock, with a handsome cover. It contains no pictures. McManus is presently working with tennis publishing entrepreneur Randy Walker of New Chapter Media. I hope they can figure out a way to bring this book further into the mainstream, so you could at least find it at Amazon.com or in select bookstores.
I'll keep you posted on that, but meanwhile, if you're dying to get your hands on a copy, just send $24 to Jim at 1205 Salt Creek Island Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 32082. Or email Jim at macatpvb@aol.com. The check better not bounce, either; although age is catching up with Jim, this is a guy who once ran the Boston marathon in under three hours, and then played pro doubles less than a week later, on the other side of the continent.
Mornin'. Certain events bring even a robust, bustling city like New York to a virtual standstill, and it was like that this morning. After Buck and I finished our four-mile run, we stopped in at the dog run in Riverside Park, as is our habit (our jog is just his warm-up). The only subject of discussion among the eclectic and amusing collection of regulars at the run was the New York Giants astonishing, we'll-never-live-this-down loss to the much-hated Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants led 24-3 at the half and by 31-10 with under nine minutes left in the game...but somehow the Eagles caught up and won it on a long touchdown runback as time expired. It will be remembered forever, particularly in Philly and New York. Kind of like 70-68 is burned into the memory of tennis fans.
Somewhere, Pennsylvania boy Steve Tignor is laughing. But so is easy Ed McGrogan, whose own hapless Bills also won yesterday, though in less dramatic fashion.
Anyway, I'm in the process of tracking down ATP official Jim McManus, a man who was present at creation, and who has recently published an invaluable source book for tennis mavens. I'll tell you all about it after I speak with Jim. But I also wanted to give you a place to jawbone about the upcoming Roger Federer v. Rafael Nadal exhibitions that will take place tomorrow (in Switzerland) and Wednesday (in Spain). And how about ESPN stepping up to provide a live broadcast of those clashes for U.S. fans?
Of course, I'm not altogether sure that a Federer v. Nadal topic is the best hunk of red meat to toss out to the Twibe, given how keyed up and tennis-hungry y'all are. I can already visualize the string of exclamation points, the posts written entirely in upper case, the haughty "voice of God" declarations and throwaway comments that invaribly begin, "Everybody knows.. ."
I touched on the fan sensibility in the column I wrote at ESPN today (it's not posted yet), so mosey on over there later to contemplate the three questions that formed in my mind when these exhibitions were first announced. I don't think I'll be able to watch that first battle in Zurich, but I plan to see the second one on Wednesday, and will have some thoughts on it.
So it's over to you, I'll be back after I get holt of Jim.
- Pete
 by Pete Bodo
One of the more encouraging developments for U.S. tennis in recent weeks was the American sweep of the girls 18- and 16-and-under titles at the Orange Bowl, a junior event that ranks right up there with the Grand Slam youth tournaments as an indicator for future success. Lauren Davis won the 18s, and Allie Kiick won the 16s. Both defeated fellow Americans in their finals.
The 18s title isn't what it used to be, at least not on the women's side, either at the Orange Bowl or the majors. Many girls of that age, and almost all the ones destined to be Grand Slam winners, usually by-pass the oldest age division in favor of on-the-job training on the WTA tour. But the 16s is a different story. Only the true prodigies—the Steffi Grafs, Jenniifer Capriatis and Monica Seleses—abandon their junior career before they turn 16. And in the case of this year's winner, the further good news is that Allie Kiick is just 15.
That surname should be familiar to NFL football fans. For those over 50, "Jim Kiick" is a household name. Allie's father was a halfback (a runner) with the Miami Dolphins. He played in three Super Bowls, two of them wins by the Dolphins. And he played a vital role the year the Dolphins finished the season undefeated (17-0)—the only NFL team ever to do so.
But Kiick was equally well-known for his free-spirited, often irreverent ways. In a marvelous bit of self-effacing honesty, he described his specialty as "the one-yard gallop." Together with Larry Csonka, his Dolphin backfield mate, Kiick also blazed a trail through the bars of Miami and most other NFL cities as memorable as the one the pair cut in the NFL record book. They were ultimately dubbed "Butch Cassidy (Kiick) and the Sundance Kid," after the wildly popular Robert Redford/Paul Newman western featuring a comparably larger-than-life, lovable pair of outlaws.
So I decided the catch up with the Kiicks after Allie won, to learn a little bit about how the daughter of the nominal "Butch Cassidy" ended up playing tennis. I learned that hers is a mirror-image of an oft-told tale, the one in which a talented tennis player decides that he or she would rather enjoy the fruits offered by a more popular, mainstream team sport.
Allie's mother, Mary Johnson (she and Jim Kiick have been amicably divorced for about a decade; Allie took up tennis after the split) told me: "When Allie was in nursery school, at about 3, her teachers came and asked me if it was okay if Allie played with the kindergarten kids instead of the other pre-ks. Her speed, footwork, and eye-hand co-ordination even then were outstanding."
The youngster soon discovered soccer, where she was immediately a star. The day before her team was to play a game Mary described as a kind of "Super Bowl" of the local soccer league, Allie broke her ankle while rough-housing with her older brother, Austin (who's now 21, and a fine if not NFL-grade football player). She ran inside and hid in the closet for a few hours, finally limping out into the living room. When Mary and Allie showed up for the big game the following day, Allie's soccer coach, not knowing the state of her ankle, called out, "Here comes the team!"
It turns out that Allie didn't like the pressure of being the team star. As she told Mary, she was tired of the coach encouraging her to "go out and get us a goal." By then, the age of 8, she'd also become friendly with a girl who was a competitive diver, and Allie decided that individual sports were more appealing. She declared she was interested in playing tennis. "The next day, we went to Wal-Mart to get her a tennis racket," Mary told me. "I picked out a cute Minnie Mouse one, but Allie rejected that. She didn't want Minnie, she wanted Mickey."
The rest is a familiar story—one of countless hours spent on practice court, and a snowballing desire fueled by noteworthy success. Jim told me that Allie won the Florida 10-and under state championship not long after she started playing. Since then, she's continued to improve, and has come under the wing of the USTA development program as well as her now-official coach, Harold Solomon (a former Top 10 player and that American rarity, a clay-court grinder).
Allie attributes a good portion of her recent success at the Orange Bowl (where she was in as a wild card) to working with Solomon. He's improved her serve, and his belief in her has morphed into self-belief in Allie. But the 15-year old has an even simpler appreciation for why she feels so comfortable with Solomon. "He's funny," she said. "I really like that he can be funny and not all serious all the time."
It's a slightly different story with Allie's celebrated dad, who's always had trouble restraining his intense competitiveness. A man accustomed to the trash-talk, exhortations, guttural exclamations and the general mayhem of the football field, Kiick had an enormous amount of trouble understanding and embracing the tennis sensibility. Seeing his little girl out there, all alone, made him want to jump in. And when he couldn't, he would show—and express—his frustration with how thing were going.
"He moves around a lot," Mary said of her former husband. "He's up and down the sideline, and he makes noise. Allie would see and hear him and get mad herself. Some matches, she's get into an actual conversation with him, trying to get him to hush. She finally told him she didn't want him anywhere near her matches. He's very intense. Actually, they're very much alike, which is one reason they've had trouble getting together."
"It's gotten better," Jim told me. "I can cringe, but not show anything, at least not vocally. That's turned out pretty good. Actually, we're both better at handling it, mentally."
It's been a long road though, only recently ended. At the start of the Orange Bowl, Jim was distinctly not invited to watch Allie. He tracked her results round-by-round. Shortly before the final, Allie called him and said, "Dad, I want you to come."
So Jim attended the final, which is played in the same Crandon Park stadium in Key Biscayne where they play the finals of the big combined pro event every spring. The sheer size of the place gave Jim cover. "I hid in the corner, I tried to blend in. It's tough for me, because I come from a different sport, and when something big happens I want to yell, "yeaaaah! Go-o-o-o- . . ." You can't do that in tennis and sometimes that's difficult to remember."
Jim did a pretty good job restraining himself (although he still hasn't mastered that tennis tradition he describes as the "slow clap," which I take to mean polite applause). But he was still tied up in knots at times, feeling for Allie, understanding that in comparable moments in his career, he had 10 other guys on the field with whom to share the emotions (with no restraints), the work, the blame, the joy.
Allie lost the first set of the final to Catherine Harrison, a Tennessee girl, 5-7. But she rebounded to win going away, 6-2, 6-0.
"This was more meaningful for me than winning the Super Bowl, and I mean that," Jim told the Miami Herald shortly after the match. "To see your daughter alone out there, and fighting back to win the Super Bowl of junior tennis at 15 is a magnificent thing. I have goose bumps."
Four days later, when I spoke with Jim, he said he still felt numb. I wasn't sure if it was because of Allie's win or the effects of visiting every bar owned by a friend (and you can imagine that legion) to share his joy. It hardly mattered, either cause would be consistent with the nature and reputation of Butch Cassidy.
*Photo credit to Michael Baz.
By Jackie Roe, TW Social Director
Hi there, TWibe! Are you enjoying the holiday season or counting the days 'til it's over? I'm embarrassingly behind on my Christmas shopping and card-writing; that'll keep me occupied this weekend. Still, I participated in my office Secret Santa exchange and our local Angel Tree program . . . which means I've only bought gifts for people I don't know. Maybe that's the way it should be.
As promised, I've finally tallied the top vote-getters for our 2010 ATP Awards. The TWIbe has spoken, and the winners are:
Most Valuable Player: Nadal in a landslide, not surprisingly.
Most Improved Player: This was a tight one, but Melzer eked out the victory over Monfils.
Breakout Player: Another close one. Llodra came out on top, with Berdych and Haase tying for second.
Most Disappointing Player: Most of you agreed—Cilic was the biggest letdown in 2010.
Best Rivalry: Nadal/Murray by one vote over Federer/Djokovic.
Match of the Year: Nadal/Murray WTF SF.
(Many thanks to everyone who participated.)
We're nearing the end of December, which can only mean one thing—it's tennis wish list time! You may remember that Gauloises gave us the idea back in 2008, so of course I had to bring her back to continue the tradition. But this time, she's not alone; Gauloises and Jewell have teamed up to analyze their own—and each other's—tennis wish lists from last year, in addition to sharing their wishes for 2011. Enjoy, and after you're done reading, draw up your own tennis wish list for the new year!
 Click here to see Gauloises’s 2010 Tennis Wish List.
Jewell’s review of Gauloises’s 2010 Tennis Wish List
Well, Gauloises, JMDP stayed alive, at least . . . but it doesn’t feel like a triumph, somehow. All the top eight at the end of the year managed to play the World Tour Finals, but with injuries to JMDP, Davydenko, Tsonga and Gonzo, among others during 2010, can’t really say it was healthier. Looking on the bright side—Nole & Murray both made a Slam final and at least a SF in 2010. That’s better than 2009, right? (They’re getting closer!) Vika came close to a Slam SF in Australia, but I’ve hardly seen her since. Moving on pretty quickly from Cilic to Gonzo—I do remember a pretty good match against Andy Roddick in Australia. That’s it. As for the triumphant return of a healthy David Nalbandian, well, that would’ve been nice. Where in fact *is* Licky? Ancic played 14 actual matches somewhere. (Score!) The WTA finals at the AO and FO were both fun in different ways.
Gauloises’s verdict on her 2010 tennis wish fulfilment
This is why bluffing the universe doesn’t work. I deliberately aimed my Delpo-related expectations low because at the time, it seemed like the worst possibility was that he’d have a slump and be derided all year as a one-Slam wonder and all-round disappointment. In an attempt to preempt the inevitable disappointment, I was a smartass, and the universe smacked me down. Well played, universe. Well played.
It's a common theme in many of these wishes. A healthier ATP? Please. Sabine Lisicki in the top 10? She’s barely played all year. Gonzo being his bad self? Hardly, and the dearth of epic, entertaining matches this year is not a coincidence.
Andy or Nole to win a Slam? As if. They played one good Slam each this year. Don’t let Jewell’s guilt-induced Pollyanna impression fool you: closer, in the context of this wish, means nothing.
Good things: I still believe in Vika’s winning credentials despite her turbulent year. Cilic did learn to string wins together, and he did crack the top 10—for all of one month in February. Nalbandian managed to stay more or less healthy, took a big title in Washington and put in some Davis Cup heroics, which is (compared to 2009) a reasonable year for him. And while Wimbledon and the USO featured dull finals on the women’s side, the AO and RG finals were excellent.
Meanwhile, Mario Ancic has a girlfriend called Petals. Seriously.
Gauloises's 2011 Tennis Wish List
1. Breakthroughs. I want them, especially in the ATP. The WTA is never going to lack for character or interest, but the ATP is facing losing the Hewitt-Nalbandian-Gonzalez-Roddick-Ferrero generation over the next couple of years, and then where will we be? If you want a picture of the future, picture an ageless Fedal stamping on a faceless everybody else, forever. I don’t care who the breakthroughs come from—Dimitrov, Kontinen, Haase, Velotti, Kuznetsov, Krajinovic, de Bakker, even Berankis. New blood, please.
2. First-Time Slam Winners. On either tour. There are so many people that I would love to see nab themselves a major title. It’s too late for Dementieva. Don’t let it be too late for them too. (David, Jelena, Andy Murray, I‘m talking to you.)
3. Delpo. Trying to play the universe didn’t work so I’m going to come out and say it; I want Delpo back. I want him healthy, and I want him in the top 20 by the end of 2011. Just 242 places to go. Your time starts now, Delpo.
 Click here for Jewell’s 2010 Tennis Wish List—you’ll find it in the Comments at 1:20 AM.
Gauloises’s review of Jewell’s Tennis Wish List
I think we can safely say your Rafa wish was fulfilled, Jewell. I know he had his moments with being injured, but it didn’t stop him from dominating about 8 months of the year and breaking records right, left and centre. As for Murray to win a slam—“closer” means nothing here. Universe says . . . wish denied. Team GB may have lost 3-2 to Lithuania, but they bounced back by beating Turkey in the relegation tie. To be fair, the Turks had forgotten to bring their shoes. As for Nalby coming back as a contender—for what? The always enjoyable “best player to never win a Slam” title? (Although there were about five minutes this summer when serious thought was being given to El Rey as a USO dark horse.) In the sense that Nole left it until almost the last moment to redeem what was a pretty lacklustre season for him, wish fulfilled; so it’s your fault, re: Wozniacki; JJ had a great chance at RG and muffed it conclusively. Hold your Ana wish for 2011, though she proved herself contender-ish at the end of 2010. I wouldn’t say “lots” of good, hard-fought matches, nor would say respect for all players was displayed. Better luck in 2011!
As for no more Fedal wars—it’s a beautiful sentiment, John Lennon. Keep on imagining there’s no animosity on either side. It’s easy if you try . . .
Jewell’s verdict on her 2010 tennis wish fulfilment
Rafa’s year fulfilled every hope and provided a nice bonus or two, although I can’t say he was uninjured and healthy for all of it. Before you all jump on me, I know it pales in comparison to others’ injury troubles—but it still didn’t feel too good when he limped out of Australia. Wishes 2 through to 4 were a disaster, really—don’t anyone EVER tell me that GB should be just fine ever again, please—as were 7 and 9. Wish number 10? Cautious yes . . .
Quite pleased about Ana showing sparks of life—I take all credit, of course. As for wish number 6, well, I’d better just say sorry to Samantha for that one!
Jewell's 2011 Tennis Wish List
1. A “Rafa Slam.” Yeah, I know, it’s as greedy as all get-out, but I’m beginning to realise that when it comes to your favorite, there’s always more to wish for.
2. Slam wins for Murray and Jankovic. Hey, it could happen.
3. “I don’t do down.” A little less negativity about, well, everything, I guess. I’ll start myself by going into positivity overdrive about the state of British tennis. Well . . . I’ll try.
That was fun, ladies! Your turn, TWibe. And have a wonderful weekend!
by Pete Bodo
Mornin'. Just got off the Twitter #TennisChat with the USA's rookie Davis Cup captain, Jim Courier, and the man he replaced, Patrick McEnroe. It was an interesting drill, if a little hectic, but for those of you who missed it, the major takeaway is that the team line-up is wide open. Andy Roddick's decision to play Davis Cup this year may suggest that Courier is keeping a seat warm for him, and of course he would be crazy not to—Andy is still the towering figure in the U.S. men's singles game.
But a lot can happen between now and that quarterfinal World Group tie in Chile, a subject I touched on in my most recent post over at ESPN. The competition for a place on the squad (given that all of the U.S. players appear to be dedicated to Davis Cup, which has been the enormous value-added component of Roddick's service to the cause) is apt to be fierce. As Courier tweeted: "I've got big shoes to fill as capt but we have the horses. 4 top 20 singles players and #1 dubs team."
Those four Top 20 singles players (Roddick, Sam Querrey, John Isner and Mardy Fish) could be bunched together very closely as team nomination time approaches. I'm guessing that Courier will spend a lot of his time Down Under sprinting from court-to-court to keep tabs on how his candidates are doing.
There's still plenty of tread left on Roddick, despite all the years he's spent spinning his wheels against the very top players at major events. One of the big decisions Courier may have to make when he selects his squad is just how much emphasis to put on Roddick's superb Davis Cup record and his role as an inspirational team leader—especially if the other candidates for the team are playing well. Fish, for one, has made it pretty clear that he hopes to take up residence in the Top 10 this coming year—the one Roddick, 28, will embark on with a ranking of No. 8.
Fish is just a bit older than Roddick, and he finished the year ranked No. 16—a career high, and second among U.S. players to Roddick. This is a pretty interesting situation, if you recall the theme that emerged in the last two ties of McEnroe's tenure. It seemed that, overnight, the old guard (Roddick, James Blake, Mike and Bob Bryan) were yielding, to varying degrees, to the future as represented by Sam Querrey and John Isner, both capable singles and doubles players.
Bear in mind that the Bryans are no spring chickens, either. They may not be ready to queue up behind Dick Norman in the senior-citizen discount line at the Cineplex, but they're going to be 33 in April—a reality offset somewhat by their gung-ho attitude toward Davis Cup.
But right here, right now, it almost looks as if the Davis Cup squad is more likely to be hoary than impetuous. It's like Courier will spend January sitting with his hand poised above the "reset" button.
This isn't a bad state of affairs, though. Depending on how deep affection for Davis Cup runs in the likes of Isner, Querrey and even Ryan Harrison, the situation may motivate all of them to hit the ground running in 2011. And knowing they have to beat out those old dudes, Roddick and Fish, might yield divdends in the rankings, too.
Historically, Mardy Fish has been the odd man out on the U.S. Davis Cup team. It wasn't a degree of loyalty issue, as has been the case with some players over the years. Blake was just that much better a candidate for No. 2 singles, and always available. But a funny thing happened in Colombia a few months ago, where the USA played a critical first-round "playoff" match under tough conditions (at significant altitude, and on slow red clay). Fish became the first American player since Pete Sampras in 1995 to win all three matches of a tie, and that hero moment gives him an inside track for selection—especially as the American's first tie, against Chile, will take place in Santiago, under conditions more similar than different from those the USA faced in Colombia.
As much as Isner and Querrey may love Davis Cup, I can see where missing the trip to Chile wouldn't overly disappoint them. Both youngsters can play on clay (they played the final last year in Belgrade, with Querrey snatching up the title in a very competitive three-setter). But both of them like faster surfaces. And in Davis Cup competition, they've played only on clay (Isner is 2-0 in doubles, and 0-2 in singles; Querrey is 1-4, and only played singles).
Given that none of the U.S. players will be able to strut his stuff on clay before the tie, it seems more than likely that any dreams Courier has of building his own team—from the ground up, like McEnroe—will have to be deferred. He'll probably go to Santiago with McEnroe's team, albeit with Fish taking the place previously occupied by Blake. Should the U.S. win, the youngsters left behind will have to prove that they deserve a place on the team that will host Spain—undoubtedly on a very fast court—in what would be both a great opportunity and a high-profile clash.
If that's a problem, it's a good one for Courier to have.
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