Tennis: May 2008 Archives

Who woulda thunk it? Gorgeous but low-ranked Robby Ginepri is the last American tennis player - male or female - who is still in contention to win the French Open. I'm quite sure that he will not win but he has already exceeded expectations by winning his first three matches at the tournament. He had never before won a match on the clay courts of Paris and is the first American man in seven years to make it to the fourth round.

The same cannot be said of Andy Roddick who did not even compete here (injury) or James Blake, Vince Spadea and Mardy Fish who both lost early. As for the U.S. women, former champion Serena Williams was shockingly beaten on Saturday as was her older sister Venus who was runner-up here in 2002., Venus Williams is defending champion at next month's Wimbledon where she has won four times..

Best of luck to Robby!

Poor Amelie Mauresmo.

Just two years ago, the tennis tour's most prominant out player, was ranked number one in the world with the Australian Open title in her pocket. She would go on to add Wimbledon to her trophy collection in the summer.

But since then, she's been in a free-fall and that continued Thursday when she was beaten by a low-ranked qualifier in the second round of the French Open. It is her home tournament and she has longed stuggled there (French players often feel immense pressure in Paris) but I was hoping she would be able to reverse her sagging fortunes.

Hang in there Amelie!

Novak Djokovic (above) easily won his second-round match in Paris on Wednesday and was nice enough tio give us a look at his cute tummy along the way. Meanwhile, American hottie Robby Ginepri (right) and his biceps were also in action. I'm not sure why Robby's arm is bandaged but I hope it isn't impacting his play. With an injured Andy Roddick not playing in the tournament this year, Robby is my designated heartthrob - American division.

Rafael Nadal's green ensembe for his match Tuesday at the French Open is really not working for me. If he doesn't win a fourth consecutive title in Paris, he will win worst dressed honors for sure.

Yuck!

If Roger Federer can win the French Open, which began on Sunday, everyone will very quickly forget about the horrible year he has been having so far. The number one player in men's tennis since 2004, Roger has won five Wimbledons in a row, four US Opens in a row, and three Australian Open titles. But the last three years, Rafael Nadal has beaten him in Paris and denied him the one major tournament he has yet to win. Very few players have won all four in their entire career. They are: Andre Agassi, Rod Laver, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson and Don Budge. Roger won his first match. Only six more to go to join that very exclusive club.

It took Novak Djokovic four tense sets to won his first match in Paris (it takes seven wins to be the champion). I wonder if the number three player in the world is feeling the pressure. He could face three-time defending champ Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and if he beats Rafa, would take over the number two ranking. Novak has already won the Australian Open this year and is cute as a button.
...and finally, there is Carlos Moya who lost his first-round match. This is disappointing on several levels. First off, Carlos is among the best guy candy yer gonna have at any tournament so to have him out already is sad! Secondly, the red clay in Paris is where Carlos enjoyed his greatest triumph: he was French Open champion in 1998 and briefly ranked number one in the world the next year. Thirdly, Carlos is now 32 years old - young as a man but ancient for a tennis player. He won't be playing too many more years, especially if he keeps having bad losses like this!

Meanwhile, Frenchman Richard Gasquet has pulled out of his country's tournament even before his first match. He apparently is suffering from a knee injury. Richard is of interest to me because he has felt the need to at least twice publicly announce that he is not gay.
OK. If you say so.

Stefan Edberg is one of my all-time crushes. Top five, lifetime. This is famous people crushes I'm talking about. He was the number one tennis player in the world on and off in the early 1990s and the winner of two US Opens, two Wimbledons and two Australian Opens. His serve and volley game was so exciting to watch and so were his increible legs! Anyway, Stefan retired in 1996 but is going to play competitive tennis for the first time in 12 years! He has signed up to play on the BlackRock Tour of Champions in 2008. Pete Sampras announced last mionth that he too was going to play some of the events.

"It's great to hear that Stefan is going to be playing because he's a great guy and a great player," Sampras said in a newspaper interview. "I'm looking forward to playing against him because I always looked up to him with his serve-volley game, his movement and the attitude that he had. I always thought that he was a real gentleman and I'm looking forward to seeing him, talking to him and just seeing how his life is as I haven't spoken to him for many years."

Third-ranked Novak Djokovic sure is flexible! Here he is getting his body all loose and limber for a practice session Friday at Roland Garros, site of the French Open tennis tournament. He could meet three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals where I think Novak could have a big win.

I love the French Open, have watched it every year since the days of Chris Evert and Bjorn Borg and had a very memorable time attending the tournament back in 1992 where I saw the likes of Monica Seles, John McEnroe, Jennifer Capriati, Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi on the courts and on the grounds. Hope to go back someday soon.

Rafael Nadal was in danger of losing his ranking as the number two player in the world for the first time in nearly three years. But he beat back the dramatic challenges of his rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer over the weekend to win the men's clay court tournament in Berlin. Third-ranked Novak went down to Rafael after more than three hours of play in what is being described as a classic while top-ranked Federer squandered some leads to lose in three sets in the final.

I think Nadal's days as second-best are numbered though. He'll be third by mid-summer unless he can continue to keep up these kinds of heroics.

I'm glad there is some news connected to this photo because I really wanted to post it (and probably would have anyway!) Mr. biceos himself Rafael Nadal (seen here shaking the hand of his close friend Carlos Moya at the German Open on Friday, will face the third-ranked player Novak Djokovic in the semifinals tomorrow.

There's more on the line though than just trying to reach the final where world number one Roger Federer will likely be on Sunday: whoever wins the Nadal-Djokovic match will be the second-ranked player behind Federer. Nadal has spent an entire three years in that spot with Federer far-and-away the top dude. But both tennis titans have slipped a bit in 2008 with Novak soaring.

Whether he wins tomorrow or not, I think Djokovic (pictured below) will be top-ranked by later this year. He's that good.

This is the most stunning retirement in the history of tennis - even more surprising than Bjorn Borg walking away from the game at the age of 26 back in 1982.

Justine Henin, three-time defending French Open champion, reigning U.S. Open champion and top-ranked female tennis player in the world, announced Wednesday that she is leaving the sport that she ruled magnificantly last year when she set a single-season prize money record.

I can't friggen believe it! Justine had a lot of heart and that's why I liked her. She is smaller than her rivals Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport and yet she was able to win more major tournaments (seven) than all of them except for Serena who has eight. She also won the Olympic Gold Medal in 2004. She becomes the first woman to retire from tennis while atop the WTA rankings. Steffi Graf retired in 1999 while ranked number three while Chris Evert walked away 10 years earlier ranked fourth.

"This is the end of a child's dream," Justine said at a news conference in Spain. "This is a definitive decision. Those who know me know it is serious."

Like Graf, there will be no farewell tour. The retirement is immediate: "It is a new beginning for me. I feel like I already lived three lives. I gave the sport all I could and took everything it could give me. I take this decision without the least bit of regrets. It is my life as a woman that starts now."

Justine won 10 tournaments last year, but has been in one of the worst slumps of her career this season. She lost last week in the third round of the German Open and pulled out of this week's Italian Open, citing fatigue: "I thought long about this," she said, her voice cracking and eyes watering. "I started thinking about it late last year. I was at the end of the road. I leave with my head held high."

Her personal life has been a difficult one. She was divorced from her husband last year. And she was only 12 when her mother died of cancer, and became estranged from her father and siblings for nearly a decade before reconciling last year.

In addition to her four French Open titles, Henin won the Australian Open in 2004, and the U.S. Open in 2003 and 2007. The only Grand Slam title to elude her was Wimbledon, where she was the runner-up in 2001 and 2006: "Winning Wimbledon would not make me happier than I am," she said. "I could never dream of Wimbledon. It was destiny. I didn't feel myself capable. It was too much for me."

Mark my words: Novak Djokovic is going to be the number one tennis player in the world by the end of the year. He won the Rome Masters tournament on Sunday, his third victory of the year. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the two players ranked above him, have suffered some uncharacteristic losses and their nearly four-year grip on the top two spots appears to be slipping.

After his win, he cknowledged he is a contender to become No. 1: "I hope so. But I don't want to think about No. 1 yet. I know a lot of people will start talking now about me being one of the best players. Let's see. I'm taking it as it comes."

Andy Roddick made it all the way to the semifinals of the Italian Open - played on his worst surface - only to have to withdraw from the clay court tournament Saturday with a painful back injury. Get better soon Andy!

Top American tennis player Andy Roddick is having a terrific year so far but he has never fared well on the red clay courts of Europe. Still, Andy won his first match at the Masters Seires tournament in Rome today. It used to be known simply as the Italian Open.

Not only did Juan Carlos Ferrero hand Rafael Nadal just his second loss in 105 matches on clay, he also got to touch the Spanish heartthrob's chest! Ferrero, a former French Open champion and world number one, has had mostly mediocre results in the past five years so this win in Rome is big!