Tennishead talking point: Back in the USA
The night session at the US Open
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The two weeks of revelry, mastery and excellence in sport that was the Beijing Olympics have finally drawn to a close. The last firework fired, the athletes headed home, and one exhausted Chinese man was snapped taking a cheeky nap during the huge clean-up operation that is getting Beijing back to normal. After the high of the last two weeks, it is time for that inevitable low which follows the drama and high emotion of unbelievable sport.
Nadal’s record on the hard courts in Melbourne and New York is a more human 25-9…
But not so for those of us who follow tennis – how can we possibly complain – for us the next major event has already begun. I had barely absorbed the sight of Boris Johnson waving the Olympic flag before it was time to re-programme the body clock, swivel west, and become enthralled all over again. The US Open, the final major of the year, promises a plethora of trials, triumphs and disasters for 14 straight very long days, as the he’s and she’s of the Tour commit themselves once more into battle.
It has been an extraordinary year, and for none more so than Rafael Nadal. After losing to the explosive and now invisible Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Australian Open, we all said he couldn’t maintain his momentum at the beginning of the year, that the knees would wobble and the feet wouldn’t hold up. He responded with his most emphatic French Open victory yet. Well done Rafa. But there was surely no way he could really unsettle the majestic Federer on grass. You all know how that one turned out. And now with the No.1 ranking in his back pocket, and an Olympic gold medal hanging in his cabinet, Rafa must prove himself again. Can he conquer the hard courts? Despite his form coming into Flushing Meadows, history says no. Nadal may have a combined record of 50-4 at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but his record on the hard courts in Melbourne and New York is a more human 25-9, and the US Open remains the only Grand Slam tournament in which he has not reached the semi-finals.
But the fact is that for the first time going into a Grand Slam, the name Rafael Nadal tops the draw, and for Nadal, to coin the adidas slogan that seems to be everywhere, ‘impossible is nothing’. I don’t expect him just to do it, I expect him to do it with that indomitable will that has seen him reach the top after labouring for so long. With frequent ‘no?’s and the odd grin, the pirate of pizaz will fight on. Who does he have to beat?
Having dispatched Bjorn Phau, his first round opponent, in a tight three-setter yesterday, he now has another qualifier, the USA’s Ryler De Heart, before Ivo ‘Dr Ace’ Karlovic looms in the fourth round, followed by one of James Blake, Gael Monfils and David Nalbandian. But the eternal opponent for Nadal is of course Roger Federer, and if Don King gets his way, they will meet in the final to give the world the ‘Grapple in the Apple’.
Check out our photos from day 1 in New York
Seeing Federer reduced to the bottom of the draw is more than surreal. It’s just strange. I wouldn’t be surprised if he even feels a bit indignant. But such is sport, and the task for Federer is to show us that he cannot be written off, that he is not past it, that he has merely had a bad year. His first test in New York may well come against Radek Stepanek, the wily Czech, but otherwise he can power on to the quarter-finals and a potential showdown with either Nikolay Davydenko or Richard Gasquet. There is no doubt that Federer has lost his air of invincible grace, and so he will probably have a few scares along the way, but perhaps what he needs to do most is a bit of winning ugly. Nevertheless, I have a sneaky suspicion that Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, our resident 21-year-olds, might mess things up for Mr King.
As for Tennishead’s tips to shake things up, Juan Martin Del Potro might be sensational after his hot four-title streak, but then again might be exhausted. Marin Cilic, seeded for the first-time, has potential, and Ernests Gulbis, the precociously talented Latvian, could give Andy Roddick something to worry about in the second round.
Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the women. As they did at Wimbledon, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic top and tail the draw, and doubtless will be hoping to achieve a little more than they did at SW19. It is perhaps no surprise that the two Serbs are first becoming marked down as underachievers, and so this US Open is crucial, both for the women’s game, and for their reputations. Once again, we can only lament the loss of Justine Henin. Ivanovic has reportedly not fully shaken off the thumb injury which was responsible for her swift departure from Beijing and so is lacking in form. If she makes it to the quarter-finals, a repeat of her French Open final against Safina looks inevitable. This time, the Belgrade beauty may not be so lucky. Jankovic meanwhile is also carrying one of her omnipresent niggles, possibly the same one she picked up in Wimbledon. Expect drama and more injury timeouts from the No.2. And then some more.
Some spectators may be relieved to hear that since both Williams sisters are in the same quarter of the draw, there is no way a Williams v Williams final will be on the cards. But to my mind, this may be something we come to rue as the tournament progresses. At a time when the No.1 ranking seems to change hands faster than Usain Bolt sets a new world record, the longevity of Venus and Serena should be praised. It is my bet that one or other Williams may well make it all the way, if their respective knees allow it.
In 2004, Svetlana Kuznetsova snuck in through the back door to claim her first and only Grand Slam title, and with this year’s draw weighted in a similar fashion, she just might manage to do so again. But it has not been the best of years for Kuzy, who, like the Serbs, is perennially underachieving. Gold medallist Elena Dementieva stands in her way, and if she can stomp down on her nerves, Kuznetsova will come out the loser.
Fresh from her first two titles, Tennishead favourite Caroline Wozniacki is a definite dark horse. The Dane has a way to go before she hits the heights of her game, but is learning faster and faster every day. She may get revenge on Jankovic in the fourth round. The elegant Alize Cornet may step into the gap should Ivanovic falter early on, and Agnieszka Radwanska could prevent Williams from meeting Williams.
Of course, if there’s anything we know about tennis, it’s that it’s unpredictable. The US Open is billed as the culmination of ‘the greatest roadtrip in sports’, and a road trip it really is. These players have slogged all around the world for almost nine months. Keeping it up for another gruelling 14 days at Flushing Meadows is fearsomely difficult. Even Pete Sampras went from 1996 to 2002 without winning in New York. Expect nothing to make sense – it’s inevitable.
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dabronx Aug 26, 11:40 AM
i agree that rafa will win the men’s singles. he’s proved me wrong time and again – he is superhuman at the moment and no-one can stop him. i think after he wins the open though his activity will drop off as his body gives up – until melbourne comes around and he wins that too!
Top Gun Aug 26, 11:47 AM
While I would love to see Rafa win the US Open, I just don’t think his body will allow him too. He scraped through in the first round with two tie break wins over a player he should have seen off much more easily. He is superhuman, but the hard courts are his Kryptonite and players like Novak, Roger and Andy will not be so forgiving. I hope Rafa proves me wrong though.
ozzie Aug 26, 11:59 AM
anyone but murray. has he ever smiled on court?
Check Aug 28, 05:48 PM
Thanks for the top tips tennis head, I totally agree about the women’s draw, I just wish someone (preferably British) would come through and fill the void at the top left by Henin.
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