Perth After Tomic

I am making an active effort to follow this tournament in Perth, but it really is very hard. Tennis Australia provides my only avenue for such following, and they seemed to have lost interest after the Reid/Tomic match. I know Tomic is the next big thing in Aussie tennis and there's all the hype and such... but really, at this time of year, wouldn't following the rest of the results be, you know, giving all the people at TA something to do? Maybe that's just naive, but please, what else is there to write about?

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The Reid/Tomic match was the second round, and the winners of the finals just went up on the website - Andrew Coelho won the men's, and Monica Wejnert the women's. I've never heard of Wejnert before, but she's looking a bit interesting - she's sixteen, this is only her third senior event (it is, I discovered, a Pro tour event) and she beat the top seed to take the title. I'm not saying she's the Tomic of the girls, but that's a bit intriguing. We do have some very good girls coming up in Isabella Holland and Sally Peers and Jessica Moore and the such like - but maybe Miss Monica will be in that pack. Who knows. I know nothing about her outside this match, but she's showing good stats, if that makes any sense.

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Coelho, on the other hand, has been round for a little while - not that he's a veteran or anything (he's a couple of years younger than me!) but he seems to have been floating round for a while... he's left-handed, if I remember rightly (ha ha - I only just realised I made a totally awful pun there... oops!) which is always interesting to watch. Apparently the Fremantle Doctor (a very strong wind, for those of you not up with the lingo) was making conditions very interesting, so kudos to Coelho for pulling out a toughie over Brendan McKenzie. I don't hold any great hopes for Coelho, and he's certainly not a missed opportunity like Todd Reid, but it'd be nice to see him play an ATP event here and there - perhaps qualify for the Aussie Open?

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And in totally un-tennis related news, I've just been awarded first-class Honours for my thesis at university, and I'm quite proud of myself. Not quite a Grand Slam, but when you're studying English, it might just be as close as you get...

The One Thing Lacking

If I were a tennis player, and worked my arse off eleven months of the year, I would totally kill someone if they even thought about encroaching on my precious off-season. I've been told I'm conscientious for writing this blog every day, even when I have absolutely nothing to say (eg. today!) but it takes me maybe twenty minutes, tops. Tennis players train for hours and hours a day - which you have to, considering the fact that you have to grind away on court, day in, day out, to keep your career going (and even then, as we have been discussing re: Todd Reid, it might not be enough.) Tennis is just so freakin' hard, when it comes down to it.

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Which brings me to my point. They get no time off, pretty much. There's all this talk about shortening the season and all, but sorry, I'll believe that when I see it. So if you're a player and the halcyon days of the off-season are finally here, wouldn't you just want to lie on a beach somewhere and chill out for a month? Obviously you'd have to do some training, because of the whole Aussie swing and that Grand Slam lurking dangerously early round the corner, but you'd want to do some quality quivering in the corner first - maybe chill with your family at home, have a nice Christmas or whatever, yeah?

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So why do these players seem to be jetting off all over the world at the whims of sponsors and such like? I saw pictures of Rafa Nadal hanging out with Marat Safin in Moscow today. What on earth is Rafa doing in Moscow? Surely with all his knee issues he should be at home in Mallorca with Xisca and his feet up on a pillow, watching telly? It was apparently some corporate type function he was at for something money related - but why on earth would Rafa need more money? He's about the same age as me - a bit younger, actually - and he's already made more than I will in ten lifetimes. Doesn't he deserve some time off? Off-season for tennis is preciously short - it shouldn't be on-season for corporate deals.

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Rafa, some words of advice, straight from me to you. Go home. Rest. Do absolutely nothing for at least a week. These top tennis players seem to have everything in the world: Boris Yelstin once described Marat Safin as the ideal Russian, which I suppose means the ideal Russian is all fast sport, fast cars, fast women. But the one thing they don't have is time. Grab on to what you have with both hands, boys - heaven knows you deserve it!

Missed Opportunities

All that talk about Todd Reid earlier got me thinking - how many missed opportunities are there in tennis?
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I mean, Todd Reid is only 24, but if you haven't made it by that age, then you're pretty much not going to, right? The only genuine late bloomer I remember is Ljubicic, and even then, I think he'd bloomed a bit earlier than this, so to speak. But Todd Reid was the #4 junior in the world back in the day, which, when you think about it, was not that long ago - 2002, I think, for him. That was just before the golden age of Federer began, but not that long before it. So just a few years ago, Todd Reid was seemingly going to be one of the tennis stars of his generation. Two junior Slam finals, one victory. A promising start in the first round of the Aussie Open against Nicholas Escude. And where is he now? Just scraping past sixteen year old Bernard Tomic in some schlep tournament in Perth.
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Largely, if you win a junior Slam, you go on to do a bit of something at the senior level. Roger Federer won junior Wimbledon. David Nalbandian was his junior nemesis, and he picked up a title or two. Andy Murray won the junior US Open. Stan Wawrinka won the junior Roland Garros. Names we think about now. Actually, let's go and look at who won the junior Slams in '02, the year of Todd Reid...
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...the Aussie Open was won by someone called Clement Morel, of whom I have never heard (anyone?) but the French and the US were both won by someone called Richard Gasquet. Heard of him?
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So what does this prove? I suppose one always has to assume that a good juniors career doesn't mean a great senior's career - I guess some people just burn out young, or plateau and stop improving while everyone else around them gets better. Maybe some never adjust to the pressure of the senior tour. But how different could the face of tennis be? Looking at the lists of those who have won in juniors but never translated it into the proper tour is like looking at a tennis graveyard - a litany of missed opportunity.

The Past Plays The Future

Anyone else think the picture they're using to advertise the new London season-ending championships at the end of next year is kind of funny? It's exactly the same picture as Shanghai '07, but with Richard Gasquet lopped out of the background and Andy Murray, looking extraordinarily uncomfortable, chest all puffed out, suspicious look on his face, stuck smack bang in the middle. I get that it's in London and so Murray is a major drawcard, but it almost looks like they're predicting Murray'll be bigger than Federer and Nadal next year. I think he'll be big, but I don't see that much boat-shaking going on!

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Meanwhile, on a totally different subject, I've been following this tournament in Perth. I am totally unable to discover what level of tournament it actually is, but it calls itself the Perth International and it's actually been kind of interesting - at least if you know who some of the Aussie guys are, in which case I might be in a bit of a minority.

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The most interesting match today was a real epic duel between Bernard Tomic and Todd Reid. It's a match Tomic really should have won, being a set and 3-0 up, but Reid got him in the end after a real see-saw. It was almost like watching history play itself - not that I was watching, because, hello, as if it'd be televised, but you get my drift. Todd Reid, a few years back, was exactly where Bernard Tomic is now. He was touted as the next big thing after he made the final of the junior Aussie Open in '02 and won junior Wimbledon... but then nothing ever really came of it. He pulled a few upsets in early rounds here and there, but I'd venture to say hardly anyone has heard of Todd Reid.

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So here's hoping Bernard Tomic doesn't go the same way. Because this kid is seriously awesome, and I would hate to see his talent fade away. He was beaten by the past today - but in the future, here's hoping he eclipses it. That'd be a real victory.

Finally, a Brouhaha in Doha!

The fields for the early tournaments next year are beginning to take shape - and the organisers of the ATP tournament in Doha must be quivering with delight. The women's season-ending championships (why, why did no one think to call it the Brouhaha in Doha? I thought that was hilarious) may have been a bit dull, but the field that's starting to take shape for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open is very exciting. It includes not only the Andies (Murray and Roddick respectively) but now the two biggest guns in tennis, R-Fed and... Rafa ('R-Nad' just doesn't work.)

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Federer's played Doha before, but not for a while - 2006, if memory serves - but I don't remember a field of this high a quality there in years. I remember Ljubicic winning it in recent memory, and possibly Gael Monfils, though maybe he was only a finalist. I can't remember. So what a boost for Doha this will be. Maybe this will be the real Brouhaha in Doha. I invented that pun, and I'm dying for someone to use it - so maybe Roger, Rafa and the Andies will give me reason.

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Sydney, on the other hand, which is close to my heart, because, hello, closest thing I have to a home tournament, is looking... all right, I guess, but not whoa, smash bang fabulous. So far, they've announced Tsonga, Simon, Berdych, Nalbandian, Hewitt, Gasquet, Robredo and most recently Fish and defending champ Tursunov. So not a bad field, but it ain't no Doha. Rafa played there the first year I attended, which was '07 - though to be fair, he only played for about a set before deciding he was injured and throwing in the towel against Chris Guccione. Still, I was there and I saw him, up close and personal (I may be exaggerating slightly there, but in the flesh, nonetheless). It'd be nice for the Sydney folks to see some of the big stars that they might have actually, you know, heard of.

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But we all know the tournament that's closest to my heart is the Hopman Cup, even if it's clear across the other side of the country. Marat Safin promised he'd give the tournament organiser a decision on whether or not he would play in the first week of November, and we're well past that and his name's still on the schedule, so I'm quietly hopeful that we might be seeing Marat on the ATP tour again next year - hurrah!

Blast From The Past

It hasn't been a good week for the legends of the sport - and I'm not talking Federer and Nadal, our current legends, here. No, we're going old school. Tennis is clearly fraught with drama, even from beyond the proverbial grave.

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First, Boris Becker gets dumped by text message. I thought this was pretty hilarious, to tell the truth. Tennis Australia does this piece every week called 'Off The Court' - here's a paragraph from their article on the Becker incident:

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'Becker has led a tortured personal life in recent decades, divorcing from the mother of his two sons, Barbara Feltus, in 2001. He later gained playboy notoriety after fathering a child, now eight, with a Russian model, after a tryst in a London restaurant broom closet.'

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Can you tell me that he doesn't deserve to get dumped by text message? He seems like a bit of a tool, really. Maybe this is some kind of grand karmic revenge. Ha ha ha. That's pretty much all I have to say on the matter.

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And then Jimmy Connors goes and gets arrested at a basketball game. Guess he took his break up (presumably not by text message) with Andy Roddick pretty hard, returning to his old badarse ways after a brief stint as a respectable coach type. John McEnroe got sent off the court in a seniors match a while back for being a dickhead - guess Connors couldn't stand to be beaten and had to one-up him.

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It kind of makes you wonder - what will today's tennis heroes be like in twenty years? I would bet you any money that Roger and Rafa will be tennis statesmen in the model of Laver and Agassi, the classy guys: still making the sport proud, quiet family types, some endorsements, light commentary duties. (Can you imagine Rafa the commentator? Hilarious!) Djokovic, on the other hand, will still be trying to seduce Paraguayan javelin throwers and Slovakian singers, and will probably be getting dumped by text message for his troubles...

The Stephen Hawking of Tennis

The top story on the ATP website today is about a poll they did of fans - I remember voting in it - about who will be the year-end #1 at the end of next year. The winner? Roger Federer, with 42% of the vote.

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I'm unable to decide if this is surprising or not. Rafa is #1 now, and I think most people have finally caught up with that fact - not to mention the fact that Roger is ten points away from slipping to #3. But taking nothing away from Rafa and yes, even Novak Djokovic, I think this is an indication of the faith people have in the immense genius of Roger Federer. He may not be as young as he used to be (an old man at 27) and he may not have had the bestest year ever this year, but in the public mind and ideology, if that is not too strong a word to use, Federer is still #1. The legacy of his incredible dominance is this profound belief that he is too good to be #2 for long.

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And I'm right on that bandwagon. Much as I was saying the other day that Rafa is one of the greats too and we're living in an age of true tennis greatness (for men - women is a whole other story), the genius and the greatness of Federer transcends even that. What he has done is so phenomenal that he can lay claim to the title of Greatest of All Time. Rafa Nadal is great, one of the greats, but I doubt anyone would call him the greatest: certainly not yet, anyway. Greatest dirtballer, maybe, but when it comes to Greatest Player Ever, my mind only goes one place, and that is straight to Federer.

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Historical competition includes Rod Laver and Pete Sampras, both of whom were fabulous, as well as a whole pantheon of other tennis greats. But I don't know if any player has ever had quite the same mystique as Federer. If he is on, playing to the best of his ability, there is only one player in recent memory who has even come close to beating him, and it isn't Rafael Nadal - it's Marat Safin. (Australian Open semi '05 - heartbreaker, but one of the greatest matches ever.) He is a prodigy, the Stephen Hawking of tennis - his genius for the sport is so great I don't know if we will ever see anyone with so much pure, unadulterated talent. He is tennis clinic and tennis statesman all in one - because have we ever seen more evidence that tennis is a gentleman's game than in this man?

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This wasn't meant to turn into a paeon of praise, but all of it is deserved. I'm part of that posse whom thinks Federer will get back to #1 - and it's good to know I'm in the majority.

Nando Brings Home The Bacon

What an incredible victory for Spain. But it is tinged with a few bittersweet notes, in my opinion. Not that Spain didn't deserve their win, because they wholeheartedly did, but there is some sadness among the gladness, and not just for Argentina.

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First, the health of Juan Martin del Potro. He was obviously pretty badly injured, considering he chose not to play or was sidelined or whatever in the reverse singles. Would the story have been different if he had been fully fit? I like to think not, because I don't want to take anything away from the achievements of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, who were both outstanding this weekend. But I'm sure that seed of doubt will linger in a few minds for some time to come.

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And secondly, poor David Ferrer. I was all geared up for him to bring home the bacon today - not that he had to make up for losing to Nalbandian, because there's no shame in that, but it would have been nice if he could have had a second chance, so to speak. I wonder how difficult it was for Emilio Sanchez to make the decision to play Verdasco instead of Ferrer - and how Ferru reacted? Tennis is not by nature a team sport - rejection is not something players would often have an opportunity to cope with. Losing, yes, but not even being allowed the opportunity to lose? Poor Ferru. He was part of the winning team, all right, but he was the 1, not the 3. Tremendous as Fernando Verdasco's victory was, for it to come sort at the expense of Ferrer was, for me, bittersweet. I love Ferrer's style of play and he seems like such a nice bloke. It's great that he won Davis Cup and all, but I don't think he made any progress in coming out from Rafa's shadow. I'm sad he didn't get his chance.

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But how can one ignore the way that Lopez and Verdasco came through bigtime? I talked about Fidgiano yesterday, so let's talk Nando today - what a victory that was over Acasuso! Isn't it strange, the way the biggest event in world team tennis can come down to a match between two men who are essentially journeymen: neither have been or probably never will be near the top ten, and yet what a spectacle they put on! I always go on about how un-patriotic I am in terms of tennis and how it's about the individual not the nation, but I really think that the nationalistic element of Davis Cup really spurs the players on to excellence. In normal tour tennis, sure, you're playing for your country to a degree, but mostly you're playing for yourself. In Davis Cup, you've got a country behind (or at least the part of your country that pays attention to tennis, however meagre it may be.) This match between Verdasco and Acasuso was a real thriller, a popcorn match. You have to feel for Acasuso as well - this isn't the first time he's been the losing guy in a deciding rubber. You only have to think back to Argentina vs. Russia, Davis Cup final '06. But Nando really pulled it out. I bet his lovely girlfriend Mademoiselle Ivanovic will be pleased.

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This proves that Spanish tennis isn't all Rafa - just like Stan Wawrinka proved this year that Swiss tennis isn't all Roger. Fidgiano and Nando have been round for a while and they've done a whole heap of good stuff, but they just brought home the Davis Cup for their country, with no help from Rafa at all. Congratulations, guys - and congratulations to David Ferrer and Marcel Granollers and Emilio Sanchez and the whole team. Spain is the deepest country in men's tennis right now - and they've got the enormous trophy to prove it.

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Today's Results

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Davis Cup (Mar del Plata)

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Spain 3, Argentina 1

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Fernando Verdasco def. Jose Acasuso, 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 4-6 6-3 6-1

Ferru Up To Bat

Well, well, well. This certainly is an interesting turn of events. When Rafa announced he was out of the Davis Cup final, I think just about everyone wrote off Spain entirely - including, I am not ashamed to admit, me. But now, after two days of play, we find ourselves in a very interesting place. Spain are up 2-1.

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I stand by my statement that the real hero of this tie, if Spain can pull it out, will be Feliciano Lopez. His singles victory over Juan Martin del Potro was crucial - it cannot be expressed just how crucial it was. If Spain wins, I think that will be seen as the match that turned the tide. Even though del Potro is Argentina's star player this year, when it comes to Davis Cup, Nalbandian is and always has been rock solid. He proved that yesterday, with his victory over Ferrer - a victory one can only describe as solid, actually. Ol' Dave N ain't going anywhere. Del Potro may be ranked higher, but it is over his head that the question mark lies. Nine times out of ten, based on recent form, you'd pick del Potro to come out over Lopez. But Fidgiano pulled it out.

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Spain has to win one more match to win the tie - just one. If Feliciano Lopez wins that match, he will become a national hero. But who knows whether or not he will actually be the guy to play the reverse singles rubber? After that great win over del Potro and the gruelling doubles victory with Verdasco today, he might be the guy with the hot hand, but he must also be absolutely buggered.

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It is time for David Ferrer to step up to bat. He is the highest-ranked player on this team, and though he's played Spanish second banana to Rafa for, like, ever, it's time for him to do something absolutely outstanding in his own right. He's due to play the first singles rubber, nominally against del Potro, but there is a bit of an injury cloud as well as that question mark I was talking about before hovering Juan M's head. Presumably Jose Acasuso would be the replacement if del Potro cannot play. If Acasuso wins, he will be a hero, and he will leave Feliciano Lopez or Nando Verdasco or whomever Emilio Sanchez picks to save the day and become Spain's hero. Ferrer will be out in the cold, second banana once more.

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But if Ferru can step it up and win this rubber - he's not been in the best of form lately, but hello, he's David Ferrer - then maybe he can emerge, just a bit, from Rafa's shadow. Lopez will still be the hero of the tie: but at least he won't be the only hero.

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And then, hey, maybe Marcel Granollers will get a bit of court time in the dead rubber. I'm sure he'd like that.

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Today's Results

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Davis Cup (Mar del Plata)

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Spain 2, Argentina 1

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Lopez/Verdasco def. Nalbandian/Calleri, 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Roddinki

So Andy Roddick has picked his new coach - Larry Stefanki. I can't say I know a whole lot about Stefanki, except that he was responsible for that remarkable transformation in Fernando Gonzalez last year when Gonzo made it to the final of the Aussie Open and into the elite eight of the Masters Cup... but then the partnership seemed to go a bit stale. Or maybe that split or something. I'm not really up on the minutiae of Gonzo's career. But wouldn't it be interesting if Stefanki could have a similar effect on Roddick, however short-term?

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There are two matches that stand out for me from Fernando Gonzalez, both in the '07 Australian Open - and I think we can safely say that if he had not been playing Roger Federer in the final (Roger Federer in insane form - remember that semi-final demolition of Roddick?) he would have won that tournament, 400%. He absolutely destroyed Tommy Haas in the semi-finals - and sure, Tommy Haas isn't exactly a world-beater, but this was coming on the back of a straight sets thrashing of Rafa Nadal in the quarters. Whatever Stefanki did to Fernando, it worked big time, and it can be seen nowhere more clearly than in that tournament. His serve became consistent, those huge, massive groundies went in more often than not, and overall, his game just tightened up a notch.

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Thing is, I'm not necessarily sure that's what Andy Roddick needs. He's got a great serve, and while he may not be the most consistent player in the world, he's no Marat Safin. His groundies are fine - to my eye, anyway. What he really needs is a real grass-court coach - specifically, someone that can teach him how to volley. Because the Andy Roddick volley at the moment... well, I use 'volley' in the loosest possible sense of the word. And the sad thing is, it's come on light years from where it once was, and it's still only a 'volley.'

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Now, like I said, I'm no authority on Stefanki. Maybe he can teach Roddick this - looking him up, I see he's coached Tim Henman, and no one would ever doubt the Henman volley. So Roddinki will be an interesting partnership - I'll certainly be watching closely to see how it all turns out.

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Now if only Federer would hurry up and pick his new coach...

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Oh, and Davis Cup! How could I forget to write about that? (Actually, I know exactly how I could forget... I was so excited about the Nadal/Nalbandian clash, only to be thwarted AGAIN!) We're at 1-all, and I think it is going to be veeery interesting... massive kudos to Feliciano Lopez for beating Juan Martin del Potro! If Spain pulls this tie out of the bag, I think Fidgiano just might be the hero - he was an odd choice for that singles rubber, but oh! did he pay off!

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Today's Results

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Davis Cup (Mar del Plata)

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Argentina 1, Spain 1

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David Nalbandian def. David Ferrer, 6-3 6-2 6-3

Feliciano Lopez def. Juan Martin del Potro, 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

An Age Of Greatness

I think we have to admit it - when it comes to men's tennis, we are living in an age of greatness.

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The word 'greatness' is one that tends to get bandied round a lot - it's something I especially notice in Australian sport. We have some really, really good teams, yeah? Our cricket team, for example. I'm no cricket aficiando, but it seems to me that our team has been lauded here as the 'greatest ever' for about fifteen, twenty years now: certainly as long as I can remember. But surely the team has changed almost totally over these years - so how can it make the claim to be the greatest ever?

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Team sport and individual sport are different, I know - maybe cricket is a bad example. But I think we may be able to safely say that this era in men's tennis is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ever.

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Why do I make this claim? You have to go straight to the top. No one can contest Roger Federer's claim to be one of the all-time tennis great - if not the greatest of all time. He has an amazing genius for the sport while being an outstanding statesman. But now - I say now, it's been coming for a while - we have the emergence of Rafa Nadal. He's not just some schlep who usurped Federer's position at the top because Roger was having a bum year. He's genuinely an amazing player - and I mean amazing. That's what sparked this rant off, actually - there's an article in DEUCE magazine about Nadal's pursuit of various tennis historical geats and his claim to all-time greatness. And I think we have to realise this. We are spectators in one of the most intriguing, high-level sports rivalries of all time. Even Sampras/Agassi had nothing on Roger/Rafa. We only have to look at the final of Wimbledon to understand the intensity and the high-level of their rivalry. And it's not a rivalry in the antagonistic sense - I get the feeling Roger and Rafa quite like each other, really. They're certainly always very cordial to each other: and, moreover, both are gentlemen. I feel that's part of being a true great - it extends off court as well. And on court - can anyone deny these are two of the most phenomenal players world tennis has ever seen? Rafa is certainly the greatest claycourter of all time. Roger has got a pretty good grip on that Greatest of All Time trophy. We are so privileged.

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And, just to bring it down a notch, it really shows up what's going on with women's tennis at present... I don't think anyone would say this is one of the greatest ages for women's tennis ever. The top level is confused at best, and I think a lot of people have felt that those who have reached #1 this year haven't really deserved it. Would anyone say that of Roger or Rafa? I think not. We have too many #1s in men's tennis and too few in women's - and I know which problem I'd prefer!

Thirty-One Grand Slam Titles... and James Blake

Okay, so a question. This exhibition event in Macao that Federer's playing with Borg and McEnroe. Why, why, WHY is James Blake the other guy?

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Not that James Blake isn't a great player. I had that whole discussion yesterday about the insane achievements of anyone who makes it anywhere near the top hundred. He's a wonderful player. He has mad tennis skillz. But... he hasn't exactly won multiple Slams. He hasn't exactly won ONE Slam. Federer has thirteen. Borg and McEnroe have a pretty healthy number between them. I would feel like such a schlep if I were James, such a ring-in. You have these three major tennis greats... and James Blake. Poor guy.

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Federer beat Blake in a scrappy match, and McEnroe overcame Borg. I'm not sure what happened in the doubles. I'm not exactly sure what the point of this exhibition was, but it sounded like fun. Pity that that other one had to get cancelled - I think it was supposed to be in Penang. Still, the Macao thing sounds like it would have been fun to watch.

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Speaking of fun to watch, who else would kill to see that Sampras/McEnroe showdown in the BlackRock masters event in London? That one will be a dogfight of the old guys. I bet they'll sell a whoooooole lotta tickets.

The World Below The Surface

It's rather hard to write about tennis when there's no tennis to write about. I'm going to have to think about how to manage Tennis From The Backseat while we're in the off-season - it seems a little extravagant to write about tennis every day when there's no tennis to write about! But the blog will keep going strong into the New Year, bringing us back to where we started - the Australian tennis summer, my favourite swing of the tour (for obvious reasons.)

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Tennis Australia has also realised the dearth of stuff to write about now everyone's on holiday - but instead of writing about the Davis Cup final like normal people, they've done a list of how the Australians have been doing this week. No one's been playing on any of the major tours, but in Challengers and stuff there've been quite a few active. Let's have a look at the men's singles highlights (this list had no women on it anywhere. Are there just no women's events this week? We don't suck that badly.)

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*Chris Guccione reached the semifinal at the ATP Challenger event in Jersey, Great Britain.

*Carsten Ball was a quarterfinalist at the ATP Challenger event in Champaign, USA.

*Steven Goh qualified and reached the quarterfinal at the ITF Futures event in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

*Zachary Van Min qualified at the ITF Futures event in Queretaro, Mexico.

*Matt Reid reached the quarterfinal at the ITF Futures event in Honolulu, USA.

*Isaac Frost qualified at the ITF Futures event in Honolulu, USA.

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Reading lists like these, it makes you realise just how hard tennis is, particularly for the kids starting out. There's this whole tennis pantheon of celebrities - your Federers and Nadals and Safins and so forth - but underneath it all is this seething mass of people dying for a chance. Chris Guccione is ranked in the top hundred and he's still losing in Challenger events. That top echelon is really pretty damn small, when you think about it. Imagine if you play all your life and you get to about #200. Out of three billion or so people, #200 is pretty damn good - but in tennis terms, that's nothing of anything. Some minor Challenger or Futures victories, maybe... a lifetime on the pro circuit. You're good, but not quite good enough.

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Tennis isn't like music - it's not like lurking down in the #300s is some brilliant player who simply has to be discovered and will shoot straight to #1, winning umpteen Aria awards or whatever along the way. The guys in the top echelon are genuinely the best - because they beat everyone else. If there's one thing you can say about tennis, it's that the people at the top genuinely deserve to be there. (Except maybe Djokovic. Because I don't like him. The last two years have been a massive fluke, mark my words.) It must be so incredibly tough to be one of the little guys, schlepping away in Challengers and Futures, knowing that there is no quick fix. There's only hard work, a lot of it - and even then, you might not still be good enough. The guys ahead of you are just that little bit more talented, have those few extra shots... and though you can get a long way by hard work, sometimes it's just not enough.

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Taking that into consideration, it's amazing that the guys at the top aren't total tosspots with egos the size of Mt Isa (apparently the biggest city in the world in terms of space. Just so my imagery makes sense.) They are the best of the best of the best - because there are a whole lotta tennis players, and they've beaten them all. So congratulations, Roger and Rafa, for being genuinely nice guys.

The Djokovic Gravy Train

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on there. When did Djokovic jump to within ten points of Federer in the rankings? How did that happen?

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Well, I suppose I know how it happened - Federer lost points, because he won last year's Masters Cup, and Djokovic gained points, because he bombed out in round robin last year. But still - what? How on earth did that happen?

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Granted, Federer hasn't had the bestest year ever this year, but he made it to three Slam finals and a semi, winning one Slam. Djokovic also won a Slam, but made only two semis and a second round (gotta love that Safin smackdown!) I suppose this is an indication of how little tennis is actually Slams. To be #1, you have to be consistent, week in, week out. Federer won no Masters Series crowns this year - and maybe that's where it tells. We see this with the Williams sisters, too - they play for Slams, not rankings, and as a result, they aren't as high up the ladder as they should be. Still, at least Djokovic is still behind the great man, even if it is only by ten points - and try gaining points at the Aussie Open, Novak. Just TRY.

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One place he might gain points, however, is at the Brisbane International, the newly established tournament replacing the ATP tournament in Adelaide and the WTA tournament on the Gold Coast. Actually, there was a story on the Tennis Australia website today that enraged me. The title is 'Two Djokovics for the Price of One!' Yes, that's right - Novak has bought little brother Marko into another tournament... though at least it's only in doubles. Ire, ire, rage, rage. I posted a while back about Marko in Bangkok, and how it was unfair he got carded in. I am anti-riding on someone else's gravy train. Did you ever see Dinara Safina using Marat's fame to her advantage? If anything, she seemed kind of annoyed about it. Marko has been carded into the junior Aussie Open draw as well. I say but this - I hope he plays Tomic, and Tomic eats him for breakfast.

Tennis, Day to Day

What a sour end to what has been an interesting year. It really hasn't been the year I was hoping for - I was hoping for another year of Federer domination - but it has been interesting, nonetheless, with a massive swathe of first time winners, the emergence of Murray, Tsonga and del Potro at the top of the rankings, and a few future major stars like Gulbis and Cilic (and even Tomic) making their first marks. But this is really a sour, sour end. Djokovic winning the Masters Cup. Ugh.

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I suppose he had a bit to invest in it, after his pathetic showing last year... and I suppose he wanted to prove that he wasn't Mr. 2007, someone who had a big breakout season, cemented it early in a Slam and then faded away a bit - because he has been fading. If, at their current level of play, you pitted Djokovic against Murray in a cagematch, Murray would win. But I suppose I can't always get what you want... and if the tennis season played out to my desire, it would probably be a bit boring for anything else.

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If we can learn one thing from the Masters Cup this year - Shanghai and Doha, really - is that although it should be a microcosm of the season, it really isn't. Sure, Federer's won some Masters Cups in years where he has been the Master, but if you look at the people he's played in the final... Blake, Ferrer, etc, we can see it's not a microcosm at all. Men's tennis for the last few years has been a duopoly - the Federer/Nadal rivalry has grown into one of the greatest in sport. Lately, Djokovic and now Murray are muscling in on the scene, but when it comes down to it, it's those two. And we've never had a final like that. We've never seen Roger/Rafa in the final.

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And, although both are good players, the match this year that has been the essential match of the tour, the match at the core of it... it isn't the final of the Masters Cup. The match we're going to remember from this year is the Wimbledon final. Djokovic and Davydenko can't touch that, can't come near that. Neither is capable of anything like that level of play. So there's one thing we can learn. The Masters Cup should be a microcosm - and the way it's structured, it's in the best possible position to be, with the round robin and all, and the opportunity to lose a match and still win or what not. However, tennis is tennis. It's unpredictable. Though there are Masters, men that dominate the sport, a match is decided on the day. And it's the day to day that makes a tournament - even at the Masters Cup.

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Novak Djokovic def. Nikolay Davydenko, 6-1 7-5

Not Done, Not Yet

I think, in my opinion, that the Masters Cup final we are going to have tomorrow is the worst possible outcome. Of all the players to make it to the final, why, why, WHY did it have to be Djokovic and Davydenko?

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Let's start with Djokovic. Good tennis player, I grant you - he has the Slam to prove it. But he has the most repellent personality I can remember in tennis. John McEnroe was an angry little man, but Djokovic is an immature, rude, disrespectful little prat. It takes more than a good tennis game to make a champion, to make a Master, which is what the winner of the Masters Cup ought to be. Djokovic is a good player, but by these standards, he is not a Master. And even his game is not that impressive right now - though he did get through to the Masters final, so I guess he has something for him. But that was a tight one he played against Simon - and we all know his fatigue issues. Can he hold up?

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Davydenko, on the other hand, played a superb match. Djokovic beat him in the round robin stage, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Davydenko pulled out the big one and took the final. I think I'd prefer that - Djokovic has played better tennis this year, but if you look at his career, Davydenko deserves a really big title, and outside a Slam, this is the best you can have. Not that I in any way am a Kolya groupie, because we all know my attitude to his attitude about tennis. At least Djokovic has never come out and said that he hates tennis and is over it and whatever, which, when Kolya said, I found very disrespectful to the game in general and his opponents in particular. But he seems to have screwed his head on a bit now, and though he hasn't been playing brilliantly of late - certainly not since the appearance of Murray - he's been steadily improving.

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In that sense, his victory over Murray is quite symbolic. Davydenko used to be entrenched at #4, the best of the rest position. Murray has not only taken over that spot, but made a play to be included in the best, instead of the rest. Maybe his big victory is his way of saying he's not done just yet. In that case, I want Davydenko to win. This time last year, Djokovic was the Murray. And Kolya's got a bit of tennis in him yet - even if he didn't believe it himself for a while.

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Still, I'm not happy about this final. It should be Roger/Rafa. But I guess tennis is essentially unpredictable, and it's the best man on the day that comes through - even in the Masters Cup.

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Nikolay Davydenko def. Andy Murray, 7-5 6-2

Novak Djokovic def. Gilles Simon, 4-6 6-3 7-5

To Be The Master

I guess it was kind of the fitting ending to the year, really. This is one year where we can safely say that Federer hasn't been the Master on the tour, and thus, I suppose he doesn't really deserve to win the Masters Cup. Still, it didn't stop it being disappointing.

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The real Master this year has been Rafa Nadal, but he also has no chance of winning this week, what with injury. The four semi-finalists now are Djokovic (spit spit), Davydenko, Murray and Simon. I think out of those four, we can say that Murray probably deserves it most. He is the only person thus far undefeated (it was a tight match against Federer, but the Scot pulled it out) and with his run up the rankings, kind of reminiscent of what Djokovic did last year, he deserves a major title. Next to the Slams, the Masters Cup is probably the biggest title you can win - and I think we can say that of those four players, Murray is the current Master.

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I confess, I would rather have Murray win his breakout big title at the Masters Cup, rather than at one of the Slams. Last year, Djokovic totally bombed at the Masters Cup, but then won the Aussie Open. I'd rather Murray won his big one here than at the Aussie Open - that one I'm reserving for the Fed. Hopefully, after a long rest and a peaceful summer, he can come back and claim back that title - because it doesn't feel quite right when someone other than him holds that title. Not as wrong as someone else winning Wimbledon, but certainly up there.

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To sum up, I am disappointed that Roger didn't make it through, but c'est la vie. Let it provide motivation for a bigger, brighter and better year next year. My little brother is sitting next to me as I write this, and he just said, 'I bet Roger will win every single tournament he goes in next year.' I'm with him. 2009 ahoy!

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Red Group

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Andy Murray def. Roger Federer, 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5

Gilles Simon def. Radek Stepanek, 6-1 6-4

Whipping Boy

I got my wish - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has totally made Novak Djokovic his bitch. Sure, Djokovic is through to the semis and Tsonga isn't, but I am so loving this record. In their last three meetings, Tsonga has whipped Djokovic's arse. I guess the Australian Open gave him sussing out time, and now he's riding that sweet ol' revenge train all the way home.

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I was totally wrong with my predictions for the Gold Group - I was positive that Tsonga and del Potro would get through. Davydenko has been so lacklustre all season (apart from that bright spot in Miami), Djokovic has been very unimpressive of late and Tsonga and del Potro have been on a major hot run. I guess it goes to show why Davydenko has been near the top of the game for so long, and why Djokovic has held onto that #3 position. Even when they're playing not so well, there's still a certain element of consistency.

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Not that I just paid Novak Djokovic a compliment, I would never do that.

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There's a story on the Tennis Australia website this morning about Federer's illness - apparently he has some stomach-bug or whatever - and they're making him look all despondent. He's been quoted as saying it'd be a 'miracle' if he got through to the semis what with him being ill, but reading the interview, I think he's taken out of context.

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"At the end of the day I still have a chance. I hope with a day of recovery, I'll make a miracle happen here and get through into the semis."

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This is what he said. However, I don't think he really means 'miracle' in the sense of something being actually miraculous, if that makes sense. Does anyone else think this is being blown way out of proportion? The stomach bug is also described as 'crippling' - but for someone crippled, he did a tidy job of putting the Worm away yesterday: and although the Worm isn't actually a qualifier, he doesn't, you know, actively suck. So I'm still hopeful for Federer. I don't think he'll need a miracle - just some of that ol' Roger magic.

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Gold Group

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Novak Djokovic, 1-6 7-5 6-1

Nikolay Davydenko def. Juan Martin del Potro, 6-3 6-2

The Worm Does Shanghai

I'm sorry, but what is the Worm doing in Shanghai?

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It didn't occur to me yesterday when I was writing about Nicolas Kiefer being one of the alternates to think of whom the other one might be - stupid mistake, I know. But had I thought about it, I certainly wouldn't have picked Radek Stepanek, the scary man of tennis. Why did he decide to come, anyway? Shouldn't he be off ruining some female player's career, like he did with Hingis and Vaidisova? Or is he not done with Nicole yet?

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It certainly didn't look like the Worm was thinking about playing - it says he was on holiday in Thailand before coming to Shanghai. (In which case, was he actually an alternate? Or was he just the nearest convenient player? But Kiwi's in Shanghai - why not use him?) His tennis stuff got stuck at customs and he had to borrow a racquet from Novak Djokovic (imagine if he'd broken a string - would he kindly have asked Roger for a lend of one of his? On court?) and socks from Andy Murray and get an emergency prescription of contact lenses. Kudos to him for being so resourceful and stuff, but seriously, why him? You've got a perfectly good alternate in Kiwi - I presume he is actually in Shanghai as well. I just don't get it.

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None of this meant that the Worm actually did that well - Roger took him out in straights, keeping himself in contention for the semis. Now, all he has to do is beat Murray... and I suppose it would help if the Worm beat Simon. (How does that work, exactly? What is the tie system?) I hope Roger can pull it out against Andy - he's certainly capable of beating him, and this would level their head-to-head, instead of Andy pulling ahead 4-2. We certainly don't want Roger to acquire another Rafa, that's for sure!

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Speaking of Andy, he beat Simon pretty handily in the other Red Group match today - he's certainly looking the guy to beat. I suppose he will finish top of the group regardless (yes? no?) which is a shame, because I guess Djokovic will finish top of the other group, which means they couldn't possibly meet until the finals. As I want Roger in the final, this is not a good circumstance, and I would really like to see Andy take it to Novak. I don't think they've played since Murray has put himself up there as the fourth guy in the three-guy domination squad, and I would really like to see him challenge for that #3 spot. Not that he can take it, I think, but it would be nice to see a struggle begin which might be very intriguing all through next year...

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Red Group

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Roger Federer def. Radek Stepanek, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Andy Murray def. Gilles Simon, 6-4 6-2

Kiwi Does Shanghai

And so the first player to the semi-finals is Novak Djokovic. You can imagine how thrilled I am about that one. Overjoyed. I'm sure my ecstasy is transcending the bounds of the screen, so overwhelming is it.

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That was sarcastic, in case no one picked up on it.

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Yes, Djokovic is through after beating Kolya Davydenko, who will fight it out with Juan Martin del Potro for the final berth in the Gold Group. What a disappointing showing from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - I felt sure he was going to step it up and go through. Oh well. He still has to play Djokovic in the final round robin match, and Djokovic has been Jo-Dub's bunny of late, so hopefully he can smash him like a guitar. Again. Just because it would be funny, and something needs to go right at these year-end championships, damn it!

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I think I'm picking del Potro over Davydenko. He's just been in better form, and even though Kolya seems to have screwed his head on to a degree after his reprehensible spat earlier this year, he's just - and always has been - a terribly uninspiring tennis player. Then tomorrow I'm going with Roger over Roddick (hopefully without the match-points that Roddick had last year which could have turned into a fiasco) and Murray over Simon. Murray really is the one to beat, I think - he's the form player. However, I thought Tsonga was the form player of the Gold Group, and look how that turned out.

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One thing I found really interesting about the Masters Cup - did you know Nicolas Kiefer is one of the alternates? Apparently none of the twenty-five or so players ranked above him wanted to schlep to China, so he got the call up. I found this very bizarre. Look at Doha last week - you had the #9 and #10 players in the race (if you discount the injured Maria Sharapova) more than willing to go. Radwanska and Petrova both got a match too. I can understand not wanting to go all the way to China if you're not going to play, but seriously... when you have to go to the twenty-sixth player on your list, that's a bit dodgy. Why is it so different for the blokes?

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I bet Kiwi will be a very happy guy if someone pulls out... I can just picture him dancing about saying, 'I told you so!'

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Gold Group

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Novak Djokovic def. Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6 (7-3) 0-6 7-5

Juan Martin del Potro def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5)

Microcosm?

I am not pleased. No, I am not pleased at all.

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This loss to Gilles Simon from Federer followed exactly the same pattern as the last one - he stamped his authority on the match early on, then faded really, really badly. So badly, in fact, that Simon got handed the match. I am not pleased AT ALL.

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Of course, the Fed can still make it out of the round robin stage - he lost his first match last year as well, going down to Fernando Gonzalez. However, last year he didn't have Andy Murray in his group, against whom his three-set record is less than superlative, to say the least. So I am experiencing a great deal of concern. Rafa's already out - what a massive disappointment it would be to see Roger out too!

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I was talking yesterday about how the season ending championships should be a microcosm of the season, and I suppose that in that sense, Roger shouldn't win. However, the man that should win this year - Rafa, who stamped his dominance all over the tour - isn't even here. I think we can safely say that Roger is the second most deserving, what with his record in Slams - but perhaps Murray deserves it. Or even del Potro or Tsonga.

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One man that doesn't deserve it is Gilles Simon - not that he sucks or anything, but seriously, how did he even qualify? Which is why this loss is so galling. Come on, Roger. Step up to the plate. You're the master - prove it!

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Oh, and MAJOR TRAGEDY - Nadal is out of the Davis Cup final! I think you practically have to hand it to Argentina on a silver platter now. I can't see David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo overcoming David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro. No way in hell.

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Red Group

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Gilles Simon def. Roger Federer, 4-6 6-4 6-3

Andy Murray def. Andy Roddick, 6-4 1-6 6-1

Anticlimax

Today was the last day of Doha (thank God) and the first day of Shanghai (hoping for a better showing than we got from the girls.) Let's start with Doha and get it out of the way, because it really has been spectacularly anticlimactic. It could have been so awesome, and it just wasn't.

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I don't think anyone was really surprised to see Venus take it over Vera - Vera's luck had to run out sometime, I guess (not that I'm attributing all her wins to luck, because she deserved them, but you get what I mean.) It did go three sets, which was good for the tournament, but it certainly had nothing on that titantic Henin/Sharapova clash last year, which has to be one of the best women's matches in recent history. Though the Vera story was great, and kudos to Venus as well, this really hasn't been a very telling tournament, in my opinion. Last year, you knew Henin was the champion. She was the one that dominated the year. You get that in Shanghai as well - just look at Federer's domination there. The season-ending championships is the sort of cherry on the cake tournament, confirming a player at the top. While Venus has been good this year, winning Wimbledon and all, if you asked me who was the dominant, hot player on the WTA circuit this year, I wouldn't pick her. Jankovic, maybe, or Safina, or even Serena, but not Venus. Doha just has not been demonstrative of this year in tennis. It should be like a microcosm of the year, and it hasn't been. The year certainly hasn't been a battle between Venus Williams and Vera Zvonareva for supremacy, that's for sure.

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Over to Shanghai now, where we will hopefully have a much less depressing tournament - though both my opening picks have been wrong. Djokovic beat del Potro (his first ever victory at the Masters Cup) and Davydenko beat Tsonga. Juan M and Jo-W can still go through, but Novak and Kolya will need to do some serious losing. I wouldn't mind Kolya going through - he seems to have picked up his act since the whole 'I hate tennis' incident - but I would love to see Djokovic stuck in round robin again. Because I am mean like that.

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We have Federer/Simon and Roddick/Murray together. I'm picking Federer, obviously - even though Simon did win their last match, I think Roger's in a much better place now, and also he won't like losing twice in a row to the same guy. In the battle of the Andys, you have to go with Murray. I would be very surprised to see Roddick pull it out. And remember, it's China - he will be haunted by the Olympics he never went to. HAUNTED!

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Today's Results

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Tennis Masters Cup (Shanghai)

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Gold Group

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Novak Djokovic def. Juan Martin del Potro, 7-5 6-3

Nikolay Davydenko def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-0)

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Sony Ericsson Championships 2008 (Doha)

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Venus Williams def. Vera Zvonareva, 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 6-2

Not With A Bang But With A Whimper

Has anyone seen the 'official' portrait of this year's contestants for Shanghai? It's on the Masters Cup website, if you're curious. It's hilarious! They're all lounging around in suits in some posh looking place, (apparently the Yong Foo Elite Club, 'a seventy year old garden villa filled with art deco furniture, artifacts and antiques, that was once the British consulate office') and out of the eight, only Roger Federer and Andy Murray look anything resembling comfortable. They're both sitting, all casual, smiling - but then, starting from the left, you have Davydenko, standing, looking like a mafia hitman has him in a gunsight, Gilles Simon standing next to him with his arms crossed with an expression on his face that says 'yeah... I'm the ring-in. So what? You want a piece of me, huh?' Behind Murray and Federer, who are seated front and centre, you have Djokovic, arms folded, looking pissy, going 'why do Andy and Roger get chairs when I have to stand? IT IS UNFAIR!' Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is standing on the other side, looking schmick but very uncomfortable about it, kind of like a first-time male model. I can just see the photographer going, 'pout, Jo, pout! Hand in pocket! Stiff elbow! Stand up straight, don't slouch!' and poor Jo-W having no idea what's going on. Then to round it out you have Juan Martin del Potro sitting on a chair, looking for the world like a teenager having a tanty. Seriously, his face is all screwed up and you can just imagine that the next words out of his mouth will be, 'Screw you, Dad! I'm going to go to the party if I want to! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!' Andy Roddick, meanwhile, seems to have fallen asleep and missed the photo shoot. Check it out. It's the most hilarious picture in the world.

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Back over to the brouhaha (or lack thereof) in Doha, and, perhaps fittingly, the two players through to the final are the two that have not lost all week - and who were also the last two to qualify. We have a Venus/Vera final, after they overcame Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva respectively. I didn't see either match, but they both went three sets and looked like they were fairly decent tussles, which is good. Seriously, Doha has been such a letdown. The awesome Vera Zvonareva story aside, it's fallen flat on its head. Two withdrawals, and what basically amounted to breakdowns from Kuznetsova and Safina... not really what I was hoping for. Nor the WTA, I suspect, considering all the effort they put into that 'Looking For A Hero?' campaign. I really liked that campaign, but it really hasn't been realised very well. I haven't seen any hints of anyone actually 'fighting' for truth, justice and a really big trophy. The WTA tour this year has gone out not with a bang, but with a whimper.

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Here's hoping Venus and Vera can pull off a cracker of a final to show that Doha hasn't been a total waste of time. However, it's going to be a tough ask to beat last year's fabulous final between Henin and Sharapova, the one that went for about three hours and was unpickable right up to the end. I'm picking Venus, but I'm going for Vera. Underdog victory ahoy!

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Today's Results

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Sony Ericsson Championships 2008 (Doha)

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Venus Williams def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-2 2-6 6-3

Vera Zvonareva def. Elena Dementieva, 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-3

No Brouhaha In Doha

What an anti-climactic day in Doha. I was all set for a massive Serena/Elena showdown, with the winner to get to the semis - and because Doha is, like, an important tournament and stuff, you'd think people'd be raring to get into the semis.

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But no. Serena is all like, 'oh, I'm injured,' so Dementieva got through to the semis just like that. JUST LIKE THAT. Grrrr. Of course, she still played a match, which she won - it was tight, but I bet Nadia Petrova was glad to get some court time after coming all that way to be an alternate. It just irritates me so much. This season-ending championship has not been the big event I was hoping for. There has been no brouhaha in Doha. It is not a scream, but a whimper - and that's really, really depressing. Here's hoping the men manage a bit more in Shanghai next week - though what's with the final only being three sets now? That is LAMETASTIC.

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The real story has been Vera Zvonareva. She totally looked like the weak link of the eight, but she's gone 3-0, beating Kuznetsova, Ivanovic and now Jankovic. (Speaking of Ivanovic, she is also in my bad books - retiring because of 'illness?' She looked fine when she was eating birthday cake the other day. Maybe she and Nando Verdasco are too busy for something as trivial as the year-ending championships. Grrr.) If Vera goes on to win the championship, I think that would be fabulous. Actually, I'm going for her now. She's the underdog, and as an Australian, I think I am programmed to go for them. It's practically part of our constitution.

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In fact, let's talk Australian tennis - specifically, Bernard Tomic and Brydan Klein. There's an article on the Tennis Australia website which says that they've both added the Mildura Grand Tennis International (a pro tour event) to their calendars, which is pretty cool for Mildura folks, I guess. What really caught me about the article is that they call Tomic the 'best sixteen-year old tennis player in the world.' And still people say that Australian tennis is looking bleak. Added to that, Brydan Klein won the junior Aussie Open in 2007, so he's not exactly a slouch either, and some of the Aussie junior girls won the 2007 World Junior Championships. So I don't get the no-hopers. Australian tennis is going to have a renaissance - just not this second.

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Today's Results

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Sony Ericsson Championships 2008 (Doha)

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White Group

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Vera Zvonareva def. Jelena Jankovic, 2-6 6-3 6-4

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2 7-5

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Maroon Group

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Elena Dementieva def. Nadia Petrova, 6-4 4-6 6-4

Where is the Respect?

I don't know what I was expecting from Doha, but it wasn't Dinara Safina going 0-3. Oh well. Here's hoping his sister's poor performance here convinces Marat that yes, he can keep up and he doesn't have to retire, and that Dinara comes back bigger and better next year. I am hanging out for that Hopman Cup. Actually, didn't Marat say he'd give Paul McNamee a decision re Hopman Cup by the first week of November... which is now? I'll just go and check...

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...okay, so there's nothing that says he's confirmed anything, but they've just released the schedule, and Marat and Dinara (listed by name) are scheduled to play the Italians on Tennis West Family Day (whenever that may be.) So that's a good sign, yeah? I am determined to find a way to attend the Hopman Cup - it is totally my favourite tournament in the whole year. And it's so disappointing that it gets totally shafted. Davis Cup has all this prestige, and Fed Cup has a bit too (though not nearly as much as it should have) but everyone totally forgets about Hopman Cup. It's not even counted as part of the Australian Open series. I mean, I understand why you don't accrue points from playing it, just like you don't accrue points from playing Davis and Fed Cups, but it's so awesome! It's one of the few tournaments where players can play for their country as well as themselves (and isn't that a big thing for a lot of athletes) and the only one where mixed doubles - which is totally fabulous - is as important as singles. It's so rare that men and women get to play together, and it's such a shame. I mean, Marat and Dinara have never, ever, ever, EVER played together before. Can you even begin to imagine how fabulous it's going to be?

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Maybe Hopman Cup will be Marat's tournament! I know he's won Davis Cup since the slump, but Hopman Cup is a bit different. It's individual as well as a team thing... and it's just so great! Where is the respect? WHERE?

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Oh yeah. Doha. Which is happening now. Dinara is presumably out after losing to Dementieva, Venus is presumably through after beating Serena (who'd have thought Venus'd go 3-0? ...actually, I guess it's not that surprising) and Serena and Elena will fight it out for the remaining berth in the maroon group. I don't think they've played yet, so that'll be the deciding match. (Or have they played? I can't remember.)

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In the white group, I'm guessing it's going to be Jelena Jankovic and Vera Zvonareva, because they both have two wins now. And my tip for the eventual winner... hmmm, Jankovic. She really deserves one of the big titles, and if you can't have a Slam, I guess Doha is the one you'd want.

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Today's Results

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Sony Ericsson Championships 2008 (Doha)

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White Group

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Jelena Jankovic def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4

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Maroon Group

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Venus Williams def. Serena Williams, 5-7 6-1 6-0

Elena Dementieva def. Dinara Safina, 6-2 6-4

The Safin Side?

It looks my Dinara Safina tip might be... well, wrong. Maybe she's trying to make Marat feel better by losing a bit? I would like to think it's that, rather than the Safin side coming out. That said, she has been beaten by the Williams sisters - this is hardly a Julie Coin incident. She can still make it out of round robin, but Serena will have to lose her next two matches and Dinara will have to beat Dementieva for this to happen. Venus looks pretty certain of going through with her two wins - and I thought she might be the weak link in this group. Guess you can never call anyone weak at this level.

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Someone else who looks pretty certain of going through is Vera Zvonareva - who would have guessed? She's easily the lowest profile of the eight, but she's had good wins over both Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic now. I can't see her beating Jelena, but it's looking like Jelena and Vera will go through. It is early days yet, but that is my bold prediction.

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Meanwhile, the groups have just been announced for the Shanghai Masters Cup, and I have to say, once more, one group is harder than the other. I actually did a bit of a double take when I looked at it and was all like, 'what? How can Federer and Murray be in the same group?' then I realised that Murray is in fact the third seed. If it were based on recent performance, Murray would definitely be seeded higher than Djokovic. Other members of the red group are Andy Roddick and Gilles Simon, and in the gold group we have Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro and Nikolay Davydenko.

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I don't think it's difficult to predict that Federer and Murray will be the players that go through from the red group - I don't know how many people would bet against them! In the gold group, the seeds are Djokovic and Davydenko, but I'm going to be bold and say that Tsonga and del Potro will go through. They are just so much hotter right now, when it comes down to it.

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And to conclude, can I just say how jealous I am of Roger Federer's new real estate acquisition? He just bought a ski chalet in Valbella near St Moritz. Why can't I have a ski chalet?

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Today's Results

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Sony Ericsson Championships 2008 (Doha)

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White Group

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Vera Zvonareva def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4

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Maroon Group

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Venus Williams def. Elena Dementieva, 6-4 4-6 6-3

Serena Williams def. Dinara Safina, 6-4 6-1

Ana and I Size 'Em Up

And so the year-ending championships have begun - the female variety thereof. Three matches have been played so far in Doha, and two of the three results have been quite surprising to me. I would have picked Jelena Jankovic over Ana Ivanovic any day of the week, but I didn't pick Vera Zvonareva over Svetlana Kuznetsova, or (sob) Venus Williams over Dinara Safina. We all know Dinara is my special favourite, and Venus is, by the looks of things, probably the easiest of the opponents in that group - not that any of them are easy, but still. I was kind of counting on Dinara to pull that one out. Oh well. Two to go! And if she beats Serena, that US Open revenge will be sa-weeeeeeeeeeet!

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Ana Ivanovic went on record a day or two ago assessing each of the women in the Doha field - for fun today, I thought I'd see where my opinions and Ana's opinions matched up.

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Jelena Jankovic

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Ana says: I think Jelena, she's really good on the court and she's a great fighter and a great competitor. She's very consistent.

Jodi says: I think Ana's on the money here. Jelena's greatest asset is her consistency and her defensive play. Also her athleticism. I don't think we've seen anyone play quite like Jelena since Kim Clijsters. High injury rate, but good when she's on song.

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Dinara Safina

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Ana says: With Dinara, she never gives up. She's a very, very tough opponent, and so many times in this year she came with match points down, so that proves that.

Jodi says: Word, Ana. Dinara's extraordinarily talented, but she's won matches in the mind this year. You pretty much have to break her legs to break her spirit. Who can forget that epic against Sharapova at Roland Garros? When her mind hasn't been in a match (ie versus Serena in the US Open semis) she hasn't been half so good. Who'd ever think we'd be lauding a Safin for mental strength?

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Serena and Venus Williams

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Ana says: With Serena, she has an unbelievable powerful game. With Venus it's the same case. They are so powerful and they have a different game style than the other girls on tour.

Jodi says: I love that the Williams sisters are always grouped together as a unit. Normally I'd be up in arms about that, but their styles of play are so similar it's just easier to write about them together. Power is their main asset - of the two, I'd have to say Serena has a little more variety and game.

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Svetlana Kuznetsova

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Ana says: With Kuznetsova, she can be very dangerous, because she's very aggressive. She likes to dominate as well.

Jodi says: True, but Sveta's also got that monkey on her back re finals. All the aggression in the world isn't going to help her till she gets her head in the game. One of her greatest strengths used to be her consistency, but we haven't seen much of that this year.

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Vera Zvonareva

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Ana says: With Vera, she's also consistent. She likes to run, and she likes to take the speed of other opponents.

Jodi says: I think Ana's dead right - Vera's biggest asset is her speed. Because she's so little, she doesn't generate a whole lot of power (though it is surprising for her size!) but she's so fast and such a good returner she takes a lot of court away from her opponents.

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Elena Dementieva

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Ana says: Elena, she is very, very aggressive. She likes to dominate. She likes when the balls are coming, her hitting it. She's very good and very consistent.

Jodi says: Elegant Elena has to have game, because her serve is a joke. It's better than it was, but still a joke - she gets virtually no free points of it. If she had more of a serve, I could see her winning a lot more stuff than she does. Nonetheless, Ana is dead on about her game.

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Ana Ivanovic

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Ana says: And about myself - what can I say about myself? Maybe you can ask them. No, I think I'm a great fighter. I never give up. I just try until the last moment.

Jodi says: Ana knows herself best, I guess, but I can't say I've seen too much evidence of this... not this year at least. Ana's biggest weapon is the power she generates in her groundies and her placement: I would definitely not say her chief strength is in her mind!

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Anyone else care to add their opinions to mine and Ana's? It's interesting to see what players think of each other... much as it could get extraordinarily bitchy, it'd be nice to see everyone in Doha do it! From a journalistic perspective, anyway!

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Today's Results

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Sony Ericsson Championships 2008 (Doha)

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White Group

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Vera Zvonareva def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2 6-3

Jelena Jankovic def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-3 6-4

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Maroon Group

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Venus Williams def. Dinara Safina, 7-5 6-3

Hasta La Vista, Rafa

Although there is no tennis today, there is still big news - bad news, in fact. Rafael Nadal, current #1, has withdrawn from Shanghai. This is what he said in his statement:

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"I have decided not to compete on the Masters Cup in Shanghai... This is one of the most difficult decisions in my career due to the importance of the event and above all, due to the fact of not making possible my will to be with the fans in China and the tournament organizers that always treated me in such special way.

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"I am deeply saddened and disappointed for my fans around the world that expected to see me in Shanghai fighting in every match. I do expect to be there again in October '09 for the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Shanghai."

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His reason for withdrawing is that injury he sustained to his right knee in Paris in his match against Davydenko. His playing style is so hard on his knees... it's almost painful to watch sometimes, the way he grinds his body into the court. One day it's just going to give up on him and it's not going to be pretty. So we have seen the last of Rafa for this year... the last time he pulled out of the Masters Cup - in 2005 - he also pulled out of the Australian Open the year after, which was the year Federer beat Baghdatis in the final. Here's hoping, for Rafa's sake, and for the sake of the Australian public, the same thing doesn't happen this time. Much as I always pull for Federer and Nadal is his greatest competitor, I am also a major fan of competition... and I'm going to be at the Australian Open for a week, and I want to see both Roger and Rafa, thank you very much.

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The major beneficiary of the Nadal withdrawal is Gilles Simon, who has been promoted into the elite eight. I think the fact that he is up so high in the rankings is proof of the fact that it's been a pretty even year this year... he's won three titles (Casablanca, Indianapolis and Bucharest) which is a great season, but he doesn't seem like someone you'd generally find at the elite level. We've had a lot of first time winners this season - and I think that's just swell. Much as I love seeing Federer dominating and winning everything, it's nice to share the love a bit!

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So now our elite eight are Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Davydenko, Roddick, Tsonga, del Potro and Simon. Still no Ferrer and no Nalbandian. I'm picking a Federer/Murray final, I think... Djokovic has been inconsistent of late, and we all remember how he went 0-3 last year. Tsonga is also a big possibility - he's hot right now! But I'd never, ever rule out the Rog - and never, ever stop pulling for him!

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No results today!

Jo Goes!

Well done, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga! I think we can safely say that the Tsonga ship is in the harbour. This kid could well be the next big thing - and if he keeps playing the way he is, then that's a certainty. He is oozing with talent: and, better yet, he's smart. That is maybe one of the most important qualities a tennis player can have.

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He has a great attitude too. This is what he said after the match:

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"At the end of the match I felt a lot better. I played exactly like I had to. I didn't do extraordinary things. Like in Australia I played volleys that were coming from nowhere, whereas today I played just right. I believe this is the way you win. It's not when you do lucky shots that you win. It's when you think about your shots."

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He's made a Slam final and won two titles, including a Masters series, and he is still learning. Andy Murray might well be the hottest player on tour right now, but Jo-W is hot on his tail, and if he and Djokovic aren't careful, I could see Tsonga potentially leapfrogging them next year. He has all that part of the year where he wasn't playing because of injury - imagine how many points he can gain there!

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Actually, that's incredible. Tsonga has made the Masters Cup after being out for half the season injured. How incredible is that? In points, he actually leapfrogged Juan Martin del Potro, and we all know how hot Juan M has been this season. So Jo has qualified in seventh place. I really hope he's in Rafa's group - have they played since Jo carved him up at the Aussie Open? Because that is a rematch I would really like to see.

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So we have our qualifiers for Shanghai - Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Davydenko, Roddick, Tsonga and del Potro. Some of them are old regulars, but it is good to see some new blood there. It is the first time round for Murray, Tsonga and del Potro - good on them. I am, however, really disappointed that David Ferrer isn't there. Last year Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet also made appearances, but neither of them - especially Gasquet - really deserve to be here this year. I'm also a bit sad James Blake didn't make it, but what can you do, I guess? It's important to have new blood, and we have some top-notch new blood here.

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You just wait till London next year, when Cilic and Gulbis are the new blood. You just wait.

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The groups for Doha have just been decided: in the white group, we have Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, while in the maroon group we have Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Venus Williams and Serena Williams. (Why white and maroon I have no idea.) Is it just me, or is the maroon group a lot more competitive than the white? If Jelena Jankovic doesn't come through the white group in top spot, I will eat an item of my clothing. The maroon group could be a four-way dogfight, unless one or more of them has a total collapse. I'm going with Dinara to come out on top, but Serena could give her a run for her money...

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Today's Results

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BNP Paribas Masters

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. David Nalbandian, 6-3 4-6 6-4

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Bell Challenge (Quebec)

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Nadia Petrova def. Bethanie Mattek, 4-6 6-4 6-1

Go Jo!

Okay, so I SO want Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win in Paris. Can you think of anyone who deserves it more? His year started out so well, but I was really worried he'd be a one-hit wonder after he was out for so long with injury. But not so, it seems. Winning Paris-Bercy would really cap off a stellar breakout year for him, I feel. He's got the talent and the game to be in the top ten - hell, he's got the ability to knock Djokovic and Murray off their perches and form a whole new Big Three. He had a fabulous win over James Blake in his semi-final. The Australian Open was a spectacular preview - winning in Paris would be a sure-fire way of saying, 'hello, tennis, Jo-W is in the house!'

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Not that Nalbandian doesn't deserve to win - and we all know he has the ability to, as he won he last year as part of that big late year surge. It would certainly be good in the lead up to Davis Cup to have Nalbandian on a hot streak: to have a Nalbandian at the height of his powers plus the undeniably hot Juan Martin del Potro would certainly make for an awesome final. Rafa's ability can never be in doubt, but he seems to have a wee bit of an injury, and also he's never beaten Nalbandian, and it's on Nalbandian's favourite surface... add to which the other Spanish singles player will probably be David Ferrer, who has been Maratishly sketchy of late, and you have a tie and a half.

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Back to Paris, and this should be a very intriguing final. There are definitely pros for either guy winning - Jo-W to cap off his breakout year and Headbandian for Davis Cup purposes - but I have to say that my heart is with Jo-W, purely because of his personality. He's so vibrant and exciting to watch and is so clearly into his tennis in a big way... and Headbandian is so dour and monosyllabic. He's fun to watch, but when it comes to the post-match interview he leaves much to be desired. Maybe that's part of why Federer is so good - he is wonderful on and off court. You'd never catch him being all sour like LameDave or stupidly provocative like Djokovic. Even when he hates something - like HawkEye - he hates it diplomatically and maturely.

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And that's what part of being a true champion is, I think - being a statesman. Rafa is in this mode as well, on the whole: excellent player, excellent statesman. So when my prediction comes true and Tsonga knocks off Djokovic to become the latest member of the Big Three (God, that makes it sound like a boy band!) he too will have to learn this skill if he wants to be one of those real champions, who is great on and off court.

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I'm not exactly sure how this preview of an exciting final turned into musings on how to be a champion... sorry about that philosophical digression. To sum up: good work Jo-W and Headbandian, for taking out Blake and Davydenko. And tomorrow... go Jo!

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Today's Results

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BNP Paribas Masters (Paris)

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David Nalbandian def. Nikolay Davydenko, 6-1 5-7 6-4

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. James Blake, 6-4 6-3

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Bell Challenge (Quebec)

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Nadia Petrova def. Angela Haynes, 6-1 6-3

Bethanie Mattek def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 7-6 (7-4) 6-3