No Muss, No Fuss

Following in the footsteps of Jonas Bjorkman not so long ago, Thomas Johansson has just announced his retirement from tennis, with immediate effect. After fifteen years travelling round the world, he's now decided it's time to hang up his racquet.

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I kind of understand why he's decided to go so quickly, no muss, no fuss. His wife had a baby a few weeks ago (their second child) and understandably, when you're on the decline and you're dogged by injury anyway, you want to go and spend some time with your family. All the best to you, Thomas - even if I wished you'd saved it a few weeks and played one last Wimbledon.

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The other reason why it's sort of OK for him to go so quickly - I doubt it had anything to do with his decision, but it seems sort of symbolic to me - is that Swedish tennis is in good hands now. When Bjorkman retired, Johansson sort of became the new elder, I suppose - and with his Grand Slam title, he deserves that kind of status. Swedish tennis has been looking pretty barren for a long time now - there was that spurt of hope when Joachim Johansson was looking so dangerous, but then he went and got injured, and retired, and came back, and got injured and all kinds of craziness. But Swedish tennis has got a new guy playing with the big boys now. Thomas Johansson can retire knowing that Robin Soderling... he got it. He's grown up enough now to be the figurehead.

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Like I said, probably had little to do with his decision, but nice nonetheless.

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Speaking of people announcing their retirement, one guy rumoured to maybe be throwing in the towel at the end of the year is Juan Carlos Ferrero, but with the run of form he's on I don't know if he'd want to. Semis at Queen's for the unseeded Spaniard, after a victory over Steve Darcis. I know Queen's is hardly... well, Wimbledon... but for a non-Rafa Spaniard on grass, that is a damn good result. Nice work, JC!

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Today's Results

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Gerry Weber Open (Halle)

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Novak Djokovic def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-1 6-4

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Andreas Beck, 3-6 6-3 6-3

Olivier Rochus def. Benjamin Becker, 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-3

Tommy Haas def. Mischa Zverev, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2*

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AEGON Championships (Queen's Club)

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Andy Murray def. Mardy Fish, 7-5 6-3

Andy Roddick def. Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5)

James Blake def. Mikhail Youzhny, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Steve Darcis, 4-6 6-3 6-4

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AEGON Classic (Birmingham)

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Magdalena Rybarikova def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-3 6-3

Sania Mirza def. Melinda Czink, 6-1 7-6 (7-4)

Na Li def. Stefanie Voegele, 6-3 7-6 (7-3)

Maria Sharapova def. Yanina Wickmayer, 6-1 2-6 6-3

One of a Kind

Well, I suppose we'd better move on from Madrid before the week is completely out and Roland Garros is upon us. There are, in fact, tournaments going on this week, so we should probably check them out.

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The one that always catches my attention is World Team Tennis in Dusseldorf. It's sort of a pity that it's in the week before Roland Garros when none of the big boys are really very keen on playing, because it's a fascinating concept. It's a good way of getting matches in, what with the round robin aspect, and you also get to play for your country as well, which is pretty rare in the individualistic world of tennis.

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The eight countries taking part this year are France, Germany, USA, Sweden, Serbia, Argentina, Russia and Italy - and you know who's been surprising? Sweden. They're being represented by Robin Soderling and Andreas Vinciguerra, and they totally beat the USA overnight, which is a bit surprising. Haven't been following it closely enough to tell you who is in what position, but that was certainly something I found unusual... Sweden isn't exactly a tennis powerhouse these days.

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It is, as far as I know, the only tournament of its type in the calendar year, and I wish it was in a more prominent place - because it's a fascinating concept. I don't know what its history is like - whether it is a survivor from that failed era of round robin or whether it's just unique - but it's a great concept. So why, Dusseldorf? Why is your tournament like this?

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Today's Results

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ARAG ATP World Team Championships (Dusseldorf)

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Rainer Schuettler def. Gilles Simon, 6-4 6-4

Robin Soderling def. Sam Querrey, 6-2 6-2

Andreas Vinciguerra def. Robby Ginepri, 7-5 6-4

Juan Martin del Potro def. Andreas Seppi, 6-3 6-4

Viktor Troicki def. Evgeny Korolev, 6-2 6-2

Janko Tipsarevic def. Stanislav Vovk, 6-2 6-4

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Interwetten Austrian Open Kitzbuhel (Kitzbuhel)

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Jurgen Melzer def. Frederico Gil, 6-3 6-0

Oscar Hernandez def. Fabrice Santoro, 6-2 6-3

Juan Ignacio Chela def. Marc Gicquel, 5-7 6-3 6-0

Julien Benneteau def. Dudi Sela, 7-5 6-1

Stefan Koubek def. Philipp Petzschner, 7-6 (10-8) 6-4

Diego Junqueira def. Paul Capdeville, 6-3 6-2

Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo def. Mario Ancic, 6-4 6-3

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Warsaw Open (Warsaw)

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Sara Errani def. Greta Arn, 6-2 1-6 7-6 (7-2)

Daniel Hantuchova def. Nuria Llagostera Vives, 3-6 6-3 6-3

Urszula Radwanska def. Mariya Koryttseva, 6-3 3-6 6-3

Jill Craybas def. Edina Gallovits, 3-6 7-5 6-3

Galina Voskoboeva def. Patrica Mayr, 6-4 6-1

Klara Zakopalova def. Melinda Czink, 3-6 6-4 6-3

Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Jelena Dokic, 6-4 6-3

Alexandra Dulgheru def. Agnes Szatmari, 6-3 6-4

Darya Kustova def. Lenka Tvaroskova, 6-4 6-1

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Internationaux de Strasbourg (Strasbourg)

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Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Yanina Wickmayer, 1-6 6-3 6-3

Viktoriya Kutuzova def. Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-3 6-0

Julie Coin def. Elena Vesnina, 6-4 6-2

Monica Niculescu def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 4-6 6-2 6-2

Alla Kudryavtseva def. Nathalie Dechy, 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

Anastasiya Yakimova def. Maret Ani, 6-3 7-5

Pauline Parmentier def. Varvara Lepchenko, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-2)

Lucie Hradecka def. Jasmin Woehr, 3-6 6-1 6-2

Stephanie Foretzdef. Kirtsen Flipkens, 6-1 2-6 6-2

Stephanie Cohen-Aloro def. Mathilde Johansson, 4-6 6-4 6-1

Yuliya Beygelzimer def. Claire Feuerstein, 0-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

The Magic of Five

Well, here we are on one of those rare few days of the year that there is no tennis going on, wondering what to write about. Indian Wells doesn't start for a couple of days, and so there is not a whole lot to be saying.

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So I guess we can talk about Davis Cup some more, because there were some very interesting ties in there.

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The one that looked like it would be the most fun to watch, despite the fact that the biggest name players it featured were Thomas Johansson and Dudi Sela, was Israel vs. Sweden. I mean, come on, a tie that came down to a fifth set in the fifth rubber that went 8-6? That's some serious goodness right there. I bet the crowd were glued to that match between Andreas Vinciguerra and Harel Levy, even if they had no clue who either player was. When a match goes that long, I think you learn the quality of the man, the quality of the player. I bet the crowd won't forget that one in a hurry.

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There really is something about five-set tennis. I daresay most of the most memorable matches of all time went five sets. In my personal favourite bank I have a couple of Federer whitewashes that only went three sets (major faves!) but as far as quality goes, where you want a huge tooth and nail struggle, it's five sets all the way. Federer and Nadal at Wimbledon and again at the Aussie Open, and in Rome in '06. Nadal and Verdasco this year. Federer and Safin in '05. Roddick and Younes el Aynaoui, with the fifth set that went 21-19. Tursunov and Roddick at Davis Cup, where I think the fifth went 19-17 or something like that. They're the immortal matches that will be remembered.

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I know five set tennis is taxing and the fact that it's kept for Grand Slams and Davis Cup makes it special, but purely from a viewer's perspective, I wish there were more of it. It was so great when the finals of Masters Series events (1000 events now, I suppose) went five sets - who will ever forget that titanic struggle between the King and the Boss in Rome in 2006, where both held championship points? I've really come quite a long way off topic from Israel and Sweden, but it doesn't matter, really... my point still stands. I love five set tennis. And I wish there were more.

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But I bet the players don't! It must be sooooooo exhausting...