September 9, 2008
Federer Runs New York, Son!
- Roger Federer didn’t go anywhere. His critics just happened to have someone else to take up some ink for a while. Nothing feels better than being the one to have the very last say. Just ask Pete Sampras six years ago when he won his fifth US Open. And the true champion’s heart is one who, despite all the naysayers’ constant use of energy to bring you down, you turn a deaf ear, concentrate and get in the last word.
- Rafael Nadal is human (plus, one heck of a summer season doesn’t make a fully realized legacy.) Roger Federer has had four of the most dominant seasons of tennis ever in the open era and this year when he had to overcome a few sudden obstacles, everyone’s breath and ink was used to basically write him off. Despite Nadal’s incredible four consecutive French Open titles, this is only one (hopefully of many) great season that exceeded Nadal’s favorite clay. Then what happened? He burned out.
Nadal is still a young guy with several more years left in him. But like I’ve said so many times, it hurts me just to watch Nadal run with those heavy steps and taped knees. Those have a much shorter shelf life than we probably realize.
- The immediate future of men’s tennis seems to remain in the European nations. Despite a fairly impressive showing by Donald Young, he’s still got a ways to go and definitely too young in his career to know if he’s in it for the long haul. But Gael Monfils, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal… these guys will be battling it out for the next few years.
- The World Series of Poker and Grand Slam Tennis. Both will be on ESPN starting next year and both will be heavily watched by CAP.
- Just like the last four years, the grand slam season officially comes to an end with another Federer grand slam win. Suddenly you stop hearing about all this “end of an era” BS.
cap
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life, tennis | Tagged: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, tennis, US Open | 
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September 8, 2008
Switzerland's Roger Federer Defeats Scotland's Andy Murray: 6-2, 7-5, 6-2
In a year that started off with mononucleosis at the Austrailian Open, the most lopsided loss in his current career at the French Open and the single greatest loss of his legendary career at Wimbledon, Roger Federer got the very last word in on all his critics and detractors who all but wrote off the former world number one.
In a match that may not have seen the most dominating of Federer’s title wins (that distinction goes to his first 2004 US Open title win against Lleyton Hewitt 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-0), it certainly made up for in the gravity and weight of being the “comeback kid” who never really went anywhere.
And in the finals of the final grand slam of the season, Federer’s greatest nemesis, the replacement champion, the new king… wasn’t even there.
When the dust settles and the smoke clears the 2008 tennis year will be always known as Rafael Nadal’s year. The statement was wholly solidified with the Olympic Gold. However with Federer playing into the final grand slam championship of the year, he got to lay down the final punctuation with a bold typed exclamation point.
CAP Notes:
- Match Stats
- Post match press conference.
- Roger Federer retains his title at the US Open. Five consecutive at Flushing Meadows and his 13th overall grand slam title (Five Wimbledons, Five US Opens, Three Australian Opens). One away from tying Pete Sampras’ 14 grand slam titles (Six Wimbledons, Five US Opens & Three Australian Opens).
- Andy Murray looked slightly overwhelmed by the occasion as much as the opponent across the net.
cap
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tennis | Tagged: Andy Murray, Roger Federer, sports, tennis, US Open | 
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September 8, 2008
The Scottish Bulldog Triumphs
There will be no “Grapple in the Apple”. There will be no third straight Grand Slam Final match-up in a row. There will only be the re-emergence of The Federer Express.
On the other side of the net is this Scottish Bulldog Andy Murray. Head to head, Andy Murray has a winning match record against the former world number one Roger Federer. But they’ve never met at a final and they’ve never met in a grand slam.
So now, what then?
CAP Notes:
- Despite the old cliche that Andy Murray has nothing to lose, I don’t agree with that. He can still lose the final match on the verge of his first grand title. If Murray is to congratulate himself for arriving this far, it won’t be until well after the match if he loses. Until then, he’s another champ looking to achieve his greatest goal. This is his favorite tournament after all.
- Federer is coming in on a season that saw for some unexpected losses to many unexpected opponents. Fish, Blake, Simon, Stepanek and Murray to name a few. So his vulnerability is at a career high since taking over the game four years ago.
- There’s no doubt that Nadal (for the first time all summer) looked a step slow and a level below his unbelievable standards throughout the summer of 2008. He is human afterall. But that’s not to say that Murray didn’t take the semi-final from the world’s number one player. Murray’s groundstrokes very often looked like little green bullets as he often hit them flat to take time away from the sluggish Nadal. And though Federer hasn’t yet had the match that fully makes him look like he’s back to top form, he seems to be peaking at the right time both mentally and physically to, if nothing else, impose his champion’s will on the younger Murray later this afternoon.
- This is the best way for Federer to have his final say on the season. And if anyone loves to deliver on a stage like this, it’s Federer.
Federer has not looked this pumped in a while
All signs point to Roger Federer winning his fifth straight US Open. But for this week, it certainly looks like Murray will be a tougher foe than Nadal might have been. We can only wonder.
The final match will begin at 2pm PST and will be streamed live on both the US Open official site as well and CBS sports.
to be concluded soon…
cap
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tennis | Tagged: Andy Murray, Roger Federer, sports, tennis, US Open | 
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September 6, 2008
Gracias, Dios!
With Rafael Nadal down two sets to none in his semi-final match against the Scotsman Andy Murray, the rough and tough Spaniard and the “Grapple in the Apple” dream re-match hangs on by the thinnest of RCH.
CAP’s Notes:
- With his win today against Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer is one match away from giving the last word to all his critics. Though Federer has yet to play the kind of match that has made him look invincible on a tennis court for the past four plus years, I believe his champion spirit returned to it’s brightest point in his match against the Serbian Terminator, Novak Djokovic.
- Speaking of Novak, not only did he come off sluggish and without spark during his match against Federer, I truly believe that his misunderstood comments from the other night after defeating Roddick which saw him get booed off court really deflated the young player. It never feels good to get booed anywhere. But add to that the fact that Djokovic is still young, impressionable, generally a class act and booed in front of a global audience, I challenge anyone to prove to me to not be affected and deflated by that. The last couple of games of the match, he just wanted to end it all and go home with his parents. End of story. It was a great learning experience though.
- Andy Murray not only is looking for his first win over the world’s number one player but going up two sets to none in his best grand slam showing sure isn’t a bad way to make your mark. Showing all the talent, speed and total youthful disregard for the magnitude of the moment, Murray is growing into a champion before our very eyes. I think when the dust settles, five years from now he, Djokovic, Gael Monfils and hopefully our own homegrown Donald Young will be battling it out for future US Open titles.
- Rafael Nadal looks like this dream year has finally worn him down a little. Perhaps the combination of the humidity, the summer wear & tear and the talented Scotsman across the net may prove to be too great a combination to overcome. But if anyone knows how to recover from a much needed rain delay, it’s got to be Rafa. I think that there is every reason imaginable that Rafael can come back to win in five tomorrow. It would be great for tennis.
(sniff sniff) Is that an "F-U Haters" I smell in the air?
to be continued…
cap
No Comments » | tennis | Tagged: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, sports, tennis, US Open | Permalink
Posted by cap
September 5, 2008
Plus, for all you fiber conscious fans out there, the final four players all share their “poo face” (yes, the faces they make when they poo).
First things first:
CAP Notes:
- Well no one can say that the top four players in the world at this moment didn’t make it to the final weekend. Despite the seedings before the tournament started, when all the dust settled the top best players in the world made it to the final four. Unless I’m mistaken by the calculations, I believe that these four guys will be ranked one through four in the world when the new rankings emerge.
- The Grapple in the Apple remains alive. Not only for the hardcore tennis fans but for sports fans alike and for the sport itself. A Federer vs. Nadal final post “The Match” would really help our favorite sport out tremendously gain more fans. Everyone wins.
- There truly are so many variables in the air that will make this Saturday truly “Super Saturday”. Anything can happen and anyone can win to find themselves playing in the Sunday final.
- Based on the quarterfinal matches, I would say that Djokovic looked the most confident and dominating in the end but man, he really pissed off a lot of folks with his post match interview.
done
- Murray certainly has the least to lose as he’s gotten further than he’s ever before in any slam. That’s what might just make him go for broke and play some fearless ball on Saturday.
- Nadal has had maybe the only single season that may be better than any of Federer’s previous years simply because of the Olympic gold medal in singles’ competition. The cherry on top to go along with his first Wimbledon and first Gold would be his first US Open.
- And Federer… more important than his fifth consecutive US Open title, more than his first slam of the year would be the last word he gets to have on this year’s dialogue regarding his current status as potentially history’s greatest tennis champion. This title would mean more than many many previous grand slams in my opinion.
To borrow a phrase from Jimmy Connors a few years ago: “This is what they came here for. This is what they want.”
And now… Poo Faces!!!
AHHHHHHH!!! YES, MATE!!!
COME ON!!!! COME OUT, POO!!!!
A Triumphant... Poo!
WHEW!! I thought that last cling-on would never release!
to be continued…
cap
No Comments » | tennis | Tagged: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, sports, tennis, US Open | Permalink
Posted by cap
August 3, 2008
"Hey, you smell that back there? Yeah give it a second, mate. You will"
In a tournament filled with a lot of torch passing moments, it’s only fitting to see it end with another unexpected winner standing tall at the end as “The Scottish Bulldog” Andy Murray beats favored Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the Cincinnati Masters Tournament final.
Maybe it’s too early to say now but this may be a very significant tournament in the grand scheme of modern day tennis as we saw quite a few key indicators of where the game may be headed in the months to come:
1) Roger Federer loses again early. No one can doubt that it’s a little more than mere coincidence to see Federer lose early again so soon after “The Match” in July and the French Open thumping back in June. Hopefully the Olympics will reawaken the Swiss Express back to his top form. Only time will tell.
2) Rafael Nadal takes the World’s Number One for the first time. With that official ranking coming at August 18, 2008, it also simultaneously brands a target on his back as the guy to beat now. This is very new territory for him and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles this new moniker. So far he’s already lost his first match soon after gaining this impressive ranking.
3) Novak Djokovic regains some momentum heading towards the final leg of the 2008 season. So The Serbian Terminator lost two weeks in a row to Andy Murray but the fact that he’s made the finals of another Masters is still a huge feat that he can take with him heading towards the US Open. By the way, he’s still the only other guy to win a slam this year… on a hard court.
4) Andy Murray emerges. It’s still far too early to say where this kid’s career is headed in the long run. Is he one of the favorites at The US Open? Not really. He’s a threat. He’s a guy who can take out one of the clear favorites. But Murray’s journey is still quite young and he won’t be a serious contender for a major for at least another two years. There’s a world of difference between five best of three set matches and seven best of five set matches both physically and mentally.
cap
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