Perhaps it was the rain that delayed the match for an hour, dampening the court, making it bounce low, so even Nadal's typical high loopers weren't kicking as high. Perhaps it was because Nadal still isn't feeling at the top of his game despite having his best start to the year (at admittedly subpar tournaments
Things are different in 2013 from where they were in 2011 and 2012 at the same time. In 2011, Djokovic opted to skip Monte Carlo and played in Serbia first (the week after Monte Carlo). He was undefeated, but despite two victories over Rafa in Indian Wells and Miami, the pundits were taking a wait
When you play aggressive, like Tsonga or Federer, your success depends on how often you can get your aggressive shots in vs. how often you miss. Nadal gets to as many balls as anyone in the game, and it allows him not to be terribly aggressive if he doesn't want to and let the errors
When you're called "Baby Fed", that puts a lot of pressure on you as a player. Not everyone that's been given such a nickname does well. There was a guy named Harold Miner who was called "Baby Jordan", and nothing much came of him. There is a French player, Josselin Ouanna, who vaguely looks like
Andy Murray has always said clay is his weakest surface. He plays on the surface anywhere from 3-4 tournaments a year, and he didn't grow up on the surface. Prior to his work with Lendl, the clay didn't support his flatter, less aggressive style. Although Murray has been classified as a counterpuncher, he doesn't spin
Although the French Open title is more prestigious, and thus where Rafa Nadal has secured the moniker "king of clay", it's Monte Carlo where his dominance has reached epic proportions. Monte Carlo is a strange Masters 1000. Of the Masters 1000 titles, it's the only considered "optional". You aren't penalized for skipping the event with
Today, two big men went into finals of clay events hoping to win a title on clay. One man did. John Isner combined a play of hard serving with consistency to get a win over Nicolas Almagro. Despite Almagro's rank as a top clay courter, the two have played each other close on clay. Despite
The myth used to be that big men prefer faster surfaces. Grass and hard courts were better for big guys who had big serves but lumbered around. Clay courts, by contrast, were bad for big men who allegedly lacked big groundstrokes. Indeed, as in basketball where big men were told to play center and close
2005 was a key year for Americans and it culminated in the US Open run of Andre Agassi, the last hurrah of America's last great champion. This event felt like a passing of the baton. Agassi beat young James Blake in 5 sets in the quarters of the US Open and beat Robby Ginepri in
For decades, Canadian tennis was a bit of a joke. While their neighbors to the south racked up Davis Cup titles, the land where hockey is king was left to mediocrity. But the US isn't the only country that's benefited from immigration. With names like Raonic, Pospisil, and Dancevic, the Canadian team reads like a
