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
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
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
Maybe it was the comparatively cool weather. Maybe it was the low bounce of the night air. Maybe it was just one of those days. Novak Djokovic, as top champions often do, said he played poorly in his loss to the best old man in the game today, Tommy Haas, a sprightly 34 on the
2008 was a breakout year for many players. It started with the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic won his first Slam over surprise finalist, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Djokovic's breakout year was the year before, in 2007, where he reached the semis of the French Open and Wimbledon and the finals of the US Open. Tsonga came out
It just goes to show you how dominant the top 8 players are in the world. Basically, it's Djokovic and Nadal at the top (despite rankings) and Federer and Murray behind them (despite Murray's breakthrough). Tsonga, Berdych, and del Potro show they are tough to beat by anyone not ranked in the top 5. The
Maybe no one's paying attention, but Novak's doing it again. In 2011, he started off on a streak that started to take off once Djokovic won Indian Wells having won the Australian Open and Dubai prior to that. Indeed, Djokovic's win streak extends to last year's year-end championship in London where he won all three
Fans love the best of the best. They want to see Federer. They want to see Nadal. They want to see Djokovic. They want to see them face each other. But the tour is more than the top few players, and sometimes, in the smallest of matches, there are stories behind the match. John Isner
