Jimmy Connors was notorious for his snarl and his biting comments in his active playing days, and now "Jimbo" has no shortage of opinions now either. Witness his Twitter commentary on the clay-court season that is well upon us.
It's not exactly caustic, more a statement of fact, probably. It ignited a flurry of responses in the Twittersphere, though, including dozens of retweets and posts such as this.
To note, Connors never won the French Open. It's not among his eight Grand Slam singles titles, and he never reached the final, although he contested a few semis at Roland Garros. With all due respect—and it is much, to be sure—the Spin respectfully disagrees with him now. Scads and oodles of ATP and WTA pros alter their game for the terre battue, knowing that rallies are longer, conditioning is key, and it's a test of consistency and will. They will be caked in red (or blue) clay. They will experience winds of ground-up brick flying into their faces. And they will be ready.
For one, Serena Williams intends to be ready. Yea, this clay-court season will hardly be a bore. Here are my looming questions about what's ahead:
- Can Rafael Nadal right his ship (and his knees), keeping Novak Djokovic from a non-calendar Grand Slam? Clay doesn't take hard court's toll on the body.
- Will Serena back up her Charleston statements and truly give it a go in Paris, her favorite city?
- Can past champs and finalists—Federer, Schiavone, Stosur, and more—reboot their 2012 campaigns as they ramp up to Roland Garros?
- Will we ever see the former French Open finalist and Nadal punisher Robin Soderling again?
- Will the real Agnieszka Radwanska please stand up?
YOUR TURN: Did Connors have it right, or is he discrediting some players who perform well on the dirt?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ww7KM2qFR4
Ah, Jimbo. If only the tennis season had a yearbook, I would once again write in yours, "Stay sweet, never change."
Have a great summer.
—Jonathan Scott
Find me on Twitter @jonscott9. http://www.twitter.com/jonscott9