This week, for the duration of the Madrid Masters tournament, I'll be joined by a very special guest, Juan José Vallejo (you may know him as J.J. from Pete's Tennis World). He's watching the event with the aid of some outstanding coverage on ESPN in Argentina, and will give us his expert opinion on everything from ballgirl outfits to Van Morrison records.
Steve,
I was as surprised as you were about the ballmodels yesterday. Seems like the girls saved their stuff for thursday. Nice outfits, especially the white shorts. Tricky clothing element to pull off successfully, and they did it with flying colors. I agree completely with your other observation: they should lose the cap immediately. And yes, their one-match-per-session gig should be expanded. I mean, models are not an endangered species, are they? It shouldn't be so hard to hire enough of them to work all the matches (after all, this is Spain we're talking about, a country famous for the beauty of their women). However, since tennis is involved, and to quote Wertheim, a simple rule comes to effect: if it makes too much sense, it probably means it won't get done. What a pity.
Now, what do you think about this apparent neo-Nalbandián? The one that actually fights for matches, trash-talks and refuses to lose? Really, this chain of events is fascinating. He was down 2-5 in the third against Benneteau and won 7-5, and today he was down 4-5 with Henman serving for the match and turned it around yet again by winning the next three games in a row (two of them on Henman's serve). Is he developing some kind of hunger? Is he relishing the big-ticket match against El Maratsky tomorrow? Does he feel cheated he was tossed to the hotel-room-equipped-with-a-PlayStation known as Pista Alcalá and missed out on the ballmodels? Did his Mommy tell him to do well on the tourney and he's just being a good boy?
About the Indoor Giants theory, you'd have to add Vliegen to that list (doesn't he look like a character from a Pixar movie? By the way, I had a lot of fun during the last tiebreak against Blake: for some strange reason, Mohammed El Ayani got a kick out of saying "Vvvvliiiiiiiiiiieeeeegen". It was so funny I couldn't pay attention to the match anymore). A big serve and a forehand can go a long, long way in this environment. Soderling had command of that first set and completely choked it away. In the second, he did a great job of coming up with big serves on many (if not all) of the Fed's seven or eight break points.
Chloe made a very good point about how ruthless TMF is. In addition to that, I think one of his greatest assets is how in those pivotal points in his matches he transfers all the pressure to his opponent. Some time ago, I wrote somewhere that Federer's tennis is a conversation with his opponent, something like this:
- Nice serve. What do you think about this return to your corner?
- Hmm, some forehand you have. Take a look at mine. Can you hit it on the run?
- A slice backhand I see. Cool. Ever thought about playing it short, like this?
- You came to the net! How bold of you! Let me show you this nifty backhand passing shot I like to use.
Now, during big points, the conversation goes something like this:
- You know, this forehand won me four Wimbledons. I can do whatever I want with it. I could actually hit an apple off the top of the umpire's head.
- Hmm, you want to play to my backhand? I wouldn't do that. This one-hander won me three U.S Opens.
- Determined to go on with that tactic? I don't think it will work. Don't try to overdo it, though. You might miss. And I won't.
- See, I told you.
Since I think the mini-list was a good idea, I'll just add a couple of thoughts to it:
Nadal: Haas couldn't get a read on Nadal's serve the whole match. It was like Chinese to him. While I was watching Tommy slowly lose it, it occurred to me that playing Nadal should actually be quite a lot of fun: you know that the only way through is to attack, attack some more, and then keep on attacking him, especially on the forehand side (no, that's not a typo). I mean, by now it's no secret. So playing him means you get a green flag to throw away the bombs (if you have any), because if you're going to lose, at least it's a lot more dignified to go out firing, right? Wrong.
About Nadal's 2006 "Slow, really slow service games", what can I say. It's so "I'm Keith Hernández!". I can just picture Tio Toni saying "Rafa, forget about the 25 seconds, forget about the umpire, forget about your opponent. You take all the time you want to fire that first serve down the middle. Let everyone know you are in charge here". I really don't care about player tics; I find them amusing. But this one really annoys me. It disrupts the flow of the match, and it's so obviously tactical that I really wish he would cut it out. The idea is to get rid of bad habits, not incorporate them.
Safin: I'm still kind of star-struck by his display. The mournful tone of the Argentine announcers said it all: if this guy shows up in Moscow, the Davis Cup final is as good as over. And since you don't want to know, I'm happy not to tell you that Marat is the Captain of the "Feel the Touch" ( RF cosmetics is our sponsor) Unisex All-Headcase AllStars, a touring gang this droll Aussie gal named Lucy and myself created sometime around May. Basically, we gather our roster of deranged tennis pros on a plane and play exhibition matches in front of packed stadiums around the world. We're swimming in dough as we speak.
Ginepri: I think tomorrow's match against the Fed will be closer than you think. Very solid performances by this guy, and Federer still has some issues with his timing. If by chance his serve doesn't come along for the ride tomorrow, Rogelio may be in for a good ol' fashioned dogfight.
Robredo: Your mini-rant was really something. No, by all means I don't mind losing him. Heck, I want him out of Shanghai, too. The watch is perplexing. Why on earth would he wear it to an actual match? Does he need to remember the time at 5-3 in the third? Maybe he thinks he's an extra in a 70's tennis pic. Also, on a bad day, he can't hit a backhand to save his life. And it should be said that he makes one-handed backhands look ugly. That's probably his greatest achievement.
Berdych: When I wrote that Berdych and Roddick looked identical, I immediately realized just how dumb that was: you only had to watch ten seconds of any rally to realize who was who, just judging by the way they hit the ball and moved around. Berdych is insanely smooth. He glides, and his forehand swing is like a warm breeze. That first set today was incredibly tight, and he responded accordingly. Plus, that running forehand passing-shot to break Roddick for the first time was mind-bending. It's scary to think that this guy is just 21. The way he plays, he's in for at least six or seven years at the top, barring injuries. He still has some issues with the backhand, but you see it's getting better. However, Berdych being Birdman, he's due for a letdown game after such a big performance today. Won't help that a bloodthirsty Nadal will be across the net, and that the coliseum will be filled with Spaniards. However, if he comes through this big hurdle today, look out.
Murray-Djokovic: Well, a lot has been written about this match. It was painful to see for a set and a half, and then it got quite fascinating. You know, I kept thinking about your question while I was watching the match, and fortunately, Javier Frana came to my rescue. He recalled the second round match with González at Roland Garros, and said that it was quite astonishing to see someone hit more winners (and just as powerful) than González. After I watched that match, I was hooked. Not only did VertiDjoko show amazing mental strength in that one (he was up 2 sets to none, then watched as González forced a fifth, only to dismantle him there), but his game showed glimpses of something truly great to come. In addition to that, and due to the obsessive tennis coverage here, I watched his semifinal win against Coria in Amersfoort as well as the final against Massú, and the week after that I watched him demolish Moya in the Umag semis, and retire in the final against Wawrinka when he couldn't catch a breath. That first set against Moya was absolutely breathtaking: the kid just fired away, and blew Moya off the court--on clay, no less. Other things to like: he has this amazing knack for tiebreakers: I'm pretty sure his career record is something like 21-8. It's gotten to a point where I just know that if a set goes the distance, he'll take it. Plus, he has a great Guy-Ritchie-movie accent, his website has hilarious photos (look for one where he's wearing a leather jacket--you can thank me later), and oh, he's determined to make it to the top. The journey is turning out to be quite fun, I must say.
TV Coverage: Your cast of characters sounds interesting. If it were up to me, only Brits would be eligible for tennis broadcasts (OK, and Wertheim--he has a funny voice).
Nalbo's blog: Unremarkable, to say the least. The only thing I actually learned was that he really wants to make it to Shanghai. I thought he was going to give a solid C+ effort until the Davis Cup, but it seems he's determined to defend his crown. Notice that I put Nalbandián and determined in the same sentence. Wow.
OK, how about a quick preview of today's action?
- Nalbandián - Safin: BIG TICKET. Should be amazing, if both show up with their head screwed on tight (which is a big IF, but still). I have a weird certainty that Marat is back. No more false steps. Of course, the big theme underlying this dogfight will be the Davis Cup final. I think Nalbandián realizes that undermining the Captain's confidence is vital for Argentina's chances. And you know what's also great about this duel? No matter who wins, and if Federer advances, we get a marquee semi-final. I'm picking the Captain, just because I think no one can stop him if he plays like he did yesterday.
- Federer-Ginepri: As I said, this will be closer than you think. Still, the Fed should find a way to advance. Should Marat book his place in the semis first, do you think the Mighty One will start getting flashbacks of the 05 AO? I know I have.
- Nadal-Berdych: This should be really interesting, and even more if Berdych manages to win the first set. How bad does Nadal want to win this one? I'd say pretty bad. The surface doesn't help him a lot, but the crowd should be a big factor in his favor. However, the pivotal element here is Berdych's head. And since I say the big Czech leaves it in his hotel room, I pick Nadal in straights.
- González-Djokovic: Gonzo has the upper hand, by being able to have a mini-vacation on account of Johansson's illness. He's been playing extremely well, and the surface suits him. Still, the Djoko has a feel for González' game, as seen in that Roland Garros match. VDj knows how to hurt the Chilean, and will do so until his body falters. I say the Bomber from la Reina advances in three.
Astral Weeks/Lester Bangs: C'mon, Steve, there have been plenty great albums since 1968! Still, I kind of get that nostalgia myself: when I was a total Zephead at age 15, and even more when I got into 70's prog rock, I firmly declared that nothing that came out after 1979 was worth it. Really, how can you top what happened between 1968 and 1979? Then, one day I bought this album, OK Computer, and my head exploded.
Thanks for the Lester Bangs review. It was really great, although I can't help but picture Phillip Seymour Hoffman reading it to me out loud. And he's absolutely right about the record, obviously. You know, I used to write about albums just for fun in my "oh, that's so 2004" Blogger blog, and realized that going deeply into the core of them started to change my perception of the music, in a not-so-rewarding way. And since music always comes first in my list of priorities, I stopped doing it. Maybe the music-writer job involves some sacrifices that I'm not willing to make.
About your last question, I would say that tennis is firmly on the mind of Argentina as whole. Of course it's not as popular as fútbol, but you feel that they follow their guys, respect the no. 1, and follow the big tournaments all year long. I would say that this happens because most fútbol fans are proud to be knowledgeable about other sports as well (you know, being knowledgeable about anything under the sun is a trait Argies work very hard to achieve. The problem is, most focus just on the oratory aspect while a minority does the actual learning). A great indicator of this is how the big sports channels handle tennis in their news shows: both ESPN and Fox Sports give extensive coverage of every tennis tourney happening at the moment, and TyC Sports, the local cable sports channel, does the same thing. And since most sports fans tune in to one of these shows at least once a day, you inevitably find out about what's going on in men's tennis (to contrast: down here we get one edition of the American Sportscenter in the early morning. Good luck finding some tennis or fútbol in there). Notice how I omitted the WTA: coverage of that tour is limited to big matches at Slams. Not a single Tier I, II or III is available.
Finally, this email has been written with the help of Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" (which I think is just a tad overrated), Cannonball Adderley's "Somethin' Else" (which I think is just fantastic--the Autumn Leaves take is as close as definitive as you get), and the silence of the early morning, which is constantly being interrupted by annoying birds.
Juan José
PS: AmyLu from next door correctly predicted James Blake's second round demise. You have to hand credit where credit is due.