Claypova- Here to stay or just visiting?

Despite being a three time grand slam champion, a former world number one, the current world number two, and one of the most dominant women in tennis for the last decade, Maria Sharapova is not known as an all court player, much less a clay courter so to speak.
For the majority of her career, approximately at its half-way stage, Sharapova has slipped and slide, criticized and dreaded playing on the red stuff, famously dubbing herself a 'cow on ice' on the surface back at the 2008 French Open. Instead, the majority of her success has largely been built around a high risk, high pace game more suited to the fast courts of London and New York where her first two major victories were secured. What a shock it then is in 2012, to perhaps be calling the red clay Sharapova 2.0's best surface, but recent results and changes to her game since her shoulder surgery may mean what would once have been considered impossible is now true.


My analysis of Maria's clay game can be broken up into the parts where the slower surface helps her game, and how by aiding Maria's strengths the surface may also reduce her opponents ability to play successfully against her.
The Sharapova return of serve has and will always be one of the most devestating aspects of her game. Her natural timing and ability to connect well with the ball on the stretch means that this will always be a strength, but the slow pace and high bounce of a clay court is perfect for this shot to thrive. Last week in Stuttgart, and particularly against Stosur and Azarenka, serves that would rush through on grass and hard courts sat up that little bit more allowing her that extra time to set up her return. Indeed in the final, she hit over 5 clean return winners, and many more unretrieveable returns based on this advantage.


In terms of movement, this has always been a tough area for the 6 ft blonde on a slippery and foreign surface to her (and will continue to be so) but she seems to have found a way to hide it. Never a great mover on any surface, the slower conditions required for clay court tennis means better movers find it tougher to keep her on the run. Despite still being an unorthodox slider, the extra time clay provides allows her to sort her feet out better than on the quicker surfaces these days, giving her more time to bludgeon a groundstroke for a winner. In these cases where Maria is afforded time to set herself up to wallop a backhand, there aren't many women who can co-exist never mind beat her from the back of the court, Serena excused.


Another improvement i found in Maria's game this week was the serve, which post shoulder surgery has really been the key piece of the jigsaw missing for her. Her first serve percentage since the quarter against Stosur never strayed under 60% and hitting it as hard as she does, that's nothing to be scoffed at. For me, the clay attitude which downplays the need to get your first serve in has actually helped Maria to loosen up and just go for it, avoiding the doubles and tension which has so often infiltrated her serve in the past 2 or 3 years.


No doubt many fans and critics alike will be tempted to jump on the Maria train straight to the Roland Garros title, but i wager that there'll be a few tests yet before she can be considered the front runner for the French.


1. Stay injury free! Sharapova has played a heavy schedule so far this season and won a lot of matches, with both Madrid and Rome still to come before the French she needs to avoid burnout and or peaking to soon.
2. Beat the tricksters! Pova's biggest match-up struggle could come from the guile and crafty skills of a Schiavone, Medina, or definately Radwanska who she lost to in Miami. If she can beat the slice of Schiavone, and rally with Aga before she gets to Paris then she'll be looking good.
3. Finally beat or avoid Serena Williams! Maria's big bogey player who she hasn't beaten since 2004 and seems to have the Russian's number, and be in her head. The form Serena showed in Charleston, she very well may have to beat the American to win the tournament and that will be her biggest challenge.




To finish, the final with Vika to demonstrate the effect clay is having on Sharapova's game this season.

Check out the super returns at 5:20 and 6:50.



Come back tommorow for my thoughts on the transition to blue clay at the upcoming Madrid Masters :)





DJT

Nadal/Djokovic- Just a blip or has order been restored?

Depending on how you look at it, last weeks Masters final in Monte Carlo delivered the most predictable result of the season, or one of the first big shock moments in 2012.
Going into the first clay court masters, Rafael Nadal could be comfortable with the fact that in each of his last 7 attempts to win the tournament nobody had been able to stop him, a run which included tournament victories over Roger Federer (3 times), Djokovic, Verdasco, Ferrer, and Guilermo Coria all the way back in 2005 when Rafa was in his teens. On the other hand, his opponent in the final Novak Djokovic had won the last 7 finals between the two including three slam finals, and perhaps most importantly 2 on Rafa's beloved clay in Europe this time last year.


The recent tale of the tape between the world's current top two players has been one dominated by Djokovic's two hander pounding through Rafa's defenses, but this was Monte Carlo, one place Rafa hadn't yet given up to Novak, and held extra special value considering the consecutive run of victories at the venue which really started Rafa's rise to the top echelons of the sport.


Unfortunately, the 6-3,6-1 scoreline in favour of Nadal casts the match as a bit of a damp squid considering the expectations both mean faced, and given the quality of their previous finals, not least in Melbourne last January.
Credit must go to Nadal, who despite reportedly suffering from knee tendinitis recently, really managed to move the Serb around, and use his natural proficiency for the clay surface to his advantage, and out manoevre Djokovic in pretty much every aspect of the game.
Of course, without wanting to demean the performance of Nadal, the loss of his Grandfather a couple of days previous to the final can't have helped the cause of the world no.1, who afterwards claimed to have been mentally shattered in the recent days since hearing about his family tragedy. Since the weekend, Djokovic has withdrawn from his hometown tournament the Serbian Open citing much needed time to grieve and mentally recover as reasons for his absence.


Despite the questionable circumstances around Djokovic's first loss to Nadal since the 02 in London back in 2010, it is now a different tennis environment that we looks out upon as we head towards the years second major. Unlike this time last year , Djokovic is looking vulnerable. All 3 of Murray, Isner and now Nadal have managed to do what nobody had done by this stage last year and beat the Serbian. Whilst for me he still goes in to the next few tournaments as it's clear favourite, the aura of invincibility that he like Federer and Nadal before him had worked so hard to build up is showing signs of fading, and the top 10 at least will go in to their matches thinking they have a realistic shot at springing the upset.


Lastly though, how has this weekends results impacted on the two players involved do we think?


I would wager that the loss is a lot less significant for Djokovic than Nadal. For sure Novak knows the he wasn't himself on Sunday for reasons most out of his control, he won't think that Rafa has beaten him at this best, and the last 7 wins will still count for a lot more than this one.
For Nadal however, this win may just be the catapult he needs to gain more confidence for what will be certainly be future encounters between the two. Monte Carlo might not have been Paris, and Djokovic might have been distracted, but any win against the no.1, a win that breaks a run of consecutive losses can only help Rafa rebuild in terms of his game and mindset when he faces Djokovic.


This week see's Rafa continue in Barcelona, whilst the next couple of weeks see's the rest of the tour join in as the circuit hits the masters 1000 in Madrid and then Rome. We can consider how Federer (absent since Miami) fits in to the clay scenario after a great run last year, and some early season form.


Rafa's win might not be the biggest of his career, but it definately provides that hint of doubt and excitement that could help make the clay season one to remember!

DJT

The Curious Case of Serena Williams

The enigma that is Serena Jameka Williams can probably best be summed up by watching her recent Fed Cup match against Belarus vs Anastasia Yakimova.
Yakimova an opponent ranked 53 places below Serena, battled hard and took the first set 7-5 playing consistently and well above her 65th ranking. But as has been the case throughout Williams career, the result and dynamic of the match wasn't about what her opponent was doing, but how Serena was playing and acting on court.

The opening set was full of 'Serena Drama' with a racket smashed, inconsolable head shakes and hand gestures, and verbal beration all directed towards herself.

This 'dark side' to Serena has reared its ugly head on occasions, most notably twice in New York; once in 2009 against Clijsters and then in last years final vs Sam Stosur. Despite arguably being the most naturally talented woman to step foot on a tennis court, many would argue that Serena's attitude and temperament has stopped her legacy being even greater, up there with the likes of Graf and Navratilova.

Comments made in Brisbane earlier this year made clear that tennis is not a sport she passionately loves, but a means to an end. A way to win, and be successful. Remarks and attitudes like this have meant that despite her immense talent, at times lack of commitment and preparation have left her short in big matches against more match sharp players.

Whilst the first set showed Serena at her worst and most frustrating, the second two sets (both won with a 6-1 scoreline) showed her at her imperious best. For my money, no more complete a tennis player has played the womens game. Most focus on her massive serve and powerful groundies, but Williams movement, foot speed, point construction and mental intensity are all massive factors which elevate her above being just a ballbasher.

Yakimova's form dropped slightly, but her consistency just couldn't hold up to the bombardment of a wounded Serena, who was visibly angry at herself for losing a set to a player who really shouldn't get close to beating her.

The head shakes of the first set were replaced by fist pumps and 'come-on's' reminiscent of the fiercesome competitor that has so far captured 13 major titles, the most of an active player.

Effectively, the glum and uninspired Serena, and the pumped up and intense Serena seem like two completely different personalities, trapped inside one body. However, i think that without the attitude Serena wouldn't be the player she is today, or has been throughout her illustrious career.

Serena's angry and at times self-loathing personality on court, has often to me been the inspiration behind some of her comebacks and achievements.

Many a time we've witnessed her play sub-par tennis for the majority of the match and turn it around almost at the push of a button. Her frustration on court is not all down to 'not loving' tennis, but because she knows what she is capable of and demands no less from herself everytime she takes to the court. Without a doubt, this makes her frustrating to watch, and many will call her sulky and childish, but if Serena had a levelled attitude and settled for playing averagely (which for her would still make her a top 10 player) then would she have achieved all that she has.....I would say No!

Characters like Serena don't come around too often in a very subdued game like Tennis. Her fiesty personality may not be to everyone's taste , but as she creeps past 30, one thing is for sure. We won't be celebrating or chastising her for too much longer, and when she's gone her celebrity and presence will be sorely missed.

          

                                                                        

Watch this point, and ask yourself again if Serena loves tennis? It may annoy her from time to time, but she's still here, and once she's gone i get a feeling both we and she will appreciate what she achieved in the sport!

DJT

                                                                   

How to craft the perfect player

After my first few blogs took a serious route, i thought it was about time i had a bit of fun (not that regular tennis isn't fun) and gave my thoughts on a more relaxed and informal topic, so i thought how about i try and make my perfect player.
The motivation behind writing this particular piece came from a conversation i had with a friend of  mine just this morning. My friend (a casual tennis fan) said 'The Djoko-Nadal final that was pretty much perfect tennis right?' which got me to thinking, obviously 'perfection' isn't possible in a subjective sport, but how close is this current men's era to being 'perfect'.
If we were to throw aside changes in racket technology, how would the Federers and Nadals match up against the Borg's and Mcenroes of years gone by. Obviously the fitness and intensity of the game has increased seven fold, but based on pure talent, who wins basically. Well, i came to the conclusion that in terms of variety and game plan the older generation seemed to have more nouse and play better all round games, but the current stars serve and hit harder and move better. So after all that, i decided that 'perfection' could be achieved by a mix and match of the two so here goes :


Serve: How can you not go with Sampras here, 'Pistol Pete' may not have had as big a serve as a Roddick or a Karlovic, but it always got him out of trouble and once he got a break, he never lost it back!

Return: Agassi has never been matched for a two handed return. So great that it was a key part of his revival in his late 20's early 30's and kept him competitive up til 35!

Forehand: Federer takes this for having such a lethal combination of pace and accuracy, and singularly dominating tennis through this shot for most of the early/mid noughties!

Backhand: Must go to Djokovic, the last 18 months this has been the shot to go up another gear and really help him dominate his opponentts from the back of the court!

Volleys: Mcenroe without a shadow of a doubt. Deft touch, unbelievable feel, and quick hands. GOAT

His volley at 0:46 is testament to this.

Movement: Tough between Rafa and Borg but after his display in the Djokovic final the other day he just about gets the nod.

So there it is, my so called 'Perfect Player', feel free to leave any thoughts or comments, would love to hear opinions on this. Womens perfect player discussed tommorow :)






DJT

Australian Open- Men's marathon

On the surface of things, Novak Djokovic beating Rafael Nadal for the seventh consecutive time, and in their third consecutive Grand Slam final doesn't appear to be a life changing event. But, scratch underneath the surface, and last Sunday's 5 hour 53 minute epic reveals a lot more about the state of and future of top level men's tennis.


After having emphatically beaten Federer, the all time best player in the semi-finals, Nadal was coming in to this final against Djokovic with something he didn't have the last two times, confidence and belief. On the other hand, Djokovic's form had regressed as the tournament developed, and he had just won an energy sapping 5 setter vs Murray the match before, hardly great preparation for the gladiator that is Rafa Nadal.
Only a short couple of years ago, Djokovic was the top guy most likely to retire from sunstroke, or lose his fitness, and thats what makes this victory even more monumental than any of those in his oustanding 2011.



In many ways, the match went to plan. Djokovic dictated early, taking his backhand on the rise, hitting deep and not giving Rafa time on his shots. Nadal too played to script, producing at times Herculean defense and hit his trademark forehand down the line with great success. Djokovics' victories in London and New York were quicker surfaces, favouring his attacking game, but the slow plexicushion neutralised some of Novaks pace and the match was always going to be tighter than the previous ones. But then came the surprise!
Who expected at 5-5 in the fifth that it would be Rafa who wavered, while Djokovic held firm. At 5-5 break point Djokovic stuck in the rally, and it was ultimately Rafa who netted a slice backhand allowing Djokovic to serve out the match and the tournament. 
Whilst he certainly didn't hit the heights of this time last year, the 2012 Australian Open perhaps says more about Novak Djokovic than any other tournament. When he was tired, beat up, and not playing his best, he still found his best when it mattered most, and once again was the last man standing!


For Nadal, credit where it's due, not many expected him to reach the final based on form and fitness, and he surprised us once again. He can take away another victory over Federer, and knows that the gap is getting closer, a reassurance that will make him extra motivated to get Djokovic back when the clay is back under his feet.
Federer was looking good, but once again couldn't answer the Nadal question. Whilst one is tempted to say he may never find that particular answer, his first set tactics in that match can be taken forward, and next time if a shot or two goes his way, he'll be the finalist in Paris, London, or NYC.


As for Murray, he was the nearly man once again, but he's getting closer. Taking the mighty Djokovic to five is another step closer to the win, and a bit more time under the guidance of Mr Lendl should by big dividends by the early summer, and i'll go out on a limb and say he reaches the final of one of the later two majors.


My post doesn't mention anyone outside of the big four. The tournament saw inspired runs by the local lads Tomic and Hewitt, a resurgance by Del Potro, and the continued over-achievement of Ferrer. But once again there was no denying the big four, and no denying Novak Djokovic, and it sure doesn't look like stopping.




Best point of the match, just to refresh the old memory :)

DJT

Australian Open- Who were the wonder women?

The 2012 Australian Open has just come to the end, and with that, one of the most entertaining and competitive grand slams closes, but what are the main talking points coming out of Melbourne Park?

Firstly, and most importantly , the WTA has a new number one, and new grand slam champ in the shape of Victoria Azarenka. At 22, Azarenka can be considered somewhat of a late bloomer, but has built on the sucess of last year (Wimbledon Semi's) and bludgeoned her way to the title, with a consistent hard hitting display, beating the likes of Wozniacki, Clijsters and Sharapova.
Whilst previous first time slam winners (Li, Ivanovic, Kvitova) have struggled to back up their good results straight away, Azarenka's extra experience should stand her in good stead to cope with the rigours of being the new face of womens tennis!

The women she conquered in the final Maria Sharapova faces a much more uncertain future. Admittedly, Sharapova has done well to return to top 5 form after debilitating shoulder problems, but this is her second tough grand final loss in under a year, (and both to first time finalists) losses that will hit her confidence hard, and by now it is fair to question whether Maria will ever get back to her pre-shoulder best.

Kvitova, many peoples favourite going in, looked good early on but seemed to wane as the tournament progressed, as she struggled to manage her at times erratic game on a slow neutral hardcourt. Kvitova never looked like she wanted it in the same way as an Azarenka or Sharapova. The way she threw away the last couple of games in her semi-final although not catastrophic sends a message to the other women, that if the match is kept tight, she might just crumble in the big moment.

In what looks like her last Australian Open, Clijsters was an unlikely semi-finalist and showed great guts and determination in getting that far, despite a combination of rust and injury. While props must go to the Italian Sara Errani, who finally made a slam quarter-final, proving that a grinding counterpunching game can still reap rewards!

The biggest disappointments in the draw may well have been Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. After her 'I don't love Tennis' comments in Brisbane, many expected Serena to prove once again that she doesn't need matches to win, and romp to the second week. The reality this time was a tough straight sets loss to an inspired Makarova in Round 4, but no doubt will be the catalyst Williams needs to come roaring back in time for the lawns of SW19 in the early summer.

As for Wozniacki, her early tournament form, suggested that she might finally have been ready to take that next step, and strike her forehand all the way to a maiden Australian title. A gutsy Clijsters soon put paid to that idea in a straight sets quarter final, which saw Caroline retreat again into a defensive rallying game, one that was always going to benefit the powerful consistency of the Belgium. Whilst many fans and critics have judged her on the lack of a major, the loss of the top ranking could motivate and relieve her enough to push forward and work on a more attacking game that will WIN her back the ranking and a slam, rather than a game that relied on defending her position in more ways than one.

The attention now switches to the spring hard court season, and there are many questions to be asked. How will Sharapova respond to another final defeat? Will Serena play the tour events up until the next major? How far will Azerenka's winning run stretch?

If there's one thing that following women's tennis has taught me, is to never discount the unexpected. Let's see what happens :) !!!



DJT

The Injured Tour- How to solve the growing injury pile!

At the end of a grueling tennis season, Christmas rolls around, and what might the pro's on the ATP and WTA tours wish for from Santa Claus? Maybe they want a top ten ranking, maybe a maiden Grand Slam title, or maybe they even just wish to want for a main draw. Whilst all of these wishes would undoubtedly feature highly on our tennis players minds, the one thing any athlete wants at the start of a new season is to be fit, healthy, and free from injury!

Understandably, by the time the Year End Championships roll around, most players are held together by tape or strapping, after all, the tennis season starts as early as the first week of January, and for a select few, can run all the way through to November. The troubling thing as we start 2012 is that players are pulling up, rolling their ankles and jarring their backs two weeks into the season.
Less than a month into the new season, the injury/injured list looks like it would way further into the season, as bodies break down on the tough hard court surface in Australia.
Top players from both sides of the tour, are already facing question marks over their fitness, from Serena's ankle to Rafa's shoulder, to Caroline's wrist and Roger's back.

The last few Fall seasons put pressure on the tour to consider ways of protecting players from injury and burnout, but this current clump of injuries has only served to highlight what hasn't been done, and the improvements that can still be made. So, for arguments sake I was one of Stacey Allaster or Brad Drewett here's what I would be doing to prolong the players careers and solve our injury crisis:

1. Create a longer off-season: Most of the top ten men only get 1 week off before they need to be training again for Australia. Follow the example of the women and push the YEC up a couple of weeks and shorten the fall asian swing, and European indoors. This gives a couple of weeks extra off, and could make all the difference in term of better recovery and preperation.
2. Quicker balls or Quicker courts: The homogenization of tennis, has left us with mostly slow/medium courts and promoted grinding baseline rallies, at the expense of a quick net rushing game. Speed up grass and the North American hardcourts, and bring in faster balls in Australia, where players are battling both a slow court and a dead ball. Would only produce more variety, and create new match up's, what's not to like?
3. Limit entry to tournaments: I know it sounds quite dictatorial, but many players overplay consciously, to gain a higher ranking. Not all players listen to their bodies, so the tour should set reasonable boundaries. For example limit players to 25 main draw appearances, a rough season average of every other week. Players with 33 tournament schedules are asking for trouble, and the tour can do their bit to protect players from themselves!  

Although some of these methods might slightly weaken the tour financially, the benefits would far outweigh the negatives. A fresher, healthier tour would almost certainly create better more entertaining matches, and the variation in speed of ball and surface would improve what is slowly becoming a very predictable baseline hitting game.

Player pressure would be the really effective catalyst for change, but it seems few of them are interested or concerned enough to firmly voice their thoughts. Maybe the business men behind the tour have accepted injuries and depleted fields as a natural part of the latter stages of a season, but maybe the ever growing wounded list at the start of 2012 will finally highlight that the time for change has come!

Watch some videos of the walking wounded below:

DJT