Sports Then and Now

Wimbledon 2010 ready to get underway on Monday June 21.

On Monday, as the sun rises offering the first view of the well-tended lawns at the All-England Club at Wimbledon, tennis aficionados breathe a deep sigh of relief, having survived the dust of the red clay and the sometimes ugly tenor of long grueling matches.

Grass is green, invigorating, inviting brisk movement and light, skipping motions across the lawns.  This is the moment the earth spins properly, as we begin to relax and drink in the panorama of spectacle Wimbledon never fails to offer.

Our pre-Wimbledon Power Rankings fail to reflect the full impact of the move to grass because, as we lament, the grass season is far too short.  It remains a tiny slice out of a season played primarily on artificial, often debilitating hard courts and the soft, forgiving but deadening spirit of the clay.

Those players at the top linger there primarily due to their success on the red clay.  Most hope to repair their strokes and adjust their footwork in time to excel on the grass of Wimbledon, the grandest of the slams.

Read the rest of this entry →

Rafael Nadal is back on top following his fifth French Open title.

“Rafa Nadal best ever on clay…period,” Andy Roddick twittered after the Spaniard completed the unprecedented “Clay Slam” on Sunday, June 6th. I guess most of us would agree. Though we all knew that Rafael Nadal is really good on clay, what he accomplished in this year’s clay-court season was just mind-boggling. The “King of Clay” is once again the King of our power rankings. I doubt anyone needs any convincing to accept that.

Just a small reminder: the grass-court season has already begun. Due to the switch of playing surfaces, the current power rankings might not be a great indicator of form for the next few weeks, especially for those true clay-courters.

The Top 10

1. Rafael Nadal (Last Power Ranking: 1; ATP Ranking: 1)

Last Four Tournaments: Roland Garros [Winner]; Madrid [Winner]; Rome [Winner]; Monte Carlo [Winner]

Power Ranking Points: 2542

2542, that’s a Power Rankings record! Just look at Nadal’s Last Four Tournaments!

Before Madrid Masters began, Nadal was ranked No. 3 in the world, trailing Roger Federer by almost 4000 points. After Madrid, he rose to No. 2, and now he is again No. 1 in the world! I wonder if that is also a record, the fastest from No. 3 to No. 1.

Though some have claimed that this year’s Nadal was not as dominate as in 2008, I have to disagree. In fact I believe Nadal has taken another decisive step towards tennis immortality.

In 2008, Nadal was doing what could be described as “all-out defense/attack,” playing every point as hard as he could. In 2010, he has become smarter and is doing what could be described as “controlled aggression,” playing every point as hard as he needs to. And this can only be achieved if he can play at a higher level than his opponents and he is fully confident in his own game.

With literally “zero” pressure going into Wimbledon, there is a big chance that Nadal could repeat what he was able to accomplish in 2008. And should he pull that off, look for another round of GOAT debate to begin.

Read the rest of this entry →

Who would have thought it would be a year to the day before the tennis world saw another Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer face-off? And who could have predicted that it would, as it was 12 months ago, be in the final of the last clay Masters of the year, in Madrid?

The balance of power as they entered the home straight this year has, though, looked a little different.

2009 began with Nadal as world No. 1, winner of the Australian Slam, and dominant through the clay season. But by the time he reached Madrid, his months without a break had wreaked havoc with his knees and he was soon forced off the tour to recuperate.

This year, he was short of his best form in Melbourne. But with the clay came the Rafa of old. He won every tournament he entered, and this time he paced himself so that he looked, if anything, stronger and fitter with each passing week.

So the Nadal in Madrid 2010 was a stronger animal than the one Federer dominated in 2009, while the Federer on the other side of the net was only just getting into his stride following a month off the tour with illness.

Add in the extra factors of Andre Agassi’s Masters record, and the imminent French Open title to fight over, and this was destined to be a great occasion. It saw Nadal avenge his loss of 2009, and take the outright record for Masters titles: 18. And he is still just 23.

Looking beyond the Rafa-and-Roger showdown, the Spanish armada once more laid down its marker, as it has done throughout the spring.

Three of the four finalists in Madrid were Spanish, as were six of the last 16. And that’s without their fourth man Juan Carlos Ferrero and their fifth Tommy Robredo, both missing with injury.

So, not surprisingly, Federer is the only non-Spaniard in the top five this week. Who’ll give me odds against the Spanish reign continuing in Paris? I thought not. Read the rest of this entry →

Rafael Nadal wins the Rome Masters tennis tournament in 2010.

As everyone predicted heading into the clay court season in 2010, it was to be the year of the Majorcan. So far it has been almost exclusively Rafa’s reign.

Bowing out of Barcelona, Rafa’s crown did not move far from its anointed position. Fellow countryman Fernando Verdasco wears it in Nadal’s place.

So far Nadal has captured wins in Monte Carlo and Rome, equalling Andre Agassi’s total of 17 Master’s Shields. Roger Federer is now one step behind at 16.

But there is still time for both to add to their totals and we suspect the dynamic duo will be able to add a few more wins before the final bell tolls on their respective careers.

The Power Rankings reflect the men’s prowess on the red clay and as we all know, Nadal rises to the top, especially on the dirt.

Read the rest of this entry →

It’s April, and it’s the red clay of the European swing. So it has to be Rafael Nadal.

Though some players fitted in tournaments on the red stuff in Latin America in February, this is where the clay season takes centre stage, and what a stage!

The first of the terracotta Masters is held at the Monte Carlo Country Club, with the Mediterranean as its backdrop. It is hosted by royalty: Prince Albert of Monaco was flanked by Boris Becker and three-time Monte Carlo champion Ilie Nastase. Meanwhile, Nadal held court before them, leading a phalanx of no fewer than 11 Spanish players in a draw of 56.

The weather offered up some challenges: dust storms, rain, sometimes both together. Through it all, five Spaniards made the quarterfinals, three of them went on to the semis, and two fought it out in the final.

The result had a certain inevitability about it. Nadal had ruled here for the last five years and it was a fitting place for him to take his first Masters title in 11 months.

The strength and depth of the Spanish contingent also means that this week’s Power Rankings have a certain inevitability, too. There are five in the top dozen, with two topping the field. Read the rest of this entry →

Andy Roddick is leading the way in the men's tennis power rankings.

With the first two Masters 1000 tournaments of the season concluded, the men’s tour shifts to the Europe clay swing. Almost all the top players were in action at both Indian Wells and Miami, providing us a clear picture of their current form. Here is this week’s power ranking for men, though it might not be a good indicator for the coming events due to the switch of playing surfaces.

The Top 10

1. Andy Roddick (Last Power Ranking: 2; ATP Ranking: 7)

Last Four Tournaments: Miami [Winner]; Indian Wells [Finalist]; Memphis [Quarterfinalist]; San Jose [Finalist]

Power Ranking Points: 1232

Making into the finals at both Indian Wells and Miami and winning the latter, Andy Roddick was no doubt the most successful player in the past four weeks. The veteran showed that he has every intention of making the 2010 season one of his best. With an unbreakable service game and a full confidence in his mental toughness and match tactics, look for the American to go deep in all the tournaments he enters.

2. Tomas Berdych (Last Power Ranking: 1; ATP Ranking: 16)

Last Four Tournaments: Miami [Finalist]; Indian Wells [Quarterfinalist]; Memphis [Quarterfinalist]; San Jose [Quarterfinalist]

Power Ranking Points: 678

Tomas Berdych almost duplicated his dream run in the 2005 Paris Masters, when he won his lone Masters shield. With three wins against top 10 players, Roger Federer (R16), Fernando Verdasco (Q) and Robin Soderling (S), Berdych showed why he is a former top 10 player. Unfortunately he ran in to Roddick in the final at Miami, against whom he has already lost twice this season at San Jose and Brisbane.

Read the rest of this entry →