Not Such a G'day, Mate

The dominant subject of the day in my tiny corner of this vast universe has been American tennis.  The Yanks got sunk yesterday Down Under.  Three American men lost their second round matches -- Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, and Donald Young.  The day was saved only by the heroics by John Isner, in yet another marathon match that saw him defeat David Nalbandian 10-8 in the 5th set.  And, truth be told, Isner was the beneficiary of two horrendous errors by the chair umpire on the same serve, which rattled Nalbandian and turned the match at 8-8 in that deciding set.  The timing couldn't have been worse, the calls couldn't have been more unfair.  Isner's leg was cramping, his shoulders were drooping.  Perhaps Big John was playing possum, but it sure looked like the Argentinian was getting the better of him.  All that was required to salvage any shred of hope for the American men in Australia.  Andy Roddick is still alive in the tournament, but nobody really fancies his chances of him bringing home the trophy.  After watching Fish get run off in straight sets by Columbian Alejandro Falla, and then Donald Young get smoked by qualifier Lukas Lacko, I just couldn't stand to watch Sam Querrey battle Australian phenom Bernard Tomic.  Plus, it was already two in the morning on the West Coast, and I had to be up early for a morning meeting... about American tennis.

In order to develop future tennis champions in the United States, the way the game is perceived in America needs to change.  Soccer and tennis have similar problems.  Internationally, the two sports dominate media coverage and attract the best athletes.  Our greatest American athletes play football, basketball, and baseball.  When Tiger Woods is playing golf, tennis ranks as the sixth most popular sport in the States.  That's the inherent issue facing the recruitment of talented kid athletes to choose tennis over all those other sports.

I propose that tennis needs to be made cooler in America.  The game, phenomenal as it is, must be marketed better to the masses.  ESPN and Tennis Channel combine to do a fine and thorough job of airing the ATP and WTA tours, rightly focusing on Grand Slams.  But, for a sport that is going on pretty close to all year round, rarely does tennis register on the radar of the American sports world.  I allow that perhaps the game has found its natural place in the pecking order, but I refuse to accept that it's set it stone.  I believe television is the proper medium to transform the image of tennis of America.  We can use television to get to know the players better -- to connect with them -- to vicariously live the lifestyle -- to understand their commitment and sacrifice -- to get a much deeper appreciation for their constant pursuit of greatness.  If we can manage even half that, we have a chance of drawing talented young athletes to the incredible game of tennis.

Once we reel them in, of course, we have to find better ways to teach them.  But that's a subject better left for another day.


UPDATE: Andy Roddick had to retire from his match last night with Lleyton Hewitt after pulling his groin.  He was trailing two sets to one at the time.  Oh, and Ryan Sweeting was up two sets to one on number 5 seed, David Ferrer, but lost in 5.  That leaves John Isner as the only American man left standing in the third round of the Australian Open.  Quite a sad state of affairs.

BROKEN?

 REUTERS - John Sommers II

The Round of 16 marathon match between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco just ended.  Three tiebreaker sets, with Nadal winning the first and third, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6. But it wasn't pretty.  In those decisive moments when we are used to seeing Rafa raise his level of play, he was tentative and unsteady.  Verdasco's inconsistency prevented him from taking advantage of a vulnerable Nadal and beat him for the first time.  Nadal is now 12-0 lifetime against Verdasco.

Moments ago, Mardy Fish defeated Richard Gasquet in straight sets.  Nadal and Fish will square off in the quarterfinals.  The way both guys are playing right now, I would give the edge to Fish in that match.

I hope I'm wrong about this, but I'm getting the feeling that Novak Djokovic broke Rafael Nadal.  With the Djoker beating Nadal in 5 finals this year -- on hard court, clay, and the grassy lawn of Wimbledon -- Rafa's confidence seems to have taken a major hit.  The only times we've seen this from Nadal previously, he was dealing with physical issues.  With a pair of burnt fingers and a foot injury, that could be the case this time, too.  If not, then Djokovic has truly done a number on the former #1.  Nadal was lucky to escape with a victory today.  But he'll need a lot more than luck to defend his title at the U.S. Open. 

THE DJOKER AND THE CHOKER

Novak Djokovic knows how to win.  As a matter of fact, it seems like he's forgotten how to lose.  Save for one match -- a French Open semifinal against a determined Roger Federer -- Djokovic has not lost this calendar year.  And we're in the middle of August.  It's mind-boggling how truly dominant the Serb has been.  Mardy Fish played an excellent match in the Rogers Cup final yesterday, but Novak found a way to win.  Rafael Nadal did not play poorly in any of the 5 finals contested with Novak this year, but Nadal lost all of them.  Could it really be possible that Djokovic could win out, including the U.S. Open, and end the season 1 semifinal loss away from a Grand Slam and a perfect tennis season?  Seems utterly unfathomable.  But the the level he has achieved since the Davis Cup last year, with all the confidence in the world and the unstoppable game to match, it's actually within the realm of possibility.  At this moment, it is not hyperbole to say that Novak Djokovic is putting together the greatest tennis season ever.

I, on the other hand, cannot find a way to win a match.  I am on a personal winless streak that dates back as far as I can remember.  I'm sure I've actually won a match or two in recent years, but it seems like I've mastered the art of losing.  I hadn't played tennis in over a month until Saturday, when I played with one of my regular hitting partners.  He possesses an infinitely better serve and cleaner groundstrokes than I do.  I had never taken a set off him before.  I played a nearly-flawless first set.  Instead of going for power serves, I spun my serve in on the first and second.  I returned incredibly.  I was relaxed and aggressive at the same time.  I won the set, 6-0.  I went up 2-0 in the second.  And then I collapsed.  My spin serve stopped working.  My groundies found the net.  I must've tightened up, though I didn't realize it at the time.  After winning the first 8 games, I lost 12 of the next 13.  Admittedly, he started serving better and making less errors.  But the loss was all on me.  My woefully inconsistent serve let me down, and my mental fragility on the court prevented me from pulling myself out of a tailspin.  I was left with the empty feeling that comes with a bad loss.  But I was also left with something positive... the knowledge that I have the ability to put together a perfect set.  I did it.  I proved I can do it.  Now I have to get out of my own way and let me best game take center stage.  After the match, I half-jokingly suggesting to my hitting partner that I need to see a tennis shrink.  Now I'm not quite so sure there was even a half joke in there.