Ramblings
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I assure you, this is the first chance I’ve had since the Fed Cup craziness started. The last couple weeks have been a total whirlwind, but all went off without a glitch. We definitely got a little lucky with the rain, as it rained non-stop before and after the event, but not during. The only thing I would change is the outcome, as the Russians defeated the U.S. 3-2, needing a 7-5, 7-6 victory in the fifth and deciding rubber to secure the tie. I’d love to comment more on the actual tennis, but I was inside the transportation trailer for pretty much the entire duration of the event (not to mention the week surrounding it), so anything I write would be a blatant lie.
I’d love to write my thoughts on the epic Men’s Wimbledon Final, but that is such old news already. I will say this however, Nadal and Federer are on such a different level than everyone else right now, that it is starting to bore me watching other matches, because it’s as if I know that they are meaningless because Federer will play Nadal in the finals anyway. The next six weeks leading up to the US Open are going to be crucial for many players to make statements. Guys like Djokavic, Roddick, Gonzalez and others in the top 15 are going to need some solid results during the US Open Series to give them the confidence they will need to knock off Nadal or Federer. There seems to be lots of talk about Nadal and his disappointing second half last year and how he will do this year. Last year he took off the entire month of July, and while I’m sure he needed the rest it definitely threw off his rhythm. He is taking a different approach this year, and is currently dominating Juan Monaco in the quarterfinals of Stuttgart. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the tennis world who things Nadal will have another poor second half in 2007.
James Blake, whose autobiography “Breaking Back” debuted at No. 22 on the NY Times Bestseller Non Fiction list, is probably the one player in the top 10 who needs a terrific summer more than anyone. After having a career year last year and finishing 2006 as the top American, he has had a somewhat underwhelming 2007. He is a mere 5-3 in the Grand Slams thus far, not making it past the 4th round, and has one only 1 title thus far back in January, after winning five titles in 2006. However, it’s no secret that Blake’s best tennis comes on outdoor hardcourts, so look for him to have some good results as we near the US Open. He struggled a bit in LA needing to save a matchpoint against Paul Goldstein, but with each win will come added confidence that he will need if he wants to equal or better his last two US Open appearances, where he fell in the quarters.
That’s all for now, posts will become more and more frequent as we lead up to the US Open, where I will be blogging daily. For now, here are some links:
Momma Davenport is making a comeback.
Joel Drucker’s US Open Series preview.
Tennis Channel will be covering Wimbledon next summer.
Cheap way for me to broadcast our commercial for those who didn’t see it during the Fed Cup coverage.