Coverin' The Spread

An Intuitive Sports Blog Coupled with an Effective and Affordable Pick Service

Archive for category Tennis

Spain’s Sweet Summer: Spain/Gasol/Nadal All Champions

Jul 12

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Columns, Soccer, Tennis | 2 Comments

Spain finally lived up to the hype and won its first World Cup. Sports fans in Spain have also enjoyed an NBA title from Spain’s Pau Gasol and a French Open/Wimbledon combo served up from Mallorca’s finest, Rafa Nadal.

The Lakers’ exciting Game 7 victory over their long-time rival Boston Celtics came just one day after Spain’s disappointing opening round loss to Switzerland in the World Cup. Mixed emotions seemed to be the perfect phrase to describe the face of Spanish basketball Pau Gasol’s feelings that night.

He couldn’t be happier to be a champion and to have dominated the way he did (19 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists), but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think about his hometown team, the World Cup favorite, losing its’ opening match in Group Play to Switzerland. “Of course its something you think about, but I had to worry about my play and my team, and am just so happy to bring this trophy back to Spain,” said Gasol when asked about how the loss affected his play.

Across the pond another one of Spain’s favorite athletes, Rafael Nadal, was just arriving in London to prepare for Wimbledon when he watched his hometown team suffer in defeat. I’m sure he was glad for his fellow countrymen Pau Gasol, but Nadal’s real passion is unquestionably soccer.

But like Gasol, Nadal had to worry about him, and that he did. At this time last year, Nadal saw his string of four consecutive French Opens come to an end with a fourth round loss to Robin Soderling. He then was forced to watch Wimbledon on TV because of his knee injuries. Having to sit back and watch Roger Federer win both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2009 motivated Rafa to come back better than ever.

Nadal went on to win both French Open tune-ups in Monte Carlo and Madrid, and he stormed through the field in Paris winning his fifth title at Roland Garros. As he arrived in London to prepare for Wimbledon, Spain’s loss to Switzerland may have had more of an effect on him then most think.

He struggled early at the All-England Club being pushed to a fifth set twice in his first three matches. He eventually found his rhythm and rolled through the rest of the draw without dropping a set to win his second championship at Wimbledon. Better yet, his football team had picked up the pace too.

On the verge of elimination after their upset loss to Switzerland, Spain faced Honduras and Chile in must-win games to round out group play. With Fernando Torres struggling, striker David Villa stepped up for the Spaniards scoring three out of Spain’s four goals in two victories over Honduras and the gritty Chileans. The two victories were enough for Spain to claim Group H over runner-up Chile and move on to the knockout round.

Goals were few and far between in the knockout stages but Spain, thanks to Carles Puyol and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, recorded three straight shutouts to advance to the country’s first ever World Cup Final. Puyol’s offense was actually what got Spain into the final as the defenders’ header in the 74th minute sent the Germans packing.

The final featured more of the same as the Spaniards dominated the game defensively, controlling the ball from the Dutch for 60% of the game. Spain’s defense held the Netherlands to zilch through 90 minutes while the offense continued to threaten but could not quite capitalize.

Almost 30 minutes of extra time had passed with penalty kicks approaching and the Spanish were still not on the scoreboard. That was until the 116th minute when Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta took a pass out of mid-air from Cesc Fabregas and drilled a rocket past Dutch goalie Maarten Stekelenburg to send Spain into Fiesta mode for months to come.

Fellow Spaniard athletes Nadal and Gasol made promises that if Spain made it to the finals they would be in attendance. Sure enough they were there and according to Goal.com Nadal was quoted as saying in his broken English “I cried like a little boy,” he said to Marca. “We have to celebrate for a whole year, because this is unbelievable. It is very difficult to repeat this.”

Among famous Spanish actors, politicians, and musicians stood seven foot Pau Gasol who according to FIBA.com excitingly said “It was an awesome game, thrilling, and I have no words to describe what we have experienced, everything that we shared here in Johannesburg,” Gasol said. “This team has settled a historic debt and gives us all hope to continue ever onwards……Many thanks to all of ‘La Roja’ for making us smile and making this summer a real celebration!”

Spain’s sweet summer couldn’t have come at a better time as unemployment climbed to 20% this past month. Hopefully Gasol’s success, Nadal’s two Grand Slams and Spain’s World Cup victory will provide a glimmer of hope for Spain’s economy. Not to mention the Running of the Bulls starts today. Have fun Spain, you deserve it.

-rew

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Little Class Goes a Long Way: Rafael Nadal

Jul 5

Posted by CTS in Columns, Tennis | No Comments

When I was 17 years old I was fortunate enough to sit courtside at a 2003 US Open second round match between Rafael Nadal and Younes El Aynaoui.  Everyone was wondering who this kid from Spain was.  Nadal (also 17 at the time) played with the maturity of a 10 year veteran and the intensity as though it was the final at Wimbledon. I will never forget my reaction to this spectacle. I leaned over, nudged my mom on the shoulder, and said in a muffled awe stricken tone, “Watch this kid very closely. He is going to be great”.

Nadal, now 24 years old, owns 8 major titles, 18 World Tour Masters 1000 titles (the most in  professional tennis history), and is one US Open title away from achieving the coveted “Grand Slam”.

Just to give you a little perspective…..at 24, Nadal has already passed John Mcenroe on the all time major titles list and is now tied with such greats as Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, and Jimmy Connors. Just how far can this kid from Mallorca go? The answer to this questions is about as unknown as where Lebron is going to end up in a few days.

However, that being said, what is a known fact about Nadal is the poise and class that he has maintained while achieving such ridiculous success at a young age. While Tiger was busy running around doing God knows what, and Big Ben was inappropriately fraternizing in bars with girls of a questionable age, Nadal spent the better part of last year sitting on the sidelines with chronic knee problems and unsuccessfully attempting to reconcile his parents’ separation. How he responded to this low point in his career and personal life proved to be the real measure of the man.

In 2010, Nadal has fought off injury while cruising through the clay court season and now dominating on the grass. Who’s to say that his momentum won’t carry over to the hard court season and deliver him his first US Open, Career Grand Slam, and true place in history as one of the all time greats? Let’s just say I wouldn’t put my money against him.

All in all, this year’s Wimbledon produced some exciting as well as unprecedented moments in tennis history. John Isner the “Marathon Man “ is now a household name, Tom Berdych has finally arrived after all the hype, and Nadal captured the French Open/Wimbledon double for the second time in three years. As far as Federer goes, don’t worry ladies and gentlemen, I can assure you that his work is not done. Is he closer to the end than he was a year ago? Undoubtedly.  But once Federer (who dropped to 3rd in the world for the first time since 2003) gets healthy again and rededicates himself to fitness, there is no question that he has a little more gas in the tank.

I think the lesson to be learned here is that there is truth in the old adage “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. Nadal has shown us all how real men respond to adversity. After a 2009 season that convinced many that his body had broken down and that his tight-knit family’s separation had done irreparable damage to his confidence, Nadal stormed back by doing what he has always done, beating opponents with sheer strength and will. We can only hope that Nadal’s knees continue to mend, but until then, I just want to say thanks, Rafa, for proving that a little class truly does go a long way.

-mpc (guest)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wimbledon Up For Grabs

Jun 27

Posted by CTS in Columns, Tennis | No Comments

Of the 16 remaining men, as many as 6 have a realistic shot at winning the most sought-after trophy in tennis.

It was a boring day in sports for those Americans who have been following USA’s World Cup run and the championships at Wimbledon. The US was ousted yesterday and Wimbledon kept with tradition and took the first Sunday off.

As the second week gets underway tomorrow there is more to watch for than in year’s past. Its not just between Federer and Nadal. There are 6 true competitors listed below beginning with the least likely:

  1. Novak Djokovic – The only reason he is on this list is because he has won a Grand Slam title before. He doesn’t seem to have the maturity or the balls – for lack of a better word – to win another slam. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses in the Round of 16 to a player who may be old, but has been playing well lately, Lleyton Hewitt. But since he was won a slam I had to include him.
  2. Andy Roddick - The man who I believe will eliminate Novak Djokovic. He always has a shot at Wimbledon with his massive serve and forehand combo. He is a 3-time finalist at the All England Club (2004, 2005, 2009) and would have at least one title if it wasn’t for Mr. Federer. As many remember, he took Federer to what used to be considered a long 5th set (20-18) last year in the finals. His backhand is still very vulnerable on the grass, but if he can keep serving well and win some tie-breakers, he has a great shot to finally break through and win the title.
  3. Andy Murray – Andy Murray is the hometown hero, and like his British predecessor Tim Henman, he always does well but eventually the pressure to win is too great. The last time a Brit was victorious in London was in 1936 when Fred Perry hoisted the plate. The Brits are dying for a champion, and the last thing Andy Murray wanted to see on his day off was England to lose in the World Cup. Now all the attention has shifted back to Murray, who has quietly made it to the Round of 16 without dropping a set. He has the game to do it on grass, but don’t be surprised if he loses his temper, starts to whine and folds like a lawn chair under her majesty’s pressure.
  4. Rafael Nadal – Many have the 2010 French Open Champ and 7-time Grand Slam champion as their favorite to win because last time he was here, he came out on top. Rafa has made it through the fourth round, but has struggled mightily and seems to have a few nagging injuries as well. His knees are usually the area of concern, but in his last match against Phillipp Petzschner it was his left arm causing him problems. You can never question the will or the fight in Nadal, but he has been stretched to 5 sets twice already and I’m not sure his arm can hold up the rest of the fortnight.
  5. Robin Soderling -Most people are probably saying wait, wait, who? Oh the guy who got destroyed by Nadal in the finals of the French Open, I knew that named sounded familiar. Well, if you look closer you will see a true candidate to win here. And if I had any guts, I would’ve put him as the favorite. As I said before, Soderling made it to the Finals of the French this year as well as in 2009, and in the 4 Grand Slams between the two, he was ousted every time by Roger Federer, who either went onto win or lost in the Finals in each one. Soderling has been playing great tennis for the past year, and is yet to drop a set at this year’s championships. He’s a big dude and his game actually fits better on grass then it does on the dirt. Look for the big Suede to make a serious push for his first Grand Slam title.
  6. Roger Federer - Finally the man, the myth, the legend – Roger Federer. This article wouldn’t deserve to be published if I didn’t put the 6-time Wimbledon Champ and 16-time Grand Slam Champ as the favorite. He has already won the Australian Open this year, made it to the quarters of the French, and is in position to win number 7 in London. He has a favorable draw, being that Murray and Soderling are on Nadal’s side. Federer, like Nadal, has struggled in 2 of his first 3 rounds, but seemed to hit his stride in his 3rd round with a straight-set victory over Arnaud Clement. He was forced to come back from 2 sets down in the first round and the Federer camp believes the old saying “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” Well I think they are right and I imagine this time next week Roger will have number 17 in his trophy case.

No matter who comes out on top, make sure you tune in because this is the most wide-open a Grand Slam has been in the better part of the last decade. I can’t promise anymore Isner Mahut marathon matches, but I guarantee you whoever ends up on top has a tough road ahead of them.

-rew

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isner and Mahut’s Epic Battle — Continued (Again)

Jun 23

Posted by CTS in Reports, Tennis | 1 Comment

History Stands Still as Isner and Mahut’s Match Goes into its Third Day and 11th Hour: All Square at 59 Games in the 5th set!

To put this match into perspective, Rafael Nadal played 201 games to win the entire French Open (7 matches) and this one first round battle at Wimbledon  has taken 163 games and it’s not even over yet!. The 5th set alone would have been the longest match in tennis history!

If you combine the epic Federer/Nadal final of 2008 (72 games with Nadal winning 9-7 in the 5th) and the classic Federer/Roddick final in 2009 (77 games with Federer winning 16-14 in the 5th) you have a total of 151 games and two of the best matches ever at Wimbledon. The Isner/Mahut match is a tie-breaker past that right now.

The average match at Wimbledon last year was between 35-40 games long, this match is 4x that. This would be like the Syracuse/UConn game going to 16 overtimes, a baseball game going to 36 innings, a golf tournament having a 72-hole playoff. Wow!

What have you done in the last ten hours? Sure three hours of the match was played yesterday, which is a long match in itself, and now today they have played almost seven hours. In the same amount of time you have probably eaten two meals, been to work, napped, and these gentlemen have been grinding on the court.

As of now Mahut has 95 aces and Isner has 98 aces. In the fifth set alone there have been 139 total aces. The record of total aces in one set before this was 84. Even the fans looked tired. Tired, but worked up enough energy to give both players a standing ovation for the longest event in tennis history, chanting “We want more!” as the chair umpire was making his decision to suspend the match due to darkness.

I was fortunate enough to play in the same tournaments as Isner in juniors and in college and saw the type of person he was off the court. He’s legit as they come and I, along with all other Americans, will be rooting for him to finish it out tomorrow. Good luck John.

-rew

Tags: , , , , , , ,

French Fuzz

Jun 5

Posted by CTS in Columns, Tennis | 7 Comments

Other than Federer getting knocked out before the semis of a major for the first time in the last 24 tries, this French Open hasn’t captured many headlines.

The Americans have kept with the pace of sucking on the dirt. As a result, the homeland networks, papers and blogosphere don’t seem to care much either. And why should they? The top American player, Andy Roddick, didn’t even bother playing a tournament on clay before the French.

As a fan, that’s embarrassing. Can you imagine Agassi doing that? That’d be like Tiger and Phil strolling up to Augusta on Thursday morning and expecting to be ready to compete. Sure he practiced on clay, but to not play one warm-up event on the surface of your next major is giving up before you start. I guess if given the chance, I might forget the trip to the Madrid warm-up and vacation with Brooklyn at an exotic location for a photo shoot too. I think we need another American talent.

As far as the women’s side goes, I personally despise women’s tennis – having played the sport myself – and I can’t evn pronounce the name of either player in the finals earlier today so I won’t even bother with a fake analysis of their draw. But congratulations Schiavone… (sp?).

Concerning the real tournament, or as Pam Shriver calls is the men’s side, I like everyone else was dying for a Fed-Nadal battle royale. But the match-up we have on our hands is a close second.

The Players:

Rafa Nadal

The bull, the competitor, the man, the muscle. We all know him and should try our best to appreciate his passion for tennis, competing and pursuit of excellence. He was banged up for the better part of the past year until early Spring, but has seemingly recovered and been on a tear since. Having won all 3 masters on clay leading up to the French (Monte Carlo, Rome, and Madrid) he seems hungrier than ever to regain his title.

The pressure is mounting considering it has been more than a year since Nadal has hoisted a Grand Slam trophy and this is the first finals he will have played since having struggled with injury. We will see if the old Nadal is truly back. He has breezed through the draw, having not dropped a set, but has shown signs of nerves when he let Jurgen Melzer break him while serving for the match and force a 3rd set tiebreak.

And the kicker?

Nadal’s opponent is the only player who has ever beaten Nadal at Roland Garros and the same man who took out Federer in the quarters.

Robin Soderling

Sodering has played fair since losing to Federer in last year’s final at Roland Garros. He had the unfortunate luck of meeting Roger at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as well, and spent the remainder of the year floundering in mediocrity.

He has shown up again this year at the French and presents Nadal with a uniquely difficult match-up. Not only because he is the one man to defeat him in Paris, but because even on the clay, he manages to rifle forehands and change direction with his backhand in an offensive manner that others have failed to do against Nadal.

Prediction

Going into last year’s match-up of Nadal and Soderling, I would have bet my car on Nadal. He had never lost in Paris and had defeated Soderling 6-1, 6-0 the week before. In a situation like this, the future result is not always a function of past results. As well as Soderling has played and as much pressure as Rafa may have on him, the Spaniard is too hungry and just too damn good on the dirt.

Nadal takes it: 6-4, 7-5, 6-2. Heard it here first.

-rew

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Rundown

May 26

Posted by CTS in Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Tennis | No Comments

Amare Stoudemire – Remember back in February when the Suns were fighting for the 8 seed out West and Amare was all but out of Phoenix? Yeah it seems like forever ago to me too. Just over three months ago it was a sure thing that Amare would be out of Phoenix and the leading contender to get his services was Cleveland of all places. Once Cleveland fell through, Phoenix was in last minute talks with the Rockets to try to get Stoudemire moved before the deadline. What would that whole LeBron situation be like if Amare were in Cleveland? Would the Cavs still be in the playoffs? Would Mike Brown and LeBron be back in Cleveland next year? That point’s moot. Amare is with Phoenix and has 63 points in the Suns recent victories over the Lakers. He is the biggest reason the Suns are two games away from going to their first Finals since the Barkley days. So instead of sitting at home in Houston watching Shane Battier and Luis Scola try to run the Suns offense, Amare is slamming on 7 footers and only making his wallet fatter with his impending free agency.

Stanley Cup – The Chicago Blackhawks and the best sweaters in hockey face off against the Cinderella Philadelphia Flyers in Chicago Saturday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. All Hawks fans will be on the edge of their seat ready do to their Amstel Light Goal chant after sweeping the Sharks on Sunday. Flyer Goalie Michael Leighton, who had three shutouts versus the Habs in the Eastern Conference Finals, will have his hands full this series versus Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and the hottest player in these playoffs in Jonathan Toews. Kane and Toews have a combined 46 points in the ’10 playoffs and will test Leighton’s 92% save percentage so far this postseason. As good as Leighton has played, it has been the play of defenders such as Braydon Coburn and Chris Pronger that have set the tone for the Flyers. Captain Mike Richards proved that in Game 5 when he layed out a Hab on a penalty kill, only to then fire an assist down the length of the rink for a shorthanded, game-tying goal. Can’t wait for Saturday and NBC hockey. Too bad if it’s a sweep it will be decided on the Versus Channel as Versus has games 3 and 4.

New York State of Mind – The NFL owners voted yesterday for Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 to be played at the new stadium at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. This will be the first ever Super Bowl hosted in the New York area and will likely be the biggest sporting event in U.S. history. Obviously, the owners and head supporter Roger Goodell believe this is just another way to make America’s most popular sports league even bigger and more global. What about the weather though? This is the Super Bowl! You can’t have winter weather effect the country’s greatest game. For all of you old school hardasses out there, yes I realize that for the first 34 years that the pro football championship was played in the elements. That is just because all of the original NFL teams (Detroit, Green Bay, Chicago, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, etc.) all played in the north! So the championship was even for both teams, minus home-field of course. So what I’m saying is why would you want to take a chance of matching a five or six seed NFC team such as Green Bay against a number 1 seeded AFC team such as Miami in the Super Bowl? Do you really want to reward a 6 or 7 loss Green Bay team with a snow game in February against a three or four loss Miami club? This game is a good idea but only if it’s a one time thing. If this becomes a habit, weather will change the outcome and our greatest game will be flawed.

U.S. Soccer – Just 15 days before their opening match against number 3 in the world England, coach Bob Bradley has made his final cuts from 30 to the FIFA mandated 23. There were few surprises as the three biggest names on the World Cup bubble (Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Oguchi Onyewu) all made the roster. Bradley loved the goal scoring capabilities that the Forwards, Buddle and Gomez, brought to the team. Buddle, who hasn’t been a part of the U.S. National team since 2003, has scored 9 goals in 9 games so far this season in MLS and Bradley believes he can carry that into South Africa versus the world’s best. The real question though is Onyewu’s health. Last night Onyewu played in his first match since tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in a friendly versus Costa Rica in October. Onyewu says he’s 100% but he did not look like it last night. During a crosser in front of the U.S. net, Onyewu allowed his Czech opponent to leap over him from behind for the header and the goal. Onyewu, who was the bigger of the two players, did not have near the vertical jump needed to defend and should not see much playing time in South Africa because of it.

French Open – At the U.S. Open in 2002, Serena Williams broke out the now infamous “catsuit”. Now, for the second straight round, sister Venus is practically wearing lingerie with skin-toned underwear. The dress has gotten so much attention that when you Google “Venus Williams 2010 French Open Dress”, 342 million hits show up. Venus designed the dress herself and says she is loving the attention the dress is getting. As for the actual tennis, what in the world is the French Open doing pairing Richard Gasquet with Andy Murray in the first round? Why would you pair your countryman, who is a top 50 player and got as high as 7 in the world just three years ago, with fourth seeded Andy Murray? That hurts everyone. You eliminate one of the world’s best players and an Open contender in the first round or you eliminate a fan favorite. Only a Frenchman could make a mistake like that. Luckily for Murray, he defeated Gasquet in five sets after being down 2 sets to none and down a break in the third before Gasquet flat ran out of gas.

Vladimir Guerrero – Vlad went 3-5 yesterday with 2 homers and 5 RBI’s in an 8-7 Ranger win over the Royals. That gives Vlad 12 homers on the year with a .347 batting average and a major league leading 42 RBI’s. At 35 years of age, the Angels decided they did not want pay Vlad the $6 million plus incentives to continue to play in L.A. Instead, the Halo’s allowed Guerrero to go to their biggest contender in the AL West, Texas. Guerrero, who was formerly known as the “Ranger-Killer” is in the top 5 in the three major hitting statistics in all of baseball. The Angels now sit in third place in the West, 5 games behind the first place Rangers.

-scf

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

He’s Back

Apr 18

Posted by CTS in Reports, Tennis | No Comments

Nadal won his 6th straight title in Monte Carlo this past weekend

It has been 11 months since Nadal last fist pumped his way to a title.

He hasn’t played well, has battled injuries, and a man by the name of Roger has stepped his game up a notch. But seeing Nadal return to the dirt (clay court tennis) is like watching Big Ben stroll into a college bar.

This past weekend Nadal didn’t just win at Monte Carlo, he embarrassed the rest of the field. He only lost 13 games the entire tournament, marking the lowest total games yielded in a Master’s Series Event since 1990. He blasted fellow countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-1 in the finals, who by the way is ranked top 10 in the world. He also beat two other clay court specialists, David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero. His closest match was against Ferrero and was 6-4, 6-2 – probably about equivalent to the Cavs beatdown of the Bulls yesterday for the non-tennis fans.

During the past year, there was never any doubt that Nadal was still the competitor he’s always been. But others have stepped up, and he was simply banged up. While he was able to play part of the year, tennis just isn’t the same without the King of Clay at 100%.

Many have predicted his career would be short-lived because of his physical style of play and intense training regiment, but he has reportedly cut back the training and is feeling great. If this weekend is any indication, then Rafa has put those critics to rest.

Monte Carlo marks the beginning of clay court season all the way until Roland Garros, more commonly known in the States as The French Open. Last year Roger Federer was able to crack the code and finally win the coveted fourth major at Roland Garros, later break the grand slam record at Wimbledon, and leave Nadal watching hungry on the sidelines.

Well Rafa not only satisfied his hunger, but it seemed he was out to prove a point this weekend. While Federer didn’t play Monte Carlo – you know he took note of the dominant fashion in which Nadal won. Point made to Roger and others, and look for Nadal to keep blazin’ his path all the way to Paris.

The next few weeks on the courts should be nothing short of spectacular. Nadal is back, Federer looking to extend the record, and young talent like Juan Martin Del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are looking to break all the way through. If Rafa can stay healthy this go round, his title at Monte Carlo will be the first of many fist pumps.

-rew

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,