Tomic retires against Haas at Gerry Weber Open

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     Personally, this was the match up of the day for me across the Wimbledon warm up tournaments.  Tommy Haas has spent years of his career fighting injury, but today it was his opponent who had to retire.  The young Australian Bernard Tomic, an up and coming player to watch withdrew from the Gerry Weber Open today trailing the former world number 2 5-2.  The German and the crowd were shocked at the 19 year old’s decision to retire, having shown no signs of a struggle in the 22 minutes of play.  Haas said after the match that he “would have preferred to play a bit longer to try a few things out”.  Never the less, the walkover puts the German in the round of 16 for the tenth time at this tournament, no doubt adding to Haas’ good mood: earlier it was announced that the world number 87 had received a wild card into the Wimbledon main draw.  All the best to Haas this grass court season!

Raonic defeats last year's finalist to advance to the round of 16 at the Gerry Weber open

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     The young Canadian smashed 19 aces to defeat German Philipp Petzschner.  The match was full of big first serves, many of which exceed 200km/hour.  It wasn’t however an easy or straightforward match.  There was just the one break point in the entire match which came right at the end of the first set, and was taken by Raonic as Petzschner miss-hit and the ball went long allowing the 21 year old to take the first set 7-5. 

     Raonic proved that despite his young age he deserves a lace high up in the rankings as his returning talent shone through to allow him to dominate the second set tie-break and therefore take the match.

     After defeating last year’s finalist, surely his next match up against qualifier Ze Zhang will be a walk in the park.  If our Canadian star wins that match up, he will face Gerry Weber Open legend Roger Federer, and what a match that would be…

French Open Final: Djokovic vs Nadal, Match Report

     Rafael Nadal beat world number 1 Novak Djokovic to make history by becoming the first man ever to win 7 French Open titles, surpassing Bjorn Borg’s 6 titles. 

     The Spaniard started the match on Sunday afternoon in formidable form, smashing a forehand winner to win the first point of the match, which had started with the Serb serving first.  While Djokovic was able to save 3 break points from 0-40, he eventually hits the ball long and Nadal immediately broke the Serb to take an early lead.

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     Djokovic struggled to find the momentum as the first set continued and appeared helpless against Nadal in many a point.  Nadal manages to hold serve easily in the beginning of the match, while Novak struggles and second guesses himself, with a lot of mumbles in his native Serbian.  Djokovic’s error count increases as he hits the ball wide and goes down a double break- there didn’t seem much hope of a real match.  The difference between Nadal’s sheer aggression and Djokovic’s unsurity suggests a quick straight set win for the Spaniard.

     Hope sparks when the world number one breaks Nadal to be down only one break of serve, despite his negative body language.  After this he seems more into the match, hitting stronger and surer groundstrokes.  As the Serb holds serve for the first time in the match he seems sparkier. 

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     Neither player is completely on top form at this stage in the match, but Djokovic is starting to hit harder and seems more interested and determined than he did minutes earlier.  Yet again Novak Djokovic shows he is number one for a reason and breaks Nadal’s serve again to bring the match level at 3-3.  Hope shines for the first time in the match.

     It seemed the first set was very up and down for both players, who couldn’t seem to hold their own service games often.  It didn’t seem much of a surprise therefore when Djokovic double faulted, losing his serve.  However the King of Clay stepped up a gear and managed to win the set not long after with a winner and a fist pump. 

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     The second set started off near identical to the first, with the exception that both men had warmed up slightly now and had increased their level to produce some outstanding shots.  Nadal breaks Djokovic, Djokovic breaks Nadal.  Nadal’s freer play however, allows him to dominate the points and the more points he wins, the more frustrated the Serb becomes.  After one game Djokovic smashes a large hole in his bench with his racket in sheer frustration with himself. 

     The Parisian weather gets worse and a rain delay is forced upon them, but not before Nadal break Djokovic and leads 5-3.

     Nearly an hour later the players walk back on court and warm up before the world number one resumes play.  The rain delay doesn’t seem to have affected Nadal’s momentum however and he immediately breaks Djokovic on his second set point. 

     A straight sets win was seeming inevitable which the Spaniard only reinforced as he went 2-0 up in the third set… Djokovic would have to pull off one of the greatest comebacks of all time if he was to win this match.  Something must have clicked in the world number one all of a sudden as he wins 8 straight games against the King of Clay to win the third set 6-2 and lead the fourth set 2-0.  The crowd are loving this- could Novak really pull off such a win? If anyone could do it, it would be Novak Djokovic. 

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     Nadal holds serve to get onto the score board in this fourth set but the world number 2 seemed perplexed as to how he had suddenly been forced to play defensively, while the Serb had dominated the last hour or so.  The momentum of the match is entirely in Djokovic’s favour but the heavens opened up again and players were ushered off court before officials decided to suspend play until the following day.  No doubt this news was what Rafa wanted to hear, and exactly what Djokovic didn’t. 

     1pm Monday afternoon and players are warming up.  The biggest question that everyone was asking was ‘Can Novak hold?’.  If he had managed to sold and consolidated his break from the previous day, surely his confidence would come back and the momentum with it and we could have been in for a thriller.  Instead, the Serb loses his serve immediately and the set runs along almost smoothly, on serve for the next 7 games until Nadal leads 6-5.  Novak stands up to serve but he hasn’t had a chance to really get into the match.  Nadal is in full force of aggressive tennis, dominating the points.  Djokovic saves one match point, one more to go.  He has the weight of the world on his shoulders and one loud, very rude spectator in the crowd yells out at the wrong moment, completely putting Djokovic off.  He double faults on Championship point and Nadal makes history.

     It was a disappointing end to such a dramatic final and no doubt Djokovic will be kicking himself for a while.  Smashed benches, breaks of serve galore, and many rain delays.. it was definitely a tough match to really get into, and therefore favoured the Spaniard with all his experience of Roland Garros.  Fair play to Nadal, and congratulations.

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     Everyone’s wondering though, if play had resumed on Sunday evening to finish the fourth set could the outcome have been different? Novak Djokovic was on a role, and I personally thought that had the 4^th set been decided on Sunday, the world number one would have won it… and then everything was to play for Monday.  As it happens, it didn’t turn out like that. Oh well, Wimbledon next- anyone else predicting another Djokovic/Nadal encounter?  This rivalry after all, is already epic. Probably one of the greatest tennis rivalries of all time.  Opinions?

Up-and-Coming Players to Watch

Here are a few younger tennis players who I believe one day will be the stars of the game once the likes of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have said goodbye.



1) Milos Raonic 

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For me, I believe this Canadian is the game's biggest hope for the next era of tennis.  At just 21 years old, he has managed to win 3 ATP titles- 2 at San Jose and 1 at Chennai, as well as reaching two other atp finals.  Among the likes of Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, Berdych and Federer this is no mean feat.  He has a big serve that will no doubt be his biggest weapon in the future, and as a combination with his aggressive play, there is surely no doubt that he will be a big name on the tour for a long time.





2) Bernard Tomic

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This Australian hasn't done as well as he perhaps could have in the past year, however let us not forget he is a mere 19 years old and so, understandably, isn't as physically or mentally strong as many of the developed players on the tour, nor has he completely matured.  However his appearance in the round of 16 at the 2012 Australian Open, defeating Fernando Verdasco en route has certainly highlighted this young star as one to watch in the next few seasons.


3) Ryan Harrison

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The United States haven't produced a male tennis star since Andy Roddick.. until now.  Having only just turned 20, Harrison is again probably not quite mature or strong enough to compete at the higher end of the tour a the moment, but what we've seen of him has certainly impressed us.  He clearly fights like someone determined to win in all his matches, despite being out of his depth.  He is very good at starting out matches strong, having taken sets from Andy Murray and Gilles Simon in Grand Slams.  As long as he learns to capitalise on his early break throughs, Harrison is another promising star of the future of tennis.






4) David Goffin

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The 21 year old Belgian star has really come to prominence in this years Roland Garros tournament, reaching the 4th round, only to lose to Roger Federer- though not until he had stolen a set off of the former world number one.  His genuineness has attracted a lot of fans who will no doubt be following the youngster in seasons to come, and his strong tennis has placed him as one to watch out for on the tour.  he certainly seems very very determined to make a successful career on the atp world tour.

Roland Garros Final 2012 Preview: Djokovic vs Nadal

     The final two contenders for this year’s French Open title have been revealed.  World number 1 Novak Djokovic will take on world number 2 and King of clay Rafael Nadal.

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     Despite the outcome history will be made with this Roland Garros title: Nadal seeks his 7th French Open title to surpass current record holder Bjorn Borg in terms of titles won at RG while the Serb is aiming to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all 4 grand slam titles at the same time- a feat not even rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer could accomplish.

     In terms of match wins against the Serb, the Spaniard leads 18-14 however surely regardless of any statistic Nadal will walk on Court Philippe Chatrier as the firm favourite after his successful clay court season with wins in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome on the way to Roland Garros.  Nadal has looked faultless throughout the tournament, brushing aside each of his opponents in straight sets and, even more remarkably, only losing his serve once in the entire tournament.  Even in the semi-finals Nadal was able to brush fellow compatriot and respected clay court player David Ferrer aside with a surprisingly easy score line.

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     In contrast however, the world number 1 hasn't had the easiest journey to the final, having been pushed to the limits by Italian Andreas Seppi, and having been match point down 4 times in his epic 5 set battle against Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.  His semi-final match against Federer has surprisingly been his easiest match in the second week of the tournament, easing past the former world number one in straight sets, despite having to salvage breaks of his serve in both the first and second sets.

     Nadal has already defeated the world number 1 twice on clay this season to reiterate his dominance on the surface.  However, no one should brush aside any hope Novak Djokovic has of winning on Sunday as we are all far too aware of how brilliant Djokovic can be.  Last year Djokovic proved he had the ability and stamina to beat the King of clay.  In addition to this, the match record between the two in grand slam finals stands heavily in the Serb’s favour, which will surely give Djokovic and spectators alike, some confidence walking into the match.

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     Unlike Nadal, Djokovic is very inexperienced in French Open finals and so it is absolutely vital that the world number one begins the match strongly and very aggressive against the defending champion.  If Novak is to stand a chance of taking the title from Nadal he must also ensure that he attacks every one of Nadal’s serves- both first and second.  If he can get a strong start at the beginning of each point on the Spaniard’s serve and play aggressive in these points he will put the pressure on Nadal- something all his other opponents have failed to do.  On top of this, Novak has to make sure his first serve percentage stays high, as well as varying up his game to keep Nadal guessing.  It is imperative that Djokovic can dominate play as much as possible, and keep the points short and sweet: Nadal will have the edge the longer the points last.  The sooner he plants that seed of doubt in the Spaniards mind, the more chance he has of winning the title.

     In terms of what can Nadal do… well, is there anything else he needs to do to grab himself his 7^th Roland Garros title?  Just keep the Serb running.  If Nadal is dominating the points and having Djokovic constantly running around the court then it will almost certainly guarantee him the match as the world number one is surely tired after two 5 set matches this week- yes he’s had time to recover but he still showed signs of defeat and tiredness against Roger Federer in the semi-finals, something he must not do on Sunday if he relishes any chance of obtaining his first French Open title.

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     The world number 1 ranking is not at risk in this match, which will keep Djokovic that it calmer, however this win is vital for Nadal if he really wants to surpass Novak and regain the number 1 ranking in the near future.

     My verdict? Despite it paining me to go against Djokovic, I can’t see the Serb beating the King of clay, UNLESS the match was to go the distance and it was all down to the 5^th and final set.  If this turns out to be the case, it is the only time I’d favour the world number one over Rafael Nadal.  Nadal will really be feeling the pressure at that point, in comparison to Novak who will have gained all the confidence he needs to push that little bit further to win the Championships.

     We know the Spaniard can do it and probably will do it, but I most certainly would never brush aside Novak Djokovic.  After two disappointing semi-finals, surely this match will be one epic battle… but who will come out on top?

Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer

     World number 1 showed he was every part worthy of that title with a ruthless performance against world number 3 Roger Federer.  Djokovic eased past the former world number 1 with a 6-4 7-5 6-3 victory.  
     The Swiss-Maestro stayed true to being one of the strongest starters on the atp world tour, taking the first step and breaking Djokovic's serve in the fifth game of the first set. However the early lead was not to the Serb's liking as he immediately broke back to cut short Federer's delight and get back on level pegging.  Federer then made several forehand errors which the world number 1 capitalised upon to pile on the pressure and allowed him to close out the first set.
     Yet again, Federer started the second set slightly stronger, immediately stepping up to dominate the Serb to gain a double break. It was hard to ignore how disinterested the Serb seemed at break point at 4-2 in the second set in terms of trying to salvage the service games he had lost.  However, despite appearing very passive in the early stages of this second set, Djokovic proved he was worthy of the world number one spot and managed to retrieve both his breaks of serve to bring the second set level before he was able to gain another break of serve to clinch the second set and lead the world number 3 2 sets to 0.
     With such a strong lead, Djokovic- who is chasing his first French Open title and fourth consecutive grand slam title- had all the momentum in his favour as his winner count increased and Federer's unforced errors count continued to sky rocket. The Serb was able to break the former number one in the sixth game of the third set, and shortly after won the match with a service winner to secure himself a spot in his first Roland Garros final, against world number 2 and 6 time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal, who eased past compatriot David Ferrer earlier in the day.
     The match did not live up to its expectations, where critics, fans and professionals alike were expecting an epic battle between two tennis legends.  The match lasted only 20 minutes longer than the previous semi final, at 2 hours, 5 minutes.  I think it is fair to say that in the end both matches today failed to deliver the battles expected.  Let's just hope that the historic match-up on Sunday proves differently.  Do you think Djokovic can do it?

Rafael Nadal vs David Ferrer

     Despite all the hope that Ferrer could challenge defending champion Rafael Nadal in today's semi-final match up between the two Spaniards, David Ferrer failed to deliver the world class tennis he's been exhibiting throughout the tournament.  Nadal ran away with the match in just 1 hour 46 minutes with a scoreline that certainly did not resemble a grand slam semi-final match: 6-2 6-2 6-1.
     The 26 year old entered the match having not dropped a set and only losing one of 61 service games and a tremendous 15-4 head to head record against Ferrer.
     The defending champion barely looked troubled at all during the match.  The biggest difference in this match to Ferrer's previous matches at RG 2012 was the absence of his fierce play and aggressive tennis.  
     Ferrer came out strong and quickly earnt himself 3 break points with a series of ferocious forehands.  However, the King of clay denied Ferrer any hope of an early lead, quickly saving all 3 points before running away with the rest of the set- including two breaks of Ferrer's serve.  Ferrer's chance had come and gone, and he was unable to fully engage in the match thereafter.  
     With Ferrer's unforced errors count creeping up as the match continued, Nadal dominated play in the second set, even managing to win a point off Ferrer while on the floor after a fall by the net.  Come the fifth game of the second set, Ferrer was struggling to get a single ball in play and was no doubt extremely grateful of the rain break forced upon them from the unpredictable French weather. 
     The rain delay lasted just under an hour but seemed to not change a thing in the mindset of either player, with both picking up where they left off: Nadal dominating the court and Ferrer struggling to keep up.
     The third and final set went by in a flash and it seemed Nadal could do no wrong and Ferrer could do no right.  Ferrer's aggressive tennis made a brief appearance for a couple of points in one of his service games, however it was not enough to deter the World number 2 from his goal, and Nadal clinched the win with a cross court forehand.


     Up next, Djokovic vs Federer: the most anticipated match of the day. Can this match prove to be more of a battle?