Sunday, September 28, 2008

Davis Cup Final Update, A Look Back, and some Tennis Talk 9/29/08

by Savannah

Here is a machine translation of an article that appeared in the Argentine newspaper Clarin. I did a little cleaning up.

The Falkland Islands Polideportivo de Mar del Plata has every chance of becoming the seat of the Davis Cup final. Today, in addition, it supports a budget of $ 10 million to bring Daniel Scioli, the governor of Buenos Aires.

According to Clarin could find out, the International Tennis Federation (FIT) to the ball Orfeo in Cordoba. However, complying with the request of the players and the captain, tomorrow the Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) sent by fax to London bunker of FIT, the order of Cordoba as the venue with the alternative of Mar del Plata. The members of the FIT will insist on their rejection of Orpheus and then have to travel to Mar del Plata to see the headquarters on Tuesday and give final approval.

The hall has a capacity to house 7200 people, but the engineers who built in 1995 for the Pan American Games and to have the proposal to enlarge it and bring it closer to the 12 thousand calls a rule that the FIT. To do so placed a ring whose cost is estimated at 5 million pesos and added that 3160 places. To reach the required figure is achicarán the spaces between the seats and this configuration change will give it to other stadium seating 1800. "We are in time to make changes because the work takes 45 days," he told this newspaper yesterday, the mayor of Mar del Plata Gustavo Pulti.

To launch its candidacy, Mar del Plata made a strategic alliance with Tandil, the city in which Juan Martin Del Potro was born, a hero in the semifinal against Russia. "We are competing on an equal footing with the other headquarters," said Pulti. And then he added on the back of Scioli: "Your support in structural and political terms it is very important. In the economic sphere is responsible for seeking private sponsorship."


Artentina is set to make it's choice public today.

Tennis Talk

Carlos Rodriguez on the WTA

"It's a sign. She's (Jelena Jankovic) a good player, but when you see Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters, they not only win Grand Slams, but they have the charisma. They give something extra, not only hitting balls. There's more behind them."

"I have a lot of respect for the other players, but outside of the Willamses and Sharapova, the rest are still really poor," Rodriguez said.
(…)
"I think Ana (Ivanovic) can do big things, but she needs more maturity," Rodriguez said. "It's very difficult for a player to learn what to do when she's in trouble. Ivanovic is not able to have a Plan B or C to solve the situations, and she loses complete control. The coach can help with this, but in the end, it's up to the player to find for herself what possibilities will work. The coach can only help you to a certain point."

Rodriguez spent a little time this past summer working with former world No. 4 Anna Chakvetadze but couldn't make it work with the Russian, who has spiraled downward to No. 12. On the outside, Chakvetadze appears to have all the ingredients that Rodriguez would like: foot speed, soft hands, the ability to take the ball on the rise and smarts. But he couldn't get through to the 21-year-old.

"Anna seems like she wants to work, but I told her, at the end of the day, deep inside of you, you don't want to try to go further and to push yourself more to succeed," he said. "I cannot help you if you don't have the will to do something, even if I'm the best or worst coach in the world. She has the talent. But she's really confused as to what she needs to do to succeed to do to become a No. 1 or No. 2 player in the world. She's not ready to make the sacrifices it takes to go to the top, there's not question about it. A champion is one inside and outside the court, and when you take Anna outside the court, she's really a disaster."

Somewhat incredibly, Rodriguez tabbed Nicole Vaidisova as the young player with the most potential. The Czech has the height, power and ball-striking capabilities to do major damage and has reached two Grand Slam semifinals, but the 19-year-old has had a depressing year, falling to No. 22 in the rankings. Vaidisova doesn't always play smart or look motivated.

"She's amazing," Rodriguez said. "It comes back to the entourage she has around her. It's so important. When you are talking mental, these girls are very strong, but when you are talking emotional, it's very hard. The emotional takes over the mental and she completely loses the way. It's a pity. I hope someone can take care of her because she's charismatic and is a really good player, but her emotional (state) and the intelligence is not that good."


I actually agree with Rodriguez on Nicole Vaidisova. Sometimes staring success in the face is just as hard as staring it's opposite down. For the full article go Here

The Rearview Mirror
Thanks to ©Kourtin' Karen here are some final images and comments on the Spain vs United States Davis Cup tie in Madrid. Those seats look painful!

Netheads

I guess the people watching have to suffer as much as the bulls!


Las Ventas inside and out.

No comments: