I repeat. A soft draw does not a champion make. Andy Murray had one of the softest draws for a top seed in Grand Slam play. With the exception of Stan Wawrinka everyone he played fell for his woe is me countenance and found themselves on their way to their next tournament. I guess TPTB thought carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders would be hard enough without putting some serious roadblocks in his way. There's only one other man who always gets that kind of treatment but more on that later.
I say that because one of the commentators on the BBC stream I was watching said that throughout the tournament all Murray had to do was keep the ball in play and that it wasn't working today. The good news for Murray fans is that he won a set. The bad news is he ran into a fit and focused Andy Roddick who just happened to be playing the best tennis of his career. Yes, his career. Gone is the hit hard and harder player who won a still controversial 2003 US Open. In his place is Andy Roddick 2.0. Some laughed at the revolving door that had been his coaching pattern for much of the last few years. I remember wondering if he'd listen to Larry Stefanki whom he hired late last year. It appears as if he has.
If there's anything Stefanki has done it's bring American tennis into the 21st century. Stefanki has been working outside of the United States and thus was not wedded to the ball bashing theory of tennis. He has reshaped both Andy's mind and body leading to the masterful display of tennis we saw not only today but in his defeat of Lleyton Hewitt.
Now it's time to put the pedal to the metal for Andy Roddick and his team. Will we see the calm, composed tennis player we saw today on Sunday or will we see the man who when the pressure is on begins to make sure the jewels are in place and starts fights with chair umpires and anyone else in the vicinity?
There was absolutely no need to watch the first men's semi once you knew that Tommy Haas had been a practice partner for The Monogram. While watching the doubles match between Team Williams and the top ranked team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber I would look up from time to time and see Haas was hanging with Monogram until the end of the set when he'd simply roll over and play dead. In the end Haas was doing everything but winning the sets. Guess the Monogram needed a nice little hit before the final.
Yesterday there was a Tweet where someone said Elena Demetieva should have gone ahead and lost 6-3, 6-3 implying that if she was going to lose then lose it easy. I thought that was unfair to Elena and said so to the person who posted that remark. Today however that remark does apply to Haas' efforts.
Of the two Andy's I'm sure Monogram would prefer today's outcome. Hell, a lot of fans were pulling for British Andy because they felt he had the better chance of a win on Sunday. If the Roddick who showed up today takes the court on Sunday I think we'll have a match ladies and gentlemen.
Juniors
There was a great boys singles match going on at the same time as the first men's semifinal match between young Americans Jordan Cox and Devin Britton. Cox won a third set thriller 16-14 over his doubles partner.
Cox will face Andrey Kuznetsov in the Boys Final.
The Girls final will feature Kristina Mladenovic against Noppawan Lertcheewakarn. Kristina has trampled everyone in her path this tournament.
Orders of Play Saturday 7/4/2009
CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 2.00 PM START
CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 2.00 PM START
1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] 33 vs Serena Williams (USA) [2] 128
2. Bob Bryan (USA) and Mike Bryan (USA) [1] 1 vs Daniel Nestor (CAN) and Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) [2] 64
3. Serena Williams (USA) and Venus Williams (USA) [4] 17 vs Samantha Stosur (AUS) and Rennae Stubbs (AUS) [3] 48
COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 2.00 PM START
1. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) [1] 1 vs Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) [4] 48 GS
COURT 2 - SHOW COURT
4. Beatrice Capra (USA) and Martina Trevisan (ITA) 19 vs Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) and Silvia Njiric (CRO) [2] 32 GD
COURT 3 - SHOW COURT
2. Julien Obry (FRA) and Adrien Puget (FRA) 19 vs Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas (GER) and Andrei Vasilevski (BLR) 27 BD
3. Carlos Boluda-Purkiss (ESP) and David Souto (VEN) 7 vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) and Kevin Krawietz (GER) 14 BD
4. Jana Cepelova (SVK) and Vivien Juhaszova (SVK) 4 or Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) and Sally Peers (AUS) 7 vs
Daria Gavrilova (RUS) and Ksenia Kirillova (RUS) [5] 7 GD
End Notes
If you live in the United States and you're disgusted with NBC's "Live" coverage there is an online petition. Sign it. If we don't make the powers that be aware that we're sick of their bullshit they'll just continue to feed it to us. Due to the three hour difference between the East and West coasts in the States "live" tennis began for those viewers at 3p their time. Really NBC?
Here is the LINK
Dinara Safina has reportedly hired Ronen Bega who worked with Novak Djokovic in the past. He will be her physical trainer. Per "DinaUpdates" on Twitter.
4 comments:
Hear, hear on Andy R! I've muttered to myself all day that there is no such thing as "deserving a win". I wish I could think: Andy has never won here, he deserves one. However, I can't. What Andy needs to do at the most basic level is to fix in his mind that he wants the win. That he wants it more than Fed. That he will win. He must fix this in the center of his mind and let his every action flow from this thought.
In his win over Andy M. there were a few concerns -- loose games when up a break; coming in behind the wrong ball (in a panic) when under service pressure. While these nervous tics of his were fewer and farther between this match, he needs to get it down to zero against Federer.
Honestly, I didn't think Andy would find this level. I knew he had it in him but it seemed as if the window of opportunity to up his level had passed him by. I thought he'd make a deep run but the final is more than I believed. Now all I can pray for, hope for is Andy doesn't psych himself out before he ever touches the court. That he leaves his usual Roger/mental capitulations in a toilet somewhere on the way to Centre Court.
I want an all American win!
I'm still emotional.
Good luck to AndyR on Sunday. He can do it, he has a chance.
This Mladenovic girl won the junior title at FO last month, serves at about 117mph and backs this up with lightning footwork according to spectators.
Yes, Andy always has it in him. The game, absolutely. He has a chance tomorrow. I'm hoping and praying he grabs that chance and doesn't let go.
Go Andy!
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