Preparing for the US Open

[email protected]

(Please note the UPDATES at the bottom.) 

Rafael Nadal has been keeping quiet about whether or not his knee injury, (continuing tendinitis) will keep him out of the US Open in two weeks. But it’s not looking great.

Nadal’s season started out just fine. He breezed through the Australian Open before falling to Novak Djokovic in the final – not without a fight, however. The match lasted five hours and 53 minutes, making it the longest final match in Grand Slam history.

Nadal faced Djokovic again at Rolland Garros in May, but this time Rafael came out victorious. He won his seventh French Open title, surpassing Bijorn Borg’s record of six. The 26 year old ATP number three in the world was playing at his best.

Then – things got a little weird. At Wimbledon, Rafa was knocked out in the second round by Lucas Rosol, ranked 100 in the world. Nadal hadn’t failed to advance past round two in a Grand Slam tourney since he was a teenager – and he had won Wimbledon only two years prior. But everyone has their bad days – Rosol even saying, “Nadal is only human.”

The world expected Rafael to rest up for the Olympics, as he was in line to bear Spain’s flag in the opening ceremony, but not two weeks after Wimbledon, he announced that he would not be able to participate. It was made clear that the tendinitis was to blame.

It was also the cause of his absence at the Rogers Cup in Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters last week. Not only do these tournaments help to secure a players ranking, they assist in keeping them agile and in shape for the Grand Slams – i.e. the US Open. When Rafa was nowhere to be found, many became anxious, including ATP number one, Roger Federer, that he would not be prepared. (Tennis.com)

“I can’t believe he’s been out that long. I thought the Olympics, okay, that’s fine. That’s a personal choice. I thought for sure we would see him in Toronto, but now he missed Toronto and Cincinnati. It’s very surprising…So I’m sad for him. I hope he’ll be back for the US Open.”

It doesn’t seem like anyone would be safe counting on Nadal’s participation at Arthur Ashe this month. No formal statement has been made by Nadal since the Olympics, but as opening day in Queens draws nearer, the world has been abuzz about whether or not the 2011 finalist will be strong enough to compete.

Nadal made headlines last year in Flushing Meadows by making strong statements about the conditions of its courts. Throughout the tourney, pros were told to continue play, even when many believed the courts were too damp to ensure safety. Nadal was quoted as saying, “It’s the same old story, all you think about is money,” suggesting that the organizers cared more about the schedule than the well-being of the players.

If Nadal were to sit out of any tournament to protect his knee, you could probably assume it would be the US Open, since he publicly questioned its security last August before his tendinitis even flared.

Regardless, a decision must be made soon. It is likely we will hear a yea or a nay from the Spaniard by the end of the week.

UPDATE:

On Wednesday morning, August 15th, Rafael Nadal announced that he will NOT participate in the US Open.

On his twitter, Nadal wrote: “I am very sad to announce that I am not ready to play the US Open in NY. Thanks to my fans for their support and especially, the New Yorkers.”

Wow, wow, wow. It must be worse than he is letting on. As previously noted in the blog entry, “You Have to Look Beneath the Surface, or Do You?” I went into detail about how hard courts are historically the worst on a players joints. Nadal dominates on clay, but even though he won at Ashe in 2010 and was a finalist last year, he is probably making the best decision by avoiding the DecoTurf.

Wishing the 26 year old lots of luck and a speedy recovery.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Novak Djokovic grew up in Serbia with three goals: To become the number one ATP player in the world, to win Wimbledon, and to eat a chunk of the grass immediately afterwards.

He accomplished all three of those dreams last year, on July 1st 2011 when he defeated Rafael Nadal to win it all in London.

In regards to his now-famous Wimbledon victory-snack, Djokovic said to Jay Leno, “Listen – in my dreams the grass tasted much sweeter, [but] there, it had this flavor of the sweat – my sweat, the opponents sweat – so it didn’t really feel great, but it came naturally.”

Leno’s subsequent hearty laugh was typical of the soundtrack to Djokovic’s current life as a member of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, five-time Grand Slam title winner, and twenty-five year old class clown.

Novak “Djoker,” as he’s been nicknamed by the media, is a unique personality in the tennis world. We’ve seen pros get draped in endorsements, branch out into fashion, even star in music videos with their boyfriends, but we’ve never seen such a comedian.

Djokovic has famously impersonated other pros, on and off the court, such as Rafael Nadal, (who wasn’t particularly in on the joke) and Maria Sharapova, (Do yourself a favor and click this link).

In the spotlight, Novak is attractive, well-spoken, and funny – but we’re not just dealing with a great personality here. We’re talking about a man who was the youngest player to ever reach the semifinals in all four Grand Slams, (accomplished in 2008) the 6th player to ever win three Grand Slam titles in one calendar year, (2011) and the only Serbian to ever win a Major singles title.

Where did this kid come from, and what was his road to the top?

In 1991, four-year old Novak Djokovic was just a young Serbian kid hanging around the local tennis courts, absorbing everything he could from the sidelines, and idolizing Pete Sampras. Serbian coach, Jelena Gencic noticed the boy and invited him to hit around one day. Djokovic’s fate was sealed.

Djokovic said to 60 Minutes’ Bob Simon, “I was saying I want to be number one of the world, and I was seven, eight years old. Most people were laughing at me, because, you know, it seems I have a one percent chance to do that.”

Gencic ranked the percentage a little higher. She believed in Djokovic fiercely, and convinced his parents to allow him to split his time between Serbia and Germany at 13, where he was trained by Nikola Pilic at the Niki Pilis Tennis Academy.

That year he reached the finals of the Junior Davis Cup for players under 14 and won silver in the World Junior Championship’s team competition. By 17, he was ranked in the ATP, (albeit 606) and by 18, he was playing in all four Grand Slams.

At 19, impressive performances in the French Open and Wimbledon got him into the top 20, making him the youngest top 20 player of all time. Later that year, he defeated Federer, Nadal and Andy Roddick in the American tour, winning the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Motreal. Suddenly Djokovic was number three in the world.

His first Grand Slam title came the next year at the 2008 Australian Open. He’d win it again in 2011, along with Wimbledon, (elevating him to ATP number one) and the US Open. He opened the 2012 season by winning the Australian Open for the third time. At this point, he had defeated Rafael Nadal in the finals of three consecutive Grand Slam titles, but Nadal finally conquered Djokovic this May at Rolland Garros.

Djokovic was also defeated in July at Wimbledon in the finals by Roger Federer, pushing him to number two in the world. Nothing to scoff at.

Novak is currently back in Wimbledon playing in the Olympic Games. On August 3rd he was defeated by Brit Andy Murray, taking him out of the running for Gold, but will play for his second Bronze on August 5th against Argentinian Juan Martin Del Porto.

Through the ups and downs, Novak Djokovic remains upbeat, optimistic, and light-hearted. He utilizes social media to keep close contact with his fans. He wrote on his Facebook page August 2nd, “I really like coming here and sharing my thoughts with you. I know you are always around to hear me out and give your feedback and that really means a lot to me.”

Not to forget his roots, he follows every post with a Serbian translation.

The world will be watching DjokerNole, (as you can find him on twitter) closely this month at the US Open.

Regardless of whether the five-time Grand Slam pro and second in the world walks away on top, you can be sure he’ll at least give you something to smile at.

New Yorkers have always enjoyed being quick and efficient. Get in, get the information you need, and get out before the parking lot gets crazy.

It’s no different at the US Open in Queens.

In 1970, the US Open adopted what is known as the fifth-set tiebreak. No other Grand Slam tourney has ever included the controversial tiebreak. The fifth set represents the final set in a great match, the end of which results in the win. I say “great”because all of the Grand Slam tourneys have a ‘best three sets out of five’ policy – so you can be sure that a match which has gone to five sets has been a battle to the finish between two excellent players.

A VERY brief rundown of scoring in tennis.

• First person to win four points wins the game.
• It takes six games to win a set, (must win by two).
• If the game score reaches 6-6, the players play a tiebreak
• The tie break is out of twelve, (first player to seven points wins).
• The winner of the tiebreak wins the set.

Australia, London and France all use tiebreaks on any set prior to the fifth. Once a match has reached five sets, the tiebreak rule is abandoned and players continue as long as it takes to win the set. If you catch two hungry players, each with a fierce desire to win the match, you are going to be there for a long time. Every once in a while, you’ll be there for an EXTREMELY long time.

Perhaps the most famous example of this is what has become known as “The Endless Match,” which took place at Wimbledon in 2010. American John Isner faced off against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu for an incredible 11+ hours over the course of three days. The fifth and final set, which went on sans tiebreak, lasted a remarkable 8+ hours and brought the total number of games to 138. Finally, Isner sent the ball out of bounds, and the historical match came to a close with a final score sounding like a basketball game: 70-68.

There are two sides to every coin, and the US side is which ever one is more valuable. Creators and supporters of the fifth-set tiebreak in the US swear that the tiebreak is much more satisfying, (some fans not being able to hold their focus for the hours it may take to win a open-ended set) and thrilling, (exciting to the fans who naw their fingernails to the bone). Any stroke can be the last.

US Open Director Bill Talbert told the New York Times in regards to the fifth-set tiebreaks, “Of course [the players] will be nervous, but the fans will love it. Did you ever know a player who bought a ticket?”

Not to mention, tiebreaks keep the matches short and the tourney on schedule, as opposed to the Isner/Mathieu match which pushed Maria Sharipova back a day, upsetting paying fans, broadcast stations, and players.

The traditionalists who scoff at the fifth-set tiebreaks usually have the same complaint: It just doesn’t seem right. Two players have just battled for five, long sets. They’ve proven themselves as incredible opponents, a fantastic matchup, and here we are, prepared to end it all with a first-to-seven. While the tension may be thicker in a tiebreak, the emotions poured onto the court during a traditional fifth set are inspiring, powerful, and historical.

Either way, if you have tickets to Arthur Ashe this month, don’t hold your breathe waiting for a Wimbledon ’08 Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal 9-7 finals set, or an epic battle like Isner/Mathieu. But you can probably count on keeping your day on schedule.

Clay. Grass. PlexiCushion. DecoTurf.

The latest secret weapons for Tempurpedic? Maybe, but today I’m only talking about The Grand Slam courts and their four different surfaces.

By now I have outlined the four tourneys for you. To recap, seated players go from Australia in January, to France in May, to London in late June, and New York in August. That’s enough travel to make the average person a little scattered – but in addition, these pros have to adjust to an extreme change in the conditions of their courts in each location. For some, it’s a minor shift. For others, it’s intimidating, and at times, a deal breaker.

While Roland Garros court in France has always been a clay one, the others were always natural grass, until ’74 when US switched to clay, then DecoTurf, and ’87, when Australia chose Rebound Ace, then PlexiCushion. Now Wimbledon is the lone remaining green – and no court is alike.

A brief outline of what to expect on each surface:

The clay at Roland Garros: First of all, you’re playing on what is essentially dirt. France in May can get potentially humid. Dirt + humidity = one sticky court. You have to be extremely agile and fit to handle that footwork. Second, the clay slows down the ball and lets it bounce higher, this means a great receiver will do well, while a power server will struggle. Legend, Pete Sampras, endured a famous career-long battle with the surface. In the end, he was never able to come out on top.

The grass at Wimbledon: Similarly to clay, weather effects the grass significantly. Uncovered games are stopped and delayed constantly, effecting and shifting momentum. (Clay games are also delayed for rain, but are NOT delayed for humidity.) Even with the delays and drying, the grass is naturally a little slippery. Unlike shock-absorbent clay, grass propels the ball forward at lightening speeds and at lower heights. Speed-wise, grass is the stark opposite of clay, and thus helps players with different strengths. The winners on grass? The ‘power server’ we talked about who uses the speed to their advantage. In this case, Sampras dominated, with seven Wimbledon titles, (matched by Roger Federer) and Venus and Serena Williams, with five apiece.

Plexicushion at Melbourne and DecoTurf at Arthur Ashe: Both are hard courts, and many players and coaches consider the surfaces to be not only very similar, but a friendly middle ground between clay and grass. The courts are considered slower than grass, but faster than clay. US is an “acrylic” hard court, while AUS is a “synthetic” hard court. The majority of players tend to enjoy both because of the reduction of extremes, however they are also regarded as the most dangerous due to the sand in the top paint, which can magnify topspins and bother, or injure, a players joints. Andre Agassi is indisputably the best on the hard courts, holding the record for the most titles: nine total, five in Queens and four in Melbourne.

I asked my father, Steve Calleran, long-time tennis fan and recreational player, which surface he preferred.

“My favorite? I’ve always loved playing on hard courts. There’s almost no clay in America. But a local gym has ‘Har-tu’, American green clay – it’s a bit more forgiving, and these days, that’s a consideration.”

I laugh and tell him he doesn’t look a day over twenty, thirty, forty.

There has never been an official admission from the US Open as to why they introduced DecoTurf at the conception of The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 1978. Perhaps they were aiming to be “new” or “high-tech”. Many fans and observers however, believe economics may have been involved. The acrylic courts cost almost nothing to maintain – just a couple cans of paint for the bounds lines. In comparison, grass and clay can rack up monstrous bills in up-keep.

In any case, when it comes to The Grand Slams, the material your playing on will always have some effect on your performance. My Dad summed it up:

“The surface is VERY important.”

On Saturday, August 25th, The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will host “Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day,” where the countries youngest fans gather in hopes of practicing with the personal rackets of some of the highest-ranking players, checking the speed of their serve in “The Speedzone”, and even hitting the ball around with one of their idols.

It is the man for whom this event is entitled, however, who should truly be an idol to us all.

But why is ‘Kid’s Day’ named after Arthur Ashe? My return question: Why aren’t more days named after Arthur Ashe? 

Ashe was an American Hero in the truest sense. Not only was he the first African-American to play professionally AND win a Grand Slam title, but he won that title in 1968 – a year of historical significance, (The start of the “Open Era” – when professional players were allowed to compete for the first time) and personal. It was the same year Ashe completed his duty as a US Lieutenant. He’d go on to win two other Grand Slams, one apiece in Australia and Wimbledon.

I guess you may still be asking yourself: Sure, but why Kid’s Day?

Because Ashe impacted the lives of children on a GLOBAL scale. I first read about Arthur in a memoir of a South African child in the midst of Apartheid, entitled, Kaffir Boy. There, Ashe was described as an inspiration to every South African child – not only because he visited the country himself, hitting with some of its youngest Black players, or that he fought famously against apartheid in DC, but also because he spread hope for civil rights in a hopeless country – not just by competing in a sport with white Americans, but by beating all of them.

His devotion to American children can be seen in Philadelphia’s ‘Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center,’ and Richmond, Virginia’s ‘Arthur Ashe Athletic Center’ – both aimed specifically at promoting dedication and passion for a sport in underprivileged youth.

Still wondering why it’s called ‘Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day’?

Hopefully not! So this year, when your screaming kids pull you by the arm, begging you to take them to “Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day” on August 25th, TAKE THEM! But – be sure to explain the significance of the incredibly inspirational man for who the event is named.

What a year.

Actually – what a couple years.

To say that it’s been smooth sailing lately for the player many call the best female to play the game, would be grossly incorrect. Serena Williams, after suffering from a leg injury and a pulmonary embolism that essentially took her out of 2010 and ’11, endured starting twenty-twelve Grand Slam tourneys that were nothing short of mortifying.

Flashback to January: Five-time winner of the tournament, Williams goes out in the fourth round at the Australian Open against Belarussian Ekaterina Makarova. Ranked 56th in the world.

Flashback to May: Add extreme insult to injury. It’s the French Open and Williams is knocked out in the third, second, FIRST round (ouch) by Frenchman Virginie Razzano – ranked 111th in the world. The New York Times calls Serena’s game “a meltdown as epic and complete as any in her career.”

Flashback to the beginning of July: Serena shocks the world when she walks away with TWO Wimbledon titles in ONE DAY. Her fifth singles title AND fifth doubles title with sister Venus were secured in less that NINE HOURS! WHAT THE HECK?

What happened to the girl who got demolished in Australia and France? She was nowhere to be found in London. Serena was at her best – proving once again why she holds 14 Grand Slam singles titles and is currently ranked fourth in the world by the WTA.

In an event one could only call serendipitous, Serena will play on that same Wimbledon green next week with her sister – battling for the Olympic doubles title. That gives us all one more opportunity to be impressed/confused/shocked by her performance before the US Open.

All we can do now is wait for the one major question to be answered:

Which Serena will we see in Queens next month?