Category Archives: ATP Tour
Turning Points
Marseilles, Buenos Aires, Memphis: Finals Typically, the third week of February had something for everyone, assuming any of them were watching. Aficionados of fast indoor tennis were well-served by a strong field in Marseilles. Lovers of clay doubtless enjoyed the … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
A Tepid Glow
Sao Paulo, San Jose, Rotterdam: Finals Rafael Nadal won a tournament on clay, again. Julien Benneteau finished runner-up, again. Milos Raonic won San Jose, again. Whatever else one might expect from men’s tennis in February, do not expect the unexpected, … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Obscure Trivia and the Pursuit Thereof
Rotterdam, Quarterfinals Momentous events are unfolding, at least as the term ‘momentous’ is understood within the constricting parameters of men’s professional tennis in February. Of the three events being conducted this week, two managed to lose their defending champions within … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
The Black Swan
Vina del Mar, Semifinals and Final By defeating his compatriot Carlos Berlocq in straight sets in Vina del Mar, Horacio Zeballos moved through to his first tour-level final in three years. He made sure the enormity of the moment was … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Groove is in the Heart
Vina del Mar, Second Round Montpellier, Second Round Hajek d. (7) Troicki, 6/0 4/2 ret. My tennis day began boisterously on a sun-mottled clay court in coastal Chile and concluded in the electric shadows of Montpellier’s whimsically titled Arena. Diana … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Endless Saturday
Auckland, Final (1) Ferrer d. (2) Kohlschreiber, 7/6 6/1 A long Saturday kicked off tamely enough as David Ferrer secured his fourth Auckland title, defeating second seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber in an uneven yet entirely indicative pair of sets. The score-line … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour, Grand Slams
The More Things Change
Nine days into the 2013 season, and it is safe to say that the second week has commenced the way first one concluded, and that the transition between the two was executed seamlessly. The young men who barely lost in … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
A Lack of Trajectory
‘Novak Djokovic fires a massive warning shot across the Australian summer of tennis.’ Thus intoned Channel Ten’s Mark ‘Howie’ Howard, celebrating the world No.1’s dominance by fatally torpedoing a naval metaphor, and perfectly evoking countless high school English classes in … Continue reading
Typically Strange
So far this has been a decidedly strange first week of the season, but that’s nothing unusual. It invariably is, as the flecked rust accrued in the off-season – ‘December’ according to the Gregorian calendar – is frantically scraped and … Continue reading
There Will Be Mud
Mikhail Youzhny yesterday recorded his first career match win over Benjamin Becker in Doha, which would admittedly be of scant interest even to me, if it wasn’t simultaneously the Russian’s 400th career match win over anyone anywhere. One night earlier … Continue reading