A speed round of aces and faults

POSTED BY BESS: We've been having so much fun with our rejuvenated blog, discussing magazine covers, speedboat tennis, logos and coffee drinks--all somehow related to tennis. But Dave has wisely reminded me that we need to cover some of the, you know, actual action from the Aussie Open.

So here's a quick speed round of aces and faults from the coverage I have seen so far:

Photo: Jason Lockett/Tennis Australia

Aces:

• Nadal is back! And somewhat surprisingly in fine form in his first round win. The shorts are shorter, the shirt is pinker and the accessories are day-glo-ier than ever. I've missed you, Rafa.
• Props to Christina McHale for tossing her cookies several times on court, yet managing to pull out a win deep in the third set (12-10). You've gotta love this Jersey Girl!
• Kudos to the young Aussie men, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis for winning your first round matches and, especially in the case of Kokkinakis, getting the stadium rocking into the wee hours (well, the hours were "wee" for me, at least...) And that backward somersault/neckstand thing? Pure joy. (Kokkinakis did say he'd work on his celebration for future wins.)
• Thank God they changed that Melbourne ad from last year. Remember that "I wanna know..." line that was unrelentingly drilled into our brains 24/7? Perhaps this new ad will get just as old in a few days, but I credit the Melbourne marketing team for at least trying to preserve our sanity.

Faults:

• Ivanovic's loss was disappointing and dispiriting. I just don't understand what's going on there. She must be so frustrated. (As is my bracket.)



Photo: Ben Solomon/Tennis Australia

• I was excited to hear about the special pre-night session ceremony honoring the recently retired Li Na... only to find out they weren't showing it on TV. Li Na with a microphone is never to be missed! So it's a FAULT for ESPN2 not to show it live. (But a definite ACE to Li Na who announced she and husband/comedic punching bag Dennis will become parents this summer! Sign that baby up for tennis lessons and a Twitter account, tout de suite.)

DAVE'S TAKE: Haven't seen much coverage yet; I'll blame that on a date with Benedict Cumberbatch last night. I mean, a night out to see his movie 'The Imitation Game' (which I highly recommend, btw). Regardless, here are my thoughts, thus far:

Aces:

Marcos Baghdatis,
2015 Australian Open player photo

• There have already been more than a half-dozen, five-set matches on the men's side -- including a win by Bess' former favorite, Marcos Baghdatis, 6-4 in the fifth over Teymuraz Gabashvili, of Russia. (Bess dumped Marcos for Rafa a few years ago*.) Fun to have such close matches this early on in the tournament!
• My eye is on Ivo Karlovic, of Croatia, this tournament. I am wishing now that I had taken him farther in my draw.
• Love that Genie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova sailed through their first-round matches. A good omen for both, I hope. (And pray.)
• The fact that there are/were women named Storm and Oceane playing in the opening round. Australian Storm Sanders lost, but, dang it, you gotta love her first name!

Faults:

• Too many women's seeds are already out! Ivanovic, Pavlyuchenkova, Lisicki, Kuznetsova, Suarez Navarro, Vesnina, Kerber. What? My draw is a disaster. 
• I'm an idiot for having made plans last night, on the first night of televised play.

TENNIS FANS: First-round action will be finishing soon. What's your take on the tournament so far? Which players have caught your eye? Who deserves an ace or a fault? Tell us!

* Bess clarifies: I did not dump Marcos! He just hasn't been around as much for me to obsess over. I heart you, Marcos!

It's all over Down Under

Posted by BESS: Several days, by which I mean nights, have passed, and the 2013 Aussie Open is now complete.  I missed talking about a lot of matches, and I also missed a lot of matches.

I did, however, see a good portion of the Murray/Federer five-set semi-final. Was really rooting for Fed in that one. But, alas.

I did NOT see the MTO heard 'round the world... Azarenka's questionable medical time out right after choking away five match points in her semi-final against Sloane Stephens.  After leaving the court and seemingly regrouping, Aza went on to win the match and lose just about any support she might have had. The fans, the media, commentators, other players, the Twitterverse... everyone was in an uproar.

By all accounts it was a rough two days for Azarenka, preparing for the final while dealing with the fallout of that questionable sportsmanship. So tension was high as she and Li Na took the court for the women's championship. What then transpired was riveting TV. 

Three sets complete with a heavily partisan crowd (seemingly all supporting Li), strong play, two medical time outs (unquestionably legit) by Li for rolling her ankle--one combined with slamming her head on the court and being assessed for a concussion, a 10-minute break for Australia Day fireworks outside the stadium, and frequent shots of Aza's box where LMFAO's Redfoo, her friend/perhaps boyfriend, wore a neon, leopard print ensemble with a T-shirt proclaiming "Get your grunt on."

In a word (or three), it was bizarre and unexpected and entertaining, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Until the very end, when Azarenka won.

It marked one of the oddest winning moments I can remember in a grand slam final. She won, and the crowd barely reacted. Here she is, your women's champion, and... tepid applause at best. Reluctant.

Her celebration was, to her credit, muted. She sobbed heavily into her towel, then jogged over to celebrate with her team--getting reassurance from them more than anything else.

So Aza leaves Melbourne with another trophy, and Li Na leaves with a kabillion more fans (conservative estimate.) She's a clearly improved player, and her unending popularity stems as much from her impressive play as for her humorous candor during every single interview. Simply charming.

Well done, Li Na. Hoping the rest of 2013 is just a little bit better than this tournament ended up for you.
 
As for the men's final. Well, I was frankly bored by Murray/Djokovic. And tired. So I took a break after the first two sets (which they split) and then just couldn't be bothered. Something like 28 straight games without a break of serve? Oy.

It was a final between two players I don't really care for, so I wasn't so much rooting for someone as I was rooting against the Djoker. And when it seemed he had taken control of the match, my heart wasn't in it. Especially at 5 a.m.

I'll just say that it wasn't the best match from either of them. And had Murray not played a tough five-set semi just the day before, the result might have been much different.

I did see the end and the trophy presentation (had to wake up for Andre!). The upside: Djokovic didn't rip his shirt off while staggering around court screaming like the Hulk. So there's that.

Also, perhaps my second-favorite tweet from the tournament: SI/CNN/Tennis Channel's Jon Wertheim's random observation and stellar verb usage last night:  "Murray really sausaged his body into his clothes this event."  Hahaha. Nice. (And true.)

Housekeeping
So... it's been fun. But I've missed Dave arguing with me over my dislike of Djokovic or Venus's fashion choices. Perhaps when the French Open rolls around Dave won't find himself quite so busy/sick/out of the country (a bad combination as far as blogging goes.)

I look forward to putting the "mixed" and the "doubles" back into Mixed Doubles.

For those keeping score, both Dave and I picked DelPotro and Sharapova as singles' champions. So clearly, we failed.  Better luck next time, Juan Martin and Maria. Also, Dave and me.

Until Paris... (and, God willing, Rafa...) A bientot!

Loving the drama Down Under

Posted by Bess: One of my favorite aspects of tennis is the narratives that emerge from match, to match, tournament to tournament, year to year and even over the course of a player's career. And, perhaps because tennis is such an individual sport, these narratives seem very personal.

You're not rooting for (or against) a team of people cloaked in matching uniforms, helmets and pads. You're rooting for the guy out there alone in a T-shirt and shorts, with only an occasional towel to hide the expressions on his face. Or the girl in the press conference, staring down a room of reporters who all want a piece of her, mere minutes after a crushing defeat.

The ultra-personal glimpse into these narratives is one of the best things about tennis. And following them is one of the most rewarding parts of being a tennis fan.

The past two nights have offered a wealth of drama. I won't be able to chronicle it all here because, truthfully, I wasn't awake to see it all. But a few of the story lines I did see play out include these:

• Two nights ago Hewitt took on Raonic. The Aussie fighter in the twilight of his career vs. the up-and-comer from Canada with his whole career seemingly ahead of him. The 5'11" Hewitt vs. the 6'5" Raonic (I swear he looked much taller on court).
  
  After Roddick gifted Hewitt with a shot at the next round, I mentioned that Hewitt/Raonic held little interest for me. However, it clearly held a lot of interest for Hewitt who rose to the occasion, toughing out a four-set win to reach the second week of the tournament for the seventh time. (Was I mistaken, or did Jim Courier say that was a record for an Aussie?)
  
  It's no secret I don't much care for Hewitt. But to see how much that win meant to him--he fell to the court as if he'd won a final, with tears in his eyes and disbelief on his face--I have to admit I appreciated his emotion. (Sorry, Deb and Whitney!)
  
  So... good on him. And good luck to him. He'll need it. Next up? Djokovic.
  

Last night offered a great dose of drama, as well.

• First, Kim Clisters vs. Li Na. The rematch of last year's final. I find them both to be immensely likable players. But for the sake of this possibly being Kim's last year playing, I was definitely rooting for her. I'll admit I had dozed off at the start of the match, but was rudely awakened to the slow-mo replay of her rolling her ankle. It seemed the injuries that plagued her all last season had come calling again.
  
  Despite scrambling up to finish the point, she quickly called for the trainer and got the ankle tightly wrapped. She lost the first set, however. And it took her winning a tiebreak in the second set... saving FOUR match points along the way... to take the match to the decisive third set which she won relatively easily.
  
  It's a moment worth cheering. What grit and determination!
  
  It's also a moment worth lamenting. One woman's magnificent win is the other's magnificent defeat.
  
  Take a gander at Li Na's press conference immediately following the event. (I'll post a clip as soon as I can find one.) You'll see the weight of squandering four match points come to bear on her. She couldn't even respond to the questions from a Chinese journalist and had to leave the room in tears.
  
  Heartbreaking! The triumph and the tragedy of one match.
  

• Finally, we have Berdych v. Almagro. I didn't see a whole lot of this match, but what I did see seemed highly competitive and entertaining. And the scoreline, Berdych winning 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6, indicates it was a great, close match. But what was so dramatic was the body-shot heard round the world.
  
  Late in the fourth set, Almagro and Berdych are both close to the net. Almagro has to decide where to aim the ball and aims it right at Berdych. It seemed a fair shot, and all the commentators I heard talk about it backed up Almagro's choice saying it was fair and not at all done with ill-intent.
  
  The shot hit Berdych's bicep and he fell to the ground. Almagro immediately stopped and walked to the net, raising his racquet in apology and checking to make sure Berdych was OK.
  
  Berdych was OK. But he was pissed! Cut to the end of the match, with Berdych the victor. They head to the net for the traditional handshake. Berdych refuses to shake Almagro's hand.
  
  It's tennis's version of the ultimate snub. Just about the rudest thing you can do to show your disdain.
  
  Well, the crowd started booing, loudly. And they kept it up. They wouldn't even let Berdych be heard during the on-court interview--they kept up with the booing throughout, especially loud during Berdych's answers.
  
  Check it all out here.
  
  Kind of loving the Aussie crowd for that one!
  
  Want the narrative to get even more interesting? Next up for Berdych is Nadal, Almagro's countryman and a stickler for proper etiquette. (Can you imagine what Uncle Toni would do to Nadal if he EVER refused to shake an opponent's hand? Yeesh.) Those Spaniards are a tight-knit bunch. I have a feeling Nadal's going to be pumped up to put Berdych in his place.
  
  And I'm instantly more excited about the next round.
  

Those are just three instances of drama. Three stories out of many written over the last two days. I'm sure I've left out other compelling narratives. Let me know what I missed!

Best shots for 2012 (according to Bess)

Posted by Bess: I'm overdue making my predictions for 2012. And some of you may find it sketchy that I'm making my predictions with the 2012 tennis season underway. Rest assured that I have avoided reading any other bloggers' or writers' tennis predictions (even Dave's!). And while I've seen some tennis news through Twitter, I have yet to actually watch any of the action.

Thank goodness I'll be able to read about and watch tennis now without any guilt!

Prediction #1: 2012 men's grand slam winners. I predict we will see a more even distribution of the grand slam "wealth" this year (and for the sake of the argument, I'm viewing the Olympics as a fifth slam).

My rationale: 2010 was the year of Nadal. 2011 was Nole's year. And many of the years before that were Federer's. But I don't think Djokovic can maintain the same level of play throughout 2012 as he did in 2011. I don't think Nadal can be as consistently great as we've seen him, either. I *do* think Roger has at least another win in him (this was reinforced when I saw him play in London in November--more on that in my next post.)

But there are also a number of talented players waiting to pounce. And with the Olympics thrown into the mix, I think different players are going to try to peak at different times, and preparations during the relatively short window that will encompass the French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open will be mighty interesting.

Prediction #2: 2012 women's grand slam winners. Much tougher category, this. I'll only say that, much as we saw in 2011, I expect a number of players in the mix. Who? Sheesh. I don't know. I'd love to see Clijsters, Sharapova, Zvonareva, Li Na and Wozniacki have great seasons. I'd like to see Ivanovic cobble together a string of wins. I'd kind of like to see Azarenka do well just to drum up all the debate about screeching again. Because that didn't get old. And I'd really like Sam Stosur to get a win she can savor just a little bit more (i.e. not tainted by the shenanigans of her opponent.) This feels like a prediction-less prediction. But so be it.

Prediction #3: Olympic champions. I'm going to go out on a huge, ridiculous limb here and pick two Olympic gold medalists. Although it's most likely to only cause me grief later when my picks are woefully mistaken and Dave won't let me forget it.

Men's Olympic gold medalist: Roger Federer. I know. But this has got to be TOPS on Roger's list this year. It's just about the only thing in tennis he hasn't won. (Yes, he has an Olympic doubles title, but let's get real--he wants a gold in singles badly.) He's expressed interest for several years. And the Olympic tennis matches will be played on the grass at Wimbledon where Roger is more than comfortable. ... Many things working in his favor. Plus, I would just like to see him cap off his remarkable career in that way. It would be one Roger win that wouldn't feel simply like "another win."

Women's Olympic gold medalist: And this? This is the "ridiculous limb" part of the prediction. Who can really say?! Yes, it could be Serena, but I'm feeling a little iffy about her 2012 season for some reason. And if she's indeed playing mixed doubles with Roddick, perhaps she'll be a bit distracted? (Unless it just means she's in even better shape. Yikes!) Hmmm... For no really strategic reason other than I'd like to see it happen, I'll pick Sharapova. I believe she deserves some kind of medal for the long, slow battle she's waged to come back from her shoulder injury. Might as well be Olympic gold.

Prediction #4: Agassi in the mix. Likely just wishful thinking on my part, but I predict Andre Agassi will offer some sort of surprise this year, putting him more in the mix again. Not as a player (talk about ridiculous limbs...) but... somehow. Just hopefully not a second Tell-All. ;-) (Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic book. But I don't think we need any more shocking revelations or swipes at Sampras.) Is it so wrong to want more Agassi!?

Prediction #5: The year of Dave. Here's a self-involved prediction if I ever saw one. But I predict Dave will be the grand slam (+Olympics) overall winner when it comes to our 2012 bracket challenges. I can only hope he picks good places for me to buy his victory meals.

Prediction #6: Retirements. Might James Blake bow out? Might Venus Williams be forced to retire due to her medical issues? Will Clijsters call it quits after the Olympics or one final U.S. Open? Time will tell. But I predict we'll see a few retirements this year that will tug at my heartstrings and add to the ever-increasing amount of evidence that I am old.

There you have it. Let's reconvene here in December and break down my prediction-making skillz.