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Brian Baker Continues Winning Ways In Nice
26 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
The comeback story of the year in tennis continues.
Brian Baker entered the qualifying tournament for the ATP Nice 250 event. He routined his way through qualies, defeating Ilja Bozoljac 61 61, David Guez 63 62, and Alejandro Gonzalez 63 63.
In Baker’s first round match he met Sergei Stakhovskiy, who finished 2011 ranked #62. Baker lost the first set but ultimately revailed 67 64 75, to set a second round date with #4 seed Gael Monfils.
Brian Baker may be in the process of creating the greatest comeback story in the history of professional tennis. Out of the sport for six years, repeated surgeries, working as an assistant college tennis coach, fighting his way through Futures and Challengers, Baker is now ranked #216 in the world.
He has already earned a wildcard into the 2012 French Open. Stay tuned…
Mitch · May 22, 2012 at 6:17 pm
I give him a shot against Monfils, who hasn’t really gotten his groove back after returning from injury a few weeks ago.
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2012 at 7:11 pm
Mitch you might have to give Baker a shot against ANYONE outside the top 10, he has won a LOT of matches this year in Futures and Challengers and also qualifying into those events. I’m going to research what his exact tourney won-loss record is for the year, hold on…
Scoop Malinowski · May 22, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Baker’s total playing activity record this year is a W/L record of 29-7 which includes all Futures, Challenger, qualies, and this week’s ATP level win vs. Stakhovskiy. #1 Djokovic is 30-5. #2 Nadal is 33-4. #3 Federer is 31-4. Pretty impressive year for Baker so far.
Mitch · May 23, 2012 at 9:03 pm
He served a second serve ace down set point in the tiebreak today. Pretty gutsy. I like his chances against Kukushkin in the next round.
TC · May 24, 2012 at 1:47 am
Baker is on the rise but terrible loss for Monfils imo.
Scoop Malinowski · May 24, 2012 at 2:24 am
Amazing win for Baker Thomas! This is just huge for Baker. This really shows he is back in a big way. If he can beat La Monf, the sky is about the limit for Baker if he can stay healthy. He might actually be able to … dare I say, shock the top 5??? THis is just beyond amazing. Really glad I got to see where this started when he crushed Sweeting in Sarasota.
Michael · May 24, 2012 at 4:29 am
I never saw him play.
Pretty incredible story.
Maybe it will inspire Dan to think about a comeback. Speaking of comebacks, what’s the status on Spadea ?
Andrew Miller · May 24, 2012 at 4:44 am
Sheesh this guy must be amazing. I just read the article by Doug Robson/tennis.com and also remember what Dan and Scoop have said. He really must be an awesome player.
Kudos to Brian and good luck at Roland Garros.
Mitch · May 24, 2012 at 1:51 pm
I wouldn’t put too much into the win over Monfils, who is still coming back from injury and hasn’t really done much this year, especially on clay. It’s pretty sad though that, especially if he wins today, Baker has been the 2nd best American player on clay this year.
Dan Markowitz · May 24, 2012 at 2:00 pm
And the best on the European clay. How about Roddick and Blake being bludgeoned by Berdych and Stepanek?! Wasn’t too long ago when Andy beat Tomas on indoor clay in Czech Republic in big Davis Cup match.
Scoop Malinowski · May 24, 2012 at 2:12 pm
I would put A LOT of credit on Baker’s win over Monfils and also Stakhovskiy. Just weeks ago Baker was playing qualies in challengers and futures. He was out of the game for SIX YEARS. This comeback is nothing sort of miraculous. He had to be playing some spectacular tennis to beat Monfils on red clay in France the week before ROland Garros.
Dan Markowitz · May 24, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Here’s the link to the Robson article about Baker on tennis.com, it’s a good read. Who does Baker look exactly like? A former player, American, top doubles guy who played at Stanford with PMac?
http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/features.aspx?articleid=17768&zoneid=9
Scoop Malinowski · May 24, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Jim Grabb., Yeah sort of, not quite exactly though. I’ve interviewed Baker twice face to face and it’s close like Anca Barna and Silvia Talaja were very similar looking. No way does anyone remember those two. )
Mitch · May 24, 2012 at 8:03 pm
He wins again! I don’t think he has enough left in the tank to beat Davydenko though, who’d be a tough out anyways. In related news, Monfils just pulled out of the French Open with a knee injury.
Scoop Malinowski · May 24, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Absolutely amazing Mitch, Baker can bake anyone right now. Kukushkin is not a bad player, he just beat Tomic. Baker right now, is the hottest player in American tennis along with Isner. I have a feeling he’s only just begun too. Six years of talent pent up, he’s making up for last time with a desperation and urgency, no other player can relate with.
Mitch · May 25, 2012 at 6:36 pm
I hope he has enough energy left to be competitive with Almagro. If he stays healthy he should also be able to win his first match at the French against Malisse.
TC · May 25, 2012 at 9:46 pm
he took down davydenko. Ok this is really interesting now.
Scoop Malinowski · May 25, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Tom I saw the end of the first set TB and it seemed Baker kinda let it slip away and I thought fatigue would set in, so this is another amazing win for Baker. He must be in phenomenal shape physically and mentally. Hope he does not burn himself out in Nice, and have nothing left for Paris. This is the one of the stories of the year. FOr all sports.
Andrew Miller · May 26, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Goodness this guy is great! I just watched a youtube clip from the Davy match, here. Nice, clean play – seems like this is the way an American SHOULD play on clay, as if it’s just another surface. Good disguise on the shots. Good stuff. I am rooting for him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–dyT4_77SQ
Scoop Malinowski · May 26, 2012 at 7:07 pm
In one swoop Baker matched the best result of any American male player on the year – a final. (Isner finaled in Houston). Right now, arguably Baker is with Isner, our two best hopes for success in Paris. And perhaps the rest of the year. It’s hard to see Roddick, Fish, Querrey, Bogie, Harrison making a final or winning an event right now, though like Baker has shown, never count any one out. Hopefully the Americans will take big inspiration from Baker and snap into better form.
Dan Markowitz · May 26, 2012 at 11:01 pm
This is really startling, and Scoop spotted it early, lucky enough to see him at the Challenger in Sarasota. I remember when Scoop said Baker beat Sweeting badly that it was some kind of a fluke because how could a player like Baker, 27, and out of the game for so long be any kind of a player?
That video of Baker, and thanks for posting it Andrew, because it’s the first I’ve seen of Baker, is impressive. Live arm, good footwork and aggressive nature. Wow, right now (everyone knows I’m not the biggest Isner fan to watch), I’d watch Baker over any other American. I think he looks like the young Andy Roddick with a better backhand.
Scoop Malinowski · May 27, 2012 at 12:28 am
Actually Dan I said it wasn’t a fluke win over Sweeting, it was a legit beatdown. Sweeting was lounging through the warm up flatfooted slapping shots like he expected it would be easy. But Baker was a bulldog, it could have gone either way early but Baker got it done. He shocked the heck out of Sweeting. Then the same pattern continued in set two, 2-0 Baker and Sweeting quit, CLAIMING illness. But an elderly lady questioned that as she agreed he looked perfectly healthy until he started getting creamed. Baker is the real deal. I did a Biofile with him in 2005 at US Open which I will try to dig up out of my archives and post…
Dan Markowitz · May 27, 2012 at 1:11 am
The Baker Bio-file, inquiring minds want to know. But that video of Baker beating down Davydenko is telling. He is dynamic, big serve, return winners, forays to the net. He looks like a more go-for-it Djoker. I mean, Djoker returns and rushes the net every leap year. So I’m intrigued. I want to see more of BB.
Andrew Miller · May 27, 2012 at 4:14 am
Dan and Scoop: Might be best backhand here since Spadea and Rios.
Aint joking! Here’s the 2nd clip I think that exists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX11yeIaKUE
Scoop Malinowski · May 27, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Wow, he looks even better in those videos than I remember of him down in Sarasota where he was more mechanical and slower and deliberate almost at half speed compared to this. Baker’s really exploding now, moving much better and quicker than I recall, he’s really bouncing on his toes. I asked him in Saraasota if he did yoga and he said no but he does “a lot of stretching.” Boy if he keeps up the stretching and adds yoga who knows how far he can keep going and keep raising his game as he meets the upper elites of the ATP. Everything might be there to combat the best of the best. I’m serious. Baker looks like a world beater. Let’s hope his body holds up. He’s just wrapped up IMO the ATP Comeback Player of the Year and it’s May. No way anyone else can outdo what Baker has done in 2012. Heck, he might even earn a spot on the Davis Cup team when they play Spain.
Andrew Miller · May 27, 2012 at 1:21 pm
The guy is flat out awesome. Plays tennis the way it should be played!